May 16, 2008 - It has yet to be determined if Alicia Keys has a nice jump shot, but the Grammy Award-winning singer is about to join the WNBA for a full season.

According to TV Guide, the A-list entertainer has made a special video of her song  “Superwoman” that will air before all 22 of the WNBA’s nationally televised games on ABC and ESPN2 this summer.

The season tips off with with the defending league champion Phoenix Mercury hosting the Los Angeles Sparks (May 17, 3:30 pm/ET, ABC). ESPN2’s Tuesday-night game-of-the-week schedule begins three days later with Sacramento Monarchs visiting the refurbished Seattle Storm (May 20, 10:30 pm/ET).

Filed under: Entertainment, Music, WNBA by jane
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May 16, 2008 - The International Ice Hockey Federation threw a party and finally invited some women.

American Cammi Granato and Canadians Geraldine Heaney and Angela James became the first women inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame, which is housed inside the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. There are now 163 players and builders from 23 countries enshrined in the hall.

Granato, who played 15 years, captained Team USA and won Olympic gold in 1998, gave an impassioned and eloquent acceptance speech that was both personal and representative of all female players.

“To be among the first women in the Hall of Fame is hard to put into words but it’s extremely special to me. I’m incredibly honoured. I grew up playing with boys and shared the same dream as my brothers.”

“It was really hard for me to accept that I couldn’t play for the Chicago Blackhawks. Because I was a girl I couldn’t have that dream. I want to thank the IIHF for giving me another dream.”

Heaney, who won seven gold medals at the worlds and one at the 2002 Olympics, was choked up at the event as she had recently suffered a death in the family.

“She was a huge hockey fan and a supporter of me. I’d just like to say this is for you, Kath,” Heaney said at the podium.

James was also emotional and cognizant of their role in female hockey history as she accepted her place in the hall.

“We were very fortunate we had the opportunity to play so many years. We’re just the start of many more to come. We’re going to hopefully continue to see a great game for years to come.”

Filed under: Ice Hockey, News Bytes by jane
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May 15, 2008 - Hey girls, today is your lucky day.  A day on which the most delicious drink on the face of the earth flows (freely) like water. We’re talking about Free Iced Coffee Day at Dunkin’ Donuts!

The promotion runs until 10PM, so you’d better get moving if you want to try to hit every DD in your area. You may end up riddled with caffeine and have to hit the bathroom more often than usual but hey…it’s FREE!

Order your free 16 oz iced coffee from the folks who practically invented it (their words not ours) and better yet, it’s available in a variety of flavors.

What are you waiting for? Locations.

Filed under: General by admin
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May 15, 2008 - Having led her teams to a several European titles, Arsenal Ladies coach Emma Hayes will bring her expertise to Chicago as the inaugural head coach and director of soccer operations for Chicago Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS).

Chicago general manager Marcia McDermott announced the hire today at Toyota Park, where the franchise will play when the WPS season begins in April 2009.

“Emma has succeeded at every level she has coached,” McDermott said. “We feel she has the right experience, the passion and the knowledge to be a great leader for our club. She is prepared to take on the challenge of building a professional team from the onset.”

Hayes, 31, said it took a special opportunity to lure her away from Arsenal.

“This will be the best league in the world, with the greatest players, the best facilities and the biggest challenge,” Hayes said. “All of that will make this the league the rest of the world will watch.”

(more…)

Filed under: Pro Soccer by admin
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May 14, 2008 - It’s not a revolution, not yet anyway, but clearly more people are commuting by bicycle. Friday is national Bike-to-Work Day, drawing even more attention to the trend.

There are more bicycles on the road than there were a year ago, more than even a couple of months ago. Soaring gasoline prices have convinced some people that it is time to minimize the number of miles driving a car and maximize travel on foot or on a bicycle.

Before you hop on the seat, review the rules and hazards of the road for cyclists.

Some Mistakes Bikers Make:
• Riding against the flow of traffic
• Failing to use signals when changing lanes or turning
• Riding too close to parked cars (stay at least 3 feet away)
• Not wearing a helmet
• Failing to obey stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings.

Some Mistakes Motorists Make:
• Following bicyclists too closely.
• Failing to reduce speed when encountering cyclists
• Tooting the horn when approaching cyclists
• Passing too close to cyclists
• Failing to look for cyclists when opening a car door.

Advice For Cyclists from the Experts:
• Ride in a straight line; don’t swerve in the road or between parked cars.
• Wear brightly colored clothing. Be visible.
• The average /bike/ commuter travels at 10 mph; the more you ride, the faster you get. • Try out your bike-to-work route on a weekend, when traffic is light, to pin down the best route and get a feel for what the commute will be like.
• Worried about being sweaty when you arrive at work?  Ride at an easy pace to stay cool and dry.
• Ride home at a faster pace if you want a workout.
• Panniers, which look like saddlebags, are a good choice for carrying things to and from work.

More commuter tips

Filed under: Cycling, General by jane
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LSD : Health nuts might be skeptical, but authorities agree that LSD does in fact do your body good. Short for Long Slow Distance, LSD is an hour-or-longer exercise session maintained at a conversational pace. Partakers can expect to build cardiovascular endurance and come away with a nice high. Keep your eye out for LSD at a gym near you.

Filed under: General, Health, Nutrition by jane
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May 14, 2008 - Justine Henin retired from tennis today, an abrupt ending to an incredibly  successful career in which she won seven Grand Slam singles titles and leaves while ranked No. 1. Henin hanging it up is truly a huge loss for the game. With her retirement, Maria Sharapova will assume the No. 1 ranking.

The 25-year-old Belgian made the surprising announcement at a news conference, less than two weeks before the start of the French Open. Henin has won that clay-court major championship four times, including each of the past three years.

To say we’re floored is putting it mildly. For Henin to retire is one thing.  To retire right before the French Open, which has been her most successful event, is simply shocking. Many will speculate that she’s walking away from the game because of a less than stellar start to the season. To suggest she’s retiring because she’s a sore loser is disrespectful. If she feels she’s done enough and wants new challenges then all power to her. An athlete has the right to walk away when she feels the time is right.

Henin has been the dominant player in women’s tennis since winning her first title at Roland Garros in 2003, finishing as the year-end No. 1 three times. Her seven Grand Slams in that span compare to a total of five for the Williams sisters. There was an all-or-nothing quality to her game. At 5-foot-5 and 125 pounds, Henin has always been a small girl in a big girls’ game and known for her fighting spirit, resolve, grit, tenacity and determination. Her departure creates a seemingly irreplacable hole in women’s tennis.

According to an AP report, “Justine Henin will be remembered as one of the all-time great champions in women’s tennis, and a woman who made up for her lack of size with a will to win and fighting spirit that was second to none,” WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott said. “It is rare that an athlete leaves at the very top of her game in this day and age, but Justine has always played by her own rules, in the very best sense of those words.”

Allez Justine.

Filed under: Tennis by Pretty Tough
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May 13, 2008 - On Saturday, I had the pleasure of obtaining a press pass to watch Team USA take on the 2007 NPF champions, Washington Glory in front of a sold out crowd in Bowie, Maryland. To all the fastpitch fans out there, if Bound 4 Beijing is within driving distance, go.

The experience of watching the game was amazing and the atmosphere was electrifying as close to 9,000 fans witnessed the US defeat Washington, 2-0.

After the game, I took part in an interview session with shortstop, Natasha Watley, pitcher, Monica Abbott, and coach, Mike Candrea. It was interesting to learn that the players are preparing for the Olympics by playing games within games.  In other words, they place mental pressure on themselves within different plays, pitches, at bats, etc. like it’s actual moments of the Olympic games.

(more…)

Filed under: Beijing Summer Games 2008, Olympics, Softball by keri mikulski
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May 12, 2008  - Annika Sorenstam convinced doubters than she is in fact back to her pre-injury form with a seven-stroke victory at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill on Sunday.

After starting the day with a three-stroke lead, Sorenstam proceeded to card a final-round 66 with seven birdies and just two bogies on her way to a tournament-record 19-under-par (64-66-69-66=265) for the week.

In doing so, Sorenstam captured her 72nd career win and became the first LPGA player to surpass the $22 million mark in career earnings ($22,081,561). No bionics necessary.

Oh, and she also announced she’ll be retiring at the season’s end.  Guess it’s better to quit while you’re ahead!

Filed under: Golf, News Bytes by jane
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May 12, 2008 - Maria Sharapova created quite a buzz last week when she vented her anger against the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour via her website.  Over the weekend, Sharapova reached a compromise with the WTA and yesterday she completed a promotional shoot for them in Rome.

The three-time Grand Slam champion saved herself a hefty fine by agreeing to a scaled-down shoot a day before the start of the BNL Internazionale d’Italia.

Sharapova was opposed to the shoot because she does not like distractions before tournaments, and claimed the WTA threatened to fine her more than $300,000 if she refused.

Sunday’s photo shoot to build publicity for the tour championships was reduced to 90 minutes from several hours, Sharapova said.

The tug-of-war over time commitments is unlikely to have ended permanently, however, and Sharapova remains adamant that players have to stand up for their own rights in these situations.

The withdrawal of No.1-ranked Justine Henin from the tournament in Rome means the WTA will still be missing one significant name in the cast, but the shoot is going ahead in several locations around Rome. Ten players – Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Serena Williams, Anna Chakvetadze, Venus Williams, Daniela Hantuchova, Maria Kirilenko and Zi Yan – are all scheduled for the cameras.

At least for now, Sharapova can turn her attention back to tennis where it belongs.

Filed under: Tennis by admin
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