Tainted Meat: Alberto Contador's laughable defense

A case of 'food poisoning' eh?

Three-time Tour de France winner and his Garmin- Transmition boss Jonathan Vaughters are crying foul after the Spanish rider tested positive for a banned substance Clenbuterol at this year's race.

Contador is blaming it all on a steak that he ate during a lull in this year's tour on July 20- 21 and Vaughters, a strong anti- doping advocate, wants fairness.


“It is a clear case of food contamination,” said Contador to a group of reporters in his hometown near Madrid.

For his part, Vaughters told Cycling news,

"The sad part about this one is that no matter what the science eventually shows the headlines have been made. It's too bad that this process could not have occurred in a way that you had a final determination of guilt or innocent and then something was released. That's something that needs to be looked at. It's the headline that will be in the memory of the general public and it will always supercede the reality and the science, and that's sad. I don't think that's fair."

Now tell that to Lance Armstrong who has been suspected, accused and vilified but never tested positive for any banned substances in his career despite being subjected to all kinds of tests known to man.

It's common knowledge that many cyclists are unclean, and doping in cycling is the most sophisticated in all of sports. Alberto Contador was probably caught while he was 'cycling' the drug Clenbuterol before he could get rid of it in his system.

Maybe Alberto Contador is guilty or maybe not. Bottom line is, like Floyd Landis, Alberto Contador tested positive for a banned drug and should suffer the consequences for it.



So, what kind of advice do you think Lance Armstrong will give his Spanish rival now that he has found himself in the middle of a storm-

Live Strong and Be Strong just like Lance Armstrong?

Or how about LOL, that text messaging slang from the Radioshack commercial?

Manny Pacquiao in Nike's BOOM

Check out Nike's BOOM ad features Manny Pacquiao, Tim Tebow and Ndamukong Suh at Detroit Fight Sports Examiner.

UFC: 119 Mir lulls Cro Cop to sleep

In the UFC 119 main event, Frank Mir dropped Mirko Cro Cop with a well- timed right knee to the kisser that was followed by a heavy right to the chin for insurance, as the Croatian lay flat on his back, to finally knock him out with just 58 seconds left in the fight. It was the highlight of a rather dull and slow fight where neither fighter was keen on fighting toe to toe as they elected not to engage each other up until the last minute. It was the end of an arduous journey for both fighters who simply did not have the will to fight which was unthinkable in their younger days.

The knockout was the culmination of the match that was spent more on holding and hugging each other rather than fighting. It was the end of a boring fight that put the fans up their seats but for the wrong reasons. It was the zenith of a fight that was characterized more by non- action than by fireworks that left the fans with no other choice but to rain the Conseco Fieldhouse with boos. It was the climax of a slow and tactical fight that ended up with no winner.

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HBO and Golden Boy dissapoints boxing fans again

The HBO and Golden Boy Promotion's extravaganza held at the Staples Center last Saturday night did exactly what the promoters wanted and expected at the gates but the main event did disappoint. The undercards did have some fireworks on the surface, but in reality if you dig and look deeper, they were nothing but just set- up fights to enhance the image and pad the records of Oscar de la Hoya's wards.

The show was dubbed 200: Celebrate and Dominate in honor of the bicentennial of Mexico's Independence Day was headlined by Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora in a junior middleweigt bout. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Victor Ortiz, both proteges of the Golden Boy, were also in the cards to further enhance the Mexican flavor and entice the huge Mexican community to spend their night at the fights.

HBO and Golden Boy did everything to maximize their earnings for the said fight. In the weeks prior to the event, they employed several boxing scribes to help them hype the fight. They tried to make it appear that it was a big and significant event that is worth everybody's time and money. They did everything to sell it and hoped the gullible boxing public bites it.

Yes, they had it for $50 on the cable network's pay-per-view and $20 on the big screen in selected theaters all over the country, not to mention the top $200 price at the Staples Center. If they did succeed and earned a huge profit from it, it remains to be seen though.

But the truth of the matter is, the fight card was not pay-per-view material at all.


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Edrin Dapudong: Another Filipino prospect bites the dust

Highly- touted Filipino prospect Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong arrived in Cancun, Mexico with high hopes of retaining his WBC silver flyweight title against Wilbert “Hurricane” Uicab, but it was not meant to be. The Hurricane proved too much and way too elusive to be stung by the Filipino's vaunted fists.

All hopes that Dapudong will have a second consecutive victory in hostile territory clearly evaporated in the first minute of the first round as Uicab, with whirlwind fists, quickly jumped on the surprised Dapudong as he peppered the Filipino with shots coming from all angles.

It was an omen of things to come as The Hurricane, buoyed by the partisan crowd, quickly established his rhythm and wrecked havoc against the flat and leaden- feet Filipino champion for most of the first half of the fight.

Edrin Dapudong failed to exploit his height and reach advantage against his shorter opponent as Uicab enticed him to fight in close quarters and clearly exploited the chances given in his favor as he repeatedly tagged the champion with whirlwind combinations to the head and body.

Although Dapudong somewhat recovered and won the middle rounds, he failed to sustain his momentum into the championship rounds as he obviously ran out of gas, outgunned and faded badly. There was no sense of urgency from him and his corner. Dapudong just contented himself with clinching and exchanging a few insignificant wild punches with Uicab even though it was obvious that he was behind in the score cards.

The Dapudong that showed up in the fight was not the same fighter that destroyed, in one round, the feared Jesus “The Destroyer” Jimenez to take the then vacant WBC silver flyweight belt just months earlier.

Edrin Dapudong was obviously not in the best of shape; his legs deserted him early, the sting in his punches were nowhere to be found and he was already breathing through his mouth in the early rounds. He appeared tentative and lost against the wily Wilbert Uicab which left us to wonder whether his team had a game plan or even scouted his opponent at all.

Thus, another brave Filipino fighter failed in his quest for glory and lost his crown on the world stage. Like the rest before him who were hyped but came unprepared to handle the pressure of big time fights, Edrin Dapudong went out there to fulfill a dream but ended up in a nightmare.

The list is quite long and growing; Bernabe Concepcion, Boom- Boom Bautista, AJ Banal, Fernando Lumacad, Ciso Morales, Rodel Mayol, and the Sonsonas, Marvin and Eden.

And now we wonder, when will these fighters and their handlers ever learn that heart and talent alone will not win the fight, rather hard work and dedication to improve one’s craft will always be a huge factor that will make a difference in the heat of the battle. Also, a good game plan and thorough preparations will always be helpful to effectively handle and overcome a difficult situation. It will also go a long way if one has the mental toughness to handle any adversaries inside the ring.


These tenets are well-proven and practiced by the highly successful fighters throughout the history of boxing.

Just ask Manny Pacquiao.


+First Published @ 8CountNews

Manny Pacquiao messes up Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s head

Yes folks, contrary to what Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s pronouncements of taking some time off from boxing, his head is actually so full of it.

Despite Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s practiced nonchalance and dismissal of Manny Pacquiao's greatness, the Filipino and Ring Magazine's current pound-for pound king is really plaguing his mind.

If Manny Pacquiao is a non- entity in Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s life and existence, then how do we explain his behavior whenever a whiff of Manny Pacquiao invades Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s air.

It is obvious from the way Floyd Mayweather, Jr. belittles Manny Pacquiao that a big chunk of his brain is haunted by his nemesis. It is obvious that Manny Pacquiao's standing in boxing is driving Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to madness. It is obvious that just by the mere mention of Manny Pacquiao's name in his presence, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. can explode and go to the extreme.

Manny Pacquiao has tormented and continues to torment Floyd Mayweather, Jr. It seems that he just can't get rid of Manny Pacquiao's unwelcome presence wherever he goes. Manny Pacquiao's shadow looms large in Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s daily life. And Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is going bonkers because of it.



Read the rest of the article, HERE

Manny Pacquiao's USA Today Interview