Wait... You Were Leading, But You Still Lost...???

((HT: KREX-TV))

Jack McDowell's Ogden Raptors were in Grand Junction to play the Rockies and the game was all Raptors- even through the rain drops.

But, in McDowell's mind, the field was getting unplayable and he was ready to take his team off to wait out any kind of rain delay. Problem was, at some point, if McDowell didn't put his team back on the field, they were going to forfeit.

No one broke that news to McDowell and it ended up being a forfeit and a 9-0 win for Grand Junction.
McDowell is less than pleased about that and is planning on contacting the league office about the result awarded by the umps.

Here's the highlights until the time of the forfeit

Rays Protesting Blue Jays Win Over Replay Snafu

((HT: MLB.com))

Rays manager Joe Maddon is protesting the Rays-Jays result from earlier today because of how the replay function of Major League Baseball was handled during the game.

Here's how all hell broke loose with the new baseball wrinkle...


Maddon says he would be surprised if the protest isn't upheld because of how the whole thing was run.

The San Francisco Giants became the first team since 1986 to win a protest after it was determined the tarp at Wrigley Field had not been properly put away after its previous use. The Giants beat the Cubs 2-1 two days after initially being given a 2-0 loss.

A Subtle Protest As A Pitcher Is Out The Door...

((HT: MiLB.com))

Kanekoa Texeira was on his way out the door after giving up a bases-loaded walk that made a tight game between Gwinnett and Charlotte a little tighter...

But that didn't stop KT from dropping some of his gear along the way...

The HQ figures he didn't like the balls and strikes calls that were made against him while he was on the mound...


No word yet on whether or not Texeira got a fine from the league or his bosses over the jettisoning of his gear...

Protests In Sao Paulo Day Of Brasil 2014 Start

((HT: CNN))

Police are setting up a 5km perimeter around the football stadium in Sao Paulo, Brasil- which translates into a little over 3 miles before the World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia.

But protesters are working their way around in Sao Paulo and at the airport in Rio de Janeiro (with the airport workers themselves) setting the stage for, what could be, a very nasty month.

This morning police with tear gas canisters met protesters in frint of CNN's Shasta Darlington


Word is that a CNN producer also had her arm broken covering these protests.

This may not go over well and there's Russia and Qatar four and eight years from now to look forward to...

OSG Prem: Fulham and Cardiff Relegated, Sunderland Clearing

((HT: NBCSN/BPL/BBC Sport))

Two down, one to go...

And there is a lot of prevalent thinking that the first two teams heading to the Championship couldn't happen to more deserving owners- Shad Khan and Vincent Tan. Five managers between the two teams, alienating a fan base by changing decades of traditional colors in kits and just not getting it overall...

Fulham put up an embarrassing performance with Stoke- losing 4-1. Manager Felix Magath actually apologized for the club's demotion.


Cardiff didn't do much better losing to Newcastle 3-0, but the larger issue happened in the 69th minute as Newcastle fans protested their owner and manager, Alan Pardew. The larger issue is that the fans feel their isn't the proper amount of reinvestment to bring in better players to improve their lot. The last title the team won was in 1969- the then-equivalent of the Europa League.

Thus this in the 69th minute
((HT: Newcastlevideo))


Elsewhere, Wet Ham secured their place with a 2-0 win over Tottenham. Kaboul's red early on put Spurs on their heels and they couldn't get untracked offensively. Southampton beat punchless Swansea 1-0. Aston Villa gives their fans some reason for optimism with a 3-1 over Hull. But the two interesting results came from the Manchester squads.

Sunderland almost secured their place in the Premier League with a win at Old Trafford for the first time since 1968. The problems that the Red Devils had before Ryan Giggs became caretaker manager are still there as the Black Cats won 1-0.

Giggs thinks his players were flat at a really bad time in the season...


And the night cap was Manchester City spotting Everton a 1-goal lead before coming back and winning at Goodison Park, 3-2. Edin Dzeko almost had a hat trick after Sergio Aguero left with an injury in the 22nd minute.

Ross Barkley's golazo, however, got things started for the good guys...

Miami Heat Have A Protest Of Their Own

((HT: NBA on TNT))

As a show of support for the LA Clippers players having to deal with the Donald Sterling mess, the Miami Heat did their own show of support before their game with the Charlotte Bobcats this evening...


The Bobcats were hanging tough with the Heat in Game 4, only being down 4 at the half...

DEVELOPING: Now, THERE'S A Protest... Stiviano Denies Leak...

((HT: ESPN))

"It's just us, only us, we're all we got."

The LA Clippers took off their shooting shirts in pre-game warm-ups and dumped them on the floor- revealing shirts inside-out (presumably, to cover up the Clippers script logo)

From BayAreaNewsGroup's Marcus Thompson via Instagram


And we have some news from the girlfriend...

From Rachel Zarrell at BuzzFeed:

“This office understands that the currently released audio tape of approximately 15 minutes is a portion of approximately one (1) hour of overall audio recording of Mr. Donald T. Sterling and Ms. Stiviano, and is in fact legitimate,” said Mac E. Nehoray of the Nehoray Legal Group.

He added, “Ms. Stiviano did not release the tape(s) to any news media.”

Calling the lawsuit involving Stiviano and Sterling’s wife “absurd,” Nehoray said they have no further comments.

The HQ maintains that anyone else close to the girlfriend could have done the same thing...
Just says "she didn't do it..."

The players, in game have gone to black recognition...

According to the LA Times Bill Plaschke and his Twitter:

Clippers wearing black bands on their left wrist...Chris Paul's sleeves are black...all players's socks are black...

Sterling's nightmare, indeed...

Magic Johnson addressed the situation this afternoon on ESPN

Here's A Guy Who Should Be Fired

((HT: ProSoccerTalk/WhoAteAllThePies))

The HQ told you yesterday about how Blackpool's season seems to be circling the drain- as is their possible tenure in the Championship...

The tangerines and tennis balls hitting the turf in protest of their owner in the game against Burnley...
And now, the video is up of the coach hitting his player before he had the chance to check in for that game...

From Neil Burgess' Vine


Assistant coach Bob Malcolm hits out at Stephen Dobbie and Malcolm gets sent to the stands...

Pro Soccer Talk's Nicholas Mendola goes over the season from hell for the Tangerines. It includes a sacking, sending the former manager's son off to Crystal Palace, and the owner falling on the grenade...

That makes for a successful franchise...

An Odd Day For Blackpool...

((HT: ant_b11 Instagram/youtube))

The HQ will admit that protesting in the English soccer leagues takes on a life of its own...

For Blackburn Rovers, as an example, the fans have taken to releasing live chickens onto the pitch as a protest of the Venky's chain of poultry producers for their lack of interest in making the team competitive.

For Blackpool, it has taken just as interesting a turn...
The team is known for their tangerine-colored kits. So the fans did this in their most recent contest against Burnley to protest their owner Karl Oyston whom they believe is just using the team to be a cash cow...


Tangerines and tennis balls...

Player-manager Barry Ferguson, who would kick and throw balls back, said after the game: "The fans have got every right to demonstrate if they don't like the chairman or the board.

"I would just rather they do it before the game or after the game. At that stage, we were on top of (Burnley)."

Blackpool is dangerously close to being relegated again from the Championship...

It got worse...

People even ran onto the pitch to protest...


And there was a confrontation between coach Bob Malcolm and substitute Stephen Dobbie in the dugout...

The HQ is of the thought that Blackpool is in serious trouble

Another Night Of Edmonton Sweater Toss And Exploding Water Bottles

((HT: Hockey Night In Canada/CBC/NHL))

There is no breaking news here...

The Edmonton Oilers are a bad hockey club...

And one of the ways the rabid, loyal fans have been protesting is this way...


And it didn't get any better for the Oil as Curtis Glencross got a hat trick and Matt Stajan had a four-point night on his own (considering everything he and his family have gone through... Good on you, Matt) as the Flames won 8-1

The night got even more interesting as Taylor Hall had issues with his water bottle and, then, his head coach Dallas Eakins...


But Eakins, really, should be Coach of the Year for having to put up with all this crap...
Here's the highlights...
((HT: Sportsnet))

Spanish Soccer Team Refuses To Play Over Unpaid Wages

((HT: BBC Sport))

Racing Santander players refused to play over, what they say, are months of unpaid wages and forced their Copa del Rey quarter-final against Real Sociedad to be abandoned.

Sociedad won the first leg 3-1 and the winners are supposed to play Barcelona.

Racing players released a statement on Monday saying they would boycott unless president Angel Lavin and his board stepped down... as of right now, they have not...

Here's how it looked at the opening kick...
((HT: HH2489))


Pretty wild scene, but the fans and players support each other at Santander...

Bully for them...

Brooks Peck and the folks over at Dirty Tackle have some background on the Santander situation and a link to an article that Sid Lowe over at ESPN wrote about how the owners have screwed their players...

Lowe's piece is a great read...

OSG Prem: Allam Says He's Out In "24 Hours" If Name Change Fails...

((HT: Sky Sports))

Hull City FC owner Assem Allam says that, if the FA doesn't allow for the name change that he is trumpeting something fierce, that he will be more than happy to leave the club "within 24 hours" if he doesn't get his way.

Allam has maintained that changing from Hull City FC Tigers to just Hull Tigers- a long-sought after marketing ploy for Allam that he thinks will increase his marketing potential- is going to be the make or break for him...

Which is silly, but big businessmen are silly with their toys...

The Tigers have been witnessing protests within their stadium by Hull City AFC supporters this season to remind Allam that he would be peeing all over a hundred years of tradition by pulling this stunt...

In an interview today with Sky Sports, where Hull City announced two signings during the transfer window, Allam was still defiant:

"No-one on earth is allowed to question my business decisions - I won't allow it," he told Sky Sports News. "And I'll give you my CV to give you comfort and show you what I have achieved.

"I'm here to save the club and manage the club for the benefit of the community - it will never, ever be the other way around - take it from me.

"But the community can say "go away" and I will go within 24 hours."

When asked what would happen if the FA said he could not change the club's name, Allam said: "The same thing. It's a free country. There are no two ways about it - I have never said something and then gone back on it."

Here's an interview from a month ago Allam gave the BBC about his idea...

OSG Prem: How Not To Win Friends And Influence People At Hull City

((HT: NBCSN))

Hull City owner Assem Allam bought the team in 2010 and is now deciding whether or not he wants to re-brand the club to be only the "Hull Tigers."

That hasn't gone over well with the fans as they openly protest at home games now...
Like last week...


The rallying cry has been "City til we die..." and Allam is now telling the fans who feel that way to, well, go ahead...

Allam told the Independent newspaper's Richard Rae that he wouldn't put another pound into the club if he felt the fans weren't with him and his policies...

"They can die as soon as they want, as long as they leave the club for the majority who just want to watch good football."

"I'm a simple man. Do they want me to stay? If it's 'No thank you', fine, in 24 hours the club is for sale, I do not put in one more pound and hopefully things happen quickly."

Manager Steve Bruce is going to have a chat with his owner about his comments, according to the Independent's Rae:

"...However I’ve got to have a conversation with him because I don’t think he quite understands what it means to the supporters in the history and tradition.

“All he thinks about is going forward and that the brand would be better. That’s his opinion, but obviously there’s thousands who don’t share it, and I understand them because there’s no one more of a traditionalist than me. But we can’t let it fester because when things aren’t going so well it creates an atmosphere, which none of us want.”

So, what happens first time out after the new round of furor...
HCAFC beats Liverpool...


Knowing Allam, after the meeting, Bruce will be on the clock, too...

German Soccer Boss Sees UEFA Protesters Point

If this happened in your own barn before a high-profile soccer match, you'd be bent out of shape, wouldn't you...???


Wouldn't you...???

Well, FC Schalke GM Horst Heldt was quoted by the Bild newspaper as saying: "It is important that there are organisations that are committed to things that concern all people. I can identify with it, these are topics that are important to everyone."

UEFA confirmed that disciplinary action might be taken against the home team, Basel, over the protest but only after the match delegate's report had been submitted.

Whatever that means... and, what else can be said about the whole thing, anyway...???

The protesters shimmied down from the roof, got their banner unfurled, delayed the game, and got their point across. It was a massive security breach and UEFA and their suits can't be happy about it one bit...

It was a dangerous thing to have happen, and Basel will end up paying the piper somehow... especially since the protest was against one of the Champions League mega-sponsors...

A Beautiful, Fiery, Silly Protest

((HT: wawasportpl/Dirty Tackle))

The HQ understands how, um, fired up soccer fans can get...

The folks at Legia Warsaw got slapped on the wrist as a result of their "ultras" (most vocal fans) racist displays in the pervious round against a Welsh side...

Racism against Welsh...??? Sounds difficult, but the ultras pulled it off and got a fine and an order by UEFA to close their north end- the place where they hang out...

The second leg of their match against Steaua Bucharest yielded this nose-thumbing, tongue-sticking-out en masse...

Here's the display...


UEFA decided that the ultras had engaged in "racist behavior" but did not get into any specifics...

So, yeah, take THAT UEFA...
The HQ can feel the impact from here...

Is Coventry City In Rebellion...???

((HT: ITVNews))

From all reports, the Coventry City/Bristol City match was a good one if you like offense (5-4) in League One (think "double-a baseball" for your comparisons). But, at the same time, up to 7,000 home supporters stayed at home for a charity match benefiting the franchise that is playing its home matches this season 45 miles away because of ownership issues that are keeping the CCFC off the pitch at Ricoh Arena...

Here's your primer for the beginning of the season...


City's owners (Sisu) have decided to play their home games outside Coventry for the first time in the club's history after failing to reach a new rental agreement with the stadium's owners Arena Coventry Limited.

Only 2,204 - including 500 opposition fans - watched the match in Northampton at Sixfields...

Here's the Sky Sports report on the point deduction...


130 years of history aren't sitting well as Sisu seems to be screwing things up royally...
Here's the thoughts from the fans on the protest...
((HT: BBC1))

Protesters Freak Out French Open (UPDATE)

((HT: NBC))

At 5-1 up in the second set, things started to go a little sideways at the men's final at Roland Garros...

First, some folks sitting in the last row of the upper deck started chanting in between points in the David Ferrer-Rafael Nadal match-up to disturb the peace and the players.

Then, two more protesters (somehow) made their way down through the camera well and one of the made it onto the court itself...
Really freaking out Nadal...


And here...


The starch was taken out of both players for the remainder of the second set and the early part of the third. No word on who is claiming responsibility for the outbursts and the towel on fire, but the HQ's guess is Basque separatists or some other group that was looking for a quick pop on the air...

The first thought of the players on the court had to go back to Monica Seles and her attack by Gunther Parsche- understandably so...

UPDATE: The flares in possession of the protesters started the fire in the tunnel and the protesters in the upper deck supposedly were calling for the protest of French President Francois Hollande

Costa Rica To Protest US Loss

((HT: ESPN/FIFA/US Soccer))

Costa Rica plans to file an official protest with FIFA about Friday's 1-0 loss to the US, according to Reuters...

Here's the highlights... the snowy highlights...and the reason for the idea of the protest...


A Costa Rica soccer federation official said that the protest would be made Saturday. Costa Rica has 24 hours to file a written protest with FIFA according to rules of engagement...

Ten minutes into the second half (or the 3:25 mark on the tape), Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto wanted the referee and match commissioner to suspend the game, but U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann made a case for playing on. Play continued and Pinto was angry during and after the game.

"I asked them to stop. They should suspend the ref," Pinto said. "It was an embarrassment. It was an insult to Costa Rica and people coming in here." Pinto said the "legal conditions" for playing were not met, according to Reuters.

"Honestly, it was robbery, a disgrace, I've never played a game in these conditions," Costa Rican midfielder Cristian Bolanos told Reuters. "You couldn't see the ball ... if we had played without snow, we would have won, I am sure."

The points are huge for US Soccer and the three points are integral in the quest to get to Rio and 2014's World Cup...
Analysis below...
((HT: ESPN))

Junior Coach Shows Refs How Blind They Are...

((HT: SB Nation))

There have been protests and there have been protests...

And this is a pretty good protest...

Wenatchee Wild (NAHL) assistant coach Chris Clark, as one of his guys got a 7-minute penalty (a 2 plus a 5) after the goal that put Wenatchee down 2-1 in the third, went nuts...


The HQ has no doubt that Clark will get severely suspended and fined... probably more than his actual salary. And he'll be known this side of Phillip Wellman as one of the wilder protests out there...

Green Bay Packer Fans Protest Outside Lambeau Field Over Loss To Seahawks, Call For Fan Boycott Over Replacement Officials

The NFL is on fire after the controversial touchdown call at the end of the Packers/Seahawks game.  This Packer fan who attended the game in Seattle is calling for a boycott.  (Thanks KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Back in Green Bay fans are pissed off.  Early Tuesday morning Packer fans gathered at Lambeau Field to protest how the replacement officials cost the Packers a win.  (Thanks WLUK-TV, Green Bay, WI)

Emily is live with Packers fans this morning