Becks' soccer appeal cools in Asia

domingo, 30 de março de 2008

David Beckham's move to Major League Soccer may have been good for his wallet but it has apparently not helped his popularity in Asia.

Empty seats and surprising indifference greeted football's greatest star, who was mobbed like a rockstar on his first trip to the region, as he completed an Asian tour with LA Galaxy.

Just 11,000 paying fans turned up to watch Galaxy's lethargic performance here, leaving most of Hong Kong Stadium empty, while similar numbers watched the team in Shanghai.

Dozens, rather than hundreds, of supporters greeted the former Real Madrid and Manchester United man at Hong Kong airport, while screaming fans at the team hotel were notable by their absence.

Beckham, whose England future has also been clouded by the US move, thanked fans for an "incredible" welcome. However, he may have been wondering why so many of them didn't turn up.

"It's been incredible," he said. "It's been a great tour for us. Everywhere we've gone, people have been amazing to the team and showed us lot of love."

Loyal supporters here said Beckham's profile had dipped since his transfer to Galaxy on a reported 250-million-dollar, five-year deal.

"The fact that you don't get to watch the American league here so much, and the fact he's not playing in the English Premier League or in Spain is a big factor," said fan Chuck Lee.

"He's handsome, he's attractive," said Esther Chan. "But I think the Galaxy is not so good at football."

The sentiment was borne out on the field as Beckham looked in a different class to his team-mates, who were content to feed him the ball and wait for his pin-point crosses.

Despite two converted penalties by the Englishman, Galaxy were beaten by South China invitational in a poor advertisement for US football -- and, by extension, for Brand Beckham.

However, he said the tour had been important for the team, coached by Ruud Gullit, as it prepares for the upcoming US season.

"Team spirit can win a game or a championship," Beckham said.

"In these three weeks we've had good bonding between the players on and off the field. That's what it's all about."

Beckham-mania was at its height in 2001, when adoring crowds followed his every move on visits to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand with Manchester United.

One Bangkok fan placed a sculpture of his idol in a Buddhist temple, while a three-metre (10-foot) chocolate image of the young midfielder was created in Japan.

During the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, Beckham's distinctive mohawk hairdo spawned legions of imitators. In 2003, 1,000 screaming fans greeted him as he arrived in Japan with Real Madrid.

Last year, Beckham played in front of huge crowds in Sydney and Wellington, with 15,000 schoolchildren turning up just to watch him train.

And the current tour has not been without its moments. Hundreds of fans and media caused chaos at a Shanghai hospital when Beckham visited leukaemia patients there.

However many Asian fans have shown they are no longer willing to pay high ticket prices to watch Beckham, proving the adage that one player cannot carry the team.

"This is the Galaxy, not Real Madrid," commented Hong Kong Football Association chairman Brian Leung.

http://www.soccernews.com/

Freelap Timing System Now Available In United States

Now available and in stock for the very first time in the United States, the unique Freelap Timing System consists of a stopwatch that features a start, stop and lap time function, triggered 'hands-free' by wireless transmitters. Depending on the type of sport or application, the transmitters can be placed anywhere, anytime at your discretion providing an incredibly portable, accurate and affordable timing method for today's up-and-coming athlete.

Creating a whirlwind in competitive cycling and motocross disciplines around the globe, the Freelap Timing System is hailed by many as an innovative tool that is revolutionizing performance training in timed-events such as cycling, motocross, track and field, among many others. Developed in Switzerland, Freelap technology allows athletes to accurately measure their personal performance progress without the need of complex and expensive timing equipment.

The Freelap JuniorTX package which consists of the Freelap stopwatch and two portable, wireless transmitters is now offered in the United States for only $429. Freelap components such as additional stopwatches can also be purchased separately since an unlimited number of racers can train on-course using the same transmitters simultaneously. The simplistic and accurate design of the Freelap system provides the ultimate training tool for your race team or club!

Professional and amateur racers alike are already using this proprietary training system in preparation for the upcoming 2008 season. Maximize your training efforts and use this unique concept to transform every practice run into an accurately timed run!To purchase this unique system online or to simply obtain more information, please visit www.freelap-usa.com.

http://www.pinkbike.com/

Puerto Rico is ready for the Masters

sábado, 29 de março de 2008

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 29 March, 2008 : - - Last year’s local team and runner up in the first edition of the annual ISA World Masters Surfing Championship, Puerto Rico is now in Peru looking to repeat or improve their great results. From March 31 until April 5 they will compete against 17 other National teams in the perfect waves of Punta Rocas.

Puerto Rico proved to be tough competition as locals, and this year they will be challenged to prove themselves in foreign waters. In 2007, the legendary “boricuas” surfers Juan Ashton and Alberto Licha were both medal winners. Surfer Juan Ashton won the Gold Medal in the Masters while teammate Alberto Licaha secured the Bronze Medal in the Grand Masters. Both teammates are here in Peru, and they will be under the spotlight in both events.
The full Puerto Rico team includes:

Masters
Juan Ashton
Gustavo Bettancourt

Grand Masters
Alberto Licha
Stephen Bradley

Kahunas
Michael Torres
Victor Torres

Grand Kahunas
René Gonzalez

Master ladies
Becky Taylor

Jorge Gonzalez, Vice President of the Puerto Rican Surfing Federation, said, “All the surfers have a great surfing experience, I think that the long and strong waves of Punta Rocas are a lot like the good days in Arecibo, Aguadilla or Rincon, so we have a good advantage here. Anyway, the cold waters and the need to wear wetsuits is not something we’re used to.”

Gonzalez added, “Alberto Licha, someone that previously won a contest in Punta Rocas, was in a great shape and attitude but had a little accident, hurting his ankle during the big swell that hit our island last week.”

www.isasurf.org

Ronaldo eyeing Law's Man Utd record

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo will continue his quest to beat Denis Law's Manchester United scoring record as Sir Alex Ferguson's side attempt to move one step closer to the English Premier League title when Aston Villa visit Old Trafford on Saturday.

Sitting five points clear of second-placed Chelsea with seven games remaining - and with a trip to Stamford Bridge looming in late April - United will tighten their grip on the title race if they beat a Villa side still hoping to qualify for Europe.

But for Ronaldo there is the additional incentive of surpassing Law's club record mark of 46 goals in a single campaign if the Portugese can maintain his current rich vein of scoring form.

A goal in last week's 3-0 victory over Liverpool took his tally to 34, including 25 goals in 25 league starts.

United face at least nine more games this season but that figure could rise to 13 if they go all the way to the Champions League final, boosting the player's chances of rewriting the record books.

John O'Shea believes his teammate's remarkable success from free-kicks outside the penalty means Portugal winger Ronaldo is certain to continue to feature on the scoresheet for the rest of the campaign.

"He spends a lot of time working on his free-kicks after training," said the Republic of Ireland international. "But it's not as if he needs to work too much more on them.

"He's got to the point where he's consistently hitting the target and the swerve he generates means goalkeepers don't know which way it's going.

"We've seen keepers just hold their hands up and admit defeat because they don't know how to deal with them. Maybe we'll see teams employ some new tactics in order to try and stop him.

"We might see a team form a wall and also put a player on the line. At the moment, a wall on its own just isn't enough."

Attempting to halt Ronaldo will be Villa keeper Scott Carson, fit again after withdrawing from the England squad for the midweek friendly with France.

Carson's form has come under the spotlight following mistakes against Portsmouth and Sunderland but manager Martin O'Neill is backing his player to ride out his recent dip in form.

"There's not a player who has ever played professional football at any stage who has been consistent in every game they have played," O'Neill said. "We as a football team just have to improve to win a game."

O'Neill will recall Sweden international Olof Mellberg in place of the suspended right-back Craig Gardner despite the Juventus-bound player's public comments about Villa's limited chances of success.

And the manager remains convinced his side can overcome a poor run that has seen them fail to win in four games.

"No-one has been able to produce anything recently," said O'Neill.

"Everton have only picked up one point from two games at a time when they were challenging Liverpool, who themselves have just been beaten by Manchester United.

"We're still trying to look after ourselves and, if we can do that, we'll still be up there at the end of the season.

"We've got seven games left, we're on 49 points, which means we're not a phenomenal distance away from the other teams and it's still worth chasing."

http://www.soccernews.com

MotoGP Preview

Has the season actually started? Three weeks is a long time, especially if you're a butterfly, and since the opening eclipse round in Qatar we've all sort of fogged over. Can anyone remember what happened?Never mind, what's more important is that after the false start it's all due to start up again for real in the south of Spain at Jerez.


Now is there anything the Spanish love more than MotoGP? Well yes, plenty. Lazing around and animal cruelty to name but two. So although not the premier Spanish pastime it's fair to say that the work-shy greasebags do absolutely love their MotoGP…but which local boy will they be supporting?The grey corner - Dani 'the boring little sulkster' Pedrosa.


Thumbelina Pedrosa moved from 250's to HRC a few years ago and with the introduction of Honda's crap 800cc rule everyone rolled their eyes and expected that GP racing would have an even more boring Spanish champion than Alex 'blackout' Criville. At the time Honda were riding high and clearly had the best machine - how else could Nicky Hayden win the championship?But like all the Spanish Senoritas HRC's beauty suddenly turned withered and ugly building Dani a nail for 2007. It wasn't the plan. A good enough reason for him to frown.
2008 is looking better but is the little upstart now just a modest failure?The gold corner - Jorge 'King Midas'


Lorenzo could be one of the savours of MotoGP. Okay so we all hate him and would all like to 'knock him and his swollen head down a peg or two' but his evil face makes MotoGP more interesting. Admittedly after last season a small piece of tissue paper blown up against the main grandstand (or even James Toseland) would make MotoGP more interesting but Midas gives it something else. Furthermore he hates Pedrosa and is ready for a fight.His opening race at Qatar was brilliant…a future world champion?


Okay so there are Spain's two big hitters. (Or one and a half if you want to get medical). The problem is that both riders are fairly detestable. In days gone by the local carnivores only had Jester Gibernau to support so some would split and back Rossi instead…but the Italian's a failure these days and his defeater, Casey Stonehead, hasn't really got the 'likeable gene' possibly due to him being Australian.


So maybe the Spaniards will just turn up with their neat donkey and enjoy the race? And maybe we will? The race in Qatar was borderline interesting and maybe Jerez will take it one step further?

F1 vs MotoGP

The opening round of the Formula One championship was, believe it or not, actually quite interesting. The banning of driver aids, such as traction control and carbon-look dash stickers, meant there were loads more good quality smashes.But as brilliant as seeing the angular chin of Coulthard have his car turn to brittle jelly and then him taking a sulk like a defeated Rob Roy it did present us with two downsides. Firstly it gave the certified halfwit Jackie Stewart a platform for him and his clown-like attire to spout off about stuff. Much more importantly, however, it moved F1 out of the deep grey and into a position that bordered interesting. Would MotoGP become worse than F1?


Luckily the second round of the F1 championship reverted to the tried and tested format of a high-speed cigarette parade. This then gives our boys in MotoGP a real chance to impress at Jerez and once again break free of the pursuing F1 boredom challenge.

http://www.motogpnews.com

Serena Williams wins opener in Miami

MIAMI (TICKER) —Serena Williams began her title defense at the $3.45 million Sony Ericsson Open with a dominating performance.

The eighth-seeded American needed just 54 minutes to claim a 6-1, 6-2 win over unseeded Romanian Edina Gallovits in second-round action Friday.

One of 32 players to receive a first-round bye, Williams improved to 42-5 all-time here, including a win over world No. 1 Justine Henin in last year’s championship match.

“It wasn’t too tough of a match, but it was a good match to play,” Williams said. “If I would have played different the scoreline would have been different, so it was important for me to play the away that I played.”

The 26-year-old also claimed three consecutive titles here from 2002-04 and was a runner-up to older sister Venus Williams in 1999...

More:http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=AiNwWeod7gyPcsUErAcJAqI4v7YF?slug=txmiamiwomentennis&prov=st&type=lgns

Injured Oden reprimanded by Blazers for playing in pickup game

sexta-feira, 28 de março de 2008

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)—Injured center Greg Oden was reprimanded by the Portland Trail Blazers for playing in a pickup game at a neighborhood gym.

“We called him and we told him he can’t do that,” coach Nate McMillan said Friday.

Oden, the top pick in last year’s draft, is out for the season after microfracture surgery on his right knee. He said he played two games Wednesday night when he was at the fitness center with friends.

“I was going to play one, but I lost the first one,” the 7-footer said.

McMillan called Oden’s actions “pretty innocent,” but the coach wanted Oden to know he must avoid risky situations.

“He’s a young man,” McMillan said. “He wants to be the same young man as when he came here. And he’s not. He’s got too much value.”

Oden said he didn’t dunk eight or 10 times, as was reported on an Internet forum. But he did get in a few—and he didn’t need to jump.

“It was a 9-foot goal, so it was pretty easy to dunk on,” he said.

Oden seemed surprised at the attention the game received. About a dozen reporters and television crews showed up to talk to him after practice Friday.

“I don’t think he thought he was doing anything wrong, and I’m sure he was trying to protect himself,” McMillan said. “But he just can’t do that.”

Oden played one season at Ohio State before he was drafted by the Blazers in June. Knee surgery in September shut down his rookie season before it started.

He recently started participating in light drills with the team but will not play this season or in a summer league, McMillan said. The plan is to make sure there are no setbacks so he can start training camp in October.

The Blazers (38-35) host Charlotte on Saturday night

www.sports.yahoo.com

ASO hopes Dakar Rally will return to Africa when security is no issue

MADRID, Spain -- The Dakar Rally still hopes to return to Africa.

Amaury Sports Organization owner Patrice Clerc said Wednesday the race would return there when security is not an issue.

"We're totally dependent on the geopolitical situation. I don't know if the situation will be permissible for us to return by 2011 or 2012," Clerc said.

The 2008 edition of the cross-continental race was canceled 24 hours before the start in February because of security concerns. On Dec. 24, Al-Qaida-linked militants killed a family of French tourists in Mauritania, where eight of the 15 stages were to be staged.

The 2009 edition will be run from Jan. 3-18 in Argentina and Chile, the first time in the race's 30-year history it will not run its traditional route.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Romario finally hangs up his boots

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Former Brazilian international striker Romario announced Friday that he will retire this weekend when his contract with Vasco de Gama expires.

"I'm not playing any more. I no longer have the form. It's over for me," the 42-year-old told the daily O Dia.

The 1994 World Cup winner said that from March 30 he "would be unemployed and looking for a job".

The last match he played was on November 4.

But he did not rule out playing some farewell games.

"I always wanted to end as I began - without anyone noticing. I said that when it was least expected I would stop. But it could happen that I could still do one or two farewell games ... who knows?

"I'm in this situation because I want to be. I've taken advantage to stay with my children. That's what makes me happy."

As for the future, the player who scored 1,000 goals, is open to offers.

"There was the possibility of doing something with Fla(mengo) TV. Kleber Leite (Flamengo vice-president) was meant to contact me but I've heard nothing yet," explained Romario.

"I'm going to wait until something terrific turns up. I wanted to do something for the 2014 World Cup. I would like to participate in a commission."

www.soccernews.com

Too much Rod Benson: Come to the D-League side, Gil

quarta-feira, 26 de março de 2008

The other day I was kickin' it at Ground Round (it's like a less fun version of Friday's) watching a bunch of NBA games on TV. I was there specifically to watch Blake Ahern and the Miami Heat take on the Milwaukee Bucks. It was a surprisingly exciting game despite the lack of so-called "stars" on the floor for the Heat.

Anyways, it is not so widely publicized, but the Miami Heat have something like seven or eight former D-League guys on their roster right now. The game I watched, they only had eight guys healthy enough to play, nearly all of them having some sort of D-League experience. This D-League All-Star team beat the Milwaukee Bucks that night. When you look at it as Heat vs. Bucks, you see a normal NBA game that really could go either way this season. When you look at it as D-League guys (a few of them rookies) vs. #6 pick Yi Jianlian, #1 pick Andrew Bogut, Charlie Villanueva, Mo Williams, and team USA standout Michael Redd, it becomes more clear that these guys can actually play a little bit. There is real basketball going on down here and guys are improving in NBA style systems

More:http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Too-much-Rod-Benson-Come-to-the-D-League-side-;_ylt=AjbfmXXAC1sNSVjvtoKg79K8vLYF?urn=nba,73521

Beckham seeks more glory as milestone approaches

By Mike Collett

PARIS (Reuters) - David Beckham, already the world’s most famous footballer, is expected to reach another career highlight on Wednesday by becoming only the fifth player to win 100 caps for England.

Beckham, who turns 33 in May, is back in Fabio Capello’s England squad after missing the Italian’s first match in charge against Switzerland last month.

Capello, Beckham’s former club manager at Real Madrid, said he did not select him then because he was not fit enough—a view Beckham agreed with.

Capello made it clear then he would not award Beckham a “sentimental” 100th game, and would pick him only on merit.

Not for the first time in his long career, Beckham has risen to a challenge and says that if he plays against France in Wednesday’s friendly it will be one of the greatest moments in an already glittering career.

He also hopes that his 100th cap will not be his last. He believes he can do a valuable job for England for at least another two years, until the World Cup finals in South Africa in 2010 if England qualify, and he has no intention of quitting yet.

Beckham can still whip in a cross like a guided missile, he can still inspire his team mates when the going gets tough and, although he probably divides opinion among the public, he never ceases to be polite and charming when in the media’s glare.

More: http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news;_ylt=AvIqN5lyzN42PLH6bi68I.cmw7YF?slug=reu-englandbeckhamdc&prov=reuters&type=lgns

Brazilian Marcelinho questioned after nightclub attack

terça-feira, 25 de março de 2008

BERLIN (AFP) - Brazilian international Marcelinho is under investigation by German police and faces a possible grievous bodily harm charge following a late-night attack in a Berlin nightclub.


German tabloid Bild reported the 32-year-old VfL Wolfsburg midfielder, who has five caps for Brazil and scored one goal, is being investigated after a 44-year-old man received five stitches in a head wound in the early hours of Easter Monday.

The man reported the incident to the police and a spokesman confirmed an investigation has been launched.The incident at the Cazz Club in Charlottenburg left the man - simply known as Ingo H - covered in blood and he received treatment at a hospital in the suburb of Kreuzberg.

The man claims he was attacked by the Brazilian star with a beer bottle after a disagreement, but Marcelinho is adamant he did nothing wrong.

"The man provoked me and there was a set to," the Brazilian told Bild.

"If this man wants to go to the police, the matter will be clarified by the police."

Is Tony Hawk Smarter than a 5th grader

Tony Hawk got put on the spot Thursday night. Fox's Are you smarter than a 5th grader put him to the test. Host Jeff Foxworthy and his gang of smart 5th graders join Tony Hawk in a effort to raise money for The Tony Hawk Foundation.

What Questions was he asked:3337.1 2nd Grade US Geography: Cuba is geographically closest to what US stateAnswer: Florida

1st Grade Grammar: T/F? There are no adjectives in the following sentence. "Sierra boiled the spaghtti in a black pot." Answer: False 1st Grade Measurements: How many seconds are in half a minute? Answer: 30 2nd Grade Animal Science: T/F? All crocodiles are herbivores? Answer: False

3rd Grade Cultural Studies: What is the official language of Brazil? Answer: Portuguese

3rd Grade World History: In Ancient Greece, how often were the Olympic Games held? A. Every Year, B. Every 4 Years, C. Every 10 Years. Answer: A. Every Year

4th Grade Math: How many factors does the number 121 have? Answer: 3 (1, 11, 121) 4th Grade World Geography: The country of Estonia is located on which continent? Answer: Europe

5th Grade Literature: The poem "Paul Revere's Ride" was written by what 19th century author? Answer: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Tony Hawk was saved on the 121 factor and the Estonia question and stated he was going to dedicate a skate park to Nathan, his savior.

Holding a check for $175,000, Tony had to choose from U.S. History or U.S. Literature. Choosing U.S. Literature, Tony was asked: The Poem "Paul Reveres Ride " was written by what U.S. Author? and Tony decided to opt out. The answer begin Henry Longfellow, Tony Hawk is not smarter than a 5th grader.At the end of the test The Tony Hawk Foundation took home a grand total of: $175,000

Oklahoma Council members approve lease for SuperSonics if they move to Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)—Oklahoma City officials will try to convince NBA commissioner David Stern and representatives of four teams that the city is ready to permanently host a franchise.

On Tuesday, City Council members unanimously approved a preliminary lease agreement with the Seattle SuperSonics, contingent on the team’s proposed relocation.

Stern and representatives of the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets were set to tour the Ford Center later Tuesday and view a presentation from SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett, Mayor Mick Cornett and Gov. Brad Henry at a downtown hotel.

The task is to convince the league to move a franchise from a large city and television market to one of the smallest. The NBA’s relocation committee will recommend to league owners whether to approve the Sonics’ move at the April 17-18 meeting.

“A lot of our message is derived around that because if you come from the East or West Coast, your first instinct is probably not to move an NBA franchise from a large city to Oklahoma City,” Cornett said.

“We’ve been a minor-league city for 118 years and to suddenly suggest that we’re no longer a minor-league city—that we’re a major-league city—I think it’s incumbent upon us to say why. What has fundamentally changed in Oklahoma City?”

Cornett said the presentation would include the team’s potential business model and a history lesson about Oklahoma City’s renaissance launched 15 years ago by a public-funded initiative. That included the construction of the Ford Center arena where the SuperSonics would play. The New Orleans Hornets played two seasons at the arena following Hurricane Katrina.

On Tuesday morning, City Council members approved terms of a 15-year lease with the SuperSonics that would require the team to pay the city $1.6 million annually to use the Ford Center and another $409,000 per year to be able to resell the arena’s naming rights.

Former Oklahoma state Rep. Wanda Jo Stapleton voiced concerns to the council that the lease leaves the city in position to pay for any cost overruns beyond the approximately $121 million provided by a sales tax extension approved by voters earlier this month.

The sales-tax extension would also pay for an approximately $24 million practice facility. The lease calls for the SuperSonics to pay $100,000 rent on the building.

“It’s in black and white there that the city will pay for the cost overruns, and there could be tens of millions of dollars in cost overruns because they’ve given the team owners free rein to make any changes, whatever they want, during the entire construction period,” Stapleton said. “It’s just a blank check, that’s all it is.”

City Manager Jim Couch assured Stapleton that the lease would allow the city to make any cuts necessary to keep the project within its budget. Cornett said it was the city’s intent to keep the renovations within whatever funds are raised by the sales tax extension.

“We have a very good history of building stuff on time and being financially responsible,” Cornett said. “I understand that this is going to take a very high level of scrutiny and we accept that and look forward to once again living up to what we said we would do.”

Joining Stern during the visit were Spurs owner Peter Holt, Nets owner Lewis Katz, Pacers owner Herb Simon and Jeanie Buss, the daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Holt, Katz, Simon and Jerry Buss are four of the members on the NBA’s relocation committee.

Other members of the relocation committee—Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison, Chris Cohan of the Golden State Warriors and Ed Snider of the Philadelphia 76ers—did not make the trip.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba

Raikkonen storms to victory in Malaysia

domingo, 23 de março de 2008

If Australia was a nightmare for Ferrari, Malaysia was a dream. Kimi Raikkonen toyed initially with polesitting team mate Felipe Massa, took the lead after their first pit stops, and sauntered into the distance to a victory that puts him back into contention for a second world title.

Massa blotted his copybook by spinning out of an easy second place on the 31st lap, leaving Robert Kubica to take an excellent runner-up result for BMW Sauber. In the closing laps, though 22 seconds adrift, the Pole set a similar pace to Raikkonen...

More:http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/3/7548.html

US cyclist Thomas faces charges in first BALCO trial

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Former US Olympic cyclist Tammy Thomas will fight perjury charges starting here Monday in the first trial to stem from the BALCO steroid scandal that has rocked athletics and baseball.

US District Court prosecutors have issued five perjury charges against Thomas for lying in October of 2003 to a federal grand jury looking into the BALCO steroid scandal by saying she did not use performance-enhancing drugs.

Thomas, who was indicted in 2006, has pleaded innocent.

Her situation is similar to that of Barry Bonds, US baseball's all-time home run king who is accused of lying to the same BALCO grand jury when saying he did not taking performance-enhancing drugs.

http://sports.yahoo.com
Bonds has pleaded innocent and on Friday had the next action in his case postponed to June 6 so prosecutors could rewrite a more detailed indictment at the instruction of Judge Susan Illston, who is handling both Bonds' and Thomas' cases and could issue a similar order to prosecutors in the cyclist's case.

Bonds' legal team is expected to carefully watch the Thomas trial to see what issues might arise when their case comes before the judge, something not expected until after the end of the Major League Baseball season in October.

Seven people charged in the BALCO scandal have pleaded guilty of lying to federal authorities or steroid distribution, including BALCO founder Victor Conte, chemist Patrick Arnold and former Bonds trainer Greg Anderson.

Disgraced former athletics star Marion Jones, stripped of the three gold and two bronze medals she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, began serving a prison sentence two weeks ago for lying to authorities about doping and her role in a check fraud scheme.

Thomas was banned in 2002 after testing positive for a steroid. Jeff Novitzky, the top federal investigator in the BALCO case, is expected to appear as a witness in the Thomas case.

Arnold is also expected to testify and his girlfriend is expected to say she spoke with Thomas about steroids several times.

Arnold helped develop THG, a once-undetectable steroid Conte distributed in forms known as "the clear" and "the cream."