LA Lakers and Boston Celtics: A Victory For TV Ratings?

With 32 of a possible 63 titles between them, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are the most successful franchises in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. They’re also a boon to television ratings. When the Lakers and Celtics meet for another championship in this year’s NBA Finals starting in two days, Walt Disney Co.’s ABC may emerge a winner.

“This is best matchup ABC could have possibly hoped for,” Brad Adgate, research director at Horizon Media, a New York- based advertising company, said in a telephone interview. “It’s a classic rivalry -- cross-country, major markets and two teams loaded with history.”

Jeff Lindsey, a spokesman for ABC, didn’t immediately return an e-mail last night seeking comment.

The Lakers won their 15th NBA championship last season, while the Celtics won their 17th title two years ago.

Boston’s six-game win over the Lakers after the 2007-08 season yielded the highest television ratings for the NBA Finals in the past five years. It was the most recent championship- round meeting in one of sports’ most celebrated rivalries, which featured Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 1980s.

The 1987 championship series, the third showdown in four years between Johnson’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics, was watched in 16.7 percent of U.S. homes, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was the highest-rated NBA finals that didn’t include Michael Jordan since Nielsen began keeping records in 1974.

“These teams have national followings and leaguewide followings,” said Phil de Picciotto, president of Athletes &; Personalities at the Los Angeles-based marketing and representation firm Octagon. “Anybody who’s a basketball fan appreciates what the Lakers and Celtics stand for.”

Made A Living On Lakers And Boston Celtics

Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson, who used to sit alongside Boston President Red Auerbach during the NBA Finals, said his network “made a living” on the Celtics and Lakers. Pilson expects more ratings success this season.

“There’s every indicator from size of markets, to quality of the matchup, to the athletes themselves, to the history and tradition,” said Pilson, president of Pilson Communications, Inc., in Chappaqua, New York. “This definitely is a great matchup for the NBA and the networks.”

The teams met in the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, featuring Hall of Famers such as Bill Russell and Bob Cousy for Boston and Jerry West and Elgin Baylor for Los Angeles. Wilt Chamberlain played for the Lakers in the 1969 Finals.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Series

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s career scoring leader with 38,387 points, helped lead the Lakers to NBA Finals victories against the Celtics in 1985 and 1987. Los Angeles is the second-largest media market in the U.S. behind New York, and Boston is seventh.

The Lakers are led by former Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kobe Bryant, who has averaged 29.4 points in 16 games this postseason. The Celtics are paced by a quartet of All-Stars in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

“Boston and L.A. -- wake up the echoes,” Pilson said in a telephone interview. “This is classic. The only thing that could spoil this matchup right now are blowout games or a four- game sweep. But it seems unlikely.”

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers won three of four regular-season basketball matchups against the Celtics. Los Angeles will host Game 1 of the best-of-seven championship series on June 3 at the Staples Center. Game 2 will also be played in Los Angeles, on June 6, before the series shifts to Boston for the next three games.

Phil Jackson Seeking Revenge

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has 10 NBA titles, said the loss to the Celtics two years ago still stings. During the offseason, after Los Angeles beat the Orlando Magic for the NBA title, Phil Jackson said he ran into Pierce at his daughter’s housing complex in Los Angeles and made it known he wanted a championship rematch.

“I said, ‘Get it back, we want to meet you in the finals,’” Phil Jackson said after beating Phoenix in the Western Conference finals. “So here it is almost a year later. We have this opportunity, both of us, to renew this rivalry.”

Since the Lakers moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960, they’ve faced the Celtics 10 times in the NBA Finals. Nine of those championship series were decided in more than five games, with four going to a seventh game.

“You’ve got great star power and great tradition,” said Horizon Media’s Adgate. “The only other thing that ABC could possibly hope for is that the series goes seven games.”

Robinho wallpapers

Róbson de Souza (Brazil), more commonly known as Robinho, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Brazilian Série A club Santos on loan from Premier League side Manchester City. He is also a member of the Brazilian national team.

Robinho was personally picked by Brazil legend Pelé as his heir apparent at only 15 years of age[3] and went on to lead Santos to their first Campeonato Brasileiro title since Pelé himself played for the same legendary Brazilian club.[4] Since then he has won another title with Santos and two more with Real Madrid as well. With Brazil, Robinho has one Copa América title and two Confederations Cups with Brazil.

Róbson de Souza Robinho picked by Brazil legend Pelé Robinho, is a Brazilian footballer

Robinho with girlfriend Vivia

Brazil Goal Keeper Julio Cesar

julio Cesar brazil GOal Keeper julio Cesar brazil julio Cesar

UFC 114 was entertaining, but expectations not met

After much anticipation leading up to UFC 114, I came back from Vegas feeling great, yet unfulfilled. On one hand, my personal time with my friends experiencing everything from the UFC Fan Expo, meeting fighters along with MMA notables and taking photos was more than I could have asked for. However, the actual fight card, in my estimation, left me wondering what happened to all the hype. What had all the makings of an exciting night of fights, turned out to be an arena filled with more boos than cheers.

The main event, which featured a lot of bad blood between two superstars of the sport, 'Suga' Rashad Evans and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, only lived up to the hype for three of the fifteen minutes they fought. This was not due to the fighters as much as it was the old adage; "styles make fights". In this particular case you had Rashad Evans, a superior wrestler by trade, sticking to his strength and using his bread and butter to nullify his opponent. Rampage, whose strength lies standing up and banging, had no answer for Rashad's speed. Evans elusiveness of Rampage's punches and slick quick takedowns proved the difference in the fight.

There was a tense moment in the third and final round with about three minutes to go where it looked like all of Rashad's hard work was all for naught. As he went to shoot in one more time on Rampage, he lost his balance and fell short, thus giving Rampage the break he had been looking for. Finally, able to get his hands on Evans, Jackson pounced on his opponent, trapping him against the cage and began raining down punches. Evans was clearly in trouble and when Referee Herb Dean stepped in to take a closer look, it looked as though he was about to stop it.

Luckily, he did not because Rashad weathered the storm of Rampage's onslaught and not only made it back to his feet, but eventually turned the tide and took Rampage down once again. This time he unleashed his most telling attack of the fight as he had Rampage pinned down and was smashing him flush with right hands to the face. This last three minutes of the fight brought the crowd to its feet and drew the biggest response of the night outside of the split decision win by Antonio Rogerio Nogueira over Jason Brilz.

Brilz, who took this fight with less than three weeks notice due to an injury to Forrest Griffin, was a huge underdog to the decorated MMA veteran Nogueira. No one expected he could compete with the man known as 'Lil' Nog', let alone finish the fight, however he did both while almost defeating the Brazilian at his own game. After standing toe to toe with him in the first round, the wrestler from North Dakota, caught Nogueira in a tight guillotine choke, not once, but twice in the second round. While Nog survived, he was not the same after that and Brilz clearly dominated from that point on in my eyes and in the estimation of 15,000 plus who booed unmercifully after the decision was read. Brilz may have not won the decision, but he won over the fans and more importantly Dana White, which will prove more lucrative in the long run.

In another surprising turn of events, Heavyweight Todd Duffee, who was clearly in control of his fight against Mike Russow for two and a half rounds was shocked, clocked and literally put to sleep by a Russow right hand he never saw coming. Before the fight I had stated that the book was still out on Duffee as all we had seen on him was all of seven seconds in the octagon. One has to wonder now if the giant who has a body that looks like it was sculpted out of a rock, has a jaw made of glass. Only time will tell. One other young fighter to keep an eye on is welterweight John Hathaway, who came into the UFC undefeated and stayed that way as he totally dominated Ultimate Fighter winner Diego 'Nightmare' Sanchez over three rounds for a unanimous decision win. Tall and lanky for a welterweight with fast hands and good takedown defense, he may be a name to remember.

Out of the seven fights on TV, the two on Spike and five on Pay-Per-View, six of them went to a decision. Even the Russow KO win was on its way to being a unanimous decision by Duffee until the unexpected shot heard around the arena. Many of those fights were uneventful, which drew more than a few boos throughout the night that I know ultimately that cannot make Dana White happy. Overall as a fan, my experience between the Expo and the UFC live was an entertaining one, but as far expectations for the fights went, especially the main event, I don't think they were met.

On a personal note, my thanks to all the friends and Junkie Nation I was rolling with throughout the weekend, especially Gorgeous George, Goze and 'Jenny from the Block' of MMA Junkie Radio who always make it happen.

Eri Yoshida: The Knuckle Princess From Japan

Since landing on American terrain earlier this year, nothing about baseball has fazed 18-year-old Japanese pitching sensation Eri Yoshida much. It's off the field that has been the real challenge. Eri Yoshida has coped with the language barrier, has by all accounts become "one of the guys" in the clubhouse with her Chico Outlaws teammates, and has held her own against some former big-league hitters.

But judging by the awkward gaze she flashed at the gobs of lasagna on her plate in an instructional league clubhouse earlier this year, American eats might just take some getting used to. The moment the lasagna was served was captured on a YouTube video.

"It's cheap, and quantity is much more than we get in Japan," Eri Yoshida said of American food through a translator after making her U.S. debut on Saturday.

But if she has her way, the 5-foot-1, 115-pound Eri Yoshida will be seeing a lot more lasagna. Heralded as the "Knuckle Princess" by the Japanese media, Yoshida became the first female to pitch professionally in two countries when she debuted for the Outlaws in the independent Golden League against the Tijuana Cimmarones. 

Baseball princess Eri Yoshida made her debut for the Chico Outlaws of the independent Golden League on Saturday night, the first appearance by a woman in American professional baseball since Ila Borders in 2000.

Eri Yoshida allowed four runs in three innings against Los Cimarrones de Tijuana, and she was hit hard at times; one 70-mile-per-hour fastball was crushed for a two-run homer. But she retired 7 of the first 10 batters she faced before tiring. And in her one plate appearance, she drove in a run by bouncing a bases-loaded single to right field

Eri Yoshida got off to a much better debut than Borders did in her first game in 1997, when she failed to retire any of the three batters she faced for the Saint Paul Saints of the Northern League. Borders pitched four years in independent leagues, ending her career in 2000.

After former San Francisco Giants infielder Ivan Ochoa led off the game for the Tijuana Cimarrones by bunting for a single, drawing jeers from the crowd, Eri Yoshida settled down and kept Tijuana off-balance with a sidearm knuckleball that usually registers in the 50 mph range.

It is a world away — and halfway around the globe — from where Eri Yoshida grew up, in Kawasaki, an urban city on the outskirts of Tokyo. Spurred by the interest in Eri Yoshida, the Outlaws are streaming all of their home games live on the Internet this season. About 25 media outlets were credentialed for the game.

While this might seem like a gimmick, it appeared to work as the Outlaws drew 4,400 fans to the game. Eri Yoshida learned to throw the knuckleball as a young girl by watching Wakefield. She taught herself the pitch and never had any formal coaching for how to throw the knuckler until meeting her idol during spring training in Florida earlier this year.

Mike Marshall said he has no doubt Eri Yoshida has the makeup to handle this historic challenge. He said the biggest factor in determining how far she will be able to take it will be how much stronger she gets in the next few years.

"There's going to be a draft here in a couple weeks and there's probably only a handful of 18-year-old high school kids who are going to get drafted who could come here and play. Men, Look at the rosters. You have Double-A, Triple-A, big-league guys. This isn't affiliated rookie ball; this isn't affiliated A-ball. This is way up there. These are 25- to 35-year-old men she's playing against." Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mike Marshall said.

Despite the disparity in age, experience, gender and cultural upbringing, Eri Yoshida is fitting in well with her new team. Manager Garry Templeton, an admitted skeptic when he first saw her pitch this winter, said the players missed her when she didn't make a season-opening road trip to Mexico.

He said Eri Yoshida has been taken to kangaroo court, where she was fined a dollar, like all newcomers to the court. The only special treatment she gets is separate locker room facilities to change in and her own hotel room on the road.

"They're protective of her," Garry Templeton said. "She blends in well. She's just a ballplayer. They see her as a ballplayer, not as a girl."

Best of Europe

Well the the World Cup is about to start and before we all get carried away with the biggest sporting event on the planet I thought I would conclude the European Season. Football in Europe this year was amazing with Inter snatching a historic treble, as a result I thought I'd compile some sort of awards for the best we've seen this European season.

Best Teams:

1- Inter Milan: The obvious choice this season. They have played efficient football and managed a brilliant treble. Winning the Serie A, Coppa Italia and the Champions League. Although they have been a dominant force in Italy for the last 5 years or so, they struggled a bit this season and managed to close on the final day. Their main focus was the Champions League which had eluded them close to half a century. They managed a convincing win against Bayern in the final and were the best team in tournament beating Chelsea, Barca and Bayern to claim it!

2- Bayern Munchen: Missed out on a historic treble this season when they lost the champions league final. Bayern Managed to turn their season around after a slow start, more precisely after thrashing a sorry Juventus side in Turin to qualify to the knock out stage of the Champions League when they seemed dead and buried. They clinched a local double and are by far the best team in Germany and one of the best in Europe at the moment.

3- Fulham: Yes Fulham, the small London club captured the hearts of neutrals all over the world with their impressive run in the Europa Cup. Virtually an unknown quantity in European football, their most delusional fan could not have predicted they make it to the final. They beat cup holders Shakhtar, heavy weights Juventus in an unforgeable encounter and Bundesliga holders Wolfsburg. Their league standing suffered as a result of their impressive run but they still managed to hold on to their Premier League status. Sadly the fairly tail could not be completed as they lost the Europa Cup final 1-2 to Atletico Madrid after extra time.

Player of The Season:

You are probably thinking, Messi, Rooney or Ronaldo....although there is no question about their talents, they are not my picks.

1- Diego Milito: The Argentine striker has finally received his overdue credit. He has been one of Europe's most prolific strikers for sometime now, ever since arriving at Zaragoza from Racing Club. His first chance at a top team, the world has taken notice at last. He was instrumental in Jose Morinho's side. He scored 30 goals in all competitions and was always ever present in the big occasions. With a great eye for goal and a magnificent finish he has scored in every important game this season. The winner on the final day of Serie A against Siena, The winner in the Coppa Italia final against Roma and his brilliant brace against Bayern in the Champions League final. A truly magical season for him and hopefully more to come in the world cup.

2- Arjen Robben: The Dutch winger was deemed surplus to requirements at the Bernabeau having had a reputation of being injury prone and lacking natural fitness. I think Real Madrid should be banging their heads now. Robben reached his true potential this season and has become the world class player he was always meant to be. Bayern helped him stay fit and he repaid them and all football fans the world over with some cracking goals. The goals against Man United and Fiorentina were phenomenal. He helped Bayern to a local double and just missed on the Champions League. Watch out for Holland at the World Cup.

3- Didier Drogba: Struggled last season with injuries under Scolari but has returned to his form this season under Carlo Ancelotti. For me he is the best striker in the world. His combination of brute strength and sublime technical ability is unmatched. He won the Premier League's Top Scorer with 29 goals, edging out Wayne Rooney. He flourished in the new Chelsea system and played well with Anelka, although some people doubted they can play together for some reason? He helped Chelsea to their first ever league and cup double in England. Now if only Ericsson can get the best out of him for Cote D'Ivoire.

Honorable Mention: Wesley Sneijder had an excellent season too and was key in the Treble winning Inter side. Wenger said it best that next season he should go outside Real Madrid and see which players they decide to let go so he can buy them!

Manager of the Season:

There were so many candidates to choose from, so I'm just going to mention them all!

1- Jose Mourinho: Without a doubt, the special one was indeed the best manager in the world this season, leading Inter to an unmatched treble. He destroyed a great Chelsea team at Stamford Bridge and contained a breath taking Barca side at the Nou Camp with 10 men. His post match antics are a bit annoying to the neutral and his opponents a like, he is however, a brilliant tactician that gets the best out of his players. Although he has failed to win the hearts of the Italian Media and the public, his interviews for me were always a joy, just ask the English. Possibly the only man with enough character to deal with Perez and get Madrid back to their winning ways.

- Carlo Ancelotti: Tipped to fail because of his laid back personality, proved how good of a coach he is, given enough resources and support. Leading Chelsea to their first ever double. His team scored an all time record of 103 goals. Apparently pulled off the "very difficult" Anelka/Drogba combo with great ease:P. Berlusconi can you hear me?

- Harry Redknapp: Tottenham and not Man City finished 4th in the Premiere League and reached the Champions League. He was always looked at as a great wheeler and dealer in the transfer market, nothing more. He has proved to be a very good coach especially when it seemed impossible he could make it to 4th spot while having, Arsenal, Chelsea, United and City to play in the final 4 games. Spurs only lost to United and look forward to an exciting season.

- Roy Hodgson: Fulham played a European Cup final, need I say more?

- Louis Van Gaal: Won the Bundesliga and German Cup and lost the Champions League final against a great Inter side.

- Luigi Del Neri: Sampdoria are in the Champions League next season thanks to this man. He has turned them into a force to be reckoned with in Italy. He beat Milan and Roma in the closing stages of Serie A to end their title hopes. He will be coaching Juventus next season.

Honorable Mention: Claudio Ranieri restored Roma to it's winning ways.

Flops of the Season:

1- Real Madrid: A very easy choice given that they spent the budget of a small country on players and finished the season with...yup you guessed it, NOTHING!

2- Juventus: They finished seventh this season and will play in the Europa Cup qualifications believe it or not. Destroyed by Bayern in Turin, out classed by Fulham at Craven Cottage. They just seemed like a team with out purpose. It shows you how much the meddling of owners affects a club. How the mighty have fallen.

3- Liverpool: Tipped to go one better than last season and finally win the Premier League. They finished 7th and will play again in the Europa Cup next season. Poor decisions in the transfer market, injuries to key players and Rafa Benitez contributed to their downfall.

BRING ON THE WORLD CUP!

Lakers Wins The Game – Thanks To Ron Artest

Basketball fans catch up their breath when the Lakers' small but terrible forward Ron Artest made only one of his eight shots in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, misfiring on a late three-point attempt that drew the ire of Coach Phil Jackson.

But Jackson had a funny feeling Ron Artest was capable of something special in the final minutes of a tight game against the Phoenix Suns, so he sent the struggling player back into the game midway through the fourth quarter.

Good thing for Ron Artest, and a good thing for the Lakers. Ron Artest cut across the lane to grab an errant Kobe Bryant three-point attempt and tossed it into the basket with 0.8 seconds left to give the Lakers an exhilarating 103-101 victory tonight at Staples Center.

"He has an uncanny knack of doing things," Phil Jackson said of Ron Artest, whose shot joins Derek Fisher's 0.4-second heave against San Antonio six years ago in Lakers' playoff lore.

Ron Artest finished with only four points for the Lakers, who have a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series that shifts to US Airways Center in Phoenix on Saturday for Game 6. The home team has won each of the five games in the series.

"I thought Kobe got fouled on the shot, so I figured it was going to be short," Ron Artest said. "You've just got to continue the play."

The Lakers needed those heroics after Phoenix had battled back from a 101-96 deficit with 1:38 remaining on a 20-foot jumper by Steve Nash and a banked-in three-pointer by Jason Richardson with 3.5 seconds left. Steve Nash finished with 29 points on 12-for-20 shooting and he had 11 assists.

Kobe Bryant attempted a three-pointer from the wing while falling out of bounds with two seconds left, but the shot was well short and Ron Artest grabbed the ball and quickly shot it while turning toward the backboard.

"Bottom line, we didn't box Ron out," Phoenix Coach Alvin Gentry said. "We let him walk right in and get the rebound."

Kobe Bryant finished with 30 points and Fisher had 22 for the Lakers, who have won their last nine Game 5s under Phil Jackson, including a pair of triumphs this season. The Lakers are 8-0 at home in the 2010 playoffs. Pau Gasol added 21 points and Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 13 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns won Games 3 and 4 at home by utilizing a zone defense, repeatedly getting to the free-throw line and enjoying several breakthrough performances from its bench. Only one of those factors -- free throws -- worked in the Suns' favor in Game 5.

Phoenix did attempt 29 free throws to the Lakers' 23, but the Suns' bench combined for 31 points after getting 54 in Game 4.

The Lakers also scored 38 points in the paint and 23 points off 15 Phoenix turnovers. Phoenix Suns went with its reserves to start the second and fourth quarters, and the unit failed to reproduce its Game 4 magic. Guard Goran Dragic did little besides shove the Lakers' Sasha Vujacic early in the fourth quarter, resulting in offsetting technical fouls.

The Lakers appeared to have put the game out of reach late in the third quarter when a free throw by Lamar Odom gave them an 18-point lead at 74-56. But the Suns closed the quarter on a 16-4 run that included a four-point play by Jared Dudley, who was fouled by Pau Gasol on a three-point basket and made the ensuing free throw.

"It was a crazy game," Steve Nash said. "Just when you thought everything was OK, we lose."

Moda aliada a consciência ambiental!

Muitas pessoas desconhecem a importância desse utensílio e não sabem o bem enorme que ele pode causar a natureza. Estamos falando da ECOBAG, ou sacola ecológica como é mais conhecida.
Pra reforçar ainda mais a idéia, o Projeto Antenados produziu uma matéria para mostrar como a junção de consciência ambiental e moda tem dado certo.

Além de descolada, a ECOBAG é moderna, você fica na moda e coopera com o meio ambiente evitando o uso de mais de 15 sacolas plásticas que seriam descartadas no meio ambiente, degradando ainda mais a natureza.

Então, fique de olho, por que a matéria a seguir, irá mostrar para vocês quais as vantagens de se ter uma ECOBAG, opiniões de especialistas e os benefícios que ela traz ao meio ambiente.

Sharks Have To Decide Between Marleau And Nabokov

When the goal is hoisting the NHL Stanley Cup, anything short of that is perceived as failure, so here are the San Jose Sharks once again going thru the annual post-mortem of a season that ended too soon. Only two members of the Sharks have played in both of the team's NHL Western Conference finals appearances.

Will both be back for another run at the Cup? Patrick Marleau, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov are among San Jose's five most notable unrestricted free agents, and it might be tough for the team to keep both.

Three days after being eliminated from the post season, the Sharks packed up their gear, signed some final autographs, and said goodbye. But it still stings that they're not in the Stanley Cup finals.

Each is an elite player and will be pursued by other clubs, and though there are breakdowns that show how teams can get all their current players to fit under the salary cap, several Sharks executives Wednesday emphasized that the figure that San Jose really considers is its own budget.

Maxing out the cap (which is expected to be about $58 million) isn't something the Sharks are looking to do, and forget long-term back-loaded deals that might hog-tie future payrolls. That means the team is unlikely to retain all its unrestricted free agents.

"Systemically, that's not a reality," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said at the team's practice facility. "Every team has to go through tough decisions, that's part of the business. Right now, sitting here, it would be premature to assume anything."

"When you lose, you think the world is going to end and then you kind of have a couple of days to think about it, reflect on the year and I think we had a pretty darn good year. It was a big step we took this year, and we just have to learn from it and build on for next year," says Sharks center Joe Thornton.

The team will now begin putting together next year's roster with three key free agents: Sharks center Patrick Marleau, Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabakov, and Rob Blake.

"People should not get into the point of premature assessments or jump to any conclusions. We will make those decisions going forward. These are people who have done tremendous jobs for this organization," says Sharks general manager Doug Wilson.

Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabakov have the longest tenure in this locker room and both would like to come back and finish what they've started.

"Sometimes when you're part of something for so long, and you get the job done so you want to be here to get the job done," says Evgeni Nabokov.

"To help put that work in and get that feeling of winning a couple of series, it's an experience you've got to build up," says Patrick Marleau.

"This season is a success as long as we do something with the growth next year. If we take a step backwards, we can't look at this as being a successful one," says Sharks head coach Todd McLellan.

Two restricted free agents, forwards Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi, are looking at hefty raises, making it even less likely that both Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabakov - who each made more than $6 million last season - can return.

There are good arguments for keeping each man: Patrick Marleau is coming off a 44-goal season and he was San Jose's best player in the conference finals. Evgeni Nabakov is among the game's top goaltenders, and the Sharks have few other options in net.

Should the team part ways with Nabokov, Wilson would have to look to the free-agent or trade markets; there are some notable restricted free-agents there, including Montreal's Jaroslav Halak and ... Chicago's Antti Niemi.

Patrick Marleau , Nabokov and useful one-year contract additions Scott Nichol and Manny Malhotra all expressed a desire to come back.

"We've put down roots here and love the area," said Marleau, whose wife is from the South Bay. "It's become home."

Evgeni Nabakov raved about the organization and said, "We took a huge step this year. I hope to be a part of it the next couple of years. ... Let's face it: The mission is not accomplished yet. I want to be a part of it but I don't know if it's up to me. We'll see."

Asked if that means it's up to the Sharks, Nabokov said, "I think so. That's how things are. It's not in my court, really. It's a weird situation. I don't know the right answer.

"I don't like to not finish something. I'd like to finish something and say, 'Now I can sleep well.' "

Along with some personnel changes, there will be some tweaks coming in terms of the team's play. Head coach Todd McLellan said that after reassessing the sweep by Chicago, he and his staff will look at potential issues such as the Sharks' drop-off in scoring from the blue line during the NHL season, as well as the lack of secondary scoring in the conference finals.

"Just when you think you have it solved because you're getting it, it goes away," he said.

San Francisco Giants Win Over Washington Nationals

Baseball player Edgar Renteria's flare to left won't look like much in the box score, but the way the Giants offense had been going, it might as well have been a 550-foot blast into McCovey Cove. The fifth-inning single brought Todd Wellemeyer home, snapping a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless innings. The Giants had gone 25 at-bats with a runner in scoring position without a hit, but Renteria's knock opened the floodgates.

San Francisco Giants tacked on three more in the inning, and snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Washington Nationals at AT&T Park on Tuesday night.

Todd Wellemeyer more than held up his end on the mound. The right-hander had been in danger of losing his spot in the rotation but looked sharp against Washington, allowing two earned on four hits in six innings.

Todd Wellemeyer (3-4) improved to 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA at home this season. He ran into trouble in the seventh and left with a run in and two runners on, but relievers Sergio Romo, Guillermo Mota and Brian Wilson combined for three hitless innings of relief.

When the Giants wasted a leadoff double by Andres Torres and stranded Renteria on third in the fourth inning, there appeared to be no end in sight to a scoreless streak that started in the eighth inning of Friday night's loss to the A's.

But after three games of hitting hard shots in all the wrong spots, the team caught a break in the fifth inning when Wellemeyer's soft fly ball landed just inside the line in right. Torres followed with a single up the middle, setting up Renteria, who is 4 for 10 since returning from the disabled list.

Mired in a five-game losing streak, manager Bruce Bochy has repeatedly stressed that all it would take was one or two guys to get the whole lineup going.

Renteria's single did the trick.

Freddy Sanchez followed with a two-run double to right, and Pablo Sandoval brought him home with a double to deep center.

For the second straight game, Bochy made big changes to the lineup in search of a spark. Torres was moved to the leadoff spot Sunday, and for Tuesday's series opener, three players were on the move in the field. Juan Uribe was back in the starting lineup at third base, which moved Sandoval to first and Aubrey Huff to the outfield for the first time since 2006.

"There's no getting around it, we're having a tough time putting runs on the board, so we're trying different things to see if they can get going," Bruce Bochy said before the game. "It's really the same guys, but we mixed it up to hopefully get the offense going.

"That's our biggest issue and we know it."

The Giants pulled out of their collective slump, and as an added bonus, the new-look defense didn't lead to any problems. Huff told Bochy that he felt comfortable playing left field, and he looked it.

The first ball of the game was hit right at him, and he later made a nice running catch on the warning track. Sandoval was also tested right off the bat, but he had no problems coming up the line and applying an inning-ending swipe tag when Renteria's throw sailed wide in the first.

With San Francisco Giants nursing the lead late, Huff was replaced in left and Sandoval and Uribe returned to third and short, respectively.

The Giants have just one error in their past 11 games, and their 17 errors on the season are the fewest in the National League.

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Soccer News: England Wins Over Mexico

England's soccer ace players left coach Fabio Capello frustrated at their lack of aggression in an unconvincing 3-1 victory over Mexico on Monday. While defenders Ledley King and Glen Johnson scored and Peter Crouch had a contentious goal, problems on defence made it an uncomfortable night for England at Wembley Stadium.

England, which opens its World Cup campaign against the United States on June 12, relied on goalkeeper Robert Green and a tactical change at halftime to beat its fellow World Cup qualifier.

“The manager wanted more aggression from the whole team,” England midfielder Steven Gerrard said. “They had too much possession in the first half, we stood off them and let them play. In the second half we got in their faces and stopped them playing. We need to be more aggressive.”

Returning after a three-year international absence, King headed in England's opener in the 17th minute after Crouch's setup across the net.

And Crouch, King's Tottenham teammate, managed to score a second — with the help of his arm — in the 34th from a rebound after goalkeeper Oscar Perez touched Wayne Rooney's header onto the crossbar.

England, though, was being outplayed, with Green twice denying Mexico's Arsenal forward Carlos Vela, while Carlos Salcido hit the goal post.

Guillermo Franco claimed a goal for the visitors seconds before halftime when left back Leighton Baines cleared Rafael Marquez's header at the far post straight to the forward, who scored from close range.

“Mexico are technically very good — they are faster than us and it was not easy getting the ball back,” Fabio Capello said. “Not all the teams we play against will be like this, but it is very important to press the ball and win it back quickly.”

Fabio Capello made several changes at halftime with Green, captain Rio Ferdinand, who partnered King in central defense, and Crouch replaced by Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher and Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe.
 

James Milner, who had been ineffective in central midfield with Michael Carrick, was shifted out to the left, with Gerrard moving into the middle.

“We need to be able to adapt to different formations during a game and also for different opposition,” Steven Gerrard said.

And two minutes into the second half, Johnson restored England's two-goal cushion with a curling shot from 20 yards and the home side looked more comfortable.

“We can play better than we did tonight. There's still time to sharpen up,” Steven Gerrard said.

There was one late scare for Fabio Capello, with striker Rooney indicating he wanted to come off in the closing minutes.

“He said he had a small problem in his neck, but it is not a problem,” Capello said. “Rooney is OK. At this moment he just needs to play and find his form.”

The four Chelsea players — John Terry, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Ashley Cole — and Portsmouth goalkeeper David James, who played in last weekend's FA Cup final, were rested. Capello will assess them in Sunday's final friendly against Japan in Austria before the 30-man squad is trimmed to 23 by the June 1 FIFA deadline.

Ledley King will be allowed to rest his knees on Sunday. The Spurs captain, never featured before in Capello's 30-month reign, looks to have ensured his place in the squad after finally making his 20th England appearance.

“It wasn't one of my best games, but it was tough out there,” King said. “The knee is getting better; the more I play the better I get.”

Despite the scoreline and being frustrated at how the goals were conceded, Mexico coach Javier Aguirre saw some encouraging signs before his side faces host South Africa in the World Cup opener June 11.

“We need to keep our style and we want to try the same thing again on the 11th of June,” said Aguirre, who needs to trim just one player from his squad. “We need to convert our chances more and not concede so early and that will take us to our next level.”

Mexico is in soccer action again on Wednesday against the Netherlands and takes on Gambia on Sunday.