Warmer weather heats up lobster landings off Cape Breton

By Chris Hayes - Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — Fishermen around Cape Breton were looking at weather as a factor when it comes to lobster landings this year.

Steve Wadden - Cape Breton Post

The lobster season in eastern Cape Breton wrapped up on Thursday, but the work is far from over for many fishermen like Herman Wadden of Main-a-Dieu, who spent the day laying out his gear to dry on Friday.

Leonard LeBlanc said warmer water had lobsters on the move in an area off western Cape Breton where he sets his traps.
“We had a very good year,” he said. “The weather was excellent for the lobsters to move, the water was warmer.”
LeBlanc, who as president of the Gulf Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition represents about 146 fishermen from Margaree Harbour to Pleasant Bay, said he went around in a T-shirt most of the time.
“The catch was excellent.”
LeBlanc said he personally landed about 17,000 pounds over the May 2-June 30 season, which would be a 30 per cent increase over last year.
Larger landings made up for prices that remained at $4.75 a pound, which was slightly lower than last year, he said.
“I think everybody is very satisfied with their season.”
Glace Bay fisherman Herb Nash said weather played a part in his lobster landings in the season that started on May 12 and wrapped up Thursday.
Landings started out strong in the range of 2,000 to 3,000 pounds a week for the first three weeks, dropped to around 1,000 a week for four weeks that followed, before rebounding to end the season.
Fishermen in the harbour operating a single vessel probably ranged from 10,000 to 16,000 pounds over the season, he said.
“Our season wasn’t bad, we can’t complain about it,” he concluded.
Landings dropped off when the wind was blowing from the ocean toward the land, making for colder temperatures and higher swells, he said.
“This easterly wind, the wind is the wrong way, the water gets cold and nothing crawls,” he said.
“When it comes off the land it’s good, and when it’s on the land you starve to death.”
Nash said he believes fishermen elsewhere along Cape Breton’s eastern shore had worse landings than those in Glace Bay.
Fishermen in his area were getting $5 a pound until near the end of June, when the price dropped to $4.50.
The cost of lobster fishing is going up when bait, fuel and wages for helpers are added in, he said.
“Most people, their expenses are $600 to $1,000 a day.”
Nash also has a snow crab boat that is currently fishing near Sable Island and landing in Glace Bay.
Catching his crab quota is not a problem, said Nash.
LeBlanc was ready to start fishing snow crab Friday morning in an inshore fishery that ends on Sept. 13. He expected landings to be bountiful and for fishermen to catch their quotas before the end of the season.
As Cheticamp fishermen loaded their boats Thursday to prepare for the start of crab fishing season, representatives from the Workers Compensation Board, Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education were on the wharf urging them to wear personal flotation devices and take heed of safety at sea in general.
LeBlanc, who was taking part with the officials, said there are too many drownings that could be avoided if fishermen wore the flotation devices.

chayes@cbpost.com

New York Cosmos return to NASL for 2013

The New York Cosmos, who once featured star player Pele, are returning after a 30-year absence. (Photo: AP)

July 12, 2012, 3:11 pm

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- The New York Cosmos are back.
After a nearly 30-year absence, the Cosmos joined the North American Soccer League on Thursday. The team will begin league play in the 2013 season.
The former Cosmos team in the late 1970s featured soccer great Pele, who helped raise awareness of soccer in the United States. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 NASL championships in his third and final season.
NASL commissioner David Downs says the plan will "reunite the Cosmos, Strikers, Rowdies and several markets with ties to the NASL's early days."
The Cosmos ownership group is led by Seamus O'Brien. The team will announce details on its stadium, ticket sales and players at a later date.
The NASL includes professional teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

PSU board: No timeline for removing Paterno's name or image

By Jack Carey, USA TODAY

By Gene J. Puskar, AP

DUNMORE, Pa. – While the monuments to and imagery of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno continue to be in evidence on the State College campus, PSU Board of Trustees chair Karen Peetz said Friday there is no need for a timeline or deadline on decisions about whether the school will remove Paterno's image and name.
Former FBI director Louis Freeh's report on the child sex abuse scandal at the school said Paterno's inaction toward Jerry Sandusky's crimes helped conceal Sandusky's activities, further clouding the image of college football's winningest coach, who died in January.
Paterno's name is on a campus library he and his wife, Sue, donated to years ago. There is a bronze statue in his likeness outside Beaver Stadium. Even the university creamery has an ice cream flavor, "Peachy Paterno" named after the coach.
"We feel honoring coach Paterno is a sensitive issue," Peetz said after a meeting of the school's Board of Trustees on PSU's satellite campus outside Scranton, Pa. "It's going to take a lot of dialogue with the community. We want to be reflective and take our time. There's not a timeline or deadline. That's not necessary. It's going to take a lot of discussion."
PSU president Rodney Erickson said some talks have been held about "some modest renovations" to the Lasch Football Building, where some of Sandusky's assaults took place, and he said there have been substantial security updates there and at other athletics facilities.
The board and the administration have each set up task forces to review the 119 recommendations the Freeh report contained, and Peetz said she would like to have a structure in place by the board's September meeting for tackling the recommendations.
"As a parent," she said, "the report showed everyone is responsible for everyone else's children."
The NCAA has launched an investigation of the athletics department in the wake of the scandal, and Erickson said: "We'll have an opportunity to talk with the NCAA over the course of the next couple weeks. The immediate task is to begin to respond to the Nov. 17 letter I received from (NCAA) President (Mark) Emmert.
Now that the Freeh report has been completed, the school is in "better position" to respond to the NCAA, Erickson said.
Also Friday, trustee Ira Lubert, who chairs a subcommittee on legal matters and liability, told the board that the school thus far has three civil lawsuits pending against it for the failure to protect children from being sexually assaulted, and he said others can be expected.
The school is attempting to resolve any suits "in a fair manner" and will be in contact with attorneys for the plaintiffs, he said.
Additionally, Lubert said, former assistant coach Mike McQueary has filed a writ of summons with the intention to file a whistleblower lawsuit against the school. McQueary, who was not retained by new coach Bill O'Brien, said he witnessed Sandusky assaulting a boy in a university shower room in 2001 and told Paterno the next day. Paterno told then-athletics director Tim Curley and university vice president Gary Schultz of the incident but did not go to law enforcement authorities.
"We do not believe Mr. McQueary's claims have any merit," Lubert said.

'The veil has been lifted on professional football this week'

By Richard Conway BBC Sport

 

There were cheers from John Terry's supporters in the public gallery when the "not guilty" verdict at his trial was read out in Court One at Westminster Magistrates' on Friday.

Terry was impassive throughout chief magistrate Howard Riddell's judgement and, upon hearing that his name had been cleared, stood up and immediately exited the dock without comment.
Within minutes he was leaving court as an innocent man, his reputation intact, his ordeal finally over.
But it had taken 10 months for Terry's case to reach this stage.
In the intervening period it caused a chain reaction which eventually led to him being stripped of the England captaincy.
That led to Fabio Capello leaving his position as England manager in response to what he saw as interference from his employers.
The sport has also had to grapple with the key question of how prevalent racism is within its ranks.
For example, Anton Ferdinand, who Mr Riddell agreed had been "brave" in giving evidence to the court, had to endure taunts and chants from fans for the majority of last season over his role in the incident.
Police also investigated a case of "malicious communication" when it is believed a bullet was sent in a letter to QPR's training ground addressed to him.
The Football Association will now restart its own investigation into the events of 23 October 2011 at Loftus Road , with Terry facing the prospect of having to clear his name for a second time.
The FA halted its investigation once the police began their own inquiry.
But Terry's case was not the only incident of alleged racism that the football authorities had to deal with last season.
The FA handed out an eight-match ban to Liverpool's Luis Suarez after it found he had racially abused Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a Premier League game between the two sides last October.
The Terry case therefore assumed a greater significance when set against the backdrop of concerns of a resurgence of racism, something that many felt the game had left behind long ago.
And according to anti-racism campaigner Paul Elliott, a former Chelsea player who now works for the Kick It Out organisation, Terry's case - even with a not guilty verdict - shows there is work to do.
"[Terry's case] highlighted the re-emergence of such issues [as racism in football] and we have to attack that with vigour, with education at the grassroots," he said.
"It's not helped the game. It's a sorry day for football, make no mistake about that."
The veil has been lifted on life within professional football this week.
And what has been exposed is playground taunting, name-calling and abuse that would appear to be the norm between opposing players over the course of 90 minutes.
John Terry has walked free, his reputation intact, having been cleared of any wrongdoing.
But the process by which English football has arrived at this point in its development has left many uncomfortable at what has been revealed - and asks tough questions over how football will respond.

Golf's Scottish Open tees off at Castle Stuart links

 11 July 2012 Last updated at 19:48 ET

Luke Donald has returned to Castle Stuart to defend his title

Golf's Scottish Open has got under way at the Castle Stuart links course, near Inverness.

Last year's championship was cut from 72 to 54 holes following torrential downpours.
A report later released by Highlands and Islands Enterprise suggested the event still managed to contribute more than £5m to the Scottish economy.
About 43,000 people attended the competition over the three days when play took place.
It was won by world number one player Luke Donald, who has returned to defend the title.
Financial company Aberdeen Asset Management announced in March that it would sponsor the Open for the next three years.
The event had been without a sponsor since last year when Barclays withdrew its backing. It had sponsored the tournament for 10 years.
A pro-am event was held at Castle Stuart on Wednesday ahead of the professional championship.
The Ryder Cup trophy will also be on display at the course during the Open.
European and US teams will compete for the trophy at Medinah Country Club, in Illinois, in September.

Some Penn State players stand by former coach

Penn State tailback Silas Redd still stands by his former coach Joe Paterno. Defensive tackle Jordan Hill does, too.

By GENARO C. ARMAS

AP Sports Writer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. —

Penn State tailback Silas Redd still stands by his former coach Joe Paterno. Defensive tackle Jordan Hill does, too.
Redd, Hill and the rest of the Nittany Lions are trying to weather another stormy period after former FBI Director Louis Freeh's investigation of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal concluded that Paterno and three other top school officials concealed allegations against his former defensive coordinator.
Most Nittany Lions, before a player-organized charity event Friday, said they didn't watch the news conference Thursday about the probe, but had at least heard of the findings.
Nearly all the Nittany Lions declined comment about the report itself, trying to refocus attention for the "Uplifting Athletes" charity event for which they had gathered to raise money for the Kidney Cancer Association.
"It has nothing to do with us," Redd said about the findings. "We're just talking about this event and this season."
But Redd said his opinion of Paterno, the coach that recruited him to Penn State, hadn't changed. He said Paterno, in his view, remained "the best college football coach of all time."
Some newspaper columnists and former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden have said the statue should be taken down - but not Redd.
"Because I feel he did a lot more good than bad for this university," he said.
Hoping to take a picture at the statue in cap and gown when he graduates, Hill said he would be sad if the statue was removed. His opinion of Paterno hasn't changed, either.
"I'm still a big supporter of coach Paterno and he is one of the reasons that I'm here," he said. "All you can really say is no man is perfect at all."
Now that Freeh's findings have been released, Penn State can now concentrate on answering the NCAA's own inquiry into the scandal. President Rodney Erickson has said the school plans to respond to questions about institutional control and ethics in the coming weeks.
It's possible the NCAA could then launch a formal investigation which could lead to sanctions.
Whether that could include the so-called "death penalty" - where a program is shut down - seems unlikely, at least for now. It has happened just once, against SMU back in the 1980s. Current NCAA rules limit the penalty to colleges already on probation that commit another major violation.
"When that time comes, if it comes, then we'll worry about that," Hill said. "Right now, our eyes are looking forward to what's coming up."
Linebacker Michael Mauti said he read the report, but like others, said "it wasn't his place to talk about it."
"All we can do is show up for work and prepare for the season. All we can do is this right here," said Mauti, a redshirt senior and defensive leader, as he gestured out to field where the offense vs. defense competition was being held. "Stay together."
It's a familiar refrain for players since early November, when school trustees fired Paterno days after Sandusky was arrested.
Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien took over as head coach in early January. Two weeks later, Paterno died of lung cancer.
In June, Sandusky was convicted of 45 criminal counts. And this week, Freeh's long-awaited report placed blame on Paterno and three other high-ranking school officials for concealing allegations against Sandusky in 1998 and 2001 to avoid bad publicity for the school and program.
The Paterno family has said the late coach would not cover up allegations, and that they hoped to release a comprehensive response to put conclusions in a different context and offer a "complete picture."
"I don't think it's really my place to say," Mauti said when asked about criticism of Paterno's legacy. "You can't really take away what he's done ... I don't worry what other people say. I know what he's meant to me and meant to my family."
Once they got into the event, the roars from a field sounded as if it were a football scrimmage. The offense beat the defense in a tug-of-war to take a round in the annual charity competition, which had been scheduled for Friday for months.
"I hope all the stuff that's been going on doesn't cast a shadow over what we're doing out here today," quarterback Matt McGloin said. "This is something we've put on each and every year and I don't want everything that's happened to effect what we've done out here today."

Mickelson Moves Up in Scotland: A Fan’s Take

By Dwight Crisp | Yahoo! Contributor Network

Just when you thought Phil Mickelson was going to miss yet another cut prior to the British Open he comes up with a stellar round. Mickelson came out on day one of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Inverness, Scotland and shot a lackluster 1-over par 73. This put Mickelson in a tie for 123rd position after the first round. In my mind I thought Mickelson would likely miss the cut and have some extra practice time ahead of the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes that begins on July 19. It also occurred to me that Mickelson wasted his time jumping through hoops in order to get a late invite to the field and play at the Scottish Open.
However, Mickelson had a surprise for me and for others. Round two was a very different day. Phil came out of the gates ready to play and posted an 8-under par 64. Gone were the bogeys and the double bogey from the first round. In their place came only birdies and an eagle as Mickelson carded a clean round. This was Phil Mickelson's best round of competitive golf since the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. You remember, that was the one for which Tiger Woods had a front row seat. That round, also a 64, capped Mickelson's lone PGA Tour victory in 2012. In case you have forgotten, you may read my take on that round here.

This latest round at the Scottish Open could not have come at a more opportune time. Now Mickelson has the opportunity to hang around in Inverness and play the weekend at the Scottish Open to try to fine tune his game for the Open Championship. Golf is a game of confidence and a little confidence would surely help Mickelson. He will be in a position to try to make a run at the leaders as Mickelson will begin the third round five strokes behind Francesco Molinari and Alexander Noren.
Looking ahead to the Open Championship, few expected Mickelson to finish as well in the 2011 Open Championship as he did (he was one of the runners-up to Darren Clarke). Likewise, I do not think very many people expect much from Mickelson in 2012. However, he may yet have a surprise for them as well.

FA could act against Terry despite acquittal

By Julian Guyer | AFP 

John Terry could yet face disciplinary action from the Football Association (FA) despite his acquittal on a racism charge, analysts said.

Chelsea captain Terry was found not guilty of racially abusing rival player Anton Ferdinand at the end of a five-day trial at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Friday
But Simon Boyes, senior lecturer at Nottingham Law School, said the FA still had "wiggle room" to act against Terry and that, far from hindering them, a criminal trial could help their deliberations.
The trial related to an incident involving Terry and Queens Park Rangers defender Ferdinand during a Premier League match on October 23 last year.
Terry was stripped of the England captaincy in February over the allegations. As a consequence, Fabio Capello resigned as England manager, just months before England, defender Terry included, competed in the 2012 European Championships.
Meanwhile the FA put their own disciplinary process on hold so as not to prejudice the trial.
But English football's governing body reacted to Friday's verdict by saying: "The FA notes the decision in the John Terry case and will now seek to conclude its own enquiries. The FA will make no further comment at this time."
Boyes, author of the textbook Sports Law, said the FA needn't be constrained by the court ruling.
"The FA have got quite a bit of wiggle room," he told AFP in a telephone call after Friday's verdict had been announced.
"They have different charges -- such as bringing the game into disrepute -- which require a different standard of proof.
"It may well be the criminal trial is helpful to them as they can use the evidence from that," Boyes added.
With the court ruling in Terry's favour, many of his supporters believe that should be the end of the matter.
But Boyes was not so sure.
"I would be surprised if there was no disciplinary action forthcoming. That's not necessarily due to the racial element. There are other aspects the FA could look at, such as the manner of the players' conduct."
Meanwhile Lord Herman Ouseley, chairman of the Kick it Out campaign which seeks to eradicate racism from football, urged the FA to take its own, independent, action.
"There is only one regulatory body for football and it's not the courts," Ouseley told Sky Sports.
He added: "The Football Association would have already concluded its investigations and its processes had the courts not intervened through the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
"Their prosecution and evidence was inadequate and John Terry has been cleared of what he was charged on."
Asked if the verdict could deter players who had been racially abused coming forward in future, Ouseley said: "There is clear evidence we know that players are reluctant to come forward and raise this issue.
"It impacts on their own performance on the field, it impacts on their relationship within the club. There is a culture in the dressing room which has to be tackled, people are very fearful and do not come forward.
"We've got to work hard now to try and establish some credibility about the complaints' processes to ensure they are dealt with properly.
"That means that in future the Football Association will have to carry out its own investigations, conclude its deliberations, irrespective of whether the police get involved.
"And I am afraid the police involvement in this case has not helped it whatsoever."

First Place Sporting KC Visits Columbus Crew Saturday LIVE On WIBW

(July 13, 2012) - Eastern Conference counterparts Sporting Kansas City and Columbus Crew will meet at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday for the first of three match-ups in the second half of the 2012 season. The game will air live on KSMO-TV (Kansas City), KMTW (Wichita) and WIBW (Topeka), with radio coverage also available for Spanish listeners on La Gran D 1340 AM.
Sporting Kansas City supporters are invited to attend the team's official Watch Party at the LIVESTRONG Sporting Park Members' Club, with parking available in Lot D and doors opening at 5:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. Food and drink will be available to purchase, including the $3 pick special which comes with chips and the choice of a hamburger, hot dog or bratwurst. Additionally, all home Sporting Kansas City jerseys will be discounted 25% off and there will be a limited number of Jimmy Nielsen goalkeeper gloves and autographed captain flags on sale.
Sporting Kansas City, tied with D.C. United atop the East, will play the team's ninth game in less than a month and are coming off a 2-0 victory in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals at Philadelphia on Wednesday. Midfielder Roger Espinoza will play his last match with the club on Saturday before departing to join Honduras at the London 2012 Olympic Games and he returns to Columbus after attending Ohio State University.
Both teams have allowed a League-low 17 goals this season with Nielsen earning the MLS All-Star First XI nod over Crew keeper and Overland Park, Kan. native Andy Gruenebaum.
The Crew fell 2-1 at Montreal in their last outing, but welcomed the return of two-time MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall, who had missed the club's eight previous matches while recovering from a concussion. The Crew could also be lifted on Saturday by the debut of discovery signing and Costa Rican international Jairo Arrieta. The 28-year-old striker was acquired from Saprissa and has been with the club since early June, but did not become eligible to play until earlier this month.
Columbus holds the edge in the all-time regular season series with a 20-18-5 record, including a 12-8-3 mark at home. Sporting Kansas City has only won once in their last seven trips to Columbus in MLS competition, a 1-0 win that came exactly two years from Saturday on Teal Bunbury's first career MLS goal.
Sporting Kansas City supporters can also follow the game online via @SKCGameday on Twitter and the MLSSoccer.com MatchCenter, or on mobile devices with Sporting Explore and MLS MatchDay apps.

Sluggish Serena advances in Stanford

By Matt Cronin | Reuters – Thu, Jul 12, 2012 2:25 AM EDT

• Serena Williams returns a shot against Nicole Gibbs during the Bank of the West Classic women's tennis tournament on the Stanford University campus in …

STANFORD, California (Reuters) - Sluggish Serena Williams struggled through her jet lag to complete a 6-2 6-1 victory over collegiate champion Nicole Gibbs in the second round of the Stanford Classic on Wednesday.

Williams, who picked up the Wimbledon singles and doubles titles at the weekend, was not at her best but served and returned well enough to defeat the 19-year-old American.
"I couldn't quite believe I was playing today," Williams said. "But I'm healthy and I have a heartbeat so I didn't have a reason not to.
"I definitely felt sluggish and it was good to get the win over with, I'm still waking up at 2 A.M."
Gibbs said she had been nervous playing against someone she admired so much.
"“She is such a hero to me and I had her so built up in my mind I thought she was going to do no wrong," Gibbs said. "I collected a lot of experience points out there, if not physical points."
Williams will meet sixth seed Channelle Scheepers in the quarter-finals after the South African earned a 6-3 6-4 victory over Michelle Larcher De Brito of Portugal.
Former world number one Jelena Jankovic continued her sub par 2012 when she was defeated by Coco Vandeweghe 6-4 6-2. It was the Serb's third consecutive first round defeat.
The 20-year-old Vandeweghe scored her third win over a top 20 player. She had lost to the Serbian four years ago, but felt much more comfortable on Wednesday.
"“Her pace isn't as intimidating when I was a little slow and not making that many balls in the court," Vandeweghe said.
"“Having that confidence against someone who moves as well as she does and to keep going for my shots, I thought I did really well today."
Fifth seed Yanina Wickmayer struggled to a 5-7 6-1 6-4 win over Britain's Heather Watson.
"“It was long and really tough," Wickmayer said. “"She didn't make a lot of mistakes. In the second set I told myself to be more aggressive.
"In the third set we were even and it was just a few points between us. Maybe it was experience and a little bit of luck."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Russia talks to Capello about manager post

By Dmitry Zaks | AFP – 12 hours ago

Russia's football bosses talked to ex-England manager Fabio Capello on Thursday in the hope of convincing one of the sport's biggest names to revive the flagging fortunes of the national squad.

Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko gave no details of the negotiations amid reports that the globetrotting 66-year-old Italian was asking for the whopping annual sum of seven million euros ($8.5 million).
"From here, we move on to the next candidate," Mutko was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.
"I think that over the course of a week -- certainly by next Tuesday -- all the consultations with the managers on our list... will be held."
Capello's name was one of 13 to feature in an extraordinary list of possible managerial targets that Russia was forced to release to dispel rumours that it had already secretly hired a coach.
The wish list includes such giants as ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola and one-time Liverpool chief Rafael Benitez as well as former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.
The Englishman for one wasted no time brushing off the Russian approaches but telling The Sun that "I haven't been contacted but I'm sure it's a fantastic job for someone."
But Capello's name has clearly interested suffering fans the most. The ex-England manager was rumoured to be the Russian Football Union's first choice and reportedly eager to accept the lucrative and high-profile assignment.
One football union official told the Lifesports.ru website that Capello had given "an agreement in principle to head the Russian team" as long as his pay request was met.
An unnamed Italian official told the Sport Express daily's website that both sides came away satisfied with the talks.
The Russian sports minister added to the speculation by putting Capello on a par with Guus Hiddink -- a legend in Russia who showed flashes of coaching brilliance while guiding the unfancied side to the Euro 2008 semi-finals.
The Italian "would be a good option for Russia. He knows how to win," Mutko earlier told reporters.
"You only have to look at his record," Mutko said of a man who won five title trophies in Italy's Serie A -- seven save for two that were stripped from Juventus -- and who twice led Real Madrid to the top of La Liga.
The post became vacant when Dick Advocaat left for the Dutch league after the much-vaunted team's meek first round exit from Euro 2012.
Russia's shock failure to qualify out of what many though was the event's weakest group left the team low on morale and limited in choices as it assumes the challenge of making it to the 2014 World Cup.
But the bigger prize will come in 2018 when Russia becomes the first Eastern European country to host the world's most watched event.
Russian football is now torn between picking a coach with a long-term horizon or someone like Capello who can help make a more immediate impact while bringing the team big name recognition as well.
Some of the country's most respected sport commentators are actually rooting against Capello because they would prefer the more long-term approach.
"He is one of the world's top five managers. But his candidacy is not a good fit," television analyst presenter Vasily Utkin told the Sports.ru website.
"He cannot do what is needed most -- reload the team and do more teaching," said Utkin. "He will set the goal of making the 2014 World Cup finals and then forget about the whole thing."
The new coach is expected to be announced by the time the 2012-2013 season kicks off at the end of next week.

The Chicago 13

Friday the 13th a good time to go over local lore

By Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune reporter

10:12 p.m. CDT, July 12, 2012

Few cities believe their sports fields, arenas and stadiums have a dark cloud of bad karma on them like Chicago.
From black cats to billy goats, hexing cheerleaders to angry coaches, the sports Bears, Blackhawks, Cubs and White Sox have a storied history when it comes to superstitions.
On Friday the 13th, Chicago fans can cross their fingers, avoid walking under ladders, close umbrellas indoors and celebrate some of their most superstitious athletes and cursed sports franchises.
1. Has to be the shorts. Michael Jordan and the Bulls didn't run into much negative karma during his days with the Bulls. Maybe it's because he was one of the most superstitious players ever to compete in the city, wearing his North Carolina Tar Heels college shorts under his uniform every game.
2. Fire and ice. Stan Mikita, the Hall-of-Fame Blackhawks center, flicked a lit cigarette butt over his left shoulder as he took the ice as a pregame ritual. That probably would break a few fire code laws today but it worked for Mikita in the 1960s.
3. Who smells now? Don't call yourself a Chicagoan unless you can recite to out-of-town visitors the tale of the Billy Goat Curse. Tavern owner William Sianis was asked to leave the fourth game of the World Series between the Cubs and Tigers in 1945 because of the smelly pet billy goat he brought into Wrigley Field. Outraged, Sianis left putting a hex on the team, stating the World Series never would be played in Wrigley Field again. Obviously, his curse lives on.
4. Mr. Clean. All-Star Minnie Minoso found a cure for going hitless in a game for the White Sox. He blamed his uniform and decided the best way to achieve a clean slate was to shower with it on. The next day, he had three hits and his teammates jumped in the shower with their uniforms on as well after the game.
5. Bad News Bears. The Curse of the Honey Bears sounds like a Disney movie but Bears fans might consider it a serious curse on their team. The club hired a cheerleading squad in 1977 that became known as the Honey Bears. While there was talk of disbanding them earlier, their contract ran through 1985 — the season the Bears suffered only one loss and won the Super Bowl. Their contract was not renewed and the Bears have not won a Super Bowl since.
6. No. 13. Ozzie Guillen doesn't care what anyone thinks about what he has to say. Why would he care what implications come with wearing supposedly unlucky uniform No. 13? The former White Sox player and manager has worn the cursed number throughout his career, but it wasn't meant to thumb his nose at luck. He wore it to honor another Venezuelan shortstop, Dave Concepcion. When Omar Vizquel joined the White Sox, he deferred to Guillen and switched to No. 11.
7. Don't touch. The Blackhawks honored tradition and avoided touching the Campbell Cup after winning the Western Conference finals in 2010. Captain Jonathan Toews would barely look at it. The Flyers, however, defied superstition and embraced the Prince of Wales Trophy. Did it wind up costing the Flyers and helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in six games?
8. Nine lives. The Cubs' 1969 collapse is pinned on the most cursed creature. At Shea Stadium on Sept. 9, a black cat sauntered behind the Cubs on-deck circle where Ron Santo was taking swings. The Cubs lost 7-1 to complete a two-game losing streak to the Mets, who pulled to within a half game of the division lead. The Cubs soon fell out of first place and lost 17 of their last 25 games as the Mets went on to win the World Series.
9. Cookie Monster of the Midway. Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher defines the team's old-school toughness. But his pregame ritual is more like that of a preschooler. He eats two chocolate chip cookies before every game.
10. Do crime, do time. The White Sox went 86 years without a World Series and some blame the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Shoeless Joe Jackson and teammates allegedly threw games for money, prompting speculation the team was under a bad spell until 2005's championship season.
11. Bad luck Bartman. As famous as the Billy Goat Curse is now, the legend of Steve Bartman has grown. The unsuspecting Cubs fan in a green turtleneck and headphones who unwittingly reached out for a foul ball in the 2003 playoff game against the Marlins is considered a pariah to some. If Moises Alou had caught the deflected ball, the Cubs would have been four outs away from winning the National League pennant. Instead, they lost the game and were eliminated in the next game. It confirmed to many that the Cubs are indeed still a cursed organization.
12. Another Chicago curse. The Curse of Muldoon is considered one of the earliest and most publicized hexes in sports and was blamed for the Blackhawks not finishing in first place in league play from 1938 to 1967. After losing in the first round of the 1927 playoffs, owner Frederic McLaughlin fired coach Pete Muldoon, who was written to have said, "Fire me, Major, and you'll never finish first. I'll put a curse on this team that will hoodoo it until the end of time." Despite winning the Stanley Cup in 1934, '38 and '61, the Hawks did not finish first in the standings.
13. Cover jinx. Before the Bears faced the Packers in the NFC championship game in 2011, quarterback Jay Cutler appeared on the Sports Illustrated cover. That decided the outcome for many superstitious Bears fans. Cutler injured his knee, left the game and the Packers won.