http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/players/michael_watson/75149 Recent articles about Michael Watson en-us (From left to right: Derry Mathews, promoter Eddie Hearn, Anthony Crolla) Anthony Crolla makes his first competitive start this weekend since the night he almost killed Heywood rival Kieran Farrell. In a suffocating December brawl, the 22-year-old Farrell developed an acute subdural haematoma that threatened his life. He survived but not without consequence. Farrell lost almost a third of his brain, his career and a pitiless dream. The effect on Crolla has yet to be measured. Rarely, though, are the winners of such catastrophes able to proceed unaltered. Former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan confessed to pulling his punches against Jimmy Duncan after previous foe Young Ali (Asymin Mustapha) fell into a coma and later died in 1982. A tormented Chris Eubank was similarly affected against Thulani Malinga after Michael Watson only narrowly evaded death in their titanic rematch. Junior lightweight world titlist Gabriel Ruelas claimed to have been haunted by the ghost... Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:12:41 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/british_beat_anthony_crolla_prepares_to_battle_his_demons_along_with_derry_mathews/13265110 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/british_beat_anthony_crolla_prepares_to_battle_his_demons_along_with_derry_mathews/13265110 British Beat: Anthony Crolla Prepares To Battle His Demons Along With Derry Mathews http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/british_beat_anthony_crolla_prepares_to_battle_his_demons_along_with_derry_mathews/13265110 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Nate Wolters scored a school-record 53 points and broke another mark with nine 3-pointers as South Dakota State defeated IPFW 80-74 Thursday night. Wolters' point total is the highest this season by a Division I player, bettering a 47-point performance by Oakland's Travis Bader on Jan. 24 against IUPUI. He broke Dave Thomas' school record of 44 points (March 10, 1973 vs. Coe College) and Randy Suarez's mark of eight 3-pointers (Feb. 7, 1987 vs. Augustana). Wolters was 9 for 14 from beyond the arc, 17 for 28 overall and 10 for 11 at the free-throw line. He scored 38 of his points in the second half, helping South Dakota State (19-6, 10-2 Summit) shoot 64 percent from the floor and overcome an 11-point deficit. ''They were sagging off of me and my shot felt pretty good tonight,'' Wolters said. ''I was able to knock a couple down and just got into a little bit of a rhythm. ''It's a good accomplishment, but it's a big win for us. We had to have it. ... T Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:05:59 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/wolters_scores_53_in_record_night/12867439 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/wolters_scores_53_in_record_night/12867439 Wolters scores 53 in record night http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/wolters_scores_53_in_record_night/12867439 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Nate Wolters scored a school-record 53 points and broke another mark with nine 3-pointers as South Dakota State defeated IPFW 80-74 Thursday night. Wolters' point total is the highest this season by a Division I player, bettering a 47-point performance by Oakland's Travis Bader on Jan. 24 against IUPUI. He broke Dave Thomas' school record of 44 points (March 10, 1973 vs. Coe College) and Randy Suarez's mark of eight 3-pointers (Feb. 7, 1987 vs. Augustana). Wolters was 9 for 14 from beyond the arc, 17 for 28 overall and 10 for 11 at the free-throw line. He scored 38 of his points in the second half, helping South Dakota State (19-6, 10-2 Summit) shoot 64 percent from the floor and overcome an 11-point deficit. ''They were sagging off of me and my shot felt pretty good tonight,'' Wolters said. ''I was able to knock a couple down and just got into a little bit of a rhythm. ''It's a good accomplishment, but it's a big win for us. We had to have it. ... T Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:14:08 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/s_dakota_st_80_ipfw_74/12867025 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/s_dakota_st_80_ipfw_74/12867025 S. Dakota St. 80, IPFW 74 http://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/s_dakota_st_80_ipfw_74/12867025 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Carl Froch set off a hullabaloo in British boxing circles when he boasted that he was, in effect, the greatest British middleweight (160/168 lbs) of all-time. In the wake of Froch's stoppage victory over undefeated, established champion Lucian Bute, Froch was quoted as saying: "If you're asking me how I compare, I've eclipsed them, gone past them, it's as simple as that. I've had eight big fights on the spin, all for world titles. You've got to put me up there with the others, at least." Credit: Tom Casino / Showtime The UK consistently produces some of the best middleweight and super middleweight fighters in the world, but it is particularly synonymous with the 168 lbs division. While the best super middleweights might not necessarily reside in the UK at any given moment, the UK is always bound up in some of that weight class's best fights. Carl Froch is without a doubt the current standard bearer of that glorious tradition. Froc... Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:48:36 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/is_carl_froch_britains_greatest_middleweight_fighter_of_all_time/11084330 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/is_carl_froch_britains_greatest_middleweight_fighter_of_all_time/11084330 Is Carl Froch Britain’s greatest middleweight fighter of all-time? http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/is_carl_froch_britains_greatest_middleweight_fighter_of_all_time/11084330 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/e/7eca9baadfdf3a2f081a9ceeaf27170292cf26b5/mini/PicImg_Boxing__Carl_aee0.jpg After losing their 2012 gym war, Nigel Benn invited Carl Froch out to the pub for a pint. Froch accepted, and soon found himself joining Benn and the 4th incarnation of the Doctor foiling a plot to turn the entire population of Glasgow into Cybermen. In the wake of that adventure, The Cobra decided to join The Dark Destroyer's trip home to 1993, and once there, he tore off to where Chris Eubank was preparing for what would have been the Eubank vs. Benn rematch and offered his services to Simply the Best as a sparring partner... Carl Froch vs. Chris Eubank Fantasy Fight Credit: Tom Casino / Showtime Froch opens the fight by seeking to apply his advantages in height, reach and sheer strength to establish his jab, and use that as the basis for his offense. He comes on with his hands down, pumping stiff single and double jabs, sometimes with a straight right or right-left hook combo coming in for good measure. For his part, the 1993 version of Eubank has been in the r... Fri, 22 Jun 2012 09:44:52 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/fantasy_fight_carl_froch_vs_chris_eubank/11067560 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/fantasy_fight_carl_froch_vs_chris_eubank/11067560 Fantasy Fight: Carl Froch vs. Chris Eubank http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/fantasy_fight_carl_froch_vs_chris_eubank/11067560 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/2/0/20986e0fbb6d0f982fa2244574e2d525ec2db9a4/mini/PicImg_Boxing__Carl_83a6.jpg A federal judge has sentenced former Ohio State and NFL quarterback Art Schlichter to nearly 11 years in prison in a fraud case stemming from a million-dollar ticket-selling scheme. The 52-year-old Schlichter, a former Indianapolis Colts quarterback, had been in jail since January when authorities said he violated the conditions of his bond by testing positive for cocaine use while free on house arrest. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson in Columbus accepted the guilty plea Schlichter entered last year and then handed down the sentence for the sports ticket fraud scheme. Schlichter's NFL career was derailed by a gambling addiction. State and federal authorities say he promised college and NFL game tickets, including the Super Bowl, but never delivered despite receiving thousands of dollars in payments. Fri, 04 May 2012 13:45:33 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/schlichter_gets_10_plus_years_in_prison/10720751 http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/schlichter_gets_10_plus_years_in_prison/10720751 Schlichter gets 10-plus years in prison http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/schlichter_gets_10_plus_years_in_prison/10720751 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The painful saga of ex-Ohio State and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Art Schlichter came to a close Friday when a federal judge sentenced him to nearly 11 years in prison for scamming participants in what authorities called a million-dollar sports ticket scheme. Schlichter, 52, had been down this road before, spending time in prison in Indiana related to his gambling addiction, which he claimed to have overcome. But he continued to struggle, by his own admission, and his stumbles included testing positive for cocaine use while on house arrest following his guilty plea in the ticket case. The 127-month sentence handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson in Columbus reflects both punishment for the ticket scheme and time for violating probation from Schlichter's 1997 forgery and theft conviction in Indiana. Schlichter's original plea deal last year in federal court called for him to serve eight years in prison, to run at the same time as a 10-year state prison sentence on related charges Fri, 04 May 2012 13:23:06 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/10_plus_years_prison_term_for_ex_nfl_ohio_st_qb/10720559 http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/10_plus_years_prison_term_for_ex_nfl_ohio_st_qb/10720559 10-plus years prison term for ex-NFL, Ohio St QB http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/10_plus_years_prison_term_for_ex_nfl_ohio_st_qb/10720559 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Each day we'll bring you the very latest tabloid rumors as the biggest clubs around splash the cash to bolster their rosters. True or not, they're always entertaining... THE SUN Chinese Super League outfit Guizhou Renhe are preparing a multi-million pound swoop for Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard. Harry Redknapp feared he was witnessing a repeat of Marc-Vivien Foe's tragic death on the pitch when Bolton's Fabrice Muamba collapsed on Saturday. Edin Dzeko is considering quitting Manchester City in the summer. Joe Hart believes having Carlos Tevez back will be like a new signing for Manchester City. Dimitar Berbatov is on his way out of Manchester United - because he is deemed too slow. Roberto Di Matteo insists he did not stitch up Andre-Villas Boas. Dickson Etuhu has vowed to quit Fulham in the summer after falling out with boss Martin Jol. Arsenal are set to swoop for Toulouse centre-back Aymen Abdennour. DAILY MAIL Stricken Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has spoken to family and Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:49:52 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/soccer/article_external/chelsea_holds_talks_with_porto_ace_hulk/10354306 http://network.yardbarker.com/soccer/article_external/chelsea_holds_talks_with_porto_ace_hulk/10354306 Chelsea holds talks with Porto ace Hulk http://www.yardbarker.com/soccer/articles/chelsea_holds_talks_with_porto_ace_hulk/10354306 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Ward vs. Best 168 lbers in Boxing History Andre Ward has not achieved all-time great status yet, but he is well on his way. The undefeated Olympian now reigns supreme as the Super Six tournie winner and the clear top dog in his division. The only meaningful fight remaining for Ward at 168 lbs in the foreseeable future is Lucian Bute, as his wins have had such a landslide character as to obviate the need for any rematches. So, "S.O.G." isn't a candidate for truly historic status just yet, but like Sergio Martinez, his accomplishments thus far speak for themselves and beg the question of how Ward would in fantasy fights with the established greats. Furthermore, some might question the point of even discussing all-time greats in an a-historic division like super middleweight. That is a grave error, because while the division isn't old, it is illustrious. The division was red hot in the 1990s, and with only a brief interval where it became merely above aver... Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:39:58 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/andre_ward_vs_top_10_all_time_great_super_middleweights/10234300 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/andre_ward_vs_top_10_all_time_great_super_middleweights/10234300 Andre Ward vs. top 10 all-time great super middleweights http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/andre_ward_vs_top_10_all_time_great_super_middleweights/10234300 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/e/de6e122228485e2787ed0a24bb3392219c608ba7/mini/Mikkel_Kessler_v_df2f.jpg The Ten Greatest Super Middleweights in Boxing History One of the newer divisions in the sport--only strawweight is newer. However, super middleweight has seen more success than some of the more recently-created divisions, with a gaggle of talented and big figures among the top ten. At the same time, being less than 30 years old, this ranking does not have the historic names that fill other top tens. In addition, there is a mix of those who make 168 their home and others who merely stop by for a little while. This makes it a difficult list to compile. Do you go with ten-year rainstorm or the two-year hurricane? This list is also unique in that it is one of the least populated by Americans of any higher weight class, with Europeans dominating the top ten. Here are the ten best to ever do it at 168 pounds: 1. Joe Calzaghe (1993-2008): Credit: Tea Chimp / Creative Commons License 2.0 Other than Holyfield at cruiserweight and Ricardo Lopez at strawweight, there is no clearer choice f... Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:47:52 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_10_best_super_middleweights_of_all_time/9301892 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_10_best_super_middleweights_of_all_time/9301892 Top 10 Best Super Middleweights of All-Time http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/top_10_best_super_middleweights_of_all_time/9301892 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Lacrosse All StarsTop 5 Old School NCAA Lacrosse RulesI’ve been thinking a lot about the way lacrosse is played today, how it will be played tomorrow, and how it was played back in the day.  There have been a lot of rule changes over the years and today we’re giving you our Top 5 Old School Rules! You won’t find these rules in the book nowadays, but they used to the code that laxers lived and died by.  To the old rules! 1) The Dive – The dive was easily one of the most exciting action sequences in all of lacrosse.  The Air Gait was a dive shot and for a long time, that was viewed as THE signature move for our sport.  It was kind of like the dunk in basketball in that it changed the game just a little, and it made offense that much more exciting.  Michael Watson really perfected the Dive Shot while at Virginia, and continued to display these aerobatic scoring moves in the MLL for the LA Riptide and Boston Cannons. Watson diving for the Cannons. Eventually the rule was changed to disa... Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:15:26 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_5_old_school_ncaa_lacrosse_rules/8082337 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_5_old_school_ncaa_lacrosse_rules/8082337 Top 5 Old School NCAA Lacrosse Rules http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/top_5_old_school_ncaa_lacrosse_rules/8082337 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Lacrosse All StarsTier Lacrosse: Modern Sticks and Player DevelopmentEditor’s note: Please welcome Trevor Tierney back to the Lax All Stars! This week, we posed a few questions to Trevor about today’s modern lacrosse sticks and how they impact the development of high school lacrosse players. For more information on recruiting, make sure you check out his “How To Get Recruited” series at TierLacrosse.com! Got a question you want Trevor to answer in next week’s post? Drop it in the comments section below and we’ll make sure he sees it! ____________________________________________________________________________________ To start off, we’d love to hear a little bit about your perspective on modern sticks.  They’re smaller, more narrow and make it very easy for offensive players to retain the ball.  How has this affected the game and changed how it is played? It completely cracks me up when I hear old-timers talk about how modern sticks have ruined the game. It’s so ridiculous. First of... Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:09:15 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/tier_lacrosse_modern_sticks_and_player_development/7479820 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/tier_lacrosse_modern_sticks_and_player_development/7479820 Tier Lacrosse: Modern Sticks and Player Development http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/tier_lacrosse_modern_sticks_and_player_development/7479820 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png