Euro 2016 : Cristiano Ronaldo n"aime pas les micros
Going into Portugal"s final Euro 2016 group-stage match, Cristiano Ronaldo"s tournament was a story of missed penalties, wayward free-kicks, failed chances and bitter comments aimed at the smallest competing nation.
Against Hungary, however, the Real Madrid megastar finally found his groove, scoring his first competitive goal for Portugal in 12 months with a sublime backheelflick in the 50th minute, shown above.
In what appeared to be the game of the tournament thus far, Ronaldo doubled his tally 11 minutes later with a header that marks his eighth goal at the European Championship:
Fox Sports Rádio 07/06/16 Luxemburgo e Mano Demitidos do Futebol Chines
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is entering his 10th season in the NFL, so he"s become familiar with the ins and outs of the offseason grind. That doesn"t mean he"s a fan of it, though. In fact, he gets bored of going through drills, meetings and practices during OTAs and training camp.
He knows he has several good years ahead of him, but determining just how many will come down to his ability to get through the offseason year after year.
"That"s it," Peterson told ESPN. "Training camp, going through the grind, OTAs and all that -- that will definitely be the deciding factor. Physically, body-wise, I"ll be good. It"s just mentally -- like with OTAs, I"m out there practicing, I"m going, I"m putting in work. But it"s so repetitive that it"s more suited toward the young guys and getting them into the system. It gets kind of boring."
At 31 years old and having gone through the process nine-plus times already -- especially as a running back -- it"s easy to see why Peterson might be tired of doing drills and attending meetings. And it"s particularly noteworthy because of the fact that he had his best season ever following an offseason where he did very little work while recovering from a torn ACL. He"d much rather work out on his own than go through practices on a daily basis.
"Think about this: The 2012 season, I didn"t do any training camp. But I was over there on the side, working out. You get that extra month of working out? Come on, man," he said. "I would much rather not participate in training camp and work out, just to have more of an edge. Training camp, you"re going out there, you"re playing football, you"re going to lift, and after that, you don"t want to do anything. You"re tired, from meetings and all that."
Peterson is the type of veteran and athlete that doesn"t necessarily need to participate fully in each day"s practice. He"s arguably the best running back in the league and has been for some time despite being forced to come back from a torn ACL. Don"t be surprised if he"s excused from some team activities in training camp next month.
Either the Boston Celtics really want to trade the third overall pick of the NBA Draft, or they just want a star player. The Celtics are shopping their top draft choice to several teams. The Milwaukee Bucks are the latest club, according to reports.
According to NESN, the Celtics are in discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks to trade for swingman Khris Middleton. The Celtics are using the No. 3 pick as a lure to try and get a deal done. Khris Middleton is the next name being linked to the Celtics No. 3 pick. With how fast the NBA trade rumors are coming out, it is certain that he will not be the last player mentioned with the Celtics.
The list of players the Celtics have rumored interest in trading for includes Jimmy Butler, Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, among others. It is believed that by adding one of those players in a trade, the Celtics will be inserted as one of the Eastern Conference favorites. For the Celtics to add a star player or someone on the verge to team with their solid young nucleus has been on the Celtics minds for months. It is evident by how frequently they have been named in the NBA trade rumors which have only escalated since Game 7 of the NBA Finals was over.
What is also clear is the fact that the Celtics are not satisfied with their options for the third overall pick. There are players who can help the Celtics at No. 3, but the interest level does not seem mutual. That has led to the constant trade rumors for the Celtics draft pick.
The Celtics reportedly have talked with the Bucks about a trade for Khris Middleton. https://t.co/A44T6MFqHf pic.twitter.com/jSdOoUSUTp
NESN (@NESN) June 21, 2016
With all-star point guard Isaiah Thomas in place for the Celtics, there is little to no need for Providence guard Kris Dunn. As for Dragan Bender, it may take years for him to develop. The Celtics can ill-afford a developmental player at this stage. It is possible that the Celtics would be better off keeping the No. 3 pick and drafting Kris Dunn. If the Celtics are serious about making a real run in the East, they must trade the pick for Jimmy Butler, Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, or Khris Middleton.
If it is true that the Celtics are kicking the tires on the idea of bringing in Khris Middleton from the Bucks, it means that they are serious.
Khris Middleton is a really good player. Because he plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, it is difficult to realize it. His averages of 18.2 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game during the season is not enough to influence anyone. If not, Middletons advance statistics of.560 true shooting percentage and 6.1 total win shares should do the trick.
Khris Middleton had a usage rate of 23.0.
In comparison, the New Yorks Knicks Carmelo Anthony had a true shooting percentage of.530, with a 6.4 win share on a 29.7 usage rate.
The numbers are very similar with the exception of the overall usage rating. Another difference is their points per 36 minutes. Middleton is set at 18.1, while Anthony was 22.4. Carmelo Anthony is the closest comparison to Khris Middleton based on body type and style of play. If the Celtics were to add someone with the type of production that Middleton brings it would be a huge haul. And, he would come to the Celtics at a much lesser price.
Should Celtics Trade No. 3 Pick For Khris Middleton? VIDEO: https://t.co/feQBcHFcNF via @YouTube
hoanghuan (@hoanghuan9132) June 22, 2016
If the Celtics acquired Middleton, they inherit a modest $15.2 million contract. Another plus is he would only be 25 years-old at the start of the regular season.
Would Khris Middleton be enough to get the Boston Celtics over the hump?
Defensively, Middleton has a ways to go. Opponents can drive to the basket on him, using lateral quickness to get there. As long as he would be willing to work at his defense, Khris Middleton would be alright.
At the end of the day, making a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks is a fallback option for the Celtics. Their top choice is the Chicago Bulls Jimmy Butler. According to Bleacher Report, Jimmy Butler remains on the Celtics radar.
Because of this, the Boston Celtics are expected to go all in for Butler. If the Celtics fail to get Jimmy Butler, the Milwaukee Bucks Khris Middleton is not too shabby of an option.
What will the Boston Celtics do with the No. 3 pick?
After five seasons on CBS, Person Of Interest (1.0/3) came to an end last night with the demise of one of its main characters. The finale of the abbreviated 13-episode season dipped 9% among adults 18-49 compared withthe Season 4 ender of May 5 last year which had an original NCIS as a lead-in.
Even with last weeks episoe, last nights result makes the end of Person Of Interest the lowest-rated finale for theJonahNolan-created show though potential adjustments in later numbers could see that change. The all-time high for a PoIfinale was the Season 1 ender with its 2.5/7 at 9 PM on a busy May 17, 2012.
While Person Of Interest was the only original on CBS last night, its Big 4 rivals had fuller slates. The top-rated and, with 11.48 million tuning in, the most-watched show of the night was Americas Got Talent (2.3/9). However, while NBC won Tuesday with a 1.9/7 and 9.10 million viewers, AGT took an 11% demo hit to match a June 7 season low for the Simon Cowell co-judged competition series. Although winning the 10 PM slot over PoI and ABCs To Tell The Truth (1.0/4), which was down two-tenths, AGT lead-out Maya & Marty (1.1/4) also declined from its June 14 show 15% among the 18-49s.
The CWs only original Tuesday was the now-shuttered Containment (0.3/1), which was even with last week. Foxs Hotel h**l (0.8/3) and Coupled (0.5/2) were both down a tenth from their final numbers of June 14. With The Middle (0.8/3) andBlack-ish (0.7/3) encores starting off ABCs night, Uncle Buck (1.0/4) took the biggest fall of Tuesdays primetime with a 33% drop from its debut last week,when the comedy was preceded by the premiere of To Tell The Truth.
Messi breaks scoring record with fantastic free kick | 2016 Copa America Highlights
Lionel Messi became Argentinas all-time leading international scorer on Tuesday night, taking his tally to 55 by netting a superb free-kick in his nations 4-0 Copa America semi-final win over the USA.
If the manner in which the Barcelona forward found the net was wholly appropriate for a such a landmark - and goodness it was, an absolute peach from range into the very top corner - then it should also advance his credentials another inch to being considered the greatest of all time.
Of course there are many who believe that the 28-year-old maestro already has that title sewn up, dominating his era like no other thanks to four Champions League wins, eight La Liga titles and five Ballon dOr awards, to name just the biggest baubles on his CV.
Lionel Messi (right) is congratulated by his Argentina team-mates after becoming his nation"s top scorer
Pele (left) is Brazil"s all-time top scorer with 77 goals and Wayne Rooney (right) holds the record for England
RECORD GOALSCORERS FOR SELECTED NATIONS Player Country Goals Caps Goals per game Pele Brazil 77 91 0.85 Miroslav Klose Germany 71 137 0.52 Gerd Muller West Germany 68 62 1.10 Robie Keane Republic of Ireland 67 144 0.47 Didier Drogba Ivory Coast 63 104 0.61 Zlatan Ibrahimovic Sweden 62 115 0.54 David Villa Spain 59 97 0.61 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 58 128 0.45 Landon Donovan USA 57 157 0.36 Lionel Messi Argentina 55 112 0.49 Wayne Rooney England 52 114 0.46 Thierry Henry France 51 123 0.41 Robin van Persie Holland 50 101 0.50 David Healy Northern Ireland 36 95 0.38 Luigi Riva Italy 35 42 0.83 Denis Law Scotland 30 55 0.55 Kenny Dalglish Scotland 30 102 0.29 Ian Rush Wales 28 73 0.38
Countering that, there are others who continue to hold legitimate debates about the merits of the other widely accepted pair of candidates, Pele and Diego Maradona.
The former won three World Cups with Brazil and scored 77 international goals in 91 caps. Maradona was a club legend at Boca, Barca and especially Napoli, won the World Cup in 1986 (single-handedly is the common review) and scored some of the most outrageous goals the international game has ever seen (in more senses than one) on the biggest stages, including two on this very date 30 years ago against England.
Both those men won the World Cup, something Messi hasnt yet achieved, the closest hes come to date being a runner-up in the 2014 final.
The argument goes something like this: if you play for a major nation and yet still havent won the World Cup, thats a major omission in your medal cabinet, especially in an era when forwards are so much better protected than in the days of Pele and Maradona.
Certainly that is a debating point. For a debate that will go on. And on and on and on.
But by scoring against the USA on Tuesday night to take his Argentina tally from 54 goals to 55 goals in 112 caps, Messi has at least now taken sole possession of his countrys scoring record.
He shared it with Gabriel Batistuta, who also had 54 Argentina goals, albeit at a much higher rate per game than Messi. Batistutas 55 goals in 77 games came at a rate of 0.71 goals per game (GPG) while Messis have come at 0.49 GPG.
Looking below Batistuta in the Argentina scoring charts also shows us the calibre of the field that Messi has now eclipsed. After Batigol is Hernan Crespo, on 35 Argentina goals, then Maradona on 34 ahead of Sergio Aguero on 33. In other words, some of the most lethal and productive attackers the world has known. And Messi now heads them all in an Argentina shirt.
In global terms, Messi has some way to go to catch the all-time leading international scorer, Ali Daei of Iran, who netted an astonishing 109 times in 150 games for his country. He also has some way to go to catch the leading international scorers for some major football nations including Brazil (Peles 77), Germany (Miroslav Kloses 71) and Spain (David Villas 59), to name three that have won the World Cup.
Messi will also doubtless be aware that the two players most often cited as his closest rivals for best player in the contemporary game, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have also scored more times for Portugal and Sweden (58 times and 62 times respectively) than he has for Argentina.
Sportsmail"s accompanying table shows the all-time top scorers for many of the worlds leading football nations plus all the national teams from Britain and Ireland. It is instructive how many of those on the list are current players, or those only recently retired. Or, in other words, how many of these all-time leading marksmen have been playing in the same era.
Messi, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic and Villa are joined in this regard by Klose, Robbie Keane, Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie.
It is notable that Italys all-time scorer was Luigi Riva, who retired in 1974 with only 35 international goals. Not a single player among Italys top dozen international scorers is currently active. After Riva, their list unfolds like something best read in sepia: Meazza, Piola, Baggio, Del Piero, Altobelli, Baloncieri, Inzaghi, Graziani, Vieri, Mazzolo, Rossi.
Former Arsenal and Barcelona forward Thierry Henry scored 51 goals in 123 appearances for France
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will retire from the international scene after Euro 2016, is leading the way for Sweden
They are the only Italy players to score 20 or more, with Daniele De Rossi the most prolific member of the current Azzurri squad, with 18 goals in 105 caps, and no other current squad member on more than six.
Scotland - absent from Euro 2016 - must also go back in time to find their all-time highest scorer, or rather scorers, with their record held jointly by Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish on 30 each, while Wales record, for now, is held by Ian Rush on 28.
Next in their list are Trevor Ford and Ivor Allchurch (23 each) and then Dean Saunders and Gareth Bale (both on 22).
One imagines that Bale must fancy his chances of catching Rush at some point in the not too distant future. And when he does, no doubt h**l spark his own debate about his place as an all-time great for his country. Much like Messi.
Former Premier League stars Robin van Persie (left) and Didier Drogba (right) led their nation"s forward lines
Real Madrid ace Gareth Bale needs just seven more goals to overtake Ian Rush as Wales" leading marksman
Roman Reigns Could Be Yanked From WWE Battleground Following Suspension
Roman Reigns was suspended Tuesdayforviolating the WWEs wellness policy and while the 30-day math allows for it, the superstarmay still not participate in the next big Pay-Per-View.
Real nameJoe Anoa`i, the wrestler will take his medicine for one monthas this incident was just a first offense, but that still places the current WWE Battleground main event in a bit of jeopardy or at least, some controversy.
Reignsis technically suspended from June 20 to July 20, meaning he is eligible to return to action on July 21. Battleground is set for Sunday, July 24, when Reigns was meantto scrap with both ex-Shield teammates Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose in a Triple Threat match for the covetedWWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Also Read: Roman Reigns Suspended By WWE
However, TheWrap has learned that WWE will weigh all creative options surrounding the booking. Though we received no further detail from our source, that clearly means the three-wayfight could go on as planned, or it might get changed over the next few weeks.
Perhaps itll simply end up as a straight Rollins-Ambrose one-on-one. After all, if Reigns cant wrestle, he cant promote the product between now and then. Plus, it might just be bad public relations optics if he did.
That said, Reigns was handpicked to be the next face of the company by owner Vince McMahon, who has a clear affinity for the former pro football player. Unfortunately for Reigns, despite being a three-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, a loud faction of fans dont share McMahons love, and hes been booed loudly at live events for months now.
Also Read: WWE Suspends Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler After Domestic Assault Arrest
Ambrose currently owns the companys top belt, which washeld at one point or another by all three former friends on Sunday evening. Reigns began the weekends pay-per-view as champ, before losing it to the returned Seth Rollins, who actually had to forfeit the same title last year due to injury.Immediately after their match, Ambrose cashed in his newly won title-shot contract, beating Rollins and take the strap. To get that guarantee, Ambrose won a Money in the Bank ladder match earlier the sameevening.
Last night, on USA Networks Monday Night Raw, Reigns and Rollins headlined with a No. 1 contenders match. A double count-out meant there was no winner, which is how the Triple Threat came about.
The WWE did not immediately respond to TheWraps request for clarification on when the company first found out about the Reigns violation.
Read original story Roman Reigns Could Be Yanked From WWE Battleground Following Suspension At TheWrap
ESPN First Take - Skip Bayless Gives Emotional Goodbye To "First Take" And Stephen A. Smith
After LeBron James finally won the city of Cleveland a championship on Sunday night, you just knew noted LeBron hater Skip Bayless was somewhere brewing up the hottest of takes about the whole episode.
And then, on Monday"s episode of"First Take," he let the world see his fire:Skip Baylesswould not have given the 2016 NBA Finals MVP award to James, despite the four-time MVP leading all players in points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals. He would have given it to Kyrie Irving.
Bayless was completely serious when he tried to stretch the case for Kyrie as the Finals MVP. I dont disagree that LeBron was the best player on the court. And I get you, he can stuff that stat sheet like nobodys business," he argued. "LeBron James was great. But Kyrie was more valuable in this series.
Which, uh, OK, man.
In Skip"s mind, Kyrie deserved to win Finals MVP for the same reason that Andre Iguodala deserved to win it the previous year: He was the biggest difference maker on the floor. Skip also believes that Kyrie"s ability to close games is what should have put him over LeBron as Finals MVP.
Skip first posted the theory to Twitter on Sunday night, which obviously led a lot of people to laugh. But instead of embedding all those tweets, we"ll just let the face of Skip"s "First Take" co-commentator Stephen A. Smithspeak for the world:
