King Eric Cantona Takes the Throne at The New York Cosmos
Global Soccer Icon Eric Cantona Makes Groundbreaking Decision to Join the Legendary Club’s Revival
As part of the revival of the world’s most legendary soccer club, The New York Cosmos today announced that iconic footballer Eric Cantona has been persuaded to come back into the game as Director of Soccer with overall responsibility for all soccer-related matters, which will include the proposed first team.
Despite many attempts by numerous soccer clubs to lure the Manchester United Player of the Century back into the limelight since leaving in 1997 – until now, no one has been successful. Cantona’s new role at The New York Cosmos will see him exercising the innovative leadership and cutting-edge creativity that he is known for, towards implementing the club’s vision and philosophy in all areas of soccer operations. This announcement comes on the heels of the recent signing of Cobi Jones as his Associate Director of Soccer and Ambassador. Together, Cantona and Jones will carry forth the club’s legacy and integrity while developing and attracting world-class soccer talent from all areas of the globe.
Cantona has been credited with making a substantial contribution during his time at Manchester United (1992-1997), which included four Premier League Championships (1993, 1994, 1996, 1997). Today, Manchester United is the most valuable club in the world (Forbes, April 2010).
Throughout Cantona’s 14 years as a professional, he played in France for Auxerre, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Nimes. He later went to England to play one season for Leeds United – winning a Championship during the 1991-1992 season – before joining Manchester United, where he would spend the rest of his career until retiring in 1997.
“Three years ago, when I first had the idea of reviving The New York Cosmos, I couldn’t have dreamt that we’d be able to attract an icon the likes of Eric Cantona,” says Paul Kemsley, Chairman of The New York Cosmos. “It’s a personal thrill for me, as he was one of my heroes during the 1990′s and is a further endorsement to the tremendous global attraction and power that The New York Cosmos carries. Our name already resonates throughout the world and so will our football team.”
Says Eric Cantona, “I am very honored to join the legendary club New York Cosmos. It’s a big project, a wonderful project. The Cosmos are very strong, beautifully made, with a great past. It’s kind of a mix between football and art. I will do everything that I can to help us first find our way to regain the #1 position in the United States, and then for us to become one of the best clubs in the world over the coming years.”
iPlayBook IceHockey Gives Coaches, Players and Fans a New Way to Draw Plays
Just days after its release, a new ice hockey coaching whiteboard app has reached number 11 on the list of the most popular sports apps for mobile devices. iPlayBook IceHockey (http://www.iplaybook.net), designed for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, is now available on iTunes. For a limited time, the app can be downloaded for only $0.99.
An indispensable tool for coaches and the perfect low-cost gift for ice hockey players and fans, iPlayBook IceHockey allows the user to draw plays, position players and create drills — all in the palm of the hand. Users can choose from three different ice formations and diagram face-offs, power plays and penalty kills, then share their plays with coaches, players and fans.
Working like a cross between a whiteboard and on-screen animation, iPlayBook IceHockey lets the user reposition players by touching and dragging them around the screen. Users can even draw passes with the touch of a finger. When a play or drill is just right, the user can save it to the photo library as an image or e-mail it to friends directly from within the iPlayBook IceHockey app.
iPlayBook IceHockey is a novel way for coaches to collaborate with one another and for players to visually review plays during the game, if needed, without tipping their hand to the other team. But it also gives fans the opportunity to get more involved in their favorite sport. Fans watching the game can create plays they think would work better or re-create successful plays while discussing the game with friends.
“iPlayBook IceHockey is an outstanding tool for coaches and players at all levels,” stated Jim Boyle, founder and president of iPlayBook Apps. “We are thrilled to bring our outstanding iPlayBook App technology to the popular sport of ice hockey.”
Texas to Welcome Super Bowl XLV in February
Visitors Encouraged to Explore Area’s Arts, Culture, Food, Music and Family Attractions
What better backdrop for football’s biggest game than the world’s largest domed stadium, in the state where everything is bigger? On February 6, 2011, the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington will make history by hosting Super Bowl XLV, marking the first Super Bowl in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and the third Super Bowl held in Texas. The stadium will seat more than 90,000, serving as the largest venue to host a Super Bowl since 1993. This event presents a valuable opportunity for visitors to experience the Lone Star State, and to enjoy all the experiences Texas has to offer beyond the stadium.
Sixteen events hosted by several North Texas cities will surround the 45th Super Bowl, including the NFL Experience at the Dallas Convention Center on January 27-30 and February 2-6. On February 5, the Taste of the NFL will take place at the Fort Worth Convention Center, and the NFC Fan Party will be held in Dallas’ historic Fair Park. Fort Worth’s Sundance Square will serve as ESPN’s production headquarters. For the schedule of events, visit http://www.northtexassuperbowl.com.
“The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is a vibrant melting pot of nightlife, cuisine, shopping, culture and family fun, and we encourage visiting sports fans to spend a few extra days exploring,” said Julie Chase, Tourism Director for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism.
Part of the Prairies and Lakes Region, the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is a popular Texas destination. Located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Arlington is also home to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the International Bowling Museum, Six Flags over Texas and Hurricane Harbor. The region stretches north and south through charming small towns, as well as natural attractions such as freshwater lakes, forests, and authentic dinosaur tracks. Read more
FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: Europe and Africa on the march
The results of the 159 “A” international matches played over the last five weeks have caused some significant movement in the latest edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
World champions Spain are still on top, although defeat in Buenos Aires has seen them lose a quarter of their lead. Germany (3rd) and Brazil (4th) have traded places, as have England (6th) and Uruguay (7th), with the two European teams benefiting from their successful start to EURO 2012 qualifying. Norway (14th, up 
and Slovakia (16th, up 11) have both climbed into the top 20 for the same reason.
Russia (25th, down 9) and France (27th, down 6) have lost considerable ground, in contrast to Turkey (21st, up 7), who are on the rise again.
The most impressive climbers, however, are Montenegro (40th, up 33) as their two victories in EURO 2012 qualifiers have catapulted them into the top 50 for the first time. This represents an incredible rise for the newest member of the FIFA family, who started off at the foot of the ranking with no points to their name just three years ago.
Other teams that can celebrate jumps of at least ten positions and a place in the top 50 are Lithuania (42nd, up 10), Cyprus (43rd, up 20) and Northern Ireland (45th, up 14). There are also some major movers further down the ranking, including Belarus (55th, up 23), Panama (70th, up 27), the Cape Verde Islands (77th, up 31), Guinea (81st, up 21), Georgia (89th, up 21), Burundi (122nd, up 20) and particularly Guinea-Bissau (140th), who have climbed 48 places after returning from almost three years of inactivity with a victory. In all, seven associations are currently in their highest-ever position in the world ranking since its introduction in 1993: Slovakia, Montenegro, Cyprus and Belarus, as well as Burkina Faso (39th), Uganda (63rd) and Botswana (82nd). Read more
Paul Ngeny Wins Fifth Annual Disneyland Half Marathon
Records Set As Thousands Run Through Disneyland Resort, City of Anaheim and Angel Stadium of Anaheim for ‘The Happiest Race on Earth’
Paul Ngeny, 31, of Auburn, Calif., led a record field of more than 14,000 registered runners Sunday at the fifth annual Disneyland Half Marathon, crossing the finish line first with a time of 1:07:24, beating the fastest Disneyland Half Marathon time by 41 seconds.
“The course was very nice and comfortable,” Ngeny said. “I liked running through the parks and all the music. I could keep on going for a hundred miles.”
Finishing just behind Ngeny was Eric Marenburg, 27, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:12:10. Kevin Broady, 48, of Brea, Calif., finished third with a time of 1:12:43.
Rachel Booth, 29, of Mountain View, Calif., claimed the title of 2010 women’s champion with a time of 1:15:19, beating the fastest women’s finisher time in the history of the Disneyland Half Marathon by 00:04:04. Booth, who performed better than she expected, finished just 18 seconds off of an Olympic trial qualifier time.
“It was great. Magical,” Booth said. “It’s in Disneyland and it’s just a happy day. Always enjoyable. Everyone was so loud and cheering.” Read more