KFDM COOP

HUGE MMA BREAKING NEWS! Updated: March 27, 2007, 10:45 AM ET Source: UFC buys Pride for less than $70M Associated Press NEW YORK -- The majority owners of Ultimate Fighting Championship have agreed to buy their biggest mixed martial arts rival, Pride Fighting Championships, in a deal that will establish megafights among the outfits' titleholders and possibly attract huge pay-per-view audiences. Company executives declined to comment on the sales price, but a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta will purchase the Japan-based Pride for less than $70 million. The person was not authorized to speak to reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity. The deal was completed Tuesday and was announced during a news conference in Tokyo, where Lorenzo Fertitta has been negotiating with Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the majority owner and chief executive of Dream Stage Entertainment Inc., Pride's owner. "We have been talking to Pride for probably about 11 months," Lorenzo Fertitta said. "It's been a long, drawn-out process but we finally were able to put the two brands together." To buy the company, the brothers created a new entity called Pride FC Worldwide Holdings LLC. The newly formed company will take over Pride assets, including its trademarks, video library and valuable roster of fighters, from Dream Stage. The Fertitta brothers, who own Las Vegas-based Zuffa LLC, the parent company of UFC, intend to keep the well-known Pride name and promote fights under that brand. The acquisition marks a new phase in the brothers' quest to dominate the burgeoning world of mixed martial arts since they bought the struggling UFC in 2001. "This is really going to change the face of MMA," Lorenzo Fertitta said. "Literally creating a sport that could be as big around the world as soccer. I liken it somewhat to when the NFC and AFC came together to create the NFL." The deal allows the Fertitta brothers to broker the biggest MMA fights possible in the near future, increasing their influence in this sports entertainment business. "We will be able to literally put on the fights that everyone wants to see," Lorenzo Fertitta said. "It will allow us to put on some of the biggest fights ever." In the past, there has been at least one case in which Pride and UFC couldn't hammer out a deal to put their top fighters in the ring together. With Pride in their pocket, the Fertitta brothers intend to ensure that never happens again. The sale gives Pride more financial backing to expand the business internationally after suffering a recent financial blow. Major sponsor Fuji Television Network Inc. dropped Pride in June after a tabloid linked Pride to the Japanese mob -- something Sakakibara has denied vigorously. To help bolster Pride, the company staged two PPV fights in Las Vegas. Neither was a financial success. The fights gained exposure for Pride but lost money, making the sale of Pride more likely. "I think it certainly weakened their position," Lorenzo Fertitta said. "One of our goals is to get back on a major platform back here in Japan." Lorenzo Fertitta said he'll be looking to expand Pride internationally. Buying Pride is the latest in a series of acquisitions that the brothers have made in the last six months. Zuffa snapped up World Extreme Cagefighting and World Fighting Alliance last year. Similar to Pride, buying WFA gave UFC the rights to a popular fighter named Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Jackson will face UFC's most popular fighter, Chuck Liddell, the current light heavyweight champ in Las Vegas, on May 26 on PPV. In the combat world, the Pride deal leaves a fragmented group of upstarts and K-1, another Japanese company that promotes fighters skilled in various forms of kick boxing. Thanks to a surge in popularity, the brothers' investment in UFC and MMA in general has begun to pay off. Last year, UFC cracked $200 million in PPV revenue, putting it on par with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. UFC stages fights in arenas across the country and airs a clutch of successful television shows on Spike TV. It has also opened an office in London, looking toward establishing itself internationally. The brothers also run Station Casinos Inc. in Las Vegas. Lorenzo Fertitta is president and Frank Fertitta is chairman and chief executive of Station Casinos, a public company that was recently agreed to be purchased by a private equity investor group that includes key members of the Fertitta family. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Good luck Wodville.

Updated.

A sweetened deal is in the works for Texas A&M basketball coach Billy Gillispie, but if Arkansas has its way, the Aggies' offer might be too little, too late. As word broke Monday that the A&M Board of Regents prepared an enhanced financial package for Gillispie, scheduled for approval this week, word also quickly spread that Arkansas has Gillispie on its radar. Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles fired Stan Heath on Monday afternoon, following back-to-back 20-win seasons that included invitations to the NCAA Tournament.

orangeleader TRACK LEADERS Thomas took time away from the relay events this weekend to try his hand in the 100-meters dash and all he did was run a 10.53. A local prep athlete who will remain anonymous guessed Thomas would run in the 10.8 range since it was his first time to run the event this season. Whoops! Another kudos to LC-M’s Drew Bean and his dominance of the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters. Bean is far and beyond the best long distance runner in the area and could be on pace to win a state gold medal. For a guy who openly has said in the past I am not a track guy, just ask Becky and Kristy Sanders in Orangefield, this track season has been pretty interesting so far. There have been some new school and area records set and with the district meets right around the corner, there is still time for more to fall.

PN-G wants offense to keep on working in soccer playoffs Getting a productive offense to complement its normally stingy defense has been a work in progress for Aimee Bates, but progress was what Aimee saw on Friday night. The Port Neches-Groves sixth-year head girls soccer coach viewed perhaps the best all-around offensive game to date by her Lady Indians in last Friday's 4-1 bidistrict elimination of Willis at Humble's Charles Street Stadium. Tonight's 4A playoff competition caliber improves with undefeated District 17-4A champion Whitehouse in Sam Houston State's Parker Stadium on the Huntsville campus at 5:30 p.m. PN-G (18-3) would find most any other route in Region 3 to be just as demanding. The Lady Indians would meet the winner of the Brenham/Longview Pine Tree game if they should advance to this weekend's regional quarterfinals. Yet if Bates can summon another explosive attacking game, her team's chances may become as solid as anyone's. Nederland (21-1) has to be concerned about the ability of its next opponent when it comes to scoring goals. Lindale tied for second place in District 17-4A yet the Lady Eagles pounded out 15 goals in their last two games. The District 20-4A champion Lady Bulldogs will test Lindale tonight on the Nacogdoches High School campus at 6 p.m. The Nederland/Lindale winner would advance into this weekend's regional quarterfinal against the area-round survivor of the Montgomery/Henderson clash. Lindale eliminated Palestine 8-0 in Friday's bidistrict round after closing its regular season with a 7-0 victory over Hallsville. That's the type of goal-production which the PN-G coach can have wild visions of her team accomplishing in late-season games. But the Lady Indians have exceeded five goals in only five contests -- twice against Ozen, twice against Central and once against Silsbee. PN-G led 25-4 in shots on goal against Willis. That fact suggested that Aimee's team failed to cash in on quite a few more scoring opportunities. Yet when Bates evaluated her team's performance, players such as sweeper Chelsea Smith and fullback Lauren May jumped to the forefront. Having defeated one team of Lady Wildcats in the 4A girls' first round, PN-G prepared for another in the second round. "Whitehouse is a strong team," Bates said. "We will have to be ready. They finished first in a tough district." Seniors Michelle Morgan and Emily Pacetti collected two goals apiece in PN-G's bidistrict victory. Nederland should be close to full strength for tonight's trip to Nacogdoches. Senior sweeper Evan Austin sat out Friday's warmup game against Crosby due to an ankle sprain.

[Hidden Content]

[Hidden Content]

8) 8) Nice win!

I agree!

Another good player for HJ!

Congrats Kelly.

You never know in the NBA.

Vince vs. Lashley Undertaker/Batista vs. Cena/Michaels

[Hidden Content]

Bettman worried about player safety and injury TORONTO -- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says fighting is part of hockey and believes some people have been "running off a little too fast on this topic." "My view on fighting hasn't changed," Bettman told The Canadian Press on Monday. "We've never taken active steps or considered eliminating fighting from the game. "I've always taken the view that it's a part of the game and it rises and lowers based on what the game dictates." While Bettman seemed OK with the game's current stand on fighting, he's concerned about the larger safety issues. "The discussion that we've been having is about player safety and injuries," said Bettman. "We've had a number of injuries resulting from fighting recently. "The question is whether or not that's an aberration or whether or not it's something we need to be concerned about." He's not convinced anything needs to change. "I think it's premature for anybody to reach any conclusions," Bettman said. "I think the first [thing] is for us to decide whether or not it's an issue, whether or not there needs to be an adjustment. Because there may not be. "I think people are running off a little too fast on this topic. I know it's an emotional one for a lot of people and it gets a lot of attention, but to have a discussion about whether or not this is an issue is a long way from saying, `Here are the 10 things we need to do."' The recent debate started with Philadelphia Flyers tough guy Todd Fedoruk being taken off the ice on a stretcher last Wednesday night after a fight with the New York Rangers' Colton Orr. The following day, league disciplinarian Colin Campbell said it was time to look at fighting in the game. "I think it's time to ask the question," Campbell said. That simple comment immediately sent shock waves through the hockey world, with players, coaches and general managers weighing in on the issue. Bettman offered his opinion Monday. He expressed concern over the increasing size of players, citing the example of players who have led the league in fighting majors. Garry Howatt held that distinction 30 years ago and was 5-foot-9, 175 pounds. Twenty years ago, it was Chris Nilan of the Montreal Canadiens, who was 6-foot and weighed about 200 pounds. Ottawa Senators tough guy Brian McGrattan had the most majors last season. He's 6-foot-5, 250 pounds. "Players have gotten bigger," Bettman said. "As a result, we at least have to take a look to see what is the consequence of that on player safety." Suggestions about ways to increase safety have been wide ranging. While some have called for fighting to be eliminated completely, Fedoruk said he'd like to see tough guys wear protective gloves like mixed martial arts fighters. Don Cherry, the host of "Coach's Corner" on "Hockey Night in Canada," doesn't believe fighting will ever be banned. "Gary Bettman and I are great friends," he said. "And we both know that fighting has always been part of the game." Bettman thinks all relevant parties should be included in the discussion of whether fighting seriously jeopardizes the health of players. "The PA [players' association] obviously is going to have to be involved," he said. "This is something that's going to have to be discussed with the managers, with the competition committee ... and ultimately the board of governors." The popularity of fighting is not something that influences Bettman's opinion on its place in the sport. In fact, the commissioner doesn't think fighting has helped sell the game in nontraditional U.S. hockey markets. "I've never looked at it that way," Bettman said. "I think fighting has always reached whatever level is appropriate in the game and has been a part of the game. And I don't have a problem with that." The only thing he's concerned about is the players who make the game what it is. If fighting is a threat to their safety, that's the only reason he wants to talk about it. "Nobody wants to see our players injured on a regular basis," Bettman said. "That's the concern." Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[Hidden Content]

Not sure on that.

>

Not sure?

[Hidden Content]

Arkansas fires Heath, eyeing Gillispie FOXSports.com Arkansas coach Stan Heath was fired this afternoon after leading his team to consecutive 20-win seasons and a berth in the NCAA tournament this season, according to sources close to the Razorbacks program. Heath was informed by Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles just hours ago and will receive a setttlement in the vicinity of $1 million. According to the same sources, Heath will likely be replaced by Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie. One source even maintained that Gillispie has agreed in principle and could be introduced as soon as Monday. Gillispie has led Texas A&M to a 70-26 record over the past three seasons. The Aggies reached the second round of the NCAA tournament last year and were eliminated in the Sweet 16 this season. Arkansas finished 21-14 this past season and returns nearly everyone while the Aggies lose Acie Law IV and potentially big man Joseph Jones. Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com.