Record crowd welcomes Armstrong back to peloton

A record crowd of 138,000 people flocked to Adelaide's Rymill Park tonight to welcome back to the peloton, seven time Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong, in the Cancer Council Classic, a prelude to the 2009 Tour Down Under.
The introduction of the 37 year old Texan was greeted by a deafening roar of support with fans of all ages clamouring for a glimpse of a true legend of sport.
But the 30 lap criterium, which covered a total distance of 51 kilometres, was never going to be one in which Armstrong was expected to shine. Rather it was a race for sprinters as three time Tour de France sprint champion, Queensland's Robbie McEwen, proved with his first win for his new team Katusha.
McEwen, who had won on this course in 2004, 2005 and 2006 powered over the line to claim the win ahead of Willem Stroetinga (Milram) and Sydney's Graeme Brown (Rabobank). His finishing time was 1hr04min32sec gave the event an average speed of 47.417km/h. Lance Armstrong crossed the line in 64th place at 23 seconds but was happy to have a race under his belt.
"It was tough," said Armstrong. "I think the last time I did a criterium of this style it was in 1990.
"It was a tough criterium and I found it safer and a little easier in the back," said Armstrong who admits he is not yet at full fitness. "It's fun to get back in there (but) it will probably take a while and I need to get more power and do some more hills."
"I was a little nervous in the corners, honestly the weirdest thing was the sun - the sun was going down here (points to a corner) you had the sun really in your eyes," said Armstrong. "But after that, it was fine.
"I felt good, I've trained a lot for this comeback, I've trained a lot for this race," he said. "I'm glad the first day is over and now we can get into the race and maybe relax a little bit more.
"There was a lot of anxiety before today," admitted Armstrong. "It's not my style (of racing), but I enjoyed it.
But the tight circuit and fast pace was tailor made for McEwen.
"I love a crowd," said the 36 year old. "This was my first day out with my (new) team and I worked fairly hard during the summer and I wanted to be in good shape for this race.
" I said before, if I get one win when I’m down here this week, it will be fantastic, so we’ve got it ... great start to the year, and I couldn’t be happier," he said. "The guys (team) did a very good job, considering it's their first race of the season.
"They haven’t got any race fitness, but they came out and gave it everything," he explained. "We got together and worked out a bit of a tactic. I also just said to them, ‘Listen fellas, there’s no pressure. We’ll do it, and if it works out, great, but if you haven’t got the legs, it’s the first race of the year, there’s plenty to go.’
"We’ve got win number one so we’re the happiest team, here at the moment," said McEwen who only arrived in Adelaide on Saturday night and took the opportunity early in the race to say hi to Armstrong with whom he shared the podium in 2002 and 2004 when he won the green jersey and Armstrong the yellow in the Tour de France. "He looked OK, I went and said, ‘G’Day’ to him somewhere in the first 10 laps of the race, and he was glad to be there. I said to him, ‘welcome back’ and he was cruising, just trying to stay out of trouble. He said, I’d give you a handshake, but I don’t want to take my hands off the bars... first race back.
"My last big win was in Paris-Brussels in the middle of September but there’s something special to win in your own country, in the biggest race of the country, in front of all these people, is a really special atmosphere.
"I love coming to this race, and when you’ve got all these people cheering for you, it does give you a little bit extra," said McEwen who some media pundits have said is getting to the end of his career. "It’s been written, ‘Getting old, this and that’... but I’ve just done my thing, done my training and here I am ... first, that’s all that matters."
Meantime 19 year old Jack Bobridge, riding with the UniSA - Australian National Team gave his hometown crowd something to cheer for early in the race when he sprinted clear to win the Skoda Sprint at the end of lap five and the Hindmarsh Sprint at the end of lap ten. Frenchman Jeremy Roy (Francaise de Jeux) attacked mid way through to claim the Cycle Instead Sprint at the end of lap 15 and his team mate Timothy Gudsell of New Zealand collected the SA Lotteries Sprint at the end of lap 20 before the teams of the favourites upped the speed to set up their fast men for the finish.
The 133 riders will tomorrow have their final training rides before lining up in the first UCI ProTour event of the season, the Tour Down Under, which kicks off in the Adelaide suburb of Norwood on Tuesday morning.

Results1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 1.04.32
2 Willem Stroetinga (Ned) Team Milram
3 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
4 Andre Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia-High Road
5 Jose Rojas (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne
6 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step
7 Baden Cooke (Aus) UniSA
8 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
9 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Fuji-Servetto 0.01
10 Chris Sutton (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
11 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road
12 Nicholas Roche (Irl) Ag2R La Mondiale 0.02
13 Sebastien Hinault (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
14 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C
15 Rony Martias (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
16 Inaki Isasi (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
17 Andrea Grendene (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 0.03
18 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Katusha 0.05
19 Aliaksandr Usau (Blr) Cofidis 0.06
20 Julien El Fares (Fra) Cofidis
21 Markel Irizar (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
22 Mikael Cherel (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
23 Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) Ag2R La Mondiale 0.07
24 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
25 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Francaise Des Jeux
26 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
27 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale 0.08
28 Matthew Goss (Aus) Team Saxobank
29 Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Francaise Des Jeux
30 Kasper Klostergaard (Den) Team Saxobank
31 Luca Barla (Ita) Team Milram
32 Aaron Kemps (Aus) UniSA 0.09
33 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step
34 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
35 Greg Henderson (NZl) Team Columbia-High Road
36 Josu Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
37 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank
38 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas 0.10
39 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 0.11
40 Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
41 Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxobank 0.12
42 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha
43 Guillaume Blot (Fra) Cofidis 0.15
44 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 0.16
45 Cladio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas 0.17
46 Nicki Sorensen (Den) Team Saxobank
47 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence-Lotto 0.18
48 Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis 0.19
49 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
50 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 0.21
51 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Quick Step 0.22
52 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Silence-Lotto
53 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse D'Epargne 0.23
54 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram
55 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne
56 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxobank
57 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-High Road
58 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-High Road
59 Michael Schar (Swi) Astana
60 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne
61 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Liquigas
62 Mathieu Claude (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
63 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne
64 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
65 Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis
66 Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Astana
67 Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 0.24
68 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana
69 Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step
70 Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre - N.G.C
71 Travis Meyer (Aus) UniSA
72 Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step
73 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Francaise Des Jeux
74 Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram
75 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
76 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
77 Mathieu Drujon (Fra) Caisse D'Epargne
78 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxobank
79 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxobank 0.25
80 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
81 Kenny De Haes (Bel) Team Katusha
82 Juan Horrach (Spa) Team Katusha
83 Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) Astana
84 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank
85 Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step
86 Aitor Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
87 Ronny Scholz (Ger) Team Milram 0.26
88 Rene Mandri (Est) Ag2R La Mondiale
89 Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Silence-Lotto
90 Vladmir Efimkin (Rus) Ag2R La Mondiale
91 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha 0.27
92 Sergio De Lis (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
93 Sergey Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha
94 Ivan Dominquez (USA) Fuji-Servetto
95 Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
96 Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank
97 Simon Clarke (Aus) UniSA
98 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana
99 Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas 0.28
100 Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
101 Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C
102 Javier Megias (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
103 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Ag2R La Mondiale
104 Frederick Willems (Bel) Liquigas
105 Timmy Duggan (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
106 William Walker (Aus) Fuji-Servetto
107 Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
108 Martin Muller (Ger) Team Milram 0.29
109 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road
110 Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
111 Kai Reus (Ned) Rabobank
112 Christian Meier (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
113 Jack Bobridge (Aus) UniSA
114 Volodymyr Zagorodniy (Ukr) Lampre - N.G.C
115 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto
116 David Loosli (Swi) Lampre - N.G.C
117 Jeremy Roy (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
118 Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C
119 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto
120 Scott Davis (Aus) UniSA
121 Tom Stubbe (Bel) Silence-Lotto
122 Matthew Wilson (Aus) UniSA
123 Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
124 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 0.30
125 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas
126 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis
127 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
128 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis
129 Pablo Lastras (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne 0.31
130 Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto 0.43
131 Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin-Slipstream 0.45

Mark Coleman just wanted another 24 seconds.

"This is by far the most disappointing loss of my life. This is devastating," Coleman said on Saturday, in an interview with UFC.com after his loss to Mauricio Rua at UFC 93. "I just don't see how the guy stopped it. ... I just deserved more."
Referee Kevin Mulhall halted the fight 4:36 into third round after Rua dropped his visibly exhausted opponent with a right uppercut, preceded by four straight punches and followed by a short left hook as Coleman fell to all fours.

Although Coleman was doing little to defend himself at that point, the same was true at various points earlier in the bout when his hands were at his sides and he seemed barely able to stand. Coleman was incredulous immediately after the Mulhall stepped to end the affair.
"I'm a little lumped up but I'm fine," Coleman said. "I can take a damn shot. It's frustrating. This is the most frustrating loss of my life ever. Ever."
In losing with fortitude, Coleman gained the Irish crowd's respect. Although he was booed during his entrance at Dublin's O2 Arena, the audience cheered him at the end of the fight for surviving the much-ballyhooed Rua's assault for most of the fight.
"I think I heard a lot of boos coming out, which is fine," Coleman said. "But (there's) a little satisfaction in winning some of the fans over. ... I hope I didn't embarass nobody." Q&A: No end in sight for Coleman
If anyone had reason to be embarassed by the fight, it was Rua. Coleman survived longer than most observers expected — every online sports book listed him as a heavy underdog, and 19 of 25 MMA pros surveyed by Sherdog saw Coleman losing — but Rua disappointed anyone who expected to see the man who once was called the best light heavyweight in the world.
Rua's lack of endurance was particularly surprising. He was gasping by the end of the second round and appeared ripe for the picking in third, except that Coleman looked just as tired.
But Coleman has run out of gas before, while Rua used to be a cardio machine. Less than three-and-a-half years ago, he maintained a furious, high-energy pace for 20 exciting minutes with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the best fight of 2005; now he's had his second straight fight in which he looked out of shape, and this time he doesn't have the knee injury that hindered him in 2007 against Forrest Griffin.
Had Coleman survived the last two dozen seconds, Rua likely would have won on the judges' scorecards anyway. Even though Rua looked winded, cautious and often unsure of himself, he remained far more effective with strikes than his opponent and never appeared at risk on the ground, despite being taken down multiple times.
It would be easy to say Coleman looked old, but he looked no worse than the man who was battered on the feet 12 years ago in consecutive losses to Maurice Smith and Pete Williams. Coleman has never been a good striker, relying instead on his wrestling to put foes on their backs.
UFC after the fight announced that Rua will face another light-heayvweight striker who has seen better days, Chuck Liddell, at UFC 97 in April. Rua has beaten every stand-up fighter he has faced in the past, but Liddell's counterpunching has served him well against fighters who come straight ahead, as Rua has done throughout his career.
UFC 93 RECAP: Henderson edges out Franklin
Coleman's perseverance on Saturday earned him and his opponent some extra money. UFC awarded $40,000 each to Coleman and Rua as Fight of the Night bonuses. Also receiving Fight of the Night rewards were Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle, whose aggressive stand-up clash opened the pay-per-view broadcast.
Dennis Siver took home an added $40,000 for Knockout of the Night. Siver earned a technical knockout of Nate Mohr in the third round with a flurry of strikes that started with a spinning back kick.
Alan Belcher's guillotine choke on Denis Kang was Submission of the Night by default, since it was the only submission of the show. Belcher also received $40,000.

Jeff Monson charged with mischief; ESPN not an accomplice

Jeff Monson is either really dumb or really smart. I'm leaning towards the latter.
The fighter, who last appeared in the Mixed Fighting Alliance, winning over Ricco Rodriguez in December, has a warrant against him for defacing the Capitol building in Olympia, Wash. This warrant was issued after pictures of him painting an anarchist symbol on the building appeared in ESPN the Magazine.
See, Monson is an outspoken anarchist. He has said many times that he wants to do away with the social hierarchies that govern our world. The best way for Monson to share these theories is through the mass media, so publicity is his friend.
Is Monson so dumb that he would expect ESPN to not use photographs of him committing a crime? Of course not. This is a man with a Master's degree in psychology. He understands the ramifications of civil disobedience. If he didn't want attention brought to his cause, he would have asked ESPN to photograph him sitting at home, enjoying dinner.
Monson was charged with first-degree malicious mischief, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of a $20,000 fine and 10 years in prison. ESPN did not do him a favor by running that picture, but it's not their job to protect athletes. It's their job to cover them, a fact which Monson has used to make sure that everyone is discussing his cause today.

McLaren, ecco la MP4-24

Giornata dai due volti a Woking: presentata la nuova monoposto con cui Lewis Hamilton difenderà il titolo del 2008 e annuncio a sorpresa del titolare che lascerà a Whitmarsh il suo posto a marzo occupandosi di automobili di produzione

WOKING (Inghilterra), 16 gennaio 2009 - Presentata oggi la nuova McLaren MP4-24 per il Mondiale 2009 di F.1 (guarda le foto). E Ron Dennis ha chiarito subito gli obiettivi stagionali: "Vogliamo entrambi i titoli mondiali". Nel 2008 il titolo di Lewis Hamilton che ha subito esaltato la nuova macchina: "È la prima volta che vedo la nuova monoposto, è bellissima - dice il pilota inglese - è splendido vedere il risultato finale del lavoro di tutta la squadra".
ANNUNCIO CHOC - La giornata è però poi stata caratterizzata dal clamoroso annuncio delle dimissioni dello stesso Ron Dennis. Lo storico titolare del team di Woking ha infatti annunciato che lascerà l'incarico all'inizio di marzo, cioè a un mese dall'inizio della nuova stagione. È probabile che all'origine della decisione abbia pesato non poco la Spy-Story ai danni della Ferrari nel 2007, costata alla McLaren una multa record di 100 milioni di dollari e l'esclusione dal Mondiale costruttori. Al suo posto Martin Whitmarsh.
DECISIONE MIA - "È tempo che Martin prenda le redini come team principal della scuderia - ha spiegato - è al 100% una mia decisione". Dennis ricoprirà il ruolo di direttore esecutivo del gruppo McLaren e si occuperà in particolare della produzione. "Mi aspetta un lavoro difficile - ha spiegato ancora Dennis - abbiamo intenzioni chiare relativamente al nostro programma di automobili di produzione. Comunque assisterò a qualche gara, perché resto un appassionato. Come una pensione? No. Voglio lavorare di più in altri settori".
SCIENZIATI - La nuova McLaren, caratterizzata da un'ampia ala anteriore e da un alettone posteriore ridotto, debutterà domani in un test privato in Portogallo. Al volante, per i primi giri, il collaudatore spagnolo Pedro de la Rosa. "Tutti i team hanno dovuto fare i conti con le novità regolamentari, le più radicali degli ultimi 15 anni - dice Dennis - i cambiamenti hanno costretto tutti a lavorare molto. Nella nostra organizzazione abbiamo dovuto affidarci non a semplici ingegneri, ma a scienziati con qualifiche altissime. La MP4-24 è una monoposto concepita nel modo giusto, se si commettono errori nella progettazione poi diventa impossibile produrre qualsiasi tipo di sviluppo". Una è già pronta in Portogallo per i primi test: "Siamo in condizione di lavorare in modo ottimale per arrivare preparati al primo GP".
LEWIS CARICO - Molto carico Lewis Hamilton: "Mi sento molto rilassato semplicemente perché vengo da un periodo eccellente - ha detto - quando si vince una gara, si affronta la successiva con una dose supplementare di fiducia. Ho gli stessi obiettivi che avevo quando sono arrivato in F.1, voglio diventare campione nel mondo, non sto qui a dire che ho già vinto il titolo. Ovviamente ci sono momenti della scorsa stagione che ricordo con orgoglio. Ogni tanto accendo il computer e guardo le foto del 2008. Vengono in mente ricordi straordinari, ma poi bisogna andare avanti. Non voglio vivere nel passato, anche se la vittoria del titolo mondiale regala sensazioni straordinarie. Ho analizzato anche gli errori che ho commesso, per esempio nella pit-lane in Canada. Sono sicuro che anche quest'anno vivrò esperienze utili: si impara sempre".

Kaka's Man City transfer deal in doubt

LONDON (AFP) – Manchester City's reported world record bid for AC Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaka hung in the balance on Thursday with conflicting reports on how the transfer talks were progressing.
The club's assistant manager Mark Bowen told the BBC that a deal was "very close", but an Arabian business website insisted that talks had broken down.
Reports on Wednesday said that the Abu Dhabi-owned City had proferred a staggering 100 million pounds (110 million euros, 150 million dollars) to acquire the services of the 26-year-old former World Player of the Year and that club officials had met with their Italian counterparts in Milan.
"We have understood there have been negotiations for a fair while now and as far as we are concerned we believe a deal is very close," Bowen, who is assistant to head coach Mark Hughes at Eastlands told the BBC.
"I've read a lot about his love of AC Milan - and that goes without saying - but even when people said the deal was dead, that was not our understanding.
"We are still hopeful of still signing Kaka."
That view was not shared by Arabianbusiness.com which cited a "senior source close to the club's owners" as saying that the deal was off.
The unnamed source was quoted as saying: "The deal is off, and the offer is no longer on the table. The club is now pursuing another striker which it is very close to signing. Manchester City is about to unveil a new striker, but he is not called Kaka."
City manager Hughes, however, was quick to dismiss those reports telling a press conference: "I've seen these reports but you have to bear in mind that the people who are being given a platform to speak do not represent the owner (Sheikh Mansour) or (chairman) Khaldoon (Al Mubarak).
"In my opinion they should not be given a platform to say what they have because in this instance it is completely untrue because negotiations are still taking place."
"It would be naive to think I have not been involved in discussions over this transfer. I have had meetings about it and have had an input.
"It is impossible to say whether it will go through or not but we will let everyone know when there is something to say."
And reports in the Italian press suggest that the move is very much alive with Milan themselves seemingly keen to push it through.
The Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Milan gave Manchester City permission to talk to Kaka on Tuesday with City representative and notorious Iranian-born agent Kia Joorabchian making contact with Kaka's father and agent Bosco.
Kaka himself was quoted as saying that he was happy to stay at AC Milan if the club did not want to sell him, but he has given every indication in the past that he would love to play in the English Premiership at some stage in his career.
He is already one of the best paid players in the world and his spokesman Diogo Kotscho said it would not be money that would prove decisive.
"It's not impossible for Ricky (Kaka) to transfer to Manchester City as long as the English club demonstrates it is preparing to become one of the best teams in the world," he said.
"Even so it will be very difficult to reach agreement with Milan, but if Manchester City present a good project and prove capable of attracting other players of the highest level to become one of the best clubs in the world, like Milan, then we can begin transfer proceedings.
"The English championship is one of the best and Kaka would like to play in it. But I don't know if it will be the right way forward."

Lawsuit Is Latest Test for Knicks’ Curry

Tall, broad and powerfully built, Eddy Curry looks like a human model of strength and control. Nearly everything in his N.B.A. career suggests otherwise.

On the court, Curry often plays smaller than his size (6 feet 11 inches, 300 pounds). Opponents beat him to rebounds and fearlessly drive past him for layups. Off the court, Curry, the 26-year-old Knicks center, is humble and easygoing, a gentle giant who seems more likely to be a victim than a bully.
As the former Knicks coach Isiah Thomas once said of Curry, in a statement that was intended as both compliment and criticism, “He’s a nice man.”
So when his former driver this week sued Curry, accusing him of sexual harassment and verbal abuse, the news sounded surreal to those who know Curry best.
“Nobody can picture anything like this happening,” said Quentin Richardson, a teammate of Curry’s, a longtime friend and fellow native of Chicago. “Anybody that knows him knows that those things are the complete opposite of his character.”
David Kuchinsky, Curry’s driver from 2005 to 2008, made a number of salacious allegations in his lawsuit, which was filed Monday in federal court. He accuses Curry of dropping his pants and making lewd remarks, of using racial and religious epithets, and, in one incident, of brandishing a gun. The suit seeks unspecified damages, in addition to a claim of $93,000 in unpaid wages and reimbursements.
The dispute will eventually be settled in a courtroom or at a negotiating table. But the conflict underscores how easily and how often his career has been thrown off track.
When the Chicago Bulls made Curry the fourth pick in the 2001 draft, he was a teenage prodigy and the projected heir to Shaquille O’Neal. Four years later, he was traded to the Knicks amid concerns over a heart condition.
Two seasons ago, Curry looked like a potential All-Star, averaging 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. A year later, his confidence and production plummeted after the Knicks acquired another star big man, Zach Randolph.
Now Curry is enduring perhaps his most miserable season of all. The Knicks’ new coach, Mike D’Antoni, prefers a running game that seems ill suited to Curry’s plodding ways. The Knicks’ new president, Donnie Walsh, is trying to pare the payroll, making Curry an obvious candidate to be traded.
Curry reported to training camp out of shape, lost a week to illness, then hurt his right knee — an injury that wiped out November and December and pushed him into a deeper hole.
Curry finally joined the rotation last week in Dallas. The good feelings lasted just 2 minutes 38 seconds — the time that Curry played, while an 11-point lead shrank to 2. Problems with both knees have kept him out of action since then.
Then came the shocking lawsuit. The news reached Curry in New Orleans, where the Knicks were closing out a four-game trip. When Curry met with a small group of reporters after the game Monday night, he seemed to be in shock.
“He’s not giving up,” said the Knicks veteran Malik Rose, who has been a frequent adviser to Curry. “He’s not letting these evil acts — or unfortunate acts, with his injuries and all — get him down. He’s upbeat. He’s really making me proud of him.”
Curry has denied all the allegations in the lawsuit. His lawyer, Kelly Saindon, has described Kuchinsky as a “disgruntled former employee” and the suit as an extortion attempt. Saindon has also pointed to two felony convictions in Kuchinsky’s past, including a three-year sentence for burglary in 1992.
Saindon said she would move to have the lawsuit dismissed. She also intends to countersue, saying that Kuchinsky changed the locks on two of Curry’s storage lockers and was holding his possessions hostage. Kuchinsky’s lawyer did not respond to an e-mail message Tuesday.It is striking just how much misfortune Curry has endured in his career. He was having his best season for the Bulls in 2004-5 before an irregular heartbeat forced him to miss the playoffs — which would have been his first.
The heart concerns eventually led Chicago to trade Curry, who then became the center of controversy as the Bulls and the Knicks offered conflicting views of his health. Curry has not experienced any known heart problems in the last four seasons.
In July 2007, Curry and his family were robbed at gunpoint in their home in Burr Ridge, Ill.
“He’s certainly had more than his share of adversity over the last couple of years,” said Curry’s agent, Leon Rose. “I think he’s handled himself with class, and I think he’s showed a lot of fortitude, the way he’s been battling. And I believe in him, and I believe ultimately he’s going to be back to where he wants to be.”
Often, Curry has appeared just as helpless with the basketball. A gifted low-post scorer, he has shown flashes of dominance throughout his career, but he has never fulfilled his potential, or shown much interest in defense.
On a trip to Phoenix this season, O’Neal spent several minutes talking to Curry, trying to impart a little big-man wisdom. But Curry is more often compared these days to Kwame Brown, the No. 1 pick in 2001, who is now viewed as one of the greatest busts in draft history.
For years, Curry has exasperated coaches with his apparent lack of passion and dedication. When asked how Curry could become a better rebounder, Scott Skiles, the former Bulls coach, famously replied, “Jump.”
In Curry’s first season in New York, Coach Larry Brown proclaimed him a franchise player. By the end of the season, Brown was benching Curry in fourth quarters while praising Jackie Butler — an undrafted journeyman — as “our best center by far.”
Despite his scoring talents, Curry is viewed skeptically by many N.B.A. executives, especially those who value plus-minus statistics. Curry is consistently a net drain when he is on the court. Still, the Knicks are hopeful of trading him, if not by the Feb. 19 deadline, then this summer.
In the meantime, Curry will fight twin battles as he tries to revive his career and clear his name.
“It’s an unbelievable run of bad luck for a very good person,” Malik Rose said.
Joshua Robinson contributed reporting from Greenburgh, N.Y.

Phelps returns to China - for car commercials

US Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps swims during filming for a television commercial for Mazda at Yingdong Swimming Pool in Beijing January 13, 2009. China's leading media and entertainment group, has signed a landmark agreement for Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to become the brand spokesperson for Mazda in China.

BEIJING -- Michael Phelps is back where he made Olympic history.
Don't look for much swimming. This time, he's in Beijing to do TV commercials for automaker Mazda, which is reported to be paying him more than $1 million to endorse the brand in China. It's believed to be the largest single sponsorship deal for a foreign celebrity in the country.
Besides filming commercials and doing photo shoots, Phelps is also slated to return to the Water Cube -- where he won his record-eight gold medals at last August's games -- before he leaves China.
"Hopefully I'll get a few workouts in before I go home," he said. "And then once I get back home it's time to get back in the water and really start to train for the next four years."
He's expected to resume serious training before the month ends, and is likely to work on some new events heading into this summer's world championships in Rome.
Guests should not expect to catch a glimpse of Phelps in the hotel pool.
"The pool at the hotel is closed right now, so I can't swim," Phelps said.
Phelps said returning to China stirred emotions.
"There are some memories, some flashbacks of that time when I landed and was first going to the Olympic Village," he said. "Driving around today on the roads -- sort of seeing some landmarks I saw -- really just brings back more and more memories."
Phelps is reported to be earning "well into seven figures" for the deal with FAW Mazda.
Mazda vice president Yu Hongjiang said he was certain Phelps would help sell cars in China's growing car market. In November, golfer Tiger Woods ended his nine-year relationship with General Motors Corp. Woods was a spokesman GM's Buick brand.
China is the world's third largest car market, but even here sales have slowed during the global economic slump.
"We have very strong confidence in him (Phelps)," Yu said. "We all know the auto industry has had some unsuccessful records with image ambassadors. But there is no doubt this will be successful. ... Currently in China, nobody has the reputation that Phelps has."