Ronaldo, who joined Manchester United

The 25-year-old departed for Real Madrid in a world record £80 million deal last summer after six seasons at Old Trafford, which yielded three Premier League titles, a Champions League crown and numerous other team and personal honours.

The move was long mooted, with Ronaldo’s desire to play in Spain and the astronomical transfer fee eventually seeing the forward switch to the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo, who joined Manchester United for £12.24m from Sporting Lisbon aged 18, has made a strong start to his Real career, scoring 11 times in 13 Primera Division appearances – including two goals in Saturday night’s win over Xerez – and six times in four Champions League appearances.
However, he may pull on a United shirt again.
“Of course I miss playing for Manchester United,” Ronaldo told the News of the World.

“I played there for six years and that’s a long time.
“I am still interested in watching Manchester United and, you never know, maybe in the future I could return to play there. It’s always possible.”
Ronaldo has a long-term contract at Real which he plans to honour, but he stressed his fondness for Sir Alex Ferguson, his former United team-mates and the Old Trafford club.
“I want to fulfil my contract here but, in the future, only God knows,” he added.
“I will not say I am not happy here at Real Madrid.
“I am really happy and everyone knows this is my club but, of course, I miss Manchester United, the boss, the players, because I left family there.”

Incredible Sports Teams Died Crashes

• Jan. 27, 2001 — Oklahoma State basketball players Dan Lawson and Nate Fleming, and six team staffers and broadcasters, in Byers, Colo.• Feb. 14, 2000– Tony Bettenhausen, Jr., race car driver/owner, near Lexington, Ky.
• Oct. 25, 1999 — Payne Stewart, winner of the 1989 PGA Championship and a two-time U.S. Open winner, two miles west of Mina, S.D.
• May 11, 1996 — Rodney Culver, San Diego Chargers running back, in Florida Everglades.
• April 18, 1996 — Brook Berringer, Nebraska quarterback, two days before the NFL draft, when the small plane he was piloting crashed in Raymond, Neb.
• July 13, 1993 — Davey Allison, NASCAR driver, the day after a helicopter he was piloting crashed on the infield at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.
• April 28, 1993 — 18 players and five team officials of Zambia’s national soccer team in Libreville, Gabon.
• April 1, 1993 — Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR’s 1992 champion, in Blountville, Tenn.
• July 19, 1989 — Jay Ramsdell, CBA Commissioner, in Sioux City, Iowa.
• Sept. 30, 1988 — Al Holbert, six-time IMSA champion, near Columbus Ohio.
• Dec. 8, 1987 — 17 players of the Alianza Peruvian first-division soccer team in Lima, Peru.
• Aug. 16, 1987 — Nick Vanos, Phoenix Suns center, in Romulus, Mich.
• Nov. 25, 1985 — Six members of the Iowa State women’s cross country team in Des Moines, Iowa.
• Dec. 12, 1983 — Rex Dockery, Memphis State football coach, with offensive coordinator Chris Faros and defensive back Charles Greenhill, Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
• March 14, 1980 — 14 members of the U.S. amateur boxing team in Warsaw, Poland.
• Jan. 11, 1980 — Bo Rein, LSU football coach, in the Atlantic Ocean.
• Aug. 2, 1979 — Thurman Munson, New York Yankees catcher, in Canton, Ohio.
• Dec. 13, 1977 — 14 University of Evansville basketball players and coach Bobby Watson in Evansville, Ind.
• Nov. 29, 1975 — Graham Hill, race car driver, Hertfordshire, England
• June 24, 1975 — Wendell Ladner, New York Nets forward, in New York.
• Dec. 31, 1972 — Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirate outfielder, from San Juan, Puerto Rico en route to Nicaragua to aid earthquake victims.
• Oct. 11, 1972 — 30 members of a Uruguayan rugby club, in Chile.
• Nov. 14, 1970 — 36 Marshall University football players, in Huntington, W.Va.
• Oct. 2, 1970 — 14 Wichita State football players, in Colorado.
• Sept. 26, 1969 — 25 members of Bolivian soccer team “The Strongest”, in the Andes.
• Aug. 31, 1969 — Rocky Marciano, heavyweight boxing champion, Newton, Iowa
• April 28, 1968 — Six members of the Lamar Tech track team, in Beaumont, Texas.
• July 24, 1966 — Tony Lema, 1964 British Open champion, in Munster, Ind.
• Feb. 15, 1964 — Ken Hubbs, 22, Chicago Cub second baseman, in Utah.
• April 12, 1962 — Ron Flockhart, Scottish racing driver, in Melbourne.
• March 1, 1962 — Johnny Dieckman, world fly-casting champion, in Chicago.
• April 3, 1961 — Green Cross, a first-division Chilean soccer team, in the Las Lastimas Mountains.
• Feb. 16, 1961 — 18 members of the U.S. figure skating team, in Belgium.
• Oct. 10, 1960 — 16 members of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football team, in Toledo, Ohio.
• April 29, 1959 — Joaquin Blume, Spain’s European gymnastics champion, in Madrid.
• Oct. 30, 1958 — Philip Scrutton, British Walker Cup golfer.
• Aug. 14, 1958 — Six members of the Egyptian fencing team, in the Atlantic Ocean.
• Feb. 6, 1958 — Eight members of the English soccer champion Manchester United, in Munich.
• Nov. 27, 1956 — Charlie Peete, St. Louis Cardinal outfielder, in Venezuela.
• Sept. 20, 1956 — Tom Gastall, Baltimore Orioles catcher, in Maryland.
• Oct. 30, 1954 — Wilbur Shaw, President of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Decatur, Ind.
• July 1, 1954 — John McBride, Alabama halfback, killed in ROTC training flight in Texas.
• Oct. 27, 1949 — Marcel Cerdan, former world middleweight champion, en route to fight Jake LaMotta in Spain.
• May 4, 1949 — 22 members of Torino, the Italian soccer champions, in Turin, Italy.
• March 31, 1931 — Knute Rockne, Notre Dame football coach, in Kansas
• Oct. 18, 1925 — Marvin Goodwin, Cincinnati Reds pitcher, in Houston.

Terrell Owens gets contract offer from WR-needy Chicago team

Not that one. Or that one. This one.

So, maybe no NFL teams showed up to watch Terrell Owens work out on Tuesday. Owens still maintained confidence that some team would be interested in his services, and as it turns out, he was right. It just might not be the team he had in mind.
It’s the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. They want to bring T.O. into the 50-yard indoor war.
“We feel that this is an ideal time to approach the future NFL Hall of Famer,” said Rush General Manager and President Gene Nudo. “It would be a fantastic honor to add Terrell to our current roster for the 2012 season.”
It’s a bold move by Nudo, who I believe used to be known in the WWE as “Paul Bearer.” Here’s a later paragraph from the same news article that in no way makes this look like an empty publicity stunt.
In honor of this contract offer the Chicago Rush is offering an $81 Flex Plan to its loyal fans. The plan includes four tickets to a Chicago Rush home game. Additionally, the package includes four Rush hats as well as four Rush Nike Dri-Fit training shirts to ensure Rush fans will never have to work out shirtless again.
Probably not a reference to this. It’s probably motivated purely by football, and not by any media attention Owens is receiving right now, despite the fact that the Arena Football League doesn’t play a game until March. Let’s hear from the coach.
“Terrell would absolutely complement our current wide receiving corps,” said Rush Head Coach Bob McMillen. “His animation and over-the-top energy would be an excellent addition in the locker room, and the Chicago fans would undoubtedly welcome him here in Chicago.”
If you’re wondering about the rest of that wide receiving corps, it includes Reggie Gray, Vic Hall(notes), Charles Dillon(notes) and Brandon Fields(notes). I have no idea who any of those fellows are, but I’m sure their styles of play would complement T.O.’s very well.

Joao Silva, photographer who lost legs on the job

New York City Marathon Joao Silva, Joao Silva, Wounded New York Times Photographer, Finishes New York City Marathon . Joao Silva, the New York Times photographer who lost both his legs on the job, completed the New York City marathon on Sunday.

Silva lost both his legs when he stepped on a mine in Afghanistan last October. He chronicled the experience, which also destroyed his urethra, and his recovery at Walter Reed in a recent piece for the Times.

Silva, who raced in the handcycling division, did the marathon in less than three hours — faster than he had been anticipating. He had planned on taking pictures along the way, but he told the newspaper that he turned his focus to racing after crossing the Verrazano Bridge. He said, “I realized that if I was going to take more pictures, I was never going to finish this race.”

Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the ING New York City Marathon November 6, 2011 in New York. Mutai, the 2011 Boston Marathon winner, won the men’s New York Marathon in an unofficial time of two hours, five minutes and five seconds to smash the course record on Sunday. Mutai smashed the old mark of 2:07:43 set by Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Jifar in 2001 to defeat runner-up Emmanuel Mutai, the reigning London Marathon champion.

Chelsea Clinton will be working on-air for NBC News

Chelsea Clinton will be working on-air for NBC News, the network announced on Monday. The former first daughter will be a “special correspondent” for NBC “Nightly News” and its new primetime newsmagazine, “Rock Center With Brian Williams”–essentially working on stories that fit within NBC’s “Making a Difference” franchise, the network said.
In a statement, NBC News president Steve Capus called Chelsea a “remarkable woman” and a “great addition” to the network. “Given her vast experiences, it’s as though Chelsea has been preparing for this opportunity her entire life,” Capus said. Williams said Clinton “possesses an uncommon understanding of humanity–on city streets, across this country and around the globe.”
In a statement of her own, Clinton said, “people who imagine and implement solutions to challenges in their own lives, in their communities, in our country and in our world have always inspired me.”
Clinton will be joining another former first daughter at NBC. Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of George W. Bush, has been a “Today” show correspondent since 2009. Earlier this month, Meghan McCain, daughter of John, was named as a contributor to MSNBC.
Capus dismissed the notion that the hires of Clinton, Bush and McCain are little more than publicity stunts.
Chelsea Clinton “made it very clear that this is not going to be a surface-deep relationship,” Capus told the New York Times. “She wants to be in the field for the shoot and in the edit room for the edit.

HULK HOGAN DIVORCE CASE

SETTLEMENT IN HULK HOGAN DIVORCE CASE IN FLORIDA

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Court records show a financial settlement has been agreed upon between wrestler Terry Bollea — better known as Hulk Hogan — and his ex-wife.

The St. Petersburg Times reports Linda Bollea received a little more than 70 percent of the couple’s liquid assets in their divorce settlement.

He agreed to give his ex-wife 40 percent ownership in his various companies and pay her an additional $3 million property settlement. Linda Bollea filed for divorce in 2009.

The settlement was confidential but came to light this week after it was attached to a new motion filed in court records.

The paper reports Linda Bollea received $7.44 million of the couple’s $10.41 million that was held in bank and investment accounts. Terry Bollea will not pay his ex-wife alimony.

Muhammad Ali is coming home to Louisville to celebrate another milestone — his 70th birthday.

MUHAMMAD ALI RETURNING TO KY. FOR 70TH BIRTHDAY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Muhammad Ali is coming home to Louisville to celebrate another milestone — his 70th birthday.

The iconic heavyweight boxing champion will bask in the limelight once again at a private birthday bash on the evening of Jan. 14 at the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville. Ali turns 70 on Jan. 17. The party will double as a fundraiser for the center — a cultural and education complex that also features a museum focusing on Ali’s long career as a boxer, social activist and humanitarian.

Bing even more:
“Louisville was the first to support Muhammad in his pursuit of gold,” Lonnie Ali, the boxer’s wife, said in a statement Saturday evening. “It is only fitting that Louisville and surrounding communities participate in this important celebration to mark his 70th birthday.”

Ali Center spokeswoman Jeanie Kahnke said Saturday that Ali will be surrounded by old friends and people who made a difference in his life, including his longtime trainer Angelo Dundee. The party will feature a dinner, entertainment and speeches.

She described it as a “retrospective look and celebration” of Ali’s life.

“It’s significant for anyone to turn 70 years old,” Kahnke said. “But for such a global icon, who has literally touched the lives of millions of people, it’s a momentous event to celebrate.”

A few tickets remained available for the $1,000-per-person event, she said.

Kahnke said that Muhammad and Lonnie Ali are looking forward to returning for the celebration. The Alis have a residence in Louisville but have recently been staying at their home in Arizona, she said. Ali is battling Parkinson’s disease.

A series of community events — titled “Seven Days for Seven Decades” — will be offered from Jan. 15-21 at the center, touching on both the serious and fun sides of Ali.

“Community is an important part of Muhammad’s life,” Lonnie Ali said in her statement. “He was and is a master at building community around him.”

She noted that Ali has engaged community support in the U.S. and around the world.

“In each community he visits, Muhammad involves people as stakeholders in his success,” she said. “He makes people feel important, worthy and good about themselves and their actions. Muhammad continues to involve everyday people in his daily pursuit of life. He draws people in and makes them feel welcome. His support of community causes and individual efforts have been a way of life.”

The week of events includes a “compassion fair” and workshops focusing on examples of compassion throughout the world. An exhibit will delve into the lives of people with dual African American and Native American ancestries. There will be screenings of films based on Ali’s life.

On Jan. 15, a magician will perform in the center’s main lobby — a recognition of Ali’s love of magic tricks. Also, people visiting the center during that week will receive a discounted admission for bringing non-perishable food items for a food bank.

“We really want to thank the community that has supported and loved and embraced Muhammad,” Kahnke said.

The center opened in 2005 and draws about 85,000 visitors a year.

Born Cassius Clay, Ali began his boxing career as an amateur in Louisville in the 1950s, won a gold medal in boxing in 1960 at the Olympics in Rome. He went on to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. He first won the title by defeating Sonny Liston in 1964. Ali was then stripped of his boxing title in 1967 for refusing to be drafted for military service during the Vietnam War.

He regained the title in 1974 when he defeated George Foreman in Zaire. Ali’s last title came in 1978 when he defeated Leon Spinks. Ali had three epic fights against his chief rival, Joe Frazier.

Ali has received dozens of international awards for his humanitarian effort