Pak Army warns of retaliation for future Nato attack

The Pakistan’s military will take serious action if any Nato attack took place in its territory, said a statement issued here on Saturday. The statement noted that Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has strongly condemned the Nato attack in Mohmand Agency and ordered the military to make arrangements to retaliate such irresponsible action befittingly. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement that as many as 24 military officials were killed and 13 others injured in the Nato strike. The statement noted that the Nato choppers and jets opened unprovoked fire on Pakistan military check-post in the midnight.

 

Black Friday sales marred by violence

Shopper wields pepper spray to secure deals

 

 

U.S. crowds scrambled for deals, one Wal-mart customer even using pep-per spray to disable rival shoppers, in an annual Black Friday sales ritual closely watched for signs of national economic recovery.

With doorbuster bargains online and in malls across the country, Black Friday marked the formal start to the U.S., Christmas shopping season relied on by many retailers.

Shootings and brawls around the country marred the frenzy, while in the Los Angeles area a woman in her 30s used pepper spray against the crowd while "trying to get an advantage over the items being sold," Los Angeles police Sgt. J. Valle said. Valle said at least 10 customers, including children, were injured in the Porter Ranch neighbourhood attack.

At another California Wal-mart, a man was in critical condition after being shot by robbers in the parking lot. A woman was shot during another apparent robbery attempt at a Walmart in South Carolina, while police reported more gunshots at a mall in Fayetteville, N.C.

The stampede for deeply discounted goods was fed by aggressive marketing, with many stores this year moving up their sales launches to intrude on Thursday's Thanks-giving holiday, then followed by all-night service into Friday.

Sears opened Thanksgiving morning - traditionally a time when families gather for quiet get-togethers - and Toys "R" Us opened at 9 p.m. Thursday. Walmart's big discount rival Target upset some employees by opening doors at midnight on Thanksgiving instead of the usual early bird time of 5 a.m. Friday.

With the nation mired in post-recession gloom and economic uncertainty continuing to erode business confidence, there were hopes that this year's Black Fri-day would spark a consumer-led recovery.

Market analysis firm Spending-Pulse said there were potentially more than $20 billion in sales up for grabs. The National Retail Federation said it expected 152 million shoppers between Fri-day and Sunday, a 10 per cent increase over last year.

Shoppers in Asheville, N.C., began lining up outside Best Buy at lunchtime on Thanksgiving in order to get first shot on electronics deals at midnight.

"This is just what our Thanks-giving is," said Sandi Henderson, who joined almost a dozen family members at the store. "It's a great time and we're still all with family."

The family had their sights set on a flat screen TV, among other items, which they expected to cost about $300 less than regular retail.

"When you think about it, we're probably spending more time with family out here than we would be at home," said Henderson's sister-in-law, Brandy Ponder.

In the Chicago suburb of Vernon Hills, Michelle Steiner also braved chilly night temperatures to line up at Toys "R" Us, saying: "It's a scavenger hunt. It's a big game."

Brent Hart, 26, pitched a tent on Wednesday outside a mall in Fairfax, Va., where he planned to buy a television and laptop in Best Buy. "It's a challenge. I've never done this before," he said.

Certainly not everyone was happy with the ramping up of what had already become a manic annual extravaganza.

"It's horrible, it's consumer-ism, it's making the holidays into some sort of disgusting shop-till-you-drop experience," Paul Connolly, 42, said on New York's Fifth Avenue.

But as it happened, Connolly, who works in finance, had just accompanied his nephew into department store Saks to purchase a down-filled coat for $180, a whopping 50 per cent discount.

"Generally I'm very against these crazy sales - except for when it works for me," Connolly said with a laugh.

Dancing With the Stars' recap: And the Mirrorball goes to............CCCC

Arkansas Coach Petrino is a sore loser after getting slaughtered by LSU 2011


Any way you slice it, it was an historic exit. At a late-night news conference in Fayetteville, Ark., on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007, Bobby Petrino told his audience: "Today was a day of decision. It was difficult on one side, very difficult on the other. It was difficult to leave Atlanta, the staff, the players, the fans. The timing of it probably is the thing that made it so difficult. Coming to Arkansas was the easy part."

THE TIMES-PICAYUNE PHOTO ARCHIVECoach Bobby Petrino's last game with the Atlanta Falcons was a 34-14 blowout loss to the Saints in a Monday night game. He quit the team midseason on the next day to become head coach at Arkansas, where he now has the Razorbacks poised for a run at the BCS title.

And that was only part of the story.
Here's the rest.
As these words were spoken, the Atlanta Falcons had no idea they were losing their head coach.
Because the Falcons had Tuesday off, there were no meetings, and Petrino did not address the team. It didn't know he had gone to Fayetteville to shake hands with the Hogs.
They were not officially informed until Wednesday, in a four-sentence farewell, a letter placed inside each player's locker stall.
It said:
"Out of my respect for you, I am letting you know that, with a heavy heart, I resigned today as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. This decision was not easy, but it was made in the best interest of me and my family. While my desire would have been to finish out what has been a difficult season for us all, circumstances did not allow me to do so. I appreciate your hard work and wish you the best.
Sincerely, Bobby Petrino."
Talk about chaos.
In January 2007, Petrino had left Louisville to take over the Falcons for a five-year, $24 million contract in hopes he could help Michael Vick fulfill his potential as an NFL quarterback.
What Vick did that year was plead guilty to federal charges for bankrolling an illegal dog-fighting operation. When Petrino announced he was leaving the Falcons, Vick not only had not taken a snap for Petrino, he was being handed a 23-month sentence on those federal charges the very day Petrino was coaching his final game for the 3-10 Falcons, a 34-14 Monday night loss to the Saints in the Georgia Dome.
Needless to say, the manner in which Petrino handled a sudden departure to a 13-game career in Atlanta did not sit well with the Falcons' family.
Said owner Arthur Blank: "The best way to describe the way we feel is betrayal."
Said teammate Grady Jackson: "For him to quit like that shows his true colors, like a coward with a yellow stripe down his back."
Said quarterback Joey Harrington regarding Petrino's comments about his new job as Razorbacks coach: "To have him talk about family, about team, about commitment, then come in here and have a form letter at your locker, that's not a man's act. That's how a coward acts."
As Arkansas coach, let's say, Petrino acted impressively. His Razorbacks went from 5-7 to 8-5 to 10-3 and now find themselves at 10-1, No. 3 in BCS standings, in the hunt to win a national championship.
In his first tour of duty in the NFL, as offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the head coach of the Jaguars at the time, Tom Coughlin, called him "the best play-caller I've ever been around."
That's what makes Friday's showdown in Tiger Stadium between the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in college football so fascinating.
Can the scheming boss of the top offense in the SEC, one averaging 39 points per game, outscore a team with a defense that has given up an average of 10 points per game?
Petrino's team has averaged 463 yards running and passing.
Miles' defense, in the hands of another schemer, John Chavis, has limited opponents to an average of 247.
From the day he took the Arkansas job, Petrino vowed aggressiveness, rushing and passing. And he has kept his word. It's a simple philosophy.
"You have to be able to run the football when you want to and run the football when you have to," he said, adding, "you also have to be able to pass the football when you want to and pass the football when you have to."
With a championship still up for grabs, we'll see what gives, not on a Saturday night, but this time on a Friday afternoon in Tiger Stadium.

Dancing With the Stars' recap: And the Mirrorball goes to....PPPP

(Top 10 Artists - Big Bang + Secret + Sistar + Super Junior)".

Dancing With the Stars' recap (6 killed in Arizona plane crash)

Dancing With the Stars' recap

A small plane crashed into mountain near Phoenix on Wednesday evening, killing six people, authorities said.

A floodlight illuminates a fire from a small plane crash in the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction on Wednesday, November 23.

By Michael Schennum, The Republic

A floodlight illuminates a fire from a small plane crash in the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction on Wednesday, November 23.

By Michael Schennum, The Republic

A floodlight illuminates a fire from a small plane crash in the Superstition




Six people on a Thanksgiving trip, including three young children, were feared dead when a twin-engine aircraft crashed into the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix on Wednesday evening, authorities said.

The plane had traveled from Safford, Ariz., to Mesa, Ariz., about 150 miles away, to pick up three young children and bring them back for Thanksgiving, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said at a news conference. A pilot, a mechanic and another adult also were aboard, he said.

The private twin-engine Rockwell AC-69 took off from Falcon Field in Mesa and crashed about 5 p.m., he said. The crash site near Flatiron peak is about 40 miles east of downtown Phoenix.

A witness identified as Lou Adams told KNXV-TV in Phoenix that he was camping in the mountains when he heard a loud noise, then saw a "fireball and a couple of pieces disappear behind the mountain. I could definitely see it fell out of the sky."

Rescue crews struggled to reach the crash site in the Superstition Mountains, uneven terrain with jagged peaks and deep crevices. The plane slammed into a mountainside in an area so remote that deputies had to be airlifted to it in pairs.

They found two debris fields with still-smoldering wreckage wedged into crevices, Babeu said. The plane had refueled in Mesa, which probably helped fan the large, post-crash fireball that residents spotted from the valley floor.

It remained unclear whether anyone aboard had survived. But considering the condition of the accident site, "it does not look promising," Babeu said.

The plane was registered to Ponderosa Aviation Inc. of Safford, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

Officials said investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board would arrive Thursday morning to take over the investigation.

The mountainous region near Lost Dutchman State Park and the Superstition wilderness features steep canyons and popular hiking trails. It is a favorite of treasure hunters who have frequented the area in search of the fabled Lost Dutchman gold mine for more than a century.

(Staff writers Rick Rojas and Ruben Vives contributed to this report.)

Dancing With the Stars' recap: And the Mirrorball goes to ...MMMM

It’s only the 1st intermission and there have been fights, runs and headshots all over. Lucic owned Gaustad. Not really cheering for anyone. Wouldn’t mind seeing Marchand hit though haha.

Dancing With the Stars' recap: And the Mirrorball goes to ...ZZZZ

Zdeno Chara Fights Robyn Regehr Bruins vs Sabres 11/23/11



This is probably the under card for tonight's game between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins captain Zdeno Chara fights Robyn Regehr after a scrum behind the Boston Bruins net. I am going to score the win in Chara's favor as well.

AC Milan vs Barcelona 1-1 Ibrahimovic Goal 23.11.2011 UEFA Champions

he Rossneri welcome the reigning European Champions to the San Siro tonight and no doubt both teams will be striving for a win that would put them in a commanding position in Group H. With two games to go Barcelona are top of the group with a two point lead over Milan. Neither team should be very worried about not qualifying, however finishing top of your group does have its obvious benefits.

The visitors are 4/5 favourites to win the tie with Boylesports which, even for the best team in the world, seem staggering odds for any team travelling to the San Siro. The draw is priced up at 11/4 with bet365 and a home victory is looking unlikely at 4/1 with Ladbrokes.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will be without two of his star players (Mexes and Cassano) but has the opportunity to start his prolific striker Alexandre Pato for the first time since his injury. Los Culés will be without Dani Alves and Adriano and this may see Puyol moving out to right back and the tenacious Javier Mascherano occupying the centre back role.

The defending champions are already the top scorers in the competition racking up an impressive 13 goals this season. In their last four games in La Liga they have managed to score 15 times. Milan also have found a rich vein of form recently and find themselves unbeaten in all competitions in the last eight games. However Milan have scored almost half the number of goals their Spanish counterparts have scored in Group H.

With Barcelona playing one can always expect a free flowing game. Odds of a goaless draw are given at 12/1 with Boylesports and at the other end of the spectrum over four goals is give at 4/1 and over 5.5 is at 12/1, both with bet365. In the correct score betting the most anticipated result is a 1-1 draw given at 6/1 Labrokes. For Milan to snatch a 1-0 victory the odds are 12/1 with bet365 but for those predicting the Spanish Champions to bing their usual flair and perfection, scores such as 4-0 to Guardiola's men are given odds of 40/1 with Ladbrokes.

Lionel Messi is the second top goalscorer in the competition so far behind Mario Gomez. Messi has scored five goals in Europe this season and the odds of the Argentine breaking the deadlock tonight are given at 7/2 Victor Chandler. Villa is behind him with odds of 5/1 Paddy Power to be the first name on the scoresheet. For the home side their hopes rest with the target man Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is priced up at 15/2 with bet365 and the striker will be very eager to score against his previous club which arguably stalled his progress as a footballer while he was there. If he starts, Alexandre Pato will also be looked to as a way through the Barca back four and is given odds of 8/1 bet365. Many will remember the goal he scored against the Spanish side earlier this year as it only took 24 seconds to score and is the fifth fastest goal in the history of the competition.

Dancing With the Stars' recap: And the Mirrorball goes to ...

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! We have a "Dancing With the Stars" winner! After 10 weeks of dances, drama and more leader changes than you can shake a spangled stick at, the sparkliest show on television has finally crowned its Season 13 winner. The coveted Mirrorball trophy ended up in the hands of inspirational fan favorite J.R. Martinez and his pro partner, Karina Smirnoff.
The honor couldn't have gone to a better guy. The veteran and actor had all the makings of a winner. His inspirational back story, dedication, drive and eternal optimism gave him the uncanny ability to get everyone to root for him. In retrospect, of course it would go to J.R. A vote against J.R. would be like a vote against America. It was a sure bet for a sure vet. And his first words on hearing he won were of gratitude. "Thank you, America, for believing in us," he said. That was followed shortly after with thanks to his partner, who very much deserved her first championship award herself. "You are amazing," he said. "I'm so grateful I was able to be a part of your first Mirrorball trophy."


Congratulations to all!
Though going into these final moments, it really didn't seem as though J.R. was going to get his hands on that shiny prize, did it? He fumbled a bit in his first two finale performances and ended up tied for second after Monday. I liked how he and Karina decided to do a redux of his favorite dance, Week 2's jive, but the outcome was less than glossy without the lift and the Lindy. Plus, it couldn't compete with Ricki Lake's and Derek Hough's awesome "Psycho" tango from Week 4 (which was just as thrilling this time around). Ricki and Derek received the full 30 points for that dance, J.R. and Karina received 28. Second-place finishers Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke performed their Week 3 “Fly Me to the Moon” fox trot and ended up with 26 points and third place.
But on a night like this, anything could happen. Like when it was disclosed that point leaders Ricki and Derek ended up in third place, leaving the room spinning (and Derek took Ricki out for a last star spin on the dance floor to perhaps emphasize the effect).
So it was down to Rob and J.R. to do the instant samba, set to Ricky Martin's festive "Shake Your Bon Bon." Rob definitely had the advantage in the bon bon department, but J.R. had his Latin roots. J.R. also had the difficult samba rolls in his routine, but both J.R. and Rob were awarded with perfect 30 scores from the judges, leaving them with a grand total 112 and 113 points, respectively. Though in the end, the viewer votes toppled Kardashian nation and put J.R. over the top.
But let's not forget the rest of the filler in this massive two-hour production -- like the procession of all the season’s contestants squeezed back into shiny outfits and trotted back onto the dance floor. And I dare say that all their dances looked that much better because it was all fun and games and no one feared getting paddled. Metta World Peace and Elisabetta Canalis, we hardly knew ye. Kristin Cavallari and Mark Ballas did a hopping '50s jive. Chynna Phillips got to redeem her brain freeze and perform Mission: Impossible Tango -- the Sequel, though part of me feels that Tony Dovolani got cheated because they didn't lower him down on wires this time.
Carson Kressley’s back! Again. The fashion guru and all-around delight got to check off a dream on his bucket list and dance with a Chmerkovskiy (Val), as well as Anna Trebunskaya and other members of the Troupe to the tune of Madonna's "Vogue." Nancy Grace and Tristan "Sir Dance-A-Lot" MacManus winningly hopped and skipped to their take on "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from "Spamalot."
Loved seeing Lacey Schwimmer's dad Buddy come back to tend bar and hoof it alongside his daughter and Chaz Bono. I also would have loved to seen adorable Coco Arquette and her endearingly ecstatic expressions in the ballroom one last time, but alas, I saw no camera pans to her during dad David Arquette's high-octane "Grease" routine with Kym Johnson and the Troupe. But the routine was so fun that it made me want to go out and have a party in a high school multi-purpose room anyway. Coming in a close second in the fun department was a stealthy David trying to sneak out with the Mirrorball trophy in hand. And then Hope Solo and Maks Chmerkovskiy continued the good vibes with their version of "Valerie."
Lady Antebellum came on to perform "Dancing Away With My Heart" and put a bittersweet wistfulness into the proceedings, while Dmitry and Kym and Val and Peta bared their chests and their hearts like couples holding on to each other long after the dance had ended and everyone had gone home. Later, Lady Antebellum came back to perform their smash hit, "Need You Now," with the Troupe.
And don't forget the highly entertaining "Judges: Uncut!" segment, which had the judges acting as fun and as silly and as self-referential as the show itself. Like when Carrie Ann regretted a score and told an audience member, "I should have given him an 8!" Or when Len called Tom a "camera hogger" and told him to "get out of my shot." Or when Bruno saw a picture of himself in his younger days and gasped, "I was hot!"
What did you think? Did the right star win? Shocked to see Ricki come in third? Will you watch Nancy Grace's new "Dancing in the Jailhouse," debuting in January? Does Carson’s dance qualify as water-cooler talk?

Dancing With the Stars' recap: And the Mirrorball goes to ... KKKK

Crew chief Steve Addington has left Penske Racing and will take the same position with newly crowned NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, a person with knowledge of the decision told USA TODAY.

Steve Addington, left, visits with driver Kurt Busch in April at Richmond International Raceway. Addington will head to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2012.

Steve Addington, left, visits with driver Kurt Busch in April at Richmond International Raceway. Addington will head to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2012.
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The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move had not been announced.

Addington had been Kurt Busch's crew chief at Penske and would replace Darian Grubb, who confirmed Sunday night that he was fired by Stewart in mid-October. After learning he would not return in 2012, Grubb led the No. 14 Chevrolet to three wins, a third, a seventh and an eighth in the final six races as Stewart collected his third title.

BLOG: Kurt Busch's tirade (explicit language)

Addington joined Penske before the 2010 season after spending two seasons working with Busch's younger brother, Kyle.

"Steve Addington is no longer with our organization," Penske team President Tim Cindric said in a statement. "We appreciate the successes we experienced together and wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Busch, who won four races in two seasons under Addington, was facing additional heat Tuesday as a YouTube video surfaced in which he was seen berating ESPN reporter Jerry Punch at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Busch was taken out early in Sunday's Ford 400 with transmission issues and was waiting to be interviewed by Punch when he asked somebody off camera, "Can you get this mother------ out of my face?" The curses continued, and Punch eventually walked away.

Busch also was caught during the live broadcast making an obscene gesture as he drove his wounded Dodge into the garage.

Busch apologized in a statement, and blamed his behavior on his poor race. "I let my emotions get the better of me," Busch said. "I regret having done this and apologize to the sponsors of Penske Racing, to NASCAR, its fans, to the media and in particular, Dr. Jerry Punch."

NASCAR called Busch's language in the video "disappointing," but noted the driver was frustrated because an early transmission issue had knocked him out of the race.

"Clearly, Kurt was frustrated with what happened with his car that early in the race, however his choice of language at the time was disappointing," spokesman Kerry Tharp said.

Penske Racing apologized in its own statement and said the incident was being reviewed internally.

"Penske Racing extends its apologies to Dr. Jerry Punch, our media partners and our sponsors and fans for Kurt Busch's inappropriate actions in Homestead on Sunday," the statement said. "These actions do not represent Penske Racing and are inconsistent with the company's standards for behavior, respect for others and professionalism."

ESPN said the network and Punch would have no comment.

Busch lost crew chief Pat Tryson after the 2009 season, when Tryson left Penske to work for Michael Waltrip Racing. He made his decision to leave right before the Chase began.

Busch won two races this year and finished 11th in the final Sprint Cup Series standings

Troop levels, Iran prompt GOP sparring in CNN National Security Debate

A Republican presidential debate on Tuesday focused on national security issues exposed deep fault lines within the GOP over how to grapple with the nation's challenges overseas.

The eight Republican candidates who took to the CNN debate stage in downtown Washington differed on a range of issues confronting the United States, including the war in Afghanistan, aid to Pakistan and cuts in defense spending.

The issue of illegal immigration also arose again as the newest Republican front-runner, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, called for a "humane" approach to immigration policy, a position at odds with many conservative activists who dominate key nominating contests in Iowa, South Carolina and Florida.

Gingrich stressed the importance of securing the United States border with Mexico and penalizing employers who hire illegal immigrants.

But he expressed sympathy for people who entered the country illegally and since became contributing members of society.
CNN GOP debate memorable moments
Perry: You must secure the border
GOP candidates debate Iran strategy

Blog: The CNN debate as it happened

"I don't see how the party that says it's the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families which have been here a quarter-century," Gingrich said. "And I am prepared to take the heat for saying, let's be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship, but finding a way to give them legality so as not to separate them from their families."

The answer was reminiscent of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's response to a question about a 2001 bill he signed that granted in-state college tuition to the children of illegal immigrants.

In a September debate, Perry said Republicans who oppose the legislation "don't have a heart" -- and his standing in the polls plummeted in the following days.

Romney, the party's de facto front-runner for much of the year, pounced on Gingrich's remarks.

"Amnesty is a magnet," Romney said. "When we have had in the past programs that have said that if people who come here illegally are going to get to stay illegally for the rest of their life, that's going to only encourage more people to come here illegally."

iReport: What makes a good presidential candidate?

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, a member of the House Intelligence Committee who had one of her strongest debate performances of the cycle, also chided Gingrich.

"We need to move away from magnets, not offer more," said Bachmann, who is in single digits in the polls and pegging her candidacy to a strong showing in the Iowa caucuses.

The debate was held at Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in downtown Washington and was co-sponsored by the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute, two conservative think tanks.

Gingrich entered the debate with fresh momentum in the Republican race and found himself in the spotlight for much of the evening.

According to a CNN/ORC International Poll released on the eve of the debate, 24% of Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters said they are most likely to support Gingrich for their party's nomination, with 20% saying they back Romney, who is making his second bid for the presidency.

Gingrich's four-point margin over Romney is within the survey's sampling error. A CNN poll released one week ago had Romney at 24% and Gingrich at 22%. Gingrich was at 8% in a CNN poll in October.

The new front-runner got the first question of the night, which sparked a feud with the libertarian-leaning Texas Rep. Ron Paul over the USA Patriot Act.

"I would look at strengthening it because the dangers that are posed are so great," Gingrich said about the legislation.

Paul, who has been sharply critical of the Patriot Act since it was signed into law by former President George W. Bush in October 2001, called it "unpatriotic" because it "undermines our liberty."

Paul took on the role of the lonely isolationist throughout the debate, calling on the administration to withdraw American troops from commitments overseas as a way to slash government spending.

He also questioned the point of humanitarian aid, including money to combat AIDS and other diseases in Africa.
Gingrich: U.S. look to Chile's reforms
Santorum: Profiling necessary
Romney: Military cuts hurt defense

"I think the aid is all worthless," Paul said. "It doesn't do any good for most of the people. You take money from poor people in this country and you end up giving it to rich people in poorer countries."

In the night's sharpest clash, Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman battled over the American military presence in Afghanistan.

Huntsman, a former ambassador to China and the sole candidate with diplomatic experience, said he wants to withdraw most American troops from the country and instead rely on Predator drones and a small contingent of forces to fight terrorists.

"Are you suggesting, governor, that we just take all our troops out next week?" Romney asked.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Huntsman fired back. "I said we should draw down from 100,000. We don't need 100,000 troops, many of whom can't even cross the wire."

When Romney said the president should rely on the generals on the ground, Huntsman again responded aggressively.

"At the end of the day the president of the United States is commander-in-chief," he said. "Of course you're going to listen to the generals. But I also remember when people listened to the generals in 1967 and we heard a certain course of action in Southeast Asia that didn't serve our interests very well."

The candidates were also pressed on how they would change airport security measures if elected president.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he would privatize the Transportation Security Administration.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said his administration would apply "more scrutiny" to Muslim passengers in airports, as did former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain.












"If you take a look at the people who are trying to kill us it would be easy to figure out," Cain said.

Later, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann dueled with Perry over his proposal to scrap all funding for foreign governments like Pakistan, which may not agree with American interests, and ask them to make the case for American funding.

Perry said the government should stop writing "blank checks" to Pakistan, but Bachmann called that proposal "naïve" because the country has nuclear weapons that must be protected.

"Al Qaeda could get a hold of these weapons," Bachmann said.

Dancing With the Stars' recap: And the Mirrorball goes to ...FFFF

Maybe it was a byproduct of Canadiens fans' collective disappointment from Montreal authorities eschewing insanity and letting Zdeno Chara walk away from potential charges for last spring's decapitation of Max Pacioretty. I don't know. It's hard to tell if there's actually any Bruins fans involved in this fracas, but a doozy of a fan fight erupted in the stands at the Bell Centre on Monday night.

There's an unwritten rule in the live sporting event code of conduct: Never, ever, fight the person seated behind you. That added few inches of height can lead to a world of problems when it comes to throwing bombs. There's that and um, oh, don't act like a complete dickhead and fight someone in the stands.

Benfica draws 2-2 at Man United to seal its place in last 16 of Champions League

A finalist in three of the last four years, Manchester United is struggling to even get out of its group in this season’s Champions League.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan were joined on Tuesday by two more of Europe’s footballing elite, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, in the knockout stage of the game’s biggest club competition.

There is still one glaring omission from this list of the world’s biggest clubs however — the English champions.

United was held to a 2-2 home draw by Benfica on Tuesday, leaving its hopes of qualifying from arguably the easiest of the competition’s eight groups hanging in the balance.

“The chips are down,” said United manager Alex Ferguson, “but I have every confidence in the team.”

At least a draw is needed at Swiss champion Basel next month if United is to avoid becoming the biggest casualty of the group stage.

Benfica’s point at Old Trafford ensured the Portuguese side, two-time European champion in the 1960s, also qualified for the competition’s last 16, increasing the misery for United at Old Trafford.

It was a bad night, too, for United’s archrival Manchester City.

Blazing a trail at the top of the Premier League, the destiny of Roberto Mancini’s side is out of its hands in its first season in the Champions League after losing 2-1 at Napoli.

A brace of goals by Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani left Napoli a point ahead of City in Group A, knowing a victory at eliminated Villarreal will ensure the Italian side finishes second behind Bayern.

The German team, which will host the final at its Allianz Arena stadium next May, beat Villarreal 3-1 to guarantee top spot in the group. France winger Franck Ribery scored two of the goals.

Inter, the 2010 champion, qualified before a ball was kicked in its match at Trabzonspor, courtesy of Lille’s earlier 2-0 win at CSKA Moscow in Group B. The Italians secured first place, however, by drawing 1-1 in Turkey.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 6-2 to keep its perfect record in Group D, where Ajax drew 0-0 at Lyon to virtually guarantee the Dutch team’s progress.

United, which was without England striker Wayne Rooney (hip), had only itself to blame for the goals conceded against Benfica.

England defender Phil Jones turned the ball into his own net to gift the visitors a third-minute lead and goalkeeper David de Gea failed to clear his lines properly in the 60th, allowing Pablo Aimar to make it 2-2 barely 60 seconds after Darren Fletcher had put United ahead for the first time.

Dimitar Berbatov — with his first goal in Europe in three years — had equallized in the 30th.

“The goals were a bit freakish — an own goal and then bad kick out by David de Gea,” Ferguson said. “It’s a cruel game at times.

“It will be a hard game in Basel.”

Cavani scored goals either side of Italy striker Mario Balotelli’s equallizer to extend Napoli’s unbeaten run at home to 11 matches since returning to continental competition in 2008 after 13 years out.

“Let’s enjoy this beautiful moment. We knew we could do it from the very first day,” said Cavani.

City now has to beat Bayern in two weeks’ time and hope for the best.

Mario Gomez scored the other goal for four-time winner Bayern, which maintained its unbeaten record in the group.

“We are proud that we made sure of winning this tough group before the last round,” Gomez said.

Halil Altintop’s equallizer for Trabzonspor denied Inter a fourth straight victory and kept alive the Turkish side’s hopes of reaching the last 16 of a competition it only joined after Fenerbahce was removed because it was under suspicion for match-fixing.

Ricardo Alvarez opened the scoring for Inter, which belied its poor form in Serie A by qualifying in the Champions League with a match to spare.

In Madrid, Karim Benzema and Jose Callejon both scored twice while Mesut Ozil and Gonzalo Higuain scored the others as Jose Mourinho’s side clinched its 12th straight win in all competitions.

However, goals by Fatos Beqiraj and substitute Ivan Tomecak meant Dinamo stopped Madrid from becoming the first club to finish group play without conceding.

Ajax’s draw in France leaves it three points ahead of Lyon and with a vastly superior goal difference.

Rampant Real thump Dinamo, secure top spot

Real Madrid underlined their strength in depth when a weakened side hammered Dinamo Zagreb 6-2 to guarantee top spot in Champions League Group D on Tuesday.

Karim Benzema netted inside two minutes, Jose Callejon doubled the lead four minutes later, Gonzalo Higuain made it 3-0 in the ninth, and Mesut Ozil rang up the fourth in the 20th as they made a whirlwind start at a rain-soaked Bernabeu.

Real's pace and aggression were too much for the Croatian champions and Callejon and Benzema scored again after the break.

Zagreb's Fatos Beqiraj scored the first goal against Real in Europe this season with a header in the 81st and Ivan Tomecak bundled in a second at the end as the hosts eased off.

Real's victory canter made it five wins from five in the group, and 12 on the trot in all competitions, putting them seven points ahead of second-placed Ajax Amsterdam.

"The game was decided in nine minutes," Real director and former player Emilio Butragueno told Spanish television.

"It was the first time Zagreb had played here, our first three attacks ended up as goals, it must have been traumatic for them.

RONALDO RESTED

"Madrid showed a great deal of confidence with many first choices out of the team and it hasn't affected our performance at all, so we are very pleased.

"The team is on a positive run and tonight proves the coach has a lot of players he can rely on which is a good sign."

Real coach Jose Mourinho, who rested Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo, handed Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin his first start in midfield after an injury-delayed start to his Madrid career, and the hosts stormed into the lead.

Frenchman Benzema slotted home from Ozil's pullback after a swift passing move sliced open the visitors, and former Real youth team forward Callejon finished off a quick break.

Argentine Higuain cut inside his marker and then dinked the ball over the keeper at his near post, before Germany's Ozil put away a loose ball after Higuain's shot had been parried.


Callejon broke the offside trap to slot away number five in the 49th and Benzema made it 6-0 on 66 minutes.

As the game ran out of steam Beqiraj nodded in a neat goal, Benzema blasted an overhead kick against the crossbar and Tomecak scored the visitors' second goal of the campaign.

No swerves but plenty of Rock and Punk at Survivor Series ( WWE 12 Road to Wrestlemania Walkthrough)

Anyone following WWE programming for the last few months already knew the hook for the 2012 edition of Survivor Series well before the pay-per-view broadcast kicked off Sunday night from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Rock was back, returning to an organization and a venue that meant a great deal to his career.



Paired with John Cena in a team that was billed as “Never before. Never again,” The Rock was set to take on attention-seeking heels The Miz and R-Truth in the show’s main event. Yet two big questions hung over the match: Would The Rock and Cena even attempt to co-exist peacefully? And would the WWE throw in any of the plot twists that have virtually become synonymous with the Survivor Series name over the years?
What unfolded was mostly straightforward, though the energetic fans at MSG put their own spin on the proceedings by ignoring the pre-arranged battle lines and choosing their own allegiances. The Rock and The Miz were cheered, while Cena was lustily booed (except by females and younger fans, as is now the norm).
The Rock and Miz locked up. Rock whipped out arm drags on both heels and rolled up Miz for a quick two count. Truth wanted a tag, and The Rock was happy to wave him in.
The first signs of tension between the two big names happened early, with The Rock bridging into a pin on Truth only to find no ref to make the count after Cena went after Miz. The fans didn't like it, but The Rock accepted Miz's request to tag in Cena, albeit with a hard tag that caught him in the face.

Despite a “You can’t wrestle!” chant ringing through the seats, Cena quickly gained the upper hand on Truth in an attempt to one-up his partner. Awesome Truth responded to the dissension by dominating the next five minutes of action, pummeling Cena in and out of the ring and forcing him to kick out of nine pinfall attempts.
Miz taunted The Rock while putting the boots to Cena. That bought Cena enough of a breather to get the STF locked in, though Truth came to the rescue of his mate. Cena connected with an Attitude Adjustment on R-Truth but found himself too drained to cover.
Rocky called for the tag but got knocked off the apron by Miz. Truth battered him on the floor as well. Awesome Truth hit a double flapjack on Cena for a two count but finally made a mistake when R-Truth’s theatrics got the best of him before a leg drop, letting Cena roll away.
Finally, The Rock got the hot tag. After a spinning DDT to Miz and a Rock Bottom on Truth, he clamped a Sharpshooter on Miz. Truth made the save just before getting speared to the floor by Cena.
Miz rained down left hands and boots on The Rock, but The Great One hopped up to deliver a Spinebuster. A People's Elbow found its mark and put Awesome Truth away.

John Cena smirks behind The Rock's back.

Cena applauded his partner from the ramp, but The Rock called him back into the ring. The two men tested out their differing crowd reactions for several minutes before winding up face to face, where The Rock sent Cena a physical message courtesy of a Rock Bottom. No mixed messages came from the next biggest match on the card, a WWE Championship tilt between titleholder Alberto Del Rio and challenger CM Punk. Riding his continuing wave of popularity following his recent face turn, Punk pinned Del Rio clean, then jumped into the crowd to celebrate his new gold.
The next WWE pay-per-view is TLC on December 18.
FULL RESULTS
Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Booker T are ready to go, welcoming us to the 2012 edition of Survivor Series. And we start out with John Laurinaitis coming out to introduce himself by name and position. Um… thanks?
Match 1 – John Morrison (challenger) vs. Dolph Ziggler (champion) – United States Championship Match

Whoot! Whoot! Zack Ryder runs off Dolph Ziggler.

Vickie Guerrero gets involved early, as expected. The fans chant “We want Ryder.” Good action between these two as they work well together. Morrison hits a counter DDT that forces Vickie to put her man's leg on the ropes to avoid getting pinned. Referee Charles Robinson ejects her from ringside, to her shrieking dismay. After an exchange of pinning predicaments, Ziggler hits the Fameasser, but Morrison kicks out. John maneuvers his way into position for Starship Pain, but Ziggler gets his knees up. A Zig Zag puts Morrison away and keeps the gold around Ziggler's waist. Ziggler gets on the mic and says it's not showing off if you can back it up. Real talk. The fans are still chanting for Zack Ryder. He runs to the ring and is met immediately by fists. Ryder eventually gets the upper hand and runs off Ziggler.
Winner... and still United States Champion... Dolph Ziggler at 10 minutes and 41 seconds.
Match Rating: 6.5/10
Match 2 – Eve Torres (challenger) vs. Beth Phoenix (champion) – Divas Championship Lumberjill Match
I confess that I don't even know some of the lumberjills. I'll give Eve credit for some submission wrestling as she slaps on a leg triangle. Natalya tries to intervene from the floor. Torres has thoughts of a moonsault, but Phoenix crotches her and meets her up top. Torres takes the Glam Slam off the middle rope, which is probably one of the cooler finishes I've seen in a WWE women's match in... well, ever, maybe. Not sure what the point of the lumberjills was, though. At least the girls got their pay-per-view bonuses.
Winner... and still Divas Champion... Beth Phoenix at four minutes and 33 seconds.
Match Rating: 5/10 (mostly for the finish)
David Otunga has a message for CM Punk from Laurinaitis. He'd like Punk to do the professional thing and apologize to Michael Cole before taking on Alberto Del Rio tonight. CM says he'll think about it, but not until after the match.
The fans start to get whipped into a frenzy as The Rock is on the microphone backstage. He talks about being at MSG as a kid watching his grandfather and father wrestle and hanging out with Andre the Giant. The Rock tries to sneak in a “WWF” reference, but the censor blanks it out. Rocky also recalls making his debut, complete with the worst ring attire and haircut ever. He runs through his history (and catchphrases) and warns Miz and R-Truth about boots to asses. The Rock turns his attention to John Cena and says he and his 17,000 fans will shove a lightning bolt right up Cena's ovulating lady parts – his words, not mine. He does a little “New York, New York” and gets the fans to sing along.
Match 3 – Team Barrett (Wade Barrett, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler, Hunico and Cody Rhodes) vs. Team Orton (Sheamus, Sin Cara, Kofi Kingston, Mason Ryan and Randy Orton) - Survivor Series Elimination Match

Mason Ryan demonstrates his raw power on Hunico.

No doubt tired from his previous match, Ziggler is eliminated less than two minutes in. Barrett tries to rally the troops, but Orton will have none of it. Kofi and Sin Cara attempt dual somersault sentons, but Sin Cara gets tangled on the ropes and appears to legitimately hurt himself. That puts him out of the match, and the fans chant for Ryder again. He’s not coming out folks. Just before the nine-minute mark, Rhodes puts away Ryan with the Cross Rhodes. Kingston gets his moment in the sun, unleashing kicks on all of the heels. But Barrett catches him with a big boot and hits the Wasteland, eliminating Kofi just after the 14-minute mark. Sheamus gets himself disqualified by not breaking a hold while Swagger is in the ropes. That leaves Orton alone, though Sheamus gets in a kick to Swagger before leaving. Orton pins Swagger to make it 3-on-1. Hunico goes for glory but springboards into an RKO and is sent packing after 21 minutes. With Rhodes serving as a distraction, Barrett is able to catch Orton with the Wasteland to win it for his team.
Winner: Team Barrett at 22 minutes and eight seconds.
Match Rating: 7/10
Del Rio discusses dinner plans with the Bella twins. Laurinaitis wants to make sure he's taking his match with CM Punk seriously. Laurinaitis pulls out his phone, apparently to tweet about it. Not sure if you have noticed this or not, but the WWE is really digging Twitter right now. A. Whole. Lot.
Match 4 – Big Show (challenger) vs. Mark Henry (champion) – World Heavyweight Championship Match
The ring is getting extra reinforcements for this one. I'm not even lying. Some early body slams suggest that it's holding up okay. Things quickly slow as Henry works over Show's left knee. A huge “boring” chant rings through MSG, but Henry silences it by tackling Show through the barricade. SLAM! Wrestling VP of Information Technology (U.S. Division) Brian Whorl offers this thought: “Does everything need to be reinforced when these guys wrestle?” Henry looks for the superplex, but Show fights him off and delivers a superkick. Well, kind of an above-average-kick, not really super. Now Show goes up top. He drops the big elbow, but Henry kicks out. The fans get a “Randy Savage” chant going. Henry hits a blatant low blow, and Show wins by disqualification. Hmm... After the bell, Henry puts Show's ankle in a chair again. But Big Show is able to slide his legs out of the way and clobber Henry with a big right hand. Is payback on Show's mind? You bet. He drops a leg on Henry's ankle while it's in a chair.
Winner: Big Show at 13 minutes and three seconds (Henry retains his title).
Match Rating: 4/10
Barrett gets a backstage interview with Matt Striker. He claims that the Barrett Barrage is completely unstoppable. The Miz and R-Truth interrupt. Barrett bows out so that Awesome Truth can hijack the interview. Truth apparently asked some pigeons about tonight's main event but got no response.
A video package sets up the title bout between Del Rio and Punk.
Match 5 – Alberto Del Rio (champion) vs. CM Punk (challenger) – WWE Championship Match

CM Punk is the new WWE champion.

Not to be outdone by Del Rio, Punk brings Howard Finkel as his personal ring announcer. The fans chant, “We want ice cream!” Good stuff. Punk diving between the ropes is also good stuff. Ricardo Rodriguez ticks off the challenger by interfering, but Del Rio slides out and takes it to Punk. Things are more even back in the ring, but Del Rio misses a jumping kick and flies through the ropes to hit the floor hard. Both men end up on the canvas as the fans try to will Punk to his feet. He emerges on top in a battle of strikes and gets a near fall with a neckbreaker. After some more two counts, Punk calls for the Go To Sleep only to be countered by two knees to the back. Del Rio gets up high for an enzuigiri and his own near fall, followed by another one thanks to an armbreaker. Punk looks for something off the top rope until he gets crotched. He does manage to move away when Del Rio charges in, leading with his shoulder. Punk does his Macho Man tribute by dropping the big elbow. He calls for the Go To Sleep again, but after a series of reversals, Del Rio applies the cross armbreaker. Punk manages to get to the ropes to break the hold. Punk's running kick catches Rodriguez, and Del Rio rolls up the tights for two (showing off a lot more of Punk’s backside than I needed to see). More counters follow, but Del Rio ends up in the clutches of the Anaconda Vice. Del Rio tries grabbing Punk's nose and mouth to escape but eventually is forced to tap. Punk jumps into the crowd to celebrate. Hey, a face won!
Winner... and new WWE Champion... CM Punk at 17 minutes and 20 seconds.
Match Rating: 8.5/10
A video package sets us up for the main event. That’s just in case you haven’t seen any WWE shows since WrestleMania or the first two hours of this very broadcast

MLS Cup 2011 LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo 1-0

Landon Donovan and David Beckham celebrate after LA Galaxy beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 to win the 2011 MLS CupRobbie Keane and David Beckham combined to assist Landon Donovan's ... LA Galaxy Vs Houston Dynamo 2011 MLS Cup Final Live Online .By Mike Slane Los Angeles Galaxy defeated Houston Dynamo 1-0 at the Home Depot Center to win the 2011 MLS Cup after their three designated players - David ...

Tony Stewart Wins His Third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ...

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, is the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) champion following a thrilling victory in the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Stewart took his fourth and final lead of the race with 36 laps remaining and finished a little more than one second ahead Carl Edwards. Stewart won a points tie-breaker with Edwards, five victories to one, overcoming a three-point deficit in the finale’.

“What an incredible championship run Tony put on this year,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Winning a record five of the 10 Chase races and overcoming a deficit in the final race is the very definition of a champion. But, he had been there before and he handled that pressure like the champion that he is.”

After going winless in the first 26 races of the season, Stewart won the first two races of the Chase, at Chicago and New Hampshire, and later added back-to-back victories at Martinsville and Texas before closing the season with the win at Homestead.

Stewart, who previously won titles in 2002 and 2005, becomes the eighth driver in series history to win three championships. Chevrolet now has won 28 driver’s championships, including each of the last seven. Stewart started the streak in 2005, and Jimmie Johnson won an unprecedented five in a row from 2006-2010.

Buck Baker won Chevrolet’s first driver’s championship in 1957.

Tonight’s victory was the 44th NSCS win for Stewart. He led four times for a total of 65 of the 267-lap race that was delayed by rain three times. Fighting back from adversity that sent him to the back of the field twice as a result of repairs made on pit road by the Darian Grubb-led crew, Stewart passed 118 cars on the way to Victory Lane and the Championship.

“After the way those first 109 laps went today, said Stewart from Victory Lane. “I could not be more proud. We had the problem early and had the hole in the nose, everybody on this Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy team did a great job of getting it back going, then we had the contact with (David) Reutimann and had to come back in and fix it again. I told them “Man, it is really going to make these guys mad when we come back twice and still kick their butt”. It was optimism and trying to keep the guys pumped up and then to come out here and actually do it, is awesome.

“We just fought. This Office Depot/Mobil 1 team is just incredible,” said Darian Grubb, Stewart’s crew chief. “We just didn’t give up. We kept fighting. We went out and earned this championship and showed we’re true champions.”

Four-time NSCS Champion Jeff Gordon drove the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet to a fifth place finish in tonight’s race. The strong run moved Gordon up to eighth in the final standings. He garnered three wins during the year.

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, finished eighth in tonight’s race to finish third in points with four victories during the season.

Clint Bowyer, No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet, finished sixth and Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet finished 10th to give Team Chevy five of the top-10 finishers in the race.

Five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, finished sixth in points after a lengthy stay on pit road and a spin on-track put him six laps down to the leaders relegating him to the 32nd finishing position.

With his 11th place finish tonight, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, finished seventh in the final standings.

Ryan Newman, No. 39 US Army Chevrolet, was the 12th place finisher in the season finale and stands 10th in the final standings to give Team Chevy six of the top-10 drivers in the final top-10 standings.

Carl Edwards (Ford) finished second in tonight’s race. Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota) finished thrid and Matt Kenseth was fourth to complete the top-five finishers.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

FORD 400

HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE QUOTES

NOVEMBER 20, 2011

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET, RACE WINNER AND 2011 SPRINT CUP CHAMPION: WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS AND FEELING RIGHT NOW STANDING HERE AS A THREE TIME CHAMPION AND THE FIRST CAR OWNER CHAMPIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN ALMOST 20 YEARS? “After the way those first 109 laps went today, I could not be more proud. We had the problem early and had the hole in the nose, everybody on this Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy team did a great job of getting it back going, then we had the contact with (David) Reutimann and had to come back in and fix it again. I told them “Man, it is really going to make these guys mad when we come back twice and still kick their butt”. It was optimism and trying to keep the guys pumped up and then to come out here and actually do it, is awesome. It is an honor to be in the same category with Alan Kulwicki, but Alan did it all on his own and I have a great co-owner with Gene Haas and Joe Custer helped put all this together with Rick Hendrick and Just could not be more proud of our guys and our organization. Everybody Ryan Newman, my teammate, everybody on the US Army/ Tornados Chevy just an honor to be here tonight.”

YOU MADE A COUPLE OF MOVES OUT THERE THAT WERE AMAZING, TALK ABOUT THOSE MOVES?

“That shows how bad I wanted to win this thing. During the season you give guys a little more room than that, but when you are going for a championship, you can’t hold anything back. I was racing around good guys when I did that all night and we just could not leave it on the table, we had to go on the restarts. That was a strong suit for us all night. We took off that one restart I think 12th and came off the corner 5th or 6th on the outside. It is just an awesome night when your car drives that good and you can go get it done like that.”

THOSE LAST TWENTY LAPS CARL (EDWARDS) STARTING CLOSING IN, AND THEN YOU STARTED TO PULL AWAY; DID YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT THEN? “Yea, I made sure that if we got in traffic that I had a little something in my back pocket to go with. We took care of it, we knew he was going to have to run hard to catch us and going to have to abuse his tires and if we just ran our pace, when we got to traffic or if he closed in anymore that we could go when we needed to.”

YOU ARE NOW IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS GUYS LIKE PEARSON, WALTRIP, LEE PETTY, ALL HALL- OF –FAMERS, A THREE TIME CHAMPION YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? “It is an honor, that is an impressive group to be with and just an honor to have the opportunity to be a part of that with those guys and like I said if it were not for Gene Haas and Joe Custer and everybody at Haas Automation, Darian Grubb, we would not have had this opportunity. Just very proud to have got a group of guys that believed in us when we started and Office Depot is the first company and then to have Mobil 1 to come on board this year, just truly, truly an honor to be here with these guys.”

THE THIRD ONE AND I AM SURE THE MOST SPECIAL: “Yea and you owe me a six-pack for this too!”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET – 2011 NASCAR SPRINT CUP DRIVER’S CHAMPION:

“I made sure that if we got in traffic that I had a little something in my back pocket to go with. We took care and we knew that he was going to run hard to catch us and was going to have to abuse his tires and if we just ran our pace that when we got to traffic or if he closed in anymore that we needed to go when we needed to.”

YOU ARE NOW IN THE SAME CATEGORY WITH GUYS LIKE DAVID PEARSON, DARRYL WALTRIP, CALE YARBOROUGH, LEE PETTY; ALL HALL OF FAMERS. YOU’RE A THREE-TIME CHAMPION. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? “That’s an honor. That’s an impressive group to be with. It’s just an honor to have the opportunity to be a part of that with those guys. Like I said, if it wasn’t for Gene Haas and Joe Custer and everybody at Haas Automation and Darian Grubb, we wouldn’t have had this opportunity. So I’m just very proud that I’ve got a group of guys that believed in us when we started this. Office Depot was the first company and then to have Mobil 1 come on board this year was just, we’re truly, truly honored.”

TWO OF NASCAR’S HEAVYWEIGHT’S GOING TOE TO TOE AND HEAD TO HEAD IN THE FINAL LAPS, AND YOU WON IT AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP. WHAT’S YOUR EMOTION RIGHT NOW? “Oh, thank the Lord for this one, buddy; man I’m telling you, it’s been a tough summer and a tough fall for us and you’ve got to believe in something; and the man upstairs held this rain off just long enough for us to get this job done. Thanks to all the fans who stuck it out all weekend here at Homestead. Oh, my! I don’t care how long it rains; I’m going to be up all night tonight! For Office Depot for Mobil 1 for Chevrolet for the U.S. Army for Tornados and Quicken Loans and GoDaddy and Ritz and Oreos and Coca-Cola; just everybody who is a part of the Stewart-Haas program; Mac Tools, we couldn’t do it without you guys. This is just unbelievable. We said all week we’d just go out and win the race and we didn’t have to worry about what he (Carl Edwards) did and that’s what we did. If this doesn’t go down as one of the greatest championship battles in history, I don’t know what will.”

IN THE FIRST 100 LAPS, YOU HAD TO GO FROM BACK TO FRONT TWICE. THREE AND FOUR-WIDE PASSES ON THE RESTARTS AND THEN THE GAMBLE ON FUEL. HOW CONCERNED WERE YOU THAT MAYBE THERE WERE JUST TOO MANY OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME AFTER ALL YOU WERE HAVING TO BATTLE TONIGHT? “There is one thing I learned when Gene Haas and Joe Custer gave us this opportunity and our good buddy Rick Hendrick and I couldn’t do it without you bud and everybody at Hendrick Engines and Chassis. And Darian Grubb, and everybody on this team has just dug deep and never given up and this is an awesome night. Eddie Jarvis and everybody at Stewart Haas Racing. I’ve got the best team in the business and it’s just awesome. I’m so grateful to be able to do this for Gene Haas because this man has invested a lot in this sport and for him to have the faith in me to do this; it takes a lot to do what he’s done and I’m glad I can get this done for him.”

THAT NO. 14 BELONGED TO YOUR HERO AND FRIEND, A.J. FOYT, WHO SAID YOU COULD TAKE THE NUMBER BUT DRIVE IT WITH THE TENACITY OF A TEXAN. TONIGHT YOU WON A CHAMPIONSHIP THE WAY HE WON THEM, UP ON THAT WHEEL AND REFUSING TO LOSE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO TAKE THIS NUMBER, HIS NUMBER, BACK TO A CHAMPIONSHIP STATE? “I guarantee you I’ll probably talk to him tonight and he’s still going to tell me what I did wrong today (laughs). But I’m so proud. A.J. has always been one of my heroes and he’s been very supportive of this when we did this. When I asked him if it would be all right if I took his number, he was the one who gave me his blessing and it meant the world to me.”

WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU SAW CARL EDWARDS BACK THERE, KNOWING HE WAS GOING TO DO EVERYTHING HE COULD TO TRY TO CATCH YOU? YOU HAD TO WIN THE RACE TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?

“Those guys have done an awesome job all year and my buddy Ricky Stenhouse won the Nationwide Championship yesterday and Jack (Roush) got the Owner’s Championship so I didn’t feel bad taking this one away from them tonight. But he’s a great competitor and a great guy and we’ve been giving him a rough time this week. But it was all in an effort to do what we did tonight and win this championship. But it shows how classy a guy he is. He was the first one to me over there. And he said, ‘Promise me one thing that you’ll enjoy this and I hope it’s you and me in this position again next year.’ So that just shows how much class he’s got. He’s a great guy.”

DARIAN GRUBB, CREW CHIEF, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET:

YOU SAID EARLIER TODAY THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN YOUR TEAM, YOU’VE JUST GOTTEN THE BREAKS TO GO YOUR WAY IN THE CHASE. TONIGHT YOU MADE YOUR BREAKS; YOU FOUGHT BACK FROM DIFFERENT CHALLENGES AND GAMBLED ON FUEL. HOW DID YOU DO IT TONIGHT?

“We just fought. This Office Depot/Mobil 1 team is just incredible. We just didn’t give up. We kept fighting. We went out and earned this championship and showed we’re true champions.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 US ARMY CHEVROLET, FINISHED 12TH: WHAT A DAY FOR STEWART-HAAS RACING: “Yea, it was pretty good on one side of it. Really proud of Tony (Stewart) and his guys. They delivered in the Chase when they needed to and obviously it kind of came out of nowhere. Really proud of them, really proud of everybody; all our partners at Stewart-Haas Racing. Thank you to Chevrolet for all they do. And the US Army. It’s amazing. It’s kind of bittersweet when it’s not you, but it is awesome when it is your teammate.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET, FINISHED 11TH: ON HIS RACE AND SEASON: “The race was ok. I would have liked to have finished in the top-10 and we had a good enough car all day to run there. But, I don’t know, the rain made our car just not handle the way we needed it to at the end. It was great at the start of the race. We got to handling kind of poorly there the last half of the race. But we still managed to do ok. We’ve been learning somethings that I think are important that I think are important for next year. Everything is pretty positive right now.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET, FINISHED 5TH: ON HIS RACE: “When the sun went down it didn’t work as well for us. We were good when it was slick and when the grip came, somehow the balance…………and this happens to us a lot and when the balance changes from the cooler track temperatures it seems to shift us into an area that we have a hard time adjusting. But it was a great day, a top-five, great year. We had three wins, got number 85, and came up short in the Chase but we look forward to next year and battling it out for the Sprint Cup.”

THE WAY THE CHAMPIONSHIP ENDED WITH TONY AND CARL ITS JUST GOOD FOR OUR SPORT ISN’T IT? “It’s great for the sport and I think Tony is just one of the all-time greats and he proved that over these last ten races and especially tonight. And it showed Carl what he is made of as well. I think that is awesome.

Look at the people standing up………..they stuck around to see how this one was going to unfold. You thought he was down and out and then he came back and you really thought he wasn’t sitting in the best position and he had to stretch the fuel and everything. And gosh if he didn’t do that too. That is amazing.”

WAS IT AS FUN OUT THERE FOR YOU AS IT WAS FOR US WATCHING? “This is a great racetrack. It offers so many different grooves, and you are slipping and sliding around, which is our kind of race track. It changed for us a little bit when the sun went down. We were not quite as good as we were when the sun was out. We had to make some adjustments, but just a great effort by this Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet team. In the pits they were awesome, and we adjusted, we got it better there at the end and started working our way back to the front. Great top-five finish to end the season. I just have to thank Drive to End Hunger, DuPont, Pepsi Max, Quaker State, and Chevrolet, everybody that makes this a great team. Thank Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the guys. They just worked so hard this year, they are a great team; I can’t wait for next year. Congratulations to Tony Stewart, my gosh, what an amazing run he had in these final ten races. He has done some incredible things in his career, but I am guessing that this one is going to top them all. He did it in a fashion that everybody dreams of doing.”

CERTAINLY YOU WANTED TO WIN THE RACE, BUT A TOP-FIVE FINISH IN THE LAST RACE OF THE SEASON HAS TO FEEL GOOD GOING TO THE OFF SEASON LOOKING FORWARD TO 2012: “Well, we have never won here. We have a lot of top-five’s so we added to that. At times I thought we had something for Carl ( Edwards) when Tony ( Stewart) got up there, I said “ Uh-oh” he had a little bit extra that me and Carl did not have and he took that and went on to win the race.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

American Music Awards 2011: Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift win early awards

Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift picked up the first trophies of the night at Sunday's American Music Awards.

The group accepted the award for favorite pop-rock band/duo/group, while Swift received the honor for favorite country female artist.

Pictures: American Music Awards red carpet
Special section: Awards season

Minaj launched the 39th annual fan-favorite ceremony with a performance featuring tethered back-up dancers, stilt-walking robots and super-producer David Guetta emerging from behind a pillar of speakers. The pink-haired singer - wearing a pair of speakers on her much-talked about posterior - kicked off the show with "Turn Me On" before launching into "Super Bass." She returned to the stage shortly after, to accept the award for favorite rap/hip-hop artist.

"Oh my god, you guys, there's so much love in this room," Minaj said. She also thanked Taylor Swift, a big fan of her "Super Bass" hit.

Justin Bieber, The Band Perry and Chris Brown also took to the stage early in the ceremony. Other performers include Drake, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera.

Stars braved Sunday's rainy weather to walk the tented red carpet outside the Nokia Theatre in unusually dreary Los Angeles for the 39th annual performance-packed show.

Adele is the leading nominee at this year's AMAs, but the British singer won't be attending Sunday's ceremony because she is recovering from recent throat surgery, which she said was "a success."












The 23-year-old singer is up for four awards: Female artist, adult contemporary artist, artist of the year and favorite album for "21," the country's best-selling album this year.

Other top nominees include Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Swift and The Band Perry, who have three bids apiece. Fans chose the winners by voting online.

Chelsea vs Liverpool – 1-2 – Premier League Highlights and Result

Ex-Chelsea player Glen Johnson became hero turned villain when scored to give Liverpool a dramatic late winner in his side’s 2-1 victory over the Blues at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.

After receiving a pass from Charlie Adam he went on a surging run into the box and swept past Ashley Cole to fire with a perfect finish into the corner of the net with just 3 minutes of normal time remaining.
The goal came against the run of play as Chelsea had dominated the second half and looked the most likely winners after going a goal down in the first 45 minutes.
Liverpool were by far the better side in the first half, and went a goal ahead when Maxi Rodriquez finished off a brilliant passing move in the 33rd minute.
Charlie Adam dispossessed John Mikel Obi before Craig Bellamy and Luis Suarez exchanged passes to feed in Rodriguez to sweep the ball home from 12 yards out.
That gave the Merseysiders a well deserved lead going into the break against a Chelsea side that lacked any real cutting edge and looked vulnerable at the back.
However Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas clearly gave his side a dressing room rollicking in the break and they responded by coming out and bossing the game.
They got their just rewards when John Terry burst from the back to feed Florent Malouda, whose cross-shot was forced home at the back post by Daniel Sturridge in the 55th minute.
It then looked as if it would a case of honours even, but Kenny Dalglish’s men did not lie down and fought back with tenacity to grab the winner.
The victory meant that Chelsea had lost successive games at home for the first time in 9 1/2 years, and leaves them languishing in fourth place in the league – well adrift of pacesetters Man City and second placed Man United.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are now sitting in sixth place on exactly the same points as Chelsea and will now clearly have their eyes on a top four finish.

Lee Corso uses expletive on ESPN's 'College GameDay'

Lee Corso blurted out an expletive starting with the letter "F" during the final
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By Melina Vastola, US Presswire
segment of ESPN's College GameDay late Saturday morning.

In the show's final segment, after guest picker, nine-time Olympic gold medalist and Houston alum Carl Lewis picked the Cougars, Corso picked up a large SMU megaphone, indicating he was leaning toward picking the Mustangs to upset an undefeated Houston team that is ranked No. 10 in the USA TODAY coaches poll.

After about five seconds of screaming into the megaphone, Corso clearly said "Ah ---- it," while tossing it aside before putting on the headgear for Shasta, the Houston mascot, indicating he was picking the Houston to beat their Conference USA rival.

The incident left Lewis and Corso's Gameday colleagues Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit laughing and making jokes.

"Glad there's a delay," Lewis said.

"Shasta, shame on you," Fowler came back and said. "Wash that mouth out."

Here's a link to Corso's F-bomb via our friends at SportsGrid.com. Those who wish to watch the video, proceed with caution as it contains language and content some audiences won't find acceptable.

Later, during a break in the action of ESPN's coverage of Michigan's win over Nebraska in Ann Arbor, Mich., the network aired Corso reading a statement of apology for uttering the expletive.

"Earlier today on College Game Day, I used an expletive I shouldn't have," Corso said. "I apologize and promise it won't happen again."

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said Saturday afternoon that Corso himself had apologized on air to viewers and that there would be no further action.

Corso's F-bomb is the third embarrassing on-air incident by ESPN talent in recent months. As GameDay came back from a commercial break before Penn State's first game since the child abuse sex scandal last week, viewers could hear Corso asking off-camera, 'Where's that little kid?"

The comment was innocent: Corso was referring to a charity auction winner at Stanford who'd won the chance to hand him the mascot head. But given the furor surrounding child rape charges against former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, Corso's "little kid" comment came off as jarring.

It's also not the first time Corso has been caught saying the "F" word on an ESPN telecast. Sports By Brooks (through the now defunct AOL Fanhouse) has a video catching the analyst use the word during a telecast in the 2006 season when it appears he thinks his mic is closed. The end of the video features Fowler apologizing to viewers if anyo

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs Peter Manfredo Jr Live Stream online free

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs Peter Manfredo Jr Live online Boxing Streaming Free TV Watch On PC. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Peter Manfredo Jr. is a Middleweight championship fight for the WBC world title. The fight will take place in the Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas on November 19, 2011.

http://www.sportsbun.com/boxing/julio-cesar-chavez-jr-vs-peter-manf...            LIVE STREAMING LINK

UFC 139: Wanderlei Silva Vs. Cung Le (UFC 139 Shogun vs Henderson SUCKED!!!!!)

UFC 139: Wanderlei Silva Vs. Cung Le


UFC 139 Shogun vs Henderson SUCKED!!!!!


The following is from our live coverage of UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson. To access our full coverage, click here.

Cung Le enters the arena to "Run This Town" by Jay-Z and Rihanna, surprisingly to boos. Silva walks out to his usual, "Sandstorm" by Darude.

Round 1: Le comes out strong, throwing kicks and backing Silva up. Silva might have caught Le with a right hook as he pressed forward, but The Axe Murderer is taking his time and fighting patient. Le lands a spinning backfist that gave Silva pause. Le cracks Silva with another spinning backfist, this one drops him. Silva is hanging in there and Le is staying patient, throwing kicks from the outside. The action has slowed, Le stalking Silva down. Silva gets in and lands a few punches close. Le lands a 360 wheel kick to the chest, but Silva caught him with a good right hand counter. Le with a side kick. Le continually trying to land with a spinning back kick-back fist combo. Le is bleeding from the right eye. Silva starts in with some kicks, throwing it back with a head kick. Silva has Le hurt and he's walking him down with hard punches.

FightLine scores the round 10-9 for Silva

Round 2: Wanderlei slips after ringing a hard right hand. They reset and Le lands a front leg side kick with his right leg. He tries a spinning back kick but Silva gets out of the way. Silva with a body kick. Le cracks Silva with a right. Le with an axe kick. Silva hanging in there, lands a pair of counter hooks. Silva avoids a wheel kick and another spinning back fist. Silva nails Le with a right hook. The action has slowed, with Le possibly losing steam. Silva fires off a flurry of punches. A minute to go and Le throws a leg kick that's checked. Silva rushes forward with a volley of punches, dropping Le with a right hook. Le is keeping to his feet somehow, even after Silva starts in with vintage-form knees. Silva lands a head kick in the exchange. Silva is all over Le, beating him down with knees and punches. Le drops for the takedown after eating a hard knee. Silva lands some hammerfists and the ref unfortunately calls it a little early, though it did look unlikely that Le would recover.

At UFC 139: Henderson vs. Rua, two former WEC champions meet as Urijah Faber (25-5; 1-1 UFC) faces Brian Bowles (10-1; 2-0 UFC). This is a Bantamweight fight, and may determine the next challenger to champion Dominick Cruz. Both men are ranked highly in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings with Bowles at #3 and Faber right behind him at #4. The PPV card airs on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Interesting WEC clash here between two former champions of that organization. Faber was the WEC poster-boy for many years, ruling over their Featherweight division. Bowles is a relative newcomer, but scored a huge win in 2009 when he unseated Miguel Torres as Bantamweight champion, ending Torres's remarkable 17 fight win streak. Since those championship runs, Faber and Bowles have lost to a common opponent - Dominick Cruz. Each man is looking for a rematch, and each has unfinished business with Cruz. For Faber, he's 1-1 with the champion and will look to close out their series, while Bowles suffered an injury against Cruz that brought their fight to a premature ending. Winner here will likely get their shot at that redemption.

How do these two stack up?

Faber: 32 years old | 5'6" | 69" reach
Bowles: 31 years old | 5'7" | 70.5" reach

What have these two done recently?

Faber: L - Dominick Cruz (UD) | W - Eddie Wineland (UD) | W - Takeya Mizugaki (Sub)
Bowles: W - Takeya Mizugaki (UD) | W - Damacio Page (Sub) | L - Dominick Cruz (TKO)

How did these two get here?

At one time, The California Kid sported an incredible 21-1 record. But after dropping his Featherweight belt to Mike Brown, he's had trouble finding consistency. Faber is 4-4 in his last 8, with all 4 of those loses coming in title shots. After falling to Jose Aldo in the only WEC PPV, Faber dropped down to Bantamweight, where he is 2-1 and coming off a loss to Cruz this summer. Faber trains with a number of top talents, including #1 contender at Featherweight Chad Mendes, at California's Team Alpha Male.

Swansea City 0 - 1 Manchester United

Manchester United remain five points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City after Javier Hernandez's early goal gave them a 1-0 victory over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

• Palmer: Swansea faithful steal the show

• Rodgers: Rangel not to blame

The Mexico international struck in the 11th minute, sliding home his fifth goal of the season from Ryan Giggs' pass after Angel Rangel had carelessly given the ball away on the edge of his own box, to give United their first win at Swansea at the ninth attempt.

Scott Sinclair missed Swansea's best chance when he miscued with an empty goal at his mercy, but, despite some bright attacking moments, the Welsh side struggled to create against a well-organised United rearguard as they suffered a first home defeat of the campaign.

Swansea's brightest moments had come during the early stages of the contest, with wingers Nathan Dyer and Sinclair proving their primary attacking threat with several raids down their respective flanks.

But all the promise of an energetic home start was undone when Rangel's lazy pass gave the ball away to Giggs and the Welshman had little trouble finding Hernandez, who beat Michel Vorm from close range.

The goal briefly rocked the hosts back on their heels but a wonderful jinking run from Dyer, which saw the winger beat Wayne Rooney, Giggs and Patrice Evra along the way, soon had the home crowd on their feet.

And Swansea should have been level after 22 minutes as a deflected shot from Wayne Routledge found Sinclair with the goal at his mercy, but the ex-Chelsea man badly missed his kick and the ball deflected to safety off his standing leg.

Despite those bright moments Swansea were finding it difficult to get into their usual passing rhythm as United pressed high up the field and penned them in.

The champions' increasing comfort saw Rooney, who excelled playing just off Hernandez, flash a long-range drive wide, while Giggs curled a free-kick narrowly off target.

Hernandez should have doubled the lead to reflect the visitors' superiority right on half-time, but he opted to square the ball after Rooney's wonderful control and weighted pass had put him in on goal.

With United in such a position of control Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers summoned precocious midfield talent Joe Allen, who was nursing a calf problem, from the bench in place of Routledge in an effort to change the pattern of the game.

And Allen had an instant impact as he teed up Sinclair for a shot that David De Gea tipped round his post.

But United remained dangerous and Hernandez again failed to capitalise on more magic from Rooney as he miscontrolled his strike partner's superb ball towards the six-yard box.

But Swansea had started the second half with more verve and vigour and it took a brave defensive block from Nemanja Vidic to prevent Ashley Williams getting on the end of Garry Monk's goalbound header.

Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand blocked on-target efforts from Danny Graham and Williams as the hosts continued to push forward in search of a leveller.


But having weathered that brief storm United took a stranglehold on possession, with Carrick's assuredness on the ball taking the sting out of Swansea's attacking ambitions.

Rooney had a chance to cap a fine individual display late on but chipped over the bar after getting a lucky ricochet from a Williams block, before Phil Jones clipped the post and Nani fired wide as time ran out.

Barcelona crush struggling Zaragoza 4-0

Two goals in either half from four different scorers helped Barcelona to an emphatic 4-0 win over Real Zaragoza at Camp Nou on Saturday evening. Gerard Pique, Lionel Messi, Carles Puyol and David Villa were all on target as Javier Aguirre's side were comfortably beaten.

Barcelona's precision passing game kept Zaragoza on the backfoot as the three-time defending champions had little trouble extending their excellent start to 19 games without a loss this season.

While Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola left Villa and Andres Iniesta on the bench to begin the game, with his team set to play AC Milan on Wednesday in the Champions League, he started Messi despite his recent matches and travels with Argentina.

That changed in the 18th minute when the Catalan side opened the scoring in simple fashion. On-loan Celtic player Efrain Juarez fouled Cesc Fabregas deep in the Zaragoza half and the resulting free kick from the left-hand side saw Xavi whip a fantastic cross into the six-yard box for Gerard Pique to power home.

"Sometimes it is good to take advantage of set-pieces when teams play back in defense," said Pique, adding that he wasn't concerned with Real Madrid's top form. "We just have to focus on ourselves. There is a lot of league left to play."

Barcelona came close to doubling their lead on the half-hour mark, but a fantastic double save from Roberto kept the home side at bay. Lionel Messi drove into the box and stabbed a shot at the bottom left corner, only for the Zaragoza goalkeeper to get down and make an excellent save, not before getting up quickly to deny Alexis Sanchez by saving with his feet.

Guardiola's side did manage to get their second goal and it came three minutes before half-time. Zaragoza left Messi completely unmarked in the box and this allowed Xavi to thread a pass through the defence for the Argentine, who then sidestepped past Maurizio Lanzano and smashed the ball into the bottom left corner with his weaker foot. It was the star's 50th goal for Barcelona in 2011.

The home side continued their domination after the break, and took just ten minutes to get their third goal of the match. Fabregas found space in midfield and clipped a pass to the back post for Seydou Keita, who headed back across goal where Carles Puyol stood. The Barcelona captain chested down and attempted to half-volley at goal but Roberto made a brave point-blank save. From the resulting scuffle on the line, Puyol managed to slide the ball over the line.

Substitute David Villa silenced his recent critics with an opportunistic goal in the 74th minute to give his side a four-goal advantage. B-teamer Isaac Cuenca took advantage of a poor clearance from on-loan Real Madrid David Mateos to pick up the ball and drive down the wing and send a cross to the back post for the former Zaragoza striker, who scored with a powerful diving header.

Zaragoza failed to draw a single save from goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Barcelona have outscored their league opponents at Camp Nou 30-0 in seven games this season.

Pep Guardiola's side now have 28 points in La Liga, while Javier Aguirre's troops still find themselves perilously above the relegation zone in 16th place, with 10 points taken from 12 games.

Elsewhere, Borja Valero's first-half goal gave Villarreal a 1-0 win over visiting Real Betis for their third win of the season.