Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...
I Dig Sports

I Dig Sports

An ugly job completed in the beautiful surroundings of the Kumamoto Stadium and now onto the World Cup knockout stages. That is what Wales will take from their laboured 35-13 win over Uruguay.

In pure statistics, it was a fourth successive win for Wales to top Pool D and set up a World Cup quarter-final against France in Oita.

Forensic analysis about how this shadow Welsh side squandered so many chances will be kept to a minimum. Five try-scoring opportunities missed and multiple mistakes were made by a side showing 13 changes.

The Rugby World Cup is a moving feast and Wales will have to move on from Uruguay quickly.

Wales coach Warren Gatland said beforehand there were places up for grabs in the quarter-final, but not many would have enhanced their prospects with this stuttering showing.

So fitness permitting the starting side that featured against Georgia, Australia and Fiji will return en masse next Sunday,

That should include key men Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies, who will recover from head injuries and knee problems respectively according to Gatland.

Wales will be keen to reflect on what they have achieved so far and what that will mean for their ambitions of winning the World Cup.

The victory represented a third bonus-point win in four games and topping Pool D is no mean feat for a group that included Australia and Fiji.

Since backs coach Rob Howley was sent home for an alleged betting offence just before the tournament started, everything has seemed seamless for Wales.

They shone in the pool decider against Australia in Tokyo and survived the ferocious Fijian onslaught in Oita.

Gatland's side have done this with the minimum of fuss and now they are only one of five unbeaten sides left in the tournament alongside hosts Japan, New Zealand, England and France.

Only Wales and Japan have 100% records with the games called off because of Typhoon Hagibis meaning the other three sides technically now have a draw against their name.

Now it is down to the business end. All of a sudden there are just eight teams left, only eight matches remaining in the tournament.

A quarter-final test against the French awaits for Wales, with South Africa or Japan potential semi-final foes and maybe New Zealand waiting in the final in Yokohama on Saturday, 2 November.

Dare to dream - captain Jones' mantra

Dare to dream of winning the World Cup was captain Alun Wyn Jones' mantra before the tournament started.

Gatland revealed what his captain had outlined this week with Wales three games away from global domination.

"Alun Wyn Jones probably said the best thing when he told the players we've got 240 minutes left to achieve something special," said Gatland.

"That's something to focus on.

"We've been pleased with what we've achieved in the last couple of years, especially in games that have mattered, competition games.

"There is a lot of confidence in the team. We have belief if we play well enough against any side we can beat them.

"We are in good shape physically, we know how fit we are and how hard we've worked.

"Going into the quarter-final knowing you've got 31 players fit and training puts us in a healthy position.

"Having said that, there are a lot of good teams left. You need a bit of luck too, the bounce of the ball.

"There is a massive amount of motivation for this quarter-final. If we win we're here for the rest of the tournament. I am pretty sure guys don't want to go home next Monday."

So it is France who await in Oita next Sunday, where Wales have already defeated Fiji.

What's best - battle-hardened or rested?

After England and France's pool game was postponed, Wales' quarter-final opposition have had more time to rest with a two-week break.

A help or hindrance? Would you rather be a fully refreshed France or a battle-hardened Wales after bruising games against Australia and Fiji?

"They probably have a little advantage, not having that game against England, so they may be a little bit fresher than we will be," said Gatland.

"But we feel battle-hardened having come through four games. Like us they are undefeated as well, it should be a great match."

France might have defeated Argentina, United States and Tonga, but they have only really impressed in one half against the Pumas.

Gatland is not reading much in to that though or Wales' encouraging record against France, including February's Six Nations 24-19 win in Paris after coming back from 16-0 down at half-time.

"We've got a good record against France, but they're traditionally a tournament team," said Gatland.

"We have seen them play better against the better sides, but we have a good record against them in recent years and a lot of success.

"We cannot take that for granted."

No Welsh rugby fan will need reminding of what happened the last time these nations met in a World Cup game, when Wales lost the 2011 semi-final after captain Sam Warburton was sent off in Auckland.

It is something that still haunts Gatland and his backroom staff, which now includes Stephen Jones who missed a crucial conversion in that game,

"The 2011 game probably hurts still for the players involved," reflected Gatland.

"Getting a red card after 17 minutes against a world-class team, you expect to lose by 20 or 30 points. But we hung in till the end and had the chance to win it.

"To lose that game 9-8 was disappointing, but showed what this team is all about. They never give up. They never throw the towel in.

"That's the great character we've developed over a number of years with all we've achieved.

"These guys would have bad memories of 2011. To be involved in that tournament was special, but disappointing not to get to the final."

Memories that hurt but that can also inspire eight years on.

"Now it's about taking our opportunities," said Gatland.

"For coaches and players, these opportunities can change people's lives.

"I know the players will give it everything."

So 240 minutes to change people's lives. It does not seem a lot when your captain puts it like that.

Ireland centre Bundee Aki's World Cup is over after he was handed a three-match ban following his red card against Samoa on Sunday.

Ireland's attempts to have the red card overturned proved unsuccessful.

However, because of the New Zealand-born player's good disciplinary record, the ban was reduced from six games.

Aki, 29, can appeal against the ban but, as it stands, he is set to miss Saturday's quarter-final against the All Blacks.

He will also be unavailable for any further matches in the tournament if Ireland earn a surprise win over the defending champions.

Ireland management 'disappointed' by verdict

A brief statement from Irish Rugby said that Ireland management's "are disappointed with the outcome of Bundee's hearing and will review the judicial committee's written report once received".

Aki was sent off in the 47-5 Pool A win in Fukuoka on Saturday for a high tackle on UJ Seuteni.

"The player sought to overturn the red card," said World Rugby.

"Having considered all the angles of the incident, together with evidence from the player and his representatives, the committee upheld the decision of the referee."

Ireland flew out specialist lawyer Derek Hegarty to Japan for Aki's disciplinary hearing.

Aki would have been pushing hard for a start in Saturday's New Zealand match, and his absence could pave the way for the fit-again Robbie Henshaw to partner Garry Ringrose in midfield.

Following Saturday's game, Ireland coach Joe Schmidt said Aki, who is of Samoan descent, had been "devastated" by his red card.

Kansasland Supporting Corey LaJoie

Published in Racing
Monday, 14 October 2019 09:27

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Kansasland Tire and Service will be the primary sponsor of Corey LaJoie and the No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford Mustang for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 20.

Kansasland offers tires and wheels, automotive services and commercial/farm services to customers in the state of Kansas. Kansasland stocks a large selection of tires from major brands like Goodyear, Kelly, and Mastercraft and can provide a number of automotive services.

“On behalf of everyone here at the Nebraskaland-Kansasland-Coloradoland Tire Group we are proud and delighted to be partnering with Go Fas Racing at this weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood 400 at the Kansas Speedway,” said Carson Wright, vice president of sales for Nebraskaland, Kansasland, and Coloradoland Tire Group. “Our company and customers are excited for the race and we look forward to cheering on Corey LaJoie in the Kansasland No. 32 Ford.”

Additional Reserved Seat Chili Bowl Tickets On Sale

Published in Racing
Monday, 14 October 2019 09:46

TULSA, Okla. – New grandstands are coming to the front straightaway of the 34th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire on Jan. 13-18 atop the clay of the Tulsa Expo Raceway, located inside the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla.

With the new grandstands, new seats have been added overlooking turns one and two, and are now available to be purchased.

The additional seats are being sold in four, five, and six-day packages. Prices for the 2020 event are as follows:
4-Day (Wednesday-Saturday) $227;
5-Day (Tuesday-Saturday) $282;
6-Day (Monday-Saturday) $337

Prices shown don’t include tax or shipping. The tax rate for Tulsa, Okla. is 8.517 percent. Shipping is $7 for orders up to 15 sets of tickets and $10 for orders of 16 ticket orders up.

Domestic orders will be sent via USPS Certified Mail. You can opt for Will Call instead. All International orders are kept in Will Call.

The Chili Bowl Nationals accepts Visa, MasterCard, cash, check and money orders. Ticket orders are taken by phone at (918) 838-3777, by fax at (918) 836-5517, or by mail to 1140 S. 83rd East Ave. Tulsa, OK 74112. We will not accept any order over Social Media or Email.

If you are unable to get reserved seat tickets, Pit Passes will be on sale at the event and never sell out. The Pit Pass double as a General Admission pass and allows fans access to the back straightaway on a first-come, first-served basis. Pit Passes are $45 per weekday and $60 on Saturday. Passes can be purchased for multiple consecutive days. Pit Passes are not sold in advance.

LOOKING BACK: Franchitti’s Triumphant Return

Published in Racing
Monday, 14 October 2019 10:30

SPEED SPORT has been reporting on and covering motorsports happenings from all over the world for 85 years, so we thought it would be fun to take a look back in the archives to see what happened 10, 25 and 50 years ago each week.

So check out what SPEED SPORT was covering 10, 25 and 50 years ago this week in Looking Back!

Oct. 14, 2009 (10 Years Ago): Dario Franchitti completed his triumphant return to the IndyCar Series by winning the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to lock up his second series championship. In a caution-free race, Franchitti got 50 laps out of his final tank of fuel to beat Ryan Briscoe to the checkered flag. Only the top-three finishers, Franchitti, Briscoe and Scott Dixon, finished on the lead lap.

Other Happenings: Matt Sheppard took the lead with eight laps left when a tire on leader Jimmy Phelps’ car exploded to win the Rite Aid 200 for big-block modifieds at the New York State Fairgrounds; Jimmie Johnson continued his pursuit of another NASCAR Cup Series title with a win at Auto Club Speedway; Parker Kligerman won the ARCA finale at Rockingham Speedway, but it wasn’t enough to stop Justin Lofton from claiming the series finale; Clay Rogers earned $23,000 for a USARacing Pro Cup win at Rockingham.

Oct. 12, 1994 (25 Years Ago): As Mario Andretti competed in the final IndyCar race of his career, Paul Tracy dominated the season finale at California’s Laguna Seca Raceway. Tracy, in his final race for Team Penske after verbally agreeing to join Newman/Haas Racing as a teammate to Michael Andretti, led 84 laps from the pole to easily win the race. Mario Andretti, meanwhile, finished 19th when the timing belt chain in his engine failed three laps from the finish.

Other Happenings: Dale Jarrett led the final four laps to win the Mello Yello 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; Mello Yello parted ways with SABCO Racing, leaving Kyle Petty as a free agent as a result; Jimmy Horton won the Wheels 300 at the New York State Fairgrounds; Jimmy Sills won another USAC Silver Crown race, this time at the Cal Expo; Billy Pauch picked up a World of Outlaws win in Syracuse, N.Y.

Oct. 15, 1969 (50 Years Ago): Donnie Allison survived a torrid battle with his brother, Bobby Allison, and Buddy Baker to win the running of the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Donnie, the younger of the two Allison brothers, swapped the lead with his brother Bobby and Baker multiple times in the final 100 laps of the 334-lap race. Donnie Allison took the lead for the final time on lap 330 from Baker, leading the final four laps. Bobby Allison finished second to give the Allison family a one-two finish.

Other Happenings: A.J. Foyt won a USAC Stock Car race at the Missouri State Fairgrounds; Bruce McLaren stared in Can-Am competition at Laguna Seca; the 19th National Open was won by Ray Hendrick at Langhorne Speedway in Pennsylvania; T.C. Hunt collected a victory in NASCAR Grand Touring competition at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, Ga.

VinFast Supporting Vietnam Grand Prix

Published in Racing
Monday, 14 October 2019 11:17

PARIS – VinFast will be the title sponsor of the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix, which will take place on a new street circuit in Hanoi on April 3-5.

VinFast is Vietnam’s largest car manufacturer and is part of VinGroup, which was appointed promoter of the Vietnam Grand Prix in 2017. The VinFast Vietnam Grand Prix will mark the debut of Formula One in Vietnam.

Vingroup has signed a multi-year deal to host the Grand Prix, which will begin as a  street race in the heart of the country’s capital.

“We are very pleased to welcome VinFast as title sponsor of the first ever Vietnam Grand Prix. It is a young, dynamic and ambitious company; qualities that make it the ideal partner to grow our sport in Vietnam. For us, the Formula One VinFast Vietnam Grand Prix 2020 is one of the cornerstones of our long term vision for the future of the sport, because since we became involved in this sport in 2017, we have talked about developing new destination cities to broaden the appeal of Formula One and at the same time, consolidating our presence in Europe, the traditional home of the sport.

“There are 170 days to go until the Grand Prix and everyone in Formula One is keen to come to Hanoi, one of the most exciting cities in the world right now with such a rich history and an incredible future ahead of it, to take part in one of the most exciting events on the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar.”

PHOTOS: POWRi Southern Illinois Shootout

Published in Racing
Monday, 14 October 2019 12:00

Kings cover banner due to Taylor Swift 'curse'

Published in Hockey
Monday, 14 October 2019 09:12

The Los Angeles Kings aren't taking any chances with the Taylor Swift "curse."

After winning the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, the Kings haven't gotten out of the first round of the playoffs since a banner commemorating Swift's sellout streak at Staples Center was raised in August 2015. Swift might sing "Don't Blame Me," but Kings fans do.

The team is trying to shake it off by covering the banner with black cloth, leaving a blank space in the rafters.

"The connection to our fans is our highest priority and through our engagement they have made it clear that the banner shouldn't be part of their Kings game experience," Michael Altieri, senior vice president of marketing, communications and content for the Kings, told the Los Angeles Times. "We didn't see an issue in covering it for our games and in fact see it as an opportunity to show our fans that we hear them."

Believe the curse or not, the Kings won their home opener with the banner covered up on Saturday, beating Nashville. It didn't hurt that the Predators are the team Swift roots for from her home in nearby Hendersonville, Tennessee.

The Kings lost Sunday's game at Staples, however, to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Houston Open purse payout: Lanto lands massive check

Published in Golf
Monday, 14 October 2019 01:37

Here are the complete purse and FedExCup breakdowns for the Houston Open, where Lanto Griffin won his first PGA Tour event.

Finish Player FedEx Earnings ($)
1 Lanto Griffin 500.00 1,350,000.00
T2 Scott Harrington 245.00 667,500.00
T2 Mark Hubbard 245.00 667,500.00
T4 Harris English 104.00 286,875.00
T4 Talor Gooch 104.00 286,875.00
T4 Carlos Ortiz 104.00 286,875.00
T4 Sepp Straka 104.00 286,875.00
T4 Xinjun Zhang 104.00 286,875.00
T9 Chad Campbell 72.50 196,875.00
T9 Bud Cauley 72.50 196,875.00
T9 Stewart Cink 72.50 196,875.00
T9 Denny McCarthy 72.50 196,875.00
T13 Bronson Burgoon 56.25 142,500.00
T13 Beau Hossler 56.25 142,500.00
T13 Doc Redman 56.25 142,500.00
T13 Cameron Tringale 56.25 142,500.00
T17 Austin Cook 48.00 110,625.00
T17 Peter Malnati 48.00 110,625.00
T17 Maverick McNealy 48.00 110,625.00
T17 Brandon Wu - 110,625.00
T21 Kyle Stanley 42.00 88,125.00
T21 Boo Weekley 42.00 88,125.00
T23 Ryan Armour 35.60 67,125.00
T23 Cameron Champ 35.60 67,125.00
T23 James Hahn 35.60 67,125.00
T23 Kramer Hickok 35.60 67,125.00
T23 Andy Zhang - 67,125.00
T28 Ricky Barnes 22.25 42,482.15
T28 Zac Blair 22.25 42,482.15
T28 Luke List 22.25 42,482.15
T28 Brendon Todd 22.25 42,482.15
T28 Matt Every 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Michael Gligic 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Russell Knox 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Tyler McCumber 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Sebastián Muñoz 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Wes Roach 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Sam Ryder 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Scottie Scheffler 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Robert Streb 22.25 42,482.14
T28 Nick Watney 22.25 42,482.14
T42 Brice Garnett 13.00 28,125.00
T42 Brian Gay 13.00 28,125.00
T42 Martin Laird 13.00 28,125.00
T45 Lucas Bjerregaard 9.75 21,825.00
T45 Ryan Brehm 9.75 21,825.00
T45 Roberto Castro 9.75 21,825.00
T45 Henrik Norlander 9.75 21,825.00
T45 Rob Oppenheim 9.75 21,825.00
T45 D.J. Trahan 9.75 21,825.00
T51 Braden Bailey - 18,262.50
T51 Michael Gellerman 7.25 18,262.50
T51 Bo Hoag 7.25 18,262.50
T51 Patrick Rodgers 7.25 18,262.50
T55 Rich Beem 5.70 17,400.00
T55 Mackenzie Hughes 5.70 17,400.00
T55 John Huh 5.70 17,400.00
T55 Ben Taylor 5.70 17,400.00
T59 Dominic Bozzelli 5.10 16,950.00
T59 Rafael Campos 5.10 16,950.00
T61 Russell Henley 4.40 16,500.00
T61 J.J. Henry 4.40 16,500.00
T61 Seamus Power 4.40 16,500.00
T61 Chris Stroud 4.40 16,500.00
T61 Cole Hammer - a -
T66 Sebastian Cappelen 3.50 15,900.00
T66 Jeremy Gandon - 15,900.00
T66 George McNeill 3.50 15,900.00
T66 Shawn Stefani 3.50 15,900.00
T70 Graham DeLaet 2.90 15,375.00
T70 Robert Garrigus 2.90 15,375.00
T70 Chandler Phillips - 15,375.00
73 J.J. Spaun 2.70 15,075.00
T74 Joseph Bramlett 2.55 14,850.00
T74 Nelson Ledesma 2.55 14,850.00
76 Rhein Gibson 2.40 14,625.00
77 Jim Herman 2.30 14,475.00
78 Bill Haas 2.20 14,325.00

Wiesberger continues OWGR ascent after third Euro Tour win

Published in Golf
Monday, 14 October 2019 02:06

Bernd Wiesberger continued his rapid ascent through the Official World Golf Rankings after nabbing his third European Tour victory in the last five months.

The Austrian missed nearly eight months of action last year while battling injury, and his ranking got as low as 389th in May. But the following week he won in Denmark, then added another trophy at the Scottish Open. Now, following a one-shot win at the Italian Open, Wiesberger jumped 14 spots to No. 22 in the world to set a new career high.

Matthew Fitzpatrick went from 31st to 26th after finishing second behind Wiesberger in Rome, while Erik Van Rooyen moved closer to the top-50 bubble with a T-10 finish, jumping seven spots to 56th. American Kurt Kitayama also cracked the top 100 at No. 91, up 34 spots from last week after finishing third.

Bernd Wiesberger moved atop the Race to Dubai rankings by winning the Italian Open on Sunday for his second Rolex Series victory of the year.

Lanto Griffin notched his first career PGA Tour victory at the Houston Open, and the win brought with it a bump in the rankings. Griffin went from 176th to 108th this week, while runner-up Scott Harrington rose more than 100 spots to No. 185 in the world.

Brooks Koepka remains world No. 1 as he gets set to defend his CJ Cup title this week in Korea, followed by Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Justin Thomas moved up a spot to No. 5 this week without hitting a shot, while Patrick Cantlay remained at No. 6.

Justin Rose was the only top-10 player to play last week, finishing T-15 in Italy, but he still fell two spots to No. 7 to mark his lowest world ranking in nearly two years. Bryson DeChambeau, Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele round out the latest top 10.

Soccer

Weekend Review: Pulisic lights up Milan derby, Haaland reaches 100 goals

Weekend Review: Pulisic lights up Milan derby, Haaland reaches 100 goals

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsAnother topsy-turvy weekend of European football action is in the b...

Pulisic scores as AC Milan beat Inter in derby

Pulisic scores as AC Milan beat Inter in derby

Matteo Gabbia headed home the winner in the closing minutes as AC Milan secured a hard-fought 2-1 vi...

Arsenal's Mikel Arteta expecting 100 PL red cards

Arsenal's Mikel Arteta expecting 100 PL red cards

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMikel Arteta has said he expects 100 Premier League games to featur...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

McCoy, longtime radio voice of Suns, dies at 91

McCoy, longtime radio voice of Suns, dies at 91

EmailPrintPHOENIX -- Al McCoy, who was the radio voice of the Phoenix Suns for more than a half-cent...

Sources: Griffin, 21, mulls NBA future after buyout

Sources: Griffin, 21, mulls NBA future after buyout

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Houston Rockets reached terms on a buyout with forward AJ Griff...

Baseball

Reds fire manager David Bell after 6 seasons

Reds fire manager David Bell after 6 seasons

EmailPrintThe Cincinnati Reds fired manager David Bell on Sunday night after six seasons.The team an...

Senga won't return for Mets in regular season

Senga won't return for Mets in regular season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Mets pitcher Kodai Senga felt tightness in his right tr...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated