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34th trophy for Manchester United

trophies — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:42:33 +0000

Sir Alex Ferguson tonight celebrated his 34th trophy since taking over at Old Trafford after defeating Aston Villa 2-1 in the Carling Cup final and immediately set his sights on his next piece of silverware after Wayne Rooney continued his remarkable season by coming off the substitutes’ bench to head the winning goal.

The Manchester United manager, who cast doubt over Rooney’s involvement in England’s friendly against Egypt on Wednesday after revealing the striker was struggling with a knee injury, praised his players’ determination after they recovered from going behind to James Milner’s fifth-minute penalty to retain the trophy.

Michael Owen brought United level before pulling his hamstring, his misfortune providing Rooney with an opportunity to once again steal the show. The striker nodded past Brad Friedel to register his 28th goal of the season and give Ferguson that familiar winning feeling.

The United manager, however, quickly turned his attention to his next opportunity for success when told of the trophy tally of his illustrious reign. “Hopefully there will be another one this season,” said Ferguson, who added that he never tires of collecting medals. “It still feels as good to win trophies. I appreciate all the things we have achieved as a club and I appreciate the luck we have carried. I’ve lost finals and that’s not easy. The only way you can enjoy Wembley is by winning.”

Rooney said he had been keen to start against Villa but also admitted he had been suffering with “a bit of a niggle” in his knee. Ferguson later confirmed he had considered withdrawing his match-winner. “He has been complaining a little bit for a few weeks. The doctors are assessing [his knee] at the moment. I don’t know what we’re going to do. I don’t know what England are going to do.”

The United manager acknowledged that Nemanja Vidic was fortunate not to be booked at the very least for the challenge on Gabriel Agbonlahor which provided Villa’s penalty. Martin O’Neill, the losing manager, claimed the defender should have been sent off for what appeared to be a professional foul.

Ferguson said: “I think in the main we were probably the better team but credit for Aston Villa’s performance. Towards the last 10 minutes, where they started to shove up that big brigade of theirs, it was like the bloody Alamo.”

On Vidic he added: “There have been three or four in the last week that have been similar. We saw in Milan with [Chelsea's Salomon] Kalou brought down, which to me looked a penalty. You had one [on Saturday] that was a claim for the Arsenal player in a similar situation and then [Juliano] Belletti bringing down [Craig] Bellamy and he gets a red card in probably the exact same position as our player found himself in. I haven’t seen the replay but he was lucky not to be booked.”

O’Neill, not surprisingly, had a forthright interpretation of the referee Phil Dowd’s decision. “I think it was plain for all to see,” he said. “It’s an inexplicable decision and I really don’t understand it. It was a goalscoring opportunity and the player is fouled in the area. It’s straightforward from an otherwise fine referee. In a couple of days’ time it’s all forgotten about but it’s major point in the game. I’ve spoken to Phil but what Phil and I have said will stay with me.”

Richard Dunne, whose mistake led to Owen equalising, questioned whether the game would have changed had Vidic been dismissed because Villa struggled to break down a 10-man United side in the Premier League last month but O’Neill disagreed. “Richard’s a great lad but I absolutely disagree with him. It’s a different game, just because someone plays well with 10 men in one particular match … this is Wembley and you are talking about all the things that go with Wembley. I wouldn’t have liked to have played Manchester United with 10 men for 83 minutes.”

Ferguson, meanwhile, backed United to show the same resilience they displayed against Villa for the remainder of the campaign. “We don’t give in and it’s a good quality to have. I think you’ll see that in the remainder of the season,” said the manager, who will have Rio Ferdinand available for Saturday’s game at Wolverhampton. “There are a lot of hard games [to come]. It was a good result for us with Chelsea losing. Arsenal are bang in the frame now. They have the easiest programme on paper and it will be an interesting run-in.”

Tomlin Named NFL Coach of the Year

trophies — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:00:26 +0000

Trophy news from Pittsburgh, PA…
Tomlin Named NFL Coach of the Year

trophies & awards

Mike Tomlin has his eye on the Lombardi Trophy. He may go home with two trophies after this weeknd. Tomlin was named the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the year on Thursday. The 36 year old Tomlin will go for the big trophy this Sunday, when his Steelers play the Arizona Cardinals. The voting took place at NFL.com.

Tomlin became the first Head Coach in Steelers history to win division titles in his first two seasons.

The former Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator will be the youngest Head Coach to appear in a Super Bowl.

Kickoff between the Cardinals and Steelers is set for 6:28 p.m. on Sunday.

Originally posted by Steve McGehee.

College Football’s Premier Coaching Award Returns

trophies — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:19:15 +0000

Trophy News from Boston, Massachusetts

BOSTON, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ — Regardless of what team colors you wear on game day, every college football fan can agree that a good coach is essential to the game and to developing the athletes who play it. To celebrate the college football season and the coaches who inspire their teams and communities, celebrate victory and endure defeat, and mentor thousands of student-athletes each year, Liberty Mutual Insurance is today kicking off its third annual Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.

Created in partnership with the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award calls upon fans to vote for college football coaches in each NCAA division who exhibit the greatest sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and overall excellence — on the field and in the community. Fans can cast their votes daily at www.coachoftheyear.com now through December 6.

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award is the only award of its kind and allows fans to help decide who they believe exemplifies excellence in coaching. Nearly 1 million votes were cast in 2007, with many voters sharing thoughtful and compelling commentary in support of their selections.

This year, Liberty Mutual has teamed up with football legend Archie Manning and ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit who support the spirit of the award.

“I’ve had the pleasure of watching two of my sons play college and professional football at the highest level of competition, and recognize that their growth as players and young men is largely due to the coaches they have had as role models,” said Archie Manning, Chairman of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. “In addition, as a college and professional athlete, I have seen first-hand the critical role coaches play in not only the lives of student-athletes, but in their communities as well.”

Originated from Liberty Mutual Group

About the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year winners are celebrated in a permanent exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. More than just a trophy, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award celebrates the positive impact coaches have on the lives of young people, their families and their communities. As a way of rewarding the accomplishments of coaches, Liberty Mutual donates on behalf of each winner $50,000 to the charitable organizations of their choice and a $20,000 grant to the winning schools’ alumni association for enrichment or scholarship activities. To-date, Liberty Mutual has donated $400,000 to local charities and alumni associations on behalf of Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners — a total that will climb to $680,000 after this season.

Coach of the Year Eligibility and Timeline

All football head coaches at an NCAA-member college or university at all division levels are eligible for consideration. The timeline and process is:

– September 17 – December 6: Fans vote online at www.coachoftheyear.com. The top 25 coaches with the most fan votes in each of the four NCAA divisions will then advance to an evaluation process using an objective scoring model endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame. The scoring model criteria, detailed on the website, include coaching excellence, sportsmanship, integrity, academic excellence and community commitment.

– December 9: The finalists are announced before the National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner inNew York City: 10 coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A); and five coaches from the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), Division II, and Division III.

– December 12 – December 22: Fans vote online at www.coachoftheyear.com among the finalists. A selection committee of College Football Hall of Fame- inducted players and coaches and national media members also cast votes. Winners are determined using the following voting weight: Hall of Fame 55%, Media 25%, and Fans 20%.

– December 31: The 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award recipients announced on ESPN during halftime of the Music City Bowl.

“Truly great coaches recognize that how you win is every bit as important as winning itself,” said Greg Gordon, Liberty Mutual senior vice president, Consumer Marketing. “The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award is a celebration of those leaders who embody sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence – both on and off the field.”

Fan Destination: www.coachoftheyear.com

In addition to being the place to cast votes, www.coachoftheyear.com adds new elements in its third year to keep fans engaged and involved throughout the season. Highlighting the additions are original weekly “Coach’s Corner” videos – engaging discussions between Manning and Herbstreit about responsible coaching, from play calling and sportsmanship to discipline and recruiting. Fans also are encouraged to participate in a new “Sound Off” section of the site to share their opinions about why their coach deserves this honor. Other elements, like a downloadable widget, are now live on www.coachoftheyear.com.

About Liberty Mutual Group

“Helping people live safer, more secure lives” since 1912,Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is a diversified global insurer and sixth-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2007 direct written premium. Liberty Mutual Group ranks 94th on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations, based on 2007 revenue. The company has over 41,000 employees located in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

The eighth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty Mutual (www.libertymutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability, and individual life insurance. The company is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees and members of more than 10,000 companies, credit unions, professional associations and alumni groups.

About the National Football Foundation & the College Football Hall of Fame

Founded in 1947 with leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 121 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame inSouth Bend, Ind., the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, Play It Smart, the NFF-FWAA Football Forum, the NFF Gridiron Club of New York City, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org or www.collegefootball.org.

Originated from Liberty Mutual Group