Celtics Rondo suspended for Game 2
Rajon Rondo lost control in the final minute of Game 1, and that means he won't be on the court for Game 2.
The NBA announced Monday that the Boston Celtics' star point guard has been suspended one game without pay in the opening-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Rondo will miss Tuesday night's contest in Atlanta after sticking out his chest to bump referee Marc Davis while disputing a foul call with 41 seconds left in Boston's Game 1 loss. Speaking during a playoff game in Indiana, NBA Commissioner David Stern said the league had no choice other than to suspend Rondo.
"I can't allow that," Stern said. "If we don't protect our officials in this fast-paced game with very large players, we've lost a lot in my mind."
The league's assist leader scored 20 points and dished out 11 assists before he was tossed, leaving Boston with a huge hole in its lineup. This is Rondo's second suspension of the season, following a two-game ban in February for throwing a ball at an official.
"That's part of the package with our team. We're a volatile team in a lot of ways," coach Doc Rivers said during a practice at Georgia Tech. "Rondo is an emotional player. ... I like his fire, but sometimes he burns you."
Boston lost both games while Rondo was suspended, but the team is 8-5 overall in games he missed this season.
"This is a resilient basketball team," Rivers said. "That's what we've been all year. Sometimes, it takes this stuff, for whatever reason, to snap us into playing the right way. I don't know whether we're going to win or lose, but I can guarantee you we'll be ready to play."
Rondo was about the only bright spot for Boston in the series opener. He was the lone player hitting consistently from the outside, knocking down 10 of 18 shots, and he did his usual superb job as a floor leader. It was his 24th consecutive game with double-figure assists, and he turned it over only one time.
Then, with the Celtics having trimmed a 19-point deficit down to just four, Brandon Bass went to the court tussling for a loose ball with Atlanta's Josh Smith. Boston thought it should've been a jump ball, but Davis called a foul on Bass. Rondo was outraged, screaming something that immediately drew a technical. With Davis' back turned, the guard jutted out his chest to make contact with the official.
Davis signaled another technical and ejected Rondo from the game. The Hawks held on for an 83-74 victory.
"This was a loose ball foul. Period," Stern said. "The foul called was a clear foul. It was a loose ball foul. Rondo missed it, he got very upset and he lost it. He got a `T' for one and then he bumped the official."
In Stern's opinion, there was nothing accidental about the bump.
"When you put yourself in position to bump somebody, it's intentional," the commissioner said. "If you're asking if the ref bumped back into Rondo, no. "
Atlanta won't have to worry about Rondo at all in Game 2.
"Certainly it changes things a little bit but, with or without him, they've shown they can win," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "They are a veteran ballclub. They've been in those situations where they've had players out. Certainly whether he is there or not, we can't let our guard down."
Second-year player Avery Bradley, who's been starting at shooting guard for the Celtics, will likely shift over to the point to take Rondo's place. The youngster had a rough playoff debut, getting into foul trouble and scoring just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
"He pressed," Rivers said. "I thought he was looking for things. He was looking to shoot instead of cut. When your mind gets too active, it's usually hurts you. I always tell our guys that as a joke, but last night, that probably hurt Avery. He was thinking about what he wanted to do instead of just allowing the game to dictate what he should do."
The 21-year-old Bradley, a first-round pick in 2010, spent time in the D-League during his rookie year but took on a much greater role with the Celtics this season, especially with Ray Allen battling injuries.
Allen missed the final nine games of the regular season and the playoff opener because of an ailing right ankle. He would've undergone surgery if it was earlier in the year, but is trying desperately to make some kind of contribution in the playoffs.
So far, the ankle just isn't responding, and it seems highly doubtful that Allen will be able to go in Game 2
Under no circumstances will Rivers rush the 36-year-old guard back before he is fully recovered - no matter how badly the Celtics need him with Rondo suspended.
SI
Jordan Hill of the LA Lakers Charged with Choking Family Member
Jordan Hill, now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, has just been charged with felony assault for allegedly choking a family member during an altercation in Texas earlier this year, according to TMZ.
The charge was filed by the Harris County District Attorney in Houston. It’s unclear who Hill is accused of attacking.
The alleged incident took place on February 29.
If convicted, Hill faces up to 10 years in prison.
24-year-old Hill was recently traded to the Lakers from Houston in exchange for Derek Fisher … and has become a key member of the team.
A rep for the Lakers tells TMZ: “We are aware of the media reports alleging an incident involving Jordan Hill from two months ago when he was a member of the Houston Rockets.”
“We do not have any details regarding these reports and therefore, as well as due to the personal and legal aspects, it would not be appropriate for us to comment.”
Oh Lawd, Laker fans are holding their collective breath hoping this development won’t impact the team during the NBA playoffs. They entered the playoffs without the services of Metta World Peace, who was suspended for elbowing James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now they may lose Hill, who’s been playing really well coming off the bench.
Roy Hodgson and England: Talks held at Wembley with FA
Roy Hodgson is expected to be confirmed as new England manager on Tuesday following talks with the Football Association.
The West Brom boss held a "positive" four-hour meeting with the the FA's four-man panel at Wembley on Monday.
The 64-year-old left at 1900 BST without making any comment but BBC Sport understands he will be named Fabio Capello's successor on Tuesday.
The FA says Hodgson is the only person they have approached.
Before the FA's approach, Hodgson said he would "be delighted" to manage England .
Hodgson has extensive international experience, having managed Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Finland, and domestic teams in Sweden, Italy and England.
FA chairman David Bernstein said: "Roy is the only manager we have approached and we remain on course to make an appointment within the timescale we set out."
The four-man panel which will decide who takes over from Capello are Bernstein, FA general secretary Alex Horne, FA director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking and managing director of Club England Adrian Bevington.
Bernstein approached West Brom on Saturday and was given permission to speak to Hodgson, who is likely to be appointed on a long-term basis.
It is expected any contract will cover the three tournaments up to and including Euro 2016, at which point he will be two months short of his 69th birthday.
Hodgson's contract with West Brom ends on 30 June.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp had been heavily linked with the job ever since Capello left the post in February, but the FA has decided to discuss the position with Hodgson.
It is understood the FA's main concern about Redknapp was whether he shared their vision for the National Football Centre in Burton, designed as a £100m centre of excellence for coaching.
The FA felt Hodgson would be more willing to lead from the front on that issue.
On Friday, BBC Radio 5 Live's Pat Murphy spoke to Hodgson about the England job, and put it to the West Brom manager that the FA was expected to make a move for Capello's successor this we
"It's news to me," Hodgson said. "I shall just watch like everyone else interested in football to see who the next England manager will be.
"I don't what the plans are of the FA, as I've said all along. They've got a job to do. I'm sure they have looked into the sort of candidates that they consider potentially right for the job.
"No doubt, if you say next week, we'll find out which candidate they have plumped for."
Murphy told Hodgson he "ticked a lot of the boxes", and the West Brom manager replied: "I don't know about that. It's nice of you to say so, but I'm sure there's lots of other people who tick a lot boxes as well."
Hodgson, who had a disappointing time at Liverpool last season, has steered West Brom to mid-table in the Premier League.
In total, he has managed 18 teams either at domestic or international level, including two spells as Inter Milan boss.
And Albion chairman Jeremy Peace remains hopeful he will stay on at the Hawthorns.
Peace said: "Roy has done a fantastic job over the past 15 months and the fact the FA wants to discuss the England role with him is testament to that.
Ferrari prepare to save season at crucial Mugello test
Ferrari head into a major Formula 1 test this week knowing it could make or break their season.
Fernando Alonso has won one of the first four races, but Ferrari have been uncompetitive and will try out new parts they hope will improve their car.
Team boss Stefano Domenicali said it was "clear that we must step up a gear, right from the next race".
"The coming days will be important. The main objective is to push hard on the development of the car."
The test, at Ferrari's Mugello test track in Italy, will feature 11 of the 12 teams - struggling HRT have stayed away to concentrate on the relocation of their factory to Madrid.
Alonso lies fifth in the championship after the first four races of the season - thanks largely to an unexpected victory in the mixed conditions in Malaysia.
The car's overall performance has not been up to Ferrari's usual standards - the Spaniard has not qualified higher than ninth and he finished the other three races in fifth, ninth and seventh places.
Alonso said: "[In] four races, we lost 10 points from the leader of the championship. This is damage limitation big time with our package at the moment.
"But we need to improve, we are in this position thanks to the mixed results we see every weekend - this is helping us.
"But what really matters for us is to improve the package and not depend on results of others. We need to do our proper job, which at the moment we are not doing."
Ferrari have a package of performance upgrades which they hope will leapfrog them up the grid starting from the next race, the Spanish Grand Prix on 13-15 May.
The most visible of these is expected to be a major change to the rear bodywork in an attempt to improve the car's aerodynamics.
Ferrari are believed to be planning to change the shape of the back of the car to one that is similar to that used by Sauber and Red Bull.
If this proves to be the case, the big modification is to remove the large parts of bodywork that stick out towards the rear wheels and to make the back of the car much more tightly waisted.
Part of the design used by Red Bull and Sauber is to place the exhaust exits so the gases combine with the airflow over the car and improve the aerodynamics around the rear wheels and floor.
Ferrari will run in Mugello only some of the planned upgrades they are bringing for the Spanish race - and then not from the start of the test.
Some of the new parts will appear only in Barcelona as Ferrari wanted to give their engineers as much time as possible to develop them before manufacturing them to go on to the car.
The new rear bodywork will be trialled, however.
The test runs from 1-3 May. Alonso will drive on Tuesday and Thursday, with team-mate Felipe Massa driving on Wednesday.
It is the first test to take place during the season since 2008, after which in-season testing was banned on cost grounds.
This year, the teams decided to forego one of their four pre-season tests and move it to May - to help them plan for the start of the 'European season' following the four long-haul races at the start of the year.
Most teams will have race drivers in attendance for at least some of the time.
But McLaren, who have questioned the usefulness of the test, will only use test drivers Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey.
Dwain Chambers eligible after court ruling
Britain's former drugs cheats can compete at London 2012 after a court overturned the British Olympic Association's policy of lifetime bans.
The BOA lost its battle with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
It means sprinter Dwain Chambers, 34, and cyclist David Millar, 35, can try to qualify for Team GB.
"The by-law is a doping sanction and therefore not in compliance with the Wada Code," Cas said.
The BOA had been locked into a lengthy legal battle with Wada over what it said was its right to continue imposing lifetime Olympic bans on British athletes, even after they had served suspensions.
In November, Wada ruled this BOA by-law was not compliant with the Wada code, prompting the BOA to appeal against the decision at Cas.
But Cas has ruled the BOA must comply with Wada, paving the way for British athletes who were banned for life from Olympic competition to be eligible for selection after serving shorter bans.
BOA chairman Lord Moynihan told a news conference: "The BOA are clearly very disappointed in the outcome.
"We must now move the discussion forward. We will seek far-reaching reform, calling for tougher and more realistic sanctions; a minimum of four years including one Games."
The BOA argued that its requirement for athletes to have clean drugs records was part of its Olympic selection criteria and had nothing to do with extending violators' punishments - a view supported by a number of high-profile current British athletes and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Following the ruling, Chambers' lawyer Siza Agha said the BOA had been "crude and defiant" in its determination not to comply with Wada.
Agha said: "In my view, as hosts for the 2012 Olympics, this delicate and emotive issue required international diplomacy, foresight and responsibility.
"What we have received has been a crude and defiant display fuelled by misguided statements such as 'we have standards and the rest of the world doesn't'.
"It has, in my view, been an exposure of colonial arrogance that even the most extreme and blinkered should have realised could only serve to marginalise British opinion on the international stage."
Athletes will still have to reach the Olympic qualifying standard to be considered for selection.
A spokesperson for British Cycling said after the ruling: "Our team for the Games is being selected in June and, across all disciplines, we'll pick the team based on which riders are fit and available, and who we believe have the best chance to deliver medals. Ahead of that we won't be speculating on who may or may not be selected."
China manufacturing activity expands for fifth month
China's manufacturing activity has expanded for the fifth month in a row, easing concerns about a sharp slowdown in the world's second-largest economy.
The official Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) rose to 53.3 in April from 53.1 in March, the statistics bureau said.
China relies heavily on its manufacturing and export sector for growth.
There have been fears that a slowdown in key markets such as the US and Europe might hurt China's economy.
The PMI is a key indicator of manufacturing activity and a reading above 50 shows expansion.
'Signs of life'
The concerns of a global slowdown and its impact on China's economy have seen Beijing take steps to ease monetary policy in order to boost growth.
China's central bank has cut the amount of money that banks need to hold in reserves twice in the past few months, to try and stimulate lending in the country.
The move saw Chinese banks extend 1.01tn yuan ($160bn; £100bn) in new loans in March, much more than the forecast of 800bn yuan.
Analysts said the increased availability of credit had started to have a positive impact on the economy.
"There are signs of life in the economy and things should improve, all underpinned by an easing credit climate," said Ren Xianfeng of IHS Global Insight in Beijing.
US consumer spending rises 0.3% in March
Americans increased their spending by 0.3% in March in a sign of the continuing recovery for the US economy.
The rise, revealed in a Commerce Department report, also showed that personal incomes rose 0.4%.
Economists closely watch consumer confidence and spending patterns because their spending accounts for 70% of economic activity in the US.
Last week, figures showed that US economic growth slowed in the first quarter of the year.
'Healthy trend'
The spending and income data released by the US Commerce Department was more encouraging.
Falling unemployment and relatively warm weather appear to have boosted spending this year.
January to March was the warmest first quarter the US has experienced since 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
That encouraged Americans to dine out and go shopping, economists say.
Spending for February was revised from an increase of 0.8% to 0.9%.
"The trend is good from the perspective that incomes are outpacing spending, so we don't see consumers dipping into savings as much," said Kathy Lien, head of research at GFT Forex.
"Of course, markets like increased spending, but in this situation it's a healthy trend in terms of reducing household debt levels," she said.
The big event for economists this week comes on Friday, with the release of the jobs report for April.
Meanwhile, separate data published on Monday pointed to a slowdown in industrial activity in the US Midwest region.
The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index - which is based on a monthly survey of large businesses in and around the major US city - fell to 56.2 in April, its lowest level in 29 months.
Although the index level indicated that the region's economy was still expanding - as does any reading above 50 - it was much lower than the 61 level expected by economists.
Canada, Barbados ties remain strong
A TOP Canadian business official said Barbados is not a tax haven! Rather, this country is a low tax jurisdiction and everything done here is compliant with Canadian laws.
This vote of confidence in Barbados’ image in the global financial arena, was highlighted yesterday by Honourable Perrin Beatty who is in the island on a two-day visit. France’s President Nicholas Sarcozy had dubbed the island a tax haven.
“Barbados is a low tax jurisdiction, but not a tax haven – everything is compliant with Canadian law,” Beatty said.
He also said that relations between Canada and Barbados remain strong.
Speaking yesterday at the Hilton, Beatty believes that despite the changes in Canadian tax laws which have raised some apprehensions in Barbados, there is great potential in Barbados which still has a competitive advantage.
“The Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAS), do increase the competition for Barbados, but Barbados has a competitive advantage,” he said.
He explained, “First there is expertise that is here that has been built up over years, companies experience services here that are world class and that is a strong competitive advantage , there are a large number of Canadian companies already domiciled here and that creates a critical mass that makes it attractive for others to come.”
Beatty believes that there are a lot of opportunities for Barbados doing more business with Canada . “We have long established relationships, there is an substantial expatriate community in Canada and many Canadians domiciled here as well.”
He said that Canada is a growing economy , and that they have weathered the global recession quite well . “We have virtually no tariffs on goods coming into Canada, a shortage of skills in Canada because our population is aging so the demand for skills has significantly increased. Of course Tourism – the world is becoming a more dangerous place and Barbados hasa reputation for being a place that is safe and welcoming. It is still an attractive market for people looking at vacationing, it is charming, historic and beautiful” he highlighted.
In terms of manufacturing , Beatty said that this country has to pick niches where there are strengths and synergies. “However, manufacturing is a tough sector to be in these days because of competition from Asia so you need to look for areas where they are competitive advantages,” he added.
Barbados Advocate
Acting LIAT CEO resigns
The acting CEO of LIAT Airline, Brian Challenger, has resigned.
Challenger will spend his last day on the job on June 30.
LIAT’s chairman, Jean Holder, says Challenger has made an important contribution to the airline during a difficult period.
No reason was offered for Challenger's decision to quit.
LIAT says Julie Reifer-Jones, its chief Financial Officer, will act as CEO in the interim.
The airline also says active steps are in place to fill the post of CEO as soon as possible.
Delta Airlines to Produce Its Own Jet Fuel
U.S.-based Delta Airlines will soon be the world's first air carrier to produce its own jet fuel.
Delta announced Monday it is buying a struggling oil refinery near Philadelphia from the Phillips 66 oil company for $150 million.
The refinery has been losing money and its owner had planned to shut it down, leading to thousands of job losses.
Delta chief Richard Anderson calls buying a refinery an innovative approach to managing the airline's largest expense.
Delta spent $12 billion on jet fuel last year, which was about 36 percent of its operating expenses.
Delta says making its own fuel will save it about $300 million a year.