Whilst we are in the midst of the most enthralling title race in the BPL era, towards the foot of the table things of an ominous nature appear to be taking shape. If reports of apparent bullying at Villa Park and training ground punch-ups at Swansea were not bad enough for a pair of clubs whose recent form has dragged them into the end of season relegation dog fight, then what to make of the alleged leaking of Cardiffs starting XI ahead of their crucial encounter with fellow strugglers, Crystal Palace on April 5th. Almost a week would pass before we got the first indications of what Cardiff are now alleging. By this point the club had fired a member of staff and suspended another over the leaking of Solskjaers team to their relegation rival. Yesterday the BBC revealed Cardiff, in the form of a five page letter through their lawyers, had filed a formal complaint to the BPL. Within the letter it is alleged they have proof Palace knew the Cardiff team the day before the match. The central character in this saga appears to be Crystal Palaces sporting director Iain Moody, who was head of player recruitment at Cardiff until he was fired without explanation back in November. Cardiff further allege in their letter Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis was aware Moody, through his contacts at the Welsh club, was attempting to obtain the Cardiff team. To his credit, in an interview with a UK tabloid, Moody dismissed the allegations and referred to them as, ‘extraordinarily untrue. Now add this into the mix. Dougie Freedman, who played for Palace in the mid-1990s and went on to manage the club during the 2011/12 season, is alleged by Cardiff to have mistakenly received a text message from Moody on April 4th. The text explicitly detailed Cardiffs starting XI and is also reported to name the source of the leak as Cardiff midfield player, Aron Gunnarsson. Freedman, who had met Cardiff boss Solskjaer when they took their coaching licenses, remained in touch with the ex-Manchester United player and called him after receiving the text. Solskjaer is reported to have not registered any formal complaint but had words with Pulis when they exchanged their team sheets an hour before April 5ths kick off between the two clubs. For its part the BPL, through a spokesperson, said it will stage an investigation. Cardiff is demanding the 3-0 result is nulled. In todays pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrows match against West Ham, Tony Pulis said he was willing to meet the league over the matter. In some circles Pulis is being mentioned as a candidate for the manager of the year following the incredible turn around at Selhurst Park. When the ex-Stoke boss took over in late November the club were firmly rooted at the bottom of the table, remarkably they now sit in mid-table respectability with the 11thspot. No matter what the outcome of the investigation, the fact this is part of the public debate casts significant embarrassment for a league and comes at such a pivotal time of the season. There is no precedent. Comparisons though are been drawn to 2007s relegation battle - when West Ham and Sheffield United were embroiled in legal action following West Hams last day relegation escape, which consigned this seasons FA Cup semi-finalists to the Championship. Carlos Tevez, who was on loan to West Ham, scored the winner at Old Trafford that day in a match they had to win. However, as the Argentine strikers rights at that time were owned by a 3rd party this was in serious contravention of BPL rules. West Ham was found guilty and fined &襛5m by the league. Sheffield United took the matter to court and eventually received &襛18m in compensation from the London club. For the three clubs who will suffer relegation this season to ease their drop into the Championship they will receive so termed ‘parachute payments amounting to approximately $100m over a four-year period. Even so, and as ever increasing amounts of money pours into English footballs top tier, it becomes inevitable clubs threatened by relegation will use any means necessary to secure their place in the most lucrative domestic league in all of world football. Over to you Mr. Scudamore. CITY WORLD BEATERSJust as reports surface UEFA will shortly put the 2012 BPL Champions on the Financial Fair Play naughty step it was revealed in the week by the splendid Sporting Intelligence website no team on planet sport pays more in compensation to their players. Sporting Intelligences annual Global Sports Salaries Survey is carried out in association with ESPN The Magazine. Manchester City players earn on average over $10m a season. Ominously for MLS the New York Yankees came in second place. NYCFC joins the league next season. MANU NYSEStaying with the Manchester, New York, and money theme, shares in Manchester United climbed over 10% Wednesday. The shares, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange, had been trending down since David Moyes took over last July. The dramatic move to the upside is thought to be related to the clubs next apparel deal that is expected to net the club well over $1 billion over a 10-year period. With first option to renew, Nike remain the favourites to secure the deal but reports indicate Manchester United are also in discussions with Adidas and PUMA. ANNUAL BPL GONGSEarlier today the Professional Footballers Association [PFA] released the nominations for this seasons Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. Unsurprisingly, Liverpool dominates the six man shortlist for the main award. Led by captain Steven Gerrard, who won the award in 2006, Suarez and Sturridge also feature. A name that also appears on the shortlist and would have been on no ones thoughts before the season kicked off, is Southamptons Adam Lallana. The 24-year old Sturridge, who has scored 20 league goals this season, is also named in the Young Players category. Winners will be announced at the PFAs banquet April 27th. Cardiff Vs Stoke City - Live on the TSN2 Saturday 9:50am et/6:50am pt You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Giants Jerseys 2020 .Y. -- When the New York Islanders lead was cut in half in the opening minute of the third period, the sense of impending doom began wafting through Nassau Coliseum. Aubrey Huff Jersey . This is not some token job for a prominent, popular former player. All of those areas need a lot of work, so Molitor is going to be busy. "Hes certainly got a history and knowledge and a high baseball IQ," general manager Terry Ryan said. https://www.cheapjerseysgiants.us/806u-willie-montanez-jersey-giants.html . Kalish got his first hit since Sept. 11, 2012, when he rapped an RBI triple in the first inning Sunday in the Chicago Cubs 8-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Stu Miller Jersey . The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle. Dave Kingman Jersey .C. -- Martin Kaymer set a U.Remember when Alonzo Mourning refused to play in Canada? How about Raptor power forward Antonio Davis? After blossoming into an All Star in Toronto, he opted out of his contract because he felt uncomfortable that his kids were singing O Canada. And learning the metric system. These were actual reasons he gave. I do not predict Amir Johnson feeling similarly. Something is happening — has happened — and it is a genie for whom the bottle will forever be too cramped. Turns out, after two decades of tumult and failure, subtly and steadily, Toronto has turned into a basketball mecca. In a fitting end to the roundball dominance of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, each respectively has been or is being upset by Wizards, common decency and your Toronto Raptors. This isnt emphatic hype from a success-starved fan. This is real. This is how the future of Toronto basketball is going to play out. (Results guaranteed or your money back.) First, Toronto is going to beat the Brooklyn Nets. They are going to do this because they are faster, stronger, better coached and more talented. My words to Garnetts ears, I think theyre tougher too. Id confidently go to battle against KG, Pierce and Deron Williams with Lowry, Amir and Jonas. (Toronto can also selectively deploy Tyler Hansbrough, forcing Brooklyn to be mindful of his ever-present Metta World Peace potential. Observe when Hansbrough is deployed in a game. Always during a "Charles Oakley moment" when a teammate is being manhandled or has taken a series of tough fouls, and it is time for a guy made of elbows to contribute. Last game he played for 8 minutes, committed 3 fouls, and even touched the ball a few times.) The only reason the series goes seven is Torontos lack of experience. Heading into Game 5, the Raptors are now nearing the point of enough collective savvy and bend-but-dont-break guile to beat these paper tigers. The New Jersey Nets of Brooklyn are going down. (Sidenote on Donald Sterling: I would be neglectful not to mention the shadow hanging over an otherwise terrific first round of NBA playoffs. This is a teachable moment to talk about prejudice, especially when a Toronto club has experienced something similar. Remember when Harold Ballard warned us of the Soviet threat in 1979, proclaiming no Russian would ever play for the Maple Leafs, that they were "parasites and barnacles who steal our money?" I think Nikki Borschevsky told me that story. It was just the kind of boldly regressive, anti-humanistic rhetoric which helped spurn a generation of iconic movie villains from Ivan Drago to Boris the Blade. We may never see the same yield of film icons, but after commissioner Adam Silvers welcome and decisive announcement, I guarantee this whole affair ends in the plus column. Before you can explain to your mother that "Instagram is like Twitter with more pets," Magic Johnson will own an NBA team and Donald Sterling will not. Let him waste away in his underground lair, using his billions for, oh, I dont know, drumming up support to bomb North Korea? Backing anti-climate change lobbyists? Pouring millions into Monsantos nuclear corn division? Im not really sure what super-villains are into these days.) Speaking of villains, up next will be Miami, a team Toronto will not get past. This second round series is whats known in the business as "valuable experience". Any team on its way up bonds, grows and learns how to win by getting beat bby the best.dddddddddddd Do not be surprised when T.O. finds a way to win a game, maybe two (possibly three). This years Heat have a touch of the Nets in them (see: slow, creaky). They also have Lebron so they will be winning. 2014/15. Critical mass. The season NBA fans will remember as the Canadian Invasion. The one lasting achievement of the Vince Carter-era is inspiring a generation of local athletes to basketball greatness. The talent emerging is staggering, and some of it a credit to Carter as the deified player who sparked their imagination as kids. He, and two-time MVP Steve Nash, have long been the main influences for young Canadian ballers. In 1996, Nash was drafted 15th overall, the highest pick in NBA history for a Canuck. But years would pass. Bill Wennington would retire. Carter would move on to half-ass it in other cities. The Northern Uprising would start afresh in 2011, when Cleveland drafted Toronto-native Tristan Thompson 4th overall, a new record. Emerging San Antonio Spurs point guard Cory Joseph, a native of nearby Pickering, was drafted 29th. By 2012, a record five Canadians would be drafted, led by Orlando forward Andrew Nicholson (taken 19th). 2013 would be uncharted territory for Canadian ball. It was the first time two Canadians were selected in the lottery, including 13th selection, Toronto-native Kelly Olynyk and, shockingly, another Toronto-native, Anthony Bennett, going first overall. FIRST OVERALL. And he wasnt supposed to be the guy to accomplish that. That honour was being reserved for 2014s expected draft class hero, Raptor fan, and Toronto-native Andrew Wiggins (note the geographic trend). He may still wind up chosen first overall. Highly-touted Toronto-born Tyler Ennis is also declaring for this years draft and expected to go in the first round. 7-foot-5-inch Sim Bhullar (of Toronto) has a chance to be drafted as the first NBA player of Indian descent. Mississauga-native Nik Stauskas is considered a potential lottery pick. The list is long. Peruse the 2014 mock draft board. I did the math. Toronto is the best represented city in the world. Though the seminal players in Torontos basketball history may not be the most beloved, Marcus Camby, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh represent a considerable quantity of upper echelon talent which will someday appear as the bedrock on to which greater success was built. They are testament that superstars can be developed in Toronto, in Canada, where Vince Carter led fan voting for the All Star game four times, and Terrence Ross has been turning on young fans with dunk championship flare. More winning will build more local talent. Perceptions will change. A noteworthy cogitation to pull all this accounting together. It is entirely plausible there could come a day — there will come a day — when great players around the league are nagging their agents, opting out of contracts early, even colluding with their talented buddies...to come to Toronto. With so much homegrown talent pouring into the league, the standard could well be broken soon, where the prominent talents want to come to Toronto rather than dismiss it. To some extent, it is going to happen. To what extent, will be exciting to witness. >> Gallays Poll #8 << Who would you most like to see receive a hard foul from Tyler Hansbrough?(A) Kevin Garnett (most likely)(B) Jason Kidd (less likely)(C) Jay-Z (unlikely)(D) All of the above (almost certainly) ' ' '