2006 FIFA Soccer World Cup Referees About To Be Selected

The 2006 FIFA Soccer World Cup will be held in Germany and, with gametime approaching, the final 44 referee candidates are hoping that they will be among the selected officials chosen to preside over this year’s championship event. "I've prepared well, and I've comfortably overcome every hurdle in this last test," admits Herbert Fandel, Germany's second representative in the refereeing squad. World famous official Markus Merk declares, “I can live with the result now, whichever way it goes. You get highs and lows in any sport.”

The remaining 44 FIFA World Cup 2006 potential referees have recently gone through a final test during a five-day session held near Frankfurt. The selection process will be complete and the results announced at the end of March. While FIFA has yet to decide on the final total number of referees to be used in this year’s World Cup event, the expected number is thought to be no less than 30. “We've done everything we can to ensure the referees correspond to the standards expected of this wonderful World Cup in Germany,” said Angel Maria Villa Llona, who serves as an FIFA Executive Committee member who is responsible for match officials.

The 44 referee soccer World Cup candidates have remained under close observation for an entire year. The FIFA watch has been focused on each domestic league appearance, as well as each international event. “Their performances over the last 12 months are definitely a more important factor than the tests we've performed here," Llona expressed. The observation included a check on the candidate’s skills relating to the English language, the knowledge and understanding of the soccer World Cup rules, psychology and fitness. Referee candidates were required to defeat a time of 6.2 seconds over 40 meters during each of the six consecutive trials. In addition, the potential referees underwent an additional test of strength and exercise with their participation in a 150 meter dash and a 50 meter walk.

Australian candidate Mark Shield explains, “The refs have never been scrutinized for so long and so minutely.” According to experts, the current candidates will be selected to oversee the soccer World Cup championship based solely on their performance. Those who are selected will be given a whistle at the tournament and will continue on to be recognized as game officials.

1,000 Victories and a Place in the Yankee’s History Book

Before 1996 season nobody figured a long term relationship between the Yankees and Joe Torre. Torre got his 1,000th win as Yankees manager, with Hideki Matsui hitting a three-run homer in an 8-5 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday that stretched New York's winning streak to a season-high five games.

Torre has a 1,000-645 record with New York, before him we find Joe McCarthy (1,460), Casey Stengel (1,149) and Miller Huggins (1,067). Torre has the longest uninterrupted term among Yankees managers since Stengel from 1949-60. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and all Yankee fans should be proud of him for the decisions he is making are the right moves and he is a true leader to he team.

Players credit Torre for his even-tempered disposition and ability to handle different personalities, besides he has done just about everything that needed to be done to get the organization back to where it should be.

Torre's road to a thousand Yankees victories has been glorious at times, with six pennants and four World Series titles. Well 1,000 victories are a lot of wins, especially when you sign a two-year contract back in '96 and think about what's happened since then. The Yankee history book is a special place to be for Joe Torre and very well deserved one.

"OTA’s" - What They Mean And What They Can Mean

In recent years in the NFL, the term "OTA" (Organized Team Activity) has come to the forefront this time of year. There are a few reasons for that. One is that the calendar reads May and June, and this is the time of year when activity is at its lowest. The draft is over, free agency, for all intents and purposes, is finished and coaches and staff members are going to cycle into their much-needed vacations.

Another, and perhaps more important reason, is that these OTA’s have come to mean much more to not only the team involved, but to individual players. There are several teams around the league this year that are holding OTA’s that could bear a direct correlation to on-the-field results in 2006. We’ll take a look at a few of them here.

Houston Texans

The Texans have officially cleaned house since the end of the 2005 season. The coach and GM have both moved on, and the team is attempting to implement an entirely new approach both on the field and off as it continues to search for a new general manager. There is a lot to be done in Houston, and the more work the team can get, the better.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have a new coach who’s trying to instill discipline and toughness on a team that has lacked both in recent years. They also have a new QB to acclimate to their offense, and Aaron Brooks needs that same dose of discipline that the rest of the team does, as he’s been error prone in recent years.

New Orleans Saints

For the Saints, everything starts anew this year. There is a new coach, a new QB coming off a serious injury and a new potential superstar whose complete role has yet to be defined. Sean Payton needs to make sure Drew Brees’ shoulder will hold up before he can fashion his offense, and Reggie Bush’s talents are so unique that they really don’t fit a template.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers have a new coach and a slew of young players attempting to earn starting spots all over the roster. Although Brett Favre has always operated in some form of the West Coast offense, he still needs to learn the nuances of Coach Mike McCarthy’s scheme. Their defense will feature several new starters and there’s a new defensive coordinator running the system.

Miami Dolphins

Although the Dolphins don’t have a new coach, they’re in a different situation than the teams above because they’re right on the cusp of the playoffs. In order to reach that potential, though, Coach Nick Saban will have to break in a new QB in Daunte Culpepper, assuming he’s healthy, and fine tune his overall system to ensure that the team takes that next step.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are the choice by many to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Bill Parcells has been building the team his way for two years, and he and Jerry Jones added a player who’s explosive in more ways than one in WR Terrell Owens. Parcells needs to integrate Owens into his offense and instill air-tight team chemistry to keep all the personalities in check. Every detail matters for a team that could go all the way, and Parcells is taking no chances.

Teams have different reasons for their OTA’s, but they are important. Even though they’re considered “voluntary” under the existing CBA, players’ chances to earn starting spots can be damaged if they’re absent, and teams with bigger dreams can have them dashed if they don’t hit the ground running in training camp in July. The teams we see playing into January will most likely be able to look back at a successful OTA season.