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Joshua Wells makes, of course, a triumphant return to TSG

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There has always been a conflict between keeping athletes safe in college and professional sports and preserving the excitement of the game.

In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt felt it was necessary to step in and reform the way college football was played.

A year earlier, eighteen players had been killed on college gridirons.  Rules were added to the college game making it safer, including extending the yards needed for a first down to ten from five, adding a neutral zone to the line of scrimmage, limiting the number of running backs, legalizing the forward pass, and increasing penalties for personal fouls.

In the 1990s, the NBA went through a series of rule changes designed to limit physicality in the game and increase scoring.  While player safety wasn’t at the core of the NBA’s motivation for changing the rules, the evolution was positive for the sport.  The eliminating of hand checking in 1994 and using a forearm on players facing the basket in 1997 allowed for the current resurgence of the NBA on the back of a faster paced game with increased scoring.

The NFL is going through its own series of controversial rule changes designed to protect players, especially skill players, from concussions and other major injuries.

Youch!

The league eliminated the horse collar tackle after Roy Williams brought down Terrell Owens with the back of his shoulder pads, breaking his leg.  Defenders were no longer allowed to tackle at the knees of a defenseless quarterback after Bernard Pollard took out Tom Brady’s knee in the first week of the 2008 season.  A series of rules of been instituted to protect defenseless receivers from the brain rattling hits that formerly defined the league and made SportsCenter worth watching.

Each of these rule changes had a major impact on how their respective sports were played.  You could argue that these rule adaptations changed the sport into something entirely different than they were before.  The NBA has gone from a game dominated by post players to a game that is dominated by athletic guard play.  Gone are the days when a Tree Rollins could eke out a 15-year career just because he was huge.  Similarly, in the NFL, the Patriots are the Super Bowl favorite over the New York Giants despite having the lowest ranked defense to ever make it to the NFL’s biggest game.

As we near the end of the January transfer window, it seems that the Barclays Premier League is going through a similar transition.

Long known as the domain of hard men, harder tackles, and a pace that makes La Liga and Serie A look like their players are playing in a bog, this season has seen a trend that may slow the pace down and eliminate the value of some of the enforcers who have long been considered essential to football in England.

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LeToux: Not Bolton, VC-be?

Our friends over at The Brotherly Game have been all over this one.

The Philadelphia Union looking to deal–yes deal–perennial MVP candidate Sebastien Le Toux in the wake of Bolton taking a pass on bringing him across the pond.

Rumored destination? None other than the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Further, reports afoot suggest that the Union are attempting to make an out-and-out purchase of midfield component Roger Torres (part of the Luis Gil, Dilly Duka Super Mario triumvirate) from his Colombian side América de Cali by dealing both Le Toux and letting fellow Colombian keeper Faryd Mondragon return home.

As we asked earlier Monday, what in the world is up with the Union? Who is shuffling in and who is shuffling out?

Some quick news notes:

• Oh Boy, Oh Boyd!

holla'Portland...

Kris Boyd–he of the recent excursion to Dynamo country–is not earmarked for Stumptown USA, the Portland Timbers. Boyd will join as a designated player.

The flip from Boyd to Cooper will be contrasting for P-Town fans as Boyd’s game more closely dovetails with Diego Chara’s–a little bit of nastiness and solid in partnership. Boyd, a former teammate of Maurice Edu at Rangers, can put the ball in the back of the net and it sure seems like John Spencer is building a grittier team than 2011′s.

Want somebody on the end of those crosses other than Futi Danso. Portland, you’ve got your man.

In a Timbers offense that will rely on attacking carriage of Diego Chara and Darlington Nagbe, Boyd is the type of player with just the right economy of motion to make it work.

For the Dynamo, they miss out on another potential DP and–having been unable to re-secure Brian Ching–look to be limping already into the 2012 season. Chris Canetti and company would be wise to look for better matches just south of the border or into Central America like their brethren FC Dallas than to pine for Europeans.

• Philadelpia Tumult

The Union about to learn a whole lot more about Carlos Valdez this year. The defender of the year candidate along with rejuvenated Danny Califf authored the about face of Philly’s defense from problematic in 2010 to stout in 2011.

Gone now is Faryd Mondragon who early on in last year’s campaign was a Newcomer of the Year candidate. Now the Union will find out just how good both Valdez and youngster keeper Zac MacMath as Mondragon departs for his native Colombia. Given that the Union have played merry-go-midfielder over the past 6 months, that defense could get tested a lot more.

Where is LeToux, Mwanga, Adu these days? Does anyone know for sure?

• USA vs……Scotland?

A rumored USA-Scotland in the works for Jacksonville in May. That’s great. Someone remind US Soccer that San Francisco hasn’t been earthquaked in the Pacific yet.

After working USSF to be sanctioned for 2012 despite not meeting the requisite requirements, the Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPS) suspended operations today for the 2012 season.

The main culprit per league messaging: the mounting legal bills of attempting to finally close the Dan Borislow ownership situation. (If you remember, coming out of Women’s World Cup 2011, the league engaged in a lengthy and vitriol-filled battled with the Florida-based club owner, much to the detriment it appear of its bank account and it’s ability to grow the league.)

Details are still forthcoming. Click here for more info from the source material.

by Maura Gladys

Five games, nine days and 39 goals. That’s what it took for the U.S. women’s national team to win the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying

One of the few negatives....

Tournament and book their ticket to this summer’s London Olympic Games. The U.S. steamrolled the opposition, beating Dominican Republic 14-0, Guatemala 13-0, Mexico 4-0, Costa Rica 3-0 and Canada 4-0. No question, the U.S. flat out dominated. But there was a weird tone to the whole affair. From a devastating injury to a key player, to the discussion stemming from two double-digit blowouts, there really wasn’t that unabashed joy and celebration that we saw at last summer’s World Cup. A few key takeaways from the tournament:

Krieger’s injury

Just 40 minutes into the tournament, right back Ali Krieger fell victim to an unnecessary tackle from Dominican Republic that completely tore her right ACL and partially tore her right MCL, sidelining her for the foreseeable future and throwing an appearance at the Olympic Games into question.

The injury is a crushing blow to the USWNT. Krieger is the best right back in the world, and her absence, no matter who fills that slot, will be felt. One of the most dependable players on the field, Krieger paired with Heather O’Reilly can consistently dominate the right side.

Sundhage was able to cover up Krieger’s absence on the fly with a variety of players including Heather Mitts, Rachel Buehler and Kelley O’Hara. But moving forward, Sundhage will have to do some serious searching to find Krieger’s replacement. Mitts had a solid tournament but the 33-year-old’s best days are behind her. O’Hara showed promise, but will need more time to acclimate to the position. Becky Sauerbrunn is another potential candidate. A natural center back, Sauerbrunn has the ability to make the switch, and also brings a calming, even-keeled demeanor similar to Krieger’s.

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The bench-bound scoring "siren"....

John Nyen on the enigma that is Sir Carlos Tevez

The man on the keyboards pounds out the rhythms to the beat as the two brothers swap verses.

Of the two front men, one is a skinnier kid, while the other is dressed in a soccer kit. The man in the jersey looks a bit uncomfortable on the stage but the band Piola Vago has had some success over the years. They even managed to hit the charts in Argentina with their song “Lose Your Control”.

This situation is truly the oddness of Carlos Tevez. Soccer player, singer, father, and one of the best players alive, he hasn’t played professional soccer since September 2011.

In the years since the decline of Fernando Torres, the wavering form of Wayne Rooney and the aging of Didier Drogba; Carlos Tevez was among, if not, THE leading goal scorer in the Barclay’s Premier League. A devastating combination of skill, power and determination, Tevez is also gifted with the ability to play exceptionally well and still be hated by his current team.

Truly a unique characteristic.

This is a player that scored 52 goals in two years and 86 goals in four. He was Manchester City’s player of the year in 2009-10, the fans player of the year in 2009-10 and the joint top scorer in the premier league in 2010-11.

This is also a player that, through shady business deals and management, had a hand in seriously damaging West Ham United (20 million pound settlement paid to Sheffield United over 5 years and a 5.5 million pound fine) and relegating Sheffield United.

Tevez on his short London sojourn...

Yet when he returned to West Ham–playing for Manchester United–he was saluted by the Hammers fans in song and crossed his arms in front of the United kit much like the Hammers cross on the West Ham crest.

Odd.

Tevez’s contract was partially owned by the now infamous Kia Joorabchian’s Media Sports Investments and the STILL infamous Kia Joorabchian’s Just Sports Inc.

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