Today marks the first full day of baseball’s Winter Meetings, that wonderful annual gathering in which baseball executives text each other trade proposals in closer physical proximity to one another than is usually the case while baseball writers repeatedly get drunk at the same hotel bar. This special event comes with its own vocabulary. Here, then, is a guide to all the terms one might need to know: Kicking the tires on: This term uses the popular baseball slang “tires,” which is another term for “knees.” In this scenario, the interested team is kicking the player in question in the knees repeatedly to analyze his capacity for pain. Making strong push for: The team demonstrates its strength to an attractive free agent by inviting him to watch the general manager move a football blocking sled. Closing in on: The team’s front office will surround the player until he has no choice but to listen to an offer. (The popularity of this technique and the need to be competitive here is responsible for the growing size of baseball operations staff in recent years.) Willing to listen to offers: The general manager of a club has written his last will and testament, designating a lower-ranking staffer to entertain potential deals on his behalf once he has been fired for exploiting Latin American teens. Checking in on: The team sends an unpaid intern to wake the player periodically throughout the night and see how he is doing. This provides important information on both the player’s sleep patterns and the cleanliness of his bedroom. Trade scenario: A beloved Jerry Dipoto fantasy that never loses its allure, no matter how many times he finds himself returning to it. Have been in touch with: The team has extended an offer to the player to join them for a viewing of three to five episodes of Kiefer Sutherland’s short-lived FOX drama Touch. High on wish list: Every team, at all times, has a piece of paper on which they write the free agents they’d most like to pursue. If they are particularly interested in a player, the team will grind the paper into a powder which the player then smokes, until he can be said to be high on their wish list. Hot stove: A.J. Preller is in the kitchen, one extra button undone on his ill-fitting shirt, heating up canned soup. Relatedunderdog fantasy reviewparlayplay online reviewsleeper fantasy app reviewdabble app reviewowners box fantasydraftkingsfan duel fantasy ratingunderdog bonus offersparlayplay promo codeshow to get sleeper bonus betsdabble offersowners box offerdraftkings fantasy new customer bonusfanduel fantasy deposit bonus
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Vasco da Gama chiefs are prepared to go the extra mile to keep the veteran midfielder at the club, but a difficult financial situation could prove to be a problem.
A Bola understands that the player himself is not interested in contract extension and is ready for a new challenge.
New York Red Bulls are keen to add the Brazilian to their star-studded squad that already contain the likes of Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill and Rafa Marquez.
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Arsenal will qualify for a 17th successive UEFA Champions League campaign with victory over West Brom in the Premier League on Sunday.
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Everton have lost to both Crystal Palace and Southampton in recent weeks, while Arsene Wenger s side have bounced back from their Goodison Park loss with three straight Premier League wins scoring nine goals in the process.
However, Arsenal, now four points clear of Everton, have…
In an interview with Spanish sports paper Marca, Luis Aragones spoke about the mental change his selection underwent during their successful Euro 2008 tournament.
The 69 year old manager, for whom the Euro 2008 final was his last match with the Spanish national team, explained that the quarter final match with Italy made the difference.
Beating Italy changed the team s psychology. Iker [Casillas] said that he was tired of not surviving the quarter finals. At the World Cup in Germany everybody including myself had less experience. France scored a goal against us, which surely they wouldn t have done now.
Aragones went on to compare the Spanish team with the Brazilian World Cup winning squad of 1970.
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Espanyol have confirmed that coach Javier Aguirre will leave the club at the end of the season.
The Mexican joined the Catalan outfit midway through the 2012-13 campaign and guided the club to a 13th-placed finish at the end of that term.
They have experienced a similar season this time around, currently lying 12th in La Liga with one match left to play, away to Real Madrid on Saturday.
It has been a disappointing end to the campaign, however, with Espanyol s last league win coming against Malaga on March 25.
In a press conference on Friday, club president Joan Collet confirmed the announcement.
I thank Aguirre and I wish you all the luck in the world, he said.
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Luis Suarez has officially re-joined his first club Nacional in his native Uruguay.
The 35-year-old, who was a free agent after leaving Atletico Madrid at the end of last season, announced on Tuesday that an agreement was in place to return to Nacional.
That transfer officially went through on Wednesday, though the length of the contract was not disclosed by the South American club.
I am proud to wear this shirt again, Suarez posted on Twitter. Thank you for all your support. See you soon!
Ahora sí,OFICIALMENTE! !
Un orgullo volver a vestir mi camiseta en ! Gracias a todos por el apoyo! NOS VEMOS PRONTO.
— Luis Suarez (@LuisSuarez9)
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I was motivated by the challenge, because the history of this club is very large and has a staff full of quality, Heinze said after being unveiled as the new coach.
<…
Laurent Blanc has wished his successor good luck after his departure from Paris Saint-Germain was announced on Monday.
Former France coach Blanc spent three years at the PSG helm, guiding the club to a trio of Ligue 1 titles and completing a second successive domestic treble last season.
However, failure to progress beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League during his tenure led to president Nasser Al-Khelaifi branding 2015-16 a failure .
Blanc has subsequently left his position at the Parc des Princes and was gracious in his parting words.
11 Laurent Blanc has won 11 titles in all comps with Paris, the most for a manager of the Parisian club. Exit.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean)
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Fallen giants Leeds United pleaded guilty to a Football Association charge of using an unlicensed agent on Wednesday.
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