By Sam Wechsler – Talk Radio News Service

The 2009 Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) Cup kicked off Friday in Washington, DC at the Washington Kastles’ stadium.

The tournament consists of 16 teams, all comprised of homeless individuals, ranging from New York City to Los Angeles.

Some of the teams have been practicing several days a week in order to prepare for the tournament, while others have never played as a unit before.

The Finals are played Sunday afternoon at the Kastles’ stadium, and the winning team receives the Leonsis Trophy which is named after Ted Leonsis, a sponsor of the SSUSA Cup.

The top eight players in the tournament showing tremendous leadership, sportsmanship, and skill, will be chosen to represent the USA in the Homeless World Cup. Forty-eight countries will send national teams to the Homeless World Cup this September in Milan, Italy.

On Wednesday night Republican and Democratic congressmen faced off against one another at Nationals Park in the 48th annual Congressional Baseball Game. The Democrats won the game 15-10 in seven innings.

Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), who said he started warming up his arm months ago for this game, pitched all seven innings for the Democrats. The Democrats won the game for the first time since 2000. Baca stated after the game that the team was inspired by the election of President Obama this year, and that it was time for change both on and off the field.

The home-team Democrats started off the scoring with a six-run second inning against GOP starter Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), but the Republicans quickly answered in the top of the third inning with six runs themselves.

The Democrats, aided by several fielding errors and walks, then scored nine runs in the bottom of the third off of reliever Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.). The Republicans mounted a small comeback in the top of the seventh and final inning, but their three runs were not enough to win the game.

By Sam Wechsler-Talk Radio News Service

Two bills pertaining to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which required schools and universities to provide equal opportunities for men and women both academically and athletically, are being reintroduced into the House and Senate. The bills, which were introduced by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Olympia Snow (R-Maine), would require high schools to release data to the public on the number of student-athletes by gender, expenditures on athletic programs, and coaches’ salaries.

Former Senator Birch Bayh, known as the father of Title IX, spoke of the greater importance of the law. “[Participation in athletics generates] better grades, lower dropouts, less truancy, less unwanted pregnancy, less smoking, and less drug use,” he said.

American gold medalist gymnast Dominique Dawes commented on the importance of women’s participation in sports as well. She stated that women who participate in sports will learn about their physical and mental health and will be less likely to suffer from negative self-esteem.

Slaughter stated that there are 1.3 million fewer athletic opportunities for women. “We’re still a ways away from our goal of providing equal educational opportunity both academically and athletically,” said Bayh.

By Sam Wechsler – Talk Radio News Service

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic in Orlando Sunday night to win the 2008-09 NBA finals. The Lakers won the seven-game series 4-1 to give the franchise its 15th NBA title.

Head Coach Phil Jackson now has won a record 10 NBA titles, winning six with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and four with Bryant and the Lakers. With this most recent title, Jackson is now arguably the greatest NBA Head Coach of all time. The win gives Bryant his first title without Shaquille O’Neal.

The Lakers won two games during the series in overtime and two others handily in regulation. They broke away from the Magic and never looked back in Sunday night’s game thanks to a 16-0 run during the second quarter, and they ended up winning 99-86.

The Magic, a team that relies predominantly on three-point shots, struggled in game 5 due to their ineffective 29.6% from behind the arc, compared to the Lakers’ stellar 50%. The Magic were also hampered by Dwight Howard’s foul trouble; he had 5 before the fourth quarter began.

Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher all helped Bryant immensely in earning the NBA finals victory. Fisher hit a key three-pointer in game 4 to send it to overtime, and Gasol contributed to Dwight Howard’s foul trouble. Odom was effective coming off the bench scoring 17 points, second on the team to Bryant’s 30.