We continue to receive official statements from sports and political figures, remembering the life of former Buffalo Bill and longtime Western New York Congressman, Jack Kemp.

You can read them, in their entireties, here.

The Buffalo Bills:
"We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Kemp. Jack remains a legendary figure in our team's history, having led our 1964 and '65 teams to the American Football League Championship titles. His many outstanding unique qualities made him the exemplary role model of leadership for our team and later for our country. While today's news brings us much sadness, we cherish the many fond memories of Jack the loving husband and father, Jack the quarterback and Jack the congressman and we celebrate his life well lived. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Joanne and their entire family."

Former President George W. Bush:
"[Kemp] will be remembered for his significant contributions to the Reagan revolution and his steadfast dedication to conservative principles."

New York State Senator Charles Schumer:
"Jack Kemp was a fine and good person in every way. He was a great athlete, an honorable and hard working elected official who had a profound effect on Buffalo and the country, and a good friend. I join the millions of people who mourn his loss."

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele:
"For over three decades Jack Kemp was a standard-bearer for economic conservatism and lower taxes within the Republican Party. From his 18 years spent representing upstate New York in the United States House of Representatives, to his four years as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George H. W. Bush, to his work with Empower America, to his selection as the 1996 Republican vice-presidential nominee, Mr. Kemp was a tireless proponent of America's entrepreneurial and political spirit.

On a personal note, Jack was a dear friend and mentor. He would often remind me what it meant to be a 'Lincoln Republican.' Through his words and deeds, he inspired a new generation of republican activists. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Joanne and their children, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Judith and Jimmy and the entire Kemp family as we thank them for sharing the life of Jack Kemp, with the American people."

New York State Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb:

"The passing of Congressman Jack Kemp is a tragic loss for his family, our state and the entire nation. From the courageous leadership he regularly displayed on the gridiron, to the bold vision he possessed as a Member of Congress, Jack Kemp was a 'New York original' in every sense of the word. He was a great Republican who had a genuine compassion for the less fortunate. Jack Kemp understood that public policies fostering job creation, a stronger economy and real tax relief were about more than just dollars and cents - they were about empowering people so they could realize their dreams and achieve a better quality of life. Jack Kemp had a passionate, committed work ethic that any Buffalo Bills fan would be proud of. Our Assembly Republican Conference offers its condolences and prayers to his immediate family, his extended Western New York family, the great State of New York, and a grateful nation."

New York State (26th Dist.) Congressman Chris Lee:

"I was saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Kemp, and I know the thoughts and prayers of all Western New Yorkers are with his loved ones at this difficult hour.

Jack's standing as one of the great Buffalo Bills of all time is often mentioned after his work as a reformer and great statesman. That is a testament to his prolific accomplishments and the incredible legacy of service to our nation he leaves behind."

Erie County Republican Chairman Jim Domagalski:

"I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of a great American, former Congressman, HUD Secretary and Vice Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp.

Jack Kemp was a passionate conservative Republican who staunchly believed in the free market system and empowering individuals to realize the American dream. He was a tireless advocate for Buffalo and Western New York acting as the standard bearer for his successors in Congress, Bill Paxon, Tom Reynolds and Chris Lee.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Kemp family during their time off loss. Jack Kemp's leadership, love of his country and activism will be sorely missed."

New York State Governor David Paterson:

"Last night, we learned of the passing of Jack Kemp, who dedicated his life to public service, including nine terms representing Western New York in Congress.

Whether it was quarterbacking the Buffalo Bills to two American Football League Championships in the mid-sixties, serving as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George H.W. Bush, or running for vice president in 1996, Mr. Kemp was a leader who passionately participated in our national debate. He epitomized Theodore Roosevelt's 'Man in the Arena,' providing ideas and taking action on issues important to the Buffalo area, New York State and nation.

On behalf of all New Yorkers, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jack Kemp. Mr. Kemp will be forever linked to Western New York and we will remember his many years of dedicated service."

President Barack Obama:

"Jack Kemp's commitment to public service and his passion for politics influenced not only the direction of his party, but his country. From his tenure as a Buffalo congressman to his ascent in national politics, Jack Kemp was a man who could fiercely advocate his own beliefs and principles while also remembering the lessons he learned years earlier on the football field: that bitter divisiveness between race and class and station only stood in the way of the 'common aim of a team to win.' Michelle and I extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the entire Kemp family."

Conservative Party of NYS Chairman, Michael R. Long:

"The best way to honor the memory of Congressman Jack Kemp would be to emulate his life. Congressman Kemp, was a good friend of the Conservative Party.

From his football years, winning two AFL Championships, to his personal life, Jack Kemp lived by the values he brought to Congress. While there, Kemp was a pro-life, pro-school-prayer, pro-civil-rights, enthusiastic supporter of supply-side economics; the theory that believes in allowing people to keep more of what they earned by cutting tax rates, thereby fueling the growth of economy.

History has proved him right."

Blessed with millions of dollars at a young age, professional athletes often seem more concerned with inane spending and unwise investments than savings accounts and 401Ks. And that doesn’t even mention their tax return mistakes, of which there are enough to make Timothy Geithner embarrassed. From fleets of cars to yachts to entourages to even Bengal tigers, the ways some athletes chose to spend their money is comical at best and ignorant at worst.

In August of 2007, a federal marshal seized Latrell Sprewell’s $1.5 million yacht (famously named “Milwaukee’s Best”) after Sprewell had failed to pay his mortgage on the boat. He also lost his house, and now the state of Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit for unpaid taxes. This all, of course, comes after Sprewell turned down a three-year, $21-million contract, saying, “I have a family to feed.”

Some athletes prefer to travel extravagantly by land instead of sea, however. Take former Red Sox slugger Jack Clark, for example. One story says Clark was once on his way to the ballpark for a game when he passed a car lot. Clark saw something he liked and dropped in to buy two sports cars for $90,000 each before continuing on to the game. At the time he filed for bankruptcy, Clark still owed money on 17 of his 18 automobiles.

Clark and Sprewell lost their fortunes in a hurry, but perhaps there’s no faster fall from grace than Michael Vick. In 2006, Sports Illustrated estimated that Vick made $25.4 million. Now, he owes well over $10 million to a variety of different companies. How did Vick go from being one of the highest paid athletes to owing millions? The entourage didn’t help, especially since he was spending about $300,000 a month to support friends and family. But a bigger financial gaffe was entrusting his money to a woman who is now banned from working with any firm that trades on the NYSE because she bilked two old women out of $150,000, and a man who’s been accused of defrauding church members. His finances were such a mess that the bankruptcy judge appointed a trustee to help him out. But don’t feel sorry for Vick just yet – in an effort to pay down his debt, Vick will be selling three of his six homes.

Yachts? Six homes? That’s more luxurious than what most of us get to enjoy, but it’s nothing compared to the spending done by Mike Tyson. He might be the most well-known fighter of his generation, but if there was one thing Tyson was better at than boxing, it was spending money. In 2003, he filed for bankruptcy after his debt reached over $27 million, about half of which was to the IRS. What was he spending all his money on? For starters, two Bengal tigers for $140,000, for which he also had to pay a trainer $125,000 a year. But that was just a drop in the bucket. There was also the $4.5 million he spent on cars, and perhaps the most inane purchase of all, a bathtub for his first wife, Robin Givens, at a cost of $2 million.

AP – In this Dec. 30, 2007, file photo, Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler pitches the ball out against …

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Jay Cutler got his wish Thursday: a ticket out of Denver. And the Chicago Bears have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades. The Broncos on Thursday traded their disgruntled Pro Bowl passer to the Bears, who've gone through a bevy of quarterbacks without much success ever since Jim McMahon was calling plays in the 1980s.

The Broncos get quarterback Kyle Orton in return, along with two first-round draft picks and a third-rounder.

The Broncos get the Bears' top pick in this year's draft, which is No. 18 overall, and Chicago's first-round draft pick in 2010, along with a third-round selection this year (No. 84 overall). Denver also gave up a fifth-rounder this year.

Calls to Cutler's agent, Bus Cook, went unanswered. His office in Hattiesberg, Miss., was closed because of bad weather and his home phone had a message asking callers to call back later. An e-mail sent by The Associated Press wasn't returned.

Cutler asked for a trade last month after his relationship with Josh McDaniels soured when the new 32-year-old coach talked to other teams about trading him. Cutler and his agent didn't think McDaniels was upfront with them about the trade talks.

Two meetings designed to clear the air only raised Cutler's level of distrust. Still, McDaniels insisted over and over that Cutler was his guy and he said at last week's NFL owners meetings that he would do everything he could to repair their relationship.

When the rocket-armed but thin-skinned passer didn't return the Broncos' phone calls, however, team owner Pat Bowlen said enough was enough. On Tuesday night, he announced he had given his new brain trust of McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders the go-ahead to seek a trade for the quarterback who made the Pro Bowl in just his second season as a starter.

Now, the Bears have a top quarterback, albeit one with baggage.

"I don't have any concerns," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. "(Coach Lovie Smith) and I talked about that. We did, like a lot of people who were interested in Jay, a lot of work going back to not just when he was with Denver (but) but going back to his days at Vanderbilt."

Angelo said area scout Rex Hogan lives in the Nashville area and developed a "great rapport" with Cutler coming out of Vanderbilt in 2006.

"We felt that (Cutler) is a very good person, a good leader," Angelo said. "He had some things that happened in Denver. We recognized those, but we treated them as just speed bumps, part of the growing process. He's highly competitive, he's highly emotional. That just comes with the territory."

Although Cutler is 17-20 as a starter, he's been victimized by dismal defenses in Denver, and he was an impressive 13-1 when the Broncos held opponents to 21 points or fewer.

Last year, Cutler threw for a franchise record 4,526 yards, 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. In his 37-game career in Denver, he completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 9,024 yards, 54 TDs and 37 interceptions.

Although he was prone to mistakes, his bold and at times risky play wasn't just tolerated but encouraged by former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who would often laud Cutler for not just dumping off short passes to pad his statistics but instead dared to go downfield, even into coverage. He said that trait would make him great one day.

Cutler's inability to quickly fulfill that forecast cost Shanahan his job on Dec. 30 after the Broncos missed the playoffs for the third straight year.

Cutler wasn't happy about Shanahan's firing. And he was upset when his position coach, Jeremy Bates, bolted for Southern Cal because McDaniels will be the one calling plays in Denver now.

When he hired McDaniels, Bowlen proclaimed that Cutler "is the man around here, now."

That didn't last long.

Cutler started to get over Shanahan's dismissal and Bates' departure and he told McDaniels in February he was eager to learn his new offense. But that all changed on Feb. 28, when Cutler learned McDaniels had talked about trading him to Tampa Bay in a three-way deal that would have brought McDaniels' protege, Matt Cassel, from New England to Denver.

McDaniels had tutored Cassel, who led New England to an 11-5 record after Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in the opener last year.

That sent McDaniels' stock soaring and landed him in Denver as Shanahan's successor.

It seemed like the perfect match: the rocket-armed passer meets the offensive guru.

But McDaniels' dalliance with his former pupil blew up in his face when he didn't clue in Cutler, and now McDaniels begins his era in Denver by chasing off his 25-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback — and he'll have to face Cassel twice a year because the Patriots ended up sending his protege to Kansas City instead.

As for Cutler, he won't have to ditch his West Coast style for the intricate Patriots-style offense.

He might be going to one of the teams he rooted for as a kid growing up in Santa Claus, Ind., but he's also leaving a great pocket of protection in Denver, where left tackle Ryan Clady is considered the best young tackle in the game, and a great bunch of receivers led by fellow Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. Behind young tackles Clady and Ryan Harris, Cutler's offensive line allowed just a dozen sacks.

The Bears, however, signed free agent left tackle Orlando Pace on Thursday.

Denver now has Orton, fellow newcomer Chris Simms and Darrell Hackney at quarterback.

Simms, who signed a two-year, $6 million free agent deal ostensibly to serve as Cutler's backup, has thrown just two passes since undergoing emergency surgery to remove his spleen after a game in 2006. Hackney's next NFL pass will be his first.

Angelo made it clear in December, after his team went 9-7 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year — that solidifying the quarterback spot was his top priority. Now, he has a Pro Bowler.

"When you just look at the history of the league, I can't recall a situation quite like this," Angelo said. "All we did was react to a situation that we felt affected our football team."

Orton threw for 2,972 yards while completing 272 of 465 passes and throwing more touchdowns (18) than interceptions (12) after beating out Rex Grossman for the starting job. But he wasn't the same after being carted off the field with a sprained ankle against Detroit midway through the season.

Orton went from throwing a club record 205 passes without an interception to throwing eight in four games before a strong finish in the finale.

"I don't want to make anybody think that we didn't have respect for Kyle, because we did," Angelo said. "I feel what really facilitated this trade was Kyle was part of it. I think the draft compensation, given what I was to understand, was very similar to other teams. But they liked Kyle Orton and that was part of it. And I could see why they liked Kyle."

The Bears will get a great but often petulant passer who is going from the long shadow of John Elway in Denver to the Windy City, where he'll be under just as much scrutiny.

Cutler is halfway through the six-year, $48 million contract he signed as the 11th overall pick out of Vanderbilt in the 2006 draft. His salary cap number for next season is just over $1 million.

Although he probably won't play in the game, the Bears visit the Broncos for an exhibition on Aug. 30.

There are a lot of obvious answers to the question, "Who would want Jay Cutler?", mainly because there are a lot of teams in the NFL with bad quarterbacks. One not-so-obvious team has been identified as "among the leading candidates" for Cutler, and that's the Washington Redskins.

On one hand, I guess it should have been obvious, given Dan Snyder's affinity for buying any shiny new item out there on the market. On the other hand, though, the Jason Campbell era has been progressing pretty well, yes? His quarterback rating has improved each year he's been in the league, topping out at 84.3 last year.

It's not that Cutler isn't better than Campbell -- Cutler is better than Campbell -- I just wouldn't have pegged the Redskins as a team that would've been unhappy with their quarterback situation.

The Bears? Sure. Most kitchen appliances would perform as well as Kyle Orton. The Jets? Absolutely. If Kellen Clemens was any good, he'd have earned the job by now. The Lions? By all means. It would definitely help them to add a second decent player to the roster.

But I'm not sure what to make of the Redskins interest. Quarterback is far and away the most important position on the field, and I guess if you can improve there at all, you should look into it. But is it worth giving up the draft picks it would take to acquire Cutler when you've got a decent situation with Campbell?

I don't know. I'm a believer in Cutler (more than most, according to my inbox), and if the Redskins aren't going to do any better with their draft picks than Devin Thomas, Fred Davis, and Malcolm Kelly, then it probably is.

Update: The Washington Post's Redskins Insider blog reports that the 'Skins are "actively pursuing" Jay Cutler.

By MJD

I don't know what kind of access Michael Vick has had to newspapers, magazines and the Internet in prison, but it seems like the news that he is no longer a hot commodity has not yet filtered down to Michael Vick.

In papers he submitted to a bankruptcy court, Vick indicated that he plans on making $10 million per season, which I'm pretty sure would be a record for an ex-con who had a career quarterback rating of 75.7 when he went away. From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

That may have been true at one time, but there are also no quarterbacks in the league who have spent the last nine months sitting in a jail cell and eating prison food. I'm not a nutritionist or anything, but I'm pretty sure that's not what NFL team doctors would recommend for keeping a guy in optimum game shape.

The fact of the matter is that no one knows how Vick will perform when he gets out of the joint, though it seems extraordinarily unlikely that he'll look exactly the same as he did when he went in. Factor in the amount of teams scared off by the P.R. nightmare, and I think we're looking at a salary closer to $605,000, which was last year's veteran minimum for a seventh-year player.

Gracias, FanHouse.

Monday was the deadline to present bids to soccer’s international governing body. The English Football Association had said it would bid for 2018, but it added 2022 to strengthen its chances.

The FA expects opposition from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Qatar and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and the Netherlands and Belgium.

The FIFA executive committee will vote on both hosts in 2010. The World Cup will be held in South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014.

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Craig Bellamy's hopes of making an early return to action in Manchester City's UEFA Cup meeting with Aalborg on Thursday have been dashed after manager Mark Hughes ruled the striker out of the trip to Denmark.

City are strong favourites to proceed to the last eight of the competition after a 2-0 first leg win and Bellamy had been optimistic about the chances of featuring in his first game since suffering a knee injury at the start of this month.

Hughes said Sunday's Premier League clash against Sunderland would be a more realistic target for the Wales striker, who has been an instant hit with the City fans since his January move from West Ham.

Hughes is hoping Belgian midfielder Vincent Kompany will come through a late fitness test on a toe injury.

"It is a lot better than it has been, although he is still having a little bit of pain," the City boss reported. "He had a run out for the first time yesterday and we will make a late decision on him.

"Hopefully we will have the option because he will give us that little bit of strength in the middle of the park we maybe lacked (in a 1-0 defeat at Chelsea) at the weekend."

Hughes believes City have got a great chance of lifting the trophy this season but insisted that Aalborg's prospects of overturning the first-leg deficit would not be under-estimated.

"They are a good side," he said. "People shouldn't under-estimate the task that is ahead of us.

"They have caused good teams problems in the past and people shouldn't be distracted by how well we played in the first leg.

"They didn't play as well as people expected because of the manner of our performance.

"If they get ahead they are likely to cause you problems. We have to make sure we are in control of the tie."

A successful run in the competition could yield City's first trophy since 1976. "It'd be great for the team and the club," Hughes added. "It is important to progress in European competitions. We have enjoyed it so far and hope it can continue."

AMSTERDAM (AP)—Tyrone Mears scored in overtime, and Olympique Marseille advanced to the UEFA Cup quarterfinals with a 2-2 tie at Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday night.

Marseille won the home-and-home, total-goal series on 4-3 aggregate and eliminating the four-time European Cup champions from the continent’s second-tier competition.

Eyong Enoh gave Ajax the lead in the 33rd minute, but Mamadou Niang tied it two minutes later. Miralem Sulejmani then put Ajax ahead 2-1 in the 74th minute, leaving the aggregate even.

Ajax finished a man short after Bruno Silva was ejected in the last minute of overtime for a foul on substitute Hatem Ben Arfa.

Werder Bremen also advanced, playing a 2-2 tie at Saint-Etienne to win on 3-2 aggregate.

Bremen, which beat AC Milan in the third round, opened a 2-0 lead when Sebastian Prodl scored on a header off Torsten Frings’ sixth-minute corner kick and Claudio Pizarro got his fifth European goal of the season in the 27th.

Saint-Etienne tied it on goals by Yohan Benalouane in the 64th and Sebastien Grax in injury time.

On Thursday, defending champion Zenit St. Petersburg tries to overturn a 2-0 deficit against visiting Udinese, 2005 champion CSKA Moscow is at Shakhtar Donetsk ahead 1-0, Dynamo Kiev is at Metalist Kharkiv leading 1-0, Manchester City is at Aalborg ahead 2-0, Hamburg is at 2000 champion Galatasaray tied 1-1 and Paris Saint-Germain is at Braga following a 0-0 tie.

The quarterfinal draws for the Champions League and UEFA Cup are Friday.

By Jeff Passan,

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – This is what the World Baseball Classic should be. A slow-dance-close game in the eighth inning. Jersey-clad fans going hoarse when the tournament’s best closer enters the game. Some yelling for him, others for his demise. All rather confused because he arrives in the middle of an at-bat. And all marveling, too, at a pair of changeups that flutter like a hummingbird and end the inning.

Francisco Rodriguez surged off the mound and into the arms of his Venezuelan teammates. He cared. Heavens, did he care, and not nearly as much about the situation’s unorthodoxy – his manager, Luis Sojo, yanked Ramon Ramirez off the mound with two balls, a strike and two runners on so K-Rod could do what K-Rod does – as its endgame: a flailing Jose Lopez, two orphaned runners and eventually a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico that sends Venezuela to the WBC semifinals in Los Angeles and sets up a win-or-go-home game Tuesday between the Puerto Ricans and the Americans they mercy-ruled Saturday.

There were no injuries, no false bravado, no indifference in the stands, no mismanagement, no general chicanery – none of the undesirable detritus that has bogged down the games involving Team USA, and the WBC by proxy. It’s almost as though the tournament prospers without the Americans.

So enough about them, because the game put on by the Venezuelans and Puerto Ricans at Dolphin Stadium was a beaut, from the first hit that showed the crowd’s allegiance – a good 80 percent of the 25,599 were pro-Venezuela – to the last out, a weak ground ball off a K-Rod fastball.

For the second time in three days, he recorded a four-out save. His last one came in 2007, before he set the single-season save record with 62 and signed a $37 million contract with the New York Mets.

“Nobody wants to face K-Rod,” Venezuela outfielder Carlos Guillen said. “Especially in that situation when you’re down by two runs, because everybody knows in the whole world who is K-Rod.”

Not who so much as what: a dominator – though usually for three outs. Last year, the Los Angeles Angels babied him en route to his record-breaking 62-save season. None stretched beyond one inning. On Saturday, Rodriguez notched his first four-out save since July 1, 2007, and two days later he came back with an even odder one.

He threw his requisite 12 warm-up pitches while Ramirez worked himself into a jam. When the bullpen signaled that K-Rod was ready, Sojo didn’t hesitate to summon him.

“If I was a manager, I would’ve brought him in, too,” said Puerto Rico outfielder Carlos Beltran, now a Mets teammate of Rodriguez. “I want that guy there. I wasn’t surprised at all.”

Rodriguez was.

“A little bit,” he said. “I’m not gonna lie to you. Yeah. As soon as I told the bullpen coach I was ready … ”

In he went, to save Felix Hernandez’s game. For more than a week, the anxiety-ridden in Venezuela lamented Sojo’s use of Hernandez as a four-inning relief pitcher in the team’s first game. They hadn’t seen him since.

“That’s the man the whole of Venezuela wanted on the mound,” Sojo said.

Understandably. No one in baseball can dazzle with quite the array of pitches that Hernandez can, the unfair 94-mph fastball with late cut and the unfairer curveball that’s heavy like a shotput and the unfairest slider with such deep tilt and late break that of the 449 he threw last season, only 16 went for hits.

Though Hernandez wasn’t at his sharpest, he went 4 2/3 shutout innings before hitting the 85-pitch limit. He gave up four hits and four walks, struck out seven and ceded to Carlos Vasquez, a career minor leaguer who struck out Carlos Delgado and prompted King Felix to charge out of the dugouts with a pair of claps, amplifying a juiced crowd even more.

“Today,” the 22-year-old Hernandez said, “was the most exciting day of my life.”

And why wouldn’t it be? The Venezuelan fans behaved during Magglio Ordonez’s at-bats after serenading him with boos during the pool’s first game for his support of Hugo Chavez, the country’s socialist president. Instead of chanting “Chavista,” a derogatory term for a Chavez loyalist, a pro-Ordonez pocket instead tried to start another: “Magg-li-o, Magg-li-o, Magg-li-o.” No one shouted it down.

“They just had more crazy Venezuelans out here,” Puerto Rico starter Ian Snell said.

They banded together, the 20,000 or so Venezuela supporters, for their team and their country. They huzzahed when Hernandez matched Snell’s three strikeouts in the first inning, and they lauded Guillen’s RBI single for a 1-0 lead, and they saved up the rest of their energy during an eight-minute delay to determine whether catcher Ramon Hernandez had actually hit a home run.

The ball was clearly over the left-field fence, and even though the instant-replay machine was broken – can’t $75 million in revenue sharing at least buy the Marlins a working replay device? – the umpires got the call right. Ed Rapuano waved his finger around to signal the home run, Hernandez finished the longest trot of his career and the fans rose with approval.

They stood, too, in the ninth inning, as K-Rod mowed through Puerto Rico’s lineup. He celebrated in his outlandish fashion, and so did everyone else, because after the embarrassment of not even making the semifinals in the 2006 WBC, they had plumbed their energy to rescue their pride.

The WBC can succeed, and that was apparent from the voices, the claps, the cheers, the cries and the thank yous, all delivered by a people to whom this tournament really matters. Forget K-Rod’s changeups and marvel at that: the WBC redeemed, for a night at least.

A total of 11 candidate nations have put their names forward as potential hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, according to a statement on the FIFA's official website.

Countries were invited to place simultaneous bids, should they wish, to host the 2022 event in case their 2018 bid fails.

In total, there were nine confirmed nations bidding for the 2018 tournament. These include: England; Russia; Australia; USA; Japan; Mexico; Indonesia; with joint bids from Portugal-Spain; and Netherlands-Belgium.

Qatar and South Korea were the two nations to apply solely for the 2022 tournament.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is quoted by the governing body's official website as saying, "We are very pleased about the fantastic level of interest in our flagship competition, with all initial bidders confirming their candidature.

"The diversity and quality of the contenders will make this a very interesting selection process. This shows the importance of the FIFA World Cup as a truly universal event and the global power of this competition to help achieve positive change, in line with our claim: 'For the Game. For the World.'"

The next stage of the process arrives in April, when FIFA send Bidding Agreements to the respective football association. The deadline to return the agreement is December.

Three of the aforementioned nations have previously hosted the tournament: England (1966 - a tournament that they won); Mexico (1970/ 1986); and USA (1994).

The 2010 World Cup is to be staged in South Africa, while Brazil will host the 2014 tournament.

At least 12 stadiums in the bidding nation's country must exceed a minimum capacity of 40,000, while the final must be staged in a ground that has a minimum capacity of 80,000.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com

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