after Crists group took control of DRF.Do you like to buy your D

Ballymore Stadium has been reserved for the possible launch of an annual rugby union State of Origin clash between Queensland and NSW.Rugby unions key stakeholders are behind the idea driven by Queensland Rugby Union chief executive Richard Barker and NSW counterpart Andrew Hore.It is designed to give the sport some quality domestic content during Super Rugbys mid-season international break.The Australian Rugby Union, Rugby Union Players Associaton and all five Super League franchises have endorsed it while Wallabies skipper Stephen Moore believes it is a concept worth exploring.There is even the ideal gap at the end of next years June Test window that would make Australias stars available.The match has been tentatively pencilled for Friday, June 30 - a week after Australia meets Italy at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.Negotiations are ongoing, but the QRU have taken the additional step of booking Ballymore for that week to ensure the venue is ready to host the match - dubbed State of Union - if it comes off.We think given the unique history of Ballymore that hosting the inaugural game here would add to the spectacle, Barker told AAP.We envisage a festival of rugby that day which would include curtain-raisers that speak to the breadth of our code across all forms of rugby.The response in the rugby community to the concept of State of Union games has been encouraging ... (but) these are early days.I note Stephen Moores supportive comments overnight and previous comments from Bill Pulver and other CEOs and we will continue to discuss this concept with all of rugbys stakeholders.Ballymore may require a minor upgrade to be ready, which would fill the stadium to its 18,000-seat capacity.But its understood the QRU is working feverishly behind the scenes on the future of the precinct, which has long needed a full redevelopment and is under increasing demand from local sporting bodies.A-League side Brisbane Roar trains out of Ballymore while two overseas teams will hold a pre-season warm-up matches there in the lead-up to the Brisbane Global Tens tournament. Kyle Hendricks Cubs Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Jason Heyward Jersey . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Jason-Heyward-Kids-Jersey/ . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Albert Almora Jr Cubs Jersey . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Billy Williams Jersey . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. -- There is a lot going on for the racing fan and bettor this weekend. California Chrome, Horse of the Year in 2014, makes his first U.S. start since his powerful victory in the Dubai World Cup last March in Saturdays San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. This is also the first weekend of racing of the year at Saratoga, the biggest annual race meet in North America, and where the brilliant and undefeated Songbird, the leader of a terrific crop of 3-year-old fillies, makes her first East coast start in Sundays Coaching Club American Oaks.And thats just for starters.Yes, there is a lot of big racing stuff going on this weekend. But no matter how busy the game might make you over the next few days, it would be only right if you carved out a moment at some point and said a quiet thank you in appreciation for Steve Crist.Heres why: Crist, who retired Wednesday as an executive and columnist for Daily Racing Form, did much during a 35-year career in racing to improve various aspects of the game. But where Crist really left an indelible mark was in matters concerning the horseplayer, enriching our experiences in ways you might not be aware of, or have imagined. And this holds true no matter which way you engage in racing this weekend, whether it be at the track, or at a simulcast facility, or betting in your underwear from your living room.Consider the DRF past performances you use to handicap. Significant aspects of the pps everyone is now so familiar with were fashioned by a small group of people led by Crist in an office on Hudson St. in Manhattan in early 1991, weeks before these remade past performances were to debut in The Racing Times, for which Crist was founding editor-in-chief.The Beyer Speed Figures, which have become such an indispensible handicapping tool, were first made available to the public in the past performances in Crists Racing Times.You know that career box in the upper right hand corner of the past performance cut, the little area that packs a wealth of exttremely useful information? The foundation of the career box was born under Crists supervision at The Racing Times.dddddddddddd.We now almost take for granted the italicized horse name in the past performance company line denoting a next out winner, which might suggest a given race was unusually productive. That innovation came after Crist took over stewardship of Daily Racing Form in 1998.Are you a user of Formulator, DRFs criminally underappreciated and incredibly rich past performance program? Formulator came to life (under a different name) way back in 1992 under the nurturing of Crist, the late Dave Ward, and one other character currently typing this, and was introduced for public consumption after Crists group took control of DRF.Do you like to buy your DRF past performances, Formulator or the classic version, online? Do you recognize the tremendous convenience that option offers? Steve Crist also made that happen for you.How about that simulcast signal you watch? Nothing resembling it existed until Crist, in his stint as Vice President of the New York Racing Association in the mid 1990s, introduced full card simulcasting, in-home race feed, and all day, race-to-race handicapping analysis. Really. Its hard to remember because the video presentation of racing that now feels like it has been around forever did not exist B. C. (before Crist). And his template has since been copied by every other racetrack on the continent.Steve Crist retired this week, and while those of us lucky enough to know him are happy hes happy, we also know this game we love now has a large void that cannot be replaced. It is astonishing how much better thoroughbred racing is for Steve Crists contributions, and the fear is it will take a long time for racing to unearth a forward thinker anywhere near his league.So that is why it is only right to say, Thank you, Steve. For everything. ' ' '