NFL in Mexico: A good idea with bad teams
The strange but surreal scene of flash bulbs popping throughout Azteca Stadium in the opening shot of ESPN’s prime-time Sunday night football telecast told us the first NFL regular-season game outside the United States should be something special.
Oh, well, close enough.
The ho-hum matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers ended up being a disappointment in spite of the enthusiasm of almost 105,000 fans in Mexico City who cheered like it was the Mexican Super Bowl.
Literally, a real snoozer
The NFL scheduled two of its least competitive franchises to participate in a contest that prompted me to lapse into a siesta midway through the second quarter. I nodded off while the teams sleepwalked through a pitiful first-half performance – excluding the final seconds before the intermission – that failed to keep even the ESPN talking heads interested.
Yes, the first play from scrimmage resulted in a touchdown when Arizona quarterback Josh McCown fumbled and the 49ers recovered in the end zone.
Yes, the Niners returned another fumble 79 yards for a TD later in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.
Not much else.
ESPN analyst Joe Theismann slipped in an amusing comment when one of the teams punted for the umpteenth time in the first half. “Considering soccer is their national sport, they’re getting a chance to see a lot of kicking,” he quipped.
Source: mlive.com
Wall will protect U.S. and Mexico
President Bush is determined to stay the course in Iraq, but he is willing to change course on U.S. border security.
Sometimes flexibility is both rewarded and required.
The president has long been reluctant to address border security. That reluctance has been found in both parties. Republicans like the idea of cheap labor coming in. Democrats savor the prospect of more Democrats coming in. The bipartisan elite has been bewitched by the idea that America is an "open" nation where anyone can become a good American simply by coming here - legally or illegally.
The working and middle
A space at the table For Mexico's sake, right teams need to win InterLiga
For nearly a decade, Mexican clubs have been competing against South America's elite for true international glory. Now, eight clubs are doing battle in the InterLiga for the right to represent the Mexican league in the illustrious Copa Libertadores.
Two teams will join the already-qualified Pumas in South America's own champions league. Across Texas and California, six teams will be ousted before their Libertadores dreams even began. Any of Morelia, Monterrey, Pachuca, Veracruz, Guadalajara, Necaxa, Cruz Azul and Tigres could wind up playing Corinthians, Vélez Sarsfield or any
Before you travel to Mexico
Visas & immigration
Latin Americans, especially officials, are very document-minded. You should always carry your in passport (or a plasticated copy of it) in a safe place about your person,or if not going far, leave it in the hotel safe. lf staying in a country for several weeks, it is worthwhile registering atyour embassy or consulate. Then, if your passport is stolen, the process of replacing it is faster and easier. It's a good idea to keep some additional passport-sized photographs together with photocopies of essential documents - including your flight ticket - in a separate place
Australia, Mexico to explore FTA
Australia and Mexico will explore the viability of a free trade agreement between the two countries.
Foreign ministers Alexander Downer met Mexican counterpart Luis Ernesto Derbez in Mexico City, who said both countries would have to study whether such an accord would benefit their bilateral trade.
"In March we will have a meeting here of the bilateral economic committee, where we can talk about ... starting a strategy for considering a free trade agreement," Derbez told a news conference following the meeting.
He said that toward the end of 2006, government officials should have a better idea of the
Globalia teams up with Mexico's Grupo Angeles for local airlines bid
Spain's Globalia Corporacion Empresarial has teamed up with Mexico's Grupo Angeles to place a bid for two local airlines, Saturday's La Gaceta de los Negocios reported, citing unnamed sources close to negotiations.
Grupo Angeles, a real estate company, will hold 75 pct of the consortium while Globalia will hold the remaining 25 pct, the newspaper said.
The two airlines on the block are state-owned Mexicana de Aviacion and Aeromexico.
Source: forbes.com
Sports
Cuauhtémoc Soccer Stadium
Puebla has one professional soccer team, "La Franja". The biggest soccer stadium in the city, "Cuauhtémoc", which seats 45,000, was built in 1968 as a second soccer field for the 1968 Olympic Games. Matches for the 1970 and 1986 World Cups were also played in the Cuauhtémoc Stadium.
Puebla has two professional baseball teams, "Pericos" and "Tigres". Puebla, along with Monterrey, has the best baseball teams in the Mexican League.
Puebla, through the conurbated area of Cholula, has one professional American football team, the "Aztecas" of the Universidad de las Américas. The Aztecas have won the championship three times
Groups Advocate Border Fence Along Mexico
A fence already marks the U.S. border with Mexico but in some places, it's no more than a strand of wire or metal rail.
Where a real barrier exists, it works. Illegal immigrants (search) are forced to travel long distances to get around miles of tall steel and razor wire.
Click in the video box to the right for a complete report by FOX News' William LaJeunesse.
Now, a group of border activists are pushing for a new, bigger fence — more like a Berlin Wall — from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.
"If we
Mexico ready to send aid for Katrina relief
As U.S. authorities continue to evacuate areas of the Gulf coast, there are still no Mexicans reported dead.
Mexico offered the United States two Mexican navy ships, 15 amphibious vehicles, two helicopters and 15 heavy trucks on Saturday to help in the relief effort following Hurricane Katrina.
President Vicente Fox said the government had donated US1 million an amount matched by a private Mexican aid foundation for hurricane relief efforts.
"Mexico is a friend (of the United States), and in tough moments, good friends stand together," Fox said. "You can count on our support."
Fox also offered
LEIPZIG, GERMANY - The Confederations Cup was supposed to be about the haves and have-nots of world soccer, with Brazil, Argentina and Germany expected to dominate the eight-team championship.
Clearly, no one told Mexico.
"We reckon it's time the world sat up and took notice of us," said Jared Borgetti, who scored on a header in Mexico's 1-0 victory over Brazil on Sunday. "We've proved Mexico can play good football."
The Tricolores look certain to qualify for the World Cup, but this competition has given Ricardo La Volpe's team a chance to make an impact one year earlier.
Mexico started with a 2-1 victory
Gulf of Mexico oil ops in 'relatively good shape' after Rita - Texas governor
Oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and the hub of refineries along the southern coast of the US appear to have survived Hurricane Rita without major damage, the governor of Texas said on Sunday.
'The refineries appear to be in relatively good shape,' Governor Rick Perry told Fox News Sunday.
One pipeline was ruptured 'but it's being repaired as we speak,' Perry said.
While oil companies said it would take some time to figure out the full effect of the storm, Perry expressed cautious optimism
