I think they are still jealous of the cold hard fact...

...that we are still the defending Olympic gold medalists in rugby for over eight decades. So they decide to thumb their noses at our rugby team.

PARIS, 14 September - Yesterday evening in Paris a RWC 2007 Appeal Hearing was held into the case of USA centre Paul Emerick.

The Appeal Committee comprised Chairman Justice Wyn Williams, Bruce Squire QC and Judge Guillermo Tragant.

The Appeal Committee upheld the decision of the Judicial Officer, Professor Lorne Crerar, in suspending Paul Emerick (USA) for a dangerous tackle on England's Olly Barkley in the England v USA match on 8 September.

The Appeal Committee was satisfied that the tackle in question was very dangerous and, in the circumstances, a five week suspension was the correct sanction.

RNS dk/djp

Williams, Squire, Tragant and Crerar can go hang themselves for their apparent jealousy that for all the accolades their teams have won, we are still the best at Olympic rugby. It's the truth. And we would kick their asses at American football. It would be over by the first quarter.

Speaking of which, Hawaii got back to their usual mojo, defeating UNLV, 49-14, but this time using some more run from the run-and-shoot system. Colt Brennan ran for 3 touchdowns, passing for two more, and Ryan Mouton out of juco national champs Blinn JC intercepted a pass for a touchdown, while Tyler Graunke hurled one more score, this time to Malcolm Lane in relief.

Bring on Charleston Southern. Nobody cares about a bunch of black college easybeats like Johnson C. Smith (who?) anyway.

It seems the number "49" is looking to be a good number.

San Diego rolled over Northern Colorado 49-13 (Seriously, Bears, did you think you were reallyt ready for a Division I FCS mid-major team? Get a gut check and go back to D-II, you Greeley grues) , USC rolled over Nebraska 49-31, and Mike Hart turns from Lola of the Copacabana into Joe Namath of the New York Jets with Michigan pasting Notre Dame 38-0.

The latter result was not "49", but was close, given that Notre Dame flat-out sucks.

Meanwhile, Long Beach State women's volleyball wraps up a road show in Denver with a 3-2 victory over Ohio, and the men's water polo team splits a couple of matches at the NorCal Tournament. Oh yeah, and the women's soccer team defeated Oklahoma, 2-1.

Only low notes were Long Beach City failing, as well as the Roughriders choking. Booo.