Kommandozentrale » Their coach Brad Underwood paid his dues for 27

MANCHESTER, England -- After 13 league titles, two Champions Leagues, 963 appearances and many more amazing memories, Ryan Giggs brought an end to his incredible 23-year playing career at Manchester United on Monday to take over as the clubs assistant manager. British footballs most decorated player made the announcement in an open letter on Uniteds website, just an hour after he was named as the No. 2 for new manager Louis van Gaal. "For me, today is new chapter filled with many emotions -- immense pride, sadness, but most of all, excitement towards the future," the 40-year-old Giggs said. Giggs will go down as one of the greatest players in the Premier Leagues 22-year history. He is certainly its most durable, playing in every season since the league inception in 1992 -- first as a flying left winger before refining his game to play deeper in midfield. His match-clinching solo goal in the FA Cup semifinal replay against Arsenal in 1999, where he set off from inside his own half, ran around three defenders and slammed a shot into the roof of the net, has gone down as one of the greatest goals in English football. His famous shirt-swinging celebration as he sprinted, bare-chested, along the touchline at Villa Park is also part of FA Cup lore. That will probably be his career highlight on a personal level but he was always more of a team man, one of the most valuable players in Uniteds successful, trophy-laden era under Alex Ferguson, who protected Giggs as a youngster after poaching him from neighbour Manchester City and allowed him to thrive. In an era where players chase money and loyalty counts for little, Giggs remained a one-club man after making his debut against Everton on March 2, 1991 as a lithe 17-year-old wearing a baggy shirt and hitched-up shorts. "I am immensely proud, honoured and fortunate to have represented the biggest club in the world 963 times and Wales 64 times," wrote Giggs, who never played in a World Cup but was a member of Britains squad at the London Olympics. "My dream was always to play for Manchester United, and although it saddens me to know I wont be pulling on a United jersey again as a player, I have been lucky enough to have fulfilled that dream playing with some of the best players in the world, working under an incredible manager in Sir Alex Ferguson, and most of all, playing for the greatest fans in world football." Giggs also won four FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and a Club World Cup. Last season was the only one in his career where he failed to score a Premier League goal, leaving his career haul at 168 in all competitions. Ferguson, who retired last year, once said that Giggs -- as a 13-year-old -- seemed to float across the ground "like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind," and that description remained true to his last days. Toward the end of his career, when his hair became speckled with grey, he relied on speed of thought rather than the speed of his legs, with his games carefully selected in Fergusons final seasons. Under David Moyes last season, Giggs was used sparingly with more of the Welshmans time taken up by his role as coach. His last game came at Old Trafford against Hull two weeks ago, when he came on as a late substitute to set up one goal and almost score another with a curling free kick that was tipped over the bar. After Teddy Sheringham, Kevin Phillips and Gordon Strachan, Giggs was the fourth outfield footballer to have played in the Premier League in their 40s. "Remarkable career by a loyal, legendary (United) entertainer," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Twitter. "963 games. 34 trophies. 1 club." Giggs is being groomed by United as a future manager and he had a brief glimpse of life in the dugout at the end of last season, when he took interim charge for the final four games. If his coaching career is even half as successful as his playing career, he will have done extremely well. "What he has achieved will never be equaled in the English game," United vice chairman Ed Woodward said. "In the way he played, he was the embodiment of a Manchester United player -- fast, skilful, entertaining and determined to win by playing exciting football." Adidas Superstar Gold Australia . - The Oakland Athletics have finalized an agreement on a 10-year extension to play at the Coliseum through the 2024 season. Ultra Boost 2019 Australia . Terrance Broadway threw for 227 yards and Hunter Stover kicked three field goals as the Ragin Cajuns won an unprecedented fourth straight New Orleans Bowl with a 16-3 triumph over Nevada. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/ . The Toronto Maple Leafs were holding a news conference, so they got curious. It didnt take long for them to find out via social media that coach Randy Carlyle was coming back — with a two-year extension — and assistants Greg Cronin, Scott Gordon and Dave Farrish were being let go. Wholesale NMD . The unrestricted free agent agreed to terms with the club on Thursday on a one-year, two-way deal worth $700,000. Ultra Boost Clima Australia . The thunderous cheers quickly changed to an appreciative chant: "Ma-son! Ma-son! Ma-son! Headed to New York with new life, Mason sure earned this curtain call.Youve got a 13-hour day ahead of you. How much sleep do you get before a marathon broadcast like this? Sleep? What is this thing you speak of? [eyes slightly bugged out and twitching] In all honesty, Im a disciple of the James Duthie school of sleeping, which is to say... keep working until the red light goes off. I catch up on sleep when I can; naps are great... and I find my second year university macroeconomics textbook still works as a pretty effective tranquilizer. Whats the longest youve ever been on the air in one stretch? That would definitely be during my breaking news days on CP24 in Toronto. There was a massive rainstorm in Toronto on July 8, 2013. I still remember the date for some reason. I hit the anchor desk at noon that day. The storm started rather unexpectedly around 7 p.m. and wreaked havoc all night. I was on the air from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. without a break, plus I had anchored three hours the previous afternoon. It felt like the storm lasted about two weeks. What do you eat before a broadcast like this? Do you carb up? If Im paired with an attractive female co-host, I generally try to avoid Taco Bell. For regular days, nothing that makes me too sleepy. Dan OToole turned me on to energy drinks before going on air, which can really make the broadcast go either way. For marathon days like March Madness, Ill attempt to carb up on day one for longevity and see how that goes. If it fails, Im resorting to the OToole method – apologies in advance. Do you have any special items you like to wear on air? Any lucky socks perhaps? Im a big fan of brightly coloured socks, but there isnt a single go-to pair. Ive been using the same man bag since I started my first on-air job in September 2007. With that, Im pretty superstitious. Ive been fortunate with the opportunities Ive been afforded, so I dont want to switch up the bag, even if it is getting a bit ratty. Ever worn jjeans and sneakers behind the desk? Not at TSN – yet.dddddddddddd Im still kinda new, Im not at the "Cory Woron" level of comfort just yet. I have actually worn shorts and flip flops behind the news desk at my last job. I used to walk to work in the summer, and if I didnt wear shorts, Id be a sweaty mess by the time Id get there. It was three parts survival, one part comfort. Whats the single most significant piece of info youve picked up from your March Madness research? That spending hours crunching the numbers doesnt really put your bracket too far ahead of the one that your neighbours dog "filled out." Which team is primed for a Cinderella run? Id like to see Stephen F. Austin make a run. Theyre a nice story. Their coach Brad Underwood paid his dues for 27 years looking for a Division 1 head coaching opportunity. It finally came this year, and hes got his team in the show. Theyre a loose bunch. No go-to scorer. They distribute the ball well, and have five players who can score in the low double digits. That, to me, seems like a team primed for an upset. Theyre #12 and taking on #5 VCU. 12 over 5 is the classic upset. I also wouldnt be surprised to see play-in winner NC State take down Saint Louis in the round of 64. And Im quietly cheering for New Mexico State; theyve got four Canadians on the roster, the most in the tourney. Who do you have in the Final Four? They seem to be changing by the hour. Right now? Louisville, Florida, Arizona, Michigan State. And a championship pick? Florida. Love that there are four seniors in the starting lineup – theyve dealt with this pressure before. Love that theyve built a program and arent a one-and-done school. Love that they dont have a superstar for other teams to key on and that they play a crawl-up-your-shirt defense. And it never hurts having the experience of Billy Donovan at the helm. ' ' '