SYDNEY -- It was more than two hours before the start of Saturdays U.S. college season opener between California and Hawaii, and Anthony Goodluck and his son were already milling outside Sydneys Olympic stadium, soaking up the early atmosphere.The rental company manager, dressed in a Cal Bears jersey, and son Jaiden, with a long Cal scarf wrapped around his neck, came 950 kilometers (590 miles) south from Brisbane for the big game.The weather was cooperating, with sunny skies and light winds on a late winter day and high temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) expected. Despite nearly 75 millimeters (three inches) of rain in the past week, the stadium turf was firmI actually coach some gridiron in Brisbane, and Id take college football over the NFL any day, said Goodluck. Im a big Miami fan -- go Hurricanes -- but after that I love Cal State. Were really looking forward to seeing our first game.Its the first time college football has been played in Sydney. The last American football of any kind was an NFL preseason game at the Olympic stadium that attracted 73,000 spectators in 1999.Organizers said two weeks ago they hoped for a crowd in excess of 65,000, but on Friday said only 45,000 tickets had been sold.Early arrivals Saturday had a chance to try their luck throwing an American football through a hole in a net in a radio station promotion. Foot-long hot dogs were big sellers at the outdoor booths, but in keeping with the multicultural nature of western Sydney where the stadium is located, Asian and middle Eastern goods also featured prominently on the menus.Michelle Hubbard of Melbourne was an early arrival for another reason -- her son, Ben Scruton, is a walk-on player for Hawaii and will travel back with the team when the Rainbow Warriors leave for Honolulu right after the game.I had to get him his visa, Hubbard said. And I have four tickets if anyone needs them. Ben bought them nearly a year ago for him and his mates. Now hes in the stadium as an official member of the team.Scruton was offered a spot after Hawaii conducted a scouting camp in Melbourne earlier this year. Hes like many other Australian Rules players who have earned spots on college teams and in the NFL, mostly as punters.Another set of parents were dressed in Cal uniforms -- Greg and Cynthia Madden -- who travelled from southern California to support their son, Cal defensive end DeVante Wilson.We cant wait to get in there, to get this thing started, Greg Madden said as a marching band warmed up inside the stadium.Both teams brought cheerleading squads to Australia, and Hawaii has 30 members of its marching band for Saturdays game. Wholesale Custom Soccer Jerseys . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. Clearance Custom Soccer Jerseys .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. http://www.customjerseyssoccer.com/ . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. Custom AC Milan Jerseys . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. Discount Custom Soccer Jerseys . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation.Happy Canada Day! Lets take a quick look at a few NBA Topics. 1. Andrea Bargnani: If the proposed trade with the New York Knicks goes through this will be a good landing spot for him. He wont have the pressure on him to be ‘The Guy with Carmelo Anthony around and his ability to space the floor with his distance shooting (erratic at times) will be a help to their team. The Knicks are obviously banking on the fact that hes got potential that has yet to be realized and a change of scenery could do it for him. Only time will tell if this is the right risk for them but I expect a new environment will do wonders for him, at least temporarily. The key is his willingness to truly commit to the game and lay it all on the line which hes been reluctant to do. Dont discount the fact that the Brooklyn Nets swung a big trade with the Celtics for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. This is a reaction to that as well as a team seeing a guy that can help them in an area of need. Former Raptors assistant coach and current Knicks assistant Jim Todd coached Andrea and Im sure hes spoken extensively with GM Glen Grunwald & Mike Woodson about him. 2. Steve Novak: Part of the proposed Bargnani trade has this veteran sharpshooter coming to Toronto. I like him. The Raptors were an inconsistent three-point shooting team the past few years and hell provide a solid veteran presence off the bench and hes a good locker room guy. Lifetime 43per cent shooter from behind the arc and will be a guy that can open things up for teammates with his consistency. Overall, Bargnani trade is addition by subtraction with the picks and cap savings being the primary help. Novak wont hurt them if this trade gets done. 3. Kevin Martin: Hes a free agent. I know the Thunder are in a luxury taax bind, but if he walks what do you truly think of the James Harden trade? Might as well have let him stay for this season and then moved him and given yourself a legitimate opportunity to win a title.dddddddddddd Martin will have plenty of suitors on the market as long as he is reasonable in his contract demands. Hes been a consistent three-point shooter throughout his career and his scoring knack is valuable. 4. Monta Ellis: He has decided to opt out of the final year of his deal in Milwaukee. The man can score points (19.4 ppg in his career) yet hes a volume scorer who has failed to shoot above 43 per cent the past two seasons. My belief is that hed be an ideal guy for a team as a sixth man because we all know hes coming into the game to light it up. You live with that a bit more because you need the boost as opposed to a starting player who youre looking to for reliable or predictable play. Hes got his boosters and just as many detractors. That being said, as a sixth man in the right up-tempo system hed be a blast to watch. 5. O.J. Mayo: I thought he settled down this past season and played a decent brand of ball for coach Rick Carlisle. He shot it well from three-point range (41 per cent), the best in his career and at 15.3 points per game hes a guy that can give you the pretty steady output that is so valued from a back court player. He was up and down in his time in Memphis but in a contract year he performed pretty well. Is that a result of a guy being in a contract year or has he truly matured? Thats the question scouts have about him that I think to this point is still inconclusive. I see teams trying to offer him a shorter term deal if they can get away with it. Hell get paid though… he scores. Always need that. ' ' '