2006 Cheltenham Borough Council election
The 2006 Cheltenham Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Cheltenham Borough Council in Gloucestershire, England. Half of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


2006 Cheltenham Borough Council election, Election result
Results of the election saw the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats end with 17 seats each. The Labour party lost one of their two seats leaving the People Against Bureaucracy Action Group holding the balance of power. Overall turnout in the election was 36.32%.


2006 Cheltenham Borough Council election, Election result
After the election Conservative Duncan Smith took over as leader of the council, replacing Liberal Democrat Andrew McKinlay, after the Conservatives received the backing of the People Against Bureaucracy Action Group.


2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup
The 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup was a horse race which took place at Cheltenham on Friday 17 March 2006. It was the 78th running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and it was won by War of Attrition. The winner was ridden by Conor O'Dwyer and trained by Mouse Morris. The pre-race favourite Beef or Salmon finished eleventh.


2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup
For the first time in the race's history the first three finishers – War of Attrition, Hedgehunter and Forget the Past – were all trained in Ireland.


2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Full result
* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. nk = neck; PU = pulled-up; UR = unseated rider.† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated. Note: Fence 20 was omitted due to the injured jockey Timmy Murphy, unseated at the fence on the first circuit.


2006 Chennai Open
The 2006 Chennai Open was an ATP men's tennis tournament held on outdoor hard courts in Chennai, India. The tournament was held from 2 January through 9 January 2006. First-seeded Ivan Ljubičić won the singles title.


2006 Chennai Open, Finals, Doubles
Michal Mertiňák /  Petr Pála defeated  Prakash Amritraj /  Rohan Bopanna 6–2, 7–5


2006 Chennai Open – Doubles
Rainer Schüttler and Yen-Hsun Lu were the defending champions. Schüttler partnered with Alexander Waske this year, losing in the semifinals. Lu did not participate.


2006 Chennai Open – Doubles
Michal Mertiňák and Petr Pála won in the final 6–2, 7–5, against Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna.


2006 Chennai Open – Singles
Ivan Ljubičić defeated Carlos Moyà 7–6(8–6), 6–2 to win the 2006 Chennai Open singles event. Moyà was the defending champion.


2006 Cherwell District Council election
The 2006 Cherwell District Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.


2006 Cherwell District Council election
In total 45 candidates stood in the election competing for the 18 seats which were up for election. The results saw the Conservatives win 15 of the 18 seats contested. They gained 2 seats from Labour in the Banbury wards of Neithrop and Grimsbury and Castle. Their victory in Neithrop was the first time in over 30 years that Labour had not won the ward and saw the first muslim councillor, Alyas Ahmed, elected to Cherwell council.


2006 Cherwell District Council election
The Liberal Democrats also picked up a seat from Labour in Kidlington South where the Labour group leader on the council, Andrew Hornsby-Smith, stood down at the election. Labour only managed to keep one of their seats in the election, in Banbury Ruscote, where George Parish was re-elected. Turnout in the election ranged from a low of 20% to a high of 51%.


2006 Chevy Rock & Roll 400
The 2006 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race held on September 9, 2006, at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Contested over 400 laps on the three–quarter (1.2 km) short track, it was the 26th race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing won the race.


2006 Chevy Rock & Roll 400, Background
In 1953, Richmond International Raceway hosted Grand National Series; Lee Petty won the race. Original track was paved in 1968. In 1988, track was re-designed into a D-shaped configuration, during spring and fall races.


2006 Chevy Rock & Roll 400, Background
The name for the raceway complex was "Strawberry Hill" until the Virginia State Fairgrounds site was bought out in 1999 and renamed the "Richmond International Raceway".


2006 Chiapas state election
A local election was held in the Mexican state of Chiapas on Sunday, August 20, 2006. Voters went to the polls to elect, on the local level, a new Governor of Chiapas to serve a six-year term.


2006 Chiapas state election, Gubernatorial election
Five candidates registered as candidates to fight the election. However, on August 10, Francisco Rojas Toledo of the National Action Party and Emilio Zebadúa of New Alliance announced that they were withdrawing from the election and throwing their support behind the Institutional Revolutionary Party's José Antonio Aguilar Bodegas in order to present a united front to prevent Juan José Sabines Guerrero, representing the Alliance for the Good of All and a protégé of incumbent governor Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía, from winning. Rojas and Zebadúa called on their supporters to vote for Aguilar Bodegas instead;  however, their names still appeared on the ballot papers and votes were cast for both — in amounts greater than the difference between the two leading candidates.


2006 Chiapas state election, Gubernatorial election
The final result was known until the state Electoral Institute has resolved the large number of result review filings that were lodged, chiefly by the PRI-led Alliance for Chiapas.


2006 Chicago Bears season
The 2006 season was the Chicago Bears' 87th in the National Football League. The team improved on their 11–5  record from 2005 and finished with a 13–3 record; the best in the NFC. The Bears retained their NFC North divisional title, and won the National Football Conference Championship title against the New Orleans Saints, on January 21, 2007. The Bears played the Indianapolis Colts at Super Bowl XLI, where they lost 29–17. They finished the 2006 NFL season tied for second in points scored, and third in points allowed.


2006 Chicago Bears season
Due to the NFL's scheduling formula the Bears played 6 intra-division games, posting a record of 5–1. Because of rotating cycle scheduling, the Bears matched up against all four teams in the AFC East (going 2–2) and NFC West (going 4–0). In the remaining games, the Bears played the NFC's other reigning division winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, posting a record of 2–0. During the entire season, the Bears played 10 games at home, 8 games on the road, and 1 game at a neutral field for the Super Bowl. Including the playoffs and Super Bowl, the Bears finished with a record of 15–4.


2006 Chicago Bears season
Noteworthy football stories for the 2006 season were replacing retired cornerback and kick returner Jerry Azumah, the quarterback controversy between productive but inconsistent and potentially fragile Rex Grossman and veteran free agent Brian Griese, the  record setting returns by Devin Hester, Bernard Berrian's breakout season, competition between the Bears' running backs (Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones), and 5th round draft pick Mark Anderson's 12 quarterback sacks as a rookie.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2006 NFL Draft picks
The Chicago Bears’ 2006 NFL Draft picks drew much criticism from various Bears’ fans and local sports critics. After injuries plagued the Bears’ offensive depth chart, the team finished the 2005 NFL season ranked 31st in passing yardage per game. Many fans assumed that the Bears would draft a tight end or wide receiver to improve the offense. However, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith surprised the media by trading away the Bears’ first round draft pick, and drafting five defensive players.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2006 NFL Draft picks
Devin Hester was drafted to fill the void left by former cornerback Jerry Azumah and punt returner Bobby Wade, while Danieal Manning could provide additional depth to the Bears’ secondary while also being potentially available for punt and kick returns, as his highest prospect grade came in kick returning. Additionally, Anderson and Dvoracek were drafted to add depth to the Bears’ defensive line.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Training camp
The preseason featured a brewing quarterback controversy when Rex Grossman struggled in his exhibition appearances and newly signed veteran back-up Brian Griese moved the second team offense freely.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Training camp
The competition for the starting running back position went to Thomas Jones by default after sophomore running back Cedric Benson missed every preseason game with a shoulder injury inflicted in practice by Brian Urlacher and Mike Brown.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Uniform combinations
During the 2006 season, the Bears reintroduced three combinations of jerseys. During their week eight game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears wore special orange jerseys in the spirit of Halloween. They also wore all-white uniforms during their final two away games. Additionally, the Bears wore all-blue uniforms during their season finale against the Green Bay Packers.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 1: at Green Bay Packers
The Bears began their season on a victorious note by defeating the Green Bay Packers. Widely considered  one of the league's most storied rivalries, the Bears and Packers had previously met 28 times at Lambeau Field for a season opener. Notably, this was the first shutout ever for the Packers with quarterback Brett Favre at the helm.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions
The Bears began a winning streak by defeating the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. The game drew more media attention than usual when Roy Williams of the Detroit Lions guaranteed a victory against the Bears.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings
The Bears offense was limited by a resurgent Minnesota Vikings defense, but fourth-quarter heroics from both the offense and defense resulted in a 19–16 victory.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Taking advantage of an injured Shaun Alexander, who did not play, and playing very well on both sides of the ball, the Bears defeated the defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field by a score of 37–6 on the Bears' first night game of the year.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week five marked the return of former Bears head coach Dick Jauron to Soldier Field. It would also be the second straight week in which the Bears defeated their opponent by more than 30 points.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 6 at Cardinals
The Bears traveled to the newly opened University of Phoenix Stadium to play the Arizona Cardinals, their former cross-town rivals. While many expected the game a lop-sided affair in favor of the 5–0 Bears, the Cardinals led the Bears before stumbling in the game's last quarter. The game marked the Bears’ first Monday Night Football appearance since the 2003 NFL season, and second overall prime-time appearance of the season. The game started on an auspicious note for the Cardinals, as Rex Grossman faced a quick three and out after failing to connect to Bernard Berrian on a deep pass.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 6 at Cardinals
The Cardinals responded offensively when rookie quarterback Matt Leinart threw two touchdowns in the first quarter. As Neil Rackers helped bolster the Cardinals lead with a set of field goals, Grossman continued to struggle and committed four turnovers in the first half alone. By half time, the Cardinals were leading the Bears by a score of 20–0, which was the largest deficit they had faced all season at that point.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 6 at Cardinals
The Bears finally got on the score board in the third quarter when Robbie Gould kicked a 23-yard field goal. However, Rackers responded again to boost the Cardinals lead back to twenty points. By the game's third quarter, many had assumed the Cardinals had grasped their second win of the season, and the undefeated Bears would be forced to face defeat. However, in the dying minutes of the third quarter, the Bears’ defense made a series of staunch defensive plays that allowed them to rally back.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 6 at Cardinals
First, rookie defensive end Mark Anderson sacked Leinart, causing him to fumble. The loose ball was picked up by Mike Brown, who returned it for a 3-yard touchdown. Later, Brian Urlacher stripped the ball from running back Edgerrin James, and Charles Tillman recovered the football and returned it for another touchdown. The Bears, now only trailing by six points, took the lead when rookie punt returner Devin Hester returned a punt for an 83-yard touchdown.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 6 at Cardinals
The Cardinals had one final attempt to win the game, but Rackers missed a 40-yard field goal attempt, allowing the Bears to kneel the clock out. After the game's conclusion, Dennis Green, who was the Cardinal's coach at the time, threw his infamous "They are who we thought they were!" postgame conference. The rant became so popular, that it was featured in a Coors Light commercial the next season.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 7: Bye
Celebration of the Bears' improbable win over Arizona was tempered by the news that starting safety Mike Brown was lost for the season with torn ligaments in his foot. The rest of the team was able to work toward renewed good health for the San Francisco game.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 8: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 8 saw the Bears return to Soldier Field to play the San Francisco 49ers. Prior to the game, Lovie Smith announced that the Bears would don their alternative orange jerseys to commemorate the upcoming Halloween holiday, and asked Bear fans to wear orange clothing to create an “orange swarm” at Soldier Field. The Bears' 41 point first half tied the franchise record for most points scored in one half, the other game being the 1940 NFL Championship, where the Bears defeated the Washington Redskins 73–0.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 9 saw the Bears take on the Joey Harrington-led Miami Dolphins and fall to 7–1 with their first loss of the season. Miami defensive end Jason Taylor recorded a sack, a forced fumble, and a 20-yard pick-six.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 10: at New York Giants
The Bears traveled to Giants Stadium to face the New York Giants. The game was highly anticipated, as it was the first game in  league history to benefit from the NFL's flexible scheduling. Furthermore, leading up to the game Giants receiver Plaxico Burress provided plenty of fodder for the Chicago media by calling the Bears’ cornerbacks “average”. Nevertheless, the Bears went on to beat the Giants by a score of 38–20. The win over the Giants allowed the Bears to hold their first-place ranking in the National Football Conference. Devin Hester was also able to tie a record 108-yard return for a touchdown shared by teammate Nathan Vasher.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 11: at New York Jets
For week eleven, the Chicago Bears returned to Giants Stadium to play the New York Jets. While the Bears managed to record their second shut-out win of the year, their offense struggled throughout the first half the game, and managed only ten points in the second half. The victory over the Jets marked the first time in two games that the Bears did not turn over the ball, and Robbie Gould had not failed to convert a field goal or extra point on the year.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 12: at New England Patriots
Following two consecutive wins at Giants Stadium, the Bears were to finish a three-game road trip at Gillette Stadium against the New England Patriots. Similar to the week nine confrontation with the Miami Dolphins, turnovers contributed to the Bears’ 17–13 loss against the Patriots. The opening two quarters were a story of turnovers in a Rex Grossman interception by Asante Samuel, a Benjamin Watson catch knocked into the hands of Charles Tillman, a blocked Bears field goal attempt, and fumbles by Laurence Maroney and Grossman.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 12: at New England Patriots
The third quarter saw a bizarre sequence of turnovers – first fumbles by both Watson and Reche Caldwell on the same play, followed by another Samuel interception of Grossman, and finally a second Tillman interception of Brady. Through three quarters the game was tied 10–10 before a drive where Brady faked out Brian Urlacher on a nine-yard run ended in a two-yard score to Watson. Turnovers then ended the game, with a Corey Dillon fumble followed by Samuel's third interception of Grossman. Samuel's three picks tied Roland James in Patriots history for three interceptions in one game.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 13: vs. Minnesota Vikings
After the loss to New England, the Bears returned to Soldier Field to play the Minnesota Vikings. The weather conditions were harsh throughout the game; the below-freezing temperatures and swirling winds provided a clichéd background for a rivalry game in the "Black and Blue Division". Despite a marginal offensive performance, the Bears managed to defeat the Vikings 23–13.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 13: vs. Minnesota Vikings
With their tenth win of the season, the Bears secured their second consecutive NFC North Title. Additionally, the Bears became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff berth, and remained tied for the NFL's best record.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 14: at St. Louis Rams
For week 14, the Bears traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to play the St. Louis Rams. Prior to the game, a quarterback controversy arose between Rex Grossman and Brian Griese regarding the Bears’ starting quarterback position. Grossman, who finished the preceding game with a quarterback rating of 1.3, was eager to make a statement, and rebound against the same team which injured him during the previous year's preseason. Grossman rose to the occasion, and spearheaded the Bears to a 42–27 victory over the Rams, while rookie CB Devin Hester had a record-breaking performance. Also, many spectators of the Monday night game may remember then-Senator Barack Obama's humorous television introduction before kickoff.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 14: at St. Louis Rams
During the course of the game, Hester broke the NFL record for combined return touchdowns in a single season with six. He also became the sixth player in NFL history to return two kicks for touchdowns in a single game. For his performance, he earned the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award. On a low note, kicker Robbie Gould uncharacteristically missed two field goal attempts, and the Bears announced that defensive tackle Tommie Harris would miss the remainder of the season with a severe hamstring injury.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 15: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bears improved to 12–2 and secured home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with an overtime victory over their former division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bears entered the game without Pro Bowlers Mike Brown, Nathan Vasher and Tommie Harris. Additionally, Lovie Smith deactivated defensive tackle Tank Johnson due to his legal issues.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 16: at Detroit Lions
The Bears traveled to Detroit, Michigan in hopes of another victory over the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve. However, the game was essentially meaningless, as the Bears had already clinched the NFC's top playoff seed in the previous week. Therefore, the Bears experimented with different defensive and offensive plans en route to a victory over the Lions.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Week-by-week results, Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers
After their road victory against the Detroit Lions, the Bears returned home to finish their season against the archenemy Green Bay Packers. On December 24, the NFL announced that they would move to game to a primetime slot, making it the final game of the 2006 regular season. The loss marked the Bears second consecutive loss in a regular season finale. Brett Favre appeared at the end of the game, and gave a tearful interview with an NBC Sports correspondent, where he admitted his future as a professional was still questionable. Additionally, Grossman's four turnovers, zero passer rating, and press conference comments (where he admitted to being underprepared) drew criticism both from fans and the media as the Bears' regular season came to an end.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Playoffs
The Bears clinched a playoff berth after defeating the Minnesota Vikings during week thirteen. They obtained a first round bye the following week, and later secured the NFC's first playoff seed. This ensured the Bears home field advantage for the NFC's Divisional and Conference games.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Playoffs, NFC Divisional playoff: vs Seattle Seahawks
The Bears advanced to the NFC Championship game by defeating the Seattle Seahawks on January 14, 2007. In a hard-fought battle, the Bears had to rely on all “four phases” of the game (offense, defense, special teams, and crowd noise) to win 27–24 in overtime.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Playoffs, NFC Championship: vs New Orleans Saints
The Chicago Bears returned to Soldier Field to play the second-seeded New Orleans Saints for the right to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLI. On a cold field with unsure footing, and eventually falling snow, the Bears defeated the Saints 39–14 to claim their first NFC Championship since the 1985 Season. After the game, Bears owner Virginia McCaskey was presented the George Halas Trophy, named after her late father, "Papa Bear" George Halas. With the win, Lovie Smith became the first African American coach to achieve a Super Bowl berth. In Super Bowl XLI, The Bears would match up against the Indianapolis Colts, and Smith would face his mentor, Tony Dungy.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Playoffs, Super Bowl XLI: vs Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl XLI, the first Super Bowl to be played entirely in intemperate weather, saw the Bears lose to the Indianapolis Colts at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.


2006 Chicago Bears season, 2007 Pro Bowl
Eight members of the Chicago Bears were selected to play in the 2007 Pro Bowl. Olin Kreutz, Tommie Harris, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Robbie Gould, Devin Hester, and Brendon Ayanbadejo were selected by NFL fans throughout the nation to represent the Bears. The eight selections were the most from any team in the NFC. The Bears had not sent that many players to Honolulu since the 1986 Pro Bowl, which succeeded the 1985 NFL season, when they sent nine. On January 25, Bears' left guard Ruben Brown was named to his ninth Pro Bowl, taking the spot of injured Shawn Andrews of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, Harris, Urlacher, Kreutz, and Briggs missed the Pro Bowl on the account of injuries.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Off the field incidents
Perhaps the most prevalent off-field occurrences were the actions taken by and against Tank Johnson and Ricky Manning, Jr. On December 14, 2006, Lake County police officers searched Johnson's home in Gurnee, Illinois, and discovered that he possessed six firearms, including two assault rifles. Johnson was charged with violation of probation and possessing unlicensed weapons. A Chicago media storm erupted shortly after when Johnson's bodyguard was shot and killed December 16, after attending a club with him. Bears coach Lovie Smith deactivated Johnson for the following game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers based on the incidents.


2006 Chicago Bears season, Off the field incidents
Speculation arose in Chicago that the Bears' defensive tackle would not be allowed either legally or by the team to travel to Miami to play in the Super Bowl, but he was ultimately allowed to play. Johnson eventually served 60 days in a Cook County jail because of the charges. Manning Jr. faced a similar situation that cost him a one-game suspension. On April 23, 2006, two days after receiving an offer sheet from the Bears, Manning Jr. attacked a man in a Denny's restaurant after teasing him for working on a laptop computer. In September 2006, Manning pleaded no contest to felony assault in exchange for another probation deal, though later he proclaimed his innocence.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game
On October 16, 2006, during Week 6 of the National Football League (NFL) regular season, the Chicago Bears defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 24–23, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The undefeated Bears staged the "comeback of the year" against the 1-win Cardinals after trailing by 20 points at halftime. This game is the first game in which the Bears won after trailing by 20 or more points since 1987 (they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27–26).


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first win in Bears history in which they trailed by at least 20 points in the second half, and the Cardinals became the first team in NFL history to lose consecutive games in a season after being ahead by 14 or more points at the end of the first quarter in each of their games. The Bears also set an NFL record for the biggest comeback without scoring an offensive touchdown in league history. Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart became the first quarterback in history to throw at least 2 touchdown passes in each of his first 2 career starts. The last time a team won after committing 6 turnovers was over 20 years prior.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game
The postgame press conference was notable for Cardinals head coach Dennis Green's profanity-laced rant, highlighted by the quote "But they are who we thought they were! And we let 'em off the hook!". The game was ranked #6 on NFL Top 10 on NFL Network for Top Ten Greatest Comebacks of All Time under the title "Cardinals Blow It"/"Monday Night Meltdown", as well as Top Ten Meltdowns at #7.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Background, Prelude
Before the meeting, the Bears led the series 56–36, which also includes the Bears as the Decatur Staleys and Chicago Staleys, as well as the Cards as the Chicago Cardinals and St. Louis Cardinals (the team was also briefly known as the Phoenix Cardinals). Earlier in the year, in the preseason, the Cardinals defeated the Bears at Soldier Field 23–16 in a Friday night game.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Background, The Bears
The Bears were having a great season, being undefeated heading into the game at 5–0, having their best start to the season since 1989, having committed only 5 turnovers all season and averaging an NFL-best 31.2 points per game, and scoring 156 points compared to allowing only 36 points. This was the Bears' first Monday Night Football appearance since 2003.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Background, The Bears
The Bears' 3rd year coach Lovie Smith was having the best season start of his coaching career, going 1–4 in 2004 and 2–3 in 2005 (despite making the playoffs in 2005), and notably defeated four of their first five opponents by more than 3 touchdowns (26–0 win against the Green Bay Packers, 34–7 win over the Detroit Lions, 37–6 win over the Seattle Seahawks, and 40–7 victory against the Buffalo Bills; their other game was a 19–16 win over the Minnesota Vikings).


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Background, The Bears
The team was led by the talented-yet-inconsistent quarterback Rex Grossman, running back Thomas Jones, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, linemen John Tait, Olin Kreutz, and Roberto Garza, defensive linemen Adewale Ogunleye, rookie Mark Anderson, who eventually recorded 12 sacks on the season, linebackers Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Brendon Ayanbadejo, rookie and future record holder for career returns for touchdowns and punt return touchdowns Devin Hester, a cornerbacking tandem in Charles Tillman and former record holder for the longest play in NFL history (broken by San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie) Nathan Vasher, Chris Harris, Mike Brown, and the 7th most accurate kicker in NFL history in Robbie Gould.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Background, The Cardinals
The Cardinals, contrary to the Bears, were not having a good season, being 1–4 heading into the game, with their lone win being a Week 1 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, and mustering only 50 points while allowing 92 points. Dennis Green was leading the team, and was hoping for a win to snap their 4-game losing streak, as well as hopefully make the playoffs after going 5–11 the year before.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Background, The Cardinals
The team's roster featured rookie quarterback and 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, as well as rookie Leonard Pope, along with serious receiving threats in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, along with J. J. Arrington, running back Edgerrin James, Obafemi Ayanbadejo, brother of Brendon Ayanbadejo (both brothers played together with the Bears in the preseason in 2007), 3x Pro Bowler Darnell Dockett, Gerald Hayes, Orlando Huff, Calvin Pace, kicker Neil Rackers, as well as former MVP and Super Bowl XLIII quarterback Kurt Warner at backup.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Game summary
The Bears won the toss, and elected to receive the kickoff. After the Bears went 3-and-out, the Cardinals scored on their first possession on a Matt Leinart pass to Bryant Johnson, with Leinart completing 9 of his first 10 passes. After the Cardinals threw an interception, which was eventually challenged and reversed before ultimately punting, Bears quarterback Rex Grossman threw an interception to Aaron Francisco. The Cardinals scored on their next possession on a Leinart pass to Anquan Boldin. At the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals led the Bears, 14–0.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Game summary
In the second quarter, after exchanging punts, Grossman threw another interception, this time to Gerald Hayes. Neil Rackers missed a field goal on the ensuing possession. The Cardinals recovered two Grossman fumbles in the quarter, and scored field goals on each of the ensuing possessions, making the score 20–0.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Game summary
In the third quarter, the Bears started their comeback with a Robbie Gould field goal. Neil Rackers responded with a field goal, which turned out to be the final score for the Cardinals. Near the end of the third quarter, Leinart was sacked by rookie Mark Anderson, and fumbled the ball. Safety Mike Brown recovered the fumble and returned it 3 yards for a touchdown with just two seconds left in the quarter, making the score 23–10.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Game summary
After an exchange of punts, Grossman threw an interception to Dockett, who returned it 73 yards for a touchdown. However, the Bears challenged the play, claiming Dockett was down by contact. The touchdown was nullified, though the interception stood. On the Bears' next possession, Grossman threw another interception, this time to Robert Griffith. On the second play of the ensuing possession, Edgerrin James had the ball stripped by Brian Urlacher. Charles Tillman recovered the fumble and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Game summary
With the score 23–17, rookie Devin Hester returned a punt 83-yards for a touchdown to take the lead 24–23. With a few seconds left in the game, Rackers set up for the game-winning field goal with less than a minute. After the Cardinals got into field goal range, Rackers, who missed only two field goals the season before, and already having made a 41-, 28- and 29-yard field goals, missed the 40-yard field goal, with the kick going wide left, with the ball possibly deflecting off linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer's fingertips. The Bears took a knee to end the game, giving the Bears a 6–0 record, and dropping the Cardinals to a 1–5 record on the season.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Brian Urlacher
The game was also notable for featuring one of the best performances of Brian Urlacher's career. He recorded 19 tackles and a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Teammate Devin Hester commented on Urlacher's performance, stating, "We watched the film and everybody was saying that he just turned into the Incredible Hulk the last four minutes of the game, just killing people and running over and tackling whoever had the ball."


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Dennis Green post-game rant
"My doctor was very happy. He called me the next day, said: 'You know what? After that kind of game, (me) blowing up like that was a very good stress reliever', and my wife agreed."


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Dennis Green post-game rant
After the loss, in the postgame press conference, Cardinals coach Dennis Green lost his temper, letting out a profane meltdown about the fact that the Cardinals defeated the Bears in the preseason, and because of that, they were confident in beating them again, and that his team blew it after attacking the Bears' weaknesses, and also yanked the podium, destabilizing the microphone before storming out of the room. The rant's popularity led to it being featured in a Coors Light commercial the next season.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Dennis Green post-game rant
The Bears are what we thought they were. They're what we thought they were. We played them in preseason—who the hell takes a third game of the preseason like it's bullshit? Bullshit! We played them in the third game—everybody played three quarters—the Bears are who we thought they were! That's why we took the damn field. Now if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! But they are who we thought they were! And we let 'em off the hook!


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Dennis Green post-game rant
One year after the tirade, Green explained the context around the tirade by stating, "We went against this team in preseason and they're exactly what we think they are, which is a one-dimensional team." Green and his staff devised strategies to score points against the Bears defense in preparation for the game. He was frustrated when the Bears won despite the initial success of his game plan.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Aftermath
The Bears finished the season with a 13–3 record, losing only to the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers, and met Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI but lost, 29–17. The next season, the Bears sputtered to a 7–9 record. The game marked the beginning of the "good Rex/bad Rex" cycle, as quarterback Rex Grossman cycled between good performances vs bad performances. He was eventually benched in 2008 and released in 2009 and signed with the Houston Texans. (Coincidentally, Leinart was signed by them a season later.)


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Aftermath
Grossman eventually became the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins. His last NFL start was in 2011 for the Redskins, after which he was a backup quarterback for the Redskins, Cleveland Browns, and Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Lovie Smith was fired after the Bears narrowly missed the playoffs at 10–6 following the 2012 season, and subsequently coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014 to 2015.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Aftermath
The Cardinals ultimately dropped to 5–11 at the end of the season, and Dennis Green was fired and was replaced by Ken Whisenhunt. Two seasons later, the Cardinals met the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, but lost, 27–23, with Leinart having been benched at the start of the season in favor of veteran Kurt Warner. In 2010, despite Warner's retirement, Leinart was released by the Cardinals and was signed by the Texans, starting Leinart's change to being considered a journeyman quarterback and (given his draft position and expectations coming out of college) a draft bust. By 2013, Leinart was out of football altogether. As of Arizona's 2018 campaign, Larry Fitzgerald was the only player who played in 2006 that was still on the team.


2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, Aftermath
The two teams met again twice after the game, once in 2009, and another in 2010, in a preseason game. Both times, the Cardinals won, winning the 2009 matchup, 41–21, and the 2010 game 14–9. The Bears and the Cardinals met again in 2012 in Glendale, but this time, Chicago beat Arizona, 28–13. They would also meet again in 2015 and 2018, with the Cardinals winning 48–23 in 2015 and the Bears winning 16–14 in 2018.


2006 Chicago Big Box Ordinance
On July 26, 2006 the Chicago City Council voted to approve an ordinance which for 7 weeks made Chicago the largest United States city that required big-box retailers to pay what the ordinance's sponsors characterized as a "living wage." Formally entitled "AMENDMENT OF TITLE 4 OF MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO BY CREATION OF NEW CHAPTER 404 ENTITLED "LARGE RETAILERS"", the ordinance was popularly known as the "Living Wage Ordinance" or "Big Box Ordinance." The ordinance defined "Large Retailers" as those with annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more or with stores of 90,000 square feet or more. "Large retailers" were required to pay $9.25 per hour in wages and $1.50 per hour in benefits, with a schedule of cost of living increases. (At the time, the minimum wage was $6.50 per hour state and $5.15 federal).


2006 Chicago Big Box Ordinance
The ordinance was sponsored by Aldermen Moore, Flores, Tillman, Preckwinkle, Hairston, Lyle, Beavers, Stroger, Beale, Pope, Balcer, Cardenas, Olivo, Theodore Thomas, Coleman, Latasha Thomas, Murphy, Troutman, Munoz, Chandler, Ocasio, Ed Smith, Reboyras, Matlak, Austin, Colon, Allen, Laurino, Levar, Shiller, Schulter, Maryanne Smith and Stone.


2006 Chicago Big Box Ordinance
This legislation was widely reported in the national press. More than two dozen publications, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Chronicle, The Kansas City Star, Rocky Mountain News, The Seattle Times, and Philadelphia Daily News, carried the story.


2006 Chicago Big Box Ordinance
Mayor Richard M. Daley vetoed the ordinance on September 11, 2006, and two days later the City Council sustained the veto.


2006 Chicago Cubs season
The 2006 Chicago Cubs season was the 135th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 131st in the National League and the 91st at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished with a record of 66–96 in last place of the National League Central Division. Chicago was managed by Dusty Baker.


2006 Chicago Cubs season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos=position; G=Games played; AB=At Bats; H=Hits; Avg.=Batting Average; HR=Home Runs; RBI=Runs Batted In


2006 Chicago Cubs season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G=Games played; AB=At Bats; H=Hits; Avg.=Batting Average; HR=Home Runs; RBI=Runs Batted In


2006 Chicago Cubs season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G=Games pitched; IP: Innings pitched; W=Wins; L=Losses; ERA=Earned run average; SO=Strikeouts


2006 Chicago Marathon
The 2006 Chicago Marathon was the 29th running of the annual marathon race in Chicago, United States and was held on October 22. The elite men's race was won by Kenya's Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot in a time of 2:07:35 hours and the women's race was won by Ethiopia's Berhane Adere in 2:20:42.


2006 Chicago Rush season
The 2006 Chicago Rush season was the sixth season for the franchise. They won ArenaBowl XX in 2006 with a 7–9 record. They defeated the Orlando Predators.


2006 Chicago Rush season, Final roster
Rookies in italics updated August 2, 200617 Active, 0 Inactive


2006 Chicago Sky season
The 2006 WNBA season was the first for the Chicago Sky.


2006 Chicago White Sox season
The 2006 Chicago White Sox season was their first since winning the World Series the season before. They finished with a record of 90–72, good enough for third place in the American League Central, six games behind the champion Minnesota Twins.


2006 Chicago White Sox season, Player stats, Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; BB = Base on balls; SO = Strikeouts; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases


2006 Chicago White Sox season, Player stats, Pitching
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 39th edition of the game previously (and later) known as the Peach Bowl. Georgia represented the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the competition. The game was the final game of the 2006 football season for each team and resulted in a 31–24 Georgia victory, even though spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win by three points.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
In exchange for the right to pick the first ACC team after the Bowl Championship Series selections, bowl representatives paid US$3.25 million to the ACC, while the SEC, whose fifth team was selected, received $2.4 million. The combined $5.65 million payout was the seventh-largest among all college football bowl games, and the fourth-largest non-BCS bowl game payout.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
In a game that was expected to be a defensive struggle, Virginia Tech took a 21–3 lead in the first half. After halftime, Georgia answered Tech's first-half success, thanks in part to four second-half turnovers by Tech quarterback Sean Glennon. Virginia Tech's No. 1 ranked defense struggled in the second half, allowing 153 yards (of 200 total) in the final 30 minutes.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
As time ran out, Georgia held a one-touchdown lead, 31–24, having beaten back a last-second Tech rally. 75,406 people attended the game, making it the 10th consecutive Peach Bowl sellout, the largest crowd to ever attend an event at the Georgia Dome, and the third-largest bowl game in terms of attendance for the 2006–2007 season. Each school sold out its allotment of 18,500 tickets quickly. 31,922 people attended the Chick-fil-A "fan fest" before the game, setting a new attendance record. Virginia Tech's loss brought it to a final 2006 record of 10–3, while Georgia's final-game win earned it a record of 9–4.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Selection process
Beginning with the 2006 game, the Chick-fil-A Bowl had purchased the right to select the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team after representatives from the Bowl Championship Series made their selection. According to the official selection rules still used today, the team chosen to represent the ACC must be within one conference victory of the remaining, highest-ranked conference team or be ranked more than five spaces ahead of the ACC team with the best Conference record available in the final BCS Standings.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Selection process
In choosing the SEC opponent, the Chick-fil-A Bowl selection committee had the right to select the first SEC school after the Bowl Championship Series, Cotton Bowl Classic, Capital One Bowl, and Outback Bowl made their selections. Just as in the ACC, the selection committee could not select an SEC team with two more losses than the highest available team. The bowl earned the right to select these teams via its multimillion-dollar payout system, which guarantees a certain amount of money to the participating conferences.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Selection process
Prior to 2006, the Chick-fil-A Bowl (then known as the Peach Bowl) matched the No. 5 team in the SEC versus the No. 3 team in the ACC. After the bowl increased its payout to $2.8 million per squad, it then was given the second pick from the ACC, with the Gator Bowl dropping to third.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Selection process
Leeman Bennett, the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, served as chairman of the selection committee, which had the task of picking the best teams from those made available by the selection criteria set by the two conferences. The committee would have approximately one month to select the two teams that would attract the most people to the game and generate the largest possible television audience.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Selection process
This fact helped eliminate ACC runner-up Georgia Tech from the selection process, as the Yellow Jackets had already played Georgia earlier in the season, thus making a potential Georgia-Georgia Tech showdown less attractive. In addition, that matchup, while attractive to football fans in the Atlanta area (the site of the Chick-fil-A Bowl and home to Georgia Tech), would have less appeal to television viewers outside the Georgia area. Supervising the selection committee was the Chick-fil-A Bowl Executive Committee, which consisted of representatives from various Atlanta businesses and the Chick-fil-A corporation.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup
On the morning of December 3, 2006, Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives selected Virginia Tech to represent the ACC in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl. A few hours later, Georgia was selected as the second half of the matchup. Two days after the selections were announced, the game was declared sold out, the 10th consecutive sellout in the combined history of the Peach and Chick-fil-A Bowls. Georgia and Virginia Tech each were assigned initial allocations of 18,500 tickets for distribution, and following the quick sales of those ticket blocs, each asked for and received additional tickets to distribute.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup
The game was the third time Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia faced each other on the football field. The two previous games—one in 1931 and the other in 1932—resulted in one loss and one win for each team. Various casinos and betting organizations favored Virginia Tech by 2.5–3 points when setting their point spread.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Media coverage
Media discussion of the game in the weeks leading up to kickoff centered on the Hokies' No. 1-nationally ranked defense and Georgia's 5th-ranked SEC defense. Most pundits predicted a low-scoring game, and a few predicted an "all-out defensive war". A week before departing for Atlanta, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer revealed that Ike Whitaker, Virginia Tech's backup quarterback, would not be attending the game for undisclosed reasons. It was later revealed that Whitaker had been admitted to an alcohol treatment center in Salem, Virginia.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Media coverage
For Georgia, discussion centered on the play-calling duties of assistant coach Mike Bobo. Bobo had been named the temporary offensive coordinator for the Bulldogs after then-assistant coordinator Neil Calloway had been named the new head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Calloway would remain with the Bulldogs as the offensive line coach during the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but Bobo would take over his role as offensive coordinator for the game. It was only the second time that Bobo performed as a play-caller for the Bulldogs, the previous game having come in Georgia's regular-season closer, a 15–12 win against Georgia Tech.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups
With the fifth-ranked defense in the SEC going up against the number-one ranked scoring defense in the nation, attention centered on the likelihood of a low-scoring defensive struggle. Of particular interest were the two teams' quarterbacks and how they would likely fare against such a tough defense. Georgia struggled on offense for much of the season, resulting in a battle for the starting quarterback position between senior Joe Tereshinski and freshman Matthew Stafford.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups
Though Stafford was eventually given the starting role, he struggled in his first year, completing 126 of 235 passes (53.6%) for 1,620 yards, with six touchdowns and 12 interceptions heading into the Chick-fil-A Bowl. On the opposite side of the field, Virginia Tech would be starting redshirt sophomore Sean Glennon. Named the starting quarterback at the beginning of the 2006 season, Glennon replaced Marcus Vick, who had been expelled from Virginia Tech at the end of the previous year. While not as statistically successful as Marcus Vick, Glennon still managed to lead the Hokies to their third consecutive 10-win season, and had the edge over Stafford in terms of experience.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups
On the ground, it appeared that Virginia Tech had the edge in experience, forcing Georgia's defense to concentrate on stopping Tech's run game. Virginia Tech running back Branden Ore suffered an ankle injury in the Hokies' regular-season game against Wake Forest, but still took the field in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The same could not be said for Georgia, whose original starting running back, Thomas Brown, suffered a season-ending knee injury in October. Filling his role were two inexperienced players: Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware. Making up for this inexperience, the two players were coached by Tony Ball, a former Virginia Tech wide receivers coach with insights into the Tech defense.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups
With Ore still not fully recovered from his injury and two inexperienced players on the Georgia side, it appeared that the teams' passing offenses would have to take up the slack. Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal, with 452 receiving yards, led both teams in receiving yardage coming into the game. Georgia's receiving corps was led by wide receiver Mohammed Massaquoi and tight end Martrez Milner. Massaquoi caught 28 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns coming into the game, while Milner had 27 receptions for 376 yards and two touchdowns.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups
Each offense would face tough defense in the air and on the ground. The Virginia Tech defense, led by junior linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi, was expected to present a challenge for the Georgia offense. "You try to find some kind of mismatch, but it's very difficult to do", Georgia head coach Mark Richt said before kickoff. "That's why they're the best (defense) in the country. Their interior defensive linemen are very, very strong and physical, and, really, everybody else is built for speed. Their edge rushers are tremendous, and their linebackers are outstanding and physical.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups
Their defensive backs can all run and hit. It's going to be a real challenge." Of particular concern for quarterback Matt Stafford were Virginia Tech's cornerbacks, whom he would have to go through in order to complete passes to his receivers. "They play kind of a different scheme than a lot of teams so it would be tough if you only had one week to try to prepare for these guys", Stafford said in an interview prior to the game. "They trust their corners a lot, but they've got good ones and can. They lock up a lot of time single receiver side because they've got a good corner down there that plays on the boundary."


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups
Georgia's defense, ranked fifth in the SEC, was no less a concern for Virginia Tech's offense. "Defense is one of the major aspects of the SEC", said Georgia center Nick Jones before the game. "You face great defenses week in and week out, and we face a great one week in and week out in practice against our defense. We've been up against great defenses and great personnel, so it's nothing new for us." Heading into the game, Georgia was ranked ninth in total defense, giving up only 264 yards per game, and 22nd in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 17.1 points a game.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary
The 2006 Chick-fil-A bowl kicked off on December 30, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. The game was nationally televised on ESPN, with over 5 million households tuning into the game at home, enough to earn ESPN a television rating of 4.8 for the broadcast. 75,406 people attended the game in person, making it the 10th consecutive Chick-fil-A Bowl sell-out, the first since the word "Peach" was dropped from the title, the largest crowd ever to attend an event at the Georgia Dome, and the third-largest bowl game in terms of attendance for the 2006–2007 season.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary
31,922 people attended the Chick-fil-A "fan fest" prior to the game, setting a new attendance record. Due to the proximity of Atlanta to the University of Georgia's main campus in Athens, Georgia, gave Georgia a home-field advantage. but the Virginia Tech fans, known for traveling well to their bowl appearances, quickly bought out their school's allotment of tickets and ensured a divided crowd.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Defense dominated in the first quarter of the game. Virginia Tech received the opening kickoff, but failed to capitalize on its opening drive thanks to a personal foul penalty that forced the Hokies to punt. On its first possession, Georgia moved into scoring position courtesy of a 26-yard run by Kregg Lumpkin. Failing to advance the ball further, Georgia sent in kicker Brandon Coutu who kicked a 39-yard field goal to give Georgia the early lead, 3–0.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
The two teams proceeded to trade possessions, with no side able to gain an advantage over the other's defense. Tech received the kickoff from Georgia, but was again hampered by penalties after earning a first down. After the Virginia Tech punt, Georgia went three-and-out, punting to the Hokies, who also went three-and-out.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
After taking possession on his own 16-yard line, Georgia quarterback and true freshman Matthew Stafford caused the first turning point of the game as he threw an interception to Brenden Hill of Virginia Tech. Starting deep in Georgia territory, Virginia Tech was further aided by a personal foul on Georgia, which set up a first-and-goal situation for Virginia Tech on the Georgia 6-yard line. A two-yard run by Virginia Tech tailback Branden Ore brought the ball closer to the goal line and ended the first quarter of play.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
At the end of the first quarter, Georgia led Virginia Tech 3–0.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The second quarter began with Virginia Tech inside the Georgia 10-yard line. After two unsuccessful plays, Virginia Tech was finally able to reach the end zone on a Branden Ore one-yard rush in a fourth-and-one situation. The touchdown and extra point gave Virginia Tech a 7–3 lead with 13:23 left in the half.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Georgia began its first possession with a 25-yard kickoff return, but failed to earn a first down in the face of a tough Hokie defensive effort. Georgia punter Gordon Ely-Kelso kicked a 56-yard punt following the Virginia Tech defensive stop. A breakdown in special teams coverage by Georgia allowed Virginia Tech kick returner Eddie Royal to break free, returning the kick 56 yards back to the original line of scrimmage. As a result of the excellent field position provided by the return, Virginia Tech was able to drive the remaining 30 yards to the end zone. Branden Ore earned his second touchdown of the game, making the score 14–3 with 6:13 remaining on the clock.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
After a short return, Georgia QB Stafford went to work on the Georgia 24-yard line. Two incomplete passes and one sack later, Georgia was again punting. Virginia Tech again was in excellent field position, starting on their own 47-yard line. Instead of rushing the ball, as had been the trend for the Tech offense up to that point, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer called for a trick play. At the snap, quarterback Sean Glennon lateraled the football to wide receiver Eddie Royal. Rather than running the ball, Royal threw the ball downfield, catching the Georgia defense off guard.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Tight end Sam Wheeler, the target of the throw, had been left uncovered by a defense expecting a run. The pass was completed, and Wheeler ran unimpeded 53 yards for a touchdown. The play took 19 seconds to execute, and gave Virginia Tech a 21–3 lead with 4:00 remaining in the half.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Georgia was again unable to earn a first down in the ensuing possession, and attempted three straight rushing plays that earned a total of six yards. After a Georgia punt, Virginia Tech ran two rushing plays before attempting the same Royal pass that had gone for a touchdown earlier. Georgia, having anticipated the play, sacked Royal for a loss of two yards, ending the first half.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Because Virginia Tech had received the opening kickoff, Georgia received the ball to open the second half. Stafford was able to connect with wide receiver Mario Raley for a 24-yard gain, taking Georgia to the 50-yard line, but Virginia Tech's defense stiffened and Georgia was forced to punt. Pinned at their ten-yard line by the Georgia punt, Virginia Tech went three-and-out and was itself forced to punt.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
A 19-yard punt return by Mikey Henderson put Georgia into good field position. Stafford capitalized on the opportunity, completing a 26-yard pass to put Georgia into field-goal range. After three unsuccessful plays, kicker Brandon Coutu connected on a 51-yard field goal to cut the Virginia Tech lead to 21–6.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
On the kickoff following the field goal, Georgia head coach Mark Richt ordered an unorthodox onside kick. Surprised by the unexpected play, the Virginia Tech coverage team was unable to recover the ball, which was leapt upon by the kicker, Brian Mimbs. With a new chance at offense and a sense of optimism triggered by the successful onside kick, Georgia drove down the field. Aided by 20 yards in penalties against Virginia Tech, the drive resulted in a six-yard touchdown pass to Martrez Milner. The touchdown and extra point boosted Georgia's morale and cut the score to 21–13, Virginia Tech leading by eight.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
The third quarter came to a close as Virginia Tech struggled to answer the two Georgia scores. Tech quarterback Sean Glennon connected on a 29-yard pass to Eddie Royal, driving the Hokies to the Bulldog 47-yard line as the clock hit zero.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
At the end of the third quarter, Virginia Tech still led Georgia, 21–13.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The fourth quarter began with Virginia Tech searching for a way to answer Georgia's previous two scores and quash the momentum Georgia had picked up. On the third play of the quarter, however, Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon threw an interception to Georgia's Tony Taylor. Beginning on their own 35-yard line, Georgia capitalized on the mistake quickly, courtesy of a 15-yard personal foul penalty and a 41-yard completion from Stafford to Milner. Georgia, hoping to tie the time, attempted and completed a two-point conversion. The resulting scores tied the game at 21–21 with 12:39 remaining in the game.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Virginia Tech's hopes to answer were smashed on the first play after Georgia's kickoff as Glennon fumbled the snap, losing the ball to Georgia's Quentin Moses. Georgia failed to pick up a first down following the turnover, but the fumble did turn into three points for the Bulldogs, as kicker Brandon Coutu connected on his third field goal of the day, giving Georgia its first lead since the first quarter, 24–21.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
After the Georgia kickoff, Glennon was again intercepted by Tony Taylor, who earned his second interception on the day and created Glennon's third turnover. Taylor returned the ball 16 yards to the Tech one-yard line, setting up an easy touchdown for the Bulldogs. With 6:54 remaining, Georgia took a 31–21 lead over Virginia Tech.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
On the ensuing Tech possession, Tech's quarterback continued to play poorly. On the third play following the kickoff, Glennon was intercepted for the fourth time in the game. The downfield interception set up Georgia at their own 11-yard line. Georgia rushed the ball three times, forcing Virginia Tech to use two timeouts in order to stop the clock. The punt by Georgia's Ely-Kelso was poorly done, and traveled only 15 yards before going out of bounds.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
As a result of the excellent field position, Virginia Tech seemed in position for an easy score. However, after a quick Tech first down, the Georgia defense stiffened and Tech was forced to settle for a field goal. The 28-yard kick by Brandon Pace cut Georgia's lead to 31–24, but only 3:42 remained on the clock. Due to the short time remaining, Virginia Tech was forced to attempt an onside kick in order to have another chance at offense. The kick was recovered by Georgia, however, and the Bulldogs proceeded to rush the ball in three consecutive plays, forcing the Hokies to use their last timeout in order to conserve time for one final drive.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Georgia's punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback, and with 1:28 remaining in the game, Virginia Tech began the final drive on its own 20-yard line. Any tension was soon defused by the Georgia defense, which forced three incompletions and a sack. Glennon's attempt at a Hail Mary pass fell short, giving Georgia the win with a final score of 31–24.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics
The 18-point comeback was the largest for Georgia under coach Mark Richt up to that point. In recognition of their performances during the game, Georgia linebacker Tony Taylor and quarterback Matthew Stafford were named the defensive and offensive MVPs of the game, respectively. Taylor's two interceptions tied the Georgia bowl record for interceptions, first set by Scott Woerner and Ronnie Harris. The four Virginia Tech turnovers resulted in 18 Georgia points. Georgia's sole turnover resulted in seven points for Virginia Tech.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics, Georgia statistical recap
Over a third of Georgia's 71 rushing yards came on a single 26-yard run in the first quarter by halfback Kregg Lumpkin. After the run, Lumpkin would amass only 13 additional yards in the remaining three quarters of play. Over half of Georgia's total offensive yards (200 total yards) came through the air from Stafford, who finished with 129 passing yards, one interception, and one touchdown. Approximately a third (41 yards) of Stafford's passing yards came on a single completion in the fourth quarter. Another long pass play netted Stafford 24 yards. Together, the two plays accounted for half of Stafford's total passing yards. Seven other completions netted only 64 yards, an average of just over 9 yards a play.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics, Georgia statistical recap
Georgia's kicking game had a far more active day than its offense. Punter Gordon Ely-Kelso booted seven punts and kicker Brandon Coutu nailed three field goals. The field goals, kicked from 39, 51, and 28 yards away and two extra points made Coutu Georgia's leading scorer in the game, earning 11 points. Ely-Kelso netted 264 yards in punts, an average of 37.7 yards per kick. Though not long, the punts were high enough in the air to allow Georgia's special teams to get downfield and prevent long punt returns. Only two of Ely-Kelso's punts were returned by Tech kick returner Eddie Royal, and one return was for negative yardage.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics, Georgia statistical recap
Georgia's defense managed a strong performance statistically and in real terms. The most obvious examples of this were the three interceptions and one forced fumble that proved to be the turning point in the game. Two of the interceptions were caught by linebacker Tony Taylor, who also had nine tackles, two for a loss of yards. The tackles tied him with Paul Oliver, who also had nine. The third interception came from Kelin Johnson, while the fumble was forced by Charles Johnson. Johnson had an active day as well. In addition to the forced fumble, he recorded four tackles, two sacks, and a pass break-up.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics, Georgia statistical recap
The defensive play of Taylor, Oliver, and Johnson greatly affected the course of the game and is apparent in Georgia's time of possession and average starting position in each of the quarters. During the first and second quarters, Georgia had average starting positions on their own 19 and 26-yard lines, respectively. Their first-quarter time of possession was just 5:41, and their second-quarter possession time was 6:34. During the third and fourth quarters, when all four Virginia Tech turnovers took place, Georgia's time of possession jumped to 10:41 and 7:47, respectively. In the third quarter, their average starting possession gained ten yards to the Georgia 36, and during the final quarter, their average starting position was the Virginia Tech 36-yard line. This fact allowed Georgia to capitalize on the Virginia Tech turnovers, turning them into points on the scoreboard.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
Sean Glennon's four turnovers tied a career-high for interceptions and brought his season interception mark to 11. He completed 13 of his 26 passes for 94 yards and a completion percentage of 50%. The passing total of 94 yards was the second-lowest total in the entire season, coming behind only a November 4 game in Miami where Glennon passed for just 86 yards in the face of a tough defense. In a statistic unusual for the 2006 season, Glennon was not the only Tech player to complete a pass. Wide receiver Eddie Royal's 53-yard TD pass made him just the third Virginia Tech player to complete a pass during the 2006 season. The play on which Royal made his throw, a lateral WR pass, had been attempted once previously in the season during a 38–27 loss to Georgia Tech.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
On the ground, the Hokies had even less success than they did in the air. Branden Ore, Tech's starting tailback, earned 42 yards in 20 short rushes during the game. With a long run of eight yards, Ore was kept in check by Georgia's defense. The only other Hokie to achieve positive yardage on the ground was backup tailback Kenny Lewis, who only managed five yards. Glennon was sacked three times, once fumbling the ball. These sacks wiped out the 11 rushing yards he managed to gain during his scrambles for yardage. In the second quarter, Virginia Tech was aided by excellent field position, enabling them to score three offensive touchdowns. Tech's average starting field position in that quarter was the Georgia 48-yard line, allowing for easy scores even for a struggling offense.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
As with Georgia, Virginia Tech's kicking and special teams proved to have more success than either aspect of the offense. Virginia Tech kicker Brandon Pace scored a single 28-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, and punter Nic Schmitt blasted four punts for a total of 195 yards, averaging 48.8 yards a punt. Pace's field goal helped to trigger a late-game rally by Virginia Tech, which had been stunned by a Georgia onside kick and several interceptions thrown by Glennon. Schmitt's long punts, meanwhile, denied Georgia good field position in the first half of the game. Only in the second half, when Glennon's interceptions allowed Georgia to start on the Tech side of the field, was the Georgia offense able to reach the end zone. In the first and second quarters, Georgia's average starting position was their own 19-yard line and own 26-yard line, respectively.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
That starting field position proved a boon for the Virginia Tech defense, which only allowed 200 total yards in the game. Tech linebacker Vince Hall led the Hokies and all defensive players with 13 tackles in the game. Tech recorded one interception during the game, courtesy of Brenden Hill, who also made three tackles. Georgia's offensive line, despite starting only six scholarship offensive linemen, allowed just two sacks to the Virginia Tech defense. Chris Ellis and Noland Burchette each earned a single sack, accounting for a loss of 15 total yards.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Postgame effects
The win over #14 Virginia Tech enabled the Bulldogs to break into the Top 25 rankings in the final college football poll of the season. Georgia was ranked #23 in the country thanks to its win over the Hokies, who dropped to #19 nationally following the loss. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak by Virginia Tech and ended the Hokies' bid at becoming just the fourth team in school history to win 11 games in a season. The 2006 Georgia Bulldogs, consequently, became the first team in school history to defeat three consecutive ranked teams.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Postgame effects
No. 5 Auburn, No. 16 Georgia Tech, and No. 14 Virginia Tech all fell to Georgia in November or December. The game and the tens of thousands of fans it attracted injected an estimated $35 million into the Atlanta area economy, mostly as a result of food, hotel, and other expenses incurred by visiting fans.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Postgame effects, 2007 season
In August 2007, Frank Beamer closed team practices to outside observers for the first time in 20 years. He cited concerns about unknown individuals watching Virginia Tech practice in Atlanta before the Hokies' loss to Georgia, potentially leading to the defeat. During the 2007 season, Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon was replaced as the Hokies' starter by freshman Tyrod Taylor, causing many pundits to point to the four interceptions Glennon threw in the Chick-fil-A Bowl as an example of his failure as a quarterback. Brian Mimbs, the former walk-on who kicked and recovered the onside kick that began Georgia's rally was named the Bulldogs' starting punter for the 2007 season, partially due to his performance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.


2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Postgame effects, 2007 season
At the end of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, both Georgia and Virginia Tech were named to Bowl Championship Series bowl games, indicating an increase over their 2006 performances. Georgia earned a bid to the 2008 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana against the Hawaii Warriors, who they defeated, 41–10. Virginia Tech, having won the 2007 ACC Championship Game, earned an automatic bid to the 2008 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, losing 24–21 to the Kansas Jayhawks.


2006 Chilean telethon
The 2006 Chilean telethon (Spanish: Teletón 2006) was the 20th version of the charity campaign held in Chile since 1978. The theme of this version was "With all my heart" (Con todo el corazón). The event was held during 1–2 December 2006. The poster girl chosen for the campaign was Kelly Rodriguez.


2006 Chilean telethon
The event, broadcast over twenty seven consecutive hours, took place at the Telethon Theatre, with the closing of the campaign held in the National Stadium of Chile, where the final total was announced at 01:38 on Sunday, 3 December. The goal of CL$11,403,914,216 had been superseded by raising CL$11,804,425,008. On 15 December, Banco de Chile presented the final statement that included the auxiliary boxes unaccounted for during the telecast, which reached a record CL$14.110.203.362.


2006 Chilean telethon
This version was made after two years without the Telethon event since during 2005 it postponed due to the presidential and parliamentary elections. This was the first Telethon to be held under the leadership of Michelle Bachelet.


2006 China Baseball League season
The 2006 China Baseball League season saw the Tianjin Lions defeat the Guangdong Leopards in 3 games to win the Championship Series.


2006 China Masters
The 2006 China Masters was a badminton tournament which took place at the Sichuan Gymnasium in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, on 8–12 March 2006 and had a total purse of $250,000. This is the second edition of the tournament, and rated as 6–star IBF World Grand Prix event.


2006 China Open (badminton)
The 2006 China Open in badminton was held from October 17 to October 22, 2006 in Guangzhou, China.


2006 China Open (snooker)
The 2006 Star Dragon Woods Villa Cup China Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 20 and 26 March 2006 at the Beijing University Students' Gymnasium in Beijing, China. It was the penultimate ranking event of the 2005–06 season, preceding the 2006 World Championship.


2006 China Open (snooker)
Mark Williams won the tournament by defeating John Higgins 9–8 in a high-quality final.


2006 China Open (snooker), Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:


2006 China Open (snooker), Prize fund
Winner: £30,000Runner Up: £15,000Semi Finalist: £7,500Quarter Finalist: £5,600Last 16: £4,000Last 32: £2,500Last 48: £1,625Last 64: £1,100


2006 China Open (snooker), Qualifying
Qualifying for the tournament took place at Pontin's in Prestatyn, Wales  between November 15 and November 18, 2005.


2006 China Open (tennis)
The 2006 China Open was an ATP International Series and WTA Tour Tier II tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's tournament was held September 11–18, and the women's was held September 18–25


2006 China Open (tennis)
Marcos Baghdatis won his first title of the year, and of his career. Svetlana Kuznetsova won her 2nd title of the year.


2006 China Open (tennis), Finals, Men's Doubles
Mario Ančić /  Mahesh Bhupathi defeated  Michael Berrer /  Kenneth Carlsen, 6–4, 6–3


2006 China Open (tennis), Finals, Women's Doubles
Virginia Ruano Pascual /  Paola Suárez defeated  Anna Chakvetadze /  Elena Vesnina, 6–2, 6–4


2006 China Open – Men's Doubles
Justin Gimelstob and Nathan Healey were the defending champions, but Gimelstob did not participate this year. Healey partnered Ashley Fisher, losing in the first round.


2006 China Open – Men's Doubles
Mario Ančić and Mahesh Bhupathi won the title, defeating Michael Berrer and Kenneth Carlsen 6–4, 6–3 in the final.


2006 China Open – Men's Singles
Rafael Nadal was the defending champion, but did not participate this year.


2006 China Open – Men's Singles
Marcos Baghdatis won the title, beating Mario Ančić 6–4, 6–0 in the final.


2006 China Open – Women's Doubles
Nuria Llagostera Vives and María Vento-Kabchi were the defending champions, but Llagostera Vives did not compete this year. Vento-Kabchi teamed up with Lourdes Domínguez Lino and lost in first round to Séverine Brémond and Amélie Mauresmo.


2006 China Open – Women's Doubles
Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez won the title by defeating Anna Chakvetadze and Elena Vesnina 6–2, 6–4 in the final.


2006 China Open – Women's Singles
Maria Kirilenko was the defending champion, but lost in second round to Peng Shuai.


2006 China Open – Women's Singles
Svetlana Kuznetsova won the title by defeating Amélie Mauresmo 6–4, 6–0 in the final.


2006 China Open – Women's Singles, Seeds
The top four seeds received a bye into the second round.


2006 Chinese FA Cup
2006 Chinese FA Cup (Chinese: 2006中国足球协会杯) was the 12th edition of Chinese FA Cup. The first round matches were kicked off on 15 March 2006, and the final took place on 18 November 2006.


2006 Chinese FA Cup, Results, First round
First round are single matches, with extra time and penalty shootout. The away team will progress to the next round if there were goals in the extra time and match remains in tie after extra time. Penalty shootout was used when both teams did not score in the extra time.


2006 Chinese FA Cup, Results, Second round
Second round are single matches, with extra time and penalty shootout. The away team will progress to the next round if there were goals in the extra time and match remains in tie after extra time. Penalty shootout was used when both teams did not score in the extra time.


2006 Chinese FA Cup, Results, Final
The final is a single match, with extra time and penalty shootout if necessary.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix
The 2006 Chinese Grand Prix (officially the 2006 Formula 1 Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix) was the sixteenth race of the 2006 Formula One season. It was held on 1 October 2006 at Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai. The race was won by Michael Schumacher, driving a Ferrari, and would turn out to be the 91st and last victory of his Formula One career. It was also his last podium finish until the 2012 European Grand Prix, during his comeback to the sport.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
Renault were very confident about their chances in this Grand Prix, they claimed that Michael Schumacher's previous two races in Shanghai were "poor". Schumacher did admit that he had bad form in China, but said that he expected it "to be better this time around."


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
Following back-to-back wins in Turkey and on home soil, Ferrari certainly had the momentum coming into the Grand Prix, the Italian team were also ahead of Renault by 3 points in the constructors championship and Michael Schumacher was 2 points behind Fernando Alonso in the Drivers' Championship.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
Following Lewis Hamilton's GP2 victory in Monza and an encouraging test session with McLaren, the Woking-based team were rumoured to give the young British driver his debut in favour of Pedro de la Rosa, who had been performing well after replacing Juan Pablo Montoya. However, McLaren announced that de la Rosa would be racing in China. McLaren's other driver, Kimi Räikkönen, was aiming to win the weekend's Grand Prix following signs of speed in his previous Grand Prix.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
Williams announced that they were using a revised FW28, the Williams-Cosworth FW28A. The car featured a new aerodynamic package developed by test drivers Alexander Wurz and Narain Karthikeyan. The test team also carried out the first track test of the Toyota-powered interim Williams FW28B. The car itself completed 745 kilometres and the team only experienced minor problems.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
Following some impressive Friday test performances at Turkey and Italy, BMW Sauber's 19-year-old test driver, Sebastian Vettel, had agreed to see out the rest of the year with the German team. The young German driver had a busy schedule, as he was also competing in the Formula 3 Euroseries.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
With the sacking of Christian Klien, Red Bull announced that Robert Doornbos would replace him for the final 3 Grands Prix. Replacing Doornbos' role as the third driver was GP2 driver Michael Ammermüller.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
Toro Rosso announced during the week leading up to the Grand Prix, that they had signed Alex Hitzinger as their new technical director to replace Gabriele Tredozi. Hitzinger began his role in November 2006.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
Spyker MF1 announced their first driver for 2007 during the weekend, which was Dutch driver Christijan Albers.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Background
Super Aguri's Takuma Sato had a dismal start to the weekend as he was demoted ten places on the grid as his team changed the Honda engine in his car. Sato had been due to continue using the Honda V8 he ran at the last round in Italy, but the discovery of a problem, which had not been disclosed by Super Aguri, had prompted the team to replace the engine ahead of the Friday first practice session.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Friday practice
Alexander Wurz was fastest in the first Friday practice session in the Williams-Cosworth, 0.004 seconds faster than BMW Sauber's third driver, Sebastien Vettel and Jenson Button completed the top three, over six-tenths slower than Wurz. Michael Schumacher, Neel Jani and Alexandre Prémat completed the top six; all within 0.07 seconds of each other. While Schumacher's championship rival, Fernando Alonso, did not set a time along with his teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Friday practice
Wurz and Vettel were fastest again in the second session, Wurz was fastest with a 1:35.539, around 0.03 seconds faster than he was in the first session and 0.05 seconds faster than Vettel with Honda's Anthony Davidson completing the top three positions. The Austrian was very happy with his time, specially since this was his first time in Shanghai, "It was a good day today and driving was a lot of fun out there. I have never driven this circuit, and I attacked it right from the beginning" he said. Championship rivals, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, were within a tenth of a second of each other in fifth and sixth, respectively. Felipe Massa dropped ten places from the grid after his engine gave way during the session.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Friday drivers
The bottom 6 teams in the 2005 Constructors' Championship and Super Aguri were entitled to run a third car in free practice on Friday. These drivers drove on Friday but did not compete in qualifying or the race.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Race
It rained heavily before the start of the race, suiting the Michelin runners and disadvantaging the Bridgestone runners. Fernando Alonso led away at the start, followed by Giancarlo Fisichella. Kimi Räikkönen passed both Hondas at the start and immediately started to pressure Fisichella. Robert Kubica and Robert Doornbos collided, resulting in Kubica being knocked of the track and Doornbos losing his front wing. On lap 8, Michael Schumacher overtook Rubens Barichello for fifth. On lap 14, Schumacher passed Jenson Button for fourth.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Race
On the same lap Räikkönen finally managed to pass Fisichella, having been stuck behind him ever since the start. Räikkönen immediately began to pull away from Fisichella and erode the 15 second gap to Alonso. At this point in the race, Alonso was over 25 seconds ahead of Schumacher. However, the track was now drying and beginning to favour the Bridgestones more and more. By lap 19, Schumacher had caught up to Fisichella. He was also gaining on Alonso, who was beginning to struggle with his tyres and had several off-track moments. Schumacher gained another place when Räikkönen retired with a mechanical failure. Räikkönen later said that he felt he could have won the race, as he had been steadily gaining on Alonso before his retirement.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Race
The new leading trio of Alonso, Fisichella and Schumacher made their first pit stops on laps 22, 23 and 21, respectively. Fisichella and Schumacher both kept all the same tyres, but Alonso, whose tyres were already fading, was unsure about whether they could last all the way to the second pit stops, so he changed the front tyres, but left the same rear tyres. However, this disadvantaged him even more, and within a few laps his 20-second lead had evaporated to nothing. For several laps, Alonso, Fisichella and Schumacher ran nose to tail.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Race
On lap 29, Fisichella tried to pass Alonso down the back straight, but braked too late and ran wide, allowing Alonso to regain the lead. The following lap, he pulled off the maneuver successfully and immediately began to pull away. Only a few corners later, at the start of lap 31, Schumacher passed Alonso and chased after Fisichella. He was able to stay with him but unable to seriously threaten to overtake.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Race
Alonso dropped back all the time and on lap 35, having seen several drivers switch to dry tyres and be able to handle the drying conditions, pitted and made the switch. However a wheel nut problem at his stop caused it to last over 19 seconds. When he emerged from his stop he was down in 4th and over 50 seconds off the lead. Schumacher and Fisichella were among the last drivers to switch to dry tyres, pitting on laps 40 and 41 respectively. Fisichella emerged from his stop still ahead of Schumacher, but struggling with his cold tyres ran wide at the first corner, allowing Schumacher through into the lead.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Race
Alonso had now rediscovered his pace and charged in the closing stages, setting fastest lap after fastest lap. Fisichella let him past without a fight, but although he continued to close rapidly on Schumacher, he ran out of time to catch him, finishing just 3 seconds behind. Fisichella had dropped back hugely in the closing laps but hung on to a comfortable third place.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Race
Nick Heidfeld had started eighth on the grid but through his strategy of pitting late at both pitstops had rising to fourth in the closing stages, leapfrogging Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button and Pedro de la Rosa. However, in the closing stages Heidfeld was firstly forced off the track while trying to lap Christijan Albers, then held up by Takuma Sato's Super Aguri, allowing Barrichello, Button and de la Rosa to close up to him. Button first managed to find his way past Barrichello on the last lap, then, at the penultimate corner, boxed Heidfeld in behind Sato, taking fourth. Barrichello then braked too late at the same corner, running into the back of Heidfeld, knocking the BMW Sauber's right rear wheel askew and damaging his own front wing. This allowed de la Rosa through to take fifth, Barrichello sixth, and the furious Heidfeld limped home seventh.


2006 Chinese Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
The result put Michael Schumacher equal on points with Fernando Alonso, and in the championship lead on countback. However, Fisichella's third place allowed Renault to regain the lead of the constructor's championship by one point from Ferrari, as well as vaulting Fisichella ahead of Felipe Massa in the battle for third in the driver's championship, also by one point. After the race, Schumacher expressed his surprise at the performance of his car in the wet, after its dismal showing in qualifying. Alonso expressed his regret over the decision to change only the front tyres at his first stop, but also his encouragement at the pace his car had shown throughout the weekend. Both championship contenders were confident heading into the final two races of the season.


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) playoffs included the three top teams from the regular season and crowned a champion with the Taiwan Series through the month of October, 2006. The winner represented Taiwan in the Konami Cup in Japan with the champions from Japan, South Korea, and an all-star team from China to determine an Asian champion in November.


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, First round
In the First Round of competition, the Uni-President Lions defeated the Sinon Bulls in 3 games to 0.


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, First round, Game 1, October 13
WP: Jeriome Robertson (1-0) LP: Alfredo Gonzalez(0-1)HRs: Sinon - Hsu Kuo-lung (許國隆) (1), Chang Tai-shan (張泰山) (1) (2); Uni-President - Pan Wu-hsiung (潘武雄) (1), Tilson Brito (1)Attendance: 2,430


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, First round, Game 2, October 14
WP: Pan Wei-lun (潘威倫) (1-0) LP: Kuo Yung-chih (郭勇志) (0-1)Attendance: 4,755


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, First round, Game 3, October 14
WP: Hansel Izquierdo (1-0) LP: Billy Sylvester (0-1)HRs: Uni-President - Chen Chia-wei (陳家偉) (1)Attendance: 5,392


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, Taiwan Series
The Taiwan Series was played between the La New Bears and the Uni-President Lions.


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, Taiwan Series, Game 1
October 21  @ Kaohsiung La New Bears 4 Uni-President Lions 3 (11 innings)


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, Taiwan Series, Game 2
October 22		@ Douliou - La New Bears 6 Uni-President Lions 5


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, Taiwan Series, Game 3
October 24		@ Sinjhuang La New Bears 5  Uni-President Lions 2


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, Taiwan Series, Game 4
October 25		@ Tainan La New Bears 7  Uni-President Lions 3


2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs, Taiwan Series, Game 4
La New Bears win series 4 games to 0 for their first ever CPBL/ Taiwan Series championship and advance to the 2006 Konami Cup Asia Series.


2006 Chinese Super League
The 2006 Chinese Super League was the third season since the establishment of the Chinese Football Association Super League (中国足球协会超级联赛 or 中超), also known as Chinese Super League, the thirteen season of professional association football league and the 45th top-tier league season in China.


2006 Chinese Super League
The premier football league in China under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association the season started on March 11, 2006 and ended October 22, where it was planned that would be two teams relegated at the end of the season, however this changed to one when Sichuan First City folded before the start of the season.


2006 Chinese Super League, Preseason
A number of changes occurred during the off season, notably some major changes to the teams. Inter Shanghai was moved to Xi'an and was renamed Xi'an Chanba. Shanghai Zobon was renamed Shanghai United.


2006 Chinese Super League, Preseason
Beijing Hyundai, who may not renew their contract with Hyundai motors, change their team name back to their formal name, Beijing Guoan.


2006 Chinese Super League, Preseason
Shenzhen Jianlibao changed its team name to Shenzhen Kingway after finding a new sponsor in Kingway brewery.


2006 Chinese Super League, Preseason
There was also some speculation that Liaoning FC would pull out from the league, and that the Chinese Football Association had prepared a schedule with only 14 teams should Liaoning have withdrawn.


2006 Chinese Super League, Preseason
The biggest shock was the disbanding of Sichuan First City in January, so the league will only have 15 teams at the start of the season, 1 short of the 16 teams planned.


2006 Chinese Super League, Player transfers
Shanghai Shenhua, who qualify for the AFC Champions League, boost their squad with Li Weifeng from the debt-ridden Shenzhen Jianlibao for 6.5 million RMB, the highest transfer fee this season. In additional, Shenhua bought over Liu Yunfei from Tianjin Teda for 0.9 million and recalled defender Du Wei from Glasgow Celtic.


2006 Chinese Super League, Player transfers
Desperately in need of money, Shenzhen Jianlibao was also forced to sell China's first choice goalkeeper, Li Leilei to Shandong Luneng Taishan for 5 million; Former national striker Yang Chen to the newly promoted Xiamen Lanshi for 2 million and Zhou Ting to Beijing Hyundai for 3.5 million.


2006 Chinese Super League, Player transfers
Other notable transfers includes Wang Liang's 5 million move from Liaoning FC to Shandong, An Qi's 4 million move from defending champions Dalian Shide to Xiamen and An Shuai, Zhou Yi, Sun Bing, Cha Kejun's four players move from Shandong to Qingdao Jonoon for 1 million each.


2006 Chinese Super League, The season
Shandong Luneng and newcomer Changchun Yatai both had a good spell early on while defending champions Dalian struggled early on. During the mid season, Changchun finally cannot kept up with the pace of the top league and gradually drops to fourth in the league. Meanwhile, a record 13 league win in a row saw Shandong Luneng Taishan gaining an unassailable lead at the top. With Shandong the clear winner, the interest in the second half of the season was the race to the second place and the fight against relegation.


2006 Chinese Super League, The season
In the end, Chongqing Lifan was relegated with 2 games to go while the race for second went all the way down the wire before Shanghai Shenhua clinch the second spot with a last day win over Liaoning while Beijing slips.


2006 Chinese motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2006 Chinese motorcycle Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 2006 Motorcycle Grand Prix season. It took place on the weekend of 12–14 May 2006 at the Shanghai International Circuit.


2006 Chinese motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round four has concluded.


2006 Chivas USA season
The 2006 Chivas USA season was the club's second season of existence, and their second in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The club competed in the MLS's Western Conference, where they finished in third place, in their Conference, qualifying for the Playoffs for the first time.


2006 Chivas USA season, Season review
On November 23, 2005, Chivas appointed Bob Bradley as their new manager.


2006 Chivas USA season, Competitions, MLS, Results summary
Last updated: October 16, 2005Source: Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won;  T = Matches tied;  L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2006 Chorley Borough Council election
Elections to Chorley Borough Council were held on 4 May 2006. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.


2006 Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party leadership election
A leadership election for Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-ČSL) was held on 27 May 2017. Mayor of Vsetín Jiří Čunek became leader of KDU-ČSL when he defeated Vlasta Parkanová. The incumbent leader Miroslav Kalousek


2006 Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party leadership election, Background
Miroslav Kalousek resigned as leader of the party in August 2006 after he started negotiations with Czech Social Democratic Party about coalition supported by Communist Party. Jan kasal then became acting leader. Kasal refused to run. Senator and Mayor of Vsetín Jiří Čunek announced candidature for the position of leader on 23 November 2006. Both candidates introduced their positions on 25 November in Brno. While Čunek's speech was met with applause, Jílek received only lukewarm reactions. Jiří Karas and Vlasta Parkanová announced their candidature on 27 November 2006.


2006 Christy Ring Cup
The 2006 Christy Ring Cup was the second staging of the Christy Ring Cup, the Gaelic Athletic Association's inter-county hurling tournament for second tier teams. The cup began on 3 June 2006 and ended on 6 August 2006.


2006 Christy Ring Cup
Westmeath were the defending champions, however, they availed of their automatic right of promotion to the All-Ireland Championship. Antrim and London contested the cup for the first time.


2006 Christy Ring Cup
On 6 August 2006, Antrim won the Christy Ring Cup following a 5-13 to 1-7 defeat of Carlow in the final. This was their first Christy Ring Cup title.


2006 Christy Ring Cup
Down's Paul Braniff was the championship's top scorer with 6-26.


2006 Christy Ring Cup, Format
Ten counties contested the 2006 competition for the Christy Ring Cup — the prize for the winners of Tier Two of the Guinness All-Ireland Hurling Championship. The inaugural competition involved the current middle rank of hurling counties:


2006 Christy Ring Cup, Format
These 10 counties are divided into two groups of five and play in a round-robin format, guaranteeing at least four games each. The eventual group winners and runners-up will qualify for the semi-finals of the Christy Ring Cup. The prize for the winners of the final will be promotion to Tier One of the Hurling Championship to contest the Liam MacCarthy Cup the following year.


2006 Christy Ring Cup, Format
The last team in each group will be involved in a relegation play-off with the eventual loser being relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup.


2006 Christy Ring Cup Final
The 2006 Christy Ring Cup final was a hurling match played at Croke Park on 6 August 2006 to determine the winners of the 2006 Christy Ring Cup, the 2nd season of the Christy Ring Cup, a tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association for the second tier hurling teams. The final was contested by Antrim of Ulster and Carlow of Leinster, with Antrim winning by 5-13 to 1-7.


2006 Christy Ring Cup Final
The Christy Ring Cup final between Antrim and Carlow was the first championship meeting between the two teams. Both teams were appearing in their first cup finals.


2006 Christy Ring Cup Final
Antrim got off to a flying start with a flurry of goals putting them 3-6 to no score clear. Goals from Joey Scullion (13 minutes), Johnny McIntosh (15) and Kieran Kelly (17) gave them an early lead, while Carlow waited 27-and-a-half minutes before Damien Roberts opened their account with a point. They matched Antrim for the remainder of the half – with Roberts and team captain Robbie Foley swapping points with Paddy Richmond and Brian McFall – to cut the gap to 14 points by half-time.


2006 Christy Ring Cup Final
Carlow raised the tempo for the second half. Pat Coady landed a free and two '65's to help his side pare back the difference to 3-8 to 0-6 by the 53rd minute. Carlow hit four of the second half's opening five points with substitute Seánie McMahon firing over the best of the lot from a tight angle on the left. Antrim steadied themselves on 56 minutes when Barney McAuley dangled a ball deep into Carlow territory and McIntosh latched onto it to thump home goal number four off the ground.