2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 4: Bye week
The Broncos had a bye week, but moved into a first place tie in the division when the San Diego Chargers lost to the Baltimore Ravens 16–13.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 5: vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens traveled to INVESCO Field at Mile High for Monday Night Football on October 9. The last time these two teams played, on December 11, 2005, the Broncos won 12–10. The Broncos won 13–3 and improved to 3–1, still tied for first place in the division with the San Diego Chargers.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 5: vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens got on the board first when Matt Stover kicked a 24-yard field goal, following a fumble by Broncos RB Tatum Bell. The Broncos responded with a 43-yard field goal of their own by Jason Elam. The Ravens drove deep into Broncos territory late at the end of the first half, but that drive was thwarted as Steve McNair was intercepted by Champ Bailey in the end zone on a pass intended for Clarence Moore. The third quarter was scoreless as the defensive struggle continued.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 5: vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Broncos controlled the clock in the second half with the running game led by Tatum Bell, who atoned for his fumble in the first quarter by bouncing back with 92 yards rushing. Ravens QB McNair was intercepted again by Darrent Williams, which led to a Jake Plummer to Rod Smith touchdown pass. McNair was intercepted a third time, ending the Ravens' final drive, this time by Domonique Foxworth.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders traveled to INVESCO Field at Mile High for Sunday Night Football on October 15. The Raiders arrived in Denver 0–4 while the Broncos began the game tied for first place in their division at 3–1.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders
This game was again primarily a defensive struggle. Oakland had two turnovers deep in Broncos territory, one an interception thrown by Andrew Walter that was picked off by Champ Bailey, and another a fumble by LaMont Jordan. Neither team was able to do much on offense, with just 1 touchdown scored in the entire game (a run by Tatum Bell) and a total of 274 yards produced by the Raiders and 246 yards by Denver. The only turnover of the game by Denver came on a Darrent Williams fumble on a punt return early in the second half.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders
Jason Elam succeeded on kicks from 51 and 22 yards, while Sebastian Janikowski scored the only points for Oakland on a 47-yard field goal in the third quarter. Randy Moss had 86 yards receiving, while Javon Walker had 75 yards. Both had 1 50+ yard catch to put their teams in scoring position. Tatum Bell was the leading rusher with 83 yards. With the win, the Broncos improved to 4–1.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders
The Broncos by this point had only allowed 1 touchdown in 52 opponent possessions. In this game they became the first team since the 1934 Detroit Lions to go five games while allowing only one touchdown to be scored against them.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 7: at Cleveland Browns
The Broncos traveled to Cleveland Browns Stadium to face the Cleveland Browns in what would again be a primarily defensive struggle. The Broncos again had a 100-yard rusher in Tatum Bell, with 115 yards (and also 1 touchdown), and also had a 100-yard receiver in Javon Walker, with 107 yards. Former Bronco Reuben Droughns was held to just 33 yards rushing and 27 yards receiving (60 yards total). Jake Plummer again struggled, throwing 1 touchdown (to rookie Brandon Marshall, the first of his career), but also 2 interceptions.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 7: at Cleveland Browns
Although Denver committed 2 turnovers, they also forced three; one interception (by Champ Bailey, making it three consecutive games with an interception) and two fumbles. After Jake Plummer threw his second interception of the day in their own red zone, the Browns scored their only points when Charlie Frye threw a touchdown pass to Joe Jurevicius in the fourth quarter, only the second touchdown allowed by the Broncos all year. It also ended their second 11-quarter streak without a touchdown allowed of the season. Denver at the time had only allowed 44 points all season, the lowest in the league. However, in one of the few items of bad news for the Broncos, left tackle Matt Lepsis suffered a season-ending knee injury. Also, kicker Jason Elam missed just his second field goal of the season in the third quarter.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 7: at Cleveland Browns
After the Chargers lost to division rival Kansas CIty, the Broncos took over the AFC West with a 5–1 record.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Broncos returned to INVESCO Field at Mile High in a highly anticipated showdown with the Eventual Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts and their high-powered offense led by Peyton Manning. Going into the game, Indianapolis was one of just two undefeated teams in the NFL (along with the Chicago Bears) with a 6–0 record.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Unlike the other games the Broncos played up to this point, this game turned into a shootout in the second half, with Peyton Manning playing a nearly flawless game. By the end of the first half, the Broncos had already scored 14 points (3 below their season high up to this point). The Colts scored first, with a 42-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri in the first quarter.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Broncos took a quick lead in the second quarter with two consecutive 80-yard drives for touchdowns; one a 1-yard run by Jake Plummer, his first of the season on running, and the second a 15-yard pass to Javon Walker. The Broncos went into the half leading 14–6 after a 32-yard field goal by Vinatieri.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts responded with a 12-yard touchdown catch by Reggie Wayne in the third quarter. The only turnover of the game came on a Jake Plummer fumble on the next drive by the Broncos, leading to another easy touchdown pass to Wayne, putting the Colts ahead 17–14. A touchdown run by Mike Bell, who was substituting for the slightly injured Tatum Bell, put the Broncos on top again.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Each team responded with a touchdown in the fourth quarter, with Bell running for another touchdown and Wayne hauling in another touchdown pass (followed by a 2-point conversion pass that was also caught by Wayne). The 37-yard field goal by Vinatieri with 2 seconds left won the game for the Colts, breaking the tie and allowing them to remain undefeated. He had another 48-yarder earlier in the quarter, while Jason Elam had previously tied the game on a 49-yard field goal.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts
The game proved to be good for both offenses; while Denver allowed the most points they had all season, they also scored more points than they had all season. Peyton Manning tore up the Broncos defense, throwing for 345 yards (138 by Wayne) on 32/39 passing, and 3 touchdowns (all to Wayne).


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Denver's powerful run attack (currently third in the league behind the Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers) gained 227 yards against the league-worst Colts run defense (including 136 by rookie Mike Bell), but it simply wasn't enough to counter the Colts' powerful offense (which also ran for 93 yards, all by rookie Joseph Addai, a career-high).


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Denver again moved into a first place tie in the AFC West with the San Diego Chargers as they won their game against the St. Louis Rams.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Broncos played the Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, in a rematch of the 2005 AFC Championship Game. The Broncos got on the scoreboard quick with Jake Plummer throwing a 16-yard touchdown strike to WR Rod Smith on their first drive of the game. On the ensuing kickoff, the Steelers fumbled the ball, with the Broncos recovering deep into Steelers' territory. Plummer then threw a 10-yard pass to WR Javon Walker to make the score 14–0. On the next drive, the Steelers got to the Denver 41-yard line when QB Ben Roethlisberger completed a 35-yard pass to WR Cedrick Wilson, who then fumbled the ball and the Broncos recovered.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
In the second quarter, the Steelers dominated play outscoring the Broncos 10–0 on the quarter. Roethlisberger threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to RB Willie Parker for his first touchdown pass of the game. The Steelers were about to score on their next possession when Roethlisberger threw an interception near the end zone to CB Champ Bailey. After the Broncos showed no offense in the quarter, and the Steelers missed a 40-yard field goal, the quarter ended with the Steelers' Jeff Reed kicking a 46-yard field goal.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
In the third quarter, Denver quickly scored with a 72-yard end around run by Javon Walker. On their next drive, the Steelers were driving down the field, when Roethlisberger threw another interception to Champ Bailey near the end zone. Denver was unable to get out of their own end zone after that and punted to the Steelers, who scored on the next drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Willie Parker.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Denver put the game to an end in the fourth quarter with another 10-yard touchdown pass from Plummer to Walker. This came after the Steelers punted from their own 1-yard line and the Broncos began the series on the Steelers' 17-yard line. Both the Steelers and the Broncos scored field goals on their next possessions, the Steelers with a 29-yard field goal and Denver with a 32-yard field goal.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh again, down by 11, nearly made it a 4-point game when WR Hines Ward leaped into the end zone, but fumbled from a John Lynch (American football) tackle, whereby the Broncos safety Curome Cox recovered the fumble. On the Steelers next possession, Roethlisberger again threw an interception, this time to Curome Cox, ending the game.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
With this win the Broncos remained tied with the Chargers in the AFC West with a 6–2 record.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 10: at Oakland Raiders
Following their road victory over the Steelers, the Broncos flew to McAfee Coliseum for an AFC West rematch with the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, the Raiders score first with RB LaMont Jordan on a 1-yard TD run. The Broncos would respond with QB Jake Plummer completing a 39-yard TD run with WR Javon Walker. In the second quarter, Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski would get a 55-yard and a 20-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 13–7 halftime lead. After a scoreless third quarter, Denver would score twice in the 4th Quarter with Plummer's 1-yard TD pass to FB Kyle Johnson and Jason Elam kicking a 24-yard field goal. With the win, the Broncos improved to 7–2.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers
Following their season sweep over the Raiders, the Broncos went home for a Sunday Night match-up with their AFC West rival, the San Diego Chargers. With first place in the division on the line, both sides would play tough. In the first quarter, the Chargers got the only score of the period as LaDainian Tomlinson scored on a 3-yard TD run on a 98-yard drive. In the second quarter, the Broncos took the lead with RB Mike Bell getting two 3-yard TD runs. In the third quarter, kicker Jason Elam completed a 42-yard field goal, while CB Darrent Williams returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers
However, things started getting grim as Tomlinson (who historically had difficulty against the Broncos in Denver) exploded with a 3-yard TD run his 100th career rushing touchdown, and a 51-yard touchdown reception. In the fourth quarter, Elam would get a 38-yard field goal, but San Diego managed to wrap up the game with QB Philip Rivers completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Vincent Jackson and Tomlinson getting a 1-yard TD run. With the loss, the Broncos fell to 7–3 and second place in the AFC West.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers
It would later be learned that safety Nick Ferguson had season-ending surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. He injured his knee after a 1st quarter interception.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs
The Broncos traveled to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC West rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs. This was a historic game as NFL Network began their season with a 3rd NFL game on Thanksgiving. In the 1960s, Kansas City hosted three Thanksgiving Day games. For this battle, QB Jake "The Snake" Plummer was fighting for his starting job.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs
In the first quarter, the Broncos trailed early as K.C. 's Lawrence Tynes kicked a 24-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, Denver's defensive problem continued as RB Larry Johnson got a 1-yard TD run. The Broncos would finally score as kicker Jason Elam nailed a 31-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Tynes helped the Chiefs get a 34-yard field goal, while Plummer completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Stephen Alexander. In the fourth quarter, Tynes gave Kansas City a 29-yard and a 21-yard field goal. The Broncos tried to respond, but K.C. 's improved defense stopped any hope of a comeback. With the loss, Denver fell to 7–4.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Trying to break a two-game losing streak, the Broncos went home for a Sunday Night fight with the Seattle Seahawks. This game would be notable for the NFL debut of QB Jay Cutler. In the first quarter, the Broncos struck first with kicker Jason Elam's 37-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, Denver's lead increased with Cutler's 7-yard TD pass to TE Stephen Alexander. However, the Seahawks got into game with DE Darryl Tapp's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks
After a scoreless third quarter, Seattle took control of the game with RB Shaun Alexander's 1-yard TD run, along with kicker Josh Brown's 44-yard and 23-yard field goal. The Broncos responded with a huge play, as Cutler completed a 71-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Marshall. However, Denver's defense couldn't hold off the Seahawks' response, as Brown nailed a 50-yard field goal, spoiling Cutler's debut. With their third-straight loss, the Broncos fell to 7–5.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 14: at San Diego Chargers
Hoping to snap a three-game losing streak and give rookie QB Jay Cutler his first NFL win, the Broncos flew to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West rematch with the San Diego Chargers. In the first quarter, Denver trailed early as QB Philip Rivers completed a 12-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates, while FB Lorenzo Neal got a 4-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Broncos managed to get on the board with kicker Jason Elam's 34-yard field goal.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 14: at San Diego Chargers
However, San Diego's dominance continued with RB LaDainian Tomlinson's 1-yard TD run, along with a 7-yard TD pass from Rivers to Gates. In the third quarter, the Broncos showed some signs of life as Cutler completed a 28-yard TD pass and an 11-yard TD pass to rookie TE Tony Scheffler, while Elam nailed a 33-yard field goal. However, in the fourth quarter, the Chargers pulled away with kicker Nate Kaeding's 34-yard and 35-yard field goal, while Tomlinson broke the single-season TD record with a 6-yard and a 7-yard TD run. With their fourth-straight defeat, Denver fell to 7–6.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals
Broncos' fans were given several reasons to hope for the future during this road win against the similarly rookie quarterback led Cardinals. Denver scored first on a Javon Walker 54-yard pass from Jay Cutler in the 3rd minute of the first quarter. They scored again in the 6th minute of the first quarter on a 30-yard field goal compliments of Jason Elam. Elam tacked on another 3 in the second minute of the second quarter from 22 yards. The Cardinals got on the board in the 6th minute of the second quarter with a field goal from Neil Rackers.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals
They scored again in the 7th minute on a fumble return for a touchdown by Antonio Smith for 4 yards after Tatum Bell lost the ball. Elam struck again from 30 yards in the 14th minute of the 2nd quarter. Denver went on to score 3 more TDs. One in the third on a 10-yard pass to Rod Smith and two more in the fourth both on 1-yard carries from Mike Bell. Arizona scored on an FG in the third from 38 yards compliments of Rackers and then on a touchdown in the fourth on a four-yard carry by Edgerrin James. The Broncos improved to 8–6 while the Cardinals fell to 4–10.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals
Play-off Implications: Jay Cutler replacing Jake Plummer for his third regular season start had an impressive game with 21 completions on 31 attempts for 261 yards total. He had two TD passes and 1 interception. The run game while not impressive by Broncos' standards (106 yards team total with Mike Bell leading Tatum Bell (28 yards), with 61 yards on 16 carries) did provide enough of a threat to allow Cutler opportunities to make plays. After the Broncos' relatively stagnant last four games any semblance of an offensive rhythm is encouraging.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals
The win in Arizona kept Bronco play-off hopes alive and set up an exciting must-win situation against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 16. The Broncos can clinch a wild card playoff berth with a win against the Bengals and a loss by the KC Chiefs along with a loss by either the NY Jets or the Jacksonville Jaguars.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Following their road victory over the Cardinals, the Broncos went home for a snowy Christmas Eve fight with the Cincinnati Bengals. In the first quarter, the Bengals struck first with RB Rudi Johnson's 6-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Denver struck back with QB Jay Cutler completing a 1-yard TD pass to rookie TE Tony Scheffler and a 39-yard TD pass to WR Javon Walker. However, Cincinnati responded with kicker Shayne Graham's 46-yard field goal and QB Carson Palmer's 11-yard TD pass to WR Chris Henry.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
In the second half, the Broncos took the lead with RB Mike Bell's 2-yard TD run in the third quarter and kicker Jason Elam's 24-yard field goal. Late in the game, the Bengals almost tied the game with Palmer completing a 10-yard TD pass to WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh. Fortunately, a botched snap resulted in failed PAT, giving Denver a one-point win. With the win, the Broncos improved to 9–6.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers
To close off their season, the Broncos went into their last game of the regular season needing a win or a tie to make the playoffs. Coach Mike Shanahan went on record as saying he preferred it that way—he believed it would motivate his team to play well. Oddsmakers apparently believed so, too; the Broncos went in an 11-point favorite.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Denver looked strong early and led the visiting 49ers 13–3 at halftime, but San Francisco used a stingy goal-line defense and a heavy dose of NFC rushing champ Frank Gore to take a lead late into the second half. Cornerback Darrent Williams (playing in what would tragically be his final game) also left the game in the second half due to a shoulder injury. With just 90 seconds left on the clock, rookie QB Jay Cutler tossed a nine-yard touchdown to tie the game at 23. Neither team managed another score in regulation, and the game went to overtime.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers
The overtime period consisted of classic field-position football, with San Francisco steadily gaining field position but losing the battle with the clock. Despite two overtime possessions, Denver was unable to move the ball into field goal range. The Broncos might have been able to hold out for a tie or buy their exhausted defense enough rest to make a difference had they managed the clock better. Shanahan, however, either didn't think this would extend the team's season or wouldn't stoop to such tactics. Finally, the 49ers' Joe Nedney attempted a 36-yard field goal with just under two minutes left. He hooked it badly but the ball passed just inside the right goalpost, ending Denver's season.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Regular season, Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers
With the loss, the Broncos dropped the record to 9–7 to finish the season.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Aftermath
The final record was 9–7, and the Broncos did not qualify for the Playoffs. On New Year's Day 2007, less than 12 hours after the last game ended, second-year cornerback Darrent Williams was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting. He was 24.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Aftermath
50 days after Williams died, running back Damien Nash died following a charity basketball game.


2006 Denver Broncos season, Aftermath
Jake Plummer retired after being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since Jay Cutler was the new starter in Denver. He refused to battle with Jeff Garcia and Chris Simms for the starting job in Tampa Bay.


2006 Denver Outlaws season
The 2006 Denver Outlaws season was the inaugural season for the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse. Coming in as a 2006 expansion team, the Outlaws began their first season on May 20, 2006 with a 24–14 win at home against the Chicago Machine. They finished the regular season with a 10–2 record, remaining undefeated on the road and clinching the Western Conference against the San Francisco Dragons in the semifinal by the score of 23–14, but would lose in the championship game against the Philadelphia Barrage by the score of 23–12.


2006 Derby City Council election
The 2006 Derby City Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Derby City Council in England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party lost their majority on the council to no overall control.


2006 Derby City Council election
The Labour party had regained a majority of one on the council after a gain from the Liberal Democrats in a July 2005 by-election in Abbey ward. However they were expected to lose control of the council in the 2006 election. The campaign saw controversy over the Conservative candidate for Sinfin ward, Randeep Kaur Samra, who was under the legal age of 21 for standing in the election, leading to other political parties demanding an apology from the Conservatives.


2006 Derby City Council election
The results saw the Liberal Democrats gain three seats from Labour to deprive them of their majority, although Labour gained one seat from the Conservatives. Overall turnout was 35.2% and talks followed the election to decide who would run the council. These resulted in an agreement between Labour and the Conservatives, which meant Labour would continue to form the administration but with the Conservatives taking 3 of the 10 seats in the cabinet.


2006 Desafio Internacional das Estrelas
2006 Desafio Internacional das Estrelas was the second edition of Desafio Internacional das Estrelas (International Challenge of the Stars) held in two heats with Felipe Massa winning the first one and Antônio Pizzonia winning the second one. Overall winner was Felipe Massa.


2006 Desafío Corona season
The 2006 Desafio Corona season was the third season of stock car racing in Mexico, and the final with the name Desafío Corona.


2006 Desafío Corona season, Schedule
The 2006 schedule included for first time Puebla as venue.


2006 Detroit Lions season
The 2006 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 77th season in the National Football League, and their 83rd as the Detroit Lions. The season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2005; however, they regressed and finished with a 3–13 record.


2006 Detroit Lions season
The Lions started the 2006 season losing their first five games and six of their first seven. The Lions would not recover, as they never got over .500 during the season. The Lions would only get two wins in their first 15 games, both home wins against the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons, who both finished with losing records. The Lions went 1–6 against teams that finished with a winning record.


2006 Detroit Lions season
From weeks 10 to 16, the Lions embarked on a 7-game losing streak to sit at 2–13, but in week 17, the Lions conclude their season by stunning the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas 39–31 – a loss that cost the Cowboys the NFC East. The lowest point of the season came in their Thanksgiving Day game against the Miami Dolphins. During the game, "Fire Millen" signs, which were a part of the "Fire Millen" movement in association with Lions general manager Matt Millen, were seen in the stands for portions of the game. All the while, fans chanting “Fire Millen” were heard all over the stadium. The Dolphins won the game 27–10.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Offseason
On January 19, the Lions hired Rod Marinelli as the team’s new head coach. From the Tony Dungy “coaching tree”, Marinelli had previously served as the defensive line coach and assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The new offensive coordinator, Mike Martz was brought in, and the following were selected in the NFL Draft – linebacker Ernie Sims out of Florida State University and safety Daniel Bullocks out of the University of Nebraska. The rest of their picks included Wisconsin RB Brian Calhoun, Texas OT Jonathan Scott, West Virginia CB Alton McCann, Southern California Guard Fred Matua, and Tulane LB Anthony Cannon.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 1: vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Lions opened the regular season at home against the Seattle Seahawks on September 10. The Lions would score first on kicker Jason Hanson’s 44-yard field goal in the first quarter. However, in the second quarter, Seattle would get back in the game with kicker Josh Brown’s 20-yard and 51-yard field goals. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions would tie in the fourth quarter with Hanson booting a 37-yard field goal, but Seattle got a last-second win with a 42-yard field goal in the closing seconds. With the season-opening loss, the Lions were 0–1.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 2: at Chicago Bears
The Lions played their first road game of the year, as in Week 2, they played an NFC North battle against the Chicago Bears. From the get-go, the Lions trailed, as they allowed 24 first half points. It came in the form of opposing QB Rex Grossman’s 3-yard TD pass to TE John Gilmore and opposing kicker Robbie Gould’s 32-yard field goal in the first quarter. It also came in the form of a 41-yard TD pass to WR Bernard Berrian and a 31-yard TD pass to TE Desmond Clark.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 2: at Chicago Bears
The Lions only score of the game came in the form of QB Jon Kitna getting a 1-yard QB sneak for a TD in the third quarter. The Bears put the game well-out of reach, as a 5-yard TD to TE John Gilmore later in the quarter and a 45-yard field goal by Gould in the fourth quarter sealed Detroit’s fate. With the loss, the Lions dropped to 0–2.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers
Hoping to get win #1, the Lions returned home for an NFC North battle with the Green Bay Packers. The game started off with a close first quarter, as QB Brett Favre threw his 400th career touchdown pass, by completing a short pass to rookie WR Greg Jennings who took the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. Detroit would tie the game up as QB Jon Kitna completed a 37-yard TD pass to RB Shawn Bryson.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay would take the lead again as DB Marquand Manuel returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown, but the Lions would tie the game again as Kitna completed a 42-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams as time ran out of the quarter. In the second quarter, however, the Packers retook the lead for the only score of the period, as kicker Dave Rayner booted a 24-yard field goal. In the third quarter, both sides shared a touchdown with each other.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay got a 5-yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver and Detroit got a 5-yard TD run by RB Kevin Jones. In the fourth quarter, the Packers got some distance, as Favre completed a 4-yard TD pass to RB Ahman Green. The Lions would get a 40-yard field goal by kicker Jason Hanson, but that would be as close as Detroit would get, as they dropped yet another game for the 2006 season as the team fell to 0–3.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 4: at St. Louis Rams
The Lions traveled to the Edward Jones Dome to take on the St. Louis Rams, where in this game, Lions Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz would go up against his former team. Detroit fell behind early, as kicker Jeff Wilkins nailed a 42-yard and a 19-yard field goal to give the Rams an early lead. The Lions would get a field goal of their own, as kicker Jason Hanson got a 29-yard field goal. However, before the end of the period, St. Louis increased their lead with QB Marc Bulger completing a 16-yard TD pass to rookie TE Joe Klopfenstein.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 4: at St. Louis Rams
In the second quarter, Detroit would start to rally, as QB Jon Kitna and WR Mike Furrey connected on two touchdown passes (a 1-yarder and a 10-yarder). The Rams would trail by 1 at halftime, as Wilkins got a 46-yard field goal to end the half as the score was 17 to 16 Lions. In the third quarter, the points continued to climb, St. Louis would regain the lead with Bulger completing a 16-yard TD pass to WR Torry Holt.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 4: at St. Louis Rams
The Lions would respond with Hanson getting a 20-yard field goal and RB Kevin Jones running 35 yards for a touchdown. However, RB Steven Jackson would help the Rams respond with a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Detroit would score again as Jones got a 7-yard TD run. That would be as far as the Lions would get in the game, as the Rams scored 10 unanswered points to end the game, as Wilkins nailed a 47-yard field goal, and Bulger connected with WR Isaac Bruce on a 5-yard TD pass. With their loss, the Lions fell to 0–4.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings
Still looking for their first win, the Lions flew to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for Week 5, as they played an NFC North match-up with the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions started off with a small deficit as Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell kicked a 26-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Detroit started to show some offensive dominance, as QB Jon Kitna ran 8 yards for a touchdown, while kicker Jason Hanson kicked a 53-yard field goal.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings
In the third quarter, the Lions seemed to wrap up the victory as TE Dan Campbell caught a 12-yard TD pass for the only score of the period. The Lions fell apart in the fourth quarter, as Vikings QB Brad Johnson completed a 3-yard TD pass to WR Travis Taylor, Vikings LB Ben Leber recovered a fumble in Detroit’s endzone for a touchdown, Longwell kicked a 20-yard field goal, and OLB E.J. Henderson returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. With their heart-breaking loss, the Lions dropped to 0–5 on the year.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills
Still searching for their first win, the Lions returned home for a Week 6 match-up with the Buffalo Bills. In the first quarter, Detroit got off to a good start with kicker Jason Hanson kicking a 43-yard field goal and RB Kevin Jones getting a 7-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Buffalo started to catch up with QB J. P. Losman completing a 44-yard TD pass to WR Roscoe Parrish. Fortunately, the Lions responded with QB Jon Kitna throwing a 28-yard pass to WR Roy Williams.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills
The Bills would get a 53-yard field goal by kicker Rian Lindell as time ran out on the half. After a scoreless third quarter, Hanson helped Detroit increase their lead with a 29-yard field goal. The Bills would get one last touchdown, as Losman completed a 4-yard TD pass to TE Ryan Neufeld. The Lions held on to finally acquire their first win of the year improving to 1–5.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 7: at New York Jets
Hoping to build on their win over the Bills, the Lions flew to The Meadowlands and took on the New York Jets. From the get-go, Detroit trailed early as N.Y. RB Leon Washington got a 5-yard TD run, while QB Chad Pennington completed a 44-yard TD pass to WR Justin McCareins. In the second quarter, the Lions got on the board with QB Jon Kitna completing a 22-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams. However, the Jets responded with RB Kevan Barlow running three yards for a touchdown.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 7: at New York Jets
In the third quarter, New York continued to fly high as kicker Mike Nugent completed a 33-yard field goal. Even though Detroit would get another touchdown, with Kitna completing a 9-yard TD pass to RB Kevin Jones, the "Gang Green" would finish off the Lions with Washington’s 16-yard TD run. With the loss, Detroit heads into its Bye Week at 1–6.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Coming off their Bye Week, the Lions were at home for Week 9 as they faced the Atlanta Falcons. In the first quarter, the Lions got off to a fast start, as kicker Jason Hanson nailed a 28-yard field goal, while RB Kevin Jones ran 35 yards for a touchdown. Atlanta would reply with QB Michael Vick completing a 19-yard TD pass to TE Alge Crumpler. In the second quarter, Jones would get a 2-yard TD run for Detroit, while Falcons RB Warrick Dunn got a 1-yard TD run.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons
In the third quarter, the Lions would start to gain huge momentum as Hanson nailed a 19-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Detroit put the game away with QB Jon Kitna completing a 60-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams and Hanson kicking a 36-yard field goal. With the amazing upset victory, the Lions improved to 2–6.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 10: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Hoping to build on their win over the Falcons, the Lions stayed at home for their match-up against the San Francisco 49ers. In the first quarter, the Lions trailed as Niners RB Frank Gore got a 61-yard TD run, while kicker Joe Nedney got a 28-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Nedmey helped San Francisco get a 23-yard field goal, while Lions kicker Jason Hanson got a 25-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Nedney gave the 49ers a 23-yard field goal, while Lions QB Jon Kitna threw an 8-yard TD pass to TE Dan Campbell. In the fourth quarter, Nedney helped the Niners get a 47-yard field goal, while the Lions could only get a 33-yard field goal by Hanson. With the loss, the Lions fell to 2–7.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 11: at Arizona Cardinals
Hoping to shake off their home loss to 49ers, the Lions traveled to the University of Phoenix Stadium for a match-up with the Arizona Cardinals. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions trailed early as QB Matt Leinart hooked up with WR Bryant Johnson on a 2-yard TD pass, while kicker Neil Rackers kicked a 36-yard field goal. In the third quarter, things got more complicated for Detroit as Leinart ran the ball in on a 9-yard TD run. The Lions would finally get on the board with kicker Jason Hanson nailing a 32-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, even though Detroit would get a 2-yard TD run by RB Arlen Harris, Arizona’s defense held the Lions long enough for the win. With the loss, Detroit would fall to 2–8.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins
Trying to snap their two-game losing streak, the Lions went home for their match-up against the Miami Dolphins in the annual Thanksgiving Day game. In the first quarter, the Lions started off strong with QB Jon Kitna completing a 2-yard TD pass to TE Dan Campbell, while kicker Jason Hanson nailed a 52-yard field goal. The Dolphins would respond with QB Joey Harrington (who formerly played for the Lions) threw his first Thanksgiving Day TD pass in the form of an 8-yard TD pass to WR Marty Booker. From there, Miami took control for the rest of the game.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins
In the second quarter, Harrington would throw a 5-yard TD pass to TE Randy McMichael for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, kicker Olindo Mare would nail a 42-yard field goal, while Harrington and Booker hooked up with each other again on a 19-yard TD pass. In the fourth quarter, Mare would kick a 28-yard field goal for the only score of the period, while the Dolphin defense ended up shutting down Detroit’s offense. With the loss, the Lions ended up at 2–9.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins
The game also featured a “Super Bowl”-esque halftime show featuring John Fogerty, who also performed at the Denver Broncos/Kansas City Chiefs game.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 13: at New England Patriots
Trying to snap their three-game losing streak, the Lions flew to Gillette Stadium for a Week 13 fight with the New England Patriots. In the first quarter, Detroit trailed early as kicker Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 25-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Lions took the lead with QB Jon Kitna completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Mike Furrey, while kicker Jason Hanson got a 29-yard field goal. However, New England would reclaim the lead with RB Corey Dillon’s 6-yard TD run and Gostkowski’s 27-yard field goal.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 13: at New England Patriots
In the third quarter, Detroit came right back with Hanson’s 38-yard and 49-yard field goal, while DE Jared DeVries sacked Pats QB Tom Brady in his endzone for a safety. In the fourth quarter, Hanson would kick a 26-yard field goal. However, their lead would vanish for good, as Dillon got a 2-yard TD run, which was followed up with Brady successfully completing a 2-point conversion pass to WR Troy Brown. Dillon would then wrap the game up with a 4-yard TD run. With their fourth-straight loss, the Lions fell to 2–10.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Trying to snap a four-game skid, the Lions went home for an NFC North rematch with the Minnesota Vikings. In the first quarter, the Lions trailed as Vikings RB Artose Pinner (a former Lion) got a 3-yard and a 4-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Detroit’s struggles continued as Vikes QB Brad Johnson got a 3-yard TD run, yet the 2-point conversion failed. Afterwards, the Lions finally got on the board with DB Jamar Fletcher returning an interception 88 yards for a touchdown, while kicker Jason Hanson nailed a 53-yard field goal.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings
In the third quarter, Detroit held Minnesota to a 30-yard field goal by kicker Ryan Longwell, while Hanson kicked a 45-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Pinner wrapped things up for the Vikings with a 1-yard TD run. Even though the Lions would get a touchdown, from QB Jon Kitna’s 23-yard strike to RB Kevin Jones, Detroit was plagued with 6 turnovers. They pulled within 10 in the 4th qtr and had a fourth and goal with less than four minutes to play. Needing two scores, inexplicably the Lions went for a touchdown and failed, thus killing any hope for a last minute victory. With their fifth-straight loss, the Lions fell to 2–11.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 15: at Green Bay Packers
Still looking for their first road win of 2006 and trying to break a now five-game losing streak, the Lions went to Wisconsin to take on the Green Bay Packers. After the teams traded first-quarter field goals, the Packers took a 10–3 halftime lead thanks to a 14-yard TD run by Vernand Morency. Detroit closed to within a point with two more Jason Hanson field goals, but the Packers settled matters with another touchdown run by Morency, this one from 21 yards out with less than three minutes remaining. Packers quarterback Brett Favre broke Dan Marino’s career completions record during the contest, but also threw three interceptions. The Lions fell to 2–12 on the season, 0–7 away from Ford Field.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 16: vs. Chicago Bears
Trying to snap a six-game losing skid, the Lions returned home for an NFC North rematch the-now 2-time NFC North champion Chicago Bears. In the first quarter, the Bears struck first with kicker Robbie Gould nailing a 36-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Lions took the lead with QB Jon Kitna completing a 23-yard TD pass to TE Dan Campbell. In the second quarter, Chicago bounced back with QB Rex Grossman completing a 13-yard TD pass to WR Bernard Berrian. Afterwards, RB Adrian Peterson got a 2-yard TD run.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 16: vs. Chicago Bears
In the third quarter, Detroit retook the lead with Kitna completing a 20-yard TD pass to WR Mike Furrey and a 2-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams. However, in the fourth quarter, the inconsistency that continues to plague the Lions showed as the Bears won with Gould getting a 36-yard field goal, a 39-yard field goal, and a 44-yard field goal and on a dropped pass by Mike Williams in the endzone on the last play of the game. With their seventh-straight loss, the Lions fell to 2–13 as they were swept by their division rivals.


2006 Detroit Lions season, Regular season, Week 17: at Dallas Cowboys
Trying to end their season on a high note, the Lions played their last game of the year at Texas Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys, where Detroit won 39–31. Jon Kitna threw four touchdown passes. An impressive last-second comeback drive by the Cowboys saw Dallas QB Tony Romo be denied of what could have been the tying score, as he attempted to scramble into the end zone, but was tackled at the Detroit 2. The Lions finished 3–13 on the season, finishing ahead of only the Oakland Raiders, who finished 2–14, and received the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. They later used this pick on Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver of the Georgia Institute of Technology.


2006 Detroit Shock season
The 2006 WNBA season was the ninth for the Detroit Shock. The Shock won the WNBA Finals for the second time in franchise history.


2006 Detroit Shock season, Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; FG = Field Goals; MIN= Minutes; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points


2006 Detroit Tigers season
The 2006 Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant. They represented the AL in the World Series before falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1. The season was their 106th since they entered the AL in 1901. It was their 7th season since opening Comerica Park in 2000, and the first where the team finished with a winning record.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
The Detroit Tigers were baseball's surprise success story of 2006. After years of futility, including 12 consecutive losing seasons and an AL-record 119 losses in 2003, the season had the Tigers surging to the top of the major league standings in May, a position they did not relinquish until the final day of the season. The play of veterans like Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones, the emergence of previously unestablished players Curtis Granderson, Brandon Inge, Craig Monroe and Marcus Thames, and significant production from erstwhile All-Stars Iván Rodríguez, Magglio Ordóñez and Carlos Guillén all contributed to the team's success.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
A great deal of credit was also given to manager Jim Leyland. On April 17, after an uninspiring 10–2 loss at home to the Cleveland Indians dropped the team's record to 7–6, the manager launched into a tirade against the team about its lack of effort, telling the media, "We stunk. They [the players] were already on the plane to Oakland." It appeared to light a fire under the players, spurring them on to a stretch in which they won 28 of 35 games. Leyland repeatedly preached the concept of playing hard for nine full innings, and the players took up that mantra, as evidenced not just by their words but also by the team's propensity for late-inning clutch hits, rallies and comebacks.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
Statistically, the biggest factor in the team's success was its pitching, which led the major leagues in ERA and shutouts. Rookie Justin Verlander won the AL Rookie of the Year Award, and fellow starters Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson, as well as rookie reliever Joel Zumaya, all had noteworthy seasons. There was concern when starter Mike Maroth—who had lost 20 games in 2003, but had since rebounded—had to undergo surgery early in the season, but his replacement Zach Miner proved to be adequate.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
The Tigers' newfound success attracted a new generation of fans, many of whom who had never seen winning baseball in Detroit. Detroit hit 16 home runs in their first four games, the most ever by any team in their first four games of the season. Tigers fans traveled to road games in large numbers, most notably at the interleague series with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field from June 16–18. The crowd could be heard chanting "Let's Go Tigers!" throughout all three games, all of which were Detroit victories.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
The major doubt many fans and pundits had was whether the Tigers could compete against other top-tier American League teams. Early in the season, the team lost series to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, and lost five of six games to the reigning World Series champion (and AL Central rival) Chicago White Sox.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
However, on July 20, at a game which featured a particularly stirring rendition of the national anthem by local opera singer Eugene Zweig, and a standing-room-only crowd that included actor Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard, the Tigers beat White Sox pitching ace José Contreras to take the series two games to one from the White Sox, the team's first series victory against an upper-echelon AL team in 2006. In their next two series, against the AL West division-leading Oakland Athletics, and the red-hot Minnesota Twins, who were 34–8 over their previous 42 games, the Tigers also won two out of three.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
On July 31, Tigers management traded minor-league pitcher Brian Rogers to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for left-handed hitting and three-time All Star first baseman Sean Casey. The move added a left-handed bat to the lineup, especially necessary after Dmitri Young was released in September.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
By August 7, the Tigers were an astonishing 40 games above .500 (76–36) and cruising. They would lose their next five games, sixteen of their next 22, and the last six weeks of the season were punctuated by a nosedive, as a suddenly silent offense led to a 19–31 record in the last 50 games of the season. Perhaps the biggest loss the team suffered was not a singular game, but one of their best all-around players, Plácido Polanco, who separated his shoulder making a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in Fenway Park against the Red Sox on August 15.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
Only the big cushion built in the summer saved the Tigers from what would have been baseball's most statistically infamous collapse, as they clinched a playoff berth on September 24 with an 11–4 win over the Kansas City Royals. But even that cushion couldn't save a division title. On October 1, despite a rare relief appearance from Kenny Rogers, the Tigers fell out of the top spot in the American League Central with a 10–8 extra-inning loss to the 100-loss Royals in their last regular season game.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
Detroit lost their last five regular season games, all at home, against the Toronto Blue Jays and the Royals. The final loss gave the Twins the AL Central title, and made the Tigers the American League wild card entrant in the postseason. Their opening-round opponent would be the New York Yankees.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season
The Tigers ended the regular season with a 95–67 record, marking the team's first winning season since 1993 and their most wins since 1987. They were the only team outside the American League East to win the AL Wild Card between 2003 and 2011.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Regular season, Highlights
There were many memorable moments during the regular season. Some of the highlights:


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Player stats, Batting
Note: Pos = Position, G = Games played, AB = At bats, H = Hits, Avg. = Batting average, HR = Home runs, RBI = Runs batted in


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


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched, W = Wins, L = Losses, SV = Saves, HLD = Holds, ERA = Earned run average, SO = Strikeouts


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Division Series
The New York Yankees were heavy favorites over the Tigers to win the series because of their "modern-day Murderers' Row" lineup. All nine batters were current or former All-Stars. The Yankees won the first game, 8–4.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Division Series
In Game 2, the Tigers took an early 1–0 lead before Johnny Damon hit a three-run homer for New York in the 4th inning. The Tigers came back with single runs in the 5th, 6th, and 7th, including a game-tying home run by Carlos Guillén and a go-ahead RBI triple by Curtis Granderson, to come from behind to win, 4–3.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Division Series
In Game 3, which was the first postseason game played in Detroit since 1987 (and the first ever at Comerica Park), the Tigers shut out the Yankees, 6–0. Kenny Rogers pitched 7+2⁄3 scoreless innings and struck out eight in winning for the first time in his postseason career and defeated the Yankees for the first time since 1993.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Division Series
In Game 4, the Tigers defeated the Yankees 8–3 to win the American League Division Series, 3 games to 1. Jeremy Bonderman threw a perfect game through five innings, and allowed just one run on five singles over his 8+1⁄3 innings in giving the Tigers a second straight dominating starting pitching performance. It gave the Tigers their first Postseason series victory since 1984


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Division Series
The final out kicked off a joyous celebration of players and fans throughout Comerica Park and Downtown Detroit. The celebration even included Kenny Rogers pouring champagne over a Detroit Police officer's head. In the process of winning the final three games, the Tigers held the fearsome Yankees lineup scoreless for 20+2⁄3 consecutive innings (from the 4th inning of Game 2 until the 7th inning of Game 4) while scoring 17 runs in that span.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Championship Series
The Tigers faced the Oakland Athletics, winners of the American League Western Division, marking their first postseason matchup since 1972.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Championship Series
The A's had defeated the Twins in a three-game sweep in the ALDS.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Championship Series
The Tigers won Game 1, 5–1, as Nate Robertson scattered six hits and three walks over his five shutout innings. In the fourth inning, with men on second and third and nobody out, Robertson memorably struck out the side to preserve his own victory.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Championship Series
Detroit won Game 2, 8–5. Oakland had an early two-run lead before the Tigers' four-run fourth inning gave them the lead for good. Seldom-used outfielder Alexis Gómez got the surprise start as the designated hitter. Gómez hit a homer and drove in four runs, providing another example of Jim Leyland pushing all the right buttons this season.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Championship Series
Returning to Comerica Park for Game 3, the Tigers shut out the A's, 3–0 behind Rogers who allowed only two singles and ran his scoreless streak to 15 innings. The A's did not get a hit off relievers Fernando Rodney and Todd Jones. The two hits were the fewest allowed in a postseason game in franchise history.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Championship Series
In Game 4, with Detroit looking for the sweep, Oakland jumped out to an early 3–0 lead. The Tigers fought back with two runs in the fifth inning, on RBI doubles by Granderson and Monroe, before Magglio Ordóñez tied it with a solo home run in the sixth.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Championship Series
In the bottom of the ninth with the game still tied, two outs and Polanco and Monroe on first and second base respectively, Ordóñez hit his second home run of the night, a three-run walk-off home run off of A's closer Huston Street that sent the Tigers to their first World Series since 1984. The Pennant was the 10th in Tigers history, and the ALCS was won on a walk-off home run for only the third time ever.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, American League Championship Series
Both prior instances were by the Yankees: in 1976 when Chris Chambliss homered to defeat Kansas City and in 2003 when Aaron Boone hit a 10th inning home run to beat the Boston Red Sox.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, World Series
Regardless of the outcome for the 2006 World Series, one manager would join Sparky Anderson as the only skippers in history to manage teams from both the AL and NL to a title. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who considers Anderson his mentor, won the 1989 World Series with the Athletics, while Tigers manager Jim Leyland had won the 1997 World Series with the Marlins.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, World Series
The Cardinals won the first game of the World Series in Detroit 7–2, behind excellent pitching from unheralded Cardinals starter Anthony Reyes.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, World Series
In Game Two, Kenny Rogers continued his astounding postseason, allowing two hits and no runs through eight innings, as the Tigers triumphed 3–1.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, World Series
But the Tigers lost the next three games. They were shut out 5–0 in game three by Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter; they lost a 5–4 heartbreaker in game four; and in game 5, the Tigers committed two costly errors, lost a 2–1 lead, and fell 4–2. In the first inning rookie pitcher Justin Verlander threw two wild pitches, tying the Series record (AP); this was in sharp contrast to the five total that he had thrown in all of his previous games. Verlander would go on to commit a throwing error in the fourth inning, allowing the tying run to score.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, World Series
In the series, the Tigers committed eight errors, five by the pitching staff alone, the most in World Series history.


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, World Series
The Tigers would not return to the postseason until 2011 and they would not appear in the Fall Classic again until 2012


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, Postseason player stats, Batting
Note: G = Games played, AB = At bats, H = Hits, Avg. = Batting average, HR = Home runs, RBI = Runs batted in


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, Postseason player stats, Pitching
Note: G = Games pitched, IP = Innings pitched, W = Wins, L = Losses, ERA = Earned run average, SO = Strikeouts


2006 Detroit Tigers season, Playoffs, Postseason player stats, Pitching
Note: G = Games pitched, W = Wins, L = Losses, SV = Saves, HLD = Holds, ERA = Earned run average, SO = Strikeouts


2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The 2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters was the twentieth season of premier German touring car championship and also seventh season under the moniker of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since the series was resumed in 2000. The number of race weekends was reduced, from eleven in 2005, to ten for the 2006 season. Each track hosted one race, with the exception of Hockenheim, which hosted two. As in 2005, each event consisted of one race of approximately one hour, with two compulsory pit stops for each car. The Championship was won by Bernd Schneider driving an AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2006 for the HWA Team. Team Rosberg returned to the series after one-year absence and thus switched to Audi Sport machinery.


2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Teams and drivers
The following manufacturers, teams and drivers competed in the 2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Dunlop.


2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Teams and drivers
* Olivier Tielemans was replaced by Jeroen Bleekemolen** Jeroen Bleekemolen was replaced by Nicolas Kiesa after problems between the team of Colin Kolles where he drove and the main sponsor of Bleekemolen*** Nicolas Kiesa was replaced by Thed Björk after being injured in a motocross accident


2006 Deutschland Tour
The 30th edition of the Deutschland Tour road bicycle race took place in Germany from August 1 to August 9, 2006. It consisted of a Prologue and eight stages covering a total of 1,390.5 km (864.0 mi), starting in Düsseldorf and finishing in Karlsruhe. Jens Voigt claimed the victory ahead of defending champion Levi Leipheimer.


2006 Deutschland Tour, Stages, Stage 5 - Sunday, August 6: Bad Tölz-Seefeld, 192.1 km.
Because of bad weather on top of Mount Kühtai (Top of the Deutschland Tour 2006 at 2017 meters), the riders asked the organisation before the start to remove it from the Stage, which they did. As a result, the stage was only 160 kilometres long.


2006 Dhaka strikes
From May 20 to June 6, nearly 1.8 million garment workers of Bangladesh concentrated in industrial areas in and around the capital Dhaka engaged in a series of simultaneous massive wildcat strikes. During this period, especially from May 20 to May 24 when garment workers’ revolt was at its peak, workers of nearly 4000 factories struck work. These workers, and other workers from the industrial suburbs, continuously demonstrated and blocked highways connecting industrial suburbs to the capital Dhaka and Dhaka to other cities – Mymensingh, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Ashulia, and Chittagong etc.


2006 Dhaka strikes
In the face of this mass revolt, the government resorted to massive repression. In the first one-week, as per official figures, at least 3 workers were shot dead, 3000 injured and several thousands were put into prisons. Till June 6–7, workers in different Export Processing Zones (EPZ) and industrial areas continued to engage in wild cat strikes and demonstrations – most garment factories remained closed. The state proclaimed that factories will open only from June 8 once order is fully restored.


2006 Dhivehi League, Overview
New Radiant won the Dhivehi League. Victory Sports Club won the Maldives National Championship.


2006 Dickies 500
The 2006 Dickies 500 was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series stock car race held on November 5, 2006 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Contested over 334 laps on the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) asphalt quad oval, it was the thirty-fourth race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. The race was extended to 339 laps because of a green-white-checker finish. Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing won the race.


2006 Dickies 500, Background
Texas Motor Speedway is a four-turn quad-oval track that is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is five degrees. The back stretch, opposite of the front, also has a five degree banking. The track layout is similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, tracks also owned by Speedway Motorsports.


2006 Dickies 500, Race recap
The eighth Chase race, the Dickies 500, was run on November 5, 2006 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Brian Vickers, the last car to qualify, edged Elliott Sadler, next to last to take time, for the pole in this race. After a DNF in Martinsville just two races ago, Jeff Burton lost an engine and fell greater than 67 laps down after more than one hour of repair, Burton finished 38th. Another chaser, Mark Martin spun out after Ken Schrader cut a tire on lap 174, putting Martin a 22nd-place finish.


2006 Dickies 500, Race recap
With less than 11 laps to go, chaser Kasey Kahne expired an engine during the 11th caution period and finished 32nd with a 2nd straight DNFs. With few laps to go, Kevin Harvick spun Scott Riggs to cause a caution and the race goes into a Green-white-checker finish. On the final restart, Tony Stewart held off Jimmie Johnson to win at Texas.


2006 Dickies 500, Race recap
Following the race, Craig Curione, the front tire carrier for the No. 10 Evernham Dodge driven by Scott Riggs, shoved Kevin Harvick, his wife Delana and NASCAR official John Sacco to the pavement after Harvick was blamed for a late race incident that led to the green-white-checkere finish. Curione was suspended indefinitely and fined $10,000 by NASCAR and fired from Evernham, while Sacco suffered a sprained ankle.


2006 Digampathana bombing
The 2006 Digampathaha (දිගම්පතහ, திகம்பதஹ) truck bombing, also known as Habarana massacre, was a suicide truck bombing carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam against a convoy of 15 military buses on 16 October 2006 at Digampathaha (Incorrectly reported as Digampathana), in between the towns of Dambulla and Habarana, in Sri Lanka. The buses were carrying more than 200 (possibly 340) sailors from Trincomalee who were going on leave.


2006 Digampathana bombing
The bombing killed between 92 and 103 sailors and wounded more than 150 people, including over 100 sailors. The bombing also killed a number of civilians, including eight employees of the Sri Lankan military, and wounded many passers-by and roadside traders. The suicide bombing followed intense fighting in the Jaffna Peninsula that left 133 soldiersand up to 200 LTTE fighters dead (although this number is unofficial, as the LTTE have reported losing only 22 fighters). The attack was followed by government air strikes on LTTE territory, although the military claimed they were in response to an artillery attack and not the suicide bombing.


2006 Digampathana bombing
In January 2009 Sri Lankan authorities arrested a suspect, Balachandran, who reportedly helped construct the bomb used in the attack. The attack had been planned at least three months in advance.


2006 Dinagat Islands creation plebiscite
The Dinagat Islands creation plebiscite was a plebiscite on the creation of the Province of Dinagat Islands from Surigao del Norte province in the Philippines. The plebiscite was held on December 2, 2006, and the results were announced on December 5, 2006.


2006 Dinagat Islands creation plebiscite, Referendum question
The Dinagat Islands creation plebiscite was supervised and officiated by the COMELEC pursuant to .


2006 Dinagat Islands creation plebiscite, Referendum question
DO YOU APPROVE OF THE CREATION OF THE PROVINCE OF DINAGAT ISLANDS INTO A DISTINCT AND INDEPENDENT PROVINCE COMPRISING THE MUNICIPALITIES OF BASILISA, CAGDIANAO, DINAGAT, LIBJO (ALBOR), LORETO, SAN JOSE AND TUBAJON IN THE PROVINCE OF SURIGAO DEL NORTE, PURSUANT TO REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9355


2006 Dinagat Islands creation plebiscite, Results
San Jose was chosen as the capital of the new province.


2006 DirecTV 500
The 2006 DirecTV 500 was the sixth race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It was held on April 2, 2006 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Jimmie Johnson won the pole and Tony Stewart led the most laps and won the race.


2006 DirecTV 500, Background
Martinsville Speedway is a 4-turn short track that is 0.526 miles (0.847 km) long. Its turns are banked at 11° while the frontstretch, where the start/finish line is located, is banked 0°. Like the front stretch, the backstraightaway also does not have a banked surface.


2006 DirecTV 500, Background
Martinsville Speedway is the shortest track on the Sprint Cup circuit,  but because of its size and shape – described most often as the shape of a paperclip – Martinsville offers some of the most exciting and close racing in the sport. Also because of its size, fans are closer to the action than any other track. The cars are never more than a few hundred yards away and sometimes they seem close enough to reach out and touch.


2006 DirecTV 500, Background
In a recent poll of race fans by a major publication, Martinsville Speedway was voted as the top bargain in all of Sprint Cup racing as well as the track having the best view of the action. The track is also one of the most modern, with high-rise aluminum chair back seating, corporate and fan suites and state-of-the-art facilities for the media.


2006 DirecTV 500, Background
The race track was built in 1947 and is owned by the International Speedway Corporation.


2006 DirecTV 500, Background
The race consisted of 500 laps, equivalent to a race distance of 263 miles (423 km). Jeff Gordon was the defending race winner, after he won the race in 2005, the previous year.


2006 DirecTV 500, Race results
Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (#74), Kevin Lepage (#61), Kenny Wallace (#78), Jimmy Spencer (#49), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Hermie Sadler


2006 Division 1 (Senegal)
The 2006 Division 1 season was the 41st of the competition of the first-tier football in Senegal. The tournament was organized by the Senegalese Football Federation. The season began on 5 January and finished on 15 July. AS Douanes won their third title. AS Douanes along with Port Autonome would compete in the 2007 CAF Champions League the following season. US Ouakam who won the 2006 Senegalese Cup participated in the 2007 CAF Confederation Cup, along with US Gorée. Compagnie sucrière sénégalaise, last place of Group A relegated to the second division with 14 points as they had a penalty that cost them three points by an undetermined reason, US Rail, last place of Group B was relegated with only 9 points.


2006 Division 1 (Senegal)
The season would feature 18 clubs. 274 matches (256 in the first phase and 18 in the second phase) were played and 244 goals were scored, slightly less than half less than last season, the average goal of the first phase was one goal per match or less.


2006 Division 1 (Senegal)
Yet again since the 1990s, the season would feature the first and second phases, the first phase featured the group system with a total of 128 matches for each group, the second or final phase would consist of four clubs (instead of a playoff as did in the 1990s) with a total of 18 matches, each club played a total of six matches and the highest number of points would decide the season's champion.


2006 Division 1 (Senegal)
ASC Port Autonome was the defending team of the title.


2006 Division 1 (Senegal), Overview
The league was contested by 18 teams and two groups, the first phase consisted of 9 clubs in each of the two groups and the second and final phase consisted of only four clubs.


2006 Division 1 (Swedish football)
The 2006 Division 1 was contested by 28 teams divided into two groups geographically. Enköpings SK and IF Sylvia won their respective groups and were promoted to Superettan, along with second place-teams IK Sirius and Bunkeflo IF who each one their respective promotion playoffs against teams from Superettan.


2006 Division 1 (Swedish football), Young Player Teams of the Year
At the end of each Division 1 season an all-star game is played called "Morgondagens Stjärnor" (English: "The Stars Of Tomorrow"). The two teams playing against each other consist of the best young players from each of the two leagues. However, in 2006, which was the first year of the new Division 1, the game was instead called "FramtidsFajten" (English: "The Future Fight") and the concept was slightly different compared to the following years with the biggest young talents of Division 1 playing against the biggest young talents from the 2006 Division 2 season.


2006 Djurgårdens IF season
Djurgården competed in the 2006 season in the Allsvenskan, Svenska Cupen and UEFA Champions League


2006 Djurgårdens IF season, Squad information, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2006 Doda massacre
2006 Doda Massacre refers to the massacre of 35 Hindu civilians by terrorists in Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir on 30 April 2006.


2006 Doda massacre, Background
Prior incidents like the Wandhama massacre had forced majority of Hindu population of Kashmir valley to leave the area and seek refuge in Jammu and elsewhere. Doda, Jammu and Kashmir's second largest district, had the highest concentration of militants in the state-an estimated 200 out of total 1,500 who were active throughout the state.


2006 Doda massacre, The Attack
Two separate attacks took place that day in neighbouring areas. In the first attack twenty two unarmed Hindu villagers, mostly shepherds or their families, were lined up and gunned down by terrorists in Thawa village in Kulhand area of Doda district on the night of 30 April 2006. The victims included a 3-year-old girl. 10–12 militants wearing army uniforms perpetrated the massacre. The doctor who was sent to do the post mortem examination suffered a heart attack on seeing the bodies and was admitted to the hospital.


2006 Doda massacre, The Attack
The second attack in the neighbouring Lalon Galla village in Basantgarh area of Udhampur district, 35 Hindu shepherds kidnapped by suspected terrorists were shot dead on the same day.


2006 Doda massacre, Aftermath
The attacks were an attempt to derail the upcoming talks between Indian government and the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. India blamed Pakistan based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba and called it "cross border terrorism".


2006 Doda massacre, Aftermath
The killings received widespread condemnation, including from President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Bharatiya Janata Party accused the terrorists of carrying out ethnic cleansing.


2006 Doda massacre, Aftermath
In 2007, Australian government in declaring Lashkar-e-Taiba a Terrorist organisation attributed this massacre to it.


2006 Dodge Charger 500
The 2006 Dodge Charger 500, the 57th running of the event that dates to the 1957 Rebel 300 , was held on May 13, 2006 at Darlington Raceway as the eleventh race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. Kasey Kahne won the pole.


2006 Dodge Charger 500, Background
Darlington Raceway, nicknamed by many NASCAR fans and drivers as "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame" and advertised as a "NASCAR Tradition", is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.


2006 Dodge Charger 500, Background
The track, Darlington Raceway,  is a four-turn 1.366 miles (2.198 km) oval. The track's first two turns are banked at twenty-five degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at twenty-three degrees. The front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch is banked at six degrees. Darlington Raceway can seat up to 60,000 people.


2006 Dodge Charger 500, Race results
Failed to qualify: Chad Chaffin (#61), Kenny Wallace (#78), Carl Long (#37), Chad Blount (#34)


2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350
The 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series stock car race held on June 25, 2006 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Contested over 110 laps on a 1.99 mile (3.202 km) road course, it was the 16th race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race.


2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350
This is the 100th road course race in Nextel Cup series history.


2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350, Background
The course, Infineon Raceway (now called Sonoma Raceway), is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other is Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a twelve-turn course that is 2.52 miles (4.06 km) long; the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns five and six, shortening the course to 1.95 miles (3.14 km). The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99 miles (3.20 km).


2006 Dominican Republic parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in the Dominican Republic on 16 May 2006. They were won by the Progressive Bloc led by the Dominican Liberation Party, which took 96 of the 178 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 of the 32 Senate seats.


2006 Dover 400
The 2006 Dover 400 was the twenty-eighth stock car race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the second in the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. It was held on September 24, 2006 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, before a crowd of 145,000. The 400-lap race was won by Jeff Burton of the Richard Childress Racing team who started from 19th position. Carl Edwards finished second and Jeff Gordon came in third.


2006 Dover 400
Although Gordon won the pole position, he was immediately passed by Ryan Newman at the start of the race. 27 laps later Carl Edwards took the lead for 21 laps. David Stremme briefly held the lead until Elliott Sadler moved in front of him to claim the position, only to lose it to Matt Kenseth on lap 74. Kenseth led more laps than any other driver (215), during which Reed Sorenson and Greg Biffle also led.


2006 Dover 400
Burton close the gap to Kenseth by the 375th lap and battled him for the position over the next 20 laps until he moved ahead on lap 395. Burton maintained the lead for the remaining five laps to win the race. There were ten cautions and twelve lead changes by nine different drivers during the race.


2006 Dover 400
It was Burton's first win of the 2006 season, the 18th of his career, and it ended a 175-race winless streak. The result advanced him to the lead of the Drivers' Championship, six points ahead of Gordon (who moved up to second). Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, 42 points ahead of Ford and 45 in front of Dodge with seven races left in the season.


2006 Dover 400, Background
The 2006 Dover 400 was the twenty-eighth of thirty-six scheduled stock car races of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the second in the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. It took place on September 24, 2006, in Dover, Delaware, at Dover International Speedway, a short track which holds NASCAR races. The NASCAR event makes use of the track's standard configuration, a four-turn short track oval that is 1 mile (1.6 km) long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees; both the front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the backstretch are banked at nine degrees.


2006 Dover 400, Background
Before the race, Kevin Harvick led the Drivers' Championship with 5,230 points, ahead of Denny Hamlin in second and Matt Kenseth third. Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton were fourth and fifth, and Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch rounded out the top ten drivers competing for the 2006 Chase for the Nextel Cup. Chevrolet led the Manufacturers' Championship with 204 points; Ford was second on 167 points, followed by Dodge on 162. Johnson was the race's defending champion.


2006 Dover 400, Background
After winning the previous race (at New Hampshire Motor Speedway), Harvick said his team hoped to stay competitive and was looking forward to the remainder of the season: "I am confident, [crew chief] Todd [Berrier] is confident, everybody is confident, but we aren't going to get cocky about it." Gordon stated he was not focussed on winning races, citing the average finishing position of 2005 champion Tony Stewart during that year's final ten races. Kenseth hoped he would secure a top-five finishing position at Dover, where he débuted in 1998, although he did not rule out the possibility of challenging for the victory.


2006 Dover 400, Background
Heading into the event, Roush Racing announced that Craftsman Truck Series driver David Ragan would make his début in the Nextel Cup Series in the team's No. 6 car. Ragan said he was looking forward to competing; "I never thought that the day would come this soon. It just goes to show that hard work and determination really can pay off. I have gotten a lot of racing experience in the Craftsman Truck Series that will help race with the guys in the Nextel Cup Series." Team owner Jack Roush stated the race would allow his team to evaluate Ragan's performance in view of a possible full-time race seat in 2007.


2006 Dover 400, Practice and qualifying
Three practice session were held before the Sunday race: one on Friday and two on Saturday. The first session lasted 85 minutes, the second 60 minutes and the third 45 minutes. In the first practice session, Kahne was fastest with a time of 22.936 seconds; Greg Biffle was second and Gordon third. Edwards took fourth, and Scott Riggs placed fifth. Ryan Newman, J. J. Yeley, Joe Nemechek, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch rounded out the session's top ten drivers. Tony Raines, Casey Mears and David Gilliland switched to back-up cars after they crashed.


2006 Dover 400, Practice and qualifying
Forty-seven cars were entered in the qualifier on Friday afternoon; according to NASCAR's qualifying procedure forty-three were allowed to race. Each driver ran two laps, with the starting order determined by their fastest lap times. Gordon clinched the 55th pole position of his career, and his first since the 2005 Dodge/Save Mart 350, with a time of 23.053 seconds which was recorded near the session's conclusion. He was joined on the grid's front row by Riggs and had the pole position until Gordon's lap.


2006 Dover 400, Practice and qualifying
Riggs missed a gear shift on his lap which meant he overrevved his engine, and was required to change his car's power plant. Kenseth qualified third, Newman fourth and Nemechek fifth. Edwards, Reed Sorenson, Biffle, Martin and Kurt Busch rounded out the top ten qualifiers. Earnhardt, a Chase for the Nextel Cup driver, qualified thirteenth, and Johnson, another driver in the Chase, started eighteenth. Yeley crashed on his first lap after leaving turn one, and his rear-end contacted the wall; he was checked at the infield care center, and later released to continue racing.


2006 Dover 400, Practice and qualifying
The four drivers who failed to qualify were Morgan Shepherd, Kenny Wallace, Chad Blount and Donnie Neuenberger. After the qualifier Gordon said: "It feels like my first pole ever. When it goes by for a while, you feel like you lost that magic touch or that combination that it took to get on poles. (It's) really the best car we have out there right now for this type of race track."


2006 Dover 400, Practice and qualifying
On Saturday morning Ryan Newman was fastest in the second practice session with a time of 23.655 seconds, ahead of Kahne and Stewart. Riggs was fourth-fastest; Clint Bowyer was fifth and Kenseth sixth. Kurt Busch, Biffle, Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch followed in the top ten. Of the other drivers in the Chase, Hamlin was twelfth-fastest and Harvick set the fourteenth-fastest time.


2006 Dover 400, Practice and qualifying
Later that day, Earnhardt paced the final practice session (which was delayed by five minutes after paper notes left on Burton's car blew off and were scattered across turn one) with a lap of 23.798; Riggs was second and Edwards third. Sorenson was fourth-fastest, ahead of Kahne and Bowyer. Martin was seventh-fastest, Harvick eighth-, Kurt Busch ninth- and Johnson tenth-fastest. Other Chase drivers included Kyle Busch in thirteenth and Kenseth in fifteenth.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Live television coverage of the race began at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the United States on TNT. Around the start of the race, weather conditions were partly cloudy with an air temperature of 74 °F (23 °C). Pastor Dan Schafer, of Calvary Assembly of God, began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. Reality television personality and singer Brooke Hogan performed the national anthem, and wrestler Hulk Hogan commanded the drivers to start their engines. During the pace laps, three drivers moved to the rear of the field because of unapproved changes: Yeley had switched to his back-up car, and Riggs and Travis Kvapil had changed their engines.


2006 Dover 400, Race
The race started at 1:10 p.m. Newman accelerated faster than Gordon off the line and passed him around the outside in the first turn. The first caution was prompted two laps later when Kvapil spun after leaving turn four and hit the inside frontstretch wall, and heavily damaged his car but continued. After starting from 25th, Harvick had moved up to 21st by the first caution. Newman maintained the first position at the lap eight restart. Biffle was passed by Martin for seventh place on the next lap.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Stewart lost control of his car and spun in turns three and four; he went up the track and collected Kahne, who was sent into the inside wall, causing the second caution on lap 13. Both Stewart and Kahne had heavy damage to their cars. Newman remained at the leader at the lap-16 restart. Seven laps later, Ken Schrader made contact with the rear-end of Ragan, who was sent spinning at turn four and stopped on the frontstretch, which triggered the third caution. Some of the leaders chose to make pit stops for tires and car adjustments under caution. Johnson was required to move to the end of the longest line, after a crew member allowed one of his tires to roll outside his pit stall.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Newman elected to not make a pit stop, and remained the leader at the lap-27 restart, followed by Edwards. Two laps later, Edwards passed Newman for the lead and began to pull away from the field. Kenseth passed underneath Newman for second on the 33rd lap. Martin had fallen back to 13th by lap 36, and Johnson had moved up to 32nd over the same distance. The fourth caution was necessitated on lap 48 when Ragan went up the track; he made contact with the backstretch wall and spun down the track, heavily damaging the right-front quarter of his car.


2006 Dover 400, Race
The leaders, including Edwards, made pit stops for car adjustments. Edwards missed his pit box and had to reverse which caused him to rejoin in 23rd. David Stremme led the field on the lap-53 restart, ahead of Elliott Sadler. Stremme lost the lead on the same lap when Sadler got ahead of him. Kenseth passed Newman for second place on lap 63. Eleven laps later, Kenseth took the lead from Sadler when he passed underneath him. Kurt Busch was passed by Kyle Busch for third place on lap 95, while Earnhardt got ahead of Newman for fifth one lap later.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Robby Gordon's tire went down and made heavy contact with the turn three wall, which necessitated the fifth caution. During the caution, the leaders elected to make pit stops. Kenseth remained at the leader at the lap-105 restart; he was followed by Sadler and Kyle Busch. On lap 106, Kyle Busch (who was attempting to move in front of Sadler) reported that his engine was failing, and fell down to 25th by the 110th lap. He entered pit road two laps later, and was taken to the garage to retire.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Sadler passed Kenseth to reclaim the lead on lap 113, but Kenseth regained the position nine laps later. Sadler fell down to third on lap 130 after he was passed by Kurt Busch and Sorenson. Biffle moved in front of Earnhardt for fourth position on the 141st lap, while Sorenson moved ahead of Kurt Busch for second six laps later. The sixth caution was triggered on lap 165 when debris from Jamie McMurray's car was located in turns three and four. The leaders, including Kenseth, chose to make pit stops during the caution. Kenseth parked on his pit box line which required his team to push him into the position and fell down to 20th. Sorenson gained the first place and maintained it at the lap-169 restart.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Kenseth moved into 15th place by the 176th lap. The seventh caution came out on lap 185 when Kevin Lepage lost control of his car in turn two, and went backwards into the outside wall, heavily damaging his deck lid. Some drivers made pit stops for tires during the caution. Sorenson maintained his lead at the lap 190-restart. Stanton Barrett hit the turn four wall near the start-finish line after he lost control of his car on lap 206, which caused the eighth caution to be displayed, and the leaders (including Sorenson) made pit stops.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Biffle chose to stay out and led the field at the lap 214-restart, ahead of Sadler and Johnson. Biffle pulled away from the field, while Kenseth moved back into ninth on lap 224. Johnson moved ahead of Sadler for second eleven laps later, while Earnhardt was passed for Kenseth on the same lap. Kenseth moved ahead of teammate McMurray for fifth on the 237th lap, and Earnhardt had moved down to ninth by lap 240. Sadler fell to fifth when he was passed by Martin and Kenseth on lap 242. Kenseth passed teammate Martin to move into third place seven laps later.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Martin lost fourth position when he was passed by Kurt Busch on lap 251. Kenseth moved ahead of Johnson to claim second place eleven laps later. Green-flag pit stops began on lap 264 when Biffle stopped for four tires and fuel, and Kenseth took over the lead. A flat right-front tire slowed Earnhardt on lap 282; he made a pit stop on the same lap. Sadler and Martin made their pit stops for four tires on laps 285 and 286, and Johnson made a pit stop three laps later.


2006 Dover 400, Race
On lap 298, Riggs' right-front tire failed and hit the turn three wall, prompting the ninth caution which allowed officials to clear the track of debris. Riggs had a small fire at his front-end. During the caution, the top-ten leaders made pit stops for tires and fuel. Kenseth remained the leader at the lap-306 restart. The tenth (and final) caution was required on lap 324 when Yeley lost control of his car leaving turn four; he spun on the backstretch and his rear-end made light contact with the wall. Some of the leaders made pit stops under caution. Kenseth remained the leader at the lap-328 restart, followed by Kurt Busch, Sorenson, Burton and Jeff Gordon.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Earnhardt reported a second flat tire and dropped to 26th after reducing his speed. Burton passed Sorenson for third place on lap 340 after a five-lap battle, and Bowyer took sixth from Gordon on the same lap. Harvick was afflicted with an engine problem and switched ignition systems. Gordon lost sixth position when he was passed by Kurt Busch on the 355th lap, while Burton had closed the gap to Kenseth to one second.


2006 Dover 400, Race
On lap 371, Gordon got ahead of Bowyer to move back into sixth, while Harvick drove to his garage with smoke billowing from his engine on the same lap and retired. Burton had closed up to Kenseth by lap 375, and attempted to overtake Kenseth over the following ten laps but was unable to get ahead. Kenseth went up the track on the 390th lap, and fended off Burton's attempt to pass him. The battle concluded on lap 395 when Burton moved in front of Kenseth for the lead on the backstretch.


2006 Dover 400, Race
Burton started to slowly open a gap between himself and Kenseth. On the final lap, Kenseth and Sorenson ran out of fuel, and Burton maintained the lead to win the race, which ended a 175-race winless streak. Edwards finished second, ahead of Jeff Gordon in third, Kurt Busch in fourth and Biffle fifth. Martin Truex Jr., Bobby Labonte, Bowyer, Hamlin and Kenseth rounded out the top ten finishers. The race had a total of ten cautions and twelve lead changes by nine different drivers.


2006 Dover 400, Race, Post-race comments
Burton appeared in victory lane to celebrate his first win of the season in front of the crowd; earning him $230,370. He was happy with the result: "That was a heck of a race. It was so much fun racing Matt. I am so appreciative for everyone on this car who stuck with us through times that were tough. ", and, "It has been a long time. felt like if we just kept putting ourselves in position then we'd have a good chance. We've been doing that this year." Second-place finisher Edwards congratulated Burton on his victory and said the race was "fun": "We had an awesome Ford Fusion. That's the best car I've ever had here and that was a lot more fun than in the past."


2006 Dover 400, Race, Post-race comments
Kahne admitted that his chances of winning the championship were over after his lap 13 crash: "We all thought we had a shot to win the Nextel Cup, but you can't have two rough weeks I don't think. We'd have to win the final eight races to win the Cup." However, Kahne hoped that he would win more races before the season ended. Stewart was upset for damaging Kahne's car: "Wrecking is one thing, but when you take out somebody that's in the Chase, you've screwed up a whole team's year by one race."


2006 Dover 400, Race, Post-race comments
The result left Burton leading the Drivers' Championship with 5,351 points, ahead of Jeff Gordon on 5,345. Kenseth and Hamlin were tied for fourth place with 5,335 points each, and both were 36 points ahead of Harvick who fell to fifth. Martin, Earnhardt, Johnson, Kahne and Kyle Busch rounded out the top ten. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet maintained the lead with 213 points. Ford remained in second with 171, three points ahead of Dodge. The race took three hours, thirty-four minutes and twenty-one seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 7.955 seconds.


2006 Drake Bulldogs football team
The 2006 Drake Bulldogs football team represented Drake University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was the 113th year for the football program. The season ended with a 9–2 record and a Pioneer Football League runners-up finish. The Bulldogs were chosen as a 2006 Sports Network Cup Finalist, finishing second to San Diego in first-place votes and third in overall votes.


2006 Dubai 24 Hour
The 2006 Dubai 24 Hours was the first running of the event and the first event of what would later become the 24H Series. It was held at the Dubai Autodrome from 11-13 January 2006. The winning car was an A5 class BMW 320i E46 run by Duller Motorsport and shared between Dieter Quester, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Philipp Peter and Toto Wolff.


2006 Dubai Sevens
The Dubai Sevens is played annually as part of the IRB Sevens World Series for international rugby sevens (seven-a-side version of rugby union). The 2006 competition, which took place on December 1 and 2 at the Dubai Exiles ground, was the first Cup trophy in the 2006-07 IRB Sevens World Series.


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships
The 2006 Dubai Duty Free Men’s Championships and Dubai Duty Free Women’s Championships was the 14th edition of this tennis tournament and was played on outdoor hard courts. The tournament was part of the International Series Gold of the 2006 ATP Tour and the Tier II series of the 2006 WTA Tour. It took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from February 20 through March 4, 2006.


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships, Champions, Men's doubles
Paul Hanley /  Kevin Ullyett defeated  Mark Knowles /  Daniel Nestor, 1–6, 6–2, [10–1]


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships, Champions, Women's doubles
Květa Peschke /  Francesca Schiavone defeated  Svetlana Kuznetsova /  Nadia Petrova, 3–6, 7–6, 6–3


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships – Men's Doubles
Martin Damm and Radek Štěpánek were the defending champions. Damm partnered with Leander Paes, losing in the semifinals. Štěpánek partnered with Tomáš Berdych, losing in the quarterfinals.


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships – Men's Doubles
Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett won in the final 1–6, 6–2, [10–1], against Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor.


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships – Men's Singles
Rafael Nadal defeated the defending champion Roger Federer in the final, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 to win the title.


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships – Women's Doubles
Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez were the defending champions, but neither of them competed this year.


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships – Women's Doubles
Květa Peschke and Francesca Schiavone won the title by defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova and Nadia Petrova 3–6, 7–6(7–1), 6–3 in the final.


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships – Women's Singles
Lindsay Davenport was the defending champion, but lost to Maria Sharapova in the semifinals.


2006 Dubai Tennis Championships – Women's Singles
Justine Henin-Hardenne won the title, defeating Sharapova in the final, 7–5, 6–2.


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


2006 Dubai World Cup
The 2006 Dubai World Cup was a horse race held at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on Saturday 25 March 2006. It was the 11th running of the Dubai World Cup.


2006 Dubai World Cup
The winner was Godolphin's American-bred Electrocutionist, a five-year-old bay horse trained in the Dubai by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Frankie Dettori. Electrocutionist's victory was the third in the race for Dettori, the fifth in the race for bin Suroor and the fourth for Godolphin.


2006 Dubai World Cup
Originally trained in Italy, Electroctionist won the Gran Premio di Milano and the International Stakes before being sold to Godolphin and transferred to the stable of Saeed bin Suroor. On his debut for his new connections he raced for the first time on dirt and won the third round of the Al Maktoum Challenge. In the 2006 Dubai World Cup he started the 5/4 favourite and won by one and a half lengths from the American-trained Brass Hat, with Wilko three lengths back in third. The Japanese-trained second favourite Kane Hekili finished fifth of the eleven runners. The runner-up Brass Hat was subsequently disqualified after failing a post-race dope test.


2006 Dublin Senior Football Championship
The 2006 Dublin Senior Football Championship was an edition of an annual Gaelic football competition organized by the Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland. The competition used a modified knockout format. The previous champions in 2005 were Kilmacud Crokes, who were knocked out of the 2006 competition at the semi-final stage. UCD finished the 2006 championship as Dublin champions, by beating St Vincents in the final.


2006 Dublin Senior Football Championship, Rounds 1-4, Round 1
The winners of their respective first-round games went on to qualify for the second round, the losers were given a second chance in a backdoor system which gave them a place in the third round when they won their backdoor tie.


2006 Dublin Senior Football Championship, Rounds 1-4, Round 2, Structure
All teams in Round two who lost in the first round were drawn against each other in the second round in a phase known as the second round backdoor system. The losers of these backdoor games were knocked out of the championship and went on to play in the relegation playoffs. The winning teams from round one were paired with each other. The losers of these round two games progressed to the third round and the winning teams skipped a round and went on directly to the fourth round.


2006 Dublin Senior Football Championship, Rounds 1-4, Round 2, The Games
The most notable fixture in this round was the defeat of Kilmacud Crokes by Round Towers. This made it more difficult for Kilmacud to retain their title, Kilmacud went straight to round 3 and Round Towers progressed to Round 4. Also, St Vincents and St Oliver Plunketts were forced to a replay. The replay saw the return of Alan Brogan to Dublin football after a few months on the sidelines. St Oliver Plunketts progressed to the fourth round and St Vincents had a tie against Parnells in the third round.


2006 Dublin Senior Football Championship, Rounds 1-4, Round 2, The Games
St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh, Ballymun Kickhams, UCD, Raheny, St Judes, St Brigids A, Ballyboden St Endas progressed to the fourth round as they won their respective second-round games and hadn't lost a game so far in the championship.


2006 Dublin Senior Football Championship, Rounds 1-4, Round 2, The Games
St Vincents, St Sylvesters, Lucan Sarsfields, Ballinteer St Johns, St Marks Naomh Mearnóg, Kilmacud Crokes and Erins Isle progressed to the third round despite losing their games as they were a winning team in the first round.