2006 GFI Hong Kong Tens
The SCB Asian Cavaliers were coached by James Clark (Australian living in Hong Kong) ) and James Cook (New Zealander) also living in Hong Kong. The two expat coaches' first game was against a team full of ex All Blacks including the one and only Jonah Lomu. It was one his last tournaments before his passing in 2015 from Myocardial infarction.


2006 GFI Hong Kong Tens
The 2 days of rugby provide the lead up to the Hong Kong 7's tournament and is regarded as the best 10's tournament in the world.


2006 GFI Hong Kong Tens
Tens rugby is a variation on rugby union and rugby sevens, with teams having 10 players: 5 forwards and 5 backs. 10 minute halves are played.


2006 GFI Hong Kong Tens
The 2006 Tournament was played at Hong Kong Football Club, Happy Valley, Hong Kong.


2006 GFS Marketplace 400
The 2006 GFS Marketplace 400 was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series stock car race held on August 20, 2006, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Contested over 200 laps on a 2-mile (3.2 km) speedway, it was the 23rd race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Matt Kenseth of Roush Racing won the race.


2006 GFS Marketplace 400, Background
Michigan International Speedway (MIS) is a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than 1,400 acres (5.7 km2)  approximately four-mile (6.4 km) south of the village of Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is owned by International Speedway Corporation (ISC). Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsports' premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).


2006 GP Miguel Induráin
The 2006 GP Miguel Induráin was the 53rd edition of the GP Miguel Induráin cycle race and was held on 1 April 2006. The race was won by Fabian Wegmann.


2006 GP Ouest–France
The 2006 GP Ouest-France, the 70th edition of the GP Ouest-France, took place on August 27, 2006 in the French region of Brittany, in a race in and around the village of Plouay.


2006 GP Ouest–France
Previously unheralded Vincenzo Nibali stunned the field with his victory, outsprinting Juan Antonio Flecha to take his first major win.


2006 GP2 Series
The 2006 GP2 Series season was the second season of the Formula One feeder championship GP2 Series. The season began at Circuit de Valencia, Spain on 8 April 2006 and ended in Monza, Italy on 10 September 2006. The championship was won by ART Grand Prix driver Lewis Hamilton, over Piquet Sports driver Nelson Piquet Jr.


2006 GP2 Series, 2006 GP2 car modifications, Chassis
The 2006 specification GP2 Car was designed by Dallara Automobili. The 2006 GP2 car featured a biplane rear wing, with the triplane rear wing used in 2005 only to be used at the Monaco race. The front upper and lower wishbones were reinforced, as were the front and rear suspension uprights.


2006 GP2 Series, 2006 GP2 car modifications, Engine
The 4 litre V8 engine featured internal, cartographic and software upgrades designed to improve performance and fuel consumption.


2006 GP2 Series, 2006 GP2 car modifications, Gearbox
The 2006 gearbox was manufactured by GearTek, and featured an 8 position barrel, with ratchet body and software upgrades, as well as a new transverse shafts fixing system designed to facilitate improved gear selection.


2006 GP2 Series, 2006 GP2 car modifications, Tyres
The tyres supplied by Bridgestone for the 2006 season were full-slick, not featuring the four-line grooved slick seen in the 2005 season. Bridgestone supplied a soft, medium, and hard compound tyre, with the tyre choice being made by Bridgestone and the GP2 Series prior to each event. The wet specification tyre remained the same as 2005.


2006 GP2 Series, 2006 GP2 car modifications, Other parts
Brembo supplied a new development of monobloc brake calipers and disc bells, which were exclusive to GP2. The car also featured internal cooling upgrades, a new water radiator, radiator duct, oil and water heat exchanger, modified oil degasser, new oil and water pipes and new heat exchanger fixing brackets.


2006 GP2 Series, 2006 GP2 car modifications, Sporting regulations changes
The only change to the sporting regulations for the 2006 season was that drivers would only be awarded a single point for fastest lap in a race, rather than the two points that were awarded in 2005. The driver also had to start the race from his allocated grid position to be eligible to claim the fastest lap.


2006 GP2 Series, Season summary
Nelson Piquet, Jr. won the first race at Valencia ahead of two rookies, Lewis Hamilton and Adrián Vallés. The latter failed to score in the rest of the season apart from one point for fastest lap at Barcelona. In a sprint race, Vallés was involved in a collision with Adam Carroll who rolled multiple times. The sprint race was won by Michael Ammermüller who had promising start to the season but failed to score during last six weekends.


2006 GP2 Series, Season summary
Gianmaria Bruni and Ernesto Viso then shared victories at Imola, where Hamilton failed to score, after being black-flagged in the feature race and therefore starting the sprint race from back of the grid. Hamilton won both races at Nürburgring, after Piquet took pole position but had a big crash following car failure in the feature race. He also failed to score in the sprint.


2006 GP2 Series, Season summary
Hamilton was on course to win feature race at Barcelona, but he collided with his teammate Alexandre Prémat on the last lap. The Frenchman went on to win with Hamilton second. Viso took his second victory of the season by winning the sprint. Hamilton then won three races in a row, including at Monaco where Nicolas Lapierre and Olivier Pla were injured and did not start. At his home circuit in Silverstone, Hamilton won the feature and then the sprint, where he overtook Clivio Piccione and Piquet in one move.


2006 GP2 Series, Season summary
There were few notable driver changes during the early season. Giorgio Pantano returned to the series with after missing the first three rounds and Timo Glock moved from BCN to iSport between the Monaco and British rounds. Both were serious contenders for race wins for the rest of the season and they shared victories at Magny-Cours. Glock also won at Hockenheim after overtaking José María López on the final lap.


2006 GP2 Series, Season summary
At this point, Hamilton had a 26-point lead over Piquet, but the Brazilian bounced back with a perfect weekend at Hungary, taking pole, two wins and two fastest laps. Hamilton spun in qualifying and started the feature race from back of the grid. He failed to score there but took second place in the wet Sunday sprint.


2006 GP2 Series, Season summary
Piquet's form continued in Turkey, where he won the feature race from pole. Hamilton was second, and in the sprint, he recovered from an early spin to take second place, while Piquet had to settle for fifth. Andreas Zuber took advantage of his front row starting position and won the race.


2006 GP2 Series, Season summary
Hamilton led by ten points before final weekend in Monza. Piquet cut the lead to eight by taking pole. Pantano beat both of them in the feature race and set the fastest lap as well. Piquet finished second and Hamilton third, meaning that the championship would be decided in final race. However, Pantano was deemed to have ignored yellow flags on his fastest lap so that time was disallowed, giving a point to Hamilton who now clinched the title. Pantano made a fantastic start in the sprint and went from 8th to 1st before first corner, and went on to win the race. Hamilton followed and took 2nd, beating Piquet by 12 points in the end.


2006 GP2 Series, Championship standings, Drivers
Polesitter for the feature race on bold. Driver in italics has been awarded point for fastest lap.


2006 Gabonese legislative election
Parliamentary elections were held in Gabon on 17 December 2006, although voting in seven seats took places on 24 December 2006 due to logistical problems. The ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) won 82 seats, with other parties that supported President Omar Bongo winning another seventeen seats, among them the National Woodcutters' Rally of Paul M'ba Abessole with seven seats (M'ba Abessole himself lost his seat, being defeated by the prime minister, Jean Eyeghe Ndong), the Democratic and Republican Alliance with three seats, the Circle of Reformist Liberals with two seats and the Social Democratic Party with one seat.


2006 Gabonese legislative election
Opposition parties won seventeen seats; the Union of the Gabonese People won eight seats, the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development four, the Gabonese Progress Party two seats, the Congress for Democracy and Justice one seat, the African Forum for Reconstruction one seat and the National Woodcutters Rally-Kombila one seat.


2006 Gabonese legislative election, Results
The National Woodcutters' Rally – Rally for Gabon, Democratic and Republican Alliance, Circle of Liberal Reformers, Social Democratic Party, African Development Movement and Rally of Republican Democrats were all supportive of the PDG.


2006 Gabonese legislative election, Aftermath
In 20 constituencies, the results were annulled by the Constitutional Court because of problems with fraud and logistics, and the election was held again in these constituencies on 10 June 2007. Turnout was reported to be low. The PDG won in 11 of these constituencies, with its allies winning a further six, the opposition winning two and an independent winning one.


2006 Gambian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the Gambia on 22 September 2006. Incumbent President Yahya Jammeh was re-elected with 67.3% of the vote. Ousainou Darboe, who finished second with 27% of the vote, rejected the official results, saying that the elections had not been free and fair and that there was widespread voter intimidation.


2006 Gambian presidential election, Electoral system
Many of the 989 polling booths used marbles, which were inserted into candidate drums instead of ballot papers due to the high illiteracy rate. The marble system is only used in Gambia, where it has been used since 1965.


2006 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 2006 Gateshead Council election was held on Thursday 4 May 2006 to elect members of Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council, in England. It was held on the same day as other English local elections. One third of the council was up for election, with the poll coming two years after boundary changes in the previous election which had necessitated the whole council facing voters at once. The Labour Party retained control, and a Liberal Democrat gain from Labour in Winlaton and High Spen was the only change in the level of party representation on the council.


2006 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council election
Turnout was 37.0%, lower than the 47.7% achieved in 2004. In total, 79 candidates stood for election, with the Labour and Conservative parties standing for all of the seats. The Liberal Democrats stood in all but two wards where the Liberal Party stood instead. There were also eight British National Party candidates, one UK Independence Party candidate and four independents.


2006 Gator Bowl
The 2006 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Louisville Cardinals at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, on January 2, 2006. The game was the final contest of the 2005 football season for each team and resulted in a 35–24 Virginia Tech victory. Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and Louisville represented the Big East Conference (Big East) in the competition.


2006 Gator Bowl
Louisville was selected as a participant in the 2006 Gator Bowl following a 9–2 regular season of their first year in the Big East Conference. Louisville won its last five games before the Gator Bowl and participated in the Liberty Bowl at the end of the previous season. Facing the 15th-ranked Cardinals, were the 12th-ranked Hokies. Virginia Tech finished 10–2 regular season, and included wins over 15th-ranked Georgia Tech and traditional rivals Virginia and West Virginia.


2006 Gator Bowl
A loss to Florida State in the inaugural ACC Championship Game gave Tech a position in the Gator Bowl instead of the more prestigious Bowl Championship Series-run Orange Bowl game. Pre -game media coverage of the game focused on Louisville's loss of star quarterback Brian Brohm to injury, Virginia Tech's fall from being a contender for the national championship, the fact that both teams were playing under new conference affiliations, and the rise of Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick, younger brother of NFL star Michael Vick.


2006 Gator Bowl
The 2006 Gator Bowl began on January 2, 2006, at 12:30 p.m. EST in Jacksonville. Louisville led for much of the game, beginning with an 11-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter by backup quarterback Hunter Cantwell, who filled in for the injured Brohm. Tech's offense replied with a field goal, but Louisville was able to add another touchdown before the end of the quarter, extending its lead to 14–3. In the second quarter, Virginia Tech fought back and narrowed Louisville's lead to a single touchdown. At halftime, the score was 17–10 in Louisville's favor.


2006 Gator Bowl
In the second half, Virginia Tech's offense began to have success. Tech earned the only points of the third quarter—a 28-yard field goal from kicker Brandon Pace—to narrow Louisville's lead to 17–13. In the fourth quarter, the game fully turned in the Hokies' favor. Though Louisville scored a touchdown early in the quarter, Virginia Tech scored 22 unanswered points in the final 13 minutes of the game to take a 35–24 lead and earn the win.


2006 Gator Bowl
Tailback Cedric Humes was named the most valuable player of the game for Virginia Tech, and quarterback Hunter Cantwell was named the Cardinals' most valuable player. Tech punter Nic Schmitt set Gator Bowl records for punt yardage and average punt distance, kicking the ball six times for 300 yards, an average of 50 yards per kick. Virginia Tech's win was marred by excessive penalties and unsportsmanlike conduct that resulted in the ejection of one player.


2006 Gator Bowl
Following the game, Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was released from the team as a result of several incidents of misconduct, including a stomp on Louisville defender Elvis Dumervil's leg during the game. Several players who participated in the game, including Dumervil, later went on to careers in the National Football League.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection
In the 2005 college football season, the Atlantic Coast Conference had an automatic bid to the Gator Bowl. By contract, the Gator Bowl Association—which produces the game—possessed the first pick of bowl-eligible ACC teams after the winner of the ACC Championship Game was given a spot in a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game. This was the final year that the Gator Bowl had first pick of eligible ACC teams, as contract renegotiations later resulted in the Gator Bowl slipping to the third selection, beginning with the 2006 college football season. Virginia Tech, losers of the 2005 ACC Championship Game, were chosen by the Gator Bowl Association to participate as the ACC's representative to the 2006 Gator Bowl.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection
The other half of the matchup would consist of either Notre Dame or the first selection from the Big East Conference after that conference's automatic BCS bid. Because Notre Dame was selected to play in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, a BCS game, the Gator Bowl Association was required to select the Big East's Louisville Cardinals, which, like Virginia Tech, finished second in their conference.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Louisville
The Louisville Cardinals football team came into the 2005 season having gone 11–1 the previous season, including a season-ending 44–40 victory over Boise State in the 2004 Liberty Bowl. In addition, Louisville was also entering a new conference—the Big East—after departing Conference USA following the end of the 2004 season. In a poll of media members covering the Big East prior to the 2005 season, Louisville was predicted to win the Big East championship its first year in the conference.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Louisville
In their first and second games of the season, the Cardinals lived up to that expectation. At in-state rival Kentucky, Louisville earned a 31–24 victory to win the Governor's Cup. This was followed the next week by a 63–27 victory over non-conference opponent Oregon State. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, their first Big East conference game of the season—and of school history—did not go as well. At South Florida, the ninth-ranked Cardinals were outscored 45–14, the first time in 13 games Louisville's offense was held to less than 30 points.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Louisville
Following the loss, Louisville recovered, scoring 61 points and 69 points, respectively, in non-conference wins over Florida Atlantic University and North Carolina, returning to their previous offensive success. Again, however, Louisville faltered against a Big East opponent. The Cardinals' second Big East game, at West Virginia University, was another Louisville loss, 46–44. West Virginia later went on to finish 11–1 for the season, winning the Big East championship and defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2006 Sugar Bowl.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Louisville
Louisville, meanwhile, returned to its winning ways. The Cardinals, following their loss to the Mountaineers, won their first Big East game in school history the next week, over the Cincinnati Bearcats, 46–22. The rout of Cincinnati sparked a five-game winning streak, which concluded on December 3 with a 30–20 victory over the University of Connecticut Huskies. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, starting quarterback Brian Brohm, who had the sixth-best season (in terms of passing yards) in Louisville history, suffered a season-ending knee injury. With West Virginia having won the Big East championship and an automatic Bowl Championship Series game bid, Big East second-place Louisville was selected by the Gator Bowl even before the victory over Connecticut.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team began the 2005 college football season as reigning Atlantic Coast Conference football champions. The Hokies also played in the 2005 Sugar Bowl against the third-ranked Auburn Tigers, losing 16–13 in a close contest. Expectations were high for the Hokies to repeat their ACC championship performance the next year, and a preseason poll of media covering ACC football resulted in Virginia Tech being picked to face Florida State in the inaugural ACC Championship Game.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
In its first game of the season, however, eighth-ranked Virginia Tech almost let those expectations fall short. At North Carolina State, the Hokies trailed at halftime and were tied at the beginning of the fourth quarter before eking out a 20–16 win in the final minutes. The Hokies bounced back from the close contest in their second game of the season—against the Duke Blue Devils—as Tech raced to a 45–0 victory. The Hokies held Duke to just 35 yards of total offense, Tech's best defensive performance in the modern era.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
The win over Duke was followed by several others in succession. Heading into their ninth game of the season, the Hokies were 8–0 record and the third-ranked college football team in the country. Against the fifth-ranked Miami Hurricanes, however, Virginia Tech suffered its first defeat of the season, falling 27–7. Tech recovered by winning its next two games, earning a spot in the inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game, held in Jacksonville, Florida. There, the Hokies lost, 27–22, to the Florida State Seminoles.


2006 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
The Seminoles earned an automatic bid to a Bowl Championship Series game by virtue of the victory—had Virginia Tech won the game, it would have been awarded the bid. The day after Tech lost the ACC Championship Game, the Gator Bowl extended a formal invitation to Virginia Tech, which the Hokies accepted. Ninth-ranked Miami, the same team that beat the Hokies 27–7 earlier in the season, was considered for selection, but the Gator Bowl Association took into consideration Virginia Tech's history of having a large fan base travel to its bowl games, and selected the Hokies on those grounds.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup
Pregame media and fan interest surrounding the game focused largely on Louisville's top-ranked offense and Virginia Tech's first-ranked scoring defense. Other major points of media coverage included the two teams' quarterbacks: Louisville's Hunter Cantwell, who replaced starter Brian Brohm after Brohm suffered a season-ending knee injury; and Virginia Tech's Marcus Vick, brother of National Football League star Michael Vick. Also a concern for Louisville was the health of star running back Michael Bush, who missed two games in November due to an injury.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup
On a wider note, there was also interest in the conference-level showdown between a new Big East team (Louisville) and a team that left the Big East for the ACC after the 2003 season (Virginia Tech). For Virginia Tech, there was also the hope of overcoming the disappointment of a season that saw the Hokies ranked third in the country and in the hunt for the national championship before failing to even win the Atlantic Coast Conference and missing a bid to a Bowl Championship Series game.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup
When betting on the game opened, spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by 10 points. Five days after betting opened, the point spread narrowed to 7.5, still in favor of Virginia Tech. Two weeks later, the point spread remained at 7.5 in favor of Virginia Tech.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchup, Louisville offense
Heading into the Gator Bowl, Louisville's scoring offense was ranked third in the country—averaging 45.2 points per game—and was held under 30 points just once in their preceding 21 games. The high-powered Cardinals' offense was predicted to pose a challenge for the Virginia Tech defense.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchup, Louisville offense
With star quarterback Brian Brohm having undergone surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, there were some questions as to how backup Hunter Cantwell would perform under pressure. Cantwell played well in the Cardinals' season-ending contest against Connecticut, but some commentators predicted that Virginia Tech's quicker defense would pose problems for him. In that contest, Cantwell completed 16 of 25 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown. In high school, Cantwell passed for 7,272 yards and 70 touchdowns. His .606 career completion percentage ranked 11th in Kentucky state history.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchup, Louisville offense
Running back Michael Bush was predicted to return to form after suffering a foot injury that kept him out of two games in November. Bush ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns against Connecticut, his first game back from the injury. Heading into the Gator Bowl, Bush earned a school-record 24 touchdowns and led the country in scoring. He ran for 1,049 yards in nine games. He was also a capable receiver, catching 20 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown. But with Brohm on the sidelines, it was expected the Cardinals would rely on Bush's legs more than usual, in an effort to minimize the need for the inexperienced Cantwell to pass the ball.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchup, Louisville offense
Louisville wide receiver Mario Urrutia, who caught 31 passes for 702 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season, stirred a bit of controversy in the final days leading up to the Gator Bowl after he declared that Virginia Tech's first-ranked defense was "mostly hype".


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchup, Virginia Tech offense
Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was considered the key player for the Virginia Tech offense heading into the Gator Bowl. The younger brother of first-overall NFL Draft pick Michael Vick—who also played for Tech—Marcus led the league in passing efficiency (141.6 rating), completed 166 of 268 passes (60.3 percent) for 2,190 yards and 15 touchdowns, with ten interceptions. On the ground, he ran for 370 yards and six touchdowns. Prior to the Gator Bowl, he pledged that he would return for another season at Virginia Tech before entering the NFL draft. "The NFL is tough. It's the real deal. You've got to be ready for it. You just don't want to rush into just throwing yourself out there because of the money or anything like that. You've got to really be prepared for it", he said.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchup, Virginia Tech offense
On the ground, two different Tech players were predicted to share time running the ball. Senior running back Cedric Humes was predicted to get the bulk of the carries in the game, but redshirt freshman Branden Ore was also predicted to see some plays at times. Humes rushed the ball 140 times for 639 yards and ten touchdowns during the regular season. Ore, meanwhile, ran the ball for 591 yards and six touchdowns.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchup, Virginia Tech offense
Wide receiver Josh Morgan was also considered a key component of the Hokie offense. Morgan finished the season with 28 receptions for 471 yards and four touchdowns. Prior to the game, Morgan predicted that if the Hokies executed their plays well, they would emerge the victors.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchup, Virginia Tech offense
Backup guard Brandon Gore broke his ankle during the Hokies' loss to Florida State and would not be able to participate. Senior Tech running back Mike Imoh, who shared time running the ball during the regular season with Ore and Humes, was also out after undergoing surgery to repair an injured ankle. Adding to the injury situation for Virginia Tech was offensive tackle Jimmy Martin, who suffered a sprained knee ligament in practice leading up to the game. Martin started 45 consecutive games prior to the Gator Bowl, a streak that was broken when he was replaced by Brandon Frye on the day of the game.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchup, Louisville defense
Shortly after Louisville was selected to the 2006 Gator Bowl, Cardinals defensive end Elvis Dumervil was awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given annually to the top defensive college football player in the United States. Dumervil also earned several other honors in the weeks leading up to the game, including being named Big East Defensive Player of the Year, an Associated Press All-American and earning the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to the best defensive end in the country. Dumervil led the nation in sacks (20) and forced fumbles (10) during the regular season. Prior to the game, he announced that he was looking forward to the contest, saying, "To me, I wanted to play the best possible team in the Gator Bowl, and I think that's what we've got".


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchup, Louisville defense
A week and a half after Dumervil won the Nagurski Trophy, senior defensive tackle Montavious Stanley, who was a leader on defense for Louisville, underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. Stanley was the Cardinals' best run-stopper on defense, amassing 48 tackles and 5.5 sacks during the season.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchup, Virginia Tech defense
Coming into the Gator Bowl, the Virginia Tech defense was ranked first in total defense, second in pass defense, fourth in rushing defense, and third in scoring defense, allowing an average of just over 12 points per game. The Virginia Tech defense was led by defensive end Darryl Tapp, a first-team All-ACC pick, an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American, a finalist for the Lott Trophy, and a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award. Tapp was considered a natural leader both on and off the field and led the Hokies' defensive workouts during practice. Tapp finished the regular season with 45 tackles (including 12.5 for a loss) and ten sacks. He was also named a second-team Associated Press All-American, and he won the Dudley Award, given annually to the best college football player in the state of Virginia.


2006 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchup, Virginia Tech defense
Tech cornerback Jimmy F. Williams, considered a cornerstone of the Hokie defense, was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy that season, but lost to Louisville's Elvis Dumervil. Williams was Tech's sole first-team Associated Press All-American and also was named to the American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of American and Walter Camp All-America teams. He recorded 44 tackles and an interception for the Hokies in the regular season. Williams had foregone entering the NFL draft after the 2004 college football season in order to return to Virginia Tech for his senior season, and he was expected to be a high draft pick upon graduation.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary
The 2006 Gator Bowl kicked off at 12:30 p.m. EST on January 2, 2006 in Jacksonville, Florida. Official attendance for the game was listed as 63,780, placing it at 34th (out of 62) on the list of Gator Bowls in terms of attendance. At kickoff, the weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of approximately 76 degrees. The wind was from the south-southwest at 11 miles per hour (18 km/h). Approximately 4.14 million American households watched the game on television, earning the game a Nielsen rating of 3.93.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary
The pre-game show featured the Marching Virginians, the Cardinal Marching Band, and the Wachovia Dance Team, a collection of Jacksonville-area entertainers. Also before kickoff, the stadium was overflown by a flight of U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets from VFA-103, based in Virginia. The national anthem was sung by Monty Lane Allen, member of a Gospel singing group.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Virginia Tech won the ceremonial pre-game coin toss to select first possession and deferred its option to the second half; Louisville elected to receive the opening kick. The Cardinals began the game's opening drive at their own 18-yard line after the opening kickoff. Running back Michael Bush rushed for 12 yards on the game's opening play, netting the game's first first down. Subsequent plays, however, saw Louisville struggle to gain another. Facing fourth down and six yards at their own 34-yard line, the Cardinals seemingly prepared to punt.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Instead, the Cardinals executed a trick play by running back Kolby Smith, who ran with the ball. Smith surprised the Tech defense and broke free for a 30-yard run, converting the first down and continuing the Louisville drive. Eight plays later, Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell connected on an 11-yard pass to Mario Urrutia for a touchdown and the game's first points. The extra point kick was good, and with 10:42 remaining in the first quarter, Louisville took a 7–0 lead.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Virginia Tech's first possession of the game began at its own 32-yard line after Louisville's post-touchdown kickoff. Tech running back Cedric Humes gained 12 yards and a first down on the Hokies' first play of the game, and quarterback Marcus Vick completed a 24-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Hyman three plays later to get another first down and drive the Hokies into Louisville territory. After Vick was stopped for losses on two consecutive rushing plays, he completed another long pass to Hyman for a first down. Subsequent plays saw Tech advance into the Louisville red zone but fail to gain another first down. Kicker Brandon Pace entered the game to attempt a 36-yard field goal kick, which was successful. With six minutes remaining in the first quarter, Tech cut Louisville's lead to 7–3.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Louisville's second drive of the game was much quicker than the Cardinals' first. After beginning at their own 20-yard line, it took the Cardinals just seven plays to travel 80 yards and earn a touchdown. Louisville was helped throughout the drive by repeated Virginia Tech personal foul penalties. Tech players committed three separate 15-yard personal fouls during the drive, one of which came after Louisville's successful extra point kick when cornerback Jimmy Williams bumped a game official. Williams was ejected from the game for the contact and was removed from the field after watching the next series from the sidelines. The touchdown and extra point extended Louisville's first-quarter lead to 14–3.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Tech received the ball at its 20-yard line with 2:44 remaining in the first quarter. Three quick rushes picked up 22 yards and two first downs, pushing the ball to the Tech 42-yard line. On the next play, however, wide receiver Justin Harper committed a 15-yard pass interference penalty, which negated much of the previous plays' gains. Marcus Vick rushed for five yards, threw two incomplete passes, and was unable to get another first down after the penalty. With time winding down in the quarter, Tech was forced to punt the ball away. The game's first punt traveled 53 yards, and Louisville took over on offense at its 40-yard line following a 25-yard punt return as time expired in the quarter. At the end of the first quarter, Louisville led Virginia Tech, 14–3.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Louisville began the second quarter in possession of the ball at its 40-yard line. Despite having good field position, the Cardinals were unable to gain more than four yards on three plays and were forced into their first punt of the game. Throughout much of the second quarter, both teams traded punts as each went three and out on several occasions. By the quarter's halfway point, Virginia Tech punted the ball twice in the period. Louisville punted the ball three times after kicking no punts at all in the first quarter.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
After the third Louisville punt, Virginia Tech took over at its 46-yard line. Unlike the previous second-quarter possessions, which saw the Tech offense struggle to move the ball effectively, Tech began its drive with a five-yard rush. After losing seven yards on the next play, Marcus Vick completed a 19-yard pass to tight end Jeff King, driving the Hokies into Louisville territory for the first time in the quarter. Two plays later, Vick connected with wide receiver Justin Harper on a 33-yard pass that resulted in the Hokies' first touchdown of the game. With 4:56 remaining in the first half of the game, Tech trimmed Louisville's lead to 14–10.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Following the Tech touchdown, Louisville attempted to answer with points of its own before halftime. After starting on his own 20-yard line, Hunter Cantwell completed two quick passes that resulted in 26 yards. Two plays later, Michael Bush broke free for a 34-yard run, driving Louisville deep into the Virginia Tech side of the field. Despite having a first down at the Virginia Tech 18-yard line, Louisville was unable to gain any yards on three consecutive plays. Bush was stopped for no gain on a rushing attempt, and two Cantwell passes fell incomplete. Kicker Arthur Carmody came in to complete a 35-yard field goal, and with 2:16 remaining in the first half, Louisville led by a score of 17–10.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
After receiving Louisville's kickoff, Virginia Tech elected to run out the clock and bring the first half to an end. During the process, Marcus Vick ran the ball on a designed play and was tackled by Cardinals defensive end Elvis Dumervil after Vick gained nine yards. Following the play, Vick paused, then stomped on Dumervil's leg. Though referees failed to observe the stomp, television commentators replayed the action, and Tech coaches considered pulling Vick from the game as punishment. At the end of the first half of play, Louisville held a 17–10 lead.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
The second half of play began with Virginia Tech receiving the ball, going three and out, and punting the ball back to Louisville. The Cardinals reciprocated by also going three and out and punting the ball back to Virginia Tech. The Hokies began their second drive of the quarter at their one-yard line. Despite beginning deep in their own end of the field, Virginia Tech mounted a successful drive. Tailback Branden Ore and quarterback Marcus Vick alternated rushes, picking up 18 yards and a first down.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
After Vick was sacked by the Louisville defense, he recovered by throwing a 29-yard pass for another first down. Following the pass, Vick and Ore rushed for six consecutive plays, alternating carries at various intervals. Inside the Louisville red zone, however, the Cardinals' defense stiffened and the Tech offense began to falter. After Tech successfully gained a first down on fourth and one, the Hokies were unable to gain another. Tech kicker Brandon Pace was forced to make his second field goal of the game, this one a 28-yarder, to make the game 17–13 with 2:52 remaining in the quarter. The Tech drive began with 11:17 remaining in the quarter and took eight minutes and 25 seconds off the clock.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Louisville received the post-field goal kickoff, but again went three and out, punting the ball back to Virginia Tech. Louisville did not pick up a first down in the third quarter, and Tech began yet another drive as time ran out in the quarter. With one quarter remaining in the game, Tech narrowed the Louisville lead to 17–13.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Shortly after the fourth quarter began, the Virginia Tech drive that began in the waning moments of the third quarter came to an end. The Hokies were forced to punt, and Louisville began its first drive of the fourth quarter. The Cardinals' Harry Douglas ran for 29 yards on their first play of the drive. On the second, Hunter Cantwell completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Gary Barnidge. It took Louisville just 33 seconds and two plays to travel 58 yards and earn a touchdown. The score gave Louisville a 24–13 lead with 13:32 remaining to play.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
But just as it took Louisville just two plays to score, so too did it take Virginia Tech two plays to answer the Louisville touchdown. After taking over at his team's 22-yard line, Marcus Vick completed a 54-yard pass to wide receiver David Clowney. Virginia Tech and Louisville committed offsetting 15-yard personal foul penalties before the play, to no effect on the Hokie offense. On the next play after the long pass, Cedric Humes rushed for 24 yards and the answering Hokie touchdown. It took just 28 seconds for Virginia Tech to answer the Louisville touchdown. Having done that, Tech went Louisville one better, successfully scoring a two-point conversion on a pass from Vick to Morgan. The touchdown and two-point conversion cut the Louisville lead to 24–21.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The Cardinals began their second drive of the quarter at their own 25-yard line. In fits and starts, the Louisville offense advanced down the field. Kolby Smith ran for a yard, Michael Bush for two, then six yards, and Cantwell completed two passes of seven yards each. The Cardinals were also helped by a defensive pass interference penalty against Virginia Tech, which gave Louisville a first down by penalty. As Louisville began to enter Tech territory in earnest, however, the Cardinals suffered their first turnover of the game.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Facing third down and three yards from the Virginia Tech 40-yard line, Cantwell was sacked and fumbled the ball. Tech defender Xavier Adibi scooped up the loose ball, and Tech gained the initiative. Following the fumble, the Hokies began a drive at their 47-yard line. On the first play, Tech was aided by a pass interference penalty on Louisville. The penalty was followed by a three-yard Cedric Humes rush and yet another pass interference penalty against Louisville. Humes rushed twice more for five yards, and Vick completed a 16-yard pass to David Clowney before Vick completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Jeff King. The score and subsequent extra point gave Virginia Tech a 28–24 lead—its first of the game—with 6:03 remaining.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Louisville took over on offense needing to get a touchdown to regain a lead before the waning clock finally ran out of time. After the Tech kickoff and a touchback, the Cardinals took over at their 20-yard line. Michael Bush ran for 10 yards and a first down, and Hunter Cantwell scrambled for six more on a rushing play. Facing third down and needing four yards, Cantwell dropped back to pass for the first down. As the pass soared through the air, Tech defender James Anderson jumped and caught the ball, intercepting it. Still on his feet, Anderson quickly rushed the other way and, unimpeded, ran 39 yards into the end zone for a Virginia Tech touchdown. The score and extra point energized Virginia Tech's offense and defense and gave the Hokies an 11-point lead—35–24—with 4:45 remaining in the game.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Louisville returned on offense, needing to score quickly, make a stop on defense, then score a second time to take the lead. The energized Tech defense was disinclined to allow any such thing. Though Cantwell completed two short passes for 16 yards and a first down, he was sacked on first down and the Tech defense prevented him from completing another pass. Two passes were knocked down by Hokie defenders, while another fell short. After Louisville failed to convert a fourth down, Virginia Tech took over on offense.


2006 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The Hokies proceeded to run out the clock, executing two short rushes and an incomplete pass. Louisville had one final chance on offense after a Tech punt, but three consecutive desperation Hail Mary passes were unsuccessful. Two fell incomplete, and the third was intercepted by Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers. With time almost gone, Tech finished running out the clock and secured the victory. As time expired, Virginia Tech held a 35–24 lead and won the 2006 Gator Bowl.


2006 Gator Bowl, Final statistics
Running back Cedric Humes was named the game's most valuable player for Virginia Tech, and quarterback Hunter Cantwell was named the Cardinals' most valuable player. Tech punter Nic Schmitt set Gator Bowl record for punt yardage and average punt distance, kicking the ball six times for 300 yards, an average of 50 yards per kick.


2006 Gator Bowl, Final statistics
Despite being more highly promoted in pregame media coverage, Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was outperformed statistically by Louisville's Hunter Cantwell. Vick completed 11 of 21 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 10 yards on 13 carries. Cantwell, meanwhile, completed 15 of his 37 passes for 216 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.


2006 Gator Bowl, Final statistics
On the ground, Tech running back Cedric Humes led all rushers with 22 carries for 113 yards and one touchdown. Louisville's leading rusher, Michael Bush, had 16 carries for 94 yards and one fumble. The third-leading rusher in the game was Tech's Branden Ore, who carried the ball 11 times for 56 yards. Louisville's Kolby Smith carried the ball three times for 32 yards, including a 30-yard run that was the game's second-longest rushing play.


2006 Gator Bowl, Final statistics
Defensively, Virginia Tech dominated, intercepting the ball three times, forcing a fumble once, and earning one defensive touchdown. Two Louisville defenders had the best individual performances during the game, however. Brandon Johnson and Abe Brown had six tackles apiece, and Brown sacked Marcus Vick once for a loss of ten yards. The sack was one of three earned by the Louisville offense during the game. Virginia Tech's defense earned two sacks during the game, and the Hokies' leading tackler was Vince Hall, who recorded four and two assists on sacks of Louisville's Hunter Cantwell.


2006 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects
Virginia Tech's victory in the 2006 Gator Bowl had far-reaching effects for both the Hokies and the Louisville Cardinals. The win pushed Tech to 11–2 on the season, while the Cardinals' loss ensured they ended the 2005 season with a 9–3 overall record. The game itself provided more than $14 million in economic benefit to the Jacksonville area as Louisville and Virginia Tech fans flocked to the region, spending money on food, hotel rooms, transportation, and entertainment.


2006 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects
Virginia Tech quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers announced after the game that he would be leaving the team in order to become an assistant coach with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. Rogers was replaced by new hire Mike O'Cain. Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring's second job as offensive line coach was filled by James Madison University assistant coach Curt Newsome.


2006 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects, Marcus Vick
Following the 2005 ACC Championship Game, Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick stormed off the field, refusing to talk to reporters following the loss. Vick, who picked up a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in that game, also earned several unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the 2006 Gator Bowl, where post-game replays revealed he purposefully stomped on the leg of Louisville Cardinals' defensive end Elvis Dumervil. Vick claimed he apologized to Dumervil after the game, but Dumervil stated that no apology was made. In the wake of the incident, Virginia Tech officials announced that they would be conducting a review of Vick's conduct on and off the field.


2006 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects, Marcus Vick
On January 6, 2006, just a few days after the Gator Bowl, Virginia Tech officials dismissed Vick from the Virginia Tech football team, citing a December 17 traffic stop in which Vick was cited for speeding and driving with a revoked or suspended license. Vick hid the information from the team and the infraction was not discovered until January. The traffic stop, an earlier suspension from the team, and his unsportsmanlike conduct during the 2005 ACC Championship Game and 2006 Gator Bowl were used as grounds for his dismissal.


2006 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects, Marcus Vick
In response to being dismissed from the team, Vick was quoted as saying, "It's not a big deal. I'll just move on to the next level, baby". Vick appeared in one regular-season NFL game for the Miami Dolphins in 2006. The Dolphins did not renew his contract, and he has been out of football ever since.


2006 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects, 2006 NFL Draft
On April 29 and 30, the National Football League held its annual player draft. Over a dozen players who participated in the 2006 Gator Bowl were selected in the draft. Virginia Tech had a record nine players selected in the draft, with Darryl Tapp (31st overall) selected first from the Hokies. Jimmy Williams (37th overall), James Anderson (88th), Jeff King (155th), Jonathan Lewis (177th), Justin Hamilton (222nd), Jimmy Martin (227th), Will Montgomery (234th), and Cedric Humes (240th) were the other Tech players selected. Louisville had four players selected in the draft. Offensive guard Jason Spitz was selected 75th overall and was the first Cardinals' offensive lineman to be drafted since 1996. Elvis Dumervil was selected with the 126th selection, linebacker Brandon Johnson was selected 142nd, and defensive tackle Montavious Stanley was selected 182nd.


2006 Gaven state by-election
An Australian by-election was held for the Legislative Assembly of Queensland district of Gaven on 1 April 2006. It was triggered by the resignation of sitting Labor member Robert Poole.


2006 Gaven state by-election
The by-election resulted in the Labor Party losing the seat to National Party candidate Alex Douglas.


2006 Gaven state by-election, Background
Robert Poole first came to parliament at the 2001 state election by winning the newly created seat of Gaven. He was subsequently re-elected at the 2004 state election. During his second term, Poole attracted criticism for the amount of time he spent in Thailand, where his wife and children lived. Things came to a head in February 2006 when Poole announced that he'd be spending three months in Thailand to recover from knee surgery. The Opposition demanded a by-election, but Premier Peter Beattie said he was prepared to wait until the beginning of April for Poole to return home. Poole, not prepared to return home early from his trip, announced his decision to resign his seat on 28 February 2006.


2006 Gaven state by-election, Candidates
Labor preselected Phil Gray as their candidate to defend the seat. Gray had previously been campaign manager to outgoing member Robert Poole.


2006 Gaven state by-election, Candidates
The Liberal Party—who had been the Labor Party's chief opponent in Gaven at the 2004 election—did not contest the by-election, instead deferring to the National Party due to the coalition agreement that the two parties not stand candidates against each other in the same seat. This attracted criticism from some from commentators who believed the Liberal Party was better placed to win the suburban seat than the rural-centric Nationals. The National Party endorsed general practitioner Alex Douglas as its candidate.


2006 Gaven state by-election, Results
National Party candidate Alex Douglas won the seat from Labor Party. It marked the third by-election loss for Labor during the parliamentary term, following on from the 2005 losses in Chatsworth and Redcliffe.


2006 Gaven state by-election, Aftermath
Alex Douglas's stint in parliament would prove to be a short one. A general election was called by Premier Peter Beattie later that year where Labor recouped the seat of Gaven, with Phil Gray once again their candidate.


2006 Gaven state by-election, Aftermath
However, the tables turned again at 2009 state election when Alex Douglas, running as a candidate for the newly formed Liberal National Party, defeated Gray in their third contest against one another.


2006 Gay Games
The 2006 Gay Games (Gay Games VII), colloquially called the Chicago Gaymes, was part of a family of international sports and cultural festivals called Gay Games, sanctioned by the Federation of Gay Games and organized by the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community of the host city of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The competition took place July 15– July 22, 2006. The official Gay Games VII slogan was "Where the World Meets."


2006 Gay Games
Actual athletic events were played in venues scattered throughout Chicago and its suburbs, all participating in the Gay Games through special permissive votes in their respective town or village councils. Cultural events included concerts and performances by Cyndi Lauper, Margaret Cho, Megan Mullally, and others added to the festival's feel and charm. Contemporary artists also provided exhibitions as part of the Gay Games.


2006 Gay Games
Corporate sponsorship was key in planning Gay Games VII, garnering support for global advertising from large companies like Absolut Vodka, American Airlines, Ernst & Young, Fleishman-Hillard and Walgreens. Media relationships were created with the Chicago Sun-Times, The New York Times, ChicagoPride.com and the National Broadcasting Company. Advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign offered substantial funding for the event, as well.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process
Four cities submitted bids. Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Montreal. The decision was made September 2001 in Johannesburg, South Africa.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process
This was Chicago's first time bidding for the Gay Games. Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles provided opportunities for the Gay Games to return to the United States for the first time since the 1994 Gay Games in New York City.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process
Chicago's bid team published a 100-page brochure to impress the selection committee. Chicago's bid promised for  "a celebration--a multiethnic, spirited family reunion of sorts." Ideas presented included dying the Chicago River rainbow in celebration of gay pride.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process
Chicago's bid placed an emphasis on Chicago's status as a hub of international travel.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process
Chicago's bid was backed by several corporate sponsors, including Miller Brewing Company, United Airlines and Third Coast Marketing.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process
Chicago's bid planned to feature 30 athletic contests. These included basketball, beach volleyball, flag football, golf, ice hockey, bodybuilding, rugby, soccer, swimming and diving, a variety of track and field events including a marathon, ballroom dancing and figure skating.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process
Proposed venues in Chicago's bid included Soldier Field (opening and closing ceremonies), McCormick Place (volleyball, wrestling, and martial arts), Northwestern University (diving), and the UIC Pavilion (figure skating). Events were also planned to be held at the yet-completed Millennium Park.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process
Chicago had planned to host 20,000 participants and 250,000 spectators in its 2001 bid for the games.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process, Games awarded to Montreal
The seventh edition of the Gay Games had been awarded to Montreal, Canada, in 2006, but the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) removed its sanction after differences arose between it and the Montréal 2006 organizing committee. For more information on the change of host cities, see the Schism in LGBT sports communities over Gay Games VII section of the Gay Games article.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process, Games awarded to Montreal
Reasons for Montreal's selection over Chicago and the other bidding cities included guarantees for government funding, U.S. ban on HIV-positive foreign tourist, and the relative affordability of Canada.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process, Reopened bidding
After Montreal lost the right to host the Gay Games, Chicago, Atlanta, and LA were invited to submit a re-worked version of their earlier bids. LA and Chicago bid in late January 2004, but Chicago won the right to host the games by March 2004. Three weeks later Chicago had signed the licensing agreement for the game.


2006 Gay Games, Bidding process, Reopened bidding
A downsized Chicago 2006 group had already been meeting with plans to bid for a future Gay Games before these games became reopened to bid on. Chicago's re-submitted bid, in comparison to their original 2001 bid, had a downsized budget, was more focused on the central sports and cultural components of the game, put emphasis on safer revenue, and also proposed a more volunteer-organized event.


2006 Gay Games, Organization
The games were organized by Chicago Games Inc. Due to the change in host cities, the games were planned in only a one-and-a-half year period.


2006 Gay Games, Organization
The host committee encountered some difficulty in securing a rowing venue in suburban Crystal Lake, Illinois. There was local opposition to the prospect of the community hosting the LGBTQ sporting event. As a result, the suburb's park board rejected the host committees application to host their rowing competitions in the village. However, a week after rejecting the proposal, the park board reversed their decision in a 3-2  vote, granted the Chicago Games Inc. approval to host their rowing competitions in Crystal Lake.


2006 Gay Games, Organization, Finances
The 2006 Gay Games, which were attended by an estimated 150,000 spectators and featured over 12,000 athletic and cultural participants, became the first edition of the Gay Games in over 20 years to turn a profit. The Chicago Games organizers managed to break even and create a meager profit. In contrast, the Montreal OutGames reportedly lost US$4 million. The financial success of the Chicago games was announced a year after the close of the games. According to Kevin Boyer, the co-vice chair of Chicago Games Inc., the final total cash budget of the 2006 games was slightly over US$9 million.


2006 Gay Games, Organization, Finances
He reported that there were an additional, "$13.2 million in barter and in-kind sponsorships which included, among other categories, media and marketing ($7.2 million), legal service, cash handling, technology consulting, and waived facility rentals." The state of Illinois provided a 1.4% of the cash budget through a $125,000 tourism grant. CGI managed to fill a budget gap of approximately $300,000 (3% of the cash budget).


2006 Gay Games, Organization, Finances
According to Boyer, this was accomplished, "with additional fundraising from donors and sponsors, especially longtime Gay Games competitors and supporters Dick Uyvari and Joe LaPat, as well as negotiated reductions in expenses with some of our vendors." Boyer added that CGI, "also continued to aggressively pursue post-Gay Games revenue from DVD, photo, and merchandise sales as well as the sale of hard assets such as furniture, technology, and equipment."


2006 Gay Games, Organization, Finances
Seven months prior to the opening of the games, organizers had already secured 6,000 paid registrants and accumulated the first pre-Games financial surplus in the history of the Gay Games.


2006 Gay Games, Organization, Travel
The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world to deny entry to visitors infected with HIV, a condition which causes AIDS. The Federal government ruled that non-United States citizens with HIV or AIDS would be allowed to travel to attend the Gay Games in Chicago. The provision of such a waiver had the support of Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley and Illinois-elected Representative Jan Schakowsky. Waivers for travel restrictions regularly have been provided for events such as the Olympics and international conferences. The previous Gay Games in the United States, the 1994 Gay Games, received a similar waiver from then-President Bill Clinton.


2006 Gay Games, Outreach program
Chicago Games Inc. organized a successful outreach program which enabled 120 scholarship athletes from South Africa, Croatia, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America to attend the games.


2006 Gay Games, Opening ceremony
40,000 people attended the ceremony which took place in Chicago's Soldier Field on July 15, 2006.


2006 Gay Games, Opening ceremony, Program
The concept for Opening Ceremony, conceived and directed by Kile Ozier, was to tell the parallel stories of the evolution of the GLBT Community as a community and as individuals; giving it a global context and relevance.


2006 Gay Games, Opening ceremony, Program
The four acts represent the four stages of this evolutionary process as envisioned by the Director: Exclusion - that moment when we discover that we may not fit into the world as we might have thought, growing up ... the moment of discovery of difference; Oppression - the manifestation and formalization of the dynamic initiated in Exclusion ... homophobia, gay bashing, contemplation and execution of suicide out of despair ... ending with the embracing of self and the beginnings of hope; Expression - the power of community and standing up for oneself, of coming out of the closet, finding Like Others, celebration of individuality and difference within even our own communities; Ignition - the taking of all this powerful energy and philosophy and lighting the world with the ideals of enlightenment and acceptance.


2006 Gay Games, Opening ceremony, Program
At the midway point of the Ceremony was the "Exhortation to a Weary Army", a reinvigoration to the community in the worldwide fight against AIDS, given from the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and tribute to Tom Waddell, the founder of the global Gay Sports movement and the Gay Games.


2006 Gay Games, Opening ceremony, Mayor Richard M. Daley's opening speech
"On behalf of all the people of Chicago, I'm delighted to welcome you to the seventh Gay Games. I want to acknowledge the Co-Chairs of Chicago Games, Suzanne Arnold and Sam Coady, Vice Co-Chairs Tracy Baim and Kevin Boyer, as well as their staff and all the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to make these games a reality. I would also like to thank the Federation of Gay Games, for choosing Chicago as the 2006 host City and for carrying on the vision of Tom Waddell. Chicago is pleased and honored to have been selected to host this historic event, and you could not have chosen a more appropriate site."


2006 Gay Games, Venues
Competitions were held at 33 venues across Chicago and its suburbs.


2006 Gay Games, Closing ceremony
The Games' closing ceremony was held  July 22, 2006 at Wrigley Field. 25,000 spectators attended. Mayor Richard M. Daley handed over the flag to the Deputy Mayor of Cologne, host of the next Gay Games. Performers included, amongst others, Cyndi Lauper.


2006 Gay Games, Broadcast and coverage
The 2006 Gay Games received an unprecedented level of media coverage, both ahead of and during the Games. The games benefited from its leadership's media connections, with Baim being the founder and producer of the Windy City Times and Boyer being a prominent Chicago public relations manager. Early into the planning of the games, media sponsorship from 67 companies and media outlets secured US$7 million of advertising and editorial space.


2006 Gay Games, Broadcast and coverage
The games were to be exclusively aired on the Q Television Network after they signed an exclusive deal with the Chicago organizers worth $3.2 million. QTV had agreed to make their broadcasts available in over 150 markets worldwide. This deal later fell through though, and the games were instead covered through a number of media outlets.


2006 Gay Games, Broadcast and coverage
The games received coverage on CNN, NBC's The Today Show, and The Weather Channel. 700 media representatives from 250 different outlets were awarded credentials during the games. Local papers featured front-page coverage of the Games. Fleishman-Hillard donated time and expertise to make sure that stories covering the games were published in Europe, South Africa, Australia, and the US. Major media sponsors of these games included Sirius XM Radio, Logo TV, The New York Times, Out.com and Gay.com. Additionally, local Chicago newspapers, such as the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Free Press, served as sponsors.


2006 Gay Games, Sponsors
The Gay Games received an unprecedented level of corporate sponsorship for its 2006 edition. Among the more than 300 sponsors that provided financial contributions and in-kind support to the Games were American Airlines, PepsiCo, Glaxo, Orbitz, Viacom's Logo TV channel, Sirius XM, ESPN, Ernst & Young and Chicago-based companies like Kraft and Walgreens.


2006 Gay Games, Sponsors
Individual sponsorship ranged from between $500 to over $1 million.


2006 Gay Games, Legacy
The games were the first in over 20 years to make a profit.


2006 Gay Games, Legacy
The games were estimated to have between a $50 and $80 million financial impact on the host city.


2006 Gay Games, Legacy
Chicago would go on to launch an, ultimately unsuccessful, bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. It was felt that Chicago's experience hosting the Gay Games might boost its chances of winning its Olympic bid.


2006 Gaz de France Stars
The 2006 Gaz de France Stars was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 3rd edition of the Gaz de France Stars, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2006 WTA Tour. It took place in Hasselt, Belgium, in late October and early November, 2006.


2006 Gaz de France Stars, Champions, Doubles
Lisa Raymond /  Samantha Stosur def. Eleni Daniilidou /  Jasmin Wöhr, 6–2, 6–3


2006 Gaz de France Stars – Doubles
The Doubles Tournament at the 2006 Gaz de France Stars took place between October 30 and November 5 on indoor hard courts in Hasselt, Belgium.


2006 Gaz de France Stars – Doubles
Émilie Loit and Katarina Srebotnik were the defending champions, but both chose not to compete in 2006.


2006 Gaz de France Stars – Singles
The Singles Tournament at the 2006 Gaz de France Stars took place between October 30 and November 5 on indoor hard courts in Hasselt, Belgium.


2006 Gaz de France Stars – Singles
Kim Clijsters was the home crowd favourite; and emerged as the winner.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid
The 2006 Gaza cross-border raid was an armed incursion carried out by seven or eight Gazan Palestinian militants on 25 June 2006 who attacked Israel Defense Forces (IDF) positions near the Kerem Shalom Crossing through an attack tunnel. In the attack, two IDF soldiers and two Palestinian militants were killed, four IDF soldiers were wounded one of whom was Gilad Shalit who was captured and taken to the Gaza Strip.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid
Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility, together with the Popular Resistance Committees (which includes members of Fatah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas), and a previously unknown group calling itself the Army of Islam. They stated the raid was in retaliation to an Israeli shelling and a series of air raids that had killed 22 Palestinians earlier that month.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid
The abduction of Shalit caused Israel to launch Operation "Summer Rains" which consisted of a series of incursions into Gaza. The operation failed to retrieve Shalit who was eventually released on 18 October 2011 as part of a prisoner swap. It was the first time since the capture of Nachshon Wachsman in 1994 that Palestinian militants had captured an Israeli soldier.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Background
In February 2005, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced a ceasefire which effectively ended the Second Intifada. Hamas unilaterally agreed to abide by the ceasefire. Under the direction of Sharon, Israel withdrew from Gaza in September 2005.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Background
To international surprise, Hamas won the Palestinian elections in January 2006, which were declared democratic by observers. The 'Quartet' demanded that Hamas renounce violence, recognize Israel, and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements, which Hamas refused to do, resulting in aid being withheld. Israel imposed a blockade and sanctions on Gaza, and withheld customs revenue.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Background
Hamas had announced a ceasefire in 2005 and until 10 June 2006. On 8 February 2006 Hamas' leader Khaled Meshaal offered a "long-term ceasefire" with Israel if the latter would withdraw to 1967 boundaries. Hours previously, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, had promised never to give up control of key components of the occupied West Bank. However, according to the IDF, Hamas was still implicated in rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Background
On 8 June 2006, while the cease-fire was still in effect, Jamal Abu Samhadana, Hamas' Inspector General in the Ministry of the Interior and founder of the Popular Resistance Committees, was assassinated by an Israeli air-strike on the Salah al-Dein Brigades training camp in Gaza which killed three other Palestinians. It was the fourth time Israel had tried to kill him. His supporters threatened to avenge his death. The IDF said Samhadana was planning an attack on Israel.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Background
The next day, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired rockets into southern Israel and a few hours later an explosion, which the IDF attributed to its shelling of a reported launch site, killed a Palestinian family of eight and injured at least 30 others. Hamas formally withdrew from its 16-month ceasefire in response to the explosion.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
On Sunday morning, 25 June 2006, at about 5:30 am (GMT+2) a squad of Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip crossed the border into Israel via a 300-meter-long tunnel they had dug near the Kerem Shalom border crossing. The militants surfaced in Israeli territory shielded by a row of trees, and came up behind IDF border positions facing Gaza. As militants from within the Gaza Strip bombarded Israeli positions with mortar and anti-tank fire, the militant squad split into three cells.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
One cell aligned itself behind a Merkava Mark III tank, another behind a concrete watchtower, and another behind an armored personnel carrier. The militants simultaneously opened fire on their targets. The militants that attacked the tank blew open its rear door with an RPG. The tank's gunner, Corporal Gilad Shalit, was wounded by the RPG blast, suffering a broken left hand and a light shoulder wound. Two of the militants then approached the tank. The RPG hit caused the tank to go up in flames, and its fire extinguisher system was activated.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
However, the engine stopped working and the ventilation system failed to work as a result, creating suffocating conditions inside. The tank's commander and driver climbed out to escape, and were gunned down by the militants. A militant then climbed onto the tank's turret and threw grenades into the tank, wounding another crew member. Shalit climbed out of the tank to escape the suffocating conditions, and as he emerged onto the turret, he saw one of the militants climbing onto the tank, with his AK-47 strapped to his back.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
Shalit at this point could have easily killed the militant using the .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the turret, but instead surrendered to him. He later told IDF investigators that he was confused and in a state of shock, and thus never thought of shooting him. Shalit was then taken to Gaza with the militants.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
An Israeli tank soon arrived on the scene and an IDF observation post witnessed their escape, although it was not known at the time that the militants had a captive Israeli soldier with them, and the tank did not open fire in time, as the commander was awaiting permission. When permission was finally granted, the tank opened fire with its machine guns.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
The squad's third member was positioned near a road, and fired an RPG at an IDF jeep driven by a captain. After the captain returned fire, the militant fled towards a tunnel dug along the fence, throwing grenades. An IDF armored vehicle fired at him, but missed, and he escaped.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
Two militants attacked the watchtower, raking it with RPG and small-arms fire, wounding two soldiers manning the tower. One militant crept towards the tower and placed an explosive charge next to the bottom doors. The ensuing explosion damaged the tower's communication cables. The militant then attempted to climb the stairs, while the second militant remained on the ground as backup. IDF soldiers in the tower spotted the militant climbing the stairs and opened fire, killing him in the upper part of the stairway. The second militant was spotted by an IDF lookout, and soldiers then opened fire and killed him.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
The third cell attacked an empty armored personnel carrier placed as a decoy before retreating, firing an RPG which damaged it and caused it to burst into flames.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture
Immediately afterwards the militants made their way back into the Gaza Strip, with Shalit, through the ground after they blew an opening in the security fence and disappeared. As they retreated, the militants left behind explosive charges. Meanwhile, large Israeli military forces arrived at the site and began helping the wounded. The charges left behind by the militants exploded as IDF troops were combing the area, lightly injuring three soldiers. When they reached the tank the soldiers discovered the two bodies and a wounded crewman. When it became clear that the fourth crew member was missing, an abduction alert was declared, and various Israeli forces entered Gaza.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, The attack and the capture, Casualties
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the operation; Staff Sergeant Pavel Slutzker, 20, of Dimona and Lieutenant Hanan Barak, 20, of Arad and two Palestinian militants; Muhammed Farawneh, 22, of Khan Yunis, Army of Islam member and Hamed Rantisi, 22, of Rafah, Popular Resistance Committees member.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Israeli retaliation
The day after, on 26 June 2006, three Palestinian militant organization took responsibility for the raid; the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas), the Popular Resistance Committees organization (which includes members of Fatah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas) and the Army of Islam and issued a joint statement on 26 June 2006, in which they claimed responsibility for the raid and offered information on Shalit only if Israel agreed to release all female Palestinian prisoners and all Palestinian prisoners under the age of 18, who were held without charges and tried without the right of defense. The New York Times reported at the time that there were 95 Palestinian women and 313 Palestinian children in Israeli Jails. Israel rejected the offer.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Israeli retaliation
Two days later, on 28 June 2006, Israel launched Operation Summer Rains. In addition various international bodies conducted diplomatic activity, among them Egypt, in an attempt to release Shalit. Due to the fact that Shalit was a French citizen, France attempted to get him released through diplomatic means. However, the captors, who operated under the orders of Khaled Mashal and the Hamas military leadership, refused to release him. According to David Siegel, a spokesman at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., "Israel did everything it could in exhausting all diplomatic options and gave Mahmoud Abbas the opportunity to return the abducted Israeli… This operation can be terminated immediately, conditioned on the release of Gilad Shalit."


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Israeli retaliation
On the night of 28–29 June 2006, the IDF arrested dozens of Hamas leaders in the West bank, including 20 Palestinian parliament members and eight Palestinian ministers. This retaliation operation was reportedly planned several weeks in advance. On the same day, four Israeli Air Force aircraft flew over Syrian President Bashar Assad's palace in Latakia, as an IDF spokesperson said that Israel views the Syrian leadership as a sponsor of Hamas.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Israeli retaliation
On 1 July 2006, Shalit's captors issued another demand to the Israelis, demanding that Israel release an additional 1,000 Palestinian prisoners (in addition to all female and young prisoners, as previously demanded) and end Israel's incursions into Gaza. Two days later, the captors issued a 24-hour ultimatum for meeting their demands, threatening unspecified consequences if Israel refused. Hours after the ultimatum was issued, Israel officially rejected the demands, stating that: "there will be no negotiations to release prisoners".


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Israeli retaliation
On 3 July 2006 Shalit's captors made an ultimatum according to which they demanded that Israel must fulfill all of its demands by 4 July 2006 at 6:00 am. However, the captors did not specify exactly what would happen if the demands were not met. The Israeli Prime Minister's office formally rejected the ultimatum. After the ultimatum period expired the Army of Islam group announced that no more information would be released about Shalit's fate.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Israeli retaliation
Operation Summer Rains, which failed to achieve its main objective (the release of Shalit), ended on 26 November 2006 when the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed on a cease-fire, after the Palestinian militancy organizations agreed to stop firing rockets on Sderot and after Israel agreed to cease IDF operations in the Gaza Strip.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Aftermath
Hamas high-ranking commander Abu Jibril Shimali, whom Israel considers responsible for coordinating the abduction of Shalit, was killed during the violent clashes between Hamas and the al-Qaida-affiliated Jund Ansar Allah organization in Gaza in August 2009.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Aftermath
On 2 October 2009, Israel received a video clip of 2:42 minutes length in which Gilad Shalit was filmed. In exchange, Israel released 20 Palestinian prisoners. During the same day the video clip was broadcast on television channels worldwide. The video, which was published publicly after the Shalit family approval to do so, showed Gilad Shalit in uniform reading a pre-written message, in which he urged the Israeli government to finalize the deal for his release.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Aftermath
In addition, during the video clip Shalit stood up for a few seconds and moved towards the camera so that his health condition would be evident in the video, as much as possible. In addition, during the video clip Shalit was holding an Arab newspaper from 14 September 2009 in order to prove that the video was recorded just before its release.


2006 Gaza cross-border raid, Aftermath
Shalit was released in a prisoner exchange on 18 October 2011. The Hamas commander who directed the raid, Raed al Atar, was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict.


2006 Geelong Football Club season
The 2006 Geelong Football Club season was the club's 107th season in the Australian Football League (AFL). Geelong finished the regular season in tenth position on the ladder, resulting in the club not qualifying for the finals.


2006 Generali Ladies Linz
The 2006 Generali Ladies Linz is the 2006 Tier II WTA Tour tournament of the annually-held Generali Ladies Linz tennis tournament. It was the 20th edition of the tournament and was held from October 23–29, 2006 at the TipsArena Linz. Maria Sharapova won the singles title.


2006 Generali Ladies Linz, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2006 Generali Ladies Linz, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2006 Generali Ladies Linz, Champions, Singles
It was the 5th singles title for Sharapova in the season and the 15th title in her career.


2006 Generali Ladies Linz, Champions, Doubles
It was the 58th title for Raymond and the 15th title for Stubbs in their respective doubles careers. It was also the 8th for the pair during the season.


2006 Generali Ladies Linz – Doubles
Gisela Dulko and Květa Peschke were the defending champions, but competed this year with different partners. Dulko teamed up with Michaëlla Krajicek and lost in first round to Eleni Daniilidou and Jasmin Wöhr. Peschke teamed up with Francesca Schiavone, but the pair withdrew before their semifinal match against Corina Morariu and Katarina Srebotnik, as Schiavone had injured her right knee.


2006 Generali Ladies Linz – Doubles
Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur won the title, defeating Morariu and Srebotnik in the final 6–3, 6–0.


2006 Generali Ladies Linz – Singles
Nadia Petrova was the defending champion, but lost in the final to Maria Sharapova 5–7, 2–6.


2006 Generali Ladies Linz – Singles, Seeds
The top four seeds received a bye into the second round.


2006 Gent–Wevelgem
The 2006 Gent–Wevelgem race was the 64th edition of the Gent–Wevelgem cycling classic. It was held on April 5, 2006, and was won by Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd.


2006 Georgetown Hoyas football team
The 2006 Georgetown Hoyas football team was an American football team that represented Georgetown University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Georgetown finished last in the Patriot League.


2006 Georgetown Hoyas football team
In their first year under head coach Kevin Kelly, the Hoyas compiled a 2–9 record. Alex Buzbee and Liam Grubb were the team captains.


2006 Georgetown Hoyas football team
The Hoyas were outscored 287 to 164. Their winless (0–6) conference record was the worst in the seven-team Patriot League standings.


2006 Georgetown Hoyas football team
Georgetown played its home games at Multi-Sport Field on the university campus in Washington, D.C.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team completed the season with a 9–4 record. The Bulldogs had an SEC record of 4–4. Despite losses to unranked Kentucky and Vanderbilt, Georgia salvaged its season by beating two ranked teams in the last two games of the season: #5 Auburn and #15 Georgia Tech. A victory over #14 Virginia Tech in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl gave the Georgia Bulldogs three consecutive victories over top 25 teams. This was the team's sixth season under the guidance of head coach Mark Richt.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Preseason
Following a 2005 campaign in which the Bulldogs finished the year ranked #10, the team was given a preseason #14 in the Coaches Poll.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Preseason
Ten players were named to the 2006 SEC Media Days Pre-Season All-Conference Football Team. TE Martrez Milner, OT Daniel Inman, C Nick Jones, DE Quentin Moses and PK Brandon Coutu were selected as first-team members. LB Jarvis Jackson, DB Tra Battle and P Gordon Ely-Kelso were named to the second team and RB Thomas Brown and LB Tony Taylor to the third team.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries
The prevalent theme throughout the 2006 season was the search for a starting quarterback for the Bulldogs. Senior Joe Tereshinski III, redshirt freshman Joe Cox and true freshman Matthew Stafford all saw significant playing time during the season.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, WKU
Joe Tereshinski III started the game at quarterback for Georgia and completed 7 of 17 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. True freshman Matthew Stafford (3 of 5 passing; 40 yards and a touchdown) and redshirt freshman Joe Cox (2 of 3 passing; 29 yards and an interception) both saw playing time at quarterback.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, WKU
SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week:  Defensive end Quentin Moses for his performance against WKU which included 2.5 tackles for losses, one sack and three quarterback hurries.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, South Carolina
The pre-game line established for this game was Georgia -1.5.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, South Carolina
Joe Tereshinski started the game at quarterback and completed 2 of 3 passes for 18 yards. However, he was injured on the opening drive of the game and was replaced by Matthew Stafford. Stafford completed 8 of 19 passes for 171 yards and 3 interceptions, but South Carolina also had 3 costly fumbles of their own as well as a safety.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, South Carolina
SEC Defensive Player of the Week:  Defensive end Charles Johnson for his performance against South Carolina which included five tackles (four for losses), one sack, one safety, two quarterback pressures and one pass deflection.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, UAB
The pre-game line established for this game was Georgia -10.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, UAB
Matthew Stafford got his first career start at quarterback and completed 10 of 17 passes for 107 yards with no touchdowns or interception. Joe Cox also saw brief action at quarterback late in the game.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, UAB
SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week:  Offensive guard Fernando Velasco for his performance against UAB which included a 90% grading and had two dominator blocks.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Colorado
The pre-game line established for this game was Georgia -16.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Colorado
Getting his second start, Matthew Stafford and the offense struggled, completing 8 of 16 passes for 76 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions, as Colorado jumped Georgia on their way to a 13–0 lead. Stafford was replaced by Joe Cox, who rallied the team to victory in the fourth quarter, completing 10 of 13 passes for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cox found tight end Martrez Milner for a 20-yard touchdown with :46 left in the game, and Colorado QB Bernard Jackson was sacked on Colorado's last-ditch effort to win the game.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Colorado
SEC Freshman of the Week / Sporting News College Football Player of the Week: Redshirt freshman quarterback Joe Cox for his performance against Colorado in which he led the Bulldogs to a come-from-behind victory that was capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass with :46 on the clock.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Ole Miss
Starting quarterback Joe Cox struggled (4 of 10 for 24 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions) and backup Matthew Stafford did not fare much better (7 for 18 for 91 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions). Georgia's second half scores came on a pair of one yard runs by fullback Brannan Southerland.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Ole Miss
SEC Defensive Lineman Of The Week: Defensive end Charles Johnson for his performance against Ole Miss which included two sacks, one pass breakup and two third-down stops. As of this week, Johnson was the conference leader with nine tackles for loss.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Tennessee
The pre-game line established for this game was Tennessee -2.5.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Tennessee
Georgia took advantage of Special teams play to jump out to a 24–7 lead in the 2nd quarter. However, Tennessee stiffened its defense and scored on every possession but one in the second half to record a 51–33 victory over the ninth ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia entered the game with the #1 ranked scoring defense in the nation, but the Vols dropped them to #17. Erik Ainge was 25-of-38 with 2 TD's and no interceptions.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Tennessee
Georgia scored twice on Special Teams, with an 85-yard punt return by Mikey Henderson in the first half and a 99-yard, school record tying kickoff return by Thomas Brown in the second half. Tennessee DB Antonio Wardlow blocked and punt and recovered the ball in the endzone to post a TD for the Vols in the 2nd half. Robert Meachem had 7 receptions for 98 yards and moved into first place nationally for receiving yards per game. A photo of Wardlow's punt block and recovery made the cover of Sports Illustrated for October 16, 2006.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Tennessee
Kregg Lumpkin led the Bulldogs with 88 yards on 13 carries. Joe Tereshinski was 12-of-20 for 164 yards and 1 touchdown, while throwing 2 interceptions and losing a fumble. Georgia was playing without starting kicker, Brandon Coutu, who injured his kicking on the Thursday before the game and was declared "out for the season."


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Vanderbilt
The pre-game line established for this game was Georgia -14.5.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Vanderbilt
Both Joe Tereshinski and Matthew Stafford played at quarterback, but neither was able to guide the offense to a victory. Tony Taylor's interception return for a touchdown gave Georgia a 22–21 lead late in the fourth quarter, but Vanderbilt got a short field goal from Bryant Hantfeldt as time expired for the 24–22 stunning upset.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Mississippi State
The pre-game line established for this game was Georgia -17.5.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Mississippi State
Starting quarterback put together a nice game with his best offensive production of the year. Still, Georgia had to stave off a late rally by Mississippi State to get the win.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Mississippi State
SEC Freshman of the Week: Freshman quarterback Matthew Stafford for his performance against Mississippi State in which he completed 20-of-32 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Florida
The pre-game line established for this game was Florida -13.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Florida
The 2006 edition of the Florida–Georgia football rivalry was won by Florida. Matthew Stafford and the Georgia offense were ineffective in the first half and Florida lead 14–0 at halftime. On the first play of the half, Georgia tailback Kregg Lumpkin fumbled the ball and Florida returned the fumble for a touchdown. Stafford could not guide the Georgia offense to victory and he finished the day completing just 13 of 33 passing attempts for 151 yards, no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. However, he did score on a 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Florida
After Kregg Lumpkin's 8 yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter, Georgia amazingly had a chance to send this game to overtime. The eventual national champion Gators stiffened, however, and sent the Dawgs home with yet another loss in this series. Georgia's loss caused the team to drop out of the top 25 for the first time since 2001.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Kentucky
The pre-game line established for this game was Georgia -7.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Kentucky
Hoping to rebound from its loss to Florida, Georgia went into the half leading 14–10. The score did not change in the third quarter, but Kentucky outscored Georgia 14–6 in the fourth quarter to seal its victory. Matthew Stafford's struggles continued as he completed 16 of 28 pass attempts for 230 yards with only one touchdown and 3 interceptions, including one in the final 2 minutes to seal the Wildcat victory.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Auburn
The pre-game line established for this game was Auburn -11.25.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Auburn
Coming into the game with Auburn, Georgia's program seemed to be in shambles. It had lost four of its last five games, including rare losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Georgia set the tone on their opening drive when Matthew Stafford found A.J. Bryant for a 53-yard gain down to the Auburn 8 yard line. Kregg Lumpkin took it in from there, and Georgia never looked back. Georgia seemed to reverse all of its ill fortunes in an explosive second quarter that saw them score 23 points and take a 30–7 lead into the lockers at halftime. The second quarter featured contributions from both the offense and the defense: a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by Tra Battle, a one-yard touchdown run by Brannan Southerland, a 14-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Kregg Lumpkin and a 34-yard field goal by Gordon Ely-Kelso.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Auburn
Week 11 Cingular All-America Player of the Week Nominee / SEC Defensive Player of the Week / National Defensive Player Of The Week: Defensive back Tra Battle for his performance against Auburn which included three interceptions, one of which was returned by Battle for a touchdown.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Auburn
SEC Freshman of the Week: Freshman quarterback Matthew Stafford for his performance against Auburn in which he completed 14 of 20 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 83 yards on seven attempts with a touchdown.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Georgia Tech
The pre-game line established for this game was Georgia -3.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Georgia Tech
Facing its second top 25 team in as many outings, Georgia got off to a slow start, trailing at the half by 3–0. Georgia opened up the scoring in the second half with a 29-yard fumble return by linebacker Tony Taylor. The game wound up being a defensive struggle and Matthew Stafford put up modest numbers (16 of 29 for 171 yards, 1 touchdown and zero interceptions) and the Bulldogs were held to 84 yards rushing. Georgia's defense shut down the Tech passing attack, limiting Tech quarterback Reggie Ball to 6 of 22 for 42 yards, no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Georgia Tech
SEC Defensive Player of the Week: Defensive back Paul Oliver for his performance against Georgia Tech in which he held All-American wide receiver Calvin Johnson to two receptions and 13 yards, while also breaking up three passes and intercepting a pass.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Chick-fil-A Bowl
When Neil Callaway, Georgia's offensive coordinator from 2001 to 2006, left at the end of 2006 to become the head coach at University of Alabama at Birmingham, Richt named Mike Bobo as the new offensive coordinator; Bobo had already taken over the play-calling duties from Richt starting with the Georgia Tech game. He debuted as coordinator for the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia Tech.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, Chick-fil-A Bowl
In the bowl game, Virginia Tech jumped out to a 21–3 halftime lead, scoring on two one-yard touchdowns from tailback Brandon Ore and a 53-yard pass from flanker Eddie Royal to tight end Sam Wheeler. In the second half, Georgia scored 28 unanswered points and held off a late Tech rally to win 31–24.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Postseason, Final ranking
Georgia's victories over ranked opponents its final three games of the 2006 season allowed the Bulldogs to regain a spot in the final AP Poll. The Georgia Bulldogs completed 2006 ranked number 23 in the final AP poll. Georgia has finished in the top 25 in each of Richt's six seasons as head coach.


2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Postseason, Post-season all-star games
Mark Richt and ten Georgia players were invited to post-season all-star games.


2006 Georgia Force season
The 2006 Georgia Force season was the fifth season for the team in the Arena Football League. They tried to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2005 in the Southern Division, and looked to return to the playoffs. They finished with a record of 8–8, and lost in the second round of the playoffs.


2006 Georgia Force season, Coaching
Doug Plank, head coach since 2005, entered his second year as Force head coach.


2006 Georgia Southern Eagles football team
The 2006 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented the Georgia Southern Eagles of Georgia Southern University during the 2006 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The team was coached by Brian VanGorder, in his first and only year as head coach for the Eagles.


2006 Georgia Southern Eagles football team
On the morning prior to the first game of the season, former Georgia Southern head coach Erk Russell died aged 80 from a stroke; he had addressed the team on the night prior to his death.


2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's coach was former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey. The Yellow Jackets played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.


2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Previous seasons
Georgia Tech had posted four consecutive seasons with 7 wins under Coach Gailey. The team had been to four bowl games under Chan Gailey and had a 2–2 record in postseason play. Under Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech had become notorious for having a stifling defense and a ball control offense. In 2004 Georgia Tech held Maryland to under 85 yards of total offense, while in 2005 Georgia Tech held No. 3 Miami to only 10 points in Georgia Tech's victory in the Miami Orange Bowl. Georgia Tech defeated two highly heralded Auburn teams in 2003 and 2005 and only allowed 17 points in the two matchups (the 2005 game ended Auburn's 15-game winning streak).


2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Pre-season
Head Coach Chan Gailey returned for his fifth year at the helm of the program. Senior Reggie Ball (QB) was expected to lead the team as a seasoned veteran with three full years of starting behind him. Junior Calvin Johnson (WR) was considered by many sports writers to be the top wide receiver in the nation. Oklahoma transfer Tashard Choice (RB) found the starting job behind an experienced offensive line.


2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Notre Dame
The game began with Georgia Tech taking a 10–0 lead over the Irish. Reggie Ball connected with Calvin Johnson for a touchdown and Travis Bell kicked a field goal. At the end of the first half, Notre Dame finally scored on a Brady Quinn quarterback draw. The second half featured two relentless defenses. Notre Dame would score the final points in the game on a Darius Walker touchdown run. The run followed a controversial late hit penalty, which took Notre Dame from 4th down to 1st down and goal. The game had no turnovers and was highlighted by Calvin Johnson's 7 receptions, 110 yards receiving, and touchdown and Reggie Ball's 207 all-purpose yards.


2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Samford
Georgia Tech returned two interceptions for touchdowns for the first time since their 1966 victory over Tulane in what would turn out to be another great defensive performance. Samford only scored two field goals in the first quarter and Georgia Tech only allowed 12 yards rushing to the FCS (I-AA) school. 69 Georgia Tech players saw action in the game, including four different quarterbacks and four different tailbacks. The game was highlighted by Calvin Johnson's two touchdown catches, a Tashard Choice rushing touchdown, Reggie Ball's 92 all-purpose yards, and Djay Jones and Jamal Lewis' interception touchdowns. Djay's interception was 28 yards long and Jamal's interception was 98 yards long.