Crazy Sports News

Drew Bree's Scar isn't a Scar after all

2010-12-27T22:40:00.001-08:00

Although Drew Brees is mostly known for donning a big Saints helmet where his face is pretty much hidden, the marking on his cheek still makes people wonder where, when and how it got there. But while most people think it’s a scar, it isn’t a scar at all. Rather, it is a…birthmark. He reportedly had surgery a couple of years ago to try to have it removed but it just made it a bit smaller and still left a mark. This was a birthmark he was born with and with all his appearances and endorsement deals, he is probably more attentive to it then he was before. But his real magic isn’t from his appearance, it’s the great stuff that he does on the field that really makes headlines.

Drew Brees also grew up in Westlake, which is in the Austin, TX area.

Brett Favre - Will he or won't he retire?

2010-08-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

It may be a little while longer to see what the whole flub was about yesterday. Whether it was Favre missing the limelight, or if he was in fact trying to get more money out of the Vikings. Or any other reason the 19 yr vet might be thinking of. Regardless this morning he finally hit the practice field. Just not for the Vikings.

Brett Favre has hit the practice field at Oak Grove High School.

Favre did not appear to be working out Wednesday morning, but simply ran onto the field and began lightly tossing the ball with players in warmups. He then helped and assistant coach as the players went through drills.

The quarterback made no comments to reporters before taking the field, a day after telling Minnesota Vikings players and officials he won't return for a 20th season. The former league MVP told the Vikings his ankle is not responding well after offseason surgery.

Favre has made regular appearances at Oak Grove in the summer for several years, working out with players during informal summer drills as he prepared for the upcoming season.

Andy Roddick advances to Wimbledon semifinals

2009-07-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

The American outlasts Australian Lleyton Hewitt in five dramatic sets and will face Scot Andy Murray, who will have the crowd solidly on his side, on Friday.

By Chuck Culpepper

Reporting from Wimbledon, England -- Bound suddenly for his first Wimbledon semifinal since 2005, Andy Roddick bent over in exhaustion and relief with his racquet at his feet after Lleyton Hewitt's last volley sailed past him and long. He rose to share a warm handshake with Hewitt, did a curtain call and exhaled considerably.

He had endured.

Nobody could tell if he would through almost all of his 6-3, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4 win at a rowdy Court No. 1 in a Wimbledon quarterfinal Roddick said "certainly wasn't short on drama" and Larry Stefanki, Roddick's coach, called "a dogfight, teeter-totter thing, and who knew which was it was going to go?"

When Roddick broke Hewitt's serve through a four-deuce game at 4-4, then held his own from 30-30 while serving at 5-4, it had gone in the direction of a very loud semifinal booked for Friday. That will feature Roddick, the No. 6-ranked American, against Scotland's Andy Murray, the No. 3-ranked player who reached his first Wimbledon semifinal by tearing through Juan Carlos Ferrero, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.

"I'm just going to pretend, when they say, 'Come on Andy,' they mean me," Roddick said.

As Murray bids to become the first male British Wimbledon finalist since 1938 and its first champion since 1936, his support on Centre Court will boom, but so will the serves of an opponent who reached the Wimbledon finals in 2004 and 2005, losing both times to Roger Federer, who just qualified for his record 21st straight Grand Slam semifinal with a masterful 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (3) win over Ivo Karlovic.

Almost certainly before Roddick and Murray get going on Friday, Federer will oppose the 31-year-old Tommy Haas -- who beat No. 4 Novak Djokovic on grass for the second time this summer, 7-5, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3, and found his fourth Grand Slam semifinal but first in the Northern Hemisphere -- yet, oddly, for a five-time champion such as Federer, all the pre-Friday noise will steer elsewhere.

It will go toward Murray as it has all fortnight, but it will go also to the 26-year-old veteran Roddick: the serve Stefanki calls the best in the game, the tete-a-tete against one of the game's best returners, and Roddick's very presence, a berth which brought him relief.

Since losing to Federer in three sets in the 2005 final, he had agonized through bleak and dour Wimbledons. Seeded No. 3 in 2006, he found Murray in the third round, took a 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4 defeat and bemoaned the slowing of the All England Club grass courts. Seeded No. 3 in 2007, he reached the quarterfinals and led by two sets, but saw Richard Gasquet of France hit a stunning 93 winners and appeared crushed. Seeded No. 6 in 2008, he lost in the second round to Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia in four sets and sounded distraught.

"You know, when you've seen the Rolling Stones from the front row, and then all of a sudden you're like, seven or eight rows back . . . " he said then.

All that counted as baggage he carried in against Hewitt on the same court and with the same eventual twilight as against Gasquet in 2007. So, after serving 43 aces and fending off three break points at 2-2 in the fifth set, the last with "the best half-volley I've probably ever hit in my life," and wriggling through in the last two games, Roddick felt he'd changed his seating.

"Getting closer," he said. "I can see what Mick Jagger is wearing now."

Nadal loses in 4th round at French Open

2009-06-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

By CHRIS LEHOURITES

PARIS -- Rafael Nadal's unbeaten run at the French Open is over.

The four-time defending champion lost to Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (2) Sunday in the fourth round, ending his record 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros.

Soderling, seeded 23rd at this year's tournament, ran Nadal ragged on center court with his hard serve and booming forehand.

"When one player plays bad, (he) must lose," Nadal said. "(It) was my fault. ... I didn't play my best tennis and for that reason I lose."

Nadal has dominated the French Open since his first match on the red clay at Roland Garros. In his 31 previous matches, he had lost only seven sets - the last one coming against Roger Federer in the 2007 final.

"He can't feel good right now," said Soderling, who called Nadal "the greatest clay-court player of all time."

Defending women's champion Ana Ivanovic also lost, while top-seeded Dinara Safina advanced to the quarterfinals with another easy win.

Also on the men's side, No. 3 Andy Murray of Britain and No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile made the quarterfinals.

Soderling finished with 59 unforced errors, more than twice as many as Nadal's 28, but the Swede's 30 forehand winners made up some ground on the top-ranked Spaniard.

"He didn't surprise me because I know how he plays and how dangerous he can be," said Nadal, who said he failed to attack Soderling. "I didn't play aggressive."

The last time two defending champions lost in the same round at a Grand Slam tournament was in 2004 when Justine Henin and Juan Carlos Ferrero lost in the second round of the French Open.

Nadal had won three of the last four major titles, missing out only on the U.S. Open. After winning the Australian Open, he had a chance to complete a Grand Slam this year.

Defending his Wimbledon title will be Nadal's next major goal, but that will come after a little rest and relaxation.

"Right now, my preparation is for the swimming pool at my house," joked Nadal, who was also trying to become the first man to win five straight French Open titles. "Give me three more days."

The draw has now opened up for three-time finalist Roger Federer. The former No. 1 needs only to win the French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, and his road got clearer Saturday when potential semifinal opponent Novak Djokovic was eliminated.

The eighth-seeded Ivanovic did little right on Court Suzanne Lenglen, converting only two of five break points and making 20 unforced errors in her 6-2, 6-3 loss to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Before the final game of the first set, Ivanovic called for a trainer to look at her neck. Azarenka then held to take the lead, and broke Ivanovic's serve in the first and third games of the second set to take a 4-0 lead.

"I started really well, and I felt really good in the beginning. Then after the third game, actually after (the) first point in the fourth game, I just suddenly started feeling so dizzy, and I completely lost my balance," said Ivanovic, who won her only Grand Slam tournament title at last year's French Open.

"Ever since then it was really hard. I struggled with looking up. I started feeling very dizzy, and I was struggling a little bit to find my balance."

The 19-year-old Azarenka lost in the fourth round at Roland Garros last year, and will next be playing in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.

Safina had a much easier time on center court, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Aravane Rezai of France.

The top-seeded Russian won 11 straight games to close out the match. She has lost only five games through four rounds, and has won four of the eight sets she has played at love.

"I'm just surprised that it's really like five games that I lost before getting into the quarters," Safina said. "It's not a bad feeling, and I hope if I continue like this I can go a long way."

Safina took over the No. 1 ranking this year, but she has yet to win a Grand Slam title. She lost to Ivanovic in last year's French Open final, and fell to Serena Williams in this year's Australian Open title match.

No. 20 Dominika Cibulkova advanced by beating No. 29 Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-2, 6-4 in a sloppy match that had a combined 17 winners and 66 unforced errors.

"I felt like I was going to cry because I was just so happy," Cibulkova said of how she felt after winning match point. "This moment - for this, I play tennis, for these moments."

Back on the men's side, Gonzalez became the first player to reach the quarterfinals, beating Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, and Murray soon followed with a 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-1 win over No. 13 Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Gonzalez, who reached the 2007 Australian Open final, ended the match with his 21st forehand winner. He finished with 50 winners and only 16 unforced errors.

"I tried to win every point," said Gonzalez, who will face Murray in the next round. "And then I'm trying to not be risky if I don't need it. Maybe I got a break, and then I can start to hit my huge shots. ... When I have to use my shot, I use it, because I know I'm going to win the match with my forehand and my serve."

Florida, Washington meet for NCAA softball title

2009-06-01T06:39:00.001-07:00

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The finals of the Women's College World Series will begin Monday night with a matchup of the national player of the year and the No. 1 team in the nation.

Ace pitcher Danielle Lawrie will lead Washington into the best-of-three championship series against top-seeded Florida as both schools pursue their first NCAA softball title.

Third-seeded Washington (49-12) will be playing for the championship for the third time in school history and the first time since 1999.

Florida (63-3) is making only its second appearance at the World Series and made it to the championship round for the first time.

Lawrie outdueled Gators ace Stacey Nelson and threw a two-hit shutout as Washington beat Florida 1-0 in nine innings in the teams' only meeting this season in February.

Michael Vick leaves prison for home confinement

2009-05-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick left a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, early Wednesday, according to his publicist and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Michael Vick, left, arrives at federal court with attorney Billy Martin in Richmond, Viriginia, in 2007.

He will serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement in Virginia, his publicist Judy Smith said. He is a native of Newport News, Virginia.

Vick, 28, pleaded guilty in August 2007 to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia.

He will return to professional football as soon as September if reinstated by the NFL, according to the sports agent who negotiated Vick's 10-year, $140 million contract with the Falcons. Meanwhile, Vick's attorneys have said he will work at a Newport News construction firm following his release, and he has also agreed to participate in a documentary for $600,000.

Last month, a federal bankruptcy judge denied a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan presented by Vick, urging him to offer the court another plan to emerge from bankruptcy. The plan called for Vick to come up with $750,000 to $1 million in cash to be paid to creditors, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro said, but added he saw no evidence Vick could come up with that much. Santoro suggested Vick's next plan not call for him to keep two houses and three cars, as did the rejected proposal.

In testimony, Vick acknowledged committing a "heinous" act and said he should have acted more maturely. He said he has been earning 12 cents an hour as an overnight janitor in prison. His Falcons salary, he said, was between $10 million and $12 million. He acknowledged failing to handle his money well.

Following his release, Vick plans to work with the Humane Society of the United States on anti-dogfighting campaigns following his release, Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle told CNN on Tuesday.

Vick will work on programs aimed at preventing youths from getting involved in dogfighting, and also on programs to assist young people who have already been involved in the blood sport.

Pacelle said the Humane Society was approached by Vick's representatives. He said he has traveled to Kansas twice to meet with the former quarterback, and during the second visit, the two discussed how Vick could use his sway over youths to discourage them from involvement in dogfighting, as well as help those who were apprehended in connection with it.

Details have not yet been hammered out, Pacelle said, but will be in the next couple of days.

More attention has been paid to dogfighting as a result of Vick's case, Pacelle said. The Humane Society, which offers rewards for tips involving dogfighting, has recently paid out $40,000 in five different cases, he said.

Matt Vasgersian's MLB Network apology

2009-04-29T09:52:00.001-07:00

By Kevin Allen

The MLB Network ran into its second Vasgersian-related hiccup Monday night after a scary moment that involved Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe being taken off of the field in a neck brace.

Analyst Matt Vasgersian made an awkward attempt to inject humor into the situation by remarking that one of the field workers resembled Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Oops:

Last night, Vasgersian and the network took the gaffe in stride and made easy work of an apology that's generally getting a good reception from those who pay attention to these types of things.

What do you think? They definitely seemed to like it over at The Big Lead: "Apologies are often clunky and forced often; the delivery nervously strained. Wasn't the case here. This one seemed effortless, and the network didn't cut directly to commercial, as is sometimes the case in these situations."

Detriot Lions new uniforms

2009-04-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

By Bill Shea

THE NEW: The leaping lion mascot sports a fresh look, complete with teeth.

The Detroit Lions took another step in their franchise overhaul effort Monday when a new uniform and logo was unveiled to the public and media after months of speculation.

The biggest change is a more aggressive and defined “Bubbles” — the leaping lion mascot that’s adorned the team’s helmets since the early 1960s.

The classic Honolulu blue, white and black colors remain unchanged, the team said in a news release.

The uniforms themselves have tweaks to some stripes and piping, making the overall changes more of a clean-up than a drastic overhaul.

The new trademarked typeface is called “NFL Lions” and will replace the current “Lions” painted across the Ford Field end zones and just about everywhere else the team name appears.

The team held a press conference and unveiling at a Madison Heights Dunham’s Sports on Monday afternoon.

Dunham’s will be the exclusive retailer of the new logo merchandise for a time. Gear also will be available online at the official team and NFLShop.com sites.

THE OLD: The old Lions logo lacks some of the subtle changes unveiled today.

Photo credit: Detroit Lions
The Lions said in January that the team would deploy a plan to revitalize the franchise after becoming the first NFL team to lose every game in a 16-game season.

Word of the cosmetic changes has been floating for some time, and NFLShop.com accidentally displayed a toy truck with the new logo for a time, further fueling rumors and speculation.

However, the logo changes were in the works prior to the winless season. The NFL and team confirmed that any change for the 2009 season first had to be approved by the league headquarters in March 2008, with final approval in November 2008.

“We will consistently present the Lions as a first-class organization with a clear sense of mission and direction,” team President Tom Lewand said in the news release.

“We have made several significant changes this off-season in accordance with that commitment. The introduction of this new brand identity is another element of that process. Today is an exciting and historic day for this franchise.

“The new identity retains many important aspects of our history in terms of our primary mark and our colors. However, the evolution allows us to present our Lions brand and visual identity in new, versatile and distinctive ways. We stand firmly committed to improving the team on the field. That success is always the most determinative factor of any NFL brand.”

Poor Lions! Another tough decision to make

By DAVE GOLDBERG

The Detroit Lions didn't get to 0-16 by drafting wisely — think Charles Rogers, Joey Harrington, Mike Williams and the like.
Now they face a dilemma. Even if they make what's considered the "right" pick with the first selection in Saturday's draft, they could prolong their decade-long agony.
That's because having the No. 1 overall spot commits the Lions to guaranteeing more than $30 million to an unproven player. If it's potential franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford of Georgia, it's hardly a guarantee.
Stafford has all the tangibles: big, strong-armed, reasonably mobile. He worked out wonderfully at his pro day, the orchestrated party his university threw for scouts. Then he worked out wonderfully when the Lions had him in.
But his career at Georgia was a mild disappointment — he was so-so in some of his biggest games, making bad reads, throwing key interceptions and demonstrating that what you see in shorts isn't necessarily what you get when the game is played for real.
The Lions could play it safe by taking Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith or Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, and use Daunte Culpepper at QB. Smith could be this year's Jake Long, a solid left tackle with a dozen good years ahead of him. And Curry is likely to be a starting linebacker for 10-12 years even though he's not spectacular; he's never been used as a pass rusher, for example.
So Stafford is the likely choice: pass rushers, left tackles and, of course, QBs tend to be the most coveted players.
Yet the failure rate for first-round quarterbacks is still pretty high.
Basically, there are good years and bad years, 2004 being a good year with Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger, 2006 being not so good with Vince Young and Matt Leinart sitting on benches in Tennessee and Arizona. Even Jay Cutler, the third QB taken that year and by far the most successful on the field, has issues. Cutler got himself traded to Chicago after owner Pat Bowlen got tired of his non-responsiveness to messages.
Smith and Curry are safe picks. But Detroit gambles on ...
MATTHEW STAFFORD, QB, Georgia.
Just for fun, this first round includes seven players from a state that normally doesn't produce NFL players the way Florida, Texas and California do. (Answer at the bottom). For those who keep score and mock everybody's mocks, please note that these are for guessing purposes only. One trade or one unexpected pick and everything is thrown off.
2. ST. LOUIS: Orlando Pace was released. JASON SMITH, T, Baylor, is drafted. Easy transition. Or so the Rams hope.
3. KANSAS CITY: This should be simple. AARON CURRY, LB, Wake Forest, is the obvious choice. But he was an outside LB in college, so where does he fit in the 3-4 defense that Scott Pioli and Todd Haley, the new GM and coach, plan to install? Probably inside between newly obtained veterans Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas. He could drop if the Chiefs go for someone like offensive tackle Eugene Monroe.
4. SEATTLE: Matt Hasselbeck has a bad back. MATT SANCHEZ, QB, Southern Cal, might not be ready yet, but he fits Seattle's West Coast offense and may have a higher upside than Stafford.
5. CLEVELAND: The Browns are trying to trade Braylon Edwards. MICHAEL CRABTREE, WR, Texas Tech, is insurance, although he's recovering from a stress fracture in his foot.
6. CINCINNATI: The Bengals used to be able to score. Even with Carson Palmer back, they need help up front. EUGENE MONROE, OT, Virginia.
7. OAKLAND: The draft is now a three-month process, which is why ANDRE SMITH, OT, Alabama, can fall from a top five pick to the bottom of the round, then rise again.
8. JACKSONVILLE: What the Jags need are wide receivers. Even if they sign Torry Holt, they take JEREMY MACLIN, WR, Missouri.
9. GREEN BAY: The Packers dropped last year because of defensive failures. Switching to the 3-4, they take a 330-plus pound nose tackle, B.J. RAJI, DT, Boston College.
10. SAN FRANCISCO: The 49ers' defense isn't bad. But Manny Lawson, a No. 1 three years ago, hasn't quite fit, so they clone him with BRIAN ORAKPO, DE/LB Texas.
11. BUFFALO: How do you complement T.O? By beefing up the defense. ROBERT AYERS, DE, Tennessee.
.
12. DENVER: Suddenly the Broncos are a team that needs a young QB, although Josh McDaniels may like Kyle Orton enough to consider this less than a major need. AARON MAYBIN, DE/LB, Penn State, for a defense that STILL needs all the help it can find.
13. WASHINGTON: The Redskins are old on the OL and slow on the DL, even with Albert Haynesworth. EVERETTE BROWN, DE/LB, Florida State, for some outside speed.
14. NEW ORLEANS: Reggie Bush will never be an every down back. BEANIE WELLS, RB, Ohio State, is from the Deuce McAllister mold.
15. HOUSTON: No premium pass rushers left to supplement Mario Williams. So take a cover man in VONTAE DAVIS, CB, Illinois.
16. SAN DIEGO: Lost Igor Olshansky to Dallas, replace him with TYSON JACKSON, DE, LSU.
17. NEW YORK JETS: The Jets need a quarterback and this is probably where Stafford deserves to go. But if you can't take a pitcher, get a catcher, PERCY HARVIN, WR, Florida.
18. DENVER: Josh McDaniels likes Orton, the QB he got from Chicago for Cutler. But JOSH FREEMAN, QB, Kansas State, has an upside that, in a couple years might make him this draft's best quarterback.
19. TAMPA BAY: BRIAN CUSHING, OLB, Southern California, is bigger, stronger and a bit slower than Derrick Brooks. He fits a rebuilding Bucs defense.
20. DETROIT: The Lions no longer have Shaun Rogers. PERIA JERRY, DT, Mississippi, may be as good. He certainly has a better attitude.
21. PHILADELPHIA: The Eagles need someone who can push the pile and take the load off Brian Westbrook. KNOWSHON Moreno, RB, Georgia, is a steal this low.
22. MINNESOTA: Even with Antonio Winfield, the secondary needs help. MALCOLM JENKINS, CB, Ohio State.
23. NEW ENGLAND: Bill Belichick likes his players versatile. CONNOR BARWIN, DE-LB-TE, Cincinnati, has been rising quickly and is the perfect replacement for Mike Vrabel, who played all three of those positions. Barwin also might last to No. 34, the pick the Patriots got for Matt Cassel.
24. ATLANTA: Keith Brooking and Michael Boley are gone, which provides a slot for CLAY MATTHEWS, LB, Southern California.
25. MIAMI: Relatively simple, assuming DARIUS HEYWARD-BEY, WR, Maryland, is still around.
26. BALTIMORE: Bart Scott went to the Jets with Rex Ryan. REY MAUALUGA, LB, Southern California, replaces him.
27. INDIANAPOLIS: BRANDON PETTIGREW, TE, Oklahoma State, is an old-fashioned type who can block and catch and allows Dallas Clark to do what he's been doing anyway — function as a wide receiver.
28. BUFFALO: Traded Jason Peters. His long-term replacement is MICHAEL OHER, T, Mississippi.
29. NEW YORK GIANTS: The Giants have a lot of extra picks for an Edwards trade. If this choice doesn't go to Cleveland, LARRY ENGLISH, OLB, Northern Illinois, to solidify a position where they need a playmaker. Not enamored of local kid Kenny Britt, a WR from Rutgers, although Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina could fit here.
30. TENNESSEE: Did a lot last season with no deep threat. BRITT may take a year or two, but he has size and speed.
31. ARIZONA: DONALD BROWN, RB, Connecticut. Plenty of first-rounders from UConn in the NBA and WNBA but never before in the NFL. He's also the seventh first-rounder from the trivia state.
32. PITTSBURGH. ALEX MACK, C, Cal, is the quintessential Steelers pick.
Raji, Monroe, Cushing, Moreno, Jenkins, Britt and Brown all grew up in New Jersey.

Women's pro soccer back for more

2009-04-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

WPS giving women’s pro soccer another shot at the spotlight

By Ryan Wood

All boys who play sports growing up find their role models through professional sports. They admire professional athletes, hoping to one day join the ranks of Major League Baseball or become a pro football, basketball, hockey, or soccer player.

Girls never really had that chance. The Women’s United Soccer Association suspended play in 2003 after the league collapsed when expenses far outweighed revenue.

Before the WUSA, which ran from 2001 through 2003, and from then until now, the only chance that girls had to play at a high level after college was to tryout for Team USA. Dreams of becoming a professional soccer player dwindled. But now there’s a resurgence with Women’s Professional Soccer, a league that will feature the world’s top soccer players.

“It’s great for any profession, whether it’s a sports profession, business profession, for young girls to see women doing things that they want to,” said Kristine Lilly, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and member of two U.S. women’s teams that won the World Cup. “Because if you don’t see that, you tend to not think it’s possible. So now that we have women’s professional soccer back, these young girls can say, ‘You know what, maybe I’ll do that one day.’ So they have that goal. They have that vision to do something. I think that’s so important. Guys have that dream. They want to be in the NBA, they want to play professional baseball. Even though the majority of them won’t make it, they can see that and want that.”

Lilly is a member of the Boston Breakers, who will play their home games at Harvard Stadium. The Breakers look to add to the lore of Boston sports, Lilly said. A midfielder/forward has the a ton of experience, Lilly is the most capped U.S. soccer player (male and female) with 340 appearances.

“It’s great to have women’s soccer back because we need a women’s sports team in Boston,” Lilly said. “We’re hoping to continue the tradition that the Boston teams have had so far and bring a championship here to Boston.”

Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco has coached at the highest level and is the most successful U.S. national team coach. The former U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach, who led the U.S. to the 1996 Olympic gold medal and the 1999 World Cup victory, brings an unheralded 103-8-8 record to Boston.

“Boston’s a great sports city, and we want to be part of the success every year Boston enjoys with their sports,” DiCicco said. “There’s a lot of talent in the league. I think we have players that can light it up. Have we shown that, yes, but we’re a little inconsistent, and we need to get our attack to the next stage. But we have a lot of players who have been in big arenas and big matches before.”

Locally, high school and college players and coaches are buzzing. The girls know they have something to aim for after college. They have the opportunity to fill one of more than 100 roster spots throughout the league rather than fighting for one of roughly two dozen spots on the U.S. national team.

“I think it’s awesome,” said two-time Atlantic Coast League all-star midfielder and Plymouth North High School senior Tiffany Aguiar. “I used to go to the games all the time. I’m really glad it’s coming back. Soccer being my main sport, I’ve always wanted to play. I think it’s awesome that it gives an opportunity to play after college. You can look forward to playing in college. The more opportunities for females is even better.”

That sentiment echoed throughout Monday’s Boston Breakers press conference at Harvard’s Murr Center. After DiCicco presented the team, each player talked one-on-one to the media about the Breakers, the WPS, and the opportunities that the league gives to younger female athletes.

“Kids coming out of college, they have something to look forward to,” said two-time Olympic gold medalist Heather Mitts. “I’m able to do something that I love for a living. For me, I only had male role models growing up. I think that it would’ve been a lot better and productive for me growing up if I had a female, and I think that’s why we take advantage of the role that we’re in now because we know how rare it is and how special it is.”

Peabody’s Ashley Phillips, a keeper who finished her career at Clemson University as the team’s all-time career saves leader (326), agreed with Mitts and Lilly.

“The WUSA came out when I was in middle school, so that was cool, but then when it collapsed, I was going to college, (thinking), ‘Well, what am I going to do after college?’ Our only hopes were the national team, which is only 24 people,” Phillips said. “Your chances are pretty slim there. Hopefully (the WPS) gives younger kids something to look forward to, especially girls in high school who are going off to college.”

And that’s exactly what Carver High School head girls soccer coach Jason Tassinari hopes. Tassinari, who coached Emerson College’s women’s soccer team from 2004-2007, looks forward to the start of the Breakers season.

“I’m very, very excited,” said Tassinari. “It’s giving girls female role models within their sport, which I think is important. “We’re a sports town. Soccer is big here. Having a professional team in your own backyard is so important. And the women’s game is tremendously exciting to watch.

The Breakers open their season this Saturday (April 5) in California against FC Gold Pride, a team featuring 1999 World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain, as well as 2008 Olympic gold medalists Nicole Barnhart and Rachel Buehler. Boston plays its home opener Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m. at Harvard Stadium against St. Louis Athletica, a team that features Team USA keeper Hope Solo and defender Kia McNeill, who played from 2004 through 2007 at Boston College, and earned Big East Rookie of the Year honors in 2004.

Speaking of Boston College, the Breakers recently scrimmaged the Eagles. Current Eagle and former Braintree High School star and two-time All-America selection Amy Caldwell said the game against the Breakers was “an eye-opening experience.”

“It’s probably the highest level I’ve played in a while. I was impressed,” Caldwell said. “I was definitely nervous, especially with Kristine Lilly out on the field, but once the game got going, you forget about who you’re going against.”

Caldwell, who registered 112 goals and 58 assists and helped Braintree win two state titles during her four-year high school career, said she likes that soccer doesn’t have to end in college.

“It’s definitely exciting and just something else to be playing for,” said Caldwell, who earned New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer Association first-team honors. She scored three goals to go along with 12 assists. “I would say the speed of play was the biggest difference (comparing college soccer to the professional level). Everything is played so fast. After playing them we worked on switching our point of attack.”

Duxbury High School Head Coach Emerson Coleman, who led the Lady Dragons to the Division 2 state title in the fall, said the WPS provides an opportunity for high school and college players to learn what it takes to play at such a high level.

“Now they have a chance to watch the game at an elite level and support them,” Coleman said. “I think it’s great for women’s athletics and to have it locally. There’s a chance that it’s not the end of their dream. It’s like the WNBA. Before that, there was no place (for female basketball players) to chase their dream. I think it’s wonderful, and I hope they do a good job managing it.”

Mitts has confidence that the league will survive this time around. According to women on the Breakers, the former league was owned by one entity, whereas now, each team has an individual owner. Add the level of talent that each team has - the Breakers’ roster also includes Angela Hucles (midfielder) and Amy Rodriguez (forward), who played for the U.S. team that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Hucles, along with Lilly played for Breakers during WUSA campaign.

“We know how great we can be, and I think it’s a matter of gelling, it’s a matter of accepting a new philosophy and going with it,” Mitts said. “It’s just a matter of the players that have been asked to come over here, the international players, the national team players, so we can be the best team in the league.”

Each WPS team is allowed to have five international players. The largest contingent in the league comes from Brazil, including Brazilian superstar Marta. The Breakers have the female version of David Beckham in Kelly Smith, who played for the Arsenal Ladies in the English Women’s Premier League and has served as a member of England’s national team for the past 14 years.

“There are some of the best female players from all around the world to teach us their style of play so that we can continue to evolve our game. Obviously when I’m practicing against Kelly Smith, and when I’m practicing against these players they’re going to make me a better player. It just helps to make us better overall,” Mitts said. “You look at the success the U.S. team has had, and I think that all countries try to emulate that. Our style of play is a little bit different than (it is) internationally. So we can bring the best international players over here so that they can teach us something, and we can teach them something as well. I love it. I think that it’s so important for us to have them over here.”

Will the international players gel with the U.S. national team players and some of the best college soccer players this country has to offer? Will the Breakers become part of Boston’s storied sports history and bring a championship to the city?

“There’s going to be a lot of talent on every team, and I know that we really look good on paper, said Rodriguez, the league’s number one draft pick, who’s nicknamed A-Rod. “But it’s how it all comes together on the field.”

The Calipari Era Begins At UK

2009-04-01T08:11:00.001-07:00

LEXINGTON, KY - John Calipari says he is "humbled and excited" to lead such a "storied program" during his first press conference as Kentucky's basketball coach.

Calipari was introduced Wednesday after the Kentucky athletics board approved an eight-year, $31.65 million contract that will make Calipari the highest paid coach in the nation. Athletic director Mitch Barnhart said Wednesday that the university paid a premium price, but that Calipari "can flat out coach."

"I'm a regular guy, folks," Calipari said. "I do not walk on water; I do not have a magic wand."

The 50-year-old Calipari agreed to terms on Tuesday night to take over college basketball's winningest program. Calipari is 445-140 in 17 seasons, leading both Memphis and Massachusetts to the Final Four.

LEXINGTON - The Calipari era will officially start Wednesday at the University of Kentucky.

The school reached an eight-year deal worth $35 million with Calipari to be the Wildcat's new men's basketball coach. The contract makes him the highest paid college coach in the country.

A press conference has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. CDT Wednesday to officially introduce Calipari, and you can see it right here on news25.us.

Our Sports team is in Lexington and will have complete coverage tonight on NEWS 25.

Len Berman to leave WNBC after long, successful run

2009-04-01T07:30:00.001-07:00

By Neil Best

Here is my newspaper article about Len Berman's coming departure from WNBC-TV after 24 years.

Berman is the latest casualty of the cost-cutting that has hit local TV news in general, and Ch. 4 in particular, with sports departments always a popular target.

Then again, "casualty" might not be the right word, given how upbeat Berman sounded about the whole thing when I spoke to him Tuesday night.

The man had a heck of a run. I'm so old, though, that to me he still seems like the new guy who just replaced Marv Albert on the Ch. 4 news.

Now it's time for the channel to do the right - and no-brainer - thing and make Bruce Beck its lead sports anchor officially.

Then again, he's the only sports personality left, so perhaps it's an obvious move.

Memphis signee Xavier Henry reconsidering college choice

2009-03-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

Putnam City High School’s Xavier Henry is one of the top basketball recruits in the country, and it appears he will be looking for a college.
Henry signed with Memphis in November, but according to multiple media reports, he will reopen his recruitment now that coach John Calipari has left the school to become the new head coach at Kentucky.

Henry is a 6-foot-6 guard who averaged 28.3 points per game and led his team to the Class 6A state championship this season. He’s a McDonald’s All-American and is widely regarded as one of the top 10 recruits in the country.

According to several reports, Henry said that he and Memphis had an agreement: If Calipari left, Henry would not be bound by his letter of intent with the school.

In an interview today with draftexpress.com and posted on YouTube, Henry said he wasn’t sure what Calipari would decide to do. But “if he goes (to Kentucky), me and my family have some talking to do.”

It’s possible that Kansas could be a frontrunner in the new recruiting race for Henry. During his recruiting process, Henry had Kansas high on his list.

Henry’s father, Carl, played at KU in the early 1980s. Xavier Henry’s brother, C.J., was a Kansas recruit before pursuing a professional baseball career. C.J. Henry has since returned to basketball, where he redshirted for Memphis this season.

Report: UConn Violated Recruiting Contact Rules

2009-03-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

This doesn't look good for Nate Miles or Uconn. It will be interesting to see what will be done to the school as punishment. If anything though it will put him in the spotlight for the upcoming recruiting class and will remember that he goes the extra mile. Even when it is against the rules.

By LYNN ZINSER

University of Connecticut men’s basketball coaches broke N.C.A.A. contact rules in the recruiting of Nate Miles, a former player, according to a report by Yahoo Sports on Wednesday. The article drew on cellphone records to detail contact among Miles, UConn coaches and a former student manager.

Yahoo cited multiple sources in establishing a relationship between Miles and Josh Nochimson, who became an agent after his years as a UConn student manager. By N.C.A.A. rules, Yahoo reported, Nochimson would be a representative of the college’s athletic interests. Therefore, providing Miles with lodging, transportation and meals, which the report alleges, would be a serious violation.

UConn officials declined to comment for the Yahoo article.

The controversy surrounds Miles, a 6-foot-7 swingman from Toledo, Ohio, who signed with UConn in 2007 and was expelled as a freshman in 2008 when he violated a restraining order obtained against him by a female student. (Miles played this season at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college.)

N.C.A.A. rules limit contact to one phone call a month to recruits (or their family or associates) still in their junior year of high school, but Yahoo reported a stream of communications with Nochimson and significant phone calls and texts to Miles himself. Tom Moore, a former UConn assistant coach, was reported to have made 27 calls to Miles’s guardian and a man Miles called his uncle as well as three calls to Miles in December 2006 alone.

The Yahoo article, by Adrian Wojnarowski and Dan Wetzel, includes cellphone records obtained by a Freedom of Information Act request.

Lance Armstrong in hospital after race crash

2009-03-23T09:06:00.001-07:00

It will be interesting to see what this does for his comeback. I am sure Armstrong should be fine after his fall.

(CNN) -- American cyclist Lance Armstrong, the only man to win the Tour de France seven times, crashed on the first stage of a five-day race in Spain on Monday and was taken to a hospital by ambulance.

American Armstrong was competing in Spain to regain full race fitness after coming out of retirement.

Armstrong announced in September last year that he would be returning to the saddle after a three-year break.

The 37-year-old won the Tour, considered the premiere bike race in the world, a record seven times from 1999-2005.

Armstrong launched his comeback in January when he raced in the Tour Down Under in Australia, finishing 29th.

He then played a key supporting role as Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer won the Tour of California title in February.

He was riding in this week's Castilla and Leon race to conti

Top 3 seeds in each NCAA bracket all advance - Sweet 16 Bracket

2009-03-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well my favorite teams are out of the tourney, but my bracket at least is mostly in tact. The #1 seeds haven't had much trouble lately disposing of teams with ease, except for a little scare from Texas.

The top three seeds in each bracket in the NCAA have all advanced to the Sweet 16. And the Sweet 16 includes five Big East schools. The Sweet 16 lineup looks like this: In the East, top-seed Pittsburgh plays fourth-seed Xavier and second-seed Duke is against three-seed Villanova. In the South, top-seed North Carolina takes on fourth-seed Gonzaga and second-seed Oklahoma plays three-seed Syracuse. In the West, it's top-seed Connecticut against fifth-seed Purdue and second-seed Memphis against third-seed Missouri. In the Midwest, top-seed Louisville plays 12th-seed Arizona and second-seed Michigan State is against third-seed Kansas.
Tiny Siena was leading top-seed Louisville by six with seven minutes left in that David vs. Goliath Midwest Regional second-round game. Then Louisville forward Terrence Williams took over and wouldn't let the Cardinals lose. Williams finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds as the top-seeded Cardinals reached the Round of 16 for the second straight year with a 79-72 win over Siena. The senior forward had nine points, five rebounds, a steal and two passes for layups down the stretch.
The top-seeded Pitt Panthers had another close call before pulling out an 84-78 triumph over Oklahoma State to reach the East Regional semifinal. Sam Young poured in 32 points and had seven rebounds for the Panthers, who were tied at 74 with 2:42 left before closing on a 10-2 run.
Pittsburgh next faces Xavier, which put together a 13-4 run late in the second half to beat Wisconsin 60-49. B.J. Raymond scored 15 points and the Musketeers held the Badgers to 29 percent shooting, including 3-for-20 from three-point range.
Syracuse reached the round of 16 with a 78-67 win over Arizona State in the South Regional. Eric Devendorf scored 21 points and Andy Rautins added 17 to lead the Orange. Devendorf drained a pair of three-pointers after the Sun Devils trimmed a 15-point, second-half deficit to 61-57. Syracuse plays Oklahoma next.
Kansas is four wins from its second straight NCAA championship following a 60-43 win against Dayton at Minneapolis to reach the Midwest Regional semifinals. Cole Aldrich posted the sixth triple-double in tourney history, finishing with 13 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocks. Sherron Collins had 25 points.
Michigan State's Travis Walton, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, scored a career-high 18 points to lift the second-seeded Spartans to a 74-69 victory over 10th-seeded Southern California. That puts Tom Izzo's club in the round of 16 for the eighth time in 12 years.
No. 12 Arizona is the lone double-digit seed left standing after the Wildcats knocked out No. 13 Cleveland State 71-57 in the Midwest Regionals at Miami. Arizona had four players with at least 15 points, led by Nic Wise's 21. Jordan Hill added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats, who entered the tournament with just one victory in their previous six games.
Missouri freshman Kim English came off the bench with 5.5 seconds left and made two free throws for the hurting J.T. Tiller to lift the Tigers to an 83-79 victory over Marquette in the West Regional. English, who scored 15 of his 17 points during an amazing four and a half minute stretch in the first half.

Missing NFL players boat is found, Man clinging to it

2009-03-02T09:53:00.001-08:00

Corey Smith, left, and Marquis Cooper are two of the men missing, officials said.
BREAKING UPDATE:
The Coast Guard has found an overturned boat with one person clinging to it. It's unknown if it's the vessel of four missing boaters.

The Coast Guard vessel, Tornado, was traveling from Mississippi on a training exercise, but joined in the search. Coast Guard officials said another boat has left to aid in the search. Officials said if medical attention is needed, a helicopter will be sent out.

PINELLAS COUNTY (CNN) --The search for the four boaters missing in the Gulf of Mexico since Saturday night has expanded.

Two NFL players are among four boaters missing off Clearwater.

Coast Guard officials said Monday that three planes are searching the area and the Nantucket, a Coast Guard vessel from south Florida, has traveled to the Gulf and is now aiding in the search.

Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and NFL free agent Corey Smith, who played for the Detroit Lions for the past three seasons, are still missing from the trip, family members and colleagues said Sunday.

Cooper and Smith both formerly played for the Buccaneers. Cooper was with the Bucs in 2004 and 2005 and Smith played for the team from 2002 to 2004.

The Coast Guard began searching around 2 a.m. after it learned that four men -- Cooper, Smith, and former University of South Florida football players William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler -- had not returned from their fishing trip Saturday evening as expected.

Rough weather has hampered the effort, but "it's still a very active search," Coast Guard Capt. Tim Close told reporters Sunday afternoon.

Poor visibility from heavy waves forced the search-and-rescue effort to be conducted primarily by air, though authorities deployed patrol boats as well, Close said.

Searchers have expanded their search to 1,600 square miles although they have focused on 750 square miles of open water in the Gulf of Mexico, about 50 miles west of Clearwater Pass.

From there, the men had left the Seminole Boat Ramp in a 21-foot single-engine boat about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard said.

Rebekah Cooper said she became worried Saturday night when she didn't hear from her husband. She called her one of her husband's fishing buddies, Brian Miller, who contacted the Coast Guard with the coordinates of where the men planned to fish.

"Usually I'm on the boat. It's a little difficult wondering if something would have been different if I had been there," Miller said. "Or who knows? They may be just sitting out there with a broken motor -- and that's what we're hoping for."He said it was clear something was wrong when Cooper didn't call Saturday night.

William Bleakley, from Crytal River, played football at USF.
"He should've been within range to use his cell phone, and he knows enough to shut it off when he goes out so the batteries are still there," he said.

Close said weather conditions were relatively good Saturday, "but the weather picked up overnight."

"It's a small vessel for the conditions that are out there right now," Close said Sunday afternoon.

Rebekah Cooper said her husband was aware of Sunday's weather forecast and for that reason picked Saturday for the trip.

"Fishing is his first love, it always has been," she said, adding, "I have a lot of faith in him out there."

Cooper's father said he learned of the situation Sunday morning from his daughter-in-law. His son "routinely stays out on the water 12-14 hours," Bruce Cooper, a sports anchor in Phoenix, Arizona, said in a statement.

Close said authorities had not received a distress signal from the boaters. Close said Cooper owns the boat.

Bruce Cooper called his son an "avid fisherman."

"He goes deep sea fishing any opportunity he gets," Cooper said in the statement. "Two years ago I went deep sea fishing with him. I swore I would never do so again; I didn't like the fact that I couldn't see land. Needless to say I am very concerned. I am praying and hoping for the best."

The boat, a center-console vessel manufactured by Everglades Boats, is billed as "unsinkable," Close said.

The Detroit Lions released a statement acknowledging that Smith was among the missing men, adding, "Our thoughts and prayers are with all the passengers, their families and all those involved in the search efforts."

Schuyler's father, Stu, told reporters that the four men knew each other from working out at a gym, and that his son had accompanied Cooper and Smith on a fishing trip last week that lasted 15 hours.

Bleakley lettered from 2004 to 2006 as a tight end for USF, according to a spokesman for the university's athletics department. Schuyler was a walk-on defensive end for USF in 2006, but he never played in a game, the spokesman said.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Will and Nick, as well as the Florida Coast Guard as they continue their search," USF Athletic Director Doug Woolard said in a statement Sunday.

The Coast Guard asked anyone with information on the boaters to contact its St. Petersburg, office at 727-824-7506.

Ravens Willis McGahee carted off on a stretcher

2009-01-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

It looked like a clean hit. Both players were down for awhile until Clark was able to walk off the field under his own power. Steelers currently lead Ravens 23-14.

Willis McGahee was carted off on a stretcher after taking a big open-field hit from Steelers FS Ryan Clark in Sunday's playoff game. The Ravens say McGahee has "severe neck pain."

McGahee finished quite possibly his last game as a Raven with 60 tough yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. He was hurt on a fourth-quarter play and lost a fumble after Clark's hit. McGahee could move all his limbs, so it's possible doctors were just being extra cautious using the stretcher.

No Charges Against Harrison

2009-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

I guess when your rich and famous you can do anything you want. But I got news for Marvin Harrison. He is likely to be cut from the Colts this offseason. Good luck trying to find another team with a quarterback like Peyton Manning throwing you the ball.

The Philadelphia district attorney's office does not plan to file criminal charges against Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison for his possible role in an April shooting in the city, District Attorney Lynne Abraham announced today.

Abraham said at a news conference that investigators had received too many conflicting accounts of the incident to proceed with a prosecution.

She did leave open the possibility of a prosecution in the future if more reliable information surfaces in pending civil litigation.

"Police have been unable to locate anybody else, to date, who may have been there that day," Abraham said at a news conference. "We have at least before us nine or so various versions of what is supposed to have happened.... We cannot as prosecutors vouch for the credibility of any of these witnesses because they have given so many contradictory, false, misleading, incomplete statements and so forth.

"There may yet be the possibility of a prosecution, although we don't yet know, depending on the outcome of depositions which will be held by civil counsel."

A gun owned by Harrison reportedly was involved in the shooting and a man who contends that he suffered a wound to his hand in the incident has sued Harrison.

Harrison's representatives have denied that he was involved in the shooting.

The Colts' season ended with their loss Saturday night in San Diego in the first round of the AFC playoffs.

By Mark Maske

Fiesta Bowl preview: Texas vs. Ohio State

2009-01-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

I will surely be watching this game for more reasons than one. Well One is that I am a Longhorns fan, but Orapko could be headed towards my favorite NFL team come Draft day and I want to see how he performs.

By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News

When Ohio State runs: Starting left guard Jim Cordle is just back from a late-season knee injury, meaning Ben Person will get the start in the mountainous offensive line. Texas faced a large Oklahoma offensive line and held the Sooners to 48 rushing yards. Edge: Ohio State

When Ohio State passes: Freshman Terrelle Pryor has thrown better than expected. Brian Robiskie has caught a pass in 36 consecutive games, and Brian Hartline has averaged 22.8 yards per reception. But after facing Big 12 spread offenses, the young Texas secondary should be ready. Edge: Texas

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Texas vs. Ohio State
7 p.m. Mon., Glendale, Ariz.
Ch. 4 (Fox), KRLD-AM (1080)

When Texas runs: While Texas ranked a respectable 35th nationally in rushing, it struggled when it needed key yards. Neither Fozzy Whittaker nor Vondrell McGee emerged as the go-to running back. Ohio State held opponents to 3.7 yards per carry. Edge: Ohio State

When Texas passes: Quarterback Colt McCoy completed 77.6 percent of his passes with 32 TDs and just seven interceptions. Ohio State counters with All-American cornerback Malcolm Jenkins. Edge: Texas

Special teams: Ray Small averages 15.1 yards on punt returns for Ohio State. Texas' Jordan Shipley has returned kickoffs and punts for touchdowns. Ohio State kicker Ryan Pretorius is just 2-of-5 on field-goal attempts beyond 40 yards. Texas has used Hunter Lawrence and Ryan Bailey, who have combined to hit 10 of 13 field-goal attempts. Edge: Texas

Intangibles: The big question: Who really wants to be here? Ohio State saw its Rose Bowl hopes evaporate with a home loss to Penn State. Texas' national title hopes evaporated when Oklahoma won the Big 12 tiebreaker on BCS standings. The mindset of a team can be all-important in the bowl. Edge: Ohio State

Key matchup: Texas DE Brian Orakpo vs. Ohio State LT Alex Boone

Brian Orakpo represents the kind of athlete who has plagued Ohio State in its recent high-profile losses to Florida, LSU and Southern California.

Powerful and quick, Orakpo registered 10 ½ sacks despite missing 2 ½ games with a sprained left knee. Orakpo won three of the nation's highest profile defensive awards: the Lombardi, Nagurski and Hendricks.

Orakpo's ability makes him the perfect counter to athletic Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Left tackle Alex Boone will probably see a lot of Orakpo and has been embracing the challenge in the bowl buildup. He brings impressive credentials, including imposing size (6-8, 312 pounds). Boone was an All-Big Ten choice and has started 35 games.

Yet some people see a mismatch. One blogger likened the matchup to a Ferrari vs. a minivan. Orakpo has been respectful, praising Boone in interviews and sounding like his agent.

Meanwhile, Boone sees an opportunity if he can battle Orakpo to a standstill on a national stage.

"I'm getting a lot of phone calls from people saying, 'Hey, look, if you have a great game this weekend, it will kind of silence a lot of people,' " Boone told the Columbus Dispatch. "A lot of people think the world of Orakpo. They think that he's everything. So if you shut him down or if you force him to the other side, that's going to say a lot about you."

Edge: Orakpo

Key's to the game

Beanie power: While Texas ranks second nationally in rushing defense (73.6 yards a game), it hasn't seen a back all-season like Ohio State's 237-pound Beanie Wells. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp described Wells succinctly as a "downhill one-cut" runner. He has missed three games with a foot injury but would undoubtedly like a big game in what might be his final game as a Buckeye. Texas DT Roy Miller and LB Roddrick Muckelroy will be a key to defending Wells.

Next Vince? Terrelle Pryor was projected as Vince Young 2.0. For the moment, he's just highly skilled freshman with an 8-1 record as a starter. Pryor may be better as a passer than Young was at this stage. He's completed 62.5 percent of his passes, with 12 touchdowns and just four interceptions. His biggest asset might be the ability to turn a broken play into a big game. The Texas defensive line must contain him as well as apply pressure.

Need for speed: The Buckeyes have looked overwhelmed in high-profile games against Florida (2006 title game), LSU (2007 title game) and Southern Cal (this season). In those three games, the Buckeyes have been outscored, 55-7, in the second quarter and were essentially finished at halftime. Speed has been a key factor in each of the losses. If the Buckeyes can avoid another crushing early blow to their psyche, they may start believing they have a chance to end the big-game skid.

Blue collar: Throughout the season, Texas has shown remarkable focus. The Longhorns weren't even ranked in The Associated Press Top 10 to start the season and developed a blue-collar mentality at a blue-blood college football power. Now, can Texas do what it has done all season, despite a significant BCS disappointment and more than a month's layoff? Much remains at stake for the Longhorns. But somehow summoning that will one time can be a challenge.

Double coverage

Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Bollman acknowledged that the Buckeyes might use starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor and backup Todd Boeckman for one or two plays during the bowl.

He also chuckled when he said it, which only added to speculation that all the talk might be a smokescreen. Stranger things have happened in bowls.

Texas may or may not be biting.

"The thing about bowl games is you have a lot of time off, so you can chase ghosts," Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said.

Texas will win if...

It continues what has worked so well, from Colt McCoy's accuracy and grit to a team mind-set. That might be easier said than done. The Longhorns firmly believe they should be in the national title game instead of Oklahoma. They have said all the right things. We really won't know until the game begins if they're focused on what they have to do.

Ohio State will win if...

The Buckeyes are able to play the physical, rush-oriented game that had so much success in the Big Ten. Ohio State grinds down opponents with a big line and big backs. Defensive players like All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis swarm the football. Ohio State has allowed more than 21 points just once.

SportsDay staff predictions

Chuck Carlton: It won't be as easy as some think, but McCoy will deliver a win at the end. Prediction: Texas, 31-27

Tim Cowlishaw: Longhorns struggle to join Utah and USC as teams that have demonstrated their rights to play for No. 1. Prediction: Texas, 31-27

Brandon George: Longhorns DE Brian Orakpo makes it a long day for Ohio State freshman QB Terrelle Pryor. Prediction: Texas, 31-17

Kate Hairopoulos: Ohio State can't save the Big Ten or their own BCS reputation. Prediction: Texas, 35-21

Tim MacMahon: Big Ten stinks worse than the Big 12 South. Prediction: Texas, 42-28

Bobbi Roquemore: Terrelle Pryor runs wild on Longhorns. Prediction: Ohio State, 35-31

Kevin Sherrington: No-win situation for Texas. If Horns win, it's same old Buckeye bowl showing. If Horns lose ... Prediction: Texas, 28-17

Jean-Jacques Taylor: As a Buckeye, it pains me to admit we're not that good. Prediction: Texas 24-14

sugar bowl 2009 Utah 28, Alabama 17 in 3rd

2009-01-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Just as the Crimson Tide was pulling into range of the Utes, they answer back with a touchdown to make it a two score game again. Stay Tuned

The Tide is starting to turn in the Sugar Bowl.

Alabama's Javier Arenas shook off tackler after tackler for a record 73-yard punt return for a touchdown down the left sideline midway through the second quarter, and the Crimson Tide pulled to within 21-10 of the Utah Utes at halftime at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on Friday night.

The Tide's Leigh Tiffin had kicked a 52-yard field goal to start the second quarter, after the Utes had scored on their first three possessions in the first quarter and staggered the heralded Alabama defense.

But the Crimson Tide seemed to start to figure out the Utes, forcing them to punt on all three of their possessions in the second quarter and finally beginning to move

Photo galleries

See photos from the Utes pregame and the first quarter.

the ball on offense. The Tide gained 103 yards in the second quarter after gaining only 43 in the first, while the Utes gained only 50 yards in the second quarter following their 150-yard opening period.

Quarterback Brian Johnson completed 15 of 22 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns in the first half for the Utes, with scoring passes of 7 and 18 yards to receivers Brent Casteel and Bradon Godfrey, respectively.

Running back Matt Asiata scored on a 2-yard touchdown run in between, following an interception by safety Robert Johnson. The Utes have sacked Alabama's John Parker Wilson four times.

Results of UFC 92

2008-12-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

I have never really been into UFC myself. I have a butt load of friends who love it. I even know some fighters too. They offer me tickets all the time, but I never take them. The one thing I do like about it though is that it is real. I think WWE has some real competition now though. I don't see them making it much longer. Anyways here are the results from last nights fight.

By NICK MEYER • FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER

Cheick Kongo vs. Mustapha Al-Turk

The Frenchman Kongo is…well, he basically looks like some kind of cyborg, and he fights like one, too. But his ground game is suspect and Al-Turk, a British submission specialist who was born in Beirut, Lebanon, will test him there.

Al-Turk is rocked by a straight punch from Kongo and beckons Kongo to the ground with him but he refuses to follow.

He comes in and clinches while Kongo gets in some solid shots.

An inadvertent Al-Turk knee catches Kongo in the, ahem, nether regions, and the fight is stopped as Kongo winces in pain. This is an unfortunate side effect of close quarters combat but usually fighters manage to walk it off. Kongo doesn’t seem to be recovering too well, however.

Al-Turk misses haymaker and shoots in for a single leg takedown. He stays with it and tries to dig out the leg.

After some more tussling, Kongo returns the favor and throws a knee that lands in the groin area of Al-Turk.

“I hope that was an accident,” says referee Steve Mazzagatti.

Kongo has some history in this department, as he got in some questionable low blows against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic in their past fight.

Al-Turk continues and Kongo lands a straight shot and then bails to ground.

Kongo leans in and gets into Al-Turk’s guard before raining a flurry of elbows.

He follows it up with hammer fists and opens up big cut above the right eye of Al-Turk. Al-Turk can’t defend himself, and Mazzagatti calls the fight at 4:37 of the first round.

A solid, workmanlike performance by Kongo in this one as he inches closer to a future title shot.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

This is the fight everyone’s been waiting for, even though there isn’t a title on the line. This fight, between two former PRIDE Fighting legends (Japan’s now-defunct answer to the UFC) is for, well, pride.

The UFC is full of manufactured drama that borders on the level of WWE-style hype at times, but there is a strong, healthy dislike between these two light heavyweights.

Silva won both of their earlier fights but Jackson is a vastly improved fighter since their last bout in 2004. Silva is just 5-5 in his last ten fights but he still is one of the most feared fighters in the world.

Both fighters look calm and businesslike tonight, and this has the potential to be one of the best fights in UFC history, at least the UFC hopes so in order to boost future DVD sales. Too bad this one will only be three rounds maximum.

Wanderlei wiggles the gloves like usual, the staredown goes off without a hitch, and the atmosphere is now officially electric.

No glove touching in this one and Rampage leads with a massive haymaker that maybe grazes Silva a bit.

Silva lands one of his trademark rapid-fire, not-so-technical punch combos that still manage to be quite effective yet again.

Silva has landed three leg kicks thus far and Jackson will need to check them or he might suffer the same fate he did against Forrest Griffin.

Silva throws in a right leg kick that was the most brutal of the bunch so far.

Rampage throws another big blow and knocks Silva back.

Jackson then lands a solid jab.

Silva comes back with a jab as does Jackson.

Jackson ducks and uncorks a massive, lightning-fast left hook that lands square on the left side of Silva’s chin, and the Brazilian crumples straight to the mat before Jackson rushes in and lands a three quick punches on his downed opponent just to be on the safe side.

The fight doctors rush in and this one is “allllllllllllll ovvvverr!” as announcer Mike Goldberg exclaims. Jackson finally has his revenge and a brutal highlight-reel knockout to match the ones Silva gave him in 2003 and 2004.

“One punch put him completely to sleep,” says color analyst Joe Rogan.

“Last time I fought him it wasn’t right,” says Jackson. “I came to England with the Wolf’s Lair (his new training camp), got my wolf on, and now it’s right. Rampage is back!”

A title shot should be coming soon, perhaps against the winner of Evans-Griffin.

The fight ended at 3:21 of the first round, and Silva appears to be okay.

Other Results at UFC 92

Pat Berry defeated Dan Evenson at 2:36 of the first round after a knee injury from low kicks forced Evenson to quit.

Brad Blackburn defeated Ryo Chonan by a score of 29-28 on all judges’ cards.

Matt Hamill defeated Reese Andy at 2:19 of round two by TKO after taking Andy’s back and raining punches.

Antoni Hardonk defeated Mike Wessel by TKO after gaining full mount and landing multiple punches.

Yushin Okami defeated Dean Lister by a score of 30-27 on all judges’ scorecards.

Mike Massenzio vs. C.B. Dollaway

Two former Division I wrestlers who faced each other in college (with Dollaway, the former Ultimate Fighter runner-up, coming out on top) will go at it in this middleweight bout.

Dollaway lands a solid right body kick. Massenzio comes in and Dollaway wraps his hands around him, landing some knees before whiffing and falling to the mat.

Dollaway gets rocked by a right and stumbles around looking to get his bearings.

Massenzio takes advantage and gets a fairly deep guillotine as Dollaway almost appears to tap. Dollaway manages to work his way out, however. He works his way to the top position and Massenzio pulls guard.

Dollaway passes guard and takes side control while going for a mount. He gets it and works his way forward before going for elbows.

Massenzio tries to roll out and gets flattened out, and now he’s in deep trouble.

Dollaway peppers him with looping punches that look almost casual, as he knows he has this fight locked up. Massenzio can’t defend himself while laying face down on the mat.

“The Doberman” takes this one at 3:01 in the first round, showing marked improvement in the ground game after compared with his back-to-back losses on The Ultimate Fighter to Amir Sadollah by arm-bar.

Dollaway appears to have a lot of potential but he’ll need to clean up a few aspects of his game before he can become a serious contender.

Interim Heavyweight Title Bout: Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira

Current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar makes an appearance and tells Goldberg and Rogan he’s rooting for Mir to win the interim title so he can have a rematch with the man who gave him his only UFC loss.

Nogueira is the favorite in this match but fortunes cans shift quickly in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and both fighters are among the elite grapplers in the world with the ability to win by submission in the blink of an eye.

The interim belt is up for grabs because Nogueira holds it after beating Tim Sylvia in a period during which the champion at the time, Randy Couture, was in a contract dispute with the UFC.

Now, the belt will be unified as the winner of tonight’s bout will take on Lesnar at a future date.

Mir comes out to “Hate Me Now” by Nas looking focused and Nogueira comes out to “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones, looking relaxed as usual.

Both fighters have overcome tremendous odds to become two of the best fighters in the world. Mir was hit by a car at 50 mph on his motorcycle in 2004 and suffered a badly broken leg while Nogeuira was run over by a truck as a child and suffered damage to his lungs and liver.

Mir comes out fighting southpaw after the fighters and the former Ultimate Fighter TV show coaches refuse to touch gloves.

Mir throws a head kick that is checked by Nogueira.

He then lands a straight right and goes in for the takedown.

Nogueira lands a solid punch from his back.

Mir walks away from Nogueira as he lays on his back and tries to turn the fight into a ground war as predicted. Mir wants to keep this fight standing against Nogueira, who trains boxing with the Cuban national team.

Mir looks much quicker than in the past and he is the more aggressive of the two fighters. He’s also in perhaps the best shape of his career and he’s putting together solid punch and kick combinations.

Mir sneaks in a right uppercut that just catches Nogueira a bit.

Nogueira is rocked and goes down before inviting Mir to the ground and successfully defending Mir’s punches.

Mir lands another right uppercut off of a combination and adds a knee in a clinch.

Nogeuria lands a straight right jab but he doesn’t look very energetic tonight.

At the end of the first round, Mir rocks Nogueira with a big right hand.

“That is the definition of a 10-8 round right there,” says Goldberg. Nogeuira appears to be sleepwalking through this one.

Round two

Mir continues to throw a dizzying array of combinations, pushing the pace of the fight despite not landing many of them.

Mir ducks and lands a powerful left hook, then comes back with an even more devastating left hook to knock down Nogueira. He pounces on him and the punches come fast and furious. Nogueira stumbles to his feet, surprised that he has finally been knocked out for the first time in his legendary career. It appears as if the attrition of fighting for so many years has caught to Nogueira much like what the crowd saw from Wanderlei Silva earlier tonight.

Mir points at Lesnar in the crowd and it appears as if the UFC now has itself a big-time rematch to peddle. Mir looked better than ever before in this fight, his confidence finally restored from the devastating broken leg injury.

“If I was a betting man, I wasn’t on Mir’s side tonight,” says the emotional Mir.

Mir predicts that Lesnar won’t get out of the first round in their rematch, and Lesnar flashes a sly grin to the camera.

The Mir win came 1:54 in the second round for those scoring at home.

Rashad Evans vs. Forrest Griffin

The former Spartan Evans, winner of The Ultimate Fighter TV show’s second season, will take on Griffin, winner of the show’s first season, for right to be called the Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Some interesting fight stats: Griffin has landed 72% of his leg kicks in his career while Evans’ wrestling skills have allowed him to succeed on 60% of his takedown attempts.

Evans has also never attempted a submission in his career, specializing in the ground-and-pound game and boxing.

Evans does a bear crawl into the octagon™ (for those of you planning to build one in your backyards, beware that the term is trademarked), a nod to his wrestling roots. “Sugar” looks relaxed as he does a little dance on the mat.

Griffin, perhaps the hairiest (and toughest?) man in the UFC, looks businesslike as usual.

Evans throws a lunging punch and ducks in. He’s very cautious as usual as he backs out, and Griffin throws a sweeping high kick that looks impressive but misses.

Evans narrowly misses on what could have been a replay of his knockout over Chuck Liddell.

Griffin has landed a couple of solid leg kicks, his specialty.

Evans responds with a swift leg kick of his own. He dodges a shot and lands a lunging right on Griffin.

Griffin lands a lunging left hand and both fighters look aggressive and confident.

If Evans can get his timing down, he might be able to land a knockout shot. He’s teeing it up, that’s for sure.

Griffin lands another leg kick but Evans lands one in response.

Griffin lands yet another leg kick that staggers Rashad much like what Griffin did to Jackson.

There’s about a minute left in the first round and this one is pretty even so far.

Rashad throws a jab-hook combo as the second part connects. Time is running down in the round as Griffin goes for another leg kick that doesn’t quite have the same impact as the previous ones.

Evans has checked several high kicks in this fight. Thus far, this fight has been a purist’s dream and an even match.

ROUND 2

Evans loses track of his location as he backs up and accidentally runs into the cage before slipping but Griffin is too far away to take advantage.

Evans catches Griffin with a close jab and Griffin blocks another big one a bit later.

Forrest lands a solid right and adds a leg kick. Forrest is looking quicker than ever in this one and they’re both swinging for the fences now.

Rashad backs up a bit, stares at Griffin, and flashes a big smile.

But Griffin looks a bit stronger right now and is winning on points in this round. Perhaps Evans needs to fall back on his wrestling skills to change the momentum a bit in this one.

Evans lands a solid, hard right.

The two fighters touch gloves after an inadvertent low blow to Griffin.

Evans lands another solid right as Griffin goes for a huge head kick that is again checked.

Evans continues to put his faith in his boxing skills. He checks a low leg kick from Griffin and then lets his guard down before getting drilled with a right in the face to end the round. The fight docs are going to work on a small cut in above Evans’ left eye.

ROUND 3

Griffin continues to throw a barrage of leg kicks.

But Griffin throws one too many and Rashad catches a kick before blasting Griffin with the vaunted “Superman” punch.

He pounces and goes all out in an effort to finish off Griffin but Forrest manages to keep him at bay after eating some solid punches.

Evans is looking to pass guard as the crowd chants “Forrest! Forrest!”

Perhaps we will finally see whether or not Evans’ jiu-jitsu game is championship level tonight.

Griffin continues to throw a barrage of leg kicks.

But Griffin throws one too many and Rashad catches a kick before blasting Griffin with the vaunted “Superman” punch.

He pounces and goes all out in an effort to finish off Griffin but Forrest manages to keep him at bay after eating some solid punches.

Evans is looking to pass guard as the crowd chants “Forrest! Forrest!”

Perhaps we will finally see whether or not Evans’ jiu-jitsu game is championship level tonight.

Griffin appears to be a bit tired but he’s working several submission attempts.

Evans is undaunted and he wades in further. Evans postures up and gets behind his punches full force, landing right after right as Griffin’s head bounces off the mat.

The referee has no choice but stop the action as Griffin appears to tap, and with that, former Michigan State Spartan Rashad Evans is your new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

“How does that sound?” asks Joe Rogan.

“It sounds real good, man,” replies Evans. “It was a great fight and it took a while for me to get warmed up, but I got there.”

It appears as if no one will underestimate Evans, a slight underdog coming into the fight, again, at least not in the near future. Evans moves to a nearly unprecedented 18-0-1 in his MMA career.

Evans was asked about his thoughts as he attempted to finish the downed Griffin.

“He kept smiling, so I didn’t know if he was hurt or not. They kept letting me hit him so I just said ‘Alright.’”

The soft-spoken Evans is gracious in victory and wishes his mom a happy birthday.

Griffin seems okay as he pops up and stands in for an interview on camera about the last moments of the fight.

“I was flailing, no tapping done at that point, it was just his punches giving my body motion,” says Griffin with his typical brand of self-deprecating humor.

“I remember waking up like ‘It’s okay, Forrest, then I was like yep, it kind of sucks, actually.”

The time of Evans’ win was 2:46 in the third round.

UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 Final Thoughts

Upset of the Night-Frank Mir over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Many thought a Nogueira win was a foregone conclusion but Nogueira suddenly looked about ten years older in this fight and Mir came out in the best shape of his life.

Now Nogueira has to hope he doesn’t go the way of a battered NFL running back, as he has the potential to fall right off the map. It will be interesting to see if he can come back and make another run at the heavyweight title or if he will begin to fade away.

Fight of the Night-Evans’ win over Griffin. This fight didn’t receive nearly the attention that the Wanderlei Silva-Quinton Jackson fight did going in despite being a title fight, in part because many fans thought that Evans and Griffin weren’t title-worthy.

But both fighters looked remarkably quick, confident, and well-prepared in what could be called one of the best UFC fights of all-time when people look back on it in a year or so. Griffin’s kicks are now almost Lyoto Machida-quality while Evans has perhaps the quickest hands in the sport.

Knockout of the Night: Jackson’s devastating left hook on Silva. It wasn’t quite as brutal as the knees Silva knocked Jackson out with in their first two fights but it probably felt just as sweet for Jackson.

Best Possible Future Match-up as a Result of UFC 92: Lesnar-Mir II will be intriguing to say the least, especially considering how good Mir looked.

But a possible Rashad Evans-Quinton Jackson fight could be an absolute classic and a showcase for perhaps the two quickest fighters and best boxers in the UFC. It would be a landmark fight,showing off the evolution of the elite athletes that now populate what just might be the fastest-growing sport in the world.

And with that, it’s time to sign off for the night. The Detroit Lions may be farther away from a Super Bowl Title than any franchise in NFL history, but at least one title is coming back to Michigan thanks to Evans, who should receive a hero’s welcome in East Lansing.

Take care and goodnight now.

Pro wrestler 'Mad Dog' Bell found dead

2008-12-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

You have to ask yourself. What would make a man do this. The answer is easy for me, but it might be deeper than that. You want to be famous or make a good living for your family. So you do whatever you can to try to get on top even if it involves hurting yourself, or hurting the ones around you without realizing it.

Mike "Mad Dog" Bell, a former professional wrestler whose struggle with substance abuse was featured in the documentary "Bigger, Stronger, Faster," has died. He was 37.

Bell was found Sunday at a Costa Mesa live-in rehabilitation facility, his family said.

An autopsy was conducted but investigators couldn't immediately determine the cause of death, said Dan Akin, a supervising deputy at the Orange County coroner's division. The coroner is awaiting the results of toxicology tests, he said.

Chris Bell, whose 2008 documentary examines the steroid use of his two brothers, said Mike Bell had long battled with his addictions to prescription painkillers and alcohol.

"He was always wrestling, he was a personal trainer, he was always pushing his body to the max," Chris Bell told the Orange County Register.

"You can't really blame wrestling, but it's kind of the lifestyle," he said. "You have a couple of painkillers to get to the next match, have a couple drinks night to night and it gets out of hand."

Bell wrestled on World Wrestling Entertainment's "Monday Night Raw" as a "jobber," a fighter who takes falls to promote others.

"Although Mr. Bell was never under a WWE contract, WWE extends its deepest condolences to the Bell family," the organization said.

Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy Arrested for assault

2008-12-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

Wow I knew some of these coaches were passionate, but this kinda takes it to a whole nother level. I wonder if he is still going to have a job left after they confirm if Kennedy was saying racial slurs. That is one thing a university will not stand for. Because they don't want to be known as a racial school. I don't understand how you plead not guilt though. Shouldn't they have tape of him doing this?

Mike DeCourcy
Sporting News

Mississippi basketball coach Andy Kennedy pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assault following an incident that occurred early Thursday morning in Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

The paper reported Kennedy was charged with assaulting a cab driver and that he was shouting racial slurs at the time of the alleged assault.

Attorney Mike Allen told the paper Kennedy "emphatically denies this and emphatically denies making any racial slurs."

Kennedy, 40, has been head coach at Ole Miss since spring 2006. He is in Cincinnati for his team's SEC/Big East Invitational game against Louisville.

Kennedy previously served four seasons as an assistant coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats and one as their interim head coach. He has topped the 20-win mark in each of his three full seasons as a head coach.

Former UFC fighter Justin Levens and wife found dead in Laguna Niguel

2008-12-18T06:25:00.000-08:00

Well this sucks. You have to imagine though what was Levens involved to to get him and his wife shot. My next question though if it was a murder-suicide. Why would you take out the woman you love. If your gonna off yourself then off yourself, but don't take other people with you who want to live.

Ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting participant Justin Levens, 28, and his wife, Sarah McLean-Levens, 25, were found shot to death in their Laguna Niguel condominium Wednesday and law enforcement officials have described preliminarily as a murder-suicide, numerous news agencies are reporting.

Levens hasn't fought in either organization since 2006, and one of his losses that year was to Evan Tanner, who died on a desert trip this year. Levens went on to fight in the defunct International Fight League, and MMA web site Sherdog reports his last fight came earlier this year in Lemoore.

Orange County Sheriff's authorities report more information is expected Thursday.

-- Lance Pugmire

Shayna West Barely Survives 50 Mph Sky-Diving Accident And Was Pregnant

2008-12-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

This is one sport that I would never do I think. It might be fun, but then I don't like putting my life in something elses control. I can at least drive my car and stuff like that. West was very lucky to survive to say the least. Especially while being pregnant. I might go sky diving if I knew I had a terminal illness. Then I wouldn't worry about it so much.

by Jack Ryan

Shayna West, a woman who survived a skydiving accident hitting the payment of a parking lot at 50 mph realized something after the fall. Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show she talked about the incident of 3 years ago, and how she was blessed by another miracle besides surviving. Shayna West was 2 weeks along pregnant when she hit the payment.

West was coming down fast from skydiving, and just like we all fear, her fears came true. Her main parachute failed to open, then as she began spinning out of control she tried her emergency parachute. Her reserve parachute failed as well and she hit the pavement at 50 mph breaking many bones including her face, leg, and pelvis. It's one thing to survive that fall, it's another to have the baby to survive it too.

West decided after she had her son, Tanner, that she had to face her fear. "I faced my fear. I wasn't going to let it be something that always controlled me," said Shayna West who went skydiving again.

NFL Power Rankings: 2008 Week 16

2008-12-16T11:56:00.001-08:00

2008 Power Rankings: Week 16
	RK (LW)	TEAM	REC	COMMENT
	1 (3)	Steelers	11-3-0	The five-star matchups continue. Next up for the Steelers is a date with the Titans for AFC supremacy. (JW)
	2 (1)	Titans	12-2-0	The Titans still control their fate but are without Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch for the last two games. (PK)
	3 (4)	Panthers	11-3-0	The Panthers are getting hot at the right time. Everything is working, and a win against the Giants would give them the inside track on the No. 1 seed in the NFC. (PY)
	4 (2)	Giants	11-3-0	A three-game losing streak would create tremendous doubt. Beat the Panthers, though, and you're back to being the NFC favorite. (MM)
	5 (5)	Colts	10-4-0	If the Colts win their eighth in a row Thursday, they can enjoy some rest. (PK)
	6 (8)	Cowboys	9-5-0	Dallas scored a huge win over the Giants. Its defense has been superb and could be dangerous in the playoffs. (MM)
	7 (7)	Ravens	9-5-0	The Ravens missed out on a golden opportunity against Pittsburgh. Now they have to earn a postseason berth the hard way. (JW)
	8 (11)	Falcons	9-5-0	The victory over Tampa Bay assured the Falcons a winning season, but they want more than that. With games against Minnesota on the road and St. Louis at home, they might need the Bucs and Cowboys to stumble. (PY)
	9 (10)	Patriots	9-5-0	The Patriots refuse to go away and could jockey into a division title. (TG)
	10 (6)	Buccaneers	9-5-0	The Bucs remain very much in the playoff race with home games against the Chargers and Raiders. But those games can't be taken for granted, with injuries piling up and the Bucs on a two-game losing streak. (PY)
	11 (12)	Dolphins	9-5-0	The Dolphins keep winning and still control their destiny. (TG)
	12 (15)	Vikings	9-5-0	This is the best the Vikings have been in the Brad Childress era. (KS)
	13 (14)	Eagles	8-5-1	You can't bury this team because the Eagles always play well in December. They have a great opportunity, but they need a little help. (MM)
	14 (13)	Jets	9-5-0	Yes, they won. But they raised more questions about how legit they are. (MM)
	15 (9)	Cardinals	8-6-0	The Cardinals need to recapture urgency in a hurry. (MS)
	16 (19)	Bears	8-6-0	This is an odd stretch for the Bears. They can be knocked from realistic playoff contention before they get back on the field. (KS)
	17 (16)	Broncos	8-6-0	The Broncos need to bounce back from a poor outing in Carolina and close out the AFC West with a win over Buffalo. (BW)
	18 (20)	Texans	7-7-0	The Texans are playing as well as just about anyone right now. (PK)
	19 (17)	Saints	7-7-0	If two or three plays had gone differently, the Saints would be in the playoff hunt. Then again, that's not something they deserve after so many disappointments. (PY)
	20 (18)	Redskins	7-7-0	They are virtually out of the playoff race, but a win against the Eagles would restore some faith in Jim Zorn. Right now, I fear Danny Snyder has little. (MM)
	21 (21)	Chargers	6-8-0	If the Chargers end up winning the AFC West, Sunday's win at Kansas City will be a thing of legend. (BW)
	22 (22)	Bills	6-8-0	The Bills are on their way from landing a home playoff game to landing a top-10 draft pick. (TG)
	23 (25)	Jaguars	5-9-0	Finally Jack Del Rio finds a spark: A Saturday off did the trick. (PK)
	24 (24)	49ers	5-9-0	Their finishing schedule should allow the 49ers to end on a high note. (MS)
	25 (23)	Packers	5-9-0	Books will be written about the Packers' collapse in their first year After Favre. (KS)
	26 (26)	Browns	4-10-0	Monday's loss cemented another double-digit losing season. (JW)
	27 (28)	Seahawks	3-11-0	Mike Holmgren might be emotional heading into his final home game in Seattle. (MS)
	28 (27)	Chiefs	2-12-0	The Chiefs might need a long time to recover from their second-half collapse in their loss to the Chargers.
	29 (31)	Bengals	2-11-1	With games against the Browns and Chiefs, the Bengals actually have a chance to finish strong. (JW)
	30 (29)	Raiders	3-11-0	Good news, Raiders fans: The season is over soon. (BW)
	31 (30)	Rams	2-12-0	The Rams are angling toward the second overall draft choice -- again. (MS)
	32 (32)	Lions	0-14-0	No NFL team has ever gone 0-15. The drama continues Sunday against New Orleans. (KS)

Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Carl Peterson Will Resign

2008-12-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

I say it is about time that this guy got the boot. I don't think anyone in the league likes this guy and will not trade anything with him because he overvalues everything he has. I can't believe what he was asking for to get rid of Trent Green when he was still a Chief. And then doesn't trade Tony G when he wanted to be traded and demanded to be. Even fans were saying trade him where he has a chance to win the big one.

By Mason Levinson

Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Carl Peterson will step down as president, general manager and chief executive officer of the Kansas City Chiefs following the 2008 season, his 20th with the National Football League franchise.

Chief Operating Officer Denny Thum will serve as interim president and general manager while the Chiefs search for Peterson’s replacement, Chairman Clark Hunt said in a news release.

“Carl and I agreed that immediately initiating the search for the next Chiefs general manager would be the best thing for the future of the organization,” Hunt said in a statement.

Peterson joined the Chiefs in 1989 and has put together a 176-141-1 record, winning the American Football Conference’s West Division four times while reaching the AFC title game in 1993.

The Chiefs are 2-12 this season after San Diego scored 19 unanswered points yesterday, rallying for a 22-21 victory. Last season, Kansas City went 4-12.

“I am proud of my association with the Kansas City Chiefs and our many accomplishments over the last 20 years,” Peterson said. “I thank the Hunt family for the opportunity to lead the Chiefs organization and sincerely appreciate all the coaches, players, administrators and Chiefs employees with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working in my time here.”

Report: Ex-Utah Jazzman Natt replaces Reggie Theus as Kings' coach

2008-12-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

Seeing as how I am not much up on basketball. I found a article that was. And the only basketball I do know is the Spurs and Mavericks. But I will say this. This guy may have deserved to get fired, but some coaches are getting no chance to be successful in pro sports. It is either championship or your gone. Some of these coaches need to build a team. It is not just going to happen overnight. And then there are coaches that should of never been hired in the first place.

By Jody Genessy

Deseret News

Make that 225 coaching changes since Jerry Sloan took his position as head coach of the Utah Jazz.

And, ironically, the latest coaching change has some strong ties to Sloan and the Jazz.

According to an ESPN.com report, the Sacramento Kings fired coach Reggie Theus today. Former Jazz player and assistant coach Kenny Natt will reportedly replace him on an interim basis.

Theus, who played with the Chicago Bulls when Sloan was the coach there and was later a star with the Kings, became the sixth NBA coach to get fired less than two months into the 2008-09 season.

Others who have lost their jobs the same year Sloan commemorated his 20th anniversary with the Jazz include Maurice Cheeks (Philadelphia), Randy Wittman (Minnesota), Sam Mitchell (Toronto), Eddie Jordan (Washington) and P.J. Carlesimo (Oklahoma City).

The 50-year-old Natt played for the Jazz briefly in the early 1980s, playing in 22 games in 1982-83 and four during the 1984-85 campaign.

After his playing career ended, Natt was one of Sloan's assistants for nine years and was a scout for Utah for two years.

Incidentally, Natt was a Jazz training camp roommate of new Toronto coach Jay Triano in 1984.

This is the second year with the Kings' organization as a coach for Natt, who played for the Kansas City Kings in 1984-85. The Louisiana-Monroe product was an assistant with Cleveland prior to joining Theus' staff in Sacramento.

Mickelson responds to Tiger's caddie,Steve Williams, calling him a nasty word

2008-12-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

This is why I carry my own clubs. I think it is funny though that Steve Williams who isn't even Phil Mickelsons caddie is talking mess to him. Phil also had the perfect response to him as well. At least not showing the anger out in public. We might soon get a Real Happy Gilmore though. SO stay tuned!

By Reid Cherner & Tom Weir
Tiger Woods has already fired one caddie because he didn't toe the line.

So in the wake of current caddie Steve Williams calling Phil Mickelson a nasty word referring to the male anatomy, it will be interesting to see what the world's greatest golfer's response will be.

Woods and Mickelson have never been the best of friends but Woods usually prefers to pick his own battles.

Williams was asked in New Zealand his thoughts on Mickelson's ability and said "I wouldn't call Mickelson a great player 'cause I hate the...." He then told a story that had Mickelson's physique as a punch line.

Mickelson put out a statement: "After seeing Steve Williams' comments all I could think of was how lucky I am to have a class act like Bones (Jim MacKay) on my bag and representing me."

Sondra Fortunato - Giants cover fan's racy outfit

2008-12-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

Well this kinda sucks. What is wrong if a woman wants to dress half naked in freezing temps. I saw some girls in Green Bay game wearing cheese bras. No one complained, in fact they became famous. Sondra Fortunato this is to you :thumbs up:

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Giants need another sack — to cover a flamboyant fan who wears skimpy outfits.

Sondra Fortunato went to Giants Stadium last week wearing a Santa Claus outfit, a tiara, fishnet stockings, a bathing suit bottom and high-heeled boots.

She also had a suitcase and two 11-by-17 signs reading "Go Giants" and "Have a No Guns Christmas," referring to the team's wide receiver shooting himself in the leg.

She insists nothing naughty was showing even though she's "well-endowed." As the middle-aged woman puts it, "You couldn't even see my underwear."

The Giants apparently saw it another way.

Security escorted her out, saying signs and baggage weren't allowed and telling her to cover up because there were children present. She figures other women "got jealous and complained."

Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com

Pete Carroll Night Job Pete Carroll Pete Carroll 60 Minutes

2008-12-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

It seems like 60 minutes had another great broadcast when they interviewed Pete Carroll tonight. Carroll who has been doing a night job was interviewed right after the Ravens vs. Steelers game.

Source: http://ratevin.com/story.php?title=Pete_Carroll_Night_Job_Pete_Carroll_Pete_Carroll_60_Minutes

Lost in the euphoria Saturday -- the gutty little Bruins showing up, not quitting against USC as if that's some sort of victory and recording four whole wins this season against teams not worthy enough to merit bowl invites -- was yet another amazing accomplishment by Pete Carroll.

Not to say he won't get teased, prodded and even poked in the weeks to come on Page 2, but the admiration for the guy here grows every year.

OK, so there was lots of room to grow after contending from the start he wouldn't make it, but that was after watching him try to follow Bill Parcells as coach of the New England Patriots.

But now, coaching unpredictable kids as he does, he has shown an uncanny ability to consistently get their attention and get the best out of them.

Seven straight BCS appearances, seven straight seasons of at least 11 wins, and seven Pac-10 titles in a row in this upset era is just greatness at work.

A few folks e-mailed, though, with a "ha ha" for USC for not making the championship game, and to criticize Carroll for allowing his team to enjoy itself too much.

The Orange County Register highlighted one comment in Monday's newspaper from Huntington Beach's Bev Airhart: "Pete Carroll says that's just USC being USC. You mean immature, taunting, and arrogant? Such a non-class football team! Hopefully they'll be humbled and humiliated in the Rose Bowl -- then their antics can be squashed while Penn St. does their own dancing."

Penn State doesn't have a chance against USC, but then I understand frustrated UCLA fans wanting to knock the cross-town rival and diminish the coach's achievements because they don't have a football team to follow anymore this season.

They probably had their hearts set on following the team to yet another Emerald Bowl.

But it's another UCLA shortcoming if folks don't recognize and even admire the emphasis Carroll places on competing for the fun of it all. He has also done something that is probably the hardest thing to do today in sports -- remain on top.

It's true, the Trojans will not be in the BCS title game, finishing the season with the same number of losses as Oklahoma, Florida and Texas, and then losing the subjective argument.

Some years they're going to make their point with voters and computers and win that argument, and some years they're going to have to settle for the Rose Bowl.

But for the last seven years Carroll has put the Trojans in the hunt with the very best, and as UCLA knows, that's almost impossible to imagine right now, let alone accomplish.

YOU AND I might know DeWayne Walker has done a solid job coaching defense at UCLA, but it's ridiculous to make a case there's something wrong because another school won't name him head coach.

When it comes time to fire up boosters, sell tickets and hype hope with a school's introduction of a new coach, a 17-21 record in his three years at UCLA isn't going to excite anyone.

Harlem Globetrotter Chris "Flash" Richardson dies in his sleep

2008-12-12T06:43:00.001-08:00

Chris Richardson, a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, has died in his sleep while on tour in Japan.

Although the cause of death is not yet confirmed, Richardson likely died of natural causes, according to a Globetrotters spokesman.

The players were on their 83rd consecutive season and stopped at a US military base in Sasebo, Japan.

The spokesman said the organisation was still in shock over Richardson's death.

The 2.01m Richardson played at University of Nevada Las Vegas and joined the Globetrotters shortly after his college career ended.

Richardson was known for his dunking skills.

"He was a great Globetrotter on and off the court. He just had a very engaging smile that would light up the room," the spokesman said.

Matt Cassel's father passes away

2008-12-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

This has to really suck for someone. Especially someone who is in the limelight for the first time in his life. I really feel for him and am Sorry that this happened. At least Cassel's father was able to watch his son play in the NFL though.

Greg Cassel, the father of Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, has passed away, a league source confirmed to the Globe.

In a profile of Matt Cassel by the Globe's Bob Hohler in September, Greg Cassel was described as "longtime Hollywood script writer who never hit it big but kept trying, even after he launched a second career as a horse trainer."

Greg and Barbara Cassel divorced in 1996, and Matt and his three siblings were raised by his mother, though, according to Hohler's article, Greg Cassel remained influential in his kids' lives and was "instrumental in coaching and raising the children before the divorce."

Cassel is not expected to practice with the team today, as he has plans to return home. He is a native of Northridge, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles. It is uncertain whether this will further impact Cassel's preparation or availability for Sunday's game.

Patriots players were off yesterday, but preparations for the Raiders begin today at San Jose State. The team traveled from Seattle to San Jose Sunday night following a 24-21 victory over the Seahawks, and will stay there this week.

by Chad Finn

Arena Football To Suspend Operations In 2009

2008-12-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

Well this sucks. I had a damn tryout for the Arena Football League to in a few weeks. Oh well. I guess the dream is finally over. Maybe I can try out with this new football league that is coming out.

By TEREZ A. PAYLOR

The Kansas City Star

It appears the Arena Football League will cancel its 2009 season.

Pete Likens, the director of communications for the Kansas City Brigade, told The Star on Wednesday that the players union agreed to the decision to suspend the season, and owners will hold a final vote on the matter, probably later Wednesday.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Likens said the owners will likely approve the one-year hiatus.

“It’s pretty much a done deal to suspend the 2009 season and work toward a single entity-league,” Likens said. “We plan to start up again in 2010, if the owners vote this way. We’re prepared to play this year, and/or next.”

The league released a statement on Wednesday insisting that no decision about the 2009 season has been reached:

“Despite rumors and reports to the contrary, all AFL teams are continuing to work toward ArenaBowl XXIII. As it has previously stated, the AFL continues to work on long-term structural improvement options.

“Some of the options may impact the 2009 season,” the statement continued. “There is currently no timetable for an announcement of any kind.”

Speculation about the cash-strapped league’s future has intensified in recent days, as it became apparent that a $100 million deal the AFL announced in October with Platinum Equity, LLC, was in limbo.

In the deal, Platinum Equity would have purchased a large share of the 22-year old league and would have operated the AFL as a single entity. The deal would have given the 16-team league the infusion of capital it sorely needed, but it was supposed to have been finalized last month.

Likens said canceling the 2009 season gives owners more time to find another investor or explore other financial options. “The league would like to better organize it itself to enable more teams to operate on a profitable basis,” Likens said.

The decision, should the owners approvie, would not come as a big surprise. The league had not released a schedule for the 2009 season — which customarily opens March 1 — and several times delayed the start of free agency and the dispersal draft for the New Orleans VooDoo, which folded in October. Also, no site had been announced for ArenaBowl XIII.

The Brigade has operated the last three seasons in Kansas City, playing at Kemper Arena for two seasons before moving into the new Sprint Center in 2008.

Yankees closing in on signing Sabathia

2008-12-10T07:58:00.001-08:00

I wonder with the signing of CC Sabithia will the Yankees be able to return to the top of baseball. Or if they are going to continue their slippery slope until they find a better manager. I think the Yankees have a good enough owner so I don't think the problem is with him.

USA TODAY's in-season baseball blog, the Daily Pitch, is being revived during this week's winter meetings to keep up with all the activity in Las Vegas. Reporters Paul White, Jorge L. Ortiz and Bob Nightengale are on site, and will be filing periodic updates each day on the latest developments.

The New York Yankees moved into the driver's seat Tuesday night in their attempt to lure free-agent starter CC Sabathia as general manager Brian Cashman flew to San Francisco to meet him for the third consecutive day.

The Yankees aren't saying they are close to signing him, already offering $140 million over six years, but they're ready to sign on the dotted line whenever Sabathia is ready.

Meanwhile, the New York Post is already reporting the big left-hander will accept the deal. ESPN says the contract would total $160 million over seven years ($22.86M per season).

Just perhaps, Yankees manager Joe Girardi suggests, Sabathia is warming up to New York, after all.

"CC has pitched in New York, he's pitched in New York in the playoffs and he was in the American League for a long time," Girardi says. ""He knows what New York is about, and I think CC's personality would work very well in New York."

The San Francisco Giants, meanwhile, are hoping to step in the way. The Giants are considering a meeting with Sabathia and his agents in the Bay Area after the winter meetings.

"If we decide we're going to get involved we will have a meeting and make our presentation," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. "But we're not there yet. …We don't have any expectations. He's certainly playing the field. There's no pressure on us to do something or to sign him. It's a fallback position to look at because there's player interest, and why wouldn't we be interested if he is? It's as simple as that."

—-

Free agent starter Rafael Furcal and agent Paul Kinzer says he has narrowed his free-agent list to four teams: the Oakland A's, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Kansas City Royals.

The trouble, of course, is that Furcal has already rejected a four-year offer exceeding $35 million from the A's, and is seeking a contract that will pay him close to the $13 million average salary he earned with the Dodgers.

Meanwhile, Furcal was so enthused about Andruw Jones playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, the free agent shortstop greeted his onetime Dodgers and Braves teammate at the airport.

Jones, trying to revive a career that has taken a precipitous decline, arrived Tuesday in the Dominican. He's following Furcal's suggestion and will play for the Aguilas Cibaenas – beginning no later than the weekend – after knee injuries and atrocious hitting (.158) limited him to 209 at-bats in his first season in Los Angeles.

Furcal told the Dominican media he plans to join the Aguilas squad shortly after he signs his next major league contract.

—-

Known as an innovator, A's GM Billy Beane likes the idea of going back to the past, at least when it comes to the bullpen.

The trade of Huston Street to the Rockies left Oakland with two young candidates to assume the closer's role next year in Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler.

Given their different styles – Devine can be overpowering, while the side-arming Ziegler tries to induce grounders – the A's will consider the relievers sharing closing roles depending on the situation. That would allow one to be available for crucial innings before the ninth.

"Your best bullpen guy should theoretically be there in the highest-leverage situation," Beane said.

"A lot of times that might be the eighth inning."

Ziegler set a rookie record with 39 consecutive scoreless innings before yielding his first run, and he collected 11 saves after Street faltered. Devine posted an 0.59 ERA in 45 2/3 innings.

There may be room for both in the ninth inning.

"If I as a GM were going to create a perfect bullpen, I'd do I the old White Herzog way," Beane said. "If this guy matches up better and this guy's through the eighth, let him finish it out. We've created that position (of closer) over the last 15-20 years, but that's not the way it used to be."

Beane also said he interviewed Rick Down, currently an advance scout with the Giants, for the job of hitting coach. He would replace Ty Van Burkleo, who left to join Don Wakamatsu's staff in Seattle as the bench coach.

—-

The rumor mill creates some strange combinations. Dodgers manager Joe Torre was asked what he thought about reports that the Red Sox might have some interest in longtime Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, who Torre managed in New York.

"Andy came through the Yankee organization," Torre said. "I know in Don Mattingly's case, he was even holding his breath that the Red Sox didn't draft his son for obvious reasons, the fact that the rivalry was so strong. Yeah, I would find it hard to believe that Andy would go there."

—-

The winter meetings are awash with rumors, most untrue and many contradictory. With many members of an organizaition moving around between meetings and negotiations, even communication within an organization can get muddled.

Consider this exchange between Red Sox manager Terry Francona and a reporter:

"Did you meet with C.C. (Sabathia)?" the reporter asked.

Francona: "Did I? No, not to my knowledge. Did Theo (Epstein, Red Sox general manager) say we did?"

Reporter "I haven't seen Theo."

Francona: "I haven't done much, to be honest with you. I would bet that Theo is checking in with everybody. I'm answering that a little bit vaguely because I don't know exactly what he did."

Reporter: "But were you part of the group that met with C.C.?"

Francona: "I was upstairs. I didn't do much today."

Reporter: "So, no, you were not part of it?"

Francona: "I'm pleading the fifth on that one only because I don't know. I apologize. That's a weak answer. What did Theo say?"

Reporter: "He said he met with a free agent but he didn't say who."

Francona: "That's what I say. That's my answer. I said, 'Theo, I need to talk to you before I go out and talk to the media,' and I whiffed on him."

—-

While high-profile free agents are lining up their next jobs, plenty of other job seekers are visible at the winter meetings.

Among them are players such as Michael Tucker, who hasn't played in the majors since 2006. Tucker, 37, says he so far hasn't been able to convince a club to even give him a non-roster invitation to spring training.

Then there's former Astros and Angels manager Terry Collins, who spent the past two seasons managing in Japan. He's ready to return to the USA in whatever still undetermined position he can land. He's under consideration for at least a short-term job as the manager of China's entry in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Jim Lefebvre, another former major league manager, handled the Chinese team in this year's Olympics.

NFL Week 15 Power Rankings

2008-12-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Me being a Packer Fan I really can't say anything for the rest of the season. But here is the NFL week 15 Power Ranking for those who are still in it to win it.

13 games down, only 3 left in what has been a wild season. Teams came out of nowhere and are dominating the league, like the Titans, and other teams who had huge expectations (Patriots, Colts, Chargers) have been disappointing, and are trying to salvage whatever they can out of the season.

Top 10

1. The Titans move back into the top spot after crushing the Browns, who beat the #2 Giants, who lost again this week to the Eagles. They also clinched their division, but they weren't the only ones.

2. The Giants also clinched their division, despite a loss to the Eagles. The Cowboys loss gave them all the cushion they needed, and now they can almost coast into the postseason, especially if they clinch a bye next week.

3. No one was able to beat the Cowboys since the return of Tony Romo, until the Steelers stopped them by coming back from a 10 point deficit halfway through the 4th quarter. Huge win for the Steelers.

4. Their MNF victory over the Bucs definitely made a statement in the NFC South and gave them a little breathing room. However, the Bucs still have the tiebreakers if the Panthers stumble, so they can't afford a letdown.

5. Their defense is getting it done for them once again. Only 10 points allowed against the Redskins, and the rookie-laden offense is getting in the mix as well. Joe Flacco is even better than advertised.

6. In any other division in the AFC, the Colts would be the favorites to win it right now, with the way they're playing despite Joseph Addai's weekly injury/collapse. Thanks to the Titans, they're only fighting for a wild card. But they'll get it.

7. They got worked over by the Panthers quite a bit on MNF, but this is still a good team, and despite the 38 points scored on them, it's still a pretty good defense. It should be a great game next week against the Falcons.

8. Their collapse in the 4th quarter against the Steelers was stupefying. Aside from the last 8 minutes of that game, they were the better team. But Tony Romo's propensity to fail in clutch situations is becoming far too prominent.

9. Matt Ryan is so good, I believe most of the country was shocked when the Falcons had the ball with 5 minutes left and didn't score to take the lead. One of the few times he hasn't been able to pull it off.

10. Another team that clinched a division title on Sunday, the Cardinals won their division for the first time since 1975, and their first time ever in Arizona. Congratulations to them on the great improvement.

BOTTOM 5

28. They played the Patriots reasonably well, but still manages to squeak out the loss. That's the sign of a truly bad football team, when they can take a nearly guaranteed win and make it a loss.

29. Another week, another loss. This time, it was to the Cardinals. They need to win 2 out of the last 3 for Jim Haslett to keep his job. Sorry, coach, I just don't see it. But good luck anyway!

30. Not a lot of shaking up the bottom 5, since they all lost anyway. The Chiefs lost to the Broncos, who could become the worst team in a long time to clinch a division in week 15 with a win next week.

31. After getting smoked by the Colts, the Bengals only need one more loss to finish the season 0-8 on the road. Not as impressive as the Lions possibly going 0-16, but impressive nonetheless.

0-16 WATCH: The dream is alive and well, with the Lions escaping from a perilous near-victory against the Vikings. Looks like the Saints want to play football again, so the biggest worry might now be the Packers.

Fan IQ- "Week 15 NFL Power Rankings" www.faniq.com/blog/Week-15-NFL-Power-Rankings-Blog-15763

Ron Santo could be Hall of Famer by noon today

2008-12-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

I don't know much about Ron Santo or Baseball for that matter, but I thought I would post this article that I found who seems to know a lot more than me about the sport. I am more of a Football Guy when it comes to sports. Ron Santo looks like somebody who deserves to be in Baseballs Hall of Fame.

BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com

LAS VEGAS -- Cubs legend Ron Santo could use an 11 a.m. wakeup call today -- just to allow him to sleep a little better.

The Cubs' beloved announcer and nine-time All-Star third baseman is the favorite among 10 finalists on the veterans committee post-1942-players ballot for Hall of Fame induction today. And while he's trying to temper his emotions leading up to the announcement (noon Chicago time), he admits sleeping hasn't been easy of late.

''I've been rolling around a little bit, no doubt about it,'' Santo, who was the top vote-getter the last time the veterans committee convened and failed -- for the third straight time -- to elect a new member, said from his Scottsdale, Ariz., home.

The revamped system -- which this time narrowed the field to a finalist list before a final vote -- along with pressure on the committee to elect somebody may at last open the door for Santo to join teammates Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins in the Hall. He must be named on at least 75 percent of ballots submitted by up to 64 eligible voters.

''Nothing's going to change in my life if I don't get in,'' he said. ''I believe what I've done in baseball is Hall of Fame, and that would satisfy me immensely,'' he said. ''But it's not going to make a difference to [family, friends and fans who have reached out]. They're still going to be around if I don't get in. That's what means a lot to me.

''Am I excited about it? I've been so disappointed. This is my best chance, so don't get me wrong. But I thought I had a great chance [the past two elections]. You don't know.

''Hopefully, this is the year.''

Covered bridges half marathon - Back to back for Marathon

2008-12-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

By Stephen Maher World sports editor
Posted November 25, 2008

WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee Marathon/Half-Marathon and the adult Ridge to River Relay will be held the same weekend next spring.

The marathon/half-marathon and its other races (10-kilometer run, relay run and kids run) will unfold Saturday, April 18. The adult Ridge to River is scheduled for Sunday, April 19.

The Jr. Ridge to River will be held April 4.

Ted Finegold, marathon co-director, said his event took the only available date left in April. The two Ridge to River races and the Apple Blossom Festival carnival had already booked the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail. The other option was to hold the marathon over Easter weekend (April 11-12), but that was nixed.

“We would have preferred to be on a different weekend, obviously,” Finegold said. “But after four years now, we have become a fixture on the running calendar so we need to stay an April race.”

The marathon event attracted more than 500 runners — many from outside of North Central Washington — this past April. Finegold said he had some concerns about hotel room availability, but hotel officials told him that Ridge to River has largely become a local race now and there should be enough rooms.

Some people may participate on both days.

“It just depends on a person’s fitness level,” said Finegold, whose wife, Lynda, is a former Ridge to River ironwoman champion. “We see the highest percentage of local participants in the marathon relay, in which each leg is a short distance. ... I can see more of those people doing both races, because a 6 or 3 mile run is easier to recover from than a half-marathon or marathon.

“We tend to see the ‘Average Joe’ more at running events than at multi-sport races, because multi-sport races command a bigger time committment and cost for equipment, and the events are more technical. It’s cheaper, easier and takes less time to a slap on a pair of running shoes.”

In another change, the marathon/half-marathon will start and finish at the Wenatchee Performing Arts Center next spring. The races previously began at Centennial Park and ended at Riverfront Park.

“It’s easier on the city for road closure to shorten up the Wenatchee Avenue section of the race, and it gives us covered space if the weather doesn’t cooperate,” Finegold said. “Plus, it’s always preferable from a racer’s and organizer’s perspective to start and finish in the same spot, to avoid shuttling around.”

The 26.2-mile marathon takes runners a couple times around the loop trail along the waterfront. The half-marathon also uses the loop trail, but after crossing the Odabashian Bridge and heading south for about three miles, runners turn around and head back to town.

Visanthe Shiancoe Penis Exposed (Photos) By FOX In Vikings Lockeroom

2008-12-08T06:35:00.000-08:00

Well Doh! I knew they were Biqueens, but this is ridiculous. They would never do this if it was a bunch of females. I do feel Bad for Visanthe. It must have been very cold though to say the least for him. I am a Packer fan so I am loving this as it now causes a distraction for the team. They will be scared to changed in the locker room now.

by Jim Brogan

Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe penis makes National TV appearance - Visanthe Shiancoe was the Vikings' top receiver Sunday, with five catches for 65 yards.

He even scored the go-ahead TD on an 11-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately, Shiancoe was also the subject of an embarrassing TV gaffe in the locker room afterward that caused the shirts at Fox to issue an apology.

Shiancoe was inadvertently shown naked while a Fox camera crew taped owner Zygi Wilf's presentation of the game ball to coach Brad Childress' 19-year-old son, Andrew, who joined the Marine Corps yesterday.

Shiancoe was standing behind and to the side of Wilf with a towel partly covering his body and offered a full-frontal while adjusting the towel.

If you are a man then suffice to say - you probably would like something to take your mind off that last image. So we present to you:

Top 10 Cheerleader Scandals Inspired By Bothell High School Cheerleaders Racy Photos

NFL week 14 picks

2008-12-04T07:32:00.001-08:00

Week 14

Oakland at San Diego
Jacksonville at Chicago
Cleveland at Tennessee
Philadelphia at New York Giants
Minnesota at Detroit
Houston at Green Bay
Atlanta at New Orleans
Cincinnati at Indianapolis
Miami at Buffalo
New England at Seattle
Kansas City at Denver
New York Jets at San Francisco
St Louis at Arizona
Dallas at Pittsburgh
Washington at Baltimore
Tampa Bay at Carolina

st anthony s triathlon

2008-12-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

I have never been able to do a triathlon. I can't even do one sport good much less put three together. I have to hold anyone doing this in high regard because the three sports they are going to do are going to test multiple strengths in certain areas.

A local company on the international sports stage for decades is changing the way triathletes measure success.

And it's being helped in part by a world championship held in its backyard.

The Ironman brand is most often associated with the legendary and grueling 140.6-mile triathlon born on Waikiki, Hawaii, 31 years ago. That race and the ensuing international series have emerged as a pinnacle for the sturdiest of endurance athletes, including many with local ties.

As its contests expanded to exotic race venues such as Malaysia, South Africa and Australia, Ironman quietly made Tarpon Springs its corporate headquarters. And it was in those offices that the company decided three years ago to rebrand a few existing races and establish the increasingly popular 70.3-mile series, which features a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.

Steve Meckfessel, Ironman's 70.3 events coordinator, says the distance is perfect for athletes who want the challenge of an endurance triathlon but can't afford the effort it takes to finish a 140.6-mile race.

"Ironman is so intense, only so many people can have the time and resources," he says.

Since the Ironman 70.3 series launched in 2006, the number of events has grown from 17 to 29, with locations as close as Orlando and as far-flung as Singapore. Three more events have been added to the 2009 calendar.

The most important component of the Ironman 70.3 series was the creation of the 70.3 World Championship, held in Clearwater Beach, says Ben Fertic, Ironman president and chief executive. The world championship will be held locally through at least 2010.

It gave the local company a chance to introduce its neighbors to a world-class sporting event featuring elite professional and top amateur endurance athletes who had qualified in earlier series races, he says. And a venue using the Gulf of Mexico and the roads around Clearwater attracted international athletes and their families in the slow season for local tourism.

Meckfessel says the best evidence of this "medium" or "long-course" distance success is how it continues to add to the number of participants in each of its Ironman races. Some, including May's Florida Ironman 70.3 in Orlando, fill up in a matter of hours, he says. There also are a number of other 70.3 distance races not affiliated with the Ironman series.

Recreational triathletes are intrigued by the long-course race, says Hannah Kelbaugh, a spectator at the recent world championship and a member of the Sarasota Sharks Triathlon Club. She says more and more of her fellow club members are training for 70.3 events that offer a bigger challenge than the short distances.

"You can just lay it all out there," says Kelbaugh, who cheered on five teammates who qualified for the world championship. "There's a lot of respect for the 70.3 distance."

The Ironman 70.3 success piggybacks on the massive growth of the overall triathlon community. USA Triathlon, a national triathlon organization not affiliated with Ironman, says its membership has exploded, going from 19,060 members in 1999 to 96,000 in 2007.

The most popular distance today is still far shorter than 70.3 miles; the international distance is made up of a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run). St. Petersburg's renowned St. Anthony's triathlon features this distance, as do many other local races.

Fertic knows not every triathlete will compete at the longer distances. Ironman statistics show that the typical 70.3 athlete is a 37-year-old male, who makes about $161,000 a year. About 30 percent of competitors at the 70.3 distance are female.

Fertic suggests those interested in triathlons start at the shorter distances. All you need are goggles, running shoes and a bike you can borrow from a neighbor or friend. "There's always an entry point," he says.

Spencer Smith, a professional triathlete and two-time champion at both St. Anthony's and full-distance Ironman events, agrees. The shorter distances are fast and fantastic, but the endurance events respect older athletic bodies.

"Triathlons are a lifestyle," says Smith, a Palm Harbor resident. "It's not something you want to do and leave. ... It's something you get your claws into and you want to keep doing it."

IRONMAN

Long-distance triathlon series

140.6-mile race established in 1977 in Waikiki, Hawaii

70.3-mile series established in 2006, including world championship in Clearwater Beach

Ownership

September to present: World Endurance Holdings, a division of Providence Equity Partners. Headquarters in Tampa.

1989-2008: World Triathlon Corp., owned by ophthalmologist James P. Gills. Headquarters in Tarpon Springs.

By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in leg at nightclub

2008-11-29T11:04:00.000-08:00

I thought there was enough black on black violence in the world already. This is beyond stupid. Burress really shot himself in the foot on this one. Pun intended.

New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was accidentally shot in the leg at a nightclub, it was reported Saturday.

ESPN.com and Fox Sports.com said the wound was not life threatening. It was not clear at what club the shooting took place. The Fox Web site said Burress spent the night in the hospital.

"I don't have anything for you at this stage," team spokesman Pat Hanlon told The Associated Press from Giants Stadium before the Super Bowl champions left for a flight to Washington for a Sunday game against the Redskins.

Repeated phones calls to Burress' home and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, were not immediately returned.

Police in Totowa, N.J., where Burress lives during the season, and New York City, where he occasionally visits clubs, had no reports of a shooting involving the player.

"We are gathering information, just like everyone else," NFL spokesman Joe Browne said.

Burress injured a hamstring two weeks ago against the Baltimore Ravens. The Giants said Friday he would not play Sunday.

The 31-year-old receiver was suspended for a game against Seattle on Oct. 5 and fined $117,500 for missing a team meeting and failing to notify the team of his absence. He said he had a family emergency.

He also was fined $45,000 by the NFL for his conduct during an Oct. 19 game against 49ers in which he abused an official and tossed a ball into the stands .

Burress caught the winning pass in the Giants' Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. He signed a five-year, $35 million contract hours before the season opened in September.

The signing came after an unsettling offseason during which Burress was fined $25,000 for refusing to practice during a mandatory minicamp in June. He also missed most of training camp at the University at Albany with a sprained ankle. He insisted the injury -- not his contract -- kept him off the field.

Despite his lack of practice, Burress started in the opener against Washington and caught 10 passes for 133 yards. The following week, he had five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in a win over St. Louis.

The rest of the season has not been as productive. The most passes he has caught in any game since is four in a loss to Cleveland on Oct. 13, the game which followed his suspension.

Burress has 35 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns in a season in which he has constantly drawn double coverage. His streak of receptions in 115 consecutive games ended last week in Arizona. He aggravated his hamstring injury during the first series and did not return.

It was the sixth-longest active streak in the league, dating to Nov. 26, 2000 against Cincinnati, Burress' rookie season in Pittsburgh.

Signed as a free agent in 2005, Burress had caught a pass in all 56 previous games in which he had played for the Giants.

NFL Week 13 Picks

2008-11-25T16:44:00.001-08:00

NFL Week 13 Picks: With just 4 Weeks remaining in the NFL’s regular season, playoff contending teams are beginning to heat up. In Week 12 we saw some of the best matchups, predictions, NFL Picks and payouts of the season. Brett Favre (245-347, 2461 yards, 20 TDs) and the (8-3) New York Jets shocked the world this Sunday by defeating the (10-1) Tennessee Titans in convincing (34-14) fashion. The J-E-T-S have gone from pretenders to contenders in the AFC, simply with the addition of future first ballot Hall of Famer, Brett Favre.

In Miami, Matt Cassel (359-238, 2615 yards, 13 TDs) and the (7-4) New England Patriots took sole possession of second place in the AFC East, as they went into the sunshine state and punched the (6-5) Miami Dolphins in the mouth with a dominating (48-28) performance.

And finally, Eli Manning (337-209, 2319 yards, 18 TDs) and the (10-1) New York Giants proved once again that they’re the best team in the NFL Picks with a solid (37-29) road win over the (7-4) Arizona Cardinals.

So what’s in store for NFL Week 13 Picks? SportsBook.com has posted opening Sports Odds lines for the upcoming NFL Week 13 Picks.

Lets begin this NFL Week 13 Picks with my game of the Week, which takes us to our nation’s capital for an old NFC East showdown between first and second place teams. Last NFL Picks Week, the G-Men ousted the Cardinals even without the services of two key players in Brandon Jacobs (164 carries, 879 yards, 5.4 avg., 11 TDs), A.K.A “Earth”, and stellar wide receiver Plaxico Burress (35 catches, 454 yards, 13.0 avg., 4 TDs). The ‘Skins on the other hand were able to just sneak by the Seattle Seahawks by a late field goal. This NFL Week 13 Picks, the New York Giants [-3] go into FedEx Field to take on the hosting, Washington Redskins [+3].

In another crucial NFL Week 13 Picks, the New York Jets host the struggling Denver Broncos at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. In this game, the AFC East leading, New York Jets [-9] are the Sports Odds favorites to continue their winning streak against the AFC West leading, Denver Broncos [+9].

Here’s the rest of this NFL Week 13 Picks, posted by the fine folks at SportsBook.com:

(10-1) Tennessee Titans [-11] at (0-11) Detroit Lions [+11]

(2-9) Seattle Seahawks [+13] at (7-4) Dallas Cowboys [-13]

(3-8) San Francisco 49ers [+7] at (6-5) Buffalo Bills [-7]

(7-4) Baltimore Ravens [-6½] at (1-9) Cincinnati Bengals [+6½]

(8-3) Pittsburgh Steelers [+1] at (7-4) New England Patriots [-1]

(1-10) Kansas City Chiefs [+3] at (3-8) Oakland Raiders [-3]

(6-5) Chicago Bears [+3½] at (6-5) Minnesota Vikings [-3½]

(4-7) Jacksonville Jaguars [+3½] at (4-7) Houston Texans [-3½]

Abe Luciano has taken his dominance on the hardwood, of his NBA Picks, onto the field with his NFL Picks. Last Week, Luciano unleashed a ferocious blitz on NFL Picks with a record of 7-1-1, over +64% Return On Investment and +420 Profit in Units for his clients. Not to mention his superb NBA Picks, which cannot be matched in just his first season in the bigs.

But here's the best part, according to Luciano, "the best is yet to come!" Don't wait any longer, the numbers speak for themselves. In order to win this time of year, you need a Handicapper who knows the ins and outs of the NFL Picks and NBA Picks game; someone who can point you in the right direction and delivers. Get Abe Luciano's NFL Picks Winning Packages and also, don’t forget to check out the best NBA Picks on the Web.

BCS Standings - November 23, 2008

2008-11-24T07:17:00.001-08:00

		BCS		Harris Poll			USA Today			Computer Rankings
	TEAM	BCS AVG	PRVS	RK	PTS	%	RK	PTS	%	COMP AVG	A&H	RB	CM	KM	JS	PW	%
1	Alabama	.9872	1	1	2839	.9961	1	1518	.9954	1	25	25	24	22	23	25	.970
2	Texas	.9209	3	4	2577	.9042	4	1370	.8984	2	23	23	25	24	25	24	.960
3	Oklahoma	.9125	5	3	2598	.9116	2	1412	.9259	3	22	24	21	25	22	22	.900
4	Florida	.8755	4	2	2644	.9277	3	1401	.9187	6	20	19	22	20	19	19	.780
5	USC	.7974	6	5	2387	.8375	5	1288	.8446	8	16	21	18	19	16	18	.710
6	Utah	.7858	7	8	2113	.7414	7	1153	.7561	5	24	20	23	21	21	21	.860
7	Texas Tech	.7789	2	7	2118	.7432	8	1073	.7036	4	21	22	20	23	24	23	.890
8	Penn State	.7520	8	6	2187	.7674	6	1157	.7587	7	19	16	19	17	18	20	.730
9	Boise State	.6581	9	9	1901	.6670	9	1033	.6774	10	18	15	16	15	14	17	.630
10	Ohio State	.6210	10	10	1827	.6411	10	994	.6518	12	15	17	15	12	13	14	.570
11	Georgia	.6020	11	13	1607	.5639	13	842	.5521	9	17	18	17	18	17	15	.690
12	Oklahoma State	.5705	12	12	1621	.5688	12	858	.5626	11	12	14	11	16	20	16	.580
13	Missouri	.5589	13	11	1622	.5691	11	896	.5875	13	14	13	14	13	12	11	.520
14	TCU	.4702	16	15	1268	.4449	14	695	.4557	14	13	11	10	14	15	13	.510
15	Ball State	.4379	17	14	1346	.4723	15	673	.4413	16	10	9	12	9	8	12	.400
16	Cincinnati	.3971	19	16	1101	.3863	16	572	.3751	15	11	8	13	11	11	10	.430
17	Oregon State	.3131	21	17	976	.3425	17	544	.3567	T-20	4	10	7	5	4	8	.240
18	BYU	.2625	14	18	761	.2670	19	321	.2105	17	8	12	8	6	6	9	.310
19	Michigan State	.2218	15	21	517	.1814	21	296	.1941	19	9	7	9	3	1	7	.260
20	Florida State	.1882	NR	23	401	.1407	24	204	.1338	18	7	3	6	10	10	6	.290
21	Boston College	.1862	NR	20	537	.1884	22	290	.1902	22	3	2	4	7	7	4	.180
22	Georgia Tech	.1812	NR	22	415	.1456	23	241	.1580	T-20	6	5	5	8	9	5	.240
23	Oregon	.1551	24	19	584	.2049	18	397	.2603	NR	0	6	0	0	0	0	.000
24	Northwestern	.1130	NR	24	330	.1158	20	310	.2033	T-25	2	0	2	0	0	0	.020
25	Pitt	.0413	20	25	130	.0456	26	43	.0282	23	5	0	3	0	0	2	.050

Ukrainian Andre Toptun Wins 2008 Philadelphia Marathon

2008-11-24T07:13:00.000-08:00

It probably helped that he was running in weather that he considers warm, since that is usually the type of weather Toptun lives in. What is even cooler (pun intended) was the Toptun was only one minute off the record pace.

Andre Toptun, from the Ukraine, won the 2008 Philadelphia Marathon.
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Over 18,000 runners braved the freezing temperatures to make the 26.2 mile trek across the city of Philadelphia.

The 27-year-old runner crossed the finish line after trekking over 26 miles in a time of 2 hours and 19 minutes, just one minute off the record pace. Fred Kieser, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio placed second in 2:22.45.

Vera Ovcharuk, 27, also from the Ukraine, took home the title in the women's division. Center City native Abby Dean, 37, finished second.

Toptun took control of the men's race in the first mile and never looked back. He was aiming for a time in the 2:18 range, but the weather produced far from optimal conditions.

It was a chilly start to the marathon. Temperatures at the start of the race were in the lower 20s with wind chills in the mid-teens despite the sunshine.

Organizers estimated that about 18,000 runners started the race. The course route takes runners past such historic sites as Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross House and the Liberty Bell.

For those running or supporting someone in the race, preparation for the cold weather was key.

"I had to run alone and it was cold, so the time is not too bad," Toptun said through an interpreter.

Kieser lost sight of Toptun early on, but said he was satisfied taking second.

"There was no doubt the cold slowed everything down," said Kieser, who coaches a high school girls cross country team in Cleveland. "I thought I might have a chance (at Toptun) at the eight-mile mark, but he just had too much left in the tank."

Ovcharuk waited until the 20-mile mark before making her move.

"I had never run a marathon," Ovcharuk said. "I ran slowly for the first half, then ran faster (from there)."

Dean ran the New York City Marathon just three weeks ago, but she said her time was slowed by an allergic reaction to something she ate. So she wanted to see if she could do better in her hometown.

"I was trying to break 2:40 in New York," said Dean, who does research work at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. "I had hives and an asthma attack on the course. So I knew Philly was coming up and I love this course. I decided to give it another shot."

Even though there was less wind Sunday than Saturday, any wind that does developed dropped wind chills into the teens. The wind chill measures how much colder it feels against skin with a certain wind at a certain temperature.

Syracuse shocks Notre Dame 24-23

2008-11-22T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well this sucks for me seeing how I am kinda a Notre Dame fan, but they have been down for awhle so it is to be expected. Hopefully they can start playing up to par and bring their record back up within time. Neither of these teams though look to be headed for a bowl game this season.

After getting fired by Syracuse, outgoing coach Greg Robinson helped turn up the heat on Charlie Weis at Notre Dame.

Cameron Dantley, son of one of Notre Dame's basketball greats, threw an 11-yard TD pass to Donte Davis with 42 seconds left to lead Syracuse to a 24-23 victory Saturday against the stunned and disheartened Fighting Irish.

The Orange trailed 23-10 in the fourth quarter before rallying as Notre Dame struggled mightily on offense. The Irish came away with just six points after starting four times inside the Syracuse 23-yard line.

The victory allowed Syracuse (3-8) to avoid a third 10-loss season in four years under Robinson, who was fired last week, effective the end of the season.

Dantley, the son of former NBA star Adrian Dantley, was 13-of-25 passing for 126 yards.

For the Irish (6-5), losing to a 19 1/2-underdog ranks among the worst losses in school history and leaves coach Charlie Weis with a 28-20 record in four seasons.

Weis's 58.3 winning percentage is the same that Bob Davie was fired with after five seasons and Tyrone Willingham after three. Weis has seven years left after this season on a 10-year contract.

The Irish had one last chance to win in the closing seconds. With 7 seconds left, the Irish could have run one more play before attempting a field goal, but Weis opted to go for a 53-yard field goal-attempt by Brandon Walker, whose career long is 48. His kick fell well short. Walker was 3-of-6 on field goals for the game.

The loss was at least as surprising as last year's triple overtime loss to Navy, ending a 43-game winning streak over the Midshipmen — maybe even moreso.

Freshman Antwon Bailey, who entered the game with 66 yards rushing on 13 carries, started the Orange rally with a 26-yard TD run up the middle with 12:30 left that cut the score to 23-17. Bailey finished with 126 yards rushing.

Notre Dame held the Orange to three-and-out on their next possession and had a chance to ice the game, but a 49-yard field goal attempt by Walker came up short.

The Irish had a chance to hold Syracuse to three-and-out on its next possession, but linebacker Harrison Smith — who had a key penalty that helped Pittsburgh win in overtime — was called for pass interference on third-and-1 from the Notre Dame 39. Bailey ran for 43 yards on six carries during the drive before Dantley completed a 9-yard pass to Tony Fiammetta and the game-winner to Davis.

Jimmy Clausen threw two touchdown passes to Golden Tate, but couldn't get the sputtering Irish offense going. Clausen was 22-of-39 passing for 291 yards and Tate had seven catches for 146 yards. Syracuse held Notre Dame to 41 yards rushing on 28 carries.

The Irish could have put the game away in the third quarter, but couldn't score touchdowns despite great field position.

It was an ugly game all around. The Irish, who had several highly rated recruits in for the game, were pelted by snowballs on the sideline for much of the first quarter by fans sitting on the student section. Defensive end Ethan Johnson was struck on the left cheek and several other players also were hit despite three announcements urging fans to stop.

When a snowball hit defensive tackle Pat Kuntz, he stood and faced the crowd and appeared to challenge whoever threw it to come down on the field. The snowball throwing dwindled after the first quarter.

The Irish were booed several times during the game, including Clausen on Notre Dame's next-to-last possession when on third-and-8 at the Syracuse 31, he missed a wide-open David Grimes.

It also was an embarrassing way to send out the Notre Dame seniors in their final home game.

It's a loss that ranks among the most embarrassing in Irish history, reminiscient of loss in 1950 to a 2-7 Purdue team and setback in 1972 to a Missouri team that wasx 1-10 the season before and coming off of a 62-0 loss to Nebraska.

No. 7 PSU beats down Mich. St. 49-18, heads to Rose Bowl

2008-11-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

Well I guess if you are a Penn State fan then you can start reserving your tickets for the Rose bowl if you have the money. It surely is a happy day for all of Penn State. I feel bad for MSU because of getting their butt handed to them though. Don't feel bad though, Penn is one of the best teams in the country this year and at least you didn't get shut out.

Regardless of whether he stays or goes, Joe Paterno has Penn State back atop the Big Ten and headed to the Rose Bowl.

Daryll Clark threw for career-highs of 341 yards and four touchdowns and a stingy defense held Javon Ringer to a season-low 42 yards as the No. 7 Nittany Lions clinched BCS bid with a 49-18 victory against No. 17 Michigan State on Saturday.

Coaching again from the press box because of a sore hip, Paterno surely smiled after Penn State (11-1, 7-1) secured a share of the conference title and the school's first trip to Pasadena since 1995.

Whether it was JoePa's last game at Beaver Stadium remains unclear, as the Hall of Famer doesn't have a contract after this season. Both he and the school president have said Paterno doesn't need one to stay on a job he's had a record 43 seasons.

"Joe Paterno! Joe Paterno!" yelled fans in the stands midway through the fourth quarter as they turned and waved at the coach in the press box.

Paterno hasn't talked about quitting, and he's dropped hints of late that he plans to return in 2009.

It was a memorable day nonetheless in Happy Valley.

The Nittany Lions claimed a share of the Big Ten title with Ohio State, which beat Michigan earlier Saturday.

But Penn State owns the conference's automatic BCS bid by virtue of its 13-6 win over the Buckeyes earlier this year. Some players tried to get defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who's taken the lead role on the sideline with Paterno in the press box, to hold a rose in his mouth in the closing seconds.

Bradley tried stay serious, fighting back a smile, as the players celebrated.

The final home game for Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and 15 other Penn State seniors ended with the school joining Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Nebraska and Ohio State as programs with 800 victories.

Butler caught three TDs in his last home game, and, fittingly, Williams and fellow senior captain Anthony Scirrotto played integral roles in helping Penn State build a 28-0 lead late in the first half.

Under pressure, Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer rushed a pass over the middle. Scirrotto stepped in front for an interception at the Spartans 46, returning it 14 yards.

On the next play, Williams made a leaping catch at the 2 on a pass from Clark with Spartans safety Danny Fortener right on the receiver's back. Williams' momentum carried him into the end zone for a score and Penn State's four-touchdown lead.

The Spartans (9-3, 6-2) went to a hurry-up offense late in the first half to finally break through, and Ringer, third in the nation in rushing coming into the game, plunged in from the 1 with 22 seconds left to cut it to 28-7. It was Ringer's 21st touchdown of the seson, tying him with Jehuu Caulcrick (2007) for most in school history.

But the game was too far out of reach by then.

After struggling in the first half the last three weeks, Penn State's spread HD offense clicked all day, with Clark finishing 16-of-26 passing. Williams had 51 yards receiving on four catches.

Jordan Norwood had a career-high 127 yards on five receptions. All of Butler's receptions were for touchdowns, from four, 59, and a 70-yarder that gave Penn State a 42-7 lead in the third quarter.

The second half was a mere formality before the 109,000-plus fans at Beaver Stadium could officially celebrate Penn State's first conference title since 2005, when the Nittany Lions also shared it with the Buckeyes.

"We are ... Penn State!" roared through the stands in the game's waning minutes.

Apple Cup 2008: A bushel of bad football

2008-11-22T17:37:00.000-08:00

I would of thought this was between the Cincinnati Bengals vs. the Detroit Lions, but this is pretty much just as bad. WASHINGTON (0-10, 0-7) AT WASHINGTON STATE (1-10, 0-8) should be a very entertaining game to say the least. I hope. They should go out and try their hardest to come away with at least one win this season if you are Washington.

PULLMAN -- The sun shone here Friday, but the forecast said freezing rain might coat the turf at Martin Stadium just before the kickoff of Saturday's Apple Cup.

In other words, both teams will be on thin ice.

Both teams are troubled and on the verge of plunging to depths never before realized by their respective programs. Regardless, there is a game to play -- a rivalry game, at that.

Because of that, the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars will strap on their gear and attempt to heat up the field.

"There's a natural energy around this game that everyone is affected by," Huskies lame-duck coach Tyrone Willingham said. "Everyone is kind of drawn to it. You know there's something different about this week.

"There will be a lot of conversations in this state. Everyone will have something to say about it good, bad or indifferent."

Most of what has been said is bad.

The Huskies are 0-10. Their coach has been fired. They did not win a home game for the first time in the history of Husky Stadium, are one loss away from the most in program history and two losses away from being the only winless UW team.

The Cougars aren't much better, coming into the game 1-10, with the lone victory coming over Portland State of the Football Championship Subdivision. Under first-year coach Paul Wulff, the Cougars own the worst defense statistically in the history of the Pac-10 and are last in the Football Bowl Subdivision in turnover margin.

But there are still reasons to believe this game will be competitive. Misery loves company, right?

Two anemic offenses will try to move the ball against two Swiss cheese-like defenses.

The Huskies have scored four offensive touchdowns in the past five games and been held to under 200 yards in three of the past four.

They bottomed out a week ago, producing just 39 passing yards as part of a paltry seven-point, 135-yard effort against UCLA.

Offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said, "It started after the USC game. I thought we were starting to get better and do some things offensively. But after the USC game we've regressed every week, and that has to change to win a football game."

Injuries have hurt the Huskies, especially in the backfield, where they have not established a consistent starter at running back all season.

Freshman Terrance Dailey has started the most games with four in a row, but a hip pointer kept him out for all but one play against UCLA.

Sophomore Brandon Johnson stepped in, rushing 20 times for 75 yards and scoring the lone touchdown, but a death in the family kept him out of all but one practice this week.

Dailey and redshirt freshman Willie Griffin battled for the starting spot against Washington State, and Willingham said, "We'll see who shows up to line up and play."

What that back will face is a three-down lineman defensive scheme -- something the Cougars switched to just two weeks ago.

"I don't know why they went to their odd front, but they went to the odd front the last couple weeks, and I think it's helped them a little bit," Lappano said.

"I know you're looking at me saying, 'But look at the numbers,' but they played Arizona State pretty good in the first half. It was 10-0. I think (the front) has given them a little bit of a lift."

Washington State coach Paul Wulff is simply trying to maximize what he gets out of his healthy players.

Tackle Matt Eichelberger was moved out of the starting lineup and replaced by Toby Turpin in the middle. A'i Ahmu and Matt Mullennix are on the ends and are capable of applying pressure.

"They played well against us a year ago, and they're playing hard right now," Lappano said. "I don't think they've lost their fight at all."

Many outsiders have questioned that when it comes to the Huskies.

But defensive coordinator Ed Donatell warns fans not to mistake youthful mistakes and frustration with surrender.

"These are so young guys, and I see us getting better before worse, so we'll make it through it," he said.

With as many as 10 regulars set to play in their first Apple Cup, Donatell guaranteed a renewed sense of hope.

"After the SC game we felt we had the opportunities against ASU and UCLA, and our guys really believed in those games," Donatell said.

"(But) this is the Apple Cup. They all matter. No matter what the year has been, you throw out the records and you go play this one. It's about competition. Our guys? We have no choice but to believe."

WASHINGTON (0-10, 0-7) AT WASHINGTON STATE (1-10, 0-8)

Missed kicks end Cal Poly's upset bid vs. Wisconsin

2008-11-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

I hate it for fans of Cal Poly, but my team is Wisconsin. Well it would be if I was into college football that much. I am more of a Texas fan too, but don't tell my mom. She hates Texas. Anyways hopefully Cal Poly will have better luck next year and get their program really going. Every time they have a better year then they should have better recruiting in the offseason and become a better team every year.

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin escaped an upset bid by Cal Poly of the Football Championship Subdivision, mounting a late comeback and capitalizing on three missed extra points to win 36-35 in overtime Saturday on John Clay's second touchdown of the game.

The victory improves Wisconsin to 7-5 and makes it likely the Badgers will be invited to a bowl game, a bittersweet accomplishment for a team that began the season with expectations of contending for a Big Ten title and at one point climbed into the top 10 in the rankings.

Wisconsin looked headed for another disappointing loss midway through the fourth quarter as James Noble punched it in from 2 yards to give Cal Poly a 29-21 lead. But Andrew Gardner missed his second extra point of the game, leaving an opening for the Badgers.

Wisconsin quarterback Dustin Sherer took advantage of the opportunity, marching Wisconsin 89 yards in nine plays. The drive was capped by P.J. Hill's 3-yard touchdown run. Wisconsin again handed off to Hill on the 2-point try, tying up the game.

The Mustangs had a chance to win the game with 12 seconds left after bringing in sophomore Jake West, who handles kickoffs, to try a 46-yard field goal. But West, whose long field in high school was 32 yards, came up about 15 yards short.

Cal Poly (8-2) struck back on the first play of overtime. Quarterback Jonathan Dally hit Ramses Barden for a 25-yard touchdown, the 19th straight game in which Barden has hauled in a TD pass.

But Gardner missed again, this time clanking the extra point try off the right upright.

Wisconsin gave the ball to Clay three times on its OT possession, and he scored from 6 yards out. Philip Welch kicked the extra point to seal the win. Clay rushed for 107 yards.

Cal Poly, ranked No. 3 in the FCS coaches poll, used its wing-T formation to rush for 276 yards, the most Wisconsin has given up this season. Dally led the Mustangs with 213 total yards and two scores, one through the air and one on the ground.

For Wisconsin, Hill's 59 yards rushing put him over 1,000 yards for the third straight season, only the second Badger to accomplish that.

Knicks trade away Jamal Crawford, Zack Randolph

2008-11-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

I am not really a basketball fan myself, but I am going to put this story up because it is of course about sports. I have been really been turned off from NBA since the ref debacle. But it has also made me weary towards other professional and collegiate sports.

New York, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Knicks made a couple of big trades on Friday, including a trade of guard Jamal Crawford to the Golden State Warriors for forward Al Harrington.

Later on Friday, the Knicks announced they swapped forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins to the Clippers for guard Cuttino Mobley and forward Tim Thomas.

The trades will significantly alter New York's lineup, as Randolph and Crawford had been the Knicks' top two scorers this season, with 20.5 and 19.6 points per game through 11 contests, respectively. Randolph also averaged 12.5 rebounds and Crawford posted 4.4 assists per game. Collins was averaging 2.2 points in nine games.

Moreover, the moves change the Knicks' salary cap picture for the summer of 2010. The contracts of both Crawford and Randolph run through 2010-11, while those of Harrington, Mobley and Thomas expire after next season.

To fill out their lineup in place of Randolph and Crawford, the Knicks get Harrington, who has averaged 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in five games for the Warriors this season. He has career averages of 13 points and 5.8 rebounds in 660 games over 11 NBA seasons with Indiana, Atlanta and Golden State.

Harrington was the 25th overall selection in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Pacers, when current Knicks president Donnie Walsh was in Indiana's front office.

"I drafted Al back in 1998 and I think his talents are a great fit for our style of play," Walsh said. "This trade also gives us more long-term flexibility while enabling us to remain competitive this season."

In exchange for Randolph, the Knicks received the Clippers' fourth-leading scorer this season in Mobley, who has posted 13.7 points per game in 11 contests. Thomas has averaged 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 10 games.

Mobley has career averages of 16 points and 3.9 rebounds in 747 games over 11 seasons with Houston, Orlando, Sacramento and the Clippers. In 12 NBA seasons with Philadelphia, Milwaukee, New York, Chicago, Phoenix and the Clippers, Thomas has career averages of 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds.

In his ninth NBA season, Crawford owns lifetime averages of 14.7 points and 4.1 assists in 543 games with New York and the Chicago Bulls. In his eighth season, Randolph has averaged 16.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in 467 games with Portland and the Knicks.

18,000 athletes ready for Philadelphia Marathon

2008-11-21T10:34:00.001-08:00

What started out with a field of 1,500 runners has ballooned to over 18,000 athletes that will fill the city's streets Sunday morning for the 15th annual Philadelphia Marathon.

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Runners from across the globe are expected to complete the 26.2 miles in the city's premier road race. Five races actually make up the event, which includes the marathon, a 13.1-mile half marathon, an eight-kilometer (4.97 miles) run, and two wheelchair races for the half marathon and 8K.

The race begins at 22nd Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway and winds through the city before finishing at the steps of the Art Museum.

Traditionally one of the fastest courses in the country, many professional runners will use the mostly flat course to qualify for the 113th Boston Marathon, which will be held April 20. Qualifying time for next year's race is three hours, 10 minutes for men ages 18-34 and 30 minutes more for women in the same age group.

Last year's Philadelphia Marathon men's winner, Timothy Psitet, completed the course in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 0.01 seconds to beat a field of 6,913.

But two-time race winner, Joseph Nderitu, who won in 2003 and 2005, posted the fastest time in the last six races, running 2:16.47 in '03.

Nearly as many cheer zones - places for spectators to root on runners - as there are miles in the race, will be set up throughout the course. Among the spots designated as cheer zones are at the first mile at 16th and Arch streets, the fourth mile at Front and South streets, the 14.5-mile marker at Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive and Midvale Avenue for the 17th mile, and the iconic Art Museum for the halfway point and finish line.

Winners for both the men's and women's races will receive $3,500, while cash prizes will be awarded to the other top-five male and female finishers of the marathon. A $1,000 check will also be handed out to the top finishing male and female runners who have a Philadelphia zip code.

The main races begin at 7 a.m. with the first runners expected to finish around 9:20 a.m.

20 Redskins in Pro Bowl? Pro Bowl voting

2008-11-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Looks like another NFC East team is running away with the Pro Bowl voting this year. Except this time it is not the Dallas Cowboys. It is the Washington Redskins. Hey if they are that good then why aren't they undefeated like another team that is right now. That's what I don't understand.

Randy Thomas stared in puzzled silence at the numbers for the longest time, then finally starting laughing. If the Pro Bowl voting were to end right now, the veteran right guard would be on his way to Hawaii — along with 19 of his Washington Redskins teammates.

"You've got to be kidding me," Thomas said. "Wow."

So far, it's the Redskins in a burgundy state landslide. Fans have responded in droves to an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign conducted by one of the most market-savvy teams in the NFL, putting virtually everyone in the lineup — even those who haven't played much or have played well below Pro Bowl caliber — ahead of the pack in the NFC.

"It's a surprise," said Khary Campbell — that's right, Khary Campbell — who has a lead of more than 2-to-1 over his nearest competitor in voting for special teams specialist. "But I'm happy to see our fans showing the overwhelming support they do have for us."

The Redskins' campaign has been so effective that the NFL felt the need to raise the issue in an e-mail sent last week to the digital media departments of all 32 teams by George Scott, the league's general manager, club sites, at NFL Digital Media.

"As it stands right now, the Redskins are leading the NFC ballots in 16 of 19 positions," said the e-mail, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press. "It's no surprise, given that they have been promoting this all season long. ... This would be a great weekend to promote Pro Bowl voting to your fans. Let me know if you need any ideas or support from the league (or the Redskins) in this important initiative."

Right now, eight of the 11 NFC starters on both offense and defense would be Redskins, plus all four special teams players. Shawn Springs, who has missed six games with injuries, is the leading vote-getter at cornerback. Mike Sellers has one-third of the votes for fullback, giving him a huge margin over his nearest competitor, Madison Hedgecock of the New York Giants. The Giants are 9-1, but their only vote leader is defensive end Justin Tuck.

That's not to say all 20 Redskins are shoo-ins. Fan voting on nfl.com continues through Dec. 9, and it counts for only one-third of the total. Then the coaches and players are polled separately, each counting for one-third.

But some of the leads — including Sellers' — are so large they could be tough to surmount under the complex formula the NFL uses for apportioning votes. The situation is somewhat reminiscent of last season, when the ever-popular Dallas Cowboys sent 13 players to Hawaii.

At least those Cowboys were a 13-3 team. The Redskins' decent but not spectacular record of 6-4 makes the overload of Pro Bowl love almost embarrassing, especially for a candid veteran such as Thomas, who frankly admitted he didn't think he was playing at an all-star level.

"I guess I'm critical of myself," Thomas said, "but I can always play better than what I'm been doing."

The showering of votes represents another coup for Redskins owner Dan Snyder, whose marketing ploys have been far more successful than his football moves. In the spirit of the national presidential campaign, the team launched "Vote the Redskins Ticket" in October, featuring Hall of Fame legends Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff. They were the first two faces greeting anyone who visited the team's Web site, and they graced the cover of the program at a recent home game.

"We encouraged our fans to vote for the Pro Bowl, and they responded in record numbers," team spokesman Zack Bolno said. "Our fans are always enthusiastic and supportive of the Redskins and they demonstrated their passion by voting for their favorite players."

The general concept was hardly a new one. Teams from all the major sports have been encouraging their fans to stuff all-star ballot boxes for decades, resulting in some absurd selections.

While flattered by the support from their fans, many Redskins agreed the votes from the coaches and players carry more credence. Ryan Plackemeier, the leading vote-getter among punters despite ranking 18th in average yards per kick, knows there's a good chance he's not going to stay at the top.

"I think having a big marketing thing can make a big difference if you're second or third and they (the fans) get you into first," Plackemeier said. "I don't know if you're in the middle-of-the-pack kind of thing they can bump you all the way up to first, but we'll see."

Besides, now that word is out the Redskins are dominating the voting, jealous fans across the country will take notice.

"Once other teams catch on," Plackemeier said, "they'll get some more votes for their guys."

Matt Ryans sweetie Sarah Marshall at Boston College

2008-11-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

While I think Matt Ryan is the best thing to happen to the Atlanta Falcons in a while. I don't like him. He beat my Packers earlier this year. In all honesty though it is nice to see someone like that bring up and team that has fallen like Atanta has in the past year. I never liked Michael Vick because I didn't think he was that good of a quarterback. He had an arm, but no accuracy. He was the definition of a coach killer.

While at Boston College, Ryan and his roommates Ryan Poles and Ryan Thompson spent numerous afternoons playing Madden NFL video games. The man nicknamed "Matty Ice" always chose the Falcons for one reason.

"He wanted Michael Vick so he could scramble in the backfield," Poles said.

There was only one problem.

"He usually didn't win," Thompson said, laughing.

These days, Ryan is both in Madden NFL and winning as Vick's replacement as franchise quarterback. Ryan, 23, has led the Falcons to a 6-4 start. The rookie starter's play has helped reinvigorate crowds in the Georgia Dome. There, Ryan was unbeaten in four starts until a 24-20 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Ryan's signature showing thus far might be the Falcons' 22-20 Week 6 home victory over the Chicago Bears. In the final seconds of that thriller, Ryan threw a dart to receiver Michael Jenkins for a 26-yard gain to set up the winning field goal by Jason Elam.

I try to make a conscious effort not to get blown away, but remember to go out and play the same game you've played your whole life. You're just playing against better people.

--Matt Ryan on keeping his cool

Afterward, Ryan reveled with first-year Falcons head coach Mike Smith and teammates but kept his cool, befitting how he earned his Matty Ice nickname for his coolness on the field.

"I think if you get caught up in those surreal moments and try to make it bigger than it is, that can overwhelm you," Ryan said of his NFL experience thus far.

"I try to make a conscious effort not to get blown away, but remember to go out and play the same game you've played your whole life. You're just playing against better people."

The ACC Player of the Year as a senior at Boston College, Ryan has helped resurrect a franchise left in shambles after the 2007 departures of Vick (who was imprisoned after a dogfighting conviction) and head coach Bobby Petrino (who resigned late in the season).

When the Falcons suffered those calamities en route to a 4-12 season, "we had a lot of question marks, and even the veterans didn't know if we'd be here," 13-year pro strong safety Lawyer Milloy said. "It was a total rebuilding process."

There seemed to be some debate about how to rebuild. Many pundits thought LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was the smartest choice for Atlanta's first-round pick at third overall.

But Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff had another idea.

"There were a lot of people talking about Dorsey, and we think very highly of him, but we knew we wanted a QB, one with accuracy underneath, the ability to move in the pocket, and who also had off-the-field strengths," Dimitroff said. "To us, that was the difference."

The Falcons made Ryan the first quarterback taken in the draft, and the richest, with a six-year, $72 million contract (including $34.75 million guaranteed). After the draft, Ryan immediately flew to Atlanta with his father, Mike, then bought a house and began acclimating.

"That was very important to Matt, to be settled early on," Mike Ryan said.

The fresh-faced Exton, Pa., native, who'd lived his entire life in the Northeast, soon found that he enjoyed Southern living. He particularly likes the fast-food chain Popeyes, which, along with pizza, are his self-professed weaknesses. His girlfriend, Sarah Marshall, a former BC basketball player, also moved to Atlanta, and she has become the resident cook for the two of them on weeknights.

Much of Ryan's life is, he said, "pretty regular." On Saturdays, after driving to McDonald's to pick up breakfast sandwiches for himself and his fellow Falcons quarterbacks to enjoy during their morning meeting, he's back home by 11:30 to spend the day watching college football. He'll return to the facility that evening for a final round of meetings, then head home again.

On most weeknights, he'll watch film of the week's opponent or TV shows such as his new weeknight favorite, Fox's "Fringe," or he's spending time with friends and teammates.

"The way I act and the way I am is the same as other 23-year-olds," Ryan said. "I like to watch dumb reality TV or hang out with my friends. It's really no different."

Beyond the obvious changes in lifestyle, the big difference in his regimen is digesting a pro playbook. For Ryan, the 2004 recipient of Boston College's Mall Scholar-Athlete Award, learning playbook intricacies has been yet another seamless transition.

"When we got here and had spring ball for the first time, he had absorbed the playbook within a week," Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski said of Ryan. "He's very football-smart and also a really smart kid academically. He gets it."

The highlight of Ryan's week off the field is catching the newest episode of HBO's "Entourage" on Sunday nights. If the team is traveling or playing the late game, he'll watch the reruns that air Friday evenings.

"It's kind of dorky, but that's what I look forward to," Ryan said.

That lifestyle has kept him grounded, despite the spotlight that intensifies with each win. Family, too, is a major reason Ryan said he hasn't changed. He is extremely close to his parents, Mike and Bernie, as well as his three siblings: Michael (a former Division III quarterback at Widener University), Kate and John (a senior quarterback at William Penn Charter High School, where both Michael and Matt played).

Ryan's family often travels to Atlanta on game weekends, and he spends as much time with them as possible, particularly his baby niece. Mike tells the story of a recent visit when, on Monday morning, Matt awoke early to attend an optional workout. Getting his work done early enabled him to spend more time with his family members before they left that afternoon.

"Away from football, I'm happiest just spending time with my family and friends," Ryan said. "They're some of the few people who don't ask you about football all the time, and that's nice."

His affable, child-friendly nature carries over at work: Before the Falcons' home game against the New Orleans Saints, Ryan spent several minutes fielding passes not only from teammates, but also from children given field access during the pregame warm-ups.

Take a visual survey of fans outside the Georgia Dome on Sunday mornings, and No. 2 jerseys abound.

"That's always strange when you come into the stadium and see people wearing your jersey," Ryan said. "It doesn't seem right, but it's cool. Very cool."

When he jumped into the huddle the first time and got our attention, everyone was kind of shocked, like, 'The rookie's talking to us like this.' But we respected him right away.

--Veteran Falcons C Todd McClure on QB Matt Ryan's command of the huddle

It's not just the fans whom Ryan is convincing.

"When he jumped into the huddle the first time and got our attention, everyone was kind of shocked, like, 'The rookie's talking to us like this,'" veteran center Todd McClure said. "But we respected him right away."

On the first pass of his pro career, Ryan threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Jenkins. Ryan celebrates big plays in modest fashion, rushing to congratulate the receiver or ball carrier with an aerial chest bump.

"He's got what it takes to get out there and make the big plays at the big times," backup quarterback Chris Redman said. "And he's humble. He gives everyone else credit and does things the right way."

Ryan has learned lessons, in part, from Joey Harrington, who's currently the Saints' third-string quarterback. Harrington was with Atlanta last season and throughout training camp before being released.

A former Oregon star quarterback, Harrington entered the league in 2002 as the Detroit Lions' top draft pick. Like Ryan, he was thrust into the starting role with much expectation; unlike Ryan, he finished the season 3-13 with a 59.9 passer rating.

"[Harrington] gave me some advice, and his biggest thing was, don't try to do what others tell you. You have to keep true to what it is that got you here," Ryan said.

"I didn't want to push my experiences on him, but I tried to help when he asked," Harrington said. "Matt is a great guy with a good head on his shoulders. At the same time, he still has that swagger and confidence that comes from being a star in college. You need that to be a successful QB in the NFL."

'I got the nod' -- that was all he said. I got off the phone and went nuts, but all he said were those words.

--Mike Ryan on his son Matt delivering the news that he had won the Falcons' starting job

When Ryan learned in late August that he would be the Falcons' starter, he called his father.

"'I got the nod' -- that was all he said," Mike recalls.

"I got off the phone and went nuts, but all he said were those words."

Ryan has been consistently productive, totaling 2,159 yards (11th-best among NFL QBs) and an 87.8 passer rating (13th-best) through Week 11.

His chemistry with receivers Jenkins and Roddy White as well as with running backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood has resulted in 11 touchdown passes. In 283 pass attempts, Ryan has thrown just six interceptions.

"Regardless of age, when you're the QB, you have to be a leader because everyone looks to you," backup quarterback D.J. Shockley said. "He understands that already and has taken it upon himself to be that guy."

At 6 feet, 4 inches and 220 pounds, Ryan looks as if he was born to play quarterback. But his youth coaches didn't always agree.

"In Pop Warner football, Matt played tight end, safety, you name it, but not much QB," Mike said. "He was not fast, but he was smart. He understood what needed to be done and he could throw very accurately and very well."

By the halfway point of his high school freshman season, Ryan's coach, Brian McCloskey, had given him free rein to call audibles at the line of scrimmage. Though he wasn't an immediate starter at BC, Mike said that Ryan already was being mentioned as a future star.

"In his freshman year, he was almost in the discussion right away as the future of BC football. At that point, he hadn't played a down and wouldn't for another year and a half. ... They had Brian St. Pierre and a good recruit from Maine, and here's Matt, 6-5, maybe 185 pounds soaking wet, in the mix. I was so surprised at that."

Although he's once again enduring another "first year," Ryan said he already feels comfortable reading defenses and changing a call as the play clock winds down. His smart, mature play belies his first-year status, particularly when he scrambles or gets off a quick pass.

"Matt [Ryan] makes their offensive line even better than they are," Saints rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis said after New Orleans' 34-20 loss to Atlanta. Ryan completed 16 of 23 passes for 248 yards and two scores. He didn't throw an interception and avoided being sacked.

Given that many veteran quarterbacks have struggled mightily this season, Ryan's consistently smooth showings are even more impressive.

Behind that cool demeanor, however, there is one major pet peeve.

"When guys jump offsides. That's the one thing that just drives him crazy," Jagodzinski said of Ryan.

"I feel sorry for any lineman that jumps offsides," Thompson added.

Fortunately, the Falcons are among the least penalized teams this season.

"Oftentimes, I'll look at my wife, and we're like, 'Can you believe this?'" Mike Ryan said.

The Ryans aren't the only ones. Now, behind Ryan, Turner, White, Elam, and defensive standouts such as Milloy and John Abraham, the Falcons are bidding for the NFC South title. The third-place Falcons are two games behind the division-leading Carolina Panthers, who visit the Georgia Dome for a crucial game Sunday.

"This town wants someone to rally behind, and he's going to be the guy if he keeps playing like he's been playing," McClure said.

Said Milloy: "As each week goes by, you realize that this guy is for real."

Although Ryan might be a favorite to be named rookie of the year, there are moments when he can remain incognito, even in Atlanta.

Wide receiver Brian Finneran tells the story of a preseason auto accident involving himself, Ryan (who was driving) and Shockley.

"We were sitting at a light, it was raining and wet out, and this knucklehead came around the corner too fast and skidded into us. Matt took it like he would anything else, just called the cops and filed a report," Finneran recalled.

"But the guy who hit us didn't realize who we were. He kept asking, 'Are you guys going to the gym?' since we're all fairly big and in our workout gear. We laughed and said, 'Yeah, we're going to the gym,' until we finally told him who we were."

One place you won't find Ryan is the Web-networking phenomenon Facebook -- at least, not anymore.

"Our junior year, when he was starting to be known as a good player, he was on Facebook," Poles said. "But 90 percent of his friends' list was male. There were hardly any girls. We used to rip him apart for that -- here's one of the top QBs in college, and almost all his friends were guys. That's why he's no longer on there."

When the offseason rolls around, Ryan said he'll be ready to catch up on sleep. He'll also devote some days to golf (he often plays in a foursome with his dad and two brothers), spend time at the beach with his family and watch his other favorite sport, basketball.

"In college, I don't know if I should say this, but we used to skip class to watch some of the March Madness games," Ryan said. "Now I'll be able to watch all of them. I'm so excited about that, and catching some [Atlanta] Hawks games as well."

Until then, he's focused on doing something that would have seemed virtually impossible even in a video game world -- making the Falcons unlikely playoff contenders.

"I want to be around here a long time, with this team, go to the playoffs and hopefully win a championship," Ryan said.

Even as the acclaim and recognition mounts for Ryan, there's little chance that fame will go to his head.

"Nothing is taken for granted, and there's no sense of entitlement," Mike Ryan said of his son. "He understands that what has happened is a gift, and I'm proud of that."

Anna K. Clemmons writes for ESPN The Magazine and contributes to ESPN.com.

Donald Driver's dad is allegedly beaten by police

2008-11-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

I personally thought Donald Driver didn't know who his dad was because all he ever talked about was his mom and how they used to live out of a Uhaul trailor. So when I first read this I was kinda shocked. But that is good that he does know who his dad is and hopefully they have a good relationship. Donald Driver is of course not saying anything to the media right now which is smart until the polic investigation is over.

HOUSTON -- The father of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver was beaten by Houston, Texas, police officers as they arrested him for outstanding traffic warrants, Driver's family members claimed Wednesday.

As they beat him and forced him to swallow something, the officers told Marvin Driver Jr. he was "going to see Jesus," according to relatives and community activist Quanell Evans, who identified himself as Quanell X.

"Mr. Marvin Driver Jr. is now at Hermann Hospital in ICU where he can't even speak," relatives said in a statement. "Doctors say there is some bleeding on his brain from blunt force trauma."

Police said Driver was arrested for outstanding traffic warrants and was found to be "unresponsive" upon his arrival at jail. Paramedics transported him to the hospital, they said. The Houston Police Department said in a written statement it takes the assault allegations "very seriously, and will begin a thorough investigation into the matter."

The two officers involved remain on duty pending further investigation, police said. However, relatives and Evans called for the officers involved to be suspended or placed on administrative leave until the investigation is complete.

The incident began late Sunday when Driver was dropping his brother, Winston Driver, off after the two had moved furniture, family members said.

Officers stopped Marvin Driver Jr. in front of his mother's home, relatives said. An argument took place between police and Driver's family, as well as between Driver and officers over the language police were using, according to the written statement issued by family members.

Police told relatives Driver was being taken to jail for the outstanding warrants, relatives said. "Later, the family found out he never made it to the jail," the statement said.

Relatives at first alleged Driver was picked up several blocks away by paramedics and that he was lying bloody and unconscious in the street. However, Evans told reporters Wednesday afternoon he had spoken to paramedics, and they had told him they had picked Driver up at the jail, and that he was injured, semiconscious and unresponsive when they arrived.

Houston Fire Department spokesman Omero Longoria told CNN Driver was picked up at a police substation and taken to the hospital. He said he did not know when Driver arrived at the jail or what his condition was when paramedics arrived.

Evans showed reporters paper towels upon which he said Driver had written his account. On them, he said Driver wrote that the police took him behind a Valero gas station and beat him. The officers kneed Driver and elbowed him in the throat, Evans said. They also made him swallow something, he said, telling him he was "going to see Jesus" and made disparaging remarks about his family, including "one particular family member."

One officer parked his cruiser behind the station and watched the beating, the activist alleged. Evans showed reporters photographs he said depicted Driver lying a hospital bed with a tube in his mouth.

One of the officers named in the arrest report is Hispanic and has a history of harassing African-Americans, Evans said. Driver also wrote on the paper towels that he knows the officer who beat him, Evans said. Winston Driver said at the news conference that after his brother dropped him off, he saw flashing lights from the house and went back outside.

"The officer I spoke with, he was real rude," he said. "The guy was out of control, basically." He said he searched for his brother for two days, only to be told he wasn't in the system. "I got totally upset about it," he said. Nothing in the police report indicates Driver was being combative or resisting arrest, Evans said.

"It is a shame how this man was treated. This is a man that was being arrested supposedly for only having traffic warrants, and traffic warrants turned into a severe beating of this magnitude."

He said he had spoken to Donald Driver, but would not divulge details of the conversation, saying only that "he is absolutely concerned about the condition of his father."

Another of Driver's sons, Michael, told reporters, "if we can't trust these people, who can we trust? ... I think that my father was targeted for being black."

Sox ship Crisp to KC for Ramirez

2008-11-19T14:40:00.001-08:00

BOSTON -- For more than a year, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said that he did not feel any urgency to deal center fielder Coco Crisp and that he would only do so if it improved the team.

Epstein finally found that opportunity on Wednesday, dealing the speedy center fielder to the Royals for reliever Ramon Ramirez.

Ramirez, a 27-year-old righty, went 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 71 games in 2008. He registered 70 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings.

"In Ramirez, we believe we've acquired a young, controllable reliever that can really help our bullpen," said Epstein. "He has a plus fastball, 92-95 mph, and an outstanding power changeup. A lot of people think it's a split, [but] it's actually a changeup, 87-88 [mph], that's a swing-and-a-miss pitch for him against left-handed and right-handed hitters. And [he has] a pretty good slider to go with it.

"He's very quietly had a tremendous amount of success in the Major Leagues over the last two and a half seasons. He pitched effectively, very effectively, for the Royals in the eighth inning last year. We were looking for an upgrade in depth to add to our bullpen."

Ramirez, reached by MLB.com via phone from the Dominican Republic, sounded excited about the next challenge in his career.

"I feel fine about it because I realize baseball is a business and every team tries to do the best for their organization," Ramirez said through an interpreter. "If I'm going to Boston, I'm going happily and I will work as hard as I worked for Kansas City."

How does Ramirez fit in to manager Terry Francona's bullpen? He figures to join Hideki Okajima and Manny Delcarmen as key setup relievers for Jonathan Papelbon. His addition also gives the Red Sox added flexibility with Justin Masterson, who was a star setup man down the stretch but also has the ability to start.

"Ramirez, he pitched the eighth inning and dominated last year for Kansas City," said Epstein. "He may not have to pitch quite that deep in games for us. He does give us the flexibility to start Masterson if that's ultimately what we end up feeling is in the best interest of the ballclub.

"Both Masterson and Ramirez dominate right-handed hitters, so in that way, Ramirez could potentially replace Masterson in the 'pen. But Justin, as we said at the end of the year, he gives us great flexibility. If we need him to start, that's what he'll do. If we need him in the 'pen, that's what he'll do. We think he'll be effective in both roles. It's not easy to find a controllable reliever with a good track record and plus stuff. We felt like whether we keep Masterson in the 'pen or not, adding Ramon can only make us better."

Hot Stove

Because Jacoby Ellsbury is viewed as Boston's center fielder of the present and future, Crisp was deemed to be expendable.

But with Crisp's value as a defender and a baserunner, Epstein chose to hang on to him in 2008. It paid off, as several injuries to other members of the Red Sox -- not to mention some inconsistency by Ellsbury offensively -- enabled Crisp to have 361 at-bats.

The switch-hitter batted .283 with seven homers and 41 RBIs, stealing 20 bases.

"Coco is a good player," said Epstein. "We want to take a second to just thank him for his efforts while he was with the Red Sox for three seasons. He played through injuries while he was with us, he played hard. He was a big part in us winning a world championship. His efforts here were certainly appreciated. He did it with a lot of class along the way."

Crisp's most memorable at-bat during his time with the Red Sox came in Game 5 of the 2008 American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. On the 10th pitch of his at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning, Crisp rifled a game-tying single to right field, bringing Boston all the way back from a 7-0 deficit.

Crisp was excited about the trade to Kansas City.

"I know my agent had told me there was a possible trade in the works within this week, and all that waiting and anticipating to see if it even happens kind of keeps you on edge," said Crisp, who was in California and found out about the deal at 7 a.m. PT. "When I finally got the news that I was going to Kansas City, it was exciting."

The Red Sox went on to win the game to stave off elimination and also won Game 6 before bowing out with a 3-1 loss in Game 7.

Crisp was brought to Boston via a trade from the Indians in January 2006. The hope was that he could replace Johnny Damon in both center field and the leadoff spot.

"It was a learning experience, definitely," Crisp said of his time in Boston. "I had a lot of fun. It's been a great experience for me coming from a contending team like Cleveland to a team that was already in the mix playoff-wise. I've learned on the field and off the field. It's helped me grow.

"The one negative aspect that came out of the whole thing was that I was plagued by nagging injuries, primarily the whole time I was there, with the exception of a month here or a month there and toward the end of this season, when I was fully healed from my hand injury, which I hurt within the first five games of coming over to Boston. It was an up-and-down ride. Most of the time, I enjoyed myself over there, even though it was difficult."

But Crisp's time with the Red Sox got off to an ominous start, as he fractured his left index finger in the fifth game of the season. Though he returned six weeks later, Crisp struggled offensively for much of 2006 (.264 average) and '07 (.268).

As it turned out, Crisp hit mainly toward the bottom of the order during his three years with the Sox. Crisp is an aggressive hitter and Boston likes to have a more patient approach from the leadoff spot.

"His career with the Red Sox didn't get off to the start that he wanted," said Epstein. "He was playing pretty well early in the '06 season and ended up breaking his finger. When he came back, his offense never rebounded all the way to his previous norms but he turned himself into, especially in 2007, a tremendous defensive center fielder. He helped us win a lot of games with defense in 2007, the year we ended up winning the World Series."

Crisp had a strong finish to 2008, hitting .375 in September.

Ellsbury batted .280 in 2008, his first full season, belting nine homers, driving in 47 runs and scoring 98 times.

"I think Jacoby had a very solid rookie season," said Epstein. "I know expectations were probably unreasonably high for him, given the numbers he put up in a really small sample in 2007 and during the postseason, but this was a more than acceptable rookie year, and the one thing we like about young players, especially young players who work hard like Jacoby does, is they get better."

The same can be said of Ramirez.

"Of course, it's a big motivation to go to a team like Boston, but don't forget, with every team -- no matter how good or bad they are -- you have to prove yourself and you have to contribute to the team," Ramirez said.

Over three seasons, Ramirez has pitched in 154 games, all in relief, posting a 3.62 ERA.

"We have excellent reports on his makeup," said Epstein. "I've talked to a number of sources close to the clubhouse there and he's the first one to the ballpark. He's an extremely hard, diligent worker. He's tough, fearless and the manner in which he pitches reflects that. We don't expect he'll have any difficulty adjusting to a bigger market. Coming to Boston, he's a pretty tough, pretty fearless kid and he won't be fazed."

Epstein will now be on the prowl for a fourth outfielder to complement the starting trio of Jason Bay, Ellsbury and J.D. Drew.

"We'll cast a wide net and certainly look outside the organization," Epstein said. "I think what would make sense for us at this point is a right-handed-hitting fourth outfielder that could protect us in center and play against some left-handed pitching. We have a lot of different options, a lot of different places we can turn to fill that role. We have some talented outfielders on the way up. Most of them are left-handed. I think a right-handed hitter would be a more appropriate choice to fill this role."

UNC freshman Zeller likely out for season

2008-11-19T14:38:00.001-08:00

Freshman big man Tyler Zeller is likely to miss the remainder of the season after breaking his left wrist Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-10 Zeller suffered multiple fractures in his wrist when he landed on it late in the Tar Heels' 77-58 win over Kentucky, according to a source close to the situation.

Zeller, who had started the last two games in place of Tyler Hansbrough, was injured when he missed a breakaway dunk and came down on his hand.

"It doesn't look good; it doesn't give us a good feeling right now," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said after the game.

Zeller, who scored 18 points in the season-opening win over Penn, joins Hansbrough and Marcus Ginyard on the injury list for the Tar Heels.

It's still unclear when Hansbrough will return to the lineup. He's missed the first two games with a stress reaction in his shin, but went through a limited practice on Monday.

Ginyard is expected back next month following surgery for a stress fracture.

Mariners to name Don Wakamatsu manager

2008-11-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners have picked Don Wakamatsu as their new manager. The Mariners chose the Oakland bench coach, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The Mariners were the only team in the majors that was looking for a manager. Seattle lost 101 games this season.

KING television in Seattle first reported that Wakamatsu got the job.

nfl power rankings week 12

2008-11-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

Here are Espn's NFL Power Ranking for Week 12. I disagree with some of the choices. Especially Greeny Bay's position. I think they should be higher than what they are, but they have to continue to prove it on the field. Of course #1 spot goes the the Titans who outlasted the Jaguars on Sunday.

2008 Power Rankings: Week 12
RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT
1 (1) Titans 10-0-0 They welcome the extra attention that the Jets will bring to Nashville. (PK)
2 (2) Giants 9-1-0 Dominating win over the Ravens. Now they have to travel cross-country to face the Cardinals. (MM)
3 (3) Panthers 8-2-0 Survived what should have been easy games against Detroit and Oakland, but made winning look difficult. Against Falcons, QB Jake Delhomme has to bounce back. (PY)
4 (4) Steelers 7-3-0 "Big Ben" doesn't turn over the football and the Steelers win. We're sure that's not a coincidence. (JW)
5 (6) Buccaneers 7-3-0 Jeff Garcia's mobility has returned and Antonio Bryant has emerged as true No. 1 WR. RB situation remains a little shaky. (PY)
6 (9) Jets 7-3-0 They needed to win more emphatically to signal a true changing of the guard in the AFC East, but they are in control of their destiny with six games to play. (TG)
7 (11) Cardinals 7-3-0 An upset victory over Giants could deliver NFC West title to Arizona. (MS)
8 (10) Colts 6-4-0 They don't necessarily want people saying so, but it sure seems like they are back. (PK)
9 (5) Redskins 6-4-0 Losing two straight home games hurts. Jason Campbell needs to right the ship quickly. (MM)
10 (7) Patriots 6-4-0 Like the black knight in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the Patriots keep losing appendages but they fight onward. "It's just a flesh wound!" (TG)
11 (16) Cowboys 6-4-0 Win over Redskins kept their playoff hopes alive. They have great shot at getting to 8-4. (MM)
12 (15) Dolphins 6-4-0 They're barely winning, but they're winning. The Dolphins have won four in a row. Only the Titans and Giants have longer streaks. (TG)
13 (12) Ravens 6-4-0 The Giants brought the Ravens back down to earth. (JW)
14 (8) Falcons 6-4-0 A tough loss to Denver at home is followed by Carolina coming to town. Falcons have a chance to put themselves back in good position. (PY)
15 (19) Broncos 6-4-0 The Broncos have taken control of a weak division. Denver will have to collapse to not win the AFC West. (BW)
16 (21) Packers 5-5-0 The Packers might be getting hot at the right time. (KS)
17 (13) Eagles 5-4-1 This team was fading even before an embarrassing tie. But as Donovan McNabb says, there's always the second OT. (MM)
18 (17) Bills 5-5-0 Tom Petty wrote a song about the Bills. No, not "Running Down a Dream." That was five weeks ago. This one's called "Free Fallin'." (TG)
19 (14) Bears 5-5-0 Are the Bears really 34 points worse than the Packers? Nope. But Sunday's loss could have reverberating effects. (KS)
20 (23) Saints 5-5-0 They return to the Superdome for the first time in 42 days. At .500, they have to almost run the table to have a playoff shot. (PY)
21 (18) Vikings 5-5-0 The Vikings have the toughest road to the NFC North title. (KS)
22 (20) Chargers 4-6-0 Let the Norv Turner watch begin. The inconsistent Chargers are one of the great disappointments of the 2008 season. (BW)
23 (22) Jaguars 4-6-0 The Jags are not going to come close to meeting preseason expectations. Can Jack Del Rio hold their attention? (PK)
24 (24) Browns 4-6-0 Brady Quinn gets the first of what the Browns hope are many victories as their starter. (JW)
25 (25) Texans 3-7-0 Measured against the Colts, they've not made sufficient progress. (PK)
26 (26) 49ers 3-7-0 A tough schedule might feature only one or two more victories for the 49ers. (MS)
27 (27) Seahawks 2-8-0 Depth on offensive line severely low if Mike Wahle's shoulder injury sidelines him. (MS)
28 (28) Rams 2-8-0 Another wave of injuries threatens to take Rams from bad to worse. (MS)
29 (30) Bengals 1-8-1 Look at the bright side: Cincinnati hasn't lost in the month of November. (JW)
30 (29) Chiefs 1-9-0 The good news: The Chiefs didn't blow a late lead for the for first time in nearly a month. The bad news: The Chiefs lost again anyway. (BW)
31 (31) Raiders 2-8-0 Memo to the Raiders' offense: The end zones are those two patches of grass just below the goalposts. (BW)
32 (32) Lions 0-10-0 Rod Marinelli says he is committed to doing things his way. Not sure if anything else needs to be added. (KS)

Mindy Mccready comes clean about Roger Clemens

2008-11-18T06:22:00.000-08:00

I am not a real Fan of baseball myself, and I am not a fan of Roger Clemens either. I think he has taken roids and cheated the game that was a national pastime. Of course he is not alone and I also think that people cheating will ruin all the current sports that are popular right now.

Mindy McCready admits that she has "lived life recklessly" and made a lot of mistakes, not the least of which was entering into an affair with a married man when she was a teenager.
But what happened next depends on whose story you believe—McCready's or McCready's.
Back in New York after a trip to SoCal to talk possible reality-show projects, the troubled country songbird resumed spilling her side of the Roger Clemens story—somewhat contradictorily—to various media outlets.
In an interview with Inside Edition, McCready says that her alleged affair with the beleaguered baseball star ended because she wanted him to leave his wife Debbie. But the "Guys Do It All the Time" singer also told the New York Daily News that she "never wanted to marry" Clemens.
"He should have done right by his family—if a person is unhappy in their marriage and spending all their personal time with someone else, you need to do right by your marriage," she told the newspaper. "He should have just told Debbie and been honest with her. If he didn't want to be with her and wanted to be with me, he should have told her."
Meanwhile, according to Inside Edition: "I wanted him to, after all that time, do the right thing by me. And, Roger is loyal and dedicated to his family...and so I ended it."
Clemens has denied that anything sexual happened with McCready at any time and, in responding to her claims, has only issued a statement acknowledging that he has "made mistakes in my personal life for which I am sorry."
But while McCready offered up conflicting accounts of how their relationship ended, her story remains the same on one account: She's sorry for any pain she caused Debbie Clemens.
"I have nothing but remorse and nothing but sympathy for what she's had to go through with this situation and she has my utmost apology," she told Inside Edition. And, to the Daily News: "I would apologize to her and say I was young. I now know better."

Steelers-Chargers Ref Admits Mistake On Game

2008-11-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

I tell you one thing. First of all I watched only the last few minutes of this game because of regional broadcast. And I have to say every year the officiating is getting worse and worse. I also don't think it is right that the players can't talk about the officiating, especially when they did a horrible job of calling the game. They have cost my favorite team 2 games this year so far. Not only that later in the week the officials have come out and said that they blew the most important call of the game. Shouldn't that tell the league that something isn't working. That need to fix the multi billion dollar product that they are putting out on the field before it costs them the game. Like baseball.

Article Below

A late drive for a field goal gave the Steelers an exciting 11-10 win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, but the game's final play -- one that had no effect on the outcome -- is what many fans in Pittsburgh are talking about.

On San Diego's final play, quarterback Philip Rivers threw a 3-yard pass to running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who turned and made a short lateral to wide receiver Chris Chambers as time ran out.

Chambers also lateraled, trying to keep the final play alive. But the Steelers' Troy Polamalu scooped up the ball at the 12-yard line and ran into the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown.

The play was immediately ruled a touchdown, and referee Scott Green upheld the call after a review. But the referees huddled again before Steelers kicker Jeff Reed could attempt the extra point, and they changed their minds and ruled the play was an illegal forward pass, meaning that Polamalu was not eligible to recover it.

Later, Green admitted it was the wrong call.

"We should have let the play go through in the end, yes," Green said.

Really, the play mattered only to gamblers. Pittsburgh did not cover the point spread, but the Steelers would have covered if Polamalu's touchdown had counted.

Coach Mike Tomlin made it clear he would not take any questions about any of the referees' calls in his postgame news conference.
"I don't want to talk about the officiating. I don't want to talk about it, OK?" he said. "I've never seen a game with 13-1 penalties, OK? I'm not answering questions about the officiating."

Cincinnati Bengals Vs. Philadelphia Eagles

2008-11-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

Talk about a snooze fest. They took my game off the air for this one. Who do I complain to for this. A tiw hasn't happened in the NFL since 2002. And since I can't remember that game myself then I can say this was the first tie I have ever seen in the NFL. I thought that there was 2 overtimes before a tie happened. But shows what I know. I would think a tie is worse than a loss though myself. On a good note thought My Green Bay Packers won big today.

Shayne Graham missed a 47-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining as the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles drew.

It marked the NFL's first tie since the Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers battled to a 34-34 stalemate on November 10, 2002.

This tie was a lot less exciting as the Bengals (1-8-1) and Eagles (5-4-1) took turns making mistakes in a game that was comical at times.

It was an horrific afternoon for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who tied a career high with three interceptions and also lost a fumble.

He completed just 28-of-58 passes for 339 yards with a touchdown and had a number of his passes batted down at the line of scrimmage in a dismal performance.

Bengals quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked eight times and completed 29-of-44 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown.

The Eagles had three possessions in overtime, not counting McNabb's desperation heave on the final play.

Each seemed to be a little worse than the next, with the second featuring three penalties.

Eagles coach Andy Reid again decided to abandon the run, as McNabb - inaccurate virtually entire the afternoon and even laughing at times on the field in overtime - attempted a career high in passes.

The Eagles ran the ball 18 times for 68 yards.

Reid's colourful play chart also had few answers as the Eagles went a laughable 3-of-18 on third down.

Meanwhile, the Bengals' biggest problems came in failing to protect Fitzpatrick, who took a beating.

Despite their ineptness, the Bengals looked like they were on their way to their second straight win after Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown was called for roughing-the-passer in overtime.

However, four plays later, Graham sent his field goal wide right.

On one of the few times Fitzpatrick received some time, he found TJ Houshmandzadeh for a 26-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Bengals a 10-3 lead.

That score was set up by linebacker Brandon Johnson's interception and 35-yard return into Philadelphia territory.

Houshmandzadeh had 12 catches for 149 yards.

Early in the second quarter, the Bengals also used their defence to produce a score when Frostee Rucker recovered a fumble by McNabb at the Philadelphia 1.

But the Bengals showed their incompetence as Cedric Benson was stopped for no gain and Fitzpatrick took a sack before throwing an incompletion on third down.

After being held to minus-3 yards total offence in the first quarter, the Eagles got on the board with 11:12 left before half-time on David Akers' 42-yard field goal. That score was set up by McNabb's 44-yard screen pass to Correll Buckhalter to the Cincinnati 30.

A 57-yard completion by McNabb to Hank Baskett to the Bengals 4 led to a 4-yard TD pass to tight end LJ Smith with 9:29 left in the third quarter, which pulled the Eagles within 13-10.

The score came just over a minute after Graham converted a 41-yard field goal to give the Bengals a double-digit lead.

Akers eventually tied the game with a 27-yard field goal with 5:18 left in regulation.

That kick came after Reid, whose team has been dismal all season in short-yardage situations, decided not to go for it on 4th-and-1.

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook was held in check for the second straight week as he rushed for 60 yards on 14 carries and had three receptions for 11 yards.

He accounted for just 59 yards against the New York Giants last Sunday.

Benson also found no room with 23 carries for 42 yards.

Warriors rookie Anthony Morrow scores 37 points

2008-11-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

Usually when people see their favorite teams rookie do something like this in their first game you would think that it was their first round pick. Not a undrafted free agent. I think when something like this happens then every team in the league need to re evaluate their scouting department. Every team had a crack at this guy more than once and no one took him. Hopefully he can continue to prove all the doubters wrong and go on and have a great career.

Anthony Morrow

In his first start in the NBA, Warriors guard Anthony Morrow scored 37 points on 15-of-20 shooting with four three-pointers, 11 rebounds and one assist.
The undrafted rookie made a lot of GMs feel silly with this performance. We've seen project guards in the Warriors starting five before--DeMarcus Nelson is now in the D-League and the jury is still out on C.J. Watson--but Morrow looks like the real deal. Calling this a career night is an understatement, and you should definitely rush to pluck him out of the free agent pool.

Kareem Mckenzie Charged With Drunken Driving

2008-11-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Talk about bad timing. His team the New York Giants are in the middle of what looks to be another super bowl run. And he goes and does something stupid that is going to be a distraction in the locker room. More importantly he could of killed someone, but I will stick the sports talk for this article. Anyways I think that the team can look past this and keep moving foreward, but it all could start to down word spiral kinda like the Dallas Cowboys.

By Curtis Eichelberger

Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) -- New York Giants starting offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie was arrested last night and charged with drunken driving after authorities saw him cut through a gas station to avoid a traffic light, said Lieutenant Salvatore Calafiore of the Little Falls, New Jersey, police department.

McKenzie, 29, was pulled over and given a field sobriety test at the scene, about 20 miles west of Manhattan, Calafiore said. The player was arrested and given a breath test at police headquarters. His blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit of 0.08 percent, Calafiore said.

In addition to driving under the influence of alcohol, McKenzie was charged with reckless driving, driving with an expired registration and driving on private land to avoid a traffic signal.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin told WFAN radio in New York, the team's flagship station, that McKenzie has apologized and will play Nov. 16 against the Baltimore Ravens.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound McKenzie was a third-round selection of the New York Jets in the 2001 National Football League draft after playing at Penn State. He signed with the Giants in 2005. He started all of the team's games last season, including the Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, and the team's nine games this season.

To contact the reporter on this story: Curtis Eichelberger in Washington at ceichelberge@bloomberg.net

2008-11-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

I used to be no good at arm wrestling and would lose to people who I knew I was a lot stronger than. But I cured that in one year with a lot of specifically workouts for my upper body. I may not be ready for this, but at least I can hold my own now, and I don't lose to everybody who thinks that they are the next big thing in the world.

News from New York Arm Wrestling Association, Inc.

For more information contact: Gene Camp, 718-544-4592, Myron Johnson - Port Authority of NY/NJ - 212-502-2386
31st Annual Arm Wrestling Showdown at Port Authority Bus Terminal - NYC - Thursday, Nov 13

Golden Arm Series Finale

NY, NY (11/10/2008; 1030)(readMedia)-- New York Arm Wrestling Association, Inc.

200-14 45th Dr. Bayside, NY. 11361

Website: www.nycarms.com

The New York Arm Wrestling Association announced today that over 100 men and women will be vying for $5,000 in cash and prizes at the 31st Annual White Castle Empire State Golden Arm Tournament of Champions on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 beginning at 12:30 p.m. and the final matches at 3:30 p.m. -- This is the final event of the NY Golden Arm Series and will be held at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (North Wing/Main Concourse) at 625 8th Avenue, in Manhattan. Spectators have an opportunity to watch the event for FREE. Competition is open to the public and entry fees are $25 for amateurs and $35 for pros, which includes a free T-shirt. Contestants are asked to weigh-in and register by noon.

The contest will draw some of the biggest names in the arm wrestling field, including NYC's King of Arms Travis Bagent from West Virginia and NY State Champ Mirline Berrouet from South Ozone Park, Queens, and last year's defending champions, and those who qualified at this year's four preliminary championships. There are right and left hand, male and female, and amateur and pro categories that will be divided into 17 weight classes. The proud sponsors are White Castle, SuperCuts hairstyles and Haircuts, NewYork.com and Captain's of Crush Grippers.

Gene Camp, president and founder of the New York Arm Wrestling Association calls it "the oldest and most prestigious, sought-after arm wrestling title in New York." Male and female ‘Strongest Arm' MVP's will be crowned, the NYC Arm Wrestler of the year will be chosen and 4" custom gold, silver and bronze medallions will be given in each weight class. This high-profile multi-talented arm wrestling event is expected to draw contestants and teams both locally from the five NYC Boroughs and Long Island to from far away as Russia, Brazil and Korea.

For information about the Empire State Championship, visit the NYAWA website at nycarms.com or call 718-544-4592. "END"

Natalie Gulbis Defending 3-Tour Challenge Championship

2008-11-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

I like golf, but I could care less about the sport when this fine lady is on the links hitting the little white balls, and putting them into holes. I still don't watch her show on the golf network though. Gulbis will probably win this event too, because not only is very beautiful, she is very good at the sport. Not like other major sports stars who are only there because of their looks. I can think of a couple from a few different sports.

Bright House Sports Network's David Baumann got the chance on Friday to talk with Natalie Gulbis, of the Ladies Pro Golf Association about a big upcoming tournament.

David Baumann: I'm being joined by LPGA Tour Pro Natalie Gulbis from Las Vegas, where she is getting ready for the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge. It's basically a 3 on 3 on 3 -- LPGA vs. PGA vs. The Champions. Speaking of champions, you're the reigning champion out there aren't ya?

Natalie Gulbis: Yes we are. We won the event last year and we will be defending and we'll be working like crazy to keep the trophy with us on our tour.

Baumann: Now, let me get this straight, how did you manage to keep the trophy over this past year? Cristie Kerr let you keep it?

Gulbis: Yes, she did, both girls let me keep it. It was held on my home golf course last year on Lake Las Vegas and I said I really want to keep it in the clubhouse to rub it in on everyone that comes around and just kind of celebrate it with the members and the people who see the event on TV and they let me keep it front and center when you check it for a round of golf.

Baumann: So it's you, Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel, can you talk about your opponents this week?

Gulbis: This week we're playing against Stewart Cink, Rocco Mediate and Kenny Perry. On the Champions side, we're playing against Fred Funk, Jay Haas and Nick Price, it's a great group.

Baumann: They're not chumps. Natalie, take us through this week. It's starting Tuesday the 11th, and, honestly, are you competing as hard as you would be on the LPGA Tour, or is this really a lot more fun where you can be more relaxed? How is it?

Gulbis: I think you're competing more than you would in a regular event. It's like playing on a Sunday when you're coming down the stretch. You're playing for your team, but you're representing the LPGA Tour, as well. And we're defending. We want to go up against the men and defend our title, so we're definitely going to be grinding out there.

India vs England 2008 Begins Today

2008-11-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

A comparative analysis of the Indian and England team on the eve of the commencement of the 7-ODI series in India. England won and lost a practice match each and the loss is substantial in terms of its implications. The bowling looks weak and the batting looks weaker. Andrew Flintoff is back and will be expected to perform. England team is riddled with several injuries while India is riding high on its recent success on Australia.

The seven-match series between India and England is starting todayand the visitors look shaky before they enter the first match to be held in Rajkot. England, already reeling under the burden of injured players and a lost Stanford series were crushed mercilessly by the Mumbai Cricket Association XI by 124 runs in the second warm-up match before the ODI series. Prior to this, England beat Mumbai by 122 runs in another practice match.

Andrew Flintoff has made his comeback with this series and appears charged up with the feisty ton in the first match. However, England has sound reasons to panic after the second practice match. Eight of their batsmen failed to reach double figures as the entire team got out for 98 chasing 222 for victory. The England bowlers failed to bowl out the opposition in both the matches. Although the defeat by a local team is demoralizing by any standards, England captain Kevin Pietersen tags it a “blessing in disguise.” The coming few weeks will tell what Pietersen implied when he made this remark after a humiliating loss. Agreed, practice matches are not indicative of the upcoming series but England better take stock of the situation before it goes out of hand.

Stuart Broad, famously known for being the victim of Yuvraj’s six-sixes-in-an-over manic attack, although now fit again, suffered a shoulder injury during the match. Ryan Sidebottom is out of the first match because of injuries leaving England to suffice with only two perfectly fit fast bowlers. England recently lost the highly anticipated Stanford Series which promised each player a million and although they claim the series was more fun than cricket, the defeat combined with the dismal performance in practice matches will surely bring the morale down.

India, on the other hand very high on morale quotient after defeating world champs Australia earlier this week. Tests and ODI are two formats but the acceleration gathered from the test series victory will work wonders for the hosts. However, they have concerns about out-of-form Rahul Dravid and Ishant Sharma who has been ruled out of the first match because of injury.

Australia made tall claims about ripping apart the Indian batting line-up with their pace before they started with the games and are rolling their tongue into throats now. England, although armed with several bowlers who can do the damage should watch out for some disheartening thrashing from the Indian batsmen.

Trey Smith,Nick Montana Both Play at Oaks Christian

2008-11-13T18:11:00.000-08:00

You may not recognize their names, but you will recognize their fathers. Trey Smith,Nick Montana are the sons of Will Smith and Joe Montana. So there's one thing coach Bill Redell doesn't worry about: When his quarterback leaves practice, he doesn't go home to a crazed dad giving bad throwing tips. Like me.

"When he goes home and talks to his father, he's not talking over his games with some accountant," Redell said. "The guy has played the position before, you know." And if I recall, he played pretty good at that position in the NFL too.

Montana has thrown for nearly 1,600 yards and 23 touchdowns while seldom playing past halftime. The Son not the father. The Lions, who are No. 93 in the RivalsHigh100 after starting the season unranked.

And when the Lions start postseason play next week, they'll get a boost from their freshman/sophomore team. A couple guys named Smith and Gretzky will join the varsity. And of course you should recognize the 3rd name as well. His father goes by the name of Wayne. He played a little hockey back in the day.

Sophomores Trey Smith and Trevor Gretzky, though, are a receiver and quarterback, respectively. And they're pretty good.

Week 11 NFL Picks

2008-11-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

Winners are indicated in Bold.

NY JETS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

TENNESSEE TITANS @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

DENVER BRONCOS @ ATLANTA FALCONS

BALTIMORE RAVENS @ NY GIANTS

HOUSTON TEXANS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS @ TAMPA BAY BUCCANNEERS

DETROIT LIONS @ CAROLINA PANTHERS
Lock of the week

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES @ CINCINNATI BENGALS

OAKLAND RAIDERS @ MIAMI DOLPHINS

Dylan Favre - Favres Nephew sets Passing Record

2008-11-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

Looks like being a great quarterback might just run in the family. Dylan Favre has now passed for 43 touchdown passes this season. We was sharing with the record with Clifton Davis III at North Panola (1990) and Jami Boland of Nettleton (2006). Davis and Boland were both seniors when they threw their 42 touchdowns.

Favre is a 180 lb Junior from St. Stanislaus. So he has another season to go to add to his career touchdown passes of 79. He now ranks 7th all time for the state record for his career.

Dylan Favre is of course the nephew of New York Jets Quarterback Brett Favre, who has some passing records to his name as well.

The young Favre's team is now at 8-2 for the season.