Sports Land

Up-and-Down Knicks Get More of the Latter in Loss to Wizards

2009-01-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

We’d like to keep flirting with it,” D’Antoni, the Knicks’ coach, said Friday night.

The Knicks had won two straight games and were headed toward mediocrity, if not quite closing in on it. As has happened so often this season, they did not handle even modest good fortune very well.

Two nights after scoring 128 points to beat the Washington Wizards in New York, the Knicks lost their tempo, their scoring touch and their momentum and absorbed a 96-89 loss to the Wizards at the Verizon Center.

The defeat denied them what would have been their first three-game winning streak since early November, and left their record at 15-23, still far short of the .500 mark.

The Knicks missed nine straight field-goal attempts down the stretch before Nate Robinson hit a meaningless shot after the Wizards had put the game away. It was their only basket in the final 4 minutes 36 seconds.

A 3-pointer by Robinson gave the Knicks an 83-74 lead early in the fourth quarter. They led by 6 points with about four minutes to go and by 4 points with less than three minutes left. They got worse as the game grew tighter.

Washington’s Mike James hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 87-86 with two minutes left, and the Wizards took the lead when Nick Young — who had just blocked Chris Duhon’s layup try — raced downcourt for a pull-up jumper from 21 feet. James made another 3-pointer to give the Wizards a 91-87 lead, and the Knicks just kept misfiring.

Once again, the Knicks spent much of the game feeding off the two-man offense of Duhon (13 points, 8 assists) and David Lee (15 points, 21 rebounds). Wilson Chandler (16 points) carried them through the third quarter. Al Harrington, still trying to gain traction after a prolonged slump, added 18 points off the bench.

Read Article The New York Times

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Buccaneers Fire Gruden After a Late Collapse

2009-01-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Gruden and General Manager Bruce Allen were fired, an outcome that was shocking mostly for its timing. The announcement came almost three weeks after the regular season, after Gruden had made staff moves and after several teams had already hired some of the hottest coaching candidates.

The Bucs now join the scrum — the Jets, the Rams, the Raiders and perhaps the Chiefs — in looking for a coach.

“We will be forever grateful to Jon for bringing us the Super Bowl title, and we thank Bruce for his contributions to our franchise,” Joel Glazer, the Buccaneers’ co-chairman, said in a statement. “However, after careful consideration, we feel that this decision is in the best interest of our organization moving forward.”

Gruden was 57-55 and was a favorite of television cameras, which captured his outsize facial expressions and made him a star with the nickname Chucky after the horror movie doll. But his recent playoff failures almost certainly figured heavily in the decision by the Glazer family, who famously fired Tony Dungy even though he took the Bucs to the playoffs four out of his last five seasons in Tampa.

When Dungy failed to win a Super Bowl, Gruden was brought in and promptly won with a team that was largely Dungy’s creation.

Read Article The New York Time

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Steelers, Eagles picked to win conference championships

2009-01-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

When the New York Giants and New England Patriots squared off for the Lombardi Trophy last year, it was the most-watched Super Bowl in history -- 97.5 million viewers.

This year, the audience could be even bigger.

Just think: All those people, just to watch a state championship.

OK, so the upstart Arizona Cardinals and rookie-led Baltimore Ravens could make it to Tampa. But there's a good chance it will be a showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, franchises that once briefly merged during World War II to form the "Steagles."

Heading into Sunday's conference championship games, both Pennsylvania teams are favored, and -- despite facing red-hot opponents -- have a good chance to make it to the Super Bowl.

On to the picks:

Philadelphia at Arizona -- The Cardinals are on a dream run, and their defense had a spectacular game at Carolina. They have an experienced hand in Kurt Warner and the best receiver in football in Larry Fitzgerald. Still, this is a team Philadelphia beat with ease during the regular season, and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson usually game-plans even better the second time around. Pick: Philadelphia.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh -- To beat the Ravens, the Steelers have to beat the law of averages. After all, it entails knocking off a very familiar opponent three times in the same season. Both teams have phenomenal defenses. The difference will be the quarterbacks. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger -- playing before the home crowd -- will outshine Baltimore's Joe Flacco, even though Flacco hasn't looked like a rookie for most of the season. Pick: Pittsburgh.

Read Article LA Times

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Crosby to miss game against Ducks

2009-01-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby did not play in Friday's 3-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks due to a lower body injury.

Crosby confirmed the decision to sit out following Friday's morning skate.

"I don't feel comfortable enough to play," the fourth-year centerman was quoted as saying on the team's website. "It didn't feel good. That was the first time I skated since it happened. No go."

Crosby suffered the injury after colliding with Washington's David Steckel along the boards during Wednesday's 6-3 loss. He remains listed as day-to-day.

A native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, the 21-year-old Crosby has 17 goals and 42 assists in 45 games this season, good for second overall in the league behind teammate Evgeni Malkin.

Crosby, the first overall pick in 2005 and the 2007 Hart Trophy recipient as league MVP, has 116 goals and 237 assists in 258 contests with the Penguins.

Read Article TSN

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The Live Report, Round 2: Sony Open in Hawaii

2009-01-16T19:59:00.000-08:00

The Sony Open in Hawaii is the first full-field event of the 2009 PGA TOUR season. PGATOUR.COM is on the scene in Honolulu. We'll provide updates all day long, so check back often. (All timestamps listed for Eastern Time.)

TRACKING TAD (10:54 p.m.): The likeable Tad Fujikawa just made the first cut of his young professional career. And he almost did it the same way he did last time he was around for the weekend, only this time he didn't need an eagle.

The 18-year-old Hawaiian, who turned pro last year, only birdied the par-5 ninth Friday, but that was good enough for him to secure a spot on the weekend.

You might recall Fujikawa made the cut here two years ago as an amateur. This time, he'll get to cash his first check and get to do so in front of what will be a decidedly partisan crowd in his home state. -- Brian Wacker

Read Article PGATOUR

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Red Sox lock up Youkilis through 2012

2009-01-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

Six weeks after second baseman and reigning American League Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia was locked up to a six-year deal, first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who finished third in the MVP voting, committed to be a member of the Red Sox until at least 2012.

After passing his physical, Youkilis' four-year, $41.25 million contract, with a team option for a fifth season, was formalized on Friday, making Youkilis part of the potent Boston lineup for years to come.

"It's exciting," said manager Terry Francona during Friday's news conference, held at Fenway Park. "Tying up young players in theory sounds good, but they also have to be good enough to handle giving your ballclub a chance to win every year, and that's not easy.

"And now, on the right side of our infield, you have a guy that won the MVP [and] a guy that came in third. Both guys are Gold Glove-caliber players, they both love to win, and we've seen them both come through our Minor League system, so that certainly provides us a huge comfort zone."

Youkilis, an eighth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2001, had his breakout season in his fifth year in the Major Leagues in 2008. The righty hit a career-high .312, with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs.

More importantly, he was a significant cog at the cleanup spot once the club traded slugger Manny Ramirez right before the Trade Deadline. While hitting fourth for the Red Sox, Youkilis batted .299, with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs in 48 games.

Read Article MLB.com

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Cavaliers' West to miss 6 weeks with broken wrist

2009-01-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

Cavaliers starting guard Delonte West will miss up to six weeks with a broken right wrist sustained in a nasty fall on Thursday night in Chicago.

West got hurt when he fell face first to the floor while trying to block rookie Derrick Rose's layup in the first quarter of the Cavaliers' 102-93 overtime loss. West also cut his face and needed stitches, but showing his toughness, he came out for layups at halftime and spent the second half on Cleveland's bench cheering his teammates.

The Cavs provided the update on West during the first half of Friday's game against New Orleans. The club said an MRI exam taken at the Cleveland Clinic confirmed West sustained a non-displaced fracture — a break in which the bone remains aligned.

The 25-year-old West has been one of Cleveland's steadiest players this season. He's averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 33 minutes.

Sasha Pavlovic started in West's spot as the Cavaliers hosted the Hornets.

After facing New Orleans, the Cavaliers, who entered Friday's game with the best record in the Eastern Conference, will embark on a four-game West Coast trip starting Monday with a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The weeks ahead will be challenging without West.

"It's going to be tough for us," LeBron James said. "It's going to be tough on everybody but everybody has to step up. We'll see what happens. You can't fill Delonte's shoes. Everybody just has to step up. Delonte's toughness and what he has been able to do for this team this year is unmatched. There is nobody who can step into his shoes."

Read Article AP

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City Approves $370.9 Million to Complete Yankee Stadium

2009-01-16T19:54:00.000-08:00

New York City’s Industrial Development Agency approved $370.9 million in primarily tax-exempt bonds on Friday to finish construction of Yankee Stadium with all the upgrades the team had sought, from better security to a new scoreboard to replace one that did not meet its needs.

The agency’s board voted 11 to 1, with one abstention, for the Yankees’ bond issue, which was debated, sometimes ferociously, at a State Assembly hearing on Wednesday and a public hearing held by the agency on Thursday. The Mets’ request for $82.3 million in tax-exempt bonds to complete Citi Field was approved unanimously with little debate.

The sole vote against the Yankees’ bond issue came from the representative for the city comptroller, William C. Thompson Jr. On Tuesday, Mr. Thompson faulted Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the development agency for what he said was “financial incompetence” in their negotiations with the Yankees. He said that they had failed to properly monitor costs to the city like parkland to replace the acreage where the new stadium is built and the demolition of the old Yankee Stadium.

“We know it’s not a fair deal,” said John Graham, the deputy comptroller, who is Mr. Thompson’s representative. Mr. Graham said that the vote should be postponed to renegotiate the terms of the bond issue to force the Yankees to pay more in infrastructure costs.

Read Article The New York Time

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Will McNabb Grab the Ring?

2009-01-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

If Donovan McNabb had gone to Oz and asked the Wizard for the same kind of appreciation as Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and even Eli Manning, the Wiz might have told him: "Hey, you're a five-time Pro Bowl quarterback, on Sunday you'll be taking your team to the NFC championship game for the fifth time, and you have a higher winning percentage as a starter than any of them. But they've got one thing you haven't got -- a Super Bowl ring. And that's the one thing I can't get for you."

The path to that ring goes through Phoenix this Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles play Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals, and then to Tampa on Feb. 1 when the victor plays the AFC champ, the winner of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens match, in the 2009 Super Bowl. For Mr. McNabb, regarded by many as the most talented football player of his era, recognition hasn't exactly been as easy as following the yellow brick road. For one thing, he's spent his entire career in Philadelphia, a city that might have booed Dorothy and her little dog too.

In fact, the booing started before Mr. McNabb threw a single pass in an Eagles uniform. In 1999, Philadelphia drafted him out of Syracuse -- where he was considered the best athlete in college football, the Tim Tebow of his decade -- instead of Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ricky Williams, and Eagles fans hooted. (Mr. Williams has been a Pro Bowl selection only once.)

Since then, despite his success, Philly fans have never entirely accepted Mr. McNabb. At the end of the 2004 season, he took the Eagles to the Super Bowl, where they lost by just three points, 24-21, to the heavily favored New England Patriots. Fans blamed Mr. McNabb for dawdling away precious time in the closing minutes, though it was obvious that the problem was confusion and indecision among the Eagles coaches.

Read Article The Wall Street Journal

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USC-UCLA game won't close 2009 Pac-10 season

2009-01-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

The crosstown USC-UCLA football matchup, which has ended the Pacific 10 Conference regular season on "Championship Saturday" in December the last four years, is moving to Nov. 28 this year.

Instead of UCLA, Arizona will play at USC on Dec. 5, according to the 2009 Pac-10 schedule, which was finalized today.

Pac-10 spokesman Jim Muldoon said the reason for the switch was that Fox Sports, which has broadcast rights to USC-UCLA every four years, wanted to move USC-UCLA off Dec. 5.

However, ESPN still wanted USC in the December slot, Muldoon said, and got the Trojans and Arizona to switch from their original Oct. 10 date.

Muldoon said the move had nothing to do with USC-Arizona being a more competitive game than USC-UCLA.

"No, that was not the case," Muldoon said.

UCLA finished 4-8 last season while Arizona capped a 7-5 year with a win over Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Read Article LA Times

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Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals

2009-01-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

Offense
Atlanta RB Michael Turner was second in the league in rushing with 1,699 yards during the regular season. But the Falcons certainly aren't one-dimensional on offense. QB Matt Ryan, named the NFL offensive rookie of the year, was the league's 11th-rated passer, and WR Roddy White ranked fourth in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,382. ..... Arizona Pro Bowl QB Kurt Warner throws the ball to Pro Bowl WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. That's the formula that enabled Warner to throw for nearly 4,600 yards this season. Third WR Steve Breaston also is dangerous.
Defense
The Falcons will need DE John Abraham, third in the league during the regular season with 1661/27 sacks, to get to Warner and force him into mistakes. Atlanta ranked only 24th in the NFL in total defense but was a respectable 11th in scoring defense. ..... Arizona ranked 28th in the league in scoring defense, permitting 26.6 points per game. The Cardinals were 16th against the run, allowing 110.2 yards per game. They were more vulnerable against the pass, surrendering 221.2 yards per game (22nd).

Special Teams
Falcons PK Jason Elam missed only two field goals all season, going 29 for 31. Arizona's Neil Rackers was almost as good, going 25 for 28. The Cardinals' Sean Morey made the Pro Bowl on special teams.
Coaching
The Falcons' Mike Smith and the Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt make their playoff debuts as head coaches. Smith is a top NFL coach of the year candidate after going 11-5 as a rookie. Whisenhunt last was in the postseason as the Steelers' offensive coordinator. He called the trick play that resulted in a touchdown pass from Antwaan Randle El to fellow WR Hines Ward that sealed the Steelers' Super Bowl triumph to close the 2005 season.

Read Article Washington Post

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Hokies run all over Bearcats defense

2009-01-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

That Virginia Tech rushed for 27 yards the first time it snapped the ball against the University of Cincinnati Thursday should have been the omen.
But even then, how could the Bearcats have imagined that the ACC champion Hokies would do something that no other team — not even top-ranked Oklahoma — had done against them all year?

The Hokies ran all over the Bearcats defense, amassing 216 rushing yards by the time the third quarter of the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl had ended. And that was more than they had allowed all game to any team, including Oklahoma, to whom they allowed 197 yards in a loss.

By the time the Hokies had etched their 20-7 win into the record books, they had also tacked on 258 rush yards on 55 carries against the Bearcats as freshman running back Darren Evans was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

"Did we prepare them the right way because we didn't tackle well?" Bearcats coach Brian Kelly said. "That's a questions we're going to have to ask ourselves in the next five months."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Oklahoma | Virginia Tech | Gannett | Hokies | Bearcats | Most Valuable Player | Cincinnati Enquirer | University of Cincinnati | Brian Kelly | FedEx Orange Bowl | Tyrod Taylor | Darren Evans | Corey Smith | Terrill Byrd
Bearcats players admitted after the game they assumed their biggest challenge would be stopping the elusive, free-running quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who did do his share of head fakes to get the Bearcats running in the wrong direction.

But the biggest trouble came right at the heart of the defense, which Evans, a 6-foot, 210-pound tailback, exposed all game long. Evans had rushed for 103 of his 153 yards — the 40th 100-yard performance in an Orange Bowl game — by the third quarter alone.

The Hokies simply kept pounding the ball inside, their offensive line blowing open holes that Evans ran through freely. It was easy for the Hokies to start running designed scrambles for Taylor, who tacked on another 47 yards and a touchdown.

When Evans wasn't simply running through Cincinnati's attempts at arm tackles, the Bearcats were missing tackles outright. Before this game, the Bearcats had allowed an average of 102.7 yards a game.

Read Article USA Today

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USC shows its offensive prowess in defeating Penn State in Rose Bowl

2009-01-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

USC’s immediate past and probable future came together in a magnificent explosion Thursday afternoon, shattering Penn State’s Rose Bowl dreams.

One of the best defenses in recent college football history played that way for three quarters, limiting the Nittany Lions to next to nothing. One of 2009’s most promising offenses offered a spectacular sneak preview, putting on a prolific aerial display that rendered the defense’s rare late lapse inconsequential.

It all added up to a 38-24 victory in front of 93,293 bipartisan fans, making USC the first school to win three consecutive Rose Bowl games.

"There’s times we run to win the game, times we throw the football and times to play defense," said USC coach Pete Carroll, who raised his record to 6-1 in BCS bowls. "This is a terrific football team."

It is one of the best in the nation, to be sure, but didn’t get a chance to prove it in the BCS title game despite only one loss. One of the reasons USC (12-1) suffered in the BCS standings was the national perception that the Pac-10 was down. The Trojans’ victory gave the conference a perfect 5-0 record in bowl games, a fact that wasn’t lost on the jubilant players afterward.

Read Article Boston Herald

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Heat-Magic Preview

2009-01-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

Fresh off a win against one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams, the Miami Heat get a chance to take down another.

Miami will try to snap a nine-game losing streak to Orlando on Friday night while the Magic go for their ninth straight victory at Amway Arena.

The Heat (17-13) are looking for their sixth win in seven games following Tuesday's 104-95 victory over Cleveland. Miami lost to the Cavaliers 93-86 on Sunday.

``We weren't into a nice birthday present this time around for LeBron (James),'' said Dwyane Wade, who had 36 points, 10 boards and nine assists in Miami's last win over Orlando - 110-100 on Feb. 15, 2006. ``He got one the other night in Cleveland.''

Wade, the NBA's scoring leader at 28.7 points per game, had 21 points and 12 assists on Tuesday, but tied a season low by shooting 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from the field.

The Heat are shooting just 43.4 percent from the floor in their last three games. Orlando, meanwhile, is third in the NBA in field goal defense at 42.5 percent.

Rookie Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook shot a combined 11-of-14 from 3-point range on Tuesday as Miami finished a season-best 61.1 percent from beyond the arc. Chalmers, who hit a season-best six 3s in seven attempts, scored 21 points and matched a season high with eight assists. With no turnovers on Tuesday, Chalmers has 19 assists and just four turnovers in his last three games.

While Orlando has dominated Miami in recent matchups, the Magic have taken advantage of the absence of Wade in most of them. The Heat superstar has played in just four games in the nine-game losing streak against the Magic, including just two of the last seven meetings.

Read Article USA Today

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Manny drawing interest from Giants

2009-01-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

The Giants appear to be players in the Manny Ramirez sweepstakes, according to KPIX-TV.com and the Denver Post.
In fact, KPIX-TV.com reported that San Francisco offered the right-handed-hitting slugger a four-year deal, but it did not reveal the dollar figures. However, the San Francisco Chronicle indicated that the Giants are focusing more on trades, not free agents.

Ramirez had one of his best seasons in 2008, hitting a combined .332 with 37 home runs and 121 RBIs for the Red Sox and Dodgers.

In recent days, Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, contacted the Dodgers. Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti said he received a voicemail from Boras in regards to Ramirez, the first contact between the two sides on the slugger since their get-together at the Winter Meetings.

The Dodgers are now in discussions to rework the contract of outfielder Andruw Jones, with the goal of moving him off the roster to free up salary that could be used to sign Ramirez.

Read Article MLB.com

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Court Awareness: Thursday Review

2009-01-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

Marquette's trio of senior guards proved to be too much for Villanova in each team's Big East opener. Playing at home, Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews combined for 60 points to lead No. 25 Marquette to a 79-72 victory over No. 13 Villanova.

McNeal was the Golden Eagles' leading scorer with 24 points, shooting 7-of-14 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range.

Corey Fisher led the way for the Wildcats with 21 points, but Villanova trailed for nearly the entire second half.

This game was the only one on New Year's Day featuring any ranked team, and the result moves both Marquette and Villanova to 12-2 for the season.

Other Results
Texas Tech improved to 9-0 at home on the season and 10-4 overall with a 69-55 victory over Stephen F. Austin.

Western Kentucky scored a decisive 99-76 win over Troy to improve to 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Hilltoppers are aiming to return to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the Sweet 16 a season ago.

The other Sun Belt team to make the NCAA Tournament last March, South Alabama, also notched a conference win today over Florida Atlantic, 74-69. South Alabama is now 2-1 in conference games, with its only loss coming to Western Kentucky.

Read Article FOX Sport

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A quick fix for the playoffs and my predictions for Wild-Card Weekend

2009-01-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

In the NFL, what passes for major debate today is how the wrong teams are in the playoffs. We seem to either want New England to get some sort of hall pass because they're home for the holidays and San Diego is in, or we want to just eliminate the division structure altogether and get the six teams with the best records in each conference in the playoffs.

No, and no. But what the NFL should do is not automatically award division winners a home playoff game. I'll get to the reasons for that in a moment, and I'll pick this weekend's game, but first, let's put away the violins for the Patriots, and for the death of divisions.

The fact New England lost out this year is an unfortunate anomaly. The Patriots are certainly one of the best seven or eight teams in football today, and 12 make the playoffs. In the last three weeks of the season, they played in the driving rain (Oakland), blowing snow (Arizona) and 40-mph gale-force winds (Buffalo) and outscored foes 109-33. Good team. Very good team. But let's compare the Patriots and Chargers in a few relevant categories.

• Record: New England 11-5, San Diego 8-8. Huge advantage Pats.

• Head-to-head: San Diego 30, New England 10 on Oct. 12. Advantage Chargers.

• Division record: New England 4-2, San Diego 5-1. Advantage Chargers.

• Last month: New England 4-0, San Diego 4-0. Even.

• Last Half-Season: New England 5-3, San Diego 5-3. Even.

New England lost by 25 at home to Miami and by 23 at home to Pittsburgh, and allowed Brett Favre to convert a third-and-15 pass in overtime Nov. 13, leading to an overtime win by the Jets in Foxboro. So while there's little doubt they're one of the best teams ever to not make the playoffs, they're hardly the '85 Bears. Or even the '07 Patriots.

Regarding the idea to have two 16-team conferences, with no division distinctions, or to simply take the best six teams per conference to the playoffs: Bad idea. It'd take away the playoff-ramification significance of division games. Steelers-Ravens will always be a bad-blood game, but if both are 11-3 late in the year and assured of playoff spots, their game becomes nothing but a joust for better home-field seed in the playoffs -- and maybe Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh rest sore vets for a half because good health is more important to them than home playoff games.

Read Article CNN

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Charles Barkley arrested on suspicion of DUI

2008-12-31T08:44:00.000-08:00

The retired basketball legend, who has long argued that star athletes shouldn't be idolized by young fans, committed a major foul Wednesday when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The hall of famer was taken into custody in Scottsdale, Ariz., after running a stop sign. Police escorted him to a DUI checkpoint where his blood was tested on the scene by a mobile task force, TMZ.com reports.

The 45-year-old was released soon after and took a taxi home.

This isn't Barkley's first run-in with the law: He was arrested in Milwaukee police in 1991 for allegedly punching a man in the face. Barkley was acquitted the following year.

Barkley famously made waves in the early '90s by repeatedly insisting that basketball players shouldn't be put on a pedestal.

"A million guys can dunk a basketball in jail; should they be role models?" Barkley asked a crowd of sportswriters.

His comments later spawned his 1993 "I am not a role model" advertising campaign for Nike.

Read Article Daily News

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On the outside looking in

2008-12-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

As compelling as the Patriots' 2008 season has been, they could go down in history not as the plucky team that fought back from the loss of its star quarterback in the first game of the season, but as the nonplayoff team with the best record of the modern era. If the Ravens, Dolphins and Patriots all win Sunday, all would finish the season with an 11-5 record, and the Pats would be the odd team out because the Dolphins would win the division and the Ravens would get the second wild-card spot by virtue of their better intraconference record. (The Colts already have clinched a wild-card berth.)

Such an occurrence would make New England only the second 11-5 team not to make the playoffs since the NFL went to a 16-game season in 1978. The first was the 1985 Broncos, who were denied in the era when only 10 teams reached the postseason.

Throughout pro football history, how rare is this? In the old days, not very; but in these liberalized modern times, during which 8-8 teams sometimes win wild-card slots, it has happened quite infrequently. Let's take a look at the best nonplayoff teams from the NFL's various eras, and you'll see what we mean:

1992 to present

(Era of two conferences, 16-game season and 12 playoff teams)
Ideally, playoff systems separate the wheat from the chaff. The more teams that are included, however, the more likely it is that some chaff will sneak in there. Conversely, the less likely it is that any wheat will be omitted. You know that bubble you always hear about when it comes time to pick the teams for the NCAA basketball tournament? The NFL pretty much eliminated its bubble in '92 when it started inviting 12 teams to the playoffs. Since then, only three teams with double-figure win totals have not made the playoffs. The 2003 Dolphins, 2005 Chiefs and 2007 Browns all went 10-6 but were aced out of the postseason by the presence of better teams in their divisions and better wild-card entries. Of the three, the '07 Browns barely outscored their opponents and went 1-3 against playoff-bound teams, while the '03 Dolphins were 2-4 versus playoff-bound teams. The '05 Chiefs had the best point differential and went 3-2 against playoff-bound teams. That list will grow by at least one and possibly by as many as three teams this season. The Patriots, Dolphins and Ravens already have 10 wins each, and either one or two of them won't make the playoffs, depending on whether the Jets beat or lose to Miami. In the NFC, the Bucs could win 10 games and be denied the wild card, while the Bears could go 10-6 and not win the North Division.

Read Article ESPN Page 2

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Wang, Yankees avoid arbitration, agree to one-year deal

2008-12-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

New York, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees and starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract on Monday, avoiding arbitration.

Following back-to-back 19-win campaigns, the Taiwanese-born Wang went 8-2 with a 4.07 earned-run average in 15 starts in 2008 before being placed on the disabled list with a foot injury in June.

The ligament sprain and partial tendon tear in his right foot cost Wang the rest of the season, which saw the Yankees place third in the American League East with an 89-73 record.

Last season's Opening Day starter has compiled a 54-20 record with a 3.79 ERA in four seasons with the Yankees. The 28-year-old's 46 wins since 2006 are tied for the third-most in the American League during that stretch.

Read Article New York Times

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Football Science for Week 16

2008-12-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Football Scientist, KC Joyner, a Fifth Down contributor, gives us three things to think after Week 16. His latest book is “Blindsided: Why the Left Tackle is Overrated and Other Contrarian Football Thoughts.”

1. If the past three weeks are any indicator, Tennessee cornerback Nick Harper is going to be the target of every offense the Titans see during the playoffs. Harper has been thrown at 27 times in this time frame, or an average of nine times per game. That would equal 144 attempts if it were prorated over the course of a season. To put that into perspective, consider that in 2007 Marcus Trufant led all cornerbacks in pass attempts and he was only thrown at 111 times. It’s not as if Harper has been a coverage liability in these games, as he has given up only 161 yards (6.0 YPA) and his metrics for the season have been better than his cornerback battery mate, Pro Bowler Cortland Finnegan. That hasn’t mattered to the opposition of late and isn’t likely to change between now and the divisional round of the playoffs, so keep an eye on Harper in January. As he goes, so may the Titans go.

2. I have to give the Saints a lot of credit. I figured that since they were out of the playoff hunt, they would go all out to give Drew Brees a chance at breaking Dan Marino’s NFL record of 5,084 passing yards in a single season. He had 4,332 yards going into yesterday’s game against the Lions, so he needed to pass for 376.5 yards in each of his last two contests to top Marino’s mark. Detroit is easily the worst secondary in the NFL and may be the worst that I have seen in six seasons of breaking down game tapes, so if there were ever an opponent to run up yardage totals on, this would be it.

Tempting as it might have been to do that, Sean Payton and company didn’t do it. Don’t get me wrong, Brees threw as often as he normally does and was his typical highly efficient self (40 attempts, 30 completions for 351 yards and two touchdowns) but when the run up the stats chance presented itself, New Orleans let it go by. They were up 42-7 in the 4th quarter with 6:19 left and could have told Brees to air it out to add to his 335 passing yards, but he only threw the ball twice on the final ten plays of the game. He will now need to gain 401 yards against the Panthers next week to beat out Marino’s mark. That means the Detroit game may have cost Brees a chance at one of the NFL’s highest profile single season records, but he and the Saints organization deserve a lot of credit for doing the right thing and playing the game like it is supposed to be played.

3. Note to the next General Manager of the Kansas City Chiefs: Give Herm Edwards another year with this ballclub. There are times to make coaching changes but this isn’t one of them. The Chiefs have a great collection of young talent on both sides of the ball and are only a couple of players away from contending for the AFC West title next year. The best of the bunch might be Tyler Thigpen, a youngster who has impressed both my scouting and metric eyes of late and could be a Pro Bowl QB in the next couple of years. Coaching changes are almost never good for the development of young QBs, so stick it out for at least one more year with Edwards and see where this thing goes. I have a feeling you will be quite pleased with the result.

Read Article New York Times

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Shoulder injury shelves Brassard

2008-12-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

The rookie disclocated his right shoulder during a fight last Thursday night.

"He's going to have surgery in early January and he's done for the year," Jackets general manager Scott Howson told ESPN.com Monday.

"He's four to six months out in terms of return to play -- closer to six months. So he's not going to return this year."

Brassard was tied for the NHL rookie scoring lead with 25 points (10-15) in 31 games and was among the candidates for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

It's a huge blow to a Jackets team that wasn't that deep at center to begin with.

Brassard was the sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft and was the NHL's rookie of the month for October. He has earned points in 20 games this season.

Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Read Article ESPN/NHL

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Bill Davis Racing sells majority stake in NASCAR teams

2008-12-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

Bill Davis Racing has sold its Triad Racing Development, a major supplier of NASCAR engines and chassis, along with a majority stake in its NASCAR teams to newly formed Triad Racing Technologies.
Triad Racing Technologies, which is co-owned by Marty Gaunt and Michael Held, wants to grow the customer base of Triad, which builds engines and chassis for more than a dozen Toyota teams in the Camping World truck series. Triad also built chassis for the Sprint Cup teams of Bill Davis Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing.

Though the company makes Toyota motors, Gaunt said Triad can build chassis for any manufacturer. Held said Triad hopes to expand its 18 clients by 25% to 30% in the next year as teams seek to cut costs because of the economic downturn

"As sponsorship revenues shrink, it'll force race teams to look at what resources they have and what they can do to contract out stuff such as building chassis," Held said in a phone interview Monday morning. "One of those efficiencies could be getting their chassis made at Triad.

"It's important for us to be in the Cup garage, it's our intention to be able to supply a Cup team or two."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Toyota | Daytona | Sprint Cup | Dave Blaney | Camry | Johnny Benson | Michael Waltrip Racing | Bill Davis Racing | Camping World
Triad is interested in continuing the truck and Cup teams campaigned by Bill Davis Racing last season. The Bill Davis Racing truck driven by Johnny Benson won the series championship, and its No. 22 Camry, driven by Dave Blaney, finished the season ranked in the top 35 in Sprint Cup owners points, guaranteeing it a spot in the first five races of 2009. The team's future has been uncertain because of a lack of sponsorship.

Bill Davis Racing has won two truck titles and has notched five wins (including the 2002 Daytona 500) in Cup while making 722 starts from 1993-2008.

Read Article USA Today

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Pirates reach new deal with Doumit

2008-12-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Pirates and catcher Ryan Doumit have agreed to a three-year contract that includes club options for 2012 and 2013.

Doumit hit a team-best .318 with 15 home runs and 69 RBI in 116 games last season. He began the campaign as the backup catcher, but beat out former starter Ronny Paulino early in the season.

The 27-year-old switch-hitter led the National League with a .407 average with runners in scoring position.

"We are very pleased that we were able to work out an agreement that could result in Ryan Doumit remaining in a Pirates uniform through the 2013 season," said Pirates general manager Neal Huntington. "Ryan had a breakout season in 2008 and has positioned himself to be a key piece for us as the organization moves forward."

Earlier this month, the Pirates traded Paulino to the Philadelphia Phillies for catching prospect Jason Jaramillo.

Over four seasons in the majors, all with Pittsburgh, Doumit has appeared in 335 games and is a career .278 hitter with 36 home runs and 153 RBI.

The Pirates selected Doumit in the second round of the 1999 draft.

Read Article The Sport NetWork

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Trail Blazers-Nuggets Preview

2008-12-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

On a team loaded with young talent, Brandon Roy doesn't get the attention that some of the NBA's other elite players garner.

That might be about to change.

A game after scoring a career-high 52 points in leading his Portland Trail Blazers to a comeback win, Roy will see what he can do for an encore Monday against the host Denver Nuggets, who are looking to avoid their first four-game losing streak in nearly two years.

Denver will have a tough time doing so without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, who will miss both games of this home-and-home series due to a sore elbow. After the Nuggets visit Portland on Tuesday, they hope Anthony will return Friday against Philadelphia.

While Anthony has received plenty of attention since joining the league in 2004, Roy has been somewhat away from the spotlight in Portland even though he was the 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year. The third-year guard has always been steady if not spectacular, but he's raised his play in the past two weeks.

Roy's career high heading into this season was 33, a total he's matched once and surpassed twice in the last 11 days. He scored 33 on Dec. 11 at Utah and 38 the next night against the Los Angeles Clippers, though the Blazers (17-10) lost both of those games.

But just six days after that double-overtime loss to the Clippers, Roy had another big game, and this time he made sure Portland wouldn't lose. Roy scored 52 points Thursday at home against Phoenix - including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:01 left - and the Blazers erased a seven-point halftime deficit to win 124-119.

``I think this is by far the best offensive game I've had,'' Roy said after coming within two points of Portland's single-game franchise record, held by Damon Stoudamire. ``I can't say the basket was big, but my confidence was huge tonight. I just felt like every shot I took was going to go in.''

Coach Nate McMillan called it a ``quiet'' 52 points.

``He was just knocking down shots,'' McMillan said. ``You almost expect him to do this night after night.''

Lately, he has. Roy has scored at least 29 points in each of his past five games, averaging 36.4. For the season, he's one of three players to average at least 23 points, five assists and four rebounds. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are the others.

Portland fans serenaded Roy with chants of ``M-V-P!'' during the win over Phoenix, though Roy admits that's the last thing on his mind.

``My No. 1 goal is to win. Not to be the MVP. Not to be the All-Star,'' Roy said.

The Nuggets (17-10) won 16 of their first 20 games after acquiring former NBA finals MVP Chauncey Billups from Detroit last month, but they've dropped their past three games. With a loss Monday, they'll have lost four straight for the first time since Feb. 14-24, 2007.

Read Article USA TODAY

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Hamilton and Iverson didn't add much to Detroit's loss on Sunday. Rip got ejected; A.I. played bad D.

2008-12-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

OK, this is getting ridiculous.

The Pistons once again lost on Sunday, this time 85-78 to the Hawks. They have yet to win on a Sunday this season in six tries, although for the first time, they kept the losing margin to single digits. In football, the Lions also lost, 42-7 to the Saints, marking their 14th straight defeat on a Sunday (they did lose one game on Thanksgiving). And, lest we forget, the Tigers lost their final four Sunday outings as well, including a doubleheader sweep by the White Sox on Sept. 14.

If you're keeping track, Detroit's sports teams are 1-22 since Sept. 7. Only the Red Wings, 3-2 winners at Vancouver on Nov. 2 in their lone Sunday appearance, have been able to avoid the dreaded Detroit Sunday curse.

But the Pistons' case is the really perplexing one. The 2008 versions of the Lions and Tigers have been horrible at any point on the calendar, but Detroit's basketball team is 14-5 on the other six days of the week. Monday through Saturday, they've been good enough to beat the Lakers, Cavs and Spurs. On Sunday, they've been bad enough to suffer lopsided defeats to the Wolves and Knicks.

One gets the sense that Detroit coach Michael Curry has had enough. He called out Allen Iverson's shoddy defense after the game and noted A.I.'s tendency to be caught ball-watching, the outcome of which was six 3-pointers scored by Atlanta's Mike Bibby. This isn't news to anyone in Denver or Philadelphia, and in Detroit's nongambling defensive style, his play a lot more problematic.

Curry also noted that Richard Hamilton had no business getting ejected in a six-point game with more than a minute left. The Pistons seem to be battling the refs as much as, or more than, their opponent, something that they're known to do. The difference is that now they aren't skilled enough to pull off a win after battling the refs.

Symbolic of that, and without the slightest hint of irony, the Detroit News posted the following notebook about the game. The first item is about Hamilton's protesting his ejection, the second item is about various Pistons whining about the free-throw disparity and the third item is about the team's complaints about Rasheed Wallace's two most recent technical fouls, which it hopes to have rescinded.

Anybody else notice a pattern here? It smacks of classic Pistons -- blaming everybody but themselves when things go wrong (although Iverson, to his credit, blamed himself for ball-watching as well). The only difference is that usually this doesn't happen until May.

Hamilton, for instance, was ejected the previous time the Pistons played on Sunday -- nothing new there. The free-throw disparity isn't notable, either -- Detroit is minus-2.8 per game for the season. And Wallace, even in the unlikely event that two of his 10 techs are rescinded, still will push for the league lead with eight -- he, Kendrick Perkins (nine) and Stephen Jackson (eight) are the only players who have racked up more than six.

Plenty of time remains this season, and Detroit certainly has enough depth and talent to recover from its rather mediocre start. But Sunday was a key loss -- Atlanta is now 3½ games ahead of Detroit for the No. 4 playoff seed and home-court advantage in the first round -- and the Pistons already have lost sight of the top three teams in the conference. Perhaps Curry's calling out his veterans will prove to be a turning point, but the Pistons have given little indication they're set for a U-turn.

And if you're wondering, the Pistons have 10 Sunday games left on their schedule … meaning they still could lose more times on Sunday than the Lions this season.

Read Article ESPN/NBA

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Jets - Dolphins already set up as Pennington's Revenge

2008-12-22T15:37:00.000-08:00

The subplot for the Jets- Dolphins game Sunday (kick now at 4:15, BTW) clearly is Chad Pennington's shot to bury his ex. A Miami win would doom the Jets' playoff chances and might be sweet vindication for the QB the Jets dumped when they traded for Brett Favre.

Israel Gutierrez wrote on miamiherald.com:

If you ever needed proof of a higher power occasionally dabbling in sports, this whole Pennington-Favre thing provides some pretty convincing evidence.

''This is the only way fate would have it, right?'' said Chad Pennington, the quarterback currently benefiting from the apparent divine intervention.

How else would you explain this scenario? The Jets so desperately craved Brett Favre that, upon trading for him, they immediately waived Pennington and shipped him home from a preseason game in Cleveland. Favre is welcomed to New York like a king, or even a god, bringing Super Bowl aspirations out of retirement with him. The exiled Pennington, meanwhile, goes to Miami, where two wins would've been considered a significant improvement and double-figure wins would've been deemed, well, a miracle.

Favre is everything Pennington wasn't: a risk-taker, a gunslinger, a champion. Pennington was the caretaker whose job was merely to hold the Dolphins quarterback position until another Chad (Henne) was prepared to take it.

Read Article NJ.com

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QB Orlovsky to start for Lions

2008-12-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

Dan Orlovsky will go into the history books either way.

The Detroit Lions quarterback, who coach Rod Marinelli said will start Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, will either be the starter when Detroit becomes the NFL's first-ever 0-16 team or will be remembered for helping the Lions end their dubious streak.

Orlovsky was replaced at the end of Detroit's loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, when the Lions became the NFL's first team to start a season 0-15.

Expansion Tampa Bay set the bar low for NFL futility in 1976, when it finished 0-14.

"Awful, embarrassing," Orlovsky said Sunday of the loss. "We stunk. Any bad adjective you can use, throw it in there."

Read Article ESPN NLF

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NBA year in review: Celtics are back

2008-12-22T11:28:00.000-08:00

1. Celtics are back. Turns out, it didn't take all that long to rebuild the NBA's greatest franchise. The Celtics were one of the NBA's worst teams in 2006-07, but a summer of shrewd trades (and a little of that old Celtic luck) brought Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to Boston to team up with Paul Pierce. After some postseason tribulations, the Celtics blew by the Lakers in the Finals to win their 17th championship.

2. Kobe ascendancy. For three years after the Shaquille O'Neal trade, Kobe Bryant put up big scoring numbers -- he led the league in scoring twice -- while his Lakers foundered. But a midseason deal that brought power forward Pau Gasol to L.A. for very little of value remade the Lakers and pushed the team into championship contention. Bryant still had big numbers, but he had team success, too, and that paved the way to his first MVP trophy.

3. Team USA redemption. After three straight disappointments in international tournaments (the World Championship in '02 and '06, and the '04 Olympics), USA Basketball, under the direction of former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, finally bore the fruits of a reorganized approach. Led by Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and a roster brimming with the NBA's best players, Team USA cruised into the finale without a real challenge, then survived a showdown against Spain to take the gold.

4. Rose and a side of Mayo. Draft night put the Bulls, who lucked into the top pick thanks to the lottery, in the spotlight, choosing between top-rated point guard Derrick Rose and heralded forward Michael Beasley. The Bulls went with Rose, who figures to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. Beasley has struggled, but another draft-night hero -- O.J. Mayo -- has joined Rose at the head of the rookie class.

5. Back in the Big Easy. A 56-win season was just one of the blessings for the Hornets this year. Their ability to finally crack into the Western Conference elite came at the perfect time, just as the team moved back to New Orleans permanently. The city hosted the '08 All-Star game and had the good fortune to watch all-around good guy Chris Paul become a first-team All-NBA player.

Read Article Sporting News

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Vikings stage a giveaway and lose

2008-12-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

The thought is enough to make any Vikings fan or player nauseous, but the unthinkable is going to be a reality: The Vikings will spend tonight rooting for the Green Bay Packers.

It didn't have to be that way.

The Vikings needed only a victory over Atlanta on Sunday at the Metrodome to clinch their first NFC North title and make tonight's game between Chicago and the Packers meaningless. But seven fumbles, four of which were lost, and the inability to recover a ball in the Atlanta end zone all helped send the Vikings to a 24-17 loss.

The Bears' title hopes stayed alive, thanks to the Vikings' miscues.

Perhaps most disturbing was that Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson had two of the fumbles and lost one. Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, making his first start at the Metrodome since being benched after Week 2, had a solid 98.5 passer rating and 76 rushing yards, third highest by a Viking quarterback, but was charged with three fumbles, including two he lost.

"Before you talk about any other statistics, [fumbles] can't happen if you're going to have a realistic chance to win the game," coach Brad Childress said.

A four-game winning streak during which the Vikings had five more takeaways than giveaways came to a sudden halt. The Falcons and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, meanwhile, were able to celebrate the fact they had locked up a spot in the playoffs.

The Vikings' postseason hopes remain in good shape. If Chicago loses either of its final two games, against the Packers or next Sunday at Houston, the Vikings win the division. If the Vikings (9-6) beat the New York Giants next Sunday at the Metrodome, they also will be going to the playoffs for the first time since the 2004 season. The Giants have the No. 1 seed in the NFC and might have the luxury of resting starters.

Read Article StarTribune.com

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Yanks land Sabathia, a $161 million man

2008-12-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The New York Yankees landed a big prize for their new ballpark.

CC Sabathia and the Yankees agreed Wednesday to the framework of a $161 million, seven-year contract after general manager Brian Cashman dashed off to California to meet with the pitcher and his wife.

Hours after the New York Mets reached a preliminary deal on a $37 million, three-year contract with closer Francisco Rodriguez, Cashman left Las Vegas and traveled to the San Francisco area Tuesday to meet with Sabathia for the third straight day.

The Yankees wound up with the top name in the free-agent market and hope he'll be a perfect fit when they move into their new $1.3 billion stadium in the spring.

Sabathia has the right to opt out after three seasons and become a free agent again.

"I'm sure every team in baseball would love to have him. He's a guy who's an intimidating factor on the mound," Yankees captain Derek Jeter said at the winter meetings.

The Yankees and Sabathia's agents still need to work out all the details, a baseball official familiar with the talks told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been completed and the pitcher must pass a physical.

The crosstown Mets already made a free-agent splash by landing Francisco Rodriguez, and fellow reliever Kerry Wood was close to a deal with the Cleveland Indians.

Coming off a record 62 saves for the Los Angeles Angels, K-Rod became the first top-tier free agent to pick a team when he decided to join the Mets, desperate for bullpen help.

"He got a terrific deal from the Mets and he's going to do a great job for them," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's got great postseason experience. I don't know that I've met a guy mentally as tough as Francisco on the mound. ... The offers that were made to Francisco over the last couple years obviously were not the ones that he was looking for to stay here with the Angels."

Rodriguez's deal with New York is unlikely to be completed before next week.

"The way that we lost so many close games late, I think that was critical for us to — theoretically — address this thing here. We have addressed it very well," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said, laughing. "I mean, they say the word on the street is good. It's good. That's just the word on the street. We've got to get it written down."

Cleveland was on the verge of a two-year contract with Wood, the former Chicago Cubs starter-turned-reliever, a person familiar with that deal said on condition of anonymity because the sides still were working through details. Wood, who has had numerous injury problems in the past, also needs to pass a physical before the deal can be set.

The Yankees made a six-year offer to Sabathia on Nov. 14 worth about $140 million and met with him on Sunday and Monday. Cashman's daily briefing with reporters was canceled by the team Tuesday, with spokesman Jason Zillo saying, "Brian is off hotel property and unavailable for the rest of the evening."

With Sabathia now headed to the Yankees, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe could be the next pitchers in motion. Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez also could become long negotiations.

"I think everybody's getting frustrated. I think we all thought it but didn't want to say it," San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. "This is as slow as we've ever seen it. It's the lack of real concrete communication.

"It seems the clubs and the agents aren't in a hurry. I don't know if that will pick up before we leave here or next week," he added. "That has nothing to do with being in the venue of Las Vegas. We could be on the moon or in Alaska, that's the way it is."

In the second trade of the four-day session, the Cincinnati Reds acquired catcher Ramon Hernandez and cash from the Baltimore Orioles for utilityman Ryan Freel and two minor leaguers.

Read Article hostednews

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Nats make eight-year offer to Teixeira

2008-12-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS -- The Nationals are showing how serious they are when it comes to bringing Mark Teixeira to Washington, D.C.
According to a Major League source, the club has offered the switch-hitting first baseman an eight-year, $160 million contract that would pay Teixeira an average of $22.5 million per season.

But the Nationals have competition when it comes to acquiring Teixeira; the Angels, Orioles, Red Sox and Yankees are also in the mix.

Teixeira has been Washington's top free-agent target since the offseason began. Incumbent first basemen Dmitri Young and Nick Johnson have been unable to stay healthy in recent seasons, and Teixeira, who has averaged 151 games per year across his six big league seasons, would be a durable replacement at the position.

Teixeira, who hit a combined .321 with 33 home runs and 121 RBIs for the Braves and Angels this past season, would join Ryan Zimmerman in anchoring the middle of a lineup that finished 28th in runs scored in 2008.

Read Article mlb.com

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Bradford, McCoy, Tebow finalists for 2008 Heisman Trophy

2008-12-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and a pair of Big 12 signal-callers -- Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Colt McCoy of Texas -- have been named finalists for the 2008 Heisman Trophy.

The prestigious honor, presented to the nation's top collegiate player in New York on Saturday, does not have an undisputed front-runner, as each quarterback put up gaudy statistics for a program that finished in the top three of the final Bowl Championship Series standings.

Bradford guided the Sooners to a 12-1 record and a late-season surge that not only put him at the forefront of the Heisman race, but also landed Oklahoma in the No. 1 spot in the BCS.

The second-year starter, who tore ligaments in his non-throwing hand in the second-to-last game of the season, led the nation with 48 touchdown passes while completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,464 yards, and was intercepted just six times.

Bradford also ran for five scores and orchestrated an offense that eclipsed the 60-point barrier in each of the past five games -- including a 384-yard, two-touchdown effort in a 62-21 pasting of Missouri last Saturday to capture Oklahoma's third straight Big 12 title. Four different Sooners have won the Heisman, the last being quarterback Jason White in 2003.

Bradford's counterpart in the national title game is no stranger to Heisman, as Tebow became the first underclassman to take home the hardware in 2007. The Florida QB tossed for 216 yards and three TDs in the SEC championship last Saturday, when the Gators trumped previously top-ranked Alabama, 31-20, to sneak into the No. 2 spot of the BCS for another shot at a title.

His 2008 numbers fell shy of last season's historic run, when he became the first player in FBS history to throw at least 20 TD passes and run for at least 20 scores in the same campaign. Nonetheless, the junior tossed for 2,515 yards with 28 TDs and just two picks, while rushing for 564 yards and a dozen touchdowns for a team that outscored its opponents by more than 32 points a game. If Tebow wins, it would be the fourth time a Gator won the award and the second time anybody won the Heisman twice. Ohio State running back Archie Griffin won it in 1974 and 1975.

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Reds re-sign Lincoln to two-year deal

2008-12-04T17:41:00.000-08:00

CINCINNATI -- The Reds' goal to retain three of their key free agents is one-third complete.
On Thursday, right-handed reliever Mike Lincoln was re-signed to a two-year contract worth $4 million, becoming the first major offseason transaction for the club.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty is also trying to bring back reliever David Weathers and infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. before the week ends. Jocketty didn't think negotiations were far apart with either player.

"I've talked with both Weathers' and Hairston's agents today -- we'll see," Jocketty said Thursday night.

Lincoln's performance for the Reds last season didn't just revive a dormant Major League career, it proved quite lucrative, too. The 33-year-old will make an annual base salary of $1.5 million in 2009 and $2.5 million in '10. The contract also includes incentive bonuses of up to $250,000 bases on games pitched and a possible $450,000 based on games finished.

The signing capped a long comeback effort for Lincoln, who returned to the Major Leagues in 2008 after he missed nearly four years recovering from two different ulnar collateral ligament surgeries on his right elbow.

After he made the Reds out of Spring Training as a non-roster invitee, Lincoln was 2-5 with a 4.48 ERA in 70 1/3 innings over a career-high 64 appearances. He retired 49 of 64 first batters he faced and had 12 of 49 inherited runners score.

At one point, Lincoln enjoyed a 19-scoreless-innings streak. His numbers tailed off toward the second half, in part because of a rough August. His second half ERA was 5.89, compared to 3.89 in the first half. Overall, he allowed 10 homers.

"He really pitched well for us," Jocketty said. "He wore down at the end of the year, because he hadn't pitched in the big leagues for a long time. We expect him to be better in that area."

Reports out of Minneapolis said that Lincoln was also hotly pursued by the Twins. The competition drove the Reds to add the second year to the deal.

"It's what we had to do to keep him from signing somewhere else, but the money was right," Jocketty said.

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Life is Rosy for Rick Neuheisel

2008-12-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

UCLA coach has had some of his greatest moments in the Pasadena stadium, and he's looking for one more Saturday against USC.
By David Wharton
4:09 PM PST, December 4, 2008
It was the season opener -- his first game back in college football -- and Rick Neuheisel's team had fallen behind Tennessee at halftime.

The UCLA coach proceeded to give an unusual locker room speech. He mentioned a horseshoe. And the vagaries of chance.

"Don't worry," he told his players. "This is the Rose Bowl -- I'm lucky here."

The Bruins came back to win in overtime that night and, despite several home losses since, Neuheisel continues to believe he is charmed in the Arroyo Seco. Like he might have enough magic in his pocket to upset fifth-ranked USC on Saturday.

Most people figure he'll need a boatload.

"Relentlessly optimistic," says defensive tackle Brigham Harwell, parroting his coach's favorite phrase. "He's always positive, no matter what."

When it comes to the Rose Bowl, this confidence stems from a personal connection to the stadium that dates back to his days as a player and a young assistant.

But when asked to recount his fortunate moments, those times when fate seemed to intervene on his behalf, Neuheisel offers some curious examples. His idea of luck, it seems, is a little different.

1982, USC vs. UCLA

It was a dream come true, an undersized walk-on quarterback from Tempe, Ariz., finding a place on the roster at UCLA. Sure, Neuheisel was only the holder for kicks that season, but he got in the game.

Early on, the junior backup tried to turn an extra-point attempt into a two-point play and was hit hard, separating his shoulder. The trainer taped him up on the sideline.

"No way was I coming out," he said. "I told the center, snap it low because I can't reach up for the ball."

More than two decades later, there is a memento of that day in his office, a photograph of UCLA's Karl Morgan sacking USC quarterback Scott Tinsley on the final play to seal the Bruins' 20-19 victory.

"I loved being part of that game," Neuheisel said.

Read Article latimes.com

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Top women's seeds meet in 'powerful final four'

2008-12-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

CARY, N.C. (AP) — Anson Dorrance has led North Carolina to the NCAA Women's College Cup 24 times in the 27-year history of the event.
But never before has he seen a final four as stacked as this one.

The top four seeds reached the national semifinals for the first time since 1997 and just the fifth time overall. The teams have the most combined wins (92) and tied for the fewest combined losses (two) of any final foursome in the history of the tournament.

"This is a really powerful final four," said Dorrance, who has guided the Tar Heels to 18 NCAA championships, most recently here in 2006. "My feeling is this might be the best Notre Dame team ever, my feeling is this might be the best UCLA team ever, and my feeling is that this might be the best Stanford team ever.

"And for all of us to collide here this weekend is tremendous."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: North Carolina | Notre Dame | Stanford | Tar Heels | Chapel Hill | Cardinal | Fighting Irish | NCAA Women | College Cup | Jillian Ellis | Kerri Hanks | Yael Averbuch
Stanford (22-1-1) and Notre Dame (25-0-0) kick off the action Friday at 4:30 p.m., followed by North Carolina (23-1-2) and UCLA (22-0-2).

The Fighting Irish, who are riding a school-record 25-game winning streak, enter the weekend as the top-ranked team in the country. They are making their fourth appearance in the Women's College Cup in the last five years, including their third in a row.

Notre Dame last won the national championship here in 2004. But seniors such as Kerri Hanks, the only women's player in Division I history with at least 73 goals and 73 assists in a career, want a title of their own after falling short in the final four the last two years.

"This year, not winning is just unacceptable to everyone on the team," Irish midfielder Courtney Rosen said. "I think that's just the mentality that we have."

Stanford's players won't have any College Cup experience to draw upon when they take on Notre Dame. The Cardinal is playing in the NCAA tournament for the 11th consecutive season, but team is making its first College Cup appearance since 1993.

"It's business as usual for us in this game," said Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe, whose team has set a school record for victories in a season. "We're excited to be here, but our goal is to win the national title. We have to take care of business, play to the best of our ability and get the nerves out early."

North Carolina's players should feel comfortable in their surroundings. The Tar Heels, who have traveled just 35 miles here from Chapel Hill, N.C., won the ACC tournament title last month on the same field where they will play the Bruins.

North Carolina has eliminated UCLA in the College Cup three previous years (2000, 2003 and 2006), each time going on to win the national championship. Yet it's a loss, last season's 3-2 defeat at the hands of Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament's third round, that has driven the Tar Heels this season.

"We were disappointed with how last year turned out, and I think we learned a lot from it," North Carolina midfielder Yael Averbuch said. "This year feels completely different to us."

The Tar Heels, who lead the nation in goals (86), will attack a UCLA defense that has allowed just five goals all season. UCLA has posted a school-record 19 shutouts and went through the regular season undefeated for the first time in school history.

The Bruins also are making their sixth consecutive appearance in the College Cup, the longest active streak in the country. But that feat doesn't make them the favorite to win their first national championship. Here, they're just one-quarter of a fearsome foursome.

"I'm not a betting woman, but I think it would be hard to nail down a favorite for this weekend," UCLA coach Jillian Ellis said. "I think that says a lot for the parity amongst the players and the depth that's out there in recruiting. It's a wonderful thing to see."

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Golden State Warriors’ team value rises to $335M

2008-12-04T17:37:00.000-08:00

Aided by surging attendance and income, the Golden State Warriors’ team valuation rose 8 percent last year to $335 million.

The Oakland team’s value is ranked 18th among the NBA’s 30 teams, according to Forbes magazine’s annual study of the business of basketball. The New York Knicks, at $613 million, are the most-valuable franchise and the Milwaukee Bucks are the league’s least-valuable team at $278 million, the magazine reported.

A Warriors representative was not immediately available for comment.

The magazine said that to some degree its values take into account the turmoil in the financial markets. But if the economic downturn continues to worsen, team valuations could decline, the magazine said.

The Warriors' revenue last season was $112 million, up 8.7 percent from the previous season, according to magazine estimates. Income, meanwhile, took a big leap, reaching $14 million last year, up from $1 million the previous season.

The Warriors followed up a surprising 2007 playoff upset of top-seeded Dallas Mavericks with the franchise’s best regular season in 15 years. But the team’s 48 wins last season was not enough to reach the playoffs because of the competition among Western Conference teams.

The Warriors drew huge crowds last year, attracting an average of 19,631 to each home game. That set a franchise record. The team is averaging 18,571 this season through eight home games.

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Dodgers ramping up interest in Wilson?

2008-12-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES -- With free agent Rafael Furcal unlikely to re-sign with the Dodgers, the club is looking to fill a hole at shortstop and has apparently rekindled its interest in Jack Wilson.
The Dodgers have had discussions with Pirates officials this week about acquiring Wilson, according to an AP report out of Pittsburgh. The only stumbling block remains Wilson's $7.25 million salary for next season, the report also said while citing unnamed sources.

Wilson, who will be 32 in December, has been targeted by the Dodgers in the past. He was part of their Trade Deadline discussions in July, and as recently as last month, Foxsports.com had a report that said the Bucs and Dodgers had resumed talks but L.A. was balking at Pittsburgh's asking price of Chin-lung Hu and two prospects.

Furcal was a key piece to the Dodgers since signing a three-year, $39 million at the Winter Meetings in 2005 and was off to his best year this past season before back problems sidelined him in early May. The required surgery kept him out until late September.

The Dodgers have interest in bringing Furcal back, but not for the four-year deal he is seeking. That will leave a spot open at shortstop, which the Dodgers could fill in-house with Ivan DeJesus Jr., Angel Berroa or Hu.

Wilson, who has an $8.4 million option for 2010, is valued defensively and hit .272 last season with a homer and 22 RBIs. But a torn calf muscle and a broken finger limited him to 87 games.

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Mosley testifies to EPO use before fighting De La Hoya

2008-12-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK -- "Sugar" Shane Mosley told a grand jury in 2003 that he injected himself with the doping agent EPO as he prepared for a fight against Oscar De La Hoya, according to court transcripts and doping calendars reviewed by the New York Daily News.

The transcript of the boxer's testimony was part of a BALCO file that was under a protective order before U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston decided last Wednesday to allow prosecutors to share thousands of documents with Barry Bonds' lawyers.

Mosley has acknowledged using performance-enhancing drugs but has denied knowing the drugs were banned or illegal. His attorney, Judd Burstein, told the newspaper the testimony is consistent with what his client has said publicly.

"I am very relieved that this grand jury testimony has been released because it confirms that Shane has consistently recounted his dealings with [Victor] Conte from 2003 to today," Burstein said in a story posted on the paper's Web site Tuesday night.

Conte, the convicted steroids dealer who founded the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, has said he saw Mosley take EPO during a meeting in which Mosley was told the benefits and risks of performance-enhancing drugs and how to use them.

Mosley, who beat De La Hoya in the 2003 junior middleweight title bout, is expected to fight Antonio Margarito on Jan. 24 for the WBA welterweight championship.

Bonds' trial is scheduled to begin March 2. Baseball's career home run leader faces charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to a grand jury about whether he took performance-enhancing drugs. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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Bent goals sends Spurs into semis

2008-12-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

Harry Redknapp has been Tottenham boss for less than six weeks and is already one tie from Wembley following a 2-1 Carling Cup quarter-final victory over Watford courtesy of Darren Bent's winner.

• Relieved Redknapp hails Spurs

Tamas Priskin gave Brendan Rodgers' side an early lead at Vicarage Road before Roman Pavlyuchenko netted for the holders from the penalty spot to maintain his record of scoring in each round of this season's competition.
Redknapp's magic touch has turned Spurs' season around and it worked again when he brought on Bent as a substitute to score the winner with 14 minutes remaining.

The result meant Redknapp got one over his brother-in-law Frank Lampard Snr, who he had never faced before.

The pair barely trained on opposite teams when they played together at West Ham and Lampard was Redknapp's assistant at Upton Park before the partnership was broken in 2001.

With Lampard appointed in his new role to assist Rodgers as football consultant, one of his first tasks was to try to get the better of someone in his own family.

On paper it did not look like they had a chance - Aidy Boothroyd left as manager a month ago, Sir Elton John severed ties as president of the club, then Graham Simpson resigned as chairman on Monday.

Despite the turmoil behind the scenes, Rodgers was given the perfect start when Priskin netted in the 13th minute from a move that started with Jon Harley stealing the ball off Aaron Lennon and racing forward.

The ball was worked to Tommy Smith, whose cross found Priskin with his back to goal - but the Hungary striker turned Jermaine Jenas and fired into the bottom corner for his third of the campaign.

Rodgers' mentor while at Chelsea was Jose Mourinho - and after getting appointed last week it looked like he was on course for a result the `Special One' would have been proud of.

Spurs inevitably battled back. Scott Loach saved at full stretch from Lennon to keep the hosts ahead, denying the winger from scoring with a deft chip after Didier Zokora had sent him down the right flank.

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Freak surfing accident knocks Scott out of Australian PGA

2008-12-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

SYDNEY, Australia -- A freak surfing accident has forced Australian Adam Scott to pull out of this week's Australian PGA championship.

Scott twisted his right knee while swimming in the ocean last weekend, and although the injury is not considered serious, it has forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

"He was coming out of the surf on Sunday morning and he obviously stood in a sand depression," Scott's manager, Justin Cohen, told reporters on Tuesday.

"He went for a body surf and was making his way through the shallow water and twisted his knee a little bit."

Cohen said Scott, ranked 17th in the world, would undergo precautionary scans but was still hoping to play in next week's Australian Open in Sydney.

"It's a very minor, little issue with his knee and we fully expect him to be back in action and ready to go for the Aussie Open next week," he said.

There was better news for tournament organizers when two-time former major winner John Daly confirmed he was extending his stay in Australia to compete in the PGA and Open.

The American missed the cut in last week's Australian Masters.

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Indy Lights set for 15 races in 2009, including two in Canada

2008-12-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indy Racing League's developmental Firestone Indy Lights series will have 15 races next season, including two in Canada for its first events outside the United States.

The Indy Lights schedule announced Tuesday includes races in Toronto on July 11 and Edmonton on July 26, both on temporary street circuits.

The race at Edmonton City Centre Airport is one of nine on the same day as IndyCar Series races, along with ones at Long Beach, Kansas, Milwaukee, Kentucky, Mid-Ohio, Infineon, Chicagoland and the second race at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The April 4 opener at St. Petersburg, along with Iowa, Watkins Glen, Toronto and the season finale at Homestead-Miami will be held on the day before the companion IndyCar race. The May 22 Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is scheduled two days before the Indy 500.

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Wingo, McMurray reunite at Roush Fenway Racing

2008-12-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK -- The official announcement that crew chief Donnie Wingo will be reunited with Jamie McMurray finally came on Tuesday.

Wingo and McMurray worked together for three seasons at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates before McMurray moved to Roush Fenway Racing in 2006. He will replace Larry Carter.

"I'm thrilled to be working with Jamie again," Wingo said in a statement. "Jamie and I had some good runs together at Ganassi. I've seen how well Jamie has performed in the past and I hope with coming over to Roush Fenway Racing we can build on that success."

McMurray finished 16th in the Sprint Cup standings this past season with four top fives and 11 top 10 finishes.

"Donnie and I have been friends for years," McMurray said. "Even when he wasn't my crew chief, I would still call and talk to him -- not just about racing, but anything. He is one of the hardest workers I know."

David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespn@aol.com.
Related Topics: Nascar, Jamie McMurray

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AD Swarbrick: 'Best course of action' is to keep Weis as coach

2008-12-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Charlie Weis will return for a fifth year as Notre Dame's football coach despite posting his second straight disappointing season.

"Though this past season fell short of the expectations that all of us have for our football program, I am confident that Charlie has a strong foundation in place for future success and that the best course of action is to move forward under his leadership," athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement released by the university Wednesday.

Weis has seven years left on a 10-year contract signed midway through his first season, but some fans had been clamoring for his firing after the Irish got off to a 4-1 start this season and finished 6-6.

Swarbrick said he made the decision to keep Weis after talking with Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins. Swarbrick met with Weis in California on Tuesday to review this past season and discuss next season.

"He, I and the others involved in leading our football program are committed to doing everything necessary to ensure a successful 2009 season," Swarbrick said. "We are examining every aspect of the program and will make changes wherever we think they are needed."

The decision gives Weis another shot at trying to return Notre Dame to prominence after the team lost 15 games the past two seasons, the most by Notre Dame in a two-year span.

The former New England Patriots offensive coordinator has a record of 28-21 in four years, a .571 winning percentage. That's slightly worse than his two predecessors, Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie.

Weis, though, also led the Irish to BCS bowls in his initial two seasons at Notre Dame, first to the Fiesta Bowl then to the Sugar Bowl. The Irish are expected to go to a lower-level bowl this year.

Davie got the Irish to the Fiesta Bowl in 2000, Notre Dame's only BCS appearance in his five years as coach. The only bowl the Irish went to during Willingham's three years as coach was in 2002 to the Gator Bowl.

The decision to keep Weis is the first big decision in the tenure of Swarbrick, who took over the job in August.

Swarbrick said on Nov. 12 that he looked forward to Weis "being the head coach for a long time." But after an embarrassing 24-23 loss to Syracuse, the first time in its storied history that Notre Dame had fallen to an eight-loss team, and getting trounced by rival USC for the sixth time in seven straight losses to the Trojans, Swarbrick said he wouldn't comment on Weis' status until he had time to review the season.

Last season's triple-overtime loss to Navy ended an NCAA-record 43-game winning streak over the Midshipmen, and a pair of 38-0 losses to Michigan and USC were among the embarrassing defeats of the past two seasons.

In Weis' four seasons, only eight of Notre Dame's 28 victories came against teams that finished the season with a winning record. The Irish have recently gone 1-16 against teams that finished with a winning record.

The wins against quality teams have been scarce. Notre Dame beat No. 3 Michigan in Weis' second game as coach, but the Wolverines finished 7-5 that season. His only victory against a team that finished a season ranked in the Top 25 was a 41-17 win over a Penn State squad that finished 2006 ranked No. 24.

His finest moment as Irish coach came midway through his first season, when the Irish were 12-point underdogs to top-ranked USC. He worked Notre Dame fans into a frenzy that week and held the weekly pep rally outside at Notre Dame Stadium and 45,000 people attended. The Trojans narrowly won when Reggie Bush pushed Matt Leinart into the end zone with 3 seconds left.

Weis, who originally signed a five-year contract, was rewarded the next week with a 10-year contract that started with the 2006 season.

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Stars LW Avery issues apology for televised comments about ex-girlfriends

2008-12-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK -- Dallas Stars instigator Sean Avery apologized Wednesday for comments about his former girlfriends that led to an indefinite NHL suspension.

"I would like to sincerely apologize for my off-color remarks to the press yesterday from Calgary," Avery said in a statement obtained by SportingNews.com.

"I should not have made those comments and I recognize that they were inappropriate. It was a bad attempt to build excitement for the game, but I am now acutely aware of how hurtful my actions were. I caused unnecessary embarrassment to my peers as well as people I have been close with in the past.

"I apologize for offending the great fans of the NHL, the commissioner, my teammates, my coaching staff and the Dallas Stars management and ownership. As many of you know, I like to mix it up on and off the ice from time to time, but understand that this time I took it too far."

Commissioner Gary Bettman has summoned Avery to New York for a hearing Thursday.

Bettman disciplined Avery on Tuesday for making "inappropriate public comments, not pertaining to the game." The punishment came down only hours after Avery used a crude term about his former girlfriends dating other hockey players.

Avery missed the Stars' games against Calgary on Tuesday night and Edmonton on Wednesday night. The NHL didn't have a timetable for when a decision would be made after the meeting.

"More than anything, he's let his teammates down," said Dallas co-general manager Brett Hull, who played with Avery in Detroit several years ago and will represent the Stars at the hearing.

Despite all the cajoling, snide remarks and other stunts Avery has pulled on the way to becoming the biggest pest in hockey, this is the first time he has been suspended by the NHL.

Avery's inflammatory line came following a morning skate in Calgary.

Reporters were waiting to speak with Avery about disparaging remarks he'd made last month about Flames star Jarome Iginla when Avery walked over to the group and asked if there was a camera present. When told there was, he said:

"I'm just going to say one thing," Avery said. "I'm really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my [former girlfriends]. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight." He then walked out of the locker room.

Avery's former girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert of the television show "24" and the movie "Old School," is dating Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf. She also had been romantically linked to Montreal defenseman Mike Komisarek.

"I completely support the league's decision to suspend Sean Avery," Stars owner Tom Hicks said in a statement. "Had the league not have suspended him, the Dallas Stars would have. This organization will not tolerate such behavior, especially from a member of our hockey team. We hold our team to a higher standard and will continue to do so."

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Knicks most valuable NBA team for fourth straight year

2008-12-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK -- For the fourth straight year, and despite front office and player turmoil, the New York Knicks are the NBA's most valuable team.

The Knicks are worth $613 million, according to Forbes' latest rankings, an increase of 1 percent over their 2007 value. Throughout the past year, the franchise has made many headlines off the court, ranging from former team president Isiah Thomas being found guilty in a sexual harassment lawsuit to guard Stephon Marbury's feud with management and coach Mike D'Antoni.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Los Angeles Lakers are ranked second by Forbes, at $584 million, up from $560 million.

Rounding out the top five are the Chicago Bulls at $504 million; the Detroit Pistons at $480 million; and the Cleveland Cavaliers at $477 million.

The biggest change in value belongs to the Portland Trail Blazers, who increased by 21 percent to $307 million. They still rank only 20th out of 30 franchises.

Also showing a huge increase are the NBA champion Boston Celtics, up to $447 million from $391 million.

The biggest drop in value hit the New Jersey Nets, who fell 13 percent to $295 million, 26th overall. The Nets have had delays in their plans to build and move into a new arena in Brooklyn.

Below the Nets are the Memphis Grizzlies ($294 million), New Orleans Hornets ($285 million), Charlotte Bobcats ($284 million) and Milwaukee Bucks ($278 million).

The average team value is $379 million.

Forbes ranked the value of franchises in the other major pro sports earlier this year. The Dallas Cowboys topped the NFL at more than $1.6 billion, the New York Yankees led baseball at over $1.3 billion and the Toronto Maple Leafs led the NHL at $448 million.

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Red Sox sign Pedroia to $40.5M extension

2008-12-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

The Red Sox wasted no time locking up American League MVP Dustin Pedroia with a six-year, $40.5 million contract, with an option for 2015, that takes them through three arbitration and two free-agent seasons.

"I wanted to be here a long time," Pedroia said at a Fenway Park news conference. "Hopefully in the next six years we can win some championships."

It is one of the four biggest nonarbitration deals ever, along with the contracts given to Hanley Ramirez, David Wright and Ryan Braun.

The 25-year-old second baseman will receive a signing bonus of $1.5 million and a salary of $1.5 million in 2009, followed by salaries of $3.5 million, $5.5 million and $8 million in what would have been his three years of arbitration eligibility. Pedroia would earn $10 million salaries in 2013 and 2014.

The deal, negotiated by agents Sam and Seth Levinson, also includes a team option to pay him $11 million in 2015 or buy him out for $500,000. If Pedroia is traded, the option would be voided.

If he wins another MVP, his 2014 salary and 2015 option would increase by $2 million each. If he finishes second or third, they would go up by $1 million each, and he can accomplish that escalator twice.

"He embodies just about everything we look for in a Red Sox player, and that makes this a great day for the organization," general manager Theo Epstein said. "Dustin plays hard, first and foremost, all the time. He plays to win. He plays for his teammates, not himself.

"What's not to like? If we had 25 guys like him, we'd be in good shape. I don't think we'd be the Red Sox right now without Dustin Pedroia."

Generously listed at 5-foot-9, Pedroia has quickly piled up a huge stack of hardware. Besides being named MVP, he also won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award this offseason. He was the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year and capped off that season with a World Series ring.

Pedroia led the AL in hits, runs and doubles in helping the Red Sox win the wild card. He batted .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs and stole 20 bases.

Pedroia sacrificed -- actually, postponed -- the chance for a free-agent jackpot for an average annual salary of around $7 million and the chance to stay with the organization that picked him in the second round of the 2004 draft. He would be 32 when the contract expires, if the Red Sox pick up the option.

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Giants suspend Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress

2008-12-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Map, News) - The fallout from Plaxico Burress' self-inflicted gunshot wound may still cause problems for New York Giants middle linebacker Antonio Pierce and affect the team's bid for a second straight Super Bowl title.

Just days after Burress accidentally shot himself in the right thigh at a Manhattan nightclub, the Giants fined and suspended the star receiver on Tuesday for four games - the rest of the regular season. The team also placed him on the reserve non-football injury list, which means he won't be back for the playoffs, either.

"When you lose a player of Plaxico's ability, it is incumbent that everybody step up and fill the void," coach Tom Coughlin said. "In the last two seasons, this team has done an outstanding job of that. We made it clear to Plax today that we are here to support him in any way possible."

The Giants handed down the decision after Dr. Scott Rodeo, a team physician, examined Burress and told them the gunshot wound would sideline the 31-year-old player for 4-to-6 weeks.

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Ending the Red Sox's season isn't easy, no matter how likely it seems.

2008-10-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

The New York Yankees didn't do it after taking a 3-0 lead in the 2004 AL championship series. The Cleveland Indians didn't, either, after building a 3-1 lead in last year's ALCS. Boston won both of those best-of-seven matchups before sweeping both World Series.
On Thursday night, Tampa Bay found out that a big lead isn't big enough against the defending champions.

Leading 7-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, and seven outs away from their first World Series, the Rays' luck changed and the Red Sox came back for an 8-7 win that cut Tampa Bay's lead to 3-2 in the ALCS.

“It was pretty much the most amazing thing I've ever been a part of,” said Coco Crisp, who singled in the tying run in the eighth.

The series shifts to St. Petersburg, Fla., for Saturday night's sixth game. Boston's Josh Beckett, whose status as a postseason star is taking a beating, is scheduled to face James Shields, the hard-luck loser in Boston's 2-0 win in the series opener.

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UEFA gives Atlético 2-game home ban for racism

2008-10-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- UEFA ordered Atletico Madrid on Tuesday to play its next two home Champions League games at a neutral venue because of violent and racist behavior by the club's fans during a recent match against Marseille.

The Spanish club was also fined $204,600.

"There were monkey chants against the nonwhite players throughout the game and there was also a problem with handicapped supporters who bought tickets and were not provided with adequate viewing," UEFA spokesman William Gaillard told Britain's Sky Sports News.

"There were really a number of serious problems."

Gaillard added that black journalists were also insulted by fans who broke into the press area.

"All these offenses amount to a tremendous disregard for our respect policy," he said, adding that UEFA enforces "zero tolerance for violent and racist behavior."

Atletico will have to play its matches against Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven on Oct. 22 and Nov. 26 at a venue at least 186 miles from Madrid, UEFA said.

European football's governing body said it will impose a third home-match ban if there is a repeat in the next five years of the crowd trouble seen at Atletico's 2-1 Champions League victory over Marseille earlier this month.

Atletico coach Javier Aguirre was banned from joining his team for the home and away matches against Liverpool, because of improper conduct during the game. He allegedly insulted Marseille player Mathieu Valbuena.

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Seve Ballesteros calls brain tumor his 'hardest challenge'

2008-10-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

MADRID, Spain (AP) — After a career full of miraculous shots — including one from a parking lot during his first British Open win — Seve Ballesteros was preparing for the "hardest challenge" of his life Sunday after announcing he has a brain tumor.

The 51-year-old Ballesteros was set to undergo a biopsy Tuesday before doctors determine how to proceed.

"Throughout my career I have been among the best at overcoming challenges on the golf course," the five-time major winner said in a statement released by Madrid's La Paz hospital. "Now I want to be the best confronting the hardest challenge of my life, with all my strength, counting on all of you who are sending me encouraging messages."

Ballesteros was admitted to the hospital Monday after briefly losing consciousness.

"Once I had been able to inform my three children personally and their mother, I can now communicate to you the illness I am suffering from," Ballesteros said. "After an in-depth check up which has been carried out on me in the La Paz Hospital they have detected a brain tumor."

Ballesteros did not give any more details on the test results. It was unknown whether the tumor was benign or malignant.

"I have always shown my solidarity with those people who face illness, including those whose (illnesses) are much worse than mine," said Ballesteros, who was also admitted to a hospital last year when doctors discovered an irregular heartbeat. "Now my wish is to ask for respect towards my family and especially my children. We will keep you informed."

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Bolts turn focus to 4-1 Bills

2008-10-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

Monday, Oct 13, 2008
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com
Thirty points, 404 yards of total offense, four sacks and most importantly the third win of the season.

As enjoyable as the Chargers’ victory was Sunday night, the celebration ended with a dose of reality Monday afternoon.

“Then the dust settles and we come in today and we are 3-3,” quarterback Philip Rivers said. “That’s still where we are and have a long way to go.”

Rivers’ reference could have been a literal and figurative one. He spoke of the win giving the Bolts “an opportunity to still get where we want to go,” but Rivers and his teammates also know how imperative it is for them to build on their Week 6 win over New England.

“I think it was obviously good to play well,” Rivers said. “It was important mainly just to get a win. I think it’s like this not just in offensive consistency or anything as a team, it’s a week-to-week thing. You’ve got to gear up and do it again.”

The Chargers’ next opportunity comes on the front end of the longest regular-season road trip in team history. They’ll fly cross country on Friday to play the AFC East-leading Bills in Buffalo on Sunday. That in itself, the Bolts recognize as a challenge.

“Buffalo coming off a bye; they were tough two years ago when we played there when they weren’t the team they are now,” Rivers said. “We know how much better they are now. We know we’ve got another tough one on the road.”

Then the Chargers will immediately fly to London where they’ll spend the week preparing for the high-scoring New Orleans Saints.

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THE GIVING TRIAGE

2008-10-14T16:29:00.001-07:00

Running back tandems are the NFL rage. Who has the best?

Last year, LaDainian Tomlinson led the NFL with just 1474 yards rushing. It's a good year by most standards, but consider that the league-leader over the previous five seasons averaged 1,862 yards.

Why the drop-off? Well…

Last year, LT had only 315 carries. Among the rushing leaders over the past five years, only Tomlinson in 2006 had below 350 carries—he had 348. Of course, in both 2006 and 2007, LT gladly spent more time sharing the ball with Michael Turner, who burst on the scene in 2006 with 502 yards and a ridiculous 6.3 YPC. Turner took off to become a 1-A instead of a 1-B, and has helped carry Atlanta to the league's most surprising start. In short, carries are falling for top backs because solid tandems are a huge priority for GMs, both to preserve good backs, and to change the look for defenses.

In the current issue of ESPN The Magazine, we look into the rise of Jonathan Stewart, who along with DeAngelo Williams forms one of the top young backfield pairings in the league. Here, we polled The Magazine's wooly and wise football dept and have ranked the rest.

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Cowboys acquire Williams from Lions

2008-10-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Cowboys acquired wide receiver Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions on Tuesday.

The Cowboys will give up a first-round pick in 2009, plus a third- and sixth-rounder that year for Williams and a seventh-round pick in '09.

The Cowboys are negotitating a long-term deal with Williams, who can become a free agent after the season unless the team places the franchise tag on him, with owner Jerry Jones working on a contract extension that will keep Williams in Dallas through 2013.

The five-year deal hasn't been completed, but it should get done in the next couple days. Williams' agent, Ben Dogra of CAA, who was in flight after the trade was completed, will work with Jones over the next 24 to 48 hours to finalize the deal, which will pay in the $8.5 million to $9 million a year range, according to multiple sources......

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Blank: Vick should return to NFL, but not with Falcons

2008-10-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Falcons owner Arthur Blank wants to see imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick back in the National Football League. But the door isn't open in Atlanta.

At an NFL owners meeting Tuesday, Blank told ESPN.com he would support an effort by Vick to return to the league after the quarterback finishes a federal prison sentence for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. Blank said he has had some contact with Vick, who has not played for the Falcons since the 2006 season.

"He's written me and I've answered him," Blank said. "I certainly wish Michael well in the future. I believe in second chances. I believe in third chances. That doesn't mean I believe in forever chances. But I do believe he's capable of redemption and learning from his mistakes."

When asked if Vick would return to the Falcons, Blank began with a generic answer and then switched to a very strong tone.

"I'll say this to you when I answer the question as fully as I can," Blank said. "From my perspective, people use the expression 'we've turned the page,' and we've turned the page, turned the chapter and closed the book. We've moved on and we have a franchise quarterback."

The Falcons used the third overall pick in this year's draft to select Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, who has led the team to a surprising 4-2 start.

"We're committed to Matt Ryan," Blank said. "Even before his early success, we were committed to Matt Ryan. We made that decision when we drafted him. When you select someone in the draft at that level and pay him what we're paying him, you expect him to be successful and you expect him to be a team leader."

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Telfair suspended for first three games following guilty plea

2008-10-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Sebastian Telfair has been suspended three games for pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon.

Telfair was sentenced last month to three years' probation. He was arrested in April 2007 when police found him carrying a loaded gun in his car while he was a member of the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics traded him to Minnesota in the deal for Kevin Garnett, and Telfair had a solid and incident-free first season in Minnesota. He signed a three-year, $7.5 million deal this summer to remain with the Timberwolves. He is the top backup to starter Randy Foye.

Telfair will miss home games against Sacramento and Dallas and a road game at Oklahoma City. His first game back will be Nov. 5 against San Antonio.

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Larionov wants emegerncy KHL meeting after Cherepanov death

2008-10-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW -- Russian hockey legend Igor Larionov says the death of rising star Alexei Cherepanov is "unacceptable" and has asked the Continental Hockey League's majority owner to hold an emergency meeting about the matter.

Larionov, who helped Russian businessman Alex Medvedev found the league and sits on the KHL's board of directors, told ESPN.com he was flying to Russia on Thursday and hoped to get more answers. A board meeting could take place next week, Larionov said.

"I'm very upset about this," Larionov told ESPN.com from Los Angeles on Tuesday. "First of all I feel terrible for the family of Alexei Cherepanov. But we need to get to the bottom of this and find out what happened. I sent Alex [Medvedev] an e-mail last night and said we needed to have an emergency board of directors meeting. This is unacceptable. ...

"This is a blow for the KHL," added Larionov, who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame next month. "We must learn from this. This cannot happen ever again."

A Russian lawmaker said Tuesday that Cherepanov, a first-round draft pick of the New York Rangers, may have died because of negligence on the part of paramedics who responded to an emergency call.

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Hip strain forces Red Sox to replace Lowell on roster; Velazquez gets nod

2008-10-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- Third baseman Mike Lowell was removed from Boston's first-round postseason roster on Monday because of a right hip strain.

He is also ineligible to play in the AL Championship Series.

Last year's World Series MVP, who also has a torn labrum in his right hip, was replaced on the active roster by infielder Gil Velazquez, who made his major league debut on Sept. 25.

Lowell was 0-for-8 in two games during the series against the Angels.

"He's hurting today," Boston manager Terry Francona said before the roster move was announced. "When he finally did get on base, we ran for him just because if there was a grounder in the hole and he can't get to second, that puts him in an unfair position."

Kevin Youkilis moved from first base to Lowell's regular spot at third base and Mark Kotsay was down to play first on Monday night. J.D. Drew, who hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in Boston's 7-5 win in Game 2, returned in right field after not starting Sunday because of a bad back.

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Yankees dismiss Meacham, Monteleone from coaching staff

2008-10-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Third-base coach Bobby Meacham and special pitching instructor Rich Monteleone were fired Tuesday by the New York Yankees.

Meacham spent six seasons as a player with the Yankees and was hired last November when Joe Girardi replaced Joe Torre as manager. Meacham had been Girardi's third-base coach with Florida in 2006, then was first-base coach with San Diego in 2007.

Meacham, who took over from Larry Bowa, is close to Girardi, and his departure is a sign general manager Brian Cashman pushed for change following a third-place finish that ended the Yankees' streak of consecutive playoff appearances at 13.

"Whenever you lose a friend on your staff it's going to be tough," Girardi said in a statement. "However, as an organization, it was time to make a change. Bobby is a good baseball man, but moving forward we realize changes are going to have to be made in various areas of the club."

Monteleone had been a pitching instructor the past four seasons after spending from 2002-04 as bullpen coach.

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Something about Talladega gets Junior's blood flowing

2008-10-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Need help in the stock market? Call a broker. Need help designing a new house? Call an architect. Need help getting around Talladega Superspeedway? Call Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lots of drivers can get around the 2.66-mile track.

Few have mastered it as well as Earnhardt.

He won four Sprint Cup races in a row there from 2001-2003 and five of seven from 2001-2004. He's led laps in 15 of the 17 races entered, and of the two races he didn't lead laps, one ended with an engine failure and the other with a crash.
He won four Sprint Cup races in a row there from 2001-2003 and five of seven from 2001-2004. He's led laps in 15 of the 17 races entered, and of the two races he didn't lead laps, one ended with an engine failure and the other with a crash.

In the 12 races in which he hasn't had engine problems or crashed, his average finish is 5.25, with only two finishes outside the top 10 and none outside of the top 15.

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Ex-women's coach sues school, alleging gender discrimination

2008-10-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON -- Former Texas Southern women's basketball coach Surina Dixon filed a lawsuit Monday against the school, alleging gender discrimination and retaliation in her firing in June.

Dixon was hired in March by interim athletic director Johnnie Cole and school president John Rudley. She was fired in June by new athletic director Charles McClelland.

In the lawsuit filed in federal court, Dixon alleges that she was retaliated against after she complained about gender discrimination and advocated for gender equity. The lawsuit says Dixon was offered a one-year contract at $75,000 while new men's basketball coach Tony Harvey was given a five-year contract at $150,000 a year.

Dixon also said that she agreed to a four-year contract, which was changed by McClelland to a one-year deal.

"I believe because I questioned the terms of the contract, the years, the salary, which were a huge gender difference and because I was questioning those things, I think that I was terminated based on sex discrimination and retaliation," Dixon told Houston television station KRIV.

The lawsuit doesn't seek a specific amount, but does ask for back pay and equitable relief.

"I just want to see Texas Southern be fair with women when negotiating their contracts," Dixon said.

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Yankees agree to three-year deal with GM Cashman

2008-10-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Brian Cashman figures he has more work to do with the New York Yankees. After a sustained run of success, he wasn't about to leave on the heels of a failed season.

Cashman is staying on as general manager of the Yankees, agreeing Tuesday to a three-year contract that runs through 2011.
"I've got a job to finish here," Cashman said in a statement. "That's the bottom line."

New York missed the playoffs this year for the first time since 1993. Cashman took over as GM in 1997 and his current deal was set to expire at the end of October.

He was expected to re-sign, especially after Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told Cashman earlier this season that the team wanted him back. But there had been rumblings that Cashman might be interested in running another club -- perhaps one without such a vocal, hands-on ownership group.

"I consider coming off a season where we didn't reach the playoffs for the first time since 1993 as a personal challenge. I've never been one to run from a challenge, and I look forward to having the chance to go after this thing again," Cashman said. "It's an incredible opportunity and honor to hold the title of general manager for the New York Yankees. With it comes a great responsibility to ownership, the people who wear the uniform and our fan base."

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Chargers benefit from latest Raiders meltdown

2008-10-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

San Diego 28, Oakland 18

OAKLAND, Calif. -- For three quarters, the Oakland Raiders stopped LaDainian Tomlinson and appeared poised to stop a long losing streak to the San Diego Chargers.

Then Tomlinson got loose, the Chargers pressured JaMarcus Russell and the longest winning streak any team has held against the Raiders grew to 10 games.

Darren Sproles' long kickoff return set up Nate Kaeding's go-ahead 47-yard field goal with 1:51 to play and Tomlinson sealed the 28-18 victory Sunday with his second fourth-quarter touchdown that gave him yet another 100-yard game.

"Every year is different. They're a better team," said Tomlinson, who had 75 of his 106 yards in the fourth quarter. "We pride ourselves on now matter how we start, finishing the game strong. It didn't matter that it was against the Raiders."

Closing a game out was important for the Chargers (2-2), who lost their first two games of the season in the final minute. But those games weren't against the Raiders (1-3), who showed they can blow a lead against the Chargers as easily as they can get blown out.

"Obviously when you've won that many in a row, you've got a grasp on how to beat them," said quarterback Philip Rivers, who went 14-for-25 for 180 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

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What do the Steelers have left in the tank?

2008-10-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

In Week 2, the Pittsburgh Steelers survived a tough rivalry game against the Cleveland Browns.

In Week 3, then they were punched in the mouth -- time after time -- by the Philadelphia Eagles.

In Week 4, Pittsburgh waged a major-league slugfest in an overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens on "Monday Night Football."

And although the Steelers stand at 3-1 and in first place in the AFC North, does this team have anything left in the tank?

It's a legitimate question for Pittsburgh at the quarter mark of the NFL season.

The Steelers knew exactly what they were getting into leading into the season. After winning the division last year, Pittsburgh wound up with the NFL's toughest strength of schedule and so far the team is paying the price.

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D-backs defeat in St. Louis gives Dodgers NL West title

2008-09-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

ST. LOUIS -- The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their first NL West title since 2004 before taking the field, thanks to three straight disappointing losses by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arizona was only two games out with six games to play. The defending division champions bowed out quietly in a 12-3 rout by the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

"It was just disgusting," Conor Jackson said. "It was embarrassing. You can't pitch, you can't hit, you can't win games."

Arizona (79-80) led the division by 4½ games before play on Aug. 29, then lost 11 of 14 as the Dodgers took control of the division. The Diamondbacks had rebounded by winning seven of eight to put the heat on the Dodgers, but began to fade Tuesday when the Cardinals scored four runs in the first inning off Randy Johnson in a 7-4 final.

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Time to flick the power switch

2008-09-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am a football fan, and I am a Patriots fan. Sometimes those interests collide. For instance, if I were that creepy double-faced lady from the airline commercial, one face would look depressed (because my beloved Pats had their Super Bowl hopes crippled in eight minutes), while the other face would look delighted (because the Era of Perpetual Putridity has finally ended). So let's have Delighted Face write this week's column. Heading into Week 4, incredibly ...

... 25 teams are thinking, "We can absolutely make the playoffs."

... 16 teams are thinking, "We can absolutely make the conference title game."

... 12 teams are thinking, "We can absolutely make the Super Bowl."

... seven teams are thinking, "We can absolutely win the Super Bowl."

... three teams are thinking, "My God, this is a living hell. Four months to go? Really? Just shoot us. Shoot us in the head right now."

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Hamilton edges Massa with quickest lap time in Singapore

2008-09-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE -- In the first Formula One race to be held at night, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in practice under the lights Friday ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Hamilton clocked 1 minute, 45.518 seconds around the downtown street circuit Friday, edging championship rival Felipe Massa of Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso of Renault had the best lap in the second session to be third-fastest overall, ahead of Finnish duo Heikki Kovalainen of McLaren and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari.

"It's a very physical circuit, more than I expected actually," Hamilton said. "You need to put quite a lot of work into the car to get a good lap. I'd say it requires double the energy of Monaco over a single lap. One lap around here is like two laps of Monaco."

Hamilton is one point ahead of Massa in the drivers' standings with four races to go, and edged his Brazilian rival for best time over the two 90-minute sessions.

Heavy rain stopped for the practice. The inaugural night race has drivers concerned about driving on an artificially lit track, with rain potentially producing glare under the lights.

Instead, drivers appeared to have difficulties with handling on a bumpy and unrubbered new surface, with the ends of the pits particularly challenging.

"The entry and exit to the pit lane are pretty difficult and we're going to have to be very careful," Raikkonen said.

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Big 12, Big Ten, SEC teams benefit from USC loss

2008-09-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

For the first month of the college football season, the burning question wasn't which two teams would play for the BCS national championship.

Instead, the question on everyone's mind was: Which team would play USC?

The Trojans looked so dominant in early-season victories over Virginia and then-No. 5 Ohio State that it seemed to be a foregone conclusion they'd run through their Pac-10 schedule with little resistance and finish the season with an unblemished record.

But then a funny thing happened on the way to Miami. Oregon State stunned the Trojans for the second time in three seasons, handing the country's top-ranked team a shocking 27-21 defeat on Thursday night.

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USC's loss lifts the hopes of other national title contenders

2008-09-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

OU, Penn State, Georgia hope to avoid similar fate
By Rece Davis, ESPN.com

So are we still worried that an undefeated SEC team or Big 12 team will be left out of the national championship game?

Didn't think so.

After last season's chaos, there's no way I should've been shocked by USC's debacle at Oregon State, but I was.

These Beavers are the same guys who were shaky against Stanford and brutal at Penn State. I even suggested that someone should get a refund of the more than $1 million Oregon State reportedly collected for getting thrashed 45-14 on national television against the Nittany Lions.

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Ailing witness returns to stand, resumes testifying

2008-09-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS -- A key witness in the O.J. Simpson robbery trial was confronted with contradictions in his testimony Tuesday, including his claim that he didn't try to profit from the casino hotel room confrontation that led to charges against the former football star.
Memorabilia dealer Bruce Fromong, who returned to the stand after becoming ill Monday, told defense attorney Gabriel Grasso he didn't have money on his mind while allegedly being robbed of sports collectibles by Simpson and a group of other men.

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