Arsenal vs. Chelsea 2010 Live Blog, Highlights

Filed under: European Soccer, English Premier League

FanHouse has an Arsenal vs. Chelsea live blog that's even better than watching on TV. Follow for minute-by-minute commentary and highlights from the contest courtesy of our friends at FanHouse UK.

Frank Lampard is back in action for The Blues at Emirates Stadium. Both sides have faltered recently and this contest will have implications going forward for a pair of teams with Premier League title hopes.

More FanHouse UK: Arsenal vs. Chelsea Preview | Top 10 Premier League Goals of 2010
More FanHouse Soccer: Americans Aboard | Straus: In Costa Rica, No Pura Vida in Soccer

 

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Nickey Van Exel, Son of Former NBA Star Nick Van Exel, Charged With Murder

Filed under: Hawks, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Spurs, Warriors, NBA Police Blotter

Nickey Van Exel, the 20-year-old son of former NBA great Nick Van Exel, is being held on $1 million bond after being charged with one count of capital murder in Dallas, according to police.

Van Exel is being held on the felony count of murdering Bradley Bassey Eyo, described by police as a close friend.

Paul Johnson, the younger Van Exel's attorney, told The Associated Press that Van Exel and Eyo were allegedly playing with a shotgun at a home in Garland, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, when the gun accidentally fired. Johnson further explained that Van Exel "panicked" and moved the body, dumping it less than a mile away in nearby Lake Ray Hubbard.

Nickey Van Exel turned himself into Dallas police on Wednesday and has admitted to the murder, police said, although he insists it was an accident.

"It's a real sad situation," Johnson said. "Emotions are running high, and, obviously, we recognize that some very bad decisions were made on how he responded."

The senior Van Exel played 13 years in the NBA, appearing in 880 games and starting 670. He averaged 14.4 points and 6.6 assists per game in his career and was known as both a clutch shooter and 3-point specialist. He remains ranked No. 6 in NBA history in 3-point field goals made.

Nick Van Exel played for six different teams in the NBA, most notably the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers and retired after a final season in 2005-06 with the San Antonio Spurs.

Nick Van Exel is in his first year as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, where he specializes in player development instruction.

No information has been released yet about a hearing date for the younger Van Exel.

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Young FC Dallas Duo Ready for the Big Show

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team, FC Dallas

At the end of the MLS season, FC Dallas midfielder Eric Alexander traveled to his parents' home in Portage, Mich. to enjoy the offseason.

The 22-year-old had just capped off a successful rookie year with the Hoops, scoring two goals in 19 league appearances for the MLS Cup finalists, and he had every intention of relaxing over the break before returning to Texas in January.

And then his plans changed.

 

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Conor Shanosky and Ethan White called in to U-20 Men's National Team

U.S. Under-20 Men?s National Team head coach Thomas Rongen has finalized a 25-player roster for the upcoming training camp to be held from Jan. 2-13 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Fourteen players return from the team?s most recent training camp that included a pair of wins against Canada in Sunrise, Fla., including Joe Gyau, who netted three goals in the Dec. 18 game versus Canada.

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Steve Boros, Former A's, Padres Manager, Dies at 74

Filed under: Athletics, Padres, Tigers

Steve Boros, a former major league infielder who went on to manage the Oakland A's and San Diego Padres, has died. He was 74.

Boros had wide-ranging experience in baseball as a player, manager and executive. The Michigan native broke in with the Tigers in 1957 and also saw action for the Cubs and Reds through 1965. He went on to manage in the minors and serve as a coach for the Royals and Expos before getting his big shot in Oakland.

Boros posted identical 74-88 records in his two full seasons as a major league manager -- 1983 with the A's and 1986 with the Padres. He also started the 1984 season 20-24 before being fired by Oakland. After his stint with the Padres, he coached again with the Royals and also the Orioles before joining the Tigers' player development staff in 1996.

 

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Clint Session Likely to Play for Colts on Sunday

Filed under: Colts, AFC South

INDIANAPOLIS - Clint Session's outlook didn't change Thursday.

And that could be good news for the Indianapolis Colts entering their regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans.

Session, an outside linebacker who has missed eight games with an elbow injury sustained in early November, practiced full for a second consecutive day Thursday, making it more likely he will play against the Titans Sunday.

"It's good - it's going uphill right now," Session said Thursday.

 

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LeBron James Backpedals From Truth: We Need Contraction

by Terence Moore

Filed under: Bucks, Heat, Nets, Timberwolves, Sports Business and Media, NBA Business

Just like that, The Witness has become The Wimpness, because he is double-dribbling with his tongue.

One moment, LeBron James is saying the NBA needs to "shrink" by contracting teams, and the next, he is saying those evil media folks are twisting his words on the subject.

Whatever, dude.

When it comes to LeBron's original comments, which essentially were that he thought the league actually did need to get rid of some teams to improve the overall competition, he was wrong. He was WAY off base. He wasn't within a couple of fast breaks of reality.

That's because he didn't go far enough.

He should have said all four of the major professional sports leagues in North America need to contract. Then he should have peered into the eyes of everybody in the room with the unspoken look of "Yeah, I said it. So what do you want to do about it?"

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More: LeBron James Denies Supporting Contraction

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FC Dallas Signs MLS MVP David Ferreira to New Contract

Filed under: Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Suddenly, Dallas is a desirable destination in Major League Soccer.

Rather than parlay his success into a move, league MVP David Ferreira has decided to extend his stay Texas. On Wednesday, FC Dallas announced a new multi-year deal with the Colombian playmaker, who led the once-beleaguered franchise to its first MLS Cup Final last month.

Terms were not disclosed. Ferreira, 31, made $300,000 in 2010, his second year in Dallas. He was the club's highest paid player by a considerable margin.

"I've always said that I felt great with this team. I felt like I was at home," Ferreira told FCDallas.com.

"The support of the coaching staff was very important in the confidence it gave me when I was on the field. That's why I wanted to remain with the team. The team helped me to get all the merits I achieved in 2010."

 

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FBI Files: George Steinbrenner of 'Extreme Interest' to Watergate Prosecutor

by FanHouse Newswire

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Police Blotter, Sports Business and Media

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Newly released documents show the special prosecutor in the Watergate case expressed "extreme interest" in a 1970s criminal investigation of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for illegal campaign contributions.

In an Aug. 16, 1973 memo, FBI Director Clarence M. Kelley also told the Cleveland office of the FBI to ensure that the case "receives the same, immediate and preferred handling" as others growing out of the Watergate scandal.

Steinbrenner pleaded guilty the following year to two charges in connection with illegal corporate campaign donations to both Nixon and Democratic lawmakers and was fined $15,000.

 

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2010 Team Reviews: RCR Showcases Great Improvement

Filed under: Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing, NASCAR

If there was an award for the biggest season-to-season turnaround by an entire team, the folks at Welcome, N.C.'s Richard Childress Racing would have walked away with an uncontested victory.

In a word, their change in competitiveness from 2009 to 2010 was astonishing.

In fact, RCR placed all three of its drivers in the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup -- quite a change after those same three wheelmen missed the championship fight completely in 2009.

Yes, 2009 was a drag for the proud organization, with Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick all missing victory lane. That all changed -- and changed quickly in 2010 -- when Harvick assumed the points lead after just ten races.

He didn't relinquish it until the Chase standings were shuffled and the drivers seeded in September.

Had the RCR bunch managed to string together a more-dominating late performance by Harvick or even avoided the Chase-ravaging penalty levied against Clint Bowyer after winning at New Hampshire, the team as a whole may have moved higher up the NASCAR team ladder.

 

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Oney Guillen Fires Back at Bobby Jenks' Criticism of Father

Filed under: White Sox

When Bobby Jenks took a pot-shot at Ozzie Guillen's bullpen management Tuesday, it figured to only be a matter of time before the outspoken White Sox manager fired back at his former closer. The return volley did arrive, but instead of coming from Guillen himself, it came in the form of a personal attack on Jenks from Ozzie's son Oney via Oney's Twitter account.

In a series of Tweets, Oney's profane rant accused Jenks of having a drinking problem that affected his pitching and resulted in an incident with a clubhouse attendant. He also accused Jenks of not caring when his poor performances hurt the team, self-diagnosing injuries to stay off the mound, and a host of other similar complaints.

 

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Thursday Kickoff: Nilmar sidelined, Monchengladbach adds a pair and more

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Golf's Power Shifting From U.S. to Europe; PGA Tour Feeling the Heat

Filed under: PGA, European Tour

The Europeans' recent domination of men's professional golf in 2010 is going be an ongoing topic heading into next season.

You know the reasons. England's Lee Westwood is the world's new No. 1. The Europeans have seven of the world's top 11 players compared to four Americans. Europe won the Ryder Cup. Young stars Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Martin Kaymer of Germany are declining to play full time in the U.S. next year, committing to the European Tour.

More and more Americans are making appearances overseas -- at the expense of PGA Tour events.

"The golf courses and the tournaments and the players on the European Tour are definitely catching up to us," admitted PGA Tour veteran Billy Mayfair.

In golf's big picture, could that be a good thing?

Hall of Famer Greg Norman, who has proven to know a lot about business success, believes it.

"I think it's great for golf, to tell you the truth," Norman said. "When I was overseas and all this was taking place with the change in the No. 1 player in the world and the Europeans winning the Ryder Cup, I thought, you know, this is just the shot in the arm that the game of golf needs."

Golf has seen similar shifts before. The Americans owned the world game with Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino. Europe followed with Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Ian Woosnam, to hold an upper hand in the 1980s and early '90s. Then the American regained control.

"Now it's swinging back again," Norman said.

What's interesting, however, is how many of the young Americans see the power shift.

Or, actually, how they do not see it.

"I can't speak for anybody else, but for me personally, I see them as people," Bubba Watson said. "I don't see them as Europeans or from other countries. I just see them as golfers.

"Some guys beat me, who cares where they're from. I'm from Baghad, Fla,. Nobody is around going, 'You're from a weird place,' you know. So I just see it as some great golfers beat me no matter where they come from."

If Norman's predictions are true, Watson might be wise to pay just a bit more attention.

While visiting China recently, Norman was asked to address the Tourism and Golf Forum.

"They want 30 million golfers in China in the next years, and there's three million now," Norman said. "When you think there's 24, 25 million golfers in the United States and it's been that number for decades and decades, imagine when China comes online in 20 years down the line.

"And then when China comes online, you've already got the Koreans doing extremely well. The development of the game of golf in Malaysia and Indonesia and Vietnam and Cambodia, to a degree, is just starting to skyrocket. And then you bring in India.

"So you got pretty much 50 percent of the world's population just starting to get into the game of golf. So when you start looking out into the future, it's extremely healthy. "

 

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ESPNEWS Anchor Will Selva Plucks Column for Lead to Highlights

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Lakers, Spurs, Sports Business and Media

In his lead-in to narration of the highlights to Tuesday's San Antonio-Los Angeles game, ESPNEWS anchor Will Selva advised Lakers fans not to worry about the team's loss to Miami in the much ballyhooed Christmas Day meeting with Miami. Instead, they'd be better served, Selva said, being concerned with the Spurs.

It was an interesting thought. Too bad someone else had already expressed it.

Nearly word for word, Selva used the lead of a column written by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register to advance the game. Think not? Here are the first three sentences of Ding's piece:

Christmas isn't over yet, Lakers fans. The big game, it turns out, will be the game after the supposed Game of the Year. In San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers will be out to give themselves and their fans the much-needed gift of hope.

Here's a transcript of Selva's lead to the highlights:

Christmas isn't over yet, Lakers fans. The big game, it turns out, is the game after the supposed Game of the Year. In San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers were out to give themselves and their fans the much needed gift of hope.

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More Coverage: ESPNEWS Anchor Suspended for Plagiarism

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Save for a couple of verb tenses, Selva's lead sounds identical to what Ding wrote. And Ding thought so, too. In a blog post, Ding noted the sensation of returning to his hotel room after the game and hearing what he had written coming through the TV, without receiving credit for having written it.

"Honestly, it wasn't my best lead, come to think of it. Sorry about that, Will. Unbelievable," wrote Ding.

We're awaiting comment from ESPN .

Oddly enough, the half-hour ended with a segment called, "No, He Didn't."

We couldn't make that up.

 

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24/7 Penguins Capitals Episode 3: The First Meeting

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, Eastern, Winter Classic

The third installment of HBO's "24/7 Penguins/Capitals" focused on the first meeting of the season between the two long-time rivals, as well as early preperations at Heinz Field for the Winter Classic and a number of experiences with players and coaches for the Christmas holiday.

Here are some of the highlights...

 

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Five-Step Drop: Boise's Costly Loss

by Mark Hasty

Filed under: Baylor, Boise State, Illinois, Southern Miss, Utah, Washington State, WAC, General CFB Insanity, Bowl Games, Sports Business and Media

FanHouse's college football staff provides you with a personal quarterback. We do the primary and secondary reads for you so you can properly start your day.

1. When Boise State lost to Nevada on Nov. 26, everyone knew the loss cost the Broncos and the WAC a large sum of money. The New York Times stopped to figure out how much: $8 million. "The Rose Bowl, like other Bowl Championship Series games, touts a per-team payout of $17 million," Times reporter John Branch writes. "For teams like Boise State and others in one of the five conferences without an automatic bid, the payout is $12 million, Benson said. Boise State figured to gain $3 million, the other WAC teams would have split $5 million, and the four other second-tier conferences would have split $4 million." Branch also notes that Boise State coach Chris Petersen would have earned a $125,000 bonus for making it to a BCS game. If you want to say kicker Kyle Brotzman lost the game for the Broncos, that's your prerogative, but I'd suggest you read this book, which will change your mind like it did mine when I read it years ago. And if you're too good to read a 22-year-old book, you deserve to think Brotzman lost the game for BSU.

2. Meanwhile Utah, Boise State's opponent in the MAACO Bowl, is considering a new social media policy after one of its players turned to Twitter to taunt the Broncos. Utes receiver DeVonte Christopher tweeted, "I can't wait to get out here wit these Boise State or should I say Girlse State they a bunch of cheerleaders...lol." Coach Kyle Whittingham said he and Christopher had had "several conversations" about Christopher's ill-considered tweet. "Girlse?" Seriously? Bet they've never heard that before.

 

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2010 Team Reviews: Hendrick Motorsports Leads Way

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

Just days after Jimmie Johnson secured his record-extending fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup title, Hendrick Motorsports experienced quite possibly the largest shift within its organization, ever.

With the exception of Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, crew chiefs changed teams and drivers switched shops. All of it, goofy enough, in a bid to become as good or better than Johnson & Knaus in 2011.

But before they get there, it's worth noting what Hendrick Motorsports did in 2010 that earned them the distinction of FanHouse's top NASCAR team of the past season:


1st - Jimmie Johnson [6 wins, 17 Top-5s, 23 Top-10s, 4 DNFs, 12.2 Avg Finish]

Johnson obviously carried the Hendrick load most impressively this season by the sheer fact that he won, yet again, the Sprint Cup title. However, it was Johnson's first season in which he looked terrifically vulnerable down the stretch -- even needed to outrace Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick in the season finale to lay claim to his fifth title.

 

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Tyreke Evans' Game-Winner From Beyond Halfcourt Snaps Kings' Losing Streak

Filed under: Grizzlies, Kings, NBA Videos

The Sacramento Kings may have the worst record in the league, their coach and general manager may be holding onto their jobs by a thread and their best player may be on the verge of sitting for a month or two with injury, but they'll always have this:



Beating the buzzer with a desperate heave from 50 feet away, Tyreke Evans finally gave the tortured fans at Arco Arena reason to celebrate. The 100-98 win over the Memphis Grizzlies snapped the Kings' eight-game losing streak, and marked just the second win in the last 18 games.

Had Evans missed the last-second prayer, Wednesday's game, a meaningless affair between two last-place teams, would have been quickly forgotten. But by making the shot, Evans provided perhaps the most incredible ending to a game this year -- no matter what the sport.

 

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Tell Us The Best NASCAR Race of 2010

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Twenty years ago, when I started covering NASCAR stock car racing, the sanctioning body's public relations staff consisted almost exclusively of one man who ran 'his' media centers in the same dictatorial manner that his boss, the late Bill France Jr., ran NASCAR.

That PR guy is now doing hard time in prison, but that's another story. Today, the many-tentacled NASCAR public relations operation is a media bureaucracy -- an endlessly churning mill of facts, figures, videos, press conferences, photos and other information and content.

In their efficiency and zeal, bless their hearts, the PR folks at NASCAR have informed us exactly which five of the season's 36 Sprint Cup races were the best of the year. Although I don't agree with all the choices -- I think the race in Texas last month was one of the best races I've seen in years -- NASCAR says these five were selected "from discussions with the national series director, competition department and NASCAR PR managers."

 

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FanHouse Live: Analyzing Sports' Labor Issues

by FanHouse TV

Filed under: Sports Media, Sports Business and Media

The NFL has to be loving this holiday season, as with two weeks remaining in the regular season 20 teams are still alive for a playoff spot. While the sport's biggest party will take place in Dallas in early February, what happens after that appears murky with labor strife potentially on the horizon.

FanHouse sports business writer Jon Weinbach joined FanHouse Live and that was just one of the topics he discussed.

 

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Mets Acquire Chin-lung Hu From Dodgers

Filed under: Dodgers, Mets, MLB Transactions, MLB Hot Stove

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Mets have acquired shortstop Chin-lung Hu from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league left-hander Michael Antonini.

The 26-year-old Hu spent the majority of last season at Triple-A Albuquerque where he hit .317 with four home runs and 25 RBIs. In two brief stints with Los Angeles he batted .130 (3 for 23).

Signed as a free agent by the Dodgers in 2003, Hu made his big league debut in 2007 and is hitting .191 (33 for 173) in 96 games over four seasons.

Antonini was 6-9 with a 4.23 ERA in 23 starts for Double-A Binghamton. The 25 year old also made six starts for Triple-A Buffalo, going 2-3 with a 5.11 ERA.

 

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Dirty Dozen: Who Belongs -- and Who Doesn't -- in the Pro Bowl

Filed under: AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West, NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West, NFL Live Blogging, NFL Analysis, Pro Bowl

On Brent Grimes' stat page, as on all stat pages on NFL.com, is the web site's standard promo: "cast your Pro Bowl vote."

Not enough were cast for Grimes (right), even though he's made more plays than any cornerback in the NFL. Doesn't matter. He's an undrafted free agent from Shippensburg who's in his first season as a full-time starter for Atlanta. Those guys don't get voted to the Pro Bowl over ...

DeAngelo Hall, showboat (troublemaker) extraordinaire; Charles Woodson, aging former Heisman winner and 2009 defensive player of the year and Asante Samuel, who makes big plays and also gives them up.

We know them. We don't know Brent Grimes.

Yes, the Pro Bowl voting is predictable, a popularity contest among fans and players and coaches, each of whom make up a third of the vote. And once again, a lot of players not voted in -- perhaps including Brent Grimes -- will be playing. Because the object for a lot of NFL players is to make the Pro Bowl, collect your Pro Bowl bonus, and then skip out with an injury. Or "injury.'' Or just say you don't feel like playing.

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More coverage: 2011 Pro Bowl Rosters Unveiled

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A closer look at SBI Readership

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Jiri Fischer Giving Back to Hockey

Filed under: Red Wings, International Hockey, Junior Hockey

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Jiri Fischer knows what it means to want do something meaningful with your life after going through a life-threatening situation.

Fischer was on the verge of becoming a top NHL defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings when he nearly died five years ago. He collapsed in convulsions after going into cardiac arrest on the bench during a game against Nashville at Joe Louis Arena.

 

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2010's Managerial Exodus Will Give Dugouts Different Look Next Spring

All this week, the FanHouse staff will look back at the most significant baseball storylines of 2010.

When the 2010 baseball season started, four of the top 14 managers all-time in terms of win total were at the helm of big league teams.

When 2011 starts, only one of those four, St. Louis' Tony La Russa, will still be on the job. Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Lou Piniella all have retired.

That turnover was just part of one of the most active managerial seasons in the sport''s history. Twelve of the 30 managers who were in charge to start 2010 are gone, as are two interim managers.

Only 1992 and 2003 ever saw more movement managerially, 13 men losing their jobs in each of those years as clubs looked for the proper leadership.

 

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'Golden Al' Has Uphill Recruiting Battle Ahead With Hurricanes

Filed under: Recruiting, Prospects

While some around the country might have questioned the University of Miami's hiring of Al Golden to replace Randy Shannon, it is already apparent that Golden will be making some significant headway toward the Hurricanes' recruiting efforts leading up to National Signing Day 2011.

Golden, who breathed competitive life into a moribund Temple program, has hit the ground running in Coral Gables in an effort to restock what was a shockingly bare cupboard at "The U."

The man known as "Golden Al" due to his recruiting prowess as an assistant at Boston College, Penn State and Virginia already has made strong inroads toward one potentially program-changing recruit: pro-style QB Gary Nova (6-2, 210, Ramsey, N.J., Don Bosco Prep).

Nova was originally committed to Pitt, but the departure of Dave Wannstedt as the Panthers' boss put the QB back on the market. Golden already had an eye on Nova while at Temple, and while Rutgers and Virginia currently have stronger position with Nova, Golden and his assistants are selling the fact that the Hurricanes do not have another quarterback in the 2011 class.

Nova is set to take an official visit to Rutgers on Jan. 21, and isn't expected to announce his college destination until NSD on Feb. 2.

 

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Chris Osgood Records 400th Career Win

Filed under: Avalanche, Red Wings, NHL Videos

Thanks to Detroit's 4-3 overtime win in Colorado on Monday night, veteran goaltender Chris Osgood recorded the 400th victory of his 17 year NHL career that has seen him make two different stops in the motor city, as well as brief stints with the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues.

Osgood was sensational on the night, stopping 46 of the 49 pucks he faced, including all 23 Colorado threw his direction in the second period where the Avalanche held a 14-shot advantage. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall scored the winner in overtime to give Osgood the milestone, while Detroit also received goals from Nicklas Lidstrom, Johan Franzen and Jiri Hudler as it continues to find ways to win games despite the recent pile of injuries the team has experienced (Mike Modano, Pavel Datsyuk, Dan Cleary).

Now one of just 10 goaltenders to ever win 400 games in the NHL, joining a list that includes Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Ed Belfour, Curtis Joseph, Terry Sawchuk, Jacques Plante, Tony Esposito, Glenn Hall and Grant Fuhr, the Hall of Fame debate will be picked up once again for Osgood.

 

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Florida International's First Bowl Trip Is Suspenseful and Successful

Filed under: Florida International, Toledo, Bowl Games

DETROIT (AP) -- Jacob Younger caught the pass near midfield, flipped the ball to his team's top player and hoped for the best.

T.Y. Hilton took the lateral and dashed toward the sideline, trying to reach the first-down marker and keep Florida International's final drive alive.

"Obviously we thought he didn't get it," Toledo coach Tim Beckman said. "But it's not my call to make."

The officials ruled Hilton reached the marker before stepping out of bounds, giving FIU an improbable conversion on fourth-and-17. Moments later, Jack Griffin's 34-yard field goal as time ran out gave the Golden Panthers a delirious 34-32 victory Sunday night in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.

 

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NHL Year in Review: Ilya Kovalchuk for Person of the Year

Filed under: Devils, NHL Free Agency

There have been a lot of big stories in the NHL during 2010, but there isn't a person who has been talked about, tweeted about or written about as much as Ilya Kovalchuk of the New Jersey Devils. It was the year of Kovalchuk after his trade from Atlanta in February, through the summer of Kovalchuk and his seemingly never-ending quest for a free-agent contract, its subsequent rejection by the league, and now the hand wringing over what's gone wrong with the Devils this season and how much (or little) it has to do with him.

On February 4, Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils; the beginning of a free-agency saga that would last long into the summer. Before he could hit free agency, there was still hockey to be played as the Devils won the Atlantic Division and earned the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Their playoff run would end with a thud though, as they were ousted in five games by the Philadelphia Flyers. Kovalchuk did have 27 points in 27 games down the stretch for the Devils including a 2-4-6 line during the post-season.

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More Nominees: Crosby | Toews | Wirtz

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Five-Step Drop: Boise's Costly Loss

by Mark Hasty

Filed under: Baylor, Boise State, Illinois, Southern Miss, Utah, Washington State, WAC, General CFB Insanity, Bowl Games, Sports Business and Media

FanHouse's college football staff provides you with a personal quarterback. We do the primary and secondary reads for you so you can properly start your day.

1. When Boise State lost to Nevada on Nov. 26, everyone knew the loss cost the Broncos and the WAC a large sum of money. The New York Times stopped to figure out how much: $8 million. "The Rose Bowl, like other Bowl Championship Series games, touts a per-team payout of $17 million," Times reporter John Branch writes. "For teams like Boise State and others in one of the five conferences without an automatic bid, the payout is $12 million, Benson said. Boise State figured to gain $3 million, the other WAC teams would have split $5 million, and the four other second-tier conferences would have split $4 million." Branch also notes that Boise State coach Chris Petersen would have earned a $125,000 bonus for making it to a BCS game. If you want to say kicker Kyle Brotzman lost the game for the Broncos, that's your prerogative, but I'd suggest you read this book, which will change your mind like it did mine when I read it years ago. And if you're too good to read a 22-year-old book, you deserve to think Brotzman lost the game for BSU.

2. Meanwhile Utah, Boise State's opponent in the MAACO Bowl, is considering a new social media policy after one of its players turned to Twitter to taunt the Broncos. Utes receiver DeVonte Christopher tweeted, "I can't wait to get out here wit these Boise State or should I say Girlse State they a bunch of cheerleaders...lol." Coach Kyle Whittingham said he and Christopher had had "several conversations" about Christopher's ill-considered tweet. "Girlse?" Seriously? Bet they've never heard that before.

 

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Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's Holiday Party for disadvantaged youth

D.C. United spent the ninth day of the "10 Days of Giving" campaign by heading to Capitol Hill for Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's Annual Holiday Party for disadvantaged youth. D.C. United staff and supporters entertained the guests, served lunch, and provided resources to make the party possible. This was the Black-and-Red's fifth consecutive year of participation in the event. Representatives from DC public schools and non-profit organizations were also in attendance.

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Seahawks-Rams Game Flexed to Sunday Night on NBC

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Buccaneers, Colts, Cowboys, Eagles, Jaguars, Giants, Packers, Rams, Redskins, Texans, Titans, AFC South, NFC East, Sports Business and Media

The Seattle-St. Louis game, which will decide the NFC West division title, has been moved into the "Sunday Night Football" window as the final regular season game of the NFL schedule.

The league announced late Sunday that the Seahawks-Rams contest will be flexed into the 8:15 p.m. ET window for NBC. Though no rationale was announced for the move, given that both teams are sub-.500, the fact that the winner will advance to the playoffs and the loser will go home likely added an element of drama that made it attractive.

In addition, a handful of games -- all with playoff implications -- have been moved into the late afternoon window for Week 17. FOX will carry the Chicago-Green Bay, Dallas-Philadelphia and New York Giants-Washington games at 4:15 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, CBS will air the Tennessee-Indianapolis and Jacksonville-Houston contests, with the AFC South title still in the balance. Those games will also start at 4:15 p.m.

 

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Saints vs. Falcons: Drew Brees Steals Matt Ryan's Georgia Dome Thunder

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Saints, NFC South

ATLANTA -- The New Orleans Saints were not going to give up their NFC South crown without a fight. The Saints (11-4) came into the Georgia Dome on Monday night, where the Atlanta Falcons have managed to pull out one close win after another, and beat the Falcons 17-14.

Atlanta (12-3) is in the playoffs, but the Falcons will have to wait until next week's game with the Carolina Panthers to win and claim the division title. New Orleans (11-4) secured a wild card berth with the victory and they did it with a defense that stymied the Falcons attack in the second half.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees took his team 90 yards in 13 plays for the go-ahead touchdown, a 6-yard pass to tight end Jimmy Graham with 3:24 to play.

It was just the second home loss for Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan in three seasons.

Early, there was a nasty culture to the game, which was expected given the comments from Atlanta receiver Roddy White during the week. He called the Saints the "Aints" and it caused a storm.

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Christian Bale Talks About Role as Boxer-Turned-Drug Addict in 'The Fighter'

by Lem Satterfield

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, Sports Business and Media

English-born actor Christian Bale (pictured above, wearing cap), has played a wide range of characters, first catching the public eye as a 13-year-old boy in a Japanese internment camp in Steven Spielberg's World War II-based Empire of the Sun. The 36-year-old Bale has since demonstrated his abilities in diverse roles, including the leads in American Psycho, Batman Begins, Terminator Salvation and The Dark Knight.

But Bale's latest venture, as former boxer-turned-drug addict Dickie Eklund in The Fighter, may be Oscar-worthy. Bale stars as the older half-brother of professional boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (38-13-1, 27 knockouts) played by Mark Wahlberg (pictured above, at right) in the film, an inspirational tale based on a true story that was released Friday in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and other selected areas, and which will be shown nationwide on Dec. 17.

Although Ward is best-known for his three-fight trilogy with the late Arturo Gatti, whom he defeated once before losing twice, The Fighter, is focused on Ward's life in the blue-collar streets of Lowell, Mass., from which he successfully rises to become a fringe world titlist even as he is one of nine adult children in a dysfunctional family run by their hard-scrabble mother.

Formerly known as "The Pride of Lowell," Eklund retired in 1985 with a modest welterweight (147 pounds) record of 19-10 with just four knockouts. The highlight of Eklund's career was a 10-round, route-going effort in July 1978 against Sugar Ray Leonard.

Down three times against Leonard, Eklund claims to have also floored the future multi-world champion, although historians widely dispute Eklund's assertion, saying that Leonard's fall was more of a slip. Bale spoke to FanHouse concerning his role as Eklund, whose quest to live vicariously through his younger brother while simultaneously trying to overcome his crack habit is central to the film's storyline.

 

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