Buffalo Sabres Reported Sale for $150 Million 'Not True'

Filed under: Sabres, NHL Economics, Sports Business and Media

Buffalo Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn said reports that the franchise is on the verge of changing hands were untrue.

"Reports regarding the sale of the Buffalo Sabres tend to surface from time to time," Quinn, also a minority owner of the team, said in a statement on Tuesday. "There have been several inquiries in the past few years regarding this subject. Our company policy is we do not comment on them because people make inquiries all the time. Some of these inquiries are serious, some are not, some make the media and others do not. The report that a $150 million letter of intent has been signed is simply not true."

The Hockey News reported Tuesday that Terrence Pegula, a natural gas and oil magnate from Pennsylvania, had signed a letter of intent to the purchase the Sabres for that sum. Pegula's interest in the Sabres was first reported by The Buffalo News.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham

Teen phenom Salgado can't wait for SuperDraft

Omar Salgado grows weary of constantly shuttling around the country and the world in the name of soccer.

The 17-year-old phenom, who has been without a club since leaving Chivas de Guadalajara in July to join the United States U-20 squad, has trained with Everton, Vancouver, Portland and, most recently, D.C. United during the last five months. Coaches around Major League Soccer want to see the immensely talented but raw striker ? a lock to go high in January's 2011 SuperDraft ? perform firsthand.

Salgado can't wait to be settled.

Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer

Monday Movers: Martin Kaymer Reigns Supreme in Europe

Filed under: PGA, Golf Odds and Ends, European Tour

Each week, Monday Movers will look back on the previous week in the golf world to see whose stock is rising and who will likely be heading back to the range.

On the Rise

Martin Kaymer -- Kaymer became the youngest player since Ronan Rafferty in 1989 to be crowned Europe's No. 1 golfer. The 25-year-old's only competition in the Race to Dubai was Graeme McDowell, who finished in a tie for 13th -- the same as Kaymer. With the title comes a bonus of €1,092,418 from the €7.5 million bonus pool and moves the German's yearly earnings to €4,461,010, which tops Lee Westwood's record set a year ago by more than €200,000. It's been an incredibly quick rise to the top for Kaymer, who's in just his fourth full season on tour.

Robert Karlsson -- The Swede began the final round of the Dubai Championships by shooting 4 under par through his first three holes to overtake overnight leader, Ian Poulter. The win wouldn't come easy for Karlsson as it took a birdie on the 620-yard 18th to force a playoff. He carried that momentum and pin-point accuracy over into sudden death to card birdie-birdie and walk away with the €910,348 first prize. This is the third year (2006 and 2008) that Karlsson has recorded multiple wins on the European Tour.

President's Cup -- President Cup Team Captains Fred Couples and Greg Norman named their assistants for the 2011 competition on Sunday. During Captains' Day at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia, Couples, the U.S. Team Captain, announced that he would bring back Jay Haas and Michael Jordan, while Norman, the International Team Captain, did the same with Frank Nobilo. The second International assistant will be decided at a later time, and it marks the first time that each team will have two assistants. Haas, Jordan, and Nobilo were in their same roles at the 2009 President's Cup in which the U.S. won 19.5-14.5.

PGA Tour 2011 Field -- The last few weeks have brought disappointing news with regards to European players participating on the PGA Tour in 2011. Both world No. 1 Lee Westwood and No. 10 Rory McIlroy have stated they will not play in the U.S. next year. The Tour received good news last week from two South African players -- British Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. Oosthuizen earned his spot on Tour with the win at St. Andrews, while Schwartzel made enough money as a non-member in 2010 thanks to his second place finish at the WGC-CA worth $850,000.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers

Marian Hossa Out for Blackhawks Again

Filed under: Blackhawks, NHL Injuries

Marian Hossa was ruled out of action for two to three weeks on Tuesday, a day after the Blackhawks forward collided with teammate Nick Boynton in practice.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters after Tuesday's skate that the lower-body injury was not related to one that forced him out of five games between Oct. 28-Nov. 7.

"Since he came back from when he was injured (earlier), he was progressing -- he was coming off a great game in Los Angeles, played a lot of minutes, played him on a couple lines," Quenneville said. "He's useful in so many different areas -- power play, penalty kill. Obviously, there's a void there."

Hossa has eight goals and 10 assists in 21 games. Hossa missed nearly the first two months of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Hossa left the ice Monday favoring his right leg.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom

Denny Hamlin Already Looking Toward 2011

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Only 25 laps into Sunday's Ford 400 NASCAR season finale, Denny Hamlin realized his day was going to be long, and his hopes of holding off his two championship challengers diminished as the hot South Florida afternoon wore on.

When the green flag dropped, his 15-point championship lead over four-time defending Sprint Cup series champ Jimmie Johnson technically vanished, based on Hamlin's 38th-place starting position compared to Johnson's sixth.

Then on lap 25, Hamlin collided with Greg Biffle, sending Hamlin's No. 11 FedEx Toyota spinning on the infield grass -- an omen for what would come. Tire problems, pit road miscommunication and then an ill-timed caution period late in the race spelled his ultimate doom. The 30-year-old driver finished 14th in the race and became the first driver in NASCAR's seven-year Chase playoff format not to win the title when leading the championship with one race remaining.

"It's tough, trust me, these years don't come by too often in anyone's career,'' said Hamlin, who finished championship runner-up, 39 points behind the newly crowned five-time champion Johnson.

"I was privileged enough to be part of the closest championship in (Chase) history and give it my best effort, but it wasn't enough today. Our car got banged up and we just couldn't overcome it.''

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils

More Than a Trophy at Stake as Struggling Franchises Meet in MLS Cup Final

Filed under: MLS, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia Union, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC

TORONTO -- Every championship game promises glory. Every championship game promises the opportunity to make history, to fulfill ambition and to command attention and respect the following year. But how many promise survival?

We're not talking about survival in a Mayan ceremonial ballgame kind of way. But we do mean it somewhat literally.

Survival, or something close to it, is about what's at stake as FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids meet here Sunday night in the MLS Cup Final (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

There have a lot of people assuming this week that those who keep track of MLS revenue, sponsorships, TV ratings and other off-the-field metrics are disappointed that Sunday's title game lacks marquee names and star power. If they are, that's shortsighted.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham

Hassan Whiteside Assigned to D-League's Reno Bighorns

Filed under: Kings, NBA Draft, NBA D-League, NBA Coaches, Reno Bighorns

Hassan Whiteside hasn't been able to find any court time with current Sacramento Kings coach Paul Westphal this season, but he'll soon be getting plenty of playing time with former Kings head coach Eric Musselman as the team announced Monday that it has assigned Whiteside to the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League.

Whiteside, the 33rd overall selection in this year's NBA Draft by the Kings, has appeared in just one game for the Kings this season, picking up two fouls in less than two minutes in a 117-116 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 7-foot center should see much more playing time with the Bighorns, though he joins a talented cast that includes Kings training camp invites Marcus Landry and Donald Sloan as well as Nick Fazekas, Patrick Ewing Jr., Aaron Miles and D.J. Strawberry, all of whom are considered to be on the cusp of making an NBA roster.

Whiteside is the type of player that should certainly benefit from a D-League assignment as he has a ridiculous amount of upside but will need playing time to reach that potential as he is a bit on the raw side right now.

"He's disappointed, but we explained to him that it's not a demotion, it's because we think so highly of him. We want him to have a chance to play," Westphal told the media after practice Monday. "I think it's a really good opportunity for him. That's what the D-league is for. We are very high on Hassan's potential but he needs experience. That's what we said when we drafted him and that's where he is right now."

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden

Sporting Kansas City Looks Abroad for Inspiration, not Validation

Filed under: International Soccer, MLS, Kansas City Wizards

From Wednesday evening forward, the Kansas City Wizards will be known as Sporting Kansas City (or Sporting KC).

The logo to the right, which has been circulating on the Internet in recent days, may not be 100 percent exact, but FanHouse is confident that it's pretty close to what will be unveiled at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET.

(UPDATE: That's the logo!)

We're not certain of too much more, except for the fact that a name that's been part of Major League Soccer for 14 of its 15 years -- a name under which the club from K.C. won an MLS Cup, a U.S. Open Cup and a Supporters Shield -- will cease to exist.

The initial instinct is to be mortified. Like Real Salt Lake, the name Sporting Kansas City seems to embody the worst kind of self-hating cultural identity theft. Perhaps it's even worse -- after all, Dave Checketts wasn't abandoning more than a dozen years of trophy-winning history when he selected an "authentic" soccer name for his expansion club.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods

Spotter's Stand: Twittering NASCAR's Championship Showdown

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

A day after the Phoenix race, where Denny Hamlin tossed a water bottle at his car in disgust, Jimmie Johnson beamed as the most confident "underdog" ever and Kevin Harvick vowed his team wasn't done, Twitter on Monday helped to instigate another rise in championship drama.

When three-time Cup champion Darrell Waltrip insisted that Johnson, who is 15 points behind Hamlin second place, is the favorite for Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Harvick and Hamlin sounded off.

"Yea I guess (you're) right.. We shouldn't even show up if we are up against that!" Hamlin tweeted in response.

Harvick, never one to back down, personalized his shot.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods

What's Next for Miami After Randy Shannon -- Is it Jon Gruden?

Filed under: University of Miami, Coaching

Will Jon Gruden land in Miami?

But with whom -- the Hurricanes or Dolphins?

Media speculation in south Florida has quickly escalated to an inferno, only hours after UM fired coach Randy Shannon. The decision came Saturday night after the Hurricanes' 23-20 overtime loss to South Florida at Sun Life Stadium, a game which attracted less than 30,000 fans.

The Hurricanes finished the regular season 7-5. Shannon, who received a four-year contract extension before this season, was 28-22 in four seasons at his alma mater.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden

Video: Colin White Drops Bruno Gervais With Two Punches

Filed under: Devils, Islanders, NHL Videos

Had the Islanders lost their matinee against the Devils this afternoon, I could make the analogy that the following video describes the Islanders' season in a nutshell. Ah heck, despite winning and breaking a 14-game losing streak, it is still a perfect analogy for how this season has gone for the team.

Halfway through the first period, the Islanders were up 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Jesse Joensuu. New Jersey's Colin White hit PA Parenteau from behind near the Devils' bench, tossing Parenteau into the boards head first. In today's NHL, it's a given that in this kind of situation a member of the opposing team should instantly come over to White and try to exact vengeance. Bruno Gervais of the Islanders tried to do just that. The key word in that sentence being 'tried.' Let's go to the tale of the tape:

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils

DeSean Jackson, Andy Reid Meet Monday After Conflict in Chicago

Filed under: Eagles, NFC East

Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson wasn't speaking to the media Monday. Nor did he Sunday after being held to two catches for 26 yards in Philadelphia's 31-26 loss at Chicago. But reportedly angry coach Andy Reid, who was also unavailable Monday as the team prepares for Thursday's game with Houston after traveling the Sunday night, had a tirade in the postgame locker room about his star wideout's preparation and lack of effort.

Asked during his postgame press conference if the Bears were doing anything special to control the usually explosive Jackson, Reid said simply, "No, they weren't."

Reid and Jackson met Monday in hopes of patching things up, but with neither talking publicly, the other players are left to be the voices of reason.

"He's going to be fine," quarterback Michael Vick said. "He took the loss very hard. We'll get him going again. He just can't get frustrated. He has to understand that there are professionals on the other side of the ball, too. And we have some pretty good coaches, some damn good coaches, and we're going to make it work."

Jackson, who turns 24 on Wednesday and is slated to be a restricted free agent after the season, has just 35 catches, 678 yards and five touchdowns in 9-1/2 games after making the Pro Bowl with 62 catches, 1,156 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games last year.

"I'll get the young guy together," Vick said. "(Defenses) are trying to take away the deep ball (by playing Cover-2 with their safeties cramping Jackson's style) and they have been doing a fairly good job of doing that. The thing we have to do is try to figure out what we can do and do it better."

Was it really just two weeks ago tonight that Jackson opened "Monday Night Football" in Washington by toasting Redskins strong safety LaRon Landry, who was foolishly left singled up on him, for an 88-yard touchdown on the first snap of what would prove to be a 59-28 Eagles romp?

"(Most defensive coordinators are) saying, 'We're going to send our safeties 40 yards deep. You're not going to run by us,' said Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia's other star receiver. "Then, they're going to try to bring pressure. If you look at the four teams that beat us, they all kind of had the same, similar strategy. They're not going to let us run by them. We've done it too many times. Obviously, every game, you get your opportunities to do so -- so when we can, we have to capitalize on it. Today, we didn't really do that."

No they didn't, but Maclin's four catches, 47 yards and a touchdown were still twice what Jackson produced against the Bears.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham

David Garrard Anticipating No Problems With Injured Wrist

Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South

David Garrard said Monday he thinks he's going to be OK.

Garrard, the Jacksonville Jaguars' quarterback who sustained an injury to his left (non-throwing) wrist late in a loss to the New York Giants Sunday, said Monday X-rays were negative. He was wearing a splint on the wrist Monday, but Mark Long of The Associated Press reported that an MRI revealed no damage.

"Garrard's says he is a little sore in the wrist but doesn't anticipate any problems," the team's Twitter account reported .

"I was pretty worried about it, especially after the game because I never really had too many injuries that felt like it did, especially around my wrist and my arm," Garrard said. "I was pretty worried, but when I got over here today it felt better. I got more X-rays and a MRI and they said it was all fine, just a little swelling."

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom

Tiger Woods: 'I'm Not the Same Man I Was a Year Ago'

Tiger Woods is continuing to overhaul his personal, public and professional life in the wake of the cheating and divorce scandal that has consumed his world in the last year. It was, in fact, almost a year ago exactly, the Friday after Thanksgiving, that news of Woods' car crash shocked the world.

So it's appropriate timing for Woods to take the next step in his attempt to overhaul his image and public perception, as Woods has penned a short editorial for "Newsweek" on his struggle, recovery and where he is a year after everything changed.

Woods admits that his life was "out of balance" and that he made "terrible choices," conducting his personal life in an "artificial way." But after a year of reflection, Woods says he's in a better place.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom

FOX to Broadcast First Big Ten Football Championship Game

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Big 10, Media Watch, Sports Business and Media

To the surprise of absolutely no one, FOX announced Wednesday that it will air the inaugural Big Ten football championship game next December 11 from Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.

The network and the conference announced a five-year deal to show the title game on the over-the-air network, which, until this year, had been the home of the Bowl Championship Series games, excluding the Rose Bowl.

Though the Big Ten's football package airs on a number of carriers, including ABC and ESPN, the fact that the conference and FOX are partners on the highly successful Big Ten Network made it a natural that they would pair for the championship game.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer

Mike Modano Out After Surgery for Severed Tendon in Wrist

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL Injuries

It's been business as usual for the Detroit Red Wings this season, winning 14 of their first 20 games and currently on top of the Central Division. They're in the middle of a big home-and-home series with the Columbus Blue Jackets, winning the first leg on Friday by a 2-1 margin at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. It was also a costly win for the Wings, as veteran Mike Modano suffered what general manager Ken Holland called "a real fluke injury" when he was cut by skate after falling to the ice in the defensive zone.

Modano underwent surgery to repair what's been reported as a severed tendon in his right wrist on Saturday and will be out indefinitely.

A Michigan native, the 40-year-old Modano signed with the Red Wings this summer after spending his entire career with the Dallas Stars organization. He has two goals and six assists this season, with all six helpers coming in the past 10 games. He had been skating mostly on a line with Jiri Hudler and Dan Cleary, while Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported that Justin Abdelkader centered that line during practice on Saturday.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham

BCS Standings Week 14 - November 28, 2010

Will there be any movement in the BCS rankings for week 14? The latest BCS rankings will be revealed Sunday evening during ESPN's BCS Countdown show, which is scheduled to start at 8:15 PM ET.

Last week's BCS rankings had Oregon on top, followed by Auburn, TCU and Boise State. Boise State (10-1), LSU (10-2) and Oklahoma State (10-2) lost, will that be enough to drop them out of the top 10?

Check back here for the latest on the BCS rankings. An update will be posted when the rankings are released Sunday evening.

The updated BCS standings are as follows:

BCS Standings (Nov. 28, 2010)

Rank	School	Record	Avg
1	Auburn	12-0	.9779
2	Oregon	11-0	.9777
3	TCU	12-0	.9167
4	Stanford	11-1	.8413
5	Wisconsin	11-1	.8185
6	Ohio State	11-1	.7632
7	Arkansas	10-2	.7189
8	Michigan State	11-1	.6980
9	Oklahoma	10-2	.6780
10	LSU	10-2	.6067

See Complete BCS Standings

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom

Kevin Harvick Comes Full Circle From Dramatic Cup Debut

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing, NASCAR

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Sitting on stage just to the left of his two championship rivals for a final NASCAR championship contenders press conference, Kevin Harvick leaned back in his chair and smiled, listening to Sprint Cup series points leader Denny Hamlin and second place Jimmie Johnson trade barbs and confidently explain how they planned to rise to the occasion in Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

At times they looked awkward and uncomfortable with the situation -- each arguing the other was under greater pressure -- while Harvick, a 46-point third place underdog, couldn't have appeared more settled, looking every bit his nickname, "Happy" Harvick.

Pressure? That was 10 years ago.

"It seems like it has worked backwards for me with coming in and taking over Dale's (Earnhardt) car,'' said Harvick, 35, who was picked by Richard Childress to drive the late seven-time champion's car in the days after Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.

"You started with the biggest press conference you'll ever be a part of in your whole life. You start with the weight of the world on your shoulders. As it's gone through the years, it's actually gotten easier. It's almost like you've gotten prepared for these situations before you even got started.

"There is no pressure this week. It's so easy, we're having fun, we're relaxed. We realize we have a small deficit to overcome and we've done it throughout the year beating both cars. So we're having fun with it.''

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom

Robert Garrigus, Biggest Winner of All at Children's Miracle Network Classic

Filed under: PGA

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- After Robert Garrigus thrashed the field with a closing-round 8-under 64 Sunday to win the
Children's Miracle Network Classic, one last question lingered: just how many winners can one tournament provide?

If you plan on counting, be sure to bring fingers and toes. Being at Disney World for the final event on the PGA Tour's incredibly long schedule means you do not need a tournament title to leave feeling like a champ.

Garrigus won the tournament. Troy Merritt won a $1 million bonus in the Kodak Challenge. Roland Thatcher finished solo second and won the right to return to full-time employment next year. Heath Slocum finished T-45 and won an invitation to next year's Masters.

If there had been any more trophies, it would have been Little League.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham

Teen phenom Salgado can't wait for SuperDraft

Omar Salgado grows weary of constantly shuttling around the country and the world in the name of soccer.

The 17-year-old phenom, who has been without a club since leaving Chivas de Guadalajara in July to join the United States U-20 squad, has trained with Everton, Vancouver, Portland and, most recently, D.C. United during the last five months. Coaches around Major League Soccer want to see the immensely talented but raw striker ? a lock to go high in January's 2011 SuperDraft ? perform firsthand.

Salgado can't wait to be settled.

LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden

MLS Owners Play It Safe With Expanded Playoffs, Increasingly Irrelevant Final

Filed under: MLS, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes

TORONTO -- No wonder the stands at BMO Field were two-thirds empty by the time Colorado Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni lifted the trophy (very) late Sunday night.

No wonder ESPN's ratings for the MLS Cup Final plunged 44% from least year's to the lowest level since 1998.

You can't expect fans to care who wins the title when the league doesn't.

One might think that the ultimate raison d'être for a sports league should be to organize a meaningful competition that produces a deserving champion, but MLS has demonstrated that doing so is pretty far down on its list of priorities.

The league's first aim, of course, is to be stable and profitable. That's understandable. Anyone who invests millions in something, especially American soccer, has a right to put financial concerns first. And make no mistake: it is those men, not commissioner Don Garber, who run the league.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham

Buccaneers vs. Ravens: Joe Flacco Lifts Baltimore Ahead Early, Permanently

Filed under: Buccaneers, Ravens, AFC North, NFC South

BALTIMORE -- The Bucs needed a victory to keep pace with the Falcons and Saints in hopes for the NFC South division title, and also to stay in the playoff hunt. Baltimore needed a win in order to stay pace with the Steelers atop the AFC North. Both teams will have a showdown against their rivals next Sunday, but they had to get past each other first on Sunday.

The contest started off as a defensive matchup in the first quarter as both teams exchanged punts. But everything changed in the second quarter after the Bucs and Ravens each kicked a field goal to make it a 3-3 game.

After the Bucs tied the game thanks to a questionable pass interference call on cornerback Myron Lewis as he was covering wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, leading to a 24-yard penalty, the Ravens scored two touchdowns in ten plays. A few big passes from quarterback Joe Flacco guided Baltimore to a 17-3 lead heading into the half.

---

More: Recap | Check Box Score

---

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods

Speeding Penalty Derails Kevin Harvick's NASCAR Title Run

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing, NASCAR

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Kevin Harvick and his team owner, Richard Childress, were diplomatic in the moments following Sunday's Ford 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Diplomatic, but not satisfied. Harvick was not happy.

Harvick, who entered the final race in third place in the championship -- 46 points behind Denny Hamlin -- had positioned himself to make a heroic, if unlikely run at his first title, dethroning four-time champ Jimmie Johnson and capitalizing on Hamlin's Sunday afternoon of misfortune.

After racing near the front all day, Harvick exited the pits in first place for a restart on lap 188 of the 267-lap race -- only to be penalized for speeding on pit road (right).

NASCAR said his No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet was too fast entering the pits and he was sent to rear of the lead-lap cars, dropping him back to 29th place. Harvick was understandably livid on the team radio when he received the news and still maintained after the race that he was directly behind a car -- on its bumper -- and therefore couldn't have been speeding.

"I don't think that penalty will ever settle in my stomach,'' Harvick said in a post-race press conference. "When you read me off of my pit road times of 49.6, 49.4 50.8 and then 49.6; and there's only a handful people that get to see them, I won't ever settle for that.

"I don't know how you can be speeding when you're on the bumper in front of you and if the other guy is not speeding. So that's about it. ''

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils

Erik Spoelstra: Heat Need 'Passion' to Improve Offense

Filed under: Heat

MIAMI -- Scoring plenty of easy buckets should be a given for a team that boasts Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh but the Heat nevertheless are struggling to run an efficient offensive gameplan. On the sidelines, coach Erik Spoelstra continues to encourage his players to pick up the pace and energy while sustaining it throughout the game, yet their plodding halfcourt offense more often than not ends with low-percentage jump shot attempts far from the rim.

The Heat may have ended up eventually beating the lowly Philadelphia 76ers 99-90 Friday night playing this way, but bigger challenges await. For a team that has played together for just one month, many are already questioning why the team hasn't been consistent on both ends of the court with their effort. After all, getting plenty of easy baskets can also occur in transition when the defense creates turnovers and doesn't yield offensive rebounds.

"The one thing with our identity that we talked about is let's win this game defensively," said Spoelstra after their three-game losing streak was snapped Friday night. "Let's make some possession-saving plays, get out on the open court, have some fun and passion of playing that style of basketball. That's what we want to do but we want to make an impact (on defense) especially when it counts."

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers

Jimmie Johnson Wins Fifth Straight NASCAR Title, Carl Edwards Wins Race

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

The Jimmie Johnson dynasty in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series stretched to half a decade at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday as the most dominant driver the sport has ever seen won his fifth straight championship with a second-place finish in the Ford 400 season finale.

As Carl Edwards motored to his second straight victory in as many weeks, leading 190 laps, Johnson fought back from early pit problems, settled into his regular routine and came on at the end to seal the title.

For Edwards, the two consecutive victories came after a 70-race winless streak.

"This is unreal," Edwards said in victory lane. "It's a great way to finish the season. I think the way we're going, if we can start like that, our Aflac team will have a shot at them next year.

"To finish like this is unreal. It's just these guys not giving up. We don't give up. We've had just an unbelievable run toward the end of this season. It's just a great way to end the season."

The championship battle was a nail-biting contest whose complexion changed time and time again throughout the 267-lap event.

---

Holly Cain: NASCAR's Greatest Champion?

---

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers

Alex Ovechkin's Life Chronicled on DVD

Filed under: Capitals, NHL Videos

Hockey fans who don't care to follow the Pittsburgh Penguins or Washington Capitals sometimes express annoyance at the attention that guys like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin get.

The reality is that as long as these players "move the needle" for the NHL, nothing is going to change.

In the case of Ovechkin, the latest project is a DVD produced by Warner Home Video and the NHL. Available now, the DVD, called "Alex Ovechkin: The Great 8," goes inside Ovechkin's life, both at the 2010 NHL Awards in Las Vegas and back in his native Russia.

As the program starts, you see the way Ovechkin's Capitals saw their season end in April. It was a stunning, seven-game series loss to the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom

SBI MLS Draft Big Board (Version 1.0)

Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods

Arkansas Pounds LSU 31-23 as Karma Deserts Les Miles

Filed under: Arkansas, LSU, SEC

Les Miles eats grass to make himself one with the field, to ensure that football karma favors the bold. But on Saturday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark. there was no natural grass, just field turf.

Perhaps as a result, Miles' vaunted karma vanished. And Bobby Petrino did the incredible, he out Les Miles'd Les Miles. With seven seconds remaining in the first half, Petrino elected to call his own miracle, a pass from the Razorbacks own 20. Surely, that play wouldn't or couldn't result in a touchdown, right? Not when all LSU had to do was tackle the receiver in the field of play. Uh oh.

Two LSU defensive backs collided and Arkansas wide receiver Cobi Hamilton outran pursuers for an 80-yard score that would give the Razorbacks a lead they would never relinquish.

In the process the Razorbacks may well have punched their ticket for the Sugar Bowl, so long as Auburn beats South Carolina in the SEC Championship Game next Saturday . If South Carolina beats Auburn, then the SEC bowl picture is thrown into a messy situation and Arkansas would head to the Capital One or the Cotton Bowl.

But for Razorbacks fans who dreamed of an SEC West championship, a 10-2 season is welcoming relief. It wasn't easy but the Razorbacks bounced back from a disappointing beginning and finished the season undefeated against all teams outside the state of Alabama.

---

More Week 13: Full Scoreboard | Live Tweet | Latest Stories
Buy College Football Gear

---

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers Roger Federer

Alex Ovechkin's Life Chronicled on DVD

Filed under: Capitals, NHL Videos

Hockey fans who don't care to follow the Pittsburgh Penguins or Washington Capitals sometimes express annoyance at the attention that guys like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin get.

The reality is that as long as these players "move the needle" for the NHL, nothing is going to change.

In the case of Ovechkin, the latest project is a DVD produced by Warner Home Video and the NHL. Available now, the DVD, called "Alex Ovechkin: The Great 8," goes inside Ovechkin's life, both at the 2010 NHL Awards in Las Vegas and back in his native Russia.

As the program starts, you see the way Ovechkin's Capitals saw their season end in April. It was a stunning, seven-game series loss to the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham LA Lakers

Roland Thatcher Feeling the Magic, Grabs Lead at Disney

Filed under: PGA

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- When a guy named Roland Churchill Thatcher IV is counting every penny and worrying about his rank on a money list, you know things have gotten tough.

Golf, however, audits with a different numbers system.

Besides, Thatcher has a confession to make.

"We come from a long line of auto workers and Navy families," he said. "There's no family business. My father was a retired airline pilot. I might have an in as a baggage handler at Southwest if I had to.

"But no, the name, as pretentious as it is ... my wife and I decided to stop it. We didn't pass it on to my son."

Instead, Thatcher is in this week's PGA Tour Children's Miracle Network Classic at Disney World hoping to create another identity.

---

Elliott: Rickie Fowler Bringing New Look to Golf
More: Children's Network Classic Leaderboard | Photos

---

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods

Tiger Woods Lays Up During ESPN Radio's 'Mike and Mike' Interview

Filed under: Sports Business and Media

The true purpose of Tiger Woods' much ballyhooed interview with ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike In The Morning was revealed about five minutes after the interview ended. That's when co-host Mike Greenberg read the first of a number of plugs for Woods' golf event next month.

In other words, just like virtually every other interview on Mike and Mike with an active professional athlete, where the celebrity in question answers a couple of questions about the season to date, then touts his commercial sponsor, Woods got the word out about his event without having to get his hands dirty.

In a roughly 25-minute interview over two segments, Woods broke no new ground from the story he has offered the past year. He declined to provide any details about the Thanksgiving Day accident at his home, he said precious little about whom he has taken advice from and he added nothing to speculation that he might have taken human growth hormones. Woods wouldn't even take a shot at Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne, who famously chided him before the Masters this year about his behavior. As Greenberg rightly pointed out, Woods' answers, in many cases, sounded like he was parroting a therapist.

In fairness to Greenberg and co-host Mike Golic, they were put in a no-win situation. They were asked to interview a man who has notoriously kept a wall between himself and the public, parceling out just enough of himself to say that he made the attempt. Recognizing that, the pair attempted before the interview started to lower expectations, first by saying that they weren't going to try to make themselves into Barbara Walters or Mike Wallace, and then by declaring that they would not explore the salacious details of last Thanksgiving and its aftermath.

To their credit, the two of them, and particularly Golic, the former defensive lineman, pressed Woods to the degree that they were allowed to, both by the limits of time and by the evasiveness of the interviewee.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods David Beckham

Ohio State vs. Michigan: Buckeyes Score Seventh Straight Win in Rivalry

Filed under: Michigan, Ohio State

Ohio State easily dispatched Michigan in the 2010 edition of "The Game," extending its run of dominance with a seventh consecutive win in the season-ending meeting between the Big Ten rivals.

Jordan Hall broke a kick return for an 85-yard touchdown to give Ohio State a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, and the Buckeyes never looked back en route to a 37-7 victory. With the win, Ohio State (11-1, 7-1) earned a share of a record-tying sixth straight Big Ten title.

Ohio State committed seven penalties for 81 yards, but it hardly mattered as the Buckeyes amassed 478 yards of total offense and held a nearly 10-minute advantage in time of possession.

Terrelle Pryor threw for two touchdowns and 219 yards and and rushed for 49 more. Dan Herron did the bulk of the damage on the ground, with 175 yards and a touchdown.

---

More Week 13: Full Scoreboard | Live Tweet | Latest Stories
Buy College Football Gear

---

Roger Federer New Jersey Devils Nicklas Lidstrom Michael Jorden Tiger woods