All That and a Bag of Mail: The Greatest Collection of Steeler Hate, Ever

by Clay Travis

Filed under: Packers, Steelers, AFC North, NFC North, Super Bowl, Sports Business and Media

By now you've probably read my incredibly serious column arguing that the Terrible Towel is stupid. Evidently the entire city of Pittsburgh has.

And the city of Pittsburgh was more offended by my opinion of their towel than they are by having a twice-accused rapist at quarterback. That makes perfect sense. In the wake of that column local Pittsburgh news led their telecast with the column -- this is not a joke -- and I was deluged with email from Steeler fans, most of whom were incapable of forming a coherent thought.

I've been writing online for seven years now so I thought I'd seen everything. Then over 20 Pittsburgh Steeler fans threatened to kill me via email. Seriously. I've made fun of other fan bases before, but never have I received a collection of emails that are more terrifying for the future of the country. At this point, I have no doubt that Pittsburgh Steeler fans are the dumbest, vilest, most unintentionally funny emailers in the entire country.

That's why I've turned All That and a Bag of Mail into the most entertaining and terrifying collection of emails I've received. How crazy are Steeler fans? Some sought out my wife to send her hate email. You can't even make that up. (All of the following emails appear exactly as they were received except the curse words have been edited).

 

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Zdeno Chara, Alex Ovechkin Shine in NHL SuperSkills Competition

Filed under: NHL All Star Game

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Team Staal dominated Saturday's NHL SuperSkills, an event highlighted by Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara's fourth consecutive victory in the hardest shot competition with a record-setting volley of 105.9 mph and another win by Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin in the breakaway challenge.

Team Staal earned a 33-22 victory -- winning five of the six events -- over Team Lidstrom at RBC Center, a prelude to Sunday's NHL All-Star Game.

Chara defeated Nashville's Shea Weber, who had an impressive shot of his own that was clocked at 103.4 mph.

"It was tough," Chara said. "The guys were shooting really, really hard. They really pushed me."

Ovechkin, who broke a few sticks during the hardest shot challenge and tripped over a camera cord during the exhibition, said he was "surprised" the fans voted him the winner. He was chosen ahead of Montreal rookie defenseman P.K. Subban in the text message poll.

"Subban did a great job, but I would have voted for Corey Perry," Ovechkin said.

Fastest skater
Michael Grabner (Team Staal), New York Islanders, 14.238 seconds def. Taylor Hall (Team Lidstrom), Edmonton, 14.715.

Breakaway challenge (Fans voted via text message)
1. Alex Ovechkin (Team Staal), Washington , 38.5%
2. P.K. Subban (Team Staal), Washington, 21.3%
3. Loui Eriksson (Team Lidstrom), Dallas, 13.4%

Accuracy shooting
Daniel Sedin (Team Staal), Vancouver, def. Patrick Kane (Team Lidstrom), Chicago, in finals with time of 8.9 seconds.

Skills challenge relay
Team Lidstrom (2:09) def. Team Staal (2:18)

Hardest shot
1. Zdeno Chara (Team Staal), Boston, 105.9 mph
2. Shea Weber (Team Lidstrom), Nashville, 104.8

Elimination shoot out
Corey Perrry (Team Staal), Anaheim, 3-for-3

 

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Bill Haas, Phil Mickelson Lead; Collection of Talent Strokes Away at Torrey Pines

Filed under: PGA

SAN DIEGO -- Phil Mickelson and Bill Haas are 12 under par and share the lead going into Sunday's final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Anthony Kim and rookie Jhonattan Vegas are within three strokes as the sun-splashed week heads to the finish line.

What could possibly be wrong with a tournament like that?

Funny you should ask.

Sitting adjacent to Torrey Pines golf complex is the Scripps Clinic. When a visitor to the medical center arrived this week for a scheduled doctor's appointment, she was confounded by signage in the parking lot that announced "NO ACCESS FOR FARMERS."

Clinic officials are now aware of a coming petition demanding that in the future they accept the area's farm workers for treatment.

 

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DeAngelo Hall Paces NFC to 55-41 Pro Bowl Romp

Filed under: Pro Bowl

HONOLULU (AP) -- MVP DeAngelo Hall had one of his team's five interceptions and returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown to help the NFC match a Pro Bowl scoring record in a 55-41 victory over turnover-prone AFC in a game that was not nearly as interesting as the final would indicate.

AFC quarterbacks Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning and Matt Cassel each threw first-half interceptions to help the NFC blow open a 42-0 lead in a performance ugly even by the historically low standards of this game.

Fittingly for this strange contest, center Alex Mack of Cleveland scored the final touchdown on a 67-yard pass play that featured two laterals with 16 seconds left.

 

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Hannah Storm Signs New ESPN Contract

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Sports Business, Sports Media, Sports Business and Media

Hannah Storm, arguably the most visible woman at ESPN, has signed a contract extension that will bolster her visibility, the channel announced Wednesday.

Storm, who came to the Worldwide Leader from CBS News in 2008 to launch the late-morning "SportsCenter", has inked a deal, the length and financial terms of which were not disclosed.

However, ESPN was all too happy to announce that Storm, who began hosting NBA coverage, will also be on-site host for the channel's coverage of the Super Bowl, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, as well as the NBA Finals.

Storm will also make appearances on "The Sports Reporters", while continuing to host "SportsCenter" on Sunday mornings during the NFL season and the Tournament of Roses Parade and "ESPN Sports Saturday" on ABC. .

Storm, who previously worked at NBC Sports and at CNN, is the wife of NBC's Dan Hicks.

 

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Five Things to Watch for On National Signing Day

Filed under: Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, USC, Recruiting, Prospects

While the mail service may run and banks are still open, Wednesday for many around the country has been circled on the calendar for months as a virtual national holiday.

And inside athletic departments nationwide, Wednesday's National Signing Day is a 24-hour period that means almost as much to football coaches' futures as on-field success.

Every year, there are a few twists and turns that come with National Signing Day as a five-star recruit may suddenly switch teams and turn a "solid verbal commitment" to one team into a "signing day coup" for that team's rival. And while most programs enter Wednesday feeling like their recruiting classes are locked down for 2011, no one truly knows until ink meets paper and 18-year-old athletes back those commitments with signed national letters-of-intent.

As a prelude to Wednesday's full-on finale to recruiting season, here are FanHouse's Top Five Things to Expect On National Signing Day:

 

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Garrett Temple Terrific in Bucks Debut

Filed under: Bucks, NBA D-League, Erie BayHawks

It came as a bit of a surprise when Garrett Temple was called up to the Milwaukee Bucks from the NBA Development League's Erie BayHawks earlier this week considering the 6-foot-5 guard was averaging a rather quiet 13.4 points and shooting just 42 percent in the D-League this season.

In his Bucks debut on Wednesday night, however, he showed exactly why he was able to earn a 10-day contract with Milwaukee. In 18 minutes off the bench, Temple scored eight points, grabbed three rebounds and dished three assists while not turning the ball over and making two of his three attempts from beyond the arc. He also led the team with a +11 in the +/- category.

"He started picking up things instantly. We could tell right away, which was his reputation," head coach Scott Skiles told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the Bucks' 98-90 victory. "Plus there were some stoppages of play where we could get him organized a little bit and a couple guys were helping him as well. I'm sure he's excited. He had a big game."

Despite having only one practice with the team -- in which he played point guard -- he came through at the shooting guard position when he was called upon.

 

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Starry Night at MSG Fields Unlikely Hero

Filed under: Heat

NEW YORK -- For the past decade, Madison Square Garden and more specifically the NBA team that called it home -- the New York Knicks -- was the rotten core of Big Apple sports.

This season, things are different. Thanks to Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks' first All-Star starter since 1997, the apple is polished and shiny and red and juicy. On Thursday, everyone wanted to take a bite.

TNT, back for the first time at the Garden in five years, went all out. They brought "Inside the NBA" up from Atlanta and managed to sneak Marv Albert past the Dolans and into the building. They announced the All-Star starters and three of the five Eastern Conference starters happened to be in the building.

The glitterati such as "The Donald," "The King of All Media," Kanye West, Spike Lee, Woody Allen, Alicia Keys and Tracy Morgan and his very dirty mind more than likely would have shown up to see LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat even if the Knicks were playing willing patsies to marauding opponents as they had in the past.

The stars had come to see stars, and for a while, they got what they came for.

 

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Eagles Reportedly to Tag Michael Vick, Listen to Offers for Kevin Kolb

Filed under: Eagles

The Eagles' plan at quarterback is reportedly beginning to come into focus, as the team plans to apply the franchise tag to Michael Vick and entertain trade offers for Kevin Kolb, according to Adam Schefter.

If the Eagles tag Vick, he'd be under contract for 2011 at the average salary of the five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league under the current rules surrounding the franchise tag. It is unknown how a new collective bargaining agreement would impact the tag.

Kolb, on the other hand, would be perhaps the best quarterback available in the offseason, and could command a very good return from a needy team. If the Eagles choose to keep him, he'll be playing for a very palatable $1.4 million.

The Eagles faced a similar situation entering last season, with Kolb entering the season as a starter. But an injury in the season's first game forced Vick into action, and the story of his season is well-known. Vick never relinquished the starting job, electrifying the league on the way to his fourth career Pro Bowl in his second season removed from prison.

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Ex-Kansas Athletic Director Lew Perkins Agrees to Fine in Ethics Case

Filed under: Kansas

Topeka, Kan. (AP) -- Former University of Kansas Athletics Director Lew Perkins agreed Tuesday to pay a $4,000 fine to settle an ethics case over allegations that he improperly accepted a gift of exercise equipment while working for the university, but he did not acknowledge intentionally violating Kansas law.

The state Governmental Ethics Commission approved a consent decree signed by its general counsel and a Perkins attorney after a brief discussion about the amount of Perkins' fine. Some members wanted to impose the maximum of $5,000, but others noted that he'd cooperated with the commission's investigation and had himself alerted its staff to the gift and questions about its legality.

A complaint before the commission alleged that Perkins violated a state law barring state employees from accepting most gifts. He was considered a state employee because state funds paid part of his salary.

"I never acted with any intent to violate any laws or ethical rules," Perkins said in a statement issued through his attorneys. "It is time for closure and to move on, and I am glad to have this matter fully and finally resolved."

The commission agreed not to pursue the matter further. The fine is a civil penalty, but the commission could have taken the unusual step of forwarding the case to prosecutors to consider criminal charges.

"Both parties worked very hard to reach this consent decree," said commission Chairwoman Sabrina Standifer, a Wichita attorney. "It is to everyone's benefit. We didn't have to have a full-blown hearing, bring in witnesses, all of those expenses, so I think it's a good resolution."

Perkins stepped down in September, a year before he intended to retire, amid allegations that he improperly accepted perks, including the exercise equipment and free physical therapy sessions from employees of the university's sports medicine department, which is part of the athletics department.

Under Perkins' watch, several athletics department employees were implicated in an alleged scheme to steal tickets to sporting events and scalp them for profit. Perkins was not implicated in that scheme but he acknowledged poor oversight of the ticket operations.

Perkins did not attend the commission's meeting. Todd Thompson, the attorney representing him at the commission's meeting, declined to comment, but in the agreement, Perkins and the commission's staff said they wanted to avoid "potentially costly and protracted litigation."

"I regret that this matter may have detracted from the attention given to our athletes," Perkins said in his statement.

The athletics department declined to comment, and university spokesman Jack Martin would say only that, "We said at the beginning that the ethics commission was the proper venue, and they've done what they were going to do."

In the agreement, Perkins acknowledged that he accepted exercise equipment in 2005, at no cost, from Medical Outfitters, based in the Kansas City area. The equipment stayed in his home until 2009.

Last year, Perkins paid $5,000 as a rental fee on the equipment, something the commission took into account when deciding how much to fine him. The complaint did not mention Perkins' payment or other details about the gift.

Before Tuesday's commission meeting, its staff dropped one of two counts in the complaint against Perkins, dealing with the physical therapy sessions. But the evidence provided by some witnesses was not strong enough to prove the allegation, and the commission had trouble in obtaining the testimony of another, said general counsel Judy Moler.

The unrelated ticket scandal led to federal charges against six former athletics department employees and a former department consultant. Four of the former employees have pleaded guilty - two to conspiracy and the other two to knowing about but doing nothing to stop the scheme - and will be sentenced in March. A former employee and the consultant had change-of-plea hearings on a single conspiracy charge later this week, and a former associate athletics director is set to stand trial on a conspiracy charge in March.

 

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Jay Glazer Calls Play Late in NFC's Dominant Pro Bowl Victory

The AFC quarterbacks struggled mightily and the NFC defense was gracious enough to catch their passes. Four interceptions and one fumble in the first half helped the NFC post 42 unanswered points before halftime to rout the AFC squad 55-41.

Redskins' cornerback DeAngelo Hall was the game's MVP with six tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and fumble return for a touchdown. After about two years away from the game of football for serving prison time from dogfighting charges, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick made his return to Honolulu and led two touchdown drives in the first quarter.

And for fun, FOX Sports reporter Jay Glazer called a play with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter. Glazer barked out a "Double right 74 bolt-steam-go" into the headset of Saints' quarterback Drew Brees. Brees responded with," Are you kidding me." But Brees executed the play to Cowboys tight end Jason Witten for a 18-yard catch on second-and-9. Only in the Pro Bowl, but Glazer and FOX will get a kick out of it.

Out of the four major United States sports leagues, the NFL's version of the All-Star game -- despite coming from the more popular product among the NBA, MLB and NHL -- is the least exciting. There's no blitzing and there's less motion in the backfield to attempt to confuse the defense.

Nothing significant like a big-time dunk, a home run or a hard 20-foot slap shot, but it makes sense because football is solely a physical sport and what player wants to go all out in a meaningless game by knocking someone's head off.

However, there was the exception 2007 when late-great Redskins' safety Sean Taylor decapitated or -- better yet -- destroyed Bills' punter Brian Moorman after he faked a punt. Coming from about 30-yards back, Taylor delivered the shot heard and sensed around the world with just over four minutes left in the third quarter. Taylor's hit probably was the most exciting play in Pro Bowl history.

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More: Recap | Check Box Score

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Extra Points:

o. The Redskins' defense was well represented in the Pro Bowl as linebacker London Fletcher got the game's first turnover with an interception when the ball was tipped from the line of scrimmage on a pass attempt from Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers. And this to go along with Hall's fine day.

o. This year's Pro Bowl consisted of 43 players (21 offensive, 17 defensive and five specialist players) and among them, 20 were first-timers.

o. Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles made his first Pro Bowl debut and left his marking as he notched 63 yards on the ground on seven carries and scored the AFC's first touchdown, to stop the bleeding for the AFC on his first series late in the second quarter.

o. Browns' center Alex Mack received a pitch from Jaguars running back Montell Owens to score the game's last touchdown. Only in the Pro Bowl.

 

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Star-Studded Lineup For Rolex 24 at Daytona; Porsche Leads the Way

Filed under: Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson, Daytona Int'l Speedway, Other Racing Series, NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The reigning NASCAR and IZOD IndyCar Series champions highlight a star-studded field for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Grand-Am Series' season-opener at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

But it's one of sports car's more traditional names, Porsche, that both five-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson and two-time IndyCar champ Dario Franchitti will be chasing when the green flag drops at 3:30 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

German Jorg Bergmeister will start the No. 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche from the pole Saturday in the twice-around-the clock event that has again attracted a Who's Who list of auto racing greats.

Three Indy 500 winners, defending Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray (above left) and a potent mix of current and former NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One drivers are giving it a go against the best sports car drivers in the world on the 3.56-mile Daytona road course.

Johnson and McMurray are trying to join Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to win a Daytona 500 and Rolex 24 crown. Johnson will co-drive with former series champs Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty in the No. 99 GAINSCO Chevrolet and will start 10th in the marquee Daytona Prototype class. They were fastest in Friday's final practice.

McMurray is part of an two-car wonder lineup for three-time Rolex winner Chip Ganassi Racing. He'll co-drive the No. 02 BMW with three IndyCar Series champs, Scott Dixon, Franchitti and open-wheel-to-NASCAR convert Juan Pablo Montoya (above, center, chatting with Memo Rojas). They will start fifth among the 18 prototypes .

The other Ganassi car features defending Grand-Am Series champs Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas along with Ganassi's newest IndyCar driver Graham Rahal and sports car veteran Joey Hand. It will roll off third.

 

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Armchair Analyst: Dynamo automatic contenders in the East

Houston, we might have solved a problem.

After an offseason of fevered debate among hardcore fans all over the map, MLS announced on Friday that two-time MLS Cup champions Houston Dynamo will be switching to the Eastern Conference. The switch will make room for expansion teams Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference, and keep the numbers in each conference even at nine apiece.

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Blazers Armon Johnson Assigned to D-League's Idaho Stampede

Filed under: NBA D-League, Idaho Stampede

The Portland Trail Blazers have assigned rookie guard Armon Johnson to the NBA Development League's Idaho Stampede Friday, the team announced.

Johnson, a 6-foot-3 rookie point guard out of Nevada, has appeared in 28 games this season with the Trail Blazers and is averaging 3.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 8.1 minutes. Over his last seven appearances, he's scored just four points -- all of which came from a 2-for-7 shooting performance during a 95-77 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 28.

Though it's possible to make the case that this move should have been made as soon as he was replaced by Patty Mills as Portland's backup point guard, it seems as though Johnson didn't see the benefit in playing in the D-League.

"I think you learn just as much (not playing in the NBA compared with playing in the D-League) because, being the type of person I am, I like to pay attention to it, pay attention to the game any way I can -- how people walk, how people talk out there on the court, pregame rituals, little things," Johnson told the Reno Gazette-Journal earlier this week. "I feel (staying on the Blazers' bench) is really helping me. And I'm around my teammates."

 

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Tiger Woods' Return to Torrey Pines Could Be the Start of Something Big

Filed under: PGA

SAN DIEGO -- OK, now we're talking.

The PGA Tour has come to beautiful and challenging Torrey Pines this week for the Farmers Insurance Open and was considerate enough to bring a nice bottle of pay-attention.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose are all entered -- and with no NFL to block the sun.

Just like golf's good ol' days, Woods will be the attention getter -- at least starting out.

Woods has owned Torrey Pines in the past. He has six victories in 11 starts here in PGA Tour play, in addition to the 2008 U.S. Open. But Woods hasn't played at Torrey Pines since that major championship, missing the Farmers in 2009 because of knee surgery and skipping it last year while taking a break from personal issues that led to divorce.

The personal turmoil left the former world No. 1 player without a victory in 2010, the first winless season of his career.

 

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The New York Cosmos Hire Eric Cantona as Ambitious MLS Bid Takes Flight

Filed under: MLS, Chicago Fire, D.C. United, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Seattle Sounders FC, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Members of the New York Cosmos' office staff -- the only people currently employed by the soccer club without a team -- began arriving at their Manhattan headquarters at 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Selling a product that doesn't exist is mighty hard work.

By that time, the British media already was in a lather over the late-night announcement that the company/logo had hired former Manchester United forward, Nike pitchman, occasional actor and dime-store philosopher Eric Cantona as director of soccer.

 

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Report: A's, Mariners Discussing Chone Figgins Trade

Filed under: Athletics, Mariners, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove

The beginning of spring training is rapidly approaching, but the Oakland A's are apparently still working on building their 2011 roster. According to the Contra Costa Times, the A's have asked the Mariners about infielder Chone Figgins in a swap that would reportedly include A's starting third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and perhaps one of the A's young pitchers.

Figgins had one of the worst years of his career after signing a four-year, $64 million contract with the Mariners last offseason. He hit just .259/.340/.304 with the Mariners and struggled quite a bit defensively after Seattle made the curious decision to move him to second base so that their own second baseman, Jose Lopez, could play third.

Of course, Kouzmanoff wasn't much better. He had a bit more pop than Figgins (he hit 16 homers with a .396 SLG), but his OBP was also below .300. He does have a slick glove at third base, but then so did Figgins when he played there with the Angels in 2009. He's due $4.75 million after avoiding arbitration with the A's last week and while that seems like a lot for a player that produced like he did in 2010, well, it's still only about half of what Figgins is going to make.

Basically, the A's would be hoping that Figgins could get his career back on track after getting out of the hitter's black hole that is Safeco Field, and the Mariners wouldn't have to pay the rest of Figgins' enormous contract. Win/win situation, I guess?

 

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Zdeno Chara Record Breaking Shot (Video)

Filed under: Bruins, Predators, NHL All Star Game, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara is the biggest player in the NHL, and his 6-foot-9, 255-pound frame is capable of putting some jaw-dropping power behind a slap shot. He's owned the hardest shot competition at the All Star weekend, winning it three times entering Saturday night in Raleigh. He also owned the all time record for hardest shot, a mark he managed to beat on Saturday with a blistering 105.9 MPH blast. His previous best was 105.4 MPH which he set during the 2009 contest in Montreal.

Here's the video of his latest record-breaker...

 

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Nationwide Champ Brad Keselowski 'Will Live With' NASCAR's New Format

Filed under: Penske Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, NASCAR

TAMPA, Fla. -- Brad Keselowski arrived at Tampa's Busch Gardens theme park Wednesday to help promote the Feb. 20 Daytona 500 wearing a black jacket emblazoned with a NASCAR Nationwide series logo -- a proud nod to the series championship he won in 2010 but won't be defending in 2011.

In a posting on its official Twitter account earlier this week, NASCAR announced that drivers must declare themselves eligible for only one championship among its three national series, Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck series.

That means Keselowski, who drives the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing in the marquee Sprint Cup series, will race in multiple series but won't be able to simultaneously accumulate championship points in Cup and Nationwide as he did this season.

And while NASCAR isn't formally commenting on or confirming the format change yet -- President Mike Helton and Vice President for Competition Robin Pemberton will address it in a scheduled news conference next Friday in Daytona Beach -- Keselowski appeared resigned to his fate.

"There's a lot of different ways of looking at it,'' Keselowski said Tuesday. "Obviously NASCAR has an obligation of trying to do the best for the sport and everything and I respect and appreciate that.

"I still plan on competing even though I can't compete for the championship. I still plan on living up to the commitments that we've made for our sponsors and for our team. I've had the luxury of competing in both series last year and enjoyed it. We'll just kinda live with it and deal with it this year.''

 

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Bill Haas, Phil Mickelson Lead; Collection of Talent Strokes Away at Torrey Pines

Filed under: PGA

SAN DIEGO -- Phil Mickelson and Bill Haas are 12 under par and share the lead going into Sunday's final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Anthony Kim and rookie Jhonattan Vegas are within three strokes as the sun-splashed week heads to the finish line.

What could possibly be wrong with a tournament like that?

Funny you should ask.

Sitting adjacent to Torrey Pines golf complex is the Scripps Clinic. When a visitor to the medical center arrived this week for a scheduled doctor's appointment, she was confounded by signage in the parking lot that announced "NO ACCESS FOR FARMERS."

Clinic officials are now aware of a coming petition demanding that in the future they accept the area's farm workers for treatment.

 

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Dan Marino Not Yet Ready to Give Up on Chad Henne; Picks Packers in Super Bowl

Filed under: Dolphins, AFC East

MIAMI -- For all the rhetoric surrounding the Miami Dolphins' never-ending quest to find Dan Marino's legitimate successor, nothing can top hearing from the legendary Hall-of-Fame quarterback in person weighing in on the situation in South Florida.

Marino, looking fit and like he could still strap on a helmet and zip a few passes down the field, was back inside the home team's locker room at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday morning addressing the media before the first annual Dan Marino Foundation WalkAbout Autism. After talking about the event, expected to raise more than $500,000 to benefit numerous autism organizations, Marino gave his opinion on current Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne, who struggled in his third season.

"I think that obviously at that position it's tough, and if you're not putting up numbers and winning games as much as you like you're always going to have criticism," said Marino, whose 5,084 passing yards in 1984 still is an NFL single-season record. "I think the kid's worked hard. He's had to deal with a lot and I think he's going to grow from that and continue to grow. He has the potential to be a starter and win in this league and he's showed that already, so why not? Why can't he be really good?"

Ever since he retired following the 1999 seasons, Marino has seen 15 different quarterbacks start at least one game for his former team and only two (Jay Fiedler in 2001 and Chad Pennington in 2008) not miss a start during the regular season. Now the Pittsburgh native keeps busy on the set of NFL Today on CBS as one of the pregame show's regular hosts and is getting ready to watch his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, shoot for their seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy next Sunday.

Pittsburgh will take on the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium and Marino, while rooting for the Steelers with his heart, is picking the Packers to win the game. He expects it to be close.

"I'm from Pittsburgh so because of that I want to see the Steelers win, but Green Bay, just the way they're playing offensively, they're like the hot team right now, so I'm going to pick them but I want to see Pittsburgh win," Marino said. "For me when you look at Green Bay, they've played real well through the playoffs but they only scored 14 points against Chicago because they scored on defense, too.

 

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Andy Reid Should Take Keen Notice of Suddenly Available Jeff Fisher

Filed under: Eagles, NFC East

How lucky would the Eagles be if Jeff Fisher just landed in their laps?

Still without a defensive coordinator two weeks after firing Sean McDermott and having seen both top in-house candidate Dick Jauron and the only coach to interview for the position, Dennis Allen, both take coordinator jobs elsewhere, Philadelphia seemed to be waiting to hire a position coach from one of the two Super Bowl teams. Of those men, only Green Bay defensive line coach Mike Trgovac has ever been an NFL coordinator.

But now former Titans coach Fisher is available in the wake of his stunning ouster in Tennessee on Thursday more than 16 years after he was hired and three weeks after he won a power struggle with since-released/troubled quarterback Vince Young and was told he was would be back In the interim. Fisher's longtime defensive line coach Jim Washburn left for the Eagles and defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil was fired.

Not only does Fisher's firing make Philadelphia's Andy Reid -- hired in 1999 -- the league's senior coach, but now the 52-year-old is clearly the top former coordinator on the market. Ironically, Fisher's first job as a coordinator was with the Eagles under Buddy Ryan in 1990 when he was just 30. In his second season, Philadelphia led the NFL in interceptions and sacks. The next season, the Eagles led the league in rushing defense and was second in sacks.

After a 5-2 start in 2010, Tennessee finished 6-10. This after winning eight of its final 10 games following an 0-6 start in 2009. The Titans went 13-3 in 2008 but lost their playoff opener at home to Baltimore. So Fisher, whose Titans came within a yard of forcing overtime in Super Bowl XXXIV against St. Louis 11 years ago, departed having not won a playoff game during his final seven seasons.

Fisher, who was 142-120 with the Houston/Tennessee franchise, is 20th all-time in victories. His 16-plus seasons with the franchise were more than anyone has been a head coach except Hall of Famers George Halas, Tom Landry, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Curly Lambeau and Bud Grant.

 

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FanHouse TV: Have Milledgeville Residents Forgiven Ben Roethlisberger?

Filed under: Steelers, NFL Police Blotter, NFL Video, Super Bowl, FanHouse Exclusive, NFL Quarterbacks

Ten months ago the small Georgia town of Milledgeville suddenly became well known thanks to the Ben Roethlisberger scandal. So, how do the towns' residents feel about the Steelers QB playing in the Super Bowl and what's the buzz like around town now? FanHouse TV's A.J. Perez went there to find out.

 

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Herschel Walker Back in the NFL? Mike Flynt Is a Believer

Filed under: General CFB Insanity

Mike Flynt smiled when he heard Herschel Walker wants back into the National Football League. Walker, now 48 years old, says he's 100 percent certain he can help a team. As in right now. Preferably for his home state Atlanta Falcons.

Sure, this might be as different as apples and oranges, night and day, white and gray brain matter. Yet, Flynt, of course, knows about comebacks and physical fitness.

Flynt returned for his senior football season at Division III Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, in 2007 -- at the age of 59.

Flynt, an accomplished college strength and conditioning coach, stepped back in time to become the oldest player in college football history. Flynt played in five games and proved that age is only a number. He's in great health and spirits at age 63 in his hometown of Franklin, Tenn. He's been married for 38 years to Eileen with three children and three grandchildren.

Flynt's a big fan of Walker, too.

"Like everything else Herschel has accomplished athletically and taken on throughout his life, he has pretty much excelled at it," Flynt told FanHouse Tuesday.

 

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Former Kicker Goes Behind the Scenes for Auburn Football Documentary

Filed under: Auburn, BCS Championship Game

Ten years ago, when his career as a sportscaster was at a crossroads, Jess Atkinson got his hands on a copy of an MIT-published magazine, which led him to think cosmically about how he could carve out a future for himself.

A decade later, Atkinson's star is on the rise as a sports documentarian by going basic with the thought, "If you have a story to tell, why not tell it yourself?"

That philosophy has paid off handsomely for Atkinson's 3 Penny Films. He just wrapped two years embedded with the Auburn football team, which captured the BCS national title earlier this month.

Atkinson and his crew were contracted by the school to follow coach Gene Chizik and the Auburn team for weekly behind-the-scenes shows that would certainly raise the program's visibility.

 

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Aussie Tennis Gives McKendry Brief Respite From Studio

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Sports Business, Sports Media, Sports Business and Media

More than a few former ESPN types have traveled a great distance, in television parlance, to escape the constraints of the Worldwide Leader's studios, from Keith Olbermann's journey to news to Craig Kilborn's excursion to late night television and subsequent obscurity.

SportsCenter anchor Chris McKendry's jaunt to Melbourne to co-anchor the channel's Australian Open coverage represents the best of both worlds. She gets an all-expenses paid escape from Bristol for a couple of weeks as well as getting to keep her day job.

Not that anchoring the midday edition of everyone's favorite sports news show, as McKendry does from noon to 3 p.m. ET each weekday with John Buccigross, is a bad thing, mind you.

But getting out of the studio and experiencing the games firsthand every once in a while is a nice thing, too, not to mention escaping the cold and snow of the Northeast for the warmth of the early summer in Australia.

 

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Phil Kessel Last Man Standing at NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft

Filed under: Maple Leafs, NHL All Star Game

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Phil Kessel wasn't too dissimilar from any number of kids selected last in dodge ball.

The Toronto Maple Leafs forward, however, got something to go along with the fact he was singled out as the last pick at the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft.

He came away with a new Honda and $20,000 for his favorite charity.

"I'm not too worried about this," Kessel told reporters at the conclusion of the draft at the Raleigh Convention Center. "It's our break, right?"

For most NHL players it is, but there were some tense times for a handful of players as the draft wore on.

 

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Seahawks Sign Paul McQuistan, Caz Piurowski to Future Contracts

Filed under: Seahawks, NFC West

The Seahawks said Friday they've signed tackle Paul McQuistan and tight end Caz Piurowski to future 2011 contracts.

McQuistan, the Raiders' third-round pick in the 2006 draft, played in 35 games, including a dozen starts for the Raiders. He spent 2009 with Jacksonville and 2010 with Cleveland.

Piurowski hasn't played in the NFL. He missed his final season at Florida State because of a 2009 knee injury that required ACL surgery, but Seattle was sold enough on him to offer a three-year contract.

 

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Mid-Day Ticker: Liverpool lands Suarez, Pazzini joins Inter and more

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O.J. Mayo Suspended 10 Games for Testing Positive for DHEA

Filed under: Grizzlies, NBA Rumors, NBA Transactions

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The NBA has suspended guard O.J. Mayo 10 games without pay for violating the league and union's anti-drug program with a positive test.

The league announced the suspension Thursday for Mayo's positive test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Mayo's suspension will start Friday night when the Grizzlies visit Philadelphia, and he will be able to return Feb. 15 also against the 76ers in Memphis.

Mayo said in a statement released by the team that he is extremely disappointed he will miss 10 games as the Grizzlies are making a push for the playoffs. He blamed an over the counter supplement that he didn't know was banned by the NBA for the positive test.

"It was an honest mistake, but I take full responsibility for my actions," Mayo said in the statement released by the team. "I apologize to my fans, teammates and the Grizzlies organization for regrettably not doing the necessary research about what supplements I can put in my body."

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NASCAR President Mike Helton Confirms Points System Change Imminent

Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR President Mike Helton, Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton and Sprint Cup Series director John Darby held a competition update news conference Friday at Daytona International Speedway, confirming that the sanctioning body is looking at a "simpler" points system that would be introduced in all three national series for the 2011 season.

Speaking to reporters during downtime from a three-day preseason test session at the Daytona Beach track, the trio spoke on a wide range of issues. First, Helton made the news official that drivers must now select only one of the three national series to earn points toward a championship. He also indicated NASCAR was considering changes to the 1, 3 and 7:30 p.m. race start times introduced this past year.

Pemberton said that the proposed fuel injection systems would not be used this season but are progressing well in tests and Darby explained that the introduction of ethanol to fuel this year was actually an easier transition than when NASCAR switched from leaded to unleaded fuel in 2008.

The hot topic, unquestionably, was a change to the points system -- which would be the first since NASCAR formed in 1958 -- even if none of the officials would confirm what the new format might look like.

"We're in the middle of the conversations, telling the competitors where our mind is,'' Helton said. "The goal for some time is to create a points system that is easy to understand, easy to explain, easy to talk about but also be credible at the end of the season. So it's a function of taking the current one that has established credibility and come up with one that you can sit and have a conversation with someone and they say, 'well, that's pretty simple.' ''

"We're close. And we're getting a lot of good feedback from the drivers about tweaks that would go into that.''

 

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Central Florida Thinks South Florida Is Trying to Block Its Path to Big East

Filed under: South Florida, UCF, Big East

Is University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft attempting to keep Central Florida out of the Big East?

UCF thinks so.

A UCF spokesperson told The Orlando Sentinel that appears to be the case. However, a USF spokesperson told FanHouse Wednesday Genshaft will "vote for the best interests of the Big East, not any university."

With the Big East announcing last year its plans to expand, UCF has been rumored, speculated and reported as one of the league's top expansion candidates. TCU recently accepted an offer to join the Big East beginning in 2012 and Villanova, already a league member in all sports but football, will decide by April if it will accept an invitation to move its football program from FCS to the Big East.

USF ended its four-game football series with UCF in 2008 in part because the Bulls, including athletic director Doug Woolard and former football coach Jim Leavitt, felt they ultimately had nothing to gain playing the Knights, who are located 90 miles from Tampa.

UCF spokesperson Grant Heston said he believes USF is trying to keep UCF, members of Conference USA, from joining the Big East.

 

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X Years After, Memories of the XFL

by David Whitley

Filed under: Sports Business, Pro Wrestling, Sports Business and Media

If you haven't already done so, get a calendar and circle Feb. 3. It's the 10th anniversary of a sports breakthrough that should not pass unnoticed.

The XFL sprang to life Feb. 3, 2001, with its first game. I know, most of you think that's like commemorating the birth of New Coke or "Rosemary's Baby" -- assuming Rosemary had a girl and dressed her in a G-string.

Sure, the brainchild of rasslin' king Vince McMahon had its flaws. But history shows it deserves some due. For one not-so-glorious spring, the XFL gave us a partial glimpse where football was heading.

It was eavesdropping on locker rooms long before "Hard Knocks." He Hate Me would have been a Twitter god. The league was heavy on sex, violence and personality. You know, all the things NFL fans love.

If only the football and its image hadn't stunk, the XFL might have had a chance.

"The quality of play wasn't the best by any stretch of the imagination, but that shouldn't have been a surprise to any football people out there or any writers," Jim Ross said. "It was like every team was an expansion team."

Ross was the TV voice of the XFL. He came over from the WWE Empire to lend some wrestling zest.

McMahon and NBC figured football and pro wrestling would make a nice mix. It turned too cheesy for football fans. There wasn't enough schmaltz for the Jesse Ventura crowd. If it had been a loser-leave-town match, the XFL would have been banished to Pluto.

"I think people expected somebody to jump out of the stands, get out on the field, grab the football and score a touchdown," LA Extreme punter Noel Prefontaine said this week. "They expected something pretty crazy."

 

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