Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts

UPDATE 1-NBA-Jazz stifle Heat as Miami's road woes continue

(adds quotes)
* Miami lead in East down to half a game
* LeBron 18 away from 20,000 career points
Jan 14 (Reuters) - The Miami Heat were unable to complete a furious second half fightback as the defending NBA champions continued to struggle on the road, falling to a 104-97 loss to the Jazz in Utah on Monday.
LeBron James scored 32 points to help the Heat cut a 21-point deficit to just two when they pulled within 93-91 in the final few minutes, but the Jazz held firm to consign Miami to a third loss in four contests on their six-game road trip.
"The game was too close to be nervous," Utah big man Al Jefferson told reporters.
"I knew they would make their run, they are too good."
Gordon Hayward scored seven of his 22 points in the final three minutes, Al Jefferson added 23 and 11 rebounds as Utah (21-19) made sure their early hard work would result in a victory.
After being buried by the home team's assault through the first three quarters, Miami (24-12) embarked on a 21-5 spurt in the fourth to get back into the game.
Hayward responded with a pair of jump shots down the stretch and the Jazz made free throws as the Heat misfired.
"We can't dig ourselves a hole," said James, who moved to within 18 of becoming the youngest NBA player to reach 20,000 career points.
"Low energy against a team like this in their building in front of their amazing crowd - we can't play with low energy."
Chris Bosh added 16 and Dwyane Wade scored 11 for Miami, who were also out-rebounded by a comfortable 40-23 margin.
Wade did not play in the fourth quarter with coach Erik Spoelstra opting for an unconventional lineup.
"I don't know. I just always stay ready," Wade said.
Read More..

Jazz stifle Heat as Miami's road woes continue

(Reuters) - The Miami Heat were unable to complete a furious second half fightback as the defending NBA champions continued to struggle on the road, falling to a 104-97 loss to the Jazz in Utah on Monday.
LeBron James scored 32 points to help the Heat cut a 21-point deficit to just two when they pulled within 93-91 in the final few minutes, but the Jazz held firm to consign Miami to a third loss in four contests on their six-game road trip.
"The game was too close to be nervous," Utah big man Al Jefferson told reporters.
"I knew they would make their run, they are too good."
Gordon Hayward scored seven of his 22 points in the final three minutes, Al Jefferson added 23 and 11 rebounds as Utah (21-19) made sure their early hard work would result in a victory.
After being buried by the home team's assault through the first three quarters, Miami (24-12) embarked on a 21-5 spurt in the fourth to get back into the game.
Hayward responded with a pair of jump shots down the stretch and the Jazz made free throws as the Heat misfired.
"We can't dig ourselves a hole," said James, who moved to within 18 of becoming the youngest NBA player to reach 20,000 career points.
"Low energy against a team like this in their building in front of their amazing crowd - we can't play with low energy."
Chris Bosh added 16 and Dwyane Wade scored 11 for Miami, who were also out-rebounded by a comfortable 40-23 margin.
Wade did not play in the fourth quarter with coach Erik Spoelstra opting for an unconventional lineup.
"I don't know. I just always stay ready," Wade said.
The loss meant Miami's Eastern Conference lead was trimmed to just half a game ahead of their trip to Golden State on Wednesday.
Read More..

Yankees sign relief ace Rivera for another season

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major League Baseball's all time saves leader Mariano Rivera has signed a one-year contract to return for his 18th season with the New York Yankees, the team said on Friday.
The Panama native tore ligaments in his left knee in May while catching fly balls in the outfield before a game and pitched in only nine games in 2012.
"I didn't want to go out like that," the 43-year-old Rivera said. "I didn't want that to be the last image."
No details were announced, but local media reports said Rivera had signed for $10 million plus incentives.
"It wasn't an easy decision because there's more than just baseball with me. I have to consider my family and the church, too," said Rivera.
"But I feel like we have a great group of guys and a team that can compete for a championship. I'm not just coming back to play. I'm coming back to win."
The right-hander, who has long baffled hitters with the deceptive, late movement on his cut fastball that bears in on left-handed batters, has 608 career saves and won five World Series titles with the Yankees dating back to the 1996 season.
A 12-time American League All-Star, Rivera's 42 postseason saves is the major league record.
His 18 seasons with the club tie him with Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and team mate Derek Jeter for the longest tenure at the storied franchise.
Read More..

Bonds, Clemens rejected; no one elected to BB Hall

NEW YORK (AP) — Steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa were denied entry to baseball's Hall of Fame, with voters failing to elect any candidates for only the second time in four decades.
In a vote that keeps the game's career home run leader and one of its greatest pitchers out of Cooperstown — at least for now — Bonds received just 36.2 percent of the vote and Clemens 37.6 in totals announced Wednesday by the Hall and the Baseball Writers' Association of America, both well short of the 75 percent necessary. Sosa, eighth on the career home run list, got 12.5 percent.
"Curt Schilling made a good point, everyone was guilty. Either you used PEDs, or you did nothing to stop their use," Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt said in an email to The Associated Press. "This generation got rich. Seems there was a price to pay."
Bonds, Clemens and Sosa were eligible for the first time and have up to 14 more years on the writers' ballot to gain baseball's highest honor.
"After what has been written and said over the last few years I'm not overly surprised," Clemens said in a statement he posted on Twitter.
Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits, topped the 37 candidates with 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots, 39 shy of election. Among other first-year eligibles, Mike Piazza received 57.8 percent and Schilling 38.8.
Jack Morris led holdovers with 67.7 percent. He will make his final ballot appearance next year, when fellow pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine along with slugger Frank Thomas are eligible for the first time.
Two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy received 18.6 percent in his 15th and final appearance.
"With 53 percent you can get to the White House, but you can't get to Cooperstown," BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O'Connell said. "It's the 75 percent that makes it difficult."
It was the eighth time the BBWAA failed to elect any players. There were four fewer votes than last year and five members submitted blank ballots.
"It's a tough period for evaluation, that's what this chalks up to," Hall President Jeff Idelson said. "Honestly, I think that any group you put this to would have the same issues. ... There's always going to be discussion and concern about players who didn't get in, but at the end of the day it's a process and again, a snapshot in time isn't one year, it's 15 with this exercise."
Bonds, baseball's only seven-time Most Valuable Player, hit 762 home runs, including a record 73 in 2001.
"It is unimaginable that the best player to ever play the game would not be a unanimous first-ballot selection," said Jeff Borris of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, Bonds' longtime agent.
Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young Award winner, is third in career strikeouts and ninth in wins.
"To those who did take the time to look at the facts," Clemens said, "we very much appreciate it."
Since 1961, the only years the writers didn't elect a candidate were when Yogi Berra topped the 1971 vote by appearing on 67 percent of the ballots cast and when Phil Niekro headed the 1996 ballot at 68 percent. Both were chosen the following years when they achieved the 75 percent necessary for election.
The other BBWAA elections without a winner were in 1945, 1946, 1950, 1958 and 1960.
"Next year, I think you'll have a rather large class and this year, for whatever reasons, you had a couple of guys come really close," Commissioner Bud Selig said at the owners' meetings in Paradise Valley, Ariz. "This is not to be voted to make sure that somebody gets in every year. It's to be voted on to make sure that they're deserving. I respect the writers as well as the Hall itself. This idea that this somehow diminishes the Hall of baseball is just ridiculous in my opinion."
Players' union head Michael Weiner called the vote "unfortunate, if not sad."
"To ignore the historic accomplishments of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, for example, is hard to justify. Moreover, to penalize players exonerated in legal proceedings — and others never even implicated — is simply unfair. The Hall of Fame is supposed to be for the best players to have ever played the game. Several such players were denied access to the Hall today. Hopefully this will be rectified by future voting."
Three inductees were chosen last month by the 16-member panel considering individuals from the era before integration in 1947: Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, umpire Hank O'Day and barehanded catcher Deacon White. They will be enshrined during a ceremony in Cooperstown on July 28, when the Hall also will honor Lou Gehrig and Rogers Hornsby among a dozen players who never received formal inductions because of restrictions during World War II.
Bonds has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs and was convicted of one count of obstruction of justice for giving an evasive answer in 2003 to a grand jury investigating PEDs. Clemens was acquitted of perjury charges stemming from congressional testimony during which he denied using PEDs.
Sosa, who finished with 609 home runs, was among those who tested positive in MLB's 2003 anonymous survey, The New York Times reported in 2009. He told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
The BBWAA election rules say "voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."
An Associated Press survey of 112 eligible voters conducted in late November after the ballot was announced indicated Bonds, Clemens and Sosa would fall well short of 50 percent. The big three drew even less support than that as the debate raged over who was Hall worthy.
Voters are writers who have been members of the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years at any point.
BBWAA president Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle said she didn't vote for Bonds, Clemens or Sosa.
"The evidence for steroid use is too strong," she said.
As for Biggio, "I'm surprised he didn't get in."
MLB.com's Hal Bodley, the former baseball columnist for USA Today, said Biggio and others paid the price for other players using PEDs.
"They got caught in the undertow of the steroids thing," he said.
Bodley said this BBWAA vote was a "loud and clear" message on the steroids issue. He said he couldn't envision himself voting for stars linked to drugs.
"We've a forgiving society, I know that," he said. "But I have too great a passion for the sport."
Mark McGwire, 10th on the career home run list, received 16.9 percent on his seventh try, down from 19.5 last year. He received 23.7 percent in 2010 — a vote before he admitted using steroids and human growth hormone.
Rafael Palmeiro, among just four players with 500 homers and 3,000 hits along with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray, received 8.8 percent in his third try, down from 12.6 percent last year. Palmeiro received a 10-day suspension in 2005 for a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, claiming it was due to a vitamin vial given to him by teammate Miguel Tejada.
While there are exhibits about the Steroids Era at the Hall, the plaque room will remain without Bonds and Clemens, who join career hits leader Pete Rose on the outside looking in. There were four write-in votes for Rose, who never appeared on the ballot because of his lifetime ban that followed an investigation of his gambling while manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
Morris increased slightly from his 66.7 percent last year, when Barry Larkin was elected. Morris could become the player with the highest-percentage of the vote who is not in the Hall, a mark currently held by Gil Hodges at 63 percent in 1983.
Several players who fell just short in the BBWAA balloting later were elected by either the Veterans Committee or Old-Timers' Committee: Nellie Fox (74.7 percent on the 1985 BBWAA ballot), Jim Bunning (74.2 percent in 1988), Orlando Cepeda (73.6 percent in 1994) and Frank Chance (72.5 percent in 1945).
The ace of three World Series winners, Morris had 254 victories and was the winningest pitcher of the 1980s. His 3.90 ERA, however, is higher than that of any Hall of Famer.
Read More..

UPDATE 2-Baseball-Bonds, Clemens denied; no players make Hall

* Bonds received 36.2 percent of the vote, Clemens 37.6
* First year since 1996 that no players elected to Hall
* Former Astro Biggio comes closest, falls 39 votes shy (Adds quotes and details)
Jan 9 (Reuters) - No one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, with all-time home run leader Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens snubbed over suspicion they used performance enhancing drugs.
Craig Biggio, who stroked 3,060 hits in a 20-year career with the Houston Astros, came closest to winning election, named on 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots to fall 39 votes shy of the 427 needed for election to the Cooperstown, New York, shrine.
Three more votes back was pitcher Jack Morris, who received 385 votes, followed by Jeff Bagwell at 339.
Bonds was named on 36.2 percent of the ballots, and Clemens 37.6, well short of the 75 percent needed for enshrinement in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
It marked the first year since 1996 that no player was elected into the Hall of Fame, in what was seen as a referendum on players that compiled outsized statistics during the so-called Steroids Era.
"I was a little shocked," Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins told MLB TV. "I thought probably Jack Morris or Craig Biggio would probably get the opportunity to be a Hall of Famer because they had such outstanding careers.
"But with the high profile situation of having too many other players under the microscope, the suspicion of taking performance enhancing drugs, I think it took away from their opportunity for getting votes."
Clemens and Bonds, appearing on the ballot for the first time after waiting five years following their retirement, would have been certain first-ballot winners but faced a backlash over links to what Major League Baseball's internal Mitchell Report of 2007 called widespread doping in the game.
Bonds has admitted to "unknowingly" using steroids, and been convicted of obstruction of justice in a federal case on PEDs. The longtime former trainer of Clemens has said the pitcher used steroids, though Clemens was found not guilty in a court case.
Hall of Fame voters pledge not only to look at a candidate's playing ability and performance but also to take into account "integrity, sportsmanship and character".
Mike Piazza, the all-time home run leader among catchers, was named on 329 ballots, 32 more than Tim Raines.
Former closer Lee Smith (272) and starting pitcher Curt Schilling (221) also finished above Clemens and Bonds in the voting, who stood eighth and ninth, respectively.
"It certainly is a start-studded ballot with a number of guys who set remarkable records," Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson said before announcing the results.
"Then you put in what voters have gone through and the consternation they've had in trying to decide who to pick and it's made it one of the most talked about classes in history."
They will all return to the ballot next year, which will also feature strong first-time candidates in pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas.
Players can remain on the ballot for as long as 15 years, and six players from the 1996 vote eventually did win election into the Hall of Fame.
"Major League Baseball recognizes that election to the Hall of Fame is our game's most extraordinary individual honor," the commissioner's office said in a statement.
"While this year did not produce an electee, there are many worthy candidates who will merit consideration in the future."
There will still be an induction ceremony in Cooperstown on July 28.
Read More..

Bonds, Clemens denied; no players make Hall

(Reuters) - No one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, with all-time home run leader Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens snubbed over suspicion they used performance enhancing drugs.
Craig Biggio, who stroked 3,060 hits in a 20-year career with the Houston Astros, came closest to winning election, named on 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots to fall 39 votes shy of the 427 needed for election to the Cooperstown, New York, shrine.
Three more votes back was pitcher Jack Morris, who received 385 votes, followed by Jeff Bagwell at 339.
Bonds was named on 36.2 percent of the ballots, and Clemens 37.6, well short of the 75 percent needed for enshrinement in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
It marked the first year since 1996 that no player was elected into the Hall of Fame, in what was seen as a referendum on players that compiled outsized statistics during the so-called Steroids Era.
"I was a little shocked," Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins told MLB TV. "I thought probably Jack Morris or Craig Biggio would probably get the opportunity to be a Hall of Famer because they had such outstanding careers.
"But with the high profile situation of having too many other players under the microscope, the suspicion of taking performance enhancing drugs, I think it took away from their opportunity for getting votes."
Clemens and Bonds, appearing on the ballot for the first time after waiting five years following their retirement, would have been certain first-ballot winners but faced a backlash over links to what Major League Baseball's internal Mitchell Report of 2007 called widespread doping in the game.
Bonds has admitted to "unknowingly" using steroids, and been convicted of obstruction of justice in a federal case on PEDs. The longtime former trainer of Clemens has said the pitcher used steroids, though Clemens was found not guilty in a court case.
Hall of Fame voters pledge not only to look at a candidate's playing ability and performance but also to take into account "integrity, sportsmanship and character".
Mike Piazza, the all-time home run leader among catchers, was named on 329 ballots, 32 more than Tim Raines.
Former closer Lee Smith (272) and starting pitcher Curt Schilling (221) also finished above Clemens and Bonds in the voting, who stood eighth and ninth, respectively.
"It certainly is a start-studded ballot with a number of guys who set remarkable records," Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson said before announcing the results.
"Then you put in what voters have gone through and the consternation they've had in trying to decide who to pick and it's made it one of the most talked about classes in history."
They will all return to the ballot next year, which will also feature strong first-time candidates in pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas.
Players can remain on the ballot for as long as 15 years, and six players from the 1996 vote eventually did win election into the Hall of Fame.
"Major League Baseball recognizes that election to the Hall of Fame is our game's most extraordinary individual honor," the commissioner's office said in a statement.
"While this year did not produce an electee, there are many worthy candidates who will merit consideration in the future."
There will still be an induction ceremony in Cooperstown on July 28.
Former New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, who bought Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox, turn-of-the-20th-century umpire Hank O'Day and 19th-century catcher Deacon White, all deceased, were elected to the Hall last month by the Pre-Integration Committee and will be honored at the ceremony.
Read More..

Saban quickly turns to challenges of 2013 season

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It's becoming a familiar January scene for Nick Saban.
The Alabama coach plastered a smile on his face for a series of posed photos next to the various trophies awarded to college football's national champions and then proceeded to talk about the challenges facing his team.
Maybe Saban let the Gatorade dry from the celebratory drenching before thinking about the 2013 season. Maybe.
"The team next year is 0-0," Saban, who is on a 61-7 run over the past five seasons, said Tuesday morning. "Even though I really appreciate what this team accomplished and am very, very proud of what they accomplished, we need to prepare for the challenges of the new season very quickly with the team we have coming back. "
It didn't take Saban long to refocus after Monday night's 42-14 demolition of Notre Dame that secured a second straight BCS title, the Crimson Tide's third in four seasons and the seventh straight for Southeastern Conference teams.
Shortly after the game, he was already talking about getting back to the office by Wednesday morning.
Alabama players, meanwhile, finally were able to voice the "D-word." Center Barrett Jones said he had a Sports Illustrated cover from a couple of years ago after his last college game.
"It says, 'Dynasty. Can anybody stop Alabama?' I'll never forget looking at that thing and wondering if we really could be a dynasty," said Jones, who mainly put it on the wall because he's featured. "I think three out of four, I'm no dynasty expert, but that seems like a dynasty to me. I guess I can say that now that I'm gone. Don't tell coach I said that."
The 2013 team will almost certainly be regarded among the preseason favorites to get back to the summit, even though three Tide stars — tailback Eddie Lacy, cornerback Dee Milliner and right tackle D.J. Fluker — could decide to skip their senior seasons and turn pro.
Saban also emphatically tried to end speculation that he might return to the NFL, where he spent two years with the Miami Dolphins before returning to the SEC.
It was a question that really made him bristle during the 30-plus minute news conference.
"How many times do you think I've been asked to put it to rest?" Saban said. "And I've put it to rest, and you continue to ask it. So I'm going to say it today, that — you know, I think somewhere along the line you've got to choose. You learn a lot from the experiences of what you've done in the past. I came to the Miami Dolphins, what, eight years ago for the best owner, the best person that I've ever had the opportunity to work for. And in the two years that I was here, I had a very, very difficult time thinking that I could impact the organization in the way that I wanted to or the way that I was able to in college, and it was very difficult for me."
He said that experience taught him that the college ranks "is where I belong, and I'm really happy and at peace with all that."
As for the players, All-America linebacker C.J. Mosley has already said he'll return. So has quarterback AJ McCarron, who had his second straight star turn in a BCS title game.
"We certainly have to build the team around him," Saban said, adding that a late-game spat with Jones showed the quarterback's competitive fire. "I've talked a lot about it's difficult to play quarterback when you don't have good players around you. I think we should have, God willing and everybody staying healthy, a pretty good receiver corps. We'll have to do some rebuilding in the offensive line. Regardless of what Eddie decides to do, we'll probably still have some pretty decent runners. But I think AJ can be a really good player, maybe the best quarterback in the country next year."
The biggest question mark is replacing three, maybe four, starters on an offensive line that paved the way.
Amari Cooper, who broke several of Julio Jones' Alabama freshman receiving marks, and fellow freshman running back T.J. Yeldon give McCarron and the Tide a couple of potent weapons, even if Lacy doesn't return.
"I am going to try to win three or four," said Cooper, who had 105 yards and two touchdowns in the title game. "This season was good, but I expected it to be even more. There is so much more that I can do."
Saban emphasized the difficulty of repeating and said he showed the players a video of NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan saying that the first title isn't the hardest — it's the ones after that.
That's because, Saban said, "you have to have the will to fight against yourself."
Now, the 'Bama coach has four titles, including one during his stop at LSU. Saban doesn't wear the championship rings but uses them for a different purpose.
"I just put them on the coffee table for the recruits to look at," he said, cracking up the room.
Saban has already lined up another highly rated recruiting class and has the next wave of young talents waiting in the wings.
After all, he talked about the sign mentor Bill Belichick hung in the football building during their NFL days together: "Do your job."
Saban jokingly acknowledged that while he prepares for everything, the one thing he has never been able to anticipate is the Gatorade bath. He drew heat for a scowl after the first one, following the title game win over Texas when he got dinged in the head. Monday night's dousing went better.
"It's cold, it's sticky, but I appreciated not getting hit in the head with the bucket," Saban said. "That was an improvement."
No program has had this kind of championship run since Tom Osborne's Nebraska teams won it all in 1994, 1995 and 1997.
Saban remembers that second team well. The Cornuskers stomped Michigan State 50-10 in Saban's first game as head coach.
"I'm thinking, we're never going to win a game," Saban said. "We'll never win a game here at Michigan State. I must have taken a bad job, wrong job, no players, something. I remember Coach Osborne when we shook hands after the game, he put his arm around me and whispered in my ear, 'You're not really as bad as you think.'"
So take heart, college football.
Read More..

AP Source: Browns interviewing CFL's Trestman

 A person familiar with the interview says the Browns are meeting with Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman.
Trestman interviewed with the Chicago Bears on Monday night and arrived at the Browns' facility in suburban Berea on Tuesday, said the person who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the search. Trestman is the fifth known candidate to interview with the Browns, who fired Pat Shurmur last week after two seasons.
Trestman was Cleveland's offensive coordinator in 1989. He has extensive background as an NFL assistant and has spent five seasons with Montreal, leading the Alouettes to two Grey Cup titles. The 56-year-old is under contract through 2016, but the club will allow him to leave for an NFL job if he's offered.
The Browns are not commenting on any of their interviews or candidates.
If the team was even thinking about contacting Nick Saban about their vacancy, Alabama's coach made it clear the NFL is in his past — not his future.
With their search in its second week, the Browns may have considered calling Saban, who coached the Miami Dolphins for two years before taking over the Crimson Tide's program. Fresh off winning his third national title in four years, the 61-year-old Saban reiterated that he's content at Alabama and outlined several reasons why he prefers to coach in college.
He said coaching in the NFL taught him that college "is where I belong, and I'm really happy and at peace with all that."
Saban worked as an assistant in Cleveland under Bill Belichick, and there has long been speculation he might one day return to the Browns.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner have interviewed several coaching candidates and are expected to meet with more this week.
The Browns are expected to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who was released from a Baltimore hospital on Monday after he became ill before the Colts' 24-9 playoff loss to the Ravens.
Read More..

Kapalua now in a different golf landscape

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Paradise can leave a lasting impression.
Steve Stricker was just starting to pull himself out of a deep slump in 2006 when he was reminded by his daughter, Bobbi Maria, how long it had been since he last won on the PGA Tour. She was 8 at the time and won a tournament for juniors at their home club in Wisconsin, no more than three or six holes.
"She comes home all excited and says, 'Daddy, I won, I won! We're going to Hawaii,'" Stricker once recalled.
He had to break the news to her.
Stricker was the one who had to win a tournament for them to go to Kapalua to start a new season, and he did that the following year.
As traditions go in golf, starting the year on the rugged coast of Maui is relatively new. The Tournament of Champions began in Las Vegas in 1953, moved to La Costa Resort north of San Diego in 1969 and stayed there 30 years until coming to Kapalua.
This was the 15th year the tour has started at Kapalua, and there has never been another year like this one. A tournament that was supposed to end on Monday didn't start until Monday because of three days of powerful wind — one gust measuring 48 mph — that had the locals drawing comparisons with a 100-year storm.
About the only good that came out of such freak weather was that it took attention away, however briefly, from the PGA Tour winners who stayed home and missed out on the endless days — the top four players in the world ranking, for starters, led by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
It's not a new problem, but it's still a problem. And it contributes to a future as cloudy as Molokai at sunrise.
Kapalua has a contract only through this year to host the tournament.
Hyundai's three-year deal as the title sponsor of the Tournament of Champions expires this year, even though corporate officials sounded optimistic about renewing and there are strong signs it will happen.
It doesn't help that Mother Nature was in a bad mood this week. Few things in golf cause a knee-jerk reaction like bad weather.
There were suggestions to move the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am to the end of the West Coast Swing after the tournament was canceled by rain in 1996, completed nearly seven months after it started in 1998 because of rain, and shortened to 54 holes a year later because of — you guessed it — rain.
Since then, Pebble has had more than its share of glorious weather.
The rain was so bad in California in 2005 that the Nissan Open at Riviera went five days to get in 36 holes. The next week, the Match Play Championship at La Costa was postponed one day because the entire course looked like a water hazard. Woods wondered if it might not be better for the PGA Tour to spend February in Florida and March in California. It sounded like a reasonable idea until a Champions Tour in Florida was shortened to 36 holes because of rain.
Wiser heads will realize that golf is an outdoor sport. It's not a disgrace when weather causes problems. It's a miracle it doesn't happen more often.
The issues on Maui go beyond weather.
The PGA Tour is going to a wraparound season in the fall, meaning the real season-opener will be in October at the Frys.com Open. There already will be six tournaments in the books before the Tournament of Champions next January.
Is that a problem? Not when you consider that for 33 years, the Tournament of Champions was held after the Masters.
"We are not terribly concerned about it," said Steve Shannon, vice president of marketing for Hyundai. "I think there is that aspect of it's the start of the year, so even if it's literally not the first PGA Tour event, there's something about the start of the year, and there's something about this location."
Still to be determined is what he meant by location — Kapalua specific or Hawaii in general?
Kapalua tends to get the brunt of the bad weather. There can be what the locals call "pineapple showers" along this portion of the coast, while only 20 miles away there is abundant sunshine and less wind. Still, the Plantation Course is the only course in Hawaii that Golf Digest ranks among the greatest 100 courses in America (No. 97). It's unlike any course the PGA Tour plays all year with dramatic changes in elevation and stunning views of the Pacific, such as humpback whales breaching and surfers at Honolua Bay.
The bigger concern is getting more players to come, though that's been an issue for years now.
Woods hasn't been back since 2005, when he started taking uninterrupted breaks in the winter. Phil Mickelson stopped coming a decade ago, suggesting the wind and slope allowed bad habits to creep into his swing. Adding to the list of absentees is Europe producing some of the best players. The European Tour season stretches deep in November, and some players simply want a long break going into the new season.
The 30-man field this year was hardly a disaster, and the leaderboard going into the final round featured a top five of Dustin Johnson, Stricker, Masters champion Bubba Watson, FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker and former PGA champion Keegan Bradley. A lot of tournaments would love to have a leaderboard like that.
Years ago, an idea was tossed around to expand the field by offering a two-year exemption to the Tournament of Champions and include all past champions of the event, with the idea of getting Els and Sergio Garcia to the event because they didn't win the year before. Sure, having them at Kapalua would have helped. But the biggest mistake golf can make is to change rules around any one player, even a player like Tiger Woods.
Besides, Els and Garcia both won on the PGA Tour last year and were eligible to start the year in Kapalua. Neither of them showed up.
Read More..

Colts recovering coach returns to team facility

 Chuck Pagano was back at work Monday morning.
Three months after taking an indefinite leave to battle leukemia, the Colts' coach was scheduled to meet with players, coaches and reporters as he retook the reins from interim coach Bruce Arians.
When Pagano arrived at the team headquarters, he drove past an inflatable Colts player to the side of the driveway with a simple message across the chest "Welcome Back Chuck." The sign usually reads "Beat," plus whichever team the Colts play next.
Indianapolis (10-5) has been waiting months for this day, and last week Arians called Pagano's impending return the best Christmas gift the team could get.
Pagano began the first of three rounds of chemotherapy Sept. 26, after the team completed its final practice during a bye week.
When the Colts returned to their practice facility Oct. 1, they were told Pagano had cancer and was taking an indefinite leave.
Arians, a prostate cancer survivor, immediately established the goal: Play long enough so Pagano could return to the sideline this season.
If all goes well at practice this week, Pagano will likely be on the sideline calling the shots Sunday against AFC South champion Houston in the regular-season finale. It would be the first time Pagano has been making game-day decisions since Jacksonville scored a last-minute touchdown on an 80-yard TD pass in Week 3, handing Indy it's only home loss this season.
Under Arians, the Colts did better than anyone expected.
When players arrived at training camp in August, they handed out T-shirts that showed where the so-called experts figured they would finish this season: The NFL's worst team again.
But with Sunday's 20-13 victory at Kansas City, Indy clinched its first playoff spot of the post-Peyton Manning era and Arians tied the league record for most wins after a midseason coaching change (nine). Indy is the fourth team in league history to win two or fewer games one season and 10 or more the next and became the second team in league history to lose 14 or more games one season and win 10 or more the next — joining the 2008 Miami Dolphins.
Pagano was never far from the Colts' thoughts while he was out.
He was in contact with players and coaches primarily through phone calls and text messages, watched tapes of practices and games on his computer, attended three home games and sometimes showed up at the team complex. He occasionally gave pregame or postgame speeches throughout his recovery.
On Nov. 5, Pagano's oncologist, Dr. Larry Cripe, said the illness was in complete remission, though Pagano still had to complete two more rounds of chemotherapy. The last round ended the first week of December. Last Thursday, Cripe said he gave Pagano medical clearance to return to the team. Cripe said he was putting no restrictions on what Pagano could do, only that he advised Pagano, as he does with other patients, to scale things back if necessary.
Read More..

NFL-Playoff puzzle nearly complete with one week to go

With one week remaining in the regular season, the National Football League's playoff picture has come into sharper focus with only a few more pieces of the post-season puzzle to be put into place.
Much of the remaining drama is focused on the NFC East, where the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will stage a battle royale for the division crown with a ticket to the post-season going to the survivor.
The Redskins (9-6), riding a six-game winning streak and with rookie sensation quarterback Robert Griffin III healthy and calling plays, host the Cowboys (8-7) in the Sunday evening prime time finale to the NFL regular season that will see the winner claim the division.
While the Cowboys' (8-7) only path to the post-season requires a victory, the Redskins could still scrape into the playoffs with a loss if the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings also lose their finales.
The situation is much more dire for the slumping Giants (8-7), who will need plenty of help to advance.
The defending Super Bowl champions have lost five of their last seven and must defeat the Philadelphia Eagles at home on Sunday and hope Dallas, Chicago and Minnesota all lose.
TRIP TO MOTOR CITY
The Seattle Seahawks (10-5) and San Francisco 49ers (10-4-1) enter the final weekend having clinched playoff berths but with the NFC West title still up for grabs along with a possible first round bye.
San Francisco can take top spot in the West with a win at home over the Arizona Cardinals (5-10) while the surging Seahawks, who have outscored opponents 150-30 in their last three contests, must close out the regular season with a fifth straight victory when they visit the St. Louis Rams (7-7-1) and have the 49ers lose.
With the 49ers or Seahawks guaranteed playoff spots the other NFC wildcard will go to either the Bears (9-6) or Vikings (9-6).
The Vikings, who have staged a late season charge behind the running of Adrian Peterson, can lock up a playoff spot with visit to Lambeau Field and a win over NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers (11-4).
The Bears close out the campaign with a trip to the Motor City where they must combine victory over the Lions (4-11), losers of seven straight with a Vikings loss to move on.
The Atlanta Falcons (13-2) clinched a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a 31-18 win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday and the Packers can also grab a first round bye with a win over Minnesota or a San Francisco loss combined with a Seattle loss or tie.
The post-season picture is much clearer in the AFC with the four division winners, New England Patriots (East), Baltimore Ravens (North), Houston Texans (South), Denver Broncos (West) and wildcards Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts already decided.
The Broncos (12-3), Texans (12-3) and Patriots (11-4), however, will all have something to play for on the final Sunday with two first round byes and home field advantage throughout the playoffs on offer.
Denver, who will host the Kansas City Chiefs (2-13) and Houston, who visit the Colts can get the first weekend off with wins while the Patriots must beat the Miami Dolphins (7-8) and have either the Broncos or Texans lose.
Read More..

Playoff puzzle nearly complete with one week to go

 With one week remaining in the regular season, the National Football League's playoff picture has come into sharper focus with only a few more pieces of the post-season puzzle to be put into place.
Much of the remaining drama is focused on the NFC East, where the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will stage a battle royale for the division crown with a ticket to the post-season going to the survivor.
The Redskins (9-6), riding a six-game winning streak and with rookie sensation quarterback Robert Griffin III healthy and calling plays, host the Cowboys (8-7) in the Sunday evening prime time finale to the NFL regular season that will see the winner claim the division.
While the Cowboys' (8-7) only path to the post-season requires a victory, the Redskins could still scrape into the playoffs with a loss if the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings also lose their finales.
The situation is much more dire for the slumping Giants (8-7), who will need plenty of help to advance.
The defending Super Bowl champions have lost five of their last seven and must defeat the Philadelphia Eagles at home on Sunday and hope Dallas, Chicago and Minnesota all lose.
TRIP TO MOTOR CITY
The Seattle Seahawks (10-5) and San Francisco 49ers (10-4-1) enter the final weekend having clinched playoff berths but with the NFC West title still up for grabs along with a possible first round bye.
San Francisco can take top spot in the West with a win at home over the Arizona Cardinals (5-10) while the surging Seahawks, who have outscored opponents 150-30 in their last three contests, must close out the regular season with a fifth straight victory when they visit the St. Louis Rams (7-7-1) and have the 49ers lose.
With the 49ers or Seahawks guaranteed playoff spots the other NFC wildcard will go to either the Bears (9-6) or Vikings (9-6).
The Vikings, who have staged a late season charge behind the running of Adrian Peterson, can lock up a playoff spot with visit to Lambeau Field and a win over NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers (11-4).
The Bears close out the campaign with a trip to the Motor City where they must combine victory over the Lions (4-11), losers of seven straight with a Vikings loss to move on.
The Atlanta Falcons (13-2) clinched a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a 31-18 win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday and the Packers can also grab a first round bye with a win over Minnesota or a San Francisco loss combined with a Seattle loss or tie.
The post-season picture is much clearer in the AFC with the four division winners, New England Patriots (East), Baltimore Ravens (North), Houston Texans (South), Denver Broncos (West) and wildcards Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts already decided.
The Broncos (12-3), Texans (12-3) and Patriots (11-4), however, will all have something to play for on the final Sunday with two first round byes and home field advantage throughout the playoffs on offer.
Denver, who will host the Kansas City Chiefs (2-13) and Houston, who visit the Colts can get the first weekend off with wins while the Patriots must beat the Miami Dolphins (7-8) and have either the Broncos or Texans lose.
A number of combinations of wins and losses could give the Texans, Broncos or Patriots home field advantage for the playoff run.
Read More..

AP source: Dolphins' Smith has knee bruise

A person familiar with the diagnosis says Miami Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith escaped serious injury when he hurt his left knee in the team's victory over Buffalo.
An MRI test Monday determined the injury was only a bruise, the person told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins are not releasing details about the injury.
Smith, a fourth-year pro and Miami's best cornerback, can become a free agent this offseason. The Dolphins, who are out of the playoff race, conclude the season Sunday at New England.
Read More..

NFL-Pagano joins playoff bound Colts after battle with cancer

The Indianapolis Colts and their fans got an early Christmas gift when head coach Chuck Pagano returned to work on Monday, three months after being forced to the sidelines to battle cancer.
Diagnosed with leukemia in late September, Pagano spent the last three months undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy, while his inspired team led by rookie quarterback Andrew Luck battled on the field earning an unlikely playoff spot.
"Circumstances don't make you, they reveal you," an emotional Pagano told reporters after reporting for work at the teams Indianapolis training facility. "The way I look at it is, my job has just begun.
"Besides my job here...my job now is to give back everything I can possibly give back to everyone out there who's fighting some type of illness, some type of disease, some type of cancer."
The Colts, who tied for the NFL's worst record last season at 2-14, improved to 10-5 with their win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday clinching an AFC wild card.
After three games into a rebuilding season, the Colts learned Pagano would take indefinite leave to fight his cancer and was replaced by assistant coach and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.
The goal of the Colts became to keep playing until Pagano could return to work.
Indianapolis went 9-3 under Arians, who will hand over the head coaching job back to Pagano for the regular season finale this Sunday against the Houston Texans.
Read More..

Canadian Football Hall of Famer Eagle Keys dies at 89; won three Grey Cups

VANCOUVER - Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee Eagle Keys has died at the age of 89.
Keys played centre and linebacker for five years with the Montreal Alouettes (1949-51) and with the Edmonton Eskimos (1952-54), being named to three CFL all-star teams.
He became a coach after retiring as a player, starting as an assistant in Edmonton in 1955. He became the Eskimos' head coach in 1959, a job he held until 1963.
Keys also was the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1965-70) and B.C. Lions (1971-75).
Keys played for two Grey Cup-winning teams and won one with the Roughriders in 1966.
He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder in 1990.
Read More..

Vikings still wowed by Peterson's rapid recovery

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Most days, Adrian Peterson went through rehab drills looking as if he were never injured.
No one could've foreseen the rapid recovery Peterson has made since that bionic left knee of his was severely damaged near the end of a lost 2011 season for Minnesota. No one could have predicted these weekly gallops down the field and through the NFL record book.
With two games to go, Peterson needs 294 yards to break Eric Dickerson's all-time single-season rushing record. He is 188 yards from becoming the seventh player in league history to reach 2,000 yards in one year.
___
Dec. 24, 2011:
The Vikings were playing at Washington the day before Christmas, a meaningless matchup between teams well out of postseason contention. The end of a routine 3-yard run early in the third quarter by Peterson, the throwback thoroughbred the Vikings have hitched their franchise to in a league now dominated by the forward pass, ended with excruciating pain.
Redskins safety DeJon Gomes dived at his lower left leg to take him down, tearing Peterson's anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in the process. Peterson, lying face down on the grass, knew immediately "something bad" had happened. By the time head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman and team physician Dr. Joel Boyd raced over from the sideline, Peterson was screaming, "Why me? Why me?"
Sugarman and Boyd performed the Lachman test, where the leg is pushed and wiggled to gauge the stability of the ACL.
"It was just gone," Sugarman said. "So now your worst nightmare is confirmed."
By the time the game was over, Peterson's attitude had already turned. His knee in a brace, sitting in the training room, he asked Sugarman, "Hey, what do we do next? Where do we start? How do we get better?"
"His grieving was very short-lived," Sugarman said.
The rehabilitation of one of the best running backs in NFL history began.
___
The winter:
The first three months of the reconstructive knee surgery recovery are always the hardest, and even for Peterson this was no different. The mornings were dark and cold. Most of his teammates were gone. There were occasional text messages Sugarman had to send to encourage Peterson not to let up. The swelling had to subside first, before he could start the process of restoring his range of motion. The pain from both the incision and the bone that had to be broken to allow the ligament to be replaced was intense. But as soon as Dr. James Andrews performed the procedure in Birmingham, Ala., on Dec. 30, Peterson was ready.
"I had in my mind from the moment I got out of surgery that I was going to be back, that I was going to be good and healthy," Peterson said.
In three weeks, he was walking. After six weeks, he began to jog in the pool. At eight weeks, he was sprinting, with the jets turned on for resistance. Then, 10 weeks after the operation, he ran on hard ground for the first time. Peterson and Sugarman were the only people on the indoor field at Winter Park that day.
"The first time I have a guy run after an ACL, they look like they have marbles in their shoe," Sugarman said. "He probably had done it on his own without telling me before that, I would guess. But the guy took off and ran across the field like, 'Whoa! He looks totally normal.' This isn't supposed to happen. So that was awesome."
___
The spring and summer:
On the first day of the team's conditioning program in late April, the players lined up for sprints. Peterson was working with Sugarman on the side when he saw what was going on. Granted permission to participate, Peterson jumped in line with the rest of the runners. His exhausted teammates wore expressions of disbelief.
"He finished in first four different times," head coach Leslie Frazier said.
Peterson also spent time at his offseason home in Houston, where he worked with physical therapist Russ Paine at the Memorial Herrmann Sports Medicine Institute. Paine picked up where Sugarman and his staff left off.
When Peterson showed up for his sessions at the clinic, the other athletes rehabbing there stared in amazement as he sprinted at the top speed levels of the treadmill. When he lined himself up at the leg press machine, he asked that the prescribed weight be doubled.
"I really wasn't playing around. I was on a mission," he said.
After 14 weeks, the drills advanced. Sugarman rolled a soccer ball as Peterson shuffled from side to side in a sand pit, trying to catch it like a goalie and throw it back in the same motion. He ran tight circles around hula hoops on the turf. He sprinted forward as Sugarman held him back with a bungee cord. Sometimes, for fun, they chased each other around the training room on stools with wheels so Peterson could strengthen his hamstring muscles. Or they'd stand on small red discs and toss a ball back and forth.
"He was terrible at it. He just hates to lose at anything," Sugarman said. "So it's great when I can beat him at something."
Peterson started training camp in Mankato, Minn., on the physically unable to perform list. His protest unsuccessful, he realized the importance of taking the process slowly. Those precious last few degrees of flexion in the knee took several months to return. The cutting, stopping and restarting he has to do for his job required nothing less than the full explosive ability of the joint. The muscles around the knee that atrophied after the surgery needed to be recalibrated, with quadriceps, hamstrings and calves in the proper strength proportion to one another.
Peterson began to be integrated into practice, though, with fans and coaches holding their breaths,
"He just dominated the rehab. It was ridiculous," Sugarman said.
___
The opener:
Peterson was in the backfield on Sept. 9 as he planned all along, and he ran like he never left, carrying the ball 17 times for 84 yards and two touchdowns in an overtime victory over Jacksonville. He got the game ball afterward, which he gratefully passed on to Sugarman.
The ligament was as strong as ever, as good as new, but that didn't mean the Vikings weren't still nervous, wondering how Peterson would perform.
"I don't really worry anymore. But the first part of the season I was worried sick," Sugarman said.
___
The rest of the season:
Peterson felt right after the Sept. 23 win over San Francisco, when he woke up the morning after feeling the usual post-game soreness. He truly began to take off on Oct. 21, when he hit the 150-yard mark in beating Arizona. He's passed the 170-yard mark in four of the last six games, twice surpassing 200 yards.
"He was never going to let this injury be an excuse for him not to be at the level he was at, and I think all the people saying he couldn't do it gave him more drive," defensive end Jared Allen said. "That's the competitor in him, and that's why we love him here."
Peterson jumped in the cold tub to recover after Sunday's game at St. Louis. He's still been doing stretching and strengthening exercises on his left leg. Other than that, there's nary a sign of his injury left.
Sugarman has received all kinds of correspondence from coaches and competitors in all levels of athletics, wondering what their secret was. But Peterson hasn't really rewritten the ACL rehab manual. He's just added another remarkable chapter to his exceptional career.
"His ability to heal is probably different than mine or yours. His work ethic. His determination. His faith. He just has all these factors that, when put together, allowed him to accomplish what he has almost a year out from this terrible injury," Sugarman said.
"I don't think it's quite fair for everyone who tears their ACL moving forward to compare themselves to Adrian Peterson. They're setting themselves up for, in most cases, an unrealistic expectation."
Peterson, who is 27, has stated his desire to break Emmitt Smith's record for career rushing. He'd have to play a long time to do that. But after his performance this year, that mark is just as achievable for him as the rest.
"It just depends on how long God blesses me to play," he said. "I might go far and play 'til I'm 40. I don't know."
Read More..

YEARENDER-NFL-New generation of QBs emerge but league faces threats

MIAMI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - A new generation of talented quarterbacks emerged in 2012 but a refereeing fiasco, worries over concussions and player behavior all left their mark on the National Football League (NFL).
The year was also a tantalizing tale of the Mannings with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning winning his second Super Bowl title in four years with a win over New England in the same stadium where older brother Peyton played for Indianapolis.
After a year out with serious neck problems, Peyton Manning restarted his career with the Denver Broncos after 14 years with the Colts and quickly cast aside any doubts over his durability by leading his team to a playoff berth and division title.
Manning's revival came at the expense of Tim Tebow, the most talked about player in 2011, who has spent most of this year on the sidelines after being traded to the New York Jets.
'Tebow-mania' reached its peak in January when he led the Broncos to a playoff win over Pittsburgh but a crushing loss to the New England Patriots a week later was the last in a Denver uniform for the unorthodox quarterback.
Tebow's charisma, his noted religiosity and clean-cut good looks made him one of the most popular NFL players in years but that did not stop Jets head coach Rex Ryan leaving him as a bit-player and back-up to Mark Sanchez with most critics agreeing that Tebow's poor passing technique has hampered his career.
Tebow's fans understandably view 2012 as a year in which an exciting player's talent was wasted but in the big picture there has been no shortage of exciting new talent to enjoy in the NFL.
It was hard to imagine anyone exceeding the record-breaking impact made in 2011 by Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton but it did not take long for the top two picks in this year's NFL Draft, Indianapolis's Andrew Luck and Washington's Robert Griffin III respectively, to make an impact.
Luck ushered in the post-Manning era faster than anyone had imagined, with his outstanding passing and classy composure indicating he is a player who could enjoy similar dominance to his predecessor.
Griffin, or RG3 as he is widely known, is a different quarterback altogether - his speed and courage make him a genuine double-threat, able to rush but he is also, as critics of Tebow have noted, an accomplished pocket passer too.
Seattle's Russell Wilson and Miami's Ryan Tannehill have also made good impressions in their rookie years and with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and the Mannings still on top of their game, it has become an era of unprecedented passing yards for quarterbacks.
NASTY UNDERBELLY
Given the key role quarterbacks play, the abundance of talent at the position should mark a golden-era for America's most popular league but the game has a nasty underbelly which has been revealed on several occasions this year.
The NFL has long been plagued by off-field problems, most notably domestic violence, gun crime and drunk driving, and there have been tragic examples of all three this year.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend at their home moments before killing himself in front of his coach and general manager at the team's training facility in December.
A week later, Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent was charged with intoxication manslaughter after the car he was driving flipped over and caught fire, killing team mate Jerry Brown, a passenger in the car.
In May, former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, a 12-time Pro Bowl selection, was found dead at his home in May, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
The manner of Seau's death and his families willingness to let his brain be examined for evidence of the impact of repeated injuries from his playing days, brought the issue of concussions back into focus.
Over 1,500 former football players have sued the NFL over head injuries and there have been accusations that the league concealed links between the game and brain injuries.
The NFL has disputed those allegations and points to its intensive education work on the issue and also the stricter new regulations covering treatment of players who are concussed.
BOUNTY PROGRAM
Concern over the potential impact of excessive violence on players was also behind NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's strong sanctions against the New Orleans Saints, a story that hung over the league for much of the year.
The Saints were accused of running a bounty program from 2009-2011 that gave players cash rewards for knocking opponents out of games.
While Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire season and other members of the coaching staff received shorter bans, much of the attention was on the sanctions given to four players, all of whom had their punishments overturned.
The decision by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, with little compelling reasoning behind it, was a strange end to an affair which did little good for the league's image.
That image also took a hit from the contract dispute with referees which led to an early season lockout and resulted in some farcical decisions By the replacement referees.
The dispute culminated in botched call in a nationally televised game that handed Seattle victory over Green Bay and caused so much outrage that a deal was swiftly reached for the regular refs to return in early in the season.
Read More..

New generation of QBs emerge but league faces threats

MIAMI (Reuters) - A new generation of talented quarterbacks emerged in 2012 but a refereeing fiasco, worries over concussions and player behavior all left their mark on the National Football League (NFL).
The year was also a tantalizing tale of the Mannings with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning winning his second Super Bowl title in four years with a win over New England in the same stadium where older brother Peyton played for Indianapolis.
After a year out with serious neck problems, Peyton Manning restarted his career with the Denver Broncos after 14 years with the Colts and quickly cast aside any doubts over his durability by leading his team to a playoff berth and division title.
Manning's revival came at the expense of Tim Tebow, the most talked about player in 2011, who has spent most of this year on the sidelines after being traded to the New York Jets.
'Tebow-mania' reached its peak in January when he led the Broncos to a playoff win over Pittsburgh but a crushing loss to the New England Patriots a week later was the last in a Denver uniform for the unorthodox quarterback.
Tebow's charisma, his noted religiosity and clean-cut good looks made him one of the most popular NFL players in years but that did not stop Jets head coach Rex Ryan leaving him as a bit-player and back-up to Mark Sanchez with most critics agreeing that Tebow's poor passing technique has hampered his career.
Tebow's fans understandably view 2012 as a year in which an exciting player's talent was wasted but in the big picture there has been no shortage of exciting new talent to enjoy in the NFL.
It was hard to imagine anyone exceeding the record-breaking impact made in 2011 by Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton but it did not take long for the top two picks in this year's NFL Draft, Indianapolis's Andrew Luck and Washington's Robert Griffin III respectively, to make an impact.
Luck ushered in the post-Manning era faster than anyone had imagined, with his outstanding passing and classy composure indicating he is a player who could enjoy similar dominance to his predecessor.
Griffin, or RG3 as he is widely known, is a different quarterback altogether - his speed and courage make him a genuine double-threat, able to rush but he is also, as critics of Tebow have noted, an accomplished pocket passer too.
Seattle's Russell Wilson and Miami's Ryan Tannehill have also made good impressions in their rookie years and with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and the Mannings still on top of their game, it has become an era of unprecedented passing yards for quarterbacks.
NASTY UNDERBELLY
Given the key role quarterbacks play, the abundance of talent at the position should mark a golden-era for America's most popular league but the game has a nasty underbelly which has been revealed on several occasions this year.
The NFL has long been plagued by off-field problems, most notably domestic violence, gun crime and drunk driving, and there have been tragic examples of all three this year.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend at their home moments before killing himself in front of his coach and general manager at the team's training facility in December.
A week later, Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent was charged with intoxication manslaughter after the car he was driving flipped over and caught fire, killing team mate Jerry Brown, a passenger in the car.
In May, former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, a 12-time Pro Bowl selection, was found dead at his home in May, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
The manner of Seau's death and his families willingness to let his brain be examined for evidence of the impact of repeated injuries from his playing days, brought the issue of concussions back into focus.
Over 1,500 former football players have sued the NFL over head injuries and there have been accusations that the league concealed links between the game and brain injuries.
The NFL has disputed those allegations and points to its intensive education work on the issue and also the stricter new regulations covering treatment of players who are concussed.
BOUNTY PROGRAM
Concern over the potential impact of excessive violence on players was also behind NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's strong sanctions against the New Orleans Saints, a story that hung over the league for much of the year.
The Saints were accused of running a bounty program from 2009-2011 that gave players cash rewards for knocking opponents out of games.
While Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire season and other members of the coaching staff received shorter bans, much of the attention was on the sanctions given to four players, all of whom had their punishments overturned.
The decision by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, with little compelling reasoning behind it, was a strange end to an affair which did little good for the league's image.
That image also took a hit from the contract dispute with referees which led to an early season lockout and resulted in some farcical decisions By the replacement referees.
The dispute culminated in botched call in a nationally televised game that handed Seattle victory over Green Bay and caused so much outrage that a deal was swiftly reached for the regular refs to return in early in the season.
But while referee dispute, off-field troubles, bounty schemes and concussion fears generated plenty of negative attention for the league they did nothing to weaken the NFL's position as the dominant sport in North America and the top draw on U.S. television.
Read More..

BYU LB Van Noy scores 2 TDs in Poinsettia Bowl win

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Linebacker Kyle Van Noy forced a fumble in the end zone and recovered it for a touchdown, and scored on a 17-yard interception return, both in the fourth quarter, to lead BYU to a 23-6 victory over San Diego State in the Poinsettia Bowl on Thursday night.
The big plays swung the momentum for the Cougars (8-5) in what had been a tedious defensive struggle. San Diego State (9-4), playing in the hometown bowl for the second time in three years, missed the chance for its first 10-win season since 1977 and had its seven-game winning streak snapped.
Van Noy scored the game's first TD when he came free and hit Adam Dingwell in the end zone, forcing and recovering a fumble for a 10-6 lead.
Dingwell fumbled the snap on SDSU's next play from scrimmage and it was recovered by Jordan Johnson at the 14. Jamaal Williams scored on a run up the middle on the next play, BYU's second TD in 17 seconds.
Read More..