Filed under: Sports Business, Sports Media, Sports Business and MediaLOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles city attorney's office says FanHouse and ESPN personality Jay Mariotti has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery count stemming from an August incident involving a female companion.
City attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan says Mariotti was sentenced Thursday to 36 months of probation, community service and a domestic violence course.
Mariotti was originally charged with seven counts, but Mateljan says all other counts were dismissed.
A statement issued by Mariotti's attorney says they were confident of prevailing at trial but it would have been long and expensive. The statement claims Mariotti was the victim of false and exaggerated allegations stemming from a public argument.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Dolph Ziggler Looking Ahead to WWE SmackDown's Move to SyFy
Filed under: Pro WrestlingIn case you haven't heard, WWE "SmackDown" is on the move. Beginning on Friday night, the TV show will be airing on SyFy (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET) with the first program going live that night.
Among the wrestlers that will be featured is current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler, one of the younger superstars making his way up the ladder in the company. He'll tell you he deserves it, too, as he's doesn't lack for confidence. He also believes he has worked hard to earn the spot, with even more coming his way in the future.
Recently, FanHouse spoke with Ziggler about the move of "SmackDown" to SyFy, working in WWE after being a lifelong wrestling fan, being in the Spirit Squad, and more.
Brian Fritz: Lately, you've really been on a roll on SmackDown. When was the first time you thought I've really made it?
Dolph Ziggler: Honestly, I've had a lot of goals my entire career and just getting signed to the WWE and to developmental and then getting called up to the main roster, those were all big goals. Actually, getting an Intercontinental Title match with Rey Mysterio last year was a big step for me. Wow, they think I can go with some of the best in the world and I'm more than happy to hold my own and delivering in all those Pay-Per-View matches against Rey Mysterio really made me feel like I belong and I was one of the roster.
It funny you say that because I really thought that's when things really began to click for you, too. What did it do for you and your confidence after the matches with Rey?
Being in the ring with Rey, it's hard to explain. That's one of the coolest things ever. I grew up watching that guy. He's still just as fast, just as cool and just as amazing now and I get a chance to be in there and I have a shot at winning his title. For your confidence, that's unreal that the company believes that you can go in there with him and possibly steal the show at Summerslam. And that's what we tried to do. I'm a perfectionist, so when I come back one thing will sit on my mind like I could have been a little better here or here. But watching that back, I actually went I'm pretty damn happy with that. I can build from here. I think I can be the Intercontinental Champion and one day a world champion.
Among the wrestlers that will be featured is current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler, one of the younger superstars making his way up the ladder in the company. He'll tell you he deserves it, too, as he's doesn't lack for confidence. He also believes he has worked hard to earn the spot, with even more coming his way in the future.
Recently, FanHouse spoke with Ziggler about the move of "SmackDown" to SyFy, working in WWE after being a lifelong wrestling fan, being in the Spirit Squad, and more.
Brian Fritz: Lately, you've really been on a roll on SmackDown. When was the first time you thought I've really made it?
Dolph Ziggler: Honestly, I've had a lot of goals my entire career and just getting signed to the WWE and to developmental and then getting called up to the main roster, those were all big goals. Actually, getting an Intercontinental Title match with Rey Mysterio last year was a big step for me. Wow, they think I can go with some of the best in the world and I'm more than happy to hold my own and delivering in all those Pay-Per-View matches against Rey Mysterio really made me feel like I belong and I was one of the roster.
It funny you say that because I really thought that's when things really began to click for you, too. What did it do for you and your confidence after the matches with Rey?
Being in the ring with Rey, it's hard to explain. That's one of the coolest things ever. I grew up watching that guy. He's still just as fast, just as cool and just as amazing now and I get a chance to be in there and I have a shot at winning his title. For your confidence, that's unreal that the company believes that you can go in there with him and possibly steal the show at Summerslam. And that's what we tried to do. I'm a perfectionist, so when I come back one thing will sit on my mind like I could have been a little better here or here. But watching that back, I actually went I'm pretty damn happy with that. I can build from here. I think I can be the Intercontinental Champion and one day a world champion.
Ryder Cup Gives Tiger Woods Shot at Escaping America's Doghouse
Filed under: Ryder CupNEWPORT, Wales -- Unless Tiger Woods suddenly defects to Europe, this will be a tough weekend for a lot of U.S. citizens.
They have to cheer for the most revolting American of 2010. If they don't, they might as well put on a kilt, start chain smoking and stop brushing their teeth.
In other words, they'll be honorary Europeans.
It's pretty simple. If you're not for Woods in the Ryder Cup, you're against him. And if you're against him, you're against the United States.
What a quandary.
My advice is to put away the smokes and cheer for the low-down cheating dog. That's not my description of the world's top-ranked player. It's the opinion from his ex-wife, at least according to an "insider" quoted by the ever-unassailable Enquirer.
It was reported last week that Woods had skipped his sex-addiction follow-up sessions. He apparently decided he no longer needs that kind of swing coach.
Elliott: Opening Pairings | Ten Keys for Success
Whitley: A Major Issue Over Ryder Cup 'War'
More: Ryder Cup Schedule | Tiger Responds to McIlroy
"Elin never believed Tiger was a sex addict," the insider said. "She just believes he's a low-down cheating dog."
They have to cheer for the most revolting American of 2010. If they don't, they might as well put on a kilt, start chain smoking and stop brushing their teeth.
In other words, they'll be honorary Europeans.
It's pretty simple. If you're not for Woods in the Ryder Cup, you're against him. And if you're against him, you're against the United States.
What a quandary.
My advice is to put away the smokes and cheer for the low-down cheating dog. That's not my description of the world's top-ranked player. It's the opinion from his ex-wife, at least according to an "insider" quoted by the ever-unassailable Enquirer.
It was reported last week that Woods had skipped his sex-addiction follow-up sessions. He apparently decided he no longer needs that kind of swing coach.
Elliott: Opening Pairings | Ten Keys for Success
Whitley: A Major Issue Over Ryder Cup 'War'
More: Ryder Cup Schedule | Tiger Responds to McIlroy
"Elin never believed Tiger was a sex addict," the insider said. "She just believes he's a low-down cheating dog."
Snowboard Bobby Brown Freestyle Skiing Ryan Dungey Motocross
Dolph Ziggler Looking Ahead to WWE SmackDown's Move to SyFy
In case you haven't heard, WWE "SmackDown" is on the move. Beginning on Friday night, the TV show will be airing on SyFy (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET) with the first program going live that night.
Among the wrestlers that will be featured is current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler, one of the younger superstars making his way up the ladder in the company. He'll tell you he deserves it, too, as he's doesn't lack for confidence. He also believes he has worked hard to earn the spot, with even more coming his way in the future.
Recently, FanHouse spoke with Ziggler about the move of "SmackDown" to SyFy, working in WWE after being a lifelong wrestling fan, being in the Spirit Squad, and more.
Brian Fritz: Lately, you've really been on a roll on SmackDown. When was the first time you thought I've really made it?
Dolph Ziggler: Honestly, I've had a lot of goals my entire career and just getting signed to the WWE and to developmental and then getting called up to the main roster, those were all big goals. Actually, getting an Intercontinental Title match with Rey Mysterio last year was a big step for me. Wow, they think I can go with some of the best in the world and I'm more than happy to hold my own and delivering in all those Pay-Per-View matches against Rey Mysterio really made me feel like I belong and I was one of the roster.
It funny you say that because I really thought that's when things really began to click for you, too. What did it do for you and your confidence after the matches with Rey?
Being in the ring with Rey, it's hard to explain. That's one of the coolest things ever. I grew up watching that guy. He's still just as fast, just as cool and just as amazing now and I get a chance to be in there and I have a shot at winning his title. For your confidence, that's unreal that the company believes that you can go in there with him and possibly steal the show at Summerslam. And that's what we tried to do. I'm a perfectionist, so when I come back one thing will sit on my mind like I could have been a little better here or here. But watching that back, I actually went I'm pretty damn happy with that. I can build from here. I think I can be the Intercontinental Champion and one day a world champion.
Among the wrestlers that will be featured is current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler, one of the younger superstars making his way up the ladder in the company. He'll tell you he deserves it, too, as he's doesn't lack for confidence. He also believes he has worked hard to earn the spot, with even more coming his way in the future.
Recently, FanHouse spoke with Ziggler about the move of "SmackDown" to SyFy, working in WWE after being a lifelong wrestling fan, being in the Spirit Squad, and more.
Brian Fritz: Lately, you've really been on a roll on SmackDown. When was the first time you thought I've really made it?
Dolph Ziggler: Honestly, I've had a lot of goals my entire career and just getting signed to the WWE and to developmental and then getting called up to the main roster, those were all big goals. Actually, getting an Intercontinental Title match with Rey Mysterio last year was a big step for me. Wow, they think I can go with some of the best in the world and I'm more than happy to hold my own and delivering in all those Pay-Per-View matches against Rey Mysterio really made me feel like I belong and I was one of the roster.
It funny you say that because I really thought that's when things really began to click for you, too. What did it do for you and your confidence after the matches with Rey?
Being in the ring with Rey, it's hard to explain. That's one of the coolest things ever. I grew up watching that guy. He's still just as fast, just as cool and just as amazing now and I get a chance to be in there and I have a shot at winning his title. For your confidence, that's unreal that the company believes that you can go in there with him and possibly steal the show at Summerslam. And that's what we tried to do. I'm a perfectionist, so when I come back one thing will sit on my mind like I could have been a little better here or here. But watching that back, I actually went I'm pretty damn happy with that. I can build from here. I think I can be the Intercontinental Champion and one day a world champion.
No Longer in Shadow of Knicks' LeBron Chase, Chris Duhon Happy in Orlando
Filed under: Knicks, Magic, NBA PreseasonORLANDO, Fla. -- The LeBron James era never materialized in New York City, but point guard Chris Duhon still feels like he played right through a part of it.
Duhon was the starting point guard for the Knicks the past two seasons, trying to lead a team whose only real goal was creating salary cap space to lure James in his celebrated summer of free agency.
James never came, but his presence always was felt.
"It was tough because that's what you heard every day in New York. 'We're going to get LeBron.' That's what everyone was hoping for,'' Duhon said. "The last two years, it was like, whatever happens, happens ... because then we're going to get LeBron.''
Duhon directed the make-shift Knicks to just 32 and 29 victories the last two seasons, trying unsuccessfully to stabilize an unstable situation. In two seasons, Duhon had 31 different teammates in New York. It was more of a revolving door than a real roster with players and roles changing constantly. By the end of last season, he also had been replaced in the lineup.
Duhon was the starting point guard for the Knicks the past two seasons, trying to lead a team whose only real goal was creating salary cap space to lure James in his celebrated summer of free agency.
James never came, but his presence always was felt.
"It was tough because that's what you heard every day in New York. 'We're going to get LeBron.' That's what everyone was hoping for,'' Duhon said. "The last two years, it was like, whatever happens, happens ... because then we're going to get LeBron.''
Duhon directed the make-shift Knicks to just 32 and 29 victories the last two seasons, trying unsuccessfully to stabilize an unstable situation. In two seasons, Duhon had 31 different teammates in New York. It was more of a revolving door than a real roster with players and roles changing constantly. By the end of last season, he also had been replaced in the lineup.
Alberto Contador Tests Positive for Clenbuterol, Latest Tour Title in Doubt
Filed under: CyclingAlberto Contador tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol days before he sealed his third career Tour de France title back in July, a violation his spokesman said Wednesday came as a result of tainted food.
"The experts consulted so far have agreed also that this is a food contamination case, especially considering the number of tests passed by Alberto Contador during the Tour de France," Jacinto Vidarte, Contador's publicist, said in a statement.
The Union Cycliste Internationale, cycling's governing body, said in a statement Thursday that Contador was provisionally suspended per rules set by the World Anti-Doping Agency. UCI said that lag in the announcement was due to the small amount of clenbuterol (50 picograms) found in the sample taken on July 21, the last rest day before the final four legs of the race.
"This case required further scientific investigation before any conclusion could be drawn," UCI said.
The positive, however, doesn't necessarily mean the Spaniard would get a two-year ban or have this year's title stripped.
"The UCI continues working with the scientific support of WADA to analyze all the elements that are relevant to the case," UCI said. "This further investigation may take some more time."
Under WADA rules, athletes are responsible for anything they put in their bodies and appeals have largely been unsuccessful for athletes who claim they ingested a banned substance via a supplement. But Vidarte said it's possible that they may be able to trace back what food may have caused the positive. He added that it's "the only possible explanation" and expressed "confidence that (cycling officials) can clarify this very serious problem."
Still, the news of Contador's positive was another reminder of cycling's doping scandals that have ensnared many of the sport's top riders. Landis, who claimed for years that he never doped, reversed course last spring and said that not only he used performance-enhancing drugs, but alleged Lance Armstrong did as well. The claims, which the seven-time Tour de France champ Armstrong has denied, led to a federal probe of Armstrong and his business dealings.
Contador, who finished 39 seconds ahead of Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, is scheduled to appear at a news conference in Madrid on Thursday.
Clenbuterol has long been listed as a banned stimulant by anti-doping authorities. While not approved for use in the U.S., the drug is commonly used to treat asthma and can act as a stimulant and weight-loss aid in high doses.
Clen, as it's commonly known, has also been shown to aid in muscle development in animals, but there has been no conclusive studies to show that it does the same in humans.
U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy is probably the most prominent athlete to test positive for clenbuterol in recent years. She was flagged for the substance days before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a result she said was due to use of a supplement.
She appealed the result and the American Arbitration Association ruled the positive was the result of unknowingly ingesting the clenbuterol and cut her two-year ban in half. The supplement manufacturer, AdvoCare, denied its product caused her to test positive.
"The experts consulted so far have agreed also that this is a food contamination case, especially considering the number of tests passed by Alberto Contador during the Tour de France," Jacinto Vidarte, Contador's publicist, said in a statement.
The Union Cycliste Internationale, cycling's governing body, said in a statement Thursday that Contador was provisionally suspended per rules set by the World Anti-Doping Agency. UCI said that lag in the announcement was due to the small amount of clenbuterol (50 picograms) found in the sample taken on July 21, the last rest day before the final four legs of the race.
"This case required further scientific investigation before any conclusion could be drawn," UCI said.
The positive, however, doesn't necessarily mean the Spaniard would get a two-year ban or have this year's title stripped.
"The UCI continues working with the scientific support of WADA to analyze all the elements that are relevant to the case," UCI said. "This further investigation may take some more time."
Under WADA rules, athletes are responsible for anything they put in their bodies and appeals have largely been unsuccessful for athletes who claim they ingested a banned substance via a supplement. But Vidarte said it's possible that they may be able to trace back what food may have caused the positive. He added that it's "the only possible explanation" and expressed "confidence that (cycling officials) can clarify this very serious problem."
Still, the news of Contador's positive was another reminder of cycling's doping scandals that have ensnared many of the sport's top riders. Landis, who claimed for years that he never doped, reversed course last spring and said that not only he used performance-enhancing drugs, but alleged Lance Armstrong did as well. The claims, which the seven-time Tour de France champ Armstrong has denied, led to a federal probe of Armstrong and his business dealings.
Contador, who finished 39 seconds ahead of Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, is scheduled to appear at a news conference in Madrid on Thursday.
Clenbuterol has long been listed as a banned stimulant by anti-doping authorities. While not approved for use in the U.S., the drug is commonly used to treat asthma and can act as a stimulant and weight-loss aid in high doses.
Clen, as it's commonly known, has also been shown to aid in muscle development in animals, but there has been no conclusive studies to show that it does the same in humans.
U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy is probably the most prominent athlete to test positive for clenbuterol in recent years. She was flagged for the substance days before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a result she said was due to use of a supplement.
She appealed the result and the American Arbitration Association ruled the positive was the result of unknowingly ingesting the clenbuterol and cut her two-year ban in half. The supplement manufacturer, AdvoCare, denied its product caused her to test positive.
Kassim Osgood, Woman Held at Gunpoint by Woman's Ex-Boyfriend
Filed under: Jaguars, NFL Police BlotterJaguars wide receiver Kassim Osgood was pistol-whipped and had to leap out a second-story window after a man invaded the home of a woman he was visiting late Monday, according to police reports.
Osgood, 30, was at the home of Mackenzie Rae Putnal, 19, when her ex-boyfriend Julian Armond Bartletto, 20, walked into the house wielding a gun with a plastic bag covering his face. Bartletto reportedly yelled, "I can't believe you're with that guy," before attacking Osgood and Putnal, including striking them with the gun, holding it to both of their heads and hitting Putnal's dog.
Putnal eventually ran and was chased by Bartletto, and the two exchanged gunfire. Meanwhile, Osgood jumped out the window and ran to a neighbor's house, where he called the police. Bartletto fled but was found at his home and arrested. He now faces charges of aggravated battery, false imprisonment, armed robbery, burglary and violation of an injunction. He's ineligible for bond.
Osgood escaped with minor bruises, and declined comment Wednesday.
Osgood, 30, was at the home of Mackenzie Rae Putnal, 19, when her ex-boyfriend Julian Armond Bartletto, 20, walked into the house wielding a gun with a plastic bag covering his face. Bartletto reportedly yelled, "I can't believe you're with that guy," before attacking Osgood and Putnal, including striking them with the gun, holding it to both of their heads and hitting Putnal's dog.
Putnal eventually ran and was chased by Bartletto, and the two exchanged gunfire. Meanwhile, Osgood jumped out the window and ran to a neighbor's house, where he called the police. Bartletto fled but was found at his home and arrested. He now faces charges of aggravated battery, false imprisonment, armed robbery, burglary and violation of an injunction. He's ineligible for bond.
Osgood escaped with minor bruises, and declined comment Wednesday.
Cavaliers Paul Pierce Nate Robinson Steve Nash Chauncey Billups
2010-11 Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: A Tougher New Image
Filed under: PenguinsWhen general manager Ray Shero was hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to the 2006-07 season, he spoke of his desire to put together a team that would be tough to play against, a sentiment that head coach Dan Bylsma even spoke about as recently as this offseason.
Shero's father, of course, was the legendary Fred Shero, a coach that wanted team toughness, and the man behind the bench for the Philadelphia Flyers in the mid-1970s when they were the Broad Street Bullies, the epitome of old-time hockey. When those two things are combined, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to see how the makeup of the Penguins roster has undergone quite a shift in recent years, going from the skillful, finesse days of the early 2000s (or in the words of former coach Michel Therrien: "soft"), to the current build that features plenty of in-your-face players that provide a seemingly endless amount of toughness and pugilism.
Shero's father, of course, was the legendary Fred Shero, a coach that wanted team toughness, and the man behind the bench for the Philadelphia Flyers in the mid-1970s when they were the Broad Street Bullies, the epitome of old-time hockey. When those two things are combined, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to see how the makeup of the Penguins roster has undergone quite a shift in recent years, going from the skillful, finesse days of the early 2000s (or in the words of former coach Michel Therrien: "soft"), to the current build that features plenty of in-your-face players that provide a seemingly endless amount of toughness and pugilism.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Oklahoma WR Jaz Reynolds Suspended for Tweet About Texas Shooting
Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas, Big 12Oklahoma receiver Jaz Reynolds was suspended indefinitely Wednesday for comments on his Twitter account making light of the shooting incident at the University of Texas a day earlier.
Reynolds tweeted Tuesday, "Hey everyone in Austin, tx.......kill yourself #evillaugh," according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The tweet was in reference to Tuesday's shooting in the library at the University of Texas, where a gunman opened fire before killing himself. No one else was injured.
Texas and Oklahoma play their traditional Red River Rivalry game this Saturday. Reynolds will not play despite his quick retraction, tweeting immediately after,"Everyone in austin, tx disregard that last tweet....y'all will mess around n do it lmao."
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops (right) responded to Reynolds' remarks in a statement released by the school.
"Because of his insensitive remarks on Twitter relative to Tuesday's tragedy in Austin, we have suspended Jaz Reynolds from our team indefinitely," the statement read.
"Our rivalry with Texas will not come at the expense of dignity and respect. We have great concern for what happened in Austin and I am incredibly disappointed that someone connected with our team would react so callously. We have taken immediate action and I hope by doing so have illustrated how seriously we view this matter."
A sophomore receiver, Reynolds has yet to see action this season for eighth-ranked Oklahoma, which enters its matchup with Texas undefeated at 4-0.
Reynolds tweeted Tuesday, "Hey everyone in Austin, tx.......kill yourself #evillaugh," according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The tweet was in reference to Tuesday's shooting in the library at the University of Texas, where a gunman opened fire before killing himself. No one else was injured.
Texas and Oklahoma play their traditional Red River Rivalry game this Saturday. Reynolds will not play despite his quick retraction, tweeting immediately after,"Everyone in austin, tx disregard that last tweet....y'all will mess around n do it lmao."
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops (right) responded to Reynolds' remarks in a statement released by the school.
"Because of his insensitive remarks on Twitter relative to Tuesday's tragedy in Austin, we have suspended Jaz Reynolds from our team indefinitely," the statement read.
"Our rivalry with Texas will not come at the expense of dignity and respect. We have great concern for what happened in Austin and I am incredibly disappointed that someone connected with our team would react so callously. We have taken immediate action and I hope by doing so have illustrated how seriously we view this matter."
A sophomore receiver, Reynolds has yet to see action this season for eighth-ranked Oklahoma, which enters its matchup with Texas undefeated at 4-0.
Fernandez gets Spain into quarters (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?Juan Carlos Navarro(notes) scored 22 points for Spain in an 80-72
victory that eliminated Greece from the basketball world championships Saturday.
The Spaniards made 8 of 18 3-pointers and used a 13-3 run in the fourth
quarter to push ahead during the game in the round of 16.
Greece closed within 72-68 on Vasileios Spanoulis? layup with 1:01 left in
the game, but Ricky Rubio(notes) answered with two free throws.
?It was very a tough game for us,? Rubio said of a game which drew 15,000
to Sinan Erdem Dome. ?Obviously it was not easy. We have faced some similar
problems before with teams like Lithuania because they play very physically and
tough.?
Rudy Fernandez(notes) of the Portland Trailblazers scored 14 for Spain.
Dimitrios Dimantidis and Nikolaos Zisis each had 16 points for the Greeks,
which has lost to Spain seven straight times. Sofoklis Schortsanitis added 13
points.
Spain built a 37-31 going into halftime as Greece missed all three of its
3-point attempts.
?We had trouble attacking their zone,? Greek coach Jonas Kazlauskas said.
?Our shooting from outside was not strong enough to beat a team like Spain.?
In the second half, Greece made seven of 20 3-point attempts.
Still, Greece opened the second half with a 7-0 run keyed by turnovers
caused by Schortsanitis, who finished with 13 points.
First, the Greek center ripped the ball from guard Spanish guard Juan Carlos
Navarro.
After a jumper by Zisis, the 6-9 center stayed on his feet to easily block a
running layup attempt by 7-1 Marc Gasol(notes). Antonios Fotsis then hit a corner three
to put Greece up 38-37 two minutes into the half.
Greece built its lead to as much as 51-45 with 2:45 left in the third
quarter, but Spain scored six straight points to end the quarter.
The Greeks struggled to shoot over Spain?s zone in the last quarter, making
only seven of 18 field goal attempts.
And when they did get to the free throw line, the struggles didn?t end:
Greece missed nine of 16 free throw attempts in the game.
?We wanted to play zone because some matchups on the pick and roll were
giving up problems,? Scariolo said.
Spain will play Serbia on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Serbia beat
Croatia 73-72 earlier Saturday.
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victory that eliminated Greece from the basketball world championships Saturday.
The Spaniards made 8 of 18 3-pointers and used a 13-3 run in the fourth
quarter to push ahead during the game in the round of 16.
Greece closed within 72-68 on Vasileios Spanoulis? layup with 1:01 left in
the game, but Ricky Rubio(notes) answered with two free throws.
?It was very a tough game for us,? Rubio said of a game which drew 15,000
to Sinan Erdem Dome. ?Obviously it was not easy. We have faced some similar
problems before with teams like Lithuania because they play very physically and
tough.?
Rudy Fernandez(notes) of the Portland Trailblazers scored 14 for Spain.
Dimitrios Dimantidis and Nikolaos Zisis each had 16 points for the Greeks,
which has lost to Spain seven straight times. Sofoklis Schortsanitis added 13
points.
Spain built a 37-31 going into halftime as Greece missed all three of its
3-point attempts.
?We had trouble attacking their zone,? Greek coach Jonas Kazlauskas said.
?Our shooting from outside was not strong enough to beat a team like Spain.?
In the second half, Greece made seven of 20 3-point attempts.
Still, Greece opened the second half with a 7-0 run keyed by turnovers
caused by Schortsanitis, who finished with 13 points.
First, the Greek center ripped the ball from guard Spanish guard Juan Carlos
Navarro.
After a jumper by Zisis, the 6-9 center stayed on his feet to easily block a
running layup attempt by 7-1 Marc Gasol(notes). Antonios Fotsis then hit a corner three
to put Greece up 38-37 two minutes into the half.
Greece built its lead to as much as 51-45 with 2:45 left in the third
quarter, but Spain scored six straight points to end the quarter.
The Greeks struggled to shoot over Spain?s zone in the last quarter, making
only seven of 18 field goal attempts.
And when they did get to the free throw line, the struggles didn?t end:
Greece missed nine of 16 free throw attempts in the game.
?We wanted to play zone because some matchups on the pick and roll were
giving up problems,? Scariolo said.
Spain will play Serbia on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Serbia beat
Croatia 73-72 earlier Saturday.
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add to facebook
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NFL Presents Players Union With Proposal for 18-Game Season
Filed under: NFL Labor NegotiationsWASHINGTON (AP) -- The current labor deal between the NFL and its players' union contains a provision that allows the league to increase the regular season to 18 games. As the sides try to negotiate a new contract, they are talking again about the possibility of making such a switch.
"An 18-game regular season is not uncharted territory," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Wednesday, referring to the 2006 collective bargaining agreement and noting that the CFL and USFL have played schedules of that length.
"The key," Aiello continued, "is to approach it the right way and work closely with our players and clubs to come up with a year-round football calendar that will be better for everyone, including the fans."
League owners and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell want to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18, and cut the preseason from four games to two. The NFL presented the NFL Players Association with its first detailed proposal covering that issue at a bargaining session in Washington on Tuesday.
More: Bill Polian Backtracks on 18-Game Season Comment
"An 18-game regular season is not uncharted territory," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Wednesday, referring to the 2006 collective bargaining agreement and noting that the CFL and USFL have played schedules of that length.
"The key," Aiello continued, "is to approach it the right way and work closely with our players and clubs to come up with a year-round football calendar that will be better for everyone, including the fans."
League owners and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell want to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18, and cut the preseason from four games to two. The NFL presented the NFL Players Association with its first detailed proposal covering that issue at a bargaining session in Washington on Tuesday.
More: Bill Polian Backtracks on 18-Game Season Comment
Ryder Cup 2010 Breakdown: 10 Questions and Answers for Success
Filed under: Ryder Cup
NEWPORT, Wales -- Welcome to Ryder Cup week, golf's answer to the Rubik's Cube. Lots of moving parts. So many possible twists and turns, none of them providing an indication of success or failure until the result is imminent.
When play begins Friday at Celtic Manor, the United States will be defending champs but significant underdogs. Despite an American victory two years ago at Valhalla GC in Louisville, Ky., the Europeans have won five of the past seven matches and the U.S. has not been victorious on foreign soil since 1993.
Now, the 38th renewal of the biannual competition is nearing and it's raining and cold.
In Wales?
Imagine that.
Elliott: Tiger's Lonely Ryder Cup | Captains Take Different Approach
More Ryder Cup: Players Banned From Twitter | Tiger Responds to McIlroy
When the first competitive shots are hit Friday morning in four-ball play, followed by afternoon foursome matches, the final results will be slightly more difficult to predict.
Nevertheless, the eventual answer to success should come from 10 pressing questions.
NEWPORT, Wales -- Welcome to Ryder Cup week, golf's answer to the Rubik's Cube. Lots of moving parts. So many possible twists and turns, none of them providing an indication of success or failure until the result is imminent.
When play begins Friday at Celtic Manor, the United States will be defending champs but significant underdogs. Despite an American victory two years ago at Valhalla GC in Louisville, Ky., the Europeans have won five of the past seven matches and the U.S. has not been victorious on foreign soil since 1993.
Now, the 38th renewal of the biannual competition is nearing and it's raining and cold.
In Wales?
Imagine that.
Elliott: Tiger's Lonely Ryder Cup | Captains Take Different Approach
More Ryder Cup: Players Banned From Twitter | Tiger Responds to McIlroy
When the first competitive shots are hit Friday morning in four-ball play, followed by afternoon foursome matches, the final results will be slightly more difficult to predict.
Nevertheless, the eventual answer to success should come from 10 pressing questions.
Bucks sign 2nd-round pick Hobson (AP)
MILWAUKEE (AP)?The Milwaukee Bucks have signed second-round draft pick
Darington Hobson(notes).
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound junior was taken 37th overall out of New Mexico in
this year?s draft.
Terms were not disclosed when the signing was announced Friday.
Hobson averaged 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists over three college
seasons, the first two at Eastern Utah. Last season at New Mexico, Hobson
averaged career-highs in rebounds (9.3) and assists (4.6) while scoring 15.9
points and shooting a career-best 36.1 percent from 3-point range (39-108).
Hobson was the Mountain West Conference?s Newcomer of the Year and Player of
the Year. He was also named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press.
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Darington Hobson(notes).
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound junior was taken 37th overall out of New Mexico in
this year?s draft.
Terms were not disclosed when the signing was announced Friday.
Hobson averaged 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists over three college
seasons, the first two at Eastern Utah. Last season at New Mexico, Hobson
averaged career-highs in rebounds (9.3) and assists (4.6) while scoring 15.9
points and shooting a career-best 36.1 percent from 3-point range (39-108).
Hobson was the Mountain West Conference?s Newcomer of the Year and Player of
the Year. He was also named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press.
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David Stern's Gag Order on Gilbert Arenas Kills Redemption
Filed under: Wizards, Sports Business and MediaWith folks engulfed in the soap operas involving Carmelo Anthony and Miami's Big Three, they've ignored the NBA shadows, where David Stern just used his iron fist as commissioner to give a black eye to one of the best ways to control knuckleheads.
It's called free speech. It's for the good of the country, but it's also splendid for the health of sports leagues.
As for the latter, in the aftermath of your league catching and punishing knuckleheads, you allow them to express themselves openly along the way to showing they finally get it -- or to giving you an early sign that you'd better get rid of them before they embarrass the league, their team and themselves by doing something crazier.
Instead, Stern muzzled Gilbert Arenas, among the kings of knuckleheads after his little gun situation last year.
To worsen matters, Stern also muzzled Arenas' coaches and bosses with the Washington Wizards. They were told by the commissioner, who swings those jabs and hooks when he wants to get his point across, that they aren't to discuss that little gun situation that got Arenas a 50-game suspension and a month's stay in a halfway house.
It's called free speech. It's for the good of the country, but it's also splendid for the health of sports leagues.
As for the latter, in the aftermath of your league catching and punishing knuckleheads, you allow them to express themselves openly along the way to showing they finally get it -- or to giving you an early sign that you'd better get rid of them before they embarrass the league, their team and themselves by doing something crazier.
Instead, Stern muzzled Gilbert Arenas, among the kings of knuckleheads after his little gun situation last year.
To worsen matters, Stern also muzzled Arenas' coaches and bosses with the Washington Wizards. They were told by the commissioner, who swings those jabs and hooks when he wants to get his point across, that they aren't to discuss that little gun situation that got Arenas a 50-game suspension and a month's stay in a halfway house.
Vick throws for two TDs as Eagles hold off Lions
DETROIT -- Michael Vick's second touchdown pass put the Philadelphia Eagles ahead just before halftime, and they had to hold on to beat the Lions 35-32 on Sunday. LeSean McCoy gave the Eagles (1-1) an 18-point lead with his third score with 6:17 left in the game. The Lions (0-2) rallied to pull within three points and recovered an onside kick with 1:50 left, but they turned the ball over on downs without gaining a yard. Vick started at quarterback for the first time since 2006. He missed two seasons while serving an 18-month sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation and played sparingly last season. Vick was 21-of-34 passing for 284 yards with two TDs, ran for 37 yards and avoided losses with spin moves and slick steps. Lions quarterback Shaun Hill was 25-of-45 passing for 335 yards with two TDs and two interceptions in place of injured starter Matthew Stafford.
Snowboard Bobby Brown Freestyle Skiing Ryan Dungey Motocross
Krstic helps Serbia beat Croatia 73-72 (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?Oklahoma City Thunder center Nenad Krstic(notes) had 16 points and
Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
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Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ryder Cup TV Schedule
Filed under: Ryder CupThe 2010 Ryder Cup will take place from Oct. 1 - Oct. 3 at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.
Below is the TV schedule for the competition (all times Eastern).
Friday, October 1
2:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. (ESPN, live)
Saturday, October 2
8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (NBC, tape delay)
Sunday, October 3
7 a.m. - 1 p.m. (NBC, live)
2010 Ryder Cup:
U.S. Roster | European Roster
Full Ryder Cup Coverage
Below is the TV schedule for the competition (all times Eastern).
Friday, October 1
2:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. (ESPN, live)
Saturday, October 2
8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (NBC, tape delay)
Sunday, October 3
7 a.m. - 1 p.m. (NBC, live)
2010 Ryder Cup:
U.S. Roster | European Roster
Full Ryder Cup Coverage
Paul Pierce Nate Robinson Steve Nash Chauncey Billups Kevin Durant
Notre Dame Will Be Back ... Eventually
Filed under: Notre Dame
The history of a college football program doesn't matter anymore. Sure, it's great to have tradition, and the size of a fan base matters when it comes to facilities, quality of groupies, stadium seating capacity, television contracts, cool apparel and other sundry details that don't have much to do with winning games. But in today's era of college football, history is history. If you have the right coach, you win. And if you have the wrong coach, you lose. Nothing else matters.
Notre Dame has been slow to grasp this reality. It has been too focused on Touchdown Jesus, the ambiance and aura of college football, winning one for the Gipper instead of winning every single one for a coach. Notre Dame's been too content to rely on Notre Dame and not aggressive enough to realize it needs a coach with a profile every bit as big as its school.
The result? Notre Dame hasn't won a BCS level bowl since, wait for it, 1992.
In the meantime, Notre Dame has traded the Four Horsemen for the Four Horsemen of the Coaching Apocalypse: Bob Davie, George O'Leary, Tyrone Willingham, and Charlie Weis. O'Leary, who never coached a game at the school, was the most successful of the four.
The history of a college football program doesn't matter anymore. Sure, it's great to have tradition, and the size of a fan base matters when it comes to facilities, quality of groupies, stadium seating capacity, television contracts, cool apparel and other sundry details that don't have much to do with winning games. But in today's era of college football, history is history. If you have the right coach, you win. And if you have the wrong coach, you lose. Nothing else matters.
Notre Dame has been slow to grasp this reality. It has been too focused on Touchdown Jesus, the ambiance and aura of college football, winning one for the Gipper instead of winning every single one for a coach. Notre Dame's been too content to rely on Notre Dame and not aggressive enough to realize it needs a coach with a profile every bit as big as its school.
The result? Notre Dame hasn't won a BCS level bowl since, wait for it, 1992.
In the meantime, Notre Dame has traded the Four Horsemen for the Four Horsemen of the Coaching Apocalypse: Bob Davie, George O'Leary, Tyrone Willingham, and Charlie Weis. O'Leary, who never coached a game at the school, was the most successful of the four.
Steelers lose QB Dixon to injury in win over Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin isn't sure who's going to play quarterback next for his Steelers. The way his defense is playing, it might not matter. Antonio Brown scored on an 89-yard kickoff return to open the game, and the Pittsburgh Steelers forced seven turnovers in defeating the Tennessee Titans 19-11 Sunday. This is the team that won't get Ben Roethlisberger back from suspension for two more games. Left tackle Max Starks is injured, Byron Leftwitch was cut to add depth on the defensive line and Dennis Dixon hurt his left knee early and didn't return. Tomlin said needs Dixon to undergo some tests. "I know it won't be me," Tomlin said of his starter at Tampa Bay. "I'm not good enough." Charlie Batch replaced Dixon, and Pittsburgh (2-0) was outgained 238-127 on offense. But the Steelers swarmed the Titans (1-1) to come up with four sacks and force the most turnovers by Tennessee since 2000. Jeff Reed kicked four field goals off those turnovers. The Titans even tried pulling Vince Young after his third turnover. Kerry Collins was intercepted to end his first series and had a fumble himself but nearly rallied the Titans anyway. "We've been playing pretty good," Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said. "There are some mistakes we've got to learn from. They were in the game still even with all the turnovers they had, so we still have to get better." Titans coach Jeff Fisher said he was looking for a spark and promised Young will start against the New York Giants next week. "That defense has created some very difficult opportunities for a number of quarterbacks in this league year after year after year, even the most veteran quarterbacks," Fisher said. "This is his first opportunity against them. He'll get more opportunities against this defense, I'm sure." Polamalu helped eat up the clock by leaping over the line and tackling Collins for a loss on first-and-goal. Collins did toss a 2-yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington two plays later, and he found Kenny Britt for the 2-point conversion to pull within 19-11 with 58 seconds left. After Colin Allred recovered the onside kick for the Titans, Bryant McFadden broke up Collins' pass to Washington in the end zone with 13 seconds left. After two straight false starts by the Titans, Collins tossed a short pass to Chris Johnson, who was tackled by Lawrence Timmons to seal the victory. "Our guys stayed together," receiver Hines Ward said. "We had a fourth-string quarterback out there playing. We were interchanging with our offensive line who were cramping up. We still find a way to win ballgames. We know we've got to get better offensively, but it's great to be 2-0." Pittsburgh snapped Johnson's 100-yard rushing streak at 12 straight. The NFL's rushing champ had a chance to move a game away from the league record of 14 held by Barry Sanders, but he finished with just 16 carries for 34 yards. An 85-yard touchdown was wiped away by a holding penalty. The Steelers did all of this without injured nose tackle Casey Hampton. James Harrison had three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another. The Steelers intercepted Young twice, sacked him twice and caused him to fumble once. Young was slammed to the ground awkwardly by Harrison, and Collins came in on the next series to loud cheers from the crowd. Pittsburgh led 7-3 with the Titans threatening to take the lead when Polamalu picked off Young in the end zone. LaMarr Woodley ended another drive with an interception at the Steelers 37. Timmons stripped Johnson of the ball just before halftime, and Harrison recovered to set up another field goal from Reed for a 13-3 halftime lead. The turnovers helped the Steelers hold the ball for more than 33 minutes to wear out Tennessee despite wearing their black jerseys with the temperature at kickoff at 87 degrees -- the hottest ever in the 90 games played at LP Field. Ward said he thought all the Steelers had fluids intravenously before the game and at halftime. "They put us in the black jersey thinking that was going to be a mental edge. For us, we fought through it," he said. Tennessee came in having won nine of 11 dating to last season. The Titans came up with four sacks and a turnover of their own. It just wasn't enough to overcome an offense that couldn't hold onto the ball. Tennessee had its most turnovers since also committing seven against Cleveland 10 years ago. "The turnovers are what killed us, and even with all the turnovers, the defense still had our back, and played well for us and gave us a chance to win," tight end Bo Scaife said. Brown was the Steelers receiver who imitated Johnson in practice all week, and the rookie showed he could do more than just provide a good look. He took a handoff from Mewelde Moore on a reverse and went to his right untouched on his kickoff return for the 7-0 lead to stun the sold-out crowd. Then Stevenson Sylvester stripped Titans rookie Marc Mariani of the ball after a 33-yard return. Notes: Pittsburgh now is 14-3 in September against the Titans since 1970. ... It was Polamalu's 22nd interception of his career. He also had one last week. ... The Steelers hadn't won in Nashville since Nov. 25, 2001. ... The Steelers came into this game with an NFL-least 825 points allowed since the start of the 2007 season. ... Johnson has yet to reach 100 yards rushing in three games against Pittsburgh. Johnson had averaged 145.6 yards in his previous seven home games. Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
Chicago Blackhawks Phil Jackson Charles Woodson Shaq Derek Jeter
Magic GM: Orlando's Depth Will Top Miami's Star Power
Filed under: Heat, MagicORLANDO, Fla. -- More than any other team in the NBA, the Orlando Magic will spend this season lost in the shadow of the Miami Heat.
And they aren't going to like it.
After winning the Southeast Division the last three years, reaching the conference final the last two, and expecting continued improvement this season, the Magic suddenly find themselves invisible when standing next to their ubiquitous, in-state rivals, the most celebrated non-championship team in league history.
"I got tired of the Heat as soon as LeBron James announced he was going to Miami,'' scoffed Magic center Dwight Howard Monday.
It may have been the eve of the Magic's training camp -- held in their sparkling new downtown arena -- but all anyone asked about during media day was the omnipresent Miami Heat.
And that got old real quick.
And they aren't going to like it.
After winning the Southeast Division the last three years, reaching the conference final the last two, and expecting continued improvement this season, the Magic suddenly find themselves invisible when standing next to their ubiquitous, in-state rivals, the most celebrated non-championship team in league history.
"I got tired of the Heat as soon as LeBron James announced he was going to Miami,'' scoffed Magic center Dwight Howard Monday.
It may have been the eve of the Magic's training camp -- held in their sparkling new downtown arena -- but all anyone asked about during media day was the omnipresent Miami Heat.
And that got old real quick.
Magic GM: Orlando's Depth Will Top Miami's Star Power
Filed under: Heat, MagicORLANDO, Fla. -- More than any other team in the NBA, the Orlando Magic will spend this season lost in the shadow of the Miami Heat.
And they aren't going to like it.
After winning the Southeast Division the last three years, reaching the conference final the last two, and expecting continued improvement this season, the Magic suddenly find themselves invisible when standing next to their ubiquitous, in-state rivals, the most celebrated non-championship team in league history.
"I got tired of the Heat as soon as LeBron James announced he was going to Miami,'' scoffed Magic center Dwight Howard Monday.
It may have been the eve of the Magic's training camp -- held in their sparkling new downtown arena -- but all anyone asked about during media day was the omnipresent Miami Heat.
And that got old real quick.
And they aren't going to like it.
After winning the Southeast Division the last three years, reaching the conference final the last two, and expecting continued improvement this season, the Magic suddenly find themselves invisible when standing next to their ubiquitous, in-state rivals, the most celebrated non-championship team in league history.
"I got tired of the Heat as soon as LeBron James announced he was going to Miami,'' scoffed Magic center Dwight Howard Monday.
It may have been the eve of the Magic's training camp -- held in their sparkling new downtown arena -- but all anyone asked about during media day was the omnipresent Miami Heat.
And that got old real quick.
Eric Berry Tim Tebow Kyle Orton Demaryius Thomas Ndamukong Suh
Carmelo Anthony Denies Asking for Trade, Still Pondering Extension
Filed under: Bobcats, Jazz, Nets, Nuggets, NBA RumorsDENVER -- Carmelo Anthony claims nothing has changed since the start of the summer, a time when there wasn't rampant speculation he is about to leave the only NBA team he ever has known.
While leaving the Pepsi Center on Monday afternoon after having addressed reporters during media day, the Denver star forward said he feels the same way he did when he talked June 6 with FanHouse about how he wouldn't rush into deciding whether or not to sign a three-year, $64.7 million extension with the Nuggets.
"I'm taking my time,'' Anthony said in Monday's brief interview with FanHouse.
Asked if anything has changed since he said the night of Game 2 of the NBA Finals he might wait until after the season starts or even right up until the June 30, 2011 extension deadline to make up his mind, Anthony said, "No.''
Asked then if all the rumors surrounding Anthony about to dealt imminently are bothering him, Anthony said, "I'm just living, man.''
While leaving the Pepsi Center on Monday afternoon after having addressed reporters during media day, the Denver star forward said he feels the same way he did when he talked June 6 with FanHouse about how he wouldn't rush into deciding whether or not to sign a three-year, $64.7 million extension with the Nuggets.
"I'm taking my time,'' Anthony said in Monday's brief interview with FanHouse.
Asked if anything has changed since he said the night of Game 2 of the NBA Finals he might wait until after the season starts or even right up until the June 30, 2011 extension deadline to make up his mind, Anthony said, "No.''
Asked then if all the rumors surrounding Anthony about to dealt imminently are bothering him, Anthony said, "I'm just living, man.''
Steelers lose QB Dixon to injury in win over Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin isn't sure who's going to play quarterback next for his Steelers. The way his defense is playing, it might not matter. Antonio Brown scored on an 89-yard kickoff return to open the game, and the Pittsburgh Steelers forced seven turnovers in defeating the Tennessee Titans 19-11 Sunday. This is the team that won't get Ben Roethlisberger back from suspension for two more games. Left tackle Max Starks is injured, Byron Leftwitch was cut to add depth on the defensive line and Dennis Dixon hurt his left knee early and didn't return. Tomlin said needs Dixon to undergo some tests. "I know it won't be me," Tomlin said of his starter at Tampa Bay. "I'm not good enough." Charlie Batch replaced Dixon, and Pittsburgh (2-0) was outgained 238-127 on offense. But the Steelers swarmed the Titans (1-1) to come up with four sacks and force the most turnovers by Tennessee since 2000. Jeff Reed kicked four field goals off those turnovers. The Titans even tried pulling Vince Young after his third turnover. Kerry Collins was intercepted to end his first series and had a fumble himself but nearly rallied the Titans anyway. "We've been playing pretty good," Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said. "There are some mistakes we've got to learn from. They were in the game still even with all the turnovers they had, so we still have to get better." Titans coach Jeff Fisher said he was looking for a spark and promised Young will start against the New York Giants next week. "That defense has created some very difficult opportunities for a number of quarterbacks in this league year after year after year, even the most veteran quarterbacks," Fisher said. "This is his first opportunity against them. He'll get more opportunities against this defense, I'm sure." Polamalu helped eat up the clock by leaping over the line and tackling Collins for a loss on first-and-goal. Collins did toss a 2-yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington two plays later, and he found Kenny Britt for the 2-point conversion to pull within 19-11 with 58 seconds left. After Colin Allred recovered the onside kick for the Titans, Bryant McFadden broke up Collins' pass to Washington in the end zone with 13 seconds left. After two straight false starts by the Titans, Collins tossed a short pass to Chris Johnson, who was tackled by Lawrence Timmons to seal the victory. "Our guys stayed together," receiver Hines Ward said. "We had a fourth-string quarterback out there playing. We were interchanging with our offensive line who were cramping up. We still find a way to win ballgames. We know we've got to get better offensively, but it's great to be 2-0." Pittsburgh snapped Johnson's 100-yard rushing streak at 12 straight. The NFL's rushing champ had a chance to move a game away from the league record of 14 held by Barry Sanders, but he finished with just 16 carries for 34 yards. An 85-yard touchdown was wiped away by a holding penalty. The Steelers did all of this without injured nose tackle Casey Hampton. James Harrison had three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another. The Steelers intercepted Young twice, sacked him twice and caused him to fumble once. Young was slammed to the ground awkwardly by Harrison, and Collins came in on the next series to loud cheers from the crowd. Pittsburgh led 7-3 with the Titans threatening to take the lead when Polamalu picked off Young in the end zone. LaMarr Woodley ended another drive with an interception at the Steelers 37. Timmons stripped Johnson of the ball just before halftime, and Harrison recovered to set up another field goal from Reed for a 13-3 halftime lead. The turnovers helped the Steelers hold the ball for more than 33 minutes to wear out Tennessee despite wearing their black jerseys with the temperature at kickoff at 87 degrees -- the hottest ever in the 90 games played at LP Field. Ward said he thought all the Steelers had fluids intravenously before the game and at halftime. "They put us in the black jersey thinking that was going to be a mental edge. For us, we fought through it," he said. Tennessee came in having won nine of 11 dating to last season. The Titans came up with four sacks and a turnover of their own. It just wasn't enough to overcome an offense that couldn't hold onto the ball. Tennessee had its most turnovers since also committing seven against Cleveland 10 years ago. "The turnovers are what killed us, and even with all the turnovers, the defense still had our back, and played well for us and gave us a chance to win," tight end Bo Scaife said. Brown was the Steelers receiver who imitated Johnson in practice all week, and the rookie showed he could do more than just provide a good look. He took a handoff from Mewelde Moore on a reverse and went to his right untouched on his kickoff return for the 7-0 lead to stun the sold-out crowd. Then Stevenson Sylvester stripped Titans rookie Marc Mariani of the ball after a 33-yard return. Notes: Pittsburgh now is 14-3 in September against the Titans since 1970. ... It was Polamalu's 22nd interception of his career. He also had one last week. ... The Steelers hadn't won in Nashville since Nov. 25, 2001. ... The Steelers came into this game with an NFL-least 825 points allowed since the start of the 2007 season. ... Johnson has yet to reach 100 yards rushing in three games against Pittsburgh. Johnson had averaged 145.6 yards in his previous seven home games. Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
players association David Stern Cliff Lee Shaun Rogers Michael Vick
Fernandez gets Spain into quarters (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?Juan Carlos Navarro(notes) scored 22 points for Spain in an 80-72
victory that eliminated Greece from the basketball world championships Saturday.
The Spaniards made 8 of 18 3-pointers and used a 13-3 run in the fourth
quarter to push ahead during the game in the round of 16.
Greece closed within 72-68 on Vasileios Spanoulis? layup with 1:01 left in
the game, but Ricky Rubio(notes) answered with two free throws.
?It was very a tough game for us,? Rubio said of a game which drew 15,000
to Sinan Erdem Dome. ?Obviously it was not easy. We have faced some similar
problems before with teams like Lithuania because they play very physically and
tough.?
Rudy Fernandez(notes) of the Portland Trailblazers scored 14 for Spain.
Dimitrios Dimantidis and Nikolaos Zisis each had 16 points for the Greeks,
which has lost to Spain seven straight times. Sofoklis Schortsanitis added 13
points.
Spain built a 37-31 going into halftime as Greece missed all three of its
3-point attempts.
?We had trouble attacking their zone,? Greek coach Jonas Kazlauskas said.
?Our shooting from outside was not strong enough to beat a team like Spain.?
In the second half, Greece made seven of 20 3-point attempts.
Still, Greece opened the second half with a 7-0 run keyed by turnovers
caused by Schortsanitis, who finished with 13 points.
First, the Greek center ripped the ball from guard Spanish guard Juan Carlos
Navarro.
After a jumper by Zisis, the 6-9 center stayed on his feet to easily block a
running layup attempt by 7-1 Marc Gasol(notes). Antonios Fotsis then hit a corner three
to put Greece up 38-37 two minutes into the half.
Greece built its lead to as much as 51-45 with 2:45 left in the third
quarter, but Spain scored six straight points to end the quarter.
The Greeks struggled to shoot over Spain?s zone in the last quarter, making
only seven of 18 field goal attempts.
And when they did get to the free throw line, the struggles didn?t end:
Greece missed nine of 16 free throw attempts in the game.
?We wanted to play zone because some matchups on the pick and roll were
giving up problems,? Scariolo said.
Spain will play Serbia on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Serbia beat
Croatia 73-72 earlier Saturday.
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victory that eliminated Greece from the basketball world championships Saturday.
The Spaniards made 8 of 18 3-pointers and used a 13-3 run in the fourth
quarter to push ahead during the game in the round of 16.
Greece closed within 72-68 on Vasileios Spanoulis? layup with 1:01 left in
the game, but Ricky Rubio(notes) answered with two free throws.
?It was very a tough game for us,? Rubio said of a game which drew 15,000
to Sinan Erdem Dome. ?Obviously it was not easy. We have faced some similar
problems before with teams like Lithuania because they play very physically and
tough.?
Rudy Fernandez(notes) of the Portland Trailblazers scored 14 for Spain.
Dimitrios Dimantidis and Nikolaos Zisis each had 16 points for the Greeks,
which has lost to Spain seven straight times. Sofoklis Schortsanitis added 13
points.
Spain built a 37-31 going into halftime as Greece missed all three of its
3-point attempts.
?We had trouble attacking their zone,? Greek coach Jonas Kazlauskas said.
?Our shooting from outside was not strong enough to beat a team like Spain.?
In the second half, Greece made seven of 20 3-point attempts.
Still, Greece opened the second half with a 7-0 run keyed by turnovers
caused by Schortsanitis, who finished with 13 points.
First, the Greek center ripped the ball from guard Spanish guard Juan Carlos
Navarro.
After a jumper by Zisis, the 6-9 center stayed on his feet to easily block a
running layup attempt by 7-1 Marc Gasol(notes). Antonios Fotsis then hit a corner three
to put Greece up 38-37 two minutes into the half.
Greece built its lead to as much as 51-45 with 2:45 left in the third
quarter, but Spain scored six straight points to end the quarter.
The Greeks struggled to shoot over Spain?s zone in the last quarter, making
only seven of 18 field goal attempts.
And when they did get to the free throw line, the struggles didn?t end:
Greece missed nine of 16 free throw attempts in the game.
?We wanted to play zone because some matchups on the pick and roll were
giving up problems,? Scariolo said.
Spain will play Serbia on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Serbia beat
Croatia 73-72 earlier Saturday.
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Monday, September 27, 2010
Kenny McKinley's Remembered at Funeral as 'Kid That Made Us All Better'
Filed under: Broncos
AUSTELL, Ga. - Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was remembered Monday as a model teammate with a body-shaking laugh that could provide much-needed breaks from locker room tension.
Family, teammates and coaches were among several hundred people who gathered at a suburban Atlanta church for the 23-year-old's funeral.
McKinley died last week at his home near Broncos headquarters in Denver. Authorities believe he shot himself in the head because he was depressed after his second straight season-ending knee surgery.
Linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who's also from Georgia, was among several Broncos teammates who flew back for the service. He said McKinley came into the locker room and "taught 61 men how to laugh every day."
"If we ever had a hard moment, we always depended on Kenny to make us laugh," he said.
AUSTELL, Ga. - Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was remembered Monday as a model teammate with a body-shaking laugh that could provide much-needed breaks from locker room tension.
Family, teammates and coaches were among several hundred people who gathered at a suburban Atlanta church for the 23-year-old's funeral.
McKinley died last week at his home near Broncos headquarters in Denver. Authorities believe he shot himself in the head because he was depressed after his second straight season-ending knee surgery.
Linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who's also from Georgia, was among several Broncos teammates who flew back for the service. He said McKinley came into the locker room and "taught 61 men how to laugh every day."
"If we ever had a hard moment, we always depended on Kenny to make us laugh," he said.
Eric Berry Tim Tebow Kyle Orton Demaryius Thomas Ndamukong Suh
Anthony Cesario, Former Miami Dolphin, Dead at 34
Filed under: Dolphins, JaguarsAnthony Cesario, a former Miami Dolphin and All-American offensive guard at Colorado State, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack near Steamboat Springs, Colo., the Denver Post reported on Monday. He was 34.
Cesario, a three-year starter at CSU who had shorts stints with the Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars, recently had a pacemaker implanted.
"It's ironic he died of a heart attack. He had the biggest heart of anyone I ever knew," Cesario's NFL agent, Pete Schaffer, told the Post.
Cesario had been a fixture at CSU long after his playing days with the Rams were over. He was alongside former CSU coach Sonny Lubick's son, Marc, as he battled cancer a few years back.
"I don't think there are very many people in our football program or in our building that did not know Anthony Cesario," said CSU football coach Steve Fairchild, a Rams offensive coordinator during Cesario's junior and senior years, said in a statement.
"Our most sincere condolences go out to his parents, Anthony and Sylvia, and the rest of their family."
Cesario, a three-year starter at CSU who had shorts stints with the Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars, recently had a pacemaker implanted.
"It's ironic he died of a heart attack. He had the biggest heart of anyone I ever knew," Cesario's NFL agent, Pete Schaffer, told the Post.
Cesario had been a fixture at CSU long after his playing days with the Rams were over. He was alongside former CSU coach Sonny Lubick's son, Marc, as he battled cancer a few years back.
"I don't think there are very many people in our football program or in our building that did not know Anthony Cesario," said CSU football coach Steve Fairchild, a Rams offensive coordinator during Cesario's junior and senior years, said in a statement.
"Our most sincere condolences go out to his parents, Anthony and Sylvia, and the rest of their family."
Krstic helps Serbia beat Croatia 73-72 (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?Oklahoma City Thunder center Nenad Krstic(notes) had 16 points and
Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
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Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
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NFL record Chicago Blackhawks Phil Jackson Charles Woodson Shaq
US practices, expects to look sharper (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?After one lackluster victory during pool play, Mike
Krzyzewski encountered some feistier competition in his news conference than the
U.S. faced on the court.
?Why didn?t the USA score more?? one reporter asked.
?Why isn?t the team practicing?? questioned another.
Maybe the two issues were related.
The Americans finally got into the gym for practice Saturday, the first step
in what they believe will be cleaner play during the elimination round of
basketball?s world championship.
?We haven?t played as consistent in the preliminaries as we wanted to for
the most part, but I think this practice helps us get our execution and timing
back and our aggression on defense,? guard Stephen Curry(notes) said. ?So I like
where we?re at going into Monday.?
The U.S. will play Angola that night in the round of 16, which began
Saturday with Serbia ousting Croatia 73-72 and Spain eliminating Greece 80-72.
The Americans earned some extra time off by winning Group B with a 5-0 record.
Krzyzewski said the practice Saturday was the Americans? first since Aug.
27, the day before the tournament started. They then had games on three straight
nights, opted not to practice on the group?s off day before closing with games
on consecutive days.
The players were given a day off Friday, with Krzyzewski saying ?they
needed to just get away from everything? before finally having what he called a
hard practice Saturday. They?ll work out again Sunday.
?Somebody said, ?Well, why aren?t you practicing?? Well, we?re playing
games,? Krzyzewski said. ?And that?s just the nature of international
tournaments, how they bunch everything up at one time and all of a sudden you?ve
got time. But hopefully it?ll be productive time for us.?
Forward Rudy Gay(notes) of the Memphis Grizzlies took part in the entire practice
after sitting out the second half of the Americans? 92-57 victory over Tunisia
on Thursday with a sore right groin.
That was just a four-point game early in the third quarter after a sluggish
first half by the U.S. The Americans weren?t impressive in the 88-51 victory
over Iran that preceded that, but they believe the lack of sharpness was because
they were playing overmatched opponents in games that didn?t matter to their
seeding.
?These practices are going to really help us, because we really didn?t have
any practice time in those games,? forward Kevin Durant(notes) said. ?None of those
games, actually.?
Krzyzewski had warned that teams can have slippage when just playing games
and not practicing, so the players welcomed the chance to work, even in the
steamy gym belonging to a Turkish club team.
?You can get better in the games, but when you have time to break down
plays, run repetitions, just compete against each other, I think it definitely
will get us excited and prepared for the next four games,? Curry said.
Four games would mean the Americans would be playing next Sunday for the
gold medal, and they have a draw that gives them a chance. They should be
heavily favored against Angola and the Russia-New Zealand winner before they
would likely face either unbeaten Lithuania, Argentina or Brazil, which the U.S.
beat 70-68 in pool play.
?It?s not so much about who we play, it?s about how we play,? USA
Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. ?And if we take care of our business
and we improve the way we feel we need to improve in those certain areas, then
we?re going to be fine. Do we win it? Time will tell. I think we have a great
shot. I said that from the beginning and I believe it even more so now.?
Krzyzewski said he expected Angola to attack on offense, and that?s probably
what the Americans need to bring out their best. They knew they were going to
beat Iran and Tunisia no matter what, so they rarely even pressed and didn?t use
normal rotation patterns, not interested in embarrassing their opponents.
?They?ll do better in a game where they know they can lose than in a game
where you know pretty much, those last two, they?re not going to lose those
games,? Krzyzewski said.
Unlike his NBA players, who play best-of-seven series in the postseason,
Krzyzewski is used to playing games in a single elimination format from coaching
in college?s NCAA tournament. So he knows the consistent play that often was
absent in the last round must arrive right from the start of this one.
?We need to play really well and get into the mood for this week, that
one-and-done mood,? he said.
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Twitter
Krzyzewski encountered some feistier competition in his news conference than the
U.S. faced on the court.
?Why didn?t the USA score more?? one reporter asked.
?Why isn?t the team practicing?? questioned another.
Maybe the two issues were related.
The Americans finally got into the gym for practice Saturday, the first step
in what they believe will be cleaner play during the elimination round of
basketball?s world championship.
?We haven?t played as consistent in the preliminaries as we wanted to for
the most part, but I think this practice helps us get our execution and timing
back and our aggression on defense,? guard Stephen Curry(notes) said. ?So I like
where we?re at going into Monday.?
The U.S. will play Angola that night in the round of 16, which began
Saturday with Serbia ousting Croatia 73-72 and Spain eliminating Greece 80-72.
The Americans earned some extra time off by winning Group B with a 5-0 record.
Krzyzewski said the practice Saturday was the Americans? first since Aug.
27, the day before the tournament started. They then had games on three straight
nights, opted not to practice on the group?s off day before closing with games
on consecutive days.
The players were given a day off Friday, with Krzyzewski saying ?they
needed to just get away from everything? before finally having what he called a
hard practice Saturday. They?ll work out again Sunday.
?Somebody said, ?Well, why aren?t you practicing?? Well, we?re playing
games,? Krzyzewski said. ?And that?s just the nature of international
tournaments, how they bunch everything up at one time and all of a sudden you?ve
got time. But hopefully it?ll be productive time for us.?
Forward Rudy Gay(notes) of the Memphis Grizzlies took part in the entire practice
after sitting out the second half of the Americans? 92-57 victory over Tunisia
on Thursday with a sore right groin.
That was just a four-point game early in the third quarter after a sluggish
first half by the U.S. The Americans weren?t impressive in the 88-51 victory
over Iran that preceded that, but they believe the lack of sharpness was because
they were playing overmatched opponents in games that didn?t matter to their
seeding.
?These practices are going to really help us, because we really didn?t have
any practice time in those games,? forward Kevin Durant(notes) said. ?None of those
games, actually.?
Krzyzewski had warned that teams can have slippage when just playing games
and not practicing, so the players welcomed the chance to work, even in the
steamy gym belonging to a Turkish club team.
?You can get better in the games, but when you have time to break down
plays, run repetitions, just compete against each other, I think it definitely
will get us excited and prepared for the next four games,? Curry said.
Four games would mean the Americans would be playing next Sunday for the
gold medal, and they have a draw that gives them a chance. They should be
heavily favored against Angola and the Russia-New Zealand winner before they
would likely face either unbeaten Lithuania, Argentina or Brazil, which the U.S.
beat 70-68 in pool play.
?It?s not so much about who we play, it?s about how we play,? USA
Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. ?And if we take care of our business
and we improve the way we feel we need to improve in those certain areas, then
we?re going to be fine. Do we win it? Time will tell. I think we have a great
shot. I said that from the beginning and I believe it even more so now.?
Krzyzewski said he expected Angola to attack on offense, and that?s probably
what the Americans need to bring out their best. They knew they were going to
beat Iran and Tunisia no matter what, so they rarely even pressed and didn?t use
normal rotation patterns, not interested in embarrassing their opponents.
?They?ll do better in a game where they know they can lose than in a game
where you know pretty much, those last two, they?re not going to lose those
games,? Krzyzewski said.
Unlike his NBA players, who play best-of-seven series in the postseason,
Krzyzewski is used to playing games in a single elimination format from coaching
in college?s NCAA tournament. So he knows the consistent play that often was
absent in the last round must arrive right from the start of this one.
?We need to play really well and get into the mood for this week, that
one-and-done mood,? he said.
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Donovan McNabb players association David Stern Cliff Lee Shaun Rogers
Reid: Kolb, not Vick, will be Eagles' starting QB in next game
Michael Vick is 1-0 as the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback, but coach Andy Reid is ready to give Kevin Kolb his job back. Reid said Sunday after the Eagles' 35-32 victory over the Detroit�Lions that Kolb will be the starter in next week's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Kolb passed concussion tests given by the Eagles and an independent doctor and can practice this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday. Kolb sustained the concussion during last week's season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers, clearing the way for Vick to play against the Lions, his first NFL start since 2006. Vick was with the Atlanta Falcons at that time, then missed the 2007 and 2008 seasons while imprisoned on federal dogfighting charges. Vick was 21-of-34 passing for 284 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions. He also ran for 37 yards on seven carries. Linebacker Stewart Bradley also passed the concussion tests and can practice this week. Reid said Bradley would start next week, too.
Kolb passed concussion tests given by the Eagles and an independent doctor and can practice this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday. Kolb sustained the concussion during last week's season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers, clearing the way for Vick to play against the Lions, his first NFL start since 2006. Vick was with the Atlanta Falcons at that time, then missed the 2007 and 2008 seasons while imprisoned on federal dogfighting charges. Vick was 21-of-34 passing for 284 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions. He also ran for 37 yards on seven carries. Linebacker Stewart Bradley also passed the concussion tests and can practice this week. Reid said Bradley would start next week, too.
Krstic helps Serbia beat Croatia 73-72 (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?Oklahoma City Thunder center Nenad Krstic(notes) had 16 points and
Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
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Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
digg
add to facebook
del.icio.us
players association David Stern Cliff Lee Shaun Rogers Michael Vick
US practices, expects to look sharper (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?After one lackluster victory during pool play, Mike
Krzyzewski encountered some feistier competition in his news conference than the
U.S. faced on the court.
?Why didn?t the USA score more?? one reporter asked.
?Why isn?t the team practicing?? questioned another.
Maybe the two issues were related.
The Americans finally got into the gym for practice Saturday, the first step
in what they believe will be cleaner play during the elimination round of
basketball?s world championship.
?We haven?t played as consistent in the preliminaries as we wanted to for
the most part, but I think this practice helps us get our execution and timing
back and our aggression on defense,? guard Stephen Curry(notes) said. ?So I like
where we?re at going into Monday.?
The U.S. will play Angola that night in the round of 16, which began
Saturday with Serbia ousting Croatia 73-72 and Spain eliminating Greece 80-72.
The Americans earned some extra time off by winning Group B with a 5-0 record.
Krzyzewski said the practice Saturday was the Americans? first since Aug.
27, the day before the tournament started. They then had games on three straight
nights, opted not to practice on the group?s off day before closing with games
on consecutive days.
The players were given a day off Friday, with Krzyzewski saying ?they
needed to just get away from everything? before finally having what he called a
hard practice Saturday. They?ll work out again Sunday.
?Somebody said, ?Well, why aren?t you practicing?? Well, we?re playing
games,? Krzyzewski said. ?And that?s just the nature of international
tournaments, how they bunch everything up at one time and all of a sudden you?ve
got time. But hopefully it?ll be productive time for us.?
Forward Rudy Gay(notes) of the Memphis Grizzlies took part in the entire practice
after sitting out the second half of the Americans? 92-57 victory over Tunisia
on Thursday with a sore right groin.
That was just a four-point game early in the third quarter after a sluggish
first half by the U.S. The Americans weren?t impressive in the 88-51 victory
over Iran that preceded that, but they believe the lack of sharpness was because
they were playing overmatched opponents in games that didn?t matter to their
seeding.
?These practices are going to really help us, because we really didn?t have
any practice time in those games,? forward Kevin Durant(notes) said. ?None of those
games, actually.?
Krzyzewski had warned that teams can have slippage when just playing games
and not practicing, so the players welcomed the chance to work, even in the
steamy gym belonging to a Turkish club team.
?You can get better in the games, but when you have time to break down
plays, run repetitions, just compete against each other, I think it definitely
will get us excited and prepared for the next four games,? Curry said.
Four games would mean the Americans would be playing next Sunday for the
gold medal, and they have a draw that gives them a chance. They should be
heavily favored against Angola and the Russia-New Zealand winner before they
would likely face either unbeaten Lithuania, Argentina or Brazil, which the U.S.
beat 70-68 in pool play.
?It?s not so much about who we play, it?s about how we play,? USA
Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. ?And if we take care of our business
and we improve the way we feel we need to improve in those certain areas, then
we?re going to be fine. Do we win it? Time will tell. I think we have a great
shot. I said that from the beginning and I believe it even more so now.?
Krzyzewski said he expected Angola to attack on offense, and that?s probably
what the Americans need to bring out their best. They knew they were going to
beat Iran and Tunisia no matter what, so they rarely even pressed and didn?t use
normal rotation patterns, not interested in embarrassing their opponents.
?They?ll do better in a game where they know they can lose than in a game
where you know pretty much, those last two, they?re not going to lose those
games,? Krzyzewski said.
Unlike his NBA players, who play best-of-seven series in the postseason,
Krzyzewski is used to playing games in a single elimination format from coaching
in college?s NCAA tournament. So he knows the consistent play that often was
absent in the last round must arrive right from the start of this one.
?We need to play really well and get into the mood for this week, that
one-and-done mood,? he said.
digg
add to facebook
del.icio.us
Twitter
Krzyzewski encountered some feistier competition in his news conference than the
U.S. faced on the court.
?Why didn?t the USA score more?? one reporter asked.
?Why isn?t the team practicing?? questioned another.
Maybe the two issues were related.
The Americans finally got into the gym for practice Saturday, the first step
in what they believe will be cleaner play during the elimination round of
basketball?s world championship.
?We haven?t played as consistent in the preliminaries as we wanted to for
the most part, but I think this practice helps us get our execution and timing
back and our aggression on defense,? guard Stephen Curry(notes) said. ?So I like
where we?re at going into Monday.?
The U.S. will play Angola that night in the round of 16, which began
Saturday with Serbia ousting Croatia 73-72 and Spain eliminating Greece 80-72.
The Americans earned some extra time off by winning Group B with a 5-0 record.
Krzyzewski said the practice Saturday was the Americans? first since Aug.
27, the day before the tournament started. They then had games on three straight
nights, opted not to practice on the group?s off day before closing with games
on consecutive days.
The players were given a day off Friday, with Krzyzewski saying ?they
needed to just get away from everything? before finally having what he called a
hard practice Saturday. They?ll work out again Sunday.
?Somebody said, ?Well, why aren?t you practicing?? Well, we?re playing
games,? Krzyzewski said. ?And that?s just the nature of international
tournaments, how they bunch everything up at one time and all of a sudden you?ve
got time. But hopefully it?ll be productive time for us.?
Forward Rudy Gay(notes) of the Memphis Grizzlies took part in the entire practice
after sitting out the second half of the Americans? 92-57 victory over Tunisia
on Thursday with a sore right groin.
That was just a four-point game early in the third quarter after a sluggish
first half by the U.S. The Americans weren?t impressive in the 88-51 victory
over Iran that preceded that, but they believe the lack of sharpness was because
they were playing overmatched opponents in games that didn?t matter to their
seeding.
?These practices are going to really help us, because we really didn?t have
any practice time in those games,? forward Kevin Durant(notes) said. ?None of those
games, actually.?
Krzyzewski had warned that teams can have slippage when just playing games
and not practicing, so the players welcomed the chance to work, even in the
steamy gym belonging to a Turkish club team.
?You can get better in the games, but when you have time to break down
plays, run repetitions, just compete against each other, I think it definitely
will get us excited and prepared for the next four games,? Curry said.
Four games would mean the Americans would be playing next Sunday for the
gold medal, and they have a draw that gives them a chance. They should be
heavily favored against Angola and the Russia-New Zealand winner before they
would likely face either unbeaten Lithuania, Argentina or Brazil, which the U.S.
beat 70-68 in pool play.
?It?s not so much about who we play, it?s about how we play,? USA
Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. ?And if we take care of our business
and we improve the way we feel we need to improve in those certain areas, then
we?re going to be fine. Do we win it? Time will tell. I think we have a great
shot. I said that from the beginning and I believe it even more so now.?
Krzyzewski said he expected Angola to attack on offense, and that?s probably
what the Americans need to bring out their best. They knew they were going to
beat Iran and Tunisia no matter what, so they rarely even pressed and didn?t use
normal rotation patterns, not interested in embarrassing their opponents.
?They?ll do better in a game where they know they can lose than in a game
where you know pretty much, those last two, they?re not going to lose those
games,? Krzyzewski said.
Unlike his NBA players, who play best-of-seven series in the postseason,
Krzyzewski is used to playing games in a single elimination format from coaching
in college?s NCAA tournament. So he knows the consistent play that often was
absent in the last round must arrive right from the start of this one.
?We need to play really well and get into the mood for this week, that
one-and-done mood,? he said.
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Drew Brees Payton Manning Tom Brady Chad Ochocinco Donovan McNabb
Favre's four turnovers send Vikings to 0-2
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Miami Dolphins intercepted three Brett Favre passes and stopped Adrian Peterson on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line to preserve a 14-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Koa Misi also recovered Favre's fumble in the end zone for one of Miami's two touchdowns, and Brian Hartline scored the other on a 5-yard pass from Chad Henne to keep the Dolphins (2-0) undefeated. Favre had his worst day as a Viking, going 19-of-28 passing for 197 yards with four turnovers. He threw two interceptions at home all of last season, but he topped that total in the home opener. Peterson rushed for 145 yards and one touchdown for the Vikings (0-2), who forced two fumbles of their own in a mistake-filled game. The Vikings had a final possession with 1:42 to go, but Favre's fourth-down pass to Visanthe Shiancoe fell incomplete.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Danny Woodhead Makes Impact in Patriots Debut
Filed under: Bills, Jets, PatriotsThe Jets waived Danny Woodhead on Sept. 14. Less than two weeks later, Woodhead was busy helping the Patriots, New York's arch-rival in the fiercely competitive AFC East, rally past Buffalo for a Week 3 win.
Woodhead scored on a key 22-yard run in the second quarter Sunday, turning a 13-7 Patriots deficit into a 14-13 lead. All told, he rushed three times for 42 yards in New England's 38-30 victory.
Woodhead signed with the Patriots on Sept. 18, one day before New England lost to the Jets -- the running back was inactive for that game. But with Kevin Faulk lost to the season due to an ACL injury, the Patriots opted to utilize the versatile Woodhead against Buffalo. Woodhead made that decision pay off with his first career touchdown.
Woodhead scored on a key 22-yard run in the second quarter Sunday, turning a 13-7 Patriots deficit into a 14-13 lead. All told, he rushed three times for 42 yards in New England's 38-30 victory.
Woodhead signed with the Patriots on Sept. 18, one day before New England lost to the Jets -- the running back was inactive for that game. But with Kevin Faulk lost to the season due to an ACL injury, the Patriots opted to utilize the versatile Woodhead against Buffalo. Woodhead made that decision pay off with his first career touchdown.
NFL record Chicago Blackhawks Phil Jackson Charles Woodson Shaq
Bucks sign 2nd-round pick Hobson (AP)
MILWAUKEE (AP)?The Milwaukee Bucks have signed second-round draft pick
Darington Hobson(notes).
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound junior was taken 37th overall out of New Mexico in
this year?s draft.
Terms were not disclosed when the signing was announced Friday.
Hobson averaged 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists over three college
seasons, the first two at Eastern Utah. Last season at New Mexico, Hobson
averaged career-highs in rebounds (9.3) and assists (4.6) while scoring 15.9
points and shooting a career-best 36.1 percent from 3-point range (39-108).
Hobson was the Mountain West Conference?s Newcomer of the Year and Player of
the Year. He was also named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press.
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Darington Hobson(notes).
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound junior was taken 37th overall out of New Mexico in
this year?s draft.
Terms were not disclosed when the signing was announced Friday.
Hobson averaged 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists over three college
seasons, the first two at Eastern Utah. Last season at New Mexico, Hobson
averaged career-highs in rebounds (9.3) and assists (4.6) while scoring 15.9
points and shooting a career-best 36.1 percent from 3-point range (39-108).
Hobson was the Mountain West Conference?s Newcomer of the Year and Player of
the Year. He was also named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press.
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UFC 119 Results: Mir vs. Cro Cop, Nogueira vs. Bader, More
Filed under: UFC, ResultsFanHouse has UFC 119 results for all of the Sept. 25 UFC 119 fights, plus live coverage from Indianapolis, live blogs of all the televised fights and live UFC 119 twitter updates.
In the main event, Frank Mir will battle Mirko Cro Cop. Also, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will square off against Ryan Bader.
Check out the full results below.
In the main event, Frank Mir will battle Mirko Cro Cop. Also, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will square off against Ryan Bader.
Check out the full results below.
Favre's four turnovers send Vikings to 0-2
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Miami Dolphins intercepted three Brett Favre passes and stopped Adrian Peterson on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line to preserve a 14-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Koa Misi also recovered Favre's fumble in the end zone for one of Miami's two touchdowns, and Brian Hartline scored the other on a 5-yard pass from Chad Henne to keep the Dolphins (2-0) undefeated. Favre had his worst day as a Viking, going 19-of-28 passing for 197 yards with four turnovers. He threw two interceptions at home all of last season, but he topped that total in the home opener. Peterson rushed for 145 yards and one touchdown for the Vikings (0-2), who forced two fumbles of their own in a mistake-filled game. The Vikings had a final possession with 1:42 to go, but Favre's fourth-down pass to Visanthe Shiancoe fell incomplete.
Kenny McKinley's Death Shines Light on Black Men's Struggle With Suicide
Filed under: NFL, Sports Business and Media
Dr. Alvin Poussaint didn't know Kenny McKinley. He just sounded as if he did.
"Young black men commit suicide at a very significant rate, particularly from like 15 [years old] to 24 or 25," the Harvard Medical School professor of psychiatry told me earlier this week.
"When men, and this is true of black men, make a suicide attempt, it is usually lethal. They really kill themselves. Over 50 percent, maybe 55 percent or more, of the suicides of men, and of young men, are with firearms.
"Frequently, the thing that precipitates it is a big loss, a big psychological loss. Like after divorce, or separation or the death of someone, you grieve. Sometimes this happens when you lose something else that's very important to you, so I'll let you speculate about that."
McKinley, who broke most of the major receiving records at South Carolina set by Sterling Sharpe, was in his second season in the NFL with the Denver Broncos when he was discovered dead in the bedroom of his Aurora, Colo., house outside of Denver on Monday.
McKinley was black.
He was 23.
Dr. Alvin Poussaint didn't know Kenny McKinley. He just sounded as if he did.
"Young black men commit suicide at a very significant rate, particularly from like 15 [years old] to 24 or 25," the Harvard Medical School professor of psychiatry told me earlier this week.
"When men, and this is true of black men, make a suicide attempt, it is usually lethal. They really kill themselves. Over 50 percent, maybe 55 percent or more, of the suicides of men, and of young men, are with firearms.
"Frequently, the thing that precipitates it is a big loss, a big psychological loss. Like after divorce, or separation or the death of someone, you grieve. Sometimes this happens when you lose something else that's very important to you, so I'll let you speculate about that."
McKinley, who broke most of the major receiving records at South Carolina set by Sterling Sharpe, was in his second season in the NFL with the Denver Broncos when he was discovered dead in the bedroom of his Aurora, Colo., house outside of Denver on Monday.
McKinley was black.
He was 23.
Tony Schumacher Kyle Busch Dario Franchitti Ron Hornaday Tony Schumacher
Suns Sign Head Coach Alvin Gentry to Contract Extension
Filed under: Suns, NBA Transactions, NBA CoachesThe Phoenix Suns did just about everything in their power to try to ignore the successes of this past season. After a team that was picked by many to finish out of the playoffs made it to the professional version of the Final Four, a mere two games away from the NBA Finals, ownership reacted as though even the most modest of goals hadn't come anywhere close to being reached.
The team lost its general manager, Steve Kerr, less than two weeks before the draft due to a disagreement over finances, and let All-Star unrestricted free agent Amar'e Stoudemire walk for the same reason, while getting nothing in return for one of the elite offensive players in the league.
Yes, things seemed to be spinning out of control in the Valley of the Sun. But as new leadership settled into place in the form of former agent Lon Babby, there seems to initially be a philosophy in place to steady the team moving forward, at least for the next few seasons.
This has been a long-winded way of telling you that Suns head coach Alvin Gentry has been signed by the team to a contract extension that will keep him in place through the 2012-13 season. And honestly, it's the best move the club has made all summer.
The team lost its general manager, Steve Kerr, less than two weeks before the draft due to a disagreement over finances, and let All-Star unrestricted free agent Amar'e Stoudemire walk for the same reason, while getting nothing in return for one of the elite offensive players in the league.
Yes, things seemed to be spinning out of control in the Valley of the Sun. But as new leadership settled into place in the form of former agent Lon Babby, there seems to initially be a philosophy in place to steady the team moving forward, at least for the next few seasons.
This has been a long-winded way of telling you that Suns head coach Alvin Gentry has been signed by the team to a contract extension that will keep him in place through the 2012-13 season. And honestly, it's the best move the club has made all summer.
US practices, expects to look sharper (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?After one lackluster victory during pool play, Mike
Krzyzewski encountered some feistier competition in his news conference than the
U.S. faced on the court.
?Why didn?t the USA score more?? one reporter asked.
?Why isn?t the team practicing?? questioned another.
Maybe the two issues were related.
The Americans finally got into the gym for practice Saturday, the first step
in what they believe will be cleaner play during the elimination round of
basketball?s world championship.
?We haven?t played as consistent in the preliminaries as we wanted to for
the most part, but I think this practice helps us get our execution and timing
back and our aggression on defense,? guard Stephen Curry(notes) said. ?So I like
where we?re at going into Monday.?
The U.S. will play Angola that night in the round of 16, which began
Saturday with Serbia ousting Croatia 73-72 and Spain eliminating Greece 80-72.
The Americans earned some extra time off by winning Group B with a 5-0 record.
Krzyzewski said the practice Saturday was the Americans? first since Aug.
27, the day before the tournament started. They then had games on three straight
nights, opted not to practice on the group?s off day before closing with games
on consecutive days.
The players were given a day off Friday, with Krzyzewski saying ?they
needed to just get away from everything? before finally having what he called a
hard practice Saturday. They?ll work out again Sunday.
?Somebody said, ?Well, why aren?t you practicing?? Well, we?re playing
games,? Krzyzewski said. ?And that?s just the nature of international
tournaments, how they bunch everything up at one time and all of a sudden you?ve
got time. But hopefully it?ll be productive time for us.?
Forward Rudy Gay(notes) of the Memphis Grizzlies took part in the entire practice
after sitting out the second half of the Americans? 92-57 victory over Tunisia
on Thursday with a sore right groin.
That was just a four-point game early in the third quarter after a sluggish
first half by the U.S. The Americans weren?t impressive in the 88-51 victory
over Iran that preceded that, but they believe the lack of sharpness was because
they were playing overmatched opponents in games that didn?t matter to their
seeding.
?These practices are going to really help us, because we really didn?t have
any practice time in those games,? forward Kevin Durant(notes) said. ?None of those
games, actually.?
Krzyzewski had warned that teams can have slippage when just playing games
and not practicing, so the players welcomed the chance to work, even in the
steamy gym belonging to a Turkish club team.
?You can get better in the games, but when you have time to break down
plays, run repetitions, just compete against each other, I think it definitely
will get us excited and prepared for the next four games,? Curry said.
Four games would mean the Americans would be playing next Sunday for the
gold medal, and they have a draw that gives them a chance. They should be
heavily favored against Angola and the Russia-New Zealand winner before they
would likely face either unbeaten Lithuania, Argentina or Brazil, which the U.S.
beat 70-68 in pool play.
?It?s not so much about who we play, it?s about how we play,? USA
Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. ?And if we take care of our business
and we improve the way we feel we need to improve in those certain areas, then
we?re going to be fine. Do we win it? Time will tell. I think we have a great
shot. I said that from the beginning and I believe it even more so now.?
Krzyzewski said he expected Angola to attack on offense, and that?s probably
what the Americans need to bring out their best. They knew they were going to
beat Iran and Tunisia no matter what, so they rarely even pressed and didn?t use
normal rotation patterns, not interested in embarrassing their opponents.
?They?ll do better in a game where they know they can lose than in a game
where you know pretty much, those last two, they?re not going to lose those
games,? Krzyzewski said.
Unlike his NBA players, who play best-of-seven series in the postseason,
Krzyzewski is used to playing games in a single elimination format from coaching
in college?s NCAA tournament. So he knows the consistent play that often was
absent in the last round must arrive right from the start of this one.
?We need to play really well and get into the mood for this week, that
one-and-done mood,? he said.
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Krzyzewski encountered some feistier competition in his news conference than the
U.S. faced on the court.
?Why didn?t the USA score more?? one reporter asked.
?Why isn?t the team practicing?? questioned another.
Maybe the two issues were related.
The Americans finally got into the gym for practice Saturday, the first step
in what they believe will be cleaner play during the elimination round of
basketball?s world championship.
?We haven?t played as consistent in the preliminaries as we wanted to for
the most part, but I think this practice helps us get our execution and timing
back and our aggression on defense,? guard Stephen Curry(notes) said. ?So I like
where we?re at going into Monday.?
The U.S. will play Angola that night in the round of 16, which began
Saturday with Serbia ousting Croatia 73-72 and Spain eliminating Greece 80-72.
The Americans earned some extra time off by winning Group B with a 5-0 record.
Krzyzewski said the practice Saturday was the Americans? first since Aug.
27, the day before the tournament started. They then had games on three straight
nights, opted not to practice on the group?s off day before closing with games
on consecutive days.
The players were given a day off Friday, with Krzyzewski saying ?they
needed to just get away from everything? before finally having what he called a
hard practice Saturday. They?ll work out again Sunday.
?Somebody said, ?Well, why aren?t you practicing?? Well, we?re playing
games,? Krzyzewski said. ?And that?s just the nature of international
tournaments, how they bunch everything up at one time and all of a sudden you?ve
got time. But hopefully it?ll be productive time for us.?
Forward Rudy Gay(notes) of the Memphis Grizzlies took part in the entire practice
after sitting out the second half of the Americans? 92-57 victory over Tunisia
on Thursday with a sore right groin.
That was just a four-point game early in the third quarter after a sluggish
first half by the U.S. The Americans weren?t impressive in the 88-51 victory
over Iran that preceded that, but they believe the lack of sharpness was because
they were playing overmatched opponents in games that didn?t matter to their
seeding.
?These practices are going to really help us, because we really didn?t have
any practice time in those games,? forward Kevin Durant(notes) said. ?None of those
games, actually.?
Krzyzewski had warned that teams can have slippage when just playing games
and not practicing, so the players welcomed the chance to work, even in the
steamy gym belonging to a Turkish club team.
?You can get better in the games, but when you have time to break down
plays, run repetitions, just compete against each other, I think it definitely
will get us excited and prepared for the next four games,? Curry said.
Four games would mean the Americans would be playing next Sunday for the
gold medal, and they have a draw that gives them a chance. They should be
heavily favored against Angola and the Russia-New Zealand winner before they
would likely face either unbeaten Lithuania, Argentina or Brazil, which the U.S.
beat 70-68 in pool play.
?It?s not so much about who we play, it?s about how we play,? USA
Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. ?And if we take care of our business
and we improve the way we feel we need to improve in those certain areas, then
we?re going to be fine. Do we win it? Time will tell. I think we have a great
shot. I said that from the beginning and I believe it even more so now.?
Krzyzewski said he expected Angola to attack on offense, and that?s probably
what the Americans need to bring out their best. They knew they were going to
beat Iran and Tunisia no matter what, so they rarely even pressed and didn?t use
normal rotation patterns, not interested in embarrassing their opponents.
?They?ll do better in a game where they know they can lose than in a game
where you know pretty much, those last two, they?re not going to lose those
games,? Krzyzewski said.
Unlike his NBA players, who play best-of-seven series in the postseason,
Krzyzewski is used to playing games in a single elimination format from coaching
in college?s NCAA tournament. So he knows the consistent play that often was
absent in the last round must arrive right from the start of this one.
?We need to play really well and get into the mood for this week, that
one-and-done mood,? he said.
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Marcus McNeill Caves, Signs Tender, Reports to Chargers
Filed under: ChargersOne Charger malcontent down, one to go.
San Diego offensive left tackle Marcus McNeill ended his contract holdout Saturday, signing his one-year, $630,000, restricted free-agent tender and reporting to the team, according to multiple news services.
As a holdout, McNeill was placed on the team's "Did Not Report" list for training camp, allowing the Chargers to receive a roster exemption for his spot. As such, he will not be eligible to play until Week 7 when San Diego plays host to New England.
McNeil and wide receiver Vincent Jackson, both Pro Bowlers, had boycotted all things Chargers since receiving their RFA tenders in February and had their one-year offers reduced after a deadline to sign passed in June. McNeill had held out, hoping to land a long-term contract extension, while Jackson's agent has been shopping for potential trade partners.
The Chargers lost their season opener at Kansas City, but bounced back last week to defeat Jacksonville at home, 38-14. McNeill has been replaced in the starting lineup by Brandyn Dombrowski, a former practice squad player who played both right guard and right tackle last season but had to make a switch to left tackle in 2010 to protect the blindside of quarterback Philip Rivers.
Through two games, Dombrowski had not surrendered a sack.
San Diego offensive left tackle Marcus McNeill ended his contract holdout Saturday, signing his one-year, $630,000, restricted free-agent tender and reporting to the team, according to multiple news services.
As a holdout, McNeill was placed on the team's "Did Not Report" list for training camp, allowing the Chargers to receive a roster exemption for his spot. As such, he will not be eligible to play until Week 7 when San Diego plays host to New England.
McNeil and wide receiver Vincent Jackson, both Pro Bowlers, had boycotted all things Chargers since receiving their RFA tenders in February and had their one-year offers reduced after a deadline to sign passed in June. McNeill had held out, hoping to land a long-term contract extension, while Jackson's agent has been shopping for potential trade partners.
The Chargers lost their season opener at Kansas City, but bounced back last week to defeat Jacksonville at home, 38-14. McNeill has been replaced in the starting lineup by Brandyn Dombrowski, a former practice squad player who played both right guard and right tackle last season but had to make a switch to left tackle in 2010 to protect the blindside of quarterback Philip Rivers.
Through two games, Dombrowski had not surrendered a sack.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Bucks sign 2nd-round pick Hobson (AP)
MILWAUKEE (AP)?The Milwaukee Bucks have signed second-round draft pick
Darington Hobson(notes).
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound junior was taken 37th overall out of New Mexico in
this year?s draft.
Terms were not disclosed when the signing was announced Friday.
Hobson averaged 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists over three college
seasons, the first two at Eastern Utah. Last season at New Mexico, Hobson
averaged career-highs in rebounds (9.3) and assists (4.6) while scoring 15.9
points and shooting a career-best 36.1 percent from 3-point range (39-108).
Hobson was the Mountain West Conference?s Newcomer of the Year and Player of
the Year. He was also named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press.
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Darington Hobson(notes).
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound junior was taken 37th overall out of New Mexico in
this year?s draft.
Terms were not disclosed when the signing was announced Friday.
Hobson averaged 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists over three college
seasons, the first two at Eastern Utah. Last season at New Mexico, Hobson
averaged career-highs in rebounds (9.3) and assists (4.6) while scoring 15.9
points and shooting a career-best 36.1 percent from 3-point range (39-108).
Hobson was the Mountain West Conference?s Newcomer of the Year and Player of
the Year. He was also named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press.
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Krstic helps Serbia beat Croatia 73-72 (AP)
ISTANBUL (AP)?Oklahoma City Thunder center Nenad Krstic(notes) had 16 points and
Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
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Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
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