Sporting News: Gators name Offensive Coordinator

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=500946

Florida coach Urban Meyer picked offensive line coach Steve Addazio to succeed Dan Mullen as offensive coordinator.

Mullen, hired as Mississippi State's head coach earlier this month, still was expected to call plays when the top-ranked Gators play No. 2 Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series national title game Jan. 8 in Miami.

"I'm excited to keep the continuity of our play calling within our current staff," Meyer said in a statement Saturday. "Steve has played a key role in our offense in his time at Florida. Our entire offensive staff is involved in game planning and scripting plays. As always, I will remain very involved in the offensive game plan."

Addazio, who served as Indiana's offensive coordinator before arriving at Florida in 2005, has worked with Meyer six years. They also spent two years together at Notre Dame.

Meyer said receivers coach Billy Gonzales, running backs coach Kenny Carter and tight ends coach John Hevesy will continue to have roles in calling plays and putting together game plans.

Addazio, though, got the promotion.

"I'm extremely humbled because I know it is a group effort of our offensive staff and players that have made us successful and will continue to make us successful," Addazio said. "Coach Meyer's track record obviously speaks for itself with his previous coordinators."

Mullen became the third former offensive coordinator under Meyer to become a head coach elsewhere. Former Utah offensive coordinator Mike Sanford was hired at UNLV, and former Bowling Green offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon was hired at Bowling Green.

SI.com: Pepsi cans ads with Beckham after 10 years

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/soccer/12/27/beckham.pepsi.ap/

Despite his high-profile loan move to AC Milan, the fizz could be evaporating from David Beckham's commercial appeal after ending a 10-year deal with Pepsi.

"David's football legacy will live on and everyone at Pepsi will continue to be as passionate about his success as we have been over the last 10 years," the soft drinks manufacturer said. "We wish David well with the many projects he is pursuing and look forward to the possibility of partnering together with him again someday."

The 33-year-old England midfielder, who is in Italy on loan from Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, still has lucrative sponsorship deals with major brands like Adidas and Armani.

"I have nothing but good memories of my association with Pepsi," Beckham said. "I've played a gladiator, a cowboy, a surfer, and worked alongside Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez as well as some of the biggest names in world football."

ESPN: Reds sign Taveras

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3794941&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

The Reds signed free-agent center fielder Willy Taveras to a two-year contract on Saturday. Financial terms of the deal weren't immediately known.

After spending the past two seasons in Colorado, Taveras, 27, became a free agent earlier this month when the Rockies were unable to trade him at the winter meetings.

In 2008, Taveras hit .251 and led the majors with 68 steals and a .907 stolen-base percentage.

The Reds believe Taveras will fill their need for both a leadoff hitter and a center fielder. His on-base percentage was only .308 last season, but he batted .320 with a .367 on-base percentage in 2007.

In parts of five major league seasons with the Astros and the Rockies, Taveras has a career .283 batting average with seven homers, 109 RBIs and 169 stolen bases.

Sporting News: West Virginia wins Meineke Car Care Bowl

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=500905

West Virginia quarterback Pat White ran his bowl record to 4-0 with another remarkable postseason performance--387 total yards and three touchdown passes--to earn MVP honors for the Mountaineers' 31-30 victory over North Carolina in an entertaining Meineke Car Care Bowl.

The lasting memories from a game full of highlights:

Honor the name

You can't take your eyes off Pat White because he makes 2-yard gains stupidly exciting. And you can't take your eyes off Pat White because he is involved in nearly every big play his team makes.

Playing in his final game for West Virginia, White ran for 55 yards and threw for 332 more. If broken tackles were a stat, he'd lead the nation.

For a guy who (allegedly) doesn't have the arm to play quarterback in the NFL, White threw tight-spiraled fastballs all day long. Worthy of special mention was the first of his three touchdown passes--hitting Alric Arnett in stride in tight coverage. If the pass were thrown a foot shorter, it would have been picked off. Arnett stretched his right arm out, the ball hit his hand, stuck there, and he cradled it in for a wonderful one-handed catch.

The one glitch in White's otherwise stellar performance was an interception in the end zone into double coverage at the end of the first half.

Remember the name

Hakeem Nicks. In the first quarter, Nicks, a junior playing in his hometown of Charlotte, set UNC's single-season school record with his 10th TD catch and tied UNC's career record with 19. And what a catch to set it on. Quarterback T.J. Yates lofted an ill-advised bomb into double coverage. The ball squirted through the hands and off the shoulder pads of West Virginia defender Ellis Lankster.

The ball popped up and hung there, hung there, hung there, a scene about which wide receivers dream. Nicks snatched it and ran toward the end zone.

He raised the ball in the air, as if he were so surprised to have it he wanted to get a closer look at it. Then he was caught from behind, and somehow not only didn't fumble, he dragged the defender five more yards into the end zone.

On UNC's next play from scrimmage, Nicks broke the UNC school record for career touchdown receptions. On this play, he caught a 66-yard touchdown pass from a wide receiver named, no joke, Cooter Arnold. Two plays, 139 yards, two touchdowns.

A few minutes later, Nicks caught his third touchdown pass, a 25-yarder. That catch set yardage and touchdown marks in bowl games for UNC--and there was still 10:37 left in the second quarter. By the end of the day, he had eight receptions and 217 receiving yards.

Remember the time

There will not be a better 6-minute, 21-second stretch this bowl season than what occurred in the first quarter. Thirty-five points scored on five touchdowns with an average length of 47.2 yards. In order:
1. At the 8:56 mark, an 18-yard run by Noel Devine.
2. At the 7:22 mark, Hicks' 73-yard touchdown reception.
3. At the 5:11 mark, White's 44-yard pass to Arnett.
4. At the 4:57 mark, Nicks' 66-yard touchdown reception.
5. At the 2:35 mark, Bradley Starks' 35-yard touchdown reception from White.

ESPN: Celtics lose second straight

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=281226009&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

The defending champions were drained -- and coach Doc Rivers suspected it might happen. The end of a 19-game winning streak can do that.

Stephen Jackson returned to the lineup and scored eight straight points during the decisive fourth-quarter stretch to finish with 28, and the Golden State Warriors sent Boston to back-to-back losses for the first time this season by rallying past the Celtics 99-89 on Friday night.

Paul Pierce had 21 points and five assists and Kevin Garnett scored 14, but the Celtics couldn't hold a 14-point lead a day after their franchise-record 19-game winning streak ended with a nine-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Christmas.

"I was worried at halftime when I saw we were shooting 56 [percent] and they were shooting 39 and it was a 12-point game," Rivers said. "I was completely concerned about it. ... Once they start making shots, it's tough to turn them off, and we couldn't make anything."

Boston (27-4) still must play at Sacramento on Sunday and at Portland on Tuesday to complete this West Coast swing before heading home. The Celtics dropped consecutive games for the first time since March 22 and 24 last season.

"They got hot late," Boston's Leon Powe said. "We had a chance to put them away but they were getting the loose balls and making some big shots."

Jackson -- who had missed the past four games with a sprained left hand -- scored 15 points in the final period and Marco Belinelli totaled 22 for the Warriors, who have won five straight and 12 of 15 against the Celtics at home. Golden State lost 119-111 in Boston on Nov. 26 in the teams' first meeting.

"We're looking for something to get us going. We're looking for something to turn things around," Jackson said. "This should give us some momentum and some confidence."

Kelenna Azubuike's 3-pointer with 7:47 to play cut the Celtics' lead to 76-74 before Ray Allen hit a floater on the other end. Jackson then scored eight straight points for Golden State. He followed Allen's bucket with a 3 at 7:03, hit the go-ahead basket with 6:02 to play to make it 79-78, then made another 3 at 5:33.

After Eddie House's 3 pulled Boston to 93-87 with 1:17 left, the Celtics had two misses and Jackson knocked down a pair of free throws with 36.2 seconds to go.

"I think we're all looking at ourselves in the mirror individually to see what we can do to get better, to make this team better," House said.

With Garnett and Rajon Rondo on the bench, Belinelli hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final minute of the third quarter for the Warriors, who trailed 72-64 heading into the final period. Ronny Turiaf dunked for Golden State to start the fourth, pulling his team the closest it had been since late in the first quarter and delighting the Warriors' second sellout crowd of the season.

Turiaf finished with 14 points and eight boards.

"We fired up in the fourth quarter -- just the way we drew it up," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "As they go along in their journey in the NBA, they're going to have games when the other team gets hot at the wrong time and all of a sudden catches them off guard. So, it's probably no big thing to them but it's a very big thing to us."

Rondo had 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds and nine assists to go with seven turnovers. He shot just 3-for-11 against the Lakers for six points after scoring 26 and 18, respectively, in his two prior outings on a combined 19-of-26 shooting.

After Golden State pulled to 42-35 late in the first half, Allen answered with a 3 on the other end for his first points of the game and the Celtics led 51-39 at the break.

Boston was minus starting center Kendrick Perkins, who injured his left shoulder in the first quarter Thursday. Local standout Powe earned the start in Perkins' place and finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

SI.com: Giants sign Big Unit to one-year deal

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/12/26/johnson.signs.giants.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories

The Big Unit is heading home to the Bay Area.

Randy Johnson and the San Francisco Giants agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract Friday, meaning the 45-year-old pitcher will go for his 300th win with a new team.

Johnson, a 21-year big league veteran who spent the past two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, was born in Walnut Creek, Calif., about 30 minutes from the Giants' waterfront ballpark. He grew up in nearby Livermore.

The five-time Cy Young Award winner has 295 victories after going 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 30 starts last season. He can earn an additional $5 million in performance bonuses.

The Giants offered several things on Johnson's wish list: spring training in the Phoenix area, and a chance to stay on the West Coast and in the NL West so he can pitch near his current home in Arizona.

"All of those things kind of fell into place with the Giants," Johnson's agent, Barry Meister, said in a telephone interview.

Johnson joins fellow Cy Young winners Tim Lincecum (2008) and Barry Zito (2002) in an intriguing rotation that also features promising right-hander Matt Cain. San Francisco becomes the first team with three Cy Young Award recipients since the 2002 Atlanta Braves with Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz.

"He's looking forward to pitching between Lincecum and Cain and serving as a mentor for the young pitching staff," Meister said.

Johnson has 4,789 strikeouts, second on the career list to Nolan Ryan (5,714). The 6-foot-10 lefty made $16 million last season, when he struck out 173 and walked 44.

The Oakland Athletics were among the teams interested in Johnson, a 10-time All-Star who filed for free agency last month. He and the Diamondbacks had serious discussions about a new deal that could have kept him in Arizona, but the sides failed to reach an agreement.

During the winter meetings this month in Las Vegas, Giants general manager Brian Sabean didn't hide the fact that he was seeking a veteran starting pitcher for a short-term deal and that Johnson would be a great fit. Left-hander Noah Lowry is a question mark after undergoing two operations this year that sidelined him all season, one for a nerve problem in his forearm and then an arthroscopic procedure after the season on the back of his pitching elbow to remove bone spurs

"Randy continues to be one of the most intimidating and competitive pitchers in baseball today," Sabean said in a statement. "He commands respect and will have a dramatic influence on the way the 2009 team conducts business."

The Giants turned to a youth movement this year and finished fourth in the NL West at 72-90. They haven't reached the playoffs since 2003.

Johnson certainly will help attract fans as he chases career win No. 300. The Giants went 37-44 at home for their fourth straight losing campaign in San Francisco. They also failed to reach 3 million fans for the first time in the 9-year-old ballpark's history, certainly in part because home run king Barry Bonds was gone.

Sabean has been busy all offseason. He also added shortstop Edgar Renteria and relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Bobby Howry.

ESPN: Florida Atlantic wins Motor City Bowl

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=283612117&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Florida Atlantic has played eight seasons of major college football and already has a winning streak in bowl games.

Howard Schnellenberger's championship experience must be rubbing off.

Rusty Smith threw for 307 yards and two second-half touchdowns to help the Owls beat Central Michigan 24-21 on Friday night in the Motor City Bowl.

Florida Atlantic began playing in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2001 but has won both its postseason games. The Owls defeated Memphis last year in the New Orleans Bowl.

"Certainly, this is going to go down as the most meaningful game we've had," said Schnellenberger, who coached Miami to the 1983 national title and was hired to start Florida Atlantic's football program from scratch in 1998. "I can't tell you how proud I am of our entire football team."

The teams were tied 10-all midway through the third quarter when Smith hit Chris Bonner with a 52-yard scoring pass. Smith found Cortez Gent with an 18-yard strike early in the fourth to give the Owls (7-6) a bit of a cushion.

Making their third straight Motor City Bowl appearance, the Chippewas (8-5) cut the lead to 24-21 with 3 minutes to play when Dan LeFevour hit Antonio Brown with a touchdown pass and then Kito Poblah for a 2-point conversion. Gent recovered the ensuing onside kick, however.

Most of the 41,399 fans at Ford Field cheered the in-state Chippewas, but they were quiet as Florida Atlantic ran out the clock.

"We've played in a whole lot worse places than this -- the Swamp, Clemson, Texas, Michigan State, Oklahoma," Schnellenberger said.

It was the smallest turnout in the game's 12-year history, yet Motor City Bowl chairman Ken Hoffman said the game will return to Ford Field in 2009 despite Detroit's dismal economic forecast.

Smith, selected the game's MVP, finished 20-for-35. Gent caught seven passes for 98 yards and Charles Pierre had 80 yards on the ground in a happy return to Michigan for Florida Atlantic, shut out at Michigan State on Sept. 13 during a game-long rainstorm.

Schnellenberger's sport jacket was wet at the end of Friday night's game, too, but only because his players doused him with a cooler as the final seconds ticked away.

The Owls began the season 1-5 but won five of their final six to become bowl-eligible.

"It's a great way to go out," linebacker Frantz Joseph said.

LeFevour was 28-for-40 for 253 yards with two touchdowns and a first-quarter interception that led to the Owls' first touchdown. Central Michigan dropped its third straight.

Central Michigan trailed 17-13 late in the third quarter when Antonio Brown sprang loose for what would have been a 72-yard touchdown run, but Poblah's facemask penalty negated it. The Chippewas were forced to punt a few plays later.

"I think that hurt us and took away some momentum as well," coach Butch Jones said. "The disappointing thing is we felt like we left a lot of opportunities out there."

The teams went to halftime tied at 10 after Florida Atlantic's Ross Gornall kicked a 36-yard field goal in the final minute of the second quarter.

Dilvory Edgecomb scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter for the Owls, but LeFevour answered in the second with a short touchdown pass to Poblah.

Brown caught 11 passes for 91 yards for Central Michigan, which topped Middle Tennessee in the 2006 Motor City Bowl and lost a 51-48 shootout to Purdue last season.

Chrysler LLC pulled out of its Motor City Bowl sponsorship commitment in early November, leaving Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. as the game's major presenters. Organizers canceled the 2009 Detroit Indy Grand Prix two weeks ago because of a dearth of local sponsors.

The Motor City Bowl has a contract with ESPN through the 2013 season.

ESPN: Army hires Ellerson as new football coach

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3793546&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Rich Ellerson, who led Cal Poly to the Football Championship Subdivision football playoffs this season and is considered one of the top coaches in the country at running the triple-option offense, has been picked to rebuild the Army football program.

Ellerson, 60-41 in his career as a head coach and 56-34 at Cal Poly, takes over for Stan Brock, who was fired on Dec. 12, days after the Black Knights lost to Navy 34-0.

"I will never receive, nor have I ever received a finer compliment professionally or personally than to be entrusted with the Army football program at this point in its history," Ellerson said.

Army went 3-9 in 2008 for the third straight season. Brock was 6-18 in two seasons as head coach.

"One of our primary goals of the search was to find someone capable of turning around our program immediately and we are confident Rich is the perfect individual to accomplish that," Army athletic director Kevin Anderson said in a school-issued news release.

Ellerson's offensive philosophy of running the triple option is appealing to Army, which uses the option as a base offense. He also has family ties to West Point.

"I know that the offense that we run was the hook that got me into the middle of this search," Ellerson said in a school-issued news release. "The reason the offense is so successful and the reason it's so appropriate at Army is that it carries over to every phase of the game and carries over into recruiting. We're going to find some novel solutions to problems in order to give our cadet-athletes the best possible opportunity to be successful on Saturday."

Under Ellerson, Cal Poly finished first in the FCS in total offense (487.45) and scoring offense (44.36 points per game). He will be formally introduced on Dec. 30.

"Rich has the experience we need," said Army superintendent Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck in a news release. "An award and title winning head coach who runs the option, Rich also has extensive ties to West Point and the Army. Not only are his father and two brothers members of the Long Gray Line and career Army officers, but his brother John was the captain of the 1962 team that went 6-4."

Ellerson, who turns 55 on Jan. 1, has also been defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Arizona and head coach at Southern Utah during his career.

He worked with former Army coach Jim Young at Arizona, where Ellerson was an assistant. Young, who ran a successful option attack at Army, had retired from the Black Knights after the 1990 season and assumed a volunteer role on the Arizona coaching staff.

Ellerson also assisted Army coach Bob Sutton when he installed his "Desert Swarm" defense at West Point, which helped carry the Black Knights to a 10-2 record and a berth in the Independence Bowl in 1996.

Cal Poly made it to the FCS playoffs twice under Ellerson and was ranked as high as No. 3 this season.

He As a college player, he was a center and linebacker at Hawaii in the 1970s.

Sporting News: Bucs name Morris Kiffin's successor

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=500497

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't look far for a replacement for Monte Kiffin.

Secondary coach Raheem Morris will take over as defensive coordinator in 2009, ensuring continuity next season with Kiffin leaving the NFL to join his son, Lane, at the University of Tennessee.

If the Bucs (9-6) don't make the playoffs, Sunday will be the 68-year-old Kiffin's last game in Tampa Bay.

"He's been with me a long time and he's had a lot of success here. He's had his hand in a lot of real good things," coach Jon Gruden said, adding he wanted to end speculation about Kiffin's successor and whether the Bucs will continue to run the Tampa 2 scheme.

"I like this defense. I believe in it, and certainly believe in Raheem Morris. I believe he'll be outstanding."

Morris is in his sixth season as a Bucs assistant, second as defensive backs coach. He initially joined Gruden's staff as a defensive quality assistant in 2002, was a defensive assistant in 2003 and assistant defensive backs coach for the next two seasons before spending one year as defensive coordinator at Kansas State.

The Bucs ranked in the top five in total defense each of Morris' first five seasons in Tampa Bay, including No. 1 in 2002, when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl. They're ranked ninth heading into Sunday's regular-season finale.

While Gruden's phone has been ringing constantly since Kiffin announced plans to join his son at the end of the season, the coach said Morris has everything he was looking for in a replacement.

"I'm a big energy believer. I like guys with juice. I think you have to be a leader. I think you have to be able to motivate and stimulate these guys, relate to them -- veterans, young players," Gruden said.

"He knows the kind of players we're looking for. He knows the routine here in terms of what it takes to play in this system. I've been impressed with him throughout the six, seven years I've been with him. He's had a year coordinating in the Big 12, and I think it's the right thing to do. I think our players will respond to him."

Morris left for Kansas State after Tampa Bay again ranked first in total defense in 2005. Gruden lured him back when the Bucs dropped to 19th in pass defense the following season.

"I'm happy for him," cornerback Phillip Buchanon said. "He's studied under some great coaches like Kiffin and Mike Tomlin, and it's his time now."

New York Times: Lakers beat Celtics, end win streak

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/sports/basketball/26lakers.html

Perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers can now put the anguish of losing in the N.B.A. finals to Boston and the embarrassment over the way the series ended behind them.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Pau Gasol scored 7 of his 20 points in the final three minutes, and the Lakers beat Boston, 92-83, Thursday to snap the Celtics’ franchise-record 19-game winning streak.

The game was the first between the teams since the Celtics romped to a 131-92 victory in Game 6 of the finals last June to win their first championship in 22 years and their league-high 17th title. The Lakers squandered a 24-point second-quarter lead in Game 4 of the finals at Staples Center to fall behind by 3-1 — a deficit that has never been overcome in the finals.

Boston and Los Angeles have met in the N.B.A. finals 11 times, with the Celtics winning nine times.

“We’ve been waiting for that opportunity for a long time, and we won,” said Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic, who scored 10 points. “I don’t like them at all. A lot of people called us softies or whatever. It doesn’t matter at all. We know what we can do. Last year, they won the championship. This year, it’s our year, we want to take it all the way.”

The victory was the 1,000th for Phil Jackson, making him the sixth N.B.A. coach to reach that milestone. The 63-year-old Jackson has a career record of 1,000-423 in 17-plus seasons as coach of the Chicago Bulls and the Lakers. He became the fastest to win 1,000 games, surpassing Pat Riley, who did it in 1,434 games.

“It’s amazing, I mean, he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time,” Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. “I can guarantee you that I won’t win 1,000 games, because I won’t be around that long. It’s just an amazing number. When you throw up 1,000 wins, that says a lot.”

The Celtics entered Thursday with a 27-2 record. They were in pretty good shape when Kevin Garnett scored to put them ahead by 81-79 with 3 minutes 57 seconds remaining, but the Lakers went on a 13-2 run to finish the game.

Lamar Odom had 10 points and 7 rebounds for the Lakers, who improved to 24-5 and won their 12th straight game at home, where they are 15-1. Andrew Bynum, who missed most of last season and the playoffs with an injured knee, had 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Garnett shot 11 of 14 in leading the Celtics with 22 points. Paul Pierce added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but did not score in the fourth quarter. Ray Allen scored 14 and Rajon Rondo had 12 assists for Boston.

“Give them all the credit,” Pierce said. “We just have to play better down the stretch.”

A 15-foot jumper by Gasol with 2:48 left snapped an 81-81 tie and put the Lakers ahead for good. Allen missed a 3-pointer, and Gasol scored from close range off an assist from Bryant with two minutes left, putting Los Angeles up by 4.

Garnett answered with a jumper to draw the Celtics to 85-83, but Gasol’s 3-point play with 1:28 left put the Lakers on top, 88-83. Gasol then blocked a 3-pointer by Allen, setting up Trevor Ariza for a dunk that gave Los Angeles a 7-point lead with 1:12 to go. Bryant’s basket completed the scoring.

“I’m really happy with Pau,” Jackson said. “He stepped up in that fourth quarter, and we really needed him.”

Boston’s Eddie House made his only basket with 8:09 remaining to tie the score at 75-75. Neither team led by more than 2 points after that until the Lakers took command down the stretch.

“They played great, give them credit,” Rivers said. “For a team that has been phenomenal down a stretch of games, I didn’t think we were very good tonight.

“We’ve been as composed as any team that I’ve seen in a long time, and I thought quite honestly that we lost it a little bit at the end.”

ESPN: Notre Dame beats Hawaii in Hawaii Bowl

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=283590087&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Jimmy Clausen ended Notre Dame's long bowl drought -- and Hawaii's bid for a fourth straight Hawaii Bowl victory -- with a record-breaking passing night.

Clausen set Notre Dame bowl records with 401 yards passing and five touchdowns to lead the efficient Fighting Irish to their first postseason victory in 15 years, 49-21 over Hawaii on Wednesday night.

"I told the team that's the only thing I wanted [for Christmas]. I just wanted to win a bowl game," Irish coach Charlie Weis said.

"I heard it a hundred times in the locker room after the game and they wanted to know what I was giving them for Christmas. I told them: 'a flight home.'"

Golden Tate had six catches for 177 yards and three touchdowns, also Notre Dame bowl records, including a 69-yarder that sparked a 28-point outburst to help the Irish (7-6) end their NCAA-record bowl losing streak at nine.

"I'm very happy for Notre Dame. This was a great step forward for us," Weis said. "It leads us into 2009 with a good taste in our mouth."

With Weis calling the plays from the coaches box for the first time because of knee problems that require him to walk with crutches, the Irish were unstoppable.

The offense scored at will. The blitzing defense shutdown Hawaii's run-and-shoot. And the special teams wasn't too shabby, either.

"The guys came out here on a mission," Clausen said.

After the Warriors (7-7) scored to end Notre Dame's 28-point run, Armando Allen returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score. Allen also caught an 18-yard TD pass on the Irish's opening drive of the second half.

Weis said he had an injection in his knee before the game but still couldn't walk. The last time he coached from the box was in 2001.

"It's 10 times easier. It's night and day easier," Weis said. "I haven't been up in the box since Drew Bledsoe got hurt. ... You don't want to do that long term, but calling a game from up there is pretty sweet. As a head coach, you want to be on the sideline."

It was evident Weis, who was all smiles after the game, and his players cherished its long-awaited bowl victory.

As Notre Dame was presented the Hawaii Bowl's pineapple-football trophy at midfield, each player came around to put their hands on it.

Notre Dame's victory was its first in the postseason since it beat Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl to end the 1993 season. The Irish also avoided consecutive losing seasons.

Clausen was confident and sharp, completing 22 of 26 passes. He racked up 300 yards passing and three TDs by halftime alone, sending the crowd home early.

The sophomore broke Brady Quinn's postseason school record of 286 yards passing set against Ohio State in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.

Warriors coach Greg McMackin said, including his years in the NFL, Clausen was "as accurate as I've ever seen."

"He was outstanding, his receivers were outstanding," McMackin said.

With Notre Dame up 14-7, Clausen broke open the game by connecting with Tate on a 69-yard TD play, the Irish's longest play from scrimmage of the season.

Clausen faked a handoff, turned and heaved it to Tate, who had blew past cornerback Calvin Roberts along the left sideline. With the catch, Tate became the fifth Irish receiver to break 1,000 yards receiving in a season.

The Irish made it 28-7 with a second left in the first half on an 18-yard hookup between Clausen and Tate on third-and-goal. Hawaii challenged the play, but replays showed Tate got his left foot down before stepping out.

Tate followed it up in the third quarter with a 40-yard TD reception that pushed the lead to 42-7 and gave the Warriors flashbacks of the pounding they received from Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to end last season.

Clausen and Tate shared the MVP award.

Hawaii couldn't get much going. Quarterback Greg Alexander was kept off balance and on the run by the Irish defense, which had eight sacks and forced two turnovers.

The Warriors, who didn't call a running play until 6 minutes left in the first half, were held to 32 yards rushing.

Alexander was 23-of-39 for 261 yards, throwing 10- and 21-yard TD passes to Aaron Bain. Bain had a career-best eight receptions for 109 yards.

Hawaii fans had little to cheer about. One of the biggest roars came when the Notre Dame leprechaun's flagstick snapped in half as he charged out to the field.

ESPN: Butler upsets Xavier

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=283582752&campaign=rss&source=NCBHeadlines

The young Butler Bulldogs played way beyond their experience.

Sophomore Matt Howard and freshman Gordon Hayward each scored 19 points, and Butler's inexperienced lineup kept its poise and turned back one late Xavier rally after another Tuesday night, beating the Musketeers (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP) 74-65 for a benchmark victory.

Butler (10-1) hadn't beaten a ranked team since its 62-59 victory over No. 18 Maryland in the 2007 NCAA tournament. A team that starts three freshmen and a sophomore pulled this one off.

"You've got to win on the road if you want to play for something special," Bulldogs coach Brad Stevens said. "We're in the beginning phase of talking about that. We can hardly get past the pregame meal right now."

In this one, the experienced team suddenly looked lost.

Xavier (9-2) was coming off an 82-64 loss to Duke on Saturday that ended the second-best start in school history and gave the Musketeers a lesson in what happens if they leave their swagger in the locker room. Duke opened with an 18-1 run that set the game on course for a blowout.

Against an old rival, the Musketeers got off to another bad start and wound up with another discouraging outcome.

"Duke was a lesson learned, and from today we've got to find out a lesson and learn from this," said forward B.J. Raymond, who was only 1-of-7 from the field and had three points. "We can't hang our head or anything like that. We've got to want to get better because some teams during the season don't do that. That separates the great teams from the good teams.

"You start off good and when you hit a bumpy spot, you can either get better or you can go down. The tradition here is we always try to get better. Teams are finding out our weaknesses, and right now we've just got to get better at our weaknesses."

It was only the Musketeers' second loss in their last 31 games at the Cintas Center. Derrick Brown led Xavier with 17 points.

Butler's only loss this season was 54-51 at Ohio State on Dec. 13. This time, the Bulldogs kept their composure down the stretch in a setting that could have been very unsettling to a young team.

"This is an intense atmosphere," said Hayward, who was 10-of-10 from the free throw line. "I've played basketball all my life and I've been in games like this, but this was different."

Butler and Xavier played regularly during their 16 years together in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, with the Bulldogs going 3-16 in Cincinnati during that time. They used their familiar style -- few turnovers, tough defense, a few 3s -- to get off to a fast start and lead most of the way.

Butler's 12-4 opening run left Xavier with a familiar, bad feeling. The Musketeers missed their first four 3-point shots while falling behind big for the second straight game.

The Musketeers made four 3s, the last by Brad Redford, during a 14-7 spurt that put them ahead 26-24 late in the first half. It would be their final lead.

Howard had two three-point plays during a 12-4 run that put Butler ahead 44-36 with 14:25 left. The Bulldogs jumped to their feet in celebration when Xavier called a timeout to blunt the run. Six times after that, Xavier got within a basket. All six times, a Bulldog made a basket or free throws to preserve the lead they held since the closing minute of the first half.

Xavier coach Sean Miller got a technical foul with 2:58 left, setting up two of Hayward's free throws as the Bulldogs rebuilt the lead to eight.

"That didn't help our cause," Miller said. "I can't get a technical at that point. That's my fault and I feel bad for that."

Xavier's final chance came after Brown made a 3-pointer with 1:52 remaining, cutting it to 68-65. Ronald Nored made two free throws to end Xavier's last run, and Howard made two more to essentially finish off the game. Butler finished 26-of-33 from the free throw line.

"The fact that their freshmen and sophomores executed the way they did in our arena is phenomenal," Miller said. "They're a very good team."

Sporting News: TCU beats Boise State in Poinsetta Bowl

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=500165

Boise State defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox knew just how the sequence would play out with TCU's offense: 4 yards, 4 yards, 4 yards and repeat.

And like a broken record, the Horned Frogs did exactly that on Tuesday night, costing Boise State its chance at a second unbeaten season in the last three years.

With Boise State's vaunted offense brought to a slow crawl by TCU's aggressive, swarming defense, the chance for another 13-0 celebration in Boise was placed at the feet of the Broncos' defense.

This time, the No. 9 Broncos got bucked.

Fatigued after spending most of the final three quarters on the field, the Boise State defense couldn't come up with enough key stops in the final quarter, and watched TCU walk away with a 17-16 win.

"They're really good at what they do, they're well-coached and they are physically very impressive," Wilcox said. "They're the best team we have played."

Wilcox knew the stats and the system. TCU would grind away and push on the smaller Broncos, hoping to wear them down and take advantage late.

The No. 11 Horned Frogs did just that, scoring 10 points in the final 16 minutes.

"I'm proud of the way the guys battled," Wilcox said. "They are very good at what they do and we didn't make enough plays."

This Boise State bowl game won't be remembered for trick plays, fancy offensive schemes or stunning late rallies. Instead, the Broncos will be lamenting a defense that couldn't make enough stops and an offense that didn't help out by sustaining drives and giving its defense a break.

While most of the focus was rightfully placed on TCU's defense that ranked second in the country, Boise State's crew was statistically among the best in the country for much of the season, yet always overshadowed by the Broncos' potent offense.

They were in the spotlight on Tuesday night for their inability to get off the field, especially in the second half. The Horned Frogs (11-2) rolled up 472 yards, the most allowed by all season by Boise State. The previous high was 464 allowed to Oregon in the Broncos' wild 37-32 win at Oregon in September. The Frogs converted 9 of 18 third downs and held the ball for more than 36 minutes.

"That's no excuse. We had people in position, we just didn't make the plays," Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson said. "I didn't see anyone tired ... asking for a sub. It came down to us making plays and we didn't."

The Broncos tightened early when the Frogs put together a drive. They intercepted TCU receiver Jeremy Kerley on a trick play in the first quarter and stopped Kerley on a fourth down run at their 32 in the second.

Cracks started to show at the end of the first half when TCU needed less than a minute to go 60 yards for a critical touchdown that made it 13-7. Those problems continued much of the second half. On the Frogs' game-winning drive that concluded with Joseph Turner's 17-yard run for a 17-13 lead, TCU went to the ground on seven of the 10 plays, including the final five.

Boise State's defense did give its offense a final chance at another crazy Boise finish, but those hopes ended when redshirt freshman quarterback Kellen Moore was intercepted by Stephen Hodge with 1:47 left.

Moore's mistake, one of the few in his first season, was part of Boise State's biggest issue: the inability of its offense to get rolling. After jumping out to a 13-0 lead, the Boise State offense went into park, unable to mount any lengthy drives to get its defense a breather on the sidelines.

The Broncos attempted a lateral after completing a pass on their only play after getting the ball back with 6 seconds left, but the flip was picked from midair by TCU's Matt Panfil, sparking a celebration for the Horned Frogs and their fans.

"We didn't stop them like we needed too," Boise State's Jeron Johnson said. "The better team won tonight."

ESPN: Portland State stuns Gonzaga

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=283582250&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Portland State had not beaten a Top 25 team since reinstating its basketball program in 1996-97, and there weren't many signs the Vikings figured to do it against No. 7 Gonzaga on Tuesday night.

They barely made it to the game because of winter weather. They had lost 10 straight to the Zags and two of their past three overall.

But Jeremiah Dominguez scored 25 points and the Vikings made 12 3-pointers to beat the Zags 77-70.

"This is a big statement for us," said Dominguez, a 5-foot-6 senior. "This program is building."

Dominguez was 7-of-10 on 3-pointers, and the Vikings made 12-of-31 as a team. Phil Nelson and Dominic Waters added 16 points for Portland State (9-3), which is 1-11 against nationally ranked opponents.

The Vikings, the defending Big Sky Conference champions, outrebounded the taller Zags 39-30, held them to 42 percent shooting and forced them into 11 turnovers.

Gonzaga (8-3) was coming off an 88-83 overtime loss to No. 2 Connecticut in Seattle on Saturday.

"We got what we deserve," coach Mark Few said. "They outhustled us, outrebounded us and outplayed us."

Few sensed trouble when the game was first scheduled so soon after the nationally televised matchup with Connecticut.

"The guys didn't take it seriously enough," Few said. "And our confidence got knocked back a bit after the UConn game."

He praised Portland State for smart and tough play.

"We got manhandled by guys smaller than us," Few said.

Matt Bouldin had 18 points and Josh Heytvelt added 13 for the Zags, who have lost three of four.

This game was almost called off because an epic snowstorm has snarled travel throughout the Northwest. With flight cancellations and highway closures, Portland State took a roundabout route to Spokane. They bused to Seattle, overnighting in the suburbs. Then they bused across the state and arrived in Spokane about 3 1/2 hours before game time. They did not have time for a practice shootaround, but still ended up shooting 45.9 percent.

"Maybe that's the way to do it," Portland State coach Ken Bone joked. "This game was very close to not being played."

Portland State lost by one point to Washington last week, and played UCLA and Kansas last season.

"We were not in awe of Gonzaga," Bone said.

It was the Zags' third home loss in 58 games since the McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004. They lost to Santa Clara in 2007 and Washington State last year and had won 10 straight since.

Consecutive 3-pointers by Waters and Dominguez gave Portland State a 65-61 lead with 4:06 left. Julius Thomas' basket made it 67-62 in favor of the Vikings.

Heytvelt hit a short jumper, and Austin Daye's steal led to Jeremy Pargo being fouled on the break. He made both free throws to cut Portland State's lead to 67-66 with 2:40 left.

Portland State again threw the ball away and Pargo grabbed the inbounds pass, slammed it home and was fouled. His three-point play gave Gonzaga a 68-67 lead with 2:16 to go.

Waters' runner tied the score at 69 with 1:45 left.

Gonzaga turned the ball over on a possession arrow after Heytvelt's shot stuck against the rim.

Nelson's 3-pointer gave Portland State a 72-69 lead with 44 seconds left. Pargo missed on the other end, and Portland State rebounded and Waters was fouled with 30 seconds left, making both for a 74-69 lead.

ESPN: Mark Teixeira sign with New York Yankees

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3790141&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

The New York Yankees swooped in Tuesday and nabbed prized free agent Mark Teixeira, reaching agreement with the first baseman on an eight-year contract worth $180 million, two sources involved in the negotiations tell ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

The Yankees had made an offer to Teixeira weeks ago, but then withdrew it. Their intention all along was to make a deal if it fell within parameters acceptable to the organization. They made their formal offer Tuesday.

The contract will pay Teixeira an average of $22.5 million per season.

The Yankees had $88.5 million coming off the books that, even with the Teixeira contract, they expect their payroll to fall below $200 million. New York has committed $423.5 million in salary in the last month, with $161 million going to left-handed pitcher CC Sabathia ($23 million over seven years) and $82.5 million on right-hander A.J. Burnett ($185 million over five).

Agreeing to a deal with Teixeira virtually eliminates any chance that free-agent outfielder Manny Ramirez has a landing place with the Yankees. New York does have money left to add another starting pitcher, most likely veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte at $10 million if he agrees to terms soon.

Teixeira's salary gives the Yankees, who are preparing to move into their pricey new ballpark in 2009, the four highest-paid players in Major League Baseball, including third baseman Alex Rodriguez, shortstop Derek Jeter and Sabathia.

The Yankees landed the 28-year-old Teixeira at a time it was believed the Boston Red Sox or the Washington Nationals were the likeliest to be his future employer. The Red Sox's offer was believed to be in the range of $170 million, and the Nationals reached out with an offer perhaps greater than that of Boston.

Teixeira finished last season with the Los Angeles Angels following a trade from Atlanta. The Angels withdrew from negotiations on Sunday night, in a very public manner, and say they were moving on to other players.

Because Teixeira grew up in the Baltimore area, the Orioles had long been viewed as a possible landing spot for him. But since the O's made a seven-year, $140 million offer, they did not revise it -- nor have they had active negotiations with his agent, Scott Boras, according to sources.

Teixeira's negotiations with the Red Sox appeared to stall last week in the failed meeting between the team executives and the player. The Nationals reportedly made an offer of eight years and $160 million.

The first baseman, who batted .308 with 33 home runs, 121 RBIs and a .552 slugging percentage for the Angels and Braves last season, had made it clear that he wanted to make a decision on where to play next season and beyond by Christmas.

Sporting News: Alabama's Saban AP Coach of the Year

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=499957

Alabama's Nick Saban is The Associated Press college football coach of the year.

This is the second time Saban has won the award. He also was coach of the year with LSU in 2003.

Saban easily outdistanced Texas Tech's Mike Leach, Utah's Kyle Whittingham and Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson in balloting by an AP media panel that votes in the weekly poll.

He received 32 votes, while Leach was second with nine. Whittingham received six votes and Johnson five. Seven other coaches also got votes.

Saban led Alabama to a 12-1 season, the only loss coming to Florida in the SEC title game. The Crimson Tide faces Utah in the Sugar Bowl for only its second Bowl Championship Series game.

Sporting News: Miami of Ohio hires Notre Dame OC

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=499969

The Miami RedHawks will make Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood the team's new head coach, according to ESPN.

Haywood, who was recently stripped of his playcalling duties with the Irish for the Hawaii Bowl, has agreed to contract terms with Miami University, according to the report.

Haywood would become the sixth black coach in the Bowl Championship Subdivision. He replaces Shane Montgomery, who went 17-31 in four seasons, including a 2-10 mark this season. Haywood has coached at Minnesota, Army, Ohio, Ball State, LSU, and Texas.

ESPN: PGA Tour finalizes 5 of 6 Fall Series Sites

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=3789839&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Dates and sites for five of the six Fall Series events on the PGA Tour were announced Tuesday, but the next-to-last event of the season remains without a sponsor or home.

The six events, plus the Presidents Cup, will begin Oct. 1 and will complete the PGA Tour season. It starts with the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Vernon, N.Y., takes one week off for the Presidents Cup, then goes to Las Vegas for the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

The Frys.com Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., is set for Oct. 22-25, followed by the Viking Classic in Madison, Miss., from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1. The Nov. 5-8 date remains unfilled.

The PGA Tour season will end Nov. 12-15 with the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

Gone from the Fall Series are the Valero Texas Open, which moved to May as part of the regular PGA Tour season, and the Ginn sur Mer Classic, which is not on the schedule.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said the tour is "working on a couple of options" for the open date, and expects to have it filled.

MLB.com: DeRosa to play for Team USA in Classic

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081222&content_id=3725852&vkey=wbc&team=

Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa has apparently accepted an invitation to play for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic in March.

Foxsports.com reported Monday that DeRosa, who is coming off his best season in which he batted .287 and set personal bests with 21 home runs and 87 RBIs, will join Boston's Dustin Pedroia at second base for the U.S. team.

In the World Baseball Classic's inaugural season in 2006, first baseman Derrek Lee and catcher Michael Barrett both represented the Cubs on Team USA.

DeRosa, 33, also can play third, short and the corner outfield spots. Over 11 Major League seasons, he has compiled a .279 average with 69 homers and 352 RBIs in 893 games.

On Monday, Mets third baseman David Wright also committed to play for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 5-23.

DeRosa is expected to join Team USA for its workouts March 2 in Clearwater, Fla. The first game is scheduled for March 7 against Team Canada. Italy and Venezuela are in the same pool as Team USA.

Other Cubs who may play in the World Baseball Classic include outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (Japan) and Carlos Zambrano (Venezuela). Geovany Soto has expressed a desire to play for the Puerto Rico team but may be bumped because of the number of catchers on the squad, including Yadier Molina and Ivan Rodriguez.

ESPN: NCAA grants Texas' Shipley sixth year

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3788539&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley will return for his senior season in 2009 after the NCAA granted the school's hardship request for a sixth season of eligibility Monday.

Shipley missed the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons because of knee and hamstring injuries. But he regained his health, and he produced a career-best 79 receptions for 982 yards and 11 touchdowns this season to earn third-team All-America honors from The Associated Press.

"It is definitely a blessing to be able to play one more season at Texas," Shipley said. "This is such a great place, and I've had an unbelievable experience. Obviously, it started slow due to the injuries, but I couldn't be happier with the NCAA's decision to give me one of those years back."

Shipley will be reunited with Texas quarterback Colt McCoy who announced after the Texas A&M game last month that he will be returning for his senior season.

Shipley's 79 receptions this season rank second on the school's single-season receiving list, trailing Kwame Cavil's record 100 receptions in 1999. And Shipley's 96-yard kickoff return against Oklahoma for a touchdown helped spark a comeback from an early 11-point deficit in Texas' eventual 45-35 victory.

"We're really excited for Jordan and our team that he's been granted a sixth year," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "It was so disappointing for him as he fought through injuries and wasn't able to play his first two years, but he never wavered.

"He continued to work hard and stayed positive through it all and has become a tremendous player for us. His efforts should inspire those who are going through tough times that if you stick with it, you can overcome that adversity."

The Longhorns (11-1) will meet Ohio State (10-2) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 5.

MLB.com: Sizemore to play for Team USA

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081221&content_id=3724661&vkey=wbc&team=cle

Grady Sizemore has been recruited by his country.

Sizemore has accepted an invitation to play for Team USA in next spring's World Baseball Classic. Assuming he is a part of the final 28-man roster, which will be announced Feb. 24, this will be the first time the Indians' center fielder has taken part in the event.

The provisional rosters will be announced Jan. 19.

Team USA, which was eliminated in the second round of the 2006 tournament, begins training March 2 in Clearwater, Fla., and opens play in the 16-team tournament on March 7, against Team Canada at Toronto's Rogers Centre. The full slate runs through March 23, so Sizemore could be in for a long absence at Spring Training.

Davey Johnson will manage Team USA, and he made Sizemore one of his targets.

Sizemore certainly has the credentials for such consideration. He's coming off his second consecutive Gold Glove season and his first season as a Silver Slugger winner.

Sizemore became just the second player in club history and the 10th player in American League history to swat 30 homers and swipe 30 bases in a single season.

Thus far, Sizemore is the only confirmed Indians player participating in the Classic. Victor Martinez and Rafael Betancourt, both from Venezuela, competed in the '06 event. The Indians might prefer to have Martinez in spring camp this time around, as he missed three months of the '08 season following elbow surgery.

Worldbaseballclassic.com: Wright to play for Team USA

http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081222&content_id=3725694&vkey=wbc&team=nyn

One mark of the Mets during general manager Omar Minaya's tenure has been a noticeable international flavor. For the better part of this decade now, the Mets have been led by stars from Puerto Rico, the Domincan Republic and beyond.

Yet when the 2009 World Baseball Classic begins this March, one of the most popular Mets, David Wright, will be representing the United States.

Wright will play third base for Team USA, a Mets official confirmed on Monday, giving the Mets even more exposure on a world stage.

Wright could be the lone Mets player on Team USA, but certainly not in the tournament. Outfielder Carlos Beltran, first baseman Carlos Delgado and reliever Pedro Feliciano have all said that they would like to play for Puerto Rico, pitchers Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez have said likewise about the Venezuelan team, and shortstop Jose Reyes has said that he would like to play for the Domincan Republic.

Those players, along with reliever Duaner Sanchez and catcher Brian Schneider, are the current Mets who played in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.

Wright, 26, hit .302 with 33 home runs and 124 RBIs for the Mets last season, and has been the team's most productive hitter over the past four seasons. He did not participate in the 2006 Classic.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez started at the position for Team USA that year, though he has committed to play for the Domincan Republic this time around. The other third baseman on the 2006 roster, Chipper Jones of the Braves, has also confirmed that he will play this season.

Other confirmed American players include Red Sox second baseman -- and reigning American League MVP -- Dustin Pedroia, Braves catcher Brian McCann, Angels pitcher John Lackey and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

Team USA made it to the second round of play in the inaugural Classic, before losing in a pool that included South Korea and eventual champion Japan. This year, the Americans will play their opening-round matches in Toronto, within a pool that includes Canada, Italy and Venezuela.

The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico will play in San Juan, P.R., along with Panama and the Netherlands.

ESPN: Yankees re-sign Wang for one year

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3788249&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines

Pitcher Chien-Ming Wang and the New York Yankees avoided salary arbitration when they agreed Monday to a $5 million, one-year contract.

The 28-year-old right-hander was 8-2 with a 4.07 ERA in 15 starts last season before injuring a foot while running the bases at Houston in mid-June. He did not return.

Wang made $4 million last season after losing in salary arbitration. He had asked for $4.6 million.

His agreement raises the Yankees' payroll to about $164 million for 15 players for next year. That includes pitcher Andrew Brackman and infielder Juan Miranda, who don't figure to be on the major league roster.

Outfielders Melky Cabrera and Xavier Nady, and reliever Brian Bruney remain eligible for arbitration.

New York Times: Bradford is AP Player of the Year

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2008/12/22/sports/AP-FBC-AP-Player-of-the-Year.html

Sam Bradford is back in his comfort zone, hanging out with his Oklahoma teammates.

He is happiest when he's just ''one of the guys,'' quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel said. That, however, is becoming harder to do.

The sophomore quarterback won another honor Monday when he was voted college football player of the year by The Associated Press. Bradford already captured the Davey O'Brien Award and Heisman Trophy.

Now he's home after a whirlwind trip to New York, and while he appreciates all the recognition there's a BCS title showdown with Florida waiting on Jan. 8. It's time to return to the routine again.

''It was just another day at practice, another huddle, another play,'' he said Monday.

In winning the AP award, Bradford beat out the same two quarterbacks he did for the Heisman -- Colt McCoy of Texas and Tim Tebow of Florida.

Bradford received 27 votes from the AP media panel that votes in the weekly poll. He was followed by McCoy with 17 votes. Tebow, who won the award last year, had 16 votes this time. Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree had two votes.

Bradford is the third Oklahoma player to win the AP award, which began in 1998. Heupel won in 2000 and Jason White in 2003.

''He's a guy who truly deserves all the (attention) that's come to him, because of the sacrifices he's made during the offseason in order to try to prepare himself for every Saturday,'' Heupel said. ''The way he has matured and grown here the past three years is impressive.''

Heupel says players like Bradford have to ''present themselves in a leadership role with character all the time.''

''But ultimately they've got to relate to the guys on the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball,'' he added. ''Great football teams have a quarterback who plays at an extremely high level and it certainly helps when those guys are buying into that guy and play a little bit harder than maybe they would otherwise.''

Bradford's next test comes in the national title game, with No. 2 Oklahoma (12-1) facing No. 1 Florida (12-1) in Miami.

''Playing in the national championship is something we've talked about all three years that I've been here, and we've yet to do that,'' Bradford said. ''So to have that opportunity ... it's really exciting. Me and my teammates are really ready to get down there.''

Despite all the hoopla, Bradford's teammates still view their quarterback as a down-to-earth guy, center Jon Cooper said. That's why there wasn't too much commotion after the Heisman festivities.

''Everybody individually gave him a little pat on the back and he got back around to living his regular life,'' Cooper said. ''We're all very happy for him. He made clear that it was a team award and we really appreciate that.''

Bradford tore ligaments in the thumb on his left (nonthrowing) hand during a win over Oklahoma State on Nov. 29. He played despite the injury as the Sooners routed Missouri in the Big 12 title game Dec. 6 and underwent surgery the next day.

He's practicing and wearing a small cast, which will come off before the title game. His only limitation now is that he can't take snaps under center.

Oklahoma's offense this season has been among the most prolific, scoring 702 points and breaking the major-college record of 656 set by Hawaii in 2006. The Sooners are the first major-college team in 89 years to score at least 60 points in five straight games, a streak they'll take into the showdown with Florida.

Bradford has passed for 4,464 yards and 48 touchdowns this season, breaking the school record White set in 2003. He also leads the nation in passing efficiency and has thrown only six interceptions.

The 6-foot-4 quarterback came to Oklahoma in 2006 regarded by many as merely insurance should something happen to Rhett Bomar.

Something did happen. Bomar broke NCAA rules by receiving extra pay for work he did not do at a Norman car dealership. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops kicked him off the team that August.

Bradford redshirted in 2006, waiting behind Paul Thompson, who guided the Sooners to a Big 12 title. Bradford then emerged from a three-way competition for the starting job last season.

Stoops said former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Chuck Long was a strong advocate of recruiting Bradford. Now, Bradford has passed for 7,585 yards and a school-record 84 touchdowns in his two seasons as the starter. He needs 338 passing yards against Florida to overtake White for the school record.

Stoops said Long has worked with a lot of passers and was impressed by Bradford's release, footwork and size.

''Sam wasn't the highest-recruited guy out there but Chuck really liked him,'' he said. ''He had me watch him and I liked what I had seen and I trusted Chuck. I don't know if we ever knew that we'd have the guy that we have, though.''

ESPN: UNC still No.1

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3787558&campaign=rss&source=NCBHeadlines

The top four teams in the ESPN/USA Today men's college basketball rankings remained unchanged this week, with North Carolina retaining the top spot and all 31 first-place votes.

The Tar Heels are 11-0 and easily outpointed No. 2 Connecticut (10-0). The Huskies beat Gonzaga in Seattle on Saturday after rallying from a double-digit second-half deficit.

Pittsburgh (12-0) remained third, followed by Oklahoma (11-0). Duke (10-1) climbed from sixth to fifth.

The rest of the top 10 includes No. 6 Wake Forest (10-0), No. 7 Gonzaga (8-2), No. 8 Texas (9-2), No. 9 Georgetown (8-1) and No. 10 UCLA (8-2). Wake Forest climbed from the 10th spot after a win over Richmond. Texas fell from fifth to eighth after losing to No. 22 Michigan State on Saturday.

Xavier fell from seventh to the 12th spot after losing to Duke. Louisville tumbled 10 spots to No. 19 after losing to Minnesota.

Sporting News: Celtics win franchise record 18th straight

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=499406

Rajon Rondo made things looks easy in the third quarter. Kind of like how the Boston Celtics are making NBA games look.

Rondo scored 18 of his 26 points in the quarter to help the Celtics tie a franchise record with their 18th straight win, beating the New York Knicks 124-105 Sunday night.

The win improved Boston's record to 26-2, matching the NBA mark for the best start by a team with two losses. The Celtics can break the record at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

"Rondo was unbelievable the third quarter," Kevin Garnett said. "He totally took the game over. He had almost a perfect game."

Coincidentally, Boston tied the Knicks and 76ers at 26-2. New York did it in 1969-70 and Philadelphia in 1966-67. Both teams went on to win NBA titles.

The Knicks trailed 69-63 before Rondo took advantage of some poor interior defense, driving past defenders -- mostly Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson -- for layups and all of Boston's points in a 10-4 run that put the Celtics ahead by 12.

He was 12-of-14 from the floor for the game.

"I think eight of them were layups. So, hah, I make my layups," Rondo said.

Ray Allen had 18 points, Paul Pierce 17, Garnett 12 and Kendrick Perkins 12 for the Celtics.

The Celtics, who have a number of scoring options with the new Big Three, can break the club record for consecutive wins set by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish's Celtics.

Boston's 1981-82 team also won 18 consecutive games.

Richardson led the Knicks with 29 points and Nate Robinson had 23. Duhon added 20 with 10 assists.

"He was more aggressive He's not usually as aggressive as he was tonight," Richardson said of Rondo. "Tonight he was trying to go to the rim."

New York lost its fourth straight and eighth in a row to Boston.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni knew that stopping Rondo wasn't a priority with all of Boston's other scorers, and the guard made his team pay for it.

"Well, Rondo's good, that's how he does it," he said. "He's fast and he's playing with some good guys."

The Celtics led 98-87 after three and scored the first seven of the final quarter, turning the game into a rout when Brian Scalabrine's 3 made it 105-87 with 10:28 to play.

Despite a chance to tie the franchise winning streak and match the NBA's best start, the crowd seemed a bit subdued in the early going, likely due to a pair of snowstorms that blanketed the area with over a foot of snow since Friday.

Just like Friday, when the building was nearly full during the first storm, the TD Banknorth Garden was mostly filled during a day of snow and freezing rain.

While the Celtics pounded the ball inside early, scoring 12 en route to a 24-8 lead 5:53 into the opening quarter, the Knicks seemed intent on shooting 3s.

The Knicks went 10-for-18 from beyond the arc in the opening 24 minutes, with Richardson hitting 4-of-7.

ESPN: Southern Miss beats Troy in New Orleans Bowl

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It only seemed fitting that Larry Fedora's first bowl game as Southern Mississippi's head coach would feature a stirring comeback and dramatic overtime finish.

The Golden Eagles overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit with the help of a fourth-down touchdown pass, and Michael McGee blocked a field goal in overtime for a 30-27 victory over Troy in the New Orleans Bowl on Sunday night.

The victory was the fifth straight for Southern Miss (7-6), which needed the first four to qualify for a bowl and the last one to extend the school's streak of consecutive winning seasons to 15.

"I just can't say how proud I am of this whole football team," Fedora said, reflecting on when his squad was mired in a five-game losing skid that dropped Southern Miss to 2-6.

"They were probably the only ones out there that really believed we would get it done. They never gave up, they believed in the coaches. They grew up and they became a heck of a football team."

Troy held Southern Miss to Britt Barefoot's 39-yard field goal on the first possession of OT, but that wound up being enough for the Golden Eagles to win their third New Orleans Bowl in three appearances.

McGee knifed in from the left end, diving as he smothered Sam Glusman's 28-yard kick to clinch the win.

"I was trying my best to get there and by the time I got 3 yards away from the ball, I didn't see nobody trying to block down on me, so I just dove and gave it my all," McGee said.

The Trojans (8-5), winners of the Sun Belt Conference, led 27-17 after Jerrel Jernigan's 6-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.

Southern Miss began its comeback when Austin Davis rolled out on fourth-and-2 and lofted a 35-yard touchdown to tight end Jonathan Massey with 7:20 left in regulation.

"The day I took the job I said we were going to attack ... and we've had that philosophy all year," Fedora said. "That's a play we've worked and executed numerous times in practice and that's not the first time we've hit that play in a game so I don't think it was that big of a risk to be honest."

Barefoot tied it with his 46-yard field goal with 2:50 to go.

A lousy start preceded Southern Miss' fantastic finish. When the game began, the Golden Eagles were penalized the loss of a timeout because they wore all-gold uniforms, defying orders that the they wear white jerseys as the designated visiting team. They committed a false start while lining up for their first offensive play. Two plays later, Troy took a 7-0 lead on a defensive touchdown as Jorrick Calvin batted down Davis' lateral, then scooped it up for 17-yard fumble return.

Later in the first quarter, Southern Miss lost leading receiver DeAndre Brown, who broke his left leg on an awkward landing in the end zone after his attempt at a leaping catch was batten down in the first quarter. Only one series earlier, Brown had set a single-season school record for receptions with 67 on a 9-yard catch.

Without his top target, Davis completed 20 of 34 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard scoring pass to New Orleans native Gerald Baptiste on a flea flicker in the first quarter.

Southern Miss career rushing leader Damion Fletcher carried 14 times for 78 yards and a touchdown on an 8-yard end run. Fletcher also caught three passes for 23 yards, while Baptiste finished with five catches for 88 yards.

Troy's Levi Brown was 26-of-43 for 255 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Kennard Burton and Troy never trailed until overtime. After this game, Troy had to be happy to get out of Louisiana, where one of its most crushing losses came in mid-November.

"We played LSU earlier this year and blew a 28-point lead. After that, we knew nothing's in hand until the game's over," Brown said. "I expected it to be a close game and I was thrilled to be up 10 in the fourth, but we couldn't finish it."

Jernigan had nine catches for 65 yards, breaking a 40-year-old Troy record for single-season receptions. He finished with 77 catches on the year, passing Danny Grant, who caught 72 passes in 1968.

ESPN: Detriot becomes first NFL team to start 0-15

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The Detroit Lions own a dubious piece of NFL history -- with perhaps more on the way.

Detroit became the first 0-15 team ever when it was routed 42-7 by the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Lions will try to avoid a perfectly awful season in the finale at Green Bay, where they haven't won since 1991.

"It's very real," center Dominic Raiola said. "It's right there in front of us.

"It's pretty sad that its come to this."

Drew Brees threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns after four Saints ran for scores in the first half. Brees stayed in the game with a 35-point lead late in the fourth quarter to move closer to Dan Marino's single-season record for yards passing. He needs 402 at home against Carolina to break Marino's record of 5,084 set in 1984.

"I thought we handled that part of it well in just handling the game the way we're supposed to and that's to win," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "These guys get paid to play."

The Lions were outscored by a combined 176 points at home this season, smashing the previous record of 146 set by the 1981 Colts.

"This is one big nightmare," Raiola said. "You want it to end, but it hasn't ended yet."

Fans got excited when the Lions finally fired team president Matt Millen following an 0-3 start and a 31-84 mark over seven-plus seasons, but the team hasn't been able to overcome the mess he left behind.

After the game, the Lions released a statement in which team owner William Clay Ford said he expects interim general manager Martin Mayhew and executive vice president Tom Lewand to return next season.

Lions executive vice president Tom Lewand told beat writers Thursday. "You focus on the positive. You remove the negative."

Coach Rod Marinelli has been sticking with the similar mantra for two-plus seasons and the results have not been good on Sundays. The Lions are an NFC-worst 10-25 since hiring Marinelli, making Millen's final record an NFL-worst 31-84 since 2001.

Detroit fell behind 21-0 in its first two games and 21-3 in its third en route to routs and an 0-3 record.

The Lions were routed in their first four games, had a shot to win each of their next four, then showed flashes of competitiveness and extended periods of poor play.

Expansion Tampa Bay set the bar low for NFL futility in 1976, when it finished 0-14, and Detroit is a loss away from making the Buccaneers inaugural season look a little better.

"I think this would be a lot worse," Raiola said.

Detroit seemed doomed early when Skyler Green returned the opening kickoff for 60 yards and Robert Meachem was untouched on a 20-yard end-around 2½ minutes into the game.

The Lions seemed to tie it on the ensuing drive, but a 52-yard pass to Calvin Johnson was negated because rookie offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus was called for illegal procedure -- his second penalty of the possession.

"It is inexcusable," coach Rod Marinelli said.

New Orleans went 97 yards on its next drive, taking a 14-0 lead on Deuce McAllister's 2-yard run.

Detroit scored its only points on Kevin Smith's 1-yard run early in the second quarter after the Saints bailed out the Lions with a pass-interference penalty on fourth down.

But Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas ran for TDs in the first half, giving the Saints a 28-7 lead.

The Lions opened the second half with a penalty for breaking the huddle with 12 players. It never got any better.

Brees connected with Marques Colston twice in the third quarter for a 42-7 lead and a single-season franchise record of 29 touchdowns.

The Saints also set a team record with their 50th TD of the year, finishing the game with 53.

Detroit benched Dan Orlovsky early in the fourth quarter after he completed just 10 of 23 passes for 125 yards and two interceptions.

Drew Stanton entered and was 1-of-3 for 12 yards.

It got so ugly fans mockingly in the half-empty stadium chanted "Jo-ey! Jo-ey!" in reference to New Orleans' third-string quarterback Joey Harrington, who was the first of many first-round busts Detroit drafted during its an eight-season stretch (31-95) that is the NFL's worst since 1950.

Since the Lions traded Harrington, their No. 3 pick in 2002, they are 10-36 and have won only one of their last 23 games.

"Who would have believed that I was here in the heyday?" Harrington joked. "Things have changed. When I was here, the fans brought "Fire Millen" signs, but still cheered for the team. Now, the ones that do show up bring "Hire Millen" signs and that doesn't help.

"No one deserves to go through this."