All We Do is Lin

LeBron James OK after collision

2012-03-21T09:23:00.004-04:00

LeBron James had a rough night Tuesday in the Miami Heat's 99-95 win over the Phoenix Suns.
He re-aggravated an old right elbow injury he had when playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Then, he suffered a blow to the head after colliding with the Suns' Grant Hill in the final 30 seconds of the game.

The Heat took timeouts after both injuries and James was able to stay in the game both times. The elbow injury occurred after he fell hard after a foul by Phoenix's Markieff Morris.
James said he had a "stinger" in his right arm that caused him the same numbness that affected him during the 2010 playoffs and once forced him to attempt a free throw left-handed. He still wears a padded sleeve on his right arm to protect the elbow.
"It's the same elbow I hurt in Cleveland so I was a little off, I would say, for the rest of the game," said James, who had 20 points but struggled from the floor after the hard landing.
"We'll see the next couple days. I'll come and get some treatment on it. Hopefully doesn't cause any problems."
James did not remember the immediate moments after the blindside hit from Hill as both players went for the ball. James said he had a headache, but said he did not have tests for a concussion after the game.
Heat trainers did ask him questions, such as the time and score of the game, before allowing him to return to the court. He laid on the floor, at times flat on his back, for several minutes aftrer the hit.
"I've never had one of those hits since I've had on pads and a helmet. I don't know exactly what happened," James said. "I had a steal coming and the next thing I know, I was on the floor."
James said he's never had a concussion.
"No, I'm too tough for that," James said.

Andrew Bynum's exit irks Mike Brown

2012-03-21T09:23:00.000-04:00

The scene that came to symbolize the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff demise against the Dallas Mavericks was replayed at the end of the third quarter in the Lakers' eventual 107-104 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday: Andrew Bynum stalked off the court after being ejected.
Bynum kept his shirt on this time around but did fit in the extracurricular activity of high-fiving a row of fans sitting courtside next to the Lakers' bench before a team security guard had to grab Bynum by the back of his jersey and guide him toward the locker room.

"I was irritated," Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bynum picking up his second technical foul of the game with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter, resulting in his disqualification.
Bynum was whistled for his first technical foul with 7:34 remaining in the first quarter. Bynum argued with an official that he should have received a foul call for being hit on the arm on a missed shot when Rockets center Samuel Dalembert was credited with a block.
Bynum's second tech came while lined up at the foul line for two Marcus Camby free throws that came after a Bynum offensive foul on the opposite end put the Rockets on the line. Bynum said something to referee Monty McCutchen before McCutchen tossed him.
"He's got to figure out what he wants to do," Brown said. "You got to ask him what his response was to the ref when he had the interaction with the ref, but we need him on the floor. He, nor anybody else right now, can put themselves in jeopardy -- even if it was unjustified or not. That's not what I'm saying here. Nobody can put themselves in jeopardy to get themselves removed from the ballgame."
Bynum passed a pack of reporters on his way to the bus after the game and did not stop to speak about the ejection.
"I'll answer all questions tomorrow," Bynum said as he quickly made his way through a set of double doors.
Brown said he was told by an official what Bynum said to cause the second technical foul but would not divulge the explanation to the assembled media.
"I'm not going to tell you," Brown said. "If he said what the official said, then I guess [it was warranted]. That's up to the official. That type of stuff is subjective."
The Lakers led by six at the time of Bynum's ejection. The reigning Western Conference player of the week exited the game with 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes. Without Bynum available, the Lakers were outscored 34-25 in the fourth quarter and outrebounded 15-7.
As for Bynum's detour to slap some fans' hands instead of following a direct route to the locker room, Brown seemed nonplussed.
"The league can take care of that," Brown said. "If he wants to do that, that's on him. I have no problem with it."
Brown said that to his knowledge, Bynum did not apologize to his teammates for his actions. Not that Bynum's teammates sounded like they expected an apology after the game.
"It happens," Metta World Peace said. "I wasn't really disappointed. I didn't really know what happened, so I couldn't really judge him at that point."
World Peace pointed out that L.A. was able to push its lead to 12 with 6:41 remaining in the fourth without Bynum on the court, basically absolving Bynum of the blame for the loss.
Much like he did last season when he said Bynum "earned his stripes" following a hit on Minnesota's Michael Beasley that resulted in a two-game suspension for the young center, Kobe Bryant defended Bynum's actions following the loss to Houston.
"It's a part of the game," Bryant said. "One of his big strengths is the chip on his shoulder that he plays with, so you can't expect him to have that one night and then knock him for it the next. I don't know what he said or anything like that, but I like the chip that he plays with."

Peyton Manning picks Broncos

2012-03-20T08:07:00.001-04:00

Peyton Manning will become the next quarterback of the Denver Broncos, barring a snag during intensified contract negotiations that have commenced under the instruction of the four-time MVP to his agent Tom Condon, according to multiple sources.
Once the Manning deal becomes official, Denver will try to trade Tim Tebow, according to sources.

Manning called Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway on Monday morning to tell him the news. Manning also called the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans to inform them of his intent to now play for Denver.
Manning instructed Condon to negotiate the finite details of a contract that would conclude with him joining the Broncos after a frenzied but focused process that began when the Indianapolis Colts released him March 7.
The Broncos won't comment on Manning's decision until they have a formal agreement in principle, but as of late Monday night the sides were in the process of finalizing a deal, according to sources. The team plans to introduce Manning at a new conference Tuesday afternoon at their Dove Valley facility in Englewood, CO, a team source added.
The introduction is expected to occur after Manning signs the contract prior to the news conference.
Elway and Manning first discussed the parameters of a five-year, $95 million contract during their March 9 meeting in Denver, the first time the quarterback visited a team during his free agency.
Elway then told Manning during last Friday's trip to Durham, N.C. -- where the quarterback has done the majority of his training -- that he wanted to finalize a contract "fair to both sides." Neither side expects any hangups.
However, details such as guaranteed money, structure of the deal and contract language designed to protect the Broncos in the event of Manning's inability to perform due to his prior neck surgeries all will be addressed in the contract, sources said.
Yet the Broncos have few concerns with Manning's medical condition. He already passed the physical exam that a team of Broncos doctors administered during the visit to Durham, a development that Elway informed Manning of when he returned home to Denver that night.
Manning also passed physical exams by San Francisco and Tennessee but he has told all teams that he still has gains to achieve in terms of arm strength and endurance that are related to nerve regeneration due to his neck injury. Nevertheless, his throwing sessions observed by all three teams -- combined with extensive video of previous workouts -- were satisfactory enough for those teams to pursue the most celebrated available player since the NFL's free agency era began in 1993.
"I think it's a great place for him," Broncos defensive end Robert Ayers said outside the Broncos' complex. "I don't think he made a bad decision. I think he made a great decision. Hopefully we can prove him right and hopefully we can win a lot of games here."
Elway now has helped produce Denver's biggest win since he led the Broncos to their last Super Bowl win in January 1999. Elway and Manning have stayed in close contact throughout this process, strengthening a relationship that grew well beyond the golf the two had played together in the past.
Manning is comfortable enough with Denver that he has directed Condon not to negotiate with the 49ers and Titans to avoid any perception that he was seeking financial leverage, sources said.
Only an unforeseen significant obstacle that would develop during the final stages of negotiations would prevent Manning from signing with the Broncos, sources said.
Titans owner Bud Adams released a statement Monday saying: "Obviously I am disappointed, because I thought we would be a perfect fit.
"Now that we move forward, I want our fans to know that our expectations haven't changed -- winning a championship is still the goal. I like our quarterback situation moving forward and we will continue to build the team through free agency and the draft with that goal in mind.
"I also want to commend Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker. They were thrown into a very difficult situation. Matt was very good for us last year; and at some point, we expect Jake to be our future franchise quarterback," Adams said in the statement.
49ers CEO Jed York wished Manning well and said he would like to have former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith back at quarterback.
"We have a contract on the table and it's up to (Alex)," York told CSNBayArea.com. "We'd like for him to be here, and we'll see where it goes."
Smith, perhaps irritated by the 49ers' interest in Manning, visited with the Miami Dolphins over the weekend. York said he hopes Smith is the 49ers' starting quarterback next season.
"I trust (coach) Jim (Harbaugh) and (general manager) Trent (Baalke) to figure it out," York told the website.
Several Broncos players, including running back Willis McGahee and defensive end Elvis Dumervil, celebrated the news on Twitter.

"To all my free agents across the nfl, I think u know what time it is. It's about to go down...," McGahee wrote.
And Dumervil's tweet included "What a power move!"
Not all Twitter reaction was positive, however. NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders tweeted that Manning should have picked the 49ers instead.
"Manning to Broncos!! Bad move just my opinion. Outside no dome very cold winters inexperienced receivers. I would have chose 49ers. Oh I did," he wrote. Sanders played for the 49ers in 1994.
"Think! Do u go to the Team that went 2 the NFC championship with great defense ,running game n Moss or Denver?"
Once the contract is completed, Manning will travel to Denver for a news conference to formally introduce him. Shortly thereafter, Manning will be allowed to work with the team's trainers, strength and medical staffs because of his prior neck surgery.
While Manning soon will arrive in Denver, Tebow could well depart. According to sources, Denver will try to trade Tebow -- who led the team to an 8-8 finish, an AFC West title and a first-round playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I wouldn't say I feel bad for him," Ayers said. "It's a business. And I'm pretty sure Tim understands that. ... We wish him luck, no matter what he does. I hope he's here. He's a great leader, a great locker room guy."
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper also chimed in, saying he hoped Tebow wasn't going anywhere.
"He's a young man, right? And a year or two of working under John Elway and Peyton Manning, you know, I'm not sure any other quarterbacks around the country get that opportunity," Hickenlooper said.
Manning's arrival will set in motion a string of personnel moves for the Broncos. Denver has had a free-agent plan strictly for if the team was able to sign Manning. The two sides now will pursue other players to bolster the roster, some of whom will be familiar to Manning.
One interesting player is former Colts center Jeff Saturday, whom Manning has always endorsed as invaluable to his own performance. A source said discussions related to Saturday, who was Manning's center with the Colts for 12 years, involved evaluations by all three teams' personnel and coaching staffs on whether he would be a logical fit. However, Manning did not mandate that he and Saturday would have to be a package deal, sources said.
Saturday was supposed to visit the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee, but Denver will have great allure due to Manning's arrival, whenever it becomes official.
Linebacker Joe Mays, who re-signed with the Broncos for three years and $12 million, said he was even more thrilled to return to Denver after the Manning news.

"Aw man, it's going to be exciting just what he brings to a team, he brings his leadership, just the way he approaches the game," said Mays, who canceled a trip to visit with the Colts on Sunday, "He has the 'it' factor when it comes to winning games. He had it over his time with the Colts and now he's got a chance to do it here. We're all excited to have him on the team."
Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, Manning is not allowed to engage in classroom football discussions with the coaching staff until April 16.
He will not be allowed to use the team's football field under the supervision and instruction of the coaching staff until May 2. Any throwing sessions under the supervision of trainers that are considered part of his rehab may not involve current Broncos receivers until April 16. He can throw independently with Denver receivers without coaching supervision or instruction but it must be away from the facility until the allowable voluntary window opens per the CBA.
The Broncos have retired jersey No. 18 but the only player to ever wear that number for Denver said last week that he wanted to make it available for Manning. Frank Tripucka wore No. 18 for three seasons in the 1960s, when he was the first quarterback in team history. After his tenure, the number was ceremonially retired.
But Tripucka is just fine with breaking it out of storage. The 84-year-old Tripucka said in a phone interview that if Manning wants that number, "He should have it. Let's give it to him."
Chris Mortensen is ESPN's senior NFL analyst. Adam Schefter is ESPN's NFL Insider. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Knicks tuning out coach

2012-03-14T07:35:00.002-04:00

After a remarkable Jeremy Lin-led run that made them the toast of the NBA, the Knicks have lost 8 of their last 10 games. There's plenty of blame to go around, but while some within the organization are questioning superstar Carmelo Anthony, most of the fingers are being pointed at head coach Mike D'Antoni, according to several sources close to the situation.
D'Antoni, hailed as an offensive genius during his successful tenure in Phoenix, has lost the Knicks' locker room, the sources say.
"The players like Mike as a person," one source said. "They think he's a good guy. But he doesn't have the respect of the team anymore."
D'Antoni is in the last year of a four-year deal and all indications are that he will not be brought back after this season; that is, if he survives the rest of this season. The Knicks are expected to make a run at Phil Jackson, who retired from the Lakers last year with 11 NBA titles.

But the Knicks, losers of six straight games, still have 24 games left to get through this year, and according to numerous sources close to the team, the reeling club is as dysfunctional in the locker room as it is on the court.
In addition to questioning D'Antoni, players are complaining about playing time, and confused about the offensive and defensive schemes.
It is lost on no one that the Knicks' free-fall coincides precisely with the return of Anthony. While Anthony was out with a groin injury, the Knicks won 6 of 7 games, including victories over the Los Angeles Lakers and defending champion Dallas Mavericks. With Lin leading D'Antoni's offense, the Knicks played fast and free, spacing the floor, hitting the open man, and even improving defensively.
But the day Anthony returned, the Knicks lost to the struggling New Jersey Nets, starting a sorry stretch that has washed away all the feel-good emotions of Lin's emergence and left them on the verge of missing the playoffs.
Management, the coaching staff and the players know Anthony is hurting the offense and in turn, the defensive morale, according to the sources. While D'Antoni's offense calls for Anthony to plant himself on the wing at the 3-point line, he often creeps in to his favorite spot in the floor -- the area between the elbow, the arc and the post. That kills the Knicks' ability to run the high pick-and-roll and ruins the spacing that is so critical to D'Antoni's offense.
"That's at the very core of our problem," one person close to the situation said. "That messes up the fluidity of the offense. Melo could do it, but he's got to trust the offense."
When Anthony first returned -- and it still appears to be the case -- Lin would bring the ball upcourt and try to run D'Antoni's system. When Anthony would abandon the offense, Lin would not pass him the ball, which irritated Anthony, sources said. So when Lin tried to talk to Anthony on the court, Anthony would turn his back to the point guard and tune him out. The two never had heated exchanges, though, and the players tried to come to a compromise, agreeing to run D'Antoni's system while also mixing in post-ups for Anthony.
"But it's just a mess because D'Antoni's system is not designed for that," one source said.
Despite his often poor body language, many of the players believe Anthony is trying to adjust and sincerely wants to win. He has told people close to him that he is being asked to do things he's never done, saying that throughout his career he has always had plenty of post-up opportunities and that he is uncomfortable standing on the wing spacing the floor.
"Half the team is trying to do what coach says and the other half is doing something different," one source said. "Then it spills over to the defensive end because players are (ticked) off about somebody taking a bad shot."
With Anthony sapping the energy from the offense, the players often lose their incentive to play defense. But even when he's trying to play defense, Amare Stoudemire struggles. Having spent almost his entire career in D'Antoni's non-defensive system, Stoudemire has trouble making defensive reads and rotations. Anthony knows what to do defensively, but simply refuses to do it consistently, the sources said.
Some players believe D'Antoni had the leverage to force Anthony to adjust to his system when he first returned from injury. The Knicks were rolling, showing they could win without Anthony, and their fan base was believing in D'Antoni's system. If D'Antoni had checked Anthony, perhaps even benching him, when he strayed from the offense, the players and fans would have been behind the coach and Anthony would have had no choice but to conform. But D'Antoni, ever the one to avoid confrontation with his players, would not do it, and now it's too late. That's when he lost the locker room for good.
Now, the players believe they need a coach who will hold players, especially the stars like Anthony and Stoudemire, accountable, the sources said. They do not believe D'Antoni is willing or able to do it.
On top of that, Baron Davis, who just returned from a back injury, is unhappy with his limited role as Lin's backup. Davis, averaging just 17 minutes a game, has already spoken to D'Antoni about giving him more playing time, according to the sources. While Lin wants to run D'Antoni's system, Davis is more in line with running the offense through Anthony and Stoudemire, the sources said.
"The only way this is going to work is if we have a coach that will hold Melo accountable and teach Melo, Amare and Jeremy how to play winning basketball," a source said.

Stall tactic leads to 16-7 Final score in High School state championship game

2012-03-13T09:42:00.000-04:00

If asked to guess, most people would probably bet that a state championship tilt with a final score of 16-7 was contested in football or boys or girls lacrosse. Field hockey, baseball and softball might get some minority votes as well. But basketball? That seems completely out of the question.

Incredibly, that 16-7 score was exactly what was served up in Oregon on Saturday, where Springfield (Ore.) High's girls basketball team outlasted the Eugene (Ore.) Willamette High girls by nine points in the lowest-scoring state title game at any level of Oregon basketball, be it boys or girls.

"We don't care how we did it, we just won it," victorious Springfield girls basketball coach Bill Wagner told OregonLive.com. "They did what they felt they needed to do and our kids had great composure with that."
The result may have been what was ultimately important for Springfield, but the means by which the Millers arrived on top of the medal stand was a bit shocking, particularly given their offensive weapons. The Millers were led all season by Mercedes Russell, arguably the top junior girls basketball prospect in the nation.

In the regular season, Russell averaged 26 points and 16 rebounds per game, despite sitting out the final period of most of her team's victories as scores ballooned out of reach. When playing for a state title, her team scored 10 points fewer than her personal per-game average.
What happened? The answer is simple: Willamette knew it couldn't beat Springfield in an open-court, offensive basketball game. Their only realistic chance to win, Willamette coach Paul Brothers reasoned, was to slow the game down to a crawl.
Brothers' Wolverines did that and then some. According to OregonLive, Willamette literally held the ball -- didn't pass it, didn't dribble it, just held it -- throughout the entire second quarter until there were only six seconds left to play. You can see the best and worst of that tactic in the "highlights" from the game below, as provided by KEZI 9 Sports. That left the teams heading to halftime with Springfield up, 4-0, within Willamette's goal of keeping the game within two possessions entering the fourth quarter.
Incredibly, the Wolverines actually hit that mark, staying within two possessions entering the fourth before eventually watching the Millers pull away. In the end, Springfield was lifted by Russell's game-high seven points, easily her lowest game-high performance of the season.

"We've tried going toe-to-toe with them and that doesn't work," Brothers said. "Russell is just far superior to probably just about anybody around, so we felt like we had to limit her touches.
"I don't like to play that kind of game, but I like to give our kids the best chance to win. We felt if we could keep the score down in the first half and then come out and hit some shots in the second half that maybe we'd be in it."

They were in it, but the shots just never fell. By game's end, the Wolverines had hit just two shots, finishing a dismal 2 for 14 for the game; 14.3 percent from the field.

Willamette's attempt to slow Springfield's girls hoopsters isn't the first time a prep team has employed a stall offense to try and pull off a massive upset. But for a state title game between the teams that are allegedly the best two squads in the second-largest classification in Oregon, one of the nation's most talent-rich girls basketball states? Yeah, that's a first.
"I'm so proud of this group," Wagner told OregonLive. "Like I said, I don't care how we got it done, we got it."

Titans eye Steve Hutchinson and Peyton Manning

2012-03-13T09:14:00.003-04:00

As Tennessee plots its push for free agent quarterback Peyton Manning, the Titans plan to host a visit for former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson, league sources said Tuesday.
One goal of signing Hutchinson would be to make Tennessee even more appealing to Manning, who is close to the guard from the time they've spent together at multiple Pro Bowls in Hawaii.
But Hutchinson also was on the Titans' radar even before the Manning pursuit began, as they want to beef up the interior line with a veteran leader. Hutchinson also is very close to Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, as well, from their days together in Seattle.

The Titans were also preparing to make a major run at Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams, but the organization has shifted its focus to Manning, a league source said.
Manning met with Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin, offensive coordinator Mike Sherman and other staff members for roughly five to six hours Monday night in Indianapolis, according to sources.
He was expected to meet with Titans coach Mike Munchak and a number of Titans offensive assistants on Tuesday or Wednesday, =sources said.
Munchak, a Hall of Fame guard, was a teammate of Manning's father, Archie, during the 1982 and 1983 seasons with the Houston Oilers.
"I want Manning," Titans owner Bud Adams told The Tennessean on Sunday. "I'd love to see him in Titan blue after watching him so many years with the Colts. ... I want him. I am ready to do what it takes to get him aboard, and I think he'd be the guy to get us into the playoffs."
The Titans already have Hasselbeck, signed to a three-year contract last July, and Jake Locker, picked with the No. 8 overall selection in the 2011 draft. But Hasselbeck is due $5.5 million in salary this year after getting a chunk of his deal last season.
Manning, who has already met with the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals, has continued to rehab his shoulder and neck.
He is expected to resume his throwing regimen -- most likely at Duke University, where he threw last week -- while he analyzes his free-agent choices with no apparent deadline in place to make a decision, a source added.

49ers, Moss agree to 1-year deal

2012-03-13T09:13:00.005-04:00

Randy Moss is ready to show the world he can still be that dynamic deep threat who once dominated NFL defensive backs.
Even after a year away. Even at age 35. Even with a reputation he says isn't all it's made out to be.
Moss is getting another chance in the NFL, signing a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday only hours after he worked out for the team and with former NFL quarterback and current coach Jim Harbaugh.

"I'm not a free agent. I'm a guy straight off the couch, straight off the street," Moss said. "One thing I want the sports world to understand is the love and passion I have for football."
Moss will fill a big void for the reigning NFC West champions in Harbaugh's version of the West Coast offense.
While he didn't go as far as to promise not to pout when times are tough, he did say all the right things, and that he plans to be a positive presence in a locker room known for its blue-collar, unselfish approach. Moss has no interest in reflecting on his past, either.
This is a fresh start.
"The thing about me being here is they've done their research on me. When it comes to the worldwide sports media, I've gotten a bad rap," Moss said. "They've done their homework on me or they wouldn't have brought me in here. ... (The questions were) more of me not being a team player and things like that. I don't want to get into that."
Moss got a good vibe about the organization from the moment he was picked up at the airport Sunday night, calling it a "no-brainer" to sign. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported the move earlier Monday.
Moss said the organization quickly decided to "pull the trigger" -- and it's a low-risk, high-reward move for San Francisco.
"Harbaugh is a young, enthusiastic coach. I love enthusiasm," Moss said. "A lot of things stood out to me."
It seems Harbaugh's throws were on target, too.
"Jim Harbaugh makes #49ers veteran emergency board: Best coach's workout in NFL history (especially while wearing khakis & a sweatshirt)," Niners CEO Jed York tweeted.

Moss, who worked out last Tuesday with the New Orleans Saints, spent a year out of football and last played for New England, Minnesota and Tennessee during a rocky 2010 season.
He said he enjoyed playing catch with Harbaugh, a 15-year NFL pro in his day.
"Yes, he can still bring it at his old age. I don't know, he's probably sitting there with an ice pack or something on his shoulder right now," Moss said. "He can still wing it."
The 49ers can sure use him. San Francisco's receivers managed just one catch for 3 yards in a 20-17 loss in the NFC Championship game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants at Candlestick Park on Jan. 22.
York told reporters earlier Monday at team headquarters his team needed "someone to stretch the field." The athletic, 6-foot-4 Moss fits the bill.
Moss said he initially retired for "personal reasons outside of football" and considered making a comeback late in the 2011 season before ultimately deciding to give his body more time to train. He suffered a shoulder injury during 2010 with New England.
Moss always believed he could still perform.
"It was a decision to get back in the game because I still love the game and think I can play at a high level," he said. "It was obvious they liked what they saw. I don't want to let them down."
The 49ers also are working to re-sign quarterback Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005, and have reportedly made him a three-year offer. Smith's representatives haven't returned multiple messages seeking an update on the status of negotiations.

"Alex is trying to figure out what he wants to do," York said. "There have been good conversations back and forth."
If Moss proves himself during workouts this spring and training camp, he could be a viable deep threat that San Francisco hoped it had in Braylon Edwards last season.
The 49ers cut ties with Edwards in December. Josh Morgan broke a bone in his lower leg Oct. 9 against Tampa Bay and later had surgery to have screws inserted and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Morgan is expected to generate his share of interest in free agency, and receiver and return man Ted Ginn Jr. might not return.
Michael Crabtree, San Francisco's 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft, had 72 receptions for 874 yards and four touchdowns in 2011. San Francisco went 13-3 and ended an eight-year drought without a playoff berth or winning record.
Moss' best season came for the Patriots in 2007, when he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and a single-season record 23 touchdowns in helping New England to a 16-0 regular-season record. He has 954 catches for 14,858 yards and 153 TDs in his 13-year career, which included a stint in the Bay Area with the Oakland Raiders in 2005 and '06 where he produced little on the field.
Running back Anthony Dixon watched Moss' workout Monday, and came away giddy.
"Randy Moss done linked up with us. Oh it's about to get scary like the end of October!" Dixon tweeted.
Moss has had more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season 10 times, second only to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who accomplished the feat 14 times.
Moss hasn't lost his swagger.
"I accept the challenge and I'm ready to bring the fans out to the seats," he said, noting he considers this a chance to give back to the game. "I like what I can do for the NFL. I don't like what the NFL can do for me."

Peyton Manning in Arizona

2012-03-11T08:33:00.004-04:00

Peyton Manning's tour of potential NFL destinations is making a stop in the desert.
A person familiar with Manning's location told The Associated Press that the superstar free agent arrived in Arizona for meetings with the Cardinals.
The Arizona Republic was the first to report that the four-time MVP quarterback arrived in the desert Saturday night.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Manning is expected to meet with Cardinals coaches and team officials on Sunday.
The Cardinals, sources told ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton, have lost confidence in quarterback Kevin Kolb and are desperate to get Manning. If the Cards do get Manning, they would let Kolb go, the sources said. However, if Manning eschews the desert, Arizona would hold on to Kolb and work on developing him, according to sources.
The team already has invested millions in Kolb and is scheduled to pay him $7 million if he is on the roster Thursday. The Cardinals, though, had more success with second-year quarterback John Skelton starting than with Kolb, who missed much of the season with turf toe and a concussion.
The Cardinals' facility was a beehive of activity as the setting for Kurt Warner's annual "Ultimate Football Experience," a fundraiser for his First Things First foundation that features current and past football stars. Among them was Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who said he knew nothing of any contact the team may have made with Manning.

"I haven't heard anything," he said. "I'd like to feel like if he was going to be here I would probably hear something from somebody."
The presence of Fitzgerald, one of the best receivers in the game, is considered a major reason why Manning would consider the Cardinals, who won seven of nine after a 1-6 start to wind up 8-8 last season.
Fitzgerald, the Cardinals' career leading receiver, said he understood why Arizona would be interested in Manning.
"He's a four-time MVP. He's a Super Bowl champion," he said. "He's arguably the best quarterback to ever play football. He's a free agent. If he's healthy, I know he's somebody that can help any team that he goes to. I understand the interest. It makes sense."
Fitzgerald said he wasn't surprised Arizona is in the mix.
"After last year, Michael (team president Michael Bidwill) said he was going to continue staying aggressive," Fitzgerald said, "and he's going to do everything he can to make sure we're going to be able to compete for an NFC West championship every single year. He hasn't done anything to this point to make us believe anything different."
Besides Fitzgerald, the Cardinals can offer a state-of-the-art stadium with a retractable roof and natural grass field that slides out into the sunshine when not being used. Then there is the weather -- sunshine with the temperature in the high 70s on Saturday.
The Cardinals have a strong young defense but Manning might be concerned with an inconsistent offensive line that could lose left tackle Levi Brown, unless he restructures his contract. Other than Fitzgerald, the receivers are young.
Manning met with the Denver Broncos on Friday night at the team's headquarters. After Arizona, Manning reportedly is going to Florida to meet with the Miami Dolphins.
Manning met for nearly six hours Friday with Denver, then left the team's facility without speaking with reporters.
About 48 hours after being released by the Indianapolis Colts, Manning met with another Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway, and coach John Fox. The three chatted while taking a tour of the team's practice field, then heading to the weight room.
They spent several hours together before the four-time MVP departed.
According to The Denver Post, the Broncos sent a plane to pick up Manning in South Florida, where he has a condo. He had traveled there after Wednesday's emotional news conference in Indianapolis, where he said goodbye to the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 1998 and led to the 2007 Super Bowl championship.
As news of Manning's arrival spread -- with reporters and TV helicopters hovering over every inch of the Broncos' facility -- a handful of fans started making their way to the training facility.
"Let's do it, Peyton!" one of them yelled through a gate upon spotting the NFL's marquee free agent. Manning glanced over and gave a quick wave.
Across the parking lot, one fan with an Elway jersey, another with a Tim Tebow jersey and a few more with Manning's iconic Colts No. 18 showed up.
Sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen the visit did not make the Broncos the favorite to land the four-time MVP. In fact, other teams are starting to be aggressive in expressing their interest in Manning.
No contract negotiations were expected to occur during the Denver visit, first reported by The Denver Post. Manning did not work out for the Broncos, but wanted to familiarize himself with the team's facilities, organization and geography.
Meeting with the Chiefs is also a possibility for Manning.
"He's one of the greatest players in the history of the league," Chiefs owner Clark Hunt told NBC Sports Network. "He's also an incredible person. We feel really good about the team we have in Kansas City going into the 2012 season, but we'll look for any opportunity to improve and, of course, that includes Peyton Manning."
At least 12 teams reportedly have reached out to Manning's representatives, but Hunt wouldn't characterize the Chiefs' interest.
"I don't think it would be appropriate for me to talk about discussions at this point, but he is somebody that we'll talk to," Hunt told NBC.
Two teams that are now likely out of the running for Manning are the Washington Redskins and New York Jets.
The Redskins agreed to a trade Friday with the St. Louis Rams in which Washington will receive the second overall pick in this year's draft for three first-round draft picks and a second-round pick. The Redskins are expected to draft the top quarterback available.
The Redskins, however, still intend to talk with Manning and try to sign him even if it is considered a long shot, a source told Schefter.
And the Jets announced a contract extension Friday night with quarterback Mark Sanchez.
The Chiefs, Redskins, Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Dolphins, Cardinals and Broncos were among teams to reach out at first, according to sources.
Sources told ESPN that the order in which Manning visits teams will not reflect an order of choice because, as one source said: "There is absolutely no preferred choice at this time. This is typical, (Manning) doing his own research because it's a first-time and only-time process from a free-agent vantage point. Physically seeing facilities and the geography of cities that he is not acquainted with is part of his own research."
Manning was released after 14 years and one Super Bowl win in Indianapolis. The Colts were faced with paying a $28 million bonus to a 35-year-old quarterback who has had at least three neck surgeries and missed all of last season.
Sources have said Manning would like to make a decision within a week on where he will play next year.
The Broncos would present an interesting landing spot because the nation was captivated by Tebow's exploits last season. He came from third on the depth chart in camp to lead the Broncos to the playoffs and an upset of the Steelers, but his throwing mechanics consistently have been questioned.

Louisville edges Cincinnati to win Big East tournament for 2nd time

2012-03-11T08:33:00.000-04:00

Rick Pitino has coached 10 teams to conference tournament championships in his 27 seasons in college basketball.
No. 10 seemed to be especially sweet.Playing tenacious defense throughout and mustering just enough offense to hold off a closing run, Louisville gave Pitino his latest title with a 50-44 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday night in the Big East championship game.

"I think you can see how excited our guys are and how much the tournament means to us," Pitino said. "It's special because I love coaching these guys. We have a very unusual group. It's a throw back."
So was the final score.It was the fewest points scored in a Big East tournament championship game, 16 less than the previous mark set by Syracuse and Georgetown in 1992."We did a lot of really good things defensively," Pitino said. "We knew it was going to take defense to win this game."It took beating an old foe, too.The teams had played each other over 90 times through multiple conference movements. Pitino was again facing a former assistant. Familiarity didn't breed contempt, just good defense."They know us as well as we know ourselves. We know them as well as they know themselves," Pitino said. "(Cincinnati coach) Mick (Cronin) and I worked together, and we know the way each other think. It's very difficult to play two teams that know each other so well an hour and 20 minutes down the road. It was going to be a defensive battle."

Chris Smith, with his brother who plays for the New York Knicks in the stands, scored 15 points and Kyle Kuric added 13 for seventh-seeded Louisville (26-9), which was in the championship game for the third time. The Cardinals won the title in 2009 and lost to Connecticut in last year's championship game. Now they will be playing in the NCAA tournament for the sixth straight year.
The game was far from an offensive classic, but it had the sellout crowd of 20,057 at Madison Square Garden on their feet in the final minutes."Obviously, it wasn't our best night. Give all the credit to Louisville," said Cronin, who worked for Pitino at Louisville from 2001-03. "Very happy for Coach Pitino, love him like a brother. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. So I'm very, very happy for him. Very disappointed for my players because we didn't give our best effort tonight. I take nothing away from Louisville. We have a tendency to get overconfident at times. I thought that was an issue for us."Cashmere Wright had 16 points for the fourth-seeded Bearcats (24-10), who were in the title game for the first time.This was the first time in the 34 years the tournament has been held that at least one of the original seven members of the conference wasn't in the championship game.Now with more membership movement on the horizon, there's a chance a matchup like this can happen more often."I'm a traditionalist, and I'm very disappointed that teams are leaving, certainly," Pitino said when asked about the changing of the guard for the Big East. "But this world today, like I told the guys, even in our town, our players felt it."Louisville looked to be in control when Smith -- whose brother J.R. joined the Knicks during the season -- hit a 3-pointer that gave the Cardinals a 44-28 lead with 8:27 to play. But Wright had nine points in a 16-4 run that brought the Bearcats within 48-44 with 2:35 to play.Russ Smith's two free throws were the only points either team scored the rest of the way. Cincinnati had three possessions trailing by four points but came up empty on each."We started playing with our heart, and we came out thinking we were going to win," Wright said of the difference from the first half to the second. "We weren't playing with our heart, and we were just playing off last game. Then in the second half we realized they weren't going to give us the game so we had to go take it, but after we started pushing, it was too late."Tournament MVP Peyton Siva had 10 points, four rebounds and five assists for Louisville, which will be making its sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. Siva averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in the first three games of the tournament."Nobody really expected us to even get this far," Siva said. "It just feels good because a lot of people wrote us off. Coach P had a lot of faith in me. I'm very thankful for that. Everybody really showed a lot of heart today."He was humble about being selected MVP."My teammates are really the people who deserve this trophy," he said on the court as the nets were being cut down.Even though the matchup was new for a Big East championship game, it was one between old adversaries. Louisville leads the all-time series 54-41 and this was the third different conference tournament in which they've met.Louisville won all three meetings in the Metro Conference tournament, while Cincinnati won all three matchups in Conference USA. They are now 1-1 in the Big East tournament.Cincinnati won the only regular season meeting, 60-56. In that game the Bearcats went 11 for 27 from 3-point range in that game and Louisville made only one of its 14 attempts from beyond the arc.This game was quite different.Louisville finished 5 for 14 on 3s while the Bearcats were 3 of 14 and that included them missing their first nine."We played great defense at their place, held them to 32 percent shooting, but they made 11 3s, and against Syracuse they made eight 3s in the first half," Pitino said. "Our strategy was very simple, we were going to show zone, play man but we were going to guard the NBA line. We were going to limit their attempts and if they did get an attempt, it was not going to be a good look. ..."So we knew we had to win this game with defense. We played a heck of a game against them at their place and lost. We showed the guys why we lost, but we wanted to stop the 3-point line tonight. We've been winning off our defense. We knew, although both teams were trying to push the pace, we know each other too well, and you don't have time to innovate your offenses with one day prep."The Cardinals led 24-14 at half and even though Cincinnati picked the scoring pace considerably, they were able to take the 16-point lead.Wright, who had 22 points in the first meeting, took over when Cincinnati made the run. He hit a jumper, made a 3 and scored on two drives as what looked to be an easy win for Louisville became a close game.JaQuon Parker was credited with a basket on an offensive goaltending call to get the Bearcats within 48-44 with 2:35 left.Louisville came up empty on its next three possessions -- a turnover and two missed shots -- but the Bearcats couldn't take advantage as Wright turned the ball over, Parker missed a jumper and then two free throws.Pitino improved to 26-9 against his former assistants. He is 5-4 over Cronin, who was the second former assistant Pitino beat in this tournament as the Cardinals beat Seton Hall and coach Kevin Willard in the second round.

Source: Redskins get No. 2 pick

2012-03-10T06:53:00.001-05:00

In a pre-draft blockbuster trade, the St. Louis Rams have agreed in principle to send the second overall pick in this year's draft to the Washington Redskins for three first-round draft picks and a second-round pick, according to a source in Cleveland familiar with the terms of the deal.
The trade, first reported by FoxSports.com, cannot be signed off on, turned in and processed until the new league year starts Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, but it is expected to become official then.

In the deal, the Rams will receive the Redskins' No. 6 overall pick, as well as the Redskins' first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. The Rams will also receive Washington's second-round pick this year in return for the second overall pick that the Redskins now will use on whichever quarterback the Indianapolis Colts do not draft No. 1 overall.
The deal was agreed upon early Thursday afternoon, but the NFL Management Council prohibited any announcement, a league source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen. The Rams now have the sixth, 33rd and 39th overall picks in next month's draft.
The widespread expectation is that Indianapolis will make Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck the No. 1 pick and then Washington would follow by selecting Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.
The Cleveland Browns had stepped up their efforts to try to acquire the No. 2 pick in recent days, going so far as to offer at least three No. 1 picks to the Rams and possibly even the second-round pick, according to one source familiar with the deal. Cleveland sensed it was going to get the deal done, only to be informed that St. Louis planned to deal the coveted No. 2 pick to the Redskins.
The trade will not change the Redskins' plans in pursuing Peyton Manning. They still intend to talk with and try to sign him, even if they are considered a long shot.
The bold move demonstrates how badly the Redskins are in need of a franchise quarterback after two decades of struggles. Coach Mike Shanahan has already whiffed on three in his two seasons in Washington, with Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman and John Beck combining to produce an 11-21 record.
The offense needs upgrades at receiver and along the offensive line, and Peyton would have had to face his brother Eli Manning of the New York Giants twice a year in the NFC East.
The Rams were in the market to trade because they already have their franchise quarterback, 2010 No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford.
By sacrificing four premium draft picks, Shanahan is reversing the plan he set in motion last year to stockpile picks to rebuild Washington's depleted roster. The Redskins, however, have plenty of space under the salary cap and can be aggressive in plugging their holes when free agency begins Tuesday.
Grossman and Beck combined to throw 24 interceptions last year, putting the Redskins just one behind league leaders Philadelphia and Buffalo on the way to a fourth consecutive last-place finish in the division. McNabb, acquired in a trade from the Eagles, was the starter for the first 13 games in 2010, when Washington went 6-10.

Jets extend Mark Sanchez's contract

2012-03-10T05:47:00.001-05:00

The New York Jets ended months of Peyton Manning speculation Friday night with an emphatic statement, announcing a three-year contract extension for incumbent Mark Sanchez.
The Jets made Sanchez one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL after a season in which they openly admitted they weren't pleased with his rate of development. The timing also is curious, coming only hours after they were eliminated from the Manning sweepstakes.

The deal includes $20.5 million in guarantees for 2012 and 2013 and $40.5 million in "new" money, bringing his total over five years to $58.25 million, according to sources. He can make an additional $10 million in escalators.
The $58.25 million gives Sanchez the seventh-highest financial package among NFL quarterbacks, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.
The amount of money in the contract virtually assures that Sanchez will be the starter for at least two more seasons. Sanchez, speaking to reporters for the first time since the season ended, said he wasn't bothered by the Manning speculation.
"Not at all," he said late Friday night on a conference call. "The best part about it is, they chose to stick with me. I'm going to be their starting quarterback for the next few years here and that's exciting. I'm the leader of this team and I'm excited to get back."
Tannenbaum said they decided after the season to extend Sanchez's contract, which had two years remaining but no guaranteed money. At the same time, Tannenbaum never shut the door on Manning, fueling the speculation the Jets were mulling a quarterback change.
Perhaps it was posturing to create leverage in the negotiations, but the Manning flirtation also threatened to weaken Sanchez's stature in the locker room. There was concern within the organization about how Sanchez would handle it, sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

Early Friday afternoon, reports began to circulate that Manning had begun to take recruiting trips and the Jets, not surprisingly, weren't on his itinerary.
Around 7 p.m., the Sanchez deal was finalized, according to Tannenbaum, who claimed they were in negotiations for several weeks.
"We looked into that possibility as someone to add to our team," Tannenbaum said of Manning, declining to characterize the level of interest. "We had discussions internally. We monitored the situation. As events continued to unfold, we kept pushing the extension with Mark."
Pressed about their interest in Manning, Tannenbaum said, "When a first-ballot, Hall-of-Fame quarterback becomes available, you look into it."
The extension is surprising because Sanchez didn't improve as the organization had hoped, as the Jets finished a disappointing 8-8. Sanchez threw a career-high 26 touchdown passes, but he also suffered a career-high 26 turnovers, played poorly down the stretch and feuded with wide receiver Santonio Holmes. He was criticized by teammates for being "coddled."
A few days after the season, Tannenbaum acknowledged that Sanchez "didn't play well." So why the long-term commitment?
"We've won a lot of football games with Mark as the staring quarterback of the New York Jets and that's what really concerned us," said Tannenbaum, noting Sanchez's four playoff victories. "It's not a projection, it's not a hope, it's not an incremental leap of faith. Here's a three-year body of work.
"That said, we don't have blinders on. It has to get better and it will get better. We think he'll become more consistent. Taking a long view of things, we're excited and encouraged by the trajectory of Mark's career."
Sanchez said his performance last season will fuel him and he also downplayed the well-documented rift with Holmes, claiming he's been "in contact with him for the whole offseason" and that he has visited Holmes at his home in Atlanta.
"If anything, this past year, I learned more than my first two years combined, how to handle adversity," Sanchez said.
Publicly, the Jets always said they expected Sanchez to be their starter in 2012, but they kept the Manning speculation alive, perhaps purposely.
They were one of 12 teams that contacted Manning's representatives, ESPN reported. Manning was released Wednesday by the Indianapolis Colts, and by Friday afternoon it was apparent he had no intention of signing with the Jets.
It might have been one of the shortest flirtations in free-agent history.

Peyton Manning favors AFC

2012-03-09T05:06:00.002-05:00

Peyton Manning's camp is aiming to make a decision within the next week on where he will play next season, according to sources, who add that while Manning prefers to stay in the AFC, he is open to playing in the NFC.
Sources say 12 teams reached out to Manning's representatives Wednesday, after he was released, to gauge his interest in playing for their teams. Many of the teams already have been publicized, but some inevitably will want to keep their identity secret.

Of those 12 teams, sources tell ESPN that the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and New York Jets have actually been in contact with Manning's representatives.
Former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino said Thursday he will not reach out to Manning about his options in free agency, noting that the four-time NFL MVP has enough people "working with him to help him make the right decisions."
But if Manning asks, Marino says, "I would definitely answer."
"I think he fits with anybody," Marino said Thursday at a charity golf tournament. "He's one of the best to ever play the game at that position. So wherever he ends up playing, if he's healthy, which is going to be important to Peyton, I'm sure he wants to go out there and play at a high level. Wherever he plays, he'll be a huge impact for that team."
New Dolphins coach Joe Philbin, appearing at a Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida sports auction at Sun Life Stadium on Thursday, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he had not spoken to Manning or Manning's representatives yet.
"I have not talked to him, not at all," Philbin told the Sun Sentinel. "We had a busy day in the office. We're evaluating draft prospects and putting our playbook together so I have not spoken to him."
Philbin said the Dolphins would look at "every option" to improve the team.
"Honest to God, I didn't pick up the paper today," Philbin told the Sun Sentinel. "I haven't been on ESPN.com. I've really been busy with other things, and that's the truth. ... He's obviously had a phenomenal career up to this point in time," Philbin added. "From all indications he's been a great leader in the locker room. He's had a great career with the Colts, and we'll see how things develop in the next week or so."
Justin Tuck said Thursday he expects Manning to make any team he signs with an instant NFL powerhouse. The New York Giants defensive end just hopes it's not a team in the NFC East.
Speaking with The Associated Press at Barcelona's Global Sports Forum on Thursday, Tuck says that he hopes Manning doesn't "come to the NFC East where I'll have to play him twice a year."
Tuck doesn't have to worry about Manning joining the Dallas Cowboys. A high-ranking team source told ESPN's Ed Werder on Thursday that the team remains committed to Tony Romo and will not pursue, contact or demonstrate any interest in Manning.
The Indianapolis Colts officially released Manning on Wednesday. He will become a free agent and eligible to negotiate and sign with a team as soon as he clears waivers Thursday. The 14-year veteran does not need to wait until the free-agent period begins Tuesday, and he acknowledged his agent already was taking calls.
"I have no idea who wants me, what team wants me, how this process works," Manning told a group of reporters in South Florida after flying to his home there following Wednesday's news conference. "I don't know if it's like college recruiting where you go take visits. I mean, this is all so new to me."
Manning missed the entire 2011 season after having his third neck surgery in 19 months, a fusion of two vertebrae. But Dr. Robert Watkins, who performed the single-level cervical fusion, has stated publicly that he has cleared Manning to resume his playing career, and the damaged nerves have regenerated to the point where Manning has thrown the ball with greater distance and velocity in the past few weeks.

Colts release Peyton Manning

2012-03-07T23:16:00.004-05:00

Sent packing by his only NFL team, one he transformed from afterthought to Super Bowl champion, Peyton Manning said goodbye to the Indianapolis Colts with a shaky voice and tear-filled eyes, then got ready to find a new place to play quarterback.
At a podium alongside owner Jim Irsay, who cut the injured star Wednesday rather than pay a whopping $28 million bonus due this week, Manning was by turns wistful, nostalgic -- he got choked up while praising the Colts' equipment managers -- and forward-looking.

The only four-time MVP in NFL history now figures to become as coveted a free agent as the league has ever seen, assuming he can assuage any lingering concerns about the series of neck operations that forced him to miss all of 2011. Arizona, Miami, Seattle, Tennessee, Washington and the New York Jets all have been rumored as possible destinations; Manning's former offensive coordinator in Indianapolis, Tom Moore, worked for the Jets as a consultant last season.
"Nobody loves their job more than I do. Nobody loves playing quarterback more than I do. I still want to play. But there is no other team I wanted to play for," said Manning, who turns 36 this month.
Still, he acknowledged: "We all know that nothing lasts forever. Times change, circumstances change, and that's the reality of playing in the NFL."
Another reality: Manning should command plenty of offers on the open market. It's not very often that teams get a crack at a QB who's thrown for more than 50,000 yards and nearly 400 touchdowns, been picked for 11 Pro Bowls, and been a Super Bowl MVP. Manning's importance to the Colts' success was never more apparent than last season, when their record plummeted to 2-14 without him.
"I have no idea who wants me, what team wants me, how this process works," Manning told a group of reporters in South Florida, where he has a home and flew after the news conference. "I don't know if it's like college recruiting where you go take visits. I mean, this is all so new to me."
Reports of other clubs' interest began emerging a while back, and they'll only intensify now. Because he was released and went on the waiver wire Wednesday, Manning is allowed to negotiate and sign with any club immediately; he does not need to wait until the free-agent period that begins next Tuesday, and said his agent already was taking calls.
"I literally have not had one conversation with anyone about these teams. It's been so hard for me trying to figure out some closure with my situation with the Colts," Manning said. "I haven't thought about teams, and I don't know who is interested. I really don't."
Sources said that Manning expects to have significant dialogue with interested teams before he makes a decision on where to resume his career and will likely work out for a few select teams once he studies his opportunities.

A source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that the Broncos will inquire about Manning's availability and see if he has interest in coming to Denver. Both the Seahawks and Cardinals have also already reached out to Manning's representatives, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.
Colts receiver Reggie Wayne, who will be an unrestricted free agent starting Tuesday, March 13, was asked by Michael Irvin on his WQAM radio show in Miami about possibly re-teaming with Manning with the Dolphins.
"It can definitely be dangerous," Wayne said in the interview of Manning, Wayne and receiver Brandon Marshall being on the same team. "It can truly be dangerous, if they put us all together. The league might not want that, Mike. They might not want that. They might not want to see that. South Florida is already hot out here, baby, so you put us all together, it'll be burning up."
Tony Dungy, Manning's former coach with the Colts who is now an NBC analyst, said Wednesday in an interview with ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" that Manning will consider signing anywhere except with an NFC East team, where he would have to challenge his brother Eli for a division title and playoff spot.
"I don't think he'd want to be in direct competition for a playoff spot against the Giants," Dungy said, adding that he believes Manning can run any style of offense but that "managing the expectations will be the biggest issue" for the quarterback.
Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett tweeted "Peyton to AZ!!!!!" on Tuesday night and then expounded on his hopes his team would sign Manning in an interview with the NFL Network.
"I don't have anything against our quarterback (Kevin Kolb) we have now," Dockett said. "I feel confident in him. Who wouldn't want to play with Peyton Manning?
"We are a team that is a few pieces away from getting back to the big game. We got a perfect fit for him in Arizona. He can get his number and I'll get him parking passes, free doughnuts on Saturdays. I'll make sure my guys clean his cleats up real well. I'll give him all my connections, even my barber."
Reaction poured into Twitter feeds from all around the sports world -- not merely from NFL players publicly lobbying for their teams to sign Manning. Dwyane Wade of the NBA's Miami Heat urged Manning to head to that city's Dolphins, while tennis' Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, observed: "The colts cutting Peyton feels like the north pole kicking out Santa."
That's about right. The stark first sentence of the official team statement read: "The Indianapolis Colts today released quarterback Peyton Manning."
The move been anticipated for weeks, if not months, but it was odd to see those words written about a player so synonymous with the horseshoe helmet that Irsay said Manning's No. 18 will never again be worn by a Colts player.
Fans of various teams can start imagining what Manning might look like in their colors. Picture Joe Montana heading from the 49ers to the Chiefs or Emmitt Smith switching from the Cowboys to the Cardinals.
"For those of us who are so used to him being there day in and day out, it would be a little like (Yankees captain) Derek Jeter changing teams. He really is that iconic guy that represents the franchise. It's a hackneyed phrase, but he truly is the face of the franchise, and has been," said former Colts vice chairman and current ESPN NFL analyst Bill Polian, who drafted Manning out of Tennessee with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 draft and was fired this January. "It will be a little strange not having him there."

That is why Wednesday provided such an awkward and unusual scene for Manning and Irsay. Their NFL lives have been so closely intertwined, yet they stood inches apart in jackets and ties while discussing their separation.
Rarely do star athletes who are not retiring show up at a news conference to let the world know they've been dumped. And while Manning and Irsay -- indeed, all of the NFL -- was aware this profitable partnership was due to end now, the emotions showed by both seemed raw and real.
"This has not been easy for Jim," Manning said, "and this has certainly not been easy for me."
Each paused frequently to try to compose himself while speaking during their appearance in a room at the Colts' complex normally reserved for celebratory news conferences, such as the hiring of a new coach or general manager -- two other significant steps Irsay took recently as he essentially starts from scratch. The room is lined with banners honoring some of the team's greatest stars, including, of course, Manning himself, flanked by Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and John Mackey.
Indianapolis needed to cut Manning this week to avoid paying him a bonus from the $90 million, five-year contract he signed in July, although both owner and player insisted the decision was not really about money.
Manning preferred to remain with the Colts, one source told ESPN's Mortensen, but a source close to Irsay said the owner concluded that the major restructuring of the organization would include a change at the position, likely by picking either former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck or former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III with the No. 1 overall choice in April's draft.
No matter who the Colts select, they likely are headed for a long 2012 season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, in the common draft era (since 1967), 19 teams have drafted a quarterback with the first overall pick and only one went on to finish that season with a winning record. But that quarterback never even played for the franchise. In 2004, the Chargers selected Eli Manning, who was then traded to the Giants. San Diego finished 12-4 that season.
Irsay repeatedly used the word "rebuilding" on Wednesday and acknowledged: "We're definitely a few years away."
Peyton Manning, Irsay said, "is on the mend to try to resume his career."

Manning hopes to be playing in the NFL at the start of next season.
"I'm throwing it pretty well. I've still got some work to do; I've got some progress to make," Manning said. "But I've come a long way. I've really worked hard. I can't tell you the hours and the time I've put in."
Dr. Robert Watkins, who performed Manning's single-level cervical fusion, has stated publicly that he has cleared Manning to resume his playing career and the damaged nerves have regenerated to the point where Manning has thrown the ball with greater distance and velocity in the past few weeks.
Still, he said Wednesday: "I'll always be a Colt. I always will be. That'll never change."
When the news conference ended, Manning reached over to shake hands with Irsay, who instead tried to offer a hug, and they wound up settling for pats on the shoulder before walking off together and leaving the room.
Clearly, this was not an easy adieu for Manning.
Mentioning Colts employees he'll no longer be around, Manning paused to collect himself while noting: "We've got the greatest equipment guys in the world."
"I think about those type of relationships -- not necessarily always on the field, and the touchdown throw to win the game. It's the behind the scenes. The laughs. The stories. The times spent together. Those are the memories. Those aren't going away," he said. "Those will be with me for the rest of my life."
Manning will forever be thought of around these parts as the QB who led the Colts to an NFL championship, barking out signals while waving his arms at the line of scrimmage to change a play after reading the defense -- something he did as well as anyone.
He'll be remembered, too, for turning a basketball-loving city into a football hotbed that hosted the Super Bowl a month ago.
During that Super Bowl week, the hottest topic of conversation was Peyton Manning, not his younger brother Eli, who wound up leading the New York Giants to the title.
"There will be no other Peyton Manning," Irsay said, adding that he hoped Wednesday's joint appearance would serve to "honor incredible memories and incredible things that he's done for the franchise, for the city, for the state."
Manning started every meaningful game for 13 seasons -- 227 in a row, including the playoffs -- and took Indianapolis from perennial also-ran to one of the NFL's model franchises and the 2007 Super Bowl title.
In the two decades before he arrived in town, the Colts won 116 games, one division title and made the playoffs three times. With Manning taking snaps, the Colts won 150 games, eight division titles, two AFC championships and the franchise's first league championship since moving from Baltimore in 1984.
Colts backup QB Dan Orlovsky, who led the Colts to their only two wins last season in Manning's absence, told ESPN's Josina Anderson that "this situation stinks."
"It's sad that a guy like him who has been so successful doesn't get a chance to finish his career in Indy," Orlovsky said. "I'm sure this was a tough situation for Mr. Irsay. I know he is trying to be as fair to Peyton as possible, but I'm sure he will play again. It will be very odd to see Peyton in a different uniform, but you learn in this business that everyone has the ability to get cut at some point. Hopefully, moving forward, people can really celebrate his time with the Colts, and not worry about the cloud hanging over the ending of an era."
Indianapolis also broke the NFL record for most regular-season wins in a decade (115), and tied Dallas' mark for most consecutive playoff appearances (nine). Manning broke all of the franchise's major career passing records, previously held by Hall of Famer John Unitas.
Unitas, of course, played 17 years for the Colts when they were in Baltimore, then finished his career with one season in San Diego at age 40.
Now it's Manning's turn to move on.

Deron Williams scores franchise-record 57 in Nets win

2012-03-05T03:52:00.002-05:00

Deron Williams' eyes grew a little wider when he realized the Charlotte Bobcats had opted not to double-team him off pick and rolls.
It's something he hadn't seen all season.
"I'm used to getting double-teamed on those," Williams said. "It's kind of refreshing not to be."

Williams took full advantage, scoring a franchise-record 57 points to lift the New Jersey Nets to a 104-101 victory over the Bobcats on Sunday night. That's the most points scored in the NBA this season and breaks the team record of 52 points shared by Mike Newlin and Ray Williams.
It was the second-most points scored against the Bobcats, one shy of Kobe Bryant's 58 in 2006.
Williams, who came into the game averaging 21.7 points per game, shot 16 of 29 from the field and was a perfect 21 for 21 from the free-throw line. He did miss one free throw, but the Bobcats were called for a lane violation and it didn't count.
Williams was surprised when a teammate told him he had 39 points at the end of the third quarter, three shy of his personal career-best set April 6, 2010, against Oklahoma City.
"You really don't pay attention to it," Williams said. "It's just one of those games where you start feeling good and let it go."
Coach Avery Johnson called Williams' effort unbelievable.

"He really was focused," Johnson said. "He was well-rested. He made a lot of shots yesterday in our mini-practice and it carried over into tonight's game. We were going back and forth on whether to have a shootaround this morning and we opted for rest. And he was pretty fresh."
Added teammate Shelden Williams: "When someone is hitting like that you want to keep going to the well until it runs dry. It never did tonight."
However, not all went right for the Nets on this night as starting center Brook Lopez rolled his right ankle and left the locker room on crutches.
Lopez, who made his season debut on Feb. 19 after missing the Nets' first 32 games while recovering from a broken right foot, had an X-ray but will be reevaluated on Monday, according to Johnson.

"It's a tough situation for him, especially coming back from the foot situation," Johnson said. "We're going to get him checked out tomorrow. We'll know more when we find out."
Afterward, Bobcats coach Paul Silas wasn't apologizing for his team's approach to defending Deron Williams with one man.

"You can do one of two things: you can try to stop him and double him and leave other players wide open or guard everybody," Silas said. "I thought that's mainly what kept us in the game. Nobody else was doing anything (for them). It gave us a chance."
Corey Maggette had 24 points and Gerald Henderson added 15 for the Bobcats, who've now lost five straight and 21 of their last 22.

The Nets trailed by eight at halftime but took the lead thanks to Deron Williams, who scored 22 points in the third quarter when he simply dominated Charlotte's smaller guards D.J. Augustin and Kemba Walker.

Deron Williams did just about everything right, adding six rebounds and seven assists. He also converted a four-point play after getting fouled while knocking down a 3-pointer from the wing.
With the Nets leading 96-94 with 1:04 remaining, Kris Humphries missed two free throws but Shelden Williams got a key momentum-turning rebound and called timeout. Deron Williams hit a big jumper to give the Nets a four-point lead and Shelden Williams followed by converting a three-point play off a pretty pass from Jordan Farmar.
The Bobcats would cut the lead to two with 3.5 seconds left, but MarShon Brooks knocked down one of two free throws with 1.7 seconds left. The Bobcats had a final chance to tie the game but Augustin's off-balanced heave from 20 feet didn't hit the rim.
"We didn't give up," Silas said. "That was a great thing. In the last 1.7 seconds, we didn't execute that play particularly well. But we did have a chance. That shows me that we are getting there. It's certainly not there yet. But we are striving to get there. At least we're not just giving up and letting teams just run over us. If we continue to do this, we'll be OK."
The Nets got 11 points and 13 rebounds from Humphries to win their 12th game this season.
The Bobcats led by as many as 16 in the first half, the first time they've held a double-digit lead since Feb. 4 at Phoenix.
Walker had 14 points and Augustin and Byron Mullens each added 12 for the Bobcats.

Missing child support could land Terrell Owens in jail

2012-03-05T02:33:00.001-05:00

Terrell Owens' latest money woes can land him in jail. The six-time Pro Bowl receiver, who is currently playing in the Indoor Football League, is $20,000 behind on child support payments for one of his children. The mother of the child filed a petition in Atlanta court that is asking for T.O. to be fined or jailed if he doesn't pay up.
The lawyer representing Melanie Paige Smith, the mother of one of Owens' four children, said in a letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they have received no indication if Owens will ever pay for his daughter.

"We plan to ask the court to send a strong message, given that he has only paid support in the last 10 months after a contempt action has been filed against him," Kessler said.

This is the latest in money troubles for Owens. Two of his homes in Dallas are in foreclosure. He tried to get his child support obligations lowered by a court last summer, blaming the NFL lockout on his inability to pay. The court refused his request. According to a January GQ article, Owens owes nearly $45K in child support every month.
After 15 seasons in the NFL where Owens became known as much for his off-the-field antics as his ability to catch, his contract with the Cincinnati Bengals was not renewed for the 2011 season. He couldn't find an NFL team to sign him, and he signed with the Allen Wranglers of the IFL.
He can reportedly make up to $500,000 for the Wranglers, which will not cover one year of child support.

Lebron Jame's Unique Purse

2012-03-04T23:54:00.001-05:00

At halftime of Sunday's Boston Celtics/New York Knicks game, ABC relayed a shot of Miami Heat stars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James entering the Staples Center before Sunday afternoon's contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. And, yes, LeBron was carrying what appeared to be a leather toiletry bag of sorts. Or, if you will, a "man-purse." And Dwyane Wade's muscle shirt, take a look.

Kobe Bryant's 33 lifts Lakers past Lebron James, Heat

2012-03-04T20:31:00.002-05:00

Although Kobe Bryant hates to disappoint everybody who thinks his 33-point performance in a win over the Miami Heat was payback to Dwyane Wade for breaking his nose in the All-Star game a week ago, that particular Hollywood fable just isn't true.
"He knew I was going to be ready regardless," Bryant said.
Yet the legend of the Masked Mamba will only grow after the Los Angeles Lakers finally struck a few blows of their own in this previously one-sided matchup with mighty Miami.
Bryant produced his third straight dynamic 30-point game while wearing a clear protective mask over his still-tender nose, while Wade managed just 16 points before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 93-83 victory Sunday.
Metta World Peace scored 17 points while leading a solid defensive effort for the Lakers, who have won 17 of their last 18 home games and eight of 10 overall. Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 13 rebounds as Los Angeles never trailed in the final 44 minutes against Miami, snapping a four-game skid in Bryant's head-to-head matchups with Wade's Heat.
"We did extremely well," said Bryant, who had just 24 points in the Lakers' loss in Miami six weeks ago. "I felt like we matched their energy and their physicality, which was a problem for us in Miami."
Just one week after Wade also gave Bryant a concussion with that hard foul in Orlando, Bryant scored 18 points in a dynamic first quarter. He added enough big baskets in the second half to keep the Lakers ahead with help from his starting frontcourt of Pau Gasol, Bynum and World Peace, which combined for 44 points and 30 rebounds while Chris Bosh remained out of Miami's lineup.
Although the Staples Center crowd roundly booed Wade during pregame introductions and the first few times he touched the ball, Wade apologized profusely after the All-Star game to Bryant, his fellow U.S. Olympian. Bryant insisted he bore no grudge, saying Wade would never injure him on purpose.
Bryant has spent much of the last week in dark rooms to ease his injuries, and he plans to keep the mask when the Lakers make a three-game road trip next week.
"I got hit in the face a couple of times tonight, and it hurt even with the mask," Bryant said.
LeBron James had 25 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who lost on the final two stops of their three-game trip after nine consecutive victories. Only Mike Miller's jumper with 21.4 seconds left saved Miami from its lowest-scoring performance of the season.
Mario Chalmers scored 15 for the Heat, who played their third straight game without Bosh after the All-Star forward attended his grandmother's funeral on Saturday.
"We all know that Chris is a big part of our team, but guys have to step up in his absence," James said. "We could have definitely used him the last couple of games, but we gave ourselves a chance to win in Utah. Today was a little bit different. They played exceptionally well. That's a really good team. They're 17-2 at home for a reason. We gave it everything we had, and when you do that, you can be satisfied."
Wade didn't seem satisfied after going 7 for 17 and committed five turnovers before fouling out with 5:14 to play, committing three fouls in rapid succession for an early end to a rough day. Wade and James were both out of sync for long stretches, as evidenced by their combined 2-for-5 performance at the free-throw line from a duo that averages more than 15 foul shots per game.
Wade fouled out for just the fifth time in his regular-season career and the first time in 259 games since Oct. 29, 2008.
"I don't foul out much," Wade said. "I guess I had the red flag on me today, but you're not going to get me to comment on the referees. I like my money in my pocket."
Driving to the hoop and hitting fallaway jumpers with equal grace, Bryant went 8 for 10 and earned a handful of standing ovations in the first quarter. Los Angeles led 50-38 at halftime, with the Heat exceeding their lowest-scoring half of the season by just one point.
"We couldn't quite get over that hump in that initial five-minute burst," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They came out with a great deal of energy. Bryant was very efficient and very aggressive to start, and from that point, we were just playing catch-up the entire game."
The crowd jeered Wade off the court after he committed three fouls in less than three minutes, picking up his sixth when he foolishly tried to reach over the 7-foot Bynum's back to stop an alley-oop pass.
Game notes
Before the game, Spoelstra confirmed Bosh will rejoin the Heat when they return to Miami for Tuesday's visit from New Jersey. Without the 6-foot-11 All-Star, the Heat's starting lineup featured nobody taller than 6-9 Joel Anthony to defend Los Angeles' two 7-footers. ... Wade is the first Heat player to foul out of a game all year. ... Fans near courtside included Denzel Washington, Lil Wayne, David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Terry Crews, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, KISS guitarist Paul Stanley and New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez.

Celtics outlast Knicks in OT behind another Rajon Rondo triple-double

2012-03-04T19:51:00.003-05:00

Linsanity in the fourth quarter.
Rondomania in overtime.
Rajon Rondo had his second triple-double in three games, finishing with 18 points, 20 assists and a career-high 17 rebounds, the Celtics ruined Harvard grad Jeremy Lin's return to Boston with a 115-111 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.
Rondo played a part in every Celtics point in overtime, collecting five points, five rebounds and two assists in the extra period.

"I know we're all in this together, but it's great when he takes over like that," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "He's the smartest point guard I've ever been around. He's a brilliant player like that."
Paul Pierce scored 34, including a 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left in regulation. Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Ray Allen gave the Celtics the lead for good with a 3-pointer to make it 108-105, then followed it with a fast-break layup -- both on assists from Rondo.
Rondo also had two baskets in overtime, and he even made the pass to Brandon Bass before he was sent to the line for two free throws.
It was Rondo's fourth triple-double this season and the 17th of his career.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last player to record a triple-double with at least 17 in each category was Magic Johnson, who had 24 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds on April 18, 1989. The last player to exceed Rondo's performance in each category was Wilt Chamberlain, who had 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists on Feb. 2, 1968.
"That's the Rondo we like to see, playing with all that energy," Pierce said. "He got the guys the ball in open spots; he did everything for us tonight. He rebounded, he passed, he got the clutch rebound there in overtime and got the layup. That's the Rondo I like to see."
Lin picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and struggled to 14 points in 32 minutes. He had five assists, four rebounds and six turnovers while shooting 6 for 16 from the floor.

Carmelo Anthony scored 25 for the Knicks, six of them in the final 100 seconds of regulation as they twice took the lead. Amare Stoudemire had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Tyson Chandler grabbed 14 boards, but New York still fell a game below .500 and 1½ games behind Boston in the Eastern Conference.
"It was a big win for us," Rondo said. "We're trying to get a little separation."
The Celtics and Knicks entered with 18 wins each. Boston now leads the season series 2-1, with one game remaining in New York on April 17.
"The biggest thing is they were getting confidence," Rivers said. "I didn't want that to grow against us."
An undrafted point guard from Harvard who was released by Golden State and then languished on the Knicks bench, Lin led New York to seven straight wins after finally cracking the rotation last month to give birth to the Linsanity phenomenon.
He had one stretch at the end of regulation to remind his fans in Boston what the fuss is all about.
Boston led 94-89 with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter when Lin sank the second of two free throws, stole the ball and took it in for a layup and then hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one point.
Anthony took it from there, making the next three Knicks baskets and giving them a 101-100 lead with 36 seconds left. Pierce missed one attempt at a game-winner, but after Steve Novak made a pair of free throws the Celtics captain sank a long, off-balance 3-pointer to tie it at 103.
"I don't know if that's execution. That's having a horseshoe up your rear," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That's what Paul Pierce does, though. We hit a hard shot ... then Paul hits one. He hit a dagger."
Anthony missed at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
Once there, Rondo took over.
He found Allen on the wing for a 3-pointer that gave Boston a 108-105 lead and, after Lin's driving layup bounced around and off the rim, Rondo wound up with the ball on the fast break and dropped it to Allen for the layup.
Lin's last trip to play the Celtics, on Feb. 3, he scored just two points in under seven minutes. The next night, he came off the bench to score 25 points against the New Jersey Nets. He has been in the starting lineup ever since, sparking a seven-game winning streak that rejuvenated the Knicks.
The phenomenon has been felt back in Cambridge, too.
Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust met with Lin before the game, and Crimson coach Tommy Amaker was also at the game one day after the Crimson beat Cornell to clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title.
The rest of the crowd greeted Lin rudely in the first quarter, but two fouls in the first three minutes seemed to eliminate the chance that it would be another big game.
"Obviously, Boston is a great defensive team," Lin said. "I didn't have a great one today. I didn't have a great one here last time. Maybe it's the arena. I don't know. ... I was a little more comfortable but still not to where I want to get to."
Pierce scored 15 points in the third quarter when the Celtics went on a 19-2 run to turn a five-point deficit into a double-digit lead.
Game notes
Allen and J.R. Smith picked up matching technicals after jawing under the basket early in the fourth quarter. ... Bass rolled his left ankle in the third quarter and went to have it taped. He returned. ... Jeff Green, who is out this year after surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, sat on the Celtics bench in street clothes. ... Doc Rivers spent Saturday night watching his son Austin play for Duke against North Carolina in Durham, N.C. ... The Knicks shot 62 percent (13 for 21) in the second quarter while holding the Celtics to 8-for-22 shooting.

With 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 20 assists, Rajon Rondo joined an esteemed list of point guards. Only two other players have tallied at least 15 points, rebounds, and assists in the same game in the last 25

North Carolina dominates Duke to claim ACC title

2012-03-04T06:32:00.003-05:00

DURHAM, N.C. -- Kendall Marshall felt dissed by Duke. The Blue Devils played the highlights of their last-second win over North Carolina on the video scoreboard and Marshall didn't like it, so he brought his Tar Heels into a quick huddle.
"I told my teammates I thought that was disrespectful, and we need to go out here and prove a point," Marshall said.

Did they ever.
North Carolina never trailed in an 88-70 rout of Duke (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 4 AP) on Saturday night, claiming the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title behind 20 points and 10 assists from its motivated point guard."It left a bad taste in our mouths," Marshall said, "and we wanted to be able to come out and play well today."Tyler Zeller had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Harrison Barnes added 16 points for the Tar Heels (27-4, 14-2). For the second straight year, they rolled in a winner-take-all season finale with the ACC tournament's top seed -- and possibly one in the NCAA tournament, too -- on the line."My team's had some bounce-back to them all year long," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "We go down to Florida State and lose by 3 million and everybody's jumping off the bandwagon ... but our team kept playing. We lose to Duke and everybody's got a great opinion of how stupid we are ... (and) my team kept playing."North Carolina shot 54.5 percent, built a 45-28 rebounding advantage and sent Duke to its deepest halftime deficit ever at Cameron Indoor Stadium -- 24 points -- while winning its seventh straight since last month's loss to the Blue Devils.

Mason Plumlee had 17 points, and brother Miles Plumlee added 16 points and 11 rebounds in his final home game for the Blue Devils (26-5, 13-3). Freshman guard Austin Rivers -- the hero of that last meeting -- had 15 points.
But Duke -- which erased a 10-point deficit in the final 2½ minutes to win the first matchup, then rallied from 20 down in the second half to beat North Carolina State -- couldn't come up with another improbable escape and instead had its seven-game winning streak snapped."Throughout the year, we've been immature. We always want to see how little we have to do to win," Miles Plumlee said. "You give a team like that a 20-point lead, it's nearly impossible to win. We need to fight, like we did at times, for a whole game."Duke was trying for its second regular-season sweep of North Carolina in three years, after the Blue Devils won the dramatic first meeting in Chapel Hill. They hit 14 3-pointers in that game -- none bigger than Rivers' buzzer-beater that punctuated the 85-84 win.For too long in this one, those shots didn't fall.The perimeter-reliant Blue Devils finished 6 of 21 from 3-point range. They missed 15 consecutive shots, including their first seven 3s, and had two 7-minute field goal droughts in the opening half. That left them down 48-24 at the break -- their largest halftime deficit anywhere since the 1990 team trailed the Tar Heels by 24 in Chapel Hill."When you base, like we do, a lot of our offense on 3-point shooting ... some will say, 'Don't.' That's who we are, man," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "And if we're not hitting them, we have a much greater chance to lose."The closest they got in the second half was 75-64 on Miles Plumlee's free throw with 6:01 left. But Seth Curry missed an open 3-pointer roughly 30 seconds later that would have brought down the house.Instead, Marshall hit a 19-footer with 4 minutes left, James Michael McAdoo added a layup and Barnes swished a deep 3 to stretch it to 82-64 with 2 minutes to play.For Zeller, it was a welcome catharsis after his late-game struggles in the previous meeting. Back then, he accidentally batted a ball into the Duke basket and missed two free throws in the final minute before Rivers hit that last 3 over him.Those noisy Cameron Crazies persistently reminded him of it, chanting "Tyler Zeller, MVP" at him during pregame warmups."Yeah, I heard it all," Zeller said.And the North Carolina big man got the last laugh, making his final trip to Cameron one to remember by hitting nine of his 11 shots before fouling out in the final minute. Only when he and John Henson got in foul trouble did the Tar Heels' offense really bog down.Henson had 13 points and 10 rebounds, giving the Tar Heels three players with double-doubles -- the first time they've done that since 2003 -- while Reggie Bullock added 12 points.Curry finished with 12 points on 3-of-13 shooting for Duke.Among the famous faces in the crowd was NFL player Peyton Manning -- who has been throwing on campus under the tutelage of his college offensive coordinator, Duke coach David Cutcliffe. Manning sat next to Cutcliffe in a courtside seat under the basket the Blue Devils defended in the first half.Those two saw plenty of early action -- all by the Tar Heels.North Carolina once again raced out to a quick double-figure lead, this time riding an 18-1 run in which it converted nearly every shot it took in the paint. That lead grew throughout the half, with Marshall's jumper with 3 seconds left stretching it to 48-24 at the break."We were just kind of overwhelmed, by them and the situation," Krzyzewski said. "It's like a surprise gift, you know? You open it up, and for the most part, it's been a nice surprise. I never have any idea of what's inside the present. And today there was nothing. It was an empty box."

Saints Put Franchise Tag on Drew Brees

2012-03-04T05:25:00.000-05:00

The New Orleans Saints have placed their exclusive-rights franchise tag on quarterback Drew Brees, the team confirmed Saturday.

The Saints were unable to agree to a long-term deal with Brees and didn't want to risk losing him in free agency.

Drew Brees

#9 QB
New Orleans Saints

2011 STATS

Attempts 657
Completions 468
Yards 5476
TD 46
INT 14
Ratio 110.6

The franchise tag for a quarterback currently carries a $14.4 million salary cap hit, but the number could increase later this spring when the quarterback cap numbers are re-evaluated.
Sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Friday that Brees and the Saints remain millions of dollars apart in contract talks.
The two sides, both of which believe they are making a fair offer, are facing a gap of $5 million per season for the first three seasons of the proposal, sources told Schefter.
Brees is seeking a contract that averages $23 million per season for the first three years of his deal, sources told Schefter. That's the same amount Peyton Manning's Colts contract averages the first three seasons.
But the Saints are offering Brees a five-year contract that averages $18 million a year, sources told Schefter, which is the average that Manning and New England's Tom Brady are due to earn over the life of their deals.
Brady's contract averages $18 million in the first three years, like the Saints' current offer to Brees.
In January, Brees said he would be "beyond stunned" if he and the Saints are unable to agree on a contract extension during this offseason.
The 2011 Offensive Player of the Year arrived in New Orleans in 2006, less than a year after Hurricane Katrina had struck. Since then he has passed for more yards than any other quarterback in the NFL (28,394) while lifting the Saints to new heights and simultaneously helping a region heal from Katrina's devastation.

In 2011, Brees set NFL single-season records with 468 completions, 5,476 yards passing and a completion percentage of 71.2. His prolific passing numbers helped the Saints set a new NFL high for total offensive yards in a season with 7,474.
The 33-year-old Brees led the Saints to a 13-3 regular season record and second NFC South division title. New Orleans defeated Detroit in the first round of the playoffs before falling in the final seconds of their second-round game at San Francisco.
Under the rules of the exclusive franchise tag, Brees can't be contacted by other teams and remains exclusive property of the Saints.

2012-03-04T05:07:00.001-05:00

The Los Angeles Lakers host the Miami Heat on Sunday, exactly one week after Dwyane Wade's foul across the face of Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star Game caused Bryant a concussion, nasal fracture and lingering neck pain.
If Wade is going to experience any sort of retribution in Sunday's game for his hard hit on Bryant, don't expect it to come from Lakers center Andrew Bynum.

Bynum

"I can't do anything about (it)," Bynum said after the Lakers' shootaround on Saturday. "If I do anything, they're going to definitely hit me (with punishment). It sucks. It's not good. It's just unfortunate and something we got to deal with."
By "they," Bynum was referring to the league office that suspended the 24-year-old two games last season and four games to start this season for hard fouls on the Minnesota Timberwolves' Michael Beasley and J.J. Barea, then with the Dallas Mavericks.
"I got two (targets on me)," Bynum said. "I got Beasley, I got Barea and people blame me for the Gerald Wallace incident, but I didn't do anything in that particular one."
Bynum was called for a flagrant-2 foul for a shot to Wallace's side during the 2008-09 season when Wallace was playing for the Charlotte Bobcats. Wallace suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung from the play, but Bynum was not suspended in that instance.
Bynum said he wasn't the only player on the Lakers' roster who has to be mindful of his reputation influencing how he is perceived by the referees.
"There's hard fouls, but you can't do anything over the top," Bynum said. "There's an eye on Matt Barnes and Ron (Metta World Peace) and myself."
Barnes said Wednesday that he would welcome the chance to play a hard-knock style if opponents are going to do the same.
"Hopefully they'll let us play," Barnes said Wednesday. "If they're going to let the league play physical, they need to start letting our team play physical."
Bynum said that the heightened attention paid to his fouls after his history of hits in the past is "just part of the game."

Said Bynum: "Now, we're going to get hit (with a foul, fine or suspension) extra hard for anything."
Still, the seven-year veteran hasn't let the judgments against him in the past dictate how he plays defense currently.
"I still play hard. If I have to foul, I have to foul. That's part of the game," Bynum said. "I can't do anything extra, obviously. No elbows. Nothing that looks crazy."
A reporter then asked if Bynum was at least conscious of his reputation while he's playing.
"You got to be conscious of it at this point, I mean, $750,000!" Bynum said, referencing the approximate amount of salary he lost from the six games he was suspended.
Lakers coach Mike Brown acknowledged that Sunday's game could turn chippy, but downplayed the revenge storyline.
"I like feistiness. I think it's good. But I'm not worried about it," Brown said. "If it happens, it happens, if it doesn't, it doesn't. I think both teams just want to win however they can win."
Bynum agreed with Brown and didn't nominate anyone to step up as the enforcer against Wade in his stead.
"I think everyone should avoid it," Bynum said. "We just need to get a win."

Kobe Bryant says he hasn’t had any rivals to count amongst his contemporaries

2012-03-04T04:10:00.003-05:00

Kobe Bryant says he really hasn't had any "rivals" in his NBA career. That his competitive instincts are going great guns no matter who he plays, and at that saturation point that he couldn't possibly even add another gear to his particular combustion engine even if he did have a one-on-one rival to go against. Not that he has any rivals, he points out.
This could be Kobe the show-off, putting himself in a class above all. This could be Kobe tsk-tsk'ing scoring guards of his generation, going after Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and Allen Iverson for falling off too soon. Or Ray Allen for never being as good. Or Dwyane Wade and LeBron James missing a chance to knock Kobe off at his peak.

Or, it could just be that Kobe Bryant is absolutely correct. Without any pretense, ego, or self-aggrandizing. Not that those three things aren't part of the package, and a possible inspiration for his honest words spoken to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. But it doesn't mean that Kobe isn't right. By his rules, using his math, he's absolutely correct.

Here's the quote, from ESPN:

"At this point my rivals, in terms of what I have left to accomplish in my career, (left the game) when Magic (Johnson) and Michael (Jordan) retired in '98," Bryant said, referring to the second of Jordan's three retirements that came after he won his sixth and final championship with the Chicago Bulls. "That's it. In terms of what I'm looking to accomplish, that's about it."
[…]
"I've outgrown them all, from A.I. (Allen Iverson) when I first came in to (Tracy) McGrady to Vince Carter and so forth and so on."

This is telling, even when you do the math in your head to determine that Bryant is judging Magic Johnson as a "rival" even though he retired for the NBA (save for a brief comeback in 1996) when Bryant was in eighth grade. Bryant is looking at Magic's five rings as a Los Angeles Laker, and Jordan's six overall championships, as he gauges his own legacy. And, stuck without a Larry Bird to his Magic or a litany of contemporaries as Jordan had (Isiah Thomas, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Stockton/Malone, and we'll include Reggie Miller so he doesn't cry about it), you can kind of understand why.
Because, on a statistical level (playing on crummier teams) both Wade and LeBron James topped Bryant in terms of individual contributions several years ago. Their all-around work and efficiency outpaces Bryant's, even though Kobe worked longer in the playoffs than either of them save for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2011. In terms of Wade, Bryant's seeming match at the off guard slot, he had this to say:

"He's too young," Bryant said. "He's too young. When I came into the league, he was in elementary school."

Which isn't exactly true. Wade is just three years younger than Kobe, who often forgets about the relative ages of his NBA contemporaries mainly because certain players came into the league long after him, after potentially going through four years of college.
In terms of a one-on-one rival? Bryant just never had one at his peak.
Iverson came closest, battling it out with Bryant in the 2001 NBA Finals; but Iverson's shot-happy ways made even the ultra-aggressive Bryant look tame by comparison, and his bad off-court habits relegated him to an afterthought as a player a few months after Bryant's Lakers topped Iverson's Nuggets in the 2009 Western Conference finals. Ray Allen has made more three-pointers than anyone in NBA history, but he never shared Kobe's all-around gifts. Tracy McGrady was actually outpacing Bryant about a decade ago, but injury issues dimmed his star. And Vince Carter? As soon as he gets up off the floor, you can take that up with him.
No, it's Bryant by himself. He's that odd combination of old school attitude with the oddity of coming into the league during the high school player boom between 1995 and 2005. He had a head start on a few of his would-be contemporaries as a result, and the good fortune of being traded to the NBA's most famous franchise (featuring a center, and eventually a coach, for the ages) made it so Bryant could rightfully compare his work to that of a player in Magic who entered the NBA 17 years before him.

And he's correct in pointing out that, for whatever reason, that Iverson/Carter/McGrady triptych failed him. Ray Allen played to the best of his abilities, but he just wasn't in Kobe's league.
Dwyane Wade? I'm not so sure about that, because Wade is clearly Bryant's equal at their best and when Wade is healthy, and not that much younger despite entering the NBA seven years after him. The problem is that there haven't been very many memorable duels between the two on a regular season stage, and unlike Bird and Magic (or Jordan and his many conquests) the two have never met in the playoffs.
That could change, of course, this year. The Lakers and Heat could meet in the Finals, because though Los Angeles hasn't distinguished itself so far this year, Bryant and his team are that good. And Wade and Kobe will meet up on Sunday, just a week after Wade busted Kobe's nose with an unnecessary and borderline-flagrant foul in the All-Star Game.
Dwyane Wade is "too young" to be Kobe's rival? That's for you to decide. Like we said earlier, there's probably a bit of pretense, and a whole lot of gamesmanship, in comments like these. And we love Kobe for that.
He's earned the right to that dismissive tone, and to attempt to shape his own legacy in his heroes' mold.

New Orleans Saints had bounty program to injure opposing players, NFL says

2012-03-04T04:09:00.001-05:00

The New Orleans Saints' defense had a bounty program that paid players for injuring opponents and for making interceptions and fumble recoveries, the National Football League said Friday.
The program involved as many as 27 defensive players, at least one assistant coach, and was active during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons, said the league.
"The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for 'performance,' but also for injuring opposing players," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
"It is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated. We have made significant progress in changing the culture with respect to player safety and we are not going to relent," he added.
Goodell has received the results of an NFL investigation into the Saints' program and will decide on discipline, which could include fines, suspensions and forfeiture of draft choices, the NFL said.
Saints owner Tom Benson released a statement acknowledging the probe and calling its results "troubling."
"I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation. While the findings may be troubling, we look forward to putting this behind us and winning more championships in the future for our fans," he said.
According to the NFL, Saints players regularly contributed cash to a pool, the total of which may have been as high as $50,000 or more at its peak. They were paid $1,500 for a "knockout," when an opposing player was not able to return to the game, and $1,000 for a "cart-off," when an opposing player had to be carried off the field. In some cases, particular players on the opposing team were targeted, the NFL said.
The program was administered by then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, with knowledge of other coaches, said the league. Head coach Sean Payton did not directly participate, nor was he involved in the administration of the program, however, he knew about the allegations and failed to stop it, the NFL said.
Williams, who is now defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, released a statement on the allegations, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Friday.
"It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. I take full responsibility for my role. I am truly sorry. I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again," the newspaper quoted him saying.
SI: Saints look at severe penalties for bounty system
Saints players were also allegedly paid for interceptions and fumble recoveries. Payouts doubled and tripled during the playoffs, the NFL said. The New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl after the 2009 season.
"There is no question that a bounty program violates long-standing league rules. Payments of this type -- even for legitimate plays such as interceptions or fumble recoveries -- are forbidden because they are inconsistent with the Collective Bargaining Agreement and well-accepted rules relating to NFL player contracts," said the league.
It informed the NFL Players Association about the Saints' investigation earlier Friday. The NFLPA said it would review the information and stressed that health and safety issues are "paramount."
The NFL has been under fire of late as hundreds of former players and their families are currently suing the league for alleged negligence, claiming that it didn't do enough to mitigate the risks despite what many say is an inherently dangerous sport.
An attorney for former Philadelphia Eagles fullback Kevin Turner, Stephen F. Rosenthal -- whose Miami-based firm represents 137 other players and their families who've filed a class-action suit against the league -- said Turner has likely suffered from undiagnosed concussions. He accused the league of deliberately withholding information deemed critical to player safety.
Stars such as former quarterback Jim McMahon, as well as running backs Jamal Lewis and Dorsey Levens, have filed similar lawsuits in states across the country.
Attorneys representing Lewis and Levens accuse the league of having used a "hand-picked committee of physicians" to misrepresent evidence of the effects of head trauma, particularly concussions.
The league denies the claims and released a statement saying it "has long made player safety a priority and continues to take steps to protect players and to advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions."
"The NFL has never misled players with respect to the risks associated with playing football," the statement added. "Any suggestion to the contrary has no merit."
The league has in recent years also made strides to strengthen rules that govern on-the-field conduct, while adding sideline medical staff -- unaffiliated with the teams -- to more independently evaluate injured players.
In 2005, the league banned the practice of tackling a player by using his shoulder pads, a move commonly referred to as a "horse-collar" tackle, after concluding it commonly resulted in injury.
It also strengthened a 1979 rule prohibiting players from using their helmets to butt, or "spear" players during a tackle -- a rule that critics often complained had lacked enforcement.

Dungy: Gregg Williams’ Redskins may have started Peyton Manning’s neck issues

2012-03-04T02:46:00.003-05:00

By the time the "BountyGate" scandal investigation is over, the only thing former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams might not have been blamed for is whatever gas prices happen to be at that time. And now that the bounty system he participated in while with the Saints can be traced back to his time as the Washington Redskins' defensive coordinator, facts that previously came to light are now going under the magnifying glass with a much harsher light cast on them.
Last September, Cindy Boren of the Washington Post wrote an article in which ex-Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy put the start of Peyton Manning's longstanding neck injuries and surgeries at a game between the Colts and the Redskins on October 22, 2006. On one play, Manning was given a "high-low" hit by defensive linemen Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels. Those types of hits, in which two defensive players aim for different halves of an offensive player's body, are among the most dangerous in football.
[Jason Cole: Price for Saints' bounty program should be steep]
After the play, Manning lay on the ground for a brief time, got up, and as Dungy told Peter King of SI.com and NBC Sports last September, shook his right arm "as if trying to get the feeling back in it."
From Boren's story:

"Earlier in the game," Dungy said, "I'm outraged that there was a flag for roughing-the-passer on Dwight Freeney for just grazing the quarterback's helmet. So I'm yelling at the ref [Scott Green], 'Where's the flag! Where's the flag!' And I don't yell much, but I did then. So I didn't notice Peyton calling timeout and being shaken up. Peyton came to the sideline and said to [backup] Jim Sorgi, 'Jim, start warming up.' As the timeout went on, he said to us, 'I can stay in, but we need to run the ball here.' "
"Then we sort of forgot about it at halftime, and Peyton seemed fine," Dungy said. "He lit it up in the second half. He was on fire [throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns]. But that's the year we started cutting back on his throws at practice. I'm not putting two plus two together. I just figure he's getting older and he needs some time off, he's made enough throws. But now, as I look back on it, there's no doubt in my mind that this was the start of his neck problems."

"The guy wouldn't let go of my head," Manning said after the game of Daniels, who was fined $5,000 by the NFL for the hit. "I looked at my helmet to see if my head was in it."

Daniels, now the Redskins' director of player development, responded thusly on his Twitter account:

Funny how Tony Dungy is tracing Manning's neck problem back 5 years ago. I still to this day think it was a good hit and only fined because of who the QB was. Andre pulling him forward and my arm across his chess [sic]going opposite direction and he falls to his knees causing my arm to go higher. Refs saw same thing so that's why there was no flag. Sometimes as a QB you have to know the end of the road and get down instead of trying to make a spectacular throw. I have never been a dirty player so him getting hurt in that game was not me trying to hurt him but rather him being in crazy position. I think he has thrown for a million yards since then and taken a few other hits since 2006. #ItsFootball #Redskins:

Whether Daniels has a point or not, his contention that Williams never set up or knew of cash bounties for hits taking opponents out of games was categorically refuted by Matt Bowen of the National Football Post and the Chicago Tribune.

Bowen played strong safety in the NFL for seven years, and he's now one of the better Xs-and-Os analysts in the business. He played for Williams in 2004 and 2005, and wrote this in the Tribune about Williams' system, among other things:

The cash was kept stashed away at the team facility, in safe hands. After coaches reviewed Sunday's film, we paid it back out. Our accountability, governed by our accounting.
That's right. We got paid for big hits, clean hits by the rule book.
Money came in for more than watching a guy leave the field. We earned extra for interceptions, sacks and forced fumbles. If the till wasn't paid out, we just rolled it over.
Money jumped in the playoffs. A bigger stage equaled more coin. Instead of a few hundred dollars, now you got a thousand, maybe more, depending on the player.
That's the truth. I can't sugarcoat this. It was a system we all bought into.
I ate it up.

"If that meant playing through the whistle or going low on a tackle, I did it," Bowen went on to write, perhaps explaining the conflict between the way players feel -- the way they think they have to feel -- when they're in the game and after they retire.
"I don't regret any part of it. I can't. Williams is the best coach I ever played for in my years in the NFL, a true teacher who developed me as a player. I believed in him. I still do. That will never change."
But as Bowen also wrote, at some point in his life, he's going to have to sit down and tell his kids that "this league isn't for everyone. No doubt, it can be downright disgusting living by a win-at-all-costs mentality."
And whether Williams was the only one doing this or not over the last few seasons (at this point, let's have an I.Q. higher than that of a houseplant and assume that he wasn't), Bowen's stance that Williams was a teacher who developed him as a player puts the bull's eye entirely on his back. It's bad enough that Williams engaged in a system that shortened and ended the careers of some truly great players, and did so with malicious intent. Far worse is the fact that he instilled the idea in the heads of so many of his own players that this wasn't just the preferable way of doing things -- it was the right way to win.
In a sport just starting to see the danger from the high school level up as parents become more and more concerned about injuries inherent in football and the mindsets that help create them, Gregg Williams' way must send cold shivers down a lot of spines.
Even among those who knew exactly what he was doing.

Lin's NY Knicks storm back for NBA win against Cleveland

2012-03-02T01:37:00.001-05:00

Jeremy Lin's New York Knicks kicked off the second half of their season in winning style, by rallying from a 12 point halftime deficit to rout the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-103.

Lin finished with 19 points, 13 assists and five rebounds for the Knicks who scored 71 points in the second half at Madison Square Garden arena.

Guard Lin also had just one turnover Wednesday, the fewest he has had in a start this season.

"It is unbelievable what he is doing," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said of Lin.

D'Antoni said the coaching staff must take some of the blame for the high number of turnovers Lin had been recording in some of the games this season.

"One turnover tonight. Once we get other people to help him out he is not going to have eight turnovers. He he has had one bad game so this is unbelievable," D'Antoni said.

Carmelo Anthony, who recently returned from injury, scored 22 points and forward Steve Novak came off the bench to score 17 points, including five three pointers, for the Knicks who had six players finish in double figures.

"It was a great comeback," said Anthony, who has struggled through an injury-plagued season. "In the first half we still had our all-star break legs, but in the second half we made some adjustments and went after it."

Anthony played his best game alongside Lin, who carried the Knicks on his back with their $18 million dollar a year star forward out of the lineup.

"We need Jeremy. He is a big piece of our team," Anthony said Wednesday.

It was the first regular season game for Lin since he took part in his maiden all-star game weekend.

Lin and the Knicks struggled mightily going into the all-star break in a one-sided loss to the Miami Heat, falling 102-88 last Thursday. Lin shot just one-of-11 against the Heat but looked to have more energy against the Cavaliers.

"I am happy it wasn't eight turnovers like Miami," said Lin. "I am happy with just one turnover. If I can keep it to three or less then I am pleased."

Lin has been the NBA's biggest story this season, coming off the Knicks bench after being cut by two other clubs to put in the best performance of any NBA player in his first 10 starts since 1976.

Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan, became a phenomenon because of his scoring, averaging over 20 points a game, his passing skills and his clutch shooting ability, including a last-second game winner at Toronto.