All We Do is Lin

Adrian Peterson a game-time call

2012-09-09T06:23:00.003-04:00

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings are willing to wait until game time to determine whether running back Adrian Peterson plays in the season opener against Jacksonville.
Coach Leslie Frazier said after Friday's practice there is no reason to decide before the active list must be declared 90 minutes ahead of kickoff on Sunday. This was a back track from Thursday, when Frazier said the Vikings would figure out Peterson's status on Friday night or Saturday morning.

"We'll definitely have an answer on Sunday, one way or another," Frazier said, innocently stating the obvious.
Peterson was listed as questionable to play the Jaguars on the injury report, which by definition gives him a 50-50 chance. The 27-year-old two-time All-Pro pick is recovering from reconstructive surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee last Christmas Eve. He's had no setbacks during his rehabilitation, and all signs have pointed to his participation.
Frazier has repeatedly refused to grant Peterson, arguably the franchise's most important player, clearance ahead of time. The coaches and trainers will discuss Peterson's status further this weekend, Frazier said, before reaching their decision. But the Vikings have already acknowledged their plan to limit Peterson's carries, with Toby Gerhart getting the majority of the work, and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said on Thursday he doesn't have much doubt that Peterson will be able to play.
Peterson, of course, has been the one pushing the conversation. As fiercely determined as any player in the NFL, he has steadfastly assured his readiness for the start of the 2012 season since he began working out in the spring.
The Vikings ruled three backups and special teams players out of Sunday's game: linebacker Marvin Mitchell, safety Andrew Sendejo and wide receiver Jarius Wright. They all have sprained ankles; the team hasn't specified on which legs. Backup cornerback Marcus Sherels, the primary punt returner and alternate kickoff returner when Percy Harvin is given a break, has recovered from his sprained ankle, however, and was listed as probable.
Four other players who were fighting injuries at the end of training camp have healed and are probable for Sunday as well: safety Robert Blanton, tight end John Carlson, defensive tackle Letroy Guion and guard Geoff Schwartz. Guion and Carlson are starters. They each suffered sprained right knees earlier in the preseason.
Frazier also said the Vikings likely will use both rookie Josh Robinson and second-year player Brandon Burton as their third cornerback in the nickel defense, when middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley comes out of the game. Cornerback A.J. Jefferson and offensive tackle Mark Asper, both acquired last weekend, will probably be inactive for Sunday's game, Frazier said.

Jaguars activate Maurice Jones-Drew

2012-09-09T06:22:00.003-04:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have activated running back Maurice Jones-Drew and waived second-year running back Keith Toston.

The Jaguars had a roster exemption for Jones-Drew, who ended a 38-day holdout last Sunday. He is expected to play in Sunday's season opener at Minnesota.
Toston, a four-year letterman at Oklahoma State, spent the 2010 season with St. Louis. He signed with Jacksonville in August, carrying 22 times for 171 yards and a touchdown in the preseason.
He had been competing with Jalen Parmele for a roster spot. Both made the 53-man roster, but only because Jones-Drew had not reported.
The Jaguars ended up keeping Parmele over Toston mostly because of special teams.

Mark Teixeira rips umps.

2012-09-09T06:14:00.001-04:00

BALTIMORE -- New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira reinjured his left calf sprinting to first base on a game-ending double play that left the tying run at third in the Yankees' 5-4 loss to the Orioles on Friday.
After watching replays that clearly showed his head-first slide beat the relay, Teixeira questioned the umpire crews' integrity.

"Sometimes you wonder if the umpires are just trying to get out of there," said Teixeira, who had argued a strike three call in the eighth. "They don't want you to make a comeback. They want to go home because those were terrible calls. It is what it is. We are out there fighting. I'm out there playing on one leg. I wish it had gone my way."
Teixeira already had argued with home-plate umpire Cory Blaser in the eighth when he thought a called third strike on a 3-2 pitch was "five or six inches outside."
After first-base umpire Jerry Meals called him out to end the game, Teixeira said he told him, "You got me again."
"I'm probably going to get fined," Teixeira said. "But I don't care, really. I'm out there fighting. We are out there fighting. When you are battling like we are battling and they can't get a call right, that pisses you off. It really does."
Teixeira had missed the previous 10 games before returning Saturday from his calf strain. He said he is "most likely" out of Sunday's game. Teixeira estimated he is not "even close" to 100 percent and did not know how much time he would miss. The Yankees are off on Monday.
"I don't want to make any predictions," he said. "I probably won't be in there (Sunday)."
He said he only slid head-first because he was forced to go all out to try to beat the relay.
"I don't think I've ever dove into first base in my life," Teixeira said. "I couldn't get there running. I did my best. I got there, but the call didn't go our way."

Teixeira wasn't the only Yankee who criticized the umpires Saturday. Manager Joe Girardi didn't hide his feelings, either.
"He was clearly safe," Girardi said. "Jerry missed it. You hate to lose a game that way, but he missed it."
"I didn't feel we lost the game, I feel we got cheated out of it," Yankees catcher Russell Martin said. "Once again, it is part of the game of baseball. Umpires are human. They are going to make mistakes."
Yankees president Randy Levine called an impromptu teleconference with reporters, but then canceled. According to a team spokesman, Levine may make a statement or talk with the media Sunday.
With the loss, the Yankees and Orioles are tied again for first place in the AL East.

2012-04-07T13:18:00.003-04:00

The Houston Rockets have discovered a winning formula for beating the Los Angeles Lakers: Stay close long enough until Andrew Bynum gets himself ejected.
That's been the scenario the past two times the teams have met. On Friday night, Bynum spent most of the fourth quarter in the dressing room while Goran Dragic and Luis Scola helped the Rockets pull out a 112-107 victory.
"It changed a lot," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "Bynum was a guy we had to double-team and focus a lot on the defensive end to try to get the ball out of his hands."

Dragic had 26 points and 11 assists, and Scola scored 10 of his 25 points during a 2:39 span of the fourth.
"If you win against them in L.A., then it's something special," Dragic said. "They've won a lot of titles, and that was huge for us -- especially in our playoff push."
The Lakers were trailing 80-75 when Bynum took exception to a foul by Samuel Dalembert with 1:18 left in the third quarter and had to be restrained by teammates, earning his first technical foul. The enigmatic and moody 7-foot center got another one with 11:17 left in the game after hitting a hook shot and mouthing off to the Houston bench on his way downcourt.
"You talk trash; that's the essence of basketball right there," said teammate and former Rockets forward Metta World Peace, who never had a reputation for being the voice of reason -- not even when he was known as Ron Artest. "You score; you talk trash. That's fun. You got a bunch of street ball players in the NBA."
Etiquette notwithstanding, Bynum hurt the Lakers again with his selfish antics, and his teammates are well aware of it. For someone who was suspended without pay for the first four games of this compacted 66-game season because of a vicious flagrant foul he committed against Dallas guard J.J. Barea in last year's playoffs -- and fined $25,000 for ripping off his jersey while heading to the locker room -- the seven-year veteran apparently hasn't learned anything.
The Lakers, trying to keep the Clippers from catching them for the Pacific Division lead, had a better-than-even chance to win this one. The lead changed hands six times after Bynum left, but they never led again after Matt Barnes tied the score at 99-all on a 3-pointer with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.
"We'll never know," Pau Gasol said when asked how the game would have turned out had Bynum controlled his temper. "It would be good to have him on the floor and help us win games. He's just got to find a way to make sure he can help the team any way he can. And to do that, he has to stay in the game. He's a great guy. He's a good person, and he's got a great heart. But I'm not him, I'm not inside him, and I don't know what goes on all the time in his mind."
Bynum finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in 31 minutes after scoring 36 points against the Clippers despite a sprained left ankle.
On March 20 at Houston, he was ejected late in the third quarter, and the Rockets erased a 17-point deficit by scoring a season-high 34 points in the fourth. Houston won it 107-104, with Dragic making the go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left.
"It's always tough when you lose somebody like Bynum because he's a 20-and-10 type of guy," point guard Ramon Sessions said. "I think he was just starting to get rolling, too, and getting hyped up right before that. We definitely needed him down the stretch."
Marcus Camby, playing with a sprained left wrist, had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who overcame a 15-point deficit en route to a 99-93 road win over the league-leading Chicago Bulls in their previous game Monday night. They have won back-to-back games for the first time since March 13-14 against Oklahoma City and Charlotte.
Rockets leading scorer Kevin Martin missed his 13th straight game because of a right shoulder strain, but they are 8-5 in his absence.
Kobe Bryant, playing with a bruised right shin that kept him out of Friday morning's shootaround, scored 28 points for the Lakers. World Peace had a season-high 23, Gasol had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Barnes had 13 rebounds -- three off his career high.
The Lakers fell to 1 1/2 games ahead of the Clippers in the Pacific Division. Six of the final 10 games on the Lakers' schedule are on the road, including the next three, against Phoenix, New Orleans and San Antonio -- which the Lakers will face three times. They trail the Spurs by 4 1/2 games for the best record in the conference.
World Peace, who came off the bench in his first 19 games before replacing Barnes in the starting lineup Jan. 29, helped lead Los Angeles to a 59-50 halftime lead with 17 points -- two off his previous high this season. The 13-year veteran reached the 20-point mark for the ninth time in 214 regular-season games with the Lakers.
Game notes
The 40th anniversary of the Lakers' first championship in Los Angeles is coming up May 7, and the organization honored the members of that 1971-72 team in a halftime ceremony by giving them new championship rings. In attendance were coach Bill Sharman and nine of his players, including Jerry West, Pat Riley, Gail Goodrich and Elgin Baylor, who retired nine games into that season -- the same day his teammates began their record 33-game winning streak. ... With the Lakers atop the Pacific Division, the Clippers leading ninth-place Utah by 4 1/2 games in the West with 11 to play and the NHL's Kings having clinched a playoff spot Thursday night, it's shaping up to be the first time all three of Staples Center's major tenants will make the postseason in the same year since the arena opened in 1999-00. ... Bryant needs four steals to surpass Magic Johnson's total of 1,724 for the Lakers' franchise record and take over 15th place on the career NBA list. Johnson led the league twice in that department, something Bryant never has done. ... Houston is 8-6 since Dragic took over as the starting point guard because of Kyle Lowry's bacterial infection.

Former Charger Ryan Leaf arrested

2012-03-31T08:19:00.003-04:00

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf was arrested Friday in his Montana hometown of Great Falls on burglary and drug possession charges, police said.
The circumstances surrounding Leaf's arrest were not immediately clear. Great Falls Police Sgt. Dean Bennett, who confirmed Leaf's arrest, said Friday night that he had not seen a report detailing the allegations against the ex-football player.

"I've made some mistakes, and have no excuses," Leaf said Friday night in a statement. "I am using the tools I've learned to move forward rather than backwards, and will be open to talking about the details in the days to come. I am confident that there will be further understanding when the facts are revealed, and feel very blessed for all of the support, especially from my friends and family."
Leaf was booked on felony charges of burglary of a residence and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, plus a first-time charge of misdemeanor theft, Cascade County Detention Center Officer Robert Rivera said.
Leaf was freed on $76,000 bond and is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Monday.
Leaf, a former standout quarterback for Washington State, was the No. 2 pick in the 1998 draft behind Peyton Manning. But Leaf flamed out as quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, gaining a reputation as one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
There is no phone listing for Leaf in Great Falls. A message left at his parents' house was not immediately returned Friday night. It was not clear whether he had hired an attorney.
Last year, Leaf had surgery to remove a benign tumor from his brain stem and later underwent additional radiation treatments.
On March 21, Leaf told an Associated Press reporter in an email exchange that he had struggled through treatments and had an MRI scheduled for the end of the month, but "I'm doing/feeling much better and am excited for the rest of 2012."
Friday's arrest also raises the question of whether his arrest means the 10-year probation plea agreement he negotiated with Texas prosecutors stemming from drug and burglary charges in 2009 will be revoked.
James Farren, the Randall County district attorney who negotiated the 2010 plea agreement, did not immediately return a text message seeking comment on Leaf's arrest in Montana.
In 2008, when Leaf was a quarterbacks coach for Division II West Texas A&M, he was accused of burglarizing a player's home. An investigation turned up that Leaf had obtained nearly 1,000 pain pills from area pharmacies in an eight-month span.
He resigned that year, was indicted in 2009 and the next year pleaded guilty to eight felony drug charges. Besides the 10 years probation, Leaf was fined $20,000.
Last year, he authored a book titled "596 Switch" -- the name of a passing play in the Washington State playbook -- that focused on the 1997 season when he led the Cougars to their first Rose Bowl in six decades.

Jim Buss: I won't ever trade Kobe

2012-03-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has a no-trade clause in his contract, and he won't have to worry about exercising it -- his team has no interest in trading him.
"I think about a lot of things to improve this team, to figure out how to manage the finances of it," said Lakers executive vice president of player personnel, Jim Buss, as a guest on the "Mason & Ireland Show" on 710 ESPN on Friday. "One thing I haven't thought of is Kobe being somewhere else. I don't know why that question has ever come up and I'd like to squish that one."
Bryant, 33, has played all 16 seasons of his career with the Lakers. He is under contract for the next two seasons and is set to make $58.3 million.

Buss, the son of Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, hinted that Bryant will not be retiring when his contract is through. When a caller suggested Bryant only had a short window remaining to try to capture his sixth NBA championship, Buss suggested Bryant could be around for a while longer.
"I might disagree with you that Kobe only has three or four years left, but we'll see," Buss said. "As you see, we make trades and our whole focus isn't to win a sixth (championship). I'm not sure I would stop there for Kobe; I would go to seven or eight if we can. ... I think Kobe is going to be a Laker for life and I'm pretty sure he's not going to hang them up after two years."
While Bryant's security within the franchise couldn't be stronger, Buss wanted to dispel the widespread belief that his personal attachment to center Andrew Bynum would prevent the Lakers from ever trading their 24-year-old All-Star.

"It's just not true," said Buss, who had influence in the Lakers selecting Bynum with the No. 10 pick in the 2005 NBA draft. "It's not like I'm going out shopping Andrew Bynum, just nothing has ever come our way and I don't anticipate anything coming our way where I would want to trade Andrew Bynum. ... There just hasn't been anything for Andrew Bynum. Thank goodness we didn't. The same people that attach me to Andrew Bynum would have traded him six times already, probably for players we wouldn't even have (at this point). It's OK to attach my name to Andrew Bynum because I think he's a perennial All-Star, that's OK with me, but to say that I wouldn't trade him? That's just unfounded."

Bynum is averaging career highs in points (17.8), rebounds (12.6) and minutes (35.9) per game this season and is shooting a league-leading 58.1 percent from the field.
The Lakers plan to pick up the $16.4 million option on Bynum's contract next season. However, Buss warned that under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement that was put into place in December, thus ending the NBA's 161-day lockout, the Lakers are unable to be as free-spending as they were in the past.

"With the new CBA, they put a lot of restrictions on teams that spend a lot of money. They want to make the playing field level and one way of doing it is penalize the teams that are spending a lot of money," Buss said. "We have historically spent a lot of money. That has to change."

The Lakers will try to parse down their hefty payroll of approximately $85 million for this season, which is well above the $70.1 million luxury tax level. While they will owe a dollar-for-dollar penalty to the league office at the end of this season of approximately $15 million, it will be much harsher in two seasons when all the terms of the new CBA kick in. For teams $0-$5 million more than the luxury tax, there will be a $1.50 per dollar penalty; $5 million-$10 million over is $1.75; $10 million-$15 million is $2.50; and $15 million-$20 million is $3.25. If a team finds itself above the luxury tax four years out of any five-year period, it will owe a repeater tax which would apply an extra dollar to every increment (i.e. if a team was $0-$5 million over, it would have to pay $2.50 instead of $1.50 per every dollar above the line).

Apart from the stricter financial penalties, teams operating above the luxury tax will not be privy to the full use of salary cap exceptions, meaning they will only be able to offer a "mini" mid-level exception, rather than a full mid-level exception to attract free agents.
The Lakers also will be affected by the new revenue-sharing model the NBA has adopted. Buss estimated the Lakers, who used to dole out approximately $4 million-$6 million a season in revenue sharing, now will owe anywhere from $50 million-$80 million in revenue sharing each season.
While all of the changes seemed targeted at the Lakers, Buss believes that the league made healthy changes.

"The lockout had to do with what is fair is fair," Buss said. "The percentages weren't correct and teams were losing money. I think what happened with the lockout and the new CBA and the revenue sharing all at one time, it looks like it was pointed towards the Lakers, but nobody actually pointed their finger at the Lakers. We're a very successful organization. We make a good amount of money and the other teams lose money and we're an easy target to try to get that money.
"We fought tooth and nail to keep the flexibility to keep this going. Obviously, we lost to a certain degree because we have lost our flexibility to spend money. The revenue sharing was, in our mind, excessive but to other people it wasn't."
Buss said there are no hard feelings toward commissioner David Stern because of the changes that were made.

"The commissioner is very fair," Buss said. "It doesn't seem like it, but he's doing the job that he's supposed to do. We have a great relationship with David. Personally, I love the guy. I was in those meetings during the CBA negotiations. He was fighting for us, he was fighting for the Lakers and I think it all turned out pretty good."

"Basically, we had a deal and the commissioner didn't think that it was a good deal and he has every right to veto it," Buss said. "It shocked us. I was in (Lakers general manager) Mitch (Kupchak's) office when that happened and I was ducking from things that he was throwing against the wall."

Ohio takes UNC to overtime before Tar Heels prevail

2012-03-24T07:56:00.002-04:00

The last of the little guys gave North Carolina a massive scare.
Harrison Barnes scored five of his 12 points in overtime and the top-seeded Tar Heels escaped a huge upset with a 73-65 victory over No. 13 seed Ohio on Friday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Ohio, trying to become the first team seeded 13th or worse to make the regional finals since the NCAA tournament expanded in 1985, had a chance to convert a three-point play that would have given the Bobcats the lead with 25 seconds left in regulation. Walter Offutt missed from the line, however, and Ohio went 0 for 6 from the field in the first overtime of this year's tournament.
"One free throw away," Offutt said. "As a leader on this team, I take responsibility that I've got to hit that free throw. ... It just feels terrible to kind of let my team down in that sort of way."

Tyler Zeller finished with 20 points and a career-high 22 rebounds for North Carolina, which sorely missed injured point guard Kendall Marshall. The Tar Heels had three players with double-doubles for the first time in an NCAA tournament game: Reggie Bullock had 17 points and 10 boards, and John Henson had 14 points and 10 rebounds.Freshman guard Stilman White was an impressive fill-in for Marshall, dishing out six assists without a single turnover and playing 32 minutes -- almost three times his previous high."We feel like we got away with one," Zeller said. "Ohio played the better game, they hit a lot of shots. I think we just were able to make a lot of plays at the end that made us capable of pulling it out."Offutt led the Bobcats (29-8) with 26 points, including 18 from 3-point range, and Nick Kellogg added 14. But D.J. Cooper, who averaged 20 points in Ohio's first two tournament games, finished with just 10 on 3-of-20 shooting."I've been getting those same shots all tournament,"

Cooper said. "I've been making them, and tonight I just didn't get the job done."North Carolina (32-5), which has won 11 straight in the regional semifinals, plays Kansas on Sunday afternoon."It means a heck of a lot," coach Roy Williams said moments after his team escaped, "but we've got to play better than we did today."That's for sure -- especially since the Tar Heels are playing without Marshall, perhaps their most irreplaceable player and the steadying hand behind their fast-paced attack. The left-handed guard broke his right wrist Sunday when he was fouled on a drive against Creighton. He had surgery Monday to put a screw in the wrist and got his cast off Wednesday.Though Marshall said the wrist is improving, he didn't even dress Friday night, sitting on the bench in a suit."He still hasn't done anything," Williams said when asked about the prospects of Marshall returning Sunday. "But North Carolina's going to play on Sunday. We're happy about that."Barnes was dismal, flirting with a season low in scoring as he went 3 for 16 while missing from inside, outside and everywhere in between.

But his teammates weren't much better, turning the ball over a season-high 24 times and shooting just 40 percent, six percentage points below their average.Worse, they could never get a handle on the smaller, quicker Bobcats."They don't play like a 13-seed," Henson said. "It was a great game."After trailing by as much as 15 in the first half, Ohio got hot from long range and gave the Tar Heels almost more than they could handle. Ohio, a 10½-point underdog, was 8 of 13 from 3-point range in the second half, with Offutt doing most of the damage. He made a 3-pointer to start a 14-5 run and hit two more during the stretch, which pulled the Bobcats to 42-41 with 10:23 to play.After Zeller's layup and a dunk by James Michael McAdoo, Cooper hit his only 3 of the game. Kellogg came right back with another to give Ohio its first lead, 47-46, with 8:28 to play, and the Ohio faithful -- plus all the new fans the Bobcats picked up -- went into a frenzy.The teams traded leads, neither able to put the other away. When Barnes missed badly on a 3 with 1:17 to play, the crowd taunted him with chants of "Air-ball! Air-ball!" Williams could be heard yelling "One stop!" at his team, and the Tar Heels got it when Cooper missed a jumper at the other end.Bullock then drilled a 3 to give North Carolina a 63-61 lead with 39 seconds left, but Offutt -- who else? -- scored on an off-balance drive and drew a foul from White. Offutt's foul shot was way left, the only free throw the Bobcats missed in eight attempts, and Zeller grabbed the rebound."It's just like him to take responsibility for the loss because that's who he is," Bobcats coach John Groce said of his senior, a transfer from Ohio State by way of Wright State. "But the reality of it is, that doesn't fall on him. There's so many plays during the game that make up the game in a 45-minute game, and if anybody deserved to make that free throw, it's him. It just didn't go in."

The Tar Heels worked the shot clock down to the very last seconds, but Barnes lost the ball and Offutt came up with it. He flipped the ball to Cooper, who raced to midcourt and launched a prayer. It caromed off the rim, sending the game into overtime.Kellogg's father, Clark, calling the games in Atlanta for CBS, smiled as he watched the final plays."Overtime," he said, clapping.But the Bobcats had nothing left. Bullock opened the extra period with a 3 and Barnes came right back with a jumper. After Kellogg made a pair of free throws to cut it to 68-65, Barnes made a pair of his own and Ohio could never get any closer."Awful proud of our guys for the way that they fought," Groce said. "But as I told them in the locker room, there's nothing I can say to them at this point that's going to take away the sting of getting beat in that one. They've got a lot of pride and they believed all year that we could compete and beat anybody that we played. That was no different heading into tonight's game."

Tim Tebow traded to Jets

2012-03-22T02:48:00.001-04:00

Tim Tebow is coming to New York. Really.
After a big false start, the New York Jets pulled off a Tebow-like comeback Wednesday night, getting the quarterback who turned the Denver Broncos from an also-ran into a playoff team last season and became the NFL's most talked-about player -- for a fourth- and sixth-round draft pick.
Now, Tebowmania is opening on Broadway.
And, there's sure to be plenty of drama -- just as there was from the moment the Jets pulled off the deal. Or thought they did, that is.

"I'm thankful they stuck with me through this whole crazy process," Tebow said during a call late Wednesday night, repeating several times that he was "excited" to be a member of the Jets and to play for coach Rex Ryan.
Tebow won't meet the New York media in person until Friday at the earliest, the team told ESPNNewYork.com.
Eight hours after initially agreeing to a trade, the teams completed it after it was hung up when the Jets, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, balked at repaying Denver more than $5 million for a salary advance due Tebow. The two sides agreed to split that cost, and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said the team was "comfortable with the compensation," which also included Denver's seventh-round pick in April's draft.
He said there was a disagreement about how to handle the salary advance after Denver received the papers.
"We knew what the contract was," Tannenbaum said in a separate conference call Wednesday. "We had read it. ... We felt it was one way; they felt it was another. Based on that, they were well within their rights to assess their different possibilities of what to do and their alternatives. And they did so throughout the day."
The Jets and Broncos originally announced the trade just after 1 p.m. ET Wednesday. But then Denver, according to sources, asked the Jets to pay back a portion of bonuses and salary already paid to Tebow.
Tebow was given a $6.2 million salary advance before the 2011 season, the sources said. Tebow's contract required the Jets to repay the advanced salaries for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons, a total of about $5 million, according to sources.
The Broncos expected the Jets to pay those salary advances as per terms of the contract. The Jets balked at doing so, allowing the Jaguars to re-enter the picture.
Jacksonville offered the Broncos a fourth-round pick and were willing to pay Denver most, if not all of, the $5 million in question on Tebow's contract, league sources told Schefter. But Denver liked the Jets' offer better, and Tebow preferred to be traded to New York because of the support he got from Jets front office and coaches, according to the sources.
Tebow denied that he had final say in where he was going.
"Ultimately, I really didn't have any because the Broncos had all that power," Tebow said, adding that Denver was "gracious" in the way it handled the process. "I was just kind of watching and waiting -- kind of like everybody else. It was an interesting day."
Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement Wednesday night that he asked general manager Gene Smith to look into a Tebow deal.
"I think we have a duty to consider all avenues of improving the Jaguars on and off the field, especially given the unique circumstances involving the player," Khan said. "I appreciate the high level of due diligence Gene and his staff dedicated to this matter, even as late as this evening, and I am very satisfied with the outcome. Our commitment to developing (2011 first-round pick) Blaine Gabbert was, and still is, central to our goal of returning the Jaguars to elite status in the NFL. We're looking ahead with zero regrets."
Tebow, a former first-round pick, went on the trading block Monday when the Broncos secured free agent Peyton Manning, who signed a five-year, $96 million contract.
Several teams expressed interest in Tebow, but the Jets -- perceived as a sleeper at the outset -- pulled off the splashiest trade of the offseason.
Tebow, who has three years remaining on his contract and a 2012 base salary of $1.1 million, will join a cast of backups behind incumbent Mark Sanchez, but his presence could ignite a quarterback controversy. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie tweeted on Tuesday night that "we don't need Tebow," expressing his confidence in Sanchez and the current roster.
Tannenbaum emphasized that the team is committed to Sanchez.

"Mark Sanchez is, has been and will be our starting quarterback," he said, also noting that he had spoken to both quarterbacks and explained their roles.
Tebow said he had a "great conversation" on Wednesday with Sanchez, adding that they've been friends for several years.
"My goal is to push him to get better, and to push myself to get better every day," Tebow said. "But I think we'll have a great working relationship. We'll have a great relationship off the field, and we've had that the last few years. He's such a classy guy and handles himself so well, and I'll be very honored to call him my teammate."
Asked on Tuesday what he thought it would be like to play with Tebow, Sanchez told FoxSportsRadio in Los Angeles, "I think Peyton (Manning) will do great; I think Tim will do great no matter what happens. He's either going to get a great chance to learn from one of the best quarterbacks to ever play, or he moves on somewhere else and he uses his skills on another ballclub. He definitely has talent. He knows how to win; he knows how to inspire players."
The timing of the trade is curious for New York.
Two weeks ago, the Jets gave Sanchez a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension, professing their faith in him even though he regressed last season. They signed former Detroit Lions backup Drew Stanton last week to be their No. 2 quarterback, handing him a $500,000 signing bonus. They also have former Alabama star Greg McElroy.
But the Jets see Tebow as a change-of-pace player with the ability to run the wildcat offense. They've used the wildcat in recent years, but cut back last season with the departure of Brad Smith. The new offensive coordinator is Tony Sparano, who introduced the wildcat to the NFL as coach of the Miami Dolphins.
"It is very clear: They want me to come in and compete and get better, and get better as a quarterback and to help the team any way possible," Tebow said. "Whatever that role is, I will do my best."
Tannenbaum said Tebow makes the Jets "a diverse, more dynamic offense that's going to make it more difficult for opposing teams to defend."
Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath, who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl title in 1969, was among those unhappy with the trade when it was announced earlier Wednesday.

"I'm just sorry that I can't agree with this situation. I think it's just a publicity stunt. I can't go with it. I think it's wrong," Namath told "The Michael Kay Show" on ESPN1050 in New York. "I don't think they know what they're doing over there."
Asked if he hoped the deal would ultimately fall through, Namath said, "Absolutely."
"And I'm a Tim Tebow fan, but I'm a bigger Jet fan than I am a Tim Tebow fan," Namath said.
Ryan, however, wants the Jets to get back to being a power-running team and New York only has one proven back, Shonn Greene. The 6-foot-3, 238-pound Tebow rushed for 660 yards last season, including a 20-yard touchdown in the final minute to beat the Jets 17-14 in a November game at Denver.
A few weeks earlier, Tebow beat Sparano and the Dolphins with one of his trademark comebacks, overcoming a 15-0 deficit to win in overtime, 18-15.
There's also some thought that Tebow and his clean-cut image could help polish the negative perception of the Jets' locker room, torn by discord last season. But others close to the team said that was no factor in the decision.
The potential for backlash remains, however. Tebow brings with him a flock of fervent fans for reasons that have to do as much with his faith as his football skills. A devout Christian, he's been a role model since his days at Florida, when he led the Gators to two national titles and captured the Heisman Trophy.
Tebow's enormous popularity could turn into a distraction, especially for Sanchez. If Sanchez struggles, the fan base ostensibly could turn on him and start clamoring for Tebow.
"We obviously know Tim has a magnetic following and he's a dynamic person, but every starting quarterback has a backup quarterback," Tannenbaum said Wednesday. "If you struggle, we understand the popularity of any backup quarterback. This one is a little more unique than others. Mark, in this market, has shown resilience and toughness."
This also will be an adjustment for Tebow as he returns to a backup role. He became one of the most popular athletes in the nation last season, replacing Kyle Orton and leading the Broncos -- seemingly dead after a 1-4 start -- to an 8-8 record and the AFC West title. He did it with a run of miraculous finishes, one more improbable than the next.

Tebow won his first playoff game, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime. The following week, Tebow crashed hard in a 45-10 loss to the New England Patriots.
Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway anointed Tebow as the starting quarterback going into training camp, but that didn't prevent him from entering the Manning sweepstakes.
Clearly, the Broncos were troubled by his flawed mechanics as a passer. Tebow completed only 46.5 percent of his throws last season.
"As a former player, I know the last two weeks were not easy for Tim," Elway said in a statement Wednesday. "He was put in a difficult situation, and I commend him for how he handled it with the same first-class manner he displayed throughout his career in Denver."
It should be interesting to see how Tebow is welcomed in the Jets' locker room. During the run-up to last November's game, the Jets' defensive players weren't complimentary when discussing his passing skills. Cornerback Darrelle Revis said Tebow's unorthodox style as an option quarterback couldn't sustain long-term success in the NFL.
As it turned out, Tebow made the playoffs and Sanchez didn't. Sanchez struggled down the stretch, fueling speculation about his future. Publicly, team officials backed him, but also promised the quarterback depth chart would have a different look in 2012.
They weren't kidding.

Broncos sign Peyton Manning

2012-03-21T09:25:00.002-04:00

John Elway flashed that mile-wide grin and turned the microphone over to his new quarterback, Peyton Manning.
Talk about a powerful pair.
Introducing Manning as the newest Denver Bronco on Tuesday, the two Super Bowl winners each talked about hoisting another Lombardi Trophy, this time together. And soon.

"I realize I don't have 14 years left, by any means," Manning said. "This isn't something where I'm just building a foundation to do something in two years or three years. This is a now situation. We're going to do whatever we can to win right now. That's all I'm thinking about right now."
Just so long as Manning's surgically repaired neck goes along with the plan.
Neither he nor Elway has a doubt it will, and the Hall of Famer-turned-executive knew the NFL's only four-time MVP was just what his club needed.
The franchise has won just two playoff games since Elway's career came to an end with a second straight Super Bowl triumph in 1999.
Denver's last playoff victory came over Pittsburgh two months ago, when Tim Tebow delivered a stadium-rocking, 80-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime.
But things change, and in the NFL, they can change fast. Tebowmania is now a passing fad in Denver.
A couple of photos of Tebow that once adorned the halls at the Broncos' headquarters were gone Tuesday by the time Manning was introduced.
"I believe that he's got a lot of great football left in him," Elway said of his new QB. And if that's true, the Broncos will wind up paying him $96 million over five years under his new deal.
After holding up his new, bright orange jersey in a photo op with Elway and owner Pat Bowlen, Manning answered many of the questions that have been bouncing around since March 7, when the Colts released him to avoid paying a $28 million bonus and set in motion one of the most frenetic free-agent pursuits in history.
The first issue on everyone's mind: So, Peyton, how do you feel?
"I'm not where I want to be. I want to be where I was before I was injured," Manning said, referring to the neck problem that kept him off the field in 2011 after he'd started every game for the Colts for the previous 13 seasons. "I have a lot of work to do in getting to where I want to be from a health standpoint and learning this offense. This is going to take a ton of work."
As far as being the man who could bring about the end of Tebow's stay in Denver, Manning said: "I know what kind of player Tim Tebow is, what kind of person he is ... and what an awesome year he had this year. If Tim Tebow is here next year, I'm going to be the best teammate I can be to him; he and I are going to help this team win games. If other opportunities present themselves to him, I'm going to wish him the best."
On Elway's role in leading him to choose Denver over other suitors, the most serious of which were the Titans and 49ers: "Everyone knows what kind of competitor he is as a player. I can tell he's just as competitive in this new role. That got me excited."
And so, the deal -- the club's most dramatic since Elway was acquired from the Colts in 1983 -- was sealed.
With the new contract in place, Manning plans to retire in Denver. The Broncos, meanwhile, have some protection in the way the contract was formulated. There's no signing bonus. Manning will get $18 million guaranteed for next season, but must pass a physical before each season, starting in 2013, to get paid.

A source told ESPN business analyst Andrew Brandt that Manning will be paid $20 million in both the 2013 and '14 seasons if he passes a team physical to be given 10 days before the start of the 2013 league year. There is an injury waiver included in the contract, however, covering Manning's surgically repaired neck. If he reinjures the neck during the 2013 season, the Broncos will not have to pay his 2014 salary.
He is scheduled to make $19 million in both '15 and '16.
"I don't consider it much of a risk, knowing Peyton Manning," Elway said. "I asked him, 'Is there any doubt in your mind that you can't get back to the Peyton Manning we know of?' And he said, 'There's no doubt in my mind.' "
Elway's move to the front office last year set off a whirlwind of activity that landed the Broncos in the playoffs. But the old QB is in this to win Super Bowls and he's throwing his hat in with Manning, the 50,000-yard passer who redefined the quarterback position through the 2000s, not Tebow -- who seems most comfortable carrying and not throwing the ball.
"Tim Tebow's a great kid. If I want someone to marry my daughter, it's him," Elway said.
But to run an NFL offense, to get a title, Elway wanted Manning.
"My goal is to make Peyton Manning the best quarterback that's ever played the game," Elway said, "and he's got that ability with the football that he's got left.
"He's a guy that raises all boats. He's already made (his teammates) better, and they haven't met him yet just because of the type of person he is, his reputation and what he's done in this league. So, he's just going to have a tremendous effect on the Denver Broncos."
Manning, who turns 36 on Saturday, said he made a quick connection with Elway, who won his two Super Bowls in Denver after his 37th birthday. Since No. 7's retirement, a long string of 11 quarterbacks have come to Denver, trying in vain to replace the irreplaceable. If anyone can get out of that shadow, Manning could be the man.
He's got two trips to the Super Bowl and one title, 11 Pro Bowls and was the fastest player to reach 50,000 yards and 4,000 completions. His first TD toss for Denver will be his 400th.
Manning's familiar No. 18 was actually retired -- a tribute to Denver's first quarterback, Frank Tripucka. But Tripucka was more than happy to let Manning bring it out of mothballs.

However, Tebow's No. 15 jersey, may soon become a collector's item.
Sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that the Broncos are attempting to trade Tebow.
Teams that have discussed a trade for Tebow, either internally or with the Broncos, include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, a league source told Schefter.
While one league source says the Dolphins are not likely to deal for Tebow, two sources told ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini on Tuesday night the Jets' interest in Tebow has intensified.
The Jets, who a league source originally categorized as "a long shot at best," are concerned about the negative perception of its locker room. The Jets were divided by player unrest last season, and "bringing in a guy like (Tebow) would help," one source told Cimini. "It makes perfect sense."
Meanwhile, the new face of the Broncos stressed he was ready to work and was planning to stay in town to do so.
Manning even picked up a playbook Tuesday, but the offense crafted for and by him will be drastically changed from the option-heavy one that Tebow ran in Denver last season. And coaches can't answer any questions Manning might have until April 16, when offseason programs can begin around the league and he'll finally be able to work out at Broncos headquarters.
Still, it's expected he'll be able to run his kind of offense in Denver. Coach John Fox said he can't wait to pair that no-huddle approach with Denver's altitude for a double-whammy on defenses.
One other factor in Manning's decision to play outdoors in the Mile High City: The nearly $40 million in salary cap room the Broncos have, putting them in the mix for quality free agents, possibly including Manning's former teammates Jeff Saturday and Dallas Clark.

Cornerback Tracy Porter is also scheduled to visit with the Broncos on Wednesday, a source told ESPN.com's Bill Williamson. Porter returned an interception of Manning 74 yards for a touchdown in the Saints' Super Bowl victory over the Colts, sealing the win for New Orleans.
The status of Manning's neck, however, will be an ongoing issue. It's one thing to throw through the entire route tree on a practice field, which he did to pretty much everyone's satisfaction. It's quite another to take a blindside hit from a 300-pound defender, which hasn't happened since he was surgically repaired.
"There's no question I have work to do," Manning said. "I've been very open with the Broncos, really all the teams, about my medical history, about where I am, about how I feel. I really let them tell me. I've put all the cards out on the table, working out for three teams, going through my entire medical history, not just this past year. I couldn't sell myself when it came to that. I had to let them tell me and decide this was something they wanted to do."
Elway, general manager Brian Xanders and Fox all said the goal is for Manning to start the Broncos' first exhibition game in August. That's Manning's desire, too.
"I want to be out there every single snap," Manning said. "Every single play."

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.