Japan times sports

Santos moves on to Tochigi SC

2013-01-12T23:16:00.000+06:00

Tochigi SC has signed Brazilian-born former Japan midfielder Alessandro Santos, the J. League second-division club said on Friday.

The 35-year-old two-time World Cup star was released in December by Nagoya Grampus. He has scored 67 goals in 353 career games in the Japanese top flight with Shimizu S-Pulse, Urawa Reds and Grampus.

"I want to get back to basics and give it my best shot from square one," Santos said in a statement.

Santos played for Japan at the 2002 World Cup Japan hosted with South Korea and also at the 2006 finals in Germany. He has seven goals in 82 internationals.

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Chelsea fans refuse to blame owner

2013-01-12T22:45:00.000+06:00

LONDON — When Bruce Buck came on the pitch before Wednesday's League Cup semifinal first leg against Swansea to make a presentation to Petr Cech, the Chelsea chairman was booed. Seriously booed.

There were a number of reasons for the supporters' growing frustration, the sacking of the popular Roberto Di Matteo, the appointment of the extremely unpopular Rafa Benitez, Frank Lampard's pending departure, plus the interim manager's apparent blind faith in Fernando Torres, now relegated to No. 2 as the Stamford Bridge boo-boys' targets following the arrival of Benitez.

The man responsible for these decisions and every major decision at Chelsea is not Buck, it is Roman Abramovich. All Chelsea fans are aware of this, the anger of those at the Bridge was misdirected and they know it. They refuse to vent their frustration at the real villain, presumably because they think the paymaster and his money might leave, so they take it out on people like Buck and Benitez.

Buck and the board are not consulted about who the Russian wants to hire or fire. Abramovich is a one-man band, a billionaire who has obviously done more right than wrong business-wise. And he is never questioned, a perk of being a billionaire.

It is impossible to imagine a scenario where any of the Chelsea inner sanctum would stand up and say: "I'm sorry I think you are wrong." They can think it, but not say it.

If winning silverware is the yardstick for whether the man at the top is making the right decisions, then Chelsea's continued success means Abramovich's erratic way is also the right way for this club. But there is a toxic atmosphere of growing negativity at the Bridge where the gap between supporters and the club is now a chasm, though not a single "Abramovich out" banner has been spotted.

The fans boo just about anyone but the person they know they should jeer, shooting the messenger rather than the author. We want your money, but not necessarily you.

The 2-0 defeat by Swansea was the fourth of Benitez's six home games in which Chelsea had failed to score. It didn't matter that Swansea's goals came from two howlers by Branislav Ivanovic, the finger of blame had to be pointed at Benitez. Supporters chanted "Jose Mourinho" and "Roberto Di Matteo," who were both sacked by Abramovich despite winning the title and Champions League, respectively. They can sing what they want, but it will not affect Abramovich in the slightest.

The good news for the supporters is that Benitez's chances of becoming Chelsea's permanent manager are decreasing because Abramovich expects the Blues to win every competition, though even a regular supply of silverware has not stopped the Russian from opening the managerial exit door. Under Benitez, Chelsea lost the Club World Cup, it is facing defeat in the League Cup semifinal and bar a miracle will not win the Premier League. It may not be Benitez's fault, but that's the way life is at Chelsea.

There were groans, putting it mildly, when Torres' name was read out on Wednesday and the inevitable criticism of Benitez for staying loyal to his fellow countryman. Torres was poor, but he is Chelsea's leading goal scorer with 14 in 32 matches, just under a goal every other game which is hardly the strike rate of a useless (fans' description, not mine) center-forward.

Benitez's reason for waiting until the 81st minute to replace Torres with Demba Ba was that Chelsea was not playing badly (64 percent possession) and creating chances (20 to Swansea's four). Another thought is that he is under orders from above to play Torres.

Where Benitez is blameless is the decision not to offer Lampard and possibly Ashley Cole a new contract, but if there is any flak flying at the Bridge these days, it finds the Spaniard like a heat-seeking missile.

* * *

BRADFORD CITY, eighth in League Two, is potentially 90 minutes from a place in next season's Europa League. No honest, it is.

If — and it is a big if — Chelsea overcomes Swansea's 2-0 lead in the League Cup semifinal second leg and meets Bradford, which leads Aston Villa 3-1 from their first leg, in the Wembley final the team from the fourth level of English football will be the most unlikeliest of European qualifiers, as long as the Blues finish in the top four and claim a Champions League place.

There have been derogatory comments in some quarters that Capital One, the American-based finance company, did not pay ?30 million to sponsor a Bradford vs. Swansea League Cup final. I am not alone in thinking it would be a far better, more popular and intriguing final than Chelsea vs. Aston Villa, which has a strong element of been there, seen it and done it about it.

Under Michael Laudrup, Swansea has played some superb, open, attacking football and the Dane's tactics at Stamford Bridge were spot-on. In Michu, a ?2 million steal from Real Valladolid, the Swans have the bargain of the season with 16 goals in 25 matches. Ashley Williams' displays make him as good a defender as there is in the Premier League this season.

In beating Wigan, Arsenal and Villa, Bradford has rightly won national praise, playing its one-touch slick passing style rather than route one pleasantly surprising those who do not watch Phil Parkinson's side regularly. There are some marvelous stories from the club, such as Matt Duke, the goalkeeper who has overcome testicular cancer to produce man of the match displays.

Chelsea and Villa may yet ensure a more routine matchup at Wembley next month, but neutrals will hope for some new faces in Capital One's inaugural final.

Christopher Davies was a longtime Premier League correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.

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Rodgers aims to prove point

2013-01-12T22:13:00.000+06:00

SAN FRANCISCO — The anxiety-filled green room and draft day seem so long ago now to Aaron Rodgers.

Still, on this weekend, any lingering feelings of frustration about how far he dropped will be directed right at the team that passed him up with the No. 1 pick nearly eight years ago.

Rodgers brings the high-scoring Green Bay Packers (12-5) to Candlestick Park on Saturday to face No. 2 seed San Francisco (11-4-1) in prime time for a place in the NFC Championship Game. He'll take the field in the very venue where he became a regular fan as a boy rooting for Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Steve Young.

Rodgers, who appeared in a preseason game at Candlestick in 2008, will play his first meaningful game at the stadium at last, as an eighth-year pro. He will look to avenge a 30-22 season-opening home loss to the 49ers.

"It will be fun. I went to a few baseball games there growing up, and saw a game there when I was in college," Rodgers said. "Stadium's got a lot of tradition. Looks like we're kind of fortunate with the weather right now. Still wonder what that's going to be like.

"But it will be a night game, it will be loud, it will be a great environment and it should be a good show for the fans."

Rodgers is putting on quite a show, all right.

He returns to Northern California, where he became a college star for California across San Francisco Bay in Berkeley, with a healthy cast of receivers and the swagger of a Super Bowl champion.

When Rodgers dropped to No. 24 in the 2005 draft after Alex Smith went No. 1, he was asked about his disappointment. He so matter-of-factly said, "not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn't draft me."

Now, everybody in the Bay Area and beyond will be watching his every move again.

He already upset some friends he couldn't accommodate with tickets. Family first, with everybody else making the 4-hour trek from his hometown of Chico left to fend for themselves.

Most important, of course, is getting Green Bay one step closer to another Super Bowl. Last season's chance at a repeat championship came to a screeching halt at the hands of the Giants in this very round at Lambeau Field.

The Giants came to San Francisco the next week and won the NFC title game, 20-17 in overtime.

Just as the Niners moved on from that heartbreaking loss and used it as a motivational push each day this season, the same goes for Rodgers after being slighted by his beloved San Francisco on draft day.

"It's been a long time since the green room," Rodgers said. "I have a lot of good memories growing up watching Steve Young and Joe Montana on TV and the Super Bowl wins and being a 49ers fan. That was a team I enjoyed watching and dreamt about playing for. I'm eight years removed here, and obviously I'm really happy with the situation I'm in."

A lot has changed in that time for San Francisco, too.

The QB the 49ers picked ahead of Rodgers — Smith — spent the season's second half on the bench as coach Jim Harbaugh promoted second-year pro Colin Kaepernick, who is set to make his playoff debut on Saturday.

In an odd twist, Kaepernick was born in Milwaukee and adopted before moving to California at age 4. Yes, he began as a toddler Cheesehead, then changed allegiances "when I got drafted," Kaepernick said.

He has never met Rodgers.

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Striker Ono, Rapinoe join Lyon

2013-01-12T21:37:00.000+06:00

LYON, France — French club Lyon on Thursday signed Japan's World Cup striker Shinobu Ono and American midfielder Megan Rapinoe, two of the hottest properties in international women's soccer.

Ono, who played in Japan's 2011 women's World Cup winning side, penned a 1?-year deal with an option for another season.

A veteran of 101 internationals, with 38 goals, the 29-year-old Ono joins Lyon from INAC Kobe, the reigning Japanese champions.

Rapinoe, 27, who was nominated for the 2012 FIFA Women's Player of the Year award, has joined until the end of the season.

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Harumafuji awaits do-or-die fight at New Year Basho

2013-01-12T21:04:00.000+06:00

If one thing is causing yokozuna Harumafuji to lose sleep, haunted by an eerie requiem, it is knowing that the powers that be would just as soon banish him from the ancient Japanese sport than have him disgrace the prized yokozuna rank.

Entering only his second tournament at the top of the sumo's highest perch, Harumafuji is already dangerously close to plunging headlong over that precipice to a fate from whence there will be no deliverance: forced early retirement.

With the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament kicking off this Sunday, the Mongolian dynamo must rekindle the same fire that burned so brightly last year when he won two consecutive tournaments with undefeated 15-0 marks to catapult himself to his current hegemony.

"I want to respond to peoples' expectations of me," said Harumafuji ahead of the Tokyo Basho at Ryogoku Kokugikan, which is held annually over the last fortnight in January. "I want to work hard all year, and have a nice present for myself in the end."

After eking out a barely permissible 9-6 record at the Kyushu Basho in November, and becoming the first yokozuna in history to lose his final five bouts, responding to expectations is the least being asked of him; he must also continue to be an able foil to rival yokozuna Hakuho.

The Japan Sumo Association's Yokozuna Deliberation Council, the same body that recommended him to become sumo's 70th grand champion, is now demanding that Harumafuji at least win 10 bouts with the tacit understanding that anything less would be grounds for an involuntary farewell from the raised ring.

"As a yokozuna, you at least have to be able to get double digits wins, or you don't qualify," Takuhiko Tsuruta, who heads the JSA's deliberation council, has said.

At his first practice of the year on Jan. 4, deliberation council member Tanosuke Sawamura did not mince his words, saying, "A small wrestler like Harumafuji has to become a yokozuna of technique. We want him to produce results that will allow him to preserve his rank."

Harumafuji said he was awakened by a nightmare the night before practice. He sprinkled purification salt over his head and shoulders to ward off evil following his sparring session.

"I was just hoping the morning would come quickly. I had a bad dream, so I think it means that something good will happen."

Harumafuji, who caught a cold near the end of the year and whose training has been scant of late, began to pick up the pace in the final week before the tournament.

He went 5-5 against Hakuho, albeit at the perfunctory annual sparring demonstration in front of the deliberation council at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Monday.

But he earned brickbats from one of the JSA's stablemasters for shoving Kisenosato in the face ex post facto, having already sent the ozeki out of the ring in a frontal force out in a practice session at Tokyo's Oguruma stable the following day.

"A yokozuna can't do things like that. This is a contest," said Matsugane, who is a deputy director on the JSA's officiating committee.

The 28-year-old Harumafuji, who at 133 kg is the lightest in the elite makuuchi division, can hardly be blamed for his firebrand style though; he is well-known for lightning-bolt strikes getting out of hand, perhaps his only recourse to compensate for his relatively small frame.

Although feeling the effects of a series of injuries suffered during the Kyushu Basho, including pain in both ankles and a right-calf muscle strain, there can be no excuses after his now-famous debacle.

"If he had produced a good record in his first basho as yokozuna, then things would be easier for him in the second one. This is going to be a tough meet for Harumafuji. He'll have to take off from the start," said former yokozuna Kitanofuji, who works as a sumo television analyst on NHK.

For Hakuho, meanwhile, another milestone is within his grasp as he aims to win back-to-back tournaments and his 24th career title, a feat that would place him in the same company as former yokozuna and current JSA Chairman Kitanoumi.

Baruto, who has been demoted to sumo's third-highest rank of sekiwake after pulling out of two consecutive basho, needs 10 wins to regain his ozeki status but the Estonian goliath has not fully recovered from an injury to his left hamstring.

Expectations are high that ozeki Kisenosato will finally hit pay dirt with his first Emperor's Cup trophy, but he needs to rectify his high posture and minimize his inconsistencies.

Fellow Japanese ozeki Kotoshogiku is still feeling the remnants of a recent cold and a long way from full strength.

Sekiwake Goeido won 11 bouts in Kyushu, setting himself up for a genuine shot at ozeki promotion. He can put himself in the running for consideration with another dominant performance at the Tokyo meet.

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MLB announces HGH testing

2013-01-12T20:31:00.000+06:00

PARADISE VALLEY, Arizona — Major League Baseball will test for human growth hormone throughout the regular season and increase efforts to detect abnormal levels of testosterone, a decision the NFL used to pressure its players.

Baseball players were subject to blood testing for HGH during spring training last year, and Thursday's agreement between management and the Major League Baseball Players Association expands that throughout the season. Those are in addition to urine tests for other performance-enhancing drugs.

Under the changes to baseball's drug agreement, the World Anti-Doping Agency laboratory in Laval, Quebec, will keep records of each player, including his baseline ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone, and will conduct Carbon Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) tests of any urine specimens that "vary materially."

"This is a proud and a great day for baseball," commissioner Bud Selig said following two days of owners' meetings. "We'll continue to be a leader in this field and do what we have to do."

The announcement came one day after steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa failed to gain election to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

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Radwanska continues roll, makes Sydney final

2013-01-12T19:57:00.000+06:00

SYDNEY — Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska has advanced to the Sydney International final, running her 2013 winning streak to eight matches with a 6-3, 6-4 win on Thursday over former French Open champion Li Na.

Radwanska, who lost in last year's Wimbledon final to Serena Williams, won the Auckland WTA tournament last week and goes into next week's Australian Open as the fourth-seeded player.

The Pole wasn't feeling pressure to extend her winning streak.

"Actually when I was going on court, of course if I win, great; if not, I mean, not that big deal because I really had a lot of matches here and in Auckland," she said. "I'm really ready for the Australian Open. It's always hard to say, but I think of course winning two tournaments in a row is a good thing."

Radwanska will play Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in Friday's final. Cibulkova beat second-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

In men's action, young Australian Bernard Tomic took a major step toward winning his first career ATP Tour title by downing defending champion Jarkko Nieminen.

The 20-year-old, ranked 64th, clawed back from dropping the opening set to oust the Finn, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-2 in a night quarter-final.

Tomic will take on either Italian third seed Andreas Seppi or Spanish eighth seed Marcel Granollers in Friday's semi.

Tomic's only previous tour semifinal ended in defeat against Andy Murray last January in Brisbane.

"I'm ready to go for tomorrow's semifinal," Tomic said. "I'm really confident now and I got a shot to get into the final for the first time in my career."

"So the next match is a big match and I'm going to do everything I can to win tomorrow.

"To get the chance to play (my) first Tour event final and to do it in Australia is going to be unbelievable, but I've got to play two quality players to do so."

The towering Kevin Anderson earlier Thursday became the first South African to reach the Sydney semifinals in nine years with victory over Denis Istomin.

The 36th-ranked Anderson accounted for the Uzbek 6-4, 6-3 in 84 minutes and will face last year's finalist Julien Benneteau of France in Friday's last four.

The last South African to reach the final four was Wayne Ferreira.

Benneteau, who lost to Nieminen in last year's final, was too strong for American qualifier Ryan Harrison, winning 6-4, 6-2.

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Albirex cruise past struggling 89ers

2013-01-12T19:24:00.000+06:00

Kimitake Sato again tormented the Sendai 89ers, scoring a game-high 24 points in the Niigata Albirex BB's 86-73 triumph over the hosts on Friday.

The veteran standout knocked down 6 of 8 3-point shots in the rematch as Niigata improved to 20-7, becoming the first bj-league team this season to get 20 wins. In the Thursday opener, he had 32 points, sank 5 of 10 3s and 8 of 9 shots from inside the arc.

The Albirex trailed 45-37 at halftime.

After intermission, coach Matt Garrison's squad outscored Sendai 49-28 to secure the victory.

Nile Murry added 15 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two blocks for Niigata. Yuichi Ikeda had 14 points and Taj Finger and Chris Holm each scored 12 points for the 89ers. Holm also grabbed 17 rebounds.

Takuya Komoda paced Sendai (8-15) with 23 points and shot 10-for-14 from 2-point range, while T.J. Cummings, back in the rotation after missing Thurday's contest due to an ankle sprain, scored 20 points and made 9 of 11 shots from the field. Hikaru Kusaka scored eight points and Sam Coleman had seven. Takehiko Shimura handed out six assists and Sam Willard pulled down 11 boards.

The three-game series concludes on Saturday.

Cinq Reves 92, Northern Happinets 81

In Tokyo, Dennis Carr scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Jonathan Jones had 19 points and 12 boards for the hosts in a series-opening win over Akita.

Rasheem Barrett contributed 16 points and three assists for Tokyo (10-15) and Cohey Aoki poured in 15 points, including 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. Akihito Inoue scored 13 points for the Cinq Reves.

Akita led 32-20 after the first quarter, but saw its scoring total drop to 18, 18 and 13 points over the final three quarters.

Marshall Brown had 26 points for the Happinets (13-8), Yuki Kikuchi added 15 and Dion Harris and Shigehiro Taguchi both scored 14.

Tokyo raked in 60 rebounds to Akita's 29. In addition, the Cinq Reves shot 38 free throws (33 makes), while the visitors were 7-for-12.

***

League leaders (through Thursday)

Scoring—1. Jonathan Jones, Tokyo, 21.0; 2. T.J. Cummings, Sendai, 20.8; 3. Draelon Burns, Yokohama, 20.7; 4. Michael Parker, Shimane, 20.0; 5. Dominique Keller, Gunma, 19.3.

Field-goal percentage—1. Dillion Sneed, Iwate, 63.2; 2. Gyno Pomare, Kyoto, 59.6; 3. Joe Werner, Chiba, 59.5; 4. Anthony Kent, Akita, 59.0; 5. Marcus Cousin, Kyoto, 59.0.

Rebounds—1. Chris Holm, Niigata, 13.3; 2. Reggie Warren, Fukuoka, 12.5; 3. Sam Willard, Sendai, 12.4; 4. Wendell White, Hamamatsu, 12.1; 5. Mike Bell, Osaka, 11.8.

Assists—1. Narito Namizato, Ryukyu, 6.1; 2. Kevin Galloway, Hamamatsu, 5.9; 3. Kensuke Tanaka, Chiba, 5.8; 4. Takehiko Shimura, Sendai, 5.6; 5. Draelon Burns, Yokohama, 4.8.

3-point percentage—1. Kazuhiro Shoji, Akita, 46.8; 2. Shinya Ogawa, Shiga, 45.7; 3. D'Andre Bell, Chiba, 44.4; 4. Masayuki Kabaya, Yokohama, 43.7; 5. Kimitake Sato, Niigata, 43.0.

Steals—1. Draelon Burns, Yokohama, 2.4; 2. Masato Tsukino, Iwate, 2.3; 3. Anthony McHenry, Ryukyu, 2.3; 4. Ira Brown, Toyama, 2.0; 5. D'Andre Bell, Chiba, 1.9.

Blocked shots—1. Jeral Davis, Shimane, 3.5; 2. Lawrence Blackledge, Iwate, 3.0; 3. Wayne Marshall, Shinshu, 2.0; 4. Thomas Fairley, Miyazaki, 1.9; 5. Paul Williams, Takamatsu, 1.7.

Free-throw percentage—1. Kohei Mitomo, Oita, 93.3; 2. Cohey Aoki, Tokyo, 93.2; 3. Marquin Chandler, Chiba, 91.1; 4. David Palmer, Kyoto, 89.9; 5. John Humphrey, Saitama, 87.5.

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Rose speaks out about Hall of Fame passing on big stars

2013-01-12T18:53:00.000+06:00

LOS ANGELES — Pete Rose recently went to Cooperstown to film an episode of his upcoming reality television show. His fiancee got choked up when baseball's career hits leader had to watch the Parade of Legends and other Hall of Fame festivities as just another face in the crowd.

Rose doesn't share Kiana Kim's disappointment in his continued banishment from baseball, but he hopes he can provide a few lessons in patience to the rest of his sport's tarnished superstars.

"It doesn't matter how long it takes," Rose said Thursday over lunch in Sherman Oaks, California. "I'm in no hurry, unless you know something I don't know. You just have to try to be a productive citizen and live your life, and hopefully someday somebody calls you and says, 'Hey, we want to give you a second chance.' I won't need a third, and believe me, nobody is going to find me betting on baseball. What's that old cliche? I don't bet on baseball because I know too much about it."

The 71-year-old Rose, nattily attired in a tan hat and a colorful striped shirt with "Hit King" embroidered on the collar, says he's "a little sad" nobody was elected to the Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

Yet Rose sees both sides of the Hall debate: Although he's a friend of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and every star of baseball's Steroids Era, Rose also says anything that artificially alters the game's statistics shouldn't be praised or honored.

And if a player linked to steroid use ever broke Rose's record of 4,256 hits, Charlie Hustle would object vehemently.

"I don't know who did what, and I really don't care," Rose said. "All I can tell you is if there's drugs involved, the most sacred thing in baseball is the stats. We've been taking stats since 1869 . . . and whenever you do something that can alter the statistics of the game, it's not good for the game."

Rose wonders what Babe Ruth or Roger Maris would have to say about Bonds, Sosa and Mark McGwire being kept out of the Hall.

"Because those were the records that were assaulted, not mine," Rose said. "Not my record. If someone came up with 4,257 hits and was linked to steroids, I would have a lot to say. If I had taken steroids, I would have got 5,000 hits, so it wouldn't have been fair."

Rose reserved his greatest praise for Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza, saying both players should have easily gained first-ballot Hall admission from their offensive statistics. Rose also stumped for Dave Parker and Jim Kaat.

"I think everybody got caught up in the steroid situation and forgot" about Biggio and Piazza, Rose said.

Rose treads more lightly around first-time nominees Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, warmly praising all three while still reserving full endorsement of their Hall worthiness.

"The only person I'm going to defend (from) yesterday . . . I've got to give Roger Clemens some slack," Rose said. "Here's a guy that says to this day that he didn't take steroids. He's never flunked a drug test, and he went to two courts and they both ruled in his favor. So I don't know. And I know there's suspicion, but you don't not vote for a guy because of suspicion."

Rose agreed to a permanent ban from baseball in 1989 after the former Cincinnati Reds player and manager was accused of betting on baseball. He is also banned from inclusion on the Hall of Fame ballot, although four voters gave him write-in votes this week.

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Jaguars give Mularkey the boot after just one season

2013-01-12T18:17:00.000+06:00

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — The more Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan watched his team play, the more he realized one thing:

"We needed a rebuild from the ground up," Khan said.

So the Jaguars fired coach Mike Mularkey on Thursday after just one season, the worst in franchise history. The move came 10 days after Khan fired general manager Gene Smith.

Khan also introduced new GM David Caldwell on Thursday, and by parting ways with Mularkey, gave him a clean slate heading into 2013.

"I've always been a part of a winner," said Caldwell, who signed a five-year deal. "I've never been a part of a losing team."

But maybe the biggest news of the day came when Caldwell said New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow, a Jacksonville native who starred at nearly Florida, is not in the team's plans.

"I can't imagine a scenario in which he'll be a Jacksonville Jaguar — even if he's released," Caldwell said.

Caldwell took slightly more time to decide on Mularkey.

Mularkey, who went 2-14 this season, became the eighth head coach fired since the end of the regular season. He looked like he would be one and done when Khan parted ways with Smith last week and gave Mularkey's assistants permission to seek other jobs.

Even though Khan ultimately hired Mularkey, Smith directed the coaching search last January that started and ended with the former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator.

"I felt like we needed a fresh start here," Caldwell said. "Coming in here as a first-time general manager, I'm looking for a co-builder of our team. When I talked to Shad in terms of a culture change along the football side, I felt like it was more of that. I felt like it was an atmosphere of change. I felt like that to do that, you've got to have a fresh start across the board."

Mularkey's brief tenure — he didn't even last a year — was filled with mistakes. His biggest one may have been his loyalty to Smith, who assembled a roster that lacked talent on both sides of the ball.

Mularkey probably stuck with Smith's franchise quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, longer than he should have. And the coach's insistence that the team was closer than outsiders thought and his strong stance that he had the roster to turn things around became comical as the losses mounted. The Jaguars lost eight games by at least 16 points, a staggering number of lopsided losses in a parity-filled league.

CLEVELAND — Rob Chudzinski's first head coaching job will be with the team he loved as a kid.

Chudzinski, who spent the past two seasons as Carolina's offensive coordinator, has been hired by the Cleveland Browns as their sixth full-time coach since 1999.

The Browns are hoping the first-time head coach can end years of despair and constant losing and maybe resurrect a franchise that has made just one trip to the playoffs in the past 14 years.

A Browns spokesman confirmed Chudzinski's hiring Thursday night and said he will be introduced at a news conference on Friday.

Chudzinski will be the Browns' 14th coach in team history. For the past two years, the 44-year-old has worked with talented Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Chudzinski has had two previous stints with the Browns as an assistant coach. He coached tight ends for Butch Davis in 2004, and then came back to the Browns in 2007 and was Cleveland's offensive coordinator for two seasons under Romeo Crennel.

Chudzinski grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he pulled for the Browns. Chudzinski interviewed with the team on Wednesday, and was viewed by many to be a long shot for the job.

NEW YORK — When he ended his life last year by shooting himself in the chest, Junior Seau had a degenerative brain disease often linked with repeated blows to the head.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health said on Thursday the former NFL star's abnormalities are consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

The hard-hitting linebacker played for 20 NFL seasons with San Diego, Miami and New England before retiring in 2009. He died at age 43 of a self-inflicted gunshot in May, and his family requested the analysis of his brain.

"We saw changes in his behavior and things that didn't add up with him," his ex-wife, Gina, said. "But (CTE) was not something we considered or even were aware of. But pretty immediately (after the suicide) doctors were trying to get their hands on Junior's brain to examine it."

The NIH, based in Bethesda, Maryland, studied three unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's, and said the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."

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Corporal punishment doesn't work in sports, says ex-MLB pitcher Kuwata

2013-01-12T17:47:00.000+06:00

Former Yomiuri Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Masumi Kuwata has spoken out against corporal punishment in sports following the suicide of a Japanese high school student who endured repeated beatings by his basketball coach.

Kuwata said in an interview with National Broadcaster NHK: "I don't think corporal punishment as a form of instruction makes one stronger. I think those teaching sports need to change their methods to fit the times."

According to the Osaka municipal board of education, the 17-year-old student at Sakuranomiya Senior High School told his mother he had been struck 30 to 40 times the day before he hanged himself last month.

The 47-year-old coach, whose name has not been disclosed, admitted slapping the teen when he made a mistake and said it was intended to "fire him up," the board said.

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Ex-Carp pitchers Ono, Sotokoba elected into Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame

2013-01-12T17:15:00.000+06:00

For the second straight season, the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame was left seeing red.

The Hall opened its doors to three more players this year, chief among them former Hiroshima Carp pitchers Yutaka Ono and Yoshiro Sotokoba, who joined former high school standout Kazuo Fukushima as the newest members of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, it was announced on Friday.

Ono was selected by the Players Selection Committee, garnering 273 votes, comfortably above the 75 percent threshold (243 votes) he needed for induction.

"I'm so pleased, but at the same time overwhelmed," Ono said at a news conference at the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located at Tokyo Dome. "Looking back, I joined the Hiroshima Toyo Carp as a test player and went through so many things, and now this day has come. I'm extremely pleased."

Sotokoba was chosen from the Expert Division, collecting exactly the 29 votes he needed, while Fukushima was selected from the Special Selection Committee and received 13 votes, two more than he needed for induction.

Among those missing out in the Players Selection Committee vote were former Seibu Lions and Daiei Hawks outfielder Koji Akiyama, who received 235 votes and former Yokohama BayStars and Seattle Mariners reliever Kazuhiro Sasaki, who received 230. Yakult Swallows catching great Atsuya Furuta garnered 147 votes in his first year on the ballot.

Ono pitched for the Carp for 22 seasons, ending his career with a 148-100 record to go along with 138 saves. The left-hander finished his career with a 2.90 ERA and 1,733 strikeouts, was a 10-time All-Star and won the Sawamura Award in 1988, when he went 13-7 with a 1.70 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 183 strikeouts over 185 innings. Ono's 13 wins that season remain the fewest by a Sawamura winner.

He played alongside Sachio Kinugasa and Koji Yamamoto during the golden age of the Hiroshima franchise, and helped guide the Akaheru (red helmets) to five Central League pennants and Japan Series victories in 1979, '80 and '84.

"Mr. (Takeshi) Koba, who was the manager at that time, Koji Yamamoto and Sotokoba, my senior teammates who are actually here today, the rest of my teammates, and the ballclub supported me really well, and I have so much appreciation for them." Ono said. "As I got the nod today, I would like to work harder and contribute to baseball even more."

The first three years of the 57-year-old Ono's career overlapped with the final chapter of Sokotoba's tenure with the team.

Sotokoba was 131-138 in 20 years with the Carp and was named to six All-Star teams in addition to being the 1975 Sawamura Award winner. The righty finished his career with a 2.88 ERA and 1,678 strikeouts over 2,419 1/3 innings.

"I never thought I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame," Sotokoba said. "So I'm extremely surprised. I've been involved in baseball for a long time and I want to reiterate that it was really great to have played for the Hiroshima Carp."

Sotokoba recorded his first professional victory by throwing a no-hitter against the Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium on Oct. 2, 1965. Nearly three years later, Sotokoba struck out an NPB record 16 batters while tossing a perfect game against the Taiyo Whales on Sept. 14, 1968. He threw his third and final no-hitter against the Yomiuri Giants on April, 4, 1972.

Sotokoba's standout season came in 1975, when he made 40 starts and had a 20-13 record with a 2.95 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 193 strikeouts and was an All-Star as well as a CL Best Nine selection.

"Although what I can do may be limited, I'd like to continue to contribute to baseball and its development for as long as I physically can," the 67-year-old Sotokoba said.

The selection of Ono and Sotokoba marks the second consecutive year a pair of players who spent their entire careers with the Carp were chosen for induction at the same time. Former Hiroshima pitchers Manabu Kitabeppu and Tsunemi Tsuda were inducted in 2012.

Overall 18 Carp have been elected to the Hall of Fame, including Tetsujin Kinugasa (1996), former holder of the world's consecutive games streak (2,215), and Yamamoto (2008), Mr. Akaheru himself and Japan's current World Baseball Classic manager.

"Last year it was Kitabeppu and Tsuda, and this year Sotokoba and Ono, "Yamamoto said. "Two years in a row, players from the Hiroshima Carp have been inducted. So it feels like there is a strong wind behind the team. "Obviously I'm from this team, so hopefully that helps us win the WBC."

Fukushima, who rounds out the class, was a high school pitcher for Fukuoka's Kokura Junior High, which has since been remained Kokura High School and led the school to summer National High School Baseball Tournament titles in 1947 and 1948.

Staff writer Kaz Nagatsuka contributed to this report.

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Sato lands sponsor for IndyCar season

2013-01-12T16:41:00.000+06:00

INDIANAPOLIS — AJ Foyt Racing has signed Takuma Sato to drive the No. 14 Honda in this year's IndyCar season.

The signing announced Thursday fills the seat left open by Mike Conway, who said he didn't feel comfortable racing on ovals during practice for last September's season finale at Fontana.

Foyt said Sato's aggressive driving style caught his attention in last year's Indianapolis 500. Sato charged to the front of the field and challenged Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon in the closing laps, only to crash trying to pass Franchitti for the win on the final lap.

The Japanese driver has completed three seasons in IndyCar, winning two poles and five top-five finishes in 49 starts. His best finish was second in 2012 at Edmonton.

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Yanks mull Matsui pinstripe sendoff

2013-01-12T16:10:00.000+06:00

PARADISE VALLEY, Arizona — The New York Yankees are considering signing Matsui to a one-day contract so he can retire as a member of the organization, team co-owner Hal Steinbrenner said Thursday.

Hailing the 38-year-old Matsui, who retired last month after 20 years of baseball on either side of the Pacific, as one of the all-time Yankee greats, Steinbrenner also said the Japanese slugger could throw out the first pitch as a token of appreciation for his seven seasons of service with the Yankees.

Matsui played for the Yankees from 2003 to 2009, helping the team win the World Series in his last year as the Series MVP.

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Streaking Pacers fend off Knicks

2013-01-12T15:39:00.000+06:00

INDIANAPOLIS — First the Heat, now the Knicks.

The Indiana Pacers are proving they can beat up on everyone in the Eastern Conference these days.

Paul George scored seven of his 25 points during a decisive 13-0 fourth-quarter run, leading the Pacers past New York 81-76 on a night the Knicks were without their top scorer, Carmelo Anthony. Indiana has won 12 of 15 and swept the two other Eastern Conference division leaders this week.

"We want to compete for the one and two (seeds) and for sure want to compete for the No. 1 spot," George said. "We probably could be pushing one or two if we would have started off playing the way we're playing right now."

Clearly, the Knicks (23-12) weren't the same without their All-Star forward, who was suspended for the game after Monday's postgame confrontation with Boston's Kevin Garnett. They finished with a season-low point total, shot just 34.8 percent from the field and 20 percent from 3-point range.

And the Pacers (22-14) took Anthony's absence by pulling off a rare double — beating defending champion Miami and Atlantic Division-leading New York — in back-to-back games.

It's about time. The Pacers came into this season with high expectations, but struggled early as they tried to adjust to life without their top scorer, Danny Granger, who still has not played because of a left knee injury.

Now, they're rolling. Indiana has won nine straight home games, their longest streak since 2002-03, and their suffocating defense limited the short-handed Knicks to just three points over the final 6? minutes of the first quarter and into 11 straight misses during the opening part of the fourth.

"They did what they had to do to secure the win," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said.

Nobody did more than Indiana's new leader.

George started the game by missing his first five shots, but wound up finishing 10 of 24 from the field. He also had 11 rebounds, six steals, five assists and one block on a night point guard George Hill played with bronchitis and All-Star center Roy Hibbert left twice with a bad back.

But George got help from some surprising places.

Ian Mahinmi finished with 13 points and six rebounds, and Lance Stephenson added nine points and seven rebounds.

"He (George) is just blossoming in front of our eyes with special performance after special performance after special performance," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. "He's leading our defense, which is becoming a beast and our guys are embracing that identity."

It wasn't just Anthony who was missing for New York. He spent the day at the team hotel.

Doctors also told Woodson to limit Amare Stoudemire to 21 minutes as he tries to work his way back from October knee surgery. Stoudemire wound up playing 21:31 and scoring nine points, and the Knicks lost starting forward Marcus Camby for all but 2? minutes of the second half after the longtime veteran re-injured his left foot.

Without those three, the Knicks were led by J.R. Smith, who had 25 points and almost single-handedly rallied New York in the second half. Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 15 rebounds, and nobody else scored more than eight.

Trail Blazers 92, Heat 90

In Portland, Wesley Matthews made a 3-pointer to put the hosts in front with 26.9 seconds left and the Trail Blazers hung on to beat Miami for their fourth straight win and ninth in a row at the Rose Garden.

Portland held LeBron James to 15 points, snapping his 54-game streak with at least 20 points that dated back to last season.

Miami led by as many as 13 points but lost for the fifth time in eight games.

Nicolas Batum led the Blazers with 28 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Matthews finished with 18 points.

Chris Bosh had 29 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Heat.

Mavericks 117, Kings 112 (OT)

In Sacramento, O.J. Mayo had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Vince Carter scored 23 points off the bench and Dallas rallied from 17 points down to beat the hosts in overtime.

Shawn Marion added 19 points and 10 rebounds to help the Mavericks snap a four-game losing streak. Dallas, which had lost 10 of 11, finished its short road trip 1-2.

The Kings' DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points and nine rebounds before getting ejected in overtime for elbowing Carter in the face.

SACRAMENTO, California — Aaron Brooks has been in an awkward spot since news surfaced that the Sacramento Kings could be sold and moved to his hometown of Seattle.

The Kings guard has no answers for family and friends who have been calling and texting for information. Even the excitement his brother, Alvertis, had when he showed up for a visit evaporated once he realized those in Sacramento might feel the same sorrow as when the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City in 2008.

"Seattle does need a team. But you would hate to have a team leave a city you know wants a basketball team," Brooks said. "It's unfortunate."

For Sacramento players, coaches and fans, this is not an easy time.

In the first game since the latest — and perhaps most serious — round of relocation talks began, the Kings lost to the Dallas Mavericks in overtime Thursday night, with chatter around the aging arena seemingly centering on everything but basketball.

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Fukudome to join Tigers: Minami

2012-12-26T15:59:00.000+06:00

NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo Pref. — Free agent Kosuke Fukudome will sign a three-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers, according to team president Nobuo Minami, who revealed on Tuesday he had been informed of the outfielder's intent.

The Tigers and the Yokohama BayStars were pursuing the 35-year-old former major leaguer, who was released this fall by the Yankee's Triple-A club after starting the season with the Chicago White Sox. Earlier in the day, BayStars general manager Shigeru Takada revealed that Fukudome would not sign with his club.

The contract is for three years with an annual salary of ?150 million with additional performance-based incentives.

"Out of all the offers he had, I'm extremely glad he chose the Tigers and Koshien Stadium," said second-year manager Yutaka Wada. "We have high expectations for both his batting and fielding."

The Tigers are coming off a fifth-place finish, their worst in 11 years. They scored a Central League-worst 411 runs, and the retirement of outfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto deprives them of one of their top run producers.

Fukudome has a .258 career batting average with 42 homers in five big league seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and White Sox. He was released in the middle of this past season and signed a minor league deal with the Yankees.

The left-handed-hitting Fukudome is a two-time Central League batting champ and was the league's MVP in 2006 with the Chunichi Dragons. He left as a free agent following the club's Japan Series triumph and signed with the Cubs.

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Teen pitcher Otani 'refreshed' to play for Fighters

2012-12-26T15:26:00.000+06:00

SAPPORO — The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters introduced hard-throwing teenager Shohei Otani to the press on Tuesday after the club kept him in Japan by signing him to his first pro contract.

Formal introduction: Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters pitcher Shohei Otani meets the press on Tuesday in Sapporo after he signed a contract. KYODO

Otani had announced his decision to turn pro with a major league club in November prior to be being named as the Fighters' first-round draft pick. The Pacific League champions then orchestrated a successful campaign to persuade the youngster to start his career in Nippon Professional Baseball.

"I feel refreshed and I have a really strong desire to do my best," he told a news conference.

The Hanamaki Higashi High School product signed for a 2013 salary of ?15 million with a ?100 million signing bonus and ?50 million in performance-based incentives — the maximum figures allowed by NPB for a first-year pro.

Otani will wear the same number that Yu Darvish wore with the Fighters, No. 11.

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89ers complete sweep over Brave Warriors

2012-12-26T14:53:00.000+06:00

The Sendai 89ers gave their loyal fans a special Christmas treat: back-to-back home victories over the Shinshu Brave Warriors.

The series finale, an 83-76 Tuesday evening triumph for the 89ers, saw T.J. Cummings scored a game-high 25 points and Yasuaki Arai, a key offseason pickup from the Saitama Broncos, drain 6 of 9 3-pointers and add 24 points.

The 89ers improved to 7-12, while the Brave Warriors fell to 13-9.

Sam Willard had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Sendai. Floor leader Takehiko Shimura scored 10 points, dished out 12 assists and didn't turn the ball over in an inspiring performance.

With Shimura directing the offense, the 89ers had a quality game in terms of shooting percentage; they were 10-for-20 on 3s and 19-for-38 on 2s.

For Shinshu, Takanori Goya was the high scorer, finishing with 23 points, including 5-for-9 on 3-pointers. Jermaine Green scored 20 points and Wayne Marshall added 10.

On Monday, the 89ers defeated the visitors 79-67.

Cummings paced the hosts with a game-high 34 points on 15-for-27 shooting from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds. Kevin Coble had 12 points, Takuya Komoda added 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals and Willard had eight points and 11 rebounds.

Shimura contributed six assists and three steals.

The 89ers only attempted five 3s (all misses) in the game. They shot 53 percent from inside the arc (35-for-66).

"On Christmas Eve our players wanted to give our boosters a victory, but we kept stressing that Santa wasn't going to show up and give them a win as a present, only sweat and hard work from the eleven guys in the yellow Sendai jerseys could do that," Pierce said after the game.

"T.J. had a great all-around game, and having a full week of practices really helped," the veteran coach added. "Taku (Komoda) also gave us a slight edge in the battle of the All-Stars (over Goya).

"But I thought one real difference today in following our game plan, was the effort on both ends of the court from Daisuke Takaoka and Spike (Atsushi Nogami)..."

After the series ended, Piere admitted stepped up and overcome adversity to pick up the second win.

"Taku was out today with a sprained ankle — last 11 seconds of yesterday's game — so we asked Daisuke to start and we took a 45-36 into halftime. Then on the first play of the second half Daisuke got hurt," the coach said.

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Clarke's status uncertain for test

2012-12-26T14:18:00.000+06:00

MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia captain Michael Clarke put himself through a tough fitness test on Tuesday but has not yet decided whether he will lead his side in the Boxing Day test against Sri Lanka.

Clarke suffered a hamstring injury during last week's first-test win by Australia and has made steady improvement in recent days, including batting and fielding sessions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Christmas Day.

Clarke said "it's improving every day . . . but a decision can't be made today."

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Defensive star Hunt leads charge in Hawaii Bowl rout

2012-12-26T13:46:00.000+06:00

HONOLULU — SMU coach June Jones walked out of Aloha Stadium with another win Saturday, thanks largely to a disruptive performance by defensive end Margus Hunt that set the tone for the Mustangs' 43-10 win over Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl.

Go long: SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert drops back to pass against Fresno St. during the Hawaii Bowl. SMU won 43-10. AP

Hunt, the 203-cm senior from Estonia with an 82-inch wing span, forced two fumbles that led to field goals and sacked Derek Carr for a safety as SMU (7-6) built a 22-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

The Mustangs also returned two interceptions for touchdowns, giving them eight for the season to tie the NCAA record set last year by Southern Miss. Hayden Greenbauer picked off Carr and returned it 83 yards with 1:14 left, the final blow to a miserable night for the Bulldogs (9-4).

SMU had seven sacks, the most Fresno State has given up all year.

Garrett Gilbert was effective with his arm and his legs, running for a 17-yard touchdown for the first score of the game and throwing a perfect strike to Darius Johnson for a 21-yard score to answer the Bulldogs' only touchdown. He rushed for 98 yards on 18 carries and threw for 212 yards.

But this game was decided by the Mustangs' defense, with Hunt leading the way. He was voted the game's MVP.

Fresno State, which had averaged just over 47 points in its last five games, was held scoreless in the first half for the first time in two years, and Carr was too busy running for his life to get the Bulldogs into any kind of offensive rhythm.

The Mustangs were playing in a school-record fourth straight bowl game since ending a 25-year drought dating to its infamous NCAA death penalty. They have won three of those bowl games, twice as big underdogs to explosive offenses — a 45-10 win over Nevada in 2009 and Saturday against Fresno State, both in the Hawaii Bowl.

That's where Jones feels right at home, even though the flea market earlier in the day drew more people.

He was the coach at Hawaii for eight years, leaving after its unbeaten regular season in 2007. Jones now has won 10 straight games in Aloha Stadium, dating to a December 2006 loss to Oregon State.

"I just want to say 'Aloha' to the seniors," Jones said during the trophy presentation. "We said we were going to do it and we did it."

Without hardly breaking a sweat.

Hunt, who won the Junior World Championships in Beijing in 2006 in the shot put and discus, came to SMU to work on athletics and earned a scholarship when coaches took one look at him, and saw his 4.7-second time in the 40-yard dash. He set an NCAA record this year by blocking his 10th field goal.

His speed made all the difference in his final college game as Hunt zipped around tackles and harassed Carr all night. Carr finished with 362 yards on 33-of-54 passing. The 10 points were the fewest Fresno State has scored since a 20-10 loss to Boise State this year.

The Bulldogs hardly looked like a team averaging 488 yards a game. Carr spent more time on his back than stepping into throws as the Mustangs' defensive front — particularly Hunt — was overwhelming.

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Colts head coach Pagano makes emotional return to team

2012-12-26T13:15:00.000+06:00

INDIANAPOLIS — Chuck Pagano stepped to the podium Monday, hugged his team owner, thanked his family for their support and wiped a tear from his eye.

He might, finally, turn out the lights in his office, too.

Nearly three months to the day after being diagnosed with leukemia, the Colts' first-year coach returned to a team eager to reunite with a boss healthy enough to go back to work.

"I told you my best day of my life was July 1, 1989," Pagano said, referring to his wedding date. "Today was No. 2. Getting to pull up, drive in, get out of my car, the key fob still worked. I was beginning to question whether it would or not. When I asked for Bruce (Arians) to take over, I asked for him to kick some you-know-what and to do great. Damn Bruce, you had to go and win nine games? Tough act to follow. Tough act to follow. Best in the history of the NFL. That's what I have to come back to."

The comment turned tears into the laughter everyone expected on such a festive occasion.

For Pagano and the Colts, Monday morning was as precious as anyone could have imagined when Pagano took an indefinite leave to face the biggest opponent of his life, cancer.

In his absence, all the Colts did was win nine of 12 games, make a historic turnaround and clinch a playoff spot all before Sunday's regular-season finale against Houston, which they pegged as the day they hoped to have Pagano back. If all goes well at practice this week, Pagano will be on the sideline for the first time since a Week 3 loss to Jacksonville.

Pagano endured three rounds of chemotherapy to put his cancer in remission.

That Pagano's return came less than 24 hours after Indy (10-5) locked up the No. 5 seed in the AFC and the day before Christmas seemed fitting, too.

"I know Chuck is ready for this challenge. In speaking to his doctor multiple times, I know that the time is right for him to grab the reins, get the head coaching cap on and begin the journey," owner Jim Irsay said. "It's been a miraculous story. It really is a book. It's a fairytale. It's a Hollywood script. It's all those things but it's real."

The reality is that he's returning to a vastly different team than the one he turned over to Arians, his long-time friend and first assistant coaching hire.

Back then, the Colts were 1-2 and most of the so-called experts had written them off as one of the league's worst teams. Now, they're ready to show the football world that they can be just as successful under Pagano as they were under Arians, who tied the NFL record for wins after a midseason coaching change.

Pagano also has changed.

The neatly-trimmed salt-and-pepper hair and trademark goatee that were missing in November have slowly returned, and the thinner man who appeared to be catching his breath during a postgame speech in early November, looked and sounded as good as ever Monday.

He repeatedly thanked fans for their prayers and letters, the organization and his family for their unwavering help and promised to provide comfort and support to other people who are facing similar fights. During one poignant moment that nearly brought out tears again, Pagano even recounted a letter sent to him by a 9-year-old child who suggested he suck on ice chips and strawberry Popsicles in the hospital and advised him to be nice to the nurses regardless of how he felt — and he never even paused.

"I feel great, my weight is back, my energy is back and again, it's just a blessing to be back here," Pagano said.

In the minds of Colts players and coaches, Pagano never really left.

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Fergie praises dynamic RVP

2012-12-26T12:43:00.000+06:00

LONDON — Alex Ferguson has hailed Robin van Persie as the missing piece in Manchester United's title jigsaw as the Premier League leaders prepare to try and extend their lead at the top against Newcastle on Wednesday.

The missing piece: Alex Ferguson believes Robin van Persie is essential to Manchester United's title hopes. AFP-JIJI

Van Persie has had a superb start to his United career after leaving Arsenal in a ?24 million move before the season and the Dutch forward's haul of 15 goals have help fire Ferguson's team four points clear of defending champion Manchester City heading into the hectic Christmas program.

The 29-year-old's dynamic displays have added an extra edge to United in the same way French playmaker Eric Cantona and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo galvanized previous teams in the Ferguson era.

After missing out on the title last season, United was in need of a new driving force this term, and Ferguson believes van Persie is providing it.

"I am reluctant to subscribe to the cult of an individual. But sometimes you find the last piece of the jigsaw," Ferguson told United's official matchday program.

"We did it when we brought Eric Cantona to Old Trafford and he proved to be the right player at the right club at the right time. He became the catalyst and springboard for our surge to success.

"It doesn't have to be signing someone for a record fee. Cristiano Ronaldo was not a record buy either but he certainly made a difference as he prospered with us to the extent that he came to be regarded by a lot of people as the world's best player."

Without van Persie's goals, United would be eighth and that perhaps explained Ferguson's fury when Swansea defender Ashley Williams kicked the ball into the Dutchman's head as he lay prone on the turf during Sunday's 1-1 draw at Liberty Stadium.

How Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini must rue van Persie's decision to snub the champions in favor of joining United.

Mancini had hoped to make van Persie the centerpiece of his team as he looked to build upon last season's title triumph, but instead he has had to watch the striker revitalize his club's hated archrival, while his own strike-force has gone through a barren period.

Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko all labored against Reading, the division's bottom club, on Saturday and it was left to England midfielder Gareth Barry to show them how to put the ball in the net with a stoppage-time winner.

The good news for Mancini's side was United's failure to defeat Swansea 24 hours later, a result which will give fresh impetus to City's challenge according to defender Kolo Toure.

"It's giving us encouragement because we haven't played to our best yet," Toure said ahead of Wednesday's game at Sunderland.

"Every team knows we are champions. They play 200 percent and that makes it really hard for us. We just keep fighting, keep pushing and we can still be better."

United and City could be forgiven for regarding the title race as a strictly Manchester affair this season, especially as Chelsea have appeared on the verge of self-destructing at times.

But the Blues finally showed signs of emerging as a serious contender on Sunday thanks to an 8-0 demolition of Aston Villa.

That victory left Chelsea 11 points behind United but with a game in hand.

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Chelsea's sudden resurgence eases pressure on Benitez

2012-12-26T12:07:00.000+06:00

LONDON — Chelsea's free-scoring form is slowly chipping away at the enmity toward new manager Rafa Benitez from the club's fans.

The 8-0 demolition of Wigan on Sunday showcased Chelsea's attacking prowess, and dispelled some of the fears about the dour soccer Benitez could introduce after replacing Roberto Di Matteo at Stamford Bridge last month.

"There won't be one of our fans watching who didn't enjoy the performance and hopefully we can continue," Chelsea defender Gary Cahill said. "The manager said he is going to keep working hard and doing his best and as players that is what we try to do, and I am sure we will win people over with performances like that."

The club record-equaling league win on Sunday was secured despite being Chelsea's fifth match in 15 days, including a grueling Club World Cup trip to Japan that was followed by a 5-1 League Cup win at Leeds.

Now the team has another five games to negotiate in 15 days during the Christmas-New Year program, starting Wednesday at Norwich.

Norwich embarked on a 10-match unbeaten run after losing at Chelsea in October, including wins over Manchester United and Arsenal, but was beaten by West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Sitting third, Chelsea could be back in the title race if the resurgence continues. While seven points behind Manchester City and 11 adrift of Manchester United, Chelsea has a game in hand after beating Villa to end a stretch of more than two months without a home win in the league.

"We showed what we are capable of and it is just a matter of consistency now," Cahill said. "We have a lot of young players but on a day like Sunday you can really see the quality in the squad."

Most importantly for Chelsea, Fernando Torres has been rejuvenated under fellow Spaniard Benitez, who first brought him to England when he was in charge at Liverpool.

The striker has netted seven goals in his last six games — all under Benitez — having scored only seven in the opening four months of the season.

"As soon as he started scoring goals, he had confidence — and for a striker it is key," Benitez said. "The team is doing well so he has more chances."

David Luiz is another player who is thriving under Benitez. The Brazilian defender was among the seven goal scorers on Sunday and produced a vibrant display when he was redeployed from central defense to midfield.

Luiz scored from a free kick as he did in the two Champions League group stage wins over Nordsjaelland though the side failed to advance to the knockout portion of the competition.

"During training I try different things, different movements — it's a natural technique, I've not studied it," Luiz said. "When I was younger, I would always try to kick the ball like that and, when you become a more experienced player, you get more confidence to do it."

Chelsea's mission is to keep the confidence flowing through the team just as it did in the early weeks of the season when the Blues topped the standings.

The current leader, United, heads to Newcastle on Wednesday.

Newcastle, though, has won just two of its last 12 games and is 14th after finishing an impressive fifth last season and hasn't won at Old Trafford since 1972.

But United defender Jonny Evans remains wary of the power in the Newcastle strike forced provided by Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse.

"When the ball is floating around in the box, they beat people in the air," Evans said. "And their goal record is what got Newcastle to where they were last year."

United's lead over Manchester City was trimmed to just four points over the weekend.

City, which needed a stoppage-time goal from Gareth Barry to beat bottom-place Reading on Saturday, heads to Sunderland on Wednesday as the season reaches its halfway mark.

Boxing Day would usually see every Premier League team in action, but Arsenal's match against West Ham was postponed due to a strike by London Underground workers threatening to disrupt transport in the city.

Arsenal has a loose grip on the fourth Champions League qualification place, with Everton, Tottenham and West Brom only behind on goal difference as they prepare to face relegation-threatened teams.

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LeBron reflects on spectacular year

2012-12-26T11:33:00.000+06:00

MIAMI — Pat Riley has a theory why LeBron James' journey to basketball's mountaintop took so long.

Growth, he said, takes time.

King James: LeBron James made good on years of promise by winning his third MVP Award and leading the Miami Heat to the NBA title last season. AP

"I always use the analogy of the Chinese bamboo tree," said the Miami Heat president. "You plant the seed in the ground and it just sits there and 10 years later it grows 100 feet in one year. Over the 10 years, there's a root structure and a taproot that is growing deeper and deeper and deeper and is embedded in the ground. And when that thing starts growing, it ain't going anywhere but up."

That is, much like James did in 2012.

It was practically a year beyond compare. James got his first NBA championship, was the league's MVP for the third time, a unanimous choice as MVP of the NBA Finals, and collected a second Olympic gold medal. And in perhaps the last marquee moment of his year, James and the Heat play host to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, a Finals rematch on Christmas.

No longer uncomfortable with the fallout for the way he exercised his right in 2010 to choose his own future, he enjoyed a year loaded with triumphs. James allowed himself to be in the public eye more, heard booing in most road arenas return to normal levels and insists he's as content as ever.

"I'm driven," James said, "by something greater."

He's has money. He would figure to contend for several more championships if he remains healthy. He has enormous fame. He is on top of his game and in his prime. The 27-year-old James is averaging 25.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists and the Heat are leading the Eastern Conference with an 18-6 record.

What's left is legacy, him attempting to ensure he truly becomes one of the greatest.

That starts with putting himself out there more now.

A few weeks ago, James decided to join some friends for an evening bike ride. They pedaled about 32 km that evening, an outing that proved James has completed a much longer journey.

That night, without any trepidation, James was part of a group of 3,000 people who strapped on helmets and rode through Miami in an effort to promote safety and awareness for bicyclists.

"Two years ago," James said, "I don't know if I would have been ready for that."

There's no way he would have been ready for that. Not after The Decision and the criticism and all that came with it, part of what he now calls his transformation from the person he was to the person he is.

Turns out, they're nearly the same, although today's version may have just wrapped up one of the best years by any athlete.

"He's still hungry and thirsty for more," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "And I think that's what separates the great ones and the ultimate competitors. He came off of a historic year, able to win the MVP and crown it with the ultimate team goal. . . . He wants to continue to reinvent himself, get better and drive this team, push this team for a bigger legacy than just a one-title team."

James recently starred in a commercial for Samsung, one of many companies that pay him for endorsements. This particular spot, though, was more like a snapshot of James' life, in that it was as genuine as any ad he's ever done.

There's no actors in the primary roles — his fiancee, his friends, his children, his barber, his teammates, even the kids from the LeBron James Family Foundation, they're all playing themselves in the spot. Two years ago, James never would have asked any of them to be part of an ad campaign, simply to spare them from potential scorn.

That's no longer a problem.

"I wanted to be real," James said. "I wanted to go out and say, 'This is who I am' and I wanted to do it in commercial form. It's a commercial, but it's also actuality. There's nothing fake about it. I was blessed that we were able to put it together the right way, the way we actually envisioned it."

Funny how those words now apply to what the Heat did in 2010.

They signed James and Chris Bosh, kept Dwyane Wade, added pieces around them and — albeit a year later than they planned — became NBA champions. When that moment came, when James knew his wait to become a champion was at last about to end, the first thing he did was bury his head in Bosh's chest, trying not to cry.

James often says he is "humbled" by awards or praise. Never did he feel more humble in 2012.

His first act of the year — moments after midnight on Jan. 1 — was proposing to girlfriend Savannah Brinson. The way James sees it, that move on bended knee set the tone for everything else to fall into place.

"Can you propose twice?" James asked. "Can I do that again to get another year like this?"

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Bulls keeping pace in East with Rose on mend

2012-12-26T10:58:00.000+06:00

CHICAGO — If the Chicago Bulls are this good without point guard Derrick Rose —not great, but good — then could they really be serious title contenders even this season?

You'd, of course, have said no chance coming into the 2012-13 NBA season, and anytime in the first month as the Bulls lurched along around .500.

But as the snow begins to pile up in the Midwest, there's something flying under the radar. Santa's sleigh? No, it's the Bulls quietly third in fewest points allowed and second in both overall defensive shooting percentage and opponents' 3-point shooting. And as December is about to close, it's the Bulls (15-11 through Sunday) hanging in along with Indiana (16-12) at the top of the standings in the Central Division.

It comes as the Bulls last week defeated the streaking New York Knicks for the second time this season, including in New York. The Bulls did it with active defense that thwarted the Knicks' open court shooting game, the strategy that enabled the Knicks to defeat Miami twice by 20-point margins.

This season, though Bulls management would never publicly acknowledge, is supposed to be about maintaining until Rose can return, perhaps late in the season and playing briefly. The idea is for Rose to jump the mental hurdles of recovery and be at full speed next season.

Last season, the Bulls were 18-9 in games Rose was out injured. But the conventional wisdom was that the team would take a step back with Rose out from the beginning. The Bulls parted most of the reserves from last season, the effective, so-called "Bench Mob." They also lost center Omer Asik in free agency to the Houston Rockets.

But the new bench arrivals — like Marco Belinelli, Nate Robinson and with more playing time for Jimmy Butler — have begun to produce along with holdover Taj Gibson.

In a technicality in the new collective bargaining agreement, the Bulls had to pass on the options for Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson, Ronnie Brewer and John Lucas in order to have an exception large enough to sign Kirk Hinrich because without Rose the addition of a point guard was most important.

But now with the Bulls apparently able to compete with all the teams in the Eastern Conference, if Rose is able to return according to most estimates in late February or early March, that could be like adding an All-Star and perhaps make the Bulls a legitimate contender by then.

Of course, there is a room filled with ifs in that scenario.

No one truly can say when Rose will return, or if. The Bulls are playing it cautiously after what they believed was a difficult experience when Michael Jordan broke his foot at the beginning of his second season in 1985.

Jordan demanded to return and went public, accusing the Bulls of trying to lose to get a better draft pick. Doctors had told the Bulls Jordan had a 10 percent chance of his career being over if he was hurt again coming back too soon.

Jordan being the gambler that he is said that meant there was a 90 percent chance he would not be. He came back and was fine, eventually scoring a record 63 points against the Celtics in the playoffs.

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf said there'll be no such gambles this time.

Rose is in the first season of his massive five-year contract extension.

So the Bulls are being cautious. They are saying he must be cleared by multiple doctors first. Rose is accepting that plan.

Without Rose, the Bulls have been a team limited in offense, 26th in the league in scoring. Luol Deng and Joakim Noah have taken expanded offensive roles and produced. But there is no Rose-like scorer, so the Bulls have relied on defense and a half-court game to even their playing field.

Rose has a step up on Jordan in having won the league MVP in his third season while Jordan won in his fourth. But Jordan also was Defensive Player of the Year. They both are spectacular athletic talents, which remains the concern regarding Rose.

Jordan only had a break, which would heal routinely.

Rose's injury was much more serious, tearing the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament. If Rose had the same injury back when Jordan got hurt in 1985, there'd be a question of whether he could return and gain back his great athletic ability. A specter hangs over Chicagoans with an ACL tear. Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears probably would have been the best runner in NFL history. But he had that injury and never was the same. But that was in the 1960s.

Can Rose come back with the same, amazing explosiveness that few ever have seen before in pro basketball? Physicians say he should be able to, but until he does he hasn't.

Which is the concern when Rose does return.

Management's plan is to work him back slowly — after doctor approval — starting in late February or early March. He'll be on a minutes limit, like Minnesota's Ricky Rubio is now,.

There's a chance doctors will say Rose is not ready. But the Bulls also want Rose to be able to play and put the mental uncertainties of making those basketball moves behind him before presumably returning to full strength next season.

Without Rose, the Bulls have been mostly dismissed. After all, you don't lose the league MVP and remain a contender. But if you get back a 24-year-old former league MVP with teammates Deng and Noah playing like All Stars and a productive bench, well, maybe you have something that few considered possible, a contending Chicago Bulls team for 2013.

Don't sleep on them yet.

Sam Smith covered the Chicago Bulls for 25 years with the Chicago Tribune. He is the author of the best-selling book "The Jordan Rules."

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