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MLB: League Championship Series

2012-10-14T05:54:00.000-07:00

ALCS
Detroit Tigers 1 - 0 New York Yankees

Game 1 at NY
Detroit Tigers 6 - 4 NY Yankees

NLCS
St Louis Cardinals 0 - 0 San Francisco Giants

NFL: Bress breaks TD record from Unitas

2012-10-08T08:57:00.003-07:00

Drew Brees got suspended coach Sean Payton in the building, broke a prestigious NFL passing record and led New Orleans to a desperately needed first win of the season.

For one memorable night, at least, the entire beleaguered Saints organization and their frustrated fans could celebrate a special moment in football history and recapture that winning feeling that had become commonplace before an offseason overshadowed by the NFL's bounty investigation.

Brees broke Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas' half-century-old record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 48th straight game, and the Saints defeated the San Diego Chargers 31-24 on Sunday night.

"I guess you really couldn't have written a better script for tonight," Brees said. "To break the record, to get the win, and the fashion in which we won -- really a complete team effort all the way around.

"The amazing thing about a record like this is it spans over the course of four seasons and hopefully we can keep it going to for a while," Brees said. "There are so many people that are a part of this."

Brees' 40-yard pass to Devery Henderson eclipsed the mark of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass Unitas set from 1956-60.

Brees said he was honored and humbled to break a record by a player he saw as a pioneer who stood for "everything that's great in this league."

Brees finished with four touchdown passes, including three to Marques Colston, giving the seventh-year receiver a franchise-record 52 TD catches with the Saints (1-4).

At Brees' request, the NFL allowed Payton, assistant head coach Joe Vitt and general manager Mickey Loomis -- all serving various suspensions in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation -- to attend the game. They and Unitas' son, Joe, saw Brees pass for 370 yards, enough to put Brees over 30,000 yards in his 100th game as a Saint.

Afterward, Brees took an elevator near the Saints' locker room up to the Superdome's suite level to share a few moments with Payton, Loomis and Vitt.

"It gave us a good mojo for sure," Brees said of Payton's presence. "I love my coach, so glad he could be here. Mickey and Joe Vitt as well. It is special for our team, special they could be a part of this record."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the one who suspended Saints personnel in the bounty matter but also granted Brees' request for Payton, Vitt and Loomis to attend the game, chimed in on his Twitter page shortly after the record fell, writing, "Congrats to (at)drewbrees & his teammates on breaking Unitas' record. Amazing accomplishment by great QB & leader. We're proud of you, Drew."

Philip Rivers passed for 354 yards and two touchdowns to former Saint Robert Meachem, but had two costly turnovers in the final quarter.

"I can't tell you how tough it is to lose a game like this," Rivers said. "We were right there. We were up by 10 points and just didn't get it done. We have a great team, a championship caliber team. But we have to win close games like this."

The first late turnover was Roman Harper's interception and 41-yard return on a pass tipped by fellow safety Malcolm Jenkins. That set up the Saints' final score on Garrett Hartley's field goal. San Diego (3-2) still had a chance to tie in the final minute until defensive end Martez Wilsonstripped Rivers and recovered the fumble to seal the victory.

The Saints' defense, which entered the game ranked least in the league, had a hand in the victory not only with the turnovers but five sacks.

"You really have to credit our defense getting pressure on the quarterback," interim head coach Aaron Kromer said. "That's what made a difference in the game."

After his record-setting completion, Brees trotted to the end zone to hug Henderson. The rest of New Orleans' offense pursued and swarmed around Brees in celebration while the jubilant Superdome crowd roared and then howled an elongated, "Dreeeeeeew!"

Brees took the game ball to the sideline where he continued to accept congratulations. The scoring pass capped an 80-yard drive in which Brees completed all three of his third-down passes, including the touchdown.

Colston finished with nine catches for 131 yards, while Henderson had eight catches for 123 yards.

Colston's second TD late in the third quarter eclipsed a franchise mark set by Joe Horn in 2006 and pulled the Saints back within a field goal shortly after the Chargers appeared to have gone ahead 31-14 on Demorrio Williams' interception return for a touchdown. Williams' TD was nullified, however, by Melvin Ingram's late hit on Brees' chin, which drew a roughing-the-passer flag and extended what wound up to be an 87-yard scoring drive.

"Obviously it was a critical play," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "You can't make those kinds of errors, and we will learn from them."

Vitt is expected to take over the coaching staff when his six-game suspension ends. Loomis was docked eight games. As the Saints headed into their bye week, the desperately needed win offered hope, however faint, of making a run for a fourth-straight playoff appearance when Vitt and Loomis are back.

Colston made his first touchdown catch on a pass Brees lofted perfectly to the back of the end zone. That gave New Orleans a 14-10 lead that lasted until Meachem's 44-yard touchdown catch in the final minute of the half.

San Diego went ahead 24-14 on Ryan Mathews' 13-yard run around left end, capping a three-play drive that started when Henderson tipped a pass that Brees threw behind him, allowingQuentin Jammer to intercept it and give San Diego the ball on the New Orleans 25.

Game notes
Brees set his latest passing record against the team that drafted him in 2001 and for which he played his first five seasons in the NFL before coming to New Orleans in 2006. ... The last game Brees played without throwing for a TD was Oct. 4, 2009, in a victory over the New York Jets. ... Chargers PK Nick Novak, who was filling in for the injured Nate Kaeding, made a 20-yard field goal but missed a 55-yard attempt in the second quarter. ... Saints CB Jabari Greer left the game with what team officials said was a hip injury. He was hurt late in the second quarter and did not return. ... Saints TE Jimmy Graham hurt his right ankle in the first half. He returned but was not a factor. @ espn.com

NCAA Football: Results Summary Week 6

2012-10-07T06:24:00.000-07:00

This saturday was full of games between top teams. I will make the summary of that results and point some upset results.

#23 Washington 21 - 52 Oregon #2

The most entertaining offense of college football. On the way to the championship game.

#3 Florida State 16 - 17 North Carolina St

Huge upset win for the North Carolina. Championship game hopes were crushed to the Florida State fans

#4 LSU 6 - 14 Florida #10

Big win for the Gators. Disappointing game for the Tigers. LSU still rely on them to make it to the Championship game.

#5 Georgia 5 - 35 South Carolina #6

No chance for the bulldogs like Rex Ryan said: "We got our ass kicked". South Carolina showing the country that they are a force to be recon with.

#8 West Virginia 48 - 45 Texas #11

Big win for WV in a very difficult/important away game. Geno Smith is just terrific, Heisman all the way.

Miami (FL) 3 - 41 Notre Dame #9

The Hurricanes just got beat on a old fashion way. Big result to the Irish

#21 Nebraska 38 - 63 Ohio State #12

High Power Offenses, high score game. Big win for the Buckeyes.

Iowa State 37 - 23 TCU #15

Big loss at home for the Horned Frogs. Big problems with the QB situation. This season could turn in a disappointing one.

#24 Northwestern 28 - 39 Penn State

Big win for rebuilding team. Lets hope that Penn State can rise again.

#25 UCLA 17 - 43 California

Big loss to UCLA. Cal just dominated the Bruins

MLB: Postseason Bracket [Update]

2012-10-06T07:55:00.001-07:00

The Wild Card Games winners are the St. Louis Cardinal and the Baltimore Orioles.

The updated bracket is:

ALDS
Tigers - A's
Orioles - Yankees

NLDS
Giants - Reds
Cardinals - Nationals

MLB: Postseason Bracket

2012-10-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

The MLB Regular season is finally over. I will leave you with the Postseason Bracket:

Soccer: Spanish BBVA League Standings after 6 fixtures

2012-10-04T08:55:00.000-07:00


Rnk	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
1	FC Barcelona	6	6	0	0	17	5	12	18
2	Atlético Madrid	6	5	1	0	16	7	9	16
3	Málaga CF	6	4	2	0	10	2	8	14
4	Sevilla FC	6	3	2	1	8	5	3	11
5	RCD Mallorca	6	3	2	1	7	4	3	11
6	Real Madrid	6	3	1	2	12	5	7	10
7	Real Valladolid	6	3	0	3	10	6	4	9
8	Real Sociedad	6	3	0	3	8	9	-1	9
9	Real Betis	6	3	0	3	10	13	-3	9
10	Valencia CF	6	2	2	2	8	8	0	8
11	Getafe CF	6	2	1	3	7	10	-3	7
12	Levante UD	6	2	1	3	7	13	-6	7
12	Rayo Vallecano	6	2	1	3	7	13	-6	7
14	Celta de Vigo	6	2	0	4	7	8	-1	6
15	Real Zaragoza	6	2	0	4	5	8	-3	6
16	Deportivo La Coruña	6	1	3	2	8	12	-4	6
17	Granada CF	6	1	2	3	4	9	-5	5
18	Athletic Bilbao	6	1	2	3	8	14	-6	5
19	Osasuna	6	1	1	4	7	10	-3	4
20	RCD Espanyol	6	0	1	5	7	12	-5	1

UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League Qualifiers
UEFA Europa League
Relegation

Soccer: English Premier League Standings after 6 fixtures

2012-10-04T08:54:00.000-07:00


Rnk	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
1	Chelsea	6	5	1	0	11	3	8	16
2	Everton	6	4	1	1	12	6	6	13
3	Manchester United	6	4	0	2	14	9	5	12
4	Manchester City	6	3	3	0	12	8	4	12
5	Tottenham Hotspur	6	3	2	1	11	8	3	11
6	West Bromwich Albion	6	3	2	1	8	5	3	11
7	West Ham United	6	3	2	1	7	5	2	11
8	Arsenal	6	2	3	1	10	4	6	9
9	Fulham	6	3	0	3	13	9	4	9
10	Newcastle United	6	2	3	1	8	8	0	9
11	Swansea City	6	2	1	3	10	9	1	7
12	Stoke City	6	1	4	1	6	5	1	7
13	Sunderland	5	1	4	0	5	4	1	7
14	Liverpool	6	1	2	3	9	12	-3	5
15	Aston Villa	6	1	2	3	6	10	-4	5
16	Wigan Athletic	6	1	1	4	5	11	-6	4
17	Southampton	6	1	0	5	10	18	-8	3
18	Norwich City	6	0	3	3	4	13	-9	3
19	Reading	5	0	2	3	6	11	-5	2
20	Queens Park Rangers	6	0	2	4	4	13	-9	2

UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League Qualifiers
UEFA Europa League
Relegation

NFL: Standings after Week 4

2012-10-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

NFL: Power Rankings (Top 12), Week 4

2012-10-03T07:55:00.001-07:00

NFL: Week 4 Predictions

2012-09-30T06:34:00.002-07:00

This week, I didn't have much time to give you a "full" predictions. This time, I will post fast predictions: only the winning team of the game (bold team).

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers at New York Jets
Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams
Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals
Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars
New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers
Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys

MLB: Catch of the Year?

2012-09-27T12:15:00.001-07:00

I don't have words to describe this catch, so I will just give you the video. Enjoy!

Your browser does not support iframes.

NFL: Refs drama is over

2012-09-27T07:28:00.004-07:00

It took three phone calls to his home in Arizona. Three phone calls to convince NFL referee Ed Hochuli, who'd finally received word from his union that a labor deal had been reached late Wednesday, to go on the record with his reaction to the big news.

"Why does it matter if I have a reaction?" Hochuli told NFL.com. "Why? Who am I? My kid told me I'm trending on Twitter. What does that even mean?"

After a thorough explanation to Hochuli about his unprecedented popularity -- after making him realize he's now culturally cooler than Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer combined -- Hochuli responded with something unintentionally deep.

"I haven't done a thing or said a thing in months, and my popularity has risen," said Hochuli, who eventually agreed to allow his quotes to be published. "I should just stay out of sight. Isn't it amazing?"

It is amazing. It is amazing that an eight-year agreement between the NFL and NFL Referees Association could generate such monumental interest. It is amazing that a referee's name is even known at all, let alone that it could morph into a piece of American pop culture.

But here we are, three days after an embarrassing episode that cost the Green Bay Packers a win, celebrating the return of Hochuli and his posse of 121 referees -- surely an odd experience for men who are far more accustomed to being booed than cheered. And you were wondering if the NFL would take a hit because of this?

Oh, Packers fans surely will remain bitter. They'll be upset until season's end, particularly if that loss in Seattle costs the team a shot at the playoffs. But is anyone going to stop watching football? Please. If nothing else, we've only continued to prove how much we care about football. Just ask any Packers fan protesting the result of Monday night's game. You don't protest if you don't care -- and Packers fans aren't going to stop caring about their team.

It's too bad Monday's madness could significantly impact the Packers' season, but it's times like these when fans must step back and recognize the reality of the situation: While football is a part of our culture, the NFL is a business, and such tedious (and at times unpleasant) negotiations often are a requirement of corporate success.

All that said, the NFL can and should walk away with some major lessons from this episode. It should recognize the intelligence of its fan base -- a fan base that grew so loud over the last few days that the league wanted nothing more than to finish this deal before another weekend of games.

In the future, the NFL would be wise to take more seriously the potential repercussions of a plan gone wrong. The replacement officials weren't adequate, and the league should have been more cautious about the pitfalls it could face if the worst-case scenario -- which occurred Monday -- took place. This could have been avoided if Wednesday's urgency was realized earlier.

Nonetheless, the NFL got its business done and now is looking at eight years of labor peace with the refs and nine more years of labor peace with the players. And the referees, more popular than ever, are headed back to work. How's that for one weird week?

These few days undoubtedly will be remembered in the NFL history books for the bizarre finish to Monday's game. Ultimately, though, it's far more likely that history will detail this not as some regrettable blemish but as an interesting story that fueled one of the more rapid conclusions to a labor deal you're ever likely to see.

"We've worked very, very hard," Hochuli said. "We've taken 18 extensive rules tests, watched hours and hours of video every week for the last several weeks. We've worked very hard to be prepared.

"I think we're ready."

So, too, is everyone else. @ nfl.com

NFL: Standings after Week 3

2012-09-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

NFL: Week 3 Predictions

2012-09-22T09:28:00.002-07:00

St. Louis Rams at Chicago Bears
Your first upset of the week; the Rams defense is good enough to seriously frustrate and shut down Jay Cutler. Chris Long and Robert Quinn are good enough to make J’Marcus Webb look silly.

Buffallo Bills at Cleveland Browns Both of these have some young talent but are far from complete. In the end, I think the experience of Ryan Fitzpatrick and the immaturity of Brandon Weeden will be the storyline here.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys
Like last week against the Giants, the Bucs aren't going to roll over and give the Cowboys an easy victory. Still, as a young team coming into Cowboys Stadium, I think they'll be overmatched against a Dallas team that could put up serious points through the air.

Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans
The Lions need a rebound game after their loss to the 49ers, and the Titans will offer them a chance at a win. Detroit’s offense shouldn’t stall out against the Titans like they did versus San Francisco, but they have to get their run game going this week.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck is better than Blaine Gabbert. For two rebuilding teams, it's as simple as that.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
The New York Jets are not the Oakland Raiders, and the Miami Dolphins will do well to note that. Reggie Bush carried Miami to their first win in Week 2, but he won’t find the running lanes against the Jets that he did in Oakland. Darrelle Revis' health could swing the vote on this one.

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Easy one. 49ers!

Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints
It's the battle of the beatens! Both teams enter 0-2, and both teams have invented new ways to disappoint their fanbase in the early parts of the season. Defensively, neither team can stop anyone, so I'll pick Drew Brees in the shootout.

Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Redskins
RGIII showed he wasn't quite the finished product after all in St. Louis, though he still looked great getting his team into the end zone. On defense, the Redskins will miss Orakpo and Carriker against a very balanced Bengals offense that is able to take advantage when defenses commit to pressure. Look for another big day from A.J. Green.

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals
Two teams with identical 2-0 records face off in the desert. The Eagles defensive line will be the key here. If they can get to Kevin Kolb, the Eagles will find an easy victory. Trent Cole and Jason Babin should have fun with this one.

Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers
The Falcons are going to have to travel west on a short week, which means a focused energy each day in practice at Flowery Branch and no day off to rest. As long as health isn't a concern, Atlanta's offense should continue to show it's the real deal and 2012 is a coming-out party.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Oakland Raiders
Steelers FTW!

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos
Matt Schaub and the Texans get their first real test after opening against clearly inferior teams in the Dolphins and Jaguars. Peyton Manning can exploit the Texans secondary—if he gets time to throw. A combination of the running game and three-step drops will get the better of J.J. Watt and friends.

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens
Best match of the week. Two teams smarting from brutal last-minute losses look to rebound in this rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game. The Ravens reverted back to their maddening form on offense. Cam Cameron simply has to remember he has Ray Rice when his team's passing game is getting clobbered. The Patriots will be without Aaron Hernandez, which means Ed Reed will be free to take one of Tom Brady's passes to the house.

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks
I'm really torn on this matchup, as the "12th Man" and Seattle's defense should keep the Seahawks in this one for a while. I just can't envision Russell Wilson beating Aaron Rodgers, however, and I think the Packers' veteran-laden team will find a way to win against the young 'Hawks.

NCAA: Football Rankings Week 4

2012-09-22T09:07:00.001-07:00

AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Alabama (58)	3-0	1498
2	LSU (2)	3-0	1433
3	Oregon	3-0	1356
4	Florida State	3-0	1275
5	Georgia	3-0	1203
6	Oklahoma	2-0	1181
7	South Carolina	3-0	1081
8	West Virginia	2-0	1051
9	Stanford	3-0	1009
10	Clemson	3-0	899
11	Notre Dame	3-0	854
12	Texas	3-0	816
13	USC	2-1	776
14	Florida	3-0	743
15	Kansas State	3-0	683
16	Ohio State	3-0	680
17	TCU	2-0	535
18	Michigan	2-1	448
19	UCLA	3-0	429
20	Louisville	3-0	366
21	Michigan State	2-1	318
22	Arizona	3-0	296
23	Mississippi State	3-0	106
24	Boise State	1-1	95
25	Nebraska	2-1	80

USA Today Poll
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Alabama (54)	3-0	1470
2	LSU (5)	3-0	1411
3	Oregon	3-0	1339
4	Florida State	3-0	1240
5	Oklahoma	2-0	1201
6	Georgia	3-0	1150
7	West Virginia	2-0	1114
8	South Carolina	3-0	1071
9	Clemson	3-0	955
10	Texas	3-0	869
11	Stanford	3-0	868
12	USC	2-1	779
13	Kansas State	3-0	767
14	Florida	3-0	689
15	Notre Dame	3-0	681
16	TCU	2-0	675
17	Michigan	2-1	507
18	Louisville	3-0	434
19	UCLA	3-0	375
20	Michigan State	2-1	354
21	Arizona	3-0	296
22	Nebraska	2-1	194
23	Mississippi State	3-0	99
24	Wisconsin	2-1	97
25	Oklahoma State	2-1	73

NFL: Power Rankings (Top 12), Week 3

2012-09-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

The power rankings got many ups and downs because of some surprise results on the week 2.

NFL: Week 2 Predictions

2012-09-12T18:10:00.001-07:00

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
The Packers will not drop two in a row at home to start the season. They were able to sack Alex Smith four times and they will definitely get at Cutler as well. Expect a closely-contested bounce-back win from Green Bay on Thursday night. Aaron Rodgers and Co. get back on track with a momentum-building win in a very tough game.

Kansas Chiefs at Bufffalo Bills
Two teams coming off disappointing showings in Week 1. The Bills are dealing with big-time injuries on offense (Fred Jackson will miss at least a month and David Nelson is done for the year) and poor play on defense, while the Chiefs are getting Tamba Hali back from suspension. The Chiefs are the better team and will send the Bills to 0-2.

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
Easy pick. The Bengals will have a easy win. Richardson is still recovering, Brandon Weeden is a rookie and he is already getting us push the BUST alarm.

Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts
Close game. Expect a better game from Andrew Luck, but AP will bring this game to the Vikings.

Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins
Ryan Tannehill couldn't get the offense going in Week 1. That'll be the story again against Oakland. The Raiders' pass rush will keep the rookie quarterback under wraps as they cruise to a win on the road.

Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots
No comments...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants
I expect great things to the Buccaneers this years, but I can't see a World Champs team go to a 0-2 start. Expect a huge game from Eli and Victor Cruz.

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles
There's the good Michael Vick, the bad one and the ugly one, and the Ravens' defense seems well-equipped to bring out the ugly one for the second-straight week. Baltimore is quickly becoming a well-balanced team and one of the AFC's true superpowers on both sides of the ball.

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
The Saints shouldn't have to pass 50 times against a Panthers defense that can't stop the run. Expect a big day from Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles as the Saints pick up their first win

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars
The new and improved Blaine Gabbert was very good against the Vikings, but chances of repeating that against the Houston Texans' defense are slim. Houston's run game will gouge the Jaguars defense all day. With the Houston defense rolling, a big win is in order.

Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks
Seattle is one of the toughest places to play for any team, but Dallas has the hot hand right now. If the offensive line plays like it did in Week 1, the Cowboys will leave Seattle with a 2-0 record.

Washington Redskins at St. Louis Rams
The Rams were close last week as they picked off Matthew Stafford three times. This is the week they get over the hump as they head back home to the Edward Jones Dome. The defensive line will ramp up the pressure and force RG3 into making bad decisions.

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Jets' defensive line should feast after a famine against the Bills last week. The offensive line dominated a talented Bills unit for four quarters, being held to just one pressure. If Mark Sanchez can get into a rhythm against a suspect Steelers secondary, this could get ugly.

Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers
The Titans are in the dreaded position of being a better team than they were last year that will probably end up with a worse record. Philip Rivers and the Chargers' offense will be able to move the ball against the Titans and have enough on defense to add to Chris Johnson’s frustrations.

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers don't get a break after beating the Packers. The Lions were terrible in the first half as Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions and Titus Young was benched for a headbutt. To beat the 49ers at home, Detroit has to be much more composed. It's tough to see that happening.

Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons
The Broncos looked like a well-balanced team against the Steelers, but the Falcons looked like they could put up 40 on anyone during their beatdown of the Chiefs. Peyton Manning should be able to work things downfield, especially with Brent Grimes out for the Falcons. But Matt Ryan and his receivers will be too much at home for the Broncos.

NFL: Power Rankings (Top 12), Week 2

2012-09-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

NFL: Bountygate Suspensions reportedly overtuned

2012-09-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

An appeals panel has overturned the suspensions handed down to four New Orleans Saints players following an alleged bounty program on the field, according to Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell still has the option to discipline the players, but only if "there is evidence of intent to injure beyond just a performance pool," via Trotter.

What does it mean for the Saints?

It means, as ESPN reported, that Vilma and defensive end Will Smith are allowed to play against the Washington Redskins on Sunday in Week 1, via Jacques Doucet of WAFB-Louisiana.

It also means linebacker Scott Fujita and defensive end Anthony Hargrove are permitted to play, although Smith has the best chance of seeing the field.

As for head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis, they will still serve their suspensions because there is no coach or GM union, per Peter King ofSports Illustrated.

The lifting of the players' suspensions, of course, is a huge win for the Saints organization. The Saints, who went 13-3 and captured the NFC South last season before losing in the divisional playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers, get back some key players, in Week 1 no less.

When the Saints go marching into the 2012-2013 NFL season.

NFL: NFL.com Power Poll

2012-09-04T05:58:00.000-07:00

NFL: Season Opener

2012-09-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

We are 1 day away from the NFL Season Opener game. He will have a Giants vs Cowboys, a good rivalry game to start the season. I expect a better Cowboys team this year, but I think that the Giants will win this game. Giants kept almost all the start pieces and if the defense start the way that they finished, they are a really good team. Cowboys upgraded the defensive backs position and didn't let any important piece go, but it will take time from them to gain chemistry.

NCAA Football: GAME ON

2012-08-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

The NCAA Football Season starts today. We will have another amazing, energetic and exciting season. The expectation are high for the Nick Saban's crew, let's see if they can win the championship again.

U can see some games at:
http://www.thefirstrow.eu/sport/american-football.html

Soccer: English Premier League Standings after 2 fixtures

2012-08-27T06:11:00.000-07:00


Rnk	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
1	Chelsea	3	3	0	0	8	2	6	9
2	Swansea City	2	2	0	0	8	0	8	6
3	Everton	2	2	0	0	4	1	3	6
4	West Bromwich Albion	2	1	1	0	4	1	3	4
5	Manchester City	2	1	1	0	5	4	1	4
6	Fulham	2	1	0	1	7	3	4	3
7	Manchester United	2	1	0	1	3	3	0	3
8	Wigan Athletic	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	3
9	Newcastle United	2	1	0	1	2	3	-1	3
10	West Ham United	2	1	0	1	1	3	-2	3
11	Stoke City	2	0	2	0	1	1	0	2
12	Arsenal	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	2
13	Sunderland	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
14	Tottenham Hotspur	2	0	1	1	2	3	-1	1
15	Reading	2	0	1	1	3	5	-2	1
16	Liverpool	2	0	1	1	2	5	-3	1
17	Norwich City	2	0	1	1	1	6	-5	1
17	Queens Park Rangers	2	0	1	1	1	6	-5	1
19	Southampton	2	0	0	2	2	5	-3	0
20	Aston Villa	2	0	0	2	1	4	-3	0

UEFA Champions League
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UEFA Europa League
Relegation

Soccer: Spanish BBVA League Standings after 2 fixtures

2012-08-27T06:10:00.001-07:00


Rnk	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
1	FC Barcelona	2	2	0	0	7	2	5	6
2	Rayo Vallecano	2	2	0	0	3	1	2	6
3	Deportivo La Coruña	2	1	1	0	5	3	2	4
4	RCD Mallorca	2	1	1	0	3	2	1	4
4	Sevilla FC	2	1	1	0	3	2	1	4
6	Málaga CF	2	1	1	0	2	1	1	4
7	Real Betis	2	1	0	1	6	5	1	3
8	Real Valladolid	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	3
9	Getafe CF	2	1	0	1	3	3	0	3
10	Real Zaragoza	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	3
11	Real Sociedad	2	1	0	1	3	6	-3	3
12	Valencia CF	2	0	2	0	4	4	0	2
13	Atlético Madrid	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	1
13	Levante UD	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	1
15	Real Madrid	2	0	1	1	2	3	-1	1
16	Granada CF	2	0	1	1	1	2	-1	1
17	Athletic Bilbao	1	0	0	1	3	5	-2	0
18	RCD Espanyol	2	0	0	2	2	4	-2	0
19	Celta de Vigo	2	0	0	2	1	3	-2	0
20	Osasuna	2	0	0	2	1	4	-3	0

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Cycling: Lance Armstrong's decision

2012-08-24T11:13:00.002-07:00

The world is altered this morning, even if the record books don't reflect that quite yet.

Lance Armstrong has abandoned the fight. Essentially entered a plea of nolo contendere. Wheeled over to the side of the road, dismounted, and disappeared into the broom wagon.

It is, first and foremost, disorienting to see an athlete whose core identity always has been that of a fighter -- a headstrong, proud, aggressive, willful, shrewd, ferocious protagonist on and off the road -- turning his back and walking the other way.

Armstrong foreshadowed that tactic a few months ago in a Men's Journal magazine interview when he expressed fatigue at his perpetual status as quarry. It had the earmarks of a trial balloon, floated to gauge public reaction: What would happen if, for once, he tried passive resistance? What if he simply declined to acknowledge the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's sanctioning powers and authority? What if he declared the process hollow and his stature a matter for history to decide, rather than submitting to what he characterized as a preordained ruling from a stacked arbitration panel?

He knows better than anyone that most people made up their minds long ago about whether he doped, and whether they care. He knows that many cycling fans and cancer survivors and lovers of a good story are uninterested in parsing the sustained tension between narrative and reality. Armstrong is not bidding for the undecided vote. He's trying to preserve and consolidate the faithful following he still has. He is cutting his losses by asserting that no one can ever really take away his wins.

Armstrong didn't go down without taking a shot, though.

A lobbyist for his Livestrong foundation visitedCapitol Hill this summer and invoked the same themes about public priorities and the presumed weight of Armstrong's philanthropy that his camp consistently raised throughout a nearly two-year federal criminal investigation abruptly terminated in February.

Armstrong's lawyers filed a long-shot lawsuit in federal court that was initially rebuffed by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks because of its length and what the judge termed as inappropriate digressions. The suit was promptly resubmitted, accepted for consideration and ultimately dismissed, albeit with scoldings from the judge -- a colorful verbal stylist -- for all parties, along with pointed questions about USADA's motives and timeline. The central reasoning in the ruling was simple, however. It reaffirmed the validity of the system in place for adjudicating cases such as Armstrong's, and observed that denial of due process in any potential arbitration could not be determined before the fact.

The statement Armstrong released Thursday night, just a couple of hours before the administrative deadline set by USADA for him to make the binary choice between contesting and capitulating, took a familiar defiant tone. The language is strident. The duel is portrayed as a personal one between himself and USADA CEO Travis Tygart, as if they were tunneling side-by-side through throaty masses of fans in the last kilometers of an uphill finish in the Alps or Pyrenees.

That manifesto differs rather substantially from the other document released Thursday night by Armstrong's spokesman, Mark Fabiani, a letter addressed to USADA general counsel William Bock and signed by attorneys Tim Herman and Robert Luskin. The letter re-asserts the contention that Armstrong is subject to no authority other than the UCI, cycling's international body. It seeks to prop open the door to another rabbit warren of alphabet-soup bureaucratic remedies, and ends with a threat to hold USADA liable for its actions.

If enough is truly enough, as Armstrong so ardently stated, this constitutes a somewhat mixed message. The letter also omits any reference to the UCI's own vested interests in this case. USADA intended to present evidence of a cover-up of a positive test by Armstrong in 2001. Furthermore, vacating Armstrong's seven titles would leave the UCI with a stupendous statistical and credibility gap as regards the biggest -- and, for many casual travelers, the only -- bike race in the world.

From the 1996 Tour title won by Bjarne Riis of Denmark, who confessed several years ago to his own extensive doping, through the 2010 race result forfeited by Spain's Alberto Contador after a protracted legal fight over his positive test for clenbuterol, cycling has been saddled with a 15-year stretch during which all but one champion (Spain's Carlos Sastre in 2008) has been formally discredited in some way, even if some of those championships remain in place.

The ultimate resolution of race standings is just another red herring to trip over on the way to figuring out whether the truth is accessible. As many critics have correctly suggested, the majority of other men who populated the podiums during that era are suspect as well, so what good would it do to reshuffle the standings and re-fit the yellow jerseys? Cycling in those years is rapidly approaching the point of no-there-there, unless we co-sign the cynical premise that doping was so endemic that the playing field was level anyway.

Yes, it is head-shaking to see Armstrong back away from a battle, even if it makes some sense from a risk/reward context. The information dump is not about to slow down, not with related cases still in the pipeline, witnesses (who themselves may face public scrutiny and sanctions) still standing by, and a purportedly über-revealing book from his former lieutenant, Tyler Hamilton, scheduled for publication in less than a month. Armstrong won't be able to control others as he once did with such skill as peloton boss, but he can endeavor to shape his message, and surely will.

He probably is right to contend that his Tour titles will always exist in a virtual sense for many, if not on paper. The real penalty and the starkest shift in Armstrong's landscape is the lifetime ban from competition in, or even association with, the endurance events that consumed him and molded his public persona. Whether he can remain a vital force in his roles as cancer survivorship crusader and marketing rainmaker is something that will take years to play out. It's doubtful he will ever stand still. But it appears he'll have to slow down. @ espn.com