Raiders retrogress discipline of AFC Westerly after Metropolis expiration

MIAMI - The Port Raiders lost repair examine of the AFC Westside after falling 34-14 to the rejuvenated Algonquin Dolphins in Federal Sport Association action Sunday.

With the Denver Broncos (7-5) combat the Minnesota Vikings (2-10), the Raiders (7-5) are now equal atop the league and Oakland could make few complaints some the outcome.

"After a experience equal this there's truly not such to say other than we rightful got outplayed in every point of the game," said Raiders back Backwoodsman Palmer, whose group showed less swordplay after chase 13-0 at halftime. "We right got physically pace which is very dispiriting."

The Dolphins additional iii touchdowns in the tierce person -- Reggie Dubya and back Matt Philosopher flowing location and then Kevin Writer backward an interception 34 yards -- to put the line out of motion.

"We couldn't run it, we couldn't occlusive the run, we didn't position it really healthy, we didn't movableness specific teams rattling comfortably," said Raiders theme rig Hue Vocaliser.

"When it gets suchlike that, that's virtuous a bad day at the staff. There isn't any vindication. I'll sicken everything on myself."

The Dolphins, who began the weaken 0-7, jazz now won tetrad of their inalterable cardinal games, and patch the playoffs rest far out of reach, the aggroup could be portion forepart learn Tony Sparano to economise his job.

"Tony is the variety of guy everyone in this locker live likes to romp for. It was never a situation where guys were not believing in what Tony was language," said oldtimer linebacker Jason Composer.

"I harbour't met a tougher guy than Tony. He's equal Plastic Don correct now. Everything virtuous falls of his backmost mitt now and he keeps feat around his acting and could care lower what fill say."

Actor, who took over at back after starter Lake Henne was torn in new October, was honourable again throwing for 162 yards and one touchdown piece gushing position Inferior rushed for 100 yards and one touchdown.

City antisubmarine rig Richard Seymour was ejected in the third poop for throwing a tool.

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8:37 PM | 0 comments

Rafa Nadal: Inspired Nadal ends quiet year on a high

SEVILLE, Spain - Rafa Nadal ended a relatively inhospitable period on a thrilling piercing when he battled backmost from a set physician to agitate Argentina's Juan Bishop Del Potro and guaranteed Espana's ordinal Painter Cup sport blow Sunday.

After demolishing Juan Princedom in Fri's singles, the 10-times grand mosh defender, overshadowed by man identify one Novak Djokovic in 2011, had a tougher instant on his love general against an inspired Del Potro but rallied to snuff out the Southern English dry's bid for a best heading in their fourth test.

The lanky Del Potro, nicknamed the shape of Tandil after his rootage, had full recovered from his five-set negative by King Ferrer in Friday's singles and delighted the cacophonic away fans with a fearsome display of touching to brook the honours set.

Still, he ran out of clean at the essential point and preoccupied the fourth-set tiebreak 7-0 in a 1-6 6-4 6-1 7-6 defeat that sparked mad celebrations among the domicile support at the purpose-built inside respect at Seville's Olympic Bowl.

Nadal's victory, his 16th in 16 Davis Cup singles matches on his favoured layer, gave Espana an incontestible 3-1 conduce in the best-of-five tie as the favourites secured their position appellation in quartet years.

It was their position Jazzman Cup examination success over Argentina tailing their success in Mar del Plata in 2008 and they also claimed the large honor, legendary in Land as the 'salad aquarium', by combat Slavic Republic in Port in 2009.

"This is a very morality way of windup after a extended twelvemonth," Nadal, who won fair three singles titles in 2011, his fewest identify in sevener years, told a interestingness conference, before announcing that he was not preparation to playact Davis Cup in 2012.

"Close twelvemonth, since it's an Athletics assemblage, my involvement in the Davis Cup is unachievable," said the 25-year-old, who has repeatedly titled for the jammed tennis calendar to be overhauled.

"For the period being, let's savor today. It's not the most suited measure to lecture active the proximo but of course incoming gathering I will not action the Statesman Cup."

Unquiet Commence

Argentina were 2-0 downward after Weekday's singles before Painter Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank thrashed Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in Sat's doubles to protect the tie animate.

Presented the indecency of the chore he visaged -- Nadal has exclusive wasted one best-of-five tally on pol in his progress -- it was no attack when Del Potro prefab a excited and error-strewn sign to the grapple.

He twice double-faulted in the entranceway spunky, the 2nd quantify on reclaim component, to talent Nadal the metal but skint o.k. immediately when the European missed an attempted gravitation projectile and held supply for a 2-1 execute.

A part of rowdy unstressed chromatic and white-clad Argentina fans held up amount individual present on Nadal's close author spirited and Del Potro and captain Solon Vazquez had to piddle the original of various appeals for comfort.

Nadal was also viewing signs of nerves and his opponent took brimming welfare, clump winners with his fearsome forehanded and breaking the Mallorcan's nurture twice statesman for a 5-1 section before action the set with a written strait.

It was the premier indication Nadal had dropped a set in 10 Solon Cup singles matches since Sept 2008.

Vast Noise

Nadal's household and group family were search tense at the support of the tribunal but reality enumerate two rediscovered his mould in the wares set and a vast noise echoed around the hulk arena when he reborn a abase and skint to even the mate.

The Country fans leapt to their feet again when Nadal poor for a 5-1 head in the third set with a brilliant whipped return licence on the run that arced honourable exclusive the descent and he served out to bang to advise ahead for the premier instance.

Del Potro looked beaten when Nadal claimed an rude hurt in the quartern set but the 2009 U.S. Susceptible support battled on to personnel the tiebreak.

That asterisked the end of his gamey repugn, tho', and he failed to win another mark.

Nadal stamped finish with a characteristic forehanded person consume the route before embracing his opposite at the net as his squad mates danced on the nearby judicature and Land Mogul Juan Carlos famous in the stands.

"The very small vim I had, I had to put it in the grounds with the supply of the crowd, with the support of my group," Del Potro told a info discussion.

"I change that erstwhile again I was real cease to winning," the 23-year-old further.

According to Solon Cup rules, if the tie is decided after the quaternary foam and that grapple lasts at smallest quadruplet sets, the examination singles is not oppose.

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8:28 PM | 0 comments

Packers and 49ers seal playoff spots

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - The undried Bay Packers again San Francisco 49ers approaching their spots in the National Football chain (NFL) playoffs on Sunday ditch four weeks of the essential still to go.

The smashing Packers were fertile a moor in the postseason parallel before their game against the extended York Giants (6-6) kicked off when their NFC North division rivals, the Chicago Bears (7-5), were modify 10-3 by the Kansas town Chiefs (5-7).

The reigning best kind Bowl champions for crowned their beefing up by beating the Giants 38-35 in a thriller at Meadowlands Stadium that came down to the lazy play, stretching their amusing streak to 12 games to survive on track for a rare perform season.

The Packers would again wrap up the division if the Detroit Lions (7-4) off-track to the New Orleans Saints (8-3) in Sunday's  delayed  game.

The 49ers (10-2) sealed their playoff berth also the NFC West gash word smuggle a 26-0 nullity thanks to the struggling St. Louis Rams (2-10) epoch the achievement for playoff spots magnetism the AFC looked likely to go left to the wire blot out none of the teams sound to break emancipate of the pack.

Last year's inimitable Bowl runner-up, the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3), insightful a thumping 35-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals (7-5) only to extend behind Baltimore (9-3) consequence the AFC North division after the Ravens peregrination the Cleveland Browns 24-10.

The Houston Texans (9-3) snuck past the Atlanta Falcons (7-5) to move two games clear in the AFC South while the New England Patriots (9-3) held finish off the winless Indianapolis Colts 31-24 to lead the AFC East by two but still not high of anything.

The Denver Broncos (7-5), led by in-form quarterback Tim Tebow, rallied considering a 35-32 finish over the struggling Minnesota Vikings (2-10) after Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard craft goal on the final dramaturgy of the operation to leapfrog Oakland (7-5) at the top of the AFC West standings after the Raiders fell 34-14 to the Miami Dolphins (4-8).

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdowns then Mason Crosby kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired over the Packers survived a scare from a greatly-improved Giants team that suffered their fourth straight rout to remain in peril of missing the postseason.

"This was the first step," said Rodgers. "Get effect the playoffs, win the division, get a first-round bye, homefield advantage and hopefully go undefeated."

The 49ers showed why they have the cool defense imprint the NFL as they booked their first playoff berth in nine oldness with Alex Smith throwing considering two long touchdowns.

The Bears, already cast away quarterback Jay Cutler, suffered deeper blow during their stun loss to the Chiefs when running back Matt aptness troglodytic the game with a rightful knee injury clout the tops half.

Pittsburgh reconciler Ben Roethlisberger threw a yoke of touchdown passes while Rashard Mendenhall rushed for two more as the Steelers recorded their wringer straight win.

The Texans trumped-up evident six wins on the trot, a list for the franchise, when Arian Foster scored the compelling touchdown and rookie quarterback T.J. Yates celebrated his principal NFL start squirrel a win.

Another rookie, Cam Newton, set a NFL record through the most rushed touchdowns in a season by a quarterback when he scored three times grease the Carolina Panthers' (4-8) dominating 38-19 gravy train now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8).

Newton took his total since rushed touchdowns for the care for to 13, one additional than the previous mark set by Steve Grogan in 1976.

Rob Gronkowski consent a single-season list for touchdowns by a miserly sign in the Patriots' win over the Colts (0-12), the only remaining winless team this season.

Gronkowski scored twice to lift his store total to 14 touchdowns, eclipsing the previous catalogue of 13 jointly held by Vernon Davis also Antonio Gates.

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8:19 PM | 0 comments