Newton appoints rookie quarterback passing record

1 4. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) shakes hands with fans after playing for the Tampa Bay Falcons during an NFL Football game in Charlotte, North Carolina, December 24, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Chris Keane

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Christmas day duel sees Camper lead threatened

ALICANTE of Spain (Reuters)-Camper and Telefónica are leading boaters entering the final phase of the battle during the first stage of leg two Volvo Ocean race with only 12 nautical miles separating the Christmas day after 13 days at sea.

Registration of Spanish/New Zealand Camper was only just on the holding, with the overall leaders Telefónica rendering large dramatic 3 hours at 1000 GMT on Sunday as the two sped toward the secret safe haven Harbor in the Indian Ocean.

The identity of the stop-off position reserved confidential as organizers feared attack from Pirates of the State-of-the-art boats that cost around 10 million dollars to build power plants.

First, the port will win 24 points, with 20 going to second. Camper is three points behind the Telefónica on the overall leaderboard, so the first position would be enough to put them forward.

Crew member Billy Camper Hooper said trying to focus on the task at hand rather than Christmas day events that occur at home.

"It is Christmas day onboard Camper, and unfortunately for children there is an enormous amount of energy must be put into this," he said. "Not that they don't want to, all of them until the entire way through our working frantically squall after squall in what turned the whole night to some very hard and bumpy conditions.

"Finish Line nears and all everyone onboard Camper really for the Christmas crossing, before any other vessel. Then there will be a time to celebrate. "

From the secret port in the Indian Ocean, the vessels will be an armed ship and transported to a point near Sharjah on the shores of Northern Emirates. From there we complete leg in Abu Dhabi.

In all, the Volvo Ocean Race lasting more than eight months and covers 39,000 nautical miles, visiting 10 countries.

(Edited with Pritha Sarkar)

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Thermal spoil Rockets from the Christmas day crushing

 

1 5. Miami Heat forward Lebron James controls (L) the ball as it is defended by Houston Rockets guard Vince Carter in the second half of their NBA basketball game in Dallas, Texas, December 25, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mike stone

-(Reuters)-the Miami Heat acquired for the loss of the NBA last year, a little revenge from spoiling the Houston Rockets Championship celebration with a resounding victory, 105-94 Sunday, opening day of the season.

LeBron James-fire as Miami ran away with the game, taking a 97-65 after three quarters, before allowing Dallas, who never led to the score respectable for the fourth.

The game was part of a Christmas day opening five-game delayed and reduced 66-game regular season, after the exclusion of five months during the dispute between players and owners over a new collective agreement.

The heat had to wait for the locker room, as the Rockets put their Championship banner minutes before the start of the game in Dallas players, wearing "2011 NBA champions" in the back of the Tracksuits, celebrated.

However, when the game started, semi finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd team-guides and Jason Terry were evicted by a impressive heat, which showed exactly why they are favorites for the title this season.

James scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds and six supporting Dwyane Wade while contributed 26 points with eight rebounds and six supports, as the heat of the two biggest names offered an early reminder of their quality.

The pattern to the game set in the first quarter with Miami and establishing a lead 32-17, while Dallas had more Rebounds than cycles.

Dallas seemed missing defensive influence of Tyson Chandler, who were traded by the Knicks and the biggest off-season arrival Trinidad Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers, was exported in the third quarter and finished with just four points and four rebounds.

Miami began with the same starting line-up ending game six of last season's semi-finals, but gave a first round draft pick Norris Cole an early opportunity and impressed.

The heat has an improved in some areas with Udonis Haslam and now back to full fitness and free agent signing of Shane Battier, making his debut.

(The reference to Simon Evans in Miami, Edited by Greg Stutchbury)

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Bills play Christmas Grinch, whip Bills 40-14

 

1 2. Ntolfins quarterback Tim Tebow (15) it is expelled from Buffalo Bills Heard Chris Kelsay (90) in the first quarter of the NFL Football game in Orchard Park, New York, December 24, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Doug Benz

By Steve Keating

MALLARD (Reuters)-the Buffalo Bills played the role of Christmas Grinch perfect, denying the Ntolfins the opportunity to clinch a place play-offs with a 40-14 victory Saturday, halting their seven-game losing streak.

Already guaranteed to lose post-season for a 12th straight year accounts (6-9) spotted the Steelers (8-7) an early touchdown then join with touchdowns from Leodis McKelvin Spiller and C J and four field goal from Dave Rayner to send smaller home crowd a decade (45,112) off for the holidays you gladly.

"The damage to our kymatanapalseis incentives" Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick told journalists. "Fans who were here was appalling, but there were many empty seats and a lot of our game is due to our highly motivated."

Tim Tebow threw for one touchdown and ran for another, but they are not Christmas miracles for the Denver quarterback who became famous for its attraction late comeback victories.

Instead of coming through in the clutch, Tebow dramatically collapsed and tossed four second half interceptions, including back-to-back picks during the fourth quarter on touchdowns from Jairus Byrd and Spencer Johnson.

"We believe that we are capable of pulling out some pretty cool things," Tebow said. "It was thought completely until the end.

"It is a loss, and we have to bounce back again and have a great week in Kansas City".

Christmas, a Christian holiday, They laid down a perfect stage of Tebow, a player who wears his religion as a trade mark and has become one of the NFL's most popular and polarising elements.

Spoofed on television, but adored by young Christians Tebow kept losing into perspective, prepared to set off to celebrate the holidays.

"It is great that, no matter what, win or lose, we still have a chance to celebrate the birth of the Savior to me tomorrow," Tebow I had to smile. "This is something I'm really thrilled, we celebrate Christmas."

Denver arrived in Buffalo with a lead a game at the top of the AFC West Division able to claim the Crown Division and the first play-offs in 2005 with a win and a loss of Oakland Raiders the Kansas City Chiefs.

LAST DAY

However, the Crown Division, now will be decided on the last day of the regular season with the Bengals hosted the chiefs and Raiders at home against the San Diego Chargers.

For the third time in the last four seasons, the Steelers have carried a record of 8-5 in the final three weeks of the season and will try to avoid repeating the meltdowns 2008 and 2009 when they lost the last three games, losing in the play-off.

"We had opportunities but went the other way," said Denver coach John Fox. "They stretched out their lead with two circles for rankings."

The Eagles had appeared ready to bring home page reception gift for fans, took early control of the contest.

Willis McGahee began the Steelers opening drive, more than 1,000 yards in the first we are going to do, and Tebow restrict March 73-yard diving over this.

A former Bill, McGahee became just the second player to rush for 1,000 yards in three different groups.

Buffalo had two scoring opportunities in the first quarter, Rayner is missing two field goal attempts, but accounts caught fire during the second quarter as the Bengals went stone cold.

Rayner opened the quarter from the link end in one target field 28-yard before McKelvin chilled crowd on foot, taking a pound and darting 80 yards for a touchdown.

Shortly before the half, Spiller charged in area at the end of the four to send bills to the break up 17-7.

Denver was quick off the blocks again during the second half, Tebow which hit Daniel Fells with a 17-yard touchdown strike to slice your Buffalo's lead to 17-14.

But the Bills replied with two 25-yard field goals and another Rayner 29-yarder off a Tebow interception to open the final quarter and to regain control of the contest on 26-14.

Buffalo then sealed the victory with a clear way, ' Byrd grade for a 37-yard interception and Johnson root 17-yards for another score.

(Edited with Mark Lamport-Stokes)

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Giants who jets to maintain hopes play-offs increased

 

1 3. New York Giants Ahmad Jamie Bradshaw (L) celebrates as he scores a touchdown in front of New York Jets Antonio Cromartie in the third quarter during the NFL Football game at East Rutherford, New Jersey, December 24, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Gary Hershorn

By Larry Fine

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters)-the Giants beat the Jets 29-14 in a crucial showdown New York Saturday that gave the winners a direct route to reach the play-off and advancing betting the losers.

"We had a lot to win the game and keeps us in the play-off, keeps us in the hunt with the destiny in our hands," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

The victory improved the Giants 8-7 and made regular XI XI next week during a visit to Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East title. A loss would have eliminated them.

The defeat dropped the Jets 8-7, balance the clear implementation for an AFC wildcard berth. The Jets remained mathematically alive, but need a victory in the game next week against the Miami Dolphins and help from other teams to qualify for the postseason.

A security posted by defensive tackle Chris Canty on jets quarterback mark Sanchez effectively ended the game with the Giants two points for a lead 22-14 with Jet punting from their own 20 with just over two minutes.

After a failed on the side jets pound, Jamie Ahmad Bradshaw barged into the end zone from 19 yards to complete the scoring and turn what was a game full of tension in a rout.

In the context of the preparation of the game, Jets coach outspoken Rex Ryan said his team was better and he promised to claim Big Apple supremacy and bragging rights in the stadium they share with the Giants.

After the game, Ryan tipped cap of the Giants.

"We must give Giants all credits. They played a great game, "said Ryan. "It was definitely the best team this year."

Giants back Brandon Jacobs shot back Ryan for the trash talking before the game.

Asked if he had a message for Ryan, the big back said: "I think we should close. This is a great coach, is from a large family coach, but he must quit. "

The Giants defense Coughlin is credited for saving the day.

DETERMINANT

"They kept turning the Jets offense. This was the decisive factor in the game, "said Coughlin after the mail in the postgame interview session after absorbing a collision with the game slowly back D.J. Ware along the sideline.

"We have a very good night offensive."

The Giants registered only 11 first downs in a tough contest, while the Jets doubles the number but New York made some great moves to compensate.

A huge touchdown late in the first half from quarterback Eli Manning to wide receiver Victor Cruz turned the tide for the Giants.

Outplayed to that point and at the end of 7-3, manning hit Cruz in a third-and-10 from their own one-yard line and elusive receiver escaped from three tacklers on the road to a 99-yard touchdown to celebrate that the Giants ahead 10-7.

"We got a huge lift when he went coast to coast," said Coughlin.

The Giants extended their lead to 17-7 in a 14-yard touchdown burst late in the third quarter by Jamie Bradshaw, which lasted over safety Brodney Poole on the way to the end zone.

The jets so the deficit to 20-7 with a one-yard run, Sanchez medium until the fourth quarter that 20-14, but the Giants defense rose up to the pillow.

"This was a great victory because everything on the line," said Manning, who completed just 9-of-27 passes but added 225 yards.

The Jets had some early success running the ball, but is stuck with a game plan on moving to try to take advantage of a weak secondary giants.

As the game wore, rush pass pushed increasingly Sanchez, who was five times as illicit and finished 30-of-34 for 258 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Now the Giants will settle the NFC East a person against the Cowboys.

"Going to be another knock-down drag-out fight with Dallas next week," said Giants defensive Captain Justin Tuck. "I look forward to."

(Reference to Larry fine, editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

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Lions reach playoffs, the Patriots get first round bye

 

1 9. Detroit Lions back Kevin Smith (c) runs through the San Diego Chargers for a touch-down in the second half of the NFL Football game in Detroit, Michigan, December 24, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Rebecca Cook

By Julian Linden

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters)-the Detroit Lions, sealed their spot in the play-off National Football League (NFL), beating the San Diego Chargers Saturday, while the New England Patriots clinched a first round bye in the postseason with a back beat the Miami Dolphins.

Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions arranged one of the two NFC wildcard and advanced to the play-off for the first time in over a decade after a 38-10 victory over the Chargers (7-8), which still have a mathematical chance of grabbing one of the four remaining points in the postseason.

Atlanta Falcons (9-5) can join the eight teams already through if hit New Orleans on Monday or the Super Bowl champion Rentskins defeat Chicago on Sunday.

Quarterback Tom Brady led the Patriots back from a 17-point deficit to beat the dolphins (5-10) 27-24 Saturday and earn a first round bye in the play-off.

Brady rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Patriots recovered their way after trailing 17-0 at halftime to improve to 12-3 with just one week of the regular season to go.

The win ensured New England would get a balance in the first week of the playoffs next month and a home game in the second week, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens could overcome their sowing the AFC If Patriots lose their last game at home next week for accounts Buffalo peak.

The Eagles and the Ravens, already assured of the points in the play-off, both won on the eve of Christmas to improve to 11-4.

Pittsburgh, last season's Super Bowl runners-up, the struggling St. Louis Rams (2-13) 27-0 despite resting injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

LATE COMEBACK

Then Baltimore, who hold the tie-breaker on the Patriots in the AFC North Division's raced away to lead 20-0 survived a late comeback by the Cleveland Browns (4-11) in order to win 20-14.

David Akers kicked a field goal with less than three minutes left on the clock to give San Francisco a Titans 19-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The Titans would lock up a first round bye, win their last game against St. Louis next week, or the Saints lose either of the remaining two.

Tim Tebow of the Ntolfins (8-7) missed a chance to secure a spot in the postseason, when he was beaten to death, 40-14 from accounts, and then joined at the top of the AFC West standings from the Oakland Raiders (8-7) after Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 36-yard field goal in overtime to seal a win 16-13 over the Kansas City Chiefs (6-9).

The Giants (8-7) won their showdown against the New York Jets 29-14 to set up a sudden death clash with the Dallas Cowboys next week for the top spot in the NFC East Division after a 99-yard touchdown by Eli Manning pass Victor Cruz.

The defeat ended all but prospects made jets in the play-off, which fell a game behind Cincinnati (9-6) in the race for the AFC wildcard after the Redskins beat the Arizona Cardinals 23-16.

Do not have to play for the Cowboys (8-7) relax in some of the protagonists against the Philadelphia Eagles and lost 20-7.

Tennessee (8-7) quarterback Matt Hasselbeck passed for 350 yards of Titan 23-17 Win in Jacksonville Jaguars kept alive their hopes of play-offs, while Carolina Panthers (6-9) quarterback Cam Newton broke Peyton Manning's NFL record for most yards passing in a rookie season.

The Newton 22-year-old missed the Mark Manning 3,379 yards, set in 1998 to win 48-16 of his team over Dolphins Tampa Bay (4-11), adding yet another record of impressive start in the NFL.

(Edited with Mark Lamport-Stokes)

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Ex-NFL player Gault snagged in SEC fraud case

By Sarah N. Lynch and Aruna Viswanatha

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Willie Gault, a former Chicago Bears wide receiver, faces a civil lawsuit by U.S. securities regulators accusing the American football player and several others of engaging in an alleged scheme to inflate the price of stock in a heart-monitoring device company.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in a complaint filed on Tuesday in federal court in California that the company, known as Heart Tronics, installed both Gault and a former Hollywood executive named J. Rowland Perkins as figureheads of the company to help fuel publicity and pump up investor confidence.

Behind the scenes, however, Mitchell J. Stein, the company's purported outside counsel, was conducting shady dealings that included hiring stock promoters and reaping about $8 million from secret trades that he used to spend on private jets and fancy cars, the SEC said.

The attorney, Mitchell Stein, was arrested on Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport, the Justice Department said.

In an indictment unsealed on Monday in federal court in Florida, prosecutors charged Stein with engaging in a scheme to artificially inflate the company's stock price by creating fake purchase orders from fictitious customers, then issuing press releases trumpeting the fake sales.

Federal prosecutors also charged Stein with conspiring to obstruct the SEC investigation by testifying falsely and arranging for others to do so.

A message left at Stein's law office was not immediately returned on Tuesday. His most recent message on Twitter, posted on the day of his arrest, read: "As long as the roots are not severed, all is well ... and all will be well ... In the garden."

"Stein took advantage of Gault's celebrity to further prop up the image of Heart Tronics as a successful enterprise," said Stephen L. Cohen, an associate director in the SEC's Division of Enforcement. "Stein secretly sold millions of dollars in stock while peddling false claims of Heart Tronics' lucrative sales orders, and has been living the high life off his illicit proceeds with multiple homes, exotic cars, and private jets."

This marks the second civil case the SEC has filed against a former football player in a stock scheme in less than a week. On Friday, the SEC charged Daniel Ruettiger, the legendary Notre Dame football underdog who inspired the 1993 movie "Rudy," and 12 others with running a stock scam.

The charges against Gault and Perkins center on violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a law enacted in 2002 that, among other things, imposes certain fiduciary obligations on company executives.

The SEC says that Stein and Gault defrauded one investor into taking a stake in the company by falsely promising the money would go toward company operations.

Some of that money instead went into Gault's personal brokerage account to buy more Heart Tronics stock and give investors a false sense of demand and volume, the SEC claims.

The SEC also said that Gault and Perkins rarely questioned Stein's direction and unlawfully signed public filings containing false statements about the company's sales.

Jared J. Scharf, an attorney representing Gault, Perkins and Heart Tronics, said the SEC's allegations are completely baseless and he believes that the agency's complaint is based on information provided by naked short-sellers trying to take over the company.

"We informed the SEC about ... the naked short-sellers. And to our knowledge, the SEC has done nothing about it," he said. "We suspect that when the naked short-selling didn't accomplish their objective, ... they became the informants to the SEC on whose word this civil action is based."

Scharf said his clients testified to the SEC about the issues raised in this case in 2010, and the agency issued a Wells notice in June of this year. Since then he had not heard from regulators and thought they had dropped the matter.

The SEC's suit will likely put a damper on Gault's recent euphoria after the Los Angeles Police recovered his stolen Super Bowl XX ring. Gault credited the website TMZ with assisting in the search.

(Reporting By Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Richard Chang)

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NCAA hits Ohio State with bowl ban, other sanctions

(Reuters) - The NCAA on Tuesday barred Ohio State University's football team from post-season play in 2012 as punishment for a scandal over players accepting cash and discounted tattoos in exchange for signed Buckeyes memorabilia.

The NCAA also publicly reprimanded and censured Ohio State, put the team on three-year probation beginning immediately and cut the number of football scholarships the school can offer through the 2014-15 academic year.

An NCAA probe of Ohio state began a year ago after law enforcement authorities searching the suburban Columbus, Ohio home of a tattoo parlor owner, discovered a cache of OSU football memorabilia.

NCAA investigators subsequently discovered that several players on OSU Coach Jim Tressel's 2010 team, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, had traded the memorabilia. The probe found that they traded championship rings and uniforms for cash in violation of strict rules governing amateur college athletes.

Pryor and several other players were suspended and Tressel resigned.

Gene Smith, Ohio State's Athletic Director and Associate Vice President, said on Tuesday the school was "surprised and disappointed" by the NCAA's decision but would not appeal "because we need to move forward as an institution.'

(Reporting by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Greg McCune)

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Jets, Giants battle for playoffs and pride

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan leaves the field after beating the Buffalo Bills at the end of the fourth quarter of their NFL football game in Orchard Park, New York November 6, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Doug Benz

By Larry Fine

New York (Reuters) - Outspoken New York Jets coach Rex Ryan is billing Saturday's Christmas Eve showdown against the New York Giants as a battle for the Big Apple, but the fellow-tenants of MetLife Stadium are not biting.

"There's going to be a butt in every single seat to see it, whether you're a Jets fan, a Giants fan or just a football fan, I mean this is going to be a great game," Ryan told reporters about his 8-6 Jets going against the 7-7 Giants. "I never came here to be little brother to anybody, so it's on."

Ryan said his Jets are better than the long-established Giants, founded 35 years earlier, having reached the AFC title game in each of his first two seasons as coach while the Giants have missed the playoffs.

But Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who led his team to a Super Bowl title in 2008, had a different slant on the game: "(This) is not so much about the Jets, it is about our season and what we need to accomplish and what we are trying to do to enhance our season and extend it."

Both teams are coming off bruising defeats that did little to help their playoff hopes. The Giants lost 23-10 at home to the Washington Redskins, while the Jets were overwhelmed 45-19 on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Giants must now beat the Jets and follow that with a victory over the visiting Dallas Cowboys on New Year's Day to claim the NFC East title.

The Jets hold the inside track to an AFC wild card berth, but could be overtaken should they lose Saturday.

Missing for the Giants will be tight end Jake Ballard, out with a knee injury, while the Jets may be without kick returner Joe McKnight, who separated his shoulder.

There is plenty at stake for both teams, but Ryan often likes to make it personal in his preparation, a tact he has used in the past against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, and Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

With the NFL's revolving schedule, the Jets and Giants play each other during the regular season once every four years.

"Basically, you're out of the playoffs if you lose this game, either team is," said Ryan. "So, we know what's at stake. But is there bragging rights and all that? Yes, absolutely.

"We want to be the best team in New York, but we want to be the best team in NFL, and it starts with being the best team in New York. It's going to start with how we play on Saturday."

The stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from Manhattan, is sure to be rocking with both teams desperately needing a win.

The Jets are the designated home team for the Week 16 game, so their season-ticket holders should be dominant in the stadium where the electronic decor will be switched on to Jets green rather than Giants blue.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said there was a buzz about the game. "Let's face it, you have a city that has certainly divided," he said. "Half the city in favor of one team, half the other. Certainly you're going to sense the excitement."

Pressed, Manning acknowledged the game was special.

"When you have two teams in the same area, the same city and using the same stadium, you want to have success," he said. "You hear bits and pieces but I am not going to go get the paper and read every quote that Rex Ryan is saying and take it to heart."

Asked about Ryan's comment about being the best team in New York, Manning said: "Obviously, that will be decided on Saturday."

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Rangers win bidding rights for Japan ace

(Reuters) - The Texas Rangers have won the rights to negotiate exclusively with Japanese pitching ace Yu Darvish after offering what may be the sport's richest ever posting fee, Major League Baseball announced in a statement on Monday.

Financial terms of the bid were not disclosed but reports said it was in excess of the $51 million paid by the Boston Red Sox to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2006.

The Rangers now have 30 days to sign the latest Japanese sensation on a Major or Minor League contract.

"We look forward to beginning the next step of this process in the very near future with Mr Darvish and his representatives, Arn Tellem and Don Nomura," The Rangers said in a statement.

"Our organization has scouted Mr Darvish for the last several years and has been very impressed with his abilities and accomplishments. We believe he would be a great addition to the Texas Rangers pitching staff."

The 25-year-old right-hander has spent his entire professional career with the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball Pacific League and is a strikeout specialist, boasting a 96 mph fastball.

Considered the best pitcher in Japanese baseball, the two-times Pacific League most valuable player has a 93-38 career record with a 1.99 earned run average over seven seasons.

He helped the Fighters win the 2006 Japan Series and has represented Japan in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Born to an Iranian father and Japanese mother, the 6ft-5in (1.96m) starter has never had a losing season and enjoys an overall winning percentage of .710.

The American League champions and Hokkaido-based team now have the task of thrashing out the terms of a playing contract with no guarantee the Rangers will be successful in procuring Darvish despite winning the bidding process.

The Rangers, who have lost the last two World Series, are reported to have beat out rival bids from the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs.

"We were pleased to learn that the Texas Rangers were the high-bidders for Yu Darvish," Tellem said in a statement.

"The Rangers are an extraordinary franchise in an exceptional city with equally exceptional fans. Yu is honored to be prized so highly and recognized as a once-in-a-generation pitcher. We look forward to getting negotiations underway."

(Editing by John O'Brien)

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49ers leave Steelers in the dark with 20-3 win

(Reuters) - A pair of stadium power outages could not prevent the San Francisco 49ers from overcoming the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 Monday in a gritty matchup between playoff-bound teams.

The lights went out at Candlestick Park on two occasions, delaying the game's start for 20 minutes before again halting the action for about 15 minutes early in the second quarter.

The blackouts, however, had little effect on the home side, who controlled the game from start to finish.

"It was unusual, you don't expect to deal with something like that - let alone twice," 49ers quarterback Alex Smith told reporters of the light issues.

"It was a big game with two 10-win teams. This game was about respect."

San Francisco forced Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, playing through an ankle sprain, into two first-quarter interceptions to limit Pittsburgh's air attack and take a 6-0 halftime lead.

The 49ers squeezed the life out of the Steelers in the second half. Smith tossed a one-yard pass to Vernon Davis for a 13-3 third quarter lead before Frank Gore capped a drive with a five-yard touchdown run with 9:10 left in the contest.

San Francisco finished with just 287 total yards but dictated the action to keep pace for a top NFC playoff seed.

"I think we need to acknowledge that was 49ers football. We played the game on their terms," said Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin.

"We didn't do enough. We had an opportunity and didn't seize it."

Having already clinched the NFC West Division, the 49ers (11-3) are tied with New Orleans for second in the conference, two games behind leaders Green Bay with two games to play.

Roethlisberger finished with 330 passing yards but three interceptions for the Steelers (10-4) who had their four-game win streak snapped and missed the chance to take the outright lead in the AFC North. Pittsburgh are tied for first with Baltimore.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles. Editing by Patrick Johnston)

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Philadelphia columnist retires amid abuse allegations

Sportswriter Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News speaks after being honored with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for Journalists for his more than 45 years of baseball coverage at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, July 23, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

By Dave Warner

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Award-winning sports columnist Bill Conlin retired abruptly from the Philadelphia Daily News on Tuesday, the newspaper said, as a rival newspaper published an article accusing him of child sex abuse.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, in an article posted online on Tuesday, said three women and a man claim they were molested as children by Conlin in the 1970s.

One of them, Conlin's niece Kelley Blanchet, was quoted by the Inquirer as saying: "People have kept his secret.

"There were so many people who knew about this and did nothing," she said.

Conlin offered to retire on Tuesday afternoon, said Daily News editor Larry Platt at a news conference.

"I immediately accepted," said Platt. "It was a painful conversation."

Conlin, visited at his condominium in a gated development in Largo, Florida, by a Reuters reporter, said, "I have nothing to say" and provided contact details for his attorney before closing the door.

The condominium is about a mile from beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, and not far from the spring training camp of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team in Clearwater.

Conlin's attorney, George Bochetto, was not immediately available for comment. But he said in the newspaper that the columnist is "obviously floored by these accusations, which supposedly happened 40 years ago."

Prosecutors also could not be immediately reached for comment. A detective with the Gloucester, New Jersey prosecutor's office said in the Inquirer that criminal charges could not be pursued due to the state's statute of limitations.

According to the Inquirer, the four adults said Conlin groped and fondled them and touched their genitals when they were ages 7 to 12.

Blanchet, now a prosecutor in Atlantic City, New Jersey, told the Inquirer she and the others decided to speak out after the child sex abuse scandal at Pennsylvania State University brought back painful memories.

At Penn State, former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky faces 52 counts of child sex abuse stemming from accusations from 10 adult men who say he abused them as children.

Also, at Syracuse University, a former basketball coach was accused by at least three men of abuse, and the former president of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is under investigation over allegations of abuse from former youth basketball players.

Both Philadelphia newspapers are owned by Philadelphia Media Network Inc.

"I am sickened by these allegations," said Greg Osberg, publisher of the Inquirer and Daily News, at the news conference in the Daily News' lobby.

"There were several very specific claims from multiple victims and their families to support our decision to publish this article," he said.

Platt said in the Daily News newsroom, there was "a sense of shock, outrage, a sense of sadness for the victims."

Conlin started in 1965 at the Daily News, where he wrote about Penn State and other college football, professional boxing, baseball, the Olympics and tennis.

He was named to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year.

(Additional reporting by Robert Green; Writing by Ellen Wulfhorst; Editing by Greg McCune and Jerry Norton)

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Nuggets re-sign guard Afflalo to multi-year deal

Denver Nuggets' Arron Afflalo goes up for layup against the Utah Jazz in the second quarter of Game 4 of their NBA Western Conference playoff series in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 25, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Ramin Rahimian

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Candlestick Park stadium outages delay 49ers game

Pittsburgh Steeler players wait on the field in the dark after the stadium lights in Candlestick Park went out in the second quarter during their Monday Night NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, California December 19, 2011. The San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers Monday night game was interrupted when the power went out at the 49ers home stadium Candlestick Park, after an earlier outage at the stadium, a team official said. The second outage lasted about 20 minutes before power was restored, he said. Play was stopped, but the game resumed when the lights came back on.

Credit: Reuters/Robert Galbraith

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The San Francisco 49ers' home-field 20-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, televised live on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" broadcast, was delayed by back-to-back power outages that twice plunged Candlestick Park into darkness.

The first of the two outages struck shortly before game time on Monday, delaying the opening kickoff until power could be restored about 20 minutes later. The lights went out again early in the second quarter, halting play for another 20 minutes.

Stadium officials were seeking to determine the cause of the outages, said Steve Weakland, a spokesman for the 49ers.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee later issued a statement saying he has asked city officials to identify the cause of the power disruptions and to "identify immediate actions" to prevent "incidents such as this from happening again."

The twin blackouts marked the first time ESPN has experienced a power outage at a National Football League stadium in at least a dozen years, said Bill Hofheimer, a spokesman for the Disney-owned network.

Despite the outages, the cable sports channel continued its "Monday Night Football" broadcast, using generators and other backup systems, he said.

The 49ers' triumph over the Steelers improved San Francisco's record to 11-3 this season and left Pittsburgh with a 10-4 record.

(Reporting by Emmett Berg in San Francisco: Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Steve Gorman)

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Williams pulls out of Australian Open warm-up

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Seven-times grand slam champion Venus Williams has withdrawn from her Australian Open warm-up event in New Zealand due to "health reasons," placing her participation in the year's first grand slam in doubt.
American Williams, who has been receiving treatment for Sjogren's syndrome, an auto-immune disease, had been given a wild card for the January 2-7 Auckland Classic.
"After playing a number of recent exhibition matches, Williams told her agent Carlos Fleming she was not ready to play in Auckland," a statement on the tournament's website said.
"We are disappointed to have lost a player of her caliber. While withdrawals of this nature are part and parcel of sport, we sincerely feel for the fans who will also be disappointed by the news of Venus's withdrawal," tournament director Richard Palmer added in the statement.
Williams withdrew from September's U.S. Open with Sjogren's, a chronic disease where white blood cells attack moisture-producing glands and can cause dysfunction of organs and body systems.
The five-times Wimbledon champion, who changed her diet to include more vegetables after suffering fatigue from the disease, said last month that she hoped to return to the tour full-time in 2012 and to top the rankings.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Patrick Johnston; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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NBA basketball team, star player sued for sexual harassment

By Emmett Berg

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A former employee of the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday sued team owners, executives and star guard Monta Ellis for sexual harassment, charging that lurid texts from the National Basketball Association star led to her termination.

Oakland resident Erika Smith was hired to work on community relations for the Warriors in 2007 and regularly interacted with team members as part of her duties until her termination in August, according to documents filed in Alameda Superior Court.

Her firing came nine days after a local media outlet inquired if Ellis was "stalking" Smith.

In November 2010, Ellis, who is married, allegedly began the first of a total of 61 unwelcome texts of a sexual nature to Smith's work cell phone, including a photograph of his genitals.

According to the filings, "During the period that Monta Ellis was incessantly texting Plaintiff, Monta Ellis informed Plaintiff that the texting would not be discovered since he was using a 'secret' cellular phone that was kept by equipment manager and for which the bills went to Monta Ellis' grandmother."

A January 13, 2011 incident described in court documents alleges Juanika Ellis, Ellis's wife, discovered the secret phone and texts, and was demanding the ouster from the Warriors organization of Smith, who had previously also worked for NBA teams the Washington Wizards and the Phoenix Suns.

Action was delayed, according to the documents, to ensure Monta Ellis wouldn't learn of his wife's knowledge until after a "big game" against the Los Angeles Lakers.

In a statement released to the media Wednesday afternoon, Rick Welts, Golden State Warriors president and chief operating officer, said the team discovered a consensual relationship between Smith and Ellis and intervened to tell both "to stop promptly, directly and fairly."

"The Warriors have never taken any action against for any inappropriate reason, and we deny the allegations she is making."

Burton Boltoch, an attorney representing Smith, disputed the existence of a consensual relationship, and added that the team "does not address the allegations, the coverup and the fact that they didn't do an investigation."

Neither Ellis nor team officials were immediately available for comment.

(Editing by Mary Slosson and Jerry Norton)

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Hotlines, lawyers' phones ringing in wake of Sandusky abuse case

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives for a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to hold him for trial on charges of sexually abusing boys, at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, December 13, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Child molestation charges against a former Penn State coach have sparked an unprecedented awareness of sexual abuse marked by a sharp upturn in calls to abuse hotlines and lawyers, attorneys and counselors said on Wednesday.

More allegations of sexual abuse and a growing number of lawsuits are likely in coming months as victims are emboldened to speak out by the blaze of publicity about Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach, and other alleged molesters, they said.

"It's a watershed moment for child sex abuse victims, and I cringe as I say that because too often we equate public awareness with reform," said David Clohessy, a spokesman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a support group.

The Sandusky case had one of its highest-profile ripple effects on Tuesday. Sports columnist Bill Conlin abruptly retired from the Philadelphia Daily News after a rival paper published a report accusing him of child sexual abuse.

A man and three women, including Conlin's niece, alleged he molested them as children. The niece said she and the others decided to speak out when reports about Sandusky awakened painful memories.

Conlin was "floored" by the story, his lawyer said.

"There have definitely been a lot more (abuse) survivors coming out that were triggered by Sandusky," said Marci Hamilton, one of the lawyers who filed the first civil suit against the former coach, Penn State and the Second Mile, a charity Sandusky founded.

MORE HOTLINE HELP

Sandusky, 67, faces 52 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys he met through the Second Mile. In the wake of the Sandusky charges, allegations of sexual abuse have been made against a Syracuse assistant basketball coach, a former Citadel student and the head of the Amateur Athletic Union.

Jennifer Marsh, hotline director at the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, said she had had to add more counselors to handle the growing call load. Online text contacts, which guarantee more anonymity, have rocketed 54 percent.

Many callers mention Penn State and Syracuse and they often seek advice on how to report potential molesters or stop abuse, Marsh said.

"We haven't seen anything like this before in terms of response on the hotlines," she said.

Calls to the Childhelp national child sexual abuse hotline are up about 20 percent since charges were filed against Sandusky at the start of November, said Michelle Fingerman, the hotline's director.

Calls by adults who were victimized as children are up by almost a third, she said.

"We're just picking up the phone more often, and the calls are longer. They are really more intense," Fingerman said.

"FOOTBALL IS PART OF AMERICA"

The National Crime Victim Bar Association, which helps crime victims with civil suits, has seen a tripling of calls on child sexual abuse since the Sandusky case broke, said director Jeff Dion.

He and Hamilton, the lawyer, said they expected to see an upsurge in child sexual abuse civil cases. The number will depend on statutes of limitations, which in most states expire generally by the time the victims are in their early 20s.

The Sandusky case had had a much bigger impact with sexual abuse victims than the scandal involving Catholic priests since Sandusky had been a well-respected coach at a high-profile college program, Childhelp's Fingerman said.

"Football is part of America, really, and people are seeing that this can happen in any type of situation. It's not a certain demographic or socioeconomic class," she said.

(Reporting By Ian Simpson; Editing by Jerry Norton)

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Struggling Kings name Sutter as new coach

(Reuters) - The Los Angeles Kings named Darryl Sutter as their new head coach in hopes he can help the struggling team get their National Hockey League (NHL) season back on track, the club said on Tuesday.

Sutter, who will make his debut Thursday when the Kings host the Anaheim Ducks, last coached in the NHL with the Calgary Flames but stepped down from that role in 2006 to focus on being the team's general manager, a position he vacated a year ago.

The 53-year-old Sutter, who has also coached the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, is ranked seventh among active coaches with 409 wins, the Kings said in a statement.

Sutter, whose teams have made the postseason in 10 of his 11 seasons as a coach, replaces interim coach John Stevens, who stepped in after Terry Murray was fired earlier this month.

The Kings (15-14-4) entered the 2011-12 NHL season with high expectations after key acquisitions during the offseason but are sitting 10th in the 15-team Western Conference and there points out of the final playoff spot.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Mavericks retool for another championship run

Fans of the Dallas Mavericks may find themselves wondering who all the new faces are when the team raises their championship banner to the rafters on Christmas Day as the curtain goes up on a shortened National Basketball Association (NBA) season.

Sure, NBA Finals most valuable player Dirk Nowitzki and evergreen guard Jason Kidd are back, but at least five members of last year's squad have departed in a stunning rebuild of the team that pushed aside LeBron James and the Miami Heat to claim the franchise's first title in June.

Gone are three key pieces of the championship-winning roster, including the defensive anchor and heart and soul of last year's team, Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea.

Coming in are Sixth Man Award winner Lamar Odom, Delonte West and eight-time All-Star shooting guard Vince Carter, whose above the rim antics have earned him the nickname "Vinsanity."

With the start of the season approaching, the winds of change continue to blow through Texas as Peja Stojakovic, one of the NBA's finest pure shooters, announced on Tuesday he would retire after 13 seasons.

On the same day, former New Jersey Nets first-round draft pick Sean Williams was rumored to be headed to Dallas.

But despite the changes, Dallas has one of the deepest and most experienced lineups heading into a 2011-12 NBA season that was cut to 66 games from 82 games because of the lockout.

Nowitzki and Shawn Marion are 33, Carter and Jason Terry 34 and Kidd, who helped design the team's championship rings, will turn 39 in March and all are sure to have their endurance tested by a compacted schedule.

It will be head coach Rick Carlisle's job to manage their time on the court while indoctrinating the new recruits into the Mavericks way of doing business.

"Depth is something that is going to be really important in a short season," said Carlisle. "Having depth and having good guys who can play is part and parcel to being successful.

"In my mind it is going to be the deepest team that can stay healthy is the team that is going to have the best chance of coming out of the (Western Conference)."

The Mavericks have won 50 games or more for 11 straight seasons, reaching the playoffs every year and advancing to the finals twice, including last year's championship campaign.

Finding that elusive championship chemistry took decades and now the Mavericks are hoping they have the right combination of elements again, bringing in proven talent who are at the point in their careers where winning titles is more important than money and personal goals.

Nowitzki remains the pillar around which the team has been built and the big German will again be counted on as the new arrivals adjust to their roles.

Odom, who won back-to-back NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and Terry, also a winner of the Sixth Man Award, excel coming off the bench.

West offers a serviceable backup to Kidd while Carter will be counted on to rebound from a disappointing 2010-11 campaign when he averaged a career-low 13.5 points a game and get closer to his 22.2 points per game career average.

Carlisle admitted that repeating as NBA champions will be challenging but said he liked the look of his revamped roster and said that while the makeup of the team is different the players remain energized.

"When you don't have five guys back, who were all significant guys, we have to reformulate this thing," said Carlisle. "But the guys coming in are veteran guys, guys who have played in big games.

"These guys have been in the wars and know what it is about."

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Frank Pingue)

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For Miami's "Big Three", winning the only option

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (L), LeBron James (C) and Chris Bosh pose for photographers during media day at the team's training camp in Miami, Florida December 12, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Hans Deryk

By Simon Evans

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Miami Heat stumbled at the final hurdle last season and for the team's 'Big Three', whose stunning formation transformed the franchise, the 2011-12 National Basketball Association (NBA) campaign simply has to be the year.

All-Stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh came together in dramatic fashion in 2010 as free agents with the explicit goal of bringing multiple NBA championships to Miami.

After a turbulent season where the team faced unprecedented attention and at times extraordinary criticism, Miami advanced to the NBA Finals where they lost the best-of-seven series in six games to the Dallas Mavericks.

By most standards that would be considered an excellent achievement for a team that began the season with a radically altered roster and had little time to adjust to each other's style of play.

But the Heat are not most teams. They are the team which by bringing together a trio of top players and promising glory, simply has no possibility of accepting second best.

"We didn't come together to reach the playoffs, to win a playoff series. We came together to win the NBA Finals," James told reporters during training camp.

James has little choice but to talk big as it would be headline news if the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player were to countenance anything other than the ultimate prize. But for his team mate Bosh, there is justification for confidence.

"I think we are the best team in the league and we're going to work like it," said Bosh. "We're looking to win it all. There's nothing else left for us."

The Heat, who open their season at Dallas on December 25 where the home team will unveil their championship banner, do have one thing in their favor this year - the pressure might not be off but the attention has eased.

Last season, the novelty of seeing James and Co. together created a media circus and ensured hostile receptions at almost every arena with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra describing the campaign as feeling "almost like two or three seasons."

This time, the team are not being examined through such an intense media microscope and the atmosphere at their games is likely to be something closer to normality.

While there are some tweaks to the roster - shooting guard Shane Battier and rookie Norris Cole being the main additions - Miami should hit the ground running since the 'Big Three' have a full season of playing together under their belt.

The Heat were a collection of individuals trying to find their way for the first half of last season, but now the team should be formed, according to Spoelstra.

"We certainly got to know each other well, especially when it was uncomfortable. A lot of it carried over and our guys are very close, very connected," he said.

"We expected a lot of turmoil and scrutiny last year. I can't say I expected the amount we got, it was a different level. There will be some of those moments again but I like the fact our guys are committed to each other".

They will need to be, because as Wade put it: "If we don't win a championship, It's a bust year."

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Mad scramble for NFL playoff spots coming to a head

By Larry Fine

(Reuters) - Fifteen teams remain alive in a mad scramble for five remaining playoff spots, and the seven clubs already qualified for the postseason play fight for seeding in the penultimate week of National Football League (NFL) action.

The Week 16 schedule has most games slotted on Saturday with five Christmas Eve showdowns between teams still battling to stay alive in their bid to join the Super Bowl tournament.

One of those clashes is a Big Apple civil war between the New York Jets (8-6) and the New York Giants (7-7), with both teams desperate for a win to stay on track for a playoff spot.

"We have to win this game, they have to win this game," Jets coach Rex Ryan said.

"You play all those games, 16 regular season games, to earn the right to go to the playoffs, and now we have two left. We have to win both. And that's how we're looking at it. I know that's how the Giants are looking at it, so this game, you can't get any bigger than that."

The Jets hold the edge to claiming an AFC wildcard berth, while the Giants can win the NFC East title with two wins.

Division leading Dallas Cowboys (8-6), who visit the Giants in the regular season finale, host the resurgent Philadelphia Eagles (6-8), who need a victory to remain in the hunt.

The lone Sunday game has the Green Bay Packers (13-1) entertaining the Chicago Bears (7-7), with the hosts looking to bounce back from their first defeat, a 19-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and clinch home field advantage for the playoffs.

The loss to the Chiefs scuttled any chance of NFC North champions Green Bay achieving the NFL's first 19-0 campaign, but could in the long run help their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions with the pressures of an unbeaten run suddenly off their shoulders.

'SOMETHING SPECIAL'

"It hurts because that's something special," veteran wide receiver Donald Driver said after the Kansas City game, their first defeat in nearly a year. "The perfect season is over now. We know we have five games left to win the whole thing."

The New Orleans Saints (11-3) can sew up the NFC South with a win Monday night against the visiting Atlanta Falcons, who at 9-5 are tied with the Detroit Lions as front-runners for the National Football Conference wildcard spots. The Lions host the still-hopeful San Diego Chargers (7-7).

Atlanta and Detroit would clinch wildcards with a victory.

The Denver Broncos (8-6) and hard-running quarterback Tim Tebow, who received praise this week from previously skeptical team executive and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, visit the Buffalo Bills as they close in on the AFC West title.

All four AFC West teams, however, were still alive for the playoffs, with the Oakland Raiders (7-7) at Kansas City (6-8) in an intra-division clash, and San Diego all in the mix.

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers remained locked in a struggle for the AFC North crown with 10-4 records, with the Ravens hosting the Cleveland Browns (4-10) and the Steelers entertaining the St Louis Rams (2-12).

One change this weekend is a new safety measure to protect against possible concussions, stemming from a hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy that resulted in an undetected injury in a game against the Steelers earlier this month.

A trainer will be assigned to each game with access to replays and a direct line to teams' medical staffs to watch for players that might need checking for concussions.

Sideline trainers did not notice the helmet-to-helmet contact absorbed by McCoy, who did not exhibit or complain of concussion symptoms after the play and returned to the game. He was later diagnosed with concussion and sidelined as a result of the hit by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison.

(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

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Raiders lose control of AFC West after Miami loss

 

1 of 3. Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush (L) tries to elude Oakland Raiders cornerback Lito Sheppard after picking up a first down during their NFL football game in Miami, Florida, December 4, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Joe Skipper

By Simon Evans

MIAMI | Sun Dec 4, 2011 6:49pm EST

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Oakland Raiders lost sole control of the AFC West after falling 34-14 to the rejuvenated Miami Dolphins in National Football League action Sunday.

With the Denver Broncos (7-5) beating the Minnesota Vikings (2-10), the Raiders (7-5) are now tied atop the division and Oakland could have few complaints about the outcome.

"After a loss like this there's really not much to say other than we just got outplayed in every phase of the game," said Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer, whose team showed little fight after trailing 13-0 at halftime. "We just got physically beat which is very discouraging."

The Dolphins added three touchdowns in the third quarter -- Reggie Bush and quarterback Matt Moore running home and then Kevin Burnett returning an interception 34 yards -- to put the game out of reach.

"We couldn't run it, we couldn't stop the run, we didn't throw it very well, we didn't play special teams very well," said Raiders head coach Hue Jackson.

"When it gets like that, that's just a bad day at the office. There isn't any excuse. I'll take everything on myself."

The Dolphins, who began the season 0-7, have now won four of their last five games, and while the playoffs remain far out of sight, the team could be helping head coach Tony Sparano to save his job.

"Tony is the kind of guy everyone in this locker room likes to play for. It was never a situation where guys were not believing in what Tony was saying," said veteran linebacker Jason Taylor.

"I haven't met a tougher guy than Tony. He's like Teflon Don right now. Everything just falls of his back right now and he keeps going about his business and could care less what people say."

Moore, who took over at quarterback after starter Chad Henne was injured in early October, was solid again throwing for 162 yards and one touchdown while running back Bush rushed for 100 yards and one touchdown.

Oakland defensive tackle Richard Seymour was ejected in the third quarter for throwing a punch.

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Vonn secures spectacular Lake Louise

 

Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. makes as turn while on her way to winning the Women's World Cup Super-G alpine skiing race in Lake Louise, Alberta December 4, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake

By Patrick Lang

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta | Sun Dec 4, 2011 3:55pm EST

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Reuters) - American Lindsey Vonn secured a spectacular weekend hat-trick in Lake Louise when she won a women's Super-G Sunday to add to her downhill victories Friday and Saturday.

Olympic downhill champion Vonn, who also achieved a rare weekend hat-trick in Haus im Ennstal in the 2009-2010 season, has now won 11 races at the Canadian resort -- two Super-G's and nine downhills. It was the 45th World Cup win of her career.

"This is the best way for me to face the situation. I don't read the papers but I know what the media are talking about," said the 27-year-old, who announced last week she was seeking divorce from her husband Thomas.

"Skiing, competition are the best way to overcome my private situation."

Vonn, who finished 0.19 seconds ahead of Austria's super-combined world champion Anna Fenninger, said it had been her hardest win of the weekend.

"I felt I was not skiing that well and I really had to fight hard. I was not as relaxed as usual," she said.

Fenninger equalled her best result in a World Cup race but said she was "a dozen kilos too light to be a match in the bottom part."

Vonn's compatriot Julia Mancuso repeated her performance last year in the same race by finishing third, 0.71 adrift.

Thanks to her perfect weekend, Vonn broke clear in the World Cup overall standings and leads Germany's Viktoria Rebesnburg by 136 points.

The three-times World Cup champion, winner of four of the five races held this season, warned there was more to come next week when she returns home to Beaver Creek on a piste which is rarely used by women.

"I'm really looking forward to returning to Beaver Creek and the Birds of Prey piste I know it well. I was a forerunner on it in 1999," she said.

(Editing by Justin Palmer)

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Tiger ends two-year title drought with Chevron win

 

1 of 4. Tiger Woods of the U.S. hits out of a bunker onto the third green during the final round of the Chevron World Challenge PGA golf tournament in Thousand Oaks, California December 4, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

THOUSAND OAKS, California | Sun Dec 4, 2011 10:17pm EST

THOUSAND OAKS, California (Reuters) - Tiger Woods ended a frustrating victory drought of just over two years when he clinched the Chevron World Challenge which he hosts by one shot Sunday, holing a six-foot birdie putt at the last.

A stroke behind fellow American Zach Johnson overnight, Woods fired a three-under-par 69 at Sherwood Country Club to claim the 95th tournament win of his career -- but his first since the 2009 Australian Masters.

Woods, whose world ranking plummeted from number one to 52nd while he struggled for fitness and form over the last two years with his private life in tatters, came from one shot behind with two holes to play to post a 10-under total of 278.

He drained a 15-footer at the par-three 17th before coolly knocking in a six-footer on the 18th green and then celebrating with a roundhouse sweep through the air with his right arm.

"It feels great to go basically head-to-head against Zach all day," a jubilant Woods told reporters after his spectacular birdie-birdie finish ended a run of 26 tournaments around the world without victory.

"Zach put a lot of pressure on me. He turned the tide (on 16), next thing I am one down playing the last couple of holes. Then I made two good putts."

Asked to describe his feelings after ending his lengthy title drought, 14-times major champion Woods replied: "It feels awesome, whatever that is.

"I know it's been a while, but also for some reason it feels like it hasn't (been a while) because when I was coming down the stretch there I felt so comfortable.

"Was I nervous? Absolutely. I'm always nervous in that position but it's a comfortable feeling, and I enjoy being in that position," added Woods, who will rise to 21st when the new world rankings are issued Monday.

Johnson, seeking his first victory since last year's Colonial Invitational, had to settle for second place in his effective head-to-head with Woods after closing with a 71.

Britain's Paul Casey, who opened with a 79 in Thursday's wind-buffeted opening round, signed off with a 69 to secure third place at five under.

SUN-SPLASHED DAY

Johnson held a one-stroke lead at the start of a glorious, sun-splashed autumn day at Sherwood and he preserved that advantage when he and Woods each birdied the par-five second.

However, Johnson then bogeyed the next two holes -- missing the green to the left off the tee at the par-three third and failing to reach the green in two at the par-four fourth -- to slip one stroke behind Woods.

Johnson immediately responded with a battling birdie at the par-five fifth.

Despite ending up above a fairway bunker with his drive and clipping tree branches with his second shot for the ball to advance only 100 yards, he then struck a sizzling approach to five feet and knocked in the putt to draw level with Woods at eight under.

Johnson and Woods both bogeyed the tricky par-three eighth to slip back to seven under before reaching the turn three ahead of the chasing pack.

Woods edged a stroke in front with a birdie at the par-four 10th, where his approach from the right rough ended up within three feet of the cup.

He picked up another shot at the par-five 11th after reaching the green in two, but then bogeyed the par-three 12th where he found the left greenside bunker off the tee.

Johnson again caught Woods with a birdie at the par-five 13th, where he got up and down from just short of the green, and the pair stayed level with three holes to play.

Both players laid up at the par-five 16th and Johnson edged a stroke in front after hitting his approach to 12 feet and calmly rolling in the putt.

Woods immediately countered with his 15-foot birdie putt at the 17th before driving his right fist forward in celebration as the watching gallery roared its approval.

That set up the grandstand finish on 18 where Woods triumphed in style after recording his fifth birdie of the day.

"There were certainly a lot of positives out there today, and I can obviously think of a lot of shots I gave away," Johnson said. "I just came up a little bit short.

"I executed well when I needed to, hit good shots when I needed to, and I putted pretty well for the most part. Overall I'm not disappointed in my performance or my approach. I'm just not overly ecstatic about the outcome."

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Titans run over Bills and boost playoff hopes

 

1 of 2. Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) is dejected as he leaves the field after losing to the Tennessee Titans after the fourth quarter of their NFL football game in Orchard Park, New York December 4, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Doug Benz

By Steve Keating

ORCHARD PARK, New York | Sun Dec 4, 2011 8:22pm EST

ORCHARD PARK, New York (Reuters) - Chris Johnson ran for a pair of touchdowns to help power the Tennessee Titans into the National Football League (NFL) playoff hunt with a 23-17 win over the fading Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

With the win, the Titans (7-5) remained in the mix for the AFC's final wild card while the Bills' (5-7) postseason hopes all but disappeared with a fifth straight loss.

After a slow start to the season, Johnson seems to have hit his stride as the NFL's rushing leader in 2009 followed last week's 190-yard performance by rushing for 153 yards on 23 carries, including a 48-yard burst in the first quarter to give the Titans a 10-7 lead they would not surrender.

"We've been saying for a long time, if we can run the ball that well, we become a tough team to stop," Tennessee first-year coach Mike Munchak told reporters. "The last few weeks, we've run the ball much better.

"I don't think anything has changed with (Johnson), I just think the blocking is better, I think he is getting more clean looks, more clean opportunities."

The impact of Buffalo's recent skid has not only been felt in the standings but also at the gate with thousands of empty seats sprinkled across Ralph Wilson Stadium as the Bills failed to sell enough tickets to lift the local television blackout for the first time this season.

While the Bills, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals have taken turns hogging the spotlight for turnaround of the year, the Titans have quietly put together a comeback campaign of their own and are closing in on their first playoff berth in three years.

After losing eight of the final nine games last season, the Titans rebounded behind the solid play of veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and an improving defense.

Hasselbeck, who signed with the Titans earlier this year after 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, turned in another efficient performance Sunday by completing 16 of 25 pass attempts for 140-yards.

The Titans opened the scoring on a 48-yard Rob Bironas field goal but the first half featured some dazzling running from both teams with Johnson rumbling for 106 yards and two touchdowns while Buffalo counterpart C.J. Spiller rushed for 80 of his 83 yards and a score as Tennessee grabbed a 17-10 first-half lead.

Bironas would extend Tennessee's lead with field goals in the third and fourth quarters before the Bills offence came back to life, Ryan Fitzpatrick hitting Stevie Johnson with a two-yard touchdown strike to trim the Titans lead to 23-17.

But the Bills could not complete the comeback and fell four games back of the AFC East-leading New England Patriots with four games left in the regular season.

"You can say you're playing for pride, you can say you're playing for jobs, you can say you're playing for the future, all those are partially true," Buffalo coach Chan Gailey said about his team's fading playoff hopes.

"It's going to be very hard now. I don't want to say impossible, nothing is impossible we all know that."

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Undefeated Packers use late drive to edge Giants

 

Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby (C) celebrates with his teammates Ryan Taylor (R) and Howard Green (L) after making the game winning field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter during their NFL football game against the New York Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey, December 4, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

By Larry Fine

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey | Sun Dec 4, 2011 10:39pm EST

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - The Green Bay Packers celebrated the clinching of a playoff berth on Sunday by beating the New York Giants 38-35 on a last-second field goal to maintain their unbeaten record.

The Packers, who sewed up a postseason spot when NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears lost earlier in the day, briskly moved the ball into field goal range for the win after New York tied it with a last-minute touchdown and two-point conversion.

Taking possession on their own 20 with 58 seconds left, Rodgers hit tight end Jermichael Finley for 24 yards, then connected with a remarkable 27-yard dart to Jordy Nelson down the sideline with the pass rush closing in.

Two more short completions by Rodgers set up a 30-yard field goal by Mason Crosby as time expired.

The Packers improved to 12-0 on the season by overcoming the lively challenge by the Giants, who were coming off an embarrassing 49-24 loss to New Orleans.

Despite a spirited effort, New York lost their fourth game in a row and fell to 6-6, one game behind the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys (7-5) with four games to go in the National Football League's regular season.

Green Bay, who have won most of their games in comfortable fashion, took a measure of satisfaction out of engineering a final drive to win a game.

"We've had a number of games this year that we've won by a couple of scores and get to kneel down at the end of the game," said Rodgers, who completed 28-of-46 throws for 369 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

"To get the ball on the 20, backed up under a minute, and take it down there and get it into a chip-shot field goal range is pretty special."

Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy agreed: "The two-minute drive is something we practice every week. This was a drive that we needed. Aaron Rodgers did a great job running the drill. Just a classic two-minute drive.

"You're going to have to complete two-minute drives to win a championship."

UNDEFEATED SEASON

Green Bay, who had beaten opponents by an average of more than 14 points a game, held a 21-17 lead after the first half and both teams continued to move the ball in the second half.

The Giants fell behind by 11 but battled back within 28-27 after a 50-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes early in the fourth quarter.

The Packers restored their eight-point lead on a seven-yard TD catch by Donald Driver but New York answered with a 69-yard touchdown drive, and D.J. Ware bulled up the middle for a two-point conversion to tie it before Green Bay executed a hurry-up drive to perfection for the win.

McCarthy said it was too soon to talk about prospects of an undefeated season.

"We have other goals in front of us," he said, looking ahead to clinching the division, a first-round postseason bye and home field advantage. "I hope we're in a position to talk about it."

While the Giants had their losing skid extended, they took solace in giving Green Bay their toughest game of the season and still had a longshot chance at the playoffs.

"It can have a positive (effect) if you play the way that we played and if you give the effort that we gave and if you play with the intensity that we played with," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin. "We have four games left and we have to win four games."

Manning completed 23-of-40 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

The Super Bowl champion Packers next take on the AFC West co-leading Oakland Raiders (7-5), while the Giants visit the Cowboys in a crucial NFC East showdown next Sunday.

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Cohesiveness, fitness favors Miami Heat in 2011-12

By Larry Fine

(Reuters) - The starter's gun sounds Christmas Day on an National Basketball Association (NBA) sprint of a season that will reward cohesiveness and fitness in a compressed 66-game campaign that has the Miami Heat as clear front-runners.

Miami's 'Big Three' of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh came together as free agents last year and the nucleus made it to the NBA Finals before falling to the Dallas Mavericks.

After one season to work out the kinks, the Heat look ready to show they really have a hold on a league that used a five-month lockout of players to get a labor agreement that gave owners a bigger share of revenues and reshaped rules toward improving competitive balance.

James, who shied away from crunch-time responsibilities in the Finals, showed his commitment to claiming a maiden title by making an off-season pilgrimage to Houston for a tutorial on post moves from Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon.

In preparation for the season's December 25 start, teams held hurry-up training camps that coincided with a frenzied free-agent signing period that produced winners and losers.

The Heat index shot up, the Mavericks lost some firepower and the lowly Los Angeles Clippers created an instant rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant by adding premier point guard Chris Paul and other pieces.

Miami improved by adding sweet-shooting small forward Shane Battier, while Dallas may have taken a step back after losing center Tyson Chandler (New York Knicks), forward Caron Butler (Clippers) and back-up guard J.J. Barea (Minnesota Timberwolves) despite welcoming two-times NBA champion Lamar Odom to Texas.

A disgruntled Odom was ultimately traded by the Lakers, who had included the versatile forward in a trade offer to league-owned New Orleans for Paul, which was nixed by the NBA.

The Chicago Bulls, who reached the Eastern Conference final against Miami, added a potentially key piece in shooting guard Richard Hamilton, who could provide just the complement to point guard Derrick Rose, the NBA's reigning most valuable player.

While the impact of provisions on competitive balance is yet to be seen, the season figures to be ruled by teams that already know how to play together and can withstand the rigors of a schedule that includes three games in three days for all teams and stretches for some of five games in six nights.

Veteran-laden teams like the Boston Celtics, with their aging impact trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, could start fast but may wear down come playoff time.

The San Antonio Spurs could be in the same boat as Boston, ready to hit the hardcourt smoothly with a veteran trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker, but eventually challenged to keep step with last year's Western Conference runners-up the Oklahoma City Thunder.

BIG UNKNOWN

The Thunder, with a young core of NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant and guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden leading the way, may be ready to reach the Finals.

The Knicks and Clippers are rounding into shape as possible contenders, but might need time to gel.

The Clippers, who won 32 games last year and have exceeded the .500 mark once in the last 19 years, have a new look.

Besides adding premier point guard Paul, they have also welcomed former Mavs forward Butler and veteran guard Chauncey Billups to a young squad that boasts former overall number one pick Blake Griffin and talented center DeAndre Jordan.

Chandler brings a defensive presence down low for the Knicks, whose high-scoring duo of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire continue to blend their skills after half a season together in New York.

One big unknown factor in the season is the fate of Dwight Howard, the powerful center of the Orlando Magic, who is in a lame duck season with free agency looming.

Viable suitors for Howard include the Lakers, Mavericks and the New Jersey Nets, whose imminent move to Brooklyn gives them appeal as a true second New York City team with outstanding point guard Deron Williams already in place.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Westwood holds on to win Sun City Challenge

 

Former world number one Lee Westwood of Britain celebrates winning the finals of the Sun City Challenge golf tournament in Sun City December 4, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

By Ken Borland

SUN CITY, South Africa | Sun Dec 4, 2011 12:30pm EST

SUN CITY, South Africa (Reuters) - Defending champion Lee Westwood held off the rest of the field to win the Sun City Challenge by two strokes at the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday.

Westwood began the final day with a seven-shot lead after the course-record 62 he fired in the third round, but the Briton did not have the same sharpness to his game on Sunday.

The rest of the field could not capitalise, however, with second-placed Swede Robert Karlsson's 68 being the best score of the fourth round, and Westwood could afford to bogey the last two holes for a win that was more convincing then the scoreline suggests.

Westwood's final-round 73 saw him finish on 15-under-par 273 for the tournament, earning the world number three the winner's cheque of $1.25 million in the 12-man invitational event.

The Englishman went through the front nine in two-under-par with birdies at the par-four sixth and par-five ninth holes as he reached the turn with a five-stroke lead.

He told a news conference: "Graeme McDowell got within four of me and Robert Karlsson made a few putts coming in, but I played conservatively.

"Sometimes I aimed 25-30 feet wide of the flags and I wasn't concerned about the odd bogey because I felt the course was playing quite tough."

Northern Irishman McDowell went to four-under-par for his round with a birdie at the par-five 10th, but his hopes took a dive with a double-bogey at the par-four 15th when his approach to the green went way down a bank.

His first chip only went halfway back and his second chip was flying over the green when it hit the flag and rebounded 25 feet from the hole.

Karlsson's 68 was a steady round, but he struggled to develop the momentum necessary to challenge Westwood, while American Jason Dufner shot a 69 and had been just four shots behind the leader when he reached the 15th tee.

But he paid the price for putting his drive in the thick African bush, his second shot catching a flyer and finishing well right of the green, leading to a double-bogey.

Dufner claimed joint third place on 11-under alongside McDowell.

South Korea's Kim Kyung-tae Kim shot his fourth successive 70 to complete an impressive first visit to South Africa in fifth place on eight-under-par. South Africa's Charl Schwartzel finished sixth on six-under.

Westwood is the sixth golfer to defend his title at Sun City, following in the footsteps of Seve Ballesteros (1984), David Frost (1990), Nick Price (1998), Ernie Els (2000) and Jim Furyk (2006).

The 38-year-old said he felt more comfortable at the Gary Player Country Club than on most courses.

"It's a place I've always played well and it's a great tournament to win," he told reporters. "You've only got to look at the names on the trophy and on the walk to the ninth green to see that.

"It's set up like a major championship course, you have to be real accurate off the tee and, if your distance-control is good, you can set up lots of birdies."

No one has won three Sun City Challenge titles in a row and Westwood said: "Obviously I'm coming back then next year."

The former world number one now goes on to the Dubai World Championship where he has finished first and third in the last two years.

"There's nothing like winning to give you confidence and I'd like to keep that momentum going. I've played well on that course too," Westwood said.

(Editing by Dave Thompson)

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Lakers' Kobe Bryant hurts wrist, questionable for opener

Los Angeles Laker's Kobe Bryant listens during a news conference following NBA labor meetings in New York October 4, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

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Canucks pass another West test with win over Wings

1 of 3. Detroit Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom (C) fights for the puck against Vancouver Canucks' Alex Edler in front of Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo during the third period of their NHL game in Vancouver, British Columbia December 21, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Ben Nelms

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Four ex-players sue NFL alleging brain damage

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four former National Football League players, including two Pro Bowl players, sued the league over brain injuries that they say left them facing medical problems years after their careers ended.

Dorsey Levens and Jamal Lewis, both named to the annual All-Star Pro Bowl, as well as Fulton Kuykendall and Ryan Stewart, filed the lawsuit against the National Football League and NFL Properties LLC on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

The suits are the latest in a series filed against the NFL in recent months by former players who say the league did not do enough to protect them from concussions.

The Atlanta suit alleges the NFL knew as early as the 1920s of the potential for concussions but only made them public in 2010.

"The NFL not only failed to take effective action in an attempt to protect players from suffering, but failed to inform players of the true risks associated with concussions," the suit said.
The NFL's practice was "to return players who had suffered concussions to the very game in which the injury occurred."

In response, the league said it had long made player safety a priority and continued to do so.
"Any allegation that the NFL intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit," the NFL said in a statement on Thursday.

"It stands in contrast to the league's actions to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions."
The four ex-players live in the Atlanta area.

Lewis, 32, is a former running back for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. Levens, 41, also was a running back for the Green Bay Packers and other teams until his career ended in 2003.
Kuykendall, 58, a former linebacker, played in the NFL between 1974 and 1985. Stewart, 38, was a safety for the Detroit Lions until his career ended in 2000.

The men said they had a number of medical problems arising from their playing days. They include memory loss, headaches and sleeplessness.

About 10 federal lawsuits have been filed against the NFL by former players and some have been merged into class actions. A panel of federal judges will meet on January 26 in Miami to decide whether to consolidate the lawsuits into a single case.

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Penguins defenseman suspended for check to head

Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla (R) collides with Pittsburgh Penguins' Deryk Engelland during the third period of their NHL game in Calgary, Alberta October 8, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Todd Korol

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Boxer Mayweather to serve 90 days in jail for attack

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

n">(Reuters) - A Las Vegas judge sentenced boxer Floyd Mayweather on Wednesday to six months behind bars for a 2010 attack on the mother of his children, but half of that jail term was suspended, officials said.

Mayweather, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion, pleaded guilty to one count of battery and no contest to two counts of harassment after reaching a deal with prosecutors, said Mary Ann Price, spokeswoman for the Clark County Courts.

Those charges were part of a criminal complaint against Mayweather, 34, that originally included charges of robbery, grand larceny and coercion over an altercation at the home of his former girlfriend, Josie Harris.

Las Vegas Judge Melissa Saragosa sentenced Mayweather to six months in jail, but she only ordered him to serve three months behind bars, officials said.

Saragosa suspended the other three months of the sentence, but if he is arrested again or fails to complete certain parts of his sentence he would have to spend those three months in jail, said Tess Driver, spokeswoman for the Clark County District Attorney's Office which prosecuted the case.

The judge ordered Mayweather to complete 100 hours of community service and attend a 12-month domestic violence program, officials said.

Mayweather, who lives in Las Vegas, must report to court on January 6 to be transferred to jail, officials said.

An attorney for Mayweather could not be reached for comment.

Mayweather originally faced a maximum sentence of over 30 years in jail in the case, Driver said.

A criminal complaint against Mayweather states he battered Harris in November 2010, when he grabbed her by the hair, threw her to the floor and struck her. The robbery and larceny charges against Mayweather related to allegations that he took Harris' cell phone.

Five-division world champion Mayweather, a flamboyant fighter renowned for his trash-talking before bouts, is widely regarded as the best defensive fighter of his generation.

The boxer known as "Money" improved his professional record to a perfect 42-0, including 26 knockouts, with a fourth-round knockout of Victor Ortiz in Las Vegas in September to claim the World Boxing Council welterweight title.

He is due back in court for a separate case next week, when he is expected to plead guilty to a charge of misdemeanor battery against a security guard, Driver said. That would carry a $1,000 fine, she said.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis and Mark Lamport-Stokes)

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Kadri call-up pays off for Leafs

(Reuters) - Nazem Kadri made the most of his call-up from the minor leagues to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, scoring the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at the Air Canada Center.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Toronto while Northeast rivals Buffalo have now lost three in a row.

"It felt great," Kadri told reporters. "It's nice to have an immediate impact. Last year it took me a few games to score the first one so it's great to get the monkey off my back.

"Hopefully there are more to come."

Jason Pominville gave the Sabres a much deserved lead midway through the second period with a powerplay goal.

Toronto were called for four consecutive penalties and Buffalo carried the momentum, firing 14 of the first 15 shots in the period.

The Leafs struck back quickly with goals by Dave Steckel and Phil Kessel 62 seconds apart, giving them a 2-1 lead going into the third.

Derek Roy tied the score early in the third period, pouncing on a turnover and firing a shot over the left shoulder of Leafs netminder James Reimer, who made 40 saves in the game.

Kadri put the seal on an impressive night by taking a drop pass from Clarke MacArthur and sending a wrist shot into the top corner.

"We got the number of shots," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We got the chances. We got the lead. We bounced back and had a great start to the third period."

Already missing six regulars, the Sabres lost top goal scorer Thomas Vanek, who did not play the third period due to an injury.

"He gave a valiant effort trying to come out and play hard," said Roy. "Nobody knows that you're hurt but you're playing hurt. He just didn't have it tonight. He was a little bit too sore."

(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Kings give new coach Sutter a nervy winning start

By Mark Lamport-Stokes
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Kings gave new coach Darryl Sutter a few early scares before delivering him a triumphant welcome with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

In Sutter's first game in charge, the Kings came from a goal down to lead 2-1 and then, after conceding an equalizer late in the third period, inflicted a fourth successive loss on their struggling division rivals.
Kings captain Dustin Brown scored the decisive goal in the shootout to improve his team's record to 16-14-4, but still below the cutoff line for the playoffs in the 15-team Western Conference with the season approaching its midway point.

"Hard-fought game," Sutter told reporters just two days after replacing interim Kings coach John Stevens. "I thought we had a good start, we did a lot of good things.

"I liked the way our forwards played, really good in all three zones. That's what we're trying to do. I think we moved the puck pretty good."

Sutter last coached in the NHL with the Calgary Flames but stepped down from that role in 2006 to focus on being the team's general manager, a position he vacated a year ago.

Asked how it felt to be back in charge as a coach, he replied: "I've been pretty focused all day, didn't really think about it. I was thinking more about how you use your players.

"Nothing like game day, I've always said that. Even when I was sitting upstairs, game day was still the best."
The Ducks opened the scoring against the run of play when left wing Niklas Hagman tipped in a shot by Lubomir Visnovsky at 13.55 of the second period.

KINGS REPLY

The Kings responded soon after when center Mike Richards, back in action after missing eight games because of a head injury, deflected a long-range blast by Drew Doughty at 16.17 to record a team-high 12th goal of the season.

Roared on by a sellout crowd of 18,118 at the Staples Center, the Kings went 2-1 up midway through the third when Brown scored with a wrist shot off an assist from center Anze Kopitar.

The home team twice came close to adding a third before Visnovsky made it 2-2 when he fired a wrist shot past Kings goalie Jonathan Quick with three minutes left in regulation.

Neither side could break the deadlock after five minutes of overtime but center Jarret Stoll, whose goal was canceled out by Ducks veteran Teemu Selanne, and Brown each scored in the shootout to earn the Kings a nerve-jangling win.

"Right now it's about getting points," Brown said. "That's the most important. Secondly, we're starting to push good games together. You look at the stats like 'O' (offense) zone time, you're starting to see guys hold on to the puck more.

"That's two-fold. When you're spending more time in their zone it wears them down a little over the course of the game."

The Ducks, who have continued to struggle since hiring Bruce Boudreau as their new coach last month, remain one spot off the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

"The shootout is a crapshoot, anything can happen with it," Boudreau said. "Overall, I hate to keep saying it, but I thought we played pretty solid.

"The difference between winning and losing is sometimes just the attitude and believing that you are going to win or believing you are going to lose."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Penn State football program value damaged by scandal: report

(Reuters) - Penn State held onto the No. 3 position in Forbes' rankings of the most valuable college football programs this year, but is expected to drop in the future because of a sex abuse scandal, the magazine said on Thursday.

The University of Texas held the top spot with a football program value estimated by Forbes at $129 million over the past football season, followed by the University of Notre Dame at $112 million and Penn State at $100 million, Forbes said. Forbes said Penn State made a profit of $53 million on football in the last season.

"It seems almost certain that Penn State's reign as a top-earning program is coming to an end," Forbes said.

Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky has been charged with molesting 10 young boys over more than a decade, including incidents at the university's facilities. Sandusky has maintained his innocence.

Penn State trustees fired legendary football coach Joe Paterno and the university president in November for not telling police after they were informed about one alleged incident. Two former senior university officials have been charged with lying to a grand jury about what they knew about allegations against Sandusky.

Penn State's program could lose $20 million to $30 million in the long term as a result of the scandal, according to Patrick Rishe, a Forbes contributor and Webster University economics professor, the magazine said.

The loss of alumni contributions and game-day income could reach up to $10 million per year and the team also is already losing some major high school recruits who have decided not to play football for Penn State, Forbes said.

Forbes cited Cars.com and other companies pulling their ads from telecasts of Penn State games after the scandal broke, but said other major sponsors have remained.
(Reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Greg McCune)

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Cardinals look to rebuild with Beltran

(Reuters) - The St Louis Cardinals have signed outfielder Carlos Beltran pending a physical, the team announced on Thursday.

The two-year deal was worth $26 million and contained a no-trade clause, according to the local media.
The 34-year-old would be the Cardinals' first significant signing since three-times National League MVP Albert Pujols signed with the Los Angeles Angels earlier this month.

"Beltran is a proven outfielder who obviously has been a tough opponent against the Cardinals for many years," St Louis senior vice president John Mozeliak said in a statement.

"It is going to be nice to have his bat and competitive nature working for us instead of on the other side of the field for the next couple of years."

Beltran, a six times All-Star, hit 22 home runs and batted .300 in 142 games last season split between the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

In the two previous seasons Beltran was limited to 145 games due to knee surgeries.
(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Colts score late touchdown to shock Texans 19-16

(Reuters) - The Indianapolis Colts scored a touchdown in the final minute to stun AFC South rivals Houston 19-16 at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday.

It was the second consecutive win for the Colts, who lost their first 13 games of a miserable season. The Texans (10-5), who have already clinched the division, suffered their second loss in a row.
With several key players out with injuries both teams struggled offensively, scoring one touchdown each.

The Colts continue to miss quarterback Peyton Manning, who has been out following off-season neck surgery and were without tight end Dallas Clark.

The Texans started T.J. Yates in place of injured quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Matt Leinhart and wide receiver Andre Johnson remains out with a hamstring injury.

Dan Orlovsky, starting in place of Manning, led the Colts on a 12-play, 78-yard scoring drive in the final two minutes of the game, capping the drive with a one-yard pass to Reggie Wayne in the corner of the end zone with 19 seconds left.

"He walks by my locker every day and says: 'Throw left,'" Orlovsky told reporters. "He walked by me in pre-game tonight and said: 'Throw left.' I think he deserved the opportunity."

The Texans scored their touchdown in the opening minute.

Brian Cushing sacked Orlovsky on the first play of the game and two plays later Arian Foster scored on a nine-yard run.

"I've got to give them a lot of credit," Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said. "Dan (Orlovsky) did a great job on that last series.

"If we had made one more play on offense, or one more play on defense, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

In between the two touchdowns, the teams settled for field goals with Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri connecting on four of five attempts while Neil Rackers was three-for-three for the Texans.
(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario ;Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Venus coming to Australian Open - tournament chief

Venus Williams of the U.S. serves to Flavia Pennetta of Italy during an exhibition tennis match in Milan December 3, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Alessandro Garofalo

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Seven-times grand slam champion Venus Williams will still play the Australian Open despite withdrawing from her scheduled warm-up tournament in New Zealand for health reasons, according to tournament director Craig Tiley.

American Williams, who has been receiving treatment for Sjogren's syndrome, an auto-immune disease, pulled out of the January 2-7 Auckland Classic, organizers said earlier this week.

Tiley said he had spoken to Williams's agent to check her availability after news of the withdrawal.
"I wanted to touch base but there's no change for her. She's coming," Tiley said in comments published by the Australian newspaper on Friday.

Williams withdrew from September's U.S. Open with Sjogren's, a chronic disease where white blood cells attack moisture-producing glands causing fatigue and joint soreness.

The five-times Wimbledon champion has since slipped to a world ranking of 102, but said last month that she hoped to return to the tour full-time in 2012 and to climb back up to top of the rankings.
She will play in a mixed doubles exhibition match with her younger sister and fellow former world number one Serena in Florida on Friday to help raise funds for a youth education charity.
The Australian Open starts on January 16.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; editing by Nick Mulvenney)

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