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(01/17/07 5:13am)
BOSTON -- Patriots safety Rodney Harrison remained coy about a possible return for Sunday's AFC title game against the Indianapolis Colts after missing New England's first two playoff games with a knee injury.\n"We'll see," Harrison said Tuesday night after watching Boston College beat Miami 82-63 in basketball. "Day-to-day."\nHarrison sprained his right knee in the Patriots' last regular-season game and did not play in the first round of the postseason against the New York Jets or on Sunday in New England's 24-21 victory against his former team, the San Diego Chargers. He has not been available for comment since the injury.\nLast season, Harrison missed the last 13 regular-season games and both playoff games after he tore three ligaments in his left knee. This season, he missed six games with a broken right shoulder blade, then played one full game before getting hurt against the Tennessee Titans.
(01/17/07 5:07am)
Be honest. You're out there somewhere. \nYou're the one who didn't like IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan's decision to hire Kelvin Sampson back in March.\nYou're the one who wanted a big splash name, a John Calipari, a Mark Few or, gulp, maybe even a Steve Alford. You spent much of that first day of Sampson's hire ranting and raving on the message board or blog of your choice.\nDo you still feel like it was a huge mistake? Well, if you do, um, you're wrong. \nSure, there are going to be bumps along the way. No one person or team is perfect. They'll be seasons down the line when IU struggles. Heck, that might even happen later this season. And yes, Sampson certainly doesn't have a national or Big Ten title to boast about, yet.\nBut for the here and now, Tuesday night's 71-64 win against Iowa marks the Hoosiers' fourth straight Big Ten win. Save for somewhat of a defensive lapse during the last eight minutes of Tuesday's tilt -- these were convincing, both-end-of-the-court victories.\nIn the Hoosiers' three home Big Ten wins, they've led by 20 points or more in each. At Penn State on Saturday, they finally got over their road woes and battled back against a Nittany Lions team firing on all cylinders.\nThis year's Hoosiers squad is fun to watch. They've shown they can win in myriad ways, whether it be a combination of their defense or rebounding and hot 3-point shooting or strong inside play by junior forward D.J. White. \nAt this point, the Hoosiers seem well on their way to amassing 20 wins this season, something IU hasn't done since the 2002-03 when it won 21 games and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.\nAnd how about this one: With IU's 4-1 start in the Big Ten so far, Sampson is the first first-year IU coach since Branch McCracken in the 1938-39 season to start out winning four of his first five Big Ten games.\nIt's still somewhat early in conference play. There's plenty of time for IU to take a dive. Don't forget that during Mike Davis' last three years at the helm, the Hoosiers started 4-1 in the Big Ten. \nBut for now, the season looks bright. And you have Mr. Kelvin Sampson to thank for that.
(01/16/07 4:13am)
The No. 15 IU wrestling team showed Eastern Illinois why it's earned that ranking this weekend in a staggering 41-4 victory against the Panthers.\nWith an overall record of 16-6-0 against EIU, IU has won the last 12 matches between the two schools, including a 36-3 blowout last season. For the fifth year in a row and eight of the last nine seasons, the Hoosiers and Panthers have competed during the regular season. IU has won all eight matches.\n"It was a very intense meet," said IU coach Duane Goldman. "It was a good one to have prior to starting Big Ten season next weekend (against Purdue)." \nNo. 12-ranked freshman Angel Escobedo defeated A.J. Ciccarelli in the first match of the day and brought six points to the board for IU. The victory brought IU to a perfect record of 9-0 in dual meets this season. Escobedo's pin of Ciccarelli was his 11th of the season, tying the redshirt freshman for 10th place in the IU record books for the most pins in a single season.\nFreshman Matt Coughlin is also off to a strong start. Coughlin has defeated six competitors ranked in the top 20 nationally this season.\nOn Friday, IU will take on Purdue in its Big Ten season opener. Purdue placed 12th at the Midland Championships, hosted by Northwestern, where the Hoosiers placed fifth. Purdue is coming off its first loss of the season after falling to Ohio State 28-6 last weekend.
(01/11/07 5:08am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Mayor Bart Peterson bet his Baltimore counterpart a shrimp cocktail and steak that the Colts will beat the Ravens on Saturday.\nPeterson said Wednesday he would send Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley the signature appetizer and entree from St. Elmo's Steakhouse, a landmark downtown restaurant, if the Ravens win the AFC divisional playoff game in Baltimore.\nO'Malley, who will become Maryland's governor next week, has agreed to send Peterson some crab cakes if the Colts win.\n"Baltimore is a fine city, and the Ravens have a great team," Peterson said. "But with all due respect to Mayor O'Malley and Ravens fans, I can't wait to taste some of those famous Maryland crab cakes"
(01/11/07 5:07am)
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- Barbaro has suffered a significant setback in his recovery from laminitis, with damaged tissue removed from the Kentucky Derby winner's left hind hoof, according to a statement released Wednesday morning by the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.\nBarbaro was being treated aggressively for his discomfort and is in stable condition, according to the statement.\nThe tissue was removed Tuesday night.\n"Things were marching along pretty smoothly until this," Barbaro's co-owner Gretchen Jackson said. "We've been there before with him. He's a horse that wants to live."\nThe setback comes one week after a new cast was placed on Barbaro's laminitis-stricken left hind foot to help realign a bone.\nThe cast change could have caused some inflammation, said Dr. Kathleen Anderson, Barbaro's attending vet when the horse was racing and stabled in trainer Michael Matz's barn at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. \nAnderson said Barbaro has proved he is strong enough to overcome his latest medical obstacle.\n"We all know most horses don't get this far," she said. "The bottom line with Barbaro is the fractured leg is the one that would have been the end of most horses. He won't be getting to the big green field any time soon, but I don't think this is insurmountable."\nIt was the first dose of bad news after months of progress that included owners Gretchen and Roy Jackson and New Bolton's chief surgeon Dr. Dean Richardson talking about releasing Barbaro from the hospital as soon as the end of the month.\n"It's sad that he's had a setback because he was marching along toward living outside the hospital," Jackson said. "The only thing we care about is that he's not in pain."\nBarbaro had become uncomfortable on his left hind foot and a cast was removed after some new separation was found on the inside portion. \nBarbaro shattered his right hind leg in the Preakness on May 20. In mid-July severe laminitis, a potentially fatal disease caused by uneven weight distribution in the limbs, resulted in 80 percent of Barbaro's left hind hoof being removed.\n"I was there (Tuesday) and it was obvious he was not comfortable in that foot," Jackson said. "The easiest and best way to work on Barbaro is when he's laying down. They had to wait until he was laying down and when they removed the cast, they discovered some reason for him feeling pain."\nJust over a week ago, Richardson said Barbaro's right hind leg was getting stronger and should eventually be healthy enough to allow the colt to live a comfortable, happy life.\nBut he also warned: "Barbaro's left hind foot, which had laminitis, remains a more formidable long-term challenge. The foot must grow much more for him to have a truly successful outcome"
(01/10/07 3:47am)
WAUKEGAN, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor weapons charges Tuesday after a police raid on his home last month.\nJohnson, dressed in a suit and tie, did not speak during the Lake County court hearing before Judge Theodore Potkonjak. Defense attorney Thomas Briscoe entered the plea for him. His next court date in Lake County is set for Feb. 16.\nJohnson was arrested Dec. 14 after police raided his Gurnee home. It was his third arrest in 18 months.\nHe faces 10 counts of possession of firearms without the required state gun-owner identification card; prosecutors say six weapons were in the home and the other counts relate to ammunition found there.\nLess than 48 hours after his arrest, Johnson was at a Chicago bar when his friend and bodyguard, Willie B. Posey, was shot and killed. Posey also had been arrested on drug possession charges when police raided Johnson's home.\nThe Bears suspended Johnson for one game for being at the club.\nBriscoe, speaking outside court, said Johnson is doing well under the circumstances and is trying to focus on his job with the Bears.\n"We're confident we have a defense to this," Briscoe said. "The facts will show he's done nothing wrong."\nLake County assistant state's attorney Mary Stanton said prosecutors believe in the strength of the evidence.\n"One of the loaded rifles was found in (Johnson's) own bedroom," she said.\nIf found guilty on the Lake County gun charges, Johnson faces a maximum sentence of one year in jail.\nDuring the hearing, Potkonjak joked that he is a Green Bay Packers fan. The judge granted a defense request to allow Johnson to travel freely outside the state.\nBut authorities in Cook County have alleged that Johnson's arrest violated his earlier probation terms on a 2005 gun charge.\nA Cook County judge has ordered Johnson to stay at home except to go to work, and he needs permission to leave Illinois. The next hearing in that probation-violation case is scheduled for Jan. 23.\nAlso Tuesday, the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reported that Gurnee police visited Johnson's house at least 30 times in the last two years -- with some calls coming from neighbors and other from inside the home.\nThe newspaper, citing police documents, said the reasons included animal-related complaints, a domestic dispute and reports of gunshots being fired in the backyard.\nJohnson's defense attorney said the police visits were a result of Johnson's celebrity status.\n"With any celebrity, people get called to their homes," Briscoe said. "There was nothing involving him that would require his arrest"
(01/09/07 2:20am)
I want the truth, not truthiness. \nThe Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "truthiness" as the truth that comes from the gut, not books. Truthiness, the 2006 Word of the Year, is the truth with a twist. Where once Americans used the phrase "stretching the truth," we now say "truthiness." To be fair, truthiness has been around long before Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert introduced it on his show in October 2005. More notably, truthiness relates more so to political pontifications. \n"I did not have sexual relations with that woman." Truthiness.\n"I am not a crook." Truthiness.\nIraq 2003: "Mission Accomplished." Forget truthiness. That's delusional. \nBut in the world of sports, especially across the country of college recruiting, truthiness comes with the character. \nAt first, the character is a door-to-door salesman disguised as a country-bumpkin collegiate coach whose priority is that particular family's son. In that moment, the coach croons lullabies of loyalty as lies leave through the spaces of his teeth. These coaches aren't looking for relationships; they are searching for a ringer who can gift wrap a big-bowl payout appropriately around Christmastime. \nBut one former college coach rang in the New Year tainted in truthiness. \nFormer Miami Dolphins head coach Nick Saban masked the truth in regard to his future with this statement: \n"I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."\nA week later Saban snuck from South Beach under the cover of darkness, accepting an eight-year, $32 million deal to coach the Crimson Tide. \nIn the interest of full disclosure, I am a devout Dolphins fan. Since I can remember watching football, the colors aqua and orange have pumped through my bloodstream. Saban's decision to leave Miami sliced me open and bled me dry. I came to with the bitter taste of truthiness in my mouth.\nSaban's decision is unusual because he left college football and the Louisiana State Tigers and upgraded to a head coach in the NFL. Soon Saban slipped out of his contract and splashed back into the warm waters of the Southeastern Conference and into a new era of Alabama football. \nLast season, Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino signed a 10-year, $25 million contract, insisting that the university is "where I want to be." On Sunday he packed his bags for the NFL -- the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons -- and a five-year, $24 million deal. \nThen again, what are these coaches suppose to say to their teams? If they mention their flights, they'll lose their players' fights and possibly the multiple job offers. Instead they do as nature has taught us. They serve up lies that would make Benedict Arnold seem like an ardent patriot and paddle the pond to another profession. \nSaban surrendered, Petrino found greener pastures and the hierarchy of hiring coaches has been turned upside down. But lying inside these Wally Lowman lowlifes are the beating hearts of liars. \nOf course, in 2006 we don't call them lies. They're acts of truthiness.
(01/09/07 2:18am)
Ofori Sarkodie, a standout freshman on IU's Big Ten champion men's soccer team, was selected to the United States Under-20 men's national soccer team, U.S. head coach Thomas Rongen announced Monday. \nSarkodie and the 20-man team will compete in Panama City, Panama, later this month to try to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be held in Canada in June and July.\nRongen whittled his team down from the 70 players who attended training camps last summer. If the U.S. men qualify for the World Cup, it would be their sixth consecutive appearance in the tournament. \nSarkodie is one of 11 players on the team not signed by a professional team. The team is captained by Real Salt Lake phenom Freddy Adu. \nSarkodie started 13 games for the Hoosiers last season and helped preserve eight shutouts for IU. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team at the end of the season.
(01/08/07 5:11am)
Coming off a near-upset-turned-loss against No. 19 Michigan State Thursday, the IU women's basketball team took care of business on the road against Illinois on Sunday night.\nThe Hoosiers (13-4, 2-2) defeated the Fighting Illini (12-4, 2-2) 71-64, recording their first win at Illinois in nearly three years. \nSophomore forward Kim Roberson led the way for the Hoosiers with a game- and career-high 28 points. Roberson also added six rebounds and four steals. Senior center Sarah McKay contributed 17 points while sophomore forward Whitney Thomas grabbed 13 rebounds for IU.\nBoth teams headed into the second half tied at 27-27, but the Hoosiers were hot early, opening with a 26-10 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half, including 10 points from Roberson. The Fighting Illini, however, regained their momentum and crawled back, down just one point after two free throws by freshman Jenna Smith made the score 63-62 with 1:40 to go in the game. McKay answered seconds later with a layup for the Hoosiers to give them a five-point lead and put them up for good.\nAfter shooting a dismal 33 percent from the field against Michigan State last week, IU was able to improve against Illinois and hit 43 percent of its field goals. The Hoosiers also shot 37 percent from beyond the arc (7-19) and grabbed 35 rebounds.\nThe Illini nearly matched the Hoosiers in those categories, shooting 42 percent from the field (24-57), hit 35 percent of their 3-point attempts (6-17) and recorded 36 rebounds.\nWhile IU did not dominate most statistical categories, the lone exception to that proved to be the most important, as the Hoosiers forced 17 turnovers. IU scored 18 points off Illini turnovers but turned the ball over 13 times in the contest itself.\nThe Hoosiers play next against the Iowa Hawkeyes (10-7, 2-2) Thursday at \nAssembly Hall.
(01/08/07 5:08am)
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Thomas Jones remembers walking off Soldier Field nearly a year ago, a cold reality slapping the Chicago Bears' top running back in the face.\n"Just the feeling that we had after that game was a sick feeling," Jones said. "Not necessarily because of Carolina but because of us, some things that we did during the game and things we didn't do that could have helped us win."\nDefensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who for a second straight year is interviewing for head-coaching vacancies, isn't sure what his future will hold. But he's also remembering the past, especially that matchup with the Panthers when the Bears couldn't contain Steve Smith during a 29-21 loss in Chicago's first playoff game.\n"I think it fuels us very well. It is a tool that we use, just talking about, 'Hey, we left some unfinished business out there,'" Rivera said.\n"It is kind of a mantra that we've had this year. We had it going into minicamps, training camp, and I think the guys do think about that."\nFor the Bears (13-3) to get past their first postseason game this time -- once again they had a first-round bye -- they'll need to tighten up the league's No. 5-ranked defense that has given up more than 300 yards in each of the final six regular-season games. Plug the gaps, get a banged-up secondary healthy and compensate for the loss of starting defensive tackle Tommie Harris to hamstring surgery\nThey'll need the early-season Rex Grossman at quarterback, not the erratic one whose consistency has bounced from game to game like a loose football the last couple of months.\nAnd one way to help Grossman is for the Bears' running game to take off. It's developed into a two-headed attack, with Cedric Benson spelling Jones.\nBenson got his first 100-yard game as a pro last week against the Green Bay Packers and says he's comfortable -- if not content -- with seeing more playing time.\nBenson carried 157 times for 647 yards and Jones gained 1,210 on 296 carries, both averaging 4.1 yards per carry.\n"Our trend, as it's been all along, is to play both running backs. The situation has allowed Cedric to play more lately," coach Lovie Smith said. "Of course he's taken advantage of the reps he's gotten. But as we go into the playoffs, Thomas Jones is our starter. He'll get the majority of the reps and Cedric will be next in line."\nJones featured more of a stutter-step darting style, while Benson has been more of a straight-ahead runner.\n"He's got his weight up and he's close to 230. He's a load, and most of the time he's falling forward, getting positive yards," Smith said of Benson, the Bears' top draft choice in 2005.\nIt's been a trying season at times for Benson. He'd been assigned the starter's role at the outset of training camp after Jones missed voluntary workouts in the off-season, but Benson got a shoulder injury in practice. Benson was later disciplined for leaving the sideline during an exhibition game.\nNow he could be a major factor for the Bears, who want to use Smith's favorite formula for winning -- play hawking defense (44 takeaways this season) and establish the run.\nChicago will play Seattle (10-7) next Sunday. The Bears routed Seattle 37-6 at Soldier Field during the regular season.\nBenson will be ready.
(01/08/07 5:07am)
IU must tear down to build up.\nFirst to go are Memorial Stadium's north end-zone bleachers, a demolition that began last week. Fifty-five million dollars later, new weight-training and basketball-practice facilities and softball and baseball complexes will adorn the IU campus.\nSome of the facilities, offices, meeting spaces and a "Hall of Honor" will occupy the area directly north of the football stadium. The plan, unveiled last semester, calls for other facilities near the south end zone, also.\nAdministrators have not secured all $55 million but said in a news release they expect to make it through "a fundraising campaign." \nA controversial $30 annual fee was charged to students in the 2004 to 2005 and 2005 to 2006 school years, and then was rescinded for this year, replaced with a plan that reallocated men's-basketball seats from students to alumni and raised the price of student tickets for men's-basketball games, among other steps.\nThe IU Athletics Department will help pay for the construction with profits from the Big Ten Network, set to launch this fall.\nNo timetable was announced for the completion of the south end-zone projects or the baseball and softball complexes.
(01/08/07 5:03am)
On a day when most IU students funneled back on campus for the start of a new semester, the IU men's basketball team had its own homecoming. \nThe Hoosiers returned from a 74-67 loss at Ohio State on Tuesday for their Big Ten home opener Sunday at Assembly Hall. With a rowdy home crowd behind them, the Hoosiers rolled to a decisive 73-51 win against Michigan State, moving their Big Ten record to 1-1. \nSunday's victory is the ninth consecutive win for the Hoosiers when opening Big Ten play at Assembly Hall.\nIU (10-4, 1-1 Big Ten) opened the game with a 12-4 run, a stretch punctuated by a thunderous dunk from junior forward D.J. White on a fast break. Despite a slow crawl back into the game, Michigan State saw its last lead at the 18:55 mark in the first half. \nThe Hoosiers extended their lead to nine at halftime and never looked back.\nWhite led IU in scoring with 21 points, most coming on short-range post moves. He was 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line and grabbed three rebounds in his 27 minutes. \n"D.J. played today," Sampson said. "He wasn't predictable in the post. He was able to go to both shoulders, and he did it comfortably. He looked good." \nJunior forward Lance Stemler complemented White's low-post effort with 16 points. Stemler was 6-of-15 from the field -- including 1-of-8 from the 3-point line -- but made up for it with seven rebounds and several putbacks on the offensive end. The Hoosiers scored 17 second chance points to Michigan's State's two. \nThe Hoosiers also capitalized on fast-break opportunities. IU finished 24 points off turnovers (while Michigan State had only four), many of which came off mid-court steals and fast breaks. \nSenior guard Earl Calloway had three of those steals, as well as 11 points and six assists. \nCalloway was also responsible for checking Michigan State guard Drew Neitzel, who was averaging 18.4 points per game before Sunday's contest. Calloway held Neitzel to 10 points and only two assists. \n"I had to stay disciplined and chase him every time," Calloway said. "If I got caught up, I had to yell at my teammates to help, but I just chased him everywhere."\nSampson was happy with his team's play, but he wouldn't go as far as saying his team was "good" Sunday night. \n"I can see our kids growing and getting better," he said. "I've said this all year, we're a lot better today than we were two weeks ago … But I don't know (if we're good). I've coached in leagues with a lot of good teams. I always knew how good my Oklahoma teams were, but it's hard to say with this group of kids, and I don't want to answer that right now. \n"We caught Michigan State at the right time," Sampson said. "Don't give us so much credit for playing great."
(01/08/07 4:56am)
With a season that will see them travel to places as far as Palo Alto, Calif., and Auburn, Ala., the IU men's and women's track-and-field team kicked off the 2007 season with some old-fashioned home cooking.\nAt this weekend's Indiana Open, both the men and women claimed first-place finishes in their first meets of the season.\nBlending veteran upperclassmen and an influx of youth, the women's team had strong showings across the board. Leading the way, senior Lorian Price placed first in both the 60-meter hurdles (8.67 seconds) and the long jump (5.67 meters). \nFellow senior Stacey Clausing finished first in two events as well, winning the 200-meter dash while also running the first leg of IU's first place 4x400-meter relay team.\nNot letting the veterans get too far ahead, sophomore Caitlin Lauer won the 600-meter dash, while freshman Jackie Coleman clinched first in the triple jump with a distance of 11.29 meters in her first collegiate meet.\nFreshmen Vera Neuenswander and Laura Williams placed first and second in the pole vault.\nFor the men's team, sophomore Jeff Coover won the pole vault, tying a career high of 5.10 meters.\nAll-American jumper junior Kyle Jenkins took top prize in the triple jump, while senior Kiwan Lawson won the long jump.\nNext up for both the men's and women's teams is the Indiana Open II this Saturday at Gladstein Fieldhouse. The day's events begin at noon.
(01/05/07 5:32am)
It wasn't a blowout, but for the second time in less than two weeks Michigan State defeated the IU women's basketball team, this time in Bloomington. The Hoosiers blew a three-point lead late in regulation and lost 64-56 in overtime against the No. 19 Spartans. On Dec. 28, Michigan State beat IU 74-49 in East Lansing, Mich. \nJunior guard Nikki Smith led the Hoosiers with 16 points in the contest while only shooting 33 percent from the field. Though IU had fewer turnovers than Michigan State, the Spartans won the rebound battle, grabbing 16 more boards than the Hoosiers. \nThe Hoosiers hung tight to the Spartans early in the game and entered halftime with a one-point lead. IU managed to hold a slim lead against Michigan State throughout the second half and led by three points late after sophomore forward Whitney Thomas hit two free throws to make the score 54-51. But the Hoosiers were unable to stop Spartans forward Rene Haynes from hitting one of her three 3-pointers on the night to even the score and send the game to overtime.\nIn the extra minutes, the Hoosiers scored an early basket to take the lead but would never score again. IU was outscored 10-2 in overtime.\nThe Hoosiers, now 1-2 in Big Ten play, travel to Champaign, Ill., to challenge Illinois on Sunday afternoon.
(01/05/07 5:30am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Herm Edwards would never let work come between him and Tony Dungy.\nNot last season, when the weary Jets coach put football on hold temporarily to attend the funeral of his best friend's son in Tampa, Fla., and certainly not this week when the two coaches meet again in a wild-card game.\nTheir bond is just too strong.\n"I feel like he's my big brother, and I never had a big brother," Edwards, coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, said of Dungy, coach of the Indianapolis Colts. "He's helped me a lot in my life, taught me to look at things a little differently with my faith and helped me become a better man."\nIn the cruel, stressful, competitive and sometimes disloyal environment of the NFL, Dungy and Edwards offer a different perspective on life as head coaches.\nThe two old pals still call each other routinely to discuss family matters, trade old war stories or offer advice. And yes, while the sport they revere has often kept them hundreds or thousands of miles apart, they've somehow managed to continually grow closer.\nThey follow a simple set of rules: family comes first; friendship matters more than victories; and always support your buddies, except when teams meet.\nThat's why Saturday's game between Kansas City (9-7) and Indianapolis (12-4) will be anything but fun for these two.\nSure, Dungy and Edwards will exchange the customary pregame pleasantries, probably embrace at game's end and might even send their wives out for dinner. But when it's over, one coach will go home for the offseason while the other begins preparing for his next opponent.\nThe stakes, nor the emotions, can't get much higher.\n"They're not fun games," Dungy said. "It's always tough when we play each other because you always want your team to do well, and 99 percent of the time I want Herm's team to do well, too."\nIt's the second time in five years Dungy and Edwards have met in the playoffs, and Dungy has jokingly called this payback time. In the 2002 playoffs, Edwards' Jets won 41-0, handing the Colts their worst playoff loss ever .\n"The last time we met, it was kind of a newsworthy deal," Edwards said. "Now no one is even saying that, and that's great. I think Tony looks at it that way, and I look at it that way."\nInstead, the focus has turned to issues Dungy and Edwards believe are more appropriate: the implications of the game, the players who will be on the field and the chummy relationship between the coaches.\nDungy and Edwards first met three decades ago during a college all-star game, and their personalities seemed an unlikely match. Edwards' fiery, passionate, emotional style contrasts sharply with Dungy's measured, stoic demeanor.\nSomehow they hit it off and have remained friends for nearly 30 years. After working together briefly in Kansas City, Dungy and Edwards were reunited in 1996 at Tampa Bay, Dungy's first head-coaching job.\n"We needed to change the mind-set and the thought process there, and that's a big reason I wanted Herm," Dungy said. "I knew he could help us do that"
(01/05/07 5:25am)
NEW YORK -- Spell this year's NFL MVP: L.T.\nRecord-setting LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers ran away with The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award Thursday, just as he eluded defenders in leading his team to the AFC's best record (14-2) and a favorite's role for the Super Bowl.\n"When you're MVP of the league, it's a great accomplishment," Tomlinson said. He added that the honor means "that I've had a great year, that's all, on a great team."\nBut with so much more on the horizon, he hopes.\n"I would feel so much better about winning if we win the Super Bowl. It would feel like it would be everything," Tomlinson said.\nTomlinson, who broke Shaun Alexander's league record for touchdowns by scoring 31 (28 rushing) and also threw for two scores, had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history. He rushed for a league-high 1,815 yards on 348 carries, had 56 receptions for 508 yards and was 2-for-3 as a passer, both completions for scores, giving the Chargers running back six in his six-year career, tying him for second among non-quarterbacks.\n"It just kind of got on a roll," Tomlinson said. "Touchdowns, as they say, come in bunches. That was kind of the way it happened. It seemed like once we started scoring that we couldn't stop."\nOf all his records and accomplishments this year, Tomlinson said the highlights were breaking Paul Hornung's single-season scoring record -- Tomlinson finished with 186 points -- and winning the rushing title.\nNoting that Hornung was also a kicker, Tomlinson said, "To be able to break that record that stood for 40 some years by scoring touchdowns, I think for me is a huge accomplishment. I think leading the league in rushing solidifies your position as being a running back."\nFew players have approached what Tomlinson achieved as San Diego won its final 10 games. Alexander, last season's MVP, understood what Tomlinson did.\n"He won't realize it until after the year is over. Because when you're in a groove you're just about winning games," Alexander said late in the season. "Their season almost looks like ours last year; it's kind of funny. He won't recognize it until it's all over with, and then he'll be like, 'Dang that was sweet.'"\nSo sweet that he received 44 of the 50 votes from a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Former teammate Drew Brees, now starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, got four votes, and Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning received two.\nTomlinson rushed for at least 100 yards 10 times this season, including nine in a row, and scored two or more TDs in 10 games. The highlights were four-touchdown games against San Francisco in a 48-19 romp and Cincinnati in a 49-41 shootout in which San Diego trailed 28-7 at halftime.\nThose performances prompted San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer to declare Tomlinson the best running back in pro-football history. \n"It definitely feels good because these are all guys I grew up watching and idolizing at times," Tomlinson said. "To me, guys who could do no wrong. It just says the kind of hard work I have put in to kind of prove that I belong in this league, now proving that, I guess I belong to be mentioned with guys like with Jim Brown and Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders"
(01/05/07 5:23am)
PITTSBURGH -- Bill Cowher is returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers -- to say goodbye.\nThe Steelers will begin a coaching search Friday to replace the departing Cowher, a source familiar with Cowher's status said Thursday night. Cowher called owner Dan Rooney on Thursday to tell him of his decision, and the team announced a Friday news conference not long after that. Cowher is expected to attend.\nThe 49-year-old Cowher, one of the NFL's most recognizable faces and most successful coaches for 15 seasons, has weighed resigning since shortly after the Steelers finally won the Super Bowl in February after numerous misses.\nCowher has talked of wanting to spend more time with his family, especially now that they are living in a new home in Raleigh, N.C., where he and wife Kaye attended North Carolina State. Cowher's two oldest daughters are at Princeton and the youngest has only 2 1/2 years of high school remaining, time Cowher apparently doesn't want to spend away from her.\nWhile Cowher would be resigning with one season left on his contract, there is no indication he would retire from pro football. He said recently he is not close to being burned out, and still likes coaching and dealing with players.\nCowher, who led the Steelers to the playoffs 10 times, the AFC title game six times and the Super Bowl twice, met with Rooney and team president Art Rooney II on Tuesday and asked for several days to weigh his future plans. There was an understanding a decision would be made quickly because the Steelers don't want any top candidates accepting other jobs before talking to them.\nWhile the Steelers would have given Cowher until next week to make up his mind, he decided not to make them wait and called Dan Rooney on Thursday.\nTwo strong contenders to replace Cowher -- Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm -- already are in place and are interviewing with other teams. The team would interview at least one minority candidate, possibly more, and talk with several candidates outside the organization.
(01/05/07 5:21am)
Dec. 17: Assembly Hall\nIU 57, Southern Illinois 47 \nIU coach Kelvin Sampson continually referred to Southern Illinois as the best team the Hoosiers had played this season up until their match in Assembly Hall. He may have very well been right. SIU took a one-point lead into halftime (23-22), but IU gained the lead for good during a furious 14-1 run in the second half. Junior guard A.J. Ratliff had a team-high 14 points off the bench for the Hoosiers.
(08/30/06 5:17am)
The old pictures and shelves are gone, leaving only a fresh coat of paint. Coach John Danowski figured his office was a good place to start the makeover of the Duke men's lacrosse program.\nFive months have passed since a team party started a chain of events that resulted in rape charges against three players, the cancellation of the team's season and the resignation of its longtime coach. Now it's up to Danowski -- the former Hofstra coach and the father of a current Blue Devils star -- to lead the effort to repair everything from Duke's tarnished reputation to his players' wounded psyches.\n"We're going to get new furniture, and it's 'Let's get going,'" he said. "It's a new message. Not saying it's a better one, just a new one. A new coach and a new way of doing things."\nAt the start of last season, coach Mike Pressler was entering his 16th year in Durham, N.C., and his squad was coming off an appearance in the NCAA championship game that seemed to signal Duke's arrival as a perennial title contender.\nBut Pressler resigned last spring, shortly after a woman told police she was raped by three men at a March team party where she was hired to perform as a stripper. All but one of the lacrosse team's players gave DNA samples to investigators and were considered suspects for weeks, until a grand jury indicted three -- Reade Seligmann, 20, of Essex Fells, N.J.; Collin Finnerty, 19, of Garden City, N.Y.; and David Evans, 23, of Bethesda, Md. -- on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual offense.\nLawyers for the three indicted players have proclaimed their innocence; a trial isn't expected to begin until spring 2007.\nThe rape allegations led Duke to first suspend the team from play, then later cancel the remainder of the season. The university also weathered widespread criticism of the program and the players' behavior, which included some alcohol-related criminal charges.\nAfter an internal investigation, the school reinstated the program in June; the following month, Duke hired the 52-year-old Danowski -- father of All-American attackman Matt Danowski -- to lead the Blue Devils back to the field.\n"He has lived through this," Athletics Director Joe Alleva said. "He has lived through it as the parent of a kid on the team. He knows what these kids have been through. He knows what the parents have been through. And he can facilitate the healing process of all that."\nFor now, that means preparing for fall training camp -- which begins Labor Day -- and getting acclimated to a new campus and new players. But Danowski figures moving past the traumatic events of the spring will be a year-long process.\n"Maybe these guys are going to want to prove to the world every time out that everybody was wrong about them," Danowski said. "That's going to be tough if you're carrying that kind of emotion on every pass or every shot or every save you make or every ground ball you go after. That's something I have to be mindful of as we go through the year."\nHis plan is to emphasize having fun and keep a close watch on his players' stress levels. He talks eagerly about his plans to remake his office by adding couches and making it an inviting place for his players to stop by and talk.\nIt's no surprise that a man who describes parenthood as "one of my most cherished roles in life" exudes a father-figure coaching style. When his son made his college choice, Danowski chose the role of father over that of coach, sitting quietly at the dining-room table while his Hofstra assistants made the official pitch for their program.\nBetween his family connection and his success at Hofstra -- where Danowski compiled a record of 192-123 in 21 years -- it's easy to see why Alleva called Danowski "an unusually good fit" to take over at Duke.\n"Coach Danowski has been around this program through all this turmoil," said Tony McDevitt, a rising senior defenseman. "He has a good sense of how to deal with this situation because he's been there from step one to wherever we've got to go. \n"In our eyes, there's nobody that can really replace Coach Pressler right now, especially for the seniors and juniors who have been around him for a long time. But if it's got to be somebody, Coach Danowski is the best fit."\nDanowski, one of eight Division I lacrosse coaches with at least 200 career wins, sounds unconcerned about the pressure of running a program that's sure to have every step -- or misstep -- carefully reviewed. He said he expects the players will be on their best behaviors.\nHe's also made an effort to call and introduce himself to the three team members with the most uncertain futures of all -- Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans. Evans graduated the day before he was charged in May, while Seligmann and Finnerty who would have been juniors on next year's team -- are on a leave of absence from the university.\nTo Danowski, the roles of father, teacher and disciplinarian are all facets of coaching.\n"The bottom line is I'm not afraid to fail at this," he said. "Just as we ask our kids to step out on a playing field and compete and do their best and take risks ... that's the same thing as a coach. And that's part of the fun"
(07/24/06 12:18am)
HOYLAKE, England -- Tiger Woods had an answer for everyone Sunday on another methodical march to victory in the British Open.\nOne month after missing the cut for the first time in a major, Woods was ruthless as ever on the brown-baked links of Royal Liverpool, making three straight birdies to turn away a spirited challenge by Chris DiMarco and win golf's oldest championship for the second straight year.\nHe closed with a 5-under 67 and became the first player since Tom Watson in 1982-83 to win consecutive titles.\nWoods tapped in for par for a two-shot victory over DiMarco, and pent-up emotions tore through his lips as he screamed, "Yes!" He then buried his head in caddie Steve Williams' shoulder and sobbed, his chest heaving.\nThis was his first victory since his father, Earl Woods, died May 3 after a brutal bout with cancer. Some questioned whether Woods could regain his focus, especially after he was sent packing after two rounds at Winged Foot in the U.S. Open.\nHis face was contorted in raw emotion as he walked off the green and sobbed again while hugging his wife, Elin, and his trainer, Keith Klevin.\n"I could not stop it," Woods said. "I miss my dad so much."\nThrough it all, no one could stop Woods from winning his 11th career major at age 30. He is tied with Walter Hagen for second on the career list and is one step closer to the 18 professional majors won by Jack Nicklaus, the only mark that matters to Woods.\nBut there were doubts that followed him around Royal Liverpool, host of the British Open for the first time in 39 years.\nNot only did he miss the cut at the U.S. Open, dominance in the majors was slowly shifting to rival Phil Mickelson. And even with Mickelson out of the picture and Woods clinging to a one-shot lead over a strong cast of contenders, Woods was grilled about his conservative style of play because he hit driver only once all week.\nThe answer was in his hands -- the silver claret jug.
