Sports Headlines

[the flying reindeer]

Sports Headlines - 23 March 2012

1. NCAABK: Ohio State one step closer to meeting lofty expectations.

....So Ohio State is going to be one of the final eight teams standing entering the weekend, but you may overlook the fact that this is unchartered territory for this current roster of Buckeye players.
a. The Cardinals keep surging, eliminating a no. 1 seed.

....The fourth-seeded Cardinals (29-9) defeated Michigan State 57-44 for their seventh win in a row, keeping Coach Rick Pitino undefeated in 10 regional semifinals/
b. Wisconsin misses in final seconds, and Orange advance.

....The Badgers, hot from 3-point range most of the game, missed two shots in the final seconds to lose 64-63, as the Orange advanced to the Round of 8 for the first time since 2003.
c. Fueled by drive (and coffee).
....John Groce has led Ohio University to three tournament upsets the past three seasons, and his hyper personality has helped make him this year's rising star coach.
d. Practicing to shoot over Griner? A broom might help.
....At 6-foot-8, Baylor center Brittney Griner has shot-blocking skills that leave opposing coaches struggling for ways to prepare their players.
2. MLB: Pujols continues to excite his new Angels teammates.
....The Angels were joyous when Albert Pujols was signed in December, and now the hope is that he can elevate his new teammates.
a. Chamberlain dislocaates ankle and undergoes surgery.

...Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees’ charismatic relief pitcher, sustained an ankle injury that required surgery, casting his season, if not his career, in doubt.
3. NBA: Knicks slow down and take off.
....While a five-game sample is too small to draw any meaningful conclusions, some changes that have occurred under the Knicks’ interim coach, Mike Woodson, bear watching.
4. NFL: Players union wants to conduct its own inquiry into bounty program.
....The league suspended New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton but has not yet disciplined the players the league says were involved in the bounties.
5. GOLF: Putts elude Els, and so could Masters.
....As Ernie Els continues to struggle on the green, the South African needs at least a second-place solo finish in the Arnold Palmer Invitational to play in the Masters this year.
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[the flying reindeer]

Sports Headlines - 28 March 2012

1. MLB: Group led by Magic Johnson wins auction to buy Dodgers for $2.15 billion.

....One Los Angeles institution is buying another. A group headed by Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten and financed largely by Guggenheim Partners was named the winning bidder of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mark Walter, chief executive officer of the financial services firm Guggenheim Partners, would become the controlling owner.
a. Ichiro stars as Mariners beat A's in Tokyo opener
....Ichiro Suzuki looked perfectly at home, putting on the kind of show that made him so popular in Japan. Too bad most fans across America couldn't follow along. A capacity crowd of 44,227 lit up Tokyo Dome with camera flashes every time Suzuki came to bat. He drew a standing ovation when he took his position in right field in the final inning. "It was very special to open in Japan," said Suzuki, a star for nine seasons in Osaka with the Orix Blue Wave. "I wanted to have fun and give the fans something at this special time and wanted to share a special moment with them."
b. Wagner card gong up for auction.

....Bill Goodwin of suburban St Louis expects the 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card -- one of the most sought-after sports collectibles in the world -- to fetch at least $1 million, and perhaps as much as $1.5 million, in the online auction.
2. NFL: NFL owners adopting playoff OT rules for regular season.
....All games that go to overtime now can't end on a field goal on the first possession. The opposing team must get one series, and if it also kicks a field goal, the extra period continues.
a. If Payton asks me to coach Saints, that's what friends are for.

....With each new comment he makes, Bill Parcells sounds a little more likely to be the head coach of the Saints for the 2012 season. “The thing with this one,” he said, “it’s a little more personal to me, because this is one of my guys.”
b. Cornerback Darrelle Revis says Jets' locker room isin 'disarray.'

....Revis tried to save it, but the words were already into the ether. “Not to say that Mark needs to get pushed, but in a way that you know, Tebow is a winning quarterback. Mark is a winning quarterback too, you got to understand that Mark took us to two AFC championship games.” But last year, Mark took the Jets nowhere, and Tebow took the Broncos to the final eight. And with the locker room in “disarray,” maybe a guy like Tebow with his terminally positive outlook is the only thing that can turn it around.
3. NBA: Short-handed Knicks rout Magic, climb back above .500.

....Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks climbed above .500 for the first time since mid-January in overwhelming fashion, scoring 21 straight points in the third quarter and routing the Orlando Magic 108-86.

[the flying reindeer]

Sports Headlines - 29 March 2012

1. NBA: Woodson a reflection of his famed mentors.

....Mike Woodson has summoned lessons from former coaches such as Bob Knight, Red Holzman, Cotton Fitzsimmons and Larry Brown while embracing the challenge of steadying the Knicks franchise.
a. New intensity, and better numbers, for Carmelo Anthony.
....Under the New York Knicks Coach Mike Woodson, the team has improved on both defense and offense.
b. Amar'e Stoudemire may need offseason back surgery.

....For now, Amar'e Stoudemire is having non-surgical procedures done for the bulging disc in his back — including an epidural — in hopes he can come back for the playoffs with the Knicks, but come this summer he may need surgery.
2. MLB: Royals have an emerging star without a supernova salary.
....To compete in the increasingly rugged American League, the Royals need high-impact players at low cost. Their shining example is Eric Hosmer, 22, who hit .293 last season.
a. Bay looking inward, searching for stroke.
....The struggling Mets player Jason Bay knows that he has become a popular subject for armchair psychologists and frustrated fans alike.
3. NCAABK: 'Low-major guy' hits biggest stage.
....Through a series of fiscally challenged, lower-tier jobs in college basketball, Thad Matta ended up coaching at Ohio State, reaching one of the premier positions in his profession.
a. Odd roommates, great teammates.
....Gorgui Dieng is tall and reserved. Russ Smith is nearly a foot shorter and brash. Together the sophomore roommates have helped Louisville climb into the national semifinals.
b. Want to beat Kentucky? Big blue lueprints.

....Beating Kentucky in the Final Four can be done, but it won't be easy. Louisville will need to slow and control the pace to have a chance to top title favorite Kentucky
c. N.I.T. Championship: Stanford's resurgence culminates in a title.
....The Cardinal cruised in winning 75-51 the National Invitation Tournament title at Madison Square Garden, painting a defensive masterpiece in a second-half smothering of the Minnesota Gophers.
c. Which Terrence will show up for Kentudky?

....Kentucky standout Terrence Jones has the talent, and the game to go with it. Now he just needs to play focused and under control.
4. NCAAW: Another year, another Final Four for UConn women.

....So much for a “down year” for the Connecticut women’s team. The Huskies are headed to the Final Four for the fifth consecutive season after beating Kentucky 80-65.
a. Notre Dame's win puts all four #1 seeds in women's Final Four.

....Underdogs? Not at the women’s NCAA tournament. Notre Dame crushed Maryland 80-49 to complete the tourney’s Final Four, which has nothing but No. 1 seeds: the Irish, Baylor, Stanford and UConn. And they’ve all played like top seeds, too.
5. NHL: Coach's frank approach appeals to the NY Rangers.
....Ryan McDonagh says the Rangers’ coaches do not let anything slide, a major reason the young players have developed and the team has won 49 games entering Friday.
a. Crosby bloodied in 5-3 loss to Islanders.
....While the Pittsburgh Penguins were trying to chase down the New York Rangers, they seem to have overlooked the New York Islanders. Now Pittsburgh's hopes of finishing first are nearly gone.On top of everything else, captain Sidney Crosby left in the second period after he was struck in the nose by a puck and was bloodied.
6. HORSE RACING: Jockey Club proposes ban on race-day drugs.
....Support for tougher doping penalties and other protections for horses has grown after an analysis of safety issues at American racetracks.
7. TENNIS: Home-court advantge suits Sharapova.
....Maria Sharapova, who has never won the Sony Ericsson Open, advanced to the tournament final on Thursday with a three-set victory over Caroline Wozniacki.
8. Neighborhood bookies putting lines online.
....An illegal business that long relied on phones, pencils and a burly goon has finally moved, in part, to the Internet.

[the flying reindeer]

Sports Headlines - 5 April 2012

1, GOLF: For bettors, Masters is a major event, too.
....Because of several factors, including increased TV coverage, improved technology and the resurgence of Tiger Woods, golf betting is on the rise.
a. Touchy day at Augusta National Men's Club.
....A club founded in 1933 on the bedrock of segregation is obviously not so easily rebuilt - or even touched.
b. Stenson capsizes, Westwood grabs lead.

....Henrik Stenson’s eight on No. 18 cost him the early lead in the first round of the Masters and Lee Westwood took advantage by birdieng four consecutives holes and hitting 16 or 18 fairways.
2. MLB: Santana's good start lifts Mets in opener.

....Johan Santana allowed two hits and no runs, and David Wright drove in the game’s lone run, as the Mets won their season opener at Citi Field.
a. Yankees face 5 top contenders in April, starting with Rays.
....The April schedule features Tampa Bay, the Angels, the Red Sox, the Tigers and the Rangers, all expected to be in the running for the A.L. pennant.
b. Tigers' Verlander setting expectations ever higher.
....Justin Verlander, who won Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards last season, said he still hoped to improve as a pitcher.
c. Blue Jays outlast Indians in record opener.
....J.P. Arencibia's three-run homer in the 16th inning sent the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on the longest opening-day game in major league history.
3. NBA: Dwight Howard circus hits rock bottom; Magic coach says star wants him fired.

....The stunning assertion by Stan Van Gundy may speed up a decision on how the Magic will resolve tensions between their coach and star player.
4. NHL: NJ Devils' top line regains an important piece.
....Travis Zajac, in his second comeback from an Achilles’ tendon injury this season, is the Devils’ top-line center again.
5. TENNIS: Davis Cup returns, with a guarantee of gritty play.
....All the quarterfinals will be played on clay, and France will hold its match for the first time at Monte Carlo Country Club.
5. NCAABK: NCAA turns down UConn appeal of economic sanctions.

....NCAA turned down UConn's final appeal of academic sanctions leveled against it. UConn doesn't qualify for 2013 NCAAs due to below-standard academic results.
a. Syracuse's Fab Melo to enter NBA draft.

....Syracuse star 7-foot Braxilian center Fab Melo announced that he will enter this year's NBA Draft. Melo led Big East in blocks per game, was named its defensive player of the year.
6. NFL: Commissioner Goodell warns league about leaking confidential testing information.

....LSU's Morris Claiborne allegedly scored poorly on the Wonderlic test, due to a learning disability. NFL rules ban officials from disclosing results, but scores have leaked for years.

[the flying reindeer]

Sports Headlines - 8 April 2012

1. GOLF: Hubba Bubba! Watson wins Masters in playoff.

....So deep in the trees right of the 10th fairway that he couldn’t even see the green, Watson hooked a wedge off the pine needles from 155 yards to about 10 feet from the hole. That set up a par, good enough to beat Louis Oosthuizen on the second playoff hole. “If I’ve got a swing, I’ve got a shot,” Watson said.
a. Detour on 4th hole costs Mickelson his chance.
....The left-handed Phil Mickelson needed to turn his swing around on the fourth hole at the Masters, where he shot a triple-bogey six
2. NHL: Lundqvist focused on the Cup.
....Henrik Lundqvist, three times named the top goalie in his native Sweden, has made himself a leading candidate for the same honor in the N.H.L. with the Rangers. The Rangers' series against Ottawa begins Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
3. NBA: 8th place is good for nostalgia but little else.

....Despite the pleasant memories of eliminating the top-seeded Heat in the 1999 playoffs, the Knicks can’t count on a top-seeded team faltering against them, as the Bulls did today losing 100-99 in overtime. Carmelo nthony delivered perhaps his biggest shot of the season - a 3-pointer that secured a thrilling Knicks' victory.
4. MLB: Yankees try to take their first 0-3 start since 1998 in stride.

....Jeremy Hellickson allowed three hits over 8 2/3 innings Sunday as the Rays beat the Yankees 3-0 to complete a three-game sweep. The last time the Yankees, who managed just three hits against the Rays on Sunday, opened a season 0-3 was 1998, the year they won 114 regular-season games and captured the World Series.
a. Niese's no-hit bid is halted, but the Mets move to 3-0 with a 7-0 win over the Braves.
....The Mets, who built a seven-run lead while Jon Niese carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, held on to beat Atlanta on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
b. Bullpen implodes, Red Sox fall to tigers in 11.

....Alex Avila's two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning gave the Tigers a stunning 13-12 victory over Boston , leaving the Red Sox winless in three games under new manager Bobby Valentine.
5. Alpine Skiing: For Lindsey Vonn, professinal triumph and personal turmoil.
....Last month, Lindsey Vonn completed a record-setting race season, the greatest by a woman in the history of the Alpine skiing’s World Cup. But her best year came in the midst of a thorny divorce

[the flying reindeer]

Sports Headlines - 22 April 2012

1. OLYMPICS: The footprints on a path to gold.

....Amantle Montsho has made an unlikely trek from a village in Botswana to a world championship in the 400-meter run/
a. Kenyans Kipsang and Keitany take wins at London Marathon

....Kenyan runners placed in five of the six podium positions Sunday at the London race.
2. NHL Playoffs: Top-seeded in 1st round, Rangers may not see the 2nd.

....Jason Spezza scored twice and Craig Anderson made 41 saves as Ottawa took a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is Monday night.
a. Phoenix Coyotes' Torres gets 25-game suspension.

....Raffi Torres of Phoenix was suspended 25 games by the NHL on Saturday for a late hit that resulted in Chicago's Marian Hossa being taken off the ice on a stretcher. The ban ensures that the Coyotes' forward will miss the rest of the playoffs.
b. St Louis Blues beat San Jose Sharks 3-1 to win series.
....St. Louis, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, won a playoff series for the first time in a decade against a franchise that reached the conference finals the previous two years. Before this series, St. Louis hadn't won a playoff game in eight years. "The fans have been waiting a long time and have been very patient," said defenseman Barret Jackman, the lone holdover from the last playoff team in 2004. "It's nice to give them a little taste of what's to come."
3. MLB: Two late touchdowns lift Yankees to a 15-9 surreal victory in Boston.

....Trailing by eight runs going into the seventh inning, the Yankees clobbered the Red Sox’ beleaguered relief corps for 14 runs and came back to win, 15-9.
a. In the 21st perfect game, another sigh for the Mets.

....Right-hander Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox is the seventh pitcher to throw a no-hitter after leaving the Mets, who have never had one.
b. Mets Rally after losing 3-run lead to Giants, winning 5-4.

....The Mets won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning when the Giants catcher Buster Posey’s throw went astray, allowing Ruben Tejada to score the winning run.
c. Red Sox front office backs Bobby B.

....Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington offered a vote of confidence for Valentine, saying he's "very satisfied" with the manager's performance despite the Red Sox' 4-10 record. "The players will always influence wins and losses more than anybody else," Cherington said. "That's no different here. He's doing the best he can with the roster he has. It'll get better. He knows that, and I know that. Along the way, if changes need to be made on the roster, that's my responsibility."

[the flying reindeer]

Sports Headlines - 30 April 2012

1. NBA Playoffs: A presence still felt if not heard.

....Once a grand NBA philosopher, Pat Riley has transitioned into a spiritual Buddha, lurking but elusive in his commanding role as Miami Heat president.
a. Denial of Anthonly gives Knicks all types of problems.
....The Miami Heat's decision to deny Carmelo Anthony the ball by fronting him has led to an array of complications for the Knicks.
b. Jordan the owner could learn from Jordan the player.
....For Michael Jordan, turning around the Charlotte Bobcats, the most futile team in N.B.A. history, will require better decisions and better teamwork
2. STANLEY CUP: On 3nd try, Flyers beat Devils in Game 1.

....Danny Briere scored 4 minutes 36 seconds into overtime to give the Flyers the victory, just over two minutes after he had an apparent winning goal disallowed.
a. Rangers are putting up obstacles for Ovechkin.
....Alex Ovechkin said he had room to maneuver for Washington in Game 1 against the Rangers, but he had only one shot on goal.
3. MLB: Enchanted April.

....Matt Kemp is off to a scorching start, leading the majors in batting average, slugging, runs, hits, home runs and RBIs for the 1st place Dodgers.
a. Yankees' Sabathia controls Detroit as Rodriguez oves past Mays on RBI list.

....Alex Rodriguez passed Willie Mays for 8th on the career RBI, but the story of the day was the continuation of C. C. Sabathia’s hot streak with Chris Stewart catching, winning 6-2.
b. Mets win 6-5 in extra innings on Davis's hit.
....The Mets wasted a four-run lead and Johan Santana’s stellar start, but Ike Davis’s third hit of the game drove in the winning run in the 11th inning.
4. Kentudky Derby: After Derby win with long shot, hoping that history will repeat.
....With Went the Day Well, Team Valor International, Graham Motion and John Velazquez are attempting to become the second owner-trainer-jockey trio to repeat at the Kentucky Derby
5. NFL: Draft more closely resembled swap meet, only with top-quality talent.
....Everything you need to know about the N.F.L. draft: or three days of glorified name calling.
6. NCAAF: Hosting semifinals at ancor bowls currently leading playoff proposal.
....Commissioners split 60-40 in favor of bowl sites, the favored proposal for a four-team playoff within the bowl system would place the two semifinal games at the traditional anchor bowls of the No. 1 and 2 teams' conferences.

[the flying reindeer]

Sports Headlines - 6 May 2012

1. MLB: Raised a Yankee and Happy to be a Dodger..

....In his second year as the manager, Don Mattingly has Los Angeles at the top of the National League.
a. Guidry can relate to allure of outfield.
....Pitcher Ron Guidry, who wound up playing in center field at Yankee Stadium on two occasions, understood why Mariano Rivera enjoyed shagging fly balls during practice.
b. A master of mechanics.

....Mariano Rivera’s mechanics have helped him avoid elbow and shoulder injuries that frequently land pitchers on the disabled list.
c. A Yankee's unfortunate pregame debut.
....Jayson Nix, who hit the batting-practice fly that Mariano Rivera was hurt chasing, was himself the victim of a freak injury while bunting at the Beijing Olympics.
2. NBA Playoffs: Sixers push Bullls to the brink.

....Playing without their stars Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, the Bulls lost their third straight game and face early elimination.
a. Clippers' new playmaker, closer Paul buides them to Game 3 win.

....Chris Paul's versatility led the Clippersto an 87-86 win over the Grizzlies where his deft playmaking has created a new feeling around the franchise.
b. The drama king.

....William C. Rhoden says LeBron James is a hard-working stage performer on the basketball court, playing to the crowd and often overacting.
3. The Kentucky Derby: I'll Have Another comes up roses.

....I'll Have Another ran down favorite Bodemeister to win the 138th Kentucky Derby with his jockey Mario Gutierrez becoming the 42nd jockey to win Derby on his first try.
a. Race to the Preakness is filled with caution.

....Trainers of Kentucky Derby horses say they will take their time in deciding whether to run the second leg of the Triple Crown.
4. NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: A late goal gives the Capitals a win and a tie.
....Washington defenseman Mike Green scored on a power play with 5 minutes 48 seconds in the game, giving the Capitals a 3+2 victory and a 2-2 series tie with the Rangers.
a. Elias steadies the Devils in postseason's tumult.
....The Devils, who lead their playoff series against the Flyers two games to one, are leaning on old hands like two-time Stanley Cup winner Patrick Elias.
b. It's closing time for the Kings.

....The LA Kings seal their stunning sweep of the St Louis Bllues, winning the 4th and final game 3-1.
5. NFL: A leader from the start.
....The New York Jets picked linebacker Demario Davis in the draft for his speed, his special-teams skills, his experience covering tight ends and his ability to lead through actions.
6. BOXING: Mayweather's win is unanimous but not easy.

....Floyd Mayweather Jr. remained unbeaten by holding off Miguel Cotto in a unanimous decision victory at the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.