Dominique Jones Assigned to Texas Legends

Filed under: Mavericks, NBA D-League, Texas Legends

The Dallas Mavericks have assigned Dominique Jones to the NBA Development League's Texas Legends, giving the Legends an unprecedented six former first-round NBA Draft picks.

Jones, the 25th overall pick in this year's draft, will join Antonio Daniels (4th in 1997), Reece Gaines (15th in 2003), Sean Williams (17th in 2007), Joe Alexander (8th in 2008) and Rashad McCants (14th in 2005). Jones, along with the recently reporting McCants, will make his Legends debut in Tuesday's home opener against the Austin Toros.

If five fellow first-round picks aren't enough to make the Legends feel like an NBA team, the coaching staff includes Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, former NBA player David Wesley and coaching consultants Del Harris and Tim Grgurich -- both of whom have considerable NBA coaching experience.

"It's a chance to play," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told ESPN Dallas Monday night. "It's a chance to work on his game. I'm sure (Legends coach Nancy Lieberman) will kick his ass, which is great. It's an opportunity. Not many teams have a D-League team this close in proximity, so it's an opportunity for us and for him."

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/30/dominique-jones-joining-texas-legends/

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FOX to Broadcast First Big Ten Football Championship Game

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Big 10, Media Watch, Sports Business and Media

To the surprise of absolutely no one, FOX announced Wednesday that it will air the inaugural Big Ten football championship game next December 11 from Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.

The network and the conference announced a five-year deal to show the title game on the over-the-air network, which, until this year, had been the home of the Bowl Championship Series games, excluding the Rose Bowl.

Though the Big Ten's football package airs on a number of carriers, including ABC and ESPN, the fact that the conference and FOX are partners on the highly successful Big Ten Network made it a natural that they would pair for the championship game.

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/17/fox-to-broadcast-first-big-ten-football-championship-game/

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Jimmie Johnson Wins Fifth Straight NASCAR Title, Carl Edwards Wins Race

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

The Jimmie Johnson dynasty in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series stretched to half a decade at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday as the most dominant driver the sport has ever seen won his fifth straight championship with a second-place finish in the Ford 400 season finale.

As Carl Edwards motored to his second straight victory in as many weeks, leading 190 laps, Johnson fought back from early pit problems, settled into his regular routine and came on at the end to seal the title.

For Edwards, the two consecutive victories came after a 70-race winless streak.

"This is unreal," Edwards said in victory lane. "It's a great way to finish the season. I think the way we're going, if we can start like that, our Aflac team will have a shot at them next year.

"To finish like this is unreal. It's just these guys not giving up. We don't give up. We've had just an unbelievable run toward the end of this season. It's just a great way to end the season."

The championship battle was a nail-biting contest whose complexion changed time and time again throughout the 267-lap event.

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Holly Cain: NASCAR's Greatest Champion?

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/21/jimmie-johnson-wins-fifth-straight-nascar-championship-as-carl-e/

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AP Top 25 Poll: Duke Is Unanimous No. 1, UConn Makes Historic Leap

Filed under: Connecticut, Duke

Duke finished the week with two decisive victories against Kansas State and Oregon. It picked up another decisive win Monday, capturing each of the 65 first-place votes in the AP Top 25 poll.

Meanwhile, UConn completed the biggest rise in the polls' rankings since 1989, vaulting from unranked to No. 7. The Huskies toppled then-No. 2 Michigan State and then-No. 8 Kentucky in the Maui Invitational. It was the biggest jump since Kansas vaulted from unranked to No. 4 after winning the 1989 preseason NIT.

Duke received all but seven first-place votes a week ago. Six went to Michigan State and the last went to Kansas State, which the Blue Devils defeated to win the CBE Classic. The Blue Devils are the first unanimous No. 1 team since Kansas finished the regular season with all first place votes last season.

Source: http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/ap-top-25-poll-duke-is-unanimous-no-1-uconn-makes-historic-le/

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Video: Colin White Drops Bruno Gervais With Two Punches

Filed under: Devils, Islanders, NHL Videos

Had the Islanders lost their matinee against the Devils this afternoon, I could make the analogy that the following video describes the Islanders' season in a nutshell. Ah heck, despite winning and breaking a 14-game losing streak, it is still a perfect analogy for how this season has gone for the team.

Halfway through the first period, the Islanders were up 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Jesse Joensuu. New Jersey's Colin White hit PA Parenteau from behind near the Devils' bench, tossing Parenteau into the boards head first. In today's NHL, it's a given that in this kind of situation a member of the opposing team should instantly come over to White and try to exact vengeance. Bruno Gervais of the Islanders tried to do just that. The key word in that sentence being 'tried.' Let's go to the tale of the tape:

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/26/video-colin-white-drops-bruno-gervais-with-two-punches/

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SBI Live Q&A set for Wednesday at 1pm

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerByIves/~3/lREbMEAuXO0/sbi-live-qa-set-for-wednesday-at-1pm.html

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The NHL Cycle: Pavelec Tops, Kessel Not, Adams Watch, Plays of the Week

Filed under: Maple Leafs, NHL Fans, NHL Videos, NHL Coaching

Every Monday morning Adam Gretz and Chris Botta recap the week in the greatest hockey league in the world. We call it the NHL Cycle.

THE HOT SEAT
Phil Kessel: The most talented player on the Toronto Maple Leafs has just three goals and two assists over his last 14 games. Kessel is the third-leading scorer on his team, behind Clarke MacArthur and Mikhail Grabovski. He performed well last year despite the pressure of a large contract and the high cost to acquire him from Boston. This year, Kessel has not played up to his standards -- even if he is still on a pace to score close to 40 goals.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ondrej Pavelec: So many worthy candidates, but let's salute Pavelec for his starring role in the turnaround of the Atlanta Thrashers, winners of five straight. This week, Pavelec allowed just two goals over three wins against Detroit, Montreal and Boston. That's on 101 shots against, including 42 in Atlanta's 4-1 win Sunday over the Bruins.

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/the-nhl-cycle-pavelec-tops-kessel-not-adams-watch-plays-of-t/

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Steve Phillips' Fix My Team: Brewers

Filed under: Brewers, MLB Video, Executive Take

Every team has a few precious months in the offseason to make tweaks to their roster and ensure that they improve in 2011. Steve Phillips has taken a team to the World Series before, and in November and December he will present his plan for every major league team to get there as well. It's the 10th episode of Fix My Team, and his latest project is the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/11/26/steve-phillips-fix-my-team-brewers/

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The Past or the Future? Coaching Carousel Is an Inexact Science

Filed under: NFL Coaching

Late Sunday night, one of those explosive rumors surfaced, spread by Twitter and other media outlets, that Jon Gruden was headed to the University of Miami. Thanks (again) to Twitter (its speed can be helpful at times) it was quickly quashed.

But it begs this question:

Why, when the conversation about the future seems to transcend the past, do we concentrate on the Mike Shanahans of the world and forget the Mike Smiths? And what is it about coaching changes that seem as fascinating to a lot of fans as playoff races, especially in a league where with five games to go, five of the eight division races are tied and the other three are within a game, begging the question about whether the NFC West title should be vacated with two 5-6 teams at the top?

Let's start with the aforementioned Mike Smith (pictured), who has Atlanta at 9-2, tied with the Jets and Patriots for the NFL's best record. They are this week's "Super Bowl team'' -- 19-1 in the Georgia Dome with Matt Ryan at quarterback and a win over Green Bay on Sunday that just about guarantees that if they face the Packers in the playoffs, it won't be at Lambeau Field.

When he was hired by Atlanta after the 2007 season, Smith was simply a professional coach with no special reputation, in part due to his name but also due to his resume -- defensive coordinator at Jacksonville; defensive coach at Baltimore; assistant at Morehead State, Tennessee Tech and San Diego State and one year as a linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

In other words, just "some guy named Mike Smith'' who has been 29-15 with a franchise that's a been loser for most of its 45 seasons, has one Super Bowl trip (something of a fluke) and is still looking for its first Hall of Fame player. And who is Thomas Dimitroff, the man who was hired from New England at the same time to run the Falcons' personnel operation? Well, to start with, he's one of the few acolytes that Bill Belichick has sent off into the football world who seems to have had Belichick's success instantly imparted on him (see McDaniels, Josh).

Which, when coaching rumors start flying, raises a few points.

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/the-past-or-the-future-coaching-carousel/

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Carlos Arroyo Reaping Benefits of Playing Alongside 'Big Three'

Filed under: 76ers, Heat

MIAMI -- It's not hard to hit shots when there is no one within 10 miles of where you are shooting.

Carlos Arroyo just smiles at the thought. It's how it feels every night now, like taking target practice at the shooting range.

Arroyo , now in his ninth NBA season, is reaping the benefits of playing alongside the NBA's Big Three in Miami, leaving him to play the game like he is playing in a vacuum, all alone in the gym.

The Miami Heat might be the most scrutinized team in NBA history, but Arroyo never has never had so much room to move on the court.

"This is a fun way to play. It's different. It's new for me, but I'm taking advantage of it,'' he said Friday after helping the Heat beat Philadelphia 99-90, snapping their much-chronicled, three-game losing streak. "This is a different way to play. ''

Arroyo has gone from being viewed as a high-risk, turnover-prone point guard to the hottest spot-up shooter in the NBA.

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/26/carlos-arroyo-reaping-benefits-of-playing-alongside-big-three/

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Source: Jon Gruden to Miami Reports 'Ridiculous'

Filed under: University of Miami, Coaching, Rumors

TAMPA, Fla. -- A close friend of Jon Gruden said Sunday night that Gruden has not accepted the job at the University of Miami and "doesn't believe it would be the right fit."

The source said he expects Gruden to remain at ESPN or eventually take an NFL head coaching job.

Gruden, an ESPN Monday Night Football color commentator who lives in Tampa with his family, is in Arizona preparing for Monday night's Cardinals-49ers game.

Lake Lewis, of the Sports Journey Broadcast Network and a former ESPN radio talk show host, reported Sunday from a "credible source that the next coach at University of Miami is John (sic) Gruden. About 3 Million a year!"

Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/28/fanhouse-source-jon-gruden-to-miami-reports-are-ridiculous/

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Red Claws Luck Spans Both Sides of the Spectrum

Filed under: NBA D-League

The NBA Development League's Maine Red Claws have had their share of good luck and bad luck since the team's inception last year, in effect exhibiting the D-League's unique version of Isaac Newton's third law of motion.

Newton's law states that for every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction and, while the Red Claws spectrum of luck hasn't always been "equal and opposite," Maine's terrible luck with injuries to top players has certainly been offset by the team's luck in claiming players off of the D-League's waiver wire.

The Red Claws injury misfortunes this season have included losing NBA call-up candidates Stephane Lasme and Magnum Rolle to injury less than a week into the regular season, though the blow in losing both of the talented pivot men was slightly lessened this week when the Red Claws were able to add Boston Celtics summer league big man DeShawn Sims via the waiver wire.

"We've had unbelievably bad luck and we continue to have bad luck. We lost Stephane Lasme early in the preseason, Magnum Rolle is injured right now and Mario West has a hamstring pull that caused him to miss last game," Red Claws president and general manager Jon Jennings recently told FanHouse. "For all of our injury problems over the last couple of years, though, we've been very fortunate in the player pool."

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/26/maine-red-claws-bad-luck-good-luck-feature/

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Mike Leach Sues ESPN for Defamation

by Jon Weinbach

Filed under: Texas Tech, Coaching, Media Watch, Sports Business and Media

Former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach gave ESPN an unpleasant Thanksgiving greeting on Wednesday, filing a lawsuit in Texas district court that accuses the sports-media giant of "willful and negligent defamation" of Leach in its coverage of the events leading up to and following the coach's firing late last year.

Leach was terminated last Dec. 30 in the wake of accusations that he mistreated injured wide receiver Adam James, the son of ESPN college football commentator Craig James. Among other allegations, Leach reportedly ordered Adam, who was recovering from a concussion, to stand alone in a dark closet on two occasions during the 2009 season. James shot video of his confinement, and the controversy came to a head when the footage was posted online.

Leach's lawsuit also names Spaeth Communications, a Dallas public-relations firm that Craig James hired when his son's complaints about Leach went public. The suit claims that Spaeth, which orchestrated the "Swift Boat" campaign against 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, played a central role in leaking the video footage and accuses the firm of "creating public opinion hostile to Leach."

In an email to FanHouse, an ESPN spokesman said the company has "not seen the lawsuit and therefore it would be inappropriate for us to comment." Spaeth did not return calls or emails seeking comment. Rebecca Shaw, the firm's executive vice president, told the Associated Press that Leach's suit is "the predictable strategy of a man who is desperate to avoid accountability for his own behavior."

Ted Liggett, Leach's attorney, said the 49-year-old former coach simply wants to clear his name. "His reputation has taken a severe hit and been tarnished," Liggett told the Associated Press. "On a daily basis we're still seeing stories across the country with accounts Leach claims are counter to the truth."

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/24/mike-leach-sues-espn-for-defamation/

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Antti Niemi Gets Starting Nod Against Former Team

Filed under: Blackhawks, Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- It's official, Antti Niemi will be in goal Wednesday night against the team he helped take to the Stanley Cup title six months earlier.

Niemi didn't have a lot to say about Todd McLellan's decision, but his huge smile told the tale on Wednesday after the Sharks' morning skate.

"Yeah, I'm playing," he said. "I'm pretty excited. But it doesn't matter who we're playing. .... I'm not trying to think too much that the game is special. We just need wins."

Many of the Blackhawks said the previous day that they knew how they'd approach Niemi if he got the start, considering all the hours they spent shooting at Niemi during practice. Niklas Hjalmarsson added to the chorus on Wednesday, saying, "Yeah, I do. ... Hopefully, you'll get to see it tonight."

And that from a player who went to Niemi's house for dinner the previous night. "I was trying to get into his head," Hjalmarsson said with a smile.

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/24/antti-niemi-gets-starting-nod-against-former-team/

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Michael Wilbon Leaves Washington Post for Full-Time Role With ESPN

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Sports Business, Sports Media, Sports Business and Media

Michael Wilbon, one of the bigger names in daily sports journalism, is apparently taking his talents to Bristol, Conn. -- or, more specifically, ESPN.

The Washington Post, from where Wilbon (shown above with golfer Tiger Woods) had hung his shingle first as a reporter, then as a very popular local columnist, told its staffers Thursday afternoon that "The ESPN/ABC rocket ship that Michael Wilbon has been riding the past several years has finally left our orbit. Wilbon will soon be leaving the Post -- a place he has called home for nearly 32 years -- as he takes on an even greater role for his networks and their parent company, Disney."

Indeed, Wilbon rocketed to national prominence when he and fellow former Post columnist Tony Kornheiser teamed to start the afternoon squawk fest "Pardon the Interruption" in 2001. PTI, as it is more commonly known, featured the two men trading barbs for 30 minutes, inspiring an unfortunate genre of sports talk that persists to this day.

The show shockingly won a Sports Emmy this past year.

 

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Source: http://www.fanhouse.com/2010/11/18/michael-wilbon-leaves-washington-post-for-full-time-role-with-es/

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Robert Garrigus, Biggest Winner of All at Children's Miracle Network Classic

Filed under: PGA

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- After Robert Garrigus thrashed the field with a closing-round 8-under 64 Sunday to win the
Children's Miracle Network Classic, one last question lingered: just how many winners can one tournament provide?

If you plan on counting, be sure to bring fingers and toes. Being at Disney World for the final event on the PGA Tour's incredibly long schedule means you do not need a tournament title to leave feeling like a champ.

Garrigus won the tournament. Troy Merritt won a $1 million bonus in the Kodak Challenge. Roland Thatcher finished solo second and won the right to return to full-time employment next year. Heath Slocum finished T-45 and won an invitation to next year's Masters.

If there had been any more trophies, it would have been Little League.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2010/11/14/robert-garrigus-biggest-winner-of-all-at-childrens-miracle-net/

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Beltre, Martinez Get Red Sox Arbitration Offers; Varitek Does Not

Filed under: Red Sox, MLB Free Agency

The arbitration system makes for some unusual maneuvering this time of year, as evidenced by the decisions the Red Sox front office handed down Tuesday.

Of the six Boston players eligible for free agency, the Red Sox will offer arbitration to three of them: Victor Martinez, Adrian Beltre and Felipe Lopez. They won't offer arbitration to Jason Varitek, Bill Hall or Mike Lowell.

Those decisions really have no bearing on whether any of the six will be back with the Red Sox next year, and the only one that raised eyebrows was the Lopez offer.

The infielder, cut loose by the Cardinals late in the season before spending the final few weeks with Boston, is a Type B free agent. By offering him arbitration, the Red Sox would net a compensatory draft pick if and when he signs elsewhere for next season. The risk they run is Lopez accepting their offer and thus guaranteeing himself a one-year deal with Boston, but Lopez apparently has already agreed to decline arbitration and enter free agency.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/beltre-martinez-get-red-sox-arbitration-offers-varitek-does-no/

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FanHouse TV: Will Terry Collins Survive Big Apple?

Filed under: Mets, MLB Video

The Mets introduced Terry Collins on Tuesday as the 20th manager in their history. Steve Phillips was once responsible for hiring that position and explains his mixed feelings about this hire on FanHouse TV.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/fanhouse-tv-will-terry-collins-survive-big-apple/

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Mark Cuban Says He Recruited LeBron to Mavericks

Filed under: Heat, Mavericks, NBA Rumors, Sports Business and Media, NBA Free Agents

When LeBron James announced he would be taking his talents to South Beach in front of the whole world, Dan Gilbert wasn't the only owner left feeling sick.

Mark Cuban, the boisterous and often controversial owner of the Dallas Mavericks, says he vehemently courted 'The King' and his business manager, Maverick Carter, during LeBron's free agent bonanza last summer. He did so through a barrage of text messages after the July 1 start of free agency with the main message that James' best shot at a title was with Dallas, and not Miami.

He envisioned James teaming up with All-Star point guard Jason Kidd along with superstar forward Dirk Nowitzki and that he in turn would provide him with a quality set of ancillary parts.

"Before he made his decision, what I told [James] ... and what I told Maverick was no team had ever blown up their team to ground zero -- well, I shouldn't use those words -- blown their team up of all of their core, and then added a couple of free agents and won a championship," Cuban told ESPN's Michael Wallace before the Heat played the Mavericks on Saturday at American Airlines Center. "It's always taken someone to come into a good team, make it better, and put it over the top. That's what I told him, and that's what I told Maverick."

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/27/mark-cuban-says-he-recruited-lebron-to-mavericks/

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Twins Win Right to Negotiate With Tsuyoshi Nishioka

Filed under: Twins, International Baseball, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

The Christmas shopping season officially started on Friday and the Twins didn't waste much time picking up their first item.

Their doorbuster wasn't a discounted television or digital camera, but the rights to sign Japanese shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka as a free agent. They won those rights by having the highest bid in the posting process started by Chiba Lotte Marines, Nishioka's club in Japan. The details of the winning bid haven't been officially disclosed, although Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that it was for $5.3 million.

The Twins now have 30 days to sign Nishioka to a contract. The A's and Hisashi Iwakuma will tell you that this is hardly an insignificant stumbling block, so it's best not to consider all your holiday shopping done on the first day. Still, there's good reason to think that the Twins are going to make this happen.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/11/26/twins-win-right-to-negotiate-with-tsuyoshi-nishioka/

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Mike Modano Out After Surgery for Severed Tendon in Wrist

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL Injuries

It's been business as usual for the Detroit Red Wings this season, winning 14 of their first 20 games and currently on top of the Central Division. They're in the middle of a big home-and-home series with the Columbus Blue Jackets, winning the first leg on Friday by a 2-1 margin at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. It was also a costly win for the Wings, as veteran Mike Modano suffered what general manager Ken Holland called "a real fluke injury" when he was cut by skate after falling to the ice in the defensive zone.

Modano underwent surgery to repair what's been reported as a severed tendon in his right wrist on Saturday and will be out indefinitely.

A Michigan native, the 40-year-old Modano signed with the Red Wings this summer after spending his entire career with the Dallas Stars organization. He has two goals and six assists this season, with all six helpers coming in the past 10 games. He had been skating mostly on a line with Jiri Hudler and Dan Cleary, while Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported that Justin Abdelkader centered that line during practice on Saturday.

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/27/mike-modano-out-after-surgery-for-severed-tendon-in-wrist/

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Bob Bradley, Landon Donovan Bring Back World Cup Memories With MLS Award

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, MLS, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team, United States

TORONTO -- In just a few minutes on Friday evening at a party in downtown Toronto, U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley and star midfielder Landon Donovan reminded everyone in attendance how and why the American effort at the World Cup inspired so many back home.

Each year, at the party that anchors the buildup to the MLS Cup Final, Don Garber presents the Commissioner's Award in recognition of a significant contribution to the development of American soccer. In 2010, there could be only one winner -- the national team.

Speaking to the several hundred guests in attendance, one of whom was this fortunate FanHouse correspondent, Garber said that the team's dramatic run to the second round, highlighted by Donovan's stoppage-time goal against Algeria in the group stage finale, inspired "millions of people back home" to "celebrate the beginning of a new era" in American soccer.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/19/bob-bradley-landon-donovan-bring-back-world-cup-memories-with-m/

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Ray Allen Still Rolling After All These Years

Filed under: Celtics

Ray Allen doesn't hesitate to reveal some secrets of his longevity to younger teammates. So at a Halloween party last month at Allen's house, the Boston guard took Delonte West into his garage.

There he showed off his $10,000 bike. It's a recent investment to help keep Allen, 35, in great shape.

"I'm learning a lot from him just in the short time (of being in Boston after signing in September) in how he takes care of his body,'' said West, 27, who figures to get even more tips from Allen after he was lost for several months Wednesday with a broken right wrist. "Not that many people invest that much money on a bike to ride. It's like something Lance Armstrong would ride. But that's what you do when you want to become the ultimate pro, you invest to keep yourself in top shape.''

Allen has been riding for about a dozen years and had the same bike. But earlier this year he upgraded to a bike designed specifically for him.

"I'd been looking to get a new one so I used this company out of Boston, Independent Fabrication,'' Allen said in an interview with FanHouse. "I wanted something ultralight, and I just went to a bike shop to figure out what's new and what's out there. We put together a bike based on my specifications. It's like one of those bikes you can pick up with two fingers. It's just real light.''

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/25/ray-allen-still-rolling-after-all-these-years/

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Oregon Overwhelms Arizona in Second Half to Remain Undefeated

Filed under: Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State, Pac 10

EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon is one win away from the national championship game.

All that's left now for the Ducks to claim their ticket to Glendale is next Saturday's game in Corvallis against Oregon State after they dispatched of another worthy Pac-10 challenger Friday, beating Arizona 48-29 at Autzen Stadium.

It was a familiar storyline for Oregon (11-0, 8-0), an overwhelming performance in the second half paving the way to a decisive final score. Oregon scored three touchdowns in the third quarter, added another early in the fourth and cruised to the finish. The Ducks outscored Arizona 34-10 to close out the game.

With the victory, Oregon clinched at least a tie for the Pac-10 championship.

Arizona (7-4, 4-4) was up 19-14 at halftime after Oregon turned the ball over twice deep in Wildcat territory.

But Oregon put the game away doing a little of everything -- busting out the big play, going on a sustained drive and riding the athleticism of quarterback Darron Thomas and running back LaMichael James.

The offensive breakout came two weeks after Cal held Oregon to a season-low 15 points.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/26/oregon-overwhelms-arizona-in-second-half-to-remain-undefeated/

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Tiger Woods Lays Up During ESPN Radio's 'Mike and Mike' Interview

Filed under: Sports Business and Media

The true purpose of Tiger Woods' much ballyhooed interview with ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike In The Morning was revealed about five minutes after the interview ended. That's when co-host Mike Greenberg read the first of a number of plugs for Woods' golf event next month.

In other words, just like virtually every other interview on Mike and Mike with an active professional athlete, where the celebrity in question answers a couple of questions about the season to date, then touts his commercial sponsor, Woods got the word out about his event without having to get his hands dirty.

In a roughly 25-minute interview over two segments, Woods broke no new ground from the story he has offered the past year. He declined to provide any details about the Thanksgiving Day accident at his home, he said precious little about whom he has taken advice from and he added nothing to speculation that he might have taken human growth hormones. Woods wouldn't even take a shot at Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne, who famously chided him before the Masters this year about his behavior. As Greenberg rightly pointed out, Woods' answers, in many cases, sounded like he was parroting a therapist.

In fairness to Greenberg and co-host Mike Golic, they were put in a no-win situation. They were asked to interview a man who has notoriously kept a wall between himself and the public, parceling out just enough of himself to say that he made the attempt. Recognizing that, the pair attempted before the interview started to lower expectations, first by saying that they weren't going to try to make themselves into Barbara Walters or Mike Wallace, and then by declaring that they would not explore the salacious details of last Thanksgiving and its aftermath.

To their credit, the two of them, and particularly Golic, the former defensive lineman, pressed Woods to the degree that they were allowed to, both by the limits of time and by the evasiveness of the interviewee.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2010/11/18/tiger-woods-lays-up-during-espn-radios-mike-and-mike-intervie/

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Schellas Hyndman: Mad Scientist Gives FC Dallas Fighting Chance

Filed under: MLS, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas

Schellas Hyndman is as rough and tumble as they come.

The FC Dallas coach has been through knife fights, gang brawls, and some sanctioned violence as well -- competitive mixed martial arts.

He has the scars to prove it. He's crossed oceans in the bowels of a cargo ship and he's faced down an abusive stepfather.

And he did it all before the age of 20.

Now, at 59, he's facing a new challenge: Sunday's MLS Cup Final in Toronto. But standing on the doorstep of a once-moribund franchise's first championship shouldn't be a big deal for a guy who's a 10th degree black belt in Aiki Ju-Jutsu and voluntarily takes kicks to the crotch, right?

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/18/schellas-hyndman-mad-scientist-gives-fc-dallas-fighting-chance/

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More Than a Trophy at Stake as Struggling Franchises Meet in MLS Cup Final

Filed under: MLS, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia Union, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC

TORONTO -- Every championship game promises glory. Every championship game promises the opportunity to make history, to fulfill ambition and to command attention and respect the following year. But how many promise survival?

We're not talking about survival in a Mayan ceremonial ballgame kind of way. But we do mean it somewhat literally.

Survival, or something close to it, is about what's at stake as FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids meet here Sunday night in the MLS Cup Final (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

There have a lot of people assuming this week that those who keep track of MLS revenue, sponsorships, TV ratings and other off-the-field metrics are disappointed that Sunday's title game lacks marquee names and star power. If they are, that's shortsighted.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/21/more-than-a-trophy-at-stake-as-struggling-franchises-meet-in-ml/

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One Final Go-Round for PGA Tour 2010

Filed under: British Open, PGA, US Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, Champions Tour, European Tour

The PGA Tour season ended Sunday -- 45 weeks and 46 tournaments after it began the first week of January.

There were 39 different winners. Ninety players earned more than $1 million each. Jim Furyk topped the tour in wins -- three -- including the Tour Championship. Matt Kuchar, with only one victory but 11 top 10s, claimed the money title with $4,910,477.

Europe beat the U.S. to win the Ryder Cup. Tiger Woods went oh-for-2010, the first winless season of his pro career. Vijay Singh, ranked among the world's top 20 players since 1997, finished this year 86th.

England's Lee Westwood, despite only one 2010 win worldwide and still without a major championship, took over the world No. 1 ranking, bumping Tiger from top the spot after 281 consecutive weeks.

Matt Every was suspended for three months of the season after a marijuana possession arrest in his hotel room in Silvis, Ill., while at the John Deere.

John Daly wasn't arrested.

Dustin Johnson missed a chance to win the PGA Championship because of a two-stroke penalty incurred on the 72nd hole for grounding his club in a bunker that he didn't know was a bunker -- because he didn't bother to read the local rules sheet.

Fred Couples turned 50 and went to the Champions Tour.

Paul Goydos (first round of the John Deere) and Stuart Appleby (final round, Greenbrier) shot 59s.

John Daly didn't get divorced.

Phil Mickelson won the Masters for his fourth career major, but other than announcing he was going vegetarian, didn't do anything interesting the rest of the year.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy became the season's youngest winner -- 20 year, 11 months, 28 days -- at Quail Hollow.

Rocco Mediate was the oldest -- 37 years, 10 months -- winning the Frys.com.

John Daly didn't trash a hotel room.

And you thought the year was boring.

Actually, there were more memorable moments than the statistics might suggest:

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2010/11/16/one-final-go-round-for-pga-tour-2010/

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Chris Henry Feature Moves 'NFL Today' Host James Brown to Tears

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Bengals, AFC North, NFL Video, Sports Business and Media

It's not very often that television portrays a display of honest emotion. And it's even rarer when said feelings are released on a football telecast, the last bastion of raw testosterone on the small screen.

Yet, during Thursday's CBS pregame show, "NFL Today" anchor James Brown unabashedly let loose a torrent of tears.

The show had just aired a moving, Emmy-award worthy feature on former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who died last December when he fell from a moving vehicle in an accident near his hometown of Charlotte. The piece was narrated by Henry's mother, Carolyn Glaspy, who made the decision to donate Henry's organs to needy recipients. The story centered on a meeting of the four people who received Henry's organs and a subsequent meeting with Glaspy.

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/25/chris-henry-feature-moves-nfl-today-host-james-brown-to-tears/

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FIFA Picks Its Top 10 Goals of the Year

Filed under: European Soccer, FIFA World Cup, International Soccer, English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, La Liga (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany)

Last week we took a look at Major League Soccer's goal of the year nominees. It was tough to choose a winner from a league with just 16 teams (The recipient will be announced on Wednesday).

FIFA's Puskás Award expands the potential pool to every team on Earth. Launched last year and named for the famous Hungary and Real Madrid star of the 1950s and 60s, the award will be voted on by fans and features 10 nominees selected based on the following criteria, according to FIFA:

1 - "aesthetics"
2 - "the importance of the match"
3 - "the absence of luck or an opposition mistake as a factor making the goal possible"
4 - "fair play"
5 - it must have been scored between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/16/fifa-picks-its-top-10-goals-of-the-year/

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Ray Allen Still Rolling After All These Years

Filed under: Celtics

Ray Allen doesn't hesitate to reveal some secrets of his longevity to younger teammates. So at a Halloween party last month at Allen's house, the Boston guard took Delonte West into his garage.

There he showed off his $10,000 bike. It's a recent investment to help keep Allen, 35, in great shape.

"I'm learning a lot from him just in the short time (of being in Boston after signing in September) in how he takes care of his body,'' said West, 27, who figures to get even more tips from Allen after he was lost for several months Wednesday with a broken right wrist. "Not that many people invest that much money on a bike to ride. It's like something Lance Armstrong would ride. But that's what you do when you want to become the ultimate pro, you invest to keep yourself in top shape.''

Allen has been riding for about a dozen years and had the same bike. But earlier this year he upgraded to a bike designed specifically for him.

"I'd been looking to get a new one so I used this company out of Boston, Independent Fabrication,'' Allen said in an interview with FanHouse. "I wanted something ultralight, and I just went to a bike shop to figure out what's new and what's out there. We put together a bike based on my specifications. It's like one of those bikes you can pick up with two fingers. It's just real light.''

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/25/ray-allen-still-rolling-after-all-these-years/

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Robert Garrigus, Biggest Winner of All at Children's Miracle Network Classic

Filed under: PGA

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- After Robert Garrigus thrashed the field with a closing-round 8-under 64 Sunday to win the
Children's Miracle Network Classic, one last question lingered: just how many winners can one tournament provide?

If you plan on counting, be sure to bring fingers and toes. Being at Disney World for the final event on the PGA Tour's incredibly long schedule means you do not need a tournament title to leave feeling like a champ.

Garrigus won the tournament. Troy Merritt won a $1 million bonus in the Kodak Challenge. Roland Thatcher finished solo second and won the right to return to full-time employment next year. Heath Slocum finished T-45 and won an invitation to next year's Masters.

If there had been any more trophies, it would have been Little League.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2010/11/14/robert-garrigus-biggest-winner-of-all-at-childrens-miracle-net/

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Players Union Preparing for Pivotal All-Star Weekend Meetings

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Media Watch, Sports Business and Media

DENVER -- He is Mr. 0.4. So you know Derek Fisher isn't going to start believing there might be an NBA lockout until no time is left on the clock.

"I'm an optimistic type of guy,'' said the Lakers guard and president of the NBA players association. "I believe as long as there's time left in the game, you can figure out a way to win.''

It was Fisher who took an inbound pass with 4 tenths of a second remaining in a 2004 playoff game and beat San Antonio with a jumper. He knows it will be a while before negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement get that down to the wire.

Still, Fisher knows there's plenty of work to do between now and when the current CBA expires June 30, 2011, and a possible lockout could begin.

"We're open to a lot of things but mainly open to realistic dialogue that's focused on real solutions rather than just throwing things out just to see how their response is,'' said Fisher, who spoke to FanHouse on Thursday in Denver as did union vice president Theo Ratiff, Lakers center.

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/12/players-union-preparing-for-pivotal-all-star-weekend-meetings/

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