Kevin Durant: Chris Bosh a 'Fake Tough Guy'

Filed under: Heat, NBA Rumors, NBA Videos, Thunder

It takes a lot to get Kevin Durant, one of the league's most mild-mannered superstars, riled up. But Chris Bosh knows the trick. As you can see in the video above, Durant and Bosh exchanged words in the first quarter on Sunday shortly after Durant's teammate, James Harden, drew a foul on Bosh.

"He was telling (James) Harden to dunk on me," Bosh told reporters after the game, according to The Oklahoman. "He said, 'dunk the next one.' I expressed that, no, he's not going to dunk that. And he expressed, yes he is. We just kind of went back and forth. I don't think it was anything to get a tech over. It was just talking."

"He's on a good team now so he thinks he can talk a little bit. But it's a lot of fake tough guys in this league and he's one of them."

- Kevin Durant on Chris Bosh

It may have just been talking, but Durant didn't appreciate Bosh's interruption.

"I was talking to my teammate and he decided he wanted to put his two cents into it," Durant said. "I'm a quiet guy, a laid back guy. But I'm not going to let nobody talk trash to me. He's on a good team now so he thinks he can talk a little bit. But it's a lot of fake tough guys in this league and he's one of them."

"I'm no punk," Durant added. "I wasn't even talking to him, first-off. He decided to butt in. I'm not just going to let that slide, especially in our house. He's not one of those guys that I look at and say he has a rep for talking back to guys or always getting into it. He's a nice guy. He's not one of those guys. So I'm not going to let that type of person say something to me like that."

The technical foul was Durant's first of the year, and just the fifth of his career.

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/31/kevin-durant-chris-bosh-a-fake-tough-guy/

Andrea Pirlo Andres Iniesta Andriy Shevchenko Andy Murray Andy Roddick

Rickie Weeks Sets Deadline in Extension Negotiations With Brewers

Filed under: Brewers, MLB Rumors

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks is more than willing to talk about a long-term contract extension with the team, but he will only talk for a limited time. Once spring training begins, Weeks only wants to think about one thing.

"Once I get to spring training, I want to focus on baseball," said Weeks.

The upcoming season is the last in which Weeks is arbitration-eligible. Weeks asked for a $7.2 million salary for the 2011 season while the team countered with an offer of $4.85 million. Even though the two sides are far apart in the negotiations, no matter what, Weeks will be in a Brewers uniform in 2011. Whether or not he'll have the opportunity to test the free-agent market is still unknown.

Weeks let the Brewers know earlier that he'd be willing to talk about a long-term deal, but after a breakout 2010 season, he's shooting for the moon. Weeks hit .269 with 29 home runs last year, but more significantly he avoided injury and played in 159 games - something he has failed to do since he arrived on the scene in 2003.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/31/rickie-weeks-sets-deadline-in-extension-negotiations/

Diego Milito Dimitar Berbatov Dustin Johnson Eduardo Da Silva Ernests Gulbis

Andy Gray, Richard Keys Taken Off Air for Sexist Comments

Filed under: English Premier League, Sports Business and Media

LONDON (AP) -- Two of Britain's leading soccer commentators were reprimanded by their TV network and taken off the air Monday after making sexist remarks about two female game officials and a team executive.

Andy Gray and Richard Keys were disciplined Monday for derogatory comments about Sian Massey's suitability as a lineswoman for a Premier League game the commentators were working Saturday for Sky Sports.

Gray and Keys have been respected voices in soccer for the past 20 years. They also criticized the ability of former Premier League official Wendy Toms and a column written by West Ham executive Karren Brady in the Sun newspaper that day.

The men have privately apologized to their employer. Sky said the two have been warned and "reminded of their responsibilities." They will not work the show Monday night when Bolton hosts Chelsea in the Premier League.

"They (the comments) are inexcusable from anyone at Sky, regardless of their role or seniority," said Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/24/andy-gray-richard-keys-taken-off-air-for-sexist-comments/

Cristiano Ronaldo Daniel Alves Daniele De Rossi David Albelda David Beckham

Alex Ovechkin Tosses Stick, Tagged With Penalty Shot in All-Star Game

Filed under: NHL All Star Game

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin tossed his stick in an attempt to disrupt a breakaway, a rarely seen antic that resulted in Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene having the first penalty shot in the history of the NHL All-Star Game at RBC Center on Sunday.

"Well, I wanted to make history, so ..." chided Ovechkin (above).

Duchene, a member of Team Lidstrom, was taking strides toward Team Staal goalie Henrik Lundqvist when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"I saw it coming," Duchene told FanHouse after Team Lidstrom's 11-10 victory. "I couldn't hold the stick like I wanted to because he threw it. I was laughing as it was coming by. I thought it was pretty funny."

Duchene made a solid attempt in the penalty shot, but was stopped by the New York Rangers goalie.

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More Coverage: Team Lidstrom Edges Team Staal at NHL All-Star Game

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/30/alex-ovechkin-tosses-stick-tagged-with-penalty-shot/

Matt Kuchar Maxi Rodríguez Michael Ballack Michael Essien Michael Owen

Five Things to Watch for On National Signing Day

Filed under: Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, USC, Recruiting, Prospects

While the mail service may run and banks are still open, Wednesday for many around the country has been circled on the calendar for months as a virtual national holiday.

And inside athletic departments nationwide, Wednesday's National Signing Day is a 24-hour period that means almost as much to football coaches' futures as on-field success.

Every year, there are a few twists and turns that come with National Signing Day as a five-star recruit may suddenly switch teams and turn a "solid verbal commitment" to one team into a "signing day coup" for that team's rival. And while most programs enter Wednesday feeling like their recruiting classes are locked down for 2011, no one truly knows until ink meets paper and 18-year-old athletes back those commitments with signed national letters-of-intent.

As a prelude to Wednesday's full-on finale to recruiting season, here are FanHouse's Top Five Things to Expect On National Signing Day:

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/31/five-things-to-watch-for-on-national-signing-day/

Mikhail Youzhny Miroslav Klose Nemanja Vidic Nery Castillo Nick Watney

The Best of the MLS SuperDraft

Filed under: MLS, U.S. Men's National Team, Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia Union, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC

No one will argue that the MLS SuperDraft carries the same weight as its crucial NFL and NBA counterparts.

In those leagues, the draft is the primary building block for a franchise. MLS front offices, meanwhile, have a wealth of options when it comes to acquiring personnel.

The international market and the league's allocation process have furnished impact players aplenty. More recently developed mechanisms, such as the homegrown player initiative and the new re-entry draft, further water down the SuperDraft's influence on the talent pool.

Consider this: Of the 15 MVPs in MLS history, just one -- former New England Revolution striker Taylor Twellman -- entered the league via the SuperDraft since it was established in 2000. And none arrived through its precursor, the less enthusiastically titled College Draft. (The SuperDraft resulted from the union of the College Draft and the Supplemental Draft, which included all non-collegiate players.)

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/12/the-best-of-the-mls-superdraft/

Lionel Messi Luca Toni Lucio Luke Donald Maicon

Tiger Woods Refuses to Panic Despite his Worst Start to a Season

Filed under: Golf

Tiger Woods could not escape the media scrutiny of his form at the Farmers Insurance Open, especially after a shooting 75 in Sunday's final round.

The world No.3 knew every aspect of his game would be called into question at Torrey Pines - a course Woods knows well after winning there on five successive occasions.

However, he failed to rediscover his old form as he finished tied for 44th place, his worst start to any season during his professional career.

It was a surprising collapse too, for his opening rounds of 69 and 69 were signs that his game was edging back on track after a series of personal problems.

But the weekend scores of 74 and 75 confirmed Woods has plenty of work to do on the driving range and putting green before he is likely to challenge Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, who sit ahead of him in the world rankings.

Woods, at least, was honest enough to reflect on his final round and speak about his commitment to rebuilding his swing with coach Sean Foley.

He said "I hit a lot of good shots early in the week, and then it progressively got worse."

 

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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/01/31/tiger-woods-refuses-to-panic-despite-his-worst-start-to-a-season/

Owen Hargreaves Paolo Maldini Patrick Vieira Paul Casey Paul Scholes

Fresh, Rested Tiger Woods Aims for Comeback at Torrey Pines

Filed under: PGA

SAN DIEGO -- Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 2011 Tiger Woods Show. Kick back. Settle in. For one reason or another, this should be interesting.

Just more than a year after the most damaging and costly car-hits-fire-hydrant collision in motor vehicle history, Woods arrived Wednesday at Torrey Pines, site of this week's PGA stop -- the Farmers Insurance Open -- ready to begin the task of distancing himself from a lost season.

Not only did the game's most famous player go winless in 2010, the first shutout in his 15-season career, he also lost a carefully crafted image, a marriage, and, according to many, the aura of invincibility that he wore like armor.

After a record 281 consecutive weeks as the world's No. 1 ranked player, he now trails England's Lee Westwood and Germany's Martin Kaymer. In an effort to revive his sagging game, Woods undertook the fourth retooling of his swing, teaming with teaching pro Sean Foley in August and working feverishly during the off-season.

Now, it's time to start competing all over again. But will it all come back, or has the magic been lost?

"Well, I think in order to play this game at a high level, it helps to have a clear mind," Woods said Wednesday. "I've played at the high levels before in the past without a clear mind, but it helps to be consistent. It helps having your life in balance.

"Certainly my life is much more balanced than it was in the past. That is exciting for me. I think it's exciting for my kids, and we're really looking forward to it."

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Elliott: Farmers Insurance Open Preview | Point/Counterpoint
More: Farmers Open Tee Times | Latest golf Photos

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/fresh-rested-tiger-woods-aims-for-comeback-at-torrey-pines/

Heath Slocum Hernan Crespo Hunter Mahan Iker Casillas Ivan Ljubicic

Oguchi Onyewu Leaves AC Milan for Dutch Champion FC Twente

Maybe now Oguchi Onyewu will get a game.

The burly central defender, who left Belgium's Standard Liège in 2009 in an ambitious but ultimately ill-fated move to AC Milan, has reunited with former coach Michel Preud'homme at FC Twente, the reigning Dutch champions.

The loan deal, rumored for several days (The Washington Post broke the story), was confirmed by Twente on Tuesday morning. It will last through the end of the current season. Onyewu, 28, is under contract with Milan until the summer of 2013.

The move to the Netherlands could not have come at a better time for Onyewu, who has barely played since suffering a knee injury in October 2009. He played once for Milan a couple of weeks before getting hurt -- about half an hour of reserve duty in a UEFA Champions League group stage game -- and hasn't stepped on a field wearing the famous black-and-red stripes since.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/11/oguchi-onyewu-leaves-ac-milan-for-fc-twente/

Juan Monaco Juan Roman Riquelme Juninho Pernambucano Jurgen Melzer Justin Rose

Texas A&M Bolting to the SEC Is Just a Matter of Time

Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas, Big 12, SEC

Last week, the Texas Longhorns announced a partnership with ESPN that will bring the school just north of $12 million a year for the next 15 years after partnership fees are shared. That money is in addition to the substantial sums of money Texas extorted from its Big 12 brethren during last year's conference realignment shakedown. Make no mistake about it, we've entered a new era of college athletics, where once conferences were king now individual schools, in some cases, don't give a damn about anyone but themselves. Especially when those schools retain the all important local multimedia rights packages, as members of the Big 12 and SEC presently do. The Big Ten and Pac-12 schools have given up those rights.

As a result of the new network deal, ESPN gains the right to create a Texas Longhorn-specific network, the first of its kind. The programming is far from must-see television -- eight men's basketball games and one football game will take up about 20 hours of content -- but it will broadcast 8.740 additional hours of programming a year -- 8,740! It was trendy to make fun of the Big Ten Network's schedule early on, but the Big Ten Network actually carries a ton of games that your average fan would care about.

It's possible the Texas Longhorn network won't turn down a single pitch idea. Meaning Texas is probably going to be the first school in history to be able to offer television shows to assistant coaches.

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/texas-aandm-bolting-to-the-sec-is-just-a-matter-of-time/

Sam Querrey Samir Nasri Samuel Eto’o Sergio Agüero Sergio Ramos

Kim Clijsters Defeats Li Na to Win Australian Open

Filed under: Australian Open, WTA

Kim Clijsters rallied to win the Australian Open women's singles title 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Li Na of China on Saturday. Clijsters, the 2004 Australian Open runner-up and three-time U.S. Open champion, defeated Li for her fourth career Grand Slam title. It is the 27-year-old Belgian's second major in a row and her third since coming back from retirement in the summer of 2009.

Li, who was playing in her first Grand Slam final, was up a set and had broken Clijsters twice to start the second set. However, Clijsters' experience in major titles paid off for the Belgian as she tweaked her game to rally in the second half of her eighth-career major championship.

 

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Source: http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/kim-clijsters-defeats-li-na-to-win-australian-open/

Rory McIlroy Ruud van Nistelrooy Ryan Giggs Ryan Palmer Sam Querrey

Nick Saban Has Alabama Atop SEC Recruiting Race Again

Filed under: Alabama, SEC, Recruiting, Prospects

In the final push toward National Signing Day 2011 on Feb. 2, FanHouse will examine the recruiting efforts of a major conference in twice-weekly notebooks. As always, recruiting is an always-changing landscape -- and there are several high-profile players who remain uncommitted. Here is FanHouse's review of the Southeastern Conference.

The Best

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Total commitments (as of Jan. 24): 21

Five- and four-star commitments: 15

The 411: Long story short ... The 2011 Crimson Tide recruiting class is as good as it gets. Alabama recently vaulted Texas for the top-rated recruiting class in the nation as rated by Rivals.com, and it is easy to see why -- with commitments from five-star high school teammates like DB Hasean Clinton-Dix (6-2, 190, Orlando, Fla., Dr. Phillips HS) and RB Demetrius Hart (5-8, 190, Orlando, Fla., Dr. Phillips HS). Although their class took a hit when RB/LB Brent Calloway switched his commitment to Auburn, Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide are still in line to bring in the nation's top recruit -- DE Jadeveon Clowney (6-5, 235, Rock Hill, S.C., South Pointe HS) as well as massive OT Cyrus Kouandjio (6-7, 295, Hyattsville, Md., Dematha Catholic HS).

Grade: A+

LSU TIGERS

Total commitments (as of Jan. 24): 21

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/24/nick-saban-has-alabama-atop-sec-recruiting-race-again/

Samir Nasri Samuel Eto’o Sergio Agüero Sergio Ramos Shunsuke Nakamura

Tim Bradley's Promoter Won't Be Ringside Against Devon Alexander

Filed under: WBC, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive

DETROIT -- When WBO champion Tim Bradley enters the ring opposite southpaw WBC titlist Devon Alexander, Bradley's promoter, Gary Shaw, will be tucked away in some distant room of the Pontiac Silverdome, probably alone, and settling in to watch the HBO televised broadcast of the fight.

"He only watched my first fight and then that was it," said Bradley, referring to his December of 2006, eighth-round, technical decision over Jaime Rangel. "The first fight after I signed with him is the only one that he's watched from ringside. That was the Rangel fight."

It's been that way since Shaw signed the 27-year-old Bradley (26-0, 11 knockouts) to a contract 11 fights ago in 2006, and that's how it will be on Saturday night at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., against the 23-year-old Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs).

"You know that I won't be in the arena for the fight. I will not be there for the fight. Since I've signed Timmy, I've never seen him fight," said Shaw, during Thursday's press conference at the Motor City Casino promoting the fight.

"I'm superstitious, and I only watch him on T.V. I have a T.V. set up for me in every arena. And I leave ringside before the fight starts and I go and watch it on T.V.," said Shaw. "So I will be in a private room somewhere in the Silverdome watching it on TV, which can be very frustrating."





One of those intense times occurred in April of 2009, when Bradley had to twice rise from knockdowns to win his current crown by unanimous decision over Kendall Holt (25-4, 13 KOs) at Bell Centre, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

 

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Source: http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/tim-bradleys-promoter-wont-be-ringside-for-devon-alexander-fig/

Diego Forlan Diego Milito Dimitar Berbatov Dustin Johnson Eduardo Da Silva

Edson Buddle Scores in Debut with FC Ingolstadt

Filed under: Bundesliga (Germany), U.S. Men's National Team, Los Angeles Galaxy

Two months of inactivity and a move to Germany have not slowed the goal scoring express that is Edson Buddle.

The former Los Angeles Galaxy forward, who tallied 19 times in MLS play last year, opened his account with his new club, FC Ingolstadt, on Friday in his first game with the German second-division side.

The 76th-minute volley (video below) lifted Ingolstadt to a 1-0 lead over visiting Duisburg, but Buddle's relegation-threatened club couldn't hold the advantage and wound up settling for a 1-1 draw.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/21/edson-buddle-scores-in-debut-with-fc-ingolstadt/

Marcos Baghdatis Mardy Fish Marin Cilic Matt Kuchar Maxi Rodríguez

Bob Hope Classic Power Rankings

Filed under: PGA

The PGA returns to the mainland and begins its West Coast Swing with the Bob Hope Classic. This tournament features a long list of celebrities playing alongside the professionals, and the setup reflects that. It's no coincidence that the four courses used in this event ranked in the top-seven easiest in 2010.

Expect one of the lowest scoring weeks of the year as players take on La Quinta Country Club, SilverRock Resort, PGA West's Nicklaus Course and PGA West's Palmer Course over five rounds. Only the top 70 and ties will play in Sunday's final round, which is the same round David Duval fired a 59 to win by a stroke in 1999.

Here's who we see contending on Sunday:

1. Matt Kuchar -- Last year's money winner has found his place on Tour and seems extremely confident right now. Kuchar, pictured, is one of only two players to record a top-10 finish in each of the first two weeks. In the final round of the Sony Open, he looked as relaxed as anyone and likely would have caught Mark Wilson had he not averaged nearly two putts per GIR.

2. Bubba Watson -- The long-hitting lefty didn't break 70 in the first tournament of the year but still managed a top-25 finish. One of his four top-3 finishes a year ago came at this tournament. His second-round 62 was the lowest of week. With a win under his belt now, maybe he'll be able to close out the tournament if he finds himself the fourth-round leader again this weekend.

3. Bill Haas -- Last year's winner shot only one round higher than a 66 en route to his first career victory. Haas began this season with a 8th place finish at the Tournament of Champions, where he carded two bogey-free rounds and tied for 7th in driving accuracy. The 28-year-old hasn't finished outside of the top 30 since September.

4. Charley Hoffman -- The 2007 Bob Hope winner welcomes a shootout. Seventh last year in birdie average, Hoffman carded nine over a span of 13 holes during his third round in the opener two weeks ago. He's also a long hitter with a personality that seems to fit a celebrity event.

5. Brendon de Jonge -- Now in his fourth full season on tour, de Jonge is a likely candidate to pick up his first win in 2011. He tied for 6th last year with seven top 10s, which included three top 3s. There's no questioning his ability to score as he led the Tour in total birdies in 2010.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/bob-hope-classic-power-rankings-low-scores-galore/

Joe Cole John Isner John Terry Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Juan Carlos Ferrero

Utah Names Chow Offensive Coordinator

Filed under: Utah, Pac 10, Coaching

Norm Chow is returning to his roots.

Chow, one of the best offensive minds in football, has been named Utah's offensive coordinator, according to a release by the school. Chow's name had been mentioned with Utah for the past couple weeks, but Chow and UCLA, his last employer, had not quite parted ways until this weekend.

Both Utah and UCLA will compete in the Pac-12 South beginning this fall.

"Adding Norm Chow to our offensive staff was an opportunity that we couldn't pass up," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "Norm is widely considered one of the top offensive coordinators in the country and his experience at both USC and UCLA will aid us in our transition into the Pac-12 conference."

Chow lettered for Utah as an offensive lineman from 1965-67. He started two seasons and earned first-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior.

Chow, who has 35 years of NCAA assistant experience, has coached for three national championship teams (BYU 1984; USC 2003 and 2004), and tutored three Heisman Trophy winners (Ty Detmer, BYU; Carson Palmer, USC; Matt Leinart, USC).

Chow also spent three years in the NFL as the offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans. He helped quarterback Vince Young become only the second quarterback to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

As offensive coordinator for UCLA, the Bruins made a rocky transition to the pistol offense this year with mixed results. The Bruins ranked 100th nationally in total offense, averaging 316.67 yards per game and 104th in scoring offense with 20.17 points per game. During his three seasons with the Bruins, Chow's offenses have never been better than 88th nationally.

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/22/utah-names-chow-offensive-coordinator/

Fabio Quagliarella Feliciano Lopez Fernando Torres Fernando Verdasco Filippo Inzaghi

Accidental Collisions Cause Major Rise in NHL Concussions

Filed under: Blues, Coyotes, Sabres, Stars, Thrashers, NHL All Star Game, NHL Injuries

RALEIGH, N.C. -- There has been a threefold increase in games lost due to concussions suffered through accidental collisions in the NHL this season, an alarming trend commissioner Gary Bettman noted before the NHL SuperSkills competition at RBC Center on Saturday.

"The ideal number of concussions would be zero," Bettman said. "Our objective would be to come as close as possible to get that result without changing the fundamentals of our game. We are doing whatever possible to limit the amount of concussions."

Concussions suffered in fights and through hits delivered to the body where a player's head then strikes the glass, boards or ice have also increased this season. Bettman refused to disclose the specific numbers.

He added that the number of concussions from blindside hits to the head was down, largely due to the rule implemented last March that barred such collisions. Hits to the head deemed legal under NHL rules have also resulted in fewer man games lost, according to Bettman.

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/accidental-collisions-cause-major-rise-in-nhl-concussions/

Anthony Kim Arjen Robben Ashley Cole Ben Crane Bill Haas

FA Cup Text Commentary: Arsenal v Huddersfield Town As It Happened

Filed under: Arsenal, FA Cup, Football, Min-By-Min Reports

Minute-by-minute commentary from Emirates Stadium.

 

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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/01/30/live-fa-cup-text-commentary-arsenal-v-huddersfield-town/

Gennaro Gattuso Geoff Ogilvy Gianluca Zambrotta Gianluigi Buffon Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

Renzo Gracie Talks Roger Gracie's Win, His Return to MMA

Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, Videos

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- MMA Fighting spoke to Renzo Gracie about his cousin Roger Gracie's win over Trevor Prangley at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg on Saturday night about Gracie's impressive win, what's next and when Renzo expects to fight again.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/30/renzo-gracie-talks-roger-gracies-win-his-return-to-mma/

Ruud van Nistelrooy Ryan Giggs Ryan Palmer Sam Querrey Samir Nasri

Awakened Vince Carter Taking His New Role in Stride

Filed under: Suns, FanHouse Exclusive

PHOENIX -- Vince Carter celebrated his 34th birthday on Wednesday by breaking out of a four-game shooting slump, and by moving past Tom Chambers into 36th on the NBA's career-scoring list. His performance was more than solid, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Suns from losing 114-107 to the Bobcats.

After averaging a little more than eight points while shooting a dismal 10 of 40 from the field over the team's last four games, Carter bounced back with 22 points and six rebounds in this one, on eight of 17 from the field, including five of eight from three-point land.

Still, the team lost for the third straight game. So while it was obviously nice for him to get back on track personally, Carter was more focused on the bigger picture, and the fact that personal success doesn't necessarily translate into team victories.

In an interview with FanHouse afterward, Carter talked about how the mental approach to his game has changed, and how he still believes the Suns have time to get things right and make a run at the playoffs.

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/awakened-vince-carter-taking-his-new-role-in-stride/

Ernie Els Fabio Cannavaro Fabio Quagliarella Feliciano Lopez Fernando Torres

Will Pacquiao-Mosley to Showtime 'Upset' Top Boxing Network HBO?

Filed under: WBC, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

DETROIT -- The departure of the mega bout featuring eight-division titlist and WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) king Manny Pacquiao from HBO to CBS-Showtime pay per view for a May 7 defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against three-division, five-time titlist Shane Mosley "is not going to upset our position as the pre-eminent boxing network," said HBO President of Sports Ross Greenburg.

Long-time staples on HBO, the 32-year-old southpaw Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) and the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) will clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the first-ever appearance on Showtime for both fighters in a move by Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Bob Arum.

Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, acknowledged a big advantage presented by Showtime's ability to televise a multi-part series that is equivalent to HBO's 24/7 -- on CBS prime time. There is also CBS's ability to reach 115 million homes compared to HBO's 28 million homes.

 

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Source: http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2011/01/30/pacquiao-mosley-to-showtime-wont-upset-hbo-as-top-boxing-netw/

Hernan Crespo Hunter Mahan Iker Casillas Ivan Ljubicic Jamie Carragher

East Dominates West in Shrine Bowl

Filed under: Prospects

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Marvin Austin kept mostly a low profile in the practice sessions leading up to the East-West Shrine Game.

After sitting out this past season following his involvement in the agent scandal that rocked North Carolina's football program, he had a lot to prove Saturday in the annual showcase for college seniors.

So grabbing a late-game fumble recovery for a touchdown to punctuate a 25-8 victory for the East over the West more than made his week in Orlando worthwhile.

"I sat the whole season out. Everybody knows it," Austin said. "People thought I was going to feel sorry for myself. ... A lot of people talk about my talent. They don't see the work I put in to try to be the best. They (the NFL) say they just want me to be confident and keep playing hard."

That workhorse spirit was exhibited throughout an East team that dominated first major all-star game of the draft season.

Syracuse running back Delone Carter ran for a touchdown and was selected the offensive MVP and Richmond tackle Martin Parker had a pair of sacks and forced a fumble to take defensive MVP honors.

The East scored 19 points in the first half and recovered three fumbles. It also had a team safety.

Carter finished with 54 yards on 11 carries, while Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor had the best passing day for the East, going 4 of 5 for 59 yards.

Austin's highlight came with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter when West quarterback Jerrod Johnson of Texas A&M was sacked by Tennessee's Chris Walker inside the 2. The ball trickled into the end zone and was recovered by Austin.

Parker had 96 tackles this past season and 5½ sacks. He was projected to be a late-round pick, but said he ignored all of that this week.

"My goal coming down here was just to play a solid game and just show the scouts, (and) show the people what I could do," Parker said. "It never crossed my mind that I would go out there and be defensive player of the game. I'm really thankful and grateful for it."

The West managed just 14 yards rushing yards and had just eight first downs. Its lone score came on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Idaho's Nathan Enderle to Portland State tight end Julius Thomas with 2:44 left in the second quarter. The pair also hooked up for a 2-point conversion pass. Enderle was 6 of 12 for 45 yards.

The West's best effort on defense came from Oklahoma State linebacker Orie Lemon, who finished with eight tackles. He said he will let his play speak for itself regarding the future.

"I put it all in God's hands and I'll let him do his will," Lemon said. "Wherever he takes me, that's where I'm going."

The East led 19-8 at halftime, dominating the time of possession in the opening 30 minutes and riding the play of a stingy defense that had a pair of fumble recoveries.

West running back and Hawaii product Alex Green fumbled on the opening play of the game to set up a 16-yard touchdown run by Carter.

The lead grew to 9-0 with 8:59 left in the first quarter when Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien was sacked at his own 5 by Oregon defensive end Kenny Rowe. The ball rolled into the end zone and was recovered by Illinois' Randall Hunt for a safety.

Following the free kick, the East capped the first extended drive of the day with a 4-yard touchdown run by Penn State's Evan Royster.

Auburn kicker Wes Byrum, who had the winning kick in the Tigers' national championship game win over Oregon, connected on one of three field goal attempts in the first half. He hit from 25 yards and had misses from 27 and 44 yards.

The East held the ball for 18:32 in the first half, compared to just 11:28 for the West. The East also had 11 first downs, to just four for the West.

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/22/east-dominates-west-in-shrine-bowl/

Iker Casillas Ivan Ljubicic Jamie Carragher Jason Day Javier Mascherano

Former Kicker Goes Behind the Scenes for Auburn Football Documentary

Filed under: Auburn, BCS Championship Game

Ten years ago, when his career as a sportscaster was at a crossroads, Jess Atkinson got his hands on a copy of an MIT-published magazine, which led him to think cosmically about how he could carve out a future for himself.

A decade later, Atkinson's star is on the rise as a sports documentarian by going basic with the thought, "If you have a story to tell, why not tell it yourself?"

That philosophy has paid off handsomely for Atkinson's 3 Penny Films. He just wrapped two years embedded with the Auburn football team, which captured the BCS national title earlier this month.

Atkinson and his crew were contracted by the school to follow coach Gene Chizik and the Auburn team for weekly behind-the-scenes shows that would certainly raise the program's visibility.

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/former-kicker-goes-behind-the-scenes-for-auburn-football-documen/

Andy Murray Andy Roddick Anthony Kim Arjen Robben Ashley Cole

Mountain West Tables Expansion, for Now

Filed under: Mountain West

The Mountain West Conference is content with its current membership.

That was the gist of a release issued by the conference following two days worth of meetings by the Mountain West's board of directors in Las Vegas.

"The Board feels strongly the membership configuration already established going forward creates outstanding prospects for future success," the release stated.

For the past two days, rumors have been rampant that the Mountain West was looking at adding two members in order to create a conference championship game and perhaps gain a more lucrative television deal. While the teams the conference was considering -- Utah State and San Jose State -- might potentially have brought the television markets of San Jose/San Francisco and Salt Lake City, they added very little to the conference's quest of ultimately being a BCS automatic-qualifying conference.

"In addition, we are continuing with our strategic initiatives related to our television partnerships and the MWC's efforts to effect change in the BCS structure," the statement said. "The Board is excited about what is undoubtedly a bright future for the Conference."

Utah State hasn't had a winning season since 1996 and hasn't been to a bowl game since 1993. The Aggies have only had three winning campaigns since 1980. San Jose has had just five winning seasons during the past two decades and is 3-22 in the past two years.

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/25/mountain-west-tables-expansion-for-now/

Charley Hoffman Clarence Seedorf Cristiano Ronaldo Daniel Alves Daniele De Rossi

US Golf Star Power Dwindling

Filed under: PGA

Nowhere among the world's top two ranked golfers will you find Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk or any other American.

U.S. golf supremacy, once as dependable as the American dollar, well, still is. While the PGA Tour's Bob Hope Classic was playing out Sunday as a final-round battle between everybody's favorites, Jhonattan Vegas and Gary Woodland, far across the world Germany's Martin Kaymer was winning the Abu Dhabi Championship and vaulting into the world No. 2 spot behind England's Lee Westwood ahead of Woods.

Kaymer, the 26-year-old who made last year's PGA Championship his first major title, shot a 6-under-par 66 to finish 24 under and eight shots clean of Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. Retief Goosen and Graeme McDowell were another two shots back in third.

Kaymer's winning score and victory margin were the best in tournament history.

Making those facts particularly impressive is the Abu Dhabi field featured all four reigning major champions in addition to
Westwood, Mickelson and a total of seven of the world's top 12.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/23/us-golf-star-power-dwindling/

Wesley Sneijder William Gallas Xavi Zach Johnson Ze Roberto

Blazers Armon Johnson Assigned to D-League's Idaho Stampede

Filed under: NBA D-League, Idaho Stampede

The Portland Trail Blazers have assigned rookie guard Armon Johnson to the NBA Development League's Idaho Stampede Friday, the team announced.

Johnson, a 6-foot-3 rookie point guard out of Nevada, has appeared in 28 games this season with the Trail Blazers and is averaging 3.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 8.1 minutes. Over his last seven appearances, he's scored just four points -- all of which came from a 2-for-7 shooting performance during a 95-77 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 28.

Though it's possible to make the case that this move should have been made as soon as he was replaced by Patty Mills as Portland's backup point guard, it seems as though Johnson didn't see the benefit in playing in the D-League.

"I think you learn just as much (not playing in the NBA compared with playing in the D-League) because, being the type of person I am, I like to pay attention to it, pay attention to the game any way I can -- how people walk, how people talk out there on the court, pregame rituals, little things," Johnson told the Reno Gazette-Journal earlier this week. "I feel (staying on the Blazers' bench) is really helping me. And I'm around my teammates."

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/blazers-armon-johnson-assigned-to-d-leagues-idaho-stampede/

Robinho Roger Federer Ronaldinho Ronaldo Rory McIlroy

Andy Murray Gets Another Crack at Title for Britain

Filed under: Australian Open, ATP

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Andy Murray will get another chance to end a near 75-year winless streak for British men in Grand Slam singles tournaments after beating Spain's David Ferrer 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1, 7-6 (2) Friday to reach the Australian Open final.

The semifinal win put Murray into Sunday's final against Novak Djokovic of Serbia, the 2008 champion who holds a 4-3 edge in head-to-head matches. Murray, however, has won the last three.

No British male has won a Grand Slam singles title since Fred Perry in 1936 -- more than 270 Grand Slam tournaments ago.

The drought endured through British hopes including Tim Henman and most recently by Murray in last year's straight-set loss to Roger Federer at Melbourne Park.

Federer is gone from this tournament, beaten by Djokovic in the semifinals. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who was trying to win his fourth straight Grand Slam tournament, is gone too. He was hobbled by a thigh injury in his quarterfinal loss to Ferrer.

 

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Source: http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/andy-murray-england-australian-open-final/

Sergio Ramos Shunsuke Nakamura Simao Sabrosa Stanislas Wawrinka Steve Stricker

Kim Clijsters Cruises Past Vera Zvonareva, to Play Li Na in Final

Filed under: Australian Open, WTA

Kim Clijsters defeated Vera Zvonareva in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 at the Australian Open on Thursday to advance into her second consecutive Grand Slam final. The third-seeded Clijsters dominated play from the outset and won the match in just 73 minutes.

The second-seeded Zvonareva put forth a respectable effort with no mental breakdowns, but Clijsters' serve and groundstrokes were too powerful for the 26-year-old Russian. The 27-year-old Clijsters won 77 percent of her first-serve points and was broken only once in the match. Zvonareva, on the other hand, was broken four times and never gained any momentum in the semifinal match.

 

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Source: http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/kim-clijsters-cruises-past-vera-zvonareva-to-play-li-na-in-final/

Kim Kallström Kolo Touré Lionel Messi Luca Toni Lucio