Sidney Crosby Accused of 'Dirty' Slew Foot Play on Rangers' Callahan

Filed under: Penguins, Rangers, NHL Discipline

NEW YORK -- During the first period of Monday night's game between Pittsburgh and New York, Sidney Crosby knocked down Rangers forward Ryan Callahan with a check the Rangers have called "dirty."

With a little over five minutes remaining in the first period of the Penguins' 3-1 win, Crosby and Callahan jostled while skating toward the Penguins zone. As they skated entangled over the blue line, Crosby appeared to place his skate behind Callahan's as he knocked his opponent to the ice.

"That's a dirty play," Rangers center Brandon Dubinsky said of Crosby in a broadcast interview during the first intermission. "He's a guy who tries to get away with a lot of that stuff. He complains a lot." After the game, Dubinsky was still seething, but tried to bite his tongue. "I don't want to sit here and talk about (Crosby) any more. It's awful."

Asked after the game if Crosby's take-down was dangerous, Callahan said, "Absolutely. Anytime you take someone's feet out from underneath them, it's a dangerous play There's not much you can do."

Crosby, who was not given a penalty, defended himself to reporters after the game. "How many penalty minutes do I have this year"? asked the Pittsburgh captain, who has 15. "Show me all those dirty plays. It's a battle and he falls. He's holding me going up ice and I'm trying to push him off. Is it that calculated? I'm going to the net. If I tripped him, I tripped him."

Callahan was given a two-minute minor for interference.

"It's a play that the NHL has tried to get rid of," said Rangers Hall of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch, who now serves as a studio analyst on the team's broadcasts on MSG Network. "It's a dirty play."

The broadcasters on the Pittsburgh feed of the game did not make any mention of Crosby's play.

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/sidney-crosby-accused-of-dirty-slew-foot-play-on-rangers-call/

Steve Stricker Steven Gerrard Thierry Henry Thomaz Bellucci Tim Clark

Udonis Haslem Eyes Return to Miami Heat This Season, Downplays Turmoil

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat, NBA Injuries

MIAMI -- The Miami Heat have been beset by misfortune right out of the gate this season, but the biggest blow was losing co-captain and Heat mainstay Udonis Haslem to a torn ligament on November 20. The only prognosis the team will give for now is that he is out indefinitely, but Haslem said Tuesday that he's targeting an April return to the court.

Haslem was present at the AmericanAirlines Arena Monday night to give his support to the team as they beat the Washington Wizards. Despite being with the team on a limited basis, he didn't shy away from giving his thoughts on the latest developments embroiling the only team for which he's ever played.

"It's hard sitting at home every night," Haslem confessed as he sat in front of his locker after the Heat victory while the rest of the players showered. "It's rough. Hopefully (I can travel) as soon as possible just to be there with the guys and to give that support and be that voice while those guys are out there."

Haslem is not yet traveling with the team as he rehabs from surgery, but he endorsed the players-only meeting that took place last Saturday in Dallas. He then declared without a second thought that he'll be back for the Heat this season, though he made sure to tap on wood with his hand a quick second later.

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/12/01/udonis-haslem-eyes-return-to-miami-heat-this-season-downplays-t/

Nicolas Almagro Nikolay Davydenko Novak Djokovic Owen Hargreaves Paolo Maldini

Rob Kearney's Absence is the Last Thing Ireland Rugby Needs in 2011

Filed under: Rugby Union, Internationals, Ireland Rugby

After a pedestrian rather than explosive Autumn series, the news that Ireland full back Rob Kearney could miss out on the Six Nations campaign is a hammer blow for the player and coach Declan Kidney.

It has been a bad week for Kidney after watching skipper Brian O'Driscoll break his jaw in the drab victory over Argentina on Sunday, then hearing that he has to contemplate playing the Six Nations without Kearney.

Kearney suffered a serious knee injury in Ireland's defeat to New Zealand last month and the Leinster player is set for a lengthy lay-off following corrective surgery.

A Leinster statement read: "Following extensive knee surgery, Rob Kearney seems set to sit out the next few months on the sidelines."

The news is just as bad for Kearney's province side Leinster, who are already without Luke Fitzgerald and O'Driscoll, but the gloom is likely to be felt across the entire country.

 

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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/12/01/rob-kearneys-absence-is-the-last-thing-ireland-need-in-2011/

Fernando Torres Fernando Verdasco Filippo Inzaghi Florent Malouda Francesco Totti

Ryan Bader Looks Back on Early Fight Experiences

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, Videos

UFC light heavyweight contender Ryan Bader recently took part in a question-and-answer session prior to UFC 123 in Auburn Hills, Mich. "Darth" Bader talked about how he got into MMA, some of his strange early fight experiences, preparing for Jon Jones and much more.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/30/ryan-bader-looks-back-on-early-fight-experiences/

Frederic Kanoute Gabriel Milito Gael Monfils Gary Neville Gennaro Gattuso

Donald Trump Lobbies Miami to Hire Mike Leach

Filed under: University of Miami

Rumors about Miami coaching search have swirled entirely around Jon Gruden so far, but Donald Trump is lobbying for another name to get the job -- former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach.

Trump sent a letter to Miami president Donna Shalala this week that read: "You made a big mistake when you did not take my advice and hire Mike Leach of Texas Tech ... and you can now get him for the right price." The letter was sprawled across The Palm Beach Post's sports section, which contained a story about Randy Shannon's firing.

Trump originally advised Miami to hire Leach in 2006, but the school went with Shannon instead. Shannon eventually went 28-22 in four seasons, while Leach coached Texas Tech to a 84-43 record from 2000-09 to become the school's winningest coach. The team went to a bowl game in each of his 10 seasons behind his pass-happy attack.

Leach was eventually fired in 2009 due to alleged mistreatment of one of his players, Adam James, son of ESPN analyst Craig James. Leach is suing the school over his firing.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/01/donald-trump-lobbies-miami-to-hire-mike-leach/

Roberto Ayala Robin Soderling Robin Van Persie Robinho Roger Federer

Jonathan Spector Scores Stunning Pair Against Manchester United: Video

Filed under: English Premier League, U.S. Men's National Team

Relegated to the fringes of the U.S. national team program and the darkest corner of the West Ham bench, Jonathan Spector had a game for the ages on Tuesday afternoon, scoring the first two goals of his pro career and, perhaps, revitalizing it in the process.

Spector, 24, had played just twice for the Hammers this season, but was given the start on Tuesday against Manchester United, of all teams, in a League Cup quarterfinal at London's Upton Park. And he was put in central midfield.

Spector, of course, is a right back. But with several players out injured and normal midfield starter Lars Jacobsen ineligible because he already appeared for Blackburn in this season's edition of England's second-tier cup competition, West Ham manager Avram Grant opted to get creative.

When your team is dead last in the Premier League, a match like Tuesday's affords a coach the opportunity to take a few chances.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/30/jonathan-spector-scores-stunning-pair-against-manchester-united/

Alex Alexandre Pato Andrea Pirlo Andres Iniesta Andriy Shevchenko

Ales Kotalik Nears Return to Flames

Filed under: Flames

CALGARY -- It's no secret the Calgary Flames are in dire need of some offensive impetus, having scored just six goals in their past four games.

By the end of the week, they're hoping that the meek attack will be bolstered by a guy who has yet to see action this season: Ales Kotalik.

The Czech right winger made a real mish-mash of his knee during the latter part of training camp, damaging not one but two ligaments. But as the Flames prepared to meet Minnesota Wild on Monday night, Kotalik was on the Scotiabank Saddledome ice, testing out the knee and looking ahead to either Wednesday' game vs. Vancouver or Friday's game in Minnesota.

"It feels great," Kotalik acknowledged. "It's been a while. It's the most severe injury I've had in my career. It's not an easy thing to come back from. I've worked extremely hard in rehab and I'm committed to putting the work in and come back as strong as I have been.

"The doctors said it was pretty unusual. If it was one ligament only, I might be playing already. But I'm a heavy guy, I play with power on the ice, and it makes it harder for the ligaments to heal. I have to fight it and look for that comfort level."

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/ales-kotalik-nears-return-to-flames/

Zach Johnson Ze Roberto Zlatan Ibrahimovic Adam Scott Adrian Mutu