MLB, players agree to expand drug testing

(Reuters) - Major League Baseball and the players' union have agreed to expand their drug program to include random in-season blood testing for human growth hormone and a new test for testosterone, they said on Thursday.
The advanced testing will start this season, in what will be the sternest doping program in major North American professional sports.
"This agreement addresses critical drug issues and symbolizes Major League Baseball's continued vigilance against synthetic human growth hormone, testosterone and other performance-enhancing substances," MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.
The new steps moved baseball well ahead of the National Football League (NFL), which does not test for HGH or have a similar test for testosterone.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) challenged the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) to follow suit in agreeing to such tests.
"This is a strong statement by the players and the league not only confirming the scientific validity of the HGH blood test and the benefit of longitudinal testing, but also the importance of clean athletes' rights and the integrity of the game," USADA said in a statement.
"This agreement, following the recent Congressional hearings on testing in the NFL, leaves no reason for the NFLPA not to step up and implement the same to give its players an equal level of protection and confidence that they deserve a level, drug-free playing field in the NFL."
Michael Weiner, executive director of the MLB Players' Association, said Major League players supported the expanded program.
"Players want a program that is tough, scientifically accurate, backed by the latest proven scientific methods, and fair," said Weiner in a statement.
"I believe these changes firmly support the players' desires while protecting their legal rights."
The announcement came one day after the players' union criticized results of the balloting for the Baseball Hall of Fame, in which no one received enough votes for enshrinement in what appeared to be a referendum on widespread doping during what has become known as the game's 'Steroids Era'.
All-time home run king Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young winning pitcher Roger Clemens, have playing records that would have ordinarily made them certain Hall of Famers.
But both players have been linked to performance enhancing drugs and punished by voters, receiving about half the ballots required for election.
Major League Baseball, striving to remove the stain of doping, was the first major sport in the United States to test for HGH in an agreement with the union in November 2011.
MLB has been conducting random blood testing for the detection of HGH among minor league players since July 2010 and had previously been testing major leaguers during spring training and off-season.
To detect testosterone use, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited Montreal laboratory will establish a program in which a player's baseline testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio and other data will be maintained in order to enhance its ability to detect use of the drug and other banned substances.
Christiane Ayotte, the Director of the Montreal Laboratory, praised the steps baseball has taken.
"The addition of random blood testing and a longitudinal profiling program makes baseball's program second to none in detecting and deterring the use of synthetic HGH and testosterone," she said in a statement.
Doping in baseball has not disappeared.
In the last year, Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants, who was leading the league in batting average, and Oakland A's pitcher Bartolo Colon tested positive for testosterone and were suspended.
"I am proud that our system allows us to adapt to the many evolving issues associated with the science and technology of drug testing," Selig said. "We will continue to do everything we can to maintain a leadership stature in anti-doping efforts in the years ahead.

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Baseball-Japan to stick with lucky 'Spiderman' pants

TOKYO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Japan will stick with their lucky red Spiderman-style pants in their bid to win a third successive World Baseball Classic (WBC) title, head coach Koji Yamamoto said on Monday.
"We'll be wearing the red pants," Yamamoto told reporters, looking forward to his side's opening game against surprise qualifiers Brazil on March 2 in Fukuoka.
"Brazil have good pitching. The first game will be extremely important."
Brazil join the defending champions, powerhouse Cuba and China in Pool A after stunning Panama in qualifying.
Despite opting for the snazzy 'superhero' look, Yamamoto warned his players to dress conservatively and keep the lid on the hair dye during the March 2-19 tournament.
"You can see by the way they're preparing for the WBC that this is a serious bunch," the 66-year-old added. "They represent Japan and their appearance should reflect that."
Yamamoto has already given a warning to Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder Sho Nakata, who began New Year workouts with his hair bleached.
"If he comes to camp like that I'll hit the roof," said the 'Samurai Japan' skipper, who has not selected any Major League Baseball (MLB) players for the 16-team competition.
Japan, whose chances of a hat-trick of victories has been weakened by the absence of players such as Ichiro Suzuki and Yu Darvish, almost pulled out of the event after a row over sponsorship revenue.
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) warned that a player boycott would be frowned on at home after the 2011 tsunami and nuclear crisis and the threat was averted.
Japan have a history of discontent regarding the issue of sponsorship rights, threatening to organise an Asian boycott of the inaugural 2006 tournament. (Reporting by Alastair Himmer; Editing by John O'Brien)

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Japan to stick with lucky "Spiderman" pants

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will stick with their lucky red Spiderman-style pants in their bid to win a third successive World Baseball Classic (WBC) title, head coach Koji Yamamoto said on Monday.
"We'll be wearing the red pants," Yamamoto told reporters, looking forward to his side's opening game against surprise qualifiers Brazil on March 2 in Fukuoka.
"Brazil have good pitching. The first game will be extremely important."
Brazil join the defending champions, powerhouse Cuba and China in Pool A after stunning Panama in qualifying.
Despite opting for the snazzy 'superhero' look, Yamamoto warned his players to dress conservatively and keep the lid on the hair dye during the March 2-19 tournament.
"You can see by the way they're preparing for the WBC that this is a serious bunch," the 66-year-old added. "They represent Japan and their appearance should reflect that."
Yamamoto has already given a warning to Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder Sho Nakata, who began New Year workouts with his hair bleached.
"If he comes to camp like that I'll hit the roof," said the 'Samurai Japan' skipper, who has not selected any Major League Baseball (MLB) players for the 16-team competition.
Japan, whose chances of a hat-trick of victories has been weakened by the absence of players such as Ichiro Suzuki and Yu Darvish, almost pulled out of the event after a row over sponsorship revenue.
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) warned that a player boycott would be frowned on at home after the 2011 tsunami and nuclear crisis and the threat was averted.
Japan have a history of discontent regarding the issue of sponsorship rights, threatening to organize an Asian boycott of the inaugural 2006 tournament.

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PREVIEW-NFL-49ers' Kaepernick move gets test against Packers

Jan 10 (Reuters) - A bold mid-season quarterback change will get a high-profile test when Colin Kaepernick leads the San Francisco 49ers against Aaron Rodgers and the visiting Green Bay Packers in the NFL playoffs on Saturday.
Kaepernick replaced signal caller Alex Smith, after the former top draft pick came out with a concussion in Week 10 and San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh decided to make the switch permanent, putting his faith in the second-year player.
A playoff baptism under fire awaits 25-year-old Kaepernick, who makes his National Football League postseason debut against reigning NFL most valuable player Rodgers, who two years ago led the Packers to the Super Bowl title.
Kaepernick, like some of the other new breed of quarterbacks that have hit the NFL, features running skills that have made him the 49ers' second-leading rusher with 415 yards and a 6.6 yards-per-carry average that includes five rushing touchdowns. He has also thrown for 10 scores.
"He's improved in all phases. Not dramatically because I think he was good to start with," Harbaugh said of Kaepernick.
Smith, who helped take the Niners into overtime of the NFC title game last season, was playing at a high level when he was sidelined but the 28-year-old top pick of the 2005 Draft does not have the arm strength or running speed of Kaepernick, who went 5-2 after taking over as starter.
The teams met in their season opener with San Francisco (11-4-1) prevailing 30-22 over the Packers (12-5) in Green Bay, but that was with Smith calling the plays.
ODD TWIST
In an odd twist, the two quarterbacks grew up rooting for the teams they will be facing for a berth in the NFC title game.
Rodgers grew up in Chico, California, about three hours northeast of San Francisco and has never played a regular season game or playoff contest in the City by the Bay.
"A lot of good memories growing up watching Steve Young and Joe Montana on TV and the Super Bowl wins," Rodgers told reporters. "Being a 49er fan, that was a team I enjoyed watching and dreamt about playing for."
Kaepernick, who was born in Wisconsin before his immediate family moved to California, said he grew up a Packers fan.
"They were the only team I watched. I remember growing up watching Brett Favre every Sunday. He was just a playmaker. He wasn't afraid to take chances," Kaepernick said.
While Green Bay boasts a more explosive aerial attack, the 49ers boast one of the most fierce defenses in the league.
"It's one of the top defenses in the league, if not the best," said Rodgers, who threw for 39 touchdowns and just eight interceptions during the regular season.
"A lot of play makers all over the field at every level. They make a lot of plays on the football, fly to the football, tackle well, get after the passer.
"It's a big-time defense.

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49ers' Kaepernick move gets test against Packers

(Reuters) - A bold mid-season quarterback change will get a high-profile test when Colin Kaepernick leads the San Francisco 49ers against Aaron Rodgers and the visiting Green Bay Packers in the NFL playoffs on Saturday.
Kaepernick replaced signal caller Alex Smith, after the former top draft pick came out with a concussion in Week 10 and San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh decided to make the switch permanent, putting his faith in the second-year player.
A playoff baptism under fire awaits 25-year-old Kaepernick, who makes his National Football League postseason debut against reigning NFL most valuable player Rodgers, who two years ago led the Packers to the Super Bowl title.
Kaepernick, like some of the other new breed of quarterbacks that have hit the NFL, features running skills that have made him the 49ers' second-leading rusher with 415 yards and a 6.6 yards-per-carry average that includes five rushing touchdowns. He has also thrown for 10 scores.
"He's improved in all phases. Not dramatically because I think he was good to start with," Harbaugh said of Kaepernick.
Smith, who helped take the Niners into overtime of the NFC title game last season, was playing at a high level when he was sidelined but the 28-year-old top pick of the 2005 Draft does not have the arm strength or running speed of Kaepernick, who went 5-2 after taking over as starter.
The teams met in their season opener with San Francisco (11-4-1) prevailing 30-22 over the Packers (12-5) in Green Bay, but that was with Smith calling the plays.
ODD TWIST
In an odd twist, the two quarterbacks grew up rooting for the teams they will be facing for a berth in the NFC title game.
Rodgers grew up in Chico, California, about three hours northeast of San Francisco and has never played a regular season game or playoff contest in the City by the Bay.
"A lot of good memories growing up watching Steve Young and Joe Montana on TV and the Super Bowl wins," Rodgers told reporters. "Being a 49er fan, that was a team I enjoyed watching and dreamt about playing for."
Kaepernick, who was born in Wisconsin before his immediate family moved to California, said he grew up a Packers fan.
"They were the only team I watched. I remember growing up watching Brett Favre every Sunday. He was just a playmaker. He wasn't afraid to take chances," Kaepernick said.
While Green Bay boasts a more explosive aerial attack, the 49ers boast one of the most fierce defenses in the league.
"It's one of the top defenses in the league, if not the best," said Rodgers, who threw for 39 touchdowns and just eight interceptions during the regular season.
"A lot of play makers all over the field at every level. They make a lot of plays on the football, fly to the football, tackle well, get after the passer.
"It's a big-time defense."

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AP Sources: Browns meet 2nd time with Whisenhunt

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Browns are taking a second look at former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, who could rejoin Cleveland following a stint as an assistant 14 years ago.
Two people familiar with the meeting said Whisenhunt had a second interview with the Browns on Thursday.
Whisenhunt, recently fired after six seasons with the Cardinals, visited the Browns away from their headquarters in Berea, Ohio, said one person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the search.
The team met with Whisenhunt last week in Arizona, where Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner are known to have conducted interviews with at least four other candidates. Whisenhunt went 45-51 in six regular seasons — he was 4-2 in the playoffs — and led the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance.
The Browns are expected to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. The Colts granted permission for the Browns to speak with Arians, who was released from the hospital on Wednesday after being treated for an inner ear infection that forced him to miss last week's playoff loss in Baltimore.
Already during the second week of their search, the Browns have interviewed Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman, Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. The team will not comment on any interview or candidates until they have an agreement with the 14th coach in team history.
The Plain Dealer was first to report Whisenhunt's visit.
A second interview would seem to indicate a strong interest in Whisenhunt, a former NFL tight end who worked as a special teams coach with Cleveland in 1999 — the Browns' expansion rebirth. He's the first candidate known to have a second interview with the Browns, who fired Pat Shurmur one day after completing a 5-11 season — their fifth straight with at least 11 losses.
The Cardinals also let Whisenhunt go on Black Monday, Dec. 31, cutting ties with the winningest coach in franchise history and the one who helped resurrected a sad-sack franchise.
Arizona started this season 4-0, but the Cardinals lost 11 of their last 12 and finished with the NFL's lowest-ranked offense.
Included in that season-ending slide, Arizona was shut out 58-0 by Seattle. Afterward, Whisenhunt apologized "to our fans and everyone associated with our organization. That was embarrassing."
The Cardinals have only had three winning seasons in 28 years, and two came under Whisenhunt, who had one year left on a $5.5 million contract when he was fired.
Whisenhunt spent six seasons as an assistant in Pittsburgh, the final three as offensive coordinator under Bill Cowher before he was hired by the Cardinals.
He inherited a team given little chance to compete and turned them into a .500 squad in his first season. The next year, with Kurt Warner at quarterback, the Cardinals made an unexpected run to the Super Bowl, where they lost a 27-23 thriller to the Steelers.
Arizona won a franchise-record 10 games the next season and beat Green Bay 51-45 in an overtime playoff classic. But the Cardinals were routed the next week by New Orleans and Warner retired.
Warner's departure began Whisenhunt's slide in the desert. The Cardinals went 5-11 in 2010 and 8-8 in 2011.
As a former minority owner with Pittsburgh, Haslam is very familiar with Whisenhunt, who would come in with an understanding of the AFC North.
Last week in Arizona, the Browns interviewed Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, Oregon coach Chip Kelly, Syracuse's Doug Marrone and Penn State's Bill O'Brien.
Kelly was once thought to be the top name on Cleveland's list, but the club backed off because he seemed uncertain about jumping to the NFL. Marrone was hired by Buffalo and O'Brien, the Big Ten's coach of the year, returned for a second year with the Nittany Lions.

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Play or Sit: the coaches' quandary

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NEW YORK (AP) — At some point, an injured player, even a star like Robert Griffin III, is too hampered to help a team. Deciding when enough is enough is the problem.
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan became the target of widespread criticism after Griffin reinjured his right knee in Sunday's 24-14 wild-card loss to Seattle. The questions have ranged from whether Shanahan made his sensational rookie's health his No. 1 priority to whether the protocol for dealing with injuries was followed.
Coaches who have been in such tricky situations say the solutions aren't complicated.
"You have to rely on the doctors, the health always has to come first," said Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy. "If the doctor says he can go or he can't go, you don't argue, there's not even a discussion.
"If the doctors say, 'Here are the limitations, he can go,' then you have to judge for yourself. How is he mentally? How limited is he physically?"
Dungy recalls many times when players wanted to go and he had to say no. While coaching the Buccaneers, Dungy told Warren Sapp he wouldn't be suiting up for a national TV game against Miami because Sapp had cracked a bone in his hand.
Sapp wanted to wear a splint, but team doctors said it was too soon for him to play.
"Warren was upset," Dungy said.
"If you ask the player, it means nothing. It's rare a player will tell you he can't do this or this or that."
Shanahan said Monday that Griffin will see renowned orthopedist James Andrews for more examinations on the knee, leaving open the possibility the quarterback will be sidelined for a lengthy period.
Shanahan added he thought he made the "right decisions" and it would be "crazy" to think he would purposely sacrifice Griffin's career to win a game.
But Shanahan admitted he did not talk to team doctors initially after Griffin was hurt in the first quarter.
"I went up to Robert. I said, 'You OK?'" Shanahan said. "And he said, 'I'm fine.'"
Not exactly the way some coaches would have handled it.
"You never put a player in harm's way," said Herm Edwards, who defended how Shanahan handled the situation during his ESPN show.
"It starts with the medical staff on the sideline. They advise you if a player is able to go back in. If they say, 'Yea,' you put him back in. If he can play, you keep him on the field."
Players don't ever want to come out, and Dungy says some will even try to hide medical problems. Or at least minimize them.
San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis suffered a concussion on Dec. 23 at Seattle and returned to play in the season finale against Arizona. He admits to being a little "woozy" during his limited reps, but insists sitting should not have been the first option.
"You trust the player. A player knows his body better than anyone," Davis said. "If he's feeling a certain way, then I don't think you can go against that. He knows he can play."
But he could be placing himself in greater jeopardy, whether in the short term or for his entire career. For every Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles who makes a stunningly quick recovery, there are dozens of players who are never the same.
Some don't even get back in uniform again.
Or they come back too quickly, as Griffin's teammate, cornerback DeAngelo Hall, did in 2010.
Hall missed practice leading up to a game against the Colts. Usually, Shanahan bars players from suiting up when that happens, but Hall was allowed to play.
"I gave up a couple of touchdown passes," Hall said. "And Mike was just like, 'That's my fault, you shouldn't have been out there. I respect you wanted to be out there, but I could tell you just couldn't go.'
"You always want to be out there. It's nothing against the guys behind you, but just that competitiveness in you. You want to compete, you want to be a part of it, especially this run we've had.
"Man, it would have been hard for that guy (RG3) to say, 'Nah, coach I can't go' or 'pull me.' Everything was going so special, he wanted to be a part of it."
___

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Colts' Arians returns to Indy after hospital stay

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians returned to Indianapolis on Monday night after being released from a Baltimore hospital following a 36-hour stay for an undisclosed illness.
Team owner Jim Irsay told The Associated Press in a text message that Arians was accompanied by two team doctors, had been medicated and appeared to be on the mend.
"He was in good spirits (and) is trending (in) right direction," Irsay wrote.
Arians was admitted to the hospital Sunday morning after complaining he felt ill at the team breakfast. Without Arians, quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen called the plays in the 24-9 season-ending loss to the Ravens.
Doctors ran a series of tests. Head coach Chuck Pagano acknowledged earlier Monday that although each of the tests was negative, the doctors decided to keep Arians in the hospital until his blood pressure stabilized.
"Whatever he's dealing with, they would have let him come home early this morning, but whatever he's dealing with affected his blood pressure and they're not going to release him until they get the blood pressure under control, which they will," Pagano said during a regularly-scheduled afternoon news conference.
The Colts couldn't wait to get Arians back in town.
They're next task is keeping him in the locker room — though players and coaches believe Arians has done enough to warrant getting a head coaching job. It's a delicate balancing act for the Colts, who have given permission to at least two teams, Chicago and Philadelphia, to speak with Arians about their coaching vacancies.
There has been speculation that Cleveland and San Diego are also interested in Arians.
Teams seeking a younger, more image-conscious coach may not be interested in the 60-year-old Arians, who has a penchant for telling it like it is and in a folksy way. His only previous head-coaching experience came during a six-year tenure at Temple in the 1980s.
But it's hard to argue with the rest of his resume.
After Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia in September, Arians became the interim coach and guided the Colts to a 9-3 mark. That tied the NFL record for most victories after a midseason coaching change.
He mentored Peyton Manning, Tim Couch, Ben Roethlisberger and now Andrew Luck. He won two Super Bowls as an assistant in Pittsburgh, served on Paul "Bear" Bryant's staff at Alabama and has had a big part in two of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history — the 10-game improvement of the 1999 Colts and Indy's nine-game improvement this year.
Clearly, the Colts (11-6) want him to come back, but they also understand why he's a hot commodity on the coaching carousel only one year after he was nearly forced into retirement.
"We do not want to lose Bruce," Pagano said. "He is so valuable to this organization and what he means to this organization and what he's done. You want the best for Bruce. I want the best for Bruce. I want the best for his family. I want him to achieve and reach any goals that he has for himself throughout his coaching years, things like that. It's a hard spot. Again, people are going to go after good people and this is just a byproduct of the success that we've had here."
Luck said he wants Arians back, too.
"Selfishly, I hope he doesn't go anywhere," Luck said before jokingly reiterating what he said last week — that if teams asked him for a recommendation he would say terrible things about Arians to keep him in Indy.
He's not the only one at the team complex trying to do that.
"We will just use social media. We will get on the Internet, just like they do around draft time with all the players, all the baggage starts to come out," Pagano said, drawing laughter. "We won't do it here. We will just wait until later this evening, the next couple of weeks and start putting all that stuff out if it gets serious."
The likelihood is that those talks will get serious.
Arians has repeatedly told reporters in Indy that he will only leave for the right fit and that wherever he lands, he still wants to call the plays — even if that means staying in Indy, where the entire offense would like to have him back for Year 2 of the Colts' reconstruction project.
"I want to be selfish but I can't," tight end Dwayne Allen said. "Bruce is such a great guy and what he did for us this year, the job as a head coach and an offensive coordinator was just unbelievable and he deserves an opportunity if he wants to. Hopefully he decides to stay with us because we'd love to have him but if we have to part ways, then so be it."

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UPDATE 2-American Football-Alabama crush Notre Dame to win championship

MIAMI, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Alabama's 'Crimson Tide' swept aside Notre Dame in the BCS Championship game on Monday, dominating the 'Fighting Irish' 42-14 to win their third college football title in four years.
Notre Dame, 12-0 in the regular season, had been looking for their first national title since 1988 but were all at sea against irresistible Alabama, who set the tone of the game with an utterly one-sided 28-0 first half.
Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron threw four touchdown passes and finished with 264 yards through the air, while running back Eddie Lacy and receiver Amari Cooper had two scores each as the Crimson Tide claimed back-to-back titles.
The victory confirmed Nick Saban as the most successful active coach in college football with four national titles, taking him within two of Alabama great Bear Bryant.
The one-sided nature of a game featuring the top ranked Notre Dame will inevitably lead to further criticism of the ranking system, though a new system is to be introduced in 2014 that will see four teams battle it out for the crown at the end of the regular season.
Regardless of the system, few would argue that Alabama, beaten only by Texas A&M in the regular season, are worthy national champions - a status acknowledged before the game by Las Vegas bookmakers if not the rankings.
The matchup had been described as a return to the pinnacle of college football for Notre Dame but it ended in embarrassment for the team in shiny golden helmets, who have won 11 'consensus' national titles but endured some lean years of late.
The chance of a first title since the introduction of the BCS championship game in 1998 drew a huge Notre Dame following to Miami where they made up the bulk of the record 80,120 crowd at the Dolphins' Sun Life stadium.
PULSATING ATMOSPHERE
After marching bands had whipped up the atmosphere, it was quickly apparent that the smaller but wildly enthusiastic Alabama support would be heading home happy.
Alabama's first drive ended in a 20 yard touchdown run from the powerful Lacy, ably assisted by an imposing offensive line that swiftly establish supremacy.
McCarron then found tight-end Michael Williams with a three yard pass as Alabama took a 14-0 first quarter lead.
The second quarter saw a one yard rushing score from T.J. Yeldon and then Lacy collected a pass from McCarron and ran into the end-zone for an 11 yard score.
Alabama's power in the running game was evident in the yards put up by their two main backs - Lacy rushed for 140 yards and Yeldon 108.
Receiver Amari Cooper was left wide-open to score on a 34 yard McCarron pass in the third before Notre Dame gave their fans something to cheer with quarterback Everett Golson running the ball in from two yards out.
McCarron and Cooper combined again for a fourth quarter score before Notre Dame's Golson found Theo Riddick with a six yard pass to make the final score 42-14.
With the game already won and three minutes left on the clock, Saban sent out back-up quarterback Blake Sims and other reserves to get a taste of the glory. (Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Niners-Seahawks a late-season classic

Under normal circumstances, Seattle's CenturyLink Field rocks from the noise of the 12th Man.
Imagine how far across Puget Sound the crowd's cheers will reverberate when the Seahawks host the 49ers on Sunday night.
The NFL flexed this one to prime time, and it was a wise choice. Although the 49ers (10-3-1) still can win the NFC West even if they fall to Seattle — a win in the finale against Arizona would do it — there's no way they'll take Pete Carroll's Seahawks lightly.
Niners coach Jim Harbaugh and Carroll had a bit of a feud going when they were college coaches, Harbaugh at Stanford and Carroll at Southern Cal. That hasn't diminished much in the pros.
"It's a big division finish for us and we'll see how it goes," said Carroll, whose team is 6-0 at home and hosts St. Louis in its last game. "All we can do is focus on this game right here. We'll have no trouble focusing. They're a great team, and coming home and all that it will be exciting to get ready."
Seattle (No. 7 in the AP Pro32) is on quite a roll, winning three in a row and five of six. Its defense has allowed 219 points, second only to the 218 yielded by the 49ers (No. 2, AP Pro32). And all the offense has done is put up 58 and 50 points the last two weeks. Seattle (9-5) is the first team since 1950 to score 50 or more points in consecutive weeks, impressing the oddsmakers enough to make the Seahawks 2½-point favorites.
But the 49ers also have done something rare, going into New England and, after blowing a 28-point lead, beating the Patriots 41-34. They have lost only one of their last eight games.
"I think the thing that the players were feeling and probably anybody that was watching it was feeling was that there were two teams — two very good teams, two hard-hitting teams, two teams that have a lot of pride in how they play — really came out to see who's better," Harbaugh said of the Patriots game. "And wanted to be better and wanted to win that game, and it showed.
"This game will be the same, I really believe that."
So do we, but without the scoreboard being overworked.
SEAHAWKS, 19-17
___
No. 25 Tennessee (plus 10½ ) at No. 6 Green Bay
Packers have NFC North clinched, probably won't find way to No. 1 seed. Still ...
BEST BET: PACKERS, 31-10
No. 17 New Orleans (plus 3) at No. 12 Dallas
Saints damage Cowboys' playoff hopes with high-scoring win.
UPSET SPECIAL: Saints, 31-30
No. 4 Atlanta (minus 3) at No. 28 Detroit, Saturday night
Falcons can grab NFC home-field advantage with a win. Consider it grabbed.
FALCONS, 30-16
No. 13 Cincinnati (plus 5) at No. 15 Pittsburgh
One of these teams will be in playoffs. Shockingly, it will be Cincinnati.
BENGALS, 17-16
No. 3 New England (minus 14) at No. 31 Jacksonville
Patriots are an angry bunch, will take it out on weak Jaguars.
PATRIOTS, 45-13
No. 11 Indianapolis (minus 6) at No. 32 Kansas City
Colts secure wild-card spot against NFL's worst team.
COLTS 27-10
No. 8 Washington (minus 4) at No. 29 Philadelphia
Redskins have come too far to stumble here.
REDSKINS, 30-17
No. 18 St. Louis (plus 3) at No. 20 Tampa Bay
A pair of teams to perhaps watch in 2013. As for right now ...
BUCCANEERS, 22-20
No. 9 (tie) New York Giants (minus 1) at No. 9 (tie) Baltimore
Tough to explain Giants' and Ravens' inconsistencies.
GIANTS, 24-17
No. 14 Minnesota (plus 7) at No. 5 Houston
Adrian Peterson's pursuit of rushing record could get stymied here.
TEXANS, 24-14
No. 23 Cleveland (plus 12) at No. 1 Denver
Broncos are looking at 11-game win streak to finish season.
BRONCOS, 28-13
No. 16 Chicago (minus 5½ ) at No. 27 Arizona
Injury-ravaged Bears have enough left to stay alive in wild-card chase.
BEARS, 19-13
No. 30 Oakland (plus 8) at No. 21 Carolina
Panthers might have saved Ron Rivera's coaching job with recent spurt.
PANTHERS, 27-17
No. 26 Buffalo (plus 5) at No. 19 Miami
Who cares, Part I?
DOLPHINS, 20-12
No. 24 San Diego (plus 3) at No. 22 New York Jets
Who cares, Part II?
CHARGERS, 17-13
___
2012 RECORD:
Against spread: 7-8 (93-114-7). Straight up: 8-8 (134-85-1)
Best Bet: 6-7-2 against spread, 10-5 straight up.
Upset special: 10-5 against spread, 8-7 straight up.

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Super Bowl to be streamed online again

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Super Bowl will be streamed online for the second straight year.
Last season's game attracted 2.1 million users through the Web. The TV audience was 111.3 million people.
The simulcast of the CBS coverage will be available on NFL.com and CBSSports.com. It will also include additional camera angles and in-game highlights.
The league said Wednesday that the Saturday wild-card games and Pro Bowl on NBC would be streamed as well.
The four games will also be available on smartphones to subscribers of NFL Mobile from Verizon Communications Inc.
___
CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; NBC is controlled by Comcast Corp.

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Leeman Bennett and Jerry Glanville Selected as Head Coaches of the 88th East-West Shrine Game

Venerable coaches to lead teams in college football all-star game benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) December 19, 2012
Leeman Bennett and Jerry Glanville have been selected as head coaches of the 88th East-West Shrine Game® benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children®.
“We are proud to have two coaches with distinguished careers and a wealth of knowledge of football through their collegiate and NFL coaching careers,” said Harold Richardson, executive director of the East-West Shrine Game. “Coach Bennett and Coach Glanville are excited to be a part of this game because it combines great football with a great cause. This week creates memories that will last a lifetime.”  
Bennett and Glanville both have impressive records as coaches and are looking forward to the opportunity to compete against one another for a good cause. While the East-West Shrine Game allows some of the best college football players in the country to showcase their talents in front of NFL coaches and scouts, the true purpose of the game is to raise awareness of Shriners Hospitals for Children.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this very special game that gives the players a stage to showcase their talents, and also supports a cause that is very dear to me,” said Glanville. “At the end of the day, helping provide a better future for the children is what touches me the most.”
“The Shrine Game gives these players the chance to compete against the best athletes in the country and show their support for a great cause,” Bennett said. “I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to lead these young men in the game, all while putting smiles on the faces of children.”
Kick-off is at 4p.m. on January 19, 2013, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. To learn more about the East-West Shrine Game or to order tickets, please visit http://www.shrinegame.com.
About Shriners Hospitals for Children

Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The 22 facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. To learn more about Shriners Hospitals for Children, please visit http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.
Lyndsey Shaw
Pinstripe Marketing
727.214.1555

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Reuters U.S. Sports Schedule at 2 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Dec. 19

Dec. 19 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday:
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The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427
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National Football League
Go, Adrian
Two-thousand yards isn't the goal Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is chasing. He's shooting for Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 set almost 30 years ago. His next challenge - Houston's fifth-ranked rushing defense, which allows 93.2 yards per game. (FBN-VIKINGS-NEWS/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words)
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Eli is the key, says Coughlin
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin says quarterback Eli Manning is a key to establishing the level of consistency the defending Super Bowl champions need to find in order to make another run at the NFL title. (NFL-GIANTS/, expect by 1630 GMT/4:30 PM ET, by Larry Fine, 400 words)
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Great indoors: Falcons going for dome-field advantage
The Atlanta Falcons visit Detroit on Saturday, in what the team hopes is its last road game of the season. With a win, the Falcons can keep a roof over their heads all the way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. (FBN-FALCONS-NEWS/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words)
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Need to know: RGIII's knee still hot topic in D.C.
Robert Griffin III says he could have played at Cleveland. Doctors will again have a say as to whether the rookie gets the call in Philadelphia on Sunday. (FBN-REDSKINS-NEWS/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words)
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Tomlin certain Roethlisberger 'on board' with system
Ben Roethlisberger made multiple references to the offense and play-calling when examining the reasons the Pittsburgh Steelers fell short in Dallas on Sunday. Coach Mike Tomlin says it's not the offense, and he adds that Roethlisberger agrees. (FBN-STEELERS-NEWS/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words)
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NFL Notebook
The latest news and notes from around the league. (FBN-NOTES/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words)
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College Football
Badgers' hunt ends with Utah State's Andersen
Athletic director Barry Alvarez said Wisconsin would find the right coach. It appears that man is Utah State's Gary Andersen, who is expected to be introduced as Bret Bielema's successor Thursday. (FBC-WISCONSIN-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
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Poinsettia preview
BYU and San Diego State took vastly different paths to the Poinsettia Bowl. Who has the momentum and what are the key matchups in Thursday's game in San Diego? (FBC-BYU-SANDIEGOSTATE-NEWS/ PREVIEW), expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 600 words)
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CFB notebook
The latest news and notes from around the nation. (FBC-NOTES/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 450 words)
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National Basketball Association
New York, New York
NEW YORK - With or without Knicks' forward Carmelo Anthony - he's a game-time decision - New York and Brooklyn tangle for the third time this season with each holding a victory in the season series. (BKN-KNICKS-NETS-NEWS/, PIX), expect by 0230 GMT/9:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 700 words)
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Rockets ready for 76ers
HOUSTON - The Houston Rockets (12-12) got back to .500 with Monday's win over the New York Knicks. Jeremy Lin and James Harden welcome Philadelphia's rising backcourt tonight. (BKN-ROCKETS-SIXERS-WRITETHRU/ PIX), expect by 0330 GMT/10:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 700 words)
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LeBron waging 'vendetta' against himself
MIAMI - LeBron James says he is engaged in a "vendetta" against himself as he pushes himself to reach his physical peak and win a second straight NBA championship with the Miami Heat. (NBA/HEAT-JAMES, moved, by Simon Evans, 550 words)
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NBA notebook
The latest news and notes from around the league. (BKN-NOTES/, expect by 1245 GMT/7:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
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Major League Baseball
Rangers could land Pierzynksi
White Sox free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski is coming off of a career year in Chicago. The Texas Rangers have a few holes to fill after losing Mike Napoli and Josh Hamilton. (BBO-RANGERS-NEWS/, expect by 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 350 words)
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MLB notebook
The latest from around the league. (BBO-NOTES/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
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Boxing
Mayweather considers bout with 52-year-old Nave
Roger Mayweather, uncle and trainer of Floyd Mayweather, denies reports that he is not healthy and confirms that he and his nephew are working on a fight for May 4. A surprise opponent with a "Rocky" theme may be under consideration for that bout. (MSC-BOXING-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, by Frank Cooney, 1,450 words)

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Beck: Huskers to be in trouble if heads not right

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is still smarting from that 39-point loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, and few people outside the state believe the No. 23 Cornhuskers are capable of beating sixth-ranked Georgia in the Capital One Bowl.
The challenge for Bo Pelini and his coaches between now and Jan. 1 is to make sure the players have moved on emotionally.
"If we have a hangover," offensive coordinator Tim Beck said, "it's going to get ugly."
The Huskers (10-3) have begun preparing in earnest for the Bulldogs (11-2) after going through short workouts last week. The players will be dismissed for Christmas on Thursday. They'll return to Lincoln next Wednesday and travel that afternoon to Orlando, Fla.
"I guess we treat this like the Rose Bowl game that we should have gone to, and I'm still frustrated about that," quarterback Taylor Martinez said.
Beck described himself and the rest of the team as "shell-shocked" in the days following the 70-31 beating by the Badgers. Yet the mood was light after Tuesday's practice. Players yukked it up with each other as they walked off the field, and defensive end Eric Martin clowned around with Martinez while the quarterback was speaking with reporters.
Martinez said he doesn't think the meltdown against Wisconsin will carry over to the bowl.
Running back Ameer Abdullah lamented the lost opportunity.
"It hurt," he said. "We worked so hard, with all the comeback victories, but you have to have short-term memory. The season isn't over. We can't drag that same attitude into the bowl game. We have to get our spirits back up and practice hard."
Georgia is the highest-ranked bowl opponent since the Huskers took on top-ranked Miami in the Rose Bowl game that decided the 2001 national championship. The Huskers are 10-point underdogs.
The Bulldogs have a three-year starter in quarterback Aaron Murray, who ranks second nationally in pass efficiency, and the powerful freshman running-back combination of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall.
The 6-foot-1, 218-pound Gurley leads all freshman rushers with 1,260 yards, and the 5-11, 216-pound Marshall has run for 723 yards.
Georgia allowed 10 or fewer points in five games and features the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year in outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, who leads the Bulldogs with 12.5 sacks despite missing two games.
Asked what scares him about Georgia's defense, Martinez said, "Nothing. They're like any other Big Ten defense. Big Ten defenses are the best in the country, and we're going up against a good Georgia defense. We have to look at it like that."
Beck said the Bulldogs' defense is "too big and too athletic" to compare with any in the Big Ten.
"They're an Oklahoma, a Texas, a South Carolina," Beck said. "They do a lot of different things. They run around and make plays all over the place."
Georgia narrowly missed a chance to play for the national championship, losing 32-28 to Alabama in the SEC title game.
The Huskers, however, aren't buying into the hype of the SEC, which has won six straight national titles.
"It doesn't matter what conference they come from," Abdullah said. "There are a lot of good teams around the country. It's not just because they come from the SEC that they hold some special powers."
It's the second straight season Nebraska has played in the Capital One against an SEC team. Last January the Huskers lost 30-13 to South Carolina after a second-half implosion.
Nebraska is playing for its first 11-win season since 2001 and the 13th in program history. The Huskers have never lost fewer than four games under Pelini, who's in his fifth season. A win over the Bulldogs would create a positive vibe for Nebraska as it goes into next season. Significant starting experience will return at eight positions on offense and at five on defense.
"11-3 sounds a heck of a lot better than 10-4," Abdullah said.
Beck said the bowl can cushion the blow of the Wisconsin debacle. He said the players and coaches prepared for Badgers as well as they did for any opponent.
"Why did it turn out that way? It wasn't our night," Beck said. "As bad as it stings and as bad as I know they're not that much better than we are, points-wise, it's over. You've got to move on. There are a lot of great things these guys have done in this program, a lot of great things happened this year, and one game isn't going to define it for me and for them.

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Athletes lose medals; Armstrong decision pending

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Eight years after winning Olympic medals in Athens, four track and field athletes from eastern Europe were ordered to hand them back Wednesday because of positive doping tests, while Lance Armstrong can hold onto his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games a little while longer. The International Olympic Committee executive board disqualified four athletes whose 2004 Athens doping samples were retested this year and came back positive for steroids, including shot put gold medalist Yuriy Bilonog of Ukraine. Also stripped of medals were hammer throw silver medalist Ivan Tskikhan of Belarus and two bronze medalists — women's shot putter Svetlana Krivelyova of Russia and discus thrower Irina Yatchenko of Belarus. The IOC held off stripping Armstrong of the bronze he won 12 years ago in the cycling road time trial in Sydney, citing procedural reasons for the delay. IOC leaders want Armstrong's medal back after the damning U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report that painted Armstrong as a systematic drug cheat. The International Cycling Union recently stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles from 1999-2005. But the IOC said it must wait for UCI, the cycling's governing body, to formally notify Armstrong of the loss of all his results since August 1998. The IOC wants to avoid any legal problems in connection with the eight-year statute of limitations in the Olympic rules. "The IOC today will not move," IOC President Jacques Rogge said at a news conference following a two-day board meeting in Lausanne. "We need to have the situation whereby the UCI notifies officially Mr. Armstrong of the fact that he will be disqualified, declared ineligible and that he should hand over his medal. "This is a legal obligation not for the IOC but for the International Cycling Union. When he will be notified, Mr. Armstrong will have 21 days to launch an appeal if he wishes. It is only after this period of 21 days that the IOC can legally take action." The case of a fifth bronze medalist, weightlifter Oleg Perepechenov of Russia, is pending. The IOC said it will ask the International Association of Athletics Federations to get the four medals back and readjust the results and rankings from the Athens Games. Until then, no decision will be taken on reallocating the medals. Adam Nelson of the United States finished second in the shot put in Athens behind Bilonog and would stand to move up to gold. The intention of the IOC to wipe Armstrong from the Olympic record books remains clear. "Absolutely," IOC vice president Craig Reedie of Britain told The Associated Press. "If the UCI have the ability to remove all these titles, we should have the ability to remove a bronze medal. Once they go through their procedures, then we'll go through ours." Armstrong finished behind winner and U.S. Postal Service teammate Vyacheslav Ekimov of Russia and Jan Ullrich of Germany in Sydney. The IOC has no plans to reallocate Armstrong's bronze medal, just as the UCI decided not to declare any winners for the Tour titles once held by the American. In August, the IOC stripped Tyler Hamilton, a former Armstrong teammate, of his time-trial gold medal from the 2004 Athens Olympics after he admitted to doping. The Athens Games were already considered the dirtiest on record, producing 26 doping cases and catching six medalists — including two gold winners — at the time. The retroactive tests bring the number of Athens cases to 31, including 11 medal winners and three gold medalists. Since Athens, the IOC has been storing doping samples from each Olympics for eight years to allow for retesting when new detection methods become available. Last year, under prodding from the World Anti-Doping Agency, the IOC reanalyzed about 100 samples from Athens. The IOC said Bilonog and Krivelyova tested positive for oxandrolone, while the samples from Tsikhan and Yatchenko were positive for methandienone. Bilonog's disqualification means that both shot put winners in Athens have been disqualified for doping: Women's champion Irina Korzhanenko of Russia was stripped of gold at the games after testing positive for stanozolol. The IAAF held the 2004 shot put competition in Ancient Olympia, in what had been intended as a symbolic and uplifting return to the birthplace of the Olympics.

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Obama election tweet most repeated but Olympics tops on Twitter

(Reuters) - An election victory tweet from President Barack Obama -- "Four more years" with a picture of him hugging his wife -- was the most retweeted ever, but the U.S. election was topped by the Olympics as the most tweeted event this year. Obama's tweet was retweeted (repeated) more than 810,000 times, Twitter said as it published a list of the most tweeted events in 2012. (http://2012.twitter.com/) "Within hours, that Tweet simultaneously became the most retweeted of 2012, and the most retweeted ever. In fact, retweets of that simple message came from people in more than 200 countries around the world," Twitter spokeswoman Rachael Horwitz said. Twitter users were busiest during the final vote count for the presidential elections, sending 327,452 tweets per minute on election night on their way to a tally of 31 million election tweets for the day. The 2012 Olympic Games in London had the most overall tweets of any event, with 150 million sent over the 16 days. Usain Bolt's golden win in the 200 meters topped 80,000 tweets per minute but he did not achieve the highest Olympic peak on Twitter. That was seen during the closing ceremony when 115,000 tweets per minute were sent as 1990s British pop band the Spice Girls performed. Syria, where a bloody civil war still plays out, was the most talked about country in 2012 but sports and pop culture dominated the tally of tweets. Behind Obama was pop star Justin Bieber. His tweet, "RIP Avalanna. i love you" sent when a six-year-old fan died from a rare form of brain cancer, was retweeted more than 220,000 times. Third most repeated in 2012 was a profanity-laced tweet from Green Bay Packers NFL player TJ Lang, when he blasted a controversial call by a substitute referee officiating during a referee dispute. That was retweeted 98,000 times. This was the third year running that the microblogging site published its top Twitter trends, offering a barometer to assess the biggest events in social media. Superstorm Sandy, which slammed the densely populated U.S. East Coast in late October, killing more than 100 people, flooding wide areas and knocking out power for millions, attracted more than 20 million tweets between October 27 and November 1. European football made the list of top tweets when Spain's Juan Mata scored as his side downed Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final -- sparking 267,200 tweets a minute. News of pop star Whitney Houston's death in February generated more than 10 million tweets, peaking at 73,662 per minute. Romantic comedy "Think Like a Man" was the most tweeted movie this year, topping "The Hunger Games", "The Avengers" and "The Dark Knight Rises." Rapper Rick Ross who notched his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart this year, was the most talked about music artist.

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No. 2 Alabama places 4 on AP All-America team

NEW YORK (AP) — Alabama is No. 1 when it comes to All-Americans. The second-ranked Crimson Tide placed four players on The Associated Press All-America team released Tuesday. Among them was center Barrett Jones, who became a two-time first-team selection. No other team had more than two players selected to the first team. The Tide also led with six players chosen to all three teams. Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Stanford and Florida were second with four players on the three teams, though linebacker Manti Te'o was the only Fighting Irish player to make the first team. Alabama faces top-ranked Notre Dame in the BCS championship game Jan. 7. Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel was the first-team quarterback. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones also became two-time All-Americans. Nine Southeastern Conference players made the first team, more than any other conference. The Pac-12 was second with six players on the first team. No other conference had more than two. The team was voted on by a panel of 16 AP college football poll voters. Barrett Jones, a senior who made the All-America team as a tackle last season, was joined on the first team by Alabama teammates guard Chance Warmack, linebacker C.J. Mosley and cornerback Dee Milliner. Offensive tackle D.J. Fluker was picked to the second team and quarterback AJ McCarron was selected to the third team. Te'o, the Heisman finalists and winner of seven other awards — including the Maxwell, Nagurski and Butkus — is the first Notre Dame defensive player to be an AP All-American since defensive back Shane Walton in 2002. Manziel is the first freshman to make the first team at quarterback. On Saturday, the redshirt freshman know as Johnny Football became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. Manziel set an SEC record with 4,600 total yards to rank second in the nation. Heisman finalist Collin Klein of Kansas State was the second-team quarterback. Ball repeated as an All-American, despite a slow start to the season and some early injuries. The senior is seventh in the nation in rushing at 133 yards per game, scored 21 touchdowns, and set the major college football record for career touchdowns. He has 82 going into the Rose Bowl. Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey, the nation's leading rusher at 146 yards per game, was the other first-team running back. The receivers were Southern California's Marqise Lee, who leads the nation in catches (112) and was second in yards receiving (1,680), and Baylor's Terrance Williams, who leads in yards with 1,764. Stanford's Zach Ertz was the tight end. Joining Jones and Warmack on the offensive line were two junior tackles projected to be high first-round NFL draft picks: Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel and Michigan's Taylor Lewan. "Team goals are bigger than individual goals, but one of my personal goals was to be an All-American and it's an unbelievable feeling to reach that goal," Lewan said Tuesday. North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper was the other first-team guard. West Virginia's Tavon Austin was selected as the all-purpose player, a perfect description of the do-it-all speedster. Austin was primarily a receiver and racked up 1,259 yards through the air. Late in the season, coach Dana Holgorsen used Austin as a running back and against Oklahoma he the senior set a school-record with 344 yards rushing. He finished second in the nation in all-purpose yards with 230 per game, and returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns. Tulane's Cairo Santos was the All-American kicker after making all 21 of his field goal attempts. On the defensive side, Te'o and Mosley were joined at linebacker by the other two-time All-American. Jones followed-up his sensational sophomore season with 12.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss. Another SEC pass rusher highlighted the defensive line. South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney had 13.5 sacks, tied for the most in the nation, playing in only 11 games. He'll matchup against Lewan in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1. "He's very explosive player who plays every play to the whistle and never takes a snap off," Lewan said. "It's a great opportunity to see where I'm at and where he's at and I'm excited about it. But it's not about me or him, it's about the University of Michigan playing South Carolina at the Outback Bowl." Florida State Bjoern Werner was the other end. He also had 13 sacks. At defensive tackle was a pair of Pac-12 players: Utah's Star Lotulelei and Arizona State's Will Sutton, who was the conference defensive player of the year. In the secondary, Jordan Poyer of Oregon State, who had seven interceptions, was the cornerback opposite Milliner. Fresno State safety Phillip Thomas was voted to the first team after leading the nation with eight interceptions, including three returned for touchdown. Florida's Matt Elam was the other safety. The punter was Ryan Allen, who won his second straight Ray Guy Award last week. ___ Greg Auman, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station (Texas) Eagle; Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times; Doug Doughty, The Roanoke (Va.) Times; Seth Emerson, The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph and Columbus Ledger Enquirer; Erik Gee, KNML-AM, New Mexico; Garland Gillen, WWL-TV Channel 4, New Orleans; Anthony Gimino, TucsonCitizen.com; Eric Hansen, The South Bend (Ind.) Tribune; Rob Long, CBS Radio 105.7, Baltimore; Austin Meek, The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal; Keith Pompey, The Philadelphia Inquirer; Kyle Ringo, Daily Camera, Boulder Colo.; Keith Sargeant, Home News Tribune, New Jersey; Mitch Vingle, The Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette; Adam Zucker, CBS Sports Network.

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Tagliabue overturns Saints suspensions

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue overturned the suspensions of four current and former New Orleans Saints players in the league's bounty investigation of the club. Tagliabue, however, found that three of the players engaged in conduct detrimental to the league. He said they participated in a performance pool that rewarded key plays — including hard tackles — that could merit fines. But he stressed that the team's coaches were very much involved. "Unlike Saints' broad organizational misconduct, player appeals involve sharply focused issues of alleged individual player misconduct in several different aspects," said a portion of ruling released by the NFL. "My affirmation of Commissioner Goodell's findings could certainly justify the issuance of fines. However, this entire case has been contaminated by the coaches and others in the Saints' organization." Tagliabue was appointed by his successor, Commissioner Roger Goodell, to handle a second round of player appeals to the league in connection with the Saints' cash-for-hits program run by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from 2009-2011. The players initially opposed his appointment. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma had been given a full-season suspension, while defensive end Will Smith, Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove each received shorter suspensions. Fujita was the only player cleared of conduct detrimental to the league by Tagliabue. None of the players sat out any games because of suspensions. They have been allowed to play while appeals are pending, though Fujita is on injured reserve and Hargrove is not with a team. Shortly before the regular season, the initial suspensions were thrown out by an appeals panel created by the league's collective bargaining agreement. Goodell then reissued them, with some changes, and now those have been dismissed. Meanwhile, the players have challenged the NFL's handling of the entire process in federal court, but U.S District Judge Ginger Berrigan had been waiting to see how the latest round of appeals played out before deciding whether to get involved. With the player suspensions overturned, the end of a nearly 10-month dispute over how the NFL handled an investigation that covered three seasons and gathered about 50,000 pages of documents could be near. NFL investigators found that Vilma and Smith were ring-leaders of a cash-for-hits program that rewarded injurious tackles labeled as "cart-offs" and "knockouts." The NFL also concluded that Hargrove lied to NFL investigators to help cover up the program. Goodell also suspended Williams indefinitely, while banning Saints head coach Sean Payton for a full season. Tagliabue's ruling comes after a new round of hearings that for the first time allowed Vilma's attorneys and the NFL Players Association, which represents the other three players, to cross-examine key NFL witnesses in the probe. Those witnesses included Williams and former Saints assistant Mike Cerullo, who was fired after the 2009 season and whose email to the league, accusing the Saints of being "a dirty organization," jump-started the probe.

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Tom Cruise defends role as "Jack Reacher"

LONDON (Reuters) - Tom Cruise has defended his role as Jack Reacher in the first of what could be a new action movie franchise, despite being much slimmer and shorter than the character created by author Lee Child in the original books. Cruise told Reuters Television at the world premiere in London on Monday of "Jack Reacher" that he would not have taken the part if British thriller writer Child had been unhappy. Child's version of Reacher - a military sniper - is 6 foot 5 inches tall and weighs over 200 pounds (91 kilograms). Cruise, 50, is just 5 foot 7 inchestall according to the Internet Movie Database, and has a trim physique. "You know, he (Child) created the character, I had my own opinion that I didn't say to Lee and then he came back and pretty much reflected what I had felt about it. But had he said 'look I'd rather not', I would not have played the character," Cruise said. Cruise described Reacher's size as a "characteristic" rather than a "character." "Jack Reacher," to be released later this month, is based on "One Shot" - one of the series of best-selling novels by Child about the eponymous former soldier turned drifter who travels the United States dealing out his own brand of justice. British actress Rosamund Pike, who plays the female lead, said she hoped there will be many more Reacher movies. "We hope this is going to be a great big new franchise for Tom and for Paramount and so to be in the first one is always kind of cool ... It's witty, it's fast-moving, the plot is ... puzzling and incisive and quite dark in places. You know the humor and the violence in this film is pretty edgy and I like that about it," Pike said. Cruise was also a producer on the Paramount Pictures movie, which is due for release in the United States on December 21.

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Messi edges Falcao at top of AP soccer rankings

LONDON (AP) — Lionel Messi narrowly stayed on top of AP's Global Soccer Rankings this week despite breaking the record for goals in a calendar year. The Barcelona great finished one point ahead of Spanish league rival Radamel Falcao, who scored five goals for Atletico Madrid. Barcelona lost its top spot in the team rankings to Manchester United, which beat Manchester City 3-2 to stay in first place in the Premier League. Messi received 170 points from 18 voters, with Falcao at 169. Wayne Rooney was third with 120 after scoring twice for United. Messi broke Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals in a year, scoring for the 86th time in 2012 on Sunday. The Argentine forward scored twice in a 2-1 win at Real Betis. Falcao became the first player to score five goals in a Spanish league game since Fernando Morientes of Real Madrid in the 2001-02 season. He led Atletico to a 6-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna. "Messi or Falcao? Falcao or Messi?" said Eurosport's Cedric Rouquette. "Two superheavyweights went head to head for first place this week. Dethroning Messi in the week he beat Gerd Mueller's goal-scoring record with two clinical goals would take something special. And Falcao's five goals were an astonishing performance." Aurelio Capaldi of Italy's Rai Sport put Rooney at the top of his list rather than Messi or Falcao. "Messi's record is impressive and Radamel Falcao scoring five goals in a game for the first time in his professional career is outstanding, but Wayne Rooney deserves the top spot this week as he was the man of the match at the Etihad Stadium," Capaldi said. AP's panel of global soccer journalists agreed that Chelsea's long-struggling striker Fernando Torres has returned to form, voting him into fifth place with 65 points, two behind Roma captain Francesco Totti. Totti scored twice and set up two more goals in a 4-2 win that ended Fiorentina's nine-match unbeaten run. Torres scored four times for Chelsea in a week. "Torres is coming back with coach Rafa Benitez who took him to the top in Liverpool years ago," said Orfeo Suarez of Spain's El Mundo. "Two important victories for Chelsea in the week before the Club World Cup." Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said: "I may face a conundrum next week if Chelsea wins the Club World Cup. I've sworn them off for the time being, but can I leave the 'world champs' out of the top 10?" In the team vote, Manchester United jumped from fourth to first place with 145 points, ahead of Barcelona (131) and Bayern Munich (110), which leapt from 10th to third place. Bayern finished first in its Champions League group with a 4-1 victory over Bate Borisov and then stayed at the top of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 away victory to Augsburg. Juventus dropped one place to fourth, despite winning to stay in the Serie A lead. The top teams in Europe's top four leagues fill the top four places in the AP rankings. Falcao's Atletico Madrid is in fifth place while Real Madrid fell from second to sixth, giving Spain three clubs in the top six.

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