Brandon Webb got a little boost for his matchup with fellow ace Jake Peavy -- the return of regular catcher Chris Snyder. Webb outpitched Peavy in a battle of the last two NL Cy Young Award winners, Snyder hit a two-run homer and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Sunday. Webb (6-0), the 2006 Cy Young winner, allowed just one unearned run and twice escaped bases-loaded jams...
When Chris Paul arrived for a workout before the 2005 NBA draft, Byron Scott took him to lunch and said the Hornets wanted the point guard if he was still available at the fourth pick. Utah, which also needed a guard, picked ahead of New Orleans but went with Deron Williams. So Scott got his man, built his team around him, and Tuesday wore a wide grin as he glanced down at the Red Auerbach trophy...
In Johnny Dawkins, Stanford found a respected coach from another storied program -- certainly a favorable mix in the eyes of athletic director Bob Bowlsby. Dawkins, a longtime assistant coach at Duke under Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski, has been hired as the Cardinal's new coach. He replaces Pac-10 Coach of the Year Trent Johnson, who left for LSU earlier this month.
New Orleans coach Byron Scott, who led the Hornets to their first playoff appearance in four years this season, has been chosen as the NBA coach of the year, The Associated Press has learned. A person with knowledge of the award spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity because the league had not yet announced it.
Michael Jordan took a chance on a young, inexperienced coach and it didn't work. Sam Vincent was fired Saturday after one turmoil-filled, non-playoff season running the Charlotte Bobcats. Vincent's dismissal was only minutes old when speculation turned to whether Jordan, the Bobcats' part-owner with the final say on all basketball decisions, would take a 180-degree turn with his next hire.
Memphis coach John Calipari signed a contract extension through the 2012-13 season that includes an annual raise of $500,000 and a $5 million bonus if he stays through the end of the contract. Calipari's new contract will pay him $2.35 million per year. Calipari took the Tigers to the national championship game this year, the program's first Final Four since 1985 and first NCAA final since 1973.
The Denver Nuggets just can't seem to keep their emotions or Kobe Bryant in check. Bryant led a balanced offense with 22 points and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 3-0 lead in their first-round series, routing the flustered Nuggets 102-84 on Saturday. Game 4 is Monday night, and the Nuggets are going to have to get more out of their All-Star duo of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson if they hope to...
A memorable Pittsburgh comeback left the Penguins laughing at each other, an improbable victory accomplished. And left the New York Rangers, with their decided edge in experience, wondering how they possibly could lose such a big lead in such a big game. Evgeni Malkin deflected Sidney Crosby's one-timer from the right point on a Pittsburgh power play with 1:41 remaining to finish a frantic...
Jake Long seemed at ease in his new role as the NFL's No. 1 draft pick, leaning into a news conference microphone to talk about his mean streak while his mother sat in the corner, nodding as she smiled. The Miami Dolphins were grinning Tuesday, too. They signed the Michigan left tackle to a five-year contract with $30 million guaranteed, and they'll select him with the top pick in the draft...
Kevin Garnett took a moment to control his emotions before running into the arena for his first playoff game in four years. "I had to slow down as I ran through the tunnel and to hear the crowd, to hear the building rocking and the bleachers were shaking," Boston's best player said. "I had to take a minute for myself, man, just thank the lord I was back in this position." He's the biggest reason...
The way he was going and getting quick outs, Brandon Webb thought for sure he would finish the game. Webb pitched another gem and, for the first time, has begun a season by winning his first four starts. Barry Zito on the other hand has lost his opening four starts for the first time. Webb and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Zito's San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Wednesday in a matchup featuring a pair of...
D.J. Augustin is declaring for the NBA draft, and Texas teammate A.J. Abrams is headed with him. The Longhorns lost their All-America point guard Wednesday when Augustin announced he would skip his final two seasons at Texas and enter the draft, where he is widely considered a a first-round pick. "I have dreamed of playing in the NBA since I was a little boy, and I am ready to start living this...
The Bengals are calling Chad Johnson's bluff. Tired of the receiver's posturing for a trade, coach Marvin Lewis said Tuesday that Johnson should keep his word and sit out the season -- the strongest comment yet from an organization that is reluctant to let him go. The Bengals also turned down Washington's offer of two high-round draft picks for Johnson, who had hoped to be traded before the draft...
From MVP to vilified to unemployed in a little more than two years. Shaun Alexander's free fall in Seattle was completed Tuesday when the Seahawks cut the running back who led them to their only Super Bowl appearance in 2006 and was rewarded soon after with a $62 million contract. For Alexander, the two seasons since he received that eight-year deal have been filled with injuries, ineffectiveness...
The underdog Bruins keep coming back -- all the way back to a surprise seventh game against the Canadiens in Montreal. Boston overcame three one-goal deficits Saturday night and won 5-4 on Marco Sturm's goal with 2:37 left. Now the Bruins need just one more win to take a series that they trailed 3-1. "We've battled and battled and battled and got ourselves back in this position," goalie Tim Thomas...
The Milwaukee Bucks need to play tougher defense, and start sharing the ball on offense. So they're turning to Scott Skiles, the man who owns the NBA's single-game assist record -- and who once got into a fight with Shaquille O'Neal during his playing days and lived to tell the tale. The Bucks introduced Skiles as their new coach Monday, signing the former Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns coach to a...
Pau Gasol's post-game smile made it clear how he felt about finally winning a postseason game. His numbers revealed just how much he had to do with the victory. Gasol established career playoff highs with 36 points and eight assists, and he also had 16 rebounds and three blocked shots Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers took command in the third quarter and beat the Denver Nuggets 128-114.
The messy split between Seattle and the SuperSonics lurched forward Friday when NBA owners approved relocating the team to Oklahoma City -- a move legal wrangling might delay another two years. "I'm giving this press conference in the face of a scorched earth policy," said NBA commissioner David Stern, who criticized civic leaders suing to force the team to stay until its lease expires in 2010.
It took only two years for the New York Rangers to turn a four-game sweep into a sweet five-game payback for the New Jersey Devils. Ushered out of their first postseason appearance in nine years by their cross-river rivals in 2006, the Rangers finished off the Devils with a 5-3 victory Friday night. "It is poetic justice to a degree," Rangers coach Tom Renney said.
Isiah Thomas couldn't win as coach with the players he assembled as president. Now, he's lost both jobs. Thomas was fired as the New York Knicks coach Friday after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal. Thomas lost a franchise record-tying 59 games this season, and along the way seemed to lose the support of his players,...
Marty Turco knows the best way to make sure the Dallas Stars win a home playoff game is not to let anything get past him. So he did exactly that -- for all but the final 7.6 seconds Thursday night. Turco's near shutout, backed up by third-period goals from Stu Barnes and Steve Ott, sent the Stars past the Anaheim Ducks 3-1, giving Dallas that exact same lead in their first-round series.
Mike Knuble needed nearly 90 minutes to deliver Philadelphia's biggest goal of the playoffs. Not much of a wait considering he took 11 years to score the most thrilling one of his career. "It was by far my biggest one," Knuble said. Knuble poked in his second goal of the series 6:40 into the second OT to give Philadelphia a dramatic 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night and a 3-1...
The last time the New York Yankees scored this many runs against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle homered for New York and Ted Williams went deep for Boston. Fifty-four years later, the Yankees and Red Sox played another game that had numbers on the scoreboard spinning by as fast as symbols on a slot machine.
Suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones said Tuesday he's delayed filing for reinstatement with the NFL until a possible trade is worked out. Jones told the Michael Irvin Show on ESPN Radio that he had planned to seek reinstatement but changed his mind for now. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Jones for the 2007 season for his off-field conduct, which includes six arrests since...
Tiger Woods had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday to repair cartilage damage, his second operation in five years on the same knee. He is expected to miss at least a month while he recovers. The surgery, announced on his Web site, came two days after Woods finished three shots behind Trevor Immelman in the Masters.
Nuggets All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony said Tuesday he was "truly sorry" for his arrest on DUI charges, and police denied giving him special treatment, even though one officer gave him a lift after his arrest and another drove his car to a city lot. "I'm here to man up to my mistake, just to let you know that I'm truly sorry for what happened and everything that's going on," Anthony said.
Greg Maddux didn't stick around to talk about his 349th career victory. He left the clubhouse right after the final out to catch a plane for Las Vegas, where his family is no doubt planning a celebration for his 42nd birthday. Maddux allowed two hits over five innings and combined with four San Diego relievers on the five-hit shutout, using Paul McAnulty's fourth-inning sacrifice fly to beat the...
Finally, the Detroit Tigers lived up to the hype at the plate. Ivan Rodriguez hit a tying two-run triple in a six-run eighth inning then scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to lift the high-priced Tigers to an 11-9 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night for their first win at home. "That's what everybody expected from this lineup," said Carlos Guillen, who drove in three of...
It was a bounce three games in the making for the New Jersey Devils. Done in by a rare misplay by Martin Brodeur in the series opener against the New York Rangers and then another odd goal in Game 2, the Devils found themselves on the brink of a short playoff stay. A feed in front and an ill-located skate gave New Jersey new life.
Lorena Ochoa wasn't distracted when the fans chanted her name on only the second hole. She stayed focused on her game, even as the crowd grew to thousands by the end of the day. But by her last stroke on the 18th hole Sunday, the emotions were too much. The Mexican star had just won her third straight tournament and qualified for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, all at home, surrounded by family, friends...
They're the East's third-best team, the one being overlooked and even underrated as the playoffs approach. And that's just fine with the Orlando Magic. "If you listen to what the experts are saying, all the teams are jockeying to play us," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. Hedo Turkoglu scored 23 points, Rashard Lewis added 21 and the Magic, one of this season's biggest surprises, locked up the...
Lorena Ochoa set the silver trophy on a table, clasped hands with her parents and sprinted to the edge of the lake surrounding the 18th green at Mission Hills, raising both arms as she plunged into the water. Whether she is playing or celebrating, the Mexican star is unstoppable. Ochoa buried her competition Sunday at the Kraft Nabisco Championship with back-to-back birdies at the turn to build a...
Ryan Zimmerman raised a fist when he rounded first, then tossed away his helmet as he approached the plate and the mass of teammates waiting to celebrate his game-ending homer. The kid sure knows how to throw a housewarming party. Zimmerman's tiebreaking solo shot with two outs in the ninth inning Sunday night gave the Washington Nationals a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the first...
Three days after winning the NCAA championship, Kansas coach Bill Self said no thanks to Oklahoma State, his alma mater, and agreed to a lucrative contract extension that could keep him at Kansas for the rest of his career. "Home called," Self said. "And we love home. But this is home now." The 45-year-old Self, an Oklahoma native who played for the Cowboys and was an assistant coach there at the...
Quarterback David Garrard probably could have gotten the Jacksonville Jaguars to pay him more money. But he was tired of negotiating. So Garrard ended the contract process Monday, signing a seven-year, $60 million contract that is the richest in franchise history. "I pretty much had to say, 'Let's go ahead and wrap it up.
The Ottawa Senators must be wondering how many more times this can happen. They get to the playoffs, yet Gary Roberts finds a way to beat them. Again. And again. Roberts and Petr Sykora scored in the first period and the favored Penguins, determined not to duplicate their awful postseason opener of a year ago, rode Marc-Andre Fleury's goaltending after that to a 4-0 victory over Ottawa in the Eastern...
Nick Swisher homered on the second pitch of the game, and it only got worse for the Detroit Tigers. Mark Buehrle pitched seven strong inning and the Chicago White Sox batters rocked Justin Verlander in a 13-2 rout of the Tigers on Sunday, Detroit's sixth straight loss. "This is very frustrating," said Verlander, who gave up a career-high nine runs.
Matt Stover, the Baltimore Ravens' veteran kicker, has begun a campaign to replace Gene Upshaw as executive director of the NFL Players Association by next March. Stover's action comes at a time when the union could be heading for critical negotiations with the league on the collective bargaining agreement.
After opening day in Japan, an exhibition weekend in Los Angeles and yet another opener in Oakland, the Boston Red Sox are finally headed back east from the Far East. And they're still off to a rock-solid start to their crazy season. Jon Lester pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning, David Ortiz broke open a scoreless game with a two-run homer and the Red Sox beat the Athletics 5-0...
Indiana freshman Eric Gordon is entering the NBA draft. While he has not yet signed with an agent, his father, Eric Gordon Sr., said he intended to sign with one, which would officially end his college eligibility. The move was expected long before Gordon made the announcement Monday. When he joined the Hoosiers, many people predicted the 6-foot-4 guard with the nifty moves and NBA 3-point range...
After a near-sleepless night, Monday turned out to be just about the perfect day for Joe Torre. The former New York Yankees' manager was victorious in his debut as skipper of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brad Penny allowed four hits over 6 2-3 innings in his first opening-day start, Jeff Kent hit a two-run homer off Barry Zito to cap a three-run first, and the Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 5-0...
Dontrelle Willis was nearly unhittable. Unfortunately for the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox found other ways to get on base against him. Willis gave up only one hit but walked seven in five-plus innings in his Tigers debut, and Detroit remained the only winless team in the majors with a 5-3 loss to Chicago on Saturday.
Andy Pettitte heard the cheers when he jogged out to the mound to warm up for his first start after a rocky offseason. He tried to give the Yankee Stadium crowd another solid performance. The rest of the day just didn't go as planned. Jonny Gomes homered and drove in four runs against Pettitte to atone for two blunders, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 6-3 on Saturday.
For the Detroit Tigers, 2008 is starting to resemble 2003. A.J. Pierzynski drove in five runs with three hits, including a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning Friday that led the Chicago White Sox over the Tigers 8-5. Detroit, the only winless team in the major leagues, is 0-4 for the first time since the Tigers dropped their first nine games in 2003 en route to an AL-record 119...
Rich Rodriguez may present evidence to try to prove his claim he was fraudulently induced to sign a coaching contract with West Virginia that included a $4 million buyout clause he now refuses to pay. Monongalia County Circuit Judge Robert Stone granted key victories Thursday for both sides in a two-hour pretrial hearing.
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio signed a five-year contract extension Thursday, a reward for winning his first playoff game. Del Rio's salary was not disclosed, but it was believed to be a significant jump from the original five-year, $6.5 million contract he signed in 2003. The Jaguars were 11-5 last season, beat Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs and then ended the season with...
Brian McNamee was planning to dump all his mementos of his relationship with Roger Clemens. Then a friend persuaded him to think better of it. Now the former personal trainer who claims he injected the seven time Cy Young Award winner with steroids is selling dozens of personal items in an online auction, and donating the profits to his juvenile diabetes charity.
Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry has been accused of punching an 18-year-old man in the face and breaking his car window with a beer bottle, according to court documents filed Wednesday. Henry, 24, was charged with misdemeanor assault and criminal damaging in the Monday incident in Cincinnati. A warrant for his arrest was issued in Hamilton County Municipal Court.
Bill Belichick insists there are no new revelations to come about Spygate. "I think they've addressed everything they possibly can address," the New England Patriots coach said Tuesday. Belichick, speaking during the AFC coaches breakfast at the NFL meetings, said he was interviewed again after the Super Bowl about allegations that former team employee Matt Walsh had illegal tapes.
Indiana is turning to Tom Crean to bring respectability back to Hoosiers. A couple dozen wins each year would help, too. After a tumultuous season and turbulent coaching search, the Hoosiers finally hired Crean on Tuesday as what they hope will be a long-term replacement for Kelvin Sampson. Sampson resigned in February amid a phone-call scandal that included five major allegations from the NCAA.
The Lopez twins are going pro together. Stanford sophomore Robin Lopez is joining his 7-foot brother Brook in entering the NBA draft. The brothers made their announcement to The Associated Press on Monday through their mother, Deborah Ledford. It was expected that Brook would declare himself eligible for the NBA, but Robin was not so certain.
Western Kentucky coach Darrin Horn is leaving for South Carolina after the Hilltoppers best finish in the NCAA tournament in 15 years. Horn told the school's president Monday he had accepted an offer from the Gamecocks to replace Dave Odom, who retired at the end of the season, Western Kentucky University spokesman Bob Edwards said.
