Hawai'i Sports News

Mountain West to merge with Conference USA

2012-02-14T11:43:00.003-10:00

The Mountain West, which UH is scheduled to join as a football-only member in July, will dissolve and merge with the remnants of Conference USA in 2013 to form an as-yet-unnamed "super conference" of at least 16 members, according to announcements Monday.

Most of UH's other sports will compete in the California-based Big West beginning in 2012 as the Warriors leave the Western Athletic Conference after 33 years.

Increasingly ravaged by defections, the MWC and C-USA will repackage as a regionally based association July 1, 2013, that officials say is designed to provide enhanced stability and marketing opportunities. Expansion to as many as 18 to 24 members is a possibility.

Besides UH, the schools involved are the Air Force Academy, Alabama-Birmingham, Colorado State, East Carolina, Fresno State, Marshall, Nevada, Nevada-Las Vegas, New Mexico, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Texas-El Paso, Tulane, Tulsa and Wyoming.

Already there is speculation that Temple University of Philadelphia and Miami-based Florida International may be asked to join.

Talks between the two midmajor conferences, then totaling 22 members, gained momentum last summer as a football-only union. But as the defections began to mount, discussions shifted to an all-sports amalgamation. San Diego State, Boise State and Texas Christian will depart the MWC by 2013, while C-USA loses Memphis, Central Florida, Houston and Southern Methodist.

Initially, at least, plans call for two geographically based divisions that Scott Cowen, Tulane president and C-USA chairman, said "will look fairly similar to the way the Mountain West looks now and C-USA looks now."

UTEP, a former Western Athletic Conference member now in C-USA, is expected to move into the West.

But Cowen said, "Over time we definitely anticipate there will be some crossover games," meaning teams from western and eastern divisions would eventually compete against each other.

Cowen said plans call for not only a championship game in football, but semifinal contests as well.

Smatresk said, "This is an exciting development that will stabilize the current conferences and create the first truly national conference with members in five time zones and television viewership from coast to coast and on to Hawaii."

Lin-Sanity

2012-02-12T23:49:00.012-10:00

[2/13/12] The latest tribute video

Somehow, the most improbable story in NBA history found himself in the most improbable place on Friday night: The ball in his hands, Madison Square Garden on its feet, and the fourth quarter genius of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant determined to obliterate this burgeoning mythology. Out of Bryant, had come a barrage: twisted, contorted fades, a self-pass off the backboard, the A-list arsenal out of the world’s most gifted scorer.

Somehow, Jeremy Lin never flinched. Somehow, Jeremy Lin never let himself become a spectator, never stopped to wonder what in the world he was doing out here. The ball was so safe, so snug, in his hands. There was such an easy effortlessness to the downright diabolical manner with which he dismantled the Lakers and Bryant. Sheer hysteria had thundered down on the Garden floor, a phenomenon called Linsanity, and the most polished, most poised, presence happened to be Lin.

This kid out of nowhere – out of Harvard University, out of the Reno Bighorns and Erie Bayhawks – had done it again, done it with a devastating 38 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in the Knicks’ 92-85 victory over the Lakers.

***

Landry Fields couch

Top Ten Jeremy Lin puns of the week

Jeremy Lin: most added player of the week

Jeremy Lin: True Hollywood story

Jeremy Lin: American story

Jeremy Lin fever begins

NBA GM Survey

2012-02-11T23:02:00.003-10:00

The 2011 NBA offseason was unique, with free agency running concurrently with the start of training camps, which were abbreviated in order to start the season on Christmas Day. Once things settled down and general managers were able to step away from their phones for a bit, NBA.com conducted its 10th annual GM Survey.

Which team will win The 2012 NBA Finals?

Who will win the 2011-12 MVP?

If you were starting a franchise and could sign any player, who would it be?

Who is the best point guard in the NBA?

Who is the best shooting guard in the NBA?

Who is the best small forward in the NBA?

Who is the best power forward in the NBA?

Who is the best center in the NBA?

Who will win the 2011-12 Rookie of the Year?

Which rookie will be the best player in five years?

Who is the best international player in the NBA?

Who is the best international player NOT in the NBA?

Who is the best defensive player in the NBA?

Who is the best head coach in the NBA?

Who is the best assistant coach in the NBA?

Which active player will make the best head coach someday?

Which player is the most athletic?

Which player is the best pure shooter?

Which player is the fastest with the ball?

Which player is best at moving without the ball?

Which player is the best at getting his own shot?

Which player is the best offensive rebounder?

Which player is the best passer?

Which player is the best finisher?

Which player does the most with the least?

Who is the toughest player in the NBA?

Which player is the best leader?

Which player has the best basketball IQ?

Which player would you want taking a shot with the game on the line?

[click here for the results]

Angelo Dundee

2012-02-01T18:10:00.001-10:00

Angelo Dundee, the brilliant motivator who worked the corner for Muhammad Ali in his greatest fights and willed Sugar Ray Leonard to victory in his biggest bout, died Wednesday in Tampa, Fla. He was 90.

The genial Dundee was best known for being in Ali’s corner for almost his entire career, but those in boxing also knew him as an ambassador for boxing and a figure of integrity in a sport that often lacked it.

He died with his family surrounding him, said son, Jimmy Dundee, but not before being able to attend Ali’s 70th birthday bash in Louisville, Ky., last month.
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“It was the way he wanted to go,” Jimmy Dundee said. “He did everything he wanted to do.”

Promoter Bob Arum said he had been planning to bring Dundee to Las Vegas for a Feb. 18 charity gala headlined by Ali. He called Dundee a legend in the sport, someone who worked the corner for some of the greatest fights of the times.

“He was wonderful, he was the whole package,” Arum said. “Angelo was the greatest motivator of all time. No matter how bad things were, Angelo always put a positive spin on them. That’s what Ali loved so much about him.”

Arum credited Dundee with persuading Ali to continue in his third fight against Joe Frazier when Frazier was coming on strong in the “Thrilla in Manilla.” Without Dundee, Arum said, Ali may not have had the strength to come back and stop Frazier after the 14th round in what became an iconic fight.

Dundee also worked the corner for Leonard, famously shouting “You’re blowing it son. You’re blowing it” when Leonard fell behind in his 1981 fight with Tommy Hearns—a fight he would rally to win by knockout.

A master motivator and clever corner man, Dundee was regarded as one of the sport’s great ambassadors. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994 after a career that spanned six decades, training 15 world champions, including Leonard, George Foreman, Carmen Basilio and Jose Napoles.

Joe Paterno dies at 85

2012-01-22T15:20:00.002-10:00

Happy Valley was perfect for Joe Paterno, a place where "JoePa" knew best, where he not only won more football games than any other major college coach, but won them the right way: with integrity and sportsmanship. A place where character came first, championships second.

Behind it all, however, was an ugly secret that ran counter to everything the revered coach stood for.

Paterno, a sainted figure at Penn State for almost half a century but scarred forever by the child sex abuse scandal that led to his stunning dismissal, died Sunday at age 85.

His death came just 65 days after his son Scott said his father had been diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer. The cancer was found during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness. A few weeks later, Paterno broke his pelvis after a fall but did not need surgery.

Mount Nittany Medical Center said in a statement that Paterno died at 9:25 a.m. of "metastatic small cell carcinoma of the lung." Metastatic indicates an illness that has spread from one part of the body to an unrelated area.

The hospital says Paterno was surrounded by family members, who have requested privacy.

Paterno had been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation after what his family called minor complications from his cancer treatments. Not long before that, he conducted his only interview since losing his job, with The Washington Post. Paterno was described as frail then, speaking mostly in a whisper and wearing a wig. The second half of the two-day interview was conducted at his bedside.

His family released a statement Sunday morning to announce his death: "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled."

"He died as he lived," the statement said. "He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

***

reactions

changes coming to the BCS?

2012-01-09T05:48:00.002-10:00

The Bowl Championship Series as college football fans have come to know it is going away.

Over the next six months, the people who oversee the much-maligned postseason system will talk about how to deconstruct the system for crowning a national champion. In the tumultuous 14-year history of the BCS, never has there been more of an appetite for change among college football's leaders.

"It's my impression that ... there will be meaningful discussion about possible changes to the BCS," Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive said Thursday as SEC rivals LSU and Alabama prepared to play in the title game Monday night at the Superdome.

What the changes will be is hard to say because nearly everything seems to be up for discussion, from eliminating automatic bids to top-tier bowl games to creating a four-team playoff — an idea that's known as the plus-one model.

What's not on the table is exactly what many football fans are clamoring for, a full-scale playoff that would require numerous teams to play additional games.

Ed Francis

2012-01-09T05:22:00.001-10:00

In November we looked back at pro wrestling in the islands. Local fans who enjoyed watching their favorite wrestling stars in action can thank promoter Ed Francis for bringing these events into the arenas and our homes. This month we look back on Francis and his time spent in the islands.

Grandmaster Cho

2012-01-02T09:52:00.003-10:00

At Grandmaster Cho's tae kwon do studio, approximately 300 elementary school students from East Oahu just began taking classes. They have come for the six-week President's Fitness Challenge Program, an initiative strongly supported by Michelle Obama. Children must be active one hour per day, five days out of the week for six out of eight weeks. Upon completion of the program, participants receive a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. The fitness sessions at the studio focus on flexibility, strength, endurance, speed and coordination.

Although the fitness program is separate from formal tae kwon do and jujitsu classes taught at the studio, students are exposed to the core values of traditional martial arts as taught by the grandmaster. "Most important is that you learn to respect yourself, your parents and your teachers. You must master the art of respect for your life's journey." Key principles also include modesty, courtesy, integrity, self-control and perseverance. Students learn never to initiate violence and to work toward the creation of harmony among all people.

The grandmaster just turned 71 and has trained daily for 61 years. He is a ninth-degree black belt and has won world championships. Even today he teaches virtually every class. Despite arduous training and high expectations for his students, he has a soft, gentle side that warms the children's hearts and keeps them coming back.

According to the grandmaster, one must be true to the principles of the art to be optimally successful in physical training. Once children begin to excel in the studio, most often they also bring home top grades from school. To encourage scholarship, the grandmaster keeps a poster with math tables on the front mirror, and at the back wall he proudly posts the report cards his students bring him.

Over time the journey of tae kwon do builds confidence together with a strong mind and body. As the grandmaster's students mature into teenagers and earn their black belts, they feel themselves prepared for higher education and professional success.

Lesnar KO'd by Overeem, announces retirement

2011-12-30T21:06:00.006-10:00

LAS VEGAS – Alistair Overeem promised his fight with Brock Lesnar wouldn’t last too long.

He was right, but he shouldn’t have been so conservative. Overeem finished the former UFC heavyweight champion in just two minutes, 26 seconds, battering Lesnar with knees, kicks and punches to win by first-round knockout.

The win sets up Overeem, a former Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1 champion, for a shot at the UFC title held by Junior dos Santos.

Lesnar had no shot, as he was unable to deal with Overeem’s varied strikes. After the fight, he announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.

“I’m going to officially say tonight is the last time you’ll see me in the Octagon,” Lesnar said. Later, he added, “Brock Lesnar is officially retired.”

Lesnar went for a single-leg takedown, but Overeem easily shook it off. Overeem hurt Lesnar with a knee to the body early, but finished the fight with a great kick to the midsection. Lesnar winced in pain and backed to the cage. Overeem rushed in and rained punches on him until referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight.

***

The legacy of Brock Lesnar

Mayweather gets 90 days

2011-12-22T06:39:00.003-10:00

LAS VEGAS >> Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a perfect 42-0 in the ring and has dodged significant jail time several times in domestic violence cases in Las Vegas and Michigan.

But his courtroom streak came to an end Wednesday when a Las Vegas judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to a reduced battery domestic violence charge and no contest to two harassment charges.

The case stemmed from a hair-pulling, punching and arm-twisting argument with his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris while two of their children watched in September 2010.

"Punishment is appropriate," Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa said after a prosecutor complained that Mayweather has been in trouble before and hasn't faced serious consequences.

"No matter who you are, you have consequences to your actions when they escalate to this level of violence," she said.

Good behavior could knock several weeks off Mayweather's sentence. but he will likely serve most of the sentence set to begin Jan. 6, said Officer Bill Cassell, a Las Vegas police spokesman.

Mayweather and his manager, Leonard Ellerbe, declined comment outside the courtroom.

The jail time raises doubts about a possible showdown between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, a champion fighter from the Philippines against whom Mayweather's welterweight success is usually measured.

A long-awaited fight between the two men regarded as among the best of their generation has been delayed by stalling techniques and verbal sparring.

Norm Chow, new Hawaii head coach

2011-12-20T18:22:00.029-10:00

University of Hawaii lawyers are continuing to negotiate a contract that would make Norm Chow the first Asian-American head coach of a major college football program.

Members of the UH general counsel's office have been conferring with attorneys from Yee & Dubin Sports, the Los Angeles-based agents for Chow, for several hours today, according to someone familiar with the negotiations but not authorized to speak on behalf of either party until an agreement has been concluded.

The Hawaii-born Chow is of Chinese, Hawaiian and Portuguese descent.

Word that Chow has been offered the UH job spread excitement through his family for reasons beyond a Hawaii homecoming. Reportedly some members of the family broke into tears.

"I think what it is is that it would be beyond my dad (for importance)," said Maile Chow, an English teacher at Mid Pacific Institute. "'He would be the first Asian-American to ever be a head football coach in the NCAA" at a major school. "That's beyond our family, beyond my dad as a person. It is a representative of a lot of other things and so I think that is why the rest of us also feel that way."

Friends said the 65-year-old Chow wants to finish his coaching career here. He is a native of Palolo and a Punahou School graduate.

Chow currently receives $275,000 as Utah's offensive coordinator, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Chow reportedly received a $1.2 million buyout from the Tennessee Titans, where he was offensive coordinator through 2007, and $500,000 from UCLA last year.

Chow has spent 38 years in college coaching at Brigham Young, North Carolina State, USC, UCLA and Utah but this will be his first head coaching job. He has coached three Heisman Trophy winners and been part of national championship teams at BYU and USC.

Chow beat out four other candidates. They were Universiy of Texas assistant Duane Akina, Baylor associate coach Brian Norwood, Oregon State assistant Mark Banker and Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.

***

press conference

Norm Chow, home at last

[12/28/11] Taylor Graham transferring from Ohio State to Hawaii

*** [12/30/11]

Cal Lee, the Hawaii football team's assistant head coach, has been told he will not be retained after his contract expires March 31, 2012.

This month, Lee completed his ninth season on the Warriors' coaching staff after one of the most successful coaching careers in Hawaii high school history.

"It's awful," UH head coach Norm Chow said of his decision not to retain Lee. "We grew up together."

As a Punahou School senior, Chow worked for Lee's mother in the cafeteria. "It's very hard, but it's a business," Chow said.

In 21 years as Saint Louis School's head coach, Lee was 241-32-5, winning 14 Oahu Prep Bowl titles and the inaugural state football championship.

*** [12/31/11]

This football season, Lewis Powell was known as "the guy with the beard."

Powell, who has not shaved in a year, promises a clean start when he begins his new job as the Hawaii football team's defensive line coach on Monday.

"You have to look professional," Powell said.

Powell and Philip Rauscher — both administrative assistant coaches for Utah this season — will be part of head coach Norm Chow's first UH coaching staff. While Chow, who is coaching Utah's offense in today's Sun Bowl, will remain on the mainland for another week, Powell and Rauscher will be headed to Hawaii.

"I'm excited to go over there and get going," Rauscher said. "It's a great opportunity for Coach Chow, and I want to be there to help him out, and get everything done for him."

Powell was a Utah player and graduate assistant before moving into his current position.

"I'm leaving a good job in Utah, and hopefully I'll do a good job over there in Hawaii," Powell said.

Powell was born at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and lived in Hawaii, Tonga and the Bay Area. He played one season of junior varsity football for McKinley High.

Powell said he relishes a chance to recruit.

Rauscher is expected to coach the tight ends, a position that was not part of the Warriors offense the past 13 seasons. Chow will implement a pro-set offense that often will feature a tight end and fullback.

"Tight end is such an important position to our offense," Rauscher said. "We have to get the right type of kid in there. If he's on the roster already, we'll fit him in there. If not, we'll recruit, and get that position going."

Rauscher, who was raised in San Diego, played on both the offensive and defensive lines at UCLA. After that, he was a student assistant and then graduate assistant at UCLA. He also served as offensive coordinator at Dixie State before returning to UCLA to work under Chow.

Rauscher praised Chow as "a great guy to work for. He cares about the kids. He's excited. I've been working with one of the best guys I've ever met."

Rauscher said he is enthusiastic about recruiting. "You have to sell yourself, and you have to sell the program," Rauscher said. "We'll go get the best kids, and go from there."

*** [1/9/12]

Hawaii head coach Norm Chow said he will retain Tony Tuioti on his football coaching staff.

"I like his work ethic, and his desire to be a coach," Chow said.

Tuioti is a former UH defensive tackle. He was hired as UH's director of player personnel in 2008, Greg McMackin's first year as UH head coach. The past two years, Tuioti coached the Warriors' defensive linemen.

McMackin reached a "release agreement" with UH on Dec. 5. Chow was hired on Dec. 22. So far, Tuioti is the only coach retained from McMackin's 2011 staff.

Chow had never worked with Tuioti, but was impressed after telephone conversations.

Chow said Tuioti received strong recommendations.

"He wants to learn," Chow said. "He works hard."

Tuioti has been an active recruiter, landing cornerback Mike Edwards, safety John Hardy-Tuliau, and defensive ends Craig Cofer and Tavita Woodard.

Tuioti has been helpful in acclimating newly hired assistant coaches Phil Rauscher and Lewis Powell.

*** [1/10/12]

New University of Hawaii head football coach Norm Chow added four more assistant coaches to his coaching staff with the announcement of offensive assistants Tommy Lee, Keith Uperesa, and Chris Wiesehan and defensive assistant Daronte’ Jones.

Chow’s staff now includes seven assistant coaches. Earlier this week, Chow announced the addition of offensive assistant Philip Rauscher and defensive assistants Lewis Powell and Tony Tuioti.

Chow is expected to fill the remaining two vacancies, which includes the defensive coordinator position, in the next week.

“This group of coaches have years of experience at every level of football,” Chow said. “Our players will be able to learn from the very best in the business. They have proven track records and have been successful everywhere they’ve been. We’re very fortunate to have them.”

Lee, born and raised in Honolulu, is the older brother of Ron and Cal Lee, both former UH coaches. Cal Lee was not retained from last year's UH staff.

Uperesa spent the past two seasons as the offensive line coach at Nicholls State. The Punahou and Brigham Young alum coached the line at UNLV, Utah, USC, and was offensive coordinator at Idaho State.

Wiesehan and Jones coached in the Canadian Football League last season.

[1/12/12] Norm Chow at the Hukilau

[1/13/12] Players meet the coach

[1/15/12] Benny Fonua

[1/17/12] Clark Evans, TE

[1/17/12] Inoke Funake retained as graduate assistant

[1/18/12] Chris Demerest completes staff

[1/19/12] John Ursua

[1/23/12] Ethan Watanabe

[1/23/12] Shane Brostek is still open

[2/1/12] Warriors get 20 oral commits (2 out of top 10)

[2/1/12] Mike Milovale taught the Haka dance in music class

[2/2/12] Norm Chow comments on the recruiting class

[2/8/12] Quenton Brown, defensive end

[2/9/12] Nick Rolovich joining Nevada staff / future head coach?

[2/9/12] Marrell Jackson, safety

Yu Darvish

2011-12-20T10:38:00.002-10:00

After losing a pair of aces in the last two years, the Texas Rangers are going global to land a new one.

Winner of consecutive AL pennants, Texas also won the Yu Darvish sweepstakes Monday night with a record bid of $51.7 million. Now, the Rangers get 30 days to negotiate a contract with Darvish that would put Japan’s best pitcher at the top of their rotation.

“Obviously, it’s a very exciting night for our organization, our fans and our community,” general manager Jon Daniels said on a conference call.

Major League Baseball announced that the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League accepted the highest bid for Darvish. That sealed offer was submitted under the posting system by the Rangers.

“Our ownership went the extra mile on this one,” Daniels said, declining to reveal specifics.

A person familiar with the details said the winning bid by Texas was $51.7 million — more than the $51.1 million posting fee the Boston Red Sox paid for Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2006. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the figure was not made public.

Darvish is considered the best pitcher in the Japanese professional leagues and several of baseball’s biggest spenders were thought to be interested in him.

Barry Bonds gets 30 days

2011-12-16T13:53:00.002-10:00

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Home run king Barry Bonds learned his fate Friday after eight years of being pursued by prosecutors in a case that began with steroid allegations: a 30-day sentence, to be served at his Beverly Hills estate.

No more—and maybe less.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston immediately delayed imposing the sentence while Bonds appeals his obstruction of justice conviction. The former baseball star was found guilty in April not of using steroids, but of misleading grand jurors.

Even without prison time, the case has left its mark on the seven-time National League MVP. His 762 career home runs, and 73 homers in 2001, may forever be seen as tainted records, and his ticket to baseball’s Hall of Fame is in doubt.

Bonds was sentenced to two years of probation, 250 hours of community service, a $4,000 fine and 30 days of home confinement. It will take time to determine whether he serves any of it; his appellate specialist, Dennis Riordan, estimated it would take nearly a year and a half for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rule.

2011 NFL picks

2011-12-12T18:01:00.004-10:00

Looking at Bobby Curran's NFL picks made in September.

AFC
South
Indianapolis

North
Pittsburgh
Baltimore

East
New England
New York Jets

West
San Diego

AFC Championship
San Diego over New England

NFC
West
St. Louis

South
New Orleans
Atlanta

North
Green Bay

East
Philadelphia
New York Giants

NFC Championship
Atlanta over Green Bay

Super Bowl
San Diego 35 Atlanta 24

How's he doing so far?
First of all, Indianapolis is 0-13 (who knew Peyton Manning would be out?).
Pittsburgh and Baltimore are tied at 10-3. So that's spot on.
New England and the Jets lead the East at 10-3 and 8-5. So spot on again.
San Diego is 6-7. So I'd have to say that's a miss so far.

In the NFC, St. Louis is 2-10. That's another big miss.
New Orleans and Atlanta lead the South at 10-3 and 8-5. So that looks good.
Green Bay is 13-0. Yep.
Philadelphia is 5-8. So that's a miss. The Giants are 7-6 and tied for the East lead with Dallas. So that's about right.

The big surprises are Houston at 10-3 and San Francisco at 10-3. And who knew Tim Tebow?

So a couple of big misses, but the rest aren't bad.

pro wrestling videos

2011-12-11T22:37:00.007-10:00

3/31/04 - The Rock returns to WWE Raw
3/13/00 - Vince McMahon returns to help The Rock
5/25/85 - Dusty Rhodes on World Championship Wrestling
Ripper Collins returns (interview with Lord Blears)
Muhammad Ali with Freddie Blassic on Tonight Show (with MacLean Stevenson)
Muhammad Ali vs. Gorilla Monsoon
1950's interviews (Freddie Blassie)

more college coaching hires

2011-12-10T22:49:00.003-10:00

Texas A&M has selected Kevin Sumlin as its new football coach, school officials announced Saturday.

Sumlin posted a 12-1 record this season at Houston and a 35-17 record in four seasons at the school. He replaces Mike Sherman, who was fired after a 6-6 season and a 25-25 record in four seasons in College Station.

A&M athletic director Bill Byrne said school officials finalized a deal Saturday morning with Sumlin, a former A&M assistant coach under R.C. Slocum. Terms were not announced, and Sumlin will address the media for the first time as A&M's coach during a Monday news conference in College Station.

Sumlin was A&M's play-caller in 2002 when the Aggies defeated No. 1 Oklahoma 30-26 at Kyle Field with freshman quarterback Reggie McNeal leading the offense.

***

UCLA announced Saturday morning that Jim Mora Jr. will be its next head coach.

Mora, 50, has spent the last two years as an analyst at the NFL Network and has spent the bulk of his coaching career in the NFL, including working as the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons. This will be his first college head coaching job.

The Los Angeles Times notes he hasn't worked at the collegiate level since 1984, when he was a graduate assistant at the University of Washington after playing for the Huskies.

Mora will take over for Rick Neuheisel, who was fired Nov. 28 after going 21-29 (6-7 this season) in four years. Offensive coordinator Mike Johnson will serve as the interim coach for the Bruins when they face Illinois at the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco on Dec. 31.

Mora went 26-22 with the Falcons from 2004-06, coaching in one NFC Championship Game in 2004, and 5-11 with the Seahawks in 2009, putting his NFL head coaching record at 31-33. Before getting the Atlanta job, he held assistant positions with the San Diego Chargers, the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints under his father Jim E. Mora.

RG3 wins Heisman

2011-12-10T22:36:00.001-10:00

Robert Griffin III beat out preseason favorite Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy, dazzling voters with his ability to throw, run and lead Big 12 doormat Baylor into the national rankings.

The junior quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor on Saturday night by a comfortable cushion over the Stanford star.

Griffin started the season on the fringe of the Heisman conversation, a talented and exciting player on a marginal team, while Luck was already being touted as a No. 1 NFL draft pick.

Draft day might very well still belong to Luck, but Griffin diverted the Heisman to Waco, Texas, to a school that has never had a player finish better than fourth in the voting — and that was 48 years ago.

Griffin received 405 first-place votes and 1,687 points. Luck received 247 first-place votes and 1,407 points to become the fourth player to be Heisman runner-up in consecutive seasons and first since Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in 2006 and '07.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was third with 138 first-place votes and 978 points. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball (348 points) was fourth and the other finalist, LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (327) was fifth.

how the plus-one could work

2011-12-10T17:58:00.003-10:00

The four bowls would rotate hosting a semifinal and the championship game. You need three sites each year to accomplish that (two semis, one title game).

The Rose Bowl would sit out its turn at the semifinals, preferring to instead host a traditional Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup on Jan. 1 every year. As they do now, they would “double-host” once every four years – the traditional Rose Bowl and the title game a week later. This is a plan the Rose itself expressed interest in during a meeting last summer between Big Ten and Pac-12 athletic directors, as first reported by the Seattle Times.

Here’s how it would look this season. All the other bowl games would continue as is; nothing would change there. But this would be your Jan. 2 schedule:

1:30 p.m.: Orange, No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Oklahoma State.
4:30 p.m.: Rose, Oregon vs. Wisconsin.
8:30 p.m.: Fiesta, No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Stanford.

Is that a day of football you might be interested in?

On Jan. 9, the winners of the Orange and Fiesta then would meet in the Sugar Bowl for the national title.

Next season, it would rotate. Since the Rose would be involved only once every four seasons, over a 12-year period the other three games would be left out of the Football Final Four just once each.

NBA news 12/11

2011-12-09T18:07:00.024-10:00

12/18/11 - Knicks to sign Baron Davis
12/17/11 - Jeff Green to miss season with aortic aneurism
12/16/11 - Jazz sign Josh Howard
12/15/11 - Jamal Crawford to sign with Portland
12/15/11 - Minnesota signs Bonzi Wells(!)
12/14/11 - J.J. Barea signs with Minnesota
12/14/11 - Cleveland uses amnesty clause on Baron Davis
12/14/11 - Rip Hamilton signs with Bulls
12/14/11 - Chris Paul traded to Clippers for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and a (presumably high) first round 2012 draft pick.
12/13/11 - Nene stays with Nuggets for $67 million
12/31/11 - Kwame Brown signs with Warriors for $7 million
12/13/11 - Rudy Fernandez and Corey Brewer traded to Nuggets for second round pick
12/12/11 - Vince Carter signs with Dallas
12/12/11 - Clippers match Warriors offer for DeAndre Jordan
12/12/11 - Raptors sign Anthony Carter
12/12/11 - Memphis to match offer sheet for Marc Gasol
12/12/11 - Clippers claim Chauncey Billups
12/11/11 - David West joining Pacers
12/10/11 Lakers (instead) trade Lamar Odom to Dallas
12/10/11 - Jimmermania begins
12/10/11 - Jeff Green re-signs with Celtics
12/10/11 - Jason Richardson agrees to stay with Orlando
12/10/11 - Tyson Chandler joins Knicks
12/9/11 - LaMarcus Aldridge to undergo heart procedure
12/9/11 - Greg Oden suffers another setback
12/9/11 - Brandon Roy to retire
12/9/11 - Orlando to use amnesty clause on Gilbert Arenas
12/9/11 - Caron Butler signs with Clippers
12/9/11 - Rip Hamilton to be bought out by Detroit
12/9/11 - Grant Hill re-signs with Phoenix
12/9/11 - Knicks use amnesty clause on Chauncey Billups (to sign Tyson Chandler)
12/9/11 - Vince Carter released by Suns
12/9/11 - Orlando makes Gilbert Arenas the first amnesty clause casualty
12/9/11 - Tyson Chandler signs with Knicks
12/8/11 - Mike Dunleavy to sign with Milwaukee
12/9/11 - Chris Paul untraded
12/8/11 - Chris Paul traded to Lakers
12/8/11 - Shane Battier joining Miami
12/8/11 - Tayshaun Prince re-signs with Pistons
12/8/11 - Tracy McGrady to sign with Hawks
12/8/11 - T.J. Ford to sign with Spurs
12/8/11 - Jason Kapono to sign with Lakers
12/7/11 - Spurs to use amnesty clause on Richard Jefferson

NBA free agents 2011

Chris Paul goes to L.A.!

2011-12-08T15:25:00.008-10:00

[12/08/11] The Los Angeles Lakers have reached an agreement to acquire All-Star point guard Chris Paul in a three-team trade that will cost them Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Lakers have finalized the trade with the New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets. The Lakers sent Gasol to the Rockets. The Hornets receive Odom, Rockets guards Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic and forward Luis Scola, league sources said.

Houston also agreed to send a 2012 first-round pick – previously obtained from the Knicks – to New Orleans as part of the package, a source said.

***

Not so fast.

NBA commissioner David Stern killed the New Orleans Hornets’ trade of Chris Paul after several owners complained about the league-owned team dealing the All-Star point guard to the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Some owners pushed Stern to nullify the trade and that the Hornets be made to keep Paul on the roster for the foreseeable future, sources said. A chorus of owners were irate with the belief that the five-month lockout had happened largely to stop big-market teams from leveraging small-market teams for star players pending free agency.

The trade between the Lakers, Hornets and Houston Rockets had been consummated late Thursday afternoon, about the same time the league’s owners and players were completing their vote to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement – an agreement that Stern had repeatedly said would help restore the NBA’s competitive balance. League owners had watched last season as some of the game’s biggest stars left for larger markets. LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, and Carmelo Anthony forced the Denver Nuggets to trade him to the New York Knicks.

Stern listened to enraged owners on Thursday insist this trade went against the entire reason the owners pushed for the lockout, that nothing had changed, and yet it was Stern who made the extraordinary decision to cancel the deal. Demps tried to talk him out of it, league officials said, but Stern was absolute in his desire to kill the trade.

Officials from New Orleans, Houston and Los Angeles were stunned Thursday night. The killed trade had ripple affects everywhere in free agency and potential trades, and literally pushed the market into paralysis on the even of training camps opening up.

“We were all told by the league he was a trade-able player, and now they’re saying that Dell doesn’t have the authority to make the trade?” said an NBA executive who had periodic talks with New Orleans throughout the process. “Now, they’re saying that Dell is an idiot, that he can’t do it his job. [Expletive] this whole thing. David’s drunk on power, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the players, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the hundreds of hours the teams put into make that deal.

“How do the Lakers explain this to Odom? How does Houston deal with the guys it just tried to trade? Scola and Martin are going to be pissed at them, and who knows how long that takes to get over? Explain to me how the league kills this Pau Gasol deal, but allows Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol?

“To me, this makes the league feel like it’s rigged, that Stern just does whatever Stern wants to do. He’s messed up the competitive balance of this league a lot worse by killing the deal, because you’ve completely destroyed the planning that New Orleans, Houston did and left them in shambles over this. I’ve never been so discouraged about this league, never so down.

“I mean, come on: Chris Paul is leaving New Orleans in 66 games. He’s gone. And what’s Dell Demps, and that franchise, going to have to show for it?”

***

NBA blocks trade to Clippers too.

*** [12/14/11]

The NBA has reached an agreement in principle to trade Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal that will pair star forward Blake Griffin with one of the game’s top point guards, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The league-owned New Orleans Hornets will receive guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ unprotected 2012 first-round pick in return for Paul.

As part of the deal, Paul has agreed to not opt out of his contract after this season – allowing the Clippers to keep him at least through the 2012-13 season.

The trade ends an embarrassing week-long drama that began when the Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets reached agreement on a three-team trade to send Paul to the Lakers only to have NBA commissioner David Stern veto the deal after rival team owners complained. The three teams tried to restructure the trade, but the Lakers eventually backed out when it was clear the league’s demands couldn’t be met.

*** press conference ***

Hawaii football coach search

2011-12-08T07:09:00.006-10:00

At least five former University of Hawaii football players reportedly have expressed interest in the Warriors' head coaching job.

The position was vacated when Greg McMackin reached a retirement agreement on Sunday.

UH interim head coach Rich Miano, Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper, Baylor associate head coach Brian Norwood, Baylor special teams coordinator/receivers coach Dino Babers and Georgia Tech receivers coach Buzz Preston have emerged as possible candidates, according to people familiar with the situation.

As of Wednesday, athletic director Jim Donovan received about a dozen telephone calls and a dozen emails from potential applicants. It is not known how many inquiries were made to the school's human resources department.

Jerry Glanville, a former UH defensive coordinator who was head coach of the NFL's Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons, said he has applied.

"I love the people and the state," Glanville said.

Earlier this year, Glanville was named head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. But the Colonials folded before the 2011 season started.

A family member said Texas assistant coach Duane Akina, a Punahou School graduate, is interested in applying.

Utah offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who has run offenses in the NFL and elite college programs, reportedly is interested. Chow, who was raised in Hawaii, did not return messages left on his cell phone.

Oregon State line coach Mike Cavanaugh, who was an assistant coach at UH, was in Hawaii Tuesday after a recruiting trip to American Samoa. Asked if he would be a candidate, Cavanaugh, who has already returned to Oregon, said, "I have two words: ‘No comment.' "

Jasper was a UH quarterback and graduate assistant. After a stint at Georgia Southern, he has been at the Naval Academy for 12 years — the past 10 as quarterbacks coach, including the past four as offensive coordinator.

"He's more than ready to be a head coach," said Navy head coach Kenny Niumatalolo, a former UH quarterback and coach.

Norwood, a Radford High graduate and former UH defensive back, is finishing his fourth season at Baylor. He was the Bears' defensive coordinator for three years before being promoted to associate head coach.

Babers, a former UH linebacker and running back, was assistant head coach at UCLA and offensive coordinator at Arizona and Texas A&M before joining Baylor.

Preston, a former UH receiver, works under Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson, a former UH offensive coordinator.

Preston, a former UH receiver, works under Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson, a former UH offensive coordinator.

Hawaii News Now video: UH search committee formed to find new head coach

***

Three more coaching candidates: Mark Banker, George Rush, George Lumpkin

***

Kenny Niumatalolo heads Dave Reardon's fantasy football staff

Albert Pujols $250 million

2011-12-08T07:05:00.003-10:00

Three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols has agreed to a 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels worth about $250 million to $260 million, [it's $254 million] a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced.

Pujols led the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title this fall — his second with the team. He had been pursued by the Miami Marlins, but they dropped out Wednesday after agreeing to a deal with Mark Buehrle.

The Cardinals exercised a $16 million option on Pujols' contract after last season. The slugger rejected a multiyear extension that included a small percentage of the franchise over the winter and cut off negotiations on the first day of spring training.

Pujols' numbers in nearly every major offensive category are on a three-year decline, but he remains among the game's elite players. He hit 37 home runs last season, running his 30-homer streak to 11 years, and batted .299 with 99 RBIs. He led the Cardinals' improbable late-season surge and became only the third player to hit three home runs in a World Series game.

June Jones leaving SMU ... NOT!

2011-12-08T01:15:00.003-10:00

June Jones going/not going to Arizona State.

Well, that's awkward. Now what?

Jones needs to pony up.

Wha' happened?

The Big East expands

2011-12-07T14:24:00.002-10:00

(to the West and South)

The Big East introduced Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, SMU and Central Florida as its new members, effective 2013.

Commissioner John Marinatto says the Big East is the "first truly national college football conference."

The Big East, depleted by the planned departures of Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, is trying to rebuild as a 12-team football conference with a western division.

Boise State President Bob Kustra said his school was "proud to be aboard."

Boise State and San Diego State, which currently play in the Mountain West Conference, will join the Big East only for football. Houston, SMU and UCF will be leaving Conference USA and joining the Big East in all sports.

The Big East has been trying to rebuild as a 12-school football conference since Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced they would be moving to the ACC and West Virginia announced it was leaving for the Big 12. TCU also reneged on a commitment to join the Big East and instead accepted an invite to the Big 12.

The Big East has also been pursuing Navy and Air Force as football-only members, but the military academies are not yet ready to commit to the conference, a source said.

While the Big East is finally about to expand, it's still very much a league in flux.

CBSSports.com reported Boise State will place its other sports teams in the Western Athletic Conference, a league it left after last season, and that San Diego State's other teams will compete in the Big West.

The Big East eventually wants to have two divisions of six teams and be able to hold a conference title game.

The grand plan is to have Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, SMU and possibly current member Louisville in the west division. The east division would have current members South Florida, Rutgers, Connecticut and Cincinnati, along with UCF.

The Big East is hoping that Air Force can round on the west and Navy the east. But, for now, that's still just a plan.

The Big East pursued BYU as a western partner for Boise State, but when those talks fell through because of BYU's desire to hold the TV rights to its home games, the league directed its attention to San Diego State.

San Diego is 3,067 miles away from the Big East office in Providence, R.I.

McMackin "retires" after 4 seasons

2011-12-05T15:19:00.017-10:00

University of Hawaii coach Greg McMackin retired today, ending a four-year career at the helm of the Warriors football program.

McMackin had one season left on a five-year deal worth $1.1 million annually. As part of the agreement, McMackin accepted a buyout for $600,000. The university will begin a national search for McMackin's replacement immediately. UH assistant coach Rich Miano will serve as interim head coach.

A press conference is scheduled for this afternoon after McMackin meets with his coaches and players. He met for more than an hour Sunday night with UH-Manoa chancellor Virginia Hinshaw and athletic director Jim Donovan just after the team's annual awards banquet at the Sheraton Waikiki. None of the three would comment after the impromptu session broke up.

In his four years as head coach, McMackin had a 29-25 record, taking Hawaii to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl twice, losing both to Notre Dame and Tulsa. The Warriors needed a victory Saturday against Brigham Young to be eligible for the Christmas Eve bowl, but lost to the Cougars 41-20.

McMackin also served two years as former UH head coach June Jones' defensive coordinator. The first time in 1999, Hawaii went to the Oahu Bowl. The second time in 2007, the Warriors went to the Sugar Bowl.

All nine assistant coaches are on one-year contracts that expire March 31.

***

The infamous bleacherreport interview with David Graves (who reportedly, according to Bobby Curran, was being recorded without him knowing it).

Pat Hill fired after 15 seasons

2011-12-05T04:07:00.004-10:00

Fresno State fired coach Pat Hill on Sunday, a day after the Bulldogs matched a school record for losses in the final game of his 15th season.

Hill built a reputation at Fresno State as a giant killer with the mantra of playing anybody, anywhere, anytime. But in recent years, the Bulldogs struggled both in conference play and in meetings against major teams and fans stopped packing Bulldog Stadium.

"We've been evaluating data after each season for the last several years and we saw a trend that was not reflective of us being able to pursue the goal of a conference championship," Athletic Director Thomas Boeh said. "And our community was not responding any longer to the record that we had."

Boeh said that over the last six years there has been a 42 percent decline in season ticket sales and a 25 percent drop in ticket revenue.

The Bulldogs finished this season 4-9 after a 35-28 loss at San Diego State on Saturday, losing five of their final six games. Hill had two years remaining on his contract.

The Bulldogs made their mark in 2001 when they started the season 6-0 behind quarterback David Carr, with wins over eventual Big 12 champion Colorado, as well as nationally ranked Oregon State and Wisconsin, while rising to No. 8 in The Associated Press poll.

Fresno State then lost 35-30 to Boise State, ending its hopes of being the first team from outside the major six conferences to crash the Bowl Championship Series. Hill could never compete with the Broncos, going 1-10 in his career against Boise State and getting outscored 220-51 in the last four meetings.

The only win against the Broncos came in 2005 when the Bulldogs once again moved up the national rankings to No. 16 heading into a showdown with then-No. 1 Southern California. Fresno State nearly ended USC's 32-game winning streak before falling 50-42.

From that loss to the end of his tenure, Hill had a 40-41 record. He finished his career at Fresno State with a 112-80 mark and went to 11 bowl games.

"Pat was very professional," Boeh said. "He understands this industry, he understands how this works and he was as good as one can be under those circumstances. He's put a lot of hard work into this program over the past 15 years, and we thank coach Hill for everything he's done."

deal!

2011-11-26T01:57:00.003-10:00

NBA owners and players reached a tentative agreement early Saturday to end the 149-day lockout and hope to begin the delayed season on Christmas Day.

Neither side provided many specifics but said the only words players and fans wanted to hear.

"We want to play basketball," Commissioner David Stern said.

After a secret meeting earlier this week, the sides met for more than 15 hours Friday, working to try to save the season. This handshake deal, however, still must be ratified by both owners and players.

Stern said it was "subject to a variety of approvals and very complex machinations, but we're optimistic that will all come to pass and that the NBA season will begin Dec. 25."

Barring a change in scheduling, the 2011-12 season will open with the Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, followed by Miami at Dallas in an NBA finals rematch before MVP Derrick Rose and Chicago close the tripleheader against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

The league plans a 66-game season and aims to open training camps Dec. 9, with free agency opening at the same time. Stern has said it would take about 30 days from an agreement to playing the first game.

"All I feel right now is `finally,"' Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade told The Associated Press.

A majority on each side is needed to approve the agreement. The NBA needs votes from 15 of 29 owners. (The league owns the New Orleans Hornets.) Stern said the labor committee plans to discuss the agreement later Saturday and expects them to endorse it and recommend to the full board.

The union needs a simple majority of its 430-plus members. That process is a bit more complicated after the players dissolved the union Nov. 14. Now, they must drop their antitrust lawsuit in Minnesota and reform the union before voting on the deal.

Because the union disbanded, a new collective bargaining agreement can only be completed once the union has reformed. Drug testing and other issues still must be negotiated between the league and the players.

"We're very pleased we've come this far," Stern said. "There's still a lot of work to be done."

[12/8/11] NBA basketball is back, and Commissioner David Stern insists better than before.

Maybe it won’t be noticed right away, but Stern said the “tortured journey” of this 161-day lockout will prove to be worth it.

Stern announced that owners and players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday, the final step to ending the five-month lockout and paving the way for training camps and free agency to open Friday.

Together with an expanded revenue sharing program, Stern said teams and fans will see an improved league in coming years.

“It’s a new beginning in a way,” he said. “It’s going to take a couple of years to work its way out, but we’re very excited about its prospects.”

The 10-year deal promises owners savings of perhaps a quarter billion dollars a year but largely leaves intact the soft salary cap system that the players fought hard to maintain.

Stern and Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver announced the deal during a press conference, putting an end to nearly two years of difficult negotiations that resulted in the second shortened season in NBA history. A 66-game schedule will begin on Christmas and run through April 26, forcing every team to play on three straight nights at least once.

Owners approved the deal, which allows either side to opt out after six years, by a 25-5 vote. The players’ association said 86 percent of the more than 200 players who voted electronically approved the deal.

Justin Verlander MVP

2011-11-21T16:45:00.002-10:00

NEW YORK (AP)—Justin Verlander(notes) figured time had run out on his chance to become the first starting pitcher in a quarter-century to be voted Most Valuable Player.

Last Tuesday, he found out about 12:40 p.m. that he was a unanimous winner of the AL Cy Young Award. It was closing in on 1 p.m. Monday, and he still hadn’t gotten word on the MVP.

“I had told myself that it wasn’t going to happen,” he said. “I figured somebody else got the call.”

Not to worry, there was just a slight delay because Verlander didn’t give the Baseball Writers’ Association of America his telephone number, forcing the BBWAA to relay the news through Brian Britten, the Detroit Tigers’ director of media relations.

Britten telephoned Verlander at 12:56 p.m., about one hour before the announcement.

“It was just a weight off my shoulders,” Verlander said, “and pure elation, really.”

After winning the AL’s pitching triple crown by going 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts, Verlander received 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points. He became the first pitcher voted MVP since Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and the first starting pitcher since Boston’s Roger Clemens in 1986.

“Obviously pitchers are not just written off all of a sudden because they’re pitchers,” Verlander said.

Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury(notes) was second with four firsts and 242 points, followed by Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista(notes) with five firsts and 231 points, Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson(notes) with 215 and Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera(notes) with 193.

Recent history has been against pitchers. Since Eckersley’s win, only once had a pitcher finished as high as second.

In 1999, Boston’s Pedro Martinez(notes) was 13 points behind Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez(notes) after going 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts. Martinez had eight first-place votes to seven for Rodriguez, but La Velle Neal of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and George King of the New York Post left Martinez off their ballots.

NBA players to decertify union, season in jeopardy

2011-11-14T12:34:00.006-10:00

NEW YORK (AP)—NBA players rejected the league’s latest offer Monday and began disbanding the union, likely jeopardizing the season.

“We’re prepared to file this antitrust action against the NBA,” union executive director Billy Hunter said. “That’s the best situation where players can get their due process.”

And that’s a tragedy as far as NBA Commissioner David Stern is concerned.

“It looks like the 2011-12 season is really in jeopardy,” Stern said in an interview aired on ESPN. “It’s just a big charade. To do it now, the union is ratcheting up I guess to see if they can scare the NBA owners or something. That’s not happening.”

Hunter said players were not prepared to agree to Stern’s ultimatum to accept the current proposal or face a worse one, saying they thought it was “extremely unfair.” And they’re aware what this battle might cost them.

“We understand the consequences of potentially missing the season; we understand the consequences that players could potentially face if things don’t go our way, but it’s a risk worth taking,” union vice president Maurice Evans(notes) said. “It’s the right move to do.”

But it’s risky. The league already has filed a pre-emptive lawsuit seeking to prove the lockout is legal and contends that without a union that collectively bargained them, the players’ guaranteed contracts could legally be voided.

During oral arguments on Nov. 2, the NBA asked U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe to decide the legality of its lockout, but he was reluctant to wade into the league’s labor mess. Gardephe has yet to issue a ruling.

Stern, who is a lawyer, had urged players to take the deal on the table, saying it’s the best the NBA could offer and advised that decertification is not a winning strategy.

Players ignored that warning, choosing instead to dissolve its union, giving them a chance to win several billion dollars in triple damages in an antitrust lawsuit.

“This is the best decision for the players,” union president Derek Fisher(notes) said. “I want to reiterate that point, that a lot of individual players have a lot of things personally at stake in terms of their careers and where they stand. And right now they feel it’s important—we all feel it’s important to all our players, not just the ones in this room, but our entire group—that we not only try to get a deal done for today but for the body of NBA players that will come into this league over the next decade and beyond.”

Fisher, flanked at a press conference by dozens of players including Kobe Bryant(notes) and Carmelo Anthony(notes), said the decision was unanimous. But there were surely players throughout the league who would have preferred union leadership put the proposal to a vote of the full membership instead.

Hunter said the NBPA was in the process of converting to a trade association and that all players will be represented in a class-action suit against the NBA by attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and David Boies—who were on opposite sides of the NFL labor dispute, Kessler working for the players, Boise for the league.

“The fact that the two biggest legal adversaries in the NFL players dispute over the NFL lockout both agree that the NBA lockout is now illegal and subject to triple damages speaks for itself,” Kessler said in an email to The Associated Press. “I am delighted to work together with David Boies on behalf of the NBA players.”

Stern was not impressed with his legal adversaries.

“Mr. Kessler got his way, and we’re about to go into the nuclear winter of the NBA,” he told ESPN. “If I were a player … I would be wondering what it is that Billy Hunter just did.”

The sides still can negotiate during the legal process, so players didn’t want to write off the season just yet.

“I don’t want to make any assumptions,” union VP Keyon Dooling(notes) said. “I believe we’ll continue to try to get a deal done or let this process play out. I don’t know what to expect from this process.”

Hunter said the NBPA’s “notice of disclaimer” was filed with Stern’s office about an hour before the news conference announcing the move.

Hunter said the bargaining process had “completely broken down.” Players and owners have been talking for some two years but couldn’t reach a deal, with players feeling the league’s desires to improve competitive balance would hurt their free agency options.

And beyond that, the owners’ desire for a 50-50 split of basketball-related income, after players were guaranteed 57 percent under the old deal, meant players were shifting at least $280 million per year to the owners.

“This deal could have been done. It should have been done,” Hunter said. “We’ve given and given and given, and they got to the place where they just reached for too much and the players decided to push back.”

Over the weekend, Stern said he would not cancel the season this week.

Regardless, damage already has been done, in many ways.

Financially, both sides have lost hundreds of millions because of the games missed and the countless more that will be wiped out before play resumes. Team employees are losing money, and in some cases, jobs. And both the NBA and NBPA eventually must regain the loyalty of an angered fan base that wonders how the league reached this low point after such a strong 2010-11 season.

***

NBA Labor Central

An interview with Kevin Murphy

Predicting Hawaii's 2011 season

2011-11-14T07:26:00.006-10:00

Here’s how Bobby Curran sees the UH football season playing out:

Sept. 3: UH 31, Colorado 24 Both teams will have opening night jitters, but UH has the 5,000-yard passer, a veteran coaching staff and more impact players on defense. [34-17, 1-0, 1-0]

Sept. 10: UW 27, UH 20 It’s hard to play in Husky Stadium, the Dogs return 15 starters including eight on defense and three of four in the secondary. If UH can pull an upset here, it could mean that Hawaii fans are in for an extra special year. They have to win the turnover battle in this one. [32-40, 1-1, 2-0]

Sept. 17: UH 56, UNLV 10 The Rebels don’t have much this year and Hawaii treats this like a home game. It will only be close for a quarter. [20-40, 1-2, 2-1]

Sept. 24: UH 45, UC Davis 14 Davis, physically overmatched, will need to maintain their composure to keep this respectable. [56-14, 2-2, 3-1]

Oct. 1: La Tech 28, UH 24 I’ve been worried about this game since the schedule came out. The Bulldogs are always athletic and give Hawaii headaches in Ruston. Lennon Creer is big, strong and fast and the best running back at La Tech since Ryan Moats. [44-26, 3-2, 3-2]

Oct 14: UH 45, San Jose State 20 The Spartans should at least double their win total this year that’s not saying much since they went 1-12 last year. The good news is they have all 11 starters starters back on defense. The bad news is they were horrible on defense. [27-28, 3-3, 3-3]

Oct. 22: UH 51, New Mexico State 10 Hawaii is way too much for these Aggies, who have never won in the 50th state. Tough homecoming for Andrew Manley. [45-34, 4-3, 4-3]

Oct. 29: UH 38, Idaho 17 The Vandals are rebuilding and will be challenged on offense with only four starters returning. A winning record would be a major accomplishment for Robb Akey this year. [16-14, 5-3, 5-3]

Nov. 5: UH 31, Utah State 14 The Aggies have nine starters back on offense but none of them are QB Diondre Borel. RB Robert Turbin is a load. [31-35, 5-4, 5-4]

Nov. 12: UH 28, Nevada 24 Reno is a tough place to play, but I like Hawaii here. Nevada loses too many good players and there is no reasonable facsimile of Colin Kaeprenick. [28-42, 5-5, 5-5]

Nov. 19: UH, 35 Fresno State 24 Hawaii seems to have the Bulldogs’ number of late, winning four of five and scoring lots of points. Hawaii scores quickly and Fresno State has trouble in a track meet.

Nov. 26: UH 41, Tulane 24 The Warriors owe the Green Wave one after a bitter bowl defeat in 2002. UH should be fine here if they don’t get caught looking ahead. Tulane struggles against good passing teams.

Dec. 3: UH 49, BYU 45 This should be fun. BYU has 10 starters back on offense and will score points. They have only five starters back on defense and should give up points. It might come down to who has the ball last. The game should be a sellout, and the home crowd will put Hawaii over the top.

There you have it: 11-2 and a trip to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. SMU vs. Hawaii, anyone?

NBA looks to the NHL

2011-11-14T07:21:00.003-10:00

The league that James Naismith gave birth to is a second-tier member of the U.S. Big Four. Football obviously rules the roost and Major League Baseball still pulls in 50 million in attendance in tough economic times. The NBA is now on par with the National Hockey League in terms of attendance, and owners are looking at that league, and not the NFL, as a source of economic inspiration.

In 2005 the NHL adopted a scorched earth policy that cost the struggling league an entire season and forced it from its cozy ESPN contract and onto Versus, more commonly known as the what-channel-is-that-on? network. It was a desperate move for a league that was too big and whose Third World distribution of wealth put the NHL on the verge of economic collapse. Ratings and attendance suffered upon its return, but what emerged was a league finally able to operate within its means. The players are still handsomely rewarded, though not as much as before, and the salary cap created competitive parity, which generated greater fan interest and a firmer financial footing for the owners.

Six of those NHL owners own NBA teams, and their experience is pushing the current negotiations.

The league claims 22 of the 30 teams lost money. Faced with similar inequalities, the NHL managed to overcome the disparity by establishing a more equitable split of revenue between players and owners, and by instituting a salary cap. The NBA’s “flex cap” has been a disaster and has only created more wealth for the already wealthy. It needs to be hardened. The current 57-43 revenue split between players and owners has not kept up with rising player salaries and a more equal split is necessary.

Both sides have dug in and each is waiting for the other to blink. That is not going to happen anytime soon, but with a successful example at the ready, the question is will the NBA follow the NHL over the cliff before it realizes Gary Bettman actually got this one right.

Top 10 2012 NBA prospects

2011-11-11T07:21:00.003-10:00

Harrison Barnes will draw much of the attention when top-ranked North Carolina makes its season debut against Michigan State atop the USS Vinson on Friday night. The sophomore swingman is arguably the top player in college basketball and a preseason All-America selection for the second straight year.

But do NBA scouts adore Barnes just as much? Or, is their focus on a couple of freshmen big men in Connecticut’s Andre Drummond and Kentucky’s Anthony Davis?

The consensus is that Barnes, Drummond and Davis are the top three prospects right now with the order varying, depending on the scout who’s ranking them. With the college basketball season starting, NBA talent evaluators will be busy assessing what a longtime scout described as potentially one of the deepest drafts in the past 10 years.

“Since a lot of guys stayed in school [after last season], this is a very, very strong draft,” the scout said. “There will be guys selected [from Nos.] 15-25 that can come in and be contributors right away. Next year will be a very, very strong and deep draft.”

Here’s Yahoo! Sports’ top 10 college NBA draft prospects:

1. Andre Drummond, Connecticut, C, Fresh., 6-11, 251 pounds – Scout’s comment: “He’s the first legitimate center prospect since Greg Oden(notes). He’s got the physical tools of an everyday center in our league. Haven’t seen him a whole lot, but he’s big, raw and physical. You have to take him first.”

2. Anthony Davis, Kentucky, PF, Fresh., 6-10, 220 pounds – Scout’s comment: “He was intriguing because he was a shooting guard for most of his high school career before he blew up to his height. His versatility at his size stands out. He continues to get better and better.”

3. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, G-F, Soph., 6-8, 210 pounds – Scout’s comment: “He is the most prolific scorer in the draft and can be a big scorer in the NBA. But can you be instrumental on just one end of the floor? What can he do to make a team better? He deserves an argument for No. 1, but you always pick size.”

4. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, PF, Soph., 6-8, 250 pounds – Scout’s comment: “The only thing you can question about him is weight and lack of athleticism. He has to prove consistently that length won’t bother him. Undersized guys have to prove that. But he’s physical, he knows how to use his body. A thoughtful post player who knows his limitations and makes up for them.”

5. Perry Jones, Baylor, PF, Soph., 6-11, 220 pounds – Scout’s comment: “He has the potential to be better than everyone ahead of him on this list. However, the term I won’t use with him is ‘aggressive.’ He’s content on being a perimeter guy instead of more versatile with his back to the basket. Guys like that are often saying, ‘I’m so gifted I will do what I want instead of taking advantage of mismatches.’ ”

6. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, SF-PF, Soph., 6-8, 244 pounds – Scout’s comment: “Versatile. Can really handle the ball for a guy his size with good vision. He can get to spots he wants with the ball because of his skill set. Big men won’t want to guard him on the perimeter. He has the mentality to post smaller players and take bigger players on the perimeter.”

7. Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut, SG, Soph., 6-5, 185 pounds – Scout’s comment: “He really came on late last season. The reason why they won it last year was because he was the second option and took pressure off Kemba Walker(notes). He played the role of Robin real well. But can he play the role of Batman? They need a guy to be Batman this year. We’ll see.”

8. Tyler Zeller, North Carolina, PF-C, 6-11, 240 pounds – Scout’s comment: “He’s the most skilled big man in the country. He’s a better athlete than given credit for. He’s coachable and comes from an elite program, so pressure is nothing. He’s experienced and will be a guy who can play in the league for 10 to 12 years. Haven’t seen him back down to anyone.”

9. Marquis Teague, Kentucky, PG, 6-2, 189 pounds – Scout’s comment: “They say he’s better than his brother [Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague(notes)] right now. He knows the game. He understands when to score and set people up. He has pretty good size for a young guy. He’s a big point guard. He won championships in high school so he’s a winner.”

10. John Henson, North Carolina, PF, 6-10, 205 pounds – Scout’s comment: “I love his versatility. It’s taken him a while to really get used to his body. He was gangly and awkward. I love his defense. He’s a decent rebounder. They are trying to make him a wing, but he doesn’t have the skill set.”

Honorable Mention: Vanderbilt C Festus Ezeli (Sr.); Kentucky G Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Fr.); Vanderbilt SG John Jenkins (Jr.); North Carolina F James McAdoo (Fr.); Baylor SF Quincy Miller (Fr.); Duke SG Austin Rivers (Fr.); Kansas SF-PF Thomas Robinson (Jr.).

best nba undergraduates

2011-11-09T12:54:00.008-10:00

Still waiting for the lockout to end, so I have to be satisfied with articles like this rating the NBA's best rookies, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

In summary,

The five best seniors are (in reverse order): Eric Gordon, Marc Gasol, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose.

Juniors: Ty Lawson, Serge Ibaka, James Harden, Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry

Sophomores: Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, John Wall, Blake Griffin

Freshmen: ?, ?, ?, Derrick Williams, Kyrie Irving

??? Not sure who third, fourth, five place freshman are. Tristan Thompson was voted first by one writer, but wasn't even mentioned by the other four. So give him 5 points. Enes Kanter had 1 second place vote and 1 third place vote. So give him 7 points. Bismack Biyombo had 1 second place vote and 1 fourth place votes. 6 points. Kemba Walker has 1 third place vote, and 2 fifth place votes. So that's 5 points. But Walker is the only other player besides Irving and Williams to be chosen by three writers. Lemme make a table.

                  5  4  3  2  1  points
Kyrie Irving         1  1  1  2    19
Derrick Williams  1        1  2    15
Enes Kanter             1  1        7
Bismack Biyombo      1     1        6
Kemba Walker      2     1           5
Tristan Thompson              1     5
Kawhi Leonard     1     1           4
Ricky Rubio                1        4
Alec Burks              1           3
Jan Vaseley          1              2
Kenneth Faried       1              2
Marcus Morris        1              2
Iman Shumpert     1                 1

Joe Paterno fired

2011-11-09T09:14:00.007-10:00

Joe Paterno, the Penn State football coach who preached success with honor for half a century but whose legend was shattered by a child sex abuse scandal, said Wednesday he will retire at the end of this season.

Paterno said he was “absolutely devastated” by the case, in which his onetime heir apparent, Jerry Sandusky, has been charged with molesting eight boys in 15 years, including at the Penn State football complex.

He said he hoped the team could finish its season with “dignity and determination.”

The 84-year-old Paterno has been engulfed by outrage that he did not take more action after a graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, came to him in 2002 and reported seeing Sandusky in the Penn State showers with a 10-year-old boy. Paterno notified the athletic director, Tim Curley, and a vice president, Gary Schultz.

Curley and Schultz have since been charged with failing to report the incident to the authorities. Paterno hasn’t been accused of legal wrongdoing. But he has been assailed, in what the state police commissioner called a lapse of “moral responsibility,” for not doing more to stop Sandusky.

“This is a tragedy,” Paterno said in a statement. “It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”

***

Penn State trustees fired football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier amid the growing furor over how the school handled sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach.

The massive shakeup Wednesday night came hours after Paterno announced that he planned to retire at the end of his 46th season.

But the outcry following the arrest of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky on molestation charges proved too much for the board to ignore.

Speaking at his house to a couple of dozen students, Paterno said, “Right now, I’m not the football coach. And I’ve got to get used to that. After 61 years, I’ve got to get used to it. I appreciate it. Let me think it through.”

He shook hands with many of the students, some of whom were crying.

Other students were upset. A large crowd descended on the administration building, shouting “We want Joe back!” then headed to Beaver Stadium.

***

[1/6/12] STATE COLLEGE, Pa. >> New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien will be Penn State's first new head football coach in nearly a half-century, according to multiple reports.

ESPN, citing unnamed sources, first reported Thursday night that an official announcement would be made Saturday, and that O'Brien would continue as an assistant with the Patriots the rest of the postseason.

O'Brien has no apparent ties to Penn State, which has rocked by a scandal that also led to the departure of school President Graham Spanier.

***

Paterno speaks

Joe Frazier

2011-11-07T19:19:00.002-10:00

Joe Frazier, the heavyweight boxing champion who in 1971 became the first fighter to defeat Muhammad Ali, then lost two epic rematches including a ferocious battle known as the "Thrilla in Manila," died Monday night. He was 67.

Smokin' Joe, as he was known, died in Philadelphia, said his manager, Leslie Wolff. He had liver cancer.

It was a golden age of heavyweight boxing in the 1970s, when fight fans filled massive arenas and boosted the sport's television ratings to watch the likes of Ali and Frazier and George Foreman, Jerry Quarry and Ken Norton.

In his 37 professional fights, Frazier won 32 times — 27 by knockout — and lost only four, with one draw. But he never really accepted his 1-2 record against Ali.

"I whupped him three times," Frazier said many times over the years.

They met for the first time on March 8, 1971, in New York's Madison Square Garden, with each fighter guaranteed $2.5 million. Ali, then 31-0, had been stripped of his heavyweight titles when, as Cassius Clay, he refused to be inducted into the military after being drafted for the Vietnam War. Frazier, at 26-0, had captured the title of undisputed heavyweight champion in 1970 with a technical knockout of Jimmy Ellis.

It was a brutal battle, rated by many as the "fight of the century" and considered the best boxing match of all time at any weight. When Frazier knocked Ali down in the 15th and final round and won on points, both received rave reviews for their performances. Both also went immediately to the hospital.

Before they could be paired again in the ring, Frazier defended his title four times, most notably on Jan. 22, 1973, against Foreman in Kingston, Jamaica.

Even the burly, fearsome-looking Foreman, who was 4 inches taller, admitted that the thought of getting into the ring with the brawling fireplug Frazier frightened him.

"Every time he swung at me," Foreman said, "it scared five years out of my life."

Nevertheless, in the second round, Foreman caught Frazier with a right uppercut that sent the fighter from Philadelphia to the canvas.

Sitting ringside for the boxing telecast was announcer Howard Cosell, by now internationally known for his boisterous and opinionated broadcast style. When Frazier, the champion, hit the deck, Cosell stole the moment and the show with his dramatic bellowing of the call:

"DOWN GOES FRAZIER! DOWN GOES FRAZIER! DOWN GOES FRAZIER!"

It was as if he was calling an airplane crash rather than a boxing match. It not only stuck with Frazier, who got to his feet too late to avoid being counted out, but it is a mocking call to this day among boxing fans for all such spectacular knockdowns.

After Foreman took Frazier's title away, Frazier fought Ali twice more, losing in a more subdued battle in the Garden in 1974, when Ali kept Frazier away more effectively with holding and clinching, and a year later, after Ali had gotten his title back by beating Foreman in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo).

It was for this third match, on Oct. 1, 1975, in Quezon City, the Philippines, that Ali predicted he would have an easy time with Frazier. In the pre-fight promotions for what was dubbed the "Thrilla in Manila," Ali called Frazier an "Uncle Tom" and a "gorilla" and repeatedly ridiculed him. The fight was anything but easy, and Ali later likened it to being "the closest thing to dying." By the 14th round, both having hit and been hit too many times to count, Frazier's eyes were nearly swollen shut and he couldn't see Ali's punches, even though he had stood in and flailed away for several rounds right through his near-blindness.

Finally, after the 14th round, his veteran trainer, Eddie Futch, over loud protests from Frazier, threw in the towel to end the fight.

"Sit down, son," Futch told Frazier. "It's all over. Nobody will ever forget what you did here today."

Frazier and Ali had fought 41 rounds and served up a boxing trilogy for the ages.

Case Keenum

2011-11-05T15:48:00.004-10:00

[10/27/11] HOUSTON -- Houston quarterback Case Keenum has set the Football Bowl Subdivision record for career touchdown passes.

Keenum Breaks FBS Record

With his nine touchdown passes against Rice Thursday night, Houston quarterback Case Keenum passed Graham Harrell for the most career touchdown passes in FBS history.

Player TD passes School
Case Keenum* 139 Houston (07-11)
Graham Harrell 134 Texas Tech (05-08)
Colt Brennan 131 Hawaii (05-07)
Kellen Moore* 123 Boise State (08-11)
Ty Detmer 121 BYU (88-91)
*Active
-- ESPN Stats & Information

Keenum entered Thursday's game with 130 and found Charles Sims on a 41-yard pass in the third quarter for his 135th touchdown to set the record and put Houston (No. 17 BCS, No. 18 AP) ahead of Rice 45-20.

He hit Patrick Edwards on a 57-yard pass for his first touchdown at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter Tyron Carrier caught one for 21 yards and Edwards grabbed the third one for 64 yards. Justin Johnson's 18-yard reception just before halftime tied the record.

Keenum, who became the FBS career leader in total offense last week, moved ahead of former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell for the record for TD passes.

*** [11/5/11]

Case Keenum's season just keeps getting better.

A near-perfect passing game, another NCAA record and the first 9-0 start in school history are the latest entries on the senior's season of milestones.

"I'm having a blast playing football right now," Keenum said after he threw for 407 yards to become the most prolific passer in NCAA history and lead Houston (No. 13 BCS, No. 14 AP) past UAB 56-13 on Saturday night.

Keenum Breaks NCAA Passing Record

Houston quarterback Case Keenum passed Timmy Chang on Saturday to set the NCAA record for most career passing yards.

NCAA Career Passing Leaders
Player School Yards
Case Keenum* Houston 17,212
Timmy Chang Hawaii 17,072
Graham Harrell Texas Tech 15,793
Ty Detmer BYU 15,031
*Active
-- ESPN Stats & Information

Keenum, a sixth-year senior who was granted an extra year of eligibility after a knee injury last season, passed Timmy Chang's career record of 17,072 yards passing for Hawaii from 2000-04. Keenum finished the game with 17,212 yards passing.

"It has been a very special season and we still have a lot of special things out in front of us," said Keenum, who had his first two rushing touchdowns of the season.

Houston (9-0 overall, 5-0 Conference USA) has won its first nine games for the first time in school history. It also was 8-0 in 1979 and 1990.

Keenum completed 39 of 44 passes with two touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks. The senior completed a 16-yard pass to Justin Johnson in the third quarter to pass Chang's mark. Keenum tied Chang's record with a 26-yard pass to Johnson on the previous play.

"I don't take any of these things lightly, and I know for a fact that this is a very special honor," Keenum said. "I'm not going to fully enjoy it and celebrate it until after the season. Hopefully, I will have a lot more to celebrate after the season than just the records."

Keenum, who threw nine TD passes against Rice last week, completed his first 11 passes against UAB (1-8, 1-5). He began the night 267 yards away from matching Chang's mark.

The quarterback, being pushed by Houston for Heisman Trophy consideration, extended his NCAA career records for TD passes (141) and total offense (18,101). He has passed for more than 400 yards in five games this season. He has passed for 34 touchdowns with only three interceptions.

The NBA Players on Yahoo's database

2011-11-01T22:47:00.024-10:00

With the start of the season supposed to be today, I'm missing keeping track of my teams stats every day. So instead I decided to see who's hiding in the list of Yahoo players, starting with no. 1..

1 - Alaa Abdelnaby
2 - Mark Acres
3 - Michael Adams
4 - Mark Aguirre
5 - Danny Ainge

Already some interesting names. This could go on a while.

[11/5/11]

6 - Mark Alarie
7 - Steve Alford
8 - Greg Anderson
9 - Nick Anderson
10 - Ron Anderson

Yep, this could take a while. Let me look up some notable names instead, starting with the Dream Team

20 - Charles Barkley
89 - Clyde Drexler
27 - Larry Bird
106 - Patrick Ewing
170 - Magic Johnson
175 - Michael Jordan
837 - Christian Laettner
213 - Karl Malone
238 - Chris Mullin
268 - Scottie Pippen
288 - David Robinson
326 - John Stockton

And a few more..

143 - Tim Hardaway
163 - Mark Jackson
191 - Bill Laimbeer
214 - Moses Malone
226 - Kevin McHale
231 - Reggie Miller
235 - Sidney Moncrief
250 - Hakeem Olajuwon
256 - Robert Parish
265 - Drazen Petrovic
283 - Mitch Richmond
291 - Dennis Rodman
295 - Ralph Sampson
303 - Dennis Scott
316 - Kenny Smith
435 - Steve Smith
333 - Isiah Thomas
366 - Dominique Wilkins
387 - James Worthy

And a few more recent/current players (OK, more than a few)

847 - Shaquille O'Neal (1992)
845 - Alonzo Mourning
1272 - Chris Webber (1993)
1273 - Shawn Bradley
1274 - Penny Hardaway
2624 - Glenn Robinson (1994)
2625 - Jason Kidd
2626 - Grant Hill
3003 - Joe Smith (1995)
3004 - Antonio McDyess
3005 - Jerry Stackhouse
3007 - Kevin Garnett
3094 - Allen Iverson (1996)
3084 - Marcus Camby
3099 - Stephon Marbury
3080 - Ray Allen
3118 - Kobe Bryant
3173 - Tim Duncan (1997)
3169 - Keith Van Horn
3174 - Chauncey Billups
3179 - Tracy McGrady
3244 - Michael Olowokandi (1998)
3245 - Mike Bibby
3246 - Raef LaFrentz
3247 - Antawn Jamison
3248 - Vince Carter
3252 - Dirk Nowitzki
3253 - Paul Pierce
3324 - Elton Brand (1999)
3325 - Steve Francis
3326 - Baron Davis
3327 - Lamar Odom
3339 - Ron Artest
3400 - Kenyon Martin (2000)
3401 - Stromile Swift
3402 - Darius Miles
3511 - Kwame Brown (2001)
3512 - Tyson Chandler
3513 - Pau Gasol
3514 - Eddy Curry
3515 - Jason Richardson
3516 - Shane Battier
3520 - Joe Johnson
3531 - Zach Randolph
3527 - Tony Parker
3599 - Yao Ming (2002)
3600 - Jay Williams
3601 - Mike Dunleavy
3602 - Drew Gooden
3607 - Amare Stoudemire
3704 - LeBron James (2003)
3705 - Darko Milicic
3706 - Carmelo Anthony
3707 - Chris Bosh
3708 - Dwyane Wade
3721 - David West
3818 - Dwight Howard (2004)
3819 - Emeka Okafor
3820 - Ben Gordon
3826 - Andre Iguodala
3831 - Kris Humphries
3832 - Al Jefferson
3834 - Josh Smith
3837 - Jameer Nelson
3843 - Kevin Martin
3927 - Andrew Bogut (2005)
3928 - Marvin Williams
3929 - Deron Williams
3930 - Chris Paul
3931 - Raymond Felton
3936 - Andrew Bynum
3943 - Danny Granger
3956 - David Lee
4129 - Andre Bargnani (2006)
4130 - LaMarcus Aldridge
4131 - Adam Morrison
4134 - Brandon Roy
4136 - Rudy Gay
4139 - J.J. Redick
4149 - Rajon Rondo
4243 - Greg Oden (2007)
4244 - Kevin Durant
4245 - Al Horford
4287 - Joakim Noah
4387 - Derrick Rose (2008)
4388 - Michael Beasley
4389 - O.J. Mayo
4390 - Russell Westbrook
4391 - Kevin Love
4468 - Danilo Gallinari
4469 - Eric Gordon
4472 - Brook Lopez
4561 - Blake Griffin (2009)
4562 - Hasheem Thabeet
4563 - James Harden
4564 - Tyreke Evans
4610 - Ricky Rubio
4612 - Stephen Curry
4615 - Brandon Jennings
4716 - John Wall (2010)
4717 - Evan Turner
4718 - Derrick Favors
4720 - DeMarcus Cousins
4722 - Greg Monroe
4840 - Kyrie Irving (2011)
4883 - Derrick Williams
4899 - Enes Kanter
4888 - Bismack Biyombo
4889 - Brandon Knight
4890 - Kemba Walker
4891 - Jimmer Fredette

St. Louis rallies twice to win game 6

2011-10-27T20:39:00.002-10:00

What a game!

ST. LOUIS >> David Freese homered to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals forced the World Series to a Game 7 by rallying from two-run deficits against the Texas Rangers in the 9th and 10th on Thursday night.

Freese hit a two-run triple just over a leaping Nelson Cruz to tie the score 7-7 in the ninth inning against Neftali Feliz. Then, after Josh Hamilton put Texas ahead with a two-run homer in the 10th off Jason Motte, Ryan Theriot hit an RBI groundout in the bottom half and Lance Berkman tied it 9-9 with a single.

Freese's shot to center came off Mark Lowe.

Game 7 is Friday night.

Cody Paul

2011-10-22T03:34:00.002-10:00

The story of Cody Paul, YouTube sensation, has been chronicled thoroughly since the diminutive football player was dubbed "The White Reggie Bush" in 2007, not long after Bush had finished dropping jaws at USC.

A highlight video of Paul -- barely five feet tall -- breaking opponents' ankles as a 12-year-old went viral at the time and now has more than 8 million hits on YouTube.

A Southern California kid, Paul was predicted by some to attain stardom just like Bush, who won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints and currently is a running back for the Miami Dolphins.

It was a little premature for a kid in junior high school, and little initially was heard from Paul at the next level, Los Alamitos High School in Los Angeles.

But now a 5-foot-7, 170-pound feature back, Paul is back to turning heads as a high school senior.

50 Greatest UCLA Basketball Players

2011-10-20T18:38:00.008-10:00

It's obvious that it's gotta be Lew Alcindor no. 1 and Bill Walton no. 2.

But then then who's no. 3?

Well of the top of my head, some candidates for the top ten are Marques Johnson, Richard Washington, David Meyers, Keith Wilkes, Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe, Lucious Allen, Gail Goodrich, Keith Erickson, Walt Hazzard, Baron Davis.

What about Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook? Well, they only played like 1 or 2 years.

Ah, going through the list, I forgot about Darren Collison (29), David Greenwood (23), Kiki Vandeweghe (19), Pooh Richardson (12), Henry Bibby (11).

And here's the top ten.

10. Don MacLean
9. Ed O'Bannon
8. Sidney Wicks
7. Keith Wilkes
6. Reggie Miller
5. Walt Hazzard
4. Marques Johnson
3. Gail Goodrich
2. Bill Walton
1. Lew Alcindor

And I don't see David Meyers or Keith Erickson in the top 50. David Meyers was the second pick in 1975 NBA Draft (behind David Thompson and ahead of Marvin Webster, Alvan Adams, Darryl Dawkins, Lionel Hollins). Keith Erickson played in the 1964 Olympics as a volleyball player, played 12 years in the NBA, then became a color man for with Chick Hearn (after Lynn Shackelford and Pat Riley; and before Stu Lantz).

Top 50 NBA Players

2011-10-14T18:19:00.010-10:00

Apparently to while away the time since there's no games to cover, SLAM is running down the top 50 players in the leagues.

Evidently I have a pretty good fantasy team because here's how my roster ranks.

Jameer Nelson
Kyle Lowry
Paul Millsap
28 - Manu Ginobili
39 - Joakim Noah
37 - Kevin Garnett
27 - Tyreke Evans
David Lee
15 - Rajon Rondo
33 - Al Jefferson
Blake Griffin
Kevin Durant

Right now, they're up to no. 15. I don't know if David Lee is in the top 14. But it's pretty likely Durant is top 5 and Griffin is top 10.

Let me guess the top 14 (in parentheses, I'll add the actual rating when it appears -- OK so I guess Griffin isn't top 10)

14 - Russell Westbrook (12)
13 - Deron Williams (10)
12 - Blake Griffin (14)
11 - Pau Gasol (13)
10 - Carmelo Anthony (9)
9 - Amare Stoudemire (11)
8 - Chris Paul (8)
7 - Derrick Rose (4)
6 - Dwyane Wade (5)
5 - Dirk Nowitzki (7)
4 - Kevin Durant (2)
3 - Kobe Bryant (3)
2 - Dwight Howard (6)
1 - Lebron James (1)

Gallery

Well, looks like David Lee didn't make the top 50.

***

Wait I see they have apparently pre-written the top 50 already and I can see the top 9 by clicking Previous on the list and going to page 3.

Funny that they're dated in the future, e.g. LeBron dated 10/23/11

9 - Dirk Nowitzki
8 - Deron Williams
7 - Chris Paul
6 - Carmelo Anthony
5 - Dwight Howard
4 - Dwyane Wade
3 - Kevin Durant
2 - Kobe Bryant
1 - LeBron James

Wait, actually that's last year's top 10. David Lee was no. 34 last year.

Go back above for the 2011 list.

***

[11/29/11] And here's ESPN's rankings (along with SLAM's and Yahoo's fantasy O-ranks):

1. LeBron James (1,2)
2. Dwight Howard (6,7)
3. Dwyane Wade (5,6)
4. Chris Paul (8,3)
5. Dirk Nowitzki (7,9)
6. Kevin Durant (2,1)
7. Kobe Bryant (3,11)
8. Derrick Rose (4,5)
9. Deron Williams (10,14)
10. Blake Griffin (14,19)
11. Paul Gasol (13,8)
12. Carmelo Anthony (9,18)
13. Amare Stoudemire (11,15)
14. Steve Nash (20,33)
15. Russell Westbrook (12,12)
16. Kevin Love (16,4)
17. Rajon Rondo (15,25)
18. Manu Ginobili (28,34)
19. Tim Duncan (30,57)
20. Zach Randolph (19,30)
21. Paul Pierce (21,28)
22. Kevin Garnett (37,40)
23. Lamarcus Aldridge (18,20)
24. Chris Bosh (17,42)
25. Al Horford (32,16)
27. Rudy Gay (26,22)
32. Joe Johnson (22,50)
36. Danny Granger (24,23)
38. Stephen Curry (31,10)
40. John Wall (25,38)
41. Monta Ellis (23,17)
43. Josh Smith (29,21)
48. Gerald Wallace (29,24)
52. Al Jefferson (33,13)

Mountain West and Conference USA to merge

2011-10-14T17:18:00.002-10:00

Mountain West Conference and Conference USA officials said today they have agreed to merge their football programs, which could put the University of Hawaii Warriors in a 22-team league stretching to the East Coast as early as 2012.

The Warriors, who are playing in their 33rd and final Western Athletic Conference season, are scheduled to join the MWC July 1, 2012. UH's other sports will be in the Big West.

But with the merger of the MWC and CUSA announced today, UH could find itself in a football-only league with teams including Orlando, Fla.-based Central Florida and Huntington, W.V.-based Marshall University.

Commissioners of the two conferences say they hope to begin play as one yet-to-be-named league possibly in 2012 but definitely by 2013. They said play would eventually be in regional-based divisions with a playoff structure.

***

The University of Hawaii football team could find itself the most far-flung member of a 22-school, six-time zone, 4,735-mile-wide conference as early as the 2012 season under a merger of the Mountain West and Conference USA announced Friday.

The Warriors, who are in their 33rd and final Western Athletic Conference season, are scheduled to join the MWC July 1, 2012, as a football-only member. Most of UH's other teams will join the California-based Big West Conference.

But the MWC and C-USA signed a memorandum of understanding Friday that will result in one yet-to-be-named football conference for competitive and marketing purposes by 2013, but possibly in time for 2012, their commissioners announced.

C-USA currently has 12 teams spread from Mountain to Eastern time zones, including Orlando, Fla.-based Central Florida and Huntington, W.Va.-based Marshall University, and the MWC will have 10 members spread from Hawaii to the Rockies in 2012.

"It is a positive (for UH) in the sense of having a broad base of programs helps provide some stability, increased annual television revenue and postseason opportunities," UH athletic director Jim Donovan said. "So, I think it is very good development."

Donovan said that, at least initially, games against current C-USA members would be considered nonconference contests.

"The way it was explained to us, primarily the current Mountain West schools will play each other eight games and determine a champion and the current Conference USA schools will play each other and determine a champion and those two champions will come together and play a championship game, " Donovan said. "If we play any games against any teams that are currently in Conference USA they will be nonconference games."

[So to me it's not really a merged conference, but pretty much just an agreement to have a championship game between the two conferences.]

Al Davis

2011-10-08T11:26:00.002-10:00

OAKLAND, Calif. >> Al Davis, the Hall of Fame owner of the Oakland Raiders known for his rebellious spirit, has died.

The team said the 82-year-old died at his home in Oakland on Saturday morning.

It was Davis' willingness to buck the establishment that helped turn the NFL into THE establishment in sports — the most successful sports league in American history.

Davis was charming, cantankerous and compassionate — a man who when his wife suffered a serious heart attack in the 1970s moved into her hospital room. But he was best known as a rebel, a man who established a team whose silver-and-black colors and pirate logo symbolized his attitude toward authority, both on the field and off.

Davis was one of the most important figures in NFL history. That was most evident during the 1980s when he fought in court — and won — for the right to move his team from Oakland to Los Angeles. Even after he moved them back to the Bay Area in 1995, he went to court, suing for $1.2 billion to establish that he still owned the rights to the L.A. market.

Until the decline of the Raiders into a perennial loser in the first decade of the 21st century he was a winner, the man who as a coach, then owner-general manager-de facto coach, established what he called "the team of the decades" based on another slogan: "commitment to excellence." And the Raiders were excellent, winning three Super Bowls during the 1970s and 1980s and contending almost every other season — an organization filled with castoffs and troublemakers who turned into trouble for opponents.

Davis, elected in 1992 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, also was a trailblazer. He hired the first black head coach of the modern era — Art Shell in 1988. He hired the first Latino coach, Tom Flores; and the first woman CEO, Amy Trask. And he was infallibly loyal to his players and officials: to be a Raider was to be a Raider for life.

But it was his rebellious spirit, that willingness to buck the establishment, that helped turn the NFL into THE establishment in sports — the most successful sports league in American history. He was the last commissioner of the American Football league and led it on personnel forays that helped force a merger that turned the expanded NFL into the colossus it remains.

129 minutes

2011-09-29T11:00:00.006-10:00

They will go down as the most thrilling 129 minutes in baseball history. Never before and likely never again -- if we even dare to assume anything else can be likely ever again -- will baseball captivate and exhilarate on so many fronts in so small a window the way it did September 28, 2011.

Starting at 9:56 p.m. Eastern, the grand old game, said to suffer by comparison from football's siren sisters of gambling and violence, and said to suffer from America's shrinking attention span and capacity to contemplate, rose up and fairly screamed, "Watch this!"

At that minute, the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves clung to twin 3-2 leads and the belief that they would avoid the completion of the greatest September collapses in the history of the sport, even if, in Atlanta's case -- the Braves appeared headed for a tiebreaker game with St. Louis -- it meant a 24-hour stay of execution. Boston seemed home free to October, seeing that Tampa Bay, its competitor for the wild card spot, was getting blown out by the Yankees, 7-0.

But what happened at that moment was the beginning of the end: With the Braves two outs from victory, Chase Utley of Philadelphia tied the game in Atlanta with a sacrifice fly against Craig Kimbrel, the baby-faced rookie closer for the Braves who was pitching with the earnestness of youth, but more obviously with the toll of overuse and stress from a grueling stretch run. Red-cheeked and flustered, he invited pity more than scorn.

Nothing would be the same in the next 129 minutes. Fortunes were reversed. Reputations were made and destroyed. Careers were altered.

[When I saw the Yankees with a big lead, I figured it was over and assumed the Red Sox were in. Only later did I find out they weren't. I did hear the end of the Atlanta game though.]

Handsome Johnny Barend

2011-09-21T10:03:00.004-10:00

Sometimes he would saunter out for a Friday night locker-room interview on "50th State Big Time Wrestling" with his face turned away from the TV cameras. Other times, he would emerge from a coffin, his cigar smoke blowing into the air.

With a recording of "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" blaring in the background, the image of the large man with the trademark cape, top hat and slicked-back jet black hair was unmistakably the persona of "Handsome" Johnny Barend.

Barend, one of the most iconic characters from Hawaii's golden age of professional wrestling in the 1960s and '70s, died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Avon, N.Y. He was 82.

Barend's career spanned nearly 25 years, and he wrestled everywhere from Japan to New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

But family, friends and fans said one of his favorite places was Hawaii.

A fixture in Hawaii during much of the 1960s when Ed Francis and Lord James "Tally Ho" Blears were the promoters, Barend was known for edgy interviews that amused some and terrified others.

"He was such a colorful man, and he carried his uniqueness in real life, also," said Laura Blears, Tally Ho's daughter and a family friend. "He'd get right up in my dad's face with his cape and his top hat."

She said her father and Barend spoke about a month ago, and the two were planning to have reunion in Hawaii soon.

Old-time wrestling fans' most vivid memory of Barend might be his in-the-ring wedding to the former Anita Lum at the Honolulu International Center, now known as the Blaisdell Center Arena, in 1967, just before a championship match.

Barend met his bride-to-be on Kuhio Beach one day when she was still a senior at McKinley High School. He was 38 and she was 18, said Yvette Lum, Annie's younger sister.

She became one of the few nonwrestlers who was known to the audience, and even had her own nickname — "Transistor Annie" — because she always had a transistor radio against her ear, Blears said.

Johnny Barend retired from wrestling in 1972, and the couple moved to New York where he built and managed a small motel, Lum said.

Blears recalls that when she and her siblings were children, Barend would alternately delight them and scare them by widening his eyes at them whenever he would visit their house.

But Barend's sister-in-law remembers a different man.

"Outside of his wrestling career, Johnny was a very down-to-earth kind of guy who enjoyed living an ordinary, anonymous life," Lum said.

The couple had no children, but had a menagerie of cats, dogs, chickens, peacock and turtle. "He usually avoided media attention and was totally unlike his wrestling persona."

He did attend an occasional autograph show and agreed to one interview with a Canadian wrestling magazine several years ago which can be found on the Internet.

"He was a good role model for me during my teen years while my sister dated him and after they married," Lum said. "Although his height and stature sometimes overwhelmed me, I learned that I could count on him for good advice or guidance."

Memorial services in New York and Honolulu are to be announced at a later date.

Jerome Williams gets first win in six years

2011-09-10T18:52:00.004-10:00

ANAHEIM, Calif. » It'd been a long time since former Waipahu High star Jerome Williams started a game in the major leagues, even longer since he'd won one.

Williams pitched seven stellar innings to get his first big league victory in almost six years, Peter Bourjos homered for the third straight game and Howie Kendrick also connected, leading the Los Angeles Angels over the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

"I feel like crying," Williams said while his 2-year-old son, Ty, sat perched in a folding chair next to him with the game ball in his hands. "It's been a long road. I'm just speechless. There was so much emotion out there. Being away from the game for a long time, I dedicated this to my mother and my family."

Williams, a first-round draft pick by San Francisco in 1999, hadn't started a game in the majors since May 15, 2007, with Washington. He began this season with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League before signing a free-agent contract with the Angels on June 16. He spent last season playing in Taiwan after leaving the Oakland Athletics.

"When I was in Taiwan last year, I never thought I would be here right now playing here," said Williams, who uses a pink glove to honor his late mother, who died of breast cancer. "I was thinking about quitting, but I forced myself not to. My family helped me out and told me to just keep on going and never give up. And it paid off.

"The difference was trusting myself and learning everything that I was supposed to learn back in the day," he added. "I was the type of guy that would nitpick everywhere, but now I'm just going after hitters."

Williams (1-0) posted his first victory in the majors since Sept. 25, 2005, with the Chicago Cubs.

***

The sixth-highest draft pick ever from a local high school, Williams made his major league debut at age 21.

That same year, he helped pitch the Giants to a division title and made a start in the divisional series against the Florida Marlins.

Things couldn't seem to be going any better.

"I was on top of the world," Williams said. "I had anything and everything I wanted. Shoot, I was 21 in the big leagues and I thought nobody could take my spot …

"Then somebody did."

FIVE OTHER pro teams involving multiple minor-league stints later, Williams found himself playing in Puerto Rico.

Two years after that, he was wearing the jersey of the Uni-President Lions in Taiwan, playing in a league with a whopping four teams.

WILLIAMS DIDN'T receive an offer to return to Taiwan this year.

With a wife and three kids to support, he had to somehow find a way back in the states.

"(My wife) told me, ‘Hey, without baseball you'll amount to nothing,' which is true," he said. "I've never had a 9 to 5 (job), baseball is all I have. I never went to college, never had any college offers or nothing, so it's true, this is all I know."

The Los Angeles Angels took a chance on Williams, signing him as a free agent in June. After posting a 7-2 record with Triple-A affiliate Salt Lake City, Williams pitched in the majors for the first time in four years in August. Four days later, he picked up his first win exactly 2,156 days after his last one with the Chicago Cubs.

"With second chances in life you want to make it right," he said. "Fortunately, I got a chance to do it right again."

WILLIAMS RETURNED to Hawaii for the first time in six years on Thanksgiving Day.

Lee Roy Selmon

2011-09-05T19:45:00.000-10:00

Two days after he was hospitalized following a massive stroke, Lee Roy Selmon, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end and University of South Florida official, passed away in Tampa at the age of 56. He was admitted to Tampa's St. Joseph Hospital on Friday.

Selmon's wife Claybra released the following statement after his passing: "For all his accomplishments on and off the field, to us Lee Roy was the rock of our family. This has been a sudden and shocking event and we are devastated by this unexpected loss,"

Following a standout career at the University of Oklahoma, Selmon became the Buccaneers' first draft pick in the franchise's history in 1976. The team lost its first 26 games, but by 1979, head coach John McKay had turned things around to the point that the Buccaneers made it all the way to the NFC Championship game, where they lost to the Los Angeles Rams. Selmon made six Pro Bowls and picked up a First-Team All-Pro selection in 1979. He was also named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1979. He also played with his brother Dewey from 1976 through 1980.

Then as now, the Bucs were led by defense. And back then, Lee Roy Selmon was their leader. He played until 1984, which means that he only has official sack totals for three seasons (the NFL started officially tabulating sacks in 1982), but he amassed 23 all the same. The 6-foot-3, 256-pound Selmon was a terror to opposing quarterbacks, and he was also an excellent run-stopper. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

Jim Thome hits 600th Home Run

2011-09-05T18:51:00.002-10:00

DETROIT (AP) -- Jim Thome's back was aching, his toe was throbbing and his quad was cramping, turning his pursuit of 600 home runs into a painful endeavor that made him wonder if he would even reach the milestone before season's end.

On Monday night, Thome finally harnessed the power again in that pure left-handed swing of his, sending two home runs sailing over the fence at spacious Comerica Park. When No. 600 disappeared over left fielder Delmon Young's head in the seventh inning, Thome raised his right fist while rounding first base.

His quiet chase, which seemed to vanish from baseball's consciousness as injuries slowed him down, was finally complete.

"You dream about it but when it finally happens it's kind of surreal," Thome said. "It's a neat thing, it really is."

The 40-year-old Thome became the eighth player to reach 600, hitting a two-run homer in the sixth inning for No. 599, then a three-run shot in the seventh. The milestone came on a 2-1 pitch from Daniel Schlereth.

Only seven hitters have hit more home runs than the burley Thome: Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa. Rodriguez joined the 600-homer club last August.

"Welcome to the club," Mays said in a video shown on the Twins' television broadcast.

Unlike Bonds, Rodriguez and Sosa, Thome has eluded suspicion of using performance-enhancing drugs. His country-strong physique was never chiseled like some of the hulking sluggers who proliferated his generation.

Thome is the oldest person to hit his 600th homer. Sosa previously held that mark at 38 years, 220 days. He reached the milestone in 2007.

***

The Minnesota Twins said they decided to trade Jim Thome, their designated hitter, to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for a player to be named later.

The Thursday trade reunites Thome with the team he broke in with and hit 334 home runs for over 12 seasons.

"It's a bittersweet deal," Twins General Manager Bill Smith told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "but there's no question that this is the right thing to do for Jim Thome.

"He is all the superlative things we knew we were getting two years ago when he came here. At this point in his Hall of Fame career, this is the right thing for him."

As he heads back to Cleveland, Thome has 601 career homers, eighth on the all-time list.

World Peace delayed by traffic tickets

2011-08-28T12:42:00.002-10:00

Ron Artest's bid to become Metta World Peace has been delayed.

A Los Angeles court commissioner delayed ruling on a name change petition by the Lakers forward until Sept. 16.

Superior Court spokeswoman Elizabeth Martinez says the court cited Artest's outstanding traffic warrants as the reason for the delay. Additional information was not immediately available.

Bubba Smith

2011-08-04T03:13:00.001-10:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former NFL star Bubba Smith, who went from feared defensive end on the field to endearing giant in his successful second career as an actor, died Wednesday. He was 66.

Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Ed Winter said Smith was found dead at his Baldwin Hills home. Winter said he didn't know the circumstances or cause of death.

Police spokesman Richard French added the death does not appear to be suspicious.

The top overall pick in the 1967 draft after a sensational career at Michigan State, the 6-foot-7 Smith spent five seasons with the Baltimore Colts and two seasons each with Oakland and Houston. He won the 1971 Super Bowl with the Colts.

"I'm saddened by it. I remember my first training camp in 1972 in Golden, Colo. I spent a lot of time with him there. He was a great guy. He was a giant, the biggest player on the field," Colts owner Jim Irsay said.

One of the best pass rushers in the game, Smith often drew two blockers, yet was effective enough to make two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team. His best work, though, came in college, and Smith was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

"He was simply a good guy," former Michigan State teammate Robert Viney said in a statement released through the university. "His size made him an intimidating figure, but he was a real gentleman. He was a helluva player."

As an actor his most memorable role was playing Moses Hightower, the soft-spoken officer in the "Police Academy" series. He also appeared in such television series as "Good Times," ''Charlie's Angels," and "Half Nelson," and was a regular in the ground-breaking Miller Lite commercials featuring retired players.

George Mikan

2011-07-30T06:12:00.002-10:00

It's hard to believe today, but until the 1940s basketball was considered a sport better suited to shorter men than to taller, less nimble players. George Mikan, a 6-10 giant of a man who possessed superior coordination and a fierce competitive spirit, was one of the prototypes for the dominating tall players of later decades. Towering over most of his competitors, he was one of the most effective scorers of his day, averaging 22.6 points over a professional career that lasted nine years -- one with the Chicago American Gears and eight with the Minneapolis Lakers.

Mikan was so hard to defend and to score against, in fact, that the NBA had to change its rules of play in order to keep him from completely overwhelming the league. Few players have had such a huge impact on the game. In 1950, Mikan was voted the greatest player of the first half of the century by The Associated Press.

The notion that someone could be tall enough, and jump high enough, to deflect a ball while it was above the basket was unthinkable before the 1940s. But that changed when Mikan perfected the art of goaltending -- then a perfectly legal practice because it was considered impossible when he played college ball.

"We would set up a zone defense that had four men around the key and I guarded the basket," Mikan recalled. "When the other team took a shot, I'd just go up and tap it out." He swatted away so many would-be baskets at DePaul that the NCAA decided to outlaw goaltending.

Mikan did seem to single-handedly overpower the rest of the league at times, so much so that the NBA tried to make it more difficult for him to score by expanding the width of the key, from 6 feet to 12 feet. The 24-second clock also came about because of Mikan. In a game in 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons decided that the only way they could win was to hold onto the ball and not let the Lakers have it. They ended up winning, 19-18, in the lowest-scoring game in NBA history. The league implemented the 24-second shot clock a few seasons later.

Kekaula new TV voice of UH football

2011-07-20T07:56:00.005-10:00

Ever since he first tried to get his then-size-14 foot in the door of professional broadcasting as a college student, Robert Kekaula has had his eyes on the prize: doing play-by-play of University of Hawaii football.

"I started in 1987 with News Radio 99 and Don Robbs," Kekaula said. "I had read in the paper they had gotten the UH contract, so I called up Don and tried to convince him that I should do the play-by-play for UH. That didn't work. So, I tried to convince him that I should do color. That didn't work, either.

"He (Robbs) convinced me I should do schlep work. That worked."

A quarter-century removed from carrying equipment, fetching drinks and performing microphone checks, Kekaula has landed the jackpot of sportscasting positions in Hawaii: the UH football TV play-by-play job. He'll debut with Oceanic Time Warner's pay-per-view and UH channel in September.

If there is celebration in that, there is also relief. "I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance (at UH play-by-play) because that job doesn't come open very often," Kekaula said. "You don't see many get the opportunity."

For much of his 46 years, those enviable jobs have been held by a small handful, with the iconic Jim Leahey the most recent caretaker of the lineage.

Now, Kekaula will succeed the 68-year-old Leahey, whose descriptive play-by-play accounts first captured his imagination decades ago as a Big Island youngster.

"Jim is the greatest storyteller I have ever known; I grew up watching him," Kekaula said. "When I first got in the business, I told him that."

Kekaula, a Kamehameha Schools and UH graduate, "never lacked for confidence — and I mean that in a good way," Robbs said. "Whatever he did he came well-prepared for. He always believed he could do radio and he worked to make it happen."

Kekaula had a voice in putting together the broadcast team that will also include Darren Hernandez and Nate Ilaoa. "I specifically wanted those guys because of their personalities," Kekaula said. "In talking to them, the idea I had is that we have to constantly think we're sitting on a couch and what would we say if we were describing the play we just saw. I want us to have good fun doing it. I want to step up the entertainment value and not lose the integrity of the game."

Kekaula said, "People pay good money for pay-per-view and we feel obligated to give them not only the X's and O's and ABCs and have some fun along with it. For example, the first successful shovel pass we come across I want Nate to explain to us exactly how that works. I've always thought Nate had to be a special cat to be able to turn his back on the defense and make that catch."

In forming his own team, Kekaula will be breaking up another. He and Bobby Curran have worked side-by-side on Warriors football for the past 12 years on KKEA 1420-AM radio. "I have nothing but good memories of those years," Kekaula said. "After I got the job and cleared everything with my people (at KITV) and everybody was on board and official, the first thing I did was call Bobby. Then, I drove out to his house and talked to him.

"He understood. He knew it was something I wanted to do for a long time."

***

[9/22/11] Kekaula and Hernandez will talk story

Wilt

2011-07-19T00:59:00.000-10:00

A message to the generations of basketball fans who have grown up in the nearly four decades since Wilt Chamberlain retired or the dozen years since his death: You have no clue.

There has always been big. Wilt was bigger.

He was always so large and so strong and so many of his feats so utterly overwhelming, it was simply not enough to call him the best player in the land or on the planet. Too narrow, too constraining. He needed an entire constellation as a description: the Big Dipper.

Derek Jeter 3000

2011-07-10T07:06:00.001-10:00

NEW YORK >> Mobbed by his pinstriped pals after the ball sailed into the left-field seats, showered by ovations from his fans, Derek Jeter stood alone — the first New York Yankees player to reach 3,000 hits.

A fitting crown for the captain, on a sunny afternoon when it seemed he could do anything he wanted.

He lined his first home run of the year at Yankee Stadium. He tied a career high going 5 for 5. He singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. And, for good measure, he stole a base.

"Something I will remember for the rest of my life," Jeter said.

With a swift swing of his shiny black bat, Jeter jolted himself into historic company, hitting a solo home run off Tampa Bay ace David Price in the third inning Saturday. He became the 28th major leaguer to hit the mark and joined former teammate Wade Boggs as the only players to do it with a home run.

Yao to retire

2011-07-08T20:42:00.004-10:00

Yao Ming, one of the seminal figures in the globalization of the NBA, has decided to retire after nine injury-plagued seasons with the Houston Rockets, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Yao played just five games last season, and hasn’t been able to fully recover after having surgery in January to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. The veteran center informed the Rockets, the league office in New York and NBA China of his decision to leave the game within the past 48 hours, sources said.

Yao was set to become a free agent once the league’s lockout ends. He was once poised to become the league’s dominant big man, but lower-body injuries repeatedly sidelined him over the course of his career. He missed at least 25 games in five of the past six seasons.

Yao, who was the top overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft, finishes his career with per-game averages of 19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots.

Yao had hoped the surgery would allow him to return for the 2011-12 season – and said he’d like to return to the Rockets. But he also conceded that he may have already played his final game.

***

SHANGHAI >> A large scroll behind the player who brought China to the NBA and the NBA to China summed up the occasion.

"Ming xie," it said in large Chinese characters that, loosely translated, mean "Yao Ming, thanks, the end."

Yao, with teary eyes at times and dressed in an equally somber black suit, closed the book Wednesday on his eight-year career with the Houston Rockets, conceding that injuries finally got the best of him.

"My past six months were an agonizing wait. I had been thinking (about my future) over and over," the 30-year-old Yao said in comments translated into English. "Today I am announcing a personal decision: ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening."

Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He already owns the club and wants to contribute more.

"My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it," Yao said.

Yao's wife Ye Li and their 14-month-old daughter, Yao Qinlei, and Yao's parents, Yao Zhiyuan and Fang Fengdi, were in the room. Qinlei was dressed in a red qipao, a traditional Chinese dress.

He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd.

"I will be always with you," he said.

John Mackey

2011-07-07T20:50:00.003-10:00

John Mackey revolutionized the tight end position - his incomparable ability to catch passes off the line of scrimmage helped usher the NFL into its pass-happy modern era.

Mr. Mackey remained on the forefront of change in pro football after he retired. He pushed for better health care and championed the cause of former players, even as he battled dementia.

Mr. Mackey, the Hall of Famer for the Baltimore Colts, died Wednesday at age 69. Mr. Mackey's wife notified the Baltimore Ravens about her husband's death, team spokesman Chad Steele said Thursday.

"John Mackey was one of the great leaders in NFL history, on and off the field," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "He was a Hall of Fame player who redefined the tight end position, and he was a courageous advocate for his fellow NFL players as head of the NFL Players Association."

Mr. Mackey played for the Colts from 1963-71, during a time when tight ends were viewed as additional offensive tackles. His breakaway speed, soft hands and bruising running made him difficult to cover, giving quarterback Johnny Unitas another top target. They combined on a 75-yard touchdown to help beat Dallas in the 1971 Super Bowl.

Mr. Mackey finished his career with 331 catches for 5,236 yards and 38 TDs. His efforts after his playing days were just as important as his performance on the field.

An NFL labor agreement ratified in 2006 includes the "88 Plan," named for Mr. Mackey's uniform number. The plan provides up to $88,000 a year for nursing care or day care for former players with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, or $50,000 for home care.

***

I remember John Mackey as the tight end on the Johnny Unitas-led Baltimore Colts when I used to play them in Strat-O-Matic football. Memorable for his highlight videos breaking tackles after the catch. Precursor to such tight ends as Ray Chester and Charlie Sanders. Not to mention the Antonio Gates' of today.

Austin Rivers player of the year

2011-07-06T22:33:00.002-10:00

For Austin Rivers, career day at school was always a little bit different. Other students had to explain what their parents did for a living, but not Austin. For as long as he can remember, his dad, Doc Rivers, has been a head coach in the NBA (since 2004 with the Boston Celtics and before that with the Orlando Magic).

“It seemed like my dad was always a thousand miles away, coaching,” says Austin, 18, PARADE’s 2011 Player of the Year. “I’ve been on more planes than I can count.”

But back home in Florida, Austin, a point guard at Winter Park High School near -Orlando, was making his own mark on the court. He had a big senior year, scoring a -season-high 46 points against Florida’s Montverde Academy and 38 points against highly ranked St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.). And last month, Winter Park won the state championship for the second year in a row.

By topping PARADE’s list of 40 seniors from 22 states (compiled in association with Sporting News), Austin edged out several other players who had big senior seasons, including Bradley Beal (committed to Florida next year), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Chase Fischer (Wake Forest), and Wayne Blackshear (Louisville).

Meet the 2011 All-America High School Boys Basketball Team:

Name,        Position, Ht.  High School     College*
FIRST TEAM
Austin Rivers,     G,  6'4"  Winter Park (Fla.)    Duke
Bradley Beal,      G,  6'4"  Chaminade (Mo.)     Florida
Anthony Davis,    C/F, 6'10" Perspectives (Ill.)   Kentucky
Chase Fischer,     G,  6'4"  Ripley (W.Va.)     Wake Forest
Adonis Thomas,     F,  6'7"  Melrose (Tenn.)     Memphis
Rodney Cooper,     G,  6'6"  Russell County (Ala.) Alabama
Dantley Walker,    G,  5'11" Lincoln County (Nev.) UNLV
DJ Gardner,       G/F, 6'6"  Okolona (Miss.)     Mississippi St.
Trevor Lacey,      G,  6'4"  Butler (Ala.)     uncommitted
Wayne Blackshear, G/F, 6'5"  Morgan Park (Ill.)    Louisville

SECOND TEAM
D’Angelo Harrison, G,  6'3"  Dulles (Tex.)     St. John’s
Adam Smith,        G,  6'1"  Fayette County (Ga.)  UNC Wilmington
Tony Wroten,       G,  6'5"  Garfield (Wash.)     Washington
Chane Behanan,    G/F, 6'7"  Bowling Green (Ky.)   Louisville
Cody Zeller,      F/C, 6'11" Washington (Ind.)     Indiana
Trey Burke,        G,  6'1"  Northland (Ohio)     Michigan
Kyle Caudill,      C,  7'0"  Brea Olinda (Calif.)  Boston College
Jahii Carson,      G,  5'10" Mesa (Ariz.)     Arizona St.
LeBryan Nash,      F,  6'7"  Lincoln (Tex.)     Oklahoma St.
Angelo Chol,       F,  6'9"  Hoover (Calif.)     Arizona

THIRD TEAM
Wesley Saunders,   F,  6'6"  Windward (Calif.)     Harvard
Shelby Moats,      F,  6'8"  Waconia (Minn.)     Vanderbilt
Devonta Abron,    F/C, 6'8"  Seagoville (Tex.)     Arkansas
Jarvis Threatt,    G,  6'1"  Highland Springs (Va.)Delaware
Amir Williams,     C,  6'10" Detroit C.D. (Mich.)  Ohio St.
Jordan Baker,      G,  6'3"  Tempe (Ariz.)     Pepperdine
Branden Dawson,    F,  6'7"  Wallace (Ind.)     Michigan St.
P.J. Hairston,    F/G, 6'6"  Hargrave Military (Va.)UNC
James McAdoo,      F,  6'8"  Norfolk Christian (Va.)UNC
Xavier Ford,       F,  6'7"  Harrison (Colo.)     Buffalo

FOURTH TEAM
Julien Lewis,      G,  6'4"  La Marque (Tex.)     Texas
Jake White,        F,  6'7"  Chaska (Minn.)     Wichita St.
Johnny O’Bryant,  F/C, 6'10" East Side (Miss.)     LSU
Tanner Wozniak,    G,  6'5"  Keswick Christian (Fla.)FIU
Myck Kabongo,      G,  6'3"  Findlay Prep (Nev.)   Texas
Reese Morgan,      G,  6'3"  Palos Verdes Pen. (Calif.)Cal Poly
Michael Gilchrist, F,  6'7"  St. Patrick (N.J.)    Kentucky
Colin Gruber,      G,  6'3"  Harbor (Calif.)     N. Arizona
Ryan Spangler,    F/C, 6'8"  Bridge Creek (Okla.)  Gonzaga
Marquis Teague,    G,  6'2"  Pike (Ind.)     Kentucky

Dodgers declare bankruptcy

2011-07-06T22:30:00.001-10:00

The Dodgers have filed for bankruptcy protection, a bid by Frank McCourt to preserve his ownership of the team by prodding a judge to override the rules of Major League Baseball.

McCourt will ask a Delaware bankruptcy judge Tuesday to approve interim financing to meet this week's payroll. McCourt would then retain immediate control of the Dodgers, with the intention of negotiating a television rights deal that would satisfy the court by paying off all creditors in full.

The bankruptcy proceedings mean the Dodgers could end a third consecutive season with no resolution to an ownership issue clouded by the divorce of McCourt and his ex-wife, Jamie.

Insiders Betting Digest

2011-06-27T17:10:00.004-10:00

I was going through my old stack of mail and came across Insiders Betting Digest.

It was a free magazine, but actually was a pretty decent preview magazine covering the upcoming pro and college 2008 season.

Evidently it was a one-shot deal because their website still has the 2008 edition up.

I'm still getting some smaller magazines from them periodically (or was), but it's now from betus.com and is not a comprehensive.

I was going to throw it away, but it has the stats for the undefeated Hawaii Warriors (until the Sugar Bowl) with Colt Brennan throwing for 4343 yard with 38 touchdowns and a 70.4 completion percentage. Ryan Grice-Mullen, Davone Bess, Jason Rivers all had over 1000 yards receiving.

But here's some stats from Texas Tech. Graham Harrell threw for 5705 yards with 48 touchdowns. And Michael Crabtree had 134 receptions, 1962 yards, and 22 TDs.

Jamaal Charles of Texas ran for 1619 yards and 18 TDs (which didn't even put him in the top 25 Heisman contenders on this list).

Best All-Around Athletes in Sports History

2011-06-25T07:06:00.000-10:00

Here are the 30 best all-around athletes in sports history. Well, more like the last century anyway.

Irving taken no. 1

2011-06-23T18:33:00.003-10:00

Kyrie Irving headed to Cleveland as the No. 1 pick minutes after the NBA draft started.

Jimmer Fredette had to wait hours to officially become a member of the Sacramento Kings.

Plenty other players, from veterans to picks, were on the move Thursday night in a draft that some considered a dud but certainly wasn't dull.

There was no chance the Cavs would deal Irving, confident his foot is healthy enough to lead the rebuilding effort that follows LeBron James' departure.

Loudly cheered by family and friends not far from where he starred at St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, the Duke point guard showed no signs of the toe injury on his right foot that limited him to 11 games last season as he walked up the stairs to shake hands with Commissioner David Stern.

"I didn't have any doubts about going to No. 1. I was looking to the organization to pick who they felt was the right choice," Irving said. "But now to this moment, from being a fan of the NBA draft and now being drafted, it's a special feeling in my heart and knowing that my friends and family were together, it's a memory I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."

A three-team trade that included Charlotte, Milwaukee and Sacramento that had been agreed to earlier in the day wasn't approved until midway through the second round, forcing Fredette to wait about 2 1/2 hours for his NBA destination to be determined after he was taken with the No. 10 pick by the Bucks.

"Took a little while waiting back there, but it's a great moment for me and for my family, and for the Sacramento Kings organization," the player of the year from BYU said. "Hopefully their fan base is excited because I'm really excited to get out there and start the season with them and have a great year."

A draft that included a record four international players who didn't play at a U.S. college selected in the lottery soon became dominated by deals, which the NBA was still hustling to approve and announce as the second round wound down.

Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette and John Salmons were part of the three-way trade, and fellow vets such as Andre Miller, Rudy Fernandez, Raymond Felton and George Hill were involved in other trades.

The deals spiced up what was thought to be a lackluster draft, which was missing its usual buzz with the NBA perhaps a week away from a work stoppage.

Three of the first six players taken were from Europe, capitalizing on the absence of some American college players who might have gone in their spots and made this a stronger draft. It was the first time four international players who didn't play at a U.S. college were selected in the lottery.

Even Irving has international ties. He was born in Australia while his father, Drederick, played professionally there and said he might be interested in playing for the Australian national team.

After grabbing him with their first No. 1 pick since taking James in 2003, the Cavs used the No. 4 selection on Texas forward Tristan Thompson. They were the first team since the 1983 Houston Rockets with two top-four picks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves took Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the No. 2 pick. The Utah Jazz then took Turkish big man Enes Kanter third with their first of two lottery selections.

The league's uncertain labor situation hung over the draft, and likely weakened it. Potential top-10 picks such as Jared Sullinger of Ohio State and Harrison Barnes were among those who decided to stay in school, without knowing when their rookie seasons would have started.

Stern, who could lock out his players next week if a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement is not reached, was booed when he came onto the stage at the Prudential Center, which is hosting the draft while its usual home, Madison Square Garden, is undergoing summer work.

New Yorkers made the trip across the river to join the sellout crowd of 8,417, cheering loudly when Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette were taken in the top 10 and booing when the Knicks made Georgia Tech guard Iman Shumpert the No. 17 selection.

The draft was filled with little-known European players. Kanter hasn't played competitively in a year, forced to sit out last season at Kentucky after being ruled ineligible for being paid to play in Turkey. Lithuania's Jonas Valanciunas went fifth to Toronto and Jan Vesely of the Czech Republic was taken sixth by Washington.

"Basketball in my country is not so popular, but after this night, I think - I hope - that the basketball will be more popular," Vesely said. "I will do my best to help that."

Bismack Biyombo of Congo went seventh as one of six international players who went in the first round, three short of the record set in 2003. The 18-year-old forward moved to Charlotte as part of a three-way deal.

Kentucky's Brandon Knight went eighth to Detroit as common fans finally heard a name they recognized again. He was followed by Walker of national champion Connecticut to Charlotte and Fredette - both New Yorkers who were loudly cheered after their names were called. Walker, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, wiped away tears on the draft stage.

"It's been like a movie. This whole year has been magical, honestly," Walker said. "So many different, crazy things have been happening to me, and you know, I just feel lucky."

Irving became the third point guard taken first in the last four years, following Derrick Rose in 2008 and John Wall last year. Rose was the NBA's MVP this season, ending James' two-year reign.

Irving insists he's not trying to replace James - whose highlights were booed when showed on the overhead screen - in a different manner now.

"I'm looking forward to getting to Cleveland," Irving said. "It's a big sports town and I cannot wait to embrace all of the fans there and the fan support. I can't wait."

Kansas twins Markieff and Marcus Morris went with back-to-back picks to round out the lottery. Phoenix took Markieff at No. 13 and Marcus followed to the Rockets.

Indiana took San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard at No. 15 and traded his rights to San Antonio for former IUPUI star George Hill. That started a number of trades at the bottom of the first round, including a Houston-Minnesota swap that sent the Timberwolves' Jonny Flynn to the Rockets in a deal that included Brad Miller.

Mavericks beat the Heat

2011-06-14T23:59:00.001-10:00

For Dirk Nowitzki, the resume is complete. He's an NBA champion.

For LeBron James, the agonizing wait continues for at least one more year.

A season that began with Miami celebrating the signings of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh - along with the promise of championships - ended on the very same floor, with the Dallas Mavericks hoisting the title trophy for the first time in their franchise history after beating the Heat 105-95 on Sunday night. The Mavericks won four of the series' last five games, a turnabout that could not have been sweeter.

"I really still can't believe it," said Nowitzki, who had 21 points and took home finals MVP honors.

He and Jason Terry, who led the Mavs with 27 points, were the two remaining players from the Dallas team that lost to Miami in the 2006 finals.

"Tonight," Terry said, "we got vindication."

Mark Jackson, head coach

2011-06-07T15:32:00.008-10:00

Mark Jackson has been hired by Golden State as their new head coach replacing Keith Smart.

Jackson played 17 years as a point guard in the NBA, for New York, the Clippers, Indiana, Denver, Toronto, Utah and Houston. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 1988 and made the playoffs 14 times. He ranks third on the NBA’s all-time assists list.

But he has never coached, spending the past few seasons as the lead analyst for ESPN and ABC for their NBA coverage. He won’t start his new job until after he’s finished calling the NBA finals.

Jackson played for five Hall of Fame coaches in his college and pro career: Lou Carnesecca, Lenny Wilkens, Jerry Sloan, Pat Riley and Larry Brown. [Not to mention Rick Pitino.]

***

It's time to see whether Jackson can coach as well as he talks. (If he does, he'll be really good.) I wonder if he'd hire JVG as his assistant?

***

Jarred mentioned "hand down, man down" (which Jackson often utters in the telecasts) over on facebook. I never understood what that means. OK, now I know.

***

Mark Jackson was every bit the bold and boisterous personality on his first day as coach of the Golden State Warriors that he was as a player and a broadcast analyst.

Only time will tell if he can be equally successful.

Declaring that "the Bay Area will never be the same," Jackson promised sweeping changes Friday to the perennially underachieving franchise. He was introduced by the Warriors at a swanky San Francisco hotel across the bay from where the team plays in Oakland that had all the flair of the area's new coach.

The Brooklyn native and former New York Knicks point guard said the Warriors will make the area "New York City West" in NBA circles, attracting the coveted free agents the franchise has always struggled to sign. He even predicted championship banners would follow.

"When you look at the success of the teams in this area, the A's have had theirs. The Niners have had theirs. The Giants have had theirs. The Raiders have had theirs. And now we're looking forward to ours," Jackson said. "So, therefore, it's about time. Sorry it took so long, but now we're at the party."

the most hyped basketball recruits of all time

2011-06-03T10:38:00.002-10:00

The debate is whether LeBron is the most-hyped high school hoopster of all time. A group of Yahoo! Sports writers and editors picked a top twelve.

Who's on it? Not Shaquille O'Neal. Not John Wall. Not even Sebastian Telfair. Not Mark Aguirre, Damon Bailey, Lloyd Daniels, Patrick Ewing, Grant Hill, Marcus Liberty, Jerry Lucas, Tom McMillan, Darius Miles, Alonzo Mourning, Greg Oden, Isiah Thomas, nor Bill Walton.

Remember, this list is about the most hyped - not the most talented.

Shaq retires

2011-06-03T07:52:00.004-10:00

BOSTON » Shaquille O'Neal, a 15-time All-Star who struggled to get on the court last season because of injuries, tweeted on Wednesday that he is going to retire after a 19-year career in which he won four titles and the 2000 league Most Valuable Player award.

O'Neal wrote on Twitter shortly before 2:45 p.m. that, "im retiring." It included a link to a 16-second video in which he says, "We did it; 19 years, baby. Thank you very much. That's why I'm telling you first: I'm about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon."

An inveterate prankster who gave himself a new nickname — or several — in each of his six NBA cities, O'Neal did not notify the Boston Celtics, his latest team, of his plans. He played just 37 games this year, the first of a two-year deal at the veteran's minimum salary, making just three brief appearances after Feb. 1.

"To my knowledge, he has not informed any of us that he's retiring," Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said.

If he goes, O'Neal retires fifth all-time with 28,596 points, 12th with 13,099 rebounds and a .582 field goal percentage that is second only to Artis Gilmore among players with more than 2,000 baskets. His free throw percentage of .527 — well, now is not the time to dwell on that.

"I'm a little bit sad," said Pat Riley, the Heat president who was also the coach when O'Neal won a title in Miami. "It's the end of an absolute 20-year career. Great, great player. ... The league's going to miss Shaq. I'm sure Shaq will do something big and beyond."

O'Neal's contributions to basketball went far beyond his presence on the court.

One of the most charismatic players in NBA history, O'Neal was a franchise-saver when the Orlando Magic made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft. He took them from the lottery to the playoffs in two years, and then led them to the NBA finals in his third year before they were swept by the Houston Rockets.

O'Neal, 39, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 and had his greatest success there, winning three titles alongside Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson. But amid tension between O'Neal and Bryant after a loss to the Detroit Pistons in the finals, O'Neal was traded to the Heat in the summer of 2004.

After 3½ years in Miami, a tenure that included his fourth NBA championship, O'Neal became a veteran-for-hire, moving to Phoenix and then Cleveland and finally Boston. But he couldn't deliver another title for Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire with the Suns, with LeBron James with the Cavaliers or with the Celtics' Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

"What a career for Shaq Diesel!!" James wrote on Twitter. "The most dominating force to ever play the game. Great person to be around as well. Comedy all the time!!"

At each stop, he endeared himself to the fans and his new teammates with his effervescent smile and playful attitude, including the habit of adopting a new nickname that he felt embodied his role with his new team. In Phoenix he was the "Big Shaqtus"; in Boston, the "Big Shamroq."

He also embraced social networking, amassing almost 4 million followers on his Twitter account, where fans could find out his next move or even the "random acts of Shaqness" — like sitting in Harvard Square, pretending to be a statue, or going out in drag on Halloween.

But O'Neal's off-court persona couldn't disguise the fact that he was getting old, and while he showed he could still play with younger opponents he couldn't manage to stay on the court with them. He missed a week in November with a bruised right knee, a week in December with a calf injury and another in January with a sore right hip.

He returned for three games — a total of about 34 minutes — before missing the next 27 games with what the team called a sore right leg. Although the injury was originally expected to keep him out just a few games, his absence stretched to more than two months.

He returned to play in one more regular-season game but lasted just 5 minutes, 29 seconds before reinjuring the leg and limping off the court. He missed Boston's entire first-round series against the New York Knicks and made two appearances against Miami, a total of 12 minutes, and scored two points.

In all, O'Neal averaged just 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 20.3 minutes this season while playing in 37 games — all career lows.

Jim Tressel resigns

2011-05-31T09:35:00.001-10:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio >> Jim Tressel, who guided Ohio State to its first national title in 34 years, resigned Monday amid NCAA violations from a tattoo-parlor scandal that sullied the image of one of the country’s top football programs.

“After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach,” Tressel wrote in the resignation letter he submitted on Monday morning. “The recent situation has been a distraction for our great university and I make this decision for the greater good of the school.”

Luke Fickell will be the coach for the 2011 season. He already had been selected to be the interim coach while Tressel served a five-game suspension.

Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch said he was unaware of any buyout or severance package. He added that Tressel had returned from vacation Sunday night and met with athletic director Gene Smith, who then met with staff. Tressel typed his resignation and submitted it to Smith, he said.

Under terms of Tressel’s contract, which was worth around $3.5 million a year through the 2014 season, Ohio State is not required to pay him any money or provide any benefits upon his resignation.

Clearly, the turmoil had been building. The resignation comes nearly three months after Ohio State called a news conference to announce it has suspended Tressel for two games — later increasing the ban to five games to coincide with the players’ punishment — and fined him $250,000 for knowing his players had received improper benefits from a local tattoo-parlor owner.

refs penalized for pink whistles

2011-05-21T18:40:00.002-10:00

[via twitter] This just in from the Department of No Good Deed Goes Unpunished:

After sitting on its hands for seven months, a Washington state referees association decided earlier this week to ban nearly 150 high school football officials from working most postseason games during the next two years — all because the refs wore pink whistles during games last fall.

Too soul-numbingly stupid to be true?

Not.

But that only begins to explain how something that started out as a neat little effort to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research turned into a cautionary tale about revenge and what happens when the wrong people get their hands on a rulebook. Just when you thought the NCAA had cornered the market on bureaucratic silliness in sports, along comes the Washington Officials Association and commissioner Todd Stordahl.

“Amazing,” said Frank Naish, the football coach at Inglemoor High, just north of Seattle, for the last 30 years. “It bit ‘em last year, when the story first came out, and the response was ‘What the heck are you doing?’ Then they back off. It quiets down for 6-7 months, and instead of just letting it die, they throw gasoline on the fire. ...

“It’s just a little power play and mean-spirited to boot,” he added in a telephone call Thursday. “Now they got a bunch of people mad and talking about picketing their offices.”

The WOA’s disciplinary decision was first reported Tuesday by KIRO-FM in Seattle. The station also reported the 143 members of the Pacific Northwest Football Officials Association, which covers King County and falls under the statewide umbrella of the WOA, will have the majority of their playoff games revoked for the next two years. According to the report, the PNFOA was also placed on probation for the next three years.

The brouhaha dates back to last October, when PNFOA members were looking for a way to support the fight against breast cancer. The disease had touched the lives of so many officials that someone came up with the idea of wearing pink whistles for a week’s worth of games. Then members decided to go a step further and donate their game checks to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

But their bosses at the WOA, which supervises 150 referees’ associations in all, put the kibosh on the idea. They decided pink whistles were a violation of the uniform code. Then they warned that any ref wearing one could face suspension and the loss of a game check. Besides, Stordahl contended, think of the precedent it would set.

“It sends the wrong message to kids that are playing the game,” he said then. “’If they broke the rules, why can’t I do the same.’”

The PNFOA decided to go ahead with its plan, anyway. Not surprising, the refs’ efforts were warmly received.

“Everyone there loved the whistles, the whole atmosphere, kind of like what you saw when the NFL did it,” Naish recalled. “We had a fundraiser to go along with it.

“I had lost a sister to breast cancer that April and one of my kids lost his mom a month earlier, so it was a really cool thing at the local level. It was an opportunity for football, which is all about men, to honor women.”

Oddly enough, the WOA had previously approved a “blue flags” football weekend in support of prostate cancer awareness, as well as “pink whistle” events in volleyball, soccer and basketball. Yet Stordahl said last fall the organization decided against pink whistles for football to keep the focus on the players and games.

For all that, though, Stordahl appeared to relent in the face of the backlash from the football community around Seattle, doing an about-face in a message posted on the association’s website. “The WOA did not have nor continues to have any intention to fine, take away games or deny paychecks to any member due to wearing a pink whistle,” it said.

Until Tuesday, that is. By then, after nursing a grudge for all those months, Stordahl apparently decided to show the refs who was boss. That’s some message to send the kids, not to mention everybody else involved in a worthy cause.

“We appreciate what these referees were trying to do, and we were sorry to hear about the sanctions for supporting breast cancer programs in Washington State,” said Andrea Rader, a spokesman for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

the last game for Jim Leahey?

2011-05-20T15:57:00.004-10:00

"I don't know what the future holds," said Leahey, who has served as the narrator of University of Hawaii sportscasts for nearly three decades.

KFVE's contract with UH expires next month, but this past Sunday's baseball game was the station's last live UH telecast after a 27-year run.

With Oceanic Time Warner set to take over production and distribution of UH sportscasts this summer, the future of KFVE's crew is uncertain.

At this time in past years, he would rest before getting ready for the start of the football season in a few months.

"Now you don't know," he said. "I don't know what's going to happen."

Calling sporting events is part of Leahey's DNA. His father was trailblazer Chuck Leahey; his son is KHON sports director Kanoa Leahey, who also is a play-by-play announcer for Oceanic's high school football games. Of his own decorated career, Leahey said: "Names and describing games."

He said he is prepared for the possibility that he called his last UH sporting event.

"I think if it's over, well, I did the best I could for as long as I could," Leahey said. "It's like driving in a race. You go as far as you can, and then when it's over, it's over. You cannot control it. Everything is temporary. Everything ends."

***

[10/18/11] University of Hawaii basketball, already practically a Leahey family franchise, will go into its 47th year of three-generation association with the sportscasting family.

Kanoa Leahey will do play-by-play for men's games and his father, Jim, will do Rainbow Wahine games on Oceanic Time Warner's OC Sports this season, it was announced Monday.

Kanoa, who has done Diamond Head Classic games the past two years for ESPN, will be joined by analysts David Hallums and Tony Sellitto. Hallums played for the Rainbow Warriors (1987-88) and Sellitto was Hawaii Pacific University's head coach (1988-02 and 2008-10).

Jim Leahey will be joined by Lori Santi on Rainbow Wahine games.

The Leahey family has been doing UH basketball games since 1964, when Jim's father, Chuck, began doing the Rainbow Classic, which he and Red Rocha pioneered, on the radio. Jim worked with his father on radio in the late 1960s and began doing them on TV in 1978 and continued with KFVE from 1984 through last season.

"He (Kanoa) has accepted the passing of the torch," Jim said. "He's very good at it, excellent in fact, and ESPN has been very impressed with his work."

Randy Macho Man Savage

2011-05-20T11:06:00.010-10:00

Pro wrestler "Macho Man" Randy Savage, 58, was killed Friday morning in Florida when the Jeep he was driving jumped a median and hit a tree, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

His wife, Barbara L. Poffo, 56, who was in the passenger seat, was injured, the patrol said. She was expected to be released from a hospital, said Highway Patrol Sgt. 1st Class Steve Gaskins.

Savage's real name was Ralph Mario Poffo, according to the wrestling federation for which he performed. The couple lived in Seminole, Florida, authorities said.

An investigation is under way, but a Highway Patrol report said that Ralph Poffo "lost control" of his 2009 Jeep Wrangler for "unknown reasons" as it was traveling westbound on Florida State Route 694 near 113th Street North in Pinellas County.

The highway patrol report said Poffo "may have suffered a medical event; however, this cannot be confirmed until an autopsy is performed."

As a pro wrestler, he was known for his catchphrases "Ooooooh Yeaahhhhh!" and "Can you dig it?"

After he retired from wrestling, he became known for his Slim Jim commercials.

The wrestling federation and the maker of Slim Jim meat sticks expressed sympathies.

"WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the greatest superstars of his time, Randy Poffo, aka Randy 'Macho Man' Savage," the wrestling federation said in a statement. "Poffo was under contract with WWE from 1985 to 1993 and held both the WWE and Intercontinental championships. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. We wish a speedy recovery to his wife, Lynn. Poffo will be greatly missed by WWE and his fans."

"We're saddened by the loss," ConAgra Foods, which makes Slim Jims, said in a statement. "Randy was a beloved ambassador for the Slim Jim brand for many years and will be greatly missed.

***

It was Mr. Savage, along with fellow World Wrestling Federation headliner Hulk Hogan and a few others, who in the 1980s made professional wrestling into a pop-culture touchstone. Their matches attracted millions of television viewers for over-the-top confrontations that mixed violence with cartoonish dramas and implausible costumes. Some said the outcomes were fixed.

Outfitted by a designer who had worked with rock acts Jimi Hendrix and Vanilla Fudge, Mr. Savage wore outlandish duds featuring feathers and gold lamé, giant goggles and often a neon cowboy hat.

He played a jealous lover who assaulted anyone who came near his manager (and wife), "Miss Elizabeth." In interviews, he liked to conclude his comments with a lusty "Oooohhh yeaaaaah!"

Backing up the bravado was an impressive record that included a score of championships, including two stints as world heavyweight champion.

In one celebrated match, Mr. Savage in 1987 took on Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania III at the Pontiac, Mich., Silverdome, an event The Wall Street Journal hailed as Woodstock for Middle America. The two wrestlers had been feuding since a year earlier, when, using innovative tactics, Mr. Savage went after Mr. Steamboat's throat with the ring bell, crushing his larynx. In the 1987 match, Mr. Steamboat pinned the Macho Man, getting his revenge.

Born Randall Mario Poffo, Mr. Savage was the son of Angelo Poffo, a wrestler who often played a villain known as the Masked Miser. He was crowned national heavyweight champion in 1958, and wound up in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. A physical-fitness buff, Angelo Poffo at one point held the world record for consecutive sit-ups.

Mr. Savage was signed to a minor-league baseball contract out of high school and spent a few years as a catcher in the Reds and White Sox systems. In the mid-'70s, he began wrestling alongside his brother, Lanny "The Genius" Poffo. In the early days, he wore a mask and billed himself as "The Spider."

In recent years, Mr. Savage starred in wrestling videogames, appeared in movies including "Spider-Man" (2002) and produced a rap CD.

***

Remembering Randy Macho Man Savage

Jim Ross memories

videos

Ric Flair on Randy Savage

Randy Savage remembered at Hall of Fame weekend

Shaquille to play for Hawaii

2011-05-11T06:32:00.001-10:00

Shaquille Stokes, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior point guard at Lincoln High in Brooklyn, N.Y., signed to play with the Hawaii men's basketball team for the 2011-12 season yesterday, choosing the Rainbow Warriors over Colorado State.

His decision comes on the heels of a stellar prep career in one of the toughest places to play in the country. Lincoln has produced talents such as Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair and even pulled weight in the fictional realm — Jesus Shuttlesworth of "He Got Game" fame went to Lincoln.

As a senior, Stokes more than held his own with averages of 18.4 points, five rebounds and four assists in leading the Railsplitters to the NYC public school championship game and earning league MVP honors. He was named the New York City Player of the Year yesterday by the New York Daily News.

The lithe Stokes, who was named after Shaquille O'Neal, might not resemble anything close to the hulking NBA veteran, but might match The Diesel in one category: nomenclature.

"They call me Shaq. Old Shaq Stokes. They call me a bunch of nicknames," Stokes said last night. "(Growing up) I felt great, knowing that Shaquille O'Neal's famous. Maybe I could be famous one day, me playing the game of basketball or me doing something else in my life. I just want to live up to the name."

it's over for Phil Jackson

2011-05-09T17:06:00.002-10:00

The fun is over for Phil Jackson and his five kids.

They've spent the last 20-plus years treating the NBA playoffs like a private party, according to their dad. So with Jackson retiring after this postseason, and with his Los Angeles Lakers on the brink of elimination, four of them flew to Dallas for Game 4 of a second-round series against the Mavericks.

Decked out in yellow hats with Roman numerals marking Jackson's 10th and 11th championships, hoping he could somehow pull out No. 12, they instead witnessed perhaps the worst game of his playoff career - an ugly blowout loss to the Mavericks, completing Dallas' sweep.

Jason Terry tied a playoff record with nine 3-pointers and the Mavs advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 122-86 victory Sunday that ended the Lakers' run toward a third straight NBA champions.

A Hall of Famer since 2007, he leaves with a record 11 titles, and only 10 series losses. Take away Red Auerbach, who won nine championships, and Jackson won more titles than any two coaches combined. He won six championships with Michael Jordan, three with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, and the last two with Bryant leading the way.

The 65-year-old Zen Master had to be talked into coming back this year. He was lured by the chase for a 12th title, bundled neatly as four three-peats, but he knew it would be tough with a team worn down by three straight years of playing into mid-June.

"(That) puts a lot of strain on the basketball club from all angles: personalities, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and getting charged up for game after game and assault after assault when you go in and play a team," Jackson said. "It was a challenge bigger than we could beat this year."

Jackson has retired before, only to come back. This time, he said he means it.

"In all my hopes and aspirations, this is the final game that I'll coach," he said. "It's been a wonderful run."

Blake Griffin unanimous rookie of the year

2011-05-05T01:21:00.003-10:00

Blake Griffin played his entire rookie season like a man making up for lost time.

Now that the Los Angeles Clippers' dynamic dunker has been named the league's top rookie in a landslide, he's already thinking about ways to improve on a delayed NBA debut that was well worth the wait.

Griffin accepted the Rookie of the Year award on Wednesday, becoming the NBA's first unanimous choice for the award in 21 years.

The No. 1 overall draft pick out of Oklahoma in 2009 missed all of the 2009-10 season after breaking his kneecap in the Clippers' final preseason game. But Griffin returned with one of the most impressive debut campaigns in a generation.

Griffin received every first-place vote from a panel of 118 media members, easily outdistancing Washington's John Wall. The Clippers' 22-year-old power forward is the first unanimous choice since San Antonio's David Robinson in 1990, and just the third in NBA history after Ralph Sampson in 1984. New Orleans' Chris Paul came close in 2006, missing by one vote.

2010-11 NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD VOTING
Rookie, Team          1st  2nd  3rd  Total
Blake Griffin, LAC    118    -    -   590
John Wall, WASH        -    91   22   295
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC  -    11   48    81
Landry Fields, NY      -    12   26    62
Gary Neal, SA          -     3   10    19
Greg Monroe, DET       -     1   12    15

Griffin led all rookies in scoring and rebounding while playing in all 82 games for the Clippers, finishing 12th in the entire NBA in scoring (22.5) and fourth in rebounds (12.1) while ranking second among rookies in assists (3.8).

The 6-foot-10 Griffin was the NBA's first rookie All-Star since Yao Ming in 2003, and he won the dunk contest at All-Star weekend in Staples Center with an iconic leap over a car.

Griffin received a maximum 590 points in the voting, while Wall had 91 of the 118 second-place votes to finish with 295 points. New York's Landry Fields received 12 second-place votes and 62 points, but finished fourth in the overall voting behind Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins, who got 11 second-place votes and 81 points. San Antonio's Gary Neal and Detroit's Greg Monroe were the only other rookies receiving votes.

Griffin is the first Clippers player to win the award since Terry Cummings won it with the San Diego Clippers in 1983. Adrian Dantley, Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio won the award during a five-year stretch with the Buffalo Braves, who moved to San Diego in 1978.

Derrick Rose named NBA MVP

2011-05-03T18:49:00.001-10:00

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls is the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2010-11 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award, the NBA announced today. Rose, who does not turn 23 until Oct. 4, becomes the league's youngest MVP, a distinction previously held by Wes Unseld, who earned the honor in 1968-69 as a 23-year-old.

Rose totaled 1,182 points including 113 first-place votes, from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada as well as an NBA MVP fan vote. For the second consecutive season, the NBA and Kia Motors America gave fans the opportunity to submit their votes by ranking their top five choices through a dedicated Web page on NBA.com. The fan vote counted as one vote and was compiled with the 120 media votes to determine the winner. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for third, three for fourth and one for each fifth-place vote received.

Rounding out the top five in voting are Orlando's Dwight Howard (643 points, three first place), Miami's LeBron James (522, four first-place votes), the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (428, one first-place vote) and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant (190).

Rose, who became the first player since Steve Nash in 2005 to win the MVP award after not receiving any votes in the previous year's balloting, led the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 mark. The third-year player averaged team highs of 25.0 points and 7.7 assists to go along with 4.1 rebounds. He became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 25.0 points, 7.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds, joining Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. The All-Star guard made or assisted on at least half of the Bulls' field goals in 26 games, the highest such total for any NBA player this season.

The Top 50 Wrestling Stars

2011-05-02T20:28:00.007-10:00

These are Kevin Eck's picks for the top 50 (and more) wrestling stars of all time

Countdown

41-50

31-40

21-30

11-20

1-10

Best of the Rest

***

And here's dvdtalk's review of the WWE DVD

Cam Newton picked no. 1

2011-04-29T00:21:00.001-10:00

NEW YORK -- It wasn't an unexpected phone call, but Auburn quarterback Cam Newton said it stunned him just the same.

"Just to get that phone call, it was like a shock going through my body," Newton said of a call from Carolina general manager Marty Hurney, who told Newton the Panthers had taken him with the No. 1 pick in Thursday night's NFL draft in New York City. "I'm just blessed to be part of a great organization and I'm ready to get to work."

The Panthers, 2-14 last season, hope to rebuild their franchise around the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, who was one of six players from the state and two from Mobile to be selected in the first round Thursday.

The six first-round selections from Alabama matched the 2005 draft, when Auburn's Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams led another group of six first-rounders from the state.

After the Panthers took Newton and Denver took Texas A&M's Von Miller at No. 2, Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus went to Buffalo with the third pick, Crimson Tide receiver Julio Jones of Foley went to Atlanta at No. 6, Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley of Mobile went No. 13 to Detroit, Alabama offensive lineman James Carpenter was taken 25th by Seattle, and Alabama's 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram went to New Orleans at No. 28.

The Saints took Cal defensive end Cameron Jordan with their first-round pick at No. 24, then traded their second-round pick this year and a first-rounder next year to New England to get Ingram.

"It was a long wait," Ingram said moments after his selection. "I'm going to a great organization ... and I hope to help them win another championship."

Citizen Artest

2011-04-29T00:17:00.002-10:00

Ron Artest of the Los Angeles Lakers is the 2010-11 recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association. The award is named for the second commissioner of the league and honors an NBA player or coach for outstanding service and dedication to the community.

Artest won for his tireless efforts to promote awareness of mental health, including fund-raising, appearing before Congress in support of Mental Health in Schools Act and his all-around advocacy on the issue. Artest also raffled off his 2010 championship ring, raising more than $650,000 for mental health awareness, and took part in a public service announcement in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.

***

When Ron Artest went into the stands and confronted Detroit Pistons fans in 2004 he set off the epic "Malice at the Palace" brawl and seemingly ruined his reputation forever. But he has come a long way since. So far, in fact, he's been named the NBA's good citizen for this season.

The Lakers guard's efforts to raise awareness and funds for mental-health causes have led to him winning the 2010-11 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. It is voted on by the Pro Basketball Writers Association and is given to the NBA player or coach who has displayed "outstanding service and dedication to the community."

Among Artest's good deeds was raffling his 2010 NBA championship ring for more than $650,000, with the money going to mental health programs. news of the award is from the Los Angeles Times website.

Barry Bonds convicted

2011-04-14T05:19:00.001-10:00

SAN FRANCISCO » Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice Wednesday but a jury failed to reach a verdict on three other counts that the home run king lied to a grand jury when he denied knowingly using steroids and human growth hormone.

The verdict, following a 12-day trial and almost four full days of deliberation, was a messy end to a case that put the slugger in the spotlight for more than three years.

Bonds sat stone-faced through the verdict, displaying no emotion. His legal team immediately asked that the guilty verdict be thrown out and U.S. District Judge Susan Illston did not rule on the request. She set May 20 for a hearing in the case.

Dennis Rodman, Hall of Famer

2011-04-06T05:23:00.002-10:00

Dennis Rodman earned plenty of labels during his sometimes turbulent NBA career.

Here's one the player who created chaos on -- and sometimes off -- the court never expected: Hall of Famer. Rodman headlined the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2011 class announced on Monday at the Final Four, a group that includes former Dream Team member Chris Mullin and Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer.

"It's just unreal," Rodman said.

And somewhat unexpected, at least to the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and five-time NBA champion who believed his extracurricular activities -- including donning a wedding dress to marry himself and kicking a photographer in the groin -- would overshadow his on-the-court accomplishments.

"I looked at the way I am, and I thought I wouldn't get in," Rodman said.

Also part of the class were: coaches Tex Winter, innovator of the triangle offense, and Philadelphia University's Herb Magee; longtime NBA and ABA star Artis Gilmore; former Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis; Olympic gold medalist Teresa Edwards; Harlem Globetrotter Reece "Goose" Tatum; and Boston Celtic Tom "Satch" Sanders.

what?

Kevin Love's streak ends at 53

2011-03-15T16:15:00.001-10:00

Stephen Curry scored 24 points and added nine rebounds and six assists as the Golden State Warriors snapped Kevin Love's 53-game double-double streak in a 100-77 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Love, who had the longest string of consecutive double-doubles in the NBA since Elvin Hayes recorded 55 straight in 1973-74, was held to six points on 1-for-6 shooting and failed to score 10 points for the first time since Nov. 19. The Timberwolves couldn't get Love the ball because they were committing 27 turnovers; that ineptitude helped Golden State hold Minnesota to 36.6 percent shooting and a season-low point total.

Wally Yonamine

2011-03-01T16:19:00.002-10:00

Wally Kaname Yonamine, one of Hawaii's greatest athletes and a pioneer in two professional sports, died last night, family and friends said.

He was 85.

Born in Olowalu, Maui, Yonamine was an all-around athlete at Lahainaluna and Farrington High schools before playing professional football for the San Francisco 49ers (1947) and professional baseball for the San Francisco Seals and Salt Lake City Bees. Yonamine went to Japan in 1951 and starred for the Yomiuri Giants and Chunichi Dragons.

In 12 seasons in Japan, Yonamine hit .311, won three batting titles, was a seven-time all-star and a most valuable player (1957). He spent two decades as a coach and manager before becoming a first-ballot inductee to the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame.

The 49ers, who honored him with an annual award, said Yonamine was the first Asian-American to play pro football. He was the first American to go to Japan and play in the post-World War II era.

In Hawaii, Yonamine's foundation sponsored annual baseball clinics and he underwrote the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state baseball championships for 14 years.

UH sports leaving KFVE?

2011-03-01T16:13:00.002-10:00

Signs point to University of Hawaii sports moving exclusively to Oceanic Time Warner Cable this fall. That would end more than a quarter-century of free over-the-air television, most recently on KFVE, which has marketed itself as "The Home Team."

In Oceanic's contract with UH, 2011 is described as a "transitional term" in which the cable giant may elect to solely produce and show the state university's sports, which would end a nine-year partnership with KFVE.

Yesterday was listed as the final day of the negotiation window between Oceanic and KFVE, according to the contract. Oceanic's contract runs through 2014 and any decisions on the future of the partnership with KFVE are Oceanic's, a UH spokesman said.

Employees of KFVE — which, along with its family of stations, has aired UH sports since 1984 — said they were told by management recently that "everything" is moving to Oceanic, which plans to inaugurate a new UH channel in the fall in addition to its OC 16 channel, which features high school sports among its programming.

Oceanic's new station will be dedicated, it said, to "all things UH."

Oceanic and KFVE paid UH $2.45 million this past year for TV and pay-per-view rights to its athletic events, all but $500,000 reportedly coming from Oceanic.

More than 100 events were shown on free TV, with another 18 appearing exclusively on the pay-per-view package.

Operation by Oceanic is also expected to bring with it some changes among the commentators, some of whom have been doing the games for decades.

After Saturday's UH-New Mexico State game, the final men's basketball game scheduled to be aired on KFVE this season, commentators Jim Leahey and Artie Wilson left hanging the possibility they had worked their last game together after more than 20 years.

"Hopefully (we'll be back) next year, but you never can tell," Leahey told his audience cryptically.

Leahey, who has been the TV voice of UH sports since the 1980s on KGMB and KFVE, and prior to that on radio, is a "year-to-year employee," Fink said.

People in the industry say KFVE has been looking into the purchase of a high-definition TV truck, hoping to secure a production contract with Oceanic and continued employment for its award-winning, 20-member sports crew, much of which has been together since the early 1990s.

Carmelo to the Knicks

2011-02-22T03:15:00.004-10:00

The Denver Nuggets have finally completed their long-awaited trade to send Carmelo Anthony(notes) to the New York Knicks.

To acquire Anthony, the Knicks are sending Danilo Gallinari(notes), Raymond Felton(notes), Wilson Chandler(notes), the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick, two second-round picks New York acquired from the Golden State Warriors in the David Lee sign-and-trade and $3 million. The Knicks will also trade Anthony Randolph(notes) and Eddy Curry’s(notes) expiring contract to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will send Corey Brewer(notes) to New York. The Knicks will receive Anthony, Chauncey Billups(notes), Shelden Williams(notes), Renaldo Balkman(notes) and Anthony Carter.

The Nuggets requested on Saturday that the Knicks also include center Timofey Mozgov(notes) in their trade package and New York complied.

***

2011 Trade Deadline Tracker

Kelly Dwyer analysis

Dick Tomey returns to UH

2011-02-18T17:01:00.000-10:00

In his last official appearance at the University of Hawaii before leaving to become head football coach at Arizona, a tearful, emotion-choked Dick Tomey vowed "... someday, when it is all over, we'll come back."

At the time — 1987 — we thought he meant eventually returning to live here in retirement.

But today, 24 years later, Tomey's return is to be announced as an assistant coach at UH.

At the grandfatherly age of 72, Tomey remains hardly the retiring type and will return to a program that he coached for a decade (1977-86), rebuilding it after a tumultuous turnover and guiding it through the infancy of Western Athletic Conference membership. It is an association he has long compared to "having your first child and watching that child grow."

That paternal pride and considerable investment figures to serve him and the Warriors well in what should be his new assignment, coordinating UH's special teams after the departure of Chris Tormey.

It was in Tomey's tenure as head coach that UH special teams gained a highly visible and popular game-breaking reputation in Manoa. He preached "all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams" with such a frequency and fervor that even youth league coaches in the 1980s came to parrot it. And the commitment was more than token.

Fans might not have always loved his offenses, but they exulted in the daring special teams play and kick-blocking ferocity of Tomey's teams. The kind that Niko Noga and Mike Akiu became poster players for in a record-setting stuffing of kicks and punts. Many marks, including Akiu's six blocks in a season, still stand.

To see Tomey around UH since the end of a head coaching career at Arizona and San Jose State and an NFL stint has been to glimpse someone for whom the passion to coach still flows and who still has much to offer as a motivator and painstaking instructor. As recently as three years ago UH officials contacted Tomey to gauge his interest in returning to Manoa as June Jones' successor.

These days the charge is special teams, where there is ample room for improvement in several areas, especially kickoff and punt returns, where UH has lagged in recent years.

And, if there is any place a 72-year-old coach should feel at home this fall, it would be at UH, a golden candidate for AARP staff of the year.

When the season rolls around, barring additional changes, the 10-man coaching staff could average more than 50 years old, even with two of the youngest coordinators, Nick Rolovich, who will be 32, and Dave Aranda, who will be 34, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.

Five men — head coach Greg McMackin, who turns 66, and assistants Mouse Davis (78), Tomey (73), Cal Lee (66) and Gordy Shaw (55) — sometime this year will be able to claim senior discounts. And an AARP card will soon be in the mail for associate head coach Rich Miano, who reaches 49 by the season opener.

Not to mention the marketing possibilities that could come UH's way with Ensure and senior bus passes.

When Tomey left for Arizona, he termed the time spent at UH as "the greatest experience of my life ..."

Nearly a quarter-century later he's back with an opportunity to add to it.

Cavaliers win

2011-02-12T06:43:00.000-10:00

CLEVELAND (AP) — Daniel Gibson slipped an expensive gold chain over his head and touched its dangling diamond-studded medallion.

Looking up at the crush of cameras, he took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I can smile again," he beamed. "It feels pretty good. Winning is a precious feeling."

The losing streak — so long, so embarrassing, so hard to stop — is over.

Finally. Barely.

Nearly two months after it started innocently, the Cavaliers stopped their NBA-record skid at 26 games Friday night with a 126-119 win in overtime against the Los Angeles Clippers, who did all they could to extend Cleveland's winter misery.

The Cavs, who had become a national joke as the losses piled up, won for the first time since Dec. 18 and just the second time in 38 games. They had to go an extra five minutes to ensure they didn't set the mark for the longest skid in pro sports history.

They'll gladly settle with tying the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the worst streak among the four major sports.

Chuck Tanner

2011-02-11T18:50:00.001-10:00

Chuck Tanner, who managed the Pittsburgh Pirates to one of the greatest comebacks in World Series history, has died. He was 82.

The Pirates said Tanner's family informed them of his death on Friday at his home in New Castle, Pa., after a long illness.

Before his 17 years in the big leagues, Tanner managed the Hawaii Islanders, leading the AAA franchise to their first Pacific Coast League title in 1970.

That team won the Southern Division title and drew a then minor-league best 467,217 at the old Honolulu Stadium, which is now a park in Moiliili. The Islanders lost the overall title to Northern Division champion Spokane, which featured manager Tommy Lasorda and star player Bobby Valentine. The Islanders broadcaster then was Al Michaels.

Tanner left the Islanders and began his illustrious major league career in late September 1970 with the Chicago White Sox.

Tanner managed the White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Pirates and Atlanta Braves during his 17-year career, winning 1,352 games. His crowning achievement came in 1979, when his "We Are Family" Pirates rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Baltimore Orioles for the World Series championship.

Facing elimination in Game 5, Tanner awoke that morning to learn his mother had died in a nursing home. He remained with the team, made all the right moves, and the Pirates outscored the Orioles 15-2 in sweeping the final three games.

Jerry Sloan resigns after 23 seasons

2011-02-10T14:01:00.003-10:00

After repeated clashes with star point guard Deron Williams and a belief he had become undermined with ownership, Jerry Sloan resigned as the Utah Jazz coach after 23 seasons, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The increasingly contentious relationship between Sloan and Williams boiled over when they clashed at halftime of a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. The showdown between Sloan and Williams became so heated on Wednesday, at least two Jazz players feared that the coach and star could come to blows – even though the confrontation ended before reaching that point.

Sloan, 68, had agreed to a one-year contract extension in the past week but his growing frustration became public after a long meeting with Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor following the team’s loss to the Bulls in Salt Lake City.

Sloan, the NBA’s longest-tenured coach, and his longtime assistant, Phil Johnson, resigned together on Thursday. The Jazz planned a 5 p.m. ET news conference to officially make the announcement.

Sloan’s relationship with Williams had grown progressively worse over the course of the season, league sources said, and the coach had tired of dealing with the team’s best player. The frustration escalated on Wednesday night when Sloan and Williams clashed in the locker room at halftime.

“He decided right there in halftime that he was done,” a league source told Yahoo! Sports. “He felt like ownership was listening more to Williams than they were to him anymore. He was done.”

One source said Sloan had become tired of Williams “blaming everything on everyone else.” Still, Williams, who can become a free agent in the summer of 2012, has remained the Jazz’s best and most consistent player after the departure of several key teammates. Williams has always had a reputation for wanting to win badly and being a strong leader.

After feeling undermined, one source said Sloan told Jazz owner Greg Miller that if this is how he wanted to run a franchise, he could do it without him as coach.

Assistant coach Ty Corbin has been named acting head coach, and league sources expect the team will move to secure him as Sloan’s long-term replacement in the near future.

Jim Harbraugh to 49ers

2011-01-08T09:42:00.004-10:00

Jim Harbaugh has agreed to become the next coach of the San Francisco 49ers, according to multiple reports.

After leading Stanford to an Orange Bowl rout over Virginia Tech Monday, Harbaugh quickly took center stage in the football world as he wavered between several options for his coaching future -- the Dolphins and Broncos both reportedly dropped out of the running for the highly coveted coach, while Stanford made one last push to reunite Harbaugh and star QB Andrew Luck for a 2011 run at a national title.

Instead, Harbaugh will end up in San Francisco, which was initially believed to be the front-runner for his services. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Harbaugh's deal with the 49ers is for five years and $25 million.

Harbaugh posted a 29-21 record in four seasons as Stanford's head man, including this year's 12-1 mark that included the Cardinal's BCS-bowl win. He had a 29-6 mark at San Diego, before Stanford hired him away from the Toreros.

Harbaugh, whose only NFL coaching experience came as Oakland's QB coach in 2002-03, will take over the job that became available when the 49ers fired Mike Singletary. San Francisco finished this season a disappointing 6-10, good only for third in the watered-down NFC West.

the greatest winning streak

2011-01-04T21:03:00.002-10:00

The UConn women went for their 89th straight victory last night when they squared off against Florida State. With their win, they passed John Wooden’s famous UCLA men’s teams of the 1970s that put together the 88-game win streak that served as the gold standard in college basketball before Geno Auriemma’s women began their run. Yet neither of these two teams have the greatest winning streak in sports history.

With a streak that is nearly eight years long and counting, Dutch wheelchair tennis starlet Esther Vergeer has persevered from a spinal cord surgery at 8 years old which rendered her paraplegic to dominate the tennis courts like no other.

No matter the surface, Vergeer has known nothing but victory when she hits the court. Heading into next month’s Australian Open, the Dutchwoman is at 401 straight singles victories and counting. During that streak, further, Vergeer went over two years (from August 2004 to October 2006) without losing a single set — a stretch of 250 sets in which she was pushed to a thirteenth-game tiebreaker but once. Vergeer has won every Grand Slam tournament in which she’s competed in singles and all but her first (the 2002 Australian Open) in doubles. She’s taken seven singles and six doubles titles on the hard courts of Melbourne, all four editions of the French Open wheelchair tournament in both singles and doubles, both of the Wimbledon doubles tournaments held on the lawns of the All-England Club, and all five editions of the U.S. Open for both singles and doubles.

Chris Gaines

2010-12-27T20:37:00.001-10:00

Chris Gaines never did it for the attention. The former Hawaii guard piled up points, wins and accolades the only way he knew how -- quietly.

Gaines, the all-time leading scorer in UH basketball history, died suddenly of a heart attack on Christmas Day in Orlando, Fla. He was 42.

Word of his passing spread yesterday, shocking his former teammates and coaches. Most had lost contact with the unassuming Gaines soon after his days as a Rainbow Warrior, when he moved to Florida.

Gaines, who put up 1,734 points between 1986 and 1990, had a wife, Diane, and three children, according to his stepmother, Clara Gaines.

Gaines was highly touted out of Waterloo West High, being named Iowa's Mr. Basketball as a senior. A recruit of then-assistant Bob Nash, he arrived in Manoa under head coach Frank Arnold and endured a coaching change to Riley Wallace a year later.

"He just did what you asked him to do," Wallace said. "He could shoot on those curls and coming off the picks. Great with the backdoor, because he could dunk on that. He was a jumper, too. He just was very, very, very coachable. Whatever you'd ask him to do, he did, and that really fit well as a teammate with all of his other teammates as well. Never a problem of any kind. Never one."

Mariota and Parker top All-State team

2010-12-27T20:34:00.002-10:00

Saint Louis' Marcus Mariota and Juda Parker are the Star-Advertiser's 2010 All-State players of the year.

***

Top Ten Prospects

Hawaii joins Mountain West

2010-12-11T07:31:00.004-10:00

The University of Hawaii announced today that they will leave the Western Athletic Conference for the Mountain West Conference in football, while their other sports will join the Big West Conference.

This move is not a surprise; in fact, rumors of talks between Hawaii and the MWC have been floating for about a month now.

The MWC has lost its three most successful programs over the course of the last year.

Utah has left to join the new Pac-12, BYU has gone independent in football and TCU is joining the Big East.

In response, the MWC has raided the four best teams from the WAC: Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State, and now Hawaii.

This move may prove to be a death blow to the WAC.

The conference has lost all four teams that finished this year with winning records. The teams that remain are Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Utah State, San Jose State, and New Mexico State.

The WAC will add UT San Antonio and Texas State in all sports, and the University of Denver, which doesn't have a football team.

In order for the WAC to remain a football conference, it must have eight teams.

***

In what could be pricey early Christmas gifts, the University of Hawaii announced yesterday that it received — and accepted — invitations to join the Mountain West Conference in football and the Big West Conference in all other sports except men's volleyball, sailing and swimming and diving.

The Big West does not compete in football, and UH's men's volleyball and swimming teams are members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

"This is what our coaches and what our fans want," UH athletic director Jim Donovan said, "and we delivered."

UH will secede from the Western Athletic Conference on June 30, 2012. UH is the WAC's senior member, having joined in 1979.

The announced departures of Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada and UH will leave the WAC with seven football-playing schools in 2012, including Texas State and Texas-San Antonio, both of which will join that year.

Donovan said the geography of the WAC was moving eastward, "and the concern I had was eventually some of those schools would start asking for travel subsidies because of the cost, for them, to travel to Hawaii."

Instead, UH will participate in "cost sharing" — meaning it will pay subsidies — for Mountain West and Big West schools traveling to Hawaii. The payments will involve only airfare, not hotel stays, according to UH officials. They declined to provide estimates, noting negotiations were ongoing.

UH will relinquish the television rights to its sports to the Mountain West and Big West.

UH currently earns $450,000 annually as its share of a deal between the WAC and sports cable-television network ESPN.

In addition, UH earns roughly $2.5 million, mostly from pay-per-view subscriptions, in a deal with Oceanic Time Warner Cable and television station KFVE.

The Mountain West has national television deals with the CBS College Sports Network, Versus and Mountain. In 2009 all but four football games involving Mountain West teams were shown on those channels. If the same arrangements were in place in 2012, most UH games would not be available for pay-per-view sales. Oceanic's UH rights are superseded by the Mountain West's national contract.

However, each Mountain West team receives about $1.45 million a year from the national television deal. And with the loss of three key members, UH, if it had chosen to remain in the WAC, would receive a reduced share, probably about $100,000 annually, from the WAC's deal with ESPN.

In debating whether to leave the WAC, Donovan said, the leadership committee decided "we couldn't afford not to do it."

Curtis Iaukea

2010-12-11T07:17:00.003-10:00

Curtis Iaukea, a Hawaii sports legend as a high school athlete and later a pro wrestler, died yesterday after a long illness.

"He died peacefully, with family around him," his son, Rocky, told the Star-Advertiser, last night. "At his home in Papakolea."

Iaukea was 73.

Iaukea starred in sports at Punahou, and then at the University of California, where he received an award for standing out on offense and defense.

He went on to a year in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and several seasons in the CFL.

But his biggest claim to fame came as a pro athlete in wrestling, where he was known as "King Curtis Iaukea," and Curtis "Da Bull" Iaukea.

Iaukea, who stood 6 feet 5 and weighed 350 pounds, was one of the main headliners who made the 1960s and 1970s the golden age of pro wrestling in Hawaii.

He, along with promoter Ed Francis (father of former NFL great Russ Francis), "King Ripper" Collins and "Handsome" Johnny Barend made 50th State Big Time Wrestling must-see TV during its time with its wild and captivating locker room interviews and antics, much like what's seen in the WWE.

Iaukea would oftentimes hold his interviews in sunglasses with his broad back to the camera.

Iaukea's signature move in the ring was the "Big Splash," where he would launch himself onto a fallen opponent for a pin.

***

Curtis Iaukea stories

Dusty Rhodes on King Curtis

Don Meredith

2010-12-06T10:44:00.002-10:00

Don Meredith, the Dallas Cowboys and SMU quarterback and Monday Night Football icon, died Sunday evening in Santa Fe, N.M. He was 72.

Meredith died at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, a hospital spokesman confirmed this morning. The Meredith family's attorney, Lisa Fine Moses, said his wife, Susan, and daughter Mary were at his side.

Meredith had battled emphysema in recent years and suffered a minor stroke in 2004.

He was the only living Cowboys Ring of Honor member unable to attend the franchise's September 2009 inaugural game at Cowboys Stadium.

Meredith was the original Dallas Cowboy, signing a personal services contract on Nov. 28, 1959, two months before the franchise officially gained admittance into the NFL.

Hailing from Mount Vernon in East Texas, the quarterback nicknamed "Dandy Don" had the unique distinction of playing all of his home high school, college and professional football games within 100 miles of Dallas.

"I'm very thankful," said Meredith, when a reporter from The News visited him in Santa Fe last October for a profile commemorating the 50th anniversary of his signing with the Cowboys. "I'm very thankful about where I'm from and who I am."

He had given few interviews since leaving the Monday Night Football booth in 1984, preferring to remain largely out of the public eye while residing in Santa Fe with Susan, to whom he was married for 38 years.

Meredith was a two-time All-American at SMU and played for the Cowboys from 1960 to 1968. He led the Cowboys to the 1966 and 1967 NFL title games, both defeats to the Green Bay Packers, but he abruptly retired from pro football at age 31.

Already famous in his native Texas, he quickly became a national celebrity through his work on Monday Night Football, starting in 1970. Millions tuned in each week to hear Meredith's quick wit, homespun stories and needling of intellectual booth-mate Howard Cosell.

And, famously, Meredith would croon "The Party's Over" to viewers when he determined that the game was out of reach.

By BRAD TOWNSEND/The Dallas Morning News
btownsend@dallasnews.com

LeBron returns to Cleveland

2010-12-03T03:48:00.001-10:00

CLEVELAND » He tuned out the boos. He smiled at the derisive chants. He embraced all the negativity Cleveland could muster.

LeBron James wasn't fazed by anything.

He brought his talents back home and reminded everyone -- even the haters -- why he's missed.

Returning as a villain to his native state and the city he scorned this summer, James scored 38 points -- 24 in a virtuoso third-quarter performance -- to lead the Miami Heat to a 118-90 win last night, turning his hostile homecoming into another embarrassing moment for the Cavaliers.

By halftime, James was the one having fun. By the fourth quarter, he was watching from the bench as Cavs fans headed into the cold for a disappointing drive home.

This wasn't the payback they waited five months to inflict.

With security guards forming a human barricade to line his entrance, James came hopping out of the tunnel and into the electrically charged atmosphere inside Quicken Loans Arena, as more than 20,000 fans, the same ones who once adored him, turned their fury on James.

It was rowdy, but thankfully not violent. There were a few minor incidents in the stands.

Just in case, Moondog, the Cavs' fuzzy mascot, wore a bulletproof vest.

Artie Wilson 1920-2010

2010-11-23T17:35:00.002-10:00

Artie Wilson, a pesky, slap-hitting shortstop in the Negro leagues who created a signing feud between the Yankees and the Cleveland Indians after he hit .402 for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948, a circumstance that may have cost him a major league career, died Oct. 31 in Portland, Ore. He was 90.

Wilson played five years for Birmingham, where, in spite of having lost the top joint of his right thumb in a factory accident, he twice led the Negro American League in batting and became a mentor and friend to a teenage teammate, Willie Mays.

A speedy left-handed hitter, Wilson epitomized the table-setting leadoff man. He hit so often to the opposite field that some teams played three infielders on the left side against him. He was also an accomplished base-stealer and a slick fielder, especially adept at turning the double play.

His sky-high average in 1948, the year after Jackie Robinson integrated the major leagues, is thought to represent the last time anyone at the top level of professional baseball broke the .400 barrier. (Ted Williams, the last major league player to accomplish the feat, batted .406 in 1941.)

Arthur Lee Wilson was born in Springfield, Ala., on Oct. 28, 1920, and raised by his mother, Martha Wilson, in Birmingham. He played semipro ball for a factory team before joining the Black Barons in 1944. After being released by the Giants, he played minor league ball for several more seasons before starting a career in auto sales.

In addition to his wife, the former Dorothy Daniels, whom he married in 1949, he is survived by their two children, Zoe A. Wilson Price, of Forsyth, Ill., and Arthur Lee II, of Honolulu; a daughter from a previous marriage, Jean Walden, of Youngstown, Ohio; a grandson, three granddaughters and nine great-grandsons.

“A baseball team,” Dorothy Wilson said.

Colt Brennan injured in car crash

2010-11-20T23:07:00.001-10:00

Former University of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan was in serious condition at the Queen's Medical Center last night, suffering multiple injuries from a two-vehicle collision yesterday morning in Kona.

Also seriously injured was a 47-year-old woman who was driving a Saab sedan that was struck head-on by the car in which Brennan was a passenger.

***

WHAT HAPPENED
Colt Brennan was a passenger in an SUV driven by his girlfriend, Shakti Stream. They were headed north on Queen Kaahumanu Highway near the 90-mile marker at about 9:30 a.m. yesterday. Stream told police the brake malfunctioned, causing the SUV to cross the center line and collide head-on with a Saab sedan driven by a 47-year-old woman, a source said, adding that neither vehicle was speeding.

WHO WAS HURT
» Colt Brennan: He suffered cracked ribs, an injured left collarbone and possible head trauma; taken to Queen's hospital yesterday.

» Shakti Stream: Brennan's girlfriend sustained a broken collarbone; was hospitalized in Kona overnight.

» Second driver: An unidentified woman, 47, had serious leg injuries; taken to an Oahu hospital yesterday.

Penn shocks Hughes

2010-11-20T22:59:00.004-10:00

B.J. Penn is far from finished. Lightweight legend disappeared from pound-for-pound top 10 lists after dropping two fights to current UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar. Looks like Edgar is just that good and a terrible matchup for Penn. Against a slower, less dangerous striker in Matt Hughes, Penn looked like a world beater.

Hughes came out looking to strike and got drilled by a counter right. The former welterweight champ fell to his back where he took four blasting rights and a left. Referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in to save Hughes at 0:21 of the first round in the co-main event of UFC 123.

Seconds after the TKO, a confused Hughes asked his cornermen, "what happened?"

***

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson couldn’t solve the defensive wizardry of Lyoto Machida and deliver the knockout he wanted in the main event of UFC 123 on Saturday night, but he did enough to secure a split decision in a battle so close that Jackson said Machida deserved an immediate rematch.

“Machida whipped (me) tonight,” Jackson said. “I’m so ashamed of myself tonight. He did a great job. I didn’t get to do what I wanted. I say the fight was so close, even though I don’t want to, I have to give him a rematch.”

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was surprised to find his hand raised after he was announced as the winner of his UFC 123 match against Lyoto Machida.
(Getty Images)

The unusual concession came after three rounds of, at times, awkward fighting in what was billed as a clash of styles here at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Jackson, of Memphis, comes from an old-school brawling, wrestling background. He starred in last summer’s “The A-Team” as B.A. Baracus. Machida, of Brazil, is a karate-based counter attacker from Brazil. Both are former UFC light heavyweight champions.

Jackson chased Machida for most of the fight but only occasionally landed a heavy punch. Machida countered with some strong kicks and controlled Jackson on the ground during the third round, but it wasn’t enough. The judges seemed impressed with Rampage’s aggressiveness.

Hawaii leaving WAC

2010-11-19T03:09:00.000-10:00

After months of anxiety, the University of Hawaii's athletic future suddenly came into focus last night with the stunning revelation that it expects to leave the Western Athletic Conference to join the Mountain West Conference in football and place most of its other sports in the Big West Conference.

UH has been a member of the WAC, the only conference home its football team has had, for 32 years. Talks are still pending, but school officials left little doubt the move will be made for the 2012-13 season.

Kahuku forfeits season

2010-11-07T01:34:00.004-10:00

[11/10/10] The Oahu Interscholastic Association could have chosen not to take action against the Kahuku High School football team for using an ineligible player this season, according to league bylaws.

However, once the league decided it would, its bylaws dictate that the mandatory penalty is forfeiture of all games in which the team used the ineligible player, a state judge ruled yesterday.

Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto's ruling came in a lawsuit filed by three Kahuku football players and their parents challenging OIA's decision last week to end Kahuku's season before it got to play in last Friday's OIA championship game against Mililani.

Sakamoto upheld the OIA decision, and the ruling prevents Kahuku from participating in the state high school football championship tournament, which begins Friday. Kahuku was undefeated and No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser's top 10 poll going into the OIA championship game.

A lawyer for the Kahuku players and parents said they will not appeal Sakamoto's ruling.

[11/9/10] The Oahu Interscholastic Association will oppose a request before a state judge this morning to allow Kahuku High School to participate in the state high school football championships starting Friday.

Three Kahuku football players and their parents filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging the OIA's decision last week to bar the school from the playoffs because it had to forfeit games over an ineligible player.

The suit said innocent team members and others would be unduly harmed by an "inadvertent clerical error."

Lyle Hosoda, the OIA's lawyer, said Kahuku High was allowed to present its side before the forfeiture decision.

"It's a situation that is unfortunate and regrettable," he said. "We have to apply the rules uniformly and equally to all."

The Hawaii High School Athletic Association will also oppose the request, according to its attorney, Joseph Stewart.

He said allowing Kahuku to participate would be "catastrophic" in terms of extending the state playoffs and rescheduling games.

The lawsuit says the error involved a player who was in ninth grade for a brief period before he was transferred back to eighth grade.

He went back to Kahuku the following year, the attorneys said.

But under OIA rules a student can be eligible for only four consecutive years "upon entry to the ninth grade," which would mean he would not be eligible this year because of his initial ninth-grade enrollment five years ago.

The lawsuit and supporting papers described the student as a "minor" player who was academically ineligible until he played on the team for the first time this season.

The OIA, the suit's lawyers said, has handled other incidents in "far less draconian" ways than "penalizing the entire team comprised of entirely innocent student athletes."

They said the OIA refused to hear the players' and parents' side of the controversy before the organization made its decision. The refusal, the suit said, violated their rights to due process under the state and federal constitutions.

Della Au Belatti, a member of Seitz's law firm who will handle the case, said yesterday that they were still seeking a "flexible solution" that would avoid litigation and still allow Kahuku in the playoffs.

But after Sakamoto met the lawyers privately in chambers in the afternoon, the OIA and HHSAA lawyers said they opposed the request for an injunction.

[11/8/10] He quarterbacked the finest high school team in Hawaii this fall.

Now, Evan Moe has taken his offense to another level.

Moe, a senior who guided Kahuku to a 10-0 record, is a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit to be filed this morning against the Oahu Interscholastic Association, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and state Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.

The intent? To supersede an OIA ruling, allowing the Red Raiders to play in the state football tournament that starts Friday.

OIA Football Coordinator Harold Tanaka declined comment, noting that he and Executive Director Dwight Toyama are bound to legalities. "I can't comment on this," Tanaka said yesterday afternoon. "It's with the attorneys."

The suit was announced yesterday by attorney Eric Seitz, who is working pro bono on behalf of Moe, his brother Sterling Moe and Jamal Napeahi. Parents Delsa Moe and Joseph Napeahi are also listed as plaintiffs because the players are minors.

The legal angle was a brainchild of parents, former players and other supporters who have been riled up since Friday when the OIA ruled that the Red Raiders had used an ineligible player during the season. Kahuku was prohibited from playing in the league championship game against Mililani on Friday night and is done for the season.

According to Seitz, the player ruled ineligible had bounced between eighth and ninth grade and had never played football until this season, not realizing that he was, technically, a fifth-year senior.

"Adults made mistakes, and kids are being required to pay for it and that is simply an outrageous situation," Seitz said. "There was no fault by any of these people. There was really only minimal responsibility by anybody at Kahuku High School for what happened. The situation that occurred was simply something that could not be avoided. For the OIA to have taken the action that it took, basically to bring down the death penalty for a minor infraction, is something that we simply cannot tolerate."

***

The top-ranked Kahuku High football team lost its appeal yesterday to school administrators for using an ineligible player and will have to forfeit the season, it was announced yesterday by the Oahu Interscholastic Association.

As a result, Mililani won the OIA Red Conference title, and the two teams involved in tonight's third-place game between Leilehua and Waianae automatically advance to the state tournament playoff that begins next weekend.

The infraction was self-reported by Kahuku at an OIA sanctioning committee meeting on Thursday night that led to the forfeiture. The Red Raiders appealed the ruling yesterday but failed to sway the committee.

A statement released by the OIA said the league "unfortunately and regrettably must declare Kahuku High School ineligible to participate in any further varsity football games this season, and must forfeit all games in which it used an ineligible player."

***

Kahuku (10-0) had been a season-long No. 1 team in the Star-Advertiser Football Top 10, heading into yesterday's scheduled matchup with Mililani for the OIA Red title. Among the wins was a 49-27 rout of No. 2 Saint Louis in an early nonconference game.

Two weeks ago, a rumor surfaced that two Kahuku players were in their fifth year of high school, which would mean they were ineligible to play sports. Torres said he looked into it and found the players to be eligible.

By Wednesday, word of a possible ineligibility surfaced again. Principal Donna Lindsey contacted OIA executive director Dwight Toyama. The self-reporting process required Lindsey to conduct her own investigation, and the results were reported to the league in a Thursday night meeting that lasted 3 hours.

When the league scheduled a follow-up meeting for 11 a.m., yesterday, the writing was on the wall. When the morning came, the announcement of a press conference to follow the OIA meeting all but made it official.

Vikings waive bye-bye to Randy Moss

2010-11-02T10:06:00.003-10:00

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. » Just four weeks ago, Randy Moss gushed about returning to Minnesota. He felt fortunate to return to his first team and was looking forward to seeing those purple No. 84 jerseys again.

One day after Moss' rant following a loss at New England, the happy reunion was over.

Vikings players confirmed yesterday that coach Brad Childress informed them during a team meeting that the wide receiver had been released.

"This decision was made based on what we thought was in the best interests of the Minnesota Vikings, both in the short and long term," Childress said last night in a team-issued statement. "We wish Randy the best as he moves forward in his career."

The NFL Network first reported the struggling Vikings (2-5) had waived the six-time Pro Bowler less than a month after acquiring him from the Patriots for a third-round draft pick. Moss returned to New England on Sunday and was wistful about his days with the AFC East leaders following Minnesota's 28-18 loss and critical of the Vikings for not taking his game-planning advice.

Moss, who was fined $25,000 last week for failing to cooperate with the media and make himself regularly available for interviews, stepped to the podium after Sunday's game but announced he wouldn't take any questions. He repeatedly expressed admiration for coach Bill Belichick and his former team and criticized the Vikings for not paying enough attention to his advice in the run-up to the game.

"I'm definitely down that we lost this game. I didn't expect we'd lose this game," Moss said. "I don't know how many more times I'll be in New England again. But I leave Coach Belichick and those guys with a salute: 'I love you guys. I miss you. I'm out.' "

***

[11/3/10] The Titans felt that Randy Moss was just too good to pass up twice.

So they didn't.

After skipping Moss in the 1998 draft, Tennessee claimed him off the waiver wire Wednesday.

"Timing is everything," coach Jeff Fisher told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. "I really think the quicker we get him on the field, the longer he's here, the more productive he'll be. We think that he can help us, and I'm looking forward to seeing him run under those deep balls."

The Titans didn't seem to be the front-runner to get Moss, ranking 23rd among NFL teams in the waiver system. But Tennessee was the only team to put in a claim on the talented, but much-traveled wideout.

Concerned about Moss' characer in 1998, Tennessee, then the Oilers, drafted Kevin Dyson with the 16th pick overall instead.

Fisher said the Titans did their "due diligence" on Moss. That included talking to Moss and former teammates like current Titans backup quarterback Kerry Collins. Fisher said Moss was excited about the move, and the NFL's longest-tenured coach with his current team isn't concerned about how the 13-year veteran now with his third team this season.