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(05/29/08 1:28am)
INDIANAPOLIS – Tony Kanaan skidded out of control after a run-in with his teammate. Danica Patrick was clipped by another car just trying to get off pit road. With all those yellow flags, it was hard to get up to speed at the Indianapolis 500.\nSo when did Scott Dixon take the lead for the final time on his way to Victory Lane?\nIn the pits. During the last caution period, no less.\nSpeeding back to the track after the final round of stops, Dixon came out ahead of Vitor Meira – thanks a lot, crew – and pulled away over the final 29 laps to capture his first Indy 500 victory Sunday, holding off the Brazilian and hard-luck Marco Andretti.\nThe 27-year-old New Zealander started from the pole and stayed ahead of all the trouble, leading more laps than everyone else combined on a day when yellow was the predominant color, coming out eight times to slow up more than a third of the race.\n“I didn’t know what it felt like, but it feels pretty bloody amazing,” Dixon said after taking a traditional sip of milk.\nHe stayed patient and focused even while making 69 of the 200 laps around the 2 1/2 mile oval behind the pace car. Among those who weren’t around at the end: Kanaan, Patrick and 19-year-old Graham Rahal, the son of 1986 winner Bobby Rahal and last-place finisher in his first 500.\nDixon made the last pit stop trailing Meira, who had been out front for 12 laps after a daring move between Dixon and Ed Carpenter. But the red No. 9 car returned to the track with the lead.\n“You just thought something was going to go wrong,” Dixon said. “There were so many yellows, it was really hard to get into a rhythm.”\nStill savoring her landmark victory in Japan, Patrick failed to finish for the first time in four trips to Indy, though it wasn’t her fault. She was banged on pit road by Ryan Briscoe with 29 laps to go, breaking the left rear suspension on a car that had run in the top 10 most of the race but never challenged for the lead.\nPatrick finished 22nd and was steaming afterward. After climbing out of her helpless car, she ripped off her gloves and stomped angrily toward Briscoe’s Team Penske pits. A track security official cut her off before she could get there.\n“Probably best I didn’t get down there anyway,” Patrick said.\nEven if she’d been running at the end, it’s highly unlikely Patrick would have caught Dixon. He clearly had the fastest car on the track, just as he had throughout the month of May.\nDixon led 115 of the 200 laps and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dan Wheldon was out front for 30 more, backing up the speed they had shown in practice and qualifications.\n“I was worried going into the race just because we had such a smooth month,” Dixon said. “It was one of those things where you’re sort of waiting for something to go wrong.”\nMaybe he was thinking back to a year ago. A sudden storm ended the race under yellow, and all Dixon could do was coast across the line behind winner Dario Franchitti.\nNo such worries this time.\n“You’re clear now,” Dixon’s spotter screamed over the radio as he cleared the last group of lapped cars with two turns to go. “Bring it home! Bring it home!”
(05/25/08 10:04pm)
INDIANAPOLIS - Scott Dixon stayed ahead of the trouble, got a boost from his crew and drove to his first Indianapolis 500 victory Sunday.
(04/11/08 4:37am)
Zach Johnson went on the defensive at the Masters, as if trying to show last year’s win was hardly a fluke.\nOn a sunny opening day that featured Ian Poulter’s hole-in-one and overwhelming favorite Tiger Woods needing 15 holes to get warmed up, Johnson was steady all the way around the course on his way to a 2-under 70 at Augusta National. Johnson and Poulter finished two shots behind a two-way tie for first place after day one.\nWoods plodded through the first 12 holes with nothing but pars on a warm, sunny day at Augusta National. He stumbled with two straight bogeys but quickly got back to even when he chipped in from just off the green at No. 15, bringing out his first fist pump of the tournament.\nOf course, it’s early. No matter what happens in the opening round, Woods likely will remain the overwhelming favorite to win his fifth green jacket – the starting point for an unprecedented Grand Slam.\nJohnson was little more than an afterthought, despite his improbable win a year ago. His victory was viewed as a fluke of the weather. Cold, blustery conditions made it possible for him to play it safe and claim the green jacket with a 1-over 289, tied for highest winning scorer in Masters history.\nStill, Johnson was the only player in the field with a chance to win back-to-back titles, a feat accomplished by only three other golfers.\n“All in all, a pretty good solid round,” said Johnson, who shot 35 on the front side and matched it on the back nine. “I’m very, very honored to be the defending champion.”\nPoulter, known as much for his garish outfits and eccentric hairstyles as his shot-making, sent the patrons into a frenzy with his hole-in-one at the 170-yard gem known \nas Redbud.\nWith more fans than ever able to watch from the adjacent hill, Poulter launched an 8-iron over the water that landed about 20 feet right of the hole, curled up and around the ridge – and rolled right in.\n“As soon as it left the club, I knew it was going to be pretty good,” Poulter said. “It was quite nice to see it drop.”\nThe patrons roared as though it was the back nine Sunday.\n“There was an unbelievable buzz,” said Poulter, who actually went a little tame with his attire: lime green pants with matching visor, and a striped white shirt. “That was a special moment. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. It was great.”
(08/22/07 2:52am)
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons are hurt and confused. They’re struggling to comprehend how the guy they knew as a star on the field and a friend in the locker room could have gotten himself into this much trouble.\nAt least the uncertainty is gone. The players who once lined up with Michael Vick know he’s gone – and probably never coming back.\n“He’s not on the team,” running back Warrick Dunn said Tuesday. “That pretty much makes him an ex-teammate.”\nThe Falcons have no choice but to move on, though Vick’s decision Monday to plead guilty to federal dogfighting charges will have broad ramifications.\nInstead of having one of the NFL’s most dynamic players, Atlanta must turn over the quarterback position to former No. 3 overall pick Joey Harrington, a flop in both Detroit and Miami.\nDown the road, there will be major salary cap issues to address as the Falcons deal with the leftovers of Vick’s $130 million contract.\nVeterans such as Dunn, offensive tackle Wayne Gandy and linebacker Keith Brooking, all in their 30s and eager to play with a contender, suddenly find themselves on a team that everyone is picking to be one of the worst in the league.\n“This is unprecedented,” Brooking said. “It’s never happened before. For us to sit here and try to reconcile that or put it all in perspective, it’s very confusing.”\nThe Falcons practiced for just under two hours Tuesday, trying to carry on as if it was business as usual.\nCoach Bobby Petrino addressed the situation with his team, gauging their feelings and trying to get a handle on how they wanted to express it.\nSome players wanted to talk with the media. Some didn’t.\n“They’ve got me under a gag order,” said outspoken cornerback DeAngelo Hall, a teammate of Vick’s at both Virginia Tech and with the Falcons.\nPetrino said any gag orders were self-imposed.\n“I told them there would be a number of guys today that spoke with the media,” the first-year coach said. “Some guys didn’t feel like they wanted to. That’s fine. I have no problem with that.”\nTight end Alge Crumpler seemed most passionate about Vick’s predicament. They came into the league the same year and Crumpler quickly emerged as Vick’s favorite receiver. Now, it looks as though they’ll never hook up on another passing play again.\nVick is likely to be sentenced to at least a year in prison – and probably longer – after he enters his guilty plea next week. He also faces certain punishment from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell under a tougher personal conduct policy that went into effect this year. Vick is likely to miss at least two seasons before he can even think about a comeback.\n“Michael is a human being,” Crumpler said. “People have been trying to dehumanize him. But he’s hurting. I know that. Believe me, he’s hurting.”\nVick is only 27 and likely to miss some of his best years, but his young age leaves open the possibility that he’ll be able to resume his career, even if it’s with another team.\nHis one-time teammates hope he’ll learn from his egregious mistakes and come back a stronger, better person.\n“Michael is loyal to a fault,” Crumpler said. “I think that really hurt him in this situation.”\nThe Falcons won’t be making an immediate decision on Vick’s future, having been asked by the NFL to hold off until the league gets a report from its own investigator.\nThat hasn’t stopped some players from trying to reach out to Vick, offering support as he faces the possibility of a lengthy prison term. Gandy and Crumpler have both been sending frequent text messages, trying to let the quarterback know that he’s not alone.\n“It’s kind of hard,” Gandy conceded. “You don’t really know what to say.”\n“I try to send him a positive note every day,” Crumpler added. “I want to make sure he keeps his head up.”\nStill, there’s no getting away from the lurid allegations in the indictment: dogs being electrocuted and drowned when they didn’t show enough fighting spirit, some of them reportedly killed by Vick himself.\n“It’s disturbing, obviously,” Dunn said. “That someone of his caliber would be associated with that is the troubling part.”
(05/10/07 4:00am)
It would be easy to listen to the new Rush album, Snakes and Arrows, and think: 'the 1980s called, they want their album back.' But from the opening track it is clear that there is something fresh about this album. This album is a return to the monster progressive sound that Rush hit the scene with, but also serves to show how far they have come as a band. With the assistance of Grammy-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, known for his work with the Foo Fighters, Rush has delivered again on its 18th full-length studio album.\nAs the proverbial needle drops on the first track, "Far Cry," the listener is greeted with a juxtaposition of acoustic and electric guitars and a few bars later, a thumping bass line that is sure to get your head bopping. Vocalist Geddy Lee sounds as good as ever as his voice soars over the vast soundscape of all that is Rush. One highlight off Snakes and Arrows is the epic-sounding instrumental, "The Main Monkey Business." Drummer Neil Peart drives this track that any progressive rock fan will love. Another highlight is "The Way the Wind Blows," a track that is opened up by a blues riff that works its way in and out of the tune as it plays. \nThis disc will surely quench any fan's thirst for more Rush but may also bring in some new fans. The band covers the grid in terms of genres, moving seamlessly from progressive beasts to ballads. For a band that has seen fame since the mid- to late-'70s, it is truly a feat to create a new album that stays true to their sound while also sounding new, relevant and exciting. The more listeners spin this album, the more they will appreciate the utter complexity that this band brings to the table. Snakes and Arrows is a must-listen for any fan of this band or progressive rock itself. Guitarist Alex Lifeson thrills throughout, and at the album's end the listener is left wanting more.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Need a reliable starting pitcher? Chuck James is your man.\nLooking for someone to install a set of double-pane windows or put in a new door? He can handle that, too.\nIn a throwback to the era when baseball players routinely worked during the offseason to make ends meet, James worked until January at a blue-collar job, getting up at daybreak and not returning home until long after the sun went down.\nNever mind that he was coming off a strong rookie season with the Atlanta Braves. Never mind that he now makes a six-figure salary. For James, it just seemed natural to return to the job that he’s had during past offseasons.\n“I don’t like being in the house very much,” said James, who went 11-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 2006. “Working a job keeps my mind off baseball and gets me out into the real world a little bit. I realize this is kind of my vacation. I treat my other job as work.”\nThe 25-year-old left-hander was employed by a family friend who contracts with Lowe’s to install windows and doors. It was hardly a glamorous job – James had to set his alarm for 6 a.m. so he could make a long drive through Atlanta’s notorious traffic to meet his crew, clean out the truck and pick up supplies.\nOnly then would he actually begin a project, staying at it as long as there was daylight. James would usually get home around 8 p.m., giving him a couple of hours to eat dinner, work out and spend time with his new wife before he headed to bed.\n“Putting in windows is kind of easy,” he said. “Doors are a little tougher. You’ve got to make sure you get them straight and all.”\nIf there’s anyone who appreciates the perks of being a major league player, it’s James. He can’t believe that someone is always standing by in the clubhouse, ready to take care of his every whim. Heck, he’s still amazed at how many pairs of cleats everyone gets.\n“I’m not going to say we came from the poor part of town. We did all right. But we got a pair of cleats and a glove, and we had to go out there and play all year,” said James, who grew up in a rural area northwest of Atlanta. “When I got two pairs of cleats in the minor leagues, I was pretty pumped up about that. When I came into spring training this year, it was like Christmas all over again.”\nWith his homespun demeanor and simple approach to life, James is a constant source of amusement in the Braves clubhouse.\n“Did you hear about the time he was bitten by a snake?” manager Bobby Cox asked reporters.\nJames recounted how he was walking through the woods at 4 o’clock in the morning – that’s another story – when he felt a piercing pain in his right leg. He took another step and felt an even stronger pain. Finally getting into the light, he saw one fang mark on the outside on the ankle, two more on the inside and blood pouring everywhere.\nThere wasn’t a hospital nearby, and it didn’t matter anyway because heavy rain had turned the road into a muddy mess. One of his friends looked at the wound and declared, “If it hasn’t killed you yet, you’re not going to die.” Even though his leg was badly swollen the next day, James didn’t even bother going to a doctor.
(04/07/06 5:46am)
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Vijay Singh was at the top of the Masters leaderboard. No surprise there.\nPhil Mickelson was right in the mix. That's to be expected.\nTiger Woods got off to a sluggish start at Augusta National. Sounds about right.\nStill, there were plenty of surprises on Day 1: Rocco Mediate and Arron Oberholser were Singh's closest challengers, and Ben Crenshaw -- who was talking retirement a day earlier -- put himself in contention with a stunning round.\nShowing no regard for the longer, tougher course, Singh put up a bogey-free, 5-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead over Mediate on Thursday. Oberholser, a Masters rookie, was another shot back.\n"I played pretty decent," Singh said. "I didn't make too many mistakes. I had a lot of chances early on and I putted very well."\nMickelson shot 70, part of a group three strokes off the lead that included two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen.\nLefty said it's much easier to play the Masters now that he's a past champion, having won in 2004, when he captured his first major title. He added the PGA Championship last year.\n"It's a different feel teeing off in this tournament knowing you've won it," Mickelson said. "I always wanted to win it so bad ... that it was harder to let my swings go, relax and enjoy the day. I feel I can do that now."\nSingh and Mediate had something in common. They were the first two players to make birdies on the 11th hole, a tough test that became even harder when Augusta National decided to super-size its course to 7,445 yards -- the second-longest in major championship history behind Whistling Straits.\nThat's where the similarities end.\nSingh is a three-time major champion who won the Masters in 2000. Mediate qualified for Augusta based on a sixth-place finish at the U.S. Open last summer. Otherwise, he's been mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, finishing 114th on the money list a year ago -- an improvement on his 176th-place showing in 2004.\n"I haven't been here in a while," Mediate quipped as he walked into the interview room. "Still the same, though."\nOberholser didn't have high expectations coming into his first Masters, and his attitude remained the same after he shot 69.\n"No one expects me to win this championship," he said. "I don't expect me to win this championship. I have goals, sure, but they're very small ones. Baby steps, basically. This is not going to be my last Masters, that's for sure. Learning this course is paramount."\nWoods, the defending champion, came in as an overwhelming favorite to win his fifth green jacket -- only Jack Nicklaus has more -- and felt good about his opening 72.\nHe holed out his second shot from 163 yards for eagle at No. 14, one of the toughest holes on the course. But he gave it right back with a double-bogey 7 at the par-5 15th, getting a bad break when his layup shot caught a divot, then he knocked it in the water.\nWoods finished strong with a birdie at No. 18, leaving him solidly in contention. Remember: He started last year with a 74, but went on to beat Chris DiMarco in a playoff.\n"I thought I played really well, actually," said Woods, who's never broken 70 in the first round of the Masters. "I'm better than I was last year. I'm in good shape."\nPlenty of golfers were struggling on the longer course.\nU.S. Open champion Michael Campbell had a 75. Two-time Master winner Jose Maria Olazabal struggled to a 76. So did American Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, two days after he was uninjured in a random, drive-by shooting on the way to pick up his family at the Augusta airport. David Duval had an 84 for his worst Masters round ever.\nMediate started with 10 straight pars, then sparked a stretch of four birdies in five holes beginning at the most unlikely spot possible. Dozens of new pine trees have been planted along the right side of the 11th fairway. The tee was moved back to 505 yards, making it the longest par-4 on the course.\nStill, Mediate managed the first birdie of the day at the treacherous hole. After driving into the left rough, he knocked a 5-iron to 10 feet and made the putt.\n"You're not supposed to do that on that hole," Mediate said. "I actually kind of apologized to the hole as I left."\nSingh was 1 under when he went to 11, "the hole we all think about before we go out there." He pulled off a 5-iron from the right rough, the ball settling 10 feet from the flag.\n"I had a difficult shot there," he said. "I was lucky to make birdie."\nMickelson and Goosen were joined at 70 by South Africa's Tim Clark and Australia's Geoff Ogilvy, another Masters rookie.\nTwo major winners from 2003, Mike Weir (Masters) and Ben Curtis (British Open), were part of the group at 71, joined by the biggest surprise of the day. Crenshaw broke par at Augusta National for the first time since he closed with a 68 in 1995 to capture his second green jacket.\n"I had a few miracles out there," the Texan said.\nCrenshaw hasn't made a Masters cut since 1997 and hinted Wednesday that his playing days at Augusta were nearly done. Now, he might want to reconsider.\n"I enjoy playing here so much," he said.\nWoods, a 2-to-1 favorite, is just the third player to win the Masters four times, tying him with Arnold Palmer and putting him two behind Nicklaus. Then again, Woods has other things on his mind -- for the first time, he's playing the Masters without his father.\nEarl Woods is ravaged by cancer and too weak to travel, his condition so serious that his son flew across country to California the day before The Players Championship to check on him. Woods returned to Sawgrass and tied for 22nd, hurting his chances with poor iron play and substandard putting.\n"I know it's difficult for him," said Crenshaw, who won in '95 just days after the burying his mentor and friend, Harvey Penick. "I'm sure he's thinking about it every second. But he's got a job to do. Sometimes, you do things that you don't think you're capable of doing."\nWoods said he didn't speak with his father before the round.\n"I had enough to worry about," Woods said, "trying to get out there and hit a shot"
(10/07/05 5:11am)
ATLANTA -- The Braves rocked the Rocket, John Smoltz picked up where he left off six years ago, and Atlanta finds itself all even with the Houston Astros in the NL playoffs.\nRookie Brian McCann hit a three-run homer in his first postseason at-bat, which were all the runs Smoltz needed to lead the Braves past Roger Clemens and the Astros 7-1 on Thursday night, tying the best-of-five series at one game apiece.\nSmoltz broke a one-day tie with Houston's Andy Pettitte to reclaim the title of baseball's winningest postseason pitcher. The right-hander improved to 15-4 with seven strong innings in his first October start since the 1999 World Series.\nWith the NL East champion Braves having bounced back from a 10-5 loss in Game 1, the series shifts to Houston. Twenty-game winner Roy Oswalt is set to go against Atlanta's surprising 13-game winner, Jorge Sosa, on Saturday.\nThe Astros hope Oswalt looks better than Clemens, who led the majors in ERA (1.87) at age 43 but was bothered late in the season by a sore hamstring.\nMcCann sent the Turner Field crowd into a frenzy when he connected with two outs and two on in the second, driving a fastball into the right-field seats to put the Braves up 3-1.\nThe 21-year-old catcher became the first player in Braves history -- including Boston and Milwaukee, too -- to homer in his first trip to the plate in the postseason.\nMcCann, one of 18 rookies who played for Atlanta this season, started the year at Double-A Mississippi. He was born less than three months before Clemens made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 1984.\nThe Braves stretched their lead to 5-1 in the third. Adam LaRoche hit an opposite-field double to bring home two more runs. The ball slipped under the glove of diving left fielder Orlando Palmeiro before rolling all the way to the wall.\nWith Smoltz on the mound -- stiff shoulder and all -- the lead was secure. This is what he yearned for after spending three-plus seasons as the Braves closer, a role that left his playoff fortunes in the hands of others.\nSmoltz had to wait an extra day to make this long-awaited playoff start, getting bumped from the expected Game 1 nod to give his shoulder a little extra rest.\nNo problem, considering how long he already had waited.\nBack in that '99 World Series, Smoltz's last year as a starter before an elbow injury cost him an entire season and prompted his move to the bullpen, he struck out 11 in Game 4 against the Yankees.\nIt wasn't enough to keep New York from completing the sweep with a 4-1 victory. And the winning pitcher that day? Clemens, who was back to face Smoltz, now 38, in the oldest pitching matchup in postseason history.\nThe Braves added two more runs in the seventh against reliever Chad Qualls, even with two runners thrown out on the basepaths. Andruw Jones and Jeff Francoeur had RBI singles to give the shaky Braves bullpen a six-run cushion.\nJones, who came into the playoffs mired in a 6-for-51 slump, followed up a Game 1 homer with three more hits, scoring each time.\nChris Reitsma, who retired only one hitter while giving up four runs in the opener, gave up a leadoff single in the eighth but retired the next three hitters. Closer Kyle Farnsworth worked a scoreless ninth.\nHouston took a 1-0 lead in the first on a run-scoring single by Jason Lane.\nSmoltz threw 93 pitches, his shoulder holding up just fine as he gave up one run and seven hits. His only walk was an intentional one, and he struck out five.\nClemens left after the fifth, his line showing five runs, six hits, three walks and only two strikeouts. It equaled the most earned runs he allowed during a regular-season game, and Houston's offensive support was about par for the course.\nIn 20 of the Rocket's 32 starts coming into the playoffs, the Astros scored three runs or less -- including nine shutouts.
(02/02/05 5:07am)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Terrell Owens strolled onto the field, claiming a podium near the 25-yard line. It would have been more appropriate to put him right in the middle of the field.\nT.O. was clearly in his comfort zone Tuesday at the Super Bowl's media extravaganza -- the center of attention, the star of the show, the guy making all the news.\nAnd say this about the Philadelphia Eagles' All-Pro receiver: He didn't leave anyone in suspense. Less than a minute after the tape recorders and cameras began rolling, Owens made his pronouncement.\n"I will play on Sunday," he said, relishing the moment as he gazed out at some 100 members of the media hanging on his \nevery word.\nThen, transforming the podium into a pulpit, Owens put on an hourlong performance that was part Ali, part Reverend Ike -- and pure T.O.\n"If you believe in miracles," he said, "just wait until Sunday."\nAdorned with diamonds in each ear and a matching bracelet, Owens let the conversation flow in all sorts of directions. At times, he sounded downright humble while crediting a strong religious faith for hastening the recovery of his right knee and ankle.\n"God brought me here for a reason," he said.\nBut those were only momentary interludes. For the most part, Owens was at his bombastic best, saying he has no intention of being a decoy and embracing the controversy that seems to follow him around like a cornerback in a man-to-man defense. From Sharpies in the socks to towel-clad actresses in the locker room, it's all good in T.O.'s world.\n"I can't change who I am," he said. "I am who I am."\nThe New England Patriots, with victories in two of the last three Super Bowls and on the cusp of becoming a full-fledged dynasty, had to settle for a supporting role on this day.\nOwens was the star.\n"It shows what kind of guy he is," said Troy Brown, the Patriots' receiver and nickel back. "He came to Philly because he wanted to play in this game. To see him out there running around, well, I've got to take my hat off to the guy."\nOwens was in the midst of his most satisfying season when he was dragged down from behind in a Dec. 19 game against Dallas, his leg twisting grotesquely in the wrong direction.\nThe grim diagnosis: a severely sprained ankle, two torn ligaments, a fractured fibula. During surgery, two screws and a metal plate were needed to put it all back together. Owens' hopes of playing in the Super Bowl -- the very reason he signed with Philadelphia after eight years in San Francisco -- appeared to have been snatched away.\nNow, just over six weeks later, Owens claims that his ankle feels like nothing more than a normal sprain, the kind that players deal with every week in such a brutal sport.\n"Obviously, it's a good story for the Super Bowl: Will he play or won't he?" Owens said. "Well, I'm here, I going to play and that's it."\nLater Tuesday, he took part in his second straight practice, spending much of the time running in place. He got on the field for six of the Eagles' 20 offensive plays, catching one of the two passes that were thrown his way.\nBoth Owens and the Eagles' trainer, Rick Burkholder, pooh-poohed the risk of doing career-threatening damage by coming back too soon -- even though the doctor who performed the surgery refused to give his blessing for Owens to play in the Super Bowl.\n"I'm not really concerned about the medical risks," the receiver said. "Even if I go out and re-injure myself, it can be fixed."\nOwens said he won't even wear a brace. Just a light tape job should be enough to hold the ankle together.\n"There are risks every day," he said. "It was a risk coming over here today on the bus. It was a risk flying to Jacksonville for this game."\nBurkholder plans to use about a half-hour of Wednesday's practice to work with Owens on stability and balance, followed by a short run. It's a delicate balancing act -- working the player hard enough to determine if he can play, but not hard enough to hinder a recovery process that still has a few precious days to run.\n"He's like Smarty Jones," Burkholder said. "I'm riding him through the week, and we're going to get him to the gate on Sunday and hopefully turn him loose. But you have to ride him right. You can't run him into the ground Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, because he won't be worth anything Sunday."\nIf Owens does play, look for New England to measure his fitness at every opportunity.\n"Oh, I would test him," said Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who is part of Fox's pregame show. "I would get in his face. I would jam him. I would double up, go over the top, make him work hard."\nWhile no one can dispute Owens' courage and passion, it would be foolhardy for him to play if he's not healthy. He certainly wouldn't be doing his team any good if he trotted on the field with just one healthy leg.\n"Come on, he's got a plate in his leg and screws in his ankle," Bradshaw said. "I just want to believe that he's not going to hurt his football team, because they've done pretty well without him."\nWith Owens, the Eagles won 13 of their first 14 regular-season games. Without Owens, they beat Minnesota and Atlanta in the playoffs, finally reaching the Super Bowl after three straight losses in the NFC championship game.\nNonetheless, Owens' teammates were happy to hear that he plans to play Sunday.\n"He did make some big plays for us," quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "He did an excellent job of coming in and presenting a different type of feel for our passing attack."\nAdded linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, "If T.O. says he's going to play, he's going to play. T.O. is going to be just fine. I think T.O. is going to come out and surprise a lot of people."\nAbout the only complaint Owens had was the weather -- cloudy, breezy and temperatures in the 50s. Showing up for media day wearing a short-sleeve jersey, he sat shivering in his chair while goosebumps popped up on his massive biceps.\n"Man, it's cold here in Jacksonville," he grumbled.\nBut the ankle feels just fine.\n"I'm 81 percent healthy," he said, a nod to his uniform number. "On Sunday, I'll be 100 percent"
(04/05/04 5:41am)
SAN ANTONIO -- They started out playing in the Preseason NIT. Monday night, they'll end the season with the biggest game of all.\nIt's Connecticut vs. Georgia Tech, Part II.\nThe Huskies (32-6) advanced to the national championship game with a thrilling 79-78 victory over Duke Saturday night. The other Final Four semifinal was just as exciting: Will Bynum scored on a drive with 1.5 seconds left, giving Georgia Tech a 67-65 victory over Oklahoma State.\nThat set up a rematch from the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden, where Georgia Tech (28-9) gave its first indication of what kind of season it was going to be. With Emeka Okafor slowed by a sore back, then-No. 1 UConn was upset 77-61 by the Yellow Jackets.\nIt was a miserable game for the Huskies. They shot just 38 percent from the field and were even worse at the foul line, making just 10 of 30 attempts. From three-point range, they were only 1 for 10.\n"The fastest team we played this year was Georgia Tech," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. "The most difficult team we matched up with was Georgia Tech."\nEven so, the Huskies were made a six-point favorite.\nOkafor is feeling much better now. He scored all 18 of his points in the second half against Duke, after sitting out most of the first half with two early fouls.\nThe Huskies overcame an early 11-point deficit and a late eight-point hole, giving themselves a chance to avenge their biggest loss of the season.\n"Georgia Tech is a little bit a redemption thing for us," freshman Josh Boone said. "A payback might be in the back of our minds."\nThe Yellow Jackets withstood a comeback by Oklahoma State, which trailed most of the game. John Lucas hit a three-pointer that tied it at 65 with 26.3 seconds left, but the Yellow Jackets got the final shot.\nWorking behind a pick from Luke Schenscher, Bynum drove to the basket for the winning shot.\nSchenscher, a 7-foot-1 junior, led the Yellow Jackets with 19 points and 12 rebounds.\nAfterward, he pointed out that Georgia Tech defeated both UConn and Duke this season.\n"It gives us confidence," he said. "We know we can beat either one of them."\nB.J. Elder, the Yellow Jackets' leading scorer, has been slowed by a sprained right ankle in the NCAA tournament. He managed just two points on 1 of 4 shooting.\n"I know it's not 100 percent," he said. "It hampered me on my jump shots. I couldn't get the lift I needed. But with a couple of more days, it should be fine."\nGeorgia Tech, which made its only other Final Four appearance in 1990, will be playing in the championship game for the first time.\nUConn is going for its second national championship. The Huskies beat Duke in the 1999 title game, their only other Final Four appearance.\nCalhoun doesn't expect the November loss to Georgia Tech to affect this game.\n"Thirty games later, it's not going to have a real significance," he said. "Okafor was not Okafor. Schenscher is just a different player. I think he's grown 7 inches. He's got to be 8-foot-3, right? That's the biggest guy I've ever seen in my life."\nNow, Georgia Tech and UConn will be playing in the biggest game.\n"Very even," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "It will be a very even game"
(02/10/04 5:19am)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When Bobby Labonte takes the green flag in Sunday's Daytona 500, he'll be racing for victory -- and the Lord.\nThe hood of Labonte's car is both a movie plug -- "The Passion of the Christ," coming soon to a theater near you -- and some new-style proselytizing for the Gospel.\nYes, witnessing has moved from the revival tent to the fast lane.\n"It's a chance to get the word out," Labonte said about the ad on his car. "Someone who is curious about Jesus and has never been saved, sees the race and says, 'Hmmm, I'd like to see what that's about.' ... Maybe we can change their minds."\nNASCAR racing and the Christian faith have often worked hand-in-hand, from infield services for drivers, crewmen and officials to the pre-race invocation to the annual break in the schedule for the Easter holiday.\nNow comes a car promoting "The Passion of the Christ," a soon-to-be-released movie already drawing lavish praise from conservative clergy -- including the Rev. Billy Graham -- but angry denouncements from Jewish groups fearing it will stir up anti-Semitism.\nFor Labonte, it was a no-brainer to plug Mel Gibson's film on the No. 18 car -- especially since the movie focuses on the seminal event in the Christian faith -- the crucifixion of Jesus.\n"I know how much it has impacted my life and my family's life," said Labonte, a former NASCAR Nextel Cup champion.\nStock car racing is unapologetic about its ties to Christianity, which isn't surprising for a sport that grew up in the Bible Belt. But, mirroring NASCAR's attempts to diversify the good ol' boy image, the word has gone out that all religions are welcome.\n"Walking through the garage, yes, I'm unashamed about being a Christian," said Dale Beaver, a chaplain for Motor Racing Outreach, which conducts half-hour chapel services before events. "If you're not a Christian, that's Okay. We can still get along."\nNASCAR has attempted to maintain symmetry between its predominantly Christian fan base and those of other faiths.\nHal Marchman, a retired Baptist minister who has given the pre-race invocation since Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, always ends his prayer with "shalom and amen," incorporating the Hebrew word for "peace" into his Christian beliefs.\n"We're not the only ones," Marchman said. "I respect the Jewish religion. I respect every religion."\nBut it's not always easy for NASCAR to pull off the balancing act.\nTwo years ago, Morgan Shepherd put a Jesus decal on the hook of his racing truck before a race in Darlington, S.C. NASCAR officials received complaints -- "maybe it was the atheists," Shepherd said -- and asked him to remove the logo. He complied, prompting a backlash from Christian fans.\nA few weeks later, NASCAR told Shepherd he could put the logo back on his race vehicles. It's been there ever since.\n"I commend NASCAR and the sport I'm in," Shepherd said. "They're not afraid to stand up for what's right. They let us come in and worship with MRO. We can pray before races. I know they've taken a lot of heat."\nHe praised retired NASCAR chairman Bill France for resisting any attempts to eliminate religion from the race track.\nFor instance, it's hard to imagine NASCAR levying a $5,000 fine on a competitor for wearing a cap with a cross during interviews -- which happened with NFL quarterback Jon Kitna in December (the fine was rescinded last week by the league).\nFrom Shepherd's perspective, NASCAR's alliance with the Christian faith gives the sport a more wholesome, family oriented image.\n"I guarantee you're never going to see anything like what happened with Janet Jackson," Shepherd said, referring to the singer whose breast was exposed during the Super Bowl halftime show. "Those things are not going to happen in our sport. Not while Bill France is around."\nWhile Shepherd said he's received plenty of praise for his Victory In Jesus racing team, it hasn't translated into financial backing. His hopes of qualifying for the Daytona 500 were scuttled by a shoestring budget.\n"Why does corporate America spend so much money ... supporting things that don't have moral values?" Shepherd asked. "And here we are, trying to serve the Lord. There's nothing bad in the Bible. Even if you don't believe in God, if everyone would just live by the Bible and the Ten Commandments, see how much better the world would be."\nLabonte has plenty of financial backing. In fact, the idea to use the No. 18 car as an advertising vehicle for "The Passion of the Christ" came from his primary sponsor.\nNorm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries, has teamed up with Hollywood to promote other movies, including "Toy Story 2" and "The Hulk." But Gibson's project took on special meaning after Miller saw the film at a screening in California.\nHe doesn't believe the movie portrays Jewish people as being solely responsible for the death of Christ -- a concept blamed for centuries of anti-Semitism.\n"The Bible is clear -- Jesus was volunteering when he laid his life down," Miller said. "I don't feel it's near the issue people are trying to make out of it."\nAnd, J.D. Gibbs, who runs the team, said this marketing campaign isn't intended to keep other faiths in the pits.\n"We want everyone to look at this as their sport," Gibbs said. "It's not just a Christian sport"
(10/06/03 6:42am)
ATLANTA -- Ninety-five years of frustration. Ninety-five years of ridicule. Put it all to rest. The Chicago Cubs are postseason winners.\nKerry Wood pitched another dominating game and Aramis Ramirez began the celebration with a mammoth home run, pushing the Cubs past Atlanta 5-1 Sunday night for their first postseason victory since the 1908 World Series.\nThe franchise that endured the College of Coaches and the curse of a goat moves on to play Florida in the NL championship series. Game 1 is Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.\nThe Braves suffered another heartbreaking loss in the postseason, going down for the second year in a row in Game 5 of the division series.\nTwelve straight division titles have produced only one World Series championship, and the Braves face an uncertain future. Gary Sheffield, Greg Maddux, Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla are all in the last year of their contracts.\nA couple of ex-Pirates helped the Cubs break through in the postseason. Kenny Lofton led off the game with a double and came around to score the first run. Ramirez put the Cubs up 4-0 with a two-run homer in the sixth -- a massive, 439-foot shot over the center-field wall.\nBraves pitcher Mike Hampton didn't even turn around after Ramirez connected. With Wood on the mound, the Cubs could have popped the champagne right then and there.\nWood won for the second time in the best-of-five series with a performance that matched his effort in Game 1.\nA disputed call by the umpires -- is that becoming a theme of this postseason? -- led to the only Atlanta run.\nThe big Texan went eight innings, giving up just five hits before giving way to Joe Borowski, an ex-Brave who finished off Atlanta in the ninth.\nOnce again, thousands of Cubs fans were on hand to cheer their beloved team, ignoring years of heartache to provide some Chicago hope. The crowd of 54,357 was a Braves franchise record.
(10/06/03 6:41am)
ATLANTA -- Ninety-five years of frustration. Ninety-five years of ridicule. Put it all to rest. The Chicago Cubs are postseason winners.\nKerry Wood pitched another dominating game and Aramis Ramirez began the celebration with a mammoth home run, pushing the Cubs past Atlanta 5-1 Sunday night for their first postseason victory since the 1908 World Series.\nThe franchise that endured the College of Coaches and the curse of a goat moves on to play Florida in the NL championship series. Game 1 is Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.\nThe Braves suffered another heartbreaking loss in the postseason, going down for the second year in a row in Game 5 of the division series.\nTwelve straight division titles have produced only one World Series championship, and the Braves face an uncertain future. Gary Sheffield, Greg Maddux, Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla are all in the last year of their contracts.\nA couple of ex-Pirates helped the Cubs break through in the postseason. Kenny Lofton led off the game with a double and came around to score the first run. Ramirez put the Cubs up 4-0 with a two-run homer in the sixth -- a massive, 439-foot shot over the center-field wall.\nBraves pitcher Mike Hampton didn't even turn around after Ramirez connected. With Wood on the mound, the Cubs could have popped the champagne right then and there.\nWood won for the second time in the best-of-five series with a performance that matched his effort in Game 1.\nA disputed call by the umpires -- is that becoming a theme of this postseason? -- led to the only Atlanta run.\nThe big Texan went eight innings, giving up just five hits before giving way to Joe Borowski, an ex-Brave who finished off Atlanta in the ninth.\nOnce again, thousands of Cubs fans were on hand to cheer their beloved team, ignoring years of heartache to provide some Chicago hope. The crowd of 54,357 was a Braves franchise record.
(10/01/03 5:45am)
ATLANTA -- They came by the thousands, intent on helping their beloved Cubbies break a 58-year losing streak in postseason road games by transforming Turner Field into Wrigley Field South.\nIt worked.\nKerry Wood allowed only two hits and drove in the go-ahead runs with a double in the sixth inning off Russ Ortiz, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of their NL division series.\nWood's two-run double, which broke a 1-all tie, made him the first pitcher to drive in the game-winning run in a postseason game since Oval Overall for the Cubs in Game 4 of the 1907 World Series.\nBut it was Wood's work on the mound that stood out. He completely throttled the high-scoring Braves, a team that produced six players with 20 homers and four with 100 RBIs during the regular season.\nWood struck out 11 in 7 1-3 innings. The only major slip-up came in the third, when Marcus Giles homered.\nTrailing 4-1, Atlanta scored a run and knocked out Wood without getting a hit. A questionable call at first on a potential inning-ending double play allowed the run to score.\nBut Kyle Farnsworth retired Javy Lopez on a bases-loaded grounder to short, and Joe Borowski struck out the side in the ninth for the save.\nLost in the hoopla over Chicago's 95-year drought without a World Series title was this little nugget: The Cubs had lost eight straight postseason road games since Claude Passeau pitched a one-hitter to beat Detroit in Game 3 of 1945 World Series.\nOf course, the Cubs went on to lose that World Series, falling to the Tigers in seven games. They have lost 10 straight postseason series since winning their last World Series title in 1908.\nMaybe this time will be different. On the first day of spring training, first-year manager Dusty Baker told his players to forget the past and create some new Cubs' history.\nBaker also knows something about beating the Braves. He guided the Giants to a first-round victory over Atlanta on the way to the World Series.\nNow, his new team will go to Game 2 on Wednesday night with a chance to take command of the best-of-five series. At worst, they will head back to Chicago with a split at Turner Field and the next two games before their adoring Wrigley rowdies.\nActually, the Cubs must feel like they're already at home. Thousands of Chicago fans were part of the overflow crowd of 52,043 at Turner Field, which had its first postseason sellout in three years. They made their presence felt -- and heard.\nWhile Atlanta's tomahawk choppers did their best to drown out the Chicago contingent, the roar was enormous when Wood lined a 1-0 pitch to the wall in left-center to break a 1-all tie in the sixth.\nWood slapped his hands as he arrived at second base.\n"Kerry! Kerry! Kerry!" the Cubs faithful shouted.\nOrtiz, who led the National League with 21 wins, escaped all sorts of trouble through the first five innings -- the most serious jam coming in the fourth when the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs. Alex Gonzalez took a called third strike, Paul Bako went down swinging and Wood whiffed to end the threat.\nThe Cubs started the sixth in identical fashion, loading the bases with no outs on consecutive singles by Moises Alou, Aramis Ramirez and Eric Karros. Hoping to change the dynamics, Baker sent up Randall Simon as a pinch-hitter for Gonzalez, but the former Brave struck out swinging.\nOrtiz had a chance to get out of the jam when Bako hit a slow grounder to the right of first baseman Robert Fick. But the converted outfielder couldn't make the scoop, though second baseman Marcus Giles scooped up the ball and got Bako at first.\nAlou trotted home with the tying run, breaking Ortiz's 19-inning scoreless streak dating back to the regular season. Two pitches later, Ortiz was knocked out of the game by Wood's two-run double.\nLefty Ray King came on to face Kenny Lofton, who blooped an RBI single to short-center to make it 4-1. King stood on the mound in disbelief, hands on his hips.\nIt was a fitting picture for the Braves, winners of 12 straight division titles but haunted by all the chances that got away. Since beginning its unprecedented run in 1991, Atlanta has managed just one World Series title.\nLast year, Ortiz beat the Braves twice to lead San Francisco to an opening-round playoff victory. Acquired during the offseason, the right-hander had the best year of his career -- but no immediate impact on Atlanta's postseason fortunes.\nOrtiz followed his usual routine. He fell behind hitters, gave up plenty of baserunners and kept finding ways to get out of trouble.\nUntil the sixth, that is.\nOrtiz was behind in the count on 16 of 27 hitters, and threw first-pitch balls to 12 of those. He reached three balls in the count a staggering 10 times, leading to three walks.\nIt was too much to overcome against Wood, who came into the postseason with a streak of 17 consecutive scoreless innings.\nWood finally faltered in the third, leaving a fastball over the inside corner that Giles lined into the left-field seats for the second playoff homer of his career.\nAtlanta's other hit off Wood was Lopez's soft single to center in the seventh. The Braves finished with just three hits for the game.
(03/11/03 5:16am)
Athens, Ga. -- Georgia suspended coach Jim Harrick with pay and withdrew from the SEC and NCAA tournaments Monday after an internal investigation showed three players took a phony class taught by his son.\nHarrick's future is unclear while the school and NCAA look into allegations brought two weeks ago by a former player.\n"The evidence and the findings presented to us indicated there was academic fraud," athletic director Vince Dooley said. "There's no evidence at all that Coach Harrick knew about what took place."\nGeorgia, ranked 21st in Monday's AP Top 25, was a lock to receive a third straight invitation to the NCAA tourney, which would have been the longest such streak in school history.\nThe Bulldogs (19-8, 11-5 Southeastern Conference) were to play Arkansas on Thursday in the league tournament in New Orleans.\nThe news caps a recent spate of scandals in men's college basketball, including: suspensions of 12 players for using a school access code to make phone calls at Villanova, forfeits of six wins and boycotts of two other games at St. Bonaventure and claims by a former student that he wrote papers for players for payment at Fresno State.\nGeorgia president Michael Adams said a decision on Harrick's fate would be made after the investigation is complete.\n"Sports is really a very nice -- usually -- sideline to our main function here," he said. "The main issue to me ... is to ensure you deal with the academic integrity of the place. Deal with the one course where there is questionable activity, correct it and move forward."\nHarrick did not respond to several phone messages left at his home.\nJunior reserve Damien Wilkens complained that the players were not told of the university's decision before it was announced, calling it "unprofessional" and "unfair."\nTony Cole -- kicked off the Bulldogs last year -- accused Harrick and his son, an assistant coach, of breaking NCAA rules. Cole said Jim Harrick Jr. paid his bills, did schoolwork and taught a sham class on coaching. Harrick Jr. was fired Wednesday.\nCole said he never attended the class, but received an A. Two other players -- starters Chris Daniels and Rashad Wright -- were also in the class. Dooley said all 31 students in the class -- including 10 Georgia athletes -- got an A, but there was no evidence that anyone else took part in the fraud.\nDooley said Wright and Daniels have been declared ineligible, but could be reinstated for next season. Dooley and Adams decided to drop out of the postseason because of the serious nature of the academic fraud allegations.\n"I imagine that this is as bad as it gets," Dooley said.\nEven if the team played, it would have been difficult to win any games without Wright and Daniels, since the team usually uses only seven players.\nThe elder Harrick has three seasons left on a $700,000 per year contract at Georgia. His career has been one of success on the court and trouble off it.\nHe is one of only three coaches -- Eddie Sutton and Lefty Driesell are the others -- to take four schools to the NCAA tournament. Harrick has a 470-235 record in 23 seasons as a college head coach, and led UCLA to the 1995 national championship.\nBut this is the second time Harrick has been disciplined because of ethical lapses. He was fired by UCLA in 1996 for lying about an expense report.\nHarrick then went to Rhode Island and took that school to the regional finals of the 1998 NCAA tournament. And he also has been accused of improprieties during his two years there.\nA former secretary there says Harrick had grades changed for players, had student managers write papers for players and arranged for players to receive lodging, cars and money from boosters. In addition, Harrick Jr. was accused of falsifying hotel and meal reports for recruits when he worked for his father at Rhode Island.\nThe allegations at Georgia emerged Feb. 27, in an interview of Cole by ESPN.\nCole played just 16 games for the Bulldogs last year before being suspended after he and two other athletes were accused in a campus rape. While the charges were eventually dropped, Cole was kicked off the basketball team for repeated violations.\nSince then he has been charged with trespassing and passing a bad check in Athens before returning home to Baton Rouge, La.\nLast week, Harrick defiantly defended himself against those who would portray him as a rule-breaker.\n"I've never had a violation," Harrick said then. "Go ask the NCAA"