Grndpndrs

Murray leaves confident despite loss (AP)

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:36:03 +0000

Murray leaves confident despite loss (AP)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Andy Murray prepared to fly out Saturday to return to his London home for the first time in nearly two months, defeated in the Australian Open semifinals but not deflated from the experience. Murray has been the beaten finalist the past two years at Melbourne Park, failing to win a set from either Roger Federer in 2010 or Novak Djokovic in 2011. On Friday, with his new coach of four weeks, Ivan Lendl, watching from the stands, Murray lost in five tough sets in nearly five hours to Djokovic, nearly pulling off a stunning comeback after being 5-2 down in the deciding set. Instead of being upset with his loss a round earlier than the previous two years, and yet another Grand Slam without a title, Murray was upbeat. “Disappointed obviously, but sometimes you come off the court and you’ve played really badly, you haven’t quite been there mentally, and then you’re really disappointed with yourself ‘cause you’ve let yourself down,” Murray said. “I don’t feel like I’ve let myself down.” Murray has been reluctant to give an early prognosis on his relationship with Lendl, who rejected up to 10 offers in the 18 months before accepting the 24-year-old Scot as his student. The eight-time major champion agreed in December to start coaching Murray, although the two didn’t hook up until early January in Brisbane, Australia, where Murray won a tuneup tournament for the season’s first major. But Djokovic didn’t mind giving his view of the new relationship shortly after he walked off the court in his 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5 win, putting him in Sunday’s final against Rafael Nadal. “He was more confident on the court,” Djokovic said when asked if he noticed any different in Murray’s game. “He was taking his chances. He was being more aggressive. I think he was playing better.” And he thinks that Lendl could even make Murray a better player. “You can’t significantly change in technique a stroke, especially if you’re at this level,” Djokovic said. “He’s already a complete player. Even last year he was. It’s a matter of having a little bit of luck combined with a choice of the right shots at the right moments, and that’s it. He’s so close to winning a Grand Slam.” Murray spoke after his loss about the immediate impact of having Lendl around him. The Czech player lost his first four Grand Slam finals, including the 1983 Australian Open, before winning his first, so Lendl can perhaps understand Murray’s frustrations at having lost three of his major title chances so far, all without winning a set. “I feel like, when you look up at someone like that in the stands it helps,” Murray said. “Obviously for me, I want to try and repay the sort of faith that he’s shown in me by coming to work with me. So I would have liked to have done obviously better here. “Hopefully he was happy with the way I did and how I acted on the court. Hopefully at the French Open I’ll do a little bit better.” In the meantime, there’ll be some tough training sessions. “I want to work on all parts of my game,” he said. “I thought I played pretty well up at the net this tournament, which was good. Something I’ll need to keep improving. “I haven’t sat down and spoken to Ivan about what I’m going to work on next two or three months in the buildup to Indian Wells and Miami yet, but I’m sure we’ll have that conversation when the time is right.”

Stanley builds 5-shot lead at Torrey Pines (AP)

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:08 +0000

Stanley builds 5-shot lead at Torrey Pines (AP)
SAN DIEGO (AP)—Hang gliders were taking off from the cliffs behind the 13th tee at Torrey Pines where Kyle Stanley was waiting to tee off on the 524-yard hole. Then, the 24-year-old launched a shot that was just as majestic. “Wait `til to you see where this one went,” caddie Brett Waldman said. On another clear day along the Pacific coast, it was hard not to notice. In a familiar performance—even if the name might not be all that familiar now—Stanley overpowered the South Course on Saturday on his way to a 4-under 68 that gave him a five-shot lead going into the final round at the Farmers Insurance Open. “For some reason, I’ve always been long,” said Stanley, who has a slight but athletic build and generates enormous speed. “But if you take a golf course like this where you’re hitting 7-irons into par 5s and short irons into long par 4s, it definitely helps.” It never hurt Tiger Woods, a seven-time winner as a pro at Torrey Pines. Stanley chose to lay up on the par-5 18th with the large pond in front, and spun a wedge near the hole to about 4 feet. About his only regret in the third round was missing that putt. One last birdie would have broken the 54-hole tournament record that Woods set in 1998, before Rees Jones beefed up the South Course to 7,698 yards for the 2008 U.S. Open. Stanley grew up outside Seattle when Woods ruled the sport. All through his school, he kept a poster of Woods over his bed. “I think he’s definitely influenced me, and a lot of other people, too,” Stanley said. He gladly settled for a spot alongside Woods in the record book at 18-under 198, and a five-shot lead over John Huh and John Rollins as he goes after his first PGA Tour title. Stanley can’t recall ever having a lead this large, which can be troublesome if looked upon as only an opportunity to fail. “I think the biggest thing is you can’t necessarily go out there and try to protect it,” Stanley said. “You’ve got to really just keep doing what got you to this point. I’m not going to be any more conservative tomorrow. I’ll stick to my game plan off the tee, and hopefully just continue to give myself a lot of chances.” He hit driver on all but three holes, and four of them traveled at least 320 yards, a big number considering Torrey Pines is just a cliff over sea level and even in pleasant weather, the ball doesn’t go quite as far as summer in Ohio. Big numbers are nothing new for Stanley, however. He recalls coming down to the Titleist Performance Institute when he was a 17-year-old in his senior year in high school. His ball speed was measured at 184 mph. “Now, I can’t get it above 176,” he said. It wasn’t just the big drives. Stanley showed exquisite control of his irons, especially his distance, and he has been working overtime the last few years on dialing in his wedges from inside 120 yards. Even so, he refused to look ahead to Sunday and what a win might mean—a trip to the Masters, perhaps a spot in the World Golf Championships, a two-year exemption. No one was giving him the trophy, either. “If a guy had a 10- or 12-shot lead, you’d feel pretty comfortable,” Rollins said after his 68. “But when you’re four or five shots, sometimes it’s hard to play with a big lead because you get kind of relaxed and everything else.” Rollins should know. He had a three-shot lead with five holes to play in 2009, losing to Nick Watney. Still, Stanley, the former All-American from Clemson aspires to play boring golf and not look too far ahead. His lone bogey came on the 12th, when he went just over the green, chipped to 6 feet and missed the putt. Then came the big blast on the 13th—“As good as I can possibly hit it,” he said—that left him a soft 7-iron to 15 feet on the fringe below the hole for an easy birdie. “Are you playing this as a par 4?” Sang-Moon Bae turned and said to him with a smile. Huh, a 21-year-old rookie who spent three years on the Korean Tour, also had a 68 and joined Rollins at 13-under 203. FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas (70) and Bae (72) were another shot behind. Bae was 5 over through five holes until he ran off four straight birdies to start the back nine to get his name back on the leaderboard. The question is whether anyone else is in contention. Stanley is no surprise to those who play with him or watch him hit balls, and he nearly joined the parade of rookie winners last year until Steve Stricker rallied with birdies on the last two holes to beat him in the John Deere Classic. Stanley had a one-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker going into the third round at Torrey Pines, and before long had a comfortable lead, just as Woods has done on this public course. From deep rough on the par-5 sixth, Stanley hammered a shot just short of the green and pitched up to 12 feet for birdie. He hit sand wedge to 10 feet on the 10th for another birdie, then established himself on the back nine. Along with the easy birdie on the 13th, Stanley saved par on the 14th. The day before, his approach jumped out of the rough and over the green for a double bogey. Playing it safe this time, he hit 9-iron that went well short, into the bunker, but blasted out to 8 feet and made a tricky, downhill putt for par. His final birdie came on a 20-foot putt at the par-3 16th. No one else could make a move. Snedeker went to tap in a 2-foot par putt on the seventh and was shocked when it made a horseshoe around the cup. He then missed his next five greens in regulation, and when he got home in two on the 13th, he three-putted. Snedeker had a 74 and fell seven behind. “This is something you dream about as a kid,” Stanley said. “But there’s still one more round.” DIVOTS: Jay Don Blake in 1991 was the last player to make Torrey Pines his first PGA Tour victory. … Ryo Ishikawa had his third consecutive round of 69 and was tied for 11th. … Jonas Blixt had the low round Saturday at 65. Under a “University of Farmers” campaign, that was worth a $20,000 donation to his alma mater, Florida State. Cameron Tringale (Georgia Tech) had a 66 to finish second, which was worth $10,000.

Gordon rejects extension from Hornets (AP)

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:54:11 +0000

Gordon rejects extension from Hornets (AP)
NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Eric Gordon remains a central figure in the Hornets’ long term plans, even though the prolific shooting guard turned down a four-year extension offer from the club, New Orleans general manager Dell Demps said. “It’s a situation where we talked, thought we came close to an agreement and it just didn’t work out, but we are still very optimistic we can get something done this summer,” Demps, who was traveling Thursday, said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “It’s not a big issue. It’s not a situation that is uncommon. … There are other measures that you can use to sign Eric to a long-term contract and that’s our goal.” By passing on the Hornets’ offer, Gordon essentially chose to become a restricted free agent when the next league year begins July 1. While other teams can make offers to Gordon at that time, the Hornets will have the right to match or exceed the maximum offer other teams are allowed to make. The Hornets, who host Orlando on Friday night, did not practice on Thursday, but Gordon, who has been sidelined by a right knee bruise, released a statement through the team. “We all worked hard on the extension, but sometimes business is business,” Gordon said. “Right now my sole focus is on staying in great shape, and making sure I get back to 100 percent health as quickly as possible so I can return to playing and helping my teammates and coach Monty (Williams) win games. That is really what it is all about right now for me.” Demps declined to go into detail about the value of the extension Gordon was offered. Under league rules, the maximum a four-year deal could have been worth would have been a little more than $60 million, which is the deal Kevin Love accepted from Minnesota on Wednesday. The Hornets also could have offered Gordon a maximum five-year deal worth around $78 million, similar to what Russell Westbrook received from Oklahoma City. However, league rules also restrict teams to only one player on their roster with a maximum money contract, and the Hornets have not been able to see Gordon play much in their system because of his injury, which has sidelined the Gordon for all but two games. The Hornets currently are owned by the NBA, meaning commissioner David Stern, who is temporarily acting in the role of team owner, had the final say in what kind of deal the Hornets could offer Gordon. “We were authorized to make a deal, we had conversations that were productive, and although we didn’t come to an agreement, the talks were amicable,” Demps said. Gordon, who turned 23 last month, came to New Orleans as a key component of a multiplayer trade shortly before the regular season that sent four-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers. Under NBA rules, players who were due to become restricted free agents at the end of this season had until midnight Wednesday to reach early extensions with their teams. Gordon injured his knee during New Orleans’ season opener, in which he also hit the winning shot to cap a 20-point outing in Phoenix. During that game, he banged knees with Grant Hill. Gordon attempted a comeback on Jan. 4, when he scored 22 points in a loss to Philadelphia, but has been out since. Demps said Gordon will be out at least three more weeks, at which time he will be reevaluated and possibly be able to begin basketball activities. Gordon’s knee is structurally sound, Demps said, but that the Hornets are taking cautious approach. “After consulting with doctors, it was agreed upon that rest and rehabilitation would be the best long-term solution for Eric,” Demps said. “Whenever you’re dealing with knees, you want to take correct steps that will not have negative long-term results.” Gordon averaged 22.3 points last season, his third as a pro since being selected seventh overall out of Indiana in the 2008 NBA draft. He missed 20 or more games in each of the previous two seasons with various, relatively minor injuries. In his second season, he missed 20 games with a combination of ailments including a groin injury and sprained toe. Last season, he missed 26 games because of a right wrist injury. The Hornets are 1-1 in games Gordon has played this season and 2-14 in games he has missed. While New Orleans has played solid enough defense to remain competitive in most of its games, playing without Gordon’s scoring punch has hurt in the final minutes. Of New Orleans’ 15 losses, 10 have come by single digits, including three-straight two-point defeats before Wednesday night’s 10-point loss to the Western Conference-leading Thunder.

M’s, Millwood agree to minor league deal (AP)

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:54:05 +0000

M’s, Millwood agree to minor league deal (AP)
SEATTLE (AP)—Kevin Millwood and the Seattle Mariners have agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said during a conference call Monday that Millwood will have a chance to compete for a spot in the rotation. The 37-year-old Millwood gets a $1 million salary if he makes Seattle’s 40-man roster and he can earn an additional $750,000 in performance bonuses. An All-Star in 1999, the right-hander has a 163-140 career record with a 4.10 ERA. Millwood’s major league time last year was limited to a late-season stint with Colorado. He went 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA in nine starts. In Seattle, Millwood will be reunited with manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis. They were with Cleveland when Millwood pitched for the Indians in 2005.

O’s hold FanFest on eve of Ravens game (AP)

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:00:11 +0000

O’s hold FanFest on eve of Ravens game (AP)
BALTIMORE (AP)—That other team in Baltimore can’t catch a break. The Orioles on Saturday held an event designed to create a buzz about the club before spring training begins next month. Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t have been much worse. Not only was city awash in purple on the eve of the Ravens’ appearance in the AFC championship game, but it also snowed overnight. In spite of all this, thousands of fans crowded the Baltimore Convention Center to listen to the Orioles’ front-office personnel and players speak optimistically about a franchise mired in a run of 14 straight losing seasons. During the offseason, Dan Duquette, the new executive vice president of baseball operations, bolstered the starting rotation with Wei-yin Chen of Taiwan and Tsuyoshi Wada of Japan. He also added depth in the outfield and infield. And he isn’t done yet. “We’re going to continue to look for additional on-base capability and some more pitching,” Duquette said. “But I like the core. I like the way our team is coming along, and certainly we’re going to look to add between now and when we open.” Duquette understands that it’s going to take a winner to draw some attention away from the Ravens, but he appreciated the enthusiastic greeting he received from the fans Saturday and was impressed by the size of the throng. “I’m heartened that we have so many people here today,” he said. “I’m really encouraged by our fans. They’ve told me, `Give us some hope’ and `Give us a good team,’ and that’s what we’re going to do this year.” A Massachusetts native, Duquette worked for the Red Sox before being fired in 2002. Asked who he was rooting for in Sunday’s AFC showdown between the Ravens and New England Patriots, he wisely answered, “It’s going to be a great game, isn’t it?” Manager Buck Showalter has been at the helm for 1 1/2 years and has not yet been able to pull the Orioles out of last place in the AL East. He made no guarantees for this season, but likes the makeup of the team compared to what it was in September. “It’s always a work in progress, but I look at the upgrades we’ve made in the 40-man roster in about 10 or 15 spots,” he said. “I really like what we’ve done in the international market. And there a bunch of things still going on that we’ll continue to kick the tires on.” The Orioles have an opening at designated hitter, a job Vladimir Guerrero held last season. Guerrero hasn’t been invited back, and Luke Scott left for Tampa Bay. If the Orioles don’t get anyone else, Showalter wouldn’t blink. “If the right guy rears his head, we’ll go there,” he said. “But I like where we are. I look at that as almost an asset. It allows us to move people around and stay healthy.” In 2010, the Orioles finished 34-23 under Showalter and entered 2011 with hopes of making a run at a playoff spot or, at worse, a winning record. That didn’t happen, but Baltimore did go 15-13 in September, and Showalter feels that trend can continue. “I was thinking about it coming in today, with the snow last night and the perception of the team,” he said. “I kind of like where we are from a mentality standpoint. I’m trying to relay that to the fans today. I knew last year, even though we finished strong, our pitching still had to go through more of the process. “This year—I don’t want to beat the drums too much—but I kind of like where we are mentally. I think some of it feeds off September, but more importantly, I think the sense of urgency that has to happen for us to compete is there.” Showalter is an avid football fan, and he was more than ready to offer his take on the Ravens-Patriots matchup. “I think the Ravens got a chance,” he said. “I don’t think (the Patriots) are going run up and down the field. The first series will be big.” The Ravens are huge in Baltimore right now, but perhaps there will come a day soon when orange and black becomes the color of choice. “I was driving around the city last night before the snow came and it was all purple. It was pretty cool,” center fielder Adam Jones said. “It’s humbling seeing all these people here. It just shows the city is loyal.”

Falcons come up short in playoffs again (AP)

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:18:23 +0000

Falcons come up short in playoffs again (AP)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Being embarrassed in the playoffs is becoming a habit for the Atlanta Falcons. It’s one that has them wondering what they can do to break it. Eli Manning threw three touchdowns and the New York Giants’ defense stuffed quarterback Matt Ryan on two crucial fourth-and-1 sneaks in basically pitching a shutout in a 24-2 victory that left the Falcons 0-3 in the postseason under coach Mike Smith. “We can’t lose like this in the playoffs,” defensive end John Abraham, said. “We should have been able to do something different. We played well in the beginning, but it kind of got away from us in the end. “They hit us when they needed to. I don’t think they ran it well all game, but in the end, they got some big plays. They just came out ready to play, more ready than us, and did a good job.” Atlanta (10-7) struggled all day. The Falcons had 247 yards in total offense, gave up 442 yards and saw New York’s running game post a season-high 172 yards, with Manning possibly making the biggest play with a 14-yard scramble that woke up his team in the second quarter. The setback came a year after the top-seeded Falcons were routed at home 48-21 by the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, the team the Giants (10-7) will face in the NFC semifinal next Sunday. “You get what you earn in this league,” Smith said. “We earned a 10-6 record in the regular season, we were 0-1 in the playoffs. We did not play our best game and we are going to, starting tomorrow, do everything in our power to rectify the 10-6 record from the regular season and the 0-1 record in the postseason. That is the only way I know how to approach it and I know as an organization we will approach it. “ Atlanta grabbed a 2-0 lead when Manning was called for illegally grounding the ball while in the end zone. The score came shortly after Ryan was stuffed on a fourth-down sneak from the New York 24. The other fourth-down failure came in the third quarter at the New York 21 with the Giants ahead 10-2. Ryan again was stopped. Ryan blamed himself for choosing the wrong hole. His linemen took the blame. “It’s disappointing when you have fourth-and-one and can’t get it done on short yardage. You have to convert on those plays,” tackle Will Svitek said. “That’s how the game got away from us. If you want to win a playoff game, you have to convert those.” The win was the Giants’ first postseason victory since their Super Bowl upset of undefeated New England four years ago. Next up is the Packers, who beat the Giants here 38-35 in December. `’We know they are a good team,” Manning said. “We played them tough here, did some good things here, we scored some points. We know offensively we are going to have to play strong, score some points.” The team that couldn’t run the ball will be sprinting there, bringing along a defense the Packers (15-1) actually might fear. Not to mention the offense led by Manning, who hooked up on a 72-yard catch and run by Hakeem Nicks in the third quarter that put away the inept Falcons. Manning also connected on a 4-yard TD with Nicks in the second period, and a 27-yard TD throw to Mario Manningham in the fourth quarter that finished it off. The Giants are playing with more balance on offense and more stinginess on defense than they’ve displayed most of the season. Their last postseason trip to Lambeau Field was a 23-20 overtime victory for the NFC championship two weeks before they upset the Patriots. The tempo in the first playoff game at MetLife Stadium was set by New York’s defense, which never allowed Atlanta to get going, and by the league’s lowest-ranked rushing game, which ran for a season-high 172 yards, 92 by Brandon Jacobs and 63 by Ahmad Bradshaw. For all of Jacobs’ and Bradshaw’s success, it was Manning’s escape and 14-yard dash on third down in the second period that got the Giants rolling. Jacobs soon broke a 34-yard run, and Manning hit Nicks on a post pattern to put the Giants up 7-2. “I don’t think anyone is game-planning for me to run the ball,” Manning said, “but obviously there were a couple of situations where you have to do it. I am not scared to do it.” The Giants never really had to look back as they held the Falcons to 64 yards rushing. “Things that we normally do, we didn’t do today,” said running back Michael Turner, who was held to 41 yards. “In short yardage, those are high percentage plays for us and we didn’t come through. I’m totally surprised we didn’t get it. I feel like I let my teammates down, because I wanted to do whatever I could to help us advance. I can’t tell when it got away from us. But this is playoff football and we can’t play like that.” Notes: The Giants’ most recent home playoff victory was a 41-0 rout of Minnesota for the 2000 NFC title. … Atlanta’s last playoff win was in 2005 over St. Louis when Michael Vick still was the Falcons’ quarterback. … Ryan was 24 for 41 for 199 yards and was sacked twice. .. There were no turnovers in the game. … Giants CB Aaron Ross and RB D.J. Ware left with concussions. … Gonzalez is 0-5 in playoff games in his 15-year career.

The Joe Namath Playoff Blog: Wild-Card Edition

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:18:10 +0000

The Joe Namath Playoff Blog: Wild-Card Edition
Looking for the best Jets QB ever? That’s the guy on the right. (Getty Images) We’re honored to welcome NFL Hall of Famer and New York Jets legend Joe Namath, who will join Yahoo! Sports and the Shutdown Corner Blog during the playoffs to break down the key games, players and moments through to the Super Bowl. Make sure you like the Official Joe Namath page on Facebook and visit the Broadway Joe site for plenty of other insight and gear from Namath. On my mind today is the pressure and scrutiny a quarterback faces in the playoffs, especially one making his playoff debut. In college, I had big games, bowl games, and I had big moments — but there is pressure on a young quarterback playing in the postseason for the first time. Guys like Tim Tebow and Andy Dalton will face pressure this weekend, a pressure I didn’t face until my fourth year in the NFL. The New York Jets didn’t make the playoffs my first three years in the league. There is a lot on their young shoulders. I know Tebow played in some big games in college and he’s faced a tremendous amount of heat this season, which I think will help in the lead up to this game. He won’t approach this game any differently than those big games at Florida or even the games he’s had this season. He goes about his work the same way each time and that helps in a moment like this. In January, 1969, Namath’s Jets won the most important game in NFL history. (Getty Im … Dalton also had big games in his college career and he’s stepped up this year, but he’s a rookie. I don’t think his prep would change much – mine certainly didn’t when I was getting ready for a big game. It’s a matter of executing for both of them because how they approach the game shouldn’t change. What does change is the fact that this is all about winning now because if you lose, you go home. You talk about the week leading up to the game and it shouldn’t be different for these young guys. As far as my study habits, my preparation habits, it didn’t change. It’s just a mentality that the winner goes home. The reality is that you lose, you’re out. I think Dalton has a better chance of winning because of how the Cincinnati Bengals match up this weekend. As much as I like the Denver Broncos, I think they’re outmatched against a very, very good Pittsburgh Steelers team. The Weekend Forecast: I like football, period. On any given day, any team can win. We’ve seen wild-card teams win the Super Bowl. The Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals game will be tight and I do like the New Orleans Saints to handle the Detroit Lions. You can just see that Detroit has been up and down recently and I like the Saints ground game and, of course, that home crowd. From what I’m seeing, the Steelers have a good chance against the Broncos. If I could only watch one game this weekend, it’d be the one in New York. I think the Atlanta Falcons upset the Giants. I like the running game for the Falcons as they’ve got a balanced offense. They’re as good in the air like as they are on the ground. I don’t think the Giants will win as it’s going to be rough for them to protect Eli Manning and they will have a tough time running the ball against this defense. Lots of talk about the cold weather being a factor for New York and giving them an advantage against a dome team but here is one thing people aren’t talking about: Matt Ryan is a cold-weather quarterback. His time at Boston College playing in the cold will only help him, so don’t look for him to be frozen on Sunday. The Weekend X-Factor: Michael Turner will surprise the Giants on the ground. From watching the Giants this year, it’s going to be a challenge for them to contain the running game and the passing game at the same time. Turner is terrific and could change this game with his physique and determination, he’s a powerful guy. What else helps him here is that the Giants’ safeties can’t climb up there to give much help to the line and key-in on him because you have to be really careful with these Falcons wide receivers and the play of their quarterback. A tough game for sure — and one that doesn’t favor the Giants. For NFL insight, follow Joe Namath on Twitter. Other popular content on the Y! network:• Tim Tebow playing for more than his playoff life vs. Steelers• How Sidney Crosby’s lost year changed hockey• The airline that loses bags and cancels flights

Red Bull names Buemi as test and reserve driver (PA SportsTicker)

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:17:59 +0000

Red Bull names Buemi as test and reserve driver (PA SportsTicker)
MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND (AP) —Red Bull has named Sebastien Buemi as a test and reserve driver for the 2012 season. The 23-year-old Swiss was dropped by sister team Toro Rosso after finishing 15th in last season’s standings with 15 points. Buemi will support an unchanged Red Bull driver lineup of world champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. He says he “would prefer to be driving at the races of course, but working with Red Bull Racing on the development of their car and providing them with feedback throughout the season is the next best thing.”

Create-a-Caption: ‘How about a spoiler alert, you jerk?!?’

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:36:06 +0000

Create-a-Caption: ‘How about a spoiler alert, you jerk?!?’
We have been OVER this, Carlos Boozer. Once you get past a week, you lose all right to be mad about someone talking about the ending of something you haven’t seen. I know you are very busy getting ready to play basketball for the Chicago Bulls all the time, but we can’t all just be waiting with bated breath for you to carve out an opening to clear your DVR in a timely fashion. The world continues to spin even if you’re standing still. Plus, it’s not like we even learned who killed Rosie Larsen yet, so what did I even SPOIL? And what were you even doing recording that show by the end anyway? Man, get it together, Carlos Boozer. Best caption wins the only spoiler alert you’ll ever need. Good luck. In our last adventure: Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers could really use some help carrying this giant invisible sack of peaches. Winner, Owara Jacksohn: “It’s called a power tie. I don’t know … Austin doesn’t have as much time to pick out presents as he used to.” Runner-up, E J: “I love KG and all, but can we stop giving him close-ups during games? Kids can lip-read, man.” Second runner-up, Give_and_go: “Am I worried about an 0-3 start? Of course not! We play in the Eastern Conference! 5-61 will get us a 6 seed.” Related: Carlos Boozer, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Create-a-caption

Djokovic beats Monfils in UAE exhibition (AP)

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:54:15 +0000

Djokovic beats Monfils in UAE exhibition (AP)
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—Novak Djokovic began his preparations for the 2012 season with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win over No. 16 Gael Monfils at the World Tennis Championship exhibition event on Thursday. The No. 1-ranked Djokovic is coming off three Grand Slam wins during a 70-6 season. The 24-year-old Serb ended his best season with two tired losses at the ATP World Tour Finals last month. Djokovic will face Roger Federer in the semifinals on Friday, and Rafael Nadal will meet fellow Spaniard David Ferrer. Ferrer earlier beat Jo Wilfried Tsonga of France 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the six-man field of the $250,000 winner-takes-all exhibition.