Fox stands by decision, Elway supports his coach

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — John Fox would tell Peyton Manning to take the knee again.
John Elway, of all people, agreed with that call.
Given the ball at his 20 with 31 seconds, two timeouts and one of the best quarterbacks in the game, the Broncos coach decided to run out the clock and head to overtime.
Result: Baltimore 38, Denver 35. End of season in Broncoland.
Fox said he felt good about the decision when he made it Saturday, toward the end of one of the most disheartening losses in the franchise's history. After hashing it over during the last two sleepless nights, he stood by his decision.
"I'd do it again 10 times if it presented itself in that situation," he said Monday at Denver's season-ending news conference, where he was joined by Elway, the quarterback-turned-front office executive.
Even 48 hours after the game, that single decision remained the most hotly debated of the many Fox, Manning and the Broncos made in their gaffe-filled loss to the Ravens. The second-guessing only got more intense Sunday after Atlanta moved the ball 41 yards in 12 seconds to set up the game-winning field goal in its 30-28 victory over Seattle.
But, Fox said, Denver's situation was nowhere near what the Falcons faced. The Falcons were losing and had no other choice. They were playing in a dome. The Broncos had just given up a game-tying 70-yard touchdown pass and were standing on the sideline in disbelief. The temperature was below 10 degrees. Manning had thrown the ball downfield a grand total of twice the entire game.
"You watch a (70)-yard bomb go over your head, there's a certain amount of shock value," Fox said. "A little bit like a prize fighter who gets a right cross on the chin at the end of a round, you're looking to get out of the round."
Elway, of course, built his career around extracting the Broncos from impossible situations. But asked specifically how he would've responded in his playing days if told to take a knee under those circumstances, he sounded not at all like the go-for-broke quarterback he once was.
"I thought it was the right thing at that time," Elway said. "I think with where the team was mentally and the situation we were in, I thought that it was a good move."
Though the Broncos recovered and stopped Baltimore twice in the overtime, eventually Manning threw an interception that set up the Ravens for the winning field goal. It was a sudden, shocking end to a season that had Super Bowl written all over it. Instead, this year is drawing more comparisons to 1996, when the Broncos also were 13-3, also were top seeds and also lost by three points in the divisional round — to Jacksonville instead of Baltimore.
At the time, Elway was 36 and still searching for his first Super Bowl title. He won the next two.
Currently, Manning is 36 and stuck on one Super Bowl title. He signed with the Broncos last offseason to win a few more.
"I think having been through this before, and having been disappointed before, I realized that this was a possibility," Elway said. "The bottom line is how we learn from this situation. If we get defensive and don't look at everything we did in this game and try to learn from it, then there is a chance we can experience it again. Hopefully, we're back in this situation again and we will have looked at it the right way and learned from the situation."
While Fox conceded there were coaching mistakes in the game — most notably not having safety Rahim Moore coached up well enough to properly defend the pass that tied the game — he stood by his two most important strategic decisions.
A few minutes before kneeling on the ball, Denver was up by seven and trying to grind out the clock. Despite being down to their third-string running back, 188-pound Ronnie Hillman, the Broncos called three straight running plays, including a run off right guard on third-and-7 that went for no gain. That ran the clock down to 1:15 and made Baltimore burn all its timeouts.
But three plays after a punt, Joe Flacco threw the improbable 70-yard touchdown over Rahim Moore and into the hands of Jacoby Jones that tied the game.
"I've never believed in, 'It's one guy, one play,'" Fox said when asked about Moore's role in the loss. "It obviously was a big play."
Fox said he played the percentages on all the calls — nothing more, nothing less.
According to his calculations:
—There's a 38 to 40 percent chance of converting a third-and-7 into a first down.
—By punting and giving Baltimore the ball on its 23-yard line, trailing by a touchdown with 1:09 left and no timeouts, the Broncos had a 97 percent chance of winning.
—That percentage spiked to 99.9 percent when the Ravens had the ball on the 30 with 41 seconds left.
Turned out, the Broncos are a ".1 percenter."
"I mean this in all sincerity, if I felt like we were going to give up a 70-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds to go, we might have re-evaluated that," Fox said. "But that's not what the percentages said."
Notes: Elway said the Broncos intend to pick up the option on Manning for the next two years, which would pay him $40 million for two seasons. Manning still has to pass a physical later this winter to get the money. Elway also said the Broncos would like to bring free agent LT Ryan Clady back. ... By losing, the Broncos coaching staff gets assigned to coach the AFC in the Pro Bowl, the week before the Super Bowl. Manning said he will play in the game, as well.

Read More..

Oakland gives manager Bob Melvin 2-year extension

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Bob Melvin has repeatedly described the comfort of managing right at home in the Bay Area — and Billy Beane has described the comfort in having a winning, "modern-day" manager leading the Oakland Athletics.
Melvin is staying put in the very place he wants to be well into the future.
The A's manager received a two-year contract extension Monday that takes him through the 2016 season. Later Monday, Oakland announced it had reached agreement on a $1 million, one-year contract with catcher George Kottaras, a raise of $275,000.
Beane is thrilled to have a manager in place to guide the small-budget A's for years to come.
"To get an extension like this from people you respect and admire and supported you, it really makes you feel good and makes you feel better about doing your job," said Melvin, voted AL Manager of the Year after leading Oakland to a surprising West division title. "My expectations are the same as last year. We're going to compete hard and expect to win. Based on having the results we had last year, we'll have that much more confidence coming into spring training."
Oakland became the first team in major league history to win a division or pennant after trailing by five games with less than 10 to play, sweeping three games against Texas to win the division over the Rangers.
"It's really a reflection of our commitment to Bob and Bob's commitment to us. If you know you have the right guy, there's no sense in waiting until he's got one year left," general manager Billy Beane said. "This was probably the simplest negotiation I've ever had in my career here. That's a reflection of the relationship that Bob has with the organization. We're happy to give him this well-deserved extension. It didn't take very long. The actual writing it up took longer than the actual negotiations."
Oakland lost to Detroit 3-2 in a best-of-five AL division series. The A's ended a five-year stretch without a winning record or playoff berth, finishing 94-68.
The A's did it with a payroll of $59.5 million — lowest in the majors — and 12 rookies. They did it with significant injuries to their starting pitchers and lost their third baseman, Scott Sizemore, to a season-ending knee injury on the first full-squad workout of spring training. And they did it after losing right-hander Bartolo Colon to a 50-game suspension in August for a positive testosterone test, then re-signed him this winter.
The 51-year-old Melvin, a former big league catcher who grew up in Menlo Park and played at Cal, took over from the fired Bob Geren in June 2011. Melvin led the Diamondbacks to the NL West title in 2007 and also won 93 games in his rookie season with Seattle in 2003.
"We knew we had the right guy right from the get go. Continuity is important," Beane said. "It's really important. Once again last year was certainly enjoyable. It's easy to look at a year like last year and everybody has fun when you're winning. This relationship with Bob and myself and the front office and the players started when he took over."
Melvin received a three-year contract from Oakland late in the 2011 season. The A's went 47-52 after he took over that year.
His local ties are only a bonus. Melvin played three seasons with the San Francisco Giants.
"I was excited and impressed when Billy told me that Bob was available and accepting the manager role with us," owner Lew Wolff said. "As I observed Bob's leadership and very special drive, I was even more impressed with Billy's choice. I am so very pleased that we will have Bob with us for the foreseeable future. Bob's use of our talent was and is brilliant in my opinion."
Kottaras, acquired from Milwaukee before last year's trade deadline, batted .212 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in 27 games for Oakland after hitting .209 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 58 games with the Brewers.
Three A's remain eligible to file for arbitration Tuesday: left-hander Jerry Blevins and outfielders Brandon Moss and Seth Smith.

Read More..

No. 1 Louisville beats UConn 73-60

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Russ Smith scored 23 points and Gorgui Dieng had six points and 16 rebounds and Louisville, playing just hours after it moved to No. 1 , used a strong second half to beat Connecticut 73-60 on Monday night.
The Cardinals (16-1, 4-0 Big East) won their 11th straight game and like the others they relied on their star backcourt and pressure defense.
The only other time Louisville was ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press' Top 25 was the final poll of 2008-09. The Cardinals won the national championship in 1980 and 1986 but the AP does not conduct a post-NCAA tournament poll.
The Cardinals are the third team to hold the No. 1 spot this season along with Indiana and Duke and they celebrated the move with the convincing road win.
Louisville shot 60.7 percent in the second half (17 of 28) and hit an even 50 percent for the game.
Omar Calhoun led the Huskies (12-4, 2-2) with 20 points while Shabazz Napier added 12, all but two in the first half. Ryan Boatright had 11 points and he and Napier both had six assists for the Huskies, who were coming off a win over then-No. 17 Notre Dame that was their sixth in seven games.
Louisville's backcourt of Smith and Peyton Siva didn't get to spend much time together on the court. For Siva, it was foul trouble, for Smith it was what appeared to be leg cramps after he played all 20 minutes of the first half.
Siva, the conference preseason Player of the Year, picked up his second foul just 3:47 into the game. Not only did the Cardinals lose a veteran leader when the senior went out but Smith, the leading scorer at 18.7 points per game, had to assume more of a role in running the offense. It didn't hurt his scoring much, though, as he had 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting as Connecticut took a 34-28 halftime lead.
Dieng had two points and 10 rebounds in the first half. He missed all five shots he took but he had four offensive rebounds.
Connecticut scored the first basket of the second half for a 36-28 lead but that's when Louisville started looking like the No. 1 team in the country.
They went on an 8-0 run in which Smith had four points and Siva two. That was part of a 19-5 burst that gave Louisville a 47-41 lead with 12:18 to play.
Connecticut, which shot 53.8 percent from the field in the first half, had just three field goals in the opening 13 minutes of the second half as Louisville went ahead 60-44. The Huskies, who went 9 minutes without a field goal at one stretch, had trouble moving the ball against the fullcourt pressure and 2-3 zone of the Cardinals. The Huskies had seven turnovers in the first 11 minutes of the second half, matching their total in the first half.
Siva picked up his third foul with 14:21 to play in the game and he returned to the bench. When he came back in the game with 10 minutes left, Smith went to the bench for treatment. Siva hit a 3-pointer 50 seconds later as part of the big run. Siva finished with 11 points and four assists.
The Huskies shot 25.9 percent in the second half (7 of 27) and were at 39.6 percent for the game.
Connecticut drops to 2-7 all-time against No. 1 teams with the last win over Texas on Jan. 23, 2010.

Read More..

Sabres G Miller calls NHL lockout 'waste of time'

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — After rejoining his Buffalo Sabres teammates on the ice for the first time in some nine months, goalie Ryan Miller had a few lingering frustrations to get off his chest regarding the NHL lockout.
"The best thing to do is acknowledge that it was stupid," Miller said Friday, before turning his attention to Sabres fans. "I appreciate their patience. I know it's a hard situation. I still don't even know the right message because it was just a stupid, useless waste of time."
Miller, who played a role in negotiations, called himself "embarrassed" that it took more than six months of negotiations to reach an agreement. At one point during talks, he gave up on the possibility of there being a season this year.
And he laid the blame on owners, specifically singling out Commissioner Gary Bettman, whom he accused of being the reason why the four-month lockout wasn't resolved sooner.
"In my mind, it always had to be January in Gary Bettman's mind," Miller said. "Obviously, he had something in his head and he was going to see how far he could take it. So there's really no going up against Gary, when he has something in his head."
For someone who hasn't played in a competitive game since April 5, the ever-outspoken Miller seems already in midseason form.
"It's exciting to be back. It's the way you that you're supposed to feel," he said. "It's not in the board room, so that's good. It's getting back on the ice, and that's the important part."
Spending much of his offseason in southern California, Miller arrived in Buffalo on Thursday, and was on the ice for what's expected to be the players' final informal practice at a suburban arena. Training camp is tentatively set to open Sunday, and a 48-game regular season to start a week later.
A seven-year veteran, Miller is the face of the franchise, and regarded as a team leader. His arrival was welcomed by the Sabres, and also by numerous fans. About 300 onlookers — the largest turnout this week — lined the boards to watch the open practice.
Aside from his frustrations regarding labor talks, Miller was in an upbeat mood. Walking out of the locker room with his mask perched above his head exposing a familiar patchy beard — "It's my lockout beard" — he then flashed a big smile and waved his glove hand before taking the ice.
Before taking any questions from reporters afterward, Miller first wanted to find out what's been happening in Buffalo, and then shook hands with each member of the media.
"There," he said. "We're reintroduced again, eight months later."
Now it's time to get to work in what will be a shortened season, and for a high-priced Sabres team that was among the NHL's biggest busts after missing the playoffs last season.
Buffalo (39-32-11) finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and was hampered by a rash of injuries, including Miller missing a nine-game stretch because of concussion-like symptoms. On the bright side, Miller hopes the team can pick up where it left off after closing last season on a 15-5-4 roll.
The challenge for Miller is getting himself ready to carry much of the load during a tightly packed stretch of games.
"Hockey-wise, I'm in a pretty good spot," he said. "Mentally, I always kind of knew it was going to be a short sprint kind of situation. It's not a surprise for anyone of us."
Coach Lindy Ruff has already projected that he's targeting Miller to play between 36 and 38 games.
Miller hasn't given any thought to how many games he'll play, but has been accustomed to being the Sabres workhorse.
He's appeared in 59 or more games in each of his past six seasons. That includes 2009-10, when he was the NHL's Vezina Trophy winner after going 41-18-8 in 69 NHL regular-season games, and six more games at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where he led the United States to win a silver medal.
"I just want to be that guy, and we'll go by that," Miller said. "I think if I'm playing at a high enough level, I'd like to be in net."
Unlike some NHLers who spent part of the lockout playing overseas, Miller elected to stay home. He said the insurance premiums on his contract proved expensive. He also noted that he wanted to make sure there were no lingering effects from the head injury he sustained last year.
Miller spent much of his time working out in California, where he skated between three and four times a week. He mostly worked out with numerous members of the defending Stanley Cup-champion Los Angeles Kings such as Jarret Stoll, Brad Richardson, Justin Williams and Rob Scuderi. Several other NHLers, including Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, spent a few months also working out with them.
"I've been skating pretty consistently since June, but it's not the same as playing with your teammates," Miller said. "It's been missing from my life for the past eight months, that's a long time.

Read More..

Mo. court to appoint lawyer for Belcher baby

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri court will appoint a lawyer to protect the interests of the 4-month-old daughter of the late Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher as her grandparents argue over custody.
Belcher fatally shot the child's mother, Kasandra Perkins, on Dec. 1 in their Kansas City home, then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and killed himself in front of coaches and the team's general manager. Belcher's mother, Cheryl Shepherd, had been living with the couple for about two weeks and was in the home when her son killed Perkins.
Shepherd received temporary custody of Belcher's daughter, Zoey, soon after the shootings and filed a petition in mid-December asking to be appointed as Zoey's guardian and conservator of her estate, which could be worth millions of dollars.
Shepherd, of West Babylon, N.Y., also filed a second petition seeking to be named administrator of her son's estate.
Friday morning, she sat silently between her two attorneys in a Jackson County courtroom as probate commissioner Daniel Wheeler addressed the petitions.
Wheeler changed the status of the custody petition to "contested" because Zoey's maternal grandparents and other family members in Texas have filed a petition in that state to be Zoey's legal guardians.
He also ordered the appointment of a guardian ad litem — an attorney who represents the interests of minor children — and set a Dec. 25 hearing on Shepherd's petition to take over her son's estate.
The Ford Worth Star-Telegram reported Friday that Zoey is staying with relatives in Austin, Texas.
In addition to the well-being of the child, millions of dollars are at stake in the custody battle.
Zoey's estate or guardian will receive more than $1 million under terms of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, including $108,000 annually over the next four years, $48,000 in the fifth year and $52,000 each year until she turns 18. She can keep receiving that amount until she is 23 if she attends college.
A trust funded by the Hunt family, which owns the Chiefs, along with team coaches, players, employees and contributions from the public, will help care for the child. Also, Belcher's beneficiary will receive $600,000 in life insurance, plus $200,000 for each credited season — Belcher was in his fourth season at the time of his death — and $100,000 in a retirement account.
Shepherd's attorney, Gretchen Gold, declined to answer questions after the hearing and said her client didn't have any comments, either.
Zoey's maternal grandparents, Rebecca Anne Gonzalez and Darryl Perkins, and other Texas relatives have filed a lawsuit seeking temporary custody of the girl, that her residence be in Tarrant County, Texas, and that a guardian ad litem be appointed.
A Fort Worth judge has scheduled a Jan. 22 hearing in that lawsuit. The judge will conduct a conference Jan. 17 with his Jackson County, Mo., counterpart and attorneys for Zoey's maternal and paternal grandparents to discuss whether Texas or Missouri has jurisdiction in the case.

Read More..

Chudzinski thrilled to get Browns' job

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rob Chudzinski's roots run 44 years deep with the Browns.
As a kid, he buckled on his orange helmet and ran around his backyard in Toledo, Ohio, pretending he was Ozzie Newsome. He sat outside in the snow and watched Cleveland games on TV through the window to make it feel like he was in the Dawg Pound.
He chomped on dog biscuits.
On Friday, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came true for Chudzinski, who was introduced as the Browns' sixth fulltime coach since 1999. Although he has never been a head coach, "Chud" was selected over candidates with more experience and stronger resumes.
Chudzinski, though, stood out. He wanted it more than anyone.
"It's a dream come true, almost unbelievable in a lot of ways," Chudzinski said.
There is a segment of Browns fans as stunned as Chudzinski, whose hiring seemed to come out of nowhere.
After interviewing several high-profile candidates, including Oregon coach Chip Kelly, former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt and other top coordinators, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner picked Chudzinski, who spent the past two years as Carolina's offensive coordinator.
Haslam said he spoke with "nine or 10 of the best coaches in the country" and insisted Chudzinski was on the team's list of candidates from the outset.
"Rob was always on our radar screen," Haslam said of his first coaching hire. "Rob has been identified as a top, bright, young guy for a long time. I feel very confident we've got the right guy."
This is Chudzinski's third stint with the Browns. He coached Cleveland's tight ends in 2004 and was the team's offensive coordinator in 2007-08. In his first season calling plays, the Browns went 10-6 and had four players make the Pro Bowl. It hasn't been nearly as good since he left
"Happy to see Chud coming back," Browns Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas said in an email to the AP. "We had a good year in 2007. Very smart offensive mind. When he left, I knew he'd be a great head coach someday!"
Chudzinski's first task is to assemble his staff. He'll speak with the assistants still under contract and is confident he'll be able to bring in quality coaches to build the Browns into a consistent winner. Chudzinski would not comment on any specific candidates. There are reports he'll hire former San Diego coach Norv Turner as his offensive coordinator.
Chudzinski was the Chargers tight ends coach under Turner.
Working on an hour's sleep after getting his dream job. Chudzinski would not comment on any players on Cleveland's current roster. He said his philosophy will be to "attack" on offense and defense and he feels the Browns have the versatility to run a 4-3 or 3-4 defense.
The 44-year-old Chudzinski interviewed for head coaching jobs last year with St. Louis, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay before returning for his second season with Carolina, where he spent two years working with quarterback Cam Newton.
When he left the Browns for the second time in 2008, Chudzinski always thought he would return to Cleveland.
"I remember the last game walking out of the stadium and looking across the field, somehow knowing I'd be back somehow, someway," he said.
The Browns had a whirlwind courtship with Chudzinski. Haslam and Banner spent last week in Arizona, where they spoke to at least five known candidates. They got deep in talks with Kelly before backing away because of the offensive mastermind's indecision about jumping to the NFL.
The team rebooted its search and spoke with several other candidates including Whisenhunt, who was in Cleveland on Thursday for a second interview. Chudzinski met with the Browns on Wednesday at Haslam's estate on Lake Erie, where he laid out his coaching philosophies.
"Rob was very decisive," Haslam said. "'This is how I'm going to do things. I'm an offensive guy, but here's my role on defense. Here's my role on special teams. Here are the type of people I would bring in as coordinators, here are the type of coaches.' It was just very definitive."
Chudzinski received a phone call on Thursday that Haslam and Banner wanted to have dinner with him in Charlotte, N.C. They had been impressed with Chudzinski's thoroughness in the first interview, but wanted to spend more time with him.
"''We felt very positively that Rob was the man," Haslam said. "This organization has had a lot of change in terms of leadership, so it was exceptionally important that we get that right. An hour through dinner, we felt like that definitely this was the right guy."
Haslam said he wasn't aware of Chudzinski's Ohio background or his love for the Browns.
"It's a great story, but if Rob had been from Plano, Texas, we'd have hired him," Haslam said.
Banner has tracked Chudzinski's career for some time as he does with "the best young people in the league." It was Banner who had plucked Andy Reid, a then-unknown assistant from Green Bay, and hired him as Philadelphia's head coach in 1999. Reid spent 14 years with the Eagles before he was recently fired.
Now that they've hired a coach, Haslam and Banner will focus on finding a new general manager to help pick players for Chudzinski, who will be involved in finding the next GM.
Chudzinski has it better than any of his five predecessors in Cleveland. He inherits a young roster with more talent than the team has had in years, and it's his job to develop a team that has lost at least 11 games in each of the past five seasons.
Chudzinski understands Cleveland's passion for football — and its pain.
He knows the heartbreak felt by Browns fans, who are still waiting for their team to make the Super Bowl. He knows it because he's felt it, too.
The Browns have had other coaches, but never one so intensely attached to the team. Chudzinski could have stayed in Carolina and waited for another head coaching job to come along. But there's no other job that could match this one.
To Chudzinski, this was the only one.
"I wouldn't have missed this opportunity for anything in the world," he said. "To bring back the pride, the passion, the success this franchise has had in the past, I want to be part of that.

Read More..

INTERVIEW-Golf-Poulter seeks final piece in major puzzle

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Still feeling a little giddy after a barn-storming finish to his 2012 campaign, Ian Poulter is itching to plug the only hole in his otherwise glittering career resume by winning a major championship.
The fashion-conscious Englishman, widely regarded as one of the best putters in the game, has achieved virtually everything else in professional golf and says landing one of the four majors would fulfil a long cherished dream.
Poulter will launch his 2013 campaign this week at the PGA Tour's season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and readily admits he has been unable to work out the final piece of the major puzzle.
"I don't know what it takes," the flamboyant Englishman told Reuters in a recent interview. "If it means taking off 20 weeks before playing in a major, then I would take 20 weeks off. If it means playing five in a row to win one, then I would do that.
"I've tried a lot of things but I just need to keep doing what I am doing, to be honest with you. I just need to keep working on the same things.
"You need to ride a bit of luck in these majors at certain times to be able to pick one up. No question, I'd really love to win one."
Poulter rebounded from a slow start to last season with a spectacular run of success and consistency that included three top-10 finishes in the majors and his second World Golf Championships (WGC) crown.
"It was an amazing back half of the season," said the 36-year-old, who sealed a two-shot victory in the elite HSBC-WGC Champions Tournament at Missions Hills in China in November.
"The first part of the year was very solid, then three top-10s in the majors ... I must be doing something right. And then I got to the Ryder Cup and backed that up with some great golf."
POULTER SPARK
Late on the second day of the Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club, Poulter provided the spark which inspired Europe's astonishing, come-from-behind victory over the United States.
The matchplay specialist finished with five consecutive birdies to earn one of two valuable points in the fourballs, giving his team a slim hope of retaining the trophy as they headed into Sunday's concluding 12 singles trailing 10-6.
"I still get goosebumps just talking about it," Poulter said of his scintillating display in the fourballs. "How it happened I just don't know. It all happened in slow motion.
"It was amazing to see the atmosphere change in the team room that night," he recalled. "The spirit, it just changed. Guys were pumped up ... we just felt there was that little glimmer of hope."
Poulter was one of eight European players who won that Sunday and ended the week at Medinah with a perfect 4-0-0 record as his team stunningly triumphed by 14-1/2 points to 13-1/2.
"That Ryder Cup far surpasses anything I've ever felt before on a golf course," said the 12-times European Tour winner.
Four months later, Poulter is ready to launch his 2013 PGA Tour season on the Hawaiian island of Maui in an elite, winners-only field of 30 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Read More..

No. 1 Duke tops Davidson 67-50 to remain unbeaten

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It was supposed to be Seth Curry's homecoming — then Ryan Kelly stole the show.
Kelly scored 18 points to help top-ranked Duke remain unbeaten with a 67-50 victory over Davidson on Wednesday night.
Quinn Cook scored 15 points and Mason Plumlee scored eight of his 10 in the second half for the Blue Devils (13-0), who are one of only four undefeated teams remaining in Division I. Tyler Thornton added 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the second half to spark Duke.
"For our guys to go 13-0 with our nonconference schedule is just magnificent," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "It's terrific."
The game was tied 29-all at halftime before Duke opened the second half with a 12-0 run. The Blue Devils, who led by as many as 19 in the second half, heated up from 3-point range after the break, going 3 for 4 in the early minutes of the period.
During that six-minute span to open the second half the Wildcats had nine empty possessions.
"That's when they made their run," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. "You wipe that six minutes out, well. ... But that's why Duke is number one. Somehow they are going to make you pay during that six-minute period. They've done that in every game they played this year."
Curry, playing in front of his hometown fans and against his older brother Stephen's alma mater, had a rough night, finishing with six points on 3-of-11 shooting. Earlier in the day, Stephen Curry — who plays for the Golden State Warriors — wrote on Twitter that he was rooting for Davidson but hoping his brother dropped 30-plus points.
That didn't happen, but Kelly picked up the slack, hitting 5 of 8 from the field — including 3 for 4 from 3-point range.
"I got the shots that I wanted. I just wasn't able to get them to go down," Curry said. "Maybe I was pressing a little early trying to get going. I'm just going to have to bounce back on Saturday."
It didn't help that Davidson placed an emphasis on rotating and taking away opportunities from Curry and Plumlee.
That benefited Kelly, who was left open for shots.
"They were physical, they were riding us," Kelly said. "That made it tough on Mason to get his shots. But once we figured it out, we saw the holes in it. Mason is the type of player where he's unselfish. He passed out of double teams and it created for others."
Duke is set to open ACC play at home against Wake Forest on Saturday, while Davidson is home to face Southern Conference foe UNC-Greensboro.
Jake Cohen led Davidson (7-6) with 19 points and eight rebounds despite battling through early foul trouble, and De'Mon Brooks pulled down 12 rebounds and scored eight points in the Wildcats' 24th straight loss to Duke.
Plumlee scored on an inbound play to ignite Duke's 12-0 burst coming out of halftime.
Kelly followed with a pair of free throws, Quinn Cook hit a foul-line jumper and Thornton knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing. Kelly capped the run with a 3-pointer from the left corner, his third of the game, to push the lead to 12.
Duke had seven assists and two turnovers in the second half after just one assist and nine turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
They held Davidson to 30 percent shooting for the game, and the Wildcats were just 4 of 19 from behind the arc.
"I thought our defense was terrific," Krzyzewski said.
Davidson, which hung tough in the opening half, would never get closer than eight after Duke's run to start the second half.
The Wildcats entered the locker room at halftime tied despite shooting just 32 percent in the first half. Cohen, last year's co-conference player of the year along with Brooks, sat out 15 minutes after picking up his second foul less than three minutes in.
Davidson did it with hustle, outrebounding the taller Blue Devils 22-15 in the opening half, including a 9-1 edge on the offensive boards.
"In the first half we gave up offensive rebounds and in the second half we didn't and to me that was the key to the ball game," Krzyzewski said.
Brooks, who has been a factor inside for the Wildcats all season, struggled to get off shots against Duke's defenders, who began collapsing on him in the paint. He finished 4 of 13 from the field.
NOTES: Former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs and Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker were among those who attended the game. ... Cook was 6 of 9 from the field for the Blue Devils.

Read More..

No. 7 Orange beat Rutgers 78-53; Boeheim gets 903

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Jim Boeheim achieved another milestone in his impressive career at Syracuse, and yet passing Bob Knight for second place all-time on the victory list almost seemed like an afterthought.
"I'm proud to be able to do that. I'm happy to get it done," Boeheim said after his seventh-ranked Orange had defeated Rutgers 78-53 on Wednesday night for his 903rd victory, one more than Knight among men's Division I coaches. "To me, this game is not about numbers, it really isn't. It's not about how many points you score or the assists you get. It's about all the people, all the people you meet on the way. It's been an unbelievable experience."
Boeheim, in his 37th season at his alma mater, trails only Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who has 940 victories, and he was more touched by the phone calls and letters than anything else.
"I got a call from (former St. John's star) Chris Mullin, I think after 900," Boeheim said. "That call meant as much to me as anything because he's the best player, you could argue, who's played in this league. And I got a note from (Butler) coach Brad Stevens, which is interesting because I'm probably his biggest fan. He just thanked me for my contributions to the game.
"If a young coach thinks that way about me, then I'm really happy. That's what I'm really proud about."
Boeheim was also proud of the way Syracuse (13-1, 1-0 Big East) performed en route to its 33rd straight home victory, the longest active streak in the nation. The Orange have beaten Rutgers (9-3, 0-1) 13 straight times.
Brandon Triche had a season-high 25 points, hitting 5 of 7 3-point attempts, and added six assists and four steals to lead Syracuse. Michael Carter-Williams finished with 12 points and 10 assists, his eighth double-double, and C.J. Fair had 15 points and three blocks.
Eli Carter led Rutgers with 19 points while Myles Mack, who entered the game averaging 14.5 points, did not score and was 0 of 3 from behind the arc. He entered the game leading the Big East at 51.2 percent from 3-point range.
The Scarlet Knights had won five straight but were no match for Syracuse in coach Mike Rice's first game back after a three-game, 16-day suspension for inappropriate behavior and language. Rutgers went 3-0 under associate head coach David Cox, capped by a 68-56 win over Rider on Friday.
Rice was suspended without pay and fined $50,000 on Dec. 13 for a violation of athletic department policy. Rice, 43, who returned to the team on Saturday, is in his third season at Rutgers. A former guard at Fordham, Rice came to Rutgers from Robert Morris, where he took the Colonials to the NCAA tournament twice.
Rutgers has defeated three top 10 teams at home under Rice, but the program has never accomplished the feat on the road. Syracuse won the game with a 21-0 run over the final 6:42 of the first half to break open what had been a tight affair.
Rutgers committed 10 turnovers in each half and was outscored 20-7 on the fast break.
"We're really good when we're scoring and things are going our way," Rice said. "The team response — we lacked the energy, we lacked the toughness. In this league, bad things are going to happen, whether it's missed shots or turnovers, which we really couldn't have against Syracuse, but we had them.
"How are you going to respond defensively? That's what limits their runs, and our defense was a no-show after we stopped scoring."
Carter's runner in the lane at 8:07 gave Rutgers its only lead at 20-18. It was the final basket of the period for the Scarlet Knights. They missed seven shots, committed three fouls and had two shots blocked as the Orange ran away.
Fair followed his own miss to start the Orange surge and consecutive baskets by Carter-Williams, the second a pretty underhanded scoop with reverse spin, gave Syracuse an eight-point lead.
Triche's fast-break layup after a block by Fair and a bank shot off the glass by Rakeem Christmas kept the Orange rolling, and James Southerland's transition 3 made it 35-20 with 2:22 to play.
"It did snowball," said Austin Johnson, who had six points and four rebounds for the Scarlet Knights. "It's a tough place to play. We just have to remain confident and do what we know we're capable of out there. If we do that, we can compete with anybody. Tonight was definitely a clunker."
Triche's lob to Southerland completed the run as Syracuse finished the half 14 of 29 (48.3 percent) from the field while holding Rutgers to 8 of 29 (27.6 percent). About the only mistake the Orange made was Christmas's turnover out of bounds in the final seconds as Syracuse tried to hold for the final shot.
At the outset, the game had the makings of a barnburner. Triche hit three 3-pointers in the first 6 minutes of play, all off assists by Carter-Williams as the Orange gained an early lead. But Carter kept pace with three 3s and another 3 from the wing by Jerome Seagears tied it at 16.
The score was tied four times before Syracuse took control.
"We were playing really well and we were down two," Boeheim said. "I was getting ready for it to be a battle right down to the end, so I'm shocked at what happened during that period of time. We were playing well. Then we started playing even better."
Both teams are leaving the conference, Syracuse after the season for the Atlantic Coast Conference and Rutgers for the Big Ten at a date that's still to be determined.

Read More..

Poulter seeks final piece in major puzzle

 Still feeling a little giddy after a barn-storming finish to his 2012 campaign, Ian Poulter is itching to plug the only hole in his otherwise glittering career resume by winning a major championship.
The fashion-conscious Englishman, widely regarded as one of the best putters in the game, has achieved virtually everything else in professional golf and says landing one of the four majors would fulfill a long cherished dream.
Poulter will launch his 2013 campaign this week at the PGA Tour's season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and readily admits he has been unable to work out the final piece of the major puzzle.
"I don't know what it takes," the flamboyant Englishman told Reuters in a recent interview. "If it means taking off 20 weeks before playing in a major, then I would take 20 weeks off. If it means playing five in a row to win one, then I would do that.
"I've tried a lot of things but I just need to keep doing what I am doing, to be honest with you. I just need to keep working on the same things.
"You need to ride a bit of luck in these majors at certain times to be able to pick one up. No question, I'd really love to win one."
Poulter rebounded from a slow start to last season with a spectacular run of success and consistency that included three top-10 finishes in the majors and his second World Golf Championships (WGC) crown.
"It was an amazing back half of the season," said the 36-year-old, who sealed a two-shot victory in the elite HSBC-WGC Champions Tournament at Missions Hills in China in November.
"The first part of the year was very solid, then three top-10s in the majors ... I must be doing something right. And then I got to the Ryder Cup and backed that up with some great golf."
POULTER SPARK
Late on the second day of the Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club, Poulter provided the spark which inspired Europe's astonishing, come-from-behind victory over the United States.
The matchplay specialist finished with five consecutive birdies to earn one of two valuable points in the fourballs, giving his team a slim hope of retaining the trophy as they headed into Sunday's concluding 12 singles trailing 10-6.
"I still get goosebumps just talking about it," Poulter said of his scintillating display in the fourballs. "How it happened I just don't know. It all happened in slow motion.
"It was amazing to see the atmosphere change in the team room that night," he recalled. "The spirit, it just changed. Guys were pumped up ... we just felt there was that little glimmer of hope."
Poulter was one of eight European players who won that Sunday and ended the week at Medinah with a perfect 4-0-0 record as his team stunningly triumphed by 14-1/2 points to 13-1/2.
"That Ryder Cup far surpasses anything I've ever felt before on a golf course," said the 12-times European Tour winner.
Four months later, Poulter is ready to launch his 2013 PGA Tour season on the Hawaiian island of Maui in an elite, winners-only field of 30 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Asked to outline his goals for this year, he replied: "I've got lots of goals ... keep working on the same things to improve and to get better and hopefully pick up some titles along with that first major.

Read More..

Source: Bills to interview Oregon's Chip Kelly

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Oregon coach Chip Kelly won't have much time to rest after the Fiesta Bowl.
On Friday, Kelly has an interview scheduled with the Buffalo Bills for their coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the coach's plans confirmed late Wednesday night.
The interview will take place in Arizona, a day after the fifth-ranked Ducks play Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Bills and Kelly haven't revealed the meeting will take place.
USA Today first reported that Kelly was scheduled to interview with Buffalo.
Bills newly promoted president Russ Brandon and front-office brain trust have been in Arizona since Tuesday conducting their coaching search. According to the Bills' website, the team interviewed Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton on Wednesday, a day after meeting with former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was fired Monday.
In four years at Oregon, Kelly has a 45-7 record, and is known for his up-tempo offense that has transformed the Ducks into a national power. He is regarded as one of college football's prime candidates for an NFL coaching job this offseason.
Kelly also has been linked as a candidate for the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.
According to several reports, Browns CEO Joe Banner is already in Arizona and also intends to interview Kelly.
Kelly has been deflecting questions about his future all week. He did so again Wednesday when he was asked if he expects to be contacted by NFL teams in the days ahead.
"I don't expect anything," Kelly said. "I said this a million times. I'm never surprised by anything. I do not know what the future holds. I do know we have a football game tomorrow night and I'm going to be there."
The Bills are in the midst of their fifth coaching search since 2001 after Chan Gailey was fired Monday following three consecutive losing seasons.
Though it's unclear how many more candidates they have lined up, the Bills aren't done conducting their search out west after meeting with Kelly.
A second person familiar with Mike McCoy's schedule said the Broncos' offensive coordinator is set to interview with the Bills in Denver this weekend. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Bills have not revealed their list of candidates.
As the AFC's top seed, the Broncos have this weekend off before opening the playoffs the following week. They've allotted time for teams interested in McCoy to interview him in Denver this weekend.
Horton has already interviewed twice with the Cardinals, and once with the Browns, before revealing to reporters at the Cardinals' facility that he was set to meet with the Bills.
"I'm excited about the opportunity here, and the fantastic interview I had with Cleveland last night, and am going to try to knock Buffalo's socks off," Horton said.
Horton and Whisenhunt not only coached with the Cardinals, but they also previously coached in Pittsburgh.
That makes them both quite familiar with Bills assistant general manager Doug Whaley, who is a member of the team's search committee. Whaley, who is being groomed as GM Buddy Nix's successor, spent nine seasons working as a Steelers scout before joining the Bills three years ago. He is a Pittsburgh native, as well, and played his college ball at Pitt.
Whaley, on Tuesday, spoke highly of both Whisenhunt and Horton.
"We go way back. We've won some Super Bowls together, so I have high regard for their coaching acumen," he said. "I don't think it will make a decision on if they're going to be our coach, but I can shed some insight on how they performed when I was with them and as persons."

Read More..

NFL-Dysfunctional Jets spluttering toward disappointing finish

FLORHAM PARK, New Jersey, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The New York Jets looked like a team without a flight plan on Friday with rumors swirling about trading quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow and coaches leaving town.
Head coach Rex Ryan, whose 6-8 team had their playoff hopes dashed in Monday's ugly loss to Tennessee, maintained a cone of silence over the future, declining to even confirm his back-up quarterback for Sunday's game against San Diego.
"I'm not going to make that announcement now," Ryan, who named third-stringer Greg McElroy as the starter earlier this week, told reporters after Friday's practice.
"It's going to be a coaching decision and I'll go ahead and make that decision later. It's possible all three of those guys will be up. It's possible two will be up. I'm not going to make a decision on that yet."
A season that began with a highly-publicized trade for Tebow to back up Sanchez and inject variety into the New York attack, ended in shambles with the duo sent to the sidelines to watch 2011 seventh-round draft pick McElroy play.
Tebow, who led the Broncos to the playoffs last season before giving way to newly-signed free agent Peyton Manning in Denver, barely had a chance in New York.
He played only one full drive the entire season and was only sporadically used in the team's version of the Wildcat offense.
"We thought the Wildcat would probably be a little more efficient than it has been," Ryan said when asked if he thought Tebow had been given a fair chance.
"We had our starting quarterback, we're bringing him in to do other things, like the Wildcat, like the personal protector on the punt team, different things. He's done well at times (but) it hasn't been where I thought it would be."
Sanchez, who the Jets traded up to grab with the fifth pick of the 2009 NFL Draft as a potential franchise quarterback, was later dubbed "The Sanchize" after reaching the AFC title game in his first two seasons.
But he has regressed the last two seasons. Burdened with an injury-depleted receiving corps, Sanchez has an NFL-high 24 turnovers (17 interceptions, 7 fumbles) this season on a team ranked 28th in scoring.
'IT'S DISAPPOINTING'
All this has made it a longshot that offensive coordinator Tony Sparano will be retained, and some reports are suggesting defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has declined a contract extension offered by the club.
"We never discuss the contracts or any of that type of stuff until after the season," Ryan said.
The quarterbacks showed a bond of unity.
"I'm ready to play if they need me, preparing the way I always do and supporting Greg," Sanchez said. That's really the job this week, to get Greg ready to play and be ready myself just in case."
Sanchez admitted it was not exactly business as usual.
"As disappointing as it is, I'm excited for him if that makes sense," said Sanchez. "You never want to relinquish your job and just concede, but at the same time you root for your team, you root for somebody like Greg."
Ryan said it had been a trying season for everybody.
"It's been disappointing, without question," said Ryan, a shadow of the boisterous coach who boldly predicted Super Bowl titles for his team during their early successes. "I did have huge expectations.
"At the end of the season we will focus on the what-ifs. Right now, it's straight ahead, no fair dodging.

Read More..

Dysfunctional Jets spluttering toward disappointing finish

FLORHAM PARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - The New York Jets looked like a team without a flight plan on Friday with rumors swirling about trading quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow and coaches leaving town.
Head coach Rex Ryan, whose 6-8 team had their playoff hopes dashed in Monday's ugly loss to Tennessee, maintained a cone of silence over the future, declining to even confirm his back-up quarterback for Sunday's game against San Diego.
"I'm not going to make that announcement now," Ryan, who named third-stringer Greg McElroy as the starter earlier this week, told reporters after Friday's practice.
"It's going to be a coaching decision and I'll go ahead and make that decision later. It's possible all three of those guys will be up. It's possible two will be up. I'm not going to make a decision on that yet."
A season that began with a highly-publicized trade for Tebow to back up Sanchez and inject variety into the New York attack, ended in shambles with the duo sent to the sidelines to watch 2011 seventh-round draft pick McElroy play.
Tebow, who led the Broncos to the playoffs last season before giving way to newly-signed free agent Peyton Manning in Denver, barely had a chance in New York.
He played only one full drive the entire season and was only sporadically used in the team's version of the Wildcat offense.
"We thought the Wildcat would probably be a little more efficient than it has been," Ryan said when asked if he thought Tebow had been given a fair chance.
"We had our starting quarterback, we're bringing him in to do other things, like the Wildcat, like the personal protector on the punt team, different things. He's done well at times (but) it hasn't been where I thought it would be."
Sanchez, who the Jets traded up to grab with the fifth pick of the 2009 NFL Draft as a potential franchise quarterback, was later dubbed "The Sanchize" after reaching the AFC title game in his first two seasons.
But he has regressed the last two seasons. Burdened with an injury-depleted receiving corps, Sanchez has an NFL-high 24 turnovers (17 interceptions, 7 fumbles) this season on a team ranked 28th in scoring.
'IT'S DISAPPOINTING'
All this has made it a longshot that offensive coordinator Tony Sparano will be retained, and some reports are suggesting defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has declined a contract extension offered by the club.
"We never discuss the contracts or any of that type of stuff until after the season," Ryan said.
The quarterbacks showed a bond of unity.
"I'm ready to play if they need me, preparing the way I always do and supporting Greg," Sanchez said. That's really the job this week, to get Greg ready to play and be ready myself just in case."
Sanchez admitted it was not exactly business as usual.
"As disappointing as it is, I'm excited for him if that makes sense," said Sanchez. "You never want to relinquish your job and just concede, but at the same time you root for your team, you root for somebody like Greg."
Ryan said it had been a trying season for everybody.
"It's been disappointing, without question," said Ryan, a shadow of the boisterous coach who boldly predicted Super Bowl titles for his team during their early successes. "I did have huge expectations.
"At the end of the season we will focus on the what-ifs. Right now, it's straight ahead, no fair dodging.

Read More..

Witten eyes record after spleen injury, slow start

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Jason Witten had nearly as many drops as catches through three games this season, back when his side still hurt just about every time he moved because of a lacerated spleen.
The Dallas Cowboys tight end dismissed any suggestion that the injury had anything to do with an uncharacteristic case of stone hands. The seven-time Pro Bowler didn't really even want to say how long it took to feel normal again once he decided to play in the season opener just 23 days after getting hurt in a preseason game.
Coach Jason Garrett puts it somewhere around a month into the season, which is about the time Witten started a career-best stretch so prolific that he has two games to get the six catches needed to break Tony Gonzalez's tight end record of 102 in a season. Witten could get it Sunday at home against New Orleans (6-8).
"You know, we talked about him saying, 'I'm playing in that Giant game,' after he had the lacerated spleen, and I'm thinking to myself, 'This guy's crazy,'" Garrett said. "He wasn't quite himself for probably three or four weeks after that. I think we all saw that. And then for him to kind of, 'OK, I'm feeling better now' and get back to what he's been doing, I think he's had a remarkable year."
Witten turned 30 in May, and once he made it through that opener against New York, it was easy to forget about the injury as he stumbled through two more games and reached Week 4 with five drops, four penalties and eight catches. Too old already? Hall of Fame career nearing an end?
Hardly. In the past 11 games, he has 89 catches for 847 yards and two touchdowns, including his first scoring hookup with Tony Romo in last weekend's 27-24 overtime win against Pittsburgh that put the Cowboys (8-6) in control of their playoff fate with two games left.
Witten reset his franchise record with 18 catches in a loss to the Giants in October, and a week later broke Michael Irvin's career Cowboys record of 750 receptions. With 793 catches, Witten is likely this year to join Gonzalez and Shannon Sharpe as the only tight ends with 800, and he's third behind those two with 8,832 yards. Gonzalez set the single-season mark for catches in 2004.
"I have so much respect for the game and this position," Witten said. "To be able to be even thinking about passing that kind of record that's stood the course for almost 10 years by the greatest tight end that ever played, to break that, no question it's special. I think you're more proud of the body of work over the course of 10 years than you are just one season."
Witten was part of Bill Parcells' first Cowboys draft class in 2003. He played in 15 games, with seven starts, as a rookie, and missed the only game of his career with a broken jaw. Barring injury, he's about to complete his sixth straight season of starting every game.
That streak was in serious jeopardy after he took a hard blind-side hit on a broken play in a preseason game at Oakland. It was easy to rule him out for the opener after the diagnosis because the Cowboys started the season three days earlier than everyone else and had 10 days to get ready for Week 2.
Witten thought otherwise, even with his old-school former coach whispering in his ear about taking it easy during a phone call.
"He was like my dad: 'Take care of yourself now. Be smart,'" said Witten, a bit bemused. "Remember, this guy, 10 years ago when I had the broken jaw, it didn't seem like that was the same response."
The Cowboys were just happy to have him on the field against the Giants, so some balky play and two catches for 10 yards didn't faze anyone. He four catches against the Seahawks, but had the same number of drops, then two catches again, this time for just 8 yards, against Tampa Bay.
Witten finally broke loose with 13 catches for 112 yards and a garbage-time touchdown from Kyle Orton in a blowout loss to the Bears.
"I've never thought, 'Well, I'm about to taper off here, let's see if I can hang on,'" Witten said. "It's always been it gets higher every year. And going into this year, that's what it was."
With or without a lacerated spleen.

Read More..

J-E-T-S went from Super Bowl contenders to M-E-S-S

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — From nearly Super to just plain stupefying.
That is what the New York Jets have become in a span of two NFL seasons.
From a botched trade for Tim Tebow before the season to a botched snap by Mark Sanchez that ended the season, Rex Ryan's bunch became a dysfunctional mess with no clear solution in sight.
The Jets are considered by many a laughingstock, one big circus which ranks up there with the Bronx Zoo Yankees, the Isiah Thomas Knicks and the late Al Davis' Raiders. At least those Yankees won a few World Series titles, and the Raiders took home three Super Bowl trophies despite all the madness.
Woody Johnson's flawed franchise could be headed for a total teardown before things get any better.
"Being in this market for six years, I've seen the ups and downs," defensive lineman Mike DeVito said. "You get used to it after a while. You see the good stuff and the bad stuff."
Lately, it's been all bad.
The Jets are a team whose owner craves attention, and gets it — always for the wrong reasons, it seems. Two years ago, the Jets were a win away from the Super Bowl, just as they were the previous year.
Both times, they fell just short of ending the drought that began after Joe Namath delivered on his guarantee in 1969 for the franchise's first and only title.
But there was hope for the future.
Ryan was a brash and bold coach who didn't back down from anyone and said what was on his mind, predicting Super Bowl wins before the season even started, a refreshing departure from the tight-lipped three-year tenure of Eric Mangini. He had a dominant defense, led by All-Pro Darrelle Revis, and a young, promising quarterback in Sanchez.
And most of all, the Jets were winning games.
Those positive feelings all seem like a distant memory as the Jets (6-8) play out the last two games of the season and head into a winter of uncertainty with a second straight year out of the playoffs.
"If you look at it, right now, I'm not looking further than this game against San Diego and (then) we have one more game," Ryan said. "We'll see what happens. My focus has to be with those two games and that's it."
That's because Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum don't know for sure if they'll even be back beyond the final game of the season.
Tebow will be out the door less than a year after coming to New York and saying he's "excited to be a Jet." Sanchez could be a goner, too, although his hefty contract could keep him put — but as the former face of the franchise instead of the next Namath.
Tired of getting into arguments with fans for wearing Sanchez's No. 6 jersey this season and fearing the incidents could escalate, the Jets' most famous supporter, Ed Anzalone, hung up his helmet last month and "retired" from being Fireman Ed.
So, there are no more J-E-T-S chants led by him. Still, the Jets insist they are far from the muddled M-E-S-S they are perceived by many to be.
"I certainly don't feel that," Johnson said earlier this season. "We are deadly serious about what we do here, trying to win games and trying to represent our fans in a way that they expect us to represent them."
But perception often is reality, and the Jets have provided plenty of fodder to feed into that during the past few years.
There was Ryan at his opening news conference nearly four years ago, talking about how his team would soon meet President Barack Obama as champions.
He came with plenty of other guarantees, too, that made him one of the most confident — and as a result — disliked sports figures New York has seen.
Most Jets fans loved his approach, though, and bought in.
They're some of the same fans who now hope for a change in leadership, tired of Ryan's empty promises and the distractions that have marked his tenure as coach.
And, there is a lengthy list: the Ines Sainz locker room incident, the foot fetish videos reportedly involving Ryan and his wife, the assistant coach who tripped an opposing player from the sideline during a play, the prime-time exposure on HBO's "Hard Knocks," to name a few.
Tannenbaum has also produced some big-time winners on draft day in his seven years as GM, including Revis, Nick Mangold, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and David Harris.
But there have also been some major duds along the way, such as Vernon Gholston and Vladimir Ducasse. All three of his picks from 2009 — Sanchez, Shonn Greene and Matt Slauson — could all be playing their last games as Jets.
Key locker room presences have also gradually been cut, traded or allowed to become free agents, well-respected players such as Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Kris Jenkins, Alan Faneca, Damien Woody and LaDainian Tomlinson.
While Sanchez's ability to read defenses and adjust is one major problem, the team did little to provide him with continuity on offense with constant change in the skill players around him.
"There's been a little bit of turnover, but at the same time, you have to work with what you have," Sanchez said of the various receivers he had to work with the season.
This past offseason began with a brief flirtation with Peyton Manning, and then came the most stunning move of them all: the trade for Tebow in March. It had most people scratching their heads then and now has even the popular but little-used backup quarterback wondering why he even came here in the first place.
"I tried to make the most of every opportunity that I had," Tebow said. "I would've loved to have more."
Everyone expected more, even Ryan, who acknowledged that the Tebow-powered wildcat-style offense that was kept so under wraps in training camp up in Cortland, N.Y., never developed into what the team had hoped.
Now, the Jets will either try to trade Tebow or release him by the time the NFL's free agency period begins in March.
The lasting image of Tebow's tenure will be his shirtless jog off the practice field in the rain during training camp — when ESPN was broadcasting live shots of Jets practice for a week.
Fans and media kept waiting all season for the quarterback controversy they were sure was to come: Sanchez vs. Tebow. Turns out, it was third-stringer Greg McElroy, a seventh-round draft pick last year, who took Sanchez's job in Week 16.
The Jets have three quarterbacks who came to the NFL with impeccable credentials: Sanchez a top-5 draft pick from Southern California, Tebow a two-time national champion at Florida and a Heisman Trophy winner, and McElroy a former Texas high school state champion who led the University of Alabama to a national title. But New York will go into this offseason not knowing if it even has its quarterback of the future on its roster.
Given everything that has gone on with the franchise, it was only fitting that a week after Braylon Edwards — then with the Seattle Seahawks — called out the Jets on Twitter by saying that fans should blame "the idiots calling shots" for Sanchez's struggles, he was brought back to New York by the same people he criticized.
Johnson could opt to clean house completely by firing Ryan and his coaching staff. He could do the same to Tannenbaum, or possibly re-assign him within the organization.
Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, brought in to boost the running game and get Tebow involved, could also be gone. Or, they could all be back for one more twirl.
Either way, Johnson's team is sure to consistently make splashy headlines this winter. Just the way he likes it.

Read More..

Benched QB Sanchez mum on future with Jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Mark Sanchez knows he won't be the New York Jets' starting quarterback this week.
Beyond that, the one-time face of the franchise won't say whether he thinks he'll be back with the team next season.
"I really haven't even thought about it," Sanchez said Friday. "Honestly, I'm a Jet. That's all I've known."
Sanchez struggled mightily Monday night in a 14-10 loss at Tennessee, throwing four interceptions and losing the football on New York's final offensive play as the Jets were eliminated from playoff contention. Coach Rex Ryan decided Tuesday to give Greg McElroy the start Sunday against San Diego at MetLife Stadium.
Whether Sanchez has played his final snap for the Jets remains to be seen. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Jets will consider all of their options regarding Sanchez and backup Tim Tebow. Trades in the offseason cannot be ruled out, but the person, who requested anonymity because the team's personnel plans are private, told the AP that the Jets have not made any determinations involving Sanchez or Tebow.
"I'm focused on this game and the game next week," Sanchez said, declining to address any trade rumors. "We'll assess all that stuff at a later date."
Ryan also would not comment on the futures of the quarterbacks, and wouldn't announce who McElroy's backup will be against the Chargers.
"Quite honestly, it's going to be a coach's decision and I'll go ahead and make that decision later," Ryan said. "I've said there's a possibility all three guys will be up and there's a possibility two will be up. I'm not going to make that decision just yet."
Ryan added that it's possible that "maybe" he has decided already and just won't say.
Either way, Sanchez will not be under center at the start of the game for only the second time in his career, and first for something other than an injury. McElroy took the majority of the snaps with the first-team offense throughout the week, making for a somewhat strange scene as both Sanchez and Tebow watched.
"I wouldn't say it's been normal," Sanchez said. "In that way, it's different, but at the same time, you have to be a pro, do the right thing, help Greg and prepare him like I always do."
The Jets will likely be hard-pressed to trade or cut Sanchez, who is due $8.25 million in guarantees next season after having his contract extended last offseason. He would cost the Jets a $17.1 million salary cap hit next season if he is cut, but New York could spread that amount over the next two seasons if he is released after June 1.
The salary cap hit would still be a costly $8.9 million if the Jets do find a willing trading partner. That could be further complicated by the fact Sanchez has turned the ball over an NFL-leading 50 times since the start of last season.
Tebow, who will be traded or cut before the NFL's free agency period begins in March, has two years remaining on his contract. But it would cost the Jets only a little more than $1 million against the salary cap if they cut him.
Meanwhile, McElroy will be making his first NFL start on Sunday after he made his first appearance three weeks ago against Arizona and helped New York to a 7-6 win after coming in for a benched Sanchez. The former Alabama star said friends asked him if he was excited the world didn't end, as the Mayan calendar predicted for Friday, before he got out there against the Chargers.
"Yeah, I'm glad that we're still around," a smiling McElroy said. "I'm glad that everything's OK. I wasn't really worried about it."
McElroy, who was 5 of 7 for 29 yards and the game's only touchdown against Arizona, hasn't felt any awkwardness among his fellow quarterbacks, considering he's starting for the former fifth overall draft pick in 2009 and leapfrogged Tebow on the depth chart.
"They've been extremely helpful and I'm very grateful for that," McElroy said. "I'm just thankful to have such great guys in the (quarterbacks) room with me."
The biggest change during the week, McElroy said, was the number of interviews he had to do once Ryan named him the starter.
"I'm probably getting sunburnt from the lights," the fair-skinned and freckle-faced McElroy said, laughing. "That's about it."
NOTES: TE Dustin Keller (sprained ankle) and DB Aaron Berry (hamstring) are doubtful and unlikely to play Sunday. ... Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, a close friend of Ryan, turned down a contract extension during the season, according to the Daily News. That means he could opt to leave for a similar position or head coaching job elsewhere. Ryan wouldn't comment, but said he thinks there isn't "any doubt" Pettine could be an NFL head coach. ... Antonio Cromartie, who has filled in admirably for the injured Darrelle Revis as the team's top cornerback, was selected by teammates as the Jets' MVP.

Read More..