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...

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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...

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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...

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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....

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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....

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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,...

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