Eddie George Highlight Reel.

For some reason I haven't seen a lot of Eddie George highlight reels on the net. Least we forget what this man was all about I found one that epitomizes the excitement of watching him during his career in the NFL. And please watch the whole reel - cause the first part is done with ESPN classics soundtrack - but the rest

George was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Abington Senior High School until the 10th grade. Soon he transferred to Fork Union Military Academy. George made the decision to stay at Fork Union Military Academy for a fifth prep school year. Such choices are commonly made by high school football players hoping to improve their recruitment status with colleges, but for George it meant another year of vigorous military lifestyle. George went on to rush for 1,372 yards in his fifth season at FUMA, attracting the attention of several major colleges. He went on to attend college at The Ohio State University.

Raiders start to the season - a close call.

Close is not good enough for Raiders in opener against Chargers
By Josh Dubow (CP)

ALAMEDA, Calif. — For all of the positive signs that came out of the Oakland Raiders' season opener from the stout run defence to the bright flashes on offence to the resiliency after getting bad breaks, the results were painfully similar to those of the past six years.

The Raiders were unable to hold onto a pair of fourth-quarter leads and ended up losing their seventh straight opener since last going to the Super Bowl, falling 24-20 to the San Diego Chargers on Monday night.

"Let's face it. You feel good about playing that game last night the way we played it against that particular opponent," coach Tom Cable said Tuesday. "That's all fine and dandy, but at the end of the day we didn't get it done at the end, and that's the next step. I think we really tasted it. Certainly going into this thing our expectations are high and they should be, but now we have to learn how to close out and win those close games."

That's a far different tune then the one after some of those other opening losses, including last year's 41-14 Monday night debacle against Denver and a 27-0 loss to start the 2006 season against San Diego.

Those games led to losing seasons that were part of a six-year run in which the Raiders had an NFL-worst 24-72 record and became the first NFL team ever to lose at least 11 games in six straight seasons. The attitude after this game was much different.

"I feel like a lot more guys cared and put their heart in it," tight end Zach Miller said. "I think everyone felt like we should have won that game. It wasn't 'Oh, yeah, we're barely in it and we just didn't come through in the end.' We felt like we had that game."

The Raiders hung with the three-time AFC West champions, outplaying them for much of the night. But after holding San Diego's high-powered offence in check through three quarters, the Raiders had no answer for Philip Rivers in the fourth.

Over his last two drives, Rivers completed 10 of 12 passes for 142 yards, threw one touchdown and set up Darren Sproles' five-yard game-winning run with 18 seconds left.

Cable lamented afterward playing a soft zone coverage late in the game, saying he would mix in some of the team's usual bump-and-run man coverage next time the Raiders tried to protect a late lead.

One offensive issue that needs to be addressed is the production of the wide receivers. Russell was 3 for 18 when throwing to his wideouts, with rookie Louis Murphy getting all the catches, including the 57-yarder on fourth-and-14 that gave the Raiders a 20-17 lead with 2:34 to play.
But instead of being the signature play of Russell's career, it became a footnote to yet another loss. Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in 2007, is now 5-12 as a starter in his career.

"We came up on the short end of the stick but there's a lot of good things that we can pull away from the game, even though we didn't win," Russell said. "Guys kept fighting and kept pushing to the end. ... We left a lot of plays out there and we let some things get away from us, but the best thing to do about that is we have a short week coming up and Kansas City will be on our mind."

First-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey was targeted four times, dropping one ball with three others being off target. There were two other incomplete passes to Heyward-Bey that didn't count because of penalties.

The decision to draft the speedy Heyward-Bey seventh overall ahead of more accomplished receivers like Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin was questioned on draft day. The skeptics will grow even louder with performances like that one.

"I thought I saw a real nervous uptight young man, a lot of big eyes," Cable said. "We'll expect him to be better next week. ... He has to learn how to handle this."

Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Iverson Finally Grows Up, Cuts Off Signature Braids.

So Michael Phelps is human after all!!

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps admitted to "regrettable" behavior Sunday and vowed it wouldn't happen again after a British newspaper published a photograph of the swimmer smoking a marijuana pipe.
"I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way," swimmer Michael Phelps said in a statement released Sunday.

"I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way," swimmer Michael Phelps said in a statement released Sunday.

"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," the record-setting American athlete said in a statement issued Sunday.

"I'm 23 years old, and despite the successes I have had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me," Phelps said. "For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public -- it will not happen again."

Phelps won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, four years after he won six gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He has received numerous corporate endorsements totaling millions of dollars.

His statement was also posted on his Facebook page, followed by comments of both support and admonishment from fans.

In a separate statement, the U.S. Olympic Committee said it was "disappointed in the behavior recently exhibited by Michael Phelps."

"Michael is a role model, and he is well aware of the responsibilities and accountability that come with setting a positive example for others, particularly young people," the committee said. "In this instance, regrettably, he failed to fulfill those responsibilities."

However, it added, "Michael has acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for his actions. We are confident that, going forward, Michael will consistently set the type of example we all expect from a great Olympic champion."

The picture, billed as an exclusive by the tabloid News of the World, showed Phelps using a water pipe during what it said was a November party at the University of South Carolina. In 2004, Phelps was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Salisbury, Maryland. Phelps pleaded guilty and received 18 months probation in that incident, issuing an apology afterward.

Pittsburgh win Superbowl XLIII.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lift the Lombardy trophy after a heart stopping Superbowl. The Steelers defense came through once again like they have all season long. Plus - having Ben Roethlisberger playing the way he did - shows they deserve the highest honor in the NFL. Superbowl Champions baby!!

Troy Polamalu and the rest of the defense - pretty much kept Larry Fitzgerald in check - jamming him at the line of scrimmage. That's until the fourth quarter when the Cardinals knew, Fitzgerald had to become a factor in the game - if they had any hopes of winning the trophy themselves. They were many plays to speak of - and I was impressed with the Cardinals defense as well. In the fourth quarter they stopped the Pittsburgh offense at the one yard line - resulting in a safety!!

If there is one team I supported - just because of the poise and commitment they showed all season long - it has to be the Steelers. Not that am going to switch, and support them - my blood still runs silver and black!!

However if you followed the season through - their can be no doubt in your mind as to who deserved to win Superbowl XLIII.

More from nfl.com:

TAMPA, Fla. It takes more than a minicamp, a draft, a training camp and a preseason to achieve what the Pittsburgh Steelers did in Super Bowl XLIII. It takes more than one regular season, more than one postseason. More than one coach. More than one player.

The brotherhood that the Steelers have, their way of doing business, their way of playing football, spans decades. Their way of building teams that do not blink and players that do not shrink, well, there is nothing come-lately about it. Sure, this 27-23 Pittsburgh victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium will stand alone in Steelers lore as a supreme championship game.

Really, though, it's all connected.

The dots can be tied to the patriarch, founder Art Rooney, to Noll to Bradshaw to Franco to Cowher. To Bettis and now Roethlisberger and Harrison and Holmes.
Six championships in all. No NFL franchise has more. None has a blueprint quite like these Steelers.

The common thread through them all is hard work and then harder work. Teamwork. Big defense, punching and piercing offense when needed. More hard work. Team first. Team last. Physical. Hungry. A bond. A brotherhood.

When you have a Super Bowl that appears won and lost and then won and then lost again, when backed up and nearly hung to dry, something bigger, something greater has to happen for a 53-man unit. What the Steelers faced in Super Bowl XLIII down 23-20 with 2:37 left after Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald sliced them for a 64-yard catch and score was not pretty. It was not promising.

The wrong end of the Pittsburgh team was being asked to win the game. These Steelers own the league's No. 1 defense. Their offense was pressed to assume the role of leader, wave-maker, to be front and center, be it all, do it all.

This was like asking one of Bruce Springsteen's backup singers to grab the microphone at halftime and make the show. Like grabbing Jennifer Aniston before kickoff and expecting her to belt the national anthem better than Jennifer Hudson.

Big Ben was Big Flop in such moments, everyone knew. And Santonio Holmes? This guy was deactivated by his coach, Mike Tomlin, on Oct. 26 when the Steelers hosted the Giants. Tomlin thought Holmes had lost his focus, his professionalism. What was Holmes, ever rising since that benching, going to do to top Arizona's effervescent Fitzgerald?

But Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger kept coming. Holmes kept coming. The Steelers kept coming. They built it all season long, tough road games and menacing home games, and by the time they reached this, battle-tested and true with an inward light and cohesion that would serve them well, no mountain was too high. No task insurmountable.

Zip, zip, zap, and there it was, Roethlisberger to Holmes on a 6-yard dart of a pass in the back right corner of the end zone. Head up, feet down, firmly planted, touchdown, 35 seconds left -- championship.

The least of the Steelers became the most. The feet became the head.
The team became one. Nothing too heavy. Brothers in arms.

"Santonio had that look in his eyes, that thing that (Michael) Jordan used to have when the basket seemed like an ocean to him," Steelers safety Anthony Madison said.
"Santonio knew, we all knew, it was a 60-minute game," Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor said. "A lot happens in 60 minutes. You have to make most of it happen in your favor. You have to control that."

And so the Steelers did, as a team.

"You had a quarterback over there killing us, and his team was too, and we did not want to become part of his legacy," Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said. "We are built over time, through the years. They have a wonderful team that kind of came together this year. Our team has some foundation that goes throughout Pittsburgh Steelers history."

And so it was. The dots connected. The reservoir of what the Steelers are, who they are, what they do, rising, engulfing. Holmes' 40-yard catch-and-run to the Arizona 6 on the winning drive. Holmes' toe-tap catch that won it.

Really, the critical play, the one I will long remember on that winning drive, is the play after the two-minute warning. Pittsburgh faced a third-and-6 at its own 26. Now, in that situation, you have two plays to make 6 yards. Make it, and the drive ensues. Failure means the game is over. You are rather deep in your territory or, at least, a heck of a distance from a score. You need a play to keep hope alive.

You do not want to face fourth-and-6, do-or-die, make it or end it. Not the way the Arizona defensive linemen were batting down Roethlisberger passes all night long. Not the way the ball can wickedly bounce in a fourth-down situation. Too much to chance. Too much at risk.
So, third-and-6 at the Pittsburgh 26 turned into a 13-yard Holmes catch. It was all curl routes by the Steelers' receiver, and Roethlisberger scrambled and found Holmes. Huge play. Ball at the Pittsburgh 39. The drive continued. History unfolded.

Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau got it. He knew what that gigantic third-and-6 Holmes conversion meant.

"Santonio has always been the type of player that makes plays, that wants the ball when there are important plays to be made," LeBeau said. "I was watching that third-and-6 play and knew in that situation that we had better get it right then. That was the play that almost made my heart stop. That was the biggie. It set us up for everything else. It made us avoid a fourth-down and-everything-on-the-line play. I liked our chances after getting that. And then Santonio goes on to make that winning touchdown catch, one of the best ever."

Holmes said he stuck with Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger stuck with him.
"At the beginning of every game, he tells me no matter what goes on, just stick with me," Holmes said of Roethlisberger. "He was able to get me the ball. I wanted to be that guy that everyone looks up to."

And so Holmes was. Big Brother at age 24. Big playmaker. That is the thing about a bond, a brotherhood. There is room for excellence, no matter the age or experience. Once the talent is in tow, only the heart, mind and work ethic are required. That is the dot that connects these Steelers to all of the great ones in their past.

Long after the confetti had fallen, veteran wide receiver Hines Ward stood at his locker, his hands wiping away his tears. During the falling confetti, rookie wide receiver Limas Sweed looked for his mother on the field.

Before he found her, he reminisced about his rookie season, the drops, the catches, this game in which he did not grab a single pass.
You would have thought he caught 100.

"I am overwhelmed, overjoyed," Sweed said, wiping away tears. "It has been a long season. A lot of injuries on our team. Each week, a different challenge. I didn't do much in this game, but I feel like a big part of it. I haven't even gotten started yet in my career, but this is something I am going to hold close to my heart. We won the national championship at Texas, but this seems four times bigger right now. Man, I'm a Pittsburgh Steeler and a world champion. So sweet."

In this franchise, they start them young, train them young. And watch them blossom. And sometimes, especially on a night like this one, the dots connect. The bond endures. The brotherhood rises. Greatness is touched.

And champions are made.

Vic Carucci's take on : Who will win Super Bowl XLIII.

The biggest reason I expect the Steelers to win is because they'll have more success shutting down Arizona's passing game than the Cardinals' aerial attack will have making big plays against the NFL's top-ranked pass defense. And if Kurt Warner isn't consistently making big throws to Larry Fitzgerald and the rest of his receivers, the Cards have no chance of coming out on top.Dick LeBeau's patented zone-blitz scheme should be able to give Warner fits. It will generate enough pressure, in a variety of ways, to force him to hurry passes and make mistakes. Fitzgerald is going to catch some passes, but he isn't likely to dominate as he has so far in the playoffs.Despite having the NFL's worst-ranked ground game, the Cardinals have run surprisingly well in the postseason. That ends in the Super Bowl. The Steelers are simply too talented and physical up front to let Edgerrin James and/or Tim Hightower do any real damage.Arizona's defense has also performed far better in the postseason than it did in the regular season. But the Steelers should be able to run well Sunday, and that will set up Ben Roethlisberger to make the occasional big play in the passing game.

Steelers knock off Ravens!!

PITTSBURGH - Tough and mean, like the original Steel Curtain. delivered too many hard hits and their quarterback was steady enough to outplay the kid and the rest of the Baltimore Ravens.

The franchise, for all of the success it has enjoyed while playing in a record-tying 14 AFC title games, had lost an unprecedented four of its five most recent conference championship games in Pittsburgh. The run of losses almost made the Steelers glad to go on the road for the entire Super Bowl run-up to their last title. The Ravens and Steelers own the NFL's nastiest ongoing rivalry. This game was expected to be low-scoring, physical and tense and it was, especially after Baltimore came back from an early 13-0 deficit to get to within 16-14 on McGahee's second short touchdown run of the game, a 1-yarder with 9:32 remaining.
"We were up 13-0 and then we're up 13-7 then we're up 13-whatever, it was like, 'Man, this game is going slow,Deshea Townsend said. "But then Troy steps up and makes a huge play and kind of seals the game for us."















Another such play - Roethlisberger's 45-yard completion to Hines Ward on third-and-12 - led to the first of field goals, a 34-yarder, in the first quarter. On the Ravens' second possession, Flacco made the kind of mistake he didn't make in playoff wins over the Dolphins and top-seeded Titans, throwing the ball into the hands of nickel back Townsend for the rookie's first interception in 98 passes. Ward kept the ensuing Steelers drive going with an 11-yard catch on third-and-10, leading to Reed's 42-yard field goal, but hurt his knee while landing.


Now, the Steelers can't wait to see some old friends."We got our old coaches. We all won a Super Bowl here with the Steelers together," linebacker James Farrior said. "I'm sure they're going to be coming after us to get this one."

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Profile on King James.

LeBron Raymone James (born December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio) is a professional basketball player who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). James, commonly nicknamed "King James," was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while still a sophomore in high school at St. Vincent - St. Mary High School, and was named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" three times. At the age of 18, he was selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers and signed a US$90 million shoe contract with Nike before his NBA debut. He has since set numerous youngest player records. During his first season, he received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and in the following four seasons received All-NBA and All-Star honors. He has led the Cavaliers to consecutive playoff appearances in 2006, 2007, and 2008; in 2007, the team advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 and the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.James is listed as a small forward, but is often classified as a point forward due to his ability to play point guard. He is a member of the United States men's national basketball team winning the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and redeeming that result by winning the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. He finished second in the league's Most Valuable Player balloting in 2006

On March 3, 2008 James was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for February 2008. It was the second straight month that he won the award. On March 5, 2008, James scored 50 points with 8 rebounds and 10 assists on the New York Knicks, becoming only the third player since the ABA-NBA merger to record a 50-point 10-assist game. On March 10, 2008, James notched his seventh triple double of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers. Seven triple doubles in a season broke his personal and team records for triple doubles in a season and 17 career triple doubles broke his team record as well. On March 12, 2008, James scored 42 points against the New Jersey Nets and surpassed Austin Carr for second all-time in Cavaliers points scored. On March 21, 2008, James scored 29 points against the Toronto Raptors, taking him past Brad Daugherty's all-time Cavaliers scoring record of 10,389 points. Daugherty achieved this record over the course of 548 games, while James took only 380 games to score 10,414 points.














Player profile:
James has established himself as a legitimate triple-double threat and has averaged 27.3 points, 6.6 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game for his career. As of the 2007–08 season, he has recorded 17 triple-doubles in his career, with 14 in the regular season and 3 in the postseason.On offense, James utilizes his quickness, size, and strength to get past defenders. James is known for his exceptional upper body strength. When penetrating to the basket, James exhibits superb body control, adjusting his shot in mid-air according to the defense, allowing him to absorb contact and finish at the basket. He is also proficient at finishing around the rim with both hands. In the 2005–06 season, he led the league in completed traditional three point plays. He is a solid rebounder who regularly ranks among the league leaders in rebounds for the small forward position. His overall skill sets and on-court play has led to many comparisons to NBA legends Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.

Although James exhibits exceptional offensive ability, he has yet to be featured on the NBA All-Defensive Team and has struggled with his free throw shooting — he averaged a subpar .698 free throw percentage in the 2006-07 season.

During his sophomore year at St. Vincent - St. Mary High School, he was named first-team all-state as a wide receiver in football, and in his junior year, he led his team to the state semifinals.

In basketball, James respected how Penny Hardaway played the game. James in 2003 stated, "Penny sees the whole floor and can score" and that, "He's still one of my favorite players of all-time."

James has endorsement contracts with Nike, Sprite, Glacéau, Bubblicious, and Upper Deck. With Nike, James has released six signature shoe styles, and four additional shoes (20-5-5, Soldier, Soldier 2, Ambassador). He has acted in a series of commercials called "The LeBrons".

During the 2007 NBA Playoffs, James drew criticism when he declined to sign a petition started by his teammate, Ira Newble, regarding the Chinese government's alleged involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan, stating that he did not know enough about the issue. A year later, however, James did talk publicly about the issue, saying, "At the end of the day we're talking about human rights. And people should understand that human rights and people's lives are in jeopardy. We're not talking about contracts here. We're not talking about money. We're talking about people's lives being lost and that means a lot more to me than some money or a contract."

James, with comedian Jimmy Kimmel, co-hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards. James himself was nominated for three ESPYs: Best Male Athlete, Best NBA Player (winner), and Best Record Breaking Performance. The Record Breaking performance was when he scored 48 points in Game 5 of the 2007 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons, including 29 of the last 30 points and all of the teams 25 points in overtime. In other comedic pursuits, James hosted the 33rd season premiere of Saturday Night Live. The show's creator Lorne Michaels praised him for his versatility.

In December 2007, James was ranked at #1 in the Forbes Top 20 Earners Under 25 with annual earnings of $27 million.

In March 2008, James became the first black man to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine, posing with Gisele Bündchen. He also was just the third man to appear on the cover of Vogue, after Richard Gere and George Clooney. Some considered the cover offensive, describing the positioning of James and Bündchen as a reference to classic imagery of the movie monster King Kong. James told the The Plain Dealer he was pleased with the cover, saying he was "just showing a little emotion," and "Everything my name is on is going to be criticized in a good way or bad way."

In June 2008, James donated $20,000 to a committee to elect Barack Obama.

In August 2008, a source close to James said he would strongly consider playing in Europe for Olympiacos if given a $50-million annual salary. However, James later said he may sign a contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the conclusion of the 2008-2009 NBA season.
On October 29, 2008, James gathered almost 20,000 people at the Quicken Loans Arena for a viewing of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's 30-minute American Stories, American Solutions television advertisement. It was shown on a large screen above the stage, where Jay-Z later held a free concert.

James and Ice Cube have paired up to pitch a one-hour special to ABC based on James' life. James will also act as executive producer if the show is greenlighted.

Avant-garde guitarist Buckethead honoured James' 24th birthday with two new songs on his website.His earlier song "King James" from Crime Slunk Scene (2006) is also dedicated to James.

There has recently been an ad played on TV and the internet, including a YouTube channel which features James from behind making an announcement to a crowded room (supposedly full of media) that he will "follow his first love". The spot ends with the words "Brace Yourself" flashed across the screen and the date January 18, 2009. There has been much speculation over what this may be for, including a Nike promotion. Some people think that James will return to playing football. He was a top receiver on his high school football team and was recruited by virtually every school in the country.

Mancester United - to take Premiership title again?

Lets be clear - am a Gunners fan - am only putting out this post cause Man United do seem to be doing something right this season. Will they take the premiership title again? Well, their pretty close - I just hope Liverpool kicks their @#%&*.

I'll tell you one reason I don't like them. They pretty much think their kings. There are a whole lot more football clubs out there that outshine them. Walk into any bar when there's a premiership game on - (and yes - there will be a whole bunch of Manchester supporters, who will put the other teams you're routing for down - and say how their teams the best) and you'll find a Manchester supporter - hurting your eyes with that red jersey.

I thought supporting a team is about a faith and passion in that team - no matter who their playing against, and for how long you've supported them. For instance - I've supported Arsenal - since they had Ian Rush raining goals for Arsenal.

You ask these bastards how long they've supported the team - they give you answers like - for two years - or since I was 20 - bullshit (yeah am not censoring that!!) - you all stink of "followers of a fad". I'd like to see a Manchester supporter who's been one since he first saw a ball being kicked. And the day he decided to be a fan - the first game he watched Manchester play - they lost! I run into a friend of mine (yeah nigga I think you're supports fake too!!) who has a lot of family - and their all Man U supporters. Except one kid who's 12 years old. The kids a Liverpool fan. Thats support!! Why? - cause you love the way they play - and you like the personalities on the team - the kind of charisma they exude during a game when their lossing 3-0 - and the kind of look other bastards give you when you say you support them. Not, and I repeat - not - cause every idiot is wearing red!!

Anyway for all the real Manchester followers - and the billion fake ones!! - here's how the red devils feel about clinching the Premiership again.

Destiny of title in Manchester United's hands, says Nemanja Vidic:

The Serbian defender scored the first goal on the cusp of half-time and then enjoyed one of the easiest afternoons he will experience as Sir Alex Ferguson's team closed to within a point of their second-placed opponents.

Despite a surprisingly goal-shy first half of the campaign – United have scored fewer times than Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester City – Vidic feels Luiz Felipe Scolari's men have helped the champions rediscover their magic touch in front of goal, handing them the initiative in the title race.

He said: "It was an important weekend because Liverpool only drew at Stoke and we beat Chelsea, but we don't look at our opponents. We just have to concentrate on ourselves.

"We still have the big teams to play at Old Trafford and the results will depend on us, not them.
"We have needed to score more. The problem is to score at the right time, because if you get one in the first half the other team has to open up a bit more to chase the result. Once we get into that situation our attacking players mean we are very dangerous.

"That is what we have finally managed to do. That early goal is crucial because so often this season the opposition have pulled 11 men behind the ball and we have found it hard to break them open."

United are certain to face another packed defence on Wednesday night when Steve Bruce's in-form Wigan, who have won six of their past seven games, travel to Old Trafford for the first of the champions' two games in hand on their title rivals.

Victory against the club's former captain, coupled with a win at Bolton on Saturday, would put United top, with leaders Liverpool not in action until Monday night's Merseyside derby.
Ferguson is likely to have to plan for both games without Patrice Evra, who limped off during Sunday's match with a hamstring injury, as well as defensive linchpin Rio Ferdinand, who on Monday underwent another scan on his back after suffering a recurrence of the injury which has ruled him out of the past five games.

With the England vice-captain likely to be out of action for at least another fortnight, Ferguson will continue to put his faith in youngster Jonny Evans. The 21-year-old has stood out as United have clocked up a club record eight games without conceding a goal, a run in which Evans has featured four times.

Ferguson said: "We sent Rio for another scan because we want to get to the bottom of the problem. But for a young boy, Jonny has been superb, especially against Chelsea. His reading of the game, his use of the ball – he was a giant for us."

Tony Dungy Retires.

Tony Dungy - the first African American coach to win a Super Bowl - announced his retirement today. The man is an inspiration, not only for all African American coaches out there - but for any coach trying to make a name for themselves in the National Football League.When it comes to numbers - a lot can be said for Mr. Dungy - to sum it all up though, he is the only coach with six straight 12-win seasons and 10 consecutive playoff appearances.

Many are hoping he comes back. Personally - I think its good he left at a time when he has already proved himself as a coach and does not have that much to prove anymore.

He Won Super Bowl XLI with the Colts in 2006 with a 12 wins and 4 losses - record. He leaves at the age of 53 - I guess thats a good enough age for people to think he still could come back - and maybe win another Super Bowl.

Here's more from the Associated Press:
INDIANAPOLIS - Tony Dungy has retired after seven years as coach of the Indianapolis Colts, saying this was the right moment.

"These seven years have been better than I could ever have imagined," Dungy, the only black coach to win a Super Bowl, said at a news conference Monday. "I just have to thank everyone."George: Dungy's legacyTony Dungy is sure it is time.

He is one of few humans who can walk away from something great to run to something he feels is greater, writes Thomas George.

He will be replaced by associate head coach Jim Caldwell.

Dungy, 53, has spent the past five years debating whether to leave football to spend more time with his family. He said he and his wife discussed the decision.

"We just felt this was the right time," Dungy said. "Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live."

Dungy is the Colts' franchise leader in victories. He went 85-27 in the regular season and 7-6 in the playoffs, including the victory over Chicago in Super Bowl XLI.

"You don't always get to go out on top," Dungy said, "and it's hard to go out on top."

The plan to have Caldwell replace Dungy as the Colts' coach was put in place last year when the coach pondered retirement. Caldwell joined Dungy's staff in Tampa Bay in 2001, then moved with Dungy to the Colts in 2002 and was the quarterbacks coach. A year ago, Caldwell was elevated to associate head coach though he continued to coach Peyton Manning and Jim Sorgi.

"He is ready, he's more than ready," Dungy said. "He's going to do a great job."

Dungy's decision comes a little more than a week after the Colts were eliminated from the playoffs. He spoke to several of his players Monday, including Manning. Tony Dungy is the only coach with six straight 12-win seasons and 10 consecutive playoff appearances.

"That's the tough part," Dungy said. "That's been the emotionally draining part of today."

He has spent the past five years debating whether to leave football, each year taking about a week to meet with his family, which now lives in Tampa, Fla.

"I'm going to be a Colt forever," Dungy said, adding that he plans to still spend quite a bit of time in Indianapolis.

Dungy has always listed his priorities as faith, family and football, and returned to coach in 2008 when the Colts opened the new Lucas Oil Stadium only after team owner Jim Irsay agreed to let Dungy use a private jet to commute home.

The decision ends a tenure in Indianapolis during which Dungy led the Colts to the playoffs all seven seasons, winning five division titles and appearing in two AFC title games.

But, his teams were also eliminated from the playoffs four times without winning a game, including the past two seasons after winning the Super Bowl -- prompting some to speculate that Dungy's indecision may have hurt the Colts' focus.

Dungy also spent six seasons in Tampa Bay, rejuvenating a moribund franchise and turning it into a perennial Super Bowl contender in the late 1990s and the early part of this decade. He left Tampa with a career record of 54-42 in the regular season becoming the winningest coach in franchise history there, too, and got the Buccaneers to the 1999 NFC Championship Game. He's the only coach in NFL history to produce six straight 12-win seasons and 10 consecutive playoff appearances.

Dungy's career, which includes an all-time league-high average of 10.7 regular-season wins, also included tragedy. In December 2005, his son, James, committed suicide while attending school in Tampa. He left the Colts for one game, then received the game ball from his players after they made a goal-line stand to beat Arizona in the season-finale.

The Colts' season ended two weeks later with a shocking loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.

Dungy always said he intended to retire by the time he turned 50, but hung around longer because he enjoyed the game and the Colts players.

But his family priorities won out this time. His son, Eric, will be a high school senior in the fall, and those close to him thought Dungy wanted to accompany his son on college visits.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Steelers vs. Ravens.

PITTSBURGH -- This isn't something that has been manufactured for the sake of cheap publicity.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens genuinely don't like each other.

And that mutual hostility, which has played itself out in their two AFC North meetings each year during the regular season, is going to take on an even greater level of intensity when they clash in the AFC Championship Game.

"It's kind of like Rocky vs. Drago almost," Steelers offensive guard Willie Colon said. "It's going to be a slugfest. It's going to be nasty."

Added Steelers offensive tackle Max Starks: "Every time you say, 'Baltimore-Pittsburgh in a football game,' you know it's going to be a tough, physical, grind-out, bloodbath."

The Steelers' 35-24 divisional-round playoff victory over the Chargers had ended only moments earlier, but few players in the Pittsburgh dressing room wanted to talk about or even savor the game that had just been played.

The focus had promptly been placed on the task ahead.

Earlier in the season, Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward called himself the "most hated man in Baltimore" because of the bone-crushing blocks he had delivered to Ravens players and the subsequent revelation by Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs that there was a "bounty on his head." Ward smiled at the prospect of facing the Ravens for a third time, especially with so much at stake.

"It'll be a great AFC Championship Game to watch," Ward said.

The Steelers needed little time to put aside their triumph over the Chargers, during which they came back from 7-0 and 10-7 deficits in the first half before running away with the game in the final two quarters. They ran the ball well (Willie Parker had 146 yards and two touchdowns). Ben Roethlisberger showed no ill affects from the concussion he suffered in the regular-season finale. And the defense stuffed running back Darren Sproles and pressured Philip Rivers.

Still, it's a little hard to be satisfied with beating an opponent that had entered the postseason with an 8-8 record. A team that also needed to win its last four games in a row just to make the playoffs and then won an overtime game in the wild-card round before taking a cross-country flight to temperatures more than 50 degrees colder than back home. That was a game the Steelers fully expected to win, and should have won as the No. 2 seed in the AFC that had the benefit of a first-round bye.

It didn't matter that three other playoff teams with byes had lost. All that mattered was that the Steelers took care of business. And as far as they're concerned, the right team emerged from the other divisional-round game. As awkward as it was, Steelers players were openly rooting for the Ravens to beat Tennessee on Saturday, but not only because it gave them the opportunity to host the AFC title game.

If you ask some members of the Steelers, the most logical showdown to determine the AFC representative for Super Bowl XLIII was not Pittsburgh and the top-seeded Titans or two opponents from the division that had widely been viewed as the AFC's best, the South.

It was between two clubs from the AFC North -- between the team that finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in defense (the Steelers) against the one ranked No. 2 (the Ravens).

"I knew all year long we were the two best teams in the AFC, just my opinion (from) watching all the other teams," inside linebacker Larry Foote said. "When you've got a good defense like (the Steelers and Ravens have), you can be in any game. Teams want to simulate Pittsburgh and Baltimore, just the way we play. But you can't coach what we've got. You've got to do a good job and bring the right players in to do it."

Andy Lyons / Getty Images The Ravens are back in the AFC title game, with Ray Lewis leading another tone-setting defense.
Defensive ranks in regular season (yards per game)
Team	Total (Rank)	Rush (Rank)	Pass (Rank)
Steelers	237.2 (1st)	80.2 (2nd)	156.9 (1st)
Ravens	261.1 (2nd)	81.4 (3rd)	179.7 (2nd)

Said Starks: "I think it is very appropriate, looking at both of these teams. We're very similar in style, and it's going to be a great matchup. Both teams have always had top-five defenses every single year since I've been in the league (2004). I think it's going to be good representation for the AFC."

Just look at their games this season. The Steelers beat the Ravens, 23-20 in overtime, here on Sept. 29. Then they beat them again, 13-9, at Baltimore on Dec. 14 to clinch the AFC North championship. Both games were typical of the series between the teams: close, competitive, and, most of all, hard-hitting.

The second game ended in controversy after Santonio Holmes caught a pass from Roethlisberger on the fringe of the goal line with less than a minute left. Officials first ruled that it was not a touchdown but, after looking a video replay, determined the ball had broken the plane and awarded the Steelers what would prove to be the decisive points.

The Ravens no doubt harbor some ill feelings from that one. Some of their players, including linebacker Ray Lewis, no doubt are still upset by the fact that when the teams last met in the playoffs, during a divisional-round game after the 2001 season, the Steelers won, 27-10.

Familiarity breeds contempt, as does what some Pittsburgh players perceive as a team that is a bit too effusive in celebrating its accomplishments and in talking trash.

"It's just the history, the arrogance of them sometimes, the lack of respect they show us at times," Colon said. "Not that we aren't a nasty team, not that we don't retaliate at times. But at the same time, they feel like, for whatever reason, they're worthy of whatever (accolades) they get.

"One thing about football, it's not about what you say. It's about what you do. And come next weekend, it's all about rolling that football out."

By Vic Carucci | NFL.com
Senior Columnist.

Steelers end Chargers' run to the Superbowl.

Waited all day for this one - the Steelers hosting the Chargers on a cold snowy night.This is a game to remember for all the drama and closeness of the game - well at least at the beginning. The number 1 ranked defense in the NFL going up against a rookie quarterback (Philip Rivers) who has passed the ball pretty well against the teams they've come up against. Plus a chance to see just what Darren Sproles could do against this defens

To be fair Sproles had an ok game. However against Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain"- an ok game doesnt translate into a path to the Superbowl. With LT out with a groin injury...like the game against the Colts - it fell to Sproles to eat up yardage on the ground. One of the fastest and elusive backs during the playoffs. Sproles is only 5'6 weighing in at 181 lb (82 kg). His speed and ability to change direction reminiscent of Barry Sanders. However if your a small guy like that in the NFL - you've gotta have something extra that counts. Despite his size - there's no doubt that Sproles is strong too - believe me you have to be, in order to break tackles like that.

D. Sproles - look's like a midget in the NFL!

It was pretty easy against the Colts - who's defense is not ranked badly in the NFL. However the Pittsburgh defense is another matter all together. It seemed like Sproles was going to have the sort of day he had against the Colts where he run for and scored the deciding touchdown against the Colts. After the first few runs he had - the Steelers' defense seemed to have locked on to him like guided missiles. At the end of the day - Sproles managed only 15 yards on 11 carries. He did have one great punt return for 63 yards. If you were a Chargers fan watching this match up you would have wanted LaDainian Tomlinson in just to see if that would have made any sort of difference. The way Pittsburgh played against the run - I don't even think LT would have been a factor. The groin injury aside he - has not racked up the kind of numbers you would typically see from him.

Vincent Jackson: after the T.D.
The Chargers didn't fair badly in the passing game either. The problem was the yardage allowed after the catch - was minimised by the Steelers. However that first touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson - must have sent shivers down the spines of all Pittsburgh fans watching. It was funny to see how pumped up Jackson was when he caught that pass. In fact that catch should have been ruled as pass interference - except the refs could not see the defenders hand grabbing Jackson's as he made the catch. A spectacular catch to say the least!! As Jackson got up he wanted everybody watching to know he was going to get that touchdown no matter what...shit if I was him - having made such a catch, I would have shouted out my own name...but wait a minute - damn ref - penalizes him (touchdown was good though) "...after the catch, unsportsmanlike demonstration.." - what the @$#* - The man just caught an impossible catch - come on now! One commentator - even raised the issue of his recent DUI arrest!

Here's how the Associated Press - summed up the game.

PITTSBURGH -- There is a home-field advantage in the NFL playoffs after all, and it belongs to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now they've got to prove it means something against the team they despise like no other, and in the game they lose at home like no one else.

The Steelers, owners of the NFL's best home-field record since the 1970 NFL merger, shook off a 7-0 deficit barely two minutes into the game, controlled pint-sized playmaker Darren Sproles and returned some normalcy to the postseason by beating the San Diego Chargers 35-24 in an AFC divisional game Sunday.

With a now-healthy Willie Parker running for 146 yards and two touchdowns, Ben Roethlisberger ignoring his late-season concussion to throw for a score and lead an efficient offense, the Steelers did what the favored Titans, Panthers and Giants couldn't do by winning at home. It was the first time since 1971 that three road teams won during a single playoff weekend, and the Steelers made certain that road teams didn't go 4-for-4.

Santonio Holmes' TD punt return.

"We talked about that, all the home teams -- the No. 1 and 2 seeds -- weren't playing as well," said Santonio Holmes, who got Pittsburgh going with a 67-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter. "But we knew the road to the Super Bowl can run through Pittsburgh when we saw Baltimore won (at Tennessee). It was time to turn it on."

This will be the Steelers' seventh AFC title game, and sixth in Pittsburgh, in 15 seasons. They were 2-4 in the previous six, with an unprecedented four losses in five tries at home during the 1994-2004 seasons.

The Steelers had the worst offense of any playoff team coming in, only to put up 35 points to support the NFL's top-ranked defense. Now, it's time for Ravens vs. Steelers Part III next Sunday - the third and most intriguing matchup this season between the can't-stand-each other AFC North rivals.

"What else would you expect, us and the Ravens," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "It would be big if it was a scrimmage. This is for the AFC championship."

Pittsburgh won the earlier two games, 23-20 in overtime in Pittsburgh -- when the Ravens supposedly put bounties on several Steelers players -- and 13-9 during the Dec. 14 rematch in Baltimore that secured the divisional title.

"We have a tough, tough, tough team coming in here," Brett Keisel said.

The Ravens-Steelers games were two of the NFL's most physical this season, with injuries all around, and playing to go to the Super Bowl will only ratchet up the intensity, physicality and, no doubt, the dislike.

There was much to like for the Steelers in this one as they made certain that the Chargers' stars from their 23-17 wild-card upset of the Colts didn't repeat their performances and allow San Diego to become the first team to go .500 during the season and then win twice in the postseason.

The Steelers spotted San Diego a 7-0 lead on Vincent Jackson's acrobatic 41-yard catch of Philip Rivers' pass four plays into the game, but, like San Diego's 7-0 lead in its bizarre 11-10 loss in Pittsburgh on Nov. 16, the Chargers couldn't make it stand up as 1,100-yard rusher LaDainian Tomlinson sat out with a groin injury.

Sproles, coming off his all-around 328-yard game against the Colts, wasn't much of a factor despite a 63-yard kickoff return and a 62-yard TD catch in the game's final two minutes after Pittsburgh had opened a 35-17 lead.

Sproles was held to 15 yards on 11 carries after rushing for 105 the week before. He did have 91 yards on five catches and 164 yards on five kickoff returns.

"I don't think he ever broke one (run). We contained him pretty good," the Steelers' LaMarr Woodley said. Of course, it's tough to score when a team doesn't have the ball.

The Chargers had the ball for only 17 seconds of the third quarter to the Steelers' 14:43, thanks to a nearly eight-minute scoring drive that ended with Roethlisberger's 8-yard TD pass to Heath Miller. Rivers also threw an interception on a first down from the Pittsburgh 23, and a Steelers punt bounced off Eric Weddle's helmet, with Pittsburgh recovering.

"We were standing on the sideline and it was like, 'We were in for one play in the quarter and it was an interception,"' Rivers said. "There was a little bit of disbelief. ... You can't call it a fluke, those guys made plays, but that was crazy."

Given the 11-10 game, it's hardly unusual this game was ... well, a little unusual. The Steelers, one of the NFL's worst return teams, scored on their first punt return score since Holmes' 65-yarder against Carolina on Dec. 17, 2006.

After that, keeping Rivers and Sproles off the field so long allowed Pittsburgh to stretch its lead from 14-10 late in the second quarter on Parker's 3-yard run to 28-10 early in the fourth on Gary Russell's 1-yard run. Weddle was flagged for a 44-yard interference penalty before Russell scored.

Rivers went 21-of-35 for 308 yards and three touchdowns on a 25-dgreee day as snow flurries briefly coated the field, but the Chargers failed to improve on one of the NFL's most curious records. They're 0-13 in Pittsburgh during the regular season, but previously were 2-0 there in the playoffs.

The Steelers weren't as dominant defensively as they were while holding eight teams to 10 or fewer points during the season, but they also weren't as rusty as the other three home teams this weekend and now are 13-4. The Chargers ended 9-9, following an unlikely five-game winning streak that came after they looked to be out of playoff contention at 4-8.

Roethlisberger, again looking like the can't-shake-me quarterback who led three road playoff wins in three weeks as the Steelers won the Super Bowl three years ago, converted three times on third-down plays of 8 yards to go or longer ahead of his TD pass to Miller. He went 17-of-26 for 181 yards as the Steelers outgained the Chargers 342-290.

That scary concussion Roethlisberger sustained against Cleveland?

"It was a non-issue for us," said Tomlin, who won his first playoff game as Pittsburgh's coach.

And for the supposed difficulty of beating a team three times in a season, as the Steelers will attempt to do against Baltimore, Tomlin said, "I personally don't subscribe to that hocus-pocus."

For all of Roethlisberger's playmaking -- on one play, he even threw a block to help Holmes pick up extra yardage -- it was a healthy Parker who made the major difference in a Steelers offense that was the worst statistically of the 12 playoff teams.

Parker, who fought through knee and shoulder injuries during his first sub-1,000-yard season as a starter, had his most productive game since running for 138 yards and three TDs against Houston in the Sept. 7 opener.

"We knew we could do that," Holmes said. "That's Steelers football, run the ball. Pound them down, once we get them down we can do whatever we want to do with them."

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.

2010 World Cup. Will it change crime in South Africa.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup, will be hosted for the first time on African soil. The opportunities for South Africa and Africa as a whole will be something the continent can tap into. However there are those that are against South Africa's hosting of the prestigious event. They see it as an occasion that will open the worlds eye's to South Africa's crime problems. In fact they urge all other football fans planning to visit the country to watch the beautiful game from their couches at home. It has always been rather frustrating to see such a beautiful country (all other problems aside) faced with an escalating crime problem. Personally - I feel if the crime issue were to be resolved - all other problems the country is facing would be a walk in the park.

Those that say you should not go to the world cup because of this, fail to see how this not only hinders progress for South Africa - but also does not solve the issue. If indeed the crime problem is so bad that there is a general awareness by the rest of the world as to their safety when visiting the country - this can only urge those in power to have a serious look at the issue.


The problem in the country is that such things are only dealt with seriously when the government starts to loss revenue. When the power cuts in the country caused not only private but government organizations to loss profits - the matter was looked at as a matter of urgency. Sure its not perfect now - but its a lot better than having no electricity for months on end.

The problem regarding the crime issue is that those in power feel they should not be touched by the long arm of the law. South Africa's number one crime busting organization - The Scorpions - have been eliminated.

Another problem that many don't realize is that the very law enforcement organization that is supposed to be making an effort in changing this - is not only incapable to address the issue - but more importantly have not been given that sense of pride that would drive one that is a policeman or woman to wake up in the morning and say - " I'm proud to be a policeman, and I love my job"

If you look at the kind of money being spent to curb crime - most of it goes to things like weaponry, vehicles and so on. You are not going to find a matriculant who has passed his matric - saying - " I'm going to be a cop" - bullshit!!. Most cops in the country get into an easy to enter government agency ( since nobody wants to face the kind of crime in the country on a daily basis) that doesn't pay so well - but at least pays. All credit to those men and women that did become law enforcement agents to make a difference. You would think they would maybe pay people more because of the risks involved in becoming a policeman to maybe attract more people into it, and finally solve the manpower issue's. In fact the private security business's (they have their problems too) seem not ony better paid but well trained than the police! The whole image of the police services needs to be changed. Even if it means new uniforms - something that will make them proud to stand out there and say - I worked hard to earn this. These are some of the kind of changes that may occur either after - or God willing - before thousands of fans hit the shores of beautiful South Africa.

So the 2010 World Cup is not only going to bring much needed investment to the country - but a serious look at the crime issue. As to whether this will occur or not - you never know with the leadership running the country. It's a shame though that such a pressing issue that touches people in all walks of life in South Africa is only addressed when something like an international event is hosted in the country.

So for all those that have been looking at the coin from the other side - this should give you another angle to see it from. Obviously Rome was not built in one day - and maybe once the world cup comes to an end such a priority will be dropped by our brilliant politicians - but the gears of justice may have been oiled just a little bit more after this. Then who knows we may end up living in a country thats truly free.

Chargers kick out Colts - in Wild Card Weekend.

Chargers 23, Colts 17 (Over Time)

SAN DIEGO -- Peyton Manning has his MVP award and nothing more, outdone again in January by the San Diego Chargers.

Darren Sproles totaled 328 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including the winning score in overtime.

Speedy little Darren Sproles scooted 22 yards for the winning score 6:20 into overtime and the Chargers beat the Colts 23-17 in an AFC wild-card game Saturday night, ending Indianapolis' nine-game winning streak a day after Manning won his third Associated Press NFL MVP award.

Sproles came up big on a night when the Chargers played the final 2 ½ quarters without LaDainian Tomlinson, who stood on the sideline in obvious discomfort from what appears to be a serious groin injury.

Fifty years after the Baltimore Colts won the first overtime game in league history by the same score over the New York Giants for the NFL title, Indianapolis wasn't so fortunate. It was victimized by Sproles, who rushed 23 times for 105 yards, caught five passes for 45 yards, had 106 yards on four kickoff returns and 72 on three punt runbacks.



"It's disappointing to lose a playoff game," Manning said. "We certainly had some chances to win, but give them credit. We had chances to put the game away, but we just didn't do it."

The Chargers (9-8) won the overtime toss. Indy's Darrell Reid called heads, but referee Ron Winter's flip came up tails. Sproles sent the Chargers into the second round of the playoffs, either at Tennessee or Pittsburgh, by finishing off the only series of overtime with his TD run around left end against an exhausted defense for the Colts (12-5).

San Diego's winning drive was aided by two defensive holding calls, the second against Tim Jennings on third-and-8. On the next play, Colts linebacker Clint Session was whistled for grabbing Sproles' facemask. Sproles scored on the next play, shedding a defender at the 5-yard line.

"You know, when your number is called, you have to be ready," said Sproles, who early in the game fumbled into the end zone, with the Colts recovering.

"Right after that fumble, it was still kind of in my mind," Sproles said. "I wanted that TD back to make up for the fumble."

Sproles' TD run sent Qualcomm Stadium into bedlam, and he ran off the field with the game ball. Manning hung his head in disappointment.

It was San Diego's fifth straight win; the Chargers needed the previous four victories to secure the AFC West title with an 8-8 record. San Diego was the ninth team to enter the playoffs with an 8-8 record and became just the third to win its opener. The Chargers had gone 0-5 against teams that made the playoffs, including a 23-20 loss to the Colts here on Nov. 23.

Last season, the Chargers pulled off a 28-24 upset at Indianapolis in the divisional round after Philip Rivers and Tomlinson both went out with knee injuries.

Four downs
» The Chargers have won four of their last five games against the Colts, including the playoffs.

Darren Sproles finished with 328 all-purpose yards (third most in playoff history); Sproles had 328 of the Chargers' 535 all-purpose yards.

The Colts lost their playoff opener for the third time in the last four seasons.

Peyton Manning has totaled 4,208 career passing yards in the playoffs (passes Tom Brady for fifth in NFL history)This was the fourth time the teams met in two seasons and the sixth time in five years. The Chargers have won four of the six.

San Diego got its first sack of the game at a key time, when Tim Dobbins dropped Manning at the Colts 1 on third down with two minutes left, forcing a punt and giving the Chargers the ball at the Indy 38.

Nate Kaeding kicked a 26-yard field goal with 31 seconds left to force overtime.

It was the 25th overtime game in the postseason, including one game in the AFL. The last overtime game in the playoffs was last season's NFC title game, won by the New York Giants and Manning's little brother, Eli, against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.

Another star for the Chargers was Mike Scifres, whose booming punts continually pinned the Colts deep in their territory. Scifres punted six times for an average of 52.7 yards, including a 67-yarder. "I don't know if you can dream a game like this," Scifres said.

Facing third-and-5 from the Colts 28, Manning quickly lined up and took an immediate snap that caught cornerback Antonio Cromartie so flat-footed he was looking at the Chargers' bench when receiver Reggie Wayne went speeding past him and safety Paul Oliver. Wayne caught Manning's pass at the Chargers 45 and was gone for a 17-14 lead.

The Colts came up with two turnovers in the end zone. Sproles was hit at the 2-yard line and fumbled into the end zone late in the third quarter, with Raheem Brock recovering.

Rivers kept San Diego's next drive alive with a 13-yard scramble followed by a 1-yard sneak on fourth down, but then overthrew Chris Chambers in double coverage and was intercepted in the end zone by Antoine Bethea.

The teams traded TDs early, with Indy's Joseph Addai scoring on a 1-yard run late in the first quarter and Tomlinson scoring on a 3-yard run early in the second quarter, his last play of the game. The Colts went ahead 10-7 on Adam Vinatieri's 43-yard field goal midway through the second period before Sproles' 9-yard run just before halftime put the Chargers ahead 14-10.

Manning was 25-of-42 for 310 yards. Rivers was 20-of-36 for 216 yards, with one interception.

Tomlinson was hurt a week earlier in a 52-21 rout of Denver.

"From the first run, it was evident that I just didn't have the burst," said Tomlinson, who gained 14 yards on the game's first play from scrimmage. "I couldn't put my foot on the ground and get through the hole the way I wanted to. I went as long as I could. After the TD run, it was at the point where I felt like I was making it worse."

From The Associated Press.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.)

Playoffs Race.

NBA Playoffs Smith gives Hawks a lift.
ATLANTA — Give Josh Smith a perfect 10 in his personal dunking contest.

And give the Atlanta Hawks some credit: The team that was supposed to get swept by big, bad Boston in the opening round of the playoffs pulled off a win that was nine years in the making.
The high-flying Smith scored 27 points and the Hawks earned their first playoff victory since 1999, beating the Celtics 102-93 Saturday night to cut Boston's lead in the series to 2-1.

"My heart was racing, I was so excited," said Smith, who certainly did his part by dunking five times on the Celtics. "I wanted to give the city of Atlanta something to cheer about."
The Hawks are still huge underdogs to the Celtics. But for one night at least, Smith — a former NBA dunk champion — had the rim rockin' and the sellout crowd of 19,725 on its feet.


"It gets everybody going," Smith said of his above-the-hoop theatrics. "It gets the crowd going. It gets my teammates going. That's what we needed: easy points."

With everyone thinking sweep, the Hawks made sure the series will at least get back to Boston for a fifth game. They'll try to even it up in Game 4 Monday night at Philips Arena.

"We're not satisfied," said Joe Johnson, who added 23 points for Atlanta. "We have another one to get. We know it's going to be very electric Monday, and we're looking forward to it."

The Celtics know they gave Atlanta a glimmer of hope. They want to snuff it out as quickly as possible.

"We went away from what we've been doing all year," Rajon Rondo said. "I feel this is a must-win game for us Monday."

Kevin Garnett led Boston with 32 points, but the NBA's youngest playoff team had him kneeling over, looking totally exhausted, by the end of the game.

Paul Pierce, who was body-slammed to the court in Game 2, played 36 minutes with a stiff back and wasn't much of a factor. He managed 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Allen was 5 of 14 and held to 13 points, leaving Garnett to carry the Big Three. He also had 10 rebounds.

More: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2004376402_nbagame27.html

Courtesy of: The Associated Press

Arsenal the only team for Henry April 25 2008.

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry insists he has no regrets about swapping the Premier League for La Liga but admits his former club Arsenal "are the only team in my heart".


Such sentiments could frustrate Newcastle, the latest side to be linked with a move for the France ace following what has been a largely disappointing season in Spain.
Henry also suggested that the Gunners were the only English club he would return to but even so, the 30-year-old does not plan on ending his time at the Nou Camp in the immediate future.



"I'm happy here at Barcelona. I still have three years of my contract left with Barcelona," Henry told BBC's Football Focus.



"I don't regret stuff in my life. Stuff happens for a reason. You don't regret stuff that you thought about.



"I'm happy - I don't regret leaving Arsenal. But England...I watch every game that I see on TV. I will always miss it.



"There's only one team in England for me. Everybody knows the love and affection I have for Arsenal. I was so into it, I became a fan.



"There has been since I arrived here a lot of speculation from day one but, hey, go back where?
"There's only one team for me in my heart. It took me a while to understand what that club, Arsenal, meant."

NY Giants take Superbowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The New York Giants' defense doesn't have a nickname.

These guys aren't the "Steel Curtain." No one calls them the "Purple People Eaters." They aren't confused with the powerhouse "46" defense of the 1985 Bears. But the Giants, who led the NFL in sacks this season, made their name by making Tom Brady uncomfortable early and often during their unbelievable 17-14 upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday night.

"We're not like the Bears or the Giants of old," New York defensive end Michael Strahan said. "We're a bunch of misfits that somehow came together and won."

Strahan considers himself the main misfit. He's constantly talking. In his 15-year career, he has been among the league's all-time great quarterback sackers, but he is a character. On the practice field, and in games, he constantly talks, and the chatter is hysterical. And it clearly is contagious. The Giants' defensive front four frequently will gather at the line of scrimmage, swing their bodies in unison and shout a few profane chants. The scene looks similar to what you might see in "The Longest Yard." Linemen laugh. They giggle. They have a blast.

"That's part of the misfit thing," Strahan said. "We'll break the huddle and have different chants. A lot can't be repeated because kids are watching. But it's just for us to get fired up. When we do it, it gets us up and focuses us on what we have to do."

The Giants' defense couldn't have been more focused Sunday. New York pressured Brady throughout the game, sacking him five times and knocking him down on 10 occasions. Asked after the game whether his high right ankle sprain limited his play in any way, Brady quickly responded, "No, not at all."

But as the game wore on, Giants defensive tackle Justin Tuck noticed that Brady didn't look like, well, the normal Tom Brady. Some of his throws were off, and the same QB who threw for a league-record 50 touchdown passes this season lacked mobility in avoiding the pressure.
"The offense is made to stay in rhythm, and some things we showed him up front and in the secondary, you could tell it kind of threw off his rhythm," Tuck said of Brady, who completed 29 of 48 passes for 266 yards, and lost 37 yards in sacks. "He made some errant throws and held a ball a little longer than he normally does. That's a combination of pressure in his face and the secondary doing a great job of locking down all of the receivers, and really doing a good job."

Tuck said that Mike Singletary, the former Bears linebacker, spoke to the Giants in the week before the Super Bowl and told them he appreciated their old-school mentality. Remember, the Patriots were the highest-scoring team in NFL history. Brady threw 50 TDs in compiling an 18-0 record at QB, and Randy Moss caught 23 scoring passes and was the most dangerous receiver in football.

But New York attacked. Its cornerbacks locked up in man-to-man and took away New England's perimeter passing game. Cornerback Corey Webster checked Moss in press man coverage most of the game. Though Moss did catch five passes for 62 yards -- including a 6-yard touchdown pass with 2 minutes, 42 seconds to play -- he had to get kick-started with a crossing route or two in the second quarter and, overall, wasn't much of a factor.

The core of the Giants' defensive strategy was coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's smart blitz adjustments as the game progressed. When these two teams met in Week 17, the Patriots consistently were picking up inside blitzes -- nearly all run on Tuck's side of the defense. In the Super Bowl, Spagnuolo kept the blockers guessing by varying the blitzes inside the Patriots guards. And the Giants had more to offer.

"I don't know if we got to all the blitzes we had in the game plan," Spagnuolo said. "I do know this: There was a time there where I thought Tom Brady was finding out what we were bringing and he was changing the protections and we had to [switch up] some of the things."

Spagnuolo said the Giants blitzed as much as 35 percent of the time. On numerous other occasions, it was the front four -- a toxic mix of Strahan, Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Barry Cofield, Fred Robbins and Jay Alford -- that was busy bruising Brady. Tuck had two sacks at defensive tackle, and Strahan, Alford and linebacker Kawika Mitchell had the other three.
"I have to give credit to the four guys up front," Spagnuolo said. "We hung our hat on those guys all year long, and we did it again."

All of which left Strahan both enjoying the victory and pondering his future. He wasn't saying after the game whether he was going to retire or come back for another season, but it might be difficult for him to leave this group -- even if that means having to go to training camp.
"We're a bunch of misfits who believe in each other," Strahan said. "Osi Umenyiora is like my little brother. He's a different bird, but he's just like me. He'll tell me I'm overrated. I'll tell him he made the Pro Bowl on the basis of one six-sack

game against Philadelphia. He'll tell me I get my sacks against slappies. We have fun."

John Clayton, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame writers' wing, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.