The Sporting News articles from February 2004

The Sporting News archives from February 2004

New and improved.(Sporting News.Com)(fantasy baseball web site)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Spring training will be here before you know it, so check out SportingNews.com's Fantasy Source Baseball, which has been upgraded for the 2004 season. With our new customization feature, you'll be able to keep better track of your team and your...

Behind the scenes.(Sporting News Radio)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Sporting News Radio is your ticket to exclusive Super Bowl coverage. We will broadcast live from Houston and bring you the biggest names in sports and entertainment in the days leading up to Super Bowl 38 between the Panthers and Patriots....

Fantasy world.(Sporting News Books)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Did you crash and burn in your fantasy baseball league last season? Get an early jump in preparing for this season by ordering the Fantasy Baseball Owners Manual. Order by calling 800-825-8505 or by going online at www.sportingnews.com/books.

To know list: 5 dips in French Onion Bowl XXXVIII.(Know It All)(upcoming key events in sports)(Calendar)
February 2, 2004... (1) A GUIDE TO THE COMING MONTH Pitchers, catchers and can't-miss hoops What's in store? Plenty of everything... well, except for meaningful football games. FEBRUARY 2004 SUN 1 Smash-mouth offense, stubborn defense, the...

Bob Hille's starting 5.(Know It All)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 2, 2004... (1) The Super Bowl. It's the world's most popular one-day event but still trails the world's most popular daily event. Proof? This year's broadcast has ads for Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. (2) The Nextel Cup. Some say the new...

The two-headed beast of the East.(Caught On The Fly)(news about sports teams and athletes)
February 2, 2004... When it comes to the NBA, the East long ago went south, but Indy and Detroit just might be worthy of being mentioned with the best in the West. Put them together, and they broke even against the Lakers, Spurs, Mavs, Kings and T-wolves through...

On air.(Know It All)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 2, 2004... from the Century 21 Studios Kevin Wheeler says: "Last year was just the beginning for the Royals. They will win the A.L. Central if they can keep their pitchers healthy." Bill Lekas ...

The miracle of achievement.(My Turn)(Column)
February 2, 2004... When I first met Herb Brooks, as I was preparing to shoot the movie Miracle, he asked, "Do you have a son who's a goaltender playing in Vancouver?' I told him I did, and he said, "I'm coming to watch him this year." For the first couple of...

Your turn.(Know It All)(Letter to the Editor)
February 2, 2004... * It's time to stop holding the Super Bowl in preselected (and supposedly neutral) warm-weather venues. Right now, few real fans have the opportunity to go to the game. Play the Super Bowl in one of the two teams' cities, and you'll return the...

The line is 7. Whom do oddsmakers like in the Super Bowl?(Counterpoints)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Take the Pats Last year, the Super Bowl was too difficult to handicap, so it opened with the Raiders at -3 and didn't move. This year is a different story. The week before the conference championships, we had the Patriots favored by 7 in a...

To play half a season on a wrecked knee.(How's That Feel?)
February 2, 2004... In his first season as a starter, Texas Tech fifth-year senior B.J. Symons passed for an NCAA-record 5,833 yards and a school- and Big 12-record 52 touchdowns. That's pretty good. He also played his last seven full games with his left ACL torn...

How come the tires have no treads?(Driver's ed)(race cars)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... NASCAR's tires have no treads so more rubber meets the road. Grip is extremely important for a car that weighs 3,400 pounds, has 770 horsepower and turns going 180 mph, so every available inch of rubber has to be touching the track. Tires had...

Title town, USA: after a season of fun from Seattle to Miami, it all comes down to a wild show in Houston. Oh, yeah, there's going to be a game, too.(Super Bowl-O-Rama)
February 2, 2004... Within Houston's borders live 1.9 million people and NASA, a combination that makes the SpaceCity nickname possible. America's fourth-largest city is host for the NFL championship game, plus a stampede of celebrity entertainers, well-known...

The eye has it.(Remote Patrol)(analysis of efforts to broadcast the Super Bowl on television)
February 2, 2004... Parity dies hard, even among Super Bowl telecasters. The big game will be on CBS for the 15th time, tying the late, great NBC for most chances to gorge at the annual smorgasbord of viewers, revenue and seven-hour pregames. But what if a...

Fifteen minutes of infamy.(Static)(networks limit length of televised college basketball games )(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Fifteen minutes of infamy: The NBA used to get shoehorned into a two-hour scheduling window, but with games getting longer, ESPN and ABC relented and are allotting 2 1/2 hours per exposure. Now college hoops routinely runneth over two-hour...

Vital stats.(Static)(television ratings of football playoff games)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... * Vital stats: The AFC title game outrated the NFC's (26.6 to 23.2) for just the third time in 33 years.

Into the mystique: for the Panthers to make a dent in the Patriots' vaunted defense, they must overcome not only its intricate schemes but its aura.(Super Bowl Preview)(Florida Panthers; New England Patriots)
February 2, 2004... It was the perfect call at the proper time. Tennessee had just recovered a fumble at midfield late in the third quarter of its playoff game against the Patriots. With the score tied at 14, the Titans decided to attempt a quick strike off a...

Both teams are on a Super roll.(Super Bowl Preview)(Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots)
February 2, 2004... Funny how a team that opened the season with five straight wins and now is riding a six-game streak is getting so little respect. That's the situation in which the Panthers find themselves, which is understandable when you consider their...

Catscan: to complete their run of postseason upsets, the Panthers must follow this three-point plan.(Super Bowl Preview)
February 2, 2004... Let's be honest. Most of the folks who say Carolina will win the Super Bowl live in the vicinity of Tobacco Road. And many of them may be blowing whacky tobacky vapor up our backsides. But then how many of us gave the Panthers much of a...

Delhomme is a joy to watch.(Super Bowl Preview)
February 2, 2004... A few months ago, there was talk that the NFL might dissolve NFL Europe. Thankfully, it didn't happen. The league lives on, giving hope to countless unknown players who dream of playing in the NFL. Players like Jake Delhomme. For the...

Prep school: Mike Holmgren offers SOPs to cope with the preparation minefield that is the Super Bowl.(Super Bowl Preview)(Interview)
February 2, 2004... The preparation schedule for the biggest game of the year is unlike the schedule routine of any other, and the path leading to the Super Bowl is filled with land mines. One coach who knows how to avoid those mines is Seattle's Mike Holmgren....

Tom Brady, QB, Patriots.(Scouting Reports)(New England Patriots)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... 6.4, 225 Age: 26 STRENGTHS: Plays with great confidence and is an exceptional leader on the field. Finds ways to win big games, Shows outstanding touch in the short-to-intermediate passing game. Has a quick release, does a good job of...

Jake Delhomme, QB, Panthers.(Scouting Reports)(Carolina Panthers)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... 6-2, 205 Age: 29 STRENGTHS: Reads defenses well, does a great job of preparing for games and plays within the offense. Goes through his progressions and gets the ball to the open man if given time. Leads the receiver when throwing...

Senior moments: for 96 NFL draft prospects, Senior Bowl week is the ultimate job interview. For the more than 800 NFL types watching them, it's the ultimate hobnob opportunity.(NFL)
February 2, 2004... At the Senior Bowl South team's Wednesday morning practice in Mobile, Ala., eight young men battle with one another, using powerful hand punches. It resembles a royal rumble WWE cage match, but it's merely a standard defensive line drill...

Got the message? Our insider has the answers, and he's hitting the boards hard to start the second half.(College Basketball Second Half Preview)
February 2, 2004... (a) Post topic (b) Post reply Maybe we should try caucuses (a) Posted by: CardinalCal47 Once again, the media is showing an East Coast bias. UConn and Duke have been atop the polls virtually all season, but anyone who's seen...

Tournament FAQs: midseason troubleshooting that will guide you through selection Sunday in March.(NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament )
February 2, 2004... The first bracket-related question comes in November, right after Big Time State has won its opener, causing Big Time State fan to e-mail: "So, Bracket Answer Man, does this put us in the tournament?" (Answer: Of course. Now go eat some...

5 guys who will save the NHL: with the future of the NHL looking bleak, a handful of players under 25 are being counted on to turn hockey heads for years to come--no matter what the league looks like.(NHL)(National Hockey League)
February 2, 2004... In a season marked by tragedy and an endless film loop of bad press about the quality of the game and its attendant economic woes--not to mention the hovering labor war cloud--it seems the only reasons for optimism are the fresh young faces...

The latest next big thing: Russian prospect Alexander Ovechkin, 18, a lock to be the first pick in the 2004 draft, has the size, all-around ability and demeanor to light up the NHL.
February 2, 2004... Alexander Ovechkin is a Moscow Dynamo man, always has been and, in his heart, always will be. Born in Moscow, Ovechkin grew up idolizing Dynamo legend Alexander Maltsev. It doesn't matter that Maltsev retired a year before Ovechkin was born....

Not just a pretty shooter: a fresh start with Seattle has given Ray Allen the chance to show off the depth to his game.(NBA)(Seattle SuperSonics)
February 2, 2004... The guard with the silver-screen credits and the golden shooting touch was sitting beside his new coach. Ray Allen had just been traded last February, and Sonics coach Nate McMillan wanted to come up with a new script for the All-Star guard....

Small-school cornerbacks draw big-time attention.(NFL)
February 2, 2004... Teams shopping for cornerbacks can fill up their carts at superstores from the Southeastern Conference or the Pac 10, but discriminating buyers might find better values at out-of-the-way roadside stands. Tusculum, for instance. ...

Top underclassmen.(Draft Watch)
February 2, 2004... The 15 best prospects among the 34 players with college eligibility remaining who declared for the draft by the January 15 deadline: 1. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, 6-51240, Miami (Ohio). Is the most physically gifted quarterback in the 2004...

AFC.(NFL)(American Football Conference)
February 2, 2004... BALTIMORE RAVENS SHORING UP: The Ravens have been trying to re-sign C Mike Flynn to a contract extension since the end of the season without any luck, but the two parties will work out a deal. Flynn is happy with the team's offensive...

NFC.(NFL)(National Football Conference)
February 2, 2004... ARIZONA CARDINALS TIPPING POINT: Coach Dennis Green's opinion of WR Bryant Johnson will have a dramatic impact on offseason plans. If Green and his coaches think Johnson can play, the club could stand pat. If they have serious questions...

Not everyone can be a star.(NBA)(basketball players)
February 2, 2004... As a player once told me, "Everybody's an All-Star in November." Point taken--it sure is easy to righteously put forth the names of poor, under-appreciated players in the first month or two of the season. Now, though, it's time to take a long,...

Scouts' views: an NBA scout breaks down the game of Trail Blazers power forward Zach Randolph.(Portland Trail Blazers)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... The best thing about Zach is he has a big rear end, and he is very good at using it. He'll bump a lot to get down into the post position he wants, and there are not many guys who are big enough to keep him from bumping them. He has lost some...

Top five: players who shoot lefthanded.(basketball players)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... 1 Zach Randolph. It figures that this list would start with someone who plays on the left coast. This has been a breakout season for Randolph, as his ranking among the league's top scorers and rebounders attests. And he has brought much-needed...

One on one with...Carlos Boozer, PF, Cavaliers.(NBA)(Cleveland Cavaliers)
February 2, 2004... Overshadowed by teammate LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, who recently had back-to-back 32-point games, has had a productive second year in the league, averaging 13.7 points and 10.8 rebounds. TSN: You seem to move better without the ball than...

Hark! The heralded Rangers stink.(NHL)(New York Rangers)
February 2, 2004... When inspired, Jaromir Jagr challenges Peter Forsberg as the best player in the game. When motivated, he can be a dominant player. When healthy, he is one of the few non-goalies who can win a playoff series for his team. Adding Jagr means...

One on one with ... Jason Arnott, C, Stars.(NHL)(Interview)
February 2, 2004... TSN: You guys struggled a good deal in the first half. Any specific reason? JA: It's a combination of everything. Our confidence was down. Everything bad seemed to happen all at once. It was tough on all of us. However, we're battling our...

Brian Rolston, C, Bruins.(Scouting Report)(Boston Bruins hockey player)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... 6-2, 205 Age: 30 Rolston wanted to be a scorer, but he has been successful as a checking forward since breaking in with the Devils, who made him the 11th overall pick in 1991. With the Bruins, he has tried to take on a more offensive role,...

This should keep the big show big.(NASCAR)
February 2, 2004... That's entertainment! Once upon a time, NASCAR was all about racing. Those days are over. When the boys in Daytona Beach started using the words "drama" and "excitement" to pitch their new points plan, it sounded more like a TNT promo for...

Fastest break makes UConn special.(College Basketball)(University of Connecticut)
February 2, 2004... Of all the fast breaks the Connecticut Huskies have undertaken, the most memorable might be one that did not result in a basket. It occurred during an overwhelming victory over Oklahoma, so it didn't matter much. Coach Jim Calhoun almost...

TSN power poll.(College Basketball)(Illustration)
February 2, 2004... TSN POWER POLL The TSN Power Poll is determined by TSN writers and editors. Rk. Team (last week) W-L Second half priorities 1. Stanford (1) 16-0 Keep team-first mindset with Josh ...

How far can Saint Joseph's go?(College Basketball)
February 2, 2004... Take a quick look at last week's Associated Press top five: Duke, Stanford, Saint Joseph's, Connecticut, Louisville. Which team jumps out at you? You'd be pressed to find many people who thought Saint Joe's would be a top five team at the...

Ryan Gomes, PF, Providence.(Player of the Week)(college basketball players)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... The last player cut from our midseason All-American team might be among the first included when the season is done. A native of Waterbury, Conn., Gomes went "home" and overpowered UConn with 26 points and 12 rebounds in the Friars' huge road...

Mike Decourcy's 3 questions.(Player of the Week)(college basketball teams)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... 1 Is Texas Tech the Big 12's best? So far, the Red Raiders have been the league's one consistent team. Oklahoma has been injured. Texas is searching for a point guard. Kansas is simply searching. Entering the week, Tech had won a dozen in a...

Conference call.(College Basketball)
February 2, 2004... Michigan Stats: Buy. The Spartans are far from being the dominant team they were expected to be, but they at least have begun to overcome an ugly start by winning three of their first five Big Ten games. State is developing into a balanced team...

Buy or sell?(This Week's Spotlight)(college basketball)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... A perfect run for Saint Joseph's: Sell. No team has entered the NCAA Tournament unbeaten since UNLV in 1991. Best bets for an upset: February 2 at Villanova and February 28 at Rhode Island, where the Hawks are 4-6 the past 10 years. Eight...

Pirates have a pretty park but an ugly outlook.(Baseball)(Pittsburgh Pirates)
February 2, 2004... The Brewers are for sale. The Tigers are signing free agents. The Devil Rays are adding veterans and developing youngsters at a breakneck pace. Good things are happening even in the most depressed baseball markets. Then there is...

A.L. reports.(Baseball)(American League)
February 2, 2004... ANAHEIM ANGELS Signing RHPs Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar gives the team a surplus of starting pitching, if there is such a thing. RHPs Ramon Ortiz, John Lackey, Aaron Sele and Scot Shields and LHP Jarred Washburn also are potential...

N.L. reports.(Baseball)(National League)
February 2, 2004... ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS One of the club's biggest questions is who will hit leadoff. Manager Bob Brenly is leaning toward CF Steve Finley, who filled that role late last season by default. The other possibilities are 2B Roberto Alomar and SS Alex...

Bowling for paychecks.(College Football)
February 2, 2004... The old man has won more than 600 basketball games. His extensive and entertaining coaching career includes leading football schools Georgia and Florida State to the Final Four. So what, you ask, does a college basketball coach know about the...

Fantasy source.(Fantasy)
February 2, 2004... PLAY ACTION by GEORGE WINKLER Coaching changes are dominating the headlines, and the effects will be big for some key fantasy players. From an offensive standpoint, three situations stand out: Tom Coughlin, Giants. Under his...

The Panthers? Nice team, no chance.(Carolina Panthers)
February 2, 2004... My perfect football game would involve 120 passes. Nothing is much more beautiful than a ball describing an arc through the sky on its rise and descent to a man in full flight himself. Montana to Rice, Bradshaw to Swann, Manning to Harrison. It...

The puck drops hero.(Sporting News.Com)
February 9, 2004... Missed out on getting in a fantasy hockey league at the beginning of the season? Then now is your second chance to play G.M. Basic Fantasy Hockey Season 2. The most popular market-based hockey game online starts February 10. Sign up at:...

Never leavin' Las Vegas.(Sporting News Radio)
February 9, 2004... Join Papa Joe all month long as he broadcasts live from the Sporting News Radio studios inside the Mandalay Bay Race and Sports Book. Papa says he's buyin', so stop on by to say hello and grab a beverage with the Commissioner of Sports Talk...

A great racing deal.(Sporting News Books)
February 9, 2004... The officially licensed NASCAR Record & Fact Book is your source for driver bios and career stats, complete team information and historical listings of every NASCAR race. Order by calling 800-825-8508 or by going online at...

To know list: 5 hot topics that will make you the hit of your Pro Bowl party.(Know It All)
February 9, 2004... (1) PUDGE GETS HIS MONEY It COSTS him four years in Detroit Far be it from me to criticize Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez for putting together a deal with the Tigers. A year ago, I wrote, "It's difficult to figure out who looks dumber, the...

Bob Hille's starting 5.(Know It All)
February 9, 2004... (1) The Super Bowl. So much buildup for the big game, and now it's all over. I'm left with an empty feeling that only a longtime Bills fan can understand. (2) Miracle. It's about Team USA's 1980 Olympic hockey win over the...

The silver lining in the black hole.(Caught on the Fly)
February 9, 2004... Tough year for the reporters covering the Super Bowl. On media day, they successfully completed only 48.9 percent of their Jake Delhomme pronunciation attempts. The silver lining in the black hole Norv Turner was hired to coach the...

On air.(NBA midseason edition)
February 9, 2004... Chet Coppock says: "Watching NBA regular-season games isn't fun--it's a prison sentence. Does any team in the Stern Zoo know how to pass?" NBA midseason edition ON AIR Chet Coppock ...

A regular guy who ran wild.(Elroy 'Crazy Legs' Hirsch (1923-2004))
February 9, 2004... Pro Football Hall of Famer Elroy Hirsch died last week of natural causes at the age of 80. As Ron Smith writes in the SPORTING NEWS book Pro Football's Heroes of the Hall, Hirsch "walked like a duck but ran pass patterns like a gazelle" and was...

Previews of NASCAR's season and baseball's spring training.(On deck in the February 16 issue of the Sporting News)
February 9, 2004... Everyone loves new stuff. Whether it's a pair of socks or a car you just drove off the lot, there is an irresistible quality to something fresh and different. It doesn't get more spanking new than NASCAR this season: new sponsor, new points...

Miracle whip.(Static)
February 9, 2004... Miracle whip: The night before Disney's Miracle (the film, guaranteed to spark unprecedented hockey nostalgia) opens in theaters February 6, "A Night of Miracles" (the programming block, epitomizing corporate synergy) will play on ESPN Classic....

The buzz.(Static)
February 9, 2004... The buzz: HBO is accusing ESPN of plagiarism--again. The latest example: After HBO scheduled--but before it aired--a Real Sports segment on vintage Redskins D-lineman Dexter Manley in prison, SportsCenter ran a similar piece. E-mail:...

FYI.(Static)
February 9, 2004... FYI: ESPN's Pro Bowl telecast will include an on-field cameraman for in-the-huddle shots, same as the good ol' XFL. E-mail: fquindt@sportingnews.com.

Commercialism.(Static)
February 9, 2004... Commercialism: MLB bought time on Survivor Aft-Stars to show star players discussing Super Bowl commercials--a softer sell than, um, "Baseball fever: Catch it!" but toooo soft. E-mail: fquindt@sportingnews.com.

Do not adjust your set.(Static)
February 9, 2004... Do not adjust your set: Live at the Winter X Games, Moto X rider Brian Deegan broke his femur and wrists attempting a 360-degree spin on a 90-foot jump--and ESPN followed up with a live interview from his hospital bed. E-mail:...

A world of opportunity.(My Turn)
February 9, 2004... For the elite young gladiators of the gridiron, February will deriver the biggest day of their young lives: national signing day. Young studs across the country will pledge their allegiances to institutions of higher learning. These will be the...

Your turn.(Know It All)
February 9, 2004... * I was disappointed in Gene Upshaw's remarks after President George W. Bush asked all sports leagues to wipe out steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. Upshaw says the NFL already has dealt with the problem. Yet four Oakland Raiders...

Red, white and two: the patriots have become the NFL's model for success in an unstable era, and with the league's smartest man in charge, their run away may not be over.
February 9, 2004... For a moment, he stepped out of type. For a moment, he displayed emotion that he usually masks so well. For a moment, Bill Belichick reacted just as you'd hope he would, considering his Patriots had just won a second riveting Super Bowl in...

'Bottom line: its all good when everyone wins.
February 9, 2004... The beautiful thing about Super Bowl 38 was that it had no losers. OK, Paul Tagliabue awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy only to the Patriots. They won the game. But I'm talking big picture here. The Patriots obviously weren't losers. Tom...

For those about to rock: the music was loud and the mood light as the Patriots got ready for the Panthers. Get your groove on as we take you Inside New England's Super Bowl 38 preparations.(See A Different Game)
February 9, 2004... You see the stone face on the sideline and hear the monotone, expressionless voice in interviews and assume Patriots coach Bill Belichick is a dark cloud with a whistle around his neck, and his team is forever bracing for a clap of thunder. ...

Lights outs: Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light shut down Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker, setting the tone for their teams' one-sided battle in the trenches.(See A Different Game)
February 9, 2004... He had danced on the emerald green sod of Reliant Stadium for more than four hours. He had gone toe-to-toe and punch-for-punch with defensive end Mike Rucker and other Carolina defensive players for 82 plays. Now, he crouched down in his stance...

Hot dates: with so much still uncertain about this season, we've targeted 10 games in the second half that are sure to provide some answers.(NBA)
February 9, 2004... APRIL 11 SUNDAY Standing at his locker in Arco Arena after his Kings handed a 20-point whipping to the archrival Lakers, Sacramento guard Bobby Jackson did not know what to make of what had just happened. He shrugged his shoulders a bit...

BAM is ready to make noise.(NASCAR)
February 9, 2004... All Ken Schrader wants to do is race... and race... and race. As a journeyman driver, Schrader would compete every night if he could. If it has four tires and a steering wheel, he'll drive it. His four Winston Cup victories are just the...

One on one with ... Mike Helton, NASCAR president.(NASCAR)
February 9, 2004... It's been three years since Mike Helton became the first person who was not a member of the France family to be named NASCAR president. During his tenure, the sport's incredible growth has continued, and it also has undergone considerable...

TSNumber 7.(NASCAR)
February 9, 2004... Times the winner of the Budweiser Shootout won the NASCAR Winston Cup points championship in the same year. The most recent was Tony Stewart in 2002. Dale Earnhardt won the Shootout and the points title in the same year four times (1980, '86,...

Fantasy tips for 2004.
February 9, 2004... To succeed at Fantasy Stock Car Challenge--a SPORTING NEWS fantasy game--you have to spend wisely beneath your $50 million salary cap and identify low-cost sleepers whose values will rise throughout the season. A $5,000 prize for being No. 1 in...

Sorry, N.L.: the Braves aren't going away.(Baseball)
February 9, 2004... Looking at the Braves, it's almost impossible to see them winning their 13th consecutive division rifle. Which, of course, means that they almost certainly will. "Every year, somebody comes up with a reason why the Braves aren't going to be the...

A.L. reports.(Baseball)
February 9, 2004... ANAHEIM ANGELS The signing of utilityman Shane Halter could be big if the club again is beset by injuries. Halter gives the team a veteran backup everywhere on the infield, and he can play some outfield and catch if necessary. Halter is a step...

N.L. reports.(Baseball)
February 9, 2004... ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Manager Bob Brenly is determined to improve the team's fundamentals, and he and his staff have changed the spring training workout schedule for that purpose. The pitching groups will be smaller, and each pitcher will work...

Wanted: best coach available.(NFL)
February 9, 2004... If everything were equal, I would prefer to hire a head coach who can deal with the offense because points are what make the sun come up in Paul Tagliabue's world. But trying to fill a head coaching position with someone who has an...

A replay plea: fix it or deep-six it.(NFL)
February 9, 2004... Instant replay is held to roughly the same standards as a TV weather forecast. As long as the weatherman gets it right some of the time, he's doing his job. At least the weatherman deals with the future and can be excused for mistakes....