The Sporting News articles from January 2001

The Sporting News archives from January 2001

Playoffs focus is on QBs.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... One series... one call... one play. As we head into the best part of the NFL season, the team that is to hold the Lombardi Trophy is the one that will rise when others falter--at the crucial moment in each contest. It is wholly unlikely a...

Caught on the Fly.(sports humor)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Hey, didn't you used to be academically eligible for the bowl? * Big diff in the Boys' locker room between time-killin' and team-killin' games-o-dominoes. Emmitt plays the former for chump change, Troy plays the latter with salcap...

Bob Hille's starting Five.(sports humor)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... 1 The Orange Bowl. The Sunshine State has made Oklahoma fans feel right at home, especially the ones who stopped in Yeehaw Junction. 2 The NFL regular season. Stump-your-buddies trivia question: Which gave up more points in 2000, the Rams'...

DUSTBIN.(1996 Orange Bowl)
January 1, 2001... January 1,1996 Florida State's football dynasty set a mark for excellence in the 1996 Orange Bowl. In beating Notre Dame, 31-2 6, the Seminoles won their 11th straight bowl game--and in consecutive seasons. All 11 victories were under...

Voice of the Fan.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Choice voice `Dan Snyder is going to have a hard time finding a quality coach to baby-sit his overpriced Redskins, who are just as close as the Chargers to winning the Super Bowl.' --Willie Roberts, Hanover, Pa Real incentives ...

2001 The year in preview.(athletes to watch)
January 1, 2001... Athletes to watch in the year ahead, as captured by TSN photographers Baseball Ryan Anderson Mariners Go ahead and ask Ryan Anderson if he's a basketball player. Everyone else does. But don't be surprised if the 6-11 lefthanded...

Armed with legs.(quarterbacks in 2001 football playoffs)
January 1, 2001... TSN's PLAYOFF PREVIEW: In a postseason that premises to be a scramble to the finish, expect mobile quarterbacks--who, as a group, dominated the regular season with their ability to improvise--to be Ute difference They have young legs,...

Reid's steady hand guided turnabout of the Eagles.(Andy Reid; Philadelphia Eagles)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... In the 2000 season, no coach risked more and was rewarded more than the Vikings' incomparable Denny Green. Rookie Jim Haslett of the Saints showed us how it's supposed to be done, and when his best players were taken away, he showed us another...

Bucs, Ravens strike fear in their playoffs opponents.(Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Baltimore Ravens)
January 1, 2001... With the playoffs getting underway this weekend, everyone wants to know who the favorites are in each conference, but there aren't any. It's the crappiest of crapshoots. If the editors would let me ramble, I could construct a plausible argument...

INSIDE THE NFC EAST.(National Football Conference East news)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... 2000 HIGHS AND LOWS BEST SURPRISE: Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles. He led his team to the playoffs without a quality wide receiver and no running game for more than half of the season. BIGGEST BUST: The Redskins proved that money can't buy...

INSIDE THE NFC CENTRAL.(football teams, players)
January 1, 2001... 2000 HIGHS AND LOWS BEST SURPRISE: Daunte Culpepper, QB, Vikings. No one (not even Denny Green) could have expected someone who hadn't thrown an NFL pass to have such an impact. BIGGEST BUST: Curtis Enis, RB, Bears. Injuries and...

INSIDE THE NFC WEST.(football teams, players)
January 1, 2001... 2000 HIGHS AND LOWS BEST SURPRISE Jeff Garcia, QB, 49ers. At the start of the year, he was regarded as nothing more than a stopgap at the position. By the end of the year, he was voted to the Pro Bowl and considered a franchise...

INSIDE THE AFC EAST.(football teams, players)
January 1, 2001... 2000 HIGHS AND LOWS BEST SURPRISE: Lamar Smith, RD, Dolphins. He wasn't slated as even the No. 2 guy going into training camp, but he emerged as the starter and had a career year. BIGGEST BUST: Antowain Smith, RD, Bills. Take away...

INSIDE THE AFC CENTRAL.(football teams, players)
January 1, 2001... 2000 HIGHS AND LOWS BEST SURPRISE: Sam Adams, DT, Ravens. They said he was an underachiever, but Adams anchored the middle of the line on the league's stingiest defense. BIGGEST BUST (tie): Plaxico Burress, WR, Steelers, R. Jay Soward,...

INSIDE THE AFC WEST.(football teams, players)
January 1, 2001... 2000 HIGHS AND LOWS BEST SURPRISE: Brian Griese, QB, Broncos. They actually considered bringing in Steve Young. Instead, they were stuck with Griese, who missed most of seven games but finished as the league's top-rated passer. ...

STATS.(football players)
January 1, 2001... RUSHING Atts. Yds. Avg. TBs. James, Ind. 387 1709 4.4 13 R. Smith, Min. 295 1521 5.2 7 Anderson, Den. ...

Burning up the scoreboard.(football teams)
January 1, 2001... Until last Sunday's must-win victory over the Saints (and a little help from the Bears), the Rams were on the verge of becoming just the third team to ride the ultimate roller-coaster: fail to make the playoffs one season, win the Super Bowl...

TSN SCOREBOARD.(professional football)
January 1, 2001... NFC NFC EAST W L T Pct. PF PA Div. New York 12 4 0 .750 328 246 7-1-0 Philadelphia 11 5 0 .688 351 245 5-3-0 Washington 8 8 0 ...

Will a year make a Difference?(college football)
January 1, 2001... Southern California got its top 20 ranking because of what Ute Trojans did last season. Now, if they can avoid repealing last season... Somewhere on Southern California's campus, senior Jeff Trepagnier wanders around an empty practice...

Syracuse's steady success is all a matter of time.(college football)
January 1, 2001... Allen Griffin can see the difference when he watches other teams play on television. He sees freshman point guards and sophomore captains, inexperienced players who must make significant on-court decisions. He hears announcers discuss whether...

CONFERENCE CALL.(college basketball)
January 1, 2001... Hits ATLANTIC Donald Hand, Virginia. Playing in his COAST native New Jersey, he put up 21 points and nine assists in an 18-point whipping of Tennessee in the Jimmy...

ONE ON ONE.(professional basketball's five best individual matchups)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... A breakdown of the NBA's five best individual matchups The next time Vince Carter or Kobe Bryant hits for 50 points, look beyond the box score and search for the reason why. Basketball is a team game, but the NBA is about individual...

Don't judge rookies until they're fully grown.(basketball)
January 1, 2001... Seems like more and more people like to bash rookies nowadays. This is done mostly by head coaches who have the discretion to do it in the privacy of their offices, usually as they are putting their heel through a video monitor while cursing...

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE.(basketball)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... WHO'S HOT With winning streaks rare in the East, the hottest player on the hottest team is Hornets SG David Wesley. Moved from point guard when PF Derrick Coleman's trip to the fat farm led to tinkering with the lineup, Wesley led the...

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE.(basketball)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... WHO'S HOT The Mavericks were SG Michael Finley's team last season. They're SF Dirk Nowitzki's now, In Dallas' four wins entering last weekend, Nowitzki averaged 30.3 points and 7.3 rebounds with 60.7 percent shooting. Nowitzki was traded...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.(team-by-team analyses of National Basketball Association Eastern Conference)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... Atlanta SHOPPING HENDERSON? With PF Lorenzen Wright playing so well as Alan Henderson's replacement, the team must consider Henderson's trade value. Wright dearly can play the position, and with smallish SG Jason Terry emerging, the team...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.(team-by-team analyses of National Basketball Association Western Conference)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... Dallas BEYOND EXPECTATIONS: Don Nelson was cautiously optimistic at the start of the season that his emerging team could challenge for a playoff spot. He was wary because the league's balance of power is so heavily tilted toward the West...

Don't count out Bowman or his Red Wings in the West.(Scotty Bowman)(includes article on San Jose Sharks)
January 1, 2001... As Scotty Bowman walks down a lonely corridor outside the locker room after a game two weeks ago in St. Louis, you could almost hear his thoughts. And none of them was about retirement The wheels never stop spinning for this 67-year-old man...

NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE.(National Hockey League)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... WHO'S HOT Everybody was saying how deep the Blues were up front coming into this season, especially with the return of a healthy Pavol Demitra. When Demitra got off to a weak start (eight points in 15 games), no one really noticed because...

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE.(National Hockey League)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... WHO'S HOT Hot team, hot coach, hot player. Daymond Langkow has benefited from new Flyers coach Bill Barber's up-tempo style of play. Playing between Rick Tocchet and Simon Gagne, Langkow was a big reason the Flyers were 3-0-3 under Barber....

A-Rod vs. I-Rod? Selig out, Costas in? There's more ...(humorous baseball forecasts for 2001 season)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Why rush to buy tickets? We've got the scoop on everything that will happen this season: April 1: Wearing a T-shirt that says "I-Rod=A-Rod," catcher Ivan Rodriguez refuses to play in the Rangers' opener against the Blue Jays in his native...

AMERICAN LEAGUE.(team-by-team analyses of professional baseball clubs)
January 1, 2001... Anaheim SPIEZIO'S SPOT: It appears Scott Spiezio will have the edge at DH going into spring training. Spiezio hit just .242 last season, but he showed power with 17 home runs and 49 RBIs in just 297 at-bats. He doesn't have much speed, but...

NATIONAL LEAGUE.(team-by-team analyses of professional baseball clubs)
January 1, 2001... Arizona CUT OR BE CUT: With C Kelly Stinnett unwilling to accept a hefty pay cut from $1.1 million, the team did not tender him a contract. Manager Bob Brenly sees Damian Miller catching 125-135 games, and Stinnett would have been an...

Carroll's hiring is another mistake for troubled USC.(University of Southern California football coach Pete Carroll)
January 1, 2001... Dear Mike Garrett: I 'think you made a mistake hiring Pete Carroll as USC's next coach. As Trojans athletics director, you needed to hit a home run with this hire. This looks more like a scratch single. I know. Carroll might end up...

A dream deferred, now restored.(basketball player Muhammed Lasege wins eligibility case against NCAA)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Muhammed Lasege is 20 years old. He's a 6-11 Nigerian who played his country's primitive form of basketball. A student so bright his grades were all save for one B, his dream was a college education in the United States. Because his family...

Hoops with a human touch.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... If you are a reader of sportingnews.com and a college basketball fan, the name Jeff D'Alessio will click with you right away. If you haven't discovered the wonder of cybersports, you'll be introduced to Jeff's work in his story celebrating the...

Voice of the Fan.(Letter to the Editor)
January 8, 2001... Choice voice `Look for Mario Lemieux to continue his everything-I-touch-turns-to-gold streak. Don't be surprised if you see another Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh this year. It's almost in the script.' --John Magyar Pittsburgh, Pa. ...

Caught on the Fly.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... Hey, didn't you used to be an undisputed national champion? * Nope, no way, don't believe a word-o-I.U. coach Mike Davis' toss-in-the-towel speech. The Spies say even though a preseason pep talk included a "don't play hard for me"...

DEFT SHOT.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... `We figured if we get a cease-and-desist order from the government we'll really make news. But they can't send it if they don't admit Area 51 exists.' Aaron Artman, creative director for the Las Vegas Class AAA baseball team that is...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... 1 Who's No. 1? True to its word, the BCS has brought about a consensus. And that consensus is, "The BCS stinks." 2 The NFL playoffs. By all accounts, the road to Tampa is wide open. But if the teams are like me, when they get there they'll...

DUSTBIN.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... January 10, 1972 The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 120-104, ending the longest winning streak in major professional sports, a still-standing mark of 33 straight. Their first win in the run was October 31, 1971. The...

A father's legacy lives on.(basketball coach Joe Lapchick)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... Fifty years ago I wondered what was wrong with my father because so many people seemed angry with him. My earliest memory of childhood is looking outside my bedroom window and seeing my father hanging in effigy. For years, I picked up the...

NOTHING BUT THE BEST.
January 8, 2001... The Izzone or the Cameron Crazies? Jason Kapono or Casey Jacobsen? Indianapolis or San Antonio? Here's our vote for the game's best student section, top shooter and fave Final Four site, plus a whole lot of other things we love about the game....

Depth is a deep-seated need for shorthanded Duke.
January 8, 2001... Among the six young men who actually play for Duke and don't merely wear the uniforms and fly on the team plane, depth is not an issue. "A part of you says, `I don't care if we're deep,'" says sophomore wing Mike Dunleavy. "That just means you...

ONE ON ONE with Kareem Rush.(Interview)
January 8, 2001... This week, TSN associate editor Jeff D'Alessio talks life with the Missouri sophomore, named to TSN's preconference All-America team, about hair and his brother's early departure from UCLA. TSN: What's your brother, JaRon, up to these days?...

MIGHTY MATCHUP.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... Casey Jacobsen vs. Richard Jefferson Stanford at Arizona, 4 p.m. ET Saturday (CBS regional) Jarron and Jason Collins vs. Michael Wright and Loren Woods, Ryan Mendez vs. Gilbert Arenas. Intriguing matchups abounds, but the most...

CONFERENCE CALL.
January 8, 2001... Hits ATLANTIC Virginia and Maryland. OK, so the COAST competition is weak. The Cars, 10-0 before league play, have topped 85 points in seven straight and the Terps have...

No horsing around.
January 8, 2001... Baltimore and Miami used stifling defense to put the Broncos Colts out to pasture in the AFC They are the emerging stars of these wacky AFC playoffs: Marvin Lewis, Gregg Williams, Jim Bates. You probably aren't that familiar with their...

Fantasy football.
January 8, 2001... The Eagles and Saints continued their fairy-tale seasons, but they will need imaginative scheme to bring down the Giants and Viking In the NFC this season, the Cinderellas wear combat boots. And judging from the bruises on the posteriors of...

Journey to the center of the turf.
January 8, 2001... Over 17 weeks and all across the country, these three young reporters experienced 30 NFL games in 30 stadiums and get closer to the game than any telecast can offer Welcome to the sidelines of a typical NFL stadium. It doesn't matter which...

The BEST and WORST OF THE TRIP.(around the National Football League.)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... BEST FANS Raiders. The only thing scarier than playing the Raiders this season was seeing their fans--up close. BEST STADIUM (OLD SCHOOL) Mile High Stadium. Denver is tearing down this cozy jewel after the season, but we can't figure out...

`The Doctor' has made all the right calls in Denver.(Alex Gibbs, Denver's Broncos line coach.)
January 8, 2001... The year 2000 may be remembered as the year we bade farewell to Walter Matthau, the Microsoft monopoly and the great offensive lines of the Broncos. One of the most controversial and effective units in the NFL likely never will be the...

These keys to success will determine the survivors.(divisional playoff games , football teams.)
January 8, 2001... One-third of the postseason field has been eliminated, leaving eight teams still in contention for Super Bowl 35. Here is how we see the four divisional playoff games breaking down: Miami at Oakland Raiders' keys to success: 1....

EXTRA POINTS.(football teams, players, brief notes.)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... Observation on the first round of the playoffs If I'm a Vegas oddsmaker, I list the over/under for the Ravens-Titans game at 51/2 points. If I'm a bettor, I take the under. The teams' defenses are simply superb.... You could make a lot of...

PLAYOFF GAMES.(football teams, statistics.)
January 8, 2001... EAGLES 21, BUCCANEERS 3 Tampa Bay 0 3 0 0 3 Philadelphia 0 14 0 7 21 Second Quarter T.B.--FG, Gramatica 29, 4:44. Phi.--McNabb 5 run (Akers kick), 11:39. Phi.--Brown 5 pass from McNabb...

AFC.(evaluation of football teams.)
January 8, 2001... Baltimore TOUGH TASK: OT Harry Swayne has had problems with the defensive end he'll face in Sunday's playoff game, Tennessee's Jevon Kearse. Making matters worse, Kearse seems to have gotten better in the second half of the year. Kearse's...

NFC.(football teams.)
January 8, 2001... Arizona HELP NEEDED: QB Jake Plummer's poor season-ending performance at Washington immediately brought to mind coach Dave McGinnis' promise not to tolerate non-productive players. But McGinnis emphasized Plummer was his quarterback. In...

Room for two?(Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, basketball players for Los Angeles Lakers.)
January 8, 2001... If the Lakers want to win a second straight title, they'll have to concede that Kobe is just as important as Shaq It's a little click of the tongue and teeth, sort of like a jazz drummer tapping his cymbal, sort of like, "Pttt...", and...

Big-ego Blazers fall in line behind a Mighty Mouse.(basketball team from Portland.)
January 8, 2001... Maybe, just maybe, the West is starting to shake out the way everyone figured it would all along. Phoenix had its moment in the sun but turned into a .500 team after that 7-1 start. Utah can't even defend its home court anymore. San Antonio,...

Dave D's hopes for 2001.(professional basketball.)
January 8, 2001... * Alonzo Mourning should play in the All-Star Game, just to remind opponents how easy they had it when Miami came to town this year. * Please, no more about how players no longer care. * Larry Brown really needs a healthy team again,...

ONE ON ONE with Brian Grant.(basketball player)(Interview)
January 8, 2001... After being traded to the Heat, Brian Grant is having his best season, averaging 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds. On the floor, he is one of the NBA's hardest-working players. Off the floor, he is one of the most generous. His work with his...

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE.(brief notes on National Basketball Association)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... WHO'S HOT Heat SG Eddie Jones scored 31 points in three out of five games, leading the team in scoring in all five outings between December 22 and 30. "Maybe I should play that number in the lottery," Jones said. The scoring surge can be...

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE.(brief notes on National Basketball Association)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... WHO'S HOT PF Kevin Garnett has kept his word about not giving up on the Timberwolves. The leading scorer in 10 consecutive games in December, he is a double-double machine, had a triple-double against the Pistons and was just shy of...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.(brief notes on National Basketball Association's teams and tournaments)(Statistical Data Included)
January 8, 2001... Atlanta BASELINE OPTION: SF Roshown McLeod's productive play has given Jason Terry a reliable scoring outlet although Terry was moved to shooting guard, which has given him the freedom to be the natural scorer he is, the offense still...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.(brief notes on National Basketball Association's teams and tournaments)(Statistical Data Included)
January 8, 2001... Dallas THE SON WILL COME OUT: Coach Don Nelson has his team playing hard, even on the defensive end, which has been a problem in the past. This never will be a great defensive team, but at least there is effort on that end of the floor....

Not just a shot in the dark.(scoring techniques of professional hockey players)
January 8, 2001... Shooting is one thing. Scoring is another. The best scorers have a definite plan in mind when they're bearing down on a goalie. Lots of players shoot, but few have the goal-scoring knack Mario Lemieux has brought back to the game. Great...

Time stands still for a player like Lemieux.(athletic performance of hockey player Mario Lemieux)
January 8, 2001... Michael Jordan had it. So did Babe Ruth and Joe Montana, Jim Brown, Wayne Gretzky, Magic Johnson, Bobby Orr and Bill Russell. They all had the ability to make the players around them look pretty. good, too. Mario Lemieux always has belonged...

Where does Mario go from here?(foreseen performance and career of hockey player Mario Lemieux)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... Now that the bright-smile telefaces have gone home, the popcorn has been swept away and the last echoes have faded from the Igloo, let's stop and consider what to expect the rest of the way from the return of Mario Lemieux. Let's hope...

NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE.(brief notes on National Hockey League teams and tournaments)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... WHO'S HOT Those Red Wings are keeping everyone guessing these days. Proof that they've settled in the middle of pack came when they lost consecutive games to the Wild and Blackhawks. But a shining light--both before and after the return of...

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE.(brief notes on National Hockey League team and tournaments)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2001... WHO'S HOT It's amazing what adding a superstar to your line does for your stats. When the season started, Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr believed all the type written about him. With Mario Lemieux's return, he's finally living up to it. Jagr...

Turning the Tide.(hiring of football coach Dennis Franchione by University of Alabama)
January 8, 2001... Coming off its worst season in 43 years, Alabama hired Dennis Franchione to recapture its glory. His record says he's up to the challenge. Dennis Franchione is busy organizing his desk, shuffling through all sorts of papers. To one side is...

Where did the Huskers go wrong? It's a lengthy list.(athletic performance of University of Nebraska's football team)
January 8, 2001... Another New Year's Day has passed with no Nebraska sighting. It has happened twice in the last three years--and I know the folks in Cornhusker Nation are keeping count. This program was 108-16-1 in the 1990s, a record bettered only by...

Grade-A ORGANIZATION.(financial and personnel management of Oakland Athletics baseball team)
January 8, 2001... Winning isn't always about who has the most money. The low-revenue A's bank on the draft and minor league free agents. When it comes to developing players, the Oakland A's are proving that success needn't come with a high price tag. They...

Puckett? Mattingly? Or both? Hall voting is a tough call.(criteria and indecisions behind voting for baseball Hall of Fame inductee)(Column)
January 8, 2001... Voting for the Hall of Fame drives me nuts. Make no mistake, I'm honored to receive a ballot as a 10-year member of the Baseball Writers Association of America. But the responsibility of distinguishing between great players is almost...

AMERICAN LEAGUE.(brief notes on American Baseball League teams and tournaments)
January 8, 2001... Anaheim NO CHEATING: RF Tim Salmon's batting average hovered in the .260 range for the first four months of last season because he had to "cheat" to hit fastballs. He picked up the bad habit after returning from the D.L. in 1999. He...

NATIONAL LEAGUE.(brief notes on baseball teams and tournaments)
January 8, 2001... Arizona GIVE ME THE BALL: New manager Bob Brenly told ace LHP Randy Johnson he intends to limit Johnson's pitch count, especially early in the season. Johnson has thrown more pitches than anyone in baseball for two years running. Brenly...

Two words of advice for voters.(magazine Playboy's poll for election of sexiest woman sportscaster)(Brief Article)(Column)
January 8, 2001... Playboy has asked us to vote for "the sexiest sports reporter of them all." So I put the question to my wife, who said, "Vince Cellini. He's adorable." Er, honey. It's Playboy. It's $1 million, it's a photo shoot. Costas,...

Putting the first half on ice.(message from John Rawlings, sport writer.)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2001... Who would have thought that at the halfway mark of the 2000-01 NHL season Mario Lemieux would have more goals than Eric Lindros? Or that Mike Keenan would have even one more victory behind the bench? All those with that kind of prescience,...

Voice of the Fan.(letters.)
January 15, 2001... Choice voice Regarding Paul Attner's article on quarterbacks in the NFL playoffs (TSN, January 1): Prescient! Bravo! -- Damian Obrien, Eau Claire, Wis. BCS blew it * After watching the Fiesta Bowl debacle, I hope the Bowl...

Caught on the Fly.(humor in basketball.)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2001... Hey, didn't you used to show Fly something? * The Spies're pickin' up semi-subtle hints (think: Larry legend's understatement of his Smeltic front-office interest to prospective owners) that M.J.'d be open to Chicago redux. Mike's locked...

DEFT SHOT.(quote by Ryan Brewer, football player for South Carolina State.)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2001... "I couldn't believe it. All I could think of was, `Oh man, I hope they don't blame me for this.'" --South Carolina running back Ryan Brewer after Ohio State fired John Cooper. Brewer, the 1998 Mr Ohio Football was not recruited by Cooper,...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(brief notes on college football.)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2001... 1 The AFC and NFC championships. The final four teams find themselves a mere victory away from the Super Bowl--or as CBS likes to think of it: ratings opening act for Survivor. 2 No. 1 Oklahoma. How dominating was the Sooners' defense?...

DUSTBIN.(1995 game between the San Diego Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2001... January 15, 1995 Hard to believe, but the Chargers, who finished the 2000 season at 1-15, were Super Bowl-bound just six years ago after a dramatic victory over the Steelers in the AFC chain championship game. Trailing 17-13 late in the...

Sooner than expected.(interview with Josh Norman, college football player.)
January 15, 2001... Oklahoma needed only two years under Bob Stoops to win the national championship. And if the coaches and players are right, these Sooners won't be one-hit wonders. Josh Norman didn't see it coming. A television reporter was about to treat...