Rabu, 07 Maret 2012

NFLPA Says It Will Do Own Bounty Investigation

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Pro Football Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The NFL Players Association will do its own investigation of the New Orleans Saints' bounty system and asked the league to help set up interviews with the team's coaches and front-office staff.

In a statement released Wednesday, the union vowed to "vigorously protect the rights of all players." CONTINUE....

Messi Hits Five For Barcelona

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 07:  Lionel Messi of ...Image by Getty Images via @daylife
By Iain Rogers

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Lionel Messi at his breathtaking best tore Bayer Leverkusen apart with a record five-goal Champions League haul on Wednesday as Barcelona swept into the quarter-finals 7-1 on the night and 10-2 on aggregate.

The Argentine World Player of the Year became the first player to score five in a Champions League match. Substitute Cristian Tello scored twice as the holders equalled the biggest victory margin in the knockout stages of the competition.

Messi, who did not appear to have a bead of sweat on him after the match at the Nou Camp, took his tally to 12 goals in seven Champions League appearances this term, equalling the record for a single season he shares with former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

All five strikes against a hapless Leverkusen, including brilliant dinked efforts with either foot, showcased the stunning skills honed in Barca's youth academy that have won him the World Player award for the past three years.

"The important thing is what the team did and that we qualified for the next round," a typically modest Messi said in a television interview.

"It's nice to score five but winning was the priority," added the 24-year-old, clutching the match ball and smiling shyly. READ ON....

Manning: 'I Have Truly Enjoyed Being Your QB'

Peyton Manning's record-breaking run as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts ended Wednesday, when owner Jim Irsay announced the team would release its best player.


Source: Temple To Play Football In The Big East

Temple University logo (no text, "T"...Image via Wikipedia
ESPN.com news services

Temple football will begin play in the Big East this upcoming season, a source confirmed Wednesday to ESPN's Joe Schad.

The Owls will join the conference in all other sports in 2013, another source said.

The Big East will hold a 5:30 p.m. ET news conference at the men's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, but did not specify what the topic would be.

The football program played in the Mid-American Conference from 2007 through last season, while all other Temple programs, including men's basketball, are in the Atlantic 10.

The MAC announced Wednesday afternoon its divorce with Temple. STORY....

NCAA Tournament Selection Chairman: Kentucky, Syracuse Have NCAA Edge

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 20:  Brandon Triche #25 of...Image by Getty Images via @daylife
CBSSports.com wire reports

Even the chairman of the tight-lipped NCAA selection committee can't deny this simple fact: Heading into this week's conference tournaments, there's Kentucky and Syracuse, and then everybody else.

In a teleconference to preview Sunday's release of the NCAA tournament pairings, committee chairman Jeff Hathaway all but handed two of the four top seeds to the Wildcats and Orange, each of whom entered their conference tournaments with a record of 30-1.

"I think we all agree that if the season ended today, we know who the two best teams are," he said Wednesday. "If you're looking at 3 and 4 on the first line and the entire second line, we have the same handful of teams in mind but where they would be laced will be a tremendous debate."

Though Hathaway, the former athletic director at defending national champion Connecticut, did not get specific, among those lumped into consideration for the other top seeds are Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio State and Michigan State.

The brackets come out Sunday evening, with the tournament starting Tuesday. MORE....

Manning Era Comes To A Close In Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 07:  Peyton Manning (...Image by Getty Images via @daylife
NFL.com Wire Reports

During an emotional news conference in which both Peyton Manning and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay fought back tears, the team announced the conclusion of Manning's playing career with the only franchise he's known in his NFL career.

"For 14 wonderful years, the only pro football I've known is Colts football," Manning said during Wednesday's news conference.

"My team won a lot of games here, I played with so many great players here. ... Times change, circumstances change and that's the reality of playing in the NFL."

Manning added: "Our circumstances make it best for us to take this next step. It certainly has not been easy for me." CONTINUE....

Selasa, 06 Maret 2012

Colts Expected To Part Ways With Peyton Manning After 14 Seasons

INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 15:  Quarterback Peyto...Image by Getty Images via @daylife
By Jason La Canfora - NFL Network

The ending that most anticipated between the Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning will arrive on Wednesday, according to league sources, when the team is expected to release the four-time NFL MVP.

The team has made preliminary plans for the news conference Wednesday to officially announce the move.

The Colts are awaiting the final word from owner Jim Irsay, who has been out of town at meetings, but the expectation is they will go forward with the release and the press conference. Manning and Irsay will both travel from Florida to Indianapolis on Wednesday, possibly together, according to NFL Network's Albert Breer.

The move has been widely expected, as the rebuilding Colts owe Manning, the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, a $28 million bonus if he is on the team's roster at the start of the league year. Manning will become a free agent immediately. STORY....