Left out of the national title game, Colt McCoy and Texas made the most of their trip to the Fiesta Bowl. They just hope they did enough to impress poll voters. McCoy hit Quan Cosby for a 26-yard touchdown with 16 seconds to play, lifting the third-ranked Longhorns to a 24-21 victory over No. 10 Ohio State on Monday night. The dramatic strike capped an 11-play, 78-yard drive that took only 1:42. Colt McCoy's performance against Ohio State was the second-highest yardage total for a "It doesn't feel any better than to come from behind and win," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "It was just a classic, really, between Texas and Ohio State, the way it should be."

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who battled the effects of a concussion last week, returned to practice on Monday and said he expects to play in Sunday's home playoff game against the San Diego Chargers. Roethlisberger didn't practice last week. The Steelers, seeded second in the AFC, had a bye in the first round. Roethlisberger was injured in Week 17 when he was leveled by two Cleveland Browns players simultaneously after releasing a pass, causing him to strike his head on Heinz Field's turf. The hit was similar to that in which he also received a concussion from being dropped by three Atlanta Falcons defenders in 2006.

There was the strained groin in 2004, the lingering rib injury in 2005, a jaw injury in 2006, the knee injury in last year's playoffs and then his jammed right big toe earlier this season. Now there's the groin injury that's dogging LaDainian Tomlinson to the point that he might have to sit out the San Diego Chargers' playoff game at Pittsburgh on Sunday. The star running back isn't sure if a week's worth of treatment and rest is going to be enough to allow him to play. "I don't know. It's tough," Tomlinson said after the Chargers' light workout on Monday. "This is a tough injury. I would probably venture to say it's probably the toughest of my career. We'll see what happens."

Although Major League Baseball never said J.C. Romero tried to cheat, the 33-year-old reliever who won the third and clinching games of the 2008 World Series has been ruled guilty of "negligence" and will be suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 season. Romero said on Monday that he bought a supplement from a GNC store in Cherry Hill, N.J., in July. The Major League Baseball Players Association had told players the supplement was acceptable, but now the Philadelphia Phillies left-hander will receive a suspension and lose $1.25 million. "I still cannot see where I did something wrong," Romero said. "There is nothing that should take away from the rings of my teammates. I didn't cheat. I tried to follow the rules." Romero said he does not want to name the supplement in case young athletes go out and purchase it. Three months after Romero was tested before a Phillies-Mets game on Aug. 26, the players' association sent a Nov. 21 letter to players that stated, "We have previously told you there is no reason to believe a supplement bought at a U.S. based retail store could cause you to test positive under our Drug Program. That is no longer true. We have recently learned of three substances which can be bought over the counter at stores in the United States that will cause you to test positive. These three supplements were purchased at a GNC and Vitamin Shoppe in the U.S."

Carmelo Anthony could barely put on his socks and struggled to fasten his watch. Tying his shoes? That was simply too much for his injured right hand. Anthony scored 21 points and set a season-high with nine assists despite injuring his hand in the third quarter of the Denver Nuggets' 135-115 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. The All-Star forward is headed off to a specialist Tuesday for further evaluation. The team, which described the injury as a "probable" fracture, said it doesn't know how much time the star will miss.

Pittsburgh has the Steelers pursuing a Super Bowl XLIII berth, one of the brightest young stars in the NHL in Sidney Crosby, and, well, we'll just skip the Pirates. Now, the city also claims the top-ranked men's college basketball team in the country as its own. For the first time in 101 seasons of Pitt basketball, the Panthers are No. 1, making the jump from third in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' rankings on Monday after previously unbeaten North Carolina (to heavy underdog Boston College) and Connecticut (to Georgetown) lost in the past week. Pitt received 30 of 31 first-place votes. The third-ranked, 13-1 Tar Heels still hold on to one first-place vote in the wake of a top-to-bottom shakeup among the poll's top 10.

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with free-agent outfielder Milton Bradley, sources told ESPN on Monday. The deal is pending a physical. In an effort to free up some salary for Bradley, the Cubs are expected on Tuesday to finalize a deal to send Jason Marquis to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for reliever Luis Vizcaino, MLB.com reported Monday. Adding Bradley was one of the top priorities this offseason for the Cubs, who got swept out of the playoffs for the second straight year after a lineup loaded with right-handers struggled against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A switch-hitter, Bradley batted .321 with 22 homers for the Texas Rangers while leading the American League with a .436 on-base percentage. He made the All-Star team while serving primarily as the designated hitter.

Philadelphia police detectives met with the city's district attorney's office about a month ago to present their final evidence relating to an April 29 shooting outside a business in North Philadelphia owned by Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison that injured three people, a source with knowledge of the meeting told ESPN Monday night. District Attorney Lynne Abraham has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Philadelphia to announce the results of the investigation. Police detectives working on the case have been pressing the district attorney for months to bring the investigation to a close, but they recently concluded that the district attorney was not prepared to act until after the end of Harrison's NFL season. The Colts lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs Saturday night in San Diego. Police detectives have longed believed they had enough evidence to bring weapons charges against Harrison, a source with knowledge of the police investigation told ESPN.com. But witnesses have been less than cooperative with the authorities, sources said, and that has led to uncertainty surrounding the evidence in the case.

Pat Burrell's last swing of the bat in 2008 was a double against Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the World Series. Now, his first swing of the bat in 2009 will be as a member of those very same Rays, having signed a two-year, $16 million contract Monday. Burrell will donate a portion of his contract to the Rays Baseball Foundation, the official charity of the Rays, the team said in a statement. Burrell, 32, is expected to serve primarily as the Rays' everyday designated hitter. He has been the Philadelphia Phillies' regular left fielder for the past eight seasons, but was removed for a late-inning defensive replacement in 100 of the 154 games he started in 2008. And the Fielding Bible assigned him a minus-20 rating for 2008, meaning he made 20 fewer plays than an average left fielder. He did finish fourth in the NL in assists with 12, however.

Florida star receiver Percy Harvin said he is 90 percent healthy Monday as the No. 1 Gators prepared to face No. 2 Oklahoma on Thursday, nearly six weeks after he suffered a high ankle sprain against Florida State. Harvin practiced for the second straight day but said he will not be tackled this week before the FedEx BCS National Championship Game. He began running routes and catching passes last Tuesday. Percy's injury caused him to miss Florida's final game of the regular season, a 31-20 victory over then-No. 1 Alabama in the SEC title game.

While Boston College football coach Jeff Jagodzinski proceeds toward a scheduled interview with the New York Jets, athletic director Gene DeFilippo made it clear Monday that doing so will bring an end to the coach's brief tenure in Chestnut Hill. "Jeff is a very good man and an excellent football coach," DeFilippo said. "He did a wonderful job for us while he was here at BC. I wish Jeff would not take this interview and would remain as head coach at BC." Jagodzinski is expected to interview with the Jets either Monday night or Tuesday. The Jets are looking for a head coach to succeed Eric Mangini, who was fired last week.

Add LeBron James' "crab dribble" to the lengthy list of talking points in the Cavaliers-Wizards rivalry. "I'll have to check in my book to see what a 'crab dribble' is. I'm not quite sure," Washington interim coach Ed Tapscott said with a smile Monday. "I do know that we don't seem to get away with very many of them, whatever they are." James and the rest of the Cavaliers were given Monday off by coach Mike Brown, so the world will have to wait for more thoughts from them as to whether The Chosen One did, indeed, travel a day earlier when driving for a potential tying basket in the closing seconds of Cleveland's 80-77 loss at Washington. Referee Bill Spooner waved off the play and called the violation. Asked to clarify his ruling, Spooner wrote in an e-mail to a pool reporter: "3 steps on the move to the basket. Basic travel call."

Kent State once sent a linebacker to the Pittsburgh Steelers who epitomized everything the Steel Curtain was about. That was Jack Lambert. The current version of the hard-hitting, versatile and dynamic former Kent Stater in Steel City is James Harrison, The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year. The linebacker, who had a career-high 16 sacks to set a team record and led the NFL with a career-high seven forced fumbles, beat Dallas' DeMarcus Ware in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters announced Monday. Pittsburgh was the league's stingiest in total defense, pass defense and points allowed. Harrison was its main hammer.

Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin has a strained left hamstring and his status is uncertain for Saturday night's NFC divisional playoff game at Carolina. "We'll see how it goes this week," coach Ken Whisenhunt said at his Monday news conference. Boldin was injured on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner in the second quarter of Arizona's 30-24 wild-card playoff victory over the Atlanta Falcons last Saturday. He returned to play one more series, then limped off the field for good. "When you're dealing with hamstrings you just never know," Whisenhunt said. "I've seen guys that have come back and played a couple of days later, I've seen guys who are out three or four weeks."

The Green Bay Packers' season came apart thanks in large part to a defense that consistently blew fourth-quarter leads. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and most of his staff were let go Monday as a result. Packers coach Mike McCarthy released six assistants, including five on defense: Sanders, defensive ends coach Carl Hairston, defensive tackles coach Robert Nunn, secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer and nickel package/cornerbacks coach Lionel Washington. Also let go was strength and conditioning coordinator Rock Gullickson. "These are difficult decisions," McCarthy said in a statement. "I hold each of these men in high regard on a personal level, and I want to thank them for their service to the Green Bay Packers."

Jabari Davis
TVSPORTSDAILY.COM

#1 Los Angeles Lakers 27-5 (2)
Kobe is at it again ladies and gentlemen. The Lakers are red-hot (winners of 6-straight), and poised to put together an impressive streak if the current trend continues. They are playing the tough teams with ferocity, and putting the sub-par teams to bed all of the sudden. Lets call the next 7 days the ‘week of revenge’. The Hornets roll into town on Tuesday (hungry for vengeance), and L.A. gets another shot at the Pacers and Heat (Friday, Sunday). Welcome back to the top spot, but don’t get too comfortable if you’re planning on slipping up and growing complacent once again.

#2 Cleveland Cavaliers 27-6 (1)
Losing 2 of 3 (this week) isn’t necessarily the end of the world, but dropping one to the Wizards has got to be at the very least annoying for Cavs fans. They should make short work of Charlotte at home, but Boston comes into town this Friday, and I am ready to see LeBron contribute to the continuing decline of the champs. If they dominate that game the way I’m (mentally) predicting them to, then I may just have to make an impromptu trip to Vegas in order to start placing wagers on a Lakers vs. Cavaliers finals match-up.

#3 Boston Celtics 29-6 (3)
The champs have officially begun looking like chumps. Of course, anyone can hit a lull and lose 3 of 5, but the way they’ve actually lost their recent games is a true reason for concern. After that total choke against the Warriors a week and a half ago, they followed it up by not only losing to the Blazers without Brandon Roy, but also allowing some guy named Wilson Chandler to drop 30 and 8 on them in a double-digit loss to the Knicks. Its gotten to the point where I’m now hearing they are contemplating a ridiculous move in signing Starbury if he were to become available. I know they have a strong locker room, but I can’t see the addition of Starbury doing anything but causing unnecessary distractions down the road.

#4 Orlando Magic 26-8 (4)
Another down week for the Celtics, yet the Magic can do nothing to capitalize. Going 2-2 in a week that could have seen 3-1 (if not 4-0) certainly wouldn’t validate the email I received from a Magic fan last week. Losing a game to the Raptors without their starting center and point guard is just plain embarrassing. Try showing me something slightly more impressive this week against the Hawks (twice) and Spurs.

#5 Atlanta Hawks 22-11 (5)
Even with the momentary slip-up against the Nets, the Hawks continue to be a fun group to watch as they returned to defeat the Rockets the very next night. I’m very interested in seeing how they fare during their home-an-home with the Magic (Wed, Fri). Much more so than the meeting with the Sixers on Sunday. Speaking of which, remember when the Sixers were being considered a title contender by the ESPN ‘expert analysts’ before the season started?

#6 San Antonio Spurs 22-11 (5)
The Spurs just continue to win. The supporting cast continues to improve. Duncan continues to shine, and quietly convinces me of how ridiculous I was for discrediting and disregarding his absolute greatness for so many years. Not only does he bring it each and every night, but he does it with such a quiet sense of caged fury that his leadership and dominance are easily overlooked. He is the antithesis of all that is Kobe Bryant, and much like Mr. Bryant, his true ‘greatness’ has probably been minimized by the hatred and misunderstanding of the masses. The Spurs have even more room to prove themselves with Miami and Orlando (Mon, Sun), before the Lakers and the aforementioned Mr. Bryant roll into town next Wednesday.

#7 Denver Nuggets 23-12 (9)
The Nuggets were already beginning to impress prior to the holidays, and have since (post-Christmas) gone 5-1. After meeting the Pacers (@ home) on Monday, the Nuggs have 4 potential playoff teams to contend with (Miami, Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix). Even though I truly want to believe in the Billups Express, I simply don’t see them coming out of that stretch with a winning record. Of course, I could be wrong, but lets just say those instances are few and far between. In the event that I am incorrect, I promise not to go Stephen A. Smith on you by simply repeating a ridiculous and inaccurate claim in an annoyingly elevated tone as though that somehow proves me right. I promise.

#8 New Orleans Hornets 20-10 (7)
The Hornets continue to beat the teams they are supposed to beat with their victories over the Wizards and a depleted Blazers squad, but also continue to befuddle with big losses to teams like Denver. In case you missed it, and only caught the box score, that 105-100 final score was nowhere near indicative of the actual flow of the game. Although CP3 remains a total monster statistically, the Hornets and Paul seem to be lacking that ‘it’ factor that they possessed towards the end of last year. Maybe they were overachievers, or maybe the injuries are just taking their toll, but the Hornets (semi-impressive record aside) do not look like a team that can compete for a title…as certain analysts ALSO predicted.

#9 Detroit Pistons 21-11 (N/A)
I almost feel like a sell-out for doing this, but I have to give Meverson and the Motown boys some credit for winning their last 7 games. Sure, the Thunder, Bulls, Kings, and Clippers are all depleted and/or absolute garbage, but Pistons still had to go out there and take care of business. To their credit, the Pistons did sprinkle in a few semi-impressive wins over Orlando, NJ, and @ Milwaukee. They are extremely fortunate to catch the Blazers without B-Roy, but still get a somewhat anticipated match-up against Chauncey and the Nuggets next Friday, before finishing up a quick west coast swing in Utah the following night.

#10 Miami Heat 18-14 (N/A)
I am fully aware of the teams with better records. I completely understand how this placement would seemingly go against my every philosophy. But the fact of the matter is, I’m always left impressed when I see these guys play. They got off to a somewhat rocky start, but have really started playing like they want to do some damage as one of the (L)East’s surprising teams come playoff time. They are 6-2 over their last eight, including victories over the Lakers, on the road and home against the Nets, and over the Cavs as well. They can either prove they belong, or happily place themselves on the ‘Get the Freak Out’ list over the next week with the Spurs, Nuggets, and Lakers coming up.

Leading MVP Candidates:

1.) King James
1.a.) Black Mamba a.k.a. The Dagger a.k.a. Man’s Game Bi…(MGB for short)
2.) Big Fundamentals
2.a.) CP3

jabaridavis@yahoo.com

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

MONDAY, JAN. 5

College football: Fiesta Bowl, Texas vs. Ohio State, at Glendale, Ariz. (Fox, 8:15 p.m.)

College men's basketball: Georgetown at Notre Dame (ESPN, 7 p.m.)

College women's basketball: Texas at Purdue (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.)

NHL: Pittsburgh at New York Rangers (Versus, 7 p.m.)

Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski has been told he will be fired if he interviews for the head coaching vacancy with the New York Jets, according to sources. Jeff Jagodzinski has been head coach at Boston College the past two seasons. The interview is scheduled for Monday. Despite the threat from athletic director Gene DeFilippo, Jagodzinski plans to do the interview with the Jets, the sources said. Those sources said that in the event Jagodzinski is fired, BC would promote offensive coordinator Steve Logan to head coach. According to the sources, DeFilippo first told Jagodzinski on Saturday that he would fired if he interviewed and then reinforced the school's position Sunday. Jagodzinski declined to comment when reached by ESPN. BC spokesman Chris Cameron told ESPN's Joe Schad the school would have no comment. But another BC source said Jagodzinski informed his coaching staff of the development this weekend after at least two discussions with DeFilippo.

The Baltimore Ravens had Chad Pennington spinning, ducking, on his heels and on his back. When he did manage to get a pass away, they were often there to snatch it. The Ravens came up with four interceptions, including one returned 64 yards for a touchdown by Ed Reed, and won 27-9 Sunday to spoil the Miami Dolphins' first playoff game in seven seasons. Baltimore stuffed Miami's ground attack and negated the Wildcat, but most of all the Ravens harried Pennington into uncharacteristic mistakes. After throwing only seven interceptions during the regular season, he had four during a 22-minute flurry midway through the game.

Above the Metrodome's deafening noise, Donovan McNabb stayed poised. Completing passes precisely when the Eagles needed him to, McNabb repeatedly sidestepped the Minnesota rush and sent Philadelphia to a 26-14 playoff win Sunday after being all but forgotten as a postseason contender just one month earlier. Next up: the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. Brian Westbrook caught a short pass out of the backfield and zigzagged for a devastating 71-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and the Eagles spoiled the Vikings' first home playoff game in eight years.

Tyrese Rice came through with another big game against North Carolina, one that ended all the talk of a perfect season for the top-ranked Tar Heels. Rice scored 25 points and Rakim Sanders added 22 to help Boston College stun North Carolina 85-78 on Sunday, likely ending the Tar Heels' run atop the early season polls with a surprisingly one-sided road victory. Reggie Jackson had 17 points -- including seven in the decisive second-half run -- for the Eagles (13-2, 1-0), who led by six points at halftime and pushed the lead to as many as 15 before holding off a frantic rally in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

The Miami Dolphins fell apart on the field Sunday, but the front office apparently won't self destruct this offseason. Executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells will return to Miami next season and not exercise an escape clause in his contract, team owner H. Wayne Huizenga said on Sunday. "Bill's going to stay," Huizenga said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, which first reported his comments. "He told me [Friday] he's going to stay. He said he likes it here." ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported that Parcells had an escape clause. Parcells' contract allows him to leave if Huizenga sells the team, and he would still earn the remainder of his $12 million contract.

LaDainian Tomlinson is perhaps hurt worse than the team is letting on, Darren Sproles is sore from all the running he did in a thrilling wild-card win, and the San Diego Chargers are worried about the weather and the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense. Still the playoffs march on. The Chargers finally jumped above .500 and earned a rematch against the Steelers by outlasting Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 in overtime Saturday night. Tomlinson didn't play after scoring on a 3-yard run in the second quarter. He looked uncomfortable standing on the sideline, appearing to have a hard time standing straight up. Asked about his short-term health, Tomlinson said: "I'm worried about my health. I'm very concerned."

It's definitely a slump now. The Boston Celtics can't even beat the New York Knicks anymore. Wilson Chandler scored a career-high 31 points and the Knicks snapped an eight-game losing streak against the sputtering Celtics with a 100-88 victory Sunday night. Al Harrington added 30 for the Knicks, who hadn't beaten Boston at Madison Square Garden since March 23, 2005, dropping the last six meetings. Capitalizing on a quiet night for Kevin Garnett, they seized control in the third quarter, never let it get too close in the fourth and added to the defending champions' worst stretch of the season.

The New England Patriots have decided to ensure that quarterback Matt Cassel won't be an unrestricted free agent, as scheduled in March. Sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the Patriots will use a franchise tag on Cassel that will give the team two options: Trade him if all goes well with Tom Brady's rehabilitation from a knee injury or keep him because all is not well with Brady. The Patriots' intention to franchise Cassel was first reported by the National Football Post. That would mean the Patriots would have about $29 million in salary cap space tied up in two quarterbacks, with Brady earning almost $15 million and Cassel guaranteed over $14 million. However, the cap jumps to $123 million per team, which gives the Patriots $94 million to manage the rest of their roster.

Oklahoma's defenders have had enough of all the questions about the Big 12's shaky defensive numbers this season. They've also apparently had enough of the Tim Tebow talk. Oklahoma sophomore cornerback Dominique Franks said during interviews with the media Sunday morning at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa that Tebow would have been no better than the fourth-best quarterback in the Big 12 this season. Oklahoma's Dominique Franks said stepping up to the task this season of defending Big 12 quarterbacks was no easy chore. "If you look at the three best quarterbacks in the country, they came from the Big 12," said Franks, referring to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Texas' Colt McCoy and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. "The three best receivers in the country came from the Big 12. The three best tight ends came from the Big 12. So we've faced some great offenses, and a lot of people don't understand that other conferences don't have what we face."

Was it a walk? LeBron James wants the NBA to take a closer look at what he calls his "crab dribble." The move, James insists, does not constitute traveling. A referee disagreed Sunday. James was whistled for taking an extra step while driving for a potential tying layup with 2.3 seconds left, and his Cleveland Cavaliers lost 80-77 to the Eastern Conference-worst Washington Wizards despite wiping out a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter. "Bad call," said James, who compiled 30 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. "We all make mistakes, and I think I got the wrong end of the bargain. I watched it 10 times after the game, and it was clearly a good play."

While quarterback Matt Barkley showed why Southern California is excited about his arm, the biggest winner at the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game might have been the Miami Hurricanes. Barkley, verbally committed to USC, threw for two early touchdown passes to lead his White Team to a 27-16 victory over the Black Team on Sunday night. "It really felt good out there," he said. "It was a fun game with a lot of great players." Barkley, from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., hit Marlon Brown of Memphis for a 71-yard score on the game's first possession, then followed with a 35-yard TD pass to Jamal Reid. Already committed to Miami, Reid will be joined there by safety Ray Ray Armstrong and defensive end Dyron Dye -- both from the state championship team at Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida. They were among six players in the game who used the ESPN telecast as a forum to announce where they will play college football.

Mike Smith and Tony Sparano performed so brilliantly as rookie head coaches it was almost impossible to separate them. Atlanta's Smith edged Miami's Sparano by one vote Sunday for The Associated Press 2008 NFL Coach of the Year award. Both coaches oversaw sensational turnarounds, leading their teams from last-place finishes in 2007 to playoff berths this year. Their achievements were reflected by the closeness of the balloting, with Smith getting 23½ votes and Sparano 22½ from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. After improving from 4-12 to 11-5 and making the NFC playoffs as a wild card, the Falcons fell 30-24 at Arizona on Saturday night. That should not detract from a memorable season that bodes well for the football future in Atlanta.

Bill Cowher doesn't plan to coach in the NFL next year, and will stay with CBS Sports as a studio analyst. Cowher was recently wooed by the New York Jets, but said during "The NFL Today" on Sunday that he's taking it "year to year." "It's a privilege and an honor to be a head coach in the National Football League," Cowher said. "And I have been flattered about the attention, but the timing right now is not right. I don't plan on coaching next year."

Once again, the Lakers have the best record in the NBA -- thanks to a little help from the Celtics and Cavaliers. Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 19 and Los Angeles beat the Portland Trail Blazers 100-86 Sunday night for its sixth consecutive victory and 15th straight at home. The defending Western Conference champions realize that not having homecourt advantage against the Celtics in last year's finals probably cost them the NBA title, and they want to do something about it this time around. They are 27-5, one fewer loss than Boston and Cleveland. The Cavaliers and Celtics each lost Sunday to bottom teams in the East. Boston was beat by the Knicks and Cleveland fell to Washington.

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

SUNDAY, JAN. 4

College men's basketball: Kentucky at Louisville, CBS, 4:30 p.m.

NFL: AFC wild-card playoffs, Baltimore at Miami, CBS, 1 p.m. NFC wild-card playoffs, Philadelphia at Minnesota, Fox, 4:30 p.m.

Prep football: Under Armour All-America Game, at Orlando, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Darren Sproles ran off the field clutching the game ball, leaving Peyton Manning to hang his head in frustration. The San Diego Chargers outdid Manning for the second straight January, again turning to surprise stars to spark them along in the playoffs. Given more playing time because of LaDainian Tomlinson's groin injury, the speedy little 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. Just like that, a Chargers team that sneaked into the playoffs at 8-8 eliminated the NFL's hottest team a day after Manning won his third Associated Press NFL MVP award. Also keeping the Chargers in the game 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.

The Arizona Cardinals have consecutive home playoff victories -- 61 years apart. Kurt Warner opened with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald and connected with Anquan Boldin on a 71-yard scoring play as the Cardinals beat Atlanta 30-24 Saturday before a raucous, towel-waving crowd. It was the franchise's first home playoff game since the then-Chicago Cardinals beat Philadelphia to win the NFL championship in 1947. "A lot of people coming into this game said we were the worst playoff team ever to get in," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "... I think we rallied around that." Atlanta rookie Matt Ryan was intercepted twice, was tackled in the end zone for a safety and fumbled the ball away on a botched handoff. That fumble was returned 27 yards by Antrel Rolle 52 seconds into the second half to put Arizona ahead for good.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hasn't changed his mind about firing coach Wade Phillips, but Mike Shanahan would be the leading candidate if he ever does make a move, according to team sources. Mike Shanahan, a fan of Tony Romo, could end up with the Cowboys in 2010. Shanahan's unexpected firing Tuesday by the Denver Broncos has prompted Jones to give "thought" to hiring Shanahan as the future Dallas coach -- even more so than Bill Cowher or Mike Holmgren -- but 2010 may be more timely than 2009, the sources said. The story was first reported Saturday morning on ESPN's NFL Countdown show. Jones and Shanahan have had a strong relationship and share a mutual admiration for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Shanahan offered Romo more money than Jones did in 2003 when Romo was an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Illinois, Shanahan's alma mater. Also appealing to Jones, Shanahan would not carry an exorbitant price tag. Because his contract had three years remaining, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen owes Shanahan $20 million. Any owner who hires Shanahan could pay him a lower salary than the estimated $7 million a year he's owed and Bowlen would be obligated to pay the balance of that "offset." Jones has been committed to a third season with Phillips as head coach and Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator. Sources say the owner was particularly pleased with Phillips' work with the defense and doesn't want to interrupt that progress. The chance Jones could hire Shanahan and convince Phillips to remain as defensive coordinator is very remote, a source said. Shanahan replaced Phillips as head coach when he was hired in Denver.

DeJuan Blair knew he was not the main focus of the two dozen or so NBA scouts or the national television audience. The featured attraction was supposed to be college basketball's latest flavor-of-the-month, Georgetown freshman Greg Monroe. In the second half, however, it was Blair who was thumping his chest while chants of "Let's Go, Pitt!" came from the upper-deck from the thousands of fans who made the trip to the nation's capital. Blair and the No. 3 Panthers were muscling their way to a 70-54 win Saturday over the Hoyas (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP), ending Georgetown's 29-game home winning streak.

Paris Horne was there every time Kyle McAlarney turned around or went around a screen. That defensive performance was enough to give St. John's a chance at an upset, and the Red Storm came through with a 71-65 victory over Notre Dame (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP) on Saturday. Horne's tenacious, high-energy effort on the Fighting Irish's 3-point specialist set the tone for what is easily St. John's biggest win of the season.

The NFL regular season has been over for less than a week but the speculation over New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre's future has already begun. Favre said when he spoke to Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum on Monday, he told him "it may be time to look in a different direction" at the quarterback, Peter King of SI.com reported. King spoke to Favre on Friday about his plans. Favre and the Jets finished the season by losing four of their last five. The skid cost coach Eric Mangini his job. King said Tannenbaum asked Favre to take his time in thinking about the future.

Tony Parker has quick feet. And a quick mind, too. Parker got an offensive rebound with 0.9 seconds left, turned and hit a high-arching 15-footer at the buzzer and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-106 on Saturday night after blowing an early 21-point lead. Parker finished with 15 points and 10 assists to help the Spurs win for seventh time in eight games and rebound from a 100-98 home loss Tuesday night to Milwaukee.

Eric Mangini, fired Monday by the New York Jets, is emerging as the favorite to become the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns, team and league sources said Saturday. The Browns have continued their search process, interviewing other candidates, but sources say Mangini had a "compelling" interview and owner Randy Lerner is fascinated with him. Jets owner and CEO Woody Johnson explains the team's need to go in a new direction. If Mangini gets the job to replace the fired Romeo Crennel, the sources said the favorite to become the team's general manager would be George Kokinis, who is the director of pro personnel for the Baltimore Ravens. Kokinis and Mangini each were members of the Browns organization when Bill Belichick was coach. Mangini formally joined the staff as an assistant coach in 1995. Kokinis was a scout from 1991 to 1995 before moving with the team to Baltimore.

Wake Forest feels pretty-well tested for the Atlantic Coast Conference season to begin. The sixth-ranked Demon Deacons just won where no opponent had for more than three years, beating BYU 94-87 Saturday and ending the nation's longest home winning streak at 53. Wake Forest had to rally from an eight-point deficit in the second half and an entire game of deafening taunts and chants from the home fans, who were loud and rowdy throughout the night.

A little-known player and a few big misses put an end to Boston's longest winning streak in nearly 36 years. Recent call-up Matt Ellis scored his second and third goals of the season to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 win over Boston on Saturday, snapping the Bruins' 10-game winning streak and handing them their first home loss since late October. "I guess all good things come to an end and unfortunately it was finally ours," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. It was their longest winning streak since March 1973, and just their third home loss of the season. Boston's last loss at the TD Banknorth Garden was a 4-2 setback to Toronto on Oct. 23. The other was a 2-1 shootout loss against Pittsburgh in the home opener.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Saturday he has not been contacted by the Denver Broncos about their head coaching position and he has no interest in the job. "That's a rumor I haven't heard and nobody contacted me about that," Stoops said. "I don't know anything about it. I'm preparing for a national championship and that's where all my focus and concentrations are." Stoops, 48, made his comments after his team's workout Saturday afternoon at Barry University. The Sooners will meet Florida in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game Thursday night. Speculation on Stoops came shortly after Mike Shanahan was fired last week. Stoops had visited the Broncos training camp in 2006 where he first met with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, who graduated from Oklahoma with degrees in business and law. "Obviously, I'm not a candidate and I'm sure somebody might have told me about that other than you guys," Stoops said. "That's not something I'm concerned about whatsoever. It's a great organization but I'm not a candidate for it."

Connecticut's Donald Brown showed he has nothing left to prove at the college level. Brown ran for a career-best 261 yards in his final college game, helping the fumble-prone Huskies overcome a mistake-filled first half and defeat Buffalo 38-20 in the International Bowl on Saturday. After becoming the 14th player in major college history to run for 2,000 yards in a season, the junior running back broke the bad news to UConn fans. "OK, tell them, bud," coach Randy Edsall said, slapping Brown on the back at the postgame interview table. "I'm not coming back," Brown said. "I'm going to pursue the NFL."

The NHL announced the starting lineups Saturday for the All-Star Game, and the host Canadiens filled four of the six slots for the Eastern Conference.

Fans purchased more than 20,000 tickets over six days, assuring there will be no local TV blackout when the Minnesota Vikings play Philadelphia at the Metrodome on Sunday in the NFL playoffs.

Sam McQuagg, the 1965 NASCAR Rookie of the Year, died Saturday, his son said. He was 73.

Andy Murray beat top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the Capitala World Tennis Championship final a day after he had beaten No. 2 Roger Federer.

David Beckham will play in AC Milan's exhibition match with Hamburger SV in Dubai next week and possibly against AS Roma in the Serie A on Jan. 11.

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

SATURDAY, JAN. 3

College football: International Bowl, Buffalo vs. Connecticut, at Toronto, ESPN2, noon

College men's basketball: Pittsburgh at Georgetown, ESPN, noon. Tennessee at Kansas, ESPN, 2 p.m. North Carolina State at Florida, CBS, 4 p.m.

College women's basketball: Regional coverage, LSU at Connecticut or Minnesota at Illinois, CBS, noon. Tennessee at Rutgers, CBS, 2 p.m.

NBA: Minnesota at Chicago, WGN, 8:30 p.m.

NFL: NFC wild-card playoffs, Atlanta at Arizona, NBC, 4:30 p.m. AFC wild-card playoffs, Indianapolis at San Diego, NBC, 8 p.m.

Prep football: U.S. Army All-American Bowl, at San Antonio, NBC, 1 p.m.

Out of their element, out of their league -- and still perfect. Brian Johnson and sixth-ranked Utah came down from the mountains to SEC country and established themselves as the best of the BCS busters, finishing 13-0 with a convincing 31-17 win over No. 4 Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Friday night. Johnson threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns on his way to being selected the game's most outstanding player, a fitting finish to the career of Utah's winningest quarterback (26-7). Utah became the first team from a non-BCS conference to win two BCS bowls. The Utes beat Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl under coach Urban Meyer, going for his second BCS national title with Florida when his Gators play Oklahoma on Thursday in Miami. Yet, after winning the Mountain West Conference, the Utes were left out of the BCS national championship game in favor of perennial powers Florida and Oklahoma, even though both have one loss. That's bound to bring more calls for changes to the BCS system, because Utah showed it could do more than just hang with the big boys, it could dominate one of them. "I know where I'm voting us. I'm voting us No. 1. End of story," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said afterward.

Peyton Manning took a different approach to earning a record-tying third Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback got hurt, struggled when he came back, then lost a bunch of games. Hardly vintage Manning. But when he rediscovered the touch that has made him one of football's dominant players for a decade, Manning and the Colts were virtually unstoppable. Now Manning can tell Brett Favre to move over and make room for him atop the roster of MVPs.

Pat Bowlen's search for Mike Shanahan's successor begins Saturday with a trip to the East Coast. Bowlen and chief operating officer Joe Ellis will meet in New York with Steve Spagnuolo, who has been the Giants' defensive coordinator the past two seasons. The 49-year-old Spagnuolo was the architect of the pass rush that stymied Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in last year's Super Bowl, and has helped the Giants earn the top seed in the playoffs this season. Then it's on to Boston, where the Broncos' brass will interview Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels, a 32-year-old rising star who worked his way up from graduate assistant to offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick. Tampa Bay assistant coach Raheem Morris, also 32, is the first candidate who will travel to Denver for his shot at the job. He'll interview at team headquarters on Wednesday. Morris, who has served as the Buccaneers' defensive backs coach for the past two seasons, will replace Monte Kiffin as Tampa Bay's defensive coordinator if he doesn't land the head coaching job in Denver. The Broncos also are reaching out to other coaches to gauge interest in one of the league's prime jobs, one Shanahan held for 14 seasons, winning two Super Bowls in the 1990s but just one playoff game in the decade since John Elway's retirement. High atop the wish list is believed to be Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who is preparing his second-ranked Sooners to face No. 1 Florida in the BCS championship game in Miami on Thursday. It will be his fourth shot at the national title in a decade at the school.

Sure, Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, but it was Trevor Ariza's quick hands that saved the Los Angeles Lakers. Ariza came up with two of his season-high five steals in the last 2:22 and scored two fast-break baskets to help the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 113-100 Friday night for their fifth straight win and 17th in 18 home games. "Two plays in a row Trevor changed the game," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "He anticipates well. He's a cobra out there and he just strikes." Ariza had a dazzling 19-second stretch in which he swiped the ball, scored on a fast-break driving layup, got fouled, got another steal and scored on a layup. With 34 seconds left, he dunked on a fast break off a pass from Pau Gasol. "I got in some passing lanes and I made some big plays," Ariza said. "If we want to win, that's how we're going to do it, on the defensive end."

When the Indianapolis Colts conclude their season, coach Tony Dungy intends to spend the first full week of his offseason deliberating whether to return or retire from the NFL. "I've really enjoyed the season," said Dungy, who acknowledged having three-time league MVP Peyton Manning at quarterback and a team with 12-win talent makes leaving difficult. "It was really a unique challenge to be 3-4 and then see our team really come together the way that it has to make the playoffs.'' Dungy said when he leaves the NFL he will do so with the expectation of never returning. That's the reason he wants to take his time, preferring to make a logical choice rather than an emotional decision he might later regret. Dungy has taken this same approach the past four years. Each time, Dungy acknowledged, he began the playoffs with the belief he would retire at the end of the postseason. But he has changed his mind each time. Dungy said he would almost certainly be quitting if this year's experiment of the Colts providing a private plane for him to use to travel from Indianapolis to Tampa for his son's high school football games had not gone so smoothly. Eric Dungy will be a senior next year, and Dungy said the arrangement is workable and will not be an overriding factor in his decision.

There were backflips across midfield, 50-yard dashes carrying oversized flags and a team-wide sprint to the student section. Ole Miss waited five years to feel this good and the Rebels were going to enjoy every second of it. A season of revival that already included an upset at the Swamp culminated Friday with a 47-34 victory over No. 7 Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl, sending No. 25 Mississippi into the offseason with a six-game winning streak and the anticipation of how coach Houston Nutt will build on his terrific debut year. "I wish we could keep this team and bring it back," Nutt said. Then, turning to some seniors next to him, he barked, "You can't leave!" Seconds later, he was so giddy that he told Cotton Bowl officials, "We'll make the announcement we'll come back next year, right now. Let's go!" To understand the excitement, appreciate how far this program has come: from 3-8 last season, winless in the SEC and bowl-less since 2003 (back when Eli Manning was a senior) to 9-4 and likely to grab a season-ending ranking in the teens.

The Cleveland Cavaliers weren't about to follow one big loss with another one. Anderson Varejao scored a career-high 26 points -- the majority of them off passes from LeBron James -- and James had a triple-double as the Cavaliers stayed unbeaten on their floor with a 117-92 win Friday night over the Chicago Bulls after learning center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will miss a month with a fractured bone in his left ankle. James finished with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Cavaliers improve to 17-0 at home. More importantly, Cleveland, coming off a lackluster loss at Miami and three straight sub-par efforts, were sharp in their first game without Ilgauskas. "It's going to be tough," James said. "Guys have to pick it up. We've got a veteran ballclub and we've got enough guys who can come off the bench and really play. We're going to see who can step up."

The New York Jets met with assistants Bill Callahan and Brian Schottenheimer on Friday for the team's coaching vacancy, kicking off the first round of interviews as they seek a replacement for the fired Eric Mangini. New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will interview with the Jets on Saturday. He had meetings about the Cleveland and Detroit openings on Thursday, and will also talk to Denver on Saturday. The Jets had no other interviews scheduled as of Friday night, and it appeared recently fired Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer were not on the team's immediate radar. Shanahan told the NFL Network during an interview scheduled to air this weekend on "NFL GameDay Morning" that he plans to wait two weeks before speaking with another team and for the right situation before returning to coaching.

New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker interviewed with owner Randy Lerner about Cleveland's coaching vacancy on Friday. The Ohio born and bred McDaniels just completed his third season overseeing the Patriots' offense and coaching quarterbacks. The 32-year-old former college quarterback was credited with transforming backup Matt Cassel into an effective starter after Tom Brady was lost for the season after injuring his knee in the opener. McDaniels is one of four coaching candidates to meet with Lerner, who spoke with fired Jets coach Eric Mangini on Tuesday and Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on Thursday. Spagnuolo has also met with Detroit and will talk with the Jets on Saturday. Tucker is the first minority candidate to speak with Lerner, putting the Browns in compliance with the NFL's Rooney Rule.

Ventrell Jenkins barreled his 285-pound frame 56 yards with the ball in his arm, but it would take some improvisation to reach the end zone and help Kentucky achieve history. "I saw the quarterback coming and I knew I had to outrun him," the Wildcats' defensive end said. "I did two moves in one -- a stiff arm and a high step, and the next thing I know, I was lying in the end zone with my team on top of me." Who can blame them? This wasn't your garden-variety, go-ahead fumble return by a lineman. No, this one gave Kentucky a 25-19 win over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl on Friday, and gave the Wildcats a third straight postseason victory -- a distinction not even Bear Bryant's teams were able to achieve decades earlier.

Jeff Moorad has resigned as Arizona Diamondbacks chief executive officer and says he has reached an agreement in principle to buy the San Diego Padres. Moorad said Friday he heads a "small but significant" group of investors that has an exclusive right to complete the specifics of negotiations with Padres owner John Moores. Moorad said he hopes the transaction can be completed in the next three months. Moorad said he has a long friendship with Moores and his wife, Becky, whose divorce precipitated the Padres' potential sale. Discussions on the potential purchase became extensive after Moores hired Goldman Sachs to oversee the sale of the club in late November, Moorad said. "We have a lot of work to do," Moorad said on a conference call, "but John and Becky and the folks at Goldman Sachs have been very attentive and focused as I intend to be over the next month or so. I'm hopeful that we can get to the finish line." The Moores reportedly own 90 percent of the Padres. Community property laws in California give Becky Moores a 50 percent share of that asset and she must agree to any sale.

Doug Weight earned the admiration of his teammates -- and opponents -- with a milestone pass. Weight's second assist Friday night made him the eighth American-born player to reach the 1,000 points, but the New York Islanders lost 5-4 to the Phoenix Coyotes. "It was unbelievable for the team to stand up and give me a hand and the crowd, too," Weight said. "The U.S. has a lot of U.S. hockey fans and me being an American it's nice to do it on this soil. It was a very nice hand I got and I appreciate it." Weight, whose wife is from Phoenix, reached the mark in front of about 30 friends and family members.

Danica Patrick paid a $196 fine to settle a speeding ticket after the star race car driver was caught going 54 mph in a 35 mph zone last month.

Eagles Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel was held out of practice with a hip injury and is listed as questionable for the divisional playoff game against Minnesota.

Bills safety Ko Simpson has been charged with hindering police after he refused to leave officers alone while they were arresting another man at a Rock Hill bar early Thursday.

New Orleans Saints assistant and former Mississippi coach Ed Orgeron is returning to the Southeastern Conference as part of Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin's staff.

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

FRIDAY, JAN. 2

College football: AT&T Cotton Bowl, Texas Tech vs. Mississippi, at Dallas, Fox, 2 p.m. AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Kentucky vs. East Carolina, at Memphis, ESPN, 5 p.m. Allstate Sugar Bowl, Alabama vs. Utah, at New Orleans, Fox, 8:15 p.m.

College men's basketball: Syracuse at South Florida, ESPN, 8:30 p.m.

Prep football: Burger King High School All-America Skills Challenge, at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., ESPN2, 7 p.m. (same-day tape)

Overwhelming from the start, Southern California put on a championship performance. Too bad for the Trojans, they weren't playing for the national title. Mark Sanchez passed for 413 yards and four touchdowns, USC dominated on defense and the fifth-ranked Trojans beat up No. 8 Penn State 38-24 Thursday in the Rose Bowl. Penn State coach Joe Paterno watched from the press box, where he's been for most of the season because of hip problems. He couldn't have liked what he saw -- at one point in the first half, the TV camera caught him shaking his head as USC (12-1) rolled to a 31-7 lead. But even before the game, the 82-year-old coach said several times he thought USC was at least as good as any team in the country, perhaps better.

Matthew Stafford gave the type of performance in the Capital One Bowl that'd make a fitting finale to his excellent Georgia career. Whether this was his last game with the Bulldogs, the junior quarterback hasn't decided. Stafford threw three touchdown passes in the final 18 minutes against No. 18 Michigan State, hitting Knowshon Moreno for the clinching score in the 15th-ranked Bulldogs' 24-12 victory Thursday. "It's going to be an extremely hard decision," Stafford said of his decision of whether to enter the NFL draft. "My time at Georgia has been great, and the allure of coming back is something I'm considering. I'm 50-50 right now and I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going to take these next few days and figure it out."

Nearly one year since Stephon Marbury last played in a regular-season game, signals are getting stronger that the New York Knicks' outcast will eventually make his comeback with the Boston Celtics. That still depends largely on Marbury's ability to negotiate his release from the Knicks after weeks of fruitless and oft-contentious buyout talks, but sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com this week that Boston is Marbury's preferred destination if he manages to become a free agent and that the Celtics are indeed hopeful of signing him. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge did not immediately respond to a request for comment on a New Year's Day holiday for the entire league and has generally refused to address the possibility of signing Marbury. Yet it's believed that the Celtics' concerns about their depth, after losing James Posey and P.J. Brown from last season's title team, have swelled noticeably since they followed up the best 29-game start in NBA history at 27-2 by losing three of the next four games on the road. With Brown telling the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Wednesday that he is "officially retired" and Dikembe Mutombo having re-signed earlier this week with the Houston Rockets, Marbury easily ranks as the most accomplished low-cost veteran that the Celtics can add to their bench in-season. Boston also knows it would have the option to simply release Marbury without significant salary-cap consequences if he fails to click as a backup or proves unwilling to accept a secondary role.

From carrying couches to an All-American carrying a football. Now, Big Ten MVP Shonn Greene figures he's ready for the next level. The Iowa running back turned Thursday's Outback Bowl into a farewell party, leading the Hawkeyes past South Carolina 31-10 and then announcing he intends to skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. "I don't think there's really a lot more I can do here," Greene said. "People talk about the Heisman, but I think that's a lot of politics. I don't like getting caught up in all of that, so I just figure I'll try my chances." Greene ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for more than 100 yards in all 13 of Iowa's games, scored in all but one, and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best running back.

Chargers stars LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates missed a second straight practice Thursday as San Diego continued to prepare for its home wild-card playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night. It sounds as if Tomlinson, who has a strained groin, is in better shape than Gates, who has a sprained ankle. "If we were playing today he probably wouldn't play," coach Norv Turner said about Gates, the Pro Bowl tight end. And L.T.? "Yeah, I think he would," the coach said. "Both of them are a lot better than they have been," Turner said. "It really will be a Saturday decision, how they feel. We'll get them out there and run around and see how they feel. I'm optimistic about both of them."

Team owner Woody Johnson has stated clearly that he wants Brett Favre to be the New York Jets' quarterback next season, but some players seem to be bristling at the thought. Days after the Jets' 1-4 finish left them out of the playoffs and helped trigger Eric Mangini's firing as coach, running back Thomas Jones blasted Favre's final-game performance and seemed to suggest the QB's play -- nine interceptions and only two touchdown passes in the final five games -- called for his benching. "We're a team and we win together ... but at the same time, you can't turn the ball over and expect to win," Jones said in an interview Tuesday with New York Hot 97 FM. Favre threw three interceptions in the Jets' season-ending 24-17 loss to Miami that clinched the AFC East for the Dolphins. "The other day, the three interceptions really hurt us. I mean, that's just reality," Jones told the radio station. "If I were to sit here and say, 'Oh, man, it's OK,' that's not reality. ... I don't like it, I know everybody else on the team doesn't like it.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt edged U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps in a vote for the 2008 athlete of the year by the international media. Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva took the top place as sportswoman of the year and Spain's soccer team was voted team of the year for winning the European Championship. In a poll by the International Sports Press Association, journalists from 96 nations gave Bolt 1,673 points to 1,557 for Phelps. Bolt won three gold medals, setting world records in the 100 meters, 200 and 400 relay to become the star of Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium. In the Water Cube, Phelps made history by winning eight golds in the pool for the United States.

After severing their relationship with head coach Mike Shanahan that spanned more than two decades, the Denver Broncos are moving quickly to find his replacement. Two league sources said the Broncos have asked for permission to speak with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Permission has not yet been granted, but Denver is expected to get the go-ahead to discuss the job with Bill Belichick's young offensive coach. McDaniels is a hot name partly for the success he's had turning quarterback Matt Cassel this season into a standout after Tom Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. An NFL source close to the situation also confirmed Denver has asked and received permission to speak to New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Tampa Bay secondary coach Raheem Morris.

The Boston Bruins roughed up the defending Eastern Conference champions -- again. Manny Fernandez made 30 saves to remain perfect at home and the Bruins extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. Boston also won at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. "It is unbelievable to do what we are doing," Fernandez said. "Looking at those numbers kinds of scares me... you don't want to be the one to drop the ball." Fernandez improved to 9-0-0 at home. Boston has only two regulation losses since Oct. 30 and its winning streak is its longest since March 9-28, 1973.

Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan and Miami Dolphins assistant Todd Bowles are coaching in the same playoff game on Sunday -- and possibly interviewing for the same head coaching jobs at some point afterward. On Thursday, Ryan acknowledged that at least two teams -- the Detroit Lions and the St. Louis Rams -- are expressing preliminary interest in him. According to multiple media reports, Bowles will interview with the Lions next week. And ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen reported that the Rams plan to formally request permission to interview Bowles, as well as Dallas Cowboys receivers coach Ray Sherman.

The NFL has granted a second, final 24-hour extension of its television blackout deadline for the Arizona Cardinals' wild card playoff game against Atlanta on Saturday. The team has until 2:30 p.m. on Friday to sell its remaining tickets. A sellout crowd is necessary for the NFL to lift its blackout of the home television market. The NFL had already extended the deadline 24 hours to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. In a news release, the team said 3,700 tickets remained.

Facing a March trial on charges of lying to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice in the BALCO case, Barry Bonds must first recuperate from hip surgery.

Kansas State junior quarterback Josh Freeman said Thursday he will enter the NFL draft.

Ohio State star Chris "Beanie" Wells says he's still deciding whether he'll enter the NFL draft after the Fiesta Bowl.

The Cleveland Browns have set a Thursday deadline for New England Patriots vice president Scott Pioli to make a decision on becoming the Browns' top football executive.

Jeff Tedford has agreed to a two-year contract extension with California that takes him through the 2015 season.

Football coach and athletic director Nick Lynch, who led Maryland's Suitland High School to two state championships and five straight playoff appearances, was killed in a two-car crash early Wednesday morning.

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

THURSDAY, JAN. 1

College men's basketball: Villanova at Marquette (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)

NHL: Detroit at Chicago (NBC, 1 p.m.)

College men’s football:

Outback South Carolina vs. Iowa	Tampa, Fla. Raymond James Stadium	Jan. 1, 2009, 11 a.m.	ESPN
Capital One Georgia vs. Michigan State	Orlando, Fla. Florida Citrus Bowl	Jan. 1, 2009, 1 p.m.	ABC
Konica Minolta Gator Nebraska vs. Clemson	Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	Jan. 1, 2009, 1 p.m.	CBS
Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi Penn State vs. USC	Pasadena, Calif. Rose Bowl	Jan. 1, 2009, 4:30 p.m.	ABC
FedEx Orange Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech	Miami Dolphin Stadium	Jan. 1, 2009, 8:30 p.m.	FOX

One year after winning a national championship, unranked LSU found renewed reason to hope for a return to glory. Charles Scott ran for three touchdowns, freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed his first nine passes and LSU made big plays on special teams in a surprisingly easy 38-3 victory win over Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Wednesday night. LSU outscored the No. 14 Yellow Jackets 28-0 in the second quarter and led 35-3 at halftime. Scott, who had 65 yards rushing, had two touchdowns in the decisive quarter.

They were best friends as much as employee and boss. Nothing told that story better than the tears in the eyes of Pat Bowlen and Mike Shanahan as they talked about their sad farewell. "This is as tough as it gets," Bowlen said Wednesday, his eyes moist, as he explained his day-old decision to fire the coach who finally brought the Super Bowl trophy to Denver. "These are tough decisions, but that's what leaders do," Shanahan said, also trying to choke back tears. They held separate news conferences, back to back, in a meeting room where the entrance features a life-size picture of John Elway hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. "This one's for John," Bowlen famously said on the Broncos' greatest day. Eleven years later the owner and coach crossed paths in the hallway -- Bowlen wearing an orange tie, Shanahan a mustard-colored sports coat with no sign of the orange and blue he has bled for more than two decades, the last 14 years as head coach.

Vanderbilt used to be called the worst team in the Southeastern Conference. Cellar dwellers. The private school that just didn't belong in a power football league. No more.
Vanderbilt won a bowl game for the first time in exactly 53 years, with Bryant Hahnfeldt kicking a 45-yard field goal with 3:26 left Wednesday for a 16-14 win over Boston College in the Music City Bowl. Vandy hadn't even played in a bowl since 1982 -- the SEC's longest drought. The victory gave the Commodores (7-6) their first winning season since that season.

John Daly smashed one tee shot off the top of a beer can during a pro-am. At another tournament, he returned from a rain delay with Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden as his caddie. And his most memorable photo this year came in an orange jail suit, eyes half-closed. Daly said Wednesday that such unwelcome publicity is why the PGA Tour suspended him for six months. The two-time major champion confirmed his suspension to The Associated Press, calling this the low point of an 18-year career during which he has made as much news off the course as he has with his prodigious game. "Is it fair that I got suspended?" he said. "It's not fair in reality, but it's probably fair in perception." Daly said he wanted to go public to let fans and tournaments know that he wasn't abandoning them by taking his game to the European tour. At least until the spring, he simply didn't have much of a choice. "I'm not sure this is the smartest thing to do, but I'd rather be honest, especially with the fans," he said. "It's hard for me not to play on the West Coast. I love it out there."

The way he's pouring in the points, Rashard Lewis just might shoot his way into the All-Star game. Lewis set the tone by scoring 16 of his 21 points in the first half and the Orlando Magic rolled over the Chicago Bulls 113-94 for their eighth win in nine games. "Especially in the first half, I felt like I wasn't going to miss a shot," Lewis said. "When I missed one, I was more surprised than anything."

Allen Iverson and Tayshaun Prince stepped up for the short-handed Detroit Pistons. Iverson scored 19 points, and Prince added 16 to help the Pistons win their fifth straight game, 83-75 over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday. "When any team in the league loses three of their top six guys, things are going to change for them," Pistons coach Michael Curry said. "Luckily, a lot of other guys stepped up." Detroit played without Rip Hamilton (groin) and Antonio McDyess (ribs), and lost Rasheed Wallace to a first-half foot injury, but still held the Nets to a season low.

Reliever Brian Fuentes and the Los Angeles Angels reached agreement on a $17.5 million, two-year contract Wednesday, likely giving the AL West champions a replacement for record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez. Fuentes will earn $8.5 million for 2009 and $9 million for 2010. The contract includes a $9 million vesting option for 2011, based on games finished, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. "He should solidify the back part of our bullpen," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said on a conference call. "We pitched well last year, we expect to pitch well again."

Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas found his rhythm against Minnesota, handing the Gophers their first loss of the season. Look out Big Ten. Lucas scored a career-high 24 points and Chris Allen added 13 as the Spartans (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) beat No. 21 Minnesota 70-58 Wednesday. Al Nolen led Minnesota (12-1) with 14 points, and Lawrence Westbrook added 11 in the Big Ten opener for both teams. The Gophers missed their chance to improve to 13-0 and match the mark last reached by the 1948-49 team. "It just brings us back down to reality," Nolen said. "It lets you know you're not as good as you think you are, you're not as bad as you think you are. We really just got to regroup and just put this game in the past."

The Dallas Cowboys fired special teams coach Bruce Read on Wednesday after two seasons with the organization. Sources tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the Cowboys could hire Joe DeCamillis, who has been an NFL special teams coach for 16 seasons, the past two with the Jaguars. The move did not come as a surprise since Read's special teams units struggled in consecutive seasons. A blocked punt in overtime led to the Cowboys' second loss of the season and landed Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar on injured reserve. Read lost key special teams players Sam Hurd and Pat Watkins to injury in 2008. The Cowboys signed Adam "Pacman" Jones, in part, because of his potential as a return man, but that never panned out.

Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol early Wednesday. An officer with a task force that targets drunken driving saw the former NBA star run a stop sign about 1:30 a.m., Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler said. Barkley was in Scottsdale's Old Town area, a trendy spot in the Phoenix area. "I am disappointed that I put myself in that situation," Barkley said in a statement to The Associated Press. "The Scottsdale police were fantastic. I will not comment any further as it is a legal matter." The 45-year-old Barkley, now an NBA television commentator, failed standard field sobriety tests after the officer smelled alcohol on him, and he was arrested. Barkley declined to submit to a breath test but was given a blood test. The results weren't immediately available. After Barkley was processed, he was cited and released. His car was impounded and he left in a cab, Shuhandler said. Police described Barkley as cooperative, adding it is customary to release people after an arrest on suspicion of DUI.

Former Auburn football Terry Bowden returned to coaching Wednesday at Division II North Alabama. The 52-year-old Bowden, the son of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, brings a 111-53-2 record to North Alabama, which finished the 2008 season 12-2 and reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs. The school said it would introduce Bowden at a news conference Thursday. Bowden replaces Mark Hudspeth, who left to become an assistant coach at Mississippi State. Bowden, who won his first 20 games at Auburn in 1993-94, has been working as an analyst on Westwood One's college game of the week. The family also includes Tommy Bowden, who quit as Clemson's coach at midseason in 2008 after a disappointing start.

Browns owner Randy Lerner interviewed Scott Pioli Wednesday to be his new general manager.

Still recovering from hip surgery, Joe Paterno will coach from the press box when No. 8 Penn State plays No. 5 Southern California on Thursday at the Rose Bowl.

The New York Jets have received permission to speak with Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan for their vacant coaching job, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Ben Roethlisberger was on the practice field Tuesday, two days after sustaining his third concussion in as many years, but didn't take any snaps or throw any passes. Sources described Roethlisberger's concussion as "mild" or "low grade."

Orlando Magic guard Mickael Pietrus will be out indefinitely after breaking his right wrist on a dunk against Detroit on Monday.

Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo has won The Associated Press 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Chad Pennington won the Associated Press 2008 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award Wednesday, the second time in three years he has has received the honor.

Petty Enterprises has agreed to a merger with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, with a formal announcement of the deal expected next week, Fox sports.com reported, citing multiple sources.

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31

College men's basketball: Northwestern at Penn State (ESPN2, noon); Wisconsin at Michigan (ESPN2, 2 p.m.); Loyola (Md.) at Duke (ESPN, 4 p.m.); UNLV at Louisville (ESPN2, 6 p.m.); Notre Dame at DePaul (ESPN2, 8 p.m.); North Carolina at Nevada (ESPN2, 10 p.m.)

NBA: Orlando at Chicago (WGN, 2 p.m.)

He was known as a genius, a mastermind and, yes, a Super Bowl champion. Shockingly, though, Mike Shanahan has a new title: unemployed coach. Shanahan became the latest and most stunning victim of the NFL coaching purge, fired Tuesday by the Denver Broncos after a late-season collapse knocked the team out of the playoffs for the third straight year. Shanahan became the fourth coach to be fired this week, joining Eric Mangini, Rod Marinelli and Romeo Crennel, after going 24-24 over the last three seasons, including three straight losses in 2008 that turned a three-game division lead to an 8-8 record. "After giving this careful consideration, I have concluded that a change in our football operations is in the best interests of the Denver Broncos," owner Pat Bowlen said. Bowlen had been steadfastly loyal to Shanahan, rewarding the coach who brought the long-awaited Super Bowl title to Denver with what seemed like carte blanche for life. But Denver remained stuck on only one postseason victory since John Elway retired in 1999 following back-to-back championships. Shanahan finishes at 146-91 over 14 seasons in Denver, including playoffs; his final game was an unseemly 52-21 loss to San Diego with the division title on the line.

Dwyane Wade embraced LeBron James after the final horn sounded, whispering a birthday greeting into his close friend's ear. Even with that, it wasn't a happy 24th for King James. Wade had 21 points and 12 assists, Mario Chalmers was 6-for-7 from 3-point range in a 21-point, eight-assist, no-turnover effort, and the Miami Heat dropped James' pro record on birthdays to 0-3 by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-95 on Tuesday night. "It's sad," James said. "I'm going to cry." No, he wasn't serious. But during a scintillating second half, James seemed as though he was going to put a damper on Miami's collective mood. Fittingly, he scored 24 of his game-high 38 points after intermission, almost enough to rally Cleveland from a 16-point deficit -- its largest of the season. He hit a 3-pointer with 8:55 remaining to get the Cavs to 78-77, then turned and had something to say to the Miami bench, something he did often Sunday, when Cleveland erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the visiting Heat.

Bill Cowher is out of the running for the New York Jets' vacant coaching job. A high ranking Jets official told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the Jets reached out to Bill Cowher on Tuesday about their vacant head coaching job. Cowher's agent called the team back and told them that Cowher had no interest in their coaching job. "After reaching out to Coach Cowher's representatives, we were informed tonight that he is not a candidate for the position," Jets spokesman Bruce Speight told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. Initially, ESPN.com's John Clayton reported Cowher told the Jets he was not interested because he wanted his own personnel director. The Jets official's response indicated the team was willing to let Cowher replace current general manager Mike Tannenbaum with his own candidate. A Jets source also said Tannenbaum said he was willing to adjust his position to accommodate Cowher.

Bills coach Dick Jauron will return next season after team owner Ralph Wilson decided a shake up wasn't necessary despite a third consecutive 7-9 finish that left unhappy fans demanding change. While acknowledging the fans' dissatisfaction, Wilson said the "team played hard all year long and there are many positives to build on." The Bills owner announced he had decided to retain Jauron and the entire coaching staff after meeting with the coach Tuesday at Wilson's home in suburban Detroit.

Even without All-Star guard Brandon Roy, the Portland Trail Blazers earned an impressive win Tuesday night. Steve Blake had 21 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 and the short-handed Blazers beat the Boston Celtics 91-86, sending the NBA champions to their third loss in four games. Missing Roy because of a pulled hamstring, the Blazers snapped a seven-game losing streak against Boston and pulled into a tie atop the Northwest Division with Denver. Finding a way to win without Roy was a confidence boost for the Blazers. "It was huge for us," Aldridge said. "He's our go-to guy but guys really stepped up and played good tonight. Today we really had to come together."

Brett Favre has been told by doctors that pain in his right shoulder is from a torn biceps tendon and some calcification in the area, but the New York Jets quarterback would need nothing more than arthroscopic surgery to repair the injury, sources said. The sources Tuesday also said the 39-year-old Favre might be able to avoid an arthroscopic procedure altogether if he decides to play a 19th NFL season. While playing with what is described as a partial tear of the biceps tendon, Favre contributed to the late-season Jets collapse with nine interceptions and only two touchdown passes in the final five games. Favre has been encouraged to take as much time as he needs before determining whether to return to the Jets. According to a source, Favre is expected to deliberate for several weeks, perhaps to allow New York time to hire former coach Eric Mangini's successor. Mangini was fired Monday after three seasons.

When Marcus Monk joined Arkansas' basketball team, it seemed like a novelty -- the rebuilding Razorbacks bringing in a former football player to add some desperately needed depth. Turns out that assessment was all wrong. Monk is already playing major minutes in crunch time, and the young Hogs are looking dangerous. Monk scored 12 points in only his third game of the season and stood his ground against Oklahoma's Blake Griffin down low, helping Arkansas hand the fourth-ranked Sooners their first loss, 96-88 on Tuesday night. "Marcus Monk -- my goodness," Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. "There's no words that can describe what we saw tonight. That was one of the best performances that I've ever seen."

Eric Mangini. Steve Spagnuolo. Scott Pioli. Rich McKay. One by one, Browns owner Randy Lerner is checking off the names at the top of his lists. Seeking an experienced NFL coach and football executive to repair his team, Lerner will interview Mangini, the fired New York Jets coach in New York before he speaks with other candidates, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the interview. The Browns are lining up their interviews, including a reported future meeting with Eric Mangini, recently axed as Jets coach.
Mangini was dismissed Monday by the Jets after they lost four of their last five games and missed the playoffs. Lerner has also set up a Wednesday interview with Pioli, New England's vice president of player personnel. McKay, Atlanta's president and one-time GM, is expected to be interviewed on Thursday.

Jeremiah Masoli and Oregon were a perfect fit for the high-scoring Holiday Bowl. Masoli ran through and over Oklahoma State's defense for three touchdowns and threw for another to lead the No. 17 Ducks to a 42-31 win over the No. 13 Cowboys in a wild, record-setting Holiday Bowl on Tuesday night. Masoli, a junior college transfer, quickly moved up from No. 3 on the depth chart this season due to injuries. He was recruited because coach Mike Bellotti thought he'd be a great passer, then proved to be quite the runner.

The Red Wings withstood the Chicago Blackhawks' opening barrage and showed why they are still the top team in Central Division. Ty Conklin made 36 saves for his seventh NHL shutout, and Johan Franzen scored twice to lift Detroit to a 4-0 win that snapped the Blackhawks' team-record, nine-game winning streak. Chicago came into the game only four points behind the first place Red Wings and dominated early, outshooting Detroit 12-1 in the first 9:21. James Wisniewski hit the goal post during a power play a little over seven minutes in. Conklin, who earned his third shutout this season, made several outstanding saves to keep the game scoreless.

The New York Mets addressed their bullpen this offseason. Now they're turning to their starting rotation. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the team has offered free-agent pitcher Derek Lowe a three-year contract for about $36 million. Agent Scott Boras would not confirm that the Mets' offer. "Obviously, we've taken offers from a number of teams," he said, according to the newspaper. Boras has reportedly been seeking a five-year contract for Lowe at a per season rate considerably higher than the Mets' offer of $12 million. But New York did seemingly get a bargain with closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Quarterback Robert Marve is leaving Miami, ending weeks of speculation about his future and adding to the tumultuous start of the Hurricanes' offseason. Marve started 11 of 13 games for the Hurricanes, but also served two suspensions, including one that kept him out of the Emerald Bowl. He asked coach Randy Shannon for his release Monday night, and the school announced that Marve was leaving Tuesday. "I had to get out," Marve told the AP from his family's home in Tampa. "I just decided that I can't play for coach Shannon." The release comes with conditions that don't sit well with Marve. He can't play for teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Southeastern Conference or the state of Florida. It's not unusual for programs to place restrictions on the deal when a marquee player transfers.

Former St. Louis coach Mike Martz has been fired as San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator.

Matt Ryan is more than the face of the sensational turnaround by the Atlanta Falcons. He also is the The Associated Press 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award Tuesday.

Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Baron Davis denies telling Stephen Jackson that he wants to go back to the Golden State Warriors.

Ben Roethlisberger was on the practice field Tuesday, two days after sustaining his third concussion in as many years, but didn't take any snaps or throw any passes.

The Houston Rockets have re-signed 42-year-old center Dikembe Mutombo for the rest of the season. The move gives the Rockets an emotional leader and a backup to Yao Ming.

General manager Jerry Angelo made it clear Tuesday he's in the market for a quarterback after his team went 9-7 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year, although he's not necessarily ready to give up on the one in place.

The Pro Bowl will be played one week before the Super Bowl in 2010 and both games will be staged in Dolphin Stadium.

Florida's Percy Harvin ran routes and caught passes Tuesday, his most work since spraining his right ankle last month against Florida State.

The WBA is reviewing Nikolai Valuev's win over Evander Holyfield by majority decision in a Dec. 20 heavyweight title bout.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley has agreed to a one-year contract extension that will take him through the 2015 season.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have reached agreement on a three-year, $14.25 million guaranteed contract extension with catcher Chris Snyder.