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NFL Headlines
February 8
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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After the confetti had dropped, after the tears were shed, after they stood in front of the cameras and the microphones and tried to put the greatest night of their professional lives in perspective, Sean Payton and Drew Brees shared a quiet moment together. They hopped on the back of a golf cart, each with a hand on the shiny silver Vince Lombardi Trophy that rested in Payton's lap, each with a wide grin across their faces. "Don't you just want it to slow down and last longer?" the coach said to his quarterback. Lucky for them, the feeling won't go away any time soon, now that the New Orleans Saints have become Super Bowl XLIV champions for the first time in their 43-year history, thanks ..."
February 8
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Sunday started in New Orleans with the Rev. Monsignor Crosby W. Kern celebrating Mass with a Drew Brees jersey underneath his vestments. It ended in Miami Gardens with Brees standing atop a gridiron altar to accept the Pete Rozelle Trophy as the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV after his near flawless performance led the New Orleans Saints to their first world championship. They elected a new mayor in New Orleans on Saturday. They will crown a new king of Carnival next week. But New Orleans is and forever will be Brees' town. He'll never buy another drink, never purchase another meal and never pay another parking ticket. It's his faubourg. We're just living in it. The Saints quarterback etched his ..."
February 8
Indianapolis Star
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Who dat blew dat? A grand season and a great start crashed down around the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night at Sun Life Stadium. They charged into a 10-point lead, then went into a dead stall as the New Orleans Saints dominated the final three quarters to win Super Bowl XLIV 31-17. As the orange and white confetti swirled and many in the Saints-dominated crowd of 74,059 celebrated, the Colts struggled to choke down a bitter end to a bountiful decade. The won six division titles and 115 games, more than any team in any decade in NFL history. They started this season 14-0 to run their winning streak to an NFL-record 23, but there was a single title, a victory in Super Bowl XLI after the ..."
February 8
New York Times
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The N.F.L. season ended Sunday night. And how. The New Orleans Saints, who had come to represent the city's hope for recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, won the first Super Bowl in the franchise's history, upsetting the Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning, 31-17. Fittingly, Tracy Porter, one of four Louisiana natives on the Saints, intercepted Manning with 3 minutes 12 seconds left and returned the ball 74 yards for a touchdown to give the Saints their margin of victory."
NBA Headlines
February 8
Los Angeles Times
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Sunday was a day of rest and reflection for the Lakers, particularly for the injured Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Both were derailed by injuries Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bryant not playing because of a sprained left ankle, Bynum sitting out the second half because of a right hip bruise, this on top of the swelling in his left knee that forced him to wear a brace. The Lakers listed Bryant as questionable for Monday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center and Bynum as "more doubtful." Bryant had played in 235 consecutive games before his ankle stopped that streak. The Lakers took Sunday off, which gave Bryant another day to rest and get ..."
February 8
Chicago Tribune
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"You don't lose your starting job to injury" is one of the older clichés in sports, which, sadly, "a Tyrus Thomas team-imposed suspension" is becoming too. Following Thomas' verbal tirade at coach Vinny Del Negro on Friday in Atlanta, that's three disciplinary actions taken by management in four seasons for Thomas, the soon-to-be former Bull. Whether the Bulls find a taker for the forward by the Feb. 18 trade deadline or simply renounce his rights this summer, Thomas either will or won't reach his tantalizing potential elsewhere. The Bulls will say the steady play of rookie Taj Gibson is why Thomas is no longer the starting power forward after missing seven weeks with a fractured radius in ..."
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The clock was winding down on another Nets' loss and things went from bad to worse on one play. In the waning moments of Saturday's 99-92 defeat to the Pistons, Devin Harris and Jarvis collided in midair as they pursued a loose ball. Both men lay on the floor near midcourt for several moments before being helped up and into an examination room. X-rays on both were negative. Harris has a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder and Hayes a bruise on his left lower leg. Both are day-to-day. The Nets don't play until Tuesday, so it's possible one or both could return by then. But Hayes was limping badly as he left and Harris said he only could lift his left arm about three-quarters over his ..."
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Few grand conclusions can be drawn from February NBA games. But in this case, the Celtics' latest disappointing loss only underscored what has been a poorly kept secret among NBA executives for weeks: Ray Allen's time in Boston is likely coming to an end. Thanks to a non-competitive third quarter, the Celtics fell to Orlando 96-89 on Sunday, dropping them to third in the East behind the Cavs and Magic. The struggling Celtics still have three games against Cleveland to prove they haven't fallen from elite status. But after going 1-3 against Orlando and 0-4 against Atlanta, the Celtics have reached a crossroads in their bid to milk one more championship banner out of the Allen-Paul ..."
MLB Headlines
February 8
Detroit Free Press
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Foxsports.com reports that the Tigers and Braves are among teams interested in the services of free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon. The report says the Tigers' chances of getting Damon rest on whether owner Mike Ilitch wants to expand the team's budget. Damon's agent is Scott Boras, who has recent history with the Tigers. Boras also represented Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordoñez when they signed with the Tigers."
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Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa told Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe that Manny Ramirez will bear close scrutiny this year because of the way he wore down and lost his pop at the end of last season, after coming back from his 50-game doping suspension."
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Steve Phillips, the former ESPN baseball analyst and New York Mets general manager, said Monday that he knew he had a sex addiction problem in August -- two months before he was fired from his role with the network. "What I want to do is take ownership," he said in an interview with Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show. "I made some mistakes ... I'm fully responsible for what I did." Phillips spoke publicly for the first time since he left the Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services clinic in Hattiesburg, Miss., the same clinic golfer Tiger Woods reportedly attended. Phillips didn't talk extensively about his time at Pine Grove, but did say that it is a place for people who are ..."
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After 13 years as one of the Major Leagues' best offensive shortstops, Miguel Tejada -- a little older, a little slower -- will attempt to make the potentially difficult transition to third base upon his return to Baltimore for the 2010 season. Agreeing that adjusting to the hot corner will take some time, two of the Orioles' best third basemen also think Tejada will do just fine. In fact, when asked by The Baltimore Sun whether he thought Tejada could succeed as a third baseman, Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. said, "There's no doubt about it.""
NHL Headlines
February 8
Montreal Gazette
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The Montreal Canadiens have called a 4 p.m. press conference at the Bell Centre. Team president Pierre Boivin will make an announcement regarding the Canadiens' "hockey management." Reports indicate that general manager Bob Gainey will step down. If that is the case, assistant general manager Pierre Gauthier will take over until the end of the season."
February 8
San Jose Mercury News
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Looking for depth on defense with an eye toward the playoffs, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson has picked up veteran blue-liner Niclas Wallin from the Carolina Hurricane. The Sharks acquired Wallin and the Hurricanes' fifth-round pick in the 2010 NHL draft for the second-round pick in the same draft previously obtained from the Buffalo Sabres. "He's a very big body," Wilson said of the 6-foot-3, 220-pound defenseman, "and he plays his best hockey in the playoffs. He's mentally tough, scored some very big goals and a competitive guy." Wallin, 34, is in the final year of a contract that pays him $1.725 million this season. The Hurricanes' fourth-round pick in the 2000 entry draft, Wallin ..."
February 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Thrashers goaltender Kari Lehtonen was recalled from his conditioning assignment at AHL Chicago on Sunday. Lehtonen appeared in four games for Chicago during his two-week stint. He went 1-2-2. In his final game on Friday, he lost in a shootout after stopping 17-of-19 shots in regulation and 6-of-9 in the shootout."
February 8
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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Mike Ribeiro doesn't like to sit out.Not even during a game.Ribeiro, who is known on the Stars for his long shifts, has been itching to get back into the lineup after suffering a severe throat injury Jan. 6 in New York. While the urgency of an emergency tracheotomy and an extended stay in New York caused Ribeiro to take pause, the desire to get back on the ice quickly took over.Ribeiro has played 76 or more games in each of the past five seasons, including all 82 games last season, so he's not used to this downtime thing."You hate that you cannot help the team win," Ribeiro said of missing 15 games so far. "Usually, with injuries, I like to play even if I'm hurt. If I can skate, I like to ..."