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NFL Headlines
November 7
Camden Courier-Post
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There's still an air of uncertainty about whether or not Brian Westbrook will play Sunday night against the Cowboys. The Eagles' running back was withheld from practice Friday after taking most of the first-team reps on Wednesday and Thursday and is listed on the team's official report as "questionable" - a 50 percent chance to play, in NFL jargon. But coach Andy Reid seemed to suggest that Westbrook would play and was only held out of practice because of the recent workload. "He's had two hard days of work and, really, the young kid [LeSean McCoy] hasn't gotten a ton of reps," Reid said. "Like I've done on some othe Fridays, I kept Brian out." The uncertainty lies in the injury report. ..."
November 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth took umbrage with the Falcons' blocking techniques in a radio interview Thursday night and challenged linemen Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl. On the "Late Hits" show on Sirius Radio hosted by Bryan McGovern and Ross Tucker, Haynesworth was asked about Clabo and Dahl blocking "all the way up to and including the echo of the whistle." Haynesworth, who was recently voted the second-dirtiest player in the league in a Sports Illustrated poll, is clearly not a fan of their blocking intensity. "Yeah, I don't have the patience for stuff like that," Haynesworth said. "I guess this is where the second-rated dirtiest player can come out. When it ..."
November 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons wide receiver Roddy White and offensive tackle Sam Baker returned to practice Friday. White (knee) and Baker (ankle) did not practice Thursday, but were limited in their participation on Friday. "I anticipate them being ready to go on Sunday afternoon," Falcons coach Mike Smith said."
November 7
Chicago Sun-Times
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The Bears won't be without their top wide receiver, and the Arizona Cardinals just might have their No. 2 guy after all Sunday at Soldier Field. Devin Hester returned to practice for the first time this week on Friday with his sprained right ankle and participated in portions of practice. He looked fine running around, and although he's listed as questionable on the injury report, he's expected to start. The Cardinals also got wide receiver Anquan Boldin back on the field Friday in a limited capacity, and he also is questionable. Boldin suffered a high ankle sprain on Oct. 11 and was knocked out of last Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers. He has vowed to play, and the Bears are ..."
NBA Headlines
November 7
New York Times
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In one of LeBron James's recurring Nike commercials, he played several characters simultaneously. The ad was merely fantasy for viewers, fodder for shoe aficionados. It could also be the dream of N.B.A. general managers. Multiple Jameses may be the only way to truly placate every team he visits next summer, when he is expected to be part of what promises to be the most significant free-agency period in league history. The one and only James made his sole regular-season appearance at Madison Square Garden on Friday, although the Knicks might have sworn there was more than one of him on the court. James put together a box score line of 33 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds in the Cavaliers' ..."
November 7
Los Angeles Times
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There were two milestones for Kobe Bryant on Friday night during the Lakers' 114-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. By scoring 41 points, Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 24,000 points. And he passed Allen Iverson for 16th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Bryant has 24,027 points in his 14-year career. Friday night marked the third time this week Bryant has scored 41 points in a game. He did so against Atlanta on Sunday and Houston on Wednesday. Bryant made 19 of 30 field-goal attempts against Memphis. Iverson, who now plays for Memphis, had just eight points. The Lakers looked more serious tonight in the third quarter, much more ..."
November 7
San Antonio Express-News
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Spurs point guard Tony Parker says the sprained ankle that knocked him from Friday night's 96-84 loss against the Trail Blazers isn't as severe as others he's suffered in his career. Parker missed nine games early last season after spraining the same ankle, and missed a month with the French national team during the summer with a similar injury to his right ankle. "This one is not even close," Parker said late Friday night. "It will be a week, maybe." Parker was injured on a drive late in the second quarter against Portland and did not return. "I went to do an 'in-and-out' move," Parker said. "I went one way and my ankle went the other." X-rays taken at the Rose Garden were negative, and ..."
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Well into Friday's second quarter, the Nuggets and Heat were knotted in a nice little game — until the Nuggets suddenly went as flat as a Cuban sandwich. It was a deflating performance by the road team, tied at 33-33 with 5:57 left in the second, but down by 28 late in the third. Denver ultimately lost 96-88, and might have lost Kenyon Martin for a little while too. The power forward suffered a lower left leg contusion in the second quarter and did not return to the game. X-rays taken at halftime were inconclusive, and Martin will undergo an MRI today and sit out tonight's game at Atlanta, Denver coach George Karl said. "The feeling I got is, it might be a week or two weeks, but it won't ..."
MLB Headlines
November 7
New York Times
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The Yankees took one last ride together to celebrate their championship. It was a slow, joyous journey up Broadway, an outdoor party attended by hundreds of thousands of their closest friends. For the first time in nine years - and time is measured in dog years in Yankeeland - the Yankees and their fans could brag about being the best. The fans offered marriage proposals to players, suggested that the Yankees re-sign Hideki Matsui, shouted about the importance of repeating as champions and taunted Pedro Martinez by holding up pictures of him in a diaper. Not everyone in New York was a Yankee fan Friday, but across a few chilly hours, it felt and looked that way. "Let's see - we had to get ..."
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With their first move of the offseason, the Phillies did what was expected: They exercised their $9 million option on ace left-hander Cliff Lee's contract for 2010. That was the easy part. Now, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has more difficult decisions to make, namely whether to stick with third baseman Pedro Feliz. The Phillies have until Monday to pick up their $5.5 million option on Feliz's contract. "He had a solid year for us," Amaro said Friday. "I like the man personally. He's a great person and a great teammate. But I also believe in trying to improve the club, and sometimes change can be for the better." A year ago, Amaro said he was leery of leaving the lineup unchanged from ..."
November 7
Los Angeles Times
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The Dodgers have learned that Manny Ramirez will be theirs for another season -- at a price tag of $20 million. Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, told General Manager Ned Colletti on Friday that Ramirez would not exercise the escape clause in his contract that would have let the former All-Star outfielder re-enter the free-agent market at age 37. Ramirez had until Tuesday to inform the cash-strapped Dodgers if he intended to void the second year of a two-year, $45-million contract he signed in the spring -- something that was viewed as highly unlikely in baseball circles because of the kind of year Ramirez had. Although Ramirez just completed a season in which he was suspended 50 games for ..."
November 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Friday's trade for Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy altered the legacy of the Twins' 2008 trade of Johan Santana to the Mets. The Santana deal originally brought center fielder Carlos Gomez and three starting pitching prospects: Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra. The Twins shipped Gomez to the Brewers for Hardy after trading Mulvey to the Diamondbacks in August for reliever Jon Rauch, who is under contract for another season. Humber spent most of the past two seasons in the minors, posting a 6.10 ERA in 13 appearances for the Twins. At age 20, Guerra remains more promising, as he went 6-3 with a 5.17 ERA after a midseason promotion to Class AA New Britain. "I don't want to spend too ..."
NHL Headlines
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Victor Hedman had his fair share of well-wishers show up at Bell Centre on Friday, a day after the rookie defenseman took a vicious hit from Ottawa winger Chris Neil. As Hedman sat in the stands watching his teammates go through practice, players from the Swedish national junior team filed into the stands to exchange handshakes and hugs with their longtime teammate. For Hedman, however, he would rather have been on the ice putting on a show. Instead, the 6-foot-6 blue liner must sit out tonight's game against Montreal and may not be ready to play when Tampa Bay returns to the ice Thursday against Minnesota. While he said he is feeling fine and has no lingering effects from the hit ..."
November 7
Washington Post
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Just when it seemed Washington's injury woes couldn't get any worse, they did. With the team already missing two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin, defensemen Mike Green and Jeff Schultz both went down with injuries Friday night at BankAtlantic Center, where the short-handed Capitals gutted out a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. Brendan Morrison scored twice, Tyler Sloan and Brian Pothier each tallied once and goaltender José Theodore was occasionally spectacular in making 28 saves to snap Washington's three-game losing streak. But the Capitals' collective health was their biggest concern as the players and coaches headed back home for Saturday night's rematch against Florida at Verizon Center. ..."
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Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles didn't return to the game after suffering a shoulder injury late in the first period of what turned out to be Colorado's 4-3 shootout victory over the Blackhawks Friday night. "Credit the defensemen with playing with five 'D' for pretty much most of the game," Colorado coach Joe Sacco said. "They did a terrific job back there. That's not easy against an offense like that.""
November 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Alan Cohen's days as majority owner of the Panthers are numbered, as two partners in his ownership group are expected to take control of the team, sources said. Panthers Vice Chairman Cliff Viner and Managing Director Stu Siegel, both Boca Raton businessmen, have reached agreement to buy as much as half of Cohen's approximately 43 percent share of the team, a source said. They will become co-general partners, other sources said. The agreement has not been signed but is expected to be announced next week. Cohen is to retain a stake but will no longer be making team decisions. Panthers fans are desperate for change. The team has not made the playoffs since 2000, the longest playoff drought ..."