Chone Figgins and the Los Angeles Angels know they're heading straight into more than one kind of storm, and they can't wait to get wet. Heavy showers in Saturday's New York forecast are threatening to wash out Game 6 of the AL championship series, yet that's a minor drizzle compared to the high-pressure system the Angels created for both themselves and the Yankees by extending the…
Well, that should quiet things down for a while. The Jim Zorn unemployment watch is over. Jerry Gray, as it turns out, isn't a coach-in-waiting about to get promoted any day now. Another week of Washington Redskins craziness ended with an actual message of stability Friday: The front office said Zorn will be the coach for the rest of the season.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expects the league to start playing multiple regular-season games in Britain in the next few years — an expansion that could lead to putting a franchise in London. Goodell said Friday that "every indicator" shows the British market can support more games and that having a franchise here is of "tremendous interest" to the league.
Mere moments after the Los Angeles Angels unleashed their leaping, screeching, rambunctious Rally Monkey on the scoreboard, they erased a late deficit and saved their season. Surely that monkey business was just a coincidence. He's just a marketing gimmick, a video star and a plush toy — right? Not to the fans who watched it happen Thursday night in the latest improbability of an AL…
Stung by a rash of blown calls in the playoffs, Major League Baseball is breaking tradition and sticking with only experienced umpires for the World Series. Longtime crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis, along with Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson and Mike Everitt will handle the games, three people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press this week.
The Portland Trail Blazers signed forward LaMarcus Aldridge to a five-year contract extension on Thursday. The terms of the deal have not been announced. The team was in Vancouver, British Columbia, for an exhibition game against the Phoenix Suns. The Blazers scheduled a news conference in Portland on Friday.
Hall of Fame players Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson famously kissed each other's cheek moments before tip-off of Game 1 of the 1988 NBA finals. Today, the relationship clearly isn't anywhere near as close. In Thomas' mind, a 17-year-old wound has been reopened in a new book that Johnson and Larry Bird wrote with author Jackie MacMullan.
Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable won't face charges after being investigated over allegations that he assaulted one of his assistants, ending a two-month saga that was a cloud over the team's season. Napa County district attorney Gary Lieberstein said Thursday that the investigation concluded no charges were warranted.
A Nevada judge denied a motion Thursday to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of raping a woman at a hotel-casino in Lake Tahoe. Washoe District Court Judge Brent Adams also refused a request by a lawyer for the two-time Super Bowl champ to sanction the woman's attorney for pursuing the case without sufficient evidence.
Ryan Howard added another piece of hardware with three familiar letters to his trophy case. Howard was picked MVP of the NL championship series after helping the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies return to the World Series by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The big slugger already had the 2006 NL MVP and 2005 NL Rookie of the Year awards on his resume.
Ryan Howard and the defending champs are back in the World Series — proving last year was no fluke and looking even more dangerous this time around. Jayson Werth homered twice, Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz also connected and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to win their second straight NL pennant.
The Portland Trail Blazers are close to signing forward LaMarcus Aldridge to a contract extension, a person close to the situation told The Associated Press. The five-year deal is expected to be completed within the next two days, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract wasn't final.
Cedric Benson believes the Chicago Bears did all they could to prevent him from signing with another team. Released in June 2008 after two alcohol-related arrests, Benson will come face to face with his former team when the Cincinnati Bengals host the Bears on Sunday. Although he insisted he's not out for revenge and won't try to send a message, Benson clearly has some bad feelings for the…
Bob Sanders hopes to make his season debut Sunday at St. Louis. The 2007 NFL defensive player of the year, who has not played in a game since January, is expected to participate in most of the team's practice work this week. For the first time this season, Sanders was not listed on the team's injury report Wednesday.
Alex Rodriguez limited the celebration of his latest playoff homer to a brisk trot and a few high-fives. CC Sabathia barely even pumped a fist while mowing down the Angels for eight innings. Even while they shined at a pivotal point in the AL championship series, the slugger and the workhorse starter seemed determined to stick to business.
The Chicago Bears and quarterback Jay Cutler have agreed on a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2013 season. A person familiar with the negotiations said the deal includes approximately $20 million guaranteed and roughly $30 million in new money. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the terms were not released.
Charlotte Bobcats starting shooting guard Raja Bell has a partially torn ligament in his left wrist and will soon decide whether to have surgery which would sideline him up to four months. The severity of Bell's injury, announced after he sat out Charlotte's 94-87 exhibition win over Milwaukee on Tuesday, is a major blow for the Bobcats, who could be without their best defensive player and…
The NBA's locked-out referees could be back on the floor in time for the regular season. The league has made a new proposal, and a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press it will be recommended for approval to the referees on Friday. The person, who requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing, said it's "highly likely" they'll be on the…
Jason Campbell will remain the Washington Redskins starting quarterback. Coach Jim Zorn said Tuesday on his ESPN980 radio show that he will stick with Campbell for Monday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Campbell was benched at halftime of Sunday's 14-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ned Colletti agreed to a long-term extension Tuesday to stay on as general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Under him, the team has reached the postseason in three of his four seasons, the first time a Dodgers GM has accomplished that feat. Colletti joins New York's Brian Cashman and Boston's Theo Epstein in doing so among active GMs.
Jimmy Rollins curled up to protect himself in the pile and took some playful punches from his teammates. One more win and the Fightin' Phils will have another World Series trip to celebrate. Rollins lined a two-run double with two outs in the ninth inning off All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 Monday night for a 3-1 lead in…
Eddie Royal was running so fast that even his brown-and-white striped socks were a blur. Royal became the first player in Broncos history to return a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in the same game, leading undefeated Denver to a wild 34-23 win over the San Diego Chargers on Monday night. Royal thinks one of the Chargers got a hand on him during his 93-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.
When Derek Jeter led off Game 3 with a homer into the bullpen, this AL championship series seemed uncomplicated. Power hitting and steady pitching appeared to be driving New York to the World Series. About 261 minutes, 14 pitchers, six homers and several big blunders later, a winning hit by a backup catcher left only one thing certain in this cuckoo series: The Los Angeles Angels won't be…
The benign growth in LeBron James' jaw made for a few nervous days earlier this year for the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar. James said on Monday he had to wait for biopsy results in January after doctors at the Cleveland Clinic found a growth in the right side of his jaw. James, whose cancer concerns were first reported by The Plain Dealer, said he trusted his doctors when they told him they…
Bingo! You're not calling plays anymore, Jim Zorn. Sherm Lewis is coming out of retirement to do it for you. With a pained expression, Washington Redskins coach Zorn announced Monday that the front office "strongly suggested" that he yield his play-calling duties to a consultant hired only two weeks ago.
Cliff Lee sprinted off the mound after throwing his final pitch, nearly breaking a sweat for the first time. Heck, he almost outhustled the Phillies' newest speed demon, Ryan Howard. With their ace and slugger leading the way, the defending World Series champions got back their swagger. Lee dominated the Dodgers, Howard and Jayson Werth provided the big swings early and Philadelphia cruised past…
As great as Brett Favre was Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback was pretty sure he wasn't good enough. So sure that the Vikings were headed to their first defeat of the season, Favre couldn't even bear to watch as Baltimore kicker Steve Hauschka lined up for a 44-yard field goal with 2 seconds to play.
Who dat knew them Saints were this good? Drew Brees torched the Giants' league-leading defense, swarming Saints defenders ruined Eli Manning's homecoming and undefeated New Orleans matched its best start since 1993 with a 48-27 throttling of previously unbeaten New York on Sunday. "We wanted to really dictate the tempo of the game the whole way through," Brees said.
With runners on first and second in the 12th inning early Sunday, the "A-Rod!" chants started swelling at Yankee Stadium. Only thing is, All-Star Mark Teixeira was still at-bat. My how things have changed for Alex Rodriguez. In postseasons past, New York Yankees fans were merciless as Rodriguez foundered.