Can Jay Gruden fix Robert Griffin III

It was an interestingly timed revelation from Jay Gruden. On Tuesday, the former Bengals offensive coordinator went on a Cincinnati sports radio show to discuss the team’s wild-card loss to San Diego as well as the 2011 NFL draft, where the Bengals drafted Andy Dalton over Colin Kaepernick, who went to the 49ers one pick later in the second round. Much of the discussion stemmed from a Cincinnati Enquirer story several days...

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James Franklin the right man – and perfect coach – for Penn State

James Franklin wasn't a good hire for Penn State. A good hire, if flawed, would've been Al Golden. James Franklin wasn't a great hire for Penn State. A great hire, if not going to happen, would've been a big-time proven winner like Mike Gundy or Mark Dantonio. James Franklin was neither a good hire, nor a great one. James Franklin was perfect. Just as Bill O'Brien was the right guy at the right time to replace Joe Paterno after the...

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Wrestling legend Mea Young Not Dead but gravely ill

WE Hall of Fame wrestler Mae Young is gravely ill ... BUT NOT DEAD ... this according to local reports.  Young -- the only wrestler to compete in NINE DIFFERENT DECADES (her first match in 1939; her last in 2010) -- was hospitalized and placed on life support in South Carolina last month.The Post and Courier initially reported 90-year-old Young passed away, but later updated the story ... saying the wrestling legend...

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Ranking the 15 BCS national champions

No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn marks the 16th and final BCS National Championship Game. USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg ranks the champions from the past 15 years: 15. 2007 LSU (12-2): LSU is the only team in the BCS era to lose two games and win the national championship. That's impressive, but it's also a reason to put the Tigers low on this list. 14. 2002 Ohio State (14-0): The Buckeyes didn't win pretty. OSU pulled out several late...

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49ers lead Packers at halftime at cold Lambeau Field

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has a history -– albeit a short one -– of terrorizing the Green Bay Packers with his athleticism and versatility. Kaepernick is again showcasing those strengths this afternoon at Lambeau Field, sparking the 49ers to a 13-10 halftime lead. But the Packers have their own playmaking quarterback. And with Aaron Rodgers beginning to heat up, a back-and-forth first-round NFC playoff showdown in Green...

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Super Bowl 2014

This is the Super Bowl where ads may offer a bit less of the same — and a bit more of the unexpected. As the price of ad time continues to escalate, advertisers continue to seek new ways — and new reasons — to stand out or even surprise. At a record $4 million per 30-second slot, "it's the most expensive ad time on television by a wide margin," says Jon Swallen, chief research officer at Kantar Media. The Super Bowl, he notes, "marches to a...

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Green Bay Weather, Temperature: Packers-49ers Game Warmer, National Weather Service Forecasts

The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers game is expected to be frigid, getting to minus-two degrees Fahrenheit before the wind chill kicks in. As of 12 p.m. noon, it was at 6 degrees F, and with the wind chill, it was about minus-9 degrees. The temperature is warmer than previously expected–with some forecasts earlier this week saying it would get below minus-15 or minus-20 degrees. The San Francisco 49ers will...

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Portuguese soccer legend Eusebio dies at 71

Eusebio's stellar football career for club and country included several sensational performances which are still remembered half a century later. In an epic European Cup final against Real Madrid in 1962, when a first-half hat trick by Ferenc Puskas looked enough to secure the trophy for the Spanish club, Eusebio scored the last two goals as Benfica fought back to win 5-3 and clinch its second straight continental title. But none of Eusebio's...

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Canucks fall 3-1 to the Kings after being badly outshot in Los Angeles

An inspirational presentation by a retired Navy SEAL and more than 200 touring fans taking in a California double-dip provided the Vancouver Canucks with some extra incentive Saturday. However, what they really needed was Roberto Luongo quickly returning to form after missing three games with a groin strain and a new-look power play contributing in hopes of leap-frogging the Los Angeles Kings in the standings and sending the suddenly-slumping...

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AJ McCarron's college finale comes against Oklahoma

Two of the nation's most tradition-rich programs meet with a combined record of 21-3. Alabama fell just short of an SEC Championship Game berth, and potentially a third consecutive BCS title, with a last-second loss to rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Oklahoma's national title hopes were dashed with an October loss to rival Texas. Baylor also knocked off the Sooners. OU's top three NFL prospects are defensive back Aaron Colvin, center Gabe Ikard...

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Tim Leiweke discusses BMO Field expansion

Tim Leiweke has been in his job with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for a little over half a year now.  In that time it has quickly become clear that he is the perfect fit for the company as they try to further expand their sports and entertainment empire in Toronto.  Leiweke knows how to talk the big talk and inspire the fans.  He also knows how to add value to a company like he did in his previous role with AEG. Since taking...

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Winter Classic 2014

The Winter Classic turned into the Tyler Bozak show for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The center not only scored his fifth goal of the season to give Toronto a 2-1 lead in the third period (a lead that would be short-lived thanks to a Justin Abdelkader goal), he would then score the game-winning goal in the shootout to lift the Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win. With the win Toronto jumped one point ahead of the Red Wings for the...

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Leafs trade John-Michael Liles to Hurricanes for Tim Gleason

Tim Gleason figures to be a better fit for Randy Carlyle's system than John-Michael Liles, so the Toronto Maple Leafs made the trade to upgrade their blue line. The Leafs got Gleason from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Liles and prospect Dennis Robertson. "With Gleason, we feel that he can come back into a hockey environment where we can support him with the style of play that I think suits his style," Carlyle said. "We want him...

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Minnesota Wild cool down Vancouver Canucks with shootout win

Roberto Luongo was a lot better in Minnesota than he’d been in the past. Still, he wasn’t quite good enough to extend Vancouver’s seven-game winning streak. Jason Pominville slipped a shot past Luongo’s glove in the third round of a shootout to lift the Wild to a 3-2 victory Tuesday night, the first loss by the Canucks this month. Luongo made 30 saves, including 14 in the third period and overtime, and stopped Zach Parise to open the shootout....

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Bengals grades against the Pittsburgh Steelers

Quarterback: Despite a few passes being off-target, Andy Dalton didn't turn the football over and he played as well as someone without a serviceable offensive line or reliable receivers could play. After completing only two of his first ten passes, Dalton would go on to complete 23 of his next 34 with two touchdowns. Dalton ended up going 25 for 44 with 230 yards passing and two scores. Grade: B- Running Back: Granted the Bengals were facing...

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Jamal Charles has my MVP vote

Chiefs coach Andy Reid may be biased, but if he had a vote for the NFL Most Valuable Player award, he’d vote for Jamaal Charles. Charles, the Kansas City running back who scored five touchdowns in Sunday’s win over the Raiders, has moved into MVP contention, and Reid said after Sunday’s game that he believes Charles deserves the award. “He’s got my vote,” Reid said. “All the folks that were here today, he’s probably got their vote. I don’t...

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Milan Lucic says pub fight was 'unprovoked attack'

Boston Bruins forward and Vancouver native Milan Lucic says he may pursue legal action after allegedly being attacked by another man in downtown Vancouver after the Canucks thumped the Bruins 6-2 Saturday night. A video posted on YouTube Sunday appears to show Lucic yelling at another man outside a city pub. In the footage, Lucic claims the man hit him three times, but that's not shown in the video;...

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