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 earlier, where Bengals owner Mike Brown stated that he wanted to select Kaepernick, but that Gruden convinced him otherwise, noting that Dalton “fits what I want to do.” Head coach Marvin Lewis’ role in the decision wasn’t specified and the story ended up making both Gruden and Brown look bad after Dalton’s dud of a game (his third straight one in the playoffs) later that afternoon.

Gruden didn’t disagree with Brown’s recollection during the show, explaining that he felt Dalton was most ready to start as a rookie and that there were questions about Kaepernick’s passing accuracy.

Then there was this statement: “I also wasn’t really into the read-option stuff and it wasn’t really that popular at the time.”

Source: usatoday

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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 Jerry Sandusky scandal, James Franklin is the right guy at this time to replace O'Brien. Major difference between the two is this: We had no idea O'Brien was the right guy two years ago.

Who knew? He had never been a head coach, had actually flamed out at his last job in college -- as offensive coordinator at Duke, his teams averaged less than 17 points in 2005 and '06 -- and then had spent a few years with Bill Belichick at New England. Hey, everybody looks good under Belichick. Even Charlie Weis.

So who knew O'Brien was going to be the right mixture of leadership, focus, coaching and recruiting for Penn State? Who knew he was the perfect hire in January 2012? Not me. And not you.

Source: cbssports

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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 is alive but very sick.

Mae and fellow pioneer female wrestler The Fabulous Moolah returned to the WWE back in 1999 -- when they were both in their 70s -- and were involved in numerous iconic moments like being powerbombed through a table by the Dudley Boyz ... and the birth of "hand."

Source: tmz

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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 comebacks during the regular season and needed overtime to beat Miami (Fla.) to win the championship, but there's something to be said of a team with the mental toughness needed to win close game after close game.

Source: usatoday

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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 Bay could go down to the wire with both quarterbacks looking to produce in the clutch.

Late in the first half, with pressure coming, Kaepernick delivered the game’s longest gain so far, tucking and bolting though an opening up the middle. The third-year quarterback’s speed left a horde of Packer defenders in his wake and produced a 42-yard run.

Two snaps later, running back Frank Gore took an inside handoff and rumbled 10 yards up the middle for the go-ahead touchdown, putting the 49ers ahead 13-7.

Kaepernick finished the first half 8-for-15 passing for 117 yards while rushing for 47 yards.

Rodgers, meanwhile, led the Packers to scores on their final two possessions of the half. In his first action at Lambeau Field since fracturing his collarbone Nov. 4 against the Chicago Bears, Rodgers delivered a pretty 5-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson with 5:50 left in the second quarter. That capped an impressive 14-play, 70-yard drive after the Packers had gone three-and-out on their first three drives.

Source: chicagotribune

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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 very different beat than the rest of the TV business." And so, too, must the advertisers who want to stand out during the Feb. 2 broadcast on Fox, which is sold out of ad time.

Source: usatoday

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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 play the Green Bay Packers at 4:40 p.m. ET. The game will be shown on Fox.

Wisconsin is under a wind chill warning until Tuesday–with temperatures getting to minus-35 to minus-50 in some areas, says the National Weather Service.

Source: theepochtimes

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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 goals were more famous than those he scored against North Korea in the quarterfinals of the 1966 World Cup. With Portugal trailing 3-0, Eusebio inspired his team's turnaround with four goals and an eventual 5-3 victory.

Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, who died Sunday aged 71, became affectionately known as the Black Panther for his athletic prowess and clinical finishing that made him one of the world's top scorers during his heyday in the 1960s for Benfica and the Portuguese national team.

Eusebio died at his Lisbon home of heart failure at 3.30 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) Sunday, his biographer Jose Malheiro said. "His health was very poor," Malheiro told reporters. 

Eusebio was admitted to hospital several times over the past year for the treatment of heart and respiratory problems. Benfica confirmed his death.

Born into poverty in Africa, Eusebio became an international sporting icon and was voted one of the 10 best players of all time. For the Portuguese, he was a national hero.

Source: cbc

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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 Pacific Division rival to a sixth-straight loss — the most in more than six years.

The Canucks got a little power-play success from a first-period Ryan Kesler effort and a whole lot of a larcenous Luongo but still fell 3-1 at the Staples Center. It wasn’t flattering. It wasn’t so much the third-straight loss, the third setback to the Kings this season and the sixth-straight loss for Luongo against Los Angeles dating back to the 2012 playoffs.

It was how the Canucks went quietly into the night in losing for just the second time in regulation this season when leading after two periods. It was leaving Luongo hung out to dry and spoiling his brilliant 46-save effort. It was sobering. And alarming.

“We don’t have a sniff of a chance [without Luongo],” said Canucks coach John Tortorella. “I shudder to think what the score would be. So let’s not kid ourselves. The game was not as close as the score. We have a ton of work to do with the responsibility of how we’re going to play in our division. There’s no secret in what we have to do.

“Our game changed in the second period after just an abysmal power play and they gained some momentum off that and we never regained any type of puck possession or zone time. Beating us to pucks and winning the battles. We’re going to have to learn to battle harder and it starts with our forwards with the forecheck. Our D were under siege all night long. If we’re going to compete in our division in the second half, we need to be more consistent.”

Source: theprovince

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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 and wide receiver Jalen Saunders. Colvin intercepted just one pass on the season, but was consistent in coverage and also run support. Saunders made 56 receptions for 654 yards and six scores, leading the Sooners in all three categories.

Colvin should match up plenty with Alabama sophomore Amari Cooper, whose production was down this season due to nagging injuries. Alabama has a long list of top draft prospects, led by junior offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, linebacker C.J. Mosley, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and quarterback AJ McCarron. One of UA's draft prospects for later rounds, senior cornerback Deion Belue, should draw Saunders frequently in coverage. Kouandjio and Clinton-Dix are juniors contemplating early draft entry, while Mosley and McCarron are seniors. This will be the last game NFL scouts get to see McCarron play, as the third-year starter does not intend to play in the Senior Bowl.

Source: nfl

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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 over Leiweke has already made major decisions about MLSE's three biggest properties and who should be in charge of shaping their futures.  He gave a vote of confidence to Leafs GM Dave Nonis, he brought in one of the top young GMs in the NBA with the hiring of Masai Ujiri to run that franchise, and he replaced Kevin Payne with Tim Bezbatchenko at the top of Toronto FC.

Those were the highest profile moves that he has made in his short time in Toronto but there were certainly other moves that put MLSE in a better position moving forward.  There has been a fair bit of turnover at the top of MLSE in recent months as Leiweke looks to bring in the people he wants to work closely with which has resulted in some of the less popular figures in the organization being shuffled out.

On the whole, things seem to be heading in the right direction for MLSE under their new boss with the major caveat that none of it has yet produced results on the ice/court/field as his changes are only just starting to have an impact on the organizations.

Source: wakingthered

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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 No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

For Detroit, the loss extended its season-long struggles in the shootout as the team is now 1-7 on the season. Going back to the start of last season the Red Wings are just 3-12 in the shootout. For a team that has players like Pavel Datsyuk, Daniel Alfredsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Todd Bertuzzi and a really good goaltender (Jimmy Howard) that's absolutely stunning.

It's the second time a Winter Classic has ended in a shootout. The 2008 game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres also came down to a shootout.

Source: sbnation

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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 to be a guy that can come back in and move the puck. He's a big man. We just want him to make a contribution."

The Leafs won't ask the 30-year-old Gleason, who has just one assist and no goals in 17 games this season, to contribute on the power play or on offence much, in general. But Carlyle expects games to get tougher down the stretch, so the addition of the six-foot, 217-pound Gleason helps in that area.

Gleason has two more seasons at a cap hit of $US 4 million left on his deal. The left-handed-shooting defenceman was a 2001 first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators and then was a member of the silver-medal-winning U.S. team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

In the past three seasons, he has just one goal and 27 assists in 141 regular-season games.

But Liles wasn't doing much for the Leafs after spending the bulk of the first half of the season with the AHL's Toronto Marlies. The 33-year-old appeared in just six Leafs games and went scoreless.

The Hurricanes inherit the final two of his contract and the ensuing $3.875 million US cap hit.

Source: cbc

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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. Mikko Koivu, who had two assists for a team-high 20 this season, hit the crossbar with his shot before Pominville scored. Ryan Kesler’s last-chance attempt for Vancouver sailed wide right after Josh Harding stopped shots by Mike Santorelli and Chris Higgins.

“We’ve got to try different people, I guess, because we stink at it,” Canucks coach John Tortorella said.

Source: nationpost 

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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 a 21-point deficit with over a minute remaining in the first quarter, but when the Bengals actually ran, it just wasn't there. Blocking is a huge reason and BenJarvus Green-Ellis is clearly dealing with lingering flu-like issues and only ran the ball four times. Giovani Bernard scored a touchdown, but only averaged 2.5 yards/rush.

Grade: C-

Wide Receivers: Not impressed. Most of what A.J. Green earned on Sunday was the result of curl routes. Perhaps a few of the throws were off-target but Green wasn't applying the description of being someone that makes difficult receptions. And he's even dropping some of the easier throws. Marvin Jones played well with five receptions, 48 yards receiving and a fourth quarter touchdown.

Grade: C-

Tight Ends: Maybe it's Jay Gruden. But I can't possibly be more disappointed in how the Bengals have applied their tight ends recently. Jermaine Gresham wasn't very effective against the Steelers, even losing a fumble during a long third down conversion that he fought honorably for. Tyler Eifert hasn't had the targets we had hoped for. Both combined for six receptions for 56 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Source: cincyjungle

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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 know how many anybody can be more valuable to a team and to the success that we have had than he’s had. I’m pulling for him.”

Charles has 246 carries for 1,181 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, plus 65 catches for 655 yards and seven touchdowns. He has a chance to become the first player in NFL history with 10 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving touchdowns in the same season, and he also has a chance at just the fifth season ever with 1,350 rushing yards and 750 receiving yards (Marshall Faulk did that three times, and Steven Jackson did it once).

Source: profootballtalk

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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; however, there is plenty of cursing.

Lucic told reporters in Boston Monday that he was minding his own business inside the Vancouver nightclub when he became a target.

According to Joe Haggerty, reporting for Comcast Sportsnet, Lucic said he was the victim of "an unprovoked attack."

Lucic said he was struck once while inside the club and then two times once outside, as he was trying to get food. He said two of the hits were punches to the face.

He told reporters that, following this incident and other fallout from the Bruins' win in Vancouver in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, he is done trying to defend the city he is from.

"I have no reason left to defend my city and the people in my city. I'm disgusted and outraged," he said,according to Joe McDonald, a reporter with ESPNBoston.com. 

"Other than being at Rogers Arena, no one will ever see me in downtown Vancouver ever again," Lucic is reported to have said.

The Vancouver Police Department told CBC News Monday morning it is not investigating the incident.

However, spokesman Sgt. Randy Fincham did confirm that the force responded to an incident at Granville and Nelson streets at 4 a.m. PT Sunday morning, in which an altercation between two men was broken up.

Source: cbc

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