Mickelson not taking “cheating” accusation lightly

SAN DIEGO (AP)—Phil Mickelson hinted at legal action for being accused of “cheating,” saying on Saturday that if the U.S. PGA Tour did not do something about him being “publicly slandered,” then he would let others handle it.

Mickelson didn’t mention Scott McCarron by name in a series of interviews after his third round at the Farmers Insurance Open.

McCarron was quoted in The San Francisco Chronicle on Friday as saying about Mickelson using the Ping-Eye 2 wedges with square grooves, “It’s cheating, and I’m appalled Phil has put it in play.”

The U.S. Golf Association has a new rule this year that irons have V-shaped grooves. However, the Ping-Eye 2 wedges that were made before April 1, 1990 remain approved for play through a Ping lawsuit that was settled 20 years ago and takes precedence over new regulations.

Mickelson is using one of those wedges this week after reading about John Daly and Dean Wilson using them in Hawaii.

When asked on Friday about McCarron’s quote about him cheating, Mickelson declined to get into what he referred to as “name-calling.” Instead, he suggested that McCarron was upset with the new rule on grooves.

But after a 70 in the third round put Mickelson within four shots of the lead, he made it clear he would not go quietly.

“We all have our opinions on the matter, but a line was crossed and I just was publicly slandered,” Mickelson said. “And because of that, I’ll have to let other people handle that.”

Asked if he was contemplating a lawsuit, Mickelson said, “I’m not going into specifics what that meant.”

Still, it was clear that his message reached U.S. PGA Tour headquarters. The tour released a statement during the third round explaining why the Ping-Eye 2 wedges with square grooves were approved for play.

“Public comments or criticisms characterizing their use as a violation … are inappropriate at best,” the statement said.

Told about the tour’s statement, Mickelson paused before saying it was “cool if they put that out there.”

“Again, everybody has their opinions and so forth, and it’s healthy to talk about it,” he said. “But when you cross that line and slander someone publicly, that’s when the tour needs to step in—or someone else.”

McCarron, who missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, could not be reached for comment. He did not back off his criticism on Friday of Mickelson using the wedges, although he used “bending the rules” instead of “cheating” in his comments.

He maintains that Mickelson, and others using the Ping wedges, are violating the spirit of the new rule.

Mickelson has been feuding with the USGA, in particular senior technical director Dick Rugge, since last summer when it became clear the new grooves would be effective this year.

He said he was not even certain that 20-year-old wedges spun the ball more than his new wedges, yet offered no apologies because the clubs are approved for play.

“I understand black and white,” Mickelson said on Friday. “And I think that myself or any other player is allowed to play those clubs because they’re approved—end of story.”

Instead, the story might just now be starting.

McCarron, who was on the 16-man Players Advisory Council, said the wedges would be discussed on Tuesday at a PAC meeting in Los Angeles with tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

Story courtesy of: Doug Ferguson, AP Golf Writer

Walker a winner in mixed martial arts debut

SUNRISE, Fla. – Herschel Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner, won his professional mixed martial arts debut on Saturday at the tender age of 47, but he proved one thing: He’s a better football player than a fighter.

The one-time Dallas Cowboys star stopped a totally ineffective Greg Nagy at 2:17 of the third round on Saturday at the BankAtlantic Center on a Showtime-televised Strikeforce card.

Walker took Nagy down in each of the three rounds and tried to punish Nagy on the ground. He landed a few punches and seemed as if he were going to go for a submission at several points, but he was unable to do anything dramatic.


Walker, who has long been a martial artist, was pleased with the win and thanked Nagy for the opportunity.

“It’s kind of tough to fight an old man,” Walker said.

Nagy had no offense and spent most of the fight on his back, trying to fend off Walker, who trained at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., under the guidance of the renowned Javier Mendez.

Walker’s endurance was sensational, but he looked stiff in his standup game and didn’t have a good concept of what he was doing on the ground. According to CompuStrike, Walker landed 77 of 106 strikes overall, an amazing 73 percent. He connected on 69 of 91 on the ground. Nagy landed just seven punches.

“This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Walker said.

Robbie Lawler scored one of the best knockouts in a long time after taking a beating from Melvin Manhoef for most of their fight. Manhoef was stalking Lawler, raking him with punches and hard kicks and seemed on the verge of an impressive victory.

Lawler checked a kick and as Manhoef rushed to him, Lawler ripped a straight right that landed on the temple. Manhoef went down quickly. Lawler landed a quick punch on the ground before he was pulled off and the bout was stopped at 3:33 of the first.

“This guy is a killer and he was coming after me,” Lawler said. “I knew I was going to catch him and I just didn’t want to get overextended.”

Bobby Lashley, who still is a professional wrestler, improved to 5-0 as a mixed martial artist by dominating late replacement Wes Sims. Lashley quickly took Sims down and pummeled him on the ground, forcing referee Troy Waugh to stop it at 2:06 of the first.

Sims, a former cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter,” admitted he hadn’t trained for the fight as Strikeforce struggled to find an opponent for Lashley. Sims was paunchy around the middle, while Lashley had a bodybuilder’s rugged physique.

It was no contest, as Sims accomplished nothing other than picking up a paycheck.

Story courtesy of: Kevin Iole for Yahoo! Sports

Dansby's 17-yard return on first OT drive sends Cards to second round

Associated Press
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Old master Kurt Warner and playoff newcomer Aaron Rodgers staged a passing duel to rival any the NFL has seen. And when the highest-scoring postseason game in league history ended abruptly in overtime, Rodgers flung his helmet to the sideline in disgust.


Game for the Ages
Sunday's defense-optional clash between the Packers and the Cardinals became the highest-scoring playoff game in NFL history when Arizona's Karlos Dansby returned an overtime fumble for the winning score.

Date Winner (pts) Loser (pts) Total pts
Jan. 10, 2010 Cardinals (51) Packers (45) 96
Dec. 30, 1995 Eagles (58) Lions (37) 95
Jan. 16, 2000 Rams (49) Vikings (37) 86
Jan. 2, 1982 Chargers (41) Dolphins (38) 79
Jan. 3, 1993 Bills (41) Oilers (38) 79

He can blame the Arizona defense for his misery.

Karlos Dansby returned Rodgers' fumble 17 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals a 51-45 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Rodgers, intercepted on the game's first play but marvelous after that, was stripped by Michael Adams. The ball careened off Rodgers' foot and into the hands of Dansby, who ran untouched for the score.

"He made a sack, the ball went in the air, I just made a play on the ball," Dansby said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Packers' loss to the Cardinals was their season in microcosm, and in the end, they simply didn't have enough gas to climb out of the hole they'd dug themselves, Kevin Seifert writes. Blog


The reigning NFC champion Cardinals (11-6) rushed the field to celebrate.

"That's probably one of the best games ever played in the playoffs," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

Incredibly, Warner had more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four).

"We knew how tough it was going to be on our defense with all the weapons they have offensively and how they've been playing," he said. "It was just one of those games where I felt great. I loved our playing. I felt like I was seeing everything well and it accumulates to 51 points."

Warner, who improved his playoff record to 9-3, finished 29 of 33 for 379 yards with no interceptions. The five TDs matched the 38-year-old's career best.


Fast Facts

• Karlos Dansby's 17-yard fumble return for the winning score came just 1:18 into the extra period, making this the second-quickest finish to an OT playoff game in NFL history.

• It's also the second playoff OT to end on a defensive TD out of 26 games which have reached overtime. The other? Al Harris with a 52-yard interception return for the winning score in the 2003 NFC Wild Card game for the Packers.

• Kurt Warner threw for 379 yards and five touchdowns, his second career five-TD postseason game. He joins Daryle Lamonica as the only players with a pair of games with at least 5 passing TDs.

• Larry Fitzgerald had a pair of TDs, giving him nine in the postseason for his career. That's the highest total in NFL history through any player's first five playoff games.

• This was just the second time in the Super Bowl era in which both QBs threw for at least 300 yards and four pass TDs in the same game, and Kurt Warner was involved in both. The other was the 1999 Divisional playoff game against Jeff George and the Vikings.

• Aaron Rodgers set a Packers single-game postseason record with 422 pass yards, and Green Bay scored its highest points total in a postseason game.


Rodgers, in his first playoff start, was 28 of 42 for a Packers postseason-record 422 yards and four TDs. All but two of Rodgers' yards came after the first quarter.

"It's clearly one of the toughest losses I've been a part of," Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said. "I'm very proud of our football team and fight. This is a hard game to swallow."

The previous high for combined points in a postseason game was 95 in Philadelphia's 58-37 win over Detroit on Dec. 30, 1995.

"Whew," Warner said at his postgame news conference, "anybody else tired?"

The NFC West champion Cardinals play at New Orleans on Saturday.

It was the most points scored and allowed by the Packers (11-6) in their storied 41-game playoff history.

Dansby started and ended the game with big plays. He broke up Rodgers' opening pass and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie intercepted. The next time the Packers got the ball, Dansby stripped Donald Driver and Arizona's Alan Branch recovered.

With Anquan Boldin sidelined with ankle and knee injuries, Warner threw two touchdown passes to Larry Fitzgerald, two to Early Doucet and one to Steve Breaston, who caught seven passes for 125 yards.

The previous playoff game to end on a defensive touchdown was Jan. 4, 2004, when Al Harris returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown in Green Bay's 33-27 win over Seattle.

Neil Rackers missed a 34-yard field goal at the end of regulation for Arizona.

The teams combined for 1,024 yards. Arizona had 531, including 156 rushing, against a Packers defense ranked No. 2 overall, No. 1 against the run. The 13 touchdowns was an NFL playoff record.

Green Bay entered winners of seven of its last eight, including a 33-7 victory against the Cardinals on the same field a week ago.

But the team with the fewest turnovers in the NFL (16) started the game with two of them and ended it with another.

In between, Green Bay rallied from a 21-point second-half deficit to twice tie the game.

"The game was so back and forth, it was unbelievable," Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk said.

After Rackers missed the field goal, the Packers won the toss. Since Arizona hadn't stopped them since the first half, it didn't look good for the home team.

But on third-and-6 at the Green Bay 24, the 5-foot-8 cornerback Adams came through on a blitz and stripped Rodgers. On a bad bounce the Packers will remember for a long time, the ball caromed off Rodgers' foot and right to Dansby.

"We had the play called earlier, but we missed the sack," Dansby said. "With the game on the line, we called it again. ... See you in New Orleans, baby."

Rodgers said he should have just taken the sack.

"I was trying to unload it," he said. "I should have held on to the ball. I was looking at the front side for Driv [Driver]. It looked like he was getting grabbed a bit. Then I was looking for James [Jones] and they were driving in on him as he was running a little in cut, so I kind of pulled the ball back and someone hit my arm."

The Cardinals took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards for a touchdown to go up 31-10, Warner throwing 33 yards to Fitzgerald, who has nine TD catches in his five playoff games, at least one in each contest.

But nobody could stop anybody in this one.

After Rodgers' 6-yard pass to Greg Jennings cut the lead to 31-17, the Packers caught Arizona off guard with an onside kick, then drove for another score. Rodgers' 10-yard pass to Jordy Nelson trimmed the deficit to seven.

Arizona got another score on Fitzgerald's diving grab of an 11-yard pass, but the Packers scored two more in a hurry, tying it at 38 on John Kuhn's 1-yard run with 10:57 to play.

Each team scored again, Green Bay tying it at 45 when Rodgers threw 11 yards to Spencer Havner with 1:52 to play.

That was plenty of time for Warner to drive the Cardinals downfield, but Rackers -- 16 of 17 for the season and 10 of 10 inside 40 yards -- booted it well left of the upright.

Green Bay called "tails" and won the toss. Three plays later, it was over.

"Man," Warner said, "what a football game."

Warner took a victory lap around the field, leading some to wonder if all that speculation about his impending retirement was true.

"Everybody relax," he said. "That was my way of saying thanks to the fans because we're not coming back here this year."

As for retirement, Warner said that decision would be made later. He has a year left on his contract.

"I don't think you ever want to stay too long, but you never want to go out before it's time," he said. "The hard part is trying to figure that out, but right now it's about another playoff game. It's about New Orleans and then we'll go from there."

Game notes
Rodgers completed passes to 10 receivers, Warner to seven. ... Arizona's Beanie Wells rushed for 91 yards on 14 carries, 6.5 per attempt, outgaining Green Bay's Ryan Grant, who had 65 on 11 attempts. ... The Packers' playoff passing record was 332 yards by Lynn Dickey at Dallas on Jan. 16, 1983.

Story courtesy of:

Associated Press

Mark McGwire admits to steroid use

By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

01/11/10 5:02 PM EST

ST. LOUIS -- Mark McGwire ended more than a decade of speculation on Monday, acknowledging that he used steroids during much of his Major League playing career, including in 1998, when he broke Major League Baseball's single-season home run record.

McGwire made the revelation in a statement issued to news outlets on Monday afternoon. McGwire will address the situation further in an interview with Bob Costas on MLB Network at 7 p.m. ET on Monday. The program will be simulcast on MLB.com.

"I used steroids during my playing career, and I apologize," McGwire said in the release. "I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989-90 offseason and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again. I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season. I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."

The Cardinals announced in October that McGwire would be the team's hitting coach for the 2010 season, and in three separate statements on Monday, club representatives pledged their continuing support for him. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig likewise issued a statement in support of the retired slugger.

"I am pleased that Mark McGwire has confronted his use of performance-enhancing substances as a player," Selig said. "Being truthful is always the correct course of action, which is why I had commissioned Senator George Mitchell to conduct his investigation. This statement of contrition, I believe, will make Mark's reentry into the game much smoother and easier."

According to McGwire's statement, his usage of PEDs spanned a large portion of his career, which included parts or all of 16 seasons. His first full season in the Majors was 1987, so he acknowledges beginning to use after his third full season. The 1993 campaign was the first in which he played fewer than 139 games, as he was limited by foot injuries.

After missing large chunks of the 1993, 1994 and 1995 seasons, McGwire returned to form with a vengeance in 1996, hitting a then-career-high 52 home runs and batting .312 with a .467 on-base percentage. He followed that up with a big 1997, and was traded to St. Louis that year, then broke Roger Maris' single-season homer record when he hit 70 in 1998.

Tony La Russa, who was McGwire's manager for the vast majority of his career, came to his friend and teammate's defense.

"No one on the teams I managed worked harder or better than Mark," La Russa said in a statement issued by the club. "And now, his willingness to admit mistakes, express his regret, and explain the circumstances that led him to use steroids add to my respect for him."

McGwire's full statement reads as follows:

"Now that I have become the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, I have the chance to do something that I wish I was able to do five years ago.

"I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come. It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected. I used steroids during my playing career, and I apologize. I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989-90 offseason and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again. I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season.

"I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era.

"During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years. I experienced a lot of injuries, including a rib-cage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left heel and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of years and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too.

"I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids. I had good years when I didn't take any and I had bad years when I didn't take any. I had good years when I took steroids and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter what, I shouldn't have done it and for that I'm truly sorry.

"Baseball is really different now -- it's been cleaned up. The Commissioner and the Players Association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I'm glad they did.

"I'm grateful to the Cardinals for bringing me back to baseball. I want to say thank you to Cardinals owner Mr. [Bill] DeWitt, to my GM, John Mozeliak, and to my manager, Tony La Russa. I can't wait to put the uniform on again and to be back on the field in front of the great fans in St. Louis. I've always appreciated their support and I intend to earn it again, this time as hitting coach. I'm going to pour myself into this job and do everything I can to help the Cardinals hitters become the best players for years to come.

"After all this time, I want to come clean. I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my Congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it. I'll do that, and then I just want to help my team."

Story courtesy of:

Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Nearly flawless Sanchez leads Jets past mistake-prone Bengals

Associated Press


CINCINNATI -- One playoff game into his career, Mark Sanchez is giving a pretty good off-Broadway performance.

So are the rest of the New York Jets, who are no longer an overlooked team after dismantling the AFC North champions twice within a week.

Any more doubters?

Four downs
» The Jets became the first team with a rushing TD by a rookie and a passing TD by a rookie in the same playoff game since 1934.

» The Jets have won six of their last seven games and four straight on the road, including the playoffs.

» The Jets have not committed a turnover in their last three games.

» The Bengals have lost their last three playoff games; They have not won a playoff game since the 1990 wild card game vs. the Houston Oilers (longest active playoff win drought in NFL).

With their rookie quarterback playing mistake-free, the Jets turned their surprising playoff appearance into a long-running production Saturday. Sanchez threw a touchdown pass, and the NFL's top running game took it from there, setting up a 24-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

"It's pretty special," Sanchez said. "It's got nothing to do with me."

Actually, the Jets' first playoff win since 2004 had everything to do with him.

Playing in single-digit wind chills against a defense that tried its best to put the game in his hands, Sanchez went 12 of 15 for 182 yards and a stratospheric passer rating of 139.4.

Considered the Jets' weakest link heading into the playoffs, he became their focal point, getting his first playoff win ahead of Carson Palmer, his boyhood idol.

"He had the eye of the tiger today and he was ready to get out there and throw it around," coach Rex Ryan said. "I see him getting better and better each day on the practice field. What a job he's done. I think he's tired of hearing he's the weak link on this football team."

He wasn't the only rookie making plays under pressure for New York (10-7). Third-round pick Shonn Greene ran for 135 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown, leading a running game that churned out 171 yards for a rare back-to-back sweep of the Bengals (10-7).

Cedric Benson ran for a Bengals-record 169 yards in a playoff game, but Cincinnati managed little else. Its streak without a playoff win reached 19 years and counting.

The Jets?

"They might have a chance to make a move," said Palmer, who was off-target and under pressure most of the game. "Their defense is that good."

Take Palmer's word for that.

Cincinnati went to the Meadowlands six days earlier and got turned into road kill. The Jets ran for 257 yards, and the Bengals managed a total of 72 yards, with Chad Ochocinco getting shut out. Little changed the second time around -- Ochocinco had two catches for 28 yards in the rematch.

"This was a great team effort," said Ryan, who won in his playoff debut as a head coach. "We're a good football team. If people don't believe that, they soon will."

No one should count the Jets out now, not the way their coach did two weeks ago. Ryan thought the Jets were out of contention following a 10-7 loss to the Falcons that was set up by Sanchez's three interceptions. Then, everything lined up in their favor.

The Colts pulled their starters a week later, allowing the Jets to rally for a win, while four other playoff contenders lost. Then, the Bengals showed up at the Meadowlands and lost 37-0 with little at stake.

Ryan's father, Buddy, was the defensive line coach for the '69 Jets, who won the Super Bowl title that Broadway Joe Namath had guaranteed. These Jets came into the playoffs as an off-Broadway show, lacking a star quarterback who could deliver a win.

Until Saturday.

Sanchez looked like a playoff pro, joining Shaun King, Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger as rookie quarterbacks to win postseason starts. At times, Sanchez found himself on the sideline soaking it all in.


"It just blows your mind," he said. "It's unbelievable. I hope I have this feeling next week."

Sanchez was by far the lowest-ranked passer in the playoffs, throwing 20 interceptions in his rookie season -- second-most in the league. The Bengals wanted to put the game in his hands. Playing without a glove on his passing hand in an 8-degree wind chill, the kid from Southern California handled it without a bobble.

Afterward, the team presented a game ball to owner Woody Johnson, whose daughter, Casey, was found dead in her Los Angeles home on Monday. Johnson's eyes were red as he left the locker room.

The Jets also had a scare at the outset when punter Steve Weatherford was ruled out because of dizziness and an elevated heartbeat. Kicker Jay Feely punted for the first time in his NFL career, averaging 31 yards on seven kicks. He also made a 20-yard field goal with 5:47 to go that put Cincinnati too far behind.

"I was so happy that I was kicking a field goal (then) instead of punting," Feely said. "That was great."

The Jets pulled ahead 14-7 by halftime with two big plays off Sanchez's hand. He faked a handoff and made a perfect pitchout to Greene, who needed only one block to find open space for a 39-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career.

In the second quarter, Sanchez caught the Bengals off-guard. He rolled to his right and found tight end Dustin Keller running uncovered beyond the secondary. The throw was perfect, and Keller kept his balance for the last 15 yards while safety Chinedum Ndukwe vainly tried to knock him out of bounds.

At halftime, Sanchez was 7 of 10 for 94 yards with a passer rating of 132.9. It could have been even better -- Braylon Edwards let a pass slip through his hands in the end zone.

Sanchez led an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in Thomas Jones' 9-yard run for a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter. Benson broke a 47-yard touchdown run -- the longest in Bengals playoff history -- that got Cincinnati within a touchdown, but Sanchez and Greene turned it on again.

The game ended with a little more Jets serendipity. Shayne Graham, the Bengals' franchise-tagged player, missed two field goals in the second half, including a 28-yarder with 3:49 to go that essentially sealed it.

Notes: Greene was the third rookie since 2000 to rush for 100 yards in a playoff game. ... Feely had one punt in college and didn't punt in high school. ... Bengals LB Rashad Jeanty broke his left leg on the opening kickoff. ... Bengals WRs Laveranues Coles (thumb) and Andre Caldwell (ankle) suffered injuries in the second quarter, but returned in the second half. ... Palmer said he'll have surgery on his left (non-throwing) thumb, which he injured in the fifth game of the season. He wore a removable brace for the rest of the season.

Story courtesy of:

The Associated Press

With Holliday signed, focus turns to Pujols

Cards first baseman could hit open market after '11 season

By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

01/08/10 1:00 AM EST

ST. LOUIS -- As the Cardinals introduced Matt Holliday as their newest re-acquisition, an air of celebration filled the press conference room at Busch Stadium. In under 24 hours, though, the club's front office gets back to work on matters large and small -- one of them bigger and potentially even more difficult than retaining Holliday's services for seven more years.


By locking up Holliday to a seven-year, $120-million deal, the Redbirds cleared their last major bit of business as far as assembling their 2010 roster. They may yet add a third baseman, or a fifth starter, or help for their bullpen or bench, but Holliday was the biggest piece. Any remaining moves will be complementary.

However, another task looms. Albert Pujols is two seasons away from free agency, and now that Holliday's services are secured, the Cardinals may soon look to re-up their signature player.

"I would say in the not-too-distant future," said the team's principal owner, Bill DeWitt Jr. "He does have two years left, so it's not like he's about to enter Spring Training in his last year. I think the pace will be dictated somewhat by how he feels about it, how he sees things shaping up, and his representatives."

General manager John Mozeliak emphasized that the Cards didn't necessarily have to finish dealings with Holliday and his agent, Scott Boras, before moving on to negotiating with Pujols and his representatives from the Beverly Hills Sports Council. But given that Pujols himself has indicated that the club should square away Holliday before turning to him, it was clear the order in which things would happen.

"I've said this all along on this one," Mozeliak said. "It's going to be something that Albert and his agents and I, we'll know when the time is right. Frankly, when it is right, nobody is going to know about it anyway. It's just going to be something that we would privately want to discuss."

Holliday's deal is worth $17 million in each of the seven guaranteed seasons. However, $2 million of that will be deferred to the years 2020-29, so the present-day value is closer to $16 million a year. That's still a lot. But the Cardinals believe they can carry that salary plus whatever it will take to lock up Pujols long-term -- and it will surely be more than Holliday is making.

"We look at the AAV a little differently than just the gross number, because obviously when you defer, you [reduce] present value and it's a lesser number," DeWitt said. "We think it's a number that we can live with, re-sign Albert and have a really strong, contending team around those cornerstones."

That doesn't mean it will be easy. Any estimate, even a conservative one, places an average salary on a new Pujols deal at somewhere north of $20 million per season. Mark Teixeira makes $22.5 million a year, and Alex Rodriguez averages $27.5 million. They are the two closest analogs for Pujols among currently-signed players.

Thus, if the Cardinals remain at an annual player payroll of close to $100 million, they would be committing 40 percent or more to two players.

"It doesn't really expose you, it just changes your flexibility in certain areas," Mozeliak said. "But it's no different than other years where you've had resources tied up in different positions. This is perhaps 20 percent more dramatic, but it's still something that if you operate under [those] assumptions, you still have 50-plus million to allocate and to complement your club. That's a lot."

As the long, slow dance between the Cardinals and Boras ground through December, the agent specifically tied Holliday to Pujols. He told reporters during baseball's annual Winter Meetings that he believed re-signing Holliday would increase the Cardinals' chances of retaining Pujols. He softened that connection a bit on Thursday, but didn't dismiss it entirely.

"I always felt that the signing of Matt Holliday would help keep any St. Louis Cardinals player, not just Albert Pujols," Boras said.

"[Holliday] is part of the matrix for success for a team. The important thing about what players consider is that Matt is such a, he's just synergistic to what most players want to do, and that's to win and succeed."

That is, in fact, exactly what Pujols has repeatedly said he wants to do. Every time he has answered questions about his contract, he has been consistent. He wants to play for a winner. While it's possible the Holliday contract will hamstring the Cardinals down the road, it surely indicates that the organization is willing to spend money in an attempt to compete.

"Getting a chance to play with the guys on this team that I got a chance to play with for two months, obviously Albert's a huge part of that, but there's other players and people that were part of that decision," Holliday said. "Getting a chance to play and watch Albert, be on the same team with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, the list goes on and on. All those guys, and Albert particularly, did weigh in that decision. Hopefully he'll be here for the rest of his career and we can do some damage."

Story courtesy of:

Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Gilbert Arenas indefinitely suspended by NBA

NEW YORK (AP)—Some of his teammates laughed when Gilbert Arenas(notes) pointed his index fingers at them, as if they were guns.

David Stern didn’t.

Stern hasn’t found any of Arenas’ behavior funny lately, so on Wednesday he handed down a punishment he wasn’t expected to deliver until much later.

Arenas was suspended indefinitely without pay by the NBA commissioner, who determined the Washington Wizards guard was “not currently fit to take the court.”

AP - Jan 6, 5:07 pm EST
A day after Arenas made the gesture with his fingers toward his teammates who encircled him before a game in Philadelphia, Stern warned the former All-Star that his conduct will “ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse.”

Arenas is under investigation by federal and local authorities after admittedly bringing guns to the Wizards’ locker room. Stern said he intended to wait for that to be completed before taking action, and directed the Wizards to do the same.

He changed his mind a day after the Philadelphia game, when Arenas said he feared Stern more than the authorities because the commissioner was “mean.”

“Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game,” Stern said in a statement. “Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

Though Arenas first apologized Monday for his poor judgment and promised “to do better in the future,” he also joked on Twitter about the incident and the media firestorm it created.

That was the wrong tact for Stern, whose league has taken another public relations hit.

“The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us,” Stern said.

With each game he misses, Arenas will lose about $147,200 of the $16.2 million he will earn in the second season of a six-year, $111 million contract. The punishment came on his 28th birthday.

“I feel very badly that my actions have caused the NBA to suspend me, but I understand why the league took this action,” Arenas said in a statement through his attorney. “I put the NBA in a negative light and let down my teammates and our fans. I am very sorry for doing that.”

Arenas added that he had called Stern to apologize.

“While I never intended any harm or disrespect to the NBA or anyone else, my gun possession at the Verizon Center and my attempts at humor showed terrible judgment,” he said. “I take full responsibility for my conduct.”

Arenas said he brought four guns to the Verizon Center because he wanted them out of his house after his daughter was born. But two officials within the league who have been briefed on the investigation have told The Associated Press that the incident stemmed from a dispute over card-playing gambling debts and a heated discussion in the locker room with teammate Javaris Crittenton(notes). The New York Post reported that the two teammates drew weapons on each other.

Arenas said in a statement Monday that he took unloaded guns from his locker in a “misguided effort to play a joke” on a teammate.

“Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong,” Arenas said. “I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns—even if unloaded.”

Stern said members of the Wizards organization are still being interviewed by authorities.

“Some are scheduled for appearance before the grand jury and the investigation is proceeding with the intensity that one would expect for such a serious incident,” Stern said.

The story could get worse. The Washington Post, citing two firsthand accounts of the confrontation, reported on its Web site that Crittenton brandished his own gun and loaded a clip of ammunition into it. Arenas spoke to the district attorney about Crittenton’s loaded gun, a person with knowledge of Arenas’ testimony told the Post.

Crittenton told the Post in a series of text messages that the account was “false.”

“I have done nothing wrong. Let the investigation process take its course and you will see that,” Crittenton told the Post. “My name is dying in this situation.”

Arenas has been suspended once before because of a gun-related matter. He sat out Washington’s season opener in 2004 because he failed to maintain proper registration of a handgun while living in California in 2003 and playing for the Golden State Warriors.

The Wizards supported Stern’s decision in a statement attributed to president Ernie Grunfeld and the Pollin family, which owns the team. The late Abe Pollin changed the team’s name from the Bullets because of the violent connotation.

“Strictly legal issues aside, Gilbert’s recent behavior and statements, including his actions and statements last night in Philadelphia, are unacceptable,” the statement said. “Some of our other players appeared to find Gilbert’s behavior in Philadelphia amusing. This is also unacceptable.”

Union executive director Billy Hunter said the players association will wait until the investigation is complete before taking any action.

Since the firearms language was strengthened in the 2005 collective bargaining agreement, NBA players are subject to discipline if they bring guns to the arena or practice facility, or even an offsite promotional appearance. That gave Stern the option of taking action now instead of waiting until the completion of the criminal case, as he usually does.

Arenas’ suspension deprives the Wizards of their top scorer and on-court leader. After Arenas left the team in Cleveland, the Wizards fell to 11-22, last in the Southeast Division, with a 121-98 loss to the Cavaliers.

AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich and Joseph White in Washington, an AP freelance writer Jason Lloyd in Cleveland contributed to this report.

Updated 7 hours, 37 minutes ago

Story courtesy of:
Brian Mahoney, AP Basketball Writer

Bears Coach Lovie Smith to return, but Turner among those who won't be back

By: Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 1/5/2010 9:47 PM

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Bears coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo will remain in their respective positions, but other significant changes will be announced today at a 2 p.m. news conference that will be streamed live on ChicagoBears.com.

The moves begin on the offensive side of the ball, where coordinator Ron Turner has been relieved of his duties. Others who won’t return include position coaches Pep Hamilton (quarterbacks), Harry Hiestand (line) and Rob Boras (tight ends), and assistants Luke Butkus and Charles London.


Ron Turner replaced Terry Shea as Bears offensive coordinator in 2005.
The changes come after the Bears went 7-9 and failed to make the playoffs for the third straight season. Since reaching Super Bowl XLI in 2006, Smith has compiled a 23-25 record.

Acquiring Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler in a blockbuster trade in April created euphoria both inside and outside of Halas Hall. But Cutler struggled with interceptions and didn’t get much help from an inconsistent defense and an unproductive running game.

The Bears followed a promising 3-1 start by losing eight of 10 games before closing the season with back-to-back victories over the NFC North champion Vikings and the hapless Lions. In those two contests, Cutler became the first quarterback in Bears history to pass for at least four touchdowns in consecutive games as the offense racked up 73 points, 781 yards and 41 first downs.

But the late surge wasn’t enough to save Turner’s job. In his five seasons in his second stint as Bears offensive coordinator, the offense ranked 29th, 15th, 27th, 26th and 23rd in total yards. Turner’s best year was in 2006 when he helped the Bears reach the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman at quarterback. This season a unit that had six new starters ranked 29th rushing and 17th passing.

Smith has compiled a 54-46 record in six seasons as coach. He led the Bears to the NFC North title in 2005 before repeating that accomplishment en route to the Super Bowl the following season.

If Smith is able to guide the Bears back into the playoffs in 2010, he wouldn’t be the first NFL coach to experience a three-year drought between post-season appearances with the same team. Bill Cowher did it in Pittsburgh, as did Mike Holmgren in Seattle and Jeff Fisher in Tennessee.

Story courtesy of:

Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 1/5/2010 9:47 PM

Shanahan signs five-year contract to coach Redskins

The last time Dan Snyder went looking for a coach, he used a whole month, exhausted his entire list of candidates and settled for a novice who yielded little power, didn't always receive his due respect and went 12-20.

This time, the Washington Redskins' owner needed one day to land his No. 1 target: Mike Shanahan, who brings two Super Bowl rings and a reputation for wanting the final say.

The franchise's major overhaul after a troubled season will take another step Wednesday when Shanahan is introduced as coach at a 2 p.m. ET news conference that will be streamed live on NFL.com and also air on NFL Network. Shanahan signed his contact Tuesday, according to the team's Web site.


David Zalubowski / Associated Press
Mike Shanahan compiled a .599 winning percentage
in 14 seasons with the Broncos and becomes the second-winningest active coach behind Bill Belichick.

Shanahan's career as Broncos coach
Seasons 14
Regular-season W-L 138-86
Playoff W-L 8-5
Winning seasons 9
Losing seasons 2
Playoff appearances 7
Division titles 3
Super Bowl wins 2

"We needed a guy like Mike Shanahan," Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. "We needed a proven leader, a proven winner. He's definitely going to get these guys motivated and get the most out of all of them."

Shanahan received a five-year contract, a source with knowledge of the situation told NFL Network's Jason La Canfora. The hire came less than 48 hours after the Redskins fired Jim Zorn and less than three weeks after front-office chief Vinny Cerrato resigned and quickly was replaced by general manager Bruce Allen.

In less than a month, the Redskins have gone from an organization that revolved primarily around Snyder and yes-man Cerrato to one that includes two established decision-makers.

Citing a league source, La Canfora reports that Shanahan will hire his son, Kyle, away from the Houston Texans to be the Redskins' offensive coordinator. The Redskins also are prepared to interview Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer for the same position should his team lose at home to the New York Jets in an AFC wild-card playoff game Saturday, according to a league source.

Should Shanahan not hire Zimmer, former New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett is another possibility, league sources indicated to La Canfora. Haslett recently coached in the UFL, and there are rumblings in coaching circles that Shanahan isn’t averse to going with a 3-4 defense in Washington.

The Redskins are 82-99 since Snyder bought the team, missing the playoffs in eight of 11 seasons. Shanahan will be Washington's seventh coach since Snyder came along in 1999 -- a stretch that has included just two playoff victories for a team that proudly displays three shiny Super Bowl championship trophies in the lobby of its practice facility.

The toll of mediocre records and accompanying fan unrest left Snyder little choice but to hire established names and put them in charge. The messy 2009 season managed to spill over into yet another day Tuesday, when quarterback Jason Campbell and running Clinton Portis traded barbs about leadership in separate interviews on the radio and the Internet.

Shanahan won the Super Bowl title twice in 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos, but he was fired a year ago after they missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Shanahan made the playoffs in half of his seasons in Denver and had just two losing seasons -- 6-10 in 1999 and 7-9 in 2007. His greatest successes came early, winning consecutive Super Bowls after the 1997 and '98 seasons with a team led by quarterback John Elway.

Shanahan's career regular-season record is 146-98, including 138-86 with the Broncos from 1995 to 2008 and 8-12 with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1988 and 1989. Shanahan's playoff record is 8-5.

Zorn lost 18 of his last 24 games after a 6-2 start in 2008. Some Redskins players spoke Monday -- the day the first-time head coach was let go with a year left on his contract -- about a lack of discipline this season and preferential treatment given to some players.

Now there's someone with a solid track record in charge -- and players didn't have to wait a month for him to arrive.

"You always wonder what's going to be happen. You don't want to be on pins and needles," defensive end Andre Carter said. "When we had the team meeting with Bruce Allen, he told us something would happen hastily. He wasn't joking when he said that."

Story courtesy of:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Holliday agrees to mega-deal with Cards

Guaranteed $120M over seven years, richest in club history-


01/05/10 8:46 PM EST

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals got their man. Matt Holliday got his contract.


Holliday announced on Tuesday that he is coming back to the Cardinals on a seven-year deal with an option for 2017, agreeing to a guaranteed $120 million -- the richest contract in club history. He announced his decision on ESPN Radio.

Negotiations between the team and agent Scott Boras were lengthy, and at times difficult, but in the end, both sides got what they wanted. The Cardinals secured the services of a player they paid dearly to acquire, and Holliday got a long and lucrative contract.

"Sometimes when you take a big-picture look at things, it's overwhelming," Holliday told Doug Gottlieb on ESPN Radio. "Obviously my wife [Leslee] and I feel like we're very blessed. It is a tremendous amount of money. When you're a little kid growing up who hopes to be a professional baseball player and hopes to play in the Major Leagues, I don't think you ever think about the money. Now that you look at it and it's that kind of money, it's a little overwhelming."

Finalization of the deal is pending a physical exam. The Cardinals confirmed in a statement that an agreement is in place, however. The club said that a formal announcement regarding Holliday will come within the next 48 hours.

Boras confirmed that the guaranteed value of the seven-year contract is worth an even $17 million per year, including a full no-trade clause. The latter provision tends to be a major point of emphasis for Boras.


HOT STOVE'S BIG DEALS
Matt Holliday's new deal, worth a guaranteed $120 million over seven years, ranks as the biggest contract of the offseason so far.

Player Team Deal Yrs. Avg.
Matt Holliday STL $120M 7 $17.1M
John Lackey BOS $82.5M 5 $16.5M
Jason Bay NYM $66M 4 $16.5M
Chone Figgins LAA $36M 4 $9M
Randy Wolf MIL $29.75M 3 $9.9M

The contract includes a $17 million vesting option for 2017, which will kick in if Holliday finishes in the top 10 in National League Most Valuable Player voting in 2016.

The Associated Press reported that the buyout on the vesting option is worth $1 million, making the total guaranteed value of the pact $120 million. If the option vests, Holliday will receive $136 million over the life of the pact. However, The AP also reported that the contract includes some deferred money, which would lower the present-day value of the contract to $16 million per year.

The deal gives Holliday the longest guarantee of any current Cardinal and the largest contract in club history, surpassing Albert Pujols' seven-year, $100 million contract.

Boras said that Holliday's choices with other clubs included shorter contracts with a higher average annual value.

"There were options," Boras said. "Matt gave me direction to pursue some options in advance of others. But certainly it was a process for him where he really had an opportunity to choose a direction that was most given to his and Leslee's needs."

Holliday spent the first five years of his Major League career with Colorado. After the Rockies determined they would be unable to sign him once he reached free agency, they traded him last winter to Oakland.

The A's then shipped Holliday to St. Louis in July for a package of prospects headed by burgeoning offensive talent Brett Wallace. He thrived upon arrival, hitting .353 with a .419 on-base percentage and .604 slugging percentage as a Cardinal.

However, Holliday struggled somewhat in the Cards' Division Series loss to Los Angeles, going 2-for-12 and famously dropping a ninth-inning fly ball in Game 2. Still, his overall experience with the Cardinals was a positive one, and he remembered that when it came to be decision time.

"The way Cardinal fans treated me the entire time I was there, from the first at-bat until the last at-bat, I definitely think that's something you consider, and something I did consider," Holliday told Gottlieb. "I was obviously very appreciative of the way I was treated there. Those things do weigh into your decision-making. I think every player wants to be appreciated for playing hard and playing well, and I think they definitely do that."

With Holliday back in the fold, the Cardinals have committed approximately $80.5 million in salaries for 2010. Salaries for arbitration-eligible and pre-arbitration players have yet to be determined, but will likely take the total up to around $93-94 million.

Assuming the Cardinals come in with a payroll of approximately $100 million, that means they still have some leeway to sign another player or two. The club has interest in a starting pitcher, a bat or two off the bench, and possibly a third baseman and a right-handed reliever.

Story courtesy of:

Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.