News sport : Steelers hit Matt Ryan with textbook sack, draw controversial flag

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It's fashionable in these days of a concussion-conscious NFL to decry the heavy bias toward offense, to gripe that flag-happy refs are ruining the game, that back in the old days you could rip a guy's arm off and beat him with it and there weren't no penalty flags 'cause that was just GOOD HARD FOOTBALL, DADGUM IT. You can safely ignore about 95 percent of these kinds of complaints, primarily because we're living in an era where a quarterback can break out for 50 fantasy points, which makes at least one person in every league happy.


However, every so often we see a play that makes everyone rethink the direction in which the NFL is headed. Midway through the second quarter, the Atlanta Falcons were driving on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Matt Ryan dropped back, looked for an open man, and ...



BOOM. That looked like a classic QB sack, the kind of play you don't often see in the NFL because it's such a total breakdown in protec - wait, what? A flag?


Yes indeed. Refs threw the flag on Pittsburgh linebacker Jason Worilds, dinging him for roughing the passer and giving Atlanta 15 yards and a fresh set of downs. Atlanta picked up a touchdown soon afterward.


A highly unscientific poll on Twitter found fans against the penalty by a rough margin of 100-to-zero. Even typically pro-ref Fox Sports commentator Mike Pereira didn't care for this one:



Generally, people who gripe about the good ol' days are the kind of people with whom you should avoid eye contact while backing away slowly, but in this case, those folks might just be correct.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



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News sport : Video: Why Oregon kids thought Marcus Mariota should win the Heisman

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Kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Emerald Valley had some great reasons why Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was a deserving Heisman winner on Saturday night.


Mariota spends time with the kids from the group and unbeknownst to him, they recorded a video supporting Mariota's case for Heisman. Before the Heisman presentation, Mariota saw the video, and his reaction is great.


You can see how Mariota is genuinely touched by the myriad of reasons presented by the kids in the video. Our favorite was Dorin because of the puppets and his awesome afro.


- - - - - - -


Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Santana Moss ejected, but Jay Gruden had no clue it happened

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The Washington Redskins are something else.


The team's season-long drama added another chapter in just one half on Sunday as Colt McCoy was injured, Robert Griffin III replaced him and Santana Moss was ejected right after halftime.


Fun stuff.


Here's the video of Moss getting in a referee's face and drawing the flag and the boot in Washington's game against the New York Giants:



Griffin's would-be touchdown run was wiped out right before the half when it was ruled that he had fumbled the ball as he went into the end zone.


Perhaps Moss was irked over that. But the best part of the story is that his head coach, Jay Gruden, had no clue Moss was tossed. Fox sideline reporter Tony Siragusa was the one who informed Gruden of it.


So Redskins.


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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Johnny Nightmare: Manziel's first half as a starter is awful

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So this is what we waited for so breathlessly?


Johnny Manziel finally got his first career start for the Cleveland Browns, and the first half was a debacle. Now we know why the Browns waited so long to give him a shot.


Of all the milestones we've tracked for Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, we also got his first career NFL interception, on a pass that he waited way too long to throw. That won't work in the NFL.



Shortly after Manziel threw that one, he threw another across the middle that went off his receiver's hands to Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga, but that was wiped out due to penalty. No worries, Manziel threw another pick that counted late in the half, when he was scrambling around and tried to make a play to the end zone, and it was easily picked off by Adam Jones.


The first half was brutal for Manziel and the Browns. They trailed 20-0 and Manziel was 4-of-9 for 22 yards. It's not that surprising that Manziel would have some rookie mistakes in his first half of being a starter, but wow.


The good news is, it can only go up from there for Manziel. Probably.


- - - - - - -


Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : NBA look ahead: The Fantasy Five

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This column will concentrate on borderline fantasy options who should get strong consideration to start/bench during the upcoming week based on schedules.



Enes Kanter: After averaging a double-double in March and finishing with an even bigger April (15.0 ppg and 12.8 rpg) last year, Kanter looked like a breakout candidate this season. Instead, the 22-year-old got off to an extremely slow start, and all the preseason talk about him launching threes has resulted in a total of seven so far on the year. However, the big man has turned it around of late, as he's been a top-50 player over the last two weeks and has upped his season FG percentage to 53.3 (despite attempting 1.1 threes per game). Moreover, Derrick Favors left Utah's last game with an ankle injury (which resulted in Kanter attempting 17 field goals) that might sideline him a while, and the Jazz play four games this week. Kanter is owned in a modest 62 percent of Yahoo leagues and could be a sneaky start.



Mason Plumlee: He's averaging 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 63.6 percent from the floor over the past two games, and Brook Lopez remains sidelined with a lower back strain. There's no guarantee how long Plumlee will stick in the starting lineup, but the Nets play a league-high four games this week, with all of the opponents coming against teams that rank in the bottom half of the NBA in Defensive Efficiency.



Danny Green: He certainly doesn't seem like a star averaging just 11.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 1.7 apg, but Green has added 1.3 spg, 1.2 bpg and 2.3 3pt while committing just 1.2 tpg. As a result, he's quietly been the No. 16 fantasy player this season (and No. 7 over the past month). Green's Usage Rate (15.5) is actually tied for the second lowest of his career, but his 29:29 mpg are easily the most of his career. The Spurs play four games this week, with two of them falling on the second of back-to-backs, which means there's a real chance guys like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and/or Tony Parker sit out. It's crazy Green is still available in nearly 20 percent of Yahoo leagues.



Patrick Patterson: He's seen a major bump in Usage Rate since DeMar DeRozan has been out, despite him coming off the bench still. Patterson has averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 2.7 threes while shooting 60.0 percent from the floor over the past three games and has been a top-50 player over the last two weeks. Toronto possesses the second-best Offensive Efficiency in the NBA this season and has a favorable schedule this week (playing four games against mostly weak defenses). Patterson is owned in just 23 percent of Yahoo leagues, which is too low.



Harrison Barnes: The former top-10 pick has resurrected his career under new coach Steve Kerr, no longer relegated to a bench role that featured him mostly utilized in isolation plays like last season. In fact, Barnes sports a 64.2 True Shooting Percentage (No. 16 in the NBA) and has been a top-30 fantasy player over the past week. However, he's a candidate to bench this week, as the Warriors are the only team in the league to play just two games. Golden State is on a 15-game winning streak and has the second-highest PACE in the NBA, but they are a deep team (and there's a chance David Lee returns soon), and the Warriors' upcoming schedule hurts Barnes' short-term fantasy value.



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News sport : Report: NFL will narrow goalposts for Pro Bowl game

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The Pro Bowl is one of the least compelling competitions in all of professional sports. And with all due respect to the kickers who master their craft and reach the Pro Bowl, there's nothing less meaningful than a field goal attempt in the Pro Bowl. With that in mind, the NFL will be narrowing the goal posts by more than four feet to 14 feet. The news was first reported by Fox Sports' Jay Glazer:





Look, on one hand, narrowing the field goals at the Pro Bowl is the definition of meaningless change. Shoot, why not have kickers try to kick through a hoop of fire? Why not put the goalpost on a track and move it during the kick? Anything to liven up that game.


But it's worth noting that the NFL has long sought ways to make field goal kicking a more difficult procedure. Kickers are so good these days that extra points are the statistical equivalent of automatic, and field goals don't even get interesting until they get out past 40 yards. If this works, expect the NFL to test narrower field goals during preseason very soon in preparation for possible full-scale change.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



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News sport : Cal women's basketball participates in 'Black Lives Matter' movement

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Photos via Cal women's basketball

Instead of donning the same "I Can't Breathe" shirts worn by many other college and NBA teams during the past week, the Cal women's basketball team opted for something slightly more powerful.


Before its 58-56 loss to Long Beach State on Saturday night, the Bears wore homemade shirts featuring the names of black victims of violence on the front and the words “Black Lives Matter,” and “We Are Cal” on the back. Cal players also struck a "hands up, don't shoot" pose during the national anthem.


“Of course losing this game is disappointing," Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in a postgame statement. Saturday night. "That said, however, I’m not sure I’ve ever been more proud of these players or our whole team and staff.


"As student-athletes at Cal, our young women have a voice and a platform, and they chose to use it today. They want to be part of a solution, and they took the steps that were in their power today."


The "I Can't Breathe" shirts worn by athletes this week were meant to be a declaration of support for the family of Eric Garner, who died July 17 after a New York police officer placed him in a chokehold while arresting him. A recording shows Garner gasping the words "I can't breathe" during the fatal encounter.


LeBron James, Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant are among the players who have donned the shirts in the wake of a grand jury decision not to indict the officer. The idea is to maintain the spotlight on Garner's death and the issue of police conduct.


Gottlieb said her players initially approached her about wearing "I Can't Breathe" shirts before next Sunday's game against Louisville, but an incident on campus convinced the Bears to act sooner. Three cardboard cutouts of African-Americans were found hanging in effigy by nooses Saturday morning on famous landmarks on Cal's campus.


"These images may have been to bring awareness to injustice, or they may have been an act of cruelty; either way, they elicited strong emotions from everyone," Gottlieb said. "The entire team came to me. They were compelled to act. We met for 45 minutes about how to best use our voices. As a group, they decided to wear shirts that brought attention to lives lost – recently and throughout history – and to stand and say that black lives matter; all lives matter.


"I wish we had won today. It was a brutal loss, but our players wearing handmade shirt to symbolize something poignant and important is what I will remember proudly from today."


- - - - - - -


Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


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News sport : New York Post kicks off 'Suck for the Duck' campaign for Mariota

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Somewhere, Shakespeare is smiling.


The New York Jets are awful. There's no way around that. And they're going to keep on being awful until they get one, or two, or 22 players to replace the current crop. With much of the blame focusing right on the key quarterback position, the New York Post kicked off an inspiring marketing campaign designed to bring Oregon's Heisman-winning Marcus Mariota to the Jets: "Suck for the Duck."


Yeah, you could go with "Tap Out Early and Go Get Gurley" or "Lamest for Jameis," but no, "Suck for the Duck" seems to be the catchiest, as well as the most viable for the Jets' chances in coming years.


The trick, of course, is that the Jets are not the only team that could use Mariota. For some inexplicable reason, teams that are terrible are also teams in dire need of a quarterback. So New York will be trying to beat out Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Oakland and Washington. (Only Jacksonville, with Blake Bortles, appears reasonably set at the QB position among the NFL's worst teams.) Washington is 3-10; all the others, including the Jets, are 2-11. We're in for a humdinger of a tankfest.


And now, we've got a slogan to carry us through until April. We look forward to seeing this on signs and t-shirts at the final three Jets games, and well beyond.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



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Rodgers drops Mignolet for United clash

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Reds keeper Simon Mignolet has been left out of the starting line-up for his side’s game at United on Sunday.


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Manchester – Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was left out of the starting line-up for his side’s Premier League game at Manchester United on Sunday, with Australian Brad Jones starting instead.


Belgium international Mignolet, who joined Liverpool from Sunderland in 2013, has been criticised for some of his performances this season.


“I just felt that we needed to change the goalkeeper,” said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, whose side were eliminated from the Champions League by Swiss champions Basel in mid-week.


“Brad Jones has been a very loyal number two, Simon Mignolet has played a lot of games, and there is the need for change.


“The rest and coming out of the spotlight will do Simon the world of good. It is no gamble. Brad is experienced, he’s been at the club a long time. I have no qualms about playing Brad Jones.”


Italy striker Mario Balotelli, who has not played since November 8 due to a groin injury, was named on the Liverpool bench.


Rickie Lambert dropped out of the team, leaving Liverpool without a recognised striker. Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling were expected to form a fluid front three.


Phil Jones returned in central defence for United after two months out due to a shin injury, while 19-year-old striker James Wilson partnered Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in attack.


Explaining his decision to select Wilson over loan signing Radamel Falcao, United manager Louis van Gaal said: “Radamel Falcao is fit to start. We need James Wilson in this match because of his speed.”


United, who have won their last five league games, are bidding to return to within five points of second-place Manchester City, while Liverpool went into the game seven points below the top four in ninth place. – Sapa-AFP






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United’s loss is Sociedad’s gain

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Midfielder Esteban Granero believes David Moyes could become a fan favourite at Real Sociedad.


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London – Manchester United’s loss is Real Sociedad’s gain, according to midfielder Esteban Granero, who believes David Moyes can emulate former manager John Toshack and become a fan favourite at the Basque Country club.


Moyes joined the struggling Spanish side last month looking to rebuild a reputation badly damaged by an ill-fated 10-month spell at Old Trafford where he replaced retired Alex Ferguson.


Toshack also arrived for the first of three spells at the northern Spain club with something to prove after an underwhelming one-year reign at Portuguese side Sporting.


He won the King’s Cup in 1987 and endeared himself to the club’s fans for coining a new brand of “Spanglish”, literally translating English phrases into Spanish with comic effect.


Moyes has already been teased for saying “uno, dos, tres, cuatro” in Spanish at a recent news conference and was pictured mistakenly shouting “Stefano” to Granero in his first game in charge.


“Toshack was a legend because of what he achieved, not because of the phrases but they added to the legend,” Granero said in an interview in the Independent.


“Aside from the excellent translator (Moyes) has alongside him, there are five or six players who speak English and our goalkeeper Enaut Zubikarai has just started with an English teacher, too.


“Harry’s [Redknapp, Granero’s manager at Queens Park Rangers in 2013] London accent made him tougher for me to understand than David.”


When Moyes was confirmed as their new manager Granero phoned close friend Juan Mata, who Moyes brought to Old Trafford for a then club record transfer fee of 37.1 million pounds ($61.22 million) in January.


“Juan spoke very highly of him,” Granero added.


“We all know what the big clubs are like - the criticism comes quickly and the coach always pays. But their loss is now our gain.”


Sociedad finished fourth in La Liga in 2012-13 and seventh last season but have struggled so far in this campaign, winning only three of 14 league games to sit 15th.


But Granero, a La Liga winner at Real Madrid in 2012, believes Moyes can lead the side back to the Champions League.


“That is the challenge. The president wants it and I think the coach has come for that. We achieved it last season and we want it again. We know we have to go one step at a time but we have to be confident and ambitious.” – Reuters






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Pitso Down(s) on his luck

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Downs coach Pitso Mosimane has resorted to the blame game to explain his side’s 1-1 draw on Saturday.


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Pretoria – Baffled by Mamelodi Sundowns’ substandard performance against University of Pretoria, coach Pitso Mosimane played the blame-game when explaining the 1-1 draw on Saturday.


“I thought the pitch was a bit heavy and they (Tuks) are used to it. And the ball that we used – I don’t know what kind of ball is that. I told the players let’s not focus on the ball. Both teams play with the ball but they train with it,” Mosimane said.


A valiant AmaTuks gave the defending champions a scare as they held them to a draw at the Tuks Stadium.


Sundowns subsequently failed to close the lead held by Kaizer Chiefs atop the table which now stands at 15 points.


The university club took the lead through a Thabo Mnyamane tap-in in the 36th minute after Sundowns goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene parried the ball in his path through a Geoffrey Massa free-kick.


AmaTuks dominated the first-half, but Sundowns replied in the second with Khama Billiat scoring from close range in the 50th minute.


With Sundowns having failed to show impetus, Mosimane bemoaned his team’s lack of edge during the encounter.


“We had a very disappointing first-half we woke up too late. As a coach you try not to put too much pressure but try to address the issues.


“Let’s be honest it’s a game we should have won not to disrespect our opponent. We should have done better.


“I spoke with the players before the game that it was a dangerous game for us and that we could not afford to get complacent. But we started slow and we just could not get going.”


Once again Sundowns conceded from a set-piece play as AmaTuks punished Mweene for his mistake.


An annoyed Mosimane lambasted his team’s defensive effort and vowed to continue to work on it in training.


“We lost concentration and we just have to keep working on it. We conceded the goal, but I didn’t panic because I knew that we would score.”


AmaTuks remain in search of their first win since the departure of former coach Steve Barker to AmaZulu, having lost one and drawn two in that time.


Replacement coach Sammy Troughton heaped praise on his players for showing fearless courage against the Premiership heavyweights.


“We said at half-time let’s keep it tight in the first few minute but they got the goal,” Troughton said.


“I am very happy with the player’s commitment. Our players managed to do well against a team with so much quality at their disposal.”


In their quest for a win, Troughton said they would continue to be bold in their approach in upcoming fixtures.


“We have to be brave and go for it to get three points.


“With the position we are in, we have decided we can’t wait for the opposition to come to us. We have to be disciplined and we have to get better.”


AmaTuks face Polokwane City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, while Sundowns take on Maritzburg United at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Tuesday. – Sapa






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Draw kicks off Champions League

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The Champions League begins for real when the last-16 knockout draw is made on Monday.


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Madrid – With the group stage over, the Champions League begins for real when the last-16 knockout draw is made on Monday.


The past four winners – Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Barcelona – cruised through qualifying with only Barcelona pushed to win its group and secure seeded status.


Borussia Dortmund and Porto, both former European champions, last season’s runner-up Atletico Madrid and surprise club Monaco are also seeded as group winners.


Juventus is the only former champion among unseeded group runners-up, which all host first-leg matches Feb. 17-18 and 24-25. Return matches are March 10-11 and 17-18.


The others are: Arsenal, advancing for a 15th straight year, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Basel, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke and Shakhtar Donetsk.


Clubs cannot face an opponent from their own country or qualifying group. – Sapa-AP






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Baxter spooked by unruly fans

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A love-hate relationship that fans have with striker Kingston Nkhatha has got to the Chiefs coach.


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Johannesburg – Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter said he might have to consider leaving the club after Amakhosi strengthened their grip on the Premier League title race.


On Saturday, Amakhosi had a 1-0 victory over Chippa United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.


The popular and successful coach made the shocking announcement after the ongoing vendetta that Chiefs’ myriad of supporters have waged against 29-year-old Zimbabwean striker Kingston Nkhatha.


Baxter said the feud – that reached a crescendo during the game – was “a totally unacceptable situation”.


“Continually berating a player who has always given the club 110 percent effort and loyalty and is an integral part of the team,” he said.


“The only aspect that the fans can hold against Kingston is that because of his relentless, never-say-die style of play, he finds himself with more scoring opportunities than most other players and therefore logically misses scoring more often than others.


“But in spite of this he is a model, disciplined player as far as I am concerned and fills the role I have designated for him in the team’s planning.”


Baxter said he had to think “long and hard” whether it was worth remaining with a club whose supporters treated one of their own players, who had helped the team to Premier League, Nedbank Cup and MTN8 honours, in such a crass and cruel manner.


“In other respects my stay with Chiefs over the past two seasons has been everything and more than I could have expected,” he said.


“But the Nkhatha issue is a serious one and has to be redressed.”


Meanwhile Nkhatha, who failed to score from two golden opportunities against Chippa on Saturday night, has shrugged off “the boo boys” in the past with the comment: “I’m a professional. I have to take the good and the bad that is thrown at me in my stride. Otherwise it will destroy me.”


The Zimbabwean international has played more than 60 games for Chiefs since joining the club from Black Leopards three seasons ago and scored more than 20 goals.


He has remained the player the fans love to hate.


Apart from the Nkhatha issue, Baxter said he was well-pleased with the performance that left Chiefs with a dominant 14 point lead in the log table.


“We started a little lethargically, but then the players showed their professionalism when needed and the decisive goal by Bernard Parker in which half the team took part was a real gem.


“Quite frankly, I was surprised in the end that we did not score a couple of more goals.”


Chippa coach Roger Sikhakhane, however, saw the encounter in a diametrically different light.


“I believe we had Chiefs measure in this game and would have inflicted the first League defeat of the season on them had we been awarded the two penalties that should have gone our way,” Sikhakhane said.


“I’m still trying to work out how the referee failed to see the infringements by Chiefs players in these two instances that should have gone our way.”


While promoted Chippa are now battling to retain a position among the top eight teams in the log table after a purple patch had earlier earned them a brief second place.


Sikhakhane said he remained satisfied with the progress since the start of the season and was confident the upward trend would continue. – Sapa






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News sport : Oregon's Marcus Mariota wins the 2014 Heisman Trophy

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Oregon QB Marcus Mariota won the 2014 Heisman Trophy in record-setting fashion.



Mariota was named on 95.16 percent of voters' ballots, the highest percentage a player has ever gotten. His percentage of the available point total was the second-highest in Heisman history at 90.9 percent. Only Troy Smith in 2006, with 91.6 of the possible Heisman points, had a larger percentage.



Mariota is the first Oregon player to win the Heisman Trophy and the 32nd quarterback to win the award. In his emotional speech, he said the award belonged to his teammates and first thanked his offensive line and then other members of his team. Among others, he also thanked Nike's Phil Knight for his contributions to Oregon football and the sacrifices that his family has made.


A native of Hawaii, he also said he hoped the award served as a steppingstone for Polynesian athletes.



This season, Mariota has 3,783 yards passing, 38 touchdowns and two interceptions. He's also rushed for 669 yards and has 14 touchdowns and has a receiving touchdown.



His 53 total touchdowns are more than 92 teams have scored on offense the entire season. And he has more than three times as many touchdowns as SMU (15 TDs), the most porous offensive team at the FBS level.



And his number of touchdowns is greater than any Heisman winner since Sam Bradford had 55 total scores when he won the award in 2008.



While Gordon, who finished second, looked like Mariota's biggest threat to the Heisman as the season unfolded, his candidacy slowed as Mariota's surged. After (temporarily) breaking the NCAA's single-game rushing mark with 408 yards against Nebraska, Gordon had 427 rushing yards combined in the next three games as his yards-per-carry declined in each.



In Mariota's final three games of the season, he had 15 total touchdowns and completed nearly 72 percent of his passes.



Not only is Mariota the fifth-straight quarterback to win the Heisman, he has a chance to be the second-straight and third in five years to win both the Heisman and the national title. Oregon plays Florida State, the defending national champions and team quarterbacked by defending Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 for a spot in the College Football Playoff Championship Game.


Alabama's Amari Cooper was third and the top five was rounded out by TCU's Trevone Boykin and Ohio State's J.T. Barrett.


- - - - - - -


Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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United v Reds the English El Clasico?

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Jamie Redknapp and Martin Keown discuss whether Man United v Liverpool is the English El Clasico.


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London - Jamie Redknapp and Martin Keown discuss whether Man United v Liverpool is the English El Clasico.


Jamie Redknapp


Growing up, this was always a fixture you wanted to play in. It’s a proper game. Along with Celtic v Rangers, it’s probably the fiercest atmosphere in Britain. There is no love lost between the players, let alone the fans. You can feel the anger and the hatred but what an atmosphere that makes. I’ve played, scored and won and lost in these games, so I know just what they mean.


Probably the most iconic fixture I played in was the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in 1995. It was Eric Cantona’s first game back after his ban for that karate kick and fate was on his side that day.


Within seconds he set up United’s first but then Robbie Fowler destroyed them. He lashed the first in with his left and I’ll never forget seeing him brush Gary Neville aside to chip in his second. But then it all went Cantona’s way.


I conceded a penalty for bringing down Ryan Giggs - though I still think it was never a penalty! Of course it was Cantona who stepped up to take it and score. At the time it was devastating, but looking back it must have been a dream for the neutral. There were mixed emotions because I’d given the penalty away but we put in a very good performance and probably deserved to win it. It was a fantastic battle.


Martin Keown


With all due respect, I think Arsenal v Manchester United has a pretty good claim to be the English El Clasico! But this fixture has always been huge because of the size of the clubs and their close proximity.


They have always tried to emulate each other’s achievements and then outdo them. It swings between the two, with United dominant in recent history. But in a strange way when one side dominates, the other seems to be able to get some good results.


As a kid, I loved watching United win the 1977 FA Cup final. They beat Liverpool 2-1 and prevented that great side from doing the Treble, something United would go on to achieve themselves 22 years later.


That always stuck in the memory and, more recently, the sight of defenders trailing in Fernando Torres’ wake at Old Trafford when Liverpool won 4-1 in 2009 was something special. That was a fantastic result but, of course, United had the last laugh by beating them to the title that season.


Daily Mail






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