Baxter warns against complacency

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Head coach Stuart Baxter has warned his Kaizer Chiefs team against complacency, as they continue their dream Premiership run.


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Johannesburg – Head coach Stuart Baxter has warned his Kaizer Chiefs team against complacency, as they continue their dream Premiership run.


Chiefs secured a 2-1 win over league strugglers Free State Stars in Polokwane on Tuesday night, in the penultimate round of matches before the mid-season break, stretching their unbeaten run to 17 matches.


The Soweto giants climbed 15 points clear at the top of the log, and while most of the teams below them held at least one game in hand, they were set to take a significant advantage into the second half of the campaign.


“I've said to the boys that we can beat any team in the league, but any team in the league can beat us,” Baxter said.


“If we don't approach the game properly we tread on a landmine at any time.”


Kingston Nkhatha gave the hosts the lead in the 35th minute, after receiving a header from Tefu Mashamaite and flicking the ball back to leave Stars goalkeeper Glenn Verbauwhede stranded.


Seven minutes after the interval, Nkhatha was involved again, delivering a neat pass to Siyabonga Nkosi who tapped it in to extend their lead.


Amakhosi held off the Stars attack for much of the last half hour, but the visitors were wayward with most of their chances.


With six minutes remaining, Ea Lla Koto were handed a consolation goal after a collision between Chiefs keeper Nhlanhla Khuzwayo and over-ambitious defender Eric Mathoho deflected the ball into the net.


Baxter was delighted to have Kingston, the Man of the Match, carrying the team up front.


The Chiefs mentor had stood up for the Zimbabwean international, who was booed by the club's fans during their 1-0 victory over Chippa United at the weekend.


The entire squad joined the on-pitch celebrations after he put them in front at Peter Mokaba Stadium.


“I work with Kingston and he knows I've got confidence in him,” Baxter said.


“I think it's nice to see him going to his teammates, and his teammates feeling for him.”


Meanwhile, Stars caretaker coach Kinnah Phiri was pleased with his team's performance, insisting they deserved at least a point.


Ea Lla Koto went down in their ninth defeat in 16 matches in the league campaign, remaining second from bottom as they continued to flounder in the relegation zone.


“I'm proud of the players. They put up a very big fight, and I'm sure if this team continues like this we'll get better results in the games that are coming,” Phiri said.


“We can't press any panic buttons. We are still okay. The team is still playing well, playing as a team.” – Sapa






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Yeovil earn United Cup tie

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Third-division Yeovil Town earned a dream FA Cup third-round tie at home to giants Manchester United after beating fourth-tier Accrington Stanley 2-0 in a second-round replay.


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London – Third-division Yeovil Town earned a dream FA Cup third-round tie at home to giants Manchester United after beating fourth-tier Accrington Stanley 2-0 in a second-round replay.


The game at Yeovil's Huish Park ground, played in front of 6,373 fans, looked to be heading to extra time until Simon Gillett and Kieffer Moore scored twice in the final six minutes.


Yeovil were relegated from the second-tier Championship last season and currently sit in the League One relegation zone, 62


places below 11-time cup-winners United in the English league system.


The two teams have met only twice before, with both games coming in the FA Cup. United crushed Yeovil 8-0 in the fifth round in February 1949, having beaten them 3-0 in the third round 11 years earlier.


Elsewhere, fourth-tier Tranmere Rovers set up a third-round match at home to top-flight Swansea City by winning 2-1 at home to Oxford United.


The third-round ties are due to be played on the weekend of January 3-4. – Sapa-AFP






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Newcastle don’t fear Spurs - Pardew

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Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew says there will be no fear factor when his side visit Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup having won their last two games at White Hart Lane.


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London - Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew says there will be no fear factor when his side visit Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup having won their last two games at White Hart Lane.


Newcastle play Tottenham before a Premier League derby against bitter rivals Sunderland on Sunday and Pardew feels his team may have a psychological edge heading into the quarter-final cup clash.


Pardew's men won 2-1 in the league at the end of October and also triumphed 1-0 in the same fixture last season.


“There won't be that kind of fear element that sometimes you can have but it's still very difficult to win there,” he told reporters on Tuesday.


“Both times we had a little bit of luck on our side. (Goalkeeper) Tim Krul was magnificent the first time we won and the second time we still needed to have those slices of luck.


“We played well on both occasions and that's what we have got to do. If we concentrate on the performance then hopefully the result will follow,” said Pardew.


“It will be a cracking game because the two teams are very different. One plays quite narrow, one plays quite wide and we will see which one goes through.”


Pardew, named Premier League manager of the month on Friday before his side were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal the following day, praised Tottenham's in-form striker Harry Kane who he feels could force his way into the England side.


Kane, 21, netted in the 2-1 league win over Swansea City on Sunday to take his tally for the season to 11 in all competitions.


“I watched him on Sunday and ... (England manager) Roy Hodgson should count himself very lucky,” Pardew said. – Reuters






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News sport : Kings honor Peja Stojakovic with jersey retirement ceremony

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It has been a controversial week for the Sacramento Kings, but Tuesday night served as an opportunity for celebration. At halftime of the team's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the franchise honored three-time All-Star Peja Stojakovic, the team's small forward from 1998 to 2006, by retiring his No. 16 jersey. The short ceremony afforded the 37-year-old Stojakovic an opportunity to thank the fans, the coach and general manager who gave him his chance to excel, and the ownership group that invited him to accept this honor.


You can watch that speech here. Keep an eye out for attending former teammates Vlade Divac, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson, Scot Pollard, and Brad Miller:





Owner Vivek Ranadive probably appreciated that Stojakovic opened his remarks with a show of thanks, because he's had a rough week. After he and general manager Pete D'Alessandro opted to fire well-regarded head coach Michael Malone on Sunday, Ranadive has been hit with considerable criticism for meddling in the basketball affairs of his team despite having very little experience in the sport. Regardless, this night was about Stojakovic, not Ranadive, and the fans seemed to realize as much.


Stojakovic joined the Kings for the 1998-99 season, two years after the Kings made him the 14th-overall pick in a loaded 1996 draft. Like many rookies, the 6-10 Serb struggled in that lockout season but improved as a key bench player in his sophomore campaign. But Stojakovic really broke out when he entered the starting lineup in 2000-01, averaging 20.1 points on 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc and finishing second to Tracy McGrady in Most Improved Player voting.


That season proved to be a precursor to true stardom. From 2001-02 to 2003-04, he made three straight All-Star teams, won two Three-Point Shootout titles at All-Star Weekend, and earned All-NBA Second Team honors and finished fourth in MVP voting in 2004. Those are also three of the most successful seasons in franchise history, with the Kings coming within one win and several bad calls of earning a spot in the 2002 NBA Finals.


Stojakovic will be remembered as one of the top shooters of his generation and a player who, along with Dirk Nowitzki and others, helped prove that foreign-born players could equal the NBA's American-born elite. His No. 16 is the 11th jersey to be retired by the Kings franchise, although he is just the fourth player to earn the honor for his play in Sacramento.


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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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Chelsea reach League Cup semis

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Premier League leaders Chelsea beat second-tier Derby County 3-1 to reach the League Cup semi-finals.


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London – Premier League leaders Chelsea beat second-tier Derby County 3-1 to reach the League Cup semi-finals, but at the cost of injuries to Kurt Zouma and Didier Drogba.


Eden Hazard and Filipe Luis, with his first goal for the club, put Chelsea in control on a rain-soaked night at the iPro Stadium, before Craig Bryson replied for Derby in the 71st minute.


But the hosts' hopes of a comeback were extinguished when centre-back Jake Buxton was sent off for impeding substitute Loic Remy, and Andre Schuerrle made the game safe with eight minutes to play.


“Derby are a Championship side, but not a typical one. They have more quality than that and they play good football with fantastic support,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports.


“We played in a very professional way and controlled the game for most of the time. They fought to the end and for a few minutes after they scored they were able to put us in trouble.”


Remy was only on the pitch because veteran striker Drogba had been forced off by an ankle injury earlier in the second half.


French centre-back Zouma, meanwhile, was stretchered off in first-half injury time after colliding heavily with his own goalkeeper, Petr Cech. Branislav Ivanovic replaced him.


Mourinho won the League Cup twice in his first stint as Chelsea manager and he named a strong side against Championship high-fliers Derby, with Hazard, John Terry, Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas all in the team.


The visitors made the breakthrough in the 23rd minute after Hazard blocked an attempted pass from Derby captain Richard Keogh on the edge of the hosts' penalty area.


Fabregas steered the ball back into Hazard's path and the Belgian winger drifted infield before drilling a low shot into the bottom-left corner.


After Cech had saved well from Derby midfielder Will Hughes, Luis doubled Chelsea's lead in the 56th minute by arcing a fine free-kick over the wall and into the net from 25 yards.


Fate appeared to be conspiring against Chelsea after Drogba hobbled off and Bryson swept home Johnny Russell's lay-off from outside the box to give former England manager Steve McClaren's side hope.


But after Buxton had been contentiously dismissed for wrestling with Remy as the Frenchman bore down on goal, Schuerrle completed the scoring by following in after Remy's shot was parried by Lee Grant.


There was a shock in the evening's other quarter-final as misfiring Premier League side Southampton crashed out after losing 1-0 to third-tier Sheffield United at a raucous Bramall Lane.


After a promising start to the season, Southampton have lost their last four league games and their dismal run continued as Marc McNulty's 63rd-minute goal sent Nigel Clough's side into the last four.


McNulty bundled home after Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster fumbled Bob Harris's fierce free-kick and the visitors finished with 10 men after Florin Gardos was sent off for hauling down McNulty.


It is the second season in succession that United have reached the last four of a major tournament, following their run to the FA Cup semi-finals last season.


Beleaguered Liverpool face a tricky assignment at Championship leaders Bournemouth on Wednesday, while Tottenham Hotspur host Newcastle United in the only all-Premier League tie of the round. – Sapa-AFP






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Sundowns up to second on log

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Anthony Laffor struck a second-half brace as Mamelodi Sundowns climbed to second on the Premiership table with victory over Maritzburg United.


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Pietermaritzburg – Anthony Laffor struck a second-half brace as Mamelodi Sundowns climbed to second on the Premiership table with a 2-1 victory over Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday night.


Liberia forward Laffor struck in the 50th and 63rd minutes. The first after an error by the home defence and the second following a free-flowing attacking move.


Substitute Kurt Lentjies pulled a goal back for the home side with five minutes to play.


The defending champions remained firm in the closing stages, despite some strong pressure applied by the hosts, to hold on for the three points that lifted them above Bidvest Wits on the log.


The Team of Choice, meanwhile, stayed sixth.


Sundowns enjoyed far more of the possession early on, but had little in terms of clear cut openings, except a great fourth-minute chance that came the way of Khama Billiat, who sprung the off-side trap, but pushed the ball across the face of goal.


Maritzburg had to wait 17 minutes for their first chance, which was a free-kick to the back post by Thamsanqa Mkhize, although Kwanda Mngonyama, who is on-loan from the Brazilians, headed wide.


As the game ticked on, visiting midfielder Teko Modise and home winger Mondli Cele forced goalkeepers Virgil Vries and Kennedy Mweene to punch away, while Lindokuhle Mbatha and Billiat were wasteful with long-range efforts.


Cele had the best chance of the half 10 minutes from the break when a long throw-in was only cleared as far as the edge of the box, where the Maritzburg player thumped just wide from.


More pressure from the host followed with Khumbulani Banda's low shot straight at Mweene from the left, before a wonderful driving 30-yard strike from Mohau Mokate forced the Sundowns custodian to punch away to his left.


There was finally an effort on target for the men from Pretoria just before the break as Laffor picked out Cuthbert Malajila in the box, but the Zimbabwean stabbed straight at Vries.


It was goalless at the break, but within five minutes of the restart the visitors were in front following a mix-up between Vries and Mngonyama – the pair failing to communicate and Laffor picking up the pieces and rounding the Namibian goalkeeper, before slotting in.


Stand-in captain Thabo Nthethe then forced Vries to punch away after a poor clearance, before the second goal arrived.


It came from a flowing move forward as Modise and Malajila combined to set up Laffor, who stroked in a low finish.


Seemingly beaten, the hosts were suddenly sparked to life as Banda and Cele twice forced Mweene into acrobatic saves, before replacement Lentjies thrashed in a low 20-yard finish, off the left upright and beyond the stranded Mweene. – Sapa






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Cale rescues point for Ajax

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A Franklin Cale stunner in the dying minutes of added time secured Ajax Cape Town a 1-all draw with AmaZulu in their Premiership encounter, at the Cape Town Stadium.


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Cape Town – A Franklin Cale stunner in the dying minutes of added time secured Ajax Cape Town a 1-all draw with AmaZulu in their Premiership encounter, at the Cape Town Stadium.


Ayanda Dlamini's 85th minute strike had seemed enough to sink Ajax, who had enjoyed the better of the play for most of the night, without ever really putting the visiting side's goal under too much pressure.


But Cale was to have the last say when he sent a 96th minute screamer into the back of the net to rescue a late point for the Urban Warriors.


It was Roger De Sa's men who enjoyed most of the ball possession during the opening stanza, but they failed to penetrate the Usuthu defence and as a result were forced to fire shots from long range, which for the most part did not test visiting keeper Aubrey Mathibe.


However, Mathibe was given work to do early on after Ajax were awarded a penalty five minutes into the match when Carlington Nyadombo brought down Bantu Mzwakali inside the 18-yard area.


But former Moroka Swallows and Kaizer Chiefs shot stopper Mathibe was up to the challenge, saving Cale's spot kick to keep the scores level.


The second half saw Ajax again starting on the front foot, although the KZN outfit began to show more threat as the half wore on.


There was a flurry of goalmouth activity around the hour mark as Tshepo Liphoko fired wide after a good build up by Usuthu.


A double change by AmaZulu coach Steve Barker injected some momentum into the Durban side, who started to create half chances through the likes of Dlamini and substitute Nkosinathi Mthiyane.


The Cape side also hinted at a winner with a few dangerous balls into the box.


But instead what had been a fairly cagey match was to be decided by a suitably scrappy goal as Dlamini pounced on a loose ball to score from close range after Ajax had failed to clear an 85th minute corner kick.


Added time saw some frenetic end-to-end play before Cale popped up with 96 minutes on the clock to strike with a sensational solo effort. – Sapa






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News sport : Wichita State unleashes late surge to thwart Alabama's upset bid

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If Alabama falls a quality win shy of making the NCAA tournament this March, the Tide will surely think back to the game they let slip away at Wichita State on Tuesday night.


They had the 11th-ranked Shockers all but beaten only to cough up an 11-point lead in the final five minutes and lose 53-52.


Wichita State's 13-1 surge started when it went to a full-court press to speed up the tempo and disrupt Alabama's offensive rhythm. The Tide missed four shots and committed four turnovers during the final 5:20, scoring their only point on a Levi Randolph free throw with 33 seconds to play.


Alabama's defense had been smothering enough that it seemed possible 51 points might be enough, but Wichita State finally generated some offense against the long, athletic Tide. Driving layups by Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker and a pair of floaters from Rashard Kelly fueled the Shockers' rally, paving the way for a dramatic finish.


Wichita State still trailed by one when VanVleet attacked off the dribble, drew help defenders and fed Darius Carter with a pinpoint bounce pass for the go-ahead dunk. Alabama managed to get a shot at the buzzer, but sweet-shooting Rodney Cooper's stroke failed him at the worst possible time and his contested corner 3-pointer didn't draw iron.


The outcome of Tuesday's game could have significance in March.


For Alabama, this means beginning SEC play without a win of consequence unless it can beat UCLA in Tuscaloosa on Dec. 28. The Tide are 6-3 with a victory over Arizona State qualifying as their most notable win, hardly enough to make Coach Anthony Grant feel comfortable given the pressure on him to make the NCAA tournament.


For Wichita State, this could be a strength of schedule boost and a noteworthy win if Alabama plays to its potential the rest of the season. Playing in what's typically a one-bid league often leads to complaints about Wichita State's strength of schedule, but the Shockers have faced a credible non-league slate this season, beating Memphis, Seton Hall and now Alabama with only an overtime loss at Utah staining their 8-1 record.


What comeback wins against Detroit and Alabama have shown about Wichita State over the past week is that the Shockers still have the toughness, character and disposition of a champion even if their roster isn't quite as formidable as last year's unbeaten squad's was.


They miss Cleanthony Early's scoring, rebounding and activity at power forward. They need VanVleet to play more consistently down the stretch in close games. And they would be better if they could develop a bench that can ease some of the pressure on Baker, VanVleet and Tekele Cotton.


Nonetheless, the roster the Shockers do have was good enough to win Tuesday in Dick Vitale's first trip to Wichita.


Alabama will remember Tuesday's game as a total collapse. Wichita State will look back at Tuesday's game fondly at a gutsy rally.


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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 : Nets-Heat delayed 31 minutes due to Barclays Center's leaky roof

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Basketball games are supposed to be largely unaffected by the elements, but the truth is that nature often intrudes on the NBA's plans. Apart from the fact that serious storms can block various modes of transportation, we sometimes see the power go out, or air-conditioners malfunction, or even small animals get onto or around the court. We are only safe until we discover otherwise.


The Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat found that under unfortunate circumstances during Tuesday night's game at Barclays Center. After a Luol Deng three-pointer with 1:47 left in the first quarter, referees stopped the game due to a leak in the roof. As water dropped onto the court, various arena staff attempted to protect the court and get to the bottom of the problem:





The game was delayed for a lengthy 31 minutes before the leak was stopped. Arena officials eventually explained the problem:



When the game restarted, things didn't get much better for Brooklyn — the Nets eventually lost 95-91 to fall to 10-13. It doesn't appear that the team's poor fortunes this season can be solved with a few towels and a bucket.


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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Bucks rookie Jabari Parker tears ACL, is out for the season

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The Milwaukee Bucks have been a pleasant surprise this season, nearly matching the team’s 2013-14 win total of 15 within the first month and a half of the season, working up an entertaining brand of ball under first-year coach Jason Kidd. The good vibes behind that turnaround were diminished a bit on Tuesday evening, when word leaked out that rookie star-in-waiting Jabari Parker would miss the rest of the season with an ACL tear to his left knee:




ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported the news.


Parker first concerned onlookers after leaving his team’s win over Phoenix after twisting the knee. Watch:



The hope, prior to the diagnosis, was that Parker merely suffered a badly sprained knee – as players can go down after badly twisting a knee and escape without any ligament or cartilage damage. Once the swelling subsided, however, the MRI produced the worst-case scenario; and because the Bucks are already 25 games into their season, it could take the bulk of 2015-16 for Parker to return to full strength.


The rookie hasn’t been the linchpin for the turnaround of the 13-12 Bucks, their relatively hot start has been a team effort, but he has shown flashes of brilliance. The 19-year old Parker managed averages of 12.3 points (second on the team) and 5.5 rebounds in only 29.5 minutes per game – nailing 49 percent of his shots. Kidd has been criticized for not playing (and, presumably, developing) Parker more minutes per game, and while that may have been a pound-foolish maneuver, it’s hard to argue with a 13-12 record in the wake of a 15-win season.


The move is a shot to the gut for Bucks fans, who have endured enervating bouts of either mediocrity or out and out terrible play over the last 25 or so years of their fandom, as Parker was the NBA draft reward for finally bottoming out. They’ll no doubt worry that Parker’s return could take as long as fellow Chicago-native Derrick Rose’s extended absence, but they should be warmed by the fact that the timing of Parker’s injury should ensure his presence in the lineup at the start of the 2015-16 season.


Still, this will be hard to get over. Just when things were starting to turn around for the long-beleaguered franchise, the crew will have to take a major step back.


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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Andre Miller's follow dunk attempt didn't go so well

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Washington Wizards point guard Andre Miller has a sterling reputation as a floor leader, a crafty veteran who knows how to manipulate defenses and make the right passes to the right guys at the right times. What the 38-year-old Miller definitely doesn't have is above-average athleticism. He survives via the old-man game and its various tricks. Nothing about Miller is overwhelming — he just finds a way to make things work.


That profile means that it's usually a bad idea when Miller does anything that requires little more than athleticism — like, say, following a missed shot with a dunk attempt on the rebound. But that's exactly what he did in the second quarter of Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The results were predictably hilarious:





I'd wish Miller better luck next time, but there might not be a next time. Nor should there be.


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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Kurt Busch's ex-girlfriend testifies about alleged incident at Dover

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Patricia Driscoll, the ex-girlfriend of Kurt Busch, testified Tuesday at a hearing regarding her filing of a protection order against the driver.


In a claim of domestic assault filed in November, Driscoll alleged that Busch grabbed her head and smashed it three times against the wall of his motorhome on September 26. On Tuesday, Driscoll said that Busch had issues with alcoholism and depression while Busch's attorneys refuted everything she said.


Just take a look at the first three paragraphs from the Delaware News-Journal's recap of the hearing:



NASCAR driver Kurt Busch was described by his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, as someone struggling with alcoholism and depression the night he erupted into a rage and smashed her face into the bedroom wall of his motorhome.




Attorneys for Busch described Driscoll as a mercenary who was an unbelievable storyteller, and a public relations professional who was bent on trying to destroy the driver's career.




"Why don't you just call a press conference and say every bad thing you can about him," said Rusty Hardin, Busch's attorney.



Driscoll leads the Armed Forces Foundation, a foundation that Busch supported throughout their relationship.


Attorneys for both parties declined comment after the hearing, according to the News-Journal. In her testimony, Driscoll said that Busch didn't want to extend his two-year contract with Stewart-Haas Racing, the team he joined in 2014. He made the Chase in 2014 but was eliminated after the first round, which ended at Dover.


Driscoll also said that Busch "was angry that Tony Stewart had killed that kid and ruined his entire career" in reference to the incident at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on August 9 when Stewart struck and killed Kevin Ward.


The hearing is set to continue Wednesday morning. In November at Homestead, NASCAR CEO Brian France said that the sport would let the legal process take place before deeming if disciplinary action would be necessary against Busch.


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







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News sport : Michigan State QB Connor Cook will return for senior season

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STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 29: Connor Cook #18 of the Michigan State Spartans looks to pass during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on November 29, 2014 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) After weighing his options, Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook has decided to put his NFL aspirations on hold and return to school for his senior season.


“I have unfinished business that I want to accomplish next year,” Cook said on Tuesday, per ESPN.com. “I think the only way I can do that is if I return.”


Cook, a 6-foot-4, 218-pound junior, threw for 2,900 yards and 22 touchdowns with just six interceptions this season for the 10-2 Spartans. Cook and the No. 7 Spartans will take on No. 4 Baylor in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day.


He started for Michigan State for most of the 2013 season as well, leading the Spartans to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl victory. He put up similar numbers last season, throwing for 2,755 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.


Cook told reporters earlier in the season that it was his plan to come back for his final season, unless “things go really well.” With the Spartans falling short of another conference title and falling outside of College Football Playoff contention, Cook has other things he hopes to accomplish in his final season in East Lansing.


For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Does Jay Gruden hate RG3? Does Gruden care if he's fired?

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The Washington Redskins have named Robert Griffin III the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season now, with Colt McCoy hitting injured reserve.

[Join FanDuel.com's $2M Week 16 fantasy league: $25 to enter; top 17,475 teams paid]


But Jay Gruden doesn't sound tickled by the idea of it. The Redskins head coach used his time with the media on Tuesday to take some thinly veiled shots at Griffin, via the Washington Post's Mike Jones.



Well, then. So coach, is there anything you as offensive playcaller can do to help Gruden progress?



Ah, I see. Well ... is there anything RG3 does well? Any reason to think he can lead the Redskins to some late-season, feel-good victories?



Oh.


So what, then, can Griffin do to convince you that he's making progress and improving in these final few games?



Yikes.


Well, coach, you have to admit: You were down only two scores on Sunday against the New York Giants and it appeared that you, um, kind of gave up. What gives?



Believe it or not, Gruden actually has been verbally rougher on RG3 earlier this season, saying he needs to "worry about himself" and not the rest of the team, as well as giving a lukewarm assessment of Griffin's potential improvement in the NFL.


So while this kind of raw take is not new for the first-year head coach, Gruden appears to be kicking the hornet's nest quite a bit. And we don't mean Griffin, specifically. It's almost as if Gruden is testing owner Daniel Snyder and GM Bruce Allen, who are said to be not ready to move on from Griffin, by taking weekly shots at the quarterback through the media.


While we applaud Gruden's candid assessment of the quarterback in an age when too many coaches scrub their public comments of any valid criticism, we can't help but wonder if Gruden is taunting his superiors a bit, or at least testing their loyalty.


See, Gruden earned himself a five-year, guaranteed contract upon being hired prior to last season, and firing him would cost Snyder a boatload of money for very little service rendered. Moving on from RG3 — what Gruden apparently wants — also would represent a poor return on investment. It's a lose-lose for management, but Gruden appears ready to risk his future employment by forcing Snyder's hand on whatever he deems to be the lesser of two evils: dump Gruden or trade Griffin.


Pretty bold move from a first-year head coach, wouldn't you say? Get ready — this battle is far from finished.





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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 : Pitt coach Paul Chryst reportedly told team he'd meet with Wisconsin

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Nov 1, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Paul Chryst on the field before hosting the Duke Blue Devils at Heinz Field. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports) Many reports in the past week have linked Pitt coach Paul Chryst to the opening at his alma mater, Wisconsin, and on Tuesday, Chryst reportedly told his team and staff that he would meet with UW officials about the job.


Per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Jerry DiPaola, after the Panthers practiced on Tuesday, Chryst “called his players together to make the announcement” that he was heading to Madison, Wis., to meet with the Badgers’ brass.


“He did not say he has been offered the job, or would accept it,” DiPaola wrote. “He also didn’t say he was staying at Pitt.”


Though the reports saying that Wisconsin is planning to hire Chryst have been out for several days, the process has been unable to move forward. Wisconsin cannot officially offer Chryst the job until Wednesday, Dec. 17, due to university hiring policies and state law.


“We are continuing the process of finding our new football coach,” athletic director Barry Alvarez said in a statement last week. “We have not offered the position to anyone. In accordance with University of Wisconsin hiring policies, the earliest we could make an offer to a candidate is Wednesday, Dec. 17. Any accepted offer would be contingent upon approval by the UW System Board of Regents.”


Chryst has been at Pitt for three seasons and has a 19-19 record with the program. Before landing the head-coaching role with the Panthers, Chryst, a Madison native, was Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator from 2005-2011.


If the hire does come to fruition, Chryst would be replacing Gary Andersen, who abruptly left Wisconsin for the opening at Oregon State last week. Meanwhile, Pitt would have to conduct its third coaching search in five seasons.


The Badgers are currently preparing for the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against Auburn and will be coached by Alvarez in the game.


Pitt will play against Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl on Jan. 2.


For more Wisconsin news, visit BadgerBlitz.com.


For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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