News sport : 2014 Driver Reviews: No. 11 Jimmie Johnson

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After doing exit interviews for Sprint Cup Series drivers in 2013, we're turning the tables. We want the drivers to sell themselves. So here are the resumés for all full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers in 2014. Then, at the end, we'll provide a summation of the driver's season in 150 words or less.


Name: Jimmie Johnson


NASCAR Experience: Six Sprint Cup titles. Speaks for itself, doesn't it?


Most recent team: Hendrick Motorsports


Most recent season finish: 11th


2014 accomplishments: Four wins, 11 top fives, 20 top 10 finishes and a Chase berth. And was the defending 2013 champion.


Most memorable moment: Because six titles overwhelms everything else, there will be a positive and a negative category. In the positive, it's the win at Michigan, which was a third win in four races and the first career win there.



In the negative, it's what happened at Kansas Speedway in the fall.



Strengths: Everything


2015 goals: Tie Richard Petty


FTM's Take: Even more than a month after the fact, it's jarring to see Jimmie Johnson this low in the standings, isn't it? Entering 2014, Johnson's lowest finish in the Cup standings had been sixth. Sixth!


But don't start with the "Jimmie-proofing" stuff when it comes to this Chase. Johnson's Chase was abysmal under any circumstances and he would have been near the bottom of a 10-race cumulative Chase. After finishing 40th at Kansas (and basically ending his Chase), he was 24th at Talladega two weeks later and then 32nd at Martinsville. He was 39th at Phoenix, too. Under the old Chase format Johnson would have finished 11th as well.


Are Johnson and the No. 48 team mortal? Of course they are. But we knew that, right? To borrow from the other sport in our coverage realm, there are a lot of similarities between Johnson and Florida State. Sometimes when the bad luck happens, it happens all at once and you can't do much to stop the slide.


Previous reviews: No. 12 Kurt Busch, No. 13 AJ Allmendinger, No. 14 Greg Biffle, No. 15 Kasey Kahne, No. 16 Aric Almirola, No. 17 Kyle Larson, No. 18, Jamie McMurray, No. 19 Clint Bowyer, No. 20, Austin Dillon, No. 21 Paul Menard, No. 22 Brian Vickers, No. 23 Marcos Ambrose, No. 24 Martin Truex Jr., No. 25 Tony Stewart, No. 26 Casey Mears, No. 27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 28, Danica Patrick, No. 29, Justin Allgaier, No. 30, David Gilliland, No. 31 Cole Whitt, No. 32 David Ragan, No. 33 Michael Annett, No. 34 Reed Sorenson, No. 35 Alex Bowman


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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 : Snoop Dogg on NFL's return to Los Angeles: 'We need it. We deserve it.'

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Sep 14, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Music artist Snoop Dogg performs during the halftime show of the San Francisco 49erss vs Chicago Bears game at Levi's Stadium. (Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports) The NFL's return to Los Angeles is looking more likely now than at any time in the past two decades thanks to a new stadium deal. And according to at least one Los Angeles ambassador, that return is long overdue.


Snoop Dogg is making the promotional rounds for his new ESPN documentary "Snoop & Son," a story of his son's pursuit of high school football glory. On Monday night Snoop attended the premiere of the documentary at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and addressed the possibility of finally getting an NFL team back to L.A.


"We need it," Snoop told Yahoo Sports. "We need a football team. We're one of the biggest markets for football. We deserve it. Hopefully we'll get a great team to come and restore the feeling. All we've got right now is USC and UCLA."


The two likeliest candidates for relocation to Los Angeles are the Rams, whose owner is developing the stadium property, and the Raiders, who have flitted back and forth between Oakland and Los Angeles over their existence. Snoop's preference? Whichever one arrives.


"The Rams are rebuilding right now, so they might be the better bet," Snoop said. "The Raiders have been here before and it didn't work out. Either/or, it don't matter."


There you have it. The D-O-double-G has spoken. We'll have to wait a year or so to see how prophetic he is, however.


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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 : Oklahoma reportedly dismisses OC Josh Heupel

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Oklahoma is making staff changes after a disappointing 8-5 season.


The changes reportedly include offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, who will be fired according to SI.com and confirmed by the Tulsa World.



The changes are set to be announced at a press conference on Tuesday at 11 a.m. According to SoonerScoop, Stoops came back from vacation early to finalize changes and make the announcement.


Earlier in the week, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Jay Norvell was reportedly let go.


Heupel has served as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator for the past four seasons. The Sooners were 20th in points per game in 2014 and 23rd in yards per game. The Sooners scored just over 36 points per game and had nearly 465 yards per game at 6.41 yards per play.


The offense struggled in the final game of the season, a 40-6 loss in the Russell Athletic Bowl to Clemson. In all five losses in 2014, Oklahoma gave up at least 31 points. In three of those losses, the Sooners scored at least 30 points.


Heupel was Oklahoma's quarterback when the Sooners beat Florida State for the 2000 BCS Championship and finished second in the Heisman voting to the Seminoles' Chris Weinke that year. He served as Oklahoma's quarterbacks coach for seven seasons before becoming the offensive coordinator.


For more Oklahoma news, visit SoonerScoop.com.


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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 : Dantonio: Michigan has hired coaches 'a number of times' since 2007

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Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio made an observation while talking about Michigan's hire of Jim Harbaugh.


And yes, you could construe Dantonio's observation as a poke towards the Spartans' in-state rivals even as he complimented Harbaugh's ability.


On Monday, Dantonio was asked about the arrival of the former San Francisco 49ers coach.


"That's occurred a number of times since I've been here, so yeah, it's going to be a challenge every time there's somebody new, everybody time there's somebody new in the Big Ten," Dantonio said via SpartanMag.com. "Nobody hires bad coaches. There are no bad coaches out there. Very, very good coaches coach in this conference, including Coach Hoke and Coach Rodriguez, so it's a challenge. Inevitably the top players play on the field. Coach Harbaugh is an excellent coach. He's got a tremendous track record, we all understand that. It will be the next challenge for us. But we compete against Michigan regardless of who's there on a daily basis, we understand that here."


Harbaugh is the third coaching hire that Michigan has made since Dantonio arrived in East Lansing in 2007. His first year was Michigan coach Lloyd Carr's final year, and he's been around for the hires (and fires) of Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke.


After a comeback against Baylor in the Cotton Bowl to give Michigan State three-straight bowl wins, Dantonio is 75-31 in his career with the Spartans and Michigan State has been to a bowl game in every single year. In that timeframe, Michigan is 55-46, though it stands to reason the Wolverines' record will improve with Harbaugh at the helm. And in turn, give Dantonio a challenge just like he says.


For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.


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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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Fifa VP to stand against Blatter

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Fifa vice president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan will stand for election in a bid to oust Sepp Blatter.


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Geneva – Fifa vice president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan will stand for election in a bid to oust Sepp Blatter as leader of football's scandal-hit world governing body.


The 39-year-old Prince Ali declared his intention Tuesday to stand as a candidate in the Fifa presidential election on May 29 in Zurich, where Blatter has pledged to seek a fifth mandate at age 79.


“This was not an easy decision,” the prince said in a single-page statement in which he pledged to run a positive campaign and did not specifically mention Blatter. “It came after careful consideration and many discussions with respected Fifa colleagues over the last few months.”


“The message I heard, over and over, was that it is time for a change,” said Prince Ali, who has been encouraged to run by European football governing body Uefa and its President Michel Platini.


During Blatter's 17-year leadership, Fifa has been rocked by bribery allegations in presidential and World Cup hosting elections, kickbacks paid to senior officials and World Cup ticket scams.


Fifa's image sank further last month when ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia resigned with a parting shot at Blatter's leadership style and the organisation's seeming unwillingness to reform itself.


Prince Ali said in his statement Tuesday that “it is time to shift the focus away from administrative controversy and back to sport.”


“The world's game deserves a world-class governing body - an international federation that is a service organization and a model of ethics, transparency and good governance,” said the prince, whose reputation is untainted since joining Fifa's executive committee on the day of Blatter's most recent re-election in June 2011.


Blatter has survived by avoiding personal scandal and deft political mastery of an often secretive organization he joined in 1975, before Prince Ali was born. The veteran Swiss official has said his mission to lead world football is unfinished.


Fifa member federations - which elect the president in a secret ballot -have also shown little desire to remove Blatter as they receive increasing shares of billion-dollar annual income from commercial deals tied to the world's most-watched sports event.


Prince Ali did not specify which five of Fifa's 209 members will nominate him for the presidency, as required before a January 29


deadline. He was expected to travel to Australia for the Asian Cup, which kicks off Friday in Melbourne.


He is likely to get support from much of Europe and parts of the Asian Football Confederation. However, he is far from certain to get a majority of support from the Asian confederation, which is led by Sheik Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain.


The AFC did not immediately reply to calls or emails seeking comment.


AFC president Sheik Salman pledged his support for Blatter at the confederation's 60th anniversary celebrations at Manila in November, confirming earlier support from the AFC congress in June.


“It was a unanimous decision,” Salman said at the time. “After making the decision, we have to support it. We never go back on our words and commitments, that's how we are.”


Prince Ali has led Jordan's football federation since 1999 and the following year founded the West Asian Football Federation.


At Fifa, he led the successful campaign to lift a ban on female Islamic players wearing headscarves in its competitions.


Prince Ali's work in international sport, focusing on youth and women's football, follow a tradition of Jordan's royal family. He is the son of the late King Hussein and the late Queen Alia, who died in a helicopter crash in 1977


His sister, Princess Haya, stepped down last month as an International Olympic Committee member after eight years as president of equestrian's governing body, and their half-brother Prince Faisal remains an IOC member.


Educated at schools in England and the United States, Prince Ali graduated from Salisbury School in Connecticut. He attended the elite Sandhurst military academy in England before joining his country's armed forces.


He is married to Rym Brahimi, a former CNN journalist from Algeria, whose father Lakhdar Brahimi has served as a United Nations envoy to Syria during the current conflict.


In an interview with The Associated Press on his first official day as a Fifa board member in 2011, Prince Ali lamented Fifa's focus on internal politics.


“I didn't play a part in and I don't want to play a part in it in the future,” he said, days after Blatter's last election rival, Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, was implicated in a bribery scandal.


Now, Prince Ali has committed to seeking votes against a battle-hardened incumbent and a possible third candidate, Jerome Champagne of France, a former Fifa staffer and longtime ally of Blatter.


Fifa election rules in the first-round ballot require two-thirds of the votes of present and eligible member federations for victory. A simple majority of valid votes is needed in subsequent rounds. – Sapa-AP






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United not good enough - Van Gaal

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Louis Van Gaal admits his half-term verdict on his team’s progress reads ‘still not good enough’.


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Louis Van Gaal has promised there is more to come from his Manchester United side — and admits his half-term verdict on his team’s progress reads ‘still not good enough’.


The Dutchman has just completed his first six months in charge at Old Trafford by steering the club to third place in the Premier League and safely to the fourth round of the FA Cup.


But Van Gaal told MUTV: ‘We are in the process. That is still not good enough, in my opinion, but I hope we shall improve.’


United’s boss paid tribute to the club’s fans for their patience as his revamped side suffered a poor start to the season.


He said: ‘The first feeling I had was especially after 11 matches, when we had 13 points and I came into the stadium walking and I thought now the fans shall not be pleased. But they were rising up and clapping their hands when I entered the stadium.


‘I felt not so happy myself because I was responsible and guilty for the results so I am very happy we then won a number of matches in a row.


‘I have had the time to know all my players and they are very good. It’s an exciting time and it’s why I became a manager — because I want to work with young people; it keeps you young and you can make a team out of it.’ – Daily Mail






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Aguero back in training

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Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has returned to training following a knee ligament injury, the Argentine international said.


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London - Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has returned to training following a knee ligament injury, the Argentine international said.


The 26-year-old Argentine, who has scored 19 goals in all competitions for City this season, has not played since the start of December when he limped off against Everton.


“I wanted you to know I've already started field work. Slowly but surely I'll be back at the right moment,” Aguero said on Twitter. “Thanks for the wishes!”


Aguero is unlikely to feature for joint-leaders City against Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, but could make his return against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on January 18. – Reuters






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Cambridge to host United in fourth round

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Fourth tier Cambridge United, the lowest ranked team left in the FA Cup, will host 11-times winners Manchester United in the fourth round.


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London - Fourth tier Cambridge United, the lowest ranked team left in the FA Cup, will host 11-times winners Manchester United after Monday's draw for the fourth round of the competition.


Holders Arsenal will travel to Championship (second tier) Brighton & Hove Albion while joint Premier League leaders Chelsea will face Championship Millwall or third tier Bradford City on Jan. 24 or 25.


Champions Manchester City are at home to Championship side Middlesbrough and Birmingham City entertain West Bromwich Albion in a Midlands derby.


“It's a game to look forward to,” Cambridge United head coach Richard Money, whose side returned to the league only in 2014, told the BBC of a match against a side 79 places above them. “It is reward for everyone's hard work at the club.


“Everyone's suffered during nine years out of the Football League but a lot of people have worked hard and now we've got a draw like this. We're delighted.”


The match will be Manchester United's second in a row against lowly opponents after Louis van Gaal's team beat famed League One giant-killers Yeovil Town 2-0 in the third round on Sunday.


If Tottenham Hotspur win a replay against Burnley after Monday's third round match ended 1-1, they will play Leicester City in another all Premier League clash.


Spurs defeated Burnley in the 1962 FA Cup final and overcame Leicester to win the trophy in 1961.


Premier League Aston Villa host Championship leaders Bournemouth while Liverpool, who beat fourth tier AFC Wimbledon 2-1 on Monday, will entertain Bolton Wanderers.


That match could see Bolton's former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey make a return to Anfield. – Reuters






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Gerrard rescues Liverpool

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Captain Steven Gerrard scored twice to rescue Liverpool from FA Cup embarrassment and lead them into the fourth round after a tricky 2-1 win at fourth tier AFC Wimbledon.


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London - Captain Steven Gerrard scored twice to rescue Liverpool from FA Cup embarrassment and lead them into the fourth round after a tricky 2-1 win at fourth tier AFC Wimbledon on Monday.


In the night's other Cup match, Premier League strugglers Burnley fought back from a goal down at Turf Moor to draw 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur and force a replay to decide who then takes on Leicester City.


Liverpool will move on to play second tier Bolton Wanderers in the next round but only after a night of living dangerously with determined League Two opponents who looked far from overawed.


“That was a very tough game,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told the BBC. “We lost our sort of shape within the game and presented them with chances by giving the ball away.


“We had to defend right the way through to the end.”


Gerrard, in his first match since announcing his departure for the United States at the end of the season, had headed the opener in the 12th minute as Liverpool looked set for a comfortable win.


But the match at Kingsmeadow, reviving memories of 1988 when the original Wimbledon 'Crazy Gang' beat Liverpool in a hard-tackling final at Wembley, refused to follow the script.


Lifelong Liverpool fan Adebayo Akinfenwa, a stocky striker nicknamed 'The Beast', had the home fans dreaming when he poked in a 36th minute equaliser from close range after some woeful defending by the Merseysiders.


The hefty 32-year-old, who has played for 11 clubs in a journeyman career around the lower leagues, was perfectly placed to cash in after the ball bounced back off the bar following a goalmouth scramble.


With a major upset looking possible, and Wimbledon missing several clear chances, Gerrard settled nerves with a curling free kick into the top corner in the 62nd minute.


“I always enjoy the FA Cup, I grew up loving the competition and to play in it. It's going to be my last time and I want to make the most of it and try and go all the way,” the midfielder, who turns 35 on Cup final day, told the BBC.


“It's the beauty of the FA Cup,” added Gerrard of Wimbledon's spirited performance. “It doesn't matter where you are, in what league, form seems to go out of the window and it becomes a leveller.


“Fair play to them. I think their manager can be very proud of them. They gave us a real test.”


Burnley's match against in-form Spurs brought back memories of the 1962 final, won by Tottenham, but there was little glamour in a dire first half.


Spurs took the lead through a Nacer Chadli strike from close range in the 52nd minute but Sam Vokes side-footed in an equaliser in the 73rd.


“It was a lacklustre game, with little atmosphere. We did everything to try and get a result,” said Burnley manager Sean Dyche of a match watched by a crowd of only 9,348 spectators. – Reuters






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Is Barca in turmoil?

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Barcelona have sacked Andoni Zubizarreta as their director of football, the Spanish club said, and his assistant Carles Puyol has resigned.


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Barcelona - Barcelona have sacked Andoni Zubizarreta as their director of football, the Spanish club said on Monday, and his assistant Carles Puyol has resigned.


“The FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu has decided to terminate as of today the contract of the club's Director of Football, Andoni Zubizarreta,” Barca said in a statement on their website (www.fcbarcelona.com).


“The President, in the name of the club, thanks Andoni Zubizarreta for his contribution, dedication and professionalism over the last four years in his role at the head of the club's football area.”


The 53-year-old Zubizarreta, Barcelona's goalkeeper from 1986 to 1994 who also played 126 times for Spain, rejoined the club as football director in 2010.


Puyol retired as a player last year after 15 seasons at the heart of the Barcelona defence. He was a member of the Spain team who which won the 2010 World Cup and 2008 European Championship.


“I now want to experience other things from another perspective and from elsewhere,” the 36-year-old said on Facebook.


“I want to grow both personally and professionally so that, in the future, hopefully I can return.”


Barca are second in La Liga, one point behind arch-rivals Real Madrid, and play Manchester City in the Champions League last 16 next month. – Reuters






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News sport : Tony Wroten's game-winner beats Cavs, gives 76ers first home win of season

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Tony Wroten's excited. (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports) The Philadelphia 76ers had lost 14 straight home games heading into Monday's meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a winless streak stretching all the way back to last season. But with the Cavs stumbling, having lost four of their last five and five of seven over the past two weeks, and with Cleveland stars LeBron James (knee and back ailments) and Kyrie Irving (lower back tightness) sidelined due to injury, the time seemed right for Brett Brown's bunch to exorcise some demons and reintroduce a little hospitality to the not-so-friendly confines of the Wells Fargo Center.


[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


After erasing a 17-point Cleveland lead, they were able to do just that, thanks in part to inimitable southpaw spark-plug Tony Wroten.


With the Cavs holding a 92-91 lead and just under 18 seconds left, Sixers point guard Michael Carter-Williams dribbled to the center of the floor across the 3-point arc and pitched a pass back to a crossing Wroten, who angled right toward a top-of-the-key screen from big man Henry Sims:



Cleveland rookie Joe Harris came over the pick and stepped out to check the former University of Washington standout, but an undaunted Wroten drove left, slipping past the help of guard Matthew Dellavedova and slithering through the Cavs' interior defense to the basket, where he lofted up a lefty leaner that splashed through, giving the Sixers a one-point lead and forcing a Cleveland timeout with 9.1 seconds remaining.


Without James or Irving as options, the Cavs seemed likely to look for power forward Kevin Love, who had broken loose for a game-high 28 points, including an emphatic dunk to give Cleveland a 92-90 lead with 1:09 remaining in the contest. But the final possession didn't quite come off the way Cleveland fans (and, presumably, head coach David Blatt) might have hoped.


Inbounder Dellavedova took a handoff and pick from center Tristan Thompson before stalling as he came back to his left, where he looked for Love in the post only to find his entry-passing angle taken away by Philly forward Robert Covington. The Aussie curled around Love's post-up to the basket, but his layup try was swallowed up by the long arms of Carter-Williams.


The ball flipped up toward the rim, and Love had a shot at a putback, but it went awry before being tapped toward the backcourt by Wroten. Covington recovered, got fouled by Harris, and went to the line to drain a pair of freebies that clinched the final margin of a 95-92 victory that gave the 76ers their first home win of the 2014-15 season (and just their fifth in 33 total outings) and that gave CSN Philadelphia color commentator Malik Rose a chance to deliver the line of the night:



(Hey, in the East, it wouldn't be all that far-fetched.)


Even without James, Irving, lost-for-the-season center Anderson Varejao and the troika of players — shooting guard Dion Waiters and big men Alex Kirk and Lou Amundson — who were pulled before tipoff for inclusion in a three-team trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks, this represents something of a dispiriting loss for a Cavaliers team that has struggled to meet lofty preseason expectations, that can't seem to find consistent levels of energy or execution (especially on the defensive end) and that now stands at 19-16, a full 4 1/2 games out of a top-four playoff seed, heading into a five-game West Coast road trip that will bracketed by tough home meetings with the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls. Blatt's crew needs to bank as many winnable games as possible, especially with Love looking like the fire of old now that the calendar's flipped to 2015 — he's averaging 28.3 points and 11.3 rebounds on 51.9/41.2/75.9 percent shooting splits over the last three games — and especially when they build up a 17-point second-half lead over one of the league's very worst teams.


Give credit where it's due, though. While cold second-half shooting (just 13-for-40 after intermission) and some untimely mistakes (like Dellavedova's missed pair of free throws that would've given Cleveland a three-point lead with 20 seconds left) certainly hurt Cleveland, the Sixers did their part to pull on the thread that led the Cavs to come undone.


Carter-Williams and Wroten combined for 24 points and 13 assists against just three turnovers after halftime, steadily attacking the basket to create not only easy looks for themselves and others (Sims went a perfect 5-for-5 in the second half, doing damage with short jumpers created by dribble penetration) but also offensive rebounding opportunities, on which Philly capitalized to the tune of a 12-3 advantage in second-chance points in the third and fourth quarters.


And with the outcome in the balance, it was Wroten who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, more than doubling up the Cavaliers by himself in the final 3:48, scoring nine of his team's last 13 points to ice it, and finishing with a Sixer-high 20 points in just under 28 minutes off the bench in a very rare, and very sweet, victory.



Yeah, somehow, I don't think the guy in the spotted-steer-print "Longhorn State" KD7s is all that scared of the spotlight:



I'm not sure it's got to be the shoes, but they probably didn't hurt, right?


Video via Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver.


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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : The 10-man rotation, starring the East's ongoing ineptitude

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A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.


C: BBallBreakdown. On the colossal failure of the Eastern Conference to create a consistent batch of winning basketball teams, a trend that dates back to the Clinton Administration.

PF: SB Nation. The Toronto Raptors are starting to falter a bit, and you can point to the team’s declining defense as to the reason why.

SF: Instagram. Jermaine O’Neal is taking in treatment in Germany, and rumbling about coming back to the NBA.

SG: The Cauldron. Separating the wheat from the chaff in a Western Conference playoff bracket that doesn’t seem to include any chaff.

PG: Hardwood Paroxysm. “Since Smoove’s Been Gone.” Apologies for putting this song into your head for the rest of the night.

6th: Grizzly Bear Blues. On the potential abandonment of the “superstar era,” as teams attempt to find new ways to construct teams.

7th: Bleacher Report. Should the Clippers consider trading Jamal Crawford to beef up their depth?

8th: SB Nation. On why Kobe Bryant’s AAU proclamations are a bit daft.

9th: Mavs Moneyball. The Dallas Mavericks, with Rajon Rondo in tow, are starting to get it together.

10th: FOX Sports. Elton Brand, now working for the Eastern Conference’s best team, is still chugging along.


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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 : The Denver Nuggets are considering banning the mid-morning shootaround

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In the 1960s, former Boston Celtics guard and then-coach Bill Sharman invented the game-day shootaround, a way to ensure that his players were all on the same page heading into that evening’s contest without having to put his players through the paces of a full-on and wearying practice.


In 2015, former Boston Celtics guard and current Denver Nuggets coach Brian Shaw might put an end to his team’s use of the shootaround, as a way to keep legs fresh as his up and down team works through what has been an increasingly frustrating season.


Anyone who watches contests worked by the 14-20 Nuggets will tell you that not only is the team struggling to come up with a consistent stylistic sense on both ends of the floor, but the team’s body language is miserable. The team is not fun to watch, a basketball art crime pitched in a setting that at the very least usually sees endless amounts of entertaining thin air basketball run at a fever pitch up and down the court – even during the losing seasons. The Nugs play at the league’s fifth-fastest pace, but nobody is hurriedly clicking over to watch them run.


In an attempt to break the dulled stasis and turn his team’s season around, Shaw has decided to experiment with downing the idea of a late morning shootaround on game days. From Christopher Dempsey at the Denver Post:



Nuggets coach Brian Shaw and the decision-makers in the team's front office are experimenting with abolishing the traditional shootaround as we know it. It would be replaced by players getting to the arena an hour earlier than usual — around 3 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game — and going through opponent preparation then.




The Nuggets did not have a shootaround Saturday before their game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Pepsi Center.




"I'm going to experiment with it, I think, for the rest of the season and see how it works," Shaw said. "Even if it doesn't translate into wins and losses, just if our energy and our focus and everything is better."




There are a couple of reasons for the change. The first is because of sleep studies the Nuggets have seen that show additional uninterrupted rest has a positive impact on the players' attention and energy.




The second reason? "When you have a young team, you know, guys like to go out as well," Shaw said. "Am I torturing them by making them get up in the morning when they can be sleeping? And whatever it is they did the night before, maybe they have more time to recover as well."



Shaw isn’t going to win over any old school types by pointing to his young team’s propensity to “go out as well” as the reason for the potential change, but anyone hand-wringing over that should get over themselves.


When you’re a young man or woman in your early and mid 20s – even if you’re in a monogamous relationship, even if you don’t drink, regardless of your financial situation and/or job – you “go out.” We expect these athletes to be at absolute mental and physical peak for in the waning seconds of a game at 10:30 and then further expect them to be cordial and cogent in speaking with the media directly after the contest. Also expecting them to be in bed with a le Carre novel and Sleepytime Tea just an hour later is absolutely ridiculous.


The Nuggets are 1-0 so far in the “no shootaround” era, taking down a Grizzlies team that was playing on the back end of the toughest back to back the NBA has to offer, regardless of opponent’s record – the West Coast Pacific time game pitched one night followed by a trip to Denver’s home court advantage the next night. NBA players, despite the chartered flights and five star hotels, have wearying schedules – asking guys to fall asleep at 3 AM (whether they go out or not), get up to work in the morning then go down for that hoped-for mid-afternoon hotel nap prior to a game is a bit much.


Ask anyone with sleeping issues – you can’t just flip the switch and nail that perfect 2 PM nap. Especially with that phone, tablet, computer or TV there to bug you. Especially after returning from a shootaround that was equal parts basketball drills and your coaches telling you exactly what to expect when the Mavericks are coming out of a timeout in the fourth.


One shouldn’t suggest that the sleep-in and late afternoon start is ideal, because this still has players lingering around an arena for four or five hours prior to a game, watching the clock. Players will tell you that there is something refreshing about bounding up from that mid-day nap to make your way to the arena for a game that is comparable to someone with a 9-to-5 schedule that shows up to the office bright and cheery just 90 minutes after his or her alarm goes off. Though Shaw has his defenders, his first season and a half in Denver has just about been an outright failure.


There’s something to this, though. Breaking off an NBA workday into work and rest segments has been a staple dating back to the early 1970s, but that doesn’t mean the approach is correct. As the game evolves and we learn more and more about what helps players best, Shaw’s innovation could take hold, and he could be lauded in the same way that Sharman’s innovation rightfully was during his time.


Shaw doesn’t have to be the NBA’s best coach, and his Nuggets don’t have to finish the season on a 35-13 tear for this to turn into something that sticks. Yes, some players might take advantage of not having to get up until the afternoon, but those guys are usually flushed out of the NBA soon enough even under the current system. This could be a bit of a breakthrough.


Anything to make the Nuggets entertaining again.


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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 : National Championship Preview: Oregon's front 7

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SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 05: DeForest Buckner #44 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates in front of fans during the first half of the PAC-12 Championships against the Arizona Wildcats at Levi's Stadium on December 5, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) The first College Football Playoff National Championship Game is finally upon us and Dr. Saturday has your pregame prep covered. Every day leading up to the game, we’ll breakdown a piece of each team and preview its role in the upcoming title game. Previous previews: Ohio State's front 7.


Season highlight: Oregon’s best effort on defense came in a 51-13 win against Arizona in the Pac-12 Championship. The Ducks limited the Wildcats, who were one of the most potent offenses in the country, to a season-low 224 yards, including just 111 yards rushing. Arizona's offense was held scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2012. The Oregon defense also had four sacks and forced a fumble.


Player to Watch: Defensive end DeForest Buckner has emerged as a force on Oregon’s much-maligned defensive line this season. Buckner doesn’t have jaw-dropping stats — 69 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and four sacks — but he’s become the anchor of the Ducks’ 3-4 defense and a key to its bend-but-don’t-break style.


Strengths: Let’s be honest here, Oregon’s best defense is its great offense. Because the offense scores so quickly and puts opponents into deep holes, it takes a little pressure off the front seven, who have good numbers against the run because so many teams abandon it in an effort to catch up. However, it’s important to point out that in the past couple games, Oregon has done a much better job of getting to the quarterback and the front seven also has done an excellent job this season in recovering fumbles. The Ducks have 18 recovered fumbles, which ranks third nationally.


Weaknesses: While Oregon has done a better job of getting to the quarterback recently, that hasn’t been its strength and it’s also susceptible to dual-threat quarterbacks. UCLA’s Brett Hundley had 89 yards and a score against the Ducks and even Stanford Kevin Hogan managed 42 yards. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston started the CFP Semifinal strong on the ground even though he hasn’t shown much in the running game this season. This could result in a big advantage for Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones, who used his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame to punish Alabama’s normally stout defensive front for 43 yards.


Overview: For the entire year, the Oregon defensive front has been trying to shake off the notion that it’s soft.


It’s seemingly done that in the past couple games by limiting two of the nation’s best offenses to some of their worst outputs of the season and getting into the backfield to disrupt the flow of play.


The Ducks combined for six sacks against Arizona and Florida State and forced seven total fumbles, five of which were recovered. The front seven had three of the team’s four tackles for loss against Florida State, including two from linebackers Tony Washington and Torrodney Prevot.


However, the Ducks’ 3-4 defense was shredded early by the Florida State running game led by shifty running back Dalvin Cook, who had 103 yards, and Karlos Williams, who added another 80 yards. In fact, Florida State seemed to target Oregon’s defensive front with five runs during its first nine plays, which resulted in 31 early rushing yards. On the Seminoles third drive of the game, it ran the ball nine times during a 12-play drive that ended with quarterback Jameis Winston stopped on fourth down at the 1-yard line.


The reason that’s so astounding is because Florida State’s running game was one of the nation’s worst this season. Now, some of that was attributed to youth and injuries to both running back and the offensive line, but the Seminoles had very little trouble moving the ball against the Ducks. The Seminoles didn’t actually abandon the run until the second half when turnovers put them at such a deficit that they had to pass to try to get back into the game.


If Florida State’s run defense, which was ranked in the 90s nationally could move the ball on Oregon, there’s no telling what an Ohio State team that ranks ninth in the country in rushing will be able to do. In the semifinal against Alabama, Ohio State rushed for 281 yards, including a Sugar Bowl record 230 by Ezekiel Elliott. And that was against an Alabama defense that ranked fourth nationally against the run and had not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season.


However, the Oregon front seven seems to do better on a shorter field. As noted above, the Ducks are the quintessential bend-but-don’t-break defense. It allows 421.9 yards per game, which ranks 84th nationally, but just 22.3 points per game, which ranks 27th. Of the 15 red zone scores the Ducks have allowed in the past six games, only four have been rushing touchdowns and seven have been field goals.


Containing Ohio State’s offense, which averages 45 points per game, is not going to be an easy prospect, but it’s not like the Oregon defense hasn’t faced high-scoring offenses already this season. As noted earlier, the Ducks' best defense all season has been its offense and as long as it can keep putting points on the board, the front seven will have a better chance of keeping the running game fairly quiet.


For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook






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News sport : Report: Mike Tyson once drunkenly confronted Michael Jordan over Tyson's ex-wife

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It might be hard to believe some 27 years later, but Robin Givens and Mike Tyson were at one point America’s most famous sporting couple. His fall from grace and her scattershot acting career may have diminished their notability in the years since, but the heavyweight champ and ‘Head of the Class’ star were quite ubiquitous in 1988 both during their coupling and before their marriage came to a tabloid-fed end.


According to one re-telling of Tyson’s life, a recently-released book excerpted in the New York Post on Monday, Tyson once confronted the just-as-ubiquitous Michael Jordan in a liquor-fueled rant pitched in front of Jordan’s friend Richard Dent, and Dent’s Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka.


From the recollections of Rory Holloway, Tyson’s former friend and manager:



“Mike Tyson’s sitting there with his drink of choice, a Long Island Tea, and when he drinks his real feelings come out …,” Holloway writes.




“I’m telling the server to water his drinks down ‘cause I see where this is going. Mike stares across the table at Michael Jordan. He says, ‘Hey man, you think I’m stupid? I know you f—-d with my b—h.’




“Jordan looks like he just seen a ghost. ‘I know you messed with her,’ Mike says. ‘You can tell me.’




[…]




“It was a circus, for real, that night. Don King trying to change the subject. Me and John trying to hold Mike down. Mike telling everyone he’s going to bust Jordan’s ass. Jordan’s dressed sharp as always and he can’t get out of there fast enough.”



Givens divorced Tyson in 1988 amid claims of spousal abuse. Tyson later lost the heavyweight crown in 1991, and was convicted in 1992 of a rape charge. Upon his parole, despite several comeback attempts, Tyson failed to regain his top rank in the boxing industry.






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