News sport : Kings lose Toffoli (mono), Pearson (broken leg) on Saturday

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Things aren't going to get any easier for the Los Angeles Kings any time soon. Two-thirds of 'That 70's Line', Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, are out indefinitely for two very different reasons.


Prior to Saturday's tilt against the Jets, the Kings announced Toffoli has contracted a case of m... If you were going to interrupt and say 'mumps' you would be incorrect. Toffoli has MONO!


What are symptoms of mononucleosis, you ask? It shares some, but not all, characteristics of the mumps. From the CDC website:




  • extreme fatigue

  • fever

  • sore throat

  • head and body aches

  • swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits

  • swollen liver or spleen or both

  • rash



Per friend of the blog, Jon Rosen (@LAKingsInsider):



Perhaps you remember mono from your school days when it was known as 'the kissing disease'. Kissing is one way of getting mono, as it is spread through saliva.


As mentioned above, the amount of time Toffoli will be out is undetermined. (LA might as well burn all their water bottles and just get new ones now that mono and the mumps have invaded So Cal.) There is no magic treatment for mono, and he has to be especially careful about coming back to a contact sport. Again, from the CDC:



... Most people get better in 2 to 4 weeks; however, some people may feel fatigued for several more weeks. Occasionally, the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis can last for 6 months or longer.




...There is no vaccine to protect against infectious mononucleosis. You can help protect yourself by not kissing or sharing drinks, food, or personal items, like toothbrushes, with people who have infectious mononucleosis.




You can help relieve symptoms of infectious mononucleosis by—





  • drinking fluids to stay hydrated

  • getting plenty of rest

  • taking over-the-counter medications for pain and fever




Because your spleen may become enlarged as a result of infectious mononucleosis, you should avoid contact sports until you fully recover. Participating in contact sports can be strenuous and may cause the spleen to rupture.



Yikes! All the best to Tyler Toffoli in his recovery.


After Kings fans had time to digest the Toffoli news, they received another gut-punch by way of Tanner Pearson leaving the game after crashing legs first into the end boards. If you watch the video below, his left leg twists awkwardly as it makes impact with the boards and torques again as the rest of his body makes contact.



Pearson struggled to skate over to the bench and get off the ice as he put no weight on his left foot. After the game, Rosen confirmed what most feared:



Earlier in the day, Pearson was announced as an All-Star game rookie invite who would take place in the skills competition prior to the All-Star game. Pearson is the second All-Star roster member to fall to injury on Saturday as Jimmy Howard was injured earlier against Washington.


LA is not short on talent, but can occasionally fall prey to offensive droughts. Toffoli and Pearson combine for 47-points on the season so far. Toffoli leads the league with 4 short-handed goals. Pearson tops the Kings in game-winning goals at 3.


The Kings have not yet decided on making any movements fill the players spots for now. Note to Mike Richards: now would be a great time for you to show up.


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News sport : Russell Wilson on verge of rewriting his legacy (and paycheck)

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SEATTLE – The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly on the verge of making Russell Wilson the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.


And maybe you think that’s a little crazy, because it's hard to argue Wilson is the best quarterback in the NFL, but the Seahawks have to see it as a wise investment.


We’re now two Seattle wins from completely recalibrating where Wilson is among all NFL quarterbacks, current and past. With two Super Bowl rings he’d join a very special club. And the way the Seahawks handled the Carolina Panthers 31-17 on Saturday, and the way they steamrolled everyone else in a six-game winning streak to end the regular season, there’s no reason to believe they can’t repeat. Especially with the Dallas Cowboys-Green Bay Packers winner on Sunday having to come to CenturyLink Field next week. The Seahawks are pretty amazing here.


The defense still is the centerpiece, and the fans love to go crazy when Marshawn Lynch breaks into the open and seeks out defenders to destroy, but drafting Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft looks like one of the great all-time picks.


“There is a reason why they’re in the situation they are,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said after listing all the ways Wilson beat them.


When the Seahawks need a play, he makes it. He has done that through his career. He did it in the Seahawks’ playoff opener, especially with some huge third-down completions.


“Sometimes I think I’m made for these situations,” Wilson said. “I just try to be prepared for it. If you’re prepared you’re never scared. You trust your teammates, you trust the guys around you, you trust the preparation, and you trust the ball is going to bounce your way. I believe that.”


The Panthers made sure Wilson, who had 849 rushing yards in the regular season, didn’t beat them with his legs. They played the read-option plays most of the time to force Wilson to hand the ball off, then go play the handoff. So Wilson had three nice touchdown throws instead. He was tremendous from the pocket – which he said was a focus this week – getting the ball out quick and to the right person.


On the first, he stood in against the blitz and lofted a pass to Doug Baldwin, letting his receiver beat man coverage and haul in the score. Wilson changed the play, seeing the Panthers were blitzing with no safety. He said the Panthers beat him on a “zero blitz” back in the regular season.


“I wanted to make sure I was prepared for that,” Wilson said.


The second throw was beautiful, right over the defense to Jermaine Kearse for a 63-yard score, the longest in Seahawks playoff history. The third was just a throw a good NFL quarterback makes, immediately recognizing the defense and getting the ball out quick to Luke Willson for a 25-yard score that put the Seahawks up 24-10.


And the Seahawks are back in the NFC championship game, and look just as strong as last season, when they beat the Denver Broncos 43-8 in the Super Bowl. And that brings us back to Wilson and his growing legacy, and soon-to-be bulging wallet. NFL Network reported that the Seahawks are prepared to make Wilson the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL when they can, after this season ends. Teams can’t give extensions to players until they’ve completed their third season.


Wilson doesn’t shine the light on himself, almost in a comical way. Here’s the list of players he thanked or patted on the back after the Panthers’ win: Kearse, Baldwin, Willson, the offensive line, the offensive line a few more times, center Max Unger and his backups who played when he was out with injury, the defense, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Steven Hauschka, quarterbacks coach Carl Smith, assistant quarterbacks coach Dave Canales and backup quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and B.J. Daniels.


Whew.


(AP) So we know Wilson is the most thankful quarterback in the NFL. Is he the best quarterback in the NFL, to match his reported future paycheck? Likely not. But what are Super Bowls worth? Joe Flacco got about $120 million with $52 million guaranteed after he led the Ravens to a Super Bowl, and there’s no question a big part of that was inflated by the title run. Aaron Rodgers, who has one ring, signed a $110 million deal in 2013 that is the biggest contract in NFL history on a per-year basis, at $22 million annually.


Wilson is already in that class, with one ring. Now what about two? He just turned 26 during the regular season. He’s already the third-youngest quarterback to lead a Super Bowl champion; he’d be the youngest to do it twice. And he’s going to go from making a little more than $662,000 this season to about $20 million annually.


So what historical path is Wilson on? Is he Joe Montana? He has won in all but one of his six playoff games, and the loss he played great in the second half only to have the Falcons hit a game-winning field goal at the end. Is he Terry Bradshaw, a great quarterback in his own right but also fortunate to land with a team that has a defense that might rank among the all-time greats when they’re done? It’s tough to say. If he joins the two-Super Bowl club, there just aren’t many comparisons. Especially for someone who might join the club in three NFL seasons.


Steve Young earned just one Super Bowl ring, but playing-wise maybe he’s the best comparison. While other mobile quarterbacks regressed this season, Wilson is going to start in the NFC championship game. Greg Cosell, a senior producer at NFL Films, said earlier this season that Young is really the only “dual-threat” quarterback to be a true success in the NFL as a great pocket passer and a dangerous runner. It seems like we have to be close to adding Wilson to that list.


He can probably thank the preparation he talks a lot about. He said being unprepared is his only fear in life. On Saturday night, he had nothing to be worried about. And if the Seahawks don’t win a second straight Super Bowl, it won’t be because Wilson isn’t ready.


“I’m pretty critical,” Wilson said. “I think we played a lights out game, to be honest with you.”


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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 : The Seahawks make CenturyLink Field shake in another playoff win

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SEATTLE – The press box shook.


When Kam Chancellor put the Seattle Seahawks’ 31-17 divisional playoff win away with a 90-yard interception return – really, it was done long before then, but play along with me – the loudest crowd in the NFL erupted. As Chancellor ran down the near sideline with the longest touchdown in Seahawks playoff history, making the score 31-10, the noise was outrageous and the press box moved, if just a little bit.


This is why the Seahawks are so good. They have players like Chancellor, who isn’t even the first- or second-most celebrated player in the Seahawks secondary, but he's one of the best strong safeties in the NFL and was awesome on Saturday. And whether it’s the noise, intimidation or just the team on the field, CenturyLink Field is almost impenetrable for opponents.


The Dallas Cowboys won here eariler this season, and who knows, they might do it again. But if the Cowboys or Green Bay Packers (Sunday's winner comes here next week) knocks off these Seahawks before they reach a second straight Super Bowl, they’ll have done something really special. Panthers-Seahawks was the "other playoff game" on Saturday, mostly because the Seahawks never really allowed the Panthers much hope that they could win.


Seattle didn’t even play all that well and they were coasting, and the game was realistically over before Chancellor’s big interception. The Panthers weren’t coming back from 14 points down on this defense. They gave the Seahawks a tough game, really limiting Seattle’s run game. But Russell Wilson made three nice plays for a trio of touchdown passes and the defense handled it from there.


The Seahawks aren't unbeatable, but they look just as strong as they did last season. Seattle has won seven in a row dating back to the regular season, all by double digits, and the Panthers were the first in that streak to score more than 14 points on Seattle. Saturday's performance and the Seahawks' winning streak doesn't mean Seattle is unbeatable. But it's sure looking tougher to picture them losing.


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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 : Kam Chancellor doesn't block kick, but his jumps entertained us

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Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor is a pretty special athlete, so Seattle used a special field-goal block with him at the end of the first half of Saturday night's game against the Carolina Panthers.


The plan was for Chancellor to time his jump, leap over the snapper and then have a free path to the kicker. And it worked, twice.


Well, it worked in that Chancellor got over the line cleanly, leaping right over the center at the snap and landing on the other side. Somehow, he didn't block either kick.




It didn't matter in the end. The first kick, which was good, was nullified due to a false start. The second one wasn't good, but Chancellor ran into the kicker for a penalty. The third attempt, Chancellor didn't try his leap, and the field goal was good to end the half.


Former NFL vice president of officiating said there was a call for running into the kicker because Chancellor didn't get a piece of the kick. Had he blocked it, there would have been no call.



Neither of Chancellor's leaps counted, but they were pretty impressive.


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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 : Virginia stays unbeaten with impressive road win at Notre Dame

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Top 20 teams in this week's AP poll have only lost nine games at home so far this season.


Virginia owns three of those victories.


Having already defeated Maryland and VCU on the road in non-conference play, the unbeaten Cavs added another name-brand pelt to their collection Saturday. Efficient offense and disciplined defense rallied them back from a seven-point second-half deficit at previously surging Notre Dame and enabled them to edge the 14th-ranked Irish 62-56.


The key to Virginia's victory was the remarkable job Malcolm Brogdon did defending All-American candidate Jerian Grant. The Notre Dame star did not score his first basket until a transition layup with less than 10 minutes to go in the game and finished only 2-for-8 from the field for six points, barely one-third his season average.


Ten 3-pointers from Pat Connaughton, Demetrius Jackson and V.J. Beachem kept Notre Dame in it even as Grant struggled, but the Irish generated virtually no frontcourt offense against a pack-line defense designed to wall off the paint and force opponents to hit contested jumpers. A typically high-scoring Notre Dame team that averages 85 points per game shot just 33.9 percent from the field on Saturday en route to its first loss since Nov. 23.


Defense has long been Virginia's hallmark under Tony Bennett but the increased efficiency of its plodding offense has been what has transformed the Cavs from a good team into a top 10 team the past two years. That trend continued Saturday as the third-ranked Cavaliers shot 49 percent from the field and received double-digit scoring nights from Brogdon, Justin Anderson and Darion Atkins.


No Virginia baskets were bigger than the last two field goals it scored Saturday. Anderson hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer to give the Cavaliers the lead for good with just under four minutes remaining and Brogdon drove for a layup that made it a two-possession game with 1:22 to go, putting Notre Dame into desperation mode.


Saturday's win improves Virginia to 15-0 this season and hammers home that last year's ACC champs are again contenders to not only win the league again but also reach a Final Four. Nobody in the country has a better collection of road wins than the Cavaliers, who will be heavy favorites in their next four games before second-ranked Duke visits Charlottesville on Jan. 31.


So many low-scoring games this college basketball season are a result of poor shooting or too much clutching and grabbing on defense.


Virginia's games are often the exception to that, and Saturday's thoroughly impressive win in South Bend was the ideal example.


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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 : Jimmy Howard leaves on stretcher after injuring lower-body (VIDEO)

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Right before puck drop, Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard was named to the All-Star team. Minutes after the game started, Howard and others were wondering if he was going to be able play again any time soon, let alone the All-Star Game.


After misplaying the puck behind the net, Howard was attempting to recover and make a save as Washington's Troy Brouwer slid the puck in the net. The result was Howard kicking his left leg out awkwardly in a split position.


Take a look...



Immediately after Howard went down for the save, he fell forward and stayed that way as the trainer made his way out to the ice.


After spending a minute or two with the goalie, the trainer signaled for the stretcher to take Howard off the ice. Howard barely moved from his belly until the stretcher made it out to him. Howard kept his mask on as he was wheeled off the ice.


Petr Mrazek replaced Howard in net for the Red Wings.


It's too soon to speculate which part of the lower body Howard injured or how long he could be out. Tough sledding not just for Howard, but for Detroit who was surprising people this year, partially on the strength of good goaltending.


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Jen Neale is a staff writer for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter!






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News sport : Julian Edelman's TD pass? His first throw in a game since 2008

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Many football fans know that New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman was a college quarterback at Kent State. But the Baltimore Ravens apparently forgot.

With momentum shifting in the game, the Patriots having cut a two-touchdown lead in half, Tom Brady threw a backward pass to Edelman, who gunned it downfield — perfectly — to a wide-open Danny Amendola for a shocking 51-yard, game-tying touchdown.


Considering Brady's downfield accuracy this season, it's one of the better deep passes the Patriots have had this season. Seriously.


It's odd to see anyone other than Brady throwing a pass for the Patriots in a playoff game, especially when they were trailing. Cute call by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels? Yes — but quite effective.



That was Edelman's first throw in the NFL. Yeah, the Patriots don't run these kinds of plays with Brady under center very often.


The last pass Edelman attempted on a football field before that was in Kent State's 23-13 win over Buffalo back on Nov. 28, 2008. For those keeping track at home, Edelman was 13-of-23 passing for 114 yards with a touchdown that day.


It appears the Patriots have found a downfield passer. Kidding! Joke, people, that's a joke!


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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 : John Harbaugh gets penalty for being on the field, unlike Dez Bryant

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One of the oft-repeated arguments about how the Detroit Lions got hosed was that Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant came on the field and didn't get a flag for it.


Well, the NFL is obviously listening to the wishes of its fans, because the officials in the Baltimore Ravens-New England Patriots game decided to call an unsportsmanlike conduct flag on Ravens coach John Harbaugh for wandering out on the field too far to argue a call.


Now everyone can be happy! Just what you argued for, more flags!



NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino said after the Lions-Cowboys game that calls like Bryant being on the field are under an official's discretion (Bryant being on the field without his helmet on has been mistakenly cited about a million times since the game, but it's not a foul for a player to come off the sideline onto the field without a helmet). The officials in this case decided that Harbaugh had crossed some line, figuratively and literally. After so much attention was paid to Bryant not getting called for coming on the field, it wouldn't be a big surprise if the officials in this weekend's games were told to watch out for it.


It was a pretty big penalty. The Patriots trailed 28-14 in the third quarter at the time of the call, the penalty moved New England half the distance to the goal line, and shortly after that Tom Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a 5-yard touchdown. The Patriots tied the game on their next possession.


After seeing the officials call that unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that really didn't need to be called and that made a big difference in the game, it's clear the game is better off with officials calling more needless penalties like the one on Harbaugh.


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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 : Sterling Gibbs' latest game-winning jumper saves Seton Hall

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The next time Seton Hall has the ball late in a game with the outcome hanging in the balance, its opponent would be wise not to leave Sterling Gibbs free.


The junior guard has proven he has a knack for hitting huge shots in such white-knuckle situations.


Gibbs added to his late-game legacy on Saturday afternoon at Creighton when he asked Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard to design a play that would get him a look at a 3-pointer with the Pirates down two entering their final possession. The outcome of the play validated Gibbs' confidence as he buried an off-balance pull-up three with 2.1 seconds left to lift Seton Hall to a 68-67 road victory.


Saturday's game-winning shot was eerily reminiscent of the one Gibbs sank against Villanova last March in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. That shot was a step-back jumper at the buzzer from just inside the top of the key to give the Pirates a 64-63 win over the league's top seed.


There's a good chance Seton Hall won't find itself facing the Big East's best team in the quarterfinals this March, and Gibbs is a huge reason for that. The Big East player of the year candidate is averaging 16.0 points per game and has elevated his play since elite freshman Isaiah Whitehead got hurt last month, enabling the Pirates to start 3-1 in league play and claim a share of first place.


Gibbs was at his best Saturday against a Creighton team that lost Austin Chatman and Isaiah Zierden to first-half injuries but still put up a great fight. The junior guard led Seton Hall with 22 points on only 16 shots, none bigger than the 3-pointer that provided the difference between a deflating loss and a critical road win.


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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 : Marcus Paige leads rally that could be a catalyst for North Carolina

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When Marcus Paige rolled his ankle and hobbled to the bench Saturday midway through the second half, things looked bleak for No. 18 North Carolina down by 10 to No. 5 Louisville.


The Tar Heels eventually found themselves down 13 but Paige regrouped and came back into the game to spark the game-winning run bookended by his 3-pointer and game-winning layup. North Carolina earned a 72-71 victory that might finally get it on track toward the season it was thought to be capable of producing back in November.


Paige’s high-banking running layup dripped into the net with 8 seconds remaining and Louisville was able to get two shots off at the other end, but neither was true.


The Tar Heels overcame another strong outing from Louisville guard Chris Jones who was topped Saturday by teammate Terry Rozier, who finished with a game best 25 points. Jones had 19 along with five assists and can be credited for keeping the Cardinals in it during an otherwise lackluster first half.


Louisville did a good job of preventing the leak outs by North Carolina guards and transition buckets that cost it last season against the Tar Heels. But the Cardinals will lament the 17 offensive rebounds they gave up in this one. That is where North Carolina won the game.


Forward Brice Johnson produced a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds including three of those offensive boards. He scored six of the those 11 points during the decisive run in the final five minutes with two of his buckets coming off assists from Paige.


North Carolina was coming off a one-point loss to Notre Dame at home earlier in the week and avoiding a similar loss to another program with designs on winning the ACC title is big for coach Roy Williams’ team.


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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau resigns from Steelers

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to part ways with defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, which was first reported in the Urbana Daily Citizen.



“I’m resigning this position, not retiring,” LeBeau said. “I had a great run in Pittsburgh. I’m grateful for all the things that have happened to me and thankful for all the support I had in Pittsburgh.”



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A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player, LeBeau is regarded as one of the finest defensive minds in league history. He has served as the Steelers' defensive coordinator since 2004, through two head coaches — Bill Cowher and current head coach Mike Tomlin.



“It was a lot of fun,” he said.



LeBeau, 77, has coached in the NFL since 1973. He won two Super Bowls with the Steelers as an assistant and was head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals for three seasons from 2000 to 2002. He's considered the architect of the zone blitz, which is a staple in NFL defenses.


Even though the Steelers have not had great defenses in recent years, this is nonetheless a stunning move. LeBeau is almost universally beloved and respected by his players, earning the nickname of "Coach Dad."


The Steelers went 11-5 this season and won the AFC North, but questions about LeBeau’s future with the team started to crop up. He decided to take matters into his own hands



“It’s just time to make a break,” he said.



It will be interesting to see what direction the Steelers go to replace LeBeau. Tomlin was immersed in the NFL in his years as an assistant coaching a Tampa-2 style of defense and could opt to shift more in that direction.


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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 : USC RB Javorius Allen declares for NFL Draft

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Dec 27, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; USC Trojans running back Javorius Allen (37) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 2014 Holiday Bowl. (Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports) The list of underclassmen running backs declaring for the NFL Draft just keeps growing.


USC’s Javorius “Buck” Allen announced Saturday that he will forgo his final season of eligibility with the Trojans and pursue a career in the NFL. Allen ran for 1,489 yards and 11 touchdowns while showing his versatility as a pass-catcher with 41 receptions for 458 yards.


"This was a tough decision for me,” Allen said in a statement. “I went home to Florida and talked it over with my family. I am proud to have been the first one in my family to have gone to college, and I've been blessed to say I played football in college. Now I'm ready to take it to the next level. Every kid dreams of this moment.”


The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Allen ran for 100 yards or more in 13 of USC’s last 19 games and was named first team All-Pac 12 for his efforts this season.


"Buck is a true Trojan and we wish him well,” said USC head coach Steve Sarkisian. “He is not only a good football player, but a fine young man. We are grateful for what he did at USC. We asked a lot of Buck this year and he came through with an All-Pac-12 season. We know he can do more of the same in the NFL."


On limited carries, Allen ran for just 137 yards in the first eight games of the 2013 season, but became the Trojans’ feature back down the stretch. He ran for 648 yards in the Trojans’ final six games to finish with 785 yards and 14 scores on the year.


He also ran for 32 yards as a freshman in 2012.


In addition to Allen, Boise State’s Jay Ajayi, Indiana’s Tevin Coleman, South Carolina’s Mike Davis, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, Georgia’s Todd Gurley, Colorado State’s Dee Hart, Miami’s Duke Johnson, Florida’s Matt Jones, Mississippi State’s Josh Robinson, Texas A&M’s Trey Williams and Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon have all announced their intention to declare for the 2015 draft. The deadline to file declaration papers with the league is Jan. 15.


For more USC news, visit TrojanSports.com.


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News sport : Watch: Tomas Vanek on breakaway, decides to pass (VIDEO)

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Tomas Vanek's decision making abilities, on and off the ice, are questionable at best. Today he gave the hockey world an example of this in a play versus the Predators.


Vanek blasted through the neutral zone, getting behind the Nashville defense. He was one-on-one with Pekka Rinne when THIS happened:



D'OH!


He passed the puck, behind the back, to Zach Parise who wasn't quite there yet. Preds defenseman Shea Weber seemed to have a telepathic connection with Vanek and held back just slightly to intercept the pass that never was.


Or perhaps Weber is an avid web researcher of his opponents, and read this from our friend Adam Gretz, then with SB Nation, on Vanek's propensity to pass at the most inopportune time, the last time in the playoffs:



With an opportunity to get a shot off on Henrik Lundqvist in what was, at the time, a one-goal game, Vanek inexplicably did not shoot, got himself in way too deep, and tried to make a backwards pass to nobody in particular.



D'OH!


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News sport : Ohio State redshirt QB Stephen Collier did his best Marcus Mariota impression this week

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When Ohio State backup quarterback Stephen Collier returned to his locker in Columbus, Ohio, this week, Marcus Mariota was waiting for him.


Someone — he still doesn’t know who — placed a cardboard cutout of Mariota in his locker to kickoff what would be a week of intense film study for the redshirt, who had been tasked with emulating the opposing quarterback every week this season.


Teammates also started calling him Marcus to help him stay in character.


“It’s been kind of a fun deal,” Collier said during media day in Dallas on Saturday. "I'll just be around the dorm and everybody's like, 'Sup Marcus.' I get the gist now, it's just funny."


But pretending he’s the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback off the field has been a far easier challenge than actually becoming him on it. Collier, who has been studying film since the team returned from Ohio, said the Mariota’s unique combination of being an effective runner and passer has been a challenge, but that he’s drawn on some of the other quarterback’s he’s imitated this season as a guide.


“It’s been an everyday affair,” Collier said of studying Mariota. “Obviously been watching him. I can’t even say the amount of hours, but it’s been a lot for sure.


“Between Connor Cook’s passing and Keenan Reynolds from Navy, who obviously did a great job of running, those are two separate deals, but Marcus has them booth. So that’s probably been the hardest.”


Collier’s role as the opposing quarterback has been integral to the Buckeyes success this season and it’s a role he takes seriously because he knows that’s how he can help contribute to the team’s success. Even with all of the injuries at quarterback, Collier will not see the field. The coaching staff has agreed to keep his redshirt intact even if starter Cardale Jones is stricken with injury during the national championship game.


“I’m all for it,” Collier said of preserving his redshirt. “Obviously, if this happens n Game 3 or something, that’s a different situation, but to burn it over one game I mean, it wouldn’t be advantageous. But, I mean, if I had to do it, I definitely would.”


But for now, Collier is happy helping the defense prepare for the opposing quarterback and he thinks this week might have been his finest work.


"I think I did a good job," he said.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


- - - - - - -


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 : Ohio State redshirt QB Sean Collier did his best Marcus Mariota impression this week

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

When Ohio State backup quarterback Sean Collier returned to his locker in Columbus, Ohio, this week, Marcus Mariota was waiting for him.


Someone — he still doesn’t know who — placed a cardboard cutout of Mariota in his locker to kickoff what would be a week of intense film study for the redshirt, who had been tasked with emulating the opposing quarterback every week this season.


Teammates also started calling him Marcus to help him stay in character.


“It’s been kind of a fun deal,” Collier said during media day in Dallas on Saturday. "I'll just be around the dorm and everybody's like, 'Sup Marcus.' I get the gist now, it's just funny."


But pretending he’s the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback off the field has been a far easier challenge than actually becoming him on it. Collier, who has been studying film since the team returned from Ohio, said the Mariota’s unique combination of being an effective runner and passer has been a challenge, but that he’s drawn on some of the other quarterback’s he’s imitated this season as a guide.


“It’s been an everyday affair,” Collier said of studying Mariota. “Obviously been watching him. I can’t even say the amount of hours, but it’s been a lot for sure.


“Between Connor Cook’s passing and Keenan Reynolds from Navy, who obviously did a great job of running, those are two separate deals, but Marcus has them booth. So that’s probably been the hardest.”


Collier’s role as the opposing quarterback has been integral to the Buckeyes success this season and it’s a role he takes seriously because he knows that’s how he can help contribute to the team’s success. Even with all of the injuries at quarterback, Collier will not see the field. The coaching staff has agreed to keep his redshirt intact even if starter Cardale Jones is stricken with injury during the national championship game.


“I’m all for it,” Collier said of preserving his redshirt. “Obviously, if this happens n Game 3 or something, that’s a different situation, but to burn it over one game I mean, it wouldn’t be advantageous. But, I mean, if I had to do it, I definitely would.”


But for now, Collier is happy helping the defense prepare for the opposing quarterback and he thinks this week might have been his finest work.


"I think I did a good job," he said.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


- - - - - - -


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






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1DK6ndf
Read More