News sport : Shutdown Corner NFL Power Rankings: The disappointment scale, and Peyton

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Peyton Manning summed up the disappointment and finality of losing in the playoffs pretty well after his Denver Broncos were eliminated.


"If you get into playoffs and you get into the competition, there is only one team that is going to leave happy," Manning said. "I don’t think Pittsburgh is any less disappointed than we are and whoever loses next week between New England and Indy is not going to be any happier than we are. That is football. That is what you sign up for and I guess if you don’t want to potentially deal with the disappointment then you shouldn’t play."


There are some good points in there. Realistically, however, it's far more complicated.


Each team's disappointment level is different when it is eliminated from the playoffs. Manning should know. We rank his top five playoff disappointments in the video at the top. He has had a few. Sunday was a really rough one for Manning and Denver, but was the Broncos' disappointment level the highest of the four eliminated teams? Let's look, in order of disappointment from least to most:


Carolina Panthers: Let's be real. They had arguably the luckiest ride to the divisional round in NFL history, winning a terrible division with a winning streak against four losing teams and then drawing the Ryan Lindley-led Arizona Cardinals in the wild-card round. They had so much house money it was pouring out of their pockets. They had no real shot of beating Seattle and at least they didn't embarrass themselves. DISAPPOINTMENT LEVEL: Bummer, dude.


Baltimore Ravens: A few ways to look at it. They were a No. 6 seed, and would have been sitting at home had the San Diego Chargers handled business in Week 17. So a playoff spot and a win over the Steelers before losing at the top seed isn't the worst thing. But blowing two 14-point leads, then seeing the No. 2 seed lose the next day? That stings. DISAPPOINTMENT LEVEL: Can't bear to watch the game film, ever.


Dallas Cowboys: This lingers a while. They had a really good team (probably the No. 1 seed in the NFC if Tony Romo doesn't get hurt against Washington) and many chances to win on Sunday. And yes, that Dez Bryant non-catch is what they can replay over and over and over all offseason. It's not a total disaster because overall the season has to be considered a success for a franchise that wasn't expected to go 12-4 or win a division title. Still, they'll look away anytime the Bryant highlight comes on. DISAPPOINTMENT LEVEL: Wake up in a cold sweat a few times each month this offseason.



Denver Broncos: In hindsight, you could see it coming. Manning struggled physically late in the season, and that just continued against the Colts. Still, for THE Super Bowl or bust team in the NFL this season, a one-and-done was a brutal blow. It was a franchise changer. General manager John Elway fired coach John Fox, who had a 46-18 regular-season record in four years, and told the rest of the staff they were free to look elsewhere. So, yeah. This is the team with the most disappointment over its playoff exit. DISAPPOINTMENT LEVEL: The franchise might not be the same, literally. Anything more to say?



Now, ranking the remaining four teams:


4. Indianapolis Colts

I like the Colts' story, mostly because Andrew Luck is clearly the future of the league and it's great to see him making strides when so many other young quarterbacks aren't. Maybe this is just this year's playoff team that forgets all its regular-season flaws and rolls into the Super Bowl. I can't buy in that much yet.


3. Green Bay Packers

I wish Aaron Rodgers was healthy. That would make for a really fun NFC championship game. But Rodgers is not healthy and I'm not sure he can beat Seattle on one leg. Not in Seattle, anyway.


2. New England Patriots

A small change in the top two. Not really because of the Patriots. I love the job the coaches did against Baltimore. Not just the trick plays, but deciding in the second half that the best chance to win is to put the ball in Tom Brady's hands ever play. I love it even more because when people stuck in 30 years ago try to say "You have to run the ball to win in the playoffs!" I have a box score to send them as proof that's not true.


1. Seattle Seahawks

It's time to move them into the top spot, a spot the Patriots have held for a long time. Their defense is absolutely stifling right now, playing at least as well as at this time last year. And the offense is impressive too. If Russell Wilson is going to be as surgical from the pocket as he was against Carolina, how do you slow down the Seahawks? I don't know either. They're the best team at this moment. They have a great shot at a repeat.



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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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Neuer miss leaves Germans disappointed

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Germans expressed disappointment after their World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer came third in the vote for the 2014 world player of the year.


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Berlin - Germans, who had hoped for a clean sweep at the Fifa Ballon D'Or, expressed disappointment after their World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer came third in the vote for the 2014 world player of the year.


Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo won the award on Monday for the second year running and third time in total.


The Real Madrid forward polled more than twice as many votes as his bitter rival and four-time winner Lionel Messi, who only just edged Bayern Munich's Neuer into third place.


Neuer, who was outstanding at last year's World Cup in Brazil and also helped Bayern clinch a domestic double, has let in just four goals in 17 league games so far this season.


“I think this is unfair,” said Germany's former World Cup-winning captain and coach Franz Beckenbauer. “It seems that in this vote success does not count as much as appearances.”


“Keepers are in a difficult spot. People want to see goals, not the people stopping the goals.”


Germany had been hoping for a clean sweep of awards after coach Joachim Loew won coach of the year award while VfL Wolfsburg coach Ralf Kellermann was voted best coach in women's football.


Wolfsburg's Germany midfielder Nadine Kessler was voted female player of the year.


“I am a bit disappointed for Manuel,” Loew told reporters. “Because at the World Cup Manuel showed a completely different goalkeeping game and that is something that has never happened before.”


Neuer was voted goalkeeper of the year in 2014 after a string of outstanding performances at the World Cup, where he also ventured out of his box more often than others in the past.


But he did not even get support from all his Bayern teammates with Robert Lewandowski, the Poland striker, voting instead for the Portuguese.


“It was a mistake from me to vote for Ronaldo,” Lewandowski told reporters. “Today I would vote for Manuel but I voted some time in August. I would vote differently today.”


For the easy-going Neuer, however, the evening was a success even without the trophy.


“I am leaving this building with a big smile on my face. It was a winning day for me and it was a success just being in the top three,” he said. “2014 was a year with a lot of success and it will forever stay in my memory.” – Reuters






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The Afcon dribble wizards

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John Goliath, who will cover the African Cup of Nations for Independent Media, looks at the players that will keep fans on edge of their seats.


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John Goliath, who will cover the African Cup of Nations for Independent Media, looks at the players that will keep fans on edge of their seats.


Gervinho (Ivory Coast)


Age: 27


Club: AS Roma


The Ivory Cost forward is one of the trickiest customers to face because of his ability to glide past defenders with the ball at his feet. His pace and close control helps him to get into good scoring positions behind the opposition’s defensive line. However, the final product isn't always great, as he has the tendency to miss quite a few chances. Gervinho is quite versatile. But for a small guy he also has a bit of temper. He was sent off on his Premier League debut for Arsenal after slapping Joey Barton.


Did you know?


Gervinho's real name is Gervais Yao Kouassi. He was given the Brazilian-Portuguese style nickname “Gervinho”, derived from his first name Gervais, by the Brazilian coach who trained him at ASEC Abidjan.


Thuso Phala (South Africa)


Age: 28


Club: SuperSport United


Thuso Phala played himself into reckoning for Shakes Mashaba's squad with some brilliant performances for his club SuperSport United in their run to the Telkom Knockout trophy. Phala has got calves the size of basketballs, which propel him forward at the rate of knots. His sheer pace down the right wing is going to give Bafana much-needed width. The stocky Phala has got the ability to get to the byline by beating defenders with his pace and strength. His crossing remains an Achilles heel of his game, though.


Did you know?


Phala was featured in a BBC documentary in 2004 entitled “Football and Freedom” which followed the paths of two 13 year-old South Africans aiming to become professional players.


Yacine Brahimi (Algeria)


Age: 24


Club: Porto


Brahimi won the coveted BBC African Footballer of the Year award last year, beating the likes of the Yaya Toure and Gervinho to the prize. The Algerian playmaker is one of the rising stars of world football, could fire Algeria to their second title and first tournament win in 25 years. Brahimi showcased his dribbling skills at the World Cup, when Algeria showed their pedigree with a few top performances. He can also play through the middle or on the left, but he is definitely at his best when he gets the ball in between the opposition's defence and midfield.


Did you know?


Brahimi Was born in France and played for French national team from Under-16 to Under-21 level


Sadio Mane (Senegal)


Age: 22


Club: Southampton


Sadio Mane is actually injured, but such is his importance to the to Senegal’s cause that he has been included in their squad for the finals anyway. Mane injured his calf muscle on New Year’s day and is supposed to be out for four weeks. So, while he might not feature for Senegal in the first few matches, they are hoping he could be a force if they make the knockout stages. Mane has silky smooth skills on the ball, and can get himself out of tricky situations with a his quick feet and wonderful touch. He also has an eye for goal and can also pull defenders all over the park with his trickery.


Did you know?


Played every minute of Senegal's matches at the 2012 London Olympics


Thievy Bifouma (Congo-Brazzaville)


Age: 22


Club: Almeira


The Spain-based forward showed during the qualifiers that he is a force to be reckoned with after virtuoso performances against Nigeria and Bafana Bafana. His first touch is as smooth as silk, and he can beat defenders with his power and a quick turn of pace. His ability to draw fouls in and around the box makes him really tricky to defend against, while he is always a goal threat. However, the burden of carrying this team could be too much for him, as he sometimes looks a bit lost when things don't go his way.


Did you know?


He scored after 36 seconds of making his Premier League debut for West Brom in January last year. - The Star






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Arsenal’s Sanogo joins Palace on loan

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Yaya Sanogo, Arsenal's France Under-21 international striker has crossed London and joined Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season.


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London - Yaya Sanogo, Arsenal's France Under-21 international striker has crossed London and joined Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season, the two Premier League clubs announced.


The 21-year-old forward, who has played six times for Arsenal this season and scored his first competitive goal in their 2-0 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund in November, becomes Alan Pardew's first signing since he became Palace manager earlier this month.


Sanogo will link up with former Arsenal forward Marouane Chamakh in attack as Palace, who climbed to 15th in the table after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday, continue their fight against the drop.


Pardew told the Palace website (www.cpfc.co.uk): “He's a young player with tremendous promise, somebody that I have tracked personally and this club has too so that fitted well.”


Sanogo has been at the Emirates Stadium since the start of last season, joining from Auxerre where he was developed as a youth.


He came on as a substitute in last season's FA Cup final win over Hull City at Wembley and played in the first half of Arsenal's win over Manchester City back at Wembley in the Community Shield in August. – Reuters






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News sport : Ohio State No. 1 and TCU No. 3 in final AP poll of 2014 season

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The four teams that made the College Football Playoff are in the top five of the final AP poll, but to are behind a team that missed out.


Ohio State finishes the year atop the AP poll after beating Oregon 42-20 in for the national title Monday night and TCU, which demolished Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, jumps up to No. 3 from No. 6 in the pre-bowl poll.


TCU was at No. 3 in the next-to-last set of College Football Playoff rankings but fell out of the top four in the final rankings after Baylor beat Kansas State and Ohio State beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship.


Oregon finishes the year at No. 2 and Alabama is at No. 4. Florida State, which lost to Oregon in the Rose Bowl, is at No. 5 in a tie with Michigan State.


After beating Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl, Georgia Tech moved up to No. 8. The entire poll is below.


1. Ohio State (59 first place votes)

2. Oregon

3. TCU

4. Alabama

5. Florida State

5. Michigan State

7. Baylor

8. Georgia Tech

9. Georgia

10. UCLA

11. Mississippi State

12. Arizona State

13. Wisconsin

14. Missouri

15. Clemson

16. Boise State

17. Ole Miss

18. Kansas State

19. Arizona

20. USC

21. Utah

22. Auburn

23. Marshall

24. Louisville

25. Memphis


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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 : Oregon made too many mistakes to come away with its first national championship

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Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) is helped up by offensive lineman Jake Fisher (75) in the fourth quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. (Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports) When Oregon players retreated back to their locker room following Monday’s 42-20 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship there were tears, but mostly there were hugs.


Players were congratulating each other on a tremendous season while battling immense disappointment. Oregon had a chance to win the program’s first national championship, but a mixture of poor play and poor execution on offense and defense stopped the Ducks from achieving that goal.


“I think this team battled,” offensive coordinator Scott Frost said. “They battled through injuries, battled through people doubting them early in the year. Honestly, they probably overachieved. We had some special players and we were missing a bunch of them. I think if a few things go another way, this game could have been closer or different.”


It’s hard to pinpoint the exact thing that plagued the Ducks because when one thing went wrong, things seemed to snowball. Despite scoring on their first drive of the game and forcing Ohio State to punt on its first possession, the Ducks offense stalled much of the contest. And when it stalled, the Ohio State offense chewed up the clock with its running game. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns, and averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Elliott continuously found holes in the Oregon defensive line as he broke through arm tackles to get into the second level.


“We just had self-inflicted wounds,” defensive lineman DeForest Buckner said. “We kept making mistakes on defense, offense, special teams and you can’t make mistakes against a good team like that. We didn’t tackle really well, yards after contact. We just didn’t get it done.


“We weren’t ourselves. We weren’t tackling well. A lot of guys just tried to do too much, not just their job.”


Oregon did manage to force four Ohio State turnovers, which was really the only reason Ohio State didn’t make this a bigger blowout than it was, but managed just 10 points off those turnovers.


Frost said the problems with Oregon started with the second and third offensive possessions. Both drives were stalled because of a dropped pass on third down. If those passes are complete, Oregon’s offense gets into a rhythm.


“I think if we could have scored another time in the first quarter, I think the game would have looked a little different,” Frost said. “Whether or not we would have won, I don’t know. But we executed really well the first drive and then started executing well the second and third drive and had some things kind of backfire on us and that would have changed things a little bit.”


The Oregon offense converted just two of its 12 third-down attempts and had the ball for just 1:52 in the third quarter while it was attempting to make a comeback. Oregon’s defense was on the field so much that it got to a point where it didn’t have the legs to stop Elliott or quarterback Cardale Jones, who was not only battering the line with his rushing ability, but also making pinpoint passes to receivers that seemed to catch everything thrown their direction.


Even when Oregon started to gain a little momentum, Ohio State would do just enough to steal it and change the flow of the game back into their favor.


Oregon’s team relies on flow and at no point during the game was it ever able to achieve it.


“We just didn’t execute,” receiver Keanon Lowe said. “That first drive we executed pretty well and then we just didn’t execute. When you’re playing a team like that, you’ve got to execute. You can’t give them any sign of life and make mistakes. You know, we made mistakes and we were still in the game, obviously. But they’re a very opportunistic team.”


For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.


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!


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News sport : Emotional Marcus Mariota says he'll make a decision on his future 'in a couple days'

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When Marcus Mariota returned to the locker room following the 42-20 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship, he said he cried.


Oregon’s Heisman-winning quarterback had the Ducks on the cusp of their first-ever national championship and he couldn’t help them achieve it.


So when it was just him, his teammates and his coaches, the emotion was too much to contain.


“When nobody was in here, the waterworks were on,” Mariota said.


“You put so much work into it and you come up short, it’s tough. You understand that these guys have put in blood, sweat, tears and you just feel for each teammate.”


[Yahoo Team Fan Shop: Buy Ohio State national championship merchandise]


Mariota, a junior, had already made a lasting impression on the Oregon program. He was the most decorated player in the school’s history and won its first Heisman Trophy. A national championship would have been icing on the cake, especially since this was likely his final game in an Oregon uniform. The deadline to declare for the NFL draft is Jan. 15.


Mariota said he wasn’t yet ready to address is future, but that if he did come back, he could see the Ducks playing in this game again next season.


“I’ll take the next couple days, talk to my family, we’ll make a decision,” Mariota said of his future. “This program is playing at a high level now. If I chose to be a part of it again, I’d like to be here again. That being said, these guys are unbelievable and I’m just glad and, again, this is just a special team and I’m glad to be a part of it.”



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!


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Falcao fears United exit

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Radamel Falcao was left stunned by Louis van Gaal’s decision to drop him at the weekend.


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Radamel Falcao was left stunned by Louis van Gaal’s decision to drop him at the weekend and fears he faces an uphill struggle to persuade Manchester United to keep him at the end of the season.


United manager Van Gaal left the 28-year-old out of the 18-man squad that lost at home to Southampton and he watched the game at Old Trafford having received no explanation.


It is understood that Falcao and Van Gaal did talk at training at Carrington yesterday, with the Dutch coach telling the striker that the decision was made for tactical reasons.


However, Sportsmail understands that Falcao wonders if he will ever persuade Van Gaal to turn a one-year loan deal into a permanent £43million transfer from Monaco in the summer. Falcao has put in extra training after recovering from a calf injury and is trying to turn himself into a more rounded forward in the mould of captain Wayne Rooney.


Despite this, the Colombian believes he sometimes has to do more than others to convince Van Gaal of his worth and was bemused in late November to hear his manager say he had to get fully match-fit before he could return.


As far as Falcao was concerned, he was fit and the fact that another of Van Gaal’s summer signings, Daley Blind, went straight back in the starting line-up against Southampton after almost two months out with a knee injury has not escaped his attention.


United are paying Falcao in excess of £250,000 a week, but the former Atletico Madrid star has scored only three times this season.– Daily Mail






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News sport : Tom Herman wears Houston hat while celebrating Ohio State's national title (Photos)

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Monday night’s College Football Playoff title game was Tom Herman’s last game with Ohio State.


The Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator accepted the head-coaching gig at Houston in mid-December, but has been finishing his duties with the Buckeyes throughout their title run. As soon as the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Buckeyes entered celebration mode, Herman pulled out a Houston hat from his waistband.



And then he was ready for his photo opportunity.



Putting that national championship on his resume is certainly a boon for Herman, but the wardrobe change rubbed some folks in Columbus the wrong way.


For one, former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett called Herman a “weenie” on his Instagram account.





You can’t please everybody, I suppose.


For more Houston news, visit CougarsDen.com.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


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News sport : TCU fans bring 'Winner Plays TCU' sign to CFP title game (Photos)

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The best sign at the College Football Playoff National Championship had nothing to do with either Ohio State or Oregon.


These TCU fans snagged front row seats to Monday night’s title game and made their allegiance to TCU known with a “Winner Plays TCU” sign. Well done.




Of course, the Horned Frogs were ranked No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings coming into the selection committee’s final rankings. Controversially, the Horned Frogs dropped from No. 3 all the way to No. 6 despite beating Iowa State 55-3 to clinch a share of the Big 12 title and improve to 11-1.


The Horned Frogs then went on to destroy No. 9 Ole Miss 42-3 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and certainly looked like one of the four best teams in the country in the process.


After this breakout season, TCU will likely be considered a favorite heading into the 2015 campaign.


For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.


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Ronaldo bags his third Ballon d'Or

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Cristiano Ronaldo was delighted to retain the coveted Ballon d'Or award for the third time in his career.


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Madrid - Cristiano Ronaldo retained the prestigious Fifa Ballon d'Or award in Zurich on Monday, after finishing well ahead of Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer.


Cristiano Ronaldo was delighted to retain the coveted Ballon d'Or award as world player of 2014 on Monday at the high-profile Fifa Gala in Zurich.


It was the third time in his highly successful career that Ronaldo, 29, had won the prestigious award.


He finished well ahead of Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer for the prize, taking 37.66 per cent of the votes to Messi's 15.76 per cent and Neuer's 15.72 per cent.


“I would like to thank all of those who voted for me, and also my president and my coach at Real Madrid,” a delighted Ronaldo said.


“It has been an unforgettable year. To win this trophy at the end of it is something incredibly unique... I want to continue to work as I have so far, to try and win more titles, for my mother, for my father, for my son.


“To all the Portuguese people out there: I never thought that I would take this trophy back on three occasions. I want to become one of the greatest players of all time.”


Ronaldo is certainly on the road to doing just that, after winning back-to-back titles.


He first won the Fifa award in 2008, after guiding Manchester United to the Champions League. He then left for Real Madrid in a world record deal, and had to take second place behind Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Argentina for three years.


However, he has now confirmed his place at the top of world football with consecutive world player awards.


Ronaldo enjoyed a remarkable 2014 in which he scored an astonishing total of 63 goals for Real Madrid and Portugal in all competitions.


Ronaldo, who turns 30 in February, has not been short on self-confidence. He raised eyebrows a few months ago by saying: “In my head, I think I am the best player in the world.”


Similar statements over the years - in 2011 he infamously said “some people jeer me because I am rich, handsome and a great player” - have led to Ronaldo's being considered arrogant in some quarters.


The fact that he is the first player ever to have a museum dedicated to himself, on his home island of Madeira - complete with a massive statue - has confirmed this negative impression for many people.


Not that Ronaldo is very worried about his critics, after a golden year in which he guided Real to four major trophies: the Champions League, the Uefa Super Cup, the Club World Cup and the Spanish cup.


Ronaldo's goals record in these triumphs was nothing short of astonishing. He banged in 17 goals in the Champions League, then scored both goals in Real's 2-0 defeat of Sevilla for the Uefa Super Cup in August.


He was top scorer in La Liga last season with 31 goals, and is currently way ahead atop the scorers' chart with 26 - a tally which puts him on course to beat Messi's record of 50 goals in 2012.


However, Ronaldo's critics point to the fact that he again failed to shine on the most important stage of all: the World Cup finals.


He scored only one goal at the tournament, the same as in 2010, and failed to guide Portugal beyond the first round, while Messi's Argentina reached the final and Neuer's Germany won the trophy.


Ronaldo's Real colleagues were quick to congratulate him after Monday's announcement.


“You deserve this after your great year,” Real keeper Casillas said.


Veteran defender Alvaro Arbeloa wrote: “You make our white shirt truly great. It is a source of pride for me to share this shirt with you.”


Sapa-dpa






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News sport : Ohio State throttles Oregon 42-20 in national title game

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ARLINGTON, Texas – We have bad news for you, Oregon. The score could have easily been worse.


Ohio State ran for 296 yards during Monday night's College Football Playoff National Championship Game as the Buckeyes romped all over the Ducks 42-20.


Running back Ezekiel Elliott had 246 yards and four touchdowns, including the Buckeyes' first and last touchdowns of the night. Both stats are Ohio State bowl records.


The reason the game could have ended up a bigger blowout on the scorebard is because The Buckeyes turned the ball over four times, including twice in the third quarter on back-to-back possessions. The first third quarter turnover was an interception from a dropped pass by Jalin Marshall. Oregon scored on the next play, a 70-yard pass from Marcus Mariota to Byron Marshall, and the score was 21-17.


On Ohio State's next possession, quarterback Cardale Jones fumbled in a similar fashion to Florida State's Jameis Winston in the Rose Bowl. Oregon didn't return Jones' fumble for a touchdown this time, however, and Oregon only got a field goal out of the ensuing drive to make the score 21-20 in favor of the Buckeyes.


From then, it was a rout, as Elliott scored three touchdowns. His second of the game ended the third quarter and put Ohio State up eight. His third basically sealed the game with less than 10 minutes to go in the fourth.


Why? Because Oregon's offense started sputtering. After it breezed down the field on the first possession of the game, Oregon's offense was never as crisp. Mariota finished 24-37 passing for 33 yards and two touchdowns, but the Ducks' running game didn't do an effective job setting up the pass.


Oregon ran 33 times for 132 yards, an average of four yards per carry. The Ducks entered the game averaging 241 yards a game at more than 5.5 yards a clip.


The Ducks finish the season 13-2 while Ohio State ends the season at 14-1. Both teams are likely to have quarterback questions next year, as Mariota may declare for the NFL draft and Ohio State could return Jones and both Braxton Miller, who missed the season with a shoulder injury, and J.T. Barrett, who broke his ankle against Michigan.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.


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News sport : A side-by-side look at the fumbles by Cardale Jones and Jameis Winston (Video)

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Oregon must be strategically placing banana peels in the backfield when no one is looking. That’s the only explanation for the strange slip-and-fumble play that has occurred in both the Florida State and Ohio State games this playoff season.


During the third quarter of Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones was flushed from the pocket and while attempting to get rid of the ball, he slipped and the ball came loose to an opportunistic Oregon player.



A side-by-side view of the fumbles by Florida State QB Jameis Winston and Ohio State QB Cardale Jones.

It was very similar to a play that happened to Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston in the third quarter of the semifinal against the Ducks. In that game, the Ducks picked up the ball and ran it in for a score.


The Ducks’ offense stalled Monday night and had to settle for a field goal.


The turnover marked the fourth for an Ohio State offense that had 22 turnovers lost this season, but just two in the past three games.


With more than a quarter remaining in the national championship, Oregon has forced nine turnovers during the College Football Playoff. However, Oregon has only been able to turn the four turnovers against the Buckeyes into 10 points, a far cry from the 34 points the Ducks notched off Florida State’s miscues.


For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.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 : Nikola Vucevic posterizes Pau Gasol as Magic stun Bulls

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Hey, come on, Nikola Vucevic. Pau Gasol's an absurdly nice man — the kind of man who releases books of inspirational photography, parties on Sesame Street, wins citizenship awards, takes teammates to the opera and routinely brightens everyone's day 140 characters at a time. You really shouldn't be this mean to him:


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



That jab step, followed by that confident lefty drive, followed by cocking the hammer and throwing down that vicious one-handed facial, all capped by the ball doinking Pau on the noggin and both players hitting the deck ... my goodness, Mr. Vucevic. (And yes, I think we have to call him "Mr." after that, lest we suffer the same fate as Pau.)


Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel called the bench's reaction "perhaps the [Orlando Magic] players' most exuberant reaction in two and a half years," which, yes, says something about just how rough things have been in Central Florida since trading away Dwight Howard and kickstarting a post-superstar rebuild, but also says an awful lot about just how earth-shaking a baptism Gasol received from the Montenegrin center who's developed into the jewel of the Howard trade.


Since joining the Chicago Bulls in free agency this summer, Gasol's been playing a brilliant brand of ball — 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 blocks per game — that's got him looking like a shoo-in for a starting slot on the Eastern Conference All-Star squadThe Spaniard turned in another stellar offensive game on Monday, scoring a Chicago-high 28 points on 10-for-16 shooting to go with 14 boards in just under 35 minutes. But neither Gasol nor any of his Bulls buddies had any answer for the Magic's stalwart pivot at the United Center on Monday night, as Vucevic torched Tom Thibodeau's typically stout defense for 33 points — one shy of the career high he set on Saturday — on 16-for-24 shooting while adding 11 rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes to pace the Magic to a surprising 121-114 road victory.


Sophomore guard Victor Oladipo also poured in 33 — two off his career high, set just shy of one year ago in a triple-overtime game against these Bulls — on a sterling 11-for-17 mark from the field, with 24 of those points coming after intermission to score an upset that snaps a six-game losing streak and improves Jacque Vaughn's club to 14-27. (Humble as that mark is, it's just 3 1/2 games back of the Brooklyn Nets for the No. 8 seed in the crabs-in-a-barrel Eastern Conference.)


The Magic, who entered Monday with the league's second-least efficient offense (98.4 points per 100 possessions, ahead of only the woeful Philadelphia 76ers), managed a season-high 121 points on blistering 59.3 percent shooting from the floor despite missing injured wing contributors Tobias Harris and Evan Fournier. As impressive as the Magic looked in building a lead that grew as high as 17, the Bulls looked positively disheveled throughout, trailing for the final 45 minutes of the contest as they lost for the third time in four games.


With reigning Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah looking like a hobbled shell of his former self at the moment, Chicago's defense has fallen apart in that stretch, allowing an unsightly 108.3 points per 100 possessions over the past four games. Only the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and LeBron James-less Cleveland Cavaliers have been more permissive over their last four contests.


Former MVP Derrick Rose (18 points, seven assists, two rebounds, two steals) was at a loss when asked about the recent slide after the game. Thibodeau, for his part, seems to think it's a matter of choice:



Especially, it seems, when a 7-foot dude in black and blue is bearing down on the basket.


Video via Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.


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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 : Bob Newhart confirms that he is not reffing the CFP title game

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The College Football Playoff National Championship features a Big 12 officiating crew led by referee Greg Burks.


The first half has been well-officiated, but Burks has been the talk of Twitter for his uncanny resemblance to Bob Newhart, the famous comedian and actor who played Papa Elf in Elf.




They look just alike!


Thankfully, the tech-savvy Newhart, who is 85-years-old, was able to clear things up for everyone.



Thanks, Bob!


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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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