Spurs beat gritty Sheffield United

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Tottenham Hotspur needed a 73rd-minute Andros Townsend penalty to end the dogged resistance of visiting third tier Sheffield United and secure a 1-0 lead in their League Cup semi-final first leg.


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London - Tottenham Hotspur needed a 73rd-minute Andros Townsend penalty to end the dogged resistance of visiting third tier Sheffield United and secure a 1-0 lead in their League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.


It had looked like being a frustrating evening for the Premier League side and four times winners, whose laboured efforts to break down their lower league opponents came to nothing for most of the encounter.


Yet a blatant handball by United's Jay McEveley gave the hosts the chance to finally break the deadlock and Townsend walloped home from the spot to give them a slender advantage heading into next week's second leg at Bramall Lane.


“In the first half it was very difficult to create chances because they played very deep and were well organised. In the second half our performance improved and we did create some chances,” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino told reporters.


United boss Nivel Clough added: “We're disappointed not to come away with a draw tonight. We let it slip a little bit in the second half when we didn't play enough leading up to the penalty. But we are still in the tie.”


The winners face either Liverpool or Chelsea, who drew 1-1 in their first leg on Tuesday, in the final at Wembley.


The League One side have become cup specialists under manager Nigel Clough, having lost two of their previous 19 knockout games and beaten five Premier League sides in the last 12 months.


While the kickoff was delayed 15 minutes after the visitors' bus got stuck in traffic, there was nothing tardy about their start to the game.


They looked to give as good as they got in the opening exchanges, although the first real chance fell to Spurs, with defender Eric Dier having a header well parried by visiting keeper Mark Howard.


Spurs, bidding to reach their first final for six years, enjoyed the lion's share of possession but struggled to break down a plucky United rearguard.


Tottenham's Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, making his first start since November, blasted over 10 minutes before halftime, typifying a sloppy first 45 minutes from the home side.


As the frustration levels increased inside White Hart Lane, so did the visitors' resilience, as Tottenham laboured for little attacking reward.


Spurs boss Pochettino replaced the ineffective Adebayor with Roberto Soldado midway through the second half and the Spaniard had a hand in the breakthrough moment.


He controlled a crossfield pass into the box from central defender Jan Vertonghen and McEveley's trailing arm fumbled at the bouncing ball in front of referee Neil Swarbrick who had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. – Reuters






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Messi goal sinks Atletico

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Barcelona seized control of their King's Cup quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid when Lionel Messi followed up his saved penalty to score and secure a 1-0 first-leg victory at the Nou Camp.


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Barcelona - Barcelona seized control of their King's Cup quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid when Lionel Messi followed up his saved penalty to score and secure a 1-0 first-leg victory at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.


Barca dominated possession against the La Liga champions but Atletico defended stoutly and held the record Cup winners at bay until Juanfran fouled Spain team mate Sergio Busquets in the area six minutes from time.


Messi's effort from the spot was well saved by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, but the ball fell kindly for the Argentina captain and he tapped it into the net to give Barca the advantage ahead of next Wednesday's return in Madrid.


“It's a good result but the second leg is still to come and they are going to be 90 very intense minutes,” Barca captain Andres Iniesta said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Canal Plus.


“We performed extremely well against an opponent which is very tough to overcome,” added the Spain international.


“Not conceding a goal is an important achievement but it does not guarantee anything. We will try to do things well again in the return.”


Villarreal or Getafe await in the last four and Villarreal gained the upper hand in their tie when captain Bruno Soriano, who had come off the bench half an hour earlier, curled in a free kick in the 85th minute at the Madrigal.


On the other side of the draw, Athletic Bilbao ground out a 0-0 stalemate at Malaga, while Sevilla play their first leg at Espanyol on Thursday.


After losing 3-1 at Barca in La Liga this month, Atletico produced a much improved defensive performance and were close to becoming only the second team to avoid conceding at the Nou Camp this season until Messi struck.


Luis Suarez, who has yet to spark since joining from Liverpool, had Barca's best scoring opportunity in the first half when he was picked out by Ivan Rakitic in the 36th minute but he skewed his first-time shot over the crossbar.


Atletico restricted Messi, fresh from a hat-trick in Barca's La Liga victory at Deportivo La Coruna at the weekend, to a single genuine chance when he also shot wildly over when well placed in the 12th minute.


The four-times World Player of the Year could have made it 2-0 in added time but fired a free kick from just outside the Atletico area narrowly over.


“It's a result that can be turned around,” Atletico defender Miranda told Canal Plus.


“We have a good defence and we score in almost all our matches,” added the Brazil international.


“With our fans behind us, who are always there when we need them, we will fight back.” – Reuters






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News sport : NHL Three Stars: 'Hawks, Avs win in shoot-out, Jets blank 'Lumbus

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No. 1 Star: Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks


Just another 2-point night for the one they call 'Hoss'. He does score a goal, but his most impressive move of the night was an assist on David Rundblad's goal where Hossa deftly keeps the puck onside to set up the score:





No. 2 Star: Michael Hutchinson, Winnipeg Jets


What a revelation the young goaltender for the Jets has been. He pitched a 4-0 shut-out for Winnipeg against Columbus, stopping all 29 shots sent his way. With Sergei Bobrovsky likely out of the All-Star Game, he'd be a great choice to take his place. Hutchinson is second in save-percentage at .935 and third with 1.90 GAA.


No. 3 Star: Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado Avalanche


Still think the Avs are serious about moving O'Reilly at the deadline? A lot of teams wouldn't mind having his services. With 1:35 left in the third and the goaltender pulled, O'Reilly scored the game-tying goal against Tuukka Rask.





Honorable Mention: Pittsburgh made it interesting against Chicago by overcoming a 2 goal deficit to tie the game in the second period. The bout went all the way to the shoot-out where Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane netted the only goals. Congrats to Pittsburgh's Zach Sill for scoring his first NHL goal in the loss ... Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Chiarot were plus-3 against the Blue Jackets ... Colorado and Boston went to the shoot-out with Nate MacKinnon scoring the only goal ... The woes of the Leafs continue as they lose 4-3 to Ottawa. Jake Gardiner recorded the only multi-point night for Toronto. Erik Karlsson had 2 goals in 25:03 TOI; one of his goals came on this beauty of an exchange with Mike Hoffman:





... Playing with the flu, Frederik Andersen backstopped the Ducks to a 6-3 victory over Calgary. Ben Lovejoy, Corey Perry, and Nate Thompson each recorded multi-point nights ... It was Metallica night in San Jose! Logan Couture had 2 goals and an assist in the Sharks 4-2 win against Los Angeles. The best goal of the game came on the power play:





Did You Know: The Flames have lost in Anaheim for 20 consecutive games.


Dishonorable Mention: Pittsburgh was without the services of Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Letang has experienced 'concussion like symptoms' in the wake of the hit he received from Zac Rinaldo the previous game. Malkin was a late scratch for unknown reasons. He will not attend the All-Star Game ... Sergei Bobrovski had to leave the game against Winnipeg due to injury; he'll be re-evaluated on Thursday ... After giving up 4 goals on 11 shots, Flames goalie Joni Ortio was replaced by Jonas Hiller in net. Mason Raymond was a minus-4 ... Somehow Dion Phaneuf and Milan Michalek ended up with the same amount of penalty minutes from this exchange:




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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 : Report: MLB and NCAA could push to move Draft to July 1

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In an interesting development that could alter the future of baseball's first-year player draft, MLB Network's Peter Gammons is reporting that officials from MLB and coaches representing the NCAA met on Monday to discuss the possibility of pushing the draft back until after the College World Series, which usually wraps up in mid-June. Gammons adds that the two sides were able reach a "general" agreement that July 1 will be their target date.



That's only one step, but it could prove to be a big one if both sides stick to their guns. They would also have to gain the approval of the MLBPA and add it to the collective bargaining agreement. That's a potentially bigger hurdle, but at least they would form a united front should that battle take place.


At this point, there's no indication MLB or the NCAA plan to pursue a change in the near future. There are likely more details both sides would like to iron out before finalizing such an agreement or moving forth with a proposal, but it's clear that the NCAA coaches are looking to eliminate the ill-timed distraction players face with the early June draft coinciding with regionals and the College World Series.


We're guessing the players wouldn't mind either, as it would give them another showcase with which to impress scouts and improve their stock. By the same token, MLB teams would have another chance to evaluate top college prospects, but as many have already noted, it would create logistical issues, such as constructing short-season rookie teams that are often filled by new draft picks.


It would also seemingly decrease the already small odds of new draft picks reaching the big leagues the same season, which Kansas City Royals reliever Brandon Finnegan proved could be valuable just last season.


Again, this is only in the early stages. If some of those lower lying issues are approached and not resolved, this could fade away pretty quickly. But the fact it has been approached and there's mutual interest in having it moved makes the next development in this story a big one. We'll be watching.


BLS H/N: Eye on Baseball


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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : 76ers miss 5 up-close shots on one trip en route to out-tanking Knicks

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Heading into Wednesday's matchup between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, one key question captivated NBA observers everywhere: in a battle of the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference, which pitiful and cratering squad would prove less able to produce functional basketball, and thus more likely to rack up another loss that improves their odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick in this summer's draft lottery?


Well, with sequences like this, we got our answer. Bravo, Sixers. Take a bow.



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


And then, when you fall down after taking that bow, get back up, dust yourself off, and fall back down again, and then repeat that a couple more times, I guess. Whatever you do, though, don't successfully complete the bow.


According to the play-by-play on NBA.com, that was four straight missed Philadelphia layups — one by Henry Sims, two by K.J. McDaniels, one by Furkan Aldemir — that followed a missed McDaniels jumper that had been partially blocked by Knicks rookie Langston Galloway. Five missed shots on one trip in 14 seconds, with four of them coming within eight feet of the basket. Tony Allen himself would be proud.


Really, when it came to having an off night, it was the Sixers' night. Sure, the two teams combined for just 36 points on 15-for-45 shooting in the first quarter. But while the Knicks were able to get some momentum going in the second and third quarters behind a small amount of shotmaking from the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Jose Calderon and the rookie Galloway, the Sixers kept striving toward the completion of their appointed rounds, managing just 62 points on 33.8 percent shooting to take a 12-point deficit into the fourth quarter.


For a second there, though, it looked like Brett Brown's club might have forgotten what Philly's all about these days, ripping off an 11-2 run early in the fourth to cut the New York lead to three and keeping it a two-possession game late. Luckily for Sam Hinkie, though, the game's deciding possession went the Knicks' way in a rather improbable fashion, which really means everything's coming up Sixers:



With just 20 seconds left and New York leading by four, Knicks big man Jason Smith — who'd just received a bullet pass in the paint from a double-teamed Anthony — got his shot packed by Sixers rookie Jerami Grant, the son of former Washington Bullets, Portland Trail Blazers and 76ers forward Harvey Grant. After Grant's eighth block of the night, though, the ball bounced free to the left corner, where Galloway — on his second 10-day deal with the Knicks after spending the earlier part of this season with the team's D-League affiliate in Westchester — corralled it, flipped up a shot-clock-beating prayer, and wound up burying a 3-pointer to put the Knicks up by seven with just 15 seconds remaining.


"I had to get one up real quick and it went down for me," Galloway said after the game, according to Dan Gelston of The Associated Press.


The ridiculous corner triple sealed a 98-91 Knicks win that gave Derek Fisher consecutive victories for the first time since Oct. 30 and Nov. 2, the Knicks' second and third games of the season. It also improved the Knicks to 7-36 and dropped Philly to 8-34, narrowing the gap between the two conference bottom-feeders to just 1 1/2 games for the East's bottom spot.


In a game like this, where losing could carry with it the benefit of better lottery odds and winning offers precious little beyond the final buzzer, it's tempting to think that there can really be no winners. And yet, it's hard not to feel good for the 23-year-old Galloway, who played four years at St. Joseph's, and who got to not only start and contribute significantly — 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in 34 minutes — just a short trip from where he played his college ball, but to continue his surprising entry into the NBA world with such a weird, cool, big shot.




I mean, if you can't keep losing to help the draft odds, at least it's nice to win like that, right?


More NBA coverage:





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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 : Sergei Bobrovsky leaves game with injury, All-Star game in doubt (Video)

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Anytime Sergei Bobrovsky gets injured, it's a big deal for those who are fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Vezina winning goaltender is a huge piece of the organization's chance for success.


On Wednesday night, the fan base held their collective breath as their goaltender made a seemingly innocuous kick save, but proceeded to stay on all fours as play went on.


Take a look, via @GregBalloch:



Based on the video, it looks to be a groin issue of some sort. Bobrovsky spent a couple minutes with the trainer before being skated off the ice with the assistance of his teammates. He was not putting any weight on that left leg.


Here's the thing... Columbus is about to host the All-Star weekend festivities, and Bobrovsky was one of the three Blue Jackets players representing the franchise.


That sound you hear is all the writers and TV personalities attending the event pouring a lil' out for the adorable, enigmatic, and very quotable Russian goaltender, who, in all likelihood, will now miss this weekend's festivities. There is about a snowball's chance in H-E-double hockey sticks 'Lumbus allows Bobrovsky to do anything more than smile and wave when the lineups are introduced.


Next question is: who will take his place? Since he's a goaltender and it's the host city, things are a bit different. Bobrovsky's backup, Curtis McElhinney, isn't what you'd call 'All-Star quality'.


After injuries to Pekka Rinne, Jimmy Howard and now Bobrovsky, the goalies left on the ASG roster are Corey Crawford, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jaroslav Halak, Carey Price, and Roberto Luongo. Some suitable replacements could be Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Miller, or Braden Holtby. (Yes, I'm sure your team has a perfect option to send and you'll destroy me in the comments for not specifically naming him to this list.)


For purely selfish reasons, I am leaving Frederik Andersen off the list. The last time the Ducks sent a goaltender (Jonas Hiller) to the All-Star Game, he ended up taking a puck to the brain and was struck with massive vertigo issues the rest of the season.


Anyhoo, for the Blue Jackets sake, hopefully the injury to Bobrovsky is not serious, and he's able to make the stretch run with the promising franchise.


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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 : Did Ravens tip off Colts about Patriots deflating balls?

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The latest twist in deflate-gate might give you a hint that the rest of the NFL isn't too fond of the New England Patriots.


According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, the Indianapolis Colts were tipped off by the Baltimore Ravens before the AFC championship game about the Patriots possibly altering the air pressure in their footballs. The Ravens lost to the Patriots in a divisional playoff game the week before.


Two things stand out about that report: If true, the Ravens were obviously pretty angry to tip off the Patriots' next opponent, and this would mean it's more than a one-game situation in New England. Unless it's a crazy coincidence that the Ravens assumed the Patriots' game balls were under-inflated when they weren't, told the Colts their hunch, and the championship game happened to be the game in which 11 of the 12 Patriots' game balls were flatter than usual. Of the Patriots' 12 game balls, 11 each had two pounds per square inch less than NFL rules stipulate, as ESPN reported Tuesday.


Glazer's story said the officials were planning to inspect the balls at halftime, based on the Ravens' tip. It was reported by other outlets that the Colts noticed the issue when linebacker D'Qwell Jackson caught an interception in the second quarter. It could be both.


There was another story, from ESPN's Adam Schefter, that the Colts thought the Patriots had also under-inflated footballs during a regular-season meeting on Nov. 16. According to Schefter, Colts safety Mike Adams had two interceptions, and gave both balls to the Colts' equipment manager to save. Both times, sources told Schefter, there were concerns the balls were under-inflated.


All three things could be independently true. The Colts could have noticed the issue on Nov. 16. The Ravens could have noticed it during their playoff loss and told the Colts. And Jackson could have noticed it too on Sunday, even before the officials got a chance to inspect the balls at halftime (that part of the story makes it even stranger that the officials didn't do anything in the first half, constantly handling the footballs that were reportedly 16 percent or so flatter than league rules allow).


And if all the reports are accurate, and the Ravens noticed it, and the Colts noticed it in two separate games, who else in the NFL noticed it during the season?


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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 : Wild, Avalanche getting NHL outdoor games in 2015-16: Report

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The NHL is expected to announce its next slate of outdoor hockey games at this weekend’s All-Star Game in Columbus, and it’s going to be good news for two markets that have been craving them.


According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Minnesota Wild are expected to host the Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche will host the Detroit Red Wings in 2016 outdoor games.


The venues have yet to be determined, although Target Field and Coors Field are the expected hosts for the Stadium Series games.


The 2016 Winter Classic, in hockey’s worst-kept secret, will be held at Foxboro Stadium between the host Boston Bruins and the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 1. McKenzie believes that means the New England Patriots are likely on the road for the last two weeks of the NFL season, although perhaps there could be a Thursday night game in the mix.


The Stadium Series games should bring a sense of relief to those markets who have felt they have all you need for a successful outdoor game – the venues, the markets and the weather – but weren’t deemed Winter Classic worthy.


I guess the only drawback is that Blackhawks are once again a featured player in an outdoor game for the fourth time, which is getting a little stale. But lord knows there’s a better rivalry between the Wild and Blackhawks than there was between Chicago and D.C.


It’s just … well … shoulda been you, Dallas (North) Stars


As for the Avs and Red Wings … well, we assume Claude Lemieux and Kris Draper are both dropping the ceremonial first puck, right?


So the only U.S. market that has the right weather, venue and fans to not get an outdoor game remains the St. Louis Blues. Maybe if Busch was an NHL sponsor rather than Coors. I wish I was kidding.






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News sport : Small-school standout Ali Marpet putting tiny Hobart College on NFL radars

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MOBILE, Ala. — Just because he didn't have anything close to the college experience that 90 percent of the players who are at the Senior Bowl doesn't mean that Hobart College's Ali Marpet doesn't belong.


Many of the players attended college football factories and big-five conference behemoths. Marpet went to a school with an enrollment around 2,200.


A fair number of the Senior Bowl players played at what can be called "football schools." At Hobart, the top draw is lacrosse. Far and away.


Nearly all of the players showcasing their skills for NFL scouts had full-ride scholarships. Marpet chose to attend the small liberal arts Division-III school and pay the majority of its — ahem — $57,000 annual tuition.


"Well, I did get merit-based academic assistance," Marpet explains. "But I had a to pay a little bit to go there, yeah. Student loans ... yeah, I've got them."


So how exactly did a player from this school get to this hotbed of pro-caliber talent? He took the long road.


"My high school, every other year we'll send one guy to a Division-III college," Marpet said. "I felt like I had a good highlight tape and all of that. But I wasn't really heavily recruited. This biggest schools that recruited me were probably Fordham and Holy Cross. That was about it. That and most of the academic schools around New York."


Marpet landed at Hobart and worked his way into the starting lineup as a sophomore. As a junior he first started getting the attention of Blesto scouts, who scour the nation for NFL talent, after running a 4.92 40-yard dash and standing out for the Statesmen (yes, that's the school nickname) on the field with some dominant performances. As a senior, the 6-3, 307-pound Marpet was named a D-III All-American and helped pave the way for an offense that averaged more 202.8 yards rushing per game and allowed only 9 sacks (one per 20 dropbacks) all season.


If this is a massive step up in competition, Marpet isn't looking out of place. After spending Tuesday's practice at left tackle — his college position — he moved inside to left guard, his likely pro position. In both spots, Marpet held strong. One of the highlights from his Wednesday practice was sustaining a block on a draw play on Washington DT Danny Shelton, who has proven to be one of the tougher players to block this week.


"He made a good play," Shelton said. "He looks like a good player."


From his body of work, and with an endorsement from a possible top-10 player, Marpet looks like he belongs. Still, it's Hobart College. How far off the NFL radar exactly is the school?


Hobart never has produced an NFL draft pick, and you have to go back about a decade since the school produced a player (Alex Bell in 2005) to even attend an NFL training camp.


The last NFL player from Hobart to play in the NFL? Per Pro Football Reference, it's former halfback Fred King, who appeared in one game for the Brooklyn Dodgers (yes, that was a football team once) back in 1937. For more perspective, King died in 1987 — more than five years before Marpet was born.


There have been 17 D-III players drafted by NFL teams since 1991 — including Mount Union standouts Pierre Garcon and Cecil Shorts — but none since 2012. Marpet could end that streak that the way his week is going.


The biggest direct connection to Hobart appears to Ravens senior personnel assistant George Kokinis, who got a degree from the school. But if NFL teams see a player, they'll nab him. Another strong day of practice and Marpet will have opened enough eyes to throw out any pre-conceived notions about football factories and all of that.


As for Marpet, he's just enjoying the ride. He has been welcomed openly by his Senior Bowl teammates and has stood toe to toe in individual and team drills, making the Senior Bowl committee look smart for giving him a roster spot.


If football doesn't work out, his economics major — he hopes to go into finance one day — at one of the best schools in the country won't hurt. (His minors, interestingly, were in philosophy and public policy.) And it doesn't hurt that that there is an army of Hobart grads working at some of the best financial houses in and around New York City. He also wants to get his master's degree in physical education — overachiever alert — so that he can teach econ and maybe coach a little, too.


But that's the proverbial "one day" plan. Right now, he's got this little NFL thing in front of him.


Marpet has no thoughts about where, or if, he'll get drafted. Right now, Mobile has been kind to him and he's loving every minute of his experience.


"I've gotten a lot more free stuff than I ever have in my entire life," Marpet said of his week. "I'm just having a blast."


Showing up the bigger-school competition has its perks.


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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 : Rising Stars Challenge will now pit USA vs. the World

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Imagine these two on the same team. (Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports) NBA All-Star Weekend is often an exercise in disappointment, with high-profile events like the dunk contest and All-Star Game itself failing to provide the thrills and drama we have seen in the past. One event, though, is pretty much always what it claims to be — the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, sometimes known as the Rookie Game or Rookie-Sophomore Game. It doesn't ever really look like real basketball, but the idea of a bunch of the league's up-and-coming players dunking and alley-ooping and playing virtually no defense tends to deliver on its promise. There are worse ways to pass two hours.


The problem is that the NBA can't seem to settle on a format for the event. At various points, the game has featured rookies separated by conference, rookies and sophomores divided by their years of service, and teams picked playground-style by TNT analysts. For this year's game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on February 13, the league has gone in a different direction — the United States vs. the World. Here's some info from the press release:


The league's assistant coaches will select 10 U.S. players and 10 international players for the game, with one ballot for each of the NBA's 30 teams. Both 10-man rosters will include four guards, four frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. Each team will also feature a minimum of three first-year players and three second-year players among its 10 spots.

The head coaches for each team will be an assistant from the 2015 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs. The Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Star Game coaches will be determined by the best record in the conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 1.

A quick glance at the likely participants suggests that the World team has the far superior roster. 2014 top pick Andrew Wiggins (Canada), blog favorite Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), and Rookie of the Year candidate Nikola Mirotic (a Montenegro-born Spanish citizen) would all be marquee players in the event. By contrast, the U.S. team would be without several big-name players (most notably Antetokounmpo's Bucks teammate Jabari Parker, out for the year with a torn ACL) and led by Magic guard Victor Oladipo, reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, and Kings shooting guard Ben McLemore. And that's to say nothing of other foreign-born players like Dennis Schroder, Rudy Gobert, and Dante Exum. The World looks stacked, to the point where the NBA might have gone with this format simply because it figures to be a fantastic showcase for the NBA's international flavor.


It's a good idea for this year, as well as a possible inspiration for the Rising Stars Challenge moving forward. No one puts much stock in the event as a basketball game — it's a showcase for young players to do cool things and is only really watchable as such. With that in mind, there's really no reason not to change the format of the game every year to suit the strengths of the available participants.


So why not divide next year's group by height? Or weight? Or whatever weird facts we happen to learn about future draft picks like Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay? The possibilities are endless as long as we think outside the box.


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







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News sport : Priority Pickups: Langston Galloway, Marcus Smart and various Bucks

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We're in the middle of a week in which every NBA team plays at least three games, which should make this a relatively low-stress time for fantasy owners. Perhaps you're not desperate for a pickup. Maybe you briefly freaked about Kevin Durant's dinged elbow, but, thankfully, that sounds like a non-issue.


Still, many of you treat your league's free agent pool like an all-you-can-eat buffet, so for you we offer the following options...


Langston Galloway, NYK, PG (9 percent owned)


Honestly, I really have no great sense for where the Galloway story will go, and New York's roster hasn't exactly been a fantasy gold mine. But he's found his way into the starting lineup — no small feat for a 10-day contract guy — and he's coming off a 21-point game against New Orleans. In the D-League, Galloway piled up steals (2.7 per game) and points (16.5), and he'll clearly have an opportunity to do the same for the Knicks. I'm interested enough to have contributed to the adding binge, in a small way.


"He's got a very high ceiling," Derek Fisher has said. We'll see. We've established that Galloway can do stuff like this , which is cool. Let's hope he sticks.


Marcus Smart, Bos, PG (39 percent)


Smart is playing 27-32 minutes per night of late, contributing solidly in steals, threes and assists. Check the per-36 numbers: 11.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 2.2 3PG. Smart's shooting percentages aren't stellar, but he's coming off his best game of the season (14-7, 4 threes) and his playing time is guaranteed. He also has a string of five games in seven days beginning Thursday, so you can leave him parked in your active lineup for the next week..


Ersan Ilyasova, Mil, SF/PF (44 percent owned)


Oh, hey, look who's back. No one's going to guarantee rest-of-season good health, necessarily, but Ilyasova is worth owning when he's right. He delivered a 14-7 game on Monday, playing just under 23 minutes. It doesn't sound as if Ilyasova will be starved for playing time...



...which puts him back on the fantasy radar as a modest contributor across multiple categories.


And speaking of Bucks...


Khris Middleton, Mil, SF/PF (41 percent owned)


Middleton has been a steady source for points and threes, but he really distinguishes himself as a thief. Check out the January steals surge:



Khris Middleton

Anyone with a need for a category specialist should probably act now.


Courtney Lee, Mem, SG/SF (41 percent owned)


If you were worried that the Jeff Green deal would derail Lee ... well, no. Lee has scored double-digits in five straight games, hitting 11 threes during that stretch. He's an excellent percentage shooter (49.0 FG, 85.9 FT), offering low-level scoring, threes and steals. He also has a pair of 4-game weeks ahead. Lee isn't quite a must-own player, but I'd give him can't-hurt status.






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News sport : Michael Jordan tearfully accepts a local Charlotte 'Business Person of the Year' (Video)

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Michael Jordan, famously, turned a celebration centered on his legendary basketball career into a petty, spite-heavy, and ultimately cruel affair designed on taking down those who Jordan says wronged him.


Michael Jordan, famously, does not talk to one-time good friend Charles Barkley because Barkley accurately referred to the Jordan-owned former-Charlotte Bobcats as a terrible team.


Michael Jordan, tellingly, broke down as he accepted a relatively minor local Charlotte business award on Tuesday, in an affair that was only caught by cell phone cameras. Watch:



Take a look:



The Charlotte Business Journal named MJ its Business Person of the Year earlier in January, after Jordan helmed a restructuring of the former Bobcats into a surprise playoff team in 2014. The squad surprisingly made the playoffs last season after Jordan backed off of the reins when it came to make strict basketball personnel decisions, and after a disappointing start to 2014-15, the team is still in playoff contention – a half game in back of the Brooklyn Nets, a team with a payroll that eclipses Charlotte’s by nearly $50 million, once luxury taxes are applied.


Jordan also oversaw the franchise’s decision to grab onto the ‘Hornets’ nickname, starting with this season, after the former Charlotte Hornets-turned-New Orleans Hornets-turned-New Orleans Pelicans abandoned the name last season. The move, along with the playoff turn, drove up season ticket sales along with apparel purchases.


Co-incidentally, on Wednesday, Forbes valued the Hornet franchise at $725 million; an uptick of 77 percent over this time last season. For a man that bought the team in 2010 in $300 mainly to assume the debts of the previous owner (whom Jordan worked under as team president), this is the latest in a series of successful swaps.


Still, as Dan Devine noted in his column about the Forbes valuations, that jump in perceived value has as much to do with the incoming NBA TV deal and (frankly) Forbes whiffing on a series of too-low estimations for each team in last year’s valuations as it does Jordan’s moves. Charlotte, a small market team, still only ranks 26th out of 30 NBA teams in value, up just three spots from Forbes’ lists from 2013 and 2014.


To be fair to Barkley and Jordan’s other critics as he both purchased the team and continued on as its basketball el jefe, Jordan engaged in a series of win-now moves for years that most knew at the time would result in little more than a shot at mediocrity and perhaps a spot in the Eastern Conference’s lacking playoff bracket. Jordan’s Bobcats made the playoffs in 2010, but by and large he made a series of personnel missteps along the way prior to deciding to start over from the bottom up.


Even after that bottoming out, Jordan rolled the dice on a series of misspent draft picks, and his 2011-12 Bobcats turned in the worst winning percentage in NBA history. This, after Jordan pushed for then-NBA commissioner David Stern to cancel the entire 2011-12 season in order to save Jordan money – 13 years after Jordan stood on the opposite side of that table, chiding owners for not being able to make money off of their teams.


None of that got in the way of Jordan being drawn to tears on Tuesday night. From Charlotte Business Journal:



Jordan, with tears streaming, said, "Thank you for allowing me to cry in front of you."




His wife, daughter, brothers and financial adviser, Curtis Polk, all attended the gala at the arena. Jordan spoke of his deep North Carolina roots several times during his remarks, noting he was born in Brooklyn but grew up in Wilmington. In college, Jordan led UNC Chapel Hill to a national championship as a freshman in 1982.




"I'm sort of emotional," Jordan said. "I take great pride in something the city of Charlotte can feel proud of."



He should feel proud of the turnaround. The Hornets are hardly world-beaters, but Jordan has learned to do what the best bosses always do – delegate properly.


Ever the competitor, Jordan still understands that the Charlotte Hornets have a ways to go before they can match Jordan’s heights as a champion with the Chicago Bulls. From the Business Journal:



"We're nowhere where we need to be," he said. "My promise to this community ... is to bring a winner to Charlotte."



Fans would settle for the second round of the playoffs right now, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good start to things.


(Video via CBS Sports, Twitter heads-up via The Sporting News.)


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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 : Oregon fan loses bet, gets Ohio State tattoo after national title game (Photo)

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Never say you’ll get a tattoo based on the outcome of a sporting event, or you could end up like this poor Oregon fan.



He was obviously so confident that the Ducks would knock off Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship that he said he’d get an OSU tattoo if the Buckeyes won the game. It did not work out like he hoped, and now he’ll be reminded of Ohio State’s dominant win every day.


Understandably, he’s not too pleased with his predicament.



At least he followed through with the bet.


(H/T Deadspin )


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.


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







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News sport : Brian Vickers cleared to return for third race of season

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Brian Vickers' absence from the Sprint Cup Series in 2015 doesn't look like it'll be too lengthy.


Michael Waltrip Racing announced Wednesday that Vickers has been cleared to return at Las Vegas for the race on March 8. It's the third race of the season, meaning Vickers will miss the Daytona 500 and the second race of the season at Atlanta.


Waltrip will fill in for Vickers at the 500 and a replacement for the second race of the season is yet to be announced.


The doctors gave me a clean bill of health and said I will be better than before,” Vickers said in a statement. “The advancements in modern medicine and surgical procedures are amazing and I have to thank my doctors at the Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute and Carolinas Medical Center for their extraordinary care. I have literally put my life in their hands twice and I cannot begin to express my level of gratitude."


The team announced Vickers would miss the beginning of the season after a complication from a 2010 heart procedure. A patch inserted into his heart in was being rejected by his body. He had surgery in December to fix the issue.


The hole in Vickers' heart was discovered in 2010 when he was sidelined for 25 races by blood clots. He was also forced to sit out in 2013 when more clot issues arose.


It stands to reason that Vickers will receive a medical exemption to be eligible for the Chase if he qualifies with a win in 2015 or via points. Denny Hamlin was given an exemption after missing last year's race at Auto Club Speedway with an eye issue and Tony Stewart was given an exemption when he missed races in August after he struck and killed Kevin Ward at a dirt track.


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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 : Aaron Rodgers has game; Olivia Munn had no idea who he was

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I'm not an NFL quarterback, but I imagine that life goes something like this: Say you're an NFL quarterback, land the gorgeous girl. This goes with decades of beautiful tradition, from Joe Namath to Tom Brady.


I assumed that's how Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers started dating actress Olivia Munn. Or that their agents set it up, or however famous people in Hollywood start dating anyone. But no, Munn says she had no idea who Rodgers was when she first met him, and definitely did not know he was a famous football player.


(Getty Images) "I had no idea," Munn said on "Conan" with Conan O'Brien. "When I met him I said, ‘So what do you do?’ He said, ‘Oh, I play football.’ I go, ‘Cool, what college?’ He’s like ‘Oh, I play professional.’ I say ‘Cool, what position?’ He’s like, ‘Quarterback.’ ‘Cool.’ That was kind of it."


So if it wasn't Rodgers' MVP award or his Super Bowl ring or the great work he does discount double-checking on television ads, why was Munn attracted to Rodgers?


"All I saw is that he was really attractive," Munn said. "I didn’t care what he did."


Well done.


Munn also spoke to Conan about enjoying life in Green Bay ("I love it in Green Bay," the famous actress said. "It’s really comfortable there.") and things like putting off a conference call to go pick up meat at Maplewood Meats in Green Bay. I'm curious as to what seemed stranger, Munn dropping by the meat market for venison or whatever she was getting, or the looks on the locals' faces when the movie actress stops in.


Munn might be well known but in Northeast Wisconsin, it's her boyfriend who would get all the looks in public. He's in little danger of anyone else there not recognizing him or knowing what he does.



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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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