News sport : Baylor's got a new helmet for 2015 (Photo)

Baylor will have a bronze helmet in 2015 to go with its rotation of other helmets.


The team's director of equipment services posted a picture of the helmet to Twitter on Friday evening.



Will this go with a new set of uniforms too or, at the very least, uniform numbers? We're going to refrain from complete judgment until we see them paired with uniforms. However, we will say that they don't top Baylor's chrome domes.




- - - - - - -


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!







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1JmTf15

News sport : Buzzer-beater of the day: Ohio senior beats Buffalo with a dunk


Ohio senior Maurice Ndour pulled off a last-second, buzzer-beating dunk Saturday to give the Bobcats a 63-61 victory over Buffalo.


Ndour, a product of Mdour, Senegal, who played his high school basketball in Japan, lingered near the free-throw line and received a long pass from a teammate. He spun and caught Buffalo forward Justin Moss out of position with a wide open lane in front of him. He attacked the rim and sent the winner through just in time.


His team is having a tough season at 7-10 overall and 2-4 in the Mid-Amercan Conference, but Ndour has been one of the league's best players. He came into Saturday's contest averaging better than 15 points and 8 rebounds per game. Ohio has won back-to-back games for the first time since winning the first two games of the season.


Here's another look.



- - - - - - -


[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!






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1GPiEm9

News sport : Braxton Miller to Ohio State fans: 'We've got another year'

Jan 24, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller (5) at the national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium. (Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports) One of the most intriguing stories this offseason will be how Ohio State sorts out its quarterbacking situation and whether Braxton Miller sticks around to see how it plays out.


Miller hasn’t definitively declared his intentions on whether he'll stay with the Buckeyes for the 2015 season or whether he'll try to start elsewhere, but during the Buckeyes national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Miller gave the crowd of about 45,000 fans a small glimmer of hope.


"Privilege and honor to be part of this team," Miller said. "Guess what, we've got another year to do it. So go Bucks."


Wait, that was a glimmer of hope, right? Because he did used the word “we.” But wait, that first part sounded a little bit like a goodbye.


WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN???


Coach Urban Meyer has said for the past month or so that he thought Miller was going to stay with the program, but there's no denying the quarterbacking situation has become far more complex than it was when Miller injured last fall camp. Since then, J.T. Barrett, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury, lost just one game in Miller's stead, broke all sorts of records and finished fifth in Heisman voting. Third-stringer Cardale Jones went on to lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title, a win against Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal and ultimately a national championship victory against Oregon.


So becoming the starter is going to be increasingly difficult for Miller, who was a two-time Big Ten MVP and a Heisman hopeful before his injury.


Miller is enrolled in spring classes, but that doesn’t mean much. Russell Wilson, another once-coveted transfer, didn’t make his decision to attend Wisconsin until June.


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/1JmMQD5

News sport : Lane Kiffin returning to Alabama in 2015

Lane Kiffin is not going to the NFL for the 2015 season.


Alabama announced Saturday that Kiffin would return for a second season as the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator. Kiffin had been mentioned as a candidate for the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator opening.


"I made a comment at the Sugar Bowl that I would be back this fall at Alabama and that is definitely the plan," Kiffin said in an Alabama statement. "This time of year, there are lots of things out there regarding other coaching opportunities, but I want to reaffirm my commitment to the University of Alabama, Coach Saban, and our team. I'm excited about what our offensive staff was able to accomplish last year, but I also think there are a lot of things we can do a better job of in terms of putting our players in the best situation to have success."


When asked at the Senior Bowl about Kiffin's status for 2015, Nick Saban said he hoped Kiffin would return and said the former USC coach was committed to Alabama "right now." Kiffin was hired as Alabama's offensive coordinator following Doug Nussmeier's departure to Michigan after the 2013 season. He was fired as USC's coach midway through the 2013 season.


"We've very pleased and happy that Lane is going to be staying here at the University of Alabama with us," Saban said. "He's done a fabulous job and is one of the finest offensive coaches in the country. He is going to have plenty of opportunities in the future and we want to continue to help him develop as a coach so when he leaves here, he'll be in a very good situation. Our offense was extremely productive last season and we look forward to building on some of the good things we did on that side of the ball with this year's team."


Quarterback Blake Sims threw for over 3,400 yards in 2014 while running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry each ran for over 900. Wide receiver Amari Cooper, considered a likely top-10 pick in the 2015 NFL draft, was a Heisman finalist and had 1,727 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns.


For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.com.


- - - - - - -


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!







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1z4ZuVG

Blackurn stun Swansea in FA Cup

Blackburn Rovers scored two late goals to knock ill-disciplined Premier League side Swansea City out of the FA Cup with a thoroughly deserved 3-1 victory in the fourth round.


|||

London - Blackburn Rovers scored two late goals to knock ill-disciplined Premier League side Swansea City out of the FA Cup with a thoroughly deserved 3-1 victory in the fourth round at Ewood Park on Saturday.


Frenchman Rudy Gestede fired home at the second time of asking in the 78th minute to give Championship (second tier) outfit Blackburn a 2-1 lead before Craig Conway's powerful shot squirmed through Lukasz Fabianski's hands after 87 minutes.


Swansea defender Kyle Bartley was shown a a straight red card for bringing down pacy Blackburn forward Josh King in the seventh minute but Gylfi Sigurdsson's long-range rocket put the top flight side ahead shortly afterwards.


Chris Taylor volleyed in to restore parity one minute later.


Swansea's frustration boiled over in stoppage time when Sigurdsson was shown a straight red card for needlessly scything down Taylor.


In other fourth-round ties on Saturday Chelsea host third-tier Bradford City, Manchester City welcome second-tier Middlesbrough, Tottenham Hotspur entertain Leicester City and Southampton play Crystal Palace. – Reuters






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/15r2EoY

England set for record manager sackings

More managers will be sacked in the Premier League and Football League than ever before if current trends continue, according to the League Managers Association's (LMA) quarterly report.


|||

London - More managers will be sacked in the Premier League and Football League than ever before if current trends continue, according to the League Managers Association's (LMA) quarterly report.


As of the end of December, 27 managers - more than a quarter of the Premier League and Football league's 92 clubs - had been dismissed from their clubs. The tally is three more than at the same stage last season.


A further seven managers resigned or departed by mutual consent.


“If the trend continues we are on course to exceed the total dismissal record of 46 set in 2006-2007,” the LMA report stated.


“The managers dismissed so far this season have been in post for an average of only 1.04 years.”


Premier League dismissals are down six from last season, however, as only Crystal Palace's Neil Warnock and West Bromwich Albion's Alan Irvine were sacked by the New Year.


Twelve clubs in the Championship (second tier) dismissed managers up to Dec. 31, with the average tenure of current managers in the division standing at an alarming 0.82 years.


Leeds United are on their third permanent manager of the season having appointed Neil Redfearn in November after the sackings of David Hockaday and Darko Milanic.


Five managers were sacked in League One (third tier) and eight in League Two (fourth tier).


Arsenal's Arsene Wenger remains the longest serving current manager at 18.26 years, while West Ham United's Sam Allardyce is the second longest serving Premier League manager at 3.5 years.


Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp, who has spent time in charge of West Ham, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur, holds the record for most games managed by a current manager at 1,383 matches. – Reuters






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1ur02y3

Rodgers vows to hold onto senior players

Brendan Rodgers insisted Liverpool will not endure another summer of wholesale change as he outlined his intention to keep plenty of experience in his squad.


|||

Brendan Rodgers insisted Liverpool will not endure another summer of wholesale change as he outlined his intention to keep plenty of experience in his squad.


Steven Gerrard will leave a hole that cannot be easily filled when he joins LA Galaxy at the end of the season and Rodgers admits Liverpool can ill-afford more key departures.


Players such as John Flanagan (22), Kolo Toure (33), Glen Johnson (30) and Brad Jones (32) are all in the final six months of their current deals, while Jordan Henderson (24) and Martin Skrtel (30) are established squad members whose terms expire in 18 months.


Rodgers has already said he wants Johnson to stay and Lucas Leiva, the 28-year-old Brazil midfielder who has been courted by Inter Milan, is another player the manager wants to keep as he shapes a squad to challenge for the title.


‘We can’t have (three or four leaving),’ said Rodgers, whose side face Bolton at Anfield this evening.


‘You have to realise that if you want success, you have to be unselfish. You have to think about the team. The manager picks the team to win the game.


‘You have to recognise as a manager that it is difficult for players who don’t play.


‘I speak a lot with the players but I have shown in my time here that I’m a coach who will view (what you do) in training. Lucas is a prime example.’


Liverpool bought predominantly young players last summer but their interest in, among others, 29-year-old Manchester City midfielder James Milner shows they will broaden their horizons if necessary.


‘I think for younger players to show that potential, they are going to need that seniority around them,’ Rodgers added.


‘You cannot just rely on young players. Players like Glen Johnson we want to keep. Lucas we want to keep.’ – Daily Mail






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1BVkAX7

United held by lowly Cambridge

Manchester United were embarrassingly held to a 0-0 draw at fourth tier Cambridge United in the FA Cup fourth round.


|||

Cambridge, England - Manchester United were embarrassingly held to a 0-0 draw at fourth tier Cambridge United in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday after another harsh lesson against lower league opposition.


Cambridge, promoted from the minor leagues into the professional pyramid last season, had studied hard and gave the visitors a lesson in terms of desire and defensive organisation.


The home side even had the best opportunity in the first half when Josh Coulson headed over from close range as the Old trafford side, dumped out of the League Cup 4-0 by third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in August, were reduced to half chances.


United started with a back four, as manager Louis van Gaal continues to tinker with his formation, and Cambridge's physicality and height caused problems but the illustrious visitors dealt reasonably well with the high balls in the wind.


The 8 000-strong crowd in the tight Abbey Stadium loudly cheered every Cambridge attack, especially as the hosts consistently flooded forward confidently on the break.


United, with captain Wayne Rooney rested, improved in the second half with Radamel Falcao forcing Chris Dunn into a smart save and substitute Robin van Persie firing over when he should have scored.


Dunn was the hero again in stoppage time when he superbly blocked British record signing Angel Di Maria's shot as the paupers made a mockery of the princes, who did not have the same trouble winning at lower league Yeovil Town in round three.


“I'm obviously extremely proud of each and every one of them,” Cambridge boss Richard Money, who won a European Cup winner's medal with Liverpool in 1981, told the BBC.


“I thought we carried a threat and moved the ball quite nicely. We tried to make sure it didn't faze them in the tunnel. We'll take the replay of course.”


United, fourth in the Premier League amid another fitful season, have won the FA Cup a joint-record 11 times but thy have not lifted the famous old trophy since 2004.


The Cup is their only realistic chance of silverware this term and although a home replay will not clog their fixture list given their lack of European competition, they will still be shocked at failing to beat a team ranked 76 places beneath them.


Stand-in skipper Michael Carrick reacted like they had just played a difficult Premier League game rather than faced a team from a place much more famous for its university.


“First half was very scrappy, it was tough. Second half we were a lot better,” the England midfielder said. “We are still there, we've got the replay.”


The rest of the fourth round games take place over the next three days with holders Arsenal visiting second-tier Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday. – Reuters






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1CAi7Ao

Bafana: All to play for

Another lead thrown away but Bafana Bafana aren’t out of it just yet.


|||

South Africa . . . . . . . . . (0) 1


Oupa Manyisa 47


Senegal . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1


Kama Mbodji 61


Mongomo - Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations dream is hanging by a thread after they blew a golden chance to rip Group C wide open.


Ghana gave Bafana the perfect platform to throw the cat among the pigeons when they shocked Algeria in the early match yesterday. But Bafana just couldn’t take advantage of this lifeline and failed to beat a Senegal team that showed a real weakness against their pace.


Bafana now have to beat Ghana by a comfortable margin on Tuesday (8pm) and hope Senegal beat Algeria handsomely in the other Group C match at the same time.


Bafana took the lead last night via Oupa Manyisa in the 47th minute, but big Senegal defender Kama Mbodji equalised from a free-kick.


It was clear from the first minute that Senegal were going to try to out-muscle and intimidate Bafana’s players. And who better to start with than South Africa’s tallest player Eric Mathoho, who was taken out by striker Moussa Sow.


Referee Ali Lemghaifry, though, waved play on before the ball was kicked out of play.


The Kaizer Chiefs man then came off for treatment and returned to the field with a big bandage on his head.


However, his centre-back partner Thulani Hlatshwayo wasn’t as fortunate as he left the field a few minutes after a collision with one of Senegal’s big bruisers. It seemed like he had concussion.


A lot was made of the selection of goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane, who replaced Darren Keet in the starting XI as one of the two changes from the Algeria defeat.


The Black Aces man looked a bit nervous at the start but quickly settled down after coming out to punch out a few set-piece deliveries. However, it was his quick distribution that caught the eye and it became clear why was picked.


Bafana had the first chance of the match in the 11th minute when some neat interplay set up Sibusiso Vilakazi on the edge of the area. But his shot was palmed over the bar by Senegal keeper and captain Bouna Coundoul.


Phala had another attempt blocked from about the same position in a move again started after good distribution by the Bafana goalkeeper.


Senegal struggled to break down Bafana in the first half as the South Africans kept their shape nicely.


However, the referee kept on allowing the Senegalese to physically man-handle the South Africans. Mabokgwane was taken out in the 23rd minute he he came for a corner.


Senegal decided to play even more direct towards the end of the first half, but it was their set-pieces that caused Bafana all sorts of strife.


Bafana’s defending at the back post left a lot to be desired and they were almost punished when they left the dangerous Mame Biram Diouf alone at the far post, but the Stoke City man managed to head wide.


Bafana then caught the Senegal players napping with a casual build-up. The ball made its way to Phala on the right and the SuperSport United man beat his man before squaring an inviting cross.


The ball evaded everyone in the box and Manyisa couldn’t believe his luck at the far post. The Orlando Pirates player expertly slid the ball home to give Bafana the lead.


Bafana pressed Senegal high up the pitch to stop them from floating the ball into their penalty area. But they paid the price from going to sleep from a floated free-kick in the area.


How Bafana did not pick up Senegal defender Kama Mbodji, the biggest player in their team, is astonishing. The Genk defender headed home powerfully at the back post without a soul in a yellow jersey around him


But Bafana will have to do better against Ghana if they want to stay in the competition.


- Saturday Star






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1GMiyf8

News sport : Top 10 moments of the 2015 All-Star Game Draft

You know how you dread going to weddings, but once you hear there is going to be an open bar, it doesn't seem all unmanageable after all? That's kind of how the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft worked for the players involved.


Oh and they did not disappoint.


Thanks to the boozy antics of some, this event has set the bar high for the rest of the weekend. That is, unless, they let the players drink before the skate... Anyway, this will likely be the highest point of all the festivities, personality showcasing-wise.


Here are just some of the highlights from the evening... enjoy!


10. Gingers stick together, and tell the truth(ish).


Our resident redhead, Sean Leahy, spoke with fellow carrot tops, Claude Giroux and Jakob Voracek, following the draft, and got the scoop of what they were sipping on. Sort of.



9. Ryan Getzlaf tries, and fails, to chirp Drew Doughty


The quote speaks for itself:



There was plenty of verbal jousting between the two leadership groups. At one point, Getzlaf chirped Team Foligno about only taking teammates, to which Doughty replied, "We shut him down pretty good" in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.



8. Who let this child on to this stage?!


Tell me this is not the look of the most terrified teenager in the world. Johnny Hockey looks like Johnny-about-to-barfy.



7. Roberto Luongo and the secret to his magical hair:


(And Rick Nash talks for the first and maybe last time in the evening)



6. Oh c'mon Phil, don't be THAT GUY.


As he sat waiting for the rest of his teammates to join him, Mr. Kessel took a second to do a little window shopping, if you will:



5. Brent Burns. Wait. What?


Apparently without teeth and having a beard is unappealing to Brent Burns's wife?



4. Phil Kessel, one of the most coachable players...


Jonathan Toews had his humor chip flipped on (or at least lubricated with booze), and made a funny when taking the guy who was picked last the last time there was a fantasy All Star draft.



3. The Phil Kessel and Tyler Seguin trade, Part Deux.


The NHL wanted a trade to go down during the fantasy draft, and they got the team captains to go along with it. It just so happened to involve two stars that have been down this road before...



2. Drew Doughty doesn't realize microphone is on.


The one they call Dewwy didn't give an eff the entire night and it showed in a delightful way. One of the best moments was early on in the evening when he didn't realize the mic at his podium was live, and he was caught talking about someone being married, then asking team captain Nick Foligno if he was married. Awkwardness ensued:



1. Alex Ovechkin.


Was it just a case of 'Ovi being Ovi', or more of an 'Ovi being Ovi-er served'? Wysh has a full detailing of the Capitals forward's antics, but here's a taste. Alex reaaaally wanted to be last and win the free Honda (despite making bajllions of dollars). Pierre only encourages as Pierre can, with a goofy giggle face.



- - - - - - -


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!










from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/15pD03O

News sport : Did Jonathan Toews out-draft teammate Patrick Kane?

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For Jonathan Toews the goal was simple in the NHL’s All-Star fantasy draft. Outwit teammate Patrick Kane – an alternate captain for Team Foligno. Did he do the trick?


“I think I have to comment on that one. You do the math,” he said.


Toews defended his selections and tried to deflect trash talk from Team Foligno. For example, Drew Doughty (the other Team Foligno alternate) said he thought his team was better.


“Let him believe that. It’s wishful thinking for Dewey,” Toews said.


Seriously Blackhawks players ... you're doing nicknames for players on other teams now? Just stop.


Overall, the smartest selection by Team Toews may have been reuniting former Predators defenseman Ryan Suter and Nashville captain Shea Weber. Because those dudes were great when they played together.


But getting two of the more exciting players in the game was a coup. Toews nabbed Vladimir Tarasenko with his eighth pick and John Tavares with his fifth pick.


Even alternate captain Rick Nash approved of taking a hated Islander!


“He’s one of the best players in the game. Which is tough to say, because he’s an Islander.”


- - - - - - -


Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY









from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1EcGyWr

News sport : The sports world takes to Twitter to remember 'Mr. Cub', Ernie Banks

Chicago Cubs legend and Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, also known as "Mr. Cub" died Friday at age 83. The sports world immediately took to Twitter to remember the baseball icon.












d






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1D1lpea

News sport : Kent Bazemore is dunked-on and dunker as Hawks set franchise-record win streak

Pretty much everything is going right for the Atlanta Hawks these days. The Eastern Conference leaders entered Friday night's home game vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 14-game winning streak, matching a franchise record set during the 1993-94 season. Something special is happening with this team, and it's worth appreciating it for as long as it lasts.


Things are going so well, in fact, that it's easy to assume that the team will bounce back from any in-game embarrassment with a run or highlight of their own. That's exactly what happened to reserve guard Kent Bazemore in the second quarter on Friday. In the midst of an uncharacteristically ineffective offensive performance for Atlanta, Bazemore attempted to catch a surging Kevin Durant as the reigning MVP dribbled up the court in transition. All that hustle just allowed him to end up on the wrong end of a posterization:



Luckily for Bazemore, he got on the right side of a highlight just a few minutes of game-time later. As the half neared its close, Bazemore got around Russell Westbrook in the very early offense to finish a terrific alley-oop pass from DeMarre Carroll:



Bazemore's ability to turn things around was indicative of the Hawks overall play vs. the Thunder. After struggling for the game's first 18 minutes or so, Atlanta closed the first half on a nifty run, with Bazemore's dunk giving them their first lead. OKC stayed close throughout most of the rest of the contest — without taking the lead — but there was no question as to who looked like the better team in the second half. The Hawks pushed the lead to double digits in the fourth quarter and iced the game on this theft of Westbrook and simple breakaway dunk courtesy of likely All-Star point guard Jeff Teague:



The 103-93 win and franchise-record 15-game winning streak have brought the team's record to 36-8, or 6 1/2 games ahead of the also-very-good Washington Wizards at the top of the East. It's not as if they're just getting lucky, either — eight of those victories have been by double-digits, with only one margin of fewer than five points. This team will presumably lose eventually, but they are no fluke.


- - - - - - -


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!







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1yaOnDI

News sport : 'Beast Mode Sausage' is, yes, sausage with Skittles in it

Beast Mode Sausage (via @darrenrovell) Well, this is horrifying: a butcher in Seattle is selling sausage stuffed with Skittles in honor of Seattle Seahawks running back and noted Skittles aficionado Marshawn Lynch. It makes absolutely no sense, but then that's about par for the course with anything involving Lynch.


The creation of Blue Max Meats owners Tommy Marshall and Evan Greco, Beast Mode Sausage has brought people to the store in Puyallup, Washington every day for the past year. The owners estimate they've gone through 1,000 pounds of Skittles.


They claim that the sweet Skittles mixes well with the spicy sausage upon cooking, but we're not entirely sure that's anything more than marketing-speak. Regardless, it's done the job, bringing notoriety to the Blue Max name and drawing big attention now that Seattle's back in the Super Bowl.


Lynch himself hasn't yet sampled the sausage, apparently. But even if he did, we wouldn't count on him to spend a lot of time pontificating on its flavor.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1CyFN8e

News sport : Here are your 2015 NHL All-Star teams

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Here are your teams for the NHL All-Star Game...


Team Toews


Jonathan Toews


Ryan Getzlaf


Rick Nash


Phil Kessel


Shea Weber


Jakub Voracek


Corey Crawford


John Tavares


Roberto Luongo


Team Foligno


Nick Foligno


Drew Doughty


Patrick Kane


Ryan Johansen


Duncan Keith


Anze Kopitar


Steven Stamkos


Tyler Seguin


Carey Price


MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY









from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1EcbbeJ