News sport : Kings defenseman Alec Martinez day-to-day with concussion

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The Kings resilience is about to be tested once again.


In the first period of Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles defenseman Alec Martinez, was on the receiving end of a legal check from Cedric Paquette.





Martinez left the game after the hit, and did not return.


On Sunday, an off-day for the Kings, updated the media on the defenseman's status. Via LA Kings Insider, Jon Rosen:



"He’s day-to-day," Sutter said. He's got concussion-like symptoms which don’t appear to be very severe, but we have to be careful and cautious.




Though the Kings have an available roster spot, there is no word at this point whether the Kings plan on recalling a defenseman from AHL-Manchester.



Martinez is ninth on the team in scoring at 17-points, and put whatever you want to into the stat, he's a plus-11; third highest on the team, first among defensemen. He's best known for scoring the Stanley Cup clinching goal for the Kings last spring.


As Josh Cooper wrote earlier, the Kings are close to missing the post-season, but shouldn't be counted out just yet. Losing Martinez for any amount of time will test the organization's depth at defense. Jamie McBain will probably see more ice time with Martinez out, and should this end up being a longer term injury, Nick Schultz might get a call up back with the big club.


Knowing Dean Lombardi and his propensity for a blockbuster deal, he's probably concocting some magical trade that will result in Shea Weber coming to LA for a bag of magic beans and a jug of whatever Drew Doughty was drinking at the All-Star Draft.


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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 : Kevin Durant reminds Chris Paul to check the score after Paul stares down KD's bench (Video)

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Sunday afternoon’s Oklahoma City/Los Angeles Clippers contest went exactly how you’d expect. The Thunder, still reeling from a tough home loss to New Orleans on Friday night, went at a struggling Clippers squad that found out on Sunday that they’d be without the services of Blake Griffin for an underdetermined amount of time. The Thunder ended up winning by a dominant 131-108 mark, with Kevin Durant sustaining an early hot hand on his way toward 29 points in 29 minutes.


One surprise did come in the form of the play of OKC rookie forward Mitch McGary. Not satisfied with having the most Dad-like name in the history of Dads, McGary contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds in just under 24 minutes, sparking a first half surge and tripling his season-long total for minutes in one contest.


Down 23 late in the third period, with Durant taking a rest on the pine, Clipper All-Star Chris Paul decided to try and take down the rookie a notch by crossing over the 6-10 McGary and nailing a jumper in his face before staring down the Thunder bench. Watch:



Kevin Durant, with his team now down 21 points with 14 minutes to go, had the appropriate response. Via cjzero:



“You’re down 20 now, homie.” Solid burn, Kevin Durant. You’ve been doing that a lot, lately.


The Clippers have now lost their last three games by a combined 30 points. Yes, road games against Cleveland, Toronto, and Oklahoma City (with the most recent played without Blake Griffin) are no picnic, but the Cleveland contest wasn’t nearly as close as the 11-point final deficit would suggest, and the Toronto loss saw the Clippers outscored by a 113-80 mark to finish the game.


And Chris Paul is mean-mugging after crossing over a 6-10 rookie with his team down 21 points on national TV. It’s the little things to keep you happy, I suppose.


(Hat-tip to Deadspin; because we weren’t watching that junk once the Thunder went up big. There’s a ‘Saturday Night Live’ marathon, working through the Phil Hartman years, broadcasting over at VH1 Classic right now.)


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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 : Watch Steve Mason injure himself during TV timeout (Video)

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Stop me if you've heard this one before, Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Steve Mason is hurt.


The oft-injured netminder started the matinée game against Washington, and would not finish it; playing only 31:17 before leaving the game.


During the TV time out, Mason skated to the Flyers to get out of the way of the ice shovelers. As he's stretching, he appears to pull something...maybe?


To the tape (courtesy of Some Hockey Videos)!



Weird right?


Not too long afterwards, the Flyers confirmed what we all already knew:



Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced to the media following the second period of the Flyers-Capitals game that goaltender Steve Mason has a lower-body injury and will not return to the game.



I guess we should be used to this by now. Frank Seravalli details Mason's injury history this season alone:


Mason missed four straight games from Dec. 20-29 and then another six games from Jan. 12-20 with what he later revealed as a right knee injury. Even after not practicing during the All-Star break, Mason was back in net when the Flyers returned to action on Jan. 27 ... Mason did say on Jan. 27 that more "drastic measures" were considered with the team's medical staff about his knee issue, hinting that surgery was a possibility.

Ray Emery replaced Mason and was greeted by the Caps with a 5-on-3 disadvantage a few minutes after getting on the ice. Alex Ovechkin sent a power play goal past him, but that would be all Washington would score. Emery and the Flyers held on for a 3-1 win.


Those hoping for a Rob Zepp call up will have to wait. The goaltender was injured in Saturday's game for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.


More details to follow... or not. These are the Flyers, you know.


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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 : Priority Pickups: Spencer Hawes, suddenly fantasy relevant

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When last we saw Clippers big Blake Griffin, he was playing 36 minutes in a loss at Toronto, delivering a rich stat line (26-6-9-1-1). No obvious signs of trouble.


But on Sunday morning, bad news broke:



Brutal. Just brutal.


We don't yet have a clear recovery timetable for Blake — could be two weeks, could be six or more — so let's simply say he's out indefinitely. The Clips currently occupy the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings, both Griffin and J.J. Redick (back) are sidelined, and the near-term schedule is a minefield: at OKC, at Dal, Hou, SA, Sac, Mem, at Hou, at Mem, at Chi. So things could certainly get rough for L.A.


Fantasy-wise, a familiar vet (and respected fashion maven) figures to gain value...


PF/C Spencer Hawes, LAC (30 percent owned)


Hawes has been stuck at 17 minutes per game to this point in the season, averaging just 6.1 points and 3.9 boards, not really helping the fantasy community. But he drew the start on Sunday, and his minutes should jump to 28-32 during Blake's absence. With that sort of playing time, he's a decent bet to give us plenty of 13-and-7 games, with threes and blocks and acceptable percentages — not exactly Griffin-ish, but not bad. He needs to be added, today.


SG/SF Gerald Henderson, Cha (21 percent owned)


Henderson has scored 17 points or more in four of his last five games, so it's tough to argue with the recent production. We're not talking about an across-the-board contributor here (despite the 9-dime game on Saturday), and he's not a significant 3-point threat, but he can certainly help anyone who's scuffling in a points league. Charlotte is dealing with non-trivial injury issues at the moment (Kemba, MKG), so Henderson's minutes are safe for now.


PG Jordan Clarkson, LAL (18 percent owned)


Sure, Clarkson had the 0-for-4 clunker last Wednesday in a loss to Milwaukee, but the rookie has been mostly useful in recent days. He's starting, playing 30-plus minutes per night, typically scoring in the teens, with assists and steals. I'd added him in two leagues, dropped him for Hawes in one.


SG/SF Paul George, Ind (10 percent)


Yeah, it's merely a mid-season dart throw. A scratch-off ticket. Yet another injured player to manage around. If you're the owner of a middle-of-the-pack fantasy team, battling injuries, then George isn't worth the flier. But if your season has been smooth to this point ... well, it's probably time to take George's rehab seriously. (You've seen the post-practice clips , right?)


Few of us thought George would make it back in 2014-15 following the horrific summer injury, but he's hoping to return to full practices by March 1. Clearly there's no guarantee that he'll see game action in March or April, but it's at least a legit possibility. In the Eastern Conference, teams are finding it difficult to tank their way out of the playoff race, so the Pacers are in the mix, even at 19-32. If George returns for the closing weeks at limited minutes, that's a huge win for Indy.


Again, there are no promises being made with George. But I've picked him up in a pair of head-to-head/ weekly-lineup leagues, just in case. If nothing else, perhaps he can serve as a fantasy trade sweetener ahead of the deadline.






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News sport : Dean Smith's NBA legacy remains and will forever remain strong

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On the back cover of the 1998 pressing of ‘Dean Smith Basketball’ is a picture of Chicago Bull Michael Jordan, nailing a spectacular reverse lay-up over Karl Malone. Such a shot by such a pro, one not wearing North Carolina blue, might seem a bit incongruous on the back cover of a tome detailing the time-killing four corner offense or the ways in which pace can often devalue defensive statistics, but no one would balk at its placement.


Jordan was Dean Smith’s most famous pupil. The greatest basketball player ever spent his formative years learning under the longtime North Carolina Tar Heel coach, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 83. This is why Jordan, now the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, released this statement on Sunday morning:



“Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith. He was more than a coach – he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life. My heart goes out to Linnea and their kids. We’ve lost a great man who had an incredible impact on his players, his staff and the entire UNC family.”



In a league fractured by loyalties to agents, shoe companies, and the unsettling yet understandable impermanence that one-and-done NCAA internships create, the North Carolina family tree remains the NBA’s strongest. Prior to news of Smith’s passing, the biggest NBA story floating around the wires over the weekend was the Sacramento Kings’ chase of George Karl, a former Tar Heel and Smith protégé that has coached five previous NBA teams along with a CBA champion in Albany and the Real Madrid powerhouse.


Karl’s modified zone defense, derived from Smith’s trapping style, has helped him accrue over 1100 NBA wins; yet he’s far from the most celebrated North Carolina NBA influence. The day to day frustrations of running an NBA team may have gotten the best of him at his last few stops, but former Tar Heel point guard Larry Brown has improved teams at each of his professional or NCAA stops as head coach. Brown, currently working at Southern Methodist University, will one day retire as the only man to win titles in the ABA (as a player), the NBA, and the NCAA.


Through Brown and Karl, Smith’s influence continues to dot the NBA landscape.


Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder may have graduated from Duke University, but he made his coaching debut as an assistant under Larry Brown on the 1992-93 Los Angeles Clippers. Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts developed his ball-movement heavy offense, taking a direct cue from Smith’s work at North Carolina, while working with Karl in both the CBA and in several NBA stops. Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks made his NBA coaching debut as an assistant under Karl.


Dallas Mavericks coach head coach Rick Carlisle took in his first head coaching gig under Indiana general manager Donnie Walsh, a former teammate of Brown on North Carolina who has presided over 30 years of basketball in Indiana – only pausing late in the last decade to clean up the mess that the New York Knicks had become, helping that franchise to its first string of postseason appearances in a decade. Former Tar Heel Mitch Kupchak has run the Los Angeles Lakers for nearly 15 years, collecting five rings as an executive. Former Tar Heel Billy Cunningham was the coach when Julius Erving won his only NBA title. Current Tar Heels coach Roy Williams studied under Smith before going on to coach 20 currently active NBA players at both Kansas and North Carolina. The influence runs deep.


Dean Smith’s NBA legacy isn’t limited to the scads of successful coaches that have sprung from North Carolina’s ranks. His Tar Heel offense helped harness Michael Jordan’s significant athletic gifts, helping him learn how to see the floor in ways that went beyond diving toward the rim endlessly in a pell-mell style. Noted for acting as “the only man who could hold Michael Jordan to 20 points” (Jordan’s North Carolina high was “only” 20 points per game in his sophomore season, he averaged over 30 in his NBA career), Smith’s insight helped Jordan develop the patience it took to eventually mate his brilliant basketball gifts with professional teammates who couldn’t even hope to approximate his brilliance, leading to six NBA titles.


In 36 years of coaching at North Carolina, however, Smith’s coaching work influenced far more than the champion that dotted the back cover of his coaching manual. Brown and Cunningham both won ABA championships as star players, with Cunningham winning an NBA title as a player in 1967. Guard Charlie Scott won a ring with the Boston Celtics in 1976, and forward Bobby Jones was a devastating force on several great Denver Nuggets teams (coached by Larry Brown) and a champion with Cunningham on the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers. Mitch Kupchak was a needed inside force on Washington’s 1978 championship team and a reserve on two Laker title-winners.


A younger generation, helmed by stylists as disparate as Vince Carter, Rasheed Wallace, and Antawn Jamison stood as Smith’s last crew to make NBA hay. All three are borderline Basketball Hall of Famers.


Smith’s legacy as a coach and person is just as disparate. An early champion for civil rights, Smith did important and needed work on behalf of young African-Americans in a divided American south in the 1950s and 1960s. In the relatively less important realm of basketball, he was one of the first to introduce advanced analytics into the world of coaching and scouting, emphasizing pace and possession counts as acting as just as structurally important as the raw box score stats most utilized to track just how well a player or team was doing.


As it was in 1997 when he stepped down at North Carolina, there can and will never be a proper summary for his legacy. His accomplishments, sure – line them all up on the side of the page, count the rings, and count the wins.


His legacy? That’s different. That keeps spiraling onward, dotting each and every one of the 30 NBA teams we follow. Few others, if any others, can claim to that.


It is to the unassuming Dean Smith's eternal credit that he would never attempt to claim such a thing on his own. It's our job as basketball fans, in his absence, to do that for him.


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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 : Central Michigan reportedly to hire Lions ST coach John Bonamego

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Central Michigan has reportedly found its new coach.


According to the Detroit Free Press, the Chippewas are heading to the NFL ranks to hire Detroit Lions special teams coach John Bonamego.


From the Free Press Saturday evening:



Bonamego is finalizing a contract to be the next CMU football coach, a person familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak about it publicly told the Free Press today.



Bonamego, 51, has been with Detroit for the past two seasons. He has coached special teams in the NFL since 1999 and last coached in the college ranks with Army from 1993-1998. He's a Central Michigan alum and walked on the football team when he was there.


Previous Central Michigan coach Dan Enos left in January to become Arkansas' offensive coordinator. His departure meant that CMU went through National Signing Day without a coach. According to Rivals' recruiting rankings, CMU's class was No. 111 in the country and had 19 commitments.


The Chippewas finished 7-6 last year and had a crazy comeback in the Bahamas Bowl that just fell short. After trailing 49-14, CMU came back to cut the deficit to 49-48 on a crazy multi-lateral play with no time remaining. However, the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete.


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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 : Iconic North Carolina coach Dean Smith dies at 83

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College basketball lost one of its icons Saturday night.


Dean Smith, the legendary former North Carolina coach, died at his home in Chapel Hill with his wife and five children at his side, the school announced Sunday morning. He was 83.


“It’s such a great loss for North Carolina – our state, the University, of course the Tar Heel basketball program, but really the entire basketball world," said North Carolina coach Roy Williams, a longtime assistant under Smith. "We lost one of our greatest ambassadors for college basketball for the way in which a program should be run. We lost a man of the highest integrity who did so many things off the court to help make the world a better place to live in.


"He set the standard for loyalty and concern for every one of his players, not just the games won or lost.He was the greatest there ever was on the court but far, far better off the court with people. His concern for people will be the legacy I will remember most."


Smith won 20 or more games in 30 of the 31 seasons he coached at North Carolina and retired in 1997 as college basketball's winningest coach. He led the Tar Heels to 11 Final Fours and two national titles, the first in 1982 and the second in 1993.


North Carolina was so successful under Smith that fans of other ACC schools united in their dislike of the Tar Heels. They mockingly called Smith "Saint Dean" and grumbled that North Carolina received preferential treatment from referees and the league — all the things people now say about Smith's longtime adversary Mike Krzyzewski.


Any lingering bitterness among Smith's rivals has faded in recent years as his health has declined. Dementia began to ravage his famously steely memory almost a decade ago. In recent years, the man who once could recall specific plays from games he coached in decades earlier could no longer recognize some of his most decorated players or most trusted assistant coaches.


Those health issues forced Smith to make fewer and fewer public appearances at North Carolina in recent years and made it tough for his ex-players to visit him. Some did anyway out of loyalty to their longtime coach. Others couldn't bear to see him in that state and preferred to remember the good times.


Smith's legacy is the sustained success North Carolina basketball has enjoyed since he retired and the impact he made on the men and women who spent time around him.


"He was a mentor to so many people," Williams said "He was my mentor. He gave me a chance but, more importantly, he shared with me his knowledge, which is the greatest gift you can give someone.


"I’m 64 years old and everything I do with our basketball program and the way I deal with the University is driven by my desire to make Coach Smith proud. When I came back to Carolina, the driving force was to make him proud and I still think that today."


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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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Barca scout blames power games for axing

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Alberto Valentin has blamed power games for his dismissal and that of Andoni Zubizarreta.


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Barcelona – Former Barcelona technical secretary Alberto Valentin has blamed power games for his dismissal and that of sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta and is now looking for a new challenge away from the pressure cooker of La Liga.


Zubizarreta and assistant Valentin, who oversaw scouting, were both sacked last month in the aftermath of a FIFA transfer ban for the following two windows over the breaching of rules on the signing of foreign under-18 players.


Fan criticism had also been building over failures in the transfer market and their perceived involvement in the scandal over Neymar’s real cost.


“I haven’t given any interviews to the media here (in Spain) as I don’t think they have treated us correctly. I want to now continue my work in a different atmosphere than in Spain,” Valentin told Reuters.


“I’ve read the stories about me going to Liverpool but I haven’t spoken with anyone.


“The problem at Barcelona is that there is always a power struggle.


“Often the sports director is the one who is given the job of putting out fires and he is the first person people look at when there are problems,” he said.


“Zubizarreta was always looking to conciliate but got tired of the situation.”


Valentin felt Zubizarreta was hung out to dry over the transfer ban.


“The error over the signing of youth players was huge. I would add, though, these mistakes happen when you are dealing with hundreds of kids and it is happening at other clubs as well,” he said.


“It is true that FIFA has thrown a dart at the club which has set the standard for youth development.”


EVALUATED DIFFERENTLY


Valentin denied Zubizarreta and those working in the technical department were at fault in the Neymar transfer which was first investigated after a fan took legal action seeking clarity over the price.


The club said they spent 57.1 million euros ($64.64 million) on the Brazil forward when he signed ahead of last season and former president Sandro Rosell steadfastly repeated the figure.


However, when Rosell was asked to give evidence after a judge decided to investigate possible tax evasion, he stood down last January but denied wrongdoing.


Court proceedings are ongoing but now the prosecution say Neymar’s real cost was 94.9 million euros.


“I did my report on Neymar after the U-20 South American championships in Peru, 2011. Neither Zubizarreta nor I were involved (in trying to sign the player),” he said.


“I would discuss players with Zubizarreta, the coach and directors and a decision would be made.


“I don’t think you would have a situation anywhere else where a fan takes the club to court in this way.”


Valentin arrived at Barcelona, having previously been technical secretary at Espanyol, along with Zubizarreta at the start of the Rosell presidency in 2010.


He said they had to deal with a particularly turbulent spell in the club’s history.


“I think in time our jobs will be evaluated differently. We had to deal with the decline of a team which was possibly the best side ever,” Valentin remarked.


“We had continual changes of coach, there was the illness for (coach) Tito (Vilanova) and then Tata (Martino) came in for one year. There were external problems that had nothing to do with our job like the Neymar case, Messi’s tax case and the FIFA transfer ban.


“I didn’t speak to (former coach Pep) Guardiola about why he left but he was aware of the problems that were facing the club and the restructuring that was needed.” – Reuters






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Burnley squander two-goal lead

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Burnley squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with fellow relegation candidate West Brom on Sunday.


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Burnley – Burnley squandered a two-goal lead for the third time in its last four games, conceding twice from corners in a 2-2 draw with fellow relegation candidate West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.


All four goals in a lively match at Turf Moor came from headers, with in-demand striker Danny Ings setting up Ashley Barnes for Burnley’s opener in the 11th minute before scoring himself in the 32nd.


Chris Brunt, who had the captain’s armband taken from him and given to new signing Darren Fletcher, bundled in a left-wing corner in first-half injury time to bring West Brom back into the game.


Nigeria striker Brown Ideye completed the recovery in the 67th, taking advantage of more slack marking to head in another corner.


Burnley climbed out of the relegation zone, above Hull. – Sapa-AP






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Hammers terminate Morrison’s contract

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West Ham have terminated midfielder Ravel Morrison’s contract, the club announced on Sunday.


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London – West Ham United have terminated the contract of England U-21 midfielder Ravel Morrison, the Premier League club announced on Sunday.


The 22-year-old began his career at Manchester United before a move to West Ham in 2012 but failed to establish a first-team place at Upton Park, making 24 appearances and scoring five goals in all competitions in three years at the club.


“West Ham United can confirm that the club have reached agreement with Ravel Morrison to terminate his contract with immediate effect,” said a statement on the club’s website (www.whufc.com).


Morrison, now a free agent, has been heavily linked with a move to Lazio. Some British media reports have suggested he has agreed to join the Serie A club at the end of the season.


Once described by Alex Ferguson as the most talented youngster he had seen, the midfielder’s career has been overshadowed by a series of disciplinary matters off the pitch.


He endured a tempestuous relationship with West Ham manager Sam Allardyce, who questioned his work ethic and honesty over injury claims and was loaned to Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City during his Upton Park career. – Reuters






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DRC star eager for Palace return

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Yannick Bolasie is keen to return to Crystal Palace after helping the DRC to third place in the Afcon Cup.


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Malabo – Yannick Bolasie is raring to get back to Premier League action with resurgent Crystal Palace after helping Democratic Republic of Congo to third place in the African Nations Cup.


The DRC defeated hosts Equatorial Guinea 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw at the Estadio de Malabo on Saturday, with the 25-year-old forward playing the whole match.


Bolasie has kept a close eye on his club side’s results whilst he has been away on international duty and says he is looking forward to taking his momentum from the tournament back to England.


“Have I missed the Premier League? You could say that,” he told reporters. “I’ve missed it for sure, but I’ve enjoyed my time here.


“Crystal Palace have been on the fly at the moment. We’ve won five games and lost one (of the last six), so the mood is much higher.


“Hopefully, I can come back and restore even more confidence as well. That’s my aim.”


Bolasie will return to the 13th-placed south London club after an encouraging showing at the tournament. He helped DR Congo reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1998 and also scored the team’s opener against Zambia to secure a point.


“I think my own personal performance has been pretty good. I’ve got three fair play awards, two Man of the Match awards and a bronze medal, so I think it’s gone well,” he said.


“I don’t know if I can say that it’s one of the greatest moments of my career because we have only come third but it’s been a great achievement for us personally and as a nation. I’m really happy because it’s been a good tournament to be honest.


“We’re coming third after two big nations, Ivory Coast and Ghana, they’ve got players who play right across Europe so I’m just delighted to be third.”


Ivory Coast, who beat DR Congo 3-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final, contest the Nations Cup final against Ghana on Sunday evening at the Estadio de Bata. – Reuters






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Defoe ‘can resurrect England career’

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Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has backed the ‘overlooked’ Jermain Defoe to resurrect his England career.


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London – Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has backed Jermain Defoe to resurrect his England career after the striker struck his second goal in as many games in a 1-1 draw at Swansea City in the Premier League on Saturday.


Defoe, who scored 19 goals in his 55 England appearances, last played for his country in November 2013 and has spoken of his hurt at being overlooked for last year’s World Cup.


The 32-year-old signed for Sunderland from Toronto FC in January, heading back to England after 11 months with the MLS club with a view to re-entering international manager Roy Hodgson’s plans.


He has now scored twice in three league appearances since his move.


Hodgson was at White Hart Lane on Saturday to see Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane score twice in a 2-1 win against Arsenal and Poyet said former Spurs man Defoe could play alongside the uncapped Kane for England.


“When you pick strikers you pick those in form and scoring goals,” said Poyet, who was a team-mate to Defoe at Tottenham. “We saw today Harry Kane at Spurs and it’s an obvious choice, but Jermain has a chance if Wayne Rooney plays in midfield.


“But that’s up to Roy (Hodgson) to decide. I respect the manager of the national team and the only thing the player can do is perform.


“He (Defoe) is special and there are not many (like him).”


Sunderland are 14th in the league table but only four points above the relegation zone.


Poyet believes Defoe, who scored his first Sunderland goal in a 2-0 home win against Burnley last weekend, can propel the side up the table.


“Proven Premier League goalscorers cost a lot and to find one that can come to us is quite difficult so he’s very important for us,” Poyet explained.


“Now we know what he can do because he can score from nothing. He knows what he can do and gives us the confidence as a team that sooner or later he will put the ball in the back of the net.


“If we do our jobs, then if we find him on the pitch, then I’m sure he is going to score plenty and that will be a platform for the rest of the season.” – Reuters






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Leicester boss in ‘throat-grabbing’ incident

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Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson is facing flak again after appearing to grab a visiting player by the throat.


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London – Under-pressure Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson has attempted to play down a clash with Crystal Palace’s midfielder James McArthur during the south London club’s 1-0 win in the Premier League on Saturday.


Two months after receiving a one-match touchline ban and fine for arguing with one of his team’s supporters, Pearson has come under scrutiny again after appearing to grab the visiting player by the throat during Leicester’s home defeat.


McArthur, who nearly signed for the league’s bottom club in the close season before moving to Palace from Wigan Athletic, accidentally knocked Pearson over as he slid off the pitch into the technical area.


The manager reacted my putting his hand around the player’s neck as both lay on the ground and then tugging the Scotland international’s shirt when he tried to get back onto the pitch.


The pair were both pictured smiling during the incident and Pearson, whose team suffered their third straight league defeat after Joe Ledley struck in the second half for Palace, said it wasn’t a big deal.


“I didn’t see that one coming if I am honest,” Pearson told Sky Sports. “But there you are. I was pushed to the floor and held my own.”


Asked why he held back McArthur back, the Leicester boss replied: “Because he said something to me.


“I don’t have to reveal anything do I? I’m more than capable of looking after myself.


“Listen, I’ve a lot of respect for the lad, he’s a good player. You know what happened in the summer in terms of him coming here.


“I’m as disappointed as he was with how things panned out, but it was nothing to do with either myself or the player.


“But there’s no problem with the player. He’s a good player and a likeable lad,” Pearson added. – Reuters






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Ambitious Amajimbos eye top four finish

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Amajimbos coach Molefi Ntseki is confident his charges will be a force to reckon with in Niger.


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South Africa’s national Under-17 team (Amajimbos) coach Molefi Ntseki believes his charges are more than prepared to deal with the pressures that come with doing well in the African Youth Championship (AYC) in Niger from February 15.


Amajimbos flew to Niger yesterday via Ethiopia (Addis Ababa), where they are set to have two training sessions before finally settling in Niamey, the Niger capital, for the duration of the tournament.


Amajimbos will take on Ivory Coast, Mali and Cameroon in pursuit of staying afloat of Group B, while hoping to reach the semi-finals.


It is the top four of the Championship that will see them automatically qualify for the U-17 Fifa World Cup tournament set to take place in Chile on October 17 to November 8.


Ntseki said while it was important to fight for the championship title, his charges must never put themselves under unnecessary pressure of chasing the championship title; hence it is the top four finish they are truly aiming for.


“We want to qualify for the World Cup,” he said. “That is our main objective and nothing else. As soon as we secure that spot on the world stage, that’s when we can start thinking about the possibility of winning the championship. But for now, it is important for us not to put ourselves under unnecessary pressure.”


However, pressure will amount when the Amajimbos take on defending champs, Ivory Coast, in their opening match of Group B on February 16.


And while that might seem like more than a mammoth of task to handle in their opening encounter of the tournament, Ntseki said he was not intimidated. Ntseki said a friendly against the host nation Niger would prove pivotal building up to the encounter.


“It makes sense playing against Niger,” he said. “They are the host nation and they would want to prove themselves when they play against us.


“The clash will give us a clear view of what to expect from the tournament and how far we’ve come in terms of our preparations. They are a very competitive side, and as hosts, I truly believe they are going to give us a run for our money and that’s very important for us.


“Ivory Coast are the defending champs for sure and we don’t really know much about them, nor the kind of players they will be bringing into the tournament.


“With our current squad, we’ve both prepared them both mentally and physically to deal with the demands of the tournament. They are tactically on point and they understand that they really need to work hard if they are to come out as victors of this tournament.


“You have to be tactically aware going into such a tournament. You have to know the kinds of formations you will be using in every clash and most importantly, how to close and slow down matches when you are in the lead.


“The other emphasis I’ve picked up with continental competitions is one has to understand the critical phases of a game situation.


“The first 15 and the last 15 minutes are the most crucial. When caught napping, you get punished. One has to be on guard against over-excitement on scoring and frustrations.


“As coaches we have to push our players to be level-headed at all times. We hope to implement this with the current squad (and) hopefully we will win the championship.”






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News sport : Virginia tightens grip on the ACC by squeezing the life out of Louisville

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The play that inspired Saturday night's biggest eruption from Virginia's bench wasn't a high-flying dunk, a game-clinching free throw or a momentum-changing 3-pointer.


It was the Cavaliers defense forcing a first-half shot clock violation that had the reserves exchanging high fives and Tony Bennett grinning and pumping his fist.


Virginia's pride in its defense was on display throughout its 52-47 victory over ninth-ranked Louisville in a showdown between the top two teams in the ACC standings. The third-ranked Cavaliers held the visiting Cardinals to 37 percent shooting, prevented them from scoring at all for the final 10:32 of the first half and built a big enough lead to survive a late Louisville rally.


If Virginia's grip on first place in the ACC appeared tenuous after it let an 11-point lead slip away against Duke last Saturday, the Cavaliers proved otherwise this week. They responded with wins over North Carolina and Lousiville, concluding their toughest stretch of the season with a lead of two or more games in the loss column over every ACC rival.


In a season that has featured plenty of handwringing over low scores and hard-to-watch games, it would be a shame if what Virginia has accomplished gets lumped into that. The Cavaliers are so disciplined in the way they take away post touches, help on dribble penetration and force contested jump shots that they force viewers to appreciate low-scoring games the same way en elite NFL defense or Cy Young-caliber pitcher does in their sports.


It was no surprise that Louisville struggled especially badly with Virginia's defense because it's a terrible matchup for the Cardinals.


Louisville's biggest weakness is its anemic 30.7 percent 3-point shooting, which is far from ideal against a Virginia defense that prides itself on walling off the paint and forcing opponents to shoot contested shots from the perimeter. The Cardinals attempted 14 shots from behind the arc and only made three of them, two by Wayne Blackshear and one by Chris Jones.


Jones and Rozier enjoyed only sporadic success off the dribble in half-court sets and they had very few chances to attack before the defense was set. Virginia played at its customary methodical pace and turned the ball over only two times against a Louisville team that thrives in transition and leads the ACC in forcing turnovers.


Stingy defense was a necessity for Virginia since it shot only 33.5 percent from the field itself, missed all but two of its 3-pointers and allowed Louisville to get as close as three points in the final 30 seconds. It also didn't help the Cavaliers that Justin Anderson injured his left hand early in the game and did not play after a 1-for-9 first half.


Anderson's availability going forward is a concern for a Virginia team that needs his scoring ability, but that won't detract from the Cavaliers' joy after a big win. Virginia is in control of the ACC and it doesn't play a single upper-tier ACC team the rest of the season until the regular season finale March 7 at Louisville.


Given the way the first game went, the Cardinals can't be looking forward to it.


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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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