Booing won’t faze Kingston

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Supersport United striker Kingston Nkhatha will face his former club Kaizer Chiefs for the first time since his transfer in January.


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Kingston Nkhatha will probably walk on to the pitch with some trepidation tonight, unsure of the kind of reception the crowd at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane will afford him.


Now with SuperSport United, the Zimbabwean striker faces his former team Kaizer Chiefs for the first time since his shock move to Matsatsantsa a Pitori during the January transfer window period. Having scored on debut for the Pretoria outfit in the 2-2 draw with Free State Stars, Nkhatha sat out the weekend’s 1-0 win at Black Aces due to suspension.


But he is eligible for selection tonight and coach Gordon Igesund is experienced enough to know just how fired up players often are when facing their former teams and he will probably give the striker a start.


Nkhatha had endured a torrid time at the Limpopo capital where the Chiefs fans appeared to enjoy heckling him so much so that Stuart Baxter, the Amakhosi coach, even threatened to have the club no longer play their home matches there.


That threat seemed to work though as the Chiefs faithful changed their tune in the club’s last match there in December.


They hardly booed the striker who is prone to missing sitters and Chiefs won that league game against Free State Stars 2-0 with Nkhatha shining brightest by scoring one and creating the other goal in a man-of-the-match winning performance.


He went on to also shine in Amakhosi’s next match at the FNB Stadium against Black Aces as he created the solitary goal scored by Mandla Masango, leading to many a Chiefs fans changing their tune about him being a liability to the team. Then he left for SuperSport, a transfer so unexpected it didn’t make sense to some.


And you can bet there will be some in the crowd tonight who will bear a grudge against the striker for leaving their team in the lurch. And they will probably let Nkhatha know their feelings in the best way they know how, by booing and jeering his every touch.


Not that the striker will be bothered or affected. After all, he showed during his time at Chiefs that he has a thick skin, Nkhatha taking the heckling in his stride and sticking to his game and following the game plan set by the coach – often to great effect as he helped ensure Amakhosi remained unbeaten by creating chances for his teammates and keeping the opposition defence unsettled by continuously haranguing them with his runs from deep.


Tonight it will be the turn of the likes of Tefu Mashamaite and Erick Mathoho to be on their toes trying to keep Nkhatha quiet as they attempt to help Chiefs maintain their unbeaten league run.


For that to happen, Chiefs will have to lift their game a few notches up from what it was at the weekend against Botswana’s Township Rollers in the Caf Champions League. To say Chiefs were flat would be putting it mildly, the Glamour Boys needing an injury time scrambled winner by Mashamaite to put some shine on arguably their worst showing of the season.


Against SuperSport such a performance as Saturday’s one where a disjointed midfield display ensured the defence was almost always under pressure could prove very costly and Baxter is sure to have impressed this much upon his team. Igesund’s team go into the match fresh from a good win at Aces where New Zealander Jeremy Brockie scored on debut. Chasing a high finish, SuperSport will be fired up not only by their need to continue their climb up the table but the lure of becoming the first side to inflict Chiefs’ maiden league loss of the season. And Nkhatha must no doubt relish the prospect of being the man to deliver the goal that sinks Amakhosi.


In tonight’s other match, Moroka Swallows host Bidvest Wits eager to register their first win of the year following two successive losses since the restart after the Africa Cup of Nations break. A 4-1 hammering at Mamelodi Sundowns preceded the weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Polokwane City and Fani Madida will hope his team use home ground advantage to good effect against a Wits side that defeated Swaziland side Royal Leopards 3-0 on Sunday in the Caf Confederation Cup.


Both matches kick-off at 7.30pm. - The Star






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Van Gaal relishing Arsenal Cup tie

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Louis van Gaal says he is looking forward to facing Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford.


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Louis van Gaal says he is relishing the chance to face Arsenal at Old Trafford after Manchester United earned a showdown with the holders in the FA Cup quarter-finals.


Goals from Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Wayne Rooney booked United's place in the last eight with a 3-1 win at Preston North End in the fifth round on Monday.


The third tier team took the lead early in the second half through Scott Laird but van Gaal's side ultimately proved too strong.


Their reward is a potentially classic home tie against Arsenal on the weekend of March 7 and 8 after three successive away ties against lower-league opponents.


“We have a draw at home, which is important in FA Cup matches,” van Gaal said. “I am pleased we can play against Arsenal and at home.


“Every game in the FA Cup is difficult to win because every team is giving everything.


“You have seen it also in this round, how many better situated teams have lost so I don't think that of course when you play against a lower team then the chance to win is always bigger.


“I am very happy we can play now against Arsenal and for the first time we play at home.”


United and Arsenal have both won the FA Cup on 11 occasions, with their last meeting in the tournament won by United in the last eight in 2011.


Arsenal's most recent triumph came last season against Hull City, while United have not lifted the trophy since 2004.


Van Gaal admitted he feared for his side's place in this season's competition when Simon Grayson's men went ahead through Laird.


Van Gaal's response was to introduce Ashley Young and switch formation and it paid off.


“Of course, when we conceded a goal, we have to fight again for the victory,” he said.


“In the first half we didn't create ourselves many chances so that is why I changed the shape. That was why I think we made the goals.


“I have to give to all the credit to the players because they have done again everything and the spirit in the team is unbelievable.”


After being relatively quiet in his role as a midfielder, Fellaini was moved further forward to partner Rooney in attack and the Belgian scored the visiting team's second goal with what van Gaal described as a “fantastic training goal”.


Van Gaal said Fellaini offered United an alternative way of attacking when opponents became difficult to break down.


“I have used a lot of times already Fellaini, more than ever and he scores more than ever,” Van Gaal said.


“He is a player that when we cannot beat the pressure with quality, we can always beat the pressure. That is a quality.


“Now I have played him for the first time in his position but we have a lot of players who can play there.


“The whole team did it well because they believe also that we could do it with this shape


“As trainer-coach or a staff you can change the system but your players have to believe in it and perform it and that is not so easy and they do it and not for the first time. That is fantastic.”


Van Gaal also revealed Robin van Persie would be available to face Swansea in the Premier League on Saturday after the Dutch striker missed the match at Deepdale through injury. – AFP






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Sherwood to crack the whip at Villa

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New Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has warned his underperforming new squad to expect some honesty.


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If he was, in his own words, the “supply teacher” stymied by a lack of job security in his attempts to wield authority in the Tottenham dressing room last season, Tim Sherwood anticipates no such problems as Aston Villa's new manager.


“I'm the headmaster now,” Sherwood quipped at his unveiling at Villa Park yesterday, when he warned his underperforming new squad to expect some honesty while also promising to deliver the exciting football missing for too long under Paul Lambert.


“Every club needs excitement, the fans pay their money and we need to give them that,” said Sherwood, who sees Christian Benteke as key and is hoping to have a similar impact on the Belgian striker as he did on Emmanuel Adebayor at Spurs. “It is [about] bringing that player back to life and also enhancing what is around him.


“When I took over [at Tottenham], the brief was, 'Can we be a bit more attractive and score a few more goals?' I ticked that box. I used Adebayor as the catalyst for that.”


Sherwood, whose first match is against Stoke at home on Saturday, said he would not hesitate to crack the whip with his new charges, just as he did at Spurs, where he accused his players of lacking character after a 4-0 defeat at Chelsea. “If I'm going to be guilty of something it will be being honest,” he said. “If they do well they will be told, if they don't do well they will also be told and told why. You have to be constructive.”


Sherwood, who admitted he was “close” to taking charge of West Bromwich Albion before Tony Pulis's appointment last month, dismissed arguments about his lack of experience by saying: “There are a lot of poor, experienced managers [but] I don't feel a point to prove.” – The Independent






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United, Arsenal set for FA Cup clash

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Manchester United beat League One Preston North End 3-1 in the FA Cup fifth round and set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against Arsenal.


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London - Manchester United survived a scare to beat League One Preston North End 3-1 in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday and set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against Arsenal.


Scott Laird's deflected 47th-minute strike gave third-tier Preston the scent of a huge upset but United regrouped and goals by Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Wayne Rooney sent the Premier League side through.


“We showed an unbelievable team spirit,” United manager Louis Van Gaal told the BBC.


“We changed the shape and that was the solution. We scored fantastic goals, a little bit lucky also I think. I liked the second goal a lot, we have trained for that a lot.


“Marouane Fellaini has a body, he also scores goals. I played him in the position that he wants for the first time but I do not always have a position for him. The spirit was better.”


Preston manager Simon Grayson led Leeds United to a famous victory over Manchester United in an FA Cup third-round tie at Old Trafford in 2010 and his organised team worked tirelessly to give themselves a chance to emulate that feat.


They restricted United with disciplined defending and the visitors failed to trouble keeper Thorsten Stuckmann in the first half.


Laird's speculative strike, which burst through the grasp of United goalkeeper David de Gea, sent the home fans into a frenzy and Van Gaal's last realistic chance of winning silverware in his first season at United looked in jeopardy.


But the introduction of the livewire Ashley Young in place of ineffective striker Radamel Falcao revived the visitors and good work by the winger down the right set up the chance for Herrera to squeeze in a 65th-minute equaliser off the post.


Antonio Valencia's right-wing cross was powerfully met by Fellaini at the far post and the towering Belgian lashed home the rebound seven minutes later.


Rooney chased a through ball and narrowly won the race with Stuckmann whose clumsy tackle led to a penalty which the striker gleefully lashed home to register his first goal of the year and stay on course for his first FA Cup winners' medal. – Reuters






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Goalkeeper poser for Mourinho

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is undecided whether to retain goalkeeper Petr Cech or recall first-choice Thibaut Courtois for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first-leg clash at Paris St Germain.


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Paris - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is undecided whether to retain goalkeeper Petr Cech or recall first-choice Thibaut Courtois for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first-leg clash at Paris St Germain.


Mourinho rested a “tired” Belgian international Courtois as Cech produced several good saves in the 1-0 Premier League win over Everton last Wednesday.


“He (Courtois) doesn't know if he plays or not, so I can't tell you. He has to know from me, not from the media,” Mourinho told reporters on Monday.


“But I repeat. Chelsea have the two best goalkeepers in the Premier League. I'm very happy with both. Every time one plays, the team are very confident because they know that, behind, they have a top goalkeeper.”


Spain striker Diego Costa will start in Paris, although Mourinho said his top scorer was probably not in the “best condition” after serving a three-game domestic ban for violent conduct.


“Yes, I start him. But I don't think it's good for a player to be three weeks, or three matches, without starting a game,' Mourinho said.


“So I don't think he's in the best of his condition. But, at the same time, (Loic) Remy and Drogba have played in the last three matches. Obviously it is important for them to have minutes and confidence. I know that I have them both ready for the game too.”


Chelsea eliminated PSG in the quarter-finals last season but Mourinho said the French champions, with the addition of former Blues defender David Luiz, would be difficult opponents.


The Londoners lost 3-1 in Paris but went through on away goals after winning the return 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, going through after Demba Ba's late strike.


“I think Paris are a great team, basically the same team as last season with David Luiz. The same team basically, the same coach, the same dynamic, the same profile,” the Portuguese added.


“They have conditions to be better because they have stability. We have changed a bit some players and the identity of our game. We have changed the profile. I don't want to say if Chelsea are better or worse than last season but, tomorrow, Parc des Princes will see a different Chelsea to last year.” – Reuters






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News sport : Couple allegedly has Valentine's Day romp in Neyland Stadium press box

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A general view of Neyland Stadium prior to the game against the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers. (Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports) Oh, those crazy college kids.


According to The Tennessean, a photo of two people – presumably Tennessee students – getting frisky in the press box at Neyland Stadium circulated on a Snapchat account called “Volnationsnaps” on Valentine's Day. A screenshot of the Snapchat photo then reportedly made its way to Instagram, but has since been deleted.


The photo apparently had a caption that read: “Happy valentine from neylend stadium.” I’ll refrain from making any academic-related Tennessee jokes for the time being.


Anyway, The Tennessean isn’t sure how the two made their way to the press box, but there was “a lunch held Saturday in the stadium’s west club as part of the university’s Winter Family Weekend,” so that could have been their way to sneak in. Or, you know, they could have hopped a fence the old-fashioned way.


The University’s police department did not receive any reports of wrongdoing from the stadium over the weekend. Additionally, the university had no comment as of now on this ongoing mystery.


For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.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 : Georgia coach says he agrees with Roquan Smith's decision not to sign an NLI

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Roquan Smith (Rivals) Macon County High School linebacker Roquan Smith made national headlines earlier this month when he refused to sign a national letter of intent (NLI) with UCLA after he learned Bruins defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich lied to him about taking a job in the NFL.


It sparked a debate about the fairness of the NLI and whether players should actually sign them.


Smith, instead, signed scholarship and grant-in-aid papers with Georgia last Friday.


Macon County coach Larry Harold said one Georgia coach agreed with Smith’s decision to forgo the NLI.


“The UGA coaches were fine with Roquan not signing an NLI — actually one of the coaches said that if their son is good enough, they’re not going to let him sign an NLI either,” Harold told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.


“I’m not going to say which UGA coach it was. You’re going to have to ask them. He was like ‘Coach, if my son is good enough and is in the same position as Roquan, I’m not going to let him sign an NLI. I understand exactly why you’re doing this.’ They get it. So I guess the buzz is going around.”


Smith is the first known high-level recruit to refuse to sign an NLI in favor of a grant-in-aid award. His actions could set off a trend of high-level recruits that more or less commit to school, but allow themselves wiggle room should circumstances change.


High school recruits are not required to sign an NLI to play college football. In fact, the NLI is more beneficial for the school than it is the player. It allows the school to lock in a player and gives the player no recourse should there be a change in his situation, a change in coaching or simply a change of heart.


Signing grant-in-aid papers means that Smith is guaranteed the same financial benefits of an NLI without the one-sided restrictions. In fact, Smith could opt to attend another school before he attends his first summer classes. But Harold said Georgia fans shouldn’t worry about that.


“He’s 100-percent Georgia Bulldog,” Harold told the AJC. “His recruiting is over. It’s finished. He’s ready to move on to the next chapter of his life. His family is ready to move on. It’s just a good day. Everything is finalized. He’s relaxed. Now he can finish out his high school days and report to UGA this summer.”


For more Georgia news, visit UGASports.com.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


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News sport : Indiana football players make a short snow video to the 'Frozen' theme song (Video)

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It’s cold in Bloomington, Ind., right now.


Like, pile on the Snuggies, grab some spiked hot chocolate and nuzzle up next to the fire, cold.


So, redshirt freshman offensive tackle Delroy Baker, who is originally from Florida, thought it would be a good time to tease what he calls his “Frozen Mixtape.”



We can only hope this small snippet of wonderful is stretched out into a longer video that includes slow motion running in a snow-covered field and scene where both players, hands clasped and arms outstretched, spin each other in circles and snow falls lightly on top of their smiling faces.


That would make this video truly complete.


Yeah, so how many days until football season?


For more Indiana news, visit Peegs.com.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


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News sport : Fans, both famous and otherwise, had obscured seats at the NBA All-Star Game

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The NBA handles the seating for the All-Star Game. The NBA controls the entertainment lineup for both the halftime and commercial break events that often include massive sets being wheeled out onto a court that was just minutes removed from hosting millionaire athletes making pinpoint moves. The NBA, to the consternation of many very good owners – like Dallas’ Mark Cuban – also moves season ticket holders from their regular season seats in anticipation of an NBA-led event.


Usually, we don’t like the NBA doing that. When the league decides to oust Knicks owner James Dolan from his usual baseline spot, however, you can’t help but giggle a bit. From Marc Berman at the New York Post:



“Knicks owner James Dolan had to move from his regular seat for Sunday night’s All-Star Game in his building […] “



Sweet, remember Dolan lambasting a longtime Knicks fan in an email from earlier in February? Guessing that the fan had never done anything positive with is life, or for his family, and presuming that he had an addiction to alcohol?


And then not apologizing for it? Remember that? Maybe the NBA, after initially supporting Dolan, finally gave him his come-uppance!


Nah. These guys always turn out just fine in the end:



“According to an NBA source, when Dolan heard he was being displaced, the seating change was a concern. But the issue was rectified as the owner still sat on the opposite baseline. NBA officials — not Garden brass — are in charge of seating for the All-Star Game.




A Garden spokesman said Dolan didn’t care about the move, it was never an issue and he was happier being closer to the Eastern Conference bench and Carmelo Anthony.”



Dangit.


Worse, because of the sightlines in the 47-year old arena, some fans at Madison Square Garden may have missed not only the entertainment during the All-Star Game timeouts, but the halftime show itself:



“1,000 or so fans in Sections 111-115 who had obstructed or no view of the entertainment stage.




During the pregame and halftime shows and pregame introductions, large video boards were raised behind the stage. Fans behind the basket could only see the back of the video boards and not the stage or court.




The obstruction also occurred for a handful of performances during timeouts. Some fans interviewed said they had no idea they would not be able to see the entertainment stage. NBA officials did not immediately have a comment about the obstructed seats.”



This isn’t an outright crime, nothing to get haughty about, but you can understand the possible frustration for those that spent thousands of dollars on seats in order to watch we have no idea we flipped over to the ‘Saturday Night Live’ anniversary show Nicki Manaj and Ariana Grande halftime show alongside what was genuinely a fantastic NBA showcase.


This is what the NBA bought into when it decided to celebrate both Madison Square Garden’s recent makeover and the addition of a killer facility in Brooklyn when it sent the All-Star weekend New York’s way. Brooklyn’s Barclays Center would have been better off hosting the Sunday night event because of its modern setup, but the league understandably went with the sainted MSG home court to host the affair.


We’re a long way from someone like Frank Sinatra doing his best Madison Square Garden work in the round, or George Harrison and friends playing great songs to poor acoustics. These televised affairs need a bit more spectacle – and video screens.


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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 : Minnesota LB goes ice fishing, claims to be the 'fish whisperer' (Photo)

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Minnesota is definitely a whole lot different than Mansfield, Texas, – the hometown of Gophers linebacker Everett Williams. Despite the differences, it looks like Williams, who recently finished his first season with the program, has adapted to his new surroundings well.


On Sunday, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound Williams tweeted several photos of his ice fishing trip along with several teammates and Gophers linebackers coach Mike Sherels.



(via @Everett2Dreaded)


(via @Everett2Dreaded)


Sherels is a Rochester, Minn., native and a Minnesota alum, so you know he taught his players the ins and out of ice fishing. Despite being from the south, it looks like Williams did pretty well. After all, he is the self-proclaimed “ice whisperer.”


Williams played in eight games and made one start as a true freshman in 2014.


For more Minnesota news, GopherIllustrated.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 : Packers cut Brandon Bostick, who misplayed NFC title game onside kick

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It's hard to believe that the Green Bay Packers would cut a player just for misplaying an onside kick, basically scapegoating him publicly for a loss.


But when Brandon Bostick was cut on Monday, it was easy to wonder what role his NFC championship game mistake had to do with it.


Bostick announced on Twitter that the Packers had cut him.



While it isn't totally fair, Bostick will have a place in Packers history for the wrong reason.


The Packers controlled the NFC championship game against the Seattle Seahawks, leading 19-7 late into the fourth quarter. The Seahawks scored, and tried an onside kick with a little more than two minutes remaining. Bostick was supposed to block and let Jordy Nelson behind him recover the kick. But Bostick made a play on the ball, mishandled it and Seahawks receiver Chris Matthews (who, incidentally, went from a no-name reserve to one of the stars of Super Bowl XLIX a couple weeks later) recovered. The Seahawks scored and went on to win in overtime.


The Packers screwed that game up in many ways. Mike McCarthy was very conservative all day. Morgan Burnett inexplicably quit running after an interception that should have sealed the game. The defense gave up three touchdowns in Seattle's final three drives. A lot had to happen for the Packers to lose. But Bostick was an easy one to blame.


In an incredibly somber and stunned locker room after the game, Bostick was obviously shaken up over his mistake.


“I’ll just try to deal with it the best that I can,” Bostick said. “I let my team down, I feel like. I feel like if I would have done my job, my assignment to block, Jordy would have caught the ball and the game would have been over."


Did Bostick get cut because of that mistake? It's hard to believe the Packers would do that just out of spite. Bostick had just nine catches in two seasons after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and spending that season on the practice squad. Even though the Packers aren't incredibly deep at tight end, Bostick wasn't an integral part of their plans. He had a chance to distinguish himself in 2014 but that didn't happen. If he had developed into a legitimate threat in the Packers' passing game, his job would have been safe. He didn't, so the Packers moved on.


But the timing of Bostick's release makes it seem like he paid for a mistake in a huge moment for the Packers with his job.


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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 : Andrew Bynum once drove around Philly with a gas nozzle and hose hanging from his Ferrari

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Former NBA All-Star Andrew Bynum was a throwback in so many ways. Not only was his deft back to the basket game a standout skill in an NBA that was creeping closer and closer to the spread out and perimeter-heavy ball that is so prevalent today, but he also acted as a throwback to the days in which unyieldingly gifted NBA stars often betrayed their talent and acted like doofuses off the court.


The case for the former is obvious. Bynum has had his injury woes, but he never built on his early promise and hasn’t been on any NBA team’s radar since skipping from the Lakers to 76ers to Cavaliers to Bulls to Pacers in an 18-month span between 2012 and 2014. As for the latter? We have another anecdote to relay that features Bynum either being incredibly daft, or willingly listless in the face of doing something that could harm others.


From Pablo S. Torre’s fantastic profile of the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers:



Their would-be star was a hazardous fit -- sometimes even literally. One day, memorably, the rehabbing big man parked next to Aaron Barzilai, [then-Sixers general manager Tony] DiLeo's newly hired director of basketball analytics, in the parking lot of the team facility at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. As Bynum shuffled inside, Barzilai noticed something on their would-be star's custom black Ferrari and called after him. Bynum, it turned out, had driven away from a gas station without removing the pump's nozzle and eight-foot rubber hose, which he'd dragged, pythonlike, through the street.



So, you have two ways to take this.


The first, and more optimistic end, would leave you just merely calling Bynum a goofball who failed to notice the hose while pulling away and while driving. Those Ferraris are full of blind spots, especially for 7-footers like Bynum, and they feature super loud V-12 and V-8 engines!


Or, you can probably just go with common sense and submit to the idea that Andrew Bynum was acting like Andrew Bynum. Allegedly.


Bynum, who missed the entirety of his lone season with Philadelphia after re-injuring his knee while going bowling, has been filmed parking in handicapped spots when he was in full health and most decidedly not handicapped – the ultimate jerk-hole move. He was also allegedly cited for, after being unable to pass a fellow driver, crossing the divider to drive on the wrong side of the road in order to pass someone.


Even in a rear or all-wheel drive car with as much power and noise-making capability as a Ferrari, you’re going to notice if you pull out while dragging the nozzle and hose. If you’re a good-guy driver that actually pays attention to his side-view mirrors, you’re going to notice the thing flapping on the side of your car. If you’re not an apathetic slug, you’re going to notice it when you get out of your car and walk past it.


This is a long way of saying that there is no way in hell that Andrew Bynum didn’t know what he was doing, and that he didn’t care in the slightest. Someone else will clean up that mess.


Bynum, who was last seen yelling at beleaguered-but-hard-working Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert on the bench of a playoff game last spring before being asked to leave the Pacer bench, made nearly $16.9 million that one season in Philly. The bulk of Torre’s fantastic profile of the 76ers delves into why the team’s new administration is attempting to stray away from employing people like Andrew Bynum.






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News sport : Jameis Winston undecided about throwing during NFL combine

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Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is undecided about throwing during the NFL scouting combine on Saturday, according to his quarterback coach.


"It's a game-time decision," George Whitfield Jr. told USA Today. "He's a very big believer in himself, so it'll be interesting. He's prepared to do it. Whether he goes in and does it will probably be determined a couple of days from now.


"At this time, he hasn't made a decision."


Winston made headlines this weekend after a picture of him with a rather large belly surfaced and made the rounds on social media. Whitfield told USA Today the picture was from five weeks ago and that Winston had lost 12-15 pounds since. He said teams shouldn’t be worried that Winston won’t be in shape for the combine.



"He's always had a thing about pushing his stomach out," Whitfield said. "I hadn't seen the pic until Saturday. You smile about it because people got it and they jumped on it. When I saw him later, Jameis laughed and said, 'I'm going to be out in front of the world in a couple of days anyway.'"


Winston’s work on the field at the combine likely will take a backseat to the questions he’ll have to answer off it. NFL teams will pepper Winston about rape allegations that followed him throughout college as well as several other off-filed incidents, including stealing crab legs from a grocery store and shouting obscenities in the Florida State student union. Both situations earned Winston a suspension.


Many analysts believe Winston will be the top player taken in the draft. If he doesn’t throw at the combine — fellow top quarterback Marcus Mariota won’t throw because of injury — he’ll fall in line with a long list of quarterbacks that opted to throw in a more controlled environment during their school or private pro days where they could throw to their own receivers.


Still, Winston’s on-field acumen has never really been in doubt. It’s a question of whether a team such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which have the first pick, feel comfortable making Winston, and his troubled past, the face of their franchise.


For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


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News sport : For the first time in 35 years, Dick Vitale won't call Carolina-Duke

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One of the central figures in the North Carolina-Duke rivalry will not be present Wednesday night when the Tobacco Road schools meet for the first time this season.


Dick Vitale will not call the game, meaning this will be the first time since ESPN's inception in 1979 that college basketball's most famous analyst will not be part of the broadcast for a matchup between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils.


The Tampa Bay Times reported Sunday that play-by-play man Dan Shulman and analyst Jay Bilas will work Wednesday's game in Durham. Vitale, 75, confirmed on Twitter that his North Carolina-Duke streak will end after 35 years.



ESPN's decision will probably receive mixed reviews, like anything involving the polarizing Vitale. Some viewers will surely miss the enthusiasm and catch phrases he brings to every broadcast he does. Others will probably be grateful Wednesday's game will feature more cogent analysis and less tangents, screaming and fawning over the coaches.


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While ESPN signed Vitale to a three-year contract extension last year, his absence from Wednesday's broadcast is a sign that the network is gradually reducing his role. Vitale has been less prominent during the network's Selection Sunday coverage in recent years and has been replaced by Bilas as the lead analyst on Saturday prime-time games this season, a role Vitale had filled since 2005.


Regardless of your opinion of Vitale's work, he deserves credit both for his numerous contributions to the growth of college basketball and for his respectful response to his North Carolina-Duke streak ending. It can't be easy for Vitale to step aside yet he's doing it with class.


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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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Preston out to stun United

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Preston North End manager Simon Grayson has already masterminded a famous FA Cup victory against Manchester United and will hope to do it again when they visit his League One side in the fifth round.


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London - Preston North End manager Simon Grayson has already masterminded a famous FA Cup victory against Manchester United and will hope to do it again when they visit his League One side in the fifth round.


Grayson was in charge of Leeds United, then a third tier side themselves, when they won 1-0 at Old Trafford in 2010 to become the first lower league opposition to beat an Alex Ferguson-led United team in the third round.


After a fourth round in which the FA Cup rekindled its old magic with the exits of the Premier League leaders Chelsea and champions Manchester City to lower league opponents, the Preston boss wants to use his previous experience of conquering 11-times winners United to do it again.


A win for his third tier side, who won the FA Cup in 1889 - when they won also won the Double in the first season of the Football League - and again in 1938 when they beat Sunderland with a penalty in the last minute of extra time, would end Louis van Gaal's best hope of his first trophy as United manager, with the league seemingly out of reach.


Preston and United were regular opponents until 1961 when Preston lost their top flight status and Grayson hopes their first meeting since United beat Preston in the FA Cup 43 years ago will be as memorable for him as that victory over Leeds was five years ago.


FANTASTIC OCCASION


“It was a fantastic occasion that day,” Grayson said. “This is a different United team but one we will look forward to playing.


“The football club deserves it, because we have not had any ties like this over the last few years.


“I'm sure Deepdale will be full and it's a massive boost for us. The profile of the game makes it a fantastic attraction.” – Reuters






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