News sport : Fresh off Cotton Bowl TD, 410-pound LaQuan McGowan practicing at TE

Fresh off what is arguably the greatest fat guy touchdown of all-time, Baylor’s LaQuan McGowan has been practicing at tight end during spring practice.


McGowan, a guard who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 410 pounds, caught an 18-yard touchdown pass against Michigan State in the third quarter of the Cotton Bowl after checking in as an eligible receiver.



McGowan, a redshirt junior who is now wearing No. 80, showed how well he can move for his size against the Spartans. Now Baylor head coach Art Briles hopes to incorporate the big man into the offense moving forward.


“We’re looking at him as kind of a slot and tight end type of guy,” Briles said per the Waco Tribune. “He can certainly help us in the run game in those situations. The way we’re looking at it is we’ve got three games in nonconference to kind of feel it out and see what he can do and teach him what to do in live action.”


Bears quarterback Seth Russell, who is slated to replace Bryce Petty as starter, is impressed with McGowan’s hands.


“His hands are about as big as my leg, so I can pretty much put it wherever and he can snag it out of the air,” Russell said.


Hopefully we’ll see McGowan’s receiving skills on display once again in Baylor’s spring game on March 20.


For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.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 : Wizards on Ted Leonsis/Martin Luther King Jr. tribute: 'We may have missed the mark'

The Washington Wizards raised some eyebrows last weekend when they capped their "Inspire" social media campaign — the team's chosen method of celebrating Black History Month — by posting a somewhat offputting split-screen image of owner Ted Leonsis alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on their official Facebook page:



The image in question. (Via the Wizards' Facebook page)

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After plenty of people, including a number of media outlets, pointed out the awkward and odd juxtaposition of arguably the greatest civil rights leader in American history's advocacy for "infinite hope" with a white multimillionaire describing his approach to entrepreneurship — among a number of others, including lining up Benjamin Davis, one of the Tuskegee Airmen and the first African-American general officer in the U.S. Air Force, next to team mascot G-Wiz — the Wizards on Tuesday issued a statement on the kerfuffle:


Throughout Black History Month we ran an “Inspire” campaign. We asked a variety of Wizards, Capitals and Mystics players and staff to share who inspired them. We asked them for a favorite quotation and then created a composite image that was half the player/staff member and half the person they admired. We released one composite image a day throughout February in an attempt to honor those whom our staff had identified as heroes. We intended this as a way to celebrate Black History Month and focus on the many important contributions by African-Americans to American history and culture. On a personal level, it was a way to share thoughts on African-American historical figures whom we admire http://ift.tt/1wL6v80. We may have missed the mark, and we apologize to those who were offended by the way this was presented.

More a "look over the whole body of work"/"sorry, not sorry" sort of thing than an actual apology — and the Wiz have left up the King/Leonsis joint quote image — but the issue's been addressed, I guess. Okey-doke.


The Wizards, who dropped a 97-92 decision to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, have lost seven of their last eight games and 12 of their last 15 during a confounding stretch that's seen them fall from early-season dark-horse contenders in the Eastern Conference to just 1 1/2 games up on the No. 6-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.


More NBA coverage:



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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



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News sport : Three potential bid thieves bubble teams should dread

When Saint Joseph's went from the fringes of the NCAA tournament picture to winning the Atlantic 10 tournament last March, it was bad news for bubble teams hoping to hear their names called on Selection Sunday.


The Hawks claimed an automatic NCAA tournament bid, forcing teams with stronger profiles from their league into the at-large pool and reducing the number of spots available to bubble teams by one.


This March, there will surely be an interloper or two that uses an unexpected league tournament run to make its way into the NCAA tournament field this season. Here's a look at some potential bid thieves that fans of potential bubble teams should watch out for during the next two weeks of conference tournament action.


1. UConn (17-11, 10-6): Even though UConn slid to the fringes of the bubble picture by suffering too many road losses in league play, the defending national champions have a pretty good chance to salvage their season next week. The American Athletic Conference tournament will take place in Hartford, where the Huskies should feel right at home. They've won their last seven home games including victories over the league's top three teams, Tulsa, SMU and Cincinnati. The key for UConn will be getting efficient perimeter scoring from others besides Ryan Boatright. Daniel Hamilton has enjoyed a solid freshman season, but he's shooting just 40 percent. Rodney Purvis has been a disappointment, but he is coming off a 28-point outburst against SMU.


2. Richmond (17-12, 10-6): One of the best teams in the Atlantic 10 has only six scholarship players. Another hasn't been the same since losing one of its standouts to a season-ending knee injury last month. A third is in its first year in the league and is still scrambling just to make the NCAA tournament. In a year in which the Atlantic 10 is clearly not as strong as it usually is, that leaves the door wide open for a surprise team to win its conference tournament. Rhode Island, UMass, George Washington and St. Bonaventure are all threats, but the team worth keeping an eye on the most is Richmond. The Spiders have won four straight, they swept the season series against rival VCU and they're the fourth highest-rated Atlantic 10 team in the KenPom rankings behind the Rams, Dayton and Davidson.


3. Illinois State (19-11, 11-7): In a year in which Wichita State and Northern Iowa have dominated the Missouri Valley Conference, Illinois State has emerged as by far the biggest threat among the rest of the league. The Redbirds actually will be the fourth seed at Arch Madness this week by virtue of losing a tiebreaker to Indiana State, but they're a very respectable No. 67 in the KenPom rankings and they're third in the league in both points per possession scored and surrendered. The question will be whether the Redbirds fare better against the league's two powerhouses, both of which swept the season series against Illinois State but survived close games to do it. One advantage Illinois State should have is on the glass because it is the Valley's best offensive rebounding team.


Three other dark horses:


Saint Mary's (21-8, 13-5): Gonzaga is the WCC's juggernaut and BYU is the top challenger, but the best of the rest in that league is the Gaels. They've split with the Cougars this season and led the Zags deep into the second half in Moraga 10 days ago. They also boast one of the nation's most undervalued players in Brad Waldow.


UNLV (16-13, 7-9): There's a chance leading scorer Rashad Vaughn returns from his torn meniscus in time for next week's Mountain West tournament. If so, the Rebels are a more of a threat to win the conference tournament on their home floor in what is clearly a down season for the Mountain West as a whole.


Northwestern (15-15, 6-11): Could the Wildcats make their first-ever NCAA tournament by going on an improbable Big Ten tournament run? It's a major long shot, yes, but they have played all the league's top teams close and have won five of six including upset victories over Indiana, Iowa and Michigan.


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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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News sport : Puck Daddy Power Rankings: 42 thoughts about the NHL trade deadline

42. Michael Sgarbossa to Anaheim for Mat Clark


Literally who cares about this trade at all? The Sgarbossa and Clark families, and that's got to be about it.


41. Jordan Leopold to Minnesota for Justin Falk and a 5th


Just the fact that this is what facilitated that cloying letter from Leopold's daughter getting out to the public makes me furious that it happened. Yuck.


40. Sven Baertschi to Vancouver for a 2nd


This is classic Flames asset management. Baertschi was a first-round pick, and highly regarded prospect out of junior, with stats that suggested he might have been a value pick even a few spots higher. So the Flames of course rushed him up to the NHL too early and put a lot of pressure on him. He struggled a little bit, so Brian Burke ripped him in the media, and they've spent the last two seasons sending him and up down regardless of his actual performance, and then trade him to a division rival for a second-round pick two years from now.


Wouldn't be surprised at all to see him become a very useful second-line wing in Vancouver.


39. Adam Cracknell to St. Louis for future considerations


You never know, that future consideration could end up being Ryan Johansen!!!


38. Jared Knight to Minnesota for Zack Phillips


Phillips kind of flamed out for Minnesota after being a first-round pick, so this is one of those “hopefully a change of scenery does him good” deals. Low risk for the Bruins.


37. Tim Gleason to Washington for Jack Hillen and a 4th


Why would either team want either of these players? At least Carolina got a fourth-round pick out of the deal.


36. Ben Smith and a conditional 7th to San Jose for Andrew Desjardins


I don't know why anyone would want Ben Smith, but then again I don't know why the Sharks would want John Scott and Scott Hannan and all these other bums they've acquired in the last year. But yeah Joe Thornton isn't leader-y enough.


35. Freddie Hamilton to Colorado for Karl Stollery


Another who-cares move. Karl Stollery was a good college hockey defenseman and thus ends up knowledge of this trade.


34. TJ Brennan to Toronto for Spencer Abbott


Another minor-league deal, and hey, there's another college hockey guy. Spencer Abbott is, of course, better known as “That guy who played with Brian Flynn at Maine.”


33. Marek Zidlicky to Detroit for a 3rd


Detroit's fascination with acquiring a right-shooting defenseman apparently led them to this decision and I guess I get it but Marek Zidlicky isn't good enough to be useful to the Devils without getting a lot of sheltered minutes. Red flags all over the place, but low-risk for the Wings.


32. Cory Conacher to Vancouver for Dustin Jeffrey


Man, remember when everyone thought Cory Conacher was good? Tampa to Ottawa to Buffalo to the Island to Vancouver since 2012-13. In the two seasons since, he still hasn't scored as many goals as he did in 47 his rookie year.


31. Ben Lovejoy to Pittsburgh for Simon Despres


I understand that the Penguins are familiar with Ben Lovejoy and they wanted to shore up the bottom of their defense, but isn't Simon Despres — who's 23 and projects pretty well even now — a better option? Lovejoy starts in his own zone more, sure, but the Ducks went out and got defense but considered him expendable. Have you seen the Ducks' defense? Good gamble here for Anaheim.


30. David Leggio to Arizona for Mark Louis


Leggio is 30 already, and he's having an abysmal season in the AHL. I don't know why you trade for him, because you can get an .866 AHL goalie literally anywhere there's ice, but it's not like he's going to get a shot in the bigs so who cares? Hell, the way Arizona's going, an .866 AHL goalie might be just what they want in Glendale.


29. Devante Smith-Pelly to Montreal for Jiri Sekac


It's another one of those “change of scenery” moves, and it's a good one from Marc Bergevin. Smith-Pelly has a lot of upside (in theory), and Sekac was an asset he got for nothing this summer. Even if Sekac has been semi-useful, this is a bet you make when you have the kind of playoff assurances Montreal does.


28. Erik Cole and a 3rd to Detroit for Mattias Backman, Mattas Janmark, and a 2nd


What was Cole, like the ninth-best forward on a Stars team that isn't going to make the playoffs? Getting two prospects and a second for Cole and a third makes a lot of sense for Jim Nill, who probably has a lot of familiarity with the quality of the players he acquired from Ken Holland.


27. Chris Stewart to Minnesota for a 2nd


Well, getting Chris Stewart off your team is a nice move for anyone. Chris Stewart isn't good. That Buffalo ransomed him for a second-round pick is nice and helpful. But here's the thing: Tim Murray dramatically overestimated Stewart's market value and as a result settled for less at the deadline than he was reportedly offered in the run-up to it. It happens, bud.


26. James Sheppard to New York for a 4th


Getting a half-decent NHL forward for basically nothing was a good move on a day full of them by Glen Sather.


25. Korbinian Holzer to Anaheim for Eric Brewer and a 5th


Dave Nonis continued to work his magic, somehow, and got someone to take Korbinian Holzer off his hands. Brewer has played 26 games this year and only nine with Anaheim. Wanna bet he even gets that many with the Leafs?


24. Brian Flynn to Montreal for a 5th


Another strong tank move from Murray. Flynn is okay, with a positive relative corsi, dismal zone starts, and work against Buffalo's top competition. Having him off the roster helps the team be worse.


23. Torrey Mitchell to Montreal for Jack Nevins and a 7th


See No. 24. Buffalo's top four scorers at 5-on-5 this season are no longer with the club.


22. Max Talbot and Paul Carey to Boston for Jordan Caron and a 6th


Well this is a move I don't get for the Bruins. Sure, Caron didn't figure into their plans, and Max Talbot had 50 percent of his salary retained. But is Max Talbot what the Bruins need? He sure isn't, because he's not a Dennis Seidenberg trade.


21. James Wisniewski and a 3rd to Anaheim for Rene Bourque, William Karlsson, and a 2nd


Of all the people to scapegoat on the Blue Jackets defense, I can't see where James Wisniewski is one of them. And then taking on that Rene Bourque contract, which has another season left on it? At least they got a second-round pick out of it, I suppose.


20. Ian Cole to Pittsburgh for Rob Bortuzzo and a 7th


This was actually a good move for the Penguins as they tried to shore up that defense. Cole plays bottom-pairing minutes but gets decently tough zone starts and does well. Bortuzzo plays middle-pair minutes — when he plays at all — and needs favorable zone starts, and still gets buried. On the balance, the Pens getting Cole and Lovejoy gives them some pretty good options at the end of the bench and costs them a guy they've given up on and a guy who's not good. (Not that it was what they needed or anything, but they upgraded the blue line.)


19. Michal Neuvirth to Long Islander for Chad Johnson and a 3rd


This is the mega-tank mode move for all to fear. Tim Murray's goaltenders for the foreseeable future are Anders Lindback and Chad Johnson. Meanwhile Garth Snow gets a very serious backup in Michal Neuvirth for basically nothing. Great move for both teams, given what they're going for.


18. Tomas Fleischmann to Anaheim for Dany Heatley and a 3rd


Fleischmann is okay but not-having Heatley is great. Solid swap for Bob Murray. Meanwhile, the Panthers are that much closer to winning the 2006-07 Stanley Cup.


17. Olli Jokinen to St. Louis for Joakim Lindstrom and a conditional 6th


Toronto got someone to take Olli Jokinen. What a world. Huge win for Nonis.



Mar 2, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Antoine Vermette (80) during the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center. (Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

16. Antoine Vermette to Chicago for a 1st and Klas Dahlbeck


I said it on Monday morning but even if Vermette doesn't work out, this basically doesn't cost the Blackhawks anything they had an actual need of. And Vermette will probably work out okay if they use him properly.


15. Jiri Tlusty to Winnipeg for a 3rd and conditional 6th


I'm always going to be in favor of getting a useful NHLer, which is what Tlusty is, for middle-round picks. Real nice little move by Kevin Cheveldayoff, but it wasn't his best of the day.


14. Jaromir Jagr to Florida for a 2nd and conditional 3rd


There's no reason at all for Florida to acquire Jagr because they're not going to make the playoffs, but Jagr is awesome and having him around must be awesome. Hope he plays for all 30 teams before he's done. He'll only need to play 11 more seasons in which he plays for two teams apiece. I can see it happening.


13. Sean Bergenheim and a 7th to Minnesota for a 3rd


Speaking of useful NHLers for mid-round picks, Bergenheim is probably a little better — if unluckier — than Tlusty, so the fact that the Wild got him for very little indeed strikes me as a win. Minnesota really upgraded their forward depth this week.


12. Braydon Coburn to Tampa for Radko Gudas, and 1st and a 3rd


Coburn, despite the protestations of Flyers fans, is actually good. They'll tell you he's not but they also generally think Nick Schultz is, so there ya go. Tampa gives up a first here, but who cares because they have a dozen future stars under the age of 25, and also offload Radko Gudas, who is not good. Coburn helps them a lot.


11. Daniel Winnik to Pittsburgh for a 2nd, a 4th, and Zach Sill


The Pens probably needed to make another trade or two like this, and they did give up three assets for a rental, but they're going to miss maybe one of those assets at most. I think Rutherford did very well here, and had a good couple of days ahead of the deadline overall.


10. Kimmo Timonen to Chicago for a 2nd and a conditional 4th


This could be a game-changer for Chicago. We have no idea what Timonen is at this point, given how much time he's missed, but the gamble isn't a bad one at all. Timonen, when he's at 100 percent, is an excellent defenseman, and they'd be using him in a mop-up role. That's luxury right there. Costs them nothing, really.


9. Brett Connolly to Boston for two 2nds


Boston should have been a little more worried about offloading bad contracts than getting players they don't need, but as “players they don't need” go, Connolly's a reasonable gamble as well. He's a very young winger and a high first-round pick who — say it with me — might just need a change of scenery. The Bruins' wing depth isn't what Tampa's is, and he might flourish with more minutes. Or not. Definitely worth the risk, even if he's not, say, a middle-pairing defenseman.


8. Tyler Kennedy to Long Island for a conditional 3rd


Kennedy is an extremely sneaky-good pickup for the Islanders. Among Sharks forwards with at least 200 minutes at 5-on-5 — he has just 25 games played this year — his goals per 60 minutes is tied for third on the team with Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. Not bad company. His assists per 60 is also third. And his CF% is 54.5. Sure he plays soft minutes, but if you have a player doing that in your bottom six, that is extremely useful. Garth Snow speed-bagged San Jose here.


7. Curtis Glencross to Washington for a 2nd and a 3rd


A 32-year-old wing who doesn't fit into your plans for a rebuild, and who's only marginally effective, and is almost certainly going to be leaving this summer for two assets of any kind is a good one. Not sure why Washington cared so much.


6. Zbynek Michalek and a conditional 3rd to St. Louis for Maxim Letunov


Michalek as a third-pairing defenseman (once Kevin Shattenkirk comes back) doesn't seem fair, but here we are.


5. Jeff Petry to Montreal for a 2nd and a conditional 5th


How is this all Edmonton got for him? It's an expiring contract, yeah, but the seeds for this trade were sown months and months ago. He's been mishandled for years, and isn't it weird how


4. Keith Yandle, Chris Summers, and a 4th to New York for Anthony Duclair, John Moore, a 1st and a 2nd


It's a hefty price to pay, no doubt about that, but having Keith Yandle as a defenseman for $2.625 million — retained salary is fun — sure is nice. Meanwhile, the Coyotes get better at some point around 2018 and make a serious run at Auston Matthews next season. Buffalo probably has them outgunned for that one too, but you never know with the lottery.


3. Lee Stempniak to Winnipeg for Carl Klingberg


Klingberg recently passed through waivers without being claimed. Stempniak is decent. The Jets did a real good job adding to their bottom-six forwards this week.


2. Andrej Sekera to Los Angeles for a 1st and Roland McKeown


Another thing I wrote about on Monday, but here it is again: The Kings got a guy who was a solid No. 1 defenseman, albeit on a bad team, for next to nothing by their reckoning. Hate to be anyone going up against that defense in the playoffs.


1. Nathan Horton to Toronto for David Clarkson


I get it from both sides but this trade is an absolute shock and I still cannot believe it happened. The salary structure for the Blue Jackets has to be the weirdest in the league; a list of players making more than $4 million for them includes Sergei Bobrovsky, Scott Hartnell, Fedor Tyutin, Jack Johnson, Brandon Dubinsky, and now Clarkson. But they made Ryan Johansen beg for $4 million a season. Doesn't make any damn sense given the fact that they're never going to spend close to the cap. This is how you allocate your money? Toronto has its own payroll problems but good lord, at least they're mis-spending to the cap, rather than mis-spending to some arbitrary, low number.


(Not ranked this week: Llamas.


It's a good thing no one goes back and re-watches trade deadline coverage years from now, because that joke didn't age well from last week.)






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News sport : Random Recap: The 2010 Shelby American

Welcome to Random Recaps, our new weekly feature at From The Marbles. In this space, we'll recap a race from the past at the track the where Sprint Cup Series is racing next.


This week's race is the 2010 Shelby American. Need to know how Random Recap works? Click here.


Jimmie Johnson scored his 49th career victory in the Shelby American with a 1.87 second win over Kevin Harvick.


Hendrick Motorsports cars swept three of the top four positions as Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin finished third and fourth. The team's fourth car, Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished 16th. Will he ever win again? He has just one win since 2006.



Johnson, the four-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion, led the final 17 laps after passing Gordon under green. Gordon, who dominated the race, had the lead after the race's final restart for 17 laps until Johnson snuck by. New four-time led just 18 laps all race while old four-time led 219 of the 267 circuits.


The final caution of the race was brought out by Rookie of the Year candidate Kevin Conway, who looks to have a bright future in the Sprint Cup Series with the mega financial backing of sponsor ExtenZe, who may or may not be involved in a study that will be the talk of the first week of March in the year 2015.


The race's biggest crash happened on lap 94 when Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya got together.



Harvick has the points lead through three races by 47 points over teammate Clint Bowyer.


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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : ASU releases new rendering of Sun Devil Stadium renovations (Photo)

Arizona State is moving ahead with renovations to Sun Devil Stadium and released an updated look at what the stadium will look like when the renovations are complete.


According to the university, the changes to Sun Devil Stadium include the "'Double Inferno' upgraded student section, enhanced seating and legroom, more restrooms and concession options, technological upgrades, improved air and traffic flow through the venue, a connection to the surrounding landscape, additional premium seating options, and a new video board and sound system, among other new amenities."


The first phase of the renovations is a new student section in the south end zone. It's expected to be complete in August before the 2015 season. The second phase of construction will begin after the 2015 season while the third phase will be done before the 2017 season.


Sun Devil Stadium originally opened in 1958.


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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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MSL facing player strike

Major League Soccer is on the verge of a players' strike as talks on a new collective contract have failed to bring a deal.


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Washington - Major League Soccer is on the verge of a players' strike as talks on a new collective contract have failed to bring a deal with just two days until the start of the new season.


The players' union (MLSPU) and club and league representatives were locked in talks late on Tuesday at the offices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in the capital but no deal was reached.


Negotiations are expected to go down to the wire on Wednesday as the two sides seek to craft a new five-year collective bargaining agreement. The previous CBA ran out on January 31.


MLS's 20th season is scheduled to start on Friday when defending champions LA Galaxy host the Chicago Fire.


With Chicago due to fly out to that game on Wednesday, the pressure is on both sides to avoid disruption to the start of the campaign.


The main sticking point appears to be the players' demand for the introduction of free agency. Players have threatened to strike if their hopes are not met.


Neither MLS nor the union were willing to comment after Tuesday's talks but they are expected to return to the table on Wednesday.


ESPN reported that there had been some movement towards an agreement on Tuesday with the league offering free agency to players who are at least 28 years old and have eight years in MLS.


Neither the union nor the league would comment on that report.


Sunday's games see two new MLS teams make their debuts when New York City FC travel to Orlando City, who have sold 60,000 tickets for the clash at the Citrus Bowl.


“We're preparing as if we're kicking off at 5 p.m. Sunday,” Orlando's English coach Adrian Heath told the Orlando Sentinel.


D.C United were due to face Costa Rican team Alajuelense later on Wednesday in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals and it was not clear if that game would be affected by any possible work stoppage. – Reuters






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News sport : Report: Former WVU QB Clint Trickett starting coaching career

Former West Virginia QB Clint Trickett wanted to become a coach when his playing days were over and it appears he didn't have to wait long to be one.


According to Fox Sports, Trickett is set to be the quarterbacks coach at East Mississippi Community College.



Trickett was forced to retire from football in December after suffering five concussions in 14 months. In his career at Florida State and West Virginia, Trickett threw for 5.837 yards, 32 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.


His father, Rick, is the offensive line coach at Florida State.


EMCC has won three of the last four NJCAA football championships. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace played there before he went to the Rebels and so did Chad Kelly, who is transferring to Ole Miss for the 2015 season. Kelly, who has had a couple tumultuous off-field incidents, spent a year at EMCC after he parted ways with Clemson.


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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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Tide turning against Ancelotti at Real

With Real Madrid faltering in crunch games the tide has started to turn surprisingly rapidly against coach Carlo Ancelotti.


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Barcelona - With Real Madrid's attack losing its potency and the team faltering in crunch games the tide has started to turn surprisingly rapidly against coach Carlo Ancelotti.


Such is the level of expectation at the Bernabeu that winning a coveted 10th European Cup last season and overseeing their Spanish record 22-match winning streak before Christmas, has done little to bolster the Italian's position.


They are two points clear at the top of La Liga and well placed to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win at Schalke 04 in their last 16 first leg but they are not playing with the same gusto as earlier in the campaign.


Fans and the Madrid media alike have been harsh in their criticism of the side and that puts extra significance on the Clasico against second-placed Barcelona later this month.


During Real's 22-match winning run they averaged more than three goals a game but now have 24 from the last 13 matches.


Cristiano Ronaldo has been unable to sustain the sensational form with which he began the season and has a modest seven goals in 2015, while Karim Benzema has five and Gareth Bale three. Their combined total is the same as Lionel Messi's at Barcelona.


Real's poor return from league matches with their direct rivals has also been highlighted and the board led by president Florentino Perez are said to feel that while Ancelotti is on good terms with the players he lacks authority when necessary.


He lost a lot of credit due to the manner of Real's 4-0 hammering by local rivals Atletico Madrid last month.


The team again failed to rise to the occasion last weekend when they drew 1-1 at home to a Villarreal side that had rested players ahead of their King's Cup semi-final with Barcelona.


A failure to rotate the squad sufficiently has also been blamed for players, and in particular Toni Kroos, looking weary.


Kroos, in his first season since moving from Bayern Munich, has been taken aback by the scale of expectation at the club.


“We were in Dubai recently and that's the kind of place where you think you're going a long way away,” he told FIFA.com.


“However, once we got there I had the feeling that the people were even crazier, so to speak, than they are in Madrid and Spain.


“That says it all. The club has won an unbelievable number of trophies and still has a top quality team with top-class players. I think that alone is what makes Real Madrid so interesting.”


Ancelotti has been hampered by injuries but is hopeful of having midfielder Luka Modric back in time for the clash with Barcelona on March 22 at the Nou Camp


If Real president Florentino Perez did wield the axe, with rumours he may be paving the way for youth team coach Zinedine Zidane to take over, there would be no shortage of suitors for Ancelotti, with Manchester City likely to head the queue.– Reuters






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Chiefs are vulnerable - De Sa

Ajax Cape Town coach Roger de Sa is confident his side take all three points when they face Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium.


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For a man whose team has struggled on the road this season, Roger de Sa has been making some fascinating noises this week.


As he looked ahead to the Absa Premiership clash with Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium, the Ajax Cape Town coach spoke of how he fancied his team’s chances of returning to the Mother City with maximum points. De Sa described the league leaders as being ‘distracted’ and not as ‘sharp’ as they were at the beginning of the season.


Yet while that might be the case, De Sa’s view that Amakhosi are ready for the taking could be a tad misplaced.


Yes Stuart Baxter’s team must be under immense pressure right now, what with their having to compete on three fronts – the local league, the Nedbank Cup as well as the CAF Champions League. And it is also true that theirs is not the strongest of squads in the league.


But are Ajax the team to inflict on Chiefs only their second defeat of the season?


The Urban Warriors record on the road this season seems to suggest not. De Sa’s team has won just one of their nine away matches so far, that victory being over Polokwane City.


Their trips to Gauteng have been a disaster, Ajax losing four of their five outings here with the other ending in a draw. And those defeats were not unfortunate losses but hammerings, with Wits and Pirates putting four past them and Tuks giving them three. They ran Sundowns close and only lost 2-1.


Against a Chiefs side that beat them 1-0 in the first round, Ajax will need to be at their best and De Sa is perhaps inspired by the 2-0 victory over Chippa last weekend.


Chiefs may have finally lost their first league match of the season (to SuperSport United a fortnight ago), but they were swift to get back to winning ways with victories in the Nedbank Cup and the Champions League. They will be eager to bag maximum points to ensure their lead over the chasing Sundowns remains a healthy one as the season heads into the final straight.


But De Sa and his Warriors will descend on the FNB brimming with confidence and firmly believing the leaders are there for the taking.


In the other matches tonight, Pirates travel to Free State Stars intent on extending their winning run to five successive matches. But they will meet a Stars side desperate to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone they are slowly being drawn into.


In PE, Chippa United host a Polokwane City side led by their former coach Kosta Papic.


If City’s recent performances are anything to go by, Chippa could be on a hiding to nothing. All matches kick-off at 7.30pm. - The Star






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Di Maria needs time to settle - LVG

Louis van Gaal has warned Manchester United that it will take a year before they see the best from Angel Di Maria.


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Louis van Gaal has warned Manchester United that it will take a year before they see the best from Angel Di Maria and the club's other summer signings.


“I think it is the same for all the players I have bought, the first season is always difficult,” said the United manager before tonight's game at Newcastle United. “You can see that in every player we have bought - Shaw, Blind, Herrera, Falcao and Di Maria.


“For me, it is not a big surprise, it was a surprise he adapted as quickly as he did. In Holland, Spain and Germany I had the same experience with players.


“We have to give him time, not just Di Maria but the other players as well. Generally, it takes one year but you can't give a general answer, it is not scientifically proven.”


The sight of the Premier League's most expensive footballer being substituted at half-time against Sunderland on Saturday raised the spectre of another Argentine, Juan Sebastian Veron, who also became England's most expensive footballer when he arrived from Lazio in 2001.


Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he never found a suitable position for Veron at United and there are fears the same may be true of Di Maria. However, some behind the scenes at Old Trafford might wonder whether the £60m fee they paid Real Madrid for Di Maria should have ensured rather swifter results than the winger has thus far delivered.


The problem may be that Van Gaal's style of football, with its emphasis on slow, built-up possession, does not suit Di Maria. At the Bernabeu the culture was all about swift, incisive counter-attacks, tactics that brought the best from him. Since coming to Old Trafford, Di Maria has gone from the footballer who was unplayable in Düsseldorf when in early September Argentina took a modicum of revenge for their defeat by Germany in the World Cup final, to a man subdued by Burnley and Sunderland.


Saturday's 2-0 win over Sunderland may have been United's ninth victory in 10 matches at Old Trafford but it was marred by shows of dissent from the crowd. One move that began with a United corner and finished with Jonny Evans passing back to his own keeper was howled down.


Gary Neville pointed out that if United wanted to play with the kind of panache that was the symbol of the Ferguson years they should have hired someone other than Van Gaal. The former defender turned commentator nevertheless urged the Stretford End to back the Dutchman.


The suspicion is that United are over-regimented and over-coached, a team terrified of taking the risk that might surrender the possession their manager so prizes.


This Van Gaal denied. Asked if the side was afraid of making mistakes, he replied that while individuals might be nervous it was nonsense to say that of a team. “But I agree with the fans that we don't have to use the goalkeeper so much,” he said. “I have seen moments where we can play at a higher tempo without using the goalkeeper.


“Of course, they want us to attack. It is the English style of playing but I think they have also enjoyed Manchester United playing a possession game so maybe it should be a mix of both.


“You cannot say this is a nervous team because maybe six or seven players are playing arrogantly - and they need to play arrogantly to be good,” Van Gaal added.


“You can say individuals are nervous but I don't want to talk about individual players. And I always respect the personality of a player - I never try to change it.” – The Independent






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Spurs fear Kane burn out

Mauricio Pochettino and the FA are to discuss how best to use Harry Kane, with the Tottenham manager concerned that his striker could face burn out.


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Mauricio Pochettino and the FA are to discuss how best to use Harry Kane, with the Tottenham manager concerned that his striker could face burn out.


England manager Roy Hodgson is ready to call on the 24-goal striker to face Lithuania and Italy this month but Gareth Southgate also wants him for the European Under 21 Championship finals.


Leaving Kane, 21, out of the senior team is almost an impossibility, and FA technical director Dan Ashworth believes he should play for the Under 21s in the Czech Republic in June to gain tournament experience.


‘We need to speak with the FA,’ Pochettino said. ‘You always support the national team. It’s important to analyse the season and his fitness levels.


‘Maybe I’d prefer that Harry has a month’s holiday after the season to rest and recover his body and mind. We need to analyse better, to go deeper into the case with all the dates to take a decision.


‘For us he is a very important player and we think he will be an important player for England.’


Kane plays his 40th game of the campaign against Swansea tonight and Spurs are aware that he could play almost non-stop for 22 months if England qualify for Euro 2016. – Daily Mail






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I don’t need to win titles - Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini came out fighting claiming he doesn’t need to win trophies to save his job.


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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini came out fighting last night and claimed he doesn’t need to win trophies to save his job.


Barclays Premier League champions City face Leicester at home tonight having won only two of their last nine games in all competitions.


Back-to-back defeats against Barcelona and Liverpool have ramped up the pressure on Pellegrini, with pundits such as Sportsmail’s Jamie Carragher laying into his tactics and formations over the weekend. But Pellegrini said: ‘I am not under any pressure to win an amount of titles or win a title every year. I only feel pressure when I don’t see my team playing the right way. All the other things are not important.


‘When I signed my contract nobody told me about winning five titles in five years. That was what (chief executive) Ferran Soriano said to the media. But that doesn’t have to be one a year.


‘There are different ways of analysing things. Winning trophies is only one of them. Maybe last year nobody thought we were going to win the title but we did. To think about the future is the worst thing. I don’t do that. The most important thing is to continue playing with the same style. We won’t change.’


Carragher and Gary Neville both called City ‘embarrassing’ after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Liverpool, and Match of the Day pundit Robbie Savage dubbed Pellegrini ‘naive’ for the way he set up his midfield.


Pellegrini said: ‘Everybody has a right to an opinion. I know what’s best for this team. It’s not my duty to tell the media what they must think.’


City’s owners are desperate for success, especially in Europe, and have spent tens of millions of pounds trying to improve the squad following their first Premier League title success in 2012.


Asked about his relationship with the City board, Pellegrini added: ‘It’s not about relationships. I could have a bad relationship with the owners but it’s a project and it’s about how you manage this project.


‘Every project can have difficult moments. I think you have the wrong opinion about the owners of this club. They are not so desperate to win titles, they want to improve.


‘They do want to win titles but they want to do it the right way.


‘I want to win titles and I have done it in South America and here. But it’s not just about titles. I can win the title but if I am not happy with my team I can’t continue at a club. What’s important to me is how you win titles.


‘Maybe at the end of the season is when you analyse. Sometimes you don’t win the title but you continue working without any problems.


‘All this speculation is about the future but I am not worried about the future, I am worried about the present.’ – Daily Mail






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First Villa win better than lottery jackpot

Tim Sherwood said his first victory as Aston Villa manager was better than a lottery win after his side beat West Bromwich Albion.


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London - Tim Sherwood said his first victory as Aston Villa manager was better than a lottery win after his side escaped the relegation zone by beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday.


A stoppage-time Christian Benteke penalty handed Villa their first win in 13 league games and Sherwood his first points after three games in charge at the struggling club.


Victory lifted Villa, who have never been relegated in the Premier League era, from second-bottom to 17th in the table and arrested a seven-game losing streak in the league.


Sherwood believes the last-gasp win could be a turning point in his team's season and said it was more important to him than winning a huge jackpot.


“My missus said to me this morning she was doing the EuroMillions lottery, 54 million pounds ($82.94 million)jackpot,” Sherwood told reporters. “I said I'd rather have three points.


“I think so (it's a turning point). We have conceded late against Stoke (in a 2-1 home loss) and it is a real body blow, but to score one late is an excellent feeling and I thought it was thoroughly deserved.


“We are improving every game and we are still alive and kicking. It's a massive football club and it is at the wrong end of the table.”


Villa have scored the fewest goals in the Premier League this season with 15 but showed a will to get forward and attack local rivals West Brom.


They recorded more shots on target (eight) than in any of their league games since May last year and the determination to be more dynamic going forward was a sign of Sherwood's influence.


“We kept at it and someone was looking down on us today. I'll try anything, we are at that stage,” the former Tottenham Hotspur manager said.


“We hadn't won in 12 Premier League games and had to buck that trend. I think we deserved the three points and onwards and upwards.


“When you are at the bottom you have to grind out results...


“I don't think we can do it the old fashioned way with blood and thunder, we have to play through teams.” — Reuters






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Vilakazi goal sinks Sundowns

Sibusiso Vilakazi's 77th minute strike secured Wits victory over Sundowns at the Bidvest Stadium.


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Johannesburg – Sibusiso Vilakazi's 77th minute strike secured Wits a 1-0 victory over Sundowns at the Bidvest Stadium.


The dazzling midfielder broke free of the defence and turned Ramahlwe Mphahlele on the edge of the box and grabbed the winning goal.


Sundowns had their chances during the match to take the lead but were unable to take control.


Meanwhile, Wits held firm and were able to pounce on a lapse in concentration by the defending champions.


After mounting pressure on their opponents, the Students breached the Sundowns defence that had been watertight the entire evening.


Sundowns midfield maestro Teko Modise looked to be the catalyst of a revival after the Brazilians trailed by a goal.


The home side defended their advantage well after they had given-up much of the possession to the opposition.


Modise, the former Bafana Bafana international was denied a goal in the 82nd minute after he was bulldozed off the ball by Buhle Mkhwanazi in a dangerous position.


The visitors threw bodies ahead in attack in pursuit of that elusive goal but their chances went abegging.


Sundowns captain Alje Schut was the recipient of an inch-perfect cross from Bongani Zungu which sailed over the crossbar.


Defender Mzikayise Mashaba of Sundowns found some space inside the box and unleashed a powerful volley that was parried away from danger by Wits goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs.


Sundowns defensive midfielder Hlompho Kekana made a long-range strike from outside the box that tested Josephs and forced him into a spectacular save.


Wits played a tight game at the back with seven players behind the ball defending against the Sundowns onslaught.


It was on the counter-attack that Wits thrived as they caught the Pretoria-side off guard with their hard running game.


Sundowns midfielders were unable to impose themselves during the encounter with the Wits formation able to contain their counterparts. – Sapa






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