Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Furyk Takes PGA Of America Honors, Kuchar Wins Vardon

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:08 PM PST

Tom Edrington – AHN Sports Reporter

Palm Beach Gardens, FL, United States (AHN) – The PGA of America’s Player of the Year is Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar is the winner of the Vardon Trophy.

The two awards were announced on Tuesday from PGA headquarters. This is the first of two Player of the Year awards. The PGA of America represents the more than 3,000 club professionals across the nation. The PGA Tour will have its Player of the Year awards later this year.

The PGA of America awards its Player of the Year based on a points system and Furyk won with 60 points over Matt Kuchar and Steve Stricker who each had 50.

Furyk had his first-ever three-win season on the PGA Tour. He captured the Transitions event at Innisbrook early in the season then won the Verizon at Hilton Head after the Masters. His third and biggest win came in the season-ending Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Kuchar’s win in the Vardon was very close. He had a scoring average of 69.61 to barely edge Stricker, whose season average was 69.66.

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Chaisson Allen Comes Through In Overtime, Northeastern Edges So. Illinois

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:08 PM PST

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John Nestor – AHN Sports Correspondent

Carbondale, IL, United States (AHN) – Chaisson Allen scored all three of Northeastern’s points in overtime to lead the Huskies to a 63-62 victory over Southern Illinois in a Tuesday morning non-conference matchup.

Allen gave Northeastern (2-0) a 60-59 lead with 37 seconds to play in regulation but Southern Illinois canned a late free throw to force overtime.

There wasn’t much scoring in the extra session, just five points combined, and Allen scored the last one to give the Huskies the win.

Allen hit the first of two free throws with two seconds left in overtime to give the Huskies a 63-62 lead. He missed the second and the Salukis called a time out.

But Southern Illinois was not able to get a shot off as Northeastern’s Alex Harris came up with a steal to clinch the win.

Joel Smith scored 19 points and Allen added 12 and 10 rebounds for Northeastern, which scored 20 points off 23 turnovers by Southern Illinois.

Gene Teague and John Freeman each scored 13 points for the Salukis (0-2).

Southern Illinois had a 33-27 lead at the half but Northeastern came back after the break. The Huskies went on a 20-10 run over the first 10 minutes of the second half to take a 47-43 lead.

The Salukis had a 12-6 spurt of their own and led 55-53 with 3:16 to play in regulation.

Carlton Fay hit one of two free throws with 23 seconds left to tie the game at 60-60, then missed the front end of a one-and-one seconds later after a Northeastern foul on the rebound.

Allen could have won the game in regulation but returned the favor by missing a free throw with three seonds left to send the game into overtime.

Northeastern has won its first two games of the season by a combined three points

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Swimmer Missy Franklin, 15, Dominates In Minneapolis

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:08 PM PST

AHN Sports Staff

Minneapolis, MN, United States (AHN) – Swimming sensation Missy Franklin, 15, dominated the swimming competition over the weekend, as she harvested seven gold medals in the first stage of USA Swimming’s 2010-11 Grand Prix in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Franklin showed she’s the next best thing in U.S. swimming after finishing first in all seven events she competed.

Known as “Missy the Missile,” Franklin captured the gold in freestyle (50, 100, and 200), backstroke (100 and 200), and both medley events to be named the best female swimmer of the tournament.

The 6-foot California-born swimmer was an up-and-comer in the last year after placing a strong second in the 100m and 200m backstroke at the U.S. Championships last summer in Irvine, California.

Franklin also competed at 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, where she wound up a solid fourth in the 100 m backstroke.

With Franklin’s recent feat, many believed the teen swimmer is ready for top-notch competitions, including the upcoming FINA World Championships and 2012 Olympics.

Franklin, then 13, attempted to secure a spot at the 2008 Olympic Team Trial, but failed to qualify in any event.

This time, things look brighter for Franklin, as she aims to follow in the successful lane of her swimming idol, former World Swimmer of the Year Natalie Coughlin.

Olympic veteran Ryan Lochte also reigned on the men’s side after taking gold in three of four events, while swimming great Michael Phelps pulled out from the short-yard format competition due to personal reasons.

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Pitching Royalty: Phils` Roy Halladay Captures NL CY Young

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:08 PM PST

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AHN Sports Staff

NY, NY, United States (AHN) – Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay wasn’t part of a World Series win, but he did capture another piece of hardware Tuesday when he was selected the NL Cy Young for his terrific work on the hill.

Halladay was 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA in 33 starts and became just the fifth pitcher to capture the honor in each league.

The ex-Blue Jays hurler was also just the 13th pitcher to win by by unanimous vote in capturing all 32 first-place votes.

Adam Wainwright of the Cards, Ubaldo Jiimenez of the Rockies and Tim Hudson of the Braves finished 2-4, respectively, in the voting.

Halladay is already one of the game’s all-time greats, tossing both a perfect game in the regular season and a no-hitter in the playoffs, a remarkable feat.

Halladay is 169-86 over 13 seasons with a 3.32 ERA with 58 complete games and 19 shutouts.

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Wiz` John Wall Has Sprained Foot; To Miss Tuesday Tilt

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:08 PM PST

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – Wizards guard John Wall, who suffered a sprained left foot during Saturday’s loss to the Bulls, is likely out Tuesday night when Washington collides against the Toronto Raptors.

Wizards coach Flip Saunders said at the team’s morning shootaround Tuesday that Washington’s prized pick in the 2010 draft will sit out the encounter against the Raptors, the Washington Post.com reported.

Wall, the first overall pick of the 2010 draft, was injured defending Chicago All-Star point guard Derrick Rose in the third period of a 103-96 loss Saturday.

The Wizards, coming off their second straight loss courtesy of Chicago, are expected to mix it up in their lineup without the presence of rookie star Wall who leads the Wizards in scoring and assists.

The 20-year-old former Kentucky standout is averaging 18.1 points and 9.8 assists in eight games. Wall is also averaging a team-best 3.3 steals.

As a result, Gilbert Arenas could be tabbed to start against Toronto.

The three-time NBA All-Star and member of the All-NBA Teams Arenas, who has been struggling to regain his form, is coming off a season-high 30 points performance in a season-high 32 minutes against the Bulls.

Arenas, however, will have to find a way to solve his home shooting funk Tuesday to help the team. He has been shooting just 20.6 percent (7-for-34) in three contests at Verizon Center.

Meanwhile, the Wizards are also likely to miss the services of forward Yi Jianlian, who hurt his right night during Saturday’s contest, according to the Post.

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Suns, Lakers Gunning For Threes Out West

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:08 PM PST

Dennis Freeman – AHN Sports Correspondent

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – The Los Angeles Lakers have played lights out for most of the season when it comes to showcasing its high-octane offense, which ranks first in the NBA.

Part of the Lakers’ success this season so far has been the way the team has been able to convert three-point shots.

On the flip side of the coin, the Lakers have been pretty decent when it comes to shutting down opponents’ accuracy from beyond the arc.

Sunday, the Lakers were shellacked by the Suns dazzling three-point shooting and lost their second straight game after starting the season with eight consecutive wins.

The Lakers have limited opponents to 34 percent accuracy in three-point shooting. That’s good enough to be ranked 11th in the league.

While those numbers suggest the Lakers are doing a good job of clamping down on opponents from long range, the Suns torched them at Staples Center.

Thanks to the hot-shooting of high-flying guard Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, Goran Dragic and Channing Frye, Phoenix connected on 22 three-point shots for the evening, putting on such a shooting exhibition that sit didn’t sit too well with Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

“You know you’re always upset when you lose,” Jackson said. “This is about winning, this game is and losing is part parcel that you’re dealing with as far as accepting it.”

“I was unhappy about the little issues like (Josh) Childress getting underneath, getting rebounds after misses in a situation where we didn’t box out, , we didn’t take care of the things and the turnovers…that was pretty remarkable shooting.”

Against their last several opponents the Lakers have locked up the thee-point shot. In their road loss to the Denver Nuggets the Lakers held their Western Conference rival to 28 percent shooting from three-point land.

In home wins against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers kept those teams in check with their defense limiting them to 38, 30 and 38 percent shooting from three-point range, respectively.

The Suns, with their breakneck-paced offense, came out with the intent to force their highlight-reel shooting on the Lakers.

Phoenix connected on 7 of 11 3-pointers in the first to stake a 56-53 lead going into intermission. The Suns didn’t let up in the final two quarters, particularly scorching the Lakers in the third quarter when they scored 36 points in the period when they made 18 of 29 field goals.

“We put guys in the gym by themselves,” Kobe Bryant said. “It’s tough to shoot that percentage from three. They made some tough, contested (three-pointers) and just shot the lights out. It was almost a historical NBA three-point shooting performance…they just continued to make them.”

Frye, who finished with 20 points in the win, said the Suns didn’t play outside of their game plan.

“We just played within ourselves,” Frye said. “I felt like we defended pretty well; they hit some tough shots. It’s always tough. They do a great job of getting into the paint and let them, and then, if they get into the paint, they kick it out there for three.”

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Dolphins Lose Pennington, Sign Ramsey; Thigpen Likely To Start Vs. Bears

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 03:17 AM PST

John Nestor – AHN Sports Correspondent

Miami, FL, United States (AHN) – The Miami Dolphins have a dilemma at quarterback and need to figure it out quick with a game against the Chicago Bears looming Thursday.

The Dolphins turned to Chad Pennington as their starter Sunday and now may have seen his career end with another shoulder injury. Miami placed the 11th-year veteran quarterback on injured reserve with his second right shoulder injury in as many seasons and the fourth of his career.

“Obviously, everybody’s disappointed. Nobody’s more disappointed than Chad and certainly I am for Chad because I know exactly how hard the guy had to work to get back to where he is,” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said.

“This guy’s a real pro and he’s meant an awful lot to me here in this organization and to this football team, so he’ll continue to mean a lot to us all here and I’m sure knowing Chad you’re not going to have to look very far for him.”

Chad Henne, who Pennington replaced as starter against Tennessee on Sunday, came on and was also hurt and had to leave the game. Emergency quarterback Tyler Thigpen finished out the win over the Titans and is likely to start against the Bears.

At 5-4 the Dolphins are in the playoff mix despite the mess they have at quarterback. The team signed journeyman Patrick Ramsey to take Pennington’s spot on the roster.

Henne may be available despite his injured left knee, if not Thigpen and Ramsey will be Miami’s top two quarterbacks.

Drafted by the Washington Redskins with the 32nd overall pick in 2002, Ramsey has appeared in 37 games, including 24 starts. He has played for the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and most recently the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this season.

While the Dolphins look for some semblance of normalcy at the quarterback position, Pennington has to decide whether or not he wants to go through a fourth shoulder surgery and rehabilitation to try and play again.

On Thursday it will likely be Thigpen’s turn and he aquitted himself nicely on Sunday, completing 4-of-6 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Thigpen started 11 games for the Chiefs in 2008 but has seen llimited action the past two years and thrown only 20 passes in that span.

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`Time` For More LeBron Recognition? NBA Star Up For Magazine Honor

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 03:17 AM PST

AHN Sports Staff

Miami, FL, United States (AHN) – LeBron James’ bid for the 2010 Time Magazine Person of the Year is not fairing good so far, as the basketball phenom ranks 22nd among 25 candidates in the ongoing online poll as of Tuesday morning.

James, 25, remains in the bottom part of the poll after receiving just 5,761 votes with an average rating of 22.

Time magazine included James in the prestigious list of influential people after the all-star forward shook up the basketball world last summer.

After spending his first seven years in Cleveland, James decided to leave the city and join fellow all-stars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami.

James, the reigning two-time NBA MVP, previously said he’s not worthy to be nominated as one of the candidates for the magazine’s Person of the Year, but nevertheless his starpower and influence as a basketball superstar is too big to ignore.

Several critics still question James’ nomination, claiming the NBA player has no right to be compared with the likes of U.S President Barrack Obama, Chinese leader Hu Jintao, and others.

Turkish Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is currently on top of the poll with 122,520 votes, while pop diva Lad Gaga is second with 82,855.

The 2010 Time Magazine Person of the Year will be announced on December 14.

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Sandberg Comes Full Circle; To Manage Phils AAA Team

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 03:17 AM PST

Ed Condran – AHN Sports Correspondent

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN) – Bill Giles always said that he wished the Phillies could get Ryne Sandberg back. The Phillies former President, who is part of the team’s ownership group, finally has his way, well, sort of.

Sandberg, who was dealt by the Phillies as a throw-in when the club traded (arguably the worst deal in franchise history) Larry Bowa to the Chicago Cubs for Ivan Dejesus in 1982, went on to a Hall of Fame career with baseball’s loveable losers.

The legendary second baseman, who won the NL MVP award in 1984, is back with the organization he grew up with as the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs manager.

“This is where I learned to play baseball as a young player,” Sandberg said during a conference call. “I feel like a young kid with this opportunity. It’s almost like reliving the days of 35 years ago when I was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round.”

The Phillies and the rest of the baseball world had no idea that Sandberg would blossom into a perennial All-Star, who hit 282 home runs and drove in more than 1,000 runs, excellent numbers for a second baseman.

Sandberg, 51, may as well been called the ‘Mr. Cub’ of the last generation. After being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, Sandberg became a manager in the Chicago Cubs system. Last season he managed Triple A Iowa.

Sandberg, who was the Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year in 2010, hoped to take the reins of the Cubs, which fans would have approved. However, the Cubs decided to take the interim tag away from Mike Quade, who succeeded veteran manager Lou Piniella, who left his post as Cubs skipper in August.

It might seem like a lateral move going from the Cubs to the Phillies AAA gig. However, Sandberg could be in a very enviable position. The well-respected baseball man could be in line to replace Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who turns 67 in January.

Manuel, who has won 544 games as Phillies manager and figures to take the all-time club lead in 2011, expects to be at the helm of his All-Star laden team for the next few years.

However, Sandberg, who interviewed for the Boston Red Sox AAA post, is a viable candidate to someday lead the Phillies.

Could the Phillies let Sandberg go twice? The future will tell that story but there’s no doubt that the Phllies of the present are enamored of Sandberg.

“We’re here to hire the best AAA manager and the best player development person for the Philadelphia Phillies,” Phillies assistant general manager Chuck LaMar said. “And obviously, he (Sandberg) is that.”

The current Phillies team is similar to the squad that Sandberg broke in with during the early ’80s. Both teams were loaded and would impede the progress of a young player.

“The Phillies were just coming off of the 1980 World Series championship,” Sandberg said. “They had a stacked infield with Manny Trillo, Larry Bowa, Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, every position was basically an All-Star player.”

Sandberg understood that his path to the big leagues was blocked, which was similar to his road to becoming the Cubs manager. The gritty player, who won nine Gold Glove Awards and seven Silver Slugger Awards, is fine to be back where it all started.

“I take this job with Lehigh Valley with no expectations, no guarantees or promises about anything,” Sandberg said. “I’ve been offered the job and I’m grateful for that.”

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Ohio State Hockey Coach Draws Advice From Other Buckeye Leaders

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 03:17 AM PST

John Raffel – AHN Sports Correspondent

East Lansing, MI, United States (AHN) – Ohio State hockey coach Mark Osiecki recalls an important conservation he had after coming to Columbus during the offseason with Buckeye football skipper Jim Tressel.

“It’s all about his tradition of taking over programs,” Osiecki said. “It was kind of like a sounding board. I’ve talked with him quite a bit and also the golf coach and baseball coach. There’s a lot of support there. Those guys have gone through situations like this.

Saturday night, Osiecki’s Buckeyes lost 4-0 against Michigan State at Munn Arena. On Friday night, OSU rallied from a 3-1 deficit en route to a 4-3 overtime win.

The top assistant for Wisconsin the last six years, Osiecki was also a head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Hockey League for seven seasons.

A former defenseman for Wisconsin, he was taken in the NHL draft by the Calgary Flames and also played with the Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota North Stars before a wrist injury put an end to his six-year career.

“Mark’s done a nice job,” said Michigan State coach Rick Comley. “They’re a good team. He was left with a very good team and has done a very good job with them.”

The Buckeye hockey coach has been searching for countless ways of getting everything he can out of the talented he inherited from former OSU coach John Markell, who was fired at the end of the 2009-10 season.

Osiecki raised some eyebrows when he decided to go with St. Louis native and junior goalie Cal Heeter in net over senior Dustin Carlson, who had seen action in 22 games last season.

“That was based on his performance at practice,” Osiecki said of Heeter who had a 2.32 goals against average and .917 saves percentage in his first 10 games. “He out competed the the other two guys. I was told that this was a guy that can’t play on back-to-back nights. He’s given us an opportunity. Hats off to him.”

Osiecki had reason to be encouraged after Friday’s impressive comeback effort.

“It was really us and our mental state after the first period,” Osiecki said. “We need our go-to guys, the more experienced guys to take it and run with it. Whether it’s peewee hockey or NHL hockey, you need your better players to play. If you look at our sheet tonight our guys that usually have points weren’t on the sheet.”

Osiecki said the first five weeks have been “inconsistent” for his team.

“It’s their work habits,” he said. “They have to continue to work. We want their work habits to be consistent. Right now it’s up and down.”

Osiecki declined to predict how fast it will take his program to challenge CCHA powerhouses like Notre Dame, Michigan and Miami (Ohio) for league contention and to ultimately make a serious move for an NCAA title.

“We take it day by day and take baby steps,” he said. “We need to find a way to change (the players’) culture.”

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