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"Monday Night Football" Ratings: Patriots-Saints Cable's #2 Telecast

2009-12-02T21:43:22Z

BRISTOL, Conn. — The New Orleans Saints' win over the New England Patriots was the second-most-watched cable telecast of all time.

The Saints' 38-17 win to improve to 11-0 on "Monday Night Football" on ESPN was seen by 21.4 million viewers, second only to the 21.8 million for the Packers-Vikings game Oct. 5. The 15.0 rating was the second-highest in the network's 30-year history, also second to that Green Bay-Minnesota game, which earned a 15.3.

The game earned a combined 66.7 rating in New Orleans between the broadcast on ESPN and the simulcast on the local NBC affiliate.

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ESPN is a unit of The Walt Disney Co.

Keith Ballard Apologizes For Hitting Tomas Vokoun With Stick

2009-12-02T21:03:37Z

SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida defenseman Keith Ballard says he was "kind of in shock" after injuring his own goalie during a Panthers game against Atlanta.

Ballard accidentally whacked Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun in the head with his stick, cutting his left ear after the Thrashers' Ilya Kovalchuk scored Monday night. Ballard says he didn't even realize he had hit Vokoun when he skated off the ice. He was aiming for the goal and hurling his stick around in frustration. Ballard called his actions "unacceptable."

Vokoun received stitches Monday night. He says the injury looked scarier than it actually was. His ear was covered with a bandage and a ski cap Wednesday.

The Panthers play Colorado on Wednesday night.

Michael Weiner, New MLBPA Head, Succeeds Donald Fehr At Baseball Union

2009-12-02T21:00:46Z

NEW YORK — Get ready for more postseason baseball games – and fewer off days.

Players would like to see the first round of playoffs expand to best-of-seven when their next labor contract starts in 2012, Michael Weiner said Wednesday in his first news conference since replacing Donald Fehr as the union head.

"There is a lot of sentiment for a seven-game division series," Weiner said. "I think a properly constructed postseason schedule could accommodate three seven-game series but still have it extend over a shorter period of time than what happened this year."

The first round has been best-of-five since it began in 1995.

Weiner hopes the length of the postseason can be shortened next year and was happy to hear commissioner Bud Selig say he will try to cut off days. Four extra days off were added in 2007 at the request of baseball's television broadcasters. As a result, the Angels and Yankees played just eight games in the first 20 days of the playoffs.

"Everybody's in agreement that the postseason schedule needs some adjustment," Weiner said. "I'm a hockey fan as well as a baseball fan, and the pace of play this postseason was more of the way you expect a hockey season to go than a baseball season to go."

Weiner was unanimously approved as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association during the annual meeting of its executive board in Scottsdale, Ariz. The 47-year-old Harvard graduate was hired by the union as a staff lawyer in 1988 and was promoted to general counsel in 2004. He succeeds the 61-year-old Fehr, who had been in charge since December 1983 and in June announced his intention.

During bargaining in 2002 and 2006, Weiner was among the union's chief negotiators. He praised management for "a recognition that the union is a fixture in the game" but admitted some baseball owners may push for a tougher proposals in bargaining to replace the contract that expires in December 2011.

"If there are owners who misjudge or underestimate the resolve of the players this time, I think they'll be met with the same surprise that owners of the past have met with when they misjudged the resolve of the players," Weiner said.

Baseball owners have said intend to propose the amateur draft be expanded to include players from outside the United States who currently are free agents before they sign. The union is willing to agree.

"There was plenty of sentiment for saying that players from Texas should be subject to the same rules as players from the Dominican Republic," he said.

But the union will resist attempts by management to institute a slotting system of fixed salaries for draft picks.

"This union has always stood for the proposition that, you know, players should have the right to bargain individually for their compensation," he said.

Similarly, players historically have been against having payroll floors for teams. Boston Red Sox owner John Henry, concerned that some clubs aren't spending revenue sharing money, has suggested that payroll floors may be necessary.

"If a club legitimately trying to compete has a plan that calls for them to be at a particularly low payroll for a given year as part of a longer-range plan to compete the following year or years after that, management should have that flexibility," Weiner said.

There also is another reason.

"Players historically have suspected that the request for a salary floor is a precursor to a request for a salary cap," he said, "and you know what the position of this union has been on salary caps."

Weiner anticipates some change in the drug program for next year but didn't specific what they will be. Baseball does not test for human growth hormone because there is not a validated urine test.

"I think the testing policy is working great," he said. "Does that it mean that it can't be improved? Of course not."

He also was unconcerned the annual report from the drug program's independent administrator showed 108 players had therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) this year to use otherwise banned substances because of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

"The number of new exemptions is a far lower number," Weiner said. "A healthy percentage of applications for new TUEs were rejected."

Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight: Arum In Philippines With Contract

2009-12-02T20:21:59Z

LAS VEGAS — Promoter Bob Arum flew Wednesday to the Philippines with a proposed contract for a March 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The contract was agreed to by Mayweather's representatives, but the boxer has yet to sign. Arum was to present the proposal to Pacquiao, but there are no guarantees he will agree.

Still, the fact Arum would make the trip to the Philippines to try and get his fighter to sign for the bout was an indication that the megafight was moving forward. It would match the two fighters regarded as the best pound-for-pound in the world in a bout at 147 pounds.

The fight was originally projected for May, but Pacquiao's candidacy for Congress in the Philippines forced promoters to move it forward to March. The Philippine national elections are in May, and Pacquiao wanted to be at home to campaign.

Promoters for both fighters had agreed to a blackout on negotiations for the bout, so no one would comment on the record. A person close to the promotion spoke on terms his identity would remain confidential.

If the fight is made, there would likely be a Jan. 11 press conference in New York to announce it. The bout could be the richest ever, assuming pay-per-view projections are accurate.

Representatives of the Superdome in New Orleans and the new Dallas Cowboys' stadium have expressed interest in hosting the fight, as has the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas, where the fighters have fought their biggest fights. There is also a proposal for a 30,000-seat temporary stadium on the Las Vegas Strip across from the Wynn resort.

Oddsmakers are already taking bets on the fight, with most making the undefeated Mayweather a slight favorite.

LeBron James' Full Court Shot (VIDEO)

2009-12-02T19:46:38Z

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished their Monday practice with some touch football, making for what would be an uneventful video clip were it not for the footage of LeBron James sinking a full-court football shot. 15 seconds into the below video, LeBron heaves the ball across the court for a perfect, nothing-but-net basket. It is reminiscent of an old Powerade ad, which shows James nailing shot after full-court shot. Check out both clips below.

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Spirit Airlines' Tiger Woods Ad (PHOTOS)

2009-12-02T19:14:49Z

Spirit Airlines has wasted no time capitalizing on the Tiger Woods crash and ensuing scandal. Visitors to the airline's web site are greeted with an "Eye of the Tiger Sale," which promises fares starting at $9 each way. The accompanying graphic shows an SUV crashing into a fire hydrant with a tiger peering out the driver's window. While it is unclear whether it is advisable for an airline, of all industries, to so proudly showcase crash imagery, the ads are already drawing attention online.

(SCROLL FOR PHOTOS)

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Tiger Woods Car Crash PHOTOS: Police Pictures Show SUV Damage

2009-12-02T18:50:37Z

The police have released photographs of Tiger Woods' crashed SUV. The vehicle sustained visible damage in many locations, and the AP notes that the crash also caused $3,200 in damages to the fire hydrant and tree he hit. Curiously, both rear windows are completely smashed, damage that was likely not caused by the fire hydrant.

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Zebrie Sanders, Florida State Lineman, Stands Still After Ball Is Snapped (VIDEO)

2009-12-02T18:25:35Z

The false start in football is certainly an obnoxious penalty to be flagged for. All the offensive line has to do to avoid it is stand still until the ball is snapped. Florida State right guard Zebrie Sanders seems to have made an art form out of it. In the video below, Sanders does not even flinch even after the ball is snapped. While the quarterback is running for his life, Sanders remains in his position like a statue, with absolutely no apparent clue of what is going on.

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Tiger Woods' Car Crash Caused $3,200 In Damage To Tree, Fire Hydrant

2009-12-02T18:12:34Z

ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods caused $3,200 in property damage, wasn't wearing a seat belt and was driving erratically outside his Florida home before crashing into a tree, according to a final report released Wednesday.

The six-page report only describes the accident and does not include statements from Woods, his wife, Elin Nordegren, or witnesses. It also included 105 photos of the accident scene.

The report's release came just hours after the world's No. 1 golfer put out a statement saying he had let his family down with "transgressions" he regrets "with all of my heart." That statement follows a cover story in Us Weekly magazine that reports a Los Angeles cocktail waitress claims she had a 31-month affair with Woods.

Early Wednesday morning, the magazine published what it said was a voicemail – provided by Jaimee Grubbs – that Woods left on her phone on Nov. 24, three days before his middle-of-the-night car crash outside his home in Isleworth, an exclusive gated community outside Orlando.

The final accident report shows Woods didn't just hit a fire hydrant and tree.

Upon leaving his driveway, Woods' vehicle rubbed up against a line of bushes, crossed over a curb, onto a grass median and into a row of hedges before swerving left into the hydrant and crashing into the tree, an illustration in the report shows. Woods' vehicle was traveling 30 mph in a 25 mph zone. Damage to the SUV was estimated at $8,000.

Photographs of the accident were taken by security officers in the Isleworth community, a neighbor and troopers. The photos show damage to both front sides of the Cadillac Escalade, and the windows on the back passenger doors were broken.

Nordegren told Windermere police she used a golf club to smash the back windows to help Woods get out.

The Florida Highway Patrol closed its inquiry into the crash Tuesday. Woods, who refused to talk to authorities, was charged with careless driving, which carries a $164 fine and four points on his driving record.

Ron Artest's Drinking: Laker Admits He Drank Hennessy During Halftime

2009-12-02T17:44:58Z

Ron Artest drank cognac during halftime of Chicago Bulls games, the Lakers forward tells the Sporting News. According to Artest, "I used to drink Hennessy ... at halftime. I (kept it) in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store (near the stadium) and get it."

There are many more revelations in the interview, which appears in full in the magazine's December 7 issue. He defends his role in the infamous Malice at the Palace, a massive fight in which he brawled with fans and was suspended for the rest of the 2004-2005 season.

"It wasn't my fault. ... I don't see anything I could have done different. The only thing I could have done was have God pause time so I could have said, 'Oh, look, you're about to run in some stands, so stop.'"

Artest has seen some interesting moments as of late. In October, he released his song "Afghan Women," complete with video. He recently appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" nearly naked, and there were reports that he was caught up in a welfare fraud investigation.

Check out the December 7 Sporting News for more info.

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Transgression, Transgression Definition Top Google With Tiger Woods Affair

2009-12-02T17:33:49Z

Should people read more?

Tiger Woods' apology for his affair has caused a sensation -- but also, it seems, a whole lot of confusion over the meaning of the word "transgression."

In the apology Woods posted to his website, he wrote:

I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.

In the wake of his admission, "transgression" and "transgression definition" topped Google Trends as the most popular search terms in the US. (see screenshots below)

Tiger Woods's online admission seems to have brought to light not only his marital infidelities, but also revealed a few holes in Google users' vocabularies.

One Twitter user, who also saw that "transgression" had risen to the top of Google Trends, noted:

@acforever: "Transgression definition" is one of the top searches on hot trends. I thought that was a common word. Guess not to some people.

If you're wondering what "transgression" means, check out these online dictionaries for a definition, here or here.

See more screenshots from Google Trends below.

Sarah Palin Bowling Expo Keynote Speaker

2009-12-02T16:55:43Z

Of all the things that have ever been said about famed Vice Presidential nominee and occasional Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, none have been as trenchant or as poignant as this: "Her presence underscores the impact and importance of bowling." HER VERY PRESENCE DOES THESE THINGS.

That's from the statement proffered by the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, who "announced today that the bowling industry rolled a strike [ed. note: WITTICISM!], securing Sarah Palin as the keynote speaker at this summer's International Bowl Expo 2010."

UHM...BREAKING, I THINK(?!):

"Sarah Palin is a great friend to the bowling industry and we're so proud and honored to welcome her as our keynote speaker at International Bowl Expo 2010," said Steven Johnson, executive director of the BPAA.

Of course, the BPAA may end up being disappointed when the obvious benefit of having Palin as a speaker -- hyper-intensive, nonstop media coverage of the event -- comes to naught when Palin refuses the "gotcha" media entry to the event.

Oh, and here's real-live bowling columnist Dick Evans, questioning the BPAA's decision:

If Sarah Palin or any other politician would jump in and help bowling become stronger financially, I would vote for her or him.

But to be honest I think I am dreaming. Politicians don't seem to give a hoot about championing the great sport of bowling and that bothers me when politicians who know nothing about bowling are invited to speak at a bowling convention and barely mention the sport.

I would venture a guess that a keynote speaker at Bowl Expo earns between $25,000 and $50,000 for maybe 25 minutes of jokes and their beliefs about what is happening in the country...views they probably have expressed numerous times on numerous cable and network TV shows.

In the old days, before 24/7 political related cable shows, I was interested in what politicians had to say at political rallies because that might be the only time you got to hear them speak on national issues.

Now you can't turn on TV without hearing one political candidate or another speak so I have found three political candidates telling BPAA members the same thing they have been saying on TV for 12 months while serving as keynote speakers at Bowl Expos over the years.

Seriously: Dick Evans is ALL KINDS OF AWESOME. I encourage bowling enthusiasts to bookmark him immediately.

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

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Allen Iverson A 76er: Philadelphia Signs AI

2009-12-02T16:08:32Z

PHILADELPHIA — Allen Iverson's first stint with the Philadelphia 76ers ended with the team yanking his nameplate off his locker and editing him out of video highlights before he was even traded.

The Sixers might want to find him a new locker and cue up some clips. Philly fans, pull out that No. 3 jersey from the closet. A.I. is a Sixer again.

In a move that appeared farfetched after their acrimonious split in 2006, the 76ers reunited with the briefly retired Iverson on Wednesday in a move designed to spike sagging attendance and fill in for the injured Lou Williams.

Coach Eddie Jordan said Iverson will likely start and stay the entire season.

"I told him I would like for him to start, and that's where it sort of ended," Jordan said. "And he was really like a kid at Christmas."

Iverson will make his debut Monday night at home against Denver – one of three teams he's called home since leaving Philly. The 10-time All-Star-turned-journeyman is determined to prove he still has something to offer in that No. 3 jersey.

He antagonized his coaches and opponents his first time around. Perhaps humbled, he signed after being reduced to a bench player in Denver and Memphis and forced to accept the veteran's minimum salary to return to his NBA roots.

"If there's going to be a chance for him to do it and make it work, there's no doubt in my mind Philadelphia is the best spot for him to try and do it," team president Ed Stefanski said.

Stefanski took a low risk financially to sign Iverson, but possibly derailed the long-term improvement of a slumping team tying to build around a core of young players. Rookie Jrue Holiday, who started at point guard for Williams, heads to the bench, and Jordan's Princeton offense could hit the scrap heap.

The Iverson-to-Philly talks were underway once Williams was lost for eight weeks with a broken jaw. Stefanski said he never would have considered a second act for Iverson had it not been for the injury.

Iverson's reps asked Stefanski about a possible comeback last week. Iverson, his agent and business manager met with Stefanski and Jordan on Monday to jump-start contract talks.

Iverson was offered a one-year, non-guaranteed contract Tuesday, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks were private. He accepted the deal early Wednesday.

The Sixers would owe just under $650,000 if they guarantee his contract for the remainder of the season on Jan. 10.

"The whole situation wasn't about the contract and the money," Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, told The Associated Press. "It was about the opportunity and the chance to come to Philadelphia."

The Sixers (5-13) had lost seven straight entering Wednesday night's game at Oklahoma City. The losing and lack of a marquee name have them buried in 29th in the NBA in attendance.

Sixers management insisted Iverson's signing was strictly a basketball move and not to necessarily boost the gate.

It had the city buzzing. Fans flooded sports radio stations to talk Iverson, TV stations cut in with live updates, and Internet message board posters were roused with his addition.

Jordan, speaking at Wednesday morning's shootaround, was thrilled to have Iverson.

"Without really seeing him on the floor, I would like to compare him to Brett Favre, a guy who people think is too old to play and he's almost having an MVP year," Jordan said. "That's off the top of my head. When I woke up this morning, I said, 'Maybe he can be that.' It's not a big maybe. I think he can be that."

Except for a brief flirtation with the New York Knicks, no other organization was seriously interested in signing Iverson.

Iverson, nicknamed "The Answer," regularly played 40 minutes when he was NBA MVP in 2001 and led the Sixers to the finals. Philadelphia hasn't won a playoff series since 2003.

In 10 seasons with the Sixers, Iverson posted the highest scoring average in team history (28.1), was second on the points list (19,583) and holds the record for 3-pointers (877). He was a seven-time All-Star, won four scoring titles and two All-Star game MVPs.

Iverson's last game with Philadelphia was Dec. 6, 2006, in Chicago. He refused to play the fourth quarter, had a severe falling out with former coach Maurice Cheeks and was banished from the team. Chairman Ed Snider and former GM Billy King sent Iverson home while they worked on trading their superstar.

He was eventually sent to Denver as part of the Andre Miller deal, and bounced to Detroit before landing in Memphis.

"We had, at times, a rocky road with Allen Iverson, but we also had a fantastic run with Allen," Peter Luukko, COO of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the 76ers and Flyers, told The AP. "The expectations with Allen have changed dramatically. We're not looking for Allen to individually lead this team the way he has in the past."

The 6-foot Iverson played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

Iverson will get a look at another former team after playing Denver. The Sixers play at home Dec. 9 against Detroit.

Sixers leading scorer Andre Iguodala, a former Iverson teammate, said he gave management the OK to make the move.

"That was pretty easy," he said. "I think all the guys on our team, whether they've played with him or not, realize what he can do. He can play."

Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft, but his 10 turbulent seasons in Philadelphia were marred by rants about practice, run-ins with former coach Larry Brown, arrests and a failed rap career.

In one infamous blowup at the end of the 2002 season, he repeated the word "practice" nearly 20 times during a rambling monologue.

"Times change, situations change," Luukko said. "The best way was to make this a basketball decision. Don't get personal with it."

Iverson has a career average of 27 points in 889 games over 14 seasons, and is tied for the fifth-highest scoring average in NBA history. He ranks third among active players.

"It's a great challenge, and I think it's a motivational aspect to it, too," Jordan said. "Guys are going to be jacked up. He's a winner, he's an assassin on the floor and that sort of thing is contagious."

_____ AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Tiger Woods Apology: "I Regret Those Transgressions With All Of My Heart"

2009-12-02T15:22:07Z

Tiger Woods has posted an apology to his web site. In the statement he says, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart." He also rejects rumors that his wife hit or scratched him before his car accident: "The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious." Over the past week rumors of multiple affairs have trickled out, including the release of racy text messages and a voicemail that seems to implicate Woods.

Woods has been linked to Rachel Uchitel, Jaimee Grubbs and Kalika Moquin.

See below for full statement.

I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.

But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.

Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

Kalika Moquin PHOTO: Picture Of Woods' Newest Alleged Mistress

2009-12-02T14:44:06Z

(SCROLL FOR KALIKA MOQUIN PHOTO)

Life & Style reports that Kalika Moquin, a Las Vegas marketing manager, is the latest woman to have had an affair with Tiger Woods. Reports of Moquin follow allegations about Rachel Uchitel and Jaimee Grubbs, both of whom have been linked to Woods physically and romantically in the past week. Here is the press release from the magazine:

Life & Style can exclusively reveal the identity of a woman who has quietly been seeing golf star Tiger Woods for months -- as recently as late October.
Kalika Moquin, a marketing manager for The Bank nightclub in Las Vegas, hooked up with Tiger more than once at his Las Vegas hotel during the weekend of Oct. 23, an insider tells Life & Style. Kalika is the third woman to be publicly linked to Tiger. Club promoter Rachel Uchitel and Los Angeles cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs have also been named in shocking reports as women with whom Tiger has cheated on his wife of five years, Elin Nordegren.
When contacted by Life & Style, Kalika neither confirmed nor denied an affair with Tiger. "It's not appropriate for me to comment one way or the other," she said. "At this time, I'm just choosing to focus on my job."
Reps for Tiger would not comment. But the insider tells Life & Style, "They've hooked up a bunch of times. Tiger told Kalika that married life isn't all it's built up to be. He said he wasn't happy in his marriage or his home life and that there was just so much pressure on him."

For more on the Tiger Woods cheating story, pick up the new issue of Life & Style, on newsstands today.

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