Sports (26)
Although Tiger Woods didn't finish strong at Torrey Pines, he was so strong for so long early in the tournament, that ultimately, it didn't matter.
It what was a long and challenging week, Woods built an eight-shot lead with five holes remaining to play Monday until he became impatient with the slow play and began losing shots that only impacted the margin of victory.
Woods closed the tournament with an even-par 72 for a four-shot win in the Farmers Insurance Open, despite two bogeys and a double bogey in the final hour.
"I'm excited the way I played all week," Woods said in the post-tournament press conference. "I hit the ball well – pretty much did everything well and built myself a nice little cushion. I had some mistakes at the end, but all my good play before that allowed me to afford those mistakes."
He earned his 75th PGA Tour career victory, which places him seven behind the record held by Sam Snead.
Woods' victory marked the seventh time he has won this tournament, and he established a PGA Tour record by winning at Torrey Pines for the eighth time, including his 2008 U.S. Open. Woods has also won seven times at Firestone and at Bay Hill.
For the 23rd time Woods won by at least four shots on the PGA Tour. Defending champion Brandt Snedeker (69) and Josh Teater (69) tied for second place. Nick Watney, who got within five shots of Woods, had a 71 and tied for fourth with Jimmy Walker.
Woods made a strong statement, coming off a missed cut last week in Abu Dhabi. This was the second time in his career that Woods came back to win his next tournament after missing the cut, but this was the first time it happened the following week.
Of all his wins on this course, which rests along the Pacific Ocean, this might have been the most unusual.
Saturday's round was postponed due to thick fog, forcing the first Monday finish in tournament history. In effect, Woods won the tournament during his 25 holes Sunday, when he turned a two-shot margin into a six-shot lead with only 11 holes to play.
This season is off to a good start for Woods. Golf analysts feel that this could be a comeback year for Woods in which he wins at least one major tournament.
Michigan Ranked No. 1
The Michigan Wolverines are No. 1 in the Associated Press' college basketball poll for the first time in 20 years. The last time they were ranked number one was in their Fab Five days. Coach John Beilein cautioned his team not to get caught up in all the recognition.
Michigan claimed the top spot after a 74-60 win at Illinois on Sunday night. All season long Michigan's goal has been to be No. 1 in the Big Ten. They believe that if they can accomplish that goal, it will set them up for a shot at the national championship.
As the season progresses, fans become more interested in polls because it gives them an indication regarding who's hot and who's not. Meanwhile, coaches and players try to remain focused on improving daily and competing for the championship within their respective conferences.
The Wolverines tied for the Big Ten title last season, and they're in a dead heat atop the conference right now with No. 3 Indiana. The Hoosiers will play host to Michigan on Saturday night.
The 65-member national media panel gave Michigan 51 first-place votes on Monday. Kansas moved up one spot to No. 2 and received 13 first place votes. They are the only one-loss teams in the poll. Indiana, Florida and Duke round out the top five.
Last week, Duke was No. 1, until they got crushed 90-63 by Miami in the third-worst loss by a top-ranked team. It was the second consecutive week the No. 1 team lost.
The Wolverines elevated from No. 2 to become No. 1 for the fourth time. They held the top position for 10 weeks in 1964-65, eight weeks in 1976-77 and three weeks at the start of 1992-93, the Fab Five's second and final season together.
That season, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Jimmy King, Juwan Howard and Ray Jackson advanced to the national championship game for the second consecutive year.
Beilein took over the program in 2007 and qualified for the NCAA tournament in his second season with the Wolverines, but the program's ascent didn't really start until two seasons ago.
Today the Wolverines are in the national title picture primarily because of guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway and a talented group of freshman. However, Michigan's toughest contests still lie ahead. Four of their next five games are against Indiana, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA – The Washington Redskins will welcome the "10 for 80" honorees, along with more than 150 other Redskins greats, for the team's annual homecoming game, slated for 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 4 against the Carolina Panthers.
The team will honor the former Redskins legends in attendance, as well as the team's 80th anniversary, by wearing their new 2012 "anniversary" NFL Nike Elite 51 football uniforms. The uniforms are a modern interpretation of those worn back in 1937 - a year signifying the team's move from Boston to Washington, D.C., as well as their first National Championship.
The homecoming celebrations will feature an alumni parade with the Redskins Marching Band and Cheerleaders, which will begin at 10 a.m., the annual alumni group photo and the introduction of former players and coaches in attendance.
The "10 for 80" honorees announced at the Welcome Home Luncheon will also be honored at halftime. The honorees, LaVar Arrington, Bobby Beathard, Joe Bugel, Terry Hermeling, Jon Jansen, Roy Jefferson, Richie Petitbon, Clinton Portis, Chris Samuels and Sean Taylor, will join the 70 Greatest Redskins named in 2002 to complete the 80 Greatest Redskins of All-Time.
Alumni expected to attend include Ron Saul, Rick "Doc" Walker, Mark Rypien, Mark Moseley, Bobby Mitchell, Dexter Manley, Sam Huff, Darryl Grant, Chris Hanburger, Ken Harvey, Len Hauss, Gary Clark, Jeff Bostic, Mike Bragg, Larry Brown, Pat Fischer, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor and George Starke amongst others.
In addition to Sunday's game, other alumni events include the alumni community giveback and the annual alumni reception, both scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3. Redskins' alumni will team up with the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation to give back to the community by building a new playground at a District Alliance for Safe Children (DASH) housing complex.
Redskins homecoming weekend is the culmination of the team's year-long 80th anniversary campaign to celebrate the Redskins' rich history and talented alumni.
Highlights from the celebration include the 80th Anniversary Thank You Tour and tour bus, fans voting for the "10 for 80" honorees, alternate uniforms, the 80th Anniversary Kickoff event in the Redskins Indoor Practice Facility and the team's annual Welcome Home Luncheon.
Questions regarding the Redskins' homecoming tributes or alumni media availability should be directed to Angela Alfano of Redskins Public Relations at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 703-447-5629.
During this season's Wizards training camp, Coach Randy Wittman has done much of his communicating non-verbally. He's become known for glaring at a player with lowered eyebrows to get a teaching point across. Once he's effectively communicated with a player, he'll flash a slight smile to indicate that things are well. Of course, if a player makes another mistake, the process starts all over again.
But Wittman has kept his foot on the gas pedal this preseason. He has not let up on his team. In return, despite significant absences due to injury, the intensity among his players in practice has been fierce. It must be for a team that will start the season without two of its best offensive weapons. The Wizards have to build their identity on defense and strong effort.
"Our intensity level this year has been a huge difference, both in games and practice," Wittman said. "As I said even prior to coaching these guys one day, I thought the competition was going to be great, and it has. That wasn't the case, I felt, last year this time."
On Monday during practice, first-round draft pick Bradley Beal tweaked his left ankle as a full court scrimmage was coming to a close. A short time earlier, Martell Webster and Trevor Booker battled in the paint before Booker took a short jump shot. During the practice, the trash talk on the court escalated to the point where Wittman had to quiet players down.
At this point, the Wizards don't have an established starting lineup. This could be a two-edged sword, but Wittman has had the advantage of shuffling his rotation in the preseason against teams actually playing to win. In their home opener at Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets put starters back in the game to ensure a win. Last weekend, the Milwaukee Bucks tried something similar and was defeated at home by the Wizards.
In the final preseason game, there is far less incentive for the experienced San Antonio Spurs to take the same approach. But Beal, who is just growing accustomed to a more aggressive approach defenders are utilizing against him, doesn't want to alter his. He sat out practice on Thursday and his return date is still in question. The Wizards have high hopes for Beal this season and they expect him to play a key role in their perimeter game.
Labor negotiations between the National Hockey League's owners and players' union haven't yielded any progress. Due to this lack of movement, the NHL announced last week the cancellation of all regular season games through Oct. 24. The 2012-13 regular season was slated to open on Oct. 11.
In total, 82 contests were lost, including seven Capitals games—three on the road and four at home. However, the NHL's announcement left open the possibility of salvaging a full 82-game season.
It is possible that games could be rescheduled, if the two parties can come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement quickly. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said that it is "really tough to say" when there would need to be progress in the negotiations in order to play a full season.
"When we get to that point, we will have to reconfigure with the input and agreement of the Players' Association," Daly said. "There will be a lot of relevant considerations, I'm sure, including what can be done consistent with the health and safety of the Players."
The two sides have met only four times in the first 19 days of the lockout, which is hockey's third in the past 18 years. There hasn't been any progress in trying to close the gap on the most significant economic issues, such as how to split revenues. Since Sept. 12, neither party has submitted a new proposal.
After the league's cancellation of regular season games, union leader Donald Fehr criticized his opponents, calling the move a "unilateral choice of the NHL owners."
"If the owners truly cared about the game and the fans, they would lift the lockout and allow the season to begin on time while negotiations continue," Fehr said. "A lockout should be the last resort in bargaining, not the strategy of first resort. For nearly 20 years, the owners have elected to lock-out the players in an effort to secure massive concessions. Nevertheless, the players remain committed to playing hockey while the parties work to reach a deal that is fair for both sides. We hope we will soon have a willing negotiating partner."
While the stalemate continues with no end in sight, the number of players signing with teams outside the NHL continues to increase. More than 110 NHL players have agreed to play with European teams, including the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin, who signed with the KHL Russian team.
Coach Randy Wittman's no-nonsense, straightforward approach resonated with Wizards' players after he took over as interim coach and ensured that he would have a chance to continue to lead the Washington Wizards through a crucial period in franchise history. The improvements and changes that the team underwent during the season, and in the offseason are no secret.
Now that Wittman no longer wears the interim tag around his neck, his assignment is to build on that process and teach his players what it will take to continue to improve.
"I don't want to surprise anybody," Wittman said. "I just want us to believe in ourselves. That's what we have to do. We have to believe we can do this, that we can make that next step. But I'm not worried about surprising or sneaking up on anybody else. I think teams saw the change in us."
Wittman didn't particularly like the situation but always wanted an opportunity to lead. He increased his chances when the Wizards won eight of their last 10 games, including the last six in a row, to finish 20-46. The addition of Nene up front after a deadline trade was crucial, as was the improvement of second-year players Kevin Seraphin and John Wall. Veterans (Martell Webster, Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor) and a top draft choice (Bradley Beal) have since been added, but Wittman's philosophy remains unchanged.
"It ain't going to change," Wittman said. "We're going to be an up tempo team with the ability to play inside out. I think all of our bigs have the ability to get up and down the floor. ...As long as we have John here, we have to take advantage. You know, I'm a firm believer in fitting what I want to the talent I have instead of sometimes the other way around."
The locker room has also been cleansed of the disruptive personalities of JaVale McGee, Nick Young, and Andray Blatche.
When training camp opened yesterday at George Mason University, Wittman was excited to get the 2012-13 Wizards journey underway as he implemented his self-professed old-school style.
"This team hasn't created any highlights is the way that I look at it," Wittman said. "Now it's up to us as a group. Let's create some highlights that maybe next year at this time I can have a highlight film for them to show to kick off training camp."
On Monday night, and most of Tuesday, the country directed its frustration at the NFL over the controversial final play of the Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game on ESPN's "Monday Night Football", live from Seattle.
Our fellow Americans bonded Tuesday over a collective outrage, a gross injustice, an internationally televised assault on America's most popular professional sport. It became painfully obvious to the NFL, if you want to get on the bad side of the American sporting public, mess with their football.
The NFL has locked out its regular referees because of a labor dispute. For the past three weeks, NFL fans have expressed their disappointment over the subpar performances of the NFL's replacement referees. However, the criticism has been relatively mild and fans have kept their fingers crossed in hopes that these replacement refs wouldn't blow a call that cost a team the game.
Well, on Monday night at CenturyLink Stadium in Seattle, that's exactly what happened.
The refs appeared to blow the most important call of the game, giving the Seahawks a touchdown on the final play, thus a 14-12 victory, while everyone else watching seemed to know it was an interception. The level of NFL fans' angst and criticism of the replacements refs went off the charts, placing additional pressure on the NFL to get the labor dispute resolved quickly.
"Terrible," President Barack Obama said about the game's ending. "I've been saying for months, we've gotta get our refs back."
With eight seconds remaining and the Seahawks trailing 12-7, quarterback Russell Wilson threw a 24-yard pass. Packers safety M.D. Jennings appeared to catch the ball for an interception. As Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate tried to wrestle the ball away, the referee signaled a touchdown. The refs reviewed the replays and insisted that Tate had shared possession of the ball.
"I love this game and love the game of football," tweeted New Orleans saints quarterback Drew Brees, "but tonight's debacle hurts me greatly. This is NOT the league we're supposed to represent."
In a statement, the NFL upheld the ruling. The statement gave no indication of when the labor dispute might be settled. However, the NFL and representatives for the refs were negotiating Tuesday. Those talks had been scheduled prior to Monday night's episode.
Thousands of Howard and Morehouse alumni and supporters converged on the parking lots at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Southeast last Saturday afternoon to participate in a host of activities that accompanied the second annual AT&T Nation's Football Classic.
Revelers arrived days before by car, train and airplane. On the campus of Howard University in Northwest and in the streets of the District, alumni joined students to backslap, rally and cheer in support of their team. The celebrations got underway on Friday evening with a variety of parties, and fans hosted tailgate parties all day Saturday.
"Everybody I run into is talking about this game," said Kimbrough Adams, 20, a Morehouse junior from Houston. "My boys from Howard have been talkin' trash about this all year long. We decided in the spring that I would come up to D.C. with some of my Morehouse fellas and kick it with them. It's Howard and Morehouse. It's always one huge trash-talkin' party."
The trash talking didn't stop at the football game as alumni bantered back and forth about their schools' academic tradition. Howard hosted "The Game Before the Game": Mordecai Wyatt Johnson -Benjamin E. Mays Student Debate, on August 31 at Cramton Auditorium. The spirited competition featured students from Howard who call their school "The Mecca" and Morehouse students who refer to their school as "The House."
Morehouse President Robert Franklin said the weekend's events are an effort to showcase the best of black athletic and academic achievement.
"There have been some high-profile attacks on historically black colleges and universities recently [and] the need for them and their viability," Franklin said. "This gives us yet another opportunity to display all that we are about."
Saturday's football game highlighted an event-filled weekend as arguably two of the most prestigious black universities played in the second annual AT&T Nation's Football Classic on September 1. Howard and Morehouse met in last year's game and revived a gridiron rivalry that was abandoned nearly 16 years ago.
Football classics have a long tradition among historically black universities as HBCUCONNECT.com lists 44 classics that will be played during the 2012-13 college football season. Doug Williams, former Washington Redskins quarterback and Super Bowl XXII MVP, is currently the head football coach at Louisiana's Grambling State University. Williams said that classics have provided an opportunity for black colleges to entertain large audiences. As a college quarterback at Grambling, Williams played in the inaugural Bayou Classic in 1974.
"The Grambling Stadium wouldn't hold 76,000 people, and Southern Stadium wouldn't either, so we had to play someplace that was large enough to accommodate the people who wanted to see the game," said Williams, 57.
The rivalry between the Howard Bison and the Morehouse Maroon Tigers fizzled in 1997, but Erik Moses, senior vice president of Events DC, the organizer of the Nation's Classic, said he expected a hard fought, well-attended game.
And that's exactly what the crowd got.
"These two schools are both prestigious," Moses said. "They compete with each other all the time and we thought that would make for a great rivalry on the football field."
Even Morehouse's sister school, Spelman College, joined in the trash-talking tradition. Carrie Davis, a 1999 graduate, made the trip to the District from Miami, Fla. Although she has never had any interest in sports, she couldn't resist taking a jab at her school's rival. "I don't really care about the game itself, but it does give me a platform where I can talk smack with the best of them," she said.
Howard graduate Leonard Grimes appreciates a good verbal spar with Morehouse fans, but keeps it civil and clean. "We love coming over here to talk smack to the Morehouse students," said Grimes, 40, a Baltimore resident. "We have constant verbal exchanges all in good fun. We try to keep the comments above the belt because we're just poking fun. No one is out to offend anybody."
Wizards May Choose to Free Up Cap Room
Under the one-time amnesty provision, the Wizards have until July 17 to release Andray Blatche. According to two league sources, the team is strongly considering waiving the 6-foot-11 forward.
One source said that the organization is still hopeful, while another said there is a "fair" chance that the team would simply give Blatche the remaining $23 million on his contract. Releasing Blatche would remove his salary from the cap, which would reduce next season's payroll by almost $7 million. However, he would still get all of the money.
In September 2010, Blatche signed a three-year, $28 million contract extension that was meant to keep him with the team through 2014-15.
But his last two seasons have been disappointing. His play has been inconsistent, and his off-court behavior has been marred by questionable decisions. He took a step backwards for the first time in his career last season, when he averaged only 8.5 points per game and was sent home for the final month to improve his conditioning level.
Blatche has spent time in Houston working out with John Lucas, but had no comment on the matter. The Wizards are still looking for trade options, but many NBA analysts feel it's unlikely because Blatche drew little to no attention around the trade deadline or at the time of the NBA draft.
Last month, Blatche was moved even further down on the depth chart when the Wizards acquired Emeka Okafor from New Orleans. They added Trevor Ariza and Okafor rather than buying out Rashard Lewis for $13.7 million, increasing the perception amongst some in the league that owner Ted Leonsis didn't want to waive Blatche without getting anything in return.
Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld has consistently stated that Blatche is "under contract." Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported on Tuesday that if the Wizards decide not to amnesty Blatche, they would send him home in the same manner as last season.
After being drafted 49th overall in the 2005 draft, Blatche has spent his entire career in Washington and has averaged 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds over his career.
With the ending on July 11 of the league-wide moratorium on free agent signings, teams can now begin using the amnesty provision.
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