Looking back to Monday January 25, 2010
-- AUSTRALIAN OPEN: RAFAEL NADAL WITHDRAWS IN 3RD SET VS
ANDY MURRAY IN QUARTERFINALS
Defending champion Rafael Nadal is out of the Australian Open after retiring with an
injured knee during his quarterfinal against Andy Murray.
No. 5-seeded Murray became the first British man in 25 years to reach the semifinals in
Australia. Murray was leading No. 2-ranked Nadal 6-3, 7-6 (2), 3-0 on Tuesday night when
the Spaniard said he could not continue.
Nadal needed a medical timeout during the second game of the third set for treatment on his
right knee.
Nadal struggled with knee tendinitis and was unable to defend his Wimbledon title last
season after beating Roger Federer in the Australian Open final, his first major on hard
courts.
-- AUSTRALIAN OPEN: ANDY RODDICK LOSES TO MARIN CILIC IN
QUARTERFINALS
At end of first set Tuesday, No. 7 Roddick took a medical time out to have his right
shoulder worked on. He told the trainer that he was experiencing pain when he served and
"tingling in my hand." He had several additional treatments during changeovers as he fell
behind two sets. Despite playing strongly in the third and fourth sets to level the match,
Roddick fell apart in the final set, allowing No. 14 Cilic to break twice and send the last
American man out of the singles draw. Roddick's only major has been the 2003 U.S. Open.
-- FROM MONDAY: KENTUCKY, STILL UNBEATEN, TAKES OVER TOP
SPOT IN ESPN/USA TODAY COACHES POLL
-- FROM MONDAY: UCONN WOMEN NO. 1 IN AP POLL FOR 36TH
CONSECUTIVE WEEK:
-- FROM MONDAY: TONY ROMO REPLACES BRETT FAVRE ON PRO
BOWL ROSTER
NFL:
-- CBS URGED TO SCRAP SUPER BOWL AD WITH TIM TEBOW, MOM:
National coalition of women's groups called on CBS to scrap plan to broadcast ad, which
critics say is likely to convey an anti-abortion message.
-- OBAMA ROOTING FOR SAINTS:
Diane Sawyer interviewed President Obama, and asked him about the Super Bowl. Obama:
"You know, I think both teams are terrific. I guess I am rooting a little bit for the Saints as
the underdog partly just because when I think about what's happened in New Orleans over
the last several years and how much that team means to them. You know, I'm pretty
sympathetic."
FROM SUNDAY:
 CBKB: (4) Syracuse 73, (7) Georgetown 56
WHAT TO WATCH FOR ON FRIDAY:
 NFL: Vikings coach Brad Childress press conference, 3:30 pm
 CBKB: (5) Michigan State at Michigan, 7 pm, ESPN
 CBKB: (1) Kentucky at S. Carolina, 9 pm, ESPN
TOP OVERNIGHT STORIES:
RODDICK LOSES IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN QUARTERFINALS
MELBOURNE, Australia - An injured Andy Roddick is out of the Australian Open,
beaten 7-6 (4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 by Croatia's Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals. At end of first
set Tuesday, No. 7 Roddick took a medical time out to have his right shoulder worked on.
He told the trainer that he was experiencing pain when he served and "tingling in my hand."
He had several additional treatments during changeovers as he fell behind two sets. Despite
playing strongly in the third and fourth sets to level the match, Roddick fell apart in the final
set, allowing No. 14 Cilic to break twice and send the last American man out of the singles
draw. Roddick's only major has been the 2003 U.S. Open. Rafael Nadal (No. 2) and Andy
Murray (No. 5) played overnight.
BOOZER LEADS JAZZ OVER SUNS; NASH SURPASSES 8,000 ASSISTS
SALT LAKE CITY - Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 20 rebounds and rookie Wesley
Matthews scored 10 of his career-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Utah Jazz rallied
for a 124-115 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday. Steve Nash had 15 points and 15
assists, making him the eighth player in NBA history to surpass 8,000 assists.
BILLUPS’ 27 POINTS LEAD NUGGETS
DENVER - Chauncey Billups scored 27 points, Aaron Afflalo matched his career high
with 24 points and the depleted Denver Nuggets beat the Charlotte Bobcats 104-93 for their
season-high seventh straight win. Stephen Jackson had 22 points and Gerald Wallace added
20 for the Bobcats, who lost their third in a row since a franchise-tying six-game winning
streak. The Nuggets were playing without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, who sprained his
left ankle in overtime Saturday against New Orleans. They lost forward Kenyon Martin to an
ejection late in the second quarter when he argued with officials over a foul call against
teammate J.R. Smith.
CHRIS PAUL HITS WINNING SHOT FOR HORNETS
PORTLAND, Ore. - Chris Paul made a 15-foot jumper with 3.8 seconds remaining,
lifting the New Orleans Hornets to a 98-97 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday
night.
BLUES SHUT OUT FLAMES, 2-0
CALGARY, Alberta - Ty Conklin made 34 saves for his third shutout of the season and
the St. Louis Blues beat the struggling Calgary Flames 2-0 on Monday. Patrik Berglund and
David Perron scored for St. Louis. The Blues moved within four points of the Flames and
the Detroit Red Wings, who are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western
Conference.
CANUCKS SLIP PAST SABRES, 3-2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Defenseman Brad Lukowich scored a third-period
goal and the Vancouver Canucks earned a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday
night.
VETERAN SAFETY KERRY RHODES DECLINED TO SAY WHETHER HE’LL BE
BACK WITH JETS
COLTS EXPECT DE DWIGHT FREENEY (SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE) TO PLAY
IN SUPER BOWL
CBS URGED TO SCRAP SUPER BOWL AD WITH TIM TEBOW, MOM: National
coalition of women’s groups called on CBS to scrap plan to broadcast ad, which critics say is
likely to convey an anti-abortion message.
OBAMA ROOTING FOR SAINTS: Diane Sawyer interviewed President Obama, and
asked him about the Super Bowl. Obama: “You know, I think both teams are terrific. I guess
I am rooting a little bit for the Saints as the underdog partly just because when I think about
what’s happened in New Orleans over the last several years and how much that team means
to them. You know, I’m pretty sympathetic.”
PARAGUAY STAR SALVADOR CABANAS SHOT IN HEAD IN MEXICO CITY
BAR; IN STABLE CONDITION: Cabanas, the top player on Paraguay’s World Cup team,
was shot in the head before dawn Monday in the bathroom of a bar in a well-off
neighborhood in Mexico City. The striker, 29, underwent surgery in which doctors failed to
remove a bullet lodged in his skull. Dr. Ernesto Martinez said “we cannot guarantee that his
life is out of danger.” He called the player’s condition stable. Mexico City Attorney General
Miguel Angel Mancera said from the crime scene that robbery did not appear a motive. He
later said a suspect had been identified from surveillance videos as a man with an accent
from the northern state of Sinaloa – long considered the cradle of Mexico’s drug lords –
who traveled with at least one bodyguard. However, Mancera said that as of yet “there is no
indication of organized crime.”
INJURED SNOWBOARDER KEVIN PEARCE TO BE TRANSFERRED OUT OF
CRITICAL CARE AT UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HOSPITAL: The move is a positive sign
in his recovery from a severe head injury. An update provided by his family Monday said
Pearce, injured when he hit his head on the halfpipe during practice on Dec. 31 in Park City,
would move from critical care to the Neuro Acute Care unit. The update said Pearce is
making steady progress and that, quote, "his sense of humor and optimism are apparent as
he begins his rehabilitation." Considered a top contender for the Olympics, Pearce was
practicing a double-cork move - one of the toughest tricks in the halfpipe - when he hurt
himself.
--KENTUCKY TAKES OVER TOP SPOT IN POLL: Undefeated Kentucky moved to
No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, followed by (2) Kansas, (3) Villanova, (4)
Syracuse, (5) Michigan State, (6) Texas, (7) Duke, (8) Gonzaga, (9) West Virginia and (10)
BYU. North Carolina dropped out of the top 25.
--ROMO REPLACES FAVRE ON PRO BOWL ROSTER: Tony Romo is on his way to
his third Pro Bowl appearance. The Cowboys quarterback was named as replacement
Monday for Brett Favre. Romo threw 26 touchdown passes in 2009 and had a career-low
nine interceptions. He also set team records in attempts (550), completions (347), yards
(4,483) and 300-yard games (eight). The NFC quarterbacks will now be Green Bay's Aaron
Rodgers, Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb and Romo. The original troika was New Orleans'
Drew Brees, Favre and Rodgers.
--WIZARDS' CRITTENTON GETS YEAR PROBATION FOR GUN CHARGES:
Wizards reserve guard Javaris Crittenton pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court on Monday
to a misdemeanor gun possession charge stemming from his locker room confrontation with
Gilbert Arenas at the Verizon Center last month. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors
agreed to drop a second misdemeanor charge and recommend a sentence of probation.
Senior Judge Bruce Beaudin on Monday agreed with the prosecutor's suggestion and
sentenced Crittenton to one year of unsupervised probation and $1,250 in fines. Crittenton's
lawyer, in a statement, acknowledged the plea deal. "Mr. Crittenton, who was 21 years old at
the time of this incident, has never before been arrested or charged with any crime, and with
today's misdemeanor plea to possession of an unregistered firearm, accepts responsibility for
his conduct," the lawyer, Peter White, said. "He looks forward to explaining his actions to
the NBA and returning to the basketball court as soon as possible."
NFL
--VETERAN SAFETY KERRY RHODES DECLINED TO SAY WHETHER HE’LL BE
BACK WITH JETS
--COLTS EXPECT DE DWIGHT FREENEY (SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE) TO PLAY
IN SUPER BOWL
--CBS URGED TO SCRAP SUPER BOWL AD WITH TIM TEBOW, MOM: National
coalition of women’s groups called on CBS to scrap plan to broadcast ad, which critics say is
likely to convey an anti-abortion message.
--OBAMA ROOTING FOR SAINTS: Diane Sawyer interviewed President Obama, and
asked him about the Super Bowl. Obama: “You know, I think both teams are terrific. I guess
I am rooting a little bit for the Saints as the underdog partly just because when I think about
what’s happened in New Orleans over the last several years and how much that team means
to them. You know, I’m pretty sympathetic.”
--BRADY SAYS NO SURGERY: Tom Brady met with reporters at a community event and
addressed several topics, one of them being his health. He said he would not need surgery to
repair any of his injuries (finger, ribs) and that he is feeling better. "Just bumps and bruises
over the course of the year," said Brady. "We all deal with those. I'm feeling good. I really
am. I'm excited I don't have to have surgery this offseason. A year ago at this time there
were all these concerns about whether I was going to play this year. It's nice to be in an
offseason where I really feel I can get started right away."
--VIKINGS-SAINTS GETS BEST RATING SINCE '81 NFC GAME: Sunday was the
most-watched Conference Championship Sunday in 28 years. The Vikings- Saints NFC
Championship Game on FOX drew 57.9 million viewers to rank as the most-watched
conference championship game since the 1981 NFC Championship Game featuring "The
Catch" (Dallas-San Francisco on CBS on January 10, 1982, 68.7 million viewers) and the
most watched non-Super Bowl program on television since the series finale of Seinfeld 12
years ago (76.3 million on May 14, 1998). The Jets- Colts matchup on CBS drew 46.9
million viewers to rank as the most-watched AFC Championship Game in 24 years (PatriotsDolphins on NBC on January 12, 1986, 47.5 million).
--PRO BOWL REPLACEMENTS
Added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster are:
QB David Garrard, Jacksonville (replacing Peyton Manning)
WR Vincent Jackson, San Diego (replacing Reggie Wayne)
TE Heath Miller, Pittsburgh (replacing Dallas Clark)
C Kevin Mawae, Tennessee (replaces Jeff Saturday)
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee (replacing Dwight Freeney)
DE Shaun Ellis, N.Y. Jets (replacing Robert Mathis)
S Yeremiah Bell, Miami (replacing Antoine Bethea, who replaced Ravens' S Ed Reed last
week)
Added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster are:
KR Johnny Knox, Chicago (replacing Percy Harvin)
QB Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia (replacing Drew Brees)
OT David Diehl, N.Y. Giants (replacing Jon Stinchcomb)
OG Chris Snee, N.Y. Giants (replacing Jahri Evans)
C Ryan Kalil, Carolina (replacing Jonathan Goodwin)
LB London Fletcher, Washington (replacing Jonathan Vilma)
FS Antrel Rolle, Arizona (replacing Darren Sharper)
SS Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia (replacing Roman Harper, who replaced Cardinals' S Adrian
Wilson last week)
--JETS PART WAYS WITH FOUR ASSISTANTS (credit Tim Graham, ESPN.com):
Among those let go were assistant defensive backs coach Doug Plank, assistant quarterbacks
coach John DeFilippo, special-teams coach Kevin O'Dea and defensive quality control
coach Brian Smith. Plank was fired. The other three had contracts that expired and weren't
renewed, a Jets spokesman confirmed. Pass-rushing consultant Chuck Smith left to become
defensive line coach at the University of Tennessee.
--VIKINGS' PAT WILLIAMS WILL PONDER RETIREMENT: Vikings defensive tackle
Pat Williams said Monday he's "50-50" on whether he'll return for the final year of his
contract. At 37, Williams is the second-oldest player on the team behind the 40-year-old
Favre. The three-time Pro Bowl pick said he feels fine physically, but is mentally "drained"
after a devastating end to his 13th NFL season.
--RAVENS QB COACH INTERVIEWS W-BEARS (credit Adam Schefter, ESPN): Ravens
QB coach Hue Jackson is scheduled to travel to Chicago Tuesday morning to interview for
the Bears offensive coordinator job, according to a league source.
--TITANS CHANGE RB COACHES: The Titans have relieved running backs coach
Earnest Byner of his duties and hired Kennedy Pola to take his place. Pola spent the last five
seasons as the running backs coach for the Jaguars.
--ARCHIE MANNING PULLING FOR COLTS AND PEYTON OVER SAINTS: "It's a
game I'm going to pull for my son," Archie said. "(Saints coach) Sean Payton knows that.
He's a great friend of mine. (Saints quarterback) Drew Brees knows that. That's just the way
it is. "Anybody who thinks it's different must not have children."
--BRAYLON EDWARDS, LITO SHEPPARD UNHAPPY WITH ROLES IN JETS
LOSS: Asked if he wouldn't have liked a few more opportunities, Edwards said, "I don't call
plays. I just run them. ... No disrespect but they weren't rolling the coverage toward me."
NBA
--BLAZERS F NICOLAS BATUM MAKES SEASON DEBUT FOR THE TRAIL
BLAZERS AFTER MISSING THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON BECAUSE OF
RIGHT SHOULDER SURGERY
--CAVALIERS F JAMARIO MOON RETURNS FROM ABDOMINAL INJURY:
Entered game as reserve.
--GLEN ‘BIG BABY’ DAVIS WANTS TO DROP HIS NICKNAME, PART OF
ERASING TROUBLED PAST
--JAZZ SIGN ROOKIE PG SUNDIATA GAINES FOR REST OF SEASON
--HORNETS TRADE DEVIN BROWN TO BULLS FOR AARON GRAY: The Bulls
announced that the team has acquired guard Devin Brown from the Hornets for center
Aaron Gray.
--MARK CUBAN SAYS NBA ALL-STAR GAME IN DALLAS WILL "MAKE THE
SUPER BOWL LOOK LIKE A BAR MITZVAH": "It literally could be the largest party
weekend in the history of the United States," he said. "That's how big this thing has gotten.
"The Super Bowl, from a television perspective, is the biggest event of the year. But for
attendance and partying, All-Star Weekend will make the Super Bowl look like a bar
mitzvah." Said to group of media in New York before Mavs-Knicks on Sunday
--LAKERS MEET OBAMA IN THE WHITE HOUSE
College Basketball
--CREIGHTON G P’ALLEN STINNETT SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY: Coach Dan
Altman said in a statement that the Bluejays’ second-leading scorer is being disciplined for
“conduct not acceptable to the team.” Altman declined to comment further.
--UCONN WOMEN NO. 1 IN AP POLL FOR 36TH STRAIGHT WEEK: The streak
matches Louisiana Tech (1980-82) for the longest run atop the Top 25. The Huskies again
were the unanimous choice as the top team, receiving 40 first-place votes from a national
media panel. UConn’s 58-game winning streak is the second-longest streak in women’s
basketball history, trailing on the NCAA- and school-record 70 straight it set from 2001-03.
College Football
--WISCONSIN DE/LB O’BRIEN SCHOFIELD TEARS ACL IN FIRST DAY OF
PRACTICE AT SENIOR BOWL, ACCORDING TO LEAGUE SOURCE (Credit ESPN
NFL Insider Adam Schefter)
Baseball
--RHP DAVE BUSH, BREWERS AGREE TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT FOR
$4,215,000
--IF MAICER IZTURIS, ANGELS AGREE TO 3-YEAR, $10 MILLION CONTRACT
--MARK LORETTA RETIRES AS PLAYER, IS HIRED BY PADRES AS SPECIAL
ASSISTANT TO BASEBALL OPERATIONS
--WHITE SOX MANAGER OZZIE GUILLEN NOT BRINGING BACK VETERAN
SLUGGER JIM THOME: Guillen decided he couldn’t give Thome enough at-bats to justify
bringing him back as DH.
--NO DEADLINE, BUT YANKEES WANT JOHNNY DAMON ON THE CHEAP
NHL
--FLYERS' AARON ASHAM ACCUSES PENGUINS' MATT COOKE OF BITING
Soccer
--PARAGUAY STAR SALVADOR CABANAS SHOT IN HEAD IN MEXICO CITY
BAR; IN STABLE CONDITION: Cabanas, the top player on Paraguay’s World Cup team,
was shot in the head before dawn Monday in the bathroom of a bar in a well-off
neighborhood in Mexico City. The striker, 29, underwent surgery in which doctors failed to
remove a bullet lodged in his skull. Dr. Ernesto Martinez said “we cannot guarantee that his
life is out of danger.” He called the player’s condition stable. Mexico City Attorney General
Miguel Angel Mancera said from the crime scene that robbery did not appear a motive. He
later said a suspect had been identified from surveillance videos as a man with an accent
from the northern state of Sinaloa – long considered the cradle of Mexico’s drug lords –
who traveled with at least one bodyguard. However, Mancera said that as of yet “there is no
indication of organized crime.”
--MARADONA COACHING AFTER SUSPENSION: Diego Maradona will be coaching
again when Argentina plays Costa Rica on Tuesday. Maradona had been suspended for two
months by soccer's governing body for a profanity-filled rant after his team qualified for the
World Cup.
Misc.:
--INJURED SNOWBOARDER KEVIN PEARCE TO BE TRANSFERRED OUT OF
CRITICAL CARE AT UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HOSPITAL: Positive sign in his recovery
from a severe head injury.