Connecticut men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun is taking a leave of absence, effective immediately, due to undisclosed medical issues, the university announced Tuesday afternoon.”It is my recommendation that Coach Calhoun take a medical leave from his coaching position to address some temporary medical issues, none of which involve any previous medical conditions that he has dealt with,” said his physician, Dr. Peter Schulman of the University of Connecticut Health Center. According to UConn, Calhoun had a regularly scheduled doctor’s appointment early Tuesday and was informed during that visit that he should take the leave. More information from Calhoun could be forthcoming in the coming days. In Calhoun’s previous brushes with medical scares — prostate and skin cancer — Calhoun has been forthright about his condition. But when Calhoun will make that public is still unknown. According to UConn spokesperson Kyle Muncy, Calhoun’s leave is neither heart- nor cancer-related and he won’t need to be hospitalized. Calhoun is a three-time cancer survivor.
Shaquille O’Neal has a plan to save the NBA’s All-Star dunk contest: Bring back the superstars and do it for devastated Haiti. LeBron James has not ben cooperating with the 2010 Dunk Contest and is now telling people that he is not going to participate in it. He said that the competition is for young players that just got to the NBA and want to take part in all that stuff, James, a 7 year player in the NBA says he is over the dunk competition and isn’t a rookie anymore. James is in his 7th season. The Dunk Competition committee wants James, Bryant, and Carter to take place in this event to support Haiti but also see who has the best dunk. They think that these three will be the most competitive.
Favre At 40
Brett Favre just keep on stunning the world. He is 40 years old and on the way to the Super Bowl. If you haven’t been able to tell yet why Favre is still here, you should be able to clearly see it now. He wants a title!! Favre and the Minnesota Vikings destroyed the Dallas Cowboys 34-3 Sunday afternoon. Favre threw all 4 of the Viking’s touchdowns. One to his TE and the other 3 to his #1 receiver Booker Rice. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that Favre is 40 years old. His beard stubble is as gray as the T-shirt he wore to the postgame news conference, but his right arm is college sophomore and his enthusiasm is Pop Warner.
JETSSSSS
The San Diego Chargers’ run to the Super Bowl has been stopped and they have themselves to blame. San Diego entered this game as the hottest team in the NFL. The Chargers had won 11 straight games to end the season. They came out Sunday and were sloppy on offense and unreliable in the kicking game. That never happens. But it happened Sunday and the Chargers’ Super Bowl dreams have suddenly been dashed. The loss will be remembered for three missed field goals by All-Pro kicker Nate Kaeding. Two misses were from within 40 yards. Kaeding had made 29 straight field goals from within 40 yards. Two interceptions by stellar quarterback Philip Rivers in the second half also contributed to the loss. The Chargers just gave away a solid chance to go to the Super Bowl.
Reggie Bush In Beast Mode
He ran onto the field with Deuce McAllister next to him and a baseball bat in his hands. For the next three hours, Reggie Bush seemed to put everything into the upper deck.“He played like a slugger,’’ New Orleans safety Darren Sharper said of his teammate. Keep that line in mind because it’s significant. Bush played like a slugger in every way. He ran more aggressively and physically than he probably ever has in his four NFL seasons. The guy who has had his share of popups through the years was connecting perfectly. Bush never has been what most people would call a physical runner. But he sure was one in Saturday’s 45-14 divisional win against Arizona Cardinals. He rushed for 84 yards on five carries, caught four passes for 24 yards and returned three punts for 109 yards. That’s 217 yards, and he scored on a 46-yard run and an 83-yard punt return.
But it wasn’t so much the numbers that were most impressive. It was the way Bush ran in what probably was the most important game of his career. He ran with power and put his shoulder into defenders. We haven’t really seen that before and there’s a reason for it.
The defense was asserting itself, frustrating Baltimore, keeping the Ravens from mounting any sustained challenges. Still, the Colts didn’t have a takeaway.Then an unlikely guy got the turnover parade started — receiver Pierre Garcon. After Ed Reed cut in front of a Peyton Manning pass intended for Garcon late in the third quarter, the second-year receiver tracked back and put an end to a 38-yard return by punching the ball free from behind. Tight end Dallas Clark recovered. Perhaps spurred by the effort, and certainly aided by the Ravens’ increasing desperation, the Colts’ D then ended three of Baltimore’s final four possessions with takeaways: Raheem Brock forced a Ray Rice fumble recovered by Clint Session,Antione Bethea leaped to haul in an interception and Jerraud Powers grabbed one from Joe Flacco too.
The 20-3 win set up Indianapolis as the host of the AFC Championship Game in a week, against the winner of Sunday’s Jets-Chargers contest.
In his own view, Charles Woodson put together his best pro season in 2009. How appropriate, then, that he is The Associated Press 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The versatile Woodson tied for the league lead with nine interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and was a key to the Packers’ turnaround on defense. His role in Green Bay’s performance — second in the league in overall defense, first in interceptions (30), takeaways (40) and turnover margin (plus-24) — earned Woodson 28 votes Tuesday from a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL.
Kiffin To Replace Carroll
Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin has agreed in principle to become the next head coach at Southern California, sources close to the situation told ESPN.com’s Chris Low on Tuesday.
Kiffin would replace Pete Carroll, who jumped to the NFL as coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
Kiffin, the former Oakland Raiders coach, led the Volunteers for only one season.
Sources told ESPN Kiffin will bring his father and defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, and assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron to Southern Cal with him, and wide receivers coach Kippy Brown will be named interim head coach at Tennessee.
Kiffin has been on the move of late. He was 7-5 in his one season at Tennessee and 5-15 in one-plus seasons with the Raiders before being fired in September 2008.
He was a member of the USC coaching staff from 2001-06.
Martin owned up to a major mistake immediately after the game in the postgame news conference, and then hours later was still apologetic over swiping the back of his hand on the upper body of senior Chris Merriewether during a break in the action in K-State’s loss to Missouri.
“He’s my team captain, the one I trust the most with our basketball team, but what I did was wrong,’’ Martin said by phone. “I didn’t do anything to affect harm on him. What I did has no place in the game. I’ve been doing this for 26 years and it’s the first time I’ve ever touched a player during the game other than to grab a jersey in the game to get a sub in.’’
After Merriewether committed a turnover in the final frenetic minutes of Mizzou’s 74-68 win, Martin slapped down on him during a timeout — and then swiped a second time as well.
“It was a spontaneous response,’’ Martin said. “It was a reaction to the play, to get his attention, not to punish him. But it was still a bad action on my part. I’m a father and have been a coach for 26 years.’’
Martin said his quick apology wasn’t a reaction to the recent football firings of South Florida’s Jim Leavitt (for an alleged physical altercation), Texas Tech’s Mike Leach (for alleged mental abuse) or Kansas’ Mark Mangino (for alleged verbal abuse).
“I wasn’t trying to diffuse anything,’’ Martin said. “I’ve been a school teacher for 16 years, my whole adult life. One of the things I try to teach the kids that we’re all going to make mistakes, and when you do, you’ve got to stand up and face the music. I made a mistake. Everything is OK and we’ll move forward. But I can’t preach one thing. I’ve got to go out and admit it. You have to acknowledge when you are wrong. I was embarrassed. I reacted in the heat of the moment and it wasn’t right.’’
Cardinals Falling Apart?
Arizona’s next loss could mark the last time that quarterback Kurt Warner plays in an NFL game.He always could change his mind, but this likely will be the 38-year-old Warner’s final NFL season, according to sources close to the quarterback. warner has been voted to 5 Pro Bowls, won 2 NFL MVP awards, 1 Superbowl and became the second quarterback in history to throw more than 100 touchdown passes for 2 NFL franchises. earlier this season though, Warner suffered a concussion that raised questions about his future in the NFL.
Anquan Boldin, the Cards star wide receiver will be out due to knee and ankle sprains. Four more of the Cardinals starters may not start due to injuries, too.
