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No Griping This Year: USC-Texas for Title (AP)
 AP - A perfect championship game, a classic coaching matchup and Notre Dame. The Bowl Championship Series couldn't have asked for more — a glitzy lineup with little for critics to gripe over. Only Oregon has a case to complain, as the Pac-10 has a 10-1 team left out of the marquee bowls for a second straight season.
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Chiefs Down Broncos to Tighten AFC West (AP)
 AP - With a little help from instant replay, the AFC West race suddenly got a lot tighter. The Kansas City Chiefs received a favorable ruling when they challenged the spot on a run that appeared to give Denver a first down near midfield on a fourth-and-1 play with 2:01 left.
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Colts Top Titans, Clinch Playoff Spot (AP)
 AP - It was another perfect day for the Indianapolis Colts. All three triplets achieved milestones Sunday, their methodical offense shredded the Titans' young defense and Indy became the first NFL team to clinch a playoff spot by rolling to its 12th consecutive victory, 35-3.
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Trade Talk Ahead of Baseball Meetings (AP)
AP - When the winter meetings last were in Dallas five years ago, owners spent nearly $739 million on 24 free agents, giving Alex Rodriguez $252 million and Manny Ramirez's $160 million. With many top free agents this offseason already committed, the focus is likely to be on trades rather than signings when teams gather Monday.
Giants Down Cowboys 17-10, Top NFC East (AP)
 AP - Not even another missed field goal by Jay Feely could derail the New York Giants this time. A week after blowing three potential game-winning kicks against Seattle, Feely clanged a 33-yard attempt off the crossbar with 5:18 left in the game Sunday that would have given the Giants a 10-point lead against Dallas. But New York's defense held on, and the Giants beat the Cowboys 17-10 to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
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Eagles Brace for Seahawks Game (AP)
AP - The Philadelphia Eagles went after Mike Holmgren seven years ago and ended up with Andy Reid.
Pacers Without Starters Tinsley, Croshere (AP)
AP - The Indiana Pacers were without starters Jamaal Tinsley and Austin Croshere when the team closed out a five-game road trip Sunday night against the Seattle SuperSonics.
Furcal Reaches Preliminary Deal With L.A. (AP)
 AP - Shortstop Rafael Furcal and the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached preliminary agreement on a $39 million, three-year contract, his agent said Sunday.
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Real Madrid Fires Coach Luxemburgo (AP)
 AP - Vanderlei Luxemburgo was fired Sunday as coach of Real Madrid, one of the world's most glamorous soccer teams but mired in fourth place in the Spanish league this season.
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Capitals Snap Rangers Six-Game Win Streak (AP)
 AP - Rookie Alexander Ovechkin had a goal and three assists, Olaf Kolzig stopped 37 shots Saturday, and the Washington Capitals ended the New York Rangers' six-game winning streak with a 5-1 victory.
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Read and React: Mad Motown
Angry Lions fans filled the mailbag with their frustrations over the team, Matt Millen and the Ford family.
Colts stay unbeaten, clinch playoff spot (AP)
The Indianapolis Colts are making perfection look easier every week. Now they'll have a chance to keep their historic quest going in the playoffs, too. With the Triplets in sync and the defense producing another physically dominant performance Sunday, Tennessee never had a chance as the Colts rolled to a 35-3 victory to clinch a playoff spot and remain the NFL's only unbeaten team.
Panthers contain Vick, top Falcons 23-6 (AP)
Michael Vick looked left, right and straight ahead, frantically searching for some running room. For the first time in his career, the Carolina Panthers closed all Vick's available lanes and forced him to try to beat them with his arm. He couldn't. Despite his long history of running wild against the Panthers, Vick was bottled up all day Sunday and failed to create much offense for Atlanta.
Bears push winning streak to eight (AP)
The Bears roughed up Brett Favre with their defense. They knocked him down, intercepted two of his passes and beat the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field for the first time since 1993. Their 19-7 victory Sunday was No. 8 in a row -- their longest streak since the 1985 Super Bowl team started 12-0. "All the years I've played against them, I think defensively this is as well as I've seen them play,"...
Palmer leads Bengals past Steelers 38-31 (AP)
Forget about the folly of a franchise long known as the Bungles. The Cincinnati Bengals proved to the Pittsburgh Steelers they're the best team in the AFC North right now and, most of all, they proved it to themselves. The Bengals went into Pittsburgh on Sunday, stood up to the team they rarely beat and all but secured their first division championship in 15 years, riding Carson Palmer's three...
Giants beat Cowboys, take NFC East lead (AP)
For once, the New York Giants' offense didn't have to manufacture a last-minute comeback. Instead, their defense stopped one by Dallas. The Giants built a 17-0 lead Sunday and then hung on to beat the Cowboys 17-10 to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East. In four games this season, New York (8-4) has rallied from deficits late in the fourth quarter behind the timely passing of Eli...
Late challenge helps Chiefs beat Broncos (AP)
With a little help from instant replay, the AFC West race suddenly got a lot tighter. The Kansas City Chiefs received a favorable ruling when they challenged the spot on a run that appeared to give Denver a first down near midfield on a fourth-and-1 play with 2:01 left. Then the Chiefs (8-4) ran the clock down to 3 seconds and preserved a 31-27 victory that pulled them to within one game of the...
Vikings top Lions for fifth straight win (AP)
Brad Johnson heaved a pass, pumped his fist and shouted with joy. The Minnesota Vikings are back -- and Johnson is, too. Johnson threw two touchdowns, including an 80-yard pass to Koren Robinson that fired up the 37-year-old quarterback, and the Vikings held on to beat the Detroit Lions 21-16 Sunday. Minnesota's mess is becoming a distant memory.
Dillon, Faulk return, help Pats top Jets (AP)
The New England Patriots won the battle of banged-up teams with contributions from two running backs who returned from injuries. Corey Dillon scored on a 1-yard run and Kevin Faulk made three big third-down catches, leading New England to a 16-3 win Sunday over the New York Jets that kept the Patriots' AFC East lead at two games.
Minus Leftwich, Jags defeat Browns 20-14 (AP)
At halftime, Jack Del Rio's angry voice filled every crevice of Jacksonville's locker room. By the time the tirade quieted, the message had sunk in with the Jaguars. "He was a little fired up," quarterback David Garrard said. "But I've seen him worse. He didn't break anything." Del Rio left that up to his team.
Life after Larry
The Pistons have hardly been lost without Larry Brown, discovering a new winning style under Flip Saunders.
Davis lifts Celtics over Knicks 102-99 (AP)
Ricky Davis had seen this kind of thing before. Boston would build a big lead and then let the other team back into the game. It almost never ended well for the Celtics. On Sunday, Davis got a pleasant surprise. Davis scored 27 points and made two free throws with 8.7 seconds left, then New York's Nate Robinson missed a long 3-pointer on the game's final play as the Celtics beat the Knicks 102-99.
Kaman, Brand leads Clippers past Cavs (AP)
Chris Kaman stole the show from Elton Brand and LeBron James, the most recent NBA players of the month. Kaman had a career-high 19 rebounds and scored 12 points Saturday night, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a 102-90 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last Wednesday at Cleveland, Kaman grabbed nine rebounds and missed all five shots before fouling out in the Clippers' overtime loss.
Parker, Barry rally Spurs past 76ers (AP)
Even with the towering Tim Duncan on the roster, point guard Tony Parker has taken over as the San Antonio Spurs' biggest inside scorer. All eight of Parker's baskets Saturday night came on layups, and the Spurs rallied in the second half for a 100-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Two nights earlier in Dallas, 10 of Parker's 13 field goals came from within a few feet of the hoop, and for the...
Grizzlies hit 15 3s, win fifth in a row (AP)
The Memphis Grizzlies set up a franchise-record 15 3-pointers with a strong passing game. Damon Stoudamire scored 24 points on 6-of-7 shooting from 3-point range in the Grizzlies' 90-75 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. Memphis, which has won five straight games, was 15-of-32 from 3-point range to break the team record of 13 set against Milwaukee last January.
Pistons top Bulls to win fourth straight (AP)
Rasheed Wallace had the anger. He also had the focus. That concoction added up to a dominant performance Saturday night, with the volatile Wallace scoring 26 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to their fourth straight victory, 92-79 over the Chicago Bulls. Wallace yelled at the officials, picked up a technical -- which he has been known to do from time to time.
Bosh, Peterson help Raptors top Nets (AP)
The road has been an unforgiving place for the Toronto Raptors this season, but that may be changing. Chris Bosh scored a season-high 29 points and Morris Peterson added 24 Saturday night to lead Toronto to its third win of the season and second road victory in two nights, 95-82 over New Jersey. Playing without second-leading scorer Mike James, sidelined because of lower back soreness, Toronto...
Mavs beat Hornets for 15th straight time (AP)
Dirk Nowitzki knew his shooting slump would eventually end. And with the Dallas Mavericks looking to avoid a third straight close loss, Nowitzki found his offense when his team needed it most. Nowitzki scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Hornets for the 15th straight time, 97-88 Saturday night.
Redd leads Bucks to 104-84 rout of Magic (AP)
Dan Gadzuric had a lot of fun at the Orlando Magic's expense. Gadzuric scored nine straight points for Milwaukee during a key fourth-quarter stretch and had 14 of his season-high 16 points in the period to help the Bucks beat the Magic 104-84 on Saturday night. "It was a lot of fun," Gadzuric said. "Everybody was doing what they needed to do." Michael Redd led Milwaukee with 30 points.
Boykins' late 3 lifts Nuggets over Heat (AP)
Miami's zone got equal parts credit and blame for the Heat's 101-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. With Dwyane Wade on the bench in foul trouble, the Nuggets took a 14-point lead on the opening basket of the fourth quarter but the Heat's stifling zone fueled a comeback, and Antoine Walker's field goal with 29 seconds put Miami ahead 99-98.
Power rankings
Will the arrival of Joe Thornton in San Jose rescue the Sharks from the bottom third of the Power Rankings?
Joe Thornton again leads Sharks to win (AP)
The San Jose Sharks look nothing like the low-scoring team that lost 10 straight before acquiring Joe Thornton this week. Thornton had two assists for the second straight night with his new team, helping the Sharks rally to a 5-4 victory Saturday over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Alyn McCauley scored twice for the Sharks, who ended a 10-game losing streak Friday with a 5-0 win at Buffalo -- Thornton's...
Capitals end Rangers' win streak at six (AP)
Alexander Ovechkin ended his scoring drought, helped the Washington Capitals snap their five-game skid and brought an abrupt conclusion to the New York Rangers' longest winning streak in four years. Ovechkin had a goal and three assists, Olaf Kolzig stopped 37 shots, and the Capitals cruised to a surprisingly easy 5-1 victory Saturday night.
Nagy's hat trick powers Coyotes to rout (AP)
The last time the Phoenix Coyotes scored five power-play goals in a game, they were the Winnipeg Jets. The Carolina Hurricanes had never allowed more than four since they transformed from the Hartford Whalers. It was just that kind of night at Glendale Arena. Ladislav Nagy recorded his second career hat trick and added two assists for his first five-point game and the Coyotes beat the Hurricanes 8-4...
Flames get first win in Pitt. since '89 (AP)
Kristian Huselius couldn't have asked for a better debut with the Calgary Flames. One game in, and he's helping them score goals that may not have gone into the net. Daymond Langkow scored twice in less than two minutes early in the third period and the Flames, helped by an apparent phantom goal by Marcus Nilson, won in Pittsburgh for the first time in nearly 17 years by beating the struggling...
Dagenais scores twice, Habs beat Kings (AP)
The injury-plagued Montreal Canadiens ended their longest losing streak of the season with production from two of their least-reliable offensive threats. Pierre Dagenais scored twice and Jan Bulis netted a short-handed goal early in the third period as Montreal snapped a four-game losing skid with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Predators top Flyers, reach milestone (AP)
The Nashville Predators' vast experience this season with close games and shootouts paid dividends again, this time against the novice Philadelphia Flyers. Paul Kariya had a goal and an assist in regulation and then teamed with Steve Sullivan for a pair of shootout goals to give the Predators a 4-3 win over the Flyers.
Bettman wants Pound to defend claim (AP)
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wants Dick Pound to back up his claim that as many as one-third of hockey players use performance-enhancing drugs. Pound, the Montreal lawyer who is chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, made the claim on Nov. 24 during an interview in London, Ontario. "We've sent a letter to Mr.
McDonald's late PP goal keeps Ducks hot (AP)
Andy McDonald got just enough on his shot to help the Anaheim Mighty Ducks squeak out a victory. McDonald scored the deciding goal on a power play with 4:29 left and Ilya Bryzgalov made 20 saves to lead the Mighty Ducks to a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night. With Shane Hnidy in the penalty box to serve a holding penalty, McDonald's wobbling shot from the right circle made...
Tanabe lifts resurgent Bruins in OT (AP)
The Boston Bruins might not be a work in progress after all. They already seem to be clicking just days after captain Joe Thornton was dealt away. David Tanabe scored his first goal of the season in overtime, lifting the new-look Bruins to a 5-4 victory Saturday night over the Edmonton Oilers. Tanabe won it just 30 seconds before the game would've gone to a shootout.
Good time
NEW YORK – NASCAR's year-end banquet isn't always a hit, but this year's edition was on the mark.
Stewart cashes in on record year (AP)
Tony Stewart's best year in NASCAR's Nextel Cup series reached the bottom line Friday, with the two-time champion setting a record for single-season earnings.
Earnhardt named most popular once again (AP)
Dale Earnhardt slipped this season in the points standings, but not in the popularity department.
Humbled Busch on hand for season-ending ceremonies (AP)
It took two quiet weekends out of a race car for Kurt Busch to realize he needed an attitude adjustment.
NASCAR champion ready to get in shape (AP)
Tony Stewart went on a shopping spree last week that he hopes will lead to a new and improved Nextel Cup champion.
Stewart's slow start turns into championship season (AP)
What started out as a lost season for Tony Stewart wound up as the best time of his life. Few who saw it will...
In NASCAR, 2005 a season of personality (AP)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The season started with Tony Stewart out front, only to fade at the end of the biggest...
Authorities identify four killed in plane crash off Dana Point (AP)
Off-road racer Jason Baldwin was among four people killed last weekend in a plane crash off the California coast, authorities confirmed Wednesday. Divers recovered the bodies Tuesday, three days after the plane sank in about 200 feet of water off Dana Point. Along with the 35-year-old Baldwin, also identified were pilot Daniel M.
NASCAR's championship format was a winner, and closer than it looked (AP)
There was no last-lap drama in this Chase.
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