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Colts Still Spotless, Eagles Done (AP)
 AP - While the Indianapolis Colts took another step toward perfection, the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles hit the end of their road to the playoffs.
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Shaq Returns, Leads Heat Past Wizards (AP)
 AP - Rusty upon his return, Shaquille O'Neal still made an immediate impact for the Miami Heat.
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Maryland Spoils Boston College's ACC Debut (AP)
 AP - The crowd stormed the court, a drill usually reserved for a surprise victory over a higher-ranked foe. Funny thing is, the Maryland basketball team didn't consider its win over No. 6 Boston College to be an upset.
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Coyotes Beat Bruins in Overtime (AP)
 AP - In Ladislav Nagy and Mike Johnson, the Phoenix Coyotes have not one, but two streaking scorers.
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Paerson Edges Kostelic in First Slalom (AP)
 AP - The natural order has been restored to the women's World Cup circuit. Anja Paerson is back on top.
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Lions Lose Safety on Official's Call (AP)
 AP - The Detroit Lions thought they took the lead with a safety after two flags were thrown in the end zone in the fourth quarter of a 13-13 game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.
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NBA Today (AP)
AP - L.A. Lakers at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST). The Mavericks will try for their sixth straight win when they face the Lakers.
Red Sox Owner Stands by Team President (AP)
AP - Boston Red Sox owner John Henry again stood by Larry Lucchino on Sunday, saying the embattled team president would not be stripped of some power in order to lure former general manager Theo Epstein back.
Juventus Wins for 14th Time in 15 Games (AP)
AP - David Trezeguet scored two goals and was involved in two others in Juventus' 4-0 victory over Cagliari on Sunday, the Turin team's league-record 14th victory in 15 games
Hockey Today (AP)
AP - Ottawa at Colorado (9 p.m. EST). A matchup of the NHL's top two scoring offenses as the league-leading Senators (4.37 gpg.) visit the Avalanche (3.83).
AFC West's lost causes
If the Chiefs and Chargers don't make the playoffs, they can point to Week 14 as the biggest reason.
Colts go to 13-0, clinch home field (AP)
With most of their goals accomplished, the Indianapolis Colts can now turn their attention to history. But don't expect them to look too far ahead. Peyton Manning threw two touchdown passes to Marvin Harrison, Mike Vanderjagt kicked four field goals and the Colts remained unbeaten with a 26-18 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Steelers end Bears' 8-game win streak (AP)
The field was soft and muddy and the snow was falling heavily on one of those nasty-weather days most NFL offensive players despise. To Jerome Bettis, the conditions were next to perfect. Bettis, the NFL's No. 5 career rusher but a forgotten man much of the season, plowed through the muck and snow for two touchdowns and 101 yards and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Chicago 21-9 on Sunday to end the...
Bucs tie Panthers for NFC South lead (AP)
Tired of getting beaten over and over again by a bitter rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did everything possible to end the streak. They were physical. Used tough defense. Focused on tackling. Ran the ball right up the gut. Everything the Carolina Panthers had done to them in five straight losses. This time the Bucs came out on top, riding Carnell "Cadillac" Williams in a 20-10 victory over the Panthers...
Giants end Eagles' playoff hopes in OT (AP)
Jay Feely kept his head down and maintained his focus while replays of his recent missed field goals were shown on the video screen during a timeout. He'll watch this kick again -- and again. Feely's 36-yarder with 3:55 left in overtime lifted the New York Giants to a 26-23 victory Sunday that put them closer to the NFC East title and knocked the Philadelphia Eagles out of the playoff chase.
Vikes within one game of NFC North lead (AP)
Brad Johnson isn't surprised by anything the Minnesota Vikings' defense does anymore. "Our defense is playing unbelievable and that's what's expected of those guys," Johnson said following a 27-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. It's been a long, long time since such high expectations have been bestowed upon this defense, which has amazingly thrust the Vikings back into contention for the...
Dolphins damage Chargers' playoff hopes (AP)
At the very least, the San Diego Chargers were lulled to sleep against the Miami Dolphins. Worse, they might have ignored coach Marty Schottenheimer's mantra by looking ahead on their schedule. Whatever the case, the Chargers' playoff push took a body blow from the Miami Dolphins, who pulled a 23-21 upset on Sunday to end San Diego's five-game winning streak.
Seahawks start quick, cruise past Niners (AP)
Matt Hasselbeck got up wheezing after throwing his first incompletion Sunday. San Francisco's Derek Smith had just buried his helmet into the Seattle quarterback's chest and drove him into the ground. "I was just trying to breathe. I felt like I was underwater," he said. A few welcomed running plays later, Hasselbeck found his breath -- and then flooded the futile 49ers.
Bengals reach 10 wins, beat Browns 23-20 (AP)
Disappointed by his poor performance in a tricky wind, Carson Palmer shook the Cleveland Browns' hands after the game and got a little uplifting advice from a quarterback who knows what it takes to go deep into the playoffs. In Trent Dilfer's eyes, these Bengals have it. The Bengals compensated for Palmer's rare off day Sunday, getting a season-high 169 yards from running back Rudi Johnson and...
Packers get big break, beat Lions in OT (AP)
Samkon Gado's first passing attempt was ugly. Other than that, Green Bay's rookie running back played a starring role Sunday night in the Packers' 16-13 overtime victory over the Detroit Lions. Gado rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown, allowing Brett Favre to play the steady, more conservative game he had been promising for weeks but hadn't yet delivered.
Missing the magic
The Wizards' sequel to last year's playoff run seemed promising, but reviews thus far haven't been good.
Shaq FT forces OT, Heat top Wizards (AP)
Playing for the first time in five weeks, Shaquille O'Neal came through in the clutch -- and at the free throw line, of all places. The NBA's most notoriously erratic foul shooter sank the second of two tries with a second left in regulation to force overtime, and the Miami Heat ended a four-game losing streak by beating Washington 104-101 Sunday night.
Pistons top Clips for sixth straight win (AP)
The Los Angeles Clippers treated Ben Wallace as though he was Shaquille O'Neal. And the Detroit Pistons center truly appreciated the attention. Out of desperation, the Clippers fouled Wallace down the stretch, employing the Hack-A-Shaq strategy. He missed 15 of 20 free throws in the fourth quarter. But the Pistons overcame it and beat the Clippers 109-101 Sunday night.
McGrady's 35 leads Rockets by Blazers (AP)
Now that he's returned from a sore back, Tracy McGrady doesn't feel as if he needs to go for big points each game. It's his duty. "Been there, done that. That's no pressure. It's my job," he said. "It's what I do." McGrady did it again Sunday night, matching his season high with 35 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 100-86 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Wells leads Kings past Hornets (AP)
Earlier in the week, Kings coach Rick Adelman wondered aloud if he would be around Sacramento long enough to see his rebuilt team finally come together. Slowly and unsurely, the Kings seem to be getting it, and they showed off what they're learning during an impressive late-game performance in a 110-100 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night.
Bucks overcome James' 52, beat Cavs (AP)
LeBron James did everything but win. The 20-year-old star scored an NBA season-high 52 points, but T.J. Ford tied his career high with 24 and Michael Redd added 23 to help the Milwaukee Bucks beat James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-106 on Saturday night. James was 19-for-29 from the floor, including 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, and 9-for-10 from the line.
Hawks top Spurs to end losing streak (AP)
The Atlanta Hawks already had demonstrated that they could play with good teams -- for three quarters. On Saturday night, they finally finished a game, snapping a seven-game losing streak by beating San Antonio 94-84 to deny the Spurs their best 20-game start in franchise history. The Hawks entered the game with the NBA's worst record while the defending champion Spurs have the most wins in the...
Streaking Wolves share, defend and win (AP)
Kevin Garnett caught the ball at the top of the key with plenty of space to shoot a long jumper late in the first half. But Garnett, in his periphery, saw Marko Jaric camped in the corner. He zipped a pretty sidearm pass to Minnesota's point guard, who made a 22-footer to stretch the Timberwolves' lead over Los Angeles to 16.
Iverson's 42 points lead 76ers past Nets (AP)
Allen Iverson and Kyle Korver are developing their own version of the two-man game for the Philadelphia 76ers. Iverson scored 42 points and Korver came within a point of tying his career high with 25 on Saturday night to help the 76ers beat the New Jersey Nets 107-95 in the first game of the season pitting the top two teams in the Atlantic Division.
O'Neal lifts Pacers over Grizzlies (AP)
Jeff Foster is slowly but surely working his way back into the Indiana rotation. The center, playing his fifth game of the season after a long rehabilitation from a heel injury, provided a huge lift of the bench with nine points and 10 rebounds in the Pacers' 80-66 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
Power rankings
Sidney Crosby spoke out and said what the rest of the league already knows – the Penguins need to try harder.
Lemieux doubts Pens future in Pittsburgh (AP)
Penguins owner-captain Mario Lemieux said he is doubtful that the team will remain in Pittsburgh after its Mellon Arena lease expires in 2007, citing a lack of progress on a new arena. The Penguins are projecting a $7 million loss this season, a figure that assumes the team will draw near-capacity crowds and advance to the second round of the playoffs.
Berard scores in OT, Jackets top Devils (AP)
Sergei Fedorov still has some magic left in his hockey stick. Bryan Berard scored off a pass from Fedorov with 13.6 seconds left in overtime, giving the Columbus Blue Jackets a 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. The Blue Jackets hadn't gotten a shot in the extra period before Berard slipped around Devils defenseman Paul Martin in the right circle and beat Martin Brodeur for his sixth...
Vorobiev lifts Blackhawks to SO victory (AP)
After going 65 minutes without recording any of Chicago's 32 shots, rookie center Michael Holmqvist was surprised to hear his name called for the shootout. "I didn't think about the game possibly being on my stick," Holmqvist said. "I just saw my opportunity when my teammates missed and I took it." Holmqvist beat Atlanta goaltender Michael Garnett in the fifth round of the shootout, and the...
Nagy ices Coyotes' OT win over Bruins (AP)
Ladislav Nagy was there with a pass when the Phoenix Coyotes tied it up. He handled the winning goal all by himself. Nagy picked up the puck deep in the Phoenix zone and skated the length of the ice before wristing it in just 30 seconds into overtime to give the Coyotes a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Grier scores twice as Sabres beat Wild (AP)
The Buffalo Sabres and Minnesota Wild are going in opposite directions. Mike Grier scored late in the third period and Martin Biron set a Sabres' record by winning his 10th straight start in Buffalo's 3-2 victory over the Wild on Sunday night. Grier netted the winner with 3:32 remaining when, in traffic, he tipped Chris Drury's shot while standing in front of the net.
Lemieux won't play for Canada in Turin (AP)
Pittsburgh owner-captain Mario Lemieux won't play for Canada in the Winter Olympics following his latest medical scare, and he's got what he considers the perfect replacement in mind: Penguins rookie star Sidney Crosby. Lemieux, talking publicly Saturday for the first time since being hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat last week, told Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky several days...
Belfour again denied milestone win (AP)
Ed Belfour failed to make history against his former team. Jon Klemm and Jere Lehtinen scored first-period goals, and Marty Turco made 19 saves to lead the Dallas Stars' to their fifth straight victory, 2-1 Saturday night over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Belfour failed in his fourth attempt to move into second place on the NHL career wins list, and Dallas won for the 10th time in 11 games.
Joe Thornton sets Sharks scoring record (AP)
Five games into his Sharks' career, center Joe Thornton already owns a team record. Welcome to San Jose, Joe. "You just hope to come in and help win games," Thornton said after scoring a goal and recording three assists in the Sharks' 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. "This team has a lot of confidence right now and it's been fun playing out here." Jonathan Cheechoo scored...
Sens lose two straight for first time (AP)
The Calgary Flames found their offense just in time against the Ottawa Senators. Daymond Langkow scored the winning goal 3:38 into overtime, leading the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. After Robyn Regehr intercepted Christoph Schubert's clearing attempt at the Ottawa blue line, Regehr slid a pass to Jordan Leopold who fired a slap shot on goal that Ray...
Observations
NASCAR's new TV deal made a splash, but Wall Street doesn't necessarily approve.
Motorsports companies down after NASCAR TV deal disappoints (AP)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Shares of motorsports companies fell Thursday after NASCAR's new television rights...
NASCAR agrees to eight-year television package with five networks (AP)
When no one else wanted NASCAR on its networks, ESPN was thrilled to air everything it could as an eager partner in the grass-roots effort to build stock car racing into a major sport.
NASCAR signs deals with ABC, ESPN, FOX, TNT, SPEED (SportsTicker)
BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - NASCAR soon will be all over the dial.
Toro Rosso makes Speed first US F1 racer since 1993 (AFP)
Scott Speed will become the first American to race in Formula One since Michael Andretti's ill-fated 1993 flop when he takes the wheel in 2006 for Scuderia Toro Rosso, the team confirmed.
NASCAR annoyed with drivers who skipped New York ceremonies (AP)
NASCAR officials are ``extremely disappointed'' in Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other drivers who failed to attend the season-ending awards ceremonies.
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.
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