USC-Oregon: Gary Klein gives a preview of the critical Pac-12 game [Video]

Times reporter Gary Klein talks to Cinesport's Noah Coslov about the USC-Oregon game on Saturday.

The No. 18-ranked Trojans will have their hands full on defense trying to stop the high-octane offense of the No. 4 Ducks, who average 46.7 points and 498.3 yards of offense. Running back LaMichael James leads the nation with 150 yards rushing a game.

Among the points of interest that Klein and Coslov cover:

--USC must avoid mistakes and control the ball.

--The Trojans, who have faced top-notch running backs and quarterbacks this season, will have to account for all of the Ducks' weapons on each play to try to slow down their pace.

--USC must be able to make big plays to keep drives moving.

Which is easier said than done, since only Louisiana State in the season opener has been able outplay Oregon.

--Dan Loumena

You can bank on sick David Beckham playing in MLS Cup final

When midfielder David Beckham was a no-show at the Galaxy's training session Thursday, it piqued the interest of more than one journalist. And Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena had a ready -- if typically acerbic -- answer for the question.

"He’s downtown today," Arena said "I think he’s protesting the banking system in this country."

That would be unlikely given that Beckham, the highest-paid player in MLS, was estimated by Forbes to have made $40 million last year, making him the wealthiest soccer player in the world.

Actually, Arena finally confessed, Beckham was given the morning off with a cold.

Asked by a British journalist whether Beckham would play in Sunday's MLS Cup final, Arena said: "I’d even let you answer that question. He played last year in the playoffs with an Achilles that was freshly operated on. David will be on the field Sunday."

The banks, after all, will be closed then.

MORE:

David Beckham prepares for MLS Cup [Video]

Galaxy to switch TV broadcasts to Time Warner Cable

David Beckham's impact on MLS can be measured in dollar signs

-- Kevin Baxter

Photo: David Beckham. Credit: Bret Hartman / Associated Press.

Without Fanfare, Belichick and Brady Become Top Coach-Quarterback Combination

An underreported storyline from last Sunday’s Jets-Patriots game was that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady became the winningest head coach-quarterback tandem of the Super Bowl era (since 1966). They registered their 117^th regular-season victory to move past Don Shula and Dan Marino, who totaled 116 for the Miami Dolphins from 1983-95.

The Belichick-Brady run is an impressive achievement that has not been without some storm clouds. In February 2002, Belichick chose to start Brady instead of Drew Bledsoe in the Super Bowl against St. Louis. It was not an easy decision. Bledsoe had replaced an injured Brady in the A.F.C. Championship game at Pittsburgh, and Bledsoe threw a clutch touchdown pass on the way to leading the Patriots to a 24-17 victory.

Brady had struggled in the six games before the A.F.C. Championship, throwing only two touchdown passes with six interceptions. Also, Brady had replaced an injured Bledsoe earlier that season. The case was made that Bledsoe deserved to reclaim the starting job. The popular Bledsoe had been the Patriots starter since being drafted first overall in 1993, while Brady was taken in the sixth round in 2000.

But Brady led the Patriots to a 20-17 victory in Super Bowl XXXVI and was named its most valuable player.

Most coach-quarterback tandems do not win a championship so early in their terms with a team. The Patriots’ Super Bowl championship over St. Louis came in Belichick’s second year. New England was 5-11 in his first season. Brady was in his second year as well, but he didn’t get his first start until Bledsoe got hurt in 2001.

But win-now formulas are always tempting. And if general managers and coaches have tenuous holds on their jobs it is difficult for them to think long-term.

I researched the 32 N.F.L. teams to find out where each currently stands in the head coach-quarterback wins category. It’s clear which teams put a premium on continuity and stability. Here are the top 10, in order of total victories:

131-40, Belichick-Brady, New England   Passing Shula and Marino after winning three Super Bowls? Enough said.

70-49, Tom Coughlin-Eli Manning, Giants  That this pair is second on the list is notable, considering how many times fans and commentators have called for either or both of their dismissals. Weekly booing of Manning occurred as late as 2007, right before the Giants’ Super Bowl run.

60-35, Sean Payton-Drew Brees, New Orleans  Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis struck gold in 2006 by landing Sean Payton as a first-time head coach and Brees as an accomplished quarterback coming off a shoulder injury. Their Super Bowl Championship came after the 2009 season.

52-23, Mike Tomlin-Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh   Tomlin replaced Bill Cowher in 2007, and the Steelers won their seventh Super Bowl in his second season. Roethlisberger won a Super Bowl with Cowher after the 2005 season.

48-31, Norv Turner-Philip Rivers, San Diego   The first of the top pairings not to have won a Super Bowl. Turner and Tomlin are the two most prominent examples of coaches who joined a team where the quarterback was already established.

42-22, John Harbaugh-Joe Flacco, Baltimore   Harbaugh was hired and Flacco was drafted prior to the 2008 season, when they had their best success by reaching the A.F.C. Championship game before losing to Pittsburgh.

40-21, Mike McCarthy-Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay   After hovering near .500 for almost three seasons, the Packers are 16-0 since Rodgers returned to the lineup after being knocked out of a game with a concussion last season against the Lions.

38-19, Mike Smith-Matt Ryan, Atlanta   Like Harbaugh and Flacco, both were brought in before the 2008 season. They are 0-2 in the postseason.

32-32, Gary Kubiak-Matt Schaub, Houston   Schaub was brought in for the 2007 season, but the Texans haven’t reached the playoffs since joining the N.F.L. in 2002. Schaub’s foot injury puts a crimp in what is shaping up to be the Texans’ best season.

28-18, Rex Ryan-Mark Sanchez, Jets   Thanks to four postseason victories, the Jets crack the top 10 in only the third season of the Ryan-Sanchez pairing. They are the most accomplished of the 2009 class.

Other pairings with more than 10 victories together are: Jim Caldwell-Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (26-10); Lovie Smith-Jay Cutler, Chicago (24-18); Todd Haley-Matt Cassel, Kansas City (18-22); Raheem Morris-Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay (17-17); Tony Sparano-Chad Henne, Miami (13-18); Andy Reid-Michael Vick, Philadelphia (11-10).

Extra Point  Is it fair to draw a correlation between long-term franchise success and continuity and stability in the head coach-quarterback tandem?

Week 11 in Fantasy Football: Favorable and Unfavorable Matchups

Jason and Justin Sablich are here to help you with your fantasy football team. The Sablich brothers will provide fantasy football advice throughout the season on this blog and on Twitter (@5thDownFantasy).

If you submit one of the 50 most accurate responses this week, you can win a prize from FantasyPros.com.

It’s hard to fathom how poorly the talented Eagles secondary has played at times this season. The low point came against Arizona last week when it allowed the Cardinals’ backup quarterback, John Skelton, to throw for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Maybe it has to do with distribution of talent? Nnamdi Asomugha voiced his frustration this week about his not being allowed to shadow the opposing team’s best receiver, as he did when he played for the Oakland Raiders.

The bottom line is that the Eagles have allowed a 24-point fantasy average to Chicago’s Jay Cutler and Skelton over the last two weeks. No, seriously, they have. Eli Manning (NYG) has averaged 271 yards a game in his last two meetings with the Eagles and has thrown for four touchdowns in each of those games. We’re liking Manning’s chances Sunday night.

View Complete Week 11 Rankings

Favorable/Unfavorable Quarterback Matchups

Favorable

Carson Palmer (OAK) vs. Minnesota — Palmer bested Philip Rivers last Thursday, which was definitely one of the bigger surprises of Week 10, but we’re more surprised by how much stronger his arm has looked compared to last season. Averaging 315 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first two starts, he gets the second best QB fantasy matchup in Week 11. The depleted Vikings secondary is surrendering 23 fantasy points a game to the position and Kevin Kolb has been the only quarterback this season who has failed to post at least 15 fantasy points against them.

Matt Hasselbeck (TEN) vs. Atlanta — The only reason you would be interested in Hasselbeck in standard leagues is if your quarterback is on a bye week. Having said that, Atlanta does give up 18 fantasy points a game to opposing quarterbacks, and the Titans’ ground game could struggle considering how good Atlanta has been against the run (4th best in N.F.L.), forcing the Titans to deviate from their run-heavy ways and take to the air.

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) vs. Denver —  Sanchez was under fire for most of Sunday night against the league’s worst defense (New England), which could explain away some of the quarterback’s poor performance. But luckily for us, fake football is all about points, and Sanchez delivered 21 of them, if you had him in your lineup. A similar situation is brewing for Thursday night’s matchup with Denver. Nobody allows more fantasy points to quarterbacks than the Broncos (24), but Sanchez will have to survive Denver’s talented pass rushing duo of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil, who notched 7 hits and 2 sacks on the Chiefs’ Matt Cassel last week.

Unfavorable

Joe Flacco (BAL) vs. Cincinnati — This matchup got a little easier after the Bengals’ top cornerback, Leon Hall, was placed on I.R., but Flacco has a bad track record against this team and has been too unpredictable to trust as a starter this week. He has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in each of his last four games against the Bengals, with just two touchdowns and nine interceptions (sixth worst QB matchup, 16 FPPG).

Andy Dalton (CIN) vs. Baltimore — Dalton managed 14 fantasy points against a tough Pittsburgh defense last week (eighth worst QB matchup), which is what you can only hope for against an even tougher Baltimore defense (worst QB matchup), and there is a serious possibility he will be without his main weapon, A. J. Green, who is dealing with a bone bruise in his knee and will be a game-time decision.

Tony Romo (DAL) vs. Washington — The Redskins and a busted rib cage were responsible for Romo’s worst outing of the season in Week 3 (255, 0 TD, 1 INT). A healthier and more confident Romo should fare a lot better this time around, but he may not put up huge numbers against the league’s ninth ranked pass defense.

Cam Newton (CAR) vs. Detroit — Newton is coming off the worst outing of his young career, largely because of the Titans’ ability to generate a lot of pressure (five sacks). The Lions have the meanest defensive line in football and can bring the blitz with the best of them (tied for fourth in sacks with 26), and Ford Field isn’t exactly a friendly place to play, considering opposing quarterbacks have averaged just 9.8 fantasy points in the four games played there this season.

Favorable/Unfavorable Running Back Matchups

Favorable

Marshawn Lynch (SEA) vs. St Louis — What has gotten into this guy over the last couple of weeks? Touches. No running back has more of them over the last two games than Lynch. His 32 attempts in Week 10 helped him achieve his second consecutive 100-yard game against a normally stout Ravens run defense. His Week 11 opponent is allowing 21 fantasy points a game on the ground and just gave up a solid 10-point outing to the previously terrible Chris Ogbonnaya.

James Starks (GB) vs. Tampa Bay —  O.K., even in a total blowout, the Packers aren’t going to run the ball much. But at least Starks is getting the bulk of the carries over Grant and Kuhn, and his matchup with the Buccaneers (second best for RBs, 26 FPPG) will warrant high-end flex appeal this weekend.

Reggie Bush (MIA) vs. Buffalo — Even with a healthy Daniel Thomas, Bush continues to be the main man in the Miami backfield, including the red zone, as he produced his first multiple-touchdown game since 2007 against Washington last week. Both backs should see plenty of action against a depleted Bills defense that took a heavy beating from DeMarco Murray in Week 10 and has surrendered 21 fantasy points per game to the position in 2011.

Maurice Morris (DET) vs. Carolina — Despite the re-signing of Kevin Smith, Morris continues to see the bulk of the work in the Detroit backfield and he should see more than the 10 touches he received last week (the Lions surely don’t want to throw the ball 62 times again). That could mean some solid flex production against fantasy’s best matchup for running backs in 2011.

Unfavorable

Chris Johnson (TEN) vs. Atlanta — Was Johnson’s 23-point fantasy day last Sunday the turning point his owners were hoping for, or did the Panthers’ 28th ranked run defense have more to do with it? Atlanta ranks fourth best against the run and is allowing just 3.9 yards a carry this season. No running back has eclipsed the century mark on them and they haven’t surrendered a touchdown on the ground since Week 6.

Jackie Battle (KC) vs. New England — This isn’t a bad matchup on paper, as the Patriots have allowed 18 points a game on the ground, but Battle needs a Kansas City lead to be effective, and you really can’t expect that to happen against the N.F.L.’s third best offense. With the Chiefs down to Tyler Palko behind center, this one could get ugly in a hurry.

Roy Helu (WAS) vs. Dallas — It would make perfect sense to give your best players the most opportunities to get the ball, but apparently Coach Shanahan knows something we don’t. After breaking Art Monk’s single-game reception record the week before, Helu found himself on the bench watching an ineffective Ryan Torain run like mud for most of the first half last weekend. He reprised the role of starter for the second half, and logic would again point to his getting the start this week. But with Tashard Choice possibly suiting up against his old team, one can’t be sure. Dallas played the run much better last week with the return of their best run stopper, Sean Lee, holding Buffalo’s Fred Jackson to just 9 fantasy points.

Beanie Wells (ARZ) vs. San Francisco — You know the drill by now when it comes to the 49ers’ run defense. But if you’re getting on the Internet for the first time, San Francisco fields the top-ranked defense against the run, allowing just 3.4 yards a carry, and have yet to concede a rushing touchdown. Wells has not played well recently because of an injured knee and missed practice Wednesday, giving you that much more incentive to sit him.

Favorable/Unfavorable Wide Receiver Matchups

Favorable

Damian Williams (TEN) vs. Atlanta — The Titans’ leading receiver in touchdowns (4), Williams is doing his part to ease the pain from the loss of Kenny Britt, with an excellent 5-catch, 107-yard, 1-TD outing against Carolina last week. He could make for a solid WR3 spot start with Atlanta surrendering the 10th most fantasy points to the position this season (22).

Denarius Moore (OAK) vs. Minnesota — Moore propelled to the top of Oakland’s pass-catching food chain last week thanks in part to his teammate Jacoby Ford’s injury, and an incredible 46-yard reception. Start him against the league’s 30th ranked pass defense if you were lucky enough to score him off your wire.

Brandon Marshall (MIA) vs. Buffalo — Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore is not an elite talent, but Marshall owners don’t need him to be as long as he keeps feeding him the ball the way he has been (15 receptions, 204 yards, 1 TD last two weeks). In his last meeting with the Bills, Marshall recorded 11 receptions, 106 yards and 1 TD. Not a whole lot has changed since then with the Bills yielding the eighth most fantasy points to opposing receivers in 2011.

David Nelson (BUF) vs. Miami —  There are not a lot of good things to say about the Buffalo passing game right now, as it appears to be suffering a repeat of last season’s dropoff after a hot start. But Miami’s secondary actually allows more fantasy points to the position than the Bills (seventh best matchup), and with Steve Johnson looking doubtful to play in this one, Nelson could end up being Fitzpatrick’s top option.

Unfavorable

Dwayne Bowe (KC) vs. New England —  Palko is the only reason we would be concerned with Bowe’s fantasy production this week since nobody allows more fantasy points to receivers than the Patriots.

Roddy White (ATL) vs. Tennessee — The Titans held Steve Smith to just 33 yards on five catches last week, which brings their average against teams’ No. 1 receivers down to 5.7 on the season. The underachieving White will have his work cut out for him.

Steve Smith (CAR) vs. Detroit — Smith is in for another tough one, as the Lions haven’t allowed a 100-yard game to the position since Week 4 and have coughed up just two receiving touchdowns during that time. Still, Smith is still too good to consider benching.

Eric Decker (DEN) vs. Jets — Decker has caught a touchdown pass in three consecutive games, and amazingly so considering his quarterback has just 12 completions during his last two games. But with a running back for a quarterback, and of course the Revis factor, you can’t expect a lot from him Thursday night.

Favorable/Unfavorable Tight End Matchups

Favorable

Fred Davis (WAS) vs. Dallas — Davis has gone M.I.A. over the last couple of weeks, but has a chance to redeem himself as a low-end TE1 with his Week 11 opponent being the second best matchup a tight end can have.

Unfavorable

Jermaine Gresham (CIN) vs. Baltimore — Gresham could see plenty of targets if A. J. Green ends up missing the game, but it might not make much of a difference. The Ravens allow the fewest fantasy points to tight ends (3 FPPG), and have yet to surrender a touchdown to one this season.

Favorable/Unfavorable Defense/Special Teams Matchups

Favorable

New England vs. Kansas City, Dallas vs. Washington, Jacksonville vs. Cleveland, San Francisco vs. Arizona, Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay.

Unfavorable

Philadelphia vs. New York, San Diego vs. Chicago, Tennessee vs. Atlanta, Washington vs. Dallas, Minnesota vs. Oakland.

Grueling Baja 1000 off-road race set for weekend

The 44th annual Baja 1000 off-road desert race is set to start Friday, with drivers navigating a loop of nearly 700 miles across Baja California.

Formally called the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the race starts and ends in Ensenada, about 65 miles south of the U.S.-Mexican border. The course stretches as far east as San Felipe on the coast of the Gulf of California.

A variety of vehicles, led by trucks and motorcycles, compete in different classes in the race. Race organizers said this year's event has more than 275 entries from 34 U.S. states and 16 countries.

--Jim Peltz

Photo: Trophy truck driver Roger Norman crosses a mud hole Wednesday during practice for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Credit: Matt Kartozian/US Presswire

NBA lockout: Billy Hunter suggests players start their own league

While the NBA lockout languidly persists, Billy Hunter has an idea to get the players back on the court.

“Maybe we can start our own league,” said Hunter, the executive director of what used to be the NBA players union during a panel Wednesday evening, according to author Touré via SLAM.

"There’s talk of getting a TV deal and creating a new league but it’d have to be with a network that’s unafraid to cross the NBA."

Forget the owners and their proposed 50-50 split of basketball-related income, apparently some of the players think that they can do it all on their own.

Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire seems to be on board.

Last month he told Sporting News: "It's just a matter of us strategically coming up with a plan, a blueprint and putting it together. So we'll see how this lockout goes. If it goes one or two years, then we've got to start our own league."

Negotiating venues and a television deal, however, could be a very lengthy process. But perhaps this idea, if it takes on real momentum, could be one of the impetuses that could spur an agreement with the owners.

MORE:

Uninformed players should blame themselves

Story lines Lakers will miss in early December

Union disbanding seriously jeopardizes 2011-12 season

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Billy Hunter, right, with Derek Fisher. Credit: Shannon Stapleton / Reuters.

Chicago Cubs hire Dale Sveum as new manager

The Chicago Cubs hired Dale Sveum as their manager Thursday. Sveum replaces Mike Quade, who was fired by Theo Epstein, the team's new president of baseball operations. The Cubs finished 71-91 after a disappointing season that extended their infamous championship drought to 103 seasons.

Sveum has little experience as a manager, other than an interim stint for the Brewers late in 2008 after Ned Yost's firing. He also served as Boston's third-base coach when Epstein was the general manager.

Sveum also interviewed for the Red Sox manager's vacancy and met a second time this week with officials from the Cubs and Boston.

"I do my due diligence and video work and prepare as much as anybody," Sveum said. "As far as the stats, those are what they are, and we can use them to our advantage. It's a big part of the game now."

Sveum, who played 12 seasons with the Brewers and six other teams, did well in his limited run as Milwaukee's manager in 2008. After Ned Yost was fired in September, Sveum led the Brewers to their first playoff appearance in 26 years, winning six of seven down the stretch.

Milwaukee then decided to hire a more experienced manager in the off-season and went with Ken Macha, who lasted two seasons. Sveum stayed on as the hitting coach.

The Cubs will have a news conference Friday to formally introduce Sveum.

ALSO

Clayton Kershaw wins Cy Young Award

What are the 10 greatest sports moments in L.A. history?

MLB adds two wild-card teams to playoffs

-- Houston Mitchell

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Dale Sveum throws batting practice before Game 2 of the Milwaukee Brewers' 2008 NLDS playoff series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Credit: Jeff Zelevansky / Getty Images

How Shaq chooses to spend $848

Maxim recently gave Shaquille O'Neal $848 and took him to an Orlando mall to see how the four-time NBA champion would opt to spend the money.

On the drive over, he spent $500.

He pulled in front of a building he owned and gave two workers who were cutting the grass $100 each. Before long, he was swarmed by women wanting to take his photo. He decided to give them $300 of ching ching too.

“Those guys were working hard, sweating,” O'Neal said to the magazine, which we can't link to because of its risque photos. “They didn’t know it, but they were working on the grounds of a building I own. I like to take care of people who take care of me, make ’em smile.”

When he arrived at Mall at Millenia, he tipped the valet $40.

As O'Neal sauntered around the mall in size 22 slippers, the reporter noticed that people's scowls would instantaneously morph into smiles as the 7-foot-1, 325-pounder walked by.

“I get love from everyone: grandmas, gangsters, thugs," O'Neal explained.

He went on to purchase a $60 uControl Cloud Force RC helicopter and a $25 toy for his niece from Brookstone.

“I’ve gone through at least 100 of these things, for real,” O'Neal said of the helicopter. “I get them in the air, and then I get excited, lose control, and crash.”

He went to Starbucks next, where he bought a slice of pound cake and $70 worth of frappes for everyone in line.

O'Neal was once approached by Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz to invest in bringing the coffee chain to more urban communities. O'Neal declined the opportunity, a decision he regrets to this day.

"I’ve never seen a black person drink coffee," O'Neal said. "So I passed on it, and now Magic is getting my money!"

He spent the remaining $5 on a $70 top at Victoria's Secret for his girlfriend, Nikki “Hoopz” Alexander, who appeared on VH1’s "Flavor of Love."

As he searched for the perfect outfit, dozens of people followed him around.

“Can’t I buy some bras and panties without someone wanting a picture?” O'Neal said, laughing.

ALSO:

Uninformed players should blame themselves

Story lines Lakers will miss in early December

Union disbanding seriously jeopardizes 2011-12 season

-- Melissa Rohlin

 Photo: Shaquille O'Neal. Credit: Sean Gardner / Reuters

Baseball adds two wild-card teams, moves Houston to AL West

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced Thursday that team owners unanimously approved Jim Crane as the Houston Astros' new owner and that as part of his agreement to buy the club, Crane will agree not to stop Major League Baseball from shifting the Astros to the American League in 2013, creating two 15-team leagues.

Selig also said two wild-card teams will be added to the playoffs no later than 2013.

"It's a historical day," Selig said.

Selig did not offer specifics on the schedule or playoff format, but said his committee for on-field matters favors the one-game playoff among wild-card teams in each league.

Crane is to receive a refund of approximately $70 million of his $660-million purchase price to mitigate the potential crimp on the Astros' local TV ratings with the move to the AL West, which means the Astros will play a lot of late West Coast games.

If the 2013 playoff format had been in place this season, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox would have met in a one-game playoff, with the winner advancing to the AL division series. In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves would have met in a one-game playoff.

"People can be critical, I understand that,'' Selig said, "but this is fair.''

ALSO

Clayton Kershaw wins Cy Young Award

What are the 10 greatest sports moments in L.A. history?

Dodgers sue Fox Sports over alleged interference in team's sale

-- Houston Mitchell

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who announced Thursday that two wild card teams would be added to the playoffs no later than 2013. Credit: Morry Gash / Associated Press.

UFC: UNMISSABLE The funniest Chael Sonnen interview with Canadian television

Sonnen was a guest on Off The Record, the longest-running sports talk show on Canadian television. It airs on TSN, the Canadian equivalent of ESPN. Sonnen exploded on host Michael Landsberg, who was caught off guard. The interview got off to a poor start when Sonnen warned Landsberg to moderate his tone.

Landsberg had opened the interview by suggesting that Sonnen had “backed down” from Anderson Silva by supposedly withdrawing the offer he had made to Anderson Silva after beating Brian Stann at UFC 136.

Sonnen had made Anderson a ‘loser leaves town’ offer to Silva, who was ringside at UFC 136, after defeating Brian Stann yet when Silva stayed silent for weeks afterwards, Sonnen said the offer was no longer valid.

The insinuation made Sonnen rise. Once up, there was no backing down. “You’re telling me I backed down? That’s garbage. How do you say things like, ‘I hear you backed down?’ Here I am looking to pick a fight with Anderson and I backed down? I stood there big and tall while he covered his mouth like a little fruity boy, and you’re gonna come on ESPN and say I backed down while I give you a free interview?” he raged.

“He’s the one that backed down – how could you even say something so stupid? Why don’t you go and try and get a free interview with Anderson Silva and see how that works for you? You’re going to tell me that I backed down? Offers expire, it didn’t work, he didn’t accept it, so its not that I backed down but I need to make a new offer.”

New York deciding whether to accept Margarito-Cotto

A three-person panel of the New York State Athletic Commission is scheduled to render a decision Friday on whether to allow Tijuana's Antonio Margarito to fight Puerto Rico's world super-welterweight champion Miguel Cotto Dec. 3 at Madison Square Garden.

Margarito previously was denied a license by New York after concerns emerged over the cataract-removal surgery he underwent in May in Utah.

On Wednesday, the panel, including chairwoman Melvina Lathan, conducted a hearing that included statements and explanations by the doctor who performed Margarito's innovative surgery, along with experts in the field and Margarito's promoters.

"I didn't have a great feel either way for what will happen," said Carl Moretti, an executive for Margarito's promotional company Top Rank. "I felt like it was a slam dunk when I heard the commission doctors said Antonio had impeccable care with his procedure, but I know they don't like that there was a procedure in the first place."

Moretti said Margarito's operation is an example of medical advances that change how eye procedures, perhaps viewed as troubling in the past by athletic commissions, can now be embraced as effective.

"This was a painstaking, costly effort that was undertaken because the kid [Margarito] still wants to fight," Moretti said.

Bob Arum, Margarito's promoter, says more than 90% of tickets for the event at Madison Square Garden have been sold.

Yet Arum said he's been forced by uncertainty over the commission's stance on Margarito to scramble and find possible alternative locations for the bout. Arum on Thursday would not disclose who he's negotiated with.

Asked if he felt good about the fight remaining in New York, Arum said, "No," but maintained he remains hopeful the commission will accept Margarito.

Margarito, who previously was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission for nearly wearing plaster-caked knuckle pads inside his hand wraps in a January 2009 loss to Shane Mosley at Staples Center, was relicensed by Texas for his November 2010 loss to Manny Pacquiao -- where he suffered the fractured orbital bone and eye injury.

Margarito and Cotto fought previously in 2008, with the Tijuana fighter producing a stirring late rally to win by an 11th-round knockout.

MORE:

Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Round-by-round recap

Manny Pacquiao doesn't look much like a champion

Marquez an appetizer for fans who want Pacquiao-Mayweather

-- Lance Pugmire

Photo: Miguel Cotto, left, Antonio Margarito. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images.

UFC: The funniest Chael Sonnen interview with Canadian television

Occupy L.A.? How about Occupy Staples Center!

NBA fans. It's time to unite.

We are the 99%.

Those who miss seeing a Kobe Bryant crossover or a LeBron James dunk should take a lesson from the Occupy L.A. movement. Let's sit outside of Staples Center and demand that the billionaire owners and millionaire players come to an agreement on how to share the lucrative sum generated from basketball-related income (BRI). 

Our protest doesn't need to be entirely thought out.

The Occupy L.A. protesters have stymied traffic in downtown L.A.'s financial district. They hope to stimulate the economy while preventing workers from getting to their jobs.

We just need to take action.

After  the expiration of the NBA's collective-bargaining agreement, the owners are demanding that the players accept 50% of BRI instead of the previously agreed upon 57%, arguing that 22 of 30 teams in the league combined to lose $300 million last season.

We don't care how you split your ridiculous salaries, many of which have more commas than a run-on sentence.

We just want to watch basketball.

NBA fans. It's time to unite.

We are the 99%.

ALSO:

Uninformed players should blame themselves

Story lines Lakers will miss in early December

Union disbanding seriously jeopardizes 2011-12 season

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Protesters demonstrate in downtown L.A. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Are Matt Barnes and Eva Longoria dating?

Lakers forward Matt Barnes is rumored to be dating actress Eva Longoria, though both deny that they are romantically involved.

Longoria, who is recently divorced from San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker, picked up Barnes from the airport earlier this week, according to TMZ, prompting gossip sites around the Web to whisper.

True, driving to the airport could mean nothing more than doing a friend a favor -- but when a woman agrees to suffer through LAX traffic and its cacophonous symphony of honks for a man, people are going to go "hmmmm."

Barnes announced his breakup with reality-TV star Gloria Govan in October. Could this be the birth of a new athlete-celebrity relationship? Following the Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries divorce after 72 days of marriage, the world seems to be fiending for romance, real or imagined.

Barnes and Longoria were also spotted eating dinner together in New York a few weeks ago and partying at a nightclub in Las Vegas in October. And the two work together on Longoria's foundation, Padres Contra El Cancer.

Longoria is reportedly dating Penelope Cruz's younger brother, Eduardo, and after the rumors began flying, she posted this to her Who Say account: "First Jessica Simpson, now this. Once again, press gets it wrong, Matt Barnes and I are not dating! Why is the truth never the headline?"

ALSO:

Uninformed players should blame themselves

Story lines Lakers will miss in early December

Union disbanding seriously jeopardizes 2011-12 season

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Matt Barnes. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Tiger Woods makes peace with Steve Williams at Presidents Cup

Tiger Woods made peace with ex-caddie Steve Williams, then played worse than a caddie in the opening round of the Presidents Cup at Melbourne, Australia.

Playing with Steve Stricker, they didn't win a hole and didn't make a birdie in tying the Presidents Cup record for the worst loss ever, 7 and 6, to Adam Scott and K.J. Choi.

Scott, who now uses Williams as his caddie, kept his distance from Woods until Woods and Williams shook hands on the 12th green. The foursomes match ended with Scott rolling in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 11th, and stuffing his approach into 10 feet for Choi's birdie on their final hole.

"We were just slightly off," Woods said. "On a golf course like this, it doesn't take much."

However, despite the poor showing by Woods and Stricker, the U.S. ended the day with a 4-2 lead over the International team.

Woods said he wanted to quickly put the squabble with Williams behind him after his former caddie used a racial comment when discussing Woods a couple of weeks ago.

"I put my hand out there to shake it, and life goes forward," Woods said. "There's some great things that Steve and I did, and that's how I look at it. I know he probably looks at it differently than I do, but hey, life goes forward, and I'm very happy with what we've done in our career together."

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Tiger Woods' ex-caddie may not be racist, but he sure is bitter

-- Houston Mitchell

Photo: Tiger Woods and Steve Williams shake hands at the Presidents Cup. Credit: Brandon Malone / Reuters

London 2012 Olympics: BOA drug cheat bylaw may hit bureaucratic stalemate

Robust: Lord Moynihan is holding firm on his view on drug cheats (Photo: AP)

It has occasionally been said of Lord Moynihan, the combative and committed chairman of the British Olympic Association, that he could start an argument in an empty room.

He has had no need to search for an opponent in the deepening row with the World Anti-Doping Agency, but if he is to put the uncertainty over the legality of the BOA’s life-ban for convicted dopers to bed, he may have to win the argument in an empty chamber.

The row between the two agencies is on one level very simple.

Does the BOA have the right to bar convicted drugs cheats from its Olympic team for life, on the basis that it is free to choose who is eligible to wear the Team GB vest? Or is it, as WADA maintain, bound to respect the universal code, under which all doping sanctions have to be uniform, rendering the life-ban illegal?

A simple question perhaps, but the dispute risks being swallowed in rhetoric and the bureaucratic mire of global anti-doping and dispute resolution.

The International Olympic Committee found to its cost last month that it has to bow to WADA on doping, when American sprinter LaShawn Merritt’s ban from London 2012 under IOC Rule 45 was overturned at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

That case has established a precedent that WADA believes renders the BOA bylaw defunct. CAS ruled that the IOC’s rule was a sanction not an eligibility test, and therefore invalid, and WADA believes the same logic applies to the BOA.

To prove it WADA asked Michael Beloff QC to look at the case and he agreed that the BOA was “non-compliant” with the code. WADA sent that opinion to the BOA which construed it as a challenge and called for a ruling from CAS.

In theory this was probably the least bad solution, a chance to test the bylaw without the emotional baggage and personal stress that a challenge from an athlete would bring.

But for reasons that are not yet clear but probably blend politics, legal nicety and personal animus, WADA appear unwilling. Its director general David Howman told Telegraph Sport on Wednesday evening that he had no intention of being a party to a CAS arbitration.

But without two parties there can be no arbitration, which takes us back to Moynihan and the empty chamber. With no arbitration the bylaw stands, for now, a move interpreted as an expert calling of WADA’s bluff by the former sports minister.

Perhaps. Few in the doping and Olympic community think WADA can be described as bluffing when their hand includes a considered legal opinion from one of the most experienced lawyers in sport, and an apparently clear precedent in the Merritt case. But for now, its deadlock.

One question worth addressing is why, if WADA does not want to pursue arbitration, why has it taken this course?

The reason is that this weekend WADA’s board is required to compile a list of which of its signatory agencies are compliant with its code. It goes through this process every two years, a deadline that persuaded it to seek clarification from the BOA, which as a national Olympic committee is signed up to the code.

With the status of the bylaw uncertain and in WADA’s opinion illegal, the BOA risks being declared non-compliant, an embarrassment at the very least for an NOC about to host an Olympics.

The consequences could in theory be much worse. WADA can take internal measures against non-compliant countries, barring them from committees and its board.

The IOC and international federations can take tougher action. London is lucky, for example, that it has already won the hosting rights to the Games because non-compliant countries are barred from bidding for them.

In theory London could even lose the right to stage them. According to the WADA code “other consequences may include the ineligibility to host events, cancellation of international events and symbolic consequences.”

None of these are likely to be invoked, but to find a way through this mess someone will have to back down. That will be hard given the bad blood on both sides.

Moynihan’s highly critical speech calling for fundamental reform of WADA and describing it as “toothless” has caused offence and annoyance at the agency’s Canadian headquarters.

Howman responded by describing it as an inaccurate and emotional “tirade”.

Neither has WADA done itself any favours in its public statements, which last night contained one significant inaccuracy and a misinterpretation. WADA claimed that it had not had any contact with the BOA since October, ignoring the letter and legal opinion sent to Charlotte Street this week. It also denied challenging the BOA to go to CAS, something that Moynihan did not allege.

WADA has also apparently changed its mind on the issue, an irony given its over-riding interest in consistency. In 2009 WADA told the BOA the bylaw was compliant. This October, following the Merritt ruling, they ruled it was not, a view emphasised this week.

Finding a way out of the muddle will not be straightforward but without a challenge the bylaw will remain. Everyone I have asked inside the Olympic movement in the last 48 hours thinks it will fall at the first challenge.

But Moynihan’s commitment to it, backed by the support of 90 per cent of British athletes and, one can assume, majority public opinion, is sincere and deeply held. And, for the time being, it looks like being successful.

Parenting Wisdom From a Mining Town

About four years ago this week, I traveled to Big Stone Gap, Va., to spend two days with the parents of two N.F.L. running backs, Thomas Jones, and his younger brother, Julius, then starters for the Jets and the Dallas Cowboys. What struck me most about their family was not that two of seven children ended up sharing an N.F.L. job title – what are the odds? – but that all seven children from that town in coal country in southwest Virginia went to and graduated from college.

This story resulted from that trip. And when I left, I remember thinking that the Thomases should write a book. Well, it turns out that they did.

The book can be found here, with additional background here.

What follows are the thoughts of the family patriarch and first-time author; everyone calls him Big Thomas.

You and your wife, Betty, both worked in the coal mines. Did you ever think you’d write a book?

Never once did we see ourselves putting our story, regardless of what kind of story it was going to be, to pen to paper. But there was an educator about 30 years ago, when Thomas and the kids were in elementary school, and he said you should write a book about parenting one day. We kind of laughed. But here we are. We’ve been working on this thing for the last three years. It was brand new for us, as far as doing a book. We didn’t really know so much involvement goes with such things.

Why do you think your story resonated with people so much that it ended up in a book?

Basically, family. Even though it’s a synopsis of our family, and it’s called a memoir, it’s basically an American story. There are so many families similar to ours who have done just an admirable job, maybe more admirable than we have. The book shows some of the things that families go through, some of the hardships, and how we overcame them.

What’s your favorite anecdote from the book?

There were many of them in there. But for me, it was seeing all of them, the last in particular, child No. 7, Katrice, finish high school, gain admittance into the University of Virginia and graduate from there. That was one of the proudest moments for me. It rivals the birth of my first son.

What does the book cover?

It covers basically the origin of my family and Betty’s family here in the deep South, in Alabama, and the places we go in an effort to find a better lifestyle, a better way of life. We homed in specifically on southwest Virginia because that’s where our parents ultimately found work, albeit in the coal mines. We highlighted our school years, our ensuing marriage, all of it. And we talk about parenting.

What’s the best single piece of advice in that regard?

Raising them the right way and not the popular way. Make decisions as a parent that will be the best and for the betterment of all involved and not to make decisions which are best for the parents. It’s still all about the family.

Let’s talk a little football. How has Thomas dealt with this season in Kansas City?

It has been a rocky one for him. Ups and downs. At this point, more downs than ups. It’s been that way for them even as a team. As we speak, a bad moon is rising to come in Monday night in New England. Usually they show up and perform well in very big games. But, yes, I do think this season is kind of a carbon copy of what families go through. Bad things can happen. So be it. It’s all about how you react to them.

Thursday Matchup: Jets at Broncos

Jets (5-4) at Broncos (4-5), 8:20 p.m. Eastern, NFL Network and Ch. 11 in New York area
Line: Jets by 6.

The Broncos won, 17-10, last week against the Chiefs, an opponent that had lost by scores of 41-7, 48-3, and 31-3 (to the Dolphins) this season. The Broncos netted just 312 yards of offense, and their quarterback, Tim Tebow, completed just two of his eight passes. When running backs Willis McGahee (hamstring, questionable for Thursday) and Knowshon Moreno (knee, out) were injured, Coach John Fox elected to give the third-stringer Lance Ball 30 carries, with Spencer Larsen, a converted linebacker, taking 5 more handoffs as a change of pace. The Broncos elected to run 10 times on third down with more than 4 yards to go, converting just one of those plays.

It takes some warping of reality and splintering of rational thought to watch a team hand off to an ex-linebacker almost as often as it passes the ball, surrender on nearly every third down and score 17 points against an awful opponent, and reinterpret all of this as a sign of its quarterback’s singular greatness.

But ignoring the obvious is the American way. The Broncos are not trying to hide an inept passer behind child-proofed game plans that can work only against terrible defenses. Instead, they are ushering in a new era of running-based football behind the paradigm-shattering talents of a player who hands off like no other.

Fox even dismissed the need for a passing game this week. This is offense based upon the withholding of success, austerity by design, and Fox is making a great show of being thrilled with it.

Of course, there’s a chance that the simplest solution is the correct one: the Broncos have gutted out close wins against bad opponents but they will collapse against a strong defense, and option-style gadget plays have a limited N.F.L. shelf life. But then, even Occam’s razor may be no match for Tebow Mania.

Pick: Jets
(Pick does not reflect the betting line)

Jets at Broncos: Matchup to Watch

Jets (5-4) at Broncos (4-5), 8:30 p.m. Eastern Thursday

Matchup to Watch: Tim Tebow vs. Jets’ defense

One can only imagine the defensive schemes Rex Ryan has concocted to foil Denver’s read-option offense, which ran the ball 55 times — and attempted but 8 passes — in Sunday’s victory in Kansas City. The Jets at times deployed seven defensive backs to thwart New England’s passing game; Ryan might send seven down linemen against Tim Tebow. Maybe that’s an exaggeration. But it will be a challenge for the Jets, who had a short week to prepare for a peculiar but effective style that suits Tebow. Jets safety Jim Leonhard said, “As inconsistent as he is throwing the football, all of a sudden he’ll make a throw where you look at it and go, ‘Wow, that was impressive.’ ”

Number to Watch: 22

The combined sacks (8) and quarterback knockdowns (14) amassed by Broncos linebacker Von Miller — the most in the N.F.L., according to ProFootballFocus.com. The Jets’ pass protection was dreadful against New England, yielding five sacks and nine hits of Mark Sanchez, against a team with a suspect pass rush. The Broncos, with the dynamic duo of Miller and Elvis Dumervil — dubbed “Batman and Robin” by Miller — wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Sustained pressure against Sanchez, who showed little sense of pocket presence Sunday night, could spell doom.

Quotation of the Week

“Well, it doesn’t make much sense. It’d be like buying a Ferrari and pouring sugar in the gas tank.”

Broncos Coach JOHN FOX, when asked whether he and John Elway, the team’s vice president for football operations, did not want Tim Tebow to succeed because they did not draft him.

Week 11 N.F.L. Game Probabilities, and the Tebow Factor

Tim Tebow is breaking the game probability model. How can a quarterback lead his team to victory while going 2 for 8, for 69 total passing yards? It’s widely accepted that passing efficiency is the main driver of team success, but what if an astounding 8.6 yards per attempt comes on only two completions?

Tebow is 3-1 as a starter this season. So how is he doing it? Is it with his arm, his called runs, or his scrambles? It’s none of the above. It’s with defense and special teams.

At my Web site, I rely on two statistics to parse apart each player’s contribution to game outcomes. Win Probability Added (WPA) measures how much a player’s direct participation changed his team’s chances of winning the game. Expected Points Added (EPA) measures a player’s impact on the net score difference. One of the advantages of stats like WPA and EPA is that they are agnostic as to whether a play was a pass or run, or any other type of play. This allows us to measure the total contribution of a player in a single number.

Tebow is decidedly negative in both of those stats for the full season (-0.35 WPA and -13.3 EPA), but fortunately for the Broncos, the vast majority of the damage was confined to a single game: his second start in a game against the Lions.  A closer look at his numbers indicates he has performed modestly well in his other three starts.

Against Miami, Tebow performed poorly until the last few minutes of regulation, when he rallied the Broncos to tie the game. His last-minute heroics may have been thrilling, but they were needed only because of the hole he had put his team in to that point. The game was ultimately won thanks to a Dolphins fumble and a 52-yard Matt Prater field goal.

The thriller against Oakland unfolded in much the same way.  Carson Palmer threw three interceptions. Running back Willis McGahee tied the game with a 60-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter and totaled 0.30 WPA and 4.6 EPA. The Broncos took the lead for good on an Eddie Royal 80-yard punt return for a touchdown. Tebow played fairly well in his own right. He totaled 4.6 EPA and -0.03 WPA, threw no interceptions and gave up only two sacks.

Last Sunday’s victory over the Chiefs was mostly a defensive victory. Matt Cassel was held to 2.4 yards per attempt and was sacked four times. The Broncos’ defense held the Chiefs to 10 points, 7 really if we don’t count a pointless field goal in the final seconds. Tebow made a big impact in this game, as one of his two completions was a 56-yard touchdown pass.

In the three victories, Tebow totaled 0.03 WPA and 9.3 EPA, both of which are slightly above average. In other words, he helped more than hurt his team, but only barely. The Broncos’ running game, excluding Tebow, totaled 1.67 WPA and -0.1 EPA in those same games. (When the WPA and EPA are largely split like this, it indicates over-performance in game-changing clutch situations.) The Broncos’ defense was responsible for 0.72 WPA and 11.5 EPA in the three wins.

I suspect Tim Tebow’s outing tonight against the Jets’ defense will resemble his struggle against the Lions more than his three wins as a starter. Here are the game probabilities for Week 11. (For more on the prediction model and its accuracy, see this post.)

 

Brian Burke, a former Navy pilot who has taken up the less dangerous hobby of N.F.L. statistical analysis, operates Advanced NFL Stats, a blog about football, math and human behavior.

Crisis? What crisis? Sepp Blatter solves the world’s problems

Total global solutions: Sepp puts the world to rights. PHOTO: GETTY

That man Sepp is at it again, dismissing the idea that racism is a problem in football with typical élan. What would Sepp’s take be on other issues of the day?

On the Eurozone

“Okay, Europe’s bankers might have totally shafted the world’s economy a bit, but these things happen in the heat of the moment on the trading floor.”

On global warming

“I would deny it. There is no global warming. That would be if an ice cap actually attacked a polar bear, something like that.”

On Italy’s political crisis

“Obviously it was disgraceful what happened to Silvio – a dear personal friend and one of the most brilliant statesmen of the age. But now that they have dispensed with all that old fashioned “electing people” business, I am sure we will really see big improvements.”

On Kate McCann

“I do not know why she cannot just shake hands with the News Of The World people who published her private diary without permission and move on.”

On England rugby

“Why should Rob Andrew resign just because he is the figurehead of an organisation that has totally failed?

On Pippa Middleton’s break-up

“Perhaps if she had tighter shorts she could have held on to her man.”