SAINTS SETS POINTS RECORD WHILE McALLISTER SETS MARK
New Orleans, Louisiana – The New Orleans Saints were unstoppable at home after heading out on the for more than a month and on Monday Night Football, they continued their home streaking ways by tying a team record with 51 points after beating the Green Bay Packers, who finished up the match by 29 points. Saints RB Deuce McAllister set a new team record with his 54th career touchdown while quarterback Drew Brees threw for four touchdowns. The Saints became the final team that is .500 or better to win consecutive games.

McNABB TO REMAIN STARTER DESPITE BENCHING
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb will not have to be benched again because a day after sitting out the entire second half against Baltimore, coach Andy Reid names him the starter for Thursday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Reid said to the media that he is the quarterback and will not leave until they understand his decision.

WIZARDS FIRE JORDAN AFTER WORST START
Washington, D.C. – The Washington Wizards has fired Eddie Jordan as head coach after starting the season 1-10, its worst in team history. His top assistant coach is also got the pink slip. The head coaching job is given to Ed Tapscott, who was the director of player development before Jordan’s firing.

MAGIC HOLD OFF LATE BUCK RALLY
Orlando, Florida – Dwight Howard had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Orlando Magic outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks 108-101 in a matchup of injury-depleted teams. Richard Jefferson, the formet Net, scored 25 points to lead Milwaukee which lost Andrew Bogut to a knee bruise early in the second half. Dwight Howard has posted a double-double in 10 of his last 14 games and has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in 35 of his last 41 games. Orlando has beat Milwaukee in five of the teams' last six meetings.

HORNETS WINS THIRD STRAIGHT
Los Angeles, California – The New Orleans Hornets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers by the score of 99-87 as Chris Paul had his second consecutive triple-double (14 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists), and sixth of his career. Eric Gordon led the Clippers with 25 points in his first career start. The Clippers are an NBA-worst 1-8 at home this season and have lost three straight games overall.

MANU GINOBLI RETURNS TO BOOST HIS SIDE TO VICTORY
Memphis, Tennessee – Argentinean Manu Ginobli returned from his offseason left ankle surgery and helps his San Antonio Spurs get past the Memphis Grizzlies by the score of 94-81. In his first game this season after missing 12 games with San Antonio, he had 12 points and 4 rebounds. The Spurs have held opponents under 91 points in seven of their last eight games. San Antonio has beat Memphis 10 out of the last 12 games.

OTHER NBA RESULTS
Charlotte Bobcats def. Philadelphia 76ers 93-84 (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Houston Rockets def. Miami Heat 107-98 (Miami, Florida)

Chicago Bulls def. Utah Jazz 101-100 (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Portland Trailblazers def. Sacramento Kings 91-90 (Portland, Oregon)

MONTREAL’S OWN GOAL LED TO ISLANDER WIN
Montreal, Quebec – The New York Islanders beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 after winning the shootout by only a goal. The biggest highlight of the game is Ryan O’Byrne of the Montreal Canadiens; in the third period with the score 3-2 leading by Montreal on a delayed penalty, O’Byrne though he saw his goaltender at the net, in which was an empty net, and scored his own net to give the Long Island side a tie of 3-all. Islanders’ Bill Guerin is credited for that goal. At the end of the game, a discontent Ryan O’Byrne was booed by Montreal fans as he’s entering towards the locker room.

OTHER NHL RESULTS
New York Rangers def. Phoenix Coyotes 4-1 (Manhattan, New York)

Philadelphia Flyers def. Dallas Stars 4-3 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Florida Panthers def. Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 (Sunrise, Florida)

Minnesota Wild def. Washington Capitals 4-3 (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Vancouver Canucks def. Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in shootout (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Anaheim Ducks def. Colorado Avalanche 4-1 (Anaheim, California)

NCAA BASKETBALL TOP-25 RESULTS
(1) North Carolina def. Chaminade 115-70 (Maui, Hawaii)

(2) Connecticut def. (19) Wisconsin 76-57 (Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands)

(7) Texas def. Saint Joseph’s 68-50 (Maui, Hawaii)

(8) Notre Dame def. Indiana 88-50 (Maui, Hawaii)

Syracuse def. (18) Florida 89-83 (Kansas City, Missouri)

BULK OF GOV’T’S CHARGES AGAINST BONDS REMAIN INTACT
San Francisco, California – As the Barry Bonds perjury case continues to move toward a March 2 jury trial, the judge on Monday dismissed the three of 15 counts but left intact the bulk of government charges against the former Giants slugger. Judge Susan Illston dropped one count because it was duplicitous, another because Bonds’ answer before the BALCO grand jury was too vague and a third because the government’s question was ambiguous. She also order two other counts merged. Illston denied Bonds’ lawyers’ request to dismiss several other counts. Bonds will face 11 counts – 10 for perjury and one of obstruction of justice stemming form his December 2003 testimony in the steroids case.

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES
Wigan defeated Everton 1-0 in the final game of round 14 in the Premier League

The game between Zenit and Juventus in the Champions Legaue will likely go ahead due to a fatal blast in the city over the weekend.

Peru has been banned from playing international football, including the 2010 World Cup, over a dispute between the government and the football federation.

William Gallas says he wants to stay at Arsenal by his agent due to his recent crisis to the team.

DOMINICAN BASEBALL RESULTS
Leones del Escogido def. Toros del Este 11-10 (La Romana)

Aguilas Cibaenas and Gigantes del Cibao postponed (Santiago de los Caballeros)

SOARING JETS ENDS TITANS’ PERFECT RUN
Nashville, Tennessee – Brett Farve threw two touchdown passes, Leon Washington ran for two scores and the New York Jets proves that they’re the AFC factor this season by routing the Tennessee Titans 34-13, ending the perfect start by the NFL’s last undefeated team. The Jets' Brett Favre won at his 32nd different stadium in regular season, most by any quarterback in the Super Bowl era (since 1966, Dan Marino, 31). The Jets' Thomas Jones had a touchdown catch. His teams have won the last 16 games he's scored a TD.

GIANTS RETURN TO ARIZONA DOES IT AGAIN
Glendale, Arizona – The New York Giants returned to the Phoenix area, the city in where they won Super Bowl XLII nine months earlier, in style once again but this time facing the Arizona Cardinals and defeated them 37-29 to snap the Cardinals’ seven-game winning streak. Giants QB Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns; his overall record (26-for-33, 240 yards) passed for three scores for the third time this season. The Giants scored 30+ points for the fourth consecutive time despite being held under 100 rushing yards (87) for the first time this season.

FALCONS GET BIG CONTRIBUTION IN WIN
Atlanta, Georgia – Michael Turner handled the power game, lowering his head and ramming into would-be tacklers time after time. Harry Douglas turned up the speed, finishing off Carolina with a 45-28 victory in the Georgia Dome. Thunder and Lightning carried the Atlanta Falcons to an impressive win Sunday in a game they couldn't afford to lose in the NFC South. Michael Turner has totaled 1,088 yards and 13 touchdowns on 251 carries this season for Atlanta. He amassed 316 yards and one touchdown on 71 carries all last season. The Falcons hold a 17-11 advantage in the all-time series against the Panthers, but Carolina has won five of the last eight.

VINATIERI’S LONG FG NAILS CHARGERS
San Diego, California – Adam Vinatieri nailed a 51-yard field goal to help the Indianapolis Colts defeated the San Diego Chargers 23-20 in Sunday Night Football. Peyton Manning threw for 255 yards. He's passed for at least 200 yards in all 11 games this season, tying his longest streak to start a season (2002). LaDainian Tomlinson was held to only 84 yards rushing and no touchdowns. He's scored only one touchdown in his last seven games. This game marked the fourth time this season the Chargers have lost in the final 24 seconds.

OTHER NFL RESULTS

Houston Texans def. Cleveland Browns 16-6 (Cleveland, Ohio)

Dallas Cowboys def. San Francisco 49ers 35-22 (Irving, Texas)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers def. Detroit Lions 38-20 (Detroit, Michigan)

Buffalo Bills def. Kansas City Chiefs 54-31 (Kansas City, Missouri)

Chicago Bears def. St. Louis Rams 27-3 (St. Louis, Missouri)

New England Patriots def. Miami Dolphins 48-28 (Miami Gardens, Florida)

Minnesota Vikings def. Jacksonville Jaguars 30-12 (Jacksonville, Florida)

Baltimore Ravens def. Philadelphia Eagles 36-7 (Baltimore, Maryland)

Oakland Raiders def. Denver Broncos 31-10 (Denver, Colorado)

Washington Redskins def. Seattle Seahawks 20-17 (Seattle, Washington)

PACMAN THREATENED TO BE BAN FOR LIFE
Adam “Pacman” Jones will now have to fight for his football life because the NFL has strictly adhered to the terms of his reinstatement and any incident will lead to a lifetime ban from the league. Commissioner Roger Goodell relied on the recommendations of clinical specialists who oversaw Jones’ 30 days in a rehab facility when deciding to reinstate him from his latest suspensions. Pacman Jones was suspended last season entirely due to a number of incidents while with the Tennessee Titans, then was traded to the Cowboys during the offseason and given another chance by Goodell until an alcohol-related scuffle with a team bodyguard, who was hired to keep him out of trouble, on October 7 just six weeks after being reinstated.

DOMINICAN BASEBALL RESULTS
Leones del Escogido def. Estrellas Oriente 6-4 (Santo Domingo)

Aguilas Cibaenas def. Tigres del Licey 5-0 (Santiago de los Caballeros)

Toros del Este def. Gigantes del Cibao 4-7 (La Romana)

COLUMBUS CREW LIFTS FOR FIRST MLS CUP TROPHY
Carson, California – The Columbus Crew defeated the New York Red Bull 3-1 in the MLS Cup final to claim their first ever league title, in the matchup between two first-timers; Chad Marshall broke the tie in the 52nd minute and one more Columbus goal from Frankie Hejduk half-hour later. League MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto recorded a Cup Final-record of three assists to help deliver a championship in his second season in MLS. Another feat was added for him as he was named the game’s MVP.

ENGLISH FOOTBALL RESULTS
Tottenham Hotspur def. Blackburn Rovers 1-0 (London, England)

West Ham def. Sunderland 1-0 (Sunderland, England)

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL RESULTS
Racing Santander def. Espanyol 3-0 (Santander, Spain)

Barcelona and Getafe drew at 1 (Barcelona, Spain)

Torino FC and AC Milan drew at 2 (Turin, Italy)

Hamburg SV def. Werder Bremen 2-1 (Hamburg, Germany)

Marseille and Lille drew at 2 (Marseille, France)

AZ Alkmaar def. Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 (Alkmaar, Netherlands)

LATIN AMERICAN FOOTBALL RESULTS
Argentinos Juniors def. River Plate 2-1 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Santos Laguna def. San Luis 3-1 (Torreon, Mexico)

Sao Paulo def. Vasco da Gama 2-1 (Rio Janeiro, Brazil)

Cruzeiro def. Flamengo 3-2 (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)

Universidad de Chile def. Cobreloa 3-2 (Santiago, Chile)

Cienciano and Atletico Minero drew at 1 (Cienciano, Peru)

LDU Quito def. Barcelona (Quito, Ecuador)

Deportivo Quito def. El Nacional 1-0 (Quito, Ecuador)

JAPANESE FOOTBALL RESULTS
Kawasaki Frontale def. Gamba Osaka 4-0 (Kawasaki)

Nagoya Grampus Eight def. Kyoto Purple Sanga 3-2 (Kyoto)

Kashima Antlers def. Oita Trinita 1-0 (Oita)

Shimizu S-Pulse def. Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 (Saitama)

Vissel Kobe and FC Tokyo drew at 1 (Kobe)

Albirex Niigata and Omiya Ardija drew at 2 (Niigata)

Yokohama F. Marinos def. JEF United Chiba 3-0 (Chiba)

Jubilo Iwata and Kashiwa Reysol drew at 3 (Iwata)

Tokyo Verdy and Consadole Sapporo drew at 1 (Tokyo)

NBA BASKETBALL RESULTS
Boston Celtics def. Toronto Raptors 118-103 (Toronto, Ontario)

Philadelphia 76ers def. Golden State Warriors 89-81 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Minnesota Timberwolves def. Detroit Pistons 106-80 (Auburn Hills, Michigan)

Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets

Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers

NHL HOCKEY RESULTS
Nashville Predators def. Carolina Hurricanes 5-2

New Jersey Devils def. Tampa Bay Lightning 7-3 (Tampa, Florida)

CALGARY DEFEATS MONTREAL IN CFL GREY CUP
Montreal, Quebec – The Calgary Stampeders defeated the Montreal Alouettes, in their home ground (Stade Olympique), 22-14 to win their first Grey Cup in seven years and their sixth overall. Sandro DeAngelis kicked five field goals while Brett Ralph scored the only touchdown for Calgary.

SPAIN CLAIMS DAVIS CUP TROPHY
Mar del Plata, Argentina – Fernando Verdasco came through a tense five-set encounter with Jose Acasuso to hand Spain a hard-earned victory over Argentina in the Davis Cup final. Verdasco won the first set but Acasuso, standing in for Juan Martin del Potro, rallied to take the second and third. For Spain, who was champions in 2000 and 2004, Verdasco's win marked their third Davis Cup triumph and they achieved it without world number one Rafael Nadal.

ENGLAND FAILS TO WIN AGAIN AFTER LOST HOPE
Bangalore, India – Owais Shah's 72 could not prevent England from suffering a 19-run, rain-affected defeat by India, who took an unassailable 4-0 lead in the series. Set an adjusted victory target of 198 from 22 overs, Shah and Andrew Flintoff (41) gave England hope with a fine 82-run fourth-wicket partnership. The victory ensures India is still on target for a resounding 7-0 whitewash, although Shah did not deserve to finish on the losing side after a superb innings from just 48 deliveries.

ENGLISH FOOTBALL ROUND 14 RECAP
Chelsea and Newcastle United drew at 0 (London, England)

Liverpool and Fulham drew at 0 (Liverpool, England)

Manchester City def. Arsenal 3-0 (Manchester, England)

Bolton Wanderers def. Middlesbrough 3-1 (Middlesbrough, England)

Portsmouth and Hull City drew at 0 (Portsmouth, England)

Stoke City def. West Bromwich 1-0 (Stoke, England)

Aston Villa and Manchester United drew at 0 (Birmingham, England)


EUROPEAN FOOTBALL RESULTS
Real Madrid def. Recreativo Huelva 1-0 (Madrid, Spain)

Sevilla and Valencia drew at 0 (Seville, Spain)

Inter Milan def. Juventus 1-0 (Milan, Italy)

Paris Saint-Germain def. Olympic Lyon 1-0 (Paris, France)

Zenit St. Petersburg def. Spartak Moscow 3-1 (St. Petersburg, Russia)


LATIN AMERICAN FOOTBALL RESULTS
Independiente def. Rosario Central 2-1 (Avellaneda, Argentina)

Tigres def. Atlante drew at 1 (Cancun, Mexico)

Cruz Azul and Pumas drew at 0 (Mexico City, Mexico)

Atletico Paranaense def. Botafago 2-1 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Colo Colo def. Huachipato 4-2 (Santiago, Chile)

Independiente Medellin def. Deportes Tolima 2-1 (Medellin, Colombia)



INTERNATIONAL RUGBY RESULTS
Japan def. United States 32-17 (Tokyo, Japan)

Pacific Islanders def. Italy 25-17 (Reggio Emilia, Italy)

South Africa def. England 42-6 (London, England, UK)

Ireland def. Argentina 17-3 (Dublin, Ireland)

Scotland def. Canada 41-0 (Aberdeen, Scotland, UK)

New Zealand def. Wales 29-9 (Cardiff, Wales, UK)

Australia def. France 18-13 (Paris, France)


DOMINICAN BASEBALL RESULTS
Tigres del Licey def. Estrellas Oriente 11-5 (Santo Domingo)

Toros del Este def. Aguilas Cibaenas 9-4 (La Romana)

Leones del Escogido and Gigantes del Cibao postponed (San Francisco de Macoris)

P.J. CARLESIMO FIRED AFTER 13 GAMES
The Oklahoma City Thunder, off to a league-worst 1-12 start in their new home town, fired coach P.J. Carlesimo following Friday night's loss to New Orleans. Assistant coach Scott Brooks was named interim coach, and team executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said Saturday that Brooks will finish the season.


ROCKETS TAKE CONTROL LATE AND WIN
Orlando, Florida – Yao Ming’s 22 points and 13 rebounds help the Houston Rockets defeat the Orlando Magic 100-95 to snap the Magic’s winning streak at five. The Rockets got 17 points each from Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston, and 11 apiece from Ron Artest and Carl Landry. Houston shot 54 percent in the second half to break open a close contest and win for the fourth time in the last five games. Houston won its seventh straight game against Orlando. Orlando's five-game win streak comes to an end as it lost for the second time in 11 November games.


YI, CARTER SPARK STREAKING NETS
East Rutherford, New Jersey – The New Jersey Nets came from an overtime thrilling victory last night with Yi Jianlian scoring 27 in his best game in a Net uniform as they defeated the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 112-95. Vince Carter, without a doubt, is the game’s top performer for New Jersey with 26 points and 8 rebounds. The Nets won four in their last five games while the Clippers go double in defeats.


SHORT-HANDED KNICKS HAND WIZ MORE LOSSES
Manhattan, New York – The New York Knicks with Quentin Richardson leading the way with 34 points and 12 rebounds to hand the Washington Wizards another defeat by the score of 122-117 at Madison Square Garden. Richardson made seven 3-pointers; two shy of the franchise record, and fell a point shy of his highest-scoring game since the Knicks acquired him from Phoenix in June 2005. He scored 35 points against the Wizards on Jan. 17, 2007. The Wizards drop to 1-10, their worst start since the 1966 Baltimore Bullets opened 1-10.


SHAQ POWERS THE SUNS OVER ODEN
Phoenix, Arizona – Shaquille O'Neal had 19 points and 17 rebounds to power the Phoenix Suns to a 102-92 victory over Greg Oden and the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. O'Neal's performance included a head-first dive over the first two rows of seats trying to save a loose ball with 2:55 to play as fearful fans scattered in every direction. Oden, meanwhile, watched mostly from the bench but did get a bit of court time against the 36-year-old O'Neal. The Blazers, playing for the second night in a row after winning at Sacramento on Friday, have lost 11 straight against Phoenix. The Suns have a nine-game home winning streak against Portland.


OTHER NBA RESULTS
Milwaukee Bucks def. Charlotte Bobcats 79-74 (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Cleveland Cavaliers def. Atlanta Hawks 110-96 (Cleveland, Ohio)

Miami Heat def. Indiana Pacers 109-100 (Miami, Florida)

New Orleans Hornets def. Oklahoma City Thunder 109-97 (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Utah Jazz def. Memphis Grizzlies 103-94 (Memphis, Tennessee)


ROY’S HONORING NIGHT SPOILED BY BOSTON
Montreal, Quebec – The Boston Bruins caught a big break in the shootout to back up Tim Thomas' strong netminding on a night that the Montreal Canadiens honored one of the greatest goalies to play the game. Blake Wheeler scored on Boston's first shot in the tiebreaker and Thomas stopped all three Montreal attempts to give the Bruins a 3-2 win over the Canadiens, who retired Patrick Roy's No. 33 jersey in a pre-game ceremony, on Saturday night. The Bruins have earned at least a point in 10 straight games (9-0-1) and 13 of last 14 (12-1-1). Montreal is 3-4-2 after starting the season 8-1-1.


SENS END LOSING SKID TO BEAT RANGERS
Ottawa, Ontario – Daniel Alfredsson and Jesse Winchester scored late in the second period and Ottawa beat the New York Rangers 4-1 to end a six-game skid. Jason Spezza and Nick Foligno also scored for the Senators, who got their first win since a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia on Nov. 6. Ottawa had lost each of its last two games in a shootout, including a 2-1 setback against the Rangers on Monday. After starting the season 10-2-1, the Rangers have gone 4-5-1 in November.


CANUCKS WIN AS LUONGO INJURES GROIN
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – An injury to Roberto Luongo put a chill into the Vancouver Canucks' hot streak.The two-time Vezina Trophy finalist hurt his groin less than five minutes into Vancouver's game against Pittsburgh on Saturday, but Pavol Demitra scored twice and Daniel and Henrik Sedin had three points each in the Canucks' 3-1 win over the Penguins. The Penguins failed to garner a point for the first time since Oct. 30.


CHICAGO RUINS CLARK’S HONORING NIGHT
Toronto, Ontario – Ceremonies are held to retire the number 17 of former Maple Leaf Wendel Clark before the game and in the end, the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to win on his day as the loss 5-4 in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks. It was the sixth time in 20 games Toronto held a lead heading into the final period. Once Chicago turned up the pressure and pushed hard for a comeback, the Leafs lost control.


OTHER NHL RESULTS
San Jose Sharks def. Washington Capitals 7-2 (San Jose, California)

Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings in overtime

New York Islanders def. Buffalo Sabres 4-2 (Buffalo, New York)

Philadelphia Flyers def. Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Columbus Blue Jackets def. Atlanta Thrashers 2-0 (Atlanta, Georgia)

Anaheim Ducks def. Dallas Stars 2-1 (Dallas, Texas)

St. Louis Blues def. Minnesota Wild 2-1 (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Detroit Red Wings def. Calgary Flames 5-2 (Calgary, Alberta)


NCAA FOOTBALL RESULTS (Top 25 notables)
(5) Oklahoma def. (2) Texas Tech 65-21 (Norman, Oklahoma)

(7) Utah def. (14) Brigham Young 48-24 (Salt Lake City, Utah)

(8) Penn State def. (15) Michigan State 49-18 (State College, Pennsylvania)

(10) Ohio State def. Michigan 42-7 (Columbus, Ohio)

Mississippi def. (18) LSU 31-13 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Maryland def. Florida State def. (25) Maryland 37-3 (College Park, Maryland)


RICKY HATTON BEATS MALIGNAGGI
Las Vegas, Nevada – Ricky Hatton coasted to a one-sided win over Paulie Malignaggi at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with his opponent's corner stopping the fight in round 11. Manchester's Hatton had Malignaggi in trouble with some savage left hooks, and overhand rights. Going into the 11th, Malignaggi was behind on all three scorecards, causing his corner to throw in the towel. Hatton joined up with new trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr just seven weeks ago, but there were signs of real improvement following some worrying recent performances, as Hatton promised there would be. Hatton, 30, improves to 45 wins (32 KOs) and one defeat, while Malignaggi falls to 25 wins (five KOs) and two defeats.Malignaggi had occasional success with his jab but fought virtually one-handed for much of the fight and lacked power.


SRI LANKA HAMMERED ZIMBABWE
Harare, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe were all out for just 67 as Sri Lanka took a 2-0 series lead with a crushing nine-wicket victory in the second one-day international in Harare. The tourists needed just 17.4 overs to clinch the win after Ajantha Mendis had taken 4-15 in Zimbabwe's collapse.

CGBAM1989 SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2008

PACMAN REINSTATED…. AGAIN!!!
Arlington, TX – The NFL is giving Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones another chance. Although reinstated, Pacman will miss the next two games until retuning on December 7 at Pittsburgh. Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones would not reveal any conditions the commissioner may have imposed and the league office said it would not have any immediate comment. Adam Jones was suspended from the entire 2007 season because of a number of incidents while playing for the Tennessee Titans. Pacman recently underwent alcohol rehabilitation as a result of his recent absence from the NFL.

OTHER NOTABLE NFL NEWS
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen was fined $25,000 by the NFL for his hit on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In that game, Allen went unblocked and had a free run at Rodgers. Just as Rodgers released the ball, Allen hit him high and knocked him down, drawing a roughing-the-passer penalty. In Arizona, the Cardinals denied a release request from running back Edgerrin James. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, onfirmed an Internet report that his client has asked to be let go from the team but the request was rejected. Rosenhaus and James will continue to speak with Cardinals management despite the occurrence. He lost his starting job to rookie Tim Hightower; Edgerrin James has had only three carries for 5 yards.

MIKE MUSSINA TO RETIRE FROM BASEBALL
New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina has decided to retire after 18-years in the major leagues. Mussina informed the Yankees last week that he would give them a decision by the end of the week. Turning 40 next month, he spent the last eight seasons with New York’s American League team after pitching for the Baltimore Orioles for the first 10 years of his career. Over in his career, he has 270 wins with 153 losses, 3.68 ERA and 2813 strikeouts.

COCO CRISP GOES MIDWEST
Kansas City – The Kansas City Royals picked up the leadoff hitter they had been seeking, acquiring centerfielder Coco Crisp from the Boston Red Sox for reliever Ramon Ramirez. The Royals was 12th among 14 American League teams in runs last season and added power last month, obtaining first baseman Mike Jacobs from the Florida Marlins. In his 2008 season with Boston, Crisp had 7 home runs with 41 Runs Batted In and batted .283. Puerto Plata-native Ramon Ramirez stats last season with Kansas City reads him winning 3 games to two and pitching with a 2.64 ERA.

WAKAMATSU IS NOW SEATTLE’S MANAGER
Seattle – Don Wakamatsu became the first Asian-American manager in major league baseball history when he was hired Wednesday by the Seattle Mariners, becoming the 14th manager in the team’s history. Wakamatsu, an Oregon native with Japanese descent, was the bench coach for the Oakland Athletics last season after spending five years with the Texas Rangers. Wakamatsu was also a player himself, only playing 18 games for the Chicago White Sox in 1991.

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES RESULTS
Greece def. Italy, 1-1 (Piraeus, Greece)
England def. Germany, 2-1 (Berlin, Germany)
Netherlands def. Switzerland, 3-1 (Eindhoven, Holland)
Argentina def. Scotland, 1-0 (Glasgow, Scotland)
Spain def. Chile, 3-0 (Villarreal, Spain)
Brazil def. Portugal, 6-2 (Brasilia, Brazil)
South Africa def. Cameroon, 3-2 (Johannesburg, South Africa)
France and Uruguay drew at 0 (St. Denis, France)
Colombia and Nigeria drew at 0 (Bogota, Colombia)

2010 SOUTH AFRICA QUALIFIERS – ASIA
Australia def. Bahrain, 1-0 (Manama, Bahrain)
Japan def. Qatar, 3-0 (Doha, Qatar)
United Arab Emirates drew Iran at 1 (Dubai, UAE)
South Korea def. Saudi Arabia, 2-0 (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

2010 SOUTH AFRICA QUALIFIERS – NORTH AMERICA
Trinidad-Tobago def. Cuba, 3-0 (Port of Spain, Trinidad)
United States def. Guatemala, 2-0 (Denver, Colorado)
Honduras def. Mexico, 1-0 (San Pedro Sula, Honduras)
Jamaica def. Canada, 3-0 (Kingston, Jamaica)
Suriname and Haiti drew at 1 (Paramaribo, Suriname)
Costa Rica def. El Salvador, 3-1 (San Salvador, El Salvador)

*USA, Honduras, Costa Rica, Trinidad-Tobago, Mexico, and El Salvador qualified for the final round in the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup

INTERNACIONAL GOES TO THE SUDAMERICANA FINAL
Porto Alegre, Brazil – Andres D’Alessandro and Nilmar scored twice each for Internacional of Brazil to reach the Copa Nissan Sudamericana final with a 4-0 win over Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara Wednesday night. The Brazilian club won the series on an aggregate goal of 6-0 after beating Chivas 2-0 at Guadalajara last week in the semifinal’s first leg. Internacional is the first Brazilian team to advance to the final of the second-tier Latin American tournament. Internacional is awaiting for this final opponent from the Estudiantes-Argentinos Juniors series, which is tied 1-1 and will be decided on Thursday in Argentina.

A.I. AND WALLACE COOL OFF CAVS
Auburn Hills, MI – The Detroit Pistons have cooled off the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-89 in suburban Detroit with Rasheed Wallace leading the top performer’s list of 21 points and 15 rebounds, Allen Iverson also had 23 points with 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 4 steals. LeBron James, coming off from a record-setting the night before at New Jersey, had 25 points with six each in rebounds and assists and four steals. The Pistons improved to 4-3 with Allen Iverson in the lineup while Cleveland lost their third straight game against the Pistons. They have lost five of their last six and 10 of their last 12 games against Detroit.

HOWARD-LESS BEAT YAO-LESS
Houston – The Dallas Mavericks, without Josh Howard, defeated the Houston Rockets, also without Yao Ming, by a 10-point margin with 96-86 score. Jason Terry scored 31 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 24 points and 12 rebounds that led to the victory. Josh Howard was inactive because of a left ankle injury, while Yao Ming missed the game because of a sore foot.

DENVER CONTINUES SURGE IN SOUTH TEXAS
San Antonio, TX – Chauncey Billups scored 22 points, Carmelo Anthony added 21 points and the surging Denver Nuggets cruised to a 91-81 victory over the injury-plagued Spurs. Kenyon Martin baskets in 18 and Nene had 16 to round out a balanced attack by the 8-4 Nuggets, who have won four straight and seven of eight. Denver improved to 5-1 since Billups joined the lineup. Tim Duncan was held to 12 points and results of the Spurs’ end of three-game winning streak.

ODEN COME OUT BLAZING IN BULLS ROUT
Portland, OR – A sellout crowf of 20,599 fans showed up at the Rose Garden to watch Greg Oden make his home debut with the Portland Trailblazers. As the fans expected to see from Oden, it happened big time for the 20 year-old. Greg played 17 minutes along with 11 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and shot 3-for-7 in field goals as Portland rout the Chicago Bulls 116-74. The Trailblazers have won all four of their home games this season while the Bulls are 0-5 on the road this season, also their loss was their worst since losing by 51 to the Pacers in 2003.

OTHER NBA RESULTS
Atlanta Hawks def. Washington Wizards, 91-87 (Atlanta, GA)
Toronto Raptors def. Miami Heat, 101-95 (Miami, FL)
Sacramento Kings def. New Orleans Hornets, 105-96 (New Orleans, LA)
Minnesota Timberwolves def. Philadelphia 76ers, 102-92 (Minneapolis, MN)
Los Angeles Clippers def. Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-88 (Oklahoma City, OK)
Utah Jazz def. Milwaukee Bucks, 105-94 (Salt Lake City, UT)

VANCOUVER’S STRONG ‘D’ HANDLE RANGERS
New York City – The Vancouver Canucks defeated the New York Rangers 6-3 at the Garden in Manhattan with Alex Burrows scoring the two of five Vancouver goals against Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist gave up more than two goals in a start for the first time since October 18 against the Red Wings. The Rangers gave up their seventh shorthanded goal of the season Wednesday. New York gave up six all of last season.

BRUINS RIDE FIVE UNANSWERED GOALS PAST SABRES
Boston – The Bruins overcame an early 4-2 deficit to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 7-4. It was Boston's sixth straight win at home. The Bruins have scored 31 goals in their last eight games. Bruins center Marc Savard and defenseman Zdeno Chara had big offensive nights. Savard had a goal and three assists, bringing his season total to 23 points in 18 games; Chara scored twice and has four goals in Boston's last seven games.

OVECHKIN TOO MUCH FOR DUCKS
Anaheim – Alex Ovechkin is dangerous enough when the Capitals are at even strength and having him on the power play is too much for the Anaheim Ducks as they lose to Washington 6-4 at the Honda Center. The Russian had a power-play goal in the second period to go with three assists in the first period. He also has two three-assists games this season. Washington are 15-0-1 in the last 16 games in which Ovechkin has scored.

DOMINICAN BASEBALL RESULTS
Tigres del Licey def. Leones del Escogido, 6-5 (Santo Domingo)
Toros del Este def. Estrellas Oriental, 6-4 (San Pedro de Macoris)
Aguilas Cibaenas and Gigantes del Cibao game postponed (Santiago del los Caballeros)

INDIA SECURE WIN IN FADING LIGHT
Kanpur, India – India took a 3-0 lead in the one-day series with a 16-run Duckworth-Lewis win over a much-improved side from England. Chasing 241 in 49 overs, Virender Sehwag (68) and Yuvraj Singh (38) gave India a platform before bad light curtailed play on 198-5 from 40 overs. Andrew Flintoff (3-31) was the pick of England's bowling attack in Kanpur. The result means England will need to win the remaining four matches to claim an unlikely series victory.

NZ ON TOP DESPITE DEFIANT CLARKE
Brisbane, Australia – Michael Clarke saved Australia from total collapse as they were dismissed for 214 on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Brisbane. Clarke was the last man out, bowled by part-timer Jesse Ryder, after batting for almost five hours to make 98.