[quote=sdduuuude][quote=sdduuuude][quote=sdduuuude]MIAMI, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Annika Sorenstam’s LPGA Tour farewell came to a shuddering halt when she missed the cut at the season-ending ADT Championship on Friday.
A four-times winner of the elite event, the Swede slid to a three-over-par 75 in the second round at Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach for a five-over tally of 149.
Only 16 players in the 32-strong field advanced to Saturday’s third round and Sorenstam missed out by two shots after finishing in a seven-way tie for 18th.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)—After heading out on the road for more than a month, the New Orleans Saints were unstoppable at home.
The Saints spent 43 days away from the Louisiana Superdome for a trip to London, a bye and three road games, then returned to New Orleans and put on one of the more memorable performances in franchise history.
Drew Brees threw for four scores, Deuce McAllister set a Saints record with his 54th career touchdown and New Orleans rolled to a 51-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
“I mean, 40-something days on the road. It was great to get back in the dome,” Brees said. “You look at this game, so many things. Deuce getting the record, us just really feeling like we had our stride going the whole game.
“We’re kind of in the middle of pack, just like a lot of other teams,” Brees continued. “This is the time where a few of those teams start to separate themselves and we want to be one of those teams.”
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Brees dismantled a Packers secondary that came in ranked third in the NFL with 176.3 yards passing allowed per game. He was 20-of-26 for 323 yards as New Orleans tied a club record for points scored and touchdowns (seven) in a game. Two of Brees’ touchdowns went to Lance Moore, one for 70 yards.
“It’s a dream come true playing with him,” said Moore, who had 115 yards. “All we have to do is run our routes. We don’t have to worry about doing anything extraordinary.”
Brees remained on pace to break Dan Marino’s 1984 record of 5,084 yards passing in a season. He has 3,574 yards with five games remaining. He also has the Saints (6-5) feeling better about their hopes of rallying for a playoff spot now that they’ve won two games in a row for the first time all season.
“There’s an old saying, ‘10 and you’re in,”’ Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “We’ve got to find a way to get to 10 wins and get into the playoffs.”
The Packers (5-6) dropped a game behind Minnesota and Chicago in the race for first in the NFC North.
“We didn’t slow them down at all tonight,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said. “Give credit to the Saints and the play of their quarterback. He was on fire coming into the game and we didn’t cool him off any.”
Aaron Rodgers’ attempt to keep up with Brees’ torrid passing resulted in three interceptions, two by Jason David and one by Kevin Kaesviharn. David returned his first pick to the 3, setting up McAllister’s scoring run, which broke Dalton Hilliard’s club record set in 1993.
The sellout crowd erupted after McAllister’s score. The Saints’ career rushing leader kept the ball as he trotted to the sideline, where he was hugged by Payton.
“I didn’t want it to be anything out of the context of the game because I respect the game so much,” McAllister said. “I wanted it to come in the natural flow.”
It might have been McAllister’s final game in the Superdome this season. He has appealed a four-game suspension levied after he tested positive for a diuretic banned by the NFL because it could be used as a masking agent for steroids. It is not clear when the league will rule on McAllister’s case.
Rodgers was 23-of-41 for 248 yards and touchdown passes of 7 yards to Greg Jennings and 4 yards to Ruvell Martin. Rodgers also ran for a 10-yard score. Ryan Grant rushed for 64 yards in the first half, but the Packers were forced to throw more as their deficit grew and Grant finished with only 67 yards.
New Orleans Saints running bac…
AP – Nov 25, 12:46 am EST
“After the first half we knew we had to throw,” Rodgers said. “We tried to answer but we didn’t. We let this one get away from us.”
Leading 24-21 at the half, the Saints began to seize control with a long touchdown drive that ended with Brees’ 16-yard strike to tight end Billy Miller. McAllister then went in from the 3 and Brees hit Marques Colston in stride down the sideline for his second 70-yard TD pass of the game. It was Colston’s first score of the season after battling back from a thumb injury on opening day.
Pierre Thomas rushed for 87 yards and two touchdown runs, a 4-yarder in the first half and a 31-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that gave New Orleans a 51-29 lead. The Saints had scored 51 points twice before in their four-decade history and easily could have reached 52 if Payton had elected to kick the extra point. However, Payton called for a 2-point conversion that failed in an attempt to go up by 24 points.
The Packers scored first on a 1-yard touchdown leap by fullback John Kuhn. It was the first rushing touchdown for Kuhn in his three-year career and only his eighth carry.
But that would be Green Bay’s last lead. Moore’s 70-yard score came on the Saints’ next play, and New Orleans took the lead on Thomas’ first TD run. Green Bay tied it at 14 and again at 21 before New Orleans took the lead for good shortly before halftime on Garrett Hartley’s 30-yard field goal, set up by Courtney Roby’s 62-yard kickoff return.
Notes
Jeremy Shockey had one of his better games for the Saints with five catches for 57 yards. … Moore has a touchdown catch in four straight games. … Green Bay had won 10 of its last 15 road games coming in. … Reggie Bush was a scratch, missing his fourth game. The Saints are 3-1 without him.
“It’s been an emotional week,” the world number two told reporters. “You go back and forth from happy to being sad, and you always think: ‘Have I made the right decision?’
“All of a sudden the time is here,” added Sorenstam, who announced in May she would be quitting golf at the end of the year.
“It was always at the end of the year, in another month or so. And then all of a sudden you’re standing on the 18th fairway and it’s the last approach shot in an LPGA event.
“A lot of thoughts go through your head and you’re trying to win a golf tournament and you’re trying to enjoy it.”
Taken aback by the huge galleries following what proved to be her final round on the LPGA Tour, Sorenstam said she was looking forward to her life away from the game.
She wants to start a family and plans to pursue business interests, including her golf academy in Florida, her charitable foundation and course design projects.
“I’m very content and another win or so is not going to change that,” said the 38-year-old, who has triumphed three times on the LPGA Tour this season.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
“Sometimes it’s more about the experience and what you go through, how you learn about life and yourself than just numbers. I’m going to miss a lot of these things. The good thing is I have a lot of fun things ahead of me.”
Sorenstam has been the dominant figure in women’s golf for the past decade and has piled up 72 LPGA Tour victories including 10 major titles.
She earned a record eight Player of the Year awards on the LPGA Tour after making her debut in 1994, won six Vare trophies for the lowest scoring average and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003.
After ending the first round at Trump International six off the pace, Sorenstam needed to make up ground on the leaders but double-bogeyed the second and bogeyed the ninth to reach the turn in three over.
Although she birdied the par-four 10th, she dropped another shot at the 16th to end the day a distant 10 strokes behind the pacesetting Katherine Hull of Australia.
Hull carded a bogey-free 71 to hold a one-shot lead over American Angela Stanford (67).
Sorenstam will play in the Lexus Cup in Singapore later this month before bringing down the curtain on her competitive career at the Dec. 11-14 Dubai Ladies Masters.
“It’s been a wonderful career,” the Swede said. “I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I don’t think just a few words would summarise how I feel or what I’ve achieved or what I’ve gone through in experiences.” (Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Tony Jimenez and Peter Rutherford)
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NEW ORLEANS (AP)—After heading out on the road for more than a month, the New Orleans Saints were unstoppable at home.
The Saints spent 43 days away from the Louisiana Superdome for a trip to London, a bye and three road games, then returned to New Orleans and put on one of the more memorable performances in franchise history.
Drew Brees threw for four scores, Deuce McAllister set a Saints record with his 54th career touchdown and New Orleans rolled to a 51-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
“I mean, 40-something days on the road. It was great to get back in the dome,” Brees said. “You look at this game, so many things. Deuce getting the record, us just really feeling like we had our stride going the whole game.
“We’re kind of in the middle of pack, just like a lot of other teams,” Brees continued. “This is the time where a few of those teams start to separate themselves and we want to be one of those teams.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Brees dismantled a Packers secondary that came in ranked third in the NFL with 176.3 yards passing allowed per game. He was 20-of-26 for 323 yards as New Orleans tied a club record for points scored and touchdowns (seven) in a game. Two of Brees’ touchdowns went to Lance Moore, one for 70 yards.
“It’s a dream come true playing with him,” said Moore, who had 115 yards. “All we have to do is run our routes. We don’t have to worry about doing anything extraordinary.”
Brees remained on pace to break Dan Marino’s 1984 record of 5,084 yards passing in a season. He has 3,574 yards with five games remaining. He also has the Saints (6-5) feeling better about their hopes of rallying for a playoff spot now that they’ve won two games in a row for the first time all season.
“There’s an old saying, ‘10 and you’re in,”’ Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “We’ve got to find a way to get to 10 wins and get into the playoffs.”
The Packers (5-6) dropped a game behind Minnesota and Chicago in the race for first in the NFC North.
“We didn’t slow them down at all tonight,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said. “Give credit to the Saints and the play of their quarterback. He was on fire coming into the game and we didn’t cool him off any.”
Aaron Rodgers’ attempt to keep up with Brees’ torrid passing resulted in three interceptions, two by Jason David and one by Kevin Kaesviharn. David returned his first pick to the 3, setting up McAllister’s scoring run, which broke Dalton Hilliard’s club record set in 1993.
The sellout crowd erupted after McAllister’s score. The Saints’ career rushing leader kept the ball as he trotted to the sideline, where he was hugged by Payton.
“I didn’t want it to be anything out of the context of the game because I respect the game so much,” McAllister said. “I wanted it to come in the natural flow.”
It might have been McAllister’s final game in the Superdome this season. He has appealed a four-game suspension levied after he tested positive for a diuretic banned by the NFL because it could be used as a masking agent for steroids. It is not clear when the league will rule on McAllister’s case.
Rodgers was 23-of-41 for 248 yards and touchdown passes of 7 yards to Greg Jennings and 4 yards to Ruvell Martin. Rodgers also ran for a 10-yard score. Ryan Grant rushed for 64 yards in the first half, but the Packers were forced to throw more as their deficit grew and Grant finished with only 67 yards.
New Orleans Saints running bac…
AP – Nov 25, 12:46 am EST
“After the first half we knew we had to throw,” Rodgers said. “We tried to answer but we didn’t. We let this one get away from us.”
Leading 24-21 at the half, the Saints began to seize control with a long touchdown drive that ended with Brees’ 16-yard strike to tight end Billy Miller. McAllister then went in from the 3 and Brees hit Marques Colston in stride down the sideline for his second 70-yard TD pass of the game. It was Colston’s first score of the season after battling back from a thumb injury on opening day.
Pierre Thomas rushed for 87 yards and two touchdown runs, a 4-yarder in the first half and a 31-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that gave New Orleans a 51-29 lead. The Saints had scored 51 points twice before in their four-decade history and easily could have reached 52 if Payton had elected to kick the extra point. However, Payton called for a 2-point conversion that failed in an attempt to go up by 24 points.
The Packers scored first on a 1-yard touchdown leap by fullback John Kuhn. It was the first rushing touchdown for Kuhn in his three-year career and only his eighth carry.
But that would be Green Bay’s last lead. Moore’s 70-yard score came on the Saints’ next play, and New Orleans took the lead on Thomas’ first TD run. Green Bay tied it at 14 and again at 21 before New Orleans took the lead for good shortly before halftime on Garrett Hartley’s 30-yard field goal, set up by Courtney Roby’s 62-yard kickoff return.
Notes
Jeremy Shockey had one of his better games for the Saints with five catches for 57 yards. … Moore has a touchdown catch in four straight games. … Green Bay had won 10 of its last 15 road games coming in. … Reggie Bush was a scratch, missing his fourth game. The Saints are 3-1 without him.
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Vick enters guilty plea to state dogfighting charges
ESPN.com news services
Updated: November 25, 2008, 10:52 AM ET
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Vick Pleads Guilty To State Dogfighting Charges
SUSSEX, Va. — Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty Tuesday to a state dogfighting charge, a necessary step to make him eligible for early release from prison and potentially speed a return to the NFL.
Vick, 28, pleaded guilty to one charge and not guilty to a second count that was then dropped. The former Atlanta Falcons star was given a three-year suspended sentence.
“I want to apologize to the court, my family, and to all the kids who looked up to me as a role model,” Vick told the judge. He had arrived under police escort in wrist and ankle shackles and a gray suit, but the restraints were removed for the hearing.
Vick’s mother Brenda Boddie, brother Marcus Vick and fiancee Kijafa Frink walked in together and sat together in the front row of the gallery with other family and friends. Vick’s mother declined to comment to reporters but Marcus Vick acknowledged the family was glad the ordeal was nearly over.
After the hearing, Surry County Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter approached Vick’s mother and hugged her, saying, “At least some of this is over.”
Michael Vick
AP Photo/Steve Helber
Michael Vick, pictured on his way to court Tuesday, again apologized to his family and to children who looked up to him as a role model.
Vick already is serving a 23-month sentence in Leavenworth, Kan. for a federal dogfighting conviction. He’s scheduled for release on July 20, 2009, and will serve three years’ probation.
Federal law prohibits prisoners from being released to a halfway house if there are unresolved charges pending against them.
Vick was convicted of the federal charges in August 2007 when he admitted bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia’s rural Surry County, southeast of Richmond. He also admitted to participating in the killing of several underperforming dogs.
Since the conviction, he has landed in bankruptcy court after losing nearly all of his record-breaking $130 million from a 10-year contract he signed with Atlanta in December 2004.
Surry County Circuit Judge Samuel Campbell did not allow Vick to make his plea by videoconference, saying intense public interest made his appearance necessary.
Under the plea deal, Vick agreed to plead guilty to one count of promoting dogfighting and not guilty to a count that involved cruelty to animals.
Each state felony count was punishable by up to five years in prison.
“Any time in prison is hell. Michael’s been punished. He knows what he did was wrong,” Vick’s lawyer Billy Martin said.
Meanwhile, the house at the center of the dogfighting ring has been put back on the auction block.
A listing on Motleys Auction and Realty Group’s Web site says the five-bedroom house in Smithfield is scheduled to be auctioned on Dec. 15, with bids starting at $590,000.
Last December, developer Wilbur Ray Todd Jr. rejected a $747,000 bid for the property, which he had bought for $450,000, along with an additional $50,000 in improvements.
