Sports News

Bears' Cutler, Marshall back to old days

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:02:47 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Mike Tice is the Bears' new offensive coordinator, but this year, more than ever, it will be Jay Cutler's offense on the field.

Management has provided its franchise quarterback with Brandon Marshall, the receiver who was Cutler's go-to guy in Denver when he threw for a combined 8,023 yards in 2007 and '08.

"He's a guy that I've missed," Cutler said. "It's good having him back. He's a little bit different guy than he was in Denver -- in a good way."

Cutler's new quarterbacks coach, Jeremy Bates, worked closely with him and Marshall those two big seasons in Denver. Aside from Kristin Cavallari, the Bears couldn't have hired anyone who works better with Cutler.

"Jeremy has a really good feel of what I like to do and what I don't like to do," Cutler said after Wednesday's OTA practice. "There were plays out here that I told him, 'I don't like them. Let's think about getting rid of them.' And he's fine with that, and coach Tice is fine with that.

"It's a give and take, and that's a breath of fresh air around here, being able to give ideas and everyone giving ideas and let's pick the best ones that work for everybody."

That wasn't the case last season under offensive coordinator Mike Martz, when the offense operated as more of a dictatorship then a democracy.

Cutler is looking forward to utilizing the most talented collection of skill-position players the Bears have possessed in more than 20 years. And his passing-game weapons aren't just better; they're bigger. The addition of two big wide receivers -- the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Marshall and 6-foot-3, 216-pound rookie Alshon Jeffery -- gives Cutler much bigger targets than he's had in three previous seasons with the Bears.

"It changes things, (like) where you can throw the ball, (and) when you can throw the ball," Cutler said. "Those guys are getting better and better each day."

Marshall caught 206 passes in the two full seasons he played with Cutler as a Bronco. He was asked top explain their past success.

"We're two guys who are really passionate about the game, he said. "But I think the most important thing is that we see the field the same. A lot of times you have to wing it out there, and we seem to be on the same page when we do that. That's what the great ones do -- see the field the same way."

Cutler believes Marshall's presence will help the entire receiving corps, and not just with his own catches, yards and touchdowns.

"Game-day-wise, he's going to attract a lot of attention," Cutler said. "He's going to attract a lot of coverages. Guys on defense are going to have to decide with Matt (Forte) and Brandon and all the other weapons, what they're going to give us.

"Are they going to let us run the ball or are they going to let us pass the ball? He helps those guys. And he's been through a lot of adversity. He's had some great seasons. So he's able to pass on to these young guys some of the good and bad things he's done."

There are plenty of both, bad and good. Marshall's off-the-field incidents involving alcohol and violence against women have been well documented, and he's been up front about striving to improve. But he also sees room for improvement on the field, even though he's put up monster numbers for the past five seasons.

"In 2008 we finished No. 2 in offense and everyone says we were really successful, and even we walk around sometimes saying it," Marshall said. "But when I look at film now, I think we were terrible. We were just young and immature out there on the field, not understanding the big picture of the offense and the game itself. To see where we're at now, where our football mind is at now, it's going to be really dangerous."

Lakers' Bynum plans on Orthokine therapy

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:55:49 GMT

Even though Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum remained healthy this past season, he said on Wednesday he plans to go to Germany in September to undergo Orthokine therapy, which is the procedure Kobe Bryant had last offseason.

"He just told me it helped him out," Bynum told reporters.

Bynum, who made his comments after his exit interview with general manager Mitch Kupchak and coach Mike Brown, said he might have the treatment on both of his knees. That will depend on the results of an MRI to be performed soon.

"Nothing feels wrong," Bynum said. "It's supposed to regenerate tissue and stuff like that, so I want to check that out."

The procedure performed by Dr. Peter Wehling involves taking the patient's own blood, spinning it in a centrifuge and then injecting it into the knee.

Bynum, 24, averaged career highs of 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds along with 1.9 blocks per game this season, when he was named to the All-Star team for the first time.

Bynum reiterated that he wants to stay with the Lakers.

"I take every day that I'm in L.A. as a good one," Bynum said. "I don't want to go anywhere and hopefully if I keep elevating my play, I won't have to."

The Lakers must decide by June 30 whether to exercise the team's $16.1 million option on Bynum for next season. They are expected to do so.

Steelers' Harrison praises Vilma lawsuit

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:46:00 GMT

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison says that regardless of the outcome, all NFL players stand to benefit from Jonathan Vilma's defamation lawsuit against Roger Goodell.

"It is really a win-win. Whether he wins the case or if he loses it," Harrison told a group of reporters at a team-organized event. "If he loses it, it shows that Goodell does have too much power and if he wins it, it opens up the floodgates."

Vilma's suit claims Goodell made false statements that tarnished Vilma's reputation and hurt his chances to make a living playing football. Vilma received a one-year suspension as a result of the Saints' bounty program, which the NFL alleges it ran from 2009-11.

Harrison has often criticized Goodell and has been fined more than $100,000 for hits that were determined to be illegal. Last season, he became the first player to be suspended under stricter guidelines for player safety after a hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.

Harrison questioned the severity of penalties given to Vilma and coach Sean Payton versus that handed to the franchise.

"He only gave the team a half-million-dollar fine and two second-round draft picks, and that's a billion-dollar organization," Harrison said. "But yet you take a whole year's pay away from the guy that is below him and you take a whole year's pay away from the head coach. But the actual team themselves, you slap them on the wrist."

Maria Sharapova's sweet plan for success

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:37:52 GMT

The taste of success is sweet for Maria Sharapova -- in more ways than one.

The Russian tennis star is focused on completing a coveted career grand slam of titles at the French Open starting next week, but she already has plans for her next off-court project.

The 25-year-old is the world's highest-paid female athlete due to her top-end endorsement deals, according to Forbes magazine, and she has another lucrative sideline in the works.

Having already designed clothes for Nike and luxury label Cole Haan among her projects, Sharapova is planning to release a line of confectionery called "Sugarpova."

"I'm doing everything. The branding and all the shapes of the candy and the gummy-bears," she told CNN's Open Court. "And it is going to launch before the U.S. Open (in September), fingers crossed, so that is my next project."

Sharapova is big business, and she takes it seriously.

"It's such a different type of work to being a tennis player, working with consumers and understanding what people buy, trend reports, what's in and what's out, whether it's something that is going to last for years," she said.

"I look at it as something that is fun for me, that is creative for me, the thought process of seeing something that is on paper or just an idea. You're traveling and you see somebody wear a cross-body bag and you're like, 'Wow I love the handle on that,' and something clicks and you put it on paper and a year later you see it in the stores for people to buy.

"I am just fascinated by that, I think it is an amazing process and I've been so fortunate to work with so many great people that teach me so much about different things. I am not a designer, I never went to school for it, but I love being creative and I love learning and understanding what works and what doesn't work."

That attention to detail has also helped put Sharapova in a position to join an exclusive club of nine tennis players who have won all four grand slam titles, known as a "career slam," having resurrected her fortunes in recent years after a serious shoulder injury.

Despite having once described herself as "a cow on ice" on clay, Sharapova has improved her game on the surface to the point where the world No. 2 is now a top contender to win the French Open and add to her Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open crowns.

Last year she reached the semifinals at Roland Garros for the second time, and she already has two tournament wins on red dirt under her belt this season after retaining the Italian Open title last weekend.

"The French Open is always a big goal of mine because I have always said it is going to be the most challenging grand slam for me to win," she said.

"Whether it was when I called myself that cow on ice or whatever it was, but if I go there and play well and physically, I feel healthy and I feel great. There is no reason I can't win it.

"I've been in a couple of semifinals, I believe, last year as well. So, it's really about (whether) I put myself in that position and win it. I believe in that definitely."

Sharapova has suffered just one defeat on clay all season -- to Serena Williams in the final of the Madrid Open -- and is coming into form at the right time.

But despite her fluency on court in the past few weeks she revealed just how taxing the transition from hard courts to the much slower clay surface is every year.

"The first few days on clay are brutal, especially with the practices; you're just getting your footwork down and the movement," she said.

"It's so frustrating. I never crack rackets but those first few days I crack rackets all the time. I'm like 'Get me extra rackets!'

"Over the years I think the key for me is being physically stronger, where I have been able to play a match whether it's three sets or two tough sets and recover for the next day.

"In Europe one of the challenges you have is in one week you could be playing five, six matches a week then you have the next tournament coming up then a week off, then you have a grand slam.

"The physical aspect of all that and mentally understanding that your body has to be ready for all those matches in a short period of time on clay has always been tough for me.

"I have always recovered so much better and I move a lot better on it, so yeah it's nicer, less rackets cracked!"

The women often suffer from comparisons to the men, with the exploits of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer cementing this as a golden age of competition in the male arena.

But Sharapova insists the women's game is on an upward curve, with players like Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova and Serena Williams battling it out for major honors, and a new generation of talented youngsters snapping at their heels.

"The level of the game from the first round that you play at a women's event is so much higher than you would see five, 10 years ago," she explained.

"I kind of felt that I'd come to a tournament, take the first few matches and see it as a warmup, in a way. Everyone in the press was saying why is it always 6-1 6-0 6-2? But now you don't see that very often.

"You could be facing someone in the first round that is maybe not as consistent but they are experienced, they have beaten top players before and it's difficult.

"I think that is why you see so much more attendances from the beginning of the week higher than you saw years ago."

Despite perching on the shoulder of history, Sharapova insists such landmarks do not dominate her every thought, though a newfound dedication to her profession was brought into sharp focus due to a serious injury.

"I've played tennis since I was four years old and when you're in a match situation -- you could be losing or you're winning -- there are so many emotions that go into that," she said.

"Even when I was away from the game for nine months with shoulder surgery and trying to get back, I never, never ever felt that.

"There were so many things I did off the court, just great experiences, wonderful people, I got to work on amazing projects but nothing gave me that feeling of being in those positions where I had to pull out of a match when I was losing.

"(When I) had to close it out when I didn't expect myself to win, it was such an adrenaline rush that you don't get in many things in life.

"Whether it's playing some small tournament in a small city in front of 2,000 people or whether it's the finals of Wimbledon where you have an amazing crowd and all that history behind it, it is really at the end of the day trying to make yourself better."

Cubs mired in worst skid in 10 years

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:37:42 GMT

The losing streak is the longest by a Chicago Cubs team in 10 years.

Wednesday night's 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park was the Cubs' ninth in a row, dropping their record to 15-29.

The Cubs had been looking for a good sign, any kind of good sign. They got it in the first inning on a solo homer by Reed Johnson. That gave the Cubs a lead for the first time in one week, since they led the Phillies on May 16. They had gone 59 straight innings without leading.

Even with dependable Jeff Samardzija on the mound, the Cubs couldn't do much else. The Astros got two in the fourth and three in the ninth against wild reliever Rafael Dolis. The Cubs were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and they stranded 10. It all left them muttering as they headed into an off-day Thursday before opening a series Friday in Pittsburgh. Things don't figure to get much easier, as the Cubs have just begun a stretch in which they play 16 of 19 away from Wrigley Field.

"It's getting very tough," said acting manager Jamie Quirk. Manager Dale Sveum was in Arizona, attending the high school graduation of his son. "This game is so mental day in and day out. It keeps coming at you. Obviously you wipe it away and you show up the next day wanting to win, but losing is never fun. That's our job to keep the up and they are doing a great job of it."

Shaq doesn't want to pursue Magic GM job

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:25:13 GMT

NBA great Shaquille O'Neal has declined an invitation to interview for the Orlando Magic's vacant general manager position.

O'Neal had earlier expressed interest in the job.

"When I first heard about the vacancy for the Orlando Magic general manager position, I was clearly intrigued," O'Neal said in a statement Thursday. "I was drafted by the Magic, I have a great love for the franchise, and I have made the city of Orlando my home. Additionally, I have great admiration and respect for the DeVos family.

"However, this is not a job I have an interest in pursuing. I feel very fortunate to be with TNT and to have the best job in sports. I look forward to many more years with Charles (Barkley), Kenny (Smith) and E.J. (Ernie Johnson). I wish the best for the Magic and I am confident that they will select a great GM and coach."

Magic officials told ESPN.com Wednesday night that they won't publicly discuss the process or timetable of their GM and coach searches. On Monday, the team fired coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith.

O'Neal played for the Magic from 1992-96 and led the club to the NBA Finals in 1995.

Diamondbacks have no plans to demote Putz

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:13:27 GMT

While several other teams have jockeyed with the closer position this season, the Diamondbacks plan to stick with J.J. Putz despite early-season inconsistencies.

"Oh, yeah; no question," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "I just think he's the guy. He's our closer and nothing's changed. It's as simple as that."

Putz brings a strong leadership presence to the bullpen and the clubhouse, and he was among the D-backs' most valuable pieces in 2011, when he was 2-2 with a 2.17 ERA and converted a career-high 44 saves in 48 opportunities while helping the D-backs to the NL West title.

It has not been as much of a straight line this season.

Putz has converted 9-of-12 save chances, but the failures have been dramatic.

Colorado's Todd Helton and Washington's Ian Desmond hit two-out, two-run walk-off home runs in the ninth inning, and the Dodgers' Ivan De Jesus hit a two-out, two-run double in the ninth inning for an 8-7 victory Tuesday, a game the D-backs twice led by five runs.

Miami took the closer job away from Heath Bell before reinstating him and the Angels removed Jordan Walden after a rocky start, but Gibson was not about to single out one cause for the D-backs' 20-25 start, even if Putz is 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA in 16 appearances.

"It's not just J.J," Gibson said. "You could look around to some of the games we've lost that we thought we should have won. You could go around to every position on the field. Not just pitching. You could blame the hitting. We haven't picked it up. We've made base running errors.

"We just haven't put it together up to this point."

Putz and pitching coach Charles Nagy spent time breaking down film and before the D-backs' previous trip, and Putz tweaked his delivery, focusing on not getting too far over the rubber. He converted three saves in four days on the trip before stumbling Tuesday.

"He righted some mechanical stuff that made him more comfortable on the mound," Nagy said. "He's been throwing the ball better, (Tuesday) night aside. He made a couple of bad pitches, and that is going to happen over the course of a year."

Pitt's Derrick Burns suffers stroke

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:05:13 GMT

University of Pittsburgh reserve fullback Derrick Burns suffered a career-ending stroke, his father told a local television station.

Dan Burns told KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, "Found a mass, a blood clot in the back of his head, and a small one on the left side which caused a stroke and left his right side weak."

Derrick Burns, 20, played in one game during his collegiate career. The redshirt sophomore was expected to battle for the starting fullback job this fall.

Steinbrenner says Yankees not for sale

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:58:59 GMT

The New York Yankees aren't for sale.

Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said Thursday that his family has no intention of selling the historic franchise.

Steinbrenner's comments come in response to a New York Daily News report, which said that rumors are swirling that Steinbrenner's family is looking into the possibility of selling the team.

"I just learned of the Daily News story. It is pure fiction," Steinbrenner said in a statement. "The Yankees are not for sale. I expect that the Yankees will be in my family for many years to come."

Yankees president Randy Levine also denied the suggestion to the Daily News, telling the paper:

"I can say to you there is absolutely, positively nothing to this. The Steinbrenners are not selling the team."

Citing anonymous sources, the paper suggested that the April sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers for a record price of $2.175 billion signaled a good time for the Steinbrenners to sell. The Yankees were purchased by a group headed by George M. Steinbrenner in 1973 for $8.8 million.

76ers clip Celtics, force game 7

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:55:27 GMT

Jrue Holiday scored 20 points and Elton Brand had 13 points and 10 rebounds as host Philadelphia forced a seventh game in its Eastern Conference second-round series with Boston.

Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner scored 12 points apiece as the 76ers rebounded from a loss for the third time in the best-of-seven.

Paul Pierce had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Garnett added 20 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which hosts Game 7 on Saturday.

Philadelphia used stingy defense to win Game 6 and held the Celtics to 33.3 percent shooting from the field while forcing 16 turnovers.

The 76ers led by four points with 10 minutes to play before tallying seven straight points to take the first double-digit lead of the contest. Holiday scored back-to-back baskets to start the surge and Lou Williams hit a runner to cap it and give Philadelphia a 70-59 with 7:15 remaining.

A 3-pointer by Pierce trimmed Boston’s deficit to 80-75 with 32.3 seconds left before Holiday hit two free throws to help seal it.

Williams tallied 11 points for the 76ers, who were just 17 of 28 from the free-throw line and were outrebounded 48-37.

Boston led 36-33 at halftime despite shooting just 31.7 percent from the field. The 76ers shot 40 percent in the opening half, but missed 13 of their final 15 shots while scoring just 11 second-quarter points.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Boston guard Avery Bradley (shoulder) missed his second straight contest. … Brand is averaging 16 points over the last two games after averaging just 4.3 points over the first four games. … Celtics’ Game 5 hero Brandon Bass scored just eight points on 2-of-12 shooting . … Iguodala went 3 for 7 from the free-throw line and is just 13 of 29 in the series.