Filed under: Broncos, Steelers

DENVER — Maybe it took two quarters of getting acclimated to the Denver altitude, or perhaps the rust of a bye week left the Pittsburgh Steelers a bit sluggish out of the gate Monday night. But when the Steelers’ defense and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hit the field re-energized in the second half of what became a lopsided AFC battle against the Broncos, they hardly let the home team touch the football.

Roethlisberger threw three second-half touchdowns, the Steelers defense forced two of Kyle Orton’s three interceptions, and Pittsburgh played its most complete 30 minutes of football this season, ultimately rolling to a 28-10 victory over the Broncos at a stunned Invesco Field.

Big Ben, Steelers Strike in Second Half originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Broncos, Steelers

DENVER — Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark wasn’t happy with coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to deactivate him for Monday night’s key AFC showdown against the Denver Broncos. So his team tried to alleviate some of the conflict Clark may have felt as a spectator.

The Steelers defense forced three Kyle Orton interceptions and Clark’s replacement at free safety, Tyrone Carter, got two of them. Carter returned one of his picks 48 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, and Pittsburgh dominated the suddenly vulnerable Broncos, 28-10, at Invesco Field at Mile High.

Tomlin, whose team improved to 6-2, made the call to keep Clark in street clothes, mindful of the defensive back’s previous medical emergency in the altitude in Denver two years ago. Clark has a rare form of sickle-cell trait that is aggravated by altitude.

No Ryan Clark, but Same Steel Curtain originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Tennis

So what do people want from their heroes, anyway: after-the-fact transparency or the perpetuation of fraud? Here we are, still wading through the slime of the Steroids Era, rightfully crucifying juicers for trying to hide behind walls of deceit. And yet, some of the same critics are pummeling Andre Agassi for volunteering 12 years after his sin — when it would have been far more convenient to keep living the lie — that he failed a drug test and deceived the ATP by writing a letter claiming he “unwittingly” used crystal meth.

The admission, in an autobiography called Open,’ is crippling to Agassi’s reputation as one of sport’s good guys. By outing himself, he hurts his family, his numerous charitable causes, his credibility and the image we have of his complete body of work, not good when one of his defining ad campaigns once had him declaring, “Image is everything.” Knowing the damage that was forthcoming, he came clean nonetheless about his recreational drug problem, unlike the high-profile baseball stars whose performance-enhancing crimes have been revealed in investigations and exposés.

For Andre Agassi, Truth Is Everything originally appeared on Fanhouse - Jay Mariotti on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Florida International

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The universally popular bashing of Isiah Thomas is justified, but only to a point. Whatever the case, it continued on Monday night at the Dean E. Smith Center, where it was mostly harmless and often humorous.

Ailing mothers have a tendency to soften hard souls.

So, for the first time since just shy of forever, Thomas walked into a basketball arena as somebody that many wished to hug instead of choke. That’s because hours before he made his debut as a college basketball coach for Florida International University against North Carolina (yes, that North Carolina), Mary Thomas was in a Chicago hospital preparing to have her 86-year-old heart repaired.

Isiah Thomas’s Shot at Redemption originally appeared on Fanhouse NCAA Basketball Blog on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Red Sox, MLB Transactions

The Red Sox made a flurry of contract decisions on Monday as they hurtle headlong into the Hot Stove season. Boston picked up its 2010 option on Victor Martinez, and declined options on longtime catcher and captain Jason Varitek and knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield, renegotiating a two-year extension with Wakefield at a low average annual value.

There’s little surprise about Martinez or Varitek.

The former, a catcher/first baseman who will make $7 million next year, was acquired at great cost in talent from the Indians at the trading deadline this year, and he excelled in the Boston pressure cooker, hitting .336 with 41 RBI in 56 games. The latter, a New England fixture and the heart and soul of two championship teams, has seen his production dip over the last few seasons.

The Red Sox declined a $5 million team option on Varitek, but he can still return in 2010 if he picks up his $3 million player option, and there are indications that he will.

Red Sox Make Decisions on Martinez, Wakefield, Varitek originally appeared on Fanhouse MLB Blog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: 76ers, Suns

Be honest: you didn’t think that after eight games were played in this young NBA season that we’d be talking about the Phoenix Suns as one of the best teams in the league. But after Monday night’s come-from-behind win in Philadelphia to finish a five-game road trip at 4-1, that’s exactly where we find ourselves.

Behind 21 points and 20 assists from Steve Nash — his seventh 20-assist game in his career and his second of this season — the Suns came from eight points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Sixers in Philadelphia, and claimed a share of the league’s top spot in the standings in the process.

Steve Nash Goes 20-20, Suns Go to 7-1 originally appeared on Fanhouse NBA Blog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO

WBO and WBC middleweight champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik will fight Miguel Espino on Dec. 19 at in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, his promoter, Top Rank president Bob Arum, confirmed on Monday. Pavlik has apparently healed from a staph infection that twice prompted him to cancel scheduled title bouts against three-time champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams.

Arum said that Pavlik will face Espino as the main event of a pay-per-view card entitled, “Latin Fury.”

Pavlik to Return, Face Espino on Dec. 19 originally appeared on Fanhouse Boxing Blog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

This news should come as little surprise. However, a funny thing happens away from the reality side of the story. That’s right, the fantasy football world begins to turn on it’s axis with visions of glory and/or delusions that somehow Johnson being set free could be a blessing in disguise. Where will LJ end up? Is he worth nabbing off the waiver wire? Oh man, the many possibilities, but don’t get ahead of yourself. First off, he’ll need to audition and then he’ll need to prove he’s still worthy of a shot. With the season growing towards the end…how excited can you really be about LJ the free agent?

Fantasy Football Cut-N-Go: Larry Johnson Gets Laid Off originally appeared on Fanhouse Fantasy Football on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Steelers at Broncos MNF Live-Blog

Our resident Steelers fan is taking the night off to watch the game at a bar with his Steeler friends, but we’ll still have gay mafia quorum here at the live blog, as we pull our weekly stunt of spending as much time typing and reading comments as we do watching the game. Should be fun. The way I look at it, I’m not drinking alone if I’m chatting on the Internet with other people who are drinking. It’s what Kyle Orton would want.

Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Umpires

CHICAGO — Expansion of instant replay is expected to be one of the topics discussed when baseball general managers begin their formal meetings on Tuesday, but one of its longtime proponents is not optimistic that his group can effect any change.

“Whatever the instant replay discussion is, I’m going to raise my hand [in favor],” said White Sox GM Kenny Williams. “However, I don’t know at the end of the day that vote is going to mean much.”

This postseason was full of mistakes by umpires, leading to a national debate about whether the use of replay should be expanded beyond its current scope. Williams said he’s been pushing for the use of replay for seven or eight years, but he’s come to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter what he or other general managers want.

Don’t Hold Your Breath for News on Replay at GM Meetings originally appeared on Fanhouse MLB Blog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments