NBA highlights from January 3rd

Here Are Your NBA highlights from Last Night, January 3rd!


Here Are Your Top Ten Plays!


And Your Top Play! Marcus Camby with the huge denial!

Warren Sapp Throws In The Towel

Warren Sapp announced his retirement on Thursday, ending the career of one of the best defensive tackles to play in the NFL.

Sapp posted a two word message on his Web site, www.qbkilla.com, announcing his intention: "I'M DONE!" He had told teammates and coaches his plans after the season finale Sunday against San Diego. Sapp told the Contra Costa Times earlier Thursday that he had called Raiders owner Al Davis to give him the official news.

Sapp, 35, was the quintessential "three technique" tackle during his 13-year career, lining up between the guard and tackle and splitting that gap. Few did it better than Sapp, who made seven Pro Bowls, won The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award in 1999, and was a key cog in Tampa Bay's Super Bowl winning defense in the 2002 season.

"Every defensive tackle that's drafted in the top five is supposed to be the next (me)," Sapp said earlier this season. "All of them have that tag. ... I've played the game pretty well, so if I'm the standard by which (they'll) be judged, that's tough, because I'd like to relive that guy, too. He's a bad boy. He's dead now. I give you flashes of him every now and then but, nah, that guy was sick."

After having 10 sacks in 2006, Sapp wasn't as successful this season when he finished with only two. He also was part of a Raiders defense that struggled against the run, allowing a league-worst 4.8 yards per carry.

Sapp was no longer the every-down menace he was during his younger days in Tampa, but he could still pick his spots. In his final game against San Diego, Sapp shot through a gap and hit quarterback Philip Rivers' forearm before he could hand the ball off to LaDainian Tomlinson, causing a fumble.

"You get a little older, you can see your weaknesses a little bit more and go about 45-50 plays now," Sapp said late in the season. "But there's still some good gas in the tank and I'm still able to make the plays."

Sapp finished his career with 96 1/2 sacks, the 28th most since the NFL began keeping track of the statistic in 1982. What made that even more remarkable is that Sapp played primarily on the inside at tackle, where sacks are traditionally much harder to come by.

Sapp was considered a coach on the field by the defensive staff on the Raiders and was viewed as a leader by the young players that surrounded him.

"I felt like having him here made me a better football player," Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison said. "He was the leader of this defense. They say the middle linebacker is supposed to lead, but the guy has been in the league 13 years and he's seen it all. I leaned on him. There's so much more for me to learn from him I don't want him to leave yet."

Sapp began his career in Tampa Bay in 1995, where he helped turn one of the league's perennial losers into Super Bowl champions following the 2002 season. The Buccaneers had only three winning seasons in 19 years before Sapp arrived.

Along with linebacker Derrick Brooks and safety John Lynch, Sapp was a mainstay on the Bucs defense under coach Tony Dungy. The success they had helped make the "Tampa Two" defense a staple around the league and sent Tampa to the postseason five times in six years from 1997-2002.

Sapp became known as much for his sterling play as he did for his entertaining trash talking on the field.

"I can't stop that," Sapp said. "I'm going to do that as loud as I can for as long as I can because it just gets me going. That's the way I play the game. I can't help it."

Sapp starred in college at the University of Miami, where he arrived as a tight end and left as the best defensive player in the country. He slipped to No. 12 in the 1995 draft after testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.

That was just one controversy in Sapp's career. In 2002, he nearly ended the career of Packers offensive tackle Chad Clifton with a vicious hit while trying to throw a block after an interception. Then-Packers coach Mike Sherman confronted Sapp on the field after the game, calling it a dirty play.

Sapp was fined $50,000 for bumping an official in 2003 and was fined $75,000 after being ejected following three personal fouls in the second-to-last game of his career against Jacksonville.

Funny Moment During The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl!

Click On The Video!

Matt Vasgersian wins my vote for Announcer of the Year, and the year Just Began!

NBA Highlights From January 2nd!

Here Are Your NBA highlights from January 2nd, the first day Of NBA Action in 2008! There Were twelve games in the NBA Last Night, so click on the video to get caught up on all the action!


Here Are Your Top Ten Plays!


And Your Top Play! Jason Kidd with the delicious dish in transition!

Nick Swisher Dealt To South Side

The Oakland Athletics made their second major trade in three weeks, sending outfielder and fan favorite Nick Swisher to the Chicago White Sox for three minor leaguers on Thursday.

The A's - who dealt ace Dan Haren to Arizona on Dec. 14 - received left-hander Gio Gonzalez, right-hander Fautino De Los Santos and outfielder Ryan Sweeney.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane acknowledged last month that the A's are rebuilding and said he expects the club to take its lumps next season after the team missed the playoffs in 2007. The A's reached the AL championship series in 2006, but Oakland (76-86) had its streak of winning seasons end at eight and went 9-17 in September.

The 27-year-old Swisher, a switch-hitter and a popular presence in the clubhouse because of his high-energy, playful nature, had been one of few constants for Oakland in recent seasons - playing in the outfield and at first base while the team dealt with injuries at most every position. Also active in community service, he was Oakland's 16th selection in the first round of the 2002 draft. He will now live much closer to his offseason home in Parkersburg, W. Va.

He batted .262 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs in 150 games in 2007, his third full big league season. He also drew 100 walks, ranking him sixth in the AL, for a career-best .381 on-base percentage.

His 80 home runs were a franchise record by a switch-hitter, and Swisher also set his highs for batting average, walks and doubles (36).

The A's will have three more established minor leaguers to add to their farm system.

Gonzalez, 22, pitched for Double-A Birmingham last year and led minor league baseball with 185 strikeouts. He went 9-7 with a 3.18 ERA in 27 starts and was selected to the Southern League midseason and postseason All-Star teams. The White Sox acquired Gonzalez as a compensation pick - the 38th selection overall of the 2004 amateur draft.

The 21-year-old De Los Santos went 9-4 with a 2.40 ERA in 15 starts and six relief appearances for Class A Kannapolis in 2007. He was picked as the South Atlantic League's top prospect and was also a midseason and postseason All-Star.

In addition, he made five starts for Class-A Winston-Salem and had a combined record of 10-5 record with a 2.65 ERA.

Sweeney, a 22-year-old left hitter, was among Chicago's top prospects going into last season, when he batted .270 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs in 105 games for Triple-A Charlotte. He also hit .200 with a home run and five RBIs in 15 games for the White Sox.

Cam Cameron Faces The Music In Miami

Cam Cameron was fired as the Miami Dolphins' coach Thursday by new boss Bill Parcells after plunging to an 0-13 start in his first year on the job and finishing with just one victory.

The dismissal comes three days after Parcells ousted general manager Randy Mueller and means the reeling franchise will have its fifth coach in five seasons.

Parcells began work Dec. 27 as executive vice president of football operations and quickly concluded the Dolphins need another fresh start.

It has been 37 years since the Dolphins fired a coach. But they never finished 1-15 before.

All but two members of Cameron's coaching staff were also fired, although some might be rehired by the new head coach, the Dolphins said. Retained were assistant special teams coach Steve Hoffman and linebackers coach George Edwards.

Parcells made the decision to fire Cameron in consultation with new general manager Jeff Ireland, hired Wednesday after seven years in player personnel with the Dallas Cowboys.

"We just felt in order to move forward and not look back, we needed someone in place who shared the same philosophical compatibilities we shared," Ireland said. "We didn't really know the guy that well. We were going to try to get someone that does share those things, and we weren't completely sold that he did."

Ireland said the philosophy he and Parcells share involves creating a culture of winning.

"We want strong character around here," Ireland said. "The vision of the team will be discipline, passionate players, highly competitive. And we'll be a big team."

Ireland said he'll have final say regarding all player personnel decisions.

The early front-runner to replace Cameron is another Cowboys employee, assistant head coach Tony Sparano. He's scheduled to interview Friday for the head coaching vacancy in Atlanta.

Ireland said plans for the coaching search were still being formulated.

"We're going to try to make a quick decision, but we don't have a timetable," Ireland said. "We'll have a broad range of candidates. We'll look into every possibility."

Less than a year ago, owner Wayne Huizenga hired Cameron over at least 12 other candidates after a two-week search, the most extensive since the franchise's first season in 1966.

Cameron was on the job 11 months before he earned his first victory as an NFL head coach. Until Miami beat Baltimore in overtime Dec. 16, he was in danger of becoming the first coach to go 0-16.

Miami has missed the playoffs six consecutive seasons, a franchise record.

Other coaches, including some good ones, have been fired after only one season with a team. The list includes Cameron mentor Marty Schottenheimer (Washington in 2001), Art Shell (Oakland in 2006) and Pete Carroll (New York Jets in 1994).

Cameron, who was under contract through 2010, maintained a consistently low-key demeanor with the media and his team. The approach won praise from the locker room during training camp, but as losses mounted, players became coy when asked if they believed in Cameron.

Defensive end Jason Taylor, Miami's only Pro Bowl player, took a neutral stance on the firing.

"We've had a difficult year, and it's one of those times when it's a little unsettling," he said. "As a player on the team, you can only control what you can, and for other things, you have to let others do it."

Cameron was hired after five years as offensive coordinator for the high-scoring San Diego Chargers, and the Dolphins' offense improved early in the season. But when John Beck became the third starter at quarterback this year, the unit failed to score a touchdown in three consecutive games, and the rookie returned to the bench.

Cameron took over a team that had gone 19-29 the previous three years and was in decline following a series of bad drafts. Poor depth made this season's wave of injuries catastrophic.

Running back Ronnie Brown led the league in yards from scrimmage when he was sidelined for the season by a knee injury, and Trent Green and linebacker Zach Thomas also went on injured reserve. When 2002 NFL rushing champion Ricky Williams returned from a suspension, he lasted only six carries before a chest injury ended his season.

In addition, top receiver Chris Chambers was traded after six games.

The coach's office became a revolving door in 2004, when Dave Wannstedt quit after nine games and was replaced by Jim Bates. Nick Saban became the coach in 2005 but lasted only two years before leaving for Alabama. He was succeeded by Cameron.

Seven coaches started a season with a team that went 1-15, and only two returned the following year. Jimmy Johnson went 1-15 his first season in Dallas in 1989 but soon was winning Super Bowls, and Mike Riley remained with San Diego despite winning only once in 2000.

Cameron's only other head coaching job was at Indiana, where he was fired after five seasons. His career record as a head coach is 19-52.

NHL New Year's Day Winter Classic

Sidney Crosby can expect chilly receptions every time he returns to Buffalo.

The Penguins captain somehow saw space between Ryan Miller's pads as he shuffled through driving snow and gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres at the outdoor Winter Classic in front of an NHL-record 71,217 fans on Tuesday.

In elements more suited for football than hockey, Crosby won the NHL's second outdoor game - and first in the United States - in the most dramatic fashion at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home to the Buffalo Bills.

Crosby skated down the middle, eluded a pokecheck by Miller and put a shot between the goalie's pads in the final round.

More people tuned in on New Year's Day to see the NHL play outdoors than any other regular-season game in more than a decade.

The Penguins-Sabres game in snowy Buffalo — the first regular-season outdoor NHL game in the United States — drew a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share on NBC. Those were the best numbers since a six-game regional telecast on Fox drew a 3.0 overnight rating and a 7 share on Feb. 3, 1996.

Pittsburgh won 2-1 in a shootout on a Sidney Crosby's score before a crowd of more than 71,000 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The big numbers, in the stands and on TV, came three years after the NHL lockout forced the cancellation of an entire season and after last season's Stanley Cup finals on NBC drew record-low ratings.

"We're delighted by the success of this historic event," NBC Sports president Ken Schanzer said. "The Winter Classic exposed hockey to a larger audience and definitely made new fans of the game."

The Winter Classic ratings also surpassed Wayne Gretzky's final game, which was broadcast on Fox on April 18, 1999, and drew a 2.5/6.

The Buffalo and Pittsburgh markets led the ratings, at 38.2/58 and 17.7/30, respectively. But markets such as Sacramento, Calif., St. Louis and Denver also drew strong ratings, even though the game went up against a number of college football bowl games, including an intriguing Capital One Bowl between Florida and Michigan.

"This was one of the best events I've ever been a part of as a player, coach or broadcaster," NBC game analyst Eddie Olczyk said. "It truly was a memorable experience and a great day for the sport of hockey."

Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets in the United States, and each ratings point represents about 735,000 households. The rating is the percentage watching a telecast among homes with televisions, and the share is the percentage tuned into a broadcast among those households with televisions on at the time.

Check Out the video above. Skip Ahead to the shootout, the best part of the game!