INTERVIEW-Golf-McIlroy is as good as I've seen - Gary Player

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Gary Player spent much ofhis career in the shadow of record 18-times major winner JackNicklaus and the South African believes young Briton RoryMcIlroy has as much natural talent as any golfer he has seen. "Rory's swing is so magnificent," purred Player, slowingdown his voice for emphasis. "He's got as much talent as anybody I've ever seen," the76-year-old told Reuters ...

St. Louisan played for U.S. team that stunned England in 1950 World Cup.

Golf-McIlroy is as good as I've seen - Gary Player

Gary Player spent much of his career in the shadow of record 18-times major winner Jack Nicklaus and the South African believes young Briton Rory McIlroy has as much natural talent as any golfer he has seen.

Twins take bids on Kim-and-Kris-autographed ball (AP)

AP - The Minnesota Twins are cutting ties with the Kardashians, too.

Egypt's American soccer coach

Bob Bradley, an American who coaches Egypt's national soccer team, says Egypt's love for soccer is intertwined with its political revolution.

Union: Soccer clubs not paying in Eastern Europe

The union representing professional soccer players said Tuesday its members are mistreated financially by clubs in Eastern Europe, which can lead to the greater risk of match-fixing.

Fans roar as Giants' victory parade rolls into NYC (AP)

AP - Thousands of fans roared as New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning hoisted the team's Super Bowl trophy from a glittering blue-and-white float Tuesday during a victory parade along the Canyon of Heroes, where the city has honored stars for almost a century.

Golf Canada's Simmons, RBC's Little on Globe's Power 50 list

Simmons improves three places from 2011 list while Little makes his Power 50 debut

EXCLUSIVE: Earvin "Magic" Johnson Talks About Magic/Bird , the Broadway Basketball Biography

Basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson, formerly of Michigan State University and the Los Angeles Lakers, will make his Broadway debut this spring — sort of.

Tennis-Paris Open women's singles first round results

Results from the Paris Open women's singles first matches on Tuesday 6-Julia Goerges (Germany) beat Shahar Peer (Israel) 6-1 6-3 9-Angelique Kerber (Germany) beat Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 6-2 7-6(3) Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) beat 3-Li Na (China) 7-6(5) 3-2 (Li N retired) Petra Cetkovska (Czech Republic) beat Alberta Brianti (Italy) 6-3 6-3 Mona Barthel (Germany) beat Barbora Zahlavova ...

Unlucky in Love, Serena Williams Reportedly Spotted on Date: A Female's Reaction

World-famed tennis champion Serena Williams was recently seen on what appears to be a date with Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov in Paris. The tennis-playing pair had lunch at the L'Avenue restaurant before going on a romantic walk through the streets of Paris.

Baseball. Diamond Club Luncheon Set For Feb. 16

The TCU Baseball Diamond Club will host its second monthly Diamond Club meeting on Thursday, Feb. 16 in the Dee J. Kelly Alumni Center from 11:30-1 p.m. Attending the luncheon along with head coach Jim Schlossnagle will be newcomers Brandon Finnegan and Chris Murphy.

College Football Conferences with Most Super Bowl MVP's: Fan's Look

These are the college football conferences ranked by the the number of players from each conference who were Super Bowl MVP's. Conferences with the most Super Bowl MVP's are ranked the highest, and players are counted for each MVP they won.

Egypt's American soccer coach: Players need time to heal

Bob Bradley knew the job would be tough when he took it.

Football Scores Top Spot in App Search Queries for January

Chomp, the leading app search engine, today released its monthly app search data reflecting the most significant consumer search trends for Android and Apple iOS apps during the month of January.

Bruce Jenkins: Enduring 'tennis dads' continue to create infamous headlines

So much has changed in tennis since the turbulent, historic "boom" of the 1970s. Wooden rackets are collectors' items, just about everyone hits the two-handed backhand, hotheads have been silenced by instant replay, and string technology replaced cat-and-mouse strategy with titanic battles from the baseline.

Tennis players help stock food pantry

Fifty-six players hit the courts Sunday in support of donating groceries to the Barnabas Center Food Pantry. Kraft Tennis Players, along with Maharaj Tennis and Yulee Tennis Foundation, sponsored the afternoon round robin event.

Baseball. Meet the UA Baseball Team This Week

The Wildcats will host a series of events this week to show their appreciation to their fans in advance of the 2012 season.

Competitive soccer linked to increased injuries and menstrual dysfunction in girls

( American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ) In the US, there are nearly three million youth soccer players, and half of them are female. New research presented today at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found that despite reporting appropriate body perception and attitudes toward eating, elite youth soccer athletes face an increased risk for delayed or ...

Basketball coach charged in abuse of student

A substitute teacher who also worked as a coach in Orland Park has been charged with sexually abusing a student, officials said.

WADA president: Alberto Contador is a 'cheat' (AP)

AP - Alberto Contador should be considered a "cheat" after being found guilty of doping and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title, the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency said Tuesday.

The Untold Story from The Other Dream Team, Lithuanian Basketball Team Documentary Film

The image of a skeleton dunking a flaming basketball rallied the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic Basketball Team to a bronze medal victory in the Barcelona Summer Olympics. The image playe

Golfer Injured by Golf Club: A Fan's Take

One of the things I have always liked about golf is that it is a non-violent game. You ride the caddy up and down the green; shoot the breeze with your friends, play your holes and go home smiling. There is no need to worry about someone tackling you from behind like a freight...

WADA urges Feds to hand over Armstrong info (AP)

AP - The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday urged U.S. federal authorities to quickly hand over evidence collected in their lengthy probe into seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and doping in American cycling.

Tomic keen to focus on tennis

Rising tennis star Bernard Tomic says he is keen to move on from his recent run in with the police.

Men's Basketball: Junior shines on the hardwood

For junior guard John Allen, playing basketball is not just about winning or scoring. It’s much more than that.

Golf Glance

Site: Pebble Beach, Calif. Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Sandusky requests copies of grand jury testimony (AP)

AP - Jerry Sandusky wants copies of secret grand jury testimony to help him prepare for trial on charges he sexually abused 10 boys.

Crocs™ Golf with Hank Haney Named “Best New Product” at 2012 PGA Merchandise Show

Crocs, Inc. announced today that its new Crocs™ Golf with Hank Haney collection was selected as one of three overall “Best New Products” at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show, Jan.

London offers tennis champion Paes chance to beat dad

London's Olympics offer the seemingly ageless Leander Paes the chance to outdo his father in the medals stakes and to crown his doubles tennis career.

Oly legacy officials to name stadiums after games (AP)

AP - The Olympic Park Legacy Company has started taking bids for naming rights for major stadiums once the 2012 London Olympics are complete.

Rice's soccer signees bring dose of fieriness

Rice's soccer signees bring dose of fieriness HOUSTON CHRONICLE Copyright 2012 HOUSTON CHRONICLE. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 12:44 a.m., Tuesday, February 7, 2012 1 Midfielder Becca Koval (Camarillo, Calif.) has the height (6-0) that makes her "a lethal weapon on set pieces in the final third" of the field, and she ...

New York Giants like chances of repeating (AP)

AP - Tom Coughlin is coming back. Eli Manning is only getting better. And the vast majority of the New York Giants' starting lineup is under contract.

Mercer beats East Tennessee State 54-46 (AP)

AP - Bud Thomas, Langston Hall and Travis Smith scored 11 points each to lead Mercer in a 54-46 victory over East Tennessee State Monday night, its eighth straight win.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 7

To stay ahead of other teams in your fantasy basketball leagues, it is important to scour the waiver wire and free agent pool to pick up players that will help your team succeed in the present and future. Here's a look at five players owned in less than 50% of Yahoo!

Baseball: Ex-Coronado High T-Bird coach is 2nd El Paso link to hall of fame

John Carpenter, head baseball coach at Coronado High School for 11 years and a 33-year coaching veteran, was inducted into the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame last month.

Baseball: Harvard-Westlake pitchers are No. 1

So ESPN has ranked its top left-handed and right-handed pitchers in the nation, and guess who's No. 1? They come from the same high school -- Harvard-Westlake. Max Fried is the left-hander and Lucas Giolito the right-hander. It's hard to...

Clippers' Billups goes down with Achilles injury, Anthony hurt (Reuters)

Reuters - Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups was helped off the court after injuring his left Achilles during his team's overtime victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday.

Ducks beat Flames 3-2 in 8th round of shootout (AP)

AP - Niklas Hagman scored the deciding goal in the eighth round of a shootout and the Anaheim Ducks beat Calgary 3-2 on Monday night for their 14th straight home victory over the Flames.

Tennis: New game in town

The signs have been up around Lee County tennis centers for a couple of weeks now.

ANALYSIS-Soccer-Capello's roller-coaster ride lurches into another crisis

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Teen tennis star Tomic disappointed at car controversy

Teenage Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic said Tuesday he was disappointed to have been caught up in another controversy involving his high-powered, bright orange sports car, and he plans to sell it.

Where YouTube Sensation Cody Paul Is Playing College Football

? I avoided joining the orgy of coverage for National Signing Day, which is most notable not for the superstar high schoolers committing to play at the biggest football schools, but for being the only thing that keeps the fax machine relevant. However, I?ll toss in one signing day story to follow up on a ...

Most-Dropped Fantasy Basketball Players from Week 6

As with any sport, players can decline in production just as fast as they rise in popularity for a recent hot streak. Whether it's a major injury that will keep the player out for an extended period of time or a recent cold streak in production, here are the most-dropped...

England football great Bobby Charlton has surgery

England football great Sir Bobby Charlton underwent "minor surgery" after being taken ill before the Laureus World Sports Awards in London, organisers said.

Belichick: Giving Giants TD gave Pats best chance (AP)

AP - Bill Belichick gave clear instructions to his defensive unit: Let the runner score.

Tennis-Why not win both Roland Garros and Olympic gold, asks Djokovic

The French Open title and an Olympic gold medal are the only major prizes in tennis to have eluded Novak Djokovic, and for the Serb, there is no point discussing which he would rather win this year.

Fans bet $94M on Super Bowl at Nevada casinos (AP)

AP - Sports fans bet $93.9 million at Nevada casinos on Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, the most wagered in the past decade.

Reaction to Contador's two-year doping ban (Reuters)

Reuters - Reactions to Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador's two-year ban Monday following a failed doping test during the 2010 Tour de France:

Golf's Most Exciting (and Loudest) Hole--WMO's #16. A Fan's Review

TPC Scottsdale's 16th hole on the Stadium Course isn't the longest part three on the PGA Tour. Nor is it the shortest, or the easiest or even the hardest. But ask just about any pro and they'll tell you it's one of the favorite holes they'll play all year.