wozniacki bikini

put impeccable championship form on display as Tuesday’s highly touted all-Swiss Australian Open quarter-final evolved into just another winning walkabout for the world number two in 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 drilling of Stanislas Wawrinka.
Women’s top seed Caroline Wozniacki kept a tenuous grip on her number one ranking as she preyed on the tiring legs of 30-year-old French Open winner Francesca Schiavone for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 trip to the semi-finals.
Italy’s battling veteran Schiavone had played for almost five hours in a marathon weekend win and ran out of puff after leading a set and 3-1. Wozniacki survived in the quest for her first Grand Slam title to back up the top ranking she earned in 2010.
Schiavone will still rise to fourth, the best ever for an Italian woman. She saved three match points as Wozniacki served for victory before finally going down in nearly two and a half hours.
Men’s holder Federer easily rolled to his fifth-consecutive win in his series against Wawrinka, his Swiss “little brother,” with whom he won the Beijing Olympic doubles gold medal in 2008.
Federer, bidding for a 17th Grand Slam title, was majestic in the one-hour, 47-minute win, his seventh of eight against Wawrinka. The pair both came to the match with identical 11-0 records this season after Wawrinka won the Chennai title and Federer captured Doha.
“I think it was a good match for me really, I started off well,” said Federer. “I was able to serve and return really well. I did not expect myself to do that because last time I played him he was really able to get the free points.
“There are no secrets out there for him or me. It may have been more of a battle for him since he had won his last two matches at night. I had to fight really hard, Stan has played an amazing tournament.”
So thorough was the Federer domination that Wawrinka, who fired 24 aces in his previous win over Andy Roddick, managed just one on the day – and that came three games from the end.
The world number two is to play in his eighth-straight Australian Open semi-final, facing either Novak Djokovic or Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych.
Both men got the better of Federer in 2010 Grand Slams, Berdych knocking him out of a Wimbledon quarter-final and Djokovic doing the same in the US Open semis.
“The opponents only get tougher as the tournament goes on,” said Federer, 59-7 overall in Melbourne with four titles.
“Djokovic and Berdych did beat me, but I got both of them back later in the season,” said Federer, who triumphed over Berdych in Canada and Djokovic in Shanghai, Basle and London. “I won’t be coming out to hand them the match. I will give everything I have.”
In the women’s quarter-finals, China’s Li Na duplicated her record-setting semi-final place from a year ago as she advanced 6-2, 6-4 over German Andrea Petkovic.

Auburn Tigers’ Championship win

Cam Newton wears No. 2. He’s half of that, and then some.
The Auburn quarterback closed out a brilliant, controversial season with a Heisman Trophy, a national championship and his index finger aloft.
He is No. 1. And after a 22-19 victory over Oregon before a record crowd at the University of Phoenix Stadium, only one questioned remained:
Was this the end of his college career?
Newton wouldn’t say after the game, but if so, the Cardinals had better do their homework. Newton showed off his dizzying array of skills, from his rugged athleticism to great poise in the pocket. His bowl statistics weren’t as flashy as Stanford’s Andrew Luck, but he beat a team that Luck could not.
Newton is 1-0 in Glendale, and if he declares for the NFL draft, he would be tantalizingly close to the Cardinals, who own the No. 5 overall pick.
Imagine how good he’d look in red, returning to the scene of Monday’s triumph.
“I’m a prime example of how a guy can turn something that was bad into something that was very great,” Newton said.
The game was quirky, featuring a fake punt, three 2-point plays, two goal-line stands and some of the funkier footwear on the planet. The real heroes were Auburn’s defense and running back Michael Dyer, who powered his team on the game-winning drive.
Yet everything about Auburn revolves around its star quarterback, the one who fumbled with five minutes remaining.
After Oregon capitalized on the turnover, a delicious scenario emerged: If Newton possessed rare star quality, he would lead his team to a game-winning score. It sounds overly simplistic, but transcendent quarterbacks always find a way to get it done under stifling pressure, in the really big moments.
The Tigers scored without much resistance. It was all Dyer, but the total conviction oozing from Auburn’s offense stemmed from the presence of Newton, who orchestrated at 24-point comeback at Alabama earlier in the season. And moments after Monday’s game ended, it was announced that Newton would fly from Arizona to a seat on Jay Leno’s couch today.
“In my career as a head coach, he’s the best player I’ve seen,” Oregon coach Chip Kelly said.
Granted, the low-scoring affair didn’t live up to the hype. Three interceptions in the first 10 minutes muted the excitement. A scoreless first quarter – just the sixth time that has happened in 49 previous quarters of BCS title-game football – had many bracing for disappointment.
There was a feeling this game would be another showcase moment for the SEC, which has produced the past five national champions. On the street, you could feel the difference between the respective fan bases. Auburn fans seemed stoic, hardened by battle. By contrast, many Oregon fans were blowing kazoos that made quacking sounds.
But as the game progressed, it was clear that Oregon belonged on the same field with the unbeaten Tigers. And the full-page ad that ran in The Republic on Monday offered great insight into how Oregon has become an elite football program.
The ad showed LaMichael James walking up a tunnel in a high-tech uniform. It reads: “Yesterday’s Fast is Today’s Slow.” The inference is that players at Oregon have access to innovative apparel that can’t be found at other universities. That’s a powerful recruiting tool.
Still, there is no substitute for a really good quarterback, and that was Auburn’s biggest advantage entering the game.
Newton had some shaky moments. He threw into double coverage, resulting in a bad interception. He short-armed a throw on fourth down near the goal line, failing to connect with a wide-open receiver in the end zone. He overshot a receiver streaking down the middle of the field.
But he accounted for nearly 350 yards of total offense and managed the game extremely well. As the first half evolved, the reigning Heisman winner took command with his arms and his legs. His sensational touchdown pass to Emory Blake, son of former Cardinals quarterback Jeff Blake, gave the Tigers a 16-11 lead at intermission.
Yet both teams left the field to standing ovations.
Auburn’s fans were comfortable with the scoreboard and the pedigree of their team. Oregon fans knew their team’s penchant for second-half domination. Somehow, everyone in attendance knew that the best was still to come.

2011 NFL Draft Player Profile

If you haven’t heard of the Matthews family by now, you most likely live under a rock. It’s no secret that they are one of the most dominant football families to ever play in the NFL. Clay Matthews Sr., and Clay Matthews Jr. are the most well know, as well as his uncle Bruce Matthews who will go down as one of the best offensive tackles to ever play the game. His grandfather Clay Matthews I was a standout in the 1950’s, as well.
2011 NFL Draft

Is it just a name, or can Matthews play?

While his brother walked on and under-achieved at USC, Casey wasn’t as fortunate. He was an undersized three star recruit coming out of Oaks Christian High School. He received scholarship offers from numerous Pac-10 schools, as well as a few medium ranged ACC schools. He chose Oregon in the end, and played in all 11 games in his freshman year.

Casey may not be as physically gifted as his brother Clay, but there’s no doubt that he’s just as intelligent and has a great work ethic.

Player Name: Casey Matthews

Position: Inside Linebacker

School: Oregon

Height: 6’2

Weight: 237

Strengths

Matthews’ biggest strength is his athleticism. He’s also an extremely intelligent player who does well reading and reacting to the offensive play on every down. He has a non-stop motor, playing well sideline to sideline. He’s a very good tackler, who’s very fundamentally sound. He doesn’t often get caught out of position, and he uses his athleticism to make up for his lack of overall bulk. Matthews is also excellent in making plays in coverage. He covers his zone almost effortlessly, and has a knack for finding the ball. He’s an underrated pass rusher on the inside, and has the speed to maybe make the transition to the OLB position in a 3-4, although that may not utilize his skill-set to the maximum. However, his versatility is fantastic and will be coveted among teams in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Weaknesses

The biggest knock on Matthews is his size. He’s not the biggest or strongest player on the football field. He plays in a very loosely based zone defense in Oregon which helps his athleticism shine. He may not be able to transition to a 3-4 defense because of his inability to frequently get off of blockers. He’s most likely restricted to a 4-3 role, but he’s versatile enough to play all three linebacker positions in a 4-3 scheme. While he’s not weak by any means, he still needs to improve on his strength and use his arms to get off blocks, rather than getting fully engaged with blockers.

Draft Range

Right now, it’s completely open where Matthews goes. His brother, Clay, had some of the same weaknesses coming out, not being a big, strong linebacker. But hard work propelled him into the first, and Casey could do the same if he works out well enough at the combine. Right now, his ceiling is as high as a late first round pick, but he’ll most likely be selected between the middle of the second round and middle of the third round. Look for teams like Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Detroit to target him. If teams feel he can make the transition to 3-4, it could improve his stock heavily as teams like Cleveland, Buffalo, Arizona, and Green Bay could look at grabbing him in the 2011 NFL

Oregon vs Auburn

If you want more evidence, below are two videos showing how DIRTY the Auburn Tigers players played this evening against the Oregon Ducks in this Oregon vs Auburn BCS National Championship 2011 game.
In one of the videos, it looked like Nick Fairley was trying to break LaMichael James’ neck. It was intentional and all he got was a 15 yard penalty. This overrated southern player should have been ejected. In fact, Nick Fairley is well known for these types of antics throughout the entire 2010-2011 college football season.
In this Oregon vs Auburn BCS National Championship game, the officiating was NOT good at all. How can a BIG10 officiating team be calling this type of game? They had a horrible reputation during this college football bowl season. They missed a lot of calls, especially tonight.
The second video showed Tiger’s running back, Eric Smith, kicking an Oregon Duck player well after the play had ended. The Duck player had to briefly leave the game because he was bleeding from his head.
I have never seen a bunch of college football athletes playing so dirty like this in my entire life until I watched this game. The game got so bad that I had to turn off the television and listen to it on the radio.
Overall, Auburn has a bunch of dirty players. Cam Newton should have been ruled ineligible. Fairley and Smith should have been ejected from the game. Auburn should not have won the BCS title game. Oregon was the better team tonight but the refs did not see it that way.

BCS' Bill Hancock defends system

No. 1 vs. No. 2, that's the whole point of the BCS national championship, and everybody's happy.
Right?
Fans of Auburn and Oregon, and those who say the system has worked since its inception in 1999, think so - but TCU, the nation's other undefeated regular-season team, was on the outside looking in, getting the consolation prize by winning the Rose Bowl.
BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock understands the situation.
"What we have is an event that leads to a two-team championship game, not a three-team championship game," he said. "(TCU) had a great season, well-coached, a very good football team.
"What I tell them is, 'Congratulations on a great season, and remember that you got a Rose Bowl reward that was made possible because of the BCS, and you'll remember that Rose Bowl for the rest of your lives.' That is a good football team."
Still, the national championship game comes down to opinions and computer analysis. Hancock does not see that as a drawback.
"There are 270 voters, each of them an individual (who) makes individual decisions based on what he or she thinks is best."

Dress for success

For Oregon running-backs coach Gary Campbell, dressing sharp is part of his lifestyle. The fashion sense he learned at a young age from his mother is something he has not forgotten.
And coaches, players and fans of the Ducks can attest to that.
Before the game, he was on the field wearing a sharp three-piece suit, which he purchased a few days ago, for the first time.
He was hoping it was a good-luck charm, and even though the outfit is expensive, he said he would not mind if he wore it just one time.
His plan if the Ducks won: "I'll just retire it, hang it up and look at it."

Circle of prayer

Before Auburn's first game of the season, assistant head coach Trooper Taylor began what has become a seasonlong ritual. About 2 1/2 before kickoff, the team runs onto the field and forms a circle for a prayer - then they sing a few choruses of "Lean on Me."
An Auburn insider said Taylor wanted a song that could define the team, one with a message the team could rally behind.
The ritual is repeated following the game as well.

Extra points

There was a moment of silence and prayer before the game - it was included in the national ESPN telecast - for the victims of Saturday's shooting in Tucson.
- Honorary captains for the game were two former All-Americans, Bo Jackson from Auburn and Oregon's Ahmad Rashad (then known as Bobby Moore). Both were introduced to thunderous applause from the sellout crowd of 78,000-plus.
- An American eagle with great timing soared around the stadium during the singing of the national anthem.
- Demand for tickets and BCS championship pins was so high that fans begged reporters to sell them their media credentials and souvenir pins. Apparently, all the 750 media members were legit.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/colleges/articles/2011/01/10/20110110bcs-bill-hancock-defends-system.html#ixzz1AiGsMngM

Auburn football team champs on field but not in graduation rates

Auburn University’s football team won the national collegiate football championship, but the Tigers aren’t exactly champs when it comes to graduation rates.
According to the Academic Progress Rate, a four-year assessment by the NCAA of the movement toward graduation for a team’s players, Auburn has dropped from No. 4 to No. 85 among the120 major college football programs.
The drop was caused when Auburn closed academic loopholes that had allowed football players to pad their grade point averages and remain eligible to play by taking easy courses, according to a story in The New York Times.
In addition, a study of 2010-11 bowl-bound college teams conducted by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida showed that Auburn has the highest disparity in graduation rates between white and black players of any major football team. White players graduate at the rate of 100 percent; black players 49 percent.
The University of Oregon, according to that study, graduates 76 percent of white players and 41 percent of its African-American players.
The study, released last month, showed that five of the bowl-bound schools had graduation success rates for African-American football student-athletes that exceeded their rates for white football student-athletes: Northwestern (one percentage point higher), Virginia Tech (three percentage points higher), Southern Mississippi (three percentage points higher), Notre Dame (four percentage points higher) and Troy (10 percentage points higher).
Education Secretary Arne Duncan has been vocal about the importance of college sports teams maintaining high graduation rates.
In an interview on Monday with Washington Post reporters and editors, he repeated that position, saying teams that do not have a graduation rate of at least 40 percent should not be allowed to participate in post-season play. He added that any sanctions for wrongdoing brought by the NCAA on a particular program should also follow the coach under whom they occurred.

Ten Thoughts on the BS Championship Game

1. No, that wasn't a typo.
2. In 2008, Oklahoma entered the game hailed for their fast pace offense. They ran 70 plays compared to Florida's 74, and lost the game 24-14.
3. In 2010, Oregon's fast break offense ran 74 plays to Auburn's 85.
4. You know you're old when...you realize former NFL QB Jeff Blake has a son playing WR for Auburn as a sophomore. And Blake left East Carolina in 1992, four years after I used up my undergraduate eligibility at Oklahoma.
5. Oregon's fast paced offense finished the year averaging 78.84 plays per game. They would have been fourth in the Big 12, behind Oklahoma (86.5), Texas Tech (81.1) and Texas A&M (79.5). Not so fast, my friend.
6. Cam Newton will return to Auburn for his senior year. It's an uncapped year in the SEC in 2011, and there's too much uncertainty in the NFL labor agreement.
7. I'm wondering if Cecil tithed the money paid to him by Auburn.
8. Nick Dyer is a heckuva back.
9. Great shirt I found today while following tweets of Frosh WR Kenny Stills http://yfrog.com/h2koxdmj
10. My theory on why the S-E-C keeps winning championship games. They are more physical up front than other conferences, and have speed to boot. Other conferences have focused on the speed, but don't have the depth in the lines to handle the physical strength throughout the game

The who, what, where, when, why — and why not — of L.A. sports

Eric Mangini has been fired after two seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, the team said in a statement Monday.
Mangini was dismissed during a meeting with team president Mike Holmgren on Monday morning, a day after the Browns finished 5-11 for the second year in a row. He had two years remaining on his contract.
“This decision was not easy for me, and it was one into which I put a great deal of thought,” said Holmgren, who will address the media at 10 a.m. “Although we have made improvements this season, my responsibility is to ensure that we establish a program that will allow this team to compete at a championship level. That will continue to be our goal in everything we do.”
Mangini, 39, is the fourth coach for the Browns since the team returned to the NFL in 1999. During that period Cleveland has gone 64-129 with one playoff appearance.

“The experience coaching the Cleveland Browns the past two years has been tremendous,” Mangini said in a statement. “I appreciate the opportunity that the Lerner family gave me. I have a deep respect for the players that I have coached the past two years and how they have made a profound difference in changing the culture — a tougher, smarter, more competitive, selfless team that never gave up.

“Our goal was to build a team for long-term success. The core characteristics we were dedicated to, I believe, will help achieve that goal, and have provided a strong identity for this football team and have helped to create a positive foundation upon which the organization can continue to build.”

Cleveland Browns fire Eric Mangini as coach after second 5-11 season

 The Browns coach was fired this morning in a meeting with President Mike Holmgren. He had two years remaining on his contract at an average salary of about $3.9 million, according to previous reports.
 Holmgren is scheduled to address the media at 1 p.m.
Unlike a year ago, when Holmgren met with Mangini over a few days to decide his fate, this inquisition didn't take long.
 Two NFL sources speculated that Holmgren himself would take over as coach, returning to the sideline for the first time since he left as Seattle coach following the 2008 season. It's possible that he would seek to retain defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and special teams coordinator Brad Seely.
 Holmgren took a one-year sabbatical from coaching in 2009 and then was lured to the executive suite as Browns president on Jan. 5, 2010. Prior to formally accepting the job, Holmgren said in a radio interview that coaching the team was an option welcomed by owner Randy Lerner if Holmgren so desired.
 Holmgren opted not to coach in 2010, instead focusing on rebuilding the Browns' football and business operations. He reduced Mangini's authority but brought him back to coach despite well-known differences in football philosophy. Those differences -- most notably on offense -- widened in the one year they worked together. While Holmgren acknowledged "his way" wasn't the only way to win, he often winced at and privately criticized the Mangini offense coordinated by Brian Daboll.
"This decision was not easy for me, and it was one into which I put a great deal of thought," said Holmgren. "Although we have made improvements this season, my responsibility is to ensure that we establish a program that will allow this team to compete at a championship level. That will continue to be our goal in everything we do. I want to thank Eric for all of his contributions to the Cleveland Browns, and wish him and his family the best of luck in the future."
"The experience coaching the Cleveland Browns the past two years has been tremendous," Mangini said. "I appreciate the opportunity that the Lerner family gave me. I have a deep respect for the players that I have coached the past two years and how they have made a profound difference in changing the culture - a tougher, smarter, more competitive, selfless team that never gave up. Our goal was to build a team for long term success. The core characteristics we were dedicated to, I believe, will help achieve that goal, and have provided a strong identity for this football team and have helped to create a positive foundation upon which the organization can continue to build.
"I feel strongly that the Cleveland Browns are headed in a very positive direction and greatly value the commitment and exceptional efforts of the coaches, players and everyone in the building that I’ve worked with in trying to help achieve our goals. My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed living in the Cleveland community and appreciate the support and passion of the fans. I know Mike and Tom are also dedicated to building a championship caliber organization and wish them nothing but success."
 Holmgren tried to mentor Mangini and also offered the guidance of senior advisor Gil Haskell, his long-time offensive coordinator in Green Bay and Seattle, as a resource for Daboll. But Daboll at times seemed put off by the presence of Haskell, according to a team source. And the offensive product didn't improve. Holmgren was particularly critical of the passing game in his only public comments all season in November.  When Mangini failed to improve on his 2009 record, falling to 5-11 again with four season-ending losses, Holmgren decided to make a change. The emergence of rookie Colt McCoy as a potential franchise quarterback influenced Holmgren to consider the job himself.
 If he moves to the sideline, Holmgren would install the West Coast-style offense he learned under Bill Walsh and employed in Green Bay to take the Packers to the playoffs six times in seven seasons as coach in the 1990s. They reached the Super Bowl following the 1996 and 1997 seasons, winning one of them against the Bill Parcells' New England Patriots. Holmgren moved on to Seattle for 10 seasons and took the Seahawks to the Super Bowl following the 2005 season. They lost to Pittsburgh.
 Holmgren has always called the offensive plays as head coach. Haskell could serve again as his offensive coordinator. A source said that Holmgren would have an interest in adding UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow, with whom he once worked at Brigham Young University. Another possibility is Miami Dolphins receivers coach Karl Dorrell, said the source.
 Mangini's .312 win percentage (10-22) ranked 11th among the 12 full-time coaches in Browns history. Only Chris Palmer, the first coach of their expansion era, did worse (5-27, .156). Mangini's immediate predecessor, Romeo Crennel, had a .375 mark (24-40) in four seasons.
 Mangini's separate 5-11 seasons came about in different ways. In his first year, the Browns were a franchise-worst 1-11 before winning their last four games. That winning streak earned Mangini a second season.
 Amid higher expectations boosted by several player acquisitions and a solid draft orchestrated by new General Manager Tom Heckert, the Browns proceeded to lose their first three games in 2010. They were 1-5 when they embarked on successive monumental upset wins over defending champion New Orleans (30-17) and future No. 1 AFC seed New England (34-14).
 The season turned in an overtime loss to the New York Jets. The Browns lost three key players to injury in the game and had possession of the ball in the final minute of overtime with the score tied, 20-20. Instead of maintaining possession and settling for a tie, the Browns tried to move from their 2-yard line and wound up punting with less than a minute to go. The Jets won when Santonio Holmes scored a 36-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left in overtime.
 That loss started a 2-6 tailspin. Included in that run was a 24-20 loss at Jacksonville despite seven defensive takeaways, a 13-6 loss to 2-10 Buffalo, and a 19-17 loss to 2-11 Cincinnati. In all, the Browns had seven losses by seven points or less.
 Mangini was a surprise choice of Lerner when he was hired 11 days after being fired as coach of the New York Jets following the 2008 season. Mangini was 23-26 in three years with the Jets. His overall mark as a head coach was 33-48 (.407.)
 After he concluded his second season with a 41-9 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday, Mangini declined to say his plans if he were fired.
 "I think that I just look at things and evaluate things," he said. "You learn from your mistakes, you learn from just the process. I feel lucky for the opportunity to continue to grow in this role and in this job and I think that will continue. In terms of what could happen, we'll have to see, but I am really happy with the things that I've been able to learn

Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, defense lead

Somebody had to win. Thankfully for the Seattle Seahawks, Charlie Whitehurst didn’t play like he had in his previous contests.
Whitehurst threw for 192 yards and a touchdown and had no interceptions or sacks as the Seahawks became the first division winner in league history with a losing record when they stopped the St. Louis Rams 16-6 Sunday night.
The 32nd ranked rushing attack added 141 yards on the ground for NFC champion Seattle (7-9), which will host the defending champion New Orleans Saints Saturday in the first round of the NFC playoffs.
Seattle had lost seven of nine games entering the contest with wins against Carolina and Arizona, teams that combined for a 7-25 record. The Seahawks limped in with three straight losses by a combined 112-54.
Whitehurst had appeared in parts of four games this season and his highest passer rating (68.3) came in last week's loss to the Buccaneers.
His only other start this season was a disaster, as the Seahawks were routed at home by the New York Giants 41-7. Playing behind Philip Rivers in San Diego for four years, Whitehurst never got a chance to see the field.
Whitehurst did his best work on the first and last drives of the game. He marched the Seahawks 87 yards in six plays for a quick 7-0 lead.
He completed 5-of-5 for 85 yards on the drive, including a 61-yard pass to Ruvell Martin down the right sideline and a 4-yard pass to Mike Williams in the left flat for the touchdown.
St. Louis rookie quarterback Sam Bradford made his only mistake of the game, throwing an interception to linebacker Will Herring with 8:42 left at the Seattle 37.
Whitehurst took the Seahawks on a seven-minute drive that was capped by Olindo Mare’s third field goal, a 34-yarder with 1:37 left to give Seattle a 16-6 lead.
Bradford and the Rams couldn’t get anything going. Nine of their 13 possessions ended with punts – seven possessions were 3-and-out – and the offense managed just 184 yards. St. Louis had 63 yards in the second half.
Bradford finished 19-of-36 for 155 yards and he was sacked three times.
After Whitehurst led the opening-drive touchdown, Seattle managed just 80 yards the rest of the half, St. Louis managed 121 yards and converted 1-of-7 third downs as the teams combined for 10 punts.
Bradford did drive the Rams from their own 7 to the Seattle 14 before settling for a Josh Brown field goal.
Brown added a second field goal early in the third to bring St. Louis within 7-6, but Mare added a 38-yarder late in the third to rebuild a four-point edge.


Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/briefs/articles/90029508?Quarterback%20Charlie%20Whitehurst%2C%20defense%20lead%20Seahawks%20to%20NFC%20West%20title#ixzz19y0TibSW

2011 NFL playoff schedule comes to Seattle on Saturday

The 2011 NFL playoff schedule is now set, and the Seattle Seahawks will host a first round game. The 2011 NFL playoff schedule begins on Saturday, Jan. 8, and the Seahawks will be hosting the opening game. It is bound to be a very exciting time for Seahawks fans, especially with how well they played against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday night. Now they have been graced with a spot in the 2011 NFL Playoffs, even if some football fans around the league don't believe it should have happened.
The official 2011 NFL playoff schedule will have Seattle vs. New Orleans, with a start time of 1:30 pm PT on Saturday. The game will be broadcast in the Spokane area on NBC (channel 6 to Spokane Comcast customers). This means that most football fans will also be able to watch the game on NBC HD (channel 106 to Spokane Comcast customers). It's also probably a sure thing that most sports bars across Washington State will be airing the game live for the fans.
If the Seahawks can win their game against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Playoffs, they will then have to head to Atlanta to play against the Falcons for their second round game. It's a tough road ahead for Seattle, but the first major obstacle of making it into the postseason came through in great fashion Sunday night.

Seahawks round out the field, will stay home

Three teams made it into the NFL playoffs with victories Sunday, although one of them managed to do so with a losing record.
The Seattle Seahawks beat the St. Louis Rams, 16-6, Sunday night in Seattle to capture the NFC West title with a record of 7-9. The Seahawks became the first team to reach the NFL playoffs with a losing record in a non-strike season.
The Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers got the wins they needed earlier Sunday for playoff spots while the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite season-ending triumphs, had their hopes dashed.
The Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers had their places in the postseason field already secured but improved their positions with lopsided victories. The Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers to clinch the top seed in the NFC playoffs, and the Steelers won in Cleveland to secure the AFC's second seed.

The Baltimore Ravens won Sunday but, because of the Steelers' triumph, were relegated to a wild-card playoff spot. They'll be the AFC's fifth seed and will play a first-round playoff game next Sunday in Kansas City against the fourth-seeded Chiefs. The third-seeded Colts will host the sixth-seeded New York Jets in the AFC's other first-round game Saturday night, while the top-seeded New England Patriots and second-seeded Steelers have first-round byes.
The sixth-seeded Packers will play the third-seeded Eagles in Philadelphia next Sunday in the NFC playoffs, while the fifth-seeded New Orleans Saints will play Saturday in Seattle against the fourth-seeded Seahawks. The Falcons and second-seeded Chicago Bears have the first-round byes in the NFC.
The Seahawks joined the 1982 Browns and Detroit Lions as losing teams in the playoffs. The Browns and Lions reached the postseason with identical 4-5 records in the strike-shortened '82 season with an expanded, 16-team playoff field. The Seahawks are the first division-winning team with a losing record.
The Falcons beat the Panthers, 31-10, in Atlanta to secure the NFC South title, a first-round playoff bye and home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
"That was really a good win for our organization. . . . We still have a lot of work left," Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said during his postgame news conference. "But we're excited to be playing at home."
The Falcons lost at home to the Saints last Monday night, squandering their first chance to clinch the division title and the top NFC playoff seed. That left the Saints and Bears still in the running for the No. 1 seed in the NFC before Sunday's games. But the Falcons merely needed to beat the Panthers, and had little trouble doing so. The Panthers, who finished 2-14, already had announced the ouster of Coach John Fox.
So the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Atlanta. The Falcons have a 7-1 record at the Georgia Dome this season. They return to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons with Mike Smith as their coach and Ryan as their quarterback.
"Knowing that the opportunity doesn't come around that often and making the most of it, I think everybody will have that on their mind," Ryan said.
The Bears were locked into the second playoff seed in the NFC after the Falcons' win. They gave the Packers a tough game at Lambeau Field but lost, 10-3. The Packers' triumph knocked the Giants and Buccaneers from the NFC playoffs despite victories Sunday that left each team at 10-6.
The Steelers (12-4) won in Cleveland, 41-9, to stay ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North. The Steelers, not the Ravens, got a first-round bye and a conference semifinal at home.
"It's a prerequisite to getting where we want to be," Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin said. "We wanted to play in the playoffs. We wanted to do it at home."
The Colts won the AFC South by beating the Tennessee Titans, 23-20, at home on a 43-yard field goal by place kicker Adam Vinatieri on the final play. The Colts won their final four games to finish 10-6 and win their division for the seventh time in eight seasons. They're in the playoffs for a record-tying ninth straight season.
The Patriots already had the AFC's top seed wrapped up but beat the Miami Dolphins, 38-7, to finish a league-best 14-2.
"We've had a good year," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "We've put ourselves in a really good position. [But] really none of it matters at this point

Seahawks Make NFL Playoffs With Losing Record as 10-6 Giants Miss Out

The Seattle Seahawks are going to the National Football League playoffs with a losing record, the first time that’s happened in a full season.
The New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going home with 10 victories apiece, the first time that’s occurred in almost two decades.
The Seahawks won the National Football Conference West Division by beating the St. Louis Rams 16-6 last night at Qwest Field in Seattle to finish 7-9 for the season. They open the playoffs on Jan. 8 at home against the New Orleans Saints, the defending Super Bowl champions who gained a wild-card berth with an 11-5 record.
“I’m so proud of this team that they hung through a lot of messy games when we weren’t playing great football,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said during a news conference. “We really came together on this championship night and played really good ball.”
The Giants and Buccaneers both finished 10-6 with victories yesterday, falling short of the postseason in tiebreakers to the Green Bay Packers, who beat the Chicago Bears 10-3. The Packers claimed the last of the NFC’s two wild-card berths for non- division winners.
The only time a team with a less-than .500 record made the NFL playoffs was 1982, when a players’ strike shortened the season to nine games. The Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions both reached the postseason with 4-5 records.
The last time two teams with 10 wins each failed to reach the postseason was 1991, when the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers each were left out at 10-6.
The Seahawks were routed 41-7 at home by the Giants earlier this season and lost 38-15 at Tampa Bay.
Playoff Berths
NFL rules give automatic playoff berths in each conference to the four division winners plus the two teams with the best records outside those quartets.
The Packers finished second in the NFC North to the Chicago Bears, while the Giants were second in the NFC East behind the Philadelphia Eagles (10-6).
The Buccaneers came in third in the NFC South behind the Atlanta Falcons (13-3) and the Saints.
The Eagles won their division because they beat the Giants twice. The Seahawks won the NFC West in a tiebreaker over the Rams, who also finished 7-9.
“We had a lot of opportunities this year, and that’s what eats at you,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck told reporters. “I hate to say this, but in a way, we didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. We had chances to get there, but we didn’t take advantage.”

NFL Playoff Scenarios: Chicago Bears Have Outside Shot At Number One Seed

The Chicago Bears seem extremely likely to be the NFC's number two seed, as they've already clinched the NFC North division title and are assured of a first round bye. So it would seem that there isn't anything left for the Bears to play for in Week 17.
However, there is still an extreme outside shot that both New Orleans and Atlanta lose in the early games on Sunday. That scenario would open up some motivation for the Bears, who would then be in position to clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win.
The likelihood of the Bears having a chance at home field advantage seems low, and even if they do, head coach Lovie Smith will probably still rest some of Chicago's regular players. But it needs to be pointed out that Chicago may in fact have something at stake in Week 17.
Their opponents, though, are playing for their season, so it's also possible the Bears rise to the occasion to try and play spoilers for the Green Bay Packers, a bitter division rival.
But either way, the Bears will keep a close eye on the performances of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, and see if they can both find a way to pull out wins over the top two teams in the NFC South.
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Sunday Morning Bloody Mary: Mixing Your Week 17 NFL Playoff Scenarios

Well, it's the last week of the NFL season, which means that all of the post-season invites will be sent out as of Sunday evening. With the Vikings having nothing on the line but pride this afternoon when they take on the Detroit Lions, let's take a look around the league and see how the playoff brackets might shake out.
Starting in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons still have the inside track on the #1 seed in the NFC, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. All they need to do to secure that is to beat the NFL's worst team, the Carolina Panthers, at home today. If they somehow manage to lose to Carolina, either New Orleans or Chicago could be the top seed in the NFC. A Saints victory over Tampa Bay coupled with an Atlanta loss would give New Orleans the top seed in the NFC. If the Falcons and Saints both lose and the Bears beat Green Bay, then the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC would run through Chicago.
The Bears can only be the #1 or #2 seed. Either New Orleans or Atlanta will be the #5 seed.
That #5 seed will travel to take on the NFC West Champion, a spot that will be decided in Sunday Night's winner-take-all match-up on NBC between the St. Louis Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. Either of those teams will be the worst division champion in the history of the NFL (in terms of record), and if the Seahawks win, they will be the first team in NFL history to reach the playoffs with a sub-.500 record.
The #6 seed is a three-way battle between Green Bay, the New York Giants, and Tampa Bay. Green Bay controls their own destiny. . .if they beat the Bears, they're in. If the Packers lose and the Giants win, the Giants are in. If the Packers and Giants both lose and the Buccaneers win, then Tampa Bay is in.
The only NFC playoff slot that is completely solidified is the Philadelphia Eagles as the #3 seed. They can't move from that spot.
In the AFC, the New England Patriots are slotted at #1, and that's not going to change. The #2 seed is still a matter of some conjecture, as both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens can still claim it. If the Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns, they lock up the #2 seed and a first-round bye. Should the Steelers lose and the Ravens defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens will win the AFC North and, with it, the #2 seed in the AFC. The AFC North's other playoff team will more than likely be the #5 seed.
The Kansas City Chiefs have locked up the AFC West, and can clinch the #3 seed with a victory over the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium today. Should the Chiefs lose and the Indianapolis Colts can defeat the Tennessee Titans, the Colts will be the #3 seed and the Chiefs will be in at #4. Of course, if the Colts lose to the Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Houston Texans, the Chiefs will still be the #3 seed and the Colts won't make the playoffs at all. . .the Jaguars will as the #4 seed.
The New York Jets will likely be the #6 seed in the AFC. The only scenario that would have the Jets as the #5 rather than the #6 would be the Steelers losing to the Browns, the Ravens defeating the Bengals, and the Jets knocking off the Buffalo Bills.
Oh, and if you're curious about the NFL Draft? The Panthers have already locked up the #1 overall pick, but there are eight teams with either four or five victories on the season that could all still, technically, move themselves into the #2 slot in the draft. We'll have more on that once all the regular season games are in the books and things are more solidified.