RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks may be double-digit
underdogs at home against defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans
on Saturday, but at least they are getting their starting
quarterback back on the field. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says
35-year-old Matt Hasselbeck's hip injury is improving and he gets
the starting nod over backup Charlie Whitehurst for the Seahawks,
who enter the playoffs sporting a 7-9 record.
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Saying he's committed to earning his
Stanford degree in architectural design by the spring of 2012,
Andrew Luck says he's passing on the NFL draft this year to play
another year of college ball. Many scouts had projected the
Stanford quarterback to be the No. 1 overall pick had he chosen to
go pro.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - Alabama has scheduled a news conference
today as a report has surfaced that the Tide's standout defensive
end Marcell Dareus is heading to the NFL. Dareus's legal guardian,
Lester Reasor, told The Birmingham News that Dareus has decided to
skip his senior season and head to the NFL.
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) - Jonathan Byrd and Carl Pettersson start
the day tied for the lead at the PGA season-opening Tournament of
Champions at Kapalua on the big island of Hawaii. Two-time
defending champion Geoff Ogilvy (OH'-gihl-vee) withdrew three days
after gouging his right index finger on a coral feer at the beach.
BOSTON (AP) - The Minnesota Wild stayed unbeaten in Boston with
a 3-1 win over the Bruins that gives the Wild a 9-2 overall mark
against the Bruins since Minnesota entered the NHL in 2000.
Boston's loss coupled with Montreal's 2-1 shootout win over
Pittsburgh, trims the Bruins' Northeast Division lead to one point
over the Canadiens, although the Bruins have two games in hand.
