UNDATED (AP) - This year's Super Bowl will be a rematch of the 2008 title game when the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 17-14 to end the Pats' bid for an undefeated season. These two teams will meet in Super Bowl 46 in two weeks and oddsmakers in Las Vegas have installed the Pats early three-point favorites for the big game.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Lawrence Tynes kicked a game-winning 31-yard field goal in sudden-death overtime to give the Giants a 20-17 win over San Francisco in the NFC championship for the Giants' fifth straight road victory in the playoffs. Devon (deh-VAHN') Thomas recovered his second fumble of the game when Kyle Williams muffed a punt to set up the game-winning kick.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)- The New England Patriots won the AFC title game by holding off Baltimore 23-20 when Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missed a potential game-tying 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds left. The Patriots will be chasing their fourth Super Bowl trophy in quarterback Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's tenure in New England.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (AP) - Five-time champion Serena Williams is out of the Australian Open, losing 6-2, 6-3 to unseeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia on Monday. Williams had seven double faults and made 37 unforced errors that helped allow No. 56-ranked Makarova to notch one of the biggest victories in her career and advance to the quarterfinals.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP)- Friends and colleagues are saying that the heartbreak and turmoil of Joe Paterno's 46th and final season at Penn State may have played a part in his death yesterday at age 85. Paterno, a sainted figure at Penn State for almost half a century but scarred forever by the child sex scandal involving his one-time heir apparent Jerry Sandusky, won 409 games and leaves as the winningest coach in major college football history.
