KWBG Sports for February 29th

 UNDATED (AP) - St. Louis Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff says the team is willing to trade the second overall pick of the draft but has not made any commitments. He says new coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead went to the NFL combine with an open mind. Quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are expected to go 1-2 in the draft, and the Rams already are set at quarterback with 2010 first overall pick Sam Bradford.

     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Ahmad Brooks has signed a six-year contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers. The 27-year-old linebacker became a regular starter for the first time in his six-year NFL career last season with the NFC West champions. He had 50 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble while becoming a key member of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's top-ranked run defense.

     NEW YORK (AP) - The NFL has decided to move their season opener to Wednesday, September 5 to avoid conflict with President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention the next night.  The Super Bowl champion New York Giants will host the opener against a yet-to-be determined team.  The league says it hasn't played a game on a Wednesday since September 1948, when the Rams faced the Lions.

     NEW YORK (AP) - The person who collected Ryan Braun's urine samples that tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone says he followed the collection program's protocol.  Dino Laurenzi Jr. says he stored Braun's sample in his basement in accordance with drug-collecting procedure because there was "no FedEx office located within 50 miles of Miller Park that would ship packages that day or Sunday."  Braun's 50-game suspension was overturned last week, and he contends at least five FedEx locations within 5 miles were open until 9 p.m. and there also was a 24-hour location.

     MONTREAL (AP) - Hockey Hall of Famer and 10-time Stanley Cup champion Jean Beliveau (zhahwn BEHL'-ih-voh) has had a stroke for the second time in two years and is being treated at a hospital. The 80-year-old Beliveau played his entire NHL career with Montreal and the Canadiens say he was admitted after being stricken Monday night. The team says Beliveau is "undergoing active investigation and treatments."

KWBG Sports for February 28th

 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Matt Kenseth was the winner of a Daytona 500 that featured 10 cautions and a red-flag that halted the rain-delayed race for more than two hours. Kenseth held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the season-opening event for the second time in four years. The race was red-flagged on lap 160 when Juan Pablo Montoya lost control of his car and slammed into one of the jet dryers brought out during the seventh caution.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Lakers say Kobe Bryant has a "nasal fracture" from the whack to the head he took from Dwyane (dwayn) Wade during Sunday night's NBA All-Star game in Orlando.  The team says on its website that a CT scan revealed the extent of the injury, and their star guard will be re-evaluated by an ear, nose and throat specialist when he returns to Los Angeles.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Kentucky and Syracuse are 1-2 in the men's AP basketball poll again. The 28-1 Wildcats got 63 first-place votes while the 29-1 Orange picked up the other two.  Third-ranked Kansas is followed in the poll by Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina, Missouri, Marquette, Baylor and Ohio State.

     FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Boston Red Sox catcher and captain Jason Varitek has decided to retire and is expected to announce his decision Thursday.  Varitek spent his entire major league career with the Bosox, catching four no-hitters, winning two World Series, capturing a Gold Glove and being named to three All-Star games.

     CLEVELAND (AP) - The Cleveland Browns have signed linebacker D'Qwell Jackson to an extension that ESPN says is worth $42.5 million over five years. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month. Jackson's 158 tackles were second most in the NFL last season.

KWBG Sports for February 27th

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant came away with MVP honors at the NBA All-Star game, scoring a team-high 36 points to lead the West to a 152-149 win over the East in Orlando.  Kobe Bryant added 27 points for the West while passing Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in All-Star history.  LeBron James paced the East with 36 points and helped his team cut a 21-point deficit to one in the final seconds.

     DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - NASCAR officials hope to start the Daytona 500 today following yesterday's postponement due to rain. However, there's a possibility the race won't begin until tomorrow because even more rain is in the forecast.  The Daytona 500 has never been run on a Monday.

     COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - In men's basketball, Wisconsin was able to avenge a loss to Ohio State earlier this season while allowing Michigan State to earn a share of the Big Ten title.  Jared Berggren drained a go-ahead three-pointer with 31 seconds left as the 16th-ranked Badgers edged Ohio State 63-60 at Columbus. Berggren scored Wisconsin's final five points and finished with 18.

     UNDATED (AP) - The Vancouver Canucks have a two-point lead over Detroit in the NHL's Western Conference standings following a 3-2 overtime loss at Dallas. Pittsburgh won for the ninth time in 10 home games as Evgeni Malkin notched his 37th goal and had an assist in the Penguins' 4-2 win over Columbus. Martin St. Louis (mahr-TAN' san loo-EE') scored three goals and set up another as Tampa Bay downed the Devils 4-3 in New Jersey.

     MARANA, Ariz. (AP) - Hunter Mahan (MAY'-han) beat Rory McIlroy 2-and-1 to win the Match Play Championship. Mahan is the sixth player to win multiple World Golf Championship titles, and he moves into the top 10 for the first time in his career. McIlroy would have become the world's No. 1 golfer had he won the event.

KWBG Sports for February 24th

 NEW YORK (AP) - Major League Baseball is fuming about an arbitrator's decision to overturn National League MVP Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension, the first time a ballplayer's drug-related grievance has been nullified. MLB official Rob Manfred says baseball management "vehemently disagrees" with the arbitrator's decision.

     MIAMI (AP) - The Miami Heat cooled off Jeremy Lin last night en route to their eighth straight win, 102-88 over the New York Knicks. Lin had a long night, making just 1 of 11 shots, dishing out just three assists and committing eight turnovers in the final night of NBA action before Sunday's All-Star game.

     DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth won yesterday's twin 150-mile qualifying races for Sunday's Daytona 500. Stewart, the defending NASCAR champion who's 0-for-13 in the Daytona 500, joined Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle on the front row while Kenseth earned the fourth spot in the 33-car field.

     TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Reserve Andre Dawkins scored 22 points and freshman Austin Rivers added 20 to lead No. 5 Duke to a 74-66 victory over No. 15 Florida State last night.  The win keeps the Blue Devils tied with No. 7 North Carolina for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference while Florida State dropped a game behind.

     DETROIT (AP)-- The Detroit Red Wings' NHL record run of 23 straight home victories ended last night at Joe Louis Arena. Daniel Sedin (suh-DEEN') scored his second goal of the game with 15.4 seconds left in regulation and Alex Burrows had the only score in a shootout in the Vancouver Canucks' 4-3 victory that resulted in the Red Wings' first home loss since Nov. 3 against Calgary.

KWBG Sports for February 23rd

 MIAMI (AP)- The New York Knicks and Jeremy Lin are in Miami to play the Heat tonight in their final game before this weekend's All-Star break. Lin had an easy night with 17 points and nine assists as the Knicks reached the .500 mark last night with their ninth victory in 11 games, 99-82 over Atlanta.

     OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Russell Westbrook scored 31 points, Kevin Durant added 28 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Boston Celtics 119-104 for their 11th straight home victory.  Kevin Garnett scored 23 in his return after a two-game absence but that wasn't enough to lift the Celtics, who were still without point guard Rajon Rondo (RAH'-zhahn RAHN'-doh) as he sat out the second game of a two-game suspension.

     CHICAGO (AP) - The Chicago Bulls coasted into the All-Star break by routing Milwaukee 110-91 as Joakim (JOH'-kihm) Noah had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the first triple-double by a Chicago center in roughly 35 years. Carlos Boozer scored 20 points, Derrick Rose and Luol Deng (LOO'-ul dehng) each added 16.

     ST. LOUIS (AP) -   ST. LOUIS (AP) - Brad Marchand scored twice and Tim Thomas stopped 30 shots to lead the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 win over St. Louis. That ends the Blues' team-record point streak at 21 home games.

     MARANA, Ariz. (AP) - Tiger Woods plays Nick Watney in the second round of the Match Play Championship today in Arizona after surviving a scare yesterday to rally late and beat Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (kuh-STAHN'-yoh) 1-up. Watney breezed past British Open champion Darren Clarke 5-and-4.

KWBG Sports for February 22nd

 PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs' 11-game winning streak in the NBA came to a screeching halt last night in Portland. The Trail Blazers opened a 23-point halftime lead and led 103-65 after three quarters in downing the Spurs 137-97. San Antonio was playing its second game in two nights and rested stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

     NEW YORK (AP)- "Linsanity" returns tonight to New York where the Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden.  Jeremy Lin has people watching the Knicks in record numbers as the team reports its last two games were the highest-rated regular season events on MSG since the network began tracking household ratings in the 1988-89 season.

     NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Jordan Theodore scored a career-high 29 to lead Seton Hall to the signature win it needed for its NCAA tournament resume, a 73-55 victory over No. 9 Georgetown.  The Pirates shot 61 percent in improving to 19-9 overall and 8-8 in the Big East against a Georgetown defense that Hoyas coach John Thompson III called "atrocious."

     CHICAGO (AP) - In the NHL, Corey Crawford made 31 saves to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in a matchup of Central Division rivals.  Jimmy Hayes scored the tying goal in the second period and set up Marcus Kruger's winning score in the third as Chicago earned its fourth consecutive victory and ended the Red Wings' six-game win streak.

     MARANA, Ariz. (AP) - There are 32 matches scheduled today on opening day of the five-day WGC World Match Play Championship in the Arizona desert. Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer (KY'-mer), Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood are the No. 1 seeds in the 64-man event.

KWBG Sports for February 21st

 NEW YORK (AP) - Linsanity ran into reality last night at Madison Square Garden where the lowly New Jersey Nets upset the New York Knicks 100-92. All-Star Deron (DEHR'-ihn) Williams clicked for a season-high 38 points in outplaying Jeremy Lin, who still got 21 points and nine assists in a losing cause.

     SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs remain the hottest team in the NBA with their 11th straight win, 106-102 over Utah. Tony Parker led the way with 23 for the Spurs, who've beaten Utah the last five times.

     DALLAS (AP) - Dirk Nowitzki (noh-VIHT'-skee) had 26 points and moved into the top 20 on the NBA career scoring list and the Dallas Mavericks beat the struggling Boston Celtics 89-73. That's the Celtics' fourth straight loss, and sixth in last seven games.

     CHICAGO (AP) -Derrick Rose's back problems appear to be in the past -and that's a very good thing for the Chicago Bulls. Rose scored 23 points in his return from a five-game absence due to back pain, and Chicago hung on to beat the struggling Atlanta Hawks 90-79 to climb even with Miami for best record in the NBA.

     PHOENIX (AP) - Manny Ramirez could be back in the big leagues this season. The soon-to-be 40-year-old Ramirez signed a $500,000 minor league deal with Oakland and could be eligible to play in late May, after he fulfills a 50-game suspension handed down by Major League Baseball for failing his second drug test.

KWBG Sports for February 20th

 NEW YORK (AP) - NBA sensation Jeremy Lin had another big day -- this time on the league's biggest stage before a national TV audience against the defending NBA champions. The Harvard product had 28 points and a career-high 14 assists in leading the New York Knicks to a roller-coaster 104-97 win over Dallas for their eighth win in nine games.

     OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant scored a career-best 51 points for the top performance in the NBA this season and Russell Westbrook added 40 double as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 124-118 Sunday night. Serge Ibaka had his first career triple-double with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 11 blocks for the Thunder.

     MIAMI (AP) - The Miami Heat improved their NBA-leading record to 25-7 with a 90-78 win over Orlando for the Heat's sixth straight win. Dwyane (dwayn) Wade led the way with 27 while LeBron James added 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as Miami moved a half-game ahead of Chicago in the race for best record in the NBA and the Eastern Conference.

     DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle have put Roush Fenway Racing on the front row for next Sunday's Daytona 500 with the fastest times during yesterday's qualifying. The rest of the starting positions are determined through a pair of 150-mile qualifying races scheduled for Thursday.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bill Haas captured his fourth PGA Tour victory by winning a three-way playoff against Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley to win the Northern Trust Open at storied Riviera Country club. Haas sank a 45-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win it after Mickelson and Bradley sank lengthy birdie putts on the 72nd hole to force the playoff.

KWBG Sports for February 17th

 NEW YORK (AP) - Baseball Hall of Famer, 11-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove-winning catcher Gary Carter has died at 57, nine months after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.  Carter spent most of his 19 major league seasons with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets and finished with a .262 average, 324 homers and 1,225 RBI.  He ranked fourth on the all-time list for catchers in homers, doubles and RBIs at the time of his retirement in 1992 yet had to wait six years of eligibility before he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.

     ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The Pittsburgh Pirates have won their arbitration case with Garrett Jones and will pay the outfielder $2.25 million this year. The Pirates avoided arbitration with third baseman Casey McGehee (mih-GEE') by working out a one-year pact worth just over $2.5 million. Teams finished with a 5-2 lead in arbitration decisions this year, their 14th winning record in 16 years.

     CHICAGO (AP) - The Chicago Bulls didn't need Derrick Rose to beat the Boston Celtics 89-80 last night. The Bulls blew a 16-point lead before Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng (LOO'-uhl dehng) each finished with 23 points to help Chicago improve to an NBA-best 25-7. Rose missed his fourth straight game due to back spasms

     UNDATED (AP) - The Chicago Blackhawks ended their season-worst nine-game losing streak by scoring four times in the first 10 minutes of a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. St. Louis is within three points of Western Conference-leading Detroit after T.J. Oshie (OH'-shee) provided a goal and an assist in the Blues' 5-1 win over the New York Islanders. Philadelphia spotted Buffalo a 2-0 lead before Max Talbot and Wayne Simmonds scored twice to lead the Flyers past the Sabres 7-2.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - Phil Mickelson will carry a one-shot lead into the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.  Mickelson fired a 5-under-par 66 that included a 35-foot chip for birdie on the final hole. J.B. Holmes and Hunter Mahan (MAY'-han) share second, one stroke ahead of Jonathan Byrd.

KWBG Sports for February 16th

 NEW YORK (AP) - He didn't have the scoring touch he's had the past two weeks, but Jeremy Lin didn't need to score in leading the New York Knicks to their seventh straight victory, 100-85 over Sacramento. Lin dished out a career-best 13 assists to go with his 10 points, one of seven Knicks to score in double figures.

     TORONTO (AP) - Tony Parker had 34 points and 14 assists, and the San Antonio Spurs extended their season-best winning streak to nine games with a 113-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors. The Spurs have not lost since a 101-100 overtime defeat at Dallas on Jan. 29.            

     CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Harrison Barnes scored 23 points and No. 8 North Carolina rallied from an eight-point deficit in the second half to beat Miami 73-64. The Tar Heels, who came in leading the nation with 83.5 points per game, shot only 38 percent and went 5 for 18 from 3-point range.

     SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Jack Cooley scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half to lead No. 23 Notre Dame to a 71-53 win over Rutgers last night.  Cooley also had 18 rebounds for the Fighting Irish, who won their seventh straight game.

     BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) - "Monday Night Football" is downsizing. ESPN says analyst Ron Jaworski has signed a five-year contract extension to appear on other programming on the network and will no longer join play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico (the-REE'-koh) and color commentator Jon Gruden on Monday nights.

KWBG Sports for February 15th

TORONTO (AP) - Jeremy Lin canned a game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second to play and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 90-87 for their sixth straight win. Lin, the NBA's first American-Taiwanese player finished with 27 points and a career-high 11 assists and had the season-high crowd of 20,092 in Toronto roaring as he hit the game-winner.

     INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Miami Heat are the first NBA team in 33 years to win three road games in three nights. LeBron James scored 33 and the Heat turned the trick in Indianapolis by beating the Pacers 105-90 to join the 1970 Milwaukee Bucks as the only NBA teams to win three road games in three nights.

     AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Tim Duncan had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame a spirited Detroit rally to beat the Pistons 99-95 for their eighth consecutive victory.  Detroit trailed by 15 in the fourth quarter but came back to take the lead behind Ben Wallace, the veteran big man who set a record by appearing in his 1,055th career game - the most for an undrafted player since the NBA-ABA merger.

     FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - The upset of the night in college basketball goes to the unranked TCU Horned Frogs, who knocked off their first ranked team in five years. Hank Thorns scored eight of his 32 points in overtime in TCU's 102-97 win over 11th-ranked UNLV.

     DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Red Wings own the NHL record with their 21st straight home victory, 3-1 over Dallas. The Red Wings, who have not lost at home since Nov. 3, broke the mark of 20 set by the Boston Bruins during the 1929-30 season and matched by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976.

KWBG Sports for February 14th

 MILWAUKEE (AP) - LeBron James scored 35 points and the Miami Heat finally found a way to beat Milwaukee, using a third-quarter surge to beat the Bucks 114-96 last night.  Dwyane (dwayn) Wade scored 22 and Mario Chalmers added 13 for the Heat, who had lost their first two meetings with the Bucks this season.

     LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)-The second-ranked Syracuse Orange overcame a dismal 34.4 percent shooting night to nip Louisville 52-51, scoring the final six points of the game. C.J. Fair had 13 and Fab Melo added 11 for Syracuse, which had lost its last seven meetings with the Cardinals.

     WASHINGTON (AP) - Joe Pavelski had two goals and two assists in leading the Sharks past the Capitals 5-3 in San Jose's 16th victory in its last 17 games against Washington.  Washington has won only three of its last 11, a stretch that has dropped the Capitals out of first place in the Southeast Division and dropped them below the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference.

     DETROIT (AP) - NHL history could be made tonight in Detroit. The Red Wings can set the NHL record with their 21st straight road victory when they take on the Dallas Stars at Joe Louis Arena.

     TORONTO (AP) - "Lin-sanity" makes its first appearance north of the border tonight. Jeremy Lin, the hot-shooting guard out of Harvard who's averaging 26.8 points during the New York Knicks five-game winning streak and the NBA Eastern Conference player of the week, travels to Toronto tonight  as the Knicks visit the Raptors.

KWBG Sports for February 13th

  DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Red Wings etched their name into the NHL record book with their 20th straight home win, 4-3 over Philadelphia last night. The NHL record was set by the Boston Bruins during the 1929-30 season and tied by Philadelphia in 1976 and the Red Wings can own it all with a victory over Dallas Tuesday night at Joe Louis Arena.

     ATLANTA (AP) - The Miami Heat built a 22-point lead by halftime, led by as many as 32 and routed Atlanta 107-87 for their 10th win in 12 games. LeBron James scored 23 points and Dwyane (dwayn) Wade added 21.

     PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) - There's something about picturesque Pebble Beach that just suits Phil Mickelson. For the fourth time in his career, Mickelson won at Pebble, shooting a final-round 8-under 64 to finish two ahead of Charlie Wi (wee) and win the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

     PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) - Tiger Woods did not have a very successful Sunday in his first stateside event of the 2012 golf season. Woods, who was trailing by just two shots entering his final round at Pebble Beach, shot a 3-over 75 and finished nine shots back of Phil Mickelson.

     FRIBOURG, Switzerland (AP) - The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the first round of the Davis Cup with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner (IHZ'-nur) winning the closing singles matches. The U.S. now will play at either France or Canada in the April 6-8 Davis Cup quarterfinals.

KWBG Sports for February 10th

 MURRAY, Ky. (AP) - Murray State, which had won its first 23 games and was the last undefeated Division I men's team, fell to Tennessee State 72-68 last night despite 31 points by the Racers' Isaiah Canaan (kuh-NAHN'). There hasn't been an undefeated major college team in men's Division I since Indiana in the 1975-76 season.

     BOSTON (AP) - The L.A. Lakers worked overtime in Boston last night with Pau Gasol (pow gah-SOHL') performing heroics at both ends of the court for the Lakers.  Gasol finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and blocked Ray Allen's putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Boston Celtics 88-87.

     DENVER (AP) - Stephen (STEH'-fihn) Curry scored a season-best 36 points and the Golden State Warriors handed the fading Denver Nuggets their fifth straight loss, 109-101.  It is the longest losing streak in five seasons for the Nuggets, who've dropped seven of eight games overall and five straight at home.

     UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) - Montreal forward Scott Gomez, once a 33-goal-a-season scorer in the NHL, scored his first goal in more than a year in the Canadiens' 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders last night. Gomez had gone a year and four days since his last goal but dented the net midway through the third period with Max Pacioretty (pah-CHEE'-ohr-eh-tee) getting his first NHL hat trick.

     PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -Tiger Woods starts his second round at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am five strokes off the lead held by Danny Lee, Dustin Johnson and Charlie Wi (wee). Woods shot a 4-under 68 in his first competitive stateside round yesterday following an event in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago.

KWBG Sports for February 9th

 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Tenth-ranked Duke erased a 10-point deficit in the final two and a-half minutes and stunned fifth-ranked North Carolina 85-84 last night in the renewal of that Tobacco Road rivalry. Freshman Austin Rivers, son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, canned a three-pointer at the buzzer and finished with a career-high 29 points.

     SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Second-ranked Syracuse outlasted 12th-ranked Georgetown 64-61 in overtime for Jim Boeheim's (BAY'-hymz) 880th career victory, breaking Dean Smith's mark for most victories at one school, moving him into third place on the all-time Division 1 coaching list. Kris Joseph scored 29, and hit the go-ahead three-pointer in OT.

     ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Dwight Howard had 25 points and 24 rebounds, Ryan Anderson scored 27 points and the Orlando Magic hit 17 3-pointers in a 102-89 victory over the Miami Heat.  Anderson had five three-pointers and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Orlando while Howard posted his 20th double-double of the season.

     DETROIT (AP) - Detroit doubled up Edmonton 4-2 as the Red Wings overcame two more goals by Edmonton's Sam Gagner to move within two wins of the NHL record of 20 straight home victories. Gagner has eight goals and six assists in his last four games.

     NEW YORK (AP) - It appears Santonio Holmes is sticking with the New York Jets -- and is much richer for it.  By remaining on the roster through the second day of the NFL's waiver period Tuesday, a clause in the talented but troublesome wide receiver's contract kicked in yesterday that will mean Holmes will get $15.25 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons.

KWBG Sports for February 8th

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The Oklahoma City Thunder withstood a 48-point onslaught by Monta Ellis and nipped the Golden State Warriors 119-116 last night. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 33 points and 10 rebounds.

     MIAMI (AP) - Dwyane (dwayn) Wade scored 26 points, LeBron James added 24 against his former team and the Miami Heat tuned up for a long road trip by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-91.  Chris Bosh finished with 15 points for the Heat, who have won 11 of their last 13 games and now head out for five road games in seven nights starting with Orlando tonight.

     BOSTON (AP) -   Paul Pierce passed Larry Bird for No. 2 on the Celtics' career scoring list, finishing with 15 points as Boston increased its winning streak to five straight with a 94-84 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats, who lost their 12th in a row.  Pierce needed nine points to tie Bird's total of 21,791 and nearly celebrated with a triple-double, adding nine assists and eight rebounds.

     LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 13 points and 13 rebounds in leading top-ranked Kentucky to a 78-58 victory over No. 8 Florida last night. The 24-1 Wildcats have won 49 straight home games and are 15-0 in Southeastern Conference play.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Martin Brodeur (mar-TAN' broh-DYOOR') stopped 30 shots for his first shutout of the season and the record 117th of his NHL career, and the New Jersey Devils beat the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers 1-0 for their fifth straight win. The Rangers appeared to score the tying goal with 3.5 seconds left, but it was disallowed because Marian Gaborik (MEHR'-ee-uhn GA'-bohr-ihk) was called for goalie interference.

KWBG Sports for February 7th

 UNDATED (AP) - The NBA has suspended Timberwolves forward Kevin Love for two games for stomping on the face of Rockets forward Luis Scola during Sunday's game. The decision means the Wolves will be without their leading scorer and rebounder for tonight's home game against Sacramento and Wednesday night's outing at Memphis. Love said after the game that the stomp was not intentional and he went to Houston's locker room to apologize to Scola.

     UNDATED (AP) - Kentucky is on top of The Associated Press' college basketball poll for a third straight week and fifth time this season. Just as they did a week ago, the Wildcats received 63 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Syracuse got the other No. 1 votes and remains No. 2, followed by Ohio State, Missouri, and North Carolina.

     NEW YORK (AP) - The Super Bowl-winning New York Giants will be honored in a parade up the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan and head to the steps of City Hall before holding another celebration at the Meadowlands later today.  The Giants won their fourth Super Bowl - and second in five seasons - by downing the New England Patriots 21-17 Sunday at Indianapolis. Coach Tom Coughlin (KAWF'-lihn) said at a news conference yesterday that he has every intention of returning to the Giants next season.

     UNDATED (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots have new offensive coordinators. ESPN says former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley will run the Steelers' offense next year, replacing Bruce Arians. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has confirmed that Josh McDaniels will be the team's offensive coordinator next season after being brought in during the playoffs as an offensive assistant under Bill O'Brien, who has left to become Penn State's head coach.

     MONTREAL (AP) - Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby practiced with the team yesterday but says he is no closer to returning from a concussion and neck injury that have caused him to miss most of the NHL season. Coach Dan Bylsma (BYLZ'-mah) felt with Jordan Staal (stahl) and Simon Despres (see-MOHN' duh-PRAY') ready to resume skating after their injuries, it was better to include Crosby in the main practice rather than have him skate on his own.

KWBG Sports for February 6th

   INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The New York Giants are sitting atop the NFL world, climaxing a season that began 7-7 and ended with their fourth Super Bowl title and second in four years. Eli Manning outplayed Tom Brady, engineering a nine-play, 88-yard drive in the final minutes to make 65-year-old Giants coach Tom Coughlin (KAWF'-lihn) the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl.

     INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning says it was a wild way to end a wild season. He became the first Super Bowl quarterback to complete his first nine passes, finishing 30-of-40 for 296 yards and no turnovers to win his second Super Bowl MVP award in four season, one more than older brother Peyton Manning.

     DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Miami's basketball team is enjoying its first victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium after upsetting seventh-ranked Duke 78-74 in overtime. Reggie Johnson scored five of his career-high 27 points in OT.

     MIAMI (AP) --The Miami Heat are creeping up on the Chicago Bulls for best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference, trailing by just one game.  LeBron James scored 30 points, Dwyane (dwayn) Wade had 25 and the Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 95-89 for their 10th win in 12 games.

     WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) - The United States blanked Belarus 5-0 in Fed Cup World Group II play. The Americans were bolstered by Venus Williams' first competitive event in five months, teaming with Liezel Huber for a 6-1, 6-2 doubles victory after sister Serena has already secured the U.S. victory in singles play.

KWBG Sports for February 3rd

 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Peyton Manning has been cleared to play by the doctor who operated on the quarterback's neck.  A spokesman for Dr. Robert Watkins sent a one-paragraph email to reporters late Thursday night after ESPN first reported that Colts' star had been cleared to play.  The Colts contend it is nothing new because Manning was cleared to practice in December.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Four Los Angeles players have been voted to the Western Conference team for the February 26 NBA All-Star game in Orlando. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum of the Lakers will open the game on the court with Clippers stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, with Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant rounding out the West's starting lineup. The East starters are Heat teammates LeBron James and Dwyane (dwayn) Wade, Bulls guard Derrick Rose, Orlando center Dwight Howard and Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony.

     MURRAY, Ky. (AP) - Murray State remains the lone unbeaten team in Division I men's basketball following another comeback victory. Isaiah Canaan scored 32 points and Jewuan (juh-WAHN') Long added 13 as the Rangers downed Southeast Missouri State 81-73. The Racers' 22-0 record is the best start by an Ohio Valley Conference team since Western Kentucky opened the 1953-54 season with 21 consecutive wins.

     EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) - Edmonton Oilers forward San Gagner (GAHN'-yay) became the first NHL player in 23 years to score eight points in a game, producing four goals and four assists in last night's 8-4 rout of Chicago. The 22-year-old Gagner had three goals and two assists while the Oilers were scoring five times in the final period. He tied a club record for points and fell two shy of matching the league record of 10 points, set by Toronto's Darryl Sittler in 1976.

     ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The Washington Nationals have defeated pitcher John Lannan in baseball's first salary arbitration decision this year.  The left-hander will receive the club's offer of $5 million rather than his request for $5.7 million.  Lannan was 10-13 with a 3.70 ERA in 33 starts last season, when he made $2.75 million.

KWBG Sports for February 2nd

 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Trainer Angelo Dundee, a master motivator who worked the corner for Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, died at age 90 yesterday. The genial Dundee was best known for being in Ali's corner for almost his entire career but he also was known by boxing insiders as an ambassador for the sport.

     MILWAUKEE (AP) - Brandon Jennings scored 31 points, including three 3-pointers in a critical stretch of the fourth quarter, and Milwaukee beat Miami 105-97 for the Bucks' second win over the Heat this season. LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points, but it wasn't enough as the Heat had their five-game winning streak end.

     DALLAS (AP) - Russell Westbrook scored 33 points, Kevin Durant added 23 points and 13 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 95-86.  James Harden had 10 points off the bench and Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH'-kah) anchored the Thunder defense with a career-high 10 blocked shots.

     NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Steve Nash had a season-high 30 points and 10 assists, and the Phoenix Suns defeated the New Orleans Hornets, 120-103. Nash became the Suns' all-time assists leader with 6,522, surpassing Kevin Johnson's mark of 6,518.

     TORONTO (AP)-- James Reimer (RY'-mur) stopped all 25 shots he faced and Clarke MacArthur scored in the third period to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0.  The win gave the Maple Leafs a split of a home-and-home set and ends Pittsburgh's eight-game win streak.

KWBG Sports for February 1st

 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - New England tight end Rob Gronkowski says he's working hard to heal his high ankle sprain in time for the Super Bowl against the Giants Sunday. Patriots tackles Matt Light and Sebastian Vollmer skipped media day Tuesday with illnesses according to coach Bill Belichick.

     TORONTO (AP) - Joe Johnson continues to torment Toronto, scoring 30 points in three quarter in Atlanta's 100-77 win over the Raptors.  Johnson has averaged 30 points in the last four games against Toronto.

     CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Brandon Paul hit the go ahead free throw as part of his 18 points to help Illinois knock off No. 9 Michigan State 42-41.  The Illini only managed to shoot 32.6 percnet for the game, while the Spartans hit on just 24.1 percent of their shots.

     PITTSBURGH (AP) - Evgeni Malkin scored the tying goal with six seconds left in regulation and netted the only goal of the shootout to give Pittsburgh a 5-4 win over Toronto.  The Penguins staged a furious rally to overcome a 4-1 deficit in the final period.

     PITTSBURGH (AP) - Sidney Crosby's says he's been diagnosed with a soft-tissue injury in his neck that mimics the symptoms of a concussion but is significantly more treatable.

     Crosby is hopeful that the situation will improve and he can get back to playing hockey. He hasn't played since symptoms resurfaced following a loss to Boston on Dec. 5.