Random thoughts on the NFL Pro Bowl rosters: Although neither was voted in, can’t you see Carolina’s Cam Newton quarterbacking the NFC squad while Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton leads the AFC when the two sides line up in Honolulu on Jan. 29. Both rookies were voted first alternates at quarterback. …

     The Patriots and 49ers each had eight players chosen. The Packers and Ravens seven apiece. Expect all four teams to go deep into the playoffs, meaning there will be plenty of roster spots to fill due to injuries or, if they’re lucky, Super Bowl commitments. …

     Four teams were shut out of the voting: The Redskins and Rams in the NFC; the Bills and Titans in the AFC. … Continue reading →

How good a year has it been for quarterbacks? In a year in which Drew Brees breaks Dan Marino’s mark for yards passing in a season, a record that stood for nearly three decades, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is considered a lock for MVP.

And Brees set the new record in one less game than Marino!

The New Orleans quarterback passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns last night as the Saints trounced the Falcons, 45-16, to wrap up the NFC South title. He’s at 5,087 yards and counting. Continue reading →

Is this the Year of the Heat? LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Co. looked very impressive going into Dallas yesterday and leaving with a 105-94 victory that was nowhere as close as the final score indicated.

It was a statement game for Miami, which led by as many as 35 points midway through the third quarter. James led the front-running Heat with a game-high 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Nobody better as front-runners. Whether or not they can bounce back from adversity will be their true test this season. Continue reading →

     The Colts (2-13) could have clinched the right to draft Andrew Luck in this year’s NFL draft with a loss against the Texans (10-5) last night, but Indianapolis rallied for a 19-16 victory in the final seconds.

     Dan Orlovsky found Reggie Wayne on a 1-yard pass in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining to win the game and all but ruin Houston’s chances for a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs.

     Wayne, whose contract is up after the season, had eight receptions for 106 yards in what could have been his finale in Indianapolis. Continue reading →

     Kobe Bryant has been declared day-to-day with a torn wrist ligament and his status is up in the air for Sunday’s season opener against the Bulls.

     One orthopaedic surgeon told an ESPN radio station that these injuries usually do not require surgery, but a player could miss three to four weeks of action depending on the degree of the tear.

     The Lakers’ star injured his shooting hand in a preseason loss to the Clippers on Monday when he fell to the floor after having his shot blocked. Continue reading →

     Urban Meyer and his Ohio State football team will sit out the 2012 college football bowl season. The NCAA ordered a one-year bowl ban and additional penalties for Ohio State, including probation through December 2014 and a reduction of football scholarships from 85 to 82 through the 2014-15 academic year.

     Athletic Director Gene Smith did not believe the Buckeyes would be banned from a bowl game following the 2012 season, and even went so far as refusing to surrender a bowl invitation this year in order to save next year’s. Continue reading →

     The night the lights went out at Candlestick Park. Twice. Power outages delayed the Monday Night Football game for nearly 35 minutes but could not stop the 49ers from beating the Steelers, 20-3. The victory enabled San Francisco (11-3) to keep its grip on the No. 2 seed in the NFC, ahead of the Saints. Pittsburgh (10-4) lost a chance at grabbing the No. 1 seed in the AFC. That honor now goes to New England.

     A beat-up Ben Roethlisberger played for the Steelers, but would not make excuses after an off-night in which he threw two early interceptions and one near the end of the game. Continue reading →

     The Chiefs did the Packers (13-1) a favor yesterday, ending further talk about a perfect season before it became a serious distraction. In the end Green Bay will no doubt own home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but after yesterday’s 19-14 loss at Kansas City, it can concentrate fully on getting healthy the last two weeks of the regular season.

     “Really, what is disappointing to me is that we didn’t clinch home-field advantage,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy told the Kansas City Star. “That was always the goal. I personally always viewed the undefeated season as really just gravy.” Continue reading →