Teen wins Soap Box Derby with late sister’s car

(AP) Real life beat Hollywood to the finish line at the 73rd Annual All-American Soap Box Derby on Saturday. With actor-director Corbin Bernsen filming the movie "Hill 25,"" based on the Soap Box Derby, 14-year-old Sean Brown rolled to victory in the Rally Super Stock Division in a way that no script writer ever imagined. He won in the car that had been driven by his late sister Carol Anne. She was 18 when she committed suicide last year on Easter Sunday.

Jets WRs Clowney, Holmes heading to Ghana for charity work

(Dennis Waszak Jr., AP) David Clowney has been all over the map this summer, working with charities from New Jersey to Haiti. Next stop: Ghana. And, he's bringing new teammate and longtime friend Santonio Holmes with him. The Jets wide receivers will leave for the West African country on Monday as part of a small group that will visit a children's hospital, schools and orphanages during the weeklong trip. They'll also set up a game in the capital city of Accra to teach children about American football. "We've got so many things that we're going to do while we're out there," Clowney told The Associated Press on Saturday. "It's going to be ridiculous. We'll do some sightseeing, too, and checking out the area itself, but for the most part it will be about the kids. We're just going to try to help however we can."

Woman reveals lifelong secret that Yankee owner George Steinbrenner donated $13K to save her life

(Erik Badia and Larry Mcshane) George Steinbrenner's death immediately brought Lorraine Blakely back to the year when The Boss helped save her life. The Long Island mother of three was just a second-grader when the Yankee owner donated $13,000 to cover her medical bills after a freak 1977 accident nearly killed her. Steinbrenner's contribution came with a caveat: The family could not discuss the gift. And Blakely, now 40, kept her part of the bargain until Steinbrenner died Tuesday.

The Cornerback and the Ex-Con

(Greg Bishop, New York Times) The cornerback steered his custom truck through familiar streets. The ex-convict sat shotgun and pointed out landmarks, this "drug hole," that "crack house," the best routes for eluding the police. The cornerback is Al Harris. He wears No. 31 for the Green Bay Packers. The ex-convict is Kevin Soto. He wore No. 693430 in the Florida Department of Corrections. They met 25 years ago, two boys from the same neighborhood north of Miami, bonded by break dancing and back flips and music above all else. That was before Harris went to the N.F.L., before Soto went to prison, before either man had heard of Christian rap.

Four coaches connect with soldiers on NFL-USO tour

(AP) As Andy Reid visited injured soldiers in a hospital at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, he couldn't get over how eager they were to return to action. "You see guys in there, some of them missing limbs and some pretty beat up," the Philadelphia Eagles coach said. "These guys couldn't wait to go back out there, if they could, and fight to protect our country. It's quite an amazing thing."

Soothsayer octopus tips Germany over Argentina

(Peter Wilkinson, CNN) Germany will beat Argentina in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final, at least if an octopus called Paul is to be believed. And if you're unsure whether to accept the word of an eight-legged sea creature, Paul has form. The octopus, who lives at an aquarium in Germany, has correctly predicted all four results of that country's games in the tournament, according to staff. Before Sunday's game against England Paul needed just eight seconds to make up his mind, but in view of the tougher challenge that Diego Maradona's side will pose Germany, he took over an hour to decide, suggesting it could go to extra-time or even penalties.

Psychic Octopus Predicts German World Cup win

(AP) A 2-year-old octopus oracle — born in England, but raised in Germany — has predicted a German win over England in Sunday's World Cup game. The mollusk named Paul chose a mussel out of a water glass marked with the German flag over a mussel in a glass with the English St. George's Cross, said Tanja Munzig, a spokeswoman for the Sea Life Aquarium in the western city of Oberhausen, on Friday. Paul has proven to be a reliable oracle in the past — he predicted Germany's win over Australia and Ghana and its loss to Serbia. During the 2008 European Championship, he predicted 80 percent of all German games right, Munzig said.

For you, Dad: McDonald homers in first AB since father's death

(Duk, Yahoo! Sports) After watching his postgame press conference, I think Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston speaks for us all when talking about the home run that utilityman John McDonald hit in the ninth inning of Sunday's game. "I was so happy to see him hit that home run, I almost cried myself," Gaston said. Indeed, it's hard not to wipe away a tear or two while watching McDonald round the bases after hitting a two-run homer off Jeremy Affeldt in a 9-6 loss to the Giants. The blast came only two days after McDonald buried his father, who had passed away from a tough battle with liver cancer earlier in the week.

Jack Nicklaus donates design for VA course

(Gregg Bell, AP) Jack Nicklaus takes the wrapping off another in his signature line of hybrid clubs and hands it to Danny Dudek. The Army lieutenant colonel, paralyzed below both knees, is propped up inside a "SoloRider," a specially designed cart with a seat that tilts up to support disabled golfers when they swing. He takes the new club, leans over the ball and follows the legend’s instructions. THWACK! The white ball soars into the sunny Northwest sky, past lush evergreens and lands about 150 yards down the driving range.

Ross Powers' fund gives hopefuls an opportunity

(Vicki Michaelis, USA TODAY) In the world of snowboarding, Ross Powers is known as much for his generosity as he is for his Olympic success. In the last nine years, the 2002 Olympic halfpipe champion has helped financially strapped snowboarders, including two of the athletes who beat him out for spots on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team, through grants from the Ross Powers Foundation. Now, as potential Olympians in all sports struggle to find adequate funding in a down economy, Powers is bringing even more star power to the cause.

Harrelson Scores Winner In Soccer Thriller

(Elizabeth Scott, Sky News Online) Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson has helped The Rest Of The World beat England at this year's Soccer Aid match after the match went to penalties. Over 65,000 fans watched the charity game which saw football legends and celebrities battle it out at Old Trafford. At full time the score was level on two goals each. Jamie Redknapp and former England striker Teddy Sheringham put England on top. But The Rest Of The World fought back with goals from boxer Joe Calzaghe and former Liverpool defender Sammy Hyypia.

'Perfect game' pitcher handles call with grace

(CNN) Perhaps the only thing more remarkable than an umpire robbing Armando Galarraga of a perfect game is the Detroit Tigers pitcher's gracious attitude over the whole heartbreaking moment. "We're human, we make mistakes," Galarraga told CNN Saturday just hours before the Tigers took on the Kansas City Royals. "In that moment, I was so happy about a really good game. For some reason, I don't get (angry)."

Chad Ochocinco makes one young fan's dream come true

(Doug Farrar, Yahoo! Sports) Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco (notes), formerly Chad Johnson, may have a slight strain of the diva receiver characteristic, but there's a humanity that has always separated him from the Keyshawns and T.O.s of the world. You get the sense that when he struggles, it's more about finding his way and when he showboats, it's more about entertaining than a driving need to be obnoxious. If anyone doubted the true nature of the man, the video you're about to see, which was shot at the third annual gala fundraiser for the Children Mending Hearts organization in Hollywood, Calif., should take care of that.

Cancer Survivor Sean Swarner Climbs Highest Mountains

(Beth Parker, MyFoxDC.com) Sean Swarner has climbed to see the world's most spectacular views. What he sees in a room at Georgetown University Hospital are kids just like him. As a kid, Swarner was diagnosed with cancer - twice. At one point, doctors gave him two weeks to live. "The chances of me surviving both these cancers is equivalent to me winning the lottery four times in a row with the same numbers," Swarner told the pediatric patients at Georgetown. Swarner didn't just survive. He's soared. Swarner became the first cancer survivor to summit Everest, the world's highest mountain.

John Fogerty's 'Centerfield' Headed To Baseball Hall of Fame

(Gary Graff, Billboard) Put him in, coach, he's ready to play -- at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Fogerty and his 1985 hit, "Centerfield," an aural fixture at ballparks of all levels around the country, will be honored at this year's National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies to commemorate its 25th anniversary on July 25 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Fogerty will play "Centerfield" at the event, the first time a musician or song has been honored in such a way, and he's donating his custom-made, baseball bat-shaped guitar for display in the museum.

British Man Braves Icy Waters to Become First to Swim Under Mount Everest

(NewsCore) A British endurance swimmer summoned the peak of his powers to become the first person to swim under the summit of Mount Everest, Sky News reported Sunday. Lewis Gordon Pugh battled freezing waters wearing only a pair of Speedos, a cap and goggles to cross the one kilometer (0.62 miles) glacial lake next to the Khumbu Glacier. He came close to drowning during test swims for the event amid bouts of altitude sickness on the Pumori Lake, which sits 17,000 feet above sea level. But an adapted approach saw him through to complete the swim in a time of 22 minutes and 51seconds.

American boy, 13, breaks Everest record

(CNN) A 13-year-old American became the youngest climber to ever summit Mount Everest on Saturday. Jordan Romero's journey was tracked through GPS coordinates on his blog, logging his team's ascent up Everest, which is 29,028 feet (8,847 meters) above sea level. "Their dreams have now come true," a statement on Jordan's blog said. "Everyone sounded unbelievably happy."

Cavaliers and Kia Motors Team up for Kindness In Action

(NBA.com) Customers stopping for lunch at the McDonald’s on Carnegie Ave. in Cleveland on Monday afternoon got more than a happy meal, they got a super-sized surprise courtesy of the Cavaliers and Kia Motors. Their lunch tab was picked up as part of the Cavs and Kia’s "Kindness In Action" outreach program that focuses on benefitting those in the community who could use a little assist.

Female Japanese knuckleballer lands in U.S.

(AP) Eri Yoshida is like many girls her age. She has an affinity for torn blue jeans, loves music and giggles uncontrollably, sometimes for no reason at all. The 18-year-old Japanese teen also throws a pretty mean knuckleball, which she hopes to parlay into a professional baseball career. Yoshida was introduced on Friday as a member of the Chico Outlaws, a minor league team that plays in the independent Golden Baseball League.

Tony Hawk Foundation donates $25K for Atlanta skate park

(Alexis Stevens, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk is donating $25,000 for a skating park near Atlanta's Beltline. The Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark will be a 15,000-square-foot facility, according to the Tony Hawk Foundation. The historic community was chosen because of a lack of recreation space, the foundation said. "We are proud and honored to support the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark project in Atlanta," said Tony Hawk.

Rower hailed a champion after historic solo Atlantic crossing

(Liam Gorman, Irish Times) Limerickman Seán McGowan rowed into English Harbour in Antigua yesterday to a rousing reception as he became the first Irish-based oarsman to row solo across the ocean. It had been 118 days, one hour and 14 minutes since he left La Gomera in the Canary Islands in his little boat Tess. "I’m very wobbly in the legs – the first few steps were a bit of a test," the exhausted but happy 42-year-old said. "I’ve just had a few chips and a burger, and a very cold beer. It was a great welcome here and I’m looking forward now to getting back to Shannon and meeting my wife and kids."

Haiti's Son Provides Source of Hope for Homeland

(Jeff Glor, CBS News) After Pierre Garcon caught the winning touchdown pass in January's AFC championship game, he hoisted the Haitian flag, a powerful signal of hope for a devastated country. People in Haiti know they'll be cleaning up a natural disaster for years if not decades. Garcon, a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, has been one source of hope for the country following January's earthquake. Now that hope becomes help for his country and for his family.

Woman tops 14 highest peaks for 1st time: official

(Binaj Gurubacharya, AP) South Korean mountaineer became the first woman to scale the world's 14 highest mountains, officials said, crawling on all fours Tuesday as she reached the last summit. Oh Eun-sun, 44, arrived at the final, steep stretch of Annapurna in the Himalayas 13 hours after she left the last camp to beat a Spanish rival to the record. Her feat was broadcast live in South Korea by KBS television. At the top, she pulled out a South Korean flag, waved, and then wept before throwing up her arms and shouting, "Victory!"

Running down a dream: Leg amputee makes U.S. track team

(Vicki Michaelis, USA TODAY) When Amy Palmiero-Winters was in high school, she would work the closing shift at her family's drive-in restaurant in Meadville, Pa., then head out for a run, with her friend Stacy Hatzo driving alongside. "We would talk about anything and everything, solve all the world's problems," Hatzo says. But never could they have conjured the story line that has Palmiero-Winters, now a 37-year-old divorced mom, still running in the late-night hours, her two sleeping children at home with a babysitter, her prosthetic lower left leg and determination carrying her beyond limits anyone would dare suggest.

‘Never count yourself out’

(Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune) On a cloudless spring afternoon on the crowded Glenbrook South track, Tommy Carroll placed his hand on the back of Shin Taniguchi's elbow. He didn't let go until they had finished the first stretch of a 2 1/2-mile lung-burning training run, matching strides as they moved, connected, around the track. Most afternoons, Carroll and his teammates form these rare duets in the individual sport of distance running, Carroll occasionally serving as a motivator, his teammates always serving as the eyes Carroll lost by age 2.

NFL star's gift to kids

(Joe Kemp, New York Daily News) Determination and a fine education launched him from his humble home in Queens to playing in a Super Bowl - and now he's helping teens to tackle their own dreams. NFL offensive lineman Tutan Reyes - who helped the Carolina Panthers clinch the 2003 National Football Conference title - has created a foundation to give scholarships to underprivileged students across the country.

Carissa is Moore than just a good surfer

(Chris Mauro, GrindTV.com) She may be a red-hot 17-year-old rookie, but when it's all said and done, Carissa Moore won't be defined by her cutback. She drilled that point home on Thursday after winning the second ASP tour event of her young surfing career. While accepting her trophy, Moore donated her entire $15,000 earnings to the local Waitara Bar Boardriders Club, a place where more than 180 kids hang out in a safe environment and are groomed in all things ocean related.

Olympic Skater Apolo Ohno promotes healthy living at Kennedy Middle School

(Gracie Bonds Staples, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Olympic-sized grades and behavior brought a group of Kennedy Middle School sixth-graders nearly an hour of face time Tuesday with short-track speedskater Apolo Ohno. This perhaps was the first real evidence to the 42 middle-schoolers that positive choices yield positive results, but there was more to come. The visit by Ohno, the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history, was intended to promote The Century Council’s on-going campaign to encourage school children across the country to embrace a healthy lifestyle and reject underage drinking.

Vikings Player Answers Local Girl's Prom Dream

(CBS4.com) An Overtown teenager will be able to attend her prom in a new dress, new hairstyle and arrive in style thanks to Bryant McKinnie, a former UM football star who is now the offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings. McKinnie had posted a message on Twitter looking for an exemplary student to send to prom. Soon after that tweet, the Alonzo Mourning charities selected a winner. Cierra Reese was selected because of her strength in dealing with her mother's heart condition while attending school and keeping a positive outlook.

Soccer moms charge the field for own health

(Susan Reimer, Baltimore Sun) Renee Olsen was already late when she arrived at the Soccerdome in Jessup, Md., with her two young boys. The soccer game was under way, and she was still strapping on shinguards, pulling up socks and tying shoelaces. The difference? They were her shinguards, socks and soccer shoes. Olsen's boys were there to cheer on their 33-year-old mother. She's a real soccer mom. Likewise, Sandy Ranck has three soccer-playing sons, but she's the one on the field Friday nights for the Shooters.

At 13, he wants to be youngest Everest climber

(AP) A 13-year-old California boy plans to try to climb Mount Everest in a quest to reach the summits of the highest peaks on all seven continents. If Jordan Romero succeeds, he'll become the youngest person to conquer the world's highest mountain. Jordan will attempt the ascent to 29,035 feet with his father and his father's girlfriend, both experienced outdoors people who have helped train the teenager for top-level mountaineering.

Is he the best 5th grade basketball player in the country?

(Anne Stein, Chicago Tribune) The basketball world is watching Jaylin Fleming. "I've never actually seen a kid like this," Knicks head athletic trainer Roger Hinds said. "As far as his age, he's the best that I've seen," said Refiloe Lethunya, a former Division I player, coach and NBA scout. College and high school coaches are circling, inviting him to games and camps. He has established himself on the all-important AAU circuit. And he has already worked out with the Knicks and with the Bulls' Derrick Rose. Fleming is regarded by some as the most talented 10-year-old basketball player in the country.

Warrior Turiaf plays, and gives, with heart

(Dave Newhouse, Oakland Tribune) A true professional athlete, regardless of being a millionaire, plays through the pain. His body is always hurting, even from normal wear and tear, but he forces himself to compete because of the gladiator-level expectations of his employer, teammates, fans and, mostly, himself. Barring surgery or injury deactivation, a true pro suits up and gives his all. And so Ronny Turiaf of the Warriors plays if he possibly can run and jump, which is a problem currently as his troublesome left knee would rather sit than stand. But he keeps fighting his way back onto the basketball court — even after having open-heart surgery five years ago.

After liver transplant, runner takes on ING half-marathon

(Steve Hummer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Leanne Lee and her amazing liver go on another run this morning, a little 13-mile out-and-back from Centennial Olympic Park. Running is her latest symptom since the transplant. First, there was a clear-eyed glow that replaced the constant sickly yellow. Then, as if a switch flipped on, her energy surged. And now, a runner’s high is kicking depression’s saggy butt. She can’t seem to get enough of this running thing.

Tony Dungy to talk with Atlanta kids, fathers

(D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) After his first full NFL season in retirement, former Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy has found joy off the field. He served as a studio analyst on NBC, and that kept him close to the game, but his off-the-field projects are now his main focus. One of his passions is serving as the national spokesman for All Pro Dad, the fatherhood program of Family First, a national nonprofit organization based in Tampa.

Hug For Haitian Goalie Shows U.S. Team's Spirit

(NPR) Soccer blowouts are usually a cause for celebration, but when the American under-17 women's soccer team beat their Haitian counterparts 9-0 in a regional soccer tournament in Costa Rica, the victory was bittersweet. U.S. goalie Bryane Heaberlin tells NPR's Melissa Block that when the final whistle blew after the March 10 game and the two teams shook hands, she noticed Haitian goalkeeper Alexandra Coby was still on the ground. Heaberlin says she and the rest of the team walked toward Coby.

Paralympics offers a vision of 'what's possible'

(Elizabeth Landau, CNN) Ever since he was a child, Jasmin Bambur dreamed of going to the Olympics. In college, he played competitive handball and was close to making the national team that would take him to the big games. But Bambur's life took an unexpected turn one winter night 10 years ago, when he fell asleep at the wheel of his car. He suffered a severe spinal cord injury, making him a paraplegic at age 20. "With this accident, that dream just got crushed, and I never believed that I would be able to get to Olympics again," said Bambur, a native of Serbia.

NFL players visit Bagram Airmen

(Staff Sgt. Richard Williams, AF.mil) Four National Football League players visited Bagram Airfield servicemembers March 5, as part of a USO tour of the U.S. Central Command area of operations. Mario Williams, a defensive end for the Houston Texans; Jason Whitten, a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys; Vernon Davis, a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Thomas, an offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns, were welcomed by the servicemembers. The signed autographs, posed for pictures with the troops and learned about the mission in Afghanistan.

Scott Fujita a champion for New Orleans, coastal restoration

(Bob Marshall, New Orleans Times-Picayune) This column was going to be about why Scott Fujita, New Orleans Saints linebacker, is a great role model for local football fans. But upon further review, I had to change that call. Now it's: Scott Fujita, New Orleans resident, is a great role model for all New Orleanians. The reason I'm putting him on a pedestal is not because of his work on the football field, but because of what he has chosen to do as a citizen with the rewards of that labor. Fujita has decided to donate half of his $82,000 in NFL playoff earnings to two causes, one of which is coastal restoration.

Cleveland Cavaliers fans snuggle up to world record for most fleece blankets in one place

(Jodie Valade, Cleveland Plain Dealer) As Danny Green was about to lead the Cavaliers onto the court Friday night at The Q, LeBron James stopped the first-year player. Then, like a parent scolding a child who had made an unspeakable error, James sent Green back to the locker room. "Rookie, put on your Snuggie," James ordered sternly. "And keep those knees high. Don't trip." Moments later, Green dashed into the arena with his plush fleece blanket tied around his neck, taking care to raise the edges of the flowing material to avoid injury when he stepped onto the court.

Winter Games in Vancouver have Clevelanders catching the curling craze

(Joan Mazzolini, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Saturday was the second day of a bonspiel at the Mayfield Curling Club. What's a bonspiel? Well, it's a German word that means curling tournament, and it could soon be rolling off the tongues of more people in Greater Cleveland. There is a fascination with curling -- which is huge in Canada, even though it was invented by the Scots in the 16th century -- at these Winter Olympics. Curlers throw a round, 42-pound stone on ice, then sweep the ice to guide the stone to get it close to the center of a ring. The sport's growing popularity may have something to do with "broom stacking."

Smooth operators: They make Olympic ice nice

(Mike Celizic, TodayShow.com) If you want ice at home, you just open the freezer. But if you want it at the Olympics, you call for an "ice whisperer." Some of the most important people at the Vancouver Winter Games are also the most anonymous. They are the four men who are responsible for making the ice for all the skating, curling and sliding events. When you talk to them, as TODAY’s Lester Holt did, you quickly learn that not all ice is alike. Just ask Kameron Kiland, who’s in charge of the ice sheets used by the figure skaters and short-track speedskaters.

Olympian's strength built from life on the streets

(Steve Almasy, CNN) Many kids dream of being in the Olympics one day. When U.S. bobsledder Bill Schuffenhauer was a child in Salt Lake City, Utah, he had no idea the Olympics even existed. All he knew was his parents were drug addicts, that his mother was a prostitute who was often beaten in front of him. He knew that if he was going to survive, he had to do whatever it took to make it. He stole from people; he ate from garbage cans; he got locked up in juvenile detention for breaking into a bike shop when he was trying to get something he could sell for money so he could eat. He had few friends, most of them acquaintances of his mother or the other street kids, many of whom were in gangs.

Family helped racer fight addiction, reach Olympics

(Kate Hairopoulos, Dallas Morning News) Chris Del Bosco was wasted. Again. At lunch. Heather Centurioni didn't have to count the drinks her little brother was putting away to feel the familiar fear. He had shown up to visit in Los Angeles looking as bad as she'd seen him. While she and her husband, Steve, went to work, he sat around day after day and drank and drank. "He was out of shape, grouchy, mad at the world," Centurioni said. "You could just look into his eye sockets and see through him. It was like, 'Where have you gone? Where are you? Where are you?' " Later, Centurioni shook her passed-out brother awake. "This is it," she told him. They had tried to intervene many times before, but on this night, he nodded. "I was just done trying to fool everybody," Del Bosco said. "I was just done." They would arrive at the rehab center in the morning.

Hannah Teter: Olympic silver medal, heart of gold

(Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor) When Hannah Teter tells the assembled media to check out sweetcheekspanties.com, she is serious. At least, as serious as Hannah Teter can be. For a smart-mouthed Vermonter who manages to get a reference to her family’s maple syrup business into every conceivable answer, what is serious and what is thinly veiled mockery of the straight-laced media is always open to interpretation.

Topps gives you chance to step up to plate and nab vintage cards - even Mickey Mantle rookie card

(Barry Paddock, New York Daily News) You might wanna pay a little closer attention to your kid's baseball card collection this year. One in every six packs of Topps' new trading cards will include a special code that can be redeemed online for a free vintage card. The big get? A Mickey Mantle rookie card worth more than $20,000. "It's a little like the Willy Wonka golden ticket if you get the Mantle rookie," said Cal Ripken Jr., the retired baseball Hall of Famer working with Topps to promote the giveaway.

A Rookie Star’s Mom Is With Him All the Way

(William C. Rhoden, New York Times) Alice Knox flew commercial to get to Dallas. She and her son Terrence Phillips and his friend Rex Pflueger crammed into the middle row of a crowded, hot flight. No way she was going to miss the inaugural N.B.A. All-Star Weekend of her oldest, Brandon Jennings, the Milwaukee Bucks’ star rookie point guard. Why fly commercial? Why not charter a plane? After all, the family, by virtue of Jennings’ being drafted, presumably resides in the N.B.A. mansion. "We’ve got one foot in the door," Knox said Friday with her signature smile. "We’re still flying commercial, sitting in the middle row. I’m just thankful to be on the plane."

Requited: New Orleans fell in love with the Saints—and then the Saints fell in love with New Orleans

(Adam B. Kushner, Newsweek.com) This week, after the New Orleans Saints returned home as victors in their first Super Bowl outing, their city threw them a party. Standing 30-deep on the sidewalk for several miles, men, women, and children shrieked exuberantly when quarterback Drew Brees rolled past dancing atop a colossal papier-mâché throne, on a float loaned by another Mardi Gras parade. "It would have been like this even if they'd lost," said Doris Jones, 60, who didn't mind the crowd. By one estimate, 384,000 people live here now—nearly 80 percent of the pre-Katrina population—but somehow 800,000 showed up for the parade.

Skaters fortunate to land partners

(Nicholas K. Geranios, AP) Boy meets girl. Boy lifts girl. Boy tries not to drop girl on her head. So goes the world of pairs figure skating and ice dancing, the beautiful sports in which a man and a woman skate in perfect unison across the ice. Yet how do the couples connect? How do they stay together? And how do they rise to success? Pairs skating, one of the few athletic pursuits in which men and women compete as equals, turns out to have plenty of parallels to relationships in real life -- not the least of which concerns the potential for conflict while in proximity to sharp objects. Duos meet by accident. They are matched up by coaches or friends. They look for each other on the Internet.

Hickory golfers go back to the future

(Sam Sheringham, CNN) It may run contrary to the conventional image of a sport obsessed with the latest technological improvement but, from Stockholm to Shanghai, players are turning back the clock to take part in the latest craze -- hickory golf. The game, which involves using 19th century wooden-shafted clubs, has proved a hit as national championships in the United States, Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Sweden and Finland have blossomed. Companies too have been attracted to the format as a way of motivating staff. "Golfers love a challenge," says Gavin Bottrell, who runs hickory golf days in Britain.

A Rare Blend, Pro Football and Hasidic Judaism

(Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times) After practice one late-summer day in 1986, Alan Veingrad strode into the Green Bay Packers’ locker room, feeling both spent and satisfied. An undrafted player from an obscure college, he had made the team and then some. On the next Sunday, opening day of the N.F.L. season, he would be starting at offensive tackle. In his locker, Mr. Veingrad found the usual stuff, his street clothes and sweat suit and playbook. On a small bench, though, lay a note from the Packers’ receptionist. It carried a name that Mr. Veingrad did not recognize, Lou Weinstein, and a local phone number.

13-Year-Old Commits to USC for Football

(Teresa Masterson, NBCPhiladelphia.com) David Sills wants to be an NFL quarterback, and at age 13 he is on his way: The boy wonder verbally accepted USC's full football scholarship offer Thursday. "It’s been my dream since I was, like, six [to play in the NFL]," Sills told NBC Philadelphia in May 2009. The Bear, Del. middle schooler makes history by committing to be a part of USC's class of 2015. While this has happened before in college basketball history, a university has never committed a full scholarship to a boy this young in college football history.

Super Bowl's Start Hinges on Space Coin Flip

(Robert Z. Pearlman, CollectSpace.com) It may be one small flip, but the coin that will decide whether the Indianapolis Colts or New Orleans Saints possess the ball at the start of Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV will have already made a giant leap when it hits the field at Miami's Sun Life Stadium. In a move that at the time was known only to a few people at NASA, the NFL, and The Highland Mint of Melbourne, Fla. where the coin was created last August, the opening-toss medal was flown on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission in November. Over 11 days and 171 orbits around the Earth, the silver coin logged four million miles.

Super Bowl Is Unlikely Stopover on Player’s Journey to Sobriety

(Karen Crouse, New York Times) The road to the Super Bowl rarely runs through a halfway house. Which is what makes Saints defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove’s story special — and, to those who care about him, a little unsettling. Eight months after being treated in South Florida for alcohol and drug addiction, Hargrove is headed back there for Super Bowl XLIV. The ramifications hit Hargrove with the same force as his bone-rattling collisions with Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in New Orleans’s overtime victory against Minnesota in the National Football Conference championship game.

Chicago Paralympic hockey medalist enters Hall of Fame

(Mike Helfgot, Chicago Tribune) Patrick Byrne vividly remembers pitying the girl in the wheelchair. It was fall 1992, and Byrne, a 27-year-old a construction worker at the time, was waiting for equipment to be delivered to a job site in Glenview when he saw her. "I said to myself, if I was ever in that situation, I would wish to be dead," Byrne said. Three weeks later, Byrne lost his right leg in a construction accident. After the initial shock wore off, he spent the last 17 years amazed at how wrong he was. On Saturday, Byrne will be inducted into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame.

Girdwood snowboarder named to Olympic team

(Mike Campbell, Anchorage Daily News) Gutsy young snowboarder Callan Chythlook-Sifsof of Girdwood made history on Monday when she capped a remarkable comeback season by becoming what is believed to be the first Alaska Native to earn a berth on an Olympic team. "For sure," said her mother Gloria, "she's the first Alaska Eskimo in the history of the Olympics -- we've researched it." Chythlook-Sifsof was named to the Olympic team Monday afternoon, using a surge of solid performances during the last few weeks to qualify.

Biodegradable golf ball feeds goldfish

(Anouk Lorie, CNN) For even the most environmentally conscious of players, playing golf and remaining green is a difficult balance to achieve, especially if your aim lands you in water hazards more than on the fairway. Research teams at the Danish Golf Union discovered it takes between 100 to 1,000 years for a golf ball to decompose naturally, a startling fact when it is estimated 300 million balls are lost or discarded each year in the United States alone.

Georgia native first to cross Antarctica unassisted

(Alexis Stevens, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Imagine being so daring that you decide to make a thousand-mile journey across Antarctica on skis. It's just you and a partner, and the two of you have to pull everything you'll need to make the trek in temperatures as low as 50 degrees below zero. Oh, and you've never cross-country skied before. Ryan Waters, a 36-year-old east Cobb County native, has done just that. Waters and Norway's Cecilie Skog, 35, finished the 70-day expedition on Thursday, making them the first two people ever to cross the icy continent unassisted.

Amputee Dayton Webber, 11, excels at wrestling -- and a whole lot more

(Ruben Castaneda, Dayton Daily News) Here's the scouting report on 11-year-old Dayton Webber: No arms. No legs. Huge heart. Whether he's wrestling, playing football, go-karting or ice skating, Dayton doesn't just participate -- he competes. "I just like to do sports," Dayton said. "I feel like I can play sports and kind of show people what I can do -- that I can do sports just as good as them. I feel like I can do anything if I just put my mind to it."

British diver sets new world record by spending more than TWO DAYS under water

(Daily Mail) A British diver has set a new world record by spending more than TWO DAYS under water. Will Goodman, 33, spent an astonishing 48 hours, 9 minutes and 17 seconds under water during a dive in Indonesia. This beat the previous record by more than six minutes and landed him the record for the longest open saltwater scuba dive. Mr Goodman, a professional diver originally from Hertfordshire, performed the dive off the island of Lombok. He stayed in a metal frame to make sure he stayed at the right depth and was fed rations through a tube.

Shaq wants Kobe and LeBron in dunk contest

(AP) Shaquille O'Neal has a plan to save the NBA's All-Star dunk contest: Bring back the superstars and do it for devastated Haiti. Following Tuesday night's win over Toronto, O'Neal was asked if he would like to see teammate LeBron James participate in this year's event. That's when he offered his idea. He would like to see former dunk champion Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and others take part along with James. "As his manager, I will only allow 'Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out," O'Neal said. "If Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out. If we could get a big prize and have half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner."

Athletes Relief Fund for Haiti Raises More Than $800G

(AP) Calling the initial wave of support "overwhelming," the Haitian earthquake relief fund co-founded by Alonzo Mourning and Heat star Dwyane Wade said Monday its pledge total has surpassed $800,000. Wade's donation was a one-game salary, about $175,000, while Mourning, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul each pledged $100,000, fund officials said. The "Athletes Relief Fund for Haiti" began soliciting from pro athletes Friday. "I expected nothing less from my friends and colleagues in the sports community," Wade said in a release. "Our commitment to this cause knows no bounds, and we will continue to accept any and all donations throughout the days ahead."

NFL pledges $2.5M to aid Haiti earthquake relief efforts

(NFL.com) The National Football League and the NFL Players Association pledged $2.5 million to aid in relief and recovery efforts in Haiti to assist victims of the earthquake. The NFL and NFLPA will contribute $1 million through their Disaster Relief Fund to the American Red Cross and Partners In Health ($500,000 each). In addition, the NFL and its network partners will run pregame and in-game messages during this weekend's games valued at $1.5 million to promote donations. In addition, NFL owners and players are making their own personal donations.

NBA recognizes Kidd's generosity

(Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News) The NBA has named Mavericks guard Jason Kidd as the recipient of the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for December in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and for his ongoing philanthropic and charitable work. The NBA is honoring Kidd for his work helping children and families in need throughout the Dallas area and beyond. Most recently, in an effort to bring holiday cheer to kids, he treated 50 youngsters from the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center to an unforgettable shopping spree.

Teenager Katie Walter is youngest person to reach the South Pole

(Chris Smyth, Times Online) While other teenagers marked the start of 2010 by partying with illicit supplies of vodka, Katie Walter spent New Year’s Eve in a frozen tent, celebrating becoming the youngest person to reach the South Pole. Katie, 17, arrived at the pole on December 31, after a 112-mile trek across the Antarctic wilderness. "It was a very good time for a celebration," she said.

He's aiming for 1 million to thank the troops

(Kevin Gray, Manchester Union-Leader) An empty pair of red, white and blue sneakers is positioned under the basket as Dave Cummings toes the foul line. The Converse high-tops are symbolic of those who have died while serving our country. It is in honor of those fallen soldiers that the Epsom man has undertaken an ambitious, if sometimes tedious, pursuit. Cummings' goal is to sink 1 million free throws, shooting daily, an exercise that can be described as patriotic and maybe a tad obsessive-compulsive. He is on pace to finish in June 2012.

From Laid-Off GM Worker to Professional Bowler, a Michigan Man Strikes It Big

(Chris Bury and Kristina Wong) Tom Smallwood was just a regular guy working on an automotive assembly line in a small town in Michigan. But when he lost his job two days before Christmas 2008, he decided it was time to pursue his dreams -- and struck it big as a professional bowler. Smallwood, 32, started bowling for fun when he was about 14 years old. He said although he wasn't good at the time, a few friends who also bowled drove him to get better. He eventually became an amateur bowler, bringing home trophies and amateur prize money, supplementing his income bolting in seatbelts.

A gold medal inspiration

(Lisa Black, Chicago Tribune) J.J. O'Connor had every reason to be bitter, especially about hockey. He was 16 when he broke his neck after crashing into the boards at a Skokie ice rink, an accident that left him partially paralyzed. Determined to walk again, he visited a clinic in Colorado one year later, where he was advised to move on with his life. Doctors told him he would not leave the wheelchair any time soon. O'Connor pondered this harsh news atop Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs before returning to Illinois. "I was looking at the majestic scenery, thinking, why me?" said O'Connor, 31, of Mount Prospect.

Player’s shoe gaffe pays off for Houston kids

(AP) Dunta Robinson’s shoe escapade has turned into a $25,000 boost for a facility that will serve underprivileged children. The Houston Texans cornerback was fined that amount for wearing shoes during the season opener that carried a message directed at general manager Rick Smith: It said, "pay me Rick." Robinson was upset he and the Texans were unable to reach a long-term contract and skipped training camp before signing. After writing letters to Smith, owner Bob McNair and coach Gary Kubiak, Robinson was allowed to donate the fine this week toward the construction of a Houston Texans YMCA that will benefit kids in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.

'Nova coach a marrow champion

(David Paschall, Chattanooga Times Free Press) Regardless of tonight's outcome in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title game at Finley Stadium, Villanova coach Andy Talley will be remembered as a winner. Talley has guided the Wildcats to a 178-102-1 record since 1985, when he revived a program that had been shut down five years earlier. Since 1992, he also has been heavily involved with the National Marrow Donor Program. "I heard a medical show about how there were not enough donors out there and that people wouldn't be dying if we could get more people on the donor list," Talley said. "I was like, 'I can do that.'"

Bill Cosby carries the PR ball for Temple

(Chris Foster, Los Angeles Times) Bill Cosby, comedian, actor and former Temple football player, can sum up in one word what he remembers about his days as an Owls running back. "Fumbling," Cosby said. That may have been the case for his two-year career at Temple. But Cosby is not dropping the ball for Temple these days. In fact, he has been carrying it. Cosby has given the Owls a clear advantage over UCLA in the area of former-player-turned-Hollywood-personality with the EagleBank Bowl looming Dec. 29 in Washington.

Dragon star's bionic gift to boy

(BBC News) Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne has given a disabled County Durham boy £25,000 for a bionic arm after his wife met the youngster at an awards event. Lyndon Longhorne, 14, from Crook, lost his legs and an arm to meningitis. Mr Bannatyne's wife Joanne was so moved by the teenager's bravery, that she asked her millionaire husband to donate the cash as an anniversary gift to her. Lyndon said he was "so grateful" after receiving the news in a telephone call from Mrs Bannatyne.

Healing the visible – and invisible – scars of war through flag football

(Kendra Nordin, Christian Science Monitor) Never mind that the rain is coming down in sheets and a nor’easter is whipping up wind in 20 m.p.h. gusts. Nico Marcolongo is undeterred. With a sturdy Marine stride and the bellowing enthusiasm of a motivational speaker, Mr. Marcolongo is here to "heal through football." On the surface, a flag football tournament in a soggy Boston suburb may not seem remarkable. But Marcolongo has a proven knack for turning the ordinary into a powerful force for good, and having fun doing it. Today is no exception. The Iraq war veteran’s effusive leadership dissolves otherwise stoic New Englanders into laughter as his team, the "Mongo Maniacs," gets progressively muddier.

Solo circumnavigator's sister makes her own sails pitch

(Pete Thomas, Los Angeles Times) Abby Sunderland is bundled in foul-weather gear at the tiller of the 40-foot racing yacht Wild Eyes as it grudgingly navigates chaotic swells on a northward trudge against a bone-chilling head wind along the Baja California coast. But as long hours pass into even worse conditions, there are no complaints from the 16-year-old from Thousand Oaks, who knows this is paradise compared with what she'll soon face much farther from home and in far more turbulent seas. If this has a familiar tone, it's understandable. Abby's brother Zac, 17, in July became the youngest American sailor to circle the globe alone.

Hang 10! Legendary surfing contest is on

(AP) A surfing contest in Hawaii that is only held in extreme conditions is on for the first time in five years, thanks to the massive waves pounding Oahu's famed North Shore. Contest director George Downing made the announcement Tuesday morning as wave heights at Waimea Bay reached 35 feet. The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave surfing contest is only held when there are very large waves.

A Race Changes Lives in Cambodia

(Liz Gooch, New York Times) At first, San Mao thought he had been shot in the leg. It was a reasonable assumption on that day, nearly 20 years ago, given that Khmer Rouge soldiers were forcing him to carry ammunition across the Cambodian countryside. But when Mr. San Mao, then 17, found he was unable to get up from the forest floor, he realized that the lower part of his right leg was gone.

Special-needs students learn the joys of judo

(Kathleen McGrory, Miami Herald) For years, Santiago Chavez watched his big brothers practice jujitsu, wishing he could participate. But for a boy who once used a wheelchair and now needs crutches to walk, martial arts lessons were out of the question. Until now. Santiago is one of 26 special-needs children at Tropical Elementary in West Miami-Dade who are learning the Japanese art of judo. Their teachers are champion martial artists. Santiago, who has cerebral palsy, doesn't use the crutches during judo. He stands up on his own and walks.

Fifa honours football league set up in apartheid-era prison

(Bill Corcoran, Irish Times) Former inmates of South Africa’s famous Robben Island prison who established a football league as a way to survive incarceration were honoured by Fifa yesterday, when it officially recognised their association. International football’s governing body ratified the league’s constitution during a Fifa executive committee meeting on the island prison in Cape Town, where Nelson Mandela and many African National Congress (ANC) leaders spent decades doing hard labour. The Makana Football Association was set up by inmates on Robben Island in 1966 to provide rules and structures for anti-apartheid activists who wanted to play matches.

UF’s Tim Tebow stayed true to beliefs

(Gene Frenette, Florida Times-Union) Four years ago, it was one of the biggest questions next to Tim Tebow’s name — could he live up to all the extravagant billing without losing a piece of his soul? I don’t care how well-grounded an 18-year-old kid is, fame is an enticement that can pull people away from who they are, the way they were raised. The inability to handle it has killed many a career. It sucks in people with far more life experiences than what Tebow had as a home-schooled kid quarterbacking at Nease High School.

Former German athlete has high jump record restored 73 years after it was erased by the Nazis because she was Jewish

(Daily Mail) Germany's track and field association have restored a previous national high jump record set in 1936 after it was obliterated by the Nazis. Gretel Bergmann matched the 5ft 3in jump in Stuggart on June 30, 1936, but her feat was erased from the record books because she was Jewish. Ms Bergmann was kicked off the national team and barred from competing at that year's Berlin Olympics by Nazi officials. But the German track and field association made the decision to reinstate her record and install her in Germany's sports hall of fame as an 'act of justice and a symbolic gesture'.

Catching Tuna and Hanging On for the Ride

(Charles McGrath, New York Times) Dave Lamoureux’s kayak, named Fortitude, must be the only one in Massachusetts registered as a motor vessel. That’s because a powerboat registration is required to get a permit to fish for tuna here. Apparently, it never occurred to the authorities that someone might be crazy enough to want to catch a bluefin while sitting in what amounts to a floating plastic chair and enjoying what Melville called a "Nantucket sleigh ride."

Shaquille O'Neal goes from Shaq-A-Claus to Shaqs-giving

(Margaret Bernstein, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Shaquille O'Neal took advantage of a break in the Cavaliers' schedule Sunday to cram two holidays into one day, flitting from a "Shaq-A-Claus" appearance in the morning to handing out "Shaqs-giving" dinners in the afternoon. Widely known for his charity work, the Cavs center did his best to take two rituals that he has carved out in his previous cities and transplant them to Cleveland. "No, I'm not tired. For me, it's just another day at the office," he said, still smiling after handing out boxes with Thanksgiving fixings at the Cleveland Boys & Girls Club headquarters and posing for pictures with about 400 families.

Youth Football Players Win On and Off the Field

(Erika von Tiehl, CBS 4) Football. It's a sport that encourages discipline, dedication and hard work. That message is driven home four days a week during practice at Devon Aire Park in Kendall. Coaches, such as Vinnie Cilli, are all volunteers. "When I was their age, there were adults who spent their time out here and volunteered, and I feel it's important for us to give back to them." That's what keeps them coming back to the field, after putting in 8 hours of work.

FSU coach Andrews practices tough love on the field, kindness off

(Jim Lamar, Tallahassee Democrat) That image you have of Mickey Andrews prowling on the Florida State football sideline? The one where he's yelling so hard the chewing gum nearly flies out of his mouth? The one where he's nose-to-nose with one of his players — and you just know that poor kid is getting the tongue-lashing of his life? Take that image and put candy corn on Andrews' teeth so he looks like he has fangs. Raise his arms over his head so it looks like he's a scary monster. And change the scenery from the sideline at Doak Campbell Stadium to the kitchen in Andrews' house.

New Orleans Saints' Anthony Hargrove: 'I want to be an inspiration'

(Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune) To combat his demons, New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove surrounds himself with daily affirmations, signposts to keep him on track. Photos of his son, Tre, and daughter, Amiah Grace, hang inside his locker at the team's practice facility. Next to the photos, a handwritten message from some school children he spoke to earlier this year. Below that is taped a copy of his reinstatement letter from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the official notice that he could play football again after serving a one-year suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

Local skier (and YouTube star) preps for Olympics

(Art Thiel, SeattlePI.com) Since the run-up to each Winter Games always occurs during church -- the football season -- the frozen Olympics have a way of sneaking up on most sports-loving Americans. Even around here, when the next one is three hours up the street and three months away in Vancouver, B.C. Which is why Scott Macartney was blown away seeing his mug on downtown billboards, as well as on TV commercials while he works out at the gym.It was like he was, well, Ichiro or Matt Hasselbeck. Or, as he put it last week, "Really cool."

In a Child’s Company, Champions Become Gods

(Tyler Kepner, New York Times) Before Game 5 of the World Series, in the visiting manager’s office at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Joe Girardi admitted he had thought about the parade. His son Dante, then 7 years old, had been asking about it. Girardi said he tried to put the magnitude of the crowd in perspective for the boy. Imagine 70 sold-out baseball stadiums, he said. Then take all those people and put them in the streets of Manhattan. That would be roughly the size of the throng if the Yankees won the World Series.

World Series moment: Joba Chamberlain and his dad, Harlan

('Duk, Big League Stew, Yahoo! Sports) The throng of media members around the makeshift stage seemed impenetrable, but Harlan Chamberlain motored his way through all of the cameras and notepads anyways. Reaching a blue barrier, he stopped his scooter, strained to look over a crowd of world champion Yankee ballplayers and tried to get a glimpse of his son. When that proved useless, he simply resorted to his considerable vocal chords. "Jaaaaaaahba!" he yelled. "Jaaaaaaaaaahba!"

Colbert boosts U.S. speed skating team

(Matt Frisch, CNN) Stephen Colbert may have lost his bid as an underdog presidential candidate last year, but he still wants to represent America any way he can. The "Colbert Report" host said that his viewers. the "Colbert Nation," will now be the primary sponsor for the U.S. Olympic speed skating team when the squad goes to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. The announcement was made on his show Monday night. Earlier, the Netherlands-based DSB Bank in the Netherlands had dropped out as a team sponsor.

Nintendo Wii rocks senior centers

(Annie Burris, Orange County Register) Seniors nationwide and locally say they are addicted to a new gadget: Nintendo Wii. It's not an expected pairing, older people and cutting edge gaming. But experts say seniors are falling in love with the technology, which uses hand held devices to simulate traditional, low-tech games like bowling, golf, and tennis. The men and women who go Wii bowling every Wednesday at the Huntington Beach Rodger's Senior Center have grown so enthusiastic that they have formed a team, the Surf City Strikers, and they've taken to wearing bright blue team shirts while playing.

Southern White Teams Just Didn’t Play Black Ones, but One Game Ended All That

(Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times) On a Saturday night 40 football seasons ago, just before kickoff of the penultimate game in his career, Coach Jake Gaither of Florida A&M strode toward midfield of Tampa Stadium. There he extended his hand to the opposing coach, Fran Curci of the University of Tampa, and they strained to speak above the din of a capacity crowd. "Jake, this is bigger than I thought it would be," Coach Curci recently recalled saying. "Not me," Coach Gaither responded. Both men were trying to fathom the event they had set into motion, the first interracial football game in the South.

Act of kindness by softball player comes full circle

(George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel) "Excuse me?" Two simple words set off a cosmic chain reaction with tentacles stretching across the world. It connects the dots to all sorts of unrelated characters, from a Japanese filmmaker to Justin Timberlake to Ellen DeGeneres to working-class folks who hear the story and weep unabashedly. It weaves connective tissue with the ESPYs in Los Angeles, the Humanitarian Hall of Fame in Idaho, to the Huckleberry Festival in White Salmon, Wash. The White House would have made the list, too, if not for a scheduling conflict with that festival. Commitments are commitments. Two simple words, and the world opened up for Mallory Holtman. You could say she changed it, too. All for the better.

Challenged athletes offer life lesson

(David Whiting, Orange County Register) Andy Bailey glides over a kelp bed a half-mile off the La Jolla coast and swiftly swims around a large yellow inflatable buoy that marks the halfway point for the swim portion of the San Diego Triathlon Challenge. To the landlubber, the 72-year-old Laguna Beach resident looks like any other athlete working his or her way through the swim portion of a triathlon. His black wetsuit matches hundreds of others in this event. His red swim cap is just another color. His churning arms blend into the pack of swimmers. But for someone swimming in Bailey's wake, the usual sight of a double trail of bubbles is absent.

A quiet act of kindness

(Mark Blumenthal, Palatka Daily News) Nineteenth century French economist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon once said, "When deeds speak, words are nothing." For soft-spoken Interlachen High School junior Jonathan Clayton, that could not be more true. He let what he did Tuesday after a cross country meet at the Palatka Municipal Golf Course speak volumes. In the process, he made the day of 12-year-old sixth-grader Jake Tessar from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.

Miami Dolphins tailgaters bring compassion to the party

(Hannah Sampson, Miami Herald) For one devoted group of Miami Dolphins tailgaters, pregame festivities aren't complete until they have raised money for South Florida charities. Call them tailgaters with a cause -- beyond winning football games, that is. In between dishing up meals and mocking their opponents, Dolfans are forking over cash and checks for charity. "We're more than just football fans," said Vicky Pestrichelli of Plantation, who leads the charity efforts. "Hopefully if you can afford a $150 seat, you can bring $10. . . . You can do something and it doesn't have to be a lot."

Denver man overcomes paralysis to complete Denver Marathon

(John Meyer, Denver Post) His right knee ached because of a ligament strain, and his groin stung because of a hernia diagnosed just last Tuesday, but those were hardly the biggest obstacles Steve Baker overcame to run the Denver Marathon on Sunday. Thirteen months ago, Baker was paralyzed after diving into a swimming pool and hitting the bottom with his head. Two cervical vertebrae were fractured, requiring emergency spinal fusion surgery. Awakening with no feeling in his arms or legs, and immobilized by a halo brace, Baker was forced to contemplate the prospect of life in a wheelchair.

Roethlisberger repays Detroit with K-9 cop

(Ben Schmitt, Detroit Free Press) Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is donating two K-9 unit dogs to Detroit -- the city where he won the first of his two Super Bowl rings. Roethlisberger, who will be in town Sunday to play the Lions at Ford Field, will pay for two dogs that will replace a pair of retiring dogs from the Detroit Police Department at the end of the year.

Will Tiger Woods Go for Gold? Golf, Rugby Approved as Olympic Sports

(AP) Tiger Woods can begin his quest for a gold medal, after golf was approved as an Olympic sport Friday along with rugby sevens. Both sports will be included in the 2016 and 2020 Summer Games, following a vote by the International Olympic Committee. Each sport received majority support in separate votes by the IOC after leading athletes and officials from both camps gave presentations, including a taped video message from Woods and other top pros. Woods has indicated he would play in the Olympics if golf were accepted for 2016.

Jack LaLanne at 95

(Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle) Bad food and sloth ooze over our planet like hot fudge mixed with giblet gravy. Fast food speeds us to our doublewide coffins, and we gave up exercise when watches started winding themselves. But the battle to deliver mankind from its bad habits rages. Leading the charge, as he has for 80 years, is the Bay Area's gift to world health, Jack LaLanne. He's 95, in fabulous shape although no longer the slab of muscle who inspired a nation via his daily exercise TV program. The brain is still cooking, and that's always been LaLanne's most effective tool.

Teenager's dream to take family on cruise fulfilled by Chris Paul during charity event

(Lisa O'Donnell, Winston-Salem Journal) In a matter of seconds, Jarrell Marshall's day went from special to unforgettable at the Carlson Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club. It was already shaping up to be a red-letter day when Marshall got to meet Chris Paul, his favorite NBA player. Marshall, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma, was representing the regional office of the Make-A-Wish Foundation at a check-presentation ceremony at Paul's annual Winston-Salem Weekend yesterday. Shortly after shaking Marshall's hand, Paul told him not to go anywhere. "What's your wish?" Paul asked.

Ark. player ends game with noble gesture

(Luke Matheson, ArkansasVarsity.com) Thamail Morgan took the kickoff and headed up the field. He was at the 20 ... 30 ... 40. He had been avoiding, dodging or just simply running through tacklers on the way. Football always had come easily for Morgan. This game was no different. By the time he hit midfield, only open space was ahead of him. The two-time Arkansas all-state selection was headed for a touchdown.

Eco-drive: Golf goes green

(Christina MacFarlane, CNN) In these eco-conscious times, there are few areas of life that have not been touched by the drive to go green, and golf is no exception. The trend for environmentally friendly golf is rocketing with celebrities such as Justin Timberlake taking up the cause in unveiling one of the world's top eco-golf courses earlier this year. His club, the Mirimichi Golf Course in Tennessee is the first in the country to be designated as a certified Audubon International Classic Sanctuary, re-using 80 percent of the energy it produces.

Where Big Talent Comes in a Small Package

(Greg Bishop, New York Times) To find where Jim Leonhard stands tallest, drive east from Minneapolis on the country road Route 8. Enter Packers country, past fields of corn and oats, past the "Population 105" signpost. Near the Tony Depot, in the center of this speck of a town in northwest Wisconsin, stop at the billboard that makes Leonhard blush, painted with his likeness and adorned with his college accomplishments. The one that says "Walk-on to All-American." Here, Leonhard is not an overachieving 5-foot-8 Jets safety. Here, Leonhard is a catalyst for change, a reason to remember, a source of inspiration.

Sporting a Smile, Spreading the Joy

(Emma Brown, Washington Post) Five years ago, an 18-ton front loader backed into and ran over Harry Freedman in a work accident at Auto Recyclers of Leesburg, his family business, and tore off his left leg below the knee. Freedman, 54 at the time, was someone who woke up every day before dawn to go running. He also bicycled, swam and sweated through aerobics classes at his gym. &It keeps you sort of high all the time," he said of his exercise habit. So his first worry that too-tragic-to-be-really-happening day was how long it would be before he could run again.

Cincy's Gilyard went from homeless to star

(Joe Kay, AP) The steel-toed Red Wing work boots stand alongside the football trophies in the entertainment center that serves as Mardy Gilyard's trophy case. He's as proud of the scruffy, size-12 footwear as anything else on display. The boots remind him of where he was three years ago, when he had next to nothing. Out of a scholarship. Nearly out of football. Working four jobs just to pay off his tuition bill. Sleeping on friends' sofas and occasionally living out of his 2000 Pontiac Grand Am parked on campus. Falling asleep hungry. Only three years ago.

NFL Community Tuesdays kick off with season

(NFL.com) As the NFL season kicks off, teams across the league will continue the tradition of 'NFL Community Tuesdays,' where players spend their only day off getting active in their communities. From school visits to fitness activities, food drives to literacy events, players, coaches, and executives will spend their Tuesdays throughout the season helping those in need, and thanking fans for their support.

Jeter Passes Gehrig as Yankees Hits Leader

(Tyler Kepner, New York Times) Derek Jeter grew up on Yankees history, by birth and by providence. He was nurtured as a fan by his grandmother, who lived in New Jersey, and drafted into the tradition as a first-round pick in 1992. Only a few years ago, though, did Jeter notice that nobody in his team’s history had ever reached 3,000 hits. Teammates stumbled on it while paging through a record book. "Then we were wondering who had the most," Jeter said on Friday afternoon. "But it’s not like you sit there and target it."

Dwyane Wade helps Robbins library

(WLS-TV) A pro basketball star is trying to keep a south suburban library from closing its doors. The only library in Robbins is still open, thanks to donations and some federal aid. Thursday, Robbins native Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat made a donation to keep the library he visited as a child open a little longer. The community gave an emotional thank you to the native son who stepped just in time to help the hometown library that once helped him.

Bringing the N.B.A. a Little Closer to Africa

(Harvey Araton, New York Times) The first-time counselor remembered exactly where he sat as a wide-eyed camper. He pointed to the spot and informed his audience that he was in that very space just six years ago. The campers, about 70 strong, responded as if Luc Mbah a Moute had told them a joke. "They laughed, like they couldn’t believe it was possible," he said.

Ghanaian-American girl finds caddying is path to American dream

(Dan Simmons, Chicago Tribune) In the spring, as Mike Greene trained a new crop of caddies he feared a slow summer ahead for them. "I was expecting the worst," said the caddy superintendent at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton. Who, in these dire times, would fork over $90 for a walk around the links and pay an additional $50 for a kid to schlep their clubs?

American teen making a mark

(Howard Fendrich, AP) It's not quite the case that 17-year-old Melanie Oudin and her family knew for sure she would get this far, this fast. Not when Melanie was 7, hitting buckets of tennis balls with Grandma Mimi back home in Marietta, Ga. Not a couple of years later, when Melanie and her twin sister began taking lessons together. And certainly not when Melanie lost her first two Grand Slam matches.

Jeter Is Approaching Gehrig With a Sense of the Moment

(Tyler Kepner, New York Times) The records are piling up for Derek Jeter, and the more he hits, the quicker they come. Most hits at the original Yankee Stadium. Most hits by a shortstop. Most hits in the history of the Yankees. The last mark still belongs to Lou Gehrig, at least for a few more days. Gehrig had 2,721 hits. Jeter, who had a hit Wednesday against the Orioles, has 2,713.

Transplant athletes return to hero's welcome

(Alison Shevlin, Irish Times) The Irish team returned to a hero’s welcome yesterday after picking up 22 medals at the 17th World Transplant Games in Australia. Family members and supporters greeted the squad in an emotional reunion at Dublin Airport. Among the top performers at the games was Deirdre Faul from Dalkey, Co Dublin, who won four gold medals. "I have really enjoyed the games, and to win four gold medals is just very special," she said.

17-year-old An reaches US Amateur finals

(Jeff Latzke, AP) With each passing day, Byeong-Hun An is making his resume look more impressive. After playing 125 holes of golf in the past six days, the 17-year-old South Korean needs only one more win to add a line as the youngest champion in the history of the U.S. Amateur.

Florida’s Star Yearns to Make a Difference

(Pete Thamel, New York Times) To find the source of Tim Tebow’s inspiration, it takes three days, four planes and two hours of driving on roads so bumpy they rattle the spine. The journey leads to Uncle Dick’s Home, an orphanage in the Philippines so remote it has no mailing address. More than 9,000 miles and a world away from Florida’s campus, Uncle Dick’s, a home for 48 orphans, is the best place to gauge Tebow’s reach as a college star and what it is he wants to accomplish with the platform his athletic success has afforded him.

LeBron James hosts his annual King for Kids Bike-a-thon in Akron

(James Ewinger, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Name a sporting event that doesn't keep score but has 1,100 winners and LeBron James. The NBA draft would be a bad guess. But if you picked James' own King for Kids Bike-a-thon in Akron on Saturday, you can sit in the winners' circle with the 1,100 bikers who rode for charity. And maybe Akron itself was a winner, too. Mayor Don Plusquellic certainly thought so.

Woman who posed as man to become judo champ finally gets gold - 50 years after being stripped of it

(Jeff Wilkins and Christina Boyle, New York Daily News) It took 50 years, but she finally got gold. A Brooklyn judo champ stripped of her first place medal when judges realized she was a woman competing in a contest against men secured her place in the history books Friday. It was a sweet moment for Rena (Rusty) Kanokogi, who became a pioneer for her sport - and a champion for equal rights - after her 1959 victory turned sour because she was the wrong gender.

Usain Bolt does it again -- smashes world record in 200

(Philip Hersh, Chicago Tribune) As they passed time before the start of the 200 meters, Usain Bolt feigned a jab to the jaw of U.S. sprinter Wallace Spearmon, who ducked it with a little movement of his head. If only it were that easy to get away from Bolt's punch on the track. Like everyone else, Spearmon is nothing more than a sparring partner, real or pantomimed, for the Jamaican who is knocking out rivals, world records and concepts of human limits as if they were so many palookas.

1969 Amazin's Build for Habitat for Humanity

(Rich Calder, New York Post) The 1969 Amazing Mets retired their bats long ago but this week they'll be picking up some lumber on behalf of families in need. Most of the legendary squad who shocked the nation by capturing the 1969 World Series - including Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver - will spend part of Saturday afternoon in the CitiField parking lot helping build the frame of a home that will eventually be used by a low-income New York City family.

Lance Armstrong's tweet stops traffic in Scotland

(Times Online) Lance Armstrong brought traffic to a standstill in Paisley today as more than 200 people joined an impromptu bike ride with the seven-times Tour de France winner. Armstrong, 37, issued an open invitation to riders via a Twitter post yesterday, which read: "Hey Glasgow, Scotland! I'm coming your way tomorrow. Who wants to go for a bike ride?" The American is in Scotland to watch U2 play Hampden Park tonight but fancied a bike ride ahead of next week's Tour of Ireland, where he is due to compete.

Teacher who couldn't swim becomes an international triathlete... and loses four stone in as many months

(Daily Mail) A teacher who only learned to swim front crawl 18 months ago has been selected to represent Great Britain - in the World Triathlon Championships. Not content with simply running on a treadmill, super-fit Melanie Ryding, 37, was inspired to lose weight when she realised she could no longer fit into her size 16 jeans. Although she hated sports at school, 5ft 10ins Melanie took up running and lost four stone in four months.

Generosity on the run

(Claire Martin, Denver Post) The unsung heroes of the Leadville Trail 100 ultramarathon are the pacers: the men and women who set the pace for runners who've hit the 50-mile halfway point. A pacer accompanies a runner during the last stages of the event, striding alongside from one checkpoint to the next. For the frontrunners, the pacers are rabbits, goading their runners to stay fast.

Bolt Shatters 100-Meter World Record

(Christopher Clarey, New York Times) All those curious to know just how fast Usain Bolt might have gone if he had not stopped sprinting near the end of last year’s world-record run at the Olympics now have their answer. Bolt pushed himself from start to finish on Sunday night, and the result was a stunning time of 9.58 seconds in the men’s 100-meter final at the track and field world championships. His time was eleven-hundredths of a second better than his already phenomenal world-record run of 9.69 in Beijing.

Free runners take on competition

(BBC News) The best free runners or "urban acrobats" from across the globe have competed in the World Championships in London's Trafalgar Square. Free running uses the urban environment to perform gymnastic movements such as spins, somersaults and vaults. Twenty-five international athletes competed on the course, which included buildings, walls, rails and towers. Ten made it to the final round, with the UK, the US and Germany taking the top three places.

An Injured Soldier Re-emerges as a Sprinter

(Alan Schwarz, New York Times) The decision came only days after Jerrod Fields, a United States Army corporal on a 2005 reconnaissance mission in Baghdad, had his left ankle and foot mutilated by a roadside bomb. After managing to drive his four troopmates back to base — valor that earned him a Bronze Star — Fields woke up in a hospital in Germany with a choice: have surgery and be discharged, or amputate and stay a soldier. "Cut it off," he said he told doctors. "I want to go back to Iraq." But the next medal Fields accepts could come in London.

A Tornado Named Eunice, Minus the Ball Gown

(Richard Sandomir, New York Times) To Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who died Tuesday, people with intellectual disabilities were "our special friends." Her friends, now in the millions, became the world’s friends, through the Special Olympics. They became messengers in her campaign to alter the attitudes of skeptical, often callous people about the limits of their capabilities. She understood that mentally retarded children could excel at sports and life.

After Battling Racism, Veteran Found Peace on His Golf Course

(Larry Dorman, New York Times) Every corner of the modest two-story frame clubhouse he owns and operates, every tee and green of Clearview Golf Club, the 18-hole course he designed and built, bears the imprint of Bill Powell. Sown 63 years ago in an act of defiance, nurtured by the sheer force of will of the man whose vision gave it birth, the club stands as a monument to a golf giant who has battled racism in relative obscurity most of his life.

Owens to be honored for '36 Hitler humiliation

(AP) As a kid, Marlene Hemphill Dortch watched the grainy, black-and-white film footage from the 1936 Berlin Olympics in amazement, wondering how her grandfather was so much faster than everyone else. There was Jesse Owens, darting down the track to win the 100-meter title, then smiling and waving at the cheering German crowd. Now when she views that vintage footage, the 45-year-old Dortch does so in a different light, wondering how her grandfather prospered under such pressure.

Soccer stars, Gates Foundation team up to tackle malaria

(Kristi Heim, Seattle Times) The last time Sanna Nyassi had malaria, he thought he might not live. The symptoms felt familiar — he had a high fever and couldn't hold down food. He'd had a bout with it a few years back at age 16, but this time it was worse. Fortunately, he got treated and recovered after a month. The following year he was on his way to Seattle, recruited from his native Gambia to play soccer for the newly formed Seattle Sounders FC. Now he's one of several players raising the issue as part of a growing effort to link the world's most popular sport with humanitarian causes.

If the Round Goes Badly, Try Petting the Caddie

(Bill Pennington, New York Times) A golf course in the mountains of North Carolina has begun using llamas as caddies. "They are very quiet animals, docile and friendly," said Brian Lautenschlager, the general manager and golf professional at Sherwood Forest, a par-3 course in Brevard, N.C. "They just put a smile on your face and relax everyone on the golf course."

New Bedford resident thanks Rice for act of kindness — 34 years later

(Phil Devitt, SouthCoastToday.com) Rita Ribeiro waited 34 years to thank former Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice for a random act of kindness. Saturday afternoon, the New Bedford resident's wish finally came true — not at Fenway Park, but against a backdrop of men's dress pants and denim shorts. Fresh off his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Rice signed autographs for hundreds of fans at the VF Factory Outlet, smiling, chatting and posing for pictures along the way. The line moved quickly for two hours as most people shook Rice's hand, shot him a respectful look and moved along, but Ribeiro savored the moment. She had a story to tell.

For Edwin Moses, it's still about overcoming barriers

(Kurt Streeter, Los Angeles Times) He stepped to the podium, nervous in front of the tens of thousands at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and the millions watching on television. Awestruck, halting at times, he spoke these words: "In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams." This was 25 years ago, the opening ceremony at the Olympics. This was Edwin Moses, as iconic a champion as existed that unforgettable summer.

Phelps rebounds with world record

(AP) Michael Phelps had another swimsuit issue. It didn't slow him down this time. Phelps bounced back from a stunning loss with something more familiar -- a world record in the 200-meter butterfly Wednesday. For good measure, he surpassed another of Mark Spitz's accomplishments with the 34th world record of his career, one more than Spitz had during his brilliant run in the pool.

Competing eye to eye at the World Dwarf Games

(Fionola Meredith, Irish Times) CAMARADERIE – that’s the word that competitors in the World Dwarf Games keep using, time after time. There’s no doubt that the games, currently taking place at various locations around Belfast and Co Antrim, are a serious athletic event, with little or no compromise made on account of the stature of the participants. But it’s that joyful sense of belonging, of shared experiences and of friendships forged around the globe, that provides the real energy behind the games.

Army using extreme sports to help war veterans

(AP) Sgt. Sylvia Portillo went first. Secured with elastic cords to a railroad bridge more than 200 feet over a gorge south of Mount St. Helens, Portillo's mission was to dive over the edge. She pretended to throw up, getting a nervous laugh out of the troops behind her. Then, keeping her own anxiety in check, she bungee-jumped into the lush green below. Dozens of soldiers in the 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment and the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team took the plunge that day last fall. Most had been recently deployed in Iraq. Few had bungee-jumped before.

Homeless soccer team heads to D.C. for annual tourney

(Adam Jadhav, St. Louis Post-Dispatch) If you'd taken a stroll past Soulard Park on a recent Friday evening, you'd probably have seen what looked at first glance like little more than a friendly pick-up soccer game. A bunch of men playing four per side on a short field, laughing, sweating and jawing the way guys do when it's just the guys. But there's one crucial detail that makes this weekly event far more meaningful than your average park scrimmage: These men, organized and coached by volunteers, don't play for a work or school team. They play on this team because they're homeless.

Rain, wind doesn't wipe out Soap Box Derby

(AP) Sarah Whitaker overcame rain and wind to make her family proud by racing to victory at the 72nd All-American Soap Box Derby. The 10-year-old, the 15th member of her family to race in the national finals, was one of four girls to claim championships in the six divisions Saturday.

A Camden Little League celebrates new home

(Matt Katz, Philadelphia Inquirer) The hard-luck Little League's new beginning was marked yesterday afternoon when a catcher's mask and shin guards were placed in a corner of a room of cinder block and fresh concrete. For its 18-year existence, the Cramer Hill Little League of Camden had stashed bats, balls, and boxes of other equipment anywhere and everywhere: coaches' car trunks, city firefighters' garages, and the shed of James and Marjorie Haulsey, the octogenarian keepers of league tradition. No longer.

Perfect! White Sox's Buehrle tosses historic gem

(AP) Mark Buehrle pitched the first perfect game in the major leagues in five years Thursday and Chicago White Sox center fielder DeWayne Wise got the assist. Buehrle (11-3) got a great catch from center fielder Wise leading off the ninth inning to save the bid — and the 5-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Running program gets homeless residents on track emotionally and physically

(Jillian Berman, USA Today) Until July 2007, Michael Solomon hadn't been for a run in 20 years. His wife had just died, and he was living at the Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission in Philadelphia when Anne Mahlum walked into the shelter looking for a few running partners. Solomon says he originally decided to start running with her to relieve stress and get a good workout, but then "one thing led to another, and this running was a little more than a workout."

You’ll want a cart on this 842-mile golf course

(AP) Hit a few loose shots or three-putt the first green at Nullarbor Links and you'll have plenty of time to think about your errant ways before teeing off at the second. That's because No. 2 is 42 miles down the highway. Billed as the world's longest golf course, Nullarbor is set to open next month — an 842-mile trek through the desolate Outback of Australia's Nullarbor Plains, starting at Ceduna in the state of South Australia and finishing at the mining town of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

Older Athletes Still Got Game

(Jeff Glor, CBS News) If you've hit retirement age and are starting to feel your years, you're far from alone. The number of people age 65 and older around the world hit 506 million last year. And it's expected to nearly double by 2040. Aging can be unforgiving truth for us all. But lately, a growing number of sports figures seem determined to defy nature's rulebook.

Tom Watson's British Open effort worthy of a birdie

(Chuck Culpepper, Chicago Tribune) He spent four days making the possible seem absurdly elastic. He supplied a thorough renovation of 59, an age long thought to teeter toward athletic decrepitude. He renewed a mutual fondness with the British golf fans of such depth that you could feel the premises deflate when it grew clear he wouldn't quite get there. He defined the British Open 26 years after his eighth and most recent major title and came within an inch of matching Harry Vardon's 95-year-old record of six Open titles. And if Tom Watson imported some fresh nightmares with his aching near miss, he also accrued some good thoughts.

Full Lineup of Charity Work by Yankees

(Jack Curry, New York Times) Jason Zillo wrote "Hope Week" on the bulletin board in his office at the old Yankee Stadium last November. Zillo, the Yankees’ media relations director, did not know if the week would ever happen, but he wanted a daily reminder. He wanted his staff to see the reminder, too. Eight months later, the reminder is now written on Zillo’s bulletin board at the new Stadium. But it is also in numerous other places. It is on news releases, memos, notebooks and T-shirts. It has been mentioned at dozens of meetings. It will finally become a reality Monday.

Dearborn Boy, 6, Hits Hole-In-One

(ClickOnDetroit.com) Braeden Furlow teed up his SpongeBob SquarePants ball from about 85 yards out, picked up a 3-wood and made a solid hit that bounced twice on the fairway before landing in the hole. Some golfers go their whole lives without marking down a "1." Braeden's hole-in-one was his first, but that shouldn't be a surprise -- he's all of 6 years old.

As amputee, Danville's Wong finds inspiration in Ironman

(Carl Steward, Oakland Tribune) The dream transformation started in 2005 for Danville's Creighton Wong. He switched on his TV and watched in awe as Sarah Reinertsen become the first female leg amputee to complete the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. As have so many challenged athletes inspired by Reinertsen, Wong made two revelatory deductions: Maybe I can do that. And wow, I'd love to be able to do that.

Phelps breaks 100 fly world record at U.S. nationals

(Vicki Michaelis, USA Today) Michael Phelps took six months off after the Beijing Olympics. He gained 20 pounds. He made the gossip pages much more than the sports pages. The uproar over a photo that surfaced in February of him with a marijuana bong made him seriously contemplate retiring from swimming. None of that, though, appears to have thrown any wrenches in the gears that make him the world's greatest swimmer. Thursday, less than five months after returning to training, he broke a world record he's coveted for a long time.

Modern Day "Pride of the Yankees"

(Steve Hartman, CBS News) Tonight's story is like a modern day "The Pride of the Yankees." Set in a children's hospital, a baseball hero (or in this case a relative unknown) meets a young boy (or in this case a young girl) and promises to hit a home run. Or, in this case, doesn't promise anything. "No I didn't promise her," said Brett Gardner. "I definitely wouldn't promise anybody that." Really, aside from the fact that Ruth hit it over the fence and Gardner hit it to shallow left, this new story is just like that old legend - only better.

Footballer treats paralysed girl

(BBC News) A teenage footballer who was recently paralysed after falling from a tree has been given a surprise visit on her 14th birthday by one of her sporting heroes. Lauren Jones, of Worthing, Sussex, had just qualified for youth trials at Brighton and Hove Albion football club when she was paralysed a month ago. Graeme Murty, the former captain of her favourite team, Reading Football Club, surprised her at her hospital bedside.

Habitat benefits from local golfers' generosity

(Mac Knefely, Pensacola News Journal) With the current economic challenges, finding a way through a sporting event to raise money for charitable causes is not easy. But with the help of nearly 90 participants, and several sponsors and volunteers, the inaugural Casey Hyman Plumbing Charity Golf Tournament benefiting Habitat for Humanity in Pensacola exceeded its monetary goals. Organizers were hoping to raise $10,000. The tourney brought in $12,500 when held at Tiger Point Golf Club.

Running gives nearly blind athlete new burst of exhilaration

(John Meyer, Denver Post) Running on a track might strike some as confining — going in circles without really getting anywhere. But for Luanne Burke, the endless oval has opened a world of possibility and discovery. Burke is totally blind in her right eye. She has a small tunnel of vision remaining in her left eye, but that tiny window is narrowing because of a genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa. She can run on roads and trails with a guide, but the track is flat and fast, and it has allowed her to blossom as a runner over the past year.

Federer Outlasts Roddick to Win Record 15th Major Title

(Christopher Clarey, New York Times) On and on they held serve as the fifth set of the Wimbledon men’s final endured beyond all precedent. On and on, with shadows encroaching on the grass, Andy Roddick kept pace with Roger Federer on Centre Court as Federer attempted to close in on a record 15th Grand Slam singles title. But as cruel as the concept began to seem as both players continued to invest in the outcome, Wimbledon’s latest epic had to finish. And as poignant as it should seem to those who know how long Roddick has been chasing sunlight in Federer’s shadow, Federer was the one who again ended up holding the trophy.

Why Short Al, Talkative Fan, Calls No More

(Corey Kilgannon, New York Times) Despite his nickname, Short Al stood tall in the pantheon of overnight callers to talk shows on the New York sports radio station WFAN-AM. Such callers, sometimes called FANdroids, are known by name, neighborhood and loyalties. Bruce from Bayside likes the Cleveland Indians, while Bruce from Flushing is a Yankees man. There is Marc in the Bronx (Denver Broncos) and Miriam from Forest Hills (Islanders and Mets). Regular listeners know that Jerry from Queens is Jerry Seinfeld, a proud FANdroid and occasional host of the show.

Amid downturn, a rally to save youth sports

(Bob Cook, NBC Sports) On a recent Saturday morning at the Baugo Township Little League Complex just west of the Elkhart, Ind., city limits, nothing is going to stop the fields from being full of children playing baseball and softball. Not the unseasonably cool 50-degree temperatures. Not the muddy fields, soaked from hard-raining thunderstorms that slowly churned through overnight. Not the intermittent light rain wetting the blankets mothers are sheathed in to shield themselves against the cold. And most certainly not the economic downturn you see in the quiet plants and for-sale signs as you make your way west on Mishawaka Road toward the five-diamond complex.

Rockies' Hawpe undergoes quiet transformation

(Troy E. Renck, Denver Post) Brad Hawpe has a head too small and a heart three sizes too big. He is the Rockies' best player this season, primed for his first all-star berth, but you'd never know it. That's because all he cares about is winning and helping teammates. He's weird like that. "When it all comes down to it, you want a guy who has your back and shows up ready to play," said Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, Hawpe's role model. "Brad always does that."

A Talented Surfer, No Matter the Locale

(Matt Higgins, New York Times) Last winter, Balaram Stack returned to Long Island from surf trips to Australia, Hawaii and Tahiti, and paddled out into pewter waves heaving onto a snowy beach at his favorite spot off Laurelton Boulevard in Long Beach. "This winter was one of the coldest winters I ever surfed," Stack, who is 17, said. "The water was getting down to 32 degrees for a couple days. The waves are good, so I’m going to go out," he said, allowing, "Yeah, you get bad ice cream headaches."

Some Fancy Footwork in Auditions for Knicks?

(Howard Beck, New York Times) The interminable search for a savior will lead the Knicks back to their building Thursday night, to the Theater at Madison Square Garden, an aging temple of blind faith and broken dreams. Their hopes rest with the eighth pick in an uninspiring N.B.A. draft. They should have been scouting a day earlier, 31 blocks farther south in Manhattan.

Scuba enthusiasts combine a good deed with a chance to dive

(Gina Kim, Sacramento Bee) The crystal surface of Lake Tahoe belies what's beneath: a hodgepodge of keys dropped from pockets, rusted pieces of metal from boats and, inexplicably, even a saute pan that turned shades of submerged blue and brown. A small group of Sacramento-area scuba divers spent Sunday at Hurricane Beach, on the west shore, collecting underwater trash.

103-year-old burns that first pitch in there

(AP) Emilio Navarro still has some accuracy, if not the range. Navarro, who at 103 is believed to be the oldest living professional baseball player, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Oakland Athletics-San Diego Padres game on Saturday night. He was a guest of the Padres as part of the team's annual salute to the Negro Leagues.

Parkour Craze Growing Among Thrill-Seekers in U.S.

(Joshua Rhett Miller, Fox News) The first time he saw David Belle, Mark Toorock knew he had to become a traceur. Belle's cat-like balancing acts, his eye-popping feats of agility, his sheer strength ... "What I saw, frankly, was a guy with superhuman capabilities," Toorock told FOXNews.com. "[He] was doing all these things without pads or a wire." That was back in 2002, when parkour — an extreme sport popularized in France during the 1990s in which participants run, jump and flip from Point A to Point B as efficiently as possible — was relatively unknown outside of Europe.

2 holes in one scored at Troon's lucky 13th

(Chase Purdy, Arizona Republic) Gayle Geagan of Scottsdale stepped forward to tee off at Troon Country Club's 13th hole. Her friends, Linda Tucker and Natalie Mintz, also from Scottsdale, watched her ball fly high above Troon Country Club toward the mountains on June 5, heading straight for the hole about 107 yards away. The wind at their backs pushed the ball through the air, but just a bit. "She had this beautiful arching shot," Tucker said. "It bounced once on the green and hopped into the hole." A hole in one.

Cerebral Palsy Can't Keep Pitcher Down

(John Berman and Joel Siegel, ABC News) Mark Selavka, a pitcher for the Manchester High School Indians, can throw strikes. He can get outs. But putting on his socks and even buttoning his shirt is a struggle. Mark was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that severely weakened the left side of his body. He has limited use of his left hand, and he walks and runs with a limp. Despite his disability, Mark, 17, has been a sturdy performer for Manchester's varsity team this year.

Short Game That Fights for the Lead and a Cure

(Karen Crouse, New York Times) Cristie Kerr’s workday ended the way her whole week has gone, with a birdie putt that was maddeningly close to perfect. Kerr’s tap-in for par Saturday on the 54th hole of the L.P.G.A. Championship punctuated a round of two-under-par 70 that did not do enough to help her cause. Since 2004, Kerr has donated $50 for every birdie to breast cancer research, a generosity prompted by her mother’s diagnosis in 2003.

Seahawks to Climb Mt. Rainer for Charity

(Seahawks.com) The Seattle Seahawks and United Way of King County today announced plans to climb Mt. Rainier to raise money for the "Response for Basic Needs" fund. Local mountaineer legend Ed Viesturs will lead the inaugural Climb for the Community. On July 5, the group will begin the climb of the 14,411 feet peak with the hope to plant a flag for the community at the summit on Wednesday, July 8.

What's SUP? A Surf Sport That Needs No Ocean

(Matt Kettmann, Time) Stand-up paddle surfing may sound like a scene from a screwball comedy, but no one's laughing in a sports and fitness industry that has hit the recession skids as hard as any other business. SUP, as it's called for short, looks exactly as it sounds: you stand on a large surfboard and propel yourself forward with a paddle. But, unlike traditional surfing, you don't have to wait for the waves. In fact, SUP, which is wildly popular, can be done on lakes, rivers, pools or any sufficiently large body of water.

Cubs usher goes the distance -- 600 miles round trip -- for his beloved Cubs

(Joan Cary, Chicago Tribune) When Dallas Melton decided one day that he wanted to be a ballpark usher, his friends weren't too surprised. The retired farmer, electrician and schoolteacher is a die-hard baseball fan with a quick grin and a knack for putting people at ease, so it seemed like a perfect way to enjoy his retirement and pick up spending money. The St. Louis Cardinals play just 42 miles west of Melton's Downstate home; he could drive there in an hour. But that wouldn't do for Melton, who proudly wears a Cubs cap in Cardinal country. He wanted to work at Wrigley Field. For the last seven years, Melton, now 79, has spent the baseball season traveling nearly 300 miles each way to get from the farm fields of southern Bond County to the infield box seats where he works as a Cubs usher.

Roger Federer wins at Roland Garros to enter pantheon of grand slam greats

(Steve Bierley, The Guardian) The mixed tears of joy and relief ran slowly down Roger Federer's face as he held aloft the Coupe des Mousquetaires having finally won the French Open title in his fourth successive final. So he became only the sixth man in tennis history to win all four slam titles, with Andre Agassi, the last man to do it in 1999, presenting him with the trophy. Federer also equalled Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles.

Texas prep track star wins 2nd team title alone

(AP) The best small high school track team in Texas is once again a freckle-faced girl named Bonnie Richardson. Valedictorian of her 14-student senior class in the tiny farming town of Rochelle, Richardson won the Class A girls team state title by herself for the second consecutive year Saturday by single-handedly beating 56 other schools.

Steve Nash's soccer charity aims to help Uganda's children

(Jason Cassidy, CBC) For more than 22 years, northern Uganda has been a war zone that has displaced more than 1.7 million people. Against the backdrop of the clash between the Lord's Resistance Army and troops from Uganda and neighboring countries, children have been forced to become sex slaves or soldiers. Others have been lured away by unscrupulous agents who promise to turn boys into professional soccer players, and then abandon them overseas after stealing their communities' money. Canadian NBA star and Victoria native Steve Nash has co-founded a charity, Football for Good, that he hopes will help create a sense of optimism for Ugandan children caught in the mayhem.

Magic's Dwight Howard: Superman to superstar?

(Josh Robbins, Los Angeles Times) One movie's theme music is played more often inside Amway Arena than any other. It is, of course, the familiar refrain from the Christopher Reeve "Superman" movies, and it blares over loudspeakers whenever Dwight Howard throws down a dramatic dunk or initiates a thrilling three-point play. In Orlando, Howard is considered the real-life incarnation of Superman.

Footballer gives cancer teens chance to feel like rock stars

(Terry Maddaford, New Zealand Herald) Like many professional sportsmen Ben Sigmund found himself with time on his hands. Rather than sit around surfing the internet, the Wellington Phoenix soccer player decided to do "something for nice people". Yesterday that led to a special farewell for the All Whites as they embarked on a third Confederations Cup campaign. With Sigmund and assistant coach Brian Turner leading the way, they arranged for 10 cancer sufferers under the CanTeen wing to be their special guests at a small farewell at Auckland Airport.

Rolle dreams big, works even harder

(Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports) Myron Rolle came to the right place to turn his oversized dreams into reality. Disney World, the place that proudly proclaims at its gates that it’s "where dreams come true," has become the backdrop for a 22-year-old man who thinks at once of being a great football player and a neurosurgeon. Yes, at once. Most people would be happy to be just one in their lifetime. For Rolle, his desires run on a dual track.

O.C. man may be oldest American to summit Everest

(Cindy Carcamo, Orange County Register) A 67-year-old Costa Mesa man believed to be the oldest American to have reached the top of Mt. Everest descended safely through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall to base camp where he is currently snowed in, his wife announced today. This was Bill Burke's third attempt at climbing the mountain. Two years ago, fatigued and short on time, he opted to turn back after reaching the south summit -- a couple hours away from the true summit.

1-handed basketball star signs with Manhattan

(AP) Kevin Laue knows what would happen if a college basketball team took a chance on him and he didn’t pan out. Fans would wonder what the coach was thinking in using a scholarship on a center missing his left hand. "It’s a business," the 6-foot-10 Laue said. "Their jobs are all on the line. It’s much safer to take a two-handed guy my size that got beat by me." But Manhattan College’s Barry Rohrssen figures coaches take chances all the time.

2-year-old NY boy's a cueball wizard

(David Filkins, AP) Keith O'Dell Jr. made his public debut in March, when his father, Keith Sr., posted videos on YouTube of the 23-month-old standing at a pool table making combo shots, kick shots and bank shots. The videos end with the caption: "I'M READY FOR POOL! IS POOL READY FOR ME?" Pool was ready.

Small Ohio town rallies to save baseball

(James Hannah, AP) Memorial Day weekend often signals the start of youth baseball, and it almost didn't happen this year in this town of 5,000, where the sputtering auto industry choked off money for recreation. But residents took a page from their famous son, "Take This Job and Shove It" singer Johnny Paycheck, and went their own way by raising money, fixing up fields, scrounging for equipment and signing up 450 kids to play.

Twins From Brooklyn Make Quite a Team in Table Tennis

(Vincent M. Mallozzi, New York Times) In the birthplace of Michael Jordan, where basketball is king, Brooklyn’s Brad and Brandon Belle are virtually unknown. Yet the Belle brothers, 14-year-old identical twins and table tennis prodigies whose stellar play has opponents doing double takes, have quickly become the Venus and Serena Williams of their sport. "They have captured the attention of everyone who knows the game," said Philip Garnett, a table tennis coach who trains the twins three days a week at the Brownsville Recreational Center in Brooklyn.

Assistant principal Wiener's son throws no-hitter to honor dad, the first swine flu victim in NYC

(Mark Lelinwalla, New York Daily News) This one was for Dad. Just a day after the emotional .funeral for his father, Jordan Wiener threw a no-hitter Thursdayin a playoff game for Robert F. Kennedy High School. His father, Mitchell, was the Queens educator who died on Sunday night, becoming the city's first swine flu fatality. Jordan said that after breaking down during the funeral, he decided that he was going to pitch in RFK's B-League first-round matchup, just as his father would have wanted him to.

Kingsbury High soccer team showered with generosity

(Geoff Calkins, Memphis Commercial Appeal) At 1:30 in the afternoon, Lisa Jordan still had not eaten lunch. "Lunch?" she said. "I haven't been able to get out of this chair." Jordan is the financial secretary at Kingsbury High School. She is the woman who fielded the calls Tuesday in response to the story in this paper about the inability of the school's remarkable soccer team to pay for a bus trip to the state championship in Murfreesboro. How many calls? "A thousand," she said. No. Really. How many calls? "I'm serious," she said. "I would burst into tears at what's happened over here except I have to keep taking calls."

Click here for the original story that led to this outpouring of generosity

Golf king Arnold Palmer helps Vince Gill's kids charity

(David Climer, The Tennessean) He's 79 now, with wispy white hair, a grandfatherly manner and, unfortunately, a golf game that has seen its better days. "I'm embarrassed when I can't hit the kind of golf shots I used to hit," Arnold Palmer says. But he doesn't have to hit a ball to exert profound influence on golf. When your nickname has been The King for decades, your reputation precedes you. Your scorecard is no longer relevant. Palmer touched down on Monday at The Vinny, an annual pro/celebrity event hosted by music star Vince Gill that benefits youth golf. Palmer spent much of the day posing for pictures, signing autographs and chatting with players at the Golf Club of Tennessee.

Titan Hands Out Hundreds Of Free Pairs Of Shoes

(WTVF) Nashville based Soles4Souls along with Shoe Carnival donated more than a thousand pair of clogs to the Nashville Rescue Mission. Tennessee Titan All-Pro Safety Chris Hope went to the mission to help pass out free clogs to those less fortunate. Hope has been the National Spokesman for Soles4Souls for three years, and he said giving away free shoes gave him a sense of purpose far past football.

Lewis Credits Daughter for Inspired Play

(Michael Lee, Washington Post) For nearly a month this season, Orlando Magic all-star forward Rashard Lewis played the games, but neither his mind nor heart was in them. When he was home in Orlando, Lewis waited by a hospital bed, staring at his 1-year old daughter, Gianna, wondering what made her so sick, afraid because not even the doctors knew her condition. When he was on the road, Lewis never was far from his cellphone, waiting for updates from his longtime girlfriend or calling to get his own. Filled with fear, Lewis fell into a funk that was noticeable by teammates and coaches. But he kept playing and praying, hoping that Gianna would be able to shake her fever; that the rash on her arm would go away; that she would be able to walk again without a limp; and that she would be the lively, outgoing girl she was before coming down with a mysterious ailment.

Special needs children have their own field of dreams in Cranberry

(Karen Kane, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) One clear message rose above the deafening cheers of support and celebration yesterday, sounded by Pittsburgh Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting as he surveyed the lineup of pint-sized players waiting to inaugurate the region's first Miracle League ballfield in Cranberry. "It's your turn to play," he said. And play they did. In wheelchairs, with walkers, on crutches; led by "buddies" and encouraged by specially trained coaches, dozens of children with a range of disabilities showed their stuff as hundreds of onlookers clapped and cried.

Spider-Man meets his match

(Emily Shearing, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle) On an unusually warm April afternoon in Manhattan Square Park, two muscular, shirtless men in matching gray sneakers and black warm-up pants leap over cement steps and hold handstands, with their legs steady and pointing straight into the air. They've turned the park into their own urban jungle gym. A playground posse of kids watches the pair's every move. "Anyone can do that," heckles one of the kids. But these two are just warming up. As soon as they start to scale 8-foot cement walls with their bare hands and land feet first off the same ledge — making it look effortless — the children fall silent. Charles Moreland, 21, and Zachary Cohn, 20, are practicing parkour. The physically demanding discipline, whose participants are called traceurs, is rooted in efficiently getting from point A to point B by jumping over a wall or another obstacle instead of running around it. The moves are reminiscent of Spider-Man's, but without the help of spider webs.

Eli and Abby Manning donate funds for new birthing center at St. Vincent's Hospital

(Christina Boyle, New York Daily News) Eli Manning and his wife are bankrolling a new birthing center at St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan - but don't worry, Jets fans are welcome, too. The Giants quarterback and his wife, Abby, will announce plans today for a facility bearing their name - a state-of-the-art center focusing on natural childbirth and holistic care. "We wanted to make it a special place to bring new life into the world," the 28-year-old Super Bowl hero told the Daily News.

Pitcher lands himself a new home -- at an assisted living center

(Mallory Simon, CNN) When pitcher Josh Faiola walks out of the dugout on opening day with the Lake Erie Crushers, he'll already have a large group of fans in the stands -- his new roommates at the Belvedere of Westlake assisted living facility. The 25-year-old, who was drafted in 2006 by the Baltimore Orioles and is trying to work his way to the majors, admits he was caught a little off guard when he was told about his new housing situation. "At first I was like, 'OK, that's a little different,' " he said. "I was taken aback at first." And he was also the butt of a couple jokes from his teammates. "They were saying things like 'So what's the deal? Do you have to go to bed early?' " Faiola said. But then he told them about his room -- a large suite, with his own kitchenette, washer and dryer, furniture and a TV. "Then they changed their tune," he said. "They were like 'That's awesome. Are they any other vacancies?' "

Adventurers prepare for 2,000-mile race on jet skis

(Mike Campbell, Anchorage Daily News) Next week a handful of adventurers will take the first step to do on liquid water what has been done so successfully in Alaska on the frozen variety. Following in the footsteps of such established ultramarathons as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the Yukon Quest, the Iron Dog and the Iditarod Trail Invitational, the new Alaskan Wet Dog Race is envisioned as a nearly 2,000-mile jet ski journey from the Port of Anchorage, down Cook Inlet and around part of Kodiak before visiting both sides of the Alaska Peninsula and returning to Anchorage about three weeks later.

As rough as sport is, it's a relief from what they've lived through

(Daniel Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer) Sleeping pills came first, a whole fistful that A.J. Nanayakkara managed to shove in his mouth a month after the accident. He woke up three days later, "very well-rested," he says, "but very pissed off." Stabbing yourself when you're a quadriplegic takes more than determination. He couldn't strangle himself with the hospital cord, and he failed to poison himself with antifreeze - any of the three times he drank it. "All I wanted to do was die, and I couldn't even do that," he says. "So I spent eight years depressed." He was 20 when his karate partner swept his feet during practice and Nanayakkara landed on his head. He was 28 when his life changed again - the moment he watched his first game of wheelchair rugby.

A great day for baseball

(Daniel Brown, San Jose Mercury News) If you want the latest steroid update, recruiting scandal or contract holdout, you've come to the wrong place. But if you're looking for how sports — despite everything — can still be lump-in-your-throat great, just follow this bouncing ball to third base during a game at Carmel High last Tuesday... Manuel Madrid of Gonzales High fielded the ball cleanly and looked up to see the pinch runner making an ill-advised dash toward home. This wasn't an ordinary pinch runner. Will Rudolph has cerebellar ataxia, a mild form of cerebral palsy. He has problems with motor skills, balance and speech. Nobody had expected him to play. Will is the team manager, after all. But over the course of the previous three weeks Carmel High Coach Randall Bispo got permission from Will's parents, got him a uniform and, without a word to the Gonzales side, got him in the game. That's how Will Rudolph suddenly found himself running like mad for home plate.

Finally, baseball gives us a hero to admire

(Mike Celizek, NBCsports.com) Finally, baseball has a fresh young superstar nobody can throw so much as a pebble at, a kid who is the perfect antidote for Manny B. Manny and A-Fraud and everything else that drives you nuts about sports. His name is Zack Greinke, and he’s a big-time talent on a small-town team. At the age of 25, and with a history of personal hell behind him, he’s erupted with volcanic force this season. He’s started six games and won every one of them, two by shutout. In 45 innings, he’s struck out 54 batters and given up just two earned runs. He’s got a 95 mph heater and a 60 mph curve and everything in between. And he has no dreams of ever playing in New York.

On Mother's Day, a Bittersweet Break

(Avis Thomas-Lester, Washington Post) Vivian Heyward-Bey put her hands to her ears to drown out the racket. A boisterous group had gathered at the home of a longtime friend to find out where her son, Darrius, would be working, at least for the next few years. His best friends were there, as was his surrogate big brother, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Devard Darling, all watching the TV. The room went quiet when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stepped to the microphone: "With the seventh pick of the 2009 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders select Darrius Heyward-Bey, wide receiver, Maryland." His friends roared. His aunt screamed. Darrius grabbed his mother in a bear hug. In that moment, her only child became a celebrity, a certain multimillionaire, a 22-year-old professional football player -- the payoff for her hard work and decision to accept a full scholarship for him at a boarding school eight years ago.

Blind batting coach one of top instructors in the country

(Jim Mandelaro, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle) Matt Macri was skeptical at first. Who wouldn't be? "I went to this baseball camp in Omaha (Neb.) when I was a freshman in high school," the Rochester Red Wings infielder said. "After camp one day, I asked, 'Is there a good hitting guy around here?' " The instructor suggested Mark Wetzel — with one disclaimer. "He knows his stuff, but he's legally blind. He sees only peripherally." Macri visited Wetzel, unsure what to expect. Thirty minutes later, he was a fan for life.

Chocolate-Powered 150 MPH Race Car Revealed

(Fox News) Talk about hot chocolate. A team of British engineers have designed a car that not only runs on a fuel derived from the tasty treat, but is largely constructed from parts derived from vegetables. The steering wheel of the open-cockpit car is constructed from carrot fibers, the foam in the seats from soybeans, and the rear view mirrors and body panels produced from the starch of potatoes. Even the brakes are based on cashew nut shells.

A Baseball Elder’s Feel for the Game Endures

(Jack Etkin, New York Times) Every day, Dave Garcia receives phone calls from former players, coaches and trainers, fellow scouts and others associated with baseball. These calls are a joy for the 88-year-old Garcia, but with the season under way, he has a more vivid baseball pick-me-up. He can go to the ballpark. For Garcia, who lives in San Diego and is a scout of sorts for the Chicago Cubs, that means Petco Park whenever the Padres are home. "That’s like being able to go to church on Sunday for a Catholic," said Garcia’s son, also named Dave. "If you were homebound and the priest came to you, it’s different than if you go and walk into the cathedral and see the candles."

Mom, 38, going to BMX Worlds

(Stephanie O'Connell, Record-Journal) With her blond hair blowing in the breeze behind her, Gina Layman flies around the dirt track with the ease of a professional and the determination of an aspiring one. Layman, of Meriden, has been BMX racing since she was a young girl and has finally seen all of her hard work pay off, fulfilling her dream by becoming a member of Team USA. The 38-year-old will compete in the BMX World Championships in Adelaide, Australia, in July.

Prince of Wales watches Christianity v Islam football game

(Roger Boyes, Times Online) In the end it was the Hand of God that saved the Christians. As the Prince of Wales, who would like one day to style himself Defender of Faith, moved towards the sidelines of the Christianity v Islam football tournament, the big German vicar Heribert Süttmann just managed to get his keeper’s glove to the ball and save the honour of the West. "Quite a match," the Prince said as he handed the gilded inter-faith cup to the captains of the Vicars and the Imams. The scoreless draw in the Berlin game was a triumph for the ecumenical movement and a relief for the Prince, who argues for mutual respect between competing faiths — but it was a close-run thing.

Rematch Of Rivals

(CBS) river may separate the two towns of Easton, Pa., and Phillipsburg, N.J., but there's a divide that runs much deeper - over football. Since 1906, the annual Easton-Phillipsburg game has fired up fans, reports CBS News correspondent Seth Doane. No one can forget the 1993 game, which ended in a tie 7 to 7. For 15 years, that unresolved game has remained unfinished business - until now. On Sunday, the very same players - even the same cheerleaders - got the chance to turn back time and replay the game.

L'il Miss Perfect

(Andy Soltis, New York Post) She's in a league of her own. Mackenzie Brown was invited to throw out the first pitch at tonight's Mets game at Citi Field after she became the first girl in the 58 years of the Bayonne Little League to pitch a perfect game. Mackenzie, 12, retired all 18 boy batters she faced in leading her Unico team on Tuesday to an 8-0 victory -- coincidentally against a team named Mackenzie Post.

From homeless to the NFL: Oher's journey to draft unique

(Jarrett Bell, USA Today) He was two years old, maybe, he figures. They were walking alone, dangerously on the side of a highway. Just Michael Oher and his brothers. He has no idea where they were headed, or their condition when they arrived. Details are fuzzy. But he swears it happened. Oher still sees the cars speeding by, a snippet in the back of his mind. It is the earliest memory of his life.

Soccer pro survives malaria, now helps others

(Patrick Oppmann, CNN) Saana Nyassi considers himself lucky. He is fortunate not just because he has a natural talent for soccer and the dedication to rise through the ranks in his native Gambia and eventually go to the United States to play for the Seattle Sounders. Before leaving the tiny West African nation for America, Nyassi contracted malaria.

Driver Hopes to Shift the Indy 500 Into Neutral

(Fox News) Up until now the greenest thing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was probably the golf course that crosses the infield of the two and a half mile oval. This May, that could change. In an exclusive interview with FOX Car Report LIVE! , former Champ Car driver Nelson Philippe said that he is planning to enter the first carbon neutral team to compete in a major professional motorsport at the 2009 Indy 500.

Red Sox Give Tip of the Cap to No. 100

(Alan Schwarz, New York Times) “Hi ya, young fella.” Babe Ruth greeted Arthur Giddon as he did most 13-year-olds, even those in uniform. Giddon chatted with the Babe for a moment but tore himself away because he had a job to do. It was 1922, and as a Boston Braves bat boy, Giddon had to break out the bats, polish some spikes and otherwise outfit his players for that afternoon’s game at Braves Field. Eighty-seven years later, on Saturday, Giddon will reprise his role for his now-beloved Red Sox — as a special 100th birthday present, he will serve as the team’s honorary bat boy prior to the game against the rival Yankees.

Take a deep breath

(Kira Cochrane, The Guardian) Four years ago she was a yoga teacher living with a camel, six cats and a dog. She had never even heard of free diving. Now Sara Campbell, aka Mighty Mouse, is the world champion in one of the world's most dangerous sports. The first time that Sara Campbell blacked out in the water, she was transported to a lush green field. It was summer, she says, and she was surrounded by gorgeous men whispering to her. "The interesting physiological aspect of a blackout," she says, "is that your senses return one by one.

Reaching out, lifting up: Prison ministry now Dungy's priority

(Jarrett Bell, USA Today) In many ways, it was like hundreds of pep talks and locker room speeches he'd given in nearly three decades as an NFL coach. Tony Dungy's message was one of responsibility, of motivation, of not letting others — and yourself — down. As always, he was pointed and analytical, yet smooth and laid-back. This time, however, Dungy's audience wasn't a highly paid collection of elite athletes. On this day Dungy — a little more than two years removed from becoming the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl and less than three months after retiring as the leader of the Indianapolis Colts — was in a prison yard, the Bible tucked under his left arm.

After brain surgery, Mount's Flanagan 'just won't stop'

(Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun) At the age of 22, Brendan Flanagan felt as though he were 90. A day after undergoing surgery in September 2007 to remove a brain tumor, Flanagan tried to walk from his bed to the bathroom at the hospital at New York University. A simple step took unbelievable effort. "I was so unbalanced that I walked like a 90-year-old man," recalled Flanagan, who could not lift anything heavier than a 5-pound weight for a month and was barred from physical activity for two months. "I remember the first time I got out of bed, I thought, 'Oh, I'm an athlete. I'm fine, I'm healthy.' They [the doctors] said, 'You can't walk.' I tried to go to the bathroom and the first step I took, I went down. I thought I was walking straight, but I was walking at an angle."

Ceremony honors Jackie Robinson

(Brian Lewis, New York Post) Jackie Robinson once said "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." And when his widow Rachel walked under a 70-foot brick archway yesterday, and into the majestic Jackie Robinson Rotunda that bore the inscription of that famous quote, she was nearly moved to tears.

S.F. and L.A. united in honor of No. 42

(Henry Schulman, San Francisco Chronicle) After he hit for the cycle against the Giants on Monday, Dodgers infielder Orlando Hudson thanked owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti for bringing him to Los Angeles and allowing him to don the uniform in which Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. Today, all 750 big-league players will honor Robinson by wearing No. 42. What began as a voluntary tribute the last few years now becomes a game-wide honor ordered by Commissioner Bud Selig.

Aaron Curry invites leukemia survivor to NFL draft

(AP) When Aaron Curry realized he’d be one of nine players invited to the NFL draft, he knew he’d put on an expensive suit and surround himself with his family on one of the biggest days of his life. The Wake Forest linebacker wanted to do something unique, too. Curry wound up at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday. In a prearranged meeting set up by his agent and hospital officials, Curry told wide-eyed, 12-year-old Bryson Merriweather he wanted a tour of the place.

Injured officer DiPonzio inspires crowd at Wings' opener

(Jim Mandelaro, Democrat & Chronicle) Anthony DiPonzio is a devout Red Wings fan whose favorite player is former outfielder Josh Rabe. "I liked him because he wore my No. 13," DiPonzio said. The Aquinas graduate plans to attend several more games at Frontier Field this season, but it will be awfully hard to top Saturday's season opener. Ten weeks after he was shot in the back of the head after responding to a call, DiPonzio threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Frontier Field before a sellout crowd of 12,126 on a sunny but brisk day.

 

Chicago Bears duo give gift from the heart

(David Haugh, Chicago Tribune) People in Adewale Ogunleye's home country of Nigeria have bowed at his feet before during previous visits home, given the Bears defensive end's status as a prince in the region, but never like this. Never as demonstrably as the African woman who dropped to her hands and knees last month to thank Ogunleye for helping pay for a flight to America for a life-saving operation on her 4-year-old daughter.

 

Professional sports teams doing more to attract women

(Yvonne Zacharias, Canwest News Service) Ladies, the sports world wants you. By and large, it's still a man's world, but even some of the most dedicated cavemen are seeing the light. It's partly the economy, partly the ascendancy of women in pro sports and partly the recent success of NBC - which delivered the biggest Super Bowl audience in history, due in part to the large number of women who tuned in - that's driving this focus on women.

 

Jordan, Robinson and Stockton Headed to Basketball Hall of Fame

(AP) Michael Jordan was elected to basketball’s Hall of Fame on Monday along with David Robinson and John Stockton. The Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer and Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan were also part of the class of 2009 announced in Detroit, the site of the Final Four.

 

Another Tiger? Georgia Teen Tries to Make Her Mark

(Paul Newberry, AP National Writer) With a mouthful of braces and a yearning to get her driver's license, Mariah Stackhouse comes across as the typical teenager. Then she picks up a golf club. That's when she becomes the next black hope.

 

Brian Dawkins helps out fired Eagles employee

(Chris Chase, Yahoo! Sports) Last month, Dan Leone was fired from his part-time job with the Philadelphia Eagles after criticizing the team for letting veteran Brian Dawkins leave via free agency.

 

Taking a cue from his 2004 national title team, Coach Horton is trying to keep it positive

(Ben Schorzman, Oregon Daily Emerald) Coach Horton likes to talk about a former team of his that struggled to start off the season. It was a Cal State Fullerton team that was 15-15 through the first 30 games of the season, including two series in which they were swept by No. 5 Stanford and No. 1 Texas. Horton was at his wit's end. He had no clue what to do and, as a last resort, he brought in a sports psychologist to try to right the team. After that meeting, Horton realized part of the problem had been the fact that he had been thinking and doing negative things.

 

Soccer Is an Oasis From Mexico’s Drug War

(Jere Longman, New York Times) More than half a dozen soccer players refused to join the professional team in this border city, where so many tortured and beheaded bodies put fear in visitors and locals alike. But the lurid headlines, the murder of the deputy police chief and the threats to decapitate the mayor have not deterred soccer fans, at least on game days. The stadium, just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, regularly fills to its capacity of about 22,000.

 

Awards banquet season always brings out some interesting stories

(Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times) The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame recognizes high school football players who demonstrate excellence on and off the field, which is what makes its yearly awards banquets so rewarding. From San Bernardino to Orange County, from the San Gabriel Valley to the San Fernando Valley, dozens of football players are being honored this month for their academic and athletic contributions.

 

Amputee vets learn more than skiing

(Matthew B. Stannard, San Francisco Chronicle) Andrew Bradley gazed down the beginner's slope at Alpine Meadows Ski Resort through a mask of trepidation. The 20-year-old soldier never skied before. Had never really seen snow, save the icy inch that occasionally gathers around his Texas home. Oh, and Bradley's right leg was blown off just two months ago by a roadside bomb that struck his patrol in Iraq, a fact that he seemed to consider no greater a challenge than slick snow and gravity.

 

'Coach K,' The Powerhouse Behind Duke Basketball

(Jessica Jones, NPR) March Madness is here. Sunday, the NCAA will announce which college basketball teams will make it to the big dance for this year's tournament. One team always in the mix is Duke. The Blue Devils are led by a remarkable coach, Mike Krzyzewski, who's in his 30th year of coaching at Duke.

 

Loyola High basketball coach finds the path to happiness

(Kurt Streeter, LA Times) There's this coach. He plies his trade in the shadow of downtown L.A. He's got a different kind of philosophy, he's a different kind of cat. Yes, he gets results, big time. But it's more than that. He says playing basketball is about honoring the game, about calmness amid storms, about being a stand-up human being and treating your teammates like you are all one and the same.

 

Blind high school runner, and her team, are a sight to behold

(Bill Plaschke, LA Times) At the end of another tough week for teamwork, with major leaguers lying and NBA stars feuding, they ran alone. In Simi Valley, across a grassy field in the lengthening shadow of nearby hills, they ran together. Two girls, side by side, stride for stride, connected by the stretched cotton of a gray belt and the giant arms of innocence. One girl is blind. The other girl is teaching the rest of us to see.

 

6,000 inspiring miles

(Samuel Abt, IHT) This can be a bad world, full of self-interest and hard-heartedness, but every now and again something comes along that is dazzlingly generous and full of the excitement of life. Today's "something" is a movie about a bicycle journey that three young men took across the United States to raise money for two causes - the American Diabetes Association and the Kupenda foundation for disabled children in Kenya.