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"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

- Unknown -

Alabama finishes off Florida for berth in BCS title game

ATLANTA -- The move was so unlike Nick Saban. The Alabama coach put away all that boardroom talk for a leaping shoulder bump with star running back Mark Ingram.

 

The Crimson Tide was back on top.

 

 

Across the way, Tim Tebow couldn't do a thing, tears streaming down his cheeks as he watched the clock wind down on an ending that wasn't in his farewell plan.

 

With Ingram and Greg McElroy leading an emphatic 32-13 chomping of top-ranked Florida on Saturday, No. 2 Alabama again stands supreme in the Southeastern Conference. More important, the Tide is just one win away from an even bigger title -- its first national crown since 1992.

 

"Everyone had to buy into not to be denied in this game," Saban said, getting back to business after a raucous celebration at the Georgia Dome. "To be a champion, that's what you had to do. I've never been prouder of a group of players."

 

The no-nonsense coach, who talks of "The Process" instead of the houndstooth, needed only three years to bring Alabama back from a grim era to a place it was accustomed to under Paul "Bear" Bryant.

 

 

 

Champions, indeed.

 

"They seemed like they wanted it a whole lot," Florida cornerback Joe Haden said.

 

Ingram, making a strong bid to claim the school's first Heisman Trophy, rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns. McElroy threw for 239 yards and a touchdown to claim the MVP award, showing he's no weak link. The Alabama defense held Tebow in check and left him crying at the end.

 

"It's tough. You know it's not how you want to go out," Tebow said. "They were just better than us today."

 

Alabama (13-0) moves on to Pasadena for the BCS championship game, an accomplishment they noted by passing out roses in the locker room. In fact, the school fight song, "Yea Alabama," refers to a long-ago Rose Bowl appearance.

 

Tebow and the Gators (12-1) will likely settle for the Sugar Bowl, denied a shot at their second straight national title and third in four years.

 

"Our standard was to be as good as Florida," Alabama linebacker Cory Reamer said. "Today, we were better than them."

 

The Tide led all the way, establishing its will on the very first drive. In the second half, Alabama shut 'em down, making up for its loss in last year's SEC title game.

 

Trailing 19-13 at the half, Florida took the third-quarter kickoff and came up a yard short on Tebow's third-and-7 pass to Riley Cooper. The Gators didn't know it at the time, but it was over.

 

Ingram carried it three straight times before McElroy went down the right sideline to Maze for a 28-yard pass. A costly penalty on Jermaine Cunningham -- he shoved McElroy in the back two steps after the quarterback threw the ball away -- set up a perfect throw and catch.

 

McElroy rolled to his right, stopped suddenly and lofted the pass in the other direction, the ball dropping over Colin Peek as he extended his arms to haul in a 17-yard touchdown.

 

 

 

Ingram finished it off with his third TD early in the fourth, powering over from the 1 to cap an 88-yard drive -- the Tide's longest of the season.

 

Tebow, who came back for his senior year in hopes of winning another title, was 20 of 35 for 247 yards but his last gasp was picked off in the end zone.

 

"He's a great player," Alabama receiver Julio Jones said, "but man, we're tired of him."

 

Saban led LSU to a share of the 2003 national title and, after a brief, unhappy stint in the NFL, he returned to take over an Alabama program that had gone through four coaches in seven seasons. It didn't take long for Saban to realize just how passionate the Tide faithful are about their football -- more than 90,000 fans turned out for the spring game.

 

Saban's first year was a struggle (Alabama even lost to Louisiana-Monroe) but it was clear he had the program back on the right track. In Year 2, the Tide ripped off 12 straight regular-season wins before Florida ruined their title hopes, rallying for a 31-20 victory in the SEC title game.

 

Turns out, Saban's team was just putting it off a year. With that SEC loss on everyone's mind every step of the way, Alabama went 12-0 in the regular season again, and this time not even Tebow and the mighty Gators could stem the Tide.

 

"Everything we did all year long was to beat them, to be better than them," Ingram said.

 

As the new SEC champions celebrated, "Sweet Home Alabama" blared over the speakers at the Georgia Dome.

 

"Roll, Tide, roll!" the fans cheered along.

 

Florida was short-handed for a rematch that has seemed preordained from the very first practice of the season. Carlos Dunlap, the team's best pass rusher, couldn't play after being arrested on drunken-driving charges Tuesday. Another key player, receiver-returner Brandon James, was hobbled in the second half and couldn't return.

 

At the end of third quarter, Alabama celebrated with its crimson-clad fans, while Tebow called all of his teammates around him at the 40-yard line, exhorting them to pull off another fourth-period comeback. That's what the Gators did a year ago, scoring two TDs in the final 15 minutes to overcome the Tide.

 

Not this time.

 

The Tide held the ball for nearly 40 minutes and piled up 490 yards against a defense that was ranked No. 1 in the country, allowing less than 10 points and about 233 yards per game.

 

Ingram's performance was no surprise, even though he was coming off a dismal 30-yard effort against Auburn and went out late in that game with a hip pointer. He passed Bobby Humphrey for the school rushing record in a season (1,542 yards) and augmented his performance with a 69-yard reception on a screen pass.

 

McElroy, a third-year junior, had gone through some ups and downs in his first season as a starter. But he was nearly flawless against Florida, with his legs as well as his arm. He hopped on one leg along the sideline to pick up a crucial first down, and he set up Ingram's final touchdown with a bobbing, weaving run to just short of the end zone.

 

"If you want to be a champion, you have to have a team of champions," McElroy said. "This team came out and proved itself a champion."

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Updated: December 5, 2009, 6:07 PM ET

Berrian joins Peterson over 100 mph

ESPN.com news services

The Minnesota Vikings' offense doesn't just burn defenders -- it burns rubber.

Two days after star running back Adrian Peterson was cited for driving 109 mph in a 55 mph zone, his teammate, wide receiver Bernard Berrian, was ticketed for topping the century mark on an area interstate.

Minnesota authorities say Berrian was driving 104 mph in a 60-mph zone.

Minnesota State Patrol Capt. Matt Langer said Saturday that Berrian was cited for speeding on I-694 in Oakdale about 9:40 p.m. Monday.

The state trooper who pulled Berrian over said he was polite and cooperative, and the trooper apparently did not realize he had stopped a member of the Vikings, WCCO-TV reported.

Last Saturday, Peterson was cited for driving 109 mph in a 55 mph zone in Edina.

"It is a little bit odd, but on the other hand, I like the publicity about it, because it sort of tells people here are the ramifications, first of all," Langer said, according to WCCO-TV. "And you're going to get caught."

Video footage of Peterson's traffic stop Nov. 28 shows he reacted with disbelief when he was informed how fast he was going, according to media reports.

"How fast you think you were going?" an Edina police officer asked him, according to The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune. When Peterson replied, "85," the officer replied, "You think you were 30 over the limit? I got you going 109."

After giving Peterson the ticket, the officer told Peterson, "Good luck to you tomorrow," according to the report.

Wrestler 'Umaga' Edward Fatu dies of heart attack, friend says

By Emanuella Grinberg, CNN

• Known as "The Samoan Bulldozer," Fatu was a member of the Anoa'i wrestling family
• Relatives include cousin Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and uncles The Wild Samoans
• WWE says it terminated his contract for violating Wellness Program, refusing to enter rehab
• Fatu was looking forward to spending time with children after leaving WWE, friend says

(CNN) -- Wrestler Edward Fatu, better known as the hulking, tattooed WWE superstar "Umaga," died Friday of a heart attack in a Houston, Texas, hospital, a family friend said.

 

Born in American Samoa, Fatu, 36, was a member of the famous Anoa'i wrestling family, which includes cousin Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, his two uncles, who wrestled as The Wild Samoans in the 1980s, and brothers, Sam "Tonga Kid" and Solofa Jr. "Rikishi," according to Wrestlers Rescue, a support group for retired professional wrestlers.

 

The two-time WWE Intercontinental champion, also known as "The Samoan Bulldozer," squared off with the likes of Triple H, John Cena and Ric Flair before the WWE terminated his contract in June for having violated the WWE's Wellness Program and refusing to enter rehab, the WWE said on its site.

 

The organization offered its condolences to his family in a brief statement on its site.

 

To friends and family, Fatu was a devoted father who was looking forward to spending more time with his children after leaving the WWE.

 

"He had his demons, but he found a lot of strength in his family," said Dawn Marie Psaltis, family friend and founder of Wrestlers Rescue. "He was always a jokester, he was always playing a practical joke on someone. He comes from a long line of professional wrestlers and did his family proud."

"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."

- Andy Rooney  -

  "A conscience which has been bought once will be bought twice."

- Norbert Wiener -

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"Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another."

- John Dewey - 

Updated: December 2, 2009, 12:33 AM ET

Pacquiao-Mayweather bout closer

By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive

The proposed super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather is getting closer.

Mayweather agreed to terms for the welterweight title bout on Tuesday, multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations told ESPN.com.

The proposed date is March 13, although there is a chance it could move to May 1, sources said. Mayweather, according to a source close to him, is OK with either date.

Pacquiao and Mayweather have fought recent bouts at catch weights. However if they complete their deal, the bout would be contested at 147 pounds, the maximum for a welterweight fight, a source said.

Top Rank's Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), was flying to the Philippines on Tuesday night to meet with Pacquiao and try to close his side of the deal.

Arum spent much of Tuesday getting open issues resolved in his negotiations with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who represents Mayweather, sources said. Once Arum was able to do that, he left for the Philippines and is expected back on Monday.

If the HBO PPV fight happens on March 13, it would force the tentative HBO PPV fight between light heavyweights Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins to move to another date. Hopkins and Jones both fight Wednesday and must win for their fight to go through.

The site for Pacquiao-Mayweather remains up in the air. There is interest from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to bring the fight to his new stadium. There is also interest from venues in Las Vegas, including the MGM Grand (which has hosted several Pacquiao and Mayweather fights), and the Superdome in New Orleans in hosting a fight many believe will break the all-time record for pay-per-view buys, which is the 2.44 million units sold for Mayweather's 2007 split decision victory against Oscar De La Hoya.

The fight moved front and center with heavy public demand for it following Pacquiao's dominant 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto to win a welterweight title on Nov. 14. The victory gave Pacquiao a title in a record-breaking seventh weight division and 1.25 million pay-per-view units.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), who has won titles in five divisions, came out of a brief retirement in September to dominate Juan Manuel Marquez in a fight that generated 1.05 million buys.

Just a few days after Pacquiao's win over Cotto, Arum and Schaefer began negotiations.

One wrench in the talks was the date. Arum, Schaefer and HBO wanted to slot the fight on May 1. However, Pacquiao announced his candidacy for a congressional seat in the Philippines on Tuesday. With the election scheduled for May 10, it rules out a May 1 fight unless Pacquiao runs unopposed. Pacquiao lost the election for a congressional seat in 2007.

If Pacquiao-Mayweather isn't finalized, Arum has talked about matching Pacquiao with junior middleweight titlist Yuri Foreman, which would give Pacquiao an opportunity to win a title in an eighth division. Foreman defeated Daniel Santos to win a 154-pound belt on the Pacquiao-Cotto undercard.

Schaefer has talked about bringing Mayweather to England to match him with Matthew Hatton in the event Pacquiao-Mayweather isn't made. Hatton is the brother of Ricky Hatton, the former junior welterweight and welterweight titlist whom Mayweather knocked out in 2007.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Dunlap to miss SEC championship game

---

By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com

Florida Gators starting defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested and charged with driving under the influence early Tuesday morning in Gainesville.

 

Florida coach Urban Meyer announced after practice Tuesday evening that Dunlap has been suspended indefinitely from the team and will not play for the No. 1 Gators against No. 2 Alabama for the SEC Championship on Saturday in Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

 

Meyer says he is "stunned" by Dunlap's actions.

 

"Carlos obviously made a very poor decision," Meyer said. "I have not spoke to him or his family yet. He's not going to play. But I want to visit with him and his family first and go from there."

 

Meyer acknowledged that the situation was a distraction as his team prepares for a matchup that has national championship implications. But he also said his players might be able to overcome it, much like they did flulike symptoms and linebacker Brandon Spikes' suspension for dirty play.

 

"We've had distraction after distraction," Meyer said. "This is a rather serious one, obviously, so it is a distraction. Sometimes this team's found ways to get a little tighter in distractions. We've had a few of them this year."

 

Dunlap, a junior from North Charleston, S.C., was arrested at 3:25 a.m. near campus and was booked into the jail at 5:52 a.m., Gainesville Police Department spokesman Lt. Keith Kameg said.

 

He was released on his own recognizance about six hours later during his initial appearance at the Alachua County Jail. Judge Mary Day Coker admonished Dunlap for underage drinking, and said he cannot possess alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs that are not prescribed for him.

 

He was told not to drive a motor vehicle without a license, and if caught driving without a license, he would violate the terms of his release. The judge released Dunlap without bond because he has no prior adjudications and no failures to appear in court.

 

Wearing a jail-issued, green-and-white striped jumpsuit, Dunlap spoke softly when asked questions and always replied "Yes, ma'am," to the judge.

 

 

"We are aware of the incident and are currently gathering more information," Florida athletics spokesman Steve McClain said Tuesday morning.

 

Kameg said officers responded to a reckless driving complaint and found Dunlap's 2000 Chrysler stopped at a traffic light near the 200 block of W. 34th Street.

 

Kameg said officers found Dunlap's car stopped at a green light.

 

"They approached the car and found the suspect slumped over in the driver's seat," Kameg said. "He appeared to be asleep. The car's windows were cracked so they attempted to wake him up. They talked to him and he would only open his eyes for a few seconds and then fall back asleep."

 

Kameg said officers were able to unlock the car and turn off the ignition. Kameg said officers reported that Dunlap "had trouble listening to instructions." He was given a field sobriety test and performed "poorly," according to Kameg. He refused to take a Breathalyzer at the scene, Kameg said.

 

Dunlap, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end who is considered a potential first-round draft choice if he leaves Florida after this season, has 35 tackles, including 8½ tackles for loss, and is tied for the team lead with seven sacks. He was named MVP of the 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Game, in which the Gators defeated Oklahoma 24-14 to win their second BCS title in three seasons.

Updated: December 2, 2009, 12:15 PM ET

Artest admits drinking, blasts ref

ESPN.com news services

Ron Artest, the often-controversial Los Angeles Lakers' forward, told a magazine interviewer he used to drink alcohol at halftime of NBA games.

 

“

I used to drink Hennessy ... at halftime," Artest says in the interview, which hits newsstands this week. "I [kept it] in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store and get it.

” -- Ron Artest to The Sporting News

 

"I used to drink Hennessy ... at halftime," Artest said in an interview with The Sporting News, which is publishing the story in its Dec. 7 issue. "I [kept it] in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store and get it."

Hennessy is a French cognac.

Artest said he drank while he played for the Chicago Bulls, where he played for his first three seasons (1999-2002). He has since played for Indiana, Sacramento, Houston and the Lakers.

He was a member of the Pacers when he was involved in a fight in Detroit that spilled over into the stands. He was suspended for the rest of the 2004-05 season, which turned out to be 73 games. Artest told the Sporting news that the brawl "wasn't my fault. ... I don't see anything I could have done different."

Artest told the Sporting News that he has tamed his admittedly wild lifestyle, but still likes to "party and I have fun."

"When I was a 19-year-old father, whew. I was a single pimp! I was wild," he told the magazine. "A lot of marijuana and alcohol -- even before [that age]. ... I [still] party and I have fun, but not like I used to. I used to drink every night and party every night."

He also criticized NBA referee Joey Crawford, who was on the floor for two games of the 2009 NBA Western Conference semifinals. In Game 2, Artest was ejected after an altercation with Kobe Bryant. In Game 6, Crawford also officiated and the Lakers won 89-70 to close out the series.

"Joey Crawford basically said, 'Who cares about the Houston Rockets? Kobe Bryant is on the floor,' " Artest said, according to the Sporting News

Updated: December 2, 2009, 10:40 AM ET

Green stops Jones in first round

Associated Press

SYDNEY -- Australian Danny Green stopped Roy Jones Jr. in the first round of their IBO world cruiserweight title fight Wednesday, preventing the 40-year-old American from claiming his ninth title across five weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight.

The 36-year-old Green retained his title and improved to 28-3 with his technical knockout over Jones at the Acer Arena, in the American's first professional fight on foreign soil in his 20-year career.

 

 

It was only Jones' sixth loss since 1989, along with 54 wins, 40 by knockout.

Green floored Jones with a right hand to the head after one minute. Green moved in to apply more pressure, and following a series of blows, English referee Howard Foster stopped the bout after just 122 seconds.

Jones offered no excuses for a defeat which could signal the end of his career.

"We don't make excuses, it was a great performance by Danny," Jones said.

Green was almost apologetic for handing such a defeat to one of his boxing role models.

"He's one of the greatest fighters of all time and the opportunity to fight him in Australia, thanks, Roy Jones Jr.," Green told the crowd.

"I almost feel bad doing that, that almost hurt me to do that to someone whom I aspire to look up to as a professional fighter inside and outside the ring. He's a bloody legend."

After nearly a one-hour delay following an undercard bout, Jones entered the arena to mild applause. But Green, with the Australian band Men at Work's song "Down Under" playing, entered the ring to an ovation moments later.

"I didn't surprise myself," said Green.

Green won the IBO cruiserweight title in Biloxi, Miss., in August with a victory over Argentina's Julio Cesar Dominguez on the undercard to Jones' NABO light heavyweight championship win over Jeff Lacy.

Jones had been stopped just twice in his career, by Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson, but Green warned ahead of the fight that he could end the Sydney fight early.

"I won't name which punch, but there's one punch, if I hit him clean with it, he is going to be knocked out for a week," Green said. "His speed can baffle me, but my power -- it can hospitalize someone. My fists are like bricks."

Green has never been stopped, although he was knocked down but not out by Argentina's Omar Gonzalez in 2004.

The Australian twice lost bids for the WBC super middleweight title to Markus Beyer -- one by disqualification and the other in a split decision. He retired temporarily in March 2008 before making a comeback in April this year.

Jones, who has eight belts across four divisions from middleweight to heavyweight, was a strong betting favorite.

Green weighed in at nearly 179 pounds while Jones was at just over 179.