| New NCAA head may beef up enforcement staff The incoming president of the NCAA intends to keep putting the squeeze on rules-breakers. rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Manning Matchup II: Peyton bests Eli as Colts rout Giants To end it, Peyton took a knee. That final act, killing off the last seconds of a 38-14 laugher, was about the most merciful gesture of long night ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Daily Playoff Pitch: Padres trying to muddle playoff picture with 3-team tiebreaker Just when it looked like the playoff picture was all but settled, along came Friday night, and the playoff landscape may now be excavated. rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Baptiste wins 200m gold in Delhi • Londoner clinches surprise win as Devonish comes fifth• Bronze for Christian Malcolm and WalesEngland's Leon Baptiste has been crowned the 200m Commonwealth champion in Delhi. The Londoner clocked 20.45sec to cross the line ahead of the fast-finishing Lansford Spence of South Africa.Wales's Christian Malcolm, second at the European Championships, was third in 20.52, with Marlon Devonish, the silver medallist at Manchester in 2002, in fifth.Baptiste was stunned by the biggest victory of his career, the 25-year-old having set a new personal best of 20.43 in the semi-finals, form he continued in the final."My coach [Michael Khmel] and I had a plan about six to eight weeks ago," said Baptiste."We decided to get ourselves in the best shape possible. We came out with a plan and things paid off. When you're injured for a long time you get all these doubts."Steadily I've improved every year since 2005 – that's the only reason I've carried on."I feel really proud. I can't wait to get home and see my family and enjoy the moment."Baptiste had to endure a run-off against Marlon Devonish in a bid to compete at the Europeans but it was the Coventry Godiva man who prevailed.Baptiste admitted that was a real blow, adding: "The Europeans were the lowest point of my career, along with when I had knee surgery in 2004."It was just really hard to deal with and I sat down and did a lot of self-evaluation and I said 'Do you know what? I'm going to make something of this. I'm going to go to the Commonwealths and do the best I can'."My aim was to make the final and to come out with a gold medal is just a bonus."He added: "The last serious medal I won was in 2003 at the European junior championships in the 100m. That was a big high point in my career."Devonish could only come fifth and he explained: "I wasn't ready in the start. I got up into set position, I wasn't focused. I daren't put my hand up because they were being funny. I don't know what was going on in the first start."I didn't do what I wanted to do today. I didn't come all the way to India to come fifth."Commonwealth Games 2010Athleticsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Giants pip Phillies to reach World Series • 3-2 win in Game Six gives Giants the NL championship• Giants-Texas Rangers Fall Classic starts WednesdayThe San Francisco Giants reached the World Series by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 in a nailbiting Game Six last night to clinch the National League championship series and set up an underdogs' Fall Classic.The Giants took charge on an eighth-inning homer from Juan Uribe and survived a nervous ninth as the closer Brian Wilson walked two batters before striking out the slugger Ryan Howard to end it.The victory settled the best-of-seven series 4-2 in the Giants' favour and set up an improbable World Series against the American League champions, Texas Rangers, starting in San Francisco on Wednesday.The Giants ended the two-year run of the Phillies as National League champions while the Rangers knocked out last year's World Series winners, the New York Yankees, in taking the American League championship."That was epic. What a battle," Wilson said as a stunned crowd at Citizens Bank Park watched the Giants celebrate in the middle of the diamond. "I hope the fans back home are going absolutely ballistic."The outfielder Cody Ross, added late in the season on waivers from the Florida Marlins, was named MVP of the series after hitting three homers and batting .350 for the Giants.For San Francisco, it will be a first trip to the World Series since 2002, and they will be seeking their first title since 1954, when they were the New York Giants.Texas will make their Fall Classic debut in their 50th year as a franchise, born in 1961 as the Washington Senators.The Phillies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of their do-or-die game on an RBI-double by Chase Utley and a sacrifice fly to left from Jayson Werth off San Francisco starter Jonathan Sanchez.San Francisco countered with two runs in the top of the third inning off the Phillies starter Roy Oswalt. The first run was scored on a single to centre by Aubrey Huff with the second tally crossing the plate on a throwing error by the second baseman, Placido Polanco.Tensions ran high in the bottom of the third when Sanchez hit Utley in the back with a pitch.Utley and Sanchez exchanged words and looked headed for a confrontation. Players from both benches rushed on to the field before order was restored.The Giants' manager, Bruce Bochy, replaced the agitated Sanchez with Jeremy Affeldt and used five pitchers, including the starters Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum, for seven shutout innings of relief to make Uribe's opposite field shot the game-winner.US sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |