The Saints' 31-17 victory over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami added three more Super Bowl Rings to the proCanes' trophy cabinet. Jonathan Vilma, Jeremy Shockey and Glenn Sharpe became the 45th, 46th and 47th Super Bowl Ring proCane winners. To see the full history click here.

Additionally, Jeremy Shockey became the 9th proCane to score a TD in the Super Bowl extending the lead over Notre Dame 9-6. The nine proCanes are: Bill Miller, Oakland (scored 2) Pete Banaszak, Oakland Ottis Anderson, New York Giants (2) Michael Irvin, Dallas (2) Jimmie Jones, Dallas Duane Starks, Baltimore Ravens Devin Hester, Chicago Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis. Jeremy Shockey, Saints.

Congrats to all three Super Bowl winning and proCanes along with Reggie Wayne who had a great season and game.

Jeremy Shockey: 3 catches, 13 yards, 1 TD

Jonathan Vilma: 7 solo tackles, 2 Tackles For Loss, 1 Pass Deflection

Reggie Wayne: 5 catches, 46 yards

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The rest of his teammates had deserted the interview room long before when New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey, freshly showered and clad in a pink tie and a cream-colored suit, arrived more than an hour after Super Bowl XLIV.

If he had been savoring the moment, it would have been hard to blame him.

Though this was technically the second time he'd been a part of a team that won a Super Bowl, Sunday's 31-17 victory against the Indianapolis Colts was meaningful in many ways for Shockey, who caught the 2-yard touchdown that put the Saints ahead to stay. "This is my home," said Shockey, who had starred at nearby University of Miami. "It's my adopted home. Being a part of this here is very special, as special as it gets."

He caught three passes for 13 yards, but his scoring reception was a key moment in the Saints' comeback victory. The hookup with quarterback Drew Brees came with New Orleans trailing Indianapolis 17-16 with less than six minutes remaining.

It was the 32nd and final completion of the game for Brees, who tied a single-game record for completions in a Super Bowl (Tom Brady also achieved the mark on Feb. 1, 2004).

"I've probably run that route a 1,000 times in my career but caught a couple touchdowns off it — and now only one in the Super Bowl," said Shockey, 29. "It was a great throw by Drew and a great call by Sean (Payton).

"It's very special. It's meant a lot for the city of New Orleans; it's had a lot of tough times. This team has put a lot of hard work into this."
A lot of work went into the performance for Shockey, too. He missed the New York Giants' Super Bowl victory two years ago after breaking a leg during the regular season.

"I've got metal in my leg, I've got ligaments that are torn, I've got broken bones," he said. "I don't do this for the money. I do this for the love of the game. The passion is still there.

"A lot was made of me being jealous of New York winning without me. It was the complete opposite. I was very satisfied and happy for those teammates that worked hard."

Just as he was Sunday night.

"It's a great feeling to be part of this," Shockey said.

Click here to order Jeremy Shockey’s proCane Rookie Card.



(usatoday.com)

The Saints linebacking corps made its presence felt where it was most needed, on pass defense. Jonathan Vilma made one of the biggest defensive plays of the evening, but one that will be largely overlooked, early in the fourth quarter. With the Colts leading 17-16 and driving for more points at the New Orleans 33, Vilma went stride for stride down the field with Austin Collie, breaking up a pass for the receiver in the end zone. The Colts had to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt, which Matt Stover missed. Vilma also ended the day with a team-high seven tackles for a linebacking unit largely responsible for holding the explosive Colts to 17 points. Grade: B+

Click here to order Jon Vilma’s proCane Rookie Card.



(cnnsi.com)

MIAMI (AP) — Jeremy Shockey wasn't sitting in a suite for this Super Bowl. Instead, he was a big part of the New Orleans Saints' sweetest victory.

Shockey hauled in a touchdown catch for the go-ahead score Sunday night, helping the Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 for their first NFL championship.

And for Shockey, that 2-yard score had to feel like redemption.

"A great feeling," he said. "I work hard in my career, in my profession. ... I don't just do this for the money or anything. I've got metal in my leg. I've got broken bones. I've got ligaments that are torn and I do this for the love of the game. The passion I have for it, it's still there."

Only two short years ago, that passion was in question.

Shockey was with the New York Giants — in name only — when they upset New England in the 2008 Super Bowl. He watched that title game from a suite above the field and felt like an outcast after breaking his left leg and missing their scintillating playoff run.

That essentially set up his trade to New Orleans. This ring, he can say he earned.

"I know there's a lot of people out there that think, I don't know, negative thoughts about me," Shockey said.

But does he feel redeemed as a player now?

"Yes," he said.

The stat sheet will say he had only three catches for 13 yards in the title game. The Saints will quickly say that Shockey did so much more than that on the way to this championship.

The Saints were thought of by some as a finesse team until Shockey came along, with his rough-and-tumble ways and a personality seeming more suited for professional wrestling than professional football.

Just what New Orleans needed, Reggie Bush said.

"I told him, 'God had a different plan for you,'" said Bush, the Saints' flashy running back and returner. "He's got to appreciate it. I know he does. Shockey's brought so much to this team, an attitude that we definitely needed. ... We needed a guy like Shockey to bring that aggressiveness to our offense, and he's been nothing but special from Day 1."

Blond, bold and brash, Shockey came to the NFL from the Miami Hurricanes, where he blossomed into a star.

He caught 74 passes for 894 yards as a rookie with the Giants in 2002. Both of those numbers still represent career highs.

On Sunday, he got the best moment of his career.

"This game is very humbling," Shockey said. "Any chance you get to make a play, a lot of hard work has gone into that. I've probably run that route 1,000 times in my career, probably only caught a couple touchdowns off of it, but only one in the Super Bowl."

It came with 5:42 left in the game, when he caught a pass from Drew Brees and barreled backward into the end zone, putting the Saints ahead for good. Shockey tossed the ball to the sideline, wanting it as a keepsake.

A ballboy picked it up instead.

No matter. Shockey will have plenty of other ways to remember this one.

"To be part of something that's been building, an organization that's never had any success in the postseason and being a part of that is very special. Obviously, always winning is very special," Shockey said. "I have great memories of winning in high school, junior high, college, the Giants and now with the Saints. It's about as special as it gets."

Click here to order Jeremy Shockey’s proCane Rookie Card.



(latimes.com)

MIAMI — Those hands. Those calm hands.

The rest of Sun Life Stadium erupted. Every football fan in the world inched closer to his TV, ready to watch the final stirring minutes of Super Bowl XLIV. Meanwhile, with 5:42 remaining in the biggest game he ever played in, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma stood on the sideline, his hands resting peacefully on his hips.

Just moments before the Saints clinched their 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, he was calm.

For goodness sake, what was he thinking?

From the front row to the upper deck, amid all the frenzy, Saints fans — grown men and women, mind you — sobbed openly, hugging each other and holding hands. Overcome with emotion, they simply couldn’t comprehend that their lovable losers were minutes away from a world title.

What was Vilma thinking? Didn’t he understand this moment? Didn’t he understand the magnitude?

He sure did.

While officials awarded a catch to wideout Lance Moore on a two-point conversion, one that gave the Saints a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter, Vilma conferred quietly with the Saints coaching staff. Then he shook hands with a few defensive teammates.

As the captain of a defense that lived on the edge all season, Vilma understood his role in the moment: If the Saints were to finish their rally and win the biggest game in franchise history, their defense had to stop Peyton Manning and the Colts one more time.

On Indianapolis’ previous possession, Vilma made one of the Super Bowl’s most important plays.

The Saints trailed 17-16 as Manning led the Colts to a third-and-11 at New Orleans’ 33-yard line. New Orleans had to have a stop. Vilma made it.

In pass coverage against wideout Austin Collie, more than 30 yards downfield, Vilma turned his head and broke up Manning’s pass near the goal line.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said Vilma was supposed to blitz on the play — but he recognized Manning’s call and checked out of the blitz, one of dozens of pre-snap adjustments Vilma made Sunday night. On the next play, Colts place-kicker Matt Stover — a replacement for the injured Adam Vinatieri, who won three previous Super Bowls with his right leg — missed a 51-yard field goal wide left.

The Saints responded with a touchdown pass from MVP Drew Brees to tight end Jeremy Shockey, followed by Moore’s fingernail-thin two-point conversion.

Seven plays later, Tracy Porter made his clinching interception return for a touchdown. As it turned out, for the Saints, Super Bowl XLIV was the stage for one final dramatic comeback in a season that saw so many.

It was a fitting rally for a franchise that stumbled through blowout losses, bad luck and bad personnel moves for the better part of 43 years.
Finally, at 9:22 p.m. CST, Jonathan Vilma vanished into a tunnel, his hands high above his head, nodding to thousands of Saints fans who realized their dream as Vilma realized his.

He seemed calm, but happy. At long last, he and the Saints were world champions, and their fans were full of joy.

They were whole.

Click here to order Jon Vilma’s proCane Rookie Card.



(2theadvocate.com)

proCanes and Pro Boxer Quatrine Hill along with a former Miami Hurricane James Bryant will make their professional debuts on February 16 at the HArd Rock Live Arena which is being presented by a new promotional company The Heavyweight Factory.



(miamiherald.com)

Despite playing full-time in the NFL, Willis McGahee is an avid gamer and he spoke to The Escapist about playing when he was a kid, who is the best digital football player, and how he won the Madden Bowl in 2008.

Willis McGahee rose to fame while playing at the University of Miami, where he was a member of the championship team of 2001 and played in the National Championship game in 2002. After suffering a terrible injury in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, he eventually entered the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in 2004, rushing for 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns his rookie season. He was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2007, and during this year's playoffs, McGahee led the team in its defeat of the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round before eventually falling to Indianapolis.

But through it all, Willis McGahee is a gamer. "Since I was a kid, I can remember playing Nintendo," he told me.

McGahee is just as skilled with the controller as he is on the field, winning the Madden Bowl in 2008. The Madden Bowl is a tournament of NFL players playing the latest Madden game held on Super Bowl weekend for the last 16 years. Despite not competing this year, McGahee is keeping quiet on his tactics. "I can't give away my secrets!" he said.

McGahee is in the rare position where he can play as himself in Madden. How does the digital version of himself match up? "There is nothing that is the same as the real deal, but I have to say sometimes my rep in Madden is better, but then sometimes the real life version is better! Just depends on what happens that day."

I showed McGahee the video in which Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokely appeared to use a strategy straight out of playing Madden. Here's what McGahee had to say about Stokely running along the goal line to eat up time:

Brandon Stokley is a great NFL player; he gives his team his all. To be able to do what he did on Madden takes half the skill though. What really counts is how many times a player can do that on the field.

I'm not surprised [that Stokely did it]. I take my real life tactics into the gaming, but once in a while the opposite happens and then it's interesting to see the virtual world coincide with the real world.

After pressing him on the subject, it's clear that the NFL player makes a distinction between what he does on the screen and what he can do on the field. "In real football you're using your whole body, but in video games, you're just using your thumbs," McGahee said. "Obviously, that really changes the dynamic, but it is a great way to practice some strategies in a virtual way."

The love that McGahee has for games goes beyond just football. Among the games he enjoys playing are D.C. vs. Marvel, Uncharted, Halo, Ghostbusters, Wolverine, Red Dead Revolver, Mafia, Max Payne and even Mirror's Edge. Modern Warfare 2 was his favorite game of 2009 because, "the graphics and effects are so realistic, and the game is such a challenge even for an experienced gamer like me."

He also doesn't understand the the flak that videogames get from critics for containing violence and corrupting our youth. "I believe that everything in life is good in moderation," he said. "Parents should censor what they want their children to be exposed to, but I also feel most children can separate fact from fiction."

Finally, I asked Willis McGahee who the best player was in all of the football games he has ever played, to the point where you'd always want to play his team because the digital player was so overpowering. Many people think that the crown would go to Bo Jackson in Super Tecmo Bowl for his ability to zip by defenders with unrealistic ease. But McGahee disagrees.

"Of course I have to vote for myself as the best digital athlete!"

Click here to order Willis McGahee’s proCane Rookie Card.



(escapistmagazine.com)

The pinched nerve in Ed Reed's neck has gotten worse, the Pro Bowl safety told the NFL Network at Super Bowl festivities in Miami on Friday. He reiterated that he remains undecided on whether he will return to the Ravens or retire.

"I still have to see doctors," Reed said. "I still need to talk with Ozzie [Newsome] and the Ravens."

Reed acknowledged that he has been contemplating retirement the past two years. The pinched nerve in his neck has affected his hip injury, according to Reed.

He first mentioned retirement - saying he was "50-50" - when a reporter asked him about his future after the AFC divisional playoff loss to the Colts at Indianapolis on Jan. 16.

On Friday, Reed said the retirement talk had nothing to do with the emotions of the loss.

"I knew going into that game that was going to be tough playing against those guys. It always is," Reed said. "Scoring three points and not being effective, it was bad. But it happens and you move on."

Since the end of the season, Ravens coach John Harbaugh has said twice that he believes Reed will return to the team.

When former teammate and friend Deion Sanders asked Reed on Friday what he would move into if he retired, Reed said, "a tee time."

Click here to order Ed Reed’s proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

One of the nearly forgotten fun-time happy-face episodes of the past Redskins season involved the locker-room infighting between Clinton Portis and Mike Sellers. This was many months before Portis and Jason Campbell exchanged barbs in the press. And this episode emerged mostly under the cover of anonymous sources, who told the press that the two men had a conflict after Portis asked coaches to bench Sellers during a game.

Even when Sellers later defended his play, he did so without mentioning Portis. And Jim Zorn explained that the two guys loved each other, and that any conflict did not result from issues with Sellers's blocking.

But Portis--love him or hate him--never turns that honest button off, and so when the guys on the NFL Network asked him point blank about his relationship with Sellers, the story finally came out, attached to his name, without the use of sources. And--somewhat amazingly--Portis admitted that yes, indeed, he went to coaches during a game and asked for Sellers to be benched.

"The Mike Sellers incident was blown out as well," Portis began. "Mike Sellers came to me and said, 'Get on guys.' You know, that was his message to me. He came to me, he said 'Man, you need to be more of a vocal leader. Get on guys, tell guys to get it together.'

"I said, Mike, no, that's not me. For three weeks in a row, I said Mike, that's not me, I don't want to get into any confrontation with anybody. He said, 'From me to anybody else, if you feel like somebody's lacking, let them know.'

"We got into the game, I felt like Mike was lacking," Portis continued, as the other set members tittered in disbelief. "I let Mike know that he was lacking. Listen, that's what he asked me to do, so I just asked him, I told him, I said Mike, c'mon baby, I need you. We went out, it happened again. Therefore I came to the sideline and I told them, I was like I just didn't want a fullback in front of me, put me in one-back.

"And then they was like, 'Well, we want to run our game plan for two backs.' I said put Todd Yoder in front of me and run downhill. All of the sudden, Mike take that and 'Whoooo, you trying to get me benched and you throwing me under the bus.' You just asked me to come tell you if I had a problem. I told you in the game. It's not like I didn't tell Mike. I told him during the game, 'C'mon Mike, I need you.' And then I get to the sideline and it's like blown out. I guess a coach or somebody went back and told him, 'Oh, Clinton wanted you out of the game,' and then Mike addressed the situation."

I don't know, do NFL players regularly approach coaches during games and ask for players one year removed from the Pro Bowl to be benched? Maybe they do. But the other fellas on the NFL Network set seemed a bit taken aback.

"That might be a problem if I come to the set tomorrow and say I don't want to work with Warren Sapp, put Sapp on the bench and let me just sit right here with Marshall [Faulk]," Deion Sanders said. "That might be a problem."

"It gonna be a problem," Sapp agreed. "It gonna be a little bit. It gonna be a little bit."

Anyhow, at least the story is officially out. And give Portis credit; he said he doesn't speak anonymously to the press, and he said he'll tell you what's on his mind, and he seems to carry out that threat regularly.

Click here to order Clinton Portis' proCane Rookie Card.



(washingtonpost.com)

Former NFL star Warren Sapp, who now serves as an analyst for NFL Network and Showtime's Inside the NFL, has been pulled from NFLN's Super Bowl XLIV coverage as Miami police look into a domestic violence case, according to ESPN.

"He's being questioned in reference to a domestic battery," Sgt. Juan Sanchez, a spokesman for the Miami Beach Police Department, told the (South Florida) Sun-Sentinel. "No one has been arrested yet."

Sapp was recently named to the NFL's all-decade team as a defensive lineman, an honor he also received in the 1990s.

Click here to order Warren Sapp’s proCane Rookie Card.



(usatoday.com)

NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin fired back Friday against rape accusations with a $100 million lawsuit against his accuser.

Calling her ``morally bankrupt,'' the lawsuit filed in Dallas court alleges the woman is trying to destroy Irvin's reputation as a highly acclaimed sports broadcaster.

It also said she picked this week -- when Irvin was scheduled to be an on-air personality during South Florida's Super Bowl festivities -- to capitalize on the attention.

``This is nothing more than a weak attempt to extort a celebrity with baseless salacious allegations,'' the lawsuit read. Her allegations will cause ``the destruction of an innocent man's hard earned career.''

Irvin's lawsuit was filed the same day he was let go from his radio show which aired on ESPN radio in Dallas.

``His contract was up and the show has not performed,'' ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said in a statement. ``We had previously decided to cancel the show and determined this morning to make it effective today.''

But the NFL Network stood by Irvin, saying he would continue to work for them during the Super Bowl weekend.

A statement issued by the NFL said, ``We are aware that a civil lawsuit was filed. Our security department is looking into the allegations. According to Michael's lawyer, the accusations are `totally untrue.' He will be on-air this weekend.''

It was a whirlwind of developments for the Fort Lauderdale native.

On Thursday, a Broward County woman filed suit in Broward Circuit Court, accusing Irvin of raping her at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino over the July Fourth holiday 2007.

The woman, identified as Jane Doe in her lawsuit, claims Irvin tried to get her drunk, lured her to his hotel room and raped her. Another unidentified man also forced her to perform oral sex that night, she said.

She didn't report the alleged attack for two weeks. Seminole police investigated, but by that time there was no surveillance or forensic evidence. Broward prosecutors have reviewed the case and did their own investigation. A decision on whether to charge Irvin criminally is expected next week.

According to Irvin's lawsuit, the woman's lawyers pushed for five months for Irvin to pay up to $1 million.

In January, the lawsuit alleges, the woman's attorney's threatened to sue during the Super Bowl and destory Irvin's career.

``This is nothing more than a thinly veiled effort to carry out plaintiff's extortion plot, while capitalizing on the media circus that is Super Bowl weekend,'' Irvin's lawsuit said.

The woman's lawyer, David Lister of Weston, declined to comment on the Dallas lawsuit.

As a football player with the University of Miami and the Dallas Cowboys, Irvin was known for big plays and his big personality. Even after his retirement from pro football, Irvin stayed in the spotlight. He had the radio show in Dallas and did broadcasting for the NFL network.

He also had prior legal troubles, including pleading no contest to a cocaine charge in 1996.

Later in that same year, Irvin and a teammate were accused of sexually assaulting a woman. An investigation revealed the woman had made up the story and she soon recanted.

Click here to order Michael Irvin’s proCane Rookie Card.



(miamiherald.com)

MIAMI -- C.J. is vocal.

New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson is known for pushing his players relentlessly.

"He's a screamer, " New Orleans Saints receiver Robert Meachem said.

C.J. is a comic.

"We can mess up, run the wrong route in practice, and we'll tell him, 'We got it. We kind of messed up on this one, ' " Meachem said. "We get back in the film room, he already knows you messed up, but he'll get onto you again in front of everybody -- and make a joke out of it, have everybody laughing at you."

C.J. is among the nittiest of pickers to pick a nit.

"He's definitely on us all the time, " receiver Marques Colston said. "The thing with him is, he doesn't allow you to take anything off -- even the break periods. Everyone else is on a knee getting a drink, and we're over there catching footballs."

But Curtis Johnson -- a New Orleans-born, St. Charles High graduate who has been the wide receivers coach for the Saints since 2006 -- is a master at what he does, with his work highlighted along the way as the Saints prepare for the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday in Miami.

The receivers he tutors are better after having worked with him. Each one he has come into contact with as a Saint, and the ones he tutored as receivers coach at the University of Miami, is better for having had the experience.

Colston, a seventh-round pick in 2006 who had as bad a rookie minicamp as could be imagined, has been a 1,000-yard receiver in three of his four seasons. Devery Henderson averaged 23.3, 20.5 and 24.8 yards per catch from 2006-08 before dipping to 15.8 yards per catch this season, but he caught a career-high 51 passes and became more of a complete threat.

And Meachem, a first-round pick and target of scorn that entered this season with 12 catches in his first two seasons, hauled in 45 passes for 722 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season.

Sure, some of that's owed to maturity and improved work habits and self-evaluation -- and it's not like Saints receivers are void of talent.
The three mentioned all were draft picks (Henderson a second-rounder), and while New Orleans got lucky with Colston, there still had to be a reason for picking him.

And some is owed to the excellence of quarterback Drew Brees, who's on a run of efficiency that's unmatched in franchise history.
But some of their development can be attributed to Johnson's relentless pushing.

"He makes you 10 times better, " Meachem said. "Our receiver corps is like a family, and we don't want to let each other down. And with C.J., we really don't want to let him down."

Said Colston: "Even during break periods, we're doing something, still working. At first it irritates you at times, but you see the end result. He has made us so much better as players and as a group. The end result has made us that much better as players, and we appreciate it at the end of the day."

There's no better illustration of that than this: "He's taught me a lot, " Colts receiver Reggie Wayne said. "He's pretty much taught me everything I know, and I'll do my best to not let him down."

Johnson coached Wayne at Miami, where Wayne set a school record with 173 receptions.

These days, Wayne is a two-time All-Pro who is one of the most dangerous receivers in the league.

So it's no small thing when he, and receivers like Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans and Santana Moss of the Washington Redskins, give props to their mentor.

"That means a lot to me, " Johnson said. "Reggie was a young man I recruited. Very, very sharp guy and understands the game and understands his situation. I'm just very proud of him.

"All of those guys (from Miami), I'm proud of but especially him, doing what he's doing in the NFL. I never thought it would be that good for him, but he's worked his tail off. He's something special."

The same might be said of Johnson.

True, none of his Saints receivers have received a Pro Bowl invite while Brees finished second in the voting for MVP this season, had the second-highest single-season total for passing yards (5,069) last season and has led the NFL in passing yards since 2006.

But Colston has averaged 71 catches for 1,018 yards and eight touchdowns per season, Henderson and Meachem have become much more than decoys, and Lance Moore -- injured and in and out of the lineup for New Orleans this season -- caught 10 touchdowns last season.
Neither is the player he was before he met Johnson.

"I love my receiving corps, " Brees said. "As a group, they are the best in the league. When you talk about what each one of them brings to the field and to our offense, each one of them has some very unique strengths. They all work so well together.

"They understand that throughout the course of a game, 'Today might be my day. I might be able to catch 10 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. While other days I might only catch one pass, my role is still just as important because I'm creating opportunities for other guys. It might be another guy's big catch today.' "

They're ready because Johnson makes sure they're ready.

"I try not to let any stones go unturned, " Johnson said. "I just try to make sure, even the little things, I stay on it -- stay on them. I know I aggravate 'em a lot, and I know I'm on 'em a LOT.

"But the bottom line is if you're a professional, and you want to be professional. You want to put your product on the field every time. I just love seeing those guys perform, and I love seeing them play. But they do work hard, and they do respond. Sometimes, I'm a little bit unreasonable, but it's working out good for them."

Said Meachem: "C.J. knows we've got an opportunity to be great and be special. All he tries to do is get us to be special. As a receiver, you've got to have high standards for yourself. Your coach's goals can't be higher than yours.

"He asks you, 'What kind of player do you want to be when you leave this game?' If you say you want to be one of the best, then he's going to push you to be one of the best. A lot of times coaches see things in you that you really don't see in yourself at times, and he just pushes you to a level where you can only perform to be good."

He screams, he jokes, he picks the nits -- and the Saints are better for it.



(nola.com)

What single player is most key to the Rays' 2010 success?

There are lots of answers.

Assuming health, stars Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Carlos Peña are obviously all integral.

From there, you could make a case for RHP Rafael Soriano, the $7 million-a-year closer they unexpectedly brought in. For CF B.J. Upton, who has the potential to be a differencemaker. For RHP Jeff Niemann or LHP David Price or, actually, any of the starters in a young rotation that must perform.

What about Pat Burrell?

The biggest disappointment in a downer of a 2009 season, Burrell's return to form could have a huge impact.

This was the guy, after all, who averaged .262 with 31 homers and 99 RBIs over the previous four seasons in Philly. And as bad as he was last year (.221. 14, 64), it may be going a bit far to think he's just done at age 33.

Word is that Burrell has been working out extensively at the Athletes' Performance Institute in Arizona, specifically strengthening his back, and is in tremendous shape. That's one reason to think he could rebound.

Factor in an increased comfort level with the adjustments to the DH role and AL game. Add in — $9 million salary or not — his pride. And there's this: The previous two times he was at the end of a contract, he came up pretty big — .282 with 37 homers and 116 RBIs in 2002, .250 with 33 homers and 86 RBIs in 2008.



(tampabay.com)

CORAL GABLES –  Former University of Miami great, Lauryn Williams has been named to Track and Field News’ All-Decade Top-Performers List. Williams was named the third-best 100m sprinter in the world and as the sixth-best American performer over the last 10 years.

Williams competed for the Hurricanes from 2002-04 and was a nine-time All-American, winning the NCAA Championship in the 100m dash in 2004.

Williams won a Silver Medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and backed that up with Gold  and Silver in the 2005 and 2007  World Championships, respectively. She has been a part of two Olympic teams, as she also competed in Beijing in 2008.

Williams still competes professionally and continues to train under current Miami Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Amy Deem.

The star is also the founder of the Lauryn Williams Mentoring Program – which teams with Fun4Kids to pair Hurricane student-athletes with local middle school in an effort to provide guidance and advice to youth in the community.



(hurricanesports.com)