SPORTS - Golf no longer has a set offseason (AP)

SPORTS - Golf no longer has a set offseason (AP)

AP – FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2010, file photo, Brock Lesnar faces Cain Velasquez in a UFC mixed martial arts …

By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Dec 31, 2:00 am ET

LAS VEGAS – Brock Lesnar took one last kick to his stomach and crumpled at the side of the cage, unable to fight back when Alistair Overeem pounced.

Lesnar had been finished by a 6-foot-5 Dutch kick boxer in the first round at UFC 141. A few minutes later, the UFC's former heavyweight champion finished his own meteoric mixed martial arts career.

Lesnar retired from the UFC after Overeem stopped him with one vicious kick to the body at 2:26 of the first round in their heavyweight bout Friday night, leaving the UFC heading into 2012 without its biggest pay-per-view star.

"This is the last time you'll see me in the octagon," Lesnar said.

Largely thanks to his fame from a career in pro wrestling, the hulking Lesnar (5-3) played a significant role in expanding the UFC's profile and fan base over the past four years. He beat Randy Couture in 2008 to win the heavyweight title, defending it twice before losing the belt to Cain Velasquez last year.

But Lesnar has fought just three times in the past 2 1/2 years while dealing with bouts of a lower-intestinal ailment that nearly killed him. The accumulation of pain and rehabilitation finally undid Lesnar, whose famed strength and stubbornness couldn't overcome diverticulitis.

"I've had a really difficult couple of years with my disease, and I'm going to officially say tonight is the last time," Lesnar said.

Lesnar's return from a 14-month injury absence was a short, one-sided beating. After taking damage from two knee blows early on, he couldn't recover from a kick to the liver from Overeem (36-11), who made a stellar UFC debut despite getting cut near his right eye by a punch from Lesnar.

The 34-year-old Lesnar's announcement stunned fans who already realized he faced a difficult matchup in the UFC's traditional end-of-the-year event in its hometown. The matchup was a classic MMA clash of styles, with Lesnar's brute wrestling contrasting sharply with Overeem's vicious striking.

"I had no idea he would do that, (but) am I surprised? No," UFC President Dana White said. "Brock Lesnar has made a lot of money in his career and has achieved a lot of things. ... He brought a lot of excitement to the heavyweight division. What he accomplished in a short amount of time is amazing, but I get it. It doesn't shock me."

Overeem is three years younger but much more experienced than Lesnar, hurting the former champion at least twice earlier in the round while Lesnar failed in his attempt at a one-legged takedown.

"I promised my wife and my kids if I won this fight, I would get a title shot, and that would be my last fight," Lesnar said. "But if I lost tonight ... you've been great."

Overeem will get the next shot at UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, who watched from a seat near the octagon.

Overeem is a champion kick boxer who has fought in multiple promotions over the past decade, winning titles in Dream and Strikeforce with nearly unbeatable striking and size. He joined the UFC in September, finally presenting his formidable skills and intimidating physique to the sport's largest audience.

"My experience in UFC was, it's huge," Overeem said. "I think it's like 100 times bigger than Strikeforce. K-1 (kick boxing) is big, but this is a lot bigger. I was a little bit blown away, still am. I loved every second of it."

White might have given an immediate title shot to Overeem if the timing had been better, but Dos Santos only claimed Velasquez's belt in early November. Overeem welcomed a debut against Lesnar, even guaranteeing a knockout in the first two rounds.

"First or second round, I promised," Overeem said.

Lesnar hadn't fought since losing his heavyweight belt to Velasquez in October 2010, cancelling a bout against Dos Santos last June in Vancouver after another flare-up of diverticulitis. The former NCAA wrestling champion and fake WWE wrestler kept his unparalleled popularity during his recovery, and Lesnar used the time off to modify both his diet and his standup game, attempting to improve his biggest weakness.

As it turned out, Lesnar couldn't improve enough to contend with the supremely skilled Overeem, who embraced Lesnar afterward.

The undercard at the MGM Grand Garden featured two upsets: Lightweight Nate Diaz won a bloody unanimous decision over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone with superior boxing, and Johny Hendricks stopped welterweight star Jon Fitch with one punch just 12 seconds into their bout.

In the co-main event, Diaz (15-7) backed up his tough talk and rude behavior in a fight that had the sellout crowd on its feet as he battered Cerrone, nearly a 3-to-1 favorite in the MGM Grand sportsbook, for most of the three-round standup fight.

Diaz, the brother of bad-boy welterweight Nick Diaz, picked apart Cerrone's defense for most of the fight, leaving Cerrone bloody after his first loss in seven fights since September 2010.

Cerrone (17-4) knocked down Diaz at least a half-dozen times with kicks and leg-whips, but Cerrone refused to fight Diaz on the ground, repeatedly allowing Diaz to get up.

The unusual strategy showed respect for Diaz's ground skills, but also minimized the importance of those knockdown shots in the eyes of the judges, who scored the bout 30-27 twice and 29-28 once, all for Diaz.

Hendricks (12-1) ascended to elite status with one sneaky left hook that caught Fitch (27-4-1) right on the button, flattening the favored San Jose fighter, whose return from a 10-month absence was stunningly brief. Hendricks, a two-time NCAA champion wrestler at Oklahoma State, completely stunned Fitch, who had lost just one fight since December 2002.

Early in the pay-per-view portion of the card, Swedish light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson (13-1) stopped veteran Vladimir Matyushenko with a perfect left hand midway through the first round.

Unbeaten featherweight Jim Hettes got new fans' attention with a comprehensive thrashing of veteran Nam Phan, repeatedly threatening to finish the fight with strikes and ground work.

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SPORTS - Austin Peay looks for more patience on offense (AP)

SPORTS - Austin Peay looks for more patience on offense (AP)

AP – Murray State guard Latreze Mushatt (4) gestures to the crowd after defeating Austin Peay 87-75 in an …

– 1 hr 29 mins ago

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay coach Dave Loos is looking for a little more patience on offense.

Josh Terry scored 16 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome No. 19 Murray State in the Governors' 87-75 loss Saturday night.

"The answer is not to shoot it on the first shot or after one or two passes," Loos, who is coaching his 22nd season with the Governors said. "We've got to be a little more selective when you've got a team and a guy like Canaan you can't just throw up the first thing that presents itself."

Terry echoed his coach's thoughts.

"I just tried to do what I could," Terry said. "I think I shot a couple shots a little too early but for the most part I think I gave it my all on the defensive end. (Isaiah) Canaan was shooting the ball pretty well and sometimes there's going to be nights like that when somebody is hot and you can't get your head down you've got to keep playing."

Isaiah Canaan scored 35 points to keep Murray State unbeaten. He scored the first 16 points for the Racers (16-0, 4-0), who tied the best start in school history - matching the 1935-36 squad. He hit seven of his eight 3-point attempts.

"I saw the first two go in and my eyes lit up," Canaan said. "I started feeling like I could make the next shot and I had a lot of open shots so I took them and my teammates did a good job of finding me and I was knocking them down and was glad that the shots I took was falling."

The game marked the 112th meeting between the conference rivals in a series dating back 71 years in which Murray State leads 71-41.

Murray State, under the direction of first year coach Steve Prohm, hit eight 3s in the first half to build a 17-point lead before the Governors rallied with an 11-1 run shortly before the end of the half.

"(Isaiah's) done this before," Prohm said. "I chased him everywhere in AAU basketball_he's a special player, he's a gamer, he plays big, the bigger the game the better he plays. The first half, he was tremendous. I think he's one of the elite guards in the country."

Ed Daniel had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Racers, who are one of three unbeaten teams left this season. Syracuse and Baylor also haven't lost.

"I knew Austin Peay would be extremely ready and I thought they played extremely well," Prohm said. "I thought they did play well. When we could have punched them and knocked them out they responded each and every way making a play on both ends of the floor at times but we were able to withstand the runs and our goal was to try and get (the lead) back up to 10 and we were finally able to get it."

Josh Terry scored 16 points to lead the Governors (3-13, 0-3).

"Nobody likes to lose and we're blessed to be 16-0," Canaan said. "We feel good, we think we deserve it with all the hard work we put in over the summer and all the hard work we continue to put in everyday at practice going at each other, pushing each other and trying to push each one to the next level because we know there are going to be games like this on the road when we have to come together and fight to the end of the clock."

Less than 5 minutes into the second half Donte Poole made back-to-back 3s, giving the Racers a 12-point lead. Austin Peay fought back and trailed by three before Daniel hit a free throw to extend the lead with 5:26 left.

His basket made it 80-73 with 1:48 to seal the victory.

In the last minute of the game an intentional foul was called on Melvin Baker and Daniel, who came up from the hard foul smiling, took the line and went 1-2.

With 45.2 seconds on the clock the Murray State fans overtook the Dunn Center with chants of `Undefeated' as Murray State players encouraged the cheers with pumping their arms in the air.

"It was an unbelievable atmosphere," Prohm said. "There was an `undefeated' chant at the end of the game with about 45 seconds left and it was great but as a coach I thought it was a little early."

Austin Peay will face Eastern Kentucky next Thursday while Murray State will host Jacksonville State the same night.

"They've got a terrific basketball team," Loos said. "Of course Canaan in the first half was incredible — I've never seen anybody shoot any better than that. We tried several different things, we had success in the second half in trapping him and we intended to do that in the first half but weren't as effective. They've got a very good team, I was very impressed."

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SPORTS - Texans win first playoff game, 31-10 over Bengals (AP)

SPORTS - Texans win first playoff game, 31-10 over Bengals (AP)

AP – Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt celebrates his touchdown on an interception of Cincinnati Bengals …

By CHRIS DUNCAN, AP Sports Writer Chris Duncan, Ap Sports Writer – 2 hrs 7 mins ago

HOUSTON – Andre Johnson hugged his coach at the end of Houston's first playoff victory — a moment a decade in the making.

"This is something not just for me, but for the whole organization," the Texans star receiver said. "It's a very special feeling. That's probably the most I've smiled in a long time."

As well he should.

Johnson, the face of this 10-year old franchise, scored on a 40-yard pass that powered the Texans to a 31-10 victory over the bungling Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday in an AFC wild-card game.

Johnson had plenty of help, too, from rookies J.J. Watt and T.J. Yates to running back Arian Foster's two touchdowns and 153 yards.

Watt came through with a leaping interception return for a touchdown late in the first half, Yates threw a pinpoint pass to Johnson in the third quarter and Foster followed with his second touchdown — a 42-yard run in the fourth quarter — to finish off the Bengals (9-8).

Houston will play at Baltimore (12-4) next Sunday, a rematch of a regular-season game won by the Ravens.

"I'm just very proud of all the guys, and the job they did," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "Hopefully, there are some more to come."

The Bengals were in the playoffs for the third time in seven seasons, but haven't advanced since beating the Houston Oilers following the 1990 season. They were done in this time by mistakes and a lack of pass protection.

"We have to get beyond this," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "We play in a very difficult division. We have to win games in the division, that is important and it sets up opportunities like this, all the time."

Watt returned the first of rookie Andy Dalton's three interceptions 29 yards for a score that broke a 10-all tie with 52 seconds left in the half. It sent the full house of 71,725 fans at Reliant Stadium into a frenzy, and the Texans into the locker room with all the momentum.

"You can see that they were all so proud of their team," Houston owner Bob McNair said of the team's long-suffering fans. "We want to have a team everybody can be proud of and want to feel an attachment to. I think they have that."

Dalton was 24 of 42 for 257 yards, while Yates was 11 of 20 for 159 yards in the first playoff game in the Super Bowl era matching two rookie quarterbacks. Foster's first TD was an 8-yard run in the first quarter.

The Texans' second-ranked defense had its best performance in several weeks, sacking Dalton a season-high four times. Houston also forced four turnovers.

"We got back to our type of football," Kubiak said, "and that was the key."

Houston used six draft picks on defensive players. The Texans took Watt with the 11th overall pick, a cornerstone for the reconstruction of the defense. He started all 16 games and led the team with 13 tackles for loss.

But he'd never picked off a pass.

Watt saw this one coming, measuring his jump when Dalton dropped back and snatching the ball with both hands. He sprinted to the end zone as the capacity crowd erupted, and he raised both hands after reaching the end zone.

"I was really just trying to put my hands up and get in the way of the passing lane," the 6-foot-5 Watt said. "It happened to kind of stick. I realized I had the ball so I just ran to the end zone just trying not to fall down."

Watt became the sixth defensive linemen to return an interception for a touchdown in postseason history — excluding the Super Bowl — and the first rookie to do it.

"It changed the momentum of the game," Houston linebacker Brian Cushing said.

Dalton rolled his eyes and shook his head as he walked to the Cincinnati bench and watched the replay on the giant scoreboard. It was just his second interception in his last seven games.

"We feel like we have a bright future," Dalton said. "It's still unfortunate that it ended this way."

The Bengals outplayed the Texans for most of the first half before that, holding down Houston's offense and controlling time of possession.

Late in the third quarter, Yates got away with a pass that safety Chris Crocker simply dropped. Three plays later, Johnson broke free from cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones and caught Yates' pass down the sideline to put Houston up 24-10.

"It was a touchdown if I would have caught it," Crocker said. "They made those big plays and we didn't and that's why they're moving on."

As Johnson rested on the bench, Foster walked up to him and gave him a bow, the running back's customary celebration after a touchdown. Foster has said that the bow is a Hindu gesture of respect.

The Texans rallied past the Bengals on Dec. 11 in Cincinnati to earn their first playoff berth. But they didn't look like they'd last very long after dropping their last three regular-season games.

Johnson said the losing streak proved to be beneficial.

"Everybody was riding high, the city was going crazy, we were in the playoffs for the first time," Johnson said. "Over those last three weeks, that brought us back down to reality and let us know what we needed to do."

Notes:(at) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell chatted with fans and posed for photographs on the field about 30 minutes before kickoff. ... Actor Dennis Quaid, a Houston native, wore a blue DeMeco Ryans jersey as he mingled on the sideline before the game. Quaid shook hands with former Oilers coach Bum Phillips, who wore his trademark cowboy hat, a black shirt and blue jeans. The 88-year-old Phillips led the Texans out of their tunnel and tipped his hat to the cheering fans.

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SPORTS - Lesnar retires after first-round loss at UFC 141 (AP)

SPORTS - Lesnar retires after first-round loss at UFC 141 (AP)

AP – Toyota's driver Giniel De Villiers, from South Africa, and co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz, from Germany, …

– Thu Jan 5, 8:32 pm ET

FIAMBALA, Argentina – Officials called off the sixth leg of the Dakar Rally on Thursday due to dangerous, snowy weather conditions in the Andes, where drivers were to cross Friday from Argentina to the Chilean city of Copiapo.

Officials said vehicles will cross the high mountain pass in a convoy Friday, but there will be no competitive leg.

It was not immediately clear if the sixth leg would be run later, or if the rally would simply move to the seventh leg on Saturday.

Stephane Peterhansel of France leads the overall car category after Thursday's fifth leg, while Cyril Despres leads the motorcycles.

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SPORTS - Bama's Foster not dwelling on November nightmare (AP)

SPORTS - Bama's Foster not dwelling on November nightmare (AP)

AP – FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2011, file photo, Alabama kicker Cade Foster (43) reacts with quarterback AJ McCarron …

By JOHN ZENOR, AP Sports Writer John Zenor, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Jan 7, 5:17 pm ET

NEW ORLEANS – Cade Foster doesn't sound like a guy discussing his own version of every kicker's nightmare. Wide right (twice). Then short.

Then his team loses by, of course, a field goal. In overtime.

Foster's three misses in second-ranked Alabama's 9-6 loss to No. 1 LSU have become perhaps the most infamous kicks in a collection of botched boots in big games this season.

There was no escaping a rehash of Foster's brutal November evening ahead of Monday night's BCS title game, and the Crimson Tide's kicker didn't really try.

His affable, upbeat refrain to a steady succession of questions on the topic: He's moved on. That's old news. Just excited to be here.

"I think the world breaks everyone at some point," said Foster, a sophomore who was made available to the media for the first time this season at BCS media day. "Some are strong at those points and others are weak. If you're strong, you're going to persevere through it. It definitely helped me grow and get mentally stronger.

"Until someone invents a time machine," he adds, "I'm not going to worry about it because I can't do anything about it."

There was plenty of blame to sprinkle around from that first game.

A quick refresher: Foster missed from 44 and 50 yards to cap Alabama's first two drives. He was short on a 52-yarder on the opening possession of overtime, though he did make a season-long 46-yarder. Foster declined to run through what happened on the kicks.

Brought on in relief, Jeremy Shelley, who normally handles shorter attempts, had a 49-yard line drive blocked by Bennie Logan in the second quarter.

On those four drives, Alabama's offense had two penalties, two sacks and three negative rushing plays after penetrating LSU's 30.

So, was it the kickers' fault? Not entirely. Foster, who said the feedback from fans was largely positive, still had to temporarily shut down his Facebook page. He said he flipped off the TV after the LSU game but didn't hide in his room or skip class.

Teammates have stuck up for Foster.

"I think the fans are entitled to their opinion and they can be critical of whatever they want to be critical (of)," Tide center William Vlachos said. "They certainly have been critical of me at times in my career. The way we look at it is, we're responsible for giving them those 50-something yard kicks. That's anything but their fault. We've got to move the ball when we get close to the 30-yard line.

"We've got to put them in better situations."

It's scant comfort to Foster, but he's got plenty of company. This could be called the year of the kicker in college football, and not in a heroic way.

Stanford's Jordan Williamson missed two kicks — as time expired and in overtime — that could have won the Fiesta Bowl. He and Foster are Texans who met at kicking camps.

"I felt his pain for that one," Foster said. "He's a great kicker and he's going to bounce back from it and be all right."

Virginia Tech's third-teamer Jordan Myer made four field goals but missed a 37-yarder in overtime in a Sugar Bowl defeat to Michigan.

Late in the regular season, missed kicks helped damage the still-flourishing national title hopes of Oklahoma State — the beneficiary of Williamson's mishits — and Boise State.

Few can relate better than Foster.

"This is a rare year," he said. "I think as teams get better, as recruiting gets stronger, teams are going to be more evenly matched and the role of the kicker is getting magnified. That's going to continue to happen as the game progresses."

In a game featuring the nation's two premier defenses, it's hardly far-fetched to imagine college football's finale being decided by a kick made or missed.

Last season ended with Auburn's Wes Byrum hitting a game-winning chip shot against Oregon.

Maybe this time it will be Shelley or Foster getting that shot. Or LSU's Drew Alleman, whose overtime kick decided the first meeting. Alleman has been much steadier, making 16 of 18 attempts and hitting all three times from 40-49 yards.

Foster is just 2 of 9 a year after missing just twice in the same number of tries.

Shelley has been far more accurate within limited range, going 16 for 20 with a long of 37 yards.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said what happened in the previous meeting won't impact decisions in this one.

"I mean, if you're in the NFL and you're kicking over 45-yard field goals, maybe you're 33 or 40 percent," Saban said. "And if you're a baseball player and you hit .333, it probably gets you in the Hall of Fame. But I think what we've tried to do with our guys is say, `Look, you had a bunch of low percentage kicks in that game and we are confident in your ability to just stay focused on the process of what you need to do to make your best kick.'"

Foster, who frequently responded with a polite "yes sir" and "no sir" to reporters' questions, said he'd relish the opportunity to win a national title with that much-maligned right leg.

"I'd love it," he said. "It would be great. I look forward to it. It's an opportunity to succeed for me."

The psychology of that statement is important for a kicker, who has plenty of time to visualize technique and even daydream of being the hero. It's an opportunity to succeed, not an "Oh no, what if I fail" mentality.

Leigh Tiffin knows plenty about the highs and lows of kicking. He was an All-American on Alabama's 2009 national championship team but had to overcome a miserable performance against Arkansas as a freshman.

He missed a 30-yarder in the fourth quarter, a 37-yarder in the first overtime and an extra point in the second in a 24-23 loss.

"Obviously it was a very psychologically damaging experience in the short term," said Tiffin, who made 30 of 35 field goals as a senior. "In the long term it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. It taught me how important it is to prepare well."

Tiffin said the big-game electricity can work against kickers — as has been demonstrated several times this season.

"If your nerves are high, it's going to bring out the worst in people most times when you talk about this position," he said. "It's a lot like a marksman. Adrenaline is a friend of most players. A linebacker who's got adrenaline pumping is going to be able to do even more in the game. It's the enemy of the kicker."

Tiffin got a text message from Foster after the first LSU game, prompting a 20-minute phone call.

"At that point he seemed like a person who was going to be very, very motivated to make sure that didn't ever happen again," Tiffin said. "Things like that definitely don't fade quickly. It'll be a long time before he forgets about that. If anything, it's a source of motivation."

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SPORTS - Officials call off sixth leg of Dakar Rally (AP)

SPORTS - Officials call off sixth leg of Dakar Rally (AP)

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SPORTS - AP Source: Yanks C Posada set to retire (AP)

SPORTS - AP Source: Yanks C Posada set to retire (AP)

AP – FILE - In this Oct. 3, 2011, file photo, New York Yankees' Jorge Posada signals for runner Russell Martin …

By HOWIE RUMBERG, AP Sports Writer Howie Rumberg, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Jan 7, 7:56 pm ET

NEW YORK – Jorge Posada is planning to retire after 17 seasons with the New York Yankees rather than pursue opportunities with other teams.

A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Saturday that the five-time All-Star catcher will announce his retirement this month.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been made public. Posada's plans were first reported by sports radio station WFAN.

The 40-year-old Posada won five World Series titles with the team that drafted him in the 24th round of the 1990 draft. He became a free agent after a trying season in New York, the final year of a four-year, $52 million contract.

Earlier this offseason, Posada acknowledged that his career with the Yankees was over, but said he had offers from several other teams.

Posada's retirement leaves shortstop Derek Jeter and closer Mariano Rivera as the two remaining players from the core group that led the Yankees to four World Series championships from 1996-2000 and one more in `09. Andy Pettitte retired after the 2010 season.

Only Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra have caught more games in pinstripes than Posada (1,574).

But Posada lost his catching job before the start of last season and struggled early in his new role as the designated hitter. The switch-hitter was batting .165 against left-handers on May 14 when he was dropped to No. 9 in the batting order and asked out of the game against Boston.

He finished batting a career-low .235 with 14 homers and 44 RBIs in 115 games, playing sporadically in September after top prospect Jesus Montero was called up. Posada did have the winning hit — a pinch-hit, two-run single — against Tampa Bay on Sept. 21, clinching the AL East for New York.

Posada then hit .429 in the five-game division series loss against Detroit, receiving several long ovations and chants of "Jor-ge! Jor-ge!" at Yankee Stadium.

For his career Posada hit .273 with 275 home runs and 1,065 RBIs, winning the Silver Slugger Award five times as best hitting catcher in the American League.

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SPORTS - Denver officials told Olympics would cost $1.5B (AP)

SPORTS - Denver officials told Olympics would cost $1.5B (AP)

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SPORTS - Khan's promoter says WBA to order Peterson rematch (Reuters)

SPORTS - Khan's promoter says WBA to order Peterson rematch (Reuters)

• Play Video Olympics Video:Kurt Angle's Olympic Dreams FOX News
• Play Video Olympics Video:London 2012 Olympic stamps go on sale AFP
• Play Video Olympics Video:Huntersville woman debuts in "Biggest Loser" competition WCNC Charlotte

– Sat Jan 7, 5:29 pm ET

DENVER – Holding the Winter Olympics in Denver in 2022 would cost about $1.5 billion — most of which would be privately raised, a Colorado-based sports marketing company told city and state officials on Saturday.

Alem International Management Inc. made the inflation-adjusted estimate after looking at the cost of the 2002 Salt Lake City games, The Denver Post reported (http://goo.gl/pBmjl). The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, by contrast, cost $1.86 billion.

The Denver estimate came at the first meeting of an exploratory committee that will decide within 90 days on whether to pursue or abandon a bid. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock convened the panel, which includes business leaders and other public officials.

Denver was awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics, but voters later rejected the idea over concerns of pollution and sprawl. The games were eventually held in Innsbruck, Austria.

The panel, which is tasked with assessing infrastructure concerns and the potential impact to the economy and the environment, plans to meet again in two weeks. Denver may eventually have to compete with several other U.S. cities, including Reno-Lake Tahoe, Nev., Salt Lake City and Lake Placid, N.Y.

The U.S. Olympic Committee hasn't yet determined whether it will recommend a U.S. city to host the 2022 games. The International Olympic Committee will choose a host city in 2015.

___

Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com

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SPORTS - Iginla scores 500th goal as Flames beat Wild, 3-1 (AP)

SPORTS - Iginla scores 500th goal as Flames beat Wild, 3-1 (AP)

AP – Steve Stricker reacts after making a birdie putt on the 18th green during the first round of the Hyundai …

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, Ap Golf Writer – Sat Jan 7, 11:19 am ET

KAPALUA, Hawaii – The start of a new season doesn't feel much different from the old one.

Nine players — that's one-third of the 27-man field at Kapalua — were together only a month ago at the Chevron World Challenge. A week later, eight players were in Florida for the Shark Shootout. They went home for the holidays, then packed their clubs and flew across the Pacific Ocean for the Tournament of Champions for the 2012 season.

The offseason in golf isn't what it used to be.

When this winners-only tournament first came to Kapalua in 1999, the landscape in golf was different. The Tour Championship ended the first week in November, and the majority of players disappeared until the start of the new year. The elite would only play in the silly season at events like the Skins Game or the Shark Shootout. Some chased appearance money in Asia.

David Toms was supposed to be at the Chevron World Challenge last month, part of an 18-man field playing for $5 million. He withdrew at the last minute, saying he was tired and wanted some time with his family.

"I needed a break," Toms said. "If I would have played there, I'd have had only three weeks, and some of that was spent on holidays."

Nowadays, the offseason is whenever a player feels he can take time off.

Padraig Harrington has never been to Hawaii for the Tournament of Champions. He takes this time of the year to refresh and recharge in Ireland. Rory McIlroy is doing the same thing. Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the world, didn't start his 2011 season until the third week in February at Riviera. Graeme McDowell tried to take a four-week break in February.

Toms showed that players can make their offseason as long as they want it to be. Even so, he worries that such time is getting harder to find in a global game that relies so heavily on the world ranking.

"For guys that want to get in big tournaments, if they stop at Disney or even before that, they can lose so many spots," he said. "I've taken off three months and lost 20 spots in the ranking. And you've got big tournaments early in the season when you need it. So you're kind of forced to play."

When he tied for third in the McGladrey Classic, his final tournament in 2010, Toms was No. 62 in the world. He took off three months, returning at the Bob Hope Classic, and had slipped all the way to No. 84. He did not get in the Match Play Championship or the Cadillac Championship that year, missing two playing opportunities in World Golf Championships.

This year was a little different.

Toms chose to miss the biggest college football game of the year — Alabama against his beloved LSU Tigers — and flew halfway around the world to China for the HSBC Champions. He also played the Australian Open in the week before the Presidents Cup in Australia.

"I went to China trying to improve that ranking; I would never have gone over there," he said. "I played in the Australian Open because there were world ranking points there. That's stuff that I would never do. So what's going to happen now is I'll play some, and then I'll need some time off during our season instead of taking time off the other way.

"So you have options, but you don't," he said. "If you want to maintain a certain status, or a certain level, you've got to play."

At some point, though, Toms needs a break.

So do the others.

Steve Stricker won the Match Play Championship at the start of the 2001 season and took nearly two months off toward the end of the season, even to the point of risking his spot in the Tour Championship for the top 30 on the money list. He narrowly made it. Walking on the practice range one day at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Tiger Woods saw him and said, "Welcome back out of retirement."

It's not much different now. Stricker took off nearly two months before the Presidents Cup. Part of that was to rest a weakened left arm, though he had planned only one tournament between the Tour Championship and Presidents Cup even if he had been healthy.

"It's tough to find the time," Stricker said. "You can play all year long, but I think you've still got to find the time. You've got to still get away, find the time where you can set the clubs down for a little while and get refreshed and ready to go for another year. Because it's a long year, and there's so many big things at the end of it all that you want to make sure you're fresh and still able to play at the end."

Stricker is taking four weeks off when he finishes next week in the Sony Open. He'll return at Riviera.

As much grumbling as there is about the weak field at Kapalua, it's a product of where players live, how they build a worldwide schedule and when they can find time to take a break.

Donald played three times in December. McIlroy played five times over the last two months. Masters champion Charl Schwartzel is the defending champion next week in the Joburg Open in his native South Africa.

This is all new for Keegan Bradley, a rookie who figured his season would end quietly sometime in September. That was before he won the PGA Championship. Before long, he was off to Bermuda for the Grand Slam of Golf, then to China for the HSBC Champions, and the Chevron and Shark Shootout.

But he's not complaining. Plus, he's young.

"It's a good problem to have," Bradley said. "It was fun. But you could play more in the offseason than you do in the regular season if you wanted to."

So it's the start of the new year for some, and it feels like a continuation of the old year for others. All of them will take a break at some point, and when they do, there will be tournaments that wished they were playing.

Then again, golfers have no guaranteed income from tournaments. They are self-employed, independent contractors.

That much hasn't changed.

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SPORTS - Bauge and France stripped of world cycling titles (Reuters)

SPORTS - Bauge and France stripped of world cycling titles (Reuters)

AP – Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla celebrates his 500th carrier goal during third NHL hockey action against …

– 21 mins ago

CALGARY, Alberta – Jarome Iginla scored his 500th career goal, leading the Calgary Flames to a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

Lance Bouma got his first NHL goal and Curtis Glencross had his team-leading 17th of the season for the Flames. Mikka Kiprusoff finished with 27 saves.

Iginla sent the sold-out crowd at Scotiabank Saddledome into a frenzy with his milestone goal at 8:33 of the third period that gave the Flames a 2-0 lead. The Calgary captain came down the right wing and sent a pass in front that went off the skates of two Minnesota players and in past Wild goalie Nicklas Backstrom.

There was a brief pause as fans wondered if another Flames player had deflected the puck in, but the crowd erupted soon after into a standing ovation and every Calgary player spilled off the bench to congratulate Iginla.

Iginla became the 42nd player in NHL history to reach the milestone and the 15th to do it with one team.

Chants of "Iggy, Iggy" soon filled the building and as the ovation continued, Iginla stood up on the bench and acknowledged the crowd with a wave. He took another skate around the arena after the game, again acknowledging the crowd, after being named the game's first star.

Dany Heatley scored for Minnesota, spoiling Kiprusoff's shutout bid with less than 7 minutes remaining.

Scoreless after two periods, Bouma got the Flames on the scorebard at 2:02 of the third. He scored after Backstrom stopped Lee Stempniak's shot from the right wing with his blocker. The puck caromed right out to Bouma breaking in from the left wing and the 21-year-old fired it into the open side.

The goal snapped a scoreless streak of over 128 minutes for the Flames.

Bouma, recalled earlier in the day from Abbotsford of the AHL to replace the injured Brendan Morrison, was playing his first game this season for the Flames. He appeared in 16 games for Calgary last season.

With the building still buzzing after Iginla's goal, Glencross scored at 11:15 to make it 3-0 and put the Flames well on their way to a needed victory.

The Flames were 0-4-1 in the final five games of their season-high seven-game road trip, including a 9-0 drubbing at Boston on Thursday night. The injury-riddled club currently has eight players sidelined and was also without without Rene Bourque, who served the second game of his five-game suspension.

Heatley scored with 6:19 left, but the Wild got no closer as Calgary outshot Minnesota 36-28.

The Wild entered the night with just one victory in their last 11, including a winless skid of 0-5-1 away from home.

Calgary, playing at home for the first time since Dec. 23 because the Saddledome was hosting the world junior hockey championships, improved to 7-0-1 in its last eight games on home ice.

NOTES: Iginla's first regular-season goal came in his first regular-season game, Oct. 5, 1996, against Vancouver. ... Minnesota D Clayton Stoner (groin) returned after missing five games. ... With D Scott Hannan out of the lineup, Clay Wilson made his season debut after being called up from Abbotsford. ... Of the injured, D Mark Giordano (hamstring) is back practicing and considered the closest to returning. Injured on Nov. 29, Giordano has missed 20 games. ... Also in the lineup for Calgary was C Blair Jones, acquired Friday in a trade with Tampa Bay. ... Brent Sutter earned his 100th win as Flames coach. ... Kiprusoff's 294th victory ties him with Mike Liut for 28th all-time.

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SPORTS - Griffin scores 22 to lead Clips over Bucks 92-86 (AP)

SPORTS - Griffin scores 22 to lead Clips over Bucks 92-86 (AP)

AP – Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin, right, keeps the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks shooting …

– 30 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Blake Griffin had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Caron Butler scored 20 points against the team he suffered a season-ending injury against last January, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the severely undermanned Milwaukee Bucks 92-86 on Saturday night.

Chauncey Billups added 19 points for the Clippers in a chippy game that resulted in a combined 54 fouls, including a flagrant 1 against Milwaukee's Larry Sanders for his hard takedown of Butler on an attempted layup with 1:38 left in the third quarter. Chris Paul had nine points and seven assists.

Brandon Jennings scored 21 points and had seven assists for the Bucks, who have lost four straight. They played their third in a row without center Andrew Bogut, who is in Australia attending to personal matters with his family. Teammate Luc Mbah a Moute, who helped UCLA reach the Final Four in 2008, missed his third in a row because of tendinitis in his right knee.

In addition, swingman Mike Dunleavy Jr. was sidelined by a groin problem, reserve guard Beno Udrih also sat out with an injured left shoulder, and reserve forward Jon Brockman left the game for good midway through the second quarter because of a bruised left eye.

Drew Gooden again started in Bogut's place, contributing 18 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes.

Paul took a breather after getting his fourth foul with 2:17 left in the third quarter and Los Angeles leading 65-59. He was replaced by Randy Foye, who had played only six minutes to that point despite his 14-point fourth quarter in Wednesday's 117-89 win over Houston.

The Clippers still had a four-point lead when Paul reported back in with 9:55 remaining, and they stayed in front the rest of the way, as Paul hit a 20-footer with 2:23 remaining to help clinch it.

Milwaukee led 40-38 at halftime despite shooting 35 percent. The Clippers took charge in the third quarter with a 14-2 run that gave them Clippers their biggest lead, 63-50, with 4:48 left in the period. Paul had three assists early in the rally, one of them on an 18-footer by Billups and another on a 3-pointer by his backcourt mate.

The 3-point shooting was poor at both ends of the court. The Clippers missed their first nine attempts — all in the first half — and finished 4 for 19. The Bucks were 6 for 20 after missing 10 of their first 12 from behind the arc.

Forward Reggie Evans grabbed six rebounds in his Clippers debut after being sidelined for the first five games of the season because of a sprained right foot. The ninth-year veteran averaged a career-high 11.5 rebounds in 30 games with Toronto last season, and is a much-needed addition to a lineup that entered Saturday averaging a league-worst 35 boards.

The last time Butler played against the Bucks, on New Year's Day 2011 with Dallas, he ruptured a tendon in his right knee while going for an offensive rebound at Milwaukee. He underwent surgery and missed the rest of the Mavericks' championship season, then signed with the Clippers as a free agent.

After missing 11 of their first 12 shots, the Bucks shrugged off a seven-point deficit and took their first lead 38 seconds into the second quarter on a layup by Brandon Jennings that put them ahead 19-17. Clippers reserve guard Ryan Gomes picked up three fouls in his first 7 minutes on the floor and was back on the bench with 10:18 left in the half.

Notes: The Bucks are off to their first 0-5 start on the road since 2004-05, when they dropped their first seven. ... This was the only meeting this season between the Bucks and Clippers, due to the reconfigured 66-game schedule caused by the lockout. ... Paul extended his streak to 15 consecutive games with at least one steal when he stripped the ball from Gooden with 4:16 left in the second quarter. ... Gooden spent the latter part of the 2009-10 season with the Clippers before signing with the Bucks as a free agent.

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SPORTS - Lions' dream season ends with loss to Saints (AP)

SPORTS - Lions' dream season ends with loss to Saints (AP)

AP – Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz looks at the scoreboard during the second half of an NFL wild card …

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer Paul Newberry, Ap National Writer – 59 mins ago

NEW ORLEANS – For three quarters, the Detroit Lions performed like playoff veterans.

They led Drew Brees and the mighty New Orleans Saints at halftime. They were still right in the game heading to the final period.

But Brees and the Saints blew it open, turning Detroit's postseason return into a one-and-done affair with a 45-28 NFC playoff victory that was much closer most of a raucous Saturday night at the Superdome.

Having already eclipsed Dan Marino's 27-year-old record for passing yards in a season, Brees turned in his best performance yet by shredding the Lions for 466 yards through the air, the most ever in a playoff game that didn't go to overtime.

Detroit simply couldn't keep up, despite putting on an impressive offensive showing of its own. The teams combined for 1,038 yards, tying an NFL postseason record set by Buffalo and Miami in 1995.

Matthew Stafford threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, plus scored himself on a 1-yard bootleg and dive. All-Pro Calvin Johnson had a huge game with 211 yards receiving, hauling in a pair of TD passes. But Detroit, after forcing a couple of fumbles in the first half but also getting hurt by an inadvertent whistle, finally wore down against a team that hasn't lost at home all season.

"This is a learning experience for the whole team," Stafford said. "We'll get better. We'll be back. Obviously it hurts right now, but we'll be ready to go."

Brees threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Robert Meachem with 7 1/2 minutes remaining that gave New Orleans (14-3) a commanding 38-21 lead. The Lions (10-7) had one last hurrah — Stafford's 12-yard touchdown pass to Johnson with 4:40 remaining — but New Orleans recovered an onside kick, quickly drove for another TD and the celebration was on in the Big Easy.

"We were pulling out all the stops," Brees said. "We play aggressive. We're not going to apologize for that. We always have. It gives guys confidence. We had a lot of confidence. We're not going to pull the reins back. It's pedal to the medal."

Still, the Lions gave themselves plenty of reasons for optimism after their first playoff appearance since 1999, though they'll have to wait even longer for their first postseason win in more than two decades.

This is a franchise on the rise.

But it's not Detroit's time just yet.

"I have a lot of confidence in the guys around me, a lot of confidence in myself, a lot of confidence in the whole team," Stafford said. "We had a good year. I'm proud of the guys in that locker room, getting where we've gotten to. Obviously next year, we're looking to take steps forward to get that much better."

Defense — especially when opposing teams drops back to pass — is likely to be the next area of focus in a rebuilding effort that already took the Lions from a historic 0-16 debacle three seasons ago to a wild-card berth.

In the regular-season finale, Detroit surrendered 480 yards and six touchdowns to Green Bay backup quarterback Matt Flynn, who set franchise records while filling in for Aaron Rodgers. The Packers won 45-41, leaving the Lions with a tougher playoff pairing against New Orleans instead of the New York Giants.

The Saints broke the postseason mark for total yards with 626, beating the record set 49 years ago and sending Detroit to its seventh straight playoff loss since its last postseason victory in 1991.

Fiery coach Jim Schwartz lamented his defenders letting at least three possible interceptions slip from their grasp, not to mention their dismal attempts to get the Saints off the field. New Orleans was 7 of 11 on third-down opportunities, and converted three straight times on fourth down.

"It had everything to do with missed opportunities on defense," Schwartz said. "We were awful on third and fourth down. We dropped chances to make interceptions."

New Orleans dominated on the ground, outgaining the Lions 167-32. Pierre Thomas rushed for 66 yards and one touchdown, while Darren Sproles added 51 yards, two scores and several other clutch plays.

Marques Colston overcame an early fumble with seven catches for 120, including a 40-yarder to set up Jimmy Graham's short TD grab.

Robert Meachem had four catches for 11 yards, including a 56-yard score. Devery Henderson added a 41-yard touchdown reception.

New Orleans showed guts and got a little good fortune on a 14-play, 80 yards scoring drive in the fourth quarter. The Saints ran Sproles around the left end on fourth-and-2 at the Lions 40 and gained 3 yards. Soon after, Brees' pass as he was clobbered by Nick Fairley went right through the hands of defensive back Aaron Berry.

Berry would regret that drop two plays later as Sproles bolted 17 yards for a score to make it 31-21.

Stafford tried to get some of that back quickly, throwing deep for Titus Young, but Jabari Greer ran under it for the first of his two fourth-quarter interceptions. Four plays later, Brees spotted Meachem behind blown coverage for his long score.

The Lions became only the second visiting team all year to lead at halftime in the Superdome, going to the locker room up 14-10.

However, the Saints opened the second half by driving 78 yards to take its first lead on Brees' 31-yard touchdown pass to Henderson. New Orleans then widened its lead to 24-14 with a 92-yard drive that included what may have been a favorable spot on Colston's third-down grab at the Saints 18. Later, Brees converted a risky dive over the pile on fourth at 1 at the New Orleans 38 to sustain the drive before finding Colston for a 40-yard gain to the Detroit 3. Brees hit Graham for a score on the next play.

The Lions fought back with a quick 80-yard scoring drive highlighted by Stafford's 42-yard completion to Johnson at the Saints 2, setting up Stafford's dive for the pylon that made it 24-21 after three quarters.

Brees was impressed. He wouldn't be surprised to face the Lions in another playoff game somewhere down the line.

"That's a playoff-caliber team," the Saints quarterback said. "I have a lot of respect for their coaches and players. They had a great season. They showed a lot of grit in a lot of comeback victories.

"I'm sure we'll be facing those guys again in the near future."

Indeed, the future looks bright in the Motor City.

Notes: Bernie Kosar still holds the playoff passing record with a 489-yard performance for Cleveland vs. the New York Jets in 1986, a game that went to overtime. ... Kevin Smith was Detroit's leading rusher with just 21 yards on six carries. The Lions ran it only 10 times, their longest gain a mere 9 yards. ... Brees finished the regular season with seven straight 300-yard passing games.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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SPORTS - Stricker shoots a 63, builds big lead in Hawaii (AP)

SPORTS - Stricker shoots a 63, builds big lead in Hawaii (AP)

AP – Steve Stricker reacts after making a birdie putt on the ninth green during the second round of the Hyundai …

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, Ap Golf Writer – 2 hrs 48 mins ago

KAPALUA, Hawaii – Steve Stricker, considered the best putter on the PGA Tour, felt as though he couldn't miss Saturday at Kapalua. That meant big trouble for the rest of the field at the Tournament of Champions.

Stricker made even some of the longer putts look like tap-ins on his way to a 10-under 63, giving him a five-shot lead over Webb Simpson halfway through the PGA Tour's season opener.

Stricker played the final five holes in 5 under, which included a 3-wood up the hill and into a blazing sun that settled about 12 feet away for eagle. That allowed Stricker to get some separation from Simpson, and from the amazing eagle-eagle finish by Kevin Na.

Stricker was at 15-under 131, two shots off the 36-hole record that Ernie Els set in 2003.

Na, six strokes back at 9 under, wasn't even part of the picture until he holed a 5-iron from 221 yards for eagle on the 554-yard 17th hole, then hit 3-wood down the hill on the par-5 18th to about 10 feet for another eagle.

"I think it'll be the best finish of my life," Na said.

It turned a good round into a 64, and it at least kept Na in the hunt against a 27-man field that suddenly felt much smaller when Stricker put together a strong finish of his own.

Only eight players were within 10 shots of Stricker.

As much as he loves starting his year in Kapalua — this is his third straight trip, the longest streak of anyone in the field — Stricker has yet to hoist a trophy with a lei draped around his neck. He took a big step toward that on another day of glorious sunshine.

Starting with a simple up-and-down on the par-5 ninth, Stricker was 7 under over the last 10 holes.

"I felt like I was going to make every putt I looked at for a while," Stricker said.

His big run began with a wedge against the wind that landed softly 7 feet below the hole on No. 14. After his eagle on the 15th, Stricker holed a 15-foot birdie from the front of the green on the 17th, and finished with a long two-putt birdie from just off the 18th.

He has played the par 5s in 9 under for the week.

"I've had some good success here," said Stricker, who has lost in a playoff and tied for fourth over the last four years. "The more times you can play it, the better off you are. I'd sure like to get off to a good start this year."

Rory Sabbatini has been here before, though that didn't keep him from a two-shot penalty at the start of his round for being late to the first tee. It was a bizarre penalty, only because the putting green is about 25 yards below the first tee.

His caddie, Mick Doran, took the blame. Instead of looking at the group ahead tee off, he was checking his watch — and his watch was four minutes slow. They rushed to the tee, but it was too late.

Sabbatini had a 70 — including the two-shot penalty — was 12 shots behind.

"It's the first time ever for me on tour. I know it's the first time for Mick," Sabbatini said. "I guess neither of us were really paying attention. Just one of those goofy moments."

Last year, Doran was on the bag for Camilo Villegas, who was disqualified for tamping down grass as his ball was rolling back toward him.

Martin Laird had a birdie putt on No. 13 to get within one shot of Stricker, his playing partner. Four holes later, he was seven shots behind, hurt mostly by missing two short birdie putts and by hitting his tee shot into the trees on the 17th. A search party found more than a dozen balls, none belonging to Laird.

The Scot had a 70 and was at 8-under 138, along with first-round leader Jonathan Byrd, who had a 71. Chris Kirk was among the early starters and shot 66, though that turned out to be ordinary by the end of the day.

The trade wind has been strong enough to get players' attention, yet gentle enough to allow for good scoring. The key is to keep the ball out of trouble, to be in the right spots on the greens and to make a few putts.

It's that final area where Stricker has few peers.

Perhaps it should be no surprise that when he arrived in Hawaii from a short winter break in Wisconsin — with a three-day detour to Phoenix to play some golf — he focused primarily on his putting.

The closest he came to make a bogey came on the par-4 sixth, when he found a bunker at the top of the hill, failed to reach the green and chipped 8 feet by the hole. He poured in the par putt, rolled in a 25-foot birdie on the seventh and was on his way.

"I kind of ran with it," Stricker said. "I felt good. I started making some birdies, and I was patient when I wasn't making some. So it was good, and that's what you have to do when you get it going, it just kind of keep it going."

Even so, Stricker was quick to point that while a five-shot lead usually comes in handy on Saturday, this is only the halfway point for an experimental Monday finish. Besides, Stricker doesn't always make it easy on himself with a big lead.

In his most recent win, he had a four-shot lead at the turn at the Memorial and hung on to win by one shot.

Simpson, playing in the group ahead of Stricker, birdied three of his last four holes to get into the final group. He had made only two birdies until that point, but wasn't about to fret.

"It's the kind of course where you're going to have plenty of birdie opportunities," Simpson said. "So if you can keep your ball in play, you'll probably make a few."

He might need a few more to put pressure on Stricker, who came to Hawaii to see what kind of shape his game was in, and got a pretty good idea after the first two rounds of the year.

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SPORTS - Bill O'Brien, 'the right guy,' takes Penn St reins (AP)

SPORTS - Bill O'Brien, 'the right guy,' takes Penn St reins (AP)

AP – Penn State's new football coach Bill O'Brien addresses the media after he was introduced during an NCAA …

By GENARO C. ARMAS, AP Sports Writer Genaro C. Armas, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Jan 7, 7:43 pm ET

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Sporting a Nittany Lions pin on the lapel of his dark gray jacket, Bill O'Brien took the podium, looked straight ahead and introduced himself with two quick, no-nonsense sentences.

"I feel like I'm a mentally tough guy right now. I feel like I'm the right guy."

And with that, the 42-year-old O'Brien, the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator the past four years, was off and running at his first briefing as Penn State's new head football coach, the school's first in nearly a half century.

It is his first head-coaching job.

"This is unbelievable," he said.

Actually, for many Penn State fans and former players all over the country, how this all came to be is exactly that — unbelievable.

Until Nov. 9, the Nittany Lions had been directed by the same person for 46 seasons — Joe Paterno, who was fired that day in the aftermath of a child sex abuse scandal involving retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The case also forced the school president to resign.

Not only is O'Brien replacing Division I's winningest coach, he is joining a still-reeling school attempting to steer its way through federal, NCAA and Big Ten inquiries — not to mention criminal proceedings against former administrators. Sandusky, meantime, is awaiting trial after waiving a preliminary court hearing last month. He has denied the charges.

O'Brien will remain with the Patriots for the duration of their playoff run. New England has a bye this weekend.

The new coach said he would pull together his staff during the next two or three days, and get the assistants on the recruiting trail immediately while he works with New England. He will retain assistant Larry Johnson from Paterno's staff to coach the defensive line.

"I'm going to surround myself with good people," O'Brien said, "and I'm excited to do that."

His five-year contract, finalized Friday, included base compensation starting at $950,000, with a 5 percent increase each season. O'Brien will also collect another $1 million a year for radio and television work, as well as a $350,000 Nike contract.

The base package is roughly on par with Paterno's compensation, which was about $1.02 million last year — a relative bargain for a coach with two national championships. Until now, Penn State never released details of salary from endorsement deals outside the school.

O'Brien joined New England in 2007 following 14 seasons on the college level, including stops at Duke, Maryland and Georgia Tech. The Patriots are third in the NFL overall in scoring (32.1 points per game), and second in total offense (428 yards) and passing (317.8 yards).

Penn State finished a 9-4 campaign with a 30-14 loss in the TicketCity Bowl to Houston on Jan. 2. The Nittany Lions relied on defense much of the year after the offense struggled with a two-quarterback system.

Asked how the looming uncertainties affected his decision-making, O'Brien said he had tough questions for school officials during his interview and received "very, very honest answers." He declined to give specifics.

"I'm here now. ... It's my job as the head football coach at Penn State to have the best football program both and off the field," said O'Brien, who, like Paterno, is a Brown graduate. O'Brien added he looked forward to meeting Paterno and stresed respect would be shown for JoePa's accomplishments.

"Replacing a legend, I've heard it a lot in the past few days. I'm not here to be Joe Paterno. There's only one Joe Paterno," O'Brien said. "What I'm going to try to do is be Bill O'Brien and we're going to do the best we can to continue the success that he's had here for many, many years."

School President Rodney Erickson said the Nittany Lions were looking for someone who would "maintain the school's commitment to excellence on the field and in the classroom. We have that leader in Coach O'Brien."

John Nichols, professor emeritus at the College of Communications and a member of the search committee, said O'Brien's credentials as a coach, along with his enthusiasm as a "true believer in the college model" and the education of student-athletes, stood out.

He said the committee also made sure it found someone of the "highest integrity," which Erickson had deemed a non-negotiable criteria.

"In the current environment, we just absolutely had to do that," Nichols said. "This person will be entrusted with a huge chunk of Penn State's reputation in a critical time. Finding that person was absolutely integral."

Russ Rose, women's volleyball coach and another member of the search committee, said he liked O'Brien's confidence during the interview.

"I liked the fact that he said 'I'm a hell of a football coach.' I think it's important we hire a hell of a football coach," Rose said. "I took it as a real positive that he had confidence he was a good football coach."

O'Brien rocked on his heels and fidgeted with a water bottle while taking questions from reporters at the Nittany Lion Inn, a hotel on campus. Stepping to the podium, he surveyed the crowd and found his young son, Michael, wearing the blue No. 25 jersey of tailback Silas Redd. O'Brien and his wife, Colleen, have another son, Jack.

"I can't wait to get going on this," he said, "get everyone headed in the right direction."

This was O'Brien's first year coordinating the Patriots' powerful offense, but he has also coached star quarterback Tom Brady since 2009 and spent 2008 coaching receivers.

O'Brien recently was in the spotlight when he and Brady got into a heated argument, shown on national television, after Brady threw an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter of the Patriots' 34-27 win over the Washington Redskins on Dec. 11.

Asked about the incident and his relationship with Brady, he spoke of the Pro Bowl quarterback in glowing terms, adding: "Football is an emotional game."

Brady has described O'Brien as a great coach and friend; Pats receiver Julian Edelman said he is charismatic and emotional.

New England coach Bill Belichick, whom O'Brien thanked during the news conference, said in a statement: "This is a great match between a storied program and an old-school football coach. Bill will be up to the task and I couldn't be happier for him."

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who served as interim coach — winning just one game down a tough, season-ending stretch — was passed over for the position but wished O'Brien well. The longtime assistant, who interviewed for the job, remained on the staff as of Saturday though his future was uncertain.

"No matter the challenges that the university may face, Penn State will always have my support," Bradley said. "This is forever my home and forever my family. It is important that we come together to support our players and our university."

Not everyone, though, was willing to hop aboard the O'Brien bandwagon.

In column Saturday for the Washington Post, ex-NFL linebacker and Penn State standout LaVar Arrington said his initial postings on Twitter on Friday amid rumors of O'Brien's hiring were too harsh.

At one point, Arrington wrote on the social media site, "I'm done all my PSU stuff will be down before obriens introduction! We are! No more for me!"

"This hiring represents the Board of (Trustees') feeling toward all that has happened," he wrote in the column. "In my opinion, the board has concluded that everyone and everything associated with the football team is guilty of a crime that we simply did not commit — and that's wrong."

O'Brien addressed the rumblings in a letter he said he sent to former players.

"We respect the rights to one's opinions, beliefs and contributions to Penn State," he said, reading it at the briefing. "We respectfully request the opportunity to earn your trust through communication ... In time, we will find we have more common interests and goals than not."

Designating himself the new leader of the "Penn State football family," O'Brien said he commended those with passionate loyalties to the school.

"You should love this school. You are why we want to be here," he said, reading from his letter. "We want you to know that you will always be welcome and be part of the program because we are Penn State."

In a separate statement Saturday released through the school, Tim Sweeney, president of the official Football Letterman's Club, said the new coach had the full support and backing of the organization.

"Our highly regarded standard of academic achievement equals that of our on-field performance, and we feel that Coach O'Brien is an excellent choice to continue this tradition that for so long has defined Penn State," Sweeney wrote. "Welcome to the Penn State Football family, Coach."

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SPORTS - Saints roll, playoff newcomer Texans advance (AP)

SPORTS - Saints roll, playoff newcomer Texans advance (AP)

AP – New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees throws during the second half of an NFL wild card playoff football …

By The Associated Press The Associated Press – 25 mins ago

NEW ORLEANS – Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints picked up right where they left off in the regular season: piling up points and yards in record-breaking fashion.

Brees threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns, and New Orleans used a strong second half to roll to a 45-28 NFC wild-card victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night. It marked the third straight game the Saints scored 45 points.

New Orleans broke the postseason mark for total yards with 626, beating the record set 49 years ago.

"We were pulling out all the stops," Brees said. "We play aggressive. We're not going to apologize for that. That gives guys in the huddle a lot of confidence. We're not going to pull the reins back. It's pedal to the medal."

Earlier Saturday, the Houston Texans posted the first postseason win in franchise history — in their first playoff game — by routing the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10.

Next up: the Baltimore Ravens.

"This team believes," running back Arian Foster said. "I've never been around a team like this before. We don't need anyone else to believe."

In Sunday's two matchups, Atlanta (10-6) is at the New York Giants (9-7), and Pittsburgh (12-4) is at Denver (8-8).

At New Orleans, Brees was 33 of 43 while throwing for the most yards in a regulation playoff game.

"We just focus on winning. We're not focused on yards and records," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I'm serious when I say that."

Brees had plenty of help from an offense that set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage this season (7,474). The Saints (14-3) will travel to San Francisco (13-3) for next Saturday's second-round game.

Matthew Stafford threw for 380 yards and three TDs for the Lions (10-7), who simply could not keep pace in their first playoff appearance since the 1999 season. They have lost seven straight postseason games.

All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson had 12 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns in his playoff debut for Detroit, as the teams combined for 1,038 yards, tying an NFL playoff record set by Buffalo and Miami on Dec. 30, 1995.

At Houston, rookie J.J. Watt returned the first of rookie Andy Dalton's three interceptions 29 yards for a score that broke a 10-all tie with 52 seconds left in the half.

As the game's final seconds ticked away, Houston coach Gary Kubiak walked down the sideline, a broad smile on his face, and smacked hands with players and assistant coaches.

"As soon as we settled down and got in the groove," Foster said, "we did what we do best."

After watching the playoffs from home for nine seasons, the AFC South champion Texans (11-6) are postseason newcomers no more. They'll take on the AFC North champion Ravens (12-4) in Baltimore next Sunday.

Third-string quarterback T.J. Yates, a rookie pressed into action when Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart were lost for the season with injuries, threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson. Foster followed with his second touchdown of the game, a 42-yard run in the fourth quarter, to finish off the Bengals (9-8).

Foster also scored on an 8-yard run in the first quarter to tie it at 7, and finished with 153 yards on 24 carries.

"The way we ran the ball today," Yates said, "it will be hard to stop us in the playoffs."

At East Rutherford, N.J., Eli Manning and the Giants are coming off big wins over the rival Jets and Cowboys to reach the playoffs after missing out the last two years and putting coach Tom Coughlin's job in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, the Falcons are in the playoffs for the second straight year and third time in four seasons. But that experience hasn't led to success as quarterback Matt Ryan has failed to lead the team to a victory.

"Yeah, it's about time we won," Falcons receiver Roddy White said.

Manning, who was the Super Bowl MVP four years ago, is among a small core group remaining from the franchise's third championship team.

"We have a lot of guys on this team that haven't been in the playoffs before," Manning said. "It's a new year. We have different players. It's a new team. It's a new environment. We know what's ahead of us and we can't start looking too far up there."

The key for the Giants will be slowing Michael Turner, who rushed for 1,340 yards, and Ryan, who threw for a career-best 4,177 yards and 29 touchdowns. White is Ryan's top target, catching an NFC-leading 100 passes for 1,296 yards and eight touchdowns.

"I think we match up pretty well," White said. "They've given up 71 explosive plays, so we've got to go up there and get some. That's what we're looking to do and exploit those guys in different aspects with mismatches."

At Denver, Tim Tebow is looking to bounce back from a rough stretch with his first playoff appearance for the Broncos.

One of the NFL's most intriguing stories, Tebow won seven of his first eight starts before losing his last three while completing just 30 of 73 passes with one touchdown, four interceptions and 10 sacks to go with three lost fumbles.

"The kid does have some special qualities and he rises to the challenge on the big stage, and that's what the playoffs are all about," said former Broncos safety John Lynch, now a Fox Sports analyst. "Here's his opportunity."

Well, not if the Steelers have any say. Despite having four more wins than the Broncos, they find themselves on the road after having to settle for a wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh is considered a heavy favorite despite running back Rashard Mendenhall (knee) being out for the year and All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) possibly sidelined for the game. The Steelers' top tackler, safety Ryan Clark, is sitting out as a precaution because of a blood disorder that's exacerbated by altitude.

A sprained left ankle won't keep Ben Roethlisberger on the sideline, though.

"Every year, it's something," said Doug Legursky, who would replace Pouncey — as he did in the Super Bowl last year. "As long as you stay focused on what you need to do to get the job done, that won't be a problem."

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SPORTS - Saints open playoffs with 45-28 win over Lions (AP)

SPORTS - Saints open playoffs with 45-28 win over Lions (AP)

AP – New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) looks for a receiver as Detroit Lions defensive end Kyle …

By BRETT MARTEL, AP Sports Writer Brett Martel, Ap Sports Writer – 33 mins ago

NEW ORLEANS – Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are pouring on the points, racking up the wins and rewriting the record books nearly every time they play.

Things sure are rollin' on the river.

Brees led an unstoppable offense by throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns, and New Orleans dominated the second half for a 45-28 NFC wild-card victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.

New Orleans broke the postseason mark for total yards with 626, beating the record set 49 years ago.

"We were pulling out all the stops," Brees said. "We play aggressive. We're not going to apologize for that. That gives guys in the huddle a lot of confidence. We're not going to pull the reins back. It's pedal to the medal."

Brees hit on 33 of 43 passes while throwing for the most yards in a regulation playoff game. He highlighted his night with three completions of at least 40 yards.

"We just focus on winning. We're not focused on yards and records," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I'm serious when I say that."

As usual, the quarterback had plenty of help from an offense that set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage this season (7,474), outgaining Detroit on the ground 167 yards to 32. The Saints (14-3) will travel to San Francisco (13-3) for next Saturday's second-round game.

Matthew Stafford threw for 380 yards and three TDs for the Lions (10-7), who simply could not keep pace in their first playoff appearance since the 1999 season. They have lost seven straight postseason games.

"It's a learning experience for the whole team. We'll get better. We'll be back," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "Obviously it hurts right now."

All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson had 12 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns in his playoff debut for Detroit, but that was not nearly enough as the Saints' defense responded in the fourth quarter with two interceptions by Jabari Greer.

"We did make the playoffs this year and that's a great accomplishment," Johnson said. "We have some things to work on and we will. We know what we have to do to make the next step."

The teams combined for 1,038 yards, tying an NFL playoff record set by Buffalo and Miami on Dec. 30, 1995. The Superdome will likely host a much different contest on Monday night, when defensive stalwarts LSU and Alabama meet for the BCS national title. Fans in the dome cheered wildly for the LSU band as it played before the game and at halftime, then enjoyed a second half that culminated in what they hope will be the first of two Big Easy celebrations in three nights.

Pierre Thomas finished with 66 yards and one touchdown rushing, while Sproles added 51 yards, two scores and several other clutch plays.

Marques Colston overcame an early fumble with seven catches for 120 yards, including a 40-yarder to set up Jimmy Graham's short TD grab.

Robert Meachem had four catches for 111 yards, including a 56-yard score. Devery Henderson added a 41-yard touchdown reception.

New Orleans showed guts and got a little good fortune on a decisive 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter. The Saints ran Sproles around the left end on fourth-and-2 at the Lions 40 and gained 3 yards. Soon after, Brees' pass as he was clobbered by Nick Fairley went right through the hands of defensive back Aaron Berry.

Berry would regret that drop two plays later as Sproles bolted 17 yards to make it 31-21.

Stafford tried to get some of that back quickly, throwing deep for Titus Young, but Greer ran under it and picked it off. Four plays later, Brees spotted Meachem behind blown coverage for his long score to make it 38-21.

The Lions became only the second visiting team all year to lead at halftime in the Superdome, where the Saints were unbeaten during the regular season.

"So going into halftime at a deficit, we just realized, `Listen, just bear down, one play at a time, one drive at a time,'" Brees said, "and I think we scored on every drive in the second half. I guess that's what you hope for."

New Orleans has won nine in a row overall.

The Saints opened the second half by driving 78 yards to take their first lead on Brees' 31-yard pass to Henderson. New Orleans then widened its lead to 24-14 with a 92-yard drive that included what may have been a favorable spot on Colston's third-down grab at the Saints 18. Later, Brees converted a risky dive over the pile on fourth-and-1 at the New Orleans 38 to sustain the drive before finding Colston for a 40-yard gain to the Detroit 3. Brees hit Graham for a score on the next play.

"It was fourth and inches and we felt like we had a rhythm going," Brees said. "Obviously it was a gutsy call but we've been known to make those types of calls."

The Lions fought back with a quick 80-yard scoring drive highlighted by Stafford's 42-yard completion to Johnson at the Saints 2, setting up Stafford's dive for the pylon on a bootleg that made it 24-21 late in the third quarter.

Detroit could not have planned a much better start to its first playoff game since the '99 season.

Stafford completed five of his first six throws for 70 yards, starting with a 22-yard completion to Johnson on the second play from scrimmage. A 10-yard strike to reserve tight end Will Heller gave the Lions a 7-0 lead.

New Orleans responded by quickly driving into Lions territory, but Colston was stripped by Stephen Tulloch on the 18-yard line and Justin Durant recovered. It was a rare lost fumble for the Saints, who had an NFL low and franchise record low five during the regular season.

New Orleans found the end zone on its next drive to tie it at 7, but Stafford led the Lions right back downfield, hitting Johnson in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard score.

The Saints then fumbled a second time in Detroit territory when Brees was stripped just before throwing by defensive end Willie Young and the ball squirted to Durant for his second recovery. Durant wanted to return it, but the play was inexplicably blown dead. What might have been a touchdown return instead became a stalled drive.

The Saints thought they had tied it when Colston's catch in the back of the end zone was ruled a touchdown, but it was overturned on replay and New Orleans wound up settling for John Kasay's 24-yard field goal and a 14-10 halftime deficit.

Notes: Bernie Kosar still holds the record for yards passing in a playoff game, though his game in 1986 went to overtime when he reached 489 for Cleveland against the New York Jets. ... Detroit's leading rusher was Kevin Smith with only 21 yards. ... The Lions rushed the ball only 10 times and their longest gain was 9 yards. ... The Saints surpassed 500 total offensive yards in five regular season games, with the playoff game being the sixth. ... Brees finished the regular season with seven straight 300-yard or more passing games and easily continued the streak against the Lions.

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