……….(Football)……….

National Championship Game
..Alabama-W-Georgia (26-20) in overtime….Freshman QB Tuo Tagovailoha came off the bench to lead 4-scoring drives…threw 41Y-game winning TD in overtime after taking a 16Y-QB sack to give Tide stunning come from behind win…Nick Saban wins 6th National Title tying Bear Bryan’s college record…….Bama wiped out a (20-7) Bulldog lead in the second half….Tagovailoha threw 3-TD passes…led drive for a field goal…got Alabama to 10-yard line on missed field goal of final series in 4th quarter that sent game to overtime……Freshman RB-Najee Davis powered for (64Y) in 4th quarter coming off bench….Tagovailoha finished with (205Y) passing in the 2nd half and overtime…..Jalen Hurts was benched at halftime after a (3-8) 21Y passing performance….Bulldogs built big lead by dominating opening half….Freshman QB-Jake Fromm threw for (126Y) in opening half….Dogs had (47-24) play advantage…and had (223-94) edge in yards at half…but offense died in 2nd half..Alabama survived 2-missed field goals….2-major penalties..but was aided when refs missed at least 3-other Tide penalties.

——

UCLA…Hires Mark Helfrich as Off Poor..was at Oregon with Chip Kelly then became Ducks head coach.

Hawaii..Hire Mark Banker as QB coach..was at Oregon State-Nebraska with Mike Riley.

New Mexico..Interviews Aztecs QB-coach Blane Morgan for Lobos Off Coor job

Ohio State..Hire Alex Grinch as Def Coor-had been at Washington State.

Nebraska..Scott Frost-head coach-says NCAA needs 8-team playoff..says snubbing of (13-0) Central Florida was disgrace

Baylor..Art Briles-former head coach-was supposed to speak at Coaches Convention…cancelled at last minute by criticism directed at NCAA.

College Football Hall of Fame..Announces 2018-class..including legendary CB-Charles Woodson..WR-Calvin Johnson…longtime coaches Mac Brown-Frank Beamer

ESPN..Announce TV Ratings for entire Bowl season..up 12%.
ESPN..Rose Bowl-Georgia-Oklahoma..ratings up 39%..27M viewers…had (14.8) rating.
ESPN..Sugar Bowl..Alabama-Clemson..ratings up 10%….21M
viewers…had (12.5) rating.

UCLA..TE-Austin Roberts files for NFL draft..4th player to leave Chip Kelly program.

———-

(NFL)

Jeff Triplett..veteran referee retires after controversy-filled playoff game…5-mistakes made by his crew on Instant Replay and rules interpertation…Mike Pereia-Fox TV…called the crew’s work ‘horrible’

Dean Blandino…Fox-TV may leave network to go back to NFL to handle instate replay calls from New York.

Jaguars..DE-Yannick Ngakowe says Bills OG-Richie Incognito used racial slurs during playoff game this weekend.

Carolina..NFL questions violation of concussion protocol in handling of QB-Cam Newton…Panthers say he left game with dirt particle in eye not a concussion…returned to play on next series.

Chiefs..DE-Chris Jones-torn MCL in playoff loss.
Steelers..WR-Antonio Brown-goes thru practice-been out 3-weeks-calf

Redskins..Coach Jay Gruden says he wants 1-year contract issues with QB-Kirk Cousins to end..says it has been 2-years of distractions.

NFL-TV Ratings drop for wildcard weekend.
..Carolina-New Orleans…(20.4)..down 21%
..Falcons-Rams..(14.9)…down 10%
..Bills-Jaguars..(17.2)..down 10%
..Chiefs-Titans..(14.7)..down 11%

CFL…Gives Hamilton Ti-Cats till January 31st to make deal with QB-Johnny Manziel or lose his rights on negotiating list.

(Coaching Jobs)

Raiders..Tuesday 3pm-press conference for Jon Gruden…have had 9-head coaches in 17-years..Franchise record in that time since Gruden left (91-164)

Bears..Hire Matt Nagy-Chiefs Off Coor for Chicago head job

Chargers…may lose Def Coor Gus Bradley….Seahawks to interview him to return as Assistant Head Coach-Defensive consultant on Pete Carroll staff.

Chiefs..Brad Childress-Off consultant-retires…Eric Bienemy interviews for Off Coor job.

Arizona..Interview Keith Armstrong-Falcons…get permission to interview Steve Wilks-Carolina.

Bengals..Hire-Teryl Austin-Lions as Def Coor..Hire Jack Bicknell-WR coach

Browns..Hire Alonzo Highsmith-Packers as Asst GM…Interview Ken Zampese-Bengals for QB coaching job.

Packers..Promote Brian Gutekunst to GM
Packers..Interview Mike Pettine-Seattle for Def Coor job-ex head coach Browns.
Packers…Front office exec Eli Wolfe may leave team and take job with Browns after being bypassed in front office restructure.

Houston..Interview Jimmy Raye for GM job..ex-Colts-Chargers

49ers..Hire Ken Norton as LB-coach..had been fired by Raiders earlier in season.

Patriots..Block Nick Ceserio from interviewing Houston GM-job.
Patriots..Bill Belicheck-says every intention of coaching NEng in 2018
Patriots..Bill Belicheck says ESPN report of internal problems has lots of innacuarcies…he say fine relationship with Tom Brady-Robertr Kraft…and Brady trainer Alex Guerrero.

Eagles..Block Joe Douglas from interviewing for Houston GM-job.

Seattle..Block John Schnieder from interviewing in Green Bay.

———-

-0-

———-

….(Baseball)……

Padres…Paid 500,000 posting fee to get right to sign Japanese submarine relief pitcher Kazu Makita…had (1.91-ERA) last two years.

——–

(Free Agency)

Brewers..Sign FA-C-Christian Bethancourt-ex Padres…will return behind plate..had (8.21-ERA) in El Paso as a reliever.

Twins..Sign FA-3B-Jordan Pacheco-ex Rockies-Reds-Arizona
A’s..Sign FA-3B-Steve Lombardozzi-ex-Mimai
A’s..Sign FA-OF-Slade Heathcott-ex-Yankees

Washington..Opens contract talks with P-Lance Lynn-Cardinals
Orioles..Make contact with P-Andrew Cashner-Texas
Mets..Open talks with 2B-Howie Kendrick-ex Angels-Dodgers
Minnesota..Make contact with P-Chris Tillman-ex Orioles

(MLB)

Hall of Fame…Survey shows 37% of voters casting ballots…99% for Chipper Jones..95% for Jim Home….94% for Vlad Guerrero….81%-for Edgar Martinez…78%-Trevor Hoffman…..Barry Bonds-Roger Clemens have climbed to 69%….must get to 75% for enshrinement.

Miami Herald..Reports CEO-Derek Jeter contract with Marlins gives him 8.8M in additional bonuses to his 5M contract if team turns a profit each of next 5-years.

Milwaukee…P-Matt Garza needs surgery for torn labrum in pitching shoulder…could be out 6-months

———-

-0-

———-

….(Basketball)…….

Lakers…Kyle Kouzma refutes LaVar Ball criticism of coach Luke Walton….says ‘Coach not lost lockeroom….we are a locked in family’.

Lakers..Coach Luke Walton says ‘no one from outside is in our lockeroom nor knows the player dynamics’

Dallas…Coach Rick Carlisle rips ESPN for giving a platform for LaVar Ball to sound off…calling him a ‘loudmouth blowhard’….says ESPN had no verifying claims from within lockeroom that Walton had lost lockeroom….said ESPN report lacked benchmarks for reliable journalism

Spurs..F-Kawhi Leonard out of action again-possible torn labrum in shoulder

Bucks..F-Merza Teletovic-out 3-months-blood clots to lung healing slowly

Warriors..F-Draymond Green fined 25,000 for criticism of officials.

Miami..G-Dion Waiters-out with ankle injury.

Toronto..G-Kyle Lowrey goes down with bruised back in hard fall on court.

Chicago..F-Nikola Mirotic asks team to trade him-missed 8-weeks with fractured facial bones after sucker punch from teammate Bobby Portis still on team.

Clippers…Ex-Wife for F-Lorenzen Wright will not fight extradition charges in Riverside County, and will be sent to Florida to face murder charges on indictment she hired a man to kill former NBA player to collect big insurance payment…..Triggerman already under arrest.

(Scoreboad)

Clippers-W-Atlanta (108-107)….CJ Williams hit a falling away 3-point shot with (:09) left to give LA the win over the staggering Hawks-2nd worst team in NBA…..

Lakers-Sacramento…Tuesday night matchup…Lakers (1-9) in last 10…and (12-27) on season.

(College)

Aztecs-San Jose State…SDSU (10-4) meets woeful (3-12) Spartans.
Boise State-Fresno State..Broncos (13-3)…Bulldogs (12-5)

———-

-0-

———–

…..(Hockey)………

Gulls…Won 11-of-last 14….Franchise now (100-56-12) since joining AHL two and half years ago.

Kings-Ducks..both idle all week…don’t play till Saturday.

————

-0-

————

(General)

North American Soccer League…says it will suspend operations and not play in spring till court case on anti-trust lawsuit against MLS is determined by a judge.

FC-1904…San Diego expansion team…says will not play in 2018…target date to start in NASL by 2019…but might reconsider USL-United States League depending on court case.

Tennis…Andy Murray undergoes emergency surgery on ailing hip….off tour indefinitely.

—————

Please follow and like us: