Football

• New England Patriots…Day of Denial that they had anything to do with “Deflate Gate” and the 11-balls the NFL says were underinflated and possibly tampered with in the AFC-Championship 45-7 win over Indianapolis.

• Bill Belicheck..’Shocked’ upon hearing the status of the 11-balls in the Patriots game-day bag that were seized by NFL office…Said Tom Brady had a personal preference about the condition of the balls…says Patriots inflate balls to minimum 12.5-pounds per Brady’s request….Confirmed that Brady played a part in rule change a couple of years ago that allowed each team to turn in 12-balls they would use on offense in each game…Belicheck said he makes Patriots practices very tough-scuffed balls..hard balls..wet balls-to make sure his team is ready for any adverse element they might face in a game…Never talked to Coach-Player about deflated balls.

• Tom Brady…Pregame procedure is to pick balls he wants to use 5-hours before game-gives them to club official to be examined by NFL refs prior to kickoffs…Does not want anyone touching balls after officials examined them…”I don’t believe I am a cheater-I want fair play-I believe in the rules”…”I did not alter the balls in anyway”…wants familiarity with all his equipment from helmet to cleats…Never noticed a difference in balls during the game…No knowledge of anyone else doing anything to doctor balls…”Yes the 12.5 pounds pressure is perfect for me-and NFL allows it.

• Baltimore Sun..Report Ravens suspected balls were tampered with in Divisional game and alerted the Colts a week ago.
• Indianapolis Star..Colts reported to NFL they suspected tampered balls in their mid-season blowout loss to New England.
• Seattle..Seahawks star CB-Richard Sherman called Brady ‘clean shaven cut throat.’
• NFL…Competition Committee will review the ‘Chain of Custody Rule’ as it pertains to handling of balls.
• NFL…Investigate whether Seahawks had illegal 6-man wedge on one side of field for critical onside kick they recovered against Packers-refs missed alignment.
• NFL..Fines Seattle RB-Marshawn Lynch ($20,000) for obscene gesture in NFC title game; 2nd fine may be coming for refusing to talk to media again.

• 49ers..Hire-Tony Sporano-Raiders-as tight end coach…Hire Eric Mangini-Def Coor
• Bears..Hire-Ed Donatell-Packers-as DB coach
• Raiders..Hire-Sal Sunseri-Florida State for Defensive asst job on Jack Del Rio staff.
• Tampa Bay..Hire-Mike Bajarkian-QB coach-was Off Coor at University Tennessee.
• Rams..Interview-Nate Hackett-Buffalo for Off Coor job.
• Eagles..Hire Ryan Day-Boston College Off Coor as QB-coach..worked with Chip Kelly at New Hampshire.
•  Minneosta..Tommy Mason-RB-lst player ever drafted by Vikings passes away (81Y)
• Central Michigan..Head Coach Dan Enos-resigns to become Off Coor-Arkansas.
• Delaware State..Hires Ken Carter-Head coach-had been at Youngstown State.

Basketball

• Lakers..Kobe Bryant leaves team on road trip..MRI-reveals torn rotator cuff in right shoulder..2nd exam today in LA.
• Portland…Red hot Blazers lose F-LaMarcus Aldridge-6W-severe thumb injury (24P-10R)
• Miami..G-Dwayne Wade fined $15,000-obscene gesture to fans.

• Lakers-at-San Antonio…LA (12-31)..Spurs (27-16).
• Atlanta-Oklahoma City…Hawks won 14-row..(35-8) record.
• Golden State-Sacramento..Warriors (34-6).

• Clippers-W-Brooklyn…Clippers explode in lst half..built 34-point lead-Shot 65% in opening two quarters..LA (29-14)

• San Diego State-Colorado State…Huge Mountain West Conference game Saturday night in Ft-Collins…Aztecs (15-4)..Rams (17-2)…SDSU defense allowing 52P per game-allowing opponents shoot just 37% from floor…State defense 152-steals-101 blocks….Rams averaging 73P per game…4-starters in double figures..CSU hit 138-3 point shots this year….Rams led by 6’7-forwards JJ Avila (15P-7R)…Stanton Kidd (11P-5R)…G-Dan Bejarano (10P)…SDSU hitting just 40% shots from floor.

Baseball

• Rob Manfred…Takes over as Commissioner of Baseball on Sunday replacing retiring Bud Selig.

• White Sox..Sign FA-C-Geovani Soto-Texas.
• Mariners..Sign FA-OF-Shawn O’Malley-Toronto.
• Reds..Sign FA-P-Jason Marquis-ex Padres-Cubs.
• Miami..Sign FA-P-Vin Mazarro-A’s.
• Braves..Sign FA-2B-Kelly Johnson-Orioles.

Hockey

• NHL All Star Break…NY Islanders surprise team of season…Kings-Maple Leafs biggest disappointments.
• Columbus..Blue Jackets lose G-Sergei Bokbrovsky-indefinitely with groin injury.

General

• NASCAR…Jeff Gordon says he will retire end of 2015-season…ending 23Y-career…92-career wins so far…including 4-last year.
• USA Soccer..Suspends goalie Hope Solo for 30-days after confrontation with police after DUI-arrest of her husband-ex NFL player Jerramy Stevens in LA…he was driveing a Team USA van when pulled off.

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