On the very first point of the match, Serena Williams hit a backhand so hard that her earring flew off. Turns out she was just getting warmed up. Williams kept pounding away, her shots and shouts getting louder with every stroke. And when she finished off Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 Sunday night for the U.S. Open championship and a ninth Grand Slam title, Williams really went wild.She flung her racket high into the sky, hollering and hopping in a celebration that even she thought might've been over the top. more >>
Tom Brady limped off the field in pain, and the New England Patriots can only hope their Super Bowl hopes didn't go with him. The NFL's reigning MVP left Sunday's 17-10 victory over Kansas City midway through the first quarter with an injured left knee after being hit on a throw. There was no immediate word on the extent of Brady's injury - "I am not sure what we are dealing with," coach Bill Belichick said - or how long he would be out. more >>
The Dodgers found the best way to erase the memory of eight straight losses during a pennant race: eight straight wins. Meanwhile, Chris Young of the Padres flirted with a perfect game from his comfortable perch outside the playoff chase. more >>
David Ortiz tossed his bat and trotted around the bases as if it had been a couple of days, rather than more than three weeks, since he'd last done it. Ortiz homered for the first time in 20 games, Paul Byrd pitched 6 2-3 scoreless innings for his fourth straight victory and the Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers 7-2 Sunday, moving within 1 1/2 games of the division lead. more >>
Chicago rediscovered its winning formula Sunday night. Play tough defense, control the ball and make no major mistakes. No, it wasn't enough to win a Super Bowl 19 months ago against Indianapolis, but it was the perfect scenario to ruin the Colts' grand reopening of the new Lucas Oil Stadium 29-13. more >>
Billy Wagner is expected to miss the rest of the season, leaving the New York Mets without their All-Star closer as they try to maintain a slim lead in the NL East. Wagner has been sidelined since Aug. 3 because of a tender pitching elbow. He has tried several times to work his way back, but hasn't been able to shake the pain. more >>
Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe may one day be a big-time player in the NFL. To get to that level, though, he’ll have to consistently make the big play, especially with the game on the line. more >>
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. | Damon Huard has shown time and again that he’s at his best when the Chiefs have nowhere else to turn. He proved it again Sunday in New England when he replaced the injured Brodie Croyle. The sluggish Chiefs offense then came to life, though their rally fell 5 yards short in a season-opening 17-10 loss to the Patriots. more >>
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. | Football is, at heart, a cold-blooded game. It’s easy to forget that because in the NFL, vicious hits are set to music and shoulders ripped from sockets are merely “separated” (leaving open a possibility for a reconciliation), and pain is reduced to those harmless-sounding words, ”questionable,” “doubtful” and “probable.” In this heartless game, you need a quarterback who can get back up. That’s just a fact. It isn’t fair to blame the quarterback for suffering nasty injuries. It isn’t politically correct. But football isn’t a PC game. Sunday afternoon, the Chiefs were at the New England 5-yard line at the end with a chance to score a touchdown and tie the game, a chance to shock everyone, a chance to stick it in the faces of all those critics who called them the pits, a chance to laugh at all those people who bet the unbeatable New England Patriots to win by more than 15 points. more >>
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. | In a battle of postgame cluelessness, the judges gave the title to The Artist Formerly Known as King Carl over “star” receiver Dwayne Bowe in a split decision. I, of course, agree with the judges. more >>
The glow from Don Haskins' greatest triumph was mostly a memory when Disney decided to take another look. Then came the movie "Glory Road" and a whole new generation learned what Bob Knight already knew about his old friend's career - and legacy. "Don got more out of his teams and players than any coach who has ever coached college basketball," Knight said. more >>
Jake Delhomme came back with a jolt that the San Diego Chargers won't soon forget. Delhomme threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dante Rosario as time expired to lift the Carolina Panthers to a shocking 26-24 win over the Chargers on Sunday. It was a heart-stopping capper to a game that swung wildly with a big defensive play by each team in the second half. more >>
The Tennessee Titans are just as stingy on defense as they were a year ago. Just ask Jacksonville and David Garrard. The Titans sacked Garrard seven times and Cortland Finnegan intercepted him twice in beating the Jaguars 17-10 Sunday in the season opener between the AFC's two wild cards in 2007. more >>
This is what a healthy Donovan McNabb looks like. McNabb threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns, rookie DeSean Jackson had an impressive debut and the Philadelphia Eagles routed the St. Louis Rams 38-3 on Sunday. McNabb was 21-for-33, including a 90-yard TD pass to Hank Baskett. Jackson, the first Eagles rookie wide receiver to start the season opener in 18 years, had six catches for 106 yards and returned a punt 60 yards to set up a field goal. more >>
Brett Favre hardly looked like the retiring type, raising his arms to signal a touchdown, then leaping and skipping to the bench, where he vaulted into the arms of two teammates. Six months after Favre decided to call it a career before changing his mind, he made a successful debut with his new team as Broadway Brett, throwing for two scores to help the New York Jets beat the Miami Dolphins 20-14 on Sunday. more >>
Gary Kubiak did what football fans always beg coaches to do: He went for it in a key short-yardage situation. The problem was the Houston Texans didn't get it - and, just like that, their chances of beating the Pittsburgh Steelers all but evaporated. The Texans lost a gamble, a challenge and, likely, their opener in the first five minutes of the season. Willie Parker ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns during a 38-17 Steelers victory Sunday that was effectively over early in the second quarter. more >>
Tom Brady screamed. The fans went quiet. The seemingly indestructible star of the New England Patriots lay on the ground, clutching his left knee. The NFL's reigning MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion was done for the day - at least. "He was in a lot of pain. When you hear a scream, you know that," Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard said after hitting Brady on the left leg midway through the first quarter. more >>
•KEY PLAYS: The Chiefs made their first rookie mistake early. Brandon Flowers was penalized for running into New England punter Chris Hanson on the opening possession. The Chiefs got the ball back two plays later when Patrick Surtain stripped the ball from Wes Welker and Jarrad Page recovered. … The Chiefs went three plays and punted. … The Chiefs knocked Tom Brady from the game and came up with another takeaway on the next New England possession. … The Chiefs then went on an efficient drive into New England territory. Brodie Croyle threw to Tony Gonzalez between two defenders for 8 yards on third and 5. Jamaal Charles dropped a pass in the flat on third down, ending the drive, but the Chiefs downed their punt at the 2. Matt Cassel came in at quarterback for the Patriots. The Chiefs had the Patriots pinned on third and 11 at the 1, but Moss beat Surtain deep for a 51-yard gain on the last play of the period. •PATRIOTS: Moss 10 pass from Cassel (Stephen Gostkowski kick); 10 plays, 98 yards, 4:51 drive time, 11:45 remaining. more >>
