Fires Delay SDSU-BYU Game

Tomlinson, others forced to evacuate homes

(NEWSER) - The wildfires blazing through San Diego County forced 40 Chargers to evacuate their homes, including star running back LaDainian Tomlinson. The team cancelled practice today due to poor air quality, and will move their operations to Arizona for the rest of the week. It is not yet clear whether the fires will affect Sunday’s home game against Houston, reports the AP. More»

Offensive Coordinator Bill O'Brien will still finish playoffs with Pats

(NEWSER) - Penn State has at last found its replacement for Joe Paterno: New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien will take the job, sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN , with another league source saying O'Brien will finish out the playoffs with the Pats before starting his new gig. Penn State coaches contacted by the AP , however, said they'd received no word yet that a hire had been made. More»

Eric LeGrand undergoes emergency surgery after collision

(NEWSER) - A Rutgers defensive tackle was paralyzed below the neck following a collision with an Army player last night. Eric LeGrand, a junior from New Jersey, underwent emergency surgery and was in intensive care after the top of his helmet slammed into the other player’s left shoulder on Saturday, the New York Times reports. "Eric’s spirits were as good as you can expect,” said his coach. “He’s a fighter.” More»

Fighting the rising cry for playoffs is one of sport's worst jobs

(NEWSER) - Bill Hancock is one of the best-liked people in the sporting world, but he's been tasked with defending one of its most-hated systems, writes Sean Gregory. Hancock, a former director of the Final Four, has been appointed as the first permanent director of the Bowl Championship Series. That makes him a target for everyone—from President Obama on down—who think there's got to be a better way than the incomprehensible BCS system to find a national champion of college football. More»

(NEWSER) - A quest to play pro football might keep a Duke basketball player in school for another year, ESPN reports. Greg Paulus, who has used up his basketball eligibility at Duke, has been offered a tryout for the school’s football team—but at receiver, not quarterback, where he starred in high school. Yesterday, Paulus visited the University of Michigan, which has an uncertain quarterback situation, the Detroit Free Press reports. More»