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By Michael Silver,
MIAMI – Shortly before the start of the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIV, while the 74,059 fans at Sun Life Stadium were rocking out to the raucous climax of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton put on a crowd-pleasing performance in the visitors’ locker room.
“Listen, we’re gonna run ‘Ambush’ to start the second half,” Payton told his players, referring to an onside-kick call the team had practiced repeatedly in the two weeks leading up to Sunday’s showdown with the Indianapolis Colts. “We’re playing this game to win it. We’ve got all the bullets; we might as well use ‘em. So you’d better get on that damn ball and make me look good.”
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By Dan Wetzel,
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Just the mention of an NFL work stoppage in 2011 was enough for Peyton Manning(notes) to break out that hangdog facial expression of his. It’s the look usually reserved for bad interceptions.
It wasn’t his personal situation he wanted to discuss. Manning has enough money. He’s lived the dream.
For the general fan though, life without football?
“It would not be a pretty situation,” the Indianapolis Colts quarterback said.
Not pretty is an understatement; a national sporting disaster is more like it.
When an inevitable work stoppage costs, say, the NBA part of its regular season, only the most hardcore fans really care. Everyone else waits for the billionaires and millionaires to hash it out and as long as the crowning of a champion isn’t affected (as has occurred in baseball and hockey), life goes on. We’re jaded to this stuff.
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By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
MIAMI (AP)—LeBron James(notes) and Dwyane Wade(notes) walked off the court at halftime, smiling toward each other after an epic performance worthy of superstars.
At game’s end, only James left happy.
James hit two free throws after a scary tumble and blow to the head with 4.1 seconds left for the winning points, and Wade missed a jumper over the reigning MVP’s outstretched arm at the buzzer as the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 92-91 on Monday night.
“It came down to one possession,” said James, who matched Wade with a game-high 32 points. “Whoever got the last stop was going to win the game. Luckily it was us.”
Wade had 30 at halftime, then only two the rest of the way—and missed two big free throws with 41.2 seconds left, part of a 1 of 6 showing from the line by the Heat in the fourth quarter .
It cost Miami dearly.
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