Florida Gators, inspired by basketball coach Billy Donovan, rout Georgia Bulldogs in football 41-17

JACKSONVILLE — Three months into the season, Florida football players have tired of hearing head coach Urban Meyer speak about sticking together and overcoming adversity. So to help get the Gators out of their recent funk, Meyer turned Thursday to a man who knows about defending a national title: UF men's basketball coach Billy Donovan, whose teams won it all in 2006 and 2007. He talked with the team's leaders about 6and not letting outsiders ruin the Gators' season."He was very inspiring," Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said. "It was very motivating for a lot of us." Inspired by Donovan's message, the Gators defeated arch-rival Georgia 41-17 on Saturday in their most complete victory of the season. "One of the best team wins we've had at Florida," said Meyer, who gave Donovan credit for the...

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College basketball countdown: No. 9 Villanova

As a youngster growing up in Herndon, Va., Villanova senior Scottie Reynolds rooted for the Maryland Terrapins, so naturally his favorite buzzer-beater was Drew Nicholas' fadeaway 3-pointer that beat UNC Wilmington in an NCAA first-round game in 2003. Now Reynolds has a new No. 1 buzzer-beater: his own shining moment in the NCAA Tournament. Reynolds' thrilling length-of-the-court-drive through the Pitt defense last season sent the Wildcats to the Final Four for the first time since 1985. "It's a lot different around here now," said Reynolds of life on the Villanova campus. "Everyone has embraced us like we won the national championship. The buzz is still that strong." Villanova is among the favorites to make a return trip to the Final Four...

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Basketball becomes bat-sketball as player swats Halloween night invader

It was with an uncanny sense of timing that a bat chose Halloween to disrupt the NBA tie between San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings. What, perhaps, the creature did not count on were the quick hands of the Spurs' Manu Ginobili who, not content with scoring 13 points in his side's 113-94 win, swatted it from the air as it swooped across the court.The bat had already sent players to the sidelines twice in the first quarter. The officials stopped the game as it circled then flew across the AT&T Center's court. First they called for a towel to catch it, then a net. But Ginobili took matters, literally, into his own hands. When the bat returned he simply smacked it to the ground before calmly carrying it off court to thunderous applause.After...

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Federer disappointed by Agassi drug admission

ZURICH — World number one Roger Federer on Thursday voiced disappointment at Andre Agassi's bombshell admission that he had taken drugs in 1997 and then lied to the ATP to avoid a ban."It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future," Federer said at a sponsors meeting at Kilchberg near Zurich.But Federer also noted that Agassi "has done a lot for tennis, both as a player and as a human being"."Today, he raises millions of dollars for his foundation for disadvantaged children," the Swiss commented.Agassi, one of just six men to have won all four Grand Slam titles and widely regarded as one of the sport's finest players, stunned tennis this week by revealing he'd taken the highly-addictive...

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How tennis world reacted to Andre Agassi’s admission of taking crystal meth

Andre Agassi’s autobiography, ‘Open’, has been the talk of tennis since extracts were published in which he admitted to using crystal meth, with Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Boris Becker, Andy Roddick and many others having an opinion. Rafa Nadal: “If the ATP covered for Agassi then I think that’s dreadful. If they covered for the player and punished others for doing the same kind of thing then that would seem to me to be a lack of respect for all sportsmen.” Roger Federer: “It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future.” Darren Cahill (Agassi’s last professional coach): “[Agassi is] extremely proud of the book and I’m proud of him for giving such an honest...

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Serena Williams withdraws from next week's Fed Cup Finals

Serena Williams has withdrawn from the U.S. vs. Italy Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Final set to take place November 7-8 in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Williams will be replaced by Vania King. King will be making her sixth appearance on the U.S. Fed Cup te...

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Hussey guides Aussies to 229-5 against India

Sunday, November 01, 2009NEW DELHI: Michael Hussey top-scored with an unbeaten 81 as Australia posted 229-5 in the third One-day International against India here on Saturday.Hussey, 34, hit his third half-century of the series and shared 56 runs with captain Ricky Ponting (59) after the world champions won the toss and elected to bat on a slow track at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium.Opener Shane Watson made up for his disappointing batting in the first two matches, making a fine 41 off 59 balls with five fours in the day-night encounter.Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja impressed the most among the bowlers on the tricky track, picking 2-41 off nine overs.The seven-match series is tied 1-1 after India won the second match at Nagpur by 99 runs. Australia had clinched the opener at Vadodara by four...

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PFF yet to confirm AFC decision

Sunday, November 01, 2009 By our correspondent KARACHI: Pakistan football authorities are yet to confirm about the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision to move the Under-19 Championship Group D Qualifiers from Lahore to any other country due to security reasons.“I came to know through a message on the AFC website and tried to contact the secretary of the continental football governing body but he was busy in a meeting,” the secretary of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Col Ahmad Yar Khan Lodhi told ‘The News’ on Saturday.“It will be confirmed in the next two days,” he said. AFC has invited other participating member associations to host the five-team tournament, penciled in for December 8 to 16, it said. Pakistan was going all out to host the five-nation...

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I am available: Younis Khan

Sunday, November 01, 2009DUBAI: Pakistan skipper Younis Khan is ready to come out of his retirement from Twenty20 cricket and play in two Twenty20 matches in Dubai on November 12 and 13.“If team needs me and since matches are to be held in Dubai, it will be nice to play here,” he remarked Saturday in Dubai.Younis retired from Twenty20 cricket after leading Pakistan to victory in T20 World Cup in June in England. He is not named in Twenty20 squad for Dubai that is being led by Shahid Afridi.Asked what prompted him to return to T20 cricket, he said: “A lot of people especially many youngsters told me it is important that I continue playing T20 cricket too. If they still want and if my country still needs my service for this form of game, then I am ready. I will do anything for my country and...

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Ronaldo wants Rooney at Madrid

Sunday, November 01, 2009MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo believes his former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney should follow him to Real Madrid.Ronaldo left Old Trafford in the summer for a record £80million fee to complete a dream move to the Spanish giants and, while admitting Rooney is unlikely to leave England any time soon, he thinks the striker would fit in at the Bernabeu.“Wayne would be a sensation out here. I think we could do with Rooney to help us out,” Ronaldo told The Sun. “He would be brilliant if he came. This is the ideal place for the world’s best players and there’s little doubt he is one of them.”He added: “Wayne has all the skill and determination you need to make a fine career here.“He has shown just how good he is over the last few years in England.“And there’s no doubt...

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Moment of truth for Pak as World Cup qualifiers begin

KARACHI: The moment of truth for Pakistan hockey arrives in Lille, France, on Saturday when the seventh-ranked team faces the 26th-ranked Italy at the Metropole Club in the first encounter of the World Cup qualifiers. The national hockey team is featuring in the six-nation tournament as a consequence of losing the Asia Cup final by 0-1 to Korea in May. The qualifiers, beginning Saturday, will conclude on Nov 8 and Pakistan have to beat all the other participating teams in order to play in the 2010 World Cup to be played in New Delhi, India, from Feb 28 to March 13. They play their second match against 23rd-ranked Russia (Nov 1), third against 17th-ranked France (Nov 3), fourth against 14th-ranked Japan (Nov 5) and fifth against 22nd-ranked...

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Pakistan begin WC qualifier campaign in style

KARACHI: Penalty-corner specialist fullback Sohail Abbas lived up to expectations as Pakistan thrashed Italy 5-0 in their first match of the hockey World Cup qualifiers, played at the Metropole Club in Lille, France on Saturday. According to the information received here, the match saw as many as three goals being scored on penalty-corners with Sohail converting two in the 31st and 47th minutes. The third was scored by fullback Mohammad Imran in the 43rd minute. The first half score was 1-0 in favour of the favourites with four goals coming in the second half. The last two goals were both successful field attempts by forwards Mohammad Zubair and Haseem Khan in the 52nd and and 68th minutes, respectively. Pakistan play their second...

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