Bears fire coach Lovie Smith after 9 seasons

 The Chicago Bears reached the Super Bowl under coach Lovie Smith and consistently boasted a formidable defense.However, they missed the playoffs too many times, never solved their problems on offense and even after a 10-win season they are moving on without him.The Bears fired Smith on Monday after the team missed the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons. General manager Phil Emery delivered...

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January groundbreaking for Atlanta's College Football Hall of Fame

Groundbreaking for a new College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta is set for January 28, and the first visitors are expected to walk through the doors in August 2014, the National Football Foundation said on Monday.The Foundation decided three years ago that it was moving the Hall of Fame to Atlanta from South Bend, Indiana, near the campus of the University of Notre Dame, a college football...

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Bills fire Gailey after 3 straight losing seasons

 Chan Gailey didn't work out after three losing seasons, leaving the Buffalo Bills looking for their fifth head coach since 2001.The Bills fired Gailey on Monday after he failed to deliver on his vow to transform a losing franchise into a playoff contender. Gailey's entire staff was fired, too, but the status of general manager Buddy Nix remained uncertain, and could be decided as early as Tuesday.Bills...

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Pacers surge past visiting Grizzlies

A furious fourth quarter from the Indiana Pacers sparked an 88-83 comeback win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.The Grizzlies, the NBA's top defensive team, led by 11 late in the third quarter before the Pacers charged back.Ben Hansbrough spurred the charge with two consecutive three-pointers to open the fourth, propelling the Pacers to a 14-4 run that gave them the lead for good."That's...

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Eagles fire Andy Reid after 14 seasons

 Andy Reid stuck around after he was fired by the Philadelphia Eagles, meeting with players, encouraging staff and shaking hands with the man who let him go.After 14 years, Reid found it hard to walk away.Owner Jeffrey Lurie understood. "He had the love and respect of every individual in this organization," he said at his news conference Monday. "This man is amazing to work with, smart and dedicated,...

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Mission to Drill Into Buried Antarctic Lake Called Off

After fighting with the Antarctic ice for 20 hours through Christmas Eve, a British Antarctic Survey team has reluctantly called off its mission to retrieve water samples from an ancient subglacial lake.The decision to halt drilling through the ice down toward Lake Ellsworth came after the team failed to connect the project's main and secondary boreholes, Martin Siegert, the lead investigator for...

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YEARENDER-Rugby-Sting in the tail for All Blacks after stellar year

After ending their World Cup pain in 2011 New Zealand stamped their authority all over 2012, only for their triumphant run to be cut short spectacularly in the final game of the year.When the All Blacks ran out at Twickenham on Dec. 1 within three games of matching their record 23-match unbeaten sequence and, with only an 18-18 draw with Australia blotting their copybook, they were being touted as...

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OFFICIAL CORRECTION-Cricket-Australia beat S.Lanka by innings and 201 runs

MELBOURNE, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Australia beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 201 runs in the second test on the third day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday to seal their three-match series 2-0.Scores: Sri Lanka 103-9 & 156 (K. Sangakkara 58; M. Johnson 4-63) v Australia 460 (D. Warner 62, S. Watson 83, M. Clarke 106, M. Johnson 92 not out; D. Prasad 3-106, S. Eranga 3-1...

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Cricket-Australia v Sri Lanka - second test scoreboard

MELBOURNE, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Scoreboard on the third day ofthe second test after Australia beat Sri Lanka by an innings and201 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.Australia sealed the three-match series 2-0.Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to batSri Lanka first innings 156Australia first innings (overnight 440-8)D. Warner c Prasad b Mathews 62E. Cowan c M. Jayawardene b Prasad 36P. Hughes...

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UPDATE 3-Cricket-Australia thrash Sri Lanka to seal series

(Updates with result)* Australia seal series 2-0* Sangakkara retires hurtMELBOURNE, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Australia humiliated Sri Lanka by an innings and 201 runs to win the second test before tea on day three at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, and seal their three-match series 2-0.Needing 305 runs to make Australia bat again, Sri Lanka surrendered after adding only 103 in their second innings,...

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