Projo Sports Blog

December 28, 2007 Archives

AP photo / Michael Zamora
Jimmy Baron defends Eastern Michigan's Jesse Bunkley during the first half tonight in Corpus Christi, Texas.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - Will Daniels and Jimmy Baron scored 18 points each to lead No. 25 Rhode Island to a 92-75 win over Eastern Michigan on Friday night in the Islander Invitational.

The muscular, 6-foot-8 Daniels did most of his damage inside for the Rams (12-1), who were playing their first game as a Top 25 team since the 1998-99 season. Baron scored from the outside, shooting 4-of-9 from 3-point range.

Zane Gray had 12 points for Eastern Michigan (4-5), which has lost four of its past five games. Carlos Medlock and Jesse Bunkley chipped in 10 apiece for the Eagles.

Rhode Island plays the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi-Georgia Southern winner in the tournament championship Saturday.

Eastern Michigan's hot shooting from behind the arc kept the Eagles in the game for much of the first half. Rhode Island went into the half up 51-41, and Eastern Michigan never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

Eastern Michigan's hot shooting disappeared after halftime. After shooting nearly 54 percent from the field in the first half, the Eagles struggled to a 9-for-25 performance after the break.

PAWTUCKET -- Bianca Bogda scored four goals as Bay View beat Mount St. Charles, 6-3, last night at Lynch Arena.

By BEN VOLIN
Cox News Service

DAVIE, Fla. - Dolphins linebacker Donnie Spragan has enough to worry about.

He's playing through a neck injury that has been bothering him for weeks. Like most of his teammates, he doesn't know if he'll survive Bill Parcells' housecleaning. And at 31 Spragan doesn't know how many offers he would get on the free-agent market.

Not to mention that he still has to suit up Sunday to play Cincinnati, a game the Dolphins must win to improve their league-worst record to 2-14.

So while most of the football world will tune in tonight to watch the New England Patriots play the New York Giants with history at stake, Spragan, like many of his teammates, won't be near a television.

"Personally, I really couldn't care less," Spragan said. "We have so much to worry about over here, it's the last thing on our lists."

Outside the confines of the Dolphins training facility, much of the country is fascinated by the game, which could end with the Patriots completing the NFL's first 16-0 regular season.

Tickets are going for as much as $2,500 on eBay. The NFL Network, which reaches just 40 percent of television households in the country, was supposed to broadcast the game exclusively. But demand was so high that the NFL agreed to allow NBC and CBS to show it, too. It will be the first simulcast of an NFL game since Super Bowl I in 1967.

"It'll be like the State of the Union, on every channel," Patriots coach Bill Belichick quipped.
The 1972 Dolphins are, for now, the only NFL team to finish undefeated. Members of that club, which played a 14-game regular season, undoubtedly are more interested in tonight's game than their Miami contemporaries.

Former Dolphins guard Larry Little said that even if the Patriots have a perfect season, "We'll be 1A and they'll be 1B, because we did it first."

Former safety Charlie Babb played his first season with the Dolphins in '72.

"We had that record a long time, and records are meant to be broken," said Babb, 57. "But the older I get, the more it means to us. That's all we have left."

The quarterback of the 1972 Dolphins, Bob Griese, won't mind if the Pats go 19-0.
"Part of me is really rooting for them," he said. "The thing I don't want them to do is go undefeated during the regular season and then lose in the playoffs. They're the best team, and I would like to see them win the championship."

Some of the current Dolphins are a little less gracious when it comes to New England.
"I have to admit I am a bit envious, and I want them to lose just so they can look more human," running back Samkon Gado said.

This season, various Patriots games have attracted the largest audience in cable-television history, the most viewers for a Sunday night NFL game and the biggest audience for a Sunday afternoon game in more than 20 years.

Tonight's game could rank among the most-watched programs in television history.

Just not for many Dolphins.

"I'll watch the playoffs," Spragan said, "but I don't care about this one."

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Texas A&M apologized to Penn State after a student leader mocked Joe Paterno by telling a crowd that the 81-year-old coach needs "a casket."

Paterno and his Penn State team face A&M on Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl.

One A&M yell leader, during a pep rally Thursday night, told the crowd that Paterno was "on his death bed" and "someone needs to find him a casket." The remarks drew boos from the crowd.

A&M team spokesman Alan Cannon said Friday he did not know the name of the yell leader, though the student has been sent home.

The yell leaders - similar to cheerleaders - are A&M's official "spirit" organization and lead fans' cheers during games and other school events. They are elected by the student body.

Paterno, at a news conference Friday at the Alamodome, said he was backstage with Aggies interim coach Gary Darnell when the comments were made, but did not hear them.

"I think everybody has to take things with a grain of salt," Paterno said. "Some young guy went up there, trying to be funny. Maybe he's accurate, I don't know."

Texas A&M's interim president, Eddie Davis, and athletic director Bill Byrne later apologized to their Penn State counterparts.

"I honestly didn't hear it, and I don't particularly care about it," Paterno said Friday. "Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you."

Paterno, a 42-year head-coaching veteran, is about to enter the last year of a four-year contract that expires following the 2008 season.

Paul Kenyon took some time this morning to talk about the Rams' appearance this weekend in the Islander Invitational in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Rams take on Eastern Michigan tonight at 6, then play either Texas A&M-Corpus Christi or Georgia Southern on Saturday. Click the play button below to see and hear the show.

Here are a couple of excerpts from Paul's comments:

On defending the Top 25 spot: "When the players step on the court today, there's a different sense, that, 'Hey, we've got something to protect here, something that really is special.' ... It puts some pressure on, but I think at the same time it may even add to the intensity and to the focus of the team, so I don't think it's necessarily bad at all.

On tonight's opponent: "Eastern Michigan, the team they're facing tonight, it's a very average team. They're 4-5, they don't seem to do anything special. They obviously want to keep the game under control ... Frankly it's the kind of team that -- as Hofstra was, as other teams have been early in the year -- that URI just imposes its will on and beats them by making them play the game the way URI wants it."

On today's sports cover, Shalise Manza Young goes over the arguments -- from the Giants' point of view -- against using starters in Saturday's game against the Patriots. Also, Joe McDonald writes on the Red Sox' program of offseason physical evaluations for pitchers.

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