AP source: Eagles interview Notre Dame's Kelly

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles interviewed Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly for their coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the meeting told The Associated Press.
Kelly was the third college coach Philadelphia interviewed since firing Andy Reid on Dec. 31. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, said the Eagles met with Kelly on Tuesday.
Penn State's Bill O'Brien and Oregon's Chip Kelly interviewed with the Eagles last week, but chose to stay at their schools.
The Eagles have interviewed six candidates and plan to meet with four others.
Kelly recently called coaching Notre Dame his "dream job," but he wouldn't be the first to explore his options, perhaps even to get a raise to stay put.
News of the interview comes just two days after Notre Dame lost to Alabama in the BCS national championship game, a 42-14 Tide blowout that was a sour ending to the Fighting Irish season.
Notre Dame had won its first 12 games, raising hope among its fervent fans that the program was back among the elite after years of mediocrity.
Just a year ago, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick gave Kelly a two-year contract extension to keep him with the Fighting Irish through the 2016 season. Terms have not been released.
Kelly was hired in December 2009, getting a five-year deal. He left an undefeated Cincinnati team that was ranked No. 4 at the time. Fans liked his approach and his resume, which included improved records at Division II Grand Valley State, Central Michigan and Cincinnati.
He has done the same thing in South Bend, begging the question of whether he is ready so soon to make a fresh move, this time to the NFL, or is perhaps trying to parlay a better contract out of Notre Dame.
It wouldn't be the first time that's happened to the Eagles during this search.
Regardless of any candidate's intentions, the Eagles have proceeded slowly.
General manager Howie Roseman, owner Jeffrey Lurie and president Don Smolenski plan to meet with former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith on Thursday.
"Jeffrey has been very adamant with us that the key is getting the right guy," Roseman said in an interview on the team's Web site. "The key isn't getting the right guy as quickly as possible, so that's what we're going to do."
They met Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy on Sunday and plan to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.
Two other candidates dropped out of consideration. Atlanta offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter signed a contract extension to stay with the Falcons. Syracuse coach Doug Marrone replaced Chan Gailey in Buffalo.
"This whole organization is built to support a head coach and they know that — not only in actions but in words — and all they have to do is call Andy Reid," Roseman said. "It's been a positive experience."
The interview with Chip Kelly last Saturday lasted for several hours, fueling speculation that he was going to take the job. But Kelly, who also was pursued by Cleveland, opted for the second straight year to pass up the NFL. He turned down Tampa Bay last year.
What do they discuss in meetings with candidates?
"Everything, every aspect of the organization, how they run meetings, how they run training camp, what they're looking for in players, what they're looking for in coaches," Roseman said. "You have to have a plan and know what you are doing in every area."
This is the third time Lurie is hiring a new coach since he bought the team from Norman Braman in 1994. He hired Ray Rhodes on Feb. 2, 1995, after a long, exhaustive search that included a flirtation with former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Lurie needed less time to hire Reid, giving him the job on Jan. 11, 1999.

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Person familiar with meeting: Eagles interview Notre Dame's Brian Kelly for coaching vacancy

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles interviewed Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly for their coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the meeting told The Associated Press.
Kelly was the third college coach Philadelphia interviewed since firing Andy Reid on Dec. 31. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, said the Eagles met with Kelly on Tuesday.
Penn State's Bill O'Brien and Oregon's Chip Kelly interviewed with the Eagles last week, but chose to stay at their schools.
The Eagles have interviewed six candidates and plan to meet with four others.
Kelly recently called coaching Notre Dame his "dream job," but he wouldn't be the first to explore his options, perhaps even to get a raise to stay put.
News of the interview comes just two days after Notre Dame lost to Alabama in the BCS national championship game, a 42-14 Tide blowout that was a sour ending to the Fighting Irish season.
Notre Dame had won its first 12 games, raising hope among its fervent fans that the program was back among the elite after years of mediocrity.
Just a year ago, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick gave Kelly a two-year contract extension to keep him with the Fighting Irish through the 2016 season. Terms have not been released.
Kelly was hired in December 2009, getting a five-year deal. He left an undefeated Cincinnati team that was ranked No. 4 at the time. Fans liked his approach and his resume, which included improved records at Division II Grand Valley State, Central Michigan and Cincinnati.
He has done the same thing in South Bend, begging the question of whether he is ready so soon to make a fresh move, this time to the NFL, or is perhaps trying to parlay a better contract out of Notre Dame.
It wouldn't be the first time that's happened to the Eagles during this search.
Regardless of any candidate's intentions, the Eagles have proceeded slowly.
General manager Howie Roseman, owner Jeffrey Lurie and president Don Smolenski plan to meet with former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith on Thursday.
"Jeffrey has been very adamant with us that the key is getting the right guy," Roseman said in an interview on the team's Web site. "The key isn't getting the right guy as quickly as possible, so that's what we're going to do."
They met Denver offensive co-ordinator Mike McCoy on Sunday and plan to interview Indianapolis offensive co-ordinator Bruce Arians, Seattle defensive co-ordinator Gus Bradley and Cincinnati offensive co-ordinator Jay Gruden.
Two other candidates dropped out of consideration. Atlanta offensive co-ordinator Dirk Koetter signed a contract extension to stay with the Falcons. Syracuse coach Doug Marrone replaced Chan Gailey in Buffalo.
"This whole organization is built to support a head coach and they know that — not only in actions but in words — and all they have to do is call Andy Reid," Roseman said. "It's been a positive experience."
The interview with Chip Kelly last Saturday lasted for several hours, fueling speculation that he was going to take the job. But Kelly, who also was pursued by Cleveland, opted for the second straight year to pass up the NFL. He turned down Tampa Bay last year.
What do they discuss in meetings with candidates?
"Everything, every aspect of the organization, how they run meetings, how they run training camp, what they're looking for in players, what they're looking for in coaches," Roseman said. "You have to have a plan and know what you are doing in every area."
This is the third time Lurie is hiring a new coach since he bought the team from Norman Braman in 1994. He hired Ray Rhodes on Feb. 2, 1995, after a long, exhaustive search that included a flirtation with former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Lurie needed less time to hire Reid, giving him the job on Jan. 11, 1999.

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Dalhousie University women's hockey team feels 'betrayed' after alleged hazing

HALIFAX - Members of Dalhousie University's women's hockey team say they feel betrayed by the Halifax school after an alleged hazing ritual that cost them the rest of their season.
The university suspended all but first-year players from the team last week after an investigation into the September incident, which the school said involved excessive drinking, intimidation and humiliation.
Dalhousie University spokesman Charles Crosby has said no one was physically hurt during the private house party, but that many players were "put in harm's way" both physically and psychologically.
The team has issued a statement saying it held a party to welcome new players that included drinking games among other activities, but did not force anyone to drink alcohol.
It also says first-year players dressed up in "odd clothing," and were asked to eat sardines, hot peppers and whipped cream, but none of the activities was mandatory.
The team apologizes "for any mistakes" made during the party, but lambastes the university for its handling of the situation, saying school officials aggressively and unfairly interrogated players and depicted them as criminals.
Team members have also appealed in a letter to Dalhousie University president Tom Traves to reverse the suspension, saying they are willing to take the matter to court if necessary.

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Soccer-Russia's Kuban Krasnodar installs Kuchuk as coach

MOSCOW, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Russian Premier League club Kuban Krasnodar moved quickly to replace sacked coach Yuri Krasnozhan, naming Belarussian Leonid Kuchuk as their new boss on Wednesday.
Krasnozhan was fired on Tuesday following what Kuban said were "strategic" disagreements with club officials, despite leading the modest side to fourth place midway through the season - their best position in Russia's top flight.
Kuban becomes the fourth top flight club to change coaches since the start of a long winter break last month, joining Premier League strugglers Mordovia Saransk, Volga Nizhny Novgorod and Krylya Sovietov Samara.

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Soccer-France Hoarau signs for China's Dalian Aerbin from PSG

PARIS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - France striker Guillaume Hoarau has joined Chinese Super League soccer club Dalian Aerbin from Paris St Germain, the player said on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Hoarau, who has five caps for France, signed a three-year deal with the club, according to media reports.
"Here we go," Hoarau wrote on his official Twitter account underneath a picture of him displaying a Dalian Aerbin scarf.
Hoarau played only 118 minutes in six league games, scoring one goal, as coach Carlo Ancelotti preferred Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kevin Gameiro and even winger Jeremy Menez at the front.
The towering striker joined PSG in 2008 from second division Le Havre, and scored 38 goals in 114 appearances for the capital club. He last featured with the national side in a friendly in Poland in June 2011.

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Manziel first freshman to win Heisman Trophy

(Reuters) - Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, making him the first 'freshman' to win college football's top honor.
Manziel, nicknamed "Johnny Football", beat out Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein at the swanky ceremony in New York.
"This is a moment I've dreamed about since I was a kid running around the backyard pretending I was Doug Flute throwing 'hail marys' to my dad," the first-year player Manziel said.
"To be invited into this fraternity, what a pleasure it really is.
"I wish my whole team could be up here with me tonight especially my whole offensive line."
The Texan Manziel finished the regular season with 3,419 passing yards and 1,181 rushing yards to set a new total offense record for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 12 games.
Manziel, who is not eligible for the NFL draft for at least another year, also broke the 1969 record held by Archie Manning, father of Peyton and Eli Manning, for total offense in a game with 557 yards against Arkansas.
He later bettered that with 567 yards against Louisiana Tech.
Marqise Lee from USC was fourth and Braxton Miller from Ohio State was fifth.

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Golf-Europe should recall a former Ryder Cup captain - Clarke

 Europe may need to recall a former captain to compete with the United States in the 2014 Ryder Cup after the Americans "put down a statement" by calling on Tom Watson, says 2011 British Open winner Darren Clarke.
A winner of eight majors, Watson's presence as captain for the match at Gleneagles shows how determined the U.S. are to reclain the trophy and Clarke said Europe should respond with a big-name appointment, while distancing himself from the role.
Europe never ask a former captain to return but Clarke says that stance should change, offering the possibility of a return to the role for Colin Montgomerie who steered Europe to victory at Celtic Manor in 2010.
"We seriously need the right man for the job," Clarke told the BBC. "We do have an (unwritten) rule where we don't ask anybody to do it again, but we might have to look at that."
Europe are expected to name their captain early in the New Year when the tournament committee meet in Abu Dhabi.
"I think it could well affect who is appointed," said Clarke. "A lot of people, myself included, were surprised when Tom Watson was appointed.
"It's a big statement and brilliant for the event. There are few more iconic figures in golf, he's adored in Scotland and it sends out a statement that they are very serious about winning the trophy back.

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Europe should recall a former Ryder Cup captain: Clarke

 Europe may need to recall a former captain to compete with the United States in the 2014 Ryder Cup after the Americans "put down a statement" by calling on Tom Watson, says 2011 British Open winner Darren Clarke.
A winner of eight majors, Watson's presence as captain for the match at Gleneagles shows how determined the U.S. are to reclaim the trophy and Clarke said Europe should respond with a big-name appointment, while distancing himself from the role.
Europe never ask a former captain to return but Clarke says that stance should change, offering the possibility of a return to the role for Colin Montgomerie who steered Europe to victory at Celtic Manor in 2010.
"We seriously need the right man for the job," Clarke told the BBC. "We do have an (unwritten) rule where we don't ask anybody to do it again, but we might have to look at that."
Europe are expected to name their captain early in the New Year when the tournament committee meet in Abu Dhabi.
"I think it could well affect who is appointed," said Clarke. "A lot of people, myself included, were surprised when Tom Watson was appointed.
"It's a big statement and brilliant for the event. There are few more iconic figures in golf, he's adored in Scotland and it sends out a statement that they are very serious about winning the trophy back."
Watson will captain his country for a second time having also led the team to victory in 1993, the last time the U.S. won on foreign soil.

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On the back roads of golf, tales from the tour

Dave Kindred, a preeminent American sports writer who has worked his trade for the better part of four decades, was walking down the right side of the first fairway at Kiawah Island with the final group at the PGA Championship when he mentioned he had been teaching a writing class to college students.
Like most great columnists, Kindred's strength is his power of observation, and he has tried to pass that along.
"The one thing I tell them," he said, "is that if you really pay attention to what you're covering, you'll see something you've never seen before."
He stopped and kneeled to watch Carl Pettersson, playing in the last group that Sunday with Rory McIlroy, hit his approach to the green. Pettersson was just inside the red hazard line, so he was careful not to ground his club. Brushing the top of the grass was OK.
Moments after his shot, he was approached by PGA rules official Brad Gregory and told there might be a problem.
In a bizarre development, Pettersson's club nicked a leaf on the way back, a violation of Rule 13-4c for moving a loose impediment in a hazard. After an exhaustive video review, Pettersson was given the bad news — a two-stroke penalty — on the fourth hole.
Pay attention and you never know what you'll see.
That much was true in a wild year of golf. Phil Mickelson lost his bid at the Masters by hitting two shots right-handed. Rory McIlroy was confused by the time zone and needed a police escort to get to the final day of the Ryder Cup on time. Tiger Woods never found his golf ball, was not penalized and still missed the cut.
Those have been well-documented. What follows is the 2012 edition of "Tales from the Tour," the obscure moments that keep golf so interesting and entertaining.
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Kyle Stanley is a quiet man. This was a quiet celebration.
One week after he made triple bogey on the 18th hole at Torrey Pines and then lost in a playoff, he rallied from eight shots behind on the final day with a 65 in the Phoenix Open to win his first PGA Tour event. It was a remarkable turnaround. One week he faced the media after his meltdown and fought back tears. The next week he was a winner.
Stanley was invited to a Super Bowl party that night at the home of Jim Mackay, the longtime caddie of Phil Mickelson. He was late to the party because of the media obligations that come with winning. When he finally arrived, Stanley knocked and then walked in the door holding the oversized winner's check over his head.
He quietly placed it above the TV, and then sat down to watch the game, a player at peace.
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No other golfer spends more time with the media after every round than Ryo Ishikawa, who is treated like a rock star in Japan. When he signs his card, even when it's late in the day, it's not unusual for the 21-year-old to spend close to an hour fulfilling his media obligations.
That's where "The Chair" comes in.
His handlers have a white folding chair for Ishikawa as he endures two interviews with different television stations. A dozen or so reporters form a semi-circle around him as they wait and listen, occasionally jotting down notes. Then, it's their turn. They spent close to 15 minutes with Ishikawa after his round at Innisbrook, going over the clubs he used and shots he hit on just about every hole — this after a 73 that left him 12 shots out of the lead.
Finally, he was finished. He got up from the chair and walked around the clubhouse toward the parking lot. The Japanese reporters followed him, walking in a group about 20 yards behind. One of them was asked where they were going.
"Now we wave goodbye," the reporter explained.
Indeed, they stood on a sidewalk and waved as Ishikawa's car drove by them.
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Butch Harmon was talking retirement in the spring. He turned 69 this year. A Vietnam War vet, he has been teaching most of his life, working for Sky Sports and traveling the world, which is starting to take its toll. He worries about the day when his attention span is short or he doesn't care as much as he once did.
"It's not there, but it's coming," he said. "I will never step away. I'll always teach. I love to teach."
The next morning, he was on the range at Quail Hollow waiting for Phil Mickelson to arrive. Gary Christian , a 40-year-old PGA Tour rookie from England, walked over and introduced himself. Christian said he was fascinated to watch so many Americans use the leading edge of the club on wedge shots. They chatted for a few minutes and after Christian walked away, Harmon said, "Who was that?"
Harmon nodded when told about Christian's back story, how he came to America on a college scholarship, supported himself by selling steak knives and toiled in the minor leagues for 15 years before finally making it to the big leagues.
Still no sign of Mickelson.
A few minutes later, Harmon walked over to Christian. He spent a few minutes observing, and then pulled a wedge from the bag and gave an impromptu lesson.
He'll always teach. He loves to teach.
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You've seen the sign at the baggage claim to check your luggage because some bags may look alike. That goes for golf travel bags, too.
Nick Watney and Angel Cabrera arrived in San Francisco for the U.S. Open about the same time, on different flights. Cabrera kept waiting at oversized luggage for his bag to come out, and he began to think the airlines had lost it. There was only one golf bag there, and it belonged to Watney.
That's when the light came on.
Cabrera's agent called the person in charge of U.S. Open courtesy cars and asked them to stop Watney on his way out.
Sure enough, Cabrera's golf bag was in his trunk.
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The relationship three-time major champion Padraig Harrington has with reporters is unlike that of any other player, especially the Irish media.
He was giving an interview to Greg Allen of Irish radio station RTE, and after they finished, Harrington began making small talk. He asked Allen, "I heard you lost your sunglasses?" Allen's shoulders slumped as he told Harrington he had misplaced his glasses and didn't know where to look for them.
Harrington didn't commiserate. He smiled.
"They're in my locker," he said. "You left them behind the other day."
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Sung Kang received elite training in South Korea's national program that is producing more and more top players, but he worked equally hard on his English and speaks beautifully for someone who has played the PGA Tour only the last few years.
Turns out he has been coming to America twice a year since 2002 to work on his golf, and he devoted just as much effort to the language.
In Florida? California?
"Dallas," Kang said. "I went to the Hank Haney schools, so I would work with Haney and learned English there in Texas."
Some things, however, still get lost in translation. Kang was asked if he ever bought cowboy boots from all that time spent in Dallas.
"No," he said. "I don't really like the NFL. I'm more of a Lakers fan."
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The British Open has a massive scoreboard in the press center where a group of volunteers, most of them women in their early 20s, move ladders on rails from side to side as they post the score of every hole for every player.
Press officers often check to see which players they should bring in for interviews the first two rounds as the leaderboard is taking shape. In the second round, Adam Scott had a 67 to get within one shot of the lead with several players still on the course.
The announcement over the intercom: "Can we see a show of hands for Adam Scott?"
Six young women posting scores all raised their hands.
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About two dozen fans waiting for autographs behind the ninth green on the Magnolia Course at Disney got more than they expected. Brian Harman emerged from the scoring trailer after the final PGA Tour event of the year and said, "Who's left-handed?"
One man came forward, and it turned out to be his lucky day.
Harman went over to his bag, removed all the irons and handed them to the fan. Turns out Harman wanted to try something different at Disney, so he used irons with graphite shafts. He described it as the worst ball-striking week he had all year.
"I just wanted to try some different stuff," Harman said. "And now I know what was not the answer."
No other sports organization comes close to the amount of charity produced by the PGA Tour. Harman took it to a new level.

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