There will be no Cowher Power for the Jets. Bill Cowher informed the team last night he is not interested in their head-coaching job, and it could be because he doesn't want to coach Brett Favre. The former Steeler coach was the clear-cut favorite to replace Eric Mangini among Jets fans, and the team's ownership. Now, Woody Johnson must move on to Plan B. Talks between the Jets and Cowher never advanced past the preliminary stage. Sources close to Cowher said he did not want to have Favre as his quarterback, and that he also wanted to bring in people he was familiar with to handle personnel. A source familiar with Cowher's thinking said before last night's decision came down that the former Steeler boss would have to receive assurances from the Jets that the 39-year-old Favre no longer was in the picture before agreeing to take control. (New York Post) Comment
The banished Stephon Marbury agreed to pen The Post's final Knicks blog of 2008 after Marc Berman shut it down until the new year after writing he would cease the blog if the Knicks' lost to Minnesota on Friday. Marbury was a guest blogger for The Post in the summer of 2007, chronicling his Starbury sneaker bus tour. Marbury looks back and explains these trying final few months as a Knick. (New York Post) Comment
In the wake of the failed pursuit of Mark Teixeira, the Red Sox have indeed reached agreements with pitcher Brad Penny ($5 million guaranteed) and catcher Josh Bard ($1.7 million, non-guaranteed) on one-year contracts, at least partially addressing some of the team's lesser needs this offseason. The latter suggests the Sox still have every intention of re-signing Jason Varitek, but what is clear now is that they must prepare for the reality that they will have a less-potent offense in 2009, meaning that they will have to win with pitching and defense. As for the news that the Sox approached the Florida Marlins about Hanley Ramirez, it only magnifies just how costly the Teixeira fallout is. Ramirez isn't going anywhere after signing a six-year, $70 million extension that begins next year, meaning that the Marlins have him locked up at an average salary of $11.67 million over the next six years. Further, because Ramirez's annual salaries do not begin to explode until 2012 -- his base climbs to $15 million that season -- there is little or no reason for the Marlins to deal him before that time, at the earliest. So why did the Red Sox approach the Marlins? For the same reason they pursued Teixeira. They know their offense is going to slip in 2009. They know that shortstop, more than catcher, is the position where they can make the greatest offensive upgrade. And they know that they need a productive young hitter for the middle of their lineup after breaking up the tandem of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez that served as the nucleus for their entire roster for nearly six years. The more you examine the realities here, the more you cannot help but wonder why the Red Sox got to $170 million and stopped with Teixeira, leading to a scenario where the club was willing to offer prospects like Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury in a package for a young player with a $70 million contract. (Boston Globe) Comment
Must-See Photo
Staying sharp: James Wade of England warms up for his third-round match against Vincent van der Voort of the Netherlands at the 2009 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship in London, England on December 30. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Must-See Video
With the college Bowl season in full swing, it's time to revisit one of the epic battles of all time...
Game To Watch
Georgia Tech (9-3) vs. LSU (7-5), 7:30 p.m. ET -- The triple-option on its biggest postseason stage since Eric Crouch led Nebraska. Jackets QB Josh Nesbitt and runners Jonathan Dwyer, Roddy Jones and Lucas Cox will be a sight in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
1914 -- Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast L?Hommedieu Huston purchase the New York Yankees for $460,000.
1967 -- The Packers beat the Cowboys 21-17 in the Ice Bowl NFL Championship Game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay where gametime temperatures are -13 F. 1967 -- In the first NBA game played at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, the Lakers beat the San Diego Rockets, 147-118.
1974 -- George Steinbrenner's New York Yankees establish their reputation as free agent megaspenders by signing pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter to a five-year, $3 million deal.
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