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Never have two wild-card Cheap ghd teams met in a conference championship. The NFC seems ripe for that possibility this month. Unlike in the AFC, where the New England Patriots loom, much as they did in their undefeated 2007 season, as that opponent to be feared, the NFC is wide open. So much so that both road teams this weekend, the Saints and Packers, own victories against their hosts. Wins for New Orleans at Seattle and Green Bay at Philadelphia hardly are farfetched. Indeed, outside of the Seahawks (7-9)—the first division winner with a losing record—pulling off a monumental upset, the NFC is a five-team grab bag. “Once you get into the postseason, no one’s really interested in how you got there,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “That’s been the history of our league.” The history of the league since 2000 has been that wild-card teams have a decent chance of getting to the Super Bowl, and top seeds are anything but a lock. Last year, when the Saints beat the Colts for the championship, it was the first time the No. 1 seeds in each conference made the big game since 1993. In the last decade, wild-card teams got to sheepkin boots the Super Bowl three times; they all won it: Baltimore in the 2001 game, Pittsburgh in 2006 and the Giants in 2008. Could we have a fifth seed against a sixth seed in a title game this year? If so, look to the NFC. New Orleans, after all, is the defending champion and should have an easy time with Seattle, which it beat 34-19 in November. Green Bay, plagued by key injuries more than any other contender, defeated the Eagles at Philly in the season opener and has that dangerous look about it reminiscent of the Steelers who won three road games before beating Seattle in the ’06 Super Bowl. “We did not execute at the level we’re capable of, but we’re 10-6, we’re in the playoffs, we’re a damn good offense, and we need to get ready for Philadelphia,” coach Mike McCarthy said, noting the balance his team can have. “We’ve lost some games here, but we’ve been in every single contest. “I’ve always referred to (the defense) as the thermostat. They control the temperature, they control what’s going on Nike shox NZ every time we compete. It gives us an opportunity to play offense the way we do.” True, the Saints and Packers would need to be road stars to get to the Super Bowl—although New Orleans would get the home-field edge in any meeting with Green Bay, which only could come in the championship. Even truer, it’s senseless to dismiss the teams above them—other than the Seahawks. Atlanta has the conference’s best record, 13-3, and quietly has been the NFC’s top team. It might be a bit inexperienced in key contests, but Atlanta has a rapidly developing quarterback in Matt Ryan(notes), an all-time great tight end in Tony Gonzalez(notes), and a stud running back in Michael Turner(notes). The defense has several playmakers, led by end John Abraham(notes). But the Saints went into the Georgia Dome two weeks ago and, despite their best efforts to give away the game, beat the Falcons. Atlanta’s worst game of the season was at Philadelphia, and the Packers also bumbled enough to lose at the Falcons’ dome. As good as they have been, do the Falcons make Red Monkey jeans the opposition tremble? Not quite. “We better be confident about it,” Gonzalez said of the challenge ahead, “but we know it’s going to take a lot of hard work and we’re going to have to face some good teams that are going to try and get at us. I think if we can play like we’re capable of playing, we can beat any team.” And any team can beat them, including second-seeded Chicago, another club that hasn’t gotten the attention its turnaround season deserves. Lovie Smith has done a masterful coaching job, with the defense, sparked by the return to health of Brian Urlacher(notes), capable of shutting down just about anybody. The offense, particularly with running back Matt Forte(notes) breaking out in the second half of the schedule, can be efficient. Special teams, led by returner Devin Hester(notes), are, well, special. Chicago also is error-prone, especially when Jay Cutler(notes) is pressured. Nearly every potential NFC opponent is capable of doing so to the quarterback. So the folks in Nawlins who got to celebrate that home victory over the Vikings in overtime a year ago for the NFC championship shouldn’t write off hosting another early Timberland shoes high Mardi Gras against the Packers.

SOFIA (AFP) - Some of MBT shoes Bulgaria's most popular football clubs have ties with mafia bosses, who use them to launder money, according to a US diplomatic document revealed by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks. "Bulgarian soccer clubs are widely believed to be directly or indirectly controlled by organised crime figures who use their teams as a way to legitimise themselves, launder money, or make a fast buck," a January 2010 cable from the US embassy in Sofia to Washington noted. Details of the cable, which handed Bulgarian football "a red card for corruption", were published Monday on the website of the Spanish daily El Pais. "Nearly all of the teams are owned or have been connected to organised crime figures," the cable's author, current US deputy chief of mission to Sofia Susan Sutton, wrote. A "sampling of the most well-known connections" compiled by Sutton included some of Bulgaria's most popular first league clubs, such as Levski Sofia, CSKA Sofia, Litex Lovech, Slavia Sofia, Cherno more Varna, Lokomotiv Sofia and Lokomotiv Plovdiv. An alleged arms dealer, a proxy to a notorious Russian businessman and three assassinated crime bosses were among the team owners listed in the cable. As a result, "allegations of illegal gambling, match fixing, money laundering, and tax evasion plague the league", the cable found. Sutton cited the example of one club owner who allegedly bet against his own team to pay back debts, as well as recent tax administration findings that most sheepkin boots players received, at least on paper, the Bulgarian minimum wage of 240 leva (120 euros, 170 dollars) per month—although in some cases their actual pay was at least 70 times higher. The document concluded that a successful operation to sever the mafia's links to football would be "a public relations coup" for Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whom it described as a "soccer fanatic".

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Beleaguered 2010 jerseys　Australia captain Ricky Ponting could face a disciplinary charge after remonstrating with umpires over an unsuccessful video review as his team struggled on the second day of the fourth Ashes cricket test Monday against England. International Cricket Council match referee Ranjan Madugalle was reviewing video footage as he considered laying charges against Ponting and Australian paceman Peter Siddle following a fiery day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ponting, who scored just 10 runs in Australia’s disastrous first innings that saw the home side dismissed for just 98, became agitated after Kevin Pietersen was given not out while on 49 by the video referee. Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin persuaded Ponting to call for a video review after Pietersen appeared to edge a Ryan Harris delivery. Ponting then argued heatedly, and at length, with on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Tony Hill when Pietersen was ruled not out. Paceman Peter Siddle joined in at one point, waving a finger. Ponting demanded to know from Dar, then Hill, why it was not out. Ponting also had an angry exchange with Pietersen, amid loud booing from the crowd. “We haven’t heard anything from the ICC yet so we just don’t want to discuss anything about what’s going on,” Siddle told a press conference. Siddle would offer only “no comment” to further queries on the incident. Cricket Australia spokesman Lachy Patterson said umpires were reviewing footage of the match and any decision regarding a possible charge arising from the incident would be made from ICC headquarters in Dubai. The “hot spot” technology used by the third umpire showed a bright mark on Pietersen’s bat, but it was not near where the ball passed between bat and pad. Pietersen was dismissed by Mitchell Johnson for Air Force Low Shoes 51 before fellow South African-born batsman Jonathan Trott led England to 444-5 at stumps for a lead of 346 runs. Trott, who shared the crease with Pietersen when the incident occurred, claimed to have no knowledge of what was said or why Ponting was angered. “I don’t really know much about what was going on, I was talking to K.P. the whole time,” he said. “I didn’t see any altercation really. I saw (Ponting) chatting but I’m not sure what about.”

TORONTO (AP)—Richard Hamilton(notes) scored sports jerseys a season-high 35 points, Rodney Stuckey(notes) had 21 and the Detroit Pistons beat Toronto 115-93 on Wednesday night, snapping a five-game losing streak against the Raptors. The Pistons fell one point shy of matching a season high and ended an eight-game road skid, winning away from home for the first time since Nov. 14 at Sacramento. Charlie Villanueva(notes) had 18 points and former Raptor Tracy McGrady(notes) scored a season-high 17 to help the Pistons win for the third time in four games since blowing a 25-point lead to Toronto. The Raptors trailed by 25 points in the third quarter of a Dec. 11 game at Detroit, but rallied to win 120-116 for the biggest turnaround in team history. There was no such comeback in this one. Detroit led by 32 and easily sent the short-handed Raptors to their eighth loss in 10 games. Leandro Barbosa(notes) scored 21 points, Linas Kleiza(notes) had 19 and Andrea Bargnani(notes) 16 for Toronto. DeMar DeRozan(notes) and Ed Davis(notes) each scored 10 points and Jose Calderon(notes) had 13 assists for Toronto, the third straight time he’s reached double digits. The Raptors had a season-high 24 turnovers, eclipsing the 21 they had in a Nov. 5 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Bargnani returned to the starting lineup after missing two of the previous three games. Bargnani, who sat out Sunday’s loss to the Lakers with a sore right ankle, strained his left calf in the third quarter but stayed in the game. Amir Johnson(notes) started for the Raptors but Nike shox NZ scored only two points in 15 minutes before leaving with back spasms. Joey Dorsey(notes) took over for Johnson to start the second half. Detroit lost forward Jason Maxiell(notes) to a dislocated finger on his right hand in the second quarter. X-rays were negative.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Ray Allen(notes) and 2010 handbag Glen Davis(notes) scored 16 points apiece and the Boston Celtics overcame a thin front line with smothering defense in cruising to their 10th straight victory, 93-62 over the listless Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night. Kevin Garnett(notes) had 13 points and 11 rebounds and got to sit out the fourth quarter as the Celtics weren’t threatened after halftime. Boston played its second straight game without Shaquille O’Neal(notes), who was resting his sore right calf. With Jermaine O’Neal(notes) (knee) still sidelined and Kendrick Perkins(notes) (knee surgery) out until February, rookie Semih Erden(notes) started at center. It didn’t matter, not with the Celtics allowing no more than 16 points in any quarter. The Bobcats shot 34 percent and committed 22 turnovers in an ugly effort in what’s been a disappointing start to the season. Nazr Mohammed(notes) scored 14 points and Stephen Jackson(notes) added 13 points and seven assists for the Bobcats, who got miserable performances by Gerald Wallace(notes) and D.J. Augustin(notes) in their second straight loss. The Bobcats barely avoided their worst offensive performance in team history as the Celtics continued to keep surging Miami at a distance atop the Eastern Conference. Boston shot just 44 percent, a stark contrast from its 53 percent shooting in its win streak coming in. Paul Pierce(notes) was held to eight points on 1-of-9 shooting, but the Celtics more than made up for it by completely shutting down one of the league’s worst offensive teams. Erden, the 7-footer from Turkey, helped the cause with 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Wallace, who made his first All-Star game last season, never got Tommy sweater going. He had nine points on 2-of-15 shooting with a combination of bricked jumpers, missed layups and rejections in the lane. Augustin missed all eight shots, had just one assist and committed four turnovers, while Boris Diaw(notes) took only two shots in 35 minutes. And with sixth man Tyrus Thomas(notes) (strained left calf) missing his second straight game, the Bobcats had no spark off the bench in their fifth straight loss to Boston. A despondent Bobcats coach Larry Brown took aim at his team before the game, questioning the energy and defensive intensity. But a similar problem, a stagnant offense, put them in an early hole. Wallace was either missing from the outside or barreling into defenders for charges in a 1-for-7 first half. Even with Pierce and Allen not getting their first field goals until late in the second quarter, the Celtics took a 42-32 halftime lead. Despite a team-best 12 points as he played against the inexperienced Erden, Brown benched a healthy Mohammed at the start of the third quarter for the offensively challenged Kwame Brown(notes). He only hit backboard on his first shot and later missed three free throws, counting an extra shot for a lane violation, during Boston’s 11-5 run to start the period that put the game out of reach. It wasn’t until Dominic McGuire’s(notes) basket with 2:05 left that Oakley Sunglsses Charlotte reached 60 points and avoided the lowest-scoring game in franchise history. The Bobcats lost to the Celtics 92-59 to open last season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Louisville coach discount gucci shoes Rick Pitino told his team there would be nights like this. The 24th-ranked Cardinals shot only 36.1 percent from the field—leading scorer Mike Marra was 1 for 10—and led San Francisco by one point at halftime. They persevered because of their defense. Louisville outscored the Dons 36-11 in the second half on its way to a 61-35 victory in front of 21,049 at the KFC Yum! Center. Peyton Siva and Terrence Jennings both scored 14 points for the Cardinals (7-0). Both were 5 for 8 from the field, while their teammates were a combined 12 for 45 (26.7 percent). “Coach said, ‘Sometimes the shots don’t go in,”’ said Jennings, a 6-foot-10 junior center who grabbed nine rebounds. “We knew we had to keep playing defense, keep getting stops. … Sometimes there’s a lid on the rim, you have to expect that and try to get stops as much as possible.” The Cardinals led 25-24 at halftime against the undermanned Dons (3-5) before holding them to five field goals in the second half. Siva sparked a 16-0 run by Louisville, hitting two 3-pointers and assisting on an inside basket early in the second half. The Cardinals cruised from there as they outscored San Francisco 36-11 in the second half. Chris Smith added 11 points and Preston Knowles had 10 for Louisville, which committed a season-low five turnovers while forcing 16 to outscore San Francisco 21-0 in points off turnovers. The Cardinals shot only 36.1 percent (22 for 61) from the field, but held the Dons to 31.1 percent (14 for 45), including 21.7 percent (5 for 23) in the second half. “What I told them at halftime is there is always a tournament game when shots aren’t falling and you are going to have to win it with defense,” Pitino said. “And they did it in the second half, they won it with Nike Shox NZ defense. Peyton Siva gave us a big run off his defense and were able to extend the lead.” Michael Williams led the Dons with 14 points. Louisville scored the first nine points of the game as San Francisco turned the ball over on its first three possessions. Siva, a sophomore point guard, accounted for seven of his team’s first nine points with an assist, a 3-pointer and a dunk off a steal. He finished with five assists and four steals. The Dons went without a field goal for the first 4:29, but San Francisco, with only eight players in uniform, scrapped its way back in the game. Trailing 20-8 at the 10-minute mark the Dons went to their spread offense and outscored Louisville 16-5 over the remainder of the first half. Williams’ 3-pointer with 1:02 left tied the score at 24 before Siva hit one free throw with 4.9 seconds remaining to give Louisville a 25-24 lead. The Cardinals, who settled for jump shots against San Francisco’s zone after taking a 20-8 lead, shot 37 percent (10 for 27) in the first half and were just 4 for 17 (23.5 percent) from 3-point range. “I just think our guys were so consumed with our shots not falling that they were forgetting that we made seven mishaps defensively, not switching at the right time, not guarding the post the right way,” Pitino said. “All because we were taken out, because this is a young team, an inexperienced team … because inexperience isn’t an excuse anymore … an inexperienced team that didn’t realize defense wins. So we broke down defensively and they shot, in the first half, one of the highest percents against us this season. So we made adjustments, so let’s Air Jordan Rings start thinking defense and not offense.” The teams traded baskets to start the second half before the Cardinals went on a 16-0 run. “The second half we just decided we were going to turn it up on D and rely on our D to get this win,” said sophomore forward Rakeem Buckles, who had 10 rebounds as the Cardinals outrebounded the Dons 44-36. Louisville shot 35.3 percent (12 for 34) in the second half, hitting 6 for 19 (31.6 percent) from 3-point range. San Francisco was 0 for 8 from long range in the second half. “We couldn’t get a whole lot going in the second half,” San Francisco coach Rex Walters said. “They’re pretty darn good. We spent so much energy on the defensive end, and you get nothing easy. … Tired legs equal bad shots. I told our guys, ‘You couldn’t have a worse situation—a Top 25 team, athletic, playing at a great arena, sometimes you feel like you’re out there playing 5-on-8.”