UPDATE 1-NBA-Paul pulls the strings as Clippers slice up Mavs

(adds quotes, detail)* Crawford returns for Clippers* Mavericks lose fourth straightJan 9 (Reuters) - Chris Paul orchestrated another Los Angeles Clippers triumph with a season-high 16 assists as he pulled the strings in a 99-93 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.With the game evenly poised heading into the closing stages, Paul scored or assisted on eight of his team's 10 field goals...

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Paul pulls the strings as Clippers slice up Mavs

(Reuters) - Chris Paul orchestrated another Los Angeles Clippers triumph with a season-high 16 assists as he pulled the strings in a 99-93 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.With the game evenly poised heading into the closing stages, Paul scored or assisted on eight of his team's 10 field goals in the fourth quarter to lift the Clippers to a franchise-record 13th straight home win.Los...

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NBA-Varejao faces two months out after operation

Jan 10 (Reuters) - The Cleveland Cavaliers' Brazilian center Anderson Varejao has been ruled out for six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on a quadriceps muscle on Thursday, the National Basketball Association team said.Varejao suffered the injury on December 18 against the Toronto Raptors and on Thursday had an operation to repair a small split in his vastus medialis muscle, the Cavaliers...

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Baseball-Nationals convince LaRoche to extend Washington stay

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Washington Nationals finally persuaded Adam LaRoche to put pen to paper on Tuesday after spending the first half of the off-season courting their lead slugger.The free agent inked a two-year deal worth $24 million with an option for a third season, adding solidity to an improving Nationals team and rewarding the franchise for their patience.The 33-year-old had earlier declined...

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Nationals convince LaRoche to extend Washington stay

The Washington Nationals finally persuaded Adam LaRoche to put pen to paper on Tuesday after spending the first half of the off-season courting their lead slugger.The free agent inked a two-year deal worth $24 million with an option for a third season, adding solidity to an improving Nationals team and rewarding the franchise for their patience.The 33-year-old had earlier declined to re-sign with...

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Baseball-Record earnings for South Korean league

Jan 9 (Reuters) - South Korean baseball underlined its continuing growth by posting a record $33 million in revenue last year, local media reported on Wednesday. Winning gold at the Beijing Olympics and finishing runners-up at the 2009 World Baseball Classic boosted baseball's popularity and attendances crossed the 7 million-mark for the first time last year, Yonhap News agency reported. The league...

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Reid among 7 NFL coaches sacked in firing frenzy

Andy Reid is the winningest coach in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles. Lovie Smith led the Chicago Bears to the 2007 Super Bowl.Now they're looking for work.Seven coaches and five general managers were fired Monday in a flurry of pink slips that were delivered the day after the regular-season ended.Ken Whisenhunt is out after helping Arizona reach the Super Bowl following the 2008 season. Also...

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Regular season winners don't always make champions

The Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons, who tied for the league's best record at 13-3, are well aware of one of the NFL's biggest truisms: more often than not, the regular season is for suckers.Over the last decade, just two of the 13 teams that had the best regular season record — or tied for the best mark — went on to win the Super Bowl: the '02 Buccaneers and the '03 Patriots.The last eight teams...

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PREVIEW-NFL-Playoffs offer clash of generations

Jan 1 (Reuters) - With Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson set to make playoff debuts, the year of the rookie continues in the National Football League (NFL).But defense and experience win championships and few know the road to the Super Bowl better than longtime quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.The wild-card weekend kicks off on Saturday with the Cincinnati Bengals visiting...

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NFL-Playoff schedule for NFL postseason

Jan 1 (Reuters) - The playoff schedule for National Football League postseason beginning with wild-card games on Saturday:SaturdayAFC wild-card gameCincinnati Bengals (10-6) at Houston Texans (12-4), 2130 GMT/4:30 PM ET--NFC wild-card gameMinnesota Vikings (10-6) at Green Bay Packers (11-5), 0100 GMT/8 PM ET---SundayAFC wild-card gameIndianapolis Colts (11-5) at Baltimore Ravens (10-6), 1800 GMT/1...

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NFL: Playoffs offer clash of generations

With Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson set to make playoff debuts, the year of the rookie continues in the National Football League (NFL).But defense and experience win championships and few know the road to the Super Bowl better than longtime quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.The wild-card weekend kicks off on Saturday with the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the Houston Texans,...

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Ross, Diamondbacks agree to $26 million, 3-yr deal

 Cody Ross and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a $26 million, three-year contract Saturday that includes a club option for 2016.Ross, who turns 32 on Sunday and lives in nearby Scottsdale, adds to the abundance of outfielders on the Arizona roster, leading to speculation a trade might be coming. Ross batted .267 with 22 home runs and 81 RBIs last season for the Boston Red Sox. He's a .267...

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AP source: Ibanez, Mariners agree to $2.75M deal

 Raul Ibanez and the Seattle Mariners have agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday night.The deal allows Ibanez to earn an additional $1.25 million in performance bonuses, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.Ibanez returns to the team he began his big...

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AP source: Swisher, Tribe reach $56M, 4-year deal

 The Indians' pitch to bring Nick Swisher "home" worked.Two people familiar with the negotiations said Swisher has agreed to a $56 million, four-year contract with the Indians, who used the free agent outfielder's deep Ohio connections to convince him to join the club. The people spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because Swisher must take a physical before the deal can be finalized. The...

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Baseball: Indians sign Swisher to four-year, $56 million deal

 Free agent outfielder Nick Swisher has agreed to a four-year, $56 million contract with the Cleveland Indians, Major League Baseball's website said on Sunday.The deal, which is pending a physical, makes the 32-year-old Swisher the highest paid free agent ever signed by the Indians, who are trying to recover from a 94-loss season in 2012.Swisher, who spent the past four seasons with the New York...

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Former Braves player arrested on battery charge

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Former Atlanta Braves star center fielder Andruw Jones was free on bond after being arrested in suburban Atlanta early Tuesday on a battery charge, according to jail records.Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call for a domestic dispute between Jones and his wife in Duluth.Gwinnett County Detention Center records say Jones was booked into the jail around 3:45 a.m. and...

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The Hidden Costs of Spain's Regional Bullfighting Ban

Today in sports: The lost cows of the Catalonia bullfight ban, the NFL wants an extra game in London, and a new documentary revisits baseball's most memorable case of fan interference.RELATED: NFL Coaches Behaving Badly; Dodgers Divorce Settlement ReachedThe final bullfight in Barcelona's La Monumental arena took place Sunday, in anticipation of a new regional ordinance outlawing the gruesome piece...

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Kobe Bryant May Not Go to Italy; Red Sox Braintrust Falling Apart

Today in sports: Another member of the Red Sox braintrust may be leaving town, Kobe Bryant's move to Italy runs into a scheduling snag, and the perilous state lockout talks didn't stop five NBA stars from enjoying a night out in New York this past weekend.On Friday, the Boston Red Sox announced that manager Terry Francona wouldn't return to manage the team in 2012. Now it looks like general manager...

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The Cardinals Have Turned on Their 'Lucky Squirrel'

Today in sports: the St. Louis Cardinals do not want to be the team with a ballpark that's overrun with rodents, the Patriots will talk about how they can't talk this week, and Kevin Garnett is the union's enforcer in the NBA lockout talks.Game three of the NL Division Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies was briefly delayed Tuesday night when a squirrel got loose on the...

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The St. Louis Cardinals Are Cashing In on Their 'Rally Squirrel'

Today in sports: the St. Louis Cardinals are still trying to evict their new marketing sensation, a look at the toxic chemistry that led to the Red Sox historic collapse, and the future of the Oakland Raiders following the death of owner Al Davis.RELATED: The Faces of Opening Day; Bountygate's Smoking GunThe St. Louis Cardinals are trying to capture and remove the squirrel (or squirrels) that ran...

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