Ravens vs. Steelers Preview, Score and More

Filed under: Ravens, Steelers, AFC North

Storyline: It's simply the best rivalry in the NFL today. Probably, the only two gladiator-type teams in the NFL that clash twice a season to bring the feel of yester-year when the great players of old would battle on Sundays. This present rivalry is too good for a regular Sunday 1:00 p.m. kickoff and it should be set alone because Ravens-Steelers games are always classic, physical nail-biters.

This will be the last game for the Steelers without franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is serving a four-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. But the 3-0 Steelers are playing as if they don't need him.

Led by their defense, Pittsburgh is looking to apply a strangle hold on the AFC North division as they prepare to rumble against the 2-1 Ravens on Sunday at Heinz Field. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has never won at Heinz Field, but he never paid a visit to the Steel City with the type of offense he currently has.

Newcomers in wide receivers Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh may be the acquired pieces the Ravens need in order to defeat their reflected image in the Steelers. But as usual, this matchup isn't focused on the teams' present offensives -- just the intensity the Ravens and Steelers will bring defensively.

Who: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh

When: Sunday, Oct. 1, 1:00 p.m., ET

TV Coverage: CBS

 

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MLB: Most World Series Games to Start Before 8 p.m. ET

Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Playoffs, World Series, Sports Business and Media

Kids -- and grownups who have to to go work early -- might be able to watch all of the World Series games this year.

Major League Baseball announced Thursday that six of the possible seven games would start before 8 p.m. ET.

"I am extremely pleased we are able to provide our fans the earliest World Series start time since 1987 with Saturday's Game 3," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a prepared statement. "The changes we made with FOX last year to start the World Series games earlier helped increase viewership including more young fans and we are optimistic that the earlier start time for Saturday's Game 3 will keep us moving in the same direction."

The lone Saturday game -- Game 3, on Oct. 30 -- will start at 6:57 p.m., the earliest World Series start time since Game 6 of the 1987 World Series and an hour earlier than last year's Game 3.

Game 4 the next night will start once FOX concludes its NFL coverage, or at approximately 8:20 p.m.

All other games will start at 7:57 p.m. ET.

FOX said Chevrolet's agreement to sponsor an earlier broadcast allowed it to move the games up.

Games 1-2 and 6-7 will be at the National League park, with Games 3-5 hosted by the American League. Pregame show times in parentheses. All times Eastern:

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Philly Janitor Draws Jail Term for Theft of World Series Ring

Filed under: Phillies, MLB Rumors, World Series

A Philadelphia judge has sentenced a former Citizens Bank Park janitor to jail for stealing a Phillies World Series ring inadvertently left in a bathroom stall.

Anthony Mobley, 54, was sentenced Wednesday from anywhere from three to 23 months for holding on to a $10,500 diamond-encrusted World Series ring that was left in one of the lavatories of the ballpark.

Common Pleas Court Judge Adam Beloff gave Mobley a sentence sharply reduced from the 24-36 months requested by the district attorney's office, citing his cooperation with police, as he immediately showed them where he had hidden the ring when they confronted him three days after the ring was reported missing in Aug. 2009. Mobley also waived all prior court hearings before his conviction and sentencing.

Mobley was convicted in 1974 of a gang-related murder and later of armed robbery, the Philadelphia Daily News reported. He was paroled in 2001 and had, according to Beloff, become a "model citizen" before his arrest.

 

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Video: Second Gaffe Sends Moroccan Goalkeeper Running From Field

Two weeks ago, Moroccan goalkeeper Khalid Askri earned his 15 minutes of infamy when he thumped his chest and gestured to the crowd while a penalty kick he thought he'd saved spun back into the net behind him.

On Saturday, apparently determined to become more than a fleeting internet punchline, Askri topped himself. This time, yielding a silly goal wasn't enough.

 

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Versus Readies for NHL Season; Contract Negotiations Set to Begin

Filed under: NHL Media Watch, Sports Business and Media

Versus will debut a TV spot that promotes its opening-night telecasts (below) Monday night, a commercial similar to what executives at the cable network hope they can show fans next season and beyond.

The U.S. TV rights deals for Versus and the league's broadcast partner, NBC, expire at season's end. The channel formerly known as the Outdoor Life Network had remarkable ratings last season, including a record 3.6 million viewers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks in June.

"We will have discussions in the not-so-distant future," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said last week. "We will deal with the next contracts in the ordinary course."

Bettman, however, said he wouldn't discuss whether the NHL would talk to ESPN or other outlets as part of seeking a new TV deal. Bettman added that the league is in regular dialogue with its TV partners.

"There is a lot of hype and focus on it," Bettman said. "We are not at the stage viewing it with the same level of scrutiny as it's been getting. That's not to say it's not important."

Versus will kick off the season by televising Flyers at the Pittsburgh Penguins' new arena, the CONSOL Energy Center, on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. ET; the Blackhawks at Colordao Avalanche game follows.

 

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Ryder Cup 2010 Breakdown: 10 Questions and Answers for Success

Filed under: Ryder Cup

NEWPORT, Wales -- Welcome to Ryder Cup week, golf's answer to the Rubik's Cube. Lots of moving parts. So many possible twists and turns, none of them providing an indication of success or failure until the result is imminent.

When play begins Friday at Celtic Manor, the United States will be defending champs but significant underdogs. Despite an American victory two years ago at Valhalla GC in Louisville, Ky., the Europeans have won five of the past seven matches and the U.S. has not been victorious on foreign soil since 1993.

Now, the 38th renewal of the biannual competition is nearing and it's raining and cold.

In Wales?

Imagine that.

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Elliott: Tiger's Lonely Ryder Cup | Captains Take Different Approach
More Ryder Cup: Players Banned From Twitter | Tiger Responds to McIlroy

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When the first competitive shots are hit Friday morning in four-ball play, followed by afternoon foursome matches, the final results will be slightly more difficult to predict.

Nevertheless, the eventual answer to success should come from 10 pressing questions.

 

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Habitat for Humanity Maryland build

Last Thursday, United staff and players helped out with a Habitat for Humanity build in Silver Spring, Md. Julius James, Troy Perkins and Conor Shanosky joined a group of staffers to do the insulating at a house in Montgomery County. This was United's third Habitat build this year, following one in...

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Julius Peppers 'Loving' His Decision to Sign With Bears

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Panthers, NFL Free Agency, NFL Labor Negotiations

CHICAGO -- His old team is 0-3, his new team is 3-0. And though the early opposites were not what he expected, Julius Peppers keeps living the difference between being a Panther and being a Bear.

It's all in the claws.

Chicago's theatrical 20-17 victory over rival Green Bay here on Monday night was a reminder.

"I still have a home near Charlotte," said Peppers, who spent eight seasons with the Panthers before making a $91.5 million-dollar free-agency leap to the Bears last March. "It was a heck of a ride there. No disrespect to Carolina, but we didn't play in these kind of games there. This is a real rivalry game that you can only get when two franchises have played against each other since the '20s, like these teams have. It was crazy out there, the intensity, the game, the crowd. I'm loving it.

"I have no doubt I made the right decision. It felt right. I followed my heart. I feel great about what we are doing. But I'm not stupid enough to think we are close to being great or done. Playing at the Giants on Sunday night is another big test for us. A big test in another big venue."

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Thomas George: Versatile, Hungry Bears Prove Their Worth
Jerry Bonkowski: Packers Left Lamenting Penalty Problems

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Jimmie Johnson Falters in NASCAR Chase Opener

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR

Anyone looking for a chink in four-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson's armor will seize upon his 25th-place showing in Sunday's opening race in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

His finish at the one-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway equaled his starting position -- which was a career worst at the track. But it hardly tells the whole story of an eventful afternoon of more spills than thrills.

Johnson spun out, traded paint and misdiagnosed a wheel problem in the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet before ultimately posting the worst performance of the 12 Chase drivers. It dropped him from second in the standings to seventh, 92 points behind leader Denny Hamlin, who finished runner-up to winner Clint Bowyer.

"We just don't know until the end what type of bonus points you need,'' said Johnson, who started the Chase with 50 bonus points earned for his five regular season wins this year. "The bonus points coming in ... how helpful were those 50 that I had coming in ...

"Only time will tell. But you don't want to get off to this start. If you can hope for something, you want a top 10, and 25th is not what you hope for.''

 

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The Works: Another Curse of Greg Oden; Joakim Noah's Perils

Filed under: Bulls, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, NBA Injuries, NBA Previews, The Works

Today in The Works: the perils of playing hardball with '11 restricted free agents and The Works debuts its season previews.

But first, Greg Oden lives again and dies again, all at once.

The Doused Phoenix

The legend of Greg Oden continues to ... well, something. You could say "grow," but in the macro sense, that's simply not true, for, at this pace, in 50 years precious few will be eager to discuss Oden's legacy. "Twist" or "develop in odd, gourd-like ways" are probably better suited verbs in this case.

This case: Oden has stopped drinking and partying (good) and has patellar tendinitis, can't practice and won't be ready for the start of the season (bad, bad, bad). Ace Oregonian beat man Jason Quick got the story of Oden's turn for the mundane, which actually happened 10 months ago and isn't actually a complete rejection of alcohol or fun. Oden just realized his reputation preceded him, and that it'd probably be best for his image and body to stop partying so hard. And so he instituted a limit on his club attendance. Good for him.

He has also, with the help of his mom, learned to accept that Kevin Durant is better than him, despite Oden going No. 1 over KD in the '07 draft. That's got to be difficult; I wonder, in all seriousness, if KD winning an MVP -- showing superiority over not just Oden but Kobe, LeBron, Dwight and everyone -- would help Greg's internal healing process.

 

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Overheard and Understood: How King Felix and CC Sabathia Can Both Win

Filed under: MLB Awards

This week, members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America will fill out ballots for the BBWAA's postseason awards. Meanwhile, it's important for us to point out that voting patterns and criteria evolve.

The Most Valuable Player award, for example, has come to be based on something other than a strict definition of "value" -- something many critics of the BBWAA fail to understand. The way I explain it is that the MVP goes to the player who has the greatest impact on the outcome of the league as a whole. That's my way of tailoring the definition to the way the voting has evolved: giving the award to the player on a playoff team who has the best season, unless none stands out (i.e., Alex Rodriguez in 2003).

Likewise, the Cy Young Award voting continues to evolve. As recently as 2004, Roger Clemens won the National League version by going 18-4 -- second in wins and first in winning percentage -- while not finishing in the top four in innings, strikeouts or WHIP.

After all, the award is named for a guy who had 511 wins.

But in the past five years, BBWAA voters have de-emphasized wins. In 2007, 18-game winner Tim Lincecum beat out 22-game winner Brandon Webb in the NL, and last year, Lincecum and Zack Greinke won the award with 15 and 16 wins, respectively.

Which brings us to this year's race. Felix Hernandez has clearly been the best pitcher in the AL. He leads in ERA and innings and is second in strikeouts. But he also plays for the worst offensive team since the 1981 Blue Jays, and thus his record is only 12-12.

 

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2010-11 Colorado Avalanche Preview: No More Sneaking Up

Filed under: Avalanche, Western

Virtually anyone who attempted to predict the results of the 2009-2010 NHL season before it began missed on the Colorado Avalanche.

Don't worry. Colorado's opponents seemed taken aback by the young team's quick rise from the cellar of the Western Conference to a playoff position.

"We had the fortune of sneaking up on some teams," second-year Colorado coach Joe Sacco told FanHouse this week. "We came out of the gates strong, played well, and we deserved to be there (the playoffs).

"We don't have that luxury this year."

No, they definitely don't. The Avalanche went 10-2-2 in October last year, getting them started on a 43-win season that was enough to get them the eighth seed in the Western Conference. After putting quite an impressive scare into top-seed San Jose, the Avalanche saw their season end in six games.

 

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Matt Stajan's Loss is Mikael Backlund's Gain

Filed under: Flames

CALGARY, Alberta -- If Mikael Backlund is feeling the pressure of having to prove himself to the Calgary Flames brass, you'd never know it.

The youngster is all smiles as he takes some time after a pre-season skate to explain just what he's hoping to accomplish this season with the NHL club.

"I guess I've got some speed and pretty good hockey sense that I hope can help bring some wins,'' he noted, describing the qualities he hopes to share. "Just bring some young energy here in the locker room and on the ice.''

The 21-year-old from Vasteras, Sweden, is being touted as the one drop of new blood who can make a difference on this team, a squad that is painfully thin on bona fide prospects. He was Calgary's first-round pick, 24th overall, in the 2007 entry draft and has been slowly groomed to assume a steady and contributive role for the offence-challenged Flames.

But with No. 2 centre Matt Stajan out indefinitely with a separated shoulder, Backlund will be handed an even larger role. He's currently being penciled in to fill Stajan's role as the Flames second-line pivot.

"Of course, you get more of a chance,'' he pointed out. "But I'll just go out and play like I have this camp. Just play my game, work hard and if I do, I think I'll have a good chance to stay around this team and help them win some games.''

Last season, the six-foot, 200-pounder spent most of his time in Abbotsford with the AHL's Heat, where in 54 games he scored 15 goals and added 17 assists. He was called up for 23 games with the big club, collecting a single goal and nine helpers.

His versatility will be put to good use by head coach Brent Sutter.

 

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The Tour Championship Roundtable: Mickelson Looks to Defend

Filed under: PGA, FedEx Cup

The big winner at last year's Tour Championship was golf.

It can't get much better for the game than having Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods pick up titles on the same day.

Mickelson took the Tour Championship with a final-round 5-under 65 that carried him from four shots behind to a three-shove victory, while Woods made two late birdies to finish second and secure the FedEx Cup and its rich bonus.

It finished a season in which Woods won six times and was no worse than second in nine of his 17 tournaments.

As for Mickelson, the tournament title capped off a tumultuous summer at home, providing his first victory since learning his wife, Amy, and mother, Mary, were diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring.

Woods collected $10 million in bonus money, while Mickelson earned $1.35 million for the Tour Championship title.

"I like the way today went," Mickelson said after the final round. "I was two back of him, I beat him by three. He gets the $10 million check, and I get $1 million. I've got no problem with that. I just love holding this finally."

Mickelson finished at 9-under. It was his third win of the season, and put him No. 2 in the world behind Woods, a spot he continues to hold.

"It means a lot to finish the year off on such a good note," Mickelson said after the win. "We've been through a lot, and I'm very proud of my wife and my mom on the fight that they've been through. We're in good shape. Although day-to-day is tough, and it's not easy for them, we're fortunate that our long-term outlook is good."

But there's a new story of misfortune in 2010: Woods has had well-documented troubles off the course, remains winless on the season and has failed to qualify for the Tour Championship. With the world's No. 1 golfer on an early vacation, can Lefty finally take the No. 1 ranking, or will another player step up at the Tour Championship? The answers to those questions, and more, in this week's FanHouse Roundtable.

 

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United president meets with supporters

D.C. United were one of the first MLS clubs to foster effective, cooperative partnerships with their fans and supporters? groups and, for many years, the result was an atmosphere in the stands to match the quality of the soccer being played at RFK Stadium. But after nearly three years of struggle,...

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Trey Burton Gives Florida Another Stud

Filed under: Florida, SEC

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Not many players are mentioned in the same breath as Tim Tebow. Trey Burton is now the exception.

Burton, a true freshman, set a University of Florida record by scoring six touchdowns in the Gators' 48-14 win over Kentucky Saturday night here at Florida Field. The previous record of five touchdowns was held by Tebow -- UF's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback -- and set in 2007 against South Carolina.

"He's the best football player to ever play college football," Burton said of Tebow. "It's an honor to be in the same sentence as him."

Burton is first SEC player to score six touchdowns in a game since Auburn's Cadillac Williams in 2003. He also became the first FBS player with at least five rushing touchdowns and one touchdown reception in a single game since West Virginia's Steve Slaton in 2005.

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Burton, who has played quarterback, fullback, receiver, tight end and special teams this season, scored on all five of his rushes -- 11 10, 9, 3 and 7 yards -- playing quarterback in the wildcat formation (lining up in the shotgun). He also caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Brantley in the first quarter and added a 42-yard pass completion -- the longest by the Gators this year -- in the fourth quarter.

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Trey Burton Gives Florida Another Stud

Filed under: Florida, SEC

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Not many players are mentioned in the same breath as Tim Tebow. Trey Burton is now the exception.

Burton, a true freshman, set a University of Florida record by scoring six touchdowns in the Gators' 48-14 win over Kentucky Saturday night here at Florida Field. The previous record of five touchdowns was held by Tebow -- UF's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback -- and set in 2007 against South Carolina.

"He's the best football player to ever play college football," Burton said of Tebow. "It's an honor to be in the same sentence as him."

Burton is first SEC player to score six touchdowns in a game since Auburn's Cadillac Williams in 2003. He also became the first FBS player with at least five rushing touchdowns and one touchdown reception in a single game since West Virginia's Steve Slaton in 2005.

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Burton, who has played quarterback, fullback, receiver, tight end and special teams this season, scored on all five of his rushes -- 11 10, 9, 3 and 7 yards -- playing quarterback in the wildcat formation (lining up in the shotgun). He also caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Brantley in the first quarter and added a 42-yard pass completion -- the longest by the Gators this year -- in the fourth quarter.

 

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Suns Sign Head Coach Alvin Gentry to Contract Extension

Filed under: Suns, NBA Transactions, NBA Coaches

The Phoenix Suns did just about everything in their power to try to ignore the successes of this past season. After a team that was picked by many to finish out of the playoffs made it to the professional version of the Final Four, a mere two games away from the NBA Finals, ownership reacted as though even the most modest of goals hadn't come anywhere close to being reached.

The team lost its general manager, Steve Kerr, less than two weeks before the draft due to a disagreement over finances, and let All-Star unrestricted free agent Amar'e Stoudemire walk for the same reason, while getting nothing in return for one of the elite offensive players in the league.

Yes, things seemed to be spinning out of control in the Valley of the Sun. But as new leadership settled into place in the form of former agent Lon Babby, there seems to initially be a philosophy in place to steady the team moving forward, at least for the next few seasons.

This has been a long-winded way of telling you that Suns head coach Alvin Gentry has been signed by the team to a contract extension that will keep him in place through the 2012-13 season. And honestly, it's the best move the club has made all summer.

 

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Tony Stewart Ready to Close Out Jimmie Johnson Dynasty

Filed under: Tony Stewart, Chase for the Sprint Cup, FanHouse Exclusive, Stewart-Haas Racing, NASCAR

Editor's Note: FanHouse is teaming up with two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart for weekly, in-depth spotlight stories as he competes in the 10-week Chase for the Sprint Cup. Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet, is contending to become the first owner-driver to win NASCAR's most coveted title since the late Alan Kulwicki in 1992. He enters Sunday's opening race of the playoffs at New Hampshire Motor Speedway ranked sixth in the standings, 50 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

Given the chance to go to a Broadway show followed by late-night partying at a New York City hot spot, NASCAR champ Tony Stewart prefers hotel room service and a good movie.

"I'm not really a big-city guy,'' Stewart told FanHouse.com by telephone Wednesday shortly after arriving in New York to promote this week's start of NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup 10-race playoff run.

"I know a lot of the drivers look forward to it and their wives and girlfriends enjoy the shopping and shows, but it's just not ever really been my thing. It's neat for a different atmosphere. Manhattan is fascinating.

"But I'm a small-town kid from Indiana and I don't fit in well here.''

Stewart may not prefer the fast-paced New York frenzy, but the two-time Cup Series champion fits in very well, thank you, with the 2010 group of 12 championship contenders who stopped off in the Big Apple this week on the way to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

 

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The Works: Lockout Clock Winds Down; Crittenton Gets a Chance

by Bethlehem Shoals and Tom Ziller

Filed under: Bobcats, Heat, Wizards, Sports Business and Media, The Works

In The Works today: more on LeBron's Q Score and the black community; and Javaris Crittenton benefits from his relative anonymity.

But first, the league inches closer to a devastating lockout.

Labor Lockdown

Players and owners powwowed Wednesday, and the most vague joint statement imaginable revealed that talks were cordial and constructive. Cheers to that; no one wants to see Roger Mason Jr. give Glen Taylor a black eye. (Or do they?) Progress is a positive, no matter how small the movement and no matter how long the process, right?

That's fine ... if you have no deadline, or if your goal can be reached at any time. Players and owners don't have a lot of time, though. Doomsday is about 10 months away. And that pesky 2010-11 NBA season is about to get in the way.

Wednesday's session is believed to be the final such meeting before the season begins October 26. Players and owners obviously can't meet during the regular season, with players strung about 30 cities.

The next bargaining session is during All-Star Weekend in late February. After that? Late June, after the NBA Finals end. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement ends June 30. You see a problem here?

 

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Pavin Likes What He Sees in Tiger

Filed under: PGA, Ryder Cup

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Corey Pavin has no concerns about Tiger Woods' passion for Ryder Cup play, even if he doesn't choose the world's top player for every match next month in Wales.

Pavin praised Woods' talent and teamwork Friday while discussing his final preparations for the Ryder Cup, which will be held Oct. 1-3. The U.S. captain also realizes everybody will be watching Woods, who could rebound from a mediocre season on tour and a nightmare year in his personal life with a strong performance for his country.

"We've talked about how many times he wants to play," Pavin said of Woods. "He said, 'I want to play five matches.' We talked about him not playing as many, and he said, 'Whatever's best for the team.'"

Pavin selected Woods 10 days ago as a captain's pick. Woods missed the 2008 competition while recovering from knee surgery, but is eager to play -- despite occasional questions in the past about his motivation and results in international team play.

"He's more than ready," Pavin said. "When he's there, he's 100 percent there. I think people maybe look at his record and come to some conclusion from that. Just because he doesn't have a winning record in the Ryder Cup doesn't mean he's not fully committed to it."

Pavin believes his Americans are underdogs against a powerful European team that has more familiarity with the course built specifically for the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, the site of the European Tour's Wales Open for the past three years. He expects European captain Colin Montgomerie to add tweaks to the course to negate the U.S. team's few advantages, perhaps countering the Americans' greater power off the tee with additional rough at about 280 yards.

"That's what I'd do if I were him," Pavin said, laughing.

 

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