Boxing great Joe Frazier dead at 67; battled liver cancer

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - Boxing great Joe Frazier died late Monday night in Philadelphia after a brief battle with liver cancer.
Frazier, 67, was most famous for a series of classic fights vs. the great Muhammad Ali, who was his rival in and out of the ring for most of his career and after it came to an end.
The pair came to have a grudging respect for each other over the years, and Frazier even indicated he forgave Ali for hurtful comments he made about "Smokin' Joe" in an apparent effort to hype their fights.
His family asked to be able to grieve on its own and would have more on "our father's homecoming celebration" at a later time.
HBO fight analyst Larry Merchant, who became friendly with the ex-champ, said Frazier will be dearly missed.
"This is a body blow to me because I knew him personally as well as professionally," Merchant told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "I thought he was as honest and as real a fighter as there ever was. He followed in a tradition of (Jack) Dempsey and (Rocky) Marciano as the 'Warrior King.' "
Frazier, who hailed from Beaufort, South Carolina but lived mostly in Philly, was 32-4-1 with 27 knockouts in an outstanding career.

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Bears wideout Earl Bennett has another big game vs. Eagles

John Nestor - AHN Sports Correspondent
Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - The Chicago Bears got Earl Bennett back for their crucial Monday night matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles and it paid off right away.
Bennett made several clutch plays and the Bears overcame a third-quarter deficit to post a 30-24 victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Out of the lineup since sufffering a chest injury in a loss to New Orleans in Week 2, Bennett returned Monday night to catch five passes for 95 yards and a crucial touchdown.
It was a much-needed jump-start to the Chicago offense, which put together drives throughout that limited the opportunites the Eagles' high-powered offense.
"He's just a steady player that can do a lot of things for you," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "He made a lot of big plays. For a guy like Earl, when you haven't played in a long time, you're anxious to come back and get out there on the football field and show people what we've been missing. He gave us a boost."
Bennett caught a TD pass from 5-yards out early in the fourth quarter to put the Bears on top, 27-24. It was another in a list of big plays he has made against Philadelphia.
In two career games against the Eagles, Bennett has caught 14 passes for 208 yards and 3 TD. Last season he had nine receptions for 113 yards and 2 TD in a 31-26 win over Philadelphia in Chicago.
At 5-3 the Bears are on the move in the NFC and Bennett is happy to be back and contributing.
"It was very frustrating not to be able to be out there with your teammates to help them out and win games with them," Bennett, a fourth-year player said. "But you've just got to put that behind you and move forward. It was a lot of fun to be back out there making plays."

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John Nestor - AHN Sports Correspondent
Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - Jim Thome is going to take at least one more shot at winning a World Series and he is going to do it back in Philadelphia.
According to a report on the team's website the Phillies and Thome have agreed on a one-year, $1.25 million contract, pending Thome passing a physical.
It's not a surprising move at all since it is no secret that both sides had hoped for a reunion this past season. It was not meant to be as the Minnesota Twins traded Thome to the Cleveland Indians in August.
Thome has a great relationship with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who has been a guiding influence in his career since their time together in Cleveland. Thome also has fond memories of the Phillies, who traded him to the Chicago White Sox following the 2005 season to pave the way at first base for Ryan Howard.
With Howard out with an Achilles injury, Philadelphia must feel Thome can give them some innings in the field as well as provide a lefthanded bat with some pop off the bench.
Thome hit a combined .256 with 15 home runs, 50 RBI, a .361 on-base percentage and a .477 slugging percentage with the Twins and Indians. He has hit 604 homers in his career, which ranks eighth on the all-time list.

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Philly-busters: Flyers dominating Blue Jackets 8-0 after two periods

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - This is how it was supposed to be.
The Philadelphia Flyers, who lead the hapless Columbus Blue Jackets 8-0 after two periods, were designed to be one of the NHL's elite teams and they are sure playing like it Saturday night.
Ilya Bryzgalov was expected to be a shutdown goalie and the Flyers many new acquisitions were expected to add some offensive firepower.
The new Flyers are hitting the back of the net, including Jaromir Jagr and Jacub Voracek, Max Talbot and Sean Couturier have each scored a goal as the Flyers are dominating the Blue Jackets.

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MLS: Sporting KC ends Colorados title defense, reaches East finals

 

Jojo Doria - AHN Sports Contributor
Kansas City, KS, United States (AHN Sports) - The failure to overturn a two-goal deficit coupled with injuries doomed the Colorado Rapids' chance to continue the defense of their MLS title Wednesday night, when they succumbed to a determined Sporting Kansas City 2-0 at a soggy Livestrong Sporting Park.
Amid the cold and rainy atmosphere, Aurelien Collin and C.J. Sapong delivered goals on each side of halftime that sealed Sporting's triumph, and spot in the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-0 aggregate total.
Graham Zusi provided the assists on both goals, sending set pieces into the box with Collin coming through in the 28th before Sapong capped the rout in the 76th.
Sporting KC will host either the Houston Dynamo or Philadelphia Union in the conference finals Sunday.
The consecutive losses ended the defending champion Rapids' season. The Rapids, coming off a 2-0 loss at home in the opening leg Sunday, were severely shorthanded entering Wednesday's second leg.
Colorado was missing three starters Wednesday with Caleb Folan, Kosuke Kimura, and Drew Moor all sustained injuries at Dick's Sporting Goods Park that will kept them out of the return leg.
Embattled Rapids coach Gary Smith had to rely on a makeshift squad with Scott Palguta, Joseph Nane and Ross LaBauex replacing the three injured starters.
Prior to Sunday's costly setback, the Rapids had already lost Jamie Smith to a torn right ACL and Pablo Mastroeni to a concussion.
Tyrone Marshall was also kept out of Wednesday's match after earning a red card Sunday.

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Avalanche fail to stop surging Coyotes on home ice

Jojo Doria - AHN Sports Contributor
Denver, CO, United States (AHN Sports) - Mike Smith, who has made his presence in goal felt since being signed as a free agent in July, frustrated the Avalanche by stopping 39 shots in the Phoenix Coyotes' 4-1 victory over Colorado Wednesday night at Pepsi Center.
It marked the third straight win and the fourth in the last six games played by the six-year veteran Smith, who was inked July 1 to replace Ilya Bryzgalov, whose rights were traded to Philadelphia a month earlier.
Radim Vrbata scored twice against his former team, including the eventual game-winner off his own rebound with 2:03 to play in the second period.
The 30-year-old right winger Vrbata sealed the win with an empty-netter with 1:33 remaining in the third period for his second consecutive two-goal game.
Taylor Pyatt and Lauri Korpikoski also lit the lamp in the triumph, the third straight for the Coyotes.
Ryan O'Reilly scored the lone goal for the Avalanche, who suffered their fourth loss in five home games this season.
It was also the third setback in the last four games overall for Colorado.
Semyon Varlamov allowed three goals on 27 shots in the loss.
With the win, the Coyotes have gone 4-0-1 in their past five contests. It moved them within two points of first-place Dallas in the Pacific Division entering Thursday night's home tilt versus Nashville.

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Cardinals roll to win in Game 2 of NLCS, head home with series tied 1-1

John Nestor - AHN Sports Correspondent

St. Louis, MO, United States (AHN Sports) - The St. Louis Cardinals accomplished a few things Monday night against the Milwaukee Brewers and now enter Game 3 of the National League Championship Series feeling pretty good about themselves.

The Cardinals evened the series at a game apiece with a 12-3 rout of the Brewers in Game 2 but they also accomplished a couple of other things that may prove to be just as important.

St. Louis now hosts the next three games and a sweep of them will send it back to the World Series. The Cardinals took home-field advantage from the Brewers with Monday's win and poked a hole in Milwaukee's seeming invincibility at Miller Park.

"If you want to make it a competitive series, winning a game here, that's a big step in the right direction," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Just as important as the win was the fact that Albert Pujols finally got going with a four-hit night and five RBI.

He went 4-for-5 with a homer and three doubles, a welcomed sight after driving in just one run in St. Louis' first six playoff games.

Pujols' heroics helped St. Louis pick up a crucial road win. Milwaukee was the best home team in the majors all season and the Brewers had won its first four home games in the playoffs.

Now the Cardinals send ace Chris Carpenter to the mound for Game 3. Carpenter is coming off a three-hit shutout in Game 5 of the Division Series at Philadelphia.

The Brewers will try to recapture the momentum in the series behind Yovani Gallardo, who allowed two runs and 10 hits in 14 innings in two starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. The Brewers won both of Gallardo's starts.

to the mound for Game 3. Carpenter is coming off a three-hit shutout in Game 5 of the Division Series at Philadelphia.

The Brewers will try to recapture the momentum in the series behind Yovani Gallardo, who allowed two runs and 10 hits in 14 innings in two starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. The Brewers won both of Gallardo's starts.

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Flyers offense a force against Canucks; Philly forges 4-3 lead

Ed Condran - AHN Sports Correspondent

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - Some hockey pundits thought that the new look Philadelphia Flyers might be as offensively challenged as the Phillies. That's not the case. The Flyers are up 4-3 over the Vancouver Canucks after two periods.
Two of the four goals are of the power play variety. Claude Giroux scored his third goal in three games and he also assisted on James van Riemsdyk's first goal of the season. Chris Pronger and Jakub Voracek have also found the back of the net.
The high-powered Canucks are putting pressure on Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Henrik Sedin , Chris Higgins and Mikael Samuelsson have scored for the Canucks.

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MLS: Richards goal helps Red Bulls top Union, secure playoff spot

AHN Sports Staff
NY, NY, United States (AHN Sports) - The New York Red Bulls secured their place in the 2011 MLS Cup playoffs after holding on for a 1-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union at Red Bull Arena.
Dane Richards played the hero's role in Thursday night contest, heading in the eventual game winner in the seventh minute.
New York peppered Philadelphia with lots of goal scoring opportunities as winger Jan Gunnar Solli played a superb role as the team's offensive architect.
Philadelphia's best chance of an equalizer came in the final 30 minutes when Carlos Valdés' header was nullified after he was called offsides.
The game featured 31 fouls and 23 open play cross opportunities. Union goaltender Faryd Mondragon made four saves, while Frank Rost recorded just a save as the Red Bulls defensive unit took care of the business
With the win, the Red Bulls secured a spot in the 2011 MLS Cup playoffs and will wait for next week's results to determine playoff seeding.

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Well-balanced Flyers edge Canucks for three-game win streak

 

 Ed Condran - AHN Sports Correspondent

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - The Flyers are a beacon of hope in a city that watched its much hyped baseball team disappoint in the playoffs. It's football team is spiraling downward and don't even mention the NBA.
The Flyers edged the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 and are a league leading 3-0. "It's great that we're playing this way but it's still early," James van Riemsdyk said.
There is still plenty of hockey to play but a nice start for a team that many pundits see going deep in the NHL playoffs is good for a city in need of a team to rally around.
"It is weird," van Riemsdyk said. "The Phillies are usually still playing in October and the Eagles are off to a rough start but don't count them out. It's nice though if people are looking at us and counting on us to deliver something special."
Van Riemsdyk is living up to the promise he showed during last season's playoffs. He scored his first goal of the season.
"It's great to pick up where I left off," van Riemsdyk said. "I just want to play as well as I can."
Claude Giroux, Chris Pronger, Jakub Voracek also scored. Andrez Meszaros netted the difference-maker in a hard fought game against the Western Conference champions. Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov won his third straight start for the Flyers.
"Bryz got a lot heavier workload tonight than the previous two games and I thought he answered so I think there are some positives to take from that," coach Peter Laviolette said.
Rookie Sean Couturier, who had an assist, impressed Laviolette. "He also hit the post too," Laviolette said. "He had a solid game tonight."
The Flyers were solid in all aspects. The orange and black had two power play goals and played a physical style of hockey.
"We did what we had to do to win," van Riemsdyk said. "That's what it's about. We're trying to get as many points as we can. So far, we have six points in three games, which is pretty good."
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