| Winning football games requires a true team effort
You hear the buzzer and look up at the scoreboard, and it isn't in your favor. Your body feels sore and your spirits broken. That is how I felt on my last football game as a junior. I play football for the Madison Academy Mustangs, and we lost to Leeds High in the first round of the playoffs. Football is probably my favorite sport because of the way the team pulls together. In other sports, you might win with a few good players, but not football. Your team must be solid. If the line doesn't block then the quarterback can't throw the ball. If the quarterback can't be accurate, the wide receiver doesn't get catches. If the running back can't get positive yards, then the offense must look elsewhere to score. You have to be a well-oiled machine to be a great team.
Retailers gear up for big day
Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally gives retailers a significant sales boost - should wake up consumer's wallets with plenty of holiday shopping options this weekend.Greenwood Mall will begin its shopping blitz at 6 a.m., giving away shopping bags filled with goodies for the first 500 adult patrons who show up near the carousel entrance. Bags will be filled with retail discounts and randomly placed prizes, including a Nintendo Wii, and mall gift cards ranging from $50 to $250, according to Greenwood Mall marketing manager Shelli Rose."They typically go very fast," Rose said. "People have been known to line up as early as 4 a.m."Mall shoppers can also browse the mall's seasonal in-line stores, including Pet Dreams, which provides clothing, furniture and other trendy items for pets; Kitchen Collection, which specializes in gadgets for the kitchen; Quail Hollow Candles and Gifts, and Big Country Power Sports, Rose said.At Best Buy, product process manager Kyle Gerkins will accommodate those who flood the long lines at his store early Friday morning with port-a-potties."Last year, people started lining up on Thanksgiving morning," Gerkins said.Gerkins said the store has increased its stock to handle the crowds, especially those looking to stuff stockings with flat-panel, plasma or LCD TVs, MP3 players and video game systems.Gerkins expects the Nintendo Wii to garner considerable attention again this year, since shoppers are still hungry for the console because of supply shortcomings.Digital picture frames, which flash slideshows of snapshots loaded from a memory card, are also expected to be a huge seller.Doors will open at 5 a.m.
Late third period goals halt Thunder comeback
BLOOMINGTON -- The Bloomington PrairieThunder staged one big comeback Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. | Photo galleryA second proved too much to ask for.After squandering a 3-0 lead, Port Huron bounced back with goals by Brian Felsner and Tab Lardner late in the third period and then held on for a 5-4 International Hockey League victory before a crowd of 3,041.The sputtering Thunder (5-9-0) struggled again offensively for most of the game while suffering its second home loss in as many nights to Port Huron and sixth defeat in its last seven games overall.“We have to win these (home) games or at least get a point," said a visibly frustrated Thunder coach Derek Booth. “Go to overtime or something. We can't give away points, and that's what we've done."It was a different story for the Icehawks (9-8-0), who claimed their third road victory in three days.
U-19 women probables
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Cricket Association has selected 20 probables for the under-19 women coaching camp to be held at Vijayawada from November 10 to 16. The Andhra u-19 team will be selected to take part in the South Zone tournament to be held at Goa from November 20 to 26. The probables: Himabindu, S. Kavitha, Samatha, Sneha Deepthi, Chandana, K.S.L. Sravani, Thulasi Ramalakshmi, Lavanya, Ramadevi, Priyanka, Sowmya, P. Vinneela, Monika Sai, Rameswari, Radha, Salma Banu, Satyavani, Deepika, Divya, Silpa. Coach: R. Kiranmayi. State TT VIJAYAWADA: The Stag 31st AP Inter-district and 43rd AP State table tennis championship will be held at Dandamudi Rajagopalarao Municipal indoor stadium at Vijayawada from November 11 to 14. The entries should be sent to B.
FootballGenerals.com Debuts Weekly Pro Football Head Coach Rankings - Belichick, Dungy, Phillips at Top After Week 12
Statistically, the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick has been the best coach in professional football this year, according to the website FootballGenerals.com. Launched today, FootballGenerals provides the only statistical, weekly rankings of NFL head coaches, along with coach-related news. .
NFL NOTES
ATLANTA: Facing millions in claims from banks, creditors and prosecutors, suspended Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has put his seven bedroom, 8 1/2-bath house in Duluth, Ga., up for sale. The asking price for the sprawling home and $1.5 acres grounds? $4.5 million. Only buyers with proof of income sufficient to buy the property and house are provided access to the home. The Web listing for the house has attracted more than 10 million page views. Vick is in a Virginia jail and awaiting sentencing Dec. 10 for felony dogfighting charges. CAROLINA: Memo to Saints fans: As you watch Panthers quarterback Vinny Testaverde (Nov. 13, 1963) do his thing today at the tender age of 44, keep in mind that he is 46 days older than Saints Coach Sean Payton (Dec. 29, 1963). TAMPA BAY: Today's game between the NFC South-leading Buccaneers and Washington will be the Redskins' fourth at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., in less than 25 months and the sixth between the teams in five years.
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