FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Bears fans coveting Bill Cowher as a possible replacement for Lovie Smith, take a deep breath. This may cause your pulse to race. An NFL Network report Monday night cited a source that said the idea of coaching the Bears or Texans "would excite,'' Cowher if the job becomes open.

Chicago Tribune

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The Angels have resumed their pursuit of pitcher Roy Halladay, the Toronto Blue Jays ace who would be an extremely attractive alternative to free-agent right-hander John Lackey, with whom the team continues to negotiate. The Dodgers also have inquired with the Blue Jays about Halladay.

Los Angeles Times

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Disgraced NBA referree Tim Donaghy talked to a professional gambler before every game he officiated during a months-long betting conspiracy, the gambler tells HBO's "Real Sports" in an interview to air tomorrow night. And he says NBA still has never talked to him.

New York Post

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The Canadiens traded one problem child for another yesterday, sending Guillaume Latendresse and his unfulfilled potential to the Minnesota Wild for Benoit Pouliot, who arrives in Montreal with even more unfulfilled potential. The trade came several hours after Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin and assistant coach Perry Pearn expressed their frustration over Latendresse's play. Pearn, who is known as a first-class teacher, took Latendresse by the shoulders during the Canadiens' practice yesterday morning at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard and positioned him in front of the net in what was probably the last attempt to convince Latendresse that he had to take advantage of his size and his good hands.

Montreal Gazette

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Starting quarterback and team captain Jimmy Clausen was involved in an altercation outside a South Bend, Ind., bar in the hours after a double-overtime loss to Connecticut on Saturday, taking a punch to the face in the incident, sources told the Tribune. Clausen suffered at least one black eye as a result of the punch, according to a source.

Chicago Tribune

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David Beckham has suffered from asthma since he was a child, it was reported last night, but medical experts were quick to play down fears that he could struggle in the thin air he would encounter at the World Cup in South Africa, where six venues are 3,000 feet or more above sea level. The England midfielder was photographed using an inhaler as he prepared for extra-time in Los Angeles Galaxy's MLS Cup final defeat by Real Salt Lake on Monday morning and yesterday his spokesman Simon Oliveira admitted that the 34-year-old had been forced to deal with a mild form of the condition for some time.

The Guardian

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After suffering devastating first-round losses to both Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers earlier this year, Andrei Arlovski is looking to make a comeback. The former UFC heavyweight champion is hoping to return to action at either the Strikeforce: Evolution event on December 19th, or at the Dynamite!! 2009 event on New Year's Eve in Japan. Who does he want to fight? "Fedor or [Brett] Rogers," Arlovksi bluntly noted. "Because they both beat me and I want a rematch."

Fight Line

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There is still no clear timeline for a decision in the will-she-or-won't-she storyline surrounding Danica Patrick's possible foray into stock-car racing, but it hasn't stopped the conjecture about her potential impact. She will have to work her way through lower classifications, learning how to drive the heavier cars. If Patrick decides to pursue stock car racing, she may run practice sessions at Rockingham or Daytona before the end of the year to get accustomed to the different cars and their demands. Some reports have indicated Patrick is looking for a six-figure guarantee for each race she runs.

Charlotte Observer

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Lee Trevino had a message for Paul Goydos, who in defending the current era of players opined that "there are 10 Lee Trevinos" on tour today. "Tell him you were at my house," Trevino said with a smile, "and you tell him to send me the list of the 10 guys out there who have won six majors and 29 tournaments. Give him my address."

Golf Digest

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Ana Ivanovic has spent recent weeks recharging and has turned to a familiar face -- coach Sven Groeneveld -- to restart her quest to return to the top 10. Coming off a disappointing season in which she finished with a 24-13 record, including a 3-4 mark in her last seven matches, Ivanovic has reunited with Groeneveld to prepare for the 2010 season. "I feel rested and like I am about to re-start everything. The most important thing is to stay injury free and to train in the right way," Ivanovic told the Serbian newspaper Sportski Zurnal. "I will be working again with Sven and it gives me confidence to think how well we worked together during the off-season two years ago." The 22-year-old Ivanovic reached only one final, falling to Vera Zvonareva in the Indian Wells final in March. She failed to reach a quarterfinal since Indian Wells, a streak of nine consecutive tournaments.

Tennis Week

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