NFL
Pro Football Hall of Fame reveals its 2014 finalists
CANTON, Ohio – First-year nominees Derrick Brooks, Tony Dungy, Marvin Harrison and Walter Jones were among the 15 modern-era Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists in voting announced Thursday night.
Brooks was a linebacker with Tampa Bay; Dungy coached Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, leading the Colts to a Super Bowl title in 2007; Harrison was a receiver for Indianapolis; and Jones was an offensive tackle with Seattle.
Former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan also was selected a modern-era finalist along with defensive end/linebacker Charles Haley, defensive end/linebacker Kevin Greene, receiver Andre Reed, running back Jerome Bettis, receiver/returner Tim Brown, safety John Lynch, guard Will Shields, cornerback/safety Aeneas Williams, kicker Morten Andersen and former San Francisco owner Edward DeBartolo Jr.
Punter Ray Guy and defensive end Claude Humphrey were announced as senior nominees in August.
The 46-member selection committee will vote Feb. 1 in New York, with a minimum 80 percent required for induction.
College Football
Crimson Tide rolls out Kiffin as its new O-coordinator
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama hired former Southern California head coach Lane Kiffin on Friday as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Kiffin replaced Doug Nussmeier, who left Alabama for Michigan.
Kiffin spent a week in Tuscaloosa, Ala., last month exchanging ideas with head coach Nick Saban and his staff and observing Alabama’s offense.
The 38-year-old Kiffin was 28-15 in three-plus seasons with USC. He was fired five games into last season. He also was head coach at Tennessee and for the Oakland Raiders.
Lions’ ‘major announcement’ expected to be Franklin
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State’s search for a new football coach might be over.
University officials are summoning reporters who cover the team to Beaver Stadium for what it calls a “major announcement” Saturday afternoon.
Penn State has been talking with Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin, who reportedly is expected to be the successor to Bill O’Brien, who left for the Houston Texans and the NFL.
Olympics
Miller gains final clearance for all events in Sochi
ADELBODEN, Switzerland – Bode Miller was cleared to race in all five Alpine events at the Sochi Olympics, including defense of his super-combined title.
The International Ski Federation clarified its qualification rules after confusion this week about whether some top racers had achieved enough results.
Miller, who won three medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, needed FIS approval to defend his super-combined gold next month.
The five-time Olympic medalist also has qualified for giant slalom and slalom. Miller, 36, already qualified in downhill and super-G, where he won bronze and silver, respectively, four years ago.
Tennis
Isner has a Heineken and an ATP title in New Zealand
AUCKLAND, New Zealand – John Isner fired 23 aces in a match which had no service breaks to beat Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) in the final of the ATP Tour’s Heineken Open, the 14th-ranked Isner’s eighth career singles title and second in New Zealand.
SYDNEY – Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova beat fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-4, 6-4 on Friday to win her first WTA title at the Sydney International.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Spanish qualifier Garbine Muguruza, a 20-year-old ranked 58th on the WTA Tour, defeated Klara Zakapalova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-0 to win the Hobart International on Saturday, her first WTA singles title.
Associated Press
