SoCon wants to capitalize on marquee wins

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Southern Conference commissioner John Iamarino sat next to Davidson athletic direction Jim Murphy at Detroit's Ford Field last March, stunned as the league's Wildcats blitzed Big Ten champion Wisconsin in the NCAA's Sweet 16.

Portal, ECI let it fly in scrimmage

TWIN CITY - The Portal Panthers have high hopes for freshman quarterback Hunter Oglesby as he matures. Tuesday evening in a seven-on-seven scrimmage at Emanuel County Institute, he got in more reps than anyone expected.

Weekly Whatup, 6/23

Over the past few weeks, the college football world in the Deep South has been abuzz about the hiring of new Georgia State coach Bill Curry.

Serena, Venus seek redemption at Wimbledon

The injuries and intrigue, passion for fashion, disdain for the tennis grind and insistence on go-for-broke strokes - all in the context of a friendly sibling rivalry - make even Mom reluctant to predict what the Williams sisters might do next.

Weekly Whatup, 6/16

Bless me father for I have sinned. I have led my flock astray with false prophecies.

New look for the U.S. Open

SAN DIEGO - The ''June Gloom'' so typical of summer in San Diego gave way to sunshine on the eve of the U.S. Open, filling the blue sky with fighter jets from Miramar that until Wednesday could only be heard in the fog.

Lakers, Celtics look to play better in Game 4

LOS ANGELES - Maybe the NBA finals should book an appointment with one of Southern California's finest plastic surgeons.

Weekly Whatup, 6/09

I really was pulling for Big Brown to clinch the Triple Crown on Saturday. There was no clear reason to bet against the favorite, seeing as how Brown had left every other horse in his collective dust up until post time at the Belmont

Rays make Beckham No. 1

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays selected Tim Beckham with the No. 1 pick in the baseball draft Thursday, choosing the talented high school shortstop from Griffin, Ga., over Florida State catcher Buster Posey.

Shehan, Hill have good chance to go in MLB Draft

Georgia Southern's Chris Shehan and Statesboro High's Tony Hill have a more than favorable shot at being drafted in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, which begins today.

Shehan plans to spend today on a golf course near his home in Pennsylvania with his older brother and father, who can hopefully distract him from the baseball world.

GSU Durden recognized

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Southern Conference recognized 11 recipients as the league's 2008 Distinguished Service Award. Georgia Southern nominated Tim Durden for his efforts and contributions to the institution.

2008 Bulloch Area Schedule

August 28

Weekly Whatup, 6/2

When the Georgia Southern baseball team failed to make the postseason for the sixth straight time last weekend, it marked a near postseason-less campaign for Eagle athletics.

Simmons, Taylor selected to elite Team Georgia

Statesboro's Crawford Simmons and Zack Taylor have been chosen - and the call came from Oklahoma.

Weekly Whatup, 5/26

Memorial Day. A great day to sit back, relax, and honor my vomit-inducing record, which week after week slips further and further into mediocrity. Have another cold one for me, will yah?

Hawks happy to share the love

ATLANTA - The Eastern Conference standings are not the only proof the Atlanta Hawks are mastering Mike Budenholzer's ball-sharing, pass-happy scheme.

Stakes high as teams try to judge character at NFL combine

INDIANAPOLIS - The questions were similar, and Dorial Green-Beckham had virtually the same response for each one.

Housecleaners say they saw guns in Aaron Hernandez's home

FALL RIVER, Mass. - Two women who cleaned the home of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez testified Monday at his murder trial that they saw guns stashed in three places in his house before the killing.

FIFA closes on dates for Qatar World Cup

The World Cup in Qatar keeps provoking outrage and breaking taboos.

Baseball looks to speed things up

PHOENIX - Commissioner Rob Manfred says new rules intended to speed up the pace of games are aimed at luring younger fans to baseball.

New playoff format could add excitement to league

MIAMI - The Brooklyn Nets are on pace to finish 34-48 this season.

Rodriguez gets early start at Yankees' camp

TAMPA, Fla. - Alex Rodriguez reported to the New York Yankees three days ahead of schedule. He spoke for 8 1/2 minutes about his season-long drug suspension.

James Hahn wins a playoff at Riviera for 1st PGA Tour title

LOS ANGELES - James Hahn had reason to feel like a nobody at Riviera.

Joey Logano gives Roger Penske another Daytona 500 win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Soaked in booze but drinking a Coke, Joey Logano fretted over how he and his new bride would celebrate his most significant victory.

Goosen keeps lead at Riviera

LOS ANGELES - Retief Goosen had gone so long without being in contention on the weekend that he wondered how his nerves would hold up. They were tested Saturday at Riviera, and the two-time U.S. Open champion earned a passing grade.

Raiders, Chargers to share L.A.?

LOS ANGELES - The Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers are planning a shared stadium in the Los Angeles area if both teams fail to get new stadium deals in their current hometowns, the teams said in a joint statement, adding another layer of complexity to a possible NFL return to the region.

Mariota main attraction at combine

INDIANAPOLIS - Marcus Mariota looked awfully comfortable on center stage Thursday.

Goosen, Singh among early leaders at Riviera

LOS ANGELES - Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh, among the top five players in the world a decade ago, were part of a six-way tie for the lead in the Northern Trust Open in what amounted to "throwback Thursday" at Riviera.

Garnett returning to Minnesota in deadline deal

MINNEAPOLIS - Kevin Garnett is coming back to the place it all began.

Reflections on 35th anniversary of 1980 U.S. Hockey gold

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. - It's been more than three decades since his landmark goal became the centerpiece of the U.S. Olympic hockey team's Miracle on Ice. For 60-year-old Mike Eruzione, it still seems like only yesterday.