Miranda Kerr Stunning in Leopard at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Viewing Party

Miranda Kerr has brought her beauty to a special viewing party for the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Hitting the pink carpet outside the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California on Tuesday, November 29, the 28-year-old supermodel looked stunning in a leopard-print dress by Emanuel Ungaro that she paired with black heels.

The wife of Orlando Bloom, who donned a $2.5 million Fantasy Treasure Bra on the fashion show, was joined by fellow Angels Alessandra Ambrosio and Lily Aldridge. The former dazzled in a silver and gold-embellished mini dress from Balmain dress, while the latter rocked a dark pink mini dress and black peep toe shoes.

While Miranda hasn't shared her thought over the show, Alessandra has been tweeting her experiences. "At the pink carpet for the #vsfashionshow with @MirandaKerr and lily!!!" she first tweeted. She later posted, "It's showtime!!! And @MirandaKerr , lily and I are having a blast!!! I hope u all enjoy as much as us !! Xoxoxo."

Back on November 9, Miranda, Alessandra and Lily joined more than 30 models at the Lexington Avenue Armory in the Big Apple for the annual fashion show. While Miranda got the honor to show off the Fantasy Treasure Bra, Alessandra wowed the crowd with her 30-pound pair of Passion Play Fan Wings.

Among those who sashayed down the runway were Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, Karlie Kloss, Doutzen Kroes, Erin Heatherton, Chanel Iman and Lindsey Ellingson. A total of 38 models graced the catwalk with 31 pairs of wings and 69 different outfits being displayed this year.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2011

victoria secret fashion show

It's that time of year again! The annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is back and sexier than ever. Click through to see the Angels at their finest ... Miranda Kerr dons her $2 million bra for a memorable strut during the show.

Adriana Lima: Tune Into the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!

 Adriana Lima pushes her adorable daughter Valentina down the sidewalk on Sunday (November 27) in New York City.

The 30-year-old model and her little girl spent the afternoon at the playground together!

“Can’t wait to watch the Victoria Secrets Fashion Show! Tune in…. November 29, 10pm Eastern time, on CBS” Adriana tweeted over the weekend.

Don’t forget to watch the big fashion show! Adriana will walk the runway along with Miranda Kerr, Chanel Iman, and Erin Heatherton, to name a few.

Patrice O’Neal dead at 41: Comedian dies after suffering stroke last month

Tasos Katopodis/WireImage

Patrice O'Neal's last TV performance was at the 'Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen' in September.

Comedian Patrice O'Neal, who made fans laugh with jokes about race and his jumbo size, died Tuesday, little more than a month after suffering a massive stroke. He was 41.

"The entertainment world, as well as the world at large, lost a brilliant man," said bad-boy actor Charlie Sheen, whom O'Neal helped roast in a Comedy Central special earlier this year.

"I only knew him for the few days leading up to the Roast. Yet, I will forever be inspired by his nobility, his grace and his epic talent," Sheen said.

O'Neal's agent, Matt Frost, confirmed the funnyman's death in a statement, and extended thanks to fans and friends who expressed support as he battled for his life following the stroke on Oct. 19.

Frost said O'Neal's mother and best friend, Gloria, was at his side when he died.

He was a frequent guest on the "Opie and Anthony" show on Sirius XM radio, and the hosts were the first to broadcast news of O'Neal's death.

"Yes, it's true that our pal Patrice O'Neal has passed away. The funniest and best thinker I've ever known PERIOD," Gregg (Opie) Hughes later posted on Twitter.

Born in Boston, the 6-foot-4, 300-pound O'Neal had struggled with diabetes for much of his adult life.

He lived in Jersey City and was a longtime fixture on the New York and Los Angeles comedy scenes.

He appeared in films, including "Scary Movie 4" and "Furry Vengeance," and hosted the Vh1 show "Web Junk 20." In February, he performed solo in an HBO special, "Elephant in the Room."

O'Neal also appeared on "Chappelle's Show," "The Colin Quinn Show," "The Office," "Arrested Development," "Late Show with David Letterman" and "Conan."

The comedian's last TV performance was at the roast for Sheen, which aired in September.

O'Neal is survived by his wife, Vondecarlo, a step-daughter, Aymilyon, and a sister, Ziner. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Reports: Kyle Orton, Bears seek reunion

Kyle Orton wants to be a Chicago Bear and the Chicago Bears want Kyle Orton, according to two reports.

By Ron Chenoy, US Presswire

Former Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton could be a Chicago Bear again.

The 29-year-old QB asked asked for and received a release from the Denver Broncos on Tuesday after he and his agent learned of Bears QB Jay Cutler's season-ending thumb injury, according to The Denver Post.

Orton spent his first four seasons in Chicago before he was traded to the Broncos for Cutler.

The Bears, according to ESPN, will claim Orton before the 4 p.m. waiver deadline, at which point they would assume the $2.5 million left on his contract in 2011.

According to ESPN's John Clayton, Orton is trying to get the word out that he may not report if he is claimed first by Kansas City, which has the opportunity to do so before Chicago. The waiver order is based on the inverse order of standings.

Speaking to reporters, Bears coach Lovie Smith declined to discuss Wednesday's reports. "There's nothing for me to say about him," Smith said. "You know about as much as I know about the situation."
Bears QB Caleb Hanie is expected to make his first NFL start Sunday at Oakland. If Orton becomes a Bear, he would face Denver and QB Tim Tebow on Dec. 11.

J.R. Martinez has won 'Dancing with the Stars' – Tristan MacManus and Nancy Grace receive special award - VIDEO

The Iraq war veteran and his professional partner Karina Smirnoff and runners up Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke each received full marks from the judging panel for their final routine – a samba to Ricky Martin's 'Shake your Bon Bon' – on Tuesday night but Martinez took the title after winning the public vote, which counts for 50 per cent of the contestants' total score.

The must loved Irish dancing pro Tristan MacManus returned to the show alongside his dancing partner CNN host Nancy Grace. Grace received a crystal ball award for Outstanding Achievement in Ballroom Cartwheels.

She said “I'll cherish it forever. I'm gonna pass this one down to my kids!...My kids cheered me on with the cartwheels. We practiced in the hallway many a time. We had so much fun. I owe all my success and this trophy for cartwheels to Tristan."

Upon hearing that he won the mirror ball trophy, Martinez said: “First and foremost, I want to thank everybody who voted for us for 10 weeks. Thank you America for believing in us."


He went on to pay tribute to Karina, who was experiencing her first victory on the ballroom show.
The 'All My Children' star said: “You are amazing, and I’m so grateful that I was able to be part of your first mirror ball trophy."

Earlier in the evening, there was a shock when Ricki Lake and Derek Hough were eliminated after the first round, despite winning 30 additional points and topping the leader board with the judges' scores.
Despite her disappointment, Ricki, 43, expressed her pride in her success at the competition.

She said: “I’ve loved basically every minute of this. I’ve done something that I really didn’t think I could do and for someone who is a middle-aged mom, I hope I made my children proud, my fiance and my family."

Rob also insisted he wasn't disappointed not to win the competition.

He said: "I'm super-thankful. I definitely am not sad. I won in my book."

Thanksgiving Fare Goes Multi-Legged at Insectarium

NEW ORLEANS –  The Audubon Insectarium's Thanksgiving turkey has a lot more legs than usual, but they're all in the stuffing.

During Thanksgiving week, the cornbread stuffing at the "Bug Appetit" kitchen will be studded with mealworms — beetle larvae more often used as fishbait or reptile treats. It's part of seasonal fare to be served at a spot where creepy crawlies are always on the menu.

Most of the year, you'll find the mealworms in salsa, along with such delicacies as deep-fried, spiced or sugared waxworms — wax moth caterpillars — and crickets in cream cheese spread or "chocolate chirp cookies."

Insectarium employees work at a stove and counter in full view of patrons, and anyone brave enough can have a taste.

"We don't make them all every day. Some things keep for a while in the fridge so we can make larger batches and dish out small amounts at a time," said Jayme Necaise, director of animal and visitor programs.

The bug museum will be closed for Thanksgiving itself, but the special menu will be served the two days before and the two after T-day. It also includes pumpkin pie with crickets and cranberry sauce with wax worms, the caterpillar of the wax moth.

Anyone who wants can try this at home, said Zack Lemann, the museum's visitor program manager. "These particular recipes follow an old adage for beginning bug chefs: if a recipe calls for small bits or chopped pieces of fruits, vegetables, nuts, or meat, you can add or substitute insects," he said.

So just take a favorite recipe and add bugs, making sure they've been raised in a pesticide-free environment. 

"Mealworms are usually boiled for a good 10 minutes. Wax worms are simmered for only three minutes or so. The softer body of wax worms will burst if boiled for too long, so we use less heat and less time when cooking them," he wrote in an email.

"Crickets are done at 350 for 30 minutes and stirred into the pie mix."

Allergy avoidance and yuck appeal are behind the choice of pumpkin for the cricket pie.

"They really stand out in the filling," Necaise said. "They would tend to get lost amongst all the gooey pecans in a pecan pie. We want people to know they are eating bugs to get the full experience!"

Besides, he noted, lots of people are allergic to nuts: "We wouldn't want for those folks to miss out eating delicious bug-filled pie."

But Lemann said pecan pie might be added to the menu: "Oven-roasted crickets taste like nuts, so they are a terrific culinary match to these traditional Thanksgiving desserts."

What Necaise is really excited about are two of the Insectarium's newest inhabitants — a male and female elephant beetle, native to Central American rainforests. The horned, hairy male is nearly 4 inches long.

For all of our blessings, we give eww thanks.

American Music Awards boast star power

Justin Bieber dances with pop group LMFAO as they perform at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. The top nominee, Adele, had to call in sick due to her recent vocal-cord surgery, and superstar winners such as Rihanna were busy travelling overseas. Still, the 39th annual American Music Awards weren't lacking in star power: Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and more than a few dancing robots were there. We're looking back at the most memorable moments of the evening - and if this year's winners list had you calling shenanigans for three hours straight, you have nobody but yourself to blame. The AMAs is basically a popularity contest for popular music. All awards are determined by online voting. Maybe you should have spent your October hitting refresh on the AMAs website. Best reason for Taylor Swift to feign surprise Sure, Swift has won just about everything but an ESPY, but facing off against Adele and Katy Perry in the artist of the year category, Swifty wasn't necessarily a lock. So when she was called to the podium, we bought into Swift's OMG-ing a little more than usual. "This is like one of the craziest things that has ever happened to me," she said, slapping her face in (mock?) disbelief. The AMAs, we'll note, are determined by online voting. "Thank you to the fans, the fans, and also to the fans," Swift said, at a loss for words. Cutest cutaway Sure, they're apparently chummy in real life, but we're 99.99 per cent certain the AMAs producers only sat Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez next to each other so that they could cut away to a shot of the twosome singing along to Minaj's Super Bass. Both pop stars have gone viral with YouTube clips featuring their takes on Minaj's most bubble gum single - a song she broke out during her opening number featuring David Guetta. Most blatant product placement Her music video for Papi was a straight-up car commercial, but for Jennifer Lopez, the shilling didn't stop after filming wrapped. Sure, there were a few distractions - a guest appearance from Pitbull, terrible lip synching, an extended bit featuring JLo humping the stage in a nude, bedazzled onesie. But nothing could take your attention away from the sponsored vehicle taking up a major chunk of the stage. It's a wonder her backup dancers didn't contort to spell out the phrase "Buy Fiat!" for the song's grand finale. Best way to ruin Christmas Gratuitous mentions of "shorties" and a Jason Mraz-indebted vibe already make Bieber's Mistletoe a hard sell as a new holiday classic. But we were feeling Bieber's AMAs vision of Christmas future even less. That is what was going on in his rather bare bones AMAs performance, right? How else to explain his spacey whiteand-red leather ensemble? Or why he was rocking around inanimate red and green neon poles - instead of a Christmas tree? Best way to create a club atmosphere onstage The answer? Hire a super-sized choir to join you for an AMAs number. Enrique Iglesias recruited a singing group to back him up on I Like How It Feels and by the time he segued into his second song, the clubby (and raunchy) Tonight, the vocal crew played double-duty as clubland extras. Sure, the choir's uniform - sweatshirts - was a little casual for the dance floor, but they still looked classier than whatever the music video's guest stars - the guys of Jersey Shore - were wearing. Pinkest performance No, this honour doesn't go to Harajuku Barbie Minaj, but rather Katy Perry, who scored a special AMA because she charted five No. 1 singles off one album, her mega-hit Teenage Dream. A vision in Pepto from her hair to her acoustic guitar while performing current single The One Who Got Away, we can only think the long-lost love she was singing about preferred purple. Best reminder we'd rather be watching the Junos Drake's performance of Headlines was solid (though, personally, we think the production could have used a little more razzle dazzle. Maybe a recreation of the SkyDome roof? You know, like the video). Still, it served to remind us of the Toronto MC's memorable turn as host of this year's Junos. Like the AMAs, that awards show featured appearances from Canadian superstars Drake and Bieber - but it was also free of American performers the likes of, say, OneRepublic and Daughtry. Small mercies. Best way to extend the run-time Jennifer Lopez, Adam Levine, Pitbull: they all played double-duty during the AMAs telecast, appearing in two performances apiece - because a three-hour-plus run-time simply isn't enough for the average pop fanatic. Biggest surprise Bieber got a chance to redeem himself from that lacklustre Mistletoe number, making a surprise appearance during LMFAO's closing performance. He did this by dancing the Running Man while wearing Zubaz pants, but we'll take it. Perhaps because he's just 17, Bieber didn't stick around for the second half of the party-pop duo's production: a goofy striptease number to Sexy and I Know It.

Eagles down the Giants with late touchdown

Eagles quarterback Vince Young tries to break a tackle by Giants linebacker Jacquian Williams in the fourth quarter Sunday at MetLife Stadium (Jason Szenes / EPA)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Philadelphia Eagles finally got it right in the fourth quarter, and it's no surprise they did it against the New York Giants.

Subbing for the injured Michael Vick, Vince Young threw a go-ahead 8-yard touchdown pass to Riley Cooper with 2:45 to play and the undermanned Eagles posted a 17-10 victory over the Giants in what was a must-win game for Andy Reid's struggling team Sunday night.

The Eagles (4-6) had lost five games in the fourth quarter this season but found the solution this time with an 80-yard, 18-play march over 8:51 that sent the Giants (6-4) to their second straight loss.

Philadelphia converted six third-down plays with DeSean Jackson setting up the first-and-goal with a 10-yard catch to the 10, and Young capping it with his second touchdown pass of the game to a wide-open Cooper, who came in without a catch this season.

Jackson, who was benched for last week's game for missing a team meeting, finished with six catches for 88 yards. Cooper had five receptions for 75 yards.

The Eagles, of course, made Reid sweat out the final minutes. Eli Manning, who tied it with a 24-yard TD pass to Victor Cruz earlier in the quarter, drove the Giants from their own 10 to the Eagles 21 with the final 47 yards coming on a catch-and-run by Cruz with 1:25 to play.

However, Manning stepped out of the pocket on the next play and was hit from behind by Jason Babin and fumbled. Derek Landi recovered at the 26, sending the Giants to their second straight excruciating loss to the Eagles and second consecutive tough loss overall.

It dropped New York into a tie for first place with Dallas in the NFC East with six games to play and left the Eagles two games behind. The Cowboys beat the Redskins in overtime after Washington missed a game-winning field-goal attempt.

It also marked the second straight year the Eagles rallied late to beat New York at the Meadowlands with last year's 38-31 decision coming in a game that Philadelphia rallied from 21 points down late.

Young was 23 of 36 for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and LeSean McCoy had 113 yards rushing — with 60 coming on a game-sealing scamper in the closing moments.

While Young made several big plays to spark the Eagles' offense, he also threw three interceptions, the most costly being one that Aaron Ross picked off in the end zone on a second and 9 from the New York 16 with Philadelphia ahead 10-3 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.

New York eventually tied it early in the fourth quarter on a 24-yard TD pass from Manning to Cruz. It was set up two plays earlier when Manning rolled out of the pocket and found Hakeem Nicks for a 47-yard gain on third down to the Eagles 24.

Manning was 18 of 35 for 264 yards, and Cruz had six catches for 128 yards. The Giants' running game failed to get going, rushing for just 29 yards.

The first half was typical of an Eagles-Giants meeting: chippy, intense, hard-fought and, not surprisingly, ugly.

If there was a surprise, it was that the defenses dominated. The norm was Jackson taunting the Giants in more ways than one, including one that cost the Eagles a 50-yard pass completion.

Jackson set up both of the Eagles' scores in the first half. He caught a 32-yard pass early in the second quarter to set up a 33-yard field goal by Alex Henery and then brought back excruciating memories from last season with a 51-yard punt return that was a carbon copy of his winning 65-yard punt return on the final play of the Eagles' 38-31 Meadowlands Miracle, a game Philadelphia rallied from a 21-point deficit in the final seven-plus minutes.

What made the return so eerie was that Jackson fielded Steve Weatherford's punt at his own 35, circled right and then ran down the sideline in front of the Giants' bench — the same thing he did last season. The only difference was Weatherford pushed him out of bounds at the 14; Matt Dodge was the Giants' punter last season.

It didn't matter. One play later, Young found former Giants receiver Steve Smith cutting under the zone and he easily outran linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka into the end zone with 1:22 left in the half.

It was enough time for Manning to get the Giants on the board. A 21-yard pass to Cruz on the first play got the ball the 41 and a late 10-catch by running back D.J. Ware on a play in which he suffered a concussion set up Lawrence Tynes' 48-yard field goal.

Tony Stewart storms to Sprint Cup title with win in finale

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Tony Stewart was a mile and a half from the checkered flag Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway when he keyed his mic the last time during the Ford 400.

"I got this," he said.

He was right — just as he'd been predicting all week.

Stewart certified a month's worth of swagger, outdueling Carl Edwards for a victory to win the closest title race in NASCAR history.

The win — Stewart's fifth in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup — left him tied with Edwards, who finished second Sunday, atop the standings with 2,403 points.

Stewart, 40, won his third NASCAR championship by virtue of having the most wins.

"We said all week, if we just go and win the race, we wouldn't have to worry about what he did," the Columbus, Ind., native said. "If this isn't one of the greatest championship battles in history, I don't know what is."

Beyond giving NASCAR a thrilling, Game 7-style finale that CEO Brian France had envisioned when he created the Chase before the 2004 season, the title was significant for several reasons for Stewart, who became:

•The first champion to win the season finale in 13 years (and the seventh ever).

•The first driver-owner to win a title in NASCAR's premier series since Alan Kulwicki in 1992.

•The bookend to Jimmie Johnson's unprecedented five consecutive championships (Stewart was the last before Johnson to win a title in 2005).

•The first champion in the Chase era to win five races in the title run.

Stewart (whose first title was in 2002) also joins Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Lee Petty and David Pearson as a three-time champion. All are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

He did so with perhaps a clutch performance rarely seen in NASCAR's 63-year history. Stewart roared back twice (passing 118 cars over the course of 400 miles) after falling outside the top 30 twice in the first 40 laps.

"I feel like I passed half the state of Florida," Stewart said. "I would definitely say this is one of the greatest races in my life.

"I would have lost every bet in the world that we were going to win a race or win five races."

A.J. Foyt, whom Stewart called one of his heroes, called him after the race and said in a statement, "Tony drove the best race of his life."

Responded Stewart, "To hear him say that, it brings a tear to your eye."

His crew chief, Darian Grubb, made a daring pit call that stretched the gas tank in Stewart's No. 14 Chevrolet to the limit but left him in the catbird seat for the race's final sequence.

"Darian Grubb, you are the … man," Stewart radioed his crew. "You did this, bud."

Said Grubb, who revealed after the race that he was told by Stewart-Haas Racing last month that he wouldn't return as Stewart's crew chief next season: "We just didn't give up. We kept fighting and showed we were true champions."

When asked in the postrace news conference about Grubb's status, Stewart said, "I know what his status is for the rest of the night, and I'm going to get him drunk."

Edwards, who led a race-high 119 laps after starting from the pole, had no answer for what Stewart did on the track.

"This night is about Tony Stewart," said Edwards, who had a Chase-record average finish of 4.9. "Those guys rose to the occasion and beat us fair and square. Tony and Darian managed to do a good job with their strategy. That was all I had."

Overcoming adversity

The pivotal moment of the race came when Stewart took the lead during the green-flag cycle on lap 201. His Impala was out of gas as he came to pit road on lap 212, but the strategy meant he could finish the race without stopping again.

When a caution fell for rain three laps later, Edwards was forced to pit again. On the final restart with 37 laps remaining, Stewart was third and Edwards fifth. Stewart passed Brad Keselowski a lap later and wasn't challenged as the race finished under green.

He still had to overcome plenty of adversity, starting shortly after the green flag. When the caution flag flew for the first time on lap 14 because of rain, Stewart's team discovered a large hole in the left front grille of his car.

"They're going to feel like (crap) after we kick their (butt) after this," he radioed his crew.

After two stops to repair the damage, Stewart restarted in 40th and climbed 17 spots in 14 laps when another long pit stop for fixes dropped him to 32nd. "All right, they're really going to feel worse after we've gone to the back twice and kicked their (butt)," he said.

Those were the latest jabs delivered by Stewart in a week filled with trash talking. During a title contenders news conference Thursday in Miami Beach, Edwards seemed slightly unnerved by the braggadocio of Stewart, who confidently predicted he would win the title ("it's not cocky if you back it up").

Edwards mostly didn't engage Stewart, electing to let his performance speak for itself. That seemed to work Saturday when he won the pole position and paced the final practice session.

That still didn't stop the sniping from Stewart, who brashly insisted the news media not start etching Edwards' name on the trophy yet after Stewart qualified 15th.

"It's like bringing a knife to a gunfight," Stewart said of the mind games he played with his rival. "He is a fun guy to pick at. He makes himself an easy target."

In the end, Stewart backed up his talk.

"I absolutely mentally tried to beat that kid up this week. I felt I had to throw everything out in my arsenal to get this opportunity. He's too nice to fight back. It was like picking on a kid; you kind of felt bad. … He'll win a championship and be in our position. I appreciated that battle we had."

During a rain delay that red-flagged the race for 1 hour, 14 minutes on lap 109 of 267, the cockiness hadn't faded as he told a reporter, "We are fixing to keep delivering this whooping; we got more in mind for (Edwards) the rest of the day."

Despite all of the sparring, there were no hard feelings when the battle was over. Among the first to congratulate Stewart was Edwards, who offered a hearty handshake.

"He's a great guy, and we've been giving him a rough time this week. … It shows how classy a guy he is," Stewart said.

Said Edwards, who finished second in points for the second time in his career: "If I can't win this thing, I told my wife I'm going to be the best loser NASCAR's ever had. We'll be just as hard to beat next year and the year after that. If we're in this position again, those guys better watch out."

Battling back

At various points during the season, it would have seemed unlikely for either Edwards or Stewart to have won the championship.

Edwards led the standings after 21 of the first 35 races, but he spent the first six months of the season mulling his future with Roush Fenway Racing, and his uncertain status became a distraction (Jeff Gordon said Edwards, who was being courted by Joe Gibbs Racing, would have no chance at winning a championship as a lame-duck driver). Edwards elected to re-sign with the team in August in a multiyear deal.

Though he had only one victory (at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March), Edwards led the circuit in top-10s (26). He actually outperformed Stewart (a 6.3 average finish) for most of the Chase with nine top-10s and an 11th.

"We raised our level of performance and rose to the occasion," Edwards said. "I truly don't think we could have done much better in this Chase."

That didn't seem much solace to his crew chief, Bob Osborne, who radioed his driver, "I'm really, really, really sorry" on the cool-down lap.

Edwards responded, "Bob, you are the best crew chief out here. I'm proud of you guys. Keep your heads up."

He and Osborne might be able to find solace in the turnaround this season by the team that beat them for the title.

After finishing ninth at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 21, Stewart said his team didn't deserve to run for a championship and would be wasting a spot by making the Chase. Asked for his pre-Chase title favorites at a news conference in Chicago, he listed seven names but didn't include himself.

But he opened the 10-race title run with a victory at Chicagoland Speedway four days later and then reeled off wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway (where he stole a victory from Johnson, passing him on a late restart from the outside lane) and Texas Motor Speedway. "To leave (Martinsville) doing something remarkable," Stewart said, "I feel that was the turning point in the Chase for us."

Yet he still trailed Edwards by three points entering Homestead, where he became the first driver to come from behind and win the championship with a victory in NASCAR's modern era (which dates to 1975).

"It's been a tough summer and a tough fall," Stewart said. "You've got to believe in something."

As a downpour begain shortly after his championship celebration began Sunday night, he said his faith was in the "man upstairs (for holding) the rain off long enough for us to get the job done."

"I don't care how long it rains," Stewart said. "I'm going to be up all night."

Jay Cutler injury will make it harder, but ...

Whoa. I was all set to spend the evening writing about the wild six-week playoff sprint we seemed set for here in the NFC North when the game-changer arrived: Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler broke the thumb on his throwing hand Sunday. Cutler finished the Bears' 31-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers but he appears likely to miss the rest of the regular season.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesJay Cutler could be done for the season after breaking the thumb on his throwing hand.

Let's not bother playing doctor and asking why Cutler's season could be in jeopardy because of a broken thumb, while Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has played two games with a fractured right index finger. They are different injuries entirely. Cutler apparently needs surgery to fix his injury.

What's important is that the Bears are facing a quarterback change during the most crucial and competitive portion of their season. They will have to navigate the transition well to backup Caleb Hanie to keep pace with the rest of the NFC's playoff contenders. Otherwise, the advantage goes to the Lions, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, all of whom are in the NFC playoff picture.

Cutler hasn't necessarily played at a Pro Bowl level this season, but he has mostly avoided mistakes and, most importantly, has been a consistent starter during the Bears' five-game winning streak. Over that stretch, he has thrown seven touchdown passes with three interceptions and taken a modest five sacks. The Bears have something good going, obviously, and it's hard to imagine that rhythm moving uninterrupted to a new quarterback.

Hanie has yet to start a game in his four NFL seasons and, while well-regarded throughout the league, hasn't always appeared to have the full confidence of offensive coordinator Mike Martz. The Bears signed veteran Todd Collins to sit ahead of Hanie on the depth chart in 2010, and Martz finally signed off on Hanie as the backup this summer after a few preseason bumps.

Hanie left most everyone with a good impression after his second-half performance in the 2010 NFC Championship Game, in which he completed 13 of 20 passes for 153 yards and kept the Bears competitive against the Packers. But there is a big difference between the adrenaline of spot relief and taking over a team during the playoff stretch, and to be fair to everyone, Hanie has never gotten the opportunity to show us whether he can handle such an assignment.

I don't think the Bears' playoff hopes have been completely scuttled. You don't want to minimize the loss of a starting quarterback, but the Bears have won plenty of games in recent years on the strength of their defense and special teams. Their formula works when the quarterback minimizes mistakes more than anything else.

And at this point, the NFC playoff crowd is limited. There are eight teams legitimately fighting for six playoff spots. (I'm not counting anyone with a record below .500 even though they could technically finish 10-6.) The Bears probably need to split their final six games, and maybe win four of them, to clinch a playoff spot. Can they do that with an untested quarterback? We're about to find out.

Pakistan crosses last year’s polio count

The confirmation of a type-1 polio case from Mastung — a newly infected district in Balochistan — and two type-3 cases from North Waziristan and Khyber Agency during last week has taken Pakistan’s total polio count for 2011 to 148 (146 type-1 and 2 type-3 cases). The country closed 2010 with 144 cases.

The latest victim from Mastuung is 36-month old Mahjabeen, who had onset of paralysis on October 23. The child resides in Killi Akhori, Molvi Shamsullah, Union Council (UC) Khad Kocha of tehsil Mastung. As per recall of the parents, the child did not receive any dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) through routine immunization or Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) due to parental refusal based on religious grounds.

This is first polio case from Mastung this year. The last case had onset of paralysis on January 10, 1999. A total of 7 vaccination campaigns have been conducted in Mastung since January 2011; all using vaccine containing component against type-1 poliovirus. The last campaign was conducted in October 2011. The case points to major gaps at the UC level.

In North Waziristan Agency (NWA), a 16-month old female child Sonehra had onset of paralysis on October 20. The child resides in an area of Tehsil Mir Ali. As per recall of the parents, the child had received 5 doses of OPV, all through SIAs. Vaccination in this area was stopped in the September campaign after distribution of a letter against the polio campaign; the issue was subsequently resolved. Reportedly, there are multiple militant groups in the area.

This is the 10th polio case from NWA this year, all within a span of 10 weeks, indicating substantial immunity gap. The agency reported 7 polio cases last year. A total of 8 vaccination campaigns have been conducted in NWA since January 2011; all of them using the vaccine-containing component against type-1 poliovirus. The last campaign was conducted from October 25-27, 2011.

In Khyber Agency, 18-month old Rashida had onset of paralysis on October 15. The child resides in village Zar Faqir Malik, area Akka Khel Maira in tehsil Bara. As per recall of the parents, the child had not received any OPV dose through routine or SIAs). The area where the family of the child is residing is included in the list of high-risk areas of the agency due to inaccessibility and persistent transmission/ repeated re-infection. The area has been inaccessible to vaccination teams since September 2009 to date.

A total of 16 polio cases have been reported from the agency this year so far (8 cases from Bara tehsil, 4 each from Tirah and Landi Kotal). Khyber agency is the only agency/ district in the country having both WPV1 and WPV3 circulation this year. There has been continued outbreak of polio in Khyber Agency since early last year (Khyber agency reported 33 polio cases last year; 25 type-1 and 8 type-3), indicating a large cohort of un-immunized and under-immunized children. Khyber agency had had 8 vaccination campaigns since January 2011. The last campaign was conducted as national immunisation days (NIDs) in accessible areas in October 2011. Coverage remained below 95 per cent in all campaigns in accessible areas except in two instances (January and April). More than 40 per cent children in the agency remained inaccessible to vaccination teams in most of the campaigns this year except July. The overall adjusted finger marking coverage in the agency has remained below 60% in all the campaigns in 2011.

Even in accessible areas, the coverage is not uniform as indicated by high number of areas having coverage below 95 per cent. A break-up of the 148 cases reported so far is as follows: 16 from Khyber Agency, 10 from North Waziristan Agency, 4 each from Mohmand, South Waziristan Agency and FR Kohat, 2 each from FR Lakki Marwat and Orakzai and one each from Kurram and Bajaur agencies in FATA; 5 from Peshawar, 2 each from Bunir and Torghar and 1 each from Bannu, Swabi and Dir Upper in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa; 17 from Killa Abdullah, 15 from Pishin, 13 from Quetta, 4 from Khuzdar, 3 each from Noshki and Loralai and 1 each from Kohlu, Killa Saifullah, Mastung, Kalat and Dera Bugti in Baluchistan; 7 from Thatta, 3 from Badin, two each from Tando Mohammad Khan, Kambar, Sanghar, Gaddap and SITE towns of Karachi and one each from Tando Allah Yar, Kashmore, Hyderabad, Umerkot, Jamshoro, Saddar, Baldia, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Orangi towns of Karachi in Sindh, one case each from Okara and Lodhran in Punjab and one case from Diamer district in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Iowa State

Photo credit: AP | Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon (81) ahead of Iowa State linebacker Jake Knott during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

This was supposed to be so easy for Oklahoma State. 

The second-ranked Cowboys came into Ames set to cruise past overmatched Iowa State, and set up a showdown with rival Oklahoma at home. With a spot in the BCS title game spot on the line.

Then Oklahoma State let the upstart Cyclones hang around just long enough to derail all those national title hopes.

Backup running back Jeff Woody scored on a 4-yard run in the second overtime and Iowa State stunned second-ranked Oklahoma State 37-31 on Friday night, opening the door for a couple of one-loss teams.

The Cyclones (6-4, 3-4 Big 12) overcame a 17-point deficit to beat the Cowboys (10-1, 7-1 Big 12), opening a path for the Oregon or Alabama to face LSU in a rematch for the title.

"This one stings. This one's tough," said Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden, who threw three interceptions.

None of those stung more than his first pass in the second overtime, which was intercepted by Ter'Ran Benton. Woody ran for 6 and 15 yards, then bullied his way into the end zone to give the Cyclones their first victory over a top-five opponent in school history.

Weeden threw for 476 yards, but the Cowboys' offense turned it over five times.

"I hate it for the guys. But it's real simple. If you lose the turnover battle in such a big fashion, it's extremely hard to win a game, especially on the road," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said.

Playing a day after Oklahoma State women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and three others were killed in a plane crash, the Cowboys were 27-point favorites against the upstart Cyclones.

Iowa State lost its first four Big 12 games and entered play 0-56-2 against teams ranked sixth or higher in The Associated Press poll.

Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads has had some signature wins in his three seasons in Ames -- but none as big as this.

"We got a group of young men that put their hard hats on every day and just continue to go to work," Rhoads said. "I could not be prouder of the effort they put out tonight."

Iowa State freshman quarterback Jared Barnett found James White for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of extra time, but Weeden answered with a 6-yard TD pass to Josh Cooper.

Benton's interception set up a thrilling finish for the Cyclones and Rhoads, the defensive coordinator at Pittsburgh when it upset No. 2 West Virginia in 2007.

Barnett finished with 376 yards passing and three TDs for Iowa State.

Oklahoma State stretched its lead to 24-7 less than 3 minutes into the second half and looked set to break it open as it usually does. Tracy Moore caught Weeden's pass in traffic and stumbled 30 yards for the touchdown.

That could have been it for Iowa State -- but the Cyclones were far from finished.

Iowa State answered with a 32-yard TD run from White and Zach Guyer's 24-yard field goal made it 24-17 with 4:04 left in the third quarter.

Oklahoma State came in averaging 51.7 points a game, but it couldn't string together the drives that made Weeden a serious Heisman Trophy contender.

Iowa State took advantage, tying the game at 24 with 5:30 left in regulation when Barnett found a Albert Gary sliding in the end zone for a 7-yard TD catch. Oklahoma State's Alex Elkins intercepted Barnett's pass with 3:17 left, but Sharp pushed a 37-yard field goal right, just over the upright, with 1:17 to go to force overtime.
It was just the third missed field goal in 20 tries for Sharp.

Iowa State knew it would need a lot of breaks to pull off the upset.

The Cyclones caught a few early, recovering a fumble and intercepting Weeden's pass in the first quarter. But they didn't turn either into points, and the Cowboys' defense made them pay for it.

Linebacker Shaun Lewis jumped Barnett's pass and took it back 70 yards for a touchdown, giving Oklahoma State a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Iowa State pulled to 10-7 on Barnett's 16-yard TD pass to Darius Reynolds. But Blackmon stopped short and went high for Weeden's pass over a pair of defenders on a 27-yard touchdown reception, giving Oklahoma State a 17-7 lead with 5:26 left before halftime.

"They came out ready to play. They came high with the crowd, getting them going. It was a good environment to play in. But this is why we play football, to win in positions like this. We just needed to finish," Blackmon said.

Iowa State held a moment of silence before the game to honor Budke, assistant Miranda Serna and two others who were killed Thursday when their single-engine plane crashed during a recruiting trip in Arkansas.
"The plane crash, for the families and people involved, is just tragic, and honestly, I would have said this no matter the outcome of the game. It's so much more important than this game," Gundy said. "These guys wanted to go out and play the best they could for themselves, for us, the fans, and for OSU, and it just didn't come out in their favor tonight."

Joe Paterno has lung cancer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Days after losing the job he held for nearly a half century, former Penn State coach Joe Paterno was diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer.

Scott Paterno, the Hall of Fame coach's son, said in a statement Friday that his father's doctors are optimistic the 84-year-old Paterno will make a full recovery.

Scott Paterno said in a text message to ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel the five-year survival rate for Joe Paterno's cancer is more than 70 percent, "but obviously his age is a complicating factor."

The news came shortly after Penn State said the NCAA would look into the school's handling of a child sex abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Paterno was fired by the board of trustees Nov. 9 for failing to do more about an abuse allegation against Sandusky than report it to his superiors.

"Last weekend, my father was diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness," Scott Paterno said in the brief statement. The doctor's visit came the same weekend the school played its first game since the 1960s without Paterno leading the Nittany Lions. Penn State lost 17-14 to Nebraska.

"As everyone can appreciate, this is a deeply personal matter for my parents, and we simply ask that his privacy be respected as he proceeds with treatment," Scott Paterno said.

Earlier Friday, The Citizens Voice of Wilkes-Barre reported that Paterno had been seen Wednesday visiting the Mount Nittany Medical Center and was treated for an undisclosed ailment and released.

Sandusky is charged with sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years -- charges which he denies. Critics say Paterno should have done more to stop his former assistant, specifically when he was told about an assault in 2002. But the longtime coach is not a target of the ongoing investigation of Sandusky.

Paterno initially announced his retirement effective at the end of the season, saying that the scandal was "one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more." The trustees fired him anyway, about 12 hours later.

Longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bradley replaced Paterno on an interim basis. He broke the news about Paterno's cancer to the Nittany Lions after the team arrived in Columbus, Ohio, for Saturday's game against Ohio State.

"I told them sometimes words pale at a time like this. I felt they should hear it from us, exactly what it was, that we were told that it was a treatable lung cancer," Bradley said. "It's just one of those things. It's a tough time for the players."

Former Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge, now an ESPN analyst, said Paterno never mentioned the illness when he visited his former coach Thursday in State College.

"In a week or so of many surprises this was another one," said Blackledge, who noted that Paterno was in good spirits when he saw him. A Penn State spokesman said that as far as he knew, Paterno never smoked.
To say health problems added to Paterno's troubles during a rough period doesn't begin to capture the last two weeks. The lurid Sandusky scandal has tarnished the reputation of a coach and a football program that once prided itself on the slogan "Success with Honor."

The Hall of Famer's 409 career victories are a Division I record. In all, Paterno guided five teams to unbeaten, untied seasons, and he won two national championships.

Sandusky was once expected to succeed Paterno but retired in 1999 not long after being told he wouldn't get the job.

Two university officials stepped down after they were charged with lying to a grand jury and failing to report the 2002 charge to police, an assault which allegedly took place in a shower in the football building.

A grand jury report said the attack was witnessed by Mike McQueary, a graduate assistant at the time. Now the receivers coach but on administrative leave, McQueary told the grand jury he went to his father first and then to Paterno, who in turn spoke with his boss but didn't go to the police.

When the state's top cop said Paterno failed to execute his moral responsibility by not contacting police, public outrage built and the trustees acted.

Besides the criminal case against Sandusky, the university announced last week it was conducting its own probe -- and that was before the NCAA said Friday that college sports' governing body would also start an inquiry.

NCAA president Mark Emmert said in the letter to Penn State president Rod Erickson the probe will look at "Penn State's exercise of institutional control over its intercollegiate athletics programs."

That once was never a question with Paterno, regarded as college football's model for running a clean program. He placed as much pride in graduating players as getting to bowl games, and consistently had Penn State among the top-rated academic programs in the country.

Paterno has donated millions back to the university, and his name graces a campus library -- not a football facility or athletic complex.

Prior to his firing, Paterno pressed on with coaching in spite of a number of recent ailments. He often walked into news conferences fighting back sniffles, and Paterno often passed it off as nothing more than an annoying cold.

He was said to be in good health this preseason -- getting back to his routine of walking around town -- before a receiver accidentally blindsided him during preseason drills in August, leaving him with an injured right shoulder and pelvis.

Known for his stubbornness and high pain threshold, Paterno walked away from the collision and stayed on his feet for the rest of the practice period before being encouraged to get checked out by a doctor. The injuries forced him to spend most of the season in the press box.

During the 2010 offseason, Paterno scaled back personal appearances because of an intestinal issue and an adverse reaction to antibiotics prescribed for dental work.

Paterno ran practices from a golf cart in 2008 and spent much of that season in the press box after injuring his hip while trying to show players how to perform an onside kick in practice. Two years earlier, he broke his leg in a sideline collision during Penn State's game at Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium.

"This is very unfortunate news and another sad note for our Penn State community," said school president Rod Erickson, who replaced Graham Spanier -- Spanier also was ousted the same night Paterno was fired.
"Our thoughts are with him and his family at this difficult time and we certainly pray for his speedy recovery," Erickson said.

Lung cancer kills 1.4 million people around the world each year. In the United States, 221,130 new cases and 156,940 deaths are expected this year. The disease is typically diagnosed in older people. About 2 out of 3 people diagnosed with lung cancer are over age 65.

"There's a significant number of people who are diagnosed in their 70s and 80s," said chief medical officer Dr. Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society. He has no involvement in Paterno's treatment.

"Generally when I hear that a person has a treatable form of lung cancer, it means the person may very well benefit from surgery to remove a part of the lung," Brawley said.

While the surgery can be invasive, people who undergo the operation "can do well after that," he said.
The lights were dim Friday night at Paterno's modest ranch home next to a park near the end of a dead-end street. A few TV photographers waited across the street for any sign of the coach.

About a mile away, a steady stream of fans arrived in pairs to take pictures at the life-sized bronzed statue of Paterno outside Beaver Stadium. Jill Varady, 24, of York, said she found out about Paterno's illness after her aunt posted a comment on Facebook.

Despite the scandal, Varady said the school should "definitely let him finish the season, and then ... let him retire. We probably will never know everything that happened."

The illness didn't change the perception of how Paterno handled the Sandusky situation, said Tessa Drawbaugh, 26, of State College. "But as far as other than that, he's an icon," she said. "Everybody wants him to be well."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Regis Philbin Tries to Get Another Kiss out of David

Getty Images

One kiss from David Letterman in a week just isn't enough for Regis Philbin.

The Live With Regis and Kelly co-host, whose last day on the daytime talker is Friday, appeared on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman on Thursday night.

His guest stint came a day after Letterman appeared on Live, during which he planted a kiss on an unsuspecting Philbin.

VIDEO: Celebrating Regis Philbin's 80th with 8 Unforgettable Moments
"He did my show yesterday and we had a nice, nice show,” Philbin said on Late Show.  “You were very good.  Everybody loved you, but did it have to end like this?  Because here’s what happened: The man got up, the man got up out of his seat, and he was excited.  And we were all excited because you don’t see him anywhere, so the man approached me, and I’m thinking, ‘Where’s he going with this?’  And this is where he went,” Philbin said, holding up a photo of Letterman about to kiss him.  “Look at him, he’s closing in on me. And then suddenly, it was this, thank you very much!” Philbin then held photo of Letterman giving him a full-on kiss.

“What are we talking about here?” Philbin said.  “On the lips!  On the lips!”  For his part, Letterman said: “I enjoyed every second of it.  I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

STORY: Regis Philbin Goes on Media Blitz During His Final Week On Air
Later during the interview, Philbin requested another smooch.

“Why not?” Philbin joked. “Why can’t we have one more, one more just for the road?” as the audience cheered.

Retorted Letterman: “You’re a slut,” Letterman deadpanned. “That’s what you are.”  Responded Philbin: “Well, you’re turning me into a slut."

STORY: Kelly Ripa Signs New Five-Year Contract for 'Live! With Regis and Kelly'
Philbin is exiting his role as co-host of Live after 28 years, with a series of guest hosts filling in alongside Kelly Ripa, starting with Jerry Seinfeld on Monday.

Urban Meyer Update

Several sources have informed Buckeye Nation this evening that Urban Meyer is almost a certainty to be the next head coach at Ohio State University.

Headed Home?

Again, this is just a rumor at this point. But the timeline for this news seems to be pretty solid, not including the emails and phone calls we’ve been a part of over the past few hours. Take a gander:

• Earlier last week, Urban released a statement saying that he was not interested in coaching at this time.
• Then on Monday, news broke that he had met with (and declined the offer of) the Athletic Department of the University of Arizona; a meeting that occurred in Miami.
• Yesterday, Ohio State fans began clamoring like a kid listening to the “Santa Report” on the radio on Christmas Eve (c’mon- it wasn’t just me…) tracking a private chartered plane from Gainesville Florida to OSU’s airfield.
• This evening, CBS Sports’ Mike Freeman took some rumblings on the Scout message board and ran with it on twitter, saying that Urban had agreed to a 7 year deal for $35 million total.
• Members of the Ohio press responded by saying that nothing was official yet, and that OSU staff had stated that there was nothing to this rumor at this time.  Key words- “At this time”.
• And yet, the rumors persisted. At about the same time that one of our trusted sources communicated that this was all but done, the team at Eleven Warriors announced with 99.7% certainty “that Urban Meyer has agreed to a deal to become the next coach of Ohio State. Solid sources. Plural.” Major kudos, hat tips, and adult beverages to their team for breaking this.
• Our sources say that the $$/yr. numbers mentioned on Scout don’t echo what they’ve heard, and that the plan is to officially announce this after the first of December or so. This could explain Dr. Gee’s request for a phone conference with the Committee On Infractions during the week of November 28.

So this is where we currently stand. There are still a number of questions to be answered, primarily “Is this accurate?” If it is, though, we will still need to discover the following pieces of information:

• What will be the NCAA’s final ruling on the ongoing investigation, and how might this effect any coaching search?
• What are the final numbers regarding salary, tenure, etc.?
• What will the future coaching staff look like? Will any current Buckeyes be retained?

On this last point- there have been whispers for a while now that Coach Fickell would be glad to stay on board at Ohio State, should he not be retained as head coach and should the new administration extend that offer. There is even speculation that Coach Fickell might be kept on as a “Assistant Head Coach” or “Head Coach In Waiting”- obviously having Urban Meyer as the new head man might strengthen those ideas (given his health concerns and the desire to find better balance between his personal and professional life).
So for now, we wait.  Don’t be surprised to have a number of sources refute this for the next several days, or even if the agreement changes and/or dissipates. We’ve seen that before in major coaching searches, with even solid sources being off base.

But for now, this is where we are: Sources are pointing to Urban Meyer returning to Columbus as the next head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Tebow rides to Broncos’ rescue

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

Tim Tebow crosses the goal line on a 20-yard run with less than a minute left, completing the Broncos’ 95-yard winning drive

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DENVER - Tim Tebow’s 20-yard touchdown run with 58 seconds left capped a 95-yard drive and sent the Denver Broncos to a 17-13 victory over the stunned New York Jets last night.

Tebow saw the blitz and outflanked safety Eric Smith around the left edge, then cut back and bulled his way into the end zone.

“We have a resilient team,’’ Tebow said.

And a resilient quarterback. 

The Broncos (5-5) are 4-1 since Tebow replaced Kyle Orton.

The Jets (5-5) lost their second heartbreaker in four days. Mark Sanchez’s desperation pass toward the end zone was batted down as time expired.

Nick Folk’s 45-yard field goal broke a 10-10 tie with 9:14 remaining, and the Broncos found themselves facing a daunting task when they got the ball back with 5:54 left at their 5.

New York safety Jim Leonhard could have throttled Denver’s winning drive on the first play when he wrapped up Eddie Royal in the end zone on a throw to the right flat, but Royal wiggled free for 8 yards.


Tebow ran just twice for 11 yards until the final drive, when he carried seven times for 58 yards in a performance reminiscent of his miracle in Miami, when he was ineffective for 55 minutes, then led the Broncos to two TDs in the final five minutes of a game Denver won in overtime.

After completing just two passes in a win at Kansas City four days earlier, Tebow completed 9 of 20 passes for 104 yards last night.

“I said before, I trust him. I trust him with everything,’’ teammate Von Miller said about Tebow.

“No matter how many interceptions he throws, no matter how many touchdowns he throws. I’m going to ride him to the end. I hope he shut up a bunch of his critics today.’’

The debate across the NFL is: can the Broncos’ option offense keep working?

“I want to run whatever’s going to work,’’ Tebow said.

Before Denver’s unorthodox option offense prevailed again, it appeared the Jets were going to win this one thanks to an oddball touchdown - left guard Matt Slauson’s fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Slauson recovered rookie running back Bilal Powell’s fumble at the 1 and dived across the goal line early in the third quarter to give New York a 10-3 lead. No Jets offensive lineman had scored on a fumble recovery since guard Randy Rasmussen in 1972.

Denver tied it at 10 when Andre’ Goodman stepped in front of Plaxico Burress and picked off Sanchez’s ill-advised pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.

It was the third pick-six Sanchez had thrown this year, and the Jets followed that with their fourth lost fumble on special teams when Joe McKnight coughed it up on the kickoff return at his 41. Cassius Vaughn recovered for Denver, but the Broncos couldn’t capitalize this time, going three and out.

McKnight and Powell shared snaps after New York’s backfield took another hit when starting running back Shonn Greene went down in the first half with a rib injury.

They were already without LaDainian Tomlinson (knee), so Powell was activated for the first time all season.
Greene was hurt with 3:24 left in the first quarter after catching a 4-yard screen pass.

In the End, the Jets Can’t Stop Tebow

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Broncos' Tim Tebow eluding the Jets' Eric Smith in scoring the winning touchdown on a 20-yard run. He passed for 104 yards and ran for 68

 

DENVER — This is what frustration looks like: Rex Ryan, standing behind a lectern, appearing to fight back tears, his eyes red, his voice quavering. This is what frustration sounds like: Darrelle Revis saying that he was shocked, over and over and over again. This is what frustration feels like: abject helplessness, as Eric Smith watched Tim Tebow sprint around the corner, watched him race to the end zone, watched him celebrate the touchdown that sank the Jets on Thursday night and, maybe, for the year.

For 55 minutes, the Jets had been moving toward a classic no-apologies victory, shoving aside all the potential excuses that threatened to disrupt them — a short week, a long flight, altitude. The Denver Broncos were starting their drive at their 5-yard line. All the Jets had to do was stop Tebow, just as they had all game, but they did not. They could not.

A mile above sea level, they reached their lowest point of the season, perhaps of the Ryan era. In adding another layer to a mythology that grows by the hour, Tebow deflated the Jets by driving the Broncos 95 yards and scoring the winning touchdown in their 17-13 victory with 58 seconds remaining.

“I actually am shocked,” Revis said. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not doubting Tim Tebow’s skills or anything like that. He’s a great football player, but we felt like we had him where we wanted him.”

Tebow said: “I put that pressure on myself to try to make something happen. Ultimately, that’s the best part about being a quarterback. That’s why I’ve wanted to be a quarterback since I was 6 years old, watching guys like John Elway and Steve Young have game-winning drives. That’s what you dream as a little kid.”


The Jets went ahead, 13-10, on a 45-yard field goal by Nick Folk with 9 minutes 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Tebow’s 20-yard scamper came on third-and-4, after the Jets sent an all-out blitz up the middle, a curious decision with Denver already in position for the tying field goal. The Jets pressured eight, leaving only three cornerbacks deep. Tebow rolled left and went untouched for 15 yards, evading Smith at the 5 as the worshipping crowd at Sports Authority Field at Mile High went delirious.

“It’s one of those things, you’ve got to catch him because nobody else is around,” Smith said.

Ryan refused to answer questions about the defensive alignment, perhaps a tacit acknowledgment that he — or the defensive coordinator — had called the wrong play. A few other players — Bart Scott, Calvin Pace and Plaxico Burress — declined to answer questions, period.

For the second consecutive year, the Jets responded to a nationally televised thrashing by New England by losing their next game against an allegedly middling team. The Broncos, having won three in a row, are now 5-5. So are the Jets.

“We had high expectations,” Smith said, “and we haven’t lived up to them.”

Afterward, Ryan told his players that he still believed in them, that he believed they could win. But what? Forget about the A.F.C. East, as Ryan did after Sunday’s loss to the Patriots. The Jets have rallied around all of the adversity that they have faced over the last two seasons, believing that experience would propel them into the playoffs. The Jets know they need more than that. They need to win.

All five of their losses have come within the A.F.C., all against teams (Baltimore, Oakland, Denver, New England) that now own the all-important tiebreaker. Five days ago, the Jets were playing for the division lead, dreaming of a home playoff game, perhaps a first-round bye. Now they sit in 10th place.

“Our playoffs start next week,” Ryan said. “We’ve got to find a way to beat Buffalo.”

The defense let the Jets down on that final drive Thursday night, as it did on that final drive in New England on Oct. 9. But it received no help from a special-teams unit that endured a total collapse, shanking a punt, fumbling a kickoff and yielding a 67-yard return. And for much of the game it put the Jets in position to win in spite of Mark Sanchez, who made blunders in clock management and decision-making that mirrored his problems in Sunday’s loss to the Patriots.

He completed 24 of 40 passes, but only 10 of his last 23, and telegraphed the interception that Andre Goodman returned for a game-tying touchdown in the third quarter. He also missed Santonio Holmes streaking near the Broncos’ goal line in the second quarter, his pass deflected by Von Miller. By throwing to Dustin Keller in the waning seconds of the first half instead of taking a timeout, Sanchez cost Folk a chance to attempt a field goal from closer than 61 yards. The Jets were 3 for 14 on third down.

“We’re not perfect by any stretch, but we’re a lot better than this,” Ryan said. “And we all know it. Every man in that locker room knows it, and I know it.”

Tebow's late TD run lifts Broncos over Jets

DENVER – When Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow arrived for his postgame press conference Thursday after an extended wait, he apologized "for taking so long."

He could have been talking about the game itself, in which he once again saved his best for last, leading Denver to a 17-13 victory over the New York Jets with a 95-yard scoring drive capped by his 20-yard touchdown run at the 58-second mark.

Broncos fans likely would tell him: No apology needed.

Since Tebow replaced Kyle Orton as the starting quarterback last month, the Broncos (5-5) have won four of five games, three of them in down-to-the-wire fashion, to climb within a half-game of Oakland in the AFC West.

"I like winning, but I wish it wasn't quite that stressful," Tebow said.

Broncos fans, many of whom clamored for Tebow as Denver began the season 1-4, are learning that when time — and hope — seem to be running out, it's Tebow Time.

"He's super competitive," Broncos coach John Fox said. "He never lays his sword down. He's going to fight you to the death."

His effort Thursday was helped greatly by the Broncos' defense, which, until the winning drive, had scored Denver's only touchdown on a third-quarter interception return by cornerback Andre Goodman.

The defense also snuffed the Jets' efforts at a comeback in the last 58 seconds, with rookie linebacker Von Miller sacking New York quarterback Mark Sanchez midway through the drive. Sanchez's last-second pass attempt fell incomplete as time ran out, extending the misery and further dampening the playoff hopes of the Jets (5-5), who just four nights earlier lost 37-16 to the New England Patriots.

"We made too many mistakes to win a game," Jets coach Rex Ryan said Thursday.

Denver's offense was far from perfect through the first 54 minutes of the game. The winning drive was the Broncos' only sustained series.

Until that point, Tebow was off the mark and off his vaunted running game. He had just 11 yards rushing and 69 yards passing (completing six of 15 attempts) coming into the fourth quarter.

The Jets broke a 10-10 tie early in the fourth quarter on a 45-yard Nick Folk field goal. The score was still 13-10 when the Broncos took over at their own 5-yard line with 5:54 remaining in the game.

"When we were in the huddle, what we were talking about as an offense is that you want opportunities like this, because this is an opportunity for greatness as an offense," Tebow said. "We said, 'We haven't done anything this whole game, but we have an opportunity to do something special right now.' "

Broncos receiver Dante Rosario remembered not so much what was said as what he saw.

"You could just tell he was very amped up, very emotional, but in control," he said of Tebow. "He had that excitement in his eyes like he knew what was about to happen."

Tebow completed three of five passes, including a right-on-target 18-yarder to Rosario, and ran for 57 yards on six carries.

The Jets "blitzed everybody" on the last play of the drive, Tebow said, which created an opening to the end zone.

"Tim Tebow did it," said Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who earlier in the week said no NFL team could be successful over the long haul primarily running an option offense, as the Broncos are doing with Tebow. "He shocked me."

Week by week, Tebow is quieting his detractors and turning up the volume on "Tebow-mania."

He earned the starting job by leading the Broncos to 16 fourth-quarter points in a Oct. 9 loss to San Diego. 

The rally fell short only on the game's last play, when the Chargers knocked down a would-be touchdown pass.

In his first start, Tebow willed the Broncos to a 18-15 overtime win against Miami. Last Sunday, he threw a 56-yard, fourth-quarter scoring strike to Eric Decker to lift the Broncos past Kansas City.

"I put that pressure on myself to try to make something happen," Tebow said. "Ultimately, that's the best part about being a quarterback. That's why I've wanted to be a quarterback since I was 6 years old, watching guys like John Elway and Steve Young have game-winning drives."

Coroner: WY Crash That Killed 5 Was Murder-suicide

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming family was driving to a doctor’s appointment when a distraught teenager saw his chance in their headlights, authorities say. Matthew Denton throttled his SUV to 97 mph, steered into the opposite lanes, and kept his foot off the brake.

The head-on crash just after midnight Nov. 10 killed five people including 17-year-old Denton and four in a Dodge Caravan minivan: 41-year-old Corina Surrell-Norman; her ex-husband, Arvin Surrell; their 25-year-old son, Ethan Surrell; and his 20-year-old girlfriend, Melinda Escamilla.

Thursday’s announcement by the Wyoming Highway Patrol that the fiery wreck was a murder-suicide came a day after burial for the four in a tribal cemetery.

The Surrells were from Fort Washakie, population 1,700, on the nearby Wind River Indian Reservation. Escamilla was from Riverton, a town of about 11,000 surrounded by reservation lands. The Surrells were Eastern Shoshone and Escamilla was Northern Arapaho, the two tribes that share the reservation that covers about a third of Fremont County.

Joe Paterno to retire at Penn State at season's end

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The statue outside the gate of Beaver Stadium shows the iconic coach Joe Paterno in a coat and tie, cuffs rolled up, right index finger in the air, running onto the field with his players.

A description on one side of a wall reads, "Educator, Coach, Humanitarian."

On the other side, there is a quote: "They ask me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach."

Amid a sex abuse scandal that has rocked his beloved football team, university and community, Paterno, 84, said Wednesday he will retire at the end of the season and that he was "devastated" by developments in the case against his former assistant. Defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has been charged with sexually abusing eight children — and questions remain about how Paterno and his superiors handled at least one of the cases.

Athletics director Tim Curley and senior vice president Gary Schultz also were arrested on charges of perjury and failing to report what they knew about Sandusky's abuse.

"This is a tragedy," Paterno said in a statement. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

"I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: to serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care," he said. "I have the same goal today."

The Penn State community was hurting Wednesday.

Players were in shock. "Crazy how twitter knew before the squad did," Running back Silas Redd tweeted.

When Paterno did meet with the team Wednesday morning it was heartbreaking.

"Joe was just crying. He was very depressed," said cornerback Stephon Morris, a junior. "I've never seen a coach act that way. I've never seen a coach get that down."

Fans have rallied behind Paterno, showing up at his house Tuesday night to show their support and ask him to stay.

Others were outraged, mobbing the Old Main building Tuesday where university President Graham Spanier held a teleconference with the Board of Trustees. The board issued a statement saying it is "outraged by the horrifying details" contained in a grand jury report charging that Sandusky abused eight children.

The board promised to "take swift, decisive action." Some students say that's not enough. On Wednesday Spanier's job appeared to be jeopardy.

"The president hasn't come out and addressed the students," said Alex Braunbeck, 22, a senior from Hughesville, Pa. "Essentially it just seems like he's gone into hiding."

The university newspaper, The Daily Collegian, reported that Michael Pilato, who painted the prominent mural on Hiester Street featuring Paterno and Sandusky, had begun the task Wednesday of painting over Sandusky.

"My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination," Paterno said in his statement. "And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this university."

Penn State safety Drew Astorino was at the team meeting with Paterno at 11 a.m. ET when news of his retirement was disclosed. A fifth-year senior, he will play his last home game Saturday. The No. 12 Nittany Lions will face No. 17 Nebraska on Saturday in what will be Paterno's final home game.

"It's been a pretty tough time for everybody at Penn State, and it's a tough thing to deal with," he said. "I think myself and the team are handling it well, but we're always thinking of the victims and their families."

Astorino said the team found out about the pending retirement about 15 minutes before the meeting began, getting information from ESPN, the Internet and social media.

"Everybody was visibly upset," he said. "He's been here a long time, and it was tough to hear. Everybody was very emotional and upset.

"It's been a rumor mill around here for three days, and it's been hard to determine what's fact and what's fiction. But sure, there was an element of shock. I don't think anybody knew what would happen," he said. "He told us he put in a letter of resignation and he thinks that it would be better for Penn State and his family and everybody.

"He reminded us that we'll be a team for the rest of our lives, and he wants us to remember that."

Offensive lineman Chima Okoli, on a teleconference call, described the mood as somber when Paterno talked to the team.

"We know we have to come together, and this is going to do that," he said "This is our team … This isn't the end of our season."

Astorino said the 125 players on the team want to stick together and he believes they can overcome all the distractions and play well Saturday.

"Practice has almost been a relief," he said. "It's just us out there, and we're away from everything else."

Former Penn State receiver Rich Mauti has sent more than 800 e-mails to former Nittany Lions to encourage them to stand on the sideline and show support for Paterno on Saturday.

Mauti says he wants the Nittany Lions to show solidarity for this year's team and former players and coaches who have done nothing wrong. Mauti says he's not minimizing the sex-abuse scandal and possible coverup centered on former assistant and onetime heir apparent Jerry Sandusky.

"I'm not condoning any activities that have been alleged. That's not the purpose," Mauti said. "I'm trying to get everyone that has been through that program, that has had a positive experience, to support the kids and the program and the school at this juncture."

Pennsylvania authorities braced Wednesday for additional alleged victims to come forward.

Nearly half of the 16 regional offices of the Pennsylvania State Police are investigating allegations of abuse that led to the arrest of Sandusky.

Since the allegations were made public last week, police have fielded streams of calls from the public offering possible information related to fast-developing inquiry.

"We have committed significant resources … to meet the needs of the investigation," Sgt. Anthony Manetta said.

Manetta characterized the inquiry as "very labor-intensive" for investigators vetting the information provided by the public.

Contributing: Audrey Snyder, State College; Carolyn Pesce, McLean, Va.; Kevin Johnson, Harrisburg, Pa.; Associated Press.

White House Sidelines Christmas Tree 'Tax'

• The White House has decided to sideline a proposed fee on Christmas trees, after the fee was ridiculed by critics as a tax on Christmas.

The 15-cent tax on Christmas trees was announced Tuesday in the Federal Register and was meant to pay for a new board tasked with promoting the Christmas tree industry. It was supported by Christmas tree growers, who wanted a stable source of revenue to fund a new marketing campaign. 

But the change quickly drew complaints from Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., and others. Scalise described the fee as a "Grinch" move by the Obama administration and vowed to fight it. 

White House spokesman Matt Lehrich told Fox News on Wednesday afternoon that the administration is putting a stop to the proposal. 

"I can tell you unequivocally that the Obama administration is not taxing Christmas trees. What's being talked about here is an industry group deciding to impose fees on itself to fund a promotional campaign, similar to how the dairy producers have created the 'Got Milk?' campaign," he said. "That said, USDA is going to delay implementation and revisit this action."

The new program was set to go into effect Wednesday. According to the Agriculture Department announcement, the government would have imposed a 15-cent-per-tree charge on "producers and importers" of fresh Christmas trees, provided they sell or import more than 500 trees a year.  

The program and fee were supported by some in the Christmas tree industry. The money was not meant to pay down the debt or fund any other program, but designed to go back into the new Christmas Tree Promotion Board.

The board, proposed earlier this year, is the culmination of a years-long effort by the fresh Christmas tree industry to promote itself, according to background information provided in the Federal Register. The industry has faced increasing competition from producers of artificial trees, but efforts to collect voluntary contributions for a fresh-tree marketing campaign have repeatedly run out of funding. So the government stepped in to mandate a fee to support the promotion board. 

Heritage Foundation Vice President David Addington, who first reported on the rule on his blog Tuesday evening, said there were two problems with the new fee. First, he said, it's likely the 15-cent fee would be passed on to consumers. Second, he said it's inappropriate for the government to be putting its "thumb on the scale," helping out the fresh-tree sellers and not the artificial-tree sellers. 

"If it's one thing I think the free market could handle, it's letting people decide what kind of tree they want to buy for Christmas," Addington told FoxNews.com. 

But Agriculture Department spokesman Michael T. Jarvis had defended the program, saying it's along the lines of over 20 other promotional programs supported by the department, such as the "got milk" campaign. 

"It's worked great for beef, pork, chicken, eggs," he added. 

Jarvis also insisted the fee does not count as a tax, since the industry is effectively "assessing themselves." 

"This one's not a tax," he said. 

The industry itself further rejected the claim that the fee would be passed onto consumers. The National Christmas Tree Association said in a statement that the program "is not expected to have any impact on the final price consumers pay for their Christmas tree." 

The group said most growers who weighed in on the proposal were in favor of it. 

According to the Federal Register, the new board was supposed to launch a "program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry's position in the marketplace."

As part of that job, the board was charged with improving the image of both Christmas trees and the industry itself. After three years, an industry-wide referendum will be held to determine whether to renew the program.