Wilson has torn biceps tendon

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson has a torn right biceps tendon and will try to rehabilitate the injury to avoid surgery that would sideline him for a longer period.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt would give no timetable for Wilson's return other than to say he expects the four-time Pro Bowler to play this season.

"That's one thing that is encouraging," Whisenhunt said. "It's just going to be a matter of how his body responds to the rehab. So far it's been very good."

Wilson didn't talk to reporters after Monday morning's practice but reportedly has told people that he believes he will be ready for the team's Sept. 11 opener against Carolina. The 31-year-old Wilson, who has played all 10 of his NFL seasons with Arizona, was injured in Saturday's scrimmage while attempting to tackle running back Beanie Wells.

The Cardinals have re-signed safety Matt Ware and waived injured tackle Brad Thorson (foot).

Whisenhunt said he didn't know how long the Cardinals would give the rehab process before deciding whether surgery would be necessary.

"I can't say if it's a week, two weeks, three weeks. I can't tell you what that is," Whisenhunt said, "because I don't know. I know this. My No. 1 concern is the health of Adrian. I know he's a very tough player and he'd go out there with one arm if he could. So we have to obviously make sure that his body is healing correctly before we allow him to play."

Rashad Johnson, a third-round draft pick out of Alabama in his third season with Arizona, moves up to Wilson's place on the depth chart.

"Listen, this business is all about the next guy being able to step in and play," Whisenhunt said. "Rashad's been here working very hard for a couple of years and if he gets this opportunity, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he does a very good job with it."

Wilson immediately began rehab exercises once an MRI showed the extent of the injury, including work on the field while the team practised.

"As you saw today, he's going to work as much as he possibly can to get back as quickly as he can," Whisenhunt said. "I've learned in this business you can't ever rule somebody out or say for sure somebody's going to play. You've got to see how everybody responds differently."

Although he made the Pro Bowl, Wilson considered last year a sub-par season. Although he would not use it as an excuse, he was bothered by an abdominal injury much of the way.

"I can play hurt," Wilson said last week. "Regardless of what happens to me on the field, it's my responsibility to the team to be a leader, to be out there and show those young guys that even though you're hurt, you can still play through things like that. Really, that's my whole message."

.A team captain, Wilson is the longest-serving member of the Cardinals. He endured the years of losing before the stunning turnaround that led to the Super Bowl appearance in the 2008 season and an NFC West title the following year.

"I know what type of player that I am," he said last week. "I know I'm a top 50 player in this league. So I'm just going to go out there and do my thing and let my play speak."

In another injury development, backup cornerback Michael Adams underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. No timetable was set for his return, either.

Ireland's economic recovery damaged by downgrade, says government

The Irish government has warned that its economic recovery has been damaged by Moody's decision to downgrade its credit rating to junk, and insisted that the move was unfair.

Economy minister Richard Bruton said Ireland had become "caught up" in the problems of other weaker members of the eurozone, and that the country was on track to hit the targets agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He also admitted that the downgrade will hurt Ireland's ability to rebuild its economy.

"This means for certain investors, Ireland is now taken off their radar, they will not touch Irish borrowings, that is bad for us, that makes the whole job of recovery more difficult," said Bruton.

"It is important to say this is agencies looking at a European strategy and we have been caught up in their view of the European solutions," Bruton added.

Investors drove down the value of Ireland's sovereign debt on Wednesday morning, driving up the yield – or interest rate – on the Irish 10-year bond above 14%. There was some relief for Spain and Italy, whose yields fell back to 5.7% and 5.4% respectively.

Moody's justified the one-notch downgrade, to Ba1, on two counts – the weak Irish economy, which it said undermines the effectiveness of the government's fiscal plan, and the increased likelihood that any subsequent rescue package would include losses for private creditors.

Analysts at Dublin stockbrokers Davy said that Ireland will now find it harder to borrow money on the international monetary markets in 2013, as planned under last year's bailout.

"Even the perception of possible private sector participation in a future funding package impairs the ability of the Irish sovereign to regain access to private markets in the near term," said Davy's Conall Mac Coille.

The Irish government has also argued that Moody's downgrade, which came late on Tuesday, was "completely at odds" with other rating agencies' views.

It also said it did not reflect the progress made at last night's eurogroup meeting where the minister of finance Michael Noonan is believed to have edged closer to a deal to get the country's "punitive" interest rate on the bailout reduced in a move that could save the country over €200m (£176m) a year.

"This is a disappointing development and it is completely at odds with the recent views of other rating agencies. Just last week, Fitch & DBRS noted our economy's return to growth in the first quarter, the progress in reducing our budget deficit and said that there was no reason to alter their views on Ireland at this time," said a spokesman for the department of finance.

"Given the timing of the Moody's announcement it is difficult to see how its decision reflects the agreement reached at last night's eurogroup meeting to enhance the flexibility and the scope of the European financial stability facility (EFSF), and to lengthen the maturities of, and lower the interest rates on, loans to countries in receipt of financial support," she added.

The cost of insuring Irish debt rose on Wednesday, as traders reacted to Moody's downgrade.

"The one-notch cut to Ba1 wasn't a tremendous surprise given the action on Portugal last week, and Ireland has been trading equivalent to a junk credit for many months," said Gavan Nolan, director of credit research at Markit.

"Nonetheless, it could trigger some forced selling in the bond market and can only add to negative sentiment."

The European commission said it "regrets the decision of Moody's to downgrade Ireland". It said it was confident Ireland was on track for a recovery and the decision "contrasts very much with the recent data, which support a return to GDP growth this year".

The European commission added that Ireland was making a "determined implementation" of the bailout programme and the Irish government had taken "strong ownership" of the necessary austerity programme.

The Moody's decision is a particular blow to the government, which is expected to get a good school report on Thursday from the IMF and EU, who will hold a press conference outlining how Ireland has met all fiscal targets under the IMF/EU programme.

They are also expected to say that Ireland is on track to achieve the deficit reduction for the year as a whole.

The head of the IMF's mission to Ireland, Ajai Chopra, has been in Dublin for a week leading the review of the second quarter performance.

In a note today, Dublin stockbrokers Bloxham said Moody's decision would force some investors who were permitted to hold non investment-grade status stock to sell.

"In our view this latest move by Moody's is cynical and manipulative, coming just two days before the EU/IMF in their latest quarterly review are expected to give Ireland the thumbs-up in meeting all its bailout targets," it said.

"The bottom line is that the credit ratings agencies have far too much power but policymakers and regulators only have themselves to blame."

Only last week Moody's said it saw differences between Ireland and Portugal when it downgraded the latter's debt to junk status.

Cavendish wins crash-marred 5th Tour stage

Mark Cavendish of Britain won a windy and crash-marred fifth stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint on Wednesday, while Thor Hushovd of Norway kept the leader's yellow jersey.

Defending champion Alberto Contador fell in a crash and RadioShack rider Janez Brajkovic broke his collarbone and pulled out of the race during the 102-mile stage from Carhaix to Cap Frehel on the English Channel.

Cavendish, a sprint specialist, collected his 16th career Tour stage victory and his first this year by speeding past Philippe Gilbert of Belgium — who finished second — and Jose Joaquin Rojas in third.

"I am really happy. It was a difficult finish," said Cavendish, who rides with the HTC-Highroad team. "I put every thing into it … If we win, it's not because we're lucky, it's because we're good."

The British rider, known almost as much for his powerful legs as his sharp tongue, took aim at unidentified critics who he said expressed doubts about his abilities.

"It's always sweet to silence the ignoramuses," he said.

But Gilbert succeeded in making him work hard in the sprint.

"Normally, I try to win by a little-ish margin, just to try and save energy," Cavendish said. "Today, I had to give everything I had. He's taken a lot out of me, so I'll take a couple of days to recover."

The top standings didn't change because the vast majority of riders crossed in a pack right behind the sprinters. Hushovd kept his one-second lead over Cadel Evans of Australia in second. Frank Schleck of Luxembourg is third overall, 4 seconds back.

Schleck's younger brother Andy — the Tour runner-up for the last two years — is 10th, 12 seconds behind. Contador, who lost time by getting caught up in a crash in Stage 1, is 39th overall, 1:42 behind Hushovd.

The stage Wednesday included a picturesque patch along rocky Brittany cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, was mostly marked by crashes that brought down some of the biggest names in the pack. Two riders pulled out, reducing the pack to 195.

"It was very nervous, and because of that you get a lot of crashes, because there are 200 riders who want to be in front," said Hushovd, who retained the coveted yellow jersey for a fourth straight day.

Many riders were jostling to stay at the front — and ahead of possible group spills.

Contador, the Spanish three-time Tour champion, fell at about the 44-mile mark. With his Saxo Bank jersey ripped over the right shoulder, he took off his helmet briefly, then gave a thumbs-up to signal that he was all right.

"It was very difficult day, with a lot of tension," said Contador, who had scrapes on his right shoulder, elbow and knee. He said he took "a little knock" while braking to avoid one crash, then had his own a few miles later.

"When I got back going, 5 kilometers later, my chain came off — so I fell," Contador told French TV, which showed images of him throwing his bike on the roadside at the time. "What matters is, I was able to get back up."

"Yes, it'll be a bad night, of course, but you have to think about tomorrow," he added, suggesting his bruises and bumps might cause him to lose some sleep.

The highest-profile withdrawal was Brajkovic. The 27-year-old Slovenian was evacuated to a hospital in an ambulance. A race medical report said he had suffered a broken collarbone and a concussion.

Teammate Levi Leipheimer of the United States also was involved in a crash but returned to the course. In one of the more dramatic spills, Saxo Bank's Nicki Sorensen bumped into the motorcycle of a race photographer, and skidded on a roadside. The motorbike dragged his bike along the road — and race organizers barred its driver from covering the race.

Robert Gesink, the leader of the Rabobank team, went down in the same spill as Brajkovic. A mass crash earlier tangled up France's Sylvain Chavanel and Britain's Bradley Wiggins. Yet another ensnared Belgian sprint star Tom Boonen and his teammate Gert Steegmans.

Christophe Kern, the French time-trial champion, dropped out of the race after yet another crash.

"I kept hearing over the radio, 'Crash! Crash! Crash!', and then I saw guys like Gesink coming back to the peloton all covered in dirt," Evans said. "It was a dangerous day, I think."

With his jersey torn over his right shoulder, Boonen struggled through wincing pain behind an escort from Quick Step teammate Andy Engels — and finished more than 13 minutes behind the main pack.

On top of his injury, Boonen was penalized along with Rojas for an "irregular sprint" during the intermediate sprint earlier in the day's stage, race officials said. The riders were stripped of points used to calculate who wins the Tour's green jersey awarded to the best sprinter.

What to get Flacco for his wedding?

A big Mazel Tov to Ravens QB Joe Flacco, who married his longtime girlfriend, Dana Grady, in Philadelphia last weekend.

The Baltimore Sun wrote that Flacco and Grady started dating in high school. They’ve been together for nine years, and the two married in the same church where Flacco’s parents had wed.

Conveniently, the couple is registered at Crate & Barrel.

Here are a few things I recommend you buy for the happy couple (keep in mind, gift cards are welcome).

A tea bag squeezer: The couple needs only one, and it’s an affordable $4.95.
A large Artesia bread/cracker dish: For $17.95, give the Flacco’s a place to hold their bread during dinner.
A 3x3 flameless pillar card: If you want to help the Flacco’s set the mood, you’ll need to spend $7.95. Or you could spend about $16 and get them two. Don't be cheap. Get them two.

But buy these gifts soon, because most of their needs have been fulfilled. And don’t forget: cash always makes a good gift. Especially during times of a lockout.

Packers players – maybe not top 10, but we’ll take the trophy

Today’s announcement that three Packers, Clay Matthews (19), Charles Woodson (16), and Aaron Rodgers (11), were named to the NFL’s top 100 players of 2011 was satisfying and is a great tribute to those individuals.

However, it’s got to be even more gratifying to the other players, coaches and administrators who are a part of this great organization.
Individual recognition is awesome for these players – they certainly love being recognized by their peers and fans.
But this is just a list, a popularity contest, if you will.
We all know that lists are great, but we also know that they mean absolutely nothing.
What matters are championships. It’s a team sport made up of individuals.
Sure, we’re happy with the accolades, but we’re way more impressed with the George Halas and Vince Lombardi trophies, thank you.

Everything’s Bigger in Texas: Mavericks Hosted Championship Parade

Every player on the champion Dallas Mavericks’ roster had their share of laughs, songs and some tears. Dirk Nowitzki could finally bask in the championship atmosphere with his beloved fans that have supported him and his team through thick and thin.

Around a hundred thousand people packed the streets of Dallas for the championship parade morning of Thursday to celebrate with their newly-crowned championship team. A flock of 20,000 people also occupied the seats of American Airlines Center for the rally that was highlighted with different outbursts of emotions.

It was the first pro sports championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since the NHL’s Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999. For the city’s basketball franchise, it was their first after 31 years of experiences that was full of hopes and also marred by disappointments.

It was no surprise that Nowitzki, the MVP of their recently concluded 6-game Finals series against the star-studded Miami Heat, was the focal point of the entire celebration. Chants of “M-V-P” serenaded the 7-foot German along with waived flags of his hometown country and signboards showing some love to their franchise player.

Nowitzki himself has come a long way en route to his first NBA title. The Wurzburg, Germany native was drafted by the franchise in 1998 and struggled to make a smooth transition from Europe to the NBA. He then led the Mavericks to playoff appearances, starting with the trio of him, Steve Nash and Michael Finley in the early 2000’s. Then, he carried the team all by himself to the 2006 Finals, where they bowed down to Miami after blowing a 2-0 lead in that series.

Like Nowitzki, Jason Kidd was also emotional during the parade. Drafted by the Mavericks in 1994, he suffered the failures and the long wait before he could proclaim himself as a champion. Jason Terry, the other player besides Nowitzki who are still with the Mavericks from that 2006 team that reached the Finals, finally got revenge from the team that they lost from five years ago.

As for Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, he broke down in several occasions while addressing the crowd. The big-time billionaire bought the team in 2000, and was a big part of the club’s success. Don Carter, the franchise’s cornerstone back in 1980s said that that the celebration and the moment itself was “Fantastic”.

Jason Terry leads the way in fourth quarter for Mavericks

DALLAS — Jason Terry promised all week that the Miami Heat couldn't beat his Dallas Mavericks in a high-scoring game.
He was spot on, just as he was in the last two minutes with pivotal three-pointers as he sparked the Mavericks to a 112-103 victory in Game 5 on Thursday night.

"I said if we can get 100, we like our chances. We did that, but we definitely don't want to give them 100 points," said Terry, who had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
The Mavericks made 13 of 19 three-pointers (68.4%) as they took a 3-2 series lead. They head back to Miami with two chances to win the franchise's first championship. Game 6 is Sunday.
STORY: Mavericks take Game 5 over Heat
BOX SCORE: Mavericks 112, Heat 103
PHOTOS: Top images from the NBA Finals
SCHEDULE: NBA Finals dates and results
Dirk Nowitzki shot 9-for-18 for a game-high 29 points, but after the Mavericks blew a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter it was Terry who led them back.
Terry's three-pointer tied the score at 100. He blew past LeBron James and into the lane, then threw the pass back to Jason Kidd who was spotting up at the top of the key for an open three.
"Jet is a great scorer. He's a great shooter, and he's a great player" Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of Terry, who was the starting point guard on the 2006 Mavericks team that advanced to the Finals. "He used to play point guard exclusively, so he has a lot of experience as a play-maker."
With the shot clock winding down and the Heat trailing 105-101, Terry hit another three-pointer over James for a 108-101 lead to seal the outcome.
"Jet was phenomenal. He was aggressive again from the get-go," Nowitzki said. "It opens up a lot of stuff for everybody else out there. It opens up Tyson (Chandler) on the rolls that we actually hit him on a bunch of times today….Also that opens up the corner threes."
The Mavericks got out to the fast start they've longed for all series. They led by as many as seven in the first quarter as they forced the Heat into four turnovers.
They got scoring from unusual places with Chandler contributing nine points, point guard Jason Kidd five and four from seldom-used reserve Brian Cardinal.
Still, the Heat led 31-30 entering the second because of their bench play. Mario Chalmers, Juwan Howard, Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem combined for 15 points. By halftime the quartet had 22. They finished with 40, led by Chalmers' 15 and 10 from Haslem.
James, coming off a career playoff-low eight points in Game 4, finished the half with nine points, six rebounds and four assists but he failed to knock down a jump shot.
He was 4-for-10 in the first half as all of his jumpers came up short, including an airball on his first attempt.
James finished 8-for-19 shooting with a triple-double of 17 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. But he only scored two points in the fourth quarter after not scoring at all in the fourth of Game 4.
Terry, who James held scoreless in the fourth of a Game 3 victory for Miami, made him work on the defensive end.
"Jet is a very emotional player. He loves the fourth quarter," Kidd said. "I think the challenge is for him with LeBron, he's got to use his quickness. LeBron is one of the best defenders in this league."
Nowitzki agrees at the 6-4 Terry can't be stationary vs. the more physical James, who also is four inches taller. And Dallas has to make it more difficult for James to size him up.
"If he just stands there and looks at him, LeBron is long enough and quick enough to contest his slot late," Nowitzki said. "So he's got to attack him. He's got to attack his feet. … We got to run LeBron through some screens when he's on him, screen-and-rolls. So LeBron constantly has to chase him and fight over some picks."
Dallas overcame a six-point deficit in the second quarter to lead 60-57 at the half behind Nowitzki.
He hit a pair of free throws and then drove strong past Chris Bosh. He hit an open lane jumper with 6.1 seconds left.
Every time the Heat made a move early, it was Nowitzki who closed the door.
James hit a fading jump shot over Nowitzki to tie it at 65 but the 7-footer hit a jump shot and a three-pointer to build Dallas' cushion.
Then Miami couldn't contain the dribble penetration of J.J. Barea, who got past Mike Bibby to cause havoc in the lane. That led to three-pointers by Nowitzki and Kidd as the Mavericks' lead grew to 80-71.
Barea, getting his second start of the playoffs, contributed 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting and five assists.
Just when the Heat were getting set for a run in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki drew a foul on Wade to put them in the penalty. He hit the free throws to push the score to 95-90.
The Heat were without Wade for key stretches in the first half because of a left hip contusion. But his play in combo with James was crucial as Miami regained the lead at 96-95 on a dunk by Udonis Haslem. Wade drew the double-team and Haslem slipped the screen to get the pass over the top.
Wade, who had a team-high 23 points in 34 minutes, then struck a pose after this three-pointer at the top of the key gave Miami a 99-95 lead. Dallas, however, had the last laugh.
"If there's space, I'm going to let it fly," Terry said. "It's just like being out there on the playground back home in Seattle, emulating your idols in the Finals. Game on the line. Raise up. Knock it down."