Sport and health of the man

The World Series presented a chilling reality to every real and imagined challenger to Boston.

The champion Red Sox are a combination of smart and rich. That will be hard to beat in the coming seasons.

Boston had a $141 million payroll this season, second-highest behind the New York Yankees. That does not count the $51 million the club spent for the negotiating rights to righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka, the most over-hyped No.

(Read content ‘Developing news: Home-grown Red Sox are a hit (The Sporting News)’…)

(Read content ‘Girardi gets three-year deal to replace Torre with Yankees’…)

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Only one can be the champion.

Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, who look as though they were peeled off the pages of a fashion magazine and drive even better, have turned the Chase for the Nextel Cup championship into their own personal showdown.

Mano-a-mano, with everyone else just along for the ride.

“It’s going to be a fight to end,” Johnson promised.

Gordon is still leading the Nextel Cup standings, but had his advantage shaved to a mere nine points when Johnson won Sunday’s Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

(Read content ‘Johnson closes in on Gordon in Chase (AP)’…)

Needing to recapture some of the wizardry that got them here, Todd Helton and the Rockies bowed out of October with a whimper, losing 4-3 Sunday night to the Red Sox, who swept their second World Series in four years.

Garrett Atkins gave Colorado hope with a two-run homer in the eighth inning that made it a one-run game, but like every other rally the Rockies managed in this Series, it was just a tease.

Bullied by Boston, Colorado was outscored 29-10 by the Red Sox, who made them look nothing like the team that won an incredible 21 of 22 just to get here.

The clutch hits, all gone.

The ball bashers, nowhere in sight.

The potent pen, not so powerful.

The proper managerial moves, not there.

The starting pitching, a joke until Aaron Cook’s valiant effort fell short Sunday night.

MVP hopeful Matt Holliday and his teammates have insisted all Series they have nothing to hang their heads about, and they’re right.

They were simply in over their heads.

They’ve also steadfastly refused to use rust as an excuse, but the fact is they endured an eight-day wait for the World Series.

(Read content ‘Rockies’ magical run ends with a sweep (AP)’…)

The Oilers beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks 3-2 Sunday night for the first time since luring Penner away from Anaheim with a five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet that Burke declined to match.

(Read content ‘Cogliano scores late, Oilers win in SO (AP)’…)

SYDNEY, Australia: The Australian Olympic Committee said Monday it no longer recognizes Taekwondo Australia as the governing body for the sport in the country, escalating a dispute over constitutional and funding matters.

The move follows Taekwondo Australia's decision earlier this month to close down the sport's high performance unit in Melbourne and another training center in Canberra.

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The Ottawa Senators spoiled the Devils’ first game in the new Prudential Center, scoring three times in the third period in a 4-1 victory Saturday night.

Brian Gionta scored on a deflection for the Devils, who played their first nine games on the road while waiting for the $380 million arena to be completed.

New Jersey won three of those games and continued to struggle Saturday night against Ottawa (9-1), which leads the Northeast Division.

Martin Gerber made 31 saves for Ottawa, while Martin Brodeur stopped 23 shots for New Jersey.

Ottawa snapped a 1-1 tie early in the third period when Chris Kelly picked up a loose puck behind the net and fed Shean Donovan, who beat Brodeur from in close.

(Read content ‘Senators spoil Devils debut at new arena (AP)’…)

Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester came back this season after chemotherapy for a form of cancer while Rockies hurler Aaron Cook overcame life-threatening blood clots in his lungs.

"It is kind of ironic with him going through what he went through and me what I went through, both of us to work our way back up to the top level of professional baseball," Cook told reporters on Saturday.

Cook, 28, missed a large chunk of the season with a strained oblique muscle but his health scare during the 2004 season required eight hours of surgery and he was told by doctors he was lucky to be alive.

"What we've been through, just to keep our focus, keep our faith, and just realize …

(Read content ‘Game Four pitchers offer portraits in perseverance (Reuters)’…)

Bibby was injured during Thursday’s practice, and an MRI revealed the tear Friday night. The injury could sideline the point guard for two months or longer, the team said.

Bibby averaged 17.1 points and 4.7 assists last season while playing in all 82 games for the Kings, who missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

(Read content ‘Kings’ Bibby injures thumb (AP)’…)