Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Sports World

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Kaeding can handle the pressure Posted: 20 Jan 2010 04:29 AM PST You would think it was an easy job - watch the ball, kick the ball in the right direction and make sure it goes through those posts about 40 yards away from you. You would think it was an even easier job if you were rated as one of the best, if not the best, kicker in the NFL, but what a bad day it proved for Nate Kaeding in the AFC Divisional playoff clash with the New York Jets. In his six seasons in the league, Kaeding had established himself as the most accurate kicker around, never hitting less than 80 per cent of his field goals and only twice missing an extra point in 305 attempts. So what occurred at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday was so far out of character it has to be put on one side and forgotten about despite its importance to a franchise that was looking for a 12th straight win and hoping to be one more good performance away from the Super Bowl. But unlike Nick Folk over in Dallas, don't expect the Chargers to go out and fire Kaeding on the back of one bad day at the office. Coach Norv Turner said he should not feel like the whole defeat was on his shoulders. Two key interceptions at the wrong time, and a set of stupid penalties helped the Jets defy the half-time betting odds and mount a comeback. However, because the failings of a kicker are all the easier to see Kaeding will probably head into 2010/11 hearing it from the fans. But he knows what is coming and is the type of character who can overcome a little negativity, telling the Chargers website: "The other side of it definitely beats this side of it but like I said if you play this game and you can only accept when things go well, then you're in the wrong business. "Especially in my position because you're going to miss some and unfortunately some days like this will come and my really bad days have been untimely ones. It's tough to deal with but you have got to deal with it, it's part of the deal." Kaeding now has to focus on getting his head straight for the 2010/11 season. Meanwhile, the NLF betting markets make the Jets rank outsiders to win this year's Super Bowl.

Adams shock stuns reeling Bears Posted: 20 Jan 2010 04:18 AM PST The 2010 offseason was always going to be tough for the Chicago Bears in the wake of their failure to make the playoffs this season, but things got a whole lot harder last weekend with the sad death of defensive end Gaines Adams. Adams was only 26 when he passed away because of a cardiac arrest, caused by an enlarged heart. Although he only played ten times for the Bears after a trade over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the side were counting on an improvement in his play next season to solve their problems in the front four. These troubles could be compounded by the loss of free agent Adewale Ogunleye. Adams was picked fourth in the 2007 NFL draft and led all rookies with six sacks in his opening season, but he struggled to have the same impact in the two seasons after that and cost the Bears only a middling second round pick midway through the season. The news of Adams' death came at the end of a week in which the Bears had missed out on two of their main targets for the roles as coordinator on both sides of the ball. First came the news that Jeremy Bates had decided to follow Southern Cal coach Pete Carroll to Seattle and become his offensive coordinator - Bates had been the number one target for the Bears because of his work with Jay Cutler when the pair were both in Denver. There was another rejection when Perry Fewell, who had been in the running for the head coaching vacancy in Buffalo, opted for a defensive coordinator's role with the New York Giants. It's likely that next season's NFL betting will reflect the problems the Bears are now facing. Now coach Lovie Smith, a set of players lacking true star potential, and fans in need of a long run into the playoffs will have to hope the franchise's luck returns soon or it could be a long season in 2010 for the Windy City's finest. However, it is unlikely American Football betting experts will be tipping the Bears to go on to great things in 2010/11.

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