Honors

Three Cougars named Academic All-America

TOWSON, Md. -- BYU football players David Oswald, Matt Bauman and Kellen Fowler were recognized Wednesday as members of the 2008 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America first team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

"Coach Mendenhall puts a strong emphasis on academic success as well as on athletic success," said BYU football academic coach Jim Hamblin. "That emphasis is exemplified in this award. These three young men have worked very hard and are very deserving."

BYU tied for second-most nationally with North Dakota State with three honorees, behind Penn State's four. Utah's Louie Sakoda and New Mexico's Zach Arnett, both on the first-team list, are the only other players representing the MWC.

Oswald, from Sandy, is a two-year starter at right tackle for the Cougars and has maintained a 3.85 GPA while working toward a degree in international relations with a minor in geography.

Bauman, a finance major from Salt Lake City, leads the team with a 3.92 GPA. He also leads the team with 101 tackles on the season, starting all 12 games for BYU at inside linebacker.

Also majoring in finance, Fowler is in his final semester as an undergraduate with a 3.82 GPA and has been accepted to attend law school at the University of Virginia following his graduation from BYU. A two-time Academic All-MWC and MWC Scholar Athlete honoree, the safety from Kaysville has also started each game for the Cougars this season.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

• Anderson, Wilson earn weekly honor: After leading Utah Valley to the NCAA Division I Independent Volleyball Championship last week, Kristin Anderson and Allyce Wilson were honored as the Great West Conference Volleyball Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, the league office announced Wednesday.

Anderson was named MVP at the championships. She led the team with 48 kills over the four matches and recorded a .433 attack percentage. The junior collected 18 kills and 10 blocks in the championship match to help give the Wolverines their second consecutive independent championship and third in four years. Anderson averaged 3.2 kills and 1.4 blocks per set over 15 sets in four matches.

Wilson had a stellar defensive effort that earned her all-tournament honors. The junior averaged more than five digs per game and gave her team a total of 76 opportunities to attack with 76 digs over the four matches, including two key digs down the stretch in the fifth set of the championship match against Cal State Bakersfield. The former Pleasant Grove Viking standout recorded 27 digs in the match against CSUB while also chipping in 12 assists and two service aces in the tournament.

• BYU's Higgins named finalist: BYU football assistant coach Patrick Higgins has been named a finalist for the FootballScoop Wide Receivers Coach of the Year award.¬ 

Higgins has served as an assistant coach on Bronco Mendenhall's staff the past four seasons while helping the Cougars achieve a 38-12 record, two outright MWC titles and four consecutive bowl invitations. Higgins has 19 years of coaching experience overall. As a player at William Penn University, he was a four-year starter and two-time Academic All-American.¬ 

The other finalists include Andy Hill of Missouri, Bobby Kennedy of Texas and Lincoln Riley and Dennis Simmons of Texas Tech. Simmons is a former BYU linebacker who finished his playing career on BYU's 14-1 Cotton Bowl team in 1996. He served as a graduate assistant coach at BYU in 1997.¬ 

Voting for the award will be conducted through Dec. 5. The winner will be announced on Dec. 7. To read about the finalists, and to vote, please visit www.footballscoop.com.

NFL

Light, Crowder fined $15,000 apiece by NFL

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Matt Light of New England and Channing Crowder of Miami were fined $15,000 apiece by the NFL on Wednesday for what the league called "a verbal and physical altercation" last Sunday.

Neither will be suspended, the league said.

Light punched Crowder several times after the Miami linebacker shoved him on a Patriots field goal late in a 48-28 win over the Dolphins.

"That matter is kind of a closed deal now," Light said after the decision was announced. "Obviously, I'm not happy with what my actions were and I don't think that was the way to go. But, in my mind, it's a closed deal now.

"They've made a decision on it and we're going to move forward and get ready to play a good Steelers team. I think that's where everybody's concentration should be right now and I think that's definitely where mine is at this point."

Light will be at his usual left tackle spot Sunday against Pittsburgh, which leads the AFC with 37 sacks.

"It'll be great to have Light out there and I'm happy they came up with that ruling," Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel said. "Especially as a quarterback, you love your left tackle and especially Matt Light. He's such a great player."

Gene Washington, the NFL's director of football operations, assessed the fines after reviewing the tussle between the players. It occurred after Light blocked Crowder, whose helmet fell off, on Stephen Gostkowski's 30-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.

Light and Crowder pushed each other in the face before Light grabbed Crowder's dreadlocks in his left hand and hit him three times on the head with his right. Crowder broke free and ran away with a huge grin. Both received personal foul penalties and were ejected.

• Browns' Quinn done for season with broken finger: Browns quarterback Brady Quinn doesn't regret playing with a broken right finger that will sideline him for the rest of this season and may require surgery. Quinn did more damage to his finger when he started Sunday against the Houston Texans.

"I knew that was a consequence if I went in and played," Quinn said Wednesday. "That was something that I was willing to risk. If I had a chance to do it over, I would do it again."

Quinn is now trying to decide whether to have an operation on the finger or just have it immobilized in a splint. Whatever he decides, the second-year QB, who waited 25 games to make his first NFL start, will miss the Browns' final five games in what has been a disastrous season for a team that entered the season with playoff expectations.

"It's frustrating," said the former Notre Dame star, who broke the tip of his finger and sustained tendon damage in his second start on Nov. 17 at Buffalo. "I can't begin to tell you. I'm hurting right now because I love to play the game. I wish I could be with my teammates. I feel bad for the fans because I really wanted to be out there and continue to play and continue to grow in this league.

"Hopefully, this will allow me to grow stronger and something good will come from this."

Before last week's game, Quinn consulted with team doctors as well as noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. Quinn was presented with three options: keep playing, immobilize his finger or have surgery. However, when it came down to whether he would suit up or not, Quinn said he made the call.

"It was my decision in the end," he said. "It wasn't anyone else's, so it didn't matter what anyone else thought but me."

Baseball

Mitchell returns as Bees manager

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Director of Player Development, Abe Flores, announced Wednesday that Bobby Mitchell will return for his second consecutive season as Bees Manager in 2009. Also returning in 2009 are hitting coach Jim Eppard, pitching coach Erik Bennett and trainer Brian Reinker.

"Having begun the 2008 season with a record setting 23-2 start and ending it as division champions for the third consecutive year, we're more than pleased to have our entire field staff return for the 2009 season. The Angels continue to provide us with high quality players and staff that represent the values of both organizations. We're excited for the season to begin," said Bees General Manager Marc Amicone.

Mitchell begins his second season as manager of Salt Lake after leading the Bees to an 84-60 record and a Pacific North Division Championship in 2008. Also, in his first stint as a Triple-A manager last season, Mitchell guided the Bees to a minor league baseball record setting 23-2 start. In his first managerial stint, Mitchell led the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to a 132-148 record.

• Lopez wins fan vote: Orem Owlz first baseman Roberto Lopez has been selected by the fans as the recipient of the inaugural "This Year in Minor League Baseball" Hitter of the Year for 2008.

¬ The Pioneer League MVP garnered 57.5 percent of the nationwide votes beating out Greensboro's Mike Stanton who received 12.6 percent.¬ ¬ ¬ 

¬ Lopez was the only player in professional baseball to eclipse a .400 batting average this season as well as the first in franchise history.

"I really wanted to get that [.400] mark, but at the same time I tried to keep it in the back of my head and not let it control what I was doing," Lopez told MiLB.com.

In 67 games, the Pioneer League MVP finished with 14 HR, 72 RBI, 68 R, and 1.146 OPS.

Soccer

RSL loses Sturgis in expansion draft

SALT LAKE CITY -- Real Sal Lake midfielder/defender Nathan Sturgis was selected by the expansion Seattle Sounders in the MLS expansion draft on Wednesday. Sounders FC selected one player each from 10 of the 14 MLS teams.

Each of the 14 teams was allowed to protect 11 players. Seattle's 10 selections will officially be added to Seattle Sounders FC roster, which already includes Sebastien Le Toux, Kasey Keller, Freddie Llungberg and Sanna Nyassi, on Friday, Nov. 28. Seattle Sounders FC, Major League Soccer's 15th team, will begin play in the Western Conference in the 2009 season at Qwest Field in Seattle.

NBA

LeBron no longer teams with Microsoft

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James and Microsoft Corp. have lost their Internet connection. The NBA superstar and the software giant have ended a two-year marketing partnership. James' spokesman Keith Estabrook confirmed Wednesday the contract between the Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star and Microsoft is not being renewed.

James appeared in TV ads for Microsoft's launch of its Windows Vista operating system in early 2007, but aside from the commercials and the Web site no other marketing efforts developed.

The partnership faltered when Microsoft executive Joanne Bradford, who struck the deal with James, resigned as head of the company's media network this year. Microsoft officials were not immediately available for comment.

Skiing

Miller leads downhill training in Lake Louise

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta -- Defending overall champion Bode Miller was fastest Wednesday during the opening day of training for the season's first World Cup downhill.

Miller, who won a downhill in Lake Louise in 2005, finished in 1 minute, 47.22 seconds on the men's Olympic downhill course. The New Hampshire skier was followed by two Austrians -- Klaus Kroell in 1:47.30 and Michael Walchhofer, who won this downhill in 2004, in 1:47.40.

The downhill is Saturday and the opening super-giant slalom is Sunday.

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, the 2007 overall champion, completed his first downhill training run since a season-ending fall last November in Beaver Creek, Colo.

Svindal, who won last year's super-G in Lake Louise, finished 10th. He said he feels fine but is still working on the mental aspect of racing.

"As a racer you have to have a short memory," he said. "When you are up there, and the clock is ticking, you're not going to think I'm going to take it easy because I crashed. You want to be fast."