NFL
TYNES BOOTS GIANTS INTO SUPER BOWL -- ON THIRD TRY!
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
It took three tries, but New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes finally booted his team into Super Bowl XLII.
Tynes missed a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter, but redeemed himself with a 47-yard field goal in overtime to give New York the 23-20 victory over the Green Bay Packers at frigid Lambeau Field.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Tynes missed a 43-yard attempt. Then, with four seconds to play in regulation, Tynes shanked a 36-yard attempt. Then, after a Brett Favre interception on the Packers first drive of the overtime period, Tynes booted the game winner to send the Giants to Arizona for Super Bowl XLII.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning didn't put up impressive numbers, but he did lead his team to numerous scoring opportunities. He finished 21-of-40 passing for 254 yards. Most of Manning completions went to wide receiver Plaxico Burress who hauled in a career-high 11 catches for 154 yards.
The difference in the game came down to the Giants defense. They simply shut down the Green Bay running attack (just 28 yards), and wouldn't allow Favre and the Packers to get anything going in the fourth quarter. When Green Bay needed to move the ball--they couldn't.
Legendary quarterback Brett Favre finished with 19-of-35 for 236 yards passing, with two TDs and two interceptions.
SS Pick: Green Bay 24, New York Giants 17
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
PATRIOTS BEAT CHARGERS FOR AFC CROWN; REMAIN PERFECT
The San Diego Chargers gave a valiant effort on Sunday afternoon against the AFC's best--but just didn't have enough offense to beat the New England Patriots. New England 21, San Diego 12
For the fourth time in the last seven seasons, the Patriots will be playing football on Super Sunday. Their Pats high-powered offense was held in check most of the afternoon. The Chargers defense intercepted quarterback Tom Brady three times and allowed wide receiver Randy Moss just one reception. The one player San Diego could not contain was running back Laurence Maroney. The former University of Minnesota star rushed 25 times for 122 yards and one touchdown to break the back of San Diego's defense.
Maroney's counterpart, LaDainian Tomlinson, re-injured his knee on the Chargers first drive and was a non-factor. Kicker Nate Kaeding accounted for all of San Diego's scoring. He booted four field goals in the loss.
New England improved to 18-0 on the season. That's the best record in NFL history. (The 1972 Miami Dolphins went 17-0.)
SS Pick: New England 34, San Diego 17
SS PICKS
Playoffs: 6-4
NBA
PHOENIX RACES PAST NETS
The Phoenix Suns used a balanced barrage of double-scorers to blast the New Jersey Nets on Sunday in the NBA's lone game. Phoenix led 35-20 at the end of one quarter, and they went on to win 116-92.
Amare Stoudemire led the Suns in scoring with 28 points, but he had lots of help at the hoop. Raja Bell scored 20, Shawn Marion added 16 while grabbing 11 rebounds, Boris Diaw had 14 and 10, Steve Nash scored 13 points, and Leandro Barbosa chipped in with 12.
The Nets outscored the Suns at the free-throw line by 10 points, but Phoenix hit 13 more field goals, including 12 three-pointers to New Jersey's four.
Richard Jefferson scored 24 points to lead the Nets, who fell to 18-22 on the season. Phoenix improved to 29-12 on the year.
NHL
THEODORE STARS AS AVALANCHE WIN AGAIN
Jose Theodore continued his stellar play to help the Colorado Avalanche reclaim first place in the tight Northwest Division. Colorado 3, Columbus 1.
Theodore turned away 26 shots--allowing just one third-period goal--to lead the Avs to their fourth win in five games. Theodore is 5-2-1 in his last six starts between the pipes.
With stars Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth sidelined due to injury, the Avalanche have been forced to lean heavily on youngsters. On Sunday, one of those rookies, Jeff Finger, scored a goal for Colorado.
The win moved the Avalanche into a first-place tie with the Calgary Flames in the Northwest.
OTHER NHL SCORES
Boston 3, New York Rangers 1
New Jersey 3, Toronto 2
Edmonton 4, Atlanta 2
Dallas 5, Anaheim 2
Philadelphia 6, Ottawa 1
FACT OF THE DAY
SUPER BOWL APPEARANCES
The New England Patriots will be making their sixth appearance in the Super Bowl. They have won it three times and lost twice. The wins: XXXVI vs. St. Louis Rams; XXXVIII vs. Carolina; XXXIX vs. Philadelphia. The losses: XX vs. Chicago; XXXI vs. Green Bay. The New York Giants are in the NFL championship for the fourth time. The wins: XXI vs. Denver; XXV vs. Buffalo. The loss: XXXV vs. Baltimore Ravens.
MINI MEMOS
Putting the SS spin on today’s sports news
WARM UP
What a country! While in one part of the country two football teams slug it out in subzero temperatures while fans huddle under every blanket and thick coat they can fine--in another part of the country, guys are walking around in short-sleeved shirts playing golf. It's about 2,000 miles from Green Bay to Palm Desert, California, but they might has well have been on different continents. In Palm Desert, D. J. Trahan only protection from the weather was his baseball cap to keep the sun out of his eyes as he won the Bob Hope Classic on Sunday. Just as the young quarterback overtook the veteran in chilly Lambeau Field, 27-year-old Trahan came back from four shots behind to beat 35-year-old Justin Leonard and $918,000.
WILLIAMS SISTERS ADVANCE
Want warm? Try Australia this time of year. And try to beat Venus and Serena Williams when they get their game going. That will warm things up for you. On Sunday, Venus joined her sister in the quarterfinals by beating Marta Domachowska 6-4, 6-4. The two sisters are in different brackets, so they would meet in the Australian Open finals if they both make it through. Serena's next opponent is Jelena Jankovic while Venus will play Ana Ivanovic.
AFFELDT BACK IN THE ROTATION
The Cincinnati Reds apparently saw something they liked in left-handed pitcher Jeremy Affeldt, who pitched for the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 Worlds Series. The Reds, it is being reported, are offering Affeldt a $3 million contract and a chance to break into the Cincinnati pitching rotation. Affeldt, who is even more effective on righties as lefties when he's on, was used in relief exclusively by Colorado in 2007.
NOTE: You can read devotional articles by Jeremy Affeldt in the March-April edition of Power Up, which is found inside each edition of Sports Spectrum magazine.
GUESS WHO'S BACK
Guess who is not retiring from driving on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. Guess who just turned 49 years old and seems always ready to hang up his helmet for the last time but just can't pull that trigger? Yes, Mark Martin will climb back into a racecar in 2008. He's driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. this upcoming NASCAR season, and he'll be tooling around the track in the No. 8 car (Dale Junior, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, will be No. 88 this season). Martin says he will drive in 24 events, and Aric Almirola will sit in for him on the other 12 events in that car.
WHO IS HE?
Testing your knowledge of past stars -- taken from the "Legends" article pages of Sports Spectrum magazine.
FRIDAY'S MYSTERY PERSON
* He played in nine major league seasons, all with the New York Yankees
* He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1957.
* He made the AL All-Star team at shortstop in 1958, 1959, and 1961.
* He was on three World Series championship teams, and he played in the Fall Classic seven times.
* In 1961, he batted second in the Yankee lineup behind Bobby Richardson and before Roger Maris, who hit 61 home runs that season.
Quote: "I believe that by grace we are saved. It's a free gift from God. He sent His Son. He died for us. He paid the whole price."
WHO IS HE? Tony Kubek
MONDAY'S MYSTERY PERSON
* He played in 12 seasons, all with the Dodgers.
* He played his first 10 seasons in Brooklyn and his last two in Los Angeles.
* He was a member of six World Series teams.
* He was a right-handed pitcher who won 122 games for the Dodgers.
* His most memorable moment was in the 1953 World Series when he beat the Yankees--striking out 14 Bronx Bombers batters.
* He and his wife Betty have four children, including Jimmy, who has Down Syndrome. After Jimmy was born, this man began the Hopewell Center, designed to provide help for people like Jimmy.
WHO IS HE?
SPORTS SPECTRUM INSIDER:
Getting to the heart of what matters in life
TODAY'S FEATURE: 
TONY BENNETT
HEAD COACH, WASHINGTON STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL
BIO NOTE: Bennett played in the NBA for several years in the 1990s.
RECENT NEWS: On Sunday, Bennett's WSU Cougars improved to 16-1 by beating Oregon for the first time in 14 games.
FAITH QUOTE: "In Philippians chapter 3, Paul says, 'I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.' I just think about that and ask, what do Laurel [Tony's wife] and I want our lives to be about? We want to be about forgetting everything else and knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection."
—Sports Spectrum magazine
SS DAILY INTERVIEW:
To hear today's interview, go to the Sports Spectrum radio home page. It can be found at www.sport.org.
THE MONDAY GUEST
JAY FEELY, kicker, Miami Dolphins
This had to be a bummer of a football season for Jay Feely. The talented kicker for the Miami Dolphins languished with the rest of his team at the bottom of the standings all season as they suffered a miserable year. What does a guy like Jay Feely, a dedicated Christian, do when things are as bad as they were in South Florida in the fall of 2008? Find out by listening in to Jay's conversation on Sports Spectrum.
