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MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—The manager for sheepkin boots the woman at the center of the NFL’s investigation of Brett Favre(notes) said Tuesday that the quarterback’s agent asked about paying her to keep quiet. But that’s not how Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, sees it. Cook said in a statement that Jenn Sterger’s camp made “numerous overtures” to him. He said he believes money has been the motivation for the former New York Jets game emcee. Sterger’s manager, Phil Reese, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview he called Cook in October to alert him about a forthcoming Internet report alleging Favre sent inappropriate messages and lewd photos to Sterger when they were both with the Jets two years ago. Reese said the reason he reached out was to compare notes about news that could be damaging to both of their clients. “I was concerned because I didn’t know exactly what was going to be coming out, and I knew that it wasn’t going to be good for everyone involved,” Reese told the AP in a phone interview. “He asked me if there was a specific figure in mind that could make this go away. I told him, ‘I wish it were that easy, but there’s no putting the toothpaste back in the tube.”’ Cook replied in a statement to the AP Tuesday that there was never an intention to offer money for silence. “Her manager and her lawyer have made numerous overtures to me … at least 6 between the two of them,” Cook wrote. “Anyone can figure out why. The point is we were never going to pay them, we didn’t pay them and we will never pay them. Because, there is NO reason to pay them! They should consider that their attempts to negotiate privately and through the media have failed.” Cook declined to answer further questions about the matter. Joe Conway, Sterger’s attorney, said he called Cook once to sports jerseys introduce himself and followed up with a letter. “It’s not about money. It’s about doing the right thing,” Conway said in a phone interview. The website Deadspin has said it paid a third party for the materials it posted in a video on Oct. 7, which prompted a league investigation that’s been going on since soon after. The piece includes text messages and voicemails allegedly left by the now-Vikings quarterback for Sterger, including one in which he invites her to his hotel. The video ends with several lewd photos— said to be of Favre—which were allegedly sent to Sterger. A former model who also appeared on the Versus television network, Sterger refused to speak on the record to the website. She talked to league investigators on Nov. 11 and cooperated fully, according to Reese. Reese said the reason it took so long for Sterger to meet with the NFL was logistical, lining up witnesses to corroborate her story and waiting for forensics specialists he normally works with to analyze data. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday he had nothing to report on the investigation. Favre has consistently refused to answer reporters’ questions about UGG Classic Crochet Boots the allegations since the Deadspin report was posted.

For top-ranked Oregon, there is uggs boot no Oregon State or a major bowl game after that. It’s all about Arizona right now. The Ducks threw open the doors to practice again on Sunday after shutting down for a bye week, coming out of the self-imposed silence ready for Friday’s game against the 20th-ranked Wildcats. It’s the penultimate regular-season stop on the way to what Oregon hopes will be a national championship. After Arizona, the Ducks visit Oregon State in the Civil War rivalry game on Dec. 4. Not that they’re ready to talk about all of that. “When you look ahead you get beat. I think everybody knows that,” running back LaMichael James said. The undefeated Ducks practiced on Monday, Wednesday and Friday last week, no doubt reflecting on a too-close-for-comfort 15-13 victory over California the weekend before. Oregon has plowed its way through each opponent this season with the same mantra: “Win the Day.” The philosophy—coach Chip Kelly’s catchphrase—is even painted on the four corners of Autzen Stadium’s field and the words greet the players as they head through the tunnel into the stadium. “It’s close,” quarterback Darron Thomas said of the finish line. “But we’re just worrying about Arizona and not too worried about Oregon State or games down the road.” The Civil War was looking more intriguing Sunday after the Beavers beat No. 20 USC 36-7 at Reser Stadium on Saturday night. Oregon State, 5-5 overall and fighting for bowl eligibility, visits No. 7 Stanford this Saturday before finishing out the season at home. Oregon looked vulnerable in the victory over sports jerseys the Golden Bears. The Ducks were averaging nearly 55 points and 567 yards of offense going into the game against Cal, which held them to 317 yards and just one touchdown. The Golden Bears are tenuously clinging to bowl aspirations after a loss in the Big Game against Stanford on Saturday. California was accused after the game against the Ducks of unsportsmanlike conduct by feigning injuries to slow the pace. In one instance a Cal player looked over to the sideline before walking toward a game official and abruptly falling to the ground, a scene that lives on in a popular Internet video. Kelly commented last week that if teams need to resort to faking injury to slow Oregon down, it speaks volumes about how hard the Ducks are to keep up with. And it equally says a lot about teams that resort to such measures, he suggested. James said Sunday there was no concern that Cal may have exposed a weakness in Oregon’s offense. No one is perfect. “No. We are human,” he said. “We put our pants on just like everybody else does. We are different because of our tempo. We practice and play hard. That’s the big key for us.” James, a Heisman Trophy candidate who is averaging a national-best 158 yards rushing a game, had to be helped off the field after the Cal game and appeared afterward on crutches and wearing a boot. He wasn’t listed on Oregon’s injury report Sunday and wore pads at practice. But he did not take part in team drills, explaining he was still was experiencing some discomfort. “A little bit,” he said. “There is still pain but in a couple days I’ll be fine.” Receiver Lavasier Tuinei wore a sling on his left arm and did not practice. He was officially day to day, because Kelly does not discuss injuries. Kelly said practice was business at usual. “Same thing as every week: Fundamentals, blocking, ball New Blance Shoes security, normal things, nothing really changes,” he said. Oregon also unveiled plans Sunday for the expansion of the Len Casanova Center, adjacent to Autzen, which will include an “operation center for football that will be unsurpassed in the country.” The ambitious project, expected to be completed in 2013, will be funded by Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP)—New team. Same scarf old, defiant, outspoken and, yes, playful Terrell Owens(notes). Whether it was in Buffalo last year or now in Cincinnati, T.O. had no difficulty talking about himself, Bills quarterbacks or anything else Wednesday as the Bengals (2-7) prepare to host the Bills (1-8) in Sunday’s “battle of the worst,” as he put it. Owens opened and closed a near 20-minute conference call with Buffalo reporters by playfully saying, “Go Bills.” In between, he expressed no surprise that the Bills lost faith by cutting quarterback Trent Edwards(notes) earlier this season; and offered a message to anyone—including Buffalo’s first-year coach Chan Gailey—who might have thought he hit the wall last season. “No, T.O. doesn’t hit any walls,” Owens said when informed that was one of Gailey’s concerns in not re-signing him. “Trust me, if there’s any walls in front or me, I’m going to find a way to go through it, around it, or over it. There’s no just hitting the wall.” At 36, Owens’ production this season certainly speaks to the contrary. Nine games in, he ranks third in the NFL with 834 yards receiving and is tied for fourth with seven touchdowns—numbers surpassing the 829 yards and five scores he had in his one year with the Bills. Though disappointed in the Bengals’ record, Owens isn’t surprised by his resurgence in a year he had to wait until July for Cincinnati to sign him to a one-year contract. “Teams passed up on me because of what I didn’t do so much in Buffalo. Other than that, I can only do what I can do to prove a lot of people wrong,” Owens said. “If I’m put in the right situation, I’m able to Nike Kobe Bryant shoes succeed and do some of the things that people are seeing now that they feel is, I guess, eye-opening for my age.” Though he isn’t sure about his future with the Bengals beyond this season, Owens can see himself continuing to play and produce at 40. It was just like old times for Owens, who expressed similar sentiments in Buffalo. And it was no surprise that T.O. had an opinion on the Bills’ quarterbacking situation after Edwards, now a backup in Jacksonville, was benched after two games and then released a week later in favor of journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes). “I think it was just going to be a matter of time,” Owens said. “I was shocked at the beginning of the season that Trent was still named the starter. I think that coaching staff kind of recognized that he wasn’t, I guess, at the level that they needed him to be.” Owens has a personal bias, because he had his best games with the Bills after Fitzpatrick took over in November. And that included Owens enjoying a season-best 197 yards receiving in an 18-15 loss at Jacksonville. It was a game in which Fitzpatrick hit him for a 98-yard touchdown pass, the longest in team history. Edwards, by comparison, was the quarterback who failed to complete a pass to Owens in a 27-7 loss to New Orleans on Sept. 27, ending T.O.’s 185-game streak that was the third longest in NFL history. “I liked Fitz’s demeanor. I liked his confidence. He has that type of, you know, swagger about him,” Owens said. “I knew the guy could play all along. I’m not surprised by any means. He’s doing a great job.” Fitzpatrick isn’t surprised by Owens’ production this season. As a former backup in Cincinnati, Fitzpatrick also provided Bengals starter Carson Palmer(notes) a few words of advice regarding T.O. last summer. “I told Carson, `You want this guy on your team because he can play,”’ Fitzpatrick said. “So they’re using him, I guess, like he should be used, and throwing him the ball like crazy.” Where Fitzpatrick drew the line was whether he Adidas Soccer Shoes would’ve preferred Owens still be in Buffalo. “I think everybody understood what it was. They brought him in for a year and things didn’t work out the way everybody wanted them to work out,” Fitzpatrick said before noting how well Steve Johnson(notes) has filled Owens’ job as the No. 2 receiver. “I’m not disappointed I’m throwing to Steve instead of Terrell. I guess I can say that.” Gailey credited Owens for the season he’s enjoying, but acknowledged the receiver’s age and production played into the team’s decision to not re-sign him. “You do reach the wall, and it’s a guess on when guys are going to do that. And you have to make assumptions with the information that you have at hand,” Gailey said. “We didn’t know where (the wall) was. We knew it was probably getting close. Obviously it wasn’t. But we felt like it was getting close.” Gailey also added he wanted to free up a spot to allow his younger receivers to develop.

SYDNEY, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Fast air maxes bowler Mitchell Johnson believes he has banished his demons and promised England's batsmen a torrid time in the upcoming Ashes series after being reduced to tears when Australia relinquished the urn last year. The 29-year-old is likely to lead a three-strong strike bowling attack when the first test gets underway in Brisbane on Nov. 25 and he said England captain Andrew Strauss and key batsman Kevin Pietersen would be in for particular attention. "I really have unfinished business with England. I didn't show the real me last time so I'm desperate to make up for that now," he said in an interview in December's Wisden Cricket Monthly. "I am more confident and more prepared now so I know I can knock over guys like Strauss and Pietersen. I have some plans for them this time. "Anyway, despite my problems, I did it last year too, and after facing them in five tests I know a lot more about them. You will see a different bowler, no doubt about it." Johnson took 20 wickets in the 2-1 defeat in England last year but is still haunted by his poor performance at Lord's, where he gave up 11 boundaries in his first eight overs as England headed towards their first Ashes win at the ground since 1934. "My body language will be completely different," Johnson said. "At Lord's it was pretty obvious I was struggling. England's batsmen could see I was vulnerable. "Now whatever is happening, if I bowl a bad ball I am going to stick my head up, push my chest out and be more intimidating, hide my emotions and be a more positive force. "I feel really good, the best I have felt for a while. All the niggles have gone and I am really looking forward to getting back in to it. "I have rediscovered a bit of hunger for cheap ugg boots the game. I have never not wanted to play but I just feel re-energised and refreshed. "I am going to have bad days but I am certain they won't take over me like that again. The bad days need to become okay days but there are going to be plenty more good and great days." Johnson, who played club cricket last week to try and regain a bit of form after a poor one-day series against Sri Lanka, said the memory of watching England lifting the Ashes at the Oval last year was a huge motivation for him. "I tell you it was heart-breaking," he added. "All my problems of the previous few months came to the surface, so it brought a tear to my eye. (It) was horrible, I felt sick, it was like a numbness, and I don't want to go through that ever again."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Mostly scarf overlooked in the preseason and dismissed by many after three games, the New York Giants are now the fashionable pick as the NFC’s best team. Michael Strahan(notes), Troy Aikman, and most of the Sunday NFL analysts have jumped on the Tom Coughlin bandwagon halfway through the season, and with good reason. The Giants (6-2) are rolling. They have won five straight and have outscored their opponents 161-75 in the span. Eli Manning(notes) and the offense have posted consecutive 40-point games and the defense has returned to its fearsome roots, knocking out five opposing quarterbacks this season, including Dallas’ Tony Romo(notes) with a broken left collarbone. It’s easy to think the Giants are headed back to the Super Bowl after a disappointing 8-8 season in 2009 left them watching the postseason for the first time since 2004. But, before making party plans, take a step back and take a breath. This also is the same organization that started last season with a 5-0 record and flopped down the stretch, losing eight of its final 11. Also look at who the Giants have beaten. Chicago (5-3), Detroit (2-6), Houston (4-4), Dallas (1-7) and Seattle (4-4) have not been lighting up the NFL. The Bears are 2-3 since playing the Giants. The Texans are 1-3. The Cowboys, who fired coach Wade Phillips on Monday, have lost five straight and Seattle has been crushed in its last two contests. And the Lions are improved, yes. But, as they showed in the final two minutes on Sunday vs. the Jets, they are still the Lions, after all. Take a look at the NFC standings, too. The Giants are tied with Atlanta for the best record with New Orleans and Green Bay a tad behind at 6-3. Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Chicago are all at 5-3 and St. Louis and Seattle are in the postseason mix at 4-4 because they share the lead in the dismal NFC West. If the Giants slip, they not only will lose their favorite role, they could also see their playoff chances put in jeopardy. Veteran Rich Seubert(notes) said being anointed as discount ugg boots the NFC favorites isn’t something the Giants are worried about with five games left against NFC East opponents, including two with the Eagles. “What the league wants to think is what people want to think,” Seubert said. “We just know that we have a good football team, and we want to go out there every week and play to our best, whether it’s offense, defense, special teams. When we play together as a team, we have something special. We just have to keep it going.” Injuries, which contributed to the Giants demise last season, are a concern. The Giants picked up a couple in their 41-7 win over the Seahawks on Sunday. David Diehl(notes), who has started 120 consecutive games on the offensive line, suffered hip and hamstring injuries and might be sidelined for a couple of games, starting this weekend when Dallas and new interim coach Jason Garrett come to the Meadowlands. Backup center Adam Koets(notes) also was lost for the season with a major knee injury. But Coughlin and the Giants will push on, and will prepare for a mess of a Cowboys team. “I feel very badly for Wade, to be honest with you,” Coughlin said. “It’s a highly competitive business that we’re in, and we want to win and we want to win every game. That’s the nature of our profession. No one wants to see a coach dismissed or have his family go through what they’re going through, so from a professional standpoint and someone that’s one of the 32, we extend our best to Wade and his family.” This will be the first time the Giants will face a coach making his NFL debut in the middle of a season since Nov. 21, 1994, when Houston’s (now Tennessee’s) Jeff Fisher took over the Oilers prior to a Monday night game against the Giants in the Astrodome. The Giants won. Cornerback Terrell Thomas(notes) said the Giants are blocking out the distraction and focusing on themselves. “We don’t know where the destination is UGG Classic Short Metallic Boots going to end for us,” Thomas said. “We’re worrying about winning the NFC East and getting into the playoffs and we’ll worry about the playoffs and the Super Bowl when that time comes.” Seubert shrugged off references to last season, saying this is a different team. “We’re just playing well right now, and we need to keep that going,” Seubert said. “It’s a long season and we still have eight games left. We need to keep plugging away and keep on getting better. We have the Cowboys coming in this week, and they’re a dangerous team. Everybody knows their record and that doesn’t matter. They have a good defense and we have to find a way to beat them.”

NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Emeka discount ugg boot Okafor(notes) evoked memories of his dominant college days and helped Chris Paul(notes) get the best of his buddy, LeBron James(notes). Okafor had a season-high 26 points and 13 rebounds, Paul had 13 points and 19 assists, and the New Orleans Hornets remained unbeaten with a 96-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday night. David West(notes) added 15 points, including crucial free throws with 7.2 seconds to go after Chris Bosh’s(notes) 3 had pulled Miami to 94-93. Dwyane Wade(notes) gave up a 3-point attempt to tie and passed to Eddie House(notes), whose shot rimmed out in the final seconds. Miami did not take its first lead until James’ free throws made it 90-89 with 59.8 seconds left, but the Hornets responded with Marco Belinelli’s(notes) free throws, and then Trevor Ariza’s(notes) 3. Wade led all scorers with 28 points to go with 10 rebounds. He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, and went 13 of 13 from the foul line. New Orleans led 86-79 inside the final five minutes when Wade ignited Miami’s late surge with a 3. He then drew Belinelli into a foul on another 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to cut it to 86-85 with 3:35 still left. Paul set up Okafor for a basket inside, and the Hornets appeared ready to put it away when Paul used a crossover dribble to create space and drove in for an apparent floater off the glass. However, officials called Paul for a charge and then Paul’s response drew a technical foul. Soon after, James, who had 20 points sports jerseys and 10 assists, finally put Miami in the lead, and it appeared that the dream start of rookie Hornets coach Monty Williams was about to come to an end. Instead, the Hornets rallied and held on. Ariza finished with 13 points for New Orleans and Jason Smith(notes) had 12 points. Bosh had 15 points for Miami and Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) scored 10. The loss meant that James played more than 41 fruitless minutes and Wade 40, and the Heat had another game Saturday at home against New Jersey. After taking a nine-point halftime lead, New Orleans protected its advantage by matching Miami basket-for-basket throughout the third quarter and went up by as much as 72-59 late in the period after Paul set up consecutive fast-break dunks by Ariza, the second sending the crowd into a raucous standing ovation that lasted nearly 30 seconds. Bosh quieted the crowd a bit with a jumper late in the shot clock, then James his few free throws to trim it to 72-64 heading into the final quarter. The Hornets dominate early despite West being called for his second foul with 9:08 still remaining in the first quarter, forcing him to go to the bench. Smith replaced him and thrived, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds during the next 10 minutes as New Orleans raced to an early double digit lead. Okafor had 11 points in the first quarter, Ariza hit a pair of 3s, and the Hornets led 31-17 after Smith’s putback. A largely reserve unit got Miami going, as UGG Coquette Slipper Ilgauskas hit a pair of mid-range jumpers and James Jones(notes) added a 3 during a 7-0 run. Later in the second quarter, Wade’s explosive driving floater capped a 10-2 run that made it 39-34. Then Jones’ second 3 got it as close as 41-37 before Paul made an end-to-end driving scoop, started a fast break with a steal and set up Okafor’s dunk to help New Orleans take a 50-41 lead into halftime.