Sports in 2 Minutes

From The Associated Press

Patriots QB Tom Brady rides records to MVP award

NEW YORK—For all their achievements, past Most Valuable Players John Unitas, Dan Marino and Joe Montana never had a season like Tom Brady’s 2007.

The New England Patriots’ record-setting quarterback added The Associated Press NFL MVP award Saturday in the same manner his team romped through its schedule, going 16-0. On the way to the first unbeaten regular season since Miami went 14-0 in 1972, Brady put on a performance for the ages, which earned him all but one vote from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league.

“I have always been a huge football fan and will always have great respect for the history of this game,” Brady said. “I am flattered to join such an esteemed list of players, many of whom I consider the greatest of all time. I hope that I can set as great of an example for kids around the world as the previous MVPs did for me.

“I am grateful to all of the voters for any consideration I was given. It is a tremendous honor and I am sure it is one that my family will one day look back on with great pride.

The eight-year veteran who already has won three Super Bowls helped the Patriots tear through the record books by throwing for 50 touchdowns. He beat Peyton Manning’s league mark by one, and also threw 23 of those TD passes to Randy Moss, which lifted the receiver past Jerry Rice’s record of 22.

New England scored 589 points, another record, as was the Patriots’ 75 touchdowns. Brady led the NFL with a 117.2 passer rating—no, not another record, but close to Manning’s 121.1 in 2004. Only one full-time AFC starter, Jacksonville’s David Garrard, had fewer than Brady’s eight interceptions. And Brady threw 253 more passes than Garrard.

Brady also was tops with a 68.9 completion percentage, and his 4,806 yards were 383 more than runner-up Drew Brees of New Orleans.

Brady joins a roster of AP MVPs that includes quarterbacks Unitas, Bart Starr, Fran Tarkenton, Marino, Montana, John Elway and Steve Young—all Hall of Famers.

Clemens, Pettitte and McNamee asked to testify

WASHINGTON—First, Roger Clemens issued denials through his lawyer and his agent.

Then the seven-time Cy Young Award winner put a video statement on the Internet.

Next? He sat down for a TV interview to be aired this weekend.

And now, for the first time, the Rocket has been given the chance to tell his side of the story while under oath.

Clemens, his pal Andy Pettitte and their former trainer, Brian McNamee, were among five people asked Friday to testify before a House panel looking into the Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball, nearly three years after the same committee heard from sluggers Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro.

Also invited to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Jan. 16 were ex-Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, whose allegations were central to the findings released last month by former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, and former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch.

The most anticipated witness would be Clemens.

“Roger is willing to answer questions, including those posed to him while under oath,” said Clemens’ lawyer, Rusty Hardin. “We hope to determine shortly if schedules and other commitments can accommodate the committee on that date.”

McNamee has said he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone; Clemens has denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Knight still kicking in his 899th career win

LUBBOCK, Texas—In his 899th win, Bob Knight was as feisty as ever.

With about 7 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half of Texas Tech’s 75-68 win over UTEP on Saturday, Knight lost his right shoe when he kicked the front of the scorer’s table.

The coach was upset about a charging call against Esmir Rizvic. Shortly after replacing his shoe, he strode the length of table during a timeout and apparently told a Big 12 and NCAA official seated there to keep an eye on the officiating.

Less than a minute later, he got a technical for arguing with officials about a call on Charlie Burgess on Randy Culpepper’s breakaway attempt.

While Stefon Jackson and Culpepper made free throws, Knight continued to stand and talk to the referee as his son, head coach designate Pat Knight, tried to encourage his father to return to the bench.

After the game, Knight used a more playful approach with another of his longtime nemeses, the media.

Knight lifted 21-month-old grandson Will Knight up onto the table and faced the standing toddler toward the media. Knight then brought him back into his lap and addressed him.

“You see, they ask a question and you don’t answer it, and they ask another and you don’t answer it, either,” Knight said at the end of his postgame comments. “You’re going to be a good coach. Yes, sir.”

Knight’s first shot at No. 900 comes next Saturday at Oklahoma State in each team’s Big 12 opener.

Rutgers beats Ball State 52-30 in International Bowl

TORONTO—Ray Rice ran over Ball State and through the 2,000-yard barrier, giving Rutgers its second postseason win in the school’s 138-year history and leaving the Scarlet Knights wondering if he’ll scamper off to the NFL.

The junior, who kept mum on his plans for the draft, ran for 280 yards and four touchdowns, including a career-long 90-yarder to lift the Scarlet Knights to a 52-30 win over the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday.

“I’ve been around some great running backs, both in college football and the National Football League,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. “This guy, what he did today, was second to none. It’s an amazing performance.”

Rutgers (8-5), which played the first college football game, hadn’t won a bowl game before last year. Now the program has won two in a row, following a 37-10 win over Kansas State in the 2006 Texas Bowl, another blowout.

Ball State (7-6), meanwhile, is still waiting for its first bowl win in six tries.

“Obviously we’re disappointed in the outcome,” Ball State coach Brady Hoke said. “We gave up some big plays and when you give up big plays, either running the football or with balls over your head, it kills the flow of the team.”

Rice, whose 25 touchdowns this season are a school record, has yet to announce whether he’ll skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft. Players who choose to declare for the draft must do so by Jan. 15.

Former NBA star Scottie Pippen debuts in Finland

VANTAA, Finland—Former NBA star Scottie Pippen scored nine points to help Finland league leader Torpan Pojat beat Honka 98-85 on Saturday.

Pippen also had nine rebounds.

“It was great. I did not know what to anticipate without a game for the last three years,” the 42-year-old Pippen said. “My conditioning is not at the top level, but I played with a great team and had a lot of fun.”

ToPo had won 19th straight games in the Finnish league.

Pippen scored 12 points in his first game Friday, ToPo’s 93-81 win over Porvoo.

“We had a lot of young kids here today, and that’s how you make it, you dream young and you work at it,” he said.

Pippen will play a game in Sundsvall in northern Sweden on Friday.