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From The Associated Press

AP Sources: Teixeira agrees to $180M Yankees deal

NEW YORK—Keeping up an unprecedented spending spree, the New York Yankees added Mark Teixeira to their collection of pricey free agents when they reached a preliminary agreement on a $180 million, eight-year contract with the first baseman.

Two people familiar with the negotiations disclosed Tuesday’s agreement, which is subject to a physical. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet final.

With Teixeira’s deal, the Yankees have lavished $423.5 million on three new players, a figure dwarfing the economic might of the other 29 clubs. Just last Thursday, the Yankees completed agreements with two prized pitchers, giving CC Sabathia a $161 million, seven-year contract and A.J. Burnett an $82.5 million, five-year deal.

“They have the revenue sources that most don’t have, and they have a lot of money coming off the books this season,” said Los Angeles Angels general manager Tony Reagins, who had hoped to retain Teixeira. “So if they’re willing and able to spend, I’m pretty sure they’ve made some good investments.”

As is their custom, the Yankees refused to publicly acknowledge the agreement because it had not yet been finalized. General manager Brian Cashman met with Teixeira and his agent, Scott Boras, in the Washington area on Dec. 4 and impressed the player with models of the new Yankee Stadium, according to one of the people familiar with the talks.

Saban named AP Coach of Year

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—Four straight losses were bad enough for Alabama, and one humbling defeat to Louisiana-Monroe was even worse.

Nick Saban could have lost his team right there. Instead, he might well have claimed it.

“Coach came in and talked to us and was like, ‘We’ve got an opportunity to change things with this bowl game,’” Crimson Tide safety Rashad Johnson said.

The Tide won the Independence Bowl over Colorado to end last season. It then won the following 12 as well, spending much of the 2008 season ranked No. 1. That startling turnaround and Alabama’s return to national prominence brought Saban another honor Tuesday — Associated Press Coach of the Year. He also won the AP award with LSU in 2003.

This season, Saban led a team with only nine scholarship seniors to a 12-1 record and a Sugar Bowl date against Utah for only its second Bowl Championship Series berth.

In voting by college football writers, he drew 32 of a possible 62 votes. He outdistanced Texas Tech’s Mike Leach (nine), Utah’s Kyle Whittingham (six), Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson (five), Penn State’s Joe Paterno (three) and Ball State’s Brady Hoke (two). Five coaches got one vote apiece.

TCU rallies to defeat Broncos

SAN DIEGO—TCU’s Joseph Turner dove into the end zone for the winning touchdown, and LaDainian Tomlinson went nuts on the sideline.

It was a good night to be a Horned Frog, current and past.

Turner’s 17-yard run midway through the fourth quarter gave the No. 11 Horned Frogs their first lead of the night, which they preserved for a 17-16 victory over No. 9 and previously undefeated Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Boise State (12-1) was trying to finish 13-0 for the second time in three seasons. The Broncos took a 10-0 lead on Ian Johnson’s 20-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, but their high-scoring offense bogged down against the fast, aggressive defense of TCU (11-2).

Ellis fined $10,000 for tossing snow at fans

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Now, that’s one costly snowball.

New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis was fined $10,000 by the NFL for throwing snow at fans following the team’s loss at Seattle on Sunday.

Several fans threw snowballs at New York players and staff as they walked off the field after the Seahawks’ 13-3 victory. As he approached the walkway leading to the locker room, Ellis reached into a pile of snow, picked up a large chunk and tossed it into the stands at Qwest Field, appearing to hit at least a few fans. No one was believed to have been injured.

Ellis said Tuesday that he wasn’t angry at the time, and there was no malicious intent on his part.

“It was all in fun,” he said.

Video of the incident originated on YouTube after a fan captured it on film and posted it on the site. As of early Tuesday afternoon, the 53-second clip had been viewed nearly 340,000 times. Several other Web sites have also posted links to the video.

Harris resigns, takes fall for Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—James “Shack” Harris’ first personnel move set the tone for his tenure in Jacksonville. His last two sealed his fate.

Harris resigned as the team’s personnel chief Tuesday, taking the fall for a franchise that flopped this season and avoiding what might have been an embarrassing return to Baltimore this weekend.

“With the way we played last year and then coming back this year and having a below-average season, I didn’t think it was going to go as far as Shack, but it has,” defensive end Paul Spicer said. “It’s affected a lot of guys, a lot of lives, a lot of families. A lot of people’s lives have been changed.”

Coach Jack Del Rio already told strength and conditioning coach Mark Asanovich he would not return for a seventh season, likely the scapegoat for all of Jacksonville’s injuries problems in 2008. Veteran guards Tutan Reyes and Charles Spencer were waived Monday. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis could be gone, too.

Other changes could come after the season finale.

Fisher calls Terrible Towel stomp ‘unnecessary’

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Jeff Fisher didn’t see any of his Titans stomping their feet on Terrible Towels after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Seeing the footage Monday didn’t make him happy.

“This was just a couple guys playing around with a towel. It was unnecessary in my opinion,” Fisher said.

Linebacker Keith Bulluck dropped a towel, then swiped his foot across it celebrating the Titans’ 31-14 rout of the Steelers on Sunday. He wasn’t alone. Running back LenDale White stomped on a towel, and defensive end Jevon Kearse used one as he pretended to blow his nose in actions replayed in video highlights over and over.

Fisher defended his players, saying the Terrible Towel is just a towel to the Titans.

Where’s Hochuli? Not at Broncos-Chargers

SAN DIEGO—Looking for Ed Hochuli to work another Denver-San Diego game, this one with the AFC West title on the line?

Forget it. Hochuli, whose blunder helped decide the first game between the Broncos and Chargers — in favor of Denver — will be a couple thousand miles east in Green Bay on Sunday for the Lions-Packers game, where Detroit will be trying to avoid the first 0-16 season in NFL history. The Broncos and Chargers play at night in the AFC West showdown that concludes the regular-season schedule.

Hochuli and his crew will be officiating in Green Bay because the schedule is drawn up before the season. In any case, by league policy, officiating crews do not do two games between the same teams in any season.

The referee at the Broncos-Chargers game will be John Parry.

In the final minute of the first meeting in Denver in Week 2, Hochuli ruled that a ball that slipped from Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler’s grasp was an incomplete pass instead of a fumble.