Aaron's Daily WWW Newspaper

WASHINGTON (AP) — Among the accomplishments this season for San Jose State: It's no longer a school anyone would want to schedule for homecoming.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — All Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendon Kay wanted was one more chance.

LONDON (Reuters) - Newcastle United's top scorer Demba Ba could leave in the January transfer window because of a release clause in his contract, manager Alan Pardew said on Thursday. The Senegal striker has scored 11 Premier League goals this season but has been linked with a move from St James' Park. British media reported …

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Didier Drogba will lead a vastly experienced Ivory Coast squad in the African Nations Cup finals starting next month which includes a recall for Wigan Athletic striker Arouna Kone. Drogba, Emmanuel Eboue, Didier Zokora, Boubacar Barry, Arthur Boka, Siaka Tiene and the Toure brothers, Kolo and Yaya, head …

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Clippers came roaring out of the opening tip and kept on going to their 15th consecutive victory.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia vice captain Shane Watson will miss the third test in Sydney after sustaining a calf strain during his team's series-winning rout of Sri Lanka in the second test in Melbourne. Watson pulled up sore after bowling on day one at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and although he went on to score 83 …

(Reuters) - New Zealand have left Doug Bracewell out of their 15-man squad for a one-day international series in South Africa to manage the seamer's workload, the country's cricket board said on Friday. The selectors had retained 11 members from the Twenty20 squad that lost the three-match series against South Africa 2-1, …

PARIS (Reuters) - The Lance Armstrong scandal left a huge gap in cycling's record books and further tainted the sport in a year when Britain experienced Olympic bliss in the wake of Bradley Wiggins' Tour de France title. Armstrong was banned for life and stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles after the U.S. …

LONDON (Reuters) - For Andy Murray 2012 marked a golden milestone, for Novak Djokovic the year was an emphatic reminder of his status as the world's best male player, and for Roger Federer and his army of fans it was proof that the old master's magic still sparkles. Serena Williams used the second half of the year to demonstrate …

LONDON (Reuters) - Spain's glorious third successive triumph in a major tournament and individual goalscoring brilliance from Argentine Lionel Messi will be remembered as soccer's golden hallmarks of 2012. But the year was also marred by tragedy and death in Egypt and the Netherlands and a worrying escalation of racism …

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The possibility of a fairytale return to the African Nations Cup for 35-year-old South Africa striker Benni McCarthy, once described as a "big fat mistake", was ended by injury on Thursday. Media reports said South Africa's record goal scorer had withdrawn from the host nation's preparations with …

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Here's a new twist on the Oklahoma City Thunder's budding rivalry with the Dallas Mavericks: With a game coming down to crunch time, Dirk Nowitzki didn't want the ball.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy's dominance on both sides of the Atlantic and the clearest hint yet at the exciting potential in China were the biggest storylines in what may prove to be a truly transformational golfing year in 2012. The coronation of McIlroy as the game's leading player was confirmed in sensational …

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Another shower of gold at the Olympics confirmed China's status as the powerhouse of Asian sport but there were few standout performances away from London for the continent's top sporting talents to crow about in 2012. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar and the Indian cricket team, Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao …

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a country driven by the mantra 'bigger is always better', it was fitting that Giants dominated America's professional championships in 2012. Two of the four major leagues were won by teams with the supersized moniker, with the New York Giants capturing the National Football League's Super Bowl and …

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell warned players a while back that he was prepared to drop the Pro Bowl if they didn't pick up the level of play. Next thing you know, he'll be threatening to hold his breath.

LONDON (Reuters) - London defied Britain's wettest summer for 100 years, potential transport and security chaos and a depressed economy to stage a marvelous 2012 Olympics during a magical year for British sport. Over the past century Britons have become resigned to watching the rest of the world beat them at games they …

(Reuters) - Hard-hitting Hideki Matsui, who set milestones for Japanese players in Major League Baseball, announced his retirement on Thursday, the organization's website reported. The 38-year-old Matsui played 10 seasons in MLB, seven of them with the New York Yankees, producing the most home runs, runs batted in and walks …

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Blame the bounty scandal.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Armed with a promise from his beloved defensive coordinator that he wouldn't retire without first informing his players, Ryan Clark threatened to avoid Dick LeBeau.

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — The children at the Sandy Hook Elementary school won't be returning to classes for another week, but officials from the town, school district and local agencies are doing their best in the meantime to keep them occupied following a massacre at their school two weeks ago.

(Reuters) - The Brooklyn Nets have fired coach Avery Johnson after a promising season fell apart, the team said on Thursday. Winners of 11 of their first 15 games, the Nets went into a tailspin in December, winning only three times in 13 games. "We just didn't have the same fire that we had when we were 11-4," General Manager …

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Running back Steven Jackson will have the option to explore free agency after the season, raising the question of whether Sunday's finale at Seattle will be his final game in a St. Louis Rams uniform.