High Noon » Thats 56 consecutive holds. Against Kohlsc

New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - The NFL issued a statement Friday regarding its investigation into allegations the New England Patriots used underinflated balls during the AFC Championship Game and said the early evidence supports the initial conclusion but that the process is ongoing. The Patriots rolled to a 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday in a rain-soaked game at Gillette Stadium and reports began to surface in the hours after the contest that balls were not correctly inflated, which would apparently allow for a better grip in inclement weather. Citing league sources, ESPN.com reported Tuesday night that 11 of the 12 balls used by the Patriots during the game were underinflated by two pounds of air pressure per square inch (PSI). NFL rules mandate game balls, which are inspected by the referee, be inflated to 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 PSI. The playing rules are intended to protect the fairness and integrity of our games, the league said in its statement Friday. We take seriously claims that those rules have been violated and will fully investigate this matter without compromise or delay. The investigation is ongoing, will be thorough and objective, and is being pursued expeditiously. In the coming days, we expect to conduct numerous additional interviews, examine video and other forensic evidence, as well as relevant physical evidence. While the evidence thus far supports the conclusion that footballs that were underinflated were used by the Patriots in the first half, the footballs were properly inflated for the second half and confirmed at the conclusion of the game to have remained properly inflated. The goals of the investigation will be to determine the explanation for why footballs used in the game were not in compliance with the playing rules and specifically whether any noncompliance was the result of deliberate action. We have not made any judgments on these points and will not do so until we have concluded our investigation and considered all of the relevant evidence. The league said Friday the investigation is being led jointly by NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash and Ted Wells of the law firm of Paul Weiss. Wells was the leagues investigator into last seasons bullying scandal involving the Miami Dolphins. According to the statement Friday, the league began its investigation Sunday night and has already conducted nearly 40 interviews. Game officials and Patriots personnel were among those included in those early discussions, although New England quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday he had not yet been contacted. On Thursday, both Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed the situation and each denied any wrongdoing. Belichick was first to speak on Thursday morning and said he was completely and totally unaware of the issue, adding he was shocked to hear the reports on Monday morning. Brady on Thursday afternoon said he didnt alter the balls in any way and would never break the rules. The Patriots, who will play Seattle in the Super Bowl, have pledged their full support of the investigation and have made personnel, as well as other information, available to the league. If the NFL finds the Patriots deflated footballs intentionally, they could be subject to penalties similar to ones levied after the team was found to have videotaped defensive signals used by the New York Jets during a game in September 2007. Those penalties included a $500,000 fine for Belichick, a $250,000 fine for the team and the loss of a draft pick. Andre Reed Jersey . About seven hours before facing Washington in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second round series, team officials said the oft-injured Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs and would not even be with the team for the rest of the post-season. O. J. Simpson Jersey . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elit...lls-Jersey/.com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Thurman Thomas Jersey .7 million, one-year contract.The deal, announced Friday, includes a $50,000 performance bonus if the left-hander appears in 60 games. Jim Kelly Jersey .com) - Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a thigh injury.NEW YORK -- While Rafael Nadal was maintaining his undefeated record of 19 matches on hard courts this year to return to the U.S. Open quarterfinals, he noticed the scoreboard updates showing how Roger Federers match on another court was going. So Nadal knew right away that he would not play Federer next. "When you are in the changeovers, you see whats going on," Nadal said. "But I dont (pay) attention. I just saw, and thats it." The second-seeded Nadal, who counts the 2010 U.S. Open among his 12 Grand Slam titles, came back to beat 22nd-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 on Monday night in the fourth round. Their match ended about 2 1/2 hours after Federer was upset in straight sets by 19th-seeded Tommy Robredo, Nadals quarterfinal opponent. Had Federer won, he and Nadal would have played each other for the 32nd time -- and first at Flushing Meadows. In an interview the day before the tournament began, Nadal spoke about how he and Federer "deserved a final here," the way they met in four title matches at the French Open, three at Wimbledon, and one at the Australian Open. Nadal won six of those eight, part of his overall 21-10 head-to-head edge. Nadal reiterated that sentiment Monday after eliminating Kohlschreiber. "Didnt happen. (That doesnt) mean cannot happen in the future. Well see. Hopefully," Nadal said. "But is true that we are getting older, so the chances are less today than five years ago." FFederer is 32, Nadal 27.dddddddddddd And while Federers skills are clearly in decline, Nadal is playing about as well as ever. Hes certainly excelling on the sort of hard courts used at the U.S. Open. This is his fourth tournament on the surface this season, and Nadal won the title at each of the first three. Through four matches in New York, Nadal has not lost a single service game. Thats 56 consecutive holds. Against Kohlschreiber, he faced only one break point, in the opening game of the fourth set. But Kohlschreiber threw away that chance by badly missing what should have been a routine overhead, drilling the ball directly into the net. "I was very lucky that Philipp had a big mistake with his smash," Nadal said. "Thats why I didnt lose my serve." He also pointed out that its not so much his serve itself that is the key to the success hes having -- "My serve is working just amazing," Nadal said sarcastically, smiling widely -- but instead, what matters is the way he is hitting the ball from the baseline once points are under way. Indeed, Nadal was not particularly pleased with the way he served in the early going Monday. "Four matches without losing ... serve is great. I dont want to lie. Happy for that. But I felt at the beginning today, I didnt serve my best," he said. "In the next sets, I am very happy the way that I served. I was able to win a lot of points and ... start a lot of points in a good position." ' ' '