France miss out on World Cup finals seeding 
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - France, World Cup winners in 1998 and finalists in 2006, missed out on a place in the eight top seeds for Friday's draw, announced by FIFA on Wednesday.
FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke told a news conference the decision had been based on the world rankings and had no connection with the controversy over France's infamous "handball" goal against Ireland.
The top seeds are hosts South Africa, holders Italy, Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Netherlands and Spain.
France not seeded for World Cup draw
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — France will not be a seeded team for Friday's World Cup draw, meaning Les Bleus could face powerful teams such as Brazil or Spain in the group stage.
Host South Africa will be seeded in Group A and open the World Cup at Soccer City on June 11. The United States will be in a group with one of the seeded teams, a European team and a team from either Africa or South America.
The other seeded teams — based on a mixture of current FIFA rankings and historical World Cup results — are Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina and England.
World Boxing Champ Pacquiao to Run for Philippine Congress Seat
Dec. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Seven-time world boxing championManny Pacquiao will make a second attempt to win a seat in thePhilippine Congress by running next year, switching areas toimprove his chances.
Pacquiao, who won his seventh title by beating welterweightMiguel Cotto last month in Las Vegas, yesterday filed hiscandidacy to represent the southern province of Sarangani underhis own People’s Champ Movement, the local Commission onElections office said. He’ll run against Roy Chiongbian, brotherof the incumbent who due to term limits can’t seek re-election.
The fighter, considered by some analysts to be the bestpound-for-pound boxer in the world, ran in 2007 in SouthCotabato province and lost to Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who wona third straight term.
Woods needs to give up silent treatment
Until Tiger Woods cancelled his Tuesday news conference and participation later in the week in one of his signature golf tournaments in California, what story do you think would have received more attention on radio, television and your local newspaper Wednesday -- more details on Tiger's mysterious Thanksgiving night car crash or President Obama's widely anticipated final decision on troop increases in Afghanistan scheduled for prime time Tuesday night?
Judging from the media frenzy surrounding Woods' auto accident adventure, the odds would have been on Tiger. It's a moot point now, though, after Woods announced Monday on his Web site that he will not be playing this week at the Chevron World Challenge and won't be in action again until the PGA Tour starts up again in January.
We can now expect more silence from the No. 1 golfer in the world over the next six weeks, a strategy his advisers clearly have been advocating over the past five days, apart from the occasional carefully worded cryptic message on his Web site.
Tiger Woods' Injuries From Accident - Neighbour's Lawyer
Filed at 1:45 p.m. ET
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods' injuries were consistent with a minor car accident, rather than from a beating, a lawyer for the neighbours who called emergency services the night of his accident said on Tuesday.
The lawyer, Bill Sharpe, held a news conference in Orlando to speak on behalf of Linda and Jerome Adams, the next-door neighbours who called for an ambulance after Woods drove his car into a fire hydrant and a tree after 2 a.m. last Friday.
Woods receives traffic citation; investigation concluded
Tiger Woods received a traffic citation for careless driving that will cost him $164 and four points on his Florida license, but the Florida Highway Patrol said during a news conference Tuesday it had no evidence to pursue any criminal charges in connection with Woods's single-car crash outside his Windermere, Fla., mansion Thanksgiving night.
"With the issuance of this citation, the Florida Highway Patrol has concluded the investigation," FHP troop commander Cindy Williams said without taking any questions.
Said Spokeswoman Kim Montes: "The FHP is not pursing criminal charges in this matter, nor is there any testimony or any other evidence to support any other charges of any kind, other than the charge of careless driving."
Saints stay unbeaten with 38-17 win over Patriots
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints are still unbeaten and have joined the Indianapolis Colts in making NFL history. Drew Brees threw for a season-high 371 yards and five touchdown passes, and the Saints beat the New England Patriots 38-17 on Monday night. The Saints joined the Colts at 11-0, the first time two teams have opened with that many wins in the same season.
The convincing victory left little doubt about New Orleans' credentials to match the Patriots' 16-0 regular-season mark in 2007. New England remains the only team to go undefeated in a 16-game regular season — for now.
Brees threw touchdown passes to five different players: Pierre Thomas, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Darnell Dinkins and Marques Colston.
After Weis, a Fork in the Road for Notre Dame
This is a wonderful opportunity for the University of Notre Dame.
Rather than regard the firing of Charlie Weis as a steppingstone toward getting back to where old grads believe Notre Dame belongs, the university should look on the Weis years as an opportunity to ask, is all this hiring and firing really worth it?
As anybody who has been on that campus for some weekday experience other than football can tell, Notre Dame is a great, serious academic institution.
Williams fined record $82500 for US Open tirade
Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her U.S. Open tirade and could be suspended from that tournament if she has another "major offense" at any Grand Slam in the next two years.
Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock's ruling was released Monday, and he said Williams faces a "probationary period" at tennis' four major championships in 2010 and 2011. If she has another "major offense" at a Grand Slam tournament in that time, the fine would increase to $175,000 and she would be barred from the following U.S. Open.
"But if she does not have another offense in the next two years, the suspension is lifted," Babcock said in a telephone interview from London.
You, too? Ireland asks if it can go to Cup as well
JOHANNESBURG — Ireland has asked FIFA to be allowed into the World Cup as an extra team after Thierry Henry's handball helped France eliminate the Irish in a playoff.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says that the Irish have written to soccer's world governing body asking to be let into the 2010 tournament in South Africa because of Henry's handball.
Henry handled the ball before setting up William Gallas for the tying goal Nov. 18 that put France into the World Cup at the expense of Ireland.
