Woods' quest for privacy meets its great challenge 
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — All anyone needs to know about Tiger Woods off the golf course is what he named his yacht.
Privacy.
Woods gave up a big piece of that when he left Stanford after two years, turned pro with a "Hello, World" ad campaign and a $40 million endorsement deal, then quickly became one of the most recognizable athletes on earth.
Saints Sprint Past the Patriots to Remain Unbeaten
NEW ORLEANS — The last time the New England Patriots played at the Louisiana Superdome, they won their first Super Bowl and launched a dynasty. New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton used a Pro Bowl fishing trip three years ago to quiz Bill Belichick about the details of his seasons, the practice schedules, the personnel moves, hoping to divine the secrets that had won the Patriots two more Super Bowls since that stunner eight years ago.
Lesson learned. On Monday, with playoff-level excitement in the city, the Saints eclipsed the Patriots as the N.F.L.’s most explosive team, whipping them, 38-17, and keeping the Saints’ undefeated season alive at 11-0. With the Colts also at 11-0, this is the deepest into a season two teams have gone undefeated. Two years ago, that was the Patriots. Not anymore. They are 7-4 and still lead the American Football Conference East by two games. But with victories over only two teams with winning records and a flailing defense that gave up a combined 73 points to the Colts and the Saints, the Patriots look vulnerable against the league’s elite teams. For the Saints, though, this could be a franchise-altering victory, one that finally vanquishes their long-held reputations as losers.
“It only counts for one win, but emotionally these types of wins can mean a little bit more,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “They know how to win, and they do things the right way. Anytime you can win and win that way, it builds confidence for you.”
As Signs of Concern Spread, NFL Revisits Concussions
BALTIMORE — In this crucial division contest, a game full of playoff implications, it was whom the Pittsburgh Steelers did not start that highlighted the increased awareness of concussions across the N.F.L.
On the sideline, in an emergency third-quarterback role, stood Ben Roethlisberger. His Steelers (6-4) needed a victory Sunday night to remain a game behind Cincinnati in the American Football Conference North. They needed to beat the Baltimore Ravens to keep pace for the at-large playoff berths.
As recently as Thursday, Roethlisberger practiced as the starter and said he was cleared to play. Then came the headaches, the likely result of the hit Roethlisberger took last weekend, when a linebacker’s knee collided with his head in overtime against Kansas City.
Woods's Silence Leaves Him Open to Speculation
Tiger Woods is not available. He will talk in his own sweet time.
This tactic works fine at golf tournaments and any time he has a product to push. He appears when he is good and ready, and is just blandly helpful enough to give a few snippets of quotes to the waiting world. He’s a green-jacketed master at it.
This is a man who has never had the yips in public. But we are now witnessing his hooking and slicing his image straight into the rough, into the trees, into the drink.
Favre leads Vikings past Cutler, Bears 36-10
MINNEAPOLIS — Brett Favre and Jay Cutler provided more evidence that Minnesota's new quarterback experiment is working out much better than Chicago's.
Favre passed for a season-high 392 yards and three touchdowns, and the Vikings intercepted Cutler twice in a 36-10 victory over the Bears on Sunday.
Favre went 32 for 48 without a turnover and was 10 yards off his career best, throwing touchdowns to Visanthe Shiancoe, Chester Taylor and Percy Harvin, the unflappable rookie who had his best game yet.
Colts remain perfect with win over Houston
HOUSTON — The Indianapolis Colts stayed perfect by extending their dominance of the Houston Texans.
Peyton Manning threw for three touchdowns and the Colts rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit Sunday for a 35-27 win, their 20th straight regular-season victory. Indianapolis (11-0) is one win shy of the New England Patriots' NFL-record 21-game run from 2006-08. The Colts can tie the record if they beat Tennessee at home next weekend.
The Colts improved to 15-1 against Houston (5-6).
The waiting continues with Tiger Woods
WINDERMERE, Fla. — Moments after pulling out of his driveway in the middle of the night, Tiger Woods drove his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree, causing injuries that sent him to the hospital to be treated.
The investigation of that mysterious crash has moved much more slowly.
Woods added to the suspense Saturday when for the second straight day, the world's No.1 golfer was unavailable to speak to the Florida Highway Patrol. State troopers are looking for answers about the accident in which the Windermere police chief said Woods' wife, Elin, used a golf club to smash out a rear window and help him get out.
For 3rd time, Woods cancels meeting with police
WINDERMERE, Fla. — Tiger Woods canceled yet another meeting with state troopers but, for the first time, talked about his car crash on his Web site, saying it was his fault, that his wife acted courageously and that remaining details were private.
The statement was posted about an hour before troopers were to meet with the world's No. 1 golfer at his home inside the gates of Isleworth. A meeting was not rescheduled.
In a tape of a 911 call released Sunday, two days after the accident, a neighbor told dispatchers that a black Cadillac Escalade hit a tree and "I have someone down in front of my house."
Police are turned away a second time by Woods
WINDERMERE, FLA. -- Two Florida Highway Patrol troopers drove to Tiger Woods's $2.4 million estate Saturday afternoon, hoping to ask Woods what caused him to crash his 2009 Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and tree just outside his driveway in the wee hours Friday morning.
But the interview never occurred because a representative for the world-famous golfer called dispatchers while the troopers were en route, saying Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren were unavailable for the interview but could meet Sunday.
It was the second time troopers tried unsuccessfully to speak with Woods, one of the world's richest and most well-known athletes, about the accident that left him briefly unconscious and bleeding from the mouth.
Tebow Says Farewell With a Flourish
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Like fishing stories told on front porches at dusk or tall tales traded around barstools after last call, the legend of Tim Tebow seems likely to only grow larger in this part of the country.
As the years pass and the tales are retold, Tebow’s accomplishments will take on an almost-mystical quality. But on Saturday the Florida faithful — 90,907 of them — flocked here for a flesh-and-blood sendoff that felt part like a graduation, part like a funeral.
While Tebow will play in the Southeastern Conference title game and a Bowl Championship Series game for the top-ranked Gators, his performance at The Swamp in a 37-10 victory over Florida State provided one final grace note in the greatest career in Florida history.
