Boy, 10, gives favorite teacher football autographed by Franco Harris

Boy, 10, gives favorite teacher football autographed by Franco Harris
Eds: Moving on general news and sports lines
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PITTSBURGH -- Call it the Immaculate Transaction.
A 10-year-old boy honored his favorite teacher -- a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan -- by getting Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris to autograph a ball for the reading tutor.
Russell Malloy wrote Harris a letter after spending $16 of his own money for the football, and asked Harris to sign it for Mark Milanak, Malloy's reading tutor at Pittsburgh's Bon Air Elementary School.
Russell had an "in" with Harris -- his great aunt, Lisa Knechtel, has cut Harris' hair for 20 years at a downtown salon, and she gave the letter to Harris this week.
"I bought him a real football with my own money. Could you please sign it to my teacher for Christmas?" the note read.
Harris obliged and Malloy and his mother, Gina, gave Milanak the ball on Thursday with the school staff in attendance.
Gina Malloy said her son repeated the second grade and had struggled in school, especially with reading, until Milanak tutored him -- often regaling the boy with stories of the Steelers' glory days, when Harris helped the team win four Super Bowls from 1975 to 1980.
Harris also made perhaps the most famous play in NFL history -- dubbed the Immaculate Reception -- when he caught a deflected pass and scored a touchdown to lift the Steelers to victory over the Oakland Raiders in a 1972 playoff game.
"I was entirely floored and flattered," Milanak said. "It made my entire holiday season."
Bengals want roof on practice field
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CINCINNATI -- Bengals owner Mike Brown won't pay for things he considers frills, such as a covered practice field for when the weather turns bad.
His head coach wants him to spring for one.
As part of their negotiations for a new stadium in the 1990s, Brown got the local county government to give him spacious practice fields on prime riverfront land next to Paul Brown Stadium, which opened for the 2000 season. Players have only to cross a street to work out on an artificial turf field and several nicely manicured grass fields.
Many northern teams have covered facilities for when the weather turns nasty in December, making it impossible to work outside. Not the Bengals. Under terms of their lease, they have the right to cover the practice fields, but they'd have to pay the cost.
So, there's no roof.
When a major snowstorm moved in on Wednesday, coach Marvin Lewis had to put his team on buses and take it one county north to an indoor soccer facility for a workout. The buses got caught in gridlocked traffic on the way to the facility and the way back, making for a long day and completely throwing off the schedule.
Asked if he'd like to have a covered field, Lewis responded with a nervous laugh and ran his hands across his face.
"We're hopeful in the future to have the ability to walk across the street and go to practice," he said, measuring his words carefully. "We'll leave it at that."
Patriots release safety, special teams player Je'Rod Cherry
FOXBORO, Mass. -- The Patriots released safety Je'Rod Cherry, who primarily played on special teams during four seasons with New England.
Cherry has been a key member of New England's kick coverage teams, which had a tough Monday night in a loss to Miami, allowing a 71-yard punt return to Wes Welker that set up the Dolphins' first touchdown. Coach Bill Belichick has been unhappy all season with that aspect of special teams play.
After three full seasons in New England, Cherry was released at the end of training camp. He was re-signed by the team three games into the regular season. His latest release was announced Friday.
A second-round draft pick by New Orleans in 1996, he spent four seasons with the Saints. Cherry played with Philadelphia in 2000 before signing with the Patriots in 2001.
McGahee status remains uncertain for Sunday
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Bills running back Willis McGahee practiced for the first time this week, and his status is unclear for Sunday's game at San Francisco.
McGahee is listed as questionable after bruising and hyperextending his right knee in Buffalo's win over Cincinnati last Sunday. Coach Mike Mularkey said after Friday's workout that McGahee's availability will be a game-time decision.
Backup Travis Henry ruled himself out of Sunday's game because of torn ligaments in his right ankle that forced him to miss the last three games.
Third-stringer Shaud Williams, an undrafted rookie free agent, is expected to start if McGahee can't play. Joe Burns, primarily a blocking back, and Dante Brown, whom the Bills acquired Wednesday off Cleveland's practice squad, would back up Williams.
McGahee has started nine games this season, with the Bills going 8-1 in those starts. Buffalo is also undefeated (6-0) when he rushes for 100 yards. McGahee has helped lead the Bills (8-6) into the thick of the AFC wild-card race after an 0-4 start.
Tulane extends Scelfo's contract through 2009
NEW ORLEANS -- Tulane football coach Chris Scelfo received a contract extension through 2009, his reward for winning more games at the school than any football coach in more than a half-century.
Scelfo has an overall record of just 31-40 in six seasons at Tulane, but his 31 wins are tied for fourth most in school history and are the most by a Green Wave coach since Henry Frnka won that many from 1946-51.
Tulane was 5-6 this season, failing to earn a bowl trip for the second straight season. Scelfo is the only coach to win two bowl games with the Green Wave.
Athletic director Rick Dickson announced the contract extension on Friday. Details of the contract were not disclosed.
AP coach of the year goes to Auburn's Tuberville
Eds: With BC-FBC--AP Coach of the Year Voting and BC-FBC--AP Coach of the Year List.
AP Graphic FBC COACH OF YEAR
By RALPH D. RUSSO
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK -- Tommy Tuberville followed the most difficult season of his coaching career with the best.
A year after he was nearly replaced by Auburn, Tuberville is The Associated Press coach of the year.
"I learned a lot last year from what we went through at the end of the season," he said. "I've been more relaxed this season."
In his sixth season at Auburn, Tuberville has led the third-ranked Tigers to a 12-0 regular season and its first Southeastern Conference championship in 15 years.
"It's probably been my easiest season as a head coach because of the great senior leadership this team has," Tuberville said. "Coaches tend to think the world is on their shoulders. I've delegated more authority this season than before. Because of that I think it's been an easier year."
But not quite perfect, despite the perfect record.
The Tigers failed to reach the Orange Bowl to play for the Bowl Championship Series national title. Auburn never could get past Oklahoma and Southern California in the BCS standings and will play Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3.
Tuberville did far better in the coach of the year voting than his team did in the polls. He was a runaway winner, getting 35 of the 63 votes from the panel of media members.
Utah coach Urban Meyer was second with 14 votes. Meyer led the Utes to an unbeaten season and a berth in the BCS before taking the Florida job.
USC's Pete Carroll and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz received four votes, California's Jeff Tedford got three votes and Texas-El Paso's Mike Price got two. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Louisville's Bobby Petrino each received one vote.
Tuberville is the second straight SEC coach to win the AP award. LSU's Nick Saban was last year's winner.
As disappointing as being left out of the title game has been for Tuberville and his undefeated Tigers, this season has been far more enjoyable than last.
The Tigers began the 2003 campaign ranked in the top 10 and favored to win the SEC. But they lost their first two games of the season and stumbled to a disappointing 8-5 finish. There was speculation late in the season Tuberville might be on the way out.
It almost happened. It became public that Auburn officials, including the university president, had covertly courted Louisville coach Bobby Petrino to replace Tuberville.
"A little bizarre is an understatement," Tuberville said.
The failed coup was an embarrassment for the Auburn hierarchy and helped rally support for Tuberville from Tigers fans who felt he was treated unfairly.
Tuberville never griped about the administration's sneaky move and decided to stay with Auburn.
"I came back for two reasons," he said. "The players stayed behind us 100 percent and 99 percent of the people in the Auburn family stayed behind us.
"I told my staff 'We're not going to dwell on it. We're not going to hold grudges."'
Tuberville's actions strengthened his relationship with the players.
"I always respected him. I respect him even more now for staying with us, even though they plotted to get him out of here," receiver Courtney Taylor said. "It takes a bigger man to stay here and face everything that went on down here during that time. I love the man."
But even Tuberville admits he wasn't completely off the hot seat. So he made some changes to his staff, most notably hiring offensive coordinator Al Borges.
Auburn entered this season with modest expectations and a No. 17 national ranking. The Tigers cleared an early hurdle by beating defending co-national champ LSU 10-9 at home.
"I thought that showed a lot of character. We grew up a lot then," Tuberville said.
Auburn got into the national title race two weeks later with a 34-10 victory at Tennessee.
"We knew then we had something special," Tuberville said.
Tuberville's specialty is defense and the Tigers have excelled this season with a rebuilt front seven, having lost several players to the NFL. Auburn is allowing 11.2 point per game, best in the nation, with a slightly undersized but blazing fast defense, led by cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety Junior Rosegreen.
On the offensive side, Borges' West Coast offense finally cured the woes that have ailed Auburn under Tuberville. Quarterback Jason Campbell blossomed in his senior season and the Tigers finally were able to maximize the ample talents of tailbacks Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown.
And just like that, Tuberville has gone from embattled to beloved on The Plains.
"You've just got to believe in what you're doing," he said. "We believe in hard work, teaching work ethic on and off the field. Let the players know you're here for them."
RICHMOND, Va. -- Johnny Oates, who managed the Texas Rangers to their first three postseason appearances, died early Friday. He was 58.
Oates was diagnosed with a brain tumor three years ago. His death was confirmed by John Blake, a former Rangers spokesman who worked for the organization when Oates coached in the '90s.
"It was a pretty courageous fight," Blake said.
"He accomplished something no other manager had here. The first division title was certainly a big anvil off everybody's back with this franchise."
Oates also managed the Baltimore Orioles from 1991-94.
He spent six seasons with the Rangers, guiding them to the playoffs in 1996, '98 and '99, and shared the American League Manager of the Year award with New York's Joe Torre in 1996.
Oates resigned in 2001 after the Rangers lost 17 of their first 28 games despite the addition of $252 million free agent shortstop Alex Rodriguez. He compiled a regular season record of 797-746 and got his only postseason victory in 10 tries when the Rangers made their playoff debut, winning 6-2 at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 1, 1996.
Texas lost the next three games and was swept by the Yankees in 1998 and '99.
"Throw away what he did in baseball, and you still have a special man. Baseball did not define Johnny," said Rangers manager Buck Showalter, who regularly talked with Oates.
Just over six months after leaving the Rangers, Oates was considering a return to managing when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain tumor.
The tumor was removed in surgery in November 2001, and a device that delivered time-released chemotherapy was implanted. But the tumor returned in April 2003.
Throughout his illness, Oates remained an upbeat and deeply spiritual man, thankful for the warning that he would likely die from the disease, but celebrating the chance to be with his wife, Gloria, of nearly 40 years, their three children and grandchildren.
"When you look at it, it's a blessing," he said in a March 2003 interview.
"It is a sad day, but a happy day," Showalter said. "Johnny is in a better place. Gloria said one of their prayers was that he would be in Heaven before Christmas. I bet there will be a heck of a baseball game up there tomorrow ... no, the day after tomorrow, it will take John time to get organized."