Denver defense kryptonite to Panthers Superman Newton

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Denver Broncos shocked the Carolina Panthers 24-10 as the Super Bowl closed out its first half-century on Sunday with an upset and a cliffhanger as Peyton Manning left everyone guessing about his future.

As a glittering shower of golden confetti fell on Levi's Stadium, Manning appeared to have penned the fairytale ending to a Hall of Fame career ready to ride off into the sunset holding the Vince Lombardi trophy, the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl and the first to win championships for two franchises.

But a coy Manning refused to reveal his hand leaving open the possibility that the 39-year-old could remain part of the NFL next season even as the Super Bowl turns the corner and steams toward its centennial and a new era that includes a team back in Los Angeles.

"It's certainly been an emotional week for everybody," said Manning, amid the post-game celebrations. "I got some good advice from (former Indianapolis Colts coach) Tony Dungy. He said don't make an emotional decision.

"I think that was good advice to kind of let this sink in.

"This has been a very emotional week, an emotional night and it is just beginning, I look forward to celebrating with my friends and family and I think I will take some time after that."

The golden Super Bowl was much hyped as a passing of the baton with Manning the aging super star giving way to Panthers' flashy quarterback Cam Newton, who did not live up to his Superman nickname against a top ranked Denver defense that proved to be his kryptonite.

Having claimed NFL most valuable player honours on Saturday and his 17-1 Panthers favoured by nearly a touchdown, Newton's coronation seemed almost certain.

But Manning was not quite ready to drop the torch, adding a couple of more lines to the quarterbacking record book including becoming the first to win 200 games (regular season and playoffs).

"They just played better than us," grumbled Newton. "I don't know what you want me to say.

"They made more plays than us and that's what it came down to.

"We turned the ball over, gave up sacks, threw errant passes. That's it."

A five-time league most valuable player, Manning's performance will not be remembered as one of his best as the Denver offense managed just 194 yards, the fewest for a winning team in the Super Bowl.

Instead it was a relentless Denver defense that can claim credit for the victory holding the Panthers' number one ranked offence -- that averaged over 31 points a game during the regular season -- to a single touchdown and field goal.

The Denver defense, which recorded seven sacks, was led by a rampaging Von Miller who forced Newton into two fumbles that were both converted into touchdowns earning the linebacker Super Bowl most valuable player honours.

"What our guys did, the way they played, they will be in the conversation," said Broncos general manager John Elway, when asked if Denver's defense is one of the best of all-time.

"He (Miller) has just gotten better and better. He has been unbelievable these playoffs.

"He has got something with Cam. He likes to get after Cam."

That something can be traced back to the two players' college careers.

Miller was the number two overall choice in the 2011 NFL draft out of Texas A&M, while Newton was taken first overall after winning a national college championship with Auburn.

"I thought at that time I could be number one, but (Carolina) didn't see it that way. They took Cam Newton," Miller said in the run-up to the National Football League's title game.

Now Miller has something Newton does not -- a Super Bowl championship.

(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

No dancing, just dejection for Newton

SANTA CLARA -- In the end there was to be no dancing and no "dabbing" -- just dejection.

Cam Newton arrived in Sunday's Super Bowl after a record-breaking season which left long-time observers of the National Football League declaring that he had redefined the role of quarterback.

But the biggest night of the Carolina Panthers superstar's career ended in bitter disappointment after the Denver Broncos defense harried him into a string of mistakes to seal a dramatic 24-10 victory.

Newton ended up coming off second best in his duel with Broncos defensive star Von Miller, the man who had been chosen behind the Panthers quarterback as the second overall pick in the 2011 draft.


Twice Miller stripped Newton of the ball close to the Carolina goal line, and on both occasions it led to Denver touchdowns.

As Denver's players celebrated a remarkable win at Levi's Stadium, Newton collapsed to the turf distraught.

Later he appeared before reporters in the bowels of the stadium, hoodie drawn over his head, offering monosyllabic answers to journalists before leaving after little more than three minutes.

"They just played better than us. I don't know what you want me to say. They made more plays than us, and that's what it came down to," Newton said.

"We had our opportunities. There wasn't nothing special that they did. We dropped balls. We turned the ball over, gave up sacks, threw errant passes. That's it. They scored more points than we did."

Asked if he had a message for Panthers fans, he replied: "We'll be back."

It was a sour ending to a remarkable season for Newton, who led the Panthers to a 17-1 record en route to Sunday's Super Bowl while spearheading the highest-scoring offense in the NFL.

The 26-year-old has become a polarizing figure in his five seasons at Carolina, widely admired for his play but attracting sporadic criticism for his exuberant touchdown celebrations and his signature "dab" end zone routine.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera admitted he had made a point of speaking to Newton after the loss.

"I spoke with him a little bit, but again this is one of those things that's going to hurt," Rivera said.

"It's going to hurt everybody for a while. Hopefully after a few days, or whatever it is, we're going to get over it and we'll move forward."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Beyonce, Bruno Mars heat up Coldplay's Super Bowl halftime show

SANTA CLARA, California - Coldplay headlined at Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show, but it was R&B super stars Beyonce and Bruno Mars who delivered the sizzle with a lively, upbeat production that paid homage to previous halftime performers.

Known mainly for mellow hits, British alt-rockers Coldplay amped up the energy, staging "Viva La Vida" on a colorfully illuminated floor surrounded by dancing violinists.

After Coldplay crowd-pleasers "Paradise" and "Adventure of a Lifetime," a black-leather-clad Mars, who headlined the halftime show in 2014, bounced through "Uptown Funk!," with producer Mark Ronson on DJ decks on stage.

But all eyes were on Beyonce, who gyrated her way through her latest single "Formation" -- a power anthem to race and feminism that made a surprise debut on Saturday.

The music video features powerful images of a flooded New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also depicts graffiti that reads "stop shooting us," suggestive of the Black Lives Matter movement, which emerged in the wake of killings of unarmed black men, several at the hands of police.

Prior to the game, some fans speculated on social media that Beyonce would deliver a politically charged performance.

But, partnered with Mars on the football field, the tone of the performance was lighter than the video. They subtly conveyed the themes of "Formation" with female dancers dressed in black shorts, crop tops and berets, in what was perceived as an homage to the black nationalist Black Panther Party movement of the 1960s and '70s.

Cedric Betts of Millbrae, California, who saw the performance live at the game, said Beyonce's message was clear. "As black people we have to embrace these moments because it's not often we get them," he said.

An ad immediately following the show announced Beyonce's "Formation" world tour beginning in April, her first major tour in three years.

Before wrapping up one of the signature moments of America's biggest sporting event, Beyonce and Mars joined Coldplay frontman Chris Martin for a quick re-visit to "Uptown Funk!," ending on Coldplay's uplifting ballad "Fix You." Images honored past halftime performers including Stevie Wonder, Black Eyed Peas and the late Michael Jackson, whose military-style wardrobe inspired Beyonce's costume Sunday.

Even for music's biggest stars, the Super Bowl halftime show is the largest stage of their careers, drawing more than 100 million viewers to the live event and lighting up social media.

This year's halftime show garnered a total of 3.9 million tweets. Beyonce dominated the conversation on social media during the halftime performance, with 1.3 million tweets about the singer according to figures from Twitter. Coldplay followed with 774,000 tweets, while Mars garnered 341,000 tweets. The most-tweeted song was "Formation."

Last year, Katy Perry garnered 3 million tweets during her halftime performance.

All three acts of this year's performers quickly became top trends on Twitter, with sentiments towards Coldplay's halftime show measuring overall positive, according to social media analytics firm Zoomph, with twice as many positive tweets than negative tweets.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Broncos' Von Miller named MVP of Super Bowl 50

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl 50 following his team's 24-10 triumph over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Miller forced a pair of fumbles from Carolina quarterback Cam Newton that led to touchdowns to boost the Broncos to their third Super Bowl triumph and first in 17 years.

The 26-year-old Miller one-upped National Football League regular season Most Valuable Player Newton with his brilliant defensive effort.

Miller was the number two overall choice in the 2011 NFL draft out of Texas A&M, while Newton was taken first overall after winning a national college championship with Auburn.

"I thought at that time I could be number one, but (Carolina) didn't see it that way. They took Cam Newton," Miller said in the run-up to the National Football League's title game.

Now Miller has something the Newton does not - a Super Bowl championship.

Miller, as he did in Denver's AFC title game victory over the New England Patriots two weeks ago, recorded 2-1/2 sacks along with the fumbles he forced against Newton in a bravura performance at Levi's Stadium.

Lightning quick off the edge of the defensive line as he makes life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, Miller also registered six tackles.

(Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Broncos beat Panthers to win Super Bowl 50

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Denver Broncos won their third National Football League championship with a 24-10 upset victory over the top-seeded Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday.

The Broncos scored early and never trailed as they held the league's highest-scoring offense in check en route to capturing their first Super Bowl title in 17 years.

Denver's Peyton Manning, 39, playing in what could be the final game of his storied NFL game, added another line in the record books as he is now the oldest quarterback to play in a Super Bowl and first to reach 200 wins in the NFL.

But it was the top-ranked Denver defense that can claim credit for the victory after holding the league's highest-scoring offence to a single touchdown and 10 points.

The Denver defense was led by Von Miller who forced Panthers quarterback Cam Newton into two fumbles that were both converted into touchdowns.

Trailing 3-0 in the opening quarter, Carolina quickly found themselves in an even deeper hole when Miller barreled into Newton and stripped the ball from his hands before defensive end Malik Jackson fell on the ball in the end zone for the game's first touchdown.

Miller then ended any hope of a Carolina comeback when he knocked the ball out of Newton's hand on the Panthers four-yard line where the Denver offence took over, C.J. Anderson powering his way over from the two for 24-10 lead.

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Pia dances with Broncos cheerleaders

MANILA – After learning some dance steps from members of the American football team Carolina Panthers, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach made sure to also spend time with the Denver Broncos.

In a video clip posted on her Instagram page Friday, Wurtzbach shared her early morning practice with the Broncos cheerleaders.

She also shared a group picture with them where she expressed in the caption how delighted she is to have “a really big team.”



Wurtzbach is a special Super Bowl correspondent of “Inside Edition.” She was mobbed by fans upon her arrival in San Francisco for her hosting stint.

Super Bowl 50 will be held at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 7.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NFL: Teams fit, raring to go for Super Bowl 50

Teams fit, raring to go for Super Bowl 50

Larry Fine, Reuters

The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos gathered at Levi's Stadium for team pictures on Saturday after proclaiming themselves fit and raring to go for Super Bowl 50.

Carolina had a key question mark heading into the final week's preparation for Sunday's National Football League title game in Pro Bowl linebacker Thomas Davis, who broke his right arm in their conference championship two weeks ago against Arizona.

Head coach Ron Rivera said he expected Davis, who had a dozen pins inserted in his forearm after having surgery the day after the NFC clash, to start after practicing fully this week.

Three Panthers players on the injury report - Davis, defensive end Jared Allen (foot) and running back Mike Tolbert (knee) - were all full participants in Friday's practice and all officially listed as probable for the Super Bowl.

Denver had three players limited in practice on Wednesday, but all 53 practiced fully on Friday for the second straight day, including safeties T.J. Ward (ankle) and Darian Stewart (knee), and guard Louis Vasquez (knee). All will start Sunday.

Broncos top-ranked defense set for ultimate test

Jahmal Corner, Reuters

It took a blowout loss in the Super Bowl two years ago for the Denver Broncos to transform from an offense-heavy attack to a defensive juggernaut better suited to winning the championship Vince Lombardi Trophy.

When the Seattle Seahawks routed Denver a 43-8 in that Super Bowl game they also gave the Broncos a reflection of everything they were not and needed to become: young, fast and physical.

Denver's defense has since fully realized that vision, and cemented their status by swarming Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and New England's Tom Brady to set up a clash with the Carolina Panthers in the Feb. 7 NFL championship game.

"They are the No. 1 defense on the planet, and everyone says defense wins championships," Broncos running back C.J. Anderson said of his defensive unit. "They have embraced it all season."

Panthers defense has been a turnover machine

Tim Wharnsby, Reuters

The Carolina Panthers defense may not allow the fewest points or lead the NFL in sacks, but their ability to force turnovers has been a key factor behind their remarkable run to the Super Bowl.

This strength was on full display when the Panthers punched their ticket to Sunday's Super Bowl with a 49-15 rout of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game.

All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly and Co. harassed Arizona for four interceptions and three fumble recoveries, a trend the Panthers defense started in the regular season when they led the NFL with 24 picks and 15 fumble recoveries.

But now the Panthers will be staring down a Denver Broncos offense led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning on the NFL's biggest stage.

The 39-year-old quarterback may not be as capable as he was in his prime, but the Panthers and head coach Ron Rivera will not take Manning lightly.

"I know he is very special," said Rivera, who was defensive coordinator of a Chicago Bears team that lost to Manning's Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl nine years ago.

"He is one of those guys that is going to have a storied career. He's going end up in the Hall of Fame. Everything he does is about winning."

Manning chases crowning glory

Rob Woollard, Agence France-Presse

Whether he wins or loses on Sunday, Peyton Manning has already assured himself a place in American football's pantheon of greats.

But if the veteran Denver Broncos quarterback manages to mastermind an upset over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 it will be the crowning achievement of a career that once looked to be in terminal decline.

Manning, 39, faced a bleak future in 2011 when neck surgeries left him struggling to throw properly, forcing him to miss the entire season with the Indianapolis Colts, who eventually cut him in March 2012.

Yet Manning went on to relaunch his career successfully with the Broncos, enjoying a vintage season to lead Denver to the Super Bowl in 2014, where they lost heavily to the Seattle Seahawks.

This season Manning has fought through adversity once more to reach his fourth Super Bowl, where he is chasing a second championship ring to book-end the one he collected with the Colts in 2007.

"There is no question it's important to me, it's very personal to me," Manning said this week when asked to reflect on his tumultuous season. "No question this season has had some unique challenges."

Dual threat Newton rewriting records despite critics

Rob Woollard, Agence France-Presse

Cam Newton may divide opinion with his carefully choreographed touchdown routines but a consensus is rapidly building that the Carolina Panthers star may be the greatest dual threat quarterback the sport has ever seen.

The 6ft 5in (1.96m), 250lb (113kg) Panthers signal-caller has electrified the National Football League since his professional debut in 2011 with a potent passing and rushing game that all too often has left opponents -- and records -- in its wake.

When the 26-year-old dived over for the 43rd rushing touchdown of his career against Tampa Bay last month, he equalled his childhood hero Steve Young's long-standing all-time record for a quarterback.

But while legendary San Francisco 49er Young's mark was compiled in 169 games across 15 seasons, Newton equalled the record after only 78 games in his fifth season in the NFL.

Newton has been the driving force behind the Panthers' relentless march to Sunday's Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos, leading his team to a 17-1 record while becoming the first quarterback in history to throw for more than 30 touchdowns and rush for 10 more in a single season.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

SPORTS WRAP: League honors 16 who attended every Super Bowl

SAN FRANCISCO - An ironman contingent of fans, photographers and sports writers were honored by the NFL on Friday ahead of Super Bowl 50 as members of an exclusive club - people who have attended every one of the title games.

From its humble beginnings in 1967 under the unwieldy label of NFL-AFL World Championship in Los Angeles, to its status as a quasi U.S. national holiday and money-making machine, these 16 have gone to 15 different locales over five decades of football.

Eight fans from around the country, three photographers, including famed Sports Illustrated snapper Walter Iooss, Jr. and reporters Jerry Izenberg, Jerry Green and Dave Klein were honored along with Norma Hunt, wife of late Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, and groundskeeper George Toma.

They have all been to Miami and New Orleans 10 times apiece for the games and Los Angeles seven times. They have also seen chillier times in Detroit, Minneapolis and Indianapolis over the past half century.

Harvey Rothenberg was at the Media Center on Friday with his four cronies that comprise the "Super Bowl 5" gang, replete with varsity jackets adorned with their logo and a football helmet pictured on the back.

"Around Super Bowl III, we got our first blazers as the Super Bowl 5 and decided to try and keep the tradition going," Rothenberg told Reuters after receiving a plaque given to each member of the longevity club by Hall of Fame linebacker Dave Robinson, who played in the first Super Bowl for the Packers.

Real estate developer Rothenberg and his buddies had gone to the Doral Country Club in Miami to golf in the week ahead of that New York Jets-Baltimore Colts clash and used a hotel shuttle bus to the game, sharing the ride with the likes of Sargent Shriver and Arthur Ashe, the tennis pro at the resort.

"That's when we decided to do it every year. 'Let's do it!' he said. "Who knew it was going to last all these years."

Fun loving Hahn takes one-shot lead in Phoenix

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona - James Hahn, renowned for his "Gangnam Style" moves at the TPC Scottsdale in 2013, used a fast start and solid finish to edge one shot clear after Friday's second round of the Phoenix Open at the same venue.

The 34-year-old, who was born in South Korea but educated in the United States and now lives close to the Scottsdale layout, fired a flawless 65 to post a 10-under halfway total of 132 in front of an announced record Friday attendance of more than 160,000 fans.

Bidding for his second PGA Tour victory, Hahn birdied three of his first six holes and three of the last eight to end a sunny day in the Arizona desert one ahead of American world number four Rickie Fowler (68) and New Zealand's Danny Lee (66).

Japanese Hideki Matsuyama (70) and Irishman Shane Lowry (70), joint leaders with Fowler after the weather-delayed opening round, were a further two shots back in a tie for fourth with American Harris English (67).

Enjoyment was the watchword for Hahn, who claimed his first PGA Tour title in a three-way playoff for last year's Northern Trust Open, as he totalled only 25 putts in breezy conditions to take over at the top.

"Fun, I'm having fun out there," a smiling Hahn told reporters. "I'm making a lot of putts, hitting a lot of fairways, giving myself many opportunities to make birdie.

"And I'm sleeping in my own bed this week. I live about 10 minutes away from here. I'm looking forward to a good weekend."

McEvoy sets scorching pace, Magnussen promises improvement

SYDNEY - Australia's Cameron McEvoy sent out a message to his Olympic rivals with a scorching personal best to beat former world champion James Magnussen into second place in the 100 metres freestyle at the Perth Aquatic Super Series.

The 21-year-old swam 47.56 seconds on Friday night to become the third fastest man in the blue riband event since textile suits were banned in 2010 and establish himself as a contender for Olympic glory in Rio de Janeiro later this year.

Only Magnussen, who clocked his personal best of 47.10 in early 2012, and American Nathan Adrian, who swam 47.52 to win gold at the Olympics that year, have gone faster without a suit.

Brazil's Cesar Cielo still holds the world record for the event with the 46.91 in a textile suit in Rome in 2009.

"Everyone in the world has already stepped up and I had to step up in my own way, I fully expect everyone to be reading the results tonight and it will fire them up to get back in the water," McEvoy told reporters.

"To come out and swim a best time when I'm not fully tapered at all, that's exciting. On a personal note, it is kind of cool to be amongst names like James Magnussen and Nathan Adrian on the rankings too."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NFL: Panthers warned of sex scandal perils, Elway plans for dream finish

Elway plans for another Denver dream finish

Larry Fine, Reuters

John Elway lived the dream 17 years ago when he hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champion before riding off into the sunset of retirement after a Hall of Fame career with the Denver Broncos.

Now Elway is trying to orchestrate another happy ending for the Broncos as general manager and possibly another perfect exit for one of the game's best players, Peyton Manning, when Denver meet the Carolina Panthers in Sunday's Super Bowl 50.

Two years ago, Denver rode a high-scoring offense to the NFL title game, with Manning throwing for an NFL record 55 touchdown passes and record yardage before suffering a 43-8 shellacking at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks.

"We broke all of those records that year, but we had the opportunity that offseason to get better on the defensive side with (outside linebacker) DeMarcus (Ware) coming available, (safety) T.J. Ward was out there, (cornerback) Aqib (Talib), and then (safety) Darian Stewart this year," Elway told reporters.

"Plus, we've drafted on the defensive side of the ball, and I think it's all come together."

Former Raiders quarterback suffered severe brain trauma: researchers

Scott Malone and Mark Lamport-Stokes, Reuters

A study of former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler's brain following his July death revealed that the Super Bowl-winning athlete was suffering from moderate brain trauma, a leading specialist in the field said on Wednesday.

The 69-year-old quarterback's brain was the 90th of 94 former National Football League players studied by Boston University's CTE Center since 2008 to show signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, said Ann McKee, the center's director.

CTE is closely associated with the repeated head injuries that are commonly experienced in football, hockey and other contact sports, and can lead to aggression and dementia. It has also been a factor in the suicides of prominent NFL athletes, including Hall of Famer Junior Seau.

Stabler was among a growing number of former NFL players who asked that their brains be studied after their deaths. CTE cannot currently be diagnosed while a person is alive.

"He complained of memory difficulties, the family noticed memory difficulties for the last 10 years of his life, he was repeating himself, he was forgetful," said McKee, who also serves as the chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System. "We would have expected, had he lived longer, that he would have developed more severe dementia."

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Super Bowl security plan informed by Paris attacks -U.S. official

Curtis Skinner, Reuters
U.S. law enforcement officials preparing for Super Bowl 50 have worked with their French counterparts to learn from last year's deadly attacks in Paris, as they plan safety for Sunday's big game, the Secretary of Homeland Security said on Wednesday.

Secretary Jeh Johnson said he and his team have been "constantly" in contact with security officials in Paris following the Nov. 13 attacks there by gunmen linked to the Islamic State militant group.

"The threat picture is different every February," Johnson told a news conference after he toured Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where the NFL championship game will be played.

"We are always informed by recent events and what we see in the world situation," he said.

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Panthers warned of sex scandal perils

Agence France-Presse

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera has warned his team about the possible pitfalls lurking in the build-up to the Super Bowl after a Denver Broncos player was sent home for being caught in a prostitution sting operation.

Denver practice squad safety Ryan Murphy was ordered out of the team camp late Tuesday after being detained during an incident involving his brother in a motel parking lot near the Broncos' team hotel in Santa Clara.

"It's an unfortunate set of circumstances. Again, that's why we talked to our guys so we can stay ahead of something like that and prevent it from becoming a distraction," Rivera said of the Murphy case on Wednesday.

"It's something they have to deal with now. I'm hoping we can maintain and stay focused on what's happening."

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Scottish kicker relishing Super Bowl pressure

Rob Woollard

Scotland-born Graham Gano says he would relish the pressure of having to kick a Super Bowl-winning field goal after a season where rule changes made his unerring accuracy with the boot more valuable than ever.

The Carolina Panthers star is aiming to become the second Scottish kicker to win the Super Bowl in the past decade following the double success of the New York Giants' Lawrence Tynes in 2007 and 2011.

Gano spent six years in Scotland before returning as a child to the United States, where he has lived ever since.

Although his home is the United States, he continues to identify himself as a Scot and hopes to carry a Scottish flag into the Levi's Stadium on Sunday when the Panthers face the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

"I'm proud of both my Scottish and American roots and most of my team-mates know where I'm from, but not what the Scottish flag looks like, so I'll get a few questions," he told Scotland's Daily Record recently.

"Millions of people will see the Scottish flag. It'd be great to represent Scotland like that and make the country proud."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bronco's Fil-Am player brings pride to Super Bowl 50

A Filipino-American is a key player in the much anticipated battle between the Panthers and the Broncos on Sunday's biggest one-day sporting event in the United States---the Super Bowl 50. Balitang America, February 3, 2016

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Pia dances with Carolina Panthers

MANILA – Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach had fun in her first day as a special Super Bowl correspondent of “Inside Edition.”

In a video post on Instagram by her fellow “Inside Edition” correspondent Megan Alexander, Wurtzbach said she had a great time interacting with the players.

“It was a lot of fun. I was able to talk to a lot of the players. They taught me how to dab,” she said.



In another video posted by the official Miss Universe Instagram account, Wurtzbach is seen dancing with members of the American football team Carolina Panthers.


Wurtzbach was mobbed by fans upon her arrival in San Francisco for her “Inside Edition” stint.

Super Bowl 50 will be held at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 7.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pia is Inside Edition's special correspondent at Super Bowl

MANILA – Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach will be Inside Edition's special correspondent at Super Bowl 50.

This was announced by the newsmagazine on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).

In an article published on its website, Wurtzbach was quoted to have said that this will be her first time to experience America’s biggest sporting event of the year.

“I’m excited to take viewers behind the scenes in the lead-up to the big event," she said.

Furthermore, Inside Edition said Wurtzbach will also take viewers through game day coverage along with its correspondent Megan Alexander.

“Pia is a natural fit as Inside Edition’s Super Bowl Correspondent," said Executive Producer Charles Lachman. "She has the on-air poise that we look for in our talent, and as reigning Miss Universe, she’s no stranger to a thrilling competition."

During Wurtzbach’s homecoming press conference on Sunday, the beauty queen revealed that she can’t stay long enough in the Philippines because of a big opportunity waiting for her in California.

“I am going to San Francisco because--secret muna,” she said. “I would have stayed longer but then sayang kasi ito.”

In a separate interview with ABS-CBN News, Wurtzbach said it means a lot to her that she's now able to reach a bigger and wider audience including those in the United States.

"Ito na yung lahat ng pinaghandaan ko ng many years. Dito ko na talaga maa-apply. Kasi hindi naman nags-stop sa pageant night iyan. Umpisa pa lang doon. Lahat ng natutunan ko maa-apply ko lahat dito," she siad.

Super Bowl 50 will be held at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 7.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Broncos beat Patriots to reach Super Bowl

Peyton Manning out-gunned great rival Tom Brady as the Denver Broncos behind a ferocious defense edged the defending champion New England Patriots 20-18 on Sunday to book their place in Super Bowl 50.

During the buildup to the AFC championship game in the Mile High City, the spotlight was fixed on Manning and Brady, the two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks who were meeting for the 17th, and perhaps final time on the gridiron.

But it was the Denver defense that stole the show, intercepting Brady twice and making two crucial fourth down stops late in the fourth quarter to snuff out potentially game tying scoring drives, including one with just 2:18 on the clock.

The Patriots, however, would not quit and with 12 seconds left to play Brady hit Rob Gronkowski with a four yard touchdown pass.

Needing a two-point convert to force overtime, the Denver defense again dug in forcing Brady to make a hurried incomplete pass to clinch a spot in their record-equaling eighth Super Bowl.

Manning, who had been plagued by injury and questionable form all season, turned in a performance worthy of a five-times NFL Most valuable player, tossing a pair of first half touchdowns to Owen Daniels.

The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals clash in the NFC championship game later on Sunday with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara on Feb. 7 to face the Broncos.

(Editing by Andrew Both)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cardinals oust Packers after exchange of amazing plays

LOS ANGELES -- In one of the most dramatic finishes in NFL playoff history, the Arizona Cardinals outlasted the Green Bay Packers 26-20 in overtime Saturday to advance in the post-season.

Arizona will face the winner of Sunday's Carolina-Seattle game on January 24 in the National Conference final to determine a berth in Super Bowl 50 next month.

A back-and-forth thriller featuring one astonishing play after another at the finish was not decided until Carson Palmer threw his third touchdown pass of the game, a five-yard "shovel pass" up the middle to Larry Fitzgerald a minute into extra time.

A scrambling Palmer earlier eluded Green Bay defenders to find an unguarded Fitzgerald on a 75-yard pass play that set up the winning score, but only after the Packers forced overtime with two of the most amazing plays ever made.

Trailing 20-13 in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter, the Packers needed 20 yards merely to keep the ball on a fourth-down play when Aaron Rodgers hurled a long pass downfield and unlikely hero Jeff Janis caught it for a 60-yard gain to sustain Green Bay's slim hopes.

Janis, who had only four career catches before Saturday, then followed with another miraculous grab for an equalizer touchdown.

Rodgers launched a desperate pass into the end zone at double-covered Janis, who leaped into the air and pulled down the ball for a stunning TD with no time left on the clock.

Kicker Mason Crosby followed with an extra point to level the score at 20-20.

Overtime produced drama even before it started as the first attempted coin flip failed, forcing a repeat that ended up giving Arizona the ball and setting up their response to Rodgers' miracle.

Palmer completed 25-of-41 passes for 349 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd to open the scoring and a 9-yard TD toss to Floyd with 3:44 remaining in the fourth quarter to give Arizona a 17-13 lead.

Rodgers, who went 24-for-44 for 261 yards that included an earlier 8-yard touchdown throw to Janis, failed on a fourth-down pass and the Packers surrendered the ball deep in their territory, setting up a Cardinals' field goal that produced a 20-13 lead and set the stage for the closing spectacle.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com