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Judgment time for Arkansas’ defense Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said his defense would be better this season, and through two games, the Hogs have certainly delivered on that side of the ball. Would you believe they’re ranked higher nationally in total defense than total offense? Well, they are. The Hogs are fourth nationally on defense…

http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2010/09/lsu_rb_stevan_ridley_helped_ti.html Ridley said he was “sick all week” after fumbling twice in the second half of the season opener, giving North Carolina a chance to beat the Tigers in a game LSU won 30-24. On Saturday, Ridley closed the door on Vanderbilt. With quarterback Jordan Jefferson ineffective, LSU went to Ridley in the fourth quarter,…

Next Page1| 2Previous PageThe news casting doubt about the eligibility of University of Kentucky freshman center Enes Kanter is about as stunning as reports that Kanter can dunk a basketball. The suspicions that Enes Kanter was paid like a professional in Turkey predate his recruitment by UK. This is not the world picking on John Calipari or Kentucky basketball. It's an Enes Kanter issue. Either way, even Barney Fife saw these flashing lights approaching. Some coaches wanted no part of Enes Kanter and the inevitable fallout for whoever signed him. They determined that his sole American option was the NBA. Others hunkered down in fast-break pursuit. Calipari is a fast-break pursuit guy. Assemble the best available players first; sort through the details later. That's the Cal Way, the road he has aggressively and aggrievedly traveled into one of the best jobs in college basketball. Calipari doesn't apologize for his approach, which likely explains why his critics don't apologize for questioning it. Cal celebrates doing things his way — and keeps hitting the repeat button. If UK administrators are uncomfortable, I haven't heard a peep. Kanter's issue is his amateur status and whether he was paid a salary, which The New York Times reported amounted to $100,000 to $150,000 in cash and benefits over three years. For Eric Bledsoe, it was a high school academic transcript that inspired some programs to recruit elsewhere. For John Wall, it was his relationship with his AAU coach, Brian Clifton, who for a time was certified as a player agent. There were others during Calipari's celebrated and checkered stays at Memphis (Derrick Rose) and Massachusetts (Marcus Camby). There will be more during his time at UK. Baggage is not on the checklist of disqualifiers when Calipari evaluates talent. That hasn't always been the case at Kentucky.

.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)—The NFL was still trying to determine exactly what went on at New York Jets camp involving a TV Azteca reporter, and rebuked Clinton Portis(notes) for comments about the woman Tuesday, saying they were offensive and inappropriate. Related Video . NFL's best ever? NFL's best ever? .More NFL Videos More NFL. Who are the NFL's most overpaid players? .Ines Sainz, who works for the Mexican network, said she was uncomfortable Saturday in the Jets’ locker room, where a few players let loose with some catcalls as she waited with two male co-workers to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez(notes), who is of Mexican descent. An assistant coach also seemed to deliberately throw to players near where Sainz was standing on the sideline during practice. “They’re here investigating, and we’re open,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “Whoever the NFL wants to talk to, I’m not sure who it is, but we’ll let that play out. We’re here to cooperate.” Ryan said league representatives were speaking with specific players, and the coach also volunteered to talk to the NFL. Meantime, Portis, the outspoken running back for the Washington Redskins, said in his weekly appearance on 106.7 The Fan: “I think you put women reporters in the locker room in position to see guys walking around naked, and you sit in the locker room with 53 guys, and all of the sudden you see a nice woman in the locker room. I think men are going to tend to turn and look and want to say something to that woman.” The NFL swiftly chastised Portis. “The comments are clearly inappropriate, offensive, and have no place in the NFL,” league spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail. Then the Redskins issued a statement by Portis, who said he was “wrong to make the comments” and that he respects the job reporters do. The Redskins said they “will take the necessary steps” to remind players about acting in a professional manner. The Association for Women in Sports Media said it was in contact with the NFL about Portis’ remarks and appreciated the league’s swift response. “AWSM continues to monitor issues regarding locker-room access and is committed to helping create and maintain a work environment that is free of harassment and hostility,” the statement said. AP Sports Writer Joseph White in Washington and Associated Press Writer Eduardo Castillo in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Emerging stars in college football In two games, Denard Robinson has established himself as one of college football’s brightest new stars. The Michigan quarterback leads the nation in rushing and total offense, having quickly gone from first-year starter to early season Heisman Trophy front-runner. Here are six more players who have emerged as guys to…

Mississippi State ready to end losing streak to LSU The Tigers biggest concern….the inconsistent play of quarterback Jordan Jefferson. Despite having three outstanding wide receivers, Jefferson’s erratic play takes away an explosive element of the Tigers offense. Les Miles said, “Our quarterback play, we have to get better at. I think everybody knows that. We…

Masoli happy in new surroundings, ready to taste SEC action “I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, definitely, I’ll fit in anywhere,’ ” Masoli said Tuesday, smiling at remembering the conversation. “But here, it just happened so fast.” Masoli is the expected starter Saturday when Ole Miss (1-1) opens Southeastern Conference play with a morning kickoff against…

BTN delivers close to $70M a year to league Multiply Monigold’s unhappy customers out over millions of households across the Midwest, plus Big Ten fans spread out around the country and, in a nutshell, you can see why the network works and, some experts say, is just getting started. Cable companies pay the network, on…

Fans for Generations Choose Couch Over the 50-Yard Line Drowned out by the din of the new season, the disaffected are nonetheless out there, in Giants blue and Jets green, dealing with detachment and dismay. In Staubo’s case, after making a quick decision not to pay $20,000 for each of the family’s six seats in…

Investigation puts Spurrier’s image on line OVER THE YEARS, Steve Spurrier made it easy to dislike him, particularly if your team was on the sideline opposite the Visored One. He delighted in taking shots at just about every SEC school. He ran up the score on any and all opponents and boasted about it afterward.…