HOUSTON (Reuters) – Nine-time NBA All-Star guard Gary Payton, two-time NBA-winning coach Tom Heinsohn and smooth shooting point guard Tim Hardaway were named on Friday among the 12 finalists for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Among those also named as first-time finalists were three-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Coach of the Year Sylvia Hatchell, WNBA All-Star guard Dawn Staley and six-time NBA All-Star Mitch Richmond.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former champion Cael Sanderson said on Tuesday he was saddened wrestling was on the Olympic chopping block but remained optimistic the sport would ultimately remain in the Games.

“Wrestling and the Olympics go hand-in-hand,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview. “When you start taking the original sports away from the Olympics, you really change what the Olympic Games are.

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Former champion Cael Sanderson said on Tuesday he was saddened wrestling was on the Olympic chopping block but remained optimistic the sport would ultimately remain in the Games.

“Wrestling and the Olympics go hand-in-hand,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview. “When you start taking the original sports away from the Olympics, you really change what the Olympic Games are.

OWINGS MILLS, Maryland (Reuters) – Just days after winning the Super Bowl and being hailed as a hero by several hundred thousand fans, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is already preparing for next season.

“We talk to our team about, ‘We’ve got to improve,’” Harbaugh told reporters on Thursday. “We have to get better next year as a football team, just like we always do.

BALTIMORE (Reuters) – Thousands of fans attending a parade honoring the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens were treated to one last dance by future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis.

For 17 National Football League (NFL) seasons Lewis’s pre-game dance got Ravens fans fired up and it was no different on Tuesday when he delighted them with his signature moves at M&T Bank Stadium.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Joe Flacco put an exclamation point on his amazing playoff run and proved he belongs in the fraternity of the National Football League’s elite quarterbacks by leading the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl title.

After out-duelling Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady to reach the Super Bowl, Flacco proved to be the steady hand in a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – The Baltimore Ravens survived a furious second-half rally by San Francisco and a momentum-sapping power outage at the Superdome to defeat the gritty 49ers 34-31 in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

A Super Bowl-record 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Jacoby Jones to open the second half gave the Ravens a 28-6 but the 49ers scored 17 straight points after a 35-minute power outage and nearly pulled off a stunning comeback.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Joe Flacco threw three touchdown passes to give the Baltimore Ravens a commanding 21-6 halftime lead over the turnover-prone San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Flacco found Jacoby Jones on a spectacular 56-yard scoring strike on the first play after the two-minute warning to put the Ravens comfortably in front.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Quarterback Robert Griffin III, who led the Washington Redskins to their first division title since 1999, was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year on Saturday.

Linebacker Luke Kuechly, who led the NFL in tackles (164) and started all 16 games for the Carolina Panthers, grabbed the award for defensive rookies.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Democratic strategist, political pundit and media guru James Carville admits there are few things he’s more passionate about than the New Orleans Saints.

And despite his zeal, the architect of Bill Clinton’s path to the White House insists he’s over the angst the rest of the city still feels toward NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.