THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2007
SPORTS
7B
NFL
Saints' McAllister out again
BY BRETT MARTEL ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS — In Deuce McAllister's locker, front-and-center on the top shelf, is a gold-painted wooden carving of the word: "Believe!"
ASSOCIATED PRESS
After his second season-ending knee injury in three seasons, the Saints' 28-year-old all-time leading rusher wants to believe he will return to the NFL as an elite running back. It won't be easy, and he knows it.
"Obviously, the questions: Will you ever be the same? Will you ever be the back that you once were? Those are the different thoughts that obviously run through your mind as a player." McAllister said.
"I believe in myself. It's just a matter of me putting the time in and me putting the work in."
McAllister said an MRI exam. Tuesday confirmed his worst fears: He tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in Monday night's 31-14 loss to Tennessee.
New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McListerlims off the field after injuring his left knee in the first half of the Tennessee-Saints game in New Orleans Monday. An MRI confirmed he had tom his anterior crucate ligament and would miss the rest of the season.
During the second quarter, McAllister landed awkwardly after catching a short pass from Drew Brees. McAllister walked off the field on his own, but having torn his right ACL in 2005, he was worried.
"I just told myself to get up off the ground. One lesson I learned growing up was to never let your opponent see you hurt. Regardless of what it is, if you can walk, walk off that field," McAllister said.
"Once I got to the sideline, I knew it. I didn't want to believe it, but just taking the walk to the locker room, I could feel it just kind of giving way a little bit, and that was just kind of reminiscent of how the other one felt."
McAllister said there was also some damage to his medial collateral ligament.
Five games into the 2005 season, McAllister tore his right ACL during a run in Green Bay. After reconstructive surgery, he returned to rush for 1,057 yards in 2006, helping the Saints to the NFC South title and starring in their playoff victory over Philadelphia.
Now McAllister needs reconstructive surgery on the other knee, likely a patellar tendon graft, followed by the long, painful rehabilitation that will last almost until 2008 training camp begins, if not longer.
In between, there will be an offseason, when uncomfortable reminders that the NFL is a business resurface in greater frequency. McAllister is in the third year of an eight-year, $50.1 million contract. And the Saints also have Reggie
Bush, who in his second season will now be the undisputed featured running back in New Orleans for the remainder of this year, at least.
Bush, who had two short touchdown runs Monday night but otherwise has struggled to find his game-breaking form this season, declined to speak with reporters Tuesday.
Fullback Mike Karney, who has blocked for McAllister since 2005, choked up while talking about his teammate's latest setback.
"I hugged him and started crying," Karney said, taking a deep breath. "It's tough to see a great guy, first and foremost, a great player, have to suffer another season-ending injury. He's the best I've been around. It's sad. It's hard to take I play the game for guys like him."
Head coach Sean Payton said it is "way too premature to start talking about where (McAllister) is from a career standpoint."
"He was able to come back off the right ACL. He's the type of guy that has the conviction and the belief," Payton said. "If he puts his mind to it, and I know he will. It's going to take a long time and he's someone who's tough enough to handle it."
If McAllister leaves the Saints, he'll do so with every significant career rushing record in franchise history. He has rushed for 5,678 yards and 44 touchdowns.
Royals win 9-5; White Sox fall into tie for last
MLB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO — Light-hitting Tony Pena, Jr. hired and tied a career-high with four hits as the Kansas City Royals scored eight unanswered runs to beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Tuesday night.
Ross Gload hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to break a 5-1 tie and dump the White Sox into a last-place tie in the AL Central with the Royals. Gload added another sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Pena's solo shot in the fifth inning, only his second home run of the year, started the rally. Two innings later, Conteras gave up an RBI double to Pena, who came all the way around to score when Scott Podsednik couldn't cleanly field a single by Joey Gatrighr.
Paul Konerko hit a two-run double for the White Sox, who gave starter Jose Contreras a 5-1 lead that he wasn't able to hold.
White Sox reliever Ehren Wassermann (0-1) gave up an infield single to Mark Grudzielanek, and Mark Teahen greeted reliever Mike Myers with an RBI single to tie the score. Gload followed with a sacrifice fly to left.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pena gave the Royals an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI-double off White Sox reliever Mike MacDougal and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-5. Pena scored three times and finished a triple short of the cycle.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Tony Pena, Jr. watches his double, scoring Emil Brown and starting a four-run seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox, during their baseball game in Chicago on Tuesday. Kansas City beat Chicago 5-5 and are tied with them for last place in the AL Central.
Brandon Duckworth (3-5) pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the victory.
Contreras pitched 6 1-3 innings and gave up five runs, four earned, on six hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Royals starter Brian Bannister continued to struggle late in the season. After a personal four-game winning streak, he is winless in his last four starts.
Pitching with a 1-0 lead in the
first inning. Bannister gave up a two-run double to Konerko, who broke out of an 0-for-1 slump. With two outs, A.J. Pierzynski blooped an RBI double down the left field line, and Podsednik drove in Pierzynski with a triple. Juan Uribe chased Bannister with an RBI infield single to give the White Sox a 5-1 lead.
Gathright led off the first inning
with a double. One out later.
Contreras fielded Teahen's ball,
and Gathright held at third base.
But Contreras overthrew Konerko
at first base, allowing the speedy
Gathright to score.
It was the shortest outing of Bannister's career. He only recorded two outs and allowed five runs and four hits.
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