Football

Kids wanting to be just like their athletic heroes is nothing new, but a Pop Warner football coach emulating the New Orleans Saints' "Bountygate" program, where players were paid extra to injure members of the other team? That's a twist. A very upsetting twist, if you ask the parents of the 10- and 11-year-olds who got the short end of this deal.

Reports made earlier last week allege that Darren Crawford, head coach of the Tustin Pee Wee Red Cobras, offered his players cash bonuses up to $50 for the "hit of the game," sometimes awarding even more if the opposing team's best player was hit so hard he had to leave the game.

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The New York Giants missed a chance to secure a divisional win, while Arizona and Atlanta each needed late field goals to remain unbeaten. Here's a recap of all of Sunday's action:

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For a week that was supposed to be lacking in big games or traditional rivalries, this week sure gave us a lot of excitement. West Virginia and Baylor showed us an offensive shootout for the ages. Stanford became the latest Top Ten team to bite the dust. And Texas and Nebraska both needed fourth quarter comebacks to keep their conference title hopes alive.

Here are all the highlights from this week in college football.

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Cary Williams returned an interception 63 yards for a touchdown, and the Baltimore Ravens held on to defeat the Cleveland Browns, 23-16, in Baltimore on Thursday night.

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Bye weeks begin as the NFL enters its fourth week of the 2012 season. Here's a preview of all of this week's action:

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The NFL and and the NFL Referees Association have agreed to a contract that will send referees back to the field this weekend, according to NFL.com.

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After a Saturday full of big games and big upsets last weekend, things look to be a little calmer this week with a handful of ranked teams on byes and only two games between ranked teams. However, for most schools, this week marks the first games of conference play so there is still a lot on the line.

Here is what to watch for in college football this week.

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University of Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne announced Wednesday that he will be retiring effective January 1, 2013. Let's take a look at some highlights from his Hall of Fame career:

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By now, even non-football fans have heard about the officiating debacle in last night's showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks (just check your Facebook feed). Facing a 12-7 deficit with just seconds left to play, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson rolled out of the pocket and threw a desperation heave into the end zone, resulting in a game-clinching interception for the Packers.

Except it wasn't. Instead, the NFL's much-maligned replacement officials inexplicably ruled the play a touchdown for the Seahawks, ignoring an obvious offensive pass-interference penalty and cementing the phrase "simultaneous catch" into the lexicon of poor sports officiating.

This screw-up will, hopefully, lead to the return of the real refs—but let's not forget that they too have made their share of awful calls over the years. Here's a look at some of the NFL's most controversial officiating decisions:

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Russell Wilson threw a disputed 24-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate on the final play of the game, allowing the Seattle Seahawks to beat the Green Bay Packers, 14-12, in Seattle on Monday night.

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