Nidhruvi blog

Steelers C Pouncey misses another practice

FORT WORTH, Texas – Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey got treatment for his sprained left ankle while his teammates practiced Thursday for the Super Bowl.

Pouncey's availability is in question because of the injury sustained in the AFC championship.

"It's getting to be the witching hour for Maurkice," coach Mike Tomlin told a pool reporter after practice. "He's going to have to show us something very soon."

If he can't play Sunday, Doug Legursky would make his first NFL start at center.

Defensive end Aaron Smith, who has been out since Oct. 24 with a torn triceps muscle, didn't participate in scrimmages.

Ben Roethlisberger threw touchdowns on four straight red-zone series and was sharp throughout the workout. The first-team defense snagged four interceptions against scout-team quarterbacks.

"I'm glad we were sharp, but I'm not sure it really means anything for the game," Tomlin said. "I've seen us practice great on Thursday and play poorly on Sunday, and then I've seen us practice not worth anything Thursday and then come out and play great."

The Steelers worked out at TCU's indoor practice field. Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson, several assistants and a few players watched.

Nowitzki, Chandler lead Mavs over Bobcats 101-92

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tyson Chandler spent most of last season limping around with various injuries, underperforming and failing to crack the Bobcats' starting lineup before being dealt essentially for salary-cap relief.

The version of the big man who returned to Charlotte on Saturday night was hardly recognizable as he collected rim-rattling dunks and key rebounds for the NBA's hottest team.

The healthy Chandler's 15 boards combined with Dirk Nowitzki's 25 points ensured the Dallas Mavericks would suffer no letdown on Saturday night. Their 101-92 victory over the Bobcats was their eighth straight.

Chandler, who added nine points, said he didn't get to sleep until 6 a.m. Saturday following a comeback victory in Boston the night before. But he provided plenty of energy for the Mavericks, who improved to 14-0 against the Bobcats and completed a 3-0 road trip that's propelled them to second place in the Western Conference.

"It's night and day the way I feel," said Chandler, slowed by ankle and toe injuries last season. "Last year I was fresh off my surgery that summer. Now it's been a year and I just feel like a different person."

Jason Terry added 21 points for the Mavericks, who have been on a roll since Nowitzki returned from a knee injury. Chandler has fueled the streak, too.

"He's been big. He's our emotional leader, our vocal leader," said Jason Kidd, who had 13 points. "He's a guy who can run the floor, finish above the rim, block shots and rebound. He's been a big part of our success."

D.J. Augustin scored 21 points and Stephen Jackson added 17 on a poor shooting night for the 7-year-old Bobcats, who have beaten every other team in the league. This time they were done in by 37 percent shooting.

"I thought we fought as hard as we could, and they're a pretty good team," Charlotte coach Paul Silas said. "They're a team that's on a roll."

A night after losing at home to Miami and before hosting fellow power Boston Monday, the Bobcats couldn't contain the big man they basically gave away last summer for payroll relief.

Chandler never got on track in Charlotte while having a somewhat difficult relationship with former coach Larry Brown. Chandler said before the game he didn't request a trade, but figured he'd be dealt.

"I think it was definitely the best for both of us," he said.

The Bobcats got center Erick Dampier, but waived him to clear $13 million off the books. Now Chandler is nearly averaging a double-double, with some teammates claiming he should be in the All-Star game.

"The presence around the basket is so important to us," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Tyson is a slender guy but he has a real physical presence on the floor. He likes contact, he doesn't shy away. His fight rubs off on the rest of us."

Chandler spent quite some time in the first half hanging on the rim after thunderous putback dunks as the Mavs built as much as a 15-point first-half lead. Clearly fired up, he also picked up a technical foul at the first-half buzzer after complaining he was held in a rebounding scrum.

The Mavericks broke the game open in the third quarter when Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer, his signature fadeaway jumper and a technical free throw in a 14-5 run that put Dallas ahead 69-51.

The technical was on Jackson, his 11th of the season, as he got into a running feud with referee Eric Dalen. After being called for a delay of game 3 minutes later, Silas took him out of the game and Jackson found a spot on the bench away from owner Michael Jordan's sideline seat.

"He's been acting that way for quite some time now," Silas said of Jackson, who is five technical fouls away from earning a one-game suspension. "That's up to him to evaluate himself."

The Bobcats did clawed back late, as Gerald Wallace's alley-oop dunk made it 87-79 with 6:04 left. But Terry's three-point play and Shawn Marion's bucket off a post move gave Dallas a comfortable margin again.

Jackson hit just 5 of 17 shots and Wallace was 6 of 15 from the field while adding 13 points and 11 rebounds in Charlotte's fourth loss in five games.

"We just need to win. I don't know the X's and O's," Jackson said. "I know we're playing hard, but I don't know. The answer to that could get me fined."

Notes: The Mavericks have the NBA's longest active winning streak. ... Chandler, in the last year of his deal, hopes to stay in Dallas. "I love the entire organization, but it is a business," he said. ... After being the first power forward off the bench against Miami, Bobcats F Dominic McGuire was inactive as Eduardo Najera returned from an illness. ... The Bobcats fell to 12-13 at home. They were 31-10 on their home floor last season.

Flyers soar past Stars in battle between division leaders

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – The Philadelphia Flyers scored a goal in each period to beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 in a battle of division leaders at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.

The Atlantic Division-leading Flyers claimed their second win in a row while the Stars, pacesetters in the Pacific Division, have now lost three straight games since the All-Star break.

Andrej Meszaros fired a wrist shot high over the glove of Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen to open the scoring with 1:20 remaining in the first period and Darroll Powe scored shorthanded 1:19 into the second period, beating Lehtonen high on the glove side as he broke down the right wing.

Brenden Morrow, standing at the side of the net, tapped in a perfect pass from Mike Ribeiro to trim the Flyers' lead heading into the final period.

However, Jeff Carter knocked down a high pass from Claude Giroux and quickly snapped a shot through the legs of Lehtonen midway through the third period to seal victory for the Flyers, who increased their division lead to three points.

(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario; editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

Schlopy earns inaugural slopestyle ski World title

PARK CITY, Utah – After winning the Big Air competition at the Winter X Games last weekend, Alex Schlopy headed home to Park City in search of an even bigger prize.

The American won gold in the inaugural men's slopestyle skiing finals at the Freestyle World Ski Championships on Thursday, joining other athletes from around the world in putting on a show they hope will land their event in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

"It's one of the fastest-growing, most progressive sports out there right now," Schlopy said of an event in which athletes go down a ski run filled with a variety of rails and jumps and, of course, acrobatic spins with big air. "People love it."

While at least one International Olympic Committee member was impressed Thursday, a decision on whether to include the event at the Sochi Games won't be made until April.

"What I have seen from slopestyle, it is very good," said Canadian IOC representative Walter Sieber. "What I can say is that the IOC sending an observer here is very serious in recognizing eventually that slopestyle and halfpipe skiing could potentially be accepted."

The IOC is weighing whether to include several new events at the 2014 Winter Games: men's and women's slopestyle skiing, men's and women's slopestyle snowboarding, men's and women's halfpipe skiing, women's ski jumping, a luge team relay, biathlon mixed relay, and team events for figure skating and Alpine skiing.

Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, an icon in snowboard halfpipe, already has indicated he would consider crossing over to slopestyle if it's added to the Sochi Games.

"Halfpipe has been there," said Jeremy Forster, director of freestyle skiing for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. "It's been proven with snowboarding, so obviously there's a standard they can look at and evaluate."

Slopestyle also has been proven at some of the biggest events around the world, including the Winter X Games, where crowds swelled to more than 40,000 last weekend in Aspen, Colo.

"Just getting into X Games was a huge accomplishment for me," said Schlopy, who still had enough energy after his quick drive home to score 41.80 on Thursday and edge Winter X Games gold medalist Sam Carlson (41.50) for the slopestyle world title.

"I was so excited for this big event," Schlopy said. "Being able to do well in my home town was the best thing I could ever ask for."

Australia's Anna Segal won the women's slopestyle competition with 43.40 points, a crowning achievement after a major knee injury forced her to switch from moguls five years ago. Segal had to work three jobs in Aspen to help fund her early endeavors.

"I wanted to do something more fun and crazy," she said of slopestyle. "If it gets included in the Olympics, I can look back and say I won the first world championship. It's awesome."

Canada's Kaya Turski (41.70) earned silver and American Keri Herman (41.0) took bronze.

Segal is confident about the future of her new event, especially after seeing three different countries represented on the podium and flags from others like Norway and Great Britain flying in the Park City crowd — despite temperatures that hovered just above zero.

"It shows a lot of countries are participating in the event," Segal said. "That's very important to the IOC. I don't see any obstacles to getting into the Olympics."

Sarah Lewis, secretary general to the International Ski Federation, said the IOC's biggest concerns might be that slopestyle events are judged rather than timed.

"You don't have to look very far down the road from Park City with what happened in Salt Lake City and figure skating," Lewis said of the scoring scandal at the 2002 Winter Games. "It's important we demonstrate the judging system is solid."

Lewis also said there is no issue with having to build new facilities to handle slopestyle events. A terrain park already is planned in Russia, and features can be built based upon how creative athletes get by the 2014 Winter Games.

"Who knows where we'll be in 12 months or in three years and the tricks they'll ... come up with? It's a sport that can easily be adapted," she said.

Joe Fitzgerald, freestyle director for the International Ski Federation, said the popularity already is there. About 50 nations have youths doing the same jumps and tricks that Schlopy and Segal performed Thursday, with an estimated 1,500 terrain parks worldwide.

The jumps can range anywhere from 60 to 70 feet with skiers often traveling even farther through the air, completing three and four flips with various grabs and rotations.

"It's this huge, phenomenal growth of what kids are actually doing these days," Fitzgerald said, noting the IOC likes youth appeal when weighing new events. "The equipment is in place, the snow's in place, the courses are in place. And the original spirit of freestyle has always been there. They're just expressing it again."

BofA Merrill's "Edge-y" online venture gains converts

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Bank of America (BAC.N) is shopping online for customers who are not quite wealthy enough to make the cut at Merrill Lynch, posing a threat to entrenched discount brokers and making some of the thundering herd at Merrill see red.

The largest U.S. bank, which has 5,900 branches and $1 trillion in deposits, created an online brokerage service last June called Merrill Edge as a key pillar of its strategy to woo the so-called "mass affluent" client with $50,000 to $250,000 to invest.

Major brokerage firms for years have shunned that stratum in favor of wealthier clients who generate fatter fees and buy more high-margin products. That's sent the mass-affluent to regional firms and to discount brokers such as Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW.N), E*Trade Financial Corp (ETFC.O) and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp(AMTD.O).

Now Bank of America wants those lower-tier customers back in its herd, while encouraging Merrill brokers to corral funds of wealthy clients who use outside discounters for some trades.

Merrill Edge gibes well with Bank of America's big base of savings and lending relationships, analysts say, and is the flip side of the bank's push to have brokers sell mortgages, insurance and other banking products to their brokerage clients.

"This gets them into a part of the market that's expanding rapidly," said Marty Mosby, a bank analyst with Guggenheim Securities LLC. "The question is whether you'll see that translate into accounts and lending."

Commercial bankers clearly see the mass affluent as a core part of their future growth. According to a fourth quarter 2010 survey of bank executives by Boston-based Aite Group, 58 percent are putting a high priority on the sector.

FAR TO GO

Since its roll-out in June, Merrill Edge has amassed $90 billion in assets, well below the $1.57 trillion at online leader Schwab.

Merrill's total includes $70 billion already with the bank from its purchase more than a decade ago of the Quick & Reilly discount broker as well as the assets of Merrill's call-center clients who were weaned from their broker relationships as the firm went upscale.

Bank of America bought Merrill Lynch during the financial crisis in January 2009 for $19 billion, and hasn't always fit comfortably into the new structure. Merrill Edge is meant to bridge some of the gaps between low-tier retail banking and the high-end private banking and brokerage services at Merrill and BofA's U.S. Trust.

"This is a strategy for retaining assets that would otherwise go to other online competitors," said Sophie Schmitt, an analyst with Aite Group. She estimates that roughly a third of Merrill's clients have online brokerage accounts elsewhere.

LIFECYCLE NICHES

Lyle LaMothe, head of Merrill Lynch's U.S. brokerage business, says the strategy is to induce clients to migrate from Edge to full-service advisers as they accumulate wealth.

"Whereas an E*Trade will say you want to deal with us this way all the time, we're looking at the lifetime progression cycle," he said in an interview.

Some Merrill brokers, however, chafe at having their employer dangle lower fees before current and prospective clients. Even more irritating for some is that they are being told to actively steer lower-echelon accounts to the lower-cost platform.

From the parent company's perspective, the effort has had some early success. Since the launch, 8,000 401(k) accounts at Merrill have been transferred to Edge.

SEGMENTATION

The migration is an extension of a broader push at Merrill, Morgan Stanley and other big brokerages to penalize clients who keep less than $250,000 in their accounts by levying maintenance and other fees. At the same time, the firms have been lowering or even eliminating payouts to brokers who serve those clients, a development that brokers say is particularly onerous for those in less wealthy localities.

Executives at Bank of America counter that the splitting is good for clients and brokers.

"What we've been very clear with is it's easier to grow your business when you're not losing relationships for poor service," LaMothe said.

Bank of America recently moved Merrill Edge from its wealth and investment management division, led by Sallie Krawcheck, to its consumer banking unit, run by Joe Price.

"We want them to be in a channel where they are getting the level of attention they certainly deserve, and that just happens to correlate most often with households that are under a certain size," LaMothe said.

The message to brokers may be taking hold, according to Aite's Schmitt.

"Initially, financial advisers were very hostile to this initiative, but now they're starting to see that clients are not moving," she said. "They are starting to see that providing clients with more choice makes them happier."

Bank of America, meanwhile, sees Edge extending its push for cheap funding by attracting low-cost deposits.

To attract customers to the concept, the bank last month subdivided its deposit account menu into four categories, with a host of perks -- including special rates on money market and CD accounts -- to customers with at least $50,000 in deposit and brokerage accounts.

BofA Chief Executive Brian Moynihan last month singled out wealth management as one of the few remaining opportunities the company had for growing its U.S. consumer business.

"Banks want to show asset growth at this stage in the industry's recovery, but assets are going to be tough to come by," said Paul Miller, a bank analyst with FBR Capital Markets. "Everybody's looking at some area or niche to focus on. At Bank of America's, it's going to be the mass affluent."

(Reporting by Joe Rauch; Additional reporting by Joseph A. Giannone in New York; Editing by Jed Horowitz)