By Alexa Gitler
Talk Radio News Service
After starting the NBA playoffs 8-0, ‘Superman’ Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic were defeated Sunday night by the Boston Celtics 92-88 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The loss was the Magic’s first since April 2. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace combined to score 60 points for the Celtics, while forward Kevin Garnett held the MVP candidate Howard to just 13 points. Game 2 of the best-of-7 series takes place on Tuesday night in Orlando.
Locally, Washington Capitals (NHL) star center Nicklas Backstrom has agreed to renew his contract with the team. Backstrom, 22, set a career-high last season — his third with the Capitals — with 33 goals and 101 points. His 68 assists were good for third in the league. Details of the contract are not immediately available, but it’s believed to be long term with an annual salary that could exceed $6 million. The Caps will most likely make an official announcement Monday morning at 10:30 am.

National Football League (NFL) Running Back Rashard Mendenhall says he is committed to helping fight childhood obesity by being active in the NFL’s ‘PLAY 60′ program. Mendenhall testified Thursday on the importance of focusing on childhood obesity during a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. (0:15)

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National Football League (NFL) Running Back Rashard Mendenhall says studies show that nearly one out of every three children and teens are overweight. Mendenhall, who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, testified Thursday on the importance of fighting childhood obesity during a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. (0:09)

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By Monique Cala
University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
Current National Football League (NFL) running back Rashard Mendenhall joined U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin in highlighting the importance of increased physical activity in the lives of young Americans.
Mendenhall, who rushed for over 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns last year as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, testified Thursday about the dangers of childhood obesity in a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
“I am committed to supporting the NFL’s goal of combating childhood obesity,” said Mendenhall. “As a professional athlete, I feel I have a responsibility to be involved in this issue, which is why I am active in ‘NFL PLAY 60.’”
The ‘NFL PLAY 60′ campaign encourages young people to get out and play for at least 60 minutes each day. The program represents just one of several efforts nationwide on the part of organizations, businesses and even First Lady Michelle Obama to raise awareness of childhood obesity.
“Since 1980, obesity rates have doubled in adults and tripled in children,” said Benjamin, who also testified at Thursday’s hearing. “The problem is even worse among Black, Hispanic and Native American Children.”
Benjamin outlined a ‘blue print for action’ that included providing access to healthy, affordable foods for everyone, giving kids the ability to play in safe neighborhoods, and requiring all schools to offer Physical Education classes.
“Today’s obesity epidemic calls for committed and compassionate citizens to mobilize and demand the health and well-being that they so richly deserve,” said Benjamin. “I have heard their call, we have all heard their call, and with your help I am honored to do everything in my power to help Americans to live long and to live well; to be a healthy and fit nation.”

Talk Radio News Service’s Geoff Holtzman speaks with former New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter. Richter, a three-time NHL All-Star who helped lead the Rangers to a Stanley Cup title in 1994, shares his view on the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals, and offers his take on the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament currently underway in Vancouver. (11:48)

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Behind an MVP performance from quarterback Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints captured their first ever title last night, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.
Brees, who completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards, threw two touchdown passes, including a 2-yarder to Jeremy Shockey with 5:42 left in the fourth quarter to give New Orleans a 22-17 lead. Brees then connected with Lance Moore for a two-point conversion that extended the lead to seven.
Future Hall of Fame Quarterback Peyton Manning then drove the Colts down the field, but with the ball at the New Orleans 30-yard line, his pass intended for Reggie Wayne was picked off by Saints cornerback Tracy Porter, who returned it 74 yards for the score. Down 31-17, Manning again took the Colts down the field, but with just under one minute to go his pass for Wayne fell incomplete on fourth down, giving the Saints the ball and the win.
“We play for so much more than ourselves,” said Brees after the game. “We played for our city. We played for the entire Gulf Coast region. We played for the entire ‘Who Dat’ nation that has been behind us every step of the way.”

If this was “Stanley Cup Week” for the Washington Capitals, they definitely showed they deserve a shot at the title. Impressive wins over Detroit and Pittsburgh upped Washington’s record on the season to 32-12-6, tops in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. Talk Radio News Service’s Geoff Holtzman has more on the two big wins.

By Benny Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
Thanks to a great supporting cast, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals rallied back from a 2-1 deficit late in the third period of last night’s contest against the Detroit Red Wings to win their third straight game by a score of 3-2.
The Caps were out-shot by the Red Wings 46-23, but still managed to leave Verizon Center with a ‘W’. Forward Nicklas Backstrom scored late in the game, evening the score at two a piece. Seconds later, Center David Steckel followed with a score of his own that gave the Caps their first lead of the night. Detroit pulled its netminder with just over a minute to play, but could not capitalize with the extra skater.
The Caps (31-12-6) travel to Pittsburgh on Thursday night to face superstar Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (31-19-1). The game marks a rematch of last year’s highly entertaining Eastern Conference divisional playoff series, won by the Penguins in seven games.

By Benny Martinez-University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
Thanks to the New York Jets, Cinderella is still alive in the National Football League (NFL) playoffs. The Jets, led by a strong running game and an equally impressive defensive performance, shocked the home-team San Diego Chargers yesterday 17-14. New York will visit the No. 1 seed Indianapolis Colts in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship game on Sunday. The game is a rematch of a Week 16 regular season contest in which the Jets handed the previously unbeaten Colts their first loss of the season…
In two lopsided National Football Conference (NFC) playoff games over the weekend, the Minnesota Vikings blasted the Dallas Cowboys 34-3, while the New Orleans Saints walked all over the visiting Arizona Cardinals 45-14. In what figures to be a high-scoring battle, the Vikings will visit New Orleans in the NFC Championship game on Sunday. The winners of both conference championships will square off in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7…
The No.1 Texas Longhorns were stunned yesterday by the No. 10 Kansas State Wildcats in one of the biggest upsets of the year in men’s college basketball. The Wildcats recently broke into the top-ten in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll. The 71-62 upset marks Texas’ first loss of the season…
In boxing, Welterweight titleholder Andre Berto has pulled out of his January 30 unification fight against “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Berto, a Haitian-American, lost eight family members as a result of the earthquake that devastated Haiti one week ago. “As a result of this disaster, I am mentally and physically exhausted and, therefore, I have no choice but to withdraw,” Berto said. Withdrawing from the fight opens the door for a possible title bout between Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr., which could happen as early as this spring sources say…

Gilbert Arenas once said that he chose to wear the Number 0 because he wanted to prove his doubters wrong. Now, it’s looking increasingly doubtful that he’ll don a uniform again in 2010. The Washington Wizards (NBA) superstar is expected to plead guilty today to felony gun charges before a District of Columbia Superior Court judge.
If convicted, however, Arenas — who has been suspended indefinitely by NBA commissioner David Stern — most likely will not face an extended stay behind bars. The Washington Post reported earlier this week that the three-time All-Star guard has reached a plea agreement that should result in little to no jail time.
Regardless, Arenas’s time in Washington could soon be over. The Wizards may attempt to invoke a morals clause found in most NBA contracts as a way to void their star’s six-year, $111 million contract…
UPDATE: Arenas pleaded guilty on Friday to carrying a pistol without a license. Misdemeanor charges against him were waived as part of a plea bargain that was reached. Arenas faces sentencing on March 26. If convicted, he could face a maximum of six months in jail…