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The Boston Red Sox have found a replacement for closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Who are the top free agents, where are they most likely to land, and which players have already landed a deal?

His name: Andrew Bailey.

The Sox have acquired Bailey from the Oakland Athletics in a multi-player deal.

The Red Sox also obtained outfielder Ryan Sweeney, while giving up coveted outfielder Josh Reddick, third-base prospect Miles Head and pitching prospect Raul Alcantera.

Bailey, 27, is entering his first arbitration year and remains under club control for three more seasons. He will join fellow right-hander Mark Melancon in a revamped Red Sox bullpen.

The Sox lost Papelbon to the Philadelphia Phillies in free agency and plan to move right-hander Daniel Bard to the rotation.

Bailey was 24-for-26 in save opportunities last season, finishing with a 3.24 ERA after missing the first two months with a strained right forearm.

The Cleveland Browns likely will finish the season without Colt McCoy. But they might not be ready to move on from the incident that sidelined their starting quarterback with a concussion.

In fact, it still was on several Browns players minds Wednesday, four days before their season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

McCoy was knocked out in the teams’ Week 14 contest after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers linebacker James Harrison, whom the NFL suspended one game without pay for the infraction.

Mohamed Massaquoi, who took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Harrison last season, politely declined to answer any questions about the linebacker, but fellow wide receiver Josh Cribbs didn’t duck the issue. He was asked if the Browns “owe” Harrison.

“I would say so,” said Cribbs, who was Harrison’s teammate at Kent State. “But we’re not going into this game thinking about getting even with him. We’re going into this game trying to win it. It’s nothing personal with him. We’d like to knock their guys out as well, but within the whistle, according to the rules.

“We just want to go into this game thinking about winning, we’re not thinking about one particular guy.”

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin defended Harrison during a conference call with Cleveland’s media and described the linebacker’s helmet-to-helmet hits as “unfortunate collisions.”Relive every game this season online and on-demand with enhanced viewing features. Get NFL Game Rewind.

Tomlin strongly disagreed that Harrison is headhunting or dirty.

“They are unfortunate plays, and the circumstances around those plays and all of that has been well documented,” he said. “I base my judgment on his quality of play and the total body of work and from being around him day to day for the last five years.

“I can say comfortably that I don’t believe James Harrison is a dirty player.”

Browns coach Pat Shurmur was asked if he would like to see his team go after Harrison.

“Do you mean start a fight? A bench-clearing brawl?” he said. “No. What I want my guys to do is play fast and physical from the snap until the whistle. We know that when you do stuff that’s beyond the whistle, you end up hurting the team.”

Tith 15 games and 12 wins in the books, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton isn’t about to make any changes entering the regular-season finale against the Carolina Panthers.Not with the momentum of seven consecutive wins pushing the Saints into the playoffs, and not with their postseason position not quite settled.”Our approach is going to be much like it has been,” Payton said Wednesday. “We’re going to play all of our guys. There’s still seeding at stake.”The Saints can clinch the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye with a win over the Panthers and a loss by the San Francisco 49ers. If the 49ers beat the St. Louis Rams, or both the 49ers and Saints lose, New Orleans would be the No. 3 seed and host a first-round game.The Saints haven’t lost since Oct. 30, and Payton isn’t about to let off the gas pedal.”I think we’re getting better as a team week to week right now,” Payton said. “There’s value in that. That progress might be something we need going into this postseason.”Relive every game this season online and on-demand with enhanced viewing features. Get NFL Game Rewind. Presumably that also means Drew Brees will at least start the game against the Panthers, one week after Payton allowed the quarterback to chase down Dan Marino’s NFL single-season passing record against the Atlanta Falcons. Payton stood by that decision Tuesday, and keeping Brees on the field against the Panthers should allow him to stay ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who trails by 190 yards.Payton insists he won’t be scoreboard watching anywhere else.”We’re going into it full speed ahead,” he said. “I don’t plan on paying attention to the other game going on.”

PSG remain the one other club that could currently face Chelsea for the signature of Brazilian hot shot Hulk.

The 25 year old has only just suggested that he would love to be reunited with his former Porto manager Andre Villas Boas at Stamford Bridge but with the club currently mulling over a move for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain, and a deal very much in place to bring Milos Krasic from Juventus, any move for the goal scorer will have to wait until the summer.

PSG’s new found wealth has unsettled the market somewhat with certain players now choosing the cash on offer in Paris as more of a incentive than joining a side in the hunt for top trophies. PSG were also the side who were able to tempt Chelsea target Javier Pastore into a Paris move last summer when it seemed almost certain at one stage that he would be heading to London.

Hulk’s admission though that he would like to join his old manager though will add weight to Chelsea’s chances regardless of how big a carrot the Parisian’s decide to dangle in front of him. A possible stumbling block will also be the transfer fee which Porto will demand and although he has a clause of close to £80m, a figure of £35m would seem more realistic.

Although both Chelsea and PSG would be able to pay that type of money purely as a transfer fee his wages will also add some uncertainty and his availability is likely to receive interest from other clubs too.

Chelsea FC may use current centre-back Alex as a makewight as they try to land Krasic from Serie A side Juventus.

The Brazilian defender recently handed in a transfer request, rumoured to be due to fancying a warmer climate and with the West London side keen to land the Juve playmaker, Turin could be tempting to Alex for a switch.

Although Turin is perhaps not the warmest of Italian cities it could suit the player and with Chelsea looking to land 27 year old Krasic it would seem to make sense.

The agent of Milos Krasic has already claimed that he will be leaving the club this January with interest confirmed by both Chelsea and some fellow Italian sides. Although his value is not of the meteoric levels one has expected with Chelsea over the years his ability will be considered as required with the Stamford Bridge squad.

With Chelsea close to sealing a move for Bolton’s Gary Cahill, and Krasic’s arrival very likely, the New Year may bring better fortunes for Andre Villas Boas than the first hald of the season.

Arsenal are still ready to move for France interntaional Yoann Gourcuff and have not ruled out a potential offer next summer.

The 25 year old has always been a player of interest to the Gunners but offers and possible moves have always failed to materialise in one way or the other. It believed that Gourcuff remains on the wanted list and should Lyon be prepared to sell the attack minded midfielder then a serious offer would be forthcoming.

Gourcuff first joined Lyon in 2010 from Bordeaux but has featured for the international side since 2008. His ability on the ball is something that would help Arsenal on a long term basis but with their squad cuurently larger than usual a January move is out of the question.

With Arsenal currently making their main aim in January to find a striker and a left-back, any move for Gourcuff will be put on ice until the summer transfer window reopens. Arsenal fans are likely to get a good chance to see the Frenchman in action when England arrive in the Ukraine for the Euro 2012 competition, France being one of England’s opponents in the group stage

Coach Bo Pellini and alum Mike Munchak among the top names are Nebraska, coach of the Penn St. Nittany Lions are brass not to give up on Boise St. Broncos Chris Petersen as a replacement for Joe Paterno.

David Jones at the Patriot-News has several sources that have told him that a Committee member of Penn State has made two trips to Idaho in the last eight days. It is assumed that she went there to advertise Petersen, although it is what the result of those trips was unknown.

Boise is 73-6 in Peterson appeared five years at the top of the program, including two Fiesta Bowl. Boise Arizona State 56-24 Thursday night in the Las Vegas Bowl MAACO beaten and finished the season 12-1. It has for the fifth time in six years ended in Boise with a lose or less.

Petersen is the first and only two-time winner of Paul “Bear” Bryant award, he won the 2006 and 2009. In addition, he won the Bobby Dodd coach of the year award in 2010.

Recent injuries to the Boise may work against Petersen. In the course of which is the school that Jerry Sandusky scandal, his and his players noses eighth to run a tight ship their next coach and keep clean.

One of the best running back has his choice of higher education recruits in the country to Washington and Notre Dame reduced and will decide next week KeiVarae Russell, said he of the Seattle Times:

“It not hard”, said Russell asked, where he is in the process. “I know exactly where I will.” “I will just say someone until next week.”…

“I have before me CAL, several weeks, probably before my visit that school to go,” he said. “I knew kind of where I wanted to go, but I wanted to make sure.”

The 6’0 “, 175 pounds, the Russell in Everett, WA.’s Mariner high school plays.” Russell is a horror film with good hands. He has the skills play back defensive, although Washington and Notre are his lady as a runner recruitment.

Russell said the Herald:

Several key factors were important, Russell in his decision, such as season, academics, and feel at home at his future University. The class of 2012 Member thinks about majoring in business.

“Notes on which schools fit best and which would benefit me in the long term, as far as football and opportunities outside of football, took me”, Russell said.

Russell play the army all-American Bowl in San Antonio are on Jan. 7, in the same Alamo Bowl, which the Huskies competed in a little more than a week. Is the a note about his future destination?

“Wait and see,” said Russell.

Kurt Busch has released a statement on approval of Phoenix racing No. 51 season to NASCAR Sprint Cup series Carnext.

Here are his comments:

“I am very happy, Phoenix racing to join and offers much entertaining quality, there is no better place for me.” We go out together on the full schedule, and we have fun.

“It comes to old-school race, where we appear, race hard and go for the victory.” And if we don’t win we back to the shop, work hard and do it over and over again next week. “That’s the way we all began, and it’s great that back to.”

“James Finch had always pretty thick cars for the restrictor-plate race and I know that we will be very competitive in Daytona.” We are down there in January to get the test, a good handle on our car Daytona 500 but also to another the shootout won participate.

“Christmas came early for me this year, and I honestly can’t wait to start for the season.”

And a few words by team owner James Finch:

“All we want to do is, win.” Winning is why I’ve been racing for, as long as I have, but NASCAR is a very competitive sport and win – in particular at the level of the Sprint Cup Series – hard is. But now with Kurt Busch as our driver, we have a chance to win every week. He is a past champion and he has proven that he can win anywhere. Our sponsors are happy, Kurt, represents their brands.

“We have excellent facilities and a hard-working group of guys want the trophy at the end of each race.” “Kurt is the guy who can provide you.”

The Sacramento Kings appear more according to reports, the veteran big man available, Chuck Hayes sign, just four days after the team a four-year cancelled deal.

Kings coach Paul Westphal said the media on the team practice facility on Thursday, the Hayes back travel to Sacramento to Friday unknown reasons would be. The Kings player, appeared to believe that Hayes would signing a new contract and joining the team in good time before Monday’s season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kings Hayes had signed to a four-year, 21 3 million contract on the first day of free agency, but aberrations of Hayes stress echo test kept forwarding action. On Monday, which cancelled team Hayes contract. On Wednesday, Hayes was a barrage of tests to which renowned Cleveland Clinic and his agent announced on Thursday, doctors had cleared him to play.

Chuck Hayes (C – SAC), Paul Westphal (H – SAC), Sacramento Kings