Cancer can’t keep Buddy Ryan from Cowboys vs. Jets
IRVING, Texas — Not even cancer surgery can keep former NFL coach Buddy Ryan from being in the stands when his twin sons coach against each other Sunday night in the prime-time opener between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said Monday his dad was diagnosed last week with a form of cancer “in his gland that’s right through his neck.”
Having already beaten melanoma in 1968 and ‘80, and another form of the disease earlier this year, the 80-year-old Ryan said this was “less serious” except that “whenever you go under anesthesia, you never know what’s going to happen.” So he told doctors to postpone the operation until he returns from the Meadowlands to see Rob and the Cowboys play against Rex and the Jets. He said h e’ll fly to New York on Friday and will return to his home in Kentucky on Monday.
“They said to go ahead and go,” Ryan said during a telephone interview. “I’ve got to be able to do something” while waiting for the operation.
Rob Ryan said his dad’s approach to fighting the disease is typical.
“That’s just the way he is,” he said. “This is a big thing for him, a big thing for the Ryans. He’s just about the only guy that’s beaten cancer about every time. He’s been through it about four or five times. I’m sure the prognosis is great for him because he always wins.”
He said his father’s illness will be more motivation than distraction.
“All he taught us is ‘Do the job,”’ Rob said. “That’s the way he is, so it’s not that difficult. Obviously, (we’re) praying a lot for him and things have to go well because that’s what it is. But he raised us to do the job. Whatever we do, we’re going to be the best at it — and that’s what we are.”
Buddy Ryan was as outspoken and boisterous as his boys are, a persona he could back up with his team’s success on the field.
He was defensive coordinator of two renowned Super Bowl champions, the Joe Namath-led Jets who pulled off the huge upset in 1969, and the 1985 Bears who ran his 46 defense to perfection. He is also known for throwing a punch at the offensive coordinator while he was running the Oilers’ defense. Ryan also had entertaining stints as the head coach of the Eagles and the Cardinals.
Both son were on their dad’s staff with the Cardinals in 1994 and ‘95. They’ve since made a name for themselves, with Rex leading the Jets to the AFC championship game the last two years, and Rob winning two Super Bowls as an assistant coach for the Patriots’ Bill Belichick. This is Rob’s first season in Dallas after working as defensive coordinator of the Browns and Raiders the last fou r years.
The brothers have squared off before, and every time is special for the Ryan family, especially the patriarch.
“This game’s important to him,” Rob said. “He wants to see these two rams bat heads.”
NASCAR waits while storms move through Atlanta
HAMPTON, Ga. — The remnants from Tropical Storm Lee are pushing through the Atlanta area with drenching rain and high wind.
NASCAR only hopes the miserable weather is gone by Tuesday.
The Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway was postponed Sunday night when the outer bands of the storm doused the track before the drivers could even start their engines. Given the gloomy forecast, officials didn’t even bother trying to hold the race on Monday.
That turned out to be a good call. Most of Georgia is under tornado and flood watches.
The outlook for Tuesday’s 11 a.m. start is much better, though there’s still a 30 percent chance of additional showers.
Arizona signs veteran running back Taylor
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have bolstered their depleted running back corps by signing veteran Chester Taylor.
The Cardinals were waiting for other teams to make roster cuts to find a backup to starter Beanie Wells after promising rookie Ryan Williams went down with a season-ending knee injury. Taylor, a 10-year NFL veteran, was released by the Chicago Bears on Saturday.
Arizona also added a pair of cornerbacks on waiver claims: Crezdon Butler from Pittsburgh and Korey Lindsey from Cincinnati.
To make room, the Cardinals released tight end Stephen Spach, linebacker Quan Sturdivant and defensive end Ronald Taley.
Sick Beltran a late scratch for Giants
SAN DIEGO — San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy says right fielder Carlos Beltran is a late scratch for Monday’s game against the San Diego Padres.
Bochy says Beltran has either food poisoning or the flu. The manager says Beltran was sick all night. Cody Ross was in the lineup in right, Andres Torres in center and Brandon Belt in left.
Beltran is hitting .295 with 17 homers and 73 RBIs for the defending World Series champion Giants, who entered Monday’s game seven games behind the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks.
Red Sox RHP Jenks likely to miss rest of 2011
TORONTO — Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks is likely to miss the rest of the season and playoffs due to lingering pain in his back.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Jenks did not travel with the team to Toronto and is set to see a doctor on Wednesday. Jenks last pitched July 7 against Baltimore. He was transferred to the 60-day DL Sept. 1 when Boston acquired outfielder Conor Jackson from Oakland.
Francona also said left-hander Erik Bedard (left knee) will not make his next scheduled start, Friday at Tampa Bay. Bedard also missed a month with knee soreness while with Seattle earlier this season.
The Red Sox also recalled catcher Ryan Lavarnway and right-hander Kyle Weiland from Triple-A Pawtucket, and purchased the contract of infielder Nate Spears.
Tennessee hires Alabama’s Dave Hart as new AD
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee hired Alabama’s Dave Hart as its vice chancellor and athletic director.
The university said in a news release it will hold a news conference at 6:30 p.m. to introduce Hart, who has worked since August 2008 as executive director of athletics assisting Alabama athletic director Mal Moore.
Tennessee had been looking for a new athletic director since Mike Hamilton resigned in June in the wake of a lengthy NCAA investigation into the Volunteers basketball and football programs that resulted in a self-imposed two-year probation for the athletics department.
Hart, 62, has also has advised the Atlantic Coast Conference and was athletic director at Florida State for 13 years. He graduated from Alabama and played basketball for C.M. Newton.
Hart eventually will be the first director to oversee a combined department of men’s and women’s sports at Tennessee. Since Hamilton resigned as the men’s director, former women’s AD Joan Cronan has been serving as the interim director over both the men’s and women’s departments.
Cronan will continue as women’s athletics director until June 30 to help with the transition of combining the two departments. After that she will work as a senior adviser to Hart and Chancellor Jimmy Cheek for two years.