in an interview to BCCI.tv.In September we got an assessment of his muscle mass. At the end of the season, we wanted to see if there was a change and what we noticed was his muscle m

Cam Newton took some heat from critics when he ripped into game officials two weeks ago after Carolinas 30-20 win over Arizona, saying he didnt feel protected in the pocket.Kansas Citys Alex Smith, another mobile quarterback, says he understands Newtons point.He certainly has merit in that argument that I have seen in that they were blows to the head, helmet to helmet, Smith says. Its hard to say, I dont know thats similar across the league or if hes certainly at a disadvantage being so big. Hes such a good runner that all of a sudden hes not getting the calls.I probably havent studied enough on that. In terms of the hits Ive seen in the pocket, he very well could have had a flag thrown.Smith says he wants players and officials to be held accountable.Obviously players get held accountable for things that happen on game day. I think guys just want to see that across the board. They want referees included, Smith adds. Those guys out there, there needs to be some accountability on that. I think everyone wants to be treated the same. If some quarterbacks are getting afforded certain protection, that needs to be across the board, regardless of how big you are, how mobile you are. It needs to get called consistently.Obviously nobody is perfect, Im not saying that. There is going to be some human error, but certainly you want to see it get called consistently.---THE LONG VIEW: Minnesota Vikings left guard Alex Boone was sidelined last week against Detroit because of a concussion, a first for his eight-year NFL career. Hed only missed four games to injury before, all because of knee trouble. Boone has since passed the post-concussion testing, cleared to take the field for practice on Wednesday.He has returned with some deeper perspective, as well as better equipment. Boones wife and oldest child urged him to ditch the helmet hed been wearing for years, the oldest model left in the league, he estimated.They dont want to wheel me around when Im 35, so I will be trying a new helmet this week and probably from here on out, he says, reflecting on his old helmet like a little kids security blanket. Ive always loved it, and now Im going to have to upgrade to one of these new fancy things that Im not happy about.Boone predictably found the concussion protocol annoying, complaining about the time he had to spent sitting in front of a computer answering questions to prove his mental acuity was back to normal. But he recognized the seriousness of the injury.This is a brutal game, and sometimes you get hit in the head and things go wrong, Boone said. I have kids, and the last thing I want is to have them take care of me at 35. Its hard because I want to play and I want to do everything, but at the same time its serious and Ive got to be a dad at the same time.---COLLEGE HONOR FOR RYAN: Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan will have his No. 12 Boston College jersey retired on Nov. 19 when the Eagles play UConn. The Falcons are off next week, so Ryan will be free to attend the event.Im looking forward to that, Ryan says. It will be a fun weekend to get together with my college friends and college teammates as well as family up there. To see so many people who have impacted my life on such a huge scale and really helped me to become both the player and the person that I am.Ryan led Boston College to 25 wins in 32 starts, including three bowl victories, from 2005-07. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year in 2007, when he led the Eagles to the ACCs Atlantic Division championship.---OLD MAN WITH FRESH LEGS: Darren Sproles has become Philadelphias No. 1 running back at age 33.The versatile veteran is an excellent punt returner and has been used mostly as a situational player throughout his career with the Chargers, Saints and Eagles. But Sproles has played at least 80 percent of the snaps in the last two games and has 36 offensive touches.Meanwhile, Ryan Mathews has just eight snaps and 10 touches in those games after starting the season as the featured back.The Eagles also rotate rookie Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner. Sproles blocking ability and skills as a receiver give him the nod, despite his age.Against Dallas, Darren was obviously the hot hand at the time, and we just kept feeding Darren, keeping him going, and same thing (against the Giants), coach Doug Pederson says.Sproles is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, a full yard more than Mathews. He also has 25 catches for 241 yards, including a 73-yard TD.Mathews twice ran for 1,000 yards and went to one Pro Bowl while in San Diego. He leads the team with five rushing TDs, but also has two fourth-quarter fumbles, including one that led to a 24-23 loss at Detroit.---SIEMIANS SHOULDER: Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian has been dealing with a sprained left A.C. joint since getting flung to the ground by Tampa Bay defensive tackle Clinton McDonald on Oct. 2. The size of the large bump on his left clavicle has become a grotesque barometer as to how many times hes been hit on any given week.Im fine. At this point everybody is dealing with their own little bumps and bruises, but Im fine and Ill be ready to go Sunday, Siemian says as he prepares to face the Saints this weekend.Asked what types of hits hurt his shoulder the most, Siemian shows hes not hurting enough to quash his sense of humor: The hard ones, the really hard ones.Its weird, youll get hit sometimes and youll feel good, and then sometimes you say to yourself, That kind of hurt, but thats part of the deal.---TRUE COLORS? Dallas linebacker Sean Lee is going home to Pittsburgh and will face the Steelers for the first time. He says there are likely to be more than 30 family members and friends there.The former Penn State standout wont pretend that theyre all big Cowboys fans, though. The black and gold runs too deep.I bet you theres some friends who will have a 50 jersey on and underneath it theyll have a Steelers jersey, Steelers colors, theyll be rubbing on it during the game, says Lee, the leading tackler for the Cowboys. They wont say it to my face, but behind the scenes itll be tough for them to root for the Cowboys.Lee understands, because there wasnt a bigger fan when he was a kid. Terrible Towel. Steelers jacket.He wasnt alive when the Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s and in 1980, including a pair of wins over the Cowboys. But he still had a Steel Curtain poster and a picture of Jack Lambert on the wall of his bedroom. Most of his favorite players came from the 1990s: linebackers (of course) Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene, defensive back Carnell Lake.I was that kid who was bringing the Here We Go Steelers fight song to recess, playing it over and over again back in third grade, says Lee, referring to the 1995 season, when the Cowboys beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl. Its like here in Dallas. You grow up in Pittsburgh, youve got to be a Steelers fan.---AP Pro Football Writers Barry Wilner, Rob Maaddi, Dave Campbell and Arnie Stapleton, and Sports Writers Schuyler Dixon, Charles Odum and Steve Reed contributed.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLSwell Norge . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. Swell Bottle Norge .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. http://www.swellflaskenorge.com/swell-flaske-marmor.html .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Swell Traveler Norge . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. Swell Flaske Marmor . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season.Indias Test captain Virat Kohli has said that his outlook towards fitness changed after IPL 2012, and a healthier body has not only made him a better batsman but also an improved fielder.Till IPL 2012, I did not focus much on the physical aspect, he said at a promotional event in Delhi. I never got into the minute details of fitness, things like what I need to eat from morning to night, how much I need to work out and how much I need to train. After that IPL, I started listening to my body. I made a lifestyle choice. I wanted to explore a new side of my body to take me to the next level because I never wanted to be average. I wanted to best in the world. So I always had that mindset but never had the physical ability.Kohli cited an example of how improved fitness helped allay fielding apprehensions. When you become fit, you feel you can do anything, he said. I will give you one example. I was never a quick fielder. I was never willing to field in every position. But after becoming fitter, lighter and stronger, I overcame all those doubts I had [about fielding]. Now it [staying fit, eating right] has become second nature to me.One aspect of his fitness that Kohli has particularly focused on is strength training, which Shankar Basu, the trainer of the Indian team, felt added a new dimension to his batting. Kohli once said that he has to tweak his game as he cannot hit sixes llike others.dddddddddddd This IPL, he hit 38 sixes which is the most this season and 15 more than his last seasons tally. There is a definite surge in his power, Basu, who has also worked with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore, had said in an interview to BCCI.tv.In September we got an assessment of his muscle mass. At the end of the season, we wanted to see if there was a change and what we noticed was his muscle mass had increased dramatically. In the last six months, he has put a lot of time in developing his strength, mass and power.Having become a fitness freak, Kohli hoped his younger colleagues would follow suit. If you look at some of the statistics [rising health problems in India], it causes fear in your mind, he said. So I want to create awareness on fitness, the importance of staying fit and healthy. You would be able to do what you want to do only when you feel fit from inside.I have never been as fit as I am today. It has worked beautifully for me. It has become a lifestyle choice for me. Even in my off time, I watch what I eat. In fact, I get more excited about fitness, feeling good, being healthy than anything else. That is probably because my body realises that fitness is what I would need after my professional career is done. ' ' '