Do athletics build character? Take up valuable study time? Why are some teams more popular? And what about the disparity between boys’ and girls’ programs? Our teen panel offers some thoughts.

I’m not good with the whole New Year’s resolution thing. So instead, for 2009, I’ll just make resolutions for someone else — the city of Pensacola.

Joe Mauer chases history. Tubby Smith raises expectations. Adrian Peterson excites you. Brad Childress incites you.

FLINT, Michigan — Even though he was projected as a top-five pick, Jake Long bypassed the 2007 National Football League draft for unselfish reasons.

Remembering those who passed

The West Bridgewater native began his career with the Patriots before moving to the Buffalo Bills, today’s opponent for New England in a key regular-season finale.

Gene Upshaw, Don Haskins and Jim McKay were preeminent out of a remarkable group

There were medals awarded in Beijing, nets cut down in Tampa and a No. 1 ranking (for a week, anyway). Area high school teams did us proud. That includes Maryville, whose amazing 74-game football win streak finally ended one game short of another state title. But over at the University of Tennessee this fall, the earth moved. About a 7.5 on the Richter Scale. Damage, figuratively speaking, was …

There were medals awarded in Beijing, nets cut down in Tampa and a No. 1 ranking (for a week, anyway). Area high school teams did us proud. That includes Maryville, whose amazing 74-game football win streak finally ended one game short of another state title. But over at the University of Tennessee this fall, the earth moved. About a 7.5 on the Richter Scale. Damage, figuratively speaking, was …

The Big Unit is heading home to the Bay Area. Randy Johnson and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a one-year contract, meaning the 45-year-old pitcher will go for his 300th win with a new team. Johnson, a 21-year big league veteran who spent the past two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, was born in Walnut Creek, Calif.