ASS News » the tournament. She didnt play in this event betw

RENTON, Wash. -- Richard Sherman does not believe in video game curses. The Seattle Seahawks All-Pro cornerback will have his image plastered on the front of the next version of EA Sports popular "Madden" football game. Its an honour thats allegedly been fraught with peril for some past recipients who have either had subpar seasons or suffered injuries the year they were on the cover. "I dont think about anything like that. Its just something thats been fabricated, I think," Sherman said Monday. The video game cover, the result of winning an online vote, is just another byproduct of whats become an off-season of accolades for Sherman. Whether it was new endorsements or a contract extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, there have been plenty of opportunities for Sherman to become distracted from his job. Yet, whenever the Seahawks were holding a session as part of their off-season program, Sherman was there. Seattle coach Pete Carroll noted Monday that Sherman has missed "maybe a day" of the voluntary off-season program. "Its voluntary but Im a ball player. What else am I going to be doing? When youre a ballplayer at the heart and this is what you sleep, breathe and eat, this is where you want to be," Sherman said. "I couldnt imagine myself being anywhere else because you just feel the itch to be back on the field, to be back with your teammates, to be back out there getting better." Thats not to say Sherman hasnt enjoyed being a Super Bowl champion. The perks have been plentiful, from endorsement deals to a contract that will keep him in Seattle through the 2018 season and pay him $40 million in guaranteed money. But thats meant little on the practice field during OTAs, other than providing fodder for teammates to joke with their star cornerback. "I think its more about love for the game that allows us not to get complacent," Sherman said. "Thats why youve got All-Pros and Pro Bowlers are out here every day of OTAs playing like theyre still fifth (round) and undrafted players trying to fight for a job. Thats how its always going to be." Carroll said he believes Sherman has handled the off-season hoopla as well as possible while maintaining his commitment to the team. Part of that commitment means educating the younger players Seattle has drafted or signed in the hopes of finding another gem in the draft like Seattle did getting Sherman in the fifth round. "Thats the kind of program we run here. You can show them better than you can tell them, with your actions. You fly to the ball, you play hard, you play disciplined, sound football and when they have questions youre there to answer their questions and you push them and make sure they know their assignments," Sherman said. "Its not like a lot of other programs where you are closed off and cant talk to anybody. We make sure were open books." NOTES: Carroll said LB Bruce Irvins hip surgery last week was successful and the team believes hell be back by the start of the season. Carroll said it was an issue that had been bothering Irvin for some time. ... Rookie second-round draft pick WR Paul Richardson sat out practice as a precaution after landing on his shoulder last week. ... RB Robert Turbin had his knee "cleaned up" during the off-season and Carroll said that has helped Turbin stand out during OTAs. Turbin and Christine Michael have gotten the majority of the work with Marshawn Lynch absent. Jordan 4 Clearance . Cilic cruised to victory, beating the seventh-seeded Seppi 6-1, 6-3 in just 72 minutes. He faced only one break point, winning 24 out of 29 points played on the first serve. Jordan 4 For Sale Cheap .C. -- Charles Oakley, one of the NBAs all-time tough guys, may not return to the Charlotte Bobcats bench next season because of a painful back condition he says was caused during an assault last year in Las Vegas. http://www.wholesaleairjordan4.com/ . -- The Kelowna Rockets earned their 16th straight win with a 7-2 rout of the Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Thursday. Cheap Jordan 4 Wholesale . Basketball fans around the globe will be watching as Kobe Bryant makes his season debut - 240 days after tearing his left Achilles - against Toronto, a team he has used as his own personal punching bag. Air Jordan 4 Wholesale . PETERSBURG, Fla.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The hope of an all-Williams final at the Dubai Championships ended on the racket of Frenchwoman Alize Cornet on Friday. The 26th-ranked Cornet scored her first career victory over a No. 1 player when she upset Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4. "Im so excited," Cornet said, smiling broadly. "I didnt expect that definitely, and Im really, really happy and proud of myself. "Shes one -- or maybe -- the biggest champion of history, and, wow, just thinking that I beat her today." Earlier in the day, Venus Williams earned her spot in the final when she dominated eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-3, 6-2. Serena Williams, playing in her first tournament since losing in the Australian Open fourth round, offered no excuses. She said her back, which had been hurting in recent weeks, was fine. "Im a wee bit embarrassed," said Williams, who started laughing. "She played really well. I just didnt play today. "I tried, though. I dont think I have made that many errors in a match in I think at least three years, maybe four years." Williams gave herself a failing grade for being unable to find a winning formula for the match: "I think out of a 10, I was at like a negative 283." Cornet won the first set when Williams flinched while serving in the ninth game. Cornet, who reached the Paris Indoors semifinal earlier this month, took advantage of her one-set point in the 10th game with a winning backhand down the line. The Frenchwoman then jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the second set, but Williams rebounded. Cornet broke Williams serve again in the seventh game with a winning forehand down the line. Williams fought off four match points on her owwn serve in the ninth game, but Cornet served out the match at love.dddddddddddd "I know her, and I know she feels the moment when she has to put more into making the opponent feel that shes still here," Cornet said. "But I did it, too. I showed her that I would be there till the end. "So when she was screaming louder, I was screaming louder. She was hitting harder, I was hitting harder." In contrast to her sister, the 44th-ranked Venus Williams has been playing top level tennis all week long in Dubai. A former two-time Dubai champion in 2009 and 2010, Williams currently holds a 14-match winning streak at the tournament. She didnt play in this event between 2011 and 2013. "I feel like Ive just gotten so much better since my first round to now, just feeling comfortable on the court, feeling comfortable when Im behind, feeling comfortable when Im in the lead," Williams said. Williams, who lost the Auckland final to Ana Ivanovic last month, lost an early 2-0 lead in the first set. But from 2-2, Williams always held the lead in the match. Williams failed to serve out the first set at 5-2, surrendering that eighth game at love. Wozniacki, however, surrendered her serve -- and the first set -- on a second set point in the next game Williams broke Wozniackis serve at 15-40 with a textbook backhand volley for a 2-0 lead in the second set. She broke serve again in the eighth game for the win. "I didnt really feel like I could go out and play what I wanted to play," said Wozniacki, who won the Dubai trophy in 2011. "Once I got going, she started to play better as well. It was kind of uphill today." Venus Williams holds a 3-0 lead in matches played against Cornet. ' ' '