SSCV's January Publications

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Vail Daily 01/04/2013

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SPORTS SECTION A

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PAGE 33

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FRIDAY, 1 • 4 • 13

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970 • 949 • 0555

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VAILDAILY.COM

Vonn returns to Europe, begins training By Andrew Dampf AP SPORTS WRITER

Lindsey Vonn is feeling better and has returned to Europe to train. Meanwhile, it’s less likely Bode Miller will race this season. Vonn started training for a return to the World Cup circuit after a midseason break to recover from an intestinal illness. Rainer Salzgeber, the racing director of Vonn’s equipment supplier Head, told The Associated Press that the four-time overall winner arrived in Austria on Wednesday and began light training on Thursday. He said Vonn plans to race in the downhill and super-G on Jan. 12-13 in St. Anton, Austria. Miller still hasn’t started training, working his way back after left knee surgery at the end of last season. Salzgeber said Miller was still expected back in Europe at the end of the month, but likely won’t race this season. “I don’t know what he expects, but I don’t expect it,” Salzgeber said. Vonn has not competed since falling in the opening run of a giant slalom Dec. 16 in Courchevel, France. After that event, the American announced she was going home to recover from an intestinal illness that landed her in the hospital in November. Vonn is training in Hinterreit, the Austrian resort where she crashed badly in training two seasons ago and sustained a concussion. This week, ski technician Heinz Haemmerle joined her at the resort. “Heinz said she did a lot of free skiing today, and did some (giant slalom),” Salzgeber said. “The plan has always been for her to come back at St. Anton.” U.S. women’s head coach Alex Hoedlmoser wouldn’t confirm Vonn’s return in St. Anton. “We all want her to come back

and she obviously wants to race but it will depend on how well things are going during training the next couple of days,” he said. “The first downhill training is (next) Thursday, so there is no hurry. We still have some time left.” A return at the Austria events would mean Vonn will miss a total of six races, leaving little chance of defending her overall title. She has dropped from fourth to sixth in the standings, trailing leader Tina Maze of Slovenia by 725 points. After St. Anton, the women have a slalom in Flachau, Austria, followed by more speed races next weekend in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. It remains unclear if Vonn will enter every event the rest of the season. “That depends on how it goes,” Salzgeber said. However, returning in St. Anton — on a course Vonn has won on before — gives her plenty of time to get back into top form for the season’s highlight, the world championships Feb. 5-17 in Schladming, Austria. A year before the Sochi Olympics, Vonn will be looking to regain the downhill and super-G world titles that Austria’s Elisabeth Goergl took from her in 2011 when Vonn was slowed by the concussion. Last November, Vonn stayed two nights in a hospital in Vail, Colo., after suffering from severe intestinal pain. She returned to the circuit and won three consecutive races in Lake Louise, Alberta. Vonn also won a super-G on Dec. 8 in St. Moritz, Switzerland, but struggled in her last three races. She had an uncharacteristic fall in downhill, her best event, in Val d’Isere, France. With 57 career wins, Vonn needs just five more to match alltime leader Annemarie MoserProell of Austria.

AP PHOTO

Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course on her way to winning a women’s World Cup super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Dec. 8.

Saban, Kelly lead ‘Bama and ND out of darkness By Ralph D. Russo

AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — There were some dark days at Notre Dame and Alabama, dark years really, during which two of college football’s proudest programs flailed and foundered. Notre Dame won the national championship in 1988, then spent much of the next two decades running through coaches — four if you count the guy who never coached a game — and drifting between mediocre and pretty good. Alabama won the national championship in 1992, then spent the next 15 years running through coaches — four if you count the guy who never coached a game — and drifting between mediocre and pretty good. As the 21st century dawned, the Fighting Irish and the Crimson Tide were old news, stodgy remnants of a glorious past, not moving fast enough to keep up with the times, and searching for someone to lead them back to the top.

All contents Š Copyright 2013 Swift 01/04/2013

AP PHOTO

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly speaks to reporters after arriving in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Wednesday. Notre Dame takes on Alabama in the BCS national championship game Monday in Miami. “It parallels Notre Dame to a tee,” said Paul Finebaum, who has covered Alabama as a newspaper reporter and radio show host for more than 30 years. “The attitude was ‘We’re Alabama. We don’t have to do what others are doing. We’ll win because of our tradition.’ Finally everyone passed Alabama.”

And Notre Dame. Then along came Nick Saban and Brian Kelly to knock off the rust, fine tune the engines and turn the Crimson Tide and Fighting Irish into the sharpest machines in college football again. No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama meet Monday night in

Miami in a BCS championship between two titans not all that far removed from tough times. “The pendulum swings,” said former Alabama coach Gene Stallings, the last Tide coach before Saban to bring home a national title. “You don’t stay good forever. You don’t stay bad forever.”

Of course, Alabama and Notre Dame fans aren’t real comfortable with the first part of that statement. The Crimson Tide and Fighting Irish were perennial national championship contenders for decades. For Alabama, replacing Bear proved difficult. Paul Bryant won six national championships in 25 years as the coach in Tuscaloosa, and when he stepped down the Crimson Tide felt compelled to bring back one of his boys to replace him. Ray Perkins was hired away from the New York Giants, and spent four years at Alabama before going back to the NFL. Alabama tried going outside the family and hired Bill Curry. He lasted three years, before leaving for Kentucky. “You follow somebody like Coach Bryant, it’s an extremely difficult situation,” Stallings said. Stallings played for Bryant at Texas A&M, coached under him at Alabama and even sounded a bit like the Bear with his baritone Dark days, page A36

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