INDIANAPOLIS – New Colts general manager Chris Ballard says he has the utmost respect for franchise quarterback Andrew Luck but made sure to point out Monday that in order for the franchise to reach the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, the Colts have to do it as a team.

“Let me say this because Andrew is a great player, but it will never be about one guy,” Ballard said during his introductory news conference. “It’s about all 53 men in the locker room. All 63 men, including the practice squad. It’ll always be about the team. And is he a good piece? Absolutely, but he’s just one of the 53 men that we have to win with.”

Luck’s ability to cover the flaws on the Colts roster helped them win 11 games in each of his first three seasons in the league. They also reached the playoffs in each of those seasons, including the AFC Championship Game in 2014.

But Luck suffered an assortment of injuries, including a lacerated kidney, the past two seasons, and the Colts’ roster wasn’t good enough to make up for his absence. They finished with an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

One of the most significant areas Ballard, who spent the past four years with the Kansas City Chiefs, will have to address through free agency and the draft is improving Indianapolis’ defense. The Colts’ aging defense finished 30th in the NFL. Indianapolis has finished 20th or worse in total defense in four of five seasons under coach Chuck Pagano.

METAIRIE, La. — Mike Nolan will follow in his father’s footsteps as a coach for the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints have hired the former San Francisco 49ers head coach and longtime former NFL defensive coordinator, according to Nolan’s employer, SiriusXM Radio. Also, the new image on Nolan’s Twitter avatar is of the Saints logo.

He will likely serve as linebackers coach, since the Saints have a vacancy there after firing LB coaches Joe Vitt and James Willis earlier this month.

Nolan’s father, Dick Nolan, was the Saints’ head coach from 1978 to 1980.

Mike Nolan last served as a linebackers coach with the San Diego Chargers in 2015 before spending the past year as an analyst for both SiriusXM and the NFL Network.

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy has submitted an application to play in an independent football league in April, a person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the application. Hardy’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, didn’t immediately return a phone message.

Hardy didn’t play last season following a tumultuous 2015 with the Cowboys that began with a four-game suspension for Hardy’s role in a domestic violence case in North Carolina.

Hardy, 28, would not receive a salary for playing in the Spring League, which is designed to give former NFL draft picks a shot to display their talent. The league isn’t affiliated with the NFL but NFL teams plan to send scouts to games and workouts.

Hardy was suspended the first four games in 2015 and his production dropped significantly after photos were released of his bruised ex-girlfriend. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones didn’t re-sign him after initially saying he wanted to give Hardy a long-term deal.

Hardy was convicted by a judge in the North Carolina case, but prosecutors dropped the case during his appeal because his ex-girlfriend couldn’t be located to testify. Prosecutors said they believed Hardy and the woman had reached a settlement.

Hardy had six sacks in 12 games in his only season with Dallas. He had 15 sacks for the Carolina Panthers in 2013 when he was picked for the Pro Bowl.

Agence France-Presse

January 10, 2017 12:22pm

Reuters

Madrid – Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo claimed he had to overcome media “campaigns” against him to win FIFA’s inaugural “The Best” prize for the world’s best player in 2016.

Ronaldo lifted the award at a star-studded ceremony in Zurich on Monday after a glittering year on the pitch saw him lead Madrid to Champions League glory and captain Portugal to the country’s first ever major international triumph at Euro 2016.

However, Ronaldo’s year was blighted by reports from an international consortium of media organisations in December that claimed a huge data leak involving 18 million documents showed the Portuguese hid €150 million from image rights in the British Virgin Islands.

Ronaldo, 31, has strongly denied all claims of wrongdoing.

“There were many doubts, many campaigns against me from inside and outside football,” Ronaldo told Spanish radio station COPE.

“They wanted to hit me from all sides and the truth is The Best was The Best and that is me, so I am very happy.

“They wanted me to feel bad, but as I have said ‘he who owes nothing, fears nothing in life’. As always, I have shut up a few mouths once again.”

The Spanish tax authorities have committed to investigating the allegations against Ronaldo and a series of other Spanish-based sports stars named in the “Football Leaks” investigation.

However, the four-time World Player of the Year insists he is calm and believes justice will be done in his favour.

“It bothers me because when you do things well, when you help a lot of people and I am going to mention the award for charity work, which is one of the best awards I have in my museum.

“I have helped so many people and you do so many good things, but people want to hit you to camouflage the bad things that others do.

“It bothered me and it continues to bother me, but justice is always done in the end and so we are going to wait and see what happens.”