As a fan of the Boston Red Sox, I would like to personally thank the Steinbrenners, Brian Cashman and the entire New York Yankees organization for helping out the Red Sox in the 2011 MLB Draft in June. Now Ian why would say such a crazy thing?

Well by virtue of the Yankees signing Rafael Soriano to a ridiculous three-year $35 million contract, the Red Sox are now assured of getting the Texas Rangers first round draft pick (No. 26 overall due to their signing of Adrian Beltre. Had the Rangers signed Soriano to a contract, the Red Sox would have only gotten a second round pick and the Tampa Bay Rays would have gotten that pick instead.

Now the Red Sox can go forward with the draft as they’ll have the 19th (from the Detroit Tigers for Victor Martinez) and 26th picks in the first round. They’ll have two compensation picks for the Martinez and Beltre signings. And as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe points out, if Felipe Lopez signs somewhere, the Red Sox will get another draft pick.

So thank you again for being frenemies Steinbrenners, Brian Cashman and the entire New York Yankees organization.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

UConn hires Paul Pasqualoni [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

TV ratings for Big East bowls [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

The Big East’s all-bowl team [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

Friday Big East mailbag [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

One reason why the job went to Pasqualoni [Chip Malafronte – New Haven Register]

What Happened To Mark Whipple? [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Steady Paul Pasqualoni [John Silver – Journal Inquirer]

More on UConn’s new football coach [Lee Lewis – The Republican-American]

Pasqualoni taking over at UConn [Neill Ostrout – CT Post]

How a bunch of high school coaches got Paul Pasqualoni his job at UConn [Business Insider]

UConn hires former Syracuse coach Pasqualoni [CT Post]

State high school coaches excited about Pasqualoni’s arrival [CT Post]

Pasqualoni ‘a darned good football coach,’ ex-Syracuse boss says [CT Post]

Experience, groundswell of state support worked in Pasqualoni’s favor [CT Post]

Pasqualoni Returning To His Roots [Hartford Courant]

UConn’s Top 10 Football Coaches By Wins [Hartford Courant]

Pasqualoni to be named head coach Friday [New Haven Register]

Huskies select new coach [Norwich Bulletin]

Huskies make Pasqualoni their man [The Day]

Cheshire native Pasqualoni hired as new UConn football coach [The Republican-American]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Streak to be honored at Hall of Fame [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Steelers Vs. Ravens? Oh, No. It’s Swin Vs. Renee, WNBA Style [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Huskies Roll Over St. John’s; Dixon Starts [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Auriemma Hits 750 In Season Of Change [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Huskies host quaint but successful little Garden party [Roger Cleaveland – The Republican-American]

After St. John’s Win, Geno Focusing On Freshmen [Hartford Courant]

Samarie Walker shows growth at MSG [New Haven Register]

Five questions with Stefanie Dolson [The Day]

Samarie needs to be strong inside for Huskies [The Republican-American]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Hello (Again) Cleveland! [David Borges – New Haven Register]

Cleveland Melvin Fitting In At DePaul [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Oliver Purnell On Turning Around DePaul, And On UConn [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Villanova Coach Jay Wright On UConn [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Melvin: UConn’s Loss Is DePaul’s Gain [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Men’s Hockey Hits The Road At Robert Morris [UConnHuskies.com]

Below is the official press release from the University of Connecticut announcing Paul Pasqualoni as the new football coach for the UConn Huskies:

Paul Pasqualoni, who has served as a head coach on the collegiate level for 19 seasons, has been named the head football coach at the University of Connecticut. A Cheshire, Conn., native, Pasqualoni served as the head coach of Syracuse from 1991-2004 and led the Orange to nine bowl games and was the head coach at Western Connecticut from 1982-86 and led them to an NCAA Division II postseason appearance.

“We are very proud to welcome Paul Pasqualoni to the UConn family and also bring him back home to his native Connecticut,” said University of Connecticut Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway. “Paul brings an outstanding coaching background to UConn on the collegiate, professional and high school level. He also is a man of strong character and integrity and we look forward to him developing our football student-athletes in the classroom, on the field and as part of the community.”

Since 2005, Pasqualoni has been coaching in the National Football League as he was a member of the Dallas Cowboys staff (2005-07 and 2010) and the Miami Dolphins (2008-09).

He served as defensive coordinator with the Dolphins and his defense allowed just 19.8 points per game in 2008. His 2009 defense led the NFL in sacks per pass attempt. The 2008 Dolphins were the AFC East Champions.

Pasqualoni worked with the tight ends (2005) and linebackers (2006-07) in Dallas. The Cowboys won the NFC East in 2007 and were a Wild Card playoff team in 2006. In 2007, the Cowboys’ defense limited opponents to 4.9 yards per play and were third in sacks. He rejoined the Cowboys staff this past season as defensive coordinator.

Pasqualoni concluded his 14-year tenure as Syracuse’s second-winningest coach with 107 victories. He guided Syracuse to four BIG EAST conference titles, including a share of one in 2004 – his final year at SU. He had a 6-3 postseason record at Syracuse. Among those appearances, he led the Orange to two Fiesta Bowl appearances (1992 season and ’97 season) and a trip to the Orange Bowl (1998 season), in the first year of the Bowl Championship Series.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Syracuse also played in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl, 2001 Insight.com Bowl, 1999 Music City Bowl, the 1996 Liberty Bowl, the 1996 Gator Bowl (1995 season) and the 1992 Hall of Fame Bowl (1991 season) during Pasqualoni’s tenure. His Orange teams won 10 games in three different seasons – 1991, 1992 and 2001.

He joined the Syracuse staff in 1987 and was an assistant coach there for four seasons before being named the head coach prior to the 1991 season, taking over for the legendary Dick MacPherson.

During his time as head coach at Syracuse, Pasqualoni developed a solid contingent of professional players, including a string of 17 selections in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft as seven were first-round picks. Syracuse produced at least two NFL draft selections in 11 of Pasqualoni’s 14 years as head coach.

The Orange were recognized with the AFCA Academic Achievement Honorable Mention Award for having a graduation rate better than 70 percent a total of 14 times during his tenure at Syracuse as an assistant and head coach. Syracuse was honored during 10 of the 14 years Pasqualoni was head coach. In 1999, Syracuse won the American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award for posting a 100 percent graduation rate for the class that enrolled in 1994.

Following SU’s second-straight 9-3 season in 1996, Pasqualoni won the ECAC/Vince Lombardi Foundation Coach of the Year award. He was named the 1992 and 1995 ECAC Coach of the Year for Division I-A.

Pasqualoni served in leadership roles with the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1998 and served a three-year stint as a member of that group before becoming third-vice president for 2002. He was first vice president in 2004. The Nassau Coaches Association honored Pasqualoni with the 2003 Ralph Luisi “Don’t Quit” Memorial Award, given to an outstanding educator and coach who loves football and teaching.

After finishing his undergraduate degree at Penn State, he spent four seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Cheshire High School (1972-75). His first collegiate job was as an assistant at Southern Connecticut in 1976 and was elevated to defensive coordinator in 1980.

Pasqualoni had a five year stint from 1982-86 as the head football coach and athletic director at NCAA Division III Western Connecticut State in Danbury, Conn. His teams posted a 28-13 record at Western and he led the school to an NCAA Division II playoff appearance in 1985.

Pasqualoni served as the defensive coach for the Blue squad at the 2000 Blue-Gray Game. Pasqualoni coached in three East-West Shrine games, serving as an assistant coach for the East squad in 1994 and 1999, and as head coach of the East team in 1996. Pasqualoni was an assistant for the South squad at the 1998 Hula Bowl and served as an assistant coach for the East team in the 1993 Japan Bowl.

A 1972 graduate of Penn State, Pasqualoni joined the football team as a walk-on and later lettered. He lettered in football and basketball at Cheshire High School in Connecticut and also earned a letter in football at Bordentown Military Institute.

Pasqualoni earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education at Penn State and a master of science in physical education and human performance at Southern Connecticut State.

Born on August 16, 1949, Pasqualoni and his wife, the former Jill Fleischman, have two sons, Dante Paul and Tito Lucian, and a daughter, Cami Mae.

YEAR-BY-YEAR WITH PAUL PASQUALONI

Year	School/Team	Position
1972	Cheshire HS	Assistant Coach
1973	Cheshire HS	Assistant Coach
1974	Cheshire HS	Assistant Coach
1975	Cheshire HS	Assistant Coach
1976	Southern Connecticut	Assistant Coach
1977	Southern Connecticut	Assistant Coach
1978	Southern Connecticut	Assistant Coach
1979	Southern Connecticut	Assistant Coach
1980	Southern Connecticut	Defensive Coordinator
1981	Southern Connecticut	Defensive Coordinator
1982	Western Connecticut	Head Coach
1983	Western Connecticut	Head Coach
1984	Western Connecticut	Head Coach
1985	Western Connecticut	Head Coach	NCAA Division II Playoffs
1986	Western Connecticut	Head Coach
1987	Syracuse	Linebackers Coach	Sugar Bowl (Tie)
1988	Syracuse	Linebackers Coach	Hall of Fame Bowl Champions
1989	Syracuse	Linebackers Coach	Peach Bowl Champions
1990	Syracuse	Linebackers Coach	Aloha Bowl Champions
1991	Syracuse	Head Coach	Hall of Fame Bowl Champions
1992	Syracuse	Head Coach	Fiesta Bowl Champions
1993	Syracuse	Head Coach
1994	Syracuse	Head Coach
1995	Syracuse	Head Coach	Gator Bowl Champions
1996	Syracuse	Head Coach	Liberty Bowl Champions
1997	Syracuse	Head Coach	Fiesta Bowl
1998	Syracuse	Head Coach	Orange Bowl
1999	Syracuse	Head Coach	Music City Bowl Champions
2000	Syracuse	Head Coach
2001	Syracuse	Head Coach	Insight Bowl Champions
2002	Syracuse	Head Coach
2003	Syracuse	Head Coach
2004	Syracuse	Head Coach	Champs Sports Bowl
2005	Dallas Cowboys	Tight Ends Coach
2006	Dallas Cowboys	Linebackers Coach	NFC Wild Card
2007	Dallas Cowboys	Linebackers Coach	NFC East Champions
2008	Miami Dolphins	Defensive Coordinator	AFC East Champions
2009	Miami Dolphins	Defensive Coordinator
2010	Dallas Cowboys	Defensive Coordinator

According to Mark Blaudschun of the Boston Globe, former Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni has been hired as the new head coach of the UConn Huskies football team. Chip Malafronte of the New Haven Register has also confirmed the hiring as well as Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant.

Conner also states that the Huskies will hold a press conference on Friday to introduce Pasqualoni as its new head coach.

Pasqualoni has Big East coaching experience as he spent 14 seasons (1991-2004) as the coach of the Syracuse Orange. During his time there, he was 107-59-1 (62-33) in the Big East. His Syracuse teams won two outright Big East titles in 1997 and 1998 and also shared it twice in 1996 and 2004.

Paqualoni, a Cheshire, CT native, has been in the NFL for the past six season with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.  He was the Cowboys from 2005-2007 and then was in Miami in 2008-2009. He went back to the Cowboys in 2010 where he was the defensive line coach before being promoted to interim defensive coordinator when head coach Wade Phillips was fired.

UConn had also been considering Mark Whipple for the job and he at one time was thought to be the favorite. Obviously things have changed.

With Pasqualoni as head coach, you have to wonder if more in-state players will go to UConn. He did recruit Tebucky Jones and Dwight Freeney to Syracuse.

Photo credit: Syracuse University

UConn Huskies junior point guard Kemba Walker is among the 20 finalists for the 2011 Bob Cousy Award. Here’s the press release from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

JANUARY 12, 2011 – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts announced today 20 finalists for the 2011 Bob Cousy Award. This annual award is given to college basketball’s top point guard and is named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic great Bob Cousy. An original list of 70 plus candidates was trimmed by a Hall of Fame appointed, nationally based committee to the below list of 20.

“This list makes up college basketball’s elite at the point guard position,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “These 20 players in contention for the award all have skills that Mr. Cousy would be proud of. The Hall of Fame looks forward to having these players compete for one of college basketball’s most prestigious awards.”

“We are pleased with our list of 20 candidates that have advanced into the next round of the process,” said Ken Kauffman, Chair of the 2011 Bob Cousy Award. “We’ve got a very competitive field of players in contention for the award and we look forward to moving into the next phase. All of these players are well deserving of the recognition.”

The current listing of 20 finalists for the 2011 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed down to 10 players by February 3rd and than further to five players by March 3rd. The final five players in contention for the award will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. This Hall of Fame committee is made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2011 Bob Cousy Award will be awarded at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Monday April 4th in Houston as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included: Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina) and Greivis Vasquez (Maryland). For more information on the 2011 Bob Cousy Award, log onto www.cousyaward.com .

To see the final 20 candidates for the 2011 Bob Cousy Award, click on the read more button below if you’re on the homepage.

Kevin Anderson – Richmond
Norris Cole – Cleveland State
Malcolm Delaney – Virginia Tech
Corey Fisher – Villanova
Jimmer Fredette – Brigham Young
DJ Gay – San Diego State
Tu Holloway – Xavier
Scoop Jardine – Syracuse
Brandon Knight – Kentucky
Kalin Lucas – Michigan State
Demetri McCamey – Illinois
Mickey McConnell – St. Mary’s College
Jacob Pullen – Kansas State
Nolan Smith – Duke
Isaiah Thomas – Washington
Jordan Taylor – Wisconsin
Tyshawn Taylor – Kansas
Kemba Walker – Connecticut
Casper Ware – Long Beach State
Chris Wright – Georgetown

It’s definitely a little too early to be looking at rankings for the 2011 college football season. Most teams have verbal commitments from recruits but signing day isn’t for another three weeks. However those teams do know who will be back for 2011 unless you’re the UConn Huskies football team.

SI.com released a way too early Top 25 list for the 2011 season and they have the UConn football team ranked No. 28.

I, for one, don’t know how they could even have UConn ranked.

For starters, we don’t have a coach. Secondly, without a coach in place, we don’t know what kind of offense or even defensive scheme for that matter, they plan on running in 2011.

They have no starting quarterback and their leading rusher Jordan Todman has declared for the 2011 NFL Draft. They lose their top tackler in Lawrence Wilson as well as the emotional leader of the defense in Scott Lutrus.

What they do have isn’t so bad though.

Three starters return from the offensive line. The receiving corps is intact. The secondary, which showed a vast improvement in 2010 is back. The defensive front is also back. And Robbie Frey has shown he’s capable of becoming the next 1,000 yard rusher at UConn.

But without a man at the top, I don’t see how the Huskies can be even ranked or even considered in any way too early poll for 2011.

Hopefully in the next day or two, we’ll find out who will coaching UConn next year and hopefully beyond. Then maybe we can revisit this pre-preseason ranking.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

What we learned from Big East bowl season [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

Familiar story for Big East in bowl season [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

Best and worst from Big East bowl season [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

Someone will be named UConn coach, I promise [Chip Malafronte – New Haven Register]

DC answered some questions in his mailbag [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Still waiting [Joe Perez – Norwich Bulletin]

Signs still point to Whipple as UConn’s next coach [CT Post]

Whipple Wait Continues At UConn [Hartford Courant]

UConn football job may be down to Whipple, mystery candidate [New Haven Register]

Whipple hiring looks solid, but not sizzling [The Republican-American]

Whipple seen as front-runner at UConn [Boston Globe]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

UConn’s defense steps up [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Better is boring [Joe Perez – Norwich Bulletin]

When Will Michala Johnson Be Ready To Help? [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Syracuse Men’s Players Pay Homage To Huskies [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Tidbits From UConn’s 84-52 Win Over St. John’s [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Geno On The Late Start Time Of Wednesday’s Game [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Did You Hear UConn’s Freshmen Aren’t Making Progress? [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Geno Is A Big Fan Of St. John’s And Its Coach [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

What It’s Like To Always Be The Hunted Team [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Kim Barnes-Arico; Advice From The Best [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Dixon hosts a Garden party [Vickie Fulkerson – The Day]

Walker aids UConn’s rout of St. John’s [CT Post]

UConn Routs St. John’s For Geno’s 750th Win [Hartford Courant]

Good Friends Auriemma, Boeheim Coach In Same Building [Hartford Courant]

Geno gets 750th win in rout over St. John’s [New Haven Register]

Geno, Boeheim have bond that goes back [New Haven Register]

UConn women enjoy Big Apple visit [The Day]

Huskies make strides in rout of St. John’s [The Republican-American]

Maya Moore puts up numbers in all categories [The Republican-American]

It’s Not St. John’s Night in 2 Losses at Garden [New York Times]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Kemba Walker Looking For Right Shots [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

UConn Most Inexperienced Team In Big East [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Mike also answered a few questions in his mailbag [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Calhoun Pleased With 13-2 Start, But Looking For More [Hartford Courant]

Shabazz Napier brings it for the Huskies [New Haven Register]

UConn men coming up aces in chemistry department [The Day]

Young Huskies pass their chemistry tests [The Republican-American]

Connecticut’s Kemba Walker, Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger lead our first National Player of the Year poll of the season [AnnArbor.com]

Other UConn related links

W. Ice Hockey. Huskies Host Vermont In Two-Game Hockey East Series [UConnHuskies.com]

The UConn Huskies women’s basketball team got out of the state of Connecticut just in time to miss the 24 inches or so of snow the state got on Wednesday. And on Wednesday night, there wasn’t much that they missed.

A balanced scoring attack led by Tiffany Hayes and Maya Moore paced the Huskies to an easy 84-52 win over the St. John’s Red Storm in front of 14,440 at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden.

The Huskies improve to 15-1 (5-0 Big East) on the season. The Red Storm fall to 12-5 (1-3). It’s the fourth straight loss for the Red Storm.

Hayes had 21 points, including 5-of-8 on three pointers, a game-high eight rebounds and three assists. Moore added 21 points as well plus had six rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Samarie Walker had one of her finer games in a UConn uniform as she came off the bench to score 15 points and pull down three rebounds.

Kelly Faris rounded out the Huskies in double-digits with 13 points and also had six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Lorin Dixon, making the start in her final visit to New York City, had seven assists to go along with two points.

Connecticut native, Da’Shena Stevens led the Red Storm with 12 points and five rebounds. Nadirah McKenith chipped in with eight points and five assists. Centhya Hart also had eight points and four rebounds in a losing effort.

Things weren’t looking good for the Huskies early on as St. John’s stayed close for the first five and a half minutes. But then the patented Huskies run and tough defense took over.

UConn put the game away with a 19-0 run over the next four minutes and 11 seconds before Eugenia McPherson would score her only basket of the night to temporarily stop the bleeding for the Red Storm. The Huskies would push the lead to 28 points at 48-20 before St. John’s would close out the half on a 5-0 run to make it 48-23.

The run for the Red Storm would continue on to start the second half  as they scored the first four points before a Hayes’ three pointer ended that.  St. John’s would get no closer than 24 points the rest of the way.

Moore is definitely the best player in the country, there’s no doubt about that. If you watched her on Wednesday night when she didn’t have the ball on offense, she was constantly out there working hard either to get open, battle for the rebound or dishing off to one of teammates for another UConn basket.

They are still a young team but as they continue to play games, they’ll continue to get better. And that can only bode well for them come NCAA Tournament time.

UConn will return home on Saturday afternoon to host the Louisvile Cardinals at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m. and the game will be televised locally in Connecticut on CPTV.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Notes and musings:

UConn Huskies @ St. John’s Red Storm 1.12.11 box score

The starters for the Huskies were Lorin Dixon, Tiffany Hayes, Kelly Faris, Maya Moore and Stefanie Dolson.

“24” star Kiefer Sutherland was in attendance for the game.

The win for Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma was the 750th of his career. It’s the seventh most all-time and puts him sixth among active coaches.

UConn shot 57.1% (32-56) from the floor while the Red Storm shot 36.7% (18-49).

The Huskies had an astounding 25 assists on their 32 made baskets.

UConn was 9-of-17 (52.9%) from beyond the arc while St. John’s was 3-of-8 (37.5%)

The Huskies were 11-of-13 (84.6%) from the charity stripe. The Red Storm actually shot more free throws then the Huskies as they were 13-of-17 (76.5%).

UConn dominated the glass holding a 44-18 advantage.

The Huskies outscored the Red Storm 44-18 in the paint, 6-0 on the fast break and 19-8 on second chance points.

UConn had 23 points off of 16 St. John’s turnovers. The Red Storm had 17 points off of 17 Huskies turnovers.

Photo credits: AP Photo, AP Photo

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Normally a time that Boston Red Sox fans loathe because that means we have to listen to Jon Miller and Joe Morgan along with Orel Hershiser.

Don’t get me wrong, Miller isn’t all that bad and Hershiser is great. It was Morgan we all despised.

Well when the Red Sox appear on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball this year, we won’t have to listen to Miller and Morgan anymore. They’re gone. In their places, Dan Shulman will be the play-by-play announcer along with Hershiser and Bobby Valentine as analysts.

Shulman has been doing ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball for the past three seasons and before that was on ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball from 2002-2007.

Oh by the way, ESPN announced a portion of their Sunday Night Baseball schedule on Wednesday afternoon and here is when our beloved Red Sox will be on.

• April 10, New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox, 8:05 p.m.
• May 15, Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees, 8:05 p.m.
• May 22, Chicago Cubs @ Boston Red Sox, 8:05 p.m.
• July 17, Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays, 8:05 p.m.

Also, the Red Sox will be on ESPN on Opening Day, April 1st at 4 p.m. when they’ll take on the 2010 American League Champion Texas Rangers in Arlington, TX.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

It’s game day for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team as they are in the Big Apple at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, for a Big East matchup with the St. John’s Red Storm. Game time is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET and the game will be carried locally here in CT on CPTV. It is also available on Hoop Streams for a fee. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the WTIC/UConn Radio Network.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Lesson learned? [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Mutual admiration society [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Dolson learned from costly miss [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

The Story Of The Recruitment Of Kelly Faris [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Barnes Arico Talks UConn/Geno Talks Rex Ryan [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Maya Moore Named to Wooden Award Mid-Season Top-20 List [UConnHuskies.com]

Trinity Catholic grad Stevens strives to be more consistent and a better leader [CT Post]

Stefanie Dolson, UConn Women Cash In On Freebies [Hartford Courant]

Dolson knows nothing on the court is free [New Haven Register]

Auriemma, staff find selves teaching again [The Day]

No. 22 St. John’s Continues To Host BIG EAST’s Elite With No. 2 Connecticut at MSG [St.John’sRedStorm.com]

UConn Football links

Final 2010 Big East power rankings [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

Way-too early 2011 Big East power rankings [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

Whipple looking like the choice [Chip Malafronte – New Haven Register]

Hughes deserves chance to lead Huskies [Chuck Banning – The Day]

UConn source says school close to hiring Whipple as football coach [CT Post]

Mark Whipple Favorite For UConn Job [Hartford Courant]

Former New Haven coach Mark Whipple leading candidate to replace Randy Edsall [New Haven Register]

Huskies have made their choice [The Day]

Whipple gets close look as next UConn coach [Boston Globe]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

A Ho-Hum Victory [David Borges – New Haven Register]

An encouraging sign [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

20-2 Run Seals UConn’s Victory Over Rutgers [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Shabazz Napier: Career-High Seven Assists Vs. Rutgers [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Alex Oriakhi: 17 Points, 12 Rebounds, Four Blocks [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

The Niels Giffey, Jeremy Lamb Shuffle [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

The Quotable Mike Rice Says Rutgers Players Quit [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Donnell Beverly Now Contributing In More Ways Than One [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Halfway Home: Some Thoughts From Jim Calhoun [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

UConn thumps Rutgers…eventually [Neill Ostrout – CT Post]

Video View: Postgame Following The Victory Over Rutgers [Shawn Courchesne – Hartford Courant]

Convincing Fashion [UConn Huskies Basketball]

UConn men blow out Rutgers in second half [CT Post]

UConn Runs Past Rutgers, 67-53 [Hartford Courant]

UConn’s Seeing The Biggest Crowds On The Road [Hartford Courant]

UConn Men’s Extras … [Hartford Courant]

No. 10 Huskies storm past Rutgers [New Haven Register]

UConn has plenty of fun at Rutgers’ expense [The Day]