The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Thousands of Iowans are likely headed to a gym today in hopes of keeping a New Year’s resolution to exercise and lose weight. Studies suggest around 80-percent of those people will fail or quit exercising by March. Alison Phillips, an assistant professor of psychology at ISU, has studied the behaviors of people who’ve been able to develop and maintain exercise as a habit. She suggests newcomers to exercise should choose an activity they might come to enjoy — even if that’s not the case at first.

“Know that, with practice, you will come to like it more. That’s the good news, but it’s not going to be easy to develop the habit,” Phillips says.

Alison Phillips – Photo by Christopher Gannon

“The benefit of habit is once you have it, that is what’s easy to maintain. It’s still going to be tough at first, but choose something you find relatively enjoyable and know that the more you stick with it initially, the more you’re going to come to like it.”

Some people may never come to “enjoy” exercise, but Phillips suggests there are byproducts they might appreciate. “Stress reduction is a form of enjoyment, at least the way I’m speaking about it. So, you might not love your exercise, but if you feel better – less stress – while you’re doing it, that counts,” Phillips says.

Phillips’ study involved monitoring the activity levels for people just starting to work out along with those who had been exercising regularly for at least three months. The results were published in the journal Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology.

(Radio Iowa)

It’s game day in Tampa as the Hawkeyes meet the Florida Gators in the Outback Bowl. Iowa is hoping to keep the winning streak they started at the end of the regular season going. Junior linebacker Josie Jewel says that’s been the focus in their preparation for this game — trying to get in the same routine that they had in the last couple of weeks where they had success. Senior defensive back Desmond King says they have to continue doing what they do best to stop Florida’s offense.

“Just taking pride in our values — being tough, smart and physical on the field — that’s something that we always buy into. And just go out there and play with that chip on our shoulders every game,” Kings says. Iowa’s offense has struggled during the season and faces a tough Florida defense, but King doesn’t think that makes it tougher on the Hawkeye defense. “I don’t think it is pressure, I think it’s just our job as a defense,” King says. “We are supposed to go out and do what you’ve got to do and get the ball back for the offense.”

If the Hawkeyes are able to break their recent pattern of falling behind early, and win against Florida, it would end a six-year run without a bowl game victory. Both Iowa and Florida come into the game at 8-4. Kickoff is at noon Iowa time today (Monday). Pre-game coverage begins at 10-a.m., on KJAN.

(Learfield Sports)

Pack take division, Lions extend season…Chiefs win division…Falcons get a bye

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers have fired Mike McCoy following a second straight last-place finish in the AFC West and a third straight season out of the playoffs. The team announced McCoy’s firing about an hour after the Chargers lost 37-27 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

McCoy had said in a postgame news conference he hoped to be back next year. He won’t get that chance. McCoy was 27-37 in four seasons. John Spanos, the president of football operations, says in a statement that “our team’s disappointing performance has not matched this team’s potential and has fallen short of the demanding standards that we seek to impose throughout our organization.”

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Alex Smith threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC West title and a first-round playoff bye with a 37-27 victory Sunday against the Chargers in perhaps the final NFL game in San Diego. The Chiefs (12-4) clinched the division with the win and Oakland’s loss at Denver.

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Sean O’Brien scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds and Leo Vincent added 15 points as Southern Illinois pulled away in the second half for an 83-69 win over Drake on Sunday. Southern Illinois (8-7, 1-1 Missouri Valley) had a 37-32 lead at halftime before Drake used a 15-8 run in the first six minutes of the second half, taking a 47-45 lead on Reed Timmer’s layup.

Timmer later hit a 3 pulling Drake to within 56-55, but Sean Lloyd made a layup, Austin Weiher buried a 3, Aaron Cook had a layup as did O’Brien and the lead was at 10 with 8:41 to go. Nick McGlynn’s jumper with 4:04 left was the last time Drake (3-11, 1-1) trailed by single digits. Vincent responded with a 3 making it 75-63.

Timmer led the Bulldogs with 17 points and Ore Arogundade finished with 13 points.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Peter Jok scored 25 points, including a decisive 3 with 1:16 left in overtime, and Iowa rallied to beat Michigan 86-83 on Sunday for its fifth straight win over the Wolverines. Freshman Jordan Bohannon added 17 points and six assists for the Hawkeyes (9-6, 1-1 Big Ten), who overcame a monster game by Michigan’s D.J. Wilson for their sixth win in seven games.

Derrick Walton Jr.’s breakaway layup with 21 seconds to go pulled Michigan (10-4, 0-1) within 84-83. But Jok hit two free throws after a hard foul, and Wilson clanked a 3 off the backboard that would’ve likely forced a second overtime.

Wilson set a career high with 28 points, and he added 14 rebounds and six assists. Duncan Robinson scored 15 off the bench for the Wolverines, who were just 12 of 35 from 3-point range. Tyler Cook had 11 points with eight assists in his first start since November for Iowa.