Tuesday was a big day for both sports and politics -- and not only because the U.S. elected a president with a sweet jump shot.

While Barack Obama was winning the race for the White House, former NFL coach Sam Wyche and former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler also scored victories at the polls. Wyche, a Republican, earned a seat on the Pickens County Council in South Carolina and Shuler, a Democrat, won re-election to Congress from North Carolina.

Perhaps the biggest win, though, belonged to former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson. A conservative Democrat, he defeated two-time incumbent Heather Fargo to become the first African-American mayor of Sacramento, Calif.

Chiefs coach Herman Edwards said he woke his young daughters Tuesday night so they could watch as Sen. Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech as president-elect. Edwards said the moment was poignant for his family because his parents are a mixed-race couple, and, when they were married in the 1950s, there were some parts of the country that wouldn't acknowledge their marriage. Edwards said he wanted his daughters to watch as the United States elected its first black president.

"They were watching television, clapping, and I said, 'He's the president,'" Edwards said. "I wanted them to know that our country is great. You can accomplish anything if you're given the opportunity."

Take heart, Hines Ward. In this season of the fine around the NFL, yesterday produced a stunning turnabout. The NFL rescinded a $7,500 fine against New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck for a hit on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Brooks Bollinger last weekend.

Ray Anderson, the NFL's vice president of operations, called Tuck Friday night to inform him of the change, the Giants said in an e-mail yesterday.

Tuck hit Bollinger in the midsection as the quarterback released a pass, and his momentum carried both to the ground on the third-down play in the fourth quarter.

The NBC national game tonight between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles isn't being viewed as any other game. And it has nothing to do with how the fan sees it. It's how the combatants are viewing it.

After defeating Dallas last week, Giants coach Tom Coughlin broke from a habit of giving the Giants off the Monday after a win and brought them all in. He wanted the players focused on beating the Eagles and all but putting the division away.

The Eagles, meanwhile, take a three-game winning streak into the game and know this is their chance to show the Giants and the rest of the division they plan on sticking around.

"It's not another game for us," said running back Brian Westbrook. "It's an opportunity for us to go out there and prove something again. Just like every other game, but it has a little bit something extra to it."

One of the biggest head-scratchers of the week involved the Raiders' release of cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Hall was only eight games into his Oakland career after the team gave Atlanta future second- and fifth-round draft picks for him in the offseason. The Raiders also signed Hall to a seven-year contract worth about $70 million.

His agent, Alvin Keels, was stunned.

"Why did it happen? I couldn't even answer that, man," Keels said. "It was a total blind-side. We didn't see it coming. But the owner [Al Davis] made a decision, and everybody has to live with it."

Hall, however, admittedly struggled to adapt to Oakland's defensive strategy and was repeatedly beaten for big plays by opposing receivers. STATS LLC data determined Hall yielded more yards than any pass-defender this season and was beaten 40 times on 66 passes thrown in his direction.

Apparently, the Washington Redskins didn't mind. They signed him Friday.

All the critics who bashed Tennessee's decision to draft running back Chris Johnson with their first-round pick in April sure look foolish now.

Johnson, picked 24th overall out of East Carolina, leads the AFC with 715 yards rushing and 819 yards from scrimmage. He trails only Washington's Clinton Portis (944), Adrian Peterson of Minnesota (823) and Michael Turner of Atlanta (794) for the NFL rushing lead. For the record: Each has at least 30 carries more than Johnson.

"I know I have quieted the critics," Johnson said this week. "They really have nothing to say now but give coach [Jeff] Fisher and the rest of the staff kudos on the pick that they made."

More on the story that just won't go away (like the infection it concerns) ...

Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius announced this week that he plans to play again in 2009. He has missed the entire season with staph complications in his left knee. He had a routine arthroscopy in January and has since had to have five more operations to clean out the staph infection. He's one of six Browns players who have had staph infections since 2004.

Upon seeing teammate Albert Haynesworth on the cover of Sports Illustrated recently, Tennessee's Keith Bulluck told a reporter:

"It is great, as long as it isn't the swimsuit issue."

Tennessee's Chris Johnson is on pace to break the Titans/Oilers franchise rookie rushing record of 1,450 yards set by Earl Campbell in 1978. ... The Giants are averaging 162.6 rushing yards a game. If they maintain that average, it will be their highest since the 1956 NFL champion Giants averaged 177.4 yards per game. ... Jacksonville is the first team to play two 0-8 teams on back-to-back Sundays when the Jaguars take on the Detroit Lions today. Of course, they lost to the previously 0-8 Bengals last week. ... The Steelers used to carry this streak's mantle. Now it belongs to the Baltimore Ravens, who have not allowed a back to run for 100 yards in 27 consecutive games -- longest in the NFL.