September 11, 2001. Never Forget!!!
Sports Quote of the Day:
“About the only problem with success is that it does not teach you how to deal with failure.” ~ Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles Dodgers legendary Manager
“About the only problem with success is that it does not teach you how to deal with failure.” ~ Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles Dodgers legendary Manager
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears could deliver severe blow to Vikings.
Chicago Tribune; Special Contributor Mike Mulligan
An 0-2 start has been disastrous for teams, largely killing playoff aspirations over last 23 seasons.
Jay Cutler & Coach Marc Trestman in play calling discussion.
Nobody ever has pretended professional football embodied lofty ideals expressed through classy Latin phrases. You can leave "citius, altius, fortius'' (faster, higher, stronger) to the Olympic crowd.
The NFL is more "Rah Rah Ree, Kick 'em in the knee …'' with considerably saltier language that some pardon as French. Winning is the only ideal in the NFL and kicking a team that's down the only acceptable practice. And, wow, do the Bears have a golden chance Sunday to lay out the Vikings.
The Bears don't even have to go low and illegal, Ndamukong Suh-style, to block the Vikings playoff chances. An 0-2 start in two division games would send them reeling out of contention in the NFC North, even if things are just getting started.
One week into the 2013 season it's accepted fact the NFL is a quarterback's league, and the Viking's don't have a very good one. NFL quarterbacks combined for a whopping 63 touchdown passes on opening weekend, exceeding the highest total passes in any week in NFL history (58 in 2004 and 2007 late in each season).
Ponder contributed to the total with a 4-yard strike to running back Adrian Peterson, so he's clearly better than the Jaguars' Blaine Gabbert. In fairness, Ponder did complete passes of 44 and 47 yards in a 10-point loss to the Lions and he finished with six fewer passing yards than Jay Cutler for the weekend. But Ponder also threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, raising calls for Matt Cassel to take over.
Changing quarterbacks is a desperate act one game into a season, but frankly, the Vikings have to be pretty distressed given their situation. If they start the season 0-2, that is a death knell to playoff hopes in the modern NFL. Only 22 of 190 teams in the last 23 years have made the playoffs after an 0-2 start, 11.6 percent.
There is an obvious reason slow starts lead to bad years. Bad teams have a hard time playing well, let alone starting well. If you are only going to win a couple of games in a season, odds are they won't be the first two. Conversely, good teams tend to limit losing streaks and beat teams they're supposed to beat. It's unlucky if the schedule is loaded against you early, but finding a way to win is the only way of life in the NFL.
None of the six 0-2 teams last year, including the Saints, made the playoffs or finished better than 7-9. The 7-9 Saints were reeling from fallout over the bounty scandal and played without suspended coach Sean Payton among many key losses.
Poor Aaron Kromer, now the Bears offensive coordinator, oversaw the first six games as interim head coach before Joe Vitt returned after six games. The Saints lost four straight to open the season, including one in overtime and a one-point loss to the Packers.
None of seven teams that opened 0-2 in 2011 could pull off the turnaround either, again with no team better than 7-9. You have to go back to 2008 to find playoff teams that opened 0-2 — the Vikings, Dolphins and Chargers. But those teams didn't lose their first two games in their own conference, let alone their own division which would be the case for the Vikings this year.
Winning early and often doesn't assure a playoff spot, but roughly 58 percent of the team that win their first two games go on to the postseason. The Bears have opened 2-0 just three times since Mike Ditka was fired after the 1991 season. The Bears went to the NFC championship game in 2010, made the Super Bowl in 2006 and wound up 4-12 in 2002. Two out of three ain't bad.
The Bears last started 0-2 in 2003 and they wound up 7-9 and out of the playoffs.
A year ago the Bears split their first two games, but went 7-1 in the first half of the season before seeing their fortunes turn in the second half, losing five of six in one stretch. The Bears recovered in time to win at Arizona and Detroit, but the Vikings had found their stride and rode a four-game winning streak, including a season-finale victory over the Packers for a 10-6 record and a playoff spot over the Bears. The rest is history with Lovie Smith getting fired and most of his staff out the door with him.
Much has been made about the difficulty of this year's schedule in comparison to the cakewalk of last season. In fact, the Bears played eight games against teams that eventually went to the playoffs a year ago, including the two apiece against the Packers and Vikings. They are scheduled for seven games against 2012 playoff teams with a victory over the Bengals already in the books with games scheduled against the Ravens, Redskins, Packers (twice) and Vikings (twice). None of those teams won on opening weekend.
If you believe in the curse of the 0-2 start, then the Bears schedule figures to be minus a playoff team or two with key games this weekend featuring the Redskins at Packers, Steelers at Bengals, Browns at Ravens and Broncos at Giants.
Wouldn't it be something if the Bears beat the Vikings and the Redskins take out the Packers? That would make Week 4 at Detroit a crucial division showdown. It's very early, of course, and nothing is promised, not even the playoffs following a 7-1 start.
But a big victory on opening day can set up a big season — provided you kick em' in the knee when the opportunity arises.
Mostly NFL Notes: A Week 1 Recap.
By Dalton Del Don
Comparing E.J. Manuel to Tom Brady, the rookie had a higher completion percentage, YPA and QB Rating while taking two fewer sacks and committing two fewer turnovers while throwing for the same amount of touchdowns. Despite this while playing at home and also scoring a defensive TD, Buffalo still lost… I wrote off 32-year-old Fred Jackson this season, but he averaged 5.2 YPC compared to C.J. Spiller’s 2.4, with the latter also losing a fumble. Still, Spiller should still be valued just as he was before Sunday’s game… Speaking of lack of ball security, while I’d like to brag about being so high on Shane Vereen entering the year, I was also all in on Stevan Ridley, who was benched after fumbling twice, including losing one on a play in which he was untouched (and frankly, looked like he might have been badly injured but wasn’t). Bill Belichick is so ruthless. Ridley also lost a fumble during New England’s loss in last year’s playoffs, but that came during a crushing hit that resulted in a serious concussion, and luckily for him and his owners, Vereen will be out the next few weeks after undergoing wrist surgery… It was nice to see Danny Amendola gut it out and play through his groin injury, hauling in 10 catches for 104 yards. It’s simple with him, he’s going to be a fantasy monster as long as he stays healthy, but that's far from a sure thing... Zach Sudfeld was a total no show (although this may have been due to injury), and Kenbrell Thompkins somehow got just 3.0 YPT against a Buffalo secondary decimated by injuries. Julian Edelman has quickly become fantasy relevant as a result. Rob Gronkowski will be back soon, but Edelman recorded seven receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, and just imagine how important he’d become if Amendola goes down. I’d be VERY aggressive with my FAAB this week on Edelman. He absolutely has a chance to be a major difference maker.
In a week full of surprises (as always), the Saints/Falcons game combining for just 40 points was certainly one of them. Moreover, those who were Steven Jackson haters in the preseason (myself included) pointed to his high career rushing attempts with the thinking being he will wear down and won’t be efficient, whereas the counter was he’ll be a workhorse and score a bunch of TDs in Atlanta’s system. So naturally, he gets 7.0 YPC (and added five catches for 45 yards) while getting just 11 carries and not scoring, even ceding a carry inside the 5-yard line to Jacquizz Rodgers. Go figure… It’s pretty funny Roddy White is now letting the world know he’s more injured than Atlanta led on… The Saints’ running back situation remains as muddled as ever, and after a lot of praise about Mark Ingram being healthier and more explosive than ever in the preseason, the third-year back managed just 1.2 YPC against an Atlanta front seven that allowed 4.8 YPC and 16 rushing scores last season, which isn’t exactly encouraging.
Around 20 minutes into Week 1, three teams led 2-0, which isn’t exactly normal (a fourth safety later occurred Monday night). One of those teams was the Jaguars, who would end up losing 28-2 at home against a KC squad that finished an NFL-worst 2-14 last season… Alex Smith somehow recorded a 94.4 QB Rating while getting 5.1 YPA, but Dwayne Bowe owners have to be concerned. Smith is without question an upgrade over Matt Cassel, but his unwillingness to go downfield is going to really hurt Bowe’s fantasy value. Still, Smith threw for 25 percent of the Chiefs’ total TD passes all of last season Sunday… Cecil Shorts pulled down just 27.3 percent of the passes headed his way, getting an anemic 3.6 YPT in the process. Of course, it wasn’t his fault. Blaine Gabbert, who was facing a Chiefs secondary that allowed 8.0 YPA with an NFL-high 99.9 QB Rating last season, completed just 45.7 percent of his passes with a 3.5 YPA mark while taking six sacks and posting a 0:2 TD:INT ratio. I don’t care if this is a controversial statement, but I feel like Gabbert isn’t Jacksonville’s long-term solution at quarterback.
The NFL is more "Rah Rah Ree, Kick 'em in the knee …'' with considerably saltier language that some pardon as French. Winning is the only ideal in the NFL and kicking a team that's down the only acceptable practice. And, wow, do the Bears have a golden chance Sunday to lay out the Vikings.
The Bears don't even have to go low and illegal, Ndamukong Suh-style, to block the Vikings playoff chances. An 0-2 start in two division games would send them reeling out of contention in the NFC North, even if things are just getting started.
One week into the 2013 season it's accepted fact the NFL is a quarterback's league, and the Viking's don't have a very good one. NFL quarterbacks combined for a whopping 63 touchdown passes on opening weekend, exceeding the highest total passes in any week in NFL history (58 in 2004 and 2007 late in each season).
Ponder contributed to the total with a 4-yard strike to running back Adrian Peterson, so he's clearly better than the Jaguars' Blaine Gabbert. In fairness, Ponder did complete passes of 44 and 47 yards in a 10-point loss to the Lions and he finished with six fewer passing yards than Jay Cutler for the weekend. But Ponder also threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, raising calls for Matt Cassel to take over.
Changing quarterbacks is a desperate act one game into a season, but frankly, the Vikings have to be pretty distressed given their situation. If they start the season 0-2, that is a death knell to playoff hopes in the modern NFL. Only 22 of 190 teams in the last 23 years have made the playoffs after an 0-2 start, 11.6 percent.
There is an obvious reason slow starts lead to bad years. Bad teams have a hard time playing well, let alone starting well. If you are only going to win a couple of games in a season, odds are they won't be the first two. Conversely, good teams tend to limit losing streaks and beat teams they're supposed to beat. It's unlucky if the schedule is loaded against you early, but finding a way to win is the only way of life in the NFL.
None of the six 0-2 teams last year, including the Saints, made the playoffs or finished better than 7-9. The 7-9 Saints were reeling from fallout over the bounty scandal and played without suspended coach Sean Payton among many key losses.
Poor Aaron Kromer, now the Bears offensive coordinator, oversaw the first six games as interim head coach before Joe Vitt returned after six games. The Saints lost four straight to open the season, including one in overtime and a one-point loss to the Packers.
None of seven teams that opened 0-2 in 2011 could pull off the turnaround either, again with no team better than 7-9. You have to go back to 2008 to find playoff teams that opened 0-2 — the Vikings, Dolphins and Chargers. But those teams didn't lose their first two games in their own conference, let alone their own division which would be the case for the Vikings this year.
Winning early and often doesn't assure a playoff spot, but roughly 58 percent of the team that win their first two games go on to the postseason. The Bears have opened 2-0 just three times since Mike Ditka was fired after the 1991 season. The Bears went to the NFC championship game in 2010, made the Super Bowl in 2006 and wound up 4-12 in 2002. Two out of three ain't bad.
The Bears last started 0-2 in 2003 and they wound up 7-9 and out of the playoffs.
A year ago the Bears split their first two games, but went 7-1 in the first half of the season before seeing their fortunes turn in the second half, losing five of six in one stretch. The Bears recovered in time to win at Arizona and Detroit, but the Vikings had found their stride and rode a four-game winning streak, including a season-finale victory over the Packers for a 10-6 record and a playoff spot over the Bears. The rest is history with Lovie Smith getting fired and most of his staff out the door with him.
Much has been made about the difficulty of this year's schedule in comparison to the cakewalk of last season. In fact, the Bears played eight games against teams that eventually went to the playoffs a year ago, including the two apiece against the Packers and Vikings. They are scheduled for seven games against 2012 playoff teams with a victory over the Bengals already in the books with games scheduled against the Ravens, Redskins, Packers (twice) and Vikings (twice). None of those teams won on opening weekend.
If you believe in the curse of the 0-2 start, then the Bears schedule figures to be minus a playoff team or two with key games this weekend featuring the Redskins at Packers, Steelers at Bengals, Browns at Ravens and Broncos at Giants.
Wouldn't it be something if the Bears beat the Vikings and the Redskins take out the Packers? That would make Week 4 at Detroit a crucial division showdown. It's very early, of course, and nothing is promised, not even the playoffs following a 7-1 start.
But a big victory on opening day can set up a big season — provided you kick em' in the knee when the opportunity arises.
Mostly NFL Notes: A Week 1 Recap.
By Dalton Del Don
I bet on the Steelers to win more than 9.5 games, to win the AFC North and to win the Super Bowl this season, but if that wasn’t enough on the line Sunday, I picked them in my Survivor league. To be honest, I hated all the Week 1 options and wasn't shocked I lost, but this wasn’t just a “pot odds” play – I really thought they were more likely to win than the Colts and Patriots (the latter two both nearly losing yet securing a win inside the final 10 seconds of both their games was absolutely salt in a large wound). Pittsburgh not only lost, but they did so after being gifted a safety on their first play of the season. Their offense wouldn’t score a single point until 1:23 left in the fourth quarter at home against a Tennessee team that allowed an NFL-high 29.4 points per game last season. Losing a center (especially so early on and a good one in Maurkice Pouncey) is actually one of the tougher positions to replace mid-game, but that’s still inexcusable.
I always talk about running back being the most fungible position in football, but there’s a threshold for which it becomes a problem, and Pittsburgh has officially reached it. Isaac Redman had two fumbles within the first 20 minutes, including losing one inside Tennessee’s 5-yard line, and the team got 2.1 YPC. I still believe in Pittsburgh’s defense and Ben Roethlisberger (and every other team in the division lost Sunday, although the Steelers were the only favorites to do so), but this was a pretty discouraging start, obviously. Here’s a (pretty heavily) favored home team who allowed 117 net yards passing and 2.7 YPC and yet lost (pretty handily I might add)…Le’Veon Bell can’t return soon enough. Clearly, Pitt’s backfield needs to be totally avoided at all costs until then… Chris Johnson lost GL work to Jackie Battle even after Shonn Greene left hurt, but CJ should have much better days ahead. Don’t worry about him.
Comparing E.J. Manuel to Tom Brady, the rookie had a higher completion percentage, YPA and QB Rating while taking two fewer sacks and committing two fewer turnovers while throwing for the same amount of touchdowns. Despite this while playing at home and also scoring a defensive TD, Buffalo still lost… I wrote off 32-year-old Fred Jackson this season, but he averaged 5.2 YPC compared to C.J. Spiller’s 2.4, with the latter also losing a fumble. Still, Spiller should still be valued just as he was before Sunday’s game… Speaking of lack of ball security, while I’d like to brag about being so high on Shane Vereen entering the year, I was also all in on Stevan Ridley, who was benched after fumbling twice, including losing one on a play in which he was untouched (and frankly, looked like he might have been badly injured but wasn’t). Bill Belichick is so ruthless. Ridley also lost a fumble during New England’s loss in last year’s playoffs, but that came during a crushing hit that resulted in a serious concussion, and luckily for him and his owners, Vereen will be out the next few weeks after undergoing wrist surgery… It was nice to see Danny Amendola gut it out and play through his groin injury, hauling in 10 catches for 104 yards. It’s simple with him, he’s going to be a fantasy monster as long as he stays healthy, but that's far from a sure thing... Zach Sudfeld was a total no show (although this may have been due to injury), and Kenbrell Thompkins somehow got just 3.0 YPT against a Buffalo secondary decimated by injuries. Julian Edelman has quickly become fantasy relevant as a result. Rob Gronkowski will be back soon, but Edelman recorded seven receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, and just imagine how important he’d become if Amendola goes down. I’d be VERY aggressive with my FAAB this week on Edelman. He absolutely has a chance to be a major difference maker.
In a week full of surprises (as always), the Saints/Falcons game combining for just 40 points was certainly one of them. Moreover, those who were Steven Jackson haters in the preseason (myself included) pointed to his high career rushing attempts with the thinking being he will wear down and won’t be efficient, whereas the counter was he’ll be a workhorse and score a bunch of TDs in Atlanta’s system. So naturally, he gets 7.0 YPC (and added five catches for 45 yards) while getting just 11 carries and not scoring, even ceding a carry inside the 5-yard line to Jacquizz Rodgers. Go figure… It’s pretty funny Roddy White is now letting the world know he’s more injured than Atlanta led on… The Saints’ running back situation remains as muddled as ever, and after a lot of praise about Mark Ingram being healthier and more explosive than ever in the preseason, the third-year back managed just 1.2 YPC against an Atlanta front seven that allowed 4.8 YPC and 16 rushing scores last season, which isn’t exactly encouraging.
Anyone who knows gambling quickly realized this week’s Bucs/Jets game was an obvious “go ugly” play, as more than 90% of the public money was on Tampa Bay. I would have said the same thing even if the Bucs covered, as the point is you’ll win these types more often than not in the long run (although to be fair, I want to say I lost my one teaser bet this week)… Did Kellen Winslow really secure seven of eight targets for 79 yards and a touchdown against a strong Tampa defense with a raw rookie QB throwing to him? I have to say I didn’t see that coming… Stephen Hill has the physical attributes to be a beast, so his ability to be a fantasy factor will be directly tied to Geno Smith’s development... Doug Martin not only got 2.7 YPC and lost a fumble, but he somehow also had negative receiving yards while seeing six targets. At least he scored a five-yard touchdown, despite being the worst goal-line runner in the NFL last season… Lavonte David’s personal foul on a late hit on Smith when the outcome was almost certainly solidified will definitely go down as one of the crazier ways to lose a football game this season.
Around 20 minutes into Week 1, three teams led 2-0, which isn’t exactly normal (a fourth safety later occurred Monday night). One of those teams was the Jaguars, who would end up losing 28-2 at home against a KC squad that finished an NFL-worst 2-14 last season… Alex Smith somehow recorded a 94.4 QB Rating while getting 5.1 YPA, but Dwayne Bowe owners have to be concerned. Smith is without question an upgrade over Matt Cassel, but his unwillingness to go downfield is going to really hurt Bowe’s fantasy value. Still, Smith threw for 25 percent of the Chiefs’ total TD passes all of last season Sunday… Cecil Shorts pulled down just 27.3 percent of the passes headed his way, getting an anemic 3.6 YPT in the process. Of course, it wasn’t his fault. Blaine Gabbert, who was facing a Chiefs secondary that allowed 8.0 YPA with an NFL-high 99.9 QB Rating last season, completed just 45.7 percent of his passes with a 3.5 YPA mark while taking six sacks and posting a 0:2 TD:INT ratio. I don’t care if this is a controversial statement, but I feel like Gabbert isn’t Jacksonville’s long-term solution at quarterback.
Carolina was impressive defensively, holding the Seahawks to just 12 points. This front seven is legit, although Greg Hardy, who set his goal to record 50 sacks this season, better step it up after getting none Sunday. Still, Russell Wilson managed to quietly complete 75.8 percent of his passes for 320 yards (9.7 YPA) anyway. This play was just silly. I’m beginning to think teams overly worried about his height during last year’s draft… Golden Tate had a disappointing performance, especially for me, as I own him in nearly all of my leagues, but at least he saw seven targets (Sidney Rice saw just three, in comparison)… With a 69.6 completion percentage and a 5.4 YPA, the Panthers didn’t exactly attack downfield, although a couple of Greg Olsen drops didn’t help… Robert Turbin appears to be Seattle’s clear RB2 right now, but I still say Christine Michael is a difference maker at some point… With 2:14 left in the fourth quarter after a Marshawn Lynch run, the Panthers called a timeout, to which announcer Tim Ryan said: “I may have saved that last timeout until after the two-minute warning.” It’s almost as if Ryan doesn’t understand the most rudimentary math. We have been over this simple equation for years now, yet someone whose career is calling NFL games still doesn’t get it. Ugh.
The Browns have an underrated defense, but 10 carries for three yards is the type of performance to get Lamar Miller fantasy owners rightfully concerned, especially when it’s accompanied by just one target. Daniel Thomas certainly didn’t do much better, getting just 1.8 YPC, but he at least reached pay dirt. If Miller doesn’t bounce back in Week 2 against an Indy D that was gashed for 5.1 YPC last season, it will be time to officially panic… I’m firmly on the Trent Richardson bandwagon, but he’s now rushed for fewer than 55 yards in nine of his 16 career games... Mike Wallace had one catch for 15 yards on five looks, whereas Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson combined for 25 targets… It appears the preseason buzz on Jordan Cameron was worthwhile, at least while Josh Gordon remains suspended… Cameron Wake had 2.5 sacks, as he remains one of the five or so most valuable defensive players in football.
It’s pretty remarkable Adrian Peterson had a 78-yard touchdown run on his first touch of the season (and scored two more times thereafter) yet finished with just 93 rushing yards. Of course, fantasy owners aren’t complaining… Calvin Johnson wasn’t tackled at the one-yard-line like he commonly was last year, but he had a very close TD catch overturned by the booth, making his day quite disappointing… Matthew Stafford is on pace to throw “only” 688 passes this season… Reggie Bush had a monster game, totaling 191 yards and a score, but it could’ve been so much bigger, as he had two originally ruled touchdowns overturned by booth reviews that couldn’t have totaled more than six inches before reaching the end zone. Even if he’ll continue to get replaced by Joique Bell at the goal line, only health will prevent Bush from finishing as a top-10 fantasy back.
While it shouldn’t have had to come down to it as big favorites at home, Andrew Luck recorded yet another game-winning fourth quarter drive Sunday (he had a whopping seven of them last year as a rookie), punctuated by a 19-yard TD run. It was a favorable matchup, but Luck played well, completing 78.3 percent of his passes while getting 7.7 YPA and posting a 3:0 TD:TO ratio. I fully expected Ahmad Bradshaw to be a worthy RB2 in fantasy leagues, but he ended with just seven carries for 26 yards, so um, my bad… Unless injuries strike, T.Y. Hilton is going to go down as a major fantasy disappointment. He played just 26 snaps… The biggest takeaway here has to be Terrelle Pryor, who looked quite competent. It was against a suspect Colts D, and he made some terrible mistakes (taking a bad sack on 1st-and-goal with less than one minute remaining in the fourth quarter jumps out), but he actually showed some accuracy while getting 7.5 YPA, and most importantly for fantasy owners, ran for 112 yards (the most by any player Sunday!). I’m not projecting Pryor as a sure franchise QB, but I will say this, especially considering the Oakland offensive line in front of him, what he showed Sunday should make a Raiders fan far more optimistic than they were two weeks ago (and in fantasy terms, Pryor’s rushing ability makes him obviously intriguing).
Among the non-quarterbacks, I’d argue A.J. Green was the best football player Sunday. He torched a Chicago secondary that allowed just 6.3 YPA and a 71.3 QB Rating last season for 162 yards (12.5 YPT) and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t just the numbers, as he hauled in several impressive catches in tight coverage. Not that I’m telling you anything you didn’t know, but this was an elite talent on full display while playing on the road and with a QB who was 0-for-5 with an interception on passes that traveled 15-plus yards in the air this preseason throwing to him. At minimum, it’s safe to say Green is fully recovered from his recent knee injury…Giovani Bernard owners can’t be happy with five touches, but how long can Cincy stick with BenJarvus Green-Ellis (14 carries, 25 yards)?...Tyler Eifert sure looks like a future star… Martellus Bennett saw more targets Sunday than he did all of the preseason with his new team… Matt Forte was held to just 50 rushing yards on 19 attempts, but a one-yard TD conversion is huge for a RB who went 3-for-33 at the GL from 2009-2011.
Not only did Jared Cook have seven catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns, but he also lost a fumble at the 1-yard line a mere second before scoring, so he nearly reached pay dirt three times against an Arizona secondary that allowed an NFL-low 71.2 QB Rating last season. Looks like Cook’s much-delayed breakout might actually finally be in store… Chris Givens and Golden Tate, two of my favorite mid-round wide receiver targets, didn’t exactly get off to great starts in Week 1… Daryl Richardson left banged up, but he returned and totaled 99 yards on 25 touches as the team’s clear lead back. It was more encouraging than discouraging for fantasy owners… I’m beginning to think Larry Fitzgerald might put up better numbers with Carson Palmer now his quarterback.
What a game between the 49ers and Packers. Many more of those this year, and there’s going to be problems in the Del Don household, and I say that on behalf of my six-month old daughter… First off, Aaron Rodgers is so good it’s almost unfair. Some of the throws he made Sunday were just ridiculous, and his interception was 100 percent Jermichael Finley’s fault (despite that, the tight end did look good, living up to the preseason hype)… Eddie Lacy was benched for a good period after losing a fumble, but it’s clear who’s the team’s No. 1 back. Lacy is in store for a huge rookie season. Buy him now if your league offers anything resembling a discount... Jordy Nelson looked fantastic… There have been three 10+ catch, 200+ yard receiving season opening performances in NFL history, and Anquan Boldin now has two of them. Obviously, there’s nowhere to go but down, but don’t consider this a total fluke. Boldin is clearly SF’s WR1 and should be treated as a top-20 fantasy WR moving forward, if not top-15… Since entering the league in 2011, Aldon Smith is tied for the most sacks in the NFL (35)... Frank Gore was held to just 44 yards on 21 carries, but the vision he exhibited on his TD run was as good as it gets.
So the question is no longer “will Vernon Davis live up to the preseason hype?” It’s now “Jimmy Graham or Davis?”… Colin Kaepernick had never thrown for 300 yards in a regular season game before reaching 412 Sunday. During his last two outings against the Packers, Kaepernick has totaled 878 yards and seven touchdowns. Factoring in age and salary, I’d love to hear an argument he’s not the most valuable commodity in the NFL... With 9:51 left in the second quarter, Mike McCarthy accepted an illegal formation penalty that resulted in a 3rd-and-6 for the 49ers opposed to what would have been 4th-and-1. As insane as that decision was, things only got weirder thereafter, as the following play resulted in Kaepernick getting tackled late out of bounds by Clay Matthews, which was a personal foul penalty in which Joe Staley retaliated and got one of his own. The refs ruled them offsetting and had the teams replay third down, only since they were both dead ball fouls, it should have been 4th-and-2. The ensuing play was a Boldin TD, so SF caught a pretty huge break.
The Cowboys had never beaten the Giants at home since the opening of their new stadium, and they won by just five points Sunday night despite a plus-five turnover margin in quite a bizarre game. The Manning brothers combined for 912 passing yards and 11 touchdowns during Week 1. They face each other in Week 2… The Giants committed three turnovers in the first 6:10 of the game. David Wilson has three lost fumbles during Week 1s against the Cowboys. He has zero fumbles in his other 15 career games played. Buy him right now, please… Dez Bryant, who had 879 yards and 10 touchdowns over the final eight games of last year, tallied 22 yards on eight targets Sunday night against a Giants secondary that allowed an NFL-high 8.1 YPA last season. It’s clear defenses are going to be paying more attention to him in 2013, and while I want to say ignore Week 1, his foot sprain is at least a little worrisome… Jason Witten somehow scored just three touchdowns last season despite recording the most catches (110) by a tight end in NFL history. It’s unclear if the preseason chatter of involving him more in the red zone was real or just natural regression was to blame, but his current fantasy owners are sure happy to see him catch two touchdowns Sunday night… Tony Romo’s 33 pass attempts in the first half were a career high, and fantasy owners can breathe a sigh of relief his rib injury isn’t serious... Dallas trailed in every game last season before never falling behind against the Giants on Sunday night.
Despite a questionable backward pass that led to a Washington defensive touchdown, the Chip Kelly Philadelphia era couldn’t have gotten off to a more impressive start, as the Eagles ran a whopping 53 plays in the first half of Monday night’s game, when they entered halftime with a 26-7 lead (that quickly became 33-7). Philadelphia’s offense became conservative afterward, and it remains to be seen what happens once opposing defenses get more on tape (and whether Michael Vick can stay healthy), but Philly fans have to be awfully excited right now… DeSean Jackson is going to be a top-15 fantasy WR for most weeks in which he’s healthy…LeSean McCoy’s ability to break tackles combined with this system is going to lead to big things. I’ll say he has a 45 percent chance of finishing with better numbers than Adrian Peterson, and you’re crazy if you don’t have him as the clear No. 2 fantasy player… Pierre Garcon had 11 targets and looked healthy. Huge numbers are to come... Obviously it was a pretty dismal start to Alfred Morris’ season, but it shouldn’t be anything to worry about moving forward... Washington committed the fewest turnovers in the NFL last season and yet had two (including a safety that might as well have been another) during the team’s first three possessions Monday night (and later added another)… Robert Griffin was flat out bad early on, as he was clearly rusty. His mechanics were way off, resulting in uncharacteristically inaccurate throws. But RG3 rebounded in a big way, putting up some nice fourth quarter stats that his fantasy owners had to appreciate. His early performance shouldn’t be much of a worry considering he didn’t play a snap in the preseason. Griffin’s recovery will be a process, but he’s only going to get better from here on out.
The Chargers were up 28-7 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter at home and yet somehow managed to lose, not even requiring overtime. And this happened without Norv Turner being involved! To be fair, it’s hard not to question the penalty resulting in a first down during the Texans’ fourth-quarter field goal attempt that then led to a touchdown. Pretty nebulous… It’s not easy to kick off, not score a defensive touchdown and be up 7-0 just 15 seconds into a game, but San Diego did so Monday night. Again, they still lost… Of course Ryan Mathews got everyone excited looking so good with the early TD catch and yet still finished with just 33 yards on 13 carries. He’s a walking paradox wrapped in a riddle… Andre Johnson had 12 catches for 146 yards on 16 targets yet didn’t score, while Eddie Royal had two touchdown catches. It’s nothing new for Johnson, but Royal’s performance totally came out of nowhere...Arian Foster gained 57 yards on 18 rushing attempts (3.2 YPC) while Ben Tate gained 55 yards on nine carries (6.1). It won't be as drastic moving forward, but this is telling.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Back to work: NHL training camps open Wednesday.
The Associated Press
Swept out of the playoffs, Evgeni Malkin is itching to get back on the ice with his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates.
''I miss hockey,'' he said. ''It's (a) long summer.''
Actually, it's the NHL's shortest summer in recent history. Training camps open around the league Wednesday, just 79 days after the Chicago Blackhawks wrapped up the lockout-shortened 2013 season by winning the Stanley Cup.
''I think for us, it's a short offseason, but we're excited to go back to camp and be together with a team again, get things started and just get back to our daily job as hockey players,'' Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said last week.
Condensing a 48-game regular season and playoffs into a window from mid-January to June made for a June 24 ending. The draft and free agency came and went in a blur.
Blackhawks players got to celebrate with a parade and now must shift focus to the business of trying to repeat. For players from the runner-up Boston Bruins and everyone else, preparations for training camp have been underway for a while.
It doesn't seem to matter that the offseason was so brief.
''From how you prepare for a season, I don't think it has any effect,'' Winnipeg Jets left winger Andrew Ladd said. ''I think you would always usually come into town a couple weeks early and skate with the guys and start preparing for the season.''
Those informal skates are over, as are rookie camps. Teams have physicals and other off-ice activities scheduled for Wednesday, and the first on-ice sessions Thursday.
"This naturally is a very significant reaction from NASCAR," Helton said. "As multiple car owners have become a very positive, integral part of this sport, that also comes with the responsibility from NASCAR and also the car owners to maintain a fair and level playing field. We've talked about what-ifs over the years, particularly since the Chase was established, particularly with the evolution of multiple-car teams. And we've been very fortunate that we've not had any occurrences that required NASCAR to step up ? as we've had to do today."
Bowyer's spin with seven laps remaining at Richmond set off a chain of events that directly impacted who qualified for the 12-driver postseason field.
Additionally, Vickers' unscheduled pit stop in the late going allowed Joey Logano to gain a position, helping him race his way into the top 10 in points. Logano edged Jeff Gordon for the final spot based on the standings, and freed up a Wild Card spot which went to Truex.
At the point of Bowyer's lazy slide off Turn 4, Newman led the race and was poised to grab one of the two Wild Card berths if he could capitalize for his second victory of the season -- which would have denied one-win Truex the opportunity to snag a Wild Card spot. But Bowyer's spin brought out a deciding final caution, and a sluggish pit stop by Newman's No. 39 team allowed Carl Edwards to leave pit road first and pull away to the checkered flag on the final restart with three laps remaining.
A review of in-car audio later revealed Bowyer hearing from spotter Brett Griffin that Newman was leading, then comments from crew chief Brian Pattie, saying, "Is your arm starting to hurt? I bet it's getting hot in there. Itch it." Half a lap later, Bowyer's No. 15 Toyota spun to force the final caution period. Bowyer had clinched his berth in the Chase three weeks earlier at Bristol Motor Speedway.
"My car was tight as hell," Bowyer said after the race when asked about the team radio communications. "(Jimmie Johnson) blew a tire and hit the wall. I'm telling you, I was the next one. That thing slid, what, maybe less than 10 feet and blew out. You know what I mean? Something was going on there. I've been doing this a long time. It is what it is. It's unfortunate. I know it's a lot of fun for you guys to write a lot of wacky things. Go ahead if you want to, get creative. But don't look too much into it."
United States' Mix Diskrud, left, and Graham Zusi celebrate the team's 2-0 win over Mexico in a World Cup qualifying soccer match Tuesday, September 10, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete).
''I think differences between conferences are more exaggerated than accurate,'' said Washington State coach Mike Leach, whose team lost to Auburn in the opener before a win at USC. ''There's definitely nuances between conferences, but if you're in one of the major conferences - the Pac-12, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC, the ACC - they're probably more similar than they are different. They all have 300-pounders, guys who can run.''
Last week, the Pac-12 was 8-0 in nonconference games, outscoring opponents 384-111.
By Saturday night, the picture of conference strength this season could be a little clearer.
As far as the scrutiny of the results, well, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer brushed off the big-picture importance during his time on the Big Ten coaches conference call.
So did Pelini. Illinois coach Tim Beckman said he didn't even realize there were so many games this weekend pitting Big Ten teams against major opponents.
But Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen, the newbie of the group, let down his guard.
''It's important for all of us, from a recruiting standpoint and playing another big-time conference, so I do believe it matters for the conference,'' he said. ''Those are important games.''
Nadal beats Djokovic to win second US Open crown.
**********************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
Actually, it's the NHL's shortest summer in recent history. Training camps open around the league Wednesday, just 79 days after the Chicago Blackhawks wrapped up the lockout-shortened 2013 season by winning the Stanley Cup.
''I think for us, it's a short offseason, but we're excited to go back to camp and be together with a team again, get things started and just get back to our daily job as hockey players,'' Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said last week.
Condensing a 48-game regular season and playoffs into a window from mid-January to June made for a June 24 ending. The draft and free agency came and went in a blur.
Blackhawks players got to celebrate with a parade and now must shift focus to the business of trying to repeat. For players from the runner-up Boston Bruins and everyone else, preparations for training camp have been underway for a while.
It doesn't seem to matter that the offseason was so brief.
''From how you prepare for a season, I don't think it has any effect,'' Winnipeg Jets left winger Andrew Ladd said. ''I think you would always usually come into town a couple weeks early and skate with the guys and start preparing for the season.''
Those informal skates are over, as are rookie camps. Teams have physicals and other off-ice activities scheduled for Wednesday, and the first on-ice sessions Thursday.
For teams featuring new coaches - John Tortorella with the Vancouver Canucks, Alain Vigneault with the New York Rangers, Lindy Ruff with the Dallas Stars, and Dallas Eakins with the Edmonton Oilers - training camp is the first taste of change. As he did when in charge of the Rangers, Tortorella sent a letter to Canucks players detailing what fitness testing would be like, and strength trainers sent videos of what it looked like.
''I heard we need two ice sheets just for the tests,'' center Ryan Kesler said. ''I heard it's tough. It's going to be rigorous, he even says that. I've been doing it this summer and, yeah, it's not fun. I think that's going to be the mindset, though. We're going to work hard, some days aren't going to be fun, but it's for the better of the team.''
One benefit of the new collective bargaining agreement being in place and an 82-game season on the horizon is that teams will get more than a cursory glance at players, which was the case in January. There are more mandatory off days and limits on ice time under this CBA, which changes a little bit from previous years.
Camps are limited to 20 days for veterans, and each player is required to have two days off.
''Camp is shorter now than it used to be,'' Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said. ''There's not a lot of time for making people feel good. So I think Randy (Carlyle) and the coaching staff, they'll give everyone an opportunity, but we need to get to work pretty quick.''
Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza similarly expects camp to be ''full throttle'' even with reigning coach of the year Paul MacLean in charge again. The post-Daniel Alfredsson era begins with the addition of Bobby Ryan and a changing leadership dynamic in the locker room and on the ice.
Even in places where not much has changed, players voiced an eagerness to get started.
''I enjoy training camp. I know a lot of guys don't, but I actually do,'' San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture said. ''It's good to see all the guys again. I haven't seen them in a couple months, and just get back to feeling good about your game and relearning the system. I'm sure ours is going to be very similar to what it was last year and the years before that, but I'm looking forward to that.''
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Agent: Deng to become free agent after season.''I heard we need two ice sheets just for the tests,'' center Ryan Kesler said. ''I heard it's tough. It's going to be rigorous, he even says that. I've been doing it this summer and, yeah, it's not fun. I think that's going to be the mindset, though. We're going to work hard, some days aren't going to be fun, but it's for the better of the team.''
One benefit of the new collective bargaining agreement being in place and an 82-game season on the horizon is that teams will get more than a cursory glance at players, which was the case in January. There are more mandatory off days and limits on ice time under this CBA, which changes a little bit from previous years.
Camps are limited to 20 days for veterans, and each player is required to have two days off.
''Camp is shorter now than it used to be,'' Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said. ''There's not a lot of time for making people feel good. So I think Randy (Carlyle) and the coaching staff, they'll give everyone an opportunity, but we need to get to work pretty quick.''
Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza similarly expects camp to be ''full throttle'' even with reigning coach of the year Paul MacLean in charge again. The post-Daniel Alfredsson era begins with the addition of Bobby Ryan and a changing leadership dynamic in the locker room and on the ice.
Even in places where not much has changed, players voiced an eagerness to get started.
''I enjoy training camp. I know a lot of guys don't, but I actually do,'' San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture said. ''It's good to see all the guys again. I haven't seen them in a couple months, and just get back to feeling good about your game and relearning the system. I'm sure ours is going to be very similar to what it was last year and the years before that, but I'm looking forward to that.''
The Sports Xchange
With contract talks stalled between forward Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls, the two-time All-Star forward plans to test the free-agent waters after the 2013-14 season, his agent said Tuesday.
The Bulls told Deng that they will wait until after this season to discuss a contract extension. Deng's six-year, $71 million contract expires next summer.
"Luol has taken the position that he will definitely go through the free-agent process," Deng's Chicago-based agent, Herb Rudoy, told the Chicago Tribune.
Among the potential free agents in 2014 are LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bogut, Zach Randolph and Danny Granger.
Rudoy was surprised the Bulls ended contract talks before training camp.
"I thought they would enter negotiations," he said.
The Bulls have said they plan to attempt to keep Deng.
The 28-year-old Deng has shown durability with the Bulls, but he missed the playoffs this season after becoming ill. In 75 regular-season games in 2012-13, Deng averaged 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds, consistent with his career averages of 16 points and 6.4 rebounds.
The Bulls told Deng that they will wait until after this season to discuss a contract extension. Deng's six-year, $71 million contract expires next summer.
"Luol has taken the position that he will definitely go through the free-agent process," Deng's Chicago-based agent, Herb Rudoy, told the Chicago Tribune.
Among the potential free agents in 2014 are LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bogut, Zach Randolph and Danny Granger.
Rudoy was surprised the Bulls ended contract talks before training camp.
"I thought they would enter negotiations," he said.
The Bulls have said they plan to attempt to keep Deng.
The 28-year-old Deng has shown durability with the Bulls, but he missed the playoffs this season after becoming ill. In 75 regular-season games in 2012-13, Deng averaged 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds, consistent with his career averages of 16 points and 6.4 rebounds.
Stenson having his greatest season.
By Doug Ferguson
Henrik Stenson has been so busy contending in big tournaments that he never stopped to realize what kind of season he was having.
Only when he was doing an interview last week with Swedish radio did it hit him.
''Yeah, it probably is my best season,'' Stenson said Tuesday.
He won a World Golf Championship in 2007 and moved to No. 5 in the world, but Stenson didn't really do much the rest of the year. He won The Players Championship, possibly his biggest win, yet didn't really feature much the rest of the way.
His only win this year was the Deutsche Bank Championship, but it's what preceded it that has put the Swede at No. 6 in the world.
He tied for third at the Scottish Open and was runner-up in the British Open. He tied for second in the Bridgestone Invitational (by seven shots to Tiger Woods) and tied for third in the PGA Championship.
Stenson also tied for second in the Houston Open, which put him into the Masters and was a turning point in his season.
''From there on it's just kind of been heading more and more in the right direction,'' he said. ''Unbelievable summer. And I guess if I stopped now - looking at the results and the tournaments where I've had those good results - it's the best season of my career so far.''
---
ROOKIE SENSATION: While it's easy to get caught up in Jordan Spieth and his amazing rookie season, it would be hard to consider the best by a pure rookie in recent times. Only two years ago, Keegan Bradley won the Byron Nelson Championship and the PGA Championship, and probably should have been selected for the Presidents Cup team.
And then there's Tiger Woods.
Spieth is assured of becoming the first player since Woods in 1996 to start a season with no status on any tour and reach the Tour Championship. The 20-year-old Texan secured special temporary membership with a runner-up finish in Puerto Rico and a tie for seventh at the Tampa Bay Championship, giving him unlimited exemptions the rest of the year. He became a full member by winning the John Deere Classic.
The surge continued with a playoff loss at the Wyndham Championship, and his tie for fourth in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Woods was 20 when he turned pro in late August, fresh off his third straight U.S. Amateur title. He had seven exemptions to earn his card, and during that stretch he tied for fifth in what is now the John Deere Classic (losing a 54-hole lead to Ed Fiori), tied for third in the B.C. Open that was cut short to 54 holes by rain, and then won twice. He beat Davis Love III in a playoff in Las Vegas, and beat the late Payne Stewart at Disney. In between, Woods was third at the Texas Open.
Going from nowhere to the Tour Championship in seven events? Woods still considers that one of his finest achievements.
---
MONEY TITLE: Henrik Stenson will have a clear shot at winning the FedEx Cup. He has no chance of catching Tiger Woods for the PGA Tour money title.
But the Swede still has his eyes on another money title.
Stenson is leading the European Tour money list by 425,573 euros (about $565,000) over Graeme McDowell with a stretch of big tournaments on the horizon - the BMW Masters, the HSBC Champions, Turkey and the season finale at Dubai. U.S. Open champion Justin Rose is right behind.
''That would be huge for me,'' Stenson said. ''In all my years, this would be as good of a chance as I've ever given myself to do it.''Stenson only has two top 10s in regular European Tour events, compared with two wins for McDowell, but he has scored big with his runner-up finish in the British Open, tie for second in the World Golf Championship at Firestone and tie for third in the PGA Championship.
''When you put all the records down, winning a major would be the most important.
And then it would be winning a money title - or FedEx - here or there,'' Stenson said.
''It's a big achievement to be the best on a tour for the year.''
---
NEW MEMBERS: Four international players have indicated they will join the PGA Tour next year, including a familiar face. Darren Clarke returns, exempt through 2016 from his British Open title in 2011. Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark also will join based on having enough money or FedEx Cup points equal to the top 125.
Meanwhile, former Masters champion Mike Weir, Stephen Ames, Fred Funk and Mark Calcavecchia are using their one-time exemption from being in the top 50 in career money. Robert Allenby and Scott Verplank are using one-time exemptions from the top 25 in career money.
Vijay Singh and Davis Love III will be exempt as life members - at least 20 PGA Tour wins in their careers.
---
BEV NORWOOD: Golf lost one of its great historians, publicists and story tellers when Bev Norwood, who spent more than 30 years with IMG, died in Cleveland last week of cancer at age 66. He did almost all of his work behind the scenes, yet his passing touched every important figure in golf, including the original ''Big Three'' of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
Norwood was a sports writer at the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal when he paid his own way to the British Open, and through networking, joined IMG. He went from London to New York before settling at headquarters in Cleveland and specialized in publications.
He was responsible for the World of Professional Golf, the most comprehensive annual review in the sport, and published annuals from the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. He also put together a biographical booklet on Tiger Woods that was updated for every tournament.
Norwood complained of back pain at the U.S. Open at Merion. That turned out to be his last major.
''He confronted his battle with cancer in recent weeks with a strength and fortitude that belied his small frame,'' IMG vice chairman Alastair Johnston said. ''His wit and whimsical sense of humor, that were always so appealing to his friends and colleagues, never left him.''
One such example of his wit and endless information was when a company signed Woods to a five-year deal worth about $10 million, in which Woods gave a testimonial for the product and little else - no commercials, corporate days or logos he displayed on his bag. Someone told Norwood that it seemed like a lot of money for doing next to nil.
''Actually, it's closer to nil,'' Norwood replied. ''If it were 'next to nil,' it would have been more.''
---
DIVOTS: About the only thing keeping Tiger Woods from winning the Vardon Trophy for the first time since 2009 would be withdrawing in the middle of a round. Woods has a 68.86 adjusted scoring average for a comfortable lead over Steve Stricker (69.08). ... San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif., has been selected to hose the 2017 U.S. Women's Amateur ... Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald have pledged $1,000 for every birdie and $2,000 for every eagle at the BMW Championship toward The First Tee of Greater Chicago. Garcia this year has contributed $78,000 to The First Tee chapters from PGA Tour events he has played since August.
---
STAT OF THE WEEK: Hunter Mahan is the only player to compete in every playoff event since the FedEx Cup began in 2007. He has only finished in the top 10 in the final FedEx Cup one time.
---
FINAL WORD: ''I've still got eight tournaments left. I've got a Steve Stricker season left to play.'' - Rory McIlroy, on the rest of his schedule this year.
Truex out of Chase, Newman in after MWR penalties.
Only when he was doing an interview last week with Swedish radio did it hit him.
''Yeah, it probably is my best season,'' Stenson said Tuesday.
He won a World Golf Championship in 2007 and moved to No. 5 in the world, but Stenson didn't really do much the rest of the year. He won The Players Championship, possibly his biggest win, yet didn't really feature much the rest of the way.
His only win this year was the Deutsche Bank Championship, but it's what preceded it that has put the Swede at No. 6 in the world.
He tied for third at the Scottish Open and was runner-up in the British Open. He tied for second in the Bridgestone Invitational (by seven shots to Tiger Woods) and tied for third in the PGA Championship.
Stenson also tied for second in the Houston Open, which put him into the Masters and was a turning point in his season.
''From there on it's just kind of been heading more and more in the right direction,'' he said. ''Unbelievable summer. And I guess if I stopped now - looking at the results and the tournaments where I've had those good results - it's the best season of my career so far.''
---
ROOKIE SENSATION: While it's easy to get caught up in Jordan Spieth and his amazing rookie season, it would be hard to consider the best by a pure rookie in recent times. Only two years ago, Keegan Bradley won the Byron Nelson Championship and the PGA Championship, and probably should have been selected for the Presidents Cup team.
And then there's Tiger Woods.
Spieth is assured of becoming the first player since Woods in 1996 to start a season with no status on any tour and reach the Tour Championship. The 20-year-old Texan secured special temporary membership with a runner-up finish in Puerto Rico and a tie for seventh at the Tampa Bay Championship, giving him unlimited exemptions the rest of the year. He became a full member by winning the John Deere Classic.
The surge continued with a playoff loss at the Wyndham Championship, and his tie for fourth in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Woods was 20 when he turned pro in late August, fresh off his third straight U.S. Amateur title. He had seven exemptions to earn his card, and during that stretch he tied for fifth in what is now the John Deere Classic (losing a 54-hole lead to Ed Fiori), tied for third in the B.C. Open that was cut short to 54 holes by rain, and then won twice. He beat Davis Love III in a playoff in Las Vegas, and beat the late Payne Stewart at Disney. In between, Woods was third at the Texas Open.
Going from nowhere to the Tour Championship in seven events? Woods still considers that one of his finest achievements.
---
MONEY TITLE: Henrik Stenson will have a clear shot at winning the FedEx Cup. He has no chance of catching Tiger Woods for the PGA Tour money title.
But the Swede still has his eyes on another money title.
Stenson is leading the European Tour money list by 425,573 euros (about $565,000) over Graeme McDowell with a stretch of big tournaments on the horizon - the BMW Masters, the HSBC Champions, Turkey and the season finale at Dubai. U.S. Open champion Justin Rose is right behind.
''That would be huge for me,'' Stenson said. ''In all my years, this would be as good of a chance as I've ever given myself to do it.''Stenson only has two top 10s in regular European Tour events, compared with two wins for McDowell, but he has scored big with his runner-up finish in the British Open, tie for second in the World Golf Championship at Firestone and tie for third in the PGA Championship.
''When you put all the records down, winning a major would be the most important.
And then it would be winning a money title - or FedEx - here or there,'' Stenson said.
''It's a big achievement to be the best on a tour for the year.''
---
NEW MEMBERS: Four international players have indicated they will join the PGA Tour next year, including a familiar face. Darren Clarke returns, exempt through 2016 from his British Open title in 2011. Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark also will join based on having enough money or FedEx Cup points equal to the top 125.
Meanwhile, former Masters champion Mike Weir, Stephen Ames, Fred Funk and Mark Calcavecchia are using their one-time exemption from being in the top 50 in career money. Robert Allenby and Scott Verplank are using one-time exemptions from the top 25 in career money.
Vijay Singh and Davis Love III will be exempt as life members - at least 20 PGA Tour wins in their careers.
---
BEV NORWOOD: Golf lost one of its great historians, publicists and story tellers when Bev Norwood, who spent more than 30 years with IMG, died in Cleveland last week of cancer at age 66. He did almost all of his work behind the scenes, yet his passing touched every important figure in golf, including the original ''Big Three'' of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
Norwood was a sports writer at the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal when he paid his own way to the British Open, and through networking, joined IMG. He went from London to New York before settling at headquarters in Cleveland and specialized in publications.
He was responsible for the World of Professional Golf, the most comprehensive annual review in the sport, and published annuals from the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. He also put together a biographical booklet on Tiger Woods that was updated for every tournament.
Norwood complained of back pain at the U.S. Open at Merion. That turned out to be his last major.
''He confronted his battle with cancer in recent weeks with a strength and fortitude that belied his small frame,'' IMG vice chairman Alastair Johnston said. ''His wit and whimsical sense of humor, that were always so appealing to his friends and colleagues, never left him.''
One such example of his wit and endless information was when a company signed Woods to a five-year deal worth about $10 million, in which Woods gave a testimonial for the product and little else - no commercials, corporate days or logos he displayed on his bag. Someone told Norwood that it seemed like a lot of money for doing next to nil.
''Actually, it's closer to nil,'' Norwood replied. ''If it were 'next to nil,' it would have been more.''
---
DIVOTS: About the only thing keeping Tiger Woods from winning the Vardon Trophy for the first time since 2009 would be withdrawing in the middle of a round. Woods has a 68.86 adjusted scoring average for a comfortable lead over Steve Stricker (69.08). ... San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif., has been selected to hose the 2017 U.S. Women's Amateur ... Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald have pledged $1,000 for every birdie and $2,000 for every eagle at the BMW Championship toward The First Tee of Greater Chicago. Garcia this year has contributed $78,000 to The First Tee chapters from PGA Tour events he has played since August.
---
STAT OF THE WEEK: Hunter Mahan is the only player to compete in every playoff event since the FedEx Cup began in 2007. He has only finished in the top 10 in the final FedEx Cup one time.
---
FINAL WORD: ''I've still got eight tournaments left. I've got a Steve Stricker season left to play.'' - Rory McIlroy, on the rest of his schedule this year.
Truex out of Chase, Newman in after MWR penalties.
By David Caraviello
Ryan Newman is in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and Martin Truex Jr. is out after NASCAR penalties reconfigured the playoff field in the wake of what the sanctioning body deemed manipulation of Saturday night's regular-season finale by Michael Waltrip Racing.
As a result, NASCAR docked all three MWR drivers -- Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers and Truex -- 50 owner and driver points apiece, implementing the penalty before points were reset for the Chase. The amended standings knock Truex out of the second and final Wild Card position in favor of Newman, who was leading with seven laps remaining at Richmond International Raceway before a series of events involving the MWR teams played a significant role in altering the outcome.
"It is our determination that the MWR organization attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition. "As the sport's sanctioning body, it is our responsibility to ensure there is a fair and level playing field for all of our competitors and this action today reflects out commitment to that."
In addition to the points penalties, MWR was also fined $300,000 -- what series president Mike Helton called "the most major fine in our history in terms of a dollar amount" -- and Ty Norris, the organization's executive vice president and Vickers' spotter, was suspended indefinitely. The team's three crew chiefs, Brian Pattie (Bowyer), Chad Johnston (Truex) and Scott Miller (Vickers), were all placed on probation through Dec. 31.
Waltrip said Monday night in a statement that he would not appeal the ruling. The Chase begins Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.
As a result, NASCAR docked all three MWR drivers -- Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers and Truex -- 50 owner and driver points apiece, implementing the penalty before points were reset for the Chase. The amended standings knock Truex out of the second and final Wild Card position in favor of Newman, who was leading with seven laps remaining at Richmond International Raceway before a series of events involving the MWR teams played a significant role in altering the outcome.
"It is our determination that the MWR organization attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition. "As the sport's sanctioning body, it is our responsibility to ensure there is a fair and level playing field for all of our competitors and this action today reflects out commitment to that."
In addition to the points penalties, MWR was also fined $300,000 -- what series president Mike Helton called "the most major fine in our history in terms of a dollar amount" -- and Ty Norris, the organization's executive vice president and Vickers' spotter, was suspended indefinitely. The team's three crew chiefs, Brian Pattie (Bowyer), Chad Johnston (Truex) and Scott Miller (Vickers), were all placed on probation through Dec. 31.
Waltrip said Monday night in a statement that he would not appeal the ruling. The Chase begins Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.
"This naturally is a very significant reaction from NASCAR," Helton said. "As multiple car owners have become a very positive, integral part of this sport, that also comes with the responsibility from NASCAR and also the car owners to maintain a fair and level playing field. We've talked about what-ifs over the years, particularly since the Chase was established, particularly with the evolution of multiple-car teams. And we've been very fortunate that we've not had any occurrences that required NASCAR to step up ? as we've had to do today."
Bowyer's spin with seven laps remaining at Richmond set off a chain of events that directly impacted who qualified for the 12-driver postseason field.
Additionally, Vickers' unscheduled pit stop in the late going allowed Joey Logano to gain a position, helping him race his way into the top 10 in points. Logano edged Jeff Gordon for the final spot based on the standings, and freed up a Wild Card spot which went to Truex.
At the point of Bowyer's lazy slide off Turn 4, Newman led the race and was poised to grab one of the two Wild Card berths if he could capitalize for his second victory of the season -- which would have denied one-win Truex the opportunity to snag a Wild Card spot. But Bowyer's spin brought out a deciding final caution, and a sluggish pit stop by Newman's No. 39 team allowed Carl Edwards to leave pit road first and pull away to the checkered flag on the final restart with three laps remaining.
A review of in-car audio later revealed Bowyer hearing from spotter Brett Griffin that Newman was leading, then comments from crew chief Brian Pattie, saying, "Is your arm starting to hurt? I bet it's getting hot in there. Itch it." Half a lap later, Bowyer's No. 15 Toyota spun to force the final caution period. Bowyer had clinched his berth in the Chase three weeks earlier at Bristol Motor Speedway.
"My car was tight as hell," Bowyer said after the race when asked about the team radio communications. "(Jimmie Johnson) blew a tire and hit the wall. I'm telling you, I was the next one. That thing slid, what, maybe less than 10 feet and blew out. You know what I mean? Something was going on there. I've been doing this a long time. It is what it is. It's unfortunate. I know it's a lot of fun for you guys to write a lot of wacky things. Go ahead if you want to, get creative. But don't look too much into it."
Dale Earnhardt Jr., running behind Bowyer when the incident occurred, saw things differently.
"Looked a little intentional to me there, bud," he told crew chief Steve Letarte over the radio. "? He was on the brakes in the middle of the corner trying to spin it out, trying to slow down. He was like stopping, trying to slow it down so he could spin it out without really getting in trouble."
In the immediate aftermath Saturday night, Helton said, there was nothing in the race that seemed to warrant a reaction from NASCAR. It was early Sunday morning when officials realized something else might have been afoot, and NASCAR began collecting audio and video from ESPN's coverage as well as timing and scoring data.
NASCAR spent Monday reviewing evidence, and met with MWR executives at the Research and Development Center before levying one of the harsher fines in the sport's history.
A central character in all this, Bowyer, remains the eighth seed in the Chase despite the 50 points deducted before the standings were reset. That didn't sit well with Gordon, who was also directly impacted by the late-race actions of the MWR drivers Saturday night.
"Looked a little intentional to me there, bud," he told crew chief Steve Letarte over the radio. "? He was on the brakes in the middle of the corner trying to spin it out, trying to slow down. He was like stopping, trying to slow it down so he could spin it out without really getting in trouble."
In the immediate aftermath Saturday night, Helton said, there was nothing in the race that seemed to warrant a reaction from NASCAR. It was early Sunday morning when officials realized something else might have been afoot, and NASCAR began collecting audio and video from ESPN's coverage as well as timing and scoring data.
NASCAR spent Monday reviewing evidence, and met with MWR executives at the Research and Development Center before levying one of the harsher fines in the sport's history.
A central character in all this, Bowyer, remains the eighth seed in the Chase despite the 50 points deducted before the standings were reset. That didn't sit well with Gordon, who was also directly impacted by the late-race actions of the MWR drivers Saturday night.
"The guy who started all this not affected at all?" the four-time champion posted via Twitter.
Helton said the penalty was assessed to the MWR team as a whole.
"The reaction by NASCAR is to Michael Waltrip Racing, and to every team in his organization," he said. "? Cars spin out. We have cautions. There are a lot of things that happen on the race track, people speculate on why it happened or how it happened. Sometimes there is conclusive evidence. More often then not, though, you don't know exactly what happened. But the collection of evidence from Saturday night led us to a team-wide reaction rather than an individual car."
Helton said there was no indication that Bowyer's spin Saturday night was intentional, and that the most damning piece of evidence in NASCAR's eyes was the radio communication between Norris and Vickers -- in which the driver of the No. 55 car seemed surprised at a sudden and unforeseen instruction to pit.
"That was the most clear piece of what we found," Helton said, "looking through all the detail that led us to make the conclusion."
In a statement released Monday night, Waltrip said Norris acted alone -- notwithstanding the suspect conversations occurring over Bowyer's radio channel before the No. 15 car went around.
"What occurred on the No. 55 radio at the end of Saturday night's race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No. 55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase," Waltrip said. "We regret the decision and its impact. We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions. We will learn from this and move on. As general manager, Ty Norris has been an integral part of Michael Waltrip Racing since its founding and has my and (co-owner) Rob Kauffman's full support."
The verdict by NASCAR places Newman -- who earlier Monday was introduced as the new driver of Richard Childress Racing's No. 31 car for next season -- in the Chase as the 12th seed in his final year with Stewart-Haas Racing.
"We commend the sanctioning body for taking the time to do the necessary due diligence to ensure that the right call was made," team owner Tony Stewart said.
The ruling did not impact Gordon, who is still left two points short of a playoff berth.
"We react to what occurred," Helton said when asked about Gordon. "We don't react to the ripple effect of an occurrence, because I don't think there's any way we can reasonably do that."
As a result, the Chase will open this weekend with Newman -- who is in the playoff for the fifth time in his career -- and without Truex, who due to the penalty will be left to compete not for the championship, but for 13th place.
"It's difficult," Helton said. "It was a tough conversation with Michael Waltrip Racing and its members. It was difficult as a conversation internally, because we all wanted to make sure we made the right steps and did the right things. But we'll all go to Chicago, we'll practice, we'll qualify, we'll race, and we'll get through this."
Helton said the penalty was assessed to the MWR team as a whole.
"The reaction by NASCAR is to Michael Waltrip Racing, and to every team in his organization," he said. "? Cars spin out. We have cautions. There are a lot of things that happen on the race track, people speculate on why it happened or how it happened. Sometimes there is conclusive evidence. More often then not, though, you don't know exactly what happened. But the collection of evidence from Saturday night led us to a team-wide reaction rather than an individual car."
Helton said there was no indication that Bowyer's spin Saturday night was intentional, and that the most damning piece of evidence in NASCAR's eyes was the radio communication between Norris and Vickers -- in which the driver of the No. 55 car seemed surprised at a sudden and unforeseen instruction to pit.
"That was the most clear piece of what we found," Helton said, "looking through all the detail that led us to make the conclusion."
In a statement released Monday night, Waltrip said Norris acted alone -- notwithstanding the suspect conversations occurring over Bowyer's radio channel before the No. 15 car went around.
"What occurred on the No. 55 radio at the end of Saturday night's race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No. 55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase," Waltrip said. "We regret the decision and its impact. We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions. We will learn from this and move on. As general manager, Ty Norris has been an integral part of Michael Waltrip Racing since its founding and has my and (co-owner) Rob Kauffman's full support."
The verdict by NASCAR places Newman -- who earlier Monday was introduced as the new driver of Richard Childress Racing's No. 31 car for next season -- in the Chase as the 12th seed in his final year with Stewart-Haas Racing.
"We commend the sanctioning body for taking the time to do the necessary due diligence to ensure that the right call was made," team owner Tony Stewart said.
The ruling did not impact Gordon, who is still left two points short of a playoff berth.
"We react to what occurred," Helton said when asked about Gordon. "We don't react to the ripple effect of an occurrence, because I don't think there's any way we can reasonably do that."
As a result, the Chase will open this weekend with Newman -- who is in the playoff for the fifth time in his career -- and without Truex, who due to the penalty will be left to compete not for the championship, but for 13th place.
"It's difficult," Helton said. "It was a tough conversation with Michael Waltrip Racing and its members. It was difficult as a conversation internally, because we all wanted to make sure we made the right steps and did the right things. But we'll all go to Chicago, we'll practice, we'll qualify, we'll race, and we'll get through this."
U.S. beats rival Mexico, qualifies for World Cup.
By Martin Rogers
By Martin Rogers
The United States punched its ticket to next summer’s World Cup on Tuesday night, with 90 minutes of effort and around an hour of nervous waiting.
A 2-0 victory over fierce rival Mexico took the side to the brink of reaching soccer’s biggest competition for the seventh straight time and back to the top of the CONCACAF qualifying group with two games left. However, a spot in Brazil was only formalized later, when Panama failed to win in Honduras, the only outcome that could have delayed the U.S.’ qualification status.
The American players, still bathed in sweat from their own triumph sealed by goals from Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan, congregated around a locker room television screen to take in the second half of Honduras’ 2-2 draw before they could officially start looking ahead to next June.
Yet whatever the permutations said, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, his players and the passionate support at Crew Stadium knew the job had effectively been completed by their own efforts in a venue this team loves more than any other.
Even without star midfielder Michael Bradley and a trio of suspended regulars, even though Clint Dempsey couldn't convert a late penalty kick and even though Mexico was inspired by its own desperate plight, the U.S. showed it has the kind of steel and resolve that was doubted not so long ago.
Klinsmann has the look of a man with the Midas touch right now. Less than a year after suggestions that the team was in crisis and that senior players had little faith in his methods, he masterminded a revival so strong it qualifies as a revolution.
His ability to make the right call at the right time was summed up by the U.S.' second goal, the strike that effectively finished Mexico off. Substitute Mix Diskerud had been on for just one minute to replace goal-scorer Johnson when he found space and slid a low pass across goal. Donovan gleefully accepted the chance at the far post, stabbing the ball home with a flick of his right cleat.
Cue bedlam at Crew Stadium, with smoke bombs, streamers and collective dances of celebration that seemed to rock the venue to its very foundations. There is a reason why the U.S. brings its most important qualifying games here, and it is not for the weather or the proliferation of local Waffle Houses.
The atmosphere on the night was the kind that proves the folly of those who still question the rise of soccer in America and how dedicated a fan base it has attracted and nurtured over the past decade.
In Klinsmann, those fans have a coach they believe can take them to the promised land – not of World Cup glory – but at least to be in contention for the quarterfinals in Brazil.
Klinsmann's first substitution was forced upon him, but it too did the trick. The introduction of Michael Parkhurst at the break was due to Fabian Johnson's injury, which turned out to be a blessing. Parkhurst was able to overlap down the right flank and immediately caused difficulty for the Mexican defense.
It was a move from Parkhurst that led to the corner from which the U.S. grabbed the opening goal. Donovan floated over a perfect corner from the right, while players from both sides wrestled in the box. Eddie Johnson may no longer possess the speed of his youth, but he was powerful enough to shrug clear of his defender and rise highest to power a header into the net.
Mexico is now looking down the barrel and in real danger of missing out on the World Cup, an unthinkable situation for a team that likes to regard itself as the dominant power of the CONCACAF region.
While new coach Luis Fernando Tena seemed to instill some extra cohesion, especially in midfield, the visitors were unable to get the ball into the net in the early stages. Much of that had to do with evergreen American goalkeeper Tim Howard, who produced a trio of fine saves in the first half to keep the score level at 0-0.
Howard has been coming to Columbus for national team duty since his days as a fresh-faced youngster a decade ago and his evolution into a truly world-class keeper mirrors that of the national team. The Americans are far from perfect and still occasionally prone to the kind of mistakes that would be punished by better opposition. But there is no shortage of belief with this team, no fear factor, even when several key players are missing.
The U.S. would have loved to have injured midfielder Bradley fit and ready, plus defensive duo Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler and forward Jozy Altidore. Yet, even though Bradley in particular was certainly missed, the U.S. was able to weather the storm.
Whatever the scoreline said, this team’s newfound mettle was tested strongly here. Mexico was desperate, understandably so given its plight, and threw men forward with abandon. Instead of panicking, the Americans soaked up the pressure, growing steadily in confidence, then enjoyed the extra space in the center of the field.
Just as they enjoyed the celebrations afterward.
Big Ten pride at stake with 4 games vs. Pac-12.
A 2-0 victory over fierce rival Mexico took the side to the brink of reaching soccer’s biggest competition for the seventh straight time and back to the top of the CONCACAF qualifying group with two games left. However, a spot in Brazil was only formalized later, when Panama failed to win in Honduras, the only outcome that could have delayed the U.S.’ qualification status.
The American players, still bathed in sweat from their own triumph sealed by goals from Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan, congregated around a locker room television screen to take in the second half of Honduras’ 2-2 draw before they could officially start looking ahead to next June.
Yet whatever the permutations said, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, his players and the passionate support at Crew Stadium knew the job had effectively been completed by their own efforts in a venue this team loves more than any other.
Even without star midfielder Michael Bradley and a trio of suspended regulars, even though Clint Dempsey couldn't convert a late penalty kick and even though Mexico was inspired by its own desperate plight, the U.S. showed it has the kind of steel and resolve that was doubted not so long ago.
Klinsmann has the look of a man with the Midas touch right now. Less than a year after suggestions that the team was in crisis and that senior players had little faith in his methods, he masterminded a revival so strong it qualifies as a revolution.
His ability to make the right call at the right time was summed up by the U.S.' second goal, the strike that effectively finished Mexico off. Substitute Mix Diskerud had been on for just one minute to replace goal-scorer Johnson when he found space and slid a low pass across goal. Donovan gleefully accepted the chance at the far post, stabbing the ball home with a flick of his right cleat.
Cue bedlam at Crew Stadium, with smoke bombs, streamers and collective dances of celebration that seemed to rock the venue to its very foundations. There is a reason why the U.S. brings its most important qualifying games here, and it is not for the weather or the proliferation of local Waffle Houses.
The atmosphere on the night was the kind that proves the folly of those who still question the rise of soccer in America and how dedicated a fan base it has attracted and nurtured over the past decade.
In Klinsmann, those fans have a coach they believe can take them to the promised land – not of World Cup glory – but at least to be in contention for the quarterfinals in Brazil.
Klinsmann's first substitution was forced upon him, but it too did the trick. The introduction of Michael Parkhurst at the break was due to Fabian Johnson's injury, which turned out to be a blessing. Parkhurst was able to overlap down the right flank and immediately caused difficulty for the Mexican defense.
It was a move from Parkhurst that led to the corner from which the U.S. grabbed the opening goal. Donovan floated over a perfect corner from the right, while players from both sides wrestled in the box. Eddie Johnson may no longer possess the speed of his youth, but he was powerful enough to shrug clear of his defender and rise highest to power a header into the net.
Mexico is now looking down the barrel and in real danger of missing out on the World Cup, an unthinkable situation for a team that likes to regard itself as the dominant power of the CONCACAF region.
While new coach Luis Fernando Tena seemed to instill some extra cohesion, especially in midfield, the visitors were unable to get the ball into the net in the early stages. Much of that had to do with evergreen American goalkeeper Tim Howard, who produced a trio of fine saves in the first half to keep the score level at 0-0.
Howard has been coming to Columbus for national team duty since his days as a fresh-faced youngster a decade ago and his evolution into a truly world-class keeper mirrors that of the national team. The Americans are far from perfect and still occasionally prone to the kind of mistakes that would be punished by better opposition. But there is no shortage of belief with this team, no fear factor, even when several key players are missing.
The U.S. would have loved to have injured midfielder Bradley fit and ready, plus defensive duo Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler and forward Jozy Altidore. Yet, even though Bradley in particular was certainly missed, the U.S. was able to weather the storm.
Whatever the scoreline said, this team’s newfound mettle was tested strongly here. Mexico was desperate, understandably so given its plight, and threw men forward with abandon. Instead of panicking, the Americans soaked up the pressure, growing steadily in confidence, then enjoyed the extra space in the center of the field.
Just as they enjoyed the celebrations afterward.
Big Ten pride at stake with 4 games vs. Pac-12.
By Dave Campbell
This is one of those rare weeks when even Michigan fans might hope for an Ohio State victory. Minnesota wouldn't mind a win by Wisconsin, either, as much as the Badgers are disliked across the state line.
The best opportunity until bowl season for the Big Ten to make a statement as a national power conference will take place on Saturday, with four nonconference games against top-tier Pac-12 competition.
''We've got so much pride in this conference and we have a lot of pride in the schools that are in this conference,'' Michigan coach Brady Hoke said Tuesday. ''And we have some bitter rivals, believe me, but this conference is a great conference.''
Said Nebraska coach Bo Pelini: ''I think it's very good. It's deep. And I think that's going to show itself as the year goes on.''
- No. 4 Ohio State, which had trouble beating California in Columbus last year, plays the rematch with the Golden Bears on the road.
- No. 20 Wisconsin travels to Arizona State, which is 8-0 all time at home against Big Ten teams.
- No. 23 Nebraska hosts No. 16 UCLA with a chance to avenge last season's loss to the Bruins.
- And Illinois, coming off a startlingly decisive victory over Cincinnati, takes on 19th-ranked Washington in Chicago, their first meeting since 1972.
No. 17 Northwestern helped the Big Ten get off a solid start by winning at California. Like Hoke, whose Wolverines took down Notre Dame last week, Wildcats coach Fitzgerald will be rooting for the rest of the Big Ten this weekend.
''I wish our colleagues and our brothers here in the league the best of luck,'' Fitzgerald said. He added: ''There are certain weekends of the year you can change your perception, and as you look at the schedule it looks like this is one of those weeks.''
Iowa also travels to rival Iowa State of the Big 12, and Purdue hosts No. 21 Notre Dame. The other games: Bowling Green at Indiana, Akron at No. 11 Michigan, Youngstown State at Michigan State, Western Illinois at Minnesota, Western Michigan at Northwestern, and Central Florida at Penn State.
Also on the Pac-12 slate for Saturday: No. 5 Stanford at Army, Fresno State at Colorado, Boston College at USC, Tennessee at No. 2 Oregon, Southern Utah at Washington State, and UTSA at Arizona. Utah hosts Oregon State in a conference game.
Over the last five seasons, the Pac-12 has a slight edge over the Big Ten: a 13-12 record in nonconference games and 4-3 in bowl games. But last year, the Pac-12 won four of the five meetings. And the Pac-12 has won eight of the last nine Rose Bowls that pitted teams from the two leagues.
So while the Southeastern Conference has ruled college football for the past decade, the Big Ten isn't exactly set as the next best. The improved Pac-12 is certainly part of that discussion.
According to STATS, the Big Ten went 62-73 over the last five years against teams from the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC and Notre Dame, including bowl games. The five victories last September, against nine losses, were against four teams that finished a combined 22-28, including bowl teams Syracuse and Vanderbilt.During the same span against the same major leagues, the Pac-12 was 59-68, a slightly better winning percentage.
The best opportunity until bowl season for the Big Ten to make a statement as a national power conference will take place on Saturday, with four nonconference games against top-tier Pac-12 competition.
''We've got so much pride in this conference and we have a lot of pride in the schools that are in this conference,'' Michigan coach Brady Hoke said Tuesday. ''And we have some bitter rivals, believe me, but this conference is a great conference.''
Said Nebraska coach Bo Pelini: ''I think it's very good. It's deep. And I think that's going to show itself as the year goes on.''
- No. 4 Ohio State, which had trouble beating California in Columbus last year, plays the rematch with the Golden Bears on the road.
- No. 20 Wisconsin travels to Arizona State, which is 8-0 all time at home against Big Ten teams.
- No. 23 Nebraska hosts No. 16 UCLA with a chance to avenge last season's loss to the Bruins.
- And Illinois, coming off a startlingly decisive victory over Cincinnati, takes on 19th-ranked Washington in Chicago, their first meeting since 1972.
No. 17 Northwestern helped the Big Ten get off a solid start by winning at California. Like Hoke, whose Wolverines took down Notre Dame last week, Wildcats coach Fitzgerald will be rooting for the rest of the Big Ten this weekend.
''I wish our colleagues and our brothers here in the league the best of luck,'' Fitzgerald said. He added: ''There are certain weekends of the year you can change your perception, and as you look at the schedule it looks like this is one of those weeks.''
Iowa also travels to rival Iowa State of the Big 12, and Purdue hosts No. 21 Notre Dame. The other games: Bowling Green at Indiana, Akron at No. 11 Michigan, Youngstown State at Michigan State, Western Illinois at Minnesota, Western Michigan at Northwestern, and Central Florida at Penn State.
Also on the Pac-12 slate for Saturday: No. 5 Stanford at Army, Fresno State at Colorado, Boston College at USC, Tennessee at No. 2 Oregon, Southern Utah at Washington State, and UTSA at Arizona. Utah hosts Oregon State in a conference game.
Over the last five seasons, the Pac-12 has a slight edge over the Big Ten: a 13-12 record in nonconference games and 4-3 in bowl games. But last year, the Pac-12 won four of the five meetings. And the Pac-12 has won eight of the last nine Rose Bowls that pitted teams from the two leagues.
So while the Southeastern Conference has ruled college football for the past decade, the Big Ten isn't exactly set as the next best. The improved Pac-12 is certainly part of that discussion.
According to STATS, the Big Ten went 62-73 over the last five years against teams from the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC and Notre Dame, including bowl games. The five victories last September, against nine losses, were against four teams that finished a combined 22-28, including bowl teams Syracuse and Vanderbilt.During the same span against the same major leagues, the Pac-12 was 59-68, a slightly better winning percentage.
So far this year? The Big Ten is 4-0. The Pac-12 is 1-2.
''I think differences between conferences are more exaggerated than accurate,'' said Washington State coach Mike Leach, whose team lost to Auburn in the opener before a win at USC. ''There's definitely nuances between conferences, but if you're in one of the major conferences - the Pac-12, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC, the ACC - they're probably more similar than they are different. They all have 300-pounders, guys who can run.''
Last week, the Pac-12 was 8-0 in nonconference games, outscoring opponents 384-111.
By Saturday night, the picture of conference strength this season could be a little clearer.
As far as the scrutiny of the results, well, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer brushed off the big-picture importance during his time on the Big Ten coaches conference call.
So did Pelini. Illinois coach Tim Beckman said he didn't even realize there were so many games this weekend pitting Big Ten teams against major opponents.
But Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen, the newbie of the group, let down his guard.
''It's important for all of us, from a recruiting standpoint and playing another big-time conference, so I do believe it matters for the conference,'' he said. ''Those are important games.''
Nadal beats Djokovic to win second US Open crown.
NBC Sports
Rafael Nadal watched the 2012 U.S. Open final from his sofa. He celebrated the 2013 U.S. Open title with Sofia.
He fell onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium court and broke down after 3 hours, 21 minutes, met Djokovic at the net, shook the chair umpire’s hand and dropped onto the cement once more, burying his head inside his left arm.
The sobs were understandable.
Nadal may not be No. 1 in the rankings yet, but there’s no doubt he’s the current leader of tennis’ Big Three. The climb is complete after a seven-month absence due to knee issues and a stomach virus that spread into February, followed by a first-round shocker at Wimbledon.
“I never thought something like this could happen, so excited to be back on tour trying to be competitive,” Nadal said.
Nadal is in position to finish a season healthy and on top of the ATP for the first time in three years, if the next two months go smoothly.
“For me, it's much more than what I ever thought, what I ever dreamed,” he said.
“You never know when that start, when that finish, but 13 is an amazing number.”
Nadal improved to 60-3 this year with 11 titles and a 22-0 record on hard courts, definitive statistics coming off serious doubts about his ability to return to the top.
A year ago, Nadal lost in the second round of Wimbledon to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol. He missed the London Olympics and tweeted his withdrawal from the U.S. Open, saying doctors found a small tear in the patella tendon in his left knee and diagnosed him with Hoffa’s syndrome, an impingement of the fat pad below the kneecap.
“If you are healthy, if you have been in the top positions for nine years already or eight years and you stop for seven months, why you will not have the chance to be back there?”
But he wasn’t all the way back. Nadal was upset again at Wimbledon, this time in even more stunning fashion, by No. 135 Steve Darcis of Belgium in the first round. Darcis had won two ATP matches all year and has won none since.
"Nobody remembers the losses. People remember the victories," Nadal said, shaking his head after the defeat. "And I don't want to remember that loss."
Nadal said he needed to go home, think and analyze his situation. The U.S. hard-court season was upon him, the surface that tests his troublesome knees more than any other.
Djokovic had his own motivation, attempting to win his second Grand Slam of the year and stall Nadal’s climb.
“Very, very emotional,” Nadal said before biting his trophy. “Nobody brings my game to that limit like Novak.”
Djokovic didn’t appear to wake up until the highlight of the final – perhaps the tournament, perhaps the year – a Pong-like 54-shot rally to break Nadal for the second time all tournament (89 games) in the second set. It was game on from there.
Nadal broke Djokovic on the ensuing game. The gluten-free, six-time major champion screamed in Serbian to himself, his box and his towel. He then broke Nadal again, after five deuces, for a 5-3 lead and converted set point with a backhand down the line winner.
Djokovic then broke Nadal, for the third straight time, at love to start the third. It looked like the Spaniard was running out of gas, but he capitalized on Djokovic unforced errors (he had 53 for the match) to even it at 3-3 in the third set, 2 hours, 18 minutes in.
Exhale.
Nadal pulled away as night fell, save a third-set tumble to go down love-30 on his own serve at 4-all in the third. He went triple break down but saved each break point. The last on a 125-mph serve, his hardest of the match and first ace.
Nadal then won four straight points on Djokovic’s serve to take the fourth set. His kneeling, triple fist-pumping jubilant celebration was Vine-worthy.
“I really don't know what's going on in that moment,” Nadal said.
Nadal rocked back to his chair and headbanged three times in a ritual to put his bandana back on. He closed out the match in a 40-minute final set, punctuating this journey of a Grand Slam season.
“You deserve it,” Djokovic told Nadal at the net.
Nadal said his game has changed. He’s playing more aggressive than before, more inside the court and closer to the baseline. He’s going for more shots. It’s working.
“Confident, playing with big passion, fighting for every ball,” Nadal said. “That makes that success.”
It’s been said this is men’s tennis’ Golden Era. It will continue into the next major, the Australian Open in 125 days.
There, Nadal will try to become the first man in the Open Era (since 1968) to win all four Slams at least twice. There, Djokovic will try to become the first man to win the event four straight times in the Open Era. There, Murray will be looked on to rebound after a poor post-Wimbledon summer and Federer will be out to reverse his decline.
All tennis royalty, but Nadal is now the king, again. His celebration Monday night included a meeting with Spain’s Queen Sofia, but he’s staying grounded.
Nadal knows he’s not invincible, called a future calendar Grand Slam “impossible” and would prefer easy opponents in finals.
“Everybody lose.”
The Spaniard said the comeback season in between has probably been the most emotional of his career, punctuated by a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 final win over top-ranked Novak Djokovic for his second U.S. Open title and 13th Grand Slam overall.
He fell onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium court and broke down after 3 hours, 21 minutes, met Djokovic at the net, shook the chair umpire’s hand and dropped onto the cement once more, burying his head inside his left arm.
The sobs were understandable.
Nadal may not be No. 1 in the rankings yet, but there’s no doubt he’s the current leader of tennis’ Big Three. The climb is complete after a seven-month absence due to knee issues and a stomach virus that spread into February, followed by a first-round shocker at Wimbledon.
“I never thought something like this could happen, so excited to be back on tour trying to be competitive,” Nadal said.
Nadal is in position to finish a season healthy and on top of the ATP for the first time in three years, if the next two months go smoothly.
The pursuit of Roger Federer’s record 17 Grand Slam titles is on. Nadal, like Federer, won his 13th at age 27. He’s one behind Pete Sampras for second place.
“For me, it's much more than what I ever thought, what I ever dreamed,” he said.
“You never know when that start, when that finish, but 13 is an amazing number.”
Nadal improved to 60-3 this year with 11 titles and a 22-0 record on hard courts, definitive statistics coming off serious doubts about his ability to return to the top.
A year ago, Nadal lost in the second round of Wimbledon to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol. He missed the London Olympics and tweeted his withdrawal from the U.S. Open, saying doctors found a small tear in the patella tendon in his left knee and diagnosed him with Hoffa’s syndrome, an impingement of the fat pad below the kneecap.
He watched the 2012 U.S. Open final, Andy Murray’s five-set win over Djokovic, from his couch in Mallorca, Spain. Nadal avoided surgery but couldn’t return to practice until November. He wouldn’t let doubts enter his mind.
“With seven months (away), I am sure that I will not forget how to play tennis,” said Nadal, who won his first Slam at the 2005 French Open, two days after he turned 19.
“If you are healthy, if you have been in the top positions for nine years already or eight years and you stop for seven months, why you will not have the chance to be back there?”
A December stomach virus complicated matters. Nadal pulled out of the Australian Open and, after winning a $200 poker tournament, finally returned for lower-level clay-court events beginning in February. In his first event back, in Chile, he lost to a guy named Horacio Zeballos in the final and said, “I’m not perfect yet.”
Nadal slipped out of the top four for the first time since 2005 and entered the French Open, a tournament he had won a record seven times, as the No. 5 seed. There, he beat Djokovic in a memorable semifinal and dispatched countryman David Ferrer for his eighth Coupe des Mousquetaires.
But he wasn’t all the way back. Nadal was upset again at Wimbledon, this time in even more stunning fashion, by No. 135 Steve Darcis of Belgium in the first round. Darcis had won two ATP matches all year and has won none since.
"Nobody remembers the losses. People remember the victories," Nadal said, shaking his head after the defeat. "And I don't want to remember that loss."
Nadal said he needed to go home, think and analyze his situation. The U.S. hard-court season was upon him, the surface that tests his troublesome knees more than any other.
He not only passed the test, he was perfect, going 10-0 over two Masters Series events to return to New York as the favorite. He delivered, dropping one game on his serve in the first six matches. Nadal set up a third U.S. Open final in four years against Djokovic as Roger Federer and Murray faded away.
Djokovic had his own motivation, attempting to win his second Grand Slam of the year and stall Nadal’s climb.
“It is a challenge you have to accept,” Djokovic said of facing Nadal, “like it or not.”
The flow of their rivalry was reflected in the rhythm of the match, and Nadal-Djokovic XXXVII was super.
Nadal prevailed in five of their first six meetings. Djokovic took six in a row during his dominating 2011 season. Nadal has won six of the last seven in just under 4 hours per duel.
“Very, very emotional,” Nadal said before biting his trophy. “Nobody brings my game to that limit like Novak.”
Djokovic didn’t appear to wake up until the highlight of the final – perhaps the tournament, perhaps the year – a Pong-like 54-shot rally to break Nadal for the second time all tournament (89 games) in the second set. It was game on from there.
Nadal broke Djokovic on the ensuing game. The gluten-free, six-time major champion screamed in Serbian to himself, his box and his towel. He then broke Nadal again, after five deuces, for a 5-3 lead and converted set point with a backhand down the line winner.
Djokovic then broke Nadal, for the third straight time, at love to start the third. It looked like the Spaniard was running out of gas, but he capitalized on Djokovic unforced errors (he had 53 for the match) to even it at 3-3 in the third set, 2 hours, 18 minutes in.
Exhale.
Nadal pulled away as night fell, save a third-set tumble to go down love-30 on his own serve at 4-all in the third. He went triple break down but saved each break point. The last on a 125-mph serve, his hardest of the match and first ace.
Nadal then won four straight points on Djokovic’s serve to take the fourth set. His kneeling, triple fist-pumping jubilant celebration was Vine-worthy.
“I really don't know what's going on in that moment,” Nadal said.
Nadal rocked back to his chair and headbanged three times in a ritual to put his bandana back on. He closed out the match in a 40-minute final set, punctuating this journey of a Grand Slam season.
“You deserve it,” Djokovic told Nadal at the net.
Nadal’s win moved him to 22-15 against Djokovic, including 2-1 in U.S. Open finals. No two players have met more times in the Open Era, and this match, at times, rivaled their 5-hour, 53-minute final at the 2012 Australian Open, won by Djokovic.
Nadal said his game has changed. He’s playing more aggressive than before, more inside the court and closer to the baseline. He’s going for more shots. It’s working.
“Confident, playing with big passion, fighting for every ball,” Nadal said. “That makes that success.”
It’s been said this is men’s tennis’ Golden Era. It will continue into the next major, the Australian Open in 125 days.
There, Nadal will try to become the first man in the Open Era (since 1968) to win all four Slams at least twice. There, Djokovic will try to become the first man to win the event four straight times in the Open Era. There, Murray will be looked on to rebound after a poor post-Wimbledon summer and Federer will be out to reverse his decline.
All tennis royalty, but Nadal is now the king, again. His celebration Monday night included a meeting with Spain’s Queen Sofia, but he’s staying grounded.
Nadal knows he’s not invincible, called a future calendar Grand Slam “impossible” and would prefer easy opponents in finals.
“Don't worry, I will lose,” he said, a needed reminder given his current level of play.
“Everybody lose.”
Baseball results, Tuesday, September 10, 2013, (home team in CAPS).
Reuters
NY Yankees 7 BALTIMORE 5
Kansas City 6 CLEVELAND 3
San Diego 8 PHILADELPHIA 2
LA Angels 12 TORONTO 6
Chicago Cubs 9 CINCINNATI 1
Washington 6 NY METS 3
Atlanta 4 MIAMI 3
Boston 2 TAMPA BAY 0
Pittsburgh 5 TEXAS 4
ST. LOUIS 4 Milwaukee 2
Houston 13 SEATTLE 2
LA DODGERS 5 Arizona 3 (11 innings)
Colorado 9 SAN FRANCISCO 8
Kansas City 6 CLEVELAND 3
San Diego 8 PHILADELPHIA 2
LA Angels 12 TORONTO 6
Chicago Cubs 9 CINCINNATI 1
Washington 6 NY METS 3
Atlanta 4 MIAMI 3
Boston 2 TAMPA BAY 0
Pittsburgh 5 TEXAS 4
Detroit 9 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 1
MINNESOTA 4 Oakland 3 ST. LOUIS 4 Milwaukee 2
Houston 13 SEATTLE 2
LA DODGERS 5 Arizona 3 (11 innings)
Colorado 9 SAN FRANCISCO 8
**********************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment