Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
Sports Quote of the Day:
Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great? ~ Jimmy Johnson, NFL Coach (Dallas Cowboys) and NFL Television Commentator
Bears 27, Giants 21.
Brian Hedger, The Sports Xchange
Tim Jennings returning one of his two interceptions for a touchdown in the first quarter of the game, the New York Giants Vs. the Chicago Bears, October 10, 2013, at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.
After nearly blowing a 13-point lead in the second half, the Chicago Bears snapped a two-game losing streak with a 27-21 win over the Giants on Thursday, riding out a nail-biting final New York drive.
The Bears (4-2) took sole possession of first place in the NFC North for at least two more days, while the Giants absorbed another gut-wrenching loss. New York fell to 0-6 amid a frustrating start to the season marred by costly injuries and head-scratching mistakes -- including three interceptions thrown by quarterback Eli Manning at Soldier Field.
Two of them wound up in the hands of Bears cornerback Tim Jennings, who returned the first 48 yards for a touchdown -- his second "pick-six" of the season. Jennings hauled in the second at the Bears 10-yard line with 1:54 left to play and Chicago clinging to six-point lead.
Jennings snagged the ball after it went through tight end Brandon Myers' hands in yet another vexing display of futility by the Giants.
The teams combined for 727 yards of total offense (372 for Chicago and 355 for New York), with both quarterbacks leading the way. Jay Cutler completed 24 of 36 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears, who also got a big game out of top receiver Brandon Marshall (nine catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns).
Prior to Jennings' game-clinching pickoff, Manning rebounded from throwing interceptions to end the Giants' first two possessions. He wound up completing 14 of 26 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown. Veteran Brandon Jacobs scored two rushing touchdowns and churned out 106 yards on 22 carries.
After extending a 10-point halftime lead to 27-14 on Robbie Gould's 52-yard field goal to start the third quarter -- his 12th straight successful attempt from longer than 50 yards -- the Giants made things interesting. Manning directed a nine-play, 91-yard scoring drive that Jacobs finished with his second TD run -- a 1-yard plunge -- to cut Chicago's lead to 27-21 with six seconds left in the third.
He also led the Giants from their own 11 to the Bears' 36 before Jennings' heroics sealed the win.
After Rueben Randle tied it 14-14 with a 37-yard touchdown catch five minutes into the second quarter, the Bears scored the last 10 points of the half to take a 24-14 lead -- surging back in front on Marshall's second scoring grab and plus a late 40-yard field goal by Gould.
An action-packed first quarter ended with the score tied at 7 and the Bears knocking on the door again deep in the red zone to start the second quarter. Chicago capped the drive with a 10-yard TD pass from Cutler to Marshall that put the Bears up 14-7 after they took a quick 7-0 lead in the first on Jennings' interception return. It was the second interception by the Bears against Manning in as many Giants possessions.
Zack Bowman, starting at corner in place of injured Charles Tillman, ruined the Giants' first possession by picking off a Manning pass and returning it 24 yards to set the Bears up at the Giants 12. Chicago, however, didn't get points out of it after rolling the dice on fourth-and-2 at the New York 4-yard line.
Marshall couldn't haul in Cutler's short pass about a yard short of the goal line, but the three points the Bears passed up turned out to be a drop in the bucket in a game dominated by offense.
After Jennings' score, the Giants knotted it at 7 with 3:48 left in the first quarter on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that Jacobs capped with a leg-pumping charge into the end zone from 4 yards. Jacobs racked up 53 yards on his first eight carries but gained just 4 yards on his next four attempts to finish the first half.
NOTES: The Bears played without Tillman (knee, groin) and DT Stephen Paea (turf toe), who were ruled inactive before the game after being listed as questionable all week. Bowman held down the right cornerback spot in place of Tillman, and Landon Cohen started for Paea. ... The Giants played without starting RB David Wilson (neck), C David Baas (neck) and CB Corey Webster (groin). Jacobs started in place of Wilson, Jim Cordle replaced Baas and Terrell Thomas made the start at left cornerback for Webster. The 6-foot, 191-pound Thomas got the nod there instead of the smaller Trumaine McBride (5-9, 185), likely to match up with the size of Chicago's starting receivers, Marshall (6-4, 230) and Alshon Jeffery (6-3, 216). ... Jon Beason, obtained by the Giants in a trade a week ago, also got into the starting lineup, replacing MLB Mark Herzlich. Damontre Moore (hamstring) was active despite being listed as doubtful leading up to the game. ... The interception return for a touchdown by Jennings was his second of the year and third of the season by the Chicago defense, which has the most in the NFL (12) in the past two seasons. Six teams are tied for second in that category with five each.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blues 3, Blackhawks 2.
The Sports Xchange
Alex Steen scored with 21.1 seconds left to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
The Blues (3-0-0) won their first three games for just the third time in the 47-year history of the franchise and the first time since the 1993-1994 season. They never won four in a row to start a campaign.
St. Louis goalie Jaroslav Halak made 26 saves for his third consecutive victory.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks (1-1-1) lost for the first time in regulation following a 3-2 shootout defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
Steen scored on a 3-on-1 break, blasting a shot from the left faceoff dot behind Corey Crawford.
Steen's third goal of the season capped off a see-saw affair that featured numerous odd-man rushes at each end.
David Backes temporarily put the Blues in front 2-1 on a power-play goal at 8:37 of the second period. Backes deflected in a long-range shot by Alex Pietrangelo.
Chicago answered with a man-advantage tally of its own by Jonathan Toews just 39 seconds later. The goal came 15 seconds after Jaden Schwartz was sent off for hooking.
Vladimir Tarasenko got the Blues started by converting on a 2-on-1 at 15:44 of the first period. Patrik Berglund stole the puck from Marian Hossa in the neutral zone and fed a pass to Tarasenko, who wristed a shot behind Corey Crawford.
Chicago tied the game less than two minutes later on a power-play tally by Patrick Kane, who has scored in all three games this season. He converted off a scramble in front of the net seven seconds after Maxim Lapierre was whistled for boarding.
The Blues killed off each of their previous 11 penalties this season. Kane's goal broke a scoreless string of 111:52 by Halak.
The traditional rivals kicked off the first of five meetings this season in style. St. Louis' Chris Stewart and Chicago's Sheldon Brookbank received fighting majors just 1:59 into the contest.
NOTES: Blackhawks D Brent Seabrook played in his 600th NHL game. ... Chicago is 11-9-4 against St. Louis over the past four-plus seasons. ... The game was the 287th meeting between the teams, the most for the Blues against any other club. ... St. Louis begins the campaign with five successive home games for the second time in franchise history. The Blues started the 2002-03 season with a 3-1-1 mark in five home contests. ... Halak stopped 47 of 49 shots in the first two games this season. ... Crawford is 9-2-2 against the Blues. ... The Blues had 10 players account for their first 11 goals for the first time team history.
Blues' attempt to keep Hawks fans out fails.
By Evan Moore
While the St. Louis Blues kept the Chicago Blackhawks out of the net, for the most part, the team’s ticket office could not keep out the ‘red’ out.
Last month, the Blues announced a new ticket policy that required fans who wanted to attend games against the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings to buy a multi-game package. The team hoped to keep out fans of the two Original Six franchises. Both teams have fan bases who traditionally travel well.
Wednesday night’s crowd at the Scottrade Center was announced at 16,565 — well below the 19,150 capacity. According to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the amount of Blackhawks fans at the game was noticeable.
“There was a healthy but not overwhelming number of Chicago fans," Rutherford said. "The ones in attendance were noticeable by their red sweaters.”
The Blues attributed the below-capacity crowd to the Cardinals playing in the NLDS at nearby Busch Stadium.
The Blackhawks return to St. Louis on Dec. 28.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Last of a Dying Breed: Where Joakim Noah Ranks Among the Top 10 Centers in the NBA.
By Acamea Deadwiler
COMMENTARY | Gone are the days when the center position was viewed as the most critical spot on an NBA roster. Season after season, it seems to become more obsolete.
This was solidified when the league recently decided to remove the center position from All-Star voting ballots.
Yet, there remain more than a handful of centers with the talent to warrant recognition. Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls is one of them. As one of the best centers in the league right now, you could say that he is helping to carry a torch of sorts for the position -- reminding skeptics just how much of an impact a viable center can have on the success of a team.
Here is where Noah ranks among the top 10, and why:
10. DeMarcus Cousins
In addition to experience, the edge that Noah has over Cousins is that he knows how to play hard but also smart. Noah keeps his cool for the most part, while the antics and perceived poor attitude of Cousins can overshadow his game at times. He is an All-Star-caliber talent who can dominate a game when focused and motivated.
Perhaps signing a massive contract extension with the Sacramento Kings and playing under a new head coach will do this for him, but focus and motivation are areas that are never an issue for Noah.
9. Nikola Pekovic
Pekovic was one of the bright spots in a disappointing 2012-13 season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is an above-average scorer down low, however, he is not even close to Noah on the defensive end.
8. Roy Hibbert
After a somewhat slow start to his NBA career, Hibbert "arrived" last season. He was especially dominant in the playoffs, abusing the Miami Heat until his Indiana Pacers were finally eliminated in Game 7. He is a factor on both ends of the floor. Yet, despite having displayed actual post moves, Hibbert averaged the exact same points last season as Noah, 11.9. In short, Noah does more with less.
7. Tyson Chandler
While he is good for a few dunks and/or put-backs every game, the impact of Chandler is felt mostly on the defensive end. An ability to compensate for team deficiencies on this side of the ball and grabbing 4 offensive rebounds per game last season make him vital to the success of the New York Knicks. Although he is not a scoring threat, Chandler plays his role to perfection.
Noah is not much of a scoring threat, either. His versatility is what makes him better than Chandler. Being a capable ball-handler who can run the fastbreak and a great passer allows Noah to contribute to his team's offense regardless.
6. Al Jefferson
"Big Al" has been doing this for years. He just sometimes flies under the radar due to his playing style, and also because he had been with a team that doesn't get much national exposure in the Utah Jazz. Now with the Charlotte Bobcats, Jefferson will continue to play his not flashy but highly effective game, and help his new team tremendously.
The advantage that Noah has over him is intangible. It is in his ability to get his team, the crowd and even the opposing team fired up. While Jefferson may possess more pure talent, he does not play with the same grit and passion.
5. Nikola Vucevic
Numbers don't lie. Vucevic averaged 13 points and almost 12 rebounds while coming in second among centers in double-doubles last season with 46. He was a more than admirable replacement at the Orlando Magic center spot left vacant by he who shall remain nameless (until later).
About to turn just 23 years of age and entering his third season in the NBA, Vucevic is just getting started. Such a small sample size is the only reason he is not ranked higher -- and also why he cannot be yet placed in the same category as Noah.
4. Brook Lopez
Offensively, Lopez is as good as it gets at the center spot, having averaged a position leading 19.4 points per game last season with the Brooklyn Nets. Rebounding is another story as he leaves much to be desired in this area with only 6.9. If Lopez can improve here even slightly, he would arguably become the most balanced center in the entire league. But, for now, Noah plays "bigger" than him.
3. Marc Gasol
Much like Lopez, Gasol is an offensive force. What separates him from most other NBA centers is the fact that he is a very good shooter. Gasol shoots over 84% from the free-throw line and can make a spot-up jumper with the best of them. He also gave the Memphis Grizzlies 4 assists per game last season. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Wait ... that's not right, but in this case makes sense.
So why is Noah still better? Combine the reasons given for his advantages over Jefferson and Lopez.
2. Joakim Noah
Noah does it all for the Chicago Bulls. He rebounds, plays stellar defense and hustles for loose balls. Also, as stated previously, Noah can run the break and set up his teammates. He is the team's emotional leader.
And if averaging close to 12 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks en route to his first All-Star appearance last year was not enough, Noah led a depleted Bulls squad into the second round of the playoffs -- with a bad foot. He is nothing if not tough. What Noah lacks on the offensive end, he makes up for everywhere else.
This is why Noah ranks No. 2 among his peers. He has the greatest impact on the outcome of games than anyone mentioned prior.
1. Dwight Howard
Watch the throne? Consider just how abysmal Howard's one-year stint was with the Los Angeles Lakers. Then consider that he still managed to lead all centers in double-doubles with 48, while averaging 17 points, 2 blocks and over 12 rebounds. Even an average and apparently unhappy Howard is better than most.
Now the focal point of the Houston Rockets, he must be considered the best center in the NBA until further notice -- or until Noah's stats increase to the point where they justify him surpassing Howard.
2013 MLB LCS Playoff Schedule.
Noah is not much of a scoring threat, either. His versatility is what makes him better than Chandler. Being a capable ball-handler who can run the fastbreak and a great passer allows Noah to contribute to his team's offense regardless.
6. Al Jefferson
"Big Al" has been doing this for years. He just sometimes flies under the radar due to his playing style, and also because he had been with a team that doesn't get much national exposure in the Utah Jazz. Now with the Charlotte Bobcats, Jefferson will continue to play his not flashy but highly effective game, and help his new team tremendously.
The advantage that Noah has over him is intangible. It is in his ability to get his team, the crowd and even the opposing team fired up. While Jefferson may possess more pure talent, he does not play with the same grit and passion.
5. Nikola Vucevic
Numbers don't lie. Vucevic averaged 13 points and almost 12 rebounds while coming in second among centers in double-doubles last season with 46. He was a more than admirable replacement at the Orlando Magic center spot left vacant by he who shall remain nameless (until later).
About to turn just 23 years of age and entering his third season in the NBA, Vucevic is just getting started. Such a small sample size is the only reason he is not ranked higher -- and also why he cannot be yet placed in the same category as Noah.
4. Brook Lopez
Offensively, Lopez is as good as it gets at the center spot, having averaged a position leading 19.4 points per game last season with the Brooklyn Nets. Rebounding is another story as he leaves much to be desired in this area with only 6.9. If Lopez can improve here even slightly, he would arguably become the most balanced center in the entire league. But, for now, Noah plays "bigger" than him.
3. Marc Gasol
Much like Lopez, Gasol is an offensive force. What separates him from most other NBA centers is the fact that he is a very good shooter. Gasol shoots over 84% from the free-throw line and can make a spot-up jumper with the best of them. He also gave the Memphis Grizzlies 4 assists per game last season. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Wait ... that's not right, but in this case makes sense.
So why is Noah still better? Combine the reasons given for his advantages over Jefferson and Lopez.
2. Joakim Noah
Noah does it all for the Chicago Bulls. He rebounds, plays stellar defense and hustles for loose balls. Also, as stated previously, Noah can run the break and set up his teammates. He is the team's emotional leader.
And if averaging close to 12 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks en route to his first All-Star appearance last year was not enough, Noah led a depleted Bulls squad into the second round of the playoffs -- with a bad foot. He is nothing if not tough. What Noah lacks on the offensive end, he makes up for everywhere else.
This is why Noah ranks No. 2 among his peers. He has the greatest impact on the outcome of games than anyone mentioned prior.
1. Dwight Howard
Watch the throne? Consider just how abysmal Howard's one-year stint was with the Los Angeles Lakers. Then consider that he still managed to lead all centers in double-doubles with 48, while averaging 17 points, 2 blocks and over 12 rebounds. Even an average and apparently unhappy Howard is better than most.
Now the focal point of the Houston Rockets, he must be considered the best center in the NBA until further notice -- or until Noah's stats increase to the point where they justify him surpassing Howard.
2013 MLB LCS Playoff Schedule.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis Cardinals Vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1 at STL: Friday, Oct. 11, 8:30 p.m. | TBS
Game 2 at STL: Saturday, Oct. 12, 4:00 p.m. | TBS
Game 3 at LA: Monday, Oct. 14, 8:00 p.m. | TBS
Game 4 at LA: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 8:00 p.m. | TBS
Game 5 at LA*: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 4:00 p.m. | TBS
Game 6 at STL*: Friday, Oct. 18, 8:30 p.m. | TBS
Game 7 at STL*: Saturday, Oct. 19, 8:30 p.m. | TBS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston Red Sox Vs. Detroit Tigers
Game 1 at BOS: Saturday, Oct. 12, 8:00 p.m. | FOX
Game 2 at BOS: Sunday, Oct. 13, 8:00 p.m. | FOX
Game 3 at DET: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 4:00 p.m. | FOX
Game 4 at DET: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 8:00 p.m. | FOX
Game 5 at DET*: Thursday, Oct. 17, 8:00 p.m. | FOX
Game 6 at BOS*: Saturday, Oct. 19, 4:30 p.m. | FOX
Game 7 at BOS*: Sunday, Oct. 20, 8:00 p.m. | FOX
So much for the offseason in golf: it starts again.
By Don Ferguson (AP Golf Writer)
The chill of the morning air in California. Veteran players discreetly looking at golf bags on the practice range so they can put names to the faces they have never seen. Young players concerned about getting into enough tournaments. A parking lot filled with Mercedes-Benz courtesy cars.
Everything about the Frys.com Open looks and feels like a new season on the PGA Tour.
Except for the calendar.
Just 18 days after Henrik Stenson tapped in for par and collected the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus at East Lake, the new PGA Tour season gets underway at CordeValle. It's the first time the tour starts its season in one calendar year and finishes it in another.
''I'm back to zero,'' Stewart Cink said. ''I like the fact I don't have to be No. 76 anymore. I can hopefully establish something new.''
Cink was No. 76 in the FedEx Cup playoffs last month until he failed to advance to the next round after the Deutsche Bank Championship. He has been home for the last five weeks - his offseason - before packing his bags and heading to the airport. And to his surprise, it reminded him of heading off to Hawaii or California in winter, just like the old days on the PGA Tour.
''The last six or seven years, I went to fall tournaments and didn't have that amped-up feel. I didn't feel like I was in the heat of things,'' Cink said. ''I had my charity event, this and that. My mind was so elsewhere. I went to play just to play. You hit a lot of shots; you play a lot of holes. Coming here, I feel a little bit more of a hunger.''
Since the FedEx Cup began in 2007, the tour had a half-dozen events that were nothing more than playing opportunities for the restless or a time for others to make enough money to secure their cards for the following season. Winning didn't come with an invitation to the Masters. It didn't count toward the FedEx Cup. Now it does.
To avoid losing sponsorship of the fall tournaments (and some $25 million in prize money), the tour made them part of the FedEx Cup season.
''This new system has given these fall events greater credibility,'' John Senden said.
As always, a golfer's offseason is as long as he wants it to be.
Tiger Woods won the clinching match at the Presidents Cup on Sunday. He's not expected to play another PGA Tour event until Torrey Pines in January. Adam Scott won't return to the tour until Kapalua the first week of January. Phil Mickelson will be in Asia later this month for two tournaments now part of the official 2013-14 season.
And then there's Marc Leishman.
Just three days ago, he holed a 15-foot par putt to win his singles match against Matt Kuchar in the Presidents Cup. He flew to California, got reacquainted with sunshine, and felt remarkably refreshed.
''I thought I would be stuffed,'' Leishman said Wednesday morning before his pro-am round. ''I got here and I'm feeling good. You want to try to get off to a good start.''
Geoff Ogilvy has never played a fall tournament in America since the FedEx Cup began. And he said he might not have come to CordeValle for the first time if he had played longer (he took part in only one FedEx Cup playoff event) or better (No. 104 in the standings).
He still wasn't sure if this felt like a season opener the way it did at Kapalua or Palm Springs.
''It's weird. It's like a false front,'' Ogilvy said. ''I'm playing two (including next week in Las Vegas) and then going to Australia to play, so it's like a teaser. But it's a good chance to get a couple under your belt, and then come back and do the normal West Coast. Some guys might do five of these, get to the West Coast and won't know what to do. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the West Coast.''
The Frys.com Open field is not terribly strong. It has only two players from the top 50 (Hideki Matsuyama and defending champion Jonas Blixt), three players from the Presidents Cup (Matsuyama, Leishman and Angel Cabrera) and two from the Tour Championship (Billy Horschel, Gary Woodland).
But it's not so weak that the field is loaded with rookies who just got their card at the Web.com Tour Championship two weeks ago. At least 12 players who just earned PGA Tour cards did not have a tee time at CordeValle.
For the rookies, it had the feel of a big-time event. Rental cars have been replaced by courtesy cars.
''It's nice out here on the PGA Tour,'' Cink said with a smile.
NASCAR Charlotte 2013 qualifying: Matt Kenseth, Jimmy Johnson ready for showdown at Charlotte.
By Jeff Gray
With just six races remaining in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, things heat up this weekend with the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Before the green flag drops on Saturday, though, the 43-car field will go through qualifying Thursday night at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Since there are only 43 cars in the field, all cars are guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup. Drivers will still be racing for all-important pole position, however.
Headlining the field are the 13 drivers in contention for the Sprint Cup Championship.
Matt Kenseth, the Vegas favorite to take the checkered flag on Saturday, sits atop the standings with 2,183 points. Kenseth has won four of the eight races held on 1.5-mile tracks this season, giving him a leg up in the similarly distanced track at Charlotte.
With three 1.5-milers remaining on the Chase schedule, he could have the inside track on the championship. He won the Bank of America 500 two years ago. He'll have to stave off hard-charging Jimmy Johnson, however, who sits just three points back. Johnson has closed the deal in five of the past seven seasons, making him the overall favorite to lift the big trophy. He is a three-time winner at of the Bank of America 500, with his last victory coming in 2009.
Last year's winner at Charlotte, Clint Bowyer, currently sits 55 points off the Sprint Cup lead in ninth place. Jeff Gordon, who won the race in 1999 and 2007, is the only other of the 13 drivers in the Chase to have won the Bank of America 500.
Klinsmann won't let U.S. relax in World Cup qualifying finales.
By Martin Rogers
Jurgen Klinsmann has warned his United States players that no complacency will be tolerated as the team closes out its World Cup qualifying campaign, even though it has already punched its ticket to Brazil next summer.
The U.S. secured a spot among the World Cup's final 32 by beating Mexico 2-0 in Columbus last month, rendering its final two matches in the CONCACAF final qualification pool effectively meaningless.
However, Klinsmann is adamant that Friday's clash with Jamaica in Kansas City and Tuesday's visit to Panama are an important part of preparations for Brazil 2014. The head coach wants to end qualifying as the No. 1 team in the region.
"Everything we do now sets the tone for the summer," Klinsmann said. "It is important the players understand that this is serious business. You only have to say one word: Brazil. Then you automatically get fired up."
Jamaica is the weakest of the six teams in the final stage of CONCACAF qualifying and needs two straight victories and other results to go its way to stand any chance of remaining in contention.
The U.S. and Costa Rica have already clinched two of the region's three automatic berths to Brazil, while the fourth-place finisher (likely Panama or Mexico) will go into a home-and-home playoff against New Zealand.
Klinsmann, though, is refusing to take Jamaica lightly, especially with key players Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Omar Gonzalez and Fabian Johnson all missing through injury. Furthermore, Jamaica's "Reggae Boyz" showed some of their potential in June when they came within a few seconds of securing a draw against the U.S. in Kingston.
It took Brad Evans' dramatic goal to seal a 2-1 American victory with time expiring.
"We want to finish qualifying on a high note and prove a point in our region," Klinsmann said. "We don't view these games as the end of World Cup qualifying. For us it is the start of preparations for the World Cup, and therefore we have to continue to raise the bar."
"We want to finish qualifying on a high note and prove a point in our region," Klinsmann said. "We don't view these games as the end of World Cup qualifying. For us it is the start of preparations for the World Cup, and therefore we have to continue to raise the bar."
The U.S. leads the CONCACAF table with 16 points, one clear of Costa Rica. Its only two defeats came on the road, in Honduras and Costa Rica, and Klinsmann's men have won every other game with the exception of a 0-0 draw in Mexico.
While CONCACAF remains one of the weaker confederations in world soccer, its potential pitfalls have been highlighted by the plight of the Mexicans, who were expected to qualify comfortably and are now in danger of missing out altogether. By contrast, the form of the U.S., whose recent results included a record 12-game winning streak over the summer, has seen the side leap to No. 13 in the world, the Americans' highest ranking under Klinsmann.
But Klinsmann knows as well as anyone that qualifying is merely a means to an end. Both his job and the legacy of this current team will be entirely determined by how they perform in Brazil.
Such is the nature of soccer in America, with the focus on the sport exponentially greater during World Cup time than at any other period.
"Getting to Brazil was just part of the job for us. We know we will be judged on what happens in the tournament itself," defender Matt Besler said. "That is why you prepare in the right way. It is why you don't take anything for granted. Every game is part of the process, a step closer to getting yourself ready to compete with the best."
FIFA: More than 6M tickets requested for 2014 World Cup.
TALES AZZONI (AP Sports Writer)
Soccer fans have applied for more than six million World Cup tickets, nearly double the total available in Brazil next year.
Because of the high demand, FIFA will hold a random draw to allocate the tickets to those who applied in the first phase, which ended on Thursday.
The second phase will be from Nov. 5-28, with tickets available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Fans will be allowed to make purchases again on Dec. 8, after the World Cup draw determines where and when each of the 32 teams will play.
Organizers expect a total of nearly 3.3 million tickets to be available for the first World Cup in Brazil since 1950, but only about one million were offered in the first phase. One million requests were made in the first seven hours after the sales opened in late August, and another one million requests were made in the past week.
Brazilians made 70 percent of the requests, followed by Americans, Argentines and Germans.
Each applicant could request for up to four tickets for a maximum of seven of the 64 matches.
FIFA said in a statement that it received applications from 203 countries, with the most popular request the opener in Sao Paulo on June 12 and the final at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on July 13. More than 720,000 tickets were requested for the opener and more than 750,000 for the final.
Prices for the final range from $440-$990, although Brazilian fans will pay $165 in the cheaper category. Brazilians over age 60, local students and members of some social programs will be allowed to pay about $82 a ticket. Prices for the opener go from $220-$495, with Brazilians paying $80 and discounted tickets costing $40.
All of Brazil's matches also were in high demand.
The most popular host cities were Sao Paulo, Rio and Curitiba. FIFA said there was also ''great interest'' in the team-specific ticket series, with Argentina and the Netherlands among the most sought after.
Of the 6.1 million ticket requests, Brazilians applied for 4.3, followed by Americans (374,065), Argentines (266,937), Germans (134,899), Chileans (102,288), English (96,780), Australians (88,082), Japanese (69,806), Colombians (55,379) and Canadians (49,968).
FIFA said it has until Nov. 4 to inform applicants whether they will get the tickets they applied for in the first phase.
Nearly 800,000 fans attended the Confederations Cup in Brazil this year, with ticket sales easily surpassing those for the warm-up tournament in South Africa in 2009 and in Germany in 2005.
Owner Snyder addresses 'Redskins' name dispute. What's your take?
Joseph White, AP Sports Writer
Owner wants those opposed to 'Redskins' to 'try to respect' what it means to team, fans.
Joseph White, AP Sports Writer
Owner wants those opposed to 'Redskins' to 'try to respect' what it means to team, fans.
Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder says respect goes both ways when it comes to the debate over the team's nickname.
The man who ultimately gets to decide whether the name stays or goes offered his thoughts on the matter Tuesday in a letter to season-ticket holders, the first time he has addressed at length the change-the-name campaign that has picked up momentum this year.
The tone of the letter suggests that no change is under consideration.
"I've listened carefully to the commentary and perspectives on all sides, and I respect the feelings of those who are offended by the team name," the letter states. "But I hope such individuals also try to respect what the name means, not only for all of us in the extended Washington Redskins family, but among Native Americans too."
The letter recalls Snyder's experience when he attended his first Redskins game at age 6 and cites polls and anecdotal evidence that indicate support for the name from Native Americans. It also states that the original Boston Redskins had a Native American coach in the 1930s before the franchise relocated to Washington, even though research shows that it is unclear whether William "Lone Star" Dietz was an actual Indian or whether he stole the identity of a missing man from the Oglala Sioux tribe.
"The name was never a label," Snyder's letter states. "It was, and continues to be, a badge of honor."
While there have been groups calling for a name change for decades, a series of events this year has put the Redskins on the defensive like never before. Snyder has hired Lanny Davis, an adviser in the Clinton White House who specializes in managing political crises, as an adviser on the matter. The letter released Tuesday shows more sensitivity than the owner's last on-the-record comment on the topic, when he told USA Today in May: "We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps."
In recent months, local leaders in Washington and some members of Congress have called for a name change, and some media outlets have stopped using the name. It is also the subject of a long-running legal challenge from a group of American Indians seeking to void the team's federal trademark protection.
Indian activist Suzan Shown Harjo, a major figure in the trademark case before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, was unimpressed with Snyder's letter. She disputed several points, including the reference to Dietz, whom she said is part of the team's "time-dishonored history of putting up pseudo-Indians as part of their promotion."
Harjo also rebuffed an assertion by Snyder that the team has an obligation to its fans to preserve its heritage.
"Part of that heritage and tradition is name-calling, belittling and maligning Native Peoples," Harjo said in an email to The Associated Press. "The n-word was traditional and had quite a heritage, too. Happily, not all traditions are carried on forever."
Last week, President Barack Obama told The Associated Press that he would "think about changing" the name if he owned the team. This week, the NFL said it will meet with representatives from the Oneida Indian Nation, which has been airing radio commercials pushing for a change. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday that the league needs to "carefully listen" to critics of the name and "make sure we're doing what's right."
Like Harjo, Oneida representative Ray Halbritter differed with the interpretation of the team's history in Snyder's letter. Oneida said the team's nickname "was deliberately designed to denigrate people of color."
"Unfortunately that ploy was successful," Halbritter said in a statement. "The marketing of this racial slur has had — and continues to have — very serious cultural, political, and public health consequences for my people and Native Americans everywhere. It is clear from Mr. Snyder's letter that he does not understand those consequences."
In the statement, Halbritter invited Snyder to take part in the tribe's upcoming meeting with the NFL.
Washington coach Mike Shanahan said he was glad that that Snyder "expressed exactly how he feels from an ownership standpoint."
Goodell has said that it is ultimately Snyder's call as to whether the name will be changed. For now, it appears the owner is not budging.
"I respect the opinions of those who disagree. I want them to know that I do hear them, and I will continue to listen and learn," the letter states. "But we cannot ignore our 81 year history, or the strong feelings of most of our fans as well as Native Americans throughout the country. After 81 years, the team name 'Redskins' continues to hold the memories and meaning of where we came from, who we are, and who we want to be in the years to come."
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