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Happy Veterans' Day.
Happy Veterans' Day.
Sports Quote of the Day:
"Winners must have two things - definite goals and a burning desire to achieve them." ~ Brad Burden
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Lions hold on for 21-19 victory over Bears.
By JAY COHEN (AP Sports Writer)
Calvin Johnson saw the defensive coverage. Same for Matthew Stafford, and they knew exactly what to do.
The result was a franchise record for one of the NFL's best wide receivers, and a big win for the Detroit Lions. Johnson caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Stafford with 2:22 to go, helping the Lions edge Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears 21-19 on Sunday in a key matchup of NFC North rivals.
''I knew immediately that one of us on the outside was going to get it,'' Johnson said. ''So I just wanted to work, be patient and he threw a great ball.''
Johnson also had a tiebreaking TD reception in the third quarter and Reggie Bush rushed for 105 yards as Detroit (6-3) swept the season series against Chicago (5-4) for the first time since the 2007 season.
When Green Bay lost 27-13 to Philadelphia, the Lions were all alone in first in the division for the first time since the end of Week 5 of the 2005 season, according to STATS.
''We came out with a victory on the road against a really tough team,'' Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said. ''It was a hard-fought win. Proud of the players, but that's the only thing that means (anything) today.
''I mean first place, you don't get any prizes for first place there nine games into the season.''
Johnson's ninth touchdown grab of the season was the 63rd of his career, breaking a tie with Herman Moore for the Detroit record. Moore still leads with 670 career receptions for the Lions, but Johnson might take that record down at some point, too.
''To be a part of history for the Lions, that's a big deal,'' Johnson said.
Johnson, playing in his 100th game, has 8,740 yards receiving, the second-most in NFL history in a player's first 100 games. Johnson trails Hall of Famer Lance Alworth who had 9,019.
Cutler threw for 250 yards and a touchdown in his first action since he injured his groin last month. He injured his left ankle in the second quarter and looked progressively worse as the game wore on.
Coach Marc Trestman finally decided to put in Josh McCown before the Bears' final drive.
''I didn't want to take him out unless he felt he couldn't do the job,'' Trestman said. ''It was, I thought, a very courageous performance throughout. Then at the end I took him out because I knew he would have to run around in the two-minute drill and that's when we decided to put Josh in the game.''
McCown drove the Bears down the field, throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall with 40 seconds left.
After a roughing penalty on Willie Young gave the Bears another chance at the tying 2-point conversion, Nick Fairley threw Matt Forte down in the backfield to preserve the win for Detroit.
''I just figured it would be a run or a play-action pass,'' Fairley said. ''I just scouted out the ball real good and it was just happy I made the play.''
Stafford threw for 219 yards for Detroit, which has won two in a row for the first time since the end of September. Johnson had six catches for 83 yards.
The Lions were clinging to a 14-10 lead when Chris Conte intercepted an overthrown ball by Stafford and returned it 35 yards to the Detroit 9.
Forte then had a touchdown run negated by a holding penalty on left guard Matt Slauson and an apparent scoring pass to Alshon Jeffery was overturned when a replay showed he lost control of the ball when he hit the ground.
Robbie Gould's 32-yard field goal trimmed the Lions' lead to one with 9:17 remaining, setting the stage for the frantic finish.
It was Cutler's first game since he was sacked by Redskins nose tackle Chris Baker in the first half of Chicago's 45-41 loss at Washington on Oct. 20. He had to be helped off the field, and an MRI revealed a torn groin muscle that was expected to sideline the quarterback for at least four weeks.
Cutler had other ideas.
The Bears had a bye week after the Washington loss, and Cutler watched while McCown led Chicago to a big 27-20 victory at Green Bay last Monday. Cutler then was cleared to play on Thursday and made the start against Detroit with the Lions, Bears and Packers all tied for the NFC North lead entering the day.
He insisted he was 100 percent, but it was clear his groin was bothering him more and more as the game wore on. He grabbed his groin area and dropped to the ground after one third-quarter throw. He then popped right back up and remained in the game.
''It held up OK. It's all on the same leg so I think that was a problem,'' said Cutler, referring the groin and ankle injuries. ''But the groin, you take the ankle out of the equation and I would have been fine, I think.''
Cutler threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Marshall on the first drive of the game. But he also had a pass tipped by Ndamukong Suh and grabbed by DeAndre Levy in the end zone for the linebacker's fifth interception.
NOTES: Levy began the day tied with seven other players for the NFL lead in interceptions. ... Each team played without a key defensive end. Detroit rookie Ziggy Ansah was out with a left ankle injury, and Chicago's Shea McClellin tweaked a hamstring during practice after he had three sacks in the victory at Green Bay. ... Lions RB Montell Owens left in the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return.
Week 10 Bears Grades: Coaching.
By John Mullin
The decisions surrounding the quarterback position dominate any evaluation, even though there were myriad other coaching situations, and it is difficult to sort through what is fact and what isn’t.
Coach Marc Trestman acknowledged that he might decide he made a mistake leaving Jay Cutler in the game too long, and Cutler’s second-half performance (9-for-22 passing) points in that direction.
Curious was this situation:
— Brandon Marshall stating that he could tell Cutler was having difficulties “below the waist” as early as the Bears’ second possession;
— Trestman and Cutler said that the groin injury was not an issue, that the problem was an injured left ankle;
— But the ankle injury, per Cutler, did not occur until the second quarter.
Why that matters is that the nagging question is whether Trestman let Cutler make the decision on whether to stay in the game or not, Trestman saying that he did not want to take Cutler out. Trestman cited the trainers’ involvement in the decision but players remarking on Cutler’s toughness and tenacity creates doubt whether Cutler or Trestman was really making the most important personnel decision of the game.
The matter involved extensive discussion on the sidelines, but one guess would be that a decision of such magnitude should not be debated in committee.
“I didn’t want to take him out unless he felt he couldn’t do the job,” Trestman said.
That decision on whether a player can do the job should be the province of the head coach, not the player.
That decision on whether a player can do the job should be the province of the head coach, not the player.
The decision to go on fourth-and-1 at the Detroit 27 in the first half was questionable because it squandered a scoring chance in the Detroit end, with not a lot of huge immediate payoff even with a conversion. Trestman indicated it was because even a miss left the Lions with a long field and because the Lions were going to score points.
Personnel groupings on the two two-point conversion attempts were curious, with the Bears passing out of a “heavy” package that had Alshon Jeffery and Marshall on the sidelines, then running out of a package that had one of the best receiving tandems on the field.
The Bears were caught too often in single coverage on Calvin Johnson, who caught two touchdowns on an overmatched Charles Tillman.
Moon's Grade: F
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks keep goals coming in 5-4 win over Oilers. (We picked up 4 points this weekend, way to go Hawks!!!)
By Tracey Myers
The Chicago Blackhawks talked prior to Sunday night’s game about the challenge that is the Edmonton Oilers.Forget the Oilers’ record: Once they face the Blackhawks, it rarely seems to matter. And it was close to not mattering again on Sunday. But the Blackhawks, who are on an offensive surge right now, tapped into that to fend off the Western Canadian thorn in their side.
Brandon Saad had a goal and an assist, and Duncan Keith’s first goal of the season proved to be the game-winner as the Blackhawks beat the Oilers, 5-4, at the United Center. It was another tough one against Edmonton, which, as coach Joel Quenneville put it, is “a team that enjoys playing us and has had some success.” But the Blackhawks, who have been finding their offensive on a regular basis lately, found more of it on Sunday.
“We’re just sticking with our game,” said Bryan Bickell, who scored his fifth of the season early in the third. “The first couple of periods we were frustrated. We were OK, but we had another level. In the third period, we picked it up. We’re happy to get the two points. I know these guys have a great track record against us.”
Quenneville concurred.
“I know one thing: They get excited playing our team,” he said of the Oilers.
“Everyone gets on the scoresheet. We’ve had some real tough nights. At the end of the day we want to win, but we want to play the right way. Sometimes we get away (from) how we traditionally play.”
Indeed, the Oilers seem to turn into bulls eyeing a red cape whenever they face the Blackhawks. Their power play got the best of the Blackhawks tonight, going 2-for-2 and giving them life and a 3-3 tie in the third period. But it was the Blackhawks’ own power play that proved to be the difference, when Keith’s long-distance shot got through Devan Dubnyk for the eventual game-winner.
“We’re just happy to get wins and get points,” said Keith, who has at least a point in six of his last seven games. “But we always want to keep getting better and take positives every game.”
Brent Seabrook had two assists. Corey Crawford stopped 19 of 23 shots for the victory. Crawford also stopped a Sam Gagner penalty shot, and he’s now 8-for-8 in his career in that category.
The Blackhawks would’ve liked to give up fewer goals. They would’ve liked to stay cleaner on their penalty kill. But they’re more than happy with their offensive output in recent games. The team that was struggling to score through most of October now has 14 goals in its last three games, and they’re getting them from everyone. Marcus Kruger and Andrew Shaw also scored for the Blackhawks.
“Our offense was awesome again tonight. We scored another five goals, and that definitely won us the game,” Crawford said. “It’s a dangerous game when the away team hangs around. But it’s a big win for us.”
The Blackhawks’ patience helped in holding off an Oilers team that’s tested them in recent years. Five more goals, and from five different players, don’t hurt either.
“The first couple weeks, first month, we were winning 3-2 and 2-1. Now it’s the opposite,” Bickell said. “It’s nice to get the offense, but it’s not always going to be like that. We have to play defense first, and the offense will come.”
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Cavaliers-Bulls Preview.
By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)
While they might feel a little better after their latest game, the Chicago Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau know they still have work to do to put their slow start behind them.
After its worst start since 2007-08, Chicago (2-3) blew out Utah 97-73 on Friday night with Luol Deng nearly registering his first triple-double. Deng had a team-leading 19 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Bulls, who had their best defensive performance of the season.
Chicago held the Jazz to 29.4 percent from the field after allowing an average of 98.0 points on 44.2 percent shooting in its first four games.
"We still have a lot of questions we have to (answer)," Thibodeau said. "One game doesn't mean everything is straightened out. We have to take a hard look at ourselves and make the necessary corrections."
Rose is among those still trying to get back in the groove for the Bulls. He's committing a league-worst 5.0 turnovers per game and shooting 32.0 percent after sitting out the entire 2012-13 season with a torn ACL. Rose has yet to score more than 18 points or hand out more than six assists.
"The worst thing to do would be try to force it," he said. "That's not my game. I'm going to let it come naturally. I'm going to do what the team needs me to do. I'm going to play the way I normally play. It's going to come."
Rose is averaging 24.5 points and 8.2 assists in his last 11 games against the Cavaliers (3-4), including five in the playoffs.
However, the former MVP has never matched up with Irving, his young point guard counterpart with Cleveland who is coming off one of his best performances.
Irving scored 39 points - two shy of his career best - and handed out 12 assists as Cleveland edged Philadelphia 127-125 in double overtime Saturday. After missing potentially game-winning shots in regulation and the first extra period, Irving made a layup with 0.6 seconds left to help his team avoid a third consecutive defeat.
"He's a spectacular player," coach Mike Brown said. "When you have a guy like Kyrie, you're going to have plenty of opportunities to win. Each time I thought he took the right shot. I applaud him to try to close the game the right way. When the game was on the line, we put the ball in his hands to go get it for us."
Irving has missed four of a potential seven matchups with the Bulls over his career due to injury or illness. He's averaged 14.3 points - his third-fewest against any opponent - in those three games against Chicago and lost them all even though Rose didn't play in any of them.
With Irving resting a sore knee in the teams' last meeting, Dion Waiters scored 25 points as Cleveland snapped an 11-game regular-season skid in the series with a 101-98 victory in Chicago on Feb. 26.
Waiters scored 24 on Saturday and is averaging 21.0 points in his last three games, compared to 9.5 through the Cavaliers' first four.
Deng is averaging 22.3 points on 58.5 percent shooting in the past three games against Cleveland while Carlos Boozer has scored a combined 51 in the last two.
Can Cubs newcomers ever truly be ready for the Chicago market?
By Tony Andracki
The market surrounding the Chicago Cubs is a different beast, unlike any other in American professional sports.
Fans, media and the entire city have lofty expectations and patience that runs thin, especially around September. Any grace period allotted to new arrivals is gone in the blink of an eye.
Of course, 105 seasons without a championship will do that.
So can a new Cubs manager ever be truly ready for Chicago? Heck, can top prospects like Javier Baez or Kris Bryant even be prepared for this market?
"We're very mindful of what we're getting our prospects ready for," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Friday. "Preparing them for Wrigley Field and not just playing in front of the crowd here, but playing playoff baseball here and getting ready for the media, as well."
After soaring up the prospect rankings and dominating headlines in 2013, Javier Baez — who hit 37 homers and drove in 111 runs in 130 minor league games — could make his MLB debut for the Cubs in 2014. If he struggles early, there's bound to be some leniency from the fanbase and media. But what if those struggles last a month? Or a year?
To reference a favorite phrase from CSN's David Kaplan, this town can chew you up and spit you out. While players could draw the ire of fans, the pressure is undoubtedly higher for managers.
"I think I have to be (prepared that it's a different job)," Rick Renteria said after he was introduced as the new Cubs manager Thursday. "One of the things I have to do is go out there on a daily basis and do what I do. My personality is not going to change. The approach I take with players is not going to change.
"Coming in as a visiting player and coach in town, this is a great place to be. The fans are always into the ballgame; they understand what's going on, they cheer you when you're doing great and they also let you know when you're not doing so great."
Renteria has said he is very secure with who he is and when speaking with Cubs media, declared himself an optimist with an everlasting smile. He did spend one season managing the Kane County Cougars — stationed 40 miles west of Wrigley Field — so it's not like the 51-year-old is brand new to the Chicagoland area. But the corner of Clark and Addison is quite a bit different than managing a Class-A team in Geneva.
Who knows how long that positive attitude will last. Many skippers have come before him, entering Chicago with a lot more managing experience than the California native has and leaving worn down from the pressures of the job.
But Renteria's sunny outlook might be exactly what a young rebuilding team needs.
"One thing you can expect from him is he's going to be consistent with his positive energy," Dave Roberts, a former big league player who coached alongside Renteria with the San Diego Padres, said in a video message to Cubs season ticket holders Friday. "He's going to back his players and every single guy is going to play hard. It doesn't matter how much money you make, where you come from, guys gravitate to him. Guys want to play hard for him.
"He's so good with young players and with veterans. He just has this way about him that people should come to respect him. There's not a player that has come across Rick Renteria that hasn't gotten better."
Renteria believes the team he's taking over — a squad that has lost 197 games the last two seasons — can compete immediately. For his part, though, he realizes that positivity might sound crazy or naive to Chicagoans.
"I know you might think I'm nuts, but I feel like any team has a chance to move forward if you really believe in the concept of playing as a team, going out and preparing on a daily basis, knowing what you want to do and giving yourself a chance to fight and play," Renteria said.
"I don't make the assumption (the Cubs can't play at a high level) ... One of the things we have to do to continue to move forward with the club we have is lay expectations before them. If I was to come in here and assume I was going to lose, what kind of expectations am I laying for the players that are here?
"My assumption is we're going to go out and do the best we can and execute every action that we're supposed to and make the least amount of mistakes and have a chance on a daily basis to win a ballgame."
The Cubs big league roster is deep with journeyman-type veterans and short on core pieces. The next wave of young talent — headed up by Bryant and Baez — is still months away, and the system entered the winter light on impact pitching. But down on the farm, things have gotten better since Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer took over the front office. The Cubs boast a consensus top 5 farm system and four players — Bryant, Baez, Albert Almora and Jorge Soler — could be ranked among the game's top 20 prospects.
"I look at this like I've done every other thing my whole life. My biggest concern is what I have, not what I don't have," Renteria said. "Quite frankly, I think the players that are here are very good athletes, very good potential baseball players and they just need something to bring it out of them.
"I take that responsibility with a lot of pride and understanding that everybody is possibly going to count us out, but my personality doesn't allow us to be counted out. What we're going to try to do between the lines (on the field) will speak for itself.
"In the end, obviously, we're all judged in one fashion or another. I don't preoccupy myself with what I think is going to happen. I focus on what I want to do, and it's always going to be in a positive way."
So will Renteria survive Chicago? Will the Cubs' top prospects be able to handle the unrealistic expectations set forth from this fanbase?
Stay tuned. Only time will tell.
Golf-Dubuisson too good for Woods and company in Turkey.
Reuters; (By Tony Jimenez, Editing by Tony Goodson)
* Frenchman scoops maiden European Tour victory
*Welshman Donaldson second after hole-in-one
* Woods and Rose tied for third in Turkish Open
The 23-year-old started the final 18 holes with a five-shot lead and plotted his way carefully round the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course to finish with a three-under-par 69 and a 24-under aggregate of 264.
Britain's Jamie Donaldson, helped by a hole-in-one at the par-three 16th, was two strokes adrift in second spot after a dazzling nine-under 63.
World number one Tiger Woods (67) never really threatened and had to be content with a share of third place on 268 with U.S. Open champion Justin Rose (65) in the penultimate event of the European season.
Dubuisson grinned like a Cheshire Cat at the presentation ceremony and was almost lost for words after picking up the first prize of 848,930 euros ($1.13 million), the biggest payday of his fledgling career.
"I wanted to cry there on the 18th green," he said after being doused with champagne by a posse of his fellow French players.
"I don't really know what's happening right now. I was so busy concentrating on my game that it hasn't sunk in that I've won such a big event. I'm just so happy."
Dubuisson was a model of consistency early on, reeling off nine straight pars before picking up his first shot of the day at the 10th.
He remained in front until he suffered his first bogey of the round at the 14th, at the same time as Donaldson produced a bolt from the blue at the 165-yard 16th.
His seven-iron pitched six feet short before rolling gently into the cup to earn the Abu Dhabi Championship winner one million air miles from the tournament sponsor.
MAD AND WEIRD
"It's mad, it's weird, when it goes in," said Donaldson. "You hit it right down the flag and you're hoping in the air that it's going to be close.
"When it lands and vanishes it's like, 'Where's that gone?'. The fact you get something extra for it as well, is nice."
No sooner was Dubuisson caught on 21-under by Donaldson than the Welshman's playing partner Rose made it a three-way tie for the lead by knocking in an 18-footer for a matching birdie.
The bearded Frenchman responded in the manner of a true champion at the 308-yard 15th, powering his tee shot to the fringe of the green before restoring his lead with a chip and a putt for birdie.
Dubuisson then added the icing on his victory cake by converting putts of 25 and 15 feet for birdies at the 17th and 18th.
"The start was a little bit difficult for me today," he said. "I wasn't playing too well and wasn't making any putts on the front nine.
"I was watching the leaderboard and seeing all the good players getting nearer to me. I spoke to my caddie and he just said, 'If we make one or two birdies at the end we'll be fine'."
Fourteen-times major winner Woods said he thoroughly enjoyed his trip but simply did not collect enough birdies to challenge for the title.
"On a golf course like this where you have to make so many birdies, I just didn't make enough," said the 37-year-old American.
"You just had to be so aggressive all of the time and that is reflected by how many guys made runs of four or five birdies in a row."
Rose's joint third-place finish sets up a thrilling climax to the season at next week's $8 million DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The second-placed Englishman is now 213,000 euros ($284,300)behind money-list leader Henrik Stenson, who finished joint seventh in Turkey, with all to play for in the Middle East.
"I've gained some ground for sure and it's nice to be able to control your fate next week," said Rose.
"The exact scenario I'm looking for is to go to Dubai and win."
Johnson widens points lead on Kenseth's bad day.
By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)
Matt Kenseth had one of those rare seasons in which everything seemed to go right every time he got behind the wheel of his car.
Until the one day he couldn't afford for anything to go wrong.
Kenseth had one of his poorest performances of the season Sunday, finishing 23rd at Phoenix International Raceway to allow Jimmie Johnson to seize control of the championship race. Johnson, who started the day up seven points in the standings, finished third behind Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne to pad his lead to 28 points.
The five-time champion goes to next Sunday's season finale at Homestead needing to finish 23rd or better to win the title.
Kenseth, who won his only championship 10 years ago, gave what sounded like a concession speech following his disappointing day.
''Of course I'm disappointed - we go there basically without a shot to win,'' Kenseth said. ''On the other hand, I couldn't be happier and more proud of my team and, man, this has been the best year of my racing career. We hoped to go down to Homestead and race for it on performance. On the other hand, I'm extremely happy and really, really proud of my team.''There's not a car out here I'd rather be driving. We've had just an amazing, incredible season and we've still got one week left. So I'm really thankful for them putting me in a car and everybody who has given me this opportunity.''
Johnson, who had a mechanical failure in last year's season finale and finished 36th, wasn't ready to claim the title following his workmanlike performance at Phoenix.Kenseth had one of his poorest performances of the season Sunday, finishing 23rd at Phoenix International Raceway to allow Jimmie Johnson to seize control of the championship race. Johnson, who started the day up seven points in the standings, finished third behind Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne to pad his lead to 28 points.
The five-time champion goes to next Sunday's season finale at Homestead needing to finish 23rd or better to win the title.
Kenseth, who won his only championship 10 years ago, gave what sounded like a concession speech following his disappointing day.
''Of course I'm disappointed - we go there basically without a shot to win,'' Kenseth said. ''On the other hand, I couldn't be happier and more proud of my team and, man, this has been the best year of my racing career. We hoped to go down to Homestead and race for it on performance. On the other hand, I'm extremely happy and really, really proud of my team.''There's not a car out here I'd rather be driving. We've had just an amazing, incredible season and we've still got one week left. So I'm really thankful for them putting me in a car and everybody who has given me this opportunity.''
''We're heading into Homestead in the position we want to be in,'' Johnson said. ''I'll have to go down there and run 400 miles. It's far from over. You've got to finish that race. Although we have a nice cushion, we still have to go down there and take care of business.''
Harvick won at Phoenix for the second consecutive year, capitalizing when Carl Edwards ran out of gas coming to the white flag. But all eyes were on Kenseth, who struggled mightily for the first time in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship and for one of the few times this season.
Kenseth had only finished lower than 23rd four times this entire season, and three were related to either engine failure or a crash.
But his car was off from the very start, and he struggled to even tell crew chief Jason Ratcliff what adjustments to make on a Toyota he described at one point as ''just not drivable.''
''I don't even know what to tell you to fix, to be honest,'' Kenseth radioed. ''I am so aero tight. So aero tight.''
Figuring track position and clean air was the only fix, Ratcliff opted for a strategy of having Kenseth do the opposite of other drivers: If they pitted, Kenseth did not, and vice versa. It worked as Kenseth cracked the top 10, but then backfired badly on a pit stop at the worst possible time.
Moments after contact between Johnson and Carl Edwards knocked Johnson out of the groove and forced him to save his Chevrolet from wrecking, a caution was called for Josh Wise's spin. The Joe Gibbs Racing crew botched the pit stop, changing strategy mid-stop, and Kenseth compounded the problem by running over his air hose. His car had to be backed up before it could be serviced. It dropped him to 30th, two laps down, and he restarted behind Johnson at the one opportunity he'd had to make up some ground.
''I called left sides trying to get some track position, and I looked up and there weren't many cars coming down pit road, so I thought we might as well put four on it,'' Ratcliff said. ''But when I called four, those guys had left-side tires in their hands and half of them went over the wall and had to come back to get the right-side tires. It's just a mess.
''I let the guys down. They do a great job on pit road and I made them look bad with the mix-up.''
Johnson, stressed over the incident with Edwards, knew when he saw Kenseth behind him after the caution that he was in great shape.
''I was starting to get worried at that point in time, but seemed shortly thereafter we left pit road and (Kenseth) was behind me again ... I felt like I knew I could manage things and it was about trying to get points again,'' Johnson said.
So off in the waning laps, Kenseth's frustration could be heard over the radio when he couldn't pass Bobby Labonte and David Gilliland.
''Man, this is bad,'' Kenseth said. ''I can't believe I can't even pass these two cars. ''Although he wasn't great all weekend, Kenseth said he never saw Sunday's performance coming.
''Honestly, it was the first day like that, that we've had all season long,'' Kenseth said.
''That just, gosh, that speaks volumes about my team, we haven't had a day like that all year where we've been far enough where we couldn't stay on the lead lap. It was an unfortunate, disappointing day, but man, we did the best we could do. We just were off.''
After seven wins this season, Kenseth's first driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, Ratcliff did not believe the team choked.
''Everybody's going to say, 'Oh, the pressure got to them,' ''he said. ''Just poor execution on a track that's so hard to pass. You're trying to make up for something that happened earlier and it just snowballs on you. The car wasn't responding to changes. We'd make another change and it wouldn't help it, so we'd put that back and make another change and I don't know if that was better or worse, so I was like 'Just quit working on the thing, it's not responding.'
''We were just trying to make something out of nothing.''
Harvick, meanwhile, picked up his fourth win of the season when Edwards ran out of gas headed to the white flag. Harvick sailed by right before the last lap to grab another memorable moment in a career with Richard Childress Racing that will end next week after 13 seasons.
The victory also put Harvick in the title race - albeit as a long shot, 34 points behind Johnson.
''We're talking about locking him in the port-a-potty, so that should sum it up,'' Harvick joked. ''Those guys are good at what they do and they're good at every track.''
All of the signs that Robin van Persie is no longer an ‘Arsenal man’.
By Brooks Peck
Prior to Arsenal's visit to Old Trafford on Sunday, Arsene Wenger was once again prompted to discuss Robin van Persie, the golden goose he reluctantly gifted to Manchester United for £24 million. And once the topic was broached, Wenger insisted on fueling the pitifully romantic notion that footballers must carry a torch for their former clubs in the name of "#respect."
He said: "It will be strange to see him in a United shirt because for me he is an Arsenal man. I took him as a very, very young player and we came together through very difficult periods. He became a world class player and for me he is an Arsenal player."
So in the interest of helping Wenger come to terms with reality, here are all the signs that Van Persie is no longer an Arsenal man.
-After his first season as Arsenal captain, Robin van Persie publicly announced that he would not sign a new contract with the club. This corner Wenger into selling Van Persie to his oldest rival (both literally and figuratively), Sir Alex Ferguson, at a cut-rate price.
-He changed his default team in FIFA from Arsenal to Man United as soon as the deal was finalized.
-He didn't get Arsene Wenger anything for his birthday. Not even an e-card.
-In his first season with Man United, Van Persie played in all 38 Premier League matches, a feat he did not accomplish until his eighth and final season with Arsenal.
-He swapped shirts with Arsenal defender/saboteur/troll Andre Santos at halftime after scoring just three minutes into his first appearance against his former club.
-After helping Ferguson win his 13th Premier League title, he did not give his winner's medal to trophy deprived Arsene Wenger as a show of appreciation for all he had done for him. He was going to text "thinking of u..." later that night, but was too busy celebrating with his new friends.
-He still smiles.
-When Arsenal signed Mesut Ozil, he did not immediately apologize to Wenger for not believing in him and attempt to force a last-minute transfer back to north London.
-He didn't even add an umlaut to his name on the back of his Man United shirt the way Arsenal fans did on Twitter.
-Van Persie has now scored in each of the three matches he has played against Arsenal, including the only goal in Man United's 1-0 win on Sunday.
-When he scored that most recent goal against his old club, he did not mute his response. He celebrated as he would any other goal (the way any footballer should, regardless of his history with the opposing team).
-After the game, he hugged David Moyes even though Wenger was in the same building.
-He plays for Manchester United.
NCAAFB BCS Championship Series Rankings.
Yahoo Sports
NCAA Top 25 Basketball Rankings.
AP, USA Today/ESPN, RPI
Division I Polls
AP Top 25
- 1.Kentucky (27)
- 2.Michigan St. (22)
- 3.Louisville (14)
- 4.Duke (2)
- 5.Kansas
- 6.Arizona
- 7.Michigan
- 8.Syracuse
- 8.Oklahoma St.
- 10.Florida
- 11.Ohio St.
- 12.North Carolina
- 13.Memphis
- 14.VCU
- 15.Gonzaga
- 16.Wichita St.
- 17.Marquette
- 18.Connecticut
- 19.Oregon
- 20.Wisconsin
- 21.Notre Dame
- 22.UCLA
- 23.New Mexico
- 24.Virginia
- 25.Baylor
USA Today/ESPN
RPI Rankings
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