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Sports Quote of the Day:
"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength." ~ Author Unknown
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! NFC North waiting on the Bears.
By John Mullin
No division team won last weekend, which wouldn’t be necessarily notable except for the fact that two of NFC North teams (Green Bay, Minnesota) were playing each other. And tied.
The NFC in general is dawdling, with only five teams possessing records better than the Bears' 6-5 after the trampling administered by the St. Louis Rams: Seattle (10-1), New Orleans (9-2), Carolina (8-3), San Francisco (7-4) and Arizona (7-4). Some good news is that Seattle, Arizona and San Francisco are together in the NFC West, and each has games against the other two, which stands to help wild-card possibilities.
But only if the Bears can stack wins, which they have not done since their 3-0 start.
Week, opponent, day/date/time
1. Cincinnati Bengals (7-4), W, 24-21
Bears were being run out 21-10 and down 325-97 in yardage midway through the third quarter. Jay Cutler takes control of fourth quarter and fourth-down Matt Forte run sets up winning Brandon Marshall TD pass.
2. Minnesota Vikings (2-8-1), W, 31-30
Jay Cutler directs second straight fourth-quarter comeback, finishing with TD pass to Martellus Bennett as defense “holds” Adrian Peterson to 100 yards but zero TDs or breakaways.
3. @ Pittsburgh Steelers (5-6), W, 40-23
A 24-3 lead erodes to 27-23 before offense rallies to hold off a reeling Steelers team done in by five turnovers vs. no takeaways. Jay Cutler goes for controlled offense, with zero interceptions in smart win over difficult “D.”
4. @ Detroit Lions (6-5), L, 40-32
Jay Cutler throws three interceptions and loses a fumble for a Detroit TD as the Lions score 27 points in the second quarter, 24 unanswered, as offense, defense and special teams all contribute to loss.
5. New Orleans Saints (9-2), L, 26-18
New Orleans remains the only undefeated NFC team after Bears early mistakes (three sacks in the first 12 plays, two fumbles in the first four) undercut any chance to catch a good conference rival.
6. New York Giants (4-7), W, 27-21
Brandon Jacobs runs for 106 yards, but Jay Cutler puts up fifth 90-plus passer rating with two TD passes to Brandon Marshall as Eli Manning throws three picks, one for a pick-six.
7. @ Washington Redskins (3-8), L, 45-41
Losing the game was overshadowed by groin injury to Jay Cutler and continuing woes on defense (499 yards allowed).
8. OFF WEEK
9. @ Green Bay Packers (5-5-1), W, 27-20
Josh McCown takes over for injured Jay Cutler and guides offense to 442 yards and five scoring possessions out of 11. Aaron Rodgers suffers broken collarbone early, and Packers can’t win despite 199 rushing yards.
10. Detroit Lions (6-5), L, 21-19
Jay Cutler tries to return from groin tear but suffers a high-ankle sprain that’ll have him down several weeks. Charles Tillman to IR with a triceps injury. Josh McCown directs TD drive that falls short when Bears can’t convert on two two-point tries.
11. Baltimore Ravens (5-6), W, 23-20 (OT)
Offense overcomes storm onslaught and hour-53-minute interruption, with Josh McCown continuing to play turnover-free, and defense is able to make crucial stops late. Robbie Gould’s 38-yard field goal provides the game-winner.
12. @ St. Louis Rams (5-6), L, 42-21
Defense gives up 258 rushing yards, and offense ends a seven-minute drive with no points by failing to punch in after first-and-goal at Rams 4, and needing three minutes to score from the St. Louis 1.
13. @ Minnesota Vikings (2-8-1), Sun., Dec. 1, noon*
Vikings put 447 yards on Green Bay, including 232 rushing with Peterson’s 146, but blow a 23-7 lead with 14 minutes to play vs. Green Bay quarterbacked by Matt Flynn.
14. Dallas Cowboys (6-5), Mon., Dec. 9, 7:40 p.m.
All the trash talk by the Giants during the week angered the Cowboys, who won with a 35-yard field goal as time expired, ending New York’s four-game win streak and playoff chances.
15. @ Cleveland Browns (4-7), Sun., Dec. 15, noon*
Pittsburgh sends Browns to fifth loss in six games and takes out quarterback Jason Campbell with a concussion hit that should draw a fine for defensive lineman William Gay.
16. @ Philadelphia Eagles (6-5), Sun., Dec. 22, noon*
OFF
17. Green Bay Packers (5-5-1), Sun., Dec. 29, noon*
Matt Flynn came back without the supposed magic and could only get Packers into a tie at home with Minnesota with a fourth-quarter burst.
*Subject to flex scheduling.
Sporting News
Congratulations, you got what you wanted. In the interest of “fairness”, “equality”, and the “every kid in little league gets a trophy” mindset, the new overtime rules that evidently some fans and obviously some influential members of the media so coveted has directly led to the fairest, most equitable ending of all: a tie.
Is this everything you hoped it would be? Is a tie really preferable to the Packers being rewarded with a victory after taking the opening drive of overtime 77 yards, including a spectacular grab by wide receiver Jarrett Boykin, from their own 21 to the Vikings’ 2-yard line? But that's too easy to do, right, and not worthy of a win?
You'd have a very tough time convincing any player or coach who participated in that game that the new rules are a good thing. Even the Vikings, who ostensibly benefited from the new rule, would tell you they don't care for it if they were being candid.
You know why? Nobody accomplished their goal of winning the game. Nobody. It is an awkward and awful feeling for every person involved in the game in any capacity. Not to mention a terrible experience for the fans. Instead of having a winner, everybody gets to feel like a loser. Great.
If you can't tell already I can't stand the new overtime rules in the NFL.
Keep in mind I have felt this way from the start. I never thought there was a problem with the previous sudden death format. In fact, I don't know any players or coaches who did. Sure, you liked when you won the coin toss because it meant you got the first opportunity to score but that didn't guarantee anything, despite what some in the public or media would have you believe.
Sunday's game between the Vikings and Packers only served to crystallize and reinforce my position.
The logic behind the rule change that was implemented a few years ago is that it was supposedly too easy for the team that won the coin toss to get three or four first downs after receiving the kickoff and then kick a field goal to win the game. The flawed thought process was that the coin toss was too important and the impetus was a couple of high profile playoff examples in which future Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Brett Favre never got on the field in overtime. Keep in mind that the Chargers actually scored a touchdown to defeat Manning's Colts and Favre threw an interception in the final minute of regulation in Saints’ territory in his game.
Those critical details only get in the way of the desired narrative.
First of all, it is over-time. It is extra time put into place in order to decide a winner. If the goal is to ensure total equality of opportunity why don't we just eliminate overtime all together and declare every game that ends with matching scores at the end of regulation a tie? That's fair.
That's the whole point. You can't find anyone that would be on board with that because nobody likes a tie. Nobody.
Secondly, both teams had plenty of opportunities to win the game fair and square during the 60 minutes of regulation. That's well over 140 football plays which is plenty for guys who are already suiting up 20 times each fall, not even including the postseason. Which by the way is one reason why the NFL Players Association should've challenged the proposed rule change when it came about. Did you know that only five of the 33 overtime games since the new rules were implemented have ended after the first possession? That's a decent amount of extra wear and tear for guys who are already fatigued after playing a full 60 minutes.
Not to mention the fact the idea that the coin toss was too important was far from statistically significant to begin with. A coin toss, by definition, is 50-50 and both teams have an equal opportunity there. The only stat I've ever seen to support the change was that 58 percent of the teams that won the coin toss went on to win the game. So?
That's not enough to change a rule. Plus, with the kickoff moved up five yards a couple of years back many more teams are starting drives around the 20-yard line as opposed to the 30. Those 10 yards make a sizable difference and probably would've knocked the percentage of teams winning after receiving the coin toss down much closer to 50 percent and thus rendered the new overtime rule unnecessary.
The issue people had is that it was too simple for a team to get the ball at their own 30, move the ball 40 yards, and kick a game winning 47-yard field goal.
Is it really that easy? Sunday night's game between the Patriots and Broncos showed that even two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history aren't able to get that field goal as easily as you might be led to believe. Through the first four possessions, two each, neither one of the all-time greats was able to even get their team into position for the game-winning score. If it wasn’t for a muffed punt we could have had two ties on the same day. Feel the excitement!
What people who wanted the rule tweaked didn't take into account is a drive like the Packers had on Sunday. They went the length of the field and moved into position for a chip shot field goal. Seventy seven yards isn't enough? That's too easy?
The new rules will continue to lead to more weird decisions that need to be made, more awkward endings unnatural to the sport of football, more casual fans confused by the overtime action, and yes, more ties.
So congratulations again. I suppose you got what you wanted and can only hope you derive as much joy kissing your sister on Thanksgiving.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks-Flames Preview.
By KEVIN CHROUST (STATS Writer)
A win Wednesday night in Calgary would bump them to an NHL-best 40 points, five shy of where they were through 26 games a season ago. It would also give them four straight regulation wins on a single road trip, something they haven't done since Nov. 19-25, 2009.
Monday's 5-1 win at Edmonton improved the Blackhawks (17-4-4) to 3-1-0 on a season-high seven-game road swing.
Andrew Shaw had his fourth career two-goal game and second with three points. He has three goals in his last two games.
"We've got back to our systems and rolling all four lines," Shaw said. "Everybody is bringing the energy we need them to, and the chemistry through all four lines is pretty amazing right now. We've been playing some of our best hockey."
Patrick Kane got his team-best 13th goal on the power play to extend his point streak to 11 games. He leads the team with 26 points but also has a team-worst minus-3 rating. Kane has a six-game point streak against the Flames with goals in his last two.
Monday's 5-1 win at Edmonton improved the Blackhawks (17-4-4) to 3-1-0 on a season-high seven-game road swing.
Andrew Shaw had his fourth career two-goal game and second with three points. He has three goals in his last two games.
"We've got back to our systems and rolling all four lines," Shaw said. "Everybody is bringing the energy we need them to, and the chemistry through all four lines is pretty amazing right now. We've been playing some of our best hockey."
Patrick Kane got his team-best 13th goal on the power play to extend his point streak to 11 games. He leads the team with 26 points but also has a team-worst minus-3 rating. Kane has a six-game point streak against the Flames with goals in his last two.
Forward Marian Hossa has missed consecutive games while attending to a family matter, though he's expected to return in Calgary. He's third on the team with 10 goals behind Kane and Jonathan Toews (12). His plus-15 rating in 20 games leads the team and is among the best in the league.
Corey Crawford has provided some goaltending stability for Chicago after it allowed 21 goals in five games preceding the three-game winning streak. He has a 1.00 goals-against average and .968 save percentage in his last two games.
Corey Crawford has provided some goaltending stability for Chicago after it allowed 21 goals in five games preceding the three-game winning streak. He has a 1.00 goals-against average and .968 save percentage in his last two games.
Antti Raanta, however, will get the start against the Flames, according to the Blackhawks' official Twitter feed. It will be his first NHL start after replacing Crawford in a 5-1 loss at Colorado to start the trip. He stopped 14 of the 16 shots he faced.
The Flames (8-11-4) have played three straight overtime games and are looking to gain footing in the Western Conference after a six-game winless streak in which they managed one point. They're 2-0-1 in their last three with a pair of shootout wins.
They beat Florida 4-3 at home Friday when rookie center Sean Monahan netted the shootout winner for the second time in three games.
"We've got to dig deep," Monahan said. "We're trying to do whatever we can to get points right now. It feels good. We want wins."
Joe Colborne had a goal for the second straight game after scoring once in his first 20.
"It's nice just to get a few wins in here and lighten the mood a bit," Colborne said.
"We have obviously a very proud group in here. It's nice to have some music going in the dressing room and some guys who are smiling again. It's just a big team win."
The Flames earned a 3-2 overtime win Nov. 3 in Chicago, which went 3-0-0 against them in last season's series.
Former Blackhawk among players suing NHL over concussions. CS&T/AA would like for you to read the article below this one that explains the difference between NFL and NHL concussions.
By Evan Moore
Ten former players have brought a class-action lawsuit against the NHL.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington. The players are seeking court-approved medical monitoring for their brain trauma and/or injuries.
The 10 former players include Gary Leeman, Brad Aitken, Darren Banks, Curt Bennett, Richard Dunn, Warren Holmes, Bob Manno, Blair Stewart, Morris Titanic and Rick Vaive.
Vaive played for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1987-1988 season.
The players named in the lawsuit believe the NHL hasn’t done enough to protect players from concussions.
The former players also claim that the NHL purposely concealed the risks of brain injuries by exposing them to unnecessary dangers.
Earlier this year, the NFL settled a class-action lawsuit brought up on similar grounds for $765 million.
NFL, NHL concussion cases are not the same.
By DAVE CAMPBELL (AP Sports Writer)
Three months after the NFL agreed on a $765 million settlement with thousands of ex-players for concussion-related health problems, a group of their NHL peers is going to court, too.
Hockey has proven to be an equally dangerous sport as football, but that doesn't mean the link between collisions on the ice and post-career trouble will lead to a similar outcome. The legal and cultural surroundings of the NFL and NHL concussion lawsuits are more distinct than alike.
Start with the nature of the players themselves.
Former NFL players haven't just taken the league to task for their concussion-related concerns; they've sued over all kinds of alleged misconduct, including their rights to memorabilia and highlight film revenue.
In the NHL, there's more blatant loyalty expressed by the guys who used to don the uniforms. Hockey players have a penchant for closing ranks when controversy arises, and this is no different.
Two prominent former players, Ken Daneyko and Keith Primeau, expressed disinterest in pursuing concussion claims against the league when interviewed prior to the introduction of the lawsuit despite their lingering physical side effects from years of playing the game.
Jeremy Roenick, in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, was even more outspoken about his disregard for the lawsuit that was filed Monday in federal court in Washington.
''I'm not going to tell people what to do and say they're all trying to cap on the system right now. That's their prerogative,'' said Roenick, a 20-year veteran of five NHL teams. ''They can put themselves in public. They can go after the league that they craved to be in since they were little kids and paid their salary. ... I've always lived in the fact that I played the game of hockey knowing there was a lot of risk to be taken. I went on the ice knowing that my health and my life could be altered in a split second, and I did it because I loved the game.''
Roenick said he had 13 concussions during his career.
''I can tell you that the teams I was with handled it very well and professionally throughout the whole ordeal,'' Roenick said.
Ten former players, including All-Star forward Gary Leeman, are named as plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit. It alleges the NHL hasn't done enough to protect players from concussions and seeks court-approved, NHL-sponsored medical monitoring for the players' injuries as well as monetary damages.
Attorney Steve Silverman said a total of about 200 former players have signed up to be included in the action.
By Aggrey Sam
Bulls general manager Gar Forman has been making the local media rounds over the past two days, offering one-on-one phone interviews to beat reporters covering the team to discuss Derrick Rose’s season-ending right-knee injury Friday in Portland and subsequent surgery to repair his medial meniscus Monday in Chicago.
Forman spoke to CSNChicago.com at length Tuesday (after travel from Salt Lake City postponed earlier attempts) about a variety of topics. Here is the full question-and-answer session:
CSNChicago.com: How competitive can the Bulls be moving forward without Derrick this season?
Forman: I think Tom said it well on Sunday, right after it happened, that the core of this team’s been through this before and has a level of success pulling together, and I think that’s what our guys are about. Obviously it’s been tough for them, but there is a belief in the makeup and character of this team, and that they will pull together and they will compete. But the one thing I wanted to say—I guess two things—because there’s a lot of articles written: What surgery How long’s the rehab? How’s he going to come back? But there’s a human element to this, so first and foremost, our thoughts were with Derrick and his family. That’s why, from Derrick to us, we wanted what was best for Derrick and what’s best for Derrick is best for this franchise.
He’s still really young, he’s got a long career ahead of him and we were really, really happy that the surgery went well, that they were able to repair it and there’s no reason he’s not going to be able to come back at 100 percent. But you asked about this year’s team and I’d say the same. There’s a human element to that, too. I think we understand it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be tough for our players when they have a teammate and a friend go down because our guys are really close and there’s really good camaraderie with our team. I think our guys will respond. There’s talent on this team. We’ve got two guys that were All-Stars a year ago in Joakim and Luol. You’ve got Carlos, who’s been a double-double guy and who’s been an All-Star in the past. Some of the younger guys, Jimmy and Taj, who are off to good starts; obviously Jimmy’s hurt now. Veterans in Mike and Kirk that have proven to be good players at this level.
CSNChicago.com: Since the team was structured around Derrick’s return, will the season turn into more of a developmental year for the younger players?
Forman: I hope those guys, they continue to grow and have an opportunity to grow. I think even the last couple of games, we’ve seen a little bit of that with Tony. So if it gives them an opportunity, they’ve got to be ready to step up and it gives them a chance to continue to grow. But it is different. In the summer of 2012, though there was some chance that Derrick could come back, if he did, it wasn’t going to be until late and obviously that team was put together with that in mind, that Derrick probably wasn’t going to play and if he did, he wasn’t going to play much of the year, whereas this is different. This team, some of the pieces were put together to be around Derrick.
CSNChicago.com: Without getting into details, do you anticipate a short-term roster move to try to alleviate the loss of some of the scoring and playmaking Derrick brought?
Forman: It just happened, so we’ll continue like we always do. Not just this team, but any year and any team, we’ll continue to evaluate it and continue to look at any moves that make sense in helping us continue to get better, and help us get to our ultimate goal, which is to compete for a championship.
CSNChicago.com: Does Derrick’s injury accelerate the planning process, in regards to the potential opportunities the organization has to make changes next summer?
Forman: Obviously Derrick is a big part of what we’re doing and our expectation is that he’s going to come back and resume his career at a high level. From a medical standpoint, the doctors have said there’s no reason he won’t be able to and obviously we know what Derrick’s made of, and he’s going to put everything he can into rehabbing and then continuing to get better, so we think he’ll come back at a high level and he’s still obviously a big part of what we’re doing, so I don’t know how that changes that part of it. The thing is, we’re not going to make any rash decisions and we do feel like there’s a bright future ahead for us, and we believed we’re positioned well. We’ve still got very good players that are in their twenties and we’ve got draft picks into the future, the rights to Nikola [Mirotic], the opportunity to have some level of flexibility, which we haven’t had under this CBA, so we still think we’re positioned well and we’ll continue to evaluate things and if the right opportunities come up, then we’ll try to take advantage of it.
CSNChicago.com: With his recent injury history, is there any reason to believe that Derrick may be more susceptible to getting hurt and maybe having a career where he deals with injuries on a regular basis?
Forman: The thing that was interesting about this injury the other day is in talking to the doctors, that this injury wasn’t because of the ACL, where he’s overcompensating, or there was a weakness somewhere or fatigue. This injury was a fluke. So it was just bad luck, but there was nothing that caused this injury, according to our doctors.
CSNChicago.com: Has the idea of getting better through a high draft pick, due to a losing season on the court, whether through coincidence or design, even been broached since Derrick has been hurt.
Forman: No.
Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine among first timers on 2014 Hall of Fame ballot.
By Mike Oz
Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves (L), Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox (C), Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves, (R).
The 2014 Hall of Fame ballot was made public Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. On it, you'll find a number of baseball heroes from the 1990s. Most notably among the first-timers are pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine as well as slugger Frank Thomas.
After a year in which not a single player was allowed into the Hall of Fame by BBWAA voters, the 2014 ballot and the new players on it, virtually guarantees we'll see new inductees at Cooperstown. How many players will we see? Well, that depends on whether the BBWAA voting contingency backs down from its moral stance of years past and grants entry to tied-to-PED greats such as Barry Bonds, Rogers Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.
Of the first-timers — there are 19 overall — Maddux, Glavine and Thomas have the best chance of carrying 75 percent of the vote needed for Hall of Fame induction. You could make a strong case for Mike Mussina and Jeff Kent too. Second-year HoF contenders Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza have a decent chance to make it, as do guys who have been through this process a number of times already — Jack Morris and Tim Raines.
Morris is in his 15th (and final) year of eligibility. He had 67.7 percent last year. Raines, in his seventh year, received 52.2 percent in 2013. Biggio got the most votes of any player in 2013, finishing on 68.2% of the ballots.
Given the recent Hall of Fame voting results, the process' unpredictability and the varying opinions of what makes a player Hall of Fame worthy, it's hard to consider too many players a "lock." If Maddux didn't make it as a first-balloter, however, it would be a surprise.
Here's the entire 2014 Hall of Fame ballot:
FIRST-TIME ELIGIBLE
• Moises Alou
• Armando Benitez
• Sean Casey
• Ray Durham
• Eric Gagne
• Tom Glavine
• Luis Gonzalez
• Jacque Jones
• Todd Jones
• Jeff Kent
• Paul Lo Duca
• Greg Maddux
• Mike Mussina
• Hideo Nomo
• Kenny Rogers
• Richie Sexson
• J.T. Snow
• Frank Thomas
• Mike Timlin
PREVIOUSLY ON THE BALLOT (plus their 2013 results)
• Jeff Bagwell, fourth year, 59.6%
• Barry Bonds, second year, 36.2%
• Craig Biggio, second year, 68.2%
• Roger Clemens, second year, 37.6%
• Edgar Martinez, fifth year, 35.9%
• Don Mattingly, 14th year, 13.2%
• Fred McGriff, fifth year, 20.7%
• Mark McGwire, eighth year, 16.9%
• Jack Morris, 15th year, 67.7%
• Rafael Palmeiro, fourth year, 8.8%
• Mike Piazza, second year, 57.8%
• Tim Raines, seventh year, 52.2%
• Curt Schilling, second year, 38.8%
• Lee Smith, 12th year, 47.8%
• Sammy Sosa, second year, 12.5%
• Alan Trammell, 13th year, 33.6%
• Larry Walker, fourth year, 21.6%
Ballots are due by Dec. 31. Results will be announced on Jan. 8. Members of the BBWWA for 10 consecutive years get a ballot. They can vote for as many as 10 players.
If you had a ballot, who would get your Hall of Fame vote?
'Wild Thing' continues comeback in South Africa.
AP Sports
John Daly will play in the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Championship this week as he comes back from elbow surgery.
The two-time major winner is in the field at Leopard Creek Golf Club near Kruger National Park in northern South Africa for only his second tournament since an operation in July to repair a shattered tendon in his right elbow.
The American got off to a promising start at last month's BMW Masters in his return to golf, before fading over the weekend to finish 5 over and in a tie for 48th.
''I'm really fresh and I want to play,'' Daly said Monday. ''I don't want to waste the end of this year. I'd like to get something going for the end of this year so I can get on track for next year.''
Daly returns to South Africa for the first time since the early 1990s, when he won a couple of tournaments to kick-start his career.
It's been nearly a decade since the 1991 PGA Championship winner and '95 British Open champion won on the U.S. or European tours, but he showed encouraging signs at the BMW Masters in China by opening with a 68.
He goes up against 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and Brendon de Jonge this week, but the Leopard Creek course could suit him.
''It's a ball striker's golf course,'' Daly said after his first look at the layout. ''You've got to hit the fairways. And the greens are tricky. It's the kind of course where you'd almost prefer a 20-footer to a 10-footer on these greens.''
The Alfred Dunhill is the second of three straight tournaments in South Africa to start the new European season and the 2014 Race to Dubai.
Morten Orum Madsen won the South African Open on Sunday, while Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Schwartzel and De Jonge are part of a 30-man field at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Dec. 5-8.
NASCAR adopts new sponsorship guidelines stemming from NRA controversy.
Sporting News
NASCAR has set a new guidelines that will govern and require approval for race naming rights sold by racetracks starting in 2014. Call it "The NRA Rule."
The new policy — established about six months after the National Rifle Association sponsored the Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway — was revealed in sanction agreements filed Friday by Dover Motorsports Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“As part of the normal course of annually reviewing our sanction language, there are some changes that take place,” NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said Monday. “This is one of those situations. We previously said we’d take a look at this area of the sanctioning agreements, adjust as needed, and that’s what we’ve done.”
In other words, NASCAR followed up on a promise it made back in April when Higdon said the controversial NRA sponsorship “has made it clear that we need to take a closer look at our approval process moving forward, as current circumstances need to be factored in when making decisions."
TMS officials have indicated the NRA will not return as the race sponsor. Whether NASCAR would now reject the NRA was not immediately clear since NASCAR has not received a request. But what is clear is that it would face more scrutiny in the past when NASCAR’s sanction agreements did not require formal approval and simply said, “NASCAR reserves the right to approve or disapprove any advertising, sponsorship or similar agreement in connection with the event.”
The 2014 sanction agreement now states that tracks must submit for approval all race entitlement sponsors.
“(NASCAR) will disapprove a prospective entitlement sponsor only if such prospective entitlement sponsor’s brand has been tarnished by, controversy, crisis or circumstance such that its association with the event would damage the NASCAR brand or the image of the sport or … it would damage the (broadcasting) network’s ability to sell advertising,” the sanction agreement states.
The American got off to a promising start at last month's BMW Masters in his return to golf, before fading over the weekend to finish 5 over and in a tie for 48th.
''I'm really fresh and I want to play,'' Daly said Monday. ''I don't want to waste the end of this year. I'd like to get something going for the end of this year so I can get on track for next year.''
Daly returns to South Africa for the first time since the early 1990s, when he won a couple of tournaments to kick-start his career.
It's been nearly a decade since the 1991 PGA Championship winner and '95 British Open champion won on the U.S. or European tours, but he showed encouraging signs at the BMW Masters in China by opening with a 68.
He goes up against 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and Brendon de Jonge this week, but the Leopard Creek course could suit him.
''It's a ball striker's golf course,'' Daly said after his first look at the layout. ''You've got to hit the fairways. And the greens are tricky. It's the kind of course where you'd almost prefer a 20-footer to a 10-footer on these greens.''
The Alfred Dunhill is the second of three straight tournaments in South Africa to start the new European season and the 2014 Race to Dubai.
Morten Orum Madsen won the South African Open on Sunday, while Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Schwartzel and De Jonge are part of a 30-man field at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Dec. 5-8.
NASCAR adopts new sponsorship guidelines stemming from NRA controversy.
Sporting News
NASCAR has set a new guidelines that will govern and require approval for race naming rights sold by racetracks starting in 2014. Call it "The NRA Rule."
The new policy — established about six months after the National Rifle Association sponsored the Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway — was revealed in sanction agreements filed Friday by Dover Motorsports Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“As part of the normal course of annually reviewing our sanction language, there are some changes that take place,” NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said Monday. “This is one of those situations. We previously said we’d take a look at this area of the sanctioning agreements, adjust as needed, and that’s what we’ve done.”
In other words, NASCAR followed up on a promise it made back in April when Higdon said the controversial NRA sponsorship “has made it clear that we need to take a closer look at our approval process moving forward, as current circumstances need to be factored in when making decisions."
TMS officials have indicated the NRA will not return as the race sponsor. Whether NASCAR would now reject the NRA was not immediately clear since NASCAR has not received a request. But what is clear is that it would face more scrutiny in the past when NASCAR’s sanction agreements did not require formal approval and simply said, “NASCAR reserves the right to approve or disapprove any advertising, sponsorship or similar agreement in connection with the event.”
The 2014 sanction agreement now states that tracks must submit for approval all race entitlement sponsors.
“(NASCAR) will disapprove a prospective entitlement sponsor only if such prospective entitlement sponsor’s brand has been tarnished by, controversy, crisis or circumstance such that its association with the event would damage the NASCAR brand or the image of the sport or … it would damage the (broadcasting) network’s ability to sell advertising,” the sanction agreement states.
First odds posted for 2014 Sprint Cup championship.
By Chris Estrada
It’s one week into our NASCAR withdrawal period and some of you may be a little edgy. But at this point, we all have to remember that the 2014 season really isn’t all too far away.
And as if to remind us of that very fact, the first odds to win next year’s Sprint Cup title have already been released by the William Hill sports books in Nevada.
According to the Sporting News, the newly-crowned six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and his 2013 title rival Matt Kenseth are atop the first list.
Johnson is listed as the favorite for 2014 at 3-to-1 odds, while Kenseth sits at 11-to-2 odds – a fair reflection of their solid respective seasons.
Next up is Kyle Busch, who has his title bid derailed at Kansas but hung tough with four Top-10s in the final six races to claim fourth in the championship at season’s end.
“Rowdy” has been placed at 13-2 odds by William Hill, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. right behind him at 7-1 odds after putting together a fine post-season stretch of his own following his blown engine in the Chase opener at Chicagoland.
Rounding out the Top 5 is Jeff Gordon at 10-1. The four-time champ’s big win at Martinsville catapulted him into the title picture with three races left, but a wreck at Texas forced his “Drive For Five” to continue into 2014.
Other notables include Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and the returning Tony Stewart each at 15-1 odds; rookie of the year Ricky Stenhouse and Austin Dillon both at 75-1; Kyle Larson at 150-1; and Danica Patrick at 250-1.
And as if to remind us of that very fact, the first odds to win next year’s Sprint Cup title have already been released by the William Hill sports books in Nevada.
According to the Sporting News, the newly-crowned six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and his 2013 title rival Matt Kenseth are atop the first list.
Johnson is listed as the favorite for 2014 at 3-to-1 odds, while Kenseth sits at 11-to-2 odds – a fair reflection of their solid respective seasons.
Next up is Kyle Busch, who has his title bid derailed at Kansas but hung tough with four Top-10s in the final six races to claim fourth in the championship at season’s end.
“Rowdy” has been placed at 13-2 odds by William Hill, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. right behind him at 7-1 odds after putting together a fine post-season stretch of his own following his blown engine in the Chase opener at Chicagoland.
Rounding out the Top 5 is Jeff Gordon at 10-1. The four-time champ’s big win at Martinsville catapulted him into the title picture with three races left, but a wreck at Texas forced his “Drive For Five” to continue into 2014.
Other notables include Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and the returning Tony Stewart each at 15-1 odds; rookie of the year Ricky Stenhouse and Austin Dillon both at 75-1; Kyle Larson at 150-1; and Danica Patrick at 250-1.
2014 World Cup odds— Qualification boosts France, Portugal as field is set for Brazil.
By The Linemakers
With the field for the 2014 World Cup finalized, odds for the 32 teams that will be in Brazil next year have been updated at the LVH SuperBook.
Host Brazil is the favorite to win the tournament at 5-to-2, with Germany second choice at 9-to-2.
Argentina, listed at 9-to-2 odds previously, dropped to 5-to-1. That puts them on equal footing with current World Cup holders Spain as co-third choices.
Fifth choice is Belgium at 12-to-1. They are followed by Italy and the Netherlands at 15-to-1 each. The odds for all three teams remained the same from mid October.
France, Portugal qualify
The teams that have seen the most significant changes to their odds since October are, not surprisingly, the European squads that just completed their playoffs. France, which overcame a 2-0 deficit Tuesday to defeat Ukraine, 3-2, on aggregate, moved from 30-to-1 to 25-to-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal had an even bigger jump. Ronaldo’s hat trick against Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden propelled Portugal into Brazil 2014, and shortened their odds from 40-to-1 to 25-to-1.
Two other teams qualified for the World Cup out of Europe on Tuesday. Greece moved from 200-to-1 from 300-to-1 after defeating Romania, 4-2, on aggregate. Croatia remained at 100-to-1 after their 2-0 victory over Iceland.
United States, Mexico remain constant
The United States and Mexico saw no change to their odds from October. The USA had already qualified for the World Cup, and while their recent performances in European friendlies were not encouraging, they were without Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey.
Meanwhile, Mexico had little problem with New Zealand in their playoff tie, dropping the All Whites, 9-3, on aggregate.
Draw is key
The next date to circle for soccer fans and bettors alike should be December 6 -- that’s the date of the World Cup draw. The 32 teams will be drawn into eight groups, and the respective strength of each group will influence at least some of the countries’ numbers.
There are eight seeds for the draw -- teams that cannot be placed in a group with one another. They are Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay, Switzerland, Colombia and Belgium. All of those teams have odds of 25-to-1 or shorter, with one notable exception.
Switzerland is currently 125-to-1, well behind multiple teams that are considered longshots for the title. As noted by LVH assistant manager Jeff Sherman in our post back in October, teams that end up in their group will likely see their odds shortened.
The top of the odds board is dominated by South America and Europe. In fact, the team with the shortest odds not from either of those two federations is the United States, which is tied for 14th choice.
Here's the LVH's World Cup odds board. Prices from October 16, if changed since then, are listed in parentheses.
ODDS TO WIN 2014 WORLD CUP, BRAZIL, JUNE 12 - JULY 13, 2014
BRAZIL 5-2 (11-4)
GERMANY 9-2
ARGENTINA 5-1 (9-2)
SPAIN 5-1
BELGIUM 12-1
NETHERLANDS 15-1
ITALY 15-1
URUGUAY 25-1
ENGLAND 25-1
COLOMBIA 25-1
FRANCE 25-1 (30-1)
PORTUGAL 25-1 (40-1)
CHILE 40-1 (50-1)
USA 50-1
RUSSIA 50-1
MEXICO 60-1
CROATIA 100-1
GHANA 100-1
IVORY COAST 100-1 (125-1)
SWITZERLAND 125-1 (150-1)
JAPAN 125-1 (150-1)
ECUADOR 150-1 (100-1)
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA 150-1 (125-1)
NIGERIA 200-1
GREECE 200-1 (300-1)
SOUTH KOREA 250-1
CAMEROON 250-1 (300-1)
AUSTRALIA 250-1 (300-1)
COSTA RICA 1000-1 (500-1)
ALGERIA 1000-1
HONDURAS 1500-1
IRAN 1500-1 (200-1)
6 NCAA College Football Rivalry Match-Ups This Thanksgiving Weekend.
By Emily Coyle
When it comes to Thanksgiving, many Americans generally think of three things: family, turkey, and of course, football. It’s long been a tradition to hunker down in front of the fire on the fourth Thursday of November and watch the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions take on their opponent of the day, and this year will be no different as the Green Bay Packers and the Lions go head to head at noon, the Cowboys play the Oakland Raiders mid-afternoon, and the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Baltimore Ravens at night.
It’s a custom that many enjoy, and luckily for football fans, the fun doesn’t even end on Thanksgiving. In fact, for college football junkies, it’s only getting started once the pumpkin pie gets cleared from the table, because Thanksgiving weekend is when the real college rivalries play themselves out.
Here are six Rivalry Week 2013 matchups you should watch as the turkey coma wears off.
1. University of Alabama-Auburn University
Perhaps the most anticipated football game this weekend is the Iron Bowl, played between Alabama and Auburn. These two standout SEC teams foster one of the most bitter rivalries in college football, and with Auburn’s 10-1 record this season against Alabama’s 11-0, the stakes are higher than ever. The rivalry dates back to when Auburn and Alabama were the only Alabama schools in what is now Division 1 FBS, but the antagonism continues to run deep even to this day.
Alabama and Auburn will duke it out at 3:30 p.m. Eastern this Saturday on Auburn’s home turf. Alabama has beaten Auburn in their last two meetings, but Auburn upset its rival in 2010, edging by with a 28-27 final score.
2. University of Michigan-Ohio State University
Meanwhile, over in Big Ten land, Michigan against Ohio State is the game to watch come Saturday. This rivalry, too, brings together bitter enemies over Thanksgiving weekend. Known just as “The Game,” the annual matchup between the two Midwestern schools has been held at the end of the regular season since 1935 and accounts for one of the Big Ten’s most intense rivalries.
This year, the meeting will take place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at 12 p.m. Eastern, when the 7-4 Wolverines will take on the 11-0 Buckeyes. Michigan leads the series between the two rivals 58-44-6, but Ohio State won last year, with a close score of 26-20.
3. Clemson University-University of South Carolina
Also on Saturday is the matchup between the South Carolina Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers — another classic rivalry that will kick off in Columbia, South Carolina, at 7 p.m. Eastern. The two South Carolina universities have been rivals since the 1880s, and the tension continues to this day, as Clemson enters the matchup 10-1 and South Carolina arrives with a 9-2 season under its belt.
South Carolina is in the SEC and Clemson is in ACC, but the rivalry extends much further than conferences and even competitive collegiate lines. The Gamecocks haven’t lost to the Tigers since 2008, but Clemson will enter this meeting with a slightly better record.
4. University of California, Los Angeles-University of Southern California
Over in the Golden State, football fans will watch USC square off against UCLA on Saturday as both teams compete to capture the Victory Bell. Like all the other rivalries we have so far mentioned, the tension between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans dates back many years and still continues today, as the two universities sit just 12 miles from each other in the same city. This game no longer has the implications of the Pac-12 South Championship, but both the Bruins and Trojans enter the meeting with three losses, with UCLA coming in 8-3 and USC coming in 9-3.
The matchup will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (USC’s home ground) at 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. USC leads the series with UCLA 44-29-7 and will try to take back the Victory Bell after losing last season at the Rose Bowl 38-28.
5. Oregon State University-University of Oregon
Not all college rivalry games are taking place on Saturday. Some are taking place on Friday, too — such is the case with the matchup between the Oregon State Beavers and the Oregon Ducks. The “Civil War” is the name given to the game that will kick off in Eugene, Oregon, at 7 p.m. Eastern on Friday night, and it is known as the seventh most-played college football rivalry game in the United States.
First played in 1894, the bitterness between the two schools has run deep ever since the two universities’ football teams first met. Oregon State will enter the game this year just above .500 at 6-5 while Oregon has with a 9-2 record. The last time Oregon State beat Oregon was in 2007, when the Beavers pulled out a 38-31 win.
6. University of Georgia-Georgia Tech
We’ll conclude our list with some “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate,” even though many more college rivalries will play themselves out on Friday and Saturday. The Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets matchup this season is well anticipated because both teams enter the game 7-4, something that doesn’t happen too often.
The rivalry between the Yellow Jackets and the Bulldogs dates back to 1893 and has been heated ever since, with the two universities separated only by 70 miles.
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is the nickname granted to the bitterness, and the two football teams have been squaring off religiously at the end of the regular season. Georgia is currently ahead in the series, with a record of 63-40-5, but those standings could change come Sunday once they play on the Yellow Jackets’ turf at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
NCAA basketball rankings: Michigan State jumps to No. 1, Kentucky falls to No. 4 in AP poll.
By Kevin Zimmerman
| Rank | Team (1st place votes) | Record | Votes | Previous |
| 1 | Michigan State (51) | 3-0 | 1608 | 2 |
| 2 | Kansas (7) | 2-0 | 1523 | 5 |
| 3 | Louisville (7) | 3-0 | 1511 | 3 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 3-1 | 1410 | 1 |
| 5 | Arizona (5) | 3-0 | 1339 | 6 |
| 6 | Duke | 2-1 | 1320 | 4 |
| 7 | Oklahoma State | 3-0 | 1198 | 8 |
| 8 | Ohio State | 3-0 | 1172 | 10 |
| 9 | Syracuse | 3-0 | 1135 | 9 |
| 10 | VCU | 3-0 | 928 | 14 |
| 11 | Memphis | 1-0 | 871 | 13 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 3-0 | 763 | 20 |
| 13 | Gonzaga | 3-0 | 710 | 15 |
| 14 | Michigan | 2-1 | 705 | 7 |
| 14 | Wichita State | 4-0 | 705 | 16 |
| 16 | Florida | 2-1 | 619 | 11 |
| 17 | Oregon | 2-0 | 613 | 18 |
| 18 | Connecticut | 4-0 | 600 | 19 |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2-0 | 353 | 22 |
| 20 | Baylor | 3-0 | 342 | 23 |
| 21 | Iowa State | 3-0 | 296 | -- |
| 22 | UCLA | 2-0 | 291 | 24 |
| 23 | Creighton | 3-0 | 246 | 26 |
| 24 | North Carolina | 2-1 | 213 | 12 |
| 25 | Marquette | 2-1 | 144 | 17 |
Others receiving votes: Iowa 122, Indiana 109, Virginia 77, Harvard 72, Boise State 28, Belmont 18, Arizona State 13, Villanova 11, Xavier 10, Tennessee 9, Pittsburgh 7, Colorado 6, Missouri 5, Florida State 4, Minnesota 4, Saint Louis 4, Cincinnati 3, BYU 2, Indiana State 2, UMass 2, George Washington 1, Notre Dame 1.
Mixed Martial Arts: A Massive Lawsuit Waiting to Happen?
By Bernice Napach
Earlier this year the NFL agreed to pay $765 million to settle a lawsuit brought by more than 4,500 players and their families to compensate for chronic illnesses including degenerative brain diseases, due to concussions from play. On Monday 10 former National Hockey League players filed suit in Washington seeking damages caused by concussions suffered during their careers. Will Mixed Martial Arts the next sport to pay?
It looks brutal, but according to Lorenzo Fertitta, the CEO and Chairman of UFC (or Ultimate Fighting Championship), the primary company promoting these fights, MMA is relatively safe.
“Johns Hopkins University came in and did a study for a number of years and … came to the conclusion that our sport is unequivocally safer than boxing, safer than most other combat sports and…even had a lower injury rate than cheerleading,” Fertitta tells The Daily Ticker.
He explains in the video above that the UFC uses a “preventative process” doing baseline MRIs and CAT scans that they can refer to when athletes are injured, helping them to "immediately respond" when necessary.
In addition, says Fertitta, "Our athletes don’t have to perform on any given time frame so if someone gets a concussion or they’re hurt, they’re automatically suspended for 90 days until a doctor releases them to go back into training.”
But others aren't as confident as Fertitta about the safety of the sport.
An investigative special report in The Ledger newspaper, which included interviews with current and former fighters and medical researchers found that mixed martial arts is a violent, dangerous sport. Charles Bernick, associate medical director of the Cleveland Clinic who studied the brains of boxers and MMA fighters told reporters, "No matter how you're getting hit, you're going to have damage."
So is the MMA concerned that it could end up like the NFL, culpable for the injuries of its athletes?
“You don’t know what is going to happen in the future," says Fertitta. " All you can do is take the precautions that are reasonable and we are doing that right now to make sure our athletes are safe.”
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