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Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! NFL-McCown shines again as Bears maul Cowboys.
Reuters; Writing by Jahmal Corner, Editing by Patrick Johnston
Bears' Jeffery makes highlight TD grab.
Cowboy's Murray runs for 146 yards in defeat.
Chicago quarterback Josh McCown made a strong case to become the team's permanent starter after he dominated Dallas in a 45-28 win on Monday that vaulted the Bears into joint first place in the NFC North.
Making his fourth straight start in place of the injured Jay Cutler, McCown warmed up the home crowd in freezing conditions by passing for 348 yards, four touchdowns and running for another score.
The 34-year-old McCown has been stellar all season and now has 13 touchdown passes and just one interception. His latest output helped Chicago (7-6) tie with Detroit (7-6) in the divisional race.
But despite McCown's strong form, Cutler is expected to return from injury soon and regain his place.
"There's no change in the plan. We'll see where Jay is this week," Bears coach Marc Trestman told reporters of the stated plan to start Cutler when he's cleared medically.
"I thought (McCown) played an excellent game."
Matt Forte rushed for 99 yards and added 73 receiving yards and a score for the Bears in a shootout victory that did not include a turnover by either team.
Dallas (7-6) fell one game behind first-place Philadelphia (8-5) in the NFC East with the loss.
The Cowboys managed to keep pace early and tied the game 14-14 late in the second quarter, but McCown caught fire and never looked back.
Chicago's backup quarterback led two quick drives just before halftime, resulting in a field goal and a 25-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery as the Bears scored 28 points without reply to put the game out of reach.
McCown's pass to Jeffery featured a spectacular grab in the back corner of the end zone where the receiver leaped above a defender.
"You want to put a ball where a guy can catch it but not put the ball in jeopardy, so to speak," McCown said. "My part was relatively easy. His part was unreal."
Dallas tallied two fourth-quarter touchdowns to trim the final deficit.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw for three scores but only 104 yards while running back DeMarco Murray picked up 146 yards on the ground.
Week 14 Bears Grades: Coaching. In all fairness, we're quick to show the coaching staff's unfavorable grades so it is incumbent on us to post their good grades when they earn them.
By John Mullin
The steps taken by the Bears in the days leading up to Monday’s game played major parts in what the various units were able to do against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night.
Players credited coach Marc Trestman for taking practice indoors one day (Thursday) to work on several specifics, then outside on Friday and Saturday to acclimate their bodies to the cold. It was simply being used to the cold, “it was knowing how our bodies would feel because of the cold, knowing how you warm up when it’s like that and everything,” said tackle Jermon Bushrod. “You knew it was going to be a process.”
Trestman also dialed down tension by placing the focus on the positive of playing on Monday night, rather than the pressure of desperately needing a win.
“We put it as we were playing on prime time,” Trestman said. The big emphasis this week, we played well in prime time. ... We didn’t get into all the hypotheticals and all the things that go into winning or losing a game.”
Coaches also placed special emphasis on combination blocks by the offense, something that had slipped over the past couple of weeks. As a result, the Bears had 149 rushing yards, second this season only to the 171 at Green Bay, and an average of 4.7 yards per carry.
“They schemed us well,” said Dallas defensive tackle Jason Hatcher. “They knew what was coming most of the time.”
The defense was rocked backwards for touchdown drives of 75 and 68 yards on two of the two possessions. Coaches had a sideline meeting to reinforce specific assignments and mindsets. The result was that the defense allowed 151 yards on the first three possessions and only 177 over the final six, the last two of those accounting for 143 of the yards when the Bears were ahead 42-14.
“Really happy with the way our defense made those stops in the second half,” Trestman said.
Moon's Grade: "A"
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks get revenge, crush Stars.
By Tracey Myers
Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad each scored twice, as the Chicago Blackhawks pummeled the Dallas Stars, 6-2, at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night.
Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists, as he ran his latest point streak to six consecutive games. Defenseman Michael Kostka, fresh of a conditioning assignment and playing in his first game since October, had a goal and an assist. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook each had two assists.
Antti Raanta got the victory, stopping 27 of 29 shots.
The Blackhawks got on the board early in this one and never looked back. Kostka threw a shot on Kari Lehtonen just 2:03 into the first period; Lehtonen thought he had it, but video review said otherwise. Kane added a breakaway goal to give the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead in the first period.
Then the Blackhawks broke it open in the second. Saad scored on a rebound early in the second before Sharp scored on the power play about six minutes later for a 4-0 lead. That was it for Lehtonen, who was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots. Dan Ellis entered for the Stars, and Sharp greeted him with a breakaway goal and a 5-0 advantage.
Antoine Roussel prevented Raanta’s shutout, sneaking one through him 13:36 into the second period. But Saad added his second of the night, a shot that went off and over Ellis, for the 6-1 advantage. Roussel added his second of the night with 18.7 seconds remaining in regulation.
Bowman: Wait-and-see approach with goaltending situation.
By Tracey Myers
Antti Raanta and Kent Simpson are holding the goaltending reins in the wake of Corey Crawford and Nikolai Khabibulin’s injuries. And while he’ll keep an eye out for other options, general manager Stan Bowman said he’ll go with those two right now.
“We actually have some pro scouting meetings tomorrow – they’ve been scheduled for two months. We’ll go over what they know in terms of guys they’ve seen, see if there’s anyone out there, trade-wise to help out. You’re always looking to upgrade or help your team out, but it’s pretty early,” Bowman said prior to the Blackhawks’ game against the Dallas Stars. “It’s only been (two days) since Corey was injured and it’s not going to be a long-term thing, which is good news. It’s a wait-and-see approach. We’ll assess, see what our options are, and go from there.”
Crawford will be out the next three weeks with a groin injury he sustained on Sunday night against the Florida Panthers. Khabibulin suffered a lower-body injury in mid-November against Nashville and, as of this past weekend, hadn’t taken to the ice yet. As of Tuesday night, Bowman said he hadn’t called any other general managers on his goaltending situation.
“We need to give these guys a little bit of a chance,” he said.
Raanta has done well in his brief time with the Blackhawks. He’s got a 3-0-1 record with a 2.16 goals-against average. Bowman has liked what he’s seen thus far from the 24-year-old.
“Going back to when he came in in Colorado, I’m sure he was pretty nervous in that game but he got his feet wet,” Bowman said. “With a goalie like Antti who’s new to North America, you want to get him some minutes and get him comfortable.
Everything’s new to him. It’s helped him being in Rockford. There was always going to be that adjustment period for European goaltenders. Now he’s in the NHL, playing on the road and in competitive environments. It’s something you have to go through, and he’s played well.”
Raanta’s transition has been made easier by his own demeanor and desire to learn. Bowman’s admired Raanta’s calm in the stressful situations he’s been in as well.
“It’s one of the things we liked about him when we decided to sign him,” Bowman said. “He’s a very likeable guy. Coaches and players have noticed it. He’s the kind of guy you root for. He’s really positive, upbeat, and he has the personality to really blend into new situations. He doesn’t seem to get too flustered. That’s serving him well so far.”
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bucks 78, Bulls 74.
By The Sports Xchange
Forward John Henson scored 25 points, including a desperation 22-foot jumper as the shot clock expired, to help the Milwaukee Bucks secure a 78-74 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday at the United Center.
Henson also grabbed 14 rebounds. Guard Brandon Knight contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who won for the third straight time in Chicago.
The Bulls were led by forward Mike Dunleavy with 24 points, while forward Carlos Boozer finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Dunleavy spent the previous two seasons with Milwaukee before joining the Bulls as a free agent last summer.
Both teams were missing a number of regulars. For the Bulls, Boozer was the only opening-night starter in the lineup, while center Joakim Noah, forward Luol Deng, guard Jimmy Butler and guard Derrick Rose were sidelined by injuries.
Milwaukee (5-16) trailed 57-55 heading into the fourth quarter, then surged into the lead with a 10-2 run. Knight had two driving baskets in the run, and Henson finished with a dunk off a pass from guard O.J. Mayo.
Holding a six-point lead, the Bucks held the ball for over a minute by grabbing three straight offensive rebounds, but couldn't score.
Chicago (8-11) got back in it by hitting the glass. Boozer finished a bank shot after an offensive rebound by Kirk Hinrich. Then Hinrich chased down his own rebound, was fouled and hit one of two free throws to make it 72-69.
After Henson hit a free throw, Dunleavy's 3-pointer brought the Bulls within 73-72 with 1:59 remaining. Following Henson's long jumper, the Bulls failed to score on their next three possessions. Ersan Ilyasova's free throws with 4.2 seconds on the clock clinched the victory.
Chicago shot 25 percent from the field in the first quarter and fell behind 20-14. Then Dunleavy caught fire, hitting 7 of 7 shots from the field in the second quarter for 18 points, as the Bulls took a 42-35 lead into halftime.
NOTES: Chicago's injury list grew larger Tuesday when C Joakim Noah was a surprise scratch with a right thigh bruise. Noah had played in every game this season, and coach Tom Thibodeau made no mention of Noah's injury at the morning shootaround. This was the start of four games in five nights for Chicago. ... The Bulls were already missing F Luol Deng (sore left Achilles) and G Jimmy Butler (turf toe on right foot), besides losing G Derrick Rose to right knee surgery. Thibodeau expects Deng and Butler back soon, perhaps even Wednesday at New York. ... Milwaukee has plenty of its own injury concerns. The Bucks are missing C Larry Sanders (thumb), F Caron Butler (knee), C Zaza Pachulia (broken foot), G Gary Neal (plantar fasciitis) and F Carlos Delfino (right foot surgery).. ... Milwaukee won twice at the United Center last season.
By Chuck Garfien
Interrupting the Chris Sale trade rumors to bring you the boldest statement regarding the White Sox in quite a long time.
“The White Sox are going to be back on top.”
Inside this vast Walt Disney World hotel, it’s tough to find anyone who would make that sort of prediction about a team that lost 99 games last season.
But on Day 1 of the Winter Meetings, just moments after it was announced that he was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, there was Tony La Russa making that fearless forecast when I asked him about the White Sox.
“I look for them to be resurgent,” added La Russa, who because of his three-decade long friendship with Jerry Reinsdorf has access to go deep inside the White Sox organization. He has spent time this winter speaking with Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams, Rick Hahn, Jim Thome, even Bo Jackson.
“That’s some powerful support,” said La Russa about the White Sox front office team. He wouldn’t go into specifics about what the White Sox have planned but pointed to the $68 million signing of Cuban first baseman Jose Abreu. “If they get production from him, they’ll be better right away.”
La Russa’s managing career began with the White Sox in 1979. He went on to win six pennants and three World Series. Unfortunately, none with the White Sox. Then-general manager Hawk Harrelson famously fired him in 1986. Allowing it to happen is the biggest regret in Reinsdorf’s storied career.
“I met (La Russa) for the first time when I bought the ballclub, and I was really impressed with him as a person and a manager,” Reinsdorf said. “I stupidly allowed him to be fired, but I can still sort of justify it because when you run an organization you can’t tell the head of a department who is going to work for him. You let him have his own people. The general manager wanted to let him go and I couldn’t talk him out of it, so I had to let it happen.”
At the ceremony on Monday announcing the Hall of Fame inductions of La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre, Reinsdorf, who’s a member of the voting committee, was sitting in the front row.
“I don’t think I’d ever be more thankful to Jerry,” La Russa said. “I kid him all the time that he fired me, but he stood behind me and my wife and kids year after year after year. Then we finally celebrated (winning the division) in 1983. The White Sox are very close to my heart.”
How close are they to the top?
Miles ... yards ... feet?
La Russa believes it's closer than most people think.
Golf in 2013: Sharing the wealth.
By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)
Wanting to return among the elite in golf, Graeme McDowell mapped out a plan last fall. He figured out how many ranking points he would need to get back into the top five in the world.
''I've got to say, I got pretty close to that target that I set myself,'' McDowell said.
Little did he know how much the target would be moving in an extraordinary year for golf.
McDowell ended last year at No. 15 in the world. Now he is all the way up to No. 12.
''I wasn't really factoring on how many great players around me were going to have incredible seasons,'' McDowell said. ''So making an impact in that top 10 in the world has been very difficult to do this year because you just get so many guys playing incredibly well.''
Call it bad timing for McDowell, and happy days for golf.
Rarely has the golf season - men and women - felt so rewarding for so many players. Perhaps that explains why Tiger Woods could win five times - more than any other player in the world - capture the PGA Tour money title and the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average, and then listen to people discuss the definition of player of the year and whether he is worthy without having won a major.
Woods won the vote as the best player on the PGA Tour.
He is used to playing under a different set of standards, a victim of his own success. Anyone else with five trophies from the courses where he won - Torrey Pines, Doral, Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass and Firestone - and there would be a debate.
But this wasn't just any other year.
Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters, and along the way earned redemption from blowing the British Open nearly nine months earlier. He had the outright lead on the back nine at the British Open this year before faltering. A month later, he won The Barclays during the FedEx Cup playoffs, arguably one of the strongest fields of the year with the tour's top 125 players who are all on form.
When he finally went home to show off his green jacket, Scott won the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Masters, and then teamed with Jason Day to give Australia its first World Cup title in 24 years. He was poised to capture Australia's Triple Crown until Rory McIlroy beat him on the last hole in the Australian Open.
A better year than Woods? Probably not, though it depends how much weight is given a major.
Perhaps a better question: Did he have a better year than Phil Mickelson?
Lefty came within a cruel lip-out of shooting a 59 in the Phoenix Open, which he wound up winning.
Showing off a short game like no other, his chip on the 18th hole at Castle Stuart gave him a victory in the Scottish Open. And his Sunday at Muirfield gets little debate over the best round of the year.
Mickelson made four birdies on the last six holes for a 66 to capture the one major that not even he thought he could win.
Who won the most meaningful major this year? Mickelson or Scott? Best to save that argument for the bar.
Not to be forgotten is Henrik Stenson, who in April wasn't even eligible for the Masters. He finished one shot behind in the Shell Houston Open, which got him to Augusta National. But it was the summer when the Swede began to shine.
A tie for third in the Scottish Open. Runner-up at the British Open. Runner-up at Firestone (by seven shots to Woods), third at the PGA Championship. He won two FedEx Cup playoff events to win the $10 million FedEx Cup. And for good measure, he won the final event in Europe to become the first player to win the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai in the same season.
Missing from the equation this year was the guy who started the year at No. 1 - McIlroy. He still had a good view.
''You've got Tiger with five wins this year. Adam breaks through for his first major. Phil wins the major he thinks he's never going to win. Henrik comes back,'' McIlroy said. ''Yeah, it's deep. You've got to play really well to win. ... But I think golf is in great shape.''
On the LPGA Tour, the points-based player of the year came down to the next to last week, even though Inbee Park had won three straight majors among her six titles. Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis won the other majors. Lewis won the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average. Pettersen had a chance to win the money title until she faltered in the Titleholders.
That's what inspired LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan to say, ''Sports are at their absolute best ... when the best athletes in that sport are having the best years of their lives.''
It's hard to say with certainty that Woods was at his absolute best, and not just because he didn't win a major. It used to be that when Woods was at his best, there was not enough wealth to go around. Now there is.
What a year.
The PGA of America and NBC announce Ryder Cup TV agreement.
By PGA.COM
In an unprecedented agreement, The PGA of America and NBC Sports Group today unveiled a historic partnership to further raise the profile of the Ryder Cup, the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, and PGA Professionals across the networks of NBC and Golf Channel beginning in 2015. The partnership, which extends through 2030, and includes eight additional Ryder Cups on NBC, was announced today by PGA of America President Ted Bishop and CEO Pete Bevacqua, and NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus. The agreement also includes all-language and simultaneous streaming rights for NBC's Ryder Cup coverage.
Teams focused on aero changes in Charlotte test.
By Kenny Bruce
The search for a 2014 rules package resumes in earnest on Wednesday as more than two dozen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams are scheduled to participate in a day-long test at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The test was originally scheduled for Monday but bad weather in the Charlotte area pushed the testing back.
It will be the second official on-track effort involving multiple teams as officials attempt to validate potential rule changes for competition on the series' 1.5-mile (intermediate) tracks.Aerodynamic changes aimed at impacting the effect of air on trailing cars as well as potential horsepower changes are on the table for the test, scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Not everyone is sure what it is NASCAR officials are looking for, and not everyone agrees with the direction of the changes previously attempted. But all note that it's something that needs to be addressed.
"We all want the same thing," Roush Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards said. "We want awesome racing that's fun to watch, fun to do and the best man wins. That's what we're looking for."
How to get there, however, remains a matter of much debate.
"It's my opinion," Edwards said, "that if we take away downforce then we open up the option for Goodyear to make softer tires that give up; we also don't have a situation where I'm driving along in my car at 185 mph in the middle of the corner and the guy in front of me is disturbing the air and making me lose downforce.
"So I think if anything, if the car has zero downforce or even a little bit of lift, you wouldn't see the cars run away like that. That's my opinion. I may be wrong.
"The cars are fun to drive; they're easier to drive with downforce. But I think we've got to see something that lets us race closer on these race tracks."
Validation of previous test results, Dave Wilson said, will give everyone involved "another data point.
"I think we have a pretty clear understanding of the direction they are heading," Wilson, president and general manager for Toyota Racing Development, said. "Our expectation is that roughly a week after the test, NASCAR will be ready to draw some hard lines around what we're going to be racing in 2014."
Organizations expected to participate in the test are: BK Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Front Row Motorsports, Furniture Row Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Penske Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Swan Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing.
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France noted the significance of the test when meeting with national media Dec. 5 in Las Vegas, adding that he will attend the session.
NASCAR officials Gene Stefanyshyn, vice president of innovation, and Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition, will oversee the test.
"We're after some interesting changes to the rules packages," France said. "We'll be validating some of our beliefs. It's tightening up competition and that's hallmark. We wake up every day and try to do that."
It is expected that multiple cars will compete in some version of shortened "races" during the day to better gauge changes made to the cars.
Chad Knaus, championship-winning crew chief for six-time champ Jimmie Johnson, said the No. 48 team would not be taking part in the test. That doesn't mean Knaus won't be in attendance.
"I'm going to spend a little bit of time in the garage and then I'm actually going to take a little bit of time and go up into one of the suites up there," Knaus said, "to watch some of the races that they're having and try to get a feel for what it is that maybe NASCAR is really trying to do. And see if I can offer maybe offer a little bit of a different perspective.
"I've never actually seen these cars go around the trace track from the stands so it's going to be unique for me just to be up there and see what it looks like."
Knaus, honored along with Johnson on Friday as 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, said he believes racing today is "fantastic."
"Now we have to be realistic about what our goals are," he said. "What do we really want it to be? If you want everyone to have the opportunity to lead a lap and win a race then we have to make some huge changes that aren't going to involve the car; it's going to involve the structure of how we race.
"But for real racing, I think what we've got is pretty good."
CMS officials had previously announced that fans would be allowed to attend the test with free admission to the Speedway Club Clubhouse.
Entry to the Clubhouse may be made through the main ticket office on the second floor of the Smith Tower.
Formula 1 to offer double points for the final race of the season.Entry to the Clubhouse may be made through the main ticket office on the second floor of the Smith Tower.
By Nick Bromberg
Formula 1's final race of 2014 will be worth twice as much as the race before it.
The sanctioning body announced that the finale next year at Abu Dhabi would be worth 50 points to the winner instead of 25.
From our friends at Eurosport:
The FIA said double points would "maximize focus on the championship until the end of the campaign" and had been unanimously approved at a meeting in Paris of teams in the F1 Strategy Group and Formula One Commission.Sebastian Vettel won the final nine races of the 19 race season last year and won the title by 155 points. So with double points last year, the gap between he and Fernando Alonso would actually have been 175. Yes, the F1 points system is heavily skewed towards winning. Not a horrible thought, right?
In this writer's opinion, the standard F1 system would be a viable option if NASCAR wanted to look at the points system again. Points are only given through 10th place and there is a seven point gap between winning and finishing second. It puts strong emphasis on winning and running well, plus a certain thing at Richmond would have had no impact whatsoever on the points standings.
It'll be fascinating to see how the reaction to this move plays out, given that many NASCAR fans felt the move to the Chase was gimmicky. Heck, a lot of those fans still feel that way.
Given recent F1 history, there's a decent chance that the points change will matter next season. In 2012, Alonso would have been champion with the double points and in 2008, Felipe Massa would have won instead of Lewis Hamilton.
Odds to win the World Cup.
By Yahoo! Sports Staff
Heisman: Winston, Manziel, Lynch among 6 finalists.
By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)
Jameis Winston will have plenty of company at the Heisman Trophy ceremony - though he's not expected to have much competition.
The Florida State quarterback was among a record-tying six Heisman finalists revealed Monday, along with Northern Illinois' Jordan Lynch, Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, Alabama's AJ McCarron, Auburn's Tre Mason and Boston College's Andre Williams.
Six finalists invited to New York for the presentation are the most since 1994. The winner will be announced Saturday night.Winston is the overwhelming favorite to win the award now that a sexual assault complaint against him in Tallahassee, Fla., has been closed without charges being filed.
He could also become the second freshman to win the award. Manziel was the first just last year. Famous Jameis, like Johnny Football last season, is a redshirt freshman.
While Winston was a lock to be invited, the rest of the field was muddled. Some contenders had late stumbles (Manziel and Lynch), others (Mason and Williams) made late runs.
Manziel will try to join another exclusive Heisman club by becoming the second player to win the award twice. Ohio State's Archie Griffin won the award in 1974 and '75. The Aggies' quarterback is third in the nation in total offense with 368 yards per game.
Lynch led No. 24 Northern Illinois (12-1) to within a victory of a BCS bid and has set the major college record for yards rushing for a quarterback this season with 1,815. He also tweeted that he was a finalist about five minutes before the official announcement was made on ESPN by 1996 winner Danny Wuerffel.
''NYC here I come!! Thanks to the coaches teammates and media relation couldn't of did it without them!'' the record-setting senior posted.
McCarron completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,676 yards and 26 touchdowns for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide (11-1).
''This will be my first trip to New York City, and I can't put into words how much it means to me,'' McCarron said in a statement released by the school. ''I am truly privileged to have the opportunity to represent our team at the Heisman ceremony. None of this would be possible without my coaches and teammates.''
''When I heard the news, I was in disbelief,'' Mason said in a statement. ''For me to be invited to the Heisman ceremony, I am honored and blessed. I couldn't have done it without my teammates; this is an honor for all of them also.''
Williams is the nation's leading rusher at 175 yards per game and the 16th player in FBS to run for 2,000 yards in a season.
Winston's arrival as Florida State's starting quarterback was being touted as a major event in the spring and he has surpassed the hype. The Alabama native is on pace to break the NCAA record for passer efficiency rating (190.1) and has already set records for yards passing (3,820) and TD passes (38) for a freshman.
Winston's only issues have come off the field. About a month ago, a year-old sexual assault complaint against him made by a female Florida State student was given by police to the state attorney's office for a full investigation.
In the latest straw poll released Monday by HeismanPundit.com, which has correctly predicted the last seven winners, Winston received seven of the 10 first-place votes and 26 points to easily outdistance Lynch (eight points and two first-place votes).
All six finalists are expected to attend the ceremony, which would match '94 for the most in Heisman history. That season Colorado tailback Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman, and Penn State's Ki-Jana Carter and Kerry Collins, along with Alcorn State's Steve McNair, Alabama's Jay Barker and Miami's Warren Sapp were finalists.
In 1989, eight players were invited to the ceremony, but only four attended. Among the missing was Houston's Andre Ware, who won the award but was preparing for a game.
The five most disappointing teams so far this college basketball season.
By Jeff Eisenberg
One month into the new college basketball season, some teams have surprised and others have underwhelmed. Here's a look at the five who have been most disappointing so far.
1. Boston College (3-6)
Thanks to the return of its three top players from a team that won six of its last nine ACC games last spring, Boston College entered the new season amid optimism the program was poised for a breakthrough. Only a month later, however, that optimism has long since faded. Boston College is off to a disastrous 3-6 start because of a defense that lacks the physicality or athleticism necessary to force turnovers, guard the 3-point line or keep opponents off the offensive glass. In all but two of Boston College's nine games this season, its opponent has scored 78 or more points and averaged more than 1.1 points per possession. The Eagles are also the worst rebounding team in the ACC, allowing opposing teams offensive rebounds on almost 37 percent of their misses. The duo of Olivier Hanlan and Ryan Anderson is a nice one-two punch on offense, but it hasn't been nearly enough to overcome the problems on the other end of the floor. Among Boston College's six losses are setbacks against mediocre Toledo, USC, and Purdue.
2. Maryland (5-4)
It's a sure sign of how poorly things have gone for Maryland this season when the Terps are grasping at moral victories after a loss to George Washington. Coach Mark Turgeon was quick to praise his team's effort even though Maryland needed a full court press-fueled comeback in the final four minutes just to make it interesting against the Colonials. The biggest reason for Maryland's four early-season losses are the point guard issues that have emerged since Seth Allen broke his foot in the preseason. Neither wing Dez Wells nor freshman point guard Roddy Peters have been able to set up their teammates for easy buckets, a problem reflected by the fact Maryland has 18 more turnovers than assists this season. All Maryland's problems wouldn't be solved by improved point guard play, though. The defense has only been mediocre so far and highly recruited Nick Faust and Shaquille Cleare aren't producing enough at either end.
3. UNLV (3-4)
For all the progress UNLV showed in their narrow loss at Arizona this past weekend, the Rebels still make this list because of their poor performances prior to their trip to Tuscon. They lost three home games, two respectable setbacks against Illinois and Arizona State and one shocker by 21 against UC Santa Barbara. UNLV lost Anthony Bennett, Mike Moser and Katin Reinhardt from last year's NCAA tournament team, but the hope for the Rebels entering the season was that better chemistry could help this team could match last year's accomplishments. So far that hasn't happened largely because the Rebels haven't been good enough offensively. They're 11th in the Mountain West in 3-point shooting (33.3 percent), 11th in free throw shooting (58.4 percent) and 11th in points per possession (0.97). Were it not for the offensive rebounding of Khem Birch and Roscoe Smith, the offense would be even worse. With Birch and Smith in the paint and Bryce Dejean-Jones and Kevin Olekaibe on the wings, UNLV has the talent to contend for an NCAA bid. The Rebels need improved point guard play and more perimeter scorers to emerge to take the pressure off Dejean-Jones late in games.
4. Marquette (5-4)
Four times, Marquette has had a chance this season to notch a marquee win. Each time, the Golden Eagles have come up short. Losses against Ohio State, Arizona State, San Diego State and Wisconsin have exposed the fact that Marquette is not yet at the level expected when the Golden Eagles were anointed preseason favorites in the Big East. They have not been quite as formidable as usual defensively and they're not getting nearly enough perimeter scoring to complement a strong frontcourt. With Vander Blue turning pro a year earlier than expected and highly touted freshman Duane Wilson out with a stress fracture, Marquette has lacked scoring punch. Derrick Wilson is a solid defensive-minded point guard better suited for the backup role than a starting job and Todd Mayo remains erratic and prone to mistakes off the floor that land him in the dog house. Jake Thomas is the team's lone outside shooting threat, but he doesn't bring much else and he hasn't been hitting consistently from behind the arc either. All hope is not lost since Marquette has faced a challenging schedule, but the backcourt play must improve for the Eagles to get where they hope to be by March.
5. Washington (4-4)
Nobody expected Washington to challenge for a Pac-12 title this season, but the Huskies at least figured to improve on a disappointing 18-16 record from a year ago. That looks far from certain now, however, with Washington having lost to the likes of UC Irvine and Boston College already this season in addition to barely escaping against Montana and Long Beach State at home. The problems for the Huskies are easy to diagnose. They're too reliant on their guards offensively and they neither have a rim protector nor guards who can stop dribble penetration on defense. The result is the Huskies are surrendering a staggering 84.1 points per game and are allowing teams to shoot 50.8 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from behind the arc. C.J. Wilcox is one of the best scorers in the Pac-12, Nigel Williams-Goss has performed well at point guard as a freshman and Perris Blackwell is doing his best to provide interior scoring, but none of it will matter unless the Huskies improve dramatically defensively.
Others who have been disappointing: Georgia, Georgia State, La Salle, VCU, Virginia and Temple
McQueen urges Manchester United greats to stop fighting.
By Russell Stoddart
Manchester United legend Gordon McQueen has criticized Roy Keane for feuding with Sir Alex Ferguson, insisting that those associated with the club past and present "should be pulling in one direction".
Sir Alex described his former captain as an "intimidating, ferocious individual", adding that "he has the most savage tongue you can imagine", in his recently released autobiography.
Keane has stoked the feud this week by claiming the Scot wields too much influence at Old Trafford, insisting "everything is about control and power" in regards to the former manager.
But McQueen feels the tensions between the pair serves as a negative distraction, with United's title defense at a critical stage following back-to-back home losses for the first time in over 10 years.
"This feud has been simmering for a while, but it's reached boiling point now and I don't think it does any good for those who claim to have United at heart," McQueen told Goal. "Clearly there is bad blood there and no love lost, but it's time Roy drew a line under this and moved on. This is a time when all Manchester United people should be pulling in one direction. The club is going through difficult times and the last thing it needs is for two of its greatest servants to be having a go at each other in public.
"I don't think Roy has said anything that directly unsettles David Moyes, but any negativity at all is amplified when you are a club like United. Roy says he has fallen back in love with United and he and his son have season tickets at Old Trafford. There is no doubt he is still popular with United fans, but Sir Alex is more popular and perhaps he should think about that when he takes his seat there. The only winners in all of this are book publishers and United's rivals, the latter of which will take more heart from United ‘greats’ fighting amongst themselves."
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