CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 10/22/2014.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica

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Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!  Bears in-foe: Same ol' Patriots. 

By Chris Boden

The pipe dream was that the Jay Cutler-Marc Trestman marriage could evolve into something within earshot of what Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have accomplished. Heck, they'll take one Super Bowl instead of the three "B and B" have strung together. But Cutler was 30 when his relationship with Trestman started, not 23 when Belichick handed Brady the reins. And while Belichick had a successful career in the NFL as a defensive coordinator, he also went through five years of trials, and mostly errors, as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

It has been a decade since their third ring together, with a pair of Super Bowl losses and two AFC title game defeats. However, they appear on their way to a 14th straight winning season together, and a sixth straight AFC East crown, after a 41-14 slice of humble pie in Kansas City three weeks ago that ago dropped them to 2-2. They responded by putting 80 points on the board the following two weeks, winning by an average of 20-plus points over Cincinnati and Buffalo. Then they survived a short-week, quirky, division-rivalry date last Thursday with a 27-25 victory over the Jets on a blocked field goal in the closing seconds. After ten days to prepare for the Bears, Sunday begins a six-game stretch that includes an AFC championship rematch at home against the Denver Broncos, and road dates at Indianapolis, Green Bay, and San Diego (with a bye week sprinkled in).

Defense

We have news for Cutler, Brandon Marshall, and Alshon Jeffery: one will likely be a non-factor in Foxboro. Darrelle Revis can still single-handedly take out one side of the field, unless Cutler is in the mood to throw another pick or two. Those two combined for eight catches and 57 yards opposite Miami's Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan. Former seventh-round draft pick Alfonzo Dennard has held down the opposite corner job even since the return from suspension of 6-foot-4 ex-Seahawk physical force, Brandon Browner.

Thanks to those two and Pro Football Focus' top-rated safety from 2013, ex-cornerback Devin McCourty, New England's pass defense leads the league (208 yards per game). The 24th-ranked run defense (126 yards a game) is clinging to hang in there after the recent season-ending injury to leading tackler and signal-caller Jerod Mayo. In typical, quirky, Belichick-ese, practice squadder Deontae Skinner was elevated to get first crack at the job. Dont'a Hightower and 2013 second-rounder Jamie Collins, who burst onto the scene during last year's playoffs, patrol the outside.

In the trenches, Belichick cut ties during preseason with run-stuffer Tommy Kelly in lieu of second-year man Chris Jones. Five-time Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork, who will turn 33 next month, is still a force on the inside. The Pats have collected 18 sacks, led by Chandler Jones' 4.5. He was selected two picks after Phil Emery went with Shea McClellin in 2012. He now has 22 career sacks. On the other end is a player Emery once projected McClellin to be — Rob Ninkovich (four sacks).

The Pats rank second in the NFL in turnover ratio (plus-9) including seven interceptions, the same number Cutler has thrown, though just two have come on the road (both at Carolina). Ya think offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (Mike Shanahan's head coaching successor in Denver that led to Cutler's trade to the Bears) would love to see the defense continue to make life difficult for Cutler? I'm thinking, "yes."

Speaking of which...

Offense

Brady's 1,705 passing yards rank just 12th in the NFL. Julian Edelman (44 receptions), Rob Gronkowski (31 receptions) and Brock Vereen's brother Shane Vereen (23 receptions) have combined for almost two-thirds of Tom Terrific's completions. He has had trouble getting in synch with 6-foot-3, ex-Panther Brandon LaFell (19 receptions), and Danny Amendola (five receptions) shows up more on the injury report than the stat sheet. Edelman was the go-to guy last year (105 receptions) when it seemed every other receiver (and Gronk) was hurt. But Brady has thrown just two interceptions opposite his 13 touchdowns. That goes a long way towards helping your team win. He'll keep his fingers crossed Gronkowski can remain healthy after playing just a dozen games in 2012 and 2013 with wrist, back and knee injuries. His 2011 numbers? 90 catches, 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. And he blocked as well as any tight end in the league.

Brady has been sacked 13 times despite an upheaval in the protection in front of him. He wasn't a happy camper when six-time Pro Bowl left guard Logan Mankins was dealt to Tampa Bay just before the season in a salary cap move for next season. 6-foot-8, 320-pound left tackle Nate Solder (PFF's highest-ranked Patriots offensive player last season) protects Brady's blind side. Right tackle Sebastian Vollmer is a physical bookend, holding up so far after missing half of last season with a broken leg.

Mayo wasn't the only significant starter the Patriots lost for the season in a Week 6 win over the Bills. Running back Stevan Ridley, who rushed for 2,036 over the previous two seasons, was placed on the IR with both an ACL and MCL tear. So the onus falls on change-of-pace running back Vereen, whose 47 catches in 2014 were third on the club. So far, he's averaging just below five yards a carry as the team keeps their fingers crossed that he can hold up with the increased workload. Former Notre Damer Jonas Gray was brought up from the practice squad against the Jets and made his NFL debut with 12 yards on three carries.

While we await word on whether Lance Briggs and Jon Bostic can return after missing two games, or remain out until after the bye week, the bigger concern against Brady might be rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller's health after sustaining a right hip pointer and broken right hand against the Dolphins. The Bears' "next men up" at cornerback? Sherrick McManis, Demontre Hurst, Al Louis-Jean and Terrance Mitchell.

NFL among leagues trying to block legalized sports betting in New Jersey.

By Frank Schwab

(Photo/AP)

 

The NFL is the most popular sporting league in American history, and you'd be a fool to think that isn't due in part to gambling. Untold millions (billions?) are wagered on bets, fantasy leagues, office pools, survivor pools, or whatever else people figure out to wager on when it comes to football.

The NFL is continuing to play us for those fools by once again taking a public stand against legalized sports betting, according to Reuters.

The NFL, along with the NBA, Major League Baseball and the NCAA, called for an injunction, hoping to block a law that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed which would make sports gambling legal in that state. The lawsuit said the new gambling law is in violation of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a 1992 federal ban on state-sponsored sports betting, according to Reuters.

"If the 2014 Sports Wagering Law is not declared unlawful... the proliferation of state-sponsored and approved sports gambling in Atlantic City casinos and at New Jersey racetracks will cause immediate and irreparable harm" to the sports leagues," the lawsuit said, according to Reuters.

Irreparable harm? Puh-lease. 

The NFL, which has fought gambling publicly for many years, is all in favor of fantasy football though because commissioner Roger Goodell thinks that's a bonding experience. There's an incredible disconnect between that view, and thinking that your three-team parlay on an NFL Sunday is going to cause the league that makes billions of dollars every year "irreparable harm." There's also a disconnect between that stance and the NFL putting out an injury report, which helps gamblers more than anyone.

Any notion that the NFL could somehow be tainted by legal gambling is absurd. The minimum salary for an NFL player is $420,000. No player is risking it all for a fraction of that salary to change the outcome of a game. Also, any potential fix is much more likely to get flagged by a legal sports book than any of the various illegal outlets that take bets on sports. One of the reasons the Arizona State basketball point shaving scandal in the 1993-94 season was uncovered was that casinos in Las Vegas reported unusual betting patterns on the games.

Yet, the NFL still fights gambling. At best that battle is just nonsensical and outdated. At worst it's terribly hypocritical and intellectually dishonest. Either way, it's hard to figure out.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Raanta leads Blackhawks past Flyers 4-0.

By MATT CARLSON

 

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Antti Raanta, left, makes a save on a shot by Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Antti Raanta made 32 saves to earn a shutout in his first start of the season, and Patrick Kane scored two power-play goals to lead the Chicago Blackhawks past the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0 on Tuesday night.

Chicago's Brandon Saad and Bryan Bickell scored along with Kane in a 2:06 flurry late in the first period.

Raanta was sharp as he stepped in for Corey Crawford - Chicago's No. 1 goalie who is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury - to record his second career shutout. Among his saves were two point-blank stops on Philadelphia's Claude Giroux and one on Matt Read late in the second period.

Besides their first goals this season, Saad and Bickell each had assists as Chicago's third line, centered by Brad Richards, clicked and the Blackhawks improved to 4-0-1. Richards, who signed as a free agent last summer following a contract buyout by the New York Rangers, set up Saad's goal to earn his first point as a Blackhawk.

Philadelphia's Steve Mason made 39 saves. He was back in net for his fifth start in six games despite being pulled after two periods in the Flyers' come-from-behind 6-5 overtime win at Dallas on Saturday, their only victory.

The Blackhawks came out strong for the third straight game. Chicago outshot Philadelphia 19-9 in the first and connected on three of five shots during a flurry late in the period.

Saad opened the scoring 11:54 in. Mason made flashy close-in saves on Saad and Richards, but then Saad outmuscled the Flyers Michael Del Zotto to the net and tucked in a loose puck from the goal line after Richards centered it.

Kane made it 2-0 with a power-play score 32 seconds later. He swatted in the puck from the left side of the net after Patrick Sharp's shot from the blue line caromed off the back boards.

Set up by Saad's cross-ice pass, Bickell extended the lead to 3-0 with 6:00 left in the period when motored down the slot and ripped a shot over Mason's shoulder.

Raanta was most heavily tested in the second period, when he turned aside 10 shots, and late in the third during a Flyers' power play.

Kane added his second power-play goal from a goalmouth scrum at 3:50 of the third to complete the scoring.

Raanta came up with a shoulder save on Jakub Voracek with 6:30 left to preserve the shutout.

NOTES: Chicago LW Kris Versteeg returned after suffering a lower body injury in practice two days before the season opener. He skated on a line with Kane and C Andrew Shaw. To make room, F Jeremy Morin sat out. ... The Blackhawks recalled G Scott Darling, from Rockford of the AHL to fill Crawford's roster spot. Darling is a native of Lemont, Ill., a Chicago suburb. ... Raanta started 10 games in a row last season after Crawford suffered a groin injury in a Dec. 8 game against Florida. The Blackhawks went 7-1-2 during that stretch. ... Flyers C Vincent Lecavalier missed his third game and D Braydon Coburn sat out his fifth, both with lower-body injuries.

How 'bout them Chicago Bulls Session… Rose, Bulls show positive signs in loss to Cavaliers. 

By Rick Gethin

With the Halloween matchup just around the corner, tonight’s game between the Bulls and Cavaliers was the first shot fired in what is considered to be a two-horse race for the Eastern Conference.

Although it’s only preseason, it was treated as a regular season contest and the victors will take this as a momentum builder moving forward.

On the second night of a back-to-back, it was apparent the Bulls were lagging at times. They started slow and trailed Cleveland much of the night.

But there’s one thing about Tom Thibodeau’s team that stood out in Columbus, Ohio, and that was a never-say-quit attitude. As Cleveland’s starters played the majority of the game, Thibodeau elected to spread his minutes along the bench. Derrick Rose played some good minutes and led all players with 30 points.

LeBron James said he wasn't surprised how quick Rose looked.

“Surprised how quick he was? No. I watched him all summer,” James said. “I watched him in practices when he was in Vegas and over the preseason. I’m not surprised at all. As a league, as a fan, it’s great to have him back and playing at a high level.”

Pau Gasol led the Bulls with 32 minutes. All told, all but two Bulls played more than 22 minutes. By contrast, all but two Cleveland players played more than 24 minutes, with four of them (James, Love, Waiters, Irving) playing 32 minutes or more.  

Prior to the game, Thibodeau said that going through adversity was a good thing that can make a team stronger. He learned some things tonight that will be worked on leading up to the regular season.

“I think that every game reveals something to you,” he said. "I think it’s important to analyze why you win or lose. And when you lose, you’ve got to take a hard look at… we know the rebounding wasn’t good, we allowed 48 percent. Our defensive transition wasn’t very good. So, those are things that we can improve upon. “

Those were the negatives that will be worked on in practice in the coming days. And for a coach like Thibodeau, a poor defensive transition has to grind his gears. But, there was some good to be taken from the game.

“I thought we did a good job of taking care of the ball,” he said. “In the first half I liked our aggressiveness. But, we have to build and we have to get to be a 48-minute team. When you’re playing a team like that, one bad stretch could be the difference.”

With the new season rapidly approaching, Thibodeau is confident the team will be better before Opening Night in New York.

“If everyone keeps putting everything they have into each and every day," he said, "you’ve got to put the work into it. There’s no skipping that. If you put the work into it, the results will be good.” 
                                                                           
Pau Gasol: ‘I didn’t pick the cold, I picked the Bulls'.

By Chuck Garfien

It's a meeting that tipped the scales this summer for the Bulls.

A conversation that, if this team can stay healthy, could be the reason they end up with a big celebration after the season in Grant Park.

It's not the private sitdown Pau Gasol had in Los Angeles in July with John Paxson, Gar Foreman and Tom Thibodeau.

It's the one that came immediately after that in the same L.A. office building between Gasol and Joakim Noah.

Gasol describes that meeting as a "guy-to-guy" talk, an "honest discussion" about everything: Derrick Rose's health, what it's like playing for the intense Thibodeau -- you can assume that everything was on the table.

Paxson, Forman and Thibodeau told Gasol everything he wanted to hear. It was the candid Noah who told Gasol what he needed to hear.

If that talk didn't go well, Gasol likely would have signed elsewhere. He had all the leverage. The defending champion Spurs were strongly pursuing him. So, too, were the Thunder, Heat, Knicks and Lakers -- a mix of great teams, big markets and better weather all hot on his trail.

"I thought we had no shot with all the teams that were looking at him," Noah said.

But as Noah put it: "He picked the cold."

When I repeated that line to Gasol, he was quick to disagree.

"I didn't pick the cold. I picked the Bulls, and I picked this team, and I picked this city. The cold just comes with it. To me, that's a secondary thing," he said. "Obviously, if I wanted to live in great weather, I would have stayed in L.A., but that's not my priority. My priority is to be a part of a team that I believe in, that I believe has a true chance to accomplish something special, and that's what I feel here."

Gasol has experienced that feeling before. He won back-to-back titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He also knows the difference between being on a really good team and a championship team.

Not much.

"It comes down to small things," he explained. "How do you react to critical moments?  Everyone has to be on the same page. Chemistry, togetherness, the bond between teammates, understanding the drive, the discipline on an everyday basis. What are you willing to do to put yourself in the best position? There are a lot things that come into place. You can say they're small things, but they're actually pretty important things. That's what makes the difference. There are a lot of great teams in this league, but only one team wins."

Playing for Thibodeau is no vacation, nor should it be. He's as demanding and intense as a head coach can be. He can clash with players who don't have the proper work ethic and drive to win a title.

Do. Your. Job.

That's not a problem for Gasol.

"He's a devoted coach," Gasol said. "He's devoted to his profession and has great passion for the game. He is very methodical, very hands-on and I think also very driven. He has a hunger to win and wants to prove he can win a championship being the head coach which is important."

Thibodeau has been concerned about his team's play during the preseason, frequently reminding his players and the media that "the regular season will be here before we know it."

Does Gasol agree with Thibodeau's assessment?

"I think you always have to have that mentality that there's always room for improvement, there's always work to be done. You cannot be content. I think he does a good job of keeping you on your toes and not being satisfied," he said. "This team has a lot of potential. He keeps you on that edge so you keep pushing yourself."

The key for the Bulls this season is Rose's health, followed by Rose's health and finally Rose's health.

But without Gasol and that heart-to-heart meeting with Noah, they don't have that big piece that can take them to the next level.

He may not have been Plan A (Carmelo Anthony), but Plan B could bring huge dividends for the Bulls.

Bulls: MRI confirms sprained thumb for Jimmy Butler.

By Mark Strotman

Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler underwent an MRI on his thumb Tuesday, and it confirmed sprained ligaments that will keep the Bulls swingman out of practice this week and Friday's preseason finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Butler will be re-evaluated after Fridays' game.

Butler injured his thumb in the first quarter of last Thursday's game against the Charlotte Hornets attempting to deflect a pass. He stayed in the game after the injury before being ruled out in the second quarter. He missed Monday's tilt against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Columbus.

The fourth-year swingman had been the Bulls' most impressive player in preseason, averaging 15.8 points on 58 percent shooting with 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26 minutes per game.

It's unknown whether Butler will be ready for the regular season, which begins for the Bulls on Oct. 29 in New York. Butler's availability looms large for a Bulls defense going up against Carmelo Anthony, and two days later against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Butler would be the expected matchup against both All-Pros, but Tom Thibodeau may be forced to shuffle his lineup even before the season begins.

Butler is also in the middle of contract negotiations with the Bulls. If the two sides can not come to an agreement on a deal, Butler would become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

World Series 2014: Giants cruise to Game 1 victory behind Pence, Bumgarner.

Associated Press

Giants celebrate the victory (Getty Images)

From the get-go, the Giants simply did everything right to win their seventh straight World Series game. There's a reason Bumgarner and these guys in black and orange are trying for their third title in five years.

The Royals, meanwhile, looked nothing like the fresh team that had become baseball's darlings by starting the playoffs with eight wins in a row — pitching, hitting and fielding all deserted them.

The fates seemed to change from the very first batter, in fact. Gregor Blanco led off with a soft line drive to center field and AL Championship Series MVP Lorenzo Cain charged, then backed off as the ball fell for a single. It would've taken a near miracle to catch it, but that's the kind of play the Royals had been making on a routine basis.

Moments later, Pence's homer highlighted a three-run burst in the first inning against James Shields. Nicknamed "Big Game James," he once again failed to live up to that billing and left in the fourth when the Giants made it 5-0.

By then, Royals fans who had waited since 1985 for the Series to come to town had gone silent. Or, worse, they were booing while small "Let's go, Giants!" chants echoed through Kauffman Stadium.

Just like that, what many figured would be a tight matchup had turned into a mismatch. And it was a good omen for the Giants — the Game 1 winner has won 15 of the last 17 World Series. The Royals will try to get even in Game 2 on Wednesday night when rookie Yordano Ventura starts against veteran Jake Peavy.

Bumgarner added to his sparkling World Series resume, improving to 3-0 and extending his scoreless streak to 21 innings before Salvador Perez homered in the seventh.

The 25-year-old called MadBum by his teammates was in trouble only once. Down 3-0, the Royals loaded the bases with a two-out walk and cleanup man Eric Hosmer stepped to the plate, but grounded out on the first pitch.

Bumgarner went on to stretch his road postseason scoreless streak to a record 32 2-3 innings as the Giants cruised. He pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, struck out five and walked one.

Michael Morse, getting to play as the designated hitter in the AL park, had an RBI single that finished Shields, and reliever Danny Duffy walked Blanco with the bases loaded.

Rookie Joe Panik hit an RBI triple that bounced past usually reliable right fielder Nori Aoki in the seventh and scored on a single by October force Pablo Sandoval. The MVP of the 2012 World Series triumph, Sandoval also had an RBI double in the first that extended his postseason streak of reaching base to 24 straight games.

Pence also doubled and walked.

Before the game, the mood at the ballpark was positively giddy. Ushers greeted fans with "Welcome to theWorld Series!" and some hot-dog vendors high-fived each other behind the counter.

Yet the Giants wrecked that fun, and won for the 16th time in their last 18 postseason games.

The Royals had won 11 straight in the postseason dating to their 1985 championship run, one short of the record held by a pair of New York Yankees clubs.

But it was clear from the start that this would not be their night, and not even the little things went well.

Early in the game, Kansas City third base coach Mike Jirschele retrieved a foul ball and tried to flip it into the stands. Instead, his toss fell well short of reaching the seats. 

Take our poll: Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?

CBS News                                             
                                                           

                       

No matter what you think of Pete Rose, you can't deny what an electric moment it was on September 11th, 1985, when Rose became baseball's all-time major league hit leader -- a record that still stands today.

And yet, the debate over whether his cardinal sin -- gambling on baseball -- should keep him out of the Hall of Fame for life remains as fierce as ever, as correspondent Lee Cowan explains in a profile of Rose, to be aired on CBS' "Sunday Morning" October 19.

Rose had not only bet on baseball, but he bet on his own team, while he was managing (never to lose, he says, always to win).

Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti first exiled Rose as punishment for gambling. His successors, Fay Vincent and Bud Selig, later upheld Rose's banishment.

"He was such a great ballplayer, and he cared about the game, but he cared about the money even more," Vincent told CBS News' Cowan.

Gambling had been the third rail of baseball ever since the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series in 1919. "There's something about redemption that is important to Americans," said Vincent. "We believe in it. We believe in confession and redemption.

"Baseball does not."

When asked by Cowan if he feels he will ever get into the Hall of Fame, Rose said yes.

"I don't know if I'm going to live to see it," Rose said. "Someone, at some period of time, will feel it in their heart to give me a second chance. I might be six feet under, but that's what you have to live with."

Take our poll!

Do you feel Pete Rose should be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, or not?

Should the former star ballplayer be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame despite being banned for life for betting on games?

Yes - What Rose did after his playing career ended shouldn't take away from his achievements on the field.

No - Do the crime, do the time. "Banned for life" means just that.

To Vote: Just go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and type, PR-Yes, if you think he should be in the BBHOF or PR-No, if you think he should not get into the BBHOF. We will post the voting results at our first printing after the World Series. Thanks in advance for your participation.

The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica editorial staff.

Sporting News tabs Jose Abreu as AL Rookie of the Year.

By Dan Hayes

Jose Abreu has earned his first piece of postseason hardware as The Sporting News has named him the American League rookie of the year.

 

Abreu, who established a White Sox rookie record with 36 home runs this season, received 149 of 160 votes from his peers to earn the honor. Los Angeles’ Matt Shoemaker received four votes, New York’s Dellin Betances and Masahiro Tanaka finished with three each, and White Sox infielder Marcus Semien got one as well.

 

The Cuban “Babe Ruth,” according to teammate Adrian Nieto, is the 11th White Sox player to earn the honor from the magazine. Gordon Beckham was the team’s previous winner in 2009.

 

“It means a lot that the players who play against me recognize my efforts and my numbers,” Abreu said through a translator. “I am thankful for all of them to give me support. I don’t have words to describe what I’m feeling right now.”

 

In his first season, Abreu, 27, finished with a .317/.383/.581 slash line with 36 homers and 107 RBIs in 622 plate appearances. He scored 80 runs and finished with 176 hits as he reshaped the middle of the White Sox order.

 

The White Sox downplayed expectations for their slugger prior to the season, saying they would evaluate at the end of it how he lived up to his six-year, $68-million deal, stressing it’s a long-term relationship and not one based off a season.

 

But Abreu soared from the start as he was named the American League’s rookie of the month and player of the month for April. He headed into the All-Star break with 29 homers and 73 RBIs. Though the All-Star’s power numbers dipped in the second half, he made up for it by getting on base more and striking out less.

 

Abreu surpassed Ron Kittle’s club rookie homer mark on Sept. 27, a record the outfielder owned for 31 seasons. Abreu was also the team’s first rookie All-Star since Kittle in 1983.

 

He is the first rookie in major league history to finish in the Top 5 in his league in the Triple Crown categories. Abreu also joined Hal Trosky (1934), Ted Williams (1939) and Albert Pujols (2001) as the only rookies in history to record 30 doubles, 30 homers and 100 RBI in a season.

 

He’s expected to be a unanimous winner when the Baseball Writers Association of America hands out its award for AL rookie of the year on Nov. 10.

 

“I just wanted to be prepared for the season, when spring training started,” Abreu said. “I just wanted to be 100 percent for the season and be able to help the team win games. When the season was finished and I had the opportunity to check my numbers, I felt very comfortable. Now I’m just preparing for what’s in the future. If the next award is for me, it’s OK. I’m very humble for all the accomplishments I did this year.”

Golf: I got a club for that… Tiger Woods back hitting full golf shots in preparation for Dec. return.

By Ryan Ballengee

Golfer Tiger Woods laughs during a golfing demonstration Monday, Aug. 18, 2014, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Tiger Woods is taking full swings again with the hope of returning to competition at his annual Hero World Challenge in December. Woods' doctors have given him the go-ahead to take full swings, making his way through the bag.

"The doctors said he could hit golf balls again, and he's listening to his doctors and to his body," Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, said to USA Today. "He will keep listening to his doctors and body."

Woods has been dealing with back issues since 2013. At The Barclays that August, Woods blamed pain on a soft hotel bed. The problem worsened, leading to microdiscectomy surgery on March 31.

For what Woods admitted were somewhat political reasons, he returned at his Quicken Loans National in June, missing the cut. He finished 69th at the Open Championship three weeks later.

In August, Woods withdrew from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in the final round after tweaking his back hitting from an awkward stance on the second hole at Firestone Country Club. Woods made a last-minute effort to play in the PGA Championship the following week, missing the cut. He then announced he was withdrawing his name from Ryder Cup consideration.

Woods intends to return at the World Challenge, which has relocated to Orlando, Fla., played Dec. 4-7.

McIlroy bows out of pair of China events to prepare for trial.

By Ryan Ballengee

Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from the BMW Masters and WGC-HSBC Champions, citing the need to prepare for an upcoming trial in his lawsuit against his former agent.

"I'm going to need time away from tournament golf to prepare for the trial over my legal dispute with Horizon Sports Management," McIlroy said Monday, according to the Irish Independent. 
 

McIlroy split with, then sued Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management in late 2013, saying the company locked up the world No. 1 in 2011 with unfair contract terms, including fees McIlroy deemed unreasonable. McIlroy agreed to a contract extension in 2013 with revised terms and lower commissions on off-course earnings but reversed course later in the year. He now represents himself in a company called Rory McIlroy Inc.
 

Horizon, led by Conor Ridge, has countersued McIlroy, looking to recover commissions for deals it arranged with Nike, Bose and Omega, as well damage to its reputation.
 

In September, an Irish Commercial Court judge recommended mediation between the parties when McIlroy's lawyers made a motion seeking detailed documentation about friend Graeme McDowell's relationship with Horizon Sports. (It's also the source of Phil Mickelson's Ryder Cup joke about litigating against teammates.) McDowell, who essentially recruited McIlroy to join him under the Horizon banner, announced last month an amicable split from Horizon set to happen at the end of the year.
 

McIlroy and his lawyers met Horizon representatives in Dublin for mediation this past weekend, but told the court Monday they had failed to reach a settlement that would avoid a trial, according to The Telegraph.
 

The reigning Open and PGA champion may have to jettison more previously scheduled events in 2015, as well. With a trial set for early 2015 and McIlroy expected to spend up to two weeks giving testimony, he may have to cancel planned starts in the European Tour's two-event swing through the United Arab Emirates in the second half of January.
 

Preparation will be crucial for McIlroy, who will look to complete the career grand slam with a Masters win next April.
 

NASCAR Power Rankings: Keselowski's  him up the standings.

By Nick Bromberg

1. Joey Logano (LW: 1): While Logano was playing defense for the best possible outcome for his teammate and employer, was he also playing defense against himself at Talladega on Sunday? The block he threw on Kevin Harvick off turn four was incredible and helped shape the events that got Brad Keselowski the win on Sunday. But by the same token, he helped one of his two or three closest competitors for the championship get back into the title mix. We're sure Logano or Team Penske isn't regretting anything, but given how Matt Kenseth ended up pushing Keselowski to the win, it'll be fascinating to see Keselowski is the man that beats out Logano for the title.

2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): Harvick was adamant that he wasn't going to hang at the back all day because he was already in the next round of the Chase and he did just that, aggressively racing for the win in the late laps. Its a strategy that can be employed when you're driving for a team that has a ton of resources and doesn't care about losing a restrictor plate car if there's a crash. Of course, Harvick wouldn't be in a situation to race with only equipment to lose if he wasn't with a team with a ton of resources in the first place.

3. Brad Keselowski (LW: 9): Keselowski fulfilled the scenario that NASCAR executives had in mind when eliminations were installed in January. And he helped make winning semi-relevant again after the way to survive the first two rounds of the Chase had been to simply avoid bad finishes. Theoretically, winning becomes more important in the third round, as three drivers could earn a pass to Homestead with a win. But in that scenario, so does points racing, as the fourth driver would be decided by the driver who was the most consistent.

4. Jeff Gordon (LW: 4): It was a much closer call for Gordon than many thought it would be. Gordon finished 26th at Talladega and if teammate Kasey Kahne would have finished eighth instead of 12th, Gordon would have been bounced from the Chase. And indirectly, the caution for Kyle Larson's spin could have been responsible. Gordon hadn't pitted when Larson spun, and thus had to restart outside the top 20. He never made any headway after that.

5. Ryan Newman (LW: 6): Newman could have be facing a penalty for his car being too low after Sunday's race. But NASCAR said Tuesday that Newman's car was too low because of crash damage. Had he been penalized, it wouldn't have likely mattered anyway. Newman had a 27-point cushion on ninth place. A height penalty was likely to have been 10-15 points. Newman's prowess at avoiding bad finishes is throwing a giant wrench into this Chase. How wacky would it be to see Newman finish sixth all the way through Homestead and win the title with three top-five finishes all season?

6. Matt Kenseth (LW: 10): Kenseth had no choice but to stick to Keselowski's bumper over the last few laps, ironies be damned. If he went for the win or tried something drastic, there was way too much of a risk of lost positions and, subsequently, a lost Chase. Now, Kenseth is on to the next round where he can go win a race or deliver payback to Keselowski for Charlotte. Given that Kenseth is winless this year and hasn't shown consistent speed, the latter seems more likely.

7. Denny Hamlin (LW: 8): Hamlin really, really, really likes how the third round of the Chase sets up for him. He's one of the three best drivers in the series at Martinsville (four wins and an average finish of 8.8), has two wins at Texas and has an average finish of 11.3 at Phoenix. We won't bring up 2010 at Phoenix. Promise. Unless we have to. But we'll worry about that in a couple of weeks.

8. Kyle Larson (LW: 5): Larson finished 17th thanks to a chaotic green flag pit stop sequence. He got hit on pit road and then spun (wobbled? The only replay came from his in-car camera) off pit road to cause a caution and set up the sprint to the finish ... that turned into three mini-sprints to the finish because of a debris caution. Was that debris what ended up on Joey Logano's front bumper? If it was, it's hard not to wonder why a caution was necessary.

9. Carl Edwards (LW: 6): How did you lose sight of Newman, Carl? He just drove his way all to the front without you, meaning he gapped you in the points standings. But ah, we see how you were being wily, Edwards. You knew the points would be reset after the race and no matter where Newman finished, you two would be tied if you advanced. And that's what happened. Good thinking.

10. Kyle Busch (LW: 3): This feels like cruel and unusual punishment to drop Busch seven spots after what happened at Talladega. But damn if the Talladega crash wasn't cruel and unusual punishment itself. Busch had what seemed to be the most foolproof of Talladega strategies -- he may not have even tried to charge to the front unless it was ultimately necessary -- and he still got burned by getting caught up in a crash. For all the talk of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s best Chase chance coming in 2014, this was Busch's best one too.

11. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 11): Johnson said he was relieved to go down swinging and you can't blame him for trying what he did. On what ended up being the penultimate restart, Johnson swung to the outside in the hopes of trying to take the lead. He was in fourth, just one row back of the lead. No one went with him. Thus, he fell back like a boulder and his chances of advancing were kaput. Johnson shouldn't feel bad about being ignored, however. Danica Patrick got the cold shoulder late in the race too.

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 12): There was no repeating the Talladega miracle his father pulled off in 2000. While it would have been possible for a car to gain 18 spots in five laps near the back of the pack, it wasn't going to happen at the front on Sunday. The driver at the point was able to defend with relative ease, and it was infinitely easier to slide back seven positions in the top 10 during a single lap than it would be to gain seven in seven laps.

Lucky Dog: We'll give it to Landon Cassill for finishing fourth. The runner up spot goes to Travis Kvapil for finishing sixth. If only it was possible to have underdog teams at the front in non-restrictor plate races once in a while.

The DNF: The BK Racing cars ran well in the draft all race. While Cole Whitt did finish 15th, JJ Yeley and Alex Bowman were 42nd and 43rd.

Dropped out: N/A

Logano clears air on dustup with Danica.

By Kenny Bruce

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano said he isn't expecting any retaliation this weekend from Danica Patrick after the two were involved in an on-track accident at Charlotte Motor Speedway two weeks ago.

The series moves to Martinsville Speedway, the shortest venue on the schedule and a site where drivers have often settled scores when they feel they have been wronged during the season.

"We've actually talked about it since then and I feel like we’ve come to a good conclusion of what happened there," Logano said Tuesday during the Eliminator Round Media Day for the eight remaining drivers in this year's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

"That's in the past; that's in the mirror and we'll move forward."

Patrick (Stewart-Haas Racing) had restarted 10th in the Bank of America 500 at CMS following the fifth caution of the race. A few laps later, the yellow was out again after the two made contact, sending Patrick's No. 10 Chevrolet into the wall.

After telling her crew she'd "just love to go out and take him out," Patrick acknowledged that retaliation at that point was worthless since Logano was already guaranteed to advance to the next round of the Chase thanks to his win at Kansas, the week before.

Patrick eventually finished 26th, three laps down to race winner, and teammate, Kevin Harvick. Logano placed fourth.

"It was a racing deal," Logano said of the incident. "She got cleared, I agree, (I) saw it happen; I was right there on the edge of it. It was one of those points I think we were both being very aggressive. She was going to try to take the spot and come down across me and I probably should have (given) at that point and I didn't. I drove into the corner wanting the spot, too. When two people want the same thing, sometimes it doesn't work.

"I told her really in all honesty I probably should have backed out in that situation. We're moving on from there."

Patrick is in her second full season of Sprint Cup competition and enters Sunday's Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 (ESPN, 1:30 p.m. ET) 27th in the points standings.

Logano, in his second year driving the Team Penske No. 22 Ford, has five victories this season, including two in the Chase. He is one eight drivers looking to advance out of the Eliminator Round and move on to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Championship Round, where four drivers will compete for this year's title.
 
UEFA Champions League roundup: Bayern, Chelsea, Shakhtar go crazy on 40 goal night.

By Joe Prince-Wright

On Tuesday it was all about goals, goals, goals in the UEFA Champions League as 40 arrived for an average of five per game. Wowza!

Massive wins for Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk stood out, plus Manchester City let a 2-0 lead slip away at CSKA Moscow as their European woes continues.

We are at the halfway point in Groups E-H, and here’s a brief recap on all eight UCL matches as the groups are starting to take shape.

GROUP E

 

CSKA Moscow 2-2 Manchester City – RECAP

City raced into an early 2-0 lead in Russia with goals from Sergio Aguero and James Milner before half time putting them in a commanding position. However a late collapse saw Seydou Doumbia pull one back, then Bebras Natchos equalized from the penalty spot with five minutes to go. City is without a win in UCL play this season and are starring at yet another group stage exit.

Roma 1-7 Bayern Munich – RECAP

Bayern blitzed Roma, as Pep Guardiola’s team taught the Italians a lesson. Arjen Robben scored twice, with Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller putting five on the board without reply in the first half. Gervinho pulled one back for Roma in the second half but Xherdan Shaqiri and Franck Ribery added one each as Bayern are top of Group E with three wins from three. Simply stunning win.

GROUP F

APOEL Nicosia 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain

Laurent Blanc’s men left it late, but Edinson Cavani‘s 87th minute goal gave Les Parisiens all three points in Cyprus. Tiny APOEL deserved better, but PSG remain top on seven points.

Barcelona 3-1 Ajax

Neymar and Lionel Messi both scored in the first half as Barca bounced back from their defeat to PSG last time out. El Ghazi scored for the Dutch champions in the second half to give them hope but Ramirez added a late goal for Barcelona, who are now second in Group F with six points.

GROUP G

Chelsea 6-0 Maribor - RECAP

The Blues cruised to a home win over Slovenian outfit Maribor, with goals from Loic Remy, John Terry and Didier Drogba putting them 3-0 up at half time. In the second half Viler scored an own goal, Eden Hazard notched two more late on, as Chelsea are top of Group G and remain unbeaten on seven points.

Schalke 4-3 Sporting Lisbon

What a game in Gelsenkirchen! Nani put the visitors ahead, but Obasi and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Benedikt Howedes replied for Schalke to make it 3-1. Sporting weren’t done, as Perruchet Silva bagged two goals in the second half and it looked like it would be a draw until the final minute when substitute Choupo-Moting scored a penalty. Huge win for Schalke who have five points and are still unbeaten.

GROUP H

BATE Borisov 0-7 Shakhtar Donetsk

Shakhtar battered BATE in Belarus, scoring six goals in the first half as Adriano scored five, plus goals from Teixeira and Costa put the Ukrainians on their way to a first win in Group H. Incredible win for the Ukrainian champions who remain unbeaten.

FC Porto 2-1 Athletic Bilbao

Mexican international Hector Herrera scored the opener for Porto in the first half but Guillermo equalized for Bilbao in an Iberian battle in the Estadio do Dragao. Ricardo Quaresma scored the winner for Porto, as the Portuguese team stay top of Group H and are unbeaten with two wins from three.

Meghan Klingenberg scores first international goal with a thunderous blast from distance against Haiti.

By Brooks Peck

The U.S. women's team beat Haiti 6-0 to complete a perfect CONCACAF Championship group stage. It was a match that showed just how many scoring threats they have at their disposal. Carli Lloyd opened the goal parade in the ninth minute, Abby Wambach had a brace (taking her career tally to 173), Christen Press scored as she filled in for the injured Alex Morgan and 21-year-old Morgan Brian came off the bench to score the sixth. But the best of the match came from defender Meghan Klingenberg, who scored her first international goal with a missile from distance.

After a slow start to the tournament against Trinidad & Tobago, the U.S. have improved with each match. Granted they've faced teams that they should be beating 6-0, but they look to be in ideal form heading into the knockout stage of the 2015 World Cup qualifying tournament even though their opponents are parking the bus against them. And, again, that's even without Alex Morgan.

Next up for the U.S. will be either Mexico or Jamaica in the semifinals. Should they face Mexico, they'll probably feel pretty confident going into it since they beat El Tri by a combined score of 12-0 in two friendlies last month.

Oscar Pistorius starts serving 5 year prison term.

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA and GERALD IMRAY

 

In this Sept. 1, 2011 file photo, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius competes in a qualification round for the Men's 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Double-amputee Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to five years in prison for the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius, who shot and killed Steenkamp through a toilet cubicle door in his home last year, had earlier been convicted of culpable homicide, or negligent killing. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Oscar Pistorius was taken away in a police van Tuesday to start serving a five-year prison sentence for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

A South African judge cited the ''gross negligence'' the Olympic runner showed when he shot Steenkamp multiple times through a toilet cubicle door in his home when she delivered the sentence. Pistorius' prison term begins immediately.

Pistorius could be released after 10 months in jail to serve the remainder under house arrest, according to legal experts.

Masipa also sentenced Pistorius to three years in prison for unlawfully firing a gun in a restaurant in a separate incident weeks before Steenkamp's 2013 shooting death. She ordered that sentence to be wholly suspended for five years on condition that Pistorius is not found guilty of another firearm offense.

Masipa delivered her ruling after reviewing prosecution arguments for a tough sentence as well as the defense case for a more lenient punishment for Pistorius. She said it was a balancing act after defense lawyers had argued that Pistorius had already suffered emotionally and financially after what he called an accidental killing.

Masipa last month convicted Pistorius of culpable homicide, but acquitted him of murder after he testified he mistook Steenkamp for a nighttime intruder.

''The following is what I consider is a sentence that is fair and just both to society and the accused,'' Masipa said as she announced her decision.

She asked Pistorius to stand as she delivered the sentence, and the world-famous disabled runner faced her with his hands clasped in front of him. Pistorius then left the Pretoria courtroom down a flight of stairs that lead to holding cells. His sentence starts immediately and he was taken straight to the cells, a spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority said.

Pistorius' defense and the prosecution can both appeal the decision.

Nathi Mncube, the prosecution spokesman, said his office is disappointed in the culpable homicide conviction and has not yet decided whether to appeal the sentence.

''We have not made up our minds whether we're going to appeal it or not,'' he said. He added that there was an ''appetite'' to appeal but that prosecutors have 14 days to review their options.

''We are satisfied with the fact that he will be serving some time in prison,'' he said.

He said he thought the South African public would be satisfied because their justice system had been shown to be ''functional.''

''It's not only about vengeance but it is about making sure that there is a fair and just process,'' he said.

Masipa had a wide range of options available to her because South Africa does not have a minimum sentence for culpable homicide, which is comparable to manslaughter. Pistorius faced up to 15 years in jail, but could also have received a completely suspended sentence or house arrest.

''I am of the view that a non-custodial sentence would send a wrong message to the community,'' Masipa said after summarizing parts of the case and explaining why she reached her decision. ''On the other hand, a long sentence would not be appropriate either as it would lack the element of mercy.''

Marius du Toit, a legal analyst and criminal defense lawyer, said Pistorius would have to serve one-sixth of his sentence in prison - 10 months - before he could be eligible to be moved to house arrest.

''It's an appropriate sentence,'' du Toit said. He said a higher sentence would have been impossible because ''you cannot elevate the sentence to murder.''

Pistorius, 27, was earlier escorted through crowds of onlookers and into the Pretoria courthouse ahead of sentencing by police officers wearing blue berets. The parents of Steenkamp, the 29-year-old model he shot in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14, 2013, were also in court to hear the sentence.

The courtroom was packed, reflecting heightened media and public interest. Police officers stood guard in the aisles.

A Pistorius supporter laid three white roses near Pistorius.

''I just wanted to bestow a little bit of inner happiness on Oscar,'' said the supporter.

Outside the courthouse, a man in orange garb carried chains and a large sign that read: ''Are certain offenders more equal than other offenders before the law?''

Michigan-Michigan St. Preview.

AP Sports

The question would have seemed ludicrous seven years ago when Mark Dantonio was in his first season as Michigan State's coach.

But after five victories in the last six years over rival Michigan, it seems fair to ask: Do the Spartans risk losing the chip on their shoulder?

''We have to keep our edge regardless of who we play. If we can't do that, then we've not succeeded,'' Dantonio said Tuesday. ''We keep it the same way we keep it with every team that we're playing against. We find a way.

''We have a method. I don't know, there is a story in every game we play, there is usually a story of some sort.''

For years, the story of Michigan vs. Michigan State rarely changed. The Wolverines would win and move on to more important matters, such as their matchup with Ohio State. Motivation was seldom a problem for the Spartans, but it didn't seem to help much on the field.

Dantonio's arrival didn't change the Spartans' urgent approach to the game, but the results finally began to turn in the Spartans' favor. Now, eighth-ranked Michigan State is favored by more than two touchdowns in Saturday's matchup with the Wolverines.

''We could be 0-5 going into the game, they could be No. 1 in the country and it's going to be a tight game. You have that with rivalry games,'' said Michigan State's Connor Cook, the Big Ten's second highest-rated passer. ''I don't think we overlook them at all, and I don't think they overlook us.''

Michigan State will host Ohio State next month in what could be the biggest game of the Big Ten season, but for Dantonio, the Michigan game is still paramount.

''That still is a game that we have to point to and say, 'Hey, this goes beyond our schedule, this goes beyond the future," Dantonio said. "This is beyond what we're doing right now.'''

The Spartans (6-1, 3-0) are very much in the mix for college football's new four-team playoff, so they have plenty of incentive beyond the usual hunger to beat Michigan (3-4, 1-2).

''I think that's a terrific football team,'' embattled Wolverines coach Brady Hoke said. ''They are the returning Big Ten champs, and I think 17 of their 22 starters are either fourth- or fifth-year players. They are scoring a lot and defensively, they haven't missed a step at all. They've got a lot of weapons.''

Michigan State appeared to lose focus on occasion over the last month, nearly blowing a big home lead in the fourth quarter against Nebraska and struggling to put away Purdue.

Last weekend, the Spartans trailed at Indiana in the second quarter before finishing with six consecutive touchdowns in a 56-17 rout. This week, Michigan State may not need any mid-game wake-up call.

''It's always about bragging rights in the state of Michigan, being able to walk the streets,'' Michigan State linebacker Taiwan Jones said.

Dantonio lost his first game as Spartans coach against Michigan 28-24 in 2007, and Wolverines running back Mike Hart referred to Michigan State as a little brother. The point was hard to argue - it was Michigan's sixth straight victory in the series. But the then-new coach lashed out, warning the Wolverines that ''pride comes before the fall.''

Sure enough, Michigan has beaten the Spartans only once since, and Dantonio has a more reserved approach. He says he hasn't changed over the years, but did need to set a tone for the rivalry initially, back when the status quo was a source of frustration for the Spartans.

Now, it's treating them pretty well. Perhaps that's why Dantonio and his team want to avoid saying anything too inflammatory this week. But once the game starts Saturday, Dantonio said, those familiar emotions will still be there.

''It gets in your blood a little bit, it's just the way it is,'' he said. ''It just divides the state so it makes it unique in that respect, and you embrace it, you get involved in it, and it's in you.''

Michigan's offense has been a serious weakness all season, and didn't look much better in a 18-13 victory over Penn State on Oct. 11. Now they face the Spartans, who haven't allowed them a touchdown in the last two meetings. Last year, the Wolverines finished with minus-48 yards rushing in a 29-6 defeat.

''They are an outstanding football team that does a great job of stopping the run,'' offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said. ''We have to understand how they are going to line up, we have to understand our plan and we have to execute.''

If all goes well, the Wolverines could walk out of Spartan Stadium having ruined Michigan State's national title hopes, but they insist that's not their focus.

''We're not thinking about ruining their season,'' quarterback Devin Gardner said. ''This is about us. I want to win this game as bad as I've wanted to win any game.''

Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino predicts the football team will upset Florida State. This prediction was too good not to print. Let's see what happens. Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica editorial staff. 

By Graham Watson

Florida State and Louisville don’t meet until Oct. 30, but Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino had no qualms about putting out his prediction early.

Jeff Greer                                                                              Follow
@jeffgreer_cj
  
Rick Pitino: "I truly believe we will beat Florida State (in football) ... I haven't been this excited for a football game in a long time."

 

11:47 AM - 20 Oct 2014

                   

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Florida State is undefeated this season and Louisville’s two losses have come in ACC play against Clemson and Virginia.

If the game were being played this week, there might be a greater chance for an upset after Florida State’s emotional win against Notre Dame.
 

However, both teams have a bye this weekend as they prepare for the Thursday night pre-Halloween matchup.
 
Louisville’s defense has played well this season, but facing FSU quarterback Jameis Winston, who played lights out in the second half against Notre Dame, is a tough, tough test.

 

Still, you have to appreciate Pitino’s moxie and his support of the football program. Perhaps we’ll learn that Pitino really can predict the future.
 

Archie Manning to take leave of absence from College Football Playoff selection committee.

By Sam Cooper

Archie Manning will take a leave of absence from the College Football Playoff executive committee due to health issues.

Bill Hancock, the College Football Playoff’s executive director, announced Monday that Manning’s leave of absence would span the rest of the 2014 season, but Manning will return for the 2015 season.

“We will miss Archie,” Hancock said. “He has such a great knowledge of college football and history with the game, but we all understand his reason for taking a leave. I wish him all the best and look forward to his return in 2015.”
 

Manning, the former Ole Miss quarterback, will undergo surgery next month to “help relieve discomfort he is experiencing walking and moving around,” according to a release from the CFP. Because of the surgery, Manning would be unable to travel and attend meetings.
 

“It is an honor to serve on this committee, and I enjoy the group and was looking forward to the opportunity ahead. My health had to be my primary concern and I intend to be up and about as soon as possible,” Manning said.

 In Manning’s absence, the committee will drop from 13 to 12 members for the rest of the season. The committee has been meeting since Nov. 2013 and will unveil its first rankings on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Additionally, the committee will unveil top-25 rankings five more times before the final four teams are revealed on December 7.

The committee is chaired by Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long and also includes Barry Alvarez, Mike Gould, Pat Haden, Tom Jernstedt, Oliver Luck, Tom Osborne, Dan Radakovich, Condoleezza Rice, Mike Tranghese, Steve Wieberg and Tyrone Willingham.

The Biggest Flaw With The New College Football Playoff Is Already A Huge Problem.

By Cork Gaines

If Mississippi State loses one game do you want to tell head coach Dan Mullen's daughter they can't be in the playoff? In just its first season, the College Football Playoff is heading for a debate bigger than anything we ever saw with the BCS and it is all because of the biggest flaw with the 4-team system.

The flaw is just basic math: 5 is more than 4.

In college football, there are five so-called "power conferences" and just four spots in the College Football Playoff. That means no matter how it shakes out, at least one champion from the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-12 is going to miss out on the playoff.

That number is probably going to be even bigger this year which will just make the debate over the importance of winning conference championships even louder.

Enter the 2014 season and the unprecedented dominance of the SEC.

After nine weeks, four of the top five teams in the AP poll are from the SEC. That is the first time ever that one conference has four of the top five. And those four (Mississippi State, Mississippi, Alabama, Auburn) do not include Georgia, a team many consider the best 1-loss team in the country.

ESPN.com

All of a sudden we are facing a situation where maybe three of the top four teams at the end of the regular season are all from one conference and the committee has to decide how many will be included in the playoff.

That conundrum is accentuated by the fact that the selection committee has not been given guidelines on how to deal with conference champions. While one committee member may feel winning one of the top four power conferences should mean automatic inclusion in the playoff, another may feel like conference championships mean nothing.

Would the selection committee being willing to pick three teams from one conference and just one other conference champion, say Florida State in the ACC? That scenario means the Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-12 champions all miss out and that doesn't even consider Notre Dame who came within a pass interference call of beating Florida State on the road.

We don't know yet and that is where the debate will rage. It is going to get loud and it is going to get ugly.

The solution.

As long as so many teams are playing such wildly unbalanced schedules, it is impossible to know with any certainty that a third or fourth place team in the SEC is better than the champion of another conference.

An 8-team playoff with automatic bids for power conference champions (assuming they are ranked among the top X teams) clearly defines the importance of winning a conference and still leaves enough room for three at-large teams.

Make no mistake, college football is better off with a 4-team playoff than the BCS system. But the NCAA did not go far enough.

Emmert says scholarship changes coming up.

By PAUL LADEWSKI

NCAA President Mark Emmert said Monday there is no talk about allowing compensation for autographs and signed memorabilia.

Emmert made his remarks at a luncheon with business leaders while Georgia running back Todd Gurley remains suspended due to a school investigation into possible violations of NCAA rules involving autographs and memorabilia. Florida State also is reviewing whether star quarterback Jameis Winston received improper benefits from a large number of autographs being sold online.
 

''There's not anyone talking about change in that rule right now,'' Emmert said. ''All of those things will be debated by all of the conferences and the member presidents going forward.''

 

Emmert declined to say whether he would be in favor of compensation on a limited basis because of the pending O'Bannon case, which the NCAA is appealing.
 

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled Aug. 8 that the NCAA broke the law by restricting schools from providing money beyond current scholarship limits to athletes. She said schools should be allowed to place up to $5,000 per athlete per year of competition into a trust fund for football players and men's basketball players, which they could collect after leaving school.

 ''It's an area that, when you stop and look at it, it's hard to imagine where you put a cap on it,'' Emmert said. ''Is it going to become a free, open-market bidding war between universities? If that's what people want, then they can have that. But as for some vehicle controlling that, it's hard to see how it simply doesn't become a wide-open bidding war.''

Emmert also expressed confidence that NCAA members would adopt a new model in January that would allow for larger scholarships that included miscellaneous expenses, broader insurance coverage and multiyear commitments.

A reform plan that transfers more power to the five richest football conferences recently sailed through a 60-day override period. The NCAA Board of Directors voted on Aug. 7 to allow the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC to unilaterally change some of the rules that have applied to all Division I schools for years.

At the same time, Emmert reiterated the NCAA's stance that student-athletes are not university employees and should not be compensated as such. According to Emmert, 22 universities had a positive cash flow in their athletic programs last year among the 1,100 that played NCAA-affiliated sports.

''Intercollegiate athletics in America has always been based upon the notion that these aren't paid employees,'' he said. ''We're going to get an opportunity probably in front of the Supreme Court to argue whether or not there ought to be collegiate athletics that looks like it does today.

''There are certainly a lot of plaintiff lawyers who are arguing that student-athletes ought to be able to pursue whatever recompense they can and be paid any way they want to be paid. Most everybody in college sports thinks that model would blow up college sports in any way it looks today, so we'll have to have that debate.''

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, October 20, 2014.

MemoriesofHistory.com

1939 - The first televised pro football game was telecast from New York. Brooklyn defeated Philadelphia 23-14.

1950 - The Los Angeles Rams set an NFL record by defeating the Baltimore Colts 70-27. It was a record score for a regular season game.

2000 - Corey Dillon (Cincinnati Bengals) ran for 278 yards against the Denver Broncos.

2011 - Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals) became the third player to hit three home runs in a World Series game.

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