CSAT/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 10/29/2014.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica

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Sports Quote of the Day:

“There is nothing wrong with dreaming big dreams, just know that all roads that lead to success have to pass through Hardwork Boulevard at some point.” ~ Eric Thomas, Motivational Speaker               

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Correction: In our first Bears article in Monday's update, (10/27/2014), Bears face deepening nightmare after humiliation by Patriots, In our thoughts editorial, we stated that the Bears play the hated Packers at Soldier Field, actually, the game is being played in Green Bay. We apologize for this error.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Emery: Bears not quitting on season.

By ANDREW SELIGMAN

Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery addresses quarterback Jay Cutler's struggles so far this season.

No matter how bleak things look, general manager Phil Emery says the Chicago Bears are not ready to give up on this season.

Emery and coach Marc Trestman insist the Bears have the players and coaches in place to turn things around.

''We will not quit on the season,'' Emery said Monday. ''We will not quit on ourselves. We're not going to quit on each other.''

For a team that entered the season with a rebuilt defense and all 11 starters back from a prolific offense, this was not the plan. The Bears are 3-5 at their bye week after back-to-back ugly losses to Miami and New England, and facing all sorts of questions as they try to regroup.

Emery said the answers are ''with the people in this building.'' Trestman gave a similar response when asked if there will be any changes to his staff.

''We have everybody in position right here,'' he said. ''We feel, without question, we built a work ethic, a system of doing things in this building is in place to have the consistency we need to win. We're disappointed because we haven't done that.''

Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker has come under criticism in two seasons, but the problems extend to every area. An offense that excelled in its first season under Trestman has underachieved even though all 11 starters returned.

Quarterback Jay Cutler continues to commit untimely turnovers.

Trestman's grip on the locker room has come under scrutiny, as has the mindset of the players, and the past two weeks have been particularly ugly.

Receiver Brandon Marshall was overheard yelling in the locker room after the loss to Miami at Soldier Field, and after claiming they pulled together, the Bears got ripped apart by Tom Brady in a 51-23 loss at New England on Sunday in which the score only tells part of the story.

In a game where the Bears were outclassed in every way, Bears defensive end Lamarr Houston decided to celebrate a sack - his first of the season - against backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the closing minutes. He ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season.

''We're disappointed for him and in him,'' said Emery, who added that Houston apologized to the Bears.

It wasn't the first eyebrow-raising incident involving Houston, one of Chicago's major offseason acquisitions. He posted on Twitter after a loss to Carolina that fans who did not give the team their unconditional support can ''eat dirt.''

Meanwhile, the Bears are searching for answers, trying to dig their way out this ditch. Emery said the Bears have received ''two or three interesting'' trade proposals but nothing that would help them win now. And he wasn't holding a fire sale before Tuesday's deadline.

The Bears have dropped four of five, and the schedule doesn't offer much relief.

When they return from their break, they'll be staring at a trip to Green Bay to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. After that, five of the final seven are at Soldier Field, where the Bears are 0-3 so far.

One four-game stretch has them visiting Detroit before hosting Dallas, New Orleans and the Lions. Two of those teams have six wins and the other has Drew Brees, which means that matchup will hardly be a breeze even if the Saints are 3-4 at the moment.

The Bears responded to a season-opening loss at home to Buffalo by surprising the 49ers in San Francisco and winning on the road against the New York Jets. They beat Atlanta on the road after back-to-back losses to Green Bay and Carolina.

''Coming out of Atlanta, we thought we were headed in the right direction,'' Trestman said. ''I think this team is strong internally, I think they've got great heart.''

NOTES: Emery said he had no problem with former Bears LB Brian Urlacher telling a Chicago radio station last week that Cutler is not an elite quarterback. But he also did some research. Emery said the Bears were 26-12 when both players were ''starting the game healthy.'' ''They definitely won together,'' he added. ''When Jay was off the field and Brian started, they were 1-6. When Jay was on the field without Brian, they were 9-12. So the only thing that I can get from all that is they were really good for each other.'' ... Emery said starting G Matt Slauson will miss the rest of the season with a torn right pectoral muscle. The injury will not require surgery. Emery also said LB Darryl Sharpton has a hamstring injury and is likely out for the Green Bay game.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Gibson leads Ducks past Blackhawks 1-0.

AP Sports

John Gibson made 37 saves and Devante Smith-Pelly scored on a short-handed breakaway, leading the surging Anaheim Ducks to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

Smith-Pelly grabbed a loose puck when Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook fell while retrieving a pass at the Anaheim blue line, and he beat rookie goaltender Scott Darling between the legs on a backhand after skating the length of the ice.

Smith-Pelly's third goal came with 8:28 left in regulation, and with 2 seconds remaining on Chicago's power play.

Gibson got his first shutout of the season as Anaheim won for the eighth time in nine games. It was the first regulation home loss for Chicago, which has dropped three of four overall.

Gibson and Darling dominated the first two periods. The Blackhawks had better opportunities against Gibson, who made a pair of big saves midway through the second on Brandon Saad, who roared in on a breakaway, and a follow-up shot by Andrew Shaw seconds later.

Gibson also made a sprawling save on Jonathan Toews early in the third period.

The 25-year-old Darling, who made his second start since being called up from the minors because of an injury to starter Corey Crawford, made a big body save on Jakob Silfverberg 5:16 into the third period. Otherwise, Darling's poise and positioning made every save look routine until Smith-Pelly scored on the 23rd of 25 Anaheim shots.

The tight-checking style of the game included Anaheim's Mark Fistric depositing Chicago defenseman Michal Rozsival into the Ducks' bench with a hip check 14 minutes into the first period. It took Rozsival about 10 seconds to climb off the floor and back onto the ice.

NOTES: Crawford is close to returning, coach Joel Quenneville said before the game. Crawford, out five games with an upper-body injury, will travel with the team to Ottawa for Thursday's game. F Dan Carcillo (right knee) was also sidelined. ... Anaheim was without D Ben Lovejoy, who broke his right hand in a fight with San Jose's Joe Pavelski on Sunday. Lovejoy is expected to miss at least six weeks. He joins Dana Heatley, Sheldon Souray, Kyle Palmeri, Patrick Maroon and Bryan Allen on the Ducks' injury list. Josh Manson took Lovejoy's place in the lineup.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls-Knicks Preview.

By JOHN KOSIK (STATS Editor)

With the Central Division assured of being one of the most competitive in the NBA, the Chicago Bulls have to be thrilled that Derrick Rose is finally healthy again.

Over in the Atlantic, Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks are hoping a full season under team president Phil Jackson can help them return to the playoffs.

The Bulls and Knicks kick off seasons of heightened expectations when they meet at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Rose missed 2012-13 recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee, only to sit out the final 71 games last season after tearing his right meniscus. Without their star player for most of the season, the Bulls (48-34) still tied for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs before a first-round loss to Washington.

"The possibilities are endless," center Joakim Noah said. "I think the sky's the limit, especially when you bring a guy like Derrick back - not only what he means as a talent, but what he means to the city."

Even with the 2011 league MVP back at full strength - Rose totaled 57 points in the last two preseason games - the Bulls face a tough task in a division that features Indiana and a potential powerhouse Cleveland club led by LeBron James and Kevin Love.

"I'm not concerned at all," Rose said. "As long as everybody's focused and on the same page, that's all you can ask of your team."

In addition to Rose's return, the Bulls brought in some pieces to give coach Tom Thibodeau some depth - the biggest being free-agent center Pau Gasol, whose skills have diminished but at age 34 could still bring plenty to the table. Planting the veteran in the middle could free up the energetic Noah to cause havoc on defense.

Chicago also picked up an outside shooting threat by drafting Doug McDermott, who led the nation with 26.7 points per game for Creighton last season.

The Bulls made a hard push in the offseason to bring in Anthony, but the former league scoring champion opted to return to the Knicks with a five-year, $124 million contract.

The deal was a significant one early on for Jackson, who was hired in March. The new president also brought in recently retired player Derek Fisher as coach to institute the triangle offense that helped Jackson win 11 titles as an NBA coach.

The changes have quickly altered the mood around the Garden after the Knicks (37-45) failed to reach the postseason despite playing in the NBA's weakest division. Rumors of discord in the locker room under former coach Mike Woodson also surfaced.

"I think any time you have a new coach, a new energy comes along with that. You can just walk around the building and feel that energy," said Anthony, who missed the playoffs for the first time in his 11 seasons.

"You can just see everybody is rejuvenated again. Everybody wants to win, everybody wants to do what's right to help this team be successful. So at the end of the day, I believe that we'll be there at the end."

New York's other big offseason move was trading center Tyson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton to Dallas for point guard Jose Calderon, who will run the triangle and may be able to light a fire under forward Andrea Bargnani after the two played well together and formed a friendship during their time in Toronto.

Another potential piece to the triangle puzzle is Amare Stoudemire, though the veteran forward's scoring average has dropped in each of the last three seasons while he's dealt with significant injury problems. He averaged a career-low 11.9 points in 2013-14.

Still, the Knicks do not have any insurmountable hurdles to leap in the Atlantic. Reigning division champion Toronto and Brooklyn should be competitive but not unbeatable, while Boston and Philadelphia are rebuilding.

The Knicks certainly showed they can compete by winning 16 of their final 21 games last season in an ultimately futile playoff push.

"The pain, what I endured last year and we felt as a team, we don't want to go back down that lane no more," Anthony said. "We don't want to feel that pain."

NBA Power Rankings: A familiar feel at No. 1.

By Marc J. Spears

1. San Antonio Spurs (Last season’s record: 62-20): The reigning champs went just 2-5 in the preseason, but don’t appear worried. They open Tuesday with a tough test against Dallas.

2. Golden State Warriors (Last season’s record: 51-31): The Warriors have the best backcourt, deepest bench and Andrew Bogut back. It’s up to new coach Steve Kerr to make it work.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last season’s record: 33-49): LeBron James’ second tenure with Cleveland begins Thursday against New York. It could take time for James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving to jell.

4. Los Angeles Clippers (Last season’s record: 57-25) The Clippers will play their first regular-season game in the post-Donald Sterling era on Thursday vs. the Thunder.

5. Chicago Bulls (Last season’s record: 48-34): If Derrick Rose can play like his old self, Chicago will be an NBA power again.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (Last season’s record: 50-32): Keep an eye on center Marc Gasol, who is much leaner this season. The Spaniard lost 23 games to a knee injury last season.

7. Houston Rockets (Last season’s record: 54-28): Dwight Howard returns to Los Angeles to play the Lakers in the season opener Tuesday.

8. Dallas Mavericks (Last season’s record: 49-33): The Mavs are a team to watch with the additions of Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler to Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis, but point guard is a big concern.

9. Portland Trail Blazers (Last season’s record: 54-28): Keep an eye on Damian Lillard, who has a chip on his shoulder after being cut from USA Basketball’s World Cup team.

10. Atlanta Hawks (Last season’s record: 38-44): The Hawks now have a healthy Al Horford playing alongside Paul Millsap in the post. Atlanta will be one of the East’s top teams.

11. Miami Heat (Last season’s record: 54-28): Life without LeBron James begins on Wednesday against Washington. Is this now Chris Bosh’s or Dwyane Wade’s team?

12. Toronto Raptors (Last season’s record: 48-34): Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors aren’t a surprise anymore and will face pressure to improve on their playoff appearance last season.

13. New Orleans Pelicans (Last season’s record: 34-48:): There will be a lot of pressure on the Pelicans this season as Anthony Davis and Co. are expected to make the postseason.

14. Charlotte Hornets (Last season’s record: 43-39): The usually reclusive Michael Jordan has been more visible lately with the return of the ‘Hornets’ nickname.

15. Phoenix Suns (Last season’s record: 48-34): Phoenix had success with a hard-to-guard, three point-guard lineup of Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas in the preseason.

16. Washington Wizards (Last season’s record: 44-38): Newcomer Paul Pierce will add much-needed veteran leadership and swag, but the injury to Bradley Beal (wrist) is a big loss.

17. Denver Nuggets (Last season’s record: 36-46): With a new contract and recent success with USA Basketball, the Nuggets are expecting an All-Star-caliber season from Kenneth Faried.

18. Brooklyn Nets (Last season’s record: 44-38): If the roster remains healthy, new coach Lionel Hollins has a very talented team. But it is an older, injury-plagued Nets squad.

19. New York Knicks (Last season’s record: 37-45): While it will take time for Carmelo Anthony to get used to the triangle offense, veteran point guard Jose Calderon should help him.

20. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last season’s record: 59-23): They would be ranked No. 2 if reigning MVP Kevin Durant (foot) weren’t out. The Russell Westbrook show is now in full effect.

21. Indiana Pacers (Last season’s record: 56-26): The Pacers want Paul George (leg) to play this season. If Indiana can stay in the playoff mix, George’s late return could give it a boost.

22. Detroit Pistons (Last season’s record: 29-53): Can new coach Stan Van Gundy get Brandon Jennings, Josh Smith, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Andre Drummond to reach their potential?

23. Sacramento Kings (Last season’s record: 28-54): The Kings badly need DeMarcus Cousins to be the drama-free, dominant player he was for USA Basketball this summer.

24. Utah Jazz (Last season’s record: 25-57): Like the Pelicans, the Jazz will be one of the fun young teams to watch this season. Keep an eye on the backcourt of Alec Burks and Trey Burke.

25. Los Angeles Lakers (Last season’s record: 27-55): Kobe Bryant showed promise by scoring 26 points in his final preseason game, but the Lakers overall have a poor roster.

26. Boston Celtics (Last season’s record: 25-57): Boston isn’t revealing its hand, but point guard Rajon Rondo (hand) could return for the season opener against Brooklyn on Wednesday.

27. Orlando Magic (Last season’s record: 23-59): With Victor Olapido (face fracture) out a month, the Magic will need to fill the void with newcomers Evan Fournier and veteran Ben Gordon.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last season’s record: 40-42): The Timberwolves start a new era Wednesday at Memphis without Kevin Love but led by heralded No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins.

29. Milwaukee Bucks (Last season’s record: 15-67): Jabari Parker will make his NBA debut Wednesday against Charlotte and is the favorite to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

30. Philadelphia 76ers (Last season’s record: 19-63): Reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams (shoulder) is expected to make his season debut around mid-November.
 
Bulls exercise option on Snell.

AP - Sports

The Chicago Bulls have exercised their third-year option on guard Tony Snell for the 2015-16 season.

The team announced the move on Monday.

Smell averaged 4.5 points as a rookie last season. The Bulls took him with the 20th pick in the 2013 draft.

Royals roll past Giants to force Game 7 in World Series.

By Jeff Passan

(Photo/Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports)

Ned Yost wanted a seven-game World Series. Now he's got it.

The Kansas City Royals pummeled the San Francisco Giants 10-0 in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday night, setting up a winner-takes-all one-game championship showdown Wednesday night at 8:07 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium.

Earlier in the week, with the series tied at two games apiece, Yost, the Royals' manager, professed that he secretly wanted a seven-game series, just for the thrill of it. And now baseball has just that, its absolute apex, a World Series game that will crown a champion for 2014.

Before the game, when asked about a hypothetic game Wednesday, Yost said: "There is tomorrow." It was not defensive so much as definitive, and behind a seven-run second inning and seven shutout innings from rookie starter Yordano Ventura, the Royals embodied Yost's prophecy.

The second inning began with an Alex Gordon single, followed with another from Salvador Perez and unknotted the scoreless tie with a Mike Moustakas double. He and Perez scored on a Nori Aoki single, Lorenzo Cain followed with another run-scoring single and Eric Hosmer chased in a pair of runs with a ball that bounced in the infield, over shortstop Brandon Crawford's head and into left field. A Billy Butler double added another run, and just like that, 33 minutes later, the Royals led 7-0 and the pregame fear that coursed through 40,372 evaporated.

Ventura made sure to keep it that way. He became just the 12th player ever 23 years old or younger to throw at least seven shutout innings in a World Series game. Though wild – he yielded five walks – the Giants couldn't square up his high-90s fastballs and mustered three hits against him.

It was the exact performance Kansas City needed, one that gave the Royals the peace of mind to rest their bullpen leading into the final day of the season.

"Anytime you can get to a Game 7," said Jeremy Guthrie, the Royals' starter in the seventh game, "you realize anything can happen."

The beauty of Game 7 lies in that open canvas on which Yost and Giants manager Bruce Bochy will endeavor to paint their masterpiece. It is Yost's first postseason; it is Bochy's crack at a third championship in five seasons. And should the game remain close early on, an antithesis of Game 6, the managers will matter.

Because even the slightest crack in the pitcher foundation could result in a mudjacking from the bullpen. How early will Yost go to his three-headed relief monster, Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland? How liberally will Bochy use his ace, Madison Bumgarner, the hero of Games 1 and 5 who is available to pitch out of the bullpen Wednesday?

Game 7 of the World Series is the greatest because in the NBA Finals teams don't change strategy and in the Super Bowl teams stick to what has worked the previous 18 game days. Baseball turns into a fundamentally different game, one of feints and dekes, of strategy and tactics, of the truest embodiment of the following aphorism.

There are no finer words in sports than Game 7 of the World Series.

Golf: I got a club for that; Ousted PGA president Bishop paints picture of last day in office.

By Ryan Ballengee

When Ted Bishop hit send on Thursday on a tweet that labeled Ian Poulter a "lil girl," it didn't occur to him those eight characters could be considered sexist, much less cost him his job as president of the PGA of America -- especially with a month left to go in his two-year term.

Two hours later, about to sit down for dinner at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, the gravity of those two words dawned on Bishop. He deleted the tweet and a more elaborate Facebook posting. Not too long after, Bishop says to Golf World, he got a call from the PGA of America's communications director, Julius Mason, telling the president that Golf Channel requested his presence to explain the tone of his social media postings.

Mason told Bishop the PGA agreed internally that putting the Indiana course operator in front of the camera wasn't a good idea. They'd release a statement on his behalf, Bishop was told. What the folks at PGA HQ probably didn't admit explicitly was fear that, given his propensity to go off the cuff, Bishop would make an even bigger gaffe on live television.

The statement was a one-liner that had no apology in it. Bishop, who said he wanted to apologize more fully, fumbled an explanation to the Associated Press, who contacted the accessible president directly. His excuse? He wanted to keep in tone with the PGA of America's initial statement. 

And that was the beginning of the end for Bishop, who then detailed with writer Jaime Diaz how he realized the PGA of America had turned their back on him, at least in his view. What started as a half-hearted PR effort to save the dignity of the outgoing PGA president turned into a fast-moving train to oust Bishop. That happened, as far as Bishop knows, in the space of six hours. 

 

The then-president was summoned onto a conference call where he was read the riot act, as now-president Derek Sprague appeared to read the charges against Bishop. Bishop was urged to resign; he declined and instead spoke his piece in his own defense some three hours later. It did no good. The PGA of America board of governors voted unanimously to oust Bishop and install Sprague, his would-be successor in a month's time anyhow, into the now-vacant role.

Bishop is still shocked by how quickly he was kicked to the curb.

"Trust me, I abused my platform. I know I made a huge mistake," Bishop told Golf World. "I'm the first to say that. I let my personal feelings for two guys get in my way, and used a bad choice of words in trying to convey my frustration."

It's very well likely Bishop never would have been in this position had the American Ryder Cup team, led by Bishop's hand-picked captain Tom Watson, won at Gleneagles. Watson, and Bishop by extension, would have been invincible instead of both under the bus after first Phil Mickelson, then anonymous sources, indicated dissension and dissatisfaction with the 65-year-old captain.

"One thing that really bothered me after the Ryder Cup was some people in our organization complaining that they'd had no voice in the captain selection, and that 'Ted Bishop got us in this situation, and we have to distance ourselves from him,'" Bishop said.

That bubbling frustration, without taking the opportunity to make public comment after the Ryder Cup, may well have manifested itself in lashing out at Ian Poulter, a thorn in Bishop's side and a road block in his path to glory.

Instead, Bishop crashed and burned, with no one there to save him.

Judge gives Olympic golf course developers deadline to agree to design changes.

By Ryan Ballengee

This June 27, 2014 file photo shows an aerial view of the Rio 2016 Olympic golf course under construction in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The public prosecutor's office is taking on the city government and the golf course developer in a lawsuit that contends environmental rules were breached in building the course. Public prosecutor Marcus Leal told The Associated Press on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014 that the two sides are in a 30-day negotiation period aimed at resolving their differences. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

 

The fate of the Olympic golf course and its finished design may well be known this week. 

A Brazilian judge has given Rio de Janeiro officials and the developers of the 2016 Olympic golf course an opportunity to settle with prosectors on an altered design to the course that would protect land prosecutors say has been developed in violation of the country's environmental laws.

The judge has asked if three holes of the course can be moved and redesigned so that a nature reserve can be established on the property.

Judge Eduardo Antonio Klausner asked for the city and developer, Fiori Empreendimentos, to make their decision by the end of the week, according to the Associated Press.

The course, designed by renowned architect Gil Hanse, is 60 percent done and construction continues while the suit drags. 

The entire project, which is part of welcoming golf back into the Olympic program after a 112-year absence, has been mired with problems, from acquisition of the land from a rightful owner, to further ownership disputes, to development delays, now culminating in this lawsuit. The course is to have a test event played there in 2015 in anticipation of two Olympic tournaments played there during the '16 Olympic games.

Power Rankings: Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon keep on trucking.

By Nick Bromberg

1. Joey Logano (LW: 1): A fifth-place finish is good enough to keep the top spot in Power Rankings. Logano is doing to the Chase this year what Jimmie Johnson did to it last year. Scratch that, it's better. Logano's average finish through the first seven races is 4.29. Johnson's was 5.43 through the first seven last year. But there's a new format, so Logano's advantage is not what it could be. Heck, it's a deficit because he finished behind Jeff Gordon on Sunday. But still, we have to reward the driver who's flat out kicking everyone's butt this Chase.

2. Jeff Gordon (LW: 4): While it was more advantageous for Jeff Gordon to win Sunday at Martinsville than it was for Dale Earnhardt Jr., team orders simply weren't going to happen. You can't deny a driver something he's always wanted, even if it's for the betterment of the team. OK, yes, you can, but it doesn't make it right. And besides, no one wants to start debating the nuance of the 100 percent rule, right?

3. Ryan Newman (LW: 5): Yes, Newman is second in the points standings. There's now going to be two drivers advancing to the final round at Homestead on points because of Junior's win and it benefits Newman and Matt Kenseth the most. They've been by far the two most consistent winless drivers, both in the Chase and in the entire season. Top 10s in each of the next two races will put both drivers in a very good position to advance.

4. Matt Kenseth (LW: 6): What a rebound for Kenseth. His day could have easily been over when he wheel-hopped the car into the corner, but fortunately for him, Kevin Harvick was there to serve as a buffer. It was like a pool shot. Lots of the momentum that Kenseth had was transferred to Harvick's car and Harvick was the one that hit the wall violently. Kenseth simply had superficial damage thanks to some help from Tony Stewart and fought back to finish sixth.

5. Denny Hamlin (LW: 7): Hamlin had terrible case of circumstances on the final restart. He was the first car with four fresh tires on the outside line, which isn't the preferred groove to have at Martinsville in the first place. Then, as David Ragan, on old tires in third, got washed up to the middle as Dale Earnhardt Jr. went to pass him, it caused a backlog that jammed up Hamlin even further. He fell back to eighth, which really wasn't indicative of where he should have finished.

6. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): Right place, wrong time. Harvick had one of the fastest cars throughout the early stages of the race on Sunday and (relatively) easily worked his way through the field after starting 33rd. However, once he was taken out by Matt Kenseth, he was toast. The good news for Harvick is that he's heading to two tracks where he was exceptionally fast earlier this year. The bad news is that he may need to win at either to get to Homestead in title contention.

7. Brad Keselowski (LW: 3): Keselowski didn't have an incredibly fast car on Sunday, but he was heading towards a possible top-10 finish when a driveline issue popped up and killed his chances for a win along with the hopes of five or six other cars who crashed behind him. It was a bear-wrestling kind of day for Kes even before the slowdown. He had fallen back because of a handling issue and then was caught speeding on pit road. Keselowski kept fighting, but the bear finally forced a submission.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 12): Junior gets a four-spot leap because of the win. You could tell how much it meant to him to get the Martinsville grandfather clock he always wanted and when he got passed the three cars separating himself and Tony Stewart within the first lap, the pass of Stewart for the win was inevitable. And hell, if you somehow needed more proof of how much Junior wanted the win, just look at the way he passed Stewart.

9. Carl Edwards (LW: 9): Martinsville has never been Edwards' best track, so this was simply a damage-limiting race in the third round. But the damage was pretty significant. He was never fast and lost a lap before he got it on the penultimate caution. Edwards finished 20th, which isn't terrible, but it hurts when five of the other seven Chase drivers finished in the top eight.

10. Kyle Busch (LW: 10): Much like Edwards, Busch hasn't had great success at Martinsville, so an 11th-place finish is a good way to get out of there and move on to Texas and Phoenix. But yeah, there's that whole thing about Busch no longer being in the Chase that's now an issue. If it wasn't for Talladega, this thing is playing almost perfectly for Busch.

11. AJ Allmendinger (LW: NR): Allmendinger got a top 10 and finished ninth on Sunday. It's his first top 10 of the Chase but he's avoided bad finishes throughout; his lowest finish is 23rd. He's not likely to be fast enough to be a factor in the vaunted (ignored?) battle for fifth, but unlike Aric Almirola and Kurt Busch, Allmendinger has avoided catastrophe.

12. Tony Stewart (LW: NR): Who else do you want to put here? We're not going to start exclaiming that "Smoke's back!" (whatever that means, anyway), but the fourth-place finish is a start of a return to pre-August 2013 normalcy for Stewart. Will Stewart keep his streak of years with a win intact? It seems unlikely, but like Kevin Harvick, he was really fast at Texas earlier this year.

Lucky Dog: David Ragan was one of the three of 22 cars on the lead lap to stay out during the final caution. He restarted third and fell to 10th, but it was his first top 10 of the year.

The DNF: Well, we can say for certain that new format or not, Jimmie Johnson wasn't winning the title this year.

Dropped out: Johnson, Kyle Larson

Chase drivers: Homestead test critical to title hopes.

By Holly Cain

Logano: 'You're going to have to win here to win the championship'.

Lest there be any doubt about the importance of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series championship-crowning season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN), consider that 15 drivers – including seven of the eight Chase drivers (Ryan Newman is the exception) representing most of NASCAR's powerhouse teams from Hendrick Motorsports to Team Penske to Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing are in South Florida testing at the 1.5-mile track Tuesday and Wednesday.

The next time these drivers show up in the Sunshine State, four of them will be vying for the Sprint Cup championship in a one-race showdown at Homestead. And first of those four across the finish line hoists the big hardware.

Championships have been decided here before, but never like this.

"You have to enter Homestead with the expectation that you need to win the race to win the championship and we have two cars and teams who are in the hunt for that," said Penske's Brad Keselowski on Tuesday during a lunch break at the track. "It's really a very, very critical test not just for us, but for all the teams.

"I look forward to coming back here because three of the last four times [here] we've celebrated a championship in some form whether it was Cup or Nationwide."

There are still two more races left – including this week's stop at Texas Motor Speedway -- to decide which four drivers will advance to the Championship Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Homestead-Miami. But clearly teams realize the significance of this one race and are putting in a focused effort toward success here.

"You have to execute the next couple races first, but that's why you see so many cars testing here. It all comes down to Homestead," said Penske's Joey Logano, who is ranked third among the eight Chase drivers.

"Making sure you have a fast car here is important. That's going to be the difference in winning the championship or not. Most likely, you're going to have to win here to win the championship this year, or come close to it."

Playing it safe, doesn't appear to be an option.

"All the cars are fast but we want to be the fastest of the fast," said Keselowski, who is seventh in the Chase standings. "For us, that's the key thing for us here today. You can't really practice pit stops or restarts. What we're looking for when we test is one element of the weekend, how much raw speed does you car have.

"Speed is the building block for a successful winning team and the most definitive way to find that speed is what we're doing here with testing."

His Chase competitor Jeff Gordon -- who ranks first among the eight Eliminator Round drivers following a runner-up showing at Martinsville last week -- is taking a similar approach.

"It's all about speed, having a car that handles well," said Gordon, who won the Homestead race in 2012 as Keselowski was being crowned Sprint Cup champion.

"This is a very challenging race track especially in the heat of the day. It's slick and hard to get a hold of and difficult to get the balance right. ... we've had some good cars here the last couple of years and want to simulate that [in testing] and hope we're in the battle for the championship when we come back here and hope we have a car that can win the race."

Gordon is joined at the test by his Hendrick teammate and Sunday's Martinsville winner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Since Earnhardt was eliminated from the Chase, he is multitasking this week at the test.

"We're in a different situation than Jeff, so we split the test in half," Earnhardt said.

"We're working on 2015 [package] today and 2014 package this evening and all day tomorrow. We feel like we had a good car here last year and we're just trying to learn a few more things. Hopefully come out of here satisfied and good shape for the race."

The drivers acknowledged the elevated intensity level created by this new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship elimination format and expect it to increase exponentially by next month's Ford EcoBoost 400.

Even those like Earnhardt now looking in at the title run from the outside say there is a tangible case of nerves of in the garage every race weekend.

"With the way the Chase is, basically every race is so critical and you've go to get a top-five or win in every event," Earnhardt said. "Talking to other drivers I think there's a sense of anxiety and nerves over trying to continue and get into next round that we didn't have before. That sort of shows up in what you see out on the race track, those nerves and anxiety of getting to the next round and doing whatever you can as a team to take a spot to move forward.

"It's really got guys scratching their heads and worried before races. There's guys who can go out there and perform well under those circumstances and guys that spaz out and have a terrible day and spiral out of control."

Keselowski conceded he's endured a fast-moving roller coaster ride during the Chase, experiencing bad luck like he had last week with a 31st-place finish at Martinsville, or the extreme high of pulling off a dramatic must-win at Talladega Superspeedway only the week before.

Consistency may put a driver in position for a title, but winning will likely determine the champion.

"We're all entering the last round with the thought process you're going to have to come here and win the race," Keselowski said. "And if that's the case, I don't really want to be consistent. I want to be the guy that can get hot on any given week and kinda own a race, so to speak.

"You have to count on coming here and needing to deliver a clutch performance to win and I think our teams at Team Penske have that capability."

Chivas USA cease operations, MLS to relaunch team in LA in 2017.

By Joe Prince-Wright

The news everyone has been expecting for quite a while has arrived: Chivas USA is done.

On Monday, just one day after their final game in Major League Soccer, it was announced that the Chivas experiment is over.

MLS commissioner Don Garber had the following to say in a short statement on the league’s website, as he confirmed that a new ownership group will be announced on Oct. 30 for LA’s second MLS franchise and it will begin operations in 2017.

“As part of our new strategy for Southern California — a major hotbed of soccer participation and fan support — we believe that engaging with a new ownership group which has the resources and local community ties, and a plan for a dedicated soccer-specific stadium, provides us with the best chance for success.”

MLS also announced that it will conduct a Dispersal Draft of the Chivas USA roster in the near future.

This news comes as no real surprise after the league took control of the franchise back in February 2014 with a view to finding a new ownership group. Rumors suggest that Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan is part of a consortium who are looking to tie up a deal for LA’s second MLS franchise and the announcement revealing the identity of the new owners is expected to arrive on Thursday, Oct. 30.

In an open letter to Chivas USA’s fans, Garber gave some more details on the plans for the new MLS franchise in LA and talked about a new soccer specific stadium, which is thought to be downtown.

“I can assure you that this new team will have world-class ownership with local connections and residency and a commitment to a new soccer stadium in the greater Los Angeles area,” Garber said. “I believe that our new strategy for Los Angeles provides the best opportunity for success and is the best way to connect with an engaged and impassioned fan base in Southern California. I am confident that this new direction will help us achieve our goal of becoming one of the top leagues in the world.”

During their ill-fated time in the league after their arrival in 2004 as a subsidiary of C.D. Chivas Guadalajara, Chivas USA made the playoffs during three-straight seasons from 2006-08 but have struggled through the past four seasons with little success. After Jorge Vergara sold Chivas USA to Major League Soccer, the writing was on the wall for the future of the club who will now have a new home in Downtown LA and become what a MLS always wanted, a genuine contender to the LA Galaxy.

Their exit will also have a big impact on the league for the 2015 season. With Orlando City and New York City FC joining for MLS’ 20th season, North America’s top-flight will have 20 teams split into two 10 team conferences. Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo will make the move from the Eastern Conference to the West.

After a long struggle, Chivas USA are no more. They have been confined to the history books of Major League Soccer, never to return.

MLS playoff preview and predictions: Western powers favored by staff.

By Nicholas Mendola

 

One of the best seasons in the history of Major League Soccer reaches its second season come Wednesday in Texas.

FC Dallas and Vancouver will wage a one-night battle for the right to face the Supporters Shield-winning Seattle Sounders, and Thursday will see New York and Sporting KC square off to determine who gets a pair of matches against East-winning DC United.

It should be a blast, with match-up intrigue everywhere and beginning right away. Let’s get into said storylines before we get a quartet of predictions from our staff.

 The drama starts right off the bat with Sporting KC putting its hopes of repeating on the line with a big city battle against New York in what could be Thierry Henry’s last game in Major League Soccer… and maybe even ever.

New York is also still searching for its first MLS Cup title, and that holds true for New England as well. Can Gregg Berhalter continue to work his magic, or are the playoffs the end of his remarkable turnaround in Columbus? And DC United, worst to first and still alive in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after last season’s unlikely run? Most excellent.

In the West, many are anticipating a Seattle and Los Angeles final, but will someone step in the way of that ratings bonanza? Dallas has been brilliant at home but will have to get past a Vancouver Whitecaps team that at times has looked like a team of destiny. Between Carl Robinson and Oscar Pareja, it’s hard to say for sure which first-year boss has done a better job.

And then there’s Real Salt Lake, battle-tested with veteran savvy. Who could rule them out?

Knockouts

Joe Prince-Wright: DAL over VAN, NY over SKC
Nick Mendola: DAL over VAN, NY over SKC
Mike Prindiville: VAN over DAL, NY over SKC
Duncan Day: VAN over DAL, KC over NY

Conference semifinals

Joe Prince-Wright: NE, NY, LA, SEA
Nick Mendola: NE, NY, LA, SEA
Mike Prindiville: NE, NY, LA, SEA
Duncan Day:  NE, DC, LA, SEA

Conference finals

 Joe Prince-Wright: LA over SEA, NY over NE
Nick Mendola: LA over SEA, NE over NY
Mike Prindiville: SEA over LA, NE over NY
Duncan Day: SEA over LA, DC over NE

MLS Cup

Joe Prince-Wright: LA over NY
Nick Mendola: LA over NE
Mike Prindiville: SEA over NE
Duncan Day: SEA over DC

Mississippi State, FSU top inaugural College Football Playoff rankings.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)

Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn and Mississippi are the top four teams in the first College Football Playoff rankings.

The first of seven Top 25 rankings compiled by a 12-member selection committee was released Tuesday night. The selection committee will ultimately pick the four teams to play in the national semifinals and set the matchups for other four marquee New Year's Day bowls that are part of the playoff rotation.

''It was extremely difficult, more difficult than any of us had expected having gone through our mock selections before,'' Arkansas athletic director and committee chairman Jeff Long said.

Week 10 College Football Playoff rankings. (Photo credit: CollegeFootballPlayoff.com)

Oregon was fifth and Alabama was sixth, giving the Southeastern Conference's West Division four of the top six teams. There are still four games remaining matching those SEC West rivals, starting with Saturday's matchup of Auburn and Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.

The final rankings will be released Dec. 7, the day after the most of the conference championships are decided.

TCU was seventh, Michigan State was eighth, Kansas State ninth and Notre Dame was 10th.

Mississippi State and defending national champion Florida State are the only undefeated teams left among the Big Five conferences and also hold the two spots in the AP Top 25 poll. No. 3 was where the differences started between the playoff rankings and the AP media poll.

The AP voters had Alabama at No.3 and Auburn at No. 4. Oregon was fifth, Notre Dame was sixth and Ole Miss was seventh after losing for the first time this season at LSU on Saturday. Ole Miss beat Alabama at home earlier this month.

This is the first year for the playoff format in college football, and the list is the first indication of how the committee is evaluating teams' playoff potential.

The committee creates small groups of teams, debates their merits and ranks the teams using as many votes as needed to come up with a consensus. Members are given reams of data on each FBS team and each member is allowed to judge those numbers however they determine is best.

Pac-12 passes reforms for athletes.

By ANTONIO GONZALEZ

The Pac-12 passed sweeping changes for athletes in all of the conference's sports Monday, guaranteeing four-year scholarships, improving health care benefits and liberalizing transfer rules.

The changes announced by the Pac-12 presidents and chancellors include many of the same proposals outlined in a letter to university leaders in the five major football conferences in May. The conference also said its presidents and chancellors reaffirmed their support for stipends to cover the full cost of attendance.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott has said that figure will likely range between $2,000 and $5,000 per athlete depending on the university. The 65 institutions in the five major football conferences - granted autonomy by the NCAA earlier this year - and 15 representative athletes will vote on the issue at the group's inaugural meeting in January.

Washington State President Elson Floyd, the chairman of the Pac-12's CEO Group, said in a statement that the changes announced by the conference fulfill ''a promise we made when we announced our agenda for reform earlier this year.''
 

According to the Pac-12's new rules, all athletic scholarships will be guaranteed for four years and ''can neither be reduced nor canceled provided the student-athlete remains in good standing and meets his/her terms of the agreement.'' In addition, financial aid agreements offered to incoming athletes will be ''for no less than four academic years'' beginning in the 2015-16 academic year.
 

Starting in 2016-17, if an athlete leaves an institution in good standing and has completed at least 50 percent of their degree, they can ''return and receive necessary educational expenses for the remaining terms of the agreement.''
 

Medical expenses for athletes injured during their college careers will be covered up to four years after they leave school under a rule that goes into effect in 2015-16. Athletes who transfer between Pac-12 universities will be able to receive athletic scholarships immediately ''without restriction.''

The Pac-12 also said athletes will be represented in the conference's governance structure. Final recommendations on the structure will be determined by June.

Washington gymnast McKenzie Fechter, the chair of the Pac-12 Student Athlete Advisory Committee, praised the Pac-12 for adopting the changes.

''I'm proud to be a part of a conference that is pushing reform and doing more for student-athletes,'' Fechter said in a statement. ''These reforms are positive steps not only for those of us who are current student-athletes, but also for those who aspire to be Pac-12 student-athletes in the future.''

The Pac-12 also said its presidents and chancellors discussed how it could lessen the time demands on athletes. The conference said it will continue to examine the subject with athletes and leaders at the other major football conferences, which include the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference.

''As a former student-athlete myself, I believe these reforms will mean a great deal to student-athletes in the Pac-12,'' Scott said in a statement. ''These reforms will ensure they enjoy a positive collegiate sports experience, and graduate with a meaningful college degree. This set of reforms also address various health and financial concerns that student-athletes have expressed to me in the many conversations I've had with them, while preserving the essence of the collegiate experience that has served so many student-athletes so well.

''I am very proud of the national leadership position our presidents, chancellors, athletics directors, senior women administrators, faculty athletic representatives, and other administrators have taken.''

NCAA president Mark Emmert wants to revist the autographs rule.

By Graham Watson

NCAA President Mark Emmert thinks it's time member institutions revisit the rules related to college athletes and autographs in light of the allegations leveled against Georgia running back Todd Gurley and Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.

"I hope the members do look at it," Emmert told USA Today in a phone interview Monday. "Whether they change it or not is less important than whether or not they look at it and say, 'We still think this is a good rule for good reasons' or not, but we need to have it affirmed or changed — one of the two — and this is a good time to do it."
 

Emmert’s comments come at a time when the NCAA is under legal fire regarding compensation for college athletes. Many want to be able to make money off their own likeness since several universities are already doing so.
 

Players seeking money in exchange for their autographs is not a new problem.

Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, last year, was under NCAA investigation for allegedly signing memorabilia for money and Ohio State was placed on NCAA restrictions a few years ago after a pattern of trading autographs and memorabilia for tattoos and money was exposed.
 

"There shouldn't be any doubt in the minds of student-athletes that under the current rules the membership has in place, you can't sign autographs for pay, and everybody's supposed to know that and be educated on that by their athletic department," Emmert told USA Today. "Whether or not that's a rule you like is a different story. Here in Indianapolis, the beltway speed limit is 55 and as Mark Emmert, I think that's too low. But if I'm driving 65 and get pulled over, I can't say I don't like the rule. So we need to deal with the second question and is it time to re-look at this rule?"

Jim Boeheim ready for his 39th season at Syracuse.

By JOHN KEKIS

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim yells to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh. Boeheim goes into his 39th year as head coach at Syracuse with lots of new faces and the usual firm resolve to make something happen when it counts most. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

Jim Boeheim goes into his 39th year as head coach at Syracuse with lots of new faces and the usual firm resolve to make something happen when it counts most.

''I think our biggest challenge is that we lost our three leading scorers two years in a row now, and we lost our best defensive player coming off the bench,'' said Boeheim, who has 948 career victories and turns 70 in November. ''Huge losses, the most that we've had in a while. But we have a couple starters back, we have experience at guard, we have experience inside, and we've got a lot of young guys who are going to get an opportunity to prove themselves.''
 

Last season began with 31 straight wins - six in the preseason and a school-record 25 to open the regular season - that vaulted the Orange to No. 1 in the nation. Hope for a second straight trip to the Final Four ended with a thud, though, in the third round of the NCAA tournament when the Orange offense stalled against Dayton in a 55-53 loss, their sixth setback in nine games. The untimely swoon left them at 28-6.
 

The Orange lost an awful lot from that team: leading scorer C.J. Fair and inside defender Baye Moussa Keita exhausted their eligibility, and standout point guard Tyler Ennis and forward Jerami Grant left for the NBA.
 

Out with the old. In with the new.
 

Syracuse has another strong incoming class: 6-foot-6 guard Malachi Richardson, a five-star recruit; 6-2 point guard Kaleb Joseph, who helped Cushing Academy of Massachusetts to its second straight New England Prep School Athletic Conference championship; and 6-9 forward Chris McCullough.
 

Joseph is in line to take over for Ennis and already has impressed.
 

''I think his progress has been good,'' Boeheim said. ''He's as hard a worker as any point guard we've ever had - probably as any guard we've ever had. And he understands the game.
 

''There's really two tests for a freshman: how do you handle practices and how does he handle game conditions? Nobody knows the answer to that,'' Boeheim said.
 

Center Rakeem Christmas returns for his final season and will offer solid defense in the middle as well as a bigger dose of leadership. But big Dajuan Coleman has been plagued by knee injuries that have limited his play and development in his first two years. He played in only 13 games in 2013-14 before season-ending surgery in January and remains a mystery man as November approaches despite eight months of hard work.
 

''Nothing's changed,'' Boeheim said. ''He's very limited. We have no real timetable right now. We're hopeful that he will do something in November, but exactly what that will be, we really don't know.''
 

That makes 6-foot-10 Chin Obokoh, who played high school ball in nearby Rochester, an important man on the bench. A deft shot-blocker with a lot to learn on the offensive end, Obokoh was forced to sit last season because the NCAA claimed he was improperly reclassified after arriving in Rochester from his native Nigeria.
 

The Orange missed all 10 shots they attempted from 3-point range in the loss to Dayton, the first time in 664 games they had failed to convert a 3-point attempt as shooting guard Trevor Cooney and Ennis sputtered at the wrong time.
 

Cooney returns for his junior year and will be counted on to be more consistent. He was the Orange's main option from long range last season and had eight games with at least five 3-pointers last season while shooting 90 of 240 (37.5 percent) from behind the arc. The team needs another long-range option now that Ennis (30 of 85, 35.3 percent) has departed.
 

Duke transfer Michael Gbinije, a 6-7 swingman who played in every game, was a bright spot against Dayton, going 4 of 5 from the field as he stepped up his play at the end of the season.
 

''I've seem big improvements in (Michael Gbinije) and big improvements in Trevor,'' Boeheim said. ''I think Trevor has worked hard. He's obviously a great shooter, but he's doing other things. I think those two guys are very key for us, and Kaleb.''
 

While Ennis was a leader who displayed remarkable poise for a freshman, the Orange's three other first-year players didn't get much meaningful court time. Tyler Roberson saw action in 20 games, starting once, and shot 14 of 47 (29.8 percent), while Ron Patterson and B.J. Johnson played in only 10 games apiece, combining for 42 points. Chinonso Obokoh, a 6-foot-10 native of Nigeria who played high school ball in Rochester, redshirted.
 

''Some freshmen really are able to step up right away. Other freshmen you kind of watch them and you realize maybe they need a little more time,'' Boeheim said. ''So we are just going to have to wait and see what happens. How well they'll adjust to the games is the next question, and I don't have the answer.''
 

He will soon. Syracuse, expected to crack the preseason AP Top 25, has exhibition games against Carleton (Nov. 2) and Adrian (Nov. 10) before opening the season Nov. 14 at home against Kennesaw State.
 

Boeheim also has a multiyear NCAA investigation into the school's athletic department to cope with. College sports governing body and Syracuse officials were expected to meet at a hearing in late October. The meeting before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions will determine whether the school has committed NCAA violations and if it will be punished, and the men's basketball program is a focus.

Breeders’ Cup is filled with local flavor.

By Jim Miller

This weekend is the World Series of thoroughbred racing as the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships will be taking place Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita. The best horses from North America and overseas will be on hand to compete in 13 Championship events on turf and dirt culminate in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome will look to cement himself as Champion three-year-old and Horse of the Year with a victory in that race.

With horses and their connections coming from all over the country, there will be a certain local flavor to this year’s event both on the track and in front of the camera. During the two day broadcast, Chicago Blackhawks and National Hockey League television analyst Eddie Olczyk will be a part of the NBC broadcast team to cover the event. Olczyk, an avid racing fan, handicapper, and horse owner will be providing insight into each of the Breeders’ Cup races, along with giving his handicapping thoughts and selections for all 13 of the events. A man known for his work on and off the ice, Olczyk brought the Stanley Cup to meet Kentucky Derby winner Go for Gin in 1994 following the New York Rangers championship. Olczyk will also be on hand Friday to cheer on Midnight Hawk, a horse owned in partnership that includes Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville, assistant coach Mike Kitchen, and former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator and current offensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons, Mike Tice, in the $100,000 Damascus Stakes.

On the track on Saturday, local hopes ride with a pair of horses as Private Prospect faces the top two-year-olds in the country in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Work all Week runs against the fastest sprinters in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Private Prospect is truly a local family affair as the horse is trained by Chicago based trainer and president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Mike Campbell. Private Prospect will be ridden by Mike’s son Jesse as the Lake Zurich natives have teamed up numerous times for victories but never at this level. Private Prospect was claimed by Campbell for owner Mellon Patch Inc. for $50,000 out of his debut victory. Following that race, Private Prospect won a pair of stakes at Prairie Meadows before running a good second in the Arlington Washington Futurity at Arlington Park. Private Prospect worked out at Hawthorne on October 8 before heading west for the Breeders’ Cup. Joining Mike and Jesse Campbell on Breeders’ Cup Day will be Mike’s wife Janice and Jesse’s twin brother Joel.

In the Breeders’ Cup sprint, reigning Illinois Horse of the Year Work all Week will be looking to extend his undefeated streak on conventional dirt surfaces to eight. Work all Week is owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc. of Richard and Karen Papiese. Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc. has led the nation in wins each of the last four years and will take that title once again in 2014. Work all Week is trained by Chicago based and multi meet leading trainer at Hawthorne Roger Brueggemann. A winner of 11 of 14 lifetime races, Work all Week most recently defeated graded stakes-company in the Grade 3 Phoenix at Keeneland on October 3. Work all Week will be ridden by Florent Geroux, a rider who has been prominent on the Chicago racing scene in recent years.

For those who will not be out west to witness the Breeders’ Cup live, they can visit Hawthorne Race Course as Hawthorne will be racing live Wednesday-Saturday through January 3. This weekend, Hawthorne will be running races in between each of those races from Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup with first post at 1:45 PM daily.

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.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, October 29, 2014.

MemoriesofHistory.com

1973 - O.J. Simpson, of the Buffalo Bills, set two NFL records. He carried the ball 39 times and he ran 157 yards putting him over 1,000 yards at the seventh game of the season.

1979 - Willie Mays severed all ties with major league baseball when he accepted a public relations job with an Atlantic City casino.

1989 - Ozzie Newsome ended his NFL streak of 150 consecutive game receptions.

1993 - A group of U.S. athletes were attacked by skinheads in Germany.

1995 - Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers became the NFL's career leader in receiving yards with 14,040 yards.  

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