CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 11/03/2014.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica

"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?" 

Sports Quote of the Day:

"There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. 'Good pride' represents our dignity and self-respect. 'Bad pride' is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance." ~ John C. Maxwell, Author, Speaker and Pastor

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears boss George McCaskey keeps trust in Emery, Trestman.

By Chris Boden
                                         

Bears boss George McCaskey

George McCaskey stopped by the Halas Hall televison studio Wednesday afternoon for a visit with Dan Jiggetts and I on "Bears Huddle" on Comcast SportsNet. When asked for his assessment of the season and his faith in the duo of general manager Phil Emery and the head coach he hired 21 months ago, Marc Trestman, the team chairman was blunt in his evaluation but steadfast in his support.

"I think Phil said it very well a couple of days ago when he and Marc held their joint press conference. We're very disappointed. Bears fans and everyone in this building expected us to contend for a Super Bowl. We've dug ourselves a little bit of a hole. But I think every team at some point faces a little bit adversity in the season, and the measure of that team is how they react to that adversity. We'll see what these guys are made of. We have every confidence in Phil and Marc and the players to pull us out of this."

Yet McCaskey, who recalls attending games at Wrigley Field in is early childhood when his grandfather, George Halas, coached the team and who later served as a ballboy, office assistant, ticket manager and vice chairman before taking over his current role in May 2011, feels the disappointment of the city and the passionate fan base from the past two weeks. He understands why the team was booed in falling to 0-3 at home and why fans were even more upset after last Sunday's 51-23 blowout loss at New England.

"They have every right to be," McCaskey said. "We're 3-5. That's a losing record. We're winless at home. That doesn't fit the formula for making the postseason. You've got to dominate at home, you've got to control your division and you've got to do pretty well for yourself on the road. We're outside that formula right now, and we need to correct that.

"The goal every year is to win the Super Bowl. The long-range goal is to win more championships than any other team. To do that, though, you have to win the next one. That's what we're focused on. Right now we need to put all our focus and all our energies into winning the next game."

With the bye week and corrections and adjustments needing to be made, that doesn't happen until a week from Sunday. And the arch-rival that's stood in their way during the Jay Cutler Era will be waiting in Green Bay, in prime time. Despite being a so-called "players' coach," like predecessor Lovie Smith, who wouldn't publicly criticize his players, there appears to be a greater perception that Trestman's not in touch with his locker room, particularly after Brandon Marshall's "unacceptable"-littered postgame interview after the loss to the Dolphins and Lamarr Houston's selfish sack celebration in a blowout loss blew out his knee and ended his season. 

"I think Marc is fully in control of this team. Just because a player isn't called out publicly doesn't mean the issue isn't being addressed," McCaskey said. "The players know that Marc's got their back, and anything that needs to be addressed with a player will be done behind closed doors."

Despite his team losing two straight games, one thing that hasn't been lost is the chairman's sense of humor.

"I got a letter just yesterday that said, 'If Papa Bear were still here, he'd clean house, and he'd start with you,'" McCaskey shared with us. "But the letter was unsigned, so I'm not sure which family member sent it."

Trestman is learning about the passion of Bears fans.

By Michael David Smith

Chicago Bears Head Coach Marc Trestman (Getty Images)

With the Bears having lost four of their last five games, coach Marc Trestman is feeling the heat from the fans.

Asked what he knows now that he didn’t know when he took the job, Trestman said it’s nothing about the Xs and Os of coaching. What Trestman has learned is that Bears fans aren’t going to settle for a mediocre football team, which is what it looks like they have right now.

“I think the day-to-day working part of it is pretty consistent to what I had been used to as a head coach,” Trestman told the team’s website. “I think the part that resonates most is how passionate and how much our fan base loves this team; that’s number one. And it comes at a really hard time, this conversation, because we are a 3-5 team and I know how disappointed our fan base is with our overall performance. They’ve seen signs of the team that we can be, but we haven’t done it on the consistent basis. So that’s the thing for me. Over the 20 months, it’s that we want to do things to please our fan base, because they love this team so much.”

Trestman’s offense appears to have taken a step backward since his debut last season, and Trestman acknowledged that he needs to get his team putting points on the board consistently.

“It just hasn’t happened that way and that’s what we are continually trying to improve and work on is to try and get that done,” he said.

Just as soon as Trestman gets it done, Bears fans will be on his side.

Holmes: On The Bears’ Problems

By Laurence W. Holmes, Radio 670, The Score

Considering the situation that Bears find themselves in at 3-5, a single breakdown of the 51-23 loss to the Patriots seems pointless, so the we’re approaching the 24 Hours Later reaction a little differently today.

The Bears were outcoached, outplayed and outperformed Sunday. The problems of the Bears are bigger than even this most embarrassing game. So this week, let’s talk about what’s wrong.

While there’s a call for action at 1920 Halas Drive, there isn’t much to be done and judging by coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery’s press conference Monday, because the likelihood of something radical happening is remote. You want to lash out. You want a pound of flesh. It’s understandable, but the problem there isn’t a boogeyman. The problem is systemic. There are so many to blame, so let’s break it down.

Blame Jay Cutler? Makes sense.

Cutler was given a long term extension with $54 million guaranteed in the offseason. The Bears believed that Trestman was the perfect coach for the inconsistent quarterback. Some of Cutler’s numbers have improved, as his completion percentage and passer rating are up.

The problem is that he still turns the ball over. This year, it’s been at the worst times. The trend still holds: In games that he doesn’t turn the ball over, the Bears win. When he does turn it over, they lose. Cutler’s effort is there and he sometimes doesn’t know when to give up on a play. His fumble late in the first half Sunday is the latest example. If you take the sack, you live for another down. If you try a chest pass with Patriots draped around your legs, failure is more likely than the spectacular outcome. Cutler’s an enigma. His talent is tantalizing, but he’s fatally flawed. It’s sad because Cutler does have a desire to win. He just hasn’t figure out how to channel that into his decision-making.

Blame Marc Trestman? Of course.

Trestman is 8-13 in his last 21 games and 11-13 overall in his Bears tenure. Trestman squandered precious practice time in Bourbonnais and preseason game time, trying to preserve players instead of finding out what they can actually do in game situations. He’s not fulfilled the promise of being a quarterback whisperer. His clock management is questionable, and it’s fair to wonder if his seemingly passive demeanor causes players to run him, instead of the other way around. It’s ironic that a guy who wrote a book on leadership looks like he’s struggling with it. It’s a difference between theory and practice.

Blame Mel Tucker? Yes.

Tucker had an excuse last year. He was a coordinator who was conceding to the his locker room by coaching a defense he didn’t believe in. When the defense didn’t perform, it made sense to allow him to do things his way, with new position coaches to implement his ideas.

The problem is that Tucker has never had sustained success as a coordinator in his NFL career. It’s easy to say “follow the money” and look at the offense, but remember, the Bears spent big dollars on Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen and Willie Young. They also took Kyle Fuller, Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton early in the draft to bolster his group.

As a whole, the Tucker project hasn’t worked. Forget about being demolished by Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady for a minute. The Bears defense has been bested by EJ Manuel (now benched) and Ryan Tannehill (who was threatened to be benched) too. The Bears are dead last in punts forced (22) and punts forced per game (2.8). Forcing turnovers like they did early in the season hasn’t continued, and the team can’t figure out how to get consistent pressure.

 Blame Brandon Marshall? It’s acceptable.

Marshall hasn’t produced up to his standards so far. Some of that is on Cutler, but Marshall isn’t getting enough separation on routes. The problems that many around football were worried about with the mercurial wide receiver have been slowly seeping out of the Bears locker room for awhile. It seems that if he’s not happy, no one can be happy.

Blame Phil Emery? It’s not hard.

Emery’s vision for this team was to be an offensive power while the defense got up to speed. If the Bears don’t make the playoffs this season, that will be three years under Emery without a playoff appearance. He hired Trestman. He gave Cutler the $54 million guaranteed. He signed Marshall to the $30-million extension. He (along with Trestman) described in great detail why Tucker deserved to stay. He failed to fill the bottom of the roster with a quality kick returner or special teams players.

Along with all of these things, it’s becoming clear that Emery is unwilling to admit failure when it comes to Shea McClellin. Emery’s explanation that injury alone is the reason McClellin hasn’t succeeded is insulting. If that assertion is true, then why did Emery spend money on three free agent defensive ends?

I could go on and on here — Joe DeCamilis, injuries, etc., but I digress. My point is that it’s not a quick fix. The problem flows both ways. What I always come back to is this: Are there people in place who you think can turn things around? Right now, there’s no evidence of that.

Let me leave with some hope as the bye week continues.

There’s no reason to think the Bears can beat the Packers on Nov. 9. Cutler-led teams have been terrible against the Packers, and Rodgers is the best quarterback in the game. But if the Bears can somehow squeeze a win out, their schedule softens with the just-as-bad Vikings followed by the putrid Bucs. If the Bears beat the Packers, a 6-5 record isn’t that hard to imagine, but the Bears fixing their problems in two weeks?

That seems like asking for a miracle?

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Hutchinson, Jets beat Blackhawks 1-0. (Sunday's game, 11/02/2014). Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica: OK Hawks, enough is enough, let's play some hockey now... Let's play like we're capable of playing. Time to turn it up a notch...

By MATT CARLSON (Associated Press)

Mark Scheifele #55 of the Winnipeg Jets and Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks skate across the ice during the NHL game on November 02, 2014 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

Michael Hutchinson stopped 33 shots for his first career shutout, and Michael Frolik scored 20 seconds in on the first shift of the game to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 1-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.

Hutchinson was solid in just his second start, first complete game and third appearance this season.

The Jets extended their point streak to five games (4-0-1) and recorded their second shutout in two nights. No. 1 goalie Ondrej Pavelec beat the Rangers 1-0 in New York on Saturday in a shootout.

The 24-year-old Hutchinson entered having played only 40 minutes this season.

Corey Crawford stopped 26 shots in his second start in two nights after he missed six games with an upper-body injury. The Blackhawks lost their second straight and are 2-5 in their last seven.

Chicago was beaten 1-0 for the second consecutive home game.

Both teams played for the third time in four nights. Winnipeg went 3-0-1 on its four-game trip.

The Blackhawks entered leading the NHL with an average of 38.9 shots per game, but were only 21st at 2.46 goals.

They had a hard time against Hutchinson and the scrappy Jets. Chicago was unable to generate much traffic in front of the net or pounce on rebounds.

The Jets got all the offense they needed early as they moved straight into the Chicago zone off the opening faceoff.

Frolik, a former Blackhawks player, skated across the crease, closed in from the left side and lifted the puck past Crawford's glove as the goalie sprawled trying to stop the shot.

Chicago's Patrick Sharp broke in alone with 3:40 left in the first and faked Hutchinson to the ice, but his shot clanked off the right post.

Jonathan Toews fired a drive from the left circle off the left post midway through the second during a Chicago power play. Hutchinson stopped another prime chance by Sharp moments later.

The Blackhawks shot wide on some of their best chances in the third period.

Hutchinson stopped Patrick Kane's quick shot from the left circle with 2:40 left.

NOTES: Hutchinson was pulled early in the second period of his only previous start this season, a 4-1 loss at Los Angeles on Oct. 12, after he allowed three goals on 13 shots. He also replaced Pavelec in the third period of a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Oct. 24. This was Hutchinson's sixth career NHL game. ... Before the game, Blackhawks RW Marian Hossa was honored by the team and the NHL for becoming the 80th player to record 1,000 points. He reached that mark last Thursday in Ottawa. ... Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson skated with a visor after sustaining a cut under his left eye in Toronto on Saturday. Blackhawks D Michal Rozsival was a healthy scratch.

Blackhawks can't solve Reimer, fall to Maple Leafs. (Saturday's game, 11/01/2014). 

By Tracey Myers
                                                

James Reimer #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs makes the save on Andrew Shaw #65 of the Chicago Blackhawks during NHL game action November 1, 2014 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Blackhawks threw everything at James Reimer in the third period on Saturday night.

Traffic? They had it. Good power-play opportunities? They had those, too. Close calls, a lot of shots, check and check. What the Blackhawks didn’t have, once again, was one more goal to force overtime.

Brad Richards and Brent Seabrook each scored a power-play goal, but the Blackhawks couldn’t come up with a third goal despite 47 shots in their 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Reimer stopped 45 of those 47 shots for the Maple Leafs, who got the game-winner from Peter Holland 2:21 into the third period.

Richards’ goal was his first as a Blackhawk. Corey Crawford, playing his first game since Oct. 18, allowed three goals on 27 shots.

It was another frustrating loss for the Blackhawks, who have now dropped four of their last six games. This one was particularly aggravating because the Blackhawks did just about everything right in the third period. It didn’t matter.

“Tonight, especially in the third, might have been one of our best periods all year,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We had the chances, opportunities, we missed a lot of tip shots as well. You play like that you’ll find a way to score goals.”

Problem is, the Blackhawks aren’t — not consistently, anyway. They’ve also committed too many bad turnovers, ones that have ended up in the back of their net. That happened again in the second period, when Johnny Oduya’s turnover went right to James van Riemsdyk, who scored his 100th career goal to tie the game at the time, 2-2.

“The second goal in particular, we’re coming along, we’ve got the lead, we’re controlling the play and then it’s 2-2. That was a big turning point in the game for us,” Quenneville said. “The three goals we gave up tonight were all tough plays. Certainly, we were definitely generous on our goals.”

Marian Hossa agreed the turnovers have hurt.

“For whatever reason we take a lot of turnovers. That’s putting us a little bit back,” he said. “We know we’re a better team than that. If we can get rid of the turnovers and play more simple hockey; we’re the team that tries to make plays but sometimes you have to play more simple, chip the puck in and go get it.”

The Blackhawks tried to make up for that game-tying goal in the third period. They fired 26 shots in the final 20 minutes, four more than they shot in the first two periods combined. They had some great opportunities in that time but it didn’t matter. Reimer was stellar, stopping everything.

“We put lots of pucks at the net, the rebounds are right there and we (need to) start burying second chances,” Hossa said. “For whatever reason we have to be more hungry around the net.”

The Blackhawks’ power play looked great and was productive. But the team is still not getting much for all the shots it generates, and the turnovers hurt it again. One step forward, two steps back.

“Guys are obviously frustrated but the thing is we’re getting the chances and opportunities,” Andrew Shaw said. “Sooner or later they’ll start going in for us. That’s when we become a scary team to play against.”

With Crawford healthy, Blackhawks reassign Darling.

By Tracey Myers

This day had been coming for some time.

Corey Crawford is healthy again and the Chicago Blackhawks can go back to a two-goaltender set. That means the third goaltender had to go back to Rockford. On Friday morning, someone did.

Scott Darling was reassigned to the IceHogs on Friday, as the Blackhawks continued their trek through eastern Canada. Antti Raanta, who started the first three games after Crawford suffered his upper-body injury, remains the Blackhawks’ backup goaltender.

The 25-year-old Darling, a native of nearby Lemont, started the last three games for the Blackhawks. He went 2-1-0 here with a 1.98 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. He allowed two goals in his first two games combined before allowing four in the Blackhawks’ 5-4 shootout victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.

Coach Joel Quenneville liked Darling’s outings, including his final one.

“I liked how he battled through the game,” he said. “You saw in the shootout, right to the end, battle.”

The Blackhawks are enjoying strong goaltending depth this season after being thin there in the past. When Crawford was sidelined on Oct. 21, Raanta recorded his second career shutout later that night against the Philadelphia Flyers. He lost his next two games. Raanta took the increased competition in stride.

“This is the NHL, so you can’t start thinking too much about yourself. You have to always be on top of your game,” he said recently. “It’s a good thing that we have good goalies in the organization, and we have a good competition all the time for the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.”

Crawford pronounced himself ready prior to Thursday’s game, in which he backed up Darling.

“I feel good with the timing. I’m reading shots pretty well. I’m sliding across, pushing form side to side, everything feels back to normal,” he said. “So going to wait for the coach’s call.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Butler plays hero as shorthanded Bulls survive a nailbiter, 106-105. (Saturday's game, 11/01/2014).  

By Kent Youngblood

Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah , left, keeps Minnesota Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins, center, tied up as Bulls' Jimmy Butler drives the ball in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

It wasn’t until minutes before Saturday’s game with the Timberwolves began that the decision was made. Derrick Rose’s ankle wasn’t good enough, so he couldn’t go.

Turns out it didn’t matter, because Jimmy Butler could.

In his first action this season after missing the first two games with a sprained left thumb, Butler scored 24 points. His two free throws with 0.2 seconds left saved the Bulls from a second straight meltdown, lifting Chicago (2-1) to a 106-105 victory.

The free throws came after Minnesota’s Kevin Martin’s three-pointer with 2.9 seconds had given Minnesota a 105-104 lead. Coming out of a time out, Butler took the in-bounds pass, dribbled to the left and slipped to the floor. But he got up, got Wolves rookie Andrew Wiggins to buy a shot fake and drew the foul.

Then he calmly hit both free throws.

“I knew I was going to get him,” Butler said of Wiggins. “He didn’t know how much time he had on the clock. When somebody falls, you think, ‘I’m going to block the shot.’‘’

Butler’s heroics came on a night when both Rose and Taj Gibson (ankle) were both unable to play.  For a while, it didn’t appear that would matter. The Bulls – who got 20 points from Pau Gasol, 16 from Aaron Brooks and 13 from Mike Dunleavy – appeared to have control of the game. Chicago led by 16 late in the second quarter and by 14 early in the third.

But that lead – and the Bulls’ momentum – had evaporated when Martin (a game-high 33 points) hit two free throws with 3:58 left to give Minnesota its first lead of the second half, 95-94.

Game on.

From that moment on, there were nine lead changes and a tie as the two teams went at it. With 1:13 left, Butler hit two free throws to give Chicago a 104-102 lead. Moments later, after the Wolves got three straight offensive rebounds, Martin calmly hit that three-pointer that had the Target Center rocking.

But the Bulls didn’t fold.

“This is still a work in progress,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of his team, which had seen a lead evaporate down the stretch in Friday’s overtime loss to Cleveland. “We have to concentrate on improvement. But with this team there is a lot of fight. We’re not there yet. We lost that lead. But we found a way to pull it out."

And the Bulls did it as a team, with all five starters scoring in the fourth quarter, led by Gasol’s six points and five from Mike Dunleavy in the period.

Together, it was enough to get past the Wolves (1-2) who also got 17 points from Nikola Pekovic, 12 from Anthony Bennett, 10 from Gorgji Dieng and a 17-assist effort from point guard Ricky Rubio.

“That’s the sort of thing you have to do as a team,” Gasol said. “You have to figure out a way to win, even when things aren’t going your way."

Failure to rebound, close out Cavs hurts Bulls in loss. (Friday's game, 10/31/2014).

By Mark Strotman

Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah block the shot of the Cavaliers' Kevin Love in the first half. Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune)

 

With Derrick Rose sidelined the final two periods, Jimmy Butler out with a sprained thumb and Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol playing with minute restrictions, it was a feat in itself that the Bulls were able to overcome a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit and force overtime Friday night.

But in the Bulls' 114-108 loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, a lack of intensity, losing the rebounding advantage to a smaller team and failing to close out mentally all are worries for Tom Thibodeau.

The Bulls head coach voiced displeasure in a number of areas the Bulls must improve on, beginning a distinct rebounding disadvantage against an undersized, Cleveland group that figured to have to play to the Bulls’ lineups, not the other way around.

The final numbers showed the Cavaliers with a 52-42 advantage on the glass, but the biggest number was the 20 offensive rebounds Cleveland corralled, which led to 22 second-chance points.

“The rebounding is a problem from the start, and in this league you’ve got to play with an edge,” Thibodeau said. “And we knew we would get their best coming off last night, and they did.”

The most important rebound came late in overtime, with the Bulls trailing 106-104 with 30 seconds remaining.

Tony Snell defended a James baseline jumper well, but Tristan Thompson was able to sneak into the paint in front of Noah, grab an offensive rebound and finish with a dunk that gave the Cavs a four-point lead with 24 seconds remaining. The Bulls didn’t get closer than that the rest of the way, leading to their first defeat of the year.

It was Thompson’s 12th offensive rebound of the evening, and he also added 16 points in what was a manhandling of a Bulls second unit that played relatively well most of the evening.

Kirk Hinrich pinned it on the Bulls not playing to their strengths, specifically losing the majority of 50/50 balls and not playing with as much intensity as he’s accustomed to seeing from Thibodeau-led teams.

That may have been a byproduct of a Cavaliers team with high expectations heaped on them wanting desperately to avoid two straight losses to begin the season. Whatever the reason, the effort combined with the injuries wasn’t going to get it done against James and the team standing in the way of a Finals appearance in June.

“(The Cavaliers) made the hustle plays, the second efforts. We’ve made a living the last couple years — since I’ve been back — winning those,” Kirk Hinrich said, “and we didn’t do that tonight.”

Despite the miscues, errant shots and injuries, the Bulls still were in a position to win down the stretch. A pair of Hinrich 3-pointers and baseline jumper gave the Bulls a 98-93 lead with 47 seconds to play.

But Snell, who defended James the entire fourth quarter in impressive fashion, committed a non-shooting foul on James that sent him to the line for two shots in the bonus.

The next trip Kyrie Irving received questionable continuation on a drive to the basket, and completed the three-point play to tie the score with 27.9 seconds left.

When asked about the continuation, which saw Irving get knocked back before taking two more steps forward and making the shot after the foul, Thibodeau was in no mood to talk specifics.

“(The officials) don’t talk to me,” he said curtly. “We had some tough calls go against us. Had the lead, couple moving screens, free-throw violations, couple touch fouls, that’s the difference.”

The Cavaliers finished with a 33-17 advantage at the free-throw line, though Hinrich wouldn’t let any whistles take blame for the Bulls losing a two-possession game inside a minute to play.

“It’s a long game. 45 seconds, a minute? NBA game is long with the 3-point shot, timeouts, getting to advance the ball,” Hinrich said. “When you put it on top of how great the players are you’re playing against, by no means did we feel like we had it won.

“We felt like we were in good position. We just had to do a good job of closing out and we couldn’t do that.”

Cubs Fire Manager Rick Renteria: In pursuit of Maddon, Cubs dismiss Renteria. (Press release from 10/31/2014.) Sorry Mr. Renteria, it wasn't a trick nor a treat, but you will be paid for the remainder of your two year contract. Our best to you in your future endeavors.

Taken from The Official Site of the Chicago Cubs

The Cubs went 73-89 in Rick Renteria's only season as their manager.

Official Press Release

The Chicago Cubs today announced that the club has fired manager Rick Renteria. Renteria, the 53rd manager in franchise history, led the club for the 2014 season after being named to the position on November 7, 2013.

Cubs President Theo Epstein released the following statement:

Today we made the difficult decision to replace Rick Renteria as manager of the Chicago Cubs. On behalf of Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer, I thank Rick for his dedication and commitment, and for making the Cubs a better organization.

Rick's sterling reputation should only be enhanced by his season as Cubs manager. We challenged Rick to create an environment in which our young players could develop and thrive at the big league level, and he succeeded. Working with the youngest team in the league and an imperfect roster, Rick had the club playing hard and improving throughout the season. His passion, character, optimism and work ethic showed up every single day.

Rick deserved to come back for another season as Cubs manager, and we said as much when we announced that he would be returning in 2015. We met with Rick two weeks ago for a long end-of-season evaluation and discussed plans for next season. We praised Rick to the media and to our season ticket holders. These actions were made in good faith.

Last Thursday, we learned that Joe Maddon - who may be as well suited as anyone in the industry to manage the challenges that lie ahead of us - had become a free agent. We confirmed the news with Major League Baseball, and it became public knowledge the next day. We saw it as a unique opportunity and faced a clear dilemma: be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization. In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual. We decided to pursue Joe.

While there was no clear playbook for how to handle this type of situation, we knew we had to be transparent with Rick before engaging with Joe. Jed flew to San Diego last Friday and told Rick in person of our intention to talk to Joe about the managerial job. Subsequently, Jed and I provided updates to Rick via telephone and today informed him that we will indeed make a change.

We offered Rick a choice of other positions with the Cubs, but he is of course free to leave the organization and pursue opportunities elsewhere. Armed with the experience of a successful season and all the qualities that made him our choice a year ago, Rick will no doubt make an excellent major league manager when given his next chance.

Rick often said he was the beneficiary of the hard work of others who came before him. Now, in the young players he helped, we reap the benefits of his hard work as we move forward. He deserved better and we wish him nothing but the best.

We have clung to two important ideals during our three years in Chicago. The first is to always be loyal to our mission of building the Cubs into a championship organization that can sustain success. The second is to be transparent with our fans. As painful as the last week was at times, we believe we stayed true to these two ideals in handling a sensitive situation. To our fans: we hope you understand, and we appreciate your continued support of the Cubs.

 

In sweeping change, Cubs land Joe Maddon. (Official announcement Monday, 11/03/2014).

 

By Patrick Mooney

                                                     

Joe Maddon (Getty Images North America)

The Cubs finally broke their silence, firing manager Rick Renteria one week after Joe Maddon opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, becoming a coveted free agent.

President of baseball operations Theo Epstein released a statement that ran more than 500 words on Friday afternoon, saying Renteria “deserved to come back for another season” while admitting Maddon “may be as well suited as anyone in the industry to manage the challenges that lie ahead of us.”

With Wrigley Field under construction, the Cubs will introduce Maddon as the 54th manager in franchise history on Monday at The Cubby Bear, the bar across from the iconic marquee.

Maddon is a star manager with his trademark black glasses, two American League Manager of the Year awards and almost 180,000 followers on Twitter.

Maddon guided the small-market Rays through a worst-to-first turnaround that put them in the 2008 World Series. The Cubs believe they’re on the verge of a similar breakthrough with a blue-chip collection of young talent.

But if the celebration is a bit muted or a little awkward, it’s because Renteria still had two guaranteed seasons left on his contract and had been told – in no uncertain terms – that he would be coming back in 2015.

Epstein presented a timeline that said the Cubs didn’t find out about Maddon’s availability until last Thursday, confirmed it with Major League Baseball and the news leaked out the next day. It sounded like building a defense case against potential tampering charges from the Rays.

“We saw it as a unique opportunity and faced a clear dilemma,” Epstein said. “Be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization. In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual. We decided to pursue Joe.”

In the middle of a perfect storm, general manager Jed Hoyer flew to California late last week and met with Renteria.

Around this time last year, the Cubs were interviewing the San Diego Padres bench coach, ultimately giving him his first shot after 15 seasons as a coach or minor-league manager. Team officials raved about Renteria’s player-development skills and bilingual background.

“While there was no clear playbook for how to handle this type of situation, we knew we had to be transparent with Rick before engaging with Joe,” Epstein said. “(Jed) told Rick in person of our intention to talk to Joe about the managerial job.

Subsequently, Jed and I provided updates to Rick via telephone and today informed him that we will indeed make a change.”

Renteria didn’t get straight A’s for in-game decisions or handling the pitching staff, but he also didn’t do anything to get himself fired on Halloween.

In late September, Epstein had said Renteria would “absolutely” be back in 2015, praising the manager’s performance during an end-of-season news conference as well as an event for season-ticket holders. Renteria met with the front office two weeks ago for a year-end evaluation, discussing plans for next season.

“These actions were made in good faith,” Epstein said. “He deserved better and we wish him nothing but the best.”

The Cubs finished in fifth place for the fifth season in a row, but their 73-89 record represented a seven-game improvement from the year before and the team didn’t collapse after the July 31 trade deadline.

Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro went to the All-Star Game. The Cubs used 16 rookies, a group that included uber-prospects Javier Baez and Jorge Soler and potential core players like Arismendy Alcantara, Kyle Hendricks and Neil Ramirez.

Epstein and Hoyer wanted a personality change in the dugout. Renteria’s upbeat clapping and non-answers to the media became the polar opposite of Dale Sveum’s blunt old-school style.

“Rick’s sterling reputation should only be enhanced by his season as Cubs manager,” Epstein said. “We challenged Rick to create an environment in which our young players could develop and thrive at the big-league level, and he succeeded.

“Working with the youngest team in the league and an imperfect roster, Rick had the club playing hard and improving throughout the season. His passion, character, optimism and work ethic showed up every single day.”

Epstein said Renteria was offered “a choice of other positions” within the organization, but it’s hard to see how that would work and the ex-manager is free to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

It’s hard to argue for Renteria or against Maddon. But, man, this is a cold-blooded business.

Cubs will be in the hunt for more big free agents after Joe Maddon.

By Patrick Mooney

The Cubs will be in the hunt for more big free agents after Joe Maddon.

The Cubs are deep in negotiations with Maddon’s camp – and widely expected to land the celebrity manager – though a source involved in the talks on Thursday stressed it wasn’t a done deal yet. A Friday press conference introducing Maddon as the 54th manager in franchise history is seen as unlikely.

But that’s the direction this is heading, according to multiple industry sources. Eventually, the Cubs will have to break their cone of silence surrounding manager Rick Renteria, who’s under contract for two more guaranteed seasons. 

After the World Series, 121 players became free agents on Thursday morning, able to negotiate with other teams at 12:01 a.m. ET on Nov. 4. The Cubs are not planning to re-sign swingman Carlos Villanueva. As expected, they also declined their 2015 option on reliever Kyuji Fujikawa, who becomes a free agent. 

But get used to seeing the Cubs all over MLBTradeRumors.com this winter. 

Between Maddon, Theo Epstein’s front office and all the Boston Red Sox connections, the Cubs will be linked to two of the best pitchers on the market (Jon Lester and James Shields) as well as high-upside starters on that next tier (Jason Hammel and Justin Masterson).  

The Cubs like Russell Martin and will need an upgrade behind the plate whether or not they sign the All-Star catcher. Andrew Miller or Luke Gregerson would make a lot of sense as another weapon out of the bullpen.  

The Cubs already possess what Epstein calls the two most important currencies in the game right now – money (or at least payroll flexibility) and talented young players.

Now add a two-time American League Manager of the Year to the mix, someone who loves defensive shifts, brings penguins into the clubhouse and dresses as a hippie for his Woodstock-themed road trip.

Image isn’t everything. It’s not just the distinctive glasses. Maddon could be the right guy at the right time, helping shape young talent and giving this rebuild some more credibility.

The Tampa Bay Rays lost 101 games in Maddon’s first season, finished in last place again in 2007 and then went to the 2008 World Series.

The Cubs have lost 286 games across the last three seasons, but feel like they’re about to turn the corner, or at least get to the point where they’re not keeping score with Baseball America rankings.

All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo saw the potential after Game 162 – or roughly 48 hours after Epstein said Renteria “absolutely” would be back next season – when he signaled the expectations for 2015 should be winning the National League Central. Period.

“Everyone knows that we have a lot of talent here,” Rizzo said. “Now it’s just about putting it together. The front office is going to put it together (and) fill some gaps, whatever that may be. Everyone’s going into the offseason with a good bit of momentum.”     

In late September, you wouldn’t have predicted dressing up as Maddon would have been a good Halloween costume in Wrigleyville.

But now the Cubs are getting into the message-sending Epstein was asked about during his end-of-season news conference.

“We send the right message to players around the league on the field,” Epstein said. “The talent that we brought up this year, the talent that went to another level this year – whether it was the (Jake) Arrietas or the Rizzos – I think turned some heads around the league. I know that by talking to opposing players, opposing managers, opposing coaches, opposing scouts, opposing front offices.”

These deals almost always come down to years and dollars. But the Cubs do look more legitimate than they did even a few months ago, when Jeff Samardzija didn’t completely trust the organization’s direction, wanted to be paid like a free agent now and got traded to the Oakland A’s.

There are building blocks in place – a rotation that includes Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks, a bullpen stacked with power arms and a lineup built around Rizzo, Starlin Castro, Jorge Soler, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant.

“A lot of people around baseball are well aware that this place is going to get really interesting for a long time really soon,” Epstein said in late September. “It’s an attractive place to be. Now I think they’re aware – as we’re aware – that we haven’t accomplished anything yet. There’s a tremendous amount of work to do.

“But I’m not concerned about how attractive this place is to players. I think this is going to become a place people want to come, and they want to be part of what’s going on here.”

All indications are Maddon has already bought into The Plan. Once the deal is finalized, the Cubs will have to get him some more players. 

Golf: I got a club for that; Your winner and still CIMB Classic champion: Ryan Moore.

By Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Moore of the United States poses for photographers with his trophy after winning the CIMB Classic golf tournament at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

Ryan Moore must have felt like his clock didn't go back an hour on early Sunday morning, but instead a year. That's because Moore cruised to a successful defense of the CIMB Classic title he won a year ago, winning by three shots over last year's playoff adversary Gary Woodland, as well Kevin Na and Sergio Garcia.

Moore closed with 5-under 67 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club for the win, which made him the first player since Tiger Woods at the 2012 and 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational to defend a PGA Tour title.

"I like to tell myself all the time that `I am a closer. Let's just do what we can, hit good shots and let's close this thing' and I was able to do that," Moore said afterward.

Woodland made a run at swapping his 2013 finishing position with Moore, jumping into contention with six birdies in the first 15 holes. However, critical birdie misses in the final three holes, as well as three-putt bogey at the last, cost him the title.

Na had a two-shot lead on the back nine, but had lost it by the 16th hole, where he had a 2-footer for birdie. Distracted by cameramen, Na backed off the putt. Then when he did stroke it, he missed. On the next hole, Na's tee shot landed in a tree and could not be identified. He returned to re-tee his ball, made double bogey and lost his chance.

A palm tree also got Garcia, but on the 10th hole, which dropped him out of serious contention.

Moore's fourth PGA Tour win marks just the second time since his last win here that he finished in the top five, the other being the Travelers Championship last June.

Golf - Players swing behind Clarke as 2016 Ryder captain.

AFP
                                               

Darren Clarke (AFP Photo/Jeff Gross)

Darren Clarke appears to be emerging as clear favorite to captain Europe at the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine in the US.

Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy have already come out in support of the burly Northern Irishman and in Shanghai on Saturday Graeme McDowell nailed his own colors firmly to the mast.

"I'm also backing Darren for the 2016 European Team captaincy and he's an obvious pick," McDowell told reporters at the BMW Masters.

 

Another candidate appears to be Thomas Bjorn, who is a highly popular chairman of the Tour's players' committee, but McDowell said he may be more suited to 2018 in France.
 

"I have been speaking to Thomas (Bjorn) about 2016 but he believes he can still make the team as a player," said McDowell.

Gordon fights with Keselowski after Johnson's win.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS (AP Sports Writer)

Jimmie Johnson celebrates winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014. (AP Photo/Ralph Lauer)

Brad Keselowski's face was puffy, and he took a couple quick drinks of water to wash the blood from his mouth. So close to a big playoff win, Jeff Gordon was left with a cut on his lip.

The Chase for the Sprint Cup championship took another intense turn Sunday night when past champions Gordon and Keselowski were a part of a brawl after Jimmie Johnson won his third consecutive Texas fall race.

Johnson emerged from a frantic finish, the second attempt at an overtime two-lap sprint to the finish after his teammate Gordon spun out from the front following contact with Keselowski.

While Johnson celebrated his fourth victory at Texas and 70th Sprint Cup win overall, fireworks exploded in the sky - and on pit road.

An irate Gordon stopped his car right by Keselowski and confronted him. There were plenty of punches thrown, with NASCAR officials in the middle of crew members and others around Keselowski's No. 2 car.

''I couldn't even tell you what happened,'' said Keselowski, who confirmed he was hit by someone. ''Just a melee of people.''

It seemed the only contact among drivers was when Kevin Harvick shoved Keselowski in the back to push him into the fracas, and Gordon briefly appeared to grab hold of Keselowski's firesuit.

All the punches thrown appeared to come from crew members - including a member of Gordon teammate Kasey Kahne's team who appeared to land several shots on Keselowski from behind.

Gordon was leading on a restart on lap 335, one more than the race's scheduled length, when he took the outside lane. When Gordon drifted up a bit, Keselowski pushed through the gap, and made contact that left Gordon's car with a cut tire.

''We were just racing for the win. I didn't wreck him, and just raced him hard. He left a hole. Everything you watch in racing, you leave a hole, you're supposed to go for it,'' Keselowski said. ''I don't want to ruin anyone's day. I wanted to win the race and that was the opportunity.''

Gordon said he was on older tires when ''out of nowhere I got slammed by the 2.'' He then used an expletive in referring to Keselowski, who finished third.

''The way he races, I don't know how he ever won a championship. This is why everyone is fighting with him,'' Gordon said. ''There wasn't any conversation. You can't have a conversation with him. There's big consequences. To me, it's just a bunch of crap. The kid is just doing stuff way over his head.''

Gordon spun out, lost a lap in the pits and finished 29th. He also became the second competitor in four races to confront Keselowski after the checkered flag.

NASCAR will review the post-race brawl and penalties could be issued during the week. Keselowski was fined $50,000 for his behavior at Charlotte, but Matt Kenseth escaped penalty because he did not throw any punches when he jumped Keselowski from behind.

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR senior vice president of competition and racing development, indicated he had no problem with the hard racing in Texas. He might have a different take on what happened after the race.

''You shouldn't punch somebody,'' Pemberton said. ''Everybody gets together, and when you're holding on to each other and grabbing and this, that and the other, it's one thing. When punches are landed, that's a different scenario.''

 

Johnson won by a half-second over Chase contender Harvick, who then pushed Keselowski into the fray.

''If you're going to race like that, you're going to have to man up at some point,'' Harvick said afterward. ''I didn't get in the middle of anything. I just turned him around and told him to go fight his own fight.''

Johnson, the six-time Cup champion who was eliminated after the second round in the new Chase format, led 191 of the 341 laps.

The next highest-finishing Chase contenders behind Harvick and Keselowski were Carl Edwards in ninth and Denny Hamlin 10th.

Texas was the second consecutive Chase race won by a driver already eliminated from title contention. That means at least three drivers will advance on points to get into the final four in the season finale at Homestead in two weeks.

The third round of the Chase wraps up next Sunday in Phoenix, where Harvick won eight months ago in the second race of the season. Kenseth and Hamlin were the only of the eight Chase contenders to finish outside the top eight in that race.

Joey Logano finished 12th at Texas, but is listed first in points while having the same number as Hamlin and two more than Ryan Newman. Gordon is fourth, a point ahead of Kenseth and Carl Edwards, followed by Keselowski and Harvick - though there is only an 18-point gap between first and eighth place.

Soccer:  'Stupid' Smalling cost United - Van Gaal.  

AFP; By Tom Williams   

     

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero (R) shoots as Manchester United defender Chris Smalling looks on during the English Premier League match at the The Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England on November 2, 2014 (AFP Photo/Paul Ellis)          

 

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said that Chris Smalling's "stupid" dismissal had fatally undermined his side's chances in their 1-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester City on Sunday.

 

Smalling was sent off in the 38th minute at the Etihad Stadium after receiving quick-fire yellow cards for trying to block a clearance by City goalkeeper Joe Hart and then scything down James Milner.

City eventually prevailed through a 63rd-minute Sergio Aguero strike, leaving the champions six points behind leaders Chelsea and seven points above United, and Van Gaal said Smalling's red card was the turning point.

"In the derby you have to be careful. The second yellow card was stupid," he told BBC Sport.

"As a player you have to control your aggression. I didn't see the first yellow, but the second you know as a player you have a yellow, so you have to handle it differently. I said that to the players."

Van Gaal said that the England defender had apologised for his dismissal and was "very humble" about the incident.

Van Gaal also lost Smalling's centre-back partner Marcos Rojo after the Argentina international dislocated his shoulder in a sliding challenge early in the second period.

"The shoulder is out, so you never know how long that takes," said the Dutchman, whose side host Crystal Palace next weekend.

"I have to wait until tomorrow (Monday), but he shall not play against Crystal Palace."

City manager Manuel Pellegrini was relieved to see his side end a run of three games without victory, although he felt his team should have been awarded a penalty for a challenge on Yaya Toure by Rojo in the first half.

"Of course it was hard. Derby games are special games for both teams," said the Chilean.

"Manchester United have very good players and if you give them time and space, they can decide the game.

"We worked hard and played very well until we scored, but maybe after that we didn't continue to play the way we were.

"We had a lot of possession in the first 45 minutes and had two clear chances of a goal.

"We had at least one and a half penalties. For Yaya Toure it was a penalty and a sending off (for Rojo), but we continued to play with trust that we would score."

Van Gaal also dismissed claims that Marouane Fellaini had spat at Aguero, after a video circulated on social media appearing to show saliva leaving the Belgian's mouth as he castigated the prone City striker for going down in search of a penalty.

"I have heard that there is a question on social media," Van Gaal said.

"When you shout, sometimes a little bit of saliva is with it. I don't think he is a spitting figure."

2014 NCAA Football Rankings Top 25 - Week 11 (Nov. 2, 2014)

ESPN.com

AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Mississippi State (45)	8-0	1484
2	Florida State (15)	8-0	1452
3	Auburn	7-1	1345
4	Alabama	7-1	1281
5	Oregon	8-1	1275
6	TCU	7-1	1148
7	Michigan State	7-1	1120
8	Notre Dame	7-1	1096
9	Kansas State	7-1	1049
10	Baylor	7-1	961
11	Arizona State	7-1	831
12	Ole Miss	7-2	828
13	Ohio State	7-1	780
14	LSU	7-2	717
15	Nebraska	8-1	680
16	Oklahoma	6-2	574
17	Georgia	6-2	465
18	UCLA	7-2	464
19	Clemson	6-2	341
20	Utah	6-2	327
21	Arizona	6-2	325
22	Duke	7-1	288
23	Marshall	8-0	238
24	West Virginia	6-3	159
25	Wisconsin	6-2	83

• Others receiving votes: Colorado State 67, USC 48, Missouri 42, Georgia Tech 15, Louisville 7, Stanford 4, North Dakota State 4, Florida 1, Texas A&M 1

 

USA Today Poll (Coaches Poll)
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Mississippi State (40)	8-0	1526
2	Florida State (22)	8-0	1501
3	Auburn	7-1	1355
4	Alabama	7-1	1349
5	Oregon	8-1	1289
6	Michigan State	7-1	1241
7	TCU	7-1	1150
8	Notre Dame	7-1	1121
9	Kansas State	7-1	1087
10	Baylor	7-1	957
11	Ohio State	7-1	901
12	Arizona State	7-1	854
13	Ole Miss	7-2	793
14	Nebraska	8-1	766
15	LSU	7-2	636
16	Oklahoma	6-2	601
17	Georgia	6-2	508
18	UCLA	7-2	438
19	Clemson	6-2	394
20	Duke	7-1	320
21	Arizona	6-2	307
22	Utah	6-2	253
22	Marshall	8-0	253
24	Wisconsin	6-2	146
25	West Virginia	6-3	130

• Dropped from rankings: East Carolina 19

• Others receiving votes: Missouri 82, Colorado State 81, Georgia Tech 32, USC 31, Minnesota 19, Iowa 12, Louisville 7, Boise State 5, East Carolina 2, Cincinnati 2, Miami (FL) 1

Mississippi State survives Arkansas' upset bid to win 17-10.

By Nick Bromberg

Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott (15) is tackled by Arkansas safety Rohan Gaines (26) after a short run in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Mississippi State will likely stay at No. 1 for another week. (Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica: And yes they are still #1).

The Bulldogs survived a crazy final drive by Arkansas and intercepted Brandon Allen with 15 seconds left to beat the Razorbacks 17-10.

Arkansas got the ball back with a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and extra point with 2:29 remaining in the game. After losing five yards on third down, Allen threw up a prayer of a pass on fourth down that somehow wasn't intercepted and landed in Hunter Henry's arms for the first down conversion.

Then, two plays later, Allen's pass was tipped landed in the arms of Demetrius Wilson for a first down. On third down after that, Allen found Henry for another crazy completion.

But that set up the interception. Arkansas went hurry up on the ensuing first down and Allen tossed up a throw to the end zone that Mississippi State's Will Redmond came down with to seal the game.

Mississippi State got the lead in the fourth quarter on a play that will be played on quarterback Dak Prescott's Heisman campaign highlight reels for the rest of the season. Though every time the clip is played, Arkansas' defense should get a nod for best supporting actor.

 

Prescott was pressured and escaped and rolled to his left. As defenders were closing in on him he jumped and fired a pass across his body to a wide open Fred Ross for a 69-yard touchdown.

How was Ross so open? Well, Arkansas' secondary saw Prescott roll out and immediately thought he was going to run the ball, leaving Ross open to get behind the coverage for the incredibly easy touchdown.

It was a great second half-highlight to counter Prescott's two first-half interceptions. Overall, Prescott finished 18-27 passing for 331 yards, the touchdown to Ross and the two first half picks.

The Bulldogs are likely to stay atop the AP, USA Today and College Football Playoff polls because of Florida State's comeback win over Louisville. While the Seminoles also played well in the second half against the Cardinals, an early 21-0 deficit will probably prevent FSU from jumping MSU in any rankings.

And any movement involving Mississippi State in the polls will probably come in two weeks. Next week, Mississippi State has Tennessee-Martin before facing Alabama on November 15.

Kentucky earns No. 1 nod in AP preseason poll.

By JOHN MARSHALL

Kentucky forward Alex Poythress, right, defends against Connecticut guard Ryan Boatright during the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

The story seems to be the same every season at Kentucky: Lose star players to the NBA, replace them with another group of one-and-doners, compete for a national championship.

The Wildcats changed the script this season: This year, the fabulous freshmen will be surrounded by other former McDonald's All-Americans who played for the NCAA title just seven months ago - a team so deep and talented that coach John Calipari is considering a platoon system.

Kentucky was the runaway No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 released Friday, becoming the fourth program to earn the honor in consecutive seasons.

''It's something for our kids to live up to,'' Calipari said. ''At the end of the day, you've got to play the games and figure it out.''

Kentucky earned 52 first-place votes from the 65-member panel in landing its fourth preseason No. 1. The Wildcats also were No. 1 in 1995-96, when they won the national championship, and in 1980-81.

Kentucky joins UCLA (1966-60, 1971-74), UNLV (1990-91) and North Carolina (2008-09) to be named No. 1 consecutive seasons since the AP preseason poll started in 1961-62.

Arizona is ranked No. 2 and received five first-place votes after adding a strong recruiting class to a team that came within seconds of reaching the Final Four last season.

Wisconsin, which returns most of last season's Final Four team, has its highest preseason ranking ever at No. 3. The Badgers received eight first-place votes, but are 35 points behind Arizona in the poll.

No. 4 Duke added a strong recruiting class headed by Jahlil Okafor and is ranked for the 137th straight week. Reloaded Kansas is No. 5, with North Carolina, Florida, Louisville, Virginia and Texas rounding out the top 10. Virginia is in the preseason top 10 for the first time since Ralph Sampson's senior season in 1982-83, when it was No. 1.

''I think there are probably seven teams that all could be No. 1 in the country,'' Calipari said.

Wichita State, a Final Four team two seasons ago, is No. 11, followed by Villanova, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Virginia Commonwealth, San Diego State, defending national champion Connecticut, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Ohio State.

Rounding out the Top 25 are Nebraska, SMU, Syracuse, Michigan, Harvard and Utah.

They'll all be chasing Kentucky, at least at the start.
 

The Wildcats were No. 1 heading into last season after Coach Cal pulled the strings on another best-in-the-nation recruiting class. They lived up to expectations, too, overcoming a midseason slump to reach the national championship game, where they lost 60-54 to UConn.
 

But a funny thing happened during the offseason: Instead of all those freshman packing up for the NBA after one season, most decided to stick around.
 

Kentucky lost forward Julius Randle and guard James Young to the NBA. In a bit of a surprise, twin guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison decided to return after their freshman seasons and junior 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein decided to stick around, too.

With forwards Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee, along with 7-footer Dakari Johnson also coming back, the Wildcats were going to be in good shape regardless of what the recruiting class looked like.

But, of course, this is Kentucky and more star recruits made their way to Lexington:
forwards Karl-Anthony Towns and Trey Lyles, guards Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis.  The Wildcats are 12 deep, talented and confident.

 

''We are far ahead of last year,'' Andrew Harrison said.
 

But they're far from the only team with a shot at the title.
 

Arizona was a last-second shot away from reaching the Final Four last season, an impressive run considering versatile forward Brandon Ashley sat out the final 16 games with a foot injury. He's healthy and leads a solid core of returning players that includes point guard T.J. McConnell and 7-footer Kaleb Tarczewski.
 

Coach Sean Miller also brought in another stellar class, headed by athletic forward Stanley Johnson.
 

''We have the makings of a team that can go on and do some great things,'' Miller said.
 

So do the third-ranked Badgers. Actually, they already have. Wisconsin made a somewhat-unexpected run to the Final Four last season and will have one of the most experienced teams in the country.
 

Leading them will be no-nonsense coach Bo Ryan and Frank Kaminsky, the 6-foot-10 senior who skipped a shot at the NBA for another chance at an NCAA title.
 

''I don't see our guys talking any differently or acting any differently on the practice floor simply because other people are mentioning that we might be pretty good,'' Ryan said.
 

The same thing is being said about the Kentucky Wildcats - just like last season.

Bayern wins wild $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

By Beth Harris

Jockey Martin Garcia celebrates after riding Bayern, right, to victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic horse race past jockey Jamie Spencer on Toast of New York at Santa Anita Park, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

 

The Breeders' Cup Classic began like a demolition derby, with horses crashing into each other out of the starting gate. It ended with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert winning North America's richest race for the first time.

 

Baffert had to sweat it out, along with a crowd of 61,114 at Santa Anita, while the stewards sorted out the chaos. Their surprising decision not to disqualify anyone is something fans will be debating for some time.
 

After several agonizing minutes, Bayern stood as the winner of the $5 million race by a nose on Saturday, ending Baffert's 0-for-12 skid.
 

"It's been so long waiting, I was like, 'Lord, you can't take it away from me now,'" said Baffert, who has won just about every other big race in the sport, including three Kentucky Derbies. "I couldn't breathe the last 20 yards."
 

Not everyone agreed with the outcome.

Shared Belief, the 5-2 favorite co-owned by sports talk host Jim Rome, was knocked off his game at the start by Bayern and finished fourth, ending his undefeated streak at seven.

"I think it cost me the race," Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith said of the early tangle. "I was never able to get comfortable after getting hit at the break."
 

The two-day world championships concluded with trainer Chad Brown claiming three victories and trainer Wesley Ward two. European horses earned just one victory, with 30-1 shot Karakontie in the $2 million Mile.
 

"To be here and enjoy the week like we did and walk away with three winners is a dream come true," said Brown, who is based in New York.
 

The Mile surprise was one of four upsets Saturday. The biggest came in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies, with Take Charge Brandi kicking off the nine Cup races with a 61-1 upset for 79-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
 

"We're not going to retire very quick," Lukas said.
 

Smith extended his record for Cup victories to 21 with a win in the Filly & Mare Sprint with Judy the Beauty — the only favorite to win Saturday.
 

Three of four favorites won on opening day Friday.
 

In the Classic, Bayern ran 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.88 and paid $14.20, $8 and $5.20 at 6-1 odds.
 

Toast of New York returned $18 and $10.80. Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome was another neck back in third and paid $5.40 to show.
 

The inquiry involved the first four finishers, with their numbers flashing for several minutes on the toteboard as the video was reviewed.

Scott Chaney, one of the track's three stewards, said in a statement that after talking to the patrol judges and riders involved, the stewards unanimously decided the bumping didn't affect the outcome. They ruled that because it occurred early in the race, the affected horses still had a chance to run.

The start of the race was a wild one, with some of the horses in the full field of 14 bouncing into each other like bumper cars at the county fair.
 

Luckily, no one appeared to get hurt.
 

Bayern, with Martin Garcia aboard, came over sharply on Shared Belief out of the starting gate. That forced Shared Belief into Moreno, with Travers winner V.E. Day getting squeezed.
 

"Mike said he got hit really hard and that slowed him down, then the whole field came over on him and Moreno was getting out on him," said Alex Solis II, co-owner of Shared Belief.
 

Garcia said: "There was nothing I could do. I corrected right away."
 

Several strides later, as the horses were scrambling to settle in for the run past the grandstand, UAE Derby winner Toast of New York smacked Whitney winner Moreno.
 

"The nine horse, Toast of New York, probably came over and did more damage 100 yards out of the gate," Baffert said. "The nine was doing more crushing back there than we did."
 

Out of the chaos, Bayern emerged with the lead, appropriate since he is usually the fastest horse away from the gate.
 

"If you try to slow him down, he's just not effective," Baffert said. "If he was a football player, he'd be in the SEC. I mean, he is fast."

Candy Boy was sixth, followed by Cigar Street, Zivo, Imperative and Footbridge. V.E. Day was 11th, and then came Prayer for Relief, Majestic Harbor and Moreno.
 

Bayern's two previous biggest wins of the year were in the Haskell Invitational and Pennsylvania Derby. He missed the Kentucky Derby and finished ninth in the Preakness. He turned the corner with an impressive win in the Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard, starting a run of four stakes wins in his last five starts.
 

Bayern's victory likely denies California Chrome champion 3-year-old honors, and places him squarely in the running for Horse of the Year.
 

"We don't vote, but we're proud of our horse," Baffert said. "He came through on the big day, and that's what matters. That's why they call it championship racing."
 

In the other races:
 

—Dayatthespa led all the way to win the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf, giving Brown a 1-2 finish. Dayatthespa held off stablemate Stephanie's Kitten by 1 1/4 lengths.
 

—Bobby's Kitten edged 7-2 favorite No Nay Never by a half-length to win the $1 million Turf Sprint.
 

—Texas Red pulled a 13-1 upset in the $2 million Juvenile. The Desormeaux brothers teamed for the victory. Kent was aboard for his fifth Cup victory. Keith, the trainer and a co-owner, got his first win in the championships.

—Main Sequence repelled the late challenge of Flintshire to win the $3 million Turf by a half-length, giving the U.S. the victory in a race usually dominated by Europeans.
 

—Work All Week held off defending champion Secret Circle by a half-length in the $1.5 million Sprint.

Rugby: All Blacks cruise past USA in rugby exhibition.

By JIM LITKE (AP Sports Writer)

New Zealand All Blacks players perform the traditional haka dance before play against the USA Eagles during the International Test Rugby Match in Chicago, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

What was billed as an exhibition quickly turned into a clinic.

New Zealand's mighty All Blacks turned their USA rugby rivals blue with a bruising defense, and then green with envy as they went on the offensive, spreading the field and sending a parade of ball carriers through the gaps and over the try line Saturday on the way to 74-6 win.

''I don't see it being decades,'' USA coach Mike Tolkin said when asked how long it might take the Golden Eagles to be on an even footing with the defending World Cup champions.

''Maybe it's wishful thinking,'' he added, ''but I see the athletes there and the guys who have been professionals and the way they've performed. So hopefully, it will be a lot less (time) than that.''

The match was played in front of a sold-out Solder Field crowd of 61,500 and a national TV audience, both impressive accomplishments for a rebuilding USA program. But the action on the field was a different story.

 The All Blacks used a handful of regulars in their starting lineup, and still managed a score just three minutes in on a try up the left sideline by Nathan Harris. The Golden Eagles countered with their best sustained ball possession of the match, repeatedly testing the center of the All-Blacks' defense before settling for a penalty goal from Adam Siddall to close to 5-3. That was the last moment the match was competitive.

''We got punished,'' USA captain Todd Clever said.

Few people in either camp predicted a close match during the weeklong buildup - the New Zealanders were 50-plus-point favorites in some betting lines - though the Golden Eagles were able to field their best side after USA Rugby chief executive Nigel Melville was able to get four overseas-based U.S. players released for the match. It made no difference.

New Zealand quickly and methodically spread the field with crisp ball movement and easily exploited one matchup after another. No moment better highlighted the difference in skill and speed between the sides than the second try by the All Blacks' Sonny Bill Williams up the right side barely 20 minutes into the match.

Williams had Siddall in pursuit, so he cut back toward the middle some 20 yards from the try line, where the Americans' best player, Samu Manoa, braced for the charge. But Williams, a former heavyweight boxer, showed some nifty footwork by making a sharp left turn instead, slicing between the two as Manoa, who tried tackling him low, and Siddall, who went high, collided while grasping at air.

By then, the score was 38-6 and the rout was on.

''They're a big, physical team, and they did put us under a little bit of pressure when they had the ball,'' New Zealand's Kieran Read said. ''Once we got into the game, though, and looked after the ball a bit better, it worked for us and the guys were able to showcase their skills.''

It was 43-6 by halftime and any chance of a momentum shift was quickly extinguished when the All Blacks put together another try less than a minute after intermission.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen rested his core of veteran players, including captain Richie McCaw, the most capped New Zealander of all-time and the game's only three-time international player of the year. That was because after this match, the All-Blacks cross the Atlantic and get down to business: facing more traditional and much-tougher rivals England, Scotland and Wales on successive Saturdays.

Hansen said after the match that Williams injured a thigh, and teammate Cory Jane pulled a hamstring. Neither was believed to be serious.

The USA, too, will have to pick up the pieces and get back to work in a hurry. The Golden Eagles face Romania, Tonga and Fiji later this month.

They have already qualified for the 2015 World Cup and hope to do the same for the 2016 Summer Olympics, where rugby (the seven-a-side version, instead of 15 players each) will return as a medal sport for the first time since the Americans won back-to-back gold medals in 1920 and 1924.

Chicago Marathon champion Jeptoo fails doping test.

By GERALD IMRAY

Leading female marathoner Rita Jeptoo of Kenya failed a doping test a few weeks before winning her second consecutive Chicago Marathon, her agent and national federation said Friday.

Agent Federico Rosa told The Associated Press that Jeptoo tested positive in an out-of-competition test in Kenya in September. Athletics Kenya said later Friday that the test was on Sept. 25 - just over two weeks before the Chicago race - and that the athlete's ''A'' sample ''indicated the presence of prohibited substances.''

The federation said it was ''disappointed to announce that we have received communication from (world athletics body) IAAF'' that Jeptoo failed a test.

Rosa and the federation declined to identify the substance or substances.

Athletics Kenya said its medical and anti-doping commission would meet with Jeptoo early next week to determine whether she wants to have her backup ''B'' sample tested.

However, Rosa told the AP that the backup test was not required.

''We will legally go after the person or the people that convinced Rita to do this,'' Rosa said, adding Jeptoo's management had ''nothing to do with'' any doping.

''I am sorry for Rita,'' he said.

The IAAF said in a statement that it was ''not in (a) position where it can confirm or deny'' Jeptoo's positive doping test.

''The case remains in the confidentiality phase,'' the IAAF said, ''although that should be lifted within the next week.''

The 33-year-old Jeptoo won the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 12 in 2 hours, 24 minutes, 35 seconds, her fourth straight major marathon victory. She has also won back-to-back titles at the Boston Marathon, where she set the course record on April 21 in 2:18:57.

Jeptoo currently leads the World Marathon Majors series, a two-year series that includes the biggest marathons in the world and culminates with Sunday's New York Marathon. Jeptoo was not scheduled to run in New York, but was still set to claim the $500,000 top prize.

The world marathon group said earlier Friday that it had postponed Sunday's awards ceremony because of the positive test.

''No athlete can win the World Marathon Majors Series title who has been in breach of IAAF anti-doping rules,'' the group said.

Jeptoo's failed test comes as Kenya is under close scrutiny for a recent spike in doping cases - particularly among its world-famous distance runners.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said in October it would work with Kenya to set up an urgently needed national anti-doping agency. That followed a Kenyan government-commissioned investigation into allegations in 2012 by German broadcaster ARD that there was widespread doping among the nation's runners.

''It shows that testing is being carried out,'' marathon world record holder and former world champion Paula Radcliffe said of Jeptoo's positive test. ''Maybe at least this time it comes before the (World Marathon Majors) payment is made.''

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, November 3, 2014.

MemoriesofHistory.com

1929 - Providence became the first NFL team to host a game at night under floodlights. The game was against the Cardinals.

1948 - Gordie Howe (Detroit Redwings) made the first of his record 21 All-Star appearances.

1953 - The Rules Committee of organized baseball restored the sacrifice fly. The rule had not been used since 1939.

1972 - Joe Namath was featured on the cover of LIFE magazine.

1989 - The Minnesota Timberwolves played their first NBA game. They lost to Seattle 106-94.

1989 - Lou Piniella was named the manager of the Reds. He replaced the banned Pete Rose.

1993 - Greg Maddux (Atlanta Braves) became the first player to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards on different teams.

1993 - Ken Daneyko (New Jersey Devils) set a record when he played in his 322nd consecutive game.

1995 - The FleetCenter, Rose Garden and the Skydome hosted their first NBA games.

1996 - Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers) became the first NFL player to catch 1,000 career receptions.

1998 - Minnesota elected Jesse "The Body" Ventura, a former pro wrestler, as its governor. 

*****************************************************************

Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!