CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 11/17/2014.

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Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears bounce back with victory over Vikings, 21-13. 

By Tony Andracki

Bears win, Bears win, Bears win!!!

Jay Cutler picked himself up off the ground and jumped into his offensive linemen's arms while Brandon Marshall dropped to his knees and extended his arms in celebration in the end zone.

For the first time in more than a month, the Bears felt what it was like to have a lead in a game.

But they had to wait far more than they would have liked for that ecstasy Sunday afternoon in an eventual 21-13 Bears (4-6) victory in front of 55,320 at Soldier Field. It was the Bears' first win at home since Week 14 of last season.

The visiting Minnesota Vikings (4-6) went up 10-0 in the first quarter — thanks in large part to a 48-yard pickup on a fake punt that set up a Teddy Bridgewater 7-yard TD pass. That extended the Bears' cumulative first-half deficit to 104-7 over the last four games.

But Cutler and Co. stormed back with a 27-yard touchdown strike to Alshon Jeffery early in the second quarter and then a 44-yard bomb to Marshall with just under three minutes left in the half.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Cutler found Marshall again for another TD, pushing the score to 21-10. A Minnesota field goal with four minutes remaining in the game closed out the scoring.

The afternoon wasn't without frustrations for the Bears. Questionable play-calling and clock management at the half preceded a Cutler interception.

In the third quarter, Bears head coach Marc Trestman decided to go for it on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, calling for an odd play — a QB sweep with Cutler that did not work out. On the next drive, Cutler threw one right into the waiting arms of Minnesota safety Harrison Smith, who returned it 52 yards. Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a 38-yard field goal on the ensuing drive.

But all's well that ends well, as the Bears came out on top against a divisional opponent and kept whatever slim playoff hopes remain alive.

Cutler finished with 330 yards and the three touchdowns while Matt Forte racked up 117 rushing yards and 58 receiving on 6 catches. Jeffery had 11 catches for 135 yards and a TD and Marshall finished with 7 catches for 90 yards and two scores as the Bears piled up 468 yards of offense.

After giving up more than 50 points in back-to-back games, the Bears defense held solid all day, dialing up pressure on Minnesota rookie quarterback and holding the Vikings offense to only 243 yards. Take out the 48-yard fake punt and consider most of Minnesota's yards came with the game in hand and the result is even better.

Ryan Mundy sealed the win with an interception in the endzone with 42 seconds remaining.

The Bears host former coach Lovie Smith and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday at Soldier Field.

Mike Zimmer thinks clock malfunction at Soldier Field was horse manure.

By Frank Schwab

In the NFL in the year 2014, there shouldn't be a malfunction with the in-stadium clock.

And that is why Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was a little bit upset after Sunday's 21-13 loss to the Bears.

The clock malfunctioned during the game, especially late in the game. That left fans in the stadium wondering how much time was left in the fourth quarter, and the CBS audience saw only "4th" in the area of the screen where the time and quarter usually appears (what did we do before the "Fox Box" debuted in 1994?). It wasn't just the fans who were affected, which drew Zimmer's ire. It was a problem for the Vikings as they tried to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

Zimmer said the issues were a certain expletive that has to do with horse manure. He's probably right.

“It’s another new experience,” Zimmer said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s hard to know because no one is telling you how much time is left. The clocks here are (expletive). The whole day the whole it’s going out so it’s just another thing. Excuse my language.”

The Vikings apparently had no idea how much time was left on the clock late in the game. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw up a desperate pass to the end zone that was intercepted. Bridgewater told the Pioneer Press' Chris Tomasson that he wasn't fully aware how much time was left on the clock for his last pass. The NFL's official stats showed the confusion in the stadium. The game book showed four straight plays starting at 1:58 remaining in the fourth quarter. it shows that the Bridgewater interception started at 1:58, but the Bears' next play was at 42 seconds.

Again, in the multi-billion dollar NFL in 2014, this is inexcusable.

The Bears passed on commenting on the clock issues, passing the buck to SMG, the company that runs the stadium, according to Chicago Sun-Times' reporter Adam Jahns' Twitter feed. Here's the statement from the stadium folks:

"The Daktronics scoring and timing system experienced several malfunctions today during the game. Daktronics is the leading manufacturer of NFL scoring and timing systems and displays in the NFL. At this point in time, it is undetermined what caused the issues. Daktronics is investigating whether the casue was software or hardware related. Despite a preventative maintenance program with Daktronics that includes having 2 technicians on site for each game, the problem was not able to be corrected during the game."

(Could they have tried to fit in "Daktronics" a couple more times, to make sure who they were passing the blame too?)

All of that is certainly not going to make the Vikings feel better about something that put them at a pretty big disadvantage on the Bears' home turf.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks rally in third period to beat Stars 6-2

By Matt Carlson

Goalie Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks catches the puck during the NHL game against the Dallas Stars on November 16, 2014 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg each had a goal and two assists, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied with four goals in the third period to defeat the Dallas Stars 6-2 on Sunday night.

Kane connected from a sharp angle early in the third period to snap a 2-2 tie. Jonathan Toews, Versteeg, and Brandon Saad scored in a 2:55 span later in the period to put the game away.

Defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook scored in the first period as Chicago won for the third time in four games.

Dallas' Curtis McKenzie recorded his first NHL goal and Shawn Horcoff also scored for the Stars, who have dropped two straight and won just two of their last 11 (2-7-2).

Chicago's Corey Crawford made 22 saves and Dallas' Kari Lehtonen finished with 41 as Chicago fired 23 shots in the third.

Blackhawks center Brad Richards had two assists in his 1,000th game and was honored in a pre-game ceremony. The 34-year-old played 220 of those games with the Stars from 2008 to 2011 at the peak of his career.

The Blackhawks are Richards' fourth team in a 15-year career. He signed a one-year, $2 million free-agent deal with Chicago last July and was envisioned as a No. 2 center, but has start slowly and averaged just under 13 minutes of ice time entering Sunday's game.

The Blackhawks start a six-game road trip on Thursday in Calgary and don't play again at the United Center until Dec. 3.

The game was tied 2-2 following a wide-open first period.

Keith opened the scoring on the Blackhawks' first shot when he completed a 2-on-1 break with Patrick Kane at 1:18 into the game.

McKenzie and Horcoff then connected 39 seconds apart to put Dallas ahead 2-1.

McKenzie's goal at 4:49 was a perfect tip-in from the left side of the net, and set up by Erik Cole's pinpoint cross-ice pass through Seabrook's legs. Horcoff was wide open on the left side when he fired in a rebound of Vernon Fiddler's shot from the right circle.

Seabrook tied it 2-2 during a power play with 8:02 left in the period when his drive from the blue line deflected off Dallas' Jamie Benn.

The pace slowed in the scoreless second period.

Kane swept in a rising shot from the low edge of the right circle at 4:49 of the third to put Chicago ahead 3-2. He beat Lehtonen through a narrow space on the short side.

Toews made it 4-2 when he wrapped in a rebound of Marian Hossa's shot with 7:26 left. Versteeg built the lead to 5-2 on a 20-foot one-timer for the slot 1:45 later.

Saad capped the rally by completing a 2-on-1 break with Toews with 4:31 to play.

NOTES: Blackhawks rookie D Trevor van Riemsdyk left the game in the first period with a leg injury. . Chicago F Daniel Carcillo returned after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury. . Dallas F Jamie Benn has gone 11 games without a goal after scoring five in the first seven. . F Travis Moen played his first game with the Stars after being acquired from Montreal last week. .. Blackhawks rookie G Scott Darling was recalled from Rockford of the AHL and backed up Crawford. G Antti Raanta, who has appeared in just three games, was sent to Rockford for playing time. Coach Joel Quenneville said Raanta would rejoin the Blackhawks by Thursday in Calgary. . Long-time Blackhawks TV play-by-play announcer Pat Foley will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Monday.

Blackhawks hand victory to Red Wings thanks to sloppy turnovers, 4-1. (Friday night's game, 11/14/2014).

By Tracey Myers

Joakim Andersson #18 of the Detroit Red Wings battles for the puck after the face off with Jonathan Toews #19 of the Chicago Blackhawks during a NHL game on November 14, 2014 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Blackhawks liked the way they were trending in their last few games, “doing a lot of good things,” as coach Joel Quenneville likes to say.

But if there’s one issue the Blackhawks have had this season it’s turnovers, especially the very costly kind. Those resurfaced, and continued to cost them, again on Friday night.

The Blackhawks committed three terrible turnovers, and all three ended up in the back of their net as the Detroit Red Wings beat them 4-1 at Joe Louis Arena on Friday. It was a sloppy night for the Blackhawks, who got a power-play goal from Patrick Kane in the first period and not much else against their former Central Division rival.

In giveaways, however, the Blackhawks were very generous. Kris Versteeg, Kane and David Rundblad coughed up the puck in or near their slot, and the Red Wings scored off each one.

Versteeg’s was especially bad – Drew Miller gathered it in the slot and got a clear shot off it, with Luke Glendening scoring on the rebound for a 1-0 Wings lead. Quenneville was livid, sitting Versteeg for the rest of the first period.

“There are mistakes and there are cardinal sins. The purists of hockey wouldn’t tolerate that kind of play,” Quenneville said. “Nobody would’ve made that play. It’s an unacceptable play.”

Quenneville wasn’t happy with Kane’s turnover either, which led to Johan Franzen’s fifth goal of the season and a 2-1 Wings' edge.

“We were playing perfect hockey until we served up the second pizza there,” he said. “Tough play on the first goal we gave up, tough play on the second and then we got out of our game. We haven’t done that all year. Those are two plays you can’t make and all of a sudden it’s a different hockey game. They got the momentum going and we had a tough second period after the second goal.”

Indeed, it got worse. Another turnover 70 seconds later led to another Wings goal, this time by Tomas Tatar. The Wings, riding the momentum and recognizing the Blackhawks were on their heels, peppered Corey Crawford with 20 second-period shots.

Why the Blackhawks, especially the veterans on this team, are making such glaring gaffes is a mystery. It could be not paying attention to detail. It could be thinking a teammate will be there and he’s not.

“There are certain plays that are in your mind you’re thinking (of) when you get the puck, that someone may be open in that situation. By no means does that make it a good excuse when you’re turning the puck over in that situation, giving up 1-on-0s and clear shots from the slot,” Kane said. “It’s something I’ve got to be better at, our team has to be better at. We have to shore up because (Corey Crawford) is playing great. But he’s not going to stop pucks when they’re bang-bang plays like that, especially with the talent they have on their team.”

The Blackhawks were starting to do some things right in recent games. The turnovers have been an issue this season, and they were a big problem again on Friday night.

“We have to be smart, we have to keep the puck out of the middle of the ice. We didn’t do it and it hurt us tonight,” Jonathan Toews said. “But it comes down to, sometimes you make those mistakes and you have to find a way to battle back in the game. And we just didn’t have that tonight.”

Blackhawks recall Darling, assign Raanta to Rockford.

By Tracey Myers

Antti Raanta hasn’t gotten many opportunities to play since Corey Crawford returned to health to start November. Now the Chicago Blackhawks will make sure he gets a few starts before he joins them on their lengthy road trip.

Raanta was sent to Rockford yesterday and is starting for the IceHogs tonight as they play the Texas Stars.

Scott Darling, recalled on Saturday, will serve as Crawford’s backup as the Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars.

“We want Antti to play,” coach Joel Quenneville said on Sunday afternoon. “He’ll be playing tonight and coming with us on the [Circus] Trip.”

 Raanta’s last game was Oct. 25 in St. Louis, a 3-2 loss. The Blackhawks would’ve likely used Raanta on their next back-to-back but that isn’t until Nov. 22-23 (Edmonton and Vancouver, respectively) during their upcoming Circus Trip. Raanta is 1-2-0 in three games this season, with a 2.63 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.

Darling made three consecutive starts during his first stint with the Blackhawks in late October, when Corey Crawford was sidelined with an upper-body injury. Darling went 2-1-0 with a 1.98 GAA and .933 save percentage in that time. Darling started for the IceHogs on Saturday afternoon, when they dropped a 2-1 decision to Milwaukee.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls-Clippers Preview.

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD (STATS Writer)

Chris Paul isn't taking for granted the work DeAndre Jordan is doing to keep the Los Angeles Clippers competitive defensively and on the boards.

The Chicago Bulls excelled in those areas in recent years, but they're struggling to find consistency this season.

The Clippers seek consecutive wins for the first time since a 2-0 start when they try to end Chicago's best road start in 18 years Monday night.
 

Although it ranks near the bottom of the league with a minus-5.4 rebounding margin and is in the bottom third with 102.4 points allowed per game, Los Angeles (5-3) is showing improvement, thanks in part to Jordan.
 

The center ranks among the NBA leaders with 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He made his mark Saturday with a season-high 18 rebounds, 12 points and a season-high seven blocks in a 120-107 home win over Phoenix.
 

Jordan is set to play in his 249th consecutive regular-season game, the longest active streak in the league. He can tie Freeman Williams for third place in team history behind Randy Smith (595) and Michael Brooks (293).

D.J. is one of those guys that thankfully doesn't miss games,'' said Paul, who scored a season-high 32 points. ''I almost couldn't imagine him not out there, because he covers so much on the defensive end.''

After getting outrebounded in each of their first six contests, the Clippers have held the advantage in their last two with Jordan totaling 31 boards. They've limited opponents to a 39.0 field-goal percentage in those contests after allowing a 49.1 mark in their first six.

The Bulls (7-3) have been in the top 10 in the league in rebounding margin the past five seasons and were ranked in the top three in points allowed in the last four, but they haven't been nearly as good in those areas in 2014-15.

Chicago's minus-2.5 rebounding margin is in the bottom third of the league, and it's giving up 97.9 points per game. The Bulls were outrebounded 46-34 and allowed depleted Indiana to shoot 48.1 percent in a 99-90 home loss Saturday.

"It's all effort; we've got to attack the ball and go get it," guard Jimmy Butler told the NBA's official website.

The Bulls have given up averages of 95.8 points and 41.0 percent shooting during a 5-0 road start, their best since winning their first six in 1996-97.

They'll attempt to extend that success as they open their annual circus trip, this one made up of seven games in 15 days.

"I think it's going to be fun," Butler said. "We get to spend a lot of time around each other."

Chicago lost Derrick Rose to a season-ending knee injury on the second stop of its 1-5 circus trip last season. Now Rose's status is uncertain again after he sat out Saturday due to a hamstring injury.

Rose has averaged 31.7 points and 11.7 assists in his last three meetings with the Clippers. He hasn't faced them since December 2011, though.

Jimmy Butler, averaging a team-high 21.3 points, could help pick up the scoring slack after he had a career-high 32 on Saturday.

Blake Griffin has scored 26.3 per game - his highest against any opponent - in seven career matchups with Chicago.

Los Angeles has won the last four meetings by an average of 20.5 points.

Bulls thinking 'us against the world' ahead of West Coast trip.

By Mike Singer

Almost to a man, the Bulls are excited to get out on the road.

 

They leave behind the incessant, tired questions about Derrick Rose’s health, the curious sluggish starts that have characterized their home contests and the comfort of the Chicago crowd. Coming off a humbling 99-90 loss to Indiana, which had been blown out by 21 the night before against Denver, the crowd would typically be seen as an advantage.

 

Not the case, as Taj Gibson said following Saturday’s loss to the Pacers.

 

“You get lackadaisical at home at times because you feel like the crowd is always going to get you in the game, the crowd’s going to help you,” said Gibson, the most eager Bulls player ahead of the two-week West Coast swing. “It’s not that easy. The crowd needs reason to cheer.”

 

There weren’t many opportunities Saturday as Indiana held the Bulls to a season-low 90 points on 42-percent shooting overall. Speaking to the energy level, the Bulls were out-rebounded, 46-34, and the final margin would’ve been significantly greater had Jimmy Butler not produced a career-high 32 points.

 

The loss dropped the Bulls to 2-3 at the United Center and continued a trend of poor starts to home games.

 

“I don’t know (how to explain it),” said Kirk Hinrich, who was the team’s second-leading scorer with 15 points but courtesy of 17 shots. “I wish I could put a finger on it right here for you.”

 

The loss capped a tired week for the Bulls, who had to fend off criticism stemming from Rose’s injury comments, travel to Toronto to earn a huge road win while Rose strained his hamstring and then return home to face an edgy Indiana team.

 

Whatever the reason for the latest listless start, it’s not something the Bulls need to address until Dec. 2, the date of their next home game. Monday’s contest against the Clippers commences a 15-day, seven-game, cross-country trip that could either splinter and expose the Bulls' defensive inconsistencies or serve to galvanize the team.

 

The possibility of the latter is exactly why so many players are excited to leave the blustery, winter conditions and head West. 

 

Newcomer Pau Gasol joked earlier this week that he was going to spend so much time with his teammates that he might learn too much about them on the upcoming trip. But as a veteran, Gasol said he was planning to use the extended road trip to get closer to rookie Nikola Mirotic, who’s currently fighting for each minute he gets in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.

 

“You need a team of leaders,” Thibodeau said prior to the Pacers game on Saturday. “The one thing about this league is the older players will usually take the younger players under their wings. ... I think Pau’s somebody that (Mirotic) looks up to, as do all of our players. When a guy like Pau comes in, you can’t do anything but respect them.”

 

Nothing helps a team more than being tested, and never are teams more focused than when in hostile road arenas.

 

“We really do (feed off the opposing crowd). I really think so. We had Toronto down almost 20 late in the third. That wasn’t coming from (Raptors fans) cheering for us,” Gibson said. “That came from just boos.”

 

“On the road you just go out there and focus on your craft, you got 20,000 people going against you and all you got is your teammates,” Gibson added. “We just like that us-against-the-world mentality. We’re so focused, it’s just so serious.”

 

To Gibson’s point, the Bulls are 5-0 on the road for the first time since 1996 and averaging 104.6 points per away game compared to 99.8 at home. The defensive numbers tell a similar narrative.

 

“I’m really excited for the road trip. We need this. We need to get away and just focus on us, focus on our game,” Gibson said. “We need to get away from this and just hoop.”

Bulls not up to the task against Pacers, 99-90. (Saturday night's game, 11/15/2014).

By Mike Singer

Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol (16) shoots past Indiana Pacers center Ian Mahinmi (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Andrew A. Nelles)

For a team whose offense had been flowing - scoring more than 100 points in seven of nine games - Saturday’s game against Indiana was an utter flop.

The Bulls were without Derrick Rose, out with a mild hamstring strain, and the offense never looked comfortable against the Pacers, who dominated Chicago 99-90 on Saturday to drop the Bulls to 7-3 overall.

Jimmy Butler’s career-high 32 points served as the lone bright spot as he carried his team offensively. It was also Butler’s defense that momentarily sparked the Bulls in the third quarter with two steals, but his shooting wasn’t enough to overcome poor defense and abysmal rebounding.

The Bulls shot 42 percent from the field compared to 48 percent for Indiana, and the Pacers outmuscled Chicago 46-34 on the glass – a season-long concern for Chicago. Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah combined for just 10 rebounds, less than the 11 Gasol was averaging by himself.

After Butler’s 10-of-17 shooting, the next most efficient player was Kirk Hinrich, who had just 15 points on 7-for-17 from the field. He did have a team-high seven assists, but nothing came easy with Rose, the fulcrum of the offense, on the bench.

Indiana scored 30 points in the fourth quarter, including a devastating, late 3-pointer from Solomon Hill, who had 21. Pacers A.J. Price and Luis Scola each dropped 21 in the effort as well – a testament to the sub-par team defense.

Despite Chicago’s hot start to the season, it was hardly the send-off the Bulls wanted as they prepare for their West coast swing in the next two weeks. Saturday’s loss was also the first time this season that five Bulls players didn’t log double-digit scoring nights, a stunning number given their offensive woes last season.

Butler carried the Bulls in the third quarter, and were it not for his scoring or hustle, Indiana’s lead would’ve ballooned. He scored nine in the quarter, at one point digging the Bulls from a 53-44 deficit all the way to a tie game at 57 apiece. Butler stole an errant pass from Scola with just over a minute left and finished with an emphatic dunk, cutting the margin to two. The Pacers still shot 59 percent from the quarter to keep the four-point distance entering the fourth.

The Bulls trailed by as many as 10 midway through the second quarter as the Pacers knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and a flurry of jumpers. Chicago’s second unit eventually chipped into the deficit with five points from Doug McDermott, but the Bulls starters re-entered the game to stabilize the offense. Hinrich, starting for Rose, had six in the quarter on several baseline jumpers while Butler continued to shoulder the offense, leading with a team-high 12 at half. The Pacers shot 50 percent in the first two quarters and maintained a 46-42 lead at half.

It was a sluggish start for the Bulls, who finished the first at just 39 percent shooting, down 23-20. Butler paced the team with six points while Gasol added four but was just 2-of-8 from the field.

Gasol’s assist to Noah off a jump ball with 9:43 left in the first was his 3,000th career assist. He became just the sixth player in NBA history to record at least 16,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocks. 

The Bulls’ next seven games are on the road, beginning with Monday’s game against the Clippers. Rose is day-to-day and could potentially suit up in Los Angeles.

Worrying about Cubs is waste of time for Rick Hahn, White Sox.

By Dan Hayes

The White Sox have no interest in trying to outdo the Cubs. Rather than worry about the happenings of their crosstown rivals, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday he’s focused on his team’s problems first.

 

So even though the two clubs compete for the same dollars and headlines — which have been dominated by the North Siders recently — Hahn insists it doesn’t bother him. He argues that emulating what the Cubs do would be a waste of time.

 

“At the end of the day, it’s about winning championships for the White Sox, and any move we make has to be consistent with putting us in the best position to do that,” Hahn said from the GM meetings at the Arizona Biltmore Resort. “It’s not about winning headlines in November or December. They don’t give out any trophies until October. It’s a matter of us putting ourselves in a position that we’ve made the club better for the long term.” 

Hahn said he understood why a reporter asked the question.

 

The Cubs have been all the rage of late, whether it’s their top-notch farm system, hiring a strong manager in Joe Maddon or the Wrigley rebuild and the expected pursuit of top free agents this offseason.

 

He went on to praise the work of Theo Epstein and Co. and said he has heard about what “other clubs” are doing from everyone who’s “8 to 80” and wondering if the White Sox can keep up.

 

But Hahn thinks the argument is irrelevant because the two teams only play a handful of games each season.

 

“What clubs in our division are doing and where they are in terms of their win cycle has to be a relevant consideration, but what clubs outside our division are doing, in terms of making headlines, is not really relevant to how we go about our business,” Hahn said. “Theo and his staff do a tremendous job. The headlines they received in recent weeks and most certainly will receive in the coming years are all well-deserved. And that’s good for baseball in Chicago. It increases excitement. But we compete with them four times a year head-to-head, six in some years.”

 

Hahn likes the foundation of his own club, which boasts unanimous American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu and Cy Young finalist Chris Sale. The White Sox also have several other key core players they’re high on and hope to add more pieces to their foundation this offseason.

 

But their pursuit of winning, Kenny Williams’ no more “rebuilding,” has more to do with what they want to achieve rather than keeping up with the Joneses. If they can win, money, headlines, will all take care of itself.

 

“In the end we’re competing with other clubs for wins,” Hahn said. “The more wins we’re able to generate, the revenue dollars, eyes, everything else will come. Our focus is putting the best, most competitive team in position to contend for multiple championships on the field, regardless of whatever else is going on.”

Cubs-Cardinals moved to marquee Opening Day spot.

By Patrick Mooney

In another sign the Cubs are becoming relevant again, ESPN2 has picked up their 2015 opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, moving it to April 5 and putting it in the exclusive Sunday night spotlight.

This will mark the first “Opening Night” in Wrigley Field history, the team announced Friday.

Who knows how many free agents the Cubs will sign by then, but they’ve already hired a celebrity manager in Joe Maddon and should be able to show off the new video board that’s part of the Phase 1 stadium renovation. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. in front of a national television audience.

This rivalry series will be adjusted with April 6 becoming an off-day. The Cubs will play the Cardinals on April 7 (7:05 p.m.) and April 8 (1:20 p.m.), Chicago weather permitting.

Golf: I got a club for that; Get used to hearing the name Brooks Koepka.

By Ryan Ballengee

Brooks Koepka follows his shot from the seventh tee of the Silverado Resort North Course during the third round of the Frys.com PGA Tour golf tournament Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014, in Napa, Calif. Koepka was 5-under-par 67 to finish at total 11-under-par. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Golf has a new superstar, and his journey into the game's elite ranks has been an unprecedented one.

Brooks Koepka won the Turkish Airlines Open on Sunday in Turkey, closing with 7-under 65 to nip Ian Poulter by a shot for his first European Tour title. The win catapults Koepka, who entered the week ranked 61st in the world, into the top 35 and practically assures him a spot in all four major championships and World Golf Championships events for 2015. 

What makes Koepka so unique? The 24-year-old Florida State product didn't try to earn his way to the PGA Tour fresh out of school, instead taking the path blazed by friend Peter Uihlein, opting to head to Europe and try to earn European Tour status. Koepka earned playing privileges on the Challenge Tour, the European equivalent of the Web.com Tour, and quickly found success. He won in his rookie season, then three more times in 2013 to earn a European Tour card. 

However, 2014 has been Koepka's break-out season. He opened the 2013-14 PGA Tour season with a T-3 finish at the Frys.com Open, leading to 16 total starts, including the final three majors of the year. You could be forgiven for not knowing Koepka finished T-4 at the U.S. Open in June. Martin Kaymer's dominance at Pinehurst No. 2 overshadowed anyone underneath him on the leaderboard. Koepka finished a solid T-15 at the PGA Championship.

Koepka is closing the season on an even more impressive tear. In his last seven worldwide starts, he's finished outside the top 11 just once. He racked up two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour at the Frys.com Open and in Las Vegas, earning almost $425,000 in the early portion of the wraparound season.

Traveling some 53,000 miles to play pro golf worldwide this year, Koepka's passport is practically worn out, but each stamp is proof his game can travel pretty much anywhere. With his win on Sunday, Koepka made it clear he intends to leave his own stamp on the sport.

McIlroy wins Race to Dubai.

By The Associated Press

Europe's Rory McIlroy celebrates his putt on the 6th green during the fourball match on the second day of the Ryder Cup golf tournament, at Gleneagles, Scotland, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Rory McIlroy has won the European Tour's Race to Dubai for the second time in three years.

''Winning it for the first time two years ago was a fantastic feeling, but I feel like I'm now a more complete player and my all-round game has moved to another level,'' McIlroy said in a statement released by the European Tour.

The 25-year-old Northern Irishman is more than 2.7 million euros ($3.4 million) ahead of Henrik Stenson. The Swede, who was European No. 1 a year ago, moved second on the money list by coming third in the Turkish Airlines Open on Sunday.

No player can now catch four-time major winner McIlroy at the remaining DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, starting Nov. 20.

McIlroy did not compete in Turkey where Marcel Siem, Jamie Donaldson and Sergio Garcia needed to win to stay in the race.

Brooks Koepka of the United States won the tournament by a stroke.

''This has obviously been the best season of my career by a long way, and to win The Race to Dubai for the second time really is something truly special,'' McIlroy said. ''That four-week spell over the summer, from the Open to the US PGA Championship, would have to be the best golf of my life.''

McIlroy won the British Open on July 20, the Bridgestone Invitational on Aug. 3 and the PGA Championship on Aug. 10, becoming the third youngest player after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win three of the four majors.

PGA of America officials, Azinger met last week.

By Rex Hoggard

Paul Azinger

The PGA of America’s Ryder Cup task force has not yet had a meeting, but a spokesman for the PGA confirmed that leaders from the association recently met with Paul Azinger to discuss various topics concerning future matches.

Although the spokesman declined to give any details about the meeting, a source familiar with the session acknowledged officials met with Azinger, the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, last week at the PGA’s south Florida headquarters for about an hour.

The source characterized the meeting as a chance for Azinger and the PGA to “get reacquainted” and that few specifics were discussed.

Azinger told Golf Channel last month that he had been asked to serve on the 11-member task force, which is scheduled to meet next month in Orlando, Fla., but declined, at least for now.

“I didn’t say no,” he said on Oct. 15. “I said not yet. I think everything is going too fast. It’s just too soon to make that kind of decision when emotions are involved.”

The task force will exam the entire Ryder Cup system, from how captains are picked to the selection of the 12 team members and even the schedule of events during the matches.

The source familiar with last week’s meeting said it “went really well” and that Azinger and officials from the PGA plan to meet again in December.

Kevin Harvick wins NASCAR championship.

By Jay Busbee

Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the Sprint Cup championship. (AP)

NASCAR promised drama in its newest incarnation of the Chase, and Sunday's season-ending EcoBoost 400 delivered exactly that, beyond any of the sport's wildest dreams.

Kevin Harvick held off a powerful charge from his three challengers, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, winning the season finale to claim the 2014 Sprint Cup championship in definitive fashion.

"I really don't know what to say," Harvick said after getting out of his car, celebrating with his team. "It's really special for everybody."
 

NASCAR created the new Chase in advance of the 2014 season with the express intent of creating a so-called “Game 7 moment” – everything on the line, win-or-go-home, Hail Mary, you get the idea. The new Chase is thus a Frankenstein’s monster built from the parts of other championships: the NCAA’s college hoops bracket, the World Series’ Game 7 dramatics, the Super Bowl’s grand pomposity.
 

The new Chase would feature 16 drivers. The field would winnow down over the course of 10 races, with four drivers being eliminated every three races. The season would conclude with a four-driver winner-take-all race in Homestead.
 

Fans complained of gimmickry and confusion, saying that the new Chase cheapened a championship, complaints that – since we’re fundamentally talking about a game here – smacked of Batman fans complaining about the latest movie version.
 

Here’s the thing, though: it worked to perfection. NASCAR created a route to a championship that was like a rickety bridge over a chasm: faster, more direct, but far riskier. And people fought like hell to get across that bridge before it snapped.
 

The Chase began with 16 drivers, 13 of whom had won a race. The final three -- Newman, Matt Kenseth, and Greg Biffle – got in because they had totaled the highest points through the season without winning a race. The first three races of the Chase ran as expected, with Biffle, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch and AJ Allmendinger getting the axe.

It was in the second elimination that the story ratcheted up another level.

A three-race advance-or-fall segment isn’t enough time to allow for any poor finishes, and that led to tempers exploding. In Charlotte, Brad Keselowski felt Kenseth had wronged him late in the race. Keselowski drove his car into Kenseth’s just after the race; Hamlin and non-Chaser Tony Stewart responded by thumping Keselowski’s No. 2 with their own cars; and Kenseth finished the deal with a dive-off-the-top-rope headlock of Keselowski between haulers. The crews fought, NASCAR made national morning-show headlines, and everyone except Keselowski proclaimed their satisfaction with how the Chase was proceeding.

Keselowski came into Talladega, the final race of the second round, needing a victory to advance. Amazingly, he got it. However, this was where the curtain fell for several of NASCAR’s biggest names: Jimmie Johnson; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Kasey Kahne; and Kyle Busch, the victim of the Chase’s worst luck when a wreck between non-Chasers knocked him out.

And then there were eight, and NASCAR’s Chase achieved full liftoff. At Texas, Keselowski went for a late-race pass on Gordon, who bumped the 2 and slid into the wall, finishing in what would turn out to be a Chase-killing 29th place. Gordon and Keselowski jawed a bit after the race, their crews amped, and then Kevin Harvick threw a Molotov cocktail on the pool of gasoline, shoving Keselowski and setting off a fifty-person fight in the pits. Once again, NASCAR made national headlines, though the question of whether these were the kinds of headlines NASCAR needed grew louder.

In the final race of the third round, Harvick needed a victory and got it, crowding out Keselowski, Kenseth, and Carl Edwards. Hamlin and Joey Logano got in on points.

That left Jeff Gordon racing Ryan Newman for the final spot, and here’s how close it was: Gordon crossed the finish line eligible for the championship, but well behind him, in the final turn of the final lap, Newman bumped Kyle Larson aside to advance one spot – just enough to bump Gordon out.

Dramatic? Hell yes. Legitimate? Well … there’s the rub.
 

Your championship four thus consisted of Harvick and Logano, two of the most dominant drivers of the entire season; Hamlin, who had won one race back in May; and Newman, who had zero wins and only four top-five finishes.
 

The conventional wisdom held, then, that this was a match between Harvick and Logano, with Hamlin and Newman being lucky to get invites to the party. Harvick held the edge in both momentum and attitude, although Logano had boasted the stronger overall year.

For much of the race, conventional wisdom indeed held true. Harvick led the majority of the laps measured against his three championship rivals, followed by Logano and Hamlin. Newman, as expected, trailed the three, though not by nearly as much as expected. Indeed, Gordon seemed to be the only driver who could regularly run with the Chasers, who front-loaded the very top of the field. 

More than 10 cautions packed and re-packed the field, but it was a crucial caution with less than 20 laps remaining that changed the entire complexion of the race. In for tires, Joey Logano's car fell off the jack, sending him from the top 5 all the way back to 29th and effectively ending his championship hopes. Hamlin and crew chief Darian Grubb made a gutsy call to stay out on old tires.

Another caution led to a restart with nine laps remaining, and that restart saw Hamlin and Newman starting side by side on the front row, with Harvick right behind. Hamlin got the stronger start, and Harvick worked his way up to second place behind Hamlin. Harvick worked his way around Hamlin when yet another caution hit, leaving the championship cars to restart 1-2-3, Harvick-Newman-Hamlin, with just four laps remaining.

On the final restart, Hamlin had trouble, dropping off the championship pace. And on the final lap, Newman couldn't quite catch Harvick, who won his first Sprint Cup championship. 

Soccer: Centurion Rooney scores as England beats Slovenia.

Associated Press

(AP Photo)

 

Wayne Rooney scored for England on his 100th appearance before Danny Welbeck's double secured a 3-1 victory over Slovenia in European Championship qualifying on Saturday.

As Roy Hodgson's Group E leaders made it four wins out of four, San Marino earned a landmark 0-0 draw against Estonia, ending a run of 61 consecutive losses for world football's lowest-ranked team.

The milestone match for Rooney at Wembley saw the England captain net his 44th international goal - canceling Jordan Henderson's own goal - to go five behind Bobby Charlton's record 49.

"It was tough because they took the lead and we had to show our character," Rooney said. "It was a great reaction from the players."

England surged six points clear of Slovenia, Switzerland and Lithuania. The Swiss beat visiting Lithuania 4-0, with winger Xherdan Shaqiri scoring twice.

Before the game in London, Rooney collected his commemorative golden 100th cap from Charlton to cheers, but the atmosphere became subdued as England labored throughout the first half, looking disjointed.

The game came to life 10 minutes into the second half when England finally found the target, with Phil Jagielka's header saved by goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

But at the other end, Henderson inadvertently flicked Milivoje Novakovic's free kick into his own goal when a headed clearance went wrong.

Just as quickly, the action was back in the Slovenia penalty area, with Rooney earning the penalty following Bostjan Cesar's challenge and scoring from the spot.

Rooney is England's joint-third highest goal-scorer alongside Jimmy Greaves.
"It was a fine piece of play by Jack Wilshere to set it up, but it was a very good run from (Rooney) into the box and that put us right back in the game," Hodgson said.

England's fortunes had turned, and Welbeck punished Slovenia twice.

Adam Lallana cut in from the right and a deflected shot that was parried by Handanovic, but Miso Brecko's headed clearance went straight to Welbeck. His scuffed shot put England in front in the 65th.

It was a slicker build-up to Welbeck's second goal. Kieran Gibbs played in Welbeck, who played a neat one-two with Raheem Sterling before knocking the ball into the net in the 72nd.

England heads to Glasgow for a friendly against Scotland on Tuesday, although goalkeeper Joe Hart is being given time off, leaving Fraser Forster or Ben Foster competing for the starting spot.

Beaten by England and Slovenia to open the group, Switzerland has had back-to-back 4-0 wins against San Marino and now Lithuania.

All the goals came in the second half, with visiting goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis gifting the first in the 66th minute by fumbling a Shaqiri corner into his own net on a rainy night.

Defender Fabian Schaer finished neatly two minutes later after another Shqairi corner was not cleared, and the Swiss star scored with a header and flick from right-flank crosses in the 80th and 90th.

Soccer-Primera "A" results and standings.

Reuters

Results and standings from the Primera "A" matches on Sunday.

Sunday, November 16

      

LDU de Loja 1 El Nacional 0

 

Mushuc Runa 0 Emelec 1

 

Universidad Catolica Quito 1 Independiente del Valle 2

 
Saturday, November 15
    
Barcelona 2 Deportivo Cuenca 2
 

Deportivo Quito 1 Manta 1

 
Friday, November 14
      
LDU de Quito 5 Olmedo 1
 

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1 Independiente del Valle 16 11 4 1 34 12 37

2 Barcelona 16 10 2 4 26 16 32

 

3 LDU de Quito 16 8 6 2 30 16 30

 
4 Emelec 15 9 2 4 32 18 29
 

5 El Nacional 16 6 3 7 17 20 21

 

6 Deportivo Cuenca 16 5 6 5 17 22 21

 

7 LDU de Loja 15 4 7 4 18 18 19

 

8 Mushuc Runa 16 4 6 6 17 21 18

 
9 Universidad Catolica Quito 16 4 3 9 15 25 15
 
10 Deportivo Quito 16 3 6 7 12 25 15
 
11 Manta 16 2 5 9 15 26 11
 

12 Olmedo 16 1 6 9 11 25 9

 

1: Copa Libertadores

Major League Soccer's Biggest Problem.

By Cork Gaines

Major League Soccer continues to do very well among local fans with strong attendance numbers, and has even dished out some big contracts to a few star players. But the overall quality of play still lags behind other leagues and that has a lot to do with how much the league pays its players.
 

While the league will occasionally hand out a big contract, such as the recently signed $7.2 million per year deal for former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaká, those deals are rare.

 

Nearly one-third of the league's total payroll goes to seven players, and only 15 of the 572 players in the league make $1 million or more while many make under $50,000.
 

As a result, the average salary in MLS is just $213,000 per year according to SportingIntelligence.com. That ranks just 21st among the world's top football leagues and is a big reason many experts won't rank MLS among the top ten leagues in the world.

 

2014 NCAA Football Rankings Top 25 - (Nov. 16, 2014)

CBSSports.com

Associated Press Top 25   1. Florida State 2. Alabama 3. Oregon 4. Mississippi State 5. TCU 6. Baylor 7. Ohio State 8. Ole Miss 9. Georgia 10. Michigan State 11. UCLA 12. Kansas State 13. Arizona State 14. Wisconsin 15. Arizona 16. Auburn 17. Georgia Tech 18. Marshall 19. Missouri 20. Utah 21. Nebraska 22. Colorado State 23. Oklahoma 24. Southern California 25. Duke   11/16/2014

Coaches Poll   1. Florida State 2. Alabama 3. Oregon 4. Mississippi State 5. TCU 6. Baylor 7. Ohio State 8. Ole Miss 9. Michigan State 10. Georgia 11. Kansas State 12. UCLA 13. Arizona 14. Arizona State 15. Wisconsin 16. Georgia Tech 17. Auburn 18. Marshall 19. Nebraska 20. Missouri 21. Utah 22. Oklahoma 23. Colorado State 24. Southern California 25. Duke

How Alabama ended Mississippi State's dream run and what it means for CFP picture.

By Pat Forde

Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott (15) carries the ball past Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Jonathan Allen (93) in the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

 

 The product placement was meticulous as always – a can of Coca-Cola was on the right corner of the podium in the Alabama press conference room. Logo facing the cameras.

 

Nick Saban came in with another Coke product in hand, a bottle of Dasani water. The dispassionate dream killer took his place at the podium and gave his clinical assessment of the day’s events.

“When you beat the No. 1 team in the country, I think that’s a significant accomplishment,” the coach of the Crimson Tide said. “ … This is a really good football team we beat today.”

That team is Mississippi State, 9-0 and No. 1 for the first time in school history, the last overachieving darling standing in this 2014 season. But this is a place where darlings go to die.

Florida State has its sod cemetery. Alabama should have one for glass slippers.

The Crimson Tide has crushed so many dreams over the years, stomped out so many Cinderellas, that there would be a small forest of tombstones if they interred every beaten underdog. They added one more Saturday night. Alabama’s 25-20 victory ended the Bulldogs’ remarkable winning streak at 12 games and damaged Dak Prescott’s Heisman Trophy chances.

This loss will evict Mississippi State from the top of the rankings – but it may actually help the Southeastern Conference.

You could make a solid argument for two SEC teams now in the four-team College Football Playoff field – the two that played here at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama absolutely is in the bracket at this point. Mississippi State shouldn’t fall too far after this loss.

“Those are two of the best teams in the country out there battling,” Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said, “and there’s absolutely no doubt about that.”

If both State and ‘Bama are in the top four come Tuesday night, the howls from Big 12 country will be audible from coast to coast. But TCU may have forfeited the fourth spot with its narrow, comeback victory over a truly bad Kansas team. Baylor, currently No. 7, isn’t likely to move up three places on a bye week.

Eighth-ranked Ohio State won again, and in the process diminished TCU’s “signature” non-conference victory over Minnesota. But the Buckeyes’ résumé still doesn’t measure up to the best in the country.

Mississippi State never led here Saturday, and at one point trailed 19-0. Its final touchdown was little more than window dressing. But the Bulldogs certainly were not blown out – they outgained the Tide by nearly 100 yards and ran 25 more plays – and ‘Bama needed three interceptions inside its own 25-yard line to keep them at bay.

“If we just score touchdowns in the red zone, it wouldn’t have been a close game,” Mullen said. “We would’ve won big, but give them a lot of credit.”

Indeed, the most criticized unit on this Alabama team has been its secondary – but the back line of Saban’s defense rose to the big occasion. Cornerback Cyrus Jones had an end-zone interception and battled receiver De’Runnya Wilson effectively all game despite giving up seven inches and 29 pounds. Safety Nick Perry had an interception and a team-high 12 tackles. Fellow safety Landon Collins had the third pick of Prescott – which tied the quarterback’s career high for interceptions in a game.

“Playing well in the red area was critical,” Saban said. “Getting turnovers was critical.”

Good as Alabama’s defense was, it was the offense that caused Saban to briefly veer from rote analysis to rhapsody. He termed the Tide’s fourth-quarter touchdown march “one of the great drives in Alabama history, probably.”

Which is saying something.

The 15-play, 76-yard drive came after 13 straight State points. It broke the Bulldogs’ back and effectively ended the game.

Quarterback Blake Sims was brilliant on that drive, scrambling to convert a third-and-8 and a third-and-10 – the second of which sent offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin running down the sideline signaling first down. Sims also eluded the rush and threw for a first down to running back T.J. Yeldon on a third-and-5. With real tension in the air for the first time all game, he cut cleanly through it with one clutch play after another.

“We made big-time plays at the right time,” Sims said.

Now Alabama will make its move into the playoff bracket at the right time. The Tide has a walkover next Saturday against Western Carolina, then will face Auburn in an Iron Bowl grudge match revenge game. A victory there would send Alabama to the SEC championship game, likely as a heavy favorite over whoever wins the Eastern Division.

“We control our future,” Collins said. “We beat No. 1. Do we feel like we’re No. 1? Maybe.”

They don’t have to be No. 1 on Dec. 7, just somewhere in the top four. They certainly will be in that bracket come Tuesday night.

Mississippi State should be, too. This was slipper-crushing loss for the Bulldogs but a net win for the SEC, which for the moment can stake a reasonable claim to half the playoff field.

Almost 20 years later, Northwestern upsets Notre Dame again, 43-40.

By Vinnie Duber

Northwestern kicker Jack Mitchell (8) celebrates with quarterback Christian Salem (18) after a field goal against Notre Dame in overtime of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014. Northwestern won 43-40. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Nearly 20 years later. Same result.

The last time Northwestern and Notre Dame played, back in 1995, the Wildcats came into Notre Dame Stadium and upset the Irish. It was a springboard to one heck of a season, one that ended in a Rose Bowl appearance.

There won’t be any Rose Bowl berth or Big Ten championship this season, but the Cats’ fourth win of 2014 under Pat Fitzgerald — who was a linebacker on that 1995 team — was potentially even bigger, perhaps a more remarkable upset. It took an overtime period and was significantly higher scoring than the 1995 edition, but the Cats pulled off an incredible upset victory just the same, taking down the Irish, 43-40, in overtime on Saturday.

"It's much more enjoyable today," Fitzgerald said when asked to compare the two upsets. "To see the way that our young men have stuck together. Everybody jumped off the boat. Every fair-weather fan that you can have jumped off the boat. And (the players) stayed on it, and they've persevered. ... We've been through a lot since January, about shutting out noise, about shutting out distractions. We were a part of a media circus in the offseason and things we went through that we had to go through. And the guys stuck together. I talked about being united when we went into camp, and then we went through a bunch of injuries and we didn't start the way we wanted to. But the guys have persevered.

 

"We talked to them on Tuesday about a playoff mentality, going back to high school. You get to November, the weather gets nasty and that's where championships are crowned. We're not going to win a Big Ten championship, we understand that. But we can still go achieve our goals, but we have to have that back-against-the-wall mentality and win and advance. And we've advance to another week to keep this team alive for postseason play.

"We went 1-0 this week. We needed to. Our backs were against the wall, and this was a playoff win."

 

It was a mistake-filled affair, similar to last week’s game against Michigan in the number of miscues from both sides. But there was a difference this weekend, as both teams capitalized on their opponents screw-ups. And unlike last weekend’s loss to the Wolverines, the Cats didn’t make the last and most costly mistakes this time around.

 

Notre Dame scored to take an 11-point lead with 10:34 left in the game. Irish coach Brian Kelly strangely opted for a two-point conversion instead of an extra point, and the attempt failed. More than six minutes later, Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian’s scamper capped a lighting-quick drive that saw the Cats go nearly 80 yards in fewer than two minutes. The Irish screwed up with a penalty on the Cats’ failed two-point conversion attempt, allowing them to retry, and Warren Long bowled his way in to make it a three-point game.

 

Notre Dame got the ball back and forced Northwestern to use all its timeouts when a pass-interference penalty gave the Irish a first down. But running back Cam McDaniel fumbled the ball, giving the Cats life, and this time they capitalized, going 44 yards in just more than a minute to set up Jack Mitchell’s game-tying kick. Then the Northwestern defense forced ND to kick in overtime, an attempt that Kyle Brindza missed, before Mitchell came through again with the game-winning field goal from 41 yards out.

 

Mitchell was among the heroes Saturday night for the Cats. Mitchell and Northwestern’s special teams in general have struggled to gain consistent traction all season, but despite having a kick blocked in the fourth quarter, Mitchell hit four field goals in the second half and overtime, including the game-tying kick with 19 seconds left and the game-winner in OT.

 

"I was very comfortable because we had already made three at that end of the field," Mitchell said. "So I was comfortable, had a couple big kicks earlier in the game.

 

"It felt good. I looked up and I knew it was in right away, so I started running the other way."

 

"Great job by Jack, especially responding from the one that was blocked, to come back and nail some big clutch kicks," Fitzgerald said. "It was very important."

 

Unlike had been the case for most of the season, the Northwestern offense had a great amount of success Saturday night. Yes, there were plenty of mistakes there, too, as dropped passes by Tony Jones and others prevented game-changing scores in the first half. Siemian threw a pair of interceptions. Cameron Dickerson fumbled away a ball that was picked up and returned for a touchdown. But hands down this was Northwestern’s best offensive game of the year. The Cats racked up 547 yards of offense. Siemian threw a TD pass and rushed in for the score that made it a five-point game late in the fourth quarter.

 

"It was good, it helped us get in rhythm early on. Especially early, I think we went back and forth quite a bit, too," Siemian said. "It was a testament to our guys being able to bounce back and respond a little bit. It was good to see. We knew we were capable of it all year, thing just haven't gone our way."

 

The Cats’ rushing attack was terrific, with Justin Jackson going for 149 yards and a touchdown run. Treyvon Green had 67 yards on the ground. Siemian gained 32, six of them coming on his touchdown.

 

From the start, it seemed Northwestern would put up an unexpected fight, unexpected considering the ineffectiveness with which the team played in recent games. Coming into Saturday, the Cats had been outscored, 82-16, in their last 10 quarters of football. But Saturday saw a season-high 43 points, blowing past the previous high of 29 in another upset win, that one coming at Penn State.

 

The win might not seem as big as 1995’s kickstarter to a championship season. After all, these Cats still need to win out just to get to a bowl game. But don’t underestimate the power of such a big upset win. The Irish entered Saturday a top-20 team, and knocking them off on their home turf could be just what the Cats need to kickstart a three-game stretch in which they need to win all in order to get to the postseason.

 

“This win is incredible," Mitchell said. "Not only achieving the success we did today, but it can also catapult us in the next couple of games against Purdue and Illinois to get those last two wins and make us bowl eligible. So, we’re all excited.” 

 

One down, two to go.

Beleaguered SEC endures nightmarish four-loss opening night.

By Jeff Eisenberg

When Charleston Southern's Cedrick Bowen soared in for a game-winning tip dunk at the buzzer to beat heavily favored Ole Miss on Friday night, it seemed the SEC might have already suffered its most surprising loss of the non-league season. 

Turns out it wasn't even the SEC's worst loss of opening night.

Barely an hour later, Missouri somehow managed to fall at home 69-61 to UMKC, a Western Athletic Conference squad that went 10-20 last season and began this season 250th in the KenPom rankings. The SEC also suffered two other opening night losses as Georgia fell at ACC also-ran Georgia Tech and Tennessee was run off the floor by 15th-ranked VCU. 

Those four opening-night losses are one more non-league setback than the SEC has suffered in football all season.

It's far too early to sound the alarm bells, but this certainly wasn't an ideal start for a football-first conference already battling the perception it's a two-team basketball league. While Kentucky has reached the Final Four three times since 2010 and Florida has advanced to the Elite Eight or beyond each of the past four seasons, the inability of the rest of the conference to carry its own weight has led to the SEC averaging just 3.6 NCAA bids the past five seasons.

Tennessee's unexpected run from the First Four to the Sweet 16 aside, last season only provided more fodder for critics. The SEC finished seventh in conference RPI, landed only three teams in the NCAA tournament and suffered more head-scratching November and December losses than any other prominent league did.

For the SEC's fortunes to change this season, it desperately needs other teams to ascend to national prominence besides Kentucky and Florida. The ultra-talented Wildcats begin the season as the favorite to win the national title and the Gators are a preseason top 10 team despite replacing four starters, but no other SEC team is even among the first five receiving votes in the AP poll.

None of the four SEC teams who lost Friday night are the most likely to rise to prominence this season — Arkansas and LSU have the best chance of that — but the opening night woes still hurt the conference as a whole. The more SEC teams struggle in non-league play, the less RPI boost their peers get for beating them during the conference season.

The most surprising of Friday's losses was probably Ole Miss falling to Charleston Southern simply because the Buccaneers had only beaten one other power-conference foe in their history and the Rebels entered the season projected by many to finish in the upper half of the SEC. The return of all-SEC guard Jarvis Summers and the arrival of four coveted transfers appeared to give Ole Miss a good chance to flourish even despite the graduation of high-scoring wild child Marshall Henderson.

Alas, that certainly wasn't the case Friday night as the Rebels shot 30.9 percent from the field and 6 of 30 from behind the arc. They still managed to rally from 12 down at halftime to force overtime, but the failure to block out Bowen on the game's final possession enabled the Charleston-Southern forward to sneak into the paint and stuff Saah Nimley's missed runner just before the buzzer sounded. 

The Missouri loss was also a bit of a stunner simply because UMKC is so mediocre. The Kangaroos lost by 59 points to Iowa State last season and have dropped a combined 65 games the past three seasons.   

Drawing too many conclusions from opening night is always dangerous because of the one-game sample size, but it's safe to say this wasn't the start the SEC wanted. 

Kentucky and Florida did their part, winning by a combined 63 points. A few other teams, however, dropped the ball yet again.

Host cities revealed for 2017-2021 Final Fours.

By Jeff Eisenberg

The Wilson basketball with the Final Four logo is seen as the Florida Gators practice ahead of the 2014 NCAA Men's Final Four at AT&T Stadium on April 4, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The unveiling of the next five sites that will host the Final Four featured one surprise.

New Orleans wasn't among the cities chosen.
 

The NCAA's men's basketball selection committee revealed its choices Friday evening, announcing that the Final Four will come to Phoenix in 2017, San Antonio in 2018, Minneapolis in 2019, Atlanta in 2020 and Indianapolis in 2021. Arlington, Texas, and Saint Louis were the two finalists not chosen in addition to New Orleans.
 

“Ultimately we had to consider every aspect of each bid and go through a voting process no different than when this group meets in March to select teams for the NCAA tournament,” Utah State athletic director Scott Barnes said. “We feel great about how those votes turned out and are confident this terrific event is in good hands for the foreseeable future. We are going to new buildings, cities that are universally loved for hosting great Final Fours and we are heading West for the first time in more than 20 years."
 
The absence of New Orleans was surprising because the city has played host to five Final Fours and is typically considered one of the favored sites for the event. New Orleans last hosted a Final Four in 2012 and won't host one again until at least 2022. Indianapolis will also host this season's Final Four, while Houston will be the site of the 2016 event.

 

The rest of the selection committee's decisions will likely draw praise. Indianapolis is an ideal host city because of its compact downtown and wealth of nearby hotels. Getting San Antonio back in the mix was smart, as was the decision to bring the Final Four to a Western city for the first time in two decades.

 

New Orleans will be missed though because it's one of the country's few destination cities with a domed football stadium suitable for the Final Four. Hopefully it's a mistake the selection committee rectifies as soon as 2022. 

DEA stages surprise drug probe on at least two NFL teams.

By Eric Edholm

Federal drug-enforcement agents conducted surprise inspections of at least two NFL teams on Sunday as part of an investigation into claims of abuse of prescription drugs, according to multiple reports.

At least two teams' medical staffs were questioned Sunday: those of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who played the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field, and the San Francisco 49ers, who played the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. 

The Associated Press is reporting the investigation is connected to former players' claims that teams have mishandled prescription drugs.

The Washington Post added that the inspections included bag searches and questioning of team doctors by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in cooperation with the Transportation Security Administration.

 

Although the investigation included the Buccaneers and 49ers, other teams were said to be investigated per both reports. The reports also suggest there could be possible distribution of drugs without prescriptions or labels, as well as possible dispensing of drugs by trainers rather than licensed physicians. Federal law prohibits anyone but a physician or nurse practioner from distributing prescription drugs, and there are several restrictions on how the drugs might be distributed.

A lawsuit that alleged the NFL — as well as its teams, physicians and trainers — acted improperly in regard to players' health was filed in May on behalf of more than 1,200 former NFL players ranging from 1968 to some who played as recently as the 2012 season, which spurred the investigation. There is a five-year statute of limitations, so criminal investigations would apply to only anyone who might have violated federal drug laws back to 2009. 

Per the Post report, agents started interviewing NFL physicians in several locations after reviewing materials from the lawsuit. Players reportedly described reckless behavior from team doctors — being given unlabeled medications, combining medications dangerously, teams filling out prescriptions erroneously or deceptively, trainers administering drugs, and medications handed out to players who had consumed alcohol as well.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, November 17, 2014.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1926 - The Chicago Black Hawks played their first game in the NHL.

1940 - The Green Bay Packers became the first NFL team to travel by plane.

1968 - NBC cut away from the final minutes of a New York Jets-Oakland Raiders game to begin a TV special, "Heidi," on schedule. The Raiders came from behind to beat the Jets 43-32.

1982 - The NFL reduced its 16-game season to nine as a result of a 57-day players' strike.

1991 - Mike Utley (Detroit Lions) suffered a spinal injury in a game against Los Angeles that left him paralyzed from the chest down.

1997 - Mario Lemieux was voted into the NHL Hall of Fame.

2003 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) became the first major league baseball player to receive six National League MVP awards.

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