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"Sports Quote of the Day"
“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's a day you've had everything to do and you've done it.” ~ Margaret Thatcher, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1979 to 1990
TRENDING: Jordan Howard puts the team on his back, wills Bears to ugly OT victory over Ravens. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Blackhawks will take OT victory but need sharper starts again. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Someone has to score for the Bulls, so why not Justin Holiday? (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Someone has to score for the Bulls, so why not Justin Holiday? (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Joe Maddon pulled a Buck Showalter and it cost the Cubs Game 2 of the NLCS; How do White Sox prepare for Draft? (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Perez cruises to four-shot win at CIMB; J.Y. Ko the latest KLPGA talent to win an LPGA Title; Monty wins SAS for second Champs win in five weeks. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Brad Keselowski wins Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway; Parker Kligerman wins Truck race at Talladega. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Even a win showed how injuries could derail Fire's playoff run; PL roundup: Man City, Spurs capitalize on dropped points-a-plenty. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: Winners and Losers: How do Week 7 losses affect 4 top-10 teams' playoff hopes? (See the NCAAFB section for college basketball news and team updates).
TRENDING: Even a win showed how injuries could derail Fire's playoff run; PL roundup: Man City, Spurs capitalize on dropped points-a-plenty. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: Winners and Losers: How do Week 7 losses affect 4 top-10 teams' playoff hopes? (See the NCAAFB section for college basketball news and team updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Jordan Howard puts the team on his back, wills Bears to ugly OT victory over Ravens.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Jordan Howard willed the Bears to an overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in September, and he did the same thing on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
Mitchell Trubisky avoided pressure and found Kendall Wright for an excellent 18-yard catch, moving the Bears into field goal range. After a few ineffective plays, Barth connected ….
It was a game the Bears looked like they should’ve won comfortably, but a pair of return touchdowns — one by Bobby Rainey on a kickoff, one by Michael Campanaro on a punt — got Baltimore back in the game. Rainey’s return came with the Bears up 17-3, and while replays showed Josh Bellamy might’ve tackled him, it wasn’t called that way.
That cut the Bears’ lead to 17-10. The Bears then fumbled on their next three possessions, losing two (charged to Tarik Cohen and Mitchell Trubisky) with the other being a high snap from Cody Whitehair that sailed over Trubisky’s head. Baltimore managed a field goal off Cohen’s fumble to cut the score to 17-13.
After Trubisky’s fumble, Kyle Fuller — who was outstanding on Sunday, it should be noted — broke up a pass intended for Chris Moore, and the ball fell into the waiting arms of Adrian Amos, who returned it for a touchdown (it was Amos’ first career interception).
It looked like the Bears were going to find a way to lose, though, after Campanaro’s 77-yard punt return and the Ravens’ successful two-point conversion. But thanks to that one big effort from Howard — the Bears’ best offensive player — the game wound up in the win column.
Bears win over Ravens has deeper implications than one game.
By John Mullin
(Photo/AP)
Lots of ways to look at the Bears after their 27-24 overtime over the Ravens in Baltimore, the first road win for the Bears since late 2015. Taken in the context of a season still short of its halfway point, they didn’t exactly clarify definitively whether they’re a bad team with occasional good days, or a team that threatens to be better than expected.
Either way the Bears suddenly could find themselves being a meaningful factor in an NFC North that on Sunday saw the Green Bay Packers (4-2) lose Aaron Rodgers to a broken collarbone and a game to the Minnesota Vikings (4-2), and the Detroit Lions (3-3) crushed by the New Orleans Saints.
**
The best perspective, one that in fact parallels and even rivals the growth and development of rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky for collective significance, may be that the Bears found a way to win.
To a bigger point, though, the crucial playmakers were overwhelmingly their own draft choices – Trubisky (8-for-16 passing, 113 yards, a touchdown, ZERO interceptions, 94.0 rating), running back Jordan Howard (36 carries, 167 yards), nose tackle Eddie Goldman (six tackles, one for loss), Adrian Amos (90-yard touchdown interception return), Kyle Fuller (three passes defensed, six tackles). Add in defensive end Akiem Hicks (three tackles, one sack) and you have a game won by players who represent the developing foundation of the franchise.
The growth of Trubisky is a prime directive for the 2017 season. But so is Goldman’s. And Howard’s. And Fuller’s. Because if Trubisky progresses but the core does not rise with him, the Bears will have a good quarterback and little more. The Saints and Archie Manning. Or using another position, Joe Thomas and the Cleveland Browns. More than Trubisky matters.
**
A cliché, but critical for a team that too often found ways to lose, and this game was there for the losing, the Bears blowing an 11-point lead in the final four minutes.
But they didn’t lose. This is the fourth of their six games that the Bears were in position to win, offensively or defensively, on a final possession (Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Baltimore). When the Bears keep games close, they are 2-2. And in the two they lost – Atlanta, Minnesota – they were less beaten by the opponents by themselves with dropped passes (vs. Falcons) or mis-thrown ones (vs. Vikings).
**
Trubisky is a sub-50-percent passer through his first two NFL games but a handful of his incompletions in Baltimore were very, very significant. They were indications of the decision-making that is the reason coaches turned to him. On a handful of occasions, Trubisky lofted passes that barely stayed in the field of play but were exactly what coaches want the rookie to do rather than force throws into too-tight windows.
On Sunday he became the first of 11 rookie quarterbacks to beat John Harbaugh's Ravens.
**
On the not-so-good side:
Coach John Fox had a team meeting early last week and it wasn’t pleasant. Insiders say Fox was fed up with the stupid football being played. The question, however, even after Sunday’s overtime win over the Ravens, in which the Bears squandered an 11-point lead with a little more than four minutes to play, is who was paying attention and who wasn’t. Because not everyone is getting it.
The defense forced and recovered a fumble in the first half and supplemented that with its first interception for 2017 when Bryce Callahan snatched a ball off the hands of Breshad Perriman and returned it 52 yards to set up the halfback touchdown pass by Tarik Cohen.
Trubisky and center Cody Whitehair have some shotgun-snap issues to resolve but the Bears had just two penalties through the first three quarters, neither on the offense. Then Zach Miller was flagged for holding in the fourth quarter and the first possession of overtime effectively was undone when Bobby Massey. Jordan Howard going out of bounds allowed Baltimore time in regulation occasioned flashbacks to Marion Barber.
Worse, special-teams breakdowns gave the Ravens 14 points, one touchdown when no one thought to touch down Bobby Rainey, who got up and completed a 96-yard kickoff return; and another when punt coverage allowed a 77-yard punt return to Michael Campanaro.
**
Cornerback may be a priority in next year’s draft but Kyle Fuller continues playing suspiciously like a first-round defensive back (which he of course was). The Bears declined to pick up the fifth-year option on Fuller’s rookie contract last April – understandable given Fuller’s decline over the past two seasons – but no one should be surprised if the Bears make a play to retain Fuller with either an early extension or a push ahead of free agency.
Fuller delivered a textbook one-on-one tackle of 251-pound Ravens tight end and followed that later in Sunday’s second quarter with a pair of superb pass defenses to force Baltimore to settle for a field goal after a first-and-goal situation. And it was Fuller’s technically perfect coverage on Chris Moore that caused the deflected ball that went 90 yards the other direction on Adrian Amos’ first career interception.
Prince Amukamara is on a one-year deal and Callahan is a restricted free agent. The Bears have a major positional need, and a chance to keep one of their own draft choices who’s now been three years in the Vic Fangio system.
Mitchell Trubisky showed progress on Sunday, and now can improve off a win.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
If you’re looking for progress from Mitchell Trubisky from his first start on Monday night to his second on Sunday, his decision-making was better against the Baltimore Ravens than it was against the Minnesota Vikings.
“When you get in the point zone, you take an incompletion over a risky throw,” Trubisky said. “Didn’t put ourselves in a lot of sticky situations for that, we came away with points and it paid off in the end. Try to learn from my mistake last week, forcing the ball when I didn’t need to, this week play within myself and took what the defense gave me. And that’s a really good defense out there so it’s good to come away with a win, especially on the road.”
The Bears won, 27-24, not necessarily because of what Trubisky did (8/16, 113 yards, 1 TD), but more for what he didn’t. Jordan Howard carried 36 times for 167 hard-earned yards, 53 of which came with the Bears backed up near their own goal line in overtime. Tarik Cohen carried 14 times and threw as many touchdowns as Trubisky. The first wide receiver to record a catch was Kendall Wright about six minutes into the third quarter.
“It’s all about what’s necessary to be done for the team and what you have to do to get a win,” Trubisky said. “Today, my job was to manage it (and) take care of the football.”
Trubisky, with time, won’t be asked to “manage” many games. But while we’re still in the nascent stages of his development as an NFL quarterback, and with the Bears’ coaching staff needing to win games, that’s what the task was on Sunday. He was asked to make a play in overtime, with the Bears facing a second-and-11, and he found Wright for an 18-yard reception that set up Connor Barth’s game-winning 40-yard field goal.
That might’ve been a difficult situation for a rookie quarterback who hadn’t thrown the ball much — let alone with much effectiveness — for four quarters of the game. But that it wasn’t for Trubisky was a reminder why the Bears invested their highest draft pick in decades into him.
“For a normal young guy it’s tough,” Wright said. “I don’t know how normal Mitch is.”
Trubisky’s biggest mistake came when he lost a fumble when Lardarius Webb sacked him and dislodged the ball, which C.J. Mosley recovered.. But after the game, Trubisky already seemed to have a grasp on what he did wrong on that play — he said he moved off his first read too quick, which caused him to not be able to see the blitzing cornerback.
When he watches the film, Trubisky — and the rest of the offense surely will identify more things he could’ve done better. But unlike last week, he’ll be watching a game the Bears ultimately won. And that’s what counts, right?
“Every win is a good win,” Cohen said. “We might’ve got it ugly, but it’s a good win. So you gotta take that and run with it and try to run with it and string games together. And it’s really encouraging because we know that we made our mistakes so if we correct those, we know what kind of game it’s going to be.”
Tarik Cohen became the shortest player to throw an NFL touchdown in 83 years.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The last time a player of Tarik Cohen's size threw a touchdown, it was 1934, and that player's name was Wee Willie Smith.
That's an 83-year break between touchdowns thrown in an NFL game by players 5-foot-6 or shorter. And Cohen's pass was good, too -- he dropped a dime perfectly over the heads of the Ravens' defense into the waiting arms of Zach Miller for a 21-yard touchdown in the second quarter of Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Other players 5-foot-6 or shorter to throw an touchdown: Eddie Scharer, Roddy Lamb, Joey Sternaman (who was a Bear), Chuck Dressen, Tom Holleran, Curly Oden, Par Pearce, Pid Purdy and Gus Sonnenberg. Every one of those players played in the 1920s or 1930s.
Also, Cohen became the first Bears running back to throw a touchdown since Dec. 30, 2007, when Adrian Peterson found Bernard Berrian for a nine-yard score against the New Orleans Saints.
And one more thing: As of the first half, the Bears' last three touchdowns have been thrown by Cohen, Mitchell Trubisky and Pat O'Donnell.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks will take OT victory but need sharper starts again.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Patrick Sharp’s backhand shot slipped past Pekka Rinne late in regulation. The Blackhawks’ push, which started midway through the third period, finally yielded them something and led to a 2-1 overtime victory.
“They controlled a lot of the battle areas, came up with more loose pucks, we didn’t pressure it enough,” coach Joel Quenneville said of the first two periods against the Nashville Predators. “All of a sudden we had some zone time [in the third], got some momentum off that, scored the big goal by Sharpy. Certainly the last 15 minutes of the game, including overtime, that’s what we need to play like more often.”
Sure, Nick Schmaltz’s absence hasn’t helped. The Blackhawks have missed him, and they hope he’s back on Wednesday. But Schmaltz or no Schmaltz there’s enough firepower on this team to generate offense. So what gives? On Saturday there may have been early frustration against a Predators team that’s done that to them a few times.
“I think it was just tough sledding out there,” Sharp said. “That was a well-coached team, pretty disciplined through the neutral zone. I don’t think we exited the zone with possession too many times throughout the whole game so we had to grind it out a little bit I thought in the third period Joel mixed the lines up and got a little offensive zone time. Got a couple shots on net and able to sneak one in there. I still think we’re capable of scoring multiple goals a game. We can score a lot. That’s never a problem.”
It’s ultimately about creating opportunities or taking advantage of those given to you. Speaking of the latter the Blackhawks’ power play, or lack thereof, doesn’t help. In their best seasons the Blackhawks didn’t sweat power-play issues much because their 5-on-5 scoring was strong. When that 5-on-5 production dries up, however, the power play’s issues are magnified. They came up empty in six more power-play opportunities on Saturday night and are now 4 for 27 on the season.
In the Blackhawks’ last two home games they haven’t been offensively sharp out of the gate. It’s taken them quite a while to get going. On Saturday it worked out well but it’s not a habit they want to repeat often.
“We can’t be overly excited with this short little two-gamer at home,” Quenneville said. “I think that you get Schmaltzy back and you get some consistent lines and more predictable line mates. Maybe if we get that it’ll help push one another in the right way and get more consistency and speed in our game.”
Five takeaways from Blackhawks' 2-1 overtime win over Predators: How long can Brandon Saad keep this up for?
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/AP)
1. Corey Crawford stays sharp.
It was another busy night for the Blackhawks netminder, and he was on his A-game yet again from the moment the puck dropped.
Crawford made 29 of his 37 saves in the first two periods, and allowed only one goal for the fourth time in five games this season to up his season save percentage to .959.
"He's gotten off to a great start for us," Joel Quenneville said. "Can't say enough good things about him."
2. Slow start, strong finish.
The Blackhawks had 17 shot attempts in the first period, 11 of which were on goal, while the Predators peppered 32 attempts towards the net and got 18 on goal. It was an unorthodox start for the Blackhawks, who are outscoring their opponents 11-1 in the opening frame so far this season.
Seven of their eight high danger scoring chances allowed came in that period as well. If it weren't for Crawford, as mentioned above, it could've been a different result through 20 minutes.
3. Can Brandon Saad keep this up, and for how long?
The Blackhawks could not have envisioned a better start for Saad in his second stint with Chicago. He opened the season with a hat trick, and has recorded at least a point in five of six games.
He scored the overtime winner in this one after burying a perfect pass from Patrick Kane, and has now scored the game-winning goal in all four Blackhawks wins this season.
Saad is on pace for 82 goals. Is that doable?
"I don't know," Saad laughed. "I just try my best and do what I can. It's been fun so far."
4. Power play goes quiet.
The Blackhawks scored a power play goal in each of their last four games entering Saturday, but it dried up against Nashville.
They went 0-for-6 on the man advantage, and struggled to create any type of quality scoring chance despite recording eight shots on goal during them.
What needs to change in that area?
"More of the boring quotes that we're going to give you," Patrick Sharp joked with the media. "They're quotes because it's what works. Quick puck movement, more shots, traffic to the net. We feel like we're entering the zone okay, but we're just breaking out too many times, we're not sustaining pressure and generating a whole lot of scoring chances.
"I'm sure the next few days we'll talk about getting pucks to the net, screening the goalie, getting those second and third chances."
5. Pekka Rinne picks up where he left off.
The visiting goaltender wasn't too bad, either.
In four playoff games against the Blackhawks last year, Rinne allowed just three goals and had a .976 save percentage, including two shutouts in back-to-back games at the United Center.
He picked up right where he left off, and appeared to be headed for a third straight shutout in Chicago until Sharp got the Blackhawks on the scoreboard with 6:36 left in the third period.
Rinne finished the game with a season-high 33 saves.
Lean on Me: Blackhawks' goalies providing necessary support.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/AP)
For Corey Crawford, it’s all working pretty well right now. Good anticipation? Check. Lack of rebounds? Check. That glove, which used to draw so much criticism? It’s looking alright, too.
While the Blackhawks reconfigure lines to relocate early production and swap right-handed defensemen in and out of the lineup, there has been one constant: their goaltending, particularly Crawford, has been (as Quenneville likes to say) reliable and dependable.
After a barrage of goals in their first two games the Blackhawks have leaned on their goaltenders more in the past four contests. Good thing that Crawford and Anton Forsberg have been up to it. Since he’s started all but one game thus far, let’s look specifically at Crawford: through Sunday afternoon he was tied for first in the NHL in victories (four, with several other goaltenders) and led the league in save percentage (.960) and goals-against average (1.39).
“I feel pretty good. I’m reading the play well, I think,” Crawford said on Saturday night. “Not too many second opportunities, either. If they are, they’re more to the side and I’m just seeing it well and not being overly aggressive. I’m waiting for the chance to be aggressive.”
Crawford has been sharp and busy. Through his five starts Crawford has faced 174 shots (34.8 per game). Only three other NHL goaltenders have faced more (Mike Smith has seen 211 shots through six games, Jake Allen 180 through five and Andrei Vasilevskiy 179 through five). On Saturday Crawford credited the Blackhawks’ defense for the Predators taking more shots from the outside. Sure, but opponents have had their share of odd-man rushes, breakaways and scrums in front of the net.
“I like him around the net,” Quenneville said. “He’s cutting off plays that they’re trying to make that could generate even more chances. His anticipation in that area has been outstanding, he’s been moving the puck well, he’s square and it seems like he’s very involved. A lot of good things have happened in a couple of games but Crow’s been rock solid.”
The Blackhawks are trying to find the right lines in Nick Schmaltz’s absence. They’re doing the eight-defensemen juggling act and trying to work everyone into the lineup. They’re once again struggling on the power play. When other parts of your game are a work in progress you need a constant. So far, the Blackhawks’ goaltending has provided that.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Someone has to score for the Bulls, so why not Justin Holiday?
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Justin Holiday probably isn’t at the top of Las Vegas’ list for odds on being the Bulls’ high scorer, but if the preseason is any indication he’ll establish himself as a decent one.
The Bulls will struggle, especially until Zach LaVine returns, but shots will have to come from somewhere and Holiday’s aptitude for Fred Hoiberg’s system combined with his aggressiveness makes him a candidate to lead the Bulls in that category.
“This offense allows myself and guys on this team to flourish,” Holiday said. “A lot of movement, which I do well. Cutting and obviously shooting the ball. This offense is made for the team we have and made for me. We’re showing it thus far.”
Nikola Mirotic is more gifted and has a longer resume, but consistency isn’t at the top of his docket; He’s prone to go missing in action for weeks at a time.
Holiday’s ceiling doesn’t go as high but his floor isn’t as low. He takes shots in the flow of the offense. Because he moves around the perimeter so well, floating to the corner for skip passes and swing passes, he’ll have more than his share of open looks.
“I think the biggest thing Justin has done is his cuts, getting out on the break,” said Hoiberg. “We’re stressing simple plays. He takes what the defense gives him. He’s one of the guys who can stop on a dime, rise up with great balance and shoot the ball. Continue to make simple plays. It’s really an equal opportunity offense to where you cut hard and make the right reads you’ll get open shots.”
Seeing him average close to 15 points a game isn’t far-fetched for a guy who never averaged more than seven shots per game in his first four NBA seasons.
“I can’t say I thought it would be like that on a night-to-night basis. I mean I knew I would have more responsibility, more to do offensively,” Holiday said. “When I was here last time, with the guys who were able to score, that’s what I’m able to do, play with guys who can get buckets and still be effective. So I have the same mentality as I did.”
Holiday originally played for the Bulls in 2015-16, acquired in a trade involving Kirk Hinrich and then put in the package that sent Derrick Rose to New York right before the 2016 draft.
He was steady in his limited time that season, when the Bulls were in a different place and Holiday was certainly more of a complementary piece than a potential primary scorer.
As he’s worked on being a more consistent scorer, he’s noticed a change in Hoiberg, who was in his first season when Holiday arrived.
“I think he’s a little more assertive,” Holiday said. “He seems a little more comfortable, after the years and experiences he’s had. Ups and downs make you better for it, I think he’s better than he was the first time.”
Now he’s one of the few Bulls with a decent amount of NBA experience, although he’s still looking to establish himself individually. It puts him in a unique position of being looked to as a leader while also making sure his feet are firmly planted on the ground.
“I enjoy it. I feel like I’m trying to establish myself like they are,” Holiday said. “So I know I am considered a vet but I don’t think I’m an old dude. I think we’re all trying to get somewhere, we’re all trying to make it. That’s how it is for me.”
So when he was asked about potential statistical achievements this season, he shifted the conversation.
“My goals changed and me being a leader. The main thing I’m focused on was how I can lead to make this team successful,” Holiday said. “Some people might think leading is easy. Some people might not. To put your team in front of you before yourself, especially when you’re able to be on the floor a lot is something I’ve been focused on, not myself.”
By Bill Baer
(Photo/Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Last October, much was made of Orioles manager Buck Showalter opting not to use closer Zach Britton in a tense situation late in a playoff game. Britton was Showalter’s best pitcher last year but he chose to go with Ubaldo Jimenez and it cost the Orioles their chance to move on in the postseason.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon was guilty of a similar offense during Game 2 of the NLCS on Sunday night, but he won’t get nearly as much blowback for it because of his reputation as a savvy, unorthodox skipper.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, lefty Brian Duensing returned to the mound for his second inning of work. One probably wants closer Wade Davis in that situation rather than Duensing, especially if you figure hierarchy into the equation. Duensing walked Yasiel Puig to start the inning. Then, one should be leaning even more in favor of bringing Davis. Duensing stayed in. Charlie Culberson moved Puig to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Duensing then struck out pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer.
Maddon made the slow stroll to the mound. This must be the part were Davis comes in. Maddon instead brought in veteran starter John Lackey. Lackey is nearly 39 years old and did not have a great regular season, finishing with a 4.59 ERA over 170 2/3 innings. During the regular season, Davis struck out hitters 12.2 percent more often than Lackey while having an equivalent strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras couldn’t get on the same page as Lackey repeatedly asked for Contreras to go through the signs again. He fell behind Chris Taylor 3-1 before eventually walking him, bringing Turner to the plate. Turner is a great hitter and that may even be an understatement. He hardly struck out — his 10.3 K-rate was second-lowest among qualified hitters in baseball this season behind only Joe Panik. Facing Davis, though, increases the odds he does swing and miss. Turner took a first-pitch cutter in the dirt from Lackey for ball one, then drilled a 92 MPH fastball to left-center field for a walk-off three-run home run, winning Game 2 of the NLCS for the Dodgers by a 4-1 margin.
If, before Turner’s at-bat against Lackey, one were to rank the possible outcomes from likely to least likely, a home run is not that far from the top of the list. Lackey is just not that good anymore and he’s never been a bat-missing maven.
After the game, Maddon said, “We needed [Davis] for the save,” Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. Maddon wanted to hold Davis for a situation his team was never guaranteed to reach, rather than utilizing him to bridge the gap to gaining a potential lead.
Managers are put under a microscope in the postseason. It’s just part of the game. Sometimes we are guilty of nitpicking, but this isn’t such a case. Maddon improperly utilized his personnel and his team is now behind two games to none in a best-of-seven series as a result.
Five takeaways from Game 2: While Dodger bullpen dominates, where was Wade Davis? (10?15/2017).
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
You could feel Dodger Stadium shaking on Sunday night once Justin Turner slammed John Lackey’s 92-fastball out toward center field, clearing the wall for a three-run, walk-off homer that landed in a fan’s glove and left the Cubs two losses away from the end of their season.
Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” blasted from the sound system once the Dodgers grabbed control of this National League Championship Series, a sellout crowd of 54,479 celebrating a 4-1 victory that left the defending World Series champs down 0-2.
Where was All-Star closer Wade Davis in the ninth inning? That became the first question in Joe Maddon’s postgame press conference. The manager pushed lefty Brian Duensing into an extra inning and went with Lackey, a 38-year-old pitcher working on back-to-back days with almost zero experience as a reliever.
“I really just needed (Wade) for the save tonight,” Maddon said. “He had limited pitches. It was one inning only. And in these circumstances, you don't get him up and then don't get him in. So if we had caught the lead, he would have pitched. That's it.”
· The Cubs still would’ve had to score against a Dodger bullpen that’s now faced 25 hitters in the NLCS and only allowed one base-runner across eight no-hit innings.
The Cubs can’t count on winning a seven-game series filled with 2-1 and 3-2 games. A team that poured so much capital into its offense will need more from Bryzzo Souvenir Co. and the players – Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez, etc. – who delivered so many clutch hits during last year’s World Series run. A good sign: Addison Russell drilling a Rich Hill pitch down the left-field line and into the seats for a fifth-inning homer.
But the Dodgers built a bullpen for October, working backwards from $80 million closer Kenley Jansen. This lineup went 4-for-30 with a walk in a Game 1 loss – and all that came within the first five innings against Clayton Kershaw. Meaning it got harder once the Cubs knocked out a three-time Cy Young Award winner.
· No doubt, Jon Lester is extremely talented, but he evolved into a three-time World Series champion and a borderline Hall of Famer through the force of his will. Tired? Achy? Under the weather? Who cares?
Lester took the ball four days after throwing 55 pitches as a $155 million reliever, trying to finish off the Washington Nationals in the divisional round. It takes guts and a feel for pitching to work around five walks and limit the Dodgers to one run in 4.2 innings. Turner did the only damage with a two-out RBI single through the right side of the infield in the fifth inning – and Lester got bailed out when embattled reliever Carl Edwards Jr. struck out Chase Utley swinging at a curveball that left the pinch-hitter hopping in frustration.
The Cubs will need that veteran leadership and stabilizing influence once the NLCS shifts to Wrigley Field. As Lester said: “All we can we do is show up Tuesday ready to play.”
· With Lester maxed out at 103 pitches, the Cubs still needed to cover the next four innings. This isn’t the time for moral victories, but credit Edwards, Pedro Strop and Duensing for at least keeping it a 1-1 game into the ninth inning, and maybe that will be a confidence boost for this bullpen, because the Cubs need those relievers to be viable if they want to keep playing through October.
“You just don’t run away,” Maddon said. “There’s nowhere to run. These guys got to keep playing. And you got to keep putting them out there at what you think is the right time. That’s how you win, because we have eight games to win, not one or two.”
· Maddon worked for Andrew Friedman when the Tampa Bay Rays became known as a cutting-edge organization constantly looking for any advantage that would allow a small-market team to compete in the American League East. That philosophy is now combined with super-team resources in Los Angeles.
So, no, Maddon wasn’t surprised to hear that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described Corey Seager as feeling “normal-ish,” the day after a back injury forced the All-Star shortstop off the NLCS roster. For now.
“Of course, did you expect anything different?” Maddon said. “We’ll just see how it all plays out.”
5 takeaways from Game 1: Dodgers embrace the target, take aim at Cubs, (10/14/2017).
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/NBC Sports Chicago)
Embrace the Target: The Los Angeles Dodgers know this is a World Series-or-bust season after 104 wins, five straight division titles, a payroll soaring past $200 million and zero National League pennants since 1988.
The Dodgers have so many counterpunches that knocking Clayton Kershaw out after five innings didn’t really matter in a 5-2 Game 1 loss on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
These Cubs also don’t seem to do anything easy or mind playing with their backs against the wall or in front of a sellout crowd of 54,289. With that in mind, here are four more takeaways from Chavez Ravine:
**
This has been an emotional whirlwind for Jose Quintana, who wanted all the pressure and expectations that came with a contender after getting traded from the White Sox. Quintana got two outs as a reliever in Thursday night’s epic clincher in Washington, and enjoyed the celebration into Friday morning until his wife, Michel, experienced a panic attack, forcing the team’s charter flight to divert to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Cubs waited until Saturday to officially announce their Game 1 starter (an otherwise obvious choice). Running on adrenaline, Quintana put up four scoreless innings but seemed to wear down in the fifth, giving up back-to-back walks to Logan Forsythe and Austin Barnes that set up two runs for Los Angeles in what would ultimately become a battle of the bullpens.
**
Wade Davis can’t get seven-out (or four-inning) saves every night. Second-guess manager Joe Maddon all you want, but there are not many good options here. Hector Rondon, who was snubbed from the last playoff roster and hadn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 29, gulped after watching Chris Taylor hammer his second pitch (a 97.3-mph fastball) into the right-center-field seats for the go-ahead home run in the sixth inning. Yasiel Puig homered off Mike Montgomery in the seventh inning, when the Cubs handed the ball to John Lackey, who has made two relief appearances in a big-league career that began in 2002.
“We’re bullish on bullpens this time of the year,” Maddon said. “These guys are the reason we’re here in the first place. They had great seasons. So we all stub our toes on occasion. Nobody's perfect. Again, this is not a robotic game. This is not fantasy baseball. These are real people playing it. So for us (to) win eight more games, we have to utilize this entire group.”
**
Albert Almora Jr. will never be intimidated by the big stage or a three-time Cy Young Award winner, launching Kershaw’s 3-2 slider into the left-field seats for a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Almora crushes left-handed pitching (.898 OPS this season) and that will matter with the Dodgers lining up Rich Hill and Alex Wood for Games 2 and 4 and Kershaw still looming.
At the age of 23 and with several playoff moments already on his personal highlight reel, Almora is showing why the Cubs made him the first player drafted by the Theo Epstein regime, recognizing his fearlessness and baseball IQ after growing up in Miami, playing for Team USA and against elite competition year-round.
**
The Dodgers will not be quite the same team without Corey Seager, the All-Star shortstop they left off the NLCS roster while he recovers from a back injury. The Dodgers are built upon the depth and versatility that shows up more across a 162-game season, and Charlie Culberson is not a name to game-plan around during the playoffs. Seager also ranked third among all big-league shortstops with 10 defensive runs saved this season, the two-way excellence that made him last year’s unanimous NL Rookie of the Year.
Just ask Game 2 starter Jon Lester what Seager means to the Los Angeles lineup:
“Probably like a ‘K.B.’ (Kris Bryant) or (Anthony) Rizzo.”
Joe Maddon flips out, comparing MLB home-plate rule to Chicago soda tax.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/NBC Sports Chicago)
John Lackey, baseball culture warrior, gave an instant analysis before walking through Dodger Stadium’s visiting clubhouse on Saturday night: “It’s sad that’s the direction our game’s gotten. That’s a textbook play by a kid and he got penalized for it.”
But did the seventh-inning play the Cubs kept talking about – and kept getting asked about – really matter? Eh, sort of. It meant one run and a momentum swing – against a Dodger team that looks much sharper than the Washington Nationals and still had star closer Kenley Jansen waiting for a four-out save.
At least it gave manager Joe Maddon a distraction – and a chance to vent – after he got ejected from a 5-2 loss that put the Cubs down 0-1 in the National League Championship Series.
“That was a beautifully done major-league play all the way around,” Maddon said. “That gets interpreted kind of like tantamount to the soda tax in Chicago, for me.”
To reset: Justin Turner, a .300 hitter, singles into left field off Lackey, who almost never pitches out of the bullpen. Kyle Schwarber, who’s worked hard to shed his reputation as a bad defender after the 2015 NLCS, gathers himself and fires the ball to catcher Willson Contreras.
Trying to score from second base, Charlie Culberson slides but does not touch home plate, where Contreras had set up a partial roadblock. After a Dodger challenge and a replay review that lasted 2 minutes and 45 seconds, the call on the field is overturned. Dodgers 5, Cubs 2. Maddon goes wild.
“I saw a great baseball play,” Maddon said. “I saw Schwarber come in on a grounded ball, use his feet perfectly, make a low, great throw to the plate that could have been cut off.
“Perfect skip-hop, great play by Contreras, the ball kind of taking Willson towards the line, towards foul territory. He catches the ball, and his technique was absolutely 100 percent perfect.
“I could not disagree more with the interpretation of that. However, I will defend the umpires. The umpires did everything according to what they've been told. But from Day 1, I have totally disagreed with the content of that rule. I think it's wrong.”
So is your objection to the specific call, or to The Buster Posey Rule, even though it was called correctly?
“See, I don't think the rule was called correctly, either,” Maddon said. “From what I saw, the ball took Willson toward that line. I disagree with that, so I disagree with it on both counts, Your Honor.”
Schwarber’s perspective as someone who came up as a catcher and could still get behind the plate if needed:
“I still think the rule’s pretty vague. I know you have to give them the lane. That’s what it looked like at first – Willson actually did give him the lane. And then the ball was coming in, he stepped into the lane. That’s pretty much how we’re taught.”
In the end, maybe that call wouldn’t have made a difference and Jansen simply would’ve closed out a 4-2 game. But this is also the eighth playoff round for the Cubs since 2015, so they know how much all the little things matter and how you can’t give an inch.
“I’m defending my plate,” Contreras said. “I would not change anything. If I had to do that again, I would do it again.”
WHITE SOX: Inbox: How do White Sox prepare for Draft?
By Scott Merkin
Nick Hostetler, the White Sox director of amateur scouting, took time from his busy 2018 MLB Draft preparation to serve as the White Sox Inbox guest for this week. Here's Part 1 of Hostetler's answers.
Obviously that has changed here in the past few years, and I think it starts with Tim Anderson. One of the reasons why it might look like we had a tough time drafting hitters is because we used to take a lot of pitching. But the one thing you do is you try to limit the swing-and-miss picks and try to take guys who have a good eye and understand the strike zone and have the ability to get on base.
What are your thoughts on drafting the 2018 first-round pick from high school vs. college? -- Cary, Buffalo, Grove, Ill., @GoHawksAndSox
Past Drafts were during contention, so picks had to fit needs. Is this Draft more work since you're not looking for specific position? -- Jon, Ohio, @ChiSoxJRod
One Draft is never more work than another. If anything, you try to do things each year to progressively continue to get better as a department. So you are always adding more things that you do and using more data, using more information. The current Draft you are in is always the most work you are going to have.
What is the most important trait you look for when evaluating a hitting prospect? -- Ken, Crestwood, Ill., @ksawilchik
The big thing for me is confidence in the box: Guys who get in the box and know they belong in there, guys who show the ability to recognize a pitch and whether it's a strike, understand the strike zone. And guys who make contact. Those are the main things I focus on when I'm watching a hitter.
What is Zack Collins' primary goal at Instructs? -- Matt, Chicago, @Matt_Enuco
When he went down there, Zack was more just getting into a rhythm and timing at the plate that best suited his approach. Minor League hitting coordinator Mike Gellinger has done a really nice job of getting him into a good spot offensively.
He looked terrific last week. And then defensively, continuing to work on his receiving. His throwing has been great. His pop times have been terrific, anywhere from 1.9 to 1.95. Minor League catching coordinator John Orton has done a nice job with him there. Really defensively, just a continued progression of what he worked on this season.
After physical ability (obviously), what is the most important trait you look for when evaluating a player? -- John, Chicago, @JohnCarney3
The superstars, the guys who are good, they have that walk, that air about them. And you like to see that in guys who have confidence in their ability and know that when times get tough, they believe in themselves. Being able to see what that kid can bring to the table mentally is huge.
Are there any positions or player traits after all of these trades and picks that you still think needs addressing? -- Rob, Algonquin, @RRadulski
All set (laughs). Obviously pitching is something we continue to need. You can never have enough of it. But it's constantly, as White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said when this thing started, it's about adding as many impactful players and pitchers as we can, regardless of position or what arm they throw.
That's really the way we've looked at this. I don't think there's anything specifically we think we have holes in our system. We'll just continue to keep adding.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Perez cruises to four-shot win at CIMB
By Golf Channel Digital
(Photo/ Golf Channel Digital)
Pat Perez shot a 3-under 69 Sunday to easily win the CIMB Classic. Here's the lowdown from the final round in Malaysia:
Leaderboard: Perez (-24), Keegan Bradley (-20), Schauffele (-17), Sung Kang (-17), Cameron Smith (-16), Hideki Matsuyama (-16)
What it means: One year ago, Perez was coming off shoulder surgery and playing on a major medical extension. He received a sponsor's exemption into the CIMB Classic and finished T-33. More importantly, he regained some confidence after the long layoff. Three weeks later, he won at Mayakoba to regain his status. Perez returned this year and took control of the tournament with rounds of 66-65-64 and his third-career title was never really in jeopardy on Sunday. Perez made three straight birdies on Nos. 2-4 and came home with 10 straight pars for his second win in less than a year. Perez is expected to move into the top 20 in the world ranking on Monday. Last year at the CIMB he was ranked 333rd.
Round of the day: Cameron Smith shot a front-nine 30 and then finished with three straight birdies for his second 8-under 64 of the week. He finished T-5 in his first start since a T-12 at the BMW Championship.
Best of the rest: Keegan Bradley (67) didn't make a bogey on the weekend and recorded his second straight top-10 at the CIMB. Paul Casey fired a bogey-free 65 for his sixth top-10 in his last nine starts.
Biggest disappointment: Xander Schauffele finished T-3, so his week was hardly a disappointment, but the Rookie of the Year shot even par Sunday on a soft golf course and never really put any pressure on Perez in the final round.
Shot of the day: Anirban Lahiri nearly holed out his second shot on the par-4 14th.
Quote of the Day: "I'm not going to change. I'm still not going to work out, and I will still eat a bad diet." - Perez
J.Y. Ko the latest KLPGA talent to win an LPGA title.
By Randall Mell
The South Korean pipeline delivering promising young stars to the LPGA continues to flow.
Leaderboard: Perez (-24), Keegan Bradley (-20), Schauffele (-17), Sung Kang (-17), Cameron Smith (-16), Hideki Matsuyama (-16)
What it means: One year ago, Perez was coming off shoulder surgery and playing on a major medical extension. He received a sponsor's exemption into the CIMB Classic and finished T-33. More importantly, he regained some confidence after the long layoff. Three weeks later, he won at Mayakoba to regain his status. Perez returned this year and took control of the tournament with rounds of 66-65-64 and his third-career title was never really in jeopardy on Sunday. Perez made three straight birdies on Nos. 2-4 and came home with 10 straight pars for his second win in less than a year. Perez is expected to move into the top 20 in the world ranking on Monday. Last year at the CIMB he was ranked 333rd.
Round of the day: Cameron Smith shot a front-nine 30 and then finished with three straight birdies for his second 8-under 64 of the week. He finished T-5 in his first start since a T-12 at the BMW Championship.
Best of the rest: Keegan Bradley (67) didn't make a bogey on the weekend and recorded his second straight top-10 at the CIMB. Paul Casey fired a bogey-free 65 for his sixth top-10 in his last nine starts.
Biggest disappointment: Xander Schauffele finished T-3, so his week was hardly a disappointment, but the Rookie of the Year shot even par Sunday on a soft golf course and never really put any pressure on Perez in the final round.
Shot of the day: Anirban Lahiri nearly holed out his second shot on the par-4 14th.
Quote of the Day: "I'm not going to change. I'm still not going to work out, and I will still eat a bad diet." - Perez
J.Y. Ko the latest KLPGA talent to win an LPGA title.
By Randall Mell
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The South Korean pipeline delivering promising young stars to the LPGA continues to flow.
Jin Young Ko won the KEB Hana Bank Championship Sunday, becoming the fourth Korean LPGA Tour member in the last four years to win an LPGA event as a non-member.
Ko, 22, held off two South Korean superstars with huge followings in front of what the LPGA reported were record crowds. She closed with a 4-under-par 68 to defeat Rolex world No. 2 Sung Hyun Park (68) by two shots and No. 7 In Gee Chun (69) by three at the Sky 72 Ocean Course in Incheon.
“I have been quite nervous, starting yesterday,” Ko said through a translator. “After the final putt, I was kind of overwhelmed with emotion.”
It’s the 14th victory by a South Korean in 28 LPGA events this year, one shy of the country’s best win total in a single season. There are five LPGA events left this season.
Ko, a nine-time KLPGA Tour winner, has the option of taking up membership on the American-based LPGA tour this year and next year, or deferring membership until the start of next year.
“I haven't really given it much thought, because I hadn't imagined I would be given the opportunity,” Ko said. “I haven't really considered my options when it comes to the LPGA yet. There is another major event in the KLPGA that starts next week, so my mind was more on that.”
Ko, who has won three events in Korea in the last three months, will meet with her team to discuss her options.
“I can’t give you a response on what I plan to do,” she said. “Because I’m a KLPGA player, I should focus on the remaining season of the KLPGA. As for whether I am joining the LPGA, that’s not a decision I can make on my own. I would have to discuss that with my parents, my team, on what’s the best way forward.”
Ko opened with bogeys at two of the first three holes before taking charge with birdies at four of the last five holes on the front nine. She said the galleries were overwhelmingly behind Park and Chun, who have two of the largest fan clubs in Korean golf.
“In the final grouping, I was able to really realize just how many fans In Gee and Sung Hyun have,” Ko said. “When we were talking from hole to hole, the gallery would be cheering for them. I couldn’t really hear my name. That was a bit disappointing, slightly.”
Ko, who cited her Christian faith as having helped her, appeared to show some nervousness with those early bogeys, but she shook it off quickly.
“It was a first for me to play in front of such a large crowd,” she said. “I think that is also going to be an experience that can help me grow further as a player.”
Ko had an experienced guide helping her navigate through the huge crowds, with Dean Herden as her caddie. Herden, an Australian, was on Chun’s bag when she won the U.S. Women’s Open two years ago. He also was on So Yeon Ryu’s bag when she won the U.S. Women’s Open in 2011 and on Jiyai Shin’s bag when she won the Women’s British Open in 2008.
Herden, Ko said, steadied her after the rough start.
“After I made the two bogeys, I had a really long chat with Dean, about why I was so nervous,” Ko said. “I realized I had no reason to be nervous. I was actually putting a lot of pressure on myself. After that, Dean was there. He kept reminding me that being nervous was quite natural, that I needed to accept those nerves. I think I kept reminding myself of that.”
Monty wins SAS for second Champs win in five weeks.
By Associated Press
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Colin Montgomerie earned his second PGA Tour Champions victory in five weeks on Sunday, a three-stroke win at the SAS Championship.
Montgomerie shot a bogey-free, 8-under 64 in his final round at Prestonwood Country Club.
He earned $315,000 for his sixth career victory on the 50-and-over tour, and improved two spots to No. 7 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings in the tour's regular-season finale.
The 54-year-old Scot finished at 16-under 200. He won the tour's first-ever event in Japan - the Japan Airlines Championship - last month. The Hall-of-Famer won 31 times on the European Tour and topped the tour's money list a record eight times - seven in a row from 1993-99 and the last in 2005.
Vijah Singh and Doug Garwood each shot 66 and tied for second at 13-under 203. Corey Pavin was one stroke behind them after a 67.
Montgomerie began the final round sharing the lead with Phillip Price and Jerry Kelly. He had three birdies on the front nine before pulling away with five birdies on the back nine - including on the 14th, 15th and 17th holes - before closing with a par on the par-4 18th.
Montgomerie has said he hopes to be on form entering the Schwab Cup playoffs - which begin next week in Richmond, Virginia, for the top 72 players - after he started the season slowly because of injuries. He was sidelined for more than two months in the spring with torn ligaments in his left ankle.
Hatton wins second straight European Tour title.
By Associated Press
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Tyrrell Hatton sunk a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Italian Open on Sunday for his second European Tour victory in two weeks.
Last week, Hatton retained his title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the storied Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Now the Englishman is up to fifth in the Race to Dubai rankings.
It looked like Hatton was heading for a three-man playoff before he rolled his final putt into the bottom of the cup and unleashed a series of fist pumps to celebrate the Rolex Series victory.
''I had a good feeling standing over it, even though my hands were shaking and my knees were shaking,'' Hatton said.
A day after celebrating his 26th birthday, Hatton birdied five of the last seven holes for a bogey-free 65 to finish at 21 under.
''It was a battle with myself today,'' said Hatton, who had a slow front nine. ''But my caddie kept saying it would come in the end and it did. ... I got a hot streak with the putter, which helps a lot.''
Fellow Englishman Ross Fisher and Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand tied for second, one stroke behind, while third-round leader Matt Wallace finished fourth at 19 under.
Defending champion and home favorite Francesco Molinari finished in a tie for sixth.
Hatton took home a first-place check of around $1.1 million, the biggest prize in an increased purse of $7 million this year as part of the buildup to the 2022 Ryder Cup outside Rome.
Crowds were large throughout the week at the Golf Club Milano, next to Monza's Formula One circuit.
NASCAR: Brad Keselowski wins Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/www.rocketcitynow.com)
Brad Keselowski survived three major wrecks in the final 16 laps to win the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and advance to the third round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Keselowski passed Ryan Newman on the final turn of the last lap to secure the win.
The Team Penske driver beat Newman, Trevor Bayne, Joey Logano and Aric Almirola to the finish line.
“I survived,” Keselowski told NBC. “What a special day. We haven’t been as good a we want to be on the mile-and-a-halfs, so we knew we needed to come to Talladega and get it done. This is a great track for us and one we really enjoy coming to. It’s great to get a win here. No. 5. I never thought I would win at all at Talladega, but five times. Oh my gosh.”
The win was Keselowski’s third at Talladega since 2014, his fifth overall at the 2.66-mile track, and it came in his 300th Cup start.
Keselowski took his No. 2 Ford to victory lane despite having radio problems in the middle of the race that hampered communication with his team.
“You’ve got to have a little bit of luck in these races and you’ve got to be able to execute at the end,” Keselowski said.
Pole-sitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished seventh in his last Cup start at the speedway.
The paint scheme on Keselowski’s car was a tribute to Earnhardt. It was based on Keselowski’s paint scheme when he won his first two Xfinity races for JR Motorsports, which is co-owned by Earnhardt.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Brad Keselowski
STAGE 2 WINNER: Ryan Blaney
WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: The 13 cars that finished on the lead lap. … Ryan Newman’s second-place finish is his best result in 32 Talladega starts, … Gray Gaulding finished a career-best ninth in his 26th start. … Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished in the top 10 in two of the last three races. They are his only top 10s in the last 15 races. … Joey Logano finished fourth despite suffering major damage in one of the three major wrecks late in the race.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Jamie McMurray was eliminated after a multi-car crash on Lap 26 as he and other Chevrolet drivers attempted to enter pit road. He finished 37th. …. Clint Bowyer finished 35th after being involved in a multi-car wreck on a restart with 33 to go …. Playoff contenders Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth were in a 17-car wreck with 16 laps to go. Kenseth and Harvick continued, but Harvick was eliminated in another wreck with 10 to go along with playoff contender Ryan Blaney and Danica Patrick. … Johnson was ruled out of the race by NASCAR for his team working on his car under the first red flag. He finished 24th … A third red flag was issued with five laps to go for a wreck with Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher and Kasey Kahne.
NOTABLE: Keselowski is the seventh driver to win in his 300th start … Team Penske has won four of the last five Talladega races. … The 17-car wreck with 16 laps to go brought out the red flag, which lasted 12 minutes and 30 seconds … The multi-car wreck with 10 laps to go caused a five minute and 45 second red flag. … The third red flag with five laps to go lasted 17 minutes and 14 seconds.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m glad I don’t have to do that again.” – Brad Keselowski after surviving three major wrecks and radio issues to win.
WHAT’S NEXT: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 22 on NBCSN.
The points standings and who’s in trouble entering the cutoff race at Kansas Speedway.
By Nate Ryan
Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Jamie McMurray left Talladega Superspeedway with their championship hopes hanging in the balance Sunday.
Busch, who finished 27th Sunday, is ranked ninth in the standings, seven points behind Jimmie Johnson for the final transfer spot from the Round of 12, which concludes with the Oct. 22 cutoff race at Kansas Speedway.
Kenseth (14th Sunday) is eight points out in 10th. Stenhouse (26th) is 22 points behind, and McMurray, who finished 37th after causing the first caution on the 26th lap, is 29 points out and virtually needs a victory to advance.
Charlotte winner Martin Truex Jr. and Talladega winner Brad Keselowski are the only drivers ensured of advancing to the Round of 8. The other six drivers who currently are above the cut line: Kyle Larson (plus 29), Kevin Harvick (plus 22), Denny Hamlin (plus 21), Chase Elliott (plus 20), Ryan Blaney (plus 9) and Johnson (plus 8).
Click here for the points standings after Talladega.
Parker Kligerman wins Truck race at Talladega.
By Dustin Long
NASCAR on NBC analyst Parker Kligerman led the final two laps and won in overtime to score his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway.
Christopher Bell finished second. Myatt Snider placed third.
Kligerman’s other series victory came in 2012 at Talladega. Just like then, he planted the checkered flag in the frontstretch grass.
“Everything is just a blur,” Kligerman said. “Every move worked perfectly. When I go back and look at it, I’ll look at those moves, some of the hardest to make are when you are in the bottom and you’re running the top five and you don’t really have a partner and you’re trying to stop or block that top lane or get that momentum of that top lane. All I think about these speedway races is literally the last three laps and what I’m going to see out of the right rear of my truck because the move that you make to win these races 90 percent of the time is that.”
Kaz Grala, who was involved in an early wreck, and Chase Briscoe, who had mechanical issues early, were eliminated from playoff contention.
Advancing to the Round of 6 are Bell, Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter, Austin Cindric and Nemechek.
Stage 1 winner: Johnny Sauter
Notable: Parker Kligerman led only three of 95 laps, including the final two.
Quote of the day: “That’s a tough one,’’ Kaz Grala said after a wreck prevented him from advancing to the next round of the playoffs.
Truck points standings after Talladega.
By Dustin Long
Christopher Bell will be the points leader when the Round of 6 begins later this month at Martinsville Speedway.
Bell will enter the next round with 3,047 points. He’ll be followed by Johnny Sauter (3,027 points), Matt Crafton (3,014), John Hunter Nemechek (3,014), Ben Rhodes (3,013) and Austin Cindric (3,007).
Click here for points report
SOCCER: Even a win showed how injuries could derail Fire's playoff run.
Keselowski passed Ryan Newman on the final turn of the last lap to secure the win.
The Team Penske driver beat Newman, Trevor Bayne, Joey Logano and Aric Almirola to the finish line.
“I survived,” Keselowski told NBC. “What a special day. We haven’t been as good a we want to be on the mile-and-a-halfs, so we knew we needed to come to Talladega and get it done. This is a great track for us and one we really enjoy coming to. It’s great to get a win here. No. 5. I never thought I would win at all at Talladega, but five times. Oh my gosh.”
The win was Keselowski’s third at Talladega since 2014, his fifth overall at the 2.66-mile track, and it came in his 300th Cup start.
Keselowski took his No. 2 Ford to victory lane despite having radio problems in the middle of the race that hampered communication with his team.
“You’ve got to have a little bit of luck in these races and you’ve got to be able to execute at the end,” Keselowski said.
Pole-sitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished seventh in his last Cup start at the speedway.
The paint scheme on Keselowski’s car was a tribute to Earnhardt. It was based on Keselowski’s paint scheme when he won his first two Xfinity races for JR Motorsports, which is co-owned by Earnhardt.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Brad Keselowski
STAGE 2 WINNER: Ryan Blaney
WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: The 13 cars that finished on the lead lap. … Ryan Newman’s second-place finish is his best result in 32 Talladega starts, … Gray Gaulding finished a career-best ninth in his 26th start. … Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished in the top 10 in two of the last three races. They are his only top 10s in the last 15 races. … Joey Logano finished fourth despite suffering major damage in one of the three major wrecks late in the race.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Jamie McMurray was eliminated after a multi-car crash on Lap 26 as he and other Chevrolet drivers attempted to enter pit road. He finished 37th. …. Clint Bowyer finished 35th after being involved in a multi-car wreck on a restart with 33 to go …. Playoff contenders Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth were in a 17-car wreck with 16 laps to go. Kenseth and Harvick continued, but Harvick was eliminated in another wreck with 10 to go along with playoff contender Ryan Blaney and Danica Patrick. … Johnson was ruled out of the race by NASCAR for his team working on his car under the first red flag. He finished 24th … A third red flag was issued with five laps to go for a wreck with Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher and Kasey Kahne.
NOTABLE: Keselowski is the seventh driver to win in his 300th start … Team Penske has won four of the last five Talladega races. … The 17-car wreck with 16 laps to go brought out the red flag, which lasted 12 minutes and 30 seconds … The multi-car wreck with 10 laps to go caused a five minute and 45 second red flag. … The third red flag with five laps to go lasted 17 minutes and 14 seconds.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m glad I don’t have to do that again.” – Brad Keselowski after surviving three major wrecks and radio issues to win.
WHAT’S NEXT: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 22 on NBCSN.
The points standings and who’s in trouble entering the cutoff race at Kansas Speedway.
By Nate Ryan
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Jamie McMurray left Talladega Superspeedway with their championship hopes hanging in the balance Sunday.
Busch, who finished 27th Sunday, is ranked ninth in the standings, seven points behind Jimmie Johnson for the final transfer spot from the Round of 12, which concludes with the Oct. 22 cutoff race at Kansas Speedway.
Kenseth (14th Sunday) is eight points out in 10th. Stenhouse (26th) is 22 points behind, and McMurray, who finished 37th after causing the first caution on the 26th lap, is 29 points out and virtually needs a victory to advance.
Charlotte winner Martin Truex Jr. and Talladega winner Brad Keselowski are the only drivers ensured of advancing to the Round of 8. The other six drivers who currently are above the cut line: Kyle Larson (plus 29), Kevin Harvick (plus 22), Denny Hamlin (plus 21), Chase Elliott (plus 20), Ryan Blaney (plus 9) and Johnson (plus 8).
Click here for the points standings after Talladega.
Parker Kligerman wins Truck race at Talladega.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/Getty Images)
NASCAR on NBC analyst Parker Kligerman led the final two laps and won in overtime to score his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway.
Christopher Bell finished second. Myatt Snider placed third.
Kligerman’s other series victory came in 2012 at Talladega. Just like then, he planted the checkered flag in the frontstretch grass.
“Everything is just a blur,” Kligerman said. “Every move worked perfectly. When I go back and look at it, I’ll look at those moves, some of the hardest to make are when you are in the bottom and you’re running the top five and you don’t really have a partner and you’re trying to stop or block that top lane or get that momentum of that top lane. All I think about these speedway races is literally the last three laps and what I’m going to see out of the right rear of my truck because the move that you make to win these races 90 percent of the time is that.”
Kaz Grala, who was involved in an early wreck, and Chase Briscoe, who had mechanical issues early, were eliminated from playoff contention.
Advancing to the Round of 6 are Bell, Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter, Austin Cindric and Nemechek.
Stage 1 winner: Johnny Sauter
Stage 2 winner: Johnny Sauter
How Parker Kligerman won: He avoided issues early, put himself in the right spot and took the lead on the overtime restart to win.
Who had a good day: John Hunter Nemechek finished sixth after being in an accident and avoiding two others later to advance in the playoffs despite entering the race last among the playoff contenders, 14 points out of a transfer spot. … Christopher Bell finished second for his fourth consecutive top-three finish. … Myatt Snider finished a career-best third.
Who had a bad day: Daytona winner Kaz Grala’s playoff hopes ended when he was involved in a crash on Lap 19. Chris Fontaine spun and Grala was involved in an incident when he was hit from behind and sent into the wall. Grala finished 29th. … Chase Briscoe’s truck started smoking on lap 6 and went to the garage on Lap 8 after fluids were leaking. He returned 10 laps down and finished 22nd, nine laps behind the leaders but it wasn’t good enough to advance in the playoffs.
Quote of the day: “That’s a tough one,’’ Kaz Grala said after a wreck prevented him from advancing to the next round of the playoffs.
Next: Oct. 28 at Martinsville Speedway
Truck points standings after Talladega.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Getty Images)
Christopher Bell will be the points leader when the Round of 6 begins later this month at Martinsville Speedway.
Bell will enter the next round with 3,047 points. He’ll be followed by Johnny Sauter (3,027 points), Matt Crafton (3,014), John Hunter Nemechek (3,014), Ben Rhodes (3,013) and Austin Cindric (3,007).
Click here for points report
SOCCER: Even a win showed how injuries could derail Fire's playoff run.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/Getty Images)
Major League Soccer has earned a reputation as a league of very fine margins.
The league’s desired goal of parity means only a couple very good or very bad teams are notably better or worse than most of the pack. A couple key injuries leave a big mark on a team.
When the Fire lost six of seven matches after the Gold Cup break injuries were an easy explanation for the team’s slump. Brandon Vincent and Matt Polster were both in the middle of breakout seasons and their absences coincided with the dropoff in results. They returned and the team has showed improvement in a 4-1-2 stretch since the skid ended.
The recent run has secured a playoff berth, but a new group of injuries have popped up at similar times and could doom the Fire’s chances of doing any damage in the playoffs. In Sunday’s 3-2 win against Philadelphia, a team already eliminated from playoff contention and which has just one win on the road all season, the Fire were without Bastian Schweinsteiger, Juninho and Michael de Leeuw. David Accam, who has been nursing a hip injury, came off the bench.
Even in victory, the Fire had to come from behind and showed a less than stellar performance with plenty on the line. Playoff seeding is incredibly tight heading into the final weekend, with the Fire having the chance to finish anywhere from second to fifth.
The Fire led in the third minute but trailed 10 minutes later, something that irked coach Veljko Paunovic.
“After the third minute we actually thought that the game for us was over and that’s unacceptable,” Paunovic said. “We cannot ever again have that performance or that mindset.”
Paunovic did praise the team’s character to find a way to turn it on and get the win.
“We are kind of happy to see that we are capable to react that way, to go basically from zero to 10 in just 15 minutes of the halftime break,” Paunovic said.
However, the need to turn it on like that is not a good sign for the playoffs when the opponents will be better than Philadelphia. One of the reasons for the improved play was the introduction of David Accam into the match after halftime. Accam was fouled in the box to earn the penalty kick that Nemanja Nikolic scored to tie the match.
The Ghanaian has been nursing a hip injury for weeks and it has limited his playing time. This was the third straight match he has not started. When asked if not starting Accam was about his injury or resting him for the playoffs, Paunovic said, “It’s a little bit of everything.”
The Ghanaian has been nursing a hip injury for weeks and it has limited his playing time. This was the third straight match he has not started. When asked if not starting Accam was about his injury or resting him for the playoffs, Paunovic said, “It’s a little bit of everything.”
“I felt good today on the field,” Accam said. “I haven’t played in a long time so today I felt good and I think I’m ready to help this team.”
Accam described the injury as a nerve injury. He said the plan was for him to play 30 minutes, but Paunovic told him to get ready earlier because the team might need him.
“Sometimes I just wake up and I don’t know,” Accam said. “It’s really painful. Other times it feels so good. The last two or three weeks it feels really, really painful.”
This was also the first match Michael de Leeuw, the team’s leader in assists, missed due to his torn ACL suffered last match against New York City FC. Juninho missed his fifth straight match with a knee injury and his status for the playoffs remains unclear. Bastian Schweinsteiger is nursing a thigh injury and while he is expected to be available for the postseason, his fitness will be in question. Joao Meira went down early in Sunday’s match and finished the match, but was walking with a significant limp in the locker room after the game.
This all adds up to plenty question marks heading into the playoffs for the Fire. Who knows what the team will look like when the postseason rolls around.
Serie A: Icardi completes hat trick on 90′; Inter take Milan derby.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo/Roberto Bregani/ANSA via AP)
Seemingly absent one moment, he swoops in unannounced to score in the next.
The Argentine striker had a hat trick in Inter Milan’s 3-2 derby victory over big-spending AC Milan on Sunday, displaying perfect timing to redirect two crosses, then calmly converting a penalty for the winner in the 90th.
It was an entertaining Derby della Madonnina, with Suso and Giacomo Bonaventura each scoring temporary equalizers for Milan and both sides hitting the goal frame.
Undefeated Inter took sole possession of second place, moving two points behind perfect Napoli and three ahead of six-time defending champion Juventus and Lazio.
Milan, which was bought by a Chinese-led consortium in April, spent nearly $250 million on new players in the offseason. But after a strong start to the season, the Rossoneri have lost three straight and sit 10th with half as many points as Napoli.
Leonardo Bonucci, the centerpiece of Milan’s massive overhaul, was beaten for Icardi’s opener midway through the first half.
On his first touch in the opponent’s box, Icardi redirected a tremendous cross from Antonio Candreva as Bonucci trailed behind.
Icardi barely touched the ball but somehow landed it in the far corner.
Candreva had already hit the crossbar 13 minutes in at the San Siro, less than a week after he scored the only goal in Italy’s win over Albania.
Andre Silva — one of the 11 new players Milan signed — hit the post for Milan shortly before Suso scored in the 56th with a long, bouncing shot from beyond the area.
After the hour mark, Icardi got his second by again redirecting a cross into the far corner, this time with a volley following Ivan Perisic’s pass.
Bonaventura slid in at the far post and made it 2-2 in the 81st but then Ricardo Rodriguez was shown yellow for a clear foul on Danilo D’Ambrosio and Icardi converted the spot kick.
Ligue 1 roundup: PSG grab late win to open early 6-point lead.
Associated Press
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
On a frustrating day for the world’s two most expensive players, and with the club’s top scorer rested, it was unheralded defender Thomas Meunier who got Paris Saint-Germain’s goals in a 2-1 win at Dijon on Saturday.
Neymar and Kylian Mbappe cost PSG a combined $478 million when they joined in the offseason. They had an off day, although Mbappe made some amends by setting up Meunier’s winner in the second minute of injury time.
It was the attack-minded right back’s fourth goal in four games, including one for Belgium last weekend in a World Cup qualifier.
“I always try and follow things up, that’s my style,” Meunier said. “I love bringing something to the attack.”
The win moved French league leader PSG six points clear of defending champion Monaco, which lost at Lyon 3-2 on Friday.
PSG was without Edinson Cavani — left out after playing for Uruguay in World Cup qualifying this week — but carved out enough chances to win easily.
PSG was coasting to victory until the 87th minute, when Dijon launched a hopeful ball up the field, forcing PSG center half Marquinhos to hack clear. The looping ball fell to forward Benjamin Jeannot some 35 yards out and he hit a tremendous left-footed volley over the head of goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
Then Mbappe’s cross fell to Meunier on the edge of the area, and his low shot squeezed through the legs of defender Oussama Haddadi and over the line.
“We fought hard the whole game and showed that we could stand up to PSG,” Dijon goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet said. “We got back into the game in an incredible way, so it’s a pity to concede that goal the way we did. We lost a bit of concentration.”
Dijon played with a high energy and harried PSG all over the pitch, forcing mistakes.
PSG’s frustration showed when Neymar was shown a yellow card for a cheap foul on Dijon defender Cedric Varrault.
Reynet made a stunning reflex save to push away Mbappe’s low volley and saved again moments later from Neymar’s strike, but could not recover in time to stop Meunier’s low shot slipping under his body in the 70th.
Saint-Etienne scored three late goals to beat Metz 3-1 and move up to third place, while Caen dropped down to eighth spot after losing 2-0 at home to Angers.
Guingamp moved up to ninth with a 2-0 home win over Rennes, but Lille’s struggles continued as it conceded an injury-time goal in a 2-2 home draw with Troyes.
Striker Andy Delort’s first-half goal sealed mid-table Toulouse a 1-0 home win against Amiens.
***********************
Montpellier continued its habit of troubling the leading teams by beating Nice 2-0 in the French league on Sunday.
Montpellier is unbeaten so far against the top three from last season. It has drawn against defending champion Monaco and runner-up Paris Saint-Germain and comfortably beaten Nice in successive games.
Benin attacking midfielder Stephane Sessegnon and Belgium forward Isaac Mbenza scored in the second half with their first goals of the campaign.
Sessegnon was once considered among the biggest talents in the French league when he joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2008, but his career never really took off despite several years in the English Premier League with Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion.
The 33-year-old Sessegnon showed a glimpse of his ability, however, with a ferocious strike from 25 meters (yards) that flew into the top right corner in the 55th minute.
The win moved Montpellier up to mid-table, while Nice drops down to a miserable 14th place after its fifth defeat so far.
Nice offered little threat, with Mario Balotelli well contained by the home defense. When the former Inter Milan and Manchester City striker did get a chance in the first half, he was thwarted by goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte’s sprawling save.
Nantes is resolute, well organized, opportunist and tough to beat under coach Claudio Ranieri.
Sound familiar? So was unheralded Leicester when Ranieri guided it to the Premier League title in 2015-16 in one of the greatest upsets in soccer history.
Ranieri has little hope of winning the French title this season, however, faced with the attacking power of Paris Saint-Germain.
After losing the first two league games, Ranieri’s side is unbeaten in seven and sits comfortably in fourth place following Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Bordeaux.
Serie A: Juve’s title stranglehold looks looser after loss to Lazio.
Associated Press
(Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images)
Juventus’ stranglehold on the Serie A title for six straight seasons looks at risk of being broken.
The Bianconeri were beaten by Lazio for the second time this season on Saturday, falling 2-1 at home after conceding two goals to Ciro Immobile just like in the Italian Super Cup in August.
It’s the second straight match that Juventus has dropped points after drawing with Atalanta 2-2 before the international break.
“We need to work on our lapses in concentration,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “We fought but only in segments. At other times we were too loose.”
League leader Napoli won at Roma 1-0 with a first-half goal from Lorenzo Insigne to open up a five-point advantage over Inter Milan, Juventus and Lazio.
Inter faces AC Milan in the Milan derby on Sunday.
Inter faces AC Milan in the Milan derby on Sunday.
“The lads should enjoy this achievement,” said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi, who is being mentioned as an eventual replacement if Allegri leaves Juventus. “At the start of the season they said we would finish ninth or 10th. Now people should be talking about us.”
Juventus led 1-0 at halftime courtesy of a rebound goal from Douglas Costa but experienced defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli couldn’t contain Immobile after the break.
Substitute Paulo Dybala came close to rescuing Juventus but was denied first by the post in stoppage time then had a penalty blocked by Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha at the final whistle.
Substitute Paulo Dybala came close to rescuing Juventus but was denied first by the post in stoppage time then had a penalty blocked by Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha at the final whistle.
Immobile had no such trouble.
Two minutes into the second half, Luis Alberto set up Immobile to finish a counterattack with a confident, low, angled shot.
Five minutes later, Immobile was at it again in a virtual replay, only this time goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon charged forward and tripped the striker to set up a penalty.
Immobile drilled his spot kick to the right corner as Buffon went the other way.
“This gives us more motivation,” Immobile said. “Lazio has been doing great things since the Super Cup.”
Immobile leads the Serie A scoring chart with 11 in eight matches and also has the best tally in Europe’s top five leagues with 15 in all competitions for Lazio.
Immobile also scored in Italy’s 1-0 win over Israel last month and national coach Gian Piero Ventura will be hoping he stays in form for a World Cup qualifying playoff next month.
Juventus, meanwhile, will have to take a long look at its once-vaunted defense after relinquishing a lead for the second straight game.
The Turin club had been undefeated for 57 home matches in all competitions.
An involuntary assist from Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi set up Napoli’s goal.
Midway through the first half, De Rossi accidentally set up Insigne with only the goalkeeper to beat and the diminutive Italy forward took advantage to score his 100th career goal.
Midway through the first half, De Rossi accidentally set up Insigne with only the goalkeeper to beat and the diminutive Italy forward took advantage to score his 100th career goal.
Kostas Manolas, Roma’s top defender, exited with an apparent injury early in the second half and Napoli goalkeeper preserved the clean sheet by blocking a header from Federico Fazio.
It was the first league match this season in which Napoli didn’t score at least three goals.
Still, the Partenopei remain on course for their first title since 1990, when Diego Maradona played.
Napoli visits Manchester in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Roma visits Chelsea a day later and Juventus hosts Sporting Lisbon.
La Liga: Barcelona hit Atleti late, but lose perfect record.
Associated Press
(Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Barcelona lost its perfect Spanish league record and salvaged a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid with a late equalizer by Luis Suarez on Saturday.
Suarez scored with a header from close range in the 82nd minute to leave Barcelona five points ahead of Real Madrid, which defeated Getafe 2-1 with a late winner by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Atletico contained Lionel Messi and was in control of the game until Suarez found the net after being ineffective for most of the match.
Saul Niguez gave the hosts the lead at their Wanda Metropolitano Stadium with a well-placed shot from outside the area in the first half.
The draw left Atletico in third place, six points behind Barelona, which won its first seven league matches.
The draw left Atletico in third place, six points behind Barelona, which won its first seven league matches.
Sevilla dropped to fourth place, also six points off the lead, after losing at Athletic Bilbao 1-0.
Atletico was looking to win the first high-profile game of the league and establish itself as a contender beside Barcelona and Madrid.
Barcelona, which had outscored opponents 23-2, controlled possession but it was Atletico which was able to create the most significant opportunities. Antoine Griezmann had two clear chances denied by Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen early.
Atletico did a good job stopping Messi, after his starring role to put Argentina in the World Cup. He has 14 goals in 11 matches with Barcelona but was shut out at the Metropolitano. A second-half free kick hit the post.
Suarez, who was also coming off a long trip with Uruguay, struggled until jumping between Atletico defenders to head in a cross by substitute Sergi Roberto.
Two weeks after playing behind closed doors to protest the Spanish government’s moves to halt Catalonia’s independence referendum, Barcelona was met with Spanish flags, and outspoken defender Gerard Pique was loudly jeered by the local fans.
Ronaldo had been mostly subdued for Madrid until scoring the 85th-minute winner at Alfonso Perez Coliseum in southern Madrid.
After a perfect long pass by Isco, Ronaldo let the ball bounce and fired in for his first league goal of the season.
“We know that when we need Cristiano, he is always there for us,” Madrid left back Marcelo said.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring for Madrid with a great run into the area, getting past a defender with a quick touch before sending a low shot into the far corner. It was also his first league goal. The French striker was returning from injury.
Striker Jorge Molina equalized for the hosts early in the second half. Replays showed Molina was offside.
Getafe, which had a few chances to equalize in the final minutes, also conceded late goals in home losses to Sevilla and Barcelona. It dropped to 14th in the 20-team standings.
“We can’t allow this to keep happening,” Molina said of the late goals. “Maybe we shouldn’t have stayed only on defense, maybe we could have pressed a little bit more.”
Madrid got the win even though coach Zinedine Zidane couldn’t count on several regulars following the international break.
PL roundup: Man City, Spurs capitalize on dropped points-a-plenty.
By Andy Edwards
What Saturday’s feature fixture left viewers desperately wanting, the rest of the Premier League’s big boys provided in spades… for better and for worse.
Manchester City scored seven all by themselves, Chelsea and Arsenal each fell away from home in London derbies, and then you have a somewhat forgotten Tottenham Hotspur side which finally got its first home win of the season and climbed into the top-three.
It’s time for the rest of the PL to face a very sobering fact: there might not be any stopping this edition of Man City. Pep Guardiola‘s side might score 125 goals this season (currently on pace for 123). Only three sides have cracked the century mark since the turn of the millennium — Man City (103) and Liverpool (102) in 2013-14, and Chelsea (103) in 2009-10. The goals come from everywhere (six different scorers on Saturday), just as the assists do (five different assisters).
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Bournemouth — RECAP
They needed four tries to do it, but Tottenham have won their first PL game at Wembley Stadium this season. Considering Mauricio Pochettino‘s side’s struggles at their temporary home, it’s shocking to see them already four points clear of Chelsea, the defending champions (and the only side to beat Spurs through eight games), and Arsenal in the table. Spurs’ 100-percent away record won’t last forever, making points at home all the more important going forward, even if they’re won by grinding out 1-0 victories over relegation-threatened sides like Bournemouth.
Crystal Palace 2-1 Chelsea — RECAP
First goal of the season: check. First point: check. First win: check. Saturday was a big day for Roy Hodgson’s Palace, who shocked the world by knocking off Chelsea at Selhurst Park, courtesy of goals scored by Cesar Azpilicueta (own goal) and Wilfried Zaha (deployed as a striker, alongside fellow winger Andros Townsend). Just like that, the Eagles are within four points of safety, though at some point they’ll need to do some serious work on that -16 goal differential.
Watford 2-1 Arsenal — RECAP
Arsenal took a 1-0 lead into the final 20 minutes of Saturday’s clash at Vicarage Road, and walked away without a single point to show for their efforts. Troy Deeney equalized from the penalty spot in the 71st minute and Tom Cleverley slammed home a rebound in the 91st to push the Hornets into fourth place in the league table. You could say Marco Silva‘s first season at the club is going quite well.
Liverpool 0-0 Man United — RECAP
Jose Mourinho showed he’s still go it, assuming “it” means the ability to play for a 0-0 draw and fail to entertain anyone in his side’s biggest game of the season thus far. While the Red Devils looked most every bit City’s equals through seven games, this might have been the day it all became clear: City simply have another gear (or two, who knows) that not even their neighbors can call upon.
Swansea City 2-0 Huddersfield — RECAP
The start to life in the PL was brilliant for Huddersfield (two wins from their first two games), but the season-long reality has quickly set in for David Wagner‘s side, as they’ve gone winless in their last six games, including a 2-0 humbling at the Liberty Stadium. Chelsea’s on-loan striker Tammy Abraham scored both Swans goals (his third and fourth this season) to push Paul Clement‘s side all the way up to 13th.
Burnley 1-1 West Ham United — RECAP
With West Ham leading 1-0 after 19 minutes, Andy Carroll took it upon himself to bring Burnley right back into the game, by way of two nearly identical yellow cards in the span of two minutes (25th and 27th). The Hammers held on for quite some time, but Chris Wood, the Clarets’ late-game hero, struck again in the 85th minute. Burnley currently sit seventh, ahead of Liverpool on goal differential. West Ham are 14th.
NCAAFB: 2017 NCAA FBS Football Rankings, 10/08//2017.
AP
| RANK | SCHOOL | POINTS | RECORD |
PREVIOUS
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (61) | 1525 | 7-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Penn State | 1432 | 6-0 | 3 |
| 3 | Georgia | 1417 | 7-0 | 4 |
| 4 | TCU | 1322 | 6-0 | 6 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 1241 | 6-0 | 7 |
| 6 | Ohio State | 1184 | 6-1 | 9 |
| 7 | Clemson | 1117 | 6-1 | 2 |
| 8 | Miami (FL) | 1109 | 5-0 | 11 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 1066 | 5-1 | 12 |
| 10 | Oklahoma State | 900 | 5-1 | 14 |
| 11 | Southern California | 886 | 6-1 | 13 |
| 12 | Washington | 811 | 6-1 | 5 |
| 13 | Notre Dame | 798 | 5-1 | 16 |
| 14 | Virginia Tech | 727 | 5-1 | 15 |
| 15 | Washington State | 578 | 6-1 | 8 |
| T-16 | South Florida | 573 | 6-0 | 18 |
| T-16 | NC State | 573 | 6-1 | 20 |
| 18 | Michigan State | 563 | 5-1 | 21 |
| 19 | Michigan | 558 | 5-1 | 17 |
| 20 | UCF | 387 | 5-0 | 22 |
| 21 | Auburn | 303 | 5-2 | 10 |
| 22 | Stanford | 274 | 5-2 | 23 |
| 23 | West Virginia | 157 | 4-2 | NR |
| 24 | LSU | 108 | 5-2 | NR |
| 25 | Memphis | 62 | 5-1 | NR |
Winners and Losers: How do Week 7 losses affect 4 top-10 teams' playoff hopes?
Dr. Saturday, Yahoo Sports
College football’s Week 7 didn’t bring us any matchups between ranked teams. But that didn’t stop it from being incredibly fun and dramatic.
Four top-10 teams lost over the weekend, including previously unbeaten Clemson, Washington and Washington State. Two of those losses came on Friday the 13th, adding a college football chapter to the day and date’s lore.
With the regular season halfway over, there’s still plenty of time for more crazy things to happen on the way to this year’s edition of the College Football Playoff. Let’s take a guess at how these teams’ losses impacted their chances of making it to the playoff.
No. 2 Clemson: The Tigers’ 27-24 loss to Syracuse removed the margin of error from Clemson’s season. The College Football Playoff is still within Clemson’s grasp as a third-straight ACC title will likely be enough for the Tigers to make the final four … assuming Clemson doesn’t lose the rest of the season.
And that’s a fairly big assumption given the way North Carolina State is playing. NC State should have beaten Clemson a year ago and this year the game is in Raleigh. The Nov. 4 game should serve as a de facto ACC Atlantic division championship game. But even if Clemson beats NC State and loses to a team like Georgia Tech or Florida State, a two-loss appearance in the playoff could be a longshot.
No. 5 Washington and No. 8 Washington State: We’re far more inclined to look at the first six games of Washington State’s season than the Cougars’ 37-3 loss to Cal on Friday as an indicator of Wazzu’s excellence this season. Washington State is a good football team that just had a horrendous night.
We’re going to say the same thing about Washington too. The Huskies scored just seven points against an Arizona State defense that had given up 30 or more points in 11-straight games dating back to last season.
Those horrendous nights mean both teams have to go undefeated the rest of the way to have a shot at the playoff. They play each other in the last week of the regular season. So one of them will end up with two losses.
And a two-loss Washington or Washington State isn’t going to make the playoff, especially without a division and conference title. With Stanford lurking in the Pac-12 North, the two Washington schools each have to beat the Cardinal. And hope for some help from other teams losing too. Their non-conference schedules aren’t going to give them much of a boost.
No. 10 Auburn: With a loss to No. 2 Clemson, Auburn had the best loss of any top-10 team entering Week 7. In any other year, losing to LSU on the road by one isn’t a bad loss. But remember, the LSU team that beat Auburn 24-23 on Saturday lost to Troy two weeks ago. We’re not sure what this LSU team actually is.
Auburn’s a good team. But its playoff hopes are kaput unless Alabama somehow loses to Auburn and someone else. Then, in this chaotic scene, Auburn would need to beat a highly-ranked Georgia team in the SEC title and present its case to be the first two-loss conference champion to make the College Football Playoff.
A two-loss champ will make the playoff at some point. But it’s probably not going to be the Tigers this season.
No. 19 San Diego State: The Aztecs weren’t going to make the playoff even if they went undefeated. But SDSU was the leading contender to make a New Year’s Six Bowl as the representative from outside the Power Five.
After losing to Boise State on Saturday, San Diego State has fallen back to the pack. Memphis, which beat UCLA, beat Navy on Saturday to move to 5-1. The Midshipmen themselves are 5-1. And both South Florida and Central Florida are undefeated.
What does all that mean? Whoever emerges from the American Athletic Conference could be the group of five representative for the second time in four years.
Here are this week’s winners and losers:
WINNERS
Army: Much like Utah later in the day, Eastern Michigan had a choice after scoring a late touchdown against Army. Go for two and the potential win or go for the extra point and the tie?
EMU chose the former. And it didn’t work out. But it was oh-so-close.
The 28-27 win moves Army to 5-2 on the season. The Black Knights are just one victory away from bowl eligibility and Army-Navy could turn out to be a matchup of teams with eight or nine wins.
Ole Miss: After three straight losses, Ole Miss got back in the win column in dominant fashion, destroying Vanderbilt 57-35 at home. In the win, sophomore QB Shea Patterson threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for a score. The Rebels put up 603 yards of offense and scored 28 points in the second quarter in a span of less than seven minutes. Its 57 points were its second-most in SEC play since 1979.
Justin Jackson: Northwestern RB Justin Jackson finally broke out with a big game on Saturday, rushing for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 37-21 win at Maryland. In the win, Jackson, a senior, became Northwestern’s all-time leading rusher. He now has 4,639 yards in his career, passing Damien Anderson. Saturday’s performance from Jackson was his third 100-yard game of the year and the 23rd of his career. Northwestern moved to 3-3 with the win.
Mark Richt: Not only did Mark Richt’s Miami team win in the final minute for the second straight week to stay undefeated, the coach also showed he’s still got some athleticism. Check out these hops:
Richt was a quarterback for the Hurricanes from 1978-1982, where he backed up Jim Kelly. The coach showed he’s still in pretty good shape at age 57.
Tulsa: Tulsa bounced back from an embarrassing performance last week at Tulane, a 62-28 loss, by blowing out Houston at home on Saturday. In the 45-17 win, the Golden Hurricane rushed for 288 yards and forced Houston to turn the ball over three times. Houston actually led the game 10-7 at halftime before Tulsa put up 38 second half points to turn a close game into a rout. Tulsa improved to just 2-5 with the win, but maybe Saturday’s game can be a springboard for the rest of the season.
Memphis: Memphis picked up a big win over AAC West foe Navy on Saturday, giving the Midshipmen their first loss of the season. The Memphis defense struggled to stop Navy’s option attack, but forced the Midshipmen into five turnovers, something that is very uncharacteristic for teams coached by Ken Niumatalolo. On the other side, Riley Ferguson threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Like usual, Anthony Miller (10 catches, 90 yards, 2 TDs) was his favorite target.
The Tigers are now 5-1 with a 2-1 mark in conference play. Navy is also 5-1 but has a 3-1 conference record so far, but Memphis now has the all-important tiebreaker with the Midshipmen.
Nyheim Hines and Bradley Chubb: NC State had a tough game at Pittsburgh on Saturday but improved to 6-1 and 4-0 in ACC play with a hard-fought 35-17 win. Wolfpack running back Nyheim Hines played a big role with an 83-yard touchdown run and 92-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter alone. Hines finished the game with 135 yards on 16 carries. Also, we’d like to give a shoutout to defensive lineman Bradley Chubb, who played a terrific game even after suffering a grisly dislocated finger.
North Texas: Down 26-22 to UTSA, North Texas regained possession at its own 2-yard line with 1:07 remaining and no timeouts. That ended up being no problem for Mason Fine and the Mean Green. Fine led his team down the field without much resistance, going all 98 yards in just 57 seconds. Fine threw the game-winning 22-yard touchdown pass to Rico Bussey to take the lead with 10 seconds remaining. Fine took an enormous hit to deliver the pass, too.
LOSERS
Troy: Troy followed up its big win over LSU by losing to South Alabama, which entered the game with a 1-4 record, at home. It was really ugly, too. Troy turned the ball over four times and could muster only eight points in the 19-8 loss. The Trojans never led and did not get on the board until a Brandon Silvers touchdown run with 6:16 to play. Troy also missed two short kicks — one from 27 yards and another from 30 — in the loss. Perhaps the Trojans got a little overconfident after beating LSU.
BYU: Now 1-6 after losing at Mississippi State, BYU is off to its worst start since 1968. This game, like most of the others this season, wasn’t particularly close either. The Cougars fell behind 21-3 at halftime and ended up losing 35-10. BYU, which managed only 176 yards of offense and is averaging only 11.4 points per game, has now lost five straight after barely beating FCS Portland State in Week 1. BYU has made a bowl game every year since 2004. That seems extremely unlikely now.
Louisville: What happened to your defense, Louisville? Despite 512 yards and five touchdowns from Lamar Jackson, the Cardinals fell 45-42 at home to Boston College. Yes, Louisville gave up 45 points to Boston College. It marked the first time BC has put up that many points against an FBS team since 2013. BC did most of its damage on the ground with freshman A.J. Dillon, who put up a whopping 272 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries, including a 75-yard TD run where he stiff-armed a Louisville defender into another dimension.
That score gave the Eagles a 42-28 lead, but Jackson led the Cardinals back, tying the score with a 41-yard TD run with 5:03 to go. Louisville then forced a BC punt and regained possession with a chance to win. However, Jaylen Smith fumbled it back to the Eagles and Colton Lichtenberg ended it with a game-winning 27-yard field goal.
Boston College then dunked on Louisville on Twitter for good measure.
Illinois: It’s never good to lose to Rutgers, especially at home, but that’s what Illinois did on Saturday. Rutgers threw the ball only 12 times, but it didn’t matter. Illinois could not stop the Scarlet Knights run game. Rutgers finished the game with 274 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, led by 91 yards and two scores from Gus Edwards in a 35-24 win — a win that snapped a 16-game Big Ten losing streak for Rutgers.
Illinois, after starting 2-0, has lost four straight, including all three of its Big Ten games. Lovie Smith is 2-10 (5-13 overall) in Big Ten games during his time with the Illini.
Kansas: How come things aren’t improving for the Jayhawks? We ask this seriously and aren’t trying to pile on. What’s going on? Why is Kansas regressing?
KU lost 45-0 to Iowa State on Saturday as its offense managed a meager 106 total yards. Those 106 yards came on 59 plays, meaning Kansas averaged less than two yards a play. Brutal.
After Iowa State’s win at Oklahoma last week, a letdown game for the Cyclones seemed like Kansas’ best shot for a win. Now it’s gone and KU plays TCU in Week 8. Kansas seems to play TCU tough and has former Horned Frogs’ co-offensive coordinator Doug Meacham as its offensive coordinator. Will next week be the week? It’d be the upset of the season.
Weather: Thunderstorms delayed Kansas’ loss to Iowa State by 40 minutes and put an even bigger crimp in the plans of Kansas State and TCU. The game at Kansas State kicked off three hours late at 2 p.m. CT and then had a weather delay in the fourth quarter for good measure. The Kansas State fans who stuck it out in the fourth quarter of TCU’s 26-6 win are loyal.
Storms also postponed Akron’s game at Western Michigan to Sunday after the field at Waldo Stadium was inundated with water. It kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Nebraska: Ohio State scored a touchdown on its first eight drives Saturday night in a 56-14 win at Nebraska. The only time Ohio State didn’t score was on a 13-play drive where the Buckeyes turned it over on downs deep in Nebraska territory with 4:07 left in regulation. That’s not good. Overall, Bob Diaco’s defense gave up 633 yards, 41 first downs and an average of 7.36 yards per play. Nebraska dropped to 3-4 on the year with the loss. It will be a struggle for the Huskers to reach a bowl and head coach Mike Riley will likely be out the door.
Butch Jones on the hot seat for Volunteers: New coach coming at Tennessee?
By CBS Sports Staff
Butch Jones on the hot seat for Volunteers: New coach coming at Tennessee?
By CBS Sports Staff
(Photo/Getty Images)
The Tennessee Volunteers haven't scored a touchdown since Sept. 23, and that was in a game in which they squeaked by winless UMass.
On Saturday, South Carolina downed Tennessee, dropping the Vols to 3-3 and now they have to head on the road to Tuscaloosa to face No. 1 Alabama.
This could spell the end for coach Butch Jones, but before you punch his ticket out the door, you'll want to hear what the team at GoVols247 has to say. They've been covering UT athletics for almost 20 years and know the pulse of Rocky Top. They've tapped into their sources to find out where Jones stands.
They know Tennessee athletic director John Currie doesn't want the Vols to be the test case for how a coaching change before December's early signing period affects a program long term.
The early signing period is when student athletes can sign their National Letter of Intent and shape the future of a program. Previously, high school seniors who were not enrolling early had to wait until February of their senior year to sign. Would high-caliber players want to come to Rocky Top while the team is in flux?
GoVols247 also knows Currie is in his first year on the job. He spent a decade in Knoxville before taking the top gig at Kansas State, but this is his first crack at being an athletic director in Knoxville. He hasn't had a chance to get his feet wet and already the spotlight is on him.
Whatever Currie does will have a major impact on recruiting, and shortly after the South Carolina loss, four-star senior running back Lyn-J Dixon decommitted from Tennessee. It's a huge loss as he's the No. 288 overall prospect and No. 6 all-purpose back in the 247Sports Composite for the 2018 class.
Currie might not have seen the maelstrom coming. According to GoVols247, he was a little surprised at the blowback after the heartbreaking, last-second loss at Florida and the lackluster performance against UMass. And that was before a 41-0 shutout at the hands of Georgia -- Tennessee's most lopsided loss in Neyland Stadium history.
GoVols247 reports that the situation has reached a "critical point." With fans and the media alike calling for Jones' head, Currie could have his hand forced in the immediate future, even if he's not ready to act.
GoVols247 knows there's one X-factor that ultimately determines if Jones and Tennessee part ways.
So how hot is Butch Jones' seat? Visit GoVols247 for all of the latest news from insiders, experts, and reporters on the ground in Knoxville. Plus, find out whether Jones is on his way out of town right now, and how much recruiting will be impacted, all from the team that's covered UT athletics for almost 20 years.
NCAABKB: NCAA’s North Carolina ruling devalues scholarship, ‘student’-athlete even further.
By Rob Dauster
By Rob Dauster
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
The uncomfortable truth in Friday’s NCAA ruling, the one where the association let North Carolina walk for a two-decade long academic fraud scandal that helped keep players on two national title-winning teams eligible, is that they probably got this right.
There is no NCAA by-law that would have allowed the Committee on Infractions to bring the hammer down on North Carolina.
In April of 2014, the Division I Legislative Council clarified academic misconduct rules, saying “academic standards and policies governing misconduct are the responsibility of individual schools and their accreditation body,” and that “the membership’s position that it is a school’s responsibility to decide whether or not misconduct involving current or future student-athletes or school staff has occurred.”
The COI could not determine that the “courses were solely created, offered and maintained as an orchestrated effort to benefit student-athletes,” because they weren’t. They were created by a rogue professor. The athletic department found out those classes existed. Student-athletes took advantage of a fake class the way the rest of the student body at-large did. The fake classes were not created specifically for those student-athletes.
That distinction is critical, because it represents the difference between the scandal falling under NCAA jurisdiction and the jurisdiction of the agency tasked with accrediting the University of North Carolina as something other than a diploma mill.
That’s why this was tried as an extra benefits case.
That was the only way that the NCAA had a shot of getting North Carolina. That failed, mainly because this effort from doomed from the start.
North Carolina spent $18 million on lawyers and would have spent $18 million more to keep those banners from coming down, and there was nothing that three-and-a-half years of investigation could do to change it.
They were never going to win this fight, and frankly, the NCAA probably should have cut their losses a long time ago.
But arguing about whether or not this ruling was actually fair misses the forest for the trees.
Because the NCAA just admitted that they have no ability to enforce whether or not their member institutions are actually willing or capable of providing their “student”-athletes with the education that is supposed to be their compensation for playing their sport.
That is the fundamental argument for amateurism, correct?
That’s the reason why all the sponsorship money, advertising dollars and TV contract revenue in college athletics goes directly to the schools, the administrators and the coaches, right?
“We don’t have to give them more, we don’t have to allow athletes to be able to profit off of their name or their likeness or their talent because we’re giving them this incredible opportunity to educate themselves for free!”
What good is a $212,000 diploma from the University of North Carolina if you do not get the education that is supposed to come with it?
What this ruling did, for all to see, was cede the NCAA’s control of that over to the schools. They have no power to punish a university that decides they care less about the quality of the education that their student-athletes receive and more about the grades those players get. Keeping them eligible is the priority. Always has been, always will be. Keeping them available for practices and games and midweek trips from Boston to Miami, or LA to Seattle, or Morgantown to Waco takes precedence over a lecture course that happens to be held when conference games are played.
That’s why you see athletes clustered within a major. It’s the easiest one to get good grades in and it makes scheduling practices that everyone can attend that much more manageable, and that’s to say nothing of online classes, where you can never actually be sure who is doing the work.
And frankly, that’s how college works. Everyone with a degree has a story or five about the easy class they took in college, about the way they finagled an ‘A’ out of a bowling class or the way they buoyed their GPA by taking a 100-level class on Coaching Basketball. It’s almost a rite of passage.
This isn’t the place to discuss the preparedness that these student-athletes have for taking college-level courses, either, although it is worth mentioning that part of the reason these athletes get funneled into easy classes in college is because far too many of them were funneled into easy classes at high schools that aren’t exactly known for their academic prowess to make sure they stayed eligible to play, eligible to accept that scholarship when it comes along. Using college courses as compensation, as a salary, creates a situation where players are being paid in a way that they are incapable of extracting value from.
It would be like NBC paying my salary in Raffi cassette tapes. What the hell am I going to do when that direct deposit hits?
But all of that is beside the point.
If possible, the NCAA proved on Friday that it is even more useless than we previously believed.
Amateurism is their rule, and by proxy the rule that these schools want. It exists because an education is supposed to be enough of a salary, but if the association doesn’t actually have any power to determine whether or not the compensation NCAA student-athletes receive from their school actually has any value, what the hell is the point?
We know amateurism isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, which means that we are going to have to trust that these universities are willing to police themselves, that they are going to prioritize an athlete’s education over their eligibility. North Carolina, which ranks as the 30th best university in America, according to U.S. News and World Report, and the 13th best non-Ivy League school with a Division I sports program, had 18 years of fraudulent classes result in a punishment from an accreditation agency of a one-year probationary period.
One year probation!
What’s more, North Carolina dodged punishment by stating that they were perfectly OK with the fake classes. The NCAA doesn’t have the authority to punish schools for academic impropriety, so while North Carolina admitted what they were doing was the opposite of what a university is supposed to do, all they had to do was say, “But we’re cool with it,” and they were home free.
Seriously.
Just read this.
“With respect to paper courses, there is little dispute,” the NCAA report on the case states. “The classes did not meet. They rarely, if at all, directly involved a faculty member. They required the submission of a paper, occasionally two shorter papers. The papers were often graded by the secretary, who admitted she did not read every word and occasionally did not read every page. The papers consistently received high grades. At the hearing, UNC stood by its paper courses. UNC indicated that the work was assigned, completed, turned in and graded under the professor’s guidelines. UNC also asserted that the grades are recorded on the students’ transcripts and continue to count.”
If that can happen at a school as highly-regarded as North Carolina is, what happens at the 338 Division I programs that are ranked below them?
If the NCAA doesn’t have quality control over the education, and an accrediting agency hands down that meek of a punishment for 18 years worth of fake classes, where is the incentive for a university to give those athletes the education that you all keep telling me is so important and is so valuable?
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, October 16, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1946 - Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings) played his first NHL game.
1960 - The National League voted to admit Houston and New York to the league. It was the first structural change since 1900.
1971 - Norm Ullman (Toronto Maple Leafs) recorded his 1,000th point in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers.
1972 - Joe Namath was on the cover of TIME magazine.
1991 - Roy Tarpley (Dallas Mavericks) became the 7th player to be banned from the National Basketball Association (NBA) for life under the league's anti-drug agreement.
1992 - Magic Johnson played his first professional game since coming out of retirement.
1996 - In Guatemala City, at least 84 people died and 147 were injured when a stampede of soccer fans occurred before the 1998 World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica.
2003 - Two NHL games ended in a scoreless tie for the first time since December 30, 1934. The games were Atlanta at the New York Rangers and Philadelphia at San Jose.
1960 - The National League voted to admit Houston and New York to the league. It was the first structural change since 1900.
1971 - Norm Ullman (Toronto Maple Leafs) recorded his 1,000th point in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers.
1972 - Joe Namath was on the cover of TIME magazine.
1991 - Roy Tarpley (Dallas Mavericks) became the 7th player to be banned from the National Basketball Association (NBA) for life under the league's anti-drug agreement.
1992 - Magic Johnson played his first professional game since coming out of retirement.
1996 - In Guatemala City, at least 84 people died and 147 were injured when a stampede of soccer fans occurred before the 1998 World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica.
2003 - Two NHL games ended in a scoreless tie for the first time since December 30, 1934. The games were Atlanta at the New York Rangers and Philadelphia at San Jose.
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