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"Everything in life has a price on it - there ain't a damn thing free in America, and football has got a price on it. ~ Earl Campbell, Legendary NFL Running Back and Hall of Fame Member
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Disturbing trend: Bears finding ways to lose, not win, in crucial times.
By John Mullin
Forte chewed up yards on Sunday, but a missed block by Martellus Bennett on a Forte run cost the Bears dearly. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
A disturbing pattern emerged from the Bears’ 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers Sunday in Bank of America Stadium. It was one that winning teams do not exhibit, and the Bears (2-3) are not one now.
Winning teams make clutch plays at pivotal times. Losing teams make mistakes that turn potential opportunities for success into moments of failure.
Losing teams have chances to drive home a clinching score and don’t. Losing teams miss blocks with opportunities for big plays.
Losing teams fail to stop underpowered offenses and allow them extended drives. Losing teams throw interceptions and fumble on possessions with chance to retake control of games.
Losing teams commit elementary punt-coverage mistakes, then allow a loose ball to be picked up and run down the field for a touchdown.
The Bears did all of those. And more, in a game where the Bears were within yards of a 28-7 lead late in the first half, failed to convert a third-and-3 and missed a short field goal before being run over back the other direction for a 75-yard momentum-changing touchdown drive.
The Bears scored three points in the second half Sunday, leading 21-14 after a mistake-filled final 2 minutes – this after being held scoreless last week in the second half by Green Bay. The Bears had 235 yards in the first half, 112 in the second.
“We just lost it in the second half,” said receiver Brandon Marshall. “First half we had a little bit of rhythm. Second half there was no rhythm at all.”
Which is how losing teams’ second halves usually go. Carolina simply took the game away from the Bears.
“We have to keep our foot on the gas,” said cornerback Tim Jennings, part of that defense that held the Panthers to 88 total yards through most of the first half, then gave up those 75 in big chunks in the momentum-swinging Carolina possession just before halftime.
“They were more aggressive than we were. They turned it up and we didn’t. We had to match their intensity and they didn’t.”
The downward spirals the past two weeks are all the more puzzling because the 2014 Bears seemed to be precisely the opposite kind of team after staving off the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets with second-half performances on both offense and defense. Character plays.
“We’ve closed out games before, so it’s not like we haven’t done it,” said defensive end Jared Allen. “It comes down to the simple things… .
”We just didn’t close out.”
This time, as was the case in the loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Bears found ways to make mistakes at precisely the worst possible moments.
Jay Cutler, who had gone 107 straight throws without an interception after his second against Buffalo, had two in this game. He badly overthrew Santonio Holmes in the fourth quarter, producing an interception that was returned 35 yards to set up a game-tying Carolina field goal for 24-24.
One Bears snap later, with a chance for a clinching drive, Matt Forte fumbled at the Chicago 25. Six plays later Cam Newton threw six yards to former Bear tight end Greg Olsen for Olsen’s second touchdown of the game and the final points.
Through three quarters the Bears still were averaging 4.5 yards per carry running the football, and were leading 24-21. The Bears had 85 rushing yards through those three quarters, four in the fourth.
“I know there were a lot of instances where I could have made a block and my guy ended up making the tackle,” said guard Kyle Long. “Not just in that quarter, but all through the game.”
More disastrous, the chance was there to bury a NFC opponent in Sunday’s first half and leading 21-7 with the ball inside the Carolina 20 with 2 minutes in the half. But Robbie Gould missed a field goal attempt from 35 yards, after which the Panthers went 75 yards for a Newton-to-Olsen touchdown pass of nine yards with 12 seconds to play.
What was on the verge of a 28-7 halftime lead was 21-14 against a Panthers team that was being outgained 236-88 at the time of Gould’s miss and the start of the Carolina drive.
“Going in at halftime,” Forte said, “it would have been nice to have those points.”
The NFL Has Evolved Into A Completely Different Sport Because Teams Are Too Good At Offense.
By Cork Gaines
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The football being played on Sundays this season is something that has never been seen in the NFL before.
Thanks to more innovative offenses as well as a crackdown on the amount of contact allowed by defenders on receivers, NFL teams are on pace to break several offensive records, and in some cases they will shatter the previous all-time highs or lows.
Teams have just become too good at moving the football and not turning it over. The result is a sport that is starting to look more like an NBA game than something many football fans grew up watching in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s.
So far this year, teams are averaging 355.4 yards per game. That is a 2.0% increase over last year (348.5), an 8.6% increase in the past decade, and a 24.0% increase since 1973. It would also be an NFL record.
That yardage translates to 5.5 yards per play, which would also be an all-time high for the NFL.
As you can imagine, averaging 11.0 yards for every two plays makes it much easier to gain first downs and sustain drives as long as teams can avoid turnovers and penalties.
In fact, NFL teams are averaging 20.9 first downs per game, the most in NFL history and an 11.2% increase in just 10 years. The result is teams now average just 3.1 plays needed per first down, an all-time low.
Of course, the biggest difference these days is that teams are throwing the ball more often and for more yards than ever.
Teams are averaging 35.0 passing attempts per game. That would be the second-most in NFL history, behind only last year (35.4).
However, teams are averaging a whopping 241.9 passing yards per game, more than 6 yards per game over last year (235.6), up 14.9% in the past 10 years, and up nearly 60% since 1974 (153.2).
And the reason why teams are throwing the ball is because they have become so good at it.
So far this season, teams are completing 64.3% of passes thrown. That would easily be the highest rate in NFL history, surpassing last year's mark of 61.2%.
In addition, teams are on pace to throw the fewest interceptions per game in NFL history (0.8), which would be just the third season ever in which teams averaged less than an interception per game.
Interestingly, scoring is down slightly from a year ago, when teams averaged an NFL-record 23.6 points per game. However, the 23.1 points per game this season would still be the second-highest average since 1950.
Some of these marks could change as the weather worsens later in the season. But even with a slight correction, we are almost certainly going to see numerous offensive records.
More importantly, there is no sign that offenses are going to slow down anytime soon, and these numbers will continue to climb as the sport of football continues to evolve into something completely new.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Islanders acquire Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy in separate trades.
The New York Islanders acquired Nick Leddy (L) and Johnny Boychuk (R) on Saturday. (USATSI)
The New York Islanders were extremely busy Saturday. General manager Garth Snow, in a surprise move, acquired defenseman Nick Leddy from the Chicago Blackhawks and Johnny Boychuk from the Boston Bruins in separate trades.
Both the Bruins and Blackhawks needed to clear salary to maintain some flexibility under the cap and the Islanders needed some veteran help on what was looking to be an extremely young blue line.
In the Boychuk trade, the Islanders sent the Bruins second-round picks in the 2015 and 2016 NHL Drafts and a conditional third-round pick. For Leddy, the Isles traded to Chicago defensive prospect Ville Pokka, defenseman T.J. Brennan and restricted free agent goaltender Anders Nilsson. New York also got goalie prospect Kent Simpson as part of the return.
Both Leddy and Boychuk will be playing on contracts that expire after this season, and the Isles paid a fairly high price. That said, New York is deep on youth in their organization, which makes some of those picks and prospects a tad more expendable.
Now the Islanders have two players with postseason experience, a lot of NHL time and each have won the Stanley Cup.
Boychuk, 30, had a career-best 23 points last season as a member of Boston's top-four defense. Over 321 NHL games, Boychuk has 75 points including 19 goals. He also has 79 career playoff games and was part of the Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup team, experience that will greatly benefit the Islanders. He will be an unrestricted free agent when his contract expires.
Leddy, 24, had 31 points last season as a bottom-pairing defenseman for Chicago. The former first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, has appeared in 258 NHL games, all with Chicago, and has 93 career points in the league. He has 54 games of postseason experience and was part of Chicago's 2013 Stanley Cup team. Leddy will be a restricted free agent after the season ends.
By adding Boychuk and Leddy, the Isles get experience and take some of the pressure of off No. 1 defenseman Travis Hamonic to eat so many minutes and allows the Isles to keep some of their young blue liners out of situations they aren't ready for.
Boychuk instantly improves the team's ability to defend and their overall physicality, while Leddy brings another power-play weapon and will likely get more ice time in New York than he could on Chicago's deep blue line.
You really have to commend Garth Snow for his ability to exploit two cap-strapped teams for everyday players that are going to help the Isles immediately.
The Bruins take on no additional salary, which was the goal after the B's had zero cap flexibility thanks to the bonus overages from a year ago. Bruins fans are likely to be disappointed by the return, but Peter Chiarelli had little choice with the cap situation.
Chicago, meanwhile, builds onto their already deep prospect pool on defense with Pokka.
Brennan, who has bounced between the AHL and NHL over the last few years is a good option as a potential cheap call-up. He had 72 points for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL last year and has 40 games of NHL experience. Nilsson is currently a restricted free agent without a new contract. He is currently playing in the KHL, so the Blackhawks would merely retain his rights without having to spend the cash.
The feelings are bound to mixed in Chicago and Boston, but this is what happens in a salary cap league sometimes. The big winner of the day, however, is the Islanders and the benefits of this deal could be visible immediately.
Risk Factors: Chicago Blackhawks edition.
By Mike Halford
Chicago Blackhawks
1. Did they really solve the 2C problem? Much was made of Chicago’s lack of depth at center last year, especially in the Western Conference Final when Michal Handzus — who gamely tried to fill the second-line center spot — was overwhelmed in the playoffs.
Zeus is gone now, though, and in his place steps Brad Richards, the New York Rangers castoff that inked a modest one-year, $2 million deal to join the ‘Hawks in July. On paper, Richards is a nice fit; a veteran presence with good playmaking ability that’s been to two Stanley Cup Finals, winning once.
But that’s on paper.
There’s no denying that Richards, 34, is in the twilight of his career. The Rangers opted to buy out the remainder of his nine-year, $60 million deal this summer following a tough postseason in which he scored two points over his final 10 games and was dumped to the fourth line during the Cup Final.
Chicago will rejuvenate Richards to a certain degree. He’s going to be surrounded by talent on a (projected) line with Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad, and will run the point on the second power play unit. But in terms of strictly upgrading the 2C position, other contenders in the West did more.
The Anaheim Ducks acquired Ryan Kesler from Vancouver to slot in behind Ryan Getzlaf. The Dallas Stars traded for Jason Spezza to play behind Tyler Seguin. The Blues, who often used David Backes as their No. 1 center last year, added Paul Stastny to the mix. And lest we forget the quality tandems already in place in Colorado (Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene) and Los Angeles (Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter).
The Western Conference has become an arms race down the middle and if you can’t keep up, you could be out — just ask Stars GM Jim Nill.
“If you want to be one of the elite teams, you have to have it,” Nill told the Globe and Mail earlier this summer. “You look at the other teams that are winning on our side now, you need to have two elite center men.”
2. The cap crunch. Per CapGeek:
“[The salary cap's] gotten a lot of attention, and rightfully so,” Hawks GM Bowman explained, per CSN Chicago. “But what I’ve tried to say all along is that we’re going to get it worked out and we’re going to be compliant come [the start of the season].
“It’s one of those topics where we’ve had a lot of discussions internally, we know how we’re going to make it work.”
Bowman wouldn’t reveal how Chicago will get cap compliant, though many have speculated one two defensemen — Johnny Oduya or Nick Leddy — will be traded. If that happens, it’s going to chip away at one of the club’s strengths; the next men up on defense are David Rundblad, Kyle Cumiskey, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Adam Clendening, and one of them might get called into action earlier than expected now that Michal Rozsival’s sidelined with an upper-body injury.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editor's Note: Nick Leddy was traded to the New York Islanders Saturday, 10/04/2104, bringing the Blackhawks below the salary cap.
There’s another wrinkle to this cap situation. Compliance is one thing, but what about wiggle room?
Teams like to operate with some breathing space beneath the ceiling in the event something unforeseen happens. Injuries, slumps, ineffectiveness can often cause for a roster shakeup… and then there’s the trade deadline.
The ‘Hawks were hamstrung last year, resulting in Rundblad and Peter Regin being the lone acquisitions of significance — nice pickups, but ones that were relatively minor compared to what Los Angeles (Marian Gaborik), St. Louis (Ryan Miller, Steve Ott), Anaheim (Stephane Robidas) and Minnesota (Matt Moulson) did. Granted, not all of those deals worked out and the Kings were the only Western team to best Chicago, but the value of having trade deadline flexibility can’t be understated; during Chicago’s Cup championship in 2013, the Handzus pickup proved invaluable.
3. Age and health. Rozsival (36), Marian Hossa (35), Richards (34), Oduya (33), Patrick Sharp (33 in December) and Duncan Keith (31) have played an awful lot of hockey over the last two years, be it regular season — especially during the condensed ’13 campaign — playoffs, and international (everybody but Richards played in the Sochi Winter Olympics.)
At some point, it’s going to have an effect.
As mentioned above, Rozsival is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury. Hossa’s been dealing with a lower-body issue throughout camp and has a lengthy history of ailments while Sharp looked lethargic at times during last year’s run to the Western Conference Final, scoring just two goals in his first 14 games.
Health-wise, one of the more underrated stories over the last two seasons was the durability of Chicago’s regulars. Patrick Kane missed 12 games last year to a lower-body ailment, which was a rarity; he’s played 80 games or more four times in his career (and played 47 of 48 during the lockout-shortened ’13 season). Bryan Bickell missed 23 games with a variety of bumps and bruises, yet rebounded to show up when he often does — in the playoffs — scoring seven goals in 19 games.
But in the NHL, injuries are unavoidable. The grind and physical toll often wears down even the fittest of players and we’re talking about a collection of Blackhawks players that are getting older and have played a remarkable amount of games over the last 24 months.
Carbomb back in Chicago as Carcillo added to 'Hawks camp roster.
By Mike Halford
Dan Carcillo (Photo/Getty Images)
Heeeeee’s baaaaaack.
On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks added a familiar face to their training camp roster: Dan Carcillo, the former ‘Hawk and notorious pest recently released from his PTO with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Carcillo, 29, spent two seasons in Chicago from 2011-13, appearing in 51 regular-season and four playoff games, helping (sorry, “helping”) the ‘Hawks win the Stanley Cup in 2013.
Now a well-traveled journeyman — the Carcillo show’s had stops in Phoenix, Philly, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York — Carbomb is looking to catch on with an NHL club after a disastrous ending to his time as a Ranger.
Last spring, Carcillo was suspended six games during the Eastern Conference Final for physical contact with a linesman. It was the latest in a long string of disciplinary issues, one that prompted Blueshirts head coach Alain Vigneault to openly wonder about Carcillo’s future.
The Rangers let him walk at the end of the season, and Carcillo went without a new contract before signing the aforementioned PTO with Pittsburgh, only to be cut loose earlier this week.
Teuvo timeout Chicago sends Teravainen to AHL.
By James O'Brien
Carcillo, 29, spent two seasons in Chicago from 2011-13, appearing in 51 regular-season and four playoff games, helping (sorry, “helping”) the ‘Hawks win the Stanley Cup in 2013.
Now a well-traveled journeyman — the Carcillo show’s had stops in Phoenix, Philly, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York — Carbomb is looking to catch on with an NHL club after a disastrous ending to his time as a Ranger.
Last spring, Carcillo was suspended six games during the Eastern Conference Final for physical contact with a linesman. It was the latest in a long string of disciplinary issues, one that prompted Blueshirts head coach Alain Vigneault to openly wonder about Carcillo’s future.
The Rangers let him walk at the end of the season, and Carcillo went without a new contract before signing the aforementioned PTO with Pittsburgh, only to be cut loose earlier this week.
Teuvo timeout Chicago sends Teravainen to AHL.
By James O'Brien
Teuvo Teravainen (Photo/AP)
Many in the hockey world envision Teuvo Teravainen as the Chicago Blackhawks’ next big thing, but it appears that will have to wait. The team demoted Teravainen and Klas Dahlbeck to their AHL affiliate on Saturday.
Some are disappointed to see the flashy 20-year-old go down with the Rockford IceHogs, especially those who aren’t too pleased that Dan Carcillo’s signing also seemed to knock depth forward Peter Regin out of the mix as well. However you feel about Carcillo, it’s easy to see the logic regarding the move: Teravainen would likely struggle for ice time (and maybe Joel Quenneville’s trust) with the big team but he’s likely to be a go-to guy for the IceHogs.
(Side note: it feels weird to type “IceHogs” on quite a few levels.)
Naturally, there’s always the chance that he’ll jump back up and be a difference-maker later on in the season or perhaps even in the playoffs.
Some are disappointed to see the flashy 20-year-old go down with the Rockford IceHogs, especially those who aren’t too pleased that Dan Carcillo’s signing also seemed to knock depth forward Peter Regin out of the mix as well. However you feel about Carcillo, it’s easy to see the logic regarding the move: Teravainen would likely struggle for ice time (and maybe Joel Quenneville’s trust) with the big team but he’s likely to be a go-to guy for the IceHogs.
(Side note: it feels weird to type “IceHogs” on quite a few levels.)
Naturally, there’s always the chance that he’ll jump back up and be a difference-maker later on in the season or perhaps even in the playoffs.
How 'bout them Chicago Bulls Session… Expectations for the Chicago Bulls Preseason.
By Grant Plouck
Chicago Bulls Pau Gasol (L), Derrick Rose (C) and Joakim Noah (R). (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
This is a whole new year for the Bulls, it’s also a new roster. Chicago, despite falling short of acquiring Knicks’ superstar Carmelo Anthony, the Bulls’ offseason still ended up turning out well. They brought in one of the best college basketball players of all time in sharpshooter Doug McDermott, as well as former Laker Pau Gasol. The Bulls have also brought in Aaron Brooks which will help improve the shooting troubles Chicago can’t seem to shake. They’ve gotten rid of a familiar face in big man Carlos Boozer, and replaced him with Nikola Mirotic overseas to play in the Windy City. Besides all of this, the youngest MVP winner ever in NBA history is back, Derrick Rose. With expectations in Chicago soaring, Coach Tom Thibodeau and staff will have to figure out a few things this preseason and bring this team together.
The first matter of business is who starts? Obviously Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Joakim Noah will start, and it’s most likely that Gasol will start at the PF and Taj Gibson will remain the sixth man. But what about the Small Forward position? Mike Dunleavy is the frontrunner but McDermott and Tony Snell will both be evaluated for that position. This spot will prove to be the most important. Whichever one of these three start, will have to make shots and be a consistent counted on shooter that Rose can penetrate and kick to, that Noah and Gasol will be able to draw double teams and pass to, that can be counted on to make shots down the stretch.
Tom Thibodeau will have to play around with different lineups throughout the preseason. The coaching staff has to figure out who plays well together, and in what situations would they play big, small, or get out and run type basketball? Coach Thibs is going to figure out who’s going to be on the court late in the fourth quarter, and who is going to be able to give them that extra push when they need it. Whether this means playing Gibson late in games due to an aging Pau Gasol or just resting Gasol periodically throughout the game. Expect Thibodeau to mix it up throughout the preseason in order for him to figure out what works.
Finally, Chicago will have to figure out the situation with Derrick Rose. Rose has played a total of 49 NBA games in the last three seasons. He’s coming off a decent Team USA performance this summer and claims he is as healthy as ever. The coaching staff will spend time figuring out how many minutes he should play or be able to play every game. This will take time to figure out and will likely take longer than the preseason but it’s something that has to be figured out early in the season. Playing time in general will be important because it is vital that Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and the crew are all healthy come postseason time. Where as in past years, the Bulls have entered the playoffs not healthy at all.
Bulls notes: Veterans showing youngsters the way in practice.
By Mark Strotman
Doug McDermott (Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images)
Doug McDermott said at media day that he had encountered a few “awe moments” during his short time with the Bulls, those times when he truly had to step back and realize he was an NBA player.
Having his name called on draft night, receiving calls from Derrick Rose and putting on his Bulls jersey for the first time were all surreal moments for the rookie, but none of those “awe moments” topped what happened on Day 1 of training camp, when McDermott finally began playing with the veterans he had been watching on TV just a year ago.
“I think the most ‘awe moments’ are when they’re encouraging you and they’ve got your back,” McDermott said. “I’m a rookie and these guy are willing to help me out in any way. It’s a great veteran bunch and they’re willing to help out.”
Jelling as a roster has been a major theme of training camp for the Bulls, who didn’t practice Friday after three straight two-a-day sessions. Though the core roster remained intact, Rose is returning to a group that he’s played just 10 games with the last two seasons.
In addition, the team added Pau Gasol as well as rookies in McDermott and 2011 first-round pick Nikola Mirotic. It’s a distinctly different team from the last time Rose was on the court, meaning despite the core of Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler and others returning from a year ago there’s still a feeling-out process the team is going through.
“I think everybody’s really trying to maximize their abilities,” Rose said. “Everybody’s taking the game seriously and being professional, guys are taking care of their bodies, young guys are following after the old guys, getting in their own routines and that’s all you need, that’s all you’re looking for as a team is everybody on the same page. Everybody’s got one goal here.”
Butler added to that, saying that the rookies simply need to play their game, follow the lead of the veterans and the playing time will fall into place from there.
“I don’t think it’s so much impressing [coach Tom Thibodeau], just do your job and know it well," Butler said. "So as long as they step in, play hard, stick to their strengths and stay away from their weaknesses — it’s not about impressing Thibs; you’re going to look good anyways.”
Gasol isn't a rookie, but with 16 new teammates he's also in a transition phase, though he admitted the Lakers' recent overhauls have made coming to Chicago a bit easier.
“The last couple years we had pretty much brand new teams in L.A., we had a lot of new players. So right here it’s everyone is a new teammate for me," Gasol said. "So it takes a little bit of time to jell and bond with each other and create that chemistry, but right now we’re all excited.”
Preseason will feature quantity in Bulls rotation
Thibodeau said Wednesday that he’ll want to get a good look in the preseason at where both Rose, returning from a pair of season-ending knee injuries, and Noah, battling knee soreness following surgery, stand.
But as the Bulls head coach attempts to round out his rotation, he’ll also get a good look at the majority of the 17 players in training camp.
"The preseason, I want to see a lot of guys play. And that’s normal. I think any preseason you want your whole team to get some minutes, and the last few preseason games you narrow it down to more your rotation that you’ll start the season with. Sometimes you have tough decisions to make: Are you going with a nine-man rotation, are you going with an eight-man rotation? The important thing is to decide on that.”
There’s no clarity on who that rotation may include, but seeing as the Bulls have battled injury as much as any team the last two seasons, Thibodeau’s mantra of “next man up” and the Bulls having “more than enough” begins in preseason action.
“I think we’ll have a really solid bench and I’m really looking forward to that, but over the course of the season you need everybody. Things happen and when your time comes just be ready. We’ve had guys change roles a lot in the last two years. Guys go from being bench guys to being starters, guys who were out of the rotation being in the rotation, coming off the bench.”
Don't expect changes to NBA's domestic violence policies anytime soon.
By Kurt Helin
So far the Charlotte Hornets have handled the Jeff Taylor domestic assault situation well. They investigated then decided to keep Taylor out of camp and away from the team while the case starts to work its way through the legal process. That has been all Hornets, not the NBA league office.
At the same time, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA would review its domestic violence policy, particularly in wake of the NFL’s fumbling of the Ray Rice situation.
That process may not be as smooth. At least don’t expect anything to happen quickly.
Sports Illustrated’s sports law expert Michael McCann has a great breakdown of why this will not be so simple.
The NBA has not disciplined Taylor, who is unlikely to receive any punishment from the league anytime soon for at least two reasons. First, he’s been charged, not convicted. Second, Taylor’s charges are classified as misdemeanors, not felonies. Article VI of the league’s collective bargaining agreement is the key section for disciplining NBA players who commit domestic violence. It authorizes NBA suspensions only for players who are convicted or who plead guilty to a violent felony. This is a remarkably tolerant standard for players who commit domestic violence, one of the most difficult crimes to prosecute. Victims of domestic violence often refuse to testify against their significant others, thus denying prosecutors of their most crucial witness.The policy of the NBA, like most professional leagues, has been to let the legal system run its course before acting, but in today’s world that kind of patience is not always a good course of action (see the Rice situation with the NFL). Especially with domestic violence cases, where the charges are often reduced.
There are other parts of the league constitution Silver could use to punish a player who violates laws or does something that is “detrimental to the NBA.”
But the other part of that is the NBA needs to negotiate any tougher rules with the players union, and that may not be so simple. Michelle Roberts, the new executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, was very forthright speaking to McCann.
Roberts—a former public defender—will likely also oppose any changes to the NBA’s domestic violence policy that could lead to punishments in the absence of convictions or guilty pleas. The reasoning is simple: sometimes people are wrongly accused. In an interview with SI.com, Roberts made clear the limits of any changes until the next round of collective bargaining. “We have already addressed these issues in the CBA,” Roberts told SI.com. “There are existing policies in place that were negotiated. That said, we would be open to discussions about increased training and education and, most importantly, developing strategies to prevent domestic violence from happening in the first place.” Roberts expressed opposition to changing the penalty scheme, however, until there is a new round of collective bargaining.The next round of collective bargaining will not come until 2017 (expect the players to opt out and renegotiate that summer).
Roberts isn’t going to move before then because everything is not on the table in negotiations yet — she would be giving the NBA something for nothing. The players already feel they did that last time around in the lockout year, they are not going down that road again.
Meaning it’s going to be a couple years before there is any real change in the NBA’s policy.
Cubs trying to build an offense for October.
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs can’t clone the 2004 Boston Red Sox, even if Manny Ramirez becomes Bill Mueller’s assistant hitting coach.
Javier Baez is going to strike out a lot, even if he absorbs all the lessons from his age-21 season and makes all the adjustments the Cubs outlined in their exit meeting. That mix of swagger and Gary Sheffield bat speed will always lead to wild, out-of-control swings.
Kris Bryant feels like he’s his own best coach, and who can argue with the results? Baseball America and USA Today named him Minor League Player of the Year after a 43-homer, 110-RBI season at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs will live with the strikeouts (162) if he’s doing that kind of damage.
Jorge Soler excelled in his 24-game audition, showing the raw athleticism and the calm, focused approach (.903 OPS) that compelled the Cubs to make a $30 million investment. But the Cuban outfielder will be 23 years old next season and has played 78 games above the A-ball level.
At a time when offense is down and power pitching plays, the Cubs have a stash of young hitters, from All-Stars Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro to No. 4 overall pick Kyle Schwarber to Addison Russell, Baseball America’s No. 5 midseason prospect.
But president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer know this group isn’t ready for October yet.
“When it comes to on-base ability and when it comes to contact, we have a lot of work to do,” Epstein said. “We can’t assume because we know how much we’re going to emphasize it — and how hard we’re going to work — that our players will show some improvement over the coming years.
“We’re also realistic. To a certain extent, those traits are more innate than learned.”
The Jon Lester Watch will be a huge story on the North Side, but the Cubs also understand they have to upgrade their offense after an 89-loss season that saw them lead the majors with 1,477 strikeouts and rank 13th in the National League with a .300 on-base percentage.
“Our sort of big-picture focus is going to be on pitching,” Hoyer said. “But I think we’ll be active on position players as well, (because) if you look at our last couple of seasons, our pitching has been notably better than our hitting, despite the fact that as an organization we’re much deeper hitting-wise than pitching-wise.
“We haven’t got on base enough. We haven’t scored enough runs. We can’t just focus on pitching when the fact of the matter is our pitching has been better at the major-league level. We need to also really focus on the offense and get on base more and lengthen our lineup out quite a bit.”
The Chicago media jumped the shark with all the stepping-up-and-being-a-leader questions late in the season, asking Rizzo, Castro, Epstein, Hoyer and manager Rick Renteria multiple times about the importance of veteran presence in the clubhouse and the lineup. But it’s still a good idea for a young team that will be trying to learn how to win.
“We need to add some guys to our roster that can help provide (that) leadership,” Hoyer said. “We just have to lengthen out our position-player group. We’ve had some periods of the year where our bench has been pretty short. And I think that when you’re in contention, those pinch-hit at-bats are really important.
“The guys that can come off the bench and understand their roles are really important. We have to add depth in order to withstand (injuries to guys like Rizzo and Castro). They might be two-week injuries or they might be all year, and we have to be able to get through it.”
The Cubs expect Baez and Arismendy Alcantara to be on next year’s Opening Day roster, believing they have what it takes to figure it out after their up-and-down debuts. Combined, they generated 19 homers and 188 strikeouts in 491 at-bats.
Bryant figures to be here by May 2015. It would be nice if there were a few professional hitters around to ease the pressure a little bit. The Cubs could use a few guys who already know how to slow the heart rate down in October.
Whether or not Russell Martin becomes the marquee signing, the Cubs can upgrade the Wellington Castillo/John Baker catching combination as well as the mix-and-match outfield.
“As we look at talent from outside the organization, we will continue to emphasize on-base percentage,” Epstein said. “Because, frankly, it’s one of the areas where I don’t think we’ve had a ton of success. There’s been a lot of progress in this organization. I’m proud of where we are. But with our ability to get on base — it’s not an area where we’ve made the strides that we would have hoped for.”
When the Cubs stare at the Wrigleyville renderings and their scale model of a renovated stadium, they should be thinking: “Let’s get some runs.”
Javier Baez is going to strike out a lot, even if he absorbs all the lessons from his age-21 season and makes all the adjustments the Cubs outlined in their exit meeting. That mix of swagger and Gary Sheffield bat speed will always lead to wild, out-of-control swings.
Kris Bryant feels like he’s his own best coach, and who can argue with the results? Baseball America and USA Today named him Minor League Player of the Year after a 43-homer, 110-RBI season at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs will live with the strikeouts (162) if he’s doing that kind of damage.
Jorge Soler excelled in his 24-game audition, showing the raw athleticism and the calm, focused approach (.903 OPS) that compelled the Cubs to make a $30 million investment. But the Cuban outfielder will be 23 years old next season and has played 78 games above the A-ball level.
At a time when offense is down and power pitching plays, the Cubs have a stash of young hitters, from All-Stars Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro to No. 4 overall pick Kyle Schwarber to Addison Russell, Baseball America’s No. 5 midseason prospect.
But president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer know this group isn’t ready for October yet.
“When it comes to on-base ability and when it comes to contact, we have a lot of work to do,” Epstein said. “We can’t assume because we know how much we’re going to emphasize it — and how hard we’re going to work — that our players will show some improvement over the coming years.
“We’re also realistic. To a certain extent, those traits are more innate than learned.”
The Jon Lester Watch will be a huge story on the North Side, but the Cubs also understand they have to upgrade their offense after an 89-loss season that saw them lead the majors with 1,477 strikeouts and rank 13th in the National League with a .300 on-base percentage.
“Our sort of big-picture focus is going to be on pitching,” Hoyer said. “But I think we’ll be active on position players as well, (because) if you look at our last couple of seasons, our pitching has been notably better than our hitting, despite the fact that as an organization we’re much deeper hitting-wise than pitching-wise.
“We haven’t got on base enough. We haven’t scored enough runs. We can’t just focus on pitching when the fact of the matter is our pitching has been better at the major-league level. We need to also really focus on the offense and get on base more and lengthen our lineup out quite a bit.”
The Chicago media jumped the shark with all the stepping-up-and-being-a-leader questions late in the season, asking Rizzo, Castro, Epstein, Hoyer and manager Rick Renteria multiple times about the importance of veteran presence in the clubhouse and the lineup. But it’s still a good idea for a young team that will be trying to learn how to win.
“We need to add some guys to our roster that can help provide (that) leadership,” Hoyer said. “We just have to lengthen out our position-player group. We’ve had some periods of the year where our bench has been pretty short. And I think that when you’re in contention, those pinch-hit at-bats are really important.
“The guys that can come off the bench and understand their roles are really important. We have to add depth in order to withstand (injuries to guys like Rizzo and Castro). They might be two-week injuries or they might be all year, and we have to be able to get through it.”
The Cubs expect Baez and Arismendy Alcantara to be on next year’s Opening Day roster, believing they have what it takes to figure it out after their up-and-down debuts. Combined, they generated 19 homers and 188 strikeouts in 491 at-bats.
Bryant figures to be here by May 2015. It would be nice if there were a few professional hitters around to ease the pressure a little bit. The Cubs could use a few guys who already know how to slow the heart rate down in October.
Whether or not Russell Martin becomes the marquee signing, the Cubs can upgrade the Wellington Castillo/John Baker catching combination as well as the mix-and-match outfield.
“As we look at talent from outside the organization, we will continue to emphasize on-base percentage,” Epstein said. “Because, frankly, it’s one of the areas where I don’t think we’ve had a ton of success. There’s been a lot of progress in this organization. I’m proud of where we are. But with our ability to get on base — it’s not an area where we’ve made the strides that we would have hoped for.”
When the Cubs stare at the Wrigleyville renderings and their scale model of a renovated stadium, they should be thinking: “Let’s get some runs.”
Golf: I got a club for that… Tom Watson issues open letter, apologizes for Ryder Cup loss.
By Ryan Ballengee
Tom Watson had to say something. His reputation has been under fire for the last week, since his American team lost the Ryder Cup for the third consecutive time last Sunday in Scotland.
Watson issued what was deemed an "open letter" by the PGA of America on Saturday, discussing how he handled his dozen players that didn't get the job done at Gleneagles.
PGA of America president defends Phil Mickelson's Ryder Cup outburst.
By Ryan Ballengee
Tom Watson had to say something. His reputation has been under fire for the last week, since his American team lost the Ryder Cup for the third consecutive time last Sunday in Scotland.
Watson issued what was deemed an "open letter" by the PGA of America on Saturday, discussing how he handled his dozen players that didn't get the job done at Gleneagles.
The letter in full reads:
In response to all of the recent discussion about our Ryder Cup loss, I would like to make a few comments.
First, I take complete and full responsibility for my communication, and I regret that my words may have made the players feel that I didn’t appreciate their commitment and dedication to winning the Ryder Cup. My intentions throughout my term as Captain were both to inspire and to be honest.
Secondly, the guys gave everything. They played their hearts out. I was proud to get to know each and every one of them. I know they are all going to win tournaments, be on future Ryder Cup teams and have wonderful careers.
Our team certainly showed guts when it took it to the other team early in Sunday's singles matches. We were indeed tied with them as the scoreboard turned wonderfully “red.” Our players started fast as I had asked them to in my comments the night before. I asked them to really concentrate on holes 2-5, as the Europeans had won too many early battles on these particular holes. But in the end, the facts are that the other team played better. My hat's off and congratulations to them.
As for Phil's comments, I completely understand his reaction in the moment. Earlier this week I had an open and candid conversation with him and it ended with a better understanding of each other's perspectives. Phil's heart and intentions for our Team's success have always been in the right place. Phil is a great player, has great passion and I admire what he's done for golf.
Phil Mickelson subtly criticized Watson immediately after the American loss, suggesting a longing for the leadership style of victorious 2008 captain Paul Azinger. Mickelson later lamented that no player was involved in any playing decision over the course of the week, a dig at Watson for not taking cues from him charges about who should play when, especially over the course of the first two days of the three-day competition.The bottom line is this. I was their Captain. In hindsight whatever mistakes that were made were mine. And I take complete and full responsibility for them. I want to say again to the players, their families, the PGA and our country how proud and honored I was to captain this talented group of golfers, and how privileged I was to spend the past two years working this labor of my love for the Ryder Cup.
A report on Friday put Watson in a worse light, citing four sources in reporting Watson's curmudgeonly actions on the night before the American defeat was secured at Gleneagles. Watson reportedly told his American team they "stink" at foursomes, the alternate-shot format that put the U.S. behind the proverbial 8-ball and unable to rally for a win the next day.
The fallout from the American loss has prompted calls for Azinger to again become American captain, as well more radical changes to the process for selecting a captain and players.
Watson's well-orchestrated words may have come too late to mean much now, but he had to say something given how the court of public opinion has judged him in the days following the Ryder Cup.
Now the question is if more information about Watson's run as captain and his relationship with the 12 players on his team will be released.
PGA of America president defends Phil Mickelson's Ryder Cup outburst.
By Ryan Ballengee
U.S. Ryder Cup player Phil Mickelson (L) stands with captain Tom Watson on the sixth tee during his four balls 40th Ryder Cup match at Gleneagles in Scotland September 26, 2014. (REUTERS/Phil Noble)
The man who brought in Tom Watson to captain the 2014 American Ryder Cup team has finally spoken up after yet another U.S. defeat in the biennial matches, and it's not exactly in the tone you might expect.
PGA of America president Ted Bishop appeared on BBC Radio's 5 Live on Sunday, saying Phil Mickelson's post-loss comments reflected his passion for the matches and had some potent truth to them.
“[Mickelson is] passionate about the Ryder Cup and he feels that there needs to be some changes going forward and I think Phil would undoubtedly say that, if what he said on Sunday night helps propagate some of those changes, then he probably would be okay with it," Bishop said.
He continued, explaining the PGA of America was creating a task force of former presidents, captains and current players to look at all options in revamping the selection of players and captains.
“From a United States standpoint, just really blowing the model up and starting completely over and trying to get some people involved who, as Phil said, are invested in the process," Bishop said.
The underlying message in what Phil said after the loss and in the tone of subsequent reporting is clear, and Bishop gets it.
“We need to have the input of players," he said. "Players need to feel good about where we’re going with this.”
Tiger Woods' recovery and four other things to watch this offseason.
When will we see Tiger Woods again? (Getty Images)
MLS Sunday Roundup: Colorado and Chicago officially eliminated.
By Kyle Lynch
Catch up on Sunday’s MLS action as teams battle for positioning as the regular season winds down.
Chivas USA 1-0 Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake fans may be worried after suffering an ugly loss to bottom dwellers Chivas USA. Nick Rimando saved an Erick Torres penalty to keep RSL alive, but they failed to create much offensively in an embarrassing defeat. Without a stellar performance from Rimando in net, Real Salt Lake could have lost by three or more goals to a Chivas side that has only scored 26 times in 27 games.
Colorado 1-4 Seattle
Colorado was officially eliminated from playoff contention after being outplayed by one of the best teams in the league. It was the usual suspects for Seattle as Obafemi Martins bagged a brace and Clint Dempsey added a goal and an assist. Tied with Los Angeles for the most points in the league, Seattle is showing no signs of slowing down as they head into the playoffs. Colorado remains winless in their last 11 matches while conceding an astounding 34 goals over the span.
Chicago 0-0 Montreal
For two teams sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Chicago and Montreal’s match was more about pride than points. Jack McInerney appeared to put Montreal ahead in the 38th minute with a brilliant bicycle kick, only to be called back by a questionable offside call. With the draw Chicago was officially eliminated from playoff contention, marking the fourth time in five years Chicago failed to reach the postseason.
Hazard, Costa sink Arsenal in stormy derby.
By Tom Williams
Eden Hazard and Diego Costa scored as Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 in an incident-packed London derby on Sunday to move five points clear at the Premier League summit.
Sanchez was also the unwitting catalyst for the set-to between the two managers.
Soccer: No racism in football, says Mourinho.
Reuters
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes there is no need for English football to introduce American Football's 'Rooney Rule', saying "there is no racism" in the game.
A law whereby at least one black or ethnic minority candidate must be interviewed for every head coaching job has been in force in NFL since 2003 after it was pushed forward by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney.
It depends on how you define "offseason," but golf's down time of year is officially upon us. Oh sure, the 2014-15 season starts next week at the Frys.com Open, but there won't be many big names playing.
The real golf season won't start again until January when the champions from last year tee it up at the Tournament of Champions.
With that, and because we have a little time to breathe, let's look at what you should be watching for this offseason (the rest of the year 2014).
1. Tiger Woods' return: It's the No. 1 question in golf, fair or not. The 2014-15 season will be a letdown (unless Rory McIlroy wins the grand slam) if Tiger isn't 100 percent.
I'm interested to see if he plays his own tournament in December and what that says about his readiness for the Farmers Insurance Open in February.
Will we get a refreshed Tiger like we did in 2013...or just more of this?
2. Fall momentum: Last year, Jimmy Walker came out of nowhere and used a big fall to propel himself to the Tour Championship and a spot on the 2014 Ryder Cup team.
With most of the big names sitting until January, will a veteran like Charles Howell III or a rookie like Blayne Barber do the same?
3. Equipment movers and shakers: There wasn't anything last offseason as big as Rory McIlroy's jump to Nike before 2013, but this is always the equipment-changing time of year.
With Jordan Spieth locked up for apparently a really long time, will another big (young) fish emerge like McIlroy did at the end of 2012? Is Victor Dubuisson marketable? Will Dustin Johnson keep all of his sponsors? Is there anything new in the cards for Tiger? We'll find out before January.
4. Rory McIlroy's Augusta prep: The Ulsterman said he wasn't going to start prepping for his first shot at the career slam before the calendar flipped to 2015, but monitoring Rory's "offseason" movement will become a hobby for golf writers and fans akin to tracking what Tiger does in the first round of any tournament.
Should he be playing Abu Dhabi? Why is he in Australia again? Is he going to stay at Jeff Knox's house for a week? Is that course in Turkey getting him ready for the big draws at Augusta?! Let the chatter begin.
5. Ryder Cup changes: The new PGA of America president will be named this offseason, which means there will be a lot of hubbub surrounding what that person will do to change the future of the United States' fortunes in the Ryder Cup.
With that tournament being such a touchy subject right now (hey, Phil!) it will be fascinating to see what comes of it (if anything).
NASCAR: Joey Logano wins at Kansas and advances to next round of Chase.
By Nick Bromberg
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano celebrates his victory in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
On a day when many of the drivers considered to be his main rivals for the championship faltered, Joey Logano can now be almost carefree throughout the next two races of the Chase.
Logano took the lead on the final restart of Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway over Ryan Newman and held off Kyle Larson over the final 15 laps to win and ensure his advancement into the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
On the next-to-last restart, Logano took four tires and was sixth as cars ahead of him took two tires. While taking two or no tires would have been tempting; the team chose to stick with the four-tire plan it was utilizing throughout the race. It paid off.
He was second after the first green flag lap and when the caution came out for Kasey Kahne, it meant Logano would restart on the front row with Ryan Newman, the race leader. The last restart was no contest. Logano had the lead into turn one.
"The two of us were up in the top and we were able to make our cars pretty equal," Logano said. "And whoever was up front was going to win that race there, so having a good start, get the lead and take his air away."
Logano's teammate, Brad Keselowski, the Chase points leader before the points reset after last week's race at Dover, suffered a tire failure and hit the wall. So did Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jimmie Johnson got crashed on lap 85. All three drivers had at least three wins before the Chase began.
Earnhardt Jr. said the tread came off the tire that failed. Keselowski had no explanation. He was running in the top five when he hit the wall.
"We blew a tire, not really sure why," Keselowski said. "Just really didn't have an aggressive set up in the car. Just blew a tire."
"Just Russian Roulette and it was our turn."
A Goodyear official interviewed by ESPN during the race couldn't pinpoint a common cause for the tire issues in the race. Kevin Harvick, the driver who has arguably had the fastest car all season, came to pit road under green because he thought he had a flat tire. He didn't. But he was only able to work his way back to 12th after the pit stop.
Since Logano is advancing to the next round of the Chase, he doesn't have to worry about his finishing position at Charlotte next week or Talladega in two weeks. It's anyone's guess as to what will happen at the restrictor plate track and now Logano can run the race the way he wants with no points repercussions.
"[The win] means a lot. Team Penske is where we need to be. Unfortunately Brad didn't have the best day but we had a couple of fast Fords coming in here."
And now that Logano has wins in the first two rounds of the Chase, a repeat performance in the third guarantees he'll be competing for the title at Homestead.
"We got a real shot at winning the championship and I think we're one of the teams to beat."
MLS Sunday Roundup: Colorado and Chicago officially eliminated.
By Kyle Lynch
Catch up on Sunday’s MLS action as teams battle for positioning as the regular season winds down.
Chivas USA 1-0 Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake fans may be worried after suffering an ugly loss to bottom dwellers Chivas USA. Nick Rimando saved an Erick Torres penalty to keep RSL alive, but they failed to create much offensively in an embarrassing defeat. Without a stellar performance from Rimando in net, Real Salt Lake could have lost by three or more goals to a Chivas side that has only scored 26 times in 27 games.
Colorado 1-4 Seattle
Colorado was officially eliminated from playoff contention after being outplayed by one of the best teams in the league. It was the usual suspects for Seattle as Obafemi Martins bagged a brace and Clint Dempsey added a goal and an assist. Tied with Los Angeles for the most points in the league, Seattle is showing no signs of slowing down as they head into the playoffs. Colorado remains winless in their last 11 matches while conceding an astounding 34 goals over the span.
Chicago 0-0 Montreal
For two teams sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Chicago and Montreal’s match was more about pride than points. Jack McInerney appeared to put Montreal ahead in the 38th minute with a brilliant bicycle kick, only to be called back by a questionable offside call. With the draw Chicago was officially eliminated from playoff contention, marking the fourth time in five years Chicago failed to reach the postseason.
Hazard, Costa sink Arsenal in stormy derby.
By Tom Williams
Eden Hazard and Diego Costa scored as Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 in an incident-packed London derby on Sunday to move five points clear at the Premier League summit.
Hazard put Chelsea ahead from the penalty spot in the 27th minute after being fouled by Laurent Koscielny and Costa sealed victory late on from a pass by former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.
On an eventful afternoon at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off following a collision with Alexis Sanchez, while rival managers Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger clashed on the touchline.
Chelsea's victory in a game delayed by 15 minutes due to supporter congestion prior to kick-off leaves them five points clear of defending champions Manchester City going into the international break, with Arsenal nine points off the pace following their first defeat of the campaign.
"It was a difficult game," said Chelsea manager Mourinho, who extended his unbeaten record against Wenger to 12 games.
"They started better than us, but Eden gave us the penalty and the first goal and the game could have finished there if it had been a red card (for Koscielny)."
Wenger had seen his side destroyed 6-0 on Arsenal's previous visit to Chelsea in March, but although the visitors avoided humiliation on this occasion, they did little to enhance their status as title contenders.
"It was an even game, but at the end of the day they have financial power and used it in a effective way with players like Diego Costa and Eden Hazard making the difference," said the Frenchman.
"We lost on details and this is unfortunate."
Both sides made one change to their starting line-ups -- Cesar Azpilicueta coming in for Chelsea; Jack Wilshere for Arsenal -- and the visitors also tweaked their playing system, with Mesut Ozil starting wide on the right.
- Hazard's change of pace -
Sanchez lined up on the opposite flank and was quickly involved, drilling an early sighter wide and then colliding heavily with Courtois after chasing a pass from Wilshere into the Chelsea box.
After receiving treatment Courtois continued playing, but he gave way for Petr Cech in the 24th minute, with television pictures showing blood running from his right ear.
The Belgium international was taken to hospital for tests, but Mourinho said there was "nothing too much to be worried about".
Sanchez was also the unwitting catalyst for the set-to between the two managers.
Mourinho sprang to his feet to remonstrate after the Chilean was fouled by Gary Cahill and Wenger showed his displeasure by shoving the Portuguese in the chest with both hands before the two men were separated.
The game had been short on chances, but an electric change of pace by the excellent Hazard allowed Chelsea to gain the ascendancy.
A swish of the hips took him past two Arsenal players and into the visitors' area and after Koscielny took him down, he got up to send Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way from the spot.
Wilshere had an opportunity to respond immediately, but he miscontrolled Ozil's pass from the left, allowing Cech to slide out and save.
Santi Cazorla dragged a shot wide for Arsenal early in the second half, but it took sharp reflexes from Szczesny to divert the ball onto the post after Mathieu Flamini shinned a cross from Hazard towards his own goal.
Wilshere took it upon himself to haul Arsenal back into the game and he was aggrieved in the 63rd minute when Fabregas escaped punishment after appearing to block the England midfielder's shot with his hand.
Hazard gave Arsenal a let-off when he shot over from Costa's lay-off, but the visitors were not given a second warning.
Fabregas, jeered by fans of the club he represented for eight years, freed Costa with a pass from halfway and the Spain striker chested the ball down before lobbing Szczesny to notch his ninth goal of the season.
Soccer: No racism in football, says Mourinho.
Reuters
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes there is no need for English football to introduce American Football's 'Rooney Rule', saying "there is no racism" in the game.
A law whereby at least one black or ethnic minority candidate must be interviewed for every head coaching job has been in force in NFL since 2003 after it was pushed forward by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney.
No such requirement exists in English football and only two black managers are employed throughout the 92 Premier League and Football League clubs.
Asked about the issue on Friday at his pre-weekend news conference, Mourinho said: "There is no racism in football. Football is not so stupid to close doors to people.
"If you are good, you get the job. If you are top, you are top."
Carlisle boss Keith Curle and Huddersfield's Chris Powell are the only black managers in the English professional game, although around 25 percent of players are black or from ethnic minorities.
Winners and losers: Historically chaotic weekend complicates CFP picture.
By Nick Bromberg
If we don't, it creates a dilemma for the playoff committee. If Baylor loses to Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., and both teams finish with a loss, do the Sooners get the edge because of the head-to-head matchup and its preseason ranking?
Calipari's initial solution has been introducing the idea of employing a platoon system of separate five-man units, each playing almost exactly half the game. The Kentucky coach also has hired an analytics specialist whose job description includes keeping players happy by showing them — and NBA scouts — how their stats would look were they playing 30-32 minutes per game.
2. Can Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones play alongside one-another at Duke?
Just like Calipari, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has an enviable problem to work through this fall. He has barely a month to decide whether senior Quinn Cook will retain the starting point guard job, consensus top 15 recruit Tyus Jones will replace him or both will start alongside one-another at the expense of one of the Blue Devils' wings.
For Duke, the advantage of starting Cook and Jones together is having two ball handlers on the floor, both of whom can attack off the dribble, find their teammates for open shots or knock down floaters and jumpers themselves. The disadvantage is that it takes either 6-foot-5 Rasheed Sulaimon or 6-foot-6 Justise Winslow off the floor, making the Blue Devils smaller and less effective guarding the ball on the perimeter. Duke was woeful defensively last season, though the presence of a true center to defend the paint should help.
Both Cook and Jones are saying the right things so far, insisting that it's not a competition, that they're both out to make the team better and that going against one-another in practice is making both better. Krzyzewski has been publicly non-committal but he did name Cook a team captain earlier this week. Take that as a sign he views Cook as an integral part of the starting lineup for now. The best guess on where things stand entering practice? Cook, Jones and Winslow starting with Sulaimon coming off the bench.
3. Who will win Kansas' point guard competition?
Leading returning scorer Perry Ellis and elite recruit Cliff Alexander and form a formidable frontcourt duo. Breakout candidate Wayne Selden and top prospect Kelly Oubre are a potent pair at wing. Really the only question facing Kansas entering the new season is will one of its unproven point guards will solidify a position that was a season-long weakness last year?
One way Rick Barnes could diffuse that potential problem is by sliding 6-foot-8 Jonathan Holmes from power forward to small forward. Holmes has the skill and shooting ability to play extended minutes on the perimeter, but he was extremely efficient in the paint offensively last season and he may lack the agility and lateral quickness to defend opposing wings.
If Holmes proves ill-suited for the perimeter, that will force Barnes to play three guards again this season and will leave him with only 80 minutes to divvy up among five deserving frontcourt standouts. Turner is an athletic 7-footer who thrives running the floor, blocking shots and knocking down mid-range jumpers. Ridley is a space-eating back-to-the-basket scorer who nearly averaged a double-double last season. Holmes led Texas in scoring and shot 51.2 percent from the field. And Connor Lammert and Prince Ibeh established themselves as two of the nation's most effective backup big men.
5. How does San Diego State replace do-it-all point guard Xavier Thames?
With all but two rotation players returning from a 31-win team and the highest-ranked freshman class in school history set to make its debut, San Diego State is well positioned to again establish itself as one of the West's elite teams next season. The only warning sign is the Aztecs will have to find a way to make up for the graduation of Xavier Thames.
Though Thames averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals last season, stats don't begin to fully demonstrate his impact. Not only was he San Diego State's emotional leader, he also was the Aztecs' offensive catalyst, creating opportunities for himself or his teammates off high ball screens whenever the shot clock began to bleed dry.
San Diego State's heir apparent at point guard will either be freshman Kevin Zabo or returning role players Aqeel Quinn and D'Erryl Williams. Quinn and Williams can set up the offense and play solid defense, but they're better suited to a backup role, meaning the Aztecs will be hoping Zabo proves capable of seizing the job right away.
Regardless, replacing Thames' perimeter scoring output will be a collective burden shared by Dwayne Polee Jr., Winston Shepard, Matt Shrigley and perhaps some of the freshmen if they prove ready as the season goes along. Polee excelled late last season as a complementary scorer to Thames, while Shepard is an elite talent whose erratic decision making and wayward outside shot can sometimes overshadow his ability to attack the rim.
6. How prepared are Kaleb Joseph and Chris McCullough to star right away for Syracuse?
Joseph, the only true point guard on the roster, is the obvious candidate to inherit the starting job from the ultra-efficient Ennis, joining his predecessor, Jonny Flynn, Gerry McNamara and Pearl Washington as point guards who have started as freshmen for the Orange. He should instantly provide offense too. Whereas Ennis was a crafty pass-first point guard whose first instinct was to distribute rather than score, Joseph excels at getting by his man with his strength and explosiveness but is still learning how to create shots for others in addition to himself.
The bigger wild card is McCullough, a 6-foot-10 forward rated Rivals.com's No. 19 recruit in the Class of 2014. One of the most athletically gifted big men in this year's freshman class, McCullough runs the floor exceptionally, finishes in transition with aplomb and excels at crashing the offensive and defensive glass. He and sophomore Tyler Roberson are the two most likely candidates to replace what Syracuse lost when Fair and Grant left.
7. Will anyone emerge as a solution for Indiana's frontcourt woes?
Indiana boasts one of the Big Ten's premier point guards in Yogi Ferrell and a wealth of options at wing, so why aren't the Hoosiers appearing in most preseason Top 25 polls? Well, it probably has something to do with a frontcourt so unproven that Tom Crean worked feverishly to try to find a late addition this summer before ultimately 6-foot-7 Emmit Holt in late August.
Holt joins a frontcourt that also includes fellow freshman Jeremiah April and returners Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Devin Davis, a duo that combined to average all of 5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in limited minutes last season. Indiana will be thrilled if the 6-foot-9 Mosquera-Perea develops into a tough interior defender and rebounder who sets solid screens and consistently finishes around the rim. Davis also is in line for increased playing time if he can cut down on his turnovers and fouls and emerge as a force on the glass.
One other potential solution for Indiana is to go small in an effort to maximize the impact of its plethora of wings and diminish the role of a frontcourt lacking talent. That would probably mean Troy Williams would see a lot of time at the four, a potentially successful strategy if the 6-foot-7 sophomore can defend opposing power forwards a la Glenn Robinson III at Michigan. Indiana would also have to rebound collectively as a unit to make up for only having one true big man on the floor.
8. Who will Wichita State tab as Cleanthony Early's replacement in the lineup?
Giants catcher Buster Posey squatted for 254 pitches on Saturday evening, Saturday night, and early Sunday morning, plus the warmups thrown by each of his team's pitchers before every inning and when they came into the game. He had seven plate appearances, with three singles and a walk, and very nearly scored the winning run in the ninth inning — he was called out, and when the replay proved inconclusive, that ruling stood.
So, you could understand if the former National League MVP was at least a little bit delirious when it was all over, a 2-1 win for the Giants over the Nationals in 18 innings, a 6 hour, 23 affair to which the word “marathon” barely applies, given that for a marathon to take that long, a runner would have to average almost 15 minutes a mile, only somewhat quicker than a fast walking pace.
“It’s one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of, winning it,” said Posey, “Our pitching was just unbelievable. I think the job (Yusmeiro) Petit did was incredible. To throw as many innings, as many pitches as he did, and keep them off the board, the job he did was unbelievable.”
Posey was right about the pitching being fantastic, and especially the work of Petit, who faced 22 batters in six innings, knowing that if any of those batters scored, Washington would win. Petit struck out seven, allowed one hit, and walked three (one intentionally). In his six innings of work — the 12th through the 17th — the Nationals got one runner as far as second base.
Tim Hudson was excellent for 7.1 innings, giving up one run on an Asdrubal Cabrera double and Anthony Rendon single in the third inning, while striking out a playoff career-high eight, at the age of 38. Nine years ago, Hudson started what had been the longest game in playoff history, an 18-inning, 5:50 contest that his Braves lost to the Astros on a Chris Burke homer.
“They’re just long games,” Hudson said when asked to compare the two. “Long games. This was obviously much more of a pitchers’ duel throughout the game (the 2005 game was 7-6, including a grand slam by then-Braves and now-Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche, who was 0-for-7 on Saturday). A lot of pressure pitches. Our bullpen stepped up, and Petit, he done the job. He really stepped up and showed us what he was all about tonight.”
So, too, did Jean Machi, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, and Hunter Strickland, who combined to pitch 4.2 innings and allow one hit, a Ryan Zimmerman single that was followed by Denard Span (0-for-7) bouncing into a double play.
The Giants pitchers did a fantastic job, but the pitching star of the game might have been Jordan Zimmermann, the Washington starter who was one out away from pitching a three-hit shutout, with six strikeouts and only one walk, when Matt Williams lifted him, having thrown 100 pitches, in favor of closer Drew Storen.
“Why did we decide to take him out?” Williams said when asked that exact question, having had hours to think about it following his ejection for arguing Asdrubal Cabrera’s strikeout in the 10th inning. “Because if he got in trouble in the ninth or got a baserunner, we were going to bring our closer in. That is what we have done all year. Got the first two guys, he wasn’t going to face Posey. Buster lined out to third the previous at-bat. Saw the ball pretty good off him all night long. We decided to go with the closer.”
Joe Panik had just walked off Zimmermann to keep the game alive, and with Posey, the Giants’ best hitter, at the plate, it was the right move for Williams to make — he had to trust Storen to get that out, to do his job to get his team even in the best-of-five series. It just failed spectacularly, with Posey ripping a single and Pablo Sandoval following with a double to drive home Panik with the tying run. Posey was out trying to score on a relay throw from Bryce Harper to Anthony Rendon to Wilson Ramos, whose tag appeared late, though Posey’s foot may not have been above home plate rather than on it.
Brandon Belt got to home plate nine innings later with no controversy, trotting home after he put a ball from Tanner Roark over the right field wall. And that gets back to Posey’s delirium. As easily as Petit dealt with the Nationals, high pressure or not, and as little as the Giants threatened up until Belt’s home run, this was not a great game. It was a long game, certainly. It also was a well-pitched game, but it wasn’t really Harvey Haddix and Lew Burdette out there.
It was the kind of game that had a lot of emotion in it if you were on one side or the other, which Posey obviously was. If you had no stake in it, it was not captivating. You became convinced after a while that neither team would ever score again, not because the pitching was so phenomenal, but because they simply could not do it on a windy night that included Posey awkwardly chasing down a napkin.
It was six hours and 23 minutes of two lineups locked in a trunk, blindfolded, handcuffed, and fumbling for a key. It was not the pitchers who were pulling Houdini acts all night. It was Belt who finally let everyone escape — the fans to their homes, the teams to San Francisco for Game 3, where the Giants go for the sweep on Monday.
“It is a great feeling,” Belt said. “It is something you dream about your entire life. I am very fortunate I was able to experience it. I was relieved at the same time. It was really cold out there at one point. You know, we were, I knew everybody battled their butt off. … So, I mean, I wanted to go out there and do what I could to help the team win at that point. Thankfully, it went over.”
ALDS: Orioles show that East title was no fluke with sweep of mighty Tigers.
By Jesse Spector
It was easy to say that the Orioles got lucky in winning the American League East this year, as the defending champion Red Sox took a pratfall, the wild-card Rays of a year ago never recovered from an abysmal start, the Yankees forgot how to hit, and the Blue Jays forgot that teams were allowed to use that “trade deadline” thingamajig to make themselves better.
Baltimore still had to play well to beat those teams, and as much good fortune as there may have been in having rivals stumble, the Orioles stood on the necks of those downtrodden foes, going 47-29 within the division en route to a 96-66 overall record.
The Orioles don’t have elite starting pitching, don’t have big names in the bullpen, and don’t have a lot of offensive diversity, having led the majors with 211 homers, but tied for 17th with a .311 on-base percentage.
But if Baltimore had any luck in sweeping the American League division series from the Tigers, it was in facing an opponent whose flaws they could, and did, exploit. That is what playoff teams are supposed to do, and it is what the Orioles did to advance to the ALCS for the first time in 1997, where they will face either the Royals or the Angels.
“We don’t care what other people say,” said Nelson Cruz, the major league leader this season with 40 home runs, plus another two in this series. “We care what we do here, what we believe. We believe in each other. … We trust what we have here.”
The Tigers’ weak bullpen? The Orioles jumped all over it to break open Game 1, then turned the tide against the same relievers in Game 2 to rally for a 7-6 win.
Detroit’s top-heavy lineup, overly reliant on Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and J.D. Martinez? Baltimore throttled the rest of its opponent’s batting order — a solo homer by Nick Castellanos was the only damage done by anyone other than the Big Three.
The bench? The Orioles had the advantage, and pressed it with ex-Tiger Delmon Young’ s three-run double making the difference in Game 2.
"Just really played to the strength of our guys," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "So, I don't know, you guys can judge conventionality. What is it compared to what's been done? I think each situation changes depending on the strength of your players, and the strength of their players on a given night. You know, we were lucky because we had good players."
The Orioles’ biggest contributors contributed. When David Price was rolling along in Game 3 on Sunday, Adam Jones singled and Cruz homered to snap a scoreless tie in the sixth inning. Baltimore’s bullpen might not have sexy names, but Andrew Miller, Darren O’Day and Zach Britton combined to allow two runs over 6.2 innings, including the one run that Britton gave up before closing the 2-1 clincher.
While Britton’s performance was rocky, as he allowed back-to-back doubles by the Martinezes, the intentional walk that he issued to Castellanos showed another advantage that the Orioles had — their manager. While Brad Ausmus made the highly questionable move to go back to Joba Chamberlain and Joakim Soria in the eighth inning of Game 2 after those two pitchers had gotten shelled in Game 1, Buck Showalter took a calculated risk that had full buy-in from the closer.
“I thought it was great,” Britton said. “I was on the same page about that. You set up the double play. With how many ground balls I can get and how good our defense is, I think you’ve got to take the risk that I’m gonna get the ground ball right there.”
That was exactly what Britton did, inducing a series-ending 6-4-3 double play from pinch-hitter Hernan Perez.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s advantage was supposed to be superior starting pitching, with all three starters being former Cy Young winners. Max Scherzer gave up five runs in 7.1 innings for the Game 1 loss. Justin Verlander lasted only five-plus innings in Game 2, giving up three runs. Price, the trade deadline acquisition who was supposed to put the Tigers over the top and help them win their first World Series since 1984, pitched well, but cracked on Sunday when Orioles counterpart Bud Norris did not — Norris allowed only two hits in 6.1 shutout innings.
Norris in Game 3 and Chris Tillman in Game 1 baffled the Tigers, and when the Tigers roughed up Wei-Yin Chen for five runs in the fourth inning of Game 2, rookie Kevin Gausman — a starter during the regular season — came out of the bullpen to save the day with 3.2 innings of sterling relief work, helped by another Baltimore calling card, outstanding defense.
That was on display again Sunday, when Jonathan Schoop saved a run with a one-motion glove scoop to throw out Andrew Romine on a second-inning squeeze bunt. Schoop got a beneficial call later when he blocked Don Kelly from diving back into second base, yes, but the Orioles’ defensive edge paid dividends throughout.
The only time the Tigers held the lead in the series was from the fourth inning of Game 2 until the eighth-inning bullpen meltdown on Friday. The Orioles dominated them. Nothing lucky about it.
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By Nick Bromberg
The Rutgers mascot is seen in the lower right as fans flood the field after Rutgers defeated Michigan 26-24 in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in Piscataway, N.J. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
Our chances of seeing the inaugural College Football Playoff filled with undefeated teams have gone down dramatically. And a playoff with one or more teams with losses is going to be complicated to fill.
Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and UCLA, five of the top eight teams in the AP poll, all lost in Week 6 – the first time that has happened in college football history.
Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and UCLA, five of the top eight teams in the AP poll, all lost in Week 6 – the first time that has happened in college football history.
The Crimson Tide, Oregon and Oklahoma were all the prohibitive favorites in their conferences to open the season. And while each of the three conferences features at least one undefeated team, the Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC are the three toughest conferences in the country. Given what we saw over the weekend, can we realistically expect an undefeated team to emerge from each?
If we don't, it creates a dilemma for the playoff committee. If Baylor loses to Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., and both teams finish with a loss, do the Sooners get the edge because of the head-to-head matchup and its preseason ranking?
What if Ole Miss loses a game over the course of the regular season but advances to the SEC championship game via the head-to-head tiebreaker over Alabama and loses the title game? Does the Tide's one loss in one fewer game play to its favor because of how Alabama was viewed at the beginning of the season?
With the BCS, we were able to figure out the formula as the season evolved and got a good idea of each team's advantages because the formulas of the computer polls were easy to replicate. It's impossible to replicate the thoughts of 13 people who will meet weekly behind closed doors.
College football took a wacky turn in Week 6 and we think it's likely going to continue. Couple that with an unknown commodity deciding the four playoff representatives and the craziness may not stop when the games are over.
Here are this week's winners and losers:
With the BCS, we were able to figure out the formula as the season evolved and got a good idea of each team's advantages because the formulas of the computer polls were easy to replicate. It's impossible to replicate the thoughts of 13 people who will meet weekly behind closed doors.
College football took a wacky turn in Week 6 and we think it's likely going to continue. Couple that with an unknown commodity deciding the four playoff representatives and the craziness may not stop when the games are over.
Here are this week's winners and losers:
WINNERS
Arizona: Rich Rodriguez and his Wildcats know how to ruin an Oregon Ducks party. They stunned the No. 2 Ducks 31-24 on Thursday (in Eugene, no less), Arizona's second straight win over Oregon. It turns out that Rodriguez can coach, and he picked the perfect week to show it as his old employer, Michigan, spiraled deeper into the abyss that has swallowed the program under the watch of the man hired to replace him, Brady Hoke. Meanwhile, Arizona has cleared arguably its biggest hurdle on the schedule, though plenty of tough challenges remain, including USC next week, a road trip to UCLA on Nov. 1 and the Duel in the Desert against Arizona State on Nov. 28. The way the Pac 12 has started, anyone else could sneak up on the Wildcats, but it's nice to get a big one out of the way early.
Dak Prescott: The Heisman race has been anything but clear up to this point in the season, but if anyone threw his name into the hat on Saturday, it was Prescott. He was nearly flawless in a 48-31 drubbing of Texas A&M, completing 19 of 25 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and rushing 23 times for 77 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Prescott entered the game with all the talk surrounding his counterpart, Kenny Hill, and left with Hill and A&M in the rearview mirror in the Heisman and SEC West chases, respectively.
SMU: The Mustangs scored more points against ECU than they have all season in a 45-24 loss. No, seriously. In case you weren’t paying attention (and why would you?) SMU lost to Baylor 45-0, North Texas 43-6, Texas A&M 58-6, and TCU 56-0. Put in that context, they announced their presence with authority in AAC play.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are 5-0. Georgia Tech beat Miami 28-17, scoring a touchdown in every quarter to keep the Hurricanes at bay. And guess what? There's a chance that Georgia Tech could be 10-0 too. No, we're not saying that the masters of the triple option are legit threats for the national title, but Paul Johnson's bunch is going to start garnering some attention at the bottom of the polls. Before facing Clemson on November 15, GT's next five games are all eminently winnable against Duke, North Carolina, Pitt, Virginia and North Carolina State.
Memphis: Are the Tigers one of the best teams in the American Athletic Conference? Memphis beat Cincinnati 41-14 in its first conference game of the year as QB Paxton Lynch accounted for all six touchdowns. And guess what? The Tigers could run the table in the conference as the schedule doesn't contain Central Florida or East Carolina. The toughest remaining games for Memphis are against Houston, Tulsa and Temple. Could the Tigers go 10-2 with losses to Ole Miss and UCLA?
LOSERS
Pac 12: The goal for any major conference is to get at least one team into the College Football Playoff. If you’re lucky, another conference beats up on each other so much that maybe two of your teams have a shot. The problem for the Pac 12 is it’s off to a start that suggests it will be the conference cannibalizing itself. UCLA beat Arizona State. Arizona beat Oregon. USC beat Stanford (and Stanford also lost to Notre Dame). USC then lost to Boston College just to screw things up more and then lost again Saturday to Arizona State.
And then previously unbeaten No. 8 UCLA fell 30-28 to Utah in a lackluster effort at home. The Bruins had a 55-yard field goal attempt with just seconds left, but the kick from Ka'imi Fairbairn sailed way right -- but a controversial running-into-the-kicker penalty gave the Bruin kicker one more try. Alas, it didn't matter. Fairbairn's second kick sailed on him too and UCLA suffered its first loss of the season.
Arizona has been a nice story, but it is also flawed enough that it’s hard to envision the Wildcats going undefeated. Can Oregon or UCLA rebound and finish with just the one loss? Will one of the upstarts find a way to shock everyone? Just six weeks into the season, the Pac 12 is already asking itself which team will find a way to keep the conference in the playoff picture.
BYU: It was all going so well for BYU. Off to a 4-0 start, QB Taysom Hill was on the verge of cult hero status (and the Heisman convo), and the Cougars were quietly and steadily laying a foundation for an argument to be included in the College Football Playoff picture. As Hill went, so went the Cougars, which is why it all came crashing down the minute he crumpled to the ground with a broken leg. Sure, BYU was already trailing 21-14 at the time, but rallying from there became all the more complicated without the heart of their offense. Quarterbacks should never feel safe in this game each year, with Hill suffering a season-ending injury in 2012, and Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton doing the same last year. This time, it came with the ultimate price: A dream dashed for BYU. No undefeated season, no major bowl bid, no Heisman Trophy. Just like that. A cruel way for it all to end.
Jeff Driskel: If we’ve seen the last of the Gators’ QB, his exit came with the sort of Florida performance that has often accompanied his starts: Poor pocket protection and no way for Driskel to overcome a significant lack of support. It also came with a stat line that only the air of the murky Swamp could distort into anything but awful. He completed just 11 of 23 pass attempts for 59 yards and three interceptions. Down 9-0 to Tennessee, Driskel gave way to Treon Harris, who led two scoring drives en route to a 10-9 win on the road, and now Florida has a QB controversy, with Harris holding all the momentum. Maybe he’s been criminally unsupported, and yes he’s by all accounts a good guy who deserves better than an ending like this, should it be the end. But the numbers have never been on his side. If he never takes another snap for Florida this year, Driskell will finish the season with a completion rate of 55 percent, five touchdowns and six interceptions after entering the year with experience in parts of three seasons. Hard to argue with a change.
UMass: The Minutemen were a special kind of catastrophic against Miami (OH). Both teams entered Saturday’s contest at 0-5, and UMass played like a team determined to end the skid in the first half, scoring 41 points to take a 41-21 lead into the break. Miami proceeded to score 21 unanswered, stunning UMass, which turned the ball over three times (among four total turnovers) in the fourth quarter, and came up two yards short of a game-winning score, adding salt to the 42-41 wound.
Wisconsin passing game: The Badgers’ big offensive line seemingly did its job in a 20-14 loss to Northwestern and Melvin Gordon ran for 259 yards and a touchdown. Wisconsin ran for 284 yards overall, and on paper, that’s the start of a good recipe for a Badgers win. But that’s before you factor in the Wisconsin passing game against the Wildcats. Quarterbacks Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy combined to complete just 12 passes on 29 attempts for a touchdown and a four interceptions. Four. They threw for a paltry 138 yards and Wisconsin’s 17-game streak with at least 20 points was snapped. Even a serviceable performance would usually be enough to complement the Wisconsin ground game, which shows just how terrible the Badgers were through the air.
After Week 6 drama, Florida State regains top spot in AP and Coaches polls.
By Nick Bromberg
Florida State and Auburn are the top two teams in the country again.
The two teams that met in the 2013 BCS Championship Game are the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in both the AP and Coaches Polls after a wacky Week 6 that saw five of the top eight teams in the AP poll lose.
Ole Miss and Mississippi State, two of the teams who were responsible for the top-eight defeats, both vaulted up the standings. They're tied for third in the AP poll while Ole Miss is fourth and Mississippi State is sixth in the Coaches poll.
The Coaches poll has Baylor third. The top six teams in each poll are undefeated while Alabama is the top one-loss team at No. 7. The Crimson Tide are followed by Michigan State in each poll.
Arizona vaulted up to No. 10 in the AP poll following its upset win over Oregon. The Wildcats are No. 13 in the Coaches Poll. TCU, which beat Oklahoma, is No. 9 in the AP poll and No. 12 in the Coaches poll.
Four teams dropped out of both polls: LSU, Wisconsin, BYU and USC.
Here are the complete polls with first place votes and last week's rankings in parentheses.
AP poll
1. Florida State (First Place Votes: 35) [LW: 1]
2. Auburn (23) [5]
3. Mississippi State (2) [12]
3. Ole Miss [11]
5. Baylor [7]
6. Notre Dame [9]
7. Alabama [3]
8. Michigan State [10]
9. TCU [25]
10. Arizona [NR]
11. Oklahoma [4]
12. Oregon [2]
13. Georgia [13]
14. Texas A&M [6]
15. Ohio State [20]
16. Oklahoma State [21]
17. Kansas State [23]
18. UCLA [8]
19. East Carolina [22]
20. Arizona State [NR]
21. Nebraska [19]
22. Georgia Tech [NR]
23. Missouri ]24]
24. Utah [NR]
25. Stanford [14]
2. Auburn (23) [5]
3. Mississippi State (2) [12]
3. Ole Miss [11]
5. Baylor [7]
6. Notre Dame [9]
7. Alabama [3]
8. Michigan State [10]
9. TCU [25]
10. Arizona [NR]
11. Oklahoma [4]
12. Oregon [2]
13. Georgia [13]
14. Texas A&M [6]
15. Ohio State [20]
16. Oklahoma State [21]
17. Kansas State [23]
18. UCLA [8]
19. East Carolina [22]
20. Arizona State [NR]
21. Nebraska [19]
22. Georgia Tech [NR]
23. Missouri ]24]
24. Utah [NR]
25. Stanford [14]
Coaches poll
1. Florida State (44) [2]
2. Auburn (16) [5]
3. Baylor (1) [6]
4. Ole Miss [11]
5. Notre Dame [8]
6. Mississippi State [14]
7. Alabama [1]
8. Michigan State [10]
9. Oklahoma [3]
10. Georgia [12]
11. Oregon [4]
12. TCU [25]
13. Arizona [NR]
14. Texas A&M [7]
15. Ohio State [18]
16. Kansas State [23]
17. UCLA [9]
18. Oklahoma State [23]
19. East Carolina [21]
20. Arizona State [24]
21. Nebraska [17]
22. Stanford [13]
23. Georgia Tech [NR]
24. Missouri [NR]
25. Clemson [NR]
1. Florida State (44) [2]
2. Auburn (16) [5]
3. Baylor (1) [6]
4. Ole Miss [11]
5. Notre Dame [8]
6. Mississippi State [14]
7. Alabama [1]
8. Michigan State [10]
9. Oklahoma [3]
10. Georgia [12]
11. Oregon [4]
12. TCU [25]
13. Arizona [NR]
14. Texas A&M [7]
15. Ohio State [18]
16. Kansas State [23]
17. UCLA [9]
18. Oklahoma State [23]
19. East Carolina [21]
20. Arizona State [24]
21. Nebraska [17]
22. Stanford [13]
23. Georgia Tech [NR]
24. Missouri [NR]
25. Clemson [NR]
Eight key questions as the first day of practice rings in the new season.
By Jeff Eisenberg
Will Duke's Quinn Cook retain his starting point guard job? (AP)
Friday was the first day of practice for most Division I college basketball teams. Yahoo Sports began its season preview coverage with a look at some of the key questions facing the nation's top programs and the answers that could emerge between now and the new season tipping off Nov. 14.
1. How will Kentucky divvy up playing time among its nine McDonald's All-Americans?
John Calipari's chief issue entering practice should come with the hashtag #titlecontenderproblems. The savvy Kentucky coach has to find enough playing time to satisfy every member of a talent-rich roster that boasts a record-tying nine former McDonald's All-Americans and a tenth player, center Willie Cauley-Stein, who is projected to be taken in the first round of next June's NBA draft.
The challenge will be most daunting in the frontcourt, where Kentucky boasts three 7-foot centers, fellow big men Marcus Lee and Trey Lyles and 6-foot-8 combo forward Alex Poythress, who is far more effective near the rim than he is on the perimeter. Either Poythress and one of his teammates will be logging major minutes at small forward, or one or two highly touted big men will not be part of Kentucky's rotation.
Calipari's initial solution has been introducing the idea of employing a platoon system of separate five-man units, each playing almost exactly half the game. The Kentucky coach also has hired an analytics specialist whose job description includes keeping players happy by showing them — and NBA scouts — how their stats would look were they playing 30-32 minutes per game.
That system worked fine during a tour of the Bahamas this summer and it will surely be just as effective against exhibition opponents and overmatched lower-tier Division I foes. But nobody with half a brain thinks Calipari will stick to that approach in the second half of close games against elite competition when Kentucky needs its best players on the floor in their proper positions. It's then that we'll truly find out if the Wildcats are each willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.
2. Can Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones play alongside one-another at Duke?
Just like Calipari, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has an enviable problem to work through this fall. He has barely a month to decide whether senior Quinn Cook will retain the starting point guard job, consensus top 15 recruit Tyus Jones will replace him or both will start alongside one-another at the expense of one of the Blue Devils' wings.
For Duke, the advantage of starting Cook and Jones together is having two ball handlers on the floor, both of whom can attack off the dribble, find their teammates for open shots or knock down floaters and jumpers themselves. The disadvantage is that it takes either 6-foot-5 Rasheed Sulaimon or 6-foot-6 Justise Winslow off the floor, making the Blue Devils smaller and less effective guarding the ball on the perimeter. Duke was woeful defensively last season, though the presence of a true center to defend the paint should help.
Both Cook and Jones are saying the right things so far, insisting that it's not a competition, that they're both out to make the team better and that going against one-another in practice is making both better. Krzyzewski has been publicly non-committal but he did name Cook a team captain earlier this week. Take that as a sign he views Cook as an integral part of the starting lineup for now. The best guess on where things stand entering practice? Cook, Jones and Winslow starting with Sulaimon coming off the bench.
3. Who will win Kansas' point guard competition?
Leading returning scorer Perry Ellis and elite recruit Cliff Alexander and form a formidable frontcourt duo. Breakout candidate Wayne Selden and top prospect Kelly Oubre are a potent pair at wing. Really the only question facing Kansas entering the new season is will one of its unproven point guards will solidify a position that was a season-long weakness last year?
With erratic Naadir Tharpe leaving the program after the season, Kansas' best options are either freshman Devonte Graham or sophomores Frank Mason or Conner Frankamp. Graham is a late-blooming top 100 prospect who spent an extra season in prep school after Appalachian State refused to release him from his letter of intent. Mason excelled at creating off the dribble as a backup last season and Frankamp is a deadly shooter who would need to prove he can be effective distributing as a point guard.
The man to beat is probably Mason because of his experience, but Self has said he wants multiple ball handlers in his rotation. Expect Frankamp to fill that role as the first guard off the bench with Graham carving out a bigger role for himself too as the season goes along. The freshman is bigger than Mason and more athletic than Frankamp but may need time to get stronger and to acclimate himself to high-level Division I basketball.
4. How will highly touted Myles Turner fit into Texas' crowded frontcourt rotation?
Texas already returned its top four big men from a frontcourt that dominated the paint and controlled the glass last season. Adding highly touted five-star freshman Myles Turner to that quartet could either bolster an already strong group or create an unwieldy logjam that leaves veterans grumbling about a newcomer eating into their minutes.
One way Rick Barnes could diffuse that potential problem is by sliding 6-foot-8 Jonathan Holmes from power forward to small forward. Holmes has the skill and shooting ability to play extended minutes on the perimeter, but he was extremely efficient in the paint offensively last season and he may lack the agility and lateral quickness to defend opposing wings.
If Holmes proves ill-suited for the perimeter, that will force Barnes to play three guards again this season and will leave him with only 80 minutes to divvy up among five deserving frontcourt standouts. Turner is an athletic 7-footer who thrives running the floor, blocking shots and knocking down mid-range jumpers. Ridley is a space-eating back-to-the-basket scorer who nearly averaged a double-double last season. Holmes led Texas in scoring and shot 51.2 percent from the field. And Connor Lammert and Prince Ibeh established themselves as two of the nation's most effective backup big men.
5. How does San Diego State replace do-it-all point guard Xavier Thames?
With all but two rotation players returning from a 31-win team and the highest-ranked freshman class in school history set to make its debut, San Diego State is well positioned to again establish itself as one of the West's elite teams next season. The only warning sign is the Aztecs will have to find a way to make up for the graduation of Xavier Thames.
Though Thames averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals last season, stats don't begin to fully demonstrate his impact. Not only was he San Diego State's emotional leader, he also was the Aztecs' offensive catalyst, creating opportunities for himself or his teammates off high ball screens whenever the shot clock began to bleed dry.
San Diego State's heir apparent at point guard will either be freshman Kevin Zabo or returning role players Aqeel Quinn and D'Erryl Williams. Quinn and Williams can set up the offense and play solid defense, but they're better suited to a backup role, meaning the Aztecs will be hoping Zabo proves capable of seizing the job right away.
Regardless, replacing Thames' perimeter scoring output will be a collective burden shared by Dwayne Polee Jr., Winston Shepard, Matt Shrigley and perhaps some of the freshmen if they prove ready as the season goes along. Polee excelled late last season as a complementary scorer to Thames, while Shepard is an elite talent whose erratic decision making and wayward outside shot can sometimes overshadow his ability to attack the rim.
6. How prepared are Kaleb Joseph and Chris McCullough to star right away for Syracuse?
What happens when the three leading scorers leave a Syracuse program that already struggled to generate enough offense late last season? Either some young, inexperienced players are going to have to make an immediate impact, or the Orange will frequently resemble the team that shot below 40 percent in each of its six losses last February and March.
With C.J. Fair graduating and Tyler Ennis and Jerami Grant leaving early for the NBA, the only-double digit scorer Syracuse brings back is senior Trevor Cooney, a shooting guard who gets his points mostly off catch-and-shoot opportunities. Defensive-minded big man Rakeem Christmas could become a bigger focal point offensively this season, but the players with the best chance of evolving into the catalysts Syracuse desperately needs are decorated freshmen Kaleb Joseph and Chris McCullough. Joseph, the only true point guard on the roster, is the obvious candidate to inherit the starting job from the ultra-efficient Ennis, joining his predecessor, Jonny Flynn, Gerry McNamara and Pearl Washington as point guards who have started as freshmen for the Orange. He should instantly provide offense too. Whereas Ennis was a crafty pass-first point guard whose first instinct was to distribute rather than score, Joseph excels at getting by his man with his strength and explosiveness but is still learning how to create shots for others in addition to himself.
The bigger wild card is McCullough, a 6-foot-10 forward rated Rivals.com's No. 19 recruit in the Class of 2014. One of the most athletically gifted big men in this year's freshman class, McCullough runs the floor exceptionally, finishes in transition with aplomb and excels at crashing the offensive and defensive glass. He and sophomore Tyler Roberson are the two most likely candidates to replace what Syracuse lost when Fair and Grant left.
7. Will anyone emerge as a solution for Indiana's frontcourt woes?
Indiana boasts one of the Big Ten's premier point guards in Yogi Ferrell and a wealth of options at wing, so why aren't the Hoosiers appearing in most preseason Top 25 polls? Well, it probably has something to do with a frontcourt so unproven that Tom Crean worked feverishly to try to find a late addition this summer before ultimately 6-foot-7 Emmit Holt in late August.
Holt joins a frontcourt that also includes fellow freshman Jeremiah April and returners Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Devin Davis, a duo that combined to average all of 5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in limited minutes last season. Indiana will be thrilled if the 6-foot-9 Mosquera-Perea develops into a tough interior defender and rebounder who sets solid screens and consistently finishes around the rim. Davis also is in line for increased playing time if he can cut down on his turnovers and fouls and emerge as a force on the glass.
One other potential solution for Indiana is to go small in an effort to maximize the impact of its plethora of wings and diminish the role of a frontcourt lacking talent. That would probably mean Troy Williams would see a lot of time at the four, a potentially successful strategy if the 6-foot-7 sophomore can defend opposing power forwards a la Glenn Robinson III at Michigan. Indiana would also have to rebound collectively as a unit to make up for only having one true big man on the floor.
8. Who will Wichita State tab as Cleanthony Early's replacement in the lineup?
Just like Wichita State had to prove it could succeed without point guard Malcolm Armstead and big man Carl Hall last season, the Shockers have another key player they must find a way to replace this year. Second-team All-American Cleanthony Early is now with the New York Knicks, leaving a void of 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Shockers to fill at power forward.
The leading candidates to start alongside 6-foot-7 back-to-the-basket scoring specialist Darius Carter are junior college transfers Tevin Glass and Tom Wamukota, redshirt freshman Shaquille Morris or true freshmen Rauno Nurger or Rashard Kelly. It's also possible Wichita State could go ultra-small with four guards and play 6-foot-5 Evan Wessell for extended minutes at the four.
The decision of who starts will probably come down to a combination of which newcomer shows the most promise in practice and what coach Gregg Marshall values most. If it's size and shot blocking, the 7-foot Wamukota may be the choice. If it's athleticism and rebounding, the 6-foot-8 Glass could get the nod. Don't count out the 6-foot-10 Nurger or 6-foot-7 Morris either. Nurger has plenty of experience for a freshman after a year in prep school and time with the Estonian national team, while Morris has shed 20 pounds since last season and hopes to prove being in better shape can help him stay injury-free.
NLDS: While San Fran won a historic game, it was anything but classic for Giants, Nats.
By Jesse Spector
Giants catcher Buster Posey squatted for 254 pitches on Saturday evening, Saturday night, and early Sunday morning, plus the warmups thrown by each of his team's pitchers before every inning and when they came into the game. He had seven plate appearances, with three singles and a walk, and very nearly scored the winning run in the ninth inning — he was called out, and when the replay proved inconclusive, that ruling stood.
So, you could understand if the former National League MVP was at least a little bit delirious when it was all over, a 2-1 win for the Giants over the Nationals in 18 innings, a 6 hour, 23 affair to which the word “marathon” barely applies, given that for a marathon to take that long, a runner would have to average almost 15 minutes a mile, only somewhat quicker than a fast walking pace.
“It’s one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of, winning it,” said Posey, “Our pitching was just unbelievable. I think the job (Yusmeiro) Petit did was incredible. To throw as many innings, as many pitches as he did, and keep them off the board, the job he did was unbelievable.”
Posey was right about the pitching being fantastic, and especially the work of Petit, who faced 22 batters in six innings, knowing that if any of those batters scored, Washington would win. Petit struck out seven, allowed one hit, and walked three (one intentionally). In his six innings of work — the 12th through the 17th — the Nationals got one runner as far as second base.
Tim Hudson was excellent for 7.1 innings, giving up one run on an Asdrubal Cabrera double and Anthony Rendon single in the third inning, while striking out a playoff career-high eight, at the age of 38. Nine years ago, Hudson started what had been the longest game in playoff history, an 18-inning, 5:50 contest that his Braves lost to the Astros on a Chris Burke homer.
“They’re just long games,” Hudson said when asked to compare the two. “Long games. This was obviously much more of a pitchers’ duel throughout the game (the 2005 game was 7-6, including a grand slam by then-Braves and now-Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche, who was 0-for-7 on Saturday). A lot of pressure pitches. Our bullpen stepped up, and Petit, he done the job. He really stepped up and showed us what he was all about tonight.”
So, too, did Jean Machi, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, and Hunter Strickland, who combined to pitch 4.2 innings and allow one hit, a Ryan Zimmerman single that was followed by Denard Span (0-for-7) bouncing into a double play.
The Giants pitchers did a fantastic job, but the pitching star of the game might have been Jordan Zimmermann, the Washington starter who was one out away from pitching a three-hit shutout, with six strikeouts and only one walk, when Matt Williams lifted him, having thrown 100 pitches, in favor of closer Drew Storen.
“Why did we decide to take him out?” Williams said when asked that exact question, having had hours to think about it following his ejection for arguing Asdrubal Cabrera’s strikeout in the 10th inning. “Because if he got in trouble in the ninth or got a baserunner, we were going to bring our closer in. That is what we have done all year. Got the first two guys, he wasn’t going to face Posey. Buster lined out to third the previous at-bat. Saw the ball pretty good off him all night long. We decided to go with the closer.”
Joe Panik had just walked off Zimmermann to keep the game alive, and with Posey, the Giants’ best hitter, at the plate, it was the right move for Williams to make — he had to trust Storen to get that out, to do his job to get his team even in the best-of-five series. It just failed spectacularly, with Posey ripping a single and Pablo Sandoval following with a double to drive home Panik with the tying run. Posey was out trying to score on a relay throw from Bryce Harper to Anthony Rendon to Wilson Ramos, whose tag appeared late, though Posey’s foot may not have been above home plate rather than on it.
Brandon Belt got to home plate nine innings later with no controversy, trotting home after he put a ball from Tanner Roark over the right field wall. And that gets back to Posey’s delirium. As easily as Petit dealt with the Nationals, high pressure or not, and as little as the Giants threatened up until Belt’s home run, this was not a great game. It was a long game, certainly. It also was a well-pitched game, but it wasn’t really Harvey Haddix and Lew Burdette out there.
It was the kind of game that had a lot of emotion in it if you were on one side or the other, which Posey obviously was. If you had no stake in it, it was not captivating. You became convinced after a while that neither team would ever score again, not because the pitching was so phenomenal, but because they simply could not do it on a windy night that included Posey awkwardly chasing down a napkin.
It was six hours and 23 minutes of two lineups locked in a trunk, blindfolded, handcuffed, and fumbling for a key. It was not the pitchers who were pulling Houdini acts all night. It was Belt who finally let everyone escape — the fans to their homes, the teams to San Francisco for Game 3, where the Giants go for the sweep on Monday.
“It is a great feeling,” Belt said. “It is something you dream about your entire life. I am very fortunate I was able to experience it. I was relieved at the same time. It was really cold out there at one point. You know, we were, I knew everybody battled their butt off. … So, I mean, I wanted to go out there and do what I could to help the team win at that point. Thankfully, it went over.”
ALDS: Orioles show that East title was no fluke with sweep of mighty Tigers.
By Jesse Spector
It was easy to say that the Orioles got lucky in winning the American League East this year, as the defending champion Red Sox took a pratfall, the wild-card Rays of a year ago never recovered from an abysmal start, the Yankees forgot how to hit, and the Blue Jays forgot that teams were allowed to use that “trade deadline” thingamajig to make themselves better.
Baltimore still had to play well to beat those teams, and as much good fortune as there may have been in having rivals stumble, the Orioles stood on the necks of those downtrodden foes, going 47-29 within the division en route to a 96-66 overall record.
The Orioles don’t have elite starting pitching, don’t have big names in the bullpen, and don’t have a lot of offensive diversity, having led the majors with 211 homers, but tied for 17th with a .311 on-base percentage.
But if Baltimore had any luck in sweeping the American League division series from the Tigers, it was in facing an opponent whose flaws they could, and did, exploit. That is what playoff teams are supposed to do, and it is what the Orioles did to advance to the ALCS for the first time in 1997, where they will face either the Royals or the Angels.
“We don’t care what other people say,” said Nelson Cruz, the major league leader this season with 40 home runs, plus another two in this series. “We care what we do here, what we believe. We believe in each other. … We trust what we have here.”
The Tigers’ weak bullpen? The Orioles jumped all over it to break open Game 1, then turned the tide against the same relievers in Game 2 to rally for a 7-6 win.
Detroit’s top-heavy lineup, overly reliant on Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and J.D. Martinez? Baltimore throttled the rest of its opponent’s batting order — a solo homer by Nick Castellanos was the only damage done by anyone other than the Big Three.
The bench? The Orioles had the advantage, and pressed it with ex-Tiger Delmon Young’ s three-run double making the difference in Game 2.
"Just really played to the strength of our guys," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "So, I don't know, you guys can judge conventionality. What is it compared to what's been done? I think each situation changes depending on the strength of your players, and the strength of their players on a given night. You know, we were lucky because we had good players."
The Orioles’ biggest contributors contributed. When David Price was rolling along in Game 3 on Sunday, Adam Jones singled and Cruz homered to snap a scoreless tie in the sixth inning. Baltimore’s bullpen might not have sexy names, but Andrew Miller, Darren O’Day and Zach Britton combined to allow two runs over 6.2 innings, including the one run that Britton gave up before closing the 2-1 clincher.
While Britton’s performance was rocky, as he allowed back-to-back doubles by the Martinezes, the intentional walk that he issued to Castellanos showed another advantage that the Orioles had — their manager. While Brad Ausmus made the highly questionable move to go back to Joba Chamberlain and Joakim Soria in the eighth inning of Game 2 after those two pitchers had gotten shelled in Game 1, Buck Showalter took a calculated risk that had full buy-in from the closer.
“I thought it was great,” Britton said. “I was on the same page about that. You set up the double play. With how many ground balls I can get and how good our defense is, I think you’ve got to take the risk that I’m gonna get the ground ball right there.”
That was exactly what Britton did, inducing a series-ending 6-4-3 double play from pinch-hitter Hernan Perez.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s advantage was supposed to be superior starting pitching, with all three starters being former Cy Young winners. Max Scherzer gave up five runs in 7.1 innings for the Game 1 loss. Justin Verlander lasted only five-plus innings in Game 2, giving up three runs. Price, the trade deadline acquisition who was supposed to put the Tigers over the top and help them win their first World Series since 1984, pitched well, but cracked on Sunday when Orioles counterpart Bud Norris did not — Norris allowed only two hits in 6.1 shutout innings.
Norris in Game 3 and Chris Tillman in Game 1 baffled the Tigers, and when the Tigers roughed up Wei-Yin Chen for five runs in the fourth inning of Game 2, rookie Kevin Gausman — a starter during the regular season — came out of the bullpen to save the day with 3.2 innings of sterling relief work, helped by another Baltimore calling card, outstanding defense.
That was on display again Sunday, when Jonathan Schoop saved a run with a one-motion glove scoop to throw out Andrew Romine on a second-inning squeeze bunt. Schoop got a beneficial call later when he blocked Don Kelly from diving back into second base, yes, but the Orioles’ defensive edge paid dividends throughout.
The only time the Tigers held the lead in the series was from the fourth inning of Game 2 until the eighth-inning bullpen meltdown on Friday. The Orioles dominated them. Nothing lucky about it.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, October 6, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1880 - The National League kicked the Cincinnati Reds out for selling beer.
1983 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) got his 25th career hat trick.
1985 - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) set an NFL record with 57 pass attempts. He threw for five touchdowns and 429 yards.
1995 - The Colorado Avalanche (formerly the Quebec Nordiques) won their first NHL game when they beat the Detroit Red Wings.
2003 - The Indianapolis Colts became the first team in NFL history to win after trailing by 21 or more points with less than four minutes to play in regulation. The game went to an extra period where the Colts defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-35.
1983 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) got his 25th career hat trick.
1985 - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) set an NFL record with 57 pass attempts. He threw for five touchdowns and 429 yards.
1995 - The Colorado Avalanche (formerly the Quebec Nordiques) won their first NHL game when they beat the Detroit Red Wings.
2003 - The Indianapolis Colts became the first team in NFL history to win after trailing by 21 or more points with less than four minutes to play in regulation. The game went to an extra period where the Colts defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-35.
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