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Sports Quote of the Day:
"Effort without talent is a depressing situation... but talent without effort is a tragedy." ~ Mike Ditka, NFL Player, Super Bowl Winning Coach and Hall of Famer
"Effort without talent is a depressing situation... but talent without effort is a tragedy." ~ Mike Ditka, NFL Player, Super Bowl Winning Coach and Hall of Famer
Trending: Bears close the gap with Packers, but still drop season opener. (See football section for details).
Trending: Female kicker makes extra point for Kent State. (See college football section for details).
NFL Scores Sunday, September 13, 2015
NFL Scores Sunday, September 13, 2015
| Sep 13, 07:30 PM | New York Giants | @ Dallas Cowboys | 26 : 27 | ||
| Sep 13, 03:25 PM | Baltimore Ravens | @ Denver Broncos | 13 : 19 | ||
| Sep 13, 03:25 PM | Cincinnati Bengals | @ Oakland Raiders | 33 : 13 | ||
| Sep 13, 03:25 PM | Tennessee Titans | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 42 : 14 | ||
| Sep 13, 03:05 PM | Detroit Lions | @ San Diego Chargers | 28 : 33 | ||
| Sep 13, 03:05 PM | New Orleans Saints | @ Arizona Cardinals | 19 : 31 | ||
| Sep 13, 12:00 PM | Carolina Panthers | @ Jacksonville Jaguars | 20 : 9 | ||
| Sep 13, 12:00 PM | Cleveland Browns | @ New York Jets | 10 : 31 | ||
| Sep 13, 12:00 PM | Green Bay Packers | @ Chicago Bears | 31 : 23 | ||
| Sep 13, 12:00 PM | Indianapolis Colts | @ Buffalo Bills | 14 : 27 | ||
| Sep 13, 12:00 PM | Kansas City Chiefs | @ Houston Texans | 27 : 20 | ||
| Sep 13, 12:00 PM | Miami Dolphins | @ Washington Redskins | 17 : 10 | ||
| Sep 13, 12:00 PM | Seattle Seahawks | @ St. Louis Rams | 31 : 34 (OT) (31 : 31) | ||
| Sep 10, 07:40 PM | Pittsburgh Steelers | @ New England Patriots | 21 : 28 |
Note: Winners highlighted in XXXXX
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Rodgers, James Jones lead Packers over Bears 31-23.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Rodgers, James Jones lead Packers over Bears 31-23.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Matt Forte dives into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter. (Photo/Anthony Souffle/Chicago Tribune)
Aaron Rodgers saw James Jones go up for a one-handed touchdown catch and experienced a few flashbacks.
Like they had stepped back in time.
Rodgers threw for three touchdowns, two to Jones, and the Green Bay Packers beat Chicago 31-23 to spoil John Fox's debut as Bears coach Sunday afternoon.
The Packers got all they could handle from the rebuilding Bears but took control down the stretch to beat them for the 10th time in 11 games, including the postseason.
Rodgers improved to 13-3 lifetime against Chicago. The 2014 MVP completed 18 of 23 passes for 189 yards.
Jones, who spent seven seasons in Green Bay before signing with Oakland last year, caught four passes for 51 yards. That included a one-handed grab on a 13-yard score late in the first quarter that left Rodgers flashing back to 2012, when Jones led the league with 14 TD catches.
He added a 1-yarder in the third - a good start after being released by the Raiders in the spring and by the New York Giants on the final roster cut. With Jordy Nelson (knee) out for the season, the Packers were quick to bring back Jones.
''No disrespect to James, but I don't think it was that out of character,'' Rodgers said. ''Like many other guys that have gone elsewhere and come back, there is a comfort in this offense for guys who have flourished in it at times. And I think that Jones is one of those guys that really feels comfortable on offense.''
Randall Cobb, hampered late in the preseason by a sprained right shoulder, had 38 yards receiving. He caught a 5-yard touchdown that made it 24-16 early in the fourth quarter, and Clay Matthews sealed the win by intercepting Jay Cutler at the Green Bay 20 and returning it 48 yards.
Eddie Lacy ran for 85 yards and a late touchdown. Julius Peppers chipped in with 1 1/2 sacks for the four-time defending NFC North champions.
''This is our starting point. This is who we are as a team today,'' coach Mike McCarthy said. ''A lot of good things to go off of, a lot of things we can learn from.''
The Bears, essentially starting over under Fox and new general manager Ryan Pace after a five-win season, kept this one close though Cutler had a rough afternoon. He was 18 of 36 for 225 yards, with that late interception by Matthews. He also threw a 24-yard touchdown to Martellus Bennett with 34 seconds left, but Green Bay recovered the onside kick.
''Green Bay is a pretty good football team,'' Fox said. ''We were going to have to be near flawless to beat them and we didn't quite reach that. I think there was a lot of positive things that we'll be able to build on as a football team moving forward as we get ready for Arizona.''
Matt Forte ran for 141 yards - 105 in the first half - and a touchdown. Alshon Jeffery caught five passes for 78 yards after missing the preseason because of a left calf injury. Robbie Gould kicked three field goals to give him 246 to surpass Kevin Butler as Chicago's all-time leader.
Green Bay, which outscored the Bears 93-31 over two games last season and beat them at Soldier Field for their 700th win, trailed 13-10 at the half. Rodgers finished a third-quarter drive with a 1-yard slant to Jones and Gould answered with a 44-yard field goal, cutting it to 17-16.
Rodgers made it 24-16 early in the fourth when he hit Cobb with a 5-yard pass, capping a 16-play drive.
But the Bears stalled at the 2 after Cutler's 50-yard pass to Marquess Wilson. Cutler overthrew Eddie Royal in the end zone on fourth down after Chicago opted not to try a field goal.
''This was one game,'' Cutler said. ''We've got 15 more. So we've got a lot of opportunities left to go out there and do it the right way and keep improving on where we are right now.''
Notes: The Bears started two-time Pro Bowl RG Kyle Long at right tackle - a move that many saw coming after Jordan Mills got released a week earlier. Vladimir Ducasse started at right guard. ... This was Forte's fourth game with at least 141 yards and his highest output since he ran for 145 against Tampa Bay on Oct. 23, 2011. ... Packers LB Sam Barrington sat out the second half because of an ankle injury.
Telling Bears that 2015 is a rebuilding year is an 'insult'.
By John Mullin
Linebacker Pernell McPhee was asking around to find out how many yards Aaron Rodgers had passed for in the Green Bay Packers’ 31-23 win Sunday over the Bears. The answer came back: 189.
McPhee shook his head: “Let’s be real: We come in and somebody says Aaron Rodgers will throw for 189 yards and we lose – [expletive] – that shocked me.”
The Bears left Soldier Field on Sunday, not feeling good that they somehow might have drawn closer to the benchmark for NFC North excellence, but rather feeling angry that they lost a game they should have won.
If someone suggests the Bears took a positive step in their rebuilding process, the Bears take that as an insult.
“It is an insult, a little bit,” said linebacker Christian Jones. “Because we know in this locker room what we can do.
“People say this is a ‘rebuilding year,’ but we’ve got the guys who can go out and compete right now with any team that comes on the field with us.”
That is the most palpable difference wrought by the regime change under coach John Fox, his staff and the new front office. Last year the Bears knew they couldn’t play with the Packers (and others), and were right; they couldn’t.
Now they come within a touchdown of the Packers – the Bears were driving for a tying fourth-quarter touchdown when Jay Cutler was intercepted at the Green Bay 20 – and they’re mad.
“We can play with anybody,” wide receiver Alshon Jeffery said flatly. “I give them credit, they’re a great team and all that, but we had some self-inflicted wounds on ourselves. ... I still feel like we beat ourselves. It’s nothing they did. I feel great about this team. I love this team.”
Feeling good and actually being good aren’t necessarily the same thing. Not even remotely most of the time in the real world.
But several Bears came into Sunday’s game fully expecting to beat Rodgers and the Packers, to “shock the world,” as young defensive tackle Ego Ferguson had said. In the past, a game was effectively over if the Bears fell behind by 7 points, or so the attitude clearly was. Now, not so, at all.
After the interception of Cutler by linebacker Clay Matthews, the Packers scored and went up 31-16. The Bears recovered and went 72 yards in six plays, then were an onside-kick recovery away from a second chance to tie in the span of the final four minutes.
“The mentality out there is ‘don’t even blink,’” said running back Matt Forte, who ran for 141 yards and a touchdown. “The mentality of this offense, which I was proud of, is nobody had that stupid look on their face.
“Like before, when something would happen, saying, like, the game is lost already when there was time left. We didn’t do that and came out fighting.”
And don’t tell a 30-year-old running back who’s just netted 166 yards in a game that his team’s just rebuilding: “I expect us to be out there and be a close game, or a least be better competition than what it has been in previous years.”
“People say this is a ‘rebuilding year,’ but we’ve got the guys who can go out and compete right now with any team that comes on the field with us.”
That is the most palpable difference wrought by the regime change under coach John Fox, his staff and the new front office. Last year the Bears knew they couldn’t play with the Packers (and others), and were right; they couldn’t.
Now they come within a touchdown of the Packers – the Bears were driving for a tying fourth-quarter touchdown when Jay Cutler was intercepted at the Green Bay 20 – and they’re mad.
“We can play with anybody,” wide receiver Alshon Jeffery said flatly. “I give them credit, they’re a great team and all that, but we had some self-inflicted wounds on ourselves. ... I still feel like we beat ourselves. It’s nothing they did. I feel great about this team. I love this team.”
Feeling good and actually being good aren’t necessarily the same thing. Not even remotely most of the time in the real world.
But several Bears came into Sunday’s game fully expecting to beat Rodgers and the Packers, to “shock the world,” as young defensive tackle Ego Ferguson had said. In the past, a game was effectively over if the Bears fell behind by 7 points, or so the attitude clearly was. Now, not so, at all.
After the interception of Cutler by linebacker Clay Matthews, the Packers scored and went up 31-16. The Bears recovered and went 72 yards in six plays, then were an onside-kick recovery away from a second chance to tie in the span of the final four minutes.
“The mentality out there is ‘don’t even blink,’” said running back Matt Forte, who ran for 141 yards and a touchdown. “The mentality of this offense, which I was proud of, is nobody had that stupid look on their face.
“Like before, when something would happen, saying, like, the game is lost already when there was time left. We didn’t do that and came out fighting.”
And don’t tell a 30-year-old running back who’s just netted 166 yards in a game that his team’s just rebuilding: “I expect us to be out there and be a close game, or a least be better competition than what it has been in previous years.”
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks free up salary with Versteeg trade, finally sign Marcus Kruger.
By Sean Leahy
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
For the second straight season, the Chicago Blackhawks shed salary just before the season in order to get their cap situation in order.
The Blackhawks sent a 2017 third-rounder, Kris Versteeg and his Stanley Cup parade rap partner, Joakim Nordstrom, to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defensemen Dennis Robertson and Jake Massie, along with a 2017 fifth-round pick.
“Kris is a skilled forward who has won a pair of Cups with the Blackhawks and can provide veteran leadership in our room,” said Hurricanes GM Ron Francis. “Joakim is a solid, 200-foot player who can kill penalties. This gives us more options up front for this season, while also now giving us 10 picks in the first three rounds over the next two drafts.”
This trade is the definition of a salary dump, and GM Stan Bowman freed up $2.4 million in space, which allowed the team to re-sign restricted free agent Marcus Kruger to a one-year deal on Friday. Kruger had been waiting all summer for the Blackhawks' cap situation to clear up and while he probably would have liked a longer deal, it was obvious he wanted to stay in Chicago.
Versteeg scored 24 goals and 63 points over two seasons in his second stint with the Blackhawks. Nordstrom, who had just signed a one-year extension last week, played 38 games last season and three in the playoffs and is set to become an RFA next summer.
If you’re keeping track of those who have departed the Blackhawks this season, joining Versteeg and Nordstrom are Kimmo Timonen (retired), Patrick Sharp (traded to Dallas), Johnny Oduya (signed with Dallas), Brandon Saad (traded and signed with Columbus), Antti Raanta (traded to New York Rangers), Antoine Vermette (signed with Arizona), Brad Richards (signed with Detroit), while Daniel Carclllo, Kyle Cumiskey and Michal Rozsival all remain on the UFA market.
Then there's Patrick Kane, who at the moment is a giant question mark.
Versteeg scored 24 goals and 63 points over two seasons in his second stint with the Blackhawks. Nordstrom, who had just signed a one-year extension last week, played 38 games last season and three in the playoffs and is set to become an RFA next summer.
If you’re keeping track of those who have departed the Blackhawks this season, joining Versteeg and Nordstrom are Kimmo Timonen (retired), Patrick Sharp (traded to Dallas), Johnny Oduya (signed with Dallas), Brandon Saad (traded and signed with Columbus), Antti Raanta (traded to New York Rangers), Antoine Vermette (signed with Arizona), Brad Richards (signed with Detroit), while Daniel Carclllo, Kyle Cumiskey and Michal Rozsival all remain on the UFA market.
Then there's Patrick Kane, who at the moment is a giant question mark.
D Jan Hejda accepts PTO with Blackhawks.
By C. Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
After trading Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom to Carolina on Friday, the Blackhawks opened up some cap space to re-sign Marcus Kruger.
They also left a little bit of room to bring in one more player at a low price.
Columbus Dispatch's Aaron Portzline reported Saturday that former Blue Jackets and Avalanche defenseman Jan Hejda has accepted a professional tryout with the Blackhawks, and will report to training camp with the team on Sept. 18.
In 627 career games, Hedja has registered 25 goals and 135 points. Last season, he played in all but one game with the Avalanche, where he recorded 13 points — one goal and 12 assists.
Hejda has averaged at least 20 minutes of ice time in all nine NHL seasons except one (2012-13), but at age 37, he figures to battle for and provide stability to the Blackhawks' bottom pairing.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls' Taj Gibson pleased with ankle rehab.
By K. C. Johnson
Taj Gibson
Taj Gibson wants to participate in two-a-day practices at the start of Bulls’ training camp later this month to “go at it with guys.”
His doctors, trainers and coaches are preaching caution.
Can you blame them? Gibson, who had left ankle surgery in mid-June, revealed at his City Basketball ProCamp on Saturday in Deerfield that he played through a torn ligament during the playoffs.
“The doctor was astounded. He said he never knew anybody who could play through so much pain. I just thought it was normal,” said Gibson who sprained the ankle three times last season and has battled ankle issues in two of the last three years.
“He was surprised I was even able to run or lift off it.”
At the time of the surgery, the Bulls estimated Gibson would return to full basketball activity in four months. That’s mid-October. Not surprisingly, Gibson, who is running and cutting and performing one-on-one drills, is itching to beat that.
“They tightened and really reconstructed the ligament, which was completely torn off,” Gibson said. “So far, it has been stiff and really tight. I really can’t turn it. Plus, I wear a better ankle support now.
“The doctors said with more reps and running, it will get stronger. I’m in good shape. The doctor told me I’m ahead of schedule. But he doesn’t want me to rush.”
Once Gibson is cleared, the valuable forward is looking forward to rushing in a different way — running the floor in what he said will be a more up-tempo offense under Fred Hoiberg. Gibson has talked consistently with the new coach, whom he said used to give him foul-shooting tips when Gibson played for Tim Floyd at USC.
“Over the years, I’ve played a half court set where we had to walk it up. (At USC,) I was used to running and being athletic. Coach Fred calls me all the time and told me he felt I left so much on the table playing in half court, dictated — the way our offense was.
“Not taking anything away from (Tom Thibodeau) and the way we played. He was a great coach, taught me a lot. But moving from that kind of offense to this kind of offense is going to be exciting.”
Gibson said he hasn’t spoken to Derrick Rose since a woman filed a civil suit in California accusing Rose and two friends of sexual assault. Gibson admitted to shock when he first heard the story, which Rose and his lawyers have denied vehemently with claims the woman has sought money while with three different lawyers.
“I support him in any way possible,” Gibson said. “I understand what kind of guy he is. I understand he’s a great teammate. I understand how he is off the court. I’ve hung around him many times. But in this situation, you never really know.
“I know he’s a great guy. These things (accusations) tend to happen nowadays. I pray for the best. He doesn’t come off like that kind of guy.”
Moses Malone, Hall of Famer and basketball legend, dies at 60.
By Marc Lancaster
Moses Malone celebrates winning the 1983 NBA championship.
Moses Malone, a three-time NBA MVP and one of the greatest players in professional basketball history, has died at 60, according to multiple reports.
Malone died in his sleep at a hotel in Virginia where he was set to play in a golf tournament, former teammate Calvin Murphy told Fox 26 in Houston.
Malone went straight to the ABA from high school in 1974 and starred in the startup league before becoming a legend when the ABA and NBA merged. He became a monster on the boards in Houston, leading the league with 17.6 rebounds per game in 1979 as he won his first MVP award. The team confirmed the loss of the Rocket legend on Twitter.
But Malone's greatest achievement might have come in helping lead the 76ers to the 1983 NBA title during a season in which he won his second consecutive league MVP honor and third overall as the team went 12-1 in the playoffs.
The 76ers released a statement shortly after news of Malone's death broke.
"It is with a deep sense of sadness that the Sixers family mourns the sudden loss of Moses Malone. It is difficult to express what his contributions to this organization - both as a friend and player - have meant to us, the city of Philadelphia and his faithful fans. Moses holds a special place in our hearts and will forever be remembered as a genuine icon and pillar of the most storied era in the history of Philadelphia 76ers basketball. No one person has ever conveyed more with so few words — including three of the most iconic in this city's history. His generosity, towering personality and incomparable sense of humor will truly be missed. We will keep his family in our thoughts and prayers and as we are once again reminded of the preciousness of life."
The big man remained in the league for more than a decade after that, ending his career with a brief run as a backup to David Robinson in San Antonio in 1994-95 as a 39-year-old.
For his career, Malone averaged 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds in 1,455 professional games between the ABA and NBA.
He is the second iconic player of his era to die in recent weeks; Darryl Dawkins passed away Aug. 27 at age 58.
NBA preseason primer: Breakout candidates.
By Vincent Goodwill and Mark Strotman
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Vincent Goodwill: Breakout players are usually hard to project, especially if they’re not on winning teams but I have two, albeit at different levels of their development, Victor Oladipo (Orlando Magic) and Zach LaVine (Minnesota Timberwolves).
Starting with Oladipo, spending more time at shooting guard with the drafting of Elfrid Payton opened the door for him to attack more off the ball while still being able to create. After the All-Star break, Oladipo performed at nearly a 20-5-5 clip, shaking off a sluggish November-December where he looked out of sorts. Now he could be ready to truly elevate, especially since his long-range shooting has become respectable (34 percent from 3-point range last season).
His athleticism is well-documented, as evidenced by showing during the dunk contest at All-Star weekend last season. His offensive rating jumped from 94 points per 100 possessions to 101 points last season, but his defense dropped a bit too, perhaps from going against bigger shooting guards (or concentrating too much on offense).
The natural progression, one would think, would be scoring near 20 points a game while still getting to the glass and shooting near 45 percent. Playing for the slow-building Magic certainly puts a damper on his personal accomplishments, but if they are to climb from the Eastern Conference cellar, Oladipo’s play will be a huge reason why.
Mark Strotman: Oladipo's situation certainly follows the trend of last year's top two breakout players. Both Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green saw increased roles - Butler became the go-to guy as Derrick Rose was worked back slowly from his knee injury du jour, and Green entered the starting lineup when David Lee went down in preseason - and had the right supporting cast around him. I can't get enough of Orlando's young core; their five leading scorers last season are 24 or younger. Twenty-four! Somewhere Sam Hinkie just soiled himself.
In that same light, I love what the Timberwolves are putting together. You mentioned LaVine, and he'll team up with Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ricky Rubio to form another excellent young core. But the guy I'm looking at to really break through this season is Gorgui Dieng.
He may not make a jump like Butler or Green did, making an All-Star team and All-NBA squad. But I loved what Dieng did after the All-Star break in 2015, averaging 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 20 games. He shot 55 percent in those games - up more than 6 percentage points pre-ASB - before a concussion cost him the Timberwolves' final nine games. His arrow is pointing up, and unless Towns entirely steals the frontcourt spotlight in Year 1 (a possibility) Dieng is going to have an excellent third NBA season.
Are you nervous at all that Rubio is going to hurt LaVine's growth in Year 2? The Timberwolves paid him last year and he appears ready for camp after a 22-game campaign in 2015. His salary isn't all that trade-able, and I'm not convinced LaVine can play off the ball full-time just yet.
VG: As for Hinkie soiling his pants, man can someone take his job? He’s an embarrassment to the sport, but I digress. And so much of breakout players stepping up is birthed by maturity combined with opportunity, such as the case with Butler last season. Would Butler have thrived if Luol Deng were still with the Bulls? Or heck, would he have seen an opportunity to step up if Derrick Rose didn’t have such an unreliable history of availability?
As for LaVine, I’m not so impressed by his athleticism as I was by his last month of the season, when he started playing 30 minutes a game. Putting up 21 points, nearly seven assists and six rebounds in April could be written off as a late-season anomaly, but in 40 games as a starter he averaged 14 points and five assists on a young team with loads of talent and loads of time to figure it out.
Playing with Rubio will only enhance the unselfish nature, considering there won’t be many players that adept at creating their own offense naturally. The ball movement will be plentiful, even if the young and tender Wolves won’t win many games.
The lone argument against LaVine is on his own roster: that otherworldly Andrew Wiggins, who’s probably the one sure-fire franchise player out of these last two drafts. Wiggins plays better at shooting guard in terms of shot opportunities and efficiency than he does at small forward, and what’s good for Wiggins is good for the franchise (especially as that was figured out after the All-Star break).
But if they can find a way for both young wings to play together without draining the other, LaVine could be a true diamond from the 2014 late lottery.
MS: It's also worth noting with Butler that Chicago was about to break the bank for Carmelo Anthony. Imagine a black hole in Anthony taking shots away from Butler AND no Pau Gasol? Gar Forman owes Phil Jackson dinner sometime in the near future. I chose Dieng as a guy who I believe can make a significant jump - but not necessarily stardom - next season. That's not the case for my feelings on Bradley Beal, who I believe makes that All-Star-jump we saw from Jimmy Butler a year ago in his fourth season.
Beal's already ahead of where Butler was in Year 3 because of that aforementioned opportunity - Beal has started from Day 1 in Washington - but he hasn't really taken that final step. He certainly looks to be trending toward it in last season's playoffs, when he averaged 23.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists in two series against the Raptors and Hawks. But he looked solid in the 2014 playoffs, too, and didn't really transfer it to the 2015 regular season - he's certainly been good, just not great.
But that fourth year, a contract year, could be it. John Wall is a year older and the Wizards refuse to really do anything behind Beal that would take many minutes away from him. That scary leg injury that's popped up each year of his career (Beal has missed 54 games in three seasons) is always going to be a concern, but if he can play 70+ games I've got that feeling we're going to see a more matured, polished player who fights for a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Everything's there for him.
Cubs will take their shot at Pirates in potential playoff preview.
By Patrick Mooney
This is the time of year where the Cubs used to be paying more attention to their fantasy-football teams and auditioning players for the future.
But in a season that has exceeded almost everyone’s expectations with a 93-win pace, the Cubs are watching real scoreboards when every game matters now.
“That’s why when you split here, it feels terrible,” Chris Coghlan said after almost hitting for the cycle during Sunday’s 7-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. “For as good as we’ve been playing, it’s a disappointment.”
If playing the worst team in baseball dulled the senses on any level, the Cubs will feel a shot of adrenaline at the next stop on this three-city road trip: Four games in three days against the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning with Tuesday’s doubleheader at PNC Park.
“This is why you work,” manager Joe Maddon said. “This is why you do this thing – to be in that position to play those kind of games. It’s exciting for everybody.”
The Cubs trail the Pirates by four games for the National League’s first wild-card spot and home-field advantage in that one-game playoff. The St. Louis Cardinals don’t look quite as invincible anymore and can’t shift into cruise-control mode when their lead over the Pirates has shrunk to 2.5 games.
“We know,” Coghlan said after going 4-for-5 with two triples, his 16th home run and a fly ball to the warning track in center field. “You see it up on the scoreboard.
“Any time (the Cardinals or Pirates) are down you realize: ‘Man, we win tonight, we got a real good chance to move up if they don’t come back.’ That’s what’s been kind of disappointing, because the Cardinals are such a solid team. They haven’t really lost eight out of their last 10 very often. You don’t really see spurts like that with them.
“So when you can win a game playing a team here – no disrespect to them because they’re professionals and a young team and exciting – but these are games we need to win three out of four.”
After failing to capitalize on Friday’s doubleheader sweep of a Phillies team that just fired the general manager, the Cubs can make their mark in baseball’s toughest division with 10 of their final 20 games against the Pirates and Cardinals.
“That’s enough games to make up ground,” Coghlan said. “Now, do we have it in us? Yeah, we do. Are we going to? Only time’s going to tell. I don’t know the future. Nobody does. But I think if we have that mindset – (win as many games as we can down the stretch) – it’s possible to win the division, yeah, 100 percent.”
In Pittsburgh, the Cubs won’t be facing Aaron Harang (who came into the game with 15 losses and a 5.02 ERA). And they won’t be starting Dan Haren (who lasted only three innings and put his team in a 4-1 hole). Game 1 on Tuesday afternoon should feel like October with Gerrit Cole staring down the Cubs.
“The bottom line is all these dudes are studs,” Coghlan said. “We got studs. They got studs. Both teams – that’s the reason why we won as many games as we have. It doesn’t matter. You toe the line. This guy’s legit. Our guy’s legit. It’s just a battle of attrition at that point.”
Chris Sale chased early as White Sox fall to Twins.
By John Paschall
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Chris Sale is thrilled the White Sox don’t have to face the Twins the rest of the season.
The Sox ace turned in another rough start against Minnesota on Sunday, only going three innings and giving up six earned runs in a 7-0 loss.
Against the Twins this year, Sale has a 7.36 ERA over 33 innings compared to a 2.73 ERA against everyone else over 154.2 innings.
“They just have my number,” Sale said. “Sometimes it’s not what you want to do but you just get beat some times. I haven’t done too much research on if they do or don’t, but it’s a good team over there. They are in the position they are in for a reason.
The troubling theme of falling behind early for the White Sox continued on Sunday. After a Miguel Sano RBI single in the first, Torii Hunter launched a three-run home run off Sale just a few batters later to make it 4-0 Minnesota in a hurry.
“It seems like he’s getting younger,” Sale said of Hunter. “That’s why he is who he is. You know, it’s tough. He’s a tough at-bat. He’s still a great outfielder. He’s not an easy out by any means. You just have to bear down there and I can’t leave a fastball there for him.”
Hunter then hit an RBI single in the third inning off Sale, and Eddie Rosario followed up with another RBI single of his own to extend the Twins’ lead to 6-0.
“I don’t know if the approach is (different),” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of the Twins. “Everybody is trying to swing early and stay away from the slider and change up. They just seem to be on it more than everything else.”
The Sox aren’t sure if tipping is the issue when Sale faces the Twins but the left-hander and his catcher, Tyler Flowers, are looking into it.
“That's what we're trying to look at,” Flowers said. “It kind of feels that way, but I don't know. If it is, then it's our job to figure it out and fix it.”
Sale did record two strikeouts, giving him 250 on the season. It’s the most for a White Sox pitcher in a season in 103 years (Ed Walsh was the last).
Frankie Montas relieved Sale after his three innings of work and kept the damage at a minimum. In his third major league outing, Montas went three innings, striking out five batters and only surrendering an RBI single to Joe Mauer in the sixth inning. The rookie right-hander pitched himself out of a jam in the sixth, striking out Sano and Trevor Plouffe to end a bases-loaded threat.
Kyle Gibson continued his dominance over the White Sox. The right-hander went 7 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering five hits and striking out five. Coming into today’s game Gibson was 3-0 against the South Siders with a 2.60 ERA in five career starts.
“He had super sink going, I know that,” Flowers said of Gibson. “He seemed to have pretty good command of his changeup-split thing. He was doing a good job working that off his sinker. He threw enough breaking balls in there for strikes.”
Micah Johnson’s double in the sixth inning was the only extra base hit of the day for the Sox.
The reality is starting to set in for the White Sox and their slim-to-none playoff hopes for 2015. Sale and the Sox aren’t mailing in the rest of the season but now they have to start playing for each other as they finish a disappointing 2015 season.
“You come to the park every day to win,” Sale said. “We are competitors. It doesn’t matter if we are down 10 runs, up 10 runs, in or out of it. We still have a job to do and that’s come in and compete. It’s all we can do at this point. We are just playing for pride. Just suck it up and play as hard as you can.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... GB and Ireland win back Walker Cup.
AFP
The Great Britain and Ireland Team (l-r) Gary Hurley, Ashley Chesters, Jack McDonald, Ewen Ferguson, Jack Hume, Nigel Edwards (captain), Paul Dunne, Gavin Moynihan, Cormac Sharvin, Grant Forrest, and Jimmy Mullen pose in front of the clubhouse before their final practice round for the 2015 Walker Cup Match at Royal Lytham & St. Annes at Royal Lytham & St. Annes on September 11, 2015 in Lytham St Annes, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Lytham St Annes (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Englishman Jimmy Mullen helped lead Great Britain and Ireland to a comfortable victory over the United States as they regained the Walker Cup on Sunday at Royal Lytham.
The 21-year-old from Devon became the first player to post a perfect 4-0 record at the event since Paul Casey and Luke Donald in 1999 at Nairn.
The 21-year-old from Devon became the first player to post a perfect 4-0 record at the event since Paul Casey and Luke Donald in 1999 at Nairn.
The home side were in a strong position after the morning foursomes as they carried a 10-6 lead into the afternoon singles and they finished the job by taking the necessary three-and-a-half points during the first four matches.
Victories by Ashley Chesters, Cormac Sharvin, Mullen and a half from Paul Dunne sealed a fifth win in six competitions on home soil for Britain and Ireland.
Captain Nigel Edwards was evidently delighted his team wrapped up the victory in short fashion: "Gosh. It's great," the 47-year-old Welshman said. "At Royal Aberdeen (in 2011) we were up against it until the death but the boys at the top of the order went out fast as we needed them to do."
Mullen, who had picked up two of his wins alongside Chesters in the foursomes, defeated Denny McCarthy in the all-amateur tournament and said it was a team effort. "It did not matter as long as the team won, but to win all my matches is the icing on the cake."
Dunne was also pivotal as the Irishman, who caused a sensation when he led the British Open in July after three rounds, only dropped half a point over the weekend at the biennial contest.
"I will take winning over 30th place every day. It's so much better to do it as a team. Nigel has been a fantastic captain and inspired us from start to finish." said Dunne.
Tiger Woods will play in the Frys.com Open to kickoff new PGA Tour season.
By Ryan Ballengee
Tiger Woods will make his 2015-16 PGA Tour debut when the season does, committing Friday to the Frys.com Open in California.
Woods played in this event in 2011 as a favor to then-Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples, giving Couples ample incentive to add him to the team with a wild-card pick. Once again, Woods is playing in the Frys.com Open, now at Silverado Golf Club in Napa, as a favor of sorts.
Woods, along with several other players including Rory McIlroy, was given special dispensation by the PGA Tour in 2013 to play the European Tour's Turkish Airlines Open -- something called a Conflicting Event Release. In exchange for getting the OK by the PGA Tour to head overseas for a hefty appearance fee, Woods, as well the others, agreed to play in the Frys.com Open at some point. Woods intended to play in the event to kick off this season, but Woods suffered a back injury that kept him from completing his end of the quid pro quo last year.
Woods, along with several other players including Rory McIlroy, was given special dispensation by the PGA Tour in 2013 to play the European Tour's Turkish Airlines Open -- something called a Conflicting Event Release. In exchange for getting the OK by the PGA Tour to head overseas for a hefty appearance fee, Woods, as well the others, agreed to play in the Frys.com Open at some point. Woods intended to play in the event to kick off this season, but Woods suffered a back injury that kept him from completing his end of the quid pro quo last year.
The 14-time major champion didn't qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, coming up short in a must-win situation at the Wyndham Championship as part of a last-ditch effort to make the PGA Tour postseason. In exchange, he earned a five-week vacation from the PGA Tour.
McIlroy, who will regain the No. 1 ranking on Monday, has also committed to the Frys.com Open.
NASCAR: Kenseth gives JGR 1 more win before NASCAR's playoffs begin.
By Jenna Fryer
There was a stretch of Saturday night's race when all four of Joe Gibbs' cars were leading the pack around Richmond International Raceway.
The team owner could barely stand to watch.
''That is the most nervous that I get,'' Gibbs said. ''I saw them up there. I saw some beating and banging there. I think that's when I'm always the most nervous, when you've got your cars up front and having a good night.''
He should be used to it by now.
JGR continued its dominating season with an exhibition from its roster that ended with Matt Kenseth's fourth win of the season. The win put Kenseth in a tie with JGR teammate Kyle Busch and six-time champion Jimmie Johnson for the top seeds in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
The 10-race playoff series begins next Sunday at Chicagoland.
Kenseth has won three of the last six races, and JGR has won eight of the last 11.
''Certainly right now as a company we're on a roll,'' said Kenseth, who led 352 of the 400 laps.
The 16-driver Chase field was set in the regular-season finale, where only four spots were really up for grabs. Jamie McMurray clinched his berth as soon as he took the green flag, but Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer all had to protect their positions.
Gordon had to finish 17th or better to guarantee his slot, and he finished a solid seventh.
Bowyer was in a little bit more of a precarious position as he came to Richmond ranked 16th in the field and unable to afford any mistakes Saturday night. He never doubted he was up for the challenge at one of his favorite tracks, and he finished 10th to give Toyota five cars in the Chase field.
It wasn't supposed to be difficult for Newman or Menard, but the Richard Childress Racing drivers struggled the entire race. They both ended three laps down from the leaders, with Newman 20th and Menard 26th.
''We don't know whether to be happy or sad, it was such a bad race for us,'' Menard said of a post-race conversation he had with his crew chief. ''Obviously, very excited to be in the Chase, it was a goal that we set at the beginning of the year. We've had a lot of good runs this year, tonight just wasn't one of them.''
Aric Almirola briefly tried to shake up the playoff picture by charging his way to the front to race with the leaders. He made it to fourth, but had nothing for the JGR cars. Had Almirola won, he'd have earned an automatic berth into the Chase and bumped another driver.
Instead, he'll watch the championship race go on without him after he made it last season with a surprise victory at Daytona.
''Disappointed for sure; I drove my heart out,'' said Almirola. ''We were in it last year and we got a taste of what it was like to be in the Chase. This race team is a great race team and we wanted another shot at it, and we just came up short.''
It's the first playoff berths for McMurray and Menard, and last for Gordon, who is retiring at the end of the season.
''It's nice to be in the Chase and take that relief and take that breath and now go reset and see what we can do over the next 10,'' Gordon said.
It does indeed reset now as the Chase gives the entire field an equal shot to race for the championship. Divided into three rounds before the Nov. 22 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a win automatically advances the driver into the next round. Four drivers will be knocked out after every third race.
''It's a whole new ballgame now,'' said reigning series champion Kevin Harvick, who finished a quiet 14th at Richmond.
But it's unclear if anyone will have enough to challenge JGR down the stretch.
Denny Hamlin tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee earlier this week, but vowed it wouldn't affect his performance. He proved that on his home track by charging from 25th - the fourth lowest starting position at Richmond of his career - to take the lead during a segment of the race that was a JGR exhibition.
Hamlin led teammates Kyle Busch, Kenseth and Carl Edwards around and around the track as the Toyota contingent showed why they've been the most dominant team in NASCAR all summer.
Kenseth eventually worked his way to the front, while Busch finished second and Hamlin was fifth.
Hamlin had a pack of ice on his knee after the race, but said he's ready to race for his first title. Hamlin was part of the four-driver finale last year.
''I'm about being good in September,'' he said. ''No matter what anyone thinks about our track record in the playoffs, we haven't got a championship. We finished everywhere but (first). We can go on a run just as good as anybody. This isn't going to stop any of that motivation.''
Harvick not ready to hand crown over to Joe Gibbs Racing.
By Jenna Fryer
Every indication the last three months is that Joe Gibbs Racing is going to be a major force in NASCAR's playoffs.
But if anyone thinks JGR's four-car lineup is going to run away with the title, reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick has other ideas.
Harvick, who finished 14th in the regular-season finale Saturday night, gave no indication he's intimidated by JGR. Matt Kenseth won at Richmond International Raceway for his third victory in six races, and JGR's eighth win in 11 Cup events.
Because those eight wins have been divided by Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards, Harvick doesn't see one standout team in the group capable of sustaining a 10-race playoff run.
''You can't be good once every three weeks, you've got to be good for 10 weeks,'' Harvick said. ''I know those guys have run fast, (but) it's been a different Gibbs car that we've raced against for the last 10 weeks. As a company, they've had some good success in winning races, but it hasn't been the same car.
''Hopefully they'll be peaky like they normally are and we can capitalize on the solid momentum we've had throughout the last two years and do what we have to do.''
The Chase begins Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in the second year of its elimination-style format. Harvick prevailed last season with three Chase victories - a win in each of the first three rounds automatically advances a driver into the next segment - that included a victory in the championship-deciding finale.
But he was also consistent, with just one finish lower than 13th.
Harvick has been even steadier this year: His 22 top-10 finishes through 26 races are remarkable, but what's most impressive are his 10 runner-up finishes. Although others have been faster at times this season, he's certain his Stewart-Haas Racing team can win a second-consecutive title.
''I don't know that we're the team to beat,'' he said. ''But I know that we can beat anybody as we go through a week-to-week basis on any style racetrack.''
WATCHING THE COMPETITION: There was a great deal of satisfaction at Chip Ganassi Racing when Jamie McMurray took the green flag Saturday night and wrapped up his first career berth in the Chase.
But it's been almost three years since McMurray's last victory, and he's only got one win in almost six seasons.
Team owner Chip Ganassi, who just celebrated the IndyCar championship the team won when Scott Dixon won the race to rally from third in the standings to the title, understands the organization needs to be better for McMurray to have his own shot at a title.
And even that might not be good enough to get past the Gibbs contingent. There was a stretch Saturday night in which the Gibbs cars ran first, second, third and fourth and seemed untouchable to the rest of the field. Meanwhile, McMurray and teammate Kyle Larson were following the Toyotas in their Chevrolets.
''I think we can give it a shot here, I think we can drill ourselves deep into it,'' Ganassi said. ''(But) the final four, looks like it might be one team the way I'm looking at it. I noticed for a while we were running first and second in class, but I think we were fifth and sixth.''
GORDON'S LAST CHANCE: Jeff Gordon quietly secured his berth in his final Chase by putting together a solid run at Richmond.
But if things don't change quickly, Gordon will have no shot at winning a fifth championship. He's retiring at the end of the year, and his final season has come at a downtime for Hendrick Motorsports.
A year after Gordon came within a point of making it to the championship round, he's so far winless and the last Hendrick victory this season was Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s win at Daytona on July 5. The organization also failed to get all four of its cars in the Chase as Kasey Kahne missed the cut for the first time since he joined Hendrick.
''We're behind. We know that,'' Gordon said. ''But there's a lot of ways to make it to Homestead and there's a lot that can happen and we're working as hard as anybody to try to see what we can do better, learn from our competitors, and try to catch up.''
Gordon also thinks Earnhardt, who has two wins and 17 top-10 finishes, is the best in the Hendrick fleet right now.
''We work hard together to try to improve for each of us, and if we continue to do that, we'll make gains,'' he said. ''There was a lot of pressure in this final season to make that Chase, so I'm glad we got that done.''
HELLO, NEWMAN: Ryan Newman is back in the Chase for a second consecutive year, and is again winless on the season.
Newman defied the system last year by using consistency to make it to the final round, and he finished second in the final standings despite failing to earn a trip to victory lane.
Newman doesn't think that strategy will work again this season, mainly because he lost the title in part because Kevin Harvick won the finale.
''You've got to win. You've got to win when it comes to the last race, for sure,'' Newman said. ''And every race in between that, it helps to win. You don't have to win, but the last one is the one that's important. So, you've got to build up to that and keep yourself in the hunt and build up to that.''
SOCCER: Leicester 3-2 Aston Villa: Foxes complete stunning comeback to stay unbeaten.
By NBC Sports
Leicester City found themselves down 2-0 just after the hour mark, but the Foxes simply wouldn’t allow that to happen.
Instead, Claudio Raneiri’s bunch completed a stunning comeback to win 3-2 to remain unbeaten on the season and move up to second in the Premier League table with 11 points.
Being a local derby, the game had a palpable atmosphere to it early on, and it reflected on the field with bright yet cautious attacking play and physical attitudes. Leicester had a pair of chances go just over the bar in the opening 10 minutes.
Things settled down a few minutes later, and the chances dried up, but the atmosphere in King Power Stadium did not. Despite a lack of cutting edge as the game progressed, the tension continued to build and came to a head six minutes before halftime. A frantic spell in front of the Leicester goal ended with the ball squirting out to Jack Grealish in acres of space above the box, and he delivered a curling effort that left Kasper Schmeichel with no chance to stop Aston Villa from taking the lead.
Just moments after the halftime break, Jamie Vardy nearly pulled Leicester level with a stunning back-heel flick that went just wide of the post. The Foxes came out of the interval with real zest but didn’t immediately profit from it, and that would be a problem later.
Aston Villa scored their second, a beautiful swerving effort from Carles Gil who received the ball at the top of the box after lots of hard work by Gabriel Abgonlahor down the left flank.
The second goal forced the home side to bring on striker Leonardo Ulloa, sacrificing new signing Gokhan Inler who was less impactful than manager Claudio Raneiri would have hoped for his debut. Tim Sherwood responded by immediately pulling goal scorer Gil in favor of Jordan Ayew.
Leicester, though, weren’t phased and continued to push. A corner in the 70th minute finally bore fruit as Ritchie De Laet redirected at the near post, and while the ball was cleared off the line by Ashley Westwood, goal-line technology correctly ruled the ball in over the line. The goal is De Laet’s.
The goal galvanized the hosts, and the Foxes pushed for another, which would come soon. Danny Drinkwater crossed into the box for Jamie Vardy, and the Leicester front man beat a pair of Villa defenders to the ball to poke home an equalizer.
But Leicester wasn’t finished. A third – the winner – would be delivered in thumping fashion by debutant Nathan Dyer, who came on at halftime. A ball over the top from the electric Riyad Mahrez came down in the center of the box, and Dyer became the second Fox attacker to perfectly split the Villa defenders. Dyer stuck out a leg and poked the ball home just before being pummeled by Guzan.
That was it for Villa, who had nothing left to offer. They were unable to capitalize on the chance to move into the top half of the table, and instead remain languished in the bottom quarter.
Fire let two-goal lead slip, fall on the road to Red Bulls.
Instead, Claudio Raneiri’s bunch completed a stunning comeback to win 3-2 to remain unbeaten on the season and move up to second in the Premier League table with 11 points.
Being a local derby, the game had a palpable atmosphere to it early on, and it reflected on the field with bright yet cautious attacking play and physical attitudes. Leicester had a pair of chances go just over the bar in the opening 10 minutes.
Things settled down a few minutes later, and the chances dried up, but the atmosphere in King Power Stadium did not. Despite a lack of cutting edge as the game progressed, the tension continued to build and came to a head six minutes before halftime. A frantic spell in front of the Leicester goal ended with the ball squirting out to Jack Grealish in acres of space above the box, and he delivered a curling effort that left Kasper Schmeichel with no chance to stop Aston Villa from taking the lead.
Just moments after the halftime break, Jamie Vardy nearly pulled Leicester level with a stunning back-heel flick that went just wide of the post. The Foxes came out of the interval with real zest but didn’t immediately profit from it, and that would be a problem later.
Aston Villa scored their second, a beautiful swerving effort from Carles Gil who received the ball at the top of the box after lots of hard work by Gabriel Abgonlahor down the left flank.
The second goal forced the home side to bring on striker Leonardo Ulloa, sacrificing new signing Gokhan Inler who was less impactful than manager Claudio Raneiri would have hoped for his debut. Tim Sherwood responded by immediately pulling goal scorer Gil in favor of Jordan Ayew.
Leicester, though, weren’t phased and continued to push. A corner in the 70th minute finally bore fruit as Ritchie De Laet redirected at the near post, and while the ball was cleared off the line by Ashley Westwood, goal-line technology correctly ruled the ball in over the line. The goal is De Laet’s.
The goal galvanized the hosts, and the Foxes pushed for another, which would come soon. Danny Drinkwater crossed into the box for Jamie Vardy, and the Leicester front man beat a pair of Villa defenders to the ball to poke home an equalizer.
But Leicester wasn’t finished. A third – the winner – would be delivered in thumping fashion by debutant Nathan Dyer, who came on at halftime. A ball over the top from the electric Riyad Mahrez came down in the center of the box, and Dyer became the second Fox attacker to perfectly split the Villa defenders. Dyer stuck out a leg and poked the ball home just before being pummeled by Guzan.
That was it for Villa, who had nothing left to offer. They were unable to capitalize on the chance to move into the top half of the table, and instead remain languished in the bottom quarter.
Fire let two-goal lead slip, fall on the road to Red Bulls.
By Danny Michallik
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Through the opening 26 minutes of Friday night's Eastern Conference bout between the Fire and New York Red Bulls, Frank Yallop's men appeared to be on their way toward grabbing the seemingly elusive first away win of the season - and first since July 12, 2014.
After Jeff Larentowicz opened the scoring a minute shy of the quarter-hour mark, David Accam notched his team-leading eighth goal 12 minutes later. But Jesse Marsch's side came roaring back, answering in the 28th and 38th minutes through Bradley Wright-Phillips and Mike Grella before Sacha Kljestan's penalty kick in the 71st minute sealed all three points for the hosts.
An impressive fightback display from the Red Bulls (13-7-6, 45 points) sends them to the top of the East - pending the result of D.C. United's match in Colorado on Saturday. For the Fire (7-15-6, 27 points), a 15th loss - the most recorded in any season since the club began play in MLS in 1997 - leaves them rooted to the bottom of the table with six games remaining.
On Aug. 26, both sides thoroughly entertained the estimated 11,196 on hand at Toyota Park, which saw the Men in Red put in a valiant effort on both sides of the ball. On Friday, the score line was identical, but the outcome favored the Red Bulls in front of an announced crowd of 17,184 at Red Bull Arena.
Yallop's displeasure with the defense that conceded four goals to Didier Drogba and the Montreal Impact six days earlier translated into wholesale changes along the back four. Daneil Cyrus and Ty Harden made their club debut, and stepped in for Lovel Palmer and Eric Gehrig, respectively, while Joevin Jones replaced Greg Cochrane at left back. Matt Polster returned to central midfield alongside Michael Stephens, with Accam deputizing for Gilberto up front.
Despite relinquishing a majority of possession to their counterparts during the early stages, it was the Men in Red who struck first against the run of play. Kennedy Igboananike was taken down by Red Bulls defender Damien Perrinelle at the corner of the box and rewarded with a penalty kick. Larentowicz stepped up and sent goalkeeper Luis Robles the wrong way for his fifth spot kick conversion of 2015, level with David Villa and Chris Wondolowski.
The Fire doubled their lead in the 26th minute after Accam was sent through on a counterattack. The Ghanaian eased his way past Conor Lade, sidestepped Robles and dispatched in an empty net. Two minutes later, the Red Bulls hit back with a quick reply when Kljestan collected near the top of the area and slipped a sharp pass to Wright-Phillips. The Englishman stabbed it past Sean Johnson to cut the visitors' advantage in half.
Seven minutes shy of the halftime interval, the Fire were left to rue another series of defensive mistakes. Jones failed to prevent Lloyd Sam's delivery to Grella at the top of the six, and, despite Larentowicz' best effort to get back into position, Grella produced a swift spin-and-turn finish to pull the hosts level.
Already on the back foot for much of the game, the Men in Red were pegged back and dealt the final blow of the encounter 19 minutes from time.
An onrushing Sam made a darting run into the box and was tugged down by Stephens. As in the previous meeting, it was Kljestan who stepped up and coolly slotted home the penalty to supply the Red Bulls with their first lead of the night, and this time, one they would effectively see out.
Yallop's group gets the benefit of an eight-day break in action before returning home to face Orlando City SC next Saturday.
Chicago Fire Starting XI (subs)
(4-4-2) - Sean Johnson; Daneil Cyrus, Ty Harden, Jeff Larentowicz (C), Joevin Jones; Patrick Nyarko (Jason Johnson, 80'), Matt Polster, Michael Stephens (Razvan Cocis, 72'), Harry Shipp; David Accam, Kennedy Igboananike (Mike Magee, 61').
NOTES
- Gilberto, who left training early on Wednesday with hamstring tightness, did not travel with the team to New York. A club spokesperson confirmed before kickoff that the Brazilian is questionable for next weekend's clash with Orlando City at Toyota Park.
- Igboananike came off in the 61st minute with a calf strain.
- Polster picked up a caution in the 65th minute, and will be unavailable against Orlando City through yellow card accumulation.
NCAAFB; College football rankings: 3 SEC teams fall out of AP Top 25.
By Pete Volk
By Pete Volk
Ohio State, Alabama and TCU remain the top three schools in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls for Week 2. But a second Big Ten team, Michigan State, rises in both polls to No. 4. The Spartans entered the week at No. 6 in the Coaches poll and No. 5 by the AP, but a 31-28 win over Oregon (then No. 7 in AP and No. 5 in Coaches poll) pushed the Spartans upward. They even take two No. 1 votes away from the Buckeyes in the AP ballot.
Three SEC teams fall out of both Top 25 polls: Arkansas (who lost to Toledo at home), Tennessee (who lost to AP No. 16 Oklahoma in double overtime) and Mississippi State (who lost to AP No. 13 LSU at home). After losing to newly ranked BYU, Boise State falls out of both polls, too.
Florida State, UCLA and Clemson join the top 10 in both polls.
Oregon tumbles to No. 13 in the Coaches poll and No. 12 in the AP, despite staying within a field goal of what's now the No. 4 team in the land. Auburn falls just eight spots (from No. 7 to 15) in the Coaches poll but drops 12 spots, to No. 18, in the AP, after narrowly surviving FCS Jacksonville State, 27-20, in overtime.
BYU, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Oklahoma State are the four new ranked AP teams.
| AP | Coaches | Massey | |
| 1 | Ohio State (59) | Ohio State (62) |
Ohio State
|
| 2 | Alabama | Alabama (1) | Alabama |
| 3 | TCU | TCU | TCU |
| 4 | Michigan State (2) | Michigan State | Georgia |
| 5 | Baylor | Baylor | Baylor |
| 6 | USC | Florida State | Oregon |
| 7 | Georgia | USC | Florida State |
| 8 | Notre Dame | Georgia | Michigan State |
| 9 | Florida State | Clemson | Ole Miss |
| 10 | UCLA | Notre Dame | Georgia Tech |
| 11 | Clemson | Ole Miss | USC |
| 12 | Oregon | UCLA | Clemson |
| 13 | LSU | Oregon | UCLA |
| 14 | Georgia Tech | LSU | Auburn |
| 15 | Ole Miss | Auburn | LSU |
| 16 | Oklahoma | Georgia Tech | Oklahoma |
| 17 | Texas A&M | Oklahoma | Notre Dame |
| 18 | Auburn | Texas A&M | Texas A&M |
| 19 | BYU | Arizona | Missouri |
| 20 | Arizona | Missouri | Wisconsin |
| 21 | Utah | Utah | Kansas State |
| 22 | Missouri | BYU | Mississippi State |
| 23 | Northwestern | Wisconsin | Arkansas |
| 24 | Wisconsin | Northwestern | Utah |
| 25 | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Arizona |
By JJ Stankevitz
Notre Dame lost its starting quarterback, but its backup saved the season.
After Malik Zaire suffered a serious ankle injury in the third quarter, and with Notre Dame trailing late, DeShone Kizer hit Will Fuller for a 39-yard game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds left. The score earned Notre Dame a 34-27 win over a Virginia team that twice battled back from 12-point deficits.
Zaire injured his right ankle on a run late in the third quarter, with replays showing it brutally twisting after being hit. The redshirt sophomore couldn’t keep any weight on his right leg leaving the field and was carted off between the third and fourth quarters. ABC reported Zaire was taken for X-Rays at Scott Stadium and his parents were summoned to the visitor’s locker room.
Kizer, a redshirt freshman, filled in and struggled to move the ball against Virginia’s defense until Notre Dame’s final possession, in which he engineered an eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended with his heave to Fuller.
After Malik Zaire suffered a serious ankle injury in the third quarter, and with Notre Dame trailing late, DeShone Kizer hit Will Fuller for a 39-yard game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds left. The score earned Notre Dame a 34-27 win over a Virginia team that twice battled back from 12-point deficits.
Zaire injured his right ankle on a run late in the third quarter, with replays showing it brutally twisting after being hit. The redshirt sophomore couldn’t keep any weight on his right leg leaving the field and was carted off between the third and fourth quarters. ABC reported Zaire was taken for X-Rays at Scott Stadium and his parents were summoned to the visitor’s locker room.
Kizer, a redshirt freshman, filled in and struggled to move the ball against Virginia’s defense until Notre Dame’s final possession, in which he engineered an eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended with his heave to Fuller.
The biggest reason for Notre Dame’s near-loss, though, was a leaky defensive performance reminiscent of its 2014 November collapse. Brian VanGorder’s group struggled to contain a Virginia offense that’s perennially been among the worst Power Five units over the last few years.
Notre Dame looked in control early on, with a perfectly-executed fake field goal (in which Kizer, the holder, shoveled the ball to Durham Smythe) resulting in a touchdown. Notre Dame went for two, but Kizer was stopped short of the goal line.
Justin Yoon added field goals from 32 and 45 yards to give the Irish a 12-point lead at the end of the first quarter. But momentum quickly swung in Virginia’s favor.
Facing a third-and-11 early in the second quarter, Isaac Rochell tipped Virginia quarterback Matt Johns’ pass, which fell into the waiting arms of receiver Canaan Severin. Severin then burned James Onwualu for a 38-yard gain, and Johns found Evan Butts for a two-yard touchdown to get the Hoos on the board.
Virginia took the lead on its next possession on a trick play of its own. Johns lined up wide, ran into the backfield on what looked like an end-around, took a lateral and fired to a wide-open Keeon Johnson for a 42-yard touchdown.
To open the second half, Virginia kicker Ian Frye bailed out Andrew Trumbetti — the Irish defensive end was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on a third-down incompletion — when he missed a 43-yard field goal.
After the two teams traded punts, Zaire quickly put Notre Dame ahead with a gorgeous 59-yard heave to Will Fuller.
Following Zaire’s injury in the third quarter, C.J. Prosise galloped 24 yards into the end zone to put Notre Dame up by a dozen. But Virginia battled back with Notre Dame’s offense spinning its wheels, drawing within five on Johns’ four-yard rush and taking the lead on Albert Reid’s one-yard plunge with 1:54 remaining in the fourth.
Kizer converted a fourth-and-2 on Notre Dame’s final drive with a quarterback sneak and completed 5 of 8 passes to finish off the game.
Female kicker makes extra point for Kent State.
By TOM WITHERS
Her kick wasn't perfect, but that hardly mattered to April Goss.
When she finally got her big chance, Goss made her point - and history.
A four-year member of Kent State's team, Goss kicked an extra point in the first half Saturday in a 45-13 win over Delaware State, becoming the second woman to score in a major college football game.
Wearing No. 91, Goss made the kick with 4:30 left in the second quarter, giving the Golden Flashes a 29-6 lead. Following the touchdown, starting kicker Shane Hynes initially went on the field, but coach Paul Haynes called a timeout and sent in Goss.
Her kick veered right off the hold (http://bit.ly/1KKObrK ), giving her a moment of panic, but it cleared the crossbar and went through the uprights. When the officials signaled the kick was good, she was mobbed by her teammates. Once Goss got to the sideline, she shared hugs with all of Kent State's coaches and was congratulated by university president Dr. Beverly Warren.
''I was a little disappointed I didn't make a better kick,'' she said in a phone interview. ''I was sure it was going right, but it did go through. I'll probably beat myself up for that for a little while, but it was awesome.''
Katie Hnida kicked a pair of extra points for New Mexico in 2003. According to STATS LLC, Goss, who was a soccer player in high school before deciding to try football, appears to be the only woman currently on a Division I roster.
Haynes had been trying to get Goss into a game for the past two seasons. Before her historic kick, the closest she came was making the game-winning extra point in the 2014 spring game.
Goss knew there was a chance she'd get a chance to kick against Delaware State, a Football Championship Subdivision school. She didn't have time to get nervous when she went on the field, and other than her kick angling to the right, it was a moment she'll never forget.
''Amazing,'' said Goss, who had yet to talk to her parents, sister and future brother-in-law who were at the game. ''The way my teammates helped me celebrate was special.''
Earlier this week, Haynes had high praise for Goss.
''She works her tail off. She's the first one out there in practice and the last one off the field,'' he said. ''Every time someone gets up and talks, one of our players gets up and talks, they always talk about they've got brothers, and a sister.''
Now that she's made her extra point, Goss hopes to get another try but understands that might not happen.
''I would love another chance,'' she said. ''But what I'd like more is for us to make it to a bowl game and win, that would be more special.''
NCAABKB: Pac-12 proposes allowing athletes to make money off names.
By The Associated Press
The Pac-12 has proposed changing NCAA rules to allow college athletes to use their names, images and likenesses for their non-athletic business ventures.
The NCAA lost an antitrust lawsuit last year that challenged the association's use of athletes' names, images and likenesses to generate revenue. A judge ruled in the Ed O'Bannon case that schools should be allowed to make deferred payments of about $5,000 per year to football and men's basketball players for the use of their names, images and likenesses.
The Pac-12's proposal will be taken up by the five autonomous conferences (Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference) and could be voted on at the NCAA convention in January.
The NCAA announced 72 proposals that will be considered by Division I members during the current academic year.
Among the others:
- The SEC and ACC each have proposals that would prevent football coaches from holding so-called satellite camps away from their campuses.
- The Mountain West has proposed allowing NCAA-sponsored events to be played in states that allow sports wagering.
- The Mid-American Conference has proposed lifting all restrictions on communicating with recruits over social media.
- A proposal that creates new academic misconduct rules with also be considered. The proposal would require schools to publish and follow an academic misconduct policy for all students; define impermissible academic assistance; and determine when a student worker's involvement would be considered academic misconduct.
- The Division I Council also wants schools to consider a measure that would give men's basketball players 10 days from the end of the NBA combine to withdraw their names from the draft, allow college players to enter the draft multiple times and allow them to participate in the combine and try out for one NBA team per year.
Novak Djokovic defeats Roger Federer to win U.S. Open.
By Danielle Elliott
Taking the court more than three hours later than originally planned, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic delivered two of the best sets of tennis this tournament has seen. By the fourth set, though, the crowd’s beloved Federer had lost a step. He could not keep pace with No. 1 Djokovic, who earned his 10th Grand Slam title with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 win.
Djokovic has dominated the Grand Slams this year – this is his third major title, and he was runner-up at Roland Garros – but Federer has been playing like he did in his dominant years. He’d won 93 percent of his service games this year, a career best. The five-time champion hadn’t dropped a set in the fortnight enroute to his first championship match since 2009.
They’d played 41 times prior to this championship match, most recently at this year’s Wimbledon final, with Federer leading the head-to-head by the slightest margin: 21-20. This final was expected to be a battle.
Just as they prepared to walk out to the court, rain started falling. It forced tournament organizers to push the start back to 7:18p.m. Everyone had already arrived. Bradley Cooper, Anna Wintour, David Beckham, Robert Redford, and dozens of other celebrities waited out the three-hour delay with the rest of the antsy crowd. Finally, the skies cleared and the court was dried.
From the moment they finally started, it was clear that each had brought his best tennis.
After forcing deuce five times but failing to convert in Federer’s first service game, Djokovic earned three break-point opportunities in Federer's second. He failed in the first opportunities, but finally converted when a Federer backhand went long. It was only the third time Federer had been broken in the tournament, and it had come on the 25th shot of the rally.
Serving to consolidate the break, Djokovic slipped and fell at the net. He looked fine as he stood up, but it looked like something might be wrong as he allowed Federer a quick break. That evened the set at 2-2. The momentum briefly shifted there, as Federer took four straight points to hold serve and take the advantage.
Djokovic responded by holding serve, sealing the game with an ace, then quickly breaking Federer. Federer was giving away points with uncharacteristic errors. They rallied throughout the set, Djokovic earning his first set point on a short winner at the net. Federer held to 4-5, but Djokovic answered with a quick 40-0 hold to take the set. It was the first set Federer surrendered in the fortnight. He came into the match with a 28-set win streak.
Federer had two opportunities to break in Djokovic’s first service game in the third set, but failed. He’d had 15 chances to break serve to that point, but only converted on three. Serving for the set, Djokovic let Federer jump out to a 15-40 lead. Djokovic held off the first break point. They rallied on the next point, Djokovic finally winning it when a Federer shot went long. Djokovic fought all the way back to take the set, and the 2-1 lead.
And from there, the writing seemed to be on the wall. Djokovic proved why he is the one who already held two major titles this year; why he is the world No. 1. In the fourth, Djokovic earned an early break, and another at 4-2 to take complete control. As the Serbian served for the trophy, the crowd continued rallying behind Federer. He gave them a final gift with a massive forehand slam to get to 15-30, then a forehand winner to force break point. And then, he showed just how badly he wanted it. He broke to stay in the match, pushing the set to 5-3. The crowd went absolutely crazy with every point he won.
A quick hold, and he had to break one more time to stay alive. But there was no rattling Djokovic. He played the solid tennis that as been his trademark. He allowed Federer to earn a break point, but again did not let him convert. Federer converted just four of 23 opportunities in the match. Djokovic held serve to take the title.
This is the second time Djokovic has won three major titles in a calendar year.
This is the second time Djokovic has won three major titles in a calendar year.
Flavia Pennetta becomes first Italian U.S. Open champion.
By Danielle Elliott
Flavia Pennetta of Italy (R) holds her U.S. Open Trophy next to compatriot Roberta Vinci during the award presentation ceremony following their women's singles final match at the U.S. Open Championships tennis tournament in New York, September 12, 2015. (Photo/ REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
As she finished her on-court interview, she announced that this would be her last U.S. Open match.
"This is the way that I would like to say goodbye to tennis," she said, an announcement that surprised everyone in the stadium. She later clarified that she will play the rest of the year, and will consider playing in the Olympics – but she will not attempt to defend U.S. Open title next year. What a way to go out.
Pennetta said she had decided prior to the tournament that she would retire. She never could have imagined what that last U.S. Open match would look like, that her Grand Slam career would end in front of her country’s prime minister and a slew of dignitaries, all flown in Friday night after she and Roberta Vinci pulled off a pair of shocking upsets against the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.
Pennetta defeated No. 2 Simona Halep in straight sets. A few hours later, Vinci completed the upset heard around the world: the unseeded, surprise semi-finalist beat 21-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
The pair of wins set up a championship meeting between two women who have been playing each other since they were children. Now in their 30s, they have at times been roommates and doubles partners, and have always been friends. Pennetta says they are like sisters.
They are now the oldest and second-oldest first-time champions in Grand Slam history. Pennetta is 33 years and six months old; Vinci is 32 years and six months.
Vinci could do no wrong in her win over Williams. She maintained that spark in the first set against Pennetta. At 2-all, they went through six break points in the fifth game before Pennetta converted the seventh. Vinci broke back at 3-4 to even the set. Staying on serve from there, they went to a tiebreak.
There, the spark that had been propelling Vinci for two days started to flame out. Pennetta took the tiebreak, 7-4. By the second set, the spark was completely gone. Pennetta earned two early breaks to go up 4-0, then 5-2.
Serving to stay in the match, Vinci surrendered two quick points. Then, at 0-30, she lobbed a ball over the net, inviting Pennetta to crush it. The soon-to-be champion accepted, the look in her eye so fierce that Pennetta turned her back and ducked. Less than a minute later, it was over.
As they hugged at the net, Vinci looked genuinelly happy for her friend. Pennetta chose that moment to tell her the news she'd soon share with the crowd.
"This is the perfect moment," Pennetta told reporters. "Was a really hard decision to make, but I'm really happy that I did it. I'm really happy and proud of myself."
"Winning or losing today, it was [not] going to change. The decision was already there," she added. "If I have to dream about how I want to finish, I want to stop playing, this is the perfect way."
Floyd Mayweather says 'career is over' after beating Andre Berto to move to 49-0.
By Kevin Iole
Floyd Mayweather delivers a punch to Andre Berto during their title fight on Saturday. (Photo/Getty)
Floyd Mayweather dropped to his knees as the final bell sounded after his whitewashing of Andre Berto on Saturday and looked skyward.
For the final 30 seconds, the crowd of 13,395 at the MGM Grand Garden stood, their camera phones in their hands, documenting the end of the unbeaten star’s legendary career.
There would be no shortage of huge paydays if he chose to reconsider, but he said he’s made more than $700 million in his career and is looking forward to spending time with his children.
“I’m financially secure and I’m in good health,” he said. “I’m looking forward to finding the next Floyd Mayweather and seeing someone break all these records I set.”
The crowd briefly chanted “TBE! TBE!” during the fight, referring to Mayweather’s self-anointed moniker of “The Best Ever.”
Most boxing historians consider Sugar Ray Robinson the best fighter ever, and Berto, despite getting walloped, wasn’t about to put Mayweather in that company.
He chuckled when he was asked if he believes Mayweather is the best fighter ever. He thought for a second and then send, “He’s definitely one of the best out there.”
Berto offered little in the way of a serious challenge and Mayweather cruised to an easy victory, running his record to 49-0 in what he insists will be his last fight.
Few believe he’ll be able to stay retired, but he earned at least another $32 million and, with television upside, his 2015 earnings could push past $300 million.
He again insisted his career was over, and while he didn’t always fight the way many fans wanted, he leaves the sport with his faculties intact and hundreds of million in the bank.
“You’ve got to know when it’s time to hang it up, and it’s my time to hang up,” Mayweather said. “I’ve been in the sport 19 years and been a world champion for 18. I have nothing else to prove in the sport of boxing.”
He told his father, Floyd Sr., following the ninth round that he injured his left hand, but dismissed it later.
“It doesn’t matter if I hurt my left hand or my right hand,” Mayweather said. “My career is over.”
The fight was like so many of the 48 Mayweather bouts that preceded it. Berto simply wasn’t good enough to force Mayweather to fight and so Mayweather fought at his range and at his pace. Mayweather pounded Berto with his jab, did a nice job going to the body and largely controlled the action.
Mayweather seemed to hurt Berto twice, but there were no knockdowns and no classic back-and-forth exchanges. Mayweather was, yet again, a defensive master, and made it impossible for Berto to hit him.
Mayweather seemed to hurt Berto twice, but there were no knockdowns and no classic back-and-forth exchanges. Mayweather was, yet again, a defensive master, and made it impossible for Berto to hit him.
Berto landed just 17 percent of his punches, while Mayweather connected on an astounding 57 percent (232 of 410).
“He was difficult to hold onto and was slippery, very slippery,” Berto said. “Like I said, experience played a big part. I tried to use my speed, but he was using little things, smart things, to get me off my rhythm. I was coming, but he was crafty. He had a lot of speed and is very crafty.”
Mayweather, who made about $250 million in May when he defeated Manny Pacquiao in what was billed as “The Fight of the Year,” has insisted since this fight was announced that he’d retire.
Few believed him, or believe him now. The MGM is opening a new 20,000-seat arena in May, and Mayweather would break Marciano’s long-standing mark if he fought and won once more.
There would be no shortage of huge paydays if he chose to reconsider, but he said he’s made more than $700 million in his career and is looking forward to spending time with his children.
“I’m financially secure and I’m in good health,” he said. “I’m looking forward to finding the next Floyd Mayweather and seeing someone break all these records I set.”
The crowd briefly chanted “TBE! TBE!” during the fight, referring to Mayweather’s self-anointed moniker of “The Best Ever.”
Most boxing historians consider Sugar Ray Robinson the best fighter ever, and Berto, despite getting walloped, wasn’t about to put Mayweather in that company.
He chuckled when he was asked if he believes Mayweather is the best fighter ever. He thought for a second and then send, “He’s definitely one of the best out there.”
And now, apparently, he’s done.
The search for the next superstar is officially on.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1916 - Christy Mathewson (Cincinnati Reds) won his 373rd career game. It was the only victory he had earned for a team other than the New York Giants during his 17-year career.
1959 - The $32 million Aqueduct, operated by the New York Racing Association, opened.
1968 - Denny McLain (Detroit Tigers) became baseball's first 30-game winner in 34 years. Dizzy Dean (St. Louis) had earned 30 wins in 1934.
1986 - Bob Brenley (San Francisco) tied a major league baseball record when he committed four errors in one inning.
1987 - Tony Magnuson cleared 9.5 feet above the top of the U-ramp and set a new skateboard high jump record.
1987 - The Toronto Blue Jays set a club record of 10 home runs when the defeated the Baltimore Orioles 18-3.
1990 - Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. (Seattle Mariners) hit back-to-back home runs off California Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill in the first inning. The Angels won the game 7-5.
1994 - It was announced that the season was over for the National Baseball League on the 34th day of the players strike. The final days of the regular season were canceled. Baseball owners had voted 26-2 in favor of ending the season. The result was a year with no World Series for the first time since 1904.
1999 - Leon Lett (Dallas Cowboys) was suspended for seven games as punishment for a fifth violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.
2002 - Tim Montgomery (American) set a world record in the 100 meters when he finished in 9.78 seconds. The previous record had been set in 1999 by Maurice Green (9.79 seconds).
2003 - Jamal Lewis (Baltimore Ravens) set an NFL record for yards gained in a single-game when he gained 295 yards rushing. The Ravens beat the Cleveland Browns 33-13.
2003 - Vinny Testaverde (New York Jets) became the ninth player in NFL history to pass for over 40,000 yards.
1959 - The $32 million Aqueduct, operated by the New York Racing Association, opened.
1968 - Denny McLain (Detroit Tigers) became baseball's first 30-game winner in 34 years. Dizzy Dean (St. Louis) had earned 30 wins in 1934.
1986 - Bob Brenley (San Francisco) tied a major league baseball record when he committed four errors in one inning.
1987 - Tony Magnuson cleared 9.5 feet above the top of the U-ramp and set a new skateboard high jump record.
1987 - The Toronto Blue Jays set a club record of 10 home runs when the defeated the Baltimore Orioles 18-3.
1990 - Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. (Seattle Mariners) hit back-to-back home runs off California Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill in the first inning. The Angels won the game 7-5.
1994 - It was announced that the season was over for the National Baseball League on the 34th day of the players strike. The final days of the regular season were canceled. Baseball owners had voted 26-2 in favor of ending the season. The result was a year with no World Series for the first time since 1904.
1999 - Leon Lett (Dallas Cowboys) was suspended for seven games as punishment for a fifth violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.
2002 - Tim Montgomery (American) set a world record in the 100 meters when he finished in 9.78 seconds. The previous record had been set in 1999 by Maurice Green (9.79 seconds).
2003 - Jamal Lewis (Baltimore Ravens) set an NFL record for yards gained in a single-game when he gained 295 yards rushing. The Ravens beat the Cleveland Browns 33-13.
2003 - Vinny Testaverde (New York Jets) became the ninth player in NFL history to pass for over 40,000 yards.
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