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Sports Quote of the Day:
"There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory." ~ Francis Drake, Navigator, Pirate, Captain and Politician during the Elizabethan Era
Trending: Mets leave the Cubs staggered, but they're coming home to Wrigley. Don't count them out yet. You gotta believe. Let's go Cubs!!! Our fans, our field and Cubs weather, Let the show begin..... (See the baseball section for details).
Trending: What constitutes a catch? No one really knows. (See Bears' article, Upon further review: No interception for Bears as Lions get TD for details).
NFL Scores 10/18/2015.
Atlanta Falcons 21
New Orleans Saints 31
Denver Broncos 26
Cleveland Browns 23
Chicago Bears 34
Detroit Lions 37
Miami Dolphins 38
Tennessee Titans 10
Kansas City Chiefs 10
Minnesota Vikings 16
Cincinnati Bengals 34
Buffalo Bills 21
Washington Redskins 20
New York Jets 34
Arizona Cardinals 13
Pittsburgh Steelers 25
Houston Texans 31
Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Carolina Panthers 27
Seattle Seahawks 23
San Diego Chargers 20
Green Bay Packers 27
Baltimore Ravens 20
San Francisco 49ers 25
New England Patriots 34
Indianapolis Colts 27
New York Giants Monday Night's Game
Philadelphia Eagles 10/19/2015
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears fall in OT as Lions get first win.
Atlanta Falcons 21
New Orleans Saints 31
Denver Broncos 26
Cleveland Browns 23
Chicago Bears 34
Detroit Lions 37
Miami Dolphins 38
Tennessee Titans 10
Kansas City Chiefs 10
Minnesota Vikings 16
Cincinnati Bengals 34
Buffalo Bills 21
Washington Redskins 20
New York Jets 34
Arizona Cardinals 13
Pittsburgh Steelers 25
Houston Texans 31
Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Carolina Panthers 27
Seattle Seahawks 23
San Diego Chargers 20
Green Bay Packers 27
Baltimore Ravens 20
San Francisco 49ers 25
New England Patriots 34
Indianapolis Colts 27
New York Giants Monday Night's Game
Philadelphia Eagles 10/19/2015
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears fall in OT as Lions get first win.
CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bears' winning streak is over, and the Lions are no longer without a win in 2015.
After the Bears won back-to-back games with late comebacks over the Raiders and Chiefs, they made another come-from-behind effort Sunday at Ford Field, but it was the Lions walking away with the 37-34 win thanks to Matt Prater's game-winning field goal in overtime.
Trailing by eight entering the fourth quarter, the Bears got two touchdowns in the first seven and a half minutes of the period — one on a pass from Jay Cutler to Alshon Jeffery and another from Matt Forte — to take a 31-24 lead with less than eight minutes to play.
But a Prater field goal shaved that lead to just four points, and Matthew Stafford, after a strange sequence in the final minute featuring a pair of penalties, hit Calvin Johnson from six yards out for a go-ahead touchdown with 21 seconds left.
The Bears had another comeback in them. Cutler completed back-to-back passes to Jeffery for a total of 49 yards, and a Lions pass-interference penalty set up Robbie Gould's game-tying field goal from 29 yards away as regulation ended.
In overtime, the Bears and Lions traded two punts each before Stafford led a 77-yard drive, setting up Prater's game-winning kick with a 57-yard pass to Johnson.
After the Bears won back-to-back games with late comebacks over the Raiders and Chiefs, they made another come-from-behind effort Sunday at Ford Field, but it was the Lions walking away with the 37-34 win thanks to Matt Prater's game-winning field goal in overtime.
Trailing by eight entering the fourth quarter, the Bears got two touchdowns in the first seven and a half minutes of the period — one on a pass from Jay Cutler to Alshon Jeffery and another from Matt Forte — to take a 31-24 lead with less than eight minutes to play.
But a Prater field goal shaved that lead to just four points, and Matthew Stafford, after a strange sequence in the final minute featuring a pair of penalties, hit Calvin Johnson from six yards out for a go-ahead touchdown with 21 seconds left.
The Bears had another comeback in them. Cutler completed back-to-back passes to Jeffery for a total of 49 yards, and a Lions pass-interference penalty set up Robbie Gould's game-tying field goal from 29 yards away as regulation ended.
In overtime, the Bears and Lions traded two punts each before Stafford led a 77-yard drive, setting up Prater's game-winning kick with a 57-yard pass to Johnson.
Cutler completed 26 of his 41 passing attempts for 353 yards and had both a touchdown and an interception. Jeffery, in his first game of the season, caught eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. Forte rushed 24 times for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Stafford passed for 405 yards and four touchdowns, also throwing an interception. Johnson caught six passes for 166 yards and a touchdown, while Lance Moore caught five passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. The Lions amassed 546 total offensive yards on the afternoon.
The Bears sank to 2-4 with the loss, while the Lions captured their first win of the season following an 0-5 start.
Upon further review: No interception for Bears as Lions get TD.
By John Mullin
In an overtime game in which virtually every play can be its own turning point, the Bears lost an interception and the Detroit Lions gained a touchdown in the second quarter when game officials ruled that the Bears had dislodged and intercepted the football from the hands of Lions receiver Golden Tate.
The pass, covering two yards from quarterback Matthew Stafford to Tate, was caught by Tate but nearly immediately popped loose by cornerback Kyle Fuller and taken out of the air by rookie linebacker Jonathan Anderson, making his first NFL start as the Bears adjusted for the loss of middle linebacker Shea McClellin.
The play was reviewed and reversed.
“The receiver gained possession of the ball with two feet down, and he was standing upright,” said referee Walt Coleman via a pool reporter. “He wasn’t going to the ground; he was standing upright. Two feet down. Possession of the ball. Takes it one more step, and then the ball was stripped out.
“In the end zone, once you have the completed catch, it’s a touchdown. The play is over. He was standing upright. It wasn’t like he was going to the ground where he would have had to have held onto the ball. But he was standing upright. Completed the catch with the ball in the end zone — that makes it a touchdown.”
The result reversal put the Lions up, 21-13, at halftime and left the Bears befuddled.
“I don’t know what they were looking for,” said linebacker Pernell McPhee. “We’ve just got to not leave plays in the hands of the officials.”
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Thoughts: It is imperative that the NFL executives and game officials come up with a definitive explanation and rule of what is a catch in the end zone. The rule that they are using now is ambiguous and no two people defines a catch in the same way. Ask five guys and get five different opinions. This is frustrating for the coaches, players and teams. This must be remedied immediately if not sooner!!!! Com'on NFL, you're better than this. This has been going on for several years and enough is enough. Rectify this rule now.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
Overtime loss to Lions leaves Bears ... where, exactly?
By John Mullin
Just taking a reading at the six-game mark of the 2015 season.
“View from the Moon” predicted last spring that the Bears would be 2-4 at this point of the season, albeit not precisely as it has come to be. VFTM’s call early in the offseason was that the Bears would upset the Green Bay Packers and lose to Kansas City, so at least in this case of prognostication, two wrongs can make something close to a right.
The point isn’t the prediction, though: It’s what happens now.
The positives and trend lines suggested by those consecutive wins over the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs were abruptly and a little brutally set back (reversed?) in the 37-34 overtime loss to the previously winless Detroit Lions that pushed some nagging questions back into consideration after the Bears had appeared to be hitting some sort of rhythm and finding an identity after an 0-3 start.
What was noteworthy coming out of Sunday’s loss was the blunt candor of the Bears’ self-assessment. Players, particularly the ones on defense, pointed thumbs, not fingers. The Bears might have miscalculated the fire with which the Lions, an 11-5 playoff team that was 7-1 at home last season, played.
“We started off slow today, and I think it was our worst performance all year,” linebacker Pernell McPhee said. “But they get paid to play offense, did a nice job of scheming, and they came out playing harder than we did.”
The Bears established an identity of themselves as fighters and finishers, and there were elements of those on Sunday: 18 points in the fourth quarter, 21 total in the second half, some defensive stops (on the first two Lions possessions in overtime) after allowing touchdowns on three of Detroit’s first four possessions.
But it wasn’t enough, and they know it.
“The defense has got to pick it up and match (Detroit’s) intensity,” defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins said, clear that the Bears hadn’t. “There were times when we’d have a good (stop), then times when we left some moves out. We’ve got to play solid the whole game. We’ve got come back with a better mentality.”
Questionable clock management
Besides the conservative lean to the offense after catching the Lions at 34-34, late clock management by Bears coaches was puzzling. Head coach John Fox had the option of declining a 10-second clock runoff after Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford was called for intentional grounding. The Lions scored a touchdown; the Bears came back down for a tying field goal with the football at the Detroit 11.
Those 10 seconds plus the four that were on the clock when Robbie Gould kicked the field goal were time for shots at the end zone. Fox also elected not to use two of the Bears’ three timeouts in that closing stretch. More time for shots at a win.
Offensive line status report
For all of the flux the offensive line has gone through since the start of training camp and even the regular season, it might be premature to assume that everything is settled in that group. Center (Hroniss Grasu) and left guard (Matt Slauson) are set, and right tackle (Kyle Long) is set as he and coaches decided, for the time being, as Fox has said.
Intriguing, however, is the situation at left tackle where Charles Leno Jr. started his third straight game in place of Jermon Bushrod. The latter was cleared under the NFL’s concussion protocol and was listed as questionable (50-50) on the final injury report. He then didn’t dress for the Detroit game. Leno and the offensive line held up reasonably well against the Lions pass-blocking (one zero-yard sack) but were less effective run-blocking (2.9-yards per carry, no run longer than 11 yards).
Prater sinks Bears again
If the name of the kicker (Matt Prater) finishing off the Lions’ overtime win Sunday sounded familiar, it should. It was Prater, then kicking for John Fox, who booted Fox’s Denver Broncos to an overtime victory over the Bears in the Marion Barber Game of 2011.
Prater converted from 59 yards after Barber stepped out of bounds on the preceding Bears possession to save time for the Broncos, and Prater won the game from 51 yards after Barber lost a fumble in overtime.
By Tracey Myers
Corey Crawford summed it up as well as anyone.
“It was kind of a flat game, I thought, for most of it there. There wasn’t much going on,” Crawford said. “But we made some plays when we needed to.”
No, the Blackhawks-Columbus Blue Jackets game wasn’t the most scintillating contest. But with a four-day break looming the Blackhawks, who had been rather goal deprived in their previous two contests, got that side of their game going.
Artem Anisimov scored his second goal of the season and Marian Hossa got his first as the Blackhawks beat the Blue Jackets 4-1 on Saturday night. On a night when Brandon Saad returned to Chicago with his new team, the Blackhawks sent the Blue Jackets home with another loss. Columbus is now 0-6-0 this season.
Teuvo Teravainen scored a power-play goal and Patrick Kane added an empty-net goal. Crawford stopped 22 of 23 shots for the victory. The Blackhawks snapped a two-game losing streak and, after scoring just one goal in their previous two games, found some offense again.
“Well, the last two games we only scored one goal and for this team it’s not good enough,” Hossa said. “We know we have so much firepower here I think we have to learn how to play better defensively and that’s what creates offense.”
That’s pretty much how Hossa got his goal. With time running out on a two-minute 5-on-3 and the Blackhawks doing little on it, Hossa stole the puck from Columbus forward Matt Calvert and scored for a 3-0 lead at the time.
“Guys who are known as scorers enjoy scoring, like everybody should,” coach Joel Quenneville said of Hossa’s first of the season. “It was nice to see the finish. He made a great play in the neutral zone. It was a sloppy 5-on-3 and all of a sudden he finishes it off with strength on the puck in the neutral zone, beats two guys and scores a huge goal for us at that time.”
The Blackhawks entered the second period having scored just one goal the previous periods — Viktor Svedberg’s third-period goal in Washington on Thursday. Anisimov broke through late in the second, backhanding an Artemi Panarin pass past Curtis McElhinney for a 1-0 lead. Just 65 seconds later, Teravainen scored when his power-play shot went off Dalton Prout’s skate. The Blackhawks also held the Blue Jackets in check in the second period; Columbus had just three shots in that frame. Crawford didn’t have much to do in that time.
“It felt boring in the second a little bit,” Crawford said. “Those ones are… you have to find a way mentally to try and stay in it.”
Kane scored an empty netter with 1:27 remaining in regulation.
The Blackhawks still have some things to work out with all their changes. But they were stronger on defense and got some much-needed goals. It’s a start.
“Tonight I thought we were much better. It still wasn’t great but we were much better and that’s important,” Hossa said. “[With] lots of new pieces coming together, it’s going to take 10-15 games to get exactly where we want it. So a huge game after two losses.”
Five Things: Blackhawks' Marian Hossa is still a tremendous two-way player.
By Tracey Myers
Once upon a time I received an email that started off, “You’re good, you’re not great.”
Besides being the greatest start of any email ever, that could also describe the Blackhawks on Saturday night: good, not great. As we’ve written here a few times already, however, that’s to be expected after all the offseason changes. Still, the Blackhawks did a few more things right in their 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
So while we all try to get past good and onto great, let’s look at the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ victory.
1. Marian Hossa is still a tremendous two-way player. Speaking of great… Hossa was already having a strong game on Saturday when he picked Matt Calvert’s pocket and scored a 5-on-3 goal that gave the Blackhawks a 3-0 lead at the time. The ageless Hossa never ceases to amaze those who see it on a nightly basis. “That was a pretty special play,” Corey Crawford said. “He didn’t quit on that one. We lost the puck at the blue line and he came back and did the rest.”
2. Brandon Saad’s emotional night. You wondered what the reaction would be when Saad returned to the United Center. He and the Blackhawks couldn’t work out a deal but Blackhawks fans greeted him with loud applause and a standing ovation during a first-period video tribute. Saad’s in a much different place now, playing for a Columbus team that’s gotten off to a surprisingly bad start. But Saad did some tremendous things in his time in Chicago, and fans showed how much they appreciated that on Saturday.
3. A nice debut for Mr. Hinostroza. Vinnie Hinostroza was probably a jumble of nerves when he made his NHL debut on Saturday night but he looked pretty calm on the ice. He brought some stability and a threat to that third line, which had been mediocre through this early season. We’ll see if Hinostroza’s in the lineup when the Blackhawks play on Florida, but he certainly had an energetic start on Saturday.
4. Anisimov answers again. Artem Anisimov gets overshadowed playing with Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. He’s the non-flashy, non-showy portion of that line. But he’s a steady part of that trio, a big body who will go to the net. He did that again on Saturday and earned his second goal of the season on another backhand shot.
5. Bickell “OK” on the top line. If you’ve listened to coach Joel Quenneville for any amount of time, you know that when he says a player is “OK,” as he said Bryan Bickell was on the top line on Saturday, he means player was not good. So, who’s next at that left-wing spot with Jonathan Toews and Hossa?
Blackhawks' Michal Rozsival takes next step in recovery process.
By Tracey Myers
Michal Rozsival looked at being part of the Blackhawks’ morning skate on Saturday as a big positive.
Michal Rozsival looked at being part of the Blackhawks’ morning skate on Saturday as a big positive.
It’s still going to be a bit until he returns; the Blackhawks defenseman suffered an awful left ankle fracture back in May, and he’s still some weeks away from playing in an NHL game. Still he’s improved enough to be out there with his teammates, another sign that he’s going in the right direction.
“I’m definitely excited to be with the team, get that regular practice feeling, get the passing and shooting and have a goalie in the net,” Rozsival said. “I’ve been skating on my own, which is kind of boring. It’s another step forward for me in my recovery.”
Rozsival said he has about 85 percent range of motion in that left ankle, which he broke in the Blackhawks’ final second-round game against the Minnesota Wild in early May. He was supposed to be on the ice the night they won the Cup but bad weather disrupted his travel there. Rozsival was there a few days later, however, when the Blackhawks had their parade and rally at Soldier Field.
But it was otherwise a pretty dull summer for the veteran, who had surgery on that ankle on May 12 and whose mobility was obviously limited immediately after that.
“It was a kind of a long summer for me, being on crutches with a boot on my ankle. It was tough; I couldn’t do much. I tried to take care of it as much as I could have,” he said. “It was kind of a boring summer; a lot of sitting around. I’m glad it’s over and I’m looking forward to getting back on the ice again.”
Rozsival has a small plate on the left anklebone. The fracture is healed but Rozsival said there’s still some tightness in the ankle. Nevertheless it’s a lot better than it was when the Blackhawks first convened for training camp back in mid-September.
“It’s improved a lot,” he said. “When I got here in training camp the ankle was tight and stiff and swelling, which I don’t have right now. It’s improved quite a bit.”
Rozsival’s recovery isn’t complete yet. He was placed on long-term injured reserve on Oct. 6, so he can’t play again for 24 days and 10 games from that date. But it sounds like it’ll take even more time than that for Rozsival to be ready – “I can’t tell you how long but it’s definitely not ready now. It may be a few more weeks before I can actually go out and play an NHL game,” he said.
But he’s skating with the team, which means he’s moving forward. It’s been a long recovery road for Rozsival. At least now he’s getting closer to the end of it.
“[Skating] with the team, especially in pregame skate, it’s basically, go, go, go. I kind of liked it," Rozsival said. "I’m very happy to be out there and get that feeling back again, being at a higher pace, passing and shooting. Not just being focused on the skating but also being focused on what’s going on around you.
"You have to pay attention to the other players around you. It’s definitely another step forward.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Frontcourt minutes could be Hoiberg's biggest challenge.
By Mark Schanowski
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Now that Taj Gibson has made his preseason debut, first year Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg is faced with one of his early challenges. How exactly do you divide 96 minutes at the center and power forward positions between Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and top draft pick Bobby Portis? And which two players should start?
Minutes were readily available early in the preseason with Gasol, Gibson and Noah all sitting out games. But when the ball goes up for real on Oct. 27 against Cleveland, Hoiberg should have his full complement of frontcourt players. Moving Mirotic to the small forward spot doesn’t sound like a realistic option right now, with Hoiberg candidly saying he didn’t like the way his jumbo lineup performed in Wednesday’s game against Detroit - with Mirotic at small forward. Quite simply, Mirotic doesn’t have the lateral quickness to defend most of the small forwards in the NBA.
So, how will Hoiberg handle his frontcourt rotation? The first decision involves which players will start. Gasol and Noah haven’t spent much time together during the preseason, but given the career accomplishments and considerable egos involved, my guess is that tandem will be in the starting lineup on Opening Night. Noah says he’s feeling a lot healthier after a long summer of rehab work and is anxious to prove he can return to the form that made him the NBA’s Defensive Player of the year in 2014.
But with all the depth in the frontcourt, Noah shouldn’t expect to average more than 28-30 minutes per game.
Gasol is coming off another impressive summer with Spain’s national team, and the guess is Hoiberg will try to reduce his minutes to the 30-32 range to keep him fresh for the postseason.
The real challenge will come with handling playing time for the three reserves. As Gibson told me in the interview above, his ankle is still a little stiff after offseason surgery and it might take a while for him to get back to 100 percent. Gibson said the procedure was necessary after a series of ankle sprains and is confident the surgery will benefit him in the long run. Ideally, Gibson would be a good fit with Gasol in the starting lineup, but his ongoing rehab probably means a reduction in playing time early in the season.
Mirotic proved last season that he can be a valuable scorer off the bench, averaging 20 points per game in March on his way to a First Team All-Rookie selection. Hoiberg used Mirotic as his starting power forward early in the preseason and hoped to get him some minutes at the small forward spot. But after watching Pistons rookie Stanley Johnson drive past Mirotic (and other Bulls players), I get the sense Mirotic's playing time will mostly come at power forward.
Portis is the ultimate wild card. He’s putting up big numbers in the preseason, but a lot of that production is coming against guys who won’t even be in the league when the regular season begins. Portis, 20, has a world of potential. He’s a 6-foot-11 athlete with good shooting range and a high motor. My guess is Hoiberg will try to get Portis some minutes early in the season while Gibson continues to get stronger, but the rookie will have to make an impact on the defensive end to stay in the rotation.
So, let’s do the math. We’ll give Gasol 30 minutes, Noah 26 minutes, Gibson 16 minutes, Mirotic 16 minutes and Portis 8 minutes to start the season. If Mirotic can play some small forward on occasion that would free up a few additional minutes for Gibson and Portis. And, you can expect the numbers to change throughout the season based on health, matchups and effectiveness.
There’s been some speculation about the Bulls using some of their frontcourt depth in a deal for another wing player, especially with so much uncertainty about when Mike Dunleavy will be able to return from back surgery.
The reality is, however, Noah will become a free agent next summer and Gasol holds a player option for the 2016-17 season. It’s entirely possible neither player will be on the Bulls’ roster when training camp begins next September.
At this point Hoiberg should just enjoy his wealth of options at the center and power forward spots.
As Bulls fans have learned over the years, injuries have a way of changing the best laid plans during a long NBA season.
Fred Hoiberg likes Doug McDermott coming off the Bulls' bench.
By Vincent Goodwill
When Mike Dunleavy’s injury was announced a few weeks ago, it was assumed Doug McDermott would take his place at small forward and begin fulfilling the promise expected of a lottery pick.
But Fred Hoiberg hasn’t started McDermott in one preseason game to date, and with the regular season opener looming, one would think Hoiberg, tabbed with the responsibility of coaxing the most production from a talented player, would start familiarizing McDermott with being on the first unit.
McDermott will start Thursday in the Bulls’ final preseason game, against the Dallas Mavericks in Lincoln, Neb., but it won’t be a continuing trend when the games really count. Hoiberg likes that scoring punch off the bench, so McDermott will anchor the second unit.
“That's the role I've anticipate for Doug is coming off the bench. I'll start him in Lincoln (Nebraska),” Hoiberg said. “It'll be a fun game for him with his family and everybody that supported him. I know a lot of people will come from Ames. I'll start him that game for sure, but I like Doug coming off the bench. I think it's been a good role for him.”
McDermott would certainly love to start—all NBA players worth their salt do, no matter what they say—but he understands and is fine with Hoiberg’s decision.
“Yeah, I’m completely fine with that,” said McDermott, who’s scored in double figures in every preseason game. “Either way. I think it’s been good for me, just kind of see the game develop a little bit. I think they need scoring off the bench, too, so I feel like I can bring that and I’m fine with whatever.”
It’s clear Hoiberg isn’t happy with the Bulls’ defense as a whole, and wants the most balanced unit on the floor. McDermott is no defensive stopper and has had trouble staying in front of drivers from the top of the key or the wings.
If McDermott was to be a part of the starting lineup, it would force Jimmy Butler to certainly defend an opponents’ best perimeter scorer or playmaker, and there seems to be an emphasis on conserving Butler’s energy with the heavy minutes he’ll have to play this season.
So there’s a possibility of starting Tony Snell, who injured his ankle in a game this week, or Nikola Mirotic (also not the most inclined defender) or even Kirk Hinrich, which would slide Butler over to small forward and out of the backcourt.
McDermott knows defensively he’s a work in progress because being a perimeter player is new to him.
“It’s tough for me, especially played a lot of four in college so I wasn’t the guy getting into the ball-handler and force him one way,” McDermott said. “I’ve worked on that a lot. I’ve tried to pull guys aside after practice even if it’s a guy like Jordan Crawford where I can just, you know, try and get into a guy that’s quick and athletic. It’s been tough. Part of it’s on me. Part of it’s on all of us communicating and we’ll all get better.”
With McDermott in the starting lineup, there’s a chance he would get lost among primary scorers Butler, Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol. Coming off the bench allows him to anchor the scoring from the second unit while also minimizing his defensive deficiencies, pitting him against lesser offensive players.
He sees both sides of the argument.
“I think it goes both ways. I think, more of an opportunity for shots and scoring off the bench,” McDermott said. “You see guys like that in the league all the time, coming off the bench and just kind of fire away. I feel like that’s something I can do, but at the same time if I was out there with Derrick and Jimmy and Pau, I feel like I’d really space the floor for them. I think Derrick would get a lot of driving lanes, along with Jimmy. So, either way, I think I can help out wherever they ask.”
When Dunleavy comes back, one can assume the veteran will come back as the starting small forward, barring an unforeseen change from the head coach. Having McDermott establish a rhythm as a primary scorer as opposed to jerking him in and out as a starter could be Hoiberg’s goal, or part of it.
Jake Arrieta hits the wall as Mets put Cubs in 0-2 NLCS hole.
By Patrick Mooney
That aura of invincibility around Jake Arrieta should be gone now, the Cubs no longer feeling quite so unbeatable. The New York Mets ended that fantasy, leaving this dream season only two losses away from being over.
The Cubs quietly left Citi Field after Sunday night’s 4-1 loss, down 0-2 in a best-of-seven National League Championship Series that began with great expectations and now shifts to Wrigley Field with the Mets looking like the team of destiny.
The Mets ambushed Arrieta in the first inning. Any momentum the Cubs hoped to create simply vanished when David Wright lifted an RBI double over the head of Dexter Fowler and onto the warning track in center field. That 1-0 deficit felt even bigger with the temperature dropping to 45 degrees and Noah Syndergaard throwing 99-mph heat.
The crowd of 44,502 then erupted when red-hot Daniel Murphy reached down and launched Arrieta’s curveball out toward the right-field seats. The ball stayed just inside the orange foul pole, a two-run shot giving Murphy five postseason homers this October.
“There’s not near the margin for error,” Arrieta said. “But at the end of the day, it’s hard to second-guess if the ball’s down a little bit or in a little bit more. Those are the spots you’re trying to locate. Sometimes, they just get to you.”
Arrieta said he felt fine physically, but he could be hitting the wall here, piling up almost 248 innings, or 92 more than he threw in the majors last season. At a certain point, it might not matter how well you eat or how hard you train or how much you want to be the best.
“I don’t want to say he’s tired, because he’s in really good shape,” catcher Miguel Montero said. “But he’s a human. He can get tired as well. I don’t think he ever threw this many innings in his life.
“I don’t want to make up any excuses, because I don’t know what he feels like. But that could be (the) case.”
By the third inning, the Cubs had lefty Travis Wood warming up in the bullpen, which would have been unthinkable while Arrieta put together arguably the greatest second half by a pitcher in major-league history.
Between August, September, early October and that complete-game shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates in an emotionally draining wild-card victory, Arrieta had allowed four earned runs combined.
Arrieta noticed he had trouble ratcheting up his velocity this time and worked in more changeups, allowing four runs in five innings on a night where the Cubs needed something closer to a perfect game.
“I know he’s been huge for us and we kind of set the bar really high,” Montero said. “But he’s a baseball player, man. It’s gonna happen.”
The St. Louis Cardinals already made Arrieta work in the divisional round, manufacturing four runs in 5.2 innings while the Cubs bailed out the pitcher who might have been their MVP.
Arrieta covered for his teammates, fronting the rotation, taking pressure off a young lineup and saving the bullpen for a 97-win contender no one saw coming this year. The Cubs hadn’t lost a game Arrieta started since Cole Hamels threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies on July 25 at Wrigley Field. Arrieta’s workload could finally be catching up to the Cubs now.
“I can’t deny that it might be,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I don’t know that. If you ask him, he’ll tell you no. (If) that (radar) gun was correct on the field, he might have been down a mile an hour or two.
“When that happens…the commitment to the breaking ball is not as definite from the hitter’s perspective, because they’re able to see everything better.
“He was not laboring to throw the ball. (It just) wasn’t as crisp as it had been, that’s all.”
This doesn’t mean Arrieta can’t get his mojo back or shouldn’t be next year’s Opening Day starter or won’t someday land a nine-figure contract. But he might have thrown his final pitch in 2015, no guarantees the Cubs come back to New York for a Game 6.
“We’ve got work to do,” Arrieta said. “The good thing is we go home, play three games in Wrigley Field and (we’ll) come out ready to go.”
Mets leave Cubs staggered, but they still have puncher's chance.
By Paul Sullivan
During a video montage on the Citi Field scoreboard before Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, the Mets showed a clip of the famous black cat that walked by the Cubs dugout during the 1969 pennant race.
In the ninth inning, the video board showed a fan clutching a toy goat.
History may not matter to this young Cubs team, but that didn't stop the Mets from shoving reminders down its throat anyway.
The Mets cruised to a 4-1 win Sunday to go up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, shutting down the Cubs offense again and making it look easy.
It ain't over till it's over, but you can put the Cubs' season under a plexiglass case and stare at it the rest of the winter if the Mets pitchers continue to make their lineup look this lifeless.
"Our guys are fine," manager Joe Maddon said. "They pitched well and they beat us. We only scored three runs in the two games. That's hard to win. But we have so much offensive talent and I believe in our guys."
The last time the Cubs lost the first two games of a postseason series and came back to win it was, uh, never.
They lost the first two games in the 1910 and 1929 World Series against the Philadelphia A's, the 1932 and 1938 Series against the Yankees and the 1998, 2007 and 2008 division series against the Braves, Diamondbacks and Dodgers, respectively. They went on to get swept in the latter five series and won one game in each of the former two.
But the theme song from "Rocky" blasted in the visitors clubhouse after the game, a reminder not to count the Cubs out.
"Exactly," Kyle Schwarber said. "We're not going to give up. We haven't given up the last two games. It's been a hard-fought battle these last two. It's just baseball. It's how it goes. Those guys are on. You tip your cap and move on."
Cubs ace Jake Arrieta proved to be human for the second straight game, putting his team in a 3-0 hole only three batters in and lasting only five innings. The Cubs' two horses, Jon Lester and Arrieta, now must sit and hope they can get another chance, with Kyle Hendricks and probably Jason Hammel going in Games 3 and 4 at Wrigley Field.
Arrieta said there was "some disconnect timing-wise," but he felt like he pitched well after the shaky start, despite a slight drop in velocity.
"You're not guaranteed to pitch 97 (mph) every night," he said. "It would be nice. But I still have four other pitches I can use to get guys out any night."
Arrieta has carried the load much of the season, but now it's up to Hendricks, who matches up against Jacob deGrom in a must-win Game 3 on Tuesday.
At least the Cubs can take comfort knowing they won't have to deal with a mini polar vortex when they return to Chicago, and they'll have the Wrigley aura to fall back on if things get tough.
October just can't be scripted, as we've learned once again.
"Any given night a good pitcher can get beat," David Ross said. "Look at tonight.
We're not expecting Jake to give up three in the first, you know? This happens. This is baseball. Everybody has an off night."
Did anyone expect Arrieta to be hit as hard as he was in the first after turning in the best second-half performance in major-league history? Could anyone have foreseen Daniel Murphy, the Mets' 30-year-old second baseman, turning into Reggie Jackson?
After hitting 14 home runs in the regular season, Murphy has five in seven postseason games. Murphy may not own the bleachers, but so far he owns the Cubs. He poked a first-inning home run for the second straight game, a two-run blast off Arrieta that gave the Mets a quick 3-0 lead and sent the freeze-dried fans into a frenzy.
If the Cubs' season ends in the NLCS, they can look back this winter with a warm, fuzzy feeling, knowing they went further than anyone imagined.
But these Cubs aren't the kind of team that tends to walk away from a fight.
"This isn't the way it's scripted," Anthony Rizzo said. "It's not like we're dogging it or anything. If we come up short, we do, but we don't plan on (losing)."
The Mets slugged the Cubs in the mouth in these two games in New York.
Now we'll find out if they can punch their way out of this.
Royals jump out to 2-0 ALCS lead with 6-3 victory over the Blue Jays.
By Bill Baer
The never-say-die Royals hung a five-spot on the Blue Jays in a laborious bottom of the seventh inning, providing all of the offense they would need to come back and win in Game 2 of the ALCS. The Royals will travel to Toronto to continue the ALCS with a 2-0 lead.
The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the third inning when Ryan Goins brought in a run with a double to left field off of Royals starter Yodano Ventura. The Jays tacked on two more in the sixth on an Edwin Encarnacion RBI single and a Troy Tulowitzki RBI double. Ventura was chased with one out in the sixth, finishing having allowed the three runs on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Jays starter David Price was dominating over his first six innings. He allowed a single to Alcides Escobar to lead off the bottom of the first, but then retired the next 18 batters he faced to set a Blue Jays post-season record. However, leading off the bottom of the seventh, the Royals benefited from a miscommunication between second baseman Goins and right fielder Jose Bautista, allowing a Ben Zobrist pop-up to land. The Royals would add three more singles and a double to score four runs and chase Price from the game with two outs in the sixth. Reliever Aaron Sanchez allowed another RBI single before completing the frame. Price, over 6 2/3 innings, was on the hook for five runs on six hits and no walks with eight strikeouts.
Royals reliever Kelvin Herrera worked around a one-out Chris Colabello double, recording two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth inning. Moustakas added more insurance with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the eighth to make it 6-3.
In the ninth, closer Wade Davis allowed a single and a walk to lead off the inning, but he struck out Ben Revere and Josh Donaldson before Jose Bautista flied out to right field to end the game. The Royals are two games away from advancing to the World Series for a second year in a row.
The two clubs will have an off-day on Sunday. The ALCS resumes at 7:00 PM EDT on Monday for Game 3 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, with Johnny Cueto starting for the Royals against Marcus Stroman for the Blue Jays.
ALCS Game 3: Royals-Blue Jays Preview.
By HOWIE RUMBERG
Hip-hop music blared over the loudspeakers in an eerily empty, moodily lit Rogers Centre as Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays went through an easy workout on an off-day in the American League Championship Series.
With their backs against the wall again, there's no place they'd rather be.
The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the third inning when Ryan Goins brought in a run with a double to left field off of Royals starter Yodano Ventura. The Jays tacked on two more in the sixth on an Edwin Encarnacion RBI single and a Troy Tulowitzki RBI double. Ventura was chased with one out in the sixth, finishing having allowed the three runs on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Jays starter David Price was dominating over his first six innings. He allowed a single to Alcides Escobar to lead off the bottom of the first, but then retired the next 18 batters he faced to set a Blue Jays post-season record. However, leading off the bottom of the seventh, the Royals benefited from a miscommunication between second baseman Goins and right fielder Jose Bautista, allowing a Ben Zobrist pop-up to land. The Royals would add three more singles and a double to score four runs and chase Price from the game with two outs in the sixth. Reliever Aaron Sanchez allowed another RBI single before completing the frame. Price, over 6 2/3 innings, was on the hook for five runs on six hits and no walks with eight strikeouts.
Royals reliever Kelvin Herrera worked around a one-out Chris Colabello double, recording two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth inning. Moustakas added more insurance with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the eighth to make it 6-3.
In the ninth, closer Wade Davis allowed a single and a walk to lead off the inning, but he struck out Ben Revere and Josh Donaldson before Jose Bautista flied out to right field to end the game. The Royals are two games away from advancing to the World Series for a second year in a row.
The two clubs will have an off-day on Sunday. The ALCS resumes at 7:00 PM EDT on Monday for Game 3 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, with Johnny Cueto starting for the Royals against Marcus Stroman for the Blue Jays.
ALCS Game 3: Royals-Blue Jays Preview.
By HOWIE RUMBERG
Hip-hop music blared over the loudspeakers in an eerily empty, moodily lit Rogers Centre as Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays went through an easy workout on an off-day in the American League Championship Series.
With their backs against the wall again, there's no place they'd rather be.
''We're down 2-0 right now, we've got three games at home. These guys here, they're comfortable and we've definitely got the crowd behind us,'' outfielder Ben Revere said Sunday. ''We definitely feel much more comfortable being back at home.''
After Kansas City took the first two games at home, Game 3 is in Toronto on Monday night. First pitch is set for 8:07 p.m. The Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman faces Kansas City's Johnny Cueto in a matchup of two Division Series Game 5 starters.
After Kansas City took the first two games at home, Game 3 is in Toronto on Monday night. First pitch is set for 8:07 p.m. The Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman faces Kansas City's Johnny Cueto in a matchup of two Division Series Game 5 starters.
''This series is not over, not even close,'' defending AL champion Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain said after testing the bounce of the turf and the glare of the light in the closed-roofed stadium.
The Blue Jays advanced to the ALCS with a win that featured one of the most bizarre innings in postseason history. Bautista capped that seventh inning with a monster home run - and equally big bat toss.
That was the last long ball the top slugging team in baseball this year has hit.
Toronto relied heavily on the home run as it overcame the New York Yankees to win the East and it connected for 123 of its 232 homers this year at home. It then slugged its way to three straight wins over Texas after losing the first two at home in the ALDS.
Toronto relied heavily on the home run as it overcame the New York Yankees to win the East and it connected for 123 of its 232 homers this year at home. It then slugged its way to three straight wins over Texas after losing the first two at home in the ALDS.
In the chilly air of Kansas City, the Blue Jays scored just three runs and went deep none.
Now, they are more than ready to play in front of another raucous crowd that has filled their ballpark - and got rowdy in the deciding Game 5 against Texas. So much so, security should be beefed up for the ALCS.
No more deep alleys of Kauffman Stadium where their drives died. No more unfriendly fans who played tricks with Ryan Goins on the flyball that changed the tenor of Game 2, setting off a five-run rally that led to a 6-3 come-from-behind win for the Royals.
''Kansas City's park is really big,'' Revere said. ''Some of the balls we were hitting there, they were going nowhere. Now we're back home, some of those balls that were crushed are going to go over the heads or go in the gaps more.''
Of course, the Blue Jays will have to figure out a way to beat Cueto and his multitude of pitches. The Royals dreadlocked, trade-deadline acquisition from the Cincinnati Reds has found his dominant form after struggling in late summer. He gave up two runs in eight innings against Houston in Game 5 of the Division Series.
''He's just a guy that is constantly trying to change your timing at the plate, whether it's with his quick pitch or his shimmy on the mound and he's got six pitches,'' Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar said.'' But ultimately you've got to throw the ball over the plate and that's what we're trying to do is hit his mistakes.''
Cueto has had good success against Blue Jays players. He's only allowed two homers in career 88 plate appearances, with Troy Tulowitzki, with Colorado, and Edwin Encarnacion going deep.
''I'm going to toe the rubber and give everything I've got and I'm going to take the same approach as I did the previous game and just be ready to go, ready to pitch,'' he said through a translator.
''I'm going to toe the rubber and give everything I've got and I'm going to take the same approach as I did the previous game and just be ready to go, ready to pitch,'' he said through a translator.
The Royals should have their hands full, too, with Stroman, the 24-year-old right-hander who made a speedy return from a torn left knee ligament in March and excelled down the stretch. He was 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts - he didn't return until after the testy series at end of July into August between the teams.
Stroman got that Game 5 start against Texas and now Toronto turns to him to help get them back in a series in which the odds are stacked against them: All but three of the previous 25 teams to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven era have won the series.
''He's got the 'it' factor,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ''It doesn't mean he's going to go out and dominate (Monday), but you have a great feeling every time he takes the mound because he can pull of something special.''
''He's got the 'it' factor,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ''It doesn't mean he's going to go out and dominate (Monday), but you have a great feeling every time he takes the mound because he can pull of something special.''
Golf: I got a club for that..... Argentina rookie Grillo wins PGA Tour season opener in playoff.
CBSSports.com wire reports
(Photo/USA Today Sports Images)
Emiliano Grillo of Argentina won his PGA Tour rookie debut Sunday at the Frys.com Open by holing a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 3-under 69, and then making the most out of a second chance in the playoff to beat Kevin Na.
Nearly as impressive as his closing birdie was the way the 23-year-old Argentine bounced back from a shocking miss.
Grillo had a 3-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win and was stunned when it caught the left lip and spun away. Then, he drove into the fairway bunker on the 18th on the second extra hole with Na in the fairway.
The next mistake belonged to Na.
He used driver off the fairway for the second time and hooked it behind a tree, leaving him little chance of getting his third shot on the green. Na wound up with a bogey. Grillo hit a bold approach shot over the edge of a bunker to just inside 10 feet. Needing two putts for the victory, he made it for birdie.
Earlier this year, Grillo missed a short birdie putt to win the Puerto Rico Open, and wound up losing in a playoff.
"The difference was I hit this one good," Grillo said. "My caddie said, 'Are you OK?' I said, 'Yeah, sure. Third time a charm.' I stayed positive and hit a great shot in there."
Grillo has won his last two tournaments in thrillers. He made a 25-foot birdie putt on final hole of the Web.com Tour Championship two weeks ago and earned $180,000. This one was worth a lot more.
Not only did he earn $1.08 million, he's going to the Masters next April.
"You say Masters, I can't believe it," Grillo said. "When I got the [PGA Tour] card after the Web.com Championship, I saw I was 71 or 72 in the world and said, 'We got a chance of getting top 50 by the end of the year, let's try to get it done.'
"Maybe we can play the tournaments we always wanted to play."
Grillo moves to about No. 36 in the world ranking, which puts him in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai and the Bridgestone Invitational, two World Golf Championships. He's also in the PGA Championship and The Players Championship, both offering $10 million purses.
Na, who got up-and-down with a 6-foot putt on the 18th in regulation for a 70 to force a playoff, told Golf Channel after the playoff ended that he rarely misses driver off the tight fairway grass and that maybe the fact it was getting dark and the ball was slightly above his feet caused him to hook it.
Na, who earned $648,000, declined to come to the media room for interviews.
Jason Bohn (70), Justin Thomas (69) and Tyrone Van Aswegen of South Africa (68) all finished one shot out of the playoff.
Grillo was the first to reach 15-under 273 with his 25-foot birdie putt. Thomas and Bohn each had birdie chances on the par-5 18th hole. Thomas, who closed with five pars, narrowly missed a 30-foot putt. Bohn sent his fairway metal into a concession area, pitched across the green to 15 feet below the hole and missed it on the low side.
Bohn's bigger mistake was earlier in the round. He was leading at 15 under and was 50 yards from the hole on the par-5 16th hole when he chunked a wedge. His next wedge slid 8 feet by the hole and he two-putted for a bogey.
"I was fairly focused on 16 where I just kind of laid the sod over it and chunked it," Bohn said. "There's times when you think that -- trust me -- when you're out there, `Oh, don't chunk this one.' But this wasn't one of those times. Kind of rattled me a little bit. To make a bogey from 40 yards short of the green is pretty unacceptable when you're trying to win a golf tournament."
But then, just about everyone could look back at lost chances.
Nine players had at least a share of the lead at some point during a final round at Silverado that was up for grabs until the very end. It started with Brendan Steele, who was trying to go wire-to-wire and was still in position until he hit a poor fairway bunker shot on No. 12. Steele made five bogeys over the next six holes and closed with a 76.
Justin Rose was tied for the lead at the turn and was poised to rely on his experience until he missed a 3-foot par putt at No. 12 and dropped two more shots coming for a 72. He wound up three shots out of the playoff.
Thomas, coming off a strong rookie season, holed a 45-foot birdie putt on the 13th to get into position. But he missed a 7-foot birdie chance at No. 14 and never got a closer look at birdie the rest of the way, including the par 5s at Nos. 16 and 18.
Van Aswegen birdied two of the last three holes to at least have a chance at a playoff until Grillo and then Na each made birdie. The South African woke up to the room spinning, was taken in an ambulance to the emergency room and treated for dehydration, and narrowly got back to the golf course in time to warm up. He was helped by morning fog that led to a 20-minute delay.
Yet again, Jason Day is No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
By Ryan Ballengee
Jordan Spieth and Jason Day didn't play competitive golf this weekend. Nonetheless, they swapped places on Sunday in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Day is the new No. 1 in golf's ranking of record, taking the spot back that Spieth earned with his win at the Tour Championship, which clinched the FedEx Cup in September. Rory McIlroy, who finished T-26 at the Frys.com Open on Sunday, remains third.
So, how does this keep happening? Here's a brief -- as we can make it -- explanation of the Official World Golf Ranking formula.
The OWGR formula is computed over a rolling 104-week (or two-year) basis. Players earn points when they compete based on two factors: the strength of field, as determined primarily by the number of top 200 players in an event, and where they finish in a tournament. When players earn points, they maintain their full value for 13 weeks, or one-quarter of a year. In the 14th week after points are earned, they start to lose value in equal increments for the next 91 weeks, before they become worthless. A player's ranking is based on how many points they have banked currently over the number of tournaments they've played in the current 104-week period.
If you got through that, then this part should be easy. Since tournaments don't always fall on the same date and players don't always keep the same schedules from year to year, there are times when players lose more points than expected and suddenly change ranking. It just so happens, in this case, to wind up with the top two players in the world swapping places.
Spieth took No. 1 from McIlroy after his runner-up finish at the PGA Championship. After a two-week reign, Spieth ceded the top spot back to the Ulsterman after The Barclays, in which McIlroy didn't play. Spieth then got it back a week later. McIlroy got it back for the off week of the PGA Tour playoffs. Day took No. 1 after winning the BMW Championship. Then Spieth's East Lake win got him back to No. 1.
And this kind of thing will keep happening for a while. Day won't play again until the Hero World Challenge in December. Spieth will play that event and, before it, the WGC-HSBC Champions. McIlroy could pass them both by virtue of his finishes in the European Tour's four-event Race to Dubai Finals Series.
NASCAR: Logano spins out Kenseth late, wins at Kansas Speedway.
The OWGR formula is computed over a rolling 104-week (or two-year) basis. Players earn points when they compete based on two factors: the strength of field, as determined primarily by the number of top 200 players in an event, and where they finish in a tournament. When players earn points, they maintain their full value for 13 weeks, or one-quarter of a year. In the 14th week after points are earned, they start to lose value in equal increments for the next 91 weeks, before they become worthless. A player's ranking is based on how many points they have banked currently over the number of tournaments they've played in the current 104-week period.
If you got through that, then this part should be easy. Since tournaments don't always fall on the same date and players don't always keep the same schedules from year to year, there are times when players lose more points than expected and suddenly change ranking. It just so happens, in this case, to wind up with the top two players in the world swapping places.
Spieth took No. 1 from McIlroy after his runner-up finish at the PGA Championship. After a two-week reign, Spieth ceded the top spot back to the Ulsterman after The Barclays, in which McIlroy didn't play. Spieth then got it back a week later. McIlroy got it back for the off week of the PGA Tour playoffs. Day took No. 1 after winning the BMW Championship. Then Spieth's East Lake win got him back to No. 1.
And this kind of thing will keep happening for a while. Day won't play again until the Hero World Challenge in December. Spieth will play that event and, before it, the WGC-HSBC Champions. McIlroy could pass them both by virtue of his finishes in the European Tour's four-event Race to Dubai Finals Series.
NASCAR: Logano spins out Kenseth late, wins at Kansas Speedway.
By DAVE SKRETTA
Joey Logano kept peeking around Matt Kenseth as the laps ticked away at Kansas Speedway, the two of them in entirely different situations in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Logano had nothing to lose. Kenseth had just about everything.
So when Logano got under Kenseth entering Turn 1 with about five laps remaining, and sent him spinning across the track, it left many eyebrows raised long after the Penske Racing driver pulled away on the final restart to win his second straight Chase race.
''That's good, hard racing,'' Logano said. ''We were racing each other really hard. I felt like I got fenced twice. He raced me hard so I raced him back.''
Logano was already guaranteed his spot in the next round of the Chase after his victory at Charlotte, though. After a disastrous race a week ago, Kenseth's team arrived at Kansas knowing a victory this weekend or next weekend at unpredictable Talladega might be the only way he could make it to the final eight in the ''eliminator'' round of the playoffs.
Logano was already guaranteed his spot in the next round of the Chase after his victory at Charlotte, though. After a disastrous race a week ago, Kenseth's team arrived at Kansas knowing a victory this weekend or next weekend at unpredictable Talladega might be the only way he could make it to the final eight in the ''eliminator'' round of the playoffs.
That's why Kenseth was doing everything possible to block Logano.
''I'm really disappointed,'' Kenseth said. ''I was running the lane he wanted to run in, but my goodness, isn't this racing? Strategically, I think it wasn't the smartest move on his part. He'll probably sleep good tonight. I hope he enjoys that one. It's not what I would have done.''
Kenseth wound up leading a race-high 153 laps, but his wild ride with a handful to go dropped him to 14th in the race and, more importantly, last among the 12 drivers in the title race.
''I'm sure we'll talk about it,'' Logano said after hopping out of his No. 22 Ford. ''I just felt like I raced hard. I got fenced twice. I wasn't going to put up with it.''
Uh, Joey, you sure about that chat?
Kenseth wound up leading a race-high 153 laps, but his wild ride with a handful to go dropped him to 14th in the race and, more importantly, last among the 12 drivers in the title race.
''I'm sure we'll talk about it,'' Logano said after hopping out of his No. 22 Ford. ''I just felt like I raced hard. I got fenced twice. I wasn't going to put up with it.''
Uh, Joey, you sure about that chat?
''I won't talk to Joey. I don't have anything to talk to him about,'' Kenseth said. ''I'm one of the only guys that I think hasn't been into it yet with Joey, and I've always raced him with a ton of respect. I've actually been one of his biggest fans. I'm certainly not anymore.''
Already eliminated from contention, Jimmie Johnson had a strong car all day and wound up behind Hamlin in third. Kasey Kahne was fourth, followed by Chase drivers Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch. Ryan Blaney was seventh, followed by more title contenders in Carl Edwards, pole sitter Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman.
Hamlin's second-place finish allowed him to climb to second in the standings, giving him the best chance of everybody outside of Logano of moving onto the next round.
''It was a very good day,'' he said. ''I wanted to be seventh or better entering this weekend, and obviously second was a good run for us. Some of the guys in front of us had some troubles.''
Plenty of guys behind him, too.
When the field pitted under green with 53 laps remaining, Martin Truex Jr. had a tire roll away and served a pass-through penalty, while Kevin Harvick drove off with his fuel can and had to serve a stop-and-go penalty. Both lost a lap and precious points in the title race.
Truex got his lap back and finished 15th. Harvick came across in 16th.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who already felt like he needed to win to advance, had a wheel go loose during a long run and pit under green. That dropped him off the lead lap, too, and Earnhardt wound up two laps down and in 21st place heading to Talladega.
''There's no place I would rather go next week,'' said Earnhardt, one of the best restrictor-plate drivers in the series, and the winner at Talladega in the spring.
The wild finish at Kansas led to a massive shake-up in the Chase standings, with Logano the only driver who can head to Alabama next week without feeling any pressure.
Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Edwards have a bit of a cushion, but everyone else is left hanging in the balance. Truex currently holds down the eighth and final spot in the next round, but he's just six points ahead of Kyle Busch. Ryan Newman is only eight points back.
Then there's Kenseth, now 35 points out of the final spot. If he wasn't facing a must-win Sunday, his late-race spin from Logano left him facing exactly that next weekend.
''I thought we did an excellent job this weekend of controlling the things we could control,'' Kenseth said. ''We did everything as a team to win the race, just couldn't get away enough to keep him from pulling that move on me there at the end.''
''I thought we did an excellent job this weekend of controlling the things we could control,'' Kenseth said. ''We did everything as a team to win the race, just couldn't get away enough to keep him from pulling that move on me there at the end.''
SOCCER: D.C. United hands Fire heavy defeat in nation's capital.
By Danny Michallik
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Sunday's visit to RFK Stadium signaled a chance for the Fire to build on their win over the New England Revolution on Oct. 3, and, chiefly, to grab their first away victory of the season.
Following a largely sleepy first half, D.C. United (15-12-6, 51 points) turned on in the second half as three tallies from Bobby Boswell, Fabián Espíndola and Álvaro Saborío helped the hosts secure a convincing victory and hand the Fire (8-19-6, 30 points) a heavy, 4-0 defeat in front of an announced crowd of 20,104.
Following a largely sleepy first half, D.C. United (15-12-6, 51 points) turned on in the second half as three tallies from Bobby Boswell, Fabián Espíndola and Álvaro Saborío helped the hosts secure a convincing victory and hand the Fire (8-19-6, 30 points) a heavy, 4-0 defeat in front of an announced crowd of 20,104.
United built on their 2-1 win against New York City FC on Oct. 2 with their second consecutive victory after a previous six-match winless streak that spanned from mid-August to late September, and moved into second place in the Eastern Conference table. Meanwhile, the Fire's 19th loss of the season means interim coach Brian Bliss' group will finish the regular season in last place.
Bliss rolled out the same starting lineup that defeated Revolution, 3-1, at Toyota Park prior to the international break.
Both sides contributed to a sloppy opening to proceedings until a one-two combination play between Gilberto and Harry Shipp released the midfielder into space in the 18th minute. Shipp created room for himself and forced a diving save from United goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
In the 39th minute, the hosts struck first. United midfielder Chris Pontius was the beneficiary of a loose back pass from Razvan Cocis. Pontius accelerated past Joevin Jones, dribbled around 'keeper Jon Busch and dispatched from an acute angle to give Ben Olsen's side a 1-0 advantage heading into the halftime interval.
D.C.'s persistence to begin the second stanza was duly rewarded. The Fire conceded a league-high 11th corner-kick goal of 2015 after Espíndola's inch-perfect delivery found the head of Boswell, who drifted to the near post unmarked and headed to the back post to give D.C. some breathing room.
Four minutes later, Nick DeLeon supplied Espíndola down the left flank. The Argentinian weaved his way past a couple of defenders before unleashing a cross-shot that took a substantial deflection off the foot of Fire right back Lovel Palmer and snuck inside Busch's right post.
Ten minutes from the final whistle, Saborío made matters worse for the Fire. The Costa Rica international pounced on a bouncing ball in the six-yard box and finished past Busch to deliver D.C.'s fourth goal and a damaging defeat to the Fire.
Next up is the regular season finale against the New York Red Bulls at Toyota Park on Oct. 25.
Chicago Fire Starting XI (subs)
Chicago Fire Starting XI (subs)
(4-4-1-1) - Jon Busch; Lovel Palmer, Jeff Larentowicz (C), Daneil Cyrus, Joevin Jones; Patrick Nyarko, Razvan Cocis (Matt Polster, 68'), Michael Stephens, David Accam (Kennedy Igboananike, 78'); Harry Shipp; Gilberto
Newcastle 6-2 Norwich: Magpies grab season’s first win.
By Kyle Bonn
- Five goals in a 20-minute stretch in the first half
- Georginio Wijnaldum with first Newcastle hat-trick since 2011, nets 4
Newcastle picked up its first win of the league campaign by downing Norwich City 3-2 at St. James Park behind four goals from Georginio Wijnaldum.
Defending was optional as two of the leakiest Premier League clubs proved they need work at the back on multiple occasions, with Norwich looking completely lost.
Newcastle was dangerous from the start, and they’d pick up the opener in the 15th minute as Norwich failed to clear. Moussa Sissoko resisted the urge to pop off a shot from the top of the box, instead releasing Wijnaldum through the back line who touched home to the far post for the lead.
Defending was optional as two of the leakiest Premier League clubs proved they need work at the back on multiple occasions, with Norwich looking completely lost.
Newcastle was dangerous from the start, and they’d pick up the opener in the 15th minute as Norwich failed to clear. Moussa Sissoko resisted the urge to pop off a shot from the top of the box, instead releasing Wijnaldum through the back line who touched home to the far post for the lead.
The visitors were galvanized after conceding, and Robbie Brady crashed an impressive strike into the post from a long way out just minutes later. That was the warning shot, as Norwich would pull level on the 20-minute mark. Martin Olsson clipped in a first-touch delivery across the face of goal and Mbokani was there to touch it home with a flying high boot.
Unfortunately for Norwich, their equalizer wouldn’t last long either. It was deja vu for the visitors as Sissoko took the ball in traffic on the touchline and sent in a deep, pinpoint cross that met the head of Wijnaldum, who rose above Steven Whittaker to retake the lead on 25 minutes.
The chances kept coming for both sides. A corner to Norwich in the 26th minute saw a big penalty appeal by the Canaries when Daryl Janmaat tugged Johnny Howson down by the shirt to prevent him from heading home at the near post.
The Magpies would strengthen their position with a third past the half-hour mark thanks to Ayoze Perez. The 22-year-old Spaniard burst forward on the counter, seeing his initial shot blocked before picking up the rebound and sending the ball through the defender’s legs into the net.
Norwich pulled one back as Olsson again picked out an open man from the left touchline, this time Nathan Redmond was all alone at the far post and he struck the cross first-time for Norwich’s second.
The second half proved just as exciting as well as shambolic at the back. Newcastle sealed things with a fourth goal just past the hour mark as Sissoko released Aleksandar Mitrovic with a brilliant ball, leaving the Serbian to hammer it home on the run. Wijnaldum completed his hat-trick for Newcastle’s fifth after finding Janmaat open on the right, who crossed back to the Dutchman for a point-blank header.
The final came with five minutes to go as Wijnaldum cut inside at the top of the box and flashed a shot that clipped Brady’s outstretched foot and found the top corner. The win sends Newcastle to six points, off the bottom and two points shy of departing the relegation zone. Norwich lays dormant on nine points, dropping a place to 16th thanks to the four-goal differential today.
Premier League roundup: Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Arsenal roll.
By Nicholas Mendola
That was quite a day of Premier League action, and with all eight matches in the books we can finally exhale (for now).
With just Newcastle-Norwich and Swansea-Stoke remaining in this match week, the league saw nearly three goals per game on Saturday.
And one of the more exciting matches was scoreless.
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Liverpool – RECAP
- JPW at WHL: Klopp satisfied, praises attackers in draw
- JPW at WHL: Three things we learned from Spurs-Reds
Watford 0-3 Arsenal – RECAP
An uninspired first half, one Arsene Wenger credited to the international break, had Odion Ighalo and the Hornets dreaming of their first win over the Gunners in three decades. But Arsenal produced a second half ripe for soccer lovers most places outside of Hertfordshire, getting goals from Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and even Aaron Ramsey in a thrilling and fluid second half. Arsenal is tied for second with Man Utd, two points back of Man City.
Everton 0-3 Manchester United – RECAP
This was a litmus test for the Toffees, one which never got to the lab. Everton lost legendary manager Howard Kendall before the game at the age of 69, and didn’t find its footing against goals from Ander Herrera, Wayne Rooney and Morgan Schneiderlin. United can leapfrog City for first in the league come next weekend’s Manchester Derby at Old Trafford.
Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham United – RECAP
Dwight Gayle saw red for a Palace side that picked up a fortunate penalty kick but ultimately sunk to the magic of Dimitri Payet and his Hammers. The French midfielder seems to be devising ways to beat Premier League defenses on a minute-by-minute basis, and West Ham is benefitting to the tune of fourth place on the table.
Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa – RECAP
- VIDEO: Mourinho hails “crucial” win
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Sunderland – RECAP
Tony Pulis‘ Baggies started the match laying back. Yep, laying back against Sunderland. Three cheers for conservatism. But they opened up as the match moved forward, and Saido Berahino‘s controversial collision with Costel Pantilimon led to the young English striker’s goal, ruining Sam Allardyce‘s debut as Sunderland boss.
Southampton 2-2 Leicester City – RECAP
- WATCH: Vardy ties English record
Manchester City 5-1 Bournemouth – RECAP
So… City loses Sergio Aguero, who was coming off a five-goal bender against Newcastle, and finds a hat trick from Raheem Sterling and a brace from Wilfried Bony in a dominant run over defenseless Bounemouth. City’s atop the Premier League by two points ahead of a visit to Old Trafford for next weekend’s derby.
NCAAFB: AP Top 25 Ranking, 10/18/2015.
AP
| Rank | Team | Record | Pts | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ohio St. (28) | 7-0 | 1428 | 1 |
| 2. | Baylor (12) | 6-0 | 1416 | 2 |
| 3. | Utah (16) | 6-0 | 1362 | 4 |
| 4. | TCU (3) | 7-0 | 1338 | 3 |
| 5. | LSU (1) | 6-0 | 1306 | 6 |
| 6. | Clemson (1) | 6-0 | 1252 | 5 |
| 7. | Michigan St. | 7-0 | 1202 | 7 |
| 8. | Alabama | 6-1 | 1133 | 10 |
| 9. | Florida St. | 6-0 | 1041 | 11 |
| 10. | Stanford | 5-1 | 917 | 15 |
| 11. | Notre Dame | 6-1 | 898 | 14 |
| 12. | Iowa | 7-0 | 820 | 17 |
| 13. | Florida | 6-1 | 785 | 8 |
| 14. | Oklahoma St. | 6-0 | 735 | 16 |
| 15. | Texas A&M | 5-1 | 614 | 9 |
| 15. | Michigan | 5-2 | 614 | 12 |
| 17. | Oklahoma | 5-1 | 565 | 19 |
| 18. | Memphis | 6-0 | 554 | NR |
| 19. | Toledo | 6-0 | 346 | 22 |
| 20. | California | 5-1 | 337 | 23 |
| 21. | Houston | 6-0 | 318 | 24 |
| 22. | Temple | 6-0 | 217 | NR |
| 23. | Duke | 5-1 | 211 | 25 |
| 24. | Mississippi | 5-2 | 158 | 13 |
| 25. | Pittsburgh | 5-1 | 73 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes:
- Mississippi St. 63
- BYU 21
- UCLA 18
- N. Carolina 17
- Texas Tech 14
- Georgia 12
- W. Kentucky 11
- Arizona St. 10
- Boise St. 8
- Wisconsin 8
- Utah St. 7
- Northwestern 4
Spartans stun Wolverines 27-23 on last second fumble: 4 things to know.
By Robby Kalland
Connor Cook's Spartans pulled off a miracle in Ann Arbor. (USATSI)
No. 7 Michigan State was down 23-21 with 10 seconds remaining in the game and all Michigan needed to do was kick the ball away. Michigan punter Blake O'Neill, who had been fantastic all game, was unable to handle the snap and got hit, causing the ball to pop up in the air.
Michigan State's Jalen Watts-Jackson picked the ball out of the air, and ran it back 38 yards for the game-winning touchdown as time expired to give the Spartans a 27-23 victory. As such, Michigan State was able to continue its recent dominance over Michigan.
Here are four things to know about Michigan State's stunning victory:
1. It ain't over 'til it's over. We should know this by now because it seems every week something insane happens at the very end of a game. That said, no one saw this finish coming. For one, up to that point, O'Neill had arguably been one of Michigan's best players that game. He uncorked an 80 yard punt in the first half and either team committed a turnover on the game prior to the fumbled snap on the punt.
2. This wasn't a fluke. Michigan State played well enough to win. This was one of those games where, whichever team lost, it was going to feel like someone got shorted.
Michigan State outgained Michigan 386-244. The Spartans found passing success that no one else as found against what was widely considered the country's best defense. The running game was stymied, but L.J. Scott made the most of his eight carries, punching two of them in for touchdowns. The Spartans defense was often dealing with a short field -- Michigan's average starting position was the Michigan 38 -- but they held up well against the Wolverines' power running attack. Michigan rushed for just 62 yards on 33 carries.
While this game swung late on a crazy special teams play, which is ironic considering Michigan's special teams were considered the far superior unit to Michigan State, the Spartans' win was not unearned.
3. Connor Cook is a really, really good quarterback. Cook was fantastic for Michigan State, throwing for 328 yards and one touchdown on the Michigan defense that was ranked second in the country against the pass, giving up an average of 115.5 yards per game through the air.
Cook completed 18-of-39 passes, but a number of those incompletions were absolute dimes that were either dropped or broken up by tremendous plays from Michigan's secondary. This tape, against a top defense, will make Cook some money this spring in the NFL Draft. His poise in the pocket against the rush and the throws he made were absolutely tremendous.
Cook's favorite target on the day was Aaron Burbridge, who hauled in nine receptions for 138 yards. Burbridge deserves some credit for Cook's day; he had a few terrific catches over defenders and in traffic that helped Sparty move the ball.
4. Michigan is still a really good team. I know it's often hard for people to admit that two teams are able to both be good even if one loses, but I promise that's true. Michigan seemed all but guaranteed a victory after the Wolverines defense came up with a huge stop on the Spartans' final offensive drive. The Michigan defense, which had its issues against the pass, limited the Spartans to just 58 yards rushing on 33 carries. The defense also made plays when necessary late, getting pressure on Cook to force a 4th and long and eventual turnover on downs with just under two minutes to go that, at the time, appeared to set Michigan up for victory.
The offense has some issues, and Jake Rudock struggles to push the ball down the field, but the defense is filthy. It took a lot of perfect throws by Cook to crack them for scores. Harbaugh's group will be tested mentally now more than anything after losing the way that they did. However, when they look at the film, they'll realize that they fully belong in the upper class of college football right now.
It just so happened that Saturday wasn't made for the Wolverines to get back on top of the state, which has been owned by the Spartans for the last eight years. It's a whole lot closer than it was, though, and if this game is any indication, we should be in store for some great games between these two rivals for years to come.
Notre Dame keeps playoff hopes alive, outduels USC 41-31 in shootout.
By Robby Kalland
USC came into South Bend with plenty of motivation following the firing of coach Steve Sarkisian, but Notre Dame was too much for the Trojans.
The Irish were able to pull out a 41-31 victory in a shootout, led by the performances of running back C.J. Prosise and wide receiver Will Fuller.
Prosise rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, including the score that tied the game at 31 early in the fourth quarter. Fuller only had three catches but they all came at key times and totaled 131 yards and a touchdown.
The game-winning touchdown for the Irish came on a beautiful fade from DeShone Kizer (15 of 24, 227 yards, two touchdowns) to Corey Robinson (reception for 10 yards, touchdown), who laid out for the catch in the corner of the end zone.
USC fell behind early but made a charge in the second and third quarters to take a 31-24 lead into the fourth. However, the Trojans appeared to run out of gas on offense and were held scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Cody Kessler had 339 yards passing and two touchdowns but also tossed a pair of costly interceptions. JuJu Smith-Schuster corralled five balls for 128 yards and a touchdown to lead the Trojans.
The win moves Notre Dame to 5-1 on the season and keeps its College Football Playoff hopes alive. USC falls to 3-3, a disappointing mark so early in the season with the meat of the Pac-12 season still ahead of them.
The Irish were able to pull out a 41-31 victory in a shootout, led by the performances of running back C.J. Prosise and wide receiver Will Fuller.
Prosise rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, including the score that tied the game at 31 early in the fourth quarter. Fuller only had three catches but they all came at key times and totaled 131 yards and a touchdown.
The game-winning touchdown for the Irish came on a beautiful fade from DeShone Kizer (15 of 24, 227 yards, two touchdowns) to Corey Robinson (reception for 10 yards, touchdown), who laid out for the catch in the corner of the end zone.
USC fell behind early but made a charge in the second and third quarters to take a 31-24 lead into the fourth. However, the Trojans appeared to run out of gas on offense and were held scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Cody Kessler had 339 yards passing and two touchdowns but also tossed a pair of costly interceptions. JuJu Smith-Schuster corralled five balls for 128 yards and a touchdown to lead the Trojans.
The win moves Notre Dame to 5-1 on the season and keeps its College Football Playoff hopes alive. USC falls to 3-3, a disappointing mark so early in the season with the meat of the Pac-12 season still ahead of them.
NCAABKB: UConn men and women celebrate opening of practice season.
By PAT EATON-ROBB
Connecticut's Breanna Stewart, right, is guarded by Amida Brimah during an inter-squad scrimmage at the men's and women's basketball teams' First Night , Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma called out Husky fans on Friday night during the team's annual First Night, the on-court celebration that marks the unofficial start of the season.
Auriemma pointed out to the crowd at Gampel Pavilion that the Huskies don't regularly sell out their home games, while teams such as Kentucky and North Carolina play to ''standing room only,'' crowds every night.
''You fans have got us,'' he said, gesturing at the UConn programs that have won a combined 14 national titles, including three in the past two seasons.
Both teams entertained the more than 10,000 fans with the traditional 3-point shooting and slam dunk contests. For the third consecutive season, they played an inter-squad scrimmage, with a mixed men's and women's team coached by Auriemma beating one led by men's coach Kevin Ollie, 63-56.
''It's good for the guys to get out and spend a little time with the girl's team,'' Ollie said. ''What Geno's done over the years is just remarkable.''
The men finished 20-15 and lost in the first round of the NIT last season, a year after winning the program's fourth NCAA championship.
The women are coming off that program's 10th national championship and will be favored to win an 11th. Seniors Breanna Stewart and point guard Moriah Jefferson have a chance this season to win the title for the fourth consecutive time, something no player has done.
''It excites us,'' Stewart said. ''We know it's there. We know what we've done and the position that we've put ourselves in to be extremely successful. We want to enjoy this year more than any other year.''
Jefferson won the 3-point contest. Shonn Miller, a graduate transfer from Cornell, took the dunk contest by jumping over a seated Sterling Gibbs, a graduate transfer from Seton Hall, who is expected to start for the Huskies at point guard.
Ollie ''was probably sweating a little bit,'' Miller said. ''But I told him I was going to make sure nobody got hurt, me included.''
First Night is the Huskies version of what used to be called Midnight Madness, which has traditionally marked the first day of practice. But practice rules no longer have all teams starting on the same day.
The UConn women have already had three practices and the men have been practicing since Oct. 3.
The Huskies won't unveil the women's latest national championship banner until an exhibition game on Nov. 8.
Auriemma is hoping the fans show up.
''He's challenging them,'' Stewart said. ''Can we get all of our home games sold out? Because as important as this year is to our team, it's the same for everyone in this community, the fan base, everyone.''
Maryland unveils talent-laden men's basketball team.
By DAVID GINSBURG
The lights were dimmed, the stage was lit and the fans were on their feet as Maryland unveiled its highly touted men's basketball team Saturday night.
Beginning with prized recruit Diamond Stone, the players waved to the crowd, dribbled the length of the court and threw the ball into the basket.
Thousands roared their approval.
The event was appropriately dubbed ''Magic Maryland Madness,'' because, as women's coach Brenda Frese announced: ''This is going to be a magical season.''
Men's coach Mark Turgeon enters his fifth season at the school with a team that is stacked with talent and focused on bringing home Maryland's first national championship since 2002.
''We've worked really hard to get to this point,'' Turgeon told the crowd. ''When I took the job on May 10 a long time ago, this is what I envisioned for Maryland basketball.''
The women's team, similarly, has huge expectations this season. After reaching the Final Four in each of the past two years and going unbeaten in its inaugural Big Ten season, the Terrapins will be searching for an encore in 2015-16.
The credo for the season: Back 4 More.
The men are looking to build upon a team that last season went 28-7 overall and 14-4 in the conference.
Sophomore guard Melo Trimble was picked as Big Ten preseason player of the year. He will be helped in the backcourt by senior Rasheed Sulaimon, who transferred from Duke, and returnee Jared Nickens.
Another transfer, former Georgia Tech standout Robert Carter Jr., is ready to go after sitting out a year.
''These fans are so passionate about Maryland basketball. I love it,'' said Carter, a 6-9 junior.
Returnee Demonte Dodd will probably share time at center with Stone, a McDonald's All-American out of Milwaukee. Dodd and Stone, who are both 6-11, along with 7-1 returnee Michal Cekovsky, give the Terrapins a presence in the middle that's been missing ever since Turgeon replaced Gary Williams in 2011.
''This team has got a lot of talent,'' Turgeon said. ''We've got an opportunity to do some nice things. We'll see if we can handle it.''
In the 10-minute scrimmage that ended the event, Trimble scored the final six points to lead the Gold to a 14-8 win over the Black, which got two baskets apiece from Carter and Stone.
With 10 players on the court, it was easy to distribute playing time. It might be different with only five.
''We're running a system that helps you be unselfish,'' Turgeon said. ''We just have to take advantage of mismatches.''
On
Memoriesofhistory.com
1933 - Basketball was introduced to the 1936 Olympic Games by the Berlin Organization Committee.
1998 - Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson got his boxing license back after he had lost it for biting Evander Holyfield's ear during a fight.
2014 - DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys) became the first NFL player to run for more than 100 yards in each of the first 7 games of a season.
1998 - Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson got his boxing license back after he had lost it for biting Evander Holyfield's ear during a fight.
2014 - DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys) became the first NFL player to run for more than 100 yards in each of the first 7 games of a season.
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