San Francisco ties record with sixth one-run win in postseason

All you had to do was watch the final six outs of the San Francisco Giants pennant-clinching victory over the Philadelphia Phillies to understand why broadcaster Duane Kuiper characterized their season with one word:

"Torture."

That's an excellent way to describe it and that's OK for Giants fans, because that's exactly how general manager Brian Sabean designed it to be.

Sabean's recipe for torture was simple. Put together a world-class pitching staff from top to bottom with the belief they would keep the team in every game, and hope that his offense would scratch, claw, and find a way, any way, to score one more run than the other guys.

The result? An agonizing, excruciating, unpredictable, and oh so satisfying 162-game thrill ride that saw San Francisco play 52 one-run games in the regular season. The Giants won a very respectable 28 of those, which was good enough to win them the NL West title.

With their season now extended, the Giants haven taken scratching, clawing, and torturing to a whole new level. They've won six one-run games this postseason, a total that ties them with the 1972 Oakland Athletics for the most in one playoff run.

The Giants own the record themselves with just one more bare-minimum win in the Fall Classic and if they want to make their fans squeal, they'll take aim at the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays. That team won all four World Series games over the Atlanta Braves by just one run.

That, of course, would be evil, but Giants fans would no doubt take it if it meant the first World Series title in San Francisco history.

Here's a quick look back at the six-pack of one-run wins:  

NLDS Game 1: Giants 1, Braves 0 
How they won: Cody Ross(notes) singles home Buster Posey(notes) after a missed call extends the inning.

NLDS Game 3: Giants 3, Braves 2
How they won: Aubrey Huff(notes) ties the game in the 9th with a two-out RBI single. That sets the stage for Brooks Conrad's(notes) third error of the evening.

NLDS Game 4: Giants 3, Braves 2
How they won: Cody Ross continues his ascension to postseason superhero with a Solo homer off Derek Lowe(notes) to tie it in the 6th and a game-winning RBI single just an inning later.

NLCS Game 1: Giants 4, Phillies 3
How they won: Cody freakin' Ross hits not one, but two home runs off of Roy Halladay(notes).

NLCS Game 4: Giants 6, Phillies 5
How they won: Buster Posey emerges with four hits and Juan Uribe(notes) brings him home with a walk-off sacrifice fly.

NLCS Game 6: Giants 3, Phillies 2
How they won: So many ways. Gutty relief efforts from Jeremy Affeldt(notes) and Madison Bumgarner(notes). Juan Uribe's solo home run in the 8th inning. Tim Lincecum(notes) makes a relief appearance. And Brian Wilson(notes) wiggles out of trouble (twice) to earn a five-out save.

Game 6 really was the Giants season in a nutshell. Guts, frustration, white knuckle pitching from the second inning on, missed opportunities, team effort, and one hit at just the right time to give them one more run.

Torture. Sweet torture.

It continues on Wednesday at AT&T Park.

Follow Big League Stew all through the postseason on Twitter and on Facebook.

Related: Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Tim Lincecum, Brooks Conrad, Brian Wilson, Cody Ross, Jeremy Affeldt, Juan Uribe, Aubrey Huff, Derek Lowe, Roy Halladay, Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, 2010 Postseason, 2010 NLCS on The Stew

View the original article here

Box Scorin': Don't be alarmed, but explosive Baylor is in first place

Weird, wild and prolific stats from the weekend's action.

• Baylor set a school record for total offense for the second time this month in a 47-42 win over Kansas State, exploding for 683 yards just a few weeks after hanging 678 on Kansas in a blowout win on Oct. 2. Quarterback Robert Griffin delivered a career-high 404 yards passing with four touchdowns against the Wildcats, aided by 250 yards rushing and two more scores by running back Jay Finley to push the Bears to 6-2 for the season – bowl-eligible for the first time since 1995.

Oh, and Oklahoma's loss at Missouri moved Baylor into first place in the Big 12 South. Yes, in late October. The Bears' 3-1 mark in conference play has already matched the 2005 team (which finished 3-5) for most Big 12 wins in a season since the league formed in 1996. With Saturday's outburst, the offense ranks fifth nationally at 511 yards per game, and gives the Bears an even shot of opening as a road favorite next week at Texas.

You might want to read that last paragraph again. Maybe you should be a little alarmed.

• Alabama's "Big Three," Trent Richardson, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones, combined for 428 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-10 romp at Tennessee, the Crimson Tide's most lopsided win ever in Neyland Stadium.

• Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli passed for 327 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 98 yards against Arkansas, good for the highest single-game total at Ole Miss since Archie Manning's legendary 540-yard effort against Alabama in 1969. Alas, like Manning, Masoli's Rebels lost, 37-24.

• A week after being shredded for more than 400 yards and 42 points in the first half of a humiliating flop at USC, Cal held Arizona State to a single field goal over the first three quarters of a 50-17 blowout in Berkeley. The Sun Devils finished with a paltry 234 yards, by far their worst output of the season.

• Virginia Tech rang up 491 yards total offense in a 44-7 rout over Duke, the third straight ACC games the Hokies have gone over 40 points on at least 440 yards.

• Nebraska and Oklahoma State combined for 995 total yards, 47 first downs, 11 touchdowns, five field goals and, somehow, eight punts in a 51-41 Cornhusker win to break up OSU's undefeated season.

• Kentucky lost three fumbles and failed to convert a 4th-and-1 inside its own 40-yard line in the first half of a 44-31 loss to Georgia, setting up short Bulldog touchdown drives of 23, 39 and 5 yards in the first 25 minutes.

• Clemson held Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt, the ACC's leading rusher at the start of the day, to a career-low two yards rushing – 90 yards below his season average – in a 27-13 Tiger win.

• Ohio State scored twice as many touchdowns (6) as Purdue had first downs (3) in the first half of a 49-0 laugher in Columbus, and rolled up well over 400 total yards en route to a 42-0 lead at the break.

• Indiana outgained Illinois by 100 yards, gained 21 first downs to the Illini's 14 and lost by 30 points, 43-13. The Hoosiers turned the ball over five times, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns, and had a punt blocked for a safety.

• South Florida quarterback B.j. Daniels hit a 64-yard strike to Dontavia Bogan to set up one touchdown and a 70-yarder to Faron Hornes for another score on consecutive attempts in the Bulls' 38-30 upset at Cincinnati, Daniels' two longest completions of the year.

• UConn missed a chip-shot field goal the first time it touched the ball and didn't cross midfield again until well into the fourth quarter of a 26-0 loss at Louisville.

• With hyped freshman running back Marcus Lattimore still on the sideline, South Carolina receivers Alshon Jeffery and Tory Gurley combined for 267 yards and two touchdowns on 22 catches at Vanderbilt, part of a 355-yard passing night for quarterback Stephen Garcia in a 21-7 Gamecock win.

• A 16-yard first quarter run by quarterback Tim Jefferson made Air Force the first team to score a touchdown against TCU since Sept. 24, but the Falcons didn't score again in a 38-7 loss. Including that score, the Horned Frogs have yielded 10 points in four games in the month of October, with two shutouts and one more game to go before Halloween, at UNLV.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

View the original article here

Yahoo! Sports UFC 121 live preview show

Join Yahoo! Sports columnists and MMA luminaries for the UFC 121 live preview show, kicking off at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

View the original article here

BCS Realpolitik: It's Auburn's turn on the hot seat

In a perfect world, the Doc would be given carte blanche to publicly torch the Bowl Championship Series in effigy and institute the elaborate, double-elimination battle royale of his dreams. But we live in the world we live in, so each Sunday the Doc looks at what the new BCS numbers mean for the rest of the season. Rooting interest: chaos. Always chaos.

• Destiny: Auburn controls it. For the second week in a row, the No. 1 team is lifted above human skepticism by the computers, which still have a little thing for dethroned No. 1 Oklahoma despite the Sooners' loss at Missouri (see below) but take a particular shining this week to Auburn. The algorithms couldn't watch Cameron Newton run roughshod over LSU, but the Tigers' fifth SEC was still good enough when converted to soulless data bits to push them to the top of three of the six computer polls, and into the top three of the others. With Ole Miss, Georgia, the blockbuster trip to Alabama and the SEC Championship Game still in front of them, the top spot in the computers is secure, and the humans will come around by the Iron Bowl, at the latest. Auburn continues to win, it's in.

I'm tempted to say the same for Oregon, but the computers continue to hate on the Ducks' strength of schedule: Even after Thursday's 47-point incineration of UCLA, they're stuck in the exact same position as last week in the computer polls (eighth), and still rank behind last week's 1-2 computer tandem, Oklahoma and LSU, which only fell to fifth and sixth with their respective losses to the new 1/2 computer tandem. Oregon is just hitting the meat of the Pac-10 slate this week at USC, which should massage the schedule numbers enough to fend off a run by an undefeated Michigan State and/or Missouri if the Ducks hang on to the top spot in the human polls.

But no matter how dominant they've looked so far, the algorithms are strictly prohibited from anything beyond a 'W' – beat UCLA by 47 in a grisly rout or beat UCLA by one on a bad call, the BCS mandates that the computers read only "Beat UCLA." Other than the entry that says "Beat Stanford," Oregon's resumé isn't carrying so much weight right now.

• Computers and Missouri, sittin' in a tree... The only team that rivals Auburn in the eyes of the algorithms: Mizzou, which also finishes in the top three according to everyone except Richard Billingsley, albeit for far murkier reasons: The Tigers' best victim before dropping Oklahoma Saturday night was either Illinois, Texas A&M or San Diego State. That win vaults them from 11th to fifth, and may put them in the best position – even better than Michigan State – to slide into one of the top two spots if either of their current occupants happen to fall out. It's always good to have the ear of powerful people.

• The Boise Slide has begun. This week, the Broncos were hopped by Auburn. Next week, it could be Michigan State (at Iowa) and/or Missouri (at Nebraska). The week after that, TCU (at Utah). By Thanksgiving, possibly Alabama. Even as they come in at No. 3 for the second week in a row, the reality of the rest of the season is that the Broncos are probably fifth in line to replace one of the current frontrunners in the top two.

It does help that future WAC victim Nevada has reentered both the Coaches' poll and the BCS and remains in pretty good standing with the computers, and that Hawaii isn't all that far off. Both have time to move up before they run into the Broncos next month. But they're still counting on a lot of teams losing to give them a shot at moving up by that one crucial spot.

• For chaos' sake. This section may begin to sound like a bit of a broken record, because the ideal narrative for maximum BCS anarchy remains (and will continue to remain) an undefeated Boise State and/or TCU/Utah against a lineup of one-loss powerhouses. Oklahoma's downfall only made that scenario more likely.

Voters will also be faced with the uncomfortable task of choosing between an undefeated Boise/TCU/Utah and an undefeated Michigan State and/or Missouri, with SEC partisans burning the torches at the same time for one-loss Alabama/Auburn/LSU. And if the computer's affection for Missouri remains strong enough to somehow edge the Tigers ahead of human favorite Oregon before or after the Big 12 Championship Game, it won't just be the West Coast lobbying for a system override.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

View the original article here

Videos: Charlie Manuel and random Phillies fan ramble on

I'll tell you one thing: If the Philadelphia Phillies fall in tonight's Game 6, the biggest loss in the blogosphere won't be the opportunity to write about their shot at becoming a dynasty.

No, it'll come in no longer being able to watch manager Charlie Manuel hold the best press conferences this side of a random Phillies fan who welcomed the team home to Philly on Friday morning (below). Said!

Big BLS H/Ns: @The700Level, The Fightins

;

Related: Philadelphia Phillies, Modern Tube, 2010 Postseason, 2010 NLCS on The Stew

View the original article here

Pink humanoid invades pitch at Sunderland-Aston Villa match

Last season it was a beach ball, this season a man in a pink body suit. You just never know what kind of oddity will appear on the pitch at the Stadium of Light. Mr. Pink didn't have a direct impact on a goal being scored like that Liverpool beach ball, but Sunderland did still beat Aston Villa 1-0 thanks to a Richard Dunne own goal.

It appears Sunderland manager Steve Bruce isn't even fazed by this kind of stuff anymore...

Pink Man's inner monologue: "This is crazy. You are dancing with the entire Sunderland Football Club. These people are freakshows, man. Freaks. But you're keeping your cool. You're keeping your cool -- you know why? Because you are The Pink Man. Pink Man is saving your life now, bro. Just go with the flow. ... Wait a second, how long have I been standing right here? ... Wait, wait, wait, wait. When the hell did I put Pink Man on?!"

Photos: AP, Getty

Related: England

View the original article here

Who's to blame for the Bears' offensive line?

Under any metric you'd care to measure, the Chicago Bears' offensive line has been a complete and total disaster this season. The Bears have surrendered 27 sacks in 2010 -- the Philadelphia Eagles rank second with 20. Jay Cutler(notes) has been under constant siege, with the two most notable implosions coming in a nine-sack first half against the New York Giants, and a complete embarrassment against the Seattle Seahawks last week in which the ‘Hawks were able to bring free blitzers at will to take Cutler down.

Some experts are blaming Cutler, saying that he doesn't get rid of the ball quickly enough. Some are blaming offensive coordinator Mike Martz, because it's the general practice of a Martz offense to sacrifice protection for production. Some are blaming the linemen themselves, but the lack of continuity along that line is an equal problem; moving Chris Williams from left tackle to left guard last week was just the most obvious indication of desperation in that regard.

When you look at Chicago's line, the primary problem appears to be a total inability to adjust to changing circumstances; the protection calls that are obvious to most teams seem foreign to the Bears. Merrill Hoge brought this up on Sunday's edition of ESPN's NFL Matchup show.

As an offensive line, you have to be embarrassed as a unit. You struggle just identifying some of the most elementary blitzes in all of football. When people are outside the box it is like it's the Kentucky Derby. All five guys have got blinders on and all they see is their lane.

The root of that issue was pointed out in the preseason, and the man responsible was offensive line coach Mike Tice. Apparently, Tice uses as many as 37 different line protection calls, but he wasn't going to "unleash" them early on, frequently leaving Williams in one-on-one situations he couldn't handle. Why? Um ... after this explanation, we're still not sure.

"You have to carry a lot of protections, because you really think you know what the other guys are going to do, but sometimes you don't know what they are going to do," Tice said. "You have to have ways to adjust to that. It could be you throw a protection out on a certain day and say let's not do that, even though that was one of the ones you worked on and it was a major one in your plan. Sometimes you need to go to protections to help other players that might be having an off night. [You may say] let's major in this protection so we can keep the tight end in. All of those things come into play, so you need to carry that many protections."

But with all those allegedly advanced concepts in mind, Tice's choice to not teach and not use the calls in preseason games, and to not give to help to Williams when he faced Julius Peppers(notes) in training camp ... those decisions are coming back to bite the Bears. Part of the reason that line continuity is is important is that linemen need to know how to work together on protection calls. If you want to dig down and get to the source of Chicago's blocking issues, it's that above Martz, Cutler, or the lack of talent. Mike Tice handicapped this line before the season even started.

Related: , Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks

View the original article here

Ilya Kovalchuk: Healthy scratch for the New Jersey Devils

Before their home game against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night, Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) wasn't out for warm-ups for the New Jersey Devils. Then he wasn't on the bench for the New Jersey Devils. Then the team sent the tweet heard ‘round the hockey world:

Kovalchuk is a healthy scratch.

Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record noticed Kovalchuk "working on his game sticks this morning in the locker room after the skate," seemingly with the intention of playing.

From Gulitti and Fire & Ice:

Left wing Ilya Kovalchuk is not in the Devils' lineup. A team spokesperson said Kovalchuk is a healthy scratch. Rookie left wing Alexander Vasyunov(notes) was called up late this afternoon to take his place in the lineup. The team didn't announce Vasyunov's call-up until about 6:10 p.m.

Kovalchuk participated in the optional morning skate today and in Friday's practice. He was working on his game sticks this morning outside the locker room after the skate. This is the first game he has missed with the Devils since joining them in a Feb. 4 trade with Atlanta.

Kovalchuk entered tonight tied for the team lead with five points including two goals, skating to a minus-3. Hewas dropped from the Devils' top line with Travis Zajac(notes) and Zach Parise(notes) before the Devils' last game against the Montreal Canadiens, which was a 3-0 win that saw Parise, Zajac and Dainius Zubrus(notes) combine for the first goal and Kovalchuk fail to tally a point on one shot.

Kovalchuk hasn't played poorly at all, and the speed with which this decision came down might lead one to believe it could be something besides his on-ice play that was the catalyst for this. 

More on this as it becomes available. And with that, we turn the mic over to PD's Sean Leahy: "Devils are just trying keep Kovy as fresh as possible for the remaining 15 years. It's a marathon, not a sprint ya know?"

UPDATE: Devils head coach John MacLean made it clear after the game that it was his decision on scratching Kovalchuk.

From Gulitti:

“That’s between him and I,” MacLean said.“That was my decision.”

“I take responsibility for all my decisions that I make. That’s including that decision and including responsibility for games.” “It was my decision. I made it. He knows. I spoke to him and that’s where it’s going to stay.”

Related: Travis Zajac, Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, Dainius Zubrus, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils

View the original article here

Lincecum in relief: Doesn't work, doesn't hurt, was cool anyway

Manager Bruce Bochy pushed almost all of the right bullpen buttons for the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.

Bringing in ace Tim Lincecum(notes) to pitch in relief Saturday night was an exception.

It didn't really work. It didn't really hurt.

But wow, it was awesome. Lincecum on one day of rest. What a way to ramp up the tension in an already exciting game.

If you didn't get goose pimples — tiny ones, anyway — watching Timmy come in from the pen, either you already had them or you're medically prevented from getting them. It was his first relief appearance since April 2008 and it was coming after a 104-pitch effort Thursday night in Game 5.

Even if you don't have a dog in the hunt, there's something about the all-hands-on-deck tactics of elimination baseball; It quickens the blood, dampens the brow, tightens the gizzard.

Lincecum was Bochy's fourth reliever after starter Jonathan Sanchez(notes), who was taken out after two ineffective innings. And after Lincecum struck out Jayson Werth(notes) to lead off the eighth, Bochy looked like a genius.

But Lincecum's relief success was short-lived. He hung breaking pitches, allowing back-to-back singles to Shane Victorino(notes) and Raul Ibañez, before Bochy called on closer Brian Wilson(notes).

Via MLB.com:

"We've got Wilson in the closing role, and he's come in for inning-plus saves before. He knows what he's doing," [Lincecum said.]

Wilson wriggled from the jam thanks to a double play, and got three more outs in the ninth, for the pennant-clinching save. If Wilson surrenders the lead — even in the ninth after exerting himself and the Philly lineup turning over — Bochy would have been second-guessed for using Lincecum in the setup role with others (including Wilson) available. 

But the Giants got through it, won the game and the pennant. Further, Lincecum says his 16-pitch appearance won't affect his availability for Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday.

"I fully expect to make the start," Lincecum said. "It's not like they told me to get ready for Game 1. They just said, 'Get ready for your next start.' So I think that's what they're talking about, yeah."  

So there it is. Excitement created, distress averted, World Series gained, ace ready to go.

Genius.

Follow Big League Stew all through the postseason on Twitter and on Facebook.

Related: Brian Wilson, Jonathan Sánchez, Tim Lincecum, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, San Francisco Giants, Tim Lincecum on BLS, 2010 Postseason, 2010 NLCS on The Stew

View the original article here

Lawlor shows fighting maturity, getting easy win at UFC 121

Tom Lawlor is a very good grappler but between his poor execution in the cage and too much partying outside it, he was facing a winless 2010. Before his fight against Patrick Cote, Lawlor cleaned up his life and joined a more professional training camp in New England. The moves worked wonders as Lawlor took Cote down anytime he wanted. He breaks a two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory, 30-27 on all cards, in the opening preliminary bout on Spike. 

It was a perfect matchup for Lawlor. But only if he played to his strength. His two losses this year came because he tried to slug it out too often with Aaron Simpson and Joe Doerksen. Lawlor got tired in those bouts.

Making sure this one hit the deck was the plan. Lawlor (7-3-1, 3-2 UFC) scored a takedown 1:03 into the first and then two more in the second. It was more the same in the third when it took just seven seconds to get Cote on his back.

Cote's a good example of what used to work in the UFC in 2006 and 2007. Elite fighters could survive as one-dimensional fighter. The slugger from Montreal simply hasn't improved his game-planning or takedown defense. Now he's facing termination with the promotion after losing his second straight. Cote may get a reprieve because this was just his second fight in the last 25 months. Cote (13-7, 4-4 UFC) has struggled to comeback from the effect of several major knee injuries. 

UFC 121 undercard results (Courtesy MMAjunkie):

Jon Madsen def. Gilbert Yvel via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 1:48.
Chris Camozzi def. Dongi Yang via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).
Sam Stout def. Paul Taylor via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
Daniel Roberts def. Mike Guymon via submission (anaconda choke) - Round 1, 1:13

View the original article here

Video: SNL lampoons Favre in Wrangler commercial parody

Brett Favre(notes) and his favorite photography subject were mocked on this week's episode of "Saturday Night Live" in a fake commercial for a new line of Wrangler jeans.

Warning: The video contains suggestive blurring and PG-13 innuendo.

He's playing just like a pantless-kid out there.

Related: Brett Favre

View the original article here

Clemson linemen narrowly escape elevator scare, roll Georgia Tech

Clemson had a surprisingly easy time of it today against Georgia Tech, sprinting out to a quick 17-0 lead in the first 16 minutes and somehow limiting the Yellow Jackets' leading rusher, option master Josh Nesbitt, to two yards on the ground in a 27-13 win. In fact, the most harrowing moment of the day, according to coach Dabo Swinney? The pregame elevator ride that nearly cost the Tigers three-fifths of the their starting offensive line and starting fullback, along with eight others:

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters Saturday evening that 12 players missed the team's pre-game meal. Though for good reason.

Said Swinney: "I said, 'You gotta be kidding me. There's no way (we have 12 guys miss the pre-game meal).' All were trapped in an elevator, in between the first and second floors. It was (Antoine) McClain, (Chris) Hairston, (Tyler) Fowler, (Matt) Sanders, David Smith, Dwayne Allen, Chad Diehl, (Drew) Traylor … every big person on our team. 5,000 pounds. And they were trapped in there for almost 50 minutes.

"The fire department came. They had to break the door and hold it to where they could crawl out and jump down. There were standing ovations as they were coming out soaking wet. They were shaken up by it. I told them in there … this is about momentum. No fire alarm, no elevator, none of that could have stopped the momentum we're building. They shook it off and we went back."

I don't know what the capacity is on that elevator, but based on their listed weights, the eight players Swinney mentioned average 299 pounds per man and come in at a combined weight of more than a ton – 2,390 pounds, to be precise. Why they were soaking wet is the mystery. Sweat? Tears? The latest mockery by M. Knight Shyamalan?

Whatever it was, Swinney might want to consider trying it again next week: The linemen came out of the ordeal to pave the way for a career day from running Andre Ellington (166 yards, two touchdowns) and didn't allow a sack in the Tigers' biggest win of the year to date.

- - -
Click here to join the Doc's game day live blog, covering every game, all day long.
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

View the original article here

The 8 questions about tonight's Hockey Night In Canada games

CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, brought to you by Yahoo! Sports Canada, will stream three interesting games for your Saturday night hockey pleasure: The Toronto Maple Leafs at the Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET); the Montreal Canadiens at the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET); and the San Jose Sharks at the Edmonton Oilers (10 p.m. ET).

(Ed. Note: HNIC streams available to Canadian readers only; but everyone can check out Hockey Night on Y! Sports for the New York Rangers at the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m. and the Los Angeles Kings at the Colorado Avalanche at 9 p.m.)

Here are eight questions we have entering the HNIC games tonight:

1. Can the Leafs' top line play uglier?

Coach Ron Wilson is playing early psychological games with his top line, having benched both Phil Kessel(notes) and Tyler Bozak(notes) in recent games for motivation. Those two, and Kris Versteeg(notes), need to take the "dirtier route" according to Wilson, via James Mirtle:

"We need that line to compete a little bit harder on nights when it's going to be difficult," Wilson said. "Because they are going to be closely monitored by the other team.

"Get to the front of the net, get your nose dirty, score an ugly goal. We have to figure out how to do that."

The offense carried the Leafs to an undefeated start, averaging four goals per game; they've score one in each of their last two, both losses.

2. Will Kerry Fraser say something outrageous?

The well-coiffed former NHL referee is promoting a book and will be on HNIC after an Elliotte Friedman report on concussions. Fraser has been critical of the League lately for its policies on hits to the head; how pointed will his comments be on HNIC?

3. Will Mike Richards(notes) begin showing up for the Flyers?

Chuck Gormley of the Courier-Post writes that the Flyers are off to a rough start (2-3-1), and that Richards' lack of production is one factor: "The Flyers are still looking for captain Mike Richards to score his first goal of the season. Richards had six goals through six games last season en route to a career-high of 31 but has none on 15 shots this season and is a minus-3."

4. Are the San Jose Sharks reuniting their mega-line?

David Pollack of Working The Corners reports that Todd McLellan has reunited Joe Thornton(notes), Patrick Marleau(notes) and Dany Heatley(notes) on one line after having them split up to start the season. McLellan said it's how they "potentially" could look against the Oilers. The trio is a combined minus-13, but have 5 goals.

5. Can Shawn Horcoff(notes) continue the stats smackdown?

Yes, Edmonton is such a hockey town that their players get name-checked at WWE events. As for Horcoff, the Oilers forward has three goals and an assist so far this season, but David Staples said his production goes beyond that:

So far, even though Horcoff plays a far more difficult defensive position than anyone on the ice save for the regular defencemen, his scoring chances true plus/minus is tied with Ales Hemsky(notes) at a team-best plus-16.

Horcoff has helped to create 19 scoring chances at even-strength and has been a culprit on just three against, the same numbers as Hemsky, but Hemsky plays a less difficult defensive position, making it less likely he will pick up minus marks.

In both cases: Happy and healthy starts for two key Oilers.

6. Can Lars Eller(notes) get rolling for the Habs as a center?

Interesting lineup move for Jacques Martin for the Canadiens: Shifting struggling rookie Lars Eller to center on a fourth line with Travis Moen(notes) and Mathieu Darche(notes). From Pat Hickey of Habs Inside/Out:

Eller said yesterday that he feels more involved when he's at centre and Martin is hoping the move will produce some offence. Eller, who was acquired from St. Louis in the trade which sent Jaroslav Halak(notes) to St. Louis, is still looking for his first point as a Canadien.

Like we said ... interesting. In the sense that Martin moved Eller to center on a line that wouldn't appear to kick-start anyone's offense. Why not put him at the pivot with a couple of offensive aces and see what comes of it?

7. Will Mike Fisher(notes) step up in Spezza's absence?

Jason Spezza(notes) is expected to be out tonight with groin issues, and Mike Fisher will skate in between Daniel Alfredsson(notes) and Milan Michalek(notes). Mr. Underwood picked up a helper on Alfredsson's empty-netter last night; can he make the most of this chance?

8. Finally, where will the Rick Rypien(notes) conversation lead?

Ron MacLean writes that the Hot Stove discussion on Rick Rypien's 6-game suspension for contact with a fan could include "on-ice behaviour, class inequality, natural impulse, historical change, psychological need, even the media." Sounds ... involved.

(Ed Note: Canadian readers can watch these games live via Hockey Night in Canada Presented by Y! Sports Canada tonight)

Related: Lars Eller, Phil Kessel, Kris Versteeg, Rick Rypien, Jaroslav Halak, Mike Richards, Jason Spezza, Travis Moen, Ales Hemsky, Milan Michalek, Mathieu Darche, Dany Heatley, Shawn Horcoff, Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher, Tyler Bozak, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs

View the original article here

Court Report: Week 1 Dashboard, Part I

Each Sunday, the Dashboard centralizes all the crucial information fantasy managers need to dominate their weekly head-to-head matchups or climb the standings in their rotisserie leagues. The Dashboard covers schedule analysis, status updates, adds, drops, watch list candidates, and deep league targets for managers of all skill levels. Quite simply, it is a comprehensive weekly cheat sheet that is packed with so much information that we’ve devoted two writers to producing it.

Schedule Breakdown – essential schedule information for the upcoming week and beyond

If you haven’t already, take a look at out our schedule primer, which provided a high-level introduction to this season’s NBA schedule from a fantasy perspective. In addition, Basketball Monster’s team schedules provides a basic weekly schedule reference. It should also be noted that there is no data for Basketball Monster’s ease rankings yet (since no games have been played this season), which considers ease of schedule. Ease rankings will be incorporated into the Dashboard’s schedule breakdown once the season starts and we have enough data to start seeing emerging trends. For purposes of our analysis, quality games are when ten teams or less have games on a given day. In addition, the Yahoo! default playoff schedule for head-to-head leagues is set for Weeks 21-23, and is the playoff schedule we will be referring to.

Let’s break down the schedule in a variety of ways, examining both total games and quality games over the course of the next week, next month, remaining season and for the head-to-head playoffs.

Week one, total games.
Best: MIA (4)
Worst: CHI (2), ORL (2), SAS (2), TOR (2), WAS (2) 

Week one, quality games.
2 games: LAL, MIA, PHO, UTH
1 game: BOS, DAL, GSW, HOU, LAC, NJN, OKL, ORL, POR, WAS

Next month, total games.
15 games: NYK
14 games: LAC, LAL, MEM, MIN, POR, TOR, UTH
13 games: ATL, BOS, CHA, DEN, DET, GSW, MIA, MIL, NJN, OKL, ORL, PHI, PHO
12 games: CLE, DAL, HOU, NOH, SAC, SAS, WAS
11 games: CHI, IND

Next month, quality games.
5 games: LAL
4 games: PHO, POR
3 games: BOS, CHI, GSW, LAC, MIA, OKL, SAC
2 games: DEN, DET, HOU, NYK, ORL, SAS, TOR, UTH, WAS
1 game: ATL, DAL, IND, MIN, NJN, NOH
0 games: CHA, CLE, MEM, MIL, PHI

Head-to-head playoffs, total games.
12 games: BOS, IND, NJN, PHO, SAC, WAS
11 games: CHI, CLE, DAL, GSW, MIA, OKC, PHI, POR, SAS
10 games: ATL, CHA, DEN, HOU, LAC, MEM, MIL, NYK, TOR, UTH
9 games: DET, LAL, MIN, NOR, ORL

Head-to-head playoffs, quality games.
Best: CHI (5), DAL (4), POR (4), WAS (3)
Worst: DEN (0), DET (0), ORL (0)

Remaining season, quality games.
Best: CHI (18), BOS (17), MIA (17), POR (17), DAL (16), DEN (15), LAL (15)
Worst: TOR (3), DET (3), PHI (5), MIN (5), MEM (5), CLE (5), CHA (5)

Status Updates - quick hitters from around the league

• The New Orleans Hornets have acquired combo guard Jerryd Bayless(notes) from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a protected future first-round draft pick. The Blazers no longer needed Bayless with Wes Matthews slated to absorb the majority of the backup guard minutes. From the Hornets’ perspective, Bayless instantly becomes the backup to Chris Paul(notes) that they have been searching for since moving Darren Collison(notes) this summer. Bayless’ fantasy value is limited unless CP3 goes down with an injury, in which case Jerryd becomes a must-add in virtually all formats.

• Gregg Popovich recently named DeJuan Blair(notes) the starting center in San Antonio. Blair beat out veteran Antonio McDyess(notes) and Brazilian rookie Tiago Splitter(notes) for the starting spot. Blair should remain in the Spurs’ starting five for the near future, with Splitter being the only serious threat to usurp his spot once he gets healthy.

• The latest Andrew Bynum(notes) update has the injury-prone center running on a treadmill and targeting Thanksgiving for a return to action. Until then, Lamar Odom(notes) looks like a great play.

• Stephen Curry(notes)’s recent ankle injury sustained against the Lakers is not thought to be serious. Curry was scheduled to be re-examined over the weekend and may be available for Wednesday’s season opener against the Houston Rockets. Consider him day-to-day until the Warriors divulge more information.

• John Kuester named Austin Daye(notes) the starting power forward for the Detroit Pistons. The versatile forward’s main competition for the spot was from Charlie Villanueva(notes), whose porous defense kept him out of the starting unit. If Daye struggles, rookie big man Greg Monroe(notes) could also be given a look, as he has better size to play power forward.

• Mike Dunleavy left Indiana’s final preseason game after only four minutes when he banged knees with another player. The injury sounds minor and Dunleavy should be good to go on opening night.

• DeMar DeRozan(notes) dislocated his finger in the Raptors’ final preseason game, but played through it after Toronto’s trainer popped it back into place. DeRozan should be fine going forward.

• Wayne Ellington(notes) has been practicing with Minnesota’s starters at the two. There has been no official indication that Ellington will be named the starting shooting guard, but the situation is worth monitoring over the next few days.

• Reggie Evans(notes) has been named a starter in Toronto. Evans is a rebounding specialist and should only be considered in deep leagues.

• Danilo Gallinari(notes) practiced with the Knicks on Sunday despite a sore right wrist. He should be available for the Knicks’ season opener, barring any further setbacks.

• Al Harrington(notes) has a ton of opportunity for minutes in Denver this season, with both Chris Andersen(notes) and Kenyon Martin(notes) sidelined to start the season with Harrington’s main competition for minutes being Shelden Williams(notes). Harrington recently experienced a minor setback that kept him out of the Nuggets’ preseason finale against the Suns. The official stance out of Denver is that Al will be available to start the season and that he should not be significantly hampered by his plantar fasciitis.

• Spencer Hawes(notes) is expected to be available for the season opener, and is even being considered for the starting center spot. Reports regarding Hawes’ back have vacillated this off-season, but it sounds like Hawes should be ready to go for the beginning of the season.

• Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott confirmed that J.J. Hickson(notes) beat out veteran forward Antawn Jamison(notes) for the Cavaliers’ starting power forward spot. Scott recently criticized Hickson’s focus, but ultimately decided to start him and bring Jamison’s scoring punch off the bench.

• An MRI confirmed that Andre Iguodala(notes) has a right wrist sprain, and not a more serious injury. Head coach Doug Collins speculates that the wrist injury has been lingering since Iguodala represented the United States in Turkey this summer. While the injury itself is not serious, Collins’ comments are mildly concerning, especially considering Andre’s importance to the Sixers. Monitor the situation closely in the opening days of the season.

• Jose Calderon(notes) has handed the starting point guard position to Jarrett Jack(notes) through his terrible play this preseason. Jack is also overcoming an inflamed bursa sac, but should not be significantly limited by the ailment.

• Wesley Johnson(notes) has been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury since July. If Johnson’s injury does not improve over the coming days, the Wolves could make the decision to shut the rookie down until he fully heals.

• Corey Maggette(notes) finally saw his first minutes of game action in a Bucks’ uniform, and he posted a somewhat unusual stat line (0-2 field goals, 17-20 free throws). File this bit of news under the “they are who we thought they were” category.

• Another season and another rosy preseason outlook from Tracy McGrady(notes). Head coach Kuester is (justifiably) a bit more skeptical of McGrady’s status for the opening tip, and prospective managers should be too.

• C.J. Miles(notes) recently suffered a minor ankle injury but should be available for the season opener. Jerry Sloan also plans on bringing Miles off the bench this season, making him strictly a deep league prospect at this point.

• Darko Milicic(notes) returned to game action after sitting out with neck and shoulder pain, and there are no reports of aggravation or re-injury. Consider Milicic good to go for the regular season.

• While there have been no shortage of minor injuries this preseason, Miami’s Mike Miller(notes) suffered one of the more severe injuries this summer after tearing a ligament in his right thumb while trying to guard LeBron James(notes) in practice. Miller has already undergone surgery and is expected to be out until at least January. Miller will be in a hard cast for the next month and then will begin the rehabilitation process after the cast is removed. Expect updates on Miller’s situation in mid-to-late November.

• Joakim Noah(notes) sat out Chicago’s final two preseason games with the flu. Consider Noah ready for opening night.

• The Portland Trail Blazers signed Fabricio Oberto(notes) as an insurance policy, in case Joel Przybilla(notes) and Greg Oden(notes) experience additional setbacks in their respective recoveries. Oberto should backup Marcus Camby(notes) in the beginning of the season and will be pushed further down the bench as Przybilla and Oden return.

• New Orleans point guard Chris Paul is wearing a brace on his surgically repaired left knee. While the brace may be slightly uncomfortable for Paul, his fantasy production should not be significantly affected.

• Leon Powe(notes) appears to be almost fully recovered from the devastating knee injury suffered while a member of the Boston Celtics.

• Milwaukee’s highest paid player, Michael Redd(notes), still thinks he will return this season after two consecutive devastating season-ending knee injuries. Afford no weight to Redd’s statement.

• J.R. Smith(notes) suffered a thigh contusion during the Nuggets’ final preseason game against Phoenix. Smith is expected to be available for Denver’s regular season opener.

• Miami Heat signed Jerry Stackhouse(notes) to a contract as a direct result of Mike Miller’s thumb injury. It should take Stackhouse some time to work his way into game shape and into Eric Spolestra’s rotation. James Jones(notes) is the more immediate beneficiary of Miller’s injury.

• Hornets guard Marcus Thornton(notes) experienced a strained Achilles tendon during practice Sunday, and is listed as day-to-day. The injury does not appear to be serious.

• Dwyane Wade(notes) remains questionable for opening night with lingering hamstring issues. The good news is that Wade practiced with the team recently without experiencing any setbacks.

• Martell Webster(notes) has a lingering back injury from last season, which occurred during Portland’s playoff series against Phoenix. The Timberwolves are now discussing surgery, meaning Webster’s back injury is indeed serious and Martell can be safely ignored as a viable fantasy option for the near future.

-----
Photos via Getty Images

Related: Fantasy Basketball

View the original article here

Video: DeAngelo Hall makes ridiculous pick on record-setting day

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

Looking for a promotion, Johnson and Bowling produce mixed results

Strikeforce develops its future stars on its Challengers shows. Three months back, Sarah Kaufman came up big with a win over Roxanne Modafferi to move up Strikeforce's shows on Showtime. Las night, it was time for Roger Bowling and Lavar Johnson to land that signature win that'd get them the call up. Johnson came through with a KO finish of Virgil Zwicker while Roger Bowling showed he needs a little more seasoning during a loss to Bobby Voelker.

Early in the fight, the 6-foot-4, 251-pound Johnson had to deal with the speed of  Zwicker. He took some good licks - leg kicks and some straight rights - before unloading on the smaller heavyweight. Ninety seconds into the first, with little regard for Zwicker's power, the big man began to swing for the fences. After some huge uppercuts, Zwicker crumbled to the mat. Johnson didn't have to throw another shot in getting his third Challenger Series win at 2:17 of the first.

"I hit him hard a few times but he was in it for the fight. He made it a good fight," said Johnson.

Johnson (15-3) said he's ready for the step up to Showtime's main cards.

"I'm ready for the big show. I want to chase down some of those big name guys and see if I have what it takes or not. I'm not afraid of an ass whuppin',"  said Johnson.

Johnson, 33, mentioned names like Andrei Arlovski and Brett Rogers. 

Bowling (8-1) looked awesome early in his fight. His speed overwhelmed Voelker but he got a little left hook happy. Voelker lost the first but started to time that Bowling leaping left hook. Voelker had Bowling missing badly in the opening minutes of the second and fired back with some hard shots. That's when Bowling went for a takedown. It got stuffed and instead of scrambling back to his feet, Bowling sat there on all fours allowing Voelker to tee off. He landed six huge shots and it was downhill from there for Bowling.

Bowling got back to his feet but then tried another sloppy takedown that was thwarted. Voelker got top control and never relinquished it. He stayed busy with punches and hammerfists. Bruised and bloodied on his face, Bowling eventually covered up and turned to his side. The referee had to save him giving Voelker (23-8) the win at 3:58 of the second.  

Strikeforce Challengers results (Courtesy MMAjunkie):

Bobby Voelker def. Roger Bowling via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 3:58
Lavar Johnson def. Virgil Zwicker via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 2:17
Billy Evangelista def. Waachiim Spiritwolf via unanimous decision
Julia Budd def. Shana Olsen via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 2:51
John Devine def. Brandon Cash via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:05
David Douglas def. Dominic Clark via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 2:33

View the original article here

Brian McBride ends his career with a classy backheel

With the MLS regular season coming to an end, the careers of a few legends of the league have also drawn to a close -- most notably, Chicago's Brian McBride and D.C. United's Jaime Moreno.

Fittingly, both players scored in their final matches on Saturday. Moreno put away a penalty for his record 133rd league goal in D.C.'s 3-2 loss to Toronto, while McBride scored with a pretty little backheel set up by Freddie Ljungberg in Chicago's 4-1 win over Chivas USA. Also fitting for a guy who bled his way through an excellent career in MLS, the Premier League and with the U.S. national team, McBride suffered a knock as he scored what was his 80th goal in the league. 

Video of the pre-match tribute to Moreno right this way...

Related: USA

View the original article here

Running wide open: Your Martinsville II open comment thread

Can't wait to see how this one plays out. I love that Hermie Sadler is racing today! This was a bunch of help. How much did they get paid to write this? It's a chat thread, r46813. It's for talking about the race, during the race. Please come back and share your comments! R468113, fail! fail fail fail fail fail fail fail fail fail fail fail fail fail fail! Good morning to all... Is everyone ready for some short track racing? McMurray , Ambrose or Newman ..... Pick the best two for today ? Also , Almirola or Hornish Jr. ? just a question about d. junior .will he or is he thinking about leaving HMS, sense making the move from DEI, he hasen't done anything well worth talking about except ,the one win in the nationwide race.
maybe he should really think about it reguardless of the situation with his step mom,
all real problems can be worked out.
IWOULD REALL LIKE TO SEE THE #8 BACK IN THE HUNT AND JUNIOR IN THE DRIVER SEAT. I MIGHT BE WRONG BUT I THINK THAT IS REALLY WHERE HE NEED TO BE. Good morning, Lainey! Just got back from biking with Hubby. Windy day, not so much fun.
Russell, I think you're dreaming, hon. First of all I can't imagine anyone wanting to leave a berth at HMS, unless to retire. Secondly, can't see Junior ever going near Teresa again without a gun to his head. The #8 and the DEI org weren't doing him any good his last several years there. Hey, everyone! C'mon Smoke! Gee...guess you can kind of tell who I want to win, huh? Hi Carol... at least you got some good exercise. I need to get my bike tuned up and start riding again. Carol, nothing worse than riding into the wind. Russell, I don't think Junior wants to come within a broomstick of his stepmother. All the lawsuits, the family discord, etc. would not make for easy racing, even if Ganassi is part owner now. That picture of the Kvapil crewman getting his foot run over looked painful. And he laughed it off to the reporter. Yikes! Good afternoon all.
How are you Carol, Lainey, Miss Priss Afternoon, Kim. Board's a little slow today. No kidding Kim, looked like it might have hurt to me. Do any of y'all think kasey kahne will do any good in the 83 today? And then all the comments show. I hate that!
Yeah Kim; you should do it. Hubby's surgery knee is feeling better, my poor feet are feeling better, and I shall be forced to buy smaller jeans!!!!
Hey Revs, good to see you! I would LIKE to see Kasey do well in the 83. He started 34th and has gotten it up to 22nd. In the pre-race it was said that the farthest back start and win was 36th. Is it utterly wrong of me to wish Aric Almirola a poor ride in the 9? Carol, if you wish him ill, please do it next week. He is on my team this week. lol
GEAUX Jr.

View the original article here

PSV give Feyenoord their heaviest defeat ever

Oh my.

With PSV sitting atop the Dutch Eredivisie table and former powerhouse club Feyenoord in the relegation zone and five seasons removed from their last top three finish, predicting the winner of Sunday's match between the two was pretty easy. The scoreline, however, was about as predictable as Harrison Ford dressed as a diabetic banana, as PSV won 10-0.

Feyenoord were reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute after striker Kelvin Leerdam received a second yellow card and that's when the goal parade began. Nine goals from six different players followed. 

Prior to this stomping, the 1970 European champions' biggest defeat was an 8-2 loss to Ajax in 1983. Last season, Ajax beat amateur side WHC Wezep 14-1 in the Dutch Cup.

This result comes at an especially horrible time for Feyenoord manager Mario Been, who this week stated his desire to have his contract extended beyond the next 18 months. Said journalist extraordinaire James Horncastle on Twitter:

Feyenoord coach Mario Been had asked for a contract extension on Oct 19th - Safe to say he's now a has been...

Somewhere, there is a sad trombone playing. 

View the original article here

Jonathan Byrd records a walkoff ace to win Timberlake

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

Now that's how you win a golf tournament!

The scene: The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. The players: Martin Laird, Cameron Percy and Jonathan Byrd, each tied at -21 after regulation. They played three sudden-death playoff holes, each taking turns teetering on the edge of disaster. With darkness fast apparoaching, they agreed to play one more hole. Byrd stepped up to the tee on the 204-yard par-3 17th, and here's what happened next:

Unbelievable. While a few players have hit eagles to win playoff tournaments, there is apparently no record of a player hitting a hole-in-one to win. It was yet another spectacular finish in this year's Fall Series, following last week's Rocco Mediate eaglefest. And it gave Byrd, who'd been 117th on the money list, a two-year exemption to play on Tour, as well as a paycheck for $774,000.

Not bad for one swing of the club. 

Related: Martin Laird, Cameron Percy, Jonathan Byrd, Rocco Mediate

View the original article here

'Lombardi,' Part 5: The Review

We close our tribute to the life and legacy of Vince Lombardi with a review of the Broadway play about his life. And few people are more qualified to review that play than my good buddy Aaron Nagler -- not only is Aaron a New York resident with theater experience, he also runs Cheesehead TV, the finest online gathering place for those interested in hardcore Green Bay Packers analysis. Here, with our sincere thanks, is Aaron's take on the "Lombardi" experience.

My earliest memory in life involves the Green Bay Packers. When I was three years old, my grandfather took me to Lambeau Field for a game against the Detroit Lions. All throughout my childhood, he regaled me with stories of Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor and all the other Packer greats who made the 1960's so thrilling for so many Packer fans both in Wisconsin and around the country.

I found myself thinking quite a bit about my grandfather as I watched "Lombardi", the firecracker of a play that opened Thursday night on Broadway here in New York City. I think he would have been in awe of what I saw transpire on stage. Vince and Marie Lombardi have taken up residence at Circle in the Square. These are not imitations. These are not impersonations. Dan Lauria and Judith Light are Vince and Marie. More than just expert actors, Lauria and Light reveal one of the most honest relationships you'll see anywhere on Broadway. The supporting roles, even finely played ones like Keith Nobbs' turn as a fictional journalist from Look magazine named Michael McCormick (loosely based on W. C. Heinz), fade from memory and leave Vince and Marie, and their tough but resilient relationship, burned into the memory. Aptly directed by Broadway veteran Tommy Kail, the production flows as well as can be expected within its "in the round" confines. What really makes the staging work though is David Korins's sparse set design. It is a work of near-minimalist genius. (I swear my grandparents had that exact same couch...)

I don't expect New York's theatrical press to be kind to this play. Having worked for both Off-Broadway and Broadway theaters, I know exactly what to expect. You see, there is a long list of "Dos" and "Don'ts" when it comes to Broadway, and this play ticks the box on many of the "Don'ts". Don't play in the round. Don't set your play anywhere but the Upper East Side. And for heaven's sake, don't have an unlikable protagonist. (Shocker - Vince is gruff and likes to yell.) These are but a few of the "rules" that "Lombardi" breaks. I don't doubt the likes of John Simon and Charles Isherwood will make the production "pay for their sins", so to speak. I can only hope that "Lombardi" finds an alternative audience to the crowd that rises and falls on the strokes of their pens because "Lombardi" is as entertaining and as moving an experience as you'll find on Broadway this season.

Vince Lombardi was no picnic. That is clear to anyone who has read what might be the greatest sports book ever written, When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss. The play has sprung up from the book, and Eric Simonson's script does a commendable job of compressing hundreds of pages worth of Maraniss' prose into three or four lines of dialogue. It's an impressive feat. There are two choices Simonson makes that disappoint me. One is the absence of Bart Starr. David Robinson makes an appearance...and Starr doesn't? The other is the exclusion of Lombardi's children. One of the things Maraniss' book reveals is the tension between Vince Jr. and his famous father, a relationship that could have produced its own two hour drama - perhaps the reason for its exclusion.

The action takes place mainly in two locations - the Lombardi household and the football field, with occasional visits to Lombardi's office or a bar where the players hang out, play pool, and talk about football, life and, of course, Lombardi. Yes, even when Lauria is not on stage, Lombardi hovers over the proceedings. We are always waiting for his next appearance, for his next lesson on the importance of teamwork.

The greatest of these lessons comes during a sequence that sees Lauria take to the chalkboard to diagram out Lombardi's famous power sweep - only the "chalkboard" is projected on the stage floor, the play diagram moving each X and O as Lauria barks out commands for each players responsibility on the play, every one working in concert toward a common goal. Here is where the affiliation with the National Football League, a partner in the production, pays off in spades as we watch actual footage of Lombardi's Packers making the power sweep work. For the uninitiated or novice football fan, it will be an impressive sight. For football die-hards, it will be akin to a religious experience.

But while the football is great, it is nowhere near the best part of the play. That distinction belongs to the relationship between Lauria and Light as Vince and Marie. It can't be overstated. There won't be a night that "Lombardi" plays when several wives don't turn to their husbands and give them a playful "That's just like you!" jab when presented with Lombardi's single-mindedness. There also won't be a night when those same husbands and wives recognize a real married couple of many, many years, a couple who know love in a way that seems to have disappeared in this country of the 50 percent divorce rate.

What Vince and Marie share on the stage at Circle in the Square is unconditional and forgiving of fault - a surprise when you think about how unforgiving Lombardi was. But that complexity is part of what makes the man - and the play named after him - such a fascinating story.

View the original article here

Mack Brown feels Texas fans' pain. But what's he going to do about it?

Paul Rhoads celebrated Iowa State's stunning upset at Texas Saturday in vintage Rhoadsian fashion, a well-deserved bit of exuberance for the biggest win of his young head-coaching career – especially in the wake of two of the worst losses, debacles against Utah and Oklahoma that buried the Cyclones by a combined score of 120-27. It was ISU's first road win over a ranked team since 1990, and 28-21 final notwithstanding, it wasn't close

Of course, one coach's triumph always comes at the expense of another coach's trash, which even Mack Brown doesn't think is too strong a word at this point to describe the broken state of affairs as the single worst month of his 13-year tenure draws to a close with his single worst loss:

"I don't think it's (a lack of) talent," Brown said. "It's attitude. We played well against Nebraska, and I'm mystified. We stunk and played bad today, and I get mystified. ... You can't trust your team. You can't trust your coaches when they’re not getting things ready to go."
[...]
"You're asking me to wave a wand and fix it," he said. "I'm fighting my guts out, trying to turn this around. If you need to tell (fans) we're going to run a boot camp, go ahead. Tell 'em I'm going to scrimmage here in the stadium in a minute."

It doesn't take staggering insight to suggest a Longhorn loss to Iowa State goes slightly deeper than "talent." But the line about being unable to trust his assistants may be the first sign ever that the perennial fan discontent with longtime offensive coordinator Greg Davis is beginning to penetrate the facade of the consummate "CEO coach." Davis followed Brown from North Carolina in 1998, and his worst offense at Texas in the meantime averaged just shy of 33 points per game in 1999; no Longhorn attack since 2005 has averaged less than thirty-six.

The current group is putting up a little below 24 per game, hasn't hit 30 since early-September scrimmages against Rice and Wyoming and may not have found the end zone at all in the losses to UCLA and Iowa State if both defenses hadn't loosened with the game well in hand in the fourth quarter. The leading rusher continues to average below 40 yards per game, which didn't matter when Colt McCoy was lighting up defenses as one of the most accurate, efficient passers in the country two years running. Now that Garrett Gilbert is a whisker away from being the lowest-rated passer in the Big 12, suddenly it's boot camp time.

The next five games – four of them against likely bowl teams that appear quite a bit better to date than UCLA or Iowa State – may be the first real crisis for a head coach whose most persistent shortcoming over the last decade is that he doesn't win enough national championships. If the Longhorns find a way to right the ship and run the table to another 10-win finish, it will be one of the great damage control campaigns in recent memory. If they lose one more – just one, when the opportunity exists for several more – it will probably go down as UT's worst season ever under Brown, and he'll be faced with a critical decision: Is this just 2006-07 all over again, a young yet talented team with a young yet talented quarterback enduring some inevitable growing pains on the way to reasserting itself on the national stage in a year or two? Or has the operation veered down a path it has to actively try to reverse?

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

View the original article here

Velasquez slays the beast to take Lesnar's title at UFC 121

Brock Lesnar is a monster but he met his match in terms of power, and especially speed and stamina. In the opening seconds of the fight, the gigantic MMA force tried to impose his will on the smaller Cain Velasquez. Velasquez didn't back down. In fact, he rose almost instantly after an early takedown and from there you knew Lesnar was in for a battle. The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder tired quickly, Velasquez didn't let up and laid a beating on Lesnar. By the fourth minute of the fight, Lesnar couldn't take anymore. With blood all over his face, Lesnar turned to his side to shy away from the onslaught. Velasquez rips the UFC heavyweight title away from Lesnar with a TKO stoppage at 4:12 of the first round.

"I didn't expect that," Velasquez told UFC analyst Joe Rogan. "I trained for a five round fight. You can't expect to stop it with in the first round."

Lesnar (5-2, 3-2 UFC) handled the defeat with class.

"I expected nothing less (from him). He's a great fighter," said Lesnar. "What can I say he was better than me tonight."

Update: Velasquez's finish earned him the knockout of the night bonus of $70,000.

The 28-year-old Velasquez (9-0, 7-0 UFC) overcame what was likely a 25-pound weight disadvantage, four inches in reach and three inches in height. The way the fight unfolded you'd never know that he was the smaller guy.

Lesnar charged across the Octagon throwing punches and even a wild flying knee. He got a hold of Velasquez and the fight hit the floor just 30 seconds in. But just like Lesnar, the Mexican-American was a high level Div. 1 collegiate wrestling star. It only took him just a few seconds to rise to his feet.

The next test of power and leverage came along the cage in a clinch situation. Velasquez stayed calm and had zero issues. When the fighters separated, Velasquez let his hands go. He nailed Lesnar with a left hook and then grabbed a single leg to go for a takedown of his own. Lesnar went down on one knee and seconds later was down on both knees. Velasquez had hip control and started pounding away with some big shots. Eventually Lesnar settled to his back but that was even worse. He was pinned on the cage and took a vicious beating.

Lesnar was in the identical position at UFC 116. That's where he weathered the storm against Shane Carwin, who eventually gassed himself out. Velasquez wasn't going to do that. He picked his shots and opened up a huge slice under Lesnar's right eye. Referee Herb Dean had to save the champ.  

Before we go labeling Velasquez unbeatable like people did with Lesnar, remember there's more talent on the way.

The UFC's heavyweight division has never been better. Next up for Velasquez is an excellent striker in Junior Dos Santos. And then Carwin and Lesnar can fight their way back into the mix. The quick finish tonight may allow the UFC to stack one of its January, February or March cards in 2011 with the Cain-JDS heavyweight title showdown.

View the original article here