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TRIBUTE
Brand remembered
Myles Brand
made his name by
taking on coach
Bob Knight as
president at Indiana
University. But he
went on to fight
for higher academic standards and
athletes’ welfare as NCAA president.
DeCourcy: Brand’s legacy, Page 4
MLB
Rockies salvage finale
Colorado avoided a three-game
sweep in San Fran, and boosted its N.L.
wild-card lead to 3 1/2 games. Page 7
Scoreboard
Baseball
American League
Minnesota 7, Cleveland 3
Detroit 4, Kansas City 3
Oakland 4, Texas 0
N.Y. Yankees 5, Toronto 4
Boston 9, L.A. Angels 8
Baltimore 4, Tampa Bay 2
Seattle 4, Chicago White Sox 1
National League
Florida 5, St. Louis 2
L.A. Dodgers 3, Pittsburgh 1
San Diego 6, Arizona 5, 10 innings
Philadelphia 6, Washington 1
Cincinnati 6, Houston 5
Milwaukee 9, Chicago Cubs 5
Atlanta 6, N.Y. Mets 5
Colorado 4, San Francisco 3
NHL
Preseason
Results, schedule, Page 36
WNBA
Playoffs
Results, schedule, Page 39
NBA > 38 COLLEGE BASKETBALL > 39 NASCAR > 40
NFL
Teams search
for LB answers
One game into the NFL season,
four teams must deal with key
injuries at linebacker. Let’s look at
the ramifications.
THURSDAY Bears
SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 ALBERT DICKSON / SN Lost: Brian Urlacher (dislo-
SEE A DIFFERENT GAME Bears LB Hunter Hillenmeyer cated wrist). Out for the season.
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 57 will replace Brian Urlacher. Impact: “It’s a big blow,” Bears
outside linebacker Lance Briggs
said. “He’s the guy who makes all the
No. 14 Georgia Tech at No. 20 Miami, 7:30 tonight ET, ESPN adjustments, he’s the signal-caller,
he’s our quarterback on defense.”
Jacory
Harris
Powers surge Former heavyweights
look to regain relevancy
Replacement Hunter Hillenmeyer,
who primarily has been a strongside
linebacker, lacks Urlacher’s ability to
cover receivers over the middle and
doesn’t have Urlacher’s sideline-to-
BY MATT HAYES against ACC heavyweight Georgia upgraded West Virginia offense— sideline range.
mhayes@sportingnews.com Tech. Or, for that matter, former more pass-oriented with QB Jarrett Bills
Miami players calling and—how can Brown—will cause problems for Lost: Paul Posluszny (broken
The last time we saw Jacory we say this?—subtly suggesting it’s Auburn’s secondary. left arm). Expected to miss 6-8
Harris, Miami’s sophomore quar- time Miami returns to the top. weeks.
terback was standing calmly on the “Everyone wants us to bring the U
Florida State Impact: Marcus Buggs
sidelines, arms folded watch- back on top to the glory days,” Harris The opponent: at No. 7 BYU, 7 doesn’t have Posluszny’s size, but
ing the Hurricanes get said at the news conference. “And p.m. Saturday, Versus he might be quicker and more
a wild, last-second that’s something we’re trying to do.” The plan: If FSU made Miami’s explosive. He’s used to performing
victory over rival Miami is one of four former Harris look like the Heisman favorite in big games, having played in the
SEC (Vanderbilt).
Florida State. powers with a chance to make a and Jacksonville State resemble a
You know, statement about a return to glory Division I-A team—and a good Patriots
just another this weekend: one—imagine what BYU’s Max Hall Lost: Jerod Mayo (sprained
game. will do with the Cougars’ multiple MCL). Could miss 6-8 weeks.
“You don’t No. 20 Miami schemes and precision system. Impact: Gary Guyton, who
have to worry The opponent: No. 14 Georgia moved inside with Adalius Thomas
about Jacory,” Tech, 7:30 tonight, ESPN No. 19 Nebraska after Mayo’s injury, must step up his
performance against the run.
Miami coach The plan: Stop Tech’s triple option
Randy Shannon early—Canes gave up 472 yards The opponent: at No.13 Virginia Seahawks
said at his weekly rushing to GT last year—and throw Tech, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC Lost: Leroy Hill (torn groin).
news conference, off play action on offense against a The plan: Huskers have lost their Expected out until November.
“he doesn’t get secondary that had problems last last nine games to ranked teams, Impact: Without Hill, the
caught up in a lot week against Clemson. and the defense—the best at NU defense loses some physicality and
of that stuff.” since earlier this decade—will get experience. Will Herring, a former
Auburn college safety, has speed and
Then he another chance at slowing down VT
quickness but primarily has been a
certainly won’t The opponent: West Virginia, 7:45 QB Tyrod Taylor, who carried the
get frazzled for p.m. Saturday, ESPN2 Hokies last year in Lincoln. special teams player.
— Dennis Dillon
Miami’s prove-it The plan: New-look Tigers
game tonight haven’t been tested yet, and an Miami looks for revenge, Page 9 Eagles still bringing rush, Page 18
ERIC ESPADA / CANESHOOTER.COM
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Tune In Today
A quick look at the best sports on TV
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
No. 14 Georgia Tech
at No. 20 Miami
7:30 p.m., ESPN
A year ago, Georgia Tech rolled up 472
rushing yards and routed the Hurricanes on a
Thursday night in Atlanta. Miami is rolling so
far in 2009, with a come-from-behind victory
at Florida State and a star-in-the-making in
sophomore QB Jacory Harris. But the Yellow
Jackets’ option offense remains a thorn for
the Canes, who must find a way to stop Tech
QB Josh Nesbitt and RBs Jonathan Dwyer and
Anthony Allen.
— Dave Curtis
BASEBALL
Brewers at Cubs
2:10 p.m., WGN
At this time last season, Milwaukee had
just fired manager Ned Yost in an attempt to
avoid a late-season collapse. And the Cubs
were cruising toward a second consecutive
N.L. Central title. This season, Chicago is cling-
ing to faint wild-card hopes, while Milwaukee
is fighting to get back to .500. This afternoon,
Cubs rookie righthander Randy Wells will look
to bounce back from perhaps his worst start
of the season (3 2/3 innings, three earned
runs, nine baserunners) against Cincinnati.
— Chris Bahr
NFL
Total Access
6 p.m., NFL Network
Joe Flacco sure looked good in putting up
307 yards passing and 3 TDs vs. the Chiefs in
Week 1. But with Baltimore being a run-first
team, he won’t be a passing machine every
week, will he? Analysts Brian Baldinger,
Sterling Sharpe and Solomon Wilcots are
convinced he will be put up big numbers.
The trio also breaks down three other big AFC
games
— Roger Kuznia
See a Different Game THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 2
OFF THE FIELD
Oh, to be the wife
— all times Eastern
GUIDE of a football player
COLLEGE If Terrell Owens can have a reality show and Key-
FOOTBALL shawn Johnson can have one about home design, then
7:30 p.m. why can’t there be a show about wives of NFL players?
ESPN—Georgia
Tech at Miami
The answer: There absolutely can be and now
there will be.
True Hollywood Story: Football Wives will debut on
GOLF
9 a.m. E! on Nov. 18.
TGC—European The wives of Redskins tight end Chris Cooley (Christy),
PGA Tour, Austrian
Open, first round,
Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (October), and former
safety Adam Archuleta (Jennifer Walcott) will be the three
at Vienna, Austria
main focal points of the show.
6:30 p.m. Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post’s D.C. Sports
TGC—Nationwide Bog asked E! producer John Formichella if the show EVERETT RAYMOND KINSTLER / SMITHSONIAN
Tour, Boise Open,
first round, at
was focusing on attractive women for the show. Tommy Lasorda’s portrait will hang at the Smithsonian.
Boise, Idaho “Attractive women make for good TV,” Formi-
(same-day tape) chella told D.C. Sports Bog. The portrait will be on display in the museum’s
As for Chris Cooley, he’s all for it. Asked if he had a exhibition “New Arrivals” through Nov. 15. Painted
8:30 p.m. problem with other men gawking at his wife, he told by artist Everett Raymond Kinstler, the life-sized portrait
TGC—LPGA,
Samsung World
D.C. Sports Bog, “I think that’s an obvious answer: measures 60 by 50 inches and was commissioned to
no. It’s not like I’m like, Oh I hope a lot of guys go commemorate Lasorda’s legacy with the Dodgers.
Championship,
first round, at La home and think about my wife. I mean, as long as
Jolla, Calif. (same- someone’s like, ‘His wife’s very pretty, that’s really Quick hits
day tape) cool, she seems really nice.’ That’s what I want.” Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade attended a media-
tion session that could settle lawsuits filed by for-
MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL Bills’ CB forgives mer partners in off-the-court business ventures.
2:10 p.m. Still a little upset over having his lawn vandal- Wade arrived Wednesday morning at a downtown
WGN— ized, Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin is willing to for- Miami law office for the talks. The ex-partners con-
Milwaukee at give and forget. tend that Wade cost them millions of dollars by
Chicago Cubs
Referring to Bills fans as being great, McKelvin walking away from a chain of sports memorabilia
WNBA said Wednesday he doesn’t want anyone arrested restaurants and charter schools for kids at risk of
BASKETBALL for painting an obscenity and the game’s score on dropping out.Wade contends he had every right to
7 p.m. the front lawn of his home shortly after a 25-24 sea- end his involvement in both ventures.
ESPN2—Playoffs, son-opening loss at New England on Monday. USA Football, the sport’s national governing
Eastern
Conference
“It’s just one little incident. I hope it doesn’t hap- body on youth and amateur levels, announced that it
pen any more,” McKelvin said following practice. “I will award $1 million in equipment grants to youth
semifinals, Game
1, Indiana at was mad, I was kind of like angry in a way, but I and high school football programs across America
Washington was laughing a little bit for what they put on there.” this fall based on merit and need. USA Football is
9 p.m. the official youth football development partner of
ESPN2—Playoffs,
Western
Lasorda lands in museum the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Associa-
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will tion. Youth leagues and high schools may apply for
Conference
semifinals, Game install a portrait of Tommy Lasorda on Sept. 22—Lasor- grants on usafootball.com through Oct. 15.
1, Phoenix at San da’s 82nd birthday—when the Dodgers begin a
Antonio three-game series against the Washington Nation- MORE COVERAGE from sportingnews.com
als in Washington, D.C. Sporting Blog: sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com My Profile THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 3

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SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Brand focused on classroom, basketball during his tenure atop NCAA
1. Athletes’welfare.
When Myles Brand traded in the
3. Embracing basketball.
library for the gymnasium in January
2003, moving from president of Indi-
ana University to president of the
NCAA, he met individually with vari-
ous members of the media to establish
an outline for what he hoped to accom-
plish during his tenure.
When I got my chance, one ques-
tion I asked
involved a couple
of former IU stu-
dents: How could
it be that virtuoso
Joshua Bell gradu-
ated from the uni-
versity with an
Mike DeCourcy artists’ diploma in
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
violin perfor-
mance whereas
Jared Jeffries got no academic credit
for playing basketball?
On that day, honestly, Brand did
not have a great answer. But I know
it’s something he thought about
during his years as NCAA presi-
dent. His mind was not closed to
new ideas about college athletes and
college athletics. He might have
been the most visionary executive
ever to head the NCAA. College ath-
letics lost a great friend with Brand’s
passing because he was willing to
examine and champion concepts
designed to improve the athletes’
opportunities and experience.
Understand that the NCAA presi-
dent is a position of influence more
than execution. He does not have the
powers of a league commissioner; his
job is more to encourage than to
enforce. These were some of the
causes Brand, who died Wednesday
after a fight with cancer, championed
and helped lead to fruition:
Brand’s admin-
istration of the NCAA’s execu-
tive offices did allow him to have some
input into how rules were applied, and
there can be no question athletes gen-
erally got a more reasonable deal in
regards to eligibility issues and the
like.
Under Brand, the NCAA took a
more reasonable approach to issues
such as teams attending the funeral of
a teammate who passed away and a
more liberal attitude toward expenses
eligible for reimbursement under the
emergency fund. He was a force
behind the change in initial eligibility
rules, from line-in-the-sand numerical
benchmarks to the more inclusive
standards now in place. He was will-
ing to open the door wider for athletes
to enter, but they had to perform in
class once there.
2. APR. Those initials still might
be a mystery to some college
fans, but not to coaches. APR stands
for Academic Progress Rate, and
essentially it means programs whose
athletes do poorly in school face pun-
ishments that affect athletics. Such
programs might lose scholarships.
They might be banned from postsea-
son competition. Some of the math of
the APR is arcane, but Brand particu-
larly pushed for programs not to be
punished if athletes were in good aca-
demic standing before transferring or
pursuing a professional career. The
APR tends to nudge athletes to pursue
less challenging courses, as well. But
the academic performance of athletes
in most sports has improved, with
graduation rates exceeding those of
general students, and that contributes
to the health of college athletics.
Tribute
MYLES BRAND (1942 - 2009)
NCAA Tournament essen-
tially funds the NCAA, which
The
means the tournament paid Brand’s
salary. So maybe that led him to
reach out to college basketball
coaches in an effort to make their
game work better.
Or maybe he recognized it was
the right thing to do.
He visited their ethics summit in
2003. The infernal 8/5 rule—limit-
ing programs to eight scholarships
over two years, and five in any one
year—was eliminated on his watch,
as part of the academic progress
drive. Brand joined NBA commis-
sioner David Stern in pushing for a
20-year age limit for the NBA draft,
which would allow basketball play-
ers to be better developed when
they begin professional careers.
It was basketball, of course, that
brought Brand into the athletic arena.
He was IU president for six years
when events involving basketball
coach Bob Knight—primarily the
release of a videotape that appeared
to show Knight striking one of his
players, Neil Reed, in the throat—led
Brand to establish a “zero-tolerance”
policy regarding his conduct.
Not even three months later, the
coach’s alleged harangue of an IU
student led Brand to fire Knight.
That made Brand a hero to many
academics, and thus a natural to be
chosen to become the first univer-
sity president to head the NCAA.
He served well in that office, but he
had so much left to do.
decourcy@sportingnews.com
MORE COVERAGE
More on Brand’s legacy: http://ncaa.org/
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 4
Remembrances
Bob Knight, whom Myles Brand
fired as Indiana coach on Sept. 10,
2000 for a “pattern of unacceptable
behavior” and violating a zero-toler-
ance policy, was out of town until the
end of the month and unavailable
for comment, Texas Tech spokesman
Randy Farley said.
“Just because he fired us doesn’t
mean we want anything bad to hap-
pen. That’s shocking. I don’t wish
death upon anybody. That’s sad, no
matter who it is.”
— Pat Knight, Texas Tech coach, and Bob Knight’s son
“He was a true friend of college
basketball, and the game made great
strides as a result of him looking
at things out of the box—trusting
coaches, trusting players and making
appropriate changes that have brought
along more dialogue than there has
ever been about our game. He will be
missed as a man, he’ll be missed as a
leader and he’ll be missed as a friend.”
— Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski
“Myles was a strong advocate and
champion of the notion that students
are scholars first, then athletes. He
understood the balance between
athletics, academics and service that
Division II represents, and threw his
support behind a campaign to raise
public awareness about that mission.”
— Indiana University president Beverly Pitts
“Myles Brand was a tremendous
leader at Indiana University and an
active change agent in spotlight-
ing academic improvement as the
NCAA president. He made tremen-
dous progress in moving the NCAA
closer to its educational roots and
transformed it into an organization
concerned about the student com-
ponent of the student-athlete.”
— Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany
“He worked very closely through
the National Association of Basketball
Coaches to really, not only listen, but
hear what the coach’s concerns were.
He took that to the NCAA member-
MICHAEL CONROY / AP ship. He probably did that better
Myles Brand, left, hired Mike Davis as Indiana coach after firing Bob Knight in September 2000. than most any of his predecessors.”
— ex-Kentucky athletic director C.M. Newton
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Brand dies from pancreatic cancer
INDIANAPOLIS—NCAA president
Myles Brand, who while leading
Indiana University fired basketball
coach Bob Knight, died Wednesday
afternoon from pancreatic cancer.
He was 67.
The first former university presi-
dent ever to run college sports’ larg-
est governing body, Brand worked
to change the perception that wins
supersede academics and earned
accolades for his efforts.
Brand broke the news that he had
cancer in January at the NCAA con-
vention and continued to run the
organization’s day-to-day opera-
tions, despite undergoing treatment.
The NCAA announced his death.
Officials were not ready to say who
would replace Brand or when they
may begin searching for a successor.
“Myles Brand’s passing is a great
personal loss of a dear friend and
an even greater loss to the NCAA
and collegiate athletics,” said Geor-
gia president Michael Adams, who
worked closely with Brand. “I
believe Myles will be remembered
as a person who helped us refocus
on the student in student-athlete
and his academic reforms will long
outlive him.”
Brand gained national attention in
May 2000 when he put Knight on a
zero-tolerance policy after a former
player alleged the hugely successful
but hot-headed coach had choked
him during a practice years earlier.
Four months after that announce-
ment, freshman Kent Harvey
accused Knight of grabbing him,
and Brand did what fans consid-
ered unthinkable—he fired the
coach who won three national
championships in Bloomington.
Knight later moved on to Texas
Tech, stepping aside for his son, Pat
Knight, in February 2008. Texas
Tech spokesman Randy Farley said
Bob Knight left Lubbock on Tues-
day and wouldn’t be back until next
month.
“Just because he fired us doesn’t
mean we want anything bad to hap-
pen,” Pat Knight said. “That’s shock-
ing. I don’t wish death upon anybody.
That’s sad, no matter who it is.”
Indiana students protested at the
time of the firing, gathering in front
of Brand’s home and even hanging
him in effigy, but his decision gave
Brand a platform to address the
problems he saw in college sports.
During a January 2001 speech at
the National Press Club in Washing-
ton, Brand criticized the growing
“arms race” in college sports, saying
that school presidents faced tough
challenges with celebrity coaches
and suggesting the emphasis on win-
ning championships endangered the
real mission of universities.
In October 2002, Brand was
hired to lead the NCAA and used
that position to move his agenda
forward.
After his term began in January
2003, Brand pushed for tougher
eligibility standards for incoming
freshman and current students.
Eventually, the NCAA adopted two
new academic measures, the Aca-
demic Progress Report and the
Graduation Success Rate—calcula-
tions that provide real-time statis-
tics on how athletes are performing
in the classroom.
Those initiatives earned praise
from university administrators and
others.
“This was a man who understood
the importance of higher education,
as well as the benefit of athletics
participation as part of the
Tribute THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 5
MYLES BRAND (1942 - 2009)
Brand bio
May 17, 1942: Born in Brooklyn, N.Y.
1967: Earned doctorate in phi-
losophy from the University of
Rochester
1967-1972: Began career in
the department of philosophy,
University of Pittsburgh
1972-1980: Chairman, department
of philosophy, University of Illinois
at Chicago
1981-86: Served in various capaci-
ties at University of Arizona, includ-
ing coordinating dean, College of
Arts and Sciences (1985-86)
1986-89: Provost and vice presi-
dent for academic affairs, Ohio
State University
1989-1994: President, University of
Oregon
1994-2002: President, Indiana
University
Sept. 10, 2000: Fired Indiana men’s
basketball coach Bob Knight TOM STRATTMAN / AP
Myles Brand was hailed as the NCAA chief who pushed for tighter academic standards in college sports.
Jan. 1, 2003: Began tenure as NCAA
president
Franklin said in a statement. “He listen, but hear what the coach’s his leadership in the future. I thought
Dec. 24, 2008: Diagnosed with
did not waver from that as a tenet of concerns were,” former Kentucky he did a tremendous job.”
pancreatic cancer
NCAA operations.” athletic director C.M. Newton said. Before taking over at Indiana,
April 2, 2009: Made his first public Brand also helped the NCAA “He took that to the NCAA mem- Brand spent five years as president
appearance since the diagnosis
embrace the 21st century, starting bership. He probably did that better at the University of Oregon. He also
months at the Final Four in Detroit.
his own podcast and adding videos than most any of his predecessors.” held administrative posts at Ohio
June 29, 2009: Receives award to the NCAA Web site. He routinely Brand also helped secure an State and led the philosophy depart-
in Indianapolis at a banquet rec-
contradicted the myth of the “dumb unprecedented agreement to keep ments at the University of Arizona
ognizing his contributions and
dedication to youth, his final public jock” by citing figures showing stu- Indianapolis in the regular Final and Illinois-Chicago after starting
appearance. dent-athletes graduated at a higher Four rotation through 2039 and got his career as a professor at the Uni-
rate than their fellow students. the NCAA involved in helping design versity of Pittsburgh.
Sept. 16, 2009: Loses battle with
cancer, passing away at the age of 67. Some early critics thought he didn’t the city’s new Lucas Oil Stadium. Brand earned his bachelor’s
know enough about sports to run the “I believe Myles provided a great degree in philosophy at Rensselaer
— Sources: NCAA, The Indianapolis Star, NCAA, but later conceded Brand lis- deal of wise leadership to the NCAA Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.,
USA TODAY tened more to coaches and athletes and that his achievements in the aca- in 1964 and received a doctorate in
than previous NCAA chiefs. demic area were very significant,” philosophy at the University of
“He worked very closely through former Pac-10 commissioner Tom Rochester in 1967. He is survived
educational experience,” NCAA the National Association of Basket- Hansen said. “I regret very much his by his wife and a son.
executive vice president Bernard ball Coaches to really, not only passing and that we’ll be deprived of — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Next Gen: Recruiting THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 6
RECRUITING DISH CLASS OF 2010

SN 100 receiver from N.J. TOP 25 RECRUITS

felt ‘comfortable’ at B.C. 1. Marcus Lattimore, RB
6-0/207, 8. Jackson Jeffcoat, DL
6-4/233, 14. Xavier Grimble, TE
6-5/245,
Boston College now has commitments from two Sport-
Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) Plano West Senior Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
ing News Top 100 prospects for 2010 after adding De Paul Considering: North Committed to: USC
(Plano, Texas)
Catholic (Wayne, N.J.) WR Shakim Phillips this week. Carolina, Oregon, South Considering: USC, Texas,
SN 100 OT Seth Betancourt committed to the Eagles Carolina, Penn State,
in the spring.
Phillips (6-2, 190) had announced a top five of Boston
Auburn
Oklahoma, Arizona State,
Houston 15. Jake Heaps, QB
6-2/195,
Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) COURTESY OF SEANTREL HENDERSON
College, North Carolina, Pitt, Maryland and Rutgers in
August after eliminating Iowa, Tennessee, West Vir- 2. Lache Seastrunk, RB
5-10/183,
Temple (Texas)
9. Demarco Cobbs, WR
6-2/200
Committed to: BYU Seantrel Henderson

ginia, Illinois, Arizona, Cincinnati, Georgia, Michigan

State, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
“I just felt more comfortable at Boston College than
Considering: Auburn,
Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas,
Tulsa Central (Tulsa, Okla.)
Committed to: Tennessee 16. Christian Jones, LB
6-4/215,
Lake Howell (Winter Park, Fla.)
21. Eduardo Clements, RB
5-11/185,
Booker T. Washington (Miami)
USC
all of the other places,” Phillips told Sporting News Today
on Wednesday morning. 10. Trey Hopkins, OL
6-4/260,
Considering: Florida State,
Alabama, Florida, USC
Considering: Miami,
Georgia, Michigan
Phillips caught 40 passes for 770 yards and 12 touch- 3. Seantrel Henderson, OL
6-8/301,
North Shore
downs as a junior. He caught 22 passes for 386 yards
and four touchdowns as a sophomore, playing in only
Cretin-Derham Hall
(St. Paul, Minn.)
(Galena Park, Texas)
Committed to: Texas 17. Chris Martin, DL
6-4/222,
The Hun School
22. Lamarcus Joyner, DB
5-9/162,
St. Thomas Aquinas
four games because of a lower back injury. Considering: Florida, Ohio
“I try to catch everything,” Phillips told SN Today. “I
practice my routes a lot with my coaches. We work on
State, USC, Oklahoma, Notre
Dame, Minnesota 11. Malcolm Jones, RB/LB
6-0/210,
Oaks Christian
(Princeton, N.J.)
Committed to: Notre
Dame
(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Considering: Florida State,
Ohio State, Florida
routes and catching the ball. Some teams double-team me.
(Westlake Village, Calif.)
As far as being a leader, I just try to get everyone to stay
focused. During football season, we can’t mess around.”
Phillips is Boston College’s 12th commitment for 2010.
COURTESY OF SHAKIM PHILLIPS
Shakim Phillips is Boston College’s second SN 100 prospect for 2010.
4. Matt Elam, DB
6-1/205,
Dwyer (Palm Beach
Considering: Stanford,
UCLA 18. Brennan Clay, RB
6-0/190, 23. Devin Gardner, QB
6-4/196,
Scripps Ranch (San Diego) Inkster (Mich.)
SN 100 QB Joe Boisture had made a commitment to Gardens, Fla.)
Boston College but switched to in-state Michigan State. Lawrence Rumph has committed to Texas Tech, Scout.com Committed to: Florida
12. Michael Dyer, RB
5-10/195,
Committed to: Oklahoma Committed to: Michigan

zalez
Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) dual-threat QB Anthony Gon-
has committed to Pitt, The Morning Call of Allentown,
reported. He also reported scholarship offers from
Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Baylor, Southern Miss and
Missouri, among others. 5. Justin McCay, WR
6-4/200,
Little Rock Christian
Academy (Little Rock, Ark.)
Considering: Arkansas,
19. Phillip Sims, QB
6-2/215,
Oscar Smith
24. Jamel Turner, DE
6-2/205,
Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio)
Pa., reported Wednesday. He also had reported a scholar- Rumph (6-4, 270) came out of high school in the class Bishop Miege Auburn, Oklahoma, Notre (Chesapeake, Va.) Committed to: Ohio State
ship offers from Florida State, where he recently visited of 2007, but because of academic problems he never (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) Dame Committed to: Alabama
Committed to: Oklahoma
for the Miami game, and Oregon, Missouri and Illinois. made it to a four-year school’s campus. At the time, he
Gonzalez (6-1, 195) is rated a four-star prospect by
Scout.com. He threw for 1,580 yards and 12 touch-
downs and rushed for 1,697 yards and 24 touchdowns
was considering Missouri and UCF, among others.
He is a four-star junior college prospect, according to
Scout.com, and the Red Raiders’ 20th commitment for
6. Corey Nelson, LB
6-1/200,
13. Zack McCray, DL
6-4/235,
Brookville (Lynchburg, Va.)
20. Erik Kohler, OL
6-5/265,
Oaks Christian
25. Blake Bell, QB
6-6/215,
Bishop Carroll
Skyline (Dallas) Committed to: Virginia
his junior season. 2010. Rumph might be on campus by January. Committed to: Texas A&M (Westlake Village, Calif.) (Wichita, Kan.)
Tech Committed to: Committed to: Oklahoma
“I just feel more comfortable (with Pitt),” Gonzalez told
Washington
the newspaper. “The place is just like Liberty. The coaches Boston College High (Dorchester, Mass.) DE/TE
care about you. I feel like I can play right away. That’s my
biggest thing. I’m not used to sitting. ... I just want to get
Andrew Tallman (6-5, 235) has committed to Miami,
Rivals.com reported. He also reported scholarship
7. Gabe King, DL/LB
6-5/260,
Northern Guilford
— Brian McLaughlin

after it and play early. I’m pretty confident.” offers from SMU, Tulane, Duke, Syracuse, Utah and (Greensboro, N.C.)
Virginia, among others. Considering: Alabama, MORE COVERAGE from sportingnews.com
Navarro Junior College (Coriscana, Texas) DT — Brian McLaughlin California, Oregon, Tennessee Top 100 recruits: sportingnews.com/blog/TheRecruitnik/tag/160168/sn100
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Overnight Report THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 7
NATIONAL LEAGUE AMERICAN LEAGUE
Colorado 4, San Francisco 3 Seattle 4, Chicago White Sox 1
National League

De La Rosa outduels Cain, beats S.F. again wild card standings

W L Pct. GB
High praise for Aussie lefty
Colorado 83 64 .565 —
San Francisco 79 67 .541 3½ SEATTLE—The Seattle Mariners Mariners 4, White Sox 1
SAN FRANCISCO—Both the N.L. wild-card Florida 78 68 .534 4½ need a consistent No. 2 starter Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Atlanta 77 68 .531 5 Podsednik lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .303
lead that looked comfortable just a few Chicago 75 69 .521 6½ behind ace Felix Hernandez. Beckham 3b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .274
days ago and the four-run lead that So far, it looks like Ryan Pierzynski c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .314
Rockies 4, Giants 3 Konerko 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .282
seemed safe at the start of the ninth Rowland-Smith might be up Al.Ramirez ss 3 0 1 0 1 0 .280
Colorado AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
inning Wednesday night were dwin- C.Gonzalez cf-lf 4 0 0 0 1 1 .280 for the role. Dye rf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .252
S.Smith lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .307 Quentin dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .231
dling with each pitch for the Colorado b-Fowler ph-cf 2 0 1 0 0 1 .269 The Australian lefthander Rios cf 3 0 2 0 0 0 .244
Helton 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .318
Rockies. Tulowitzki ss 4 1 3 1 0 0 .285 pitched eight innings to lead J.Nix 2b 3 0 1 0 0 2 .236
Hawpe rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .288 Totals 33 1 9 1 1 3
Then Rafael Betancourt escaped a jam 2-Spilborghs pr-rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .245 the Mariners to a 4-1 victory
to save the best start of Jorge De La Torrealba c
Stewart 3b
3
4
2
1
1
1
0
2
1
0
0
3
.277
.231
over the Chicago White Sox on Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
I.Suzuki rf 3 1 1 0 1 1 .354
Rosa’s career and send the Rockies out Barmes 2b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .242 Wednesday night. F.Gutierrez cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .277
De La Rosa p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .130
of town with a 4-3 victory over San d-E.Young ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .289 Rowland-Smith allowed nine Jo.Lopez 2b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .269
F.Morales p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .400 Griffey Jr. dh 3 0 0 0 1 0 .217
Francisco and a 3½-game lead over the R.Betancourt p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- hits and struck out two, punc- Beltre 3b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .263
Totals 36 4 7 4 2 9
Giants in the wild card. tuating his outing with an Johjima c 4 1 2 0 0 0 .255
San Francisco AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Carp 1b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .278
“Three-and-a-half definitely sounds a A.Torres lf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250 escape of a seventh-inning jam. Langerhans lf 2 0 1 1 0 0 .212
lot better in your head than 1½,” first F.Sanchez 2b 4 1 1 0 0 2 .292 The White Sox had runners Jo.Wilson ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .257
Sandoval 1b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .322 Totals 31 4 8 4 2 4
baseman Todd Helton said. “It was a big B.Molina c
3-Whiteside pr
4
0
0
1
1
0
1 0 0
0 0 0
.265
.213
on first and third with one out,
game tonight and we were able to get a Uribe 3b 2 0 1 0 1 0 .290 but the bottom of the order Chicago 000 000 010 — 1 9 1
4-Velez pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269 Seattle 210 100 00x — 4 8 0
win.” Renteria ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .250 failed to deliver as Rowland-
Rowand cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .265
It almost wasn’t to be as the Giants e-Winn ph 1 0 0 1 0 0 .265 Smith (4-3) retired Alex Rios E: Beckham (13). LOB: Chicago 6, Seattle 6. 2B:
Schierholtz rf 3 0 0 0 1 2 .271 I.Suzuki (30), Jo.Lopez (37), Johjima (9). HR:
scored three runs in the ninth and put Cain p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .140 and Jayson Nix. Beckham (12), off Rowland-Smith; Carp (1), off
the tying run on third base before Betan- a-Aurilia ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .230 After the game, Mariners D.Carrasco. RBIs: Beckham (54), Jo.Lopez (88),
1-F.Lewis pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .266
Beltre (38), Carp (3), Langerhans (10). CS: Rios
court struck out Nate Schierholtz for his Runzler p
Medders p
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 0
0 0 0
---
.000
manager Don Wakamatsu paid (4). SF: Langerhans. Runners left in scoring
first save since joining Colorado in July. Affeldt p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 Rowland-Smith some high position: Chicago 4 (Quentin, Podsednik, J.Nix
c-Garko ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .232 2); Seattle 3 (Griffey Jr. 2, Beltre). DP: Seattle 1 (Jo.
That effort made sure that the bril- Romo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 praise. Wilson, Jo.Lopez, Carp).
Totals 32 3 6 2 2 10
liant work by De La Rosa (15-9) wouldn’t “He looked so polished
Colorado 000 202 000 — 4 7 1 Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
go to waste. San Francisco 000 000 003 — 3 6 3 tonight. I’m awfully proud of G.Floyd L, 11-11 3 4 3 3 1 1 42 4.06
He allowed three hits in eight score- a-singled for Cain in the 6th. b-singled for S.Smith in the him,” Wakamatsu said. “This D.Carrasco 3 3 1 1 1 3 47 3.66
7th. c-popped out for Affeldt in the 8th. d-flied out for Linebrink 1 1 0 0 0 0 14 4.15
less innings to beat the Giants for the De La Rosa in the 9th. e-grounded out for Rowand in the
is his eighth quality start since J.Nunez 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 9 2.45
sixth straight start. He gave the bullpen 9th. 1-ran for Aurilia in the 6th. 2-ran for Hawpe in the
8th. 3-ran for B.Molina in the 9th. 4-ran for Uribe in the
he’s been back. He’s learning a Williams 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 5 6.23
Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
a 4-0 lead to start the ninth. BEN MARGOT / AP 9th. E: Tulowitzki (7), Renteria (14), B.Molina (5), Row- knack to get deeper and deeper Rowland-Smith W, 4-3 8 9 1 1 1 2 116 3.59
and (3). LOB: Colorado 7, San Francisco 5. 2B: Barmes
“On the biggest stage of his career, in Ian Stewart, right, hit a two-run homer in the sixth that gave Colorado a 4-0 lead, and the Rockies held on. (28), A.Torres (5). HR: Tulowitzki (27), off Cain; Stewart into ballgames. I’m awfully Aardsma S, 35-39 1 0 0 0 0 1 13 2.09
(24), off Cain. RBIs: Tulowitzki (78), Stewart 2 (66),
the biggest game of his career, he pitched Barmes (72), B.Molina (74), Winn (49). SB: C.Gonzalez excited about him now and in PB: Pierzynski. Umpires: Home, Angel Hernan-
(16), Velez (7). Runners left in scoring position:
the best game of his career,” manager importance on the final scheduled meet- After pinch-runner Eugenio Velez Colorado 4 (Hawpe, Helton, De La Rosa, Barmes); San the future.” dez; First, Randy Marsh; Second, Lance Barksdale;
Francisco 3 (Sandoval 2, Schierholtz). DP: Colorado 2 Third, Marvin Hudson. T: 2:11. A: 16,596 (47,878).
Jim Tracy said. “That’s exactly what ing between the teams this season. stole second, Betancourt got Edgar (Stewart, Barmes, Helton), (Tulowitzki, Helton). Rowland-Smith threw 116
took place tonight. That was as good a But with De La Rosa outpitching All- Renteria to pop up in a rematch of a Colorado IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
pitches, but it didn’t take much
game as he has pitched I’ll guarantee Star Matt Cain (13-6) and once again memorable encounter last month. De La Rosa W, 15-9 8 3 0 0 2 9 111 4.17 for him to convince Wakamatsu
F.Morales 0 3 3 1 0 0 12 3.00
you in his career. And there have been dominating the Giants, Colorado leaves Renteria’s seventh-inning grand slam R.Betancourt S, 1-3 1 0 0 0 0 1 18 1.40 to let him go out for the eighth
San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
some good ones.” town with a comfortable lead with just off Betancourt on Aug. 30 helped the Cain L, 13-6 6 5 4 4 2 4 90 2.71 inning, given the struggles in
Runzler 1 1 0 0 0 2 16 0.00
Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Stewart over two weeks left in the season. Giants complete a three-game sweep Medders 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 3.26 the Mariners bullpen.
homered for the Rockies, who had lost “We’re in a situation now where we and tie the wild-card lead. Affeldt 1 0 0 0 0 2 17 1.80 “Tonight was good because I
Romo 1 0 0 0 0 1 7 4.30
four straight games, including the first need to win ballgames,” Giants manager Betancourt got pinch-hitter Randy Medders pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. F.Morales pitched
felt like I got stronger as the
two in this series. That helped the Giants Bruce Bochy said. “This was a tough Winn to hit an RBI groundout and to 3 batters in the 9th. Inherited runners-scored:
R.Betancourt 2-2, Affeldt 1-0. HBP: by De La Rosa
game went on,” said Rowland-
shave three games off Colorado’s wild- one. We know where we are and we struck out Schierholtz to end it. (Uribe). WP: De La Rosa, Affeldt. Umpires: Home, Laz Smith, whose ERA fall to 3.59.
Diaz; First, Eric Cooper; Second, Mike Reilly; Third, Chuck
card lead, putting a heightened know what is at stake.” — The Associated Press Meriwether. T: 3:02. A: 38,696 (41,915). — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football

WHAT WE LEARNED Sporting News Today’s Dave Curtis analyzes

what Wednesday’s buzz means to college football

USC vs. Florida

Lane Kiffin stayed on his Flor-
ida-is-the-greatest tack during
Wednesday’s SEC coaches telecon-
ference. “Maybe the best ever,” he
called the Gators, who host Kiffin
and the Volunteers on Saturday
afternoon.
The anointing is important,
especially given that Kiffin helped
coach another team-of-the-decade
candidate—the 2004 USC Trojans.
That team featured a pair of even-
tual Heisman winners (Matt Lein-
art and Reggie Bush) as well as a
receiver that caught a touchdown
pass per game (Dwayne Jarrett).
The defense, led by Shaun Cody
and Lofa Tatupu, led the nation
against the rush and ranked third
in total defense. It forced 38 turn-
overs and allowed 20 or more PHIL COALE / AP
points just three times. For Bobby Bowden, center, Saturday’s game against BYU is a test of where the Seminoles stand.
Florida likely has a dozen games
left this year, but it’s easy to sketch little shot in the ACC’s Atlantic with cancer, attempted to make
the arguments. USC’s big-play Division. college football as much about the
capabilities and solid offensive line Bowden has spoken of elevating classroom during the week as the
gives it the nod with the ball. UF’s the ’Noles back to national champi- field on Saturdays.
experienced and fast defense gives onship contenders before he The NCAA/college football rela-
it the slight edge there. Florida cov- retires. This year’s group, though, tionship always will be weird,
ers kicks better; USC’s Bush gets still doesn’t rival his squads of the since in many ways they are sepa-
the nod over Florida’s Brandon past. rate entities. But the institution of
James as a return man. Who wins? “This game is going to tell us how the APR and the GSR, which came
A shame they’ll never play. But the close where getting,” Bowden said under Brand’s tenure as the presi-
debate is a good one. Thanks to on Wednesday’s ACC coaches tele- dent of the NCAA, has changed the
Lane for making it mainstream. conference. “Are we really getting way coaches recruit and school
there? Or are you still struggling?” administrators handle their ath-
Dadgum big one For clues, check out FSU’s rush letes’ pursuit of a degree.
FSU coach Bobby Bowden hears offense and pass defense. Both No longer can a coach or a school
the critics and, heck, he agrees have stunk so far; both will need to sell out to star athletes who are no-
with most of them. And so he sees improve a bunch for the Seminoles show students without significant
his team’s visit to BYU on Saturday to fly home with a 2-1 record and consequences. The measure is
night as a referendum for where much-needed confidence. flawed, for sure, and it alone won’t
his program stands. The 2009 achieve the reform Brand sought.
Seminoles, off a close loss to Miami Rest in peace, Myles Brand It does, though, serve as a solid
and an escape against I-AA Jack- The NCAA president, who died legacy for what the man was all
sonville State, look like a team with Wednesday after losing a fight about.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 9
Spotlight Game PLAYER DIARY
No. 14 Georgia Tech (2-0) at No. 20 Miami (1-0), 7:30 ET, tonight, ESPN
The line: Miami by 5 ‘Georgia Tech is a program that’s given us trouble’
About the author
Jason Fox,
Miami LT
A senior from
Fort Worth,
Texas, Fox
leads the
Hurricanes’
offensive
line and is a
candidate for the Outland Trophy
and Lombardi Award. Miami hosts
Georgia Tech at 7:30 tonight on
PHIL COALE / AP
ESPN.
JOHN BAZEMORE / AP TE Dedrick Epps, left, had 46 yards receiving against Florida State.
Anthony Allen, left, is one of the Jackets’ two dangerous runners.
Three reasons Miami will win
Three reasons Georgia Tech will win BY JASON FOX
Big plays: Perhaps no quarterback played better foot-
Offense: As long as Paul Johnson coaches, his teams
1. ball in Week 1 than Miami’s Jacory Harris, who
For SN Today

1. will run some form of an option offense. And

there’s no evidence that the scheme has become any
overcame a late shoulder injury to lead a Canes come-
back. He finished with 386 passing yards and three
I was talking to someone before
the season started, and he goes, JOHN AMIS / AP
touchdowns (2 throws, one rush). But most remarkable “Do you realize we’ll have our Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan, right, sure has the attention of Miami’s Jason Fox.
easier to stop. The Yellow Jackets’ run attack is thriving about his performance were the plays downfield. UM
again in 2009 thanks to a bevy of backs that seem great first three Saturdays open to
hit eight pass plays to six different receivers that covered
fits for the offense. Jonathan Dwyer remains a candi- at least 20 yards. The long gainers cancelled the Canes’ watch college football?” This Sat- lead changes. Scoring three touch- option offense they run.
date for ACC Player of the Year, and Anthony Allen, a impotent run game and allowed for the late rally. “We urday we’ll be able to watch it, too, downs in the fourth quarter and We can help out our defense by
Louisville transfer, has averaged better than 18 yards need to limit the big plays,” Tech coach Paul Johnson which is very strange because you our defense coming up with the making Georgia Tech play from
per carry in two games. Look for a heavy dose of dives said. “We have to keep guys in front.” don’t get that chance but maybe big goal-line stop at the end—it behind, which is something
and pitches tonight in South Florida. Revenge: These squads met on a November Thurs- once a year on a bye week. doesn’t get any better than that. they’re not used to doing. They

Derrick Morgan: Georgia Tech’s defensive end gets 2. day in Atlanta last year, and it ranked as the Hur- When I was in high school, Winning the first game, no mat- like to get up on people and run

2. points off the bat for sense of humor—he wore a

bow tie in the photo taken for the Yellow Jackets’ web-
ricanes’ worst day of the season. Tech rushed for 472
yards on 56 carries as it rolled to a 31-point fourth-quar-
that’s what I used to look forward
to—playing on Friday nights and
ter who you play, is huge. You
build confidence and get some
the ball, but we need to score some
points, get up on them and force
ter lead and eventual 41-23 victory. The Canes, with a watching college football all day momentum going and that carries them to throw because that’s
site. But the guy gets it done on the field as well. He’s lineup full of freshmen and sophomore, had no answers on Saturdays. Now you only see over to our next game. uncomfortable for them.
emerging as one of the nation’s top defensive ends. for the Yellow Jackets’ attack. They hope things will the highlights after you get back Georgia Tech is a program that’s Their defense, they lost some
Miami dominated Florida State with the pass last week, change this year, with more experienced players and from the games. given us trouble. We haven’t won a guys but they still have a talented
and QB Jacory Harris proved both efficient and effec- new defensive coordinator John Lovett imported from There have been a lot of upsets game against them the last four group. I know No. 91, (Derrick)
tive down the field. Morgan’s pass rush could disrupt North Carolina. “The guys feel embarrassed about the the first two weeks and a lot of years, and they also spoiled a couple Morgan, is a really good defensive
the Canes and help GT grab a road win. way they performed,” UM coach Randy Shannon said.
others that easily could have been of chances for us to make it to ACC end, and he lines up on both sides,
“That can be a little bit of a motivating factor.”
Special teams: Heading into the Clemson game, upsets, like Navy and Ohio State championship games. I wouldn’t so I’ll get to go up against him a
3. the kicking game seemed a weakness for Tech.
All that changed in the first half last Thursday, when 3. Josh Nesbitt: Nesbitt, Tech’s quarterback, ranks
among the best runners at his position in Amer-
and Northern Iowa and Iowa. It
just shows you how competitive
say they’ve been that much better
than us, but they made fewer mis-
bunch. Most guys who are as big
as him aren’t as speedy and as
ica. But passing remains a weakness, especially last
the Jackets returned a pooch punt for a touchdown college football has become. takes than we did. quick as him. He likes to speed
week against Clemson. Two third-down completions
and a turned a fake field goal into a touchdown. This late boosted his numbers, but he finished with three Our game with Florida State Now we’ve got to approach this rush, and he has a lot of moves.
game, like most in the ACC, figures to be close deep completions against two interceptions. If Miami can was probably the most fun and game the right way, execute and He’s an athletic guy, and we have
into the second half. And a game-changer on special force the Jackets into passing situations, Nesbitt’s memorable college game I’ve not make those mistakes, and put to keep him away from Jacory (Har-
teams could be the difference once again. struggles could become an advantage for the Canes. played in. It was just amazing, some points on the board. Hope- ris) so he has time to throw.
— Dave Curtis — Dave Curtis going back and forth with all the fully our defense shuts down that — As told to Jim Gilstrap
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
ACC
INSIDE DISH
B.C. will learn more about QBs at Clemson
Boston College played Justin Tuggle and Dave Shinskie
almost equally at quarterback in its wins over North-
eastern and Kent State, but the Eagles should have a
better idea about the position after Saturday’s game at
Clemson.
“There’s not a great deal of separation,” Eagles coach
Frank Spaziani said in a report by The Boston Globe earlier this
week. “But you have to reach a point where you just have
to take some of that information and move on.”
It will be the first road game for both quarterbacks
and their first test against a defense that features more
overall speed than the Eagles’ first two opponents.
“It’s very difficult when you have to practice against
speed,” Spaziani said. “We have to rely on our guys
who have been on the field (against it) before. We have
to drill as much as we can into their heads. I don’t think
there is any way for us to create it.”
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will celebrate an
anniversary when the Seminoles play at BYU this
weekend.
On Sept. 19, 1959—50 years ago this Saturday—Bowden
won what the NCAA recognizes as his first game as a
head coach, according to a report by the Orlando Sentinel.
Bowden took Howard College (now Samford Univer-
sity) on the road to Maryville (Tenn.) College and won
14-0, giving Bowden the first of his 383 career victories.
North Carolina will be without two starters, senior
C Lowell Dyer (shoulder) and junior TE Zack Pianalto (foot)
for 3-4 weeks.
Coach Butch Davis said the injuries won’t alter the Tar
Heels’ game plan Saturday against East Carolina.
“We are, kind of, who we are,” Davis said in a report
by The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C. “We’re not
going to recreate the wheel in three days of practice.”
Dyer strained a muscle in his right shoulder during a
practice drill on Sept. 9 and did not play in the Tar
Heels’ 12-10 win over Connecticut last Saturday.
Pianalto dislocated the subtalar joint in his right foot
College Football
MARY SCHWALM / AP
Justin Tuggle, above, has been sharing time with Dave Shinskie at QB.
in the fourth quarter of the UConn game. He rolled the
side of his foot under his ankle after he jumped to cele-
brate his game-tying touchdown. Pianalto will be
replaced in the starting lineup by Ed Barham.
In other Heels news, North Carolina will meet LSU
on Sept. 4 in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
to open the 2010 season. The game will be televised
nationally on ESPN.
Wake Forest is trying to identify someone to step
in for DE Kyle Wilber, who broke a bone in his left leg in
Saturday’s win over Stanford and is projected to miss
six weeks. Wilber, considered the team’s top pass
rusher, had started nine straight games since moving
into the lineup last year at Miami.
Coach Jim Grobe says the Deacons are looking at Will
Wright, Gelo Orange and others at Wilber’s spot.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 10
BIG TEN
INSIDE DISH
Hoosiers’ Evans shows off versatility
If you look for Mitchell Evans on Indiana’s 2009 ros-
ter, you’ll find him listed as a wide receiver. But
that’s misleading.
The talented 6-3 junior started his college career
at quarterback, moved to safety, went back to quar-
terback and then finally settled in as a receiver—
kind of. Actually, the versatile Evans is pulling
double duty for the 2-0 Hoosiers, lining up as a
receiver one play, at quarterback on another.
“The biggest thing is keeping him healthy because
he’s doing a lot out there,” coach Bill Lynch said. “He had
a tremendous game (against Western Michigan), even
if the stats don’t show it. You know if he had completed
that pass to (Tandon) Doss down there inside the 5, he
would have had an unbelievable game.”
It appears Lynch finally has figured out how to
take advantage of the skills Evans used to throw for
nearly 4,800 yards and run for more than 2,000 in
high school. In a 23-19 win over Western Michigan,
he caught two passes for 31 yards, ran six times for CAROLYN KASTER / AP
35 and was 0-for-1 passing. He lined up in place of WR Mitchell Evans is even seeing some action as Indiana’s QB.
starting QB Ben Chappell on a handful of plays.
“It’s what we did at preseason camp,” Lynch said. “Some of the things they have in common …
“We don’t go into it with a certain amount of times they’re calm, they don’t get flustered. Actually, it
we want him to do it. I’d say 10 to 15 times is what seems like they improve their focus and their con-
we’re looking for.” centration in the bigger moments. I said that for
years there: Pat White, the bigger the moment, the
After watching Michigan freshman QB Tate Forcier bigger the stage, the better he was, every time. We’re
carve up Notre Dame on a game-winning drive last hoping our young guys have that same mentality.”
Saturday, coach Rich Rodriguez got to thinking about the
poise and calm demeanor Forcier showed under pres- New Purdue coach Danny Hope is 1-1, his offense
sure. He told reporters he had seen that before—in Pat is about as balanced as can be and his sophomore
White, his former QB at West Virginia. running back, Ralph Bolden, is the nation’s leading
“There are some (similarities),” Rodriguez said on rusher. So far, so good.
the Big Ten teleconference. “Fortunately for us, we Bolden is averaging 178.5 yards per game—and
were able to redshirt Pat. We had a player named has scored five touchdowns. Purdue has 986 yards
Rasheed Marshall who was the player of the year in the of total offense (485 rushing, 501 passing).
league. So Pat could sit back and really take a year to “Ralph has really impacted the offense and given
learn, and then as a redshirt freshman he got his us a chance to win every game, he and his team-
chance to go in there. mates,” Hope told The Indianapolis Star.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
After school, broadcasting career awaits
About the author
Ciron Black,
LSU OT
Ciron Black
and the LSU
Tigers picked
up their first
SEC win of
the season
last week,
beating Vanderbilt to improve
to 2-0 overall. This week, Black,
majoring in Communications
Studies, talks about his interest
in becoming a broadcaster after
his football career. The Tigers play
Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday.
BY CIRON BLACK
For SN Today
Hopefully when I get done with
football at LSU and God blesses me
to play in the NFL then afterward, I
would love to get into what I love,
broadcasting. Not just about foot-
ball, I’m actually a baseball fan and
a sports fan in general. If I could
just stay in that field and do what I
love and work my way up and be on
TV one day—broadcast or just
whatever it might be— just staying
around sports would be great if I
could. It would be a dream to do it.
When I’m watching broadcasters
on TV, I watch body language, facial
expressions and how they use their
hands and relay it to my interviews
and when I’m doing stuff like that.
It’s hard to keep people’s attention
and when you’re able to do that for
millions and millions of people
every single night and not make it
sound like the same thing over and
over, that’s something you notice. I
really try to pay attention to the way
they do it.
PLAYER DIARY
Ciron Black really likes the broadcasting work Stuart Scott does for ESPN.
I watch ESPN all the time and
they do a really good job with it. I
try to model after that and hope-
fully down the line, I can get a little
more coaching and, of course,
through my classes, and my teach-
ers, if I can get in that field, it would
be great. It seems like a lot of fun,
doing what you love every single
day and making money doing it.
I’d have to say one of my favorites
is Stuart Scott. He’s on SportsCenter
all the time and he’s a real energetic
guy. He’s flashy, but too flashy at
the same time. He knows sports, he
watches it and he knows what he’s
talking about and not just reading
off the teleprompter.
College Football
JOE FARAONI / ESPN
A lot of times you’ll see people get
on TV and they might not really
know about the sport or what’s really
going on, but that’s why I really like
him. He really does know what’s
going on. Fans listen and they can see
if someone doesn’t know what he’s
talking about and they’re not going to
pay attention. I’m a fan myself of the
NFL and MLB and NBA, and if I see
someone I don’t think knows what
they’re talking about, I’m not going to
pay attention to them. I’m just going
to end up watching the highlights.
Stuart Scott is one guy who really
does right and if I could ever do it, I
would try to model myself after him.
— As told to Ken Bradley
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 11
PLAYER DIARY
Picking off Tebow in Swamp a vivid memory
BY ERIC BERRY
For SN Today
It’s very exciting just to face a
team like Florida, especially from
the defensive side of the ball, seeing
how many weapons they have on
offense. I feel like we just have to be
prepared this week and do a great
job of focusing at practice and get
ready for what they have to offer.
Though it’s Florida week, we’re
still going through the same game
preparation process since we got
here. Nothing has really changed,
but I feel like everyone is a little
more focused, the players are a
little bit more in tune to what’s
going on. Probably because of
what happened last week too, but
everyone seems like they have a
different focus right now. ELIZABETH OLIVIER / UT ATHLETICS
I think the Swamp is the tough- Eric Berry’s first interception as a Volunteer came in 2007 against Tim Tebow.
est place to play on the road in the
SEC because the fans are always upset that I got beat on that touch- been here, or Alabama, I would
into the game. They stay to the down by Riley Cooper in the first say both of those are pretty big
end no matter how long the game half, but Jonathan Hefney settled rivals. We look forward to every
is or what the score is. You have me down before the second half. SEC game, but those are two of
to be focused and just pay atten- He said, ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s the biggest ones.
tion to what’s going on on the field in the past. Just play football like It would mean a lot if we could
and not too much in the stands you’ve been doing all your life.’ I get a win. You see what it did for
because the fans are always into went out there then and just tried Ole Miss last year when they beat
it, so we’ve got to be ready for it. to make a play. And it was pretty Florida. Now they entered this
My freshman year, I was a little exciting. season with a lot of people pick-
distracted by the atmosphere, just Everyone in the SEC is our ing them as the favorite to win the
coming straight out of high school rival, but just seeing how we SEC West. It could do a lot for us.
and that being my third college haven’t beat Florida since I’ve — As told to Roger Kuznia
game. But now my focus is just on
the game.
That Florida game two years About the author
ago was the one where I inter- Eric Berry, Tennessee DB
cepted Tim Tebow for my first Berry, an All-American candidate, led the Volunteers
career interception and returned in tackles last week with 10, including seven solos, in the
19-15 loss to UCLA. The Volunteers face No. 1 Florida on
it 96 yards for a touchdown.
Saturday.
What I remember about that
play was that I was still pretty
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 12

SEC PAC-10
INSIDE DISH INSIDE DISH

LSU still plans to throw it downfield Barkley limited in practice again

LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson has heard the chat- USC QB Matt Barkley and S Taylor Sarkisian brought from USC but
ter around campus. Mays both were limited in practice has tweaked to fit what Locker
People want to know when the Tigers’ downfield for the third straight day. does best. Locker threw for 321
passing game is going to kick into gear. Barkley again didn’t partici- yards in Washington’s 31-23 sea-
“I talked to (offensive coordinator Gary Crowton) this pate in throwing drills Wednes- son-opening loss to LSU, then hit
morning and he said we’re going to start throwing deep day night for the No. 3 Trojans on 17 of 25 throws for 253 yards
a little more, “ Jefferson told The Advocate. (2-0) after the freshman bruised and three TDs in last week’s win
Jefferson’s longest completion in LSU’s first two his shoulder in last weekend’s over Idaho.
games is a 45-yard TD toss to Terrance Toliver. He has win at Ohio State. “With (Sarkisian’s) coaching and
three other downfield connections, according to The Coach Pete Carroll still says he’ll scheme, and everyone all pumped
Advocate, of at least 20 yards. wait before deciding whether up around him, that makes him
LSU coach Les Miles said airing it out is part of the plan. Barkley or sophomore Aaron Corp extremely dangerous,” Carroll
“We called some deep balls,” Miles told the paper. will start Saturday at said. “Jake is just a ridiculous ath-
“We didn’t necessarily hit them.” Washington. lete that plays quarterback in a
Corp, who is almost fully recov- high-skilled offense as well. It’s just
Georgia’s Joe Cox is finding out what it’s like to be a ered from a broken bone in his totally different. Jake’s dynamics,
major college starting quarterback. He had a virus leg, ran the first-team offense STEPHEN BRASHEAR / AP because of his legs, it just makes
before the season-opener against Oklahoma State and again in Barkley’s absence. Jake Locker’s athleticism has the Pac-10’s him incredibly difficult.”
Internet reports had him losing his starting job dean of coaches singing his praises.
because of a shoulder injury prior to last week’s game Meanwhile, Carroll is sure Arizona coach Mike Stoops
against South Carolina, the Athens Banner-Herald BILL HABER / AP full of praise for opposing quar- the first time in two years on Sat- doesn’t make player reunions since
reported. QB Jordan Jefferson and LSU’s offense have been efficient, not explosive. terbacks these days. Last week, urday when the third-ranked Tro- most of his Saturdays in the fall
“It’s definitely been interesting to see how crazy it leading up to the Trojans’ show- jans travel to Seattle. have been occupied for years. But
can get just based off what somebody says,” Cox told Despite his team’s 2-0 start, first-year Auburn down at Ohio State, Carroll con- Most of the story lines this week there will be a little nostalgia this
the Banner-Herald. coach Gene Chizik is not preparing his next victory tinually raved about Buckeyes are focusing on new Washington Saturday when the Wildcats travel
This week, Cox is sporting a taped middle finger on speech. Instead, he’s preaching that Auburn remains a QB Terrelle Pryor. coach Steve Sarkisian—the former to Iowa, where Stoops played in the
his left hand after injuring it Saturday. work in progress and there still is work to do. This week, it’s Washington’s whiz-kid offensive coordinator at early 1980s and was a first-team
“This is actually chasing Eric Norwood and tackling him “We’re not satisfied with the way we’re playing, but sat- Jake Locker. USC—facing off with Carroll, his all-Big Ten selection his junior and
six yards deep in the end zone,” Cox told the Banner-Her- isfied being 2-0,” Chizik told reporters Wednesday. The “I think Jake is one of the best mentor for the seven seasons they senior years. Stoops played safety
ald. “I guess this is what I get throwing a pick six.” Tigers play West Virginia (2-0) at home Saturday night. players I’ve ever seen in this con- spent together with the Trojans. for the Hawkeyes, including on
Meanwhile, coach Mark Richt says TB Caleb King is “very ference, in all the years we’ve Carroll said it’s the first time he can their Big Ten championship team
probable” to make his season debut against Arkansas. LSU and North Carolina will play in the 2010 been here,” Carroll told The Asso- remember having to face a former in 1981 when Iowa lost to Washing-
Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game at the Georgia Dome. ciated Press. “He’s the most assistant who moved on to become ton 28-0 in the Rose Bowl.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said receiver Julio Jones The game will be played Sept. 4. In other scheduling extraordinary athlete at the posi- a head coach.
and running back Roy Upchurch have not been cleared to updates, South Carolina announced it will open the tion we’ve seen, and I saw that as Carroll might have headaches USC’s Joe McKnight was named
play Saturday against North Texas, but both players 2010 season against Southern Miss on Sept. 2, a Thurs- a freshman.” figuring out how to slow Locker. the Pac-10’s offensive player of the
have improved. day night game on ESPN. Carroll is one of Locker’s biggest Through two weeks, Locker is week, while UCLA’s Reggie Carter
Jones suffered a bruised knee and Upchurch a high The Gamecocks had been scheduled to play North supporters not associated with the the leading passer in the Pac-10, was defensive player of the week
ankle sprain in last week’s game. Saban said he’d have Carolina, but instead will play the Tar Heels in Colum- purple and gold of Washington. showing a strong grasp of the and Bruins kicker Kai Forbath took
a better idea of their availability after today’s practice. bia to open the 2013 season. He’ll get to see Locker up close for offensive philosophy that the special teams honor.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
BIG EAST
Orange coach thinks Paulus could play in pros
Syracuse coach Doug Marrone thinks
Orange QB Greg Paulus has what it
takes to play at the next level.
Although the former Duke point
guard has thrown three intercep-
tions in two games, two of those picks
were off deflections in a 28-7 loss at
Penn State on Saturday. Paulus was
14 for 20 for 105 yards with one
touchdown in the game and has com-
pleted 64.7 percent of his passes in
two games against Big Ten teams.
If not for several drops, the Orange
might very well be 1-1, having lost
their season-opener 23-20 in over-
time to Minnesota. Senior WR Mike
Williams has had the biggest slip-ups—
on a critical third-down pass that
was right in his midsection against
the Golden Gophers and in the end
zone against the Nittany Lions.
“Different games present different
problems,” Marrone told The Associ-
ated Press. “He (Paulus) hasn’t been
around that long. He’s getting better
and better every week and we’re
excited about the progress. People
put a lot on size and speed and arm
strength, a lot of things. But it comes
down to mentally how you prepare,
your skill at quick decision making,
especially at that position, and Greg
has all those intangibles.”
Cincinnati WR/KR Mardy Gilyard
can’t dodge comparisons to the Steel-
ers’ Santonio Holmes, a college star at
Ohio State. Gilyard scored four times
during a 70-3 win over Southeast Mis-
souri State on Saturday. He became
INSIDE DISH
Syracuse QB Greg Paulus has shown promise in two games against foes from the Big Ten.
the first Division I-A player to score on
a punt return, a run and a catch in the
same game since UCLA’s Maurice Drew
did it on Oct. 8, 2005 against Cal.
Even before his big game, the
senior had been getting compared
with Holmes.
“I get that from everybody,” Gil-
yard told the AP. “I just love the
way he plays. He has those goofy
legs, kind of like he’s stumbling all
the time, like me. I love his game. I
love the way he plays.”
“… My mom and my brothers were
watching the Super Bowl game when
he caught that corner touchdown and
they (compared) it to the Orange Bowl
when I caught a sideline ball. It was
just kind of funny how they compared
the two. Anytime he does something,
the guys on this team are like: ‘Did
you see yourself on TV? That’s your
College Football
CAROLYN KASTER / AP
twin, dude. Y’all play just alike.’ ”
How does Gilyard respond?
“I just kind of giggle,” he said.
West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown
was named Big East offensive player
of the week for the Mountaineers’
35-20 win over East Carolina last
week. Brown threw for 334 yards and
four touchdowns and added 73 yards
and a touchdown on the ground.
Pittsburgh LB Adam Gunn was
named the defensive player of the
week after picking up 11 tackles—
including three sacks—during the
Panthers’ 54-27 win over Buffalo.
Gunn has five sacks in two games.
Gilyard’s 53-yard punt return for a
score—the first by a Cincinnati
player in 12 years—was good enough
to earn him the special teams player
of the week.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 13
PLAYER DIARY
No SEC intimidation here
About the author
Scooter
Berry, West
Virginia DT
Berry, a junior
defensive
tackle,
recorded a
sack in the
Mountaineers’
35-20 win over East Carolina. He is
questionable for Saturday’s game at
Auburn with an injured shoulder.
BY SCOOTER BERRY
For SN Today
We thought we could just go
into East Carolina last year and
win. This year, we knew every-
one would have to step up. We
came out slow on offense; a few
penalties set us back. Once we got
rolling, there was no stopping us.
I caught (ECU quarterback Pat- JEFF GENTNER / AP
rick) Pinkney on a rollout for a WVU QB Jarrett Brown, above, validated Scooter Berry’s confidence with a 334-yard game.
sack. A lot of people thought that
was the play that really got us behind Pat. He waited his turn, shoulder is a little banged up, and
going, but I thought we were roll- and he’s making the best of his I don’t know about my status for
ing before then. opportunity right now. Saturday. I hope I can play, but
Their coach (Skip Holtz) said We go to Auburn this weekend. I’m just taking it day by day. I felt
after the game he would’ve rather I’m sure it’s going to be a wild atmo- like I was on a roll, like I was
faced Pat White than Jarrett sphere, but I don’t understand the improving with each practice. To
Brown (who threw for 334 yards whole SEC intimidation factor. To have a setback like this, it’s very
and four TDs against ECU). When me, a stadium is a stadium. They frustrating. Unfortunately, my
I read it I laughed. Jarrett and I have a great team and a complex brother got hurt, too, last week in
came in at the same time, so I’ve offense, but we’ll be OK as long as his first game of the season, and
always known about his potential. we stick to our game. I think we he’ll be out a few weeks.
Before the season, I told reporters I proved ourselves against East Car- You have to stay positive and
was confident Jarrett would get olina last week; but that was last wish for the best. I do not want to
the job done, and they were like, week. If we can come out on top miss this game. It’s a Saturday
yeah right. Now they’re saying, against Auburn, it would be a great night TV game. I’m doing every-
“You really are right about this confidence boost. thing in my power to be able to
guy.” He backed up my words. He I couldn’t practice at the start of play. Don’t count me out.
waited a decent amount of years this week because my right — As told to Paul Day
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
BIG 12
Texas’ Brown might punt on strategy
Texas coach Mack Brown knows that
all it takes is one mistake and a game
against an opponent like Texas Tech
could take a nasty turn. So he has
been devoting considerable time this
week to his punting unit.
In their first two games, the Long-
horns have used two punters—rugby-
style kicker Justin Tucker and traditional
punter John Gold. Before last Satur-
day’s game against Wyoming, Brown
was pleased with the multiple punt-
ing options this tandem provided.
Then Wyoming blocked one punt
and barely missed getting another,
forcing Brown to rethink his
strategy.
“We saw something in Texas’
punt protection that we could
exploit and get to their punter,”
Cowboys coach Dave Christensen said.
Brown said the Longhorns still
will use both punters Saturday
against Tech, but the thinking has
changed.
“We might have to look at the fact
that we’re trying to punt in two dif-
ferent ways,” Brown told the Austin
American-Statesman. “I think we’re
the only team in the country that is
punting both ways. We might have
to take a look at that.”
Your Cornhuskers are ranked
near the bottom of the polls, and
Saturday’s road game on national
television against a highly ranked
Virginia Tech team provides an
excellent opportunity to shift per-
ception and win respect for your
INSIDE DISH
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP
Mack Brown will stick with his two-punter plan,
but admits some changes may be in order.
still-struggling program.
Big deal, right Bo Pelini—especially
since no Nebraska team has
defeated a top 15 opponent away
from home since 1997?
“All those things, national TV,
means nothing. Where we’re play-
ing means nothing,” Pelini told the
Omaha World-Herald. “It’s about
executing between the lines, and
executing our football. Period. End
of story. If we’re able to do that, then
we’ll like the outcome.”
Kansas QB Todd Reesing told the
Topeka Capital-Journal that he was
just a little off with his passing last
Saturday against UTEP. Jayhawks
College Football
fans, accustomed to those 350-yard,
multi-touchdown games, might
have noticed, too.
“I did not play my best and was
not as sharp for whatever reason,”
Reesing told the newspaper. “No
one can always play their best. I
mean, even (Roger) Federer lost.”
Coach Mark Mangino, however, takes
issue with Reesing’s assessment. He
said there’s a reason for his quarter-
back’s 25-for-41, 260-yard, one inter-
ception performance against
UTEP—and the result is not all bad.
“(Opponents) do not want Todd
coming in there and passing for
400 to 500 yards,” Mangino told
the newspaper. “So, it is great
because if they are going to play us
that way, we can run the ball.”
Kansas has rushed for 609 yards
already this season, surpassing the
Jayhawks’ 540 passing yards.
Check out these numbers, pro-
vided by The Oklahoman, on Okla-
homa State star WR Dez Bryant.
In 2008, Bryant caught 31 passes
for 394 yards and four touchdowns
in the first quarters of 10 games
and, not surprisingly, the Cowboys
scored 128 first-quarter points
while averaging 40.8 per game.
In two games this season, Bryant
has one first-quarter catch for 17
yards—and the Cowboys have not
scored a first-quarter point.
It’s a good bet coach Mike Gundy will
be trying to get his big-play receiver
the ball earlier in future games.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 14
INSIDE DISH
Tulane coach kicks his team out of practice
Tulane coach Bob Toledo threw
his entire team out of practice
Wednesday afternoon because he
was unhappy with the players’
effort and performance.
“This has never happened,” LB
David Kirksey, a team captain, told The
Times-Picayune of New Orleans.
“This is a Division I program.
When a head coach does that, he’s
saying something to the team and
it’s not good.
“We just have to be ready, we
have to come out tomorrow and
show the coaches that they can
depend on us as football players.”
Toledo has threatened the start-
ing jobs of several players, and
mistakes in practice cost the team
five push-ups, according to the
newspaper. Players estimated PATRICK SEMANSKY / AP
Tuesday that they did about 100 Bob Toledo has won just six of 22 games in two-plus seasons at Tulane.
push-ups.
Tulane is off to an 0-2 start there in 2007, English’s final year team, according to a report by The
with lopsided losses to BYU and at Michigan before a one-season Advocate of Baton Rouge.
Tulsa. The Green Wave are off stop at Louisville. Molton is sitting out this season
this weekend. “The Big House is a special place but will be eligible to play for three
Some of the players, including and anytime you can coach in that seasons beginning in 2010. He suf-
QBs Joe Kemp and Ryan Griffin and RB stadium it’s special, and I don’t care fered a major knee injury during a
Andre’ Anderson, went back on the what side you’re on,” English said seven-on-seven offseason workout
field and did individual drills in a report by The Detroit News. “It’s at LSU and was scheduled to spend
Wednesday, according to the news- one of the top venues in the coun- this season rehabilitating.
paper, but no coaches joined them. try. Our team has to make sure
they don’t get caught up in the pag- SMU coach June Jones said he
First-year Eastern Michigan eantry of it all. There are issues, expects QB Bo Levi Mitchell (rib
coach Ron English knows all about like ‘will the guys focus’ or ‘will injury) to play in Saturday’s game
Michigan Stadium, where his they be distracted.’ at Washington State, according to a
team will face the Wolverines on “Michigan’s a different animal. report by The Dallas Morning News.
Saturday. He was an assistant There’s one way to go in the sta- Mitchell, who has thrown for
coach at Michigan for five sea- dium and one way out, and there’s 555 yards with four touchdowns
sons, and his 2006 defense a sea of people.” and four interceptions in two
ranked first nationally against games, was injured in the opener
the run and 10th overall. Louisiana Tech coach Derek against Stephen F. Austin but
Several Eastern Michigan play- Dooley said former LSU WR Tim Mol- played last Saturday in the Mus-
ers also are familiar with the sta- ton has transferred to Tech, enrolled tangs’ win over UAB. Jones held
dium—the Eagles lost to Michigan in classes and joined the football him out of practice Tuesday.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 15
POLLS Schedule Betting lines
FAVORITE TODAY UNDERDOG

Boston College 19, Baylor 15, Clemson 10, Oregon 5, Arizona 4, Arkansas 52, Northern Arizona 45, Gardner-Webb 42, Brown 36, Prairie View A&M 33,
Today
USA Today / Coaches 3, Colorado State 2, Florida State 1, Minnesota 1, South Florida 1. Stephen F. Austin 28, Western Illinois 26, Valparaiso 23, Sam Houston St. 19,
SOUTH
Howard at Florida A&M, 7:30 p.m. Top 25
Today
at Miami. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Georgia Tech
Record Pts Pvs Southern 18, Georgia Southern 15, Tennessee St. 15, Tennessee-Martin 13,
1. Florida (56) 2-0 1,472 1 Georgia Tech at Miami, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Butler 12, Lafayette 8, Southeastern Louisiana 8, North Carolina A&T 7, North
2. Texas 2-0 1,399 2 Dakota State 7, Alabama State 6, Jackson State 6, North Dakota 6,The Citadel Today Boise St. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Fresno St.
3. USC (3) 2-0 1,368 3 Sporting News 5, Albany 4, Drake 4, Rhode Island 4, Northern Colorado 3, Tennessee Tech 3,
Friday
Missouri St. 2, Saint Francis 2, Murray St. 1, San Diego 1,Yale 1.
FAR WEST No. 14 Georgia Tech at No. 20 Miami, 7:30 p.m.
4. Alabama 2-0 1,277 4 Record Pvs Boise St. at Fresno St., 9 p.m. Saturday
5. Penn State 2-0 1,216 5 1. Florida 2-0 1 at Army. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ball St.
6. Mississippi 1-0 1,060 8 2. USC 2-0 4 Saturday Friday
at Purdue. . . . . . . . . . . . .  13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N. Illinois
7. LSU 2-0 1,051 9 3. Texas 2-0 2 AFCA Division II Coaches EAST No. 10 Boise State at Fresno State, 9 p.m. at Michigan. . . . . . . . . . .  24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E. Michigan
7. California 2-0 1,051 10 4. Alabama 2-0 3 Record Pts Pvs Ball St. at Army, Noon at Pittsburgh. . . . . . . . . .7½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Navy
9. BYU 2-0 941 12 5. California 2-0 13 1. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (25) 3-0 625 1 Delaware St. at Delaware, Noon Saturday Northwestern. . . . . . . . . . .3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Syracuse
10. Boise State 2-0 913 11 6. Mississippi 1-0 5 2. Abilene Christian (Texas) 3-0 592 2 Duquesne at Monmouth, N.J., Noon
Temple at Penn St., Noon No. 1 Florida vs. Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. at Clemson. . . . . . . . . . . .6½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boston College
11. Ohio State 1-1 855 7 7. LSU 2-0 9 3. North Alabama 3-0 577 3
4. Bloomsburg (Pa.) 3-0 541 5 Dayton at Robert Morris, Noon No. 2 Texas vs. Texas Tech, 8:05 p.m. at Penn St. . . . . . . . . . . .29½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Temple
12. Oklahoma 1-1 794 14 8. Georgia Tech 2-0 7 Bucknell at Cornell, 12:30 p.m. No. 3 Southern Cal at Washington, 3:30 p.m. at North Carolina . . . . . .7½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .East Carolina
13. Georgia Tech 2-0 771 13 9. BYU 2-0 11 5. Central Washington 3-0 526 6
Yale at Georgetown, D.C., 1 p.m. No. 4 Alabama vs. North Texas, 12:20 p.m. at W. Michigan . . . . . . .16½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miami (Ohio)
14. Virginia Tech 1-1 709 15 10. Penn State 2-0 8 6. Northwest Missouri St. 2-1 510 7 Harvard at Holy Cross, 1 p.m.
No. 5 Mississippi vs. SE Louisiana, 7:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt . . . . . . . . . . . .9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mississippi St.
15. TCU 1-0 648 16 11. Virginia Tech 1-1 10 7. Minnesota St.-Mankato 3-0 432 8 Youngstown St. at Northeastern, 1 p.m. at Colorado  . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Wyoming
16. Utah 2-0 533 17 12. Ohio State 1-1 14 8. Minnesota-Duluth 2-1 418 9 Colgate at Dartmouth, 1:30 p.m. No. 5 Penn State vs. Temple, Noon p.m.
at Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Arizona
17. Oklahoma State 1-1 485 6 13. Boise State 2-0 15 9. Delta St. (Miss.) 1-1 392 10 Winston-Salem vs Morgan St. at East No. 7 BYU vs. Florida State, 7 p.m. at Akron . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Indiana
18. Nebraska 2-0 471 18 14. Oklahoma 1-1 12 10. Texas A&M-Kingsville 3-0 388 11 Rutherford, N.J., 2 p.m. No. 8 California at Minnesota, Noon p.m.
The Citadel at Princeton, 3 p.m. at Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Duke
19. North Carolina 2-0 341 19 15. Cincinnati 2-0 21 11. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 2-1 355 4 No. 9 LSU vs. La.-Lafayette, 7 p.m.
Rhode Island at Massachusetts, 3:30 p.m. at Southern Miss.. . . . .16½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virginia
20. Georgia 1-1 333 21 16. Georgia 1-1 19 12. Central Missouri 3-0 320 13
Maine at Albany, N.Y., 4 p.m. No. 11 Ohio State vs. Toledo at Cleveland, Noon at Oregon. . . . . . . . . . . . .4½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Utah
21. Cincinnati 2-0 328 23 17. Miami 1-0 17 13. Albany St. (Ga.) 3-0 301 12
14. Catawba (N.C.) 3-0 262 17
Fla. International at Rutgers, 5 p.m. No. 12 Oklahoma vs. Tulsa, 3:30 p.m. Southern Cal . . . . . . . . .19½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Washington
22. Miami 1-0 291 22 18. Houston 2-0 — Columbia at Fordham, 6 p.m. No. 13 Virginia Tech vs. No. 19 Nebraska, 3:30 at UCLA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kansas St.
23. Kansas 2-0 195 25 19. Oklahoma State 1-1 6 15. Chadron St. (Neb.) 2-1 258 15 Liberty at Lafayette, 6 p.m.
p.m. at Virginia Tech . . . . . . . .4½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nebraska
24. Oregon State 2-0 118 24 20. TCU 1-0 — 16. Valdosta St. (Ga.) 1-1 230 18 Navy at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m.
No. 15 TCU vs. Texas State, 7 p.m. at Notre Dame  . . . . . . .10½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michigan St.
25. Missouri 2-0 104 — 21. North Carolina 2-0 22 17. Tuskegee (Ala.) 2-1 211 14 Brown at Stony Brook, 6 p.m. Ohio St.-x. . . . . . . . . . . .20½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toledo
Dropped out: Notre Dame (20) 22. Kansas 2-0 — 18. Ashland (Ohio) 2-1 183 19 Villanova at Penn, 7 p.m. No. 16 Oklahoma State vs. Rice, 7 p.m.
Northwestern at Syracuse, 7 p.m. at Auburn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . West Virginia
23. Utah 2-0 23 19. Tarleton St. (Texas) 3-0 178 22 No. 17 Cincinnati at Oregon State, 6:45 p.m.
Others receiving votes: Michigan 84, Houston 69, Texas Tech 68, Coastal Carolina at Towson, 7 p.m. at Florida  . . . . . . . . . . . .29½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tennessee
24. Michigan 2-0 — 20. Wayne St. (Neb.) 3-0 157 23 No. 18 Utah at Oregon, 3:30 p.m.
Pitt 40, Notre Dame 32, Auburn 30, Iowa 27, Florida State 19, Oregon SMU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Washington St.
16, West Virginia 16, South Florida 13, UCLA 13, Kentucky 9, Arizona 25. Oregon State 2-0 24 21. Indiana (Pa.) 3-0 136 t24 No. 22 Kansas vs. Duke, Noon
SOUTH San Diego St.. . . . . . . . . .3½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Idaho
4, Central Michigan 2, Colorado State 2, Minnesota 2, Northwestern 22. Washburn (Kan.) 3-0 113 NR
Dropped out: Notre Dame (16), Michigan State (18), Oregon (20), Boston College at Clemson, Noon No. 23 Georgia at Arkansas, 7:45 p.m. Nevada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Colorado St.
2, Arkansas 1, South Carolina 1, Tulsa 1. Missouri (24). 23. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) 2-1 88 16 Louisville at Kentucky, Noon
24. Midwestern St. (Texas) 3-0 69 NR No. 24 North Carolina vs. East Carolina, Noon Bowling Green . . . . . . . . . .3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Marshall
East Carolina at North Carolina, Noon California . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Minnesota
25. Augustana (S.D.) 3-0 66 NR North Texas at Alabama, 12:20 p.m. No. 25 Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan, Noon
at UCF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Buffalo
The Associated Press Division I-AA Old Dominion at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
at Oklahoma St. . . . . . .32½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rice
Record Pts Pvs Record Pts Pvs Morehead St. at N.C. Central, 1:30 p.m.
1. Florida (56) 2-0 1,491 1 1. Richmond (122) 2-0 3,607 1 Chattanooga at Presbyterian, 1:30 p.m. at Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . .  17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tulsa
2. Texas (1) 2-0 1,404 2 2. Villanova (13) 2-0 3,369 3 TV schedule Miles at Samford, 3 p.m.
Tennessee at Florida, 3:30 p.m.
Savannah St. at McNeese St., 8 p.m. SOUTHWEST
at Baylor. . . . . . . . . . . . .10½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connecticut
at Texas A&M. . . . . . . . . .  19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Utah St.
3. USC (1) 2-0 1,396 3 3. Northern Iowa (6) 1-1 3,271 4 Tenn.-Martin at Memphis, 8 p.m. Tulsa at Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m.
Today *No. 3 USC at Washington, ABC Middle Tennessee at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. Connecticut at Baylor, 5 p.m. at Kentucky . . . . . . . . . .13½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Louisville
4. Alabama (2) 2-0 1,328 4 4. Montana 2-0 3,075 5 Hofstra at Richmond, 3:30 p.m.
5. Mississippi 1-0 1,145 6 5. William & Mary (2) 2-0 2,865 7 7:30 p.m. Tulsa at No. 12 Oklahoma, FSN MIDWEST Rice at Oklahoma St., 7 p.m. Iowa St.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Kent St.
No. 14 Georgia Tech at No. 20 *No. 19 Nebraska at No. 13 Virginia at Southern Miss., 3:30 p.m. Duke at Kansas, Noon Texas St. at TCU, 7 p.m. at BYU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida St.
5. Penn State 2-0 1,145 7 6. New Hampshire (1) 2-0 2,701 9 UAB at Troy, 3:30 p.m.
Miami, ESPN Virginia Tech, ABC E. Michigan at Michigan, Noon Utah St. at Texas A&M, 7 p.m. at Arkansas  . . . . . . . . . . . . .1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgia
7. BYU 2-0 1,122 9 7. James Madison 0-1 2,618 6 Nebraska at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m. California at Minnesota, Noon Texas College at Texas Southern, 7 p.m.
Friday No. 18 Utah at Oregon, ESPN Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  at New Mexico
8. California 2-0 1,058 10 8. McNeese State (1) 2-0 2,358 16 9 p.m. *Arizona at Iowa, ABC Grambling St. at Jackson St., 4:30 p.m. N. Illinois at Purdue, Noon Georgia at Arkansas, 7:45 p.m.
9. LSU 2-0 951 11 9. Southern Illinois 0-1 2,296 8 Campbell at Davidson, 6 p.m. UTEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14. . . . . . . . . . . . . .at New Mexico St.
No. 10 Boise State at Fresno Michigan State at Notre Ohio St. vs. Toledo at Cleveland, Noon Texas Tech at Texas, 8 p.m. at Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . .17½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Texas Tech
10. Boise State 2-0 945 12 10. Appalachian State 0-2 2,241 2 State, ESPN Dame, NBC VMI at James Madison, 6 p.m. Wofford at Wisconsin, Noon
11. Ohio State 1-1 840 8 11. Elon 2-0 2,219 10 Saturday Indiana at Akron, ESPNU Ark.-Pine Bluff at MVSU, 6 p.m. Hanover at Butler, 1 p.m. FAR WEST at UNLV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hawaii
Noon 6:45 p.m. Hampton at N. Carolina A&T, 6 p.m. Furman at Missouri, 2 p.m. Portland St. at Montana, 3:05 p.m. at Stanford. . . . . . . . . . .17½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  San Jose St.
12. Oklahoma 1-1 835 13 12. Cal Poly 1-0 1,885 12 Gardner-Webb at N.C. State, 6 p.m.
13. Virginia Tech 1-1 749 14 13. Weber State 0-2 1,719 11 *Temple at No. 5 Penn State, No. 17 Cincinnati at Oregon Indiana at Akron, 3:30 p.m. Wyoming at Colorado, 3:30 p.m. at Oregon St.. . . . . . . . . . .Pk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cincinnati
Big Ten Network State, FSN William & Mary at Norfolk St., 6 p.m. Alcorn St. at Cent. Michigan, 3:30 p.m. Utah at Oregon, 3:30 p.m. at Rutgers  . . . . . . . . . . .14½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fla. Int’l
14. Georgia Tech 2-0 683 15 14. Wofford 1-1 1,612 14 Elon at Wake Forest, 6:30 p.m.
No. 8 California at Minnesota, 7 p.m. Michigan St. at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. Southern Cal at Washington, 3:30 p.m. at Alabama  . . . . . . . . . . .  38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .North Texas
15. TCU 1-0 609 16 15. South Carolina St. (1) 2-0 1,515 15 Jacksonville St. at Alabama A&M, 7 p.m. Arizona at Iowa, 3:35 p.m. Marist at San Diego, 4 p.m.
ESPN Florida State at No. 7 BYU, at Maryland. . . . . . . . . . .6½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Middle Tenn.
16. Oklahoma State 1-1 445 5 16. Central Arkansas 0-1 1,503 13 Duke at No. 22 Kansas, Versus Versus Tennessee Tech at E. Kentucky, 7 p.m. Murray St. at Missouri St., 4 p.m. N. Colorado at E. Washington, 4:05 p.m.
17. Cincinnati 2-0 407 23 17. Massachusetts 1-1 1,346 17 W. Carolina at Georgia Southern, 7 p.m. at South Carolina . . . . . .  21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fla. Atlantic
East Carolina at No. 24 North Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 9 St. Francis, Pa. at N. Iowa, 5:05 p.m. Nevada at Colorado St., 5 p.m. at Troy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  UAB
18. Utah 2-0 405 17 18. South Dakota State 1-0 1,089 21 Carolina, ESPN2 LSU, ESPNU Louisiana-Lafayette at LSU, 7 p.m. Drake at South Dakota, 5:05 p.m. San Diego St. at Idaho, 5 p.m.
19. Nebraska 2-0 365 22 19. Texas State 1-0 977 19 *Eastern Michigan at No. 25 7:45 p.m. Nicholls St. at Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m. Iowa St. at Kent St., 7 p.m. SMU at Washington St., 5 p.m. at LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26½. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . La.-Lafayette
Michigan, Big Ten Network No. 23 Georgia at Arkansas, Bowling Green at Marshall, 7 p.m. Wagner at N. Dakota St., 7 p.m. S. Utah at N. Arizona, 5:05 p.m. at Arizona St.. . . . . . . . .19½. . . . . . . . . . . . .  Louisiana-Monroe
20. Miami 1-0 364 20 20. Maine 2-0 973 20 North Dakota at Northwestern St., 7 p.m.
21. Houston 2-0 341 — 21. Eastern Washington 1-1 572 18 Louisville at Kentucky, ESPNU ESPN Cal Poly at Ohio, 7 p.m. Cincinnati at Oregon St., 6:45 p.m. x-at Cleveland
*Northern Illinois at Purdue, West Virginia at Auburn, ESPN2 Florida Atlantic at South Carolina, 7 p.m. Indiana St. at S. Dakota St., 7 p.m. Florida St. at BYU, 7 p.m.
22. Kansas 2-0 271 24 22. Eastern Kentucky 0-1 505 22 Charleston Southern at South Florida, 7 p.m.
Big Ten Network 8 p.m. SW Baptist at S. Illinois, 7 p.m. Air Force at New Mexico, 7:30 p.m.
23. Georgia 1-1 260 21 23. Holy Cross 2-0 476 25 Tennessee St. at Southern U., 7 p.m. E. Illinois at SE Missouri, 7 p.m. UTEP at New Mexico St., 8 p.m.
*Wofford at Wisconsin, Big Ten Texas Tech at No. 2 Texas, ABC
24. North Carolina 2-0 250 19 24. Jacksonville State 0-2 471 23 Network Kansas State at UCLA, FSN Mississippi St. at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. Miami (Ohio) at W. Michigan, 7 p.m. Idaho St. at Weber St., 8:05 p.m.
25. Michigan 2-0 169 — 25. Harvard 0-0 267 24 3:30 p.m. *—Regional telecast Cent. Arkansas at W. Kentucky, 7 p.m. Stephen F.Austin at W. Illinois, 7:05 p.m. San Jose St. at Stanford, 9 p.m.
Dropped out: Notre Dame (18), Missouri (25) Others receiving votes: Eastern Illinois 241, Liberty 205, Florida A&M 182, Tennessee at No. 1 Florida, CBS SE Louisiana at Mississippi, 7:30 p.m. Austin Peay at Illinois St., 7:30 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe at Arizona St., 10 p.m.
Others receiving votes: Missouri 93, Pitt 87, Oregon State 64, Texas Delaware 177, Furman 124, Colgate 100, Grambling St. 89, Hofstra 82, Ala- Buffalo at UCF, 7:30 p.m. Kansas St. at UCLA, 10:15 p.m.
Tech 54, UCLA 44, Notre Dame 40, West Virginia 30, Auburn 26, Iowa 23, bamaA&M77,Samford71,MontanaSt.64,YoungstownSt.53,Pennsylvania West Virginia at Auburn, 7:45 p.m. Hawaii at UNLV, 11 p.m.
Edward Waters at Alabama St., 8 p.m. Conference standings, Page 16
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 16
Conference standings
ACC BIG EAST BIG TEN BIG 12 CONFERENCE USA MAC
Atlantic Conference All Games Conference All Games North East East
Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA Conference All Games Conference All Games Conference All Games
W L PF PA W L PF PA Cincinnati 1 0 47 15 2 0 117 18 Indiana 0 0 0 0 2 0 42 32 W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA
Boston College 0 0 0 0 2 0 88 7 Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 2 0 92 30 Iowa 0 0 0 0 2 0 52 19 Kansas 0 0 0 0 2 0 83 10 Southern Miss. 1 0 26 19 2 0 78 19 Akron 0 0 0 0 1 1 48 31
N.C. State 0 0 0 0 1 1 68 14 West Virginia 0 0 0 0 2 0 68 40 Michigan 0 0 0 0 2 0 69 41 Missouri 0 0 0 0 2 0 64 29 UAB 1 1 77 59 1 1 77 59 Bowling Green 0 0 0 0 1 1 51 41
Wake Forest 0 0 0 0 1 1 45 41 Louisville 0 0 0 0 1 0 30 10 Minnesota 0 0 0 0 2 0 43 33 Nebraska 0 0 0 0 2 0 87 12 East Carolina 0 0 0 0 1 1 49 59 Buffalo 0 0 0 0 1 1 50 71
Maryland 0 0 0 0 0 1 13 52 South Florida 0 0 0 0 1 0 40 7 Northwestern 0 0 0 0 2 0 74 38 Iowa St. 0 0 0 0 1 1 37 52 Marshall 0 0 0 0 1 1 41 80 Kent St. 0 0 0 0 1 1 25 34
Clemson 0 1 27 30 1 1 64 44 Connecticut 0 0 0 0 1 1 33 28 Penn St. 0 0 0 0 2 0 59 14 Kansas St. 0 0 0 0 1 1 36 34 Memphis 0 0 0 0 0 2 28 76 Ohio 0 0 0 0 1 1 47 53
Florida St. 0 1 34 38 0 1 34 38 Syracuse 0 0 0 0 0 2 27 51 Wisconsin 0 0 0 0 2 0 62 51 Colorado 0 0 0 0 0 2 55 77 UCF 0 1 19 26 1 1 47 50 Temple 0 0 0 0 0 1 24 27
Rutgers 0 1 15 47 0 1 15 47 Ohio St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 Miami (Ohio) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 90
Coastal Purdue 0 0 0 0 1 0 52 31 South West
Conference All Games Saturday’s games Illinois 0 0 0 0 1 1 54 54 Conference All Games Conference All Games West
W L PF PA W L PF PA Louisville at Kentucky, Noon Michigan St. 0 0 0 0 1 1 71 32 W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA Conference All Games
Georgia Tech 1 0 30 27 2 0 67 44 Connecticut at Baylor, 5 p.m. Texas Tech 0 0 0 0 2 0 93 23 SMU 1 0 35 33 2 0 66 56 W L PF PA W L PF PA
Miami 1 0 38 34 1 0 38 34 Fla. International at Rutgers, 5 p.m. Saturday’s games Texas 0 0 0 0 2 0 100 30 Tulsa 1 0 37 13 2 0 81 23 Cent. Michigan 0 0 0 0 1 1 35 46
North Carolina 0 0 0 0 2 0 52 16 Navy at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m. Wofford at Wisconsin, Noon Baylor 0 0 0 0 1 0 24 21 Houston 0 0 0 0 2 0 100 42 N. Illinois 0 0 0 0 1 1 61 35
Duke 0 0 0 0 1 1 51 43 Cincinnati at Oregon St., 6:45 p.m. Temple at Penn St., Noon Texas A&M 0 0 0 0 1 0 41 6 UTEP 0 0 0 0 0 2 24 57 Toledo 0 0 0 0 1 1 85 90
Virginia Tech 0 0 0 0 1 1 76 44 Northwestern at Syracuse, 7 p.m. Ohio St. vs. Toledo at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Noon Oklahoma St. 0 0 0 0 1 1 59 55 Rice 0 1 24 44 0 2 34 99 Ball St. 0 0 0 0 0 2 26 43
Virginia 0 0 0 0 0 2 28 56 Charleston Southern at South Florida, 7 p.m. N. Illinois at Purdue, Noon Oklahoma 0 0 0 0 1 1 77 14 Tulane 0 1 13 37 0 2 16 91 E. Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 2 38 54
West Virginia at Auburn, 7:45 p.m. E. Michigan at Michigan, Noon W. Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 2 26 54
Today’s game 3:30 p.m. California at Minnesota, Noon Saturday’s games Iowa St. at Kent St., 7 p.m. Saturday’s games Bowling Green at Marshall, 7
Georgia Tech at Miami, 7:30 Nebraska at Virginia Tech, 3:30 Indiana at Akron, 3:30 p.m. Duke at Kansas, Noon Rice at Oklahoma St., 7 p.m. East Carolina at North Carolina, p.m. Saturday’s games Cal Poly at Ohio, 7 p.m.
p.m. p.m. Michigan St. at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. Furman at Missouri, 2 p.m. Texas Tech at Texas, 8 p.m. Noon Buffalo at UCF, 7:30 p.m. Temple at Penn St., Noon Iowa St. at Kent St., 7 p.m.
Virginia at Southern Miss., 3:30 Arizona at Iowa, 3:35 p.m. Wyoming at Colorado, 3:30 Kansas St. at UCLA, 10:15 p.m. UAB at Troy, 3:30 p.m. Tenn.-Martin at Memphis, 8 Ball St. at Army, Noon Miami (Ohio) at W. Michigan,
Saturday’s games p.m. Northwestern at Syracuse, 7 p.m. p.m. Tulsa at Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m. p.m. Ohio St. vs. Toledo at Cleveland 7 p.m.
Duke at Kansas, Noon Gardner-Webb at N.C. State, Tulsa at Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m. Virginia at Southern Miss., 3:30 UTEP at New Mexico St., 8 p.m. Browns Stadium, Noon Bowling Green at Marshall, 7
Boston College at Clemson, 6 p.m. Nebraska at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m. N. Illinois at Purdue, Noon p.m.
Noon Elon at Wake Forest, 6:30 p.m. p.m. SMU at Washington St., 5 p.m. E. Michigan at Michigan, Noon Buffalo at UCF, 7:30 p.m.
East Carolina at North Carolina, Florida St. at BYU, 7 p.m. Connecticut at Baylor, 5 p.m. Rice at Oklahoma St., 7 p.m. Indiana at Akron, 3:30 p.m.
Noon Utah St. at Texas A&M, 7 p.m. Alcorn St. at Cent. Michigan,
Middle Tennessee at Maryland, 3:30 p.m.

MOUNTAIN WEST PAC-10 SEC SUN BELT WAC INDEPENDENTS

Conference All Games Conference All Games East Conference All Games Conference All Games W L PF PA
W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA W L PF PA Army 1 1 46 49
BYU 0 0 0 0 2 0 68 16 Stanford 1 0 39 13 1 1 56 37 W L PF PA W L PF PA La.-Lafayette 0 0 0 0 2 0 59 34 Idaho 1 0 21 6 1 0 21 6 Navy 1 1 59 45
Colorado St. 0 0 0 0 2 0 47 40 Arizona 0 0 0 0 2 0 53 23 Georgia 1 0 41 37 1 1 51 61 Arkansas St. 0 0 0 0 1 1 70 38 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 2 0 63 40 Notre Dame 1 1 69 38
Utah 0 0 0 0 2 0 59 31 California 0 0 0 0 2 0 111 20 Florida 0 0 0 0 2 0 118 9 La.-Monroe 0 0 0 0 1 1 78 59 Boise St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 19 8
TCU 0 0 0 0 1 0 30 14 Oregon St. 0 0 0 0 2 0 57 28 Kentucky 0 0 0 0 1 0 42 0 Middle Tenn. 0 0 0 0 1 1 45 51 Fresno St. 0 0 0 0 1 1 82 34 Saturday’s games
Air Force 0 0 0 0 1 1 85 20 Southern Cal 0 0 0 0 2 0 74 18 Tennessee 0 0 0 0 1 1 78 26 North Texas 0 0 0 0 1 1 50 41 Nevada 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 35 Ball St. at Army, Noon
San Diego St. 0 0 0 0 1 1 49 52 UCLA 0 0 0 0 2 0 52 29 South Carolina 0 1 37 41 1 1 44 44 Fla. International 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 40 San Jose St. 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 56 Michigan St. at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m.
UNLV 0 0 0 0 1 1 59 26 Ariz. St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 50 3 Vanderbilt 0 1 9 23 1 1 54 23 Fla. Atlantic 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 49 Utah St. 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 35 Navy at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m.
Wyoming 0 0 0 0 1 1 39 63 Oregon 0 0 0 0 1 1 46 55 Troy 0 0 0 0 0 2 20 87 Louisiana Tech 0 0 0 0 0 2 27 69
New Mexico 0 0 0 0 0 2 16 85 Washington 0 0 0 0 1 1 65 54 West W. Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0 2 20 98 New Mexico St. 0 1 6 21 0 1 6 21
Washington St. 0 1 13 39 0 2 33 77 Conference All Games
Saturday’s games W L PF PA W L PF PA Saturday’s games Friday’s game
Utah at Oregon, 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s games Auburn 1 0 49 24 2 0 86 37 North Texas at Alabama, 12:20 p.m. Boise St. at Fresno St., 9 p.m.
Wyoming at Colorado, 3:30 p.m. California at Minnesota, Noon LSU 1 0 23 9 2 0 54 32 UAB at Troy, 3:30 p.m.
San Diego St. at Idaho, 5 p.m. Utah at Oregon, 3:30 p.m. Alabama 0 0 0 0 2 0 74 38 Middle Tennessee at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s games
Nevada at Colorado St., 5 p.m. Southern Cal at Washington, 3:30 p.m. Arkansas 0 0 0 0 1 0 48 10 Fla. International at Rutgers, 5 p.m. San Diego St. at Idaho, 5 p.m.
Texas St. at TCU, 7 p.m. Arizona at Iowa, 3:35 p.m. Mississippi 0 0 0 0 1 0 45 14 Louisiana-Lafayette at LSU, 7 p.m. Nevada at Colorado St., 5 p.m.
Florida St. at BYU, 7 p.m. SMU at Washington St., 5 p.m. Mississippi St 0 1 24 49 1 1 69 56 Cent. Arkansas at W. Kentucky, 7 p.m. Utah St. at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
Air Force at New Mexico, 7:30 p.m. Cincinnati at Oregon St., 6:45 p.m. Florida Atlantic at South Carolina, 7 p.m. Nicholls St. at Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m.
Hawaii at UNLV, 11 p.m. San Jose St. at Stanford, 9 p.m. Saturday’s games lina, 7 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe at Arizona St., 10 p.m. UTEP at New Mexico St., 8 p.m.
Louisiana-Monroe at Arizona St., 10 p.m. Louisville at Kentucky, Noon Mississippi St. at Vanderbilt, San Jose St. at Stanford, 9 p.m.
Kansas St. at UCLA, 10:15 p.m. North Texas at Alabama, 12:20 7 p.m. Hawaii at UNLV, 11 p.m.
p.m. SE Louisiana at Mississippi,
Tennessee at Florida, 3:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Louisiana-Lafayette at LSU, 7 Georgia at Arkansas, 7:45 p.m.
p.m. West Virginia at Auburn, 7:45
Florida Atlantic at South Caro- p.m.

WEEKDAYS 10AM–1PM ET
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SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 17
Q&A with … Packers OLB Aaron Kampman Standings
AFC
‘The reality is you’re never there, you never arrive’ East
New England
W
1
L
0
T
0
Pct
1.000
PF
25
PA Home Away
24 1-0-0 0-0-0
AFC
1-0-0
NFC
0-0-0 1-0-0
Div

N.Y. Jets 1 0 0 1.000 24 7 0-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0

After playing defensive end for seven
seasons, Aaron Kampman took on one of Q:
the biggest challenges of his NFL career this
Did you study tape of
other players who have
made the switch from end to
Buffalo
Miami
0
0
1
1
0
0
.000
.000
24
7
25
19
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-0-0

year when he was asked to switch to outside outside linebacker? South W L T Pct PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div
linebacker in the Packers’ new 3-4 defense.
Kampman talked about his position change,
new coordinator Dom Capers and position
A: I’ve watched guys who have
learned the 3-4. You look to
see what’s the standard right now in
Indianapolis
Houston
Jacksonville
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1.000
.000
.000
14
7
12
12
24
14
1-0-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
1-0-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
1-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
Tennessee 0 1 0 .000 10 13 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
coach Kevin Greene with Sporting News the NFL for an outside linebacker.
Today’s Dennis Dillon. So I’ve looked at different teams North W L T Pct PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div
around the league, be it Pittsburgh Baltimore 1 0 0 1.000 38 24 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Pittsburgh 1 0 0 1.000 13 10 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Q: How has the transition to
the 3-4 gone?
or Dallas or San Diego. The Patriots
have elements to it, Baltimore has
Cincinnati
Cleveland
0
0
1
1
0
0
.000
.000
7
20
12
34
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0

A: Someone asked me the other

day, “Do you think you’ve
got it down yet?” And I said, “I
elements to it. Just looking at some
of those teams that have been doing
it and getting a feel for what some of
West
San Diego
W
1
L
0
T
0
Pct
1.000
PF
24
PA Home Away
20 0-0-0 1-0-0
AFC
1-0-0
NFC
0-0-0 1-0-0
Div

played defensive end for seven their guys are doing. Denver 1 0 0 1.000 12 7 0-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Kansas City 0 1 0 .000 24 38 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
years, and I didn’t think I had it Oakland 0 1 0 .000 20 24 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-1-0
down.” The reality is you’re never
there, you never arrive. Having said
that, I think our defense has ROSS D. FRANKLIN / AP
Q: Did you talk to any
players who have made
the switch?
NFC
East W L T Pct PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div
Dom Capers’ arrival in Green Bay prompted Aaron Kampman to move from the defensive line.
adapted really well, and we’re
playing at a fairly high level.
are looking and moving forward. coverage quite a bit. How often
A: Not necessarily. I’ve gotten
some good coaching all the
way along. Since Kevin got to Green
N.Y. Giants
Dallas
Philadelphia
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.000
1.000
1.000
23
34
38
17
21
10
1-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
1-0-0
1-0-0
1-0-0
1-0-0
1-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
1-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
Washington 0 1 0 .000 17 23 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-1-0
Q: Why will the 3-4 be a better
defense for the Packers?
Q: Is it true he gave
did you drop during your seven
seasons at end?
Bay, I’ve really tried to be in his
back pocket quite a bit. He’s prob- South W L T Pct PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div

A: It’s not just the Packers, but

anyone who decides to run the
everyone a thick
playbook in training camp? A: There’d be games where I
wouldn’t drop at all.
ably the largest source of
information.
New Orleans
Atlanta
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.000
1.000
45
19
27
7
1-0-0
1-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
1-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
1-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
3-4. I think there’s a level of uncer-
tainty that can be placed in the
offensive players’ minds based on the
A: (Laughs) Yes, that would be
accurate. Let’s just say I have
done more studying this year than I Q: How has Kevin Greene,
your position coach, Betting lines
Carolina
Tampa Bay
0
0
1
1
0
0
.000
.000
10
21
38
34
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0

North W L T Pct PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div

myriad looks that present them- have in a while. helped you make the position FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG
Green Bay 1 0 0 1.000 21 15 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0
selves. The element of disguise, if you switch? Sunday Minnesota 1 0 0 1.000 34 20 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0
at Kansas City.............3 .............3..........(39) Oakland
will. The ability to bring different
packages and looks and blitz patterns
presents itself in a more difficult-to-
Q: Have you reached a
comfort level at outside
linebacker?
A: He has helped in a lot of
ways. He played left outside
linebacker obviously very well for a
at Tennessee ..............7 .............7..........(41) Houston
New England ......... 4½ ..........5½..........(47) at N.Y. Jets
at Green Bay...............9 .............9..........(42) Cincinnati
Chicago
Detroit
0
0
1
1
0
0
.000
.000
15
27
21
45
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-0-0

Minnesota.............. 9½ ...........10..........(47) at Detroit West W L T Pct PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div
discern format for the offense.
A: I continue with every rep
just to learn more and more
number of years. He was a guy who
as a rusher had 160 sacks, the third
at Philadelphia ......OFF .........OFF........(OFF) New Orleans
at Atlanta ............... 6½ ..........6½..........(43)
at Washington ....... 9½ ...........10..........(37)
Carolina
St. Louis
San Francisco
Seattle
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.000
1.000
20
28
16
0
0-0-0
1-0-0
1-0-0
0-0-0
1-0-0
1-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
1-0-0
1-0-0

Q: What’s it like playing for

Dom Capers?
about what it takes to be an efficient
and effective outside linebacker. My
most in NFL history. He brings a lot
of wisdom in terms of how he did it.
at Jacksonville........ 4½ ..........3½..........(43)
at San Francisco .........1 ..........1½.......(39½)
Arizona
Seattle
at Buffalo ...................4 ..........4½..........(42) Tampa Bay
Arizona
St. Louis
0
0
1
1
0
0
.000
.000
16
0
20
28
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-1-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-1-0
0-1-0

A: He expects and demands a

very high standard, and he’s
willing to give that himself in his
preparation. And he’s very efficient
in how he runs meetings and
practices. You can tell he definitely
cares about the players, how things
goal every day is to continue to get
better and better to a point where I
feel I’m getting more and more at
ease with the position.
Q: At outside linebacker,
you’re going to drop into
He was a guy who understood how
to get to the quarterback, so as a guy
myself who tries to get back there
and cause the quarterback some
havoc, it’s been fun to get to hear
how he did different things and
learn from it.
at Denver....................3 .............3.......(37½) Cleveland
at San Diego........... 3½ .............3.......(40½) Baltimore
Pittsburgh ..................3 .............3.......(37½) at Chicago
at Dallas ................. 2½ .............3.......(43½) N.Y. Giants
Schedule
Sunday Cincinnati at Green Bay, 1 p.m. Cleveland at Denver, 4:15 p.m.
Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m. New Orleans at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 8:20 p.m.
Monday Minnesota at Detroit, 1 p.m. Arizona at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis ...............3 .............3..........(42) at Miami Carolina at Atlanta, 1 p.m. Monday
Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 4:05 p.m.
Indianapolis at Miami, 8:30 p.m.
Off key St. Louis at Washington, 1 p.m. Seattle at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
Philadelphia QB questionable New England at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Oakland at Kansas City, 1 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Chicago, 4:15 p.m.
Baltimore at San Diego, 4:15 p.m.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 18

Eagles sustain pressure tactics under new coordinator

WIN
2009 SCOREBOARD LOSS
* MONDAY † THURSDAY ‡ SATURDAY § THANKSGIVING DAY
^ IN LONDON ° CHRISTMAS DAY ◊ IN TORONTO

NFC EAST NFC NORTH NFC SOUTH NFC WEST

NYG PHI DAL WAS GB MIN DET CHI NO ATL TB CAR SEA SF ARI STL
W-L 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1
Pct. 1.000 1.000 1000 0.000 1.000 1.000 0.000 0.000 1.000 1.000 0.000 0.000 1.000 1.000 0.000 0.000
PF 23 38 34 17 21 34 27 15 45 19 21 10 28 20 16 0
PA 17 10 21 23 15 20 45 21 27 7 34 38 0 16 20 28
Div. 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1
NFC 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1
1 WAS @CAR @TB @NYG CHI @CLE @NO @GB DET MIA DAL PHI STL @ARI SF @SEA
2 @DAL NO NYG STL CIN @DET MIN PIT @PHI CAR @BUF @ATL @SF SEA @ JAC @WAS
3 @TB KC CAR* @DET @STL SF WAS @SEA @BUF @NE NYG @DAL CHI @MIN IND GB
4 @KC — @DEN TB @MIN* GB* @CHI DET NYJ — @WAS — @IND STL — @SF
5 OAK TB @KC @CAR — @STL PIT — — @SF @PHI WAS JAC ATL HOU MIN
6 @NO @OAK — @KC DET BAL @GB @ATL NYG CHI CAR @TB ARI — @SEA @JAC
7 ARI @WAS* ATL PHI* @CLE @PIT — @CIN @MIA @DAL NE ^ BUF — @HOU @NYG IND
8 @PHI NYG SEA — MIN @GB STL CLE ATL* @NO* — @ARI @DAL @IND CAR @DET
MATT ROURKE / AP 9 SD DAL @PHI @ATL @TB — @SEA ARI CAR WAS GB @NO DET TEN @CHI —
Since taking over in August, Eagles coordinator Sean McDermott, center, has carried on for the late Jim Johnson. 10 — @SD @GB DEN DAL DET @MIN @SF † @STL @CAR @MIA ATL @ARI CHI † SEA NO
11 ATL @CHI WAS @DAL SF SEA CLE PHI @TB @NYG NO MIA † @MIN @GB @STL ARI
BY RYAN FAGAN of Jake Delhomme passes in the opener. 12 @DEN § WAS OAK § @PHI @DET § CHI GB § @MIN NE* TB @ATL @NYJ @STL JAC TEN SEA
rfagan@sportingnews.com “It’s still the same concept. He did a tre- 13 DAL @ATL @NYG NO BAL* @ARI @CIN STL @WAS PHI @CAR TB SF @SEA MIN @CHI
mendous job of game-planning and calling 14 PHI @NYG SD @OAK @CHI CIN @BAL GB @ATL NO NYJ @NE @HOU ARI* @SF* @TEN
Asking questions about the Eagles’ it in certain situations, but it’s still the same 15 @WAS* SF @NO ‡ NYG* @PIT @CAR ARI @BAL DAL ‡ @NYJ @SEA MIN TB @PHI @DET HOU
defense during the preseason required thing.”
16 CAR DEN @WAS DAL SEA @CHI* @SF MIN* TB BUF @NO @NYG @GB DET STL @ARI
some tact. What’s the same thing? Attack, attack,
17 @MIN @DAL PHI @SD @ARI NYG CHI @DET @CAR @TB ATL NO TEN @STL GB SF
Jim Johnson, the architect of the attack- attack. Be aggressive. Dominate your oppo-
ing, relentless unit for the past decade in nent. “That’s a big key to success on defense,
Philadelphia, passed away in late July after playing with emotion, playing with aggres-
a battle with cancer. He was a beloved, sion,” said defensive end Victor Abiamiri, Westbrook, had 64 yards and the leading defensive pressure. That’s where ends Abi- linebackers. We wreak havoc up front, and
respected figure in the town and across the who scored a touchdown on a fumble return receiver, Brent Celek, had 37 yards. amiri and Trent Cole do their work. the linebackers clean up.”
league, so it wasn’t always easy to frame Sunday. And that’s not a knock on the offense. “Trent is one of the best pass rushers in This week’s assignment gets a bit tougher.
questions that, regardless of the wording, And they’ve kept the same you-me-us Those low yardage totals were a result of the league,” Abiamiri said. “And, not only The Eagles are back home in Philadelphia,
essentially asked this: philosophy with new coordinator Sean the excellent field position consistently cre- that, he can play up against the guys in the but they’ll have to take on a quarterback,
“How will the loss of Jim Johnson affect McDermott. “It’s not my defense,” McDer- ated by the Eagles’ defense—three of the front. He’s fast, he’s athletic, he does a great Drew Brees, who threw for more than
the defense?” mott said. “It’s our defense. We know the team’s four scoring drives were 10 yards or job out there.” 5,000 yards last season and started 2009
After the Eagles’ domination of the Pan- system works. I’m not coming in and chang- shorter. “Our defense played a huge game Remember the you-me-us philosophy? with a nifty six-touchdown performance.
thers in Week 1, it’s pretty obvious that ing a lot of things.” for us,” wideout DeSean Jackson said. It’s all about spreading the credit around. “We know every game’s not going to be
Johnson’s influence hasn’t faded in the How good was the defense in the opener? “Without them playing the way they did, “The interior was huge, (Brodrick) Bunk- like that,” Abiamiri. “You’re not going to
least. Philly forced seven turnovers and Let’s put it this way: The Eagles scored 38 the game would have never been the way it ley, Mike Patterson and (Antonio) Dixon get seven turnovers every game and a
knocked out two Carolina quarterbacks— points even though the offense put together was.” and Trevor Laws, and Victor on the other bunch of sacks. We just want to go out
one because of turnovers, the other with an just one drive of more than 50 yards. The Yes, Delhomme had a bad game and side, too,” Cole said. “They kept the middle there, keep guys rotating in with fresh legs
injury. “It’s still Jim’s system,” said corner- Eagles’ leading passer, Donovan McNabb, made a couple of questionable throws, but closed down and helped everybody make and try to pressure the quarterback.”
back Sheldon Brown, who picked off a pair had 79 yards, the leading rusher, Brian his poor play was exacerbated by the plays. And it’s because we trust our Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 19

Jaguars will consider drafting ‘iconic’ Tebow

WIN
2009 SCOREBOARD LOSS
* MONDAY † THURSDAY ‡ SATURDAY § THANKSGIVING DAY
^ IN LONDON ° CHRISTMAS DAY ◊ IN TORONTO

AFC EAST AFC NORTH AFC SOUTH AFC WEST

NE NYJ MIA BUF BAL PIT CLE CIN IND TEN HOU JAC SD DEN KC OAK
W-L 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1
Pct. 1.000 1.000 .000 .000 1.000 1.000 .000 .000 1.000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 1.000 .000 .000
PF 25 24 7 24 38 13 20 7 14 10 7 12 24 12 24 20
PA 24 7 19 25 24 10 34 12 12 13 24 14 20 7 38 24
Div. 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-1
AFC 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1
1 BUF* @HOU @ATL @NE* KC TEN † MIN DEN JAC @PIT † NYJ @IND @OAK* @CIN @BAL SD*
2 @NYJ NE IND* TB @SD @CHI @DEN @GB @MIA* HOU @TEN ARI BAL CLE OAK @KC
3 ATL TEN @SD NO CLE @CIN @BAL PIT @ARI @NYJ JAC @HOU MIA @OAK @PHI DEN
4 BAL @NO BUF @MIA @NE SD CIN @CLE SEA @JAC OAK TEN @PIT DAL NYG @HOU
5 @DEN @MIA* NYJ* CLE CIN @DET @BUF @BAL @TEN IND @ARI @SEA — NE DAL @NYG
6 TEN BUF — @NYJ @MIN CLE @PIT HOU — @NE @CIN STL DEN † @SD* @WAS PHI
7 TB ^ @OAK NO @CAR — MIN GB CHI @STL — SF — @KC — SD NYJ
8 — MIA @NYJ HOU DEN — @CHI — SF JAC @BUF @TEN OAK @BAL — @SD
9 MIA — @NE — @CIN @DEN* — BAL HOU @SF @IND KC @NYG PIT* @JAC —
10 @IND JAC TB @TEN @CLE* CIN BAL* @PIT NE BUF — @NYJ PHI @WAS @OAK KC
11 NYJ @NE @CAR † @JAC IND @KC @DET @OAK @BAL @HOU* TEN* BUF @DEN SD PIT CIN
PHIL SANDLIN / AP
12 @NO* CAR @BUF MIA PIT @BAL @CIN CLE @HOU ARI IND @SF KC NYG § @SD @DAL §
Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver believes Tim Tebow’s ‘star power’ could buoy the franchise’s flagging ticket sales.
13 @MIA ◊ BUF † NE ◊ NYJ † @GB* OAK SD DET TEN @IND @JAC HOU @CLE @KC DEN @PIT
14 CAR @TB @JAC @KC DET @CLE † PIT † @MIN DEN STL SEA MIA @DAL @IND BUF WAS
JACKSONVILLE—The Jacksonville Jaguars an iconic figure,” Weaver said, noting that
15 @BUF ATL @ TEN NE CHI GB @KC @SD @JAC † MIA @STL IND † CIN OAK CLE @DEN
lost 17,000 season-ticket holders after last Brett Favre’s arrival in Minnesota prompted
season, a staggering number that could lead about 7,000 season-ticket sales. “That’s 16 JAC @IND HOU @ATL @PIT BAL OAK KC NYJ SD° @MIA @NE @TEN° @PHI @CIN @CLE
to blackouts for every home game in 2009. very compelling. He clearly is an outstand- 17 @HOU CIN PIT IND @OAK @MIA JAC @NYJ @BUF @SEA NE @CLE WAS KC @DEN BAL
Most blamed the sluggish economy. Some ing football player and would be an asset to
pointed to the slumping team. Either way, any football organization.”
team owner Wayne Weaver has to find a Weaver pointed to Tebow’s popularity, “I don’t know that it’s actually a survey,” Tebow’s draft stock is routinely debated. just as bleak for the other seven home games.
way to get them back. marketability and leadership skills as reasons Weaver said. He has taken every meaningful snap from Teams normally need to sell out games 72
How about Tim Tebow? he would be a perfect fit in Jacksonville. This much is certain: Weaver expects the the shotgun formation, has a long windup, hours before kickoff to prevent a local tele-
Weaver told The Associated Press this Weaver also believes there’s no doubt Tebow Tebow talk to increase between now and throws sort of sidearm and finishes each vision blackout, and Weaver doesn’t even
week that drafting Tebow, the 2007 Heis- will play quarterback at the next level. April’s draft. pass with a leg kick. His arm strength is anticipate getting a deadline extension from
man Trophy winner who grew up in Jack- Weaver already has started to hear chat- “The game is such an important part of this average, and his ability to read defenses is the NFL—something that prevented black-
sonville and has top-ranked Florida seeking ter about drafting the 6-3, 240-pound community, and Tebow is such an iconic fig- questionable. outs in Arizona, Cincinnati and Oakland
its third national championship in four sea- lefthander who has broken several school ure that people would legitimately think, But his accuracy, durability and determi- last weekend.
sons, is something he will consider next year. and Southeastern Conference records. ‘Wouldn’t it be great if he was a Jaguar,’ ” nation to be an NFL quarterback might be It’s the latest setback for a franchise that
Think LeBron James in Cleveland. James, It was one of the first questions asked when Weaver said. “I’d be silly to sit here and think hard to overlook—especially for the Jaguars. doesn’t have a lucrative, naming-rights deal
from Akron, Ohio, turned the foundering he spoke at a business luncheon Monday. that’s not going to be a huge thing. Jacksonville’s ticket woes are arguably the for the stadium, already covered up nearly
NBA franchise into an Eastern Conference There are “Draft Tebow” stickers circulating “Clearly there’s going to be a groundswell worst in the league. There’s virtually no 10,000 seats to reduce capacity and lower
power and made the Cavaliers the hottest in the city. And that rumor about the Jaguars for Tebow, and we’ll have to make that eval- chance for the team to avoid blacking out Sun- ticket-sales requirements, and faces constant
ticket in town. commissioning a survey to see what affect uation if we have a draft pick that’s going to day’s home opener against defending NFC speculation about relocating to Los Angeles.
“Star power is incredible, and Tebow is Tebow would have on ticket sales? be anywhere near him.” champion Arizona, and the situation looks — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
AFC
INSIDE DISH
Baltimore Ravens — Mike Preston
After QB Joe Flacco, FB Le’Ron
McClain might be the offense’s
second-most valuable player.
Besides starting at fullback, McClain is the
No. 3 tailback and has become a receiving
option on third and long situations. He also
is the featured back in short-yardage situa-
tions when he isn’t the lead blocker. The
Ravens also have used McClain as an
H-back and split him wide as a receiver.
The team, however, is gambling with
McClain because he is the only fullback on
the roster. Against Kansas City, McClain
rushed six times for 19 yards and had three
catches for 23 yards. He also threw several
devastating blocks for both Ray Rice and Wil-
lis McGahee as the Ravens rushed 41 times for
198 yards. … Coach John Harbaugh is hopeful
both starting OLB Tavares Gooden (knee) and
backup TE L.J. Smith (hamstring) will play
against the Chargers. Both players said
they are feeling better and expect to be
ready for Sunday.
Buffalo Bills — Allen Wilson
MLB Paul Posluszny is expected
to miss between 6-8 weeks after
having surgery to repair his bro-
ken left arm. Losing the three-year veteran,
who was the Bills’ leading tackler last sea-
son, is a blow to the defense that relied
heavily on his ability to make plays and
communicate with the rest of the defense as
the play-caller. The Bills will be short on
experience in the middle with Marcus Buggs
starting Sunday against Tampa Bay. Buggs
joined the team last year as an undrafted
rookie out of Vanderbilt and spent most of
the season on the practice squad. He is
smart, instinctive and plays with good
leverage, but his size (5-10, 223) will make it
difficult for him to hold up against big
blockers. The Bills also haven’t ruled out
using OLBs Kawika Mitchell and Keith Ellison
inside. … The Bills received encouraging
news on starting LE Chris Kelsay. MRI results
on his left knee showed a bruise but no
structural damage. Kelsay expects to play
on Sunday.
Cincinnati Bengals — Chick Ludwig
WR Chad Ochocinco plans to per-
form the “Lambeau Leap”
against the Packers on Sunday.
Jumping into the stands, of course, means
he’ll have to score a touchdown, something
he achieved only four times in 2008. TDs
don’t come easily for this inconsistent
offense, even with a healthy QB Carson Palmer
at the controls. It continues to search for an
identity and can’t decide whether it wants
to be a physical running team or a pass-
oriented attack. The unit seeks balance, but
too often breaks down because of physical
and mental errors. Ochocinco was flagged
for offensive pass interference and holding
in the club’s opening day loss, while Laveran-
ues Coles’ lack of concentration triggered two
dropped passes that killed drives. If the
offense doesn’t clean up its mistakes, the
“Lambeau Leap” will be a pipe dream.
Cleveland Browns — Steve Doerschuk
DE Corey Williams continues to
try to find his way with the
Browns. After a disappointing
2008, his first year with the team, he has
been demoted to second team by the new
regime. Williams developed an attack men-
tality that made him a strong asset in Green
Bay’s penetrating 4-3 scheme, and he was
named the Packers’ franchise player before
being traded to Cleveland in February
2008. But he has struggled to master the
two-gap control style in a 3-4. Williams
puts up a brave front, but his demotion to
second team must concern him about his
future with the team. Kenyon Coleman, who
was with Browns coach Eric Mangini on the
Jets last year, and Robaire Smith are the start-
ing ends. If Williams keeps his head
straight, he can give the Browns a deep end
rotation. He’s convinced he is getting more
NFL THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 20
in tune with the 3-4 and is healthier than
he was last season.
Denver Broncos — Lee Rasizer
RB Knowshon Moreno won’t be fil-
ing his NFL debut away in his
mental scrapbook for long, after
gaining 19 yards on eight carries. Moreno
made some incorrect reads, stringing out
plays too wide without aggressively heading
upfield or trying to do too much when he
didn’t have a hole. But there were extenuating
circumstances to consider. Because Moreno
missed most of the preseason with an MCL
sprain and a brief contract absence, he didn’t
become fully acclimated to the offense. That
lack of playing time also meant he didn’t get a
true feel for the speed of the pro game, which
ratchets up even further in the regular sea-
son. The line also still is getting the feel for a
revised blocking scheme, compounding mat-
ters. Moreno claims he’s fine physically,
despite receiving continued treatment, and is TOM STRATTMAN / AP
focusing on extra film study this week. He Though Jags QB David Garrard didn’t always have time to throw in Week 1, he took some criticism from his coach.
and the rest of the back rotation figure to get
extensive work this week against a Cleveland started focusing on the next game at Ten- will handle kickoffs. Andrus kicked them in
defense that allowed 225 rushing yards in the nessee . . . Receiver Kevin Walter, cornerback the opener.
opener. Jacques Reeves and free safety Eugene Wilson,
all of whom missed the Jets game because Jacksonville Jaguars — Michael C. Wright
Houston Texans — John McClain of injuries, will play against the Titans. The Coach Jack Del Rio unleashed
After a controversy that raged only player who could miss the game is some criticism concerning the
for three days in Houston, the receiver Andre Davis, who has a concussion. play of QB David Garrard in the club’s
Texans finally disclosed they season-opening loss at Indianapolis. Garrard
had fined cornerback Dunta Robinson for con- Indianapolis Colts — Mike Chappell either missed or didn’t throw to wide-open
duct detrimental to the team for wearing A defense that allowed just 228 receivers on several occasions throughout the
shoes that read “Pay Me Rick” during the total yards, including 114 on the game. In Garrard’s defense, he didn’t have
24-7 loss to the Jets. The words on the back ground, in the opening win much time to throw because of Colts DEs
of his shoes were in reference to general against Jacksonville got a boost when DT Ed Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis dominating
manager Rick Smith making him the fran- Johnson was added to the active roster. He rookie OTs Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton. But
chise player rather than them agreeing to a missed the opener while serving a one-game Del Rio said the pressure from the Colts
long-term contract. Robinson admitted suspension for violating the league’s sub- wasn’t an excuse for Garrard’s shortcomings.
Wednesday that he had been fined an stance abuse policy. Johnson should step in For the offense to become what it wants to be
undisclosed amount. He said he meant it as and start alongside Antonio Johnson Monday this season, Garrard needs to play better, Del
a joke, but in light of the team’s pathetic night at Miami. Antonio Johnson had nine Rio said. Garrard’s most pronounced short-
performance against the Jets, fans were in tackles against the Jaguars, and the addition comings seem to be his tendency to lock on to
an uproar. Robinson apologized on Mon- of Ed Johnson to the lineup will give the receivers and a penchant to not look down-
day, but that didn’t put out the fire. Robin- defense a solid tackle duo. Eric Foster will pro- field when he is on the move. In addition,
son said Smith told him Monday that he vide depth in the rotation. … The team waived Garrard doesn’t take many chances down-
would be fined. Smith and owner Bob McNair K Shane Andrus, who had helped ease the work- field. He has struggled at throwing the deep
said they had put it behind them. Robinson load of veteran Adam Vinatieri. It remains to be ball his entire career, and it seems that defi-
said he put it behind him Sunday night and seen whether Vinatieri or rookie P Pat McAfee ciency has gotten into his psyche.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
AFC
INSIDE DISH
Kansas City Chiefs — Adam Teicher
Look for the newly signed
Bobby Wade to quickly jump into
the rotation at wide receiver,
perhaps as soon as Sunday against Oak-
land. It’s only a matter of time before Wade
takes a starting spot over Mark Bradley. Wade
will give the Chiefs a reliable target on the
outside, something they’ve lacked. No. 1
WR Dwayne Bowe runs well after the catch
but is an inconsistent ball catcher. Bradley
irritated coach Todd Haley against Baltimore
by failing to run his route long enough on a
third-down play, thereby costing the Chiefs
a conversion. Wade could also help the
Chiefs as a punt returner. … Turk McBride,
released to make room for Wade, is the sec-
ond of Herm Edwards’ three second-round
draft picks to depart under the new regime.
Starting safety Bernard Pollard also was cut.
McBride was drafted by the Chiefs as a
defensive lineman but never developed
there. He was moved to outside linebacker
but didn’t show the proper skills.
Miami Dolphins — Jeff Darlington
When rookie QB Pat White
plays, it doesn’t mean unequivo-
cally the team is using the Wild-
cat. In fact, when White made his NFL
debut for three plays against the Falcons,
not one was executed out of that formation.
Players say White’s role is the same as Chad
Pennington’s, just with a different set of plays.
The intention remains to give defenses
something more to consider. White can beat
defenders with his feet as often as he can
with his arm. But how cautious must the
team be when it comes to replacing Pen-
nington? Coach Tony Sparano isn’t concerned
with pulling his starter out of rhythm,
because White has only a limited role. The
team didn’t invest a second-round pick on
White, however, to use him thrice a game.
The plan with White remains a work in
progress. It will be interesting to watch
whether the team eventually does include
White when it breaks out the Wildcat.
New England Patriots — Ian R. Rapoport
LB Jerod Mayo was not at prac-
tice yesterday, his first opportu-
nity to work out since he went
down with a right-knee injury in the opener
against the Bills. The Associated Press
defensive rookie of the year last season suf-
fered a sprained medial collateral ligament
that could keep him out up to six weeks. In
his absence, the Patriots are working to
move forward. LB Gary Guyton, who shifted
over and took Mayo’s spot in the 25-24 win,
will also take over for him in another way.
Guyton will wear the green dot signifying
that he’ll call the plays. “Right now, Gary is
going to take control of the huddle,” S James
Sanders said. Yet Guyton struggled to stop
the run and looked slow vs. screens against
the Bills, opening up the possibility of slid-
ing Adalius Thomas over to the inside, which
he has done before. The team is inquiring
about potential veterans such as Derrick Brooks,
who recently took a TV job while he waits for
an offer, and former backup Paris Lenon just
signed with the Rams. Regardless, there is
no getting around this fact: The defense suf-
fered a brutal blow when it lost Mayo, and it’s
not clear how they’ll make up for it.
New York Jets — J.P. Pelzman
Considering that both teams
are coached by acknowledged
defensive geniuses, the Patriots-
Jets game figures to feature fascinating
chess matches on both sides of the ball. Jets
coach Rex Ryan likes to bring pressure from
all different angles and disguise blitzes, so
that what looks like a seven-man rush, for
instance, turns into a five-man. His pedi-
gree alone suggests that Tom Brady should
handle those schemes better than Hous-
ton’s Matt Schaub did in the opener, although
Brady at times looked tentative in the Patri-
ots’ comeback victory over Buffalo. Jets
rookie QB Mark Sanchez realizes that Patriots
NFL
Jets QB Mark Sanchez understands the challenges presented by a Bill Belichick-coached defense.
coach Bill Belichick has many options, as he
can send extra pressure at Sanchez or com-
mit more defenders to coverage and make
Sanchez settle for checkdowns. The Jets
have gotten some information from former
Patriots QB Kevin O’Connell, obtained in a
trade with Detroit earlier this month.
Oakland Raiders — Steve Corkran
KR Nick Miller was diagnosed
with a fractured right shin and
was told he is out 4-6 weeks. That
means Louis Rankin will continue to return
kickoffs for the next several games. Johnnie Lee
Higgins is questionable for Kansas City with a
sprained AC joint. As a result, the Raiders
worked Hiram Eugene and Javon Walker on punt
returns. Walker returned punts earlier in his
eight-year career. Eugene is being tried
because of his sure hands. If Walker is used
PETER MORGAN / AP
on punts or Higgins can’t play, it’s likely the
team will activate Walker for the first time in
2009. He was deactivated for San Diego
because coach Tom Cable thought Walker
wasn’t healthy enough to make a contribu-
tion. Walker said that he is as healthy as he’s
ever been. The Raiders will be at a disadvan-
tage if they are without Miller and Higgins
because they are faster than their replace-
ments and more skilled at returning.
Pittsburgh Steelers — Gerry Dulac
Among the reasons it’s so hard
to defend Ben Roethlisberger is that
he rarely locks on to one receiver
in a game. He completed at least eight passes
to three different receivers against the Titans
and also checked down four times to RB
Mewelde Moore. Roethlisberger has become
especially adept at executing the two-minute
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 21
offense because he has learned to go through
his progressions, something he didn’t always
do early in his career. But one thing hasn’t
changed: Roethlisberger, who has been
sacked 139 times in the past three seasons
combined, takes a lot of hits. He was sacked
four times against the Titans. A lot of that has
to do with Roethlisberger’s tendency to hold
the ball after the play has broken down and
make a play. It’s what makes him so danger-
ous, but it leads to a lot of sacks.
San Diego Chargers — Kevin Acee
RB LaDainian Tomlinson did not
practice and wore a protective
boot on his sprained right ankle.
He did not say he wouldn’t play Sunday
against Baltimore but seemed realistic
about the possibility he would miss his
first-ever regular-season start due to injury.
The Chargers will have Michael Bennett active
and ready to share the load with Sproles on
Sunday ... The Chargers signed veteran
C/G Dennis Norman yesterday for depth on
the depleted offensive line. It is likely he
will be active Sunday, though the Chargers
hope to not have to play him. It is expected
that Scott Mruczkowski will start in place of C
Nick Hardwick. The Chargers are hoping right
G Louis Vasquez will play, but Brandyn Dom-
browski would start in his place if not.
Tennessee Titans — Jim Wyatt
The Titans, who finished sixth
overall in run defense last season,
got off to a good start in that cate-
gory at Pittsburgh, holding the Steelers to 36
rushing yards. But a true test should come
this Sunday against the Texans and RB Steve
Slaton, who rushed for more than 100 yards in
both games against the Titans. In fact, he was
the only running back in 17 games to rush for
more than 100 yards against Tennessee. The
Titans believe they are equipped to stop him,
even without big DT Albert Haynesworth in the
middle. One of the defensive players to watch
will be Titans MLB Stephen Tulloch, who had a
team-high 12 tackles against the Steelers.
Tulloch has good instincts and flies to the ball,
and the Titans will have to wrap up the slip-
pery Slaton.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
NFC
INSIDE DISH
Arizona Cardinals — Kent Somers
WR Anquan Boldin practiced
more on Wednesday than he has
in three weeks and said his ail-
ing hamstring feels much better than it did
last week. Boldin’s health is key for the Car-
dinals. He played against the 49ers but
wasn’t full speed, and the passing game
suffered as a result. No. 3 WR Steve Breaston
didn’t play Sunday because of a knee injury,
and he didn’t practice Wednesday. The
Cardinals weren’t able to make big plays in
the passing game last week because the
49ers double-covered Larry Fitzgerald much
of the game. The Cardinals need Boldin to
take some pressure off Fitzgerald. An
improved running game would help, too.
The Cardinals’ success late last season was
due, in part, to an improved ground game,
which opened up play-action passes to
Fitzgerald.
Atlanta Falcons — D. Orlando Ledbetter
Chevis Jackson, a third-round
pick in 2008, is the odd man out
in the shuffling at cornerback.
Not pleased with the play of the secondary
in the preseason, the Falcons made a trade
for Tye Hill and signed Brian Williams, who was
released by Jacksonville in the final cut.
Williams, who had played under Falcons
coach Mike Smith when he was the defensive
coordinator in Jacksonville, started the
opener at left cornerback opposite Chris Hous-
ton. In passing situations, he moved inside
to the slot, where Jackson played all of last
season. Brent Grimes, who had been starting
at left cornerback, came in and played left
cornerback in the nickel situations. Jackson
was sturdy last season when he played in
all 17 games and made three starts. He
returned an interception 95 yards against
New Orleans. Williams is a rugged defender
with solid cover skills, and his experience
is valued.
Carolina Panthers — Darin Gantt
RB Jonathan Stewart was appar-
ently exhausted from his 11 car-
ries Sunday. The second-year
back was held out of practice Wednesday,
after barley practicing prior to last week
because of Achilles’ soreness. He practiced
all three days last week, which was new for
him. He had taken part in only six contact
practices before the start of the regular sea-
son. Despite that, the Panthers used him as
much as starter DeAngelo Williams in the lop-
sided loss to the Eagles. Both had nine car-
ries at halftime, by which point the game
was out of hand. Stewart got goal-line work
and didn’t look particularly sharp, finish-
ing with 35 yards on 11 attempts. The Pan-
thers need Stewart because they must have
a stronger running game to take pressure
off other parts of the offense. QB Jake Del-
homme always has relied on good protection
and balance, and coming off 11 turnovers in
his past two games, he needs it more than
ever.
Chicago Bears — Gene Chamberlain
Coach Lovie Smith plans to con-
tinue rotating his three corner-
backs after Zack Bowman, Charles
Tillman and Nathan Vasher split time against
Green Bay. The thinking is it gives Tillman
time to work into the lineup after back sur-
gery. He didn’t practice or play in pre-
season. The Bears did well to limit the
Packers’ big-play potential in the opener, as
only one pass went for more than 14 yards.
However, that pass was the 50-yarder
Vasher gave up for the game-winning TD.
Bowman doesn’t mind rotating because he
also plays extensively on special teams. The
coaches also think it builds depth. Don’t
expect the Bears to continue this too long,
however. Keeping the same two corner-
backs on the field makes for good on-field
communication, which in part led to the
late breakdown in Green Bay. … TE Desmond
Clark has a cracked rib and is considered
week-to-week. Kellen Davis, a 6-7 second-year
NFL
The 49ers were double-teaming Larry Fitzgerald, left, last week, but he still had 71 receiving yards and a TD.
player, will replace him this week.
Dallas Cowboys — Jean-Jacques Taylor
QB Tony Romo spent the day
walking around with his foot
wrapped in ice—the result of
sprained ankle he sustained against the
Buccaneers—but he practiced Wednesday
and will start against the Giants. Even
though it’s not a severe sprain, it could be a
difference-maker this week because the
Giants have one of the game’s best defensive
lines and Romo might not be able to move
around quite as much as he usually does.
One of Romo’s strengths is his ability to
elude defenders in the pocket and move
around long enough to create big plays. He
is less effective when he is forced to stay in
the pocket. It will be interesting to see if the
Giants blitz him early just to see how well
he moves. In other injury news, RB Felix
PAUL CONNORS / AP
Jones (bruised thigh) practiced Wednesday
without any lingering problems from the
injury he sustained Sunday at Tampa Bay.
Detroit Lions — Tom Kowalski
Defensive coordinator Gunther
Cunningham is determined to do
more blitzing this season but
admits it might be a more gradual process
than he had expected. The Lions have nine
new starters on defense, so it’s taking time
to get everybody on the same page. The
Lions were burned a few times early in the
opener against the Saints when assignment
breakdowns led to big plays. Because of
that, Cunningham scaled back the blitz
packages. Even in the linebacking unit,
where the Lions have a wealth of experi-
ence and generally get high-level play, mis-
takes occurrred because players are still
adapting to the new system. The Lions don’t
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 22
have a lot of proven pass rushers in the line,
so if they’re going to get some sacks—they
didn’t any against the Saints—they know
they will have to dial up the blitz.
Green Bay Packers — Tom Silverstein
The return of rookie DL B.J. Raji
from an ankle injury this week
should benefit DEs Cullen Jenkins
and Johnny Jolly. Though Jenkins and Jolly
were both terrific in their first start in the
new 3-4 defense, they ended up playing
around 60 snaps each. That’s far too many
for a pair of 300-pounders. The coaches
will be able to use Raji as a sub in both the
base defense and the nickel, where Jolly and
Jenkins lined up together inside. To get
considerable playing time, Raji will have to
be as disruptive as the other two. He has
shown the ability to penetrate the backfield,
but he has had trouble staying on his feet. …
K Mason Crosby suffered an abdominal pull
lifting weights and was put on the injury
report. It appears he’ll be able to play this
week, but the injury can’t be ignored
because of how much torque in the midsec-
tion is required on kicks. … S Atari Bigby’s
knee injury will keep him sidelined about
four weeks, Aaron Rouse will fill his spot.
Minnesota Vikings — Rick Alonzo
WR Bernard Berrian, who had
battled a hamstring injury since
the exhibition opener, is no lon-
ger listed on the injury report. Berrian was
able to participate fully in practice. The
chemistry with QB Brett Favre is still some-
thing that needs work because Berrian was
targeted just twice and did not catch a pass
despite participating in 55 plays in the
team’s Week 1 game at Cleveland. It remains
to be seen how well they click. Berrian is a
deep-ball threat, having averaged 20.1
yards per catch last season, tops in the NFL.
Favre’s accuracy on deep balls last season
was among the worst in the league, perhaps
in part because of his biceps tendon injury
that hampered him down the stretch. …
Special teams ace Heath Farwell (hamstring)
and starting RG Anthony Herrera (back) were
both limited in practice.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
NFC
INSIDE DISH
New Orleans Saints — Mike Triplett
Starting DEs Will Smith and
Charles Grant likely will remain on
the active roster all season after
commissioner Roger Goodell decided to defer
their suspensions. That’s great news for the
Saints, who have invested heavily in the
two former first-round draft picks. Now
Smith and Grant must deliver more of an
impact on the field. Both players have
underachieved the past two years because
of injuries and inconsistency. Now they are
healthier and leaner than they have been in
years. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams
encouraged them to slim down and focus
on being explosive pass rushers, something
Smith and Grant excelled at earlier in their
careers. They will move around in 4-3 and
3-4 alignments, possibly even lining up at
tackle in some formations. The Saints have
other pass-rush specialists who will rotate
in, such as DE Bobby McCray and DT Anthony
Hargrove. But if Smith and Grant can reach
their potential, the Saints could have an
exceptional defense.
New York Giants — Paul Schwartz
Starting safeties Michael Johnson
(shoulder) and Kenny Phillips
(knee) sat out practice, sending
out alarms about a defensive backfield that
has had trouble staying healthy. The sec-
ondary already is playing without starting
CB Aaron Ross (hamstring) and valuable
reserve CB Kevin Dockery (hamstring). The
roster is thin on safeties—the Giants kept
only three—and C.C. Brown is the only healthy
option available. Both Johnson and Phillips
are expected to get back on the practice field
this week and play Sunday against the
Cowboys, which is imperative considering
the way Dallas QB Tony Romo took apart the
Buccaneers’ defense in the opener. Phillips
has worked through knee issues from time
to time this summer, and his injury could
linger. Johnson, a key ingredient in the run
defense, is an active, heady player who is
usually in the correct position and rarely
misses tackles.
Philadelphia Eagles — Geoff Mosher
The decision to put OL Shawn
Andrews’ on injured reserve raises
serious doubts about his future
with the Eagles and in the NFL. Andrews
underwent back surgery in October and
was supposed to come back stronger.
Instead, he has had two setbacks since
training camp opened, forcing him to miss
all of camp, the preseason and now the reg-
ular season. Andrews’ durability has been
an issue since his 2004 rookie season,
when he broke his leg in the season opener.
Andrews is one of the team’s most physi-
cally gifted athletes and, when healthy, one
of the NFL’s elite linemen. So it will be dif-
ficult to sever ties. But if he’s not back to
elite form in 2010 after another year on the
sideline, that decision won’t be as daunting.
Andrews’ replacement at right tackle, Win-
ston Justice, impressed the coaches in the
opener at Carolina. If he continues to play
well, he could become the long-term answer
at right tackle.
St. Louis Rams — Jim Thomas
Continuing to churn the bot-
tom of their roster, the Rams
signed WR Ruvell Martin and LB
Paris Lenon. At 6-4, Martin gives the Rams
some much-needed size in an otherwise
small receiving unit. Squeezed out in Green
Bay, which has a deep, talented wideout
group, Martin has a chance to work into the
Rams’ top three once he learns the offense.
Although he was a starter for three years in
Detroit from 2006-08, Lenon will come in
primarily as a special teams player who can
provide depth on the strong side and in the
middle. G.M. Billy Devaney has indicated the
team will constantly look to improve the
lower end of the roster as the Rams attempt
to dig out of a 5-28 hole since the start of the
2007 season.
NFL
An abdominal injury is expected to keep Seahawks LB Leroy Hill out for at least six weeks.
San Francisco 49ers — Matt Barrows
The 49ers are steadily putting
pressure on first-round draft
pick Michael Crabtree to sign his
contract. Team officials have notified Crab-
tree’s agent that they will reduce their offer
to the former Texas Tech standout wide
receiver with every game he misses. Team
president Jed York also said that he wants to
have a face-to-face meeting with Crabtree
and his representation. The 49ers also will
get another form of leverage this week
when WR Brandon Jones returns to practice.
Jones, an offseason free agent pickup, broke
a shoulder blade early in training camp but
had been turning heads in practice before
the injury, especially on long passes down-
field. Deep passes are vital for the 49ers,
who must take advantage of defenses zero-
TED S. WARREN / AP
ing in on Frank Gore and the running game.
Seattle Seahawks — Danny O’Neil
LB Leroy Hill will be out longer
than the team expected after he
was diagnosed with an abdomi-
nal injury serious enough to possibly require
surgery. Hill will miss at least the next five
games because of a slight muscle tear, which
pulled away from the bone. He won’t be back
until after the Week 7 bye (Oct. 25), leaving
the Seahawks to rely on Will Herring. LT Walter
Jones, however, may be back as soon as this
weekend. He was on the practice field
Wednesday, although he did not participate
in 11-on-11 team drills. There has been no
determination of his status for Sunday’s
game at San Francisco, but coach Jim Mora
said that all it will take is Jones saying he’s
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 23
ready. If Jones returns, the next question is
what happens to current starting LT Sean
Locklear. One possibility is moving the versa-
tile Locklear to right guard. Paired with RT
Ray Willis, the strong side of Seattle’s line
would become even stronger.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Roy Cummings
The Bucs are very concerned
about the play of K Mike Nugent
and have not ruled out the pos-
sibility of re-signing Matt Bryant as a replace-
ment. Nugent had one kick blocked and
missed horribly on another attempt in the
loss to the Cowboys. The miss was the
fourth for Nugent since the start of the pre-
season. The team is very happy with
Nugent’s kickoffs—he’s driving the ball
deep—but he has been all over the place
with his field-goal tries. Nugent won the
competition against Bryant largely because
Bryant failed to recover from a hamstring
strain in time to kick during the preseason
games. Bryant always said he likely would
be back at 100 percent by the end of the
first or second week of the regular season.
You have to figure Nugent’s performance
against Buffalo this week will be big in
determining his future. Another miss, and
he may be out.
Washington Redskins — John Keim
The Redskins signed FB Mike
Sellers to a contract extension that
runs through 2014, giving him
what he had been seeking for months. Sell-
ers skipped most of the offseason workouts
because he was upset with his contract situ-
ation. He is 34 but coming off his first Pro
Bowl season. He also was elected as a cap-
tain before the season began. His role in the
offense won’t change this season; he had
only six carries and caught 12 passes last
year. But he remains a solid lead blocker,
giving Clinton Portis a 273-pound force to run
behind. Sellers is at his best when keying
on one defender rather than trying to make
a choice. And he’s one of the team’s top spe-
cial teams performers, having become more
than just a player looking to display his
brute power.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Cox hints at retirement; Posada suspended three games
When asked by The Atlanta Journal
Constitution whether he will return to
manage the Braves in 2010, manager
Bobby Cox was non-committal. Said
Cox: “We’ll see.” Cox, who is 68, said
age won’t be a factor in his decision.
Next season would be Cox’s 25th as
the Braves’ manager, but the news-
paper noted that the criticism
directed toward him is greater than
ever this season. Barring a late
charge, Atlanta will miss the post-
season for a fourth consecutive sea-
son. That drought comes on the heels
of a run of 14 consecutive playoff
appearances for the team. The news-
paper noted Cox has hinted at retire-
ment before. In fact, in spring training
in 2007, he said the 2008 season
would be his final season managing.
Yankees C Jorge Posada and
Toronto P Jesse Carlson were sus-
pended for three games each and
fined Wednesday for their roles in
Tuesday’s bench-clearing brawl.
Yankees OF/1B Shelley Duncan was
suspended for three games and
appealed. After Blue Jays 3B Edwin
Encarnacion and 2B Aaron Hill were hit
by pitches, Carlson threw behind
Posada, who had a few words for
Carlson on his way to first base.
After eventually scoring, Posada
bumped Carlson, setting off the
incident.
After being forced to leave
Tuesday’s start because of his trou-
blesome left knee, Tigers P Jarrod
Washburn might be done for the sea-
son, according to FOX Sports. Fol-
lowing the game, Washburn said
the pain in his knee was more
severe than it has been all season.
The Detroit News reported an MRI
INSIDE DISH
Following Wednesday’s win, Bobby Cox is 2,049-1,630 in 24 seasons as Braves manager.
exam revealed no structural dam-
age, but Washburn’s next start is in
question. Washburn, who went 8-6
with a 2.64 ERA in 20 starts for
Seattle before being traded to
Detroit on July 31, is 1-3 with a 7.33
ERA in eight starts for the Tigers.
Despite telling the Los Angeles
Times earlier in the week that P Chad
Billingsley would remain in the rota-
tion and wouldn’t be skipped,
Dodgers manager Joe Torre told
KABC radio in L.A. that Billingsley
would be available in relief Wednes-
day and wouldn’t start until next
week’s series at Washington.
Billingsley is 0-4 with a 5.67 ERA
Baseball
ROB CARR / AP
in his past five starts.
Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (back
spasms) and C Victor Martinez (personal
reasons) were out of the starting lineup
for the second consecutive games
Wednesday.
According to the Cardinals’
website, P Joel Pineiro has asked his
agent to try to work out a deal to
remain with St. Louis. Pineiro is
having a career year (3.31 ERA) and
is set to become a free agent after the
season. However, the website
reported Cardinals general manager
John Mozeliak hasn’t had any talks
with Pineiro’s agent and doesn’t plan
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 24
THE LAUNCHING PAD
Sweeping Cincy?
What to expect in the major leagues today
to begin talks until after the season. The Marlins refuse to bow out of the N.L. wild-card race, but with so
In other rotation news, P John Smoltz much riding on every game and time running short, they have to be think-
ing sweep in their four-game series at Cincinnati. This is Florida’s final series
(shoulder) will start Friday after
against a non-N.L. East opponent and its final road series against a team
being skipped earlier in the week. with a sub-.500 record. Back in May, Cincinnati and Florida split a two-game
series—their only two games this season. Not surprisingly, N.L. batting
The Rangers will skip strug- leader Hanley Ramirez did much of the damage for Florida. The shortstop
gling P Kevin Millwood’s next turn in went 4-for-9 with a double, a homer and two walks in that short series.
the rotation, according to the Fort
Worth Star-Telegram. Millwood,
who is 1-3 with a 7.62 ERA over his
past six starts, won’t pitch until
Monday. In other Rangers news,
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
reported Rangers C Jarrod Saltalamac-
chia was diagnosed with thoracic
outlet syndrome. The condition has
caused Saltalamacchia to experi-
ence pain and numbness in his
shoulder, neck and arm. As a result,
he likely will have surgery, which
has about a 50-50 success rate,
according to the newspaper.
Roy Oswalt will miss the last
couple weeks of the season after the
Astros decided to shut down their JEFF ROBERSON / AP
ace on Wednesday. Oswalt has been Hanley Ramirez leads the Marlins in batting, slugging, on-base and RBIs.
bothered by back and hip pain. The
32-year-old righthander went 8-6 Hanging in there
with a 4.12 ERA in 30 starts. Like the Marlins, the Braves still are clinging to wild-card dreams. But as
is the case with Florida, Atlanta has little margin for error this late in the sea-
son. Tonight, the Braves will send righthander Jair Jurrjens to the mound in
A week after having their series finale against the Mets. Despite ranking among the major league
arthroscopic surgery on his left leaders with a 2.81 ERA, Jurrjens has only an 11-10 record thanks to poor run
elbow, Indians OF Grady Sizemore support. In six of Jurrjens’ past eight starts, Atlanta has scored two or fewer
had another procedure to repair his runs. Jurrjens has had plenty of success against the Mets this season, going
2-0 with a 1.83 ERA in three starts against them.
abdominal wall Wednesday. The
three-time All-Star is expected be
fully recovered by spring training. See you in October
Two teams that are looking like sure things for the postseason—and like
sure things to meet in the first round—will wrap up their three-game set
The White Sox released P Bartolo
at Fenway Park tonight. Angels righthander Ervin Santana will look to snap
Colon on Wednesday. Colon went 3-6 a four-start winless streak (following a four-start winning streak), and Red
with a 4.19 ERA in 12 starts for Chi- Sox righthander Josh Beckett will aim for a second consecutive win (after a
cago this season. He went on the dis- five-start winless stretch). In that five-start span, Beckett allowed 14 homers.
abled list in early June because of a In his past two outings, he has been homer-free.
knee injury, and once he returned in — Chris Bahr
late July, Colon had elbow trouble.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
An early look at MLB’s free-agent class
In his third plate appearance Tuesday,
Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez trig-
gered a contract incentive that guaranteed
him a cool $18 million for 2010. Because he
will have his option picked up, Ordonez
won’t join a free-agent class that can expect
organizations to claim
they still are feeling the
effects of a subpar
economy.
An early look at the
potential market this
offseason:
Stan McNeal Best bets for big bucks
BASEBALL 1. Matt Holliday, OF, Cardi-
nals. He would have been
in line for a nine-figure deal in the old econ-
omy but might have to “settle” for some-
thing closer to $80 million over four years.
Holliday still has plenty in his favor: He has
had a strong second half with St. Louis, he
is only 29 and his agent is Scott Boras.
2. John Lackey, SP, Angels. The big right-
hander, who turns 31 in October, has pitched
If the Cardinals are unable to sign Matt Holliday to a long-term deal, the Red Sox could be a landing spot for him.
well enough lately to cement his status as
the market’s best available starting pitcher.
3. Jason Bay, OF, Red Sox. He enhanced Red
Sox general manager Theo Epstein’s
already considerable reputation by produc-
tively and professionally succeeding Manny
Ramirez. But there is little room for senti-
ment in Boston’s front office. Given a choice,
the Red Sox would take Holliday.
4. Chone Figgins, 3B, Angels. Improved disci-
pline has improved his on-base percentage
to around .400 and made him the game’s
top leadoff hitter this season, guaranteeing
him a significant raise from the $5.775 mil-
lion he is making this season. A prototypi-
cal Angel, Figgins says he wants to stay.
Just don’t talk bring that hometown-dis-
count talk his way; he has heard there will
be interest from the big-money teams.
5. Jason Marquis, SP, Rockies. His numbers are
similar to another sinkerballer, St. Louis’ Joel
Pineiro, but Marquis makes this list because
he has posted his numbers at Coors Field.
Marquis should get a slight bump from his
current three-year, $21 million deal, but is he
JEFF ROBERSON / AP
Baseball
a $10 million-a-year pitcher? Don’t think so.
In line for raises
1. Bobby Abreu, OF, Angels. The Angels will
have to pony up more than $6 million
(including incentives) to keep him.
2. Fernando Rodney, RP, Tigers. He will enter
the market for the first time at an oppor-
tune time: coming off a year when he has
stayed healthy and proven he can close for a
contender. Rodney should at least double
his current $2.7 million salary.
3. Russell Branyan, 1B, Mariners. He still strikes
out a bunch and still has his detractors, but
31 homers are worth considerably more
than $1.4 million.
4. Marco Scutaro, SS, Blue Jays. This everyday
shortstop with a strong OBP (and more
walks than strikeouts) will command more
than two years and $2.65 million.
5. Randy Wolf, SP, Dodgers. Even with his $5
million salary rising to $8 million after
reaching incentives, he has been a value sign-
ing for the Dodgers. Wolf shouldn’t have to
settle for a hometown discount this winter.
Headed for Jason Giambi-like pay cuts
1. Jim Thome, 1B/DH, Dodgers. Last contract: 7
years, $98 million. Predicted next contract:
1 year, $5 million plus a bunch of perfor-
mance incentives.
2. Miguel Tejada, SS, Astros. Last: 6 years, $72
million. Predicted next: 2 years, $15 mil-
lion, at most. And it is time to move to third
base.
3. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Mariners. Last: 5 years,
$64 million. Predicted next: 1 year, $6 mil-
lion plus a team option with a hefty increase
for 2011. Beltre is only 30 and remains a
Gold Glove-type third baseman, but he
signed his last deal coming off a 48-homer
season. He entered Wednesday’s play with
six homers this season.
4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH/OF, Angels. Last: 6
years, $85 million. Predicted next: 2 years,
$18 million plus incentives. He looks older
than 33 and his bat speed has declined, but
Rich Harden has stuff befitting a staff ace, but injuries continue to make him a risky option.
he remains the most feared hitter in the
Angels’ lineup.
5. Jason Schmidt, SP, Dodgers. Last: 3 years,
$47 million. Predicted next: Retirement or
a minor league deal. His right shoulder has
given out.
Keep an eye on
1. Rich Harden, SP, Cubs. He has elite stuff but
remains a health risk.
2. Johnny Damon, OF, Yankees. He is coming
off a four-year, $52 million deal, he turns 36
in November and he has a weak throwing
arm. But he has been a solid signing for the
Yankees and could come back—but more
on the Yankees’ terms this time.
MATT YORK / AP
Jim Thome may have to settle for a 1-year deal in 2010.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 25
FRANK FRANKLIN II / AP
3. Hideki Matsui, DH, Yankees. He also is com-
ing off a four-year, $52 million deal. Matsui
is slightly younger than Damon but has
much crankier knees. New York is unlikely
to bring back both Damon and Matsui.
4. Joel Pineiro, SP, Cardinals. He is enjoying a
career-best season at the ideal time, but St.
Louis won’t be able to afford him. Which-
ever team signs him will have to consider
how Pineiro will pitch without Dave Dun-
can as his pitching coach.
5. Tim Hudson, SP, Braves. His $12 million
option is too pricey for the Braves, but Hud-
son has shown enough (3.63 ERA) in three
starts since coming back from Tommy John
surgery that he will have suitors.
Best bets for minor league deals
1. Nomar Garciaparra, IF, A’s. It is hard to
believe he is only one year older than Derek
Jeter.
2. Khalil Greene, SS, Cardinals. Lowered expec-
tations could be good for him.
3. Brian Giles, OF, Padres. Who will want to
take a chance on a 38-year-old with a bad
knee and no power?
4. Jason Kendall, C, Brewers. It is time for him
to become the mentoring-backup type.
5. Joe Crede, 3B, Twins. His balky back is as
much as a problem as his .289 OBP.
smcneal@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Let the music play: MLB franchises profiting from concerts
BY DON MURET
SportsBusiness Journal
Concerts at MLB stadiums this summer,
led by pop superstar Paul McCartney and
the touring tandem of Elton John and Billy
Joel, resulted in sellouts and windfall pay-
days for the Mets, Phillies and Red Sox.
Not only is the concert revenue welcome
at a time when everyone in sports is bat-
tling the effects of the recession, but MLB
clubs do not have to share their portion of
concert revenue with other teams.
The three teams struck traditional rent
deals with promoters, rather than promot-
ing the concerts themselves, as a few orga-
nizations have begun to do. Under the
rental arrangement, the acts take most of
the ticket revenue, and the teams make
their money on ticket fees, concessions and
parking.
Aramark’s food, beverage and retail per
caps average $20 to $23 for concerts at Citi-
zens Bank Park and Fenway Park, team
officials said.
In New York, Aramark’s per caps
exceeded $27 for three McCartney shows at
Citi Field, the new ballpark’s first concerts.
Fan spending on concessions was compa-
rable to a Mets game, said Dave Howard,
the Mets’ executive vice president of busi-
ness operations. With a top ticket price of
$275, the former Beatle grossed $12.8 mil-
lion in ticket sales with 108,000 in atten-
dance, Howard said.
The Mets privately built and operate their
new ballpark, and exercised their option to
add a third McCartney date on a Tuesday
after a pair of weekend performances sold
out.
“The benefit we have is that we are now a
one-stop shop for concerts,” Howard said.
“At Shea Stadium, we had to negotiate with
the city on rent. We are now the sole nego-
tiator for the venue, which allows us to
fashion a deal in a number of ways.”
At Citizens Bank Park, two Elton John/
In three shows at the Mets’ new Citi Field, Paul McCartney attracted 108,000 fans and grossed nearly $13 million.
Billy Joel performances generated more
than $11.8 million with total attendance of
89,690, Billboard Boxscore reported. The
ballpark also has played host to Jimmy Buf-
fett (twice in 2005 and also in 2008), Bon
Jovi (2006) and The Police (2007).
“I would say they were two of the more
profitable shows we’ve had,” said John
Nickolas, vice president and chief financial
Baseball
officer for the Phillies. “The key is to sell
the place out, and we probably set a record
for the most people in the house compared
with the (five other) shows we’ve had the
past four years,” Nickolas said.
The Phillies also share concert revenue
with Global Spectrum, their next-door
neighbor at Wachovia Center that helps the
team operate the park; owns New Era
FRANK FRANKLIN II / AP
Tickets, the system the Phillies use to sell
concert tickets; and books the acts through
Live Nation promoter Larry Magid. The
club’s deal with Global Spectrum prohib-
ited Nickolas from disclosing the revenue
splits between the two parties.
In Boston, where Fenway Park had a
record five concerts this baseball season,
two McCartney shows in August grossed
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 26
about $7.7 million with 68,626 in attendance,
Live Nation officials reported. Those dates
followed Fenway’s two Dave Matthews
Band dates and one Phish show in May.
Combined, those three concerts grossed
more than $6.5 million in ticket sales.
The Red Sox and promoters negotiate a
separate charge, usually $5, on top of the
ticket price that the team uses as a “restora-
tion fee” to ensure Fenway’s field is put
back in the same condition it was in prior to
the shows, said Larry Cancro, senior vice
president of Fenway affairs. That money
can be used for ballpark renovations, Can-
cro said.
Although local residents are split in their
opinions over whether concerts at Fenway
are good for the neighborhood, nearby bars
and restaurants get a huge boost in busi-
ness, Cancro said. For them, McCartney’s
shows produced the two biggest nights of
the year in revenue.
“It goes to show there are a lot of different
stimulus plans,” Cancro said.
McCartney could return to play a few
more ballparks in 2010, said Barrie Mar-
shall, his longtime manager who was par-
ticularly impressed with Citi Field’s
amenities. The Phillies, Red Sox and Mets
already are talking to agents and managers
about next year’s possibilities, team offi-
cials said.
The Elton John/Billy Joel tour also hit
ballparks in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
In Chicago, two shows at Wrigley Field
grossed $11.1 million with 77,000-plus in
attendance, according to Billboard Box-
score. The Cubs, who own and operate the
stadium, declined to comment.
In Washington, Nationals Park had one
Elton John/Billy Joel date, its first concert
since the facility opened in 2008. Team
President Stan Kasten wouldn’t discuss
ticket revenue but said the team would like
to book more shows in 2010.
— Don Muret is a sports facility reporter for SportsBusiness Journal.
E-mail him at dmuret@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 27
Fantasy Focus LEAGUE LEADERS
American League standings
Batting Average Home Runs East W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Stock Watch New York 94 53 .639 — — 7-3 W-1 52-23 42-30
A quick look at who is moving up A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Boston 86 58 .597 6½ — 8-2 W-7 52-21 34-37
and down in the fantasy world: Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Tampa Bay 73 73 .500 20½ 14 1-9 L-2 43-26 30-47
Mauer Minnesota .374 HaRamirez Florida .357 CPena Tampa Bay 39 Pujols St. Louis 47 Toronto 66 80 .452 27½ 21 5-5 L-1 38-36 28-44
Baltimore 60 85 .414 33 26½ 6-4 W-2 36-38 24-47
ISuzuki Seattle .354 Pujols St. Louis .333 Teixeira New York 35 Reynolds Arizona 42
MiCabrera Detroit .333 Sandoval San Francisco .322 Bay Boston 32 Fielder Milwaukee 39 Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Jeter New York .330 Helton Colorado .318 NCruz Texas 32 AdGonzalez San Diego 38 Detroit 78 67 .538 — — 4-6 W-1 48-25 30-42
Minnesota 74 72 .507 4½ 13 6-4 W-4 43-32 31-40
Bartlett Tampa Bay .327 DWright New York .315 AHill Toronto 32 Howard Philadelphia 38 Chicago 72 74 .493 6½ 15 5-5 L-1 40-32 32-42
MYoung Texas .322 LCastillo New York .309 Branyan Seattle 31 ADunn Washington 37 Cleveland 61 84 .421 17 25½ 2-8 L-4 31-41 30-43
Cano New York .320 Three tied at .308 Four tied at 30 Werth Philadelphia 34 Kansas City 58 87 .400 20 28½ 7-3 L-1 30-44 28-43
West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Runs Stolen Bases Los Angeles 86 59 .593 — — 5-5 L-3 44-27 42-32
Texas 80 65 .552 6 6½ 4-6 L-4 45-30 35-35
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Seattle 75 71 .514 11½ 12 3-7 W-1 40-31 35-40
Oakland 67 78 .462 19 19½ 8-2 W-3 34-36 33-42
Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team
Figgins
Damon
Los Angeles
New York
107
102
Pujols
Braun
St. Louis
Milwaukee
119
102
Ellsbury
Crawford
Boston
Tampa Bay
61
57
Bourn
Morgan
Houston
Washington
57
42
National League standings
East W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Jeter New York 102 Utley Philadelphia 102 Figgins Los Angeles 41 Kemp Los Angeles 33 Philadelphia 84 60 .583 — — 7-3 W-4 41-32 43-28
ERIC RISBERG / AP BRoberts Baltimore 102 Zimmerman Washington 98 RDavis Oakland 38 Rollins Philadelphia 28 Florida 78 68 .534 7 4½ 6-4 W-2 40-35 38-33
Pedroia Boston 101 Victorino Philadelphia 94 BUpton Tampa Bay 37 Fowler Colorado 27 Atlanta 77 68 .531 7½ 5 7-3 W-6 37-33 40-35
▲ Juan Uribe, 2B/3B/SS, Giants. Uribe, Scutaro Toronto 100 HaRamirez Florida 93 BAbreu Los Angeles 29 Pierre Los Angeles 27
New York 63 83 .432 22 19½ 2-8 L-4 36-36 27-47
Washington 50 95 .345 34½ 32 4-6 L-2 29-43 21-52
above, has taken advantage of Cano New York 95 Fielder Milwaukee 91 BRoberts Baltimore 29 Two tied at 25
everyday playing time around the Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
St. Louis 85 62 .578 — — 4-6 L-2 44-31 41-31
Giants’ infield and likely has RBIs Pitching Chicago 75 69 .521 8½ 6½ 7-3 L-1 44-29 31-40
earned himself a permanent Milwaukee 70 75 .483 14 12 5-5 W-1 34-37 36-38
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Houston 70 76 .479 14½ 12½ 4-6 L-4 42-33 28-43
lineup spot. He has been red-hot Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Cincinnati 67 79 .459 17½ 15½ 4-6 W-3 34-37 33-42
in September, which is already his Teixeira New York 112 Pujols St. Louis 127 Sabathia New York 17-7 Wainwright St. Louis 18-8 Pittsburgh 55 89 .382 28½ 26½ 2-8 L-3 36-34 19-55
best month of the season in terms Bay Boston 104 Fielder Milwaukee 126 Feldman Texas 16-5 CCarpenter St. Louis 16-4 West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
of homers and RBIs. Uribe is too Lind Toronto 103 Howard Philadelphia 118 Verlander Detroit 16-8 JoJohnson Florida 15-4 Los Angeles 88 59 .599 — — 7-3 W-3 46-29 42-30
Longoria Tampa Bay 103 DLee Chicago 102 FHernandez Seattle 15-5 De La Rosa Colorado 15-9 Colorado 83 64 .565 5 — 6-4 W-1 45-27 38-37
hot for the Giants—or fantasy San Francisco 79 67 .541 8½ 3½ 4-6 L-1 48-26 31-41
Morneau Minnesota 100 Braun Milwaukee 101 JerWeaver Los Angeles 15-6 Marquis Colorado 15-11 San Diego 66 81 .449 22 17 6-4 W-1 39-37 27-44
owners—to bench during their CPena Tampa Bay 100 ADunn Washington 99 Beckett Boston 15-6 Lincecum San Francisco 14-5 Arizona 64 83 .435 24 19 3-7 L-1 32-40 32-43
playoff push. Two tied at 98 HaRamirez Florida 99 Halladay Toronto 15-9 Haren Arizona 14-8 z-first game was a win

▼ Alex Rios, OF, White Sox. Chicago Hits Strikeouts

certainly wasn’t expecting to get a Pitching matchups Today’s games (All times Eastern)
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L.
sub-.200 hitter when it acquired Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team American League The Line
Rios from the Blue Jays for virtually ISuzuki Seattle 203 HaRamirez Florida 187 Verlander Detroit 239 Lincecum San Francisco 244 Kansas City (Greinke 13-8) at Detroit (E.Jackson 12-6), 1:05 p.m. at Det -110 KC +100
nothing in August. But he has Jeter New York 194 Braun Milwaukee 173 Greinke Kansas City 216 JVazquez Atlanta 216 Chicago White Sox (Danks 12-9) at Seattle (Morrow 1-4), 6:40 p.m. Chi -130 at Sea +120
struggled mightily in terms of Cano New York 188 Tejada Houston 172 Lester Boston 211 Haren Arizona 201 Tampa Bay (W.Davis 0-1) at Baltimore (Hendrickson 5-4), 7:05 p.m. at Bal -110 TB +100
power and stolen bases since MiCabrera Detroit 179 Pujols St. Louis 170 FHernandez Seattle 193 Gallardo Milwaukee 197 L.A. Angels (E.Santana 7-8) at Boston (Beckett 15-6), 7:10 p.m. at Bos -145 LA +135
AHill Toronto 176 FLopez Milwaukee 169 Halladay Toronto 189 Wainwright St. Louis 183 Cleveland (Masterson 4-7) at Oakland (Mortensen 1-2), 10:05 p.m. at Oak -115 Cle +105
moving to Chicago. Rios entered Markakis Baltimore 175 Three tied at 168 Beckett Boston 180 De La Rosa Colorado 179
Wednesday’s action with a .081 Mauer Minnesota 173 Sabathia New York 178 WRodriguez Houston 176 National League The Line
batting average (3-for-37), no Milwaukee (Bush 4-7) at Chicago Cubs (R.Wells 10-8), 2:20 p.m. at Chi -145 Mil+135
homers, no RBIs and no runs Doubles Saves
Washington (Detwiler 0-5) at Philadelphia (Hamels 9-9), 7:05 p.m. at Phi -300 Was +250
scored this month. Perhaps Toronto A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Florida (A.Sanchez 2-6) at Cincinnati (Cueto 9-10), 7:10 p.m. at Atl -250 NY +220
got the better end of that deal. Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team N.Y. Mets (Figueroa 2-5) at Atlanta (Jurrjens 11-10), 7:10 p.m. at Cin -110 Fla +100
— Brad Pinkerton BRoberts Baltimore 52 Sandoval San Francisco 41 Fuentes Los Angeles 41 Franklin St. Louis 37
Butler Kansas City 46 Ethier Los Angeles 40 Nathan Minnesota 41 HBell San Diego 37
MORE COVERAGE Lind Toronto 46 Tejada Houston 40 MaRivera New York 40 Cordero Cincinnati 37
Pedroia Boston 44 Hawpe Colorado 39 Papelbon Boston 36 Broxton Los Angeles 35
Get everything you need to Longoria Tampa Bay 43 Pujols St. Louis 39 Aardsma Seattle 35 BrWilson San Francisco 34
dominate your fantasy league at Cano New York 42 HaRamirez Florida 39 Rodney Detroit 33 Street Colorado 33
sportingnews.com/fantasy/baseball Markakis Baltimore 42 Three tied at 37 Jenks Chicago 29. Hoffman Milwaukee 32.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 28
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston 9, L.A. Angels 8 Red Sox 9, Angels 8 Oakland 4, Texas 0
Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Figgins 3b 6 1 2 0 0 2 .300

Sox dramatically cash in on close calls E.Aybar ss

B.Abreu rf
Guerrero dh
a-Quinlan ph
6 1 4 1
5 0 3 2
3 1 0 0
0 0 0 0
b-M.Izturis ph-dh 2 0 0 0
0 0 .308
1 0 .302
0 1 .294
0 0 .248
0 0 .295
Rangers search for answers
BOSTON—Los Angeles Angels closer Tor.Hunter cf 4 1 2 1 1 0 .313 ARLINGTON, TEXAS—Trying to Athletics 4, Rangers 0
K.Morales 1b 5 1 0 0 0 3 .304 Oakland AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Brian Fuentes thinks he’s figured out H.Kendrick 2b 5 1 2 1 0 1 .293 explain their untimely slump is Kennedy 3b 4 1 2 0 0 1 .287
why the Red Sox have been so success- J.Rivera lf 5 2 3 2 0 0 .291 about as difficult for the Texas R.Davis cf 3 2 1 1 0 0 .314
Napoli c 4 0 1 1 1 1 .268
R.Sweeney rf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .288
ful at home. Totals 45 8 17 8 3 8 Rangers as trying to score a run Hairston dh 4 0 1 1 0 2 .237
After two questionable calls kept the Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg. these days. Powell c 4 1 1 1 0 2 .244
Ellsbury cf 4 1 2 1 1 1 .302 M.Ellis 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .270
Red Sox alive with two outs in the ninth, “You figure you’d have some- D.Barton 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .245
Pedroia 2b 5 1 1 0 0 0 .295
Alex Gonzalez hit a game-winning Bay lf 5 1 2 2 0 0 .263 body in the lineup getting it Pennington ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .287
Lowell 3b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .292 E.Patterson lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .204
blooper down the left-field line to give D.Ortiz dh 3 2 1 0 2 1 .234 done,” manager Ron Washing- Totals 34 4 9 4 0 6
Boston a 9-8 victory over the Angels on 1-Gathright pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .333 ton said.
Baldelli rf 3 1 1 1 0 1 .257 Texas AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Wednesday night—the seventh consec- Bri.Anderson rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .233 Trevor Cahill combined with Borbon dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 .309
utive win for the Red Sox and their 10th c-J.Drew ph-rf 1 1 1 0 1 0 .268 two relievers on a one-hitter Andrus ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .273
Varitek c 2 0 0 0 1 1 .213 Dav.Murphy lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .270
in a row at Fenway Park. d-Reddick ph 1 1 0 0 0 0 .211 and the last-place Oakland M.Byrd cf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .283
That left Fuentes wondering aloud D.Brown c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Athletics completed a three- Kinsler 2b 1 0 0 0 2 0 .252
e-Lowrie ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .158
N.Cruz rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .266
whether the umpires were too “timid” Kotchman 1b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .200 game series sweep, their first C.Davis 1b 3 0 0 0 0 3 .212
f-N.Green ph 0 0 0 1 1 0 .236
or “scared” to go against the sellout Ale.Gonzalez ss 3 0 2 3 1 0 .299 in more than three months, Teagarden c 2 0 0 0 0 2 .209
Totals 37 9 13 9 7 6 a-German ph-3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333
crowds at Fenway. with a 4-0 victory Wednesday Vizquel 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .268
“Especially here and some other Los Angeles 001 011 401 — 8 17 1 night. Richardson c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500
places, they seem timid to make calls,” Boston 000 005 022 — 9 13 1 The playoff-chasing Rangers Totals 28 0 1 0 2 10
he said after twice failing to get a third Two outs when winning run scored. c-walked for are 1-5 on this homestand, and Oakland 100 003 000 — 4 9 0
Bri.Anderson in the 8th. d-grounded into a fielder’s Texas 000 000 000 — 0 1 0
strike called on pinch-hitter Nick Green, choice for Varitek in the 8th. e-singled for D.Brown have scored only one run in
who wound up drawing a bases-loaded in the 9th. f-walked for Kotchman in the 9th. 1-ran their four-game losing streak. a-struck out for Teagarden in the 8th. LOB:
for D.Ortiz in the 9th. E: E.Aybar (10), Baldelli (3). Oakland 5, Texas 3. 2B: R.Davis (20), Hairston
walk to score the tying run. “I’ve heard LOB: Los Angeles 14, Boston 10. 2B: B.Abreu (27), “How can you explain some- (12), D.Barton (9). HR: Powell (7), off Nippert.
it from other guys that come in here and Tor.Hunter (23), H.Kendrick (18), J.Rivera (23), thing like that?” Ian Kinsler said. RBIs: R.Davis (42), R.Sweeney (48), Hairston
Napoli (21), Pedroia (44), Kotchman (2). HR: Tor.
say that. That’s either because it’s a mis- Hunter (22), off P.Byrd. RBIs: E.Aybar (55), B.Abreu “It doesn’t matter who you’re (33), Powell (29). SB: R.Davis (38), Pennington
2 (96), Tor.Hunter (83), H.Kendrick (53), J.Rivera 2 (7). CS: D.Barton (1). SF: R.Sweeney. Runners
take, or they’re scared.” ELISE AMENDOLA / AP (81), Napoli (50), Ellsbury (50), Bay 2 (104), Baldelli playing. It’s not productive at all. left in scoring position: Oakland 3 (Powell 2,
Fuentes (1-5) came into game looking Boston SS Alex Gonzalez, left, brought his teammates on to the field after a two-out, game-winning blooper. (23), Kotchman (6), N.Green (35), Ale.Gonzalez 3 There’s no way to put a finger on E.Patterson); Texas 1 (Teagarden).
(14). SB: B.Abreu (29), Bay (13). S: Ale.Gonzalez.
for his major league-leading 42nd save Runners left in scoring position: Los Angeles 9 it. We just need to relax and get Oakland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
and got two quick outs before walking It’s a good umpiring crew and I think not to dive for it. That set off a familiar (Guerrero 2, J.Rivera, E.Aybar 2, Figgins, H.Kendrick ready for the next game.” Cahill W, 9-12 7 1 0 0 2 7 94 4.54
2, M.Izturis); Boston 4 (Pedroia 2, Baldelli, Ellsbury). Wuertz 1 0 0 0 0 2 17 2.88
David Ortiz and giving up infield singles we really feel strongly they missed a celebration in Fenway. where the Red DP: Los Angeles 2 (H.Kendrick, E.Aybar, K.Morales), Next is Friday night against A.Bailey 1 0 0 0 0 1 9 1.98
(H.Kendrick, E.Aybar, K.Morales). Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
to J.D. Drew and Jed Lowrie. Green couple times we had Green struck out. Sox have sold out 542 consecutive the Angels, who lead the A.L. Nippert L, 5-3 5 2⁄3 5 4 4 0 4 84 4.16
quickly fell behind 0-2 and offered at Unfortunately, that’s the focal point of games. Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA West by six games over the Rang- O’Day 1 1⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 20 1.79
J.Saunders 5 2⁄3 8 5 2 3 5 106 4.75 C.Wilson 1 2 0 0 0 1 25 3.11
the third pitch but stayed in the box the game and it didn’t go our way.” “Gonzie hit it just well enough where Bulger 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 5 3.41 ers. The Red Sox lead Texas, who F.Francisco 1 1 0 0 0 1 18 3.50
when first base umpire Jeff Kellogg Boston trailed 3-0 and 7-5 before tying it found some outfield grass,” Red Sox Jepsen H, 15 1 1⁄3 1 2 2 1 0 22 4.56 have 17 games left, by 6½ games
Oliver BS, 1-1 2⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 22 2.67
ruled that he did not go around. the game in the bottom of the eighth. manager Terry Francona said. Fuentes L, 1-5 BS, 7-48 2⁄3 3 2 2 2 0 27 4.41 in the wild-card race. HBP: by Nippert (R.Davis). Umpires: Home,
Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Kerwin Danley; First, Marty Foster; Second, Mark
Green then fouled off three pitches The Angels took the lead in the top of “Greenie’s at-bat was great. He was P.Byrd 5 1⁄3 9 3 3 1 4 97 5.79 Meanwhile, Rangers slugger Carlson; Third, Tim McClelland. T: 2:22. A: 23,372
before taking three balls to walk in the the ninth on three straight two-out sin- behind on the first couple of fastballs. Saito 1 0 1 0 1 0 25 2.54 Josh Hamilton still wants to get (49,170).
R.Ramirez BS, 4-4 1⁄3 3 3 0 0 1 18 2.79
tying run. The last was a knee-high fast- gles against Daniel Bard (2-1). You could see him getting closer and Okajima 1⁄3 2 0 0 0 1 12 3.47 back on the field, but acknowl-
ball that had catcher Mike Napoli jump- But Fuentes gave it back—and more— closer as he was fouling some. That’s a Delcarmen 1 0 0 0 1 2 18 3.42 edged that it is possible he won’t
D.Bard W, 2-1 1 3 1 1 0 0 21 3.43
ing out of his crouch in anticipation of in the bottom half. heck of an at-bat. play again this season.
Okajima pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. Inherited
Strike 3. Gonzalez, who hit a two-run, bases- “I was holding my breath the last two Hamilton was out of the lineup
“What was the count at the end, 3-4 to loaded bloop to right to give Boston the at-bats, just hoping for a break or hoping
runners-scored: Bulger 2-0, Oliver 2-2, Saito
2-0, R.Ramirez 1-1, Okajima 1-0, Delcarmen 2-0. for the 12th consecutive game
American League
Green?” Angels manager Mike Scioscia lead in a five-run sixth inning, looped for something good to happen, and we
IBB: off Delcarmen (Tor.Hunter). HBP: by Saito
(Guerrero). WP: Oliver. PB: Varitek. Umpires: Wednesday because of a pinched wild-card standings
said sarcastically. “I thought we had one down the left-field line that fell in got it,” Francona added. Home, Rick Reed; First, Jeff Kellogg; Second, Tim nerve in his back. W L Pct. GB
Timmons; Third, Mark Wegner. T: 4:07. A: 37,706 Boston 86 58 .597 —
him a couple of times. I was surprised. front of Juan Rivera when he decided — The Associated Press (37,373). — The Associated Press Texas 80 65 .552 6½
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 29
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees 5, Toronto 4 Baltimore 4, Tampa Bay 2

Yankees fight back with bats

NEW YORK—The Yankees ran on the
Yankees 5, Blue Jays 4
Toronto
Scutaro ss
A.Hill 2b
Lind dh
AB R H BI
5 1 2 0
5 0 1 0
4 0 0 2
BB SO Avg.
0 0 .285
0 0 .285
0 1 .297
Wieters HR tops battling Rays
BALTIMORE—First, Matt Wiet-
ers stopped the Tampa Bay
Orioles 4, Rays 2
Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
V.Wells cf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .264
Bartlett ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .327
field for the second straight night. This Overbay 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .265 Rays with his arm. Crawford lf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .302
Encarnacion 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .208
time it was to celebrate after they fought Barajas c 4 0 0 1 0 0 .238 Then he beat them with his Longoria 3b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .276
Zobrist rf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .283
back with their bats, not their fists. J.Bautista rf 3 1 1 1 1 1 .227 bat. Wieters hit a two-run Burrell dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .228
Snider lf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .233
Hideki Matsui tied the score with a Totals 37 4 10 4 1 4 homer in the bottom of the W.Aybar 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .247
Ch.Richard 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .182
two-run homer in the eighth inning, ninth off Russ Springer, giving B.Upton cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .233
New York AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Francisco Cervelli followed with a win- Jeter ss 3 1 0 0 2 2 .330 the Baltimore Orioles a 4-2 vic- Zaun c 3 1 1 1 0 0 .259
Iwamura 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .294
ning single in the ninth and New York Hairston Jr. lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .242 tory Wednesday night. Totals 32 2 7 2 1 1
Cervelli c 1 0 1 1 0 0 .268
capped its next-to-last homestand of the Teixeira 1b 4 1 1 1 0 2 .286 Tampa Bay went up 2-1 in the
Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
regular season with a 5-4 victory over A.Rodriguez 3b 4 1 2 0 0 0 .287 top half when Ben Zobrist hit a Pie cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .259
H.Matsui dh 4 1 2 3 0 1 .280
the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Swisher rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .257 3-2 pitch from Jim Johnson over C.Izturis ss 3 0 0 0 1 1 .253
B.Roberts 2b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .288
“This is as good as it gets when you’re Cano 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .320 the center-field wall. It was the Markakis rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .299
Me.Cabrera cf-lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .277
finishing off a homestand and going on J.Molina c 2 0 0 0 0 2 .239 fifth blown save for Johnson Mora 3b 4 1 2 0 0 1 .266
Scott dh 3 0 1 1 1 0 .258
a tough road trip,” Yankees manager Joe a-Damon ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .282 (4-5). 1-Andino pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .231
Gardner cf 1 1 1 0 0 0 .280
Girardi said. “It’s nice to win a game and Totals 35 5 9 5 2 8 But in the bottom half, Luke Wieters c 3 1 1 3 0 1 .273
Wigginton 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .267
feel like you can put what happened Scott drew a leadoff walk from Fiorentino lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .296
Toronto 002 001 100 — 4 10 1
behind us.” New York 200 000 021 — 5 9 1 Springer (0-4) and Wieters hit Totals 29 4 5 4 4 5
A day after brawling in the Bronx, the a drive that landed in the front Tampa Bay 000 001 001 — 2 7 1
One out when winning run scored. a-struck out
Blue Jays and Yankees made it through for J.Molina in the 7th. E: Encarnacion (5), Jeter row of the seats in left. The Baltimore 010 100 002 — 4 5 0
nine innings calmly on the first chilly (8). LOB: Toronto 8, New York 8. 2B: Scutaro (35), rookie catcher, who had a No outs when winning run scored. 1-ran for Scott
V.Wells (33), Overbay 2 (30), Teixeira (40), Cano
night of late summer, and the Yankees (42). HR: J.Bautista (7), off Gaudin; H.Matsui homer and five RBIs on Tues- in the 9th. E: W.Aybar (8). LOB: Tampa Bay 4,
Baltimore 6. 2B: Mora (18), Scott (23). HR: Zaun
came away with their 14th walkoff win, (25), off S.Downs. RBIs: Lind 2 (103), Barajas day, rounded the bases and (7), off Tillman; Zobrist (24), off Ji.Johnson; Wiet-
(66), J.Bautista (24), Cervelli (10), Teixeira (112),
their most since setting a team record H.Matsui 3 (85). SB: Scutaro (14), Gardner (22). jumped on home plate and into ers (7), off Springer. RBIs: Zobrist (75), Zaun (24),
Scott (70), Wieters 3 (35). CS: Crawford 2 (14).
with 17 in 1943. SF: Lind. Runners left in scoring position: the arms of his teammates. SF: Wieters. Runners left in scoring position:
Toronto 7 (Barajas, V.Wells, J.Bautista, Lind 2,
Without Jorge Posada, serving the Snider, Overbay); New York 4 (Swisher, Me.Cabrera, “I was going to look for a fast- Tampa Bay 1 (B.Upton); Baltimore 3 (Wieters,
Scott, Mora).
first of a three-game suspension for his Hairston Jr. 2). ball early and try to put a good
role in Tuesday night’s fight, New York Toronto IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA swing on it. I was fortunate Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Sonnanstine 5 2⁄3 3 2 1 2 2 77 6.82
rallied against Scott Downs on Matsui’s KATHY WILLENS / AP Tallet 2 2 2 2 1 1 39 5.31 enough that it carried out,” Balfour 1 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 2 17 4.79
Camp 3 1 0 0 0 4 38 3.33
25th homer—his team-high 12th off a While sitting in the Yankee bullpen, Francisco Cervelli predicted he would get the winning hit. Janssen H, 1 1 1⁄3 1 0 0 0 2 26 5.94 Wieters said. Shouse 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 5 5.18
Howell 2⁄3 1 0 0 1 1 14 2.89
lefthander. Accardo H, 4 2⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 20 2.75 Wieters twice threw out fleet- Springer L, 0-4 0 1 2 2 1 0 7 4.39
S.Downs BS, 4-13 2⁄3 3 2 2 0 0 10 3.09
Brett Gardner, who entered an inning Angels two nights earlier. “There’s not “I did it! I did it!” the 23-year-old Frasor L, 6-3 2⁄3 2 1 1 0 0 21 2.58 footed Carl Crawford trying to Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Tillman 6 2⁄3 5 1 1 1 0 95 4.50
earlier, singled off Jason Frasor (6-3) many times I get on first base and a guy thought to himself. “I was waiting for a New York IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA steal second. It was the second Albers H, 9 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 5 5.22
Gaudin 5 2⁄3 7 3 3 1 2 100 3.68
leading off the ninth. He times all pitch- is really, really slow and say, ‘Oh, I got long time—the pie. It tastes good.” D.Marte 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 510.97 time in his career Crawford was Baez H, 12 1 1 0 0 0 0 16 4.03
Ji.Johnson W, 4-5 BS, 5-131 1 1 1 0 0 17 4.04
ers to the plate, and had Frasor at 1.2 this really, really easy.’” Gardner was sidelined from July 25 Bruney 0 2 1 1 0 0 6 4.36 nabbed twice in the same game;
Coke 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 4.82
seconds on his first two pitches to Derek Gardner took third as Jeter grounded until Sept. 7 with a broken thumb and P.Hughes 1 0 0 0 0 1 15 3.14 the other was April 10, 2007. Springer pitched to 2 batters in the 9th. Inherited
runners-scored: Balfour 2-0, Albers 2-0. Balk:
Jeter, who fell behind 0-2 and fouled off out and scored on a single to left by could play and important role for the Ma.Rivera W, 3-2 1 1 0 0 0 0 14 1.66 Meanwhile, Crawford loudly Howell. Umpires: Home, Mike DiMuro; First, Ron
a pitch. Gardner then took off for sec- Cervelli, who got in the game in the Yankees in the postseason. Bruney pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. Inherited confronted DH Pat Burrell in the Kulpa; Second, Dale Scott; Third, Rob Drake. T: 2:22
(Rain delay: 1:40). A: 10,548 (48,290).
ond, estimating Frasor took 1.4 seconds eighth after Jose Molina was pinch hit Mariano Rivera (3-2) pitched a one-hit runners-scored: Accardo 2-0, Frasor 1-0, D.Marte Rays clubhouse before batting
2-0, Coke 2-1. IBB: off Gaudin (J.Bautista). HBP:
to get the ball to the plate, and he made it for. ninth for New York (94-53), which main- by Camp (Cano). WP: Gaudin 2, Coke. Umpires: practice Wednesday, prompting
safely. Cervelli, who predicted while talking tained a 6½-game lead over second-place Home, Greg Gibson; First, Bill Miller; Second, manager Joe Maddon to meet
Derryl Cousins; Third, Jim Joyce. T: 3:31. A: 46,046
“Pitchers really do a better job nowa- with Edwar Ramirez in the bullpen that Boston (86-58) in the A.L. East and (52,325). privately with both players,
days of holding runners on,” said Gard- he’d get the winning hit, was on the opened a seven-game lead over the Angels according to the St. Petersburg
ner, whose steal of third sparked the receiving end of a whipped cream pie (86-59) for best record in the A.L. Times.
Yankees to a win over the Los Angeles from A.J. Burnett. — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 30
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit 4, Kansas City 3 Minnesota 7, Cleveland 3

Tigers honor Harwell, maintain cushion

Tigers 4, Royals 3
Kansas City
DeJesus lf
AB
3
R
0
H
1
BI
0
BB
0
SO
0
Avg.
.280
Twins surprise themselves
Maier rf-cf 4 0 3 1 0 0 .254
Butler 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .299 MINNEAPOLIS—Michael Cud- Twins 7, Indians 3
DETROIT—The Detroit Tigers gave their Jacobs dh 3 1 1 0 1 1 .235 dyer is a bit surprised the Min- Cleveland AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Callaspo 2b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .297 Brantley cf 5 0 2 0 0 1 .328
fans plenty to cheer about Wednesday Olivo c 4 0 1 1 0 2 .249 nesota Twins have overcome A.Cabrera ss 3 1 0 0 1 0 .306
night. A.Gordon 3b 3 1 1 1 0 1 .204 so much and are still in the pen- a-J.Carroll ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Y.Betancourt ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .239 Choo rf 5 0 2 0 0 2 .301
First the team honored long-time J.Anderson cf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .242 nant race. Jh.Peralta 3b 5 0 0 0 0 2 .272
radio announcer Ernie Harwell, then b-Bloomquist ph-rf 1 0 1 0 0 0 .267 He’s a big reason why. Hafner dh 4 1 1 0 0 0 .275
Totals 32 3 10 3 1 5 LaPorta 1b 4 1 3 3 0 1 .261
the Tigers went out and beat the Kansas Cuddyer homered, doubled Valbuena 2b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .238
City Royals 4-3 to maintain their lead in Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg. and drove in three runs Shoppach c 4 0 2 0 0 0 .214
Raburn lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .281 Crowe lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .226
the A.L. Central. a-A.Huff ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .244 Wednesday and the Twins beat Totals 38 3 12 3 2 6
Placido Polanco singled home the go- Thomas lf-rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .242 the Cleveland Indians 7-3 for a
Polanco 2b 4 0 2 1 1 0 .278 Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
ahead run with two outs in the sixth Ordonez rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .291 three-game sweep. Span cf-rf 5 1 2 1 0 0 .307
inning as the Tigers, seeking their first Kelly lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .240 Joe Mauer singled twice, rais- O.Cabrera ss 4 0 0 0 1 0 .269
Mi.Cabrera 1b 3 0 2 0 1 0 .333 Mauer dh 3 1 2 2 1 0 .374
division title since 1987, reduced their Thames dh 4 1 0 0 0 2 .250 ing his major league-leading Kubel rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .302
magic number to 13. Detroit leads Min- Inge 3b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .233 average to .374, and drove in 1-Gomez pr-cf 0 1 0 0 0 0 .236
Granderson cf 4 1 2 1 0 0 .250 Cuddyer 1b 4 2 3 3 0 0 .274
nesota by 4½ games. Laird c 4 1 1 0 0 1 .226 two runs as the Twins won Delm.Young lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .262
“That’s just the way we’ve played Everett ss 4 0 2 2 0 1 .244 their fourth in a row. J.Morales c 3 1 2 1 0 0 .361
Totals 35 4 10 4 3 5 Tolbert 3b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .206
games all year,” said Detroit shortstop Just two games over .500, Punto 2b 3 1 0 0 1 0 .230
Adam Everett, who drove in two runs, Kansas City 001 200 000 — 3 10 1 Minnesota sit 4½ games behind Totals 34 7 12 7 3 0
Detroit 000 202 00x — 4 10 0
including the tying run in the sixth. “I Detroit in the A.L. Central. The Cleveland 000 000 210 — 3 12 1
don’t know how to explain it. They’ve a-struck out for Raburn in the 6th. b-singled for Tigers visit the Metrodome for Minnesota 001 310 20x — 7 12 0
J.Anderson in the 7th. E: A.Gordon (7). LOB: Kansas City
been beating us up pretty good and to 5, Detroit 10. 2B: Maier (15), Callaspo (35), Y.Betancourt a three-game set beginning a-grounded out for A.Cabrera in the 9th. 1-ran for Kubel
get a win, and win in that fashion, was (19), Laird (22), Everett (20). RBIs: Maier (26), Olivo Friday. in the 7th. E: Laffey (1). LOB: Cleveland 10, Minnesota
(55), A.Gordon (13), Polanco (65), Granderson (63), 7. 2B: Choo (34), Hafner (17), Cuddyer (33), J.Morales 2
big for us.” Everett 2 (43). SB: Mi.Cabrera (6). CS: Bloomquist (5). “The way we’ve played this year, (6), Tolbert (4). HR: LaPorta (6), off Blackburn; Cuddyer
The victory ended the Tigers’ five- SF: A.Gordon. Runners left in scoring position: it’s amazing we still have a chance (26), off Laffey. RBIs: LaPorta 3 (17), Span (59), Mauer 2
Kansas City 3 (Butler, Callaspo 2); Detroit 6 (Thames (87), Cuddyer 3 (78), J.Morales (7). SF: J.Morales. Run-
game skid against Kansas City. 2, Raburn 2, Ordonez, Laird). DP: Detroit 1 (Everett, and it’s sitting in front of us,” said ners left in scoring position: Cleveland 7 (A.Cabrera,
Detroit saluted Harwell, who recently Mi.Cabrera). Cuddyer, who has replaced the Crowe, Jh.Peralta 3, Shoppach 2); Minnesota 4 (Punto
said he has inoperable cancer, during DUANE BURLESON / AP injured Justin Morneau at first 2, Kubel 2). DP: Cleveland 1 (A.Cabrera, Valbuena,
Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA LaPorta); Minnesota 1 (O.Cabrera, Punto, Cuddyer).
the third inning. The team showed a Placido Polanco, front, Fernando Rodney and the Tigers reduced their magic number to 13. DiNardo L, 0-1 5 1⁄3 9 4 4 1 2 104 5.23 base, and is 8-for-16 in those four
J.Wright 1 1 0 0 2 2 23 4.67 Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
three-minute video tribute then the Hall R.Colon 1 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 21 4.87 games. “At this point we need Laffey L, 7-6 6 12 7 6 3 0 98 4.09
of Fame announcer gave a thank-you chances. The Royals lost their lead baserunner Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA everybody to contribute. Even the Todd 1 0 0 0 0 0 1810.43
Bonine 5 6 3 3 1 2 82 5.96 R.Perez 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 7.50
speech to an appreciative and tearful Everett and Curtis Granderson each three times, including in the third when Miner W, 7-5 1 1 0 0 0 1 10 4.52 guys that are hurt we need them to Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
crowd of 25,400. drove in a run in Detroit’s two-run Yuniesky Betancourt was thrown out at Seay H, 27 1 3 0 0 0 1 22 3.61 cheer us on.” Blackburn W, 10-11 6 1⁄3 8 2 2 0 3 91 4.34
Lyon H, 13 1 0 0 0 0 1 11 2.87 Mijares H, 23 1 1⁄3 1 1 1 1 1 22 2.20
“I think he really said some nice fourth and Everett added his tying RBI the plate by Ryan Raburn. Tigers catcher Rodney S, 33-34 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 3.88 It’s been like that much of the Crain 0 1 0 0 1 0 12 5.23
words,” reliever Zach Miner said of single off starter Lenny DiNardo (0-1) in Gerald Laird later caught his majors- year. Guerrier H, 30 2⁄3 2 0 0 0 0 21 2.22
Seay pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. Inherited Nathan S, 41-46 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 2 12 2.25
Harwell, who spoke to the team before the sixth. Reliever Jamey Wright gave best 34th runner trying to steal, when runners-scored: J.Wright 2-1, R.Colon 2-0, Lyon 2-0. Mauer missed the first month
the game. “I think everyone kind of took up Polanco’s hit with two outs. Willie Bloomquist failed to swipe HBP: by Bonine (DeJesus). Umpires: Home, Bruce of the season, and Minnesota’s Crain pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. Laffey pitched to
Dreckman; First, Paul Emmel; Second, Scott Barry; Third, 2 batters in the 7th. Inherited runners-scored: Todd
it to heart and kind of realized that it’s a Kansas City had runners at second second. Gary Darling. T: 2:54. A: 25,400 (41,255). starting rotation has been in 1-1, Mijares 1-0, Crain 2-1, Guerrier 3-0, Nathan 2-0.
game.” and third to start the eighth after Bobby “Situational hitting and defense— flux nearly all season, includ- Umpires: Home, Fieldin Culbreth; First, Jeff Nelson;
The 91-year-old Hall of Fame broad- Seay gave up consecutive singles, but were weren’t at either one and it cost us,” ing the absence of Kevin Slowey Second, Adrian Johnson; Third, Gary Cederstrom. T:
2:57. A: 16,921 (46,632).
caster was in the Detroit booth from Brandon Lyon came on to induce a Kansas City manager Trey Hillman since July 4.
1960 to 2002. grounder to the mound and a strikeout said. Nick Blackburn (10-11)
Miner (7-5) and three other relievers before getting Alberto Callaspo to pop Maier and Miguel Olivo had RBI sin- allowed two earned runs and
kept the Royals scoreless over the final up to first. gles and Alex Gordon added a sacrifice eight hits in 6 1/3 innings for
five innings. Fernando Rodney worked “Obviously what Lyon did tonight fly against starter Eddie Bonine. his second win in 12 starts.
the ninth to earn his 33rd save in 34 was game-saving,” Leyland said. — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY
L.A. Dodgers 3, Pittsburgh 1
www.sportingnews.com Baseball THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 31
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Florida 5, St. Louis 2 San Diego 6, Arizona 5, Padres 6, Diamondbacks 5, 10 innings
Arizona AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Marlins 5, Cardinals 2
10 innings C.Young cf 5 1 2 1 1 1 .206

Dodgers notch 3-game sweep Johnson, Marlins Florida

Coghlan lf
AB R H BI
5 0 1 0
BB SO Avg.
0 0 .303 Speedsters the key
S.Drew ss
J.Upton rf
Montero c
4 1 0 0 1 0 .257
5 1 5 1 0 0 .308
5 0 1 0 0 1 .300
N.Johnson 1b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .302 Reynolds 3b 5 0 0 1 0 4 .272
G.Parra lf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .293
LOS ANGELES—Matt Kemp’s
best season just keeps getting
better. The Los Angeles Dodg-
Dodgers 3, Pirates 1
Pittsburgh AB R
A.McCutchen cf 4 0
H BI
2 0
BB SO Avg.
0 1 .272
still hanging around 2-Hayes pr
Sanches p
L.Nunez p
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
Ha.Ramirez ss 4 1 1 0
0 0 .250
0 0 .000
0 0 ---
1 0 .357
SAN DIEGO—The show of speed
from rookies Everth Cabrera
and Luis Durango turned into
Allen 1b
Ojeda 2b
D.Davis p
L.Rosales p
3 1 1 0 2 1 .224
4 1 1 1 1 0 .235
3 0 0 0 0 0 .127
0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
An.LaRoche 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .248 Cantu 3b-1b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .280 b-Byrnes ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .216
ers are moving into rare terri- G.Jones rf 4 0 1 0 0 3 .297 Uggla 2b 4 2 2 1 0 0 .246 a win for the San Diego Padres. Zavada p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Pearce 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .216 Jo.Baker c 4 0 2 1 0 0 .271 E.Vasquez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
tory, too. Moss lf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .240 C.Ross rf 4 0 3 2 0 0 .277 Cabrera’s RBI single scored Schoeneweis p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Maybin cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .220 e-C.Tracy ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .227
Kemp hit a go-ahead, two- Cedeno ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .280 Jo.Johnson p 2 1 1 0 0 0 .190 Durango from second base in Y.Petit p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .037
Jaramillo c 3 0 1 1 0 1 .257 Totals 40 5 11 4 6 10
run homer in the sixth inning, R.Vazquez 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .242
Pinto p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 the bottom of the 10th inning
Calero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- San Diego AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Ronnie Belliard added a solo K.Hart p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .182 d-Gload ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .266 and gave the Padres a 6-5 vic- E.Cabrera ss 6 1 3 1 0 1 .263
a-Milledge ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .270 1-Bonifacio pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .251 Gwynn cf 1 1 1 1 2 0 .264
shot and the Dodgers beat the D.Bautista p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Meyer p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 tory over Arizona. O.Salazar 1b-2b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .265
last-place Pittsburgh Pirates Dumatrait p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Helms 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279 Durango, making his first Headley 3b
Ed.Gonzalez 2b
4
3
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
2
1
.260
.211
J.Chavez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 34 5 12 5 3 3
3-1 Wednesday to complete a Totals 32 1 6 1 0 11 major league start, opened the d-Ad.Gonzalez ph-1b 1 1 1 2 0 0 .277
St. Louis AB R H BI BB SO Avg. H.Blanco c 3 1 2 0 2 0 .243
three-game sweep. Schumaker 2b 3 0 2 0 0 0 .302 inning with his third infield Macias rf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .217
Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg. b-DeRosa ph-3b 2 0 1 0 0 0 .233 Durango lf 4 2 3 0 0 1 .600
“Every win up to this point is Pierre lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .314 Ankiel rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .233
single of the game. He stole sec- Mujica p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .333
R.Webb p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
going to be big,” Kemp said as Belliard 2b 3 2 3 1 1 0 .261 c-Ludwick ph-rf 0 0 0 0 1 0 .272 ond with one out and then beat Poreda p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
O.Hudson 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .287 Pujols 1b 4 0 2 1 0 0 .333 Gallagher p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
the Dodgers trimmed their Ethier rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .283 Holliday lf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .358 the throw home from right a-Hundley ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .225
magic number for clinching Kemp cf 4 1 1 2 0 2 .305 Rasmus cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .257 fielder Justin Upton on Cabre- Russell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Loney 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .281 Y.Molina c 4 1 2 0 0 0 .285 Thatcher p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
their third postseason berth in DeWitt 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .143
Thurston 3b-2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .229 ra’s single to help the Padres Perdomo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Lugo ss 4 0 1 1 0 0 .296 c-Venable ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .270
four years to nine. Ausmus c 2 0 1 0 1 0 .289 Pineiro p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .133 avoid a three-game sweep. Ramos p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
J.Castro ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .284 D.Reyes p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- H.Bell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Los Angeles began the day Kuroda p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .120 a-K.Greene ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .207
Cabrera had three hits, f-Eckstein ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .265
Totals 35 6 11 6 7 8
with a five-game lead over Col- Kuo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- B.Thompson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .083 including an infield single and
b-Thome ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Franklin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Arizona 000 021 200 0 5 11 1
orado in the N.L. West—its Sherrill p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- JEFF ROBERSON / AP e-LaRue ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .226 a bunt single. Durango, who San Diego 001 002 002 1 6 11 3
largest since being 5½ games Broxton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 John Baker, left, and the Marlins took two of the series’ three games. 3-Br.Ryan pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .289 made his major league debut as
Totals 30 3 8 3 2 7 Totals 36 2 10 2 2 6 One out when winning run scored. a-singled for Gal-
up on the Rockies on Sept. 1. Florida 310 000 010 — 5 12 0
a pinch-hitter on Tuesday lagher in the 6th. b-walked for L.Rosales in the 8th.
c-struck out for Perdomo in the 8th. d-homered for
The lead stayed that way after Pittsburgh 010 000 000 — 1 6 0 ST. LOUIS—Josh Johnson showed why he’s one of the top St. Louis 000 001 001 — 2 10 1 night, had two of his three Ed.Gonzalez in the 9th. e-struck out for Schoeneweis
Los Angeles 000 002 01x — 3 8 0 in the 10th. f-flied out for H.Bell in the 10th. E: D.Davis
Colorado beat San Francisco starters in the majors on Wednesday. a-struck out for D.Reyes in the 6th. b-grounded infield hits come on bunts. A (5), R.Webb (1), E.Cabrera 2 (16). LOB: Arizona 11, San
out for Schumaker in the 7th. c-walked for Diego 12. 2B: C.Young (26), J.Upton (28), H.Blanco (12).
4-3 Wednesday. a-fouled out for K.Hart in the 7th. b-struck out for Even without his best stuff, the righthander was good Ankiel in the 7th. d-walked for Calero in the 8th. third bunt went as a sacrifice, 3B: J.Upton (7), Ojeda (3). HR: Ad.Gonzalez (38), off
Kuo in the 7th. LOB: Pittsburgh 5, Los Angeles 5. e-walked for Franklin in the 9th. 1-ran for Gload E.Vasquez. RBIs: C.Young (38), J.Upton (76), Reynolds
The Dodgers’ first three- 2B: G.Jones (17), Moss (20), Belliard (11). HR: enough to shut down the St. Louis Cardinals. in the 8th. 2-ran for N.Johnson in the 9th. 3-ran
although replays appeared to (97), Ojeda (13), E.Cabrera (28), Gwynn (16), Headley
game winning streak since Kemp (24), off K.Hart; Belliard (8), off Dumatrait. Johnson pitched six effective innings to lead the Flor- for LaRue in the 9th. E: B.Thompson (1). LOB: show he beat the throw to first. (59), Ad.Gonzalez 2 (88), Hundley (24). SB: Reynolds
Florida 8, St. Louis 11. 2B: Uggla (23), DeRosa (24), Durango (1). CS: C.Young (3), J.Upton (5). S:
RBIs: Jaramillo (24), Belliard (30), Kemp 2 (94).
Aug. 20-22 against the Chicago SB: Pierre (27). CS: Pierre (12). S: Cedeno. Run- ida Marlins to a 5-2 victory over the Cardinals. (8), Y.Molina (22). RBIs: Cantu (87), Uggla (79), “Having guys like that on the Gwynn, Durango. SF: Gwynn. Runners left in scoring
position: Arizona 8 (Montero, S.Drew, D.Davis 2, Ojeda
Cubs left them 29 games above ners left in scoring position: Pittsburgh 4 Cody Ross had three hits and drove in two runs for Jo.Baker (48), C.Ross 2 (87), Pujols (127), Lugo base paths create havoc,” 2, Allen 2); San Diego 7 (Headley, Mujica 2, H.Blanco,
(Pearce 2, K.Hart, G.Jones); Los Angeles 2 (Loney, (10). SB: Thurston (4). S: N.Johnson, Jo.Johnson. E.Cabrera, O.Salazar, Macias). DP: Arizona 1 (S.Drew,
.500 for the first time since the Pierre). DP: Pittsburgh 1 (Cedeno, Pearce). Florida, which has won 10 of 14 to stay in the playoff race. SF: Cantu. Runners left in scoring position: Padres closer Heath Bell said. Ojeda, Allen); San Diego 1 (E.Cabrera, Ed.Gonzalez,
Florida 6 (Maybin 2, Uggla 2, Coghlan 2); St. Louis O.Salazar).
penultimate day of the 1985 Ross extended his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest 9 (Rasmus 2, Pineiro 2, Holliday 4, K.Greene). DP: The speed certainly was evi-
Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Florida 1 (Uggla, Ha.Ramirez, Cantu); St. Louis 2 Arizona IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
season. K.Hart L, 4-7 6 7 2 2 1 5 97 4.71 current streak in the N.L., and was 5-for-12 in the series. (Lugo, Schumaker, Pujols), (Lugo, Pujols).
dent in the 10th when Durango D.Davis 6 7 3 3 5 5 112 4.01
L.Rosales H, 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 13 4.97
Kemp sent an 0-2 pitch from D.Bautista 2⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 14 5.59 Florida (78-68) remains 4 1/2 games behind wild card- Florida IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
slapped a ball wide of first base Zavada H, 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 14 2.93
Dumatrait 2⁄3 1 1 1 0 0 911.37 E.Vasquez BS, 4-4 2⁄3 1 2 2 2 1 17 3.81
Kevin Hart (1-6) into the right- J.Chavez 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 7 4.01 leading Colorado, which defeated San Francisco 4-3 on Jo.Johnson W, 15-4 6 9 1 1 0 5 100 3.01 where Brandon Allen fielded it. Schoeneweis 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 1 7.48
Pinto H, 13 1⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 11 3.21
field pavilion for his 24th Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Wednesday. Calero H, 12 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 8 1.96 But Yusmeiro Petit (3-10) was Y.Petit L, 3-10
San Diego
1⁄3
IP
2
H
1
R
1
ER
0
BB
0
SO
17
NP
5.92
ERA
Kuroda W, 7-6 6 6 1 1 0 7 94 3.86 Meyer 1 0 0 0 0 0 16 3.04
homer, driving in Belliard and Kuo H, 12 1 0 0 0 0 1 15 2.45 “This is a resilient team,” Marlins manager Fredi Gon- Sanches 1⁄3 1 1 1 1 0 18 1.90
no match for Durango as he Mujica 4 2⁄3 6 2 2 0 5 73 3.36
R.Webb 2⁄3 1 1 0 0 1 13 3.60
giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead en Sherrill H, 10 1 0 0 0 0 2 14 0.42 zalez said. “They forget bad losses quickly and go on to L.Nunez S, 22-28 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 6 4.00 tried to cover the bag while tak- Poreda 1⁄3 0 0 0 2 0 15 0.00
Broxton S, 35-40 1 0 0 0 0 1 15 2.42 St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gallagher 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.00
route to their 38th comeback the next game.” Pineiro L, 14-11 5 1⁄3 10 4 4 1 2 89 3.31 ing the throw from Allen. Russell 0 1 2 1 1 0 10 4.15
D.Reyes 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 7 3.13 Thatcher 1 1 0 0 1 1 22 2.43
win of the season. Inherited runners-scored: Dumatrait 1-0. Johnson (15-4) gave up nine hits but allowed just one B.Thompson 2 2 1 1 1 1 24 5.00
After pinch-hitter David Perdomo 1 0 0 0 1 1 11 4.53
WP: D.Bautista, Kuroda. Umpires: Home, Brian Ramos 1 2 0 0 0 1 18 0.00
Kemp extended his career Gorman; First, C.B. Bucknor; Third, Mike Everitt. T: run in his 23rd quality start of the season. He struck out Franklin 1 0 0 0 1 0 11 1.93 Eckstein flied out, Durango H.Bell W, 6-4 1 0 0 0 1 1 15 2.86
highs for homers and RBIs (94) 2:50. A: 53,193 (56,000). five and walked none, improving to 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA Inherited runners-scored: Calero 1-0, L.Nunez stole second. Cabrera then Russell pitched to 3 batters in the 7th. Inherited run-
2-1, D.Reyes 1-0. IBB: off Pineiro (Ha.Ramirez).
with his first long-ball since in his last five starts. HBP: by L.Nunez (Ludwick, Pujols). Umpires: grounded a ball past Allen for ners-scored: Schoeneweis 1-0, R.Webb 1-0, Poreda
1-0, Gallagher 3-0, Thatcher 2-1. HBP: by D.Davis
Sept. 1. St. Louis fell to 1-5 on its nine-game homestand. Home, Mike Winters; First, Jerry Layne; Second, the game-winning hit. (Macias). Umpires: Home, Mike Muchlinski; First, Bob
Tony Randazzo; Third, Chris Guccione. T: 3:00. A: Davidson; Second, Jim Wolf; Third, James Hoye. T: 3:39.
— The Associated Press — The Associated Press 43,020 (43,975). — The Associated Press A: 14,377 (42,691).
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 32
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta 6, N.Y. Mets 5 Braves 6, Mets 5
New York AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Philadelphia 6, Washington 1
L.Castillo 2b 5 1 1 0 1 1 .309 Phillies 6, Nationals 1

Murphy’s error buoys Braves’ hopes

Thole c
g-Santos ph-c
D.Wright 3b
Beltran cf
4
1
5
4
0
1
0
0
2
1
3
2
2 0 0
1 0 0
1 0 0
0 1 0
.423
.261
.315
.332
Blanton turns Washington AB R
W.Harris lf 3 0
H
1
BI
1
BB
2
SO
0
Avg.
.231
Dan.Murphy 1b
Francoeur rf
Reed lf
4
5
3
0
2
1
0
3
1
0 1 0
0 0 2
1 0 0
.258
.276
.255
in Phils’ latest C.Guzman ss
Zimmerman 3b 3 0
A.Dunn 1b
5 0

3 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
2
.291
.289
.280
ATLANTA—Daniel Murphy’s “pretty Feliciano p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
awful day” helped give the Atlanta
S.Green p
h-Sheffield ph
Stokes p
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
.000
.278
---
strong start Willingham rf
Desmond 2b
Maxwell cf
4 0
4 0
3 1
0
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
1
0
.275
.588
.232
Braves a ninth-inning comeback victory Fr.Rodriguez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Nieves c 4 0 2 0 0 0 .259
W.Valdez ss 3 0 2 0 0 1 .233
and more reason to believe in their play- e-Pagan ph-lf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .305 PHILADELPHIA—Inspired by Li.Hernandez p 2 0 1 0 0 0 .149
Parnell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .125 b-Orr ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .341
off chances. Takahashi p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Pedro Martinez and Cliff Lee, Clippard p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
c-Sullivan ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .258
The Braves took advantage of Murphy’s Broadway p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Joe Blanton put more goose S.Burnett p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
f-Tatis ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .273 Bergmann p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
error to score two runs in the ninth inning A.Hernandez ss 0 0 0 0 1 0 .253 eggs on the scoreboard. Segovia p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Totals 39 5 16 5 4 4
off Francisco Rodriguez and beat the Blanton tossed six scoreless d-Morse ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .278
Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Totals 33 1 8 1 5 8
New York Mets 6-5 on Wednesday night McLouth cf 3 1 1 0 2 1 .272 innings, Jayson Werth hit a
Prado 3b 5 1 3 0 0 1 .291
for their season-best sixth straight win. G.Anderson lf 3 0 1 0 2 0 .275 grand slam and the Philadel- Philadelphia AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
1-Gorecki pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .217 Rollins ss 5 0 1 0 0 0 .245
With the game tied and runners on McCann c 3 1 1 1 0 2 .281 phia Phillies beat the Washing- Victorino cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .298
2-D.Ross pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .258
first and second with two outs, former Y.Escobar ss 3 0 0 0 1 1 .301 ton Nationals 6-1 on Wednesday Utley 2b 3 2 1 0 0 1 .295
Ad.LaRoche 1b 3 0 0 0 2 1 .278 Howard 1b 3 1 1 0 1 1 .270
Mets outfielder Ryan Church hit a Infante 2b 4 1 2 2 0 0 .306 night. Ibanez lf 1 2 1 0 3 0 .280
Church rf 5 0 1 1 0 2 .273
grounder to first base. The in-between D.Lowe p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .188 Blanton (10-7) allowed five Werth rf 4 1 2 4 0 0 .272
a-Norton ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .143 P.Feliz 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .266
hopper hit off a charging Murphy, who Medlen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 hits and struck out seven. The C.Ruiz c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .258
b-K.Johnson ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .221
then failed to catch the deflected ball as Kawakami p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .103 Phillies were one out away from Blanton p 2 0 1 0 0 1 .122
d-Conrad ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .268 a-Dobbs ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .255
David Ross scored the winning run Moylan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 recording three consecutive Park p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143
M.Gonzalez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
from second base. Acosta p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 shutouts for the first time in 40 Madson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
i-C.Jones ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .269 c-Stairs ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .200
“I’ve got to make that play,” Murphy O’Flaherty p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 years when Willie Harris sin- T.Walker p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
said. “I make it 100 times. I booted it Totals 33 6 9 4 7 9 gled in a run off Tyler Walker. Totals 32 6 8 4 4 5
and tonight we lost the ballgame.” New York 030 010 010 — 5 16 1 The Phillies beat the New
Atlanta 012 100 002 — 6 9 1 Washington 000 000 001 — 1 8 1
Rodriguez (3-5) gave up only one hit Two outs when winning run scored. a-flied out for D.Lowe York Mets 1-0 Sunday night Philadelphia 100 001 40x — 6 8 1
in the ninth but couldn’t hold a 5-4 lead. in the 2nd. b-grounded out for Medlen in the 4th. c-flied behind eight innings from
out for Takahashi in the 5th. d-flied out for Kawakami in a-grounded out for Blanton in the 6th. b-singled for
The Braves remained five games the 6th. e-singled for W.Valdez in the 7th. f-flied out for Martinez and one from Ryan Li.Hernandez in the 7th. c-grounded out for Madson in
Broadway in the 7th. g-homered for Thole in the 8th.
h-lined out for S.Green in the 8th. i-struck out for Acosta in the 8th. d-lined out for Segovia in the 9th. E: Desmond
behind the Colorado Rockies in the N.L. the 8th. 1-ran for G.Anderson in the 9th. 2-ran for McCann
Madson. Lee tossed a six-hitter (2), Howard (13). LOB: Washington 10, Philadelphia 7.
wild-card race. in the 9th. E: Dan.Murphy (13), McCann (11). LOB: New
York 14, Atlanta 12. 2B: Beltran (22), Francoeur (27),
in a 5-0 win against the Nation- 2B: Desmond (4), Li.Hernandez (1). HR: Werth (34),
off Bergmann. RBIs: W.Harris (24), Werth 4 (88). SB:
Omir Santos gave New York a 5-4 lead Prado 2 (27), G.Anderson (24), McCann (35), Infante (7).
HR: Santos (7), off M.Gonzalez. RBIs: Thole 2 (4), Santos
als on Tuesday. W.Harris (10), Utley 2 (21), Howard (7). Runners left
with his first career pinch-hit homer in (37), D.Wright (67), Reed (9), McCann (80), Infante 2
(24), Church (40). S: Parnell 2, McCann, Y.Escobar. SF:
“Hitting is contagious, but in scoring position: Washington 8 (Willingham,
C.Guzman 3, W.Harris 2, Nieves, Zimmerman); Phila-
the eighth off Mike Gonzalez, who Infante. Runners left in scoring position: New York
9 (Dan.Murphy 3, L.Castillo 2, Thole 2, Sheffield 2);
pitching is contagious, too,” delphia 3 (Werth, Utley, Dobbs). GIDP: Desmond. DP:
recorded only one out before leaving Atlanta 5 (Y.Escobar, Church, McCann, Infante 2). GIDP:
L.Castillo, Beltran. DP: Atlanta 2 (Kawakami, Y.Escobar,
Blanton said. “You see a lot of Philadelphia 3 (Werth, Howard), (Howard), (Rollins,
Utley, Howard).
with a stiff back. Ad.LaRoche), (Y.Escobar, Ad.LaRoche). quality pitches and a lot of outs
Eric O’Flaherty (2-1) pitched the ninth New York IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA and it gets in your head. It Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Parnell 3 1⁄3 7 4 3 3 4 83 5.60 Li.Hernandez L, 8-11 6 7 2 2 2 4 95 5.22
for the win in a game that was delayed Takahashi 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 10 2.81 breeds confidence.” Clippard 2⁄3 0 1 1 0 0 7 3.04
Broadway 2 1 0 0 0 1 26 6.00
by rain for 1 hour, 56 minutes. Feliciano 2⁄3 0 0 0 2 1 13 3.05 The N.L. East-leading Phil- S.Burnett 0 0 2 2 2 0 14 3.20
S.Green 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 5 5.03 Bergmann 1⁄3 1 1 1 0 0 7 5.18
After recording the last out in the Stokes H, 9 2⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 16 4.00 lies reduced their magic num- Segovia 1 0 0 0 0 1 2215.43
Fr.Rodriguez L, 3-5 BS, 6-371 1 2 1 1 1 30 3.13
eighth, Rodriguez gave up a leadoff dou- Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA ber for clinching their third Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
D.Lowe 2 5 3 2 2 2 45 4.53 Blanton W, 10-7 6 5 0 0 4 7 106 3.97
ble down the right-field line to Garret JOHN BAZEMORE / AP Medlen 2 2 0 0 0 0 26 4.53 straight division title to 11 with Park H, 13 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 4.43
Kawakami 2 5 1 1 0 0 34 4.02
Anderson in the ninth. Rodriguez then David Ross, right, scored the winning run for the Braves, who rallied for two runs in the ninth inning. Moylan 1 1 0 0 0 1 14 2.89 18 games remaining. Madson 1 0 0 0 1 1 15 3.31
M.Gonzalez 1⁄3 1 1 1 0 0 7 2.60 T.Walker 1 2 1 1 0 0 13 1.93
hit Brian McCann with a pitch. Acosta 2⁄3 2 0 0 1 1 15 4.24 Livan Hernandez (8-11)
O’Flaherty W, 2-1 1 0 0 0 1 0 9 3.08
Pinch runners Reid Gorecki and Ross walk to load the bases. Gorecki easily routine to everyone but Church. allowed two runs and seven S.Burnett pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. Inherited
Inherited runners-scored: Takahashi 2-1, S.Green runners-scored: S.Burnett 1-0, Bergmann 3-3. IBB:
advanced on Yunel Escobar’s sacrifice scored the tying run on Omar Infante’s “It had a lot of topspin on it going to 2-0, Fr.Rodriguez 1-0. IBB: off Feliciano (Y.Escobar), hits in six innings. The lowly off S.Burnett (Howard). HBP: by Clippard (Utley).
off Fr.Rodriguez (Ad.LaRoche), off D.Lowe (Beltran), off
bunt. Adam LaRoche, who had two fly ball to center field. the bag,” Church said. “It just seemed Acosta (Dan.Murphy). HBP: by Fr.Rodriguez (McCann). Nationals are 3-14 against Phil- Umpires: Home, Ed Rapuano; First, Paul Schrieber;
WP: S.Green. PB: Thole. Catchers’ interference: Second, Paul Nauert; Third, Joe West. T: 2:47. A: 44,223
homers in the Braves’ 6-0 win on Tues- Then came Church’s grounder. The like something would happen. McCann. Umpires: Home, Mike Estabrook; First, Dan adelphia this season. (43,647).
Iassogna; Second, Larry Vanover; Third, Sam Holbrook. T:
day night, was issued an intentional spinning grounder may have looked — The Associated Press 3:32. A: 17,988 (49,743). — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 33
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee 9, Chicago Cubs 5 Brewers 9, Cubs 5 Cincinnati 6, Houston 5
Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
F.Lopez 2b 4 2 2 1 1 0 .308 Reds 6, Astros 5

Early runs support Looper’s achy back C.Hart rf

Braun lf
Fielder 1b
5 1 2 2
5 0 2 1
3 1 1 0
0 1 .258
0 1 .308
2 0 .298
Homers, then Houston
Bourn cf
AB
4
R
0
H
2
BI
0
BB
0
SO
0
Avg.
.294

CHICAGO—Braden Looper got the early

McGehee 3b 4 1 1 1
M.Cameron cf 4 1 0 0
Kendall c 4 1 0 0
0 0 .304
1 0 .255
1 1 .236
little things, K.Matsui 2b
Pence rf
Ca.Lee lf
3
5
5
1
0
1
1
2
1
1
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
0
.252
.286
.305
run support he needed Wednesday
night and made it through five innings
A.Escobar ss
Looper p
Weathers p
5 2 4 3
3 0 1 1
0 0 0 0
0 1 .312
0 2 .214
0 0 ---
drive Reds Blum 1b
Keppinger 3b-ss 4
Towles c
4
4
1
2
0
1
3
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
2
0
3
.258
.265
.150
Stetter p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Fulchino p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333
to earn his career-high 13th victory. C.Vargas p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- CINCINNATI—A game that fea- Manzella ss 3 0 0 0 0 3 .250
Coffey p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 d-Michaels ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .240
By the time Looper’s back started tured seven solo homers in the C.Johnson 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .077
Totals 37 9 13 9 5 6
stiffening up in the third inning, the first five innings came down to Bazardo p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg. a-Maysonet ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .302
Brewers already had scored five runs on Theriot ss 4 1 3 0 1 0 .289
an infield single, a wild pitch— W.Lopez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
their way to a 9-5 victory over the Chi- Fukudome cf 4 0 0 1 0 0 .256 and the Cincinnati bullpen. W.Wright p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333
D.Lee 1b 4 1 1 1 1 2 .307 Coste c 1 0 0 0 0 1 .225
cago Cubs. Ar.Ramirez 3b 4 1 1 2 1 0 .322 Joey Votto scored the go- Totals 37 5 12 5 2 10
“Luckily we scored a lot. That’s for Soto c 5 1 2 0 0 0 .228 ahead run on a wild pitch in the Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Bradley rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .256
sure,” Looper said. “I felt really good for Patton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- seventh inning and the Reds Stubbs cf 5 1 2 2 0 1 .252
Janish ss 5 0 0 0 0 1 .217
three innings. About as good as I have Berg p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- overcame Jeff Keppinger’s first Votto 1b 2 2 2 0 2 0 .305
b-J.Fox ph-lf 2 0 1 0 0 1 .284
all year. But then I just couldn’t get the Fontenot 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .236 career multihomer game and B.Phillips 2b 4 0 3 0 0 0 .279
c-Taguchi ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Rolen 3b 3 0 1 1 0 2 .263
ball down after that.” five Houston homers in a 6-5 Gomes rf 3 1 1 1 0 0 .272
S.Marshall p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .231
His back started bothering him Scales lf-rf 4 0 2 1 0 0 .250 victory over the Astros on Burton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Harden p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .186 b-J.Francisco ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000
because he’d been hit there by a line a-Miles ph 1 1 1 0 0 0 .182
Wednesday night. Masset p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
drive during batting practice Tuesday. M.Hoffpauir rf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .232 Votto led off the seventh Cordero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Gorzelanny p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .222 Balentien lf 4 2 2 0 0 1 .272
“I got crushed in BP. I was playing A.Blanco 2b 1 0 1 0 0 0 .264 against Wesley Wright (3-3) Tatum c 2 0 0 0 0 1 .169
catch. You don’t see it coming,” he said. Totals 37 5 13 5 3 5 with an infield single and went c-Barker ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333
Hanigan c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .270
Looper (13-6), who won 12 games in Milwaukee 023 130 000 — 9 13 0 to third on a single by Brandon Lehr p 1 0 0 1 0 0 .118
Viola p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
each of the two previous seasons with Chicago 002 030 000 — 5 13 2 Phillips. Jeff Fulchino relieved Bruce rf 2 0 0 0 0 2 .209
the Cardinals, allowed five runs and a-singled for Harden in the 3rd. b-struck out for Wright with Chris Coste going Totals 32 6 11 5 3 9
nine hits, including a two-run homer by Berg in the 5th. c-struck out for Fontenot in the in at catcher in a double switch.
7th. E: Ar.Ramirez (10), Soto (5). LOB: Milwaukee Houston 003 020 000 — 5 12 1
Aramis Ramirez in the fifth, and walked 8, Chicago 9. 2B: F.Lopez (33), A.Escobar (2), Fulchino bounced a pitch that Cincinnati 012 101 10x — 6 11 0
three. Theriot (20), Fontenot (22). HR: Ar.Ramirez (13), Coste couldn’t handle, allowing
off Looper. RBIs: F.Lopez (52), C.Hart 2 (45), Braun a-singled for Bazardo in the 6th. b-walked for Burton in
“Thirteen wins is nothing to laugh at,” (101), McGehee (58), A.Escobar 3 (11), Looper (8), Votto to break a 5-5 tie and give the 7th. c-struck out for Tatum in the 7th. d-popped out
Fukudome (52), D.Lee (102), Ar.Ramirez 2 (58), for Manzella in the 8th. E: Bazardo (2). LOB: Houston 8,
Looper said. “To get that 13th is nice. Scales (12). SB: Theriot (19). S: Weathers. SF: the Reds their second sweep of Cincinnati 8. 2B: Pence (24), Balentien (7). HR: K.Matsui
Couple of more would be good.” CHARLES REX ARBOGAST / AP McGehee, Fukudome. Runners left in scoring a three-game series against (7), off Lehr; Ca.Lee (26), off Lehr; Keppinger 2 (7), off
position: Milwaukee 6 (Fielder 2, F.Lopez, Looper, Lehr 2; Blum (10), off Lehr; Gomes (20), off Bazardo;
Speaking of 13, that’s how many hits Brewers SS Alcides Escobar, left, scored a second-inning run off the bat of starter Braden Looper. M.Cameron, C.Hart); Chicago 5 (Soto, Bradley, Houston in Cincinnati this Stubbs (7), off Bazardo. RBIs: K.Matsui (41), Ca.Lee
Fukudome 2, M.Hoffpauir). DP: Milwaukee 2 (96), Blum (47), Keppinger 2 (27), Stubbs 2 (13), Rolen
each team had Wednesday. The Brewers season. (14), Gomes (49), Lehr (1). SB: Bourn (57), Stubbs (6). S:
(F.Lopez, A.Escobar, Fielder), (F.Lopez, A.Escobar,
drove Chicago starter Rich Harden (9-9) The Brewers loaded the bases in the “Bad outing,” said Harden, who hasn’t Fielder); Chicago 1 (Ar.Ramirez, A.Blanco, D.Lee). “That’s why they call base- Bourn, Tatum, Lehr. SF: Rolen. Runners left in scoring
position: Houston 4 (Blum, Bourn, Pence, Ca.Lee); Cin-
after three innings, and Milwaukee third on Corey Hart’s single, an error on made it past the fifth inning in any of his ball a funny game,” Fulchino cinnati 5 (Rolen, Gomes, Janish 2, Barker). DP: Houston
Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
shortstop Alcides Escobar had career Cubs’ third baseman Ramirez when he last four starts because of high pitch Looper W, 13-6 5 9 5 5 3 3 89 4.89 said. “That’s the way it goes. I 1 (Manzella, K.Matsui, Blum).
highs with four hits and three RBIs. let Ryan Braun’s hard hopper get past counts. Weathers 1 2⁄3 2 0 0 0 0 19 3.51 threw a slider that backed up
Stetter 1⁄3 2 0 0 0 1 19 3.86 Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
“I’m getting better and better every him and an intentional walk to Prince “I have thrown a lot of pitches the last C.Vargas H, 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 2.12 on me. I think if you ask Coste, Bazardo 5 7 4 4 2 2 86 8.50
Coffey 1 0 0 0 0 1 12 3.11 W.Lopez BS, 1-1 1 2 1 1 0 1 2210.29
day,” Escobar said. “I’m trying to work Fielder. Casey McGehee hit a sacrifice three starts and not many innings,” he Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA he blocks that nine times out of W.Wright L, 3-3 0 2 1 1 0 0 7 5.60
on my offense every day, trying to put fly for a 3-0 lead and Mike Cameron added. Harden L, 9-9 3 5 5 2 3 3 71 4.09 10, but it bounced the other Fulchino 2 0 0 0 1 6 31 3.28
Patton 1 1⁄3 4 4 4 2 1 33 6.41 Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
the ball in play and make some contact. walked to reload the bases before Esco- Chicago got a pair back in the bottom Berg 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 6 0.00 way.” Lehr 5 11 5 5 1 6 99 5.30
Gorzelanny 2 1 0 0 0 1 25 4.86 Viola 1⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 11 2.45
I’m looking for line drives in every bar came through again with a soft two- of the third on a sacrifice fly by Kosuke Reds manager Dusty Baker Burton W, 1-0 1 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 2 18 5.02
S.Marshall 2 2 0 0 0 1 19 4.52
at-bat.” out, two-run single for a 5-0 lead. Fukudome and RBI single by Derrek was glad to take it. Masset H, 16 1 0 0 0 0 1 9 2.63
Stetter pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. Inherited Cordero S, 37-40 1 0 0 0 0 1 11 2.29
Milwaukee scored two in the second Harden gave up five hits, five runs— Lee. But Escobar made a nice play on runners-scored: Stetter 1-0, C.Vargas 2-0, Berg
“It doesn’t matter how you
on a two-out RBI double by No. 8 hitter two earned—and three walks, while Milton Bradley’s grounder behind the 2-2. IBB: off Harden (Fielder). WP: Harden. get it as long as you get it,” W.Wright pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. Inherited
Umpires: Home, Doug Eddings; First, Brian runners-scored: Fulchino 2-1, Burton 2-0. WP:
Escobar and a run-producing single throwing 71 pitches during his short bag and threw him out to end the rally. Knight; Second, Hunter Wendelstedt; Third, Dana Baker said. Fulchino. Umpires: Home, Jim Reynolds; First, Chad
from Looper. stint. — The Associated Press DeMuth. T: 2:55. A: 38,084 (41,210). — The Associated Press Fairchild; Second, Bill Welke; Third, Tim Welke. T: 2:57.
A: 10,662 (42,319).
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NHL THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 34

Former stars prepping for their second life in hockey

Mark Messier was standing next
to the glass, watching Rangers pros-
pects show off their skills during the
recent prospects tournament in Tra-
verse City, Mich. Somewhere at the
rink, Joe Nieuwendyk was doing the
same for the Stars.
Later in the
tournament, Steve
Yzerman arrived,
and spent much of
his time in the
Red Wings team
balcony, looking
down at the play-
Craig Custance ers below.
HOCKEY Ron Francis
was the last guy
off the ice during a Carolina Hurri-
canes practice at the tournament
where both he and Glen Wesley
worked the future Canes.
Scott Mellanby, scouting for the
Canucks in the stands, joked that
he kept bumping into so many for-
mer teammates and opponents that
it was hard to get his work done.
It quickly became clear this
wasn’t just a tournament for future
NHL players—it was also for future
NHL general managers. Or head
coaches. Most likely, both.
Many of these former stars of the
’90s, most of whom retired around
the lockout, are moving closer to
positions of power during their sec-
ond life in hockey.
Nieuwendyk was one of the first
of that era to get his own team to
run after he was hired to be the
Stars’ general manager this sum-
mer when Les Jackson and Brett
Hull were re-assigned.
“It’s happening,” Nieuwendyk
said of the wave of players from his
era re-emerging as team execs. “The
last few years I’ve talked with Ron
Francis a lot, Al MacInnis in St.
Louis, Steve Yzerman and I talked
about it. … The common denomina-
tor is the game has been great to us
for so many years. I think we’re all
still passionate about it.”
Former players moving into man-
agement is nothing new, but this
group of players competed at a time
when salaries in hockey paid
enough to set a player for life.
So it’s clearly not about the money,
not when guys like Yzerman and
Messier earned in excess of $60
million during their careers.
“It’s two things,” Yzerman
explained. “First of all, the guys
that stay involved and work at it
and stay in it enjoy the game. I like
being around the game, I like the
people in the game and being
involved. The second part is the
challenge. I’ve learned a lot, for me
it would be a great challenge to be in
(that) type of role.”
Yzerman is currently the general
manager of Team Canada, one of
the favorites to win the gold medal
at the Winter Olympics in Vancou-
ver. He’s also a vice president with
the Red Wings, and current G.M.
Ken Holland said Yzerman is ready
to run his own NHL organization.
A gold medal in the Olympics, to
go with the Stanley Cup he earned
as an exec last year, would make
him more than qualified for the
next G.M. opening.
He did it the right way, and so is
Messier, who was hired by the Rang-
ers in August to be a special assistant
to Glen Sather. Running a team is not
as simple as being able to evaluate tal-
ent or having the respect of the play-
ers. Taking time to learn from
experienced executives like Holland
and Sather is priceless.
In fact, the skills needed for play-
ing isn’t close to those needed for
aspiring general managers who
want to run an organization. The
stuff these guys let their agents
handle during their playing days is
knowledge they need to know now.
That’s one of the reasons former
agents like Mike Gillis, Peter
Chiarelli and Brian Burke have
been so successful running teams.
They have a great grasp of the busi-
ness side.
But the business side can be
learned; it just takes time. Loads of
it. John Davidson played more than
300 games as an NHL goalie and
now, as president of the Blues, has
built the young St. Louis team into a
future powerhouse.
He has seen all angles of a hockey
organization, whether from the ice,
the press box, or a team suite.
“It’s very difficult just to step in
and think you can be the general
manager or whatever it is,” David-
son said. “You have to live it and
have an understanding of how
much work it is. It’s not just evalu-
ating a guy, if he’s a good skater or
shooter. It’s everything from A to Z.
There’s paperwork, there are rules,
there’s the CBA, there’s agents,
there’s contracts, there’s parents.
You get curveballs all the time.”
But when it’s going well, and the
pieces you’ve assembled are on the
ice, the rush starts to come back
again, even if just for a moment.
Nieuwendyk got a taste at the
prospects tournament, and it will
only get more intense when the sea-
son starts.
“When you’re in the chair I’m in,
the juices flow again,” he said. “You
feel like a player again.” L.M. OTERO / AP
ccustance@sportingnews.com Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk, left, said building a team gives him the satisfaction of competition he felt as a player.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Elias surgery has Devils looking for answers, replacement
Veteran New Jersey C Patrik Elias
underwent minor surgery to
remove scar tissue around his groin
Tuesday and will miss the start of
the regular season, according to the
Newark Star-Ledger. The Devils’ all-
time leading scorer is expected to
be sidelined 3-6 weeks.
Elias, who had hip/groin surgery
June 12, had been experiencing severe
discomfort in the groin and decided
to get an independent diagnosis. Tests
conducted in Philadelphia by Dr. Wil-
liam Meyers, the surgeon who had per-
formed groin surgery on Elias four
years ago, showed the problem
stemmed from that previous surgery.
“He saw Dr. Meyers in Philadel-
phia. He did Patrik’s surgery four
years ago,” general manager Lou
Lamoriello told the newspaper. “He
decided to look and see what was
going on after an MRI. He had scar
tissue. They just broke up the scar
tissue. Everything went extremely
well. It will be 3-6 weeks before he
is fully ready to play.”
The only question now is whether
the team, with the start of the sea-
son only two weeks away, needs to
acquire a center to replace Elias,
who scored 31 goals last season.
“We’ll see after the exhibition
games and what the kids can do,”
new coach Jacques Lemaire told the
newspaper. Brian Rolston said there’s
no reason to panic.
“I expect us to be able to fill the gap
until he gets back,” Rolston said. “I’m
not the general manager, but as far as
I’m concerned, I like the team here.
There are always injuries.”
The Senators got their first
look at Pascal Leclaire Tuesday night,
about seven months after they
acquired the injured goalie from the
Columbus Blue Jackets.
Leclaire stopped 14 of 16 shots in
a 3-1 preseason loss to the Florida
Panthers. But passing that first-
game test was the important thing.
“It was good to get that first one
in. It’s totally different from prac-
tice and I’m glad it’s done,” Leclaire
told The Globe and Mail. The former
Blue Jackets star, who had season-
ending ankle surgery in January, is
being counted on to provide quality
work for an Ottawa team that has
designs on getting back into the
playoffs.
“I felt OK in the beginning and I
started to feel better as the game
went on,” Leclaire told the newspa-
per. “Every year is the same. The
first one is always a rough one and
then you start from there.”
Pittsburgh star Evgeni Malkin has
tasted success. And now he’s get-
ting a little greedy. He wants more—
a lot more.
Malkin won the Art Ross Trophy
last season as the league’s leading
scorer with 113 points. Then he
earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as
the MVP of the playoffs. And then
there was a consolation prize—the
Penguins winning the Stanley Cup.
Not a bad haul.
“That was last year,” Malkin told
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I want to
win one more time, two, three more
times. I have 10 fingers on my hands,
and I want to win 10 times. Why not?
“I want to win a couple more tro-
phies, a Hart Trophy. We have a
good chance to win. Why not?
We’re young kids.”
NHL THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 35
INSIDE DISH
The Toronto Star reported that
Glenn Healy, who recently resigned as
the NHLPA’s director of player
affairs, has signed on to be an ana-
lyst with the Canadian Broadcast-
ing Corporation’s Hockey Night In
Canada.
Healy, a former NHL goaltender,
was an outspoken voice on TSN’s
hockey coverage before going to
work for the NHLPA. He left that
job recently when NHLPA execu-
tive director Paul Kelly was voted out
by the player representatives.
CBC also announced that former
goaltender Kevin Weekes and former
Montreal player and coach Guy Car-
bonneau will join the Hockey Night
crew, though it is not clear what
their duties will be.
Meanwhile, Kelly has accepted
an invitation from the board of
directors of the Hockey Hall of
Fame to remain with the hockey
body, ESPN.com reported.
Canadian Prime Minister Ste-
phen Harper said Wednesday the
U.S. and Canada have reached a
tentative deal to resolve a dispute
over charter flights that threatens
to disrupt the upcoming profes-
sional hockey and basketball
seasons.
“We think we’re very close to
resolving that,” Harper said after a
meeting with President Barack
Obama. “I think we have some kind
of a tentative agreement in principle JOHN AMIS / AP
and we’re working to finalize that Patrik Elias (26) has 295 goals and 411 assists in 822 career games with New Jersey.
in the next few days.”
The U.S. Transportation Depart- such charters violate U.S. law because The decision would make it diffi- The NHL’s regular season starts
ment has been insisting that Air they often involve travel between cult for Canadian teams to play Oct. 1 and six of the 30 NHL teams
Canada cancel its season-long sports U.S. cities, rather than solely between back-to-back games in the U.S. with are based in Canada. The NBA reg-
charter flights. The agency contends Canada and the U.S. their current charter arrangement. ular season starts in late October.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
PRESEASON
SPOTLIGHT
New Jersey 3, N.Y. Rangers 2, SO
N.J.’s Shanahan takes ‘C’ for a night
NEWARK, N.J.—New Devils coach
Jacques Lemaire smiled and
shrugged when asked why
Brendan Shanahan sported the
captain’s ‘C’ in the absence of
Jamie Langenbrunner.
“If your captain is injured, you
won’t give the ‘C’ to anyone
because you don’t have any more
leaders on that club?” Lemaire
asked rhetorically after the Dev-
ils’ 3-2 shootout victory over the
New York Rangers on Wednes-
day night. “I thought Shanny
was a good guy to get it.”
Boston 3, Toronto 2
TORONTO—Andy Wozniewski’s
tiebreaking goal in the third
period sealed it for the Bruins.
Steve Begin and Brad March-
and also scored for Boston while
Tyler Bozak and Viktor Stalberg
tallied goals for Toronto.
Edmonton 3, N.Y. Islanders 2
EDMONTON—Sheldon Souray
scored the game-winner with
just 2:15 to play, spoiling the pre-
season debut of John Tavares.
Sam Gagner and Dustin
Penner also scored for the Oilers
(2-0).
Detroit 3, Philadelphia 1
DETROIT—Kris Draper, Jamie
Tardif and Jeremy Williams
scored to lift Detroit.
Veteran defenseman Chris
Pronger made his Flyers’ debut,
after being acquired in a trade
with Anaheim, and was booed
every time he touched the puck.
New Jersey’s Zach Parise, left, delivered an open-ice check to Rangers F Sean Avery.
Dallas 4, Tampa Bay 3, SO
DALLAS—Brad Richards con-
verted in the third round of the
shootout after scoring a goal in
regulation .
Neither team was successful
in the first two rounds before
Richards beat Jaroslav Janus.
Florida 2, Ottawa 1
OTTAWA—Kordan Leopold and
Dmitri Kulikov scored power-
play goals for Florida.
Leopold opened the scoring
7:26 when he put Michael Fro-
lik’s rebound past Brian Elliott.
Anaheim 3, Phoenix 2, SO
ANAHEIM—Bobby Ryan scored
twice in regulation and again
leading off the shootout
NHL THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 36
Preseason Glance
SUMMARIES
Tampa Bay 0 2 1 0 — 3 N.Y. Rangers 0 0 2 0 — 2 Boston 0 2 1 — 3
All Times EDT
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas 2 0 1 0 — 4 New Jersey 1 1 0 0 — 3 Toronto 1 1 0 — 2 Atlantic Division
W L OT Pts GF GA
Dallas won shootout 1-0 New Jersey won shootout 2-1 First Period: 1, Toronto, Bozak 1 (Beauchemin), New Jersey 1 0 0 2 3 2
First Period: 1, Dallas, Eriksson 1 (Modano), First Period: 1, New Jersey, Clarkson 1 (Bergfors, 13:38 (sh). Penalties: Hunwick, Bos (slashing), Pittsburgh 1 0 0 2 5 4
9:28 (pp). 2, Dallas, Richards 1 (Modano, Neal), Zubrus), 13:31 (pp). Penalties: Shanahan, NJ 3:19; Begin, Bos, major (fighting), 5:42; Deveaux, N.Y. Rangers 0 1 1 1 3 5
18:51 (pp). Penalties: Konopka, TB, major
(fighting), 2:32; Gazdic, Dal, served by Sceviour,
minor-major (hooking, fighting), 2:32; Richards,
(boarding), 1:32; Urbom, NJ (interference), 5:15;
Kotalik, NYR (hooking), 12:09; Avery, NYR (goal-
tender interference, unsportsmanlike conduct),
Tor, major (fighting), 5:42; LoVecchio, Bos (hook-
ing), 8:16; Bitz, Bos, major (fighting), 12:02;
Rosehill, Tor, major (fighting), 12:02; Kulemin, Tor
Philadelphia 0 1 0 0 1 3
N.Y. Islanders 0 2 0 0 3 5
Northeast Division
Dal (tripping), 5:47; Halpern, TB (high-sticking), 18:41. (kneeing), 12:33. W L OT Pts GF GA
9:25; Bochenski, TB (holding), 10:48; Neal, Dal Second Period: 2, New Jersey, Clarkson 2 (Sha- Second Period: 2, Boston, Begin 1 (Thornton),
Boston 2 0 0 4 5 3
(slashing), 15:41; Fedoruk, TB (hooking), 18:27. nahan, Zubrus), 10:14 (pp). Penalties: P.Cormier, 3:18 (pp). 3, Boston, Marchand 1 (Bergeron,
Second Period: 3, Tampa Bay, Fedoruk 1 NJ (holding stick), 5:51; Voros, NYR, major (fight- Wideman), 13:16 (pp). 4, Toronto, Stalberg 1 Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0
(McLean), 5:45. 4, Tampa Bay, McLean 1 (Foster, ing), 8:02; Shanahan, NJ (delay of game), 8:02; (Kadri, Beauchemin), 16:03 (pp). Penalties: Montreal 0 0 0 0 0 0
Downie), 19:31 (pp). Penalties: Foster,TB (inter- Fraser, NJ, major (fighting), 8:02; Grachev, NYR Beauchemin, Tor (tripping), 2:38; Oreskovic, Tor Toronto 0 1 0 0 2 3
ference), 8:20; Hutchinson, Dal (interference), (high-sticking), 9:51; New York bench, served (interference), 12:38; Lefebvre, Bos, major (fight- Ottawa 0 2 0 0 2 5
8:51; Larsen, Dal (tripping), 12:12; McLean, TB by Prospal (too many men), 11:21; Henley, NYR, ing), 14:10; Oreskovic, Tor, major (fighting), 14:10; Southeast Division
(hooking), 14:27; Hedman, TB (roughing), 19:05; major (fighting), 14:18; Letourneau-Leblond, Boston bench, served by Sobotka (too many W L OT Pts GF GA
Benn, Dal (holding, roughing), 19:05. NJ, major (fighting), 14:18; Salvador, NJ (high- men), 15:54; Stuart, Bos (high-sticking), 16:22. Florida 2 0 0 4 5 2
Third Period: 5, Tampa Bay, Jones 1 (Halpern, sticking), 15:12. Third Period: 5, Boston, Wozniewski 1 Tampa Bay 0 0 1 1 3 4
Miller), 5:55. 6, Dallas, Neal 1 (Richards, Eriks- Third Period: 3, N.Y. Rangers, Gilroy 1 (Voros, (Bergeron, Morris), 7:02. Penalties: Bitz, Bos Atlanta 0 0 0 0 0 0
son), 16:46. Penalties: Hale, TB, major (fight- Avery), 3:03. 4, N.Y. Rangers, Owens 1 (Del Zotto), (roughing, interference), 3:04; Deveaux, Tor Carolina 0 0 0 0 0 0
ing), 5:06; Sutherby, Dal, major (fighting), 5:06; 11:46. Penalties: Henley, NYR (slashing), 5:38; (roughing), 3:04; McQuaid, Bos, major (fighting),
Washington 0 0 0 0 0 0
Larsen, Dal (tripping), 6:32; Fistric, Dal (delay of Clarkson, NJ (high-sticking), 5:47. 14:14; Oreskovic, Tor, served by Deveaux, minor-
game), 6:41; Konopka, TB (goaltender interfer- Overtime: None. Penalties: Del Zotto, NYR major (interference, fighting), 14:14. WESTERN CONFERENCE
ence), 8:44; Lashoff, TB (cross-checking), 12:50; (tripping), 2:31. Shots on Goal: Boston 7-12-7: 26. Toronto Central Division
Downie, TB (hooking), 18:59. Shootout: N.Y. Rangers 1 (Kotalik NG, Lisin NG, 12-8-7: 27. W L OT Pts GF GA
Overtime: None. Penalties: Woywitka, Dal Gilroy G, Parenteau NG, Del Zotto NG, Prospal NG), Power-play opportunities: Boston 2 of 4; Detroit 1 0 0 2 3 1
(holding stick), 1:20; Halpern, TB (goaltender New Jersey 2 (Shanahan NG, Clarkson NG, Parise Toronto 1 of 5. St. Louis 1 0 0 2 3 1
interference), 3:26. G, Bergfors NG, Rolston NG, Zajac G). Goalies: Boston, Sabourin 1-0-0 (27 shots-25 Columbus 0 0 1 1 4 5
Shootout: Tampa Bay 0 (Jones NG, Panik NG, Shots on Goal: N.Y. Rangers 9-12-8-1: 30. saves). Toronto, Toskala (15-14), MacDonald Chicago 0 0 0 0 0 0
Karsums NG), Dallas 1 (Eriksson NG, Benn NG, New Jersey 12-12-9-4: 37. 0-1-0 (10:41 second, 11-9). Nashville 0 0 0 0 0 0
Richards G). Power-play opportunities: N.Y. Rangers 0 of 6; A: 16,872 (18,819). T: 2:22. Northwest Division
Shots on Goal: Tampa Bay 6-9-8-1: 24. Dallas New Jersey 2 of 7. Referees: Greg Kimmerly, Bill McCreary. Lines- W L OT Pts GF GA
7-8-8-3: 26. Goalies: N.Y. Rangers, Lundqvist (17 shots-16 men: Greg Devorski, Steve Miller.
Edmonton 2 0 0 4 7 3
Power-play opportunities: Tampa Bay 1 of 9; saves), Johnson 0-0-1 (9:51 second, 20-19). New
Dallas 2 of 9. Jersey, Danis 1-0-0 (30-28). Vancouver 1 0 0 2 2 1
N.Y. Islanders 1 0 1 — 2 Colorado 0 0 0 0 0 0
Goalies: Tampa Bay, Niittymaki (15 shots-13 A: 10,481 (17,625). T: 2:33. Edmonton 0 0 3 — 3
BILL KOSTROUN / AP saves), Janus 0-0-1 (0:00 third, 11-10). Dallas, Referees: Chris Rooney, Ian Walsh. Linesmen: Minnesota 0 1 0 0 1 3
Turco (13-12), Beskorowany 1-0-0 (11:32 Anthony Sericolo, Tim Nowak. Calgary 0 1 0 0 1 4
First Period: 1, N.Y. Islanders, Gervais 1, 6:39.
second, 11-9). Penalties: N.Thompson, NYI, major (fighting), Pacific Division
A: 15,214 (18,532). T: 0:41. Philadelphia 0 1 0 — 1 4:43; Young, Edm, major (fighting), 4:43; Haskins, W L OT Pts GF GA
Referees: Gord Dwyer, Rob Martell. Linesmen: Phoenix 1 1 1 3 9 9
Phoenix 1 0 1 0 — 2 Detroit 0 2 1 — 3 NYI (tripping), 11:11; Park, NYI (high-sticking),
Anaheim 0 1 1 0 — 3 Darren Gibbs, Jonny Murray. 11:51; Weight, NYI (elbowing), 15:18; Meyer, NYI Dallas 1 0 0 2 4 3
First Period: None. Penalties: Detroit bench (tripping), 19:41. Anaheim 1 0 0 2 3 2
Anaheim won shootout 2-0 Florida 1 1 0 — 2 (too many men), 10:46; Hartnell, Phi (unsports- Second Period: None. Penalties: Reddox, Edm, Los Angeles 1 1 0 2 6 7
First Period: 1, Phoenix, Korpikoski 1 (Yandle, Porter), 19:39 Ottawa 0 1 0 — 1 manlike conduct, roughing), 12:41; Nodl, Phi double minor (high-sticking), 3:14; Rechlicz, NYI, San Jose 0 0 0 0 0 0
(pp). Penalties: Deschamps, Ana (tripping), 4:28; Yandle, Pho (hooking), 18:31. major (fighting), 11:44; MacIntyre, Edm, major Two points for a win, one point for over-
(interference), 15:48; Eminger, Ana (interference), 18:54. First Period: 1, Florida, Leopold 1 (Frolik, Second Period: 1, Philadelphia, van Riemsdyk 1, (fighting), 11:44; Reddox, Edm (hooking), 15:48. time loss or shootout loss.
Second Period: 2, Anaheim, Ryan 1 (Sexton), 3:09. Penal- Kulikov), 7:26 (pp). Penalties: Yablonski, Ott 3:26. 2, Detroit, Draper 1 (Rafalski, Ritola), 9:36. 3, Third Period: 2, Edmonton, Penner 1 (Cogliano,
ties: Brown, Ana (charging), :21; Heshka, Pho (holding), 5:49; (roughing), 2:52; Spezza, Ott (hooking), 5:45; Detroit, Tardif 1 (Abdelkader), 18:08. Penalties: Souray), 8:00. 3, Edmonton, Gagner 1 (Hemsky,
Winnik, Pho, major (fighting), 17:49; Bodie, Ana, major (fight- Lehtivuori, Phi, double minor (high-sticking), Nilsson), 10:20. 4, N.Y. Islanders, de Haan 1 Wednesday’s games
Taffe, Fla (tripping), 9:23; Keefe, Fla, minor-major Boston 3, Toronto 2
ing), 17:49; Downey, Pho (high-sticking), 17:52. (roughing, fighting), 13:46; Yablonski, Ott, major 5:34; Kolanos, Phi (high-sticking), 11:22; Kindl, (N.Thompson, Cizikas), 15:02. 5, Edmonton,
Third Period: 3, Anaheim, Ryan 2 (Sexton, Eminger), 1:08. Det (hooking), 11:41; Bartulis, Phi (hooking), Souray 1 (Gagner), 17:45. Penalties: Rechlicz, New Jersey 3, N.Y. Rangers 2, SO
(fighting), 13:46; Kulikov, Fla (interference),
4, Phoenix, Kolarik 1, 12:30. Penalties: Hollweg, Pho, major 19:22. 15:20. NYI (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:56; MacIntyre, Florida 2, Ottawa 1
(fighting), 2:00; Brookbank, Ana, major (fighting), 2:00; Mik- Second Period: 2, Ottawa, Phillips 1 (Cheechoo, Third Period: 4, Detroit, Ja.Williams 1 (Kindl, Edm (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:56; Edmon- Detroit 3, Philadelphia 1
kelson, Ana (hooking), 7:17; Boynton, Ana (hooking), 18:54. Fisher), 1:06 (pp). 3, Florida, Kulikov 1 (McCabe, Delmore), 3:35. Penalties: Laperriere, Phi, major ton bench, served by Reddox (too many men), Dallas 4, Tampa Bay 3, SO
Overtime: None. Penalties: None. Reinprecht), 13:48 (pp). Penalties: Garrison, (fighting), 3:04; Tardif, Det, major (fighting), 3:04; 12:42; Figren, NYI (goaltender interference), Edmonton 3, N.Y. Islanders 2
Shootout: Phoenix 0 (Porter NG, Turris NG), Anaheim 2 (Ryan Fla (holding), 4:57; Spezza, Ott (holding), 12:53; Ja.Williams, Det (slashing), 9:22; Newbury, Det 16:23; Drouin-Deslauriers, Edm, served by Hemsky Anaheim 3, Phoenix 2, SO
G, Lupul G). Z.Smith, Ott (high-sticking), 13:50. (slashing), 15:19. (roughing), 16:23; Souray, Edm (hooking), 19:43.
Shots on Goal: Phoenix 13-15-14-5: 47. Anaheim 6-16- Third Period: None. Penalties: Duco, Fla (high- Shots on Goal: Philadelphia 5-7-9: 21. Detroit Shots on Goal: N.Y. Islanders 6-10-9: 25. Today’s games
5-3: 30. sticking), 4:41; McCabe, Fla (hooking), 14:16. 7-18-10: 35. Edmonton 10-5-7: 22.
Power-play opportunities: Philadelphia 0 of Washington at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Power-play opportunities: Phoenix 1 of 5; Anaheim 0 of 3. Shots on Goal: Florida 9-7-5: 21. Ottawa Power-play opportunities: N.Y. Islanders 0 of
Goalies: Phoenix, LaBarbera 0-0-1 (30 shots-28 saves). Ana- 4; Detroit 0 of 7. 5; Edmonton 0 of 4. Philadelphia vs. Toronto at London,
7-10-10: 27. Ontario, 7 p.m.
heim, Hiller (19-18), Pielmeier 1-0-0 (10:03 second, 28-27). Power-play opportunities: Florida 2 of 4; Goalies: Philadelphia, Emery 0-1-0 (25 shots-23 Goalies: N.Y. Islanders, Lawson 0-2-0 (22 shots-
A: 13,689 (17,174). T: 2:36. saves), Boucher (0:00 third, 10-9). Detroit, Howard 19 saves). Edmonton, Dubnyk (11-10), Drouin- Florida at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Ottawa 1 of 6.
Referees: Mike Leggo, Kyle Rehman. Linesmen: Don Hen- Goalies: Florida, Vokoun 1-0-0 (17 shots-16 1-0-0 (7-6), Larsson (10:09 second, 14-14). Deslauriers 2-0-0 (9:02 second, 14-13). Atlanta at Nashville, 8 p.m.
derson, Thor Nelson. saves), Plante (0:00 third, 10-10). Ottawa, Elliott A: 15,115 (20,066). T: 2:16. A: 16,386 (16,839). T: 2:27. Dallas at Colorado, 9 p.m.
(11-10), Brodeur 0-1-0 (12:30 second, 10-9). Referees: Kevin Pollock, Francois St. Laurent. Referees: Steve Kozari, Tom Kowal. Linesmen: N.Y. Islanders at Calgary, 9 p.m.
A: 15,205 (19,153). T: 2:17. Linesmen: Scott Cherrey, Mark Shewchyk. Ryan Galloway, Brian Mach. Vancouver at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
Jonas Hiller stopped 18 of 19 Referees: Marc Joannette, Frederick L’Ecuyer. Los Angeles vs. San Jose at Ontario, Calif.,
Phoenix shots. Linesmen: Steve Barton, Scott Driscoll. 10:30 p.m.
— The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
NHL countdown
14
BY LARRY LAGE
Sporting News Yearbooks
The Blues are back.
St. Louis returned to relevancy last sea-
son, earning the team’s first playoff berth
since 2004, when the franchise made its
25th consecutive postseason appearance.
Vancouver swept St. Louis out of the first
round, but ignore that fact because three of
the Blues’ best—defensemen Erik Johnson
and Eric Brewer and forward Paul Kariya—
barely played last season because of injuries.
Kariya and Johnson are now healthy and
hungry, and planning to help push the Blues
toward their goal of surviving in both the
stacked Central Division and deep Western
Conference. Brewer continues to rehab for
offseason surgeries after a summer setback.
“Getting Johnson, Brewer and Kariya back
is going to make us a better team, as will the
experience our young guys got in the playoffs
last year,” said Blues president of hockey
operations John Davidson. “But just to get to
the playoffs will be a major accomplishment,
make no mistake about it.”
The Blues didn’t make a big offseason
move, but they did add a valuable backup
and are welcoming the return of their
banged-up trio of standouts to the lineup.
Ty Conklin, perhaps the top No. 2 goalten-
der in the league, left Detroit to sign with the
Blues and will continue to play in the Central
Division. Conklin’s presence should help
Chris Mason manage his workload a year
after beating Manny Legace for the job and
finishing with 27 wins and a 2.41 goals-
against average.
“We can’t have Chris playing every night
and we didn’t want another young guy, so
Ty was the guy we listed as the No. 1 free-
agent goalie we wanted in the offseason,”
NHL THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 37
Numbers
Every day in September leading into
ST. LOUIS BLUES CATEGORY TEAM STATS RANKS
the Oct. 1 season openers, Sporting
Goals per game 2.77 19
News Today will preview each of the 2008-09 record: 41-31-10, 92 points Penalty kill percentage 83.75 3
NHL teams, counting backward from Last Playoff: 2009 (lost in conference quarterfinal) Power play goals 72 7t
its July 24 Power Poll. Coach: Andy Murray Power play percentage 20.51 8
Saves 2114 24
Save percentage .903 18
Davidson said. “If Chris has the year we Shorthanded goals 10 6t
expect, he’ll play about 55 games. That Shots against per game 28.55 7
leaves a lot of games for somebody else and Shots per game 27.70 29
a lot of points we need to get.” Shutouts 7 8t
Keith Tkachuk re-signed for one year, Total points 611 20
which said a lot about last season as well as Faceoff percentage .491 20
what the five-time All-Star is expecting Goals against per game 2.77 12
from the Blues in ’09. The 37-year-old, who
Power play
has spent much of the decade in St. Louis, 351 13t
opportunities
had 25 goals and 49 points last season. Shorthanded goals
Bringing back forwards B.J. Crombeen 8 12t
against
and Brad Winchester may not have been Times shut out 7 5t
major moves, but they are the type of play-
ers winning teams want as they roll four Offseason moves
lines, hoping to wear down opponents.
All-Rookie forward Patrik Berglund was Additions
effective last season, scoring 21 times and Brendan Bell, D (Senators); Ty Conklin, G (Red
contributing 47 points. Former first-round Wings); Adam Cracknell, RW (Flames); Justin Fletcher,
picks T.J. Oshie, David Perron and Brad D (Lightning); Barry Tallackson, RW (Devils).
Boyes and 2003 second-rounder David
Backes add to one of the best collections of Subtractions
young players in the league, and speedy vet- Jay McKee, D (Penguins); Trent Whitfield, C (Bruins);
eran Andy McDonald is back at full strength Jeff Woywitka, D (Stars).
after an injury-plagued season in which he
still scored 44 points in 46 games.
The 27-year-old Boyes led the team in first 11 games) to prove he was worth the
scoring with 33 goals and a career-high 72 three-year, $18 million contract—a motiva-
points, while Backes, 25, had a career-high tion that’s sure to carry over to this season.
31 goals. Oshie, who had 39 points in 57 The Blues need each of those players back,
games, is the Blues’ most popular player. but even without them they managed to nab
Johnson missed all of last season and his the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference last
return from knee surgery will be pivotal. The JEFF MCINTOSH / AP year. St. Louis was the hottest team in the
No. 1 overall pick from 2006 made an impact G Chris Mason, acquired from Nashville for a fourth-round pick, excelled in his first season in St. Louis. league in the second half and closed the regu-
as a rookie two years ago, towering over the lar season 9-1-1 to earn a spot in the playoffs.
ice with his 6-4, 219-pound frame, moving herniated disk in his back. He had a second Polak, Barret Jackman, Mike Weaver and “It was somewhat surprising, I have to
the puck like a veteran on the back end and back surgery and knee surgery in the 2008 No. 1 pick Alex Pietrangelo, who admit,” Davidson said. “We’ve changed the
shooting it from the point. offseason. appears ready to step into a big-time role. face of the franchise in our three seasons
“We’re really looking forward to having He will miss the start of the season, and Darryl Sydor was brought to camp to add here and it was wonderful to see the fruits
his shot on the power play again,” Davidson the team doesn’t have a firm idea how long a veteran presence. Kariya, another vet- of the rebuild.”
said. “We really missed him last season.” he’ll be out eran, was almost invisible last year follow- — For much more on the Blues, purchase a copy of Sporting News
Brewer’s 2008-09 season ended last The rest of the Blues’ defense is young ing a forgettable St. Louis debut season. Hockey ’09-10 yearbook by calling 1-800-380-7404. Or order it online
December when he needed surgery to fix a and deep with Carlo Colaiacovo, Roman Kariya seemed motivated (15 points in the at sportingnews.com or streetandsmiths.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Referees reject proposal, but have hope
NBA referees voted unanimously
against the NBA’s latest contract
proposal, but remain hopeful a deal
can be reached in time to avoid a
lockout.
The contract between the league
and its officials expired Sept. 1 and
negotiations toward a new deal
broke down last week after com-
missioner David Stern abruptly halted
a meeting in New York. The NBA
made another proposal Wednes-
day, and referees association
spokesman Lamell McMorris said his
side hoped to offer a counterpro-
posal today.
All 57 active referees met in Chi-
cago, and McMorris said they
planned to continue discussions
late into the night.
“I think it’s a tremendous sign of
unity and also willingness to get a
deal done, that rather than going to
jump on planes they’re still in a
conference room,” McMorris said
about midnight EDT, following
seven hours of meetings. “None of
them are going home.”
Both sides are hoping to reach an
agreement in time to prevent
replacement officials from working
the first preseason game on Oct. 1.
The NBA is seeking cuts in areas
such as the referees’ retirement
benefits, travel budget and their per
diems.
Knicks F Danilo Gallinari, the
team’s lottery pick from last year
who missed almost the entire sea-
son with a back injury, is healthy
and eager to get the season under
way. He’s been scrimmaging for the
past two weeks at the Knicks’ train-
ing center, and coach Mike D’Antonio
INSIDE DISH
After returning from a back injury, Danilo Gallinari had games of 17 and 15 points in March.
said Gallinari has played the last
seven days in a row with no set-
backs, The New York Times
reported.
Gallinari said plans to take on a
featured role in the offense, and also
welcomes the pressure that comes
with being a lottery pick.
“I want to see the expectations, I
want to feel the pressure, because
that’s what makes you a really good
player,” Gallinari said.
In other Knicks news, the
agent for G Nate Robinson told AOL
FanHouse that he expects to final-
ize a one-year deal with the team by
next week. What about the team’s
other key restricted free agent? Mark
NBA
JULIE JACOBSON / AP
Bartelstein, the agent for PF David Lee,
said he expects Lee to report to
training camp on time barring a
sign-and-trade deal. However, Fan-
House reported that Lee is expect-
ing more than the team’s $2.7
million qualifying offer.
Pacers owner Melvin Simon, the
son of a New York City tailor who
started what is now the country’s
largest shopping mall company,
died Wednesday, a spokesman said.
He was 82.
The Simon brothers were cred-
ited with keeping professional bas-
ketball in Indianapolis when they
bought the Pacers in 1983 at the
behest of city leaders to head off a
deal that could have seen the team
move to Sacramento, Calif.
After completing a buyout with
the Suns, SG Sasha Pavlovic agreed on
a one-year, $1.5 million contract
with the Timberwolves, according
to Yahoo! Sports. Pavlovic was
traded with C Ben Wallace to the Suns
for C Shaquille O’Neal in June. He shot
41.0 percent from 3-point range
with the Cavs last season.
The Clippers re-signed F Brian
Skinner, 2½ months after he decided
not to exercise his contract option
for the upcoming season. Terms of
the deal were not disclosed. Skin-
ner averaged 4.2 points and 4.0
rebounds last season.
Mavericks F Tim Thomas needs
arthroscopic surgery on his right knee
after getting hurt while working out at
his home in California. A timetable for
his return will be set once they see how
the procedure goes.
Free agent F Rob Kurz has
decided to accept a non-guaranteed
contract from the Cavaliers, accord-
ing The Plain Dealer of Cleveland.
World champion Spain and
Serbia clinched the final two spots
in the quarterfinals at the European
basketball championship on
Wednesday. Spain routed Poland
90-68 and Serbia used a late run to
defeat Lithuania 89-79.
G Juan Carlos Navarro scored 23
points, and Lakers C Pau Gasol added
20 for Spain. Thunder C Nenad Krstic
had 16 points and four rebounds in
Serbia’s win.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009
The Nets’ financial difficulties could have contributed to the trade of Vince Carter, left.
Nets lose $25M in ’09 first half
BY JOHN LOMBARDO
SportsBusiness Journal
Financial losses continue to
mount for the New Jersey Nets,
which during the first six
months of fiscal 2009 had a net
loss of $25 million, based on a
SportsBusiness Journal analysis
of quarterly earnings filings by
the team’s parent company.
Forest City Enterprises, the
real estate company that owns
nearly 25 percent of the fran-
chise but is responsible for 51
percent of the team’s expenses,
reported in a Sept. 9 filing with
the Securities and Exchange
Commission a $12.5 million net
loss for the Nets franchise.
Because Forest City is responsi-
ble for 51 percent of the team’s
expenses, the actual net loss trans-
lates to the $25 million over the six
months ended July 31. For the same
period last year, Forest City
reported a $14.4 million net loss in
its share of the Nets. No reason
was given for the increased losses.
Forest City is run by Nets owner
Bruce Ratner, who bought the fran-
chise for $300 million in 2004.
Nets officials did not comment
38
BILL KOSTROUN / AP
on the filing.
The losses are expected to con-
tinue, as according to a statement
in the filing, “Comparable to prior
years, the team is expected to
operate at a loss in 2009 and will
require additional capital from its
members to fund the loss.”
“What this clearly states is that
the Nets, a team that plays in the
largest market in the country, is
suffering severe losses related to
two issues,” said Marc Ganis,
president of SportsCorp. Ltd., a
Chicago-based sports consul-
tancy. “No. 1 is that team’s inabil-
ity to generate revenue in its
existing arena, and No. 2 is the
imbalance in the league’s collec-
tive-bargaining agreement that
causes even big-market clubs to
have major losses.”
The Nets are working to final-
ize a deal that would allow the
team to break ground on a new
Brooklyn arena later this year.
Last season, the team had an aver-
age attendance of 15,148 fans per
game at the Izod Center, down 3.4
percent from the previous season.
— John Lombardo is a staff writer
for SportsBusiness Journal. E-mail him at
jlombardo@sportsbusinessjournal.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Tranghese’s hiring at Memphis
doesn’t mean it is Big East bound
Yes, Memphis has hired Mike
Tranghese as a consultant to its ath-
letic department. Yes, Tranghese
recently retired after nearly two
decades as Big East commissioner.
Yes, there is a
strong belief
among many
Memphis fans
the Tigers would
be more prosper-
ous in a more
prestigious ath-
letic conference.
And yes, the Mike Tranghese
Big East is a
richer and more prestigious league
than Conference USA.
But no, Tranghese was not hired
to get Memphis into the Big East.
Lots of people in Memphis have
made the leap from Tranghese’s
hiring to the Tigers landing in the
Big East Conference, but they’re
missing the mark.
Tranghese said he was hired by
Memphis to evaluate the school’s
athletic program and advise ath-
letic director R.C. Johnson about ways
to improve.
“I’ve known R.C. for a long time,
and he asked me to come in and
help,” Tranghese said. “My job is to
evaluate and help them improve
their position for the future. I’m just
going to advise him. I’m not out there
trying to get them into a league.”
Memphis is a founding member
of Conference USA.
It is one of only five original mem-
bers remaining, along with UAB,
Southern Miss, Houston and
INSIDE DISH
Tulane.
Most of the rest split when the Big
East expanded to include Cincin-
nati, South Florida, Marquette,
DePaul and Louisville in 2005.
Charlotte and Saint Louis left for
the Atlantic 10.
Many in Memphis have held John-
son responsible for Memphis’ failure
to be included in the Big East’s
expansion, although the real reasons
were based in geography. The Big
East’s football schools desired a
presence in Florida’s rich football
talent market, which led to USF join-
ing. Louisville and Cincinnati were
much closer than Memphis to the
league’s Eastern footprint.
— Mike DeCourcy
Pittsburgh is hoping for a mid-
November return for senior SG Jer-
maine Dixon, who refractured his
right foot and had to undergo sur-
gery to repair the break.
Dixon is the Panthers’ top return-
ing scorer. He averaged 8.4 points
as a starter on the team that earned
the school’s first-ever No. 1 NCAA
Tournament seed and reached the
Elite Eight. The other four starters
from that 31-5 team completed their
careers.
Dixon had a broken fifth metatarsal
and had bone graft surgery Wednes-
day. Pitt’s medical staff estimates his
recovery will require a minimum of
eight weeks. Pitt’s first game is Nov. 13
against Wofford. Dixon had injured
the same bone in July.
“We fully expect Jermaine to
make a full recovery,” Pitt coach
College Basketball / WNBA
Jamie Dixon said in a statement. “The
surgery was a success and we know
that Jermaine will work hard dur-
ing the rehabilitation process.”
Pitt already had lost G/F Gilbert
Brown for the fall semester as the
result of a suspension. When the
Panthers begin fall practice Oct. 16,
they’ll be without six of their top
seven scorers from last season’s
team. The most productive player
still available is junior G Brad Wana-
maker, who averaged 5.8 points.
— Mike DeCourcy
Wisconsin freshman Jeremy
Glover has been kicked off the team
after being arrested last week on
charges of burglary and possession
of stolen property.
Glover and fellow freshman
teammate Diamond Taylor were sus-
pended from the team after campus
police say it responded to a call of
an attempted burglary at a dorm on
Sept. 6.
Authorities say they saw the two
leaving the building, and confis-
cated iPods, a cell phone and more
than $400 in cash.
A school spokesman said he
couldn’t comment on Taylor’s sta-
tus, but several reports say he has
withdrawn from the school.
Nebraska sophomore G/F Toney
McCray suffered a detached elbow
ligament in a pickup game, the
Omaha World-Herald reported.
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler told the
newspaper that McCray will be out
4-6 weeks.
Detroit 94, Atlanta 89
Dream feeling like they let one slip away
AUBURN HILLS, MICH.—The Atlanta
Dream had a chance to win their
first playoff game and put the
defending WNBA champions on
the ropes.
They didn’t take it.
Deanna Nolan scored 25 points
and Kara Braxton added 16 as the
Detroit Shock rallied for a 94-89
victory over the Dream in the
opener of their Eastern Confer-
ence first-round series.
“This is very frustrating,
because we know we missed a
great opportunity to win on their
home floor,” said Iziane Castro-
Marques, who led Atlanta with
25 points. “Now we’ve got to go
back to Atlanta and win two
games.”
The Shock trailed by 13 points
midway through the third quar-
ter, but dominated the final 15
minutes to take a 1-0 lead in the
best-of-three series.
“This is a testament to our
team—we weren’t going to give
up,” said Rick Mahorn, who
replaced Bill Laimbeer as coach
early in the season.
Detroit played with only nine
players. Plenette Pierson (shoul-
der) has been out since the first
game of the season, and Katie
Smith (back) hasn’t played since
Aug. 27.
“We’re not 100 percent—we
don’t have Plenette, we don’t have
Katie, I’m not 100 percent, others
aren’t—but this is the playoffs,”
Alexis Hornbuckle said. “We
can’t lose this game and say that
we’ve got two games left. You’ve
got to win every time you have a
chance.”
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009
WNBA PLAYOFFS
Lisa Leslie, right, helped L.A. take a 1-0 series lead with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Los Angeles 70, Seattle 63
LOS ANGELES—Tina Thompson hit
a key 3-pointer with 5:44 remain-
ing and the Los Angeles Sparks
went on to a victory over the Seat-
tle Storm in Game 1 of their West-
ern Conference playoff series.
Thompson led the third-seeded
Sparks with 16 points. Lisa Leslie
added 14 points and 10 rebounds
in what might have been the final
home game of her storied career
before she retires at season’s end.
Candace Parker had 13 points and
10 rebounds.
Swin Cash led the second-
seeded Storm with 24 points after
missing the final two games of
the regular season because of her
grandmother’s death. Suzy Batk-
ovic-Brown added 16 points and
Tanisha Wright 13.
Sue Bird was held to four points
after missing the final three
games of the regular season
because of a sore neck. The Storm
39
MARK J. TERRILL / AP
were without Lauren Jackson,
out indefinitely because of a stress
fracture in her lower back.
— The Associated Press
Playoff Schedule
All Times ET
FIRST ROUND
(Best-of-3)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Indiana vs. Washington
Today: Indiana at Washington, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Washington at Indiana, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Washington at Indiana, 8 p.m.
Atlanta vs. Detroit
Wednesday: Detroit 94, Atlanta 89 (Detroit leads series 1-0)
Friday: Detroit at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
x-Sunday: Detroit at Atlanta, 3 p.m.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Phoenix vs. San Antonio
Today: Phoenix at San Antonio, 9 p.m.
Saturday: San Antonio at Phoenix, 10 p.m.
x-Monday: San Antonio at Phoenix, 10 p.m.
Seattle vs. Los Angeles
Wednesday: Los Angeles 70, Seattle 63
(Los Angeles leads series 1-0)
Friday: Los Angeles at Seattle, 10 p.m.
x-Sunday: Los Angeles at Seattle, 5 p.m.
(x-if necessary)
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Top 5 and 5 to watch
Sylvania 300
at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
When: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET Estimated pit window: 70-78
TV: ABC, 1 p.m. laps
Radio: PRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128 Qualifying: Friday, 3:10 p.m.
Track layout: 1.058-mile oval 2008 winner: Greg Biffle
Race distance: 300 laps/317.4 miles 2008 polesitter: Kyle Busch
BY BILL MARX
bmarx@sportingnews.com
Finally, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins.
Here’s a look at the top five drivers and five to watch in Sun-
day’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire. All statistical refer-
ences are for Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire unless
otherwise indicated. Driver rating is based on the past nine
races at the track.
1. Mark Martin, 93.4 driver rating. Martin never has won
at New Hampshire in 25 starts, but if he can repeat
his success from early in his career, his Chase will get off to a
good start. Eleven of his 13 top 10s—and seven of his eight
top fives—came in his first 14 starts. His only start in his
current ride yielded a 14th-place finish in June.
2. Tony Stewart, 115.8. Stewart has the best driver rating,
and it’s easy to see why. In his past nine starts, Stew-
art has one win and five top fives and has led a whopping
645 laps—nearly 25 percent of the laps run. He finished fifth
in June. His team needs a strong finish to snap out of its
recent malaise.
3. Jimmie Johnson, 105.3. Johnson has a terrific record at
the track, with two wins and 10 top 10s in 15 starts.
What is most noticeable about Johnson’s races at Loudon is
that except for his 39th-place finish three years ago, he has
no finish worse than 15th. Oh … and when he did finish 39th,
Johnson still went on to win the Chase.
4. Denny Hamlin, 100.1. Take away Johnson’s 39th-place
finish and you have Hamlin’s record at the track in
miniature. In seven starts, Hamlin has a win and five top
10s. He finished 15th in his other two starts. Hamlin won
last week at Richmond and has two wins in his past six
starts. Seven of his nine top fives have come in the past 12
races. Hamlin has gotten hot at the right time.
5. Kasey Kahne, 82.3. Kahne’s 10th-place finish in June
was his first top 10 since 2006. Overall at the track,
Kahne has five top 10s in 11 starts, but most of that success
came in his first five starts.
NASCAR
STEVE HELBER / AP
Mark Martin, right, begins the Chase with a 10-point lead on Tony Stewart.
5 to watch
6. Jeff Gordon, 109.4. Gordon finished second in June for
his third second-place finish in five races. Sure, Gor-
don wants to win Sunday, but another runner-up would be
an excellent way to start the Chase, too. Gordon has three
wins among his 13 top fives in 29 starts.
8. Brian Vickers, 79.5. This is Vickers’ first race as a
Chase driver. Although his record at Loudon is
poor—one top 10 in 10 starts—it is better to focus on what
Vickers has done over the past nine races as he fought to get
into the Chase: seven top 10s, including one win, and a 7.0
average finish. That is more likely indicative of what Vickers
can accomplish Sunday than the fact he has finished 35th in
his past two races at New Hampshire.
11. Juan Pablo Montoya, 74.4. Montoya, another Chase
rookie, is 0-for-5 at New Hampshire. But, like Vick-
ers, it’s better to consider how Montoya has performed in
2009, his breakout season. Montoya has 12 top 10s this sea-
son; he had nine in his first 73 Cup starts. He is carrying a lot
of momentum into the Chase, and it’s reasonable to expect him
to improve on his previous best finish at Loudon, 12th in June.
12. Greg Biffle, 88.8. Biffle, who won this race last year,
has told his team he will make it two in a row. He’s
definitely capable. And after what he did last year—winless
in the first 26 races before winning the first two Chase
races—who’s to say he can’t do it again this year? Biffle’s win
last September is his only top-10 finish at Loudon in his past
six starts. Overall, he has five top 10s in 14 starts.
13. Kyle Busch, 90.2. There might be more anticipation in
what Busch will do in the final 10 races than some of
the drivers in the Chase. Busch has a “checkers or wreckers”
reputation he can unleash in the Chase. Points mean nothing
to Busch in the final 10 races. Busch finished seventh in June
and has one win and four top 10s in nine starts.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 40
INSIDE DISH
NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program revamped
NASCAR’s Driver for Diversity will undergo
a significant change next year with all drivers
and crew members in the program being located
in Charlotte under the banner of a single team.
The 909 Group, headed by Max Siegel and John
Story, announced Wednesday it will own and
operate 10 teams fielding cars for minority and
female drivers. The 909 Group assumed respon-
sibility for the operation of NASCAR’s Drive for
Diversity program this year.
The ownership group of the D4D teams will
operate as Revolution Racing.
Siegel said the new operating model was
designed to address issues that include the qual-
ity of equipment available to program partici-
pants and the evaluation of the drivers.
“Everyone was really critical about whether
or not these kids were getting great equipment,”
Siegel said. “Second of all, how do you create
awareness of the program where you’re attract-
ing the best talent? The third thing John and I
looked at, quite frankly, was how to create a mar-
keting platform and generate interest from some TERRY RENNA / AP
of these commercial sponsors to invest in these Max Siegel will be in charge of the 10 Drive for Diversity
careers, which is what it takes to run these cars.
“And last, how do you evaluate the talent?”
Revolution Racing will operate out of a facility
teams being run out of a shop in Mooresville, N.C.
Sprint Cup series schedules.
in Mooresville, N.C., which Siegel says will be a
fully-equipped race shop. Funding for the pro-
grams combines the contributions of NASCAR
Keselowski will drive the No. 22 Dodge in
Nationwide next season as a likely teammate to
Justin Allgaier.
and NASCAR partners with the fundraising
efforts of Siegel and Story.
A significant part of the program, described
Discount Tire moves from Roush Fenway
Racing, where it backed the No. 6 team for three
seasons. Discount Tire also will be an associate
by Siegel as “academy-style training,” will fea- sponsor for Keselowski and Kurt Busch in the
ture coaching and mentoring from current and
former Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series
Sprint Cup Series.
— Lee Montgomery, SceneDaily.com
drivers.
The Revolution Racing drivers and crew
members for 2010 will be selected after a Drive
Red Bull Racing has extended its partner-
ship with Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series.
for Diversity combine at Motor Mile Speedway The agreement continues a three-year rela-
in Radford, Va., Oct. 16-19. tionship where Toyota has supported Red Bull
— Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service Racing’s progression from a start-up organiza-
tion to a berth in the Chase with driver Brian Vick-
Discount Tire will sponsor Brad Keselowski in
26 Nationwide Series races in 2010, Penske Rac-
ing announced. Keselowski joins Penske next
ers. Toyota is not only the team’s manufacturer,
but also its engine supplier.
— SceneDaily.com
season and will run the full Nationwide and
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NASCAR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 41
CHASE RACE 1: SYLVANIA 300 at NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Sylvania 300
Where: New Hampshire Motor
Speedway; Loudon, N.H.
When: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET
TV: ABC, 1 p.m.
Radio: PRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128
Race distance: 300 laps/317.4 miles
Estimated Pit window: 70-78 laps DAVID GRAHAM / AP
Qualifying: Friday, 3:10 p.m.
Track layout: 1.058-mile oval
Frontstretch: 1,500 feet
Michael Waltrip
Backstretch: 1,500 feet says …
Banking on straights: 1 degree
Banking in turns: Variable banking
at 2-7 degrees
2008 winner: Greg Biffle
2008 polesitter: Kyle Busch
Website: nhms.com
“ New Hampshire is
an interesting track,
because it has short-
track-type turns and the
HAROLD HINSON FOR SN size of a mile racetrack.
So you’ve got to be
Chase drivers at New Hampshire Three-wide really conscious of not
AVG. AVG. LAPS DRIVER What to look for at New Hampshire in the first Chase race: only your mechanical
RACES WINS T-5 T-10 POLES ST. FIN. LAPS LED RATING POINTS grip, but also your aero
1. Spread
platform.
”
1. Mark Martin 25 0 8 13 2 14.8 11.1 7,342 397 93.4 5,040
the field
2. Tony Stewart 21 2 11 13 1 11.9 12.2 5,722 976 115.8 5,030 Invariably, there will be winners and los-
ers among the top 12. The question is: Can
3. Jimmie Johnson 15 2 4 10 0 8.5 9.9 4,305 274 105.3 5,030 those who do well ride their momentum,
and can those who suffer overcome their
4. Denny Hamlin 7 1 2 5 0 9.6 8.3 2,065 52 100.1 5,020 rocky starts, as Jimmie Johnson did after a
39th-place finish at Loudon in 2006?
5. Kasey Kahne 11 0 1 5 0 16.2 16.0 3,126 49 82.3 5,020

6. Jeff Gordon 29 3 13 16 3 10.0 11.3 8,353 1,205 109.4 5,010 2. A strong start
for the Biff
Roush Fenway has been experimenting
7. Kurt Busch 17 3 6 8 0 14.6 14.8 4,652 326 88.1 5,010 with the front ends of all its cars, but Greg
JIM COLE / AP
Biffle has maintained speed throughout
8. Brian Vickers 10 0 1 1 1 20.9 23.1 2,825 53 79.5 5,010

9. Carl Edwards 10 0 2 2 0 15.8 13.5 2,964 63 87.2 5,000

the process. His crew will continue to pick
up positions on pit road, as they did at
SN’s pick:
10. Ryan Newman 15 2 5 9 4 7.6 14.2 4,287 537 90.3 5,000
Richmond, where Biffle secured his place
in the Chase.
Greg Biffle
The driver of the No. 16
11. Juan Pablo Montoya

12. Greg Biffle

5

14 1
0 0

4
0

5
0

0
20.4

14.9
20.6

18.1
1,454

3,844
6

85
74.4

88.8
5,000

5,000
3. Interlopers from
outside the Chase
Without a car in the Chase, Richard
Ford told his crewmen
that, if they helped him
Childress Racing needs to make a state- make the Chase, he’d win
ment. Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick
have picked up their pace of late, and at New Hampshire, as he
Past winners of 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Bowyer returns to the track that gave him did last year. Biffle calls
New Hampshire Kurt Busch Ryan
Newman
Kevin
Harvick
Clint
Bowyer
Greg Biffle his first Cup win.
his shot.
TOBY TALBOT / AP
Chase races — Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service Clint Bowyer’s first Sprint Cup win came at New Hampshire in 2007. — Reid Spencer
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NASCAR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 42
AVG. RUNNING POSITION LAPS IN TOP 15 POINTS STANDINGS
Sprint Cup statistics
(Through 26 of 36 races)
Sum of driver position on each lap
divided by the laps run in the race.
Season to date laps: 7,336
RK. DRIVER PTS.
PTS.
ST. WINS T-5 T-10 DNF
LAPS
BACK LED
RK. DRIVER PCT. LAPS
RK. DRIVER ARP 1. Tony Stewart 3,806 -- 26 3 13 18 0 275
1. Jimmie Johnson 84.2 6,179
1. Jimmie Johnson 8.2 2. Jeff Gordon 3,627 -179 26 1 12 18 1 698
2. Mark Martin 79.9 5,864
2. Kurt Busch 10.8 3. Jimmie Johnson 3,534 -272 26 3 9 15 1 1,252
3. Kurt Busch 78.3 5,747
3. Tony Stewart 11.2 4. Denny Hamlin 75.9 5,570 4. Denny Hamlin 3,491 -315 26 2 9 14 1 992
4. Jeff Gordon 11.6 5. Jeff Gordon 75.4 5,528 5. Kurt Busch 3,322 -484 26 1 7 14 2 391
5. Denny Hamlin 11.8 6. Kyle Busch 72.7 5,332 6. Mark Martin 3,291 -515 26 4 9 14 3 707
6. Kyle Busch 11.9 7. Tony Stewart 69.9 5,126 7. Carl Edwards 3,280 -526 26 0 7 11 1 159
7. Mark Martin 12.5 8. Carl Edwards 62.5 4,586 8. Kasey Kahne 3,280 -526 26 2 5 10 0 180
8. Carl Edwards 14.0 9. Juan Montoya 58.7 4,309 9. Ryan Newman 3,272 -534 26 0 5 12 0 157
9. Brian Vickers 14.7 10. David Reutimann 58.2 4,267 10. Juan Montoya 3,251 -555 26 0 2 12 0 164
10. Kasey Kahne 14.7 11. Greg Biffle 56.9 4,172 11. Greg Biffle 3,249 -557 26 0 8 12 2 432
11. Juan Montoya 14.7 12. Kasey Kahne 56.1 4,119 12. Brian Vickers 3,203 -603 26 1 4 13 3 101
12. Greg Biffle 14.8 13. Brian Vickers 54.9 4,030 13. Kyle Busch 3,195 -611 26 4 7 9 2 916
13. Matt Kenseth 16.0 14. Ryan Newman 54.2 3,973 14. Matt Kenseth 3,165 -641 26 2 4 9 1 195
14. David Reutimann 16.1 15. Clint Bowyer 51.6 3,786 15. Clint Bowyer 3,059 -747 26 0 4 11 1 40
15. Ryan Newman 17.1 16. Matt Kenseth 50.2 3,686
16. Clint Bowyer 17.6 16. David Reutimann 3,048 -758 26 1 5 8 0 77
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 48.2 3,539
HAROLD HINSON FOR SN 17. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 17.9 17. Marcos Ambrose 2,830 -976 26 0 4 7 2 10
18. Jeff Burton 46.7 3,425
From left, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are three of the top four racers 18. Martin Truex Jr. 18.3 18. Jeff Burton 2,738 -1,068 26 0 2 6 2 69
19. Kevin Harvick 43.0 3,158
in driver rating. 19. Jeff Burton 19.3 19. Joey Logano 2,705 -1,101 26 1 1 5 2 35
20. Martin Truex Jr. 42.8 3,143
20. Kevin Harvick 20.5 20. Casey Mears 2,639 -1,167 26 0 0 3 0 4
DRIVER RATING 21. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2,628 -1,178 26 0 2 5 3 96
FASTEST LAPS RUN PERCENTAGE OF LAPS 22. Kevin Harvick 2,613 -1,193 26 0 3 5 2 75
Formula combining the following categories: Wins, finishes, top-15 finishes, average Number of laps where driver had the RUN ON LEAD LAP 23. Jamie McMurray 2,564 -1,242 26 0 0 3 2 1
running position while on lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, led most fastest speed on the lap. Season to date laps: 7,336
Total green flag laps: 6,040 24. AJ Allmendinger 2,455 -1,351 26 0 1 3 0 0
laps, lead-lap finish. Maximum: 150 points per race. Must have raced in 75 percent of
scheduled point-paying races. RK. DRIVER PCT. LAPS 25. Martin Truex Jr. 2,455 -1,351 26 0 0 3 3 177
RK. DRIVER PCT. LAPS 1. Jimmie Johnson 93.7 6,875 26. Sam Hornish Jr. 2,434 -1,372 26 0 2 7 4 3
RK. DRIVER MAKE TEAM RATING 1. Jimmie Johnson 12.2 738 2. Kurt Busch 93.3 6,844 27. Elliott Sadler 2,416 -1390 26 0 1 3 0 35
1. Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 110.3 2. Jeff Gordon 8.1 488 3. Mark Martin 90.6 6,646 28. Reed Sorenson 2,390 -1,416 26 0 0 1 0 5
2. Denny Hamlin Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 101.6 3. Mark Martin 7.8 472 4. David Reutimann 90.1 6,609 29. David Ragan 2,314 -1,492 26 0 0 1 4 4
3. Tony Stewart Chevrolet Stewart-Haas Racing 101.6 4. Denny Hamlin 7.2 432 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 89.5 6,568 30. Bobby Labonte 2,299 -1,507 26 0 1 1 5 14
4. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 100.4 5. Greg Biffle 6.4 387 6. Denny Hamlin 88.8 6,512 31. David Stremme 2,289 -1,517 26 0 0 0 5 4
5. Kyle Busch Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 99.8 6. Kurt Busch 6.3 380 7. Jeff Gordon 87.9 6,450 32. Paul Menard 2,207 -1,599 26 0 0 0 3 7
6. Kurt Busch Dodge Penske Racing 99.7 7. Kyle Busch 5.5 334 8. Carl Edwards 87.3 6,405 33. Michael Waltrip 2,018 -1,788 24 0 0 1 4 17
7. Mark Martin Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 98.7 8. Tony Stewart 4.1 247 9. Greg Biffle 86.0 6,312 34. Robby Gordon 2,015 -1,791 25 0 1 1 5 7
8. Carl Edwards Ford Roush Fenway Racing 91.0 9. Carl Edwards 3.7 221 10. Ryan Newman 86.0 6,305 35. Scott Speed 1,864 -1,942 25 0 1 1 6 19
9. Juan Montoya Chevrolet Earnhardt Ganassi Racing 89.4 10. Kasey Kahne 3.6 216 11. Tony Stewart 85.4 6,264 36. John Andretti 1,790 -2,016 24 0 0 0 1 4
10. Greg Biffle Ford Roush Fenway Racing 89.2 11. Juan Montoya 2.9 173 12. Juan Montoya 84.1 6,170 37. David Gilliland 1,473 -2,333 24 0 0 0 11 3
11. Kasey Kahne Dodge Richard Petty Motorsports 89.0 12. Brian Vickers 2.7 161 13. Brian Vickers 83.3 6,108
13. Martin Truex Jr. 2.1 127 38. Regan Smith 1,114 -2,692 13 0 0 0 1 0
12. Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull Racing 87.8 14. Kyle Busch 82.1 6,024
14. Jeff Burton 2.0 122 39. Joe Nemechek 979 -2,827 21 0 0 0 18 2
13. Matt Kenseth Ford Roush Fenway Racing 83.9 15. Kasey Kahne 81.4 5,971
14. Ryan Newman Chevrolet Stewart-Haas Racing 81.6 15. Kevin Harvick 2.0 121 40. Brad Keselowski 927 -2,879 9 1 1 3 1 1
16. Clint Bowyer 81.3 5,961
15. Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing 80.6 16. David Reutimann 1.9 117 41. Dave Blaney 912 -2,894 23 0 0 0 22 3
17. Jeff Burton 80.0 5,871
16. David Reutimann Toyota Michael Waltrip Racing 79.9 17. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1.9 116 18. Matt Kenseth 77.6 5,691 42. Max Papis 739 -3,067 10 0 0 1 1 0
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 76.0 18. Matt Kenseth 1.9 114 19. Kevin Harvick 73.5 5,391 43. Bill Elliott 737 -3,069 8 0 0 0 1 0
18. Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Earnhardt Ganassi Racing 74.6 19. Marcos Ambrose 1.8 111 20. Marcos Ambrose 73.3 5,374 44. Aric Almirola 451 -3,355 7 0 0 0 2 0
19. Jeff Burton Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing 73.4 20. Clint Bowyer 1.6 94 45. Scott Riggs 448 -3,358 8 0 0 0 3 3
20. Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing 71.9 46. Tony Raines 426 -3,380 10 0 0 0 7 0
SPORTING NEWS TODAY
www.sportingnews.com Soccer THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 43
Tuesday, Nov. 3 Wednesday’s games
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Glance AC Milan vs. Real Madrid Inter Milan (Italy) 0, Barcelona (Spain) 0
Marseille vs. FC Zurich Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) 3, Rubin Kazan (Russia) 0
GROUP A

Eduardo leads Arsenal; Team

Bayern Munich
Bordeaux
Juventus
Maccabi Haifa
GP
1
1
1
1
W
1
0
0
0
D
0
1
1
0
L
0
0
0
1
GF
3
1
1
0
GA Pts
0
1
1
3
3
1
1
0
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Real Madrid vs. FC Zurich
AC Milan vs. Marseille
Tuesday, Dec. 8
FC Zurich vs. AC Milan
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Rubin Kazan vs. Inter Milan
Barcelona vs. Dynamo Kiev
Tuesday, Oct. 20
Inter Milan vs. Dynamo Kiev

Inter Milan ties Barcelona Marseille vs. Real Madrid Barcelona vs. Rubin Kazan
Sept. 15 Wednesday, Nov. 4
Juventus (Italy) 1, Bordeaux (France) 1 Rubin Kazan vs. Barcelona
Maccabi Haifa (Israel) 0, Bayern Munich (Germany) 3 GROUP D Dynamo Kiev vs. Inter Milan
Wednesday, Sept. 30 Team GP W D L GF GA Pts Tuesday, Nov. 24
Bayern Munich vs. Juventus CChelsea 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Barcelona vs. Inter Milan
LONDON—Two days after his two- Bordeaux vs. Maccabi Haifa APOEL Nicosia 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 Rubin Kazan vs. Dynamo Kiev
game ban was overturned, Eduardo Wednesday, Oct. 21 Atletico Madrid 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Wednesday, Dec. 9
Bordeaux vs. Bayern Munich FC Porto 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
da Silva scored Arsenal’s winner in Inter Milan vs. Rubin Kazan
Juventus vs. Maccabi Haifa Dynamo Kiev vs. Barcelona
a 3-2 come-from-behind victory at Tuesday, Nov. 3
Sept. 15
Chelsea (England) 1, FC Porto (Portugal) 0
Standard Liege in the Champions Bayern Munich vs. Bordeaux Atletico Madrid (Spain) 0, APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus) 0
League on Wednesday, while Maccabi Haifa vs. Juventus
Wednesday, Sept. 30
GROUP G
Wednesday, Nov. 25 Team GP W D L GF GA Pts
defending champion Barcelona was APOEL Nicosia vs. Chelsea Sevilla 1 1 0 0 2 0 3
Bordeaux vs. Juventus FC Porto vs. Atletico Madrid
held to a tame 0-0 draw by Inter Bayern Munich vs. Maccabi Haifa Rangers 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Wednesday, Oct. 21 Stuttgart 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Tuesday, Dec. 8
Milan. Juventus vs. Bayern Munich
FC Porto vs. APOEL Nicosia Unirea 1 0 0 1 0 2 0
Chelsea vs. Atletico Madrid
Five-time champion Liverpool Maccabi Haifa vs. Bordeaux
Tuesday, Nov. 3 Wednesday’s games
labored to a 1-0 victory over debu- APOEL Nicosia vs. FC Porto Stuttgart (Germany) 1, Rangers (Scotland) 1
tant Debrecen, while Dynamo Kiev, GROUP B Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea Sevilla (Spain) 2, Unirea (Romania) 0
Team GP W D L GF GA Pts Wednesday, Nov. 25 Tuesday, Sept. 29
Lyon and Sevilla also won their first Wolfsburg 1 1 0 0 3 1 3 FC Porto vs. Chelsea Unirea vs. Stuttgart
group games and Olympiakos cele- Manchester United 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 APOEL Nicosia vs. Atletico Madrid Rangers vs. Sevilla
Besiktas 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Tuesday, Dec. 8 Tuesday, Oct. 20
brated the arrival of new coach Zico CSKA Moscow 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 Chelsea vs. APOEL Nicosia Rangers vs. Unirea
with a 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar. Atletico Madrid vs. FC Porto Stuttgart vs. Sevilla
Sept. 15 Wednesday, Nov. 4
Arsenal trailed by two goals after Besiktas (Turkey) 0, Manchester United (England) 1 Unirea vs. Rangers
only five minutes in Liege. Eliaquim Wolfsburg (Germany) 3, CSKA Moscow (Russia) 1 GROUP E Sevilla vs. Stuttgart
Mangala scored with a low shot in Wednesday, Sept. 30 Team GP W D L GF GA Pts Tuesday, Nov. 24
Manchester United vs. Wolfsburg Liverpool 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Rangers vs. Stuttgart
the second minute and Milan CSKA Moscow vs. Besiktas Lyon 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Unirea vs. Sevilla
Jovanovic drove home a fifth-minute Wednesday, Oct. 21 Debreceni 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Fiorentina 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Wednesday, Dec. 9
CSKA Moscow vs. Manchester United Stuttgart vs. Unirea
penalty after he had been brought Wolfsburg vs. Besiktas
Wednesday’s games Sevilla vs. Rangers
down by William Gallas. Tuesday, Nov. 3 Liverpool (England) 1, Debreceni (Hungary) 0
Nicklas Bendtner pulled a goal Manchester United vs. CSKA Moscow Lyon (France) 1, Fiorentina (Italy) 0
Besiktas vs. Wolfsburg GROUP H
back in the final minute of the first GEERT VANDEN WIJNGAERT / AP Wednesday, Nov. 25
Tuesday, Sept. 29 Team GP W D L GF GA Pts
Fiorentina vs. Liverpool Arsenal 1 1 0 0 3 2 3
half, Thomas Vermaelen scored a Eduardo da Silva, left, scored the winner in the 81st minute for Arsenal. Manchester United vs. Besiktas Debreceni vs. Lyon
CSKA Moscow vs. Wolfsburg Olimpiakos 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
scrappy equalizer in the 78th and Tuesday, Oct. 20 Standard Liege 1 0 0 1 2 3 0
Tuesday, Dec. 8 Debreceni vs. Fiorentina
Eduardo scored the winner in the from the stands as the club captured Dynamo Kiev which came from Wolfsburg vs. Manchester United AZ Alkmaar 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Liverpool vs. Lyon
81st by turning home a corner. three points in the other Group H behind to beat Russian champion Besiktas vs. CSKA Moscow
Wednesday, Nov. 4 Wednesday’s games
At the start of the week, the Croa- game. Vassilis Torosidis headed the Rubin Kazan 3-1. Fiorentina vs. Debreceni Olympiakos (Greece) 1, AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) 0
GROUP C Lyon vs. Liverpool Standard Liege (Belgium) 2, Arsenal (England) 3
tia striker was set to miss this group winner against AZ Alkmaar in the Alejandro Dominguez fired the Tuesday, Nov. 24 Tuesday, Sept. 29
Team GP W D L GF GA Pts
game and the next one after being 79th minute. visitor ahead in the 25th minute in Real Madrid 1 1 0 0 5 2 3 Debreceni vs. Liverpool Arsenal vs. Olympiakos
found guilty by a UEFA disciplinary Barcelona’s first game as defend- Kiev but Ayiila Yussuf, Gerson AC Milan 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 Fiorentina vs. Lyon AZ Alkmaar vs. Standard Liege
Marseille 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 Wednesday, Dec. 9 Tuesday, Oct. 20
committee of deceiving the referee ing champion took it to Italian cham- Magrao and Oleg Gusev turned the FC Zurich 1 0 0 1 2 5 0 Liverpool vs. Fiorentina AZ Alkmaar vs. Arsenal
by diving to get a penalty in a quali- pion Inter Milan, which is now game around. Lyon vs. Debreceni Olympiakos vs. Standard Liege
Sept. 15 Wednesday, Nov. 4
fying-round victory over Celtic. But guided by former Barca assistant Liverpool struggled to overcome FC Zurich (Switzerland) 2, Real Madrid (Spain) 5 Arsenal vs. AZ Alkmaar
Arsenal won its appeal on Monday coach Jose Mourinho. Hungarian champion Debrecen Marseille (France) 1, AC Milan (Italy) 2 GROUP F Standard Liege vs. Olympiakos
Wednesday, Sept. 30 Team GP W D L GF GA Pts Tuesday, Nov. 24
and he was free to play. Although the Spanish team domi- which was making its first visit to AC Milan vs. FC Zurich Dynamo Kiev 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 AZ Alkmaar vs. Olympiakos
Greek champion Olympiakos nated possession at San Siro, it was Anfield and its only goal came in Real Madrid vs. Marseille Barcelona 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 Arsenal vs. Standard Liege
Wednesday, Oct. 21 Inter Milan 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
appointed former Brazil star Zico as generally stifled by Mourinho’s tac- first half injury time from Dirk Rubin Kazan 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 Wednesday, Dec. 9
Real Madrid vs. AC Milan Olympiakos vs. Arsenal
its new coach after firing Temuri tics and the two teams gained a point Kuyt. FC Zurich vs. Marseille Standard Liege vs. AZ Alkmaar
Ketsbaia on Tuesday and he watched each. That means both are behind — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Golf / Tennis THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 44
GOLF TENNIS

Masters berth among East Lake perks Federer arrives in Italy for Davis Cup
Ten players will be making their Tour Championship GENOA, ITALY—Top-ranked Roger
debut next week at East Lake, meaning they all have a Federer arrived in Italy on
mathematical chance for the $10 million first prize. For Wednesday to play for Switzer-
most of them, winning the FedEx Cup is unrealistic. land in the Davis Cup, two days
Some of the perks that come with a spot at East Lake are after losing to Juan Martin del
very tangible, however—namely a spot in three majors, Potro in the U.S. Open final.
including the Masters. It will be the first trip to Augusta The Swiss team had allowed
National for Kevin Na, Steve Marino, Brian Gay, Marc Federer to decide on his plans
Leishman and Jason Dufner. until after the U.S. Open.
Gay had already qualified by winning (twice) on the “I never had any doubt about
PGA Tour this year. coming,” said Federer, wearing
Marino missed out on the Masters last year when he the red jacket of the Swiss team.
was 34th on the money list (the top 30 get in). He failed “The doubts were created by oth-
to qualify for the U.S. Open and got into the British Open ers. It certainly wasn’t me.”
as an alternate. Winning the Davis Cup is one
“I’m super excited,” he said. “I’ve never played in the of the few achievements missing
Masters. I’ve played in two U.S. Opens, but I didn’t qualify from Federer’s long list of accom-
this year. It’s going to be a huge relief not to have to worry RICH SCHULTZ / AP plishments. He missed the first
about that going into next year.” Steve Marino will make his first Augusta National appearance next year. round of this year’s competition
in March with a back injury, and
Home on the range The First Tee chapters located near military bases are the Swiss team lost to the United
Padraig Harrington is peculiar about practice ranges. providing curriculum, equipment and training for eligible States 4-1.
Coming off a runner-up finish at The Barclays, the kids from ages 5-18. The idea is create fun and safe learn- The World Group playoffs
three-time major champion lost some confidence on the ing environments that cause kids to get curious about golf begin Friday on the red clay
range at the Deutsche Bank Championship—not so and illustrate links between golf and its values used in courts at the Valletta Cambiaso
much because of his swing, but the angle of the range. everyday life. club. KATHY WILLENS / AP
“There was something about the angle of the range (at “I obviously have to get over Winning the Davis Cup is one of the few achievements missing from Roger Federer’s resume.
TPC Boston) that I didn’t like, and I hit a number of poor Baby conflict my jet lag, considering the fact
shots on the range,” he said. “And every day I went to Former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and his that I’m coming from New York, Martin Del Potro has another
the golf course, I wasn’t feeling good about my driving.” wife are expecting their third child early next year, right but everything else is fine,” goal. Guangzhou Open
He had no trouble with the angle or alignment at Cog about the time for him to defend his title in the Accen- Federer said, according to the “My dream is to be No. 1, but it GUANGZHOU, CHINA—Fifth-seeded
Hill. It remains to be seen how East Lake works out for ture Match Play Championship. Italian tennis federation. will be a long road,” he said Shahar Peer of Israel defeated
him, as long as he can get past the pond that covers the The due date is February 15, the Monday of the tour- Meanwhile, television ratings Wednesday at a news conference Akgul Amanmuradova of
first 100 yards. nament outside Tucson, Ariz. are up from last year for the U.S. after arriving in Argentina. Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-3 Wednesday
As for his ranges he enjoys? He likes the TPC Sawgrass Ogilvy has considered his options, and said it’s possi- Open men’s final. “Today there are players much in the second round of the
and Muirfield Village, but his favorite is at the Masters. ble he could be on the Dove Mountain course when Julie Juan Martin del Potro’s five- better than me.” Guangzhou Open.
“Augusta, by a long way,” he said. “And they’re changing it.” goes into labor, in which case he would head home. He set upset of Federer on Monday Del Potro was greeted at the Abigail Spears of the United
lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., just under two hours away. drew a 2.3 rating and 5 share on Buenos Aries airport by chants States lost 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 to sev-
First tee “Hopefully, if she’s on schedule, she’ll have the baby CBS. That’s up 35 percent from of “Ole, Ole” and “Del Pooo, Del enth-seeded Ayumi Morita of
The First Tee last week began offering its education and the week before,” he said. “I can stay at home when I the 1.7/4 for the 2008 final, Pooo,” the kind of revelry usu- Japan. Alexandra Panova of
life skills program to children of military personnel at 50 don’t have the early times. There is the potential I’ll be which was also on a Monday ally reserved for Argentine soc- Russia upset sixth-seeded Olga
installations, with 50 more military installations to start on the golf course. I’ll be disappointed, but it is the birth because of rain delays. cer stars. Reporters and TV Govortsova of Belarus, 7-5, 6-4.
up in the spring. of my child.” cameras jostled for space as he Also, eighth-seeded Alberta
The goal is to reach 87,000 military children within Ogilvy is a two-time winner of Accenture Match Play Del Potro arrives home signed autographs, never losing Brianti of Italy defeated Lenka
two years as part of an agreement with the Department with a career record of 17-2. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA—After his smile despite the mayhem. Wienerova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-1.
of Defense. — The Associated Press winning the U.S. Open, Juan Del Potro is ranked No. 5. — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Back Page THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 45
IN BRIEF
TRANSACTIONS
Marquez quietly confident against Mayweather BASEBALL
MLB: Suspended Yankees players C Jorge Posada
and 1B-OF Shelley Duncan and Toronto LHP Jesse
Eric Young.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Signed FB Mike Sellers to a
contract extension.
Carlson for three games and fined Yankees hitting Canadian Football League
LAS VEGAS—While Floyd Mayweather Jr. trashed WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS: Added DE Phillip Hunt to
coach Kevin Long, RHP Edwar Ramirez and Toronto
their fight’s promoter and his uncle Roger ripped Major League Soccer C Rod Barajas undisclosed amounts for their actions the practice squad.
every other boxing trainer in the world, Juan EASTERN CONFERENCE in a bench-clearing incident in a game on Sept. 15.
Manuel Marquez made the biggest statement of W L T Pts GF GA Suspended Baltimore minor league C Freuny Parra 50 HOCKEY
Columbus 11 4 9 42 36 26 National Hockey League
fight week so far when he took the podium Chicago 10 6 9 39 34 29 games after testing positive for Boldenone in violation
ATLANTA THRASHERS: Assigned F Michael Forney, F
D.C. 8 6 12 36 39 38 of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment
Wednesday and spoke in clear, confident Toronto FC 9 9 7 34 33 36 Program.
Tomas Pospisil, F Matt Siddall and D Scott Lehman
English. New England 9 8 6 33 28 32 American League to Chicago (AHL). Released F Matt Anderson and F
Kansas City 7 11 6 27 25 32 Darryl Smith.
Marquez is a major underdog in Saturday’s New York 4 17 4 16 20 42 CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Waived RHP Bartolo Colon for
the purpose of granting him his unconditional release. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Assigned F Justin Hodgman,
comeback fight for the unbeaten Mayweather, WESTERN CONFERENCE F Matt Keith, F Maxime Tanguay, D Joe Charlebois, D
W L T Pts GF GA DETROIT TIGERS: Activated RHP Alfredo Figaro from
yet the longest odds of the Mexican three-divi- Houston 11 8 7 40 32 24 the 15-day DL. Jean-Claude Sawyer and G Joe Palmer to Rockford
sion champion’s career don’t seem to shake his Los Angeles 9 5 11 38 31 29 National League (AHL). Assigned F Byron Froese, F David Gilbert and D
Seattle 9 6 10 37 31 24 CHICAGO CUBS: Purchased the contract of OF So Teigan Zahn to the junior clubs.
growing confidence, both in front of cameras Colorado 10 8 6 36 38 30
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Assigned F Aaron Boogaard,
Chivas USA 11 9 3 36 25 24 Taguchi from Iowa (PCL).
and in the ring. Although Marquez is solidly Real Salt Lake 9 9 7 34 36 28 HOUSTON ASTROS: Purchased the contract of RHP F Zack Sill, F Joey Haddad, F Casey Pierro-Zabotel, F
bilingual, he has rarely used English in public FC Dallas 7 11 6 27 39 40 Chad Paronto from Round Rock (PCL). Placed RHP Billy Nick Petersen, F Keven Veilleux, D Lane Caffaro, D Brian
San Jose 5 12 5 20 27 40 Strait, D Alex Grant and G Jordan Parise to Wilkes-
until recently. PHOTOS BY DAMIAN DOVARGANES / AP Sadler on the 60-day DL.
NOTE: Three points for victory, one Friday’s games SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: Activated LHP Randy Johnson Barre/Scranton (AHL). Re-assigned F Nathan Moon to
“I feel as good and happy as I can,” Marquez Juan Manuel Marquez, above, is scheduled to face Floyd point for tie. New England at New York, 7:30 p.m. Kingston (OHL). Released D Jamie Hunt.
from the 60-day DL. Placed RHP Justin Miller on the
said. “I always put forth the effort, and now I see Mayweather in a welterweight bout in Las Vegas on Sept. 12 Colorado at San Jose, 11 p.m.
60-day DL. SAN JOSE SHARKS: Re-assigned D William Colbert, D
Saturday. Toronto FC 3, Colorado 2 Saturday’s games
the reward. I don’t want to be the Mexican No. 1 Seattle FC 2, D.C. United 1 Chivas USA at Seattle FC, 3 p.m. Louis Liotti, RW Matt Jones, LW Corey Quirk, D Michael
fighter. I want to be the global No. 1.” Kansas City 1, New York 0 Real Salt Lake at Houston, 8:30 p.m. BASKETBALL Wilson and G Ryan Nie to Worcester (AHL). Returned
Real Salt Lake 1, Chicago 1, tie FC Dallas at Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. National Basketball Association LW Carter Bancks to Lethbridge (WHL), D Marc Cantin
FC Dallas 6, Los Angeles 3 Toronto FC at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: Re-signed F Brian Skinner.
Sept. 13 Sunday’s game and RW Luke Judson to Belleville (OHL), D Michael
SYDNEY—Eight-time world champion Roy Chivas USA 2, New England 0 Columbus at Chicago, 3 p.m. D’Orazio to Owen Sound (OHL), D Taylor Doherty to
Columbus 2, Houston 1 FOOTBALL
Jones Jr. will fight Australia’s Danny Green in National Football League
Kingston (OHL), D Samuel Groulx to Quebec (QMJHL)
Sydney on Dec. 2 in the American’s first profes- and G Thomas Heemskerk to Everett (WHL).
NFL: Fined the New York Jets $75,000, team president
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Named Jim Johnson associate
sional fight on foreign soil. Mike Tannenbaum $25,000 and former coach Eric
coach, Leigh Mendelson assistant coach and J.W.
The IBO world cruiserweight title will be on Speedskating Mangini $25,000 for violating the league’s rules on in-
jury reporting with former QB Brett Favre last season.
Aiken equipment manager of Norfolk (AHL).
the line, with the 40-year-old Jones trying to add SALT LAKE CITY—Short track speedskater J.R. Cel- ARIZONA CARDINALS: Signed DT Keilen Dykes from the
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Assigned RW Dan Gendur
that belt to a career that includes titles in divi- ski is expected to have a fast recovery and resume to Manitoba (AHL), LW Steven Anthony to St. John
practice squad. Released WR Lance Long. Re-signed
(QMJHL), G Morgan Clark to Swift Current (WHL), C
sions ranging from middleweight to training for the Vancouver Olympics after cut- WR Onrea Jones to the practice squad.
Prab Rai to Seattle (WHL) and RW Kellan Tochkin to
heavyweight. ting his left leg in a racing accident. BUFFALO BILLS: Signed WR Justin Jenkins. Released TE
Everett (WHL). Released C Dusty Collins and D Nolan
Jonathan Stupar.
Jones’ career record is 54 wins, 40 by knock- Celski, a 19-year-old skater from Federal Way, CLEVELAND BROWNS: Signed WR Ray Ventrone and OL
Toigo.
ECHL
out, and five losses since 1989. Wash., crashed in the semifinals of the 500 Billy Yates. Waived DB DeAngelo Smith. VICTORIA SALMON KINGS: Signed D Patrick Coulombe.
meters Saturday night. DETROIT LIONS: Released DT Orien Harris.
Golf His right skate blade sliced into his upper left INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Waived K Shane Andrus and LB
Cody Glenn.
LACROSSE
National Lacrosse League
Rolex has signed on as presenting sponsor for Volleyball leg, spilling blood and requiring surgery. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: Placed DE Reggie Hayward BUFFALO BANDITS: Announced the retirement of T
the 2009 LPGA Tour Championship in Houston, Two-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May- on injured reserve. Signed CB Kennard Cox from Rich Kilgour.
the Houston Business Journal’s Greg Barr reported. Treanor will return next weekend to the domestic Cycling the practice squad and DE Robert Henderson to the
practice squad. SOCCER
The Houston tournament, set for Nov. 17-22, had beach volleyball tour, where she will be reunited TALAVERA DE LA REINA, SPAIN—Anthony Roux of Major League Soccer
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Signed WR Lance Long to the
been without a presenting sponsor since Febru- with teammate Kerri Walsh. France won a sprint finish to win the 17th stage of practice squad. Released WR Rodney Wright from the FC DALLAS: Signed M Bryan Leyva.
ary, when Houston-based Stanford Financial May-Treanor, who injured her Achilles’ tendon the Spanish Vuelta, and Alejandro Valverde of practice squad.
COLLEGE
Group was shut down by federal authorities as while practicing for Dancing with the Stars last Spain retained the overall lead. NEW YORK GIANTS: Signed OL Jacob Bender to the
ALBANY, N.Y.: Named John Battaglino women’s associ-
part of its investigation into allegations that the October, will join Walsh for the Sept. 25-27 AVP Valverde, of the Caisse D’Epargne team, still practice squad.
ate head lacrosse coach.
NEW YORK JETS: Signed CB Marquice Cole to the
company ran a $7 billion Ponzi scheme. A field of World Challenge in Glendale, Ariz. leads Robert Gesink of the Netherlands by 31 sec- practice squad. Released TE Jack Simmons from the
PENN STATE-ALTOONA: Named Billy Clapper men’s
120 top female professionals will vie for $1.5 mil- It will be their first competition together in onds. Samuel Sanchez of Spain is third, 1:10 basketball coach.
practice squad.
WISCONSIN: Dismissed freshman G Jeremy Glover from
lion in prize money at the Houstonian Golf & 2009, though they did team up to play Shaquille behind Valverde. ST. LOUIS RAMS: Signed WR Ruvell Martin and LB
the basketball team for violating the student-athlete
Country Club. O’Neal for an episode of the television show Shaq — The Associated Press Paris Lenon. Waived LB Quinton Culberson and OT
discipline policy.
Vs.