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MJ’s magicc moments

mome
ents Steelers 13, Titans 10, OT
With Michael Jordan
dan
10 PAGES
entering the Basketball
ball NFL WEEK 1
Hall of Fame today, Sean PREVIEW
Deveney ranks No. 23’s
top moments:
PAGES 8-17

1. Jordan nailss the

game-winning
ning
jumper in Game 6 of
of
the 1998 Finals.
FRIDAY

2. The image
of Jordan crying
and holding his firstt
SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
SEE A DIFFERENT GAME
KEITH B. SRAKOCIC / AP
Ben Roethlisberger went 33 of 43 for
BETH A. KEISER / AP VOLUME 2 ISSUE 51 363 yards to overcome the Steelers’
championship trophy.hy. lack of a running game. Page 7

3. After knocking
ki d down Steelers win,
six first-half 3-pointers
against the Blazers in Game 1 of
the 1992 Finals, Jordan turns to
the scorer’s table and shrugs.
Five-star shootout BY DAVE CURTIS | dcurtis@sportingnews.com
Young guns Pryor, Barkley will shape
national title picturee in Columbus clash but Polamalu lost
PITTSBURGH—New season, same
clutch Steelers.
Ode to his Airness, Page 37 Ben Roethlisberger did it again
Saturday’s Ohio State-USC showdown pits the No. 1 QB recruits from the past Thursday night, leading the Steelers
Capsules on inductees, Page 36 downfield on the first possession of
two years—OSU sophomore Terrelle Pryor and Trojans freshman Matt Barkley.
Q&A with David Robinson, They might battle for All-American honors and Heismans down the road, but all overtime, as Pittsburgh outlasted the
Page 38 Titans, 13-10, to begin the 2009 NFL
eyes are on their first meeting. Here’s a comparison of the stars-in-the-making:
regular season.
se It was a game with
many twists,
tw including an unfortu-
Rockies climbing toward top USC AT OHIO STATE twist of Troy Polamalu’s knee.
nate twis
Pryor Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Barkley
Colorado won its seventh straight Here are some
s key storylines coming
Thursday, moving within two of N.L. He can launch the ball, and he A tough call, since he’s thrown 19 out of a hhard-hitting opener:
West-leading L.A. Page 34 continues to work on harnessing ARM passes as a collegian. But the tutors Polamalu will miss time.
that power. His physical strength Edge from his high school days rave The Steelers’ safety left late in
Th
might put him an eyelash ahead. about his ability to make throws. tthe second quarter with a
Scoreboard A year of experience helps his Both coaches compliment his
left knee injury. Coach Mike
cause. But he struggled in 2008’s makeup and command of the Tomlin called Polamalu’s
NFL POISE injury an MCL sprain, but
biggest spot (Penn State) and split USC offense. “He has an excellent
Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10, OT time at quarterback with Todd Edge presence about him,” OSU’s Jim further
f tests would be done.
Boeckman in the Fiesta Bowl. Tressel said. “Those things have a range of 3-6
College Football (weeks),” Tomlin said. “It is specula-
Top 25 Pryor’s 4.33 40-yard dash makes Again, limited body of work
him the fastest Buckeye. He thrives here, but it looks as though tion at this point.”
No. 15 Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27 with the ball in the open field. “He QUICKNESS Barkley will leave the running The Titans were tenacious.
has a marvelous ability to take off and cutting to his teammates. The Titans’ defense still looked fero-
Edge
Baseball and run when he has to,” USC coach The Ohio State pass rush wants cious, sacking Roethlisberger four
American League Pete Carroll said. to see him move a little, though. times. Apparently they will be fine
Toronto 3, Minnesota 2 His quick ascendance last year Listen to the coaches, and this without Albert Haynesworth.
Kansas City 7, Detroit 4 caused a small schism in the INTANGIBLES kid’s The Natural. “He had to have Santonio Holmes was super
locker room. And that “Vick” eye- everything going for himself,” again. He was the best receiver on
L.A. Angels 3, Seattle 0 black display last week brought Edge Carroll said. Otherwise, he’s still the field (nine catches, 131 yards, one
National League OSU some bad PR. backing up Aaron Corp.
touchdown). That Super Bowl MVP
Colorado 5, Cincinnati 1 Lots of speed around him, but
Tons of experience upfront, a
trophy has not gone to his head.
he misses last year’s experience in SUPPORTING
Washington 8, Philadelphia 7 JAY LAPRETE / AP
CAST Taylor Mays-led defense, and a LORI SHEPLER / AP
— Clifton Brown
the backfield (Beanie Wells) and
Florida 13, N.Y. Mets 4 healthy Joe McKnight. Tough to
out wide (Brian Hartline and Brian
Edge beat all that.
Atlanta 9, Houston 7 Robiskie). Right where they left off, Page 6
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com See a Different Game FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 2
AUTO RACING COLLEGE

Tune In Today
A quick look at the best sports on TV
8 a.m.
SPEED—Formula
One, practice for
Italian Grand Prix,
FOOTBALL
9 p.m.
ESPN—Colorado
at Toledo Pens take Cup to the House
OFF THE FIELD

— all times Eastern at Monza, Italy

10 a.m. CYCLING
ESPN2—NASCAR, 1 a.m.
The Stanley Cup-champion Penguins
PRO BASKETBALL Nationwide Series, VERSUS—Tour visted the White House on Thursday,
final practice of Missouri, fifth and President Obama congratulated the
Hall of Fame for Virginia 529 stage, at Sedalia, team, jokingly pointing out that “Sidney
College Savings Mo. (delayed tape) (Crosby) must be pretty fast, cause there
enshrinement ceremony 250, at Richmond,
are some big hockey players and he’s
6:30 p.m., ESPN, NBA TV Va. GOLF
Noon 9 a.m. not one of them,” according to CNN.
It’s been a long time since a group this dis-
tinguished entered basketball’s Hall of Fame. SPEED—NASCAR, TGC—European The Penguins brought the cup to the
Indeed, it could be argued that this class—led Sprint Cup, PGA Tour, White House and Obama did not leave
by Michael Jordan, but also including John practice for Chevy Mercedes-Benz empty-handed, either. After posing for
Stockton, David Robinson and coaches Jerry Rock & Roll 400, at Championship,
Richmond, Va. second round, at
photos with the 44th president, the
Sloan and Vivian Stringer—is the greatest team presented him with with a per-
ever to enter the hoops Hall. If you’ve got a 2 p.m. Cologne, Germany
ticket, you’re lucky. The venue was moved ESPN2—NASCAR, 12:30 p.m. sonalized “Obama 44” Pittsburgh Pen-
from the Hall of Fame to the bigger Springfield Sprint Cup, “Happy TGC—LPGA, guins jersey.
Symphony Hall, but even still, fewer than 3,000 Hour Series,” final NW Arkansas
practice for Chevy Championship,
will be in attendance.
Rock & Roll 400, at first round, at
Crimes and courts
— Sean Deveney The lawyer for a woman who is accus-
Richmond, Va. Rogers, Ark.
4 p.m. 3 p.m. ing Ben Roethlisberger of rape is prepared to
BASEBALL ESPN2—NASCAR, TGC—PGA ask a Nevada court to compel the Pitts- GERALD HERBERT / AP
Nationwide Series, Tour, BMW
White Sox at Angels pole qualifying Championship,
burgh Steelers quarterback to name all
the women he has had sex with, court
Sidney Crosby, left, and Mario Lemieux, right,
were among President Obama’s guests.
10 p.m., WGN for Virginia 529 second round, at
Chicago has won four of the six games College Savings Lemont, Ill. documents show. Reno lawyer Cal Dunlap
between these teams this season, including 250, at Richmond, 6:30 p.m. also said that if Roethlisberger’s request NFL ticket prices climbed 3.9 per-
two of three at Angel Stadium. However, it Va. TGC—Nationwide to waive court rules and speed up the evi- cent to an average of $74.99 for the
was a former White Sox player who did much 5:30 p.m. Tour, Utah dence-gathering process is granted, he 2009 season. According to Team Mar-
of the offensive damage. Jim Thome, now ESPN2—NASCAR, Championship,
with the Dodgers, homered three times and Sprint Cup, pole second round,
also should be given immediate access to keting Report’s survey released
drove in eight runs against the Angels this qualifying for at Sandy, Utah the quarterback’s phone records and Wednesday, 21 teams either kept prices
season. Chicago still has righthander Gavin Chevy Rock & Roll (same-day tape) Internet communications. the same or lowered them. The main
Floyd, who has a 2.25 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 400, at Richmond, reason for the percentage increase was
two starts vs. L.A. this season. Floyd will start Va. MAJOR LEAGUE Around the NFL the new Dallas Cowboys’ stadium that
tonight. 7:30 p.m. BASEBALL
—Chris Bahr ESPN2—NASCAR, 2:10 p.m.
NFL fans whose local teams’ games cost $1.2 billion to build.
Nationwide Series, WGN—Cincinnati are blacked out will be able to watch
TENNIS Virginia 529 at Chicago Cubs replays online for free—though not Must-see TV: LeBron Channel?
College Savings 10 p.m. until after midnight. The latest rumor involving Cavaliers
U.S. Open 250, at Richmond,
Va.
WGN—Chicago
White Sox at L.A.
The recession has left several teams forward and potential 2010 free agent
12:30 p.m., CBS Angels
in danger of having games blacked out LeBron James and the Knicks, as reported
Kim Clijsters already has knocked off one this season. The league announced by the New York Daily News, is that Cable-
BASKETBALL
Williams sister (Venus), and now she has a Thursday that home fans will be able to vision, which owns the Knicks, will cir-
6:30 p.m. TENNIS
chance to knock off the other. The tourna-
ESPN—Hall 12:30 p.m. view the delayed broadcasts on NFL. cumvent the salary cap by giving James
ment’s best remaining story after Melanie
of Fame CBS—U.S. Open, com for 72 hours, except during Monday his own channel. “I don’t know exactly
Oudin was ousted, Clijsters is trying to become
Enshrinement men’s doubles
the first mom to reach a Grand Slam final in
Ceremony, at and women’s
Night Football. how that will work,” reporter Frank Isola
29 years. If Clijsters beats Serena Williams A game is not aired in the home market wrote, “but that’s what I’ve heard.”
Springfield, Mass. semifinals, at New
today, she will have earned it. Serena is the if it does not sell out 72 hours in advance. — Compiled by Ken Bradley, with wire reports
York
only woman not to have lost a set in this
tournament.
— Roger Kuznia MORE COVERAGE from sportingnews.com
SN Sporting Blog: sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com My Profile FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 3

YOUR TURN
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the Wild West and been the fastest gun alive.
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Band aids Knight & The Pips And least … My weight
Here are some facts about Ohio State’s What I drive: Metallic silver Mercedes 500 SL Dream date: Other than my wife, Natalie Letters to the editor:
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— It has 225 pieces, including 64 cornets, 20 Gump, Philadelphia, Big, Hoosiers, Remember the My greatest love: Jesus Christ and my family—
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28 baritone horns, 28 sousaphones, 14 snare
General feedback:
drums, five pairs of cymbals and five of
What I’m reading: Excuses Begone! How to Change grandkids Ryan (6), Kate (3), Cooper (2+), Col- editors@sportingnews.com
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—Usually, a fourth- or fifth-year sousaphone Magazine subscriptions: Men’s Health, Blue Planet weddings Gary Strauss, 212-500-0672
player “dots the i” in the Script Ohio. Or, if (Duke basketball) My mottos: Proverbs 3:5-6, my favor-
you prefer, provides the “tribble.” gstrauss@sportingnews.com
Bookmarks: Don’t have a computer ite Bible verse; “Luck favors the
Worst habit: I’m very obsessive/ prepared man.”
Road warriors compulsive. — Jeff D’Alessio ON NEWSSTANDS NOW
On my office walls: Pictures
There aren’t many short road trips in the non-
scholarship Pioneer Football League, which of grandkids/family;
has members on both coasts. A look at who Michael Jordan’s signed
plays in the conference, and where they are: jerseys with Bulls and
Wizards; my 4 All-Star
Butler Indianapolis jerseys—’76, ’77, ’78, ’79;
Campbell Buies Creek, N.C. Olympic uniform (#5);
Davidson Davidson, N.C. retired jerseys from Ben-
Dayton Dayton, Ohio ton H.S. and Illinois State
Drake Des Moines, Iowa University (#20)
Jacksonville Jacksonville, Fla. Love to trade places for a day
Marist Poughkeepsie, N.Y. with … Wyatt Earp. Would
Morehead State Morehead, Ky.
have loved to have lived in In need of a college basketball fix amid all
San Diego San Diego
the baseball and football? The new issue
Valparaiso Valparaiso, Ind.
JUSTIN LAROSE / TNT of SN Magazine ranks the nation’s top 10
players at all five positions.
— The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Next Gen: Recruiting FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 4
RECRUITING DISH CLASS OF 2010

SN 100 Florida athlete TOP 25 RECRUITS

Meline chooses Tennessee
Tennessee offered North Miami WR/DB Ted Meline a
scholarship way back in mid-February. Even though
1. Marcus Lattimore, RB
6-0/207,
Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)
8. Jackson Jeffcoat, DL
6-4/233,
Plano West Senior
14. Xavier Grimble, TE
6-5/245,
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
it took him seven months to make his commitment to Considering: North Committed to: USC
(Plano, Texas)
the Volunteers, they have been on his mind ever Carolina, Oregon, South Considering: USC, Texas,
since. Carolina, Penn State,
This week, Meline called up the Tennessee coach-
ing staff and gave them his word. He said it impressed
Auburn
Oklahoma, Arizona State,
Houston 15. Jake Heaps, QB
6-2/195,
Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) COURTESY OF MALCOLM JONES
him that Tennessee used so many freshmen in its
blowout win over Western Kentucky last weekend. 2. Lache Seastrunk, RB
5-10/183,
Temple (Texas)
9. Demarco Cobbs, WR
6-2/200
Committed to: BYU Malcolm Jones

Meline, a member of the Sporting News Top 100 for

2010, originally had official visits set up with the Vol-
unteers, Oregon and Purdue, and he also was seriously
Considering: Auburn,
Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas,
Tulsa Central (Tulsa, Okla.)
Considering: Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, LSU,
16. Christian Jones, LB
6-4/215,
Lake Howell (Winter Park, Fla.)
21. Eduardo Clements, RB
5-11/185,
Booker T. Washington (Miami)
USC Tennessee, Oklahoma
considering Clemson and Georgia. Considering: Florida State, Considering: Miami,
Alabama, Florida, USC Georgia, Michigan
“It’s incredible, all of this,” Meline told Sporting News
Today. “Just thinking about watching college football 3. Seantrel Henderson, OL
6-8/301, 10. Trey Hopkins, OL
6-4/260,
since you were little, and then all these schools offer
you, you’re like, ‘Wow.’ ”
Cretin-Derham Hall
(St. Paul, Minn.)
North Shore
(Galena Park, Texas)
17. Chris Martin, DL
6-4/222,
The Hun School
22. Lamarcus Joyner, DB
5-9/162,
St. Thomas Aquinas
Meline (6-2, 170) was limited by an ankle injury for Considering: Florida, Ohio Committed to: Texas
much of his junior season at Westlake Prep (Davie, State, USC, Oklahoma, Notre (Princeton, N.J.) (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Dame, Minnesota Committed to: Notre Considering: Florida State,
Fla.) and played in only a handful of games. He played
in the 2008 preseason game for Westlake but was 11. Malcolm Jones, RB/LB
6-0/210,
Dame Ohio State, Florida

injured in the first regular season game. He came back

for the seventh game, only to re-injure the ankle. 4. Matt Elam, DB
6-1/205,
Dwyer (Palm Beach
Oaks Christian
(Westlake Village, Calif.) 18. Brennan Clay, RB
6-0/190, 23. Devin Gardner, QB
6-4/196,
He has since transferred to North Miami for his Considering: Stanford, Scripps Ranch (San Diego) Inkster (Mich.)
senior season and said he’s 100 percent. And he’s ready Gardens, Fla.) UCLA Committed to: Oklahoma Committed to: Michigan
Committed to: Florida
to bring his game to the SEC. WADE PAYNE / AP
“With the speed I’ve got, I can get past defenders,”
Meline said. “I think I’m sort of like Ted Ginn Jr. He also
played quarterback, cornerback and receiver. Actually,
Coach Lane Kiffin’s youthful Vols roster was a draw for Ted Meline.

Basketball: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) G/F Keala 5. Justin McCay, WR
6-4/200,
12. Michael Dyer, RB
5-10/195,
Little Rock Christian
19. Phillip Sims, QB
6-2/215,
Oscar Smith
24. Jamel Turner, DE
6-2/205,
Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio)
I’m thinking about playing safety, too.” King has committed to Arizona State, Scout.com Bishop Miege Academy (Little Rock, Ark.) Committed to: Ohio State
(Chesapeake, Va.)
reported. He chose the Sun Devils over Stanford and (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) Considering: Arkansas, Committed to: Alabama
Committed to: Oklahoma Auburn, Oklahoma, Notre
Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) S Zack Craig Arizona. He also reported scholarship offers from Cali-
Dame
has committed to Oklahoma State after dropping his
pledge to Colorado, Rivals.com reported. He had said it
fornia, Kentucky, Oregon and Oregon State, among
others.
6. Corey Nelson, LB
20. Erik Kohler, OL
6-5/265, 25. Blake Bell, QB
6-6/215,
was his dream to play for the Cowboys, and when they
came through with a scholarship offer—he committed.
King (6-4) is rated a four-star recruit by Scout.com
and a five-star recruit by Rivals.com.
6-1/200,
Skyline (Dallas)
Committed to: Texas A&M
13. Zack McCray, DL
6-4/235,
Brookville (Lynchburg, Va.)
Oaks Christian
(Westlake Village, Calif.)
Bishop Carroll
(Wichita, Kan.)
Committed to: Oklahoma
Craig (6-2, 175) had committed to Colorado just in the “I’ve been talking to the Arizona State coaches all Committed to:
Committed to: Virginia Washington
past few weeks. Colorado State had also offered him a summer,” King told Scout.com. “The more I talked to
scholarship.
“They have always been my first choice, and I have
them, the more comfortable I was. I also really liked the
unofficial visit I had there in the summer.
7. Gabe King, DL/LB
6-5/260,
Northern Guilford
Tech — Brian McLaughlin

so many family ties to OSU,” Craig told Rivals.com. “So “… I committed because that was the best situation (Greensboro, N.C.)
when (Oklahoma State) coach (Mike) Gundy called me, it for me. I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.” Considering: Alabama, MORE COVERAGE from sportingnews.com
was like a dream come true.” — Brian McLaughlin California, Oregon, Tennessee Top 100 recruits: sportingnews.com/blog/TheRecruitnik/tag/160168/sn100
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Overnight Report
BASEBALL / AMERICAN LEAGUE
L.A. Angels 3, Seattle 0

Lackey helps wrap up sweep

Angels 3, Mariners 0
Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
I.Suzuki rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .354
F.Gutierrez cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .280
Jo.Lopez 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .270
Griffey Jr. dh 4 0 1 0 0 0 .215
Beltre 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .259
Hall lf 3 0 3 0 0 0 .258
Carp 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .250
Johjima c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .250
Jo.Wilson ss 3 0 0 0 0 2 .269
Totals 29 0 5 0 1 7

Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Figgins 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .303
E.Aybar ss 3 0 2 1 1 0 .306
B.Abreu rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .297
Guerrero dh 4 1 1 0 0 1 .296
Tor.Hunter cf 4 1 2 2 0 0 .308
J.Rivera lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .291
K.Morales 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .308
H.Kendrick 2b 3 1 3 0 0 0 .292
J.Mathis c 3 0 1 0 0 1 .213
Totals 32 3 10 3 1 6

Seattle 000 000 000 — 0 5 0

Los Angeles 000 200 10x — 3 10 0

LOB: Seattle 4, Los Angeles 6. 2B: Griffey Jr. (16), Hall

(6), Johjima (7), E.Aybar (21), H.Kendrick (16). HR:
Tor.Hunter (20), off Rowland-Smith. RBIs: E.Aybar
(53), Tor.Hunter 2 (80). CS: Hall (2). Runners left in
scoring position: Seattle 4 (Carp, Beltre, Jo.Wilson,
Griffey Jr.); Los Angeles 3 (E.Aybar, B.Abreu 2). GIDP:
CHRIS CARLSON / AP Jo.Lopez, Carp, B.Abreu 2. DP: Seattle 2 (Jo.Lopez,
Jo.Wilson, Carp), (Carp, Jo.Wilson, Carp); Los Angeles 2
Torii Hunter’s two-run homer in the fourth inning was all the Angels needed on offense. (E.Aybar, H.Kendrick, K.Morales), (K.Morales, E.Aybar,
K.Morales).

Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
ANAHEIM—John Lackey is pitching so four hits to reach the 200 mark for the Rowland-Smith L, 3-3 7 10 3 3 1 5 106 3.88
well even Ichiro Suzuki didn’t stand a ninth consecutive season, which would Kelley 1 0 0 0 0 1 17 4.70
Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
chance. break the major league mark he shares Lackey W, 10-7 9 5 0 0 1 7 115 3.53
Lackey tossed a five-hitter for his with Willie Keeler. He was 1-for-14 in
HBP: by Lackey (Jo.Lopez). Umpires: Home, Angel
first complete game of the season, Torii the series with three strikeouts. Campos; First, Derryl Cousins; Second, Jim Joyce; Third,
Hunter hit a tiebreaking two-run Suzuki has 26 career hits against Bill Miller. T: 2:02. A: 37,412 (45,257).
homer and the Los Angeles Angels Lackey, tied with Kevin Millwood and
beat the Seattle Mariners 3-0 on Barry Zito for his most off a single
American League
Thursday to finish a three-game pitcher. But he struck out against
sweep. Lackey in his first two times up. wild-card standings
Lackey (10-7) struck out seven and “He’s a great hitter, so you’ve got to W L Pct. GB
Boston 81 58 .583 —
walked one, finishing in 115 pitches to show him a lot of different things,” Texas 79 60 .568 2
help the Angels increase their A.L. Lackey said. “You can expand the zone Tampa Bay 72 68 .514 9½
Seattle 72 69 .511 10
West lead to five games over idle Texas. a little bit on him, for sure. He likes to
Los Angeles also moved a season-best swing and he doesn’t take a lot of
29 games over .500. walks, so there’s ways around it.” Royals trip up Tigers,
earn sweep, Page 35
Suzuki was 0-for-4 and still needs — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10, OT
Love still flows, courtesy of Big Ben’s clutch play
PITTSBURGH—In a happy Steelers
locker room late Thursday night, Ben
Roethlisberger yelled across the room
to Hines Ward.
“I love you Hines,” Roethlisberger
said.
“I love you too, Ben,” Ward said.
All the Steelers
should love Roeth-
lisberger. When he
has the ball in game-
winning situations,
you expect Roethlis-
berger to make big
plays. You cannot
Clifton Brown truly be a franchise
PRO FOOTBALL quarterback unless
you can move your
team consistently when it matters
most. Roethlisberger did that in Super
Bowl 43. And he did it again Thursday
night, leading the Steelers to their 13-10
overtime victory over the Titans.
Roethlisberger (33-for-43, 363
yards, one touchdown, two intercep-
tions) and wide receiver Santonio
Holmes (nine catches, 131 yards, one
TD) picked up where they left off at
the Super Bowl. And it was not easy,
because the Titans played terrific
defense, sacking Roethlisberger four
times, and pressuring him many
times more.
But the Steelers’ two-minute drill
was lethal, and Roethlisberger was
the main reason. He hit Holmes with
a 34-yard touchdown pass with 1:22
left in the first half. Then with 1:50
left in regulation, and the score tied
10-10, Roethlisberger marched the
Steelers from their own 42 deep into
Titans territory.
It looked like the game would end
there. But after catching a Roethlis-
berger pass, Ward had the ball
stripped from behind by Titans safety
NFL
DON WRIGHT / AP
Santonio Holmes showed his Super Bowl play was no fluke, as he had 131 receiving yards and a TD.
Michael Griffin at the 5-yard line. The the game is on the line,” Ward said. “If
fumble was recovered by Tennessee’s I just catch it and fall down, we have a
Stephen Tulloch with just over a min- field goal. I thought I had a chance to
ute left in regulation. Instead of a score, and didn’t see the guy behind
looking at a game-winning field goal, me. I felt terrible.”
now the Steelers were looking at over- Not for long. The Steelers won the
time. And Ward was looking at being coin toss in overtime, and Roethlis-
the goat. berger led them down the field again.
“I pride myself on being that guy That is what he does. And that is a
not to make mistakes, especially when large reason why the Steelers have a
legitimate chance to repeat as Super
Bowl champions.
“When the rubber meets the road,
he’s at his best,” Steelers coach Mike
Tomlin said of Roethlisberger. “In
those moments, he sees it with great
clarity.”
Roethlisberger may have to carry a
bigger load this season if the Steelers
do not have a consistent running
game. They rushed for just 36 yards
against the Titans, as neither Willie
Parker nor Rashard Mendenhall ran
effectively.
“We have to do better than that if
we want to consistently be in victory
lane,” Tomlin said.
But when the Steelers have to move
it, they have Roethlisberger to throw
it. And now that Holmes has become a
major threat, Roethlisberger can
spread the field with numerous weap-
ons—Ward, Holmes, and tight end
Heath Miller.
“You can’t say enough about the
way Santonio plays,” Roethlisberger
said. “Hines is Hines. When you have
Hines Ward out there, people are
going to pay attention to him. We went
to the no-huddle in the third quarter,
and starting moving the ball. I think it
worked great.”
It was not a textbook victory for the
Steelers, but it was a nice way for them
to start. The defense was solid. The
Titans are not an easy opponent. And
instead of answering questions about
opening the season with a loss, the Steel-
ers had extra time to prepare for their
Week 2 road game against the Bears.
The Steelers looked like they did
last season—a veteran team that finds
ways to win. And Roethlisberger
looks like a quarterback who keeps
getting better.
cliftonbrown@sportingnews.scom
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 6
Polamalu sprains MCL
KEITH B. SRAKOCIC / AP
Troy Polamalu is expected to miss between 3-6 weeks with his knee injury.
BY CLIFTON BROWN
cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com
The Steelers hope that star safety Troy Polamalu has
suffered a temporary setback, not a season-ending injury.
Polamalu left Thursday night’s game with a left knee
injury in the second quarter. Steelers head coach Mike
Tomlin said the injury was an MCL sprain that he expected
to sideline Polamalu from 3-6 weeks. But further tests
were scheduled, and Tomlin could not guarantee that the
injury was not more serious.
“I’m sure there is a possibility of it,’’ Tomlin said. “But I
don’t have any concrete evidence that there is anything
more than that.’’
Anytime Polamalu is missing, his absence will be felt by
Pittsburgh’s defense. He had several highlight-reel plays during
the first half, including a one-handed interception. Not coinci-
dently, on the first series that Polamalu missed, the Titans went
71 yards on just three plays for their first touchdown.
“We definitely were aware of him not being in there,’’
said Titans quarterback Kerry Collins.
But the Steelers still played well defensively in the sec-
ond half, something Tomlin said he will expect no matter
how long Polamalu is sidelined.
“The standard is the standard for the 11 men on the field
for us,’’ Tomlin said. “Our guys hung in there.’’
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10, OT
With run stuffed, Steelers turn to familiar combo
PITTSBURGH—The Pittsburgh Steel-
ers apparently are going to stay with
this Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio
Holmes combination until some-
body beats them.
Jeff Reed kicked a 33-yard field
goal with 4:32 gone in overtime and
the Super Bowl champion Steelers
again relied on Roethlisberger’s abil-
ity to lead clutch scoring drives to
beat the Tennessee Titans 13-10 in
the NFL season opener Thursday
night.
The Steelers, their running game
stuffed by Tennessee’s defense,
didn’t get going until Roethlisberger
began repeatedly finding Holmes
and Hines Ward open downfield.
Roethlisberger went 33 of 43 for 363
yards, with Holmes—the Super
Bowl star—making nine catches for
131 yards and a touchdown and
Ward, despite a potentially costly
fumble, making eight for 103.
Holmes’ statistics were exactly the
same as the Super Bowl, when he
caught the winning 6-yard touch-
down pass from Roethlisberger in
the final minute to beat Arizona
27-23.
Thursday’s victory might be
costly, however—star safety Troy
Polamalu, the best player on the field
during the first half, sprained the
medial collateral ligament in his left
knee on a blocked field goal. Coach
Mike Tomlin said the injury usually
sidelines a player 3 to 6 weeks.
“It is speculation at this point (how
long he will be out),” Tomlin said.
The Titans lost the coin toss to
start the overtime and, as so often
happens, never saw the ball again.
Roethlisberger, who led a touch-
down drive at the end of the first
half, hit Ward for 11 yards, Holmes
for 11 and rookie Mike Wallace for
22. Unwilling to risk a turnover, the
Steelers kicked the field goal on first
down to win it.
“It’s nice to know we can win close
games,” Reed said. “This is my
eighth year here and I’ve been in a
lot of close games, and we usually
are on the up side of those.”
While the Steelers ended up win-
ning on two Reed field goals, the
Titans may have lost because Rod
Bironas twice couldn’t convert from
inside the 40.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t
beat the Tennessee Titans, the Ten-
nessee Titans beat the Tennessee
Titans,” said wide receiver Nate
Washington, the former Steelers
player.
Pittsburgh looked ready to win it
late in regulation when Roethlis-
berger, so adept at running the two-
minute offense, took advantage of
good field position created by a
shanked Craig Hentrich punt to find
Ward on a 30-yard completion to the
Titans 4. But as Ward was trying to
muscle his way closer to the goal
line, Michael Griffin stripped the
ball and Stephen Tulloch recovered
with less than a minute remaining.
Even with no running game to
support him—the Steelers were out-
rushed 86-36 as Willie Parker was
held to 19 yards on 13 carries—
Roethlisberger had the third-most
productive passing game of his
career. Tennessee’s Kerry Collins,
usually the caretaker of a run-first
offense, was 22 of 35 for 244 yards
after having only four games of 200
yards or more last season.
The Titans never led until Bironas
NFL
Pittsburgh CB Deshea Townsend, left, trips up Tennessee WR Nate Washington after Washington made a catch during the first quarter.
connected from 45 yards with 11:03
remaining, making it 10-7, after Col-
lins kept the drive moving with
15-yard completions to rookie Kenny
Britt and Justin Gage.
“We had chances and opportuni-
ties but missed a field goal, had a
field goal blocked,” coach Jeff Fisher
said. “I believe we’ve got a good foot-
ball team in that locker room and
we’re going to bounce back.”
The Steelers tied it on Reed’s
32-yarder with 2:57 to go, but only
after Mewelde Moore was held to 1
yard on two plays. Reed, under pres-
sure, barely got off a low line drive
that squeezed through the uprights.
Roethlisberger was 7 of 7 for 57
yards on the drive but the Steelers’
game-long lack of a running game
again caused a drive to stall after
they had a second-and-2 at the 10.
The Titans were the last team to
beat the Steelers, winning 31-17 on
Dec. 21 to gain home-field advantage
throughout the AFC playoffs, but
they never won again and the Steel-
ers never lost again. Still, Steelers’
fans remembered how LenDale
White, Keith Bulluck and several
Titans players stomped all over Ter-
rible Towels at the end of the game,
DON WRIGHT / AP
and it created a buzz of anticipation
for a rematch that appeared likely to
occur in January but didn’t.
Instead, this game wasn’t a throw-
back to last season, but to the 1970s,
when the Titans’ predecessors, the
Oilers, twice met and lost to the
Steelers and their famed Steel Cur-
tain defense in the AFC champion-
ship game. All that was missing
were some Jack Lambert hits on Earl
Campbell.
“It was a 15-round, old-school
Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight
that went the distance,” Bulluck
said.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 7
Tennessee 0 7 0 3 0 — 10
Pittsburgh 0 7 0 3 3 — 13
Second Quarter
Pit: Holmes 34 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick), 1:22.
Ten: Gage 14 pass from Collins (Bironas kick), :48.
Fourth Quarter
Ten: FG Bironas 45, 11:03.
Pit: FG Reed 32, 2:57.
Overtime
Pit: FG Reed 33, 10:28.
A: 65,110.
Ten Pit
First downs ........................................... 18..................................... 19
Total Net Yards ....................................320...................................357
Rushes-yards ...................................25-86................................23-36
Passing ................................................234...................................321
Punt Returns......................................4-14..................................1-11
Kickoff Returns...................................3-59................................4-116
Interceptions Ret. ..............................2-80..................................1-16
Comp-Att-Int ...............................22-35-1............................33-43-2
Sacked-Yards Lost ..............................1-10..................................4-42
Punts ...............................................5-44.6...............................7-42.7
Fumbles-Lost .......................................2-1....................................1-1
Penalties-Yards ..................................5-28..................................6-60
Time of Possession...........................28:21................................36:11
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Tennessee, Johnson 15-57, White 8-28, Collins 2-1. Pitts-
burgh, Parker 13-19, Moore 5-8, Mendenhall 4-6, Roethlisberger
1-3.
PASSING: Tennessee, Collins 22-35-1-244. Pittsburgh, Roethlis-
berger 33-43-2-363.
RECEIVING: Tennessee, Gage 7-78, Scaife 5-48, Britt 4-85, Crumpler
2-5, Johnson 1-11, Washington 1-8, White 1-5, Hall 1-4. Pittsburgh,
Holmes 9-131, Ward 8-103, Miller 8-64, Moore 4-28, Wallace 3-32,
Parker 1-5.
MISSED FIELD GOALS: Tennessee, Bironas 37 (WR), 31 (BK).
The Titans spent the first quarter
tromping on a Steelers offense that
managed all of 1 yard. Then, after
Bironas’ 31-yarder was blocked by
Aaron Smith—he missed earlier
from the 27 following a bad snap—
both teams suddenly found their
offenses.
Roethlisberger, again a master of
the two-minute drive, needed only
five plays to lead a 79-yard drive in
which he found familiar target Ward
for 29 yards ahead of his 34-yard
touchdown throw to Holmes.
— The Associated Press
More on Polamalu’s injury, Page 6
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Saints LT Brown out six weeks; Seymour still a no-show
Saints LT Jammal Brown is set to
have hip surgery today, which will
sideline him for at least the first six
weeks of the regular season. The
earliest Brown is expected to return
is Oct. 25 at Miami.
Brown already was expected to
miss Sunday’s season opener vs.
Detroit after undergoing surgery to
repair a sports hernia three weeks
ago. Third-year pro Jermon Bushrod
will make his first career start Sun-
day in Brown’s place.
The Raiders re-signed DT tackle
William Joseph on Thursday while Rich-
ard Seymour remained a no-show four
days before the team’s season opener.
Joseph was cut by the Raiders on
Sunday after the team acquired Sey-
mour from New England in exchange
for its first-round draft pick in 2011.
But Seymour remains a no-show four
days after the trade and there has
been no official comment from either
him or his agent, Eugene Parker, as to
why. According to ESPN, the Raiders
have told Seymour he has five days to
report or he will be suspended.
Chiefs QB Matt Cassel’s sprained
left knee is improving, though the
Chiefs still don’t know if he’ll be
able to play Sunday at Baltimore.
Cassel practiced for the third time
this week Thursday and said he’s
been getting better every day. He
said his status probably will be a
game-time decision.
“As long as I’m able to walk and
get out there, I will be ready to go,”
Cassel said Thursday. “It’s up to
them to pull me back.”
Cassel sprained his knee Aug. 29
in a preseason game vs. Seattle.
Though he’s getting better every
day, Cassel’s has been wearing a
brace since returning to practice
and has gradually become involved
in more drills. Chiefs coach Todd
Haley said he hasn’t decided whether
Brodie Croyle or Tyler Thigpen would
start if Cassel can’t play Sunday.
Hall of Fame coach John Madden
will serve as a special adviser to
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The league said Thursday that as
part of his unpaid position Madden
will chair the coaches group in the
competition committee.
Free-agent RT Jon Runyan
worked out for the Eagles on Thurs-
day, and there is speculation he
could be re-signed as insurance at
right tackle. New RT Shawn Andrews,
who has been battling a back con-
dition for a year, missed Thursday’s
practice after sitting out the pre-
season games. Runyan never
missed a game in nine years with
the Eagles, starting 192 consecutive
regular-season game. He wasn’t re-
signed after having microfracture
surgery on his right knee.
After his workout Thursday in
Philadelphia, Runyan hopped a
plane to Buffalo and will workout
for the Bills today. The Chiefs also
have shown interest in Runyan.
The Broncos, in a surprise
move, are considering giving dis-
gruntled WR Brandon Marshall, who
recently was suspended for insub-
ordination, a contract extension,
according to ESPN. The potential
NFL
INSIDE DISH
new deal would appease Marshall’s
desire to be paid as one of the
league’s elite receivers.
Marshall’s inability to get a new
long-term deal led to his trade request.
His frustration boiled over at a prac-
tice, and after a series of behavioral
problems, the team suspended him
for a week. His suspension ended
Monday, and he is expected to play
Sunday at Cincinnati.
Jets G.M. Mike Tannenbaum
acknowledged Thursday he made a
mistake handling ex-QB Brett Favre’s
biceps tendon injury last season
and should have listed him on the
injury report.
Tannenbaum and the Jets could
face disciplinary action from the
NFL for not listing Favre’s torn
biceps tendon on the weekly report
following the injury with four or five
games remaining. Tannenbaum said
Favre should have appeared on the
report as “probable.” NFL spokes-
man Greg Aiello confirmed the league
is looking into the situation.
The Vikings released WR Bobby
Wade who led the team in receptions
, BILL HABER / AP
the past two years, and replaced him
with free-agent pickup Greg Lewis.
With first-round pick Percy Harvin
joining the team, the Vikings had
fewer opportunities for Wade, a six-
year NFL veteran.
Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice will
start Sunday at Cleveland, although
Berrian has been slowed by a ham-
string injury. Lewis, who was cut
by New England this week, was
with the Eagles during Vikings
coach Brad Childress’ last three sea-
Jammal Brown likely won’t return to the Saints’ lineup until Oct. 25.
sons there as offensive coordinator.
Broncos CB Champ Bailey chuck-
led at Chad Ochocinco’s proclamation
that he was eager to embarrass the
Broncos and Bailey on Sunday. The
Bengals superstar receiver’s tweet
Thursday telling Bailey, “storms
coming!!!!!!!!!!” drew a roll of the eyes
from Bailey. Bailey says he enjoys
Ochocinco’s trash-talking and looks
forward to getting his best shot.
Giants second-year CB Terrell
Thomas will start Sunday vs. Wash-
ington because of a hamstring
injury to Kevin Dockery. Dockery, who
was filling in for Aaron Ross (ham-
string), missed his second straight
practice Thursday. Dockery’s
injury also pushed free agent rookie
Bruce Johnson into the game plan.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 8
Johnson said he has been going over
videotapes most of the week and
has spent a lot of time with veteran
CB Corey Webster and S Kenny Phillips.
Seahawks OT Sean Locklear knows
there’s added pressure that comes with
playing left tackle, even if it’s just the
reverse of what he’s learned on the
right side. Locklear will start at left
tackle Sunday vs. the Rams, replacing
nine-time Pro Bowl LT Walter Jones, who
is out following his second knee sur-
gery in eight months a few weeks ago.
It will be the third start for Locklear at
left tackle in the last two seasons.
Jones and C Chris Spencer (quadriceps)
are out for Seattle. They might also be
without WR Deion Branch (hamstring);
he did not participate in his second
consecutive practice Thursday.
The Rams released LB Chris Draft
on Thursday after the 11-year vet-
eran declined to take a pay cut in the
final year of a three-year contract.
Draft, 33, made 16 starts in two sea-
sons with St. Louis and had been
listed first on the depth chart head-
ing into Sunday’s opener in Seattle.
David Vobora, a seventh-round pick,
will inherit Draft’s starting spot.
DT Shaun Smith, who was cut by
the Lions on Saturday after spend-
ing five years with the Browns, has
been suspended four games for vio-
lating the league’s anabolic steroid
policy, according to ESPN. Smith
also told teams he took a water pill,
an over-the-counter, non-perfor-
mance-enhancing substance that is
banned by the league because it can
mask steroid use.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 9
Rejuvenated Tomlinson eager Injury report Hadnot (knee). DNP: RB Cedric Peerman (thigh).
LIMITED: LB David Bowens (knee), RB Jerome
Standings
AFC
to ‘go where we’ve never been’ NEW YORK—The National Football League injury
report, as provided by the league (OUT - Definitely
Harrison (knee), DT Shaun Rogers (foot), CB Eric
Wright (knee). FULL: LB Alex Hall (shoulder), TE
East
Buffalo
W
0
L
0
T
0
Pct
.000
PF
0
PA Home Away
0 0-0-0 0-0-0
AFC
0-0-0
NFC
0-0-0
Div
0-0-0
Steve Heiden (knee).
will not play; DNP - Did not practice; LIMITED Miami 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
SAN DIEGO—Feeling fit and happy to - Limited participation in practice; FULL - Full New England 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
NEW YORK JETS AT HOUSTON TEXANS—JETS:
have played in two exhibition games, participation in practice):
LIMITED: DE Mike Devito (hamstring). FULL: QB N.Y. Jets 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Chargers running back LaDainian Kellen Clemens (right elbow), RB Shonn Greene
SUNDAY South W L T Pct PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div
Tomlinson is at a crossroads heading DALLAS COWBOYS AT TAMPA BAY
(ribs), LB Bryan Thomas (ankle), WR Wallace
into the ’09 season. Wright (knee). TEXANS: DNP: WR Kevin Walter Houston 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
BUCCANEERS—COWBOYS: DNP: CB Michael
(hamstring), CB Eugene Wilson (knee). FULL: CB Indianapolis 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
So is his team. Hamlin (wrist), LB Curtis Johnson (hamstring), LB
Jacques Reeves (fibula), DT Deljuan Robinson Jacksonville 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
If Tomlinson can come anywhere close Jason Williams (ankle). BUCCANEERS: DNP: CB E.J.
(calf), QB Matt Schaub (ankle). Tennessee 0 1 0 .000 10 13 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
to his record-setting form of ’06, he could Biggers (shoulder), TE John Gilmore (ankle), LB
Adam Hayward (ankle). FULL: WR Antonio Bryant North W L T Pct PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div
help carry the Chargers to their first NFL (knee), WR Michael Clayton (hamstring).
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT CAROLINA
championship. PANTHERS—EAGLES: OUT: G Todd Herremans Pittsburgh 1 0 0 1.000 13 10 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
(foot), LB Joe Mays (shoulder). FULL: WR Kevin Baltimore 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
If he struggles, the Chargers might fall DENVER BRONCOS AT CINCINNATI
Curtis (knee), T King Dunlap (elbow), LB Moise
BENGALS—BRONCOS: practice not complete. Cincinnati 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
short of the high expectations. Fokou (shoulder), DE Darren Howard (groin), T Cleveland 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
BENGALS: OUT: CB David Jones (foot), T Andre
The doubters likely will re-emerge, Smith (foot). LIMITED: G Scott Kooistra (knee),
Winston Justice (shoulder), CB Dimitri Patterson
just like they did during a bumpy offsea- (ankle), DT Mike Patterson (ankle), RB Leonard West W L T Pct PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div
S Roy Williams (thigh). FULL: QB Carson Palmer
Weaver (knee), LB Tracy White (rib). PANTHERS:
son when age, salary cap concerns, a (ankle).
LIMITED: S Chris Harris (shin).
Denver 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
career-low rushing total and his recent MATT YORK / AP Kansas City 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
DETROIT LIONS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS— Oakland 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
injury history made it look like L.T.’s LaDainian Tomlinson is one of three RBs to rush for at SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT ARIZONA San Diego 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
LIONS: DNP: QB Drew Stanton (knee). LIMITED: CB
days with the Bolts were over. least 1,000 yards in each of their first eight seasons. Phillip Buchanon (neck), K Jason Hanson (right
CARDINALS—49ERS: practice not complete.
Playing under a reworked contract, CARDINALS: DNP: WR Anquan Boldin (hamstring).
knee), DE Jason Hunter (ribs), DT Grady Jackson
LIMITED: WR Early Doucet (ribs), WR Sean Morey
NFC
Tomlinson enters his ninth NFL season “Yeah, there was a time when I was (knee), WR Dennis Northcutt (hand), G Stephen
(ribs), QB Brian St. Pierre (back). FULL: WR Steve East W L T Pct PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div
looking for the same thing as always—“to going through a situation where I did feel Peterman (ankle). FULL: TE Casey Fitzsimmons
Breaston (knee), S Matt Ware (shoulder). Dallas 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
(knee), CB Anthony Henry (shoulder). SAINTS: DNP:
put together a solid season and go where like that,” Tomlinson said. “Honestly, I T Jammal Brown (hernia), TE Darnell Dinkins (foot), N.Y. Giants 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
we’ve never been before.” was prepared. If that was going to be the ST. LOUIS RAMS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS— Philadelphia 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
RB Pierre Thomas (knee). FULL: S Usama Young
RAMS: DNP: S Craig Dahl (hamstring), LB Larry Washington 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
That, of course, would be the Super case, I was prepared for it. It wasn’t a (shoulder).
Grant (knee), T John Greco (hand). LIMITED: QB
Bowl. Not just getting there, mind you, sense of being sad or like I was losing Marc Bulger (right finger), RB Sam Gado (ribs), South W L T Pct PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS
but winning it. something. When you’re preparing to do RB Mike Karney (ankle), DE Leonard Little (knee).
Atlanta 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
COLTS—JAGUARS: DNP: TE Zach Miller (knee),
It’s just one of the motivations that something, then your mindset is already SEAHAWKS: OUT: T Walter Jones (knee), C Chris Carolina 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
T Tra Thomas (back). COLTS: DNP: S Bob Sanders
Spencer (quadricep). DNP: WR Deion Branch
drives one of the greatest running backs beyond that.” (knee), TE Tom Santi (ankle), CB Jamie Silva New Orleans 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
(hamstring), CB Travis Fisher (hamstring), DE Derek Tampa Bay 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
in NFL history. Along with a desire to — The Associated Press (abdomen).
Walker (hamstring), S C.J. Wallace (rib).
stay healthy and prove he can still play at North W L T Pct PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT BALTIMORE
a high level now that he’s turned 30. RAVENS—CHIEFS: LIMITED: RB Jackie Battle
WASHINGTON REDSKINS AT NEW YORK
GIANTS—REDSKINS: LIMITED: CB Carlos Rogers Chicago 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
“I feel I have a lot left,” Tomlinson Betting lines (illness), QB Matt Cassel (knee), CB Brandon Detroit 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
(calf), T Mike Williams (ankle). GIANTS: DNP: CB
said Thursday. “I feel I have a lot more FAVORITE TODAY NOW O/U UNDERDOG Flowers (shoulder). RAVENS: DNP: TE L.J. Smith
Kevin Dockery (hamstring), T Adam Koets (ankle),
Green Bay 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
winning inside. A lot of my career, I (hamstring). LIMITED: LB Brendon Ayanbadejo Minnesota 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Sunday CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), LB Clint Sintim (groin).
(foot), LB Dannell Ellerbe (knee), DE Haloti Ngata
spent a lot of it losing, you know, a lot of at Atlanta ..........................4 .............4. . . . .(43½) . . . . . . . . .Miami CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS— West W L T Pct PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div
at Baltimore ..................8½ ...........13. . . . . .  (36) . . . . Kansas City (knee).
games, and so now I’m at a point where BEARS: LIMITED: DT Israel Idonije (hamstring).
Philadelphia..................+1 ......... 2½. . . . .(43½) . . . . .at Carolina FULL: CB Charles Tillman (back). PACKERS: DNP: CB Arizona 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
we have a good team and we can win a at Cincinnati ......................1 .............4. . . . .(42½) . . . . . . . . Denver MIAMI DOLPHINS AT ATLANTA FALCONS— St. Louis 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Minnesota.....................2½ .............4. . . . . .  (40) . . . at Cleveland Will Blackmon (quadricep), RB Brandon Jackson
lot of games.” at Houston ........................4 ......... 4½. . . . . .  (44) . . . . . . . N.Y. Jets
DOLPHINS: FULL: CB Vontae Davis (knee). FALCONS:
(ankle), DT B.J. Raji (ankle). FULL: QB Matt Flynn San Francisco 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Tomlinson has given his heart, soul at Indianapolis ..............7½ .............7. . . . .(44½) . . . .Jacksonville DNP: S William Moore (hamstring). LIMITED: DE Seattle 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
(right shoulder), S Aaron Rouse (hamstring).
at New Orleans .............. 12 ...........13. . . . . .  (49) . . . . . . . . Detroit John Abraham (knee). FULL: DE Chauncey Davis
and body to a franchise that was a mess Dallas.................................3 .............6. . . . . .  (39) . . at Tampa Bay (foot), LB Tony Gilbert (hamstring), C Todd McClure
when he joined the NFL. at Arizona......................6½ ......... 6½. . . . . .  (46) . . San Francisco MONDAY Schedule
(calf), RB Jerious Norwood (knee).
at N.Y. Giants.....................6 ......... 6½. . . . .(37½) . . . Washington BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Thursday’s game Denver at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Washington at N.Y. Giants, 4:15 p.m.
Then came last offseason, and it seemed at Seattle...........................7 ......... 8½. . . . .(41½) . . . . . . . St. Louis — No report. Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10, OT Kansas City at Baltimore, 1 p.m. San Francisco at Arizona, 4:15 p.m.
as if Tomlinson would be shown the door, at Green Bay......................3 ......... 3½. . . . . .  (46) . . . . . . . Chicago MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT CLEVELAND
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS AT OAKLAND RAIDERS Dallas at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. Chicago at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m.
BROWNS—VIKINGS: DNP: LB Erin Henderson Sunday’s games
just as the Chargers had unceremoniously Monday — No report.
Miami at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Monday’s game
at New England ............. 10 ...........11. . . . .(47½) . . . . . . . .Buffalo (calf). LIMITED: WR Bernard Berrian (hamstring), Philadelphia at Carolina, 1 p.m.
dumped Junior Seau, Rodney Harrison, TE Jim Kleinsasser (hand). BROWNS: OUT: G Rex — The Associated Press N.Y. Jets at Houston, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. Buffalo at New England, 7 p.m.
San Diego..........................7 ......... 9½. . . . . .  (43) . . . . .at Oakland
and Drew Brees. Detroit at New Orleans, 1 p.m. St. Louis at Seattle, 4:15 p.m. San Diego at Oakland, 10:15 p.m.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Chicago at Green Bay
When: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Weather: 68, partly cloudy
Line: Packers favored by 3 1/2
Last meeting: Bears, 20-17 in OT (2008)
Bears’ keys to success
1. Handle the weakside lead
draw. The Packers ran
Ryan Grant at the Bears’ defense
on this play repeatedly for a sea-
son-high 145 of their 200 rushing
yards in last year’s 37-3 drubbing
at Lambeau. Bears defenders on
the weak side must stay in their
lanes and not get suckered in too
far by the delay effect of the draw,
or Grant can pick and choose his
opening.
2. Stop the slant. Slant passes
and skinny posts patterns
have been problems for Bears
defensive backs in the cover-2 zone
the past two years, but never more
so than against Green Bay’s timing
passing game that features wide
receivers Donald Driver and Greg
Jennings. Not only do cornerbacks
Zack Bowman, Nate Vasher and
Charles Tillman need to be in
receivers’ faces, but defensive line-
men must get their hands up to
deflect passes because the slant
happens quickly off a three-step
drop.
3. Know who’s blitzing. With
Green Bay likely to use
zone blitzes under coordinator
Dom Capers in their new 3-4
defense, the Chicago running backs
and offensive linemen must iden-
tify and then neutralize blitzing
linebackers to keep Jay Cutler
upright. They just got a franchise
QB—they don’t want to lose him in
his first game.
Bears QB Jay Cutler, left, likely will face a lot of blitzes from Green Bay’s defense.
Packers’ keys to success
1. Cover tight end Greg Olsen.
Olsen beat the Packers for
nine catches for 95 yards and a touch-
down in two games last season, and
that was with a quarterback, Kyle
Orton, who couldn’t throw down-
field. Cutler has the ability to hit
Olsen anywhere on the field. The
Packers play a lot of zone, so the Bears
might be able to dictate who has cov-
erage on Olsen by running him to
certain spots on the field. Safety Nick
Collins is going to have a lot of respon-
sibility with Olsen.
2. Throw to tight end Jermichael
Finley. The Bears aren’t
going to play with a safety on top of
Finley because they have greater
NFL
ED ANDRIESKI / AP
concerns with Driver and Jennings.
Finley showed in preseason that he
can beat linebackers, safeties and
cornerbacks man-to-man. But this is
the regular season, and he’s going to
have to work the middle of the field
against the Bears’ cover-2 zone.
3. Match the Bears’ intensity on
special teams. The Bears
have been outplaying the Packers
for years on special teams, and it
has cost the Packers dearly. This
year, Green Bay is stacked with
special-teams talent, and a lot will
be expected of them. They must
keep return man Devin Hester in
check and avoid starting drives
deep in their own territory.
— Tom Silverstein & Gene Chamberlain
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 10
Minnesota at Cleveland
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX/DirecTV 709
Weather: 79, isolated thunderstorms
(30%)
Line: Vikings favored by 4
Last meeting: Vikings, 24-12 (2005)
Vikings’ keys to success
1. Protect Brett Favre. The
offensive line is one of the
Vikings’ biggest question marks,
and the preseason didn’t do much
to ease concerns about the pass
protection. Right tackle Phil Load-
holt and center John Sullivan, both
inexperienced new starters, will
have to show they can handle the
transition. Loadholt looked good
run-blocking but not pass-blocking
in the preseason. DON HEUPEL / AP
2. Get special play from special
teams. The Vikings face a
Browns QB Brady Quinn, above, reportedly earned the starting nod over Derek Anderson.
Browns’ keys to success in preseason, and they also worked
strong test of their special teams hard at making throws on the
coverage units right from the start.
The Vikings allowed an NFL-
1. Contain Adrian Peterson.
The Browns have a more
complete run defense than they did
move. Quinn has good promise in
that area and will need his feet
record seven special teams touch- plenty to escape a rush that pro-
in 2008, when they allowed an duced 45 sacks in 2008.
downs last season, and the Browns embarrassing 151.9 yards a game.
have an electrifying return man in
Josh Cribbs. LB Heath Farwell
needs to restore order to the cover-
It helps that several Jets imports—
LE Kenyon Coleman, ILB Eric 3. Rev up the playmakers.
Braylon Edwards is com-
ing off a disappointing season full
Barton and SS Abram Elam—are
age units after he was sorely missed good at on-field communication. of drops. He seems to have regained
last season because of a knee injury.
Another former Jet, cornerback some of the confidence that made
him a Pro Bowl player in 2007.
3. Pound Peterson. The
Vikings would be wise to
Hank Poteat, put it best as to posi-
tioning yourself to tackle Peterson: Given Minnesota’s pass rush, the
get RB Adrian Peterson going “Know where your help is.” Browns need to hit some short
passes and get some yards after the
early to take pressure off Favre,
who is still trying to learn the ten-
dencies of his new teammates.
2. Don’t baby Brady Quinn.
The Browns aren’t going
catch. The Browns have worked a
lot on quick slants to Edwards,
to beat Minnesota with a smash- who can be deadly on those routes.
Favre doesn’t have his timing
mouth running game. The Vikings’ On defense, the Browns have one
down with the receivers yet, so
run defense is excellent, and proven playmaker: nose tackle
there is bound to be an adjust-
Browns workhorse Jamal Lewis is Shaun Rogers. When he’s on, he’s a
ment period early in the season.
coming off a down year. That disruptive dynamo who can even
Peterson and sidekick Chester
Taylor will try to exploit a Browns
rush defense that ranked 28th in
means Quinn needs an unpredict-
able game plan featuring a mix of
passes and runs on first downs.
beat double-teams. He needs to be
that guy on Sunday.
the NFL last season. The Browns showed signs of that — Steve Doerschuk & Rick Alonzo
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 11

Washington at New York Giants Dallas at Tampa Bay

When: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: Fox/DirecTV 714 TV: Fox/DirecTV 712
Weather: 79, mostly sunny Weather: 89, isolated thunderstorms
Line: Giants favored by 6 1/2 (30%)
Last meeting: Giants, 23-7 (2008) Line: Cowboys favored by 6
Last meeting: Cowboys, 13-9 (2008)

Redskins’ keys to success

Cowboys’ keys to success
1. Run the ball. The Redskins’
offense is predicated on
Clinton Portis’ success. If they can 1. Force turnovers. While that’s
the goal of every defensive
establish the run early, life will be team, Dallas had just 22 takeaways
easier. But they need to do a better last season, with only eight inter-
job getting to linebackers, particu- ceptions. Bucs quarterback Byron
larly right tackle Stephon Heyer, to Leftwich doesn’t move well, which
open cutback lanes. Heyer strug- means the Cowboys’ blitzing
gled in this area when he started scheme—Dallas led the league in
last season. sacks in ’08—should force him to
make some poor decisions. The
2. Protect Jason Campbell. The
Giants boast arguably the
top pass rush in the NFL. The Red-
Cowboys don’t have many explo-
sive offensive players, so they will
TONY GUTIERREZ / AP
Felix Jones likely won’t start, but should see plenty of playing time with Marion Barber.
benefit from some short fields.
skins allowed 38 sacks last season, time for Romo to reward their trust Bucs plan to lean on that strength.
but the first-string line did not allow
one in preseason. However, the
Giants’ combination of a quick, ath-
2. Run the ball. The last two
years, the Cowboys have
been near the bottom of the league
by reducing his turnovers, spread-
ing the ball around and playing a
clean game.
They want to suck an eighth
defender into the box to stop the run
and throw deep off play-action. But
letic line and creative blitzes will in percentage of running plays. Leftwich has to be more accurate
test them. If Campbell is under Last year, Dallas threw the ball Bucs’ keys to success on these opportunities than he was
siege, the Giants win. nearly 60 percent of the time. in preseason, when he hit about

3. Stop the run. Considering

the youth and inexperience
TONY GUTIERREZ / AP
Protecting Jason Campbell from the Giants’ ferocious rush is one of the ‘Skins’ prime objectives.
Coach Wade Phillips has told
offensive coordinator Jason Garrett
that he wants to finish among the
1. Control the running game. The
Bucs and Cowboys will
have the same basic approach to
three of 10 such throws. The Bucs
need a consistent effort from Left-
wich to have a chance in this game.
of the Giants’ receivers, the Red-
skins must make New York one-
dimensional. Brandon Jacobs
almost always attempt to establish
the run before they do anything
else. Pro Bowl center Shaun O’Hara
3. Prevent big pass plays. When
the Giants have problems
with the Redskins’ offense, it usu-
top 10 in rushing yards. To do that,
the Cowboys need to run the ball
much closer to 50 percent of the
offense. They will lean primarily on
a trio of running backs in an effort
to control the ball and the clock, and
3. Get to Romo. The Bucs have
abandoned their cover 2
rushed for a combined 187 yards in principles in favor of a more aggres-
and left guard Rich Seubert must ally is because of the failure to pre- time. Their trio of runners—Mar- they will look to connect on play-
their two meetings last season. But sive defensive attack. They’re going
be able to neutralize Haynesworth vent big plays in the passing game ion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard action passes off the runs. The team
with Albert Haynesworth at defen- to blitz more under new coordinator
or else Jacobs and backup running to wide receivers Santana Moss and Choice—is among the best in the that can run the ball best and stop
sive tackle and Phillip Daniels back Jim Bates, but they still need to get a
back Ahmad Bradshaw will have Antwaan Randle El and tight end league. Garrett needs to give them the other team’s running game will
at left end, the Redskins are in bet- good push from the front four. For
little running room. Chris Cooley. But cornerback a chance to control the game. gain a big edge in this game. The key
ter position to stop him. the Bucs to be successful against
Aaron Ross is out (strained ham- for the Bucs is to not abandon the

Giants’ keys to success 2. Get Justin Tuck going. Tuck,

a Pro Bowl end, faltered
badly down the stretch of last sea-
string), as is backup Kevin Dockery
(hamstring), meaning second-year
3. Get Tony Romo on track. He’s
21-8 the last two seasons as
a starter, but his devotion to the
run if they fall behind. The Cow-
boys may wilt under the blazing
Dallas, they need RE Gaines Adams
and LE Jimmy Wilkerson to bring
consistent heat, which would allow

1. Neutralize Haynesworth.
With so much focus on the
inexperience at receiver, it should
son, when an ailing foot limited his
mobility. Tuck is healthy and in his
CB Terrell Thomas will start. Dock-
ery’s injury also pushed free agent
rookie Bruce Johnson into the game
game and leadership skills have
been questioned. The Cowboys got
Florida sun, so sticking to the run
could prove very beneficial.
the team to ease up on the blitzes
and leave its linebackers back. If the

not be forgotten that the Giants

operate a balanced offense and
first game gets to go against Heyer.
It is a confrontation Giants coaches
expect Tuck to win often.
plan.
— Paul Schwartz & John Keim
rid of Terrell Owens because they
didn’t think he could silence the
receiver’s dominant personality. It’s
2. Connect on play-action
passes. Leftwich’s strength
is throwing the deep ball, and the
Bucs do that, they’ll leave Romo
with fewer checkdown options.
— Roy Cummings & Jean-Jacques Taylor
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Philadelphia at Carolina
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX/DirecTV 710
Weather: 84, partly cloudy
Line: Eagles favored by 2 1/2
Last meeting: Eagles, 27-24 (2006)
Eagles’ keys to success
1. Contain DeAngelo Williams
and Jonathan Stewart. Caroli-
na’s offense revolves around the run-
ning of Williams and Stewart, setting
up the play-action passes from Jake
Delhomme to Steve Smith. Del-
homme-to-Smith can be a lethal
home-run connection if the Panthers
first establish the run. With under-
sized linebacker Omar Gaither back
in the middle, the onus falls on tan-
dem defensive tackles Mike Patterson
and Brodrick Bunkley to push back
Carolina’s big interior linemen and
not let them get into the second level.
2. Attack Carolina’s underbelly.
Aside from defensive tackle
Damione Lewis, a solid but not spec-
tacular lineman, the Panthers are
weak up the middle. Using a combi-
nation of Brian Westbrook, LeSean
McCoy and fullback Leonard
Weaver, the Eagles’ offense should
take aim at Carolina’s interior line.
3. Protect and attack the quar-
terback. First, the Eagles
must block Pro Bowl defensive end
Julius Peppers, who can singlehand-
edly disrupt an offense. On the flip
side, the Eagles’ front four must pres-
sure Delhomme, who is prone to big
mistakes under duress. The Eagles
have shown they’re not nearly as
effective on defense when they don’t
rush the quarterback.
Panthers’ keys to success
1. Run, regardless. The Eagles
are going to bring pressure,
Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams figures to be getting the ball often against the Eagles.
and the best way to defeat that is
patience. Panthers coaches can’t be
sure how much they’re going to get
from Jonathan Stewart, but the
combo of DeAngelo Williams and
rookie Mike Goodson must keep
Philly honest. Running often is as
important as running well, and the
Eagles have some issues in their
defensive interior too. The Pan-
thers’ run game is built inside-out,
and Williams needs to start fast.
2. Play fast on defense. Philly
has loads of speed around
the edges, so players like weakside
linebacker Thomas Davis and cor-
nerback Chris Gamble must shine.
Davis has been limited by a pre-
season MCL sprain, and Gamble
NFL
BOB LEVERONE / SN
struggled this summer after getting
a rich contract. The Panthers need
those two to shut down the edges,
since the interior defensive issues
still are being worked on.
3. Don’t fumble. There was no
problem more glaring for
the Panthers in preseason than
their inability to hang onto the ball.
Goodson put it on the ground three
times, and they went through a cav-
alcade of punt returners with bad
hands. They were about to sign
trusty Mark Jones, but he failed a
physical Monday. This game is
going to be close enough that any
turnover will be costly.
— Darin Gantt & Geoff Mosher
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 12
Miami at Atlanta
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS/DirecTV 704
Weather: Dome
Line: Falcons favored by 4
Last meeting: Falcons, 17-10 (2005)
Dolphins’ keys to success
1. Get Ronnie rolling. Dol-
phins running back Ron-
nie Brown has looked exceptional
during training camp, exhibiting
the speed, power and veteran
vision that might allow him to
make the leap to elite territory
this season. But that’s going to
require the Dolphins to give
Brown the ball more often—and
not just out of the Wildcat forma-
tion. If the team’s interior line can
gain the immediate trust of coach
Tony Sparano early in the game, LYNNE SLADKY / AP
expect the team to utilize Brown’s LB Joey Porter, left, will have to play well if the Dolphins are to shut down Matt Ryan.
fresh legs early in the season.
2. Get a solid start from
Taylor on the strong side and Por-
ter remaining on the weak, the
Dolphins believe they’ve figured
percent of his passes in wide
receiver Roddy White’s direction
last season and only 6 percent to
Smith. Cornerback Sean
Smith showed some early flashes out the best way to use this duo. If tight ends. Look for a much lesser
of brilliance during the preseason, that’s the case, it might be Miami’s disparity this year because of
the culmination of which earned best chance of shutting down Gonzalez’s receiving prowess.
Atlanta’s high-powered offense With Gonzalez working the mid-
him the starting job opposite Will
fueled by Matt Ryan’s cannon arm. dle and White and Jenkins on the
Allen. Now, everything is about to
outside, the Falcons’ red zone
speed up, and it’s going to be criti-
numbers should improve.
Falcons’ keys to success
cal for Smith to keep up. Because of
Tony Gonzalez’s pass-catching
3. Hide the corners. Brent
presence, Smith is likely to be in
one-on-one coverage with Michael 1. Run the ball. Running back
Michael Turner carried a
load last season, with a league-
Grimes and Chris Hous-
ton are in the spotlight. Both cor-
Jenkins downfield quite often. So ners have struggled with the more
the first test is Sunday. Smith’s play leading 376 carries. He has fared aggressive and pressing style that
should dictate how well Miami well in the past finding the cracks coach Mike Smith wants to play.
handles the Falcons’ air attack. and crevices against 3-4 defenses. Expect a combination of zones to
Speedy Jerious Norwood was keep the corners out of one-on-one
3. Unleash the Taylor/Porter
combo. Two years ago,
Jason Taylor and Joey Porter didn’t
slowed in the preseason with a
knee injury but is back to provide
situations and mask what is per-
ceived as a weakness. If pass
help on third down and as a rusher John Abraham (knee) can’t
match the preseason hype that change-of-pace back.
built up around them. Now, the play or is limited, that won’t help
pair is back together—but they’re
playing different positions. With 2. Find Gonzalez in the red
zone. Ryan threw 34
the cornerback issues.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter & Jeff Darlington
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 13

N.Y. Jets at Houston Jacksonville at Indianapolis

When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS/DirecTV 706 TV: CBS/DirecTV 708
Weather: Retractable dome, 90, scattered Weather: Retractable dome, 79, partly
thunderstorms (40%) cloudy
Line: Texans favored by 4 1/2 Line: Colts favored by 7
Last meeting: Jets, 26-11 (2006) Last meeting: Colts, 31-24 (2008)

Jets’ keys to success Jaguars’ keys to success

1. Put pressure on Schaub. The

Texans were fourth in the
NFL in net passing yards per game
last season and allowed only 32
sacks. The Jets need to harass quar-
terback Matt Schaub and not allow
him to sit in the pocket. The Jets are
without defensive end Shaun Ellis
and outside linebacker Calvin Pace
(both suspended), so they must use
creative alignments and blitzes to
get sacks.
2. Limit mistakes by Sanchez.
Rookie Mark Sanchez has
to be the smooth operator he was in
the final two preseason games, and
not the guy who threw a pick-six to
Baltimore defensive lineman Haloti
Ngata in his first preseason pass as a
starter. The Jets won’t necessarily ask
Sanchez to win the game for them,
but they can’t allow him to lose it.
3. Win the field-position battle.
Being able to work with
good field position will help San-
chez in his first start. That begins
with a solid punting game, a staple
of recent Ravens teams while Rex
Ryan was defensive coordinator.
The Jets, however, have gone
through seven punters this offsea-
son before settling on veteran Steve
Weatherford.
Texans’ keys to success
1. Stop the run. The Texans gave
up 148 rushing yards per
Mark Sanchez won’t be asked to carry the load, merely limit mistakes.
game in the preseason, and they
know Ryan is going to try to control
the clock with running backs
Thomas Jones and Leon Washing-
ton. If the outside linebackers lose
containment, as they did in the pre-
season, Washington will turn the
corner and head for the end zone.
Nose tackle Frank Okam, rookie
strongside linebacker Brian Cushing
and strong safety Dominique Barber
will be critical to the run defense.
2. Be smart in the red zone.
Coach Gary Kubiak gets
an ulcer when he thinks about
turnovers and inefficiency inside
the opponents’ 20. Quarterback
Matt Schaub has to be disciplined
enough to throw the ball away and
accept a Kris Brown field goal when
the play isn’t there. Then again, the
NICK WASS / AP
end zone will look inviting to
Schaub, with three 6-3 receivers in
Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter and
Owen Daniels. Schaub has to throw
the ball more accurately, in particu-
lar on quick slants, and take advan-
tage of his receivers’ height.
3. Pound it in on the ground. Run-
ning back Steve Slaton,
who’s up to 215 pounds, hopes to be
more proficient in the red zone, but
don’t be surprised if Chris Brown
(6-3, 237) gets the ball when the
offense is close to the goal line. The
offensive line started together once
in the preseason, but the unit is
healthy and will have no excuses
about its blocking near the goal line,
especially with the Jets missing Ellis
and Pace.
— John McClain and J.P. Pelzman
1. Help the rookie tackles.
The offense must pro-
vide plenty of help for rookie left
tackle Eugene Monroe and rookie
right tackle Eben Britton, who
will be matched against elite pass
rushers Dwight Freeney and
Robert Mathis in their first NFL
game. Providing Monroe and
Britton help on passing downs
takes receivers out of some
routes, but that’s the sacrifice the
Jaguars must make to protect QB
David Garrard.
2. Stick with the ground game.
Because of the play-
action nature of the passing
attack, the Jaguars run effec-
tively. By running—especially
between the tackles—the Jags can
wear down Freeney, Mathis and
the Colts’ undersized defensive
tackles, which could go a long
way toward helping the rookies
in pass protection.
3. Disrupt Peyton Manning’s
rhythm. Jacksonville
could confuse Manning and his
linemen early with some of its
new 3-4 packages. The key for the
Jags is to throw a variety of blitzes
out of their 4-3 and 3-4 fronts to
keep the Colts off-balance. Man-
ning and the Colts, though, excel
at in-game adjustments. So diver-
sity in the attack might slow Man-
ning’s ability to adapt.
The Colts are expected to ramp up the pressure on Jags QB David Garrard.
Colts’ keys to success
1. Protect No. 18. Everything
with the offense begins
with protecting Manning. That sel-
dom has been a problem but is an
area of concern heading into the
’09 season. Tony Ugoh, the start-
ing left tackle the past two seasons,
lost his job to utility man Charlie
Johnson. Johnson must hold up,
and his first challenge is Jaguars
end Derrick Harvey. If Johnson
falters, that will impact the offense.
Coordinator Tom Moore might
have to give him help with a tight
end of running back in protection,
which subtracts an option for Man-
ning in the passing game.
2. Find balance. The offense
revolves around Manning,
but he’s at his best when directing a
two-dimensional attack. That wasn’t
the case last season when injuries at
running back and along the offensive
MARK HUMPHREY / AP
line contributed to the running game
ranking No. 31 in the league. Now,
running back Joseph Addai is healthy
and backed up by rookie first-round
pick Donald Brown. They’ll run
behind a line that enters the season
healthy. The ground game must be
effective, particularly with Addai
slashing for yardage on stretch plays,
against a Jacksonville run defense
anchored by defensive tackle John
Henderson.
3. Get after Garrard. The Jag-
uars undoubtedly will
try to pound away with Maurice
Jones-Drew. But when Garrard
drops back, Freeney and Mathis
must turn up the pressure. Mon-
roe and Britton will be under
siege on pass plays, for sure.
Freeney and Mathis are complete
pass rushers with speed and
power moves, and they’ll toss
everything at the rookies.
— Mike Chapppell and Michael C. Wright
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 14

Denver at Cincinnati Kansas City at Baltimore

When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS/DirecTV 707 TV: CBS/DirecTV 705
Weather: 79, partly cloudy Weather: 80, partly cloudy
Line: Bengals favored by 4 Line: Ravens favored by 13
Last meeting: Broncos, 24-23 (2006) Last meeting: Ravens, 20-10 (2006)

Broncos’ keys to success Chiefs’ keys to success

1. Bring the heat. The Broncos’ front seven needs to

get pressure on quarterback Carson Palmer, mix-
ing its blitzes as adeptly as it did for much of the preseason.
1. Don’t commit turnovers.
The struggling offense is
unlikely to score a bunch of points
Denver doesn’t want its secondary having to hold up too against the Ravens’ strong defense.
long against Cincinnati’s excellent trio of receivers. So the offense will need to make
sure the Ravens don’t get a short
2. Hold on to the ball. Not surprisingly, the Broncos
didn’t win in the preseason until they won the
turnover battle in the finale. If Denver wants to win on
field to work with once they get the
ball. The Chiefs won’t be able to
stay in the game if they give the
the road in the opener, the quarterbacks will have to make
Ravens cheap points.
smart decisions and play a careful game, working Cincin-
nati’s defense underneath and not forcing things down-
field. If Kyle Orton can grip the ball properly with his
injured finger, he could play.
2. Be aggressive on offense.
The Ravens will make
their share of plays with their
aggressive defense, but the Chiefs
3. Keep ’em on their toes. Denver’s multiple looks
on offense should create some confusion for
the Bengals. The Broncos showed plenty of different
must counter with a few big plays
of their own and make Baltimore
pay for its aggressive philosophy.
looks in the preseason, which forced Cincinnati to pre-
This will be difficult because of
pare for a little bit of everything during the week. Den-
the Chiefs’ pass protection prob- MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / AP
ver has the depth at the skill positions to create
lems, but they must find ways to Larry Johnson has hurt the Ravens in the past, rushing for 120 yards vs. Baltimore in ‘06.
mismatches, most likely spreading the field against the
get players like speedy running
Bengals’ inexperienced third and fourth corners.
back Jamaal Charles in favorable through several offensive line com- ers aren’t very good.
one-on-one matchups. binations during training camp
Bengals’ keys to success ELAINE THOMPSON / AP

The Broncos hope Kyle Orton plays Sunday despite his finger injury.
3. Make smart coaching deci-
and preseason. As a result, the line
will lack cohesiveness and its tim-
3. Score early. The Ravens
must get their fans into

1. Get Benson going. Cedric Benson was good last

year (12 games, 747 yards) and should be even
better this season because he has a year of experience Tackles Johnson, Domata Peko and Pat Sims need to
sions. The most impor-
tant rookie will be coach Todd
Haley. Between all of his duties as
ing will be off. The Ravens need to
run an assortment of blitzes to keep
the game and take the Chiefs out
of it. Whenever a new coach takes
over, there is always doubt in the
in coordinator Bob Bratkowski’s system. Benson has get a push inside to make Denver’s QB uncomfortable the Chiefs confused.
a head coach and play-calling players’ minds if he can lead.
and flush him into rush ends Robert Geathers and
the power to gain tough yards inside, the speed to reach
the perimeter and break away, and good hands out of Antwan Odom.
duties as an offensive coordina-
tor, Haley has a full plate. He can’t 2. Contain Larry Johnson. The
Ravens struggled against
Haley has been shuffling players
in and out like cards, and he fired
the backfield. His production is critical for setting up
the play-action, allowing Carson Palmer to go deep. 3. Get help from the foot soldiers. The kicking game
must be on point for the Bengals to win. Kicker
let his play-calling demands
interfere with the other decisions
that can help the Chiefs win an
Johnson in 2006—he rushed for
120 yards on 23 carries—because
he has enough speed to get outside
offensive coordinator Chan Gai-
ley 13 days before the opener.
Haley has a quarterback trying to
2. Create more pressure. After a disappointing sea-
son in which the league’s No. 12 defense gener-
ated only 17 sacks, the unit’s No. 1 goal is creating more
Shayne Graham’s strained groin has healed, and it’s criti-
cal that he gets height and depth on kickoffs and be accu-
rate on his field-goal attempts. Rookie leftfooted punter
important game. and enough power to run inside.
He has hurt the Ravens with his
rebound from a knee injury, and
Kansas City was 2-14 last season.
pressure plays. With the addition of tackle Tank John- Kevin Huber specializes in inside-the-20 punts. He must Ravens’ keys to success ability to cut back. If you take out If the Ravens score early and take
son, strong safety Roy Williams, rookie strongside deliver a strong performance for the Bengals to win the Johnson, you take out the Chiefs control, they will water the seeds
linebacker Rey Maualuga and rookie end Michael
Johnson, the ingredients are there to make an impact.
field-position battle.
— Chick Ludwig & Frank Schwab
1. Get pressure on Matt Cassel.
Kansas City has gone
because Cassel will have his hands
full in a new offense and his receiv-
of doubt left over from a year ago.
— Adam Teicher & Mike Preston
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 15

St. Louis at Seattle San Francisco at Arizona

When: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET When: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
TV: FOX/DirecTV 715 TV: FOX/DirecTV 713
Weather: 69, showers (60%) Weather: Retractable dome, 103, mostly
Line: Seahawks favored by 8 1/2 sunny
Last meeting: Seahawks, 23-20 (2008) Line: Cardinals favored by 6 1/2
Last meeting: Cardinals, 29-24 (2008)

Rams’ keys to success

49ers’ keys to success
1. Keep the 12th man quiet.
Qwest Field has developed
into one of the NFL’s best home-field 1. Don’t fall behind. The
49ers are not equipped
advantages. It’s up to the Rams to to overcome big deficits, espe-
prevent the Seahawks from getting cially against a Cardinals offense
off to a quick start. Avoiding poor that can score from anywhere on
field position and avoiding third- the field. The 49ers must keep the
and-longs is the best way to keep the score close in the first half and
Seattle crowd out of the game and then try to take advantage of a
avoid false-start penalties. worn-down Arizona defense in
the second half.
2. Establish Steven Jackson
early. The Rams spent a lot
of money and/or draft picks over 2. Disrupt QB Kurt Warner.
Warner, 38, lacks mobil-
the past couple of years to build up ity but gets rid of the ball quickly
the offensive line. Now, let’s see if and is awfully good at getting into
it’s worth it. Plans to make Jackson a rhythm. Outside linebackers
the focal point of the offense should Parys Haralson and Manny Law-
take center stage Sunday, whether son must keep Warner off-bal-
ELAINE THOMPSON / AP
it’s on the ground and in the air. A ance, a daunting task considering
the first-team defense had only The 49ers hope feeding Frank Gore, right, often will keep Arizona’s offense off the field.
healthy, productive Jackson can
level the playing field for St. Louis. one sack in preseason. 195 yards in two games last year edge. The danger with a safety blitz
against the Cardinals. The biggest is it could leave 49ers tight end Ver-
3. Rattle QB Matt Hasselbeck.
Few quarterbacks in the
league are better than Hasselbeck
MARCUS R. DONNER / AP
Qwest Field is a tough place for opponents because fans are unafraid to pump up the volume.
3. Chew up the clock. Another
way to beat Warner and
his talented receiving crew is to
problems in stopping Gore have
been an inability to plug the cor-
non Davis open and give Gore
room to run after catching a short
keep them off the field. That rect gaps and poor tackling. Inside pass.
once he’s in a rhythm. Hasselbeck
Seattle averaged 3.1 yards per carry big reason was because the coaches linebackers Karlos Dansby and
had an impressive preseason, roll-
ing up a passer rating of 111.7 and
completing 71.7 percent of his
in preseason, third-worst in the
league. The Seahawks added Edg-
believe Jordan Babineaux is ready
to make more plays on the ball.
means running backs Frank
Gore and Glen Coffee will get a lot
of touches. Right guard Chilo
Gerald Hayes must play smart and
stay in their gaps. Safeties Adrian
3. Block LB Patrick Willis.
That’s not an easy task;
Willis is as good as any inside
errin James, and St. Louis’ defen-
passes. Whether it’s by blitzing or
through a four-man rush, the Rams
sive line is especially shallow after
a season-ending shoulder injury to
3. Re-establish home-field
advantage. The Seahawks
lost six home games last season
Rachal is particularly adept at
pulling and hitting moving tar-
gets. Look for the 49ers to run
Wilson and Antrel Rolle, who
often play close to the line of scrim-
mage, can’t miss tackles.
linebacker in the league. But if
the Cardinals are to have success
must not let him get comfortable. running, guards Deuce Lutui
defensive tackle Adam Carriker.

Seahawks’ keys to success 2. Play the ball in the secondary.

The Seahawks allowed the
after losing just seven home games
in the previous seven seasons com-
bined. Qwest Field gives the Sea-
behind Rachal to win the time-of-
possession battle. 2. Pressure QB Shaun Hill. Hill
threw two interceptions
in his only start against Arizona
and Reggie Wells must reach the
second level and take out Willis.
Occasionally, that job will fall to

1. Get the running game up to

speed. Seattle shifted to a
most passing yards in the league
last season, and starting safeties
hawks a deafening, false-start
inducing environment that should
Cardinals’ keys to success last year, and the Cardinals must
pressure him. Defensive end Dar-
fullback Dan Kreider, but the
Cardinals’ best formation is the
zone-blocking system, which has
quite a reputation but so far mini-
mal results for the Seahawks.
Brian Russell and Deon Grant
intercepted a combined two passes.
Russell was released in camp, and a
help jump-start a pass rush that
lagged last year.
— Danny O’Neil & Jim Thomas
1. Control Frank Gore. Gore
has had big games against
Arizona in recent years. He had
nell Dockett will move around to
create favorable matchups, and the
coaches will blitz Wilson off the
one-back, with three or four
receivers.
— Kent Somers & Matt Barrows
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Detroit at New Orleans
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: Fox/DirecTV 711
Weather: Dome
Line: Saints favored by 13
Last meeting: Saints, 42-7 (2008)
Lions’ keys to success
1. Avoid turnovers. Lions
rookie quarterback Mat-
thew Stafford threw an intercep-
tion in all four preseason games
and lost a fumble in the final game.
Stafford will make some eye-pop-
ping throws downfield, but his
confidence may also get him into
trouble until he learns which
throws he can squeeze into tight
spots and which ones he can’t.
2. Pressure Drew Brees. The
Lions have real issues in
rushing the passer and covering
receivers downfield—two of the
reasons they went 0-16 last year.
This season, new defensive coordi-
nator Gunther Cunningham is
going to dial up an assortment of
blitzes and bring pressure from all
over to try to force some turnovers.
There’s a lot of risk involved, but
the Lions have no choice. Without
the pressure, opposing quarter-
backs will shred their secondary.
RELEASEPRODUCTSANDEXCLUSIVEOFFERSFROMOURPARTNERS
3. Establish a power running
game. This is a key for the
Lions not only so they can move the
chains and keep Brees off the field
but because they need a blast of con-
fidence. The Lions have changed
their running style to a more down-
hill approach (as opposed to their old
zone schemes), and they’ve had some
success in preseason getting move-
ment at the line of scrimmage. If the
line can establish some muscle in the
ground game, it will take pressure
off Stafford and give the team much-
Matthew Stafford cannot keep up his preseason INT pace, or the Lions will have no chance.
needed swagger.
Saints’ keys to success
1. Post a number the Lions can’t
match. Brees looked as sharp
as ever in the preseason, and he has
an embarrassment of healthy riches
at his disposal. It’s hard to imagine
the Saints being held under 30
points against a rebuilding Lions
defense. The Saints need to play
smart, avoiding turnovers and pen-
alties, and it would be nice if they
could establish a clock-controlling
ground game. But the best way to
put pressure on Detroit and Stafford
is to run up the score.
2. Rattle Stafford. One of the
Saints’ biggest defensive
deficiencies has been a failure to
pressure the quarterback—even
young, inexperienced quarterbacks.
New coordinator Gregg Williams
promises to change that aspect of
the game. He likes to attack with
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still trying to find his footing.
3. Get solid play from Bushrod.
With Pro Bowl left tackle
Jammal Brown recovering from
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guard. The coaches have liked the
progress made by Bushrod, who has
a decent amount of athleticism for
his size (6-5, 315). Surely, the Saints
will provide some help with tight
ends or backs. But Brees is his own
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— Mike Triplett & Tom Kowalski sportingnews.com/fannetwork
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Buffalo at New England
When: Monday, 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN/DirecTV 206
Weather: 62, clear
Line: Patriots favored by 11
Last meeting: Patriots, 13-0 (2008)
Bills’ keys to success
1. Speed up the no-huddle. Bills
coach Dick Jauron fired
offensive coordinator Turk Schon-
ert because his no-huddle attack
wasn’t simple enough. The new
play-caller, Alex Van Pelt, has
streamlined the offense in an effort
to make it run more efficiently and
quickly. A faster tempo could create
matchup advantages, put the Patri-
ots’ defense on its heels and wear
down the front seven.
2. Pressure QB Tom Brady. The
Bills’ pass rush was ane-
mic last year because of end Aaron
Schobel’s season-ending foot
injury. Schobel is healthy and now
joined by first-round pick Aaron
Maybin, giving the team two dis-
ruptive edge rushers. The Bills
hope their four-man front can gen-
erate more pressure so they can
deploy more defenders in coverage.
But no matter how many players
are in coverage, the Bills must rush
Brady’s decisions or he’ll pick them
apart.
3. Throw downfield. Bills QB
Trent Edwards has been
criticized for not stretching the
field. If the Bills’ revamped offen-
sive line gives him time to throw,
he will have opportunities to go
deep to wide receivers Terrell
Owens and Lee Evans. The Patri-
ots’ secondary is riddled with inju-
ries and inexperienced players, so
big-play opportunities might be
available.
Tom Brady looked sharp in the preseason, which might not be good news for Buffalo.
Patriots’ keys to success
1. Help Brady find a rhythm early.
Tom Brady, who hasn’t
played in a regular season game in a
year, flashed his decision-making
ability and execution in preseason,
finding Randy Moss and Wes Welker
for big gains. It just hasn’t always
come under center, which might be
because he’s still growing acclimated
to wearing a knee brace. The coaches
must help Brady find success early,
creating easy and safe throws out of
the shotgun to let him relax and han-
dle blitzes from all sides.
2. Stop the run without end Rich-
ard Seymour. The Patriots
might have helped themselves in the
long term by trading Seymour, the
five-time Pro Bowl end, but it could
be tough in the short term. Bills run-
ning back Marshawn Lynch is
NFL
ROB CARR / AP
suspended for this game, but backup
Fred Jackson gained 136 yards rush-
ing against New England in Week 17
last season. If the Patriots can’t find
someone to fill in immediately for
Seymour in the 3-4 scheme, then
they must shift to a 4-3 alignment
that will rely heavily on young defen-
sive tackles like Ron Brace and
Myron Pryor.
3. Lock down the Bills’ receivers. If
Terrell Owens’ toe injury is
healed, that’s bad news for corner-
backs Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs
and the rest. Springs vs. Owens could
be fun to watch. But along with Bod-
den, inexperienced corners like Dar-
ius Butler and Jonathan Wilhite
might have their hands full with
complementary receivers Evans,
Roscoe Parrish and Josh Reed. A
healthy pass rush will help.
— Ian Rapoport & Allen Wilson
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 17
San Diego at Oakland
When: Monday, 10:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, DirecTV 206
Weather: 65, partly cloudy, windy (12
mph)
Line: Chargers favored by 9 1/2
Last meeting: Chargers, 34-7 (2008)
Chargers’ keys to success
1. Make Raiders QB JaMarcus
Russell win it. Against the
Raiders, it’s as simple as stopping
the run. Oakland is capable of
pounding the ball and controlling
the clock with Justin Fargas, Dar-
ren McFadden and Michael Bush,
but it’s not going to beat many
opponents with its passing game.
The Chargers will aim to confuse
Russell, which they’ve succeeded
at before and likely will again. So
containing the run is the key.
2. Keep Philip Rivers upright.
Rivers was sacked just 25
times in 503 dropbacks last year,
MATT YORK / AP
Philip Rivers, left, will have to make the Raiders pay if they key on LaDainian Tomlinson.
but four of those times came in a
close game at Oakland. Rivers was
under duress all day. The Raiders’
Raiders’ keys to success turnovers and hurried passes.
Therefore, Oakland must use a lot
aggressive, physical defensive front
is the Chargers’ worry. The Char-
gers liberally will use play-action
1. Stop LaDainian Tomlinson.
First and foremost, that
entails committing eight players in
of two-tight end sets and a fullback
as a means of helping OTs Mario
Henderson and Cornell Green.
fakes and screen passes, as well as the box against Tomlinson. Noth-
a dash of misdirection, to slow the
Raiders’ rush.
ing has worked well in the past for
Oakland with whatever approach
3. Limit TE Antonio Gates. To
exploit the Raiders’
deployment of Branch and the
it has used. Tomlinson has more
3. Find the old LT. Nice oppo-
nent and nice stadium
yards and touchdowns against the
linebackers against the run, Riv-
ers likely will counter by throw-
for LaDainian Tomlinson to
begin his season of defiance. Six
Raiders than any other team in the
league. So, the Raiders know
what’s coming and have to respond
ing often to Gates whenever he
has a favorable matchup. Michael
of the eight times he has played at Huff had fair success covering
by committing all three lineback-
Oakland, Tomlinson has rushed Gates in recent seasons but no
ers and strong safety Tyvon Branch
for more than 100 yards. Only
once in 16 career games against
to keying on Tomlinson.
longer is a starter. So, the Raiders
likely will use cornerback
the Raiders has he not scored a
touchdown. Tomlinson played in
preseason and appears as healthy
2. Protect Russell at all costs.
The Chargers love to pres-
sure JaMarcus Russell with line-
Nnamdi Asomugha on Gates on
occasion, especially
downs, and force Rivers to throw
crucial
and fit as he has since his record- backers Shawne Merriman and elsewhere.
breaking ’06 season. Shaun Phillips to create sacks, — Steve Corkran & Kevin Acee
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 18
GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 18 Notre Dame at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC
WHAT WE LEARNED Sporting News Today’s Matt Hayes analyzes
what Thursday’s buzz means to college football

Clausen, Forcier will decide Please don’t go

So Nick Saban’s new contract is complete. To this
I say, big deal.

Irish-Michigan matchup Because if this Alabama team is as successful as it

BY DAVE CURTIS
dcurtis@sportingnews.com
The last time quarterback Jimmy Clausen played a
game in Ann Arbor, Mich., he needed until the follow-
ing Thursday to recover. His Irish looked overmatched
at Michigan, and the Wolverines’ eight sacks helped
lead to a 38-0 victory.
“That might have been, physically, the toughest game
I ever played,” Clausen said in a press conference this
week.
The embarrassing losses would continue for Notre
Dame, but no performance ranked below that awful
afternoon in Ann Arbor. Clausen, then a true fresh-
man, led an offense that gained 79 yards on the day and
crossed midfield twice in the first three quarters.
If his first trip to Michigan represents the nadir of
Notre Dame’s recent history, Clausen’s second trip
could signal the program’s renaissance. The Fighting
Irish, up to No. 18 in the polls, face their first major
challenge Saturday at the Big House.
And Clausen, now a junior and ND’s quarterback in
every game since the 38-0 loss, doesn’t expect another
beating from the Wolverines. His confidence in his
teammates has grown, he says, and this week he called
himself more prepared, stronger and healthier than
ever heading into this weekend.
“You’re welcome for being physically better,” line-
man Eric Olsen told Clausen as they met the media this
week.
Michigan’s offense, meanwhile, remains in flux,
especially behind center. And to bring all this full cir-
cle, the Wolverines will trot out a true freshman starter
Saturday in his first outing against a traditional
power.
Tate Forcier flourished in the opener against West-
ern Michigan last weekend, throwing for three touch-
downs in UM’s romp. His arm, legs and smarts seem to
make him a fit for coach Rich Rodriguez’s offense
despite just one spring and one training camp to pre-
pare. Even Saturday’s shaky plays made Rodriguez feel
better about the situation.
MICHAEL CONROY / AP
Jimmy Clausen’s first game in Ann Arbor was a 38-0 loss in 2007.
“The pleasing part is when he did make a mistake, he
knew right away what it was,” Rodriguez said at a news
conference. “So you know when that’s happening, his
mind is into the game, and he’s thinking the right
things.”
Rodriguez, meanwhile, is thinking at least two and
maybe three quarterbacks are better than one. Fellow
true freshman Denard Robinson debuted as Forcier’s
backup and looked dominant as a runner, sprinting 43
yards down the right side for a touchdown on his first
snap. Rodriguez also played Nick Sheridan, and said
he might play all three again against the Irish.
But Forcier looks to be the QB of the future for Michi-
gan, just as Clausen was for Notre Dame two years ago.
The guys know each other—both were pupils of South-
ern California QB guru Steve Clarkson.
Saturday, their careers intersect again.
looked in a season-opening mauling of Virginia
Tech, that new deal could be torn up before next
season even begins. Yes, this is the game of escalat-
ing salaries in the SEC.
Win a national championship, increase your sal-
ary. At Alabama, it’s sniff a championship, back up
the Brinks truck.
What if, you ask, the Tide wins the national cham-
pionship this fall? Alabama would simply add a few
more years and a few more millions to Nick Saban’s
current deal that runs through 2018 (and pays $4.7
million a year over the life of the contract) to make
everyone fat and happy in Tuscaloosa.
Don’t believe it? Look closer at Saban’s contract
and understand the No. 1 goal of the university is to
prevent Saban from leaving. Sprinkled throughout
the deal that runs through 2018 are “incentives” to
stay and continue what he has built in such a short
time.
That incentive is a cool $5 million for doing noth-
ing but staying put. Saban’s days as a vagabond
coach are over.
Jerry World
The electric atmosphere at the Oklahoma State-
Georgia game almost wasn’t. Seems as though Dal-
las Cowboys owner Jerry Jones tried to get Oklahoma
State to move its home game against Georgia to his
new palace in Arlington—and OSU athletic director
Mike Holden had a tough time saying no to what
would’ve been an extra $6 million in the school’s
coffers.
Why is this significant? Because if Jones is throw-
ing Jerry Money at college football this offseason (he
eventually got Oklahoma-BYU and Arkansas-Texas
A&M), he most certainly will be trying to buy some-
thing much bigger in the near future: A spot for his
stadium in the BCS bowl rotation.
The more the economy withers, the more the BCS
will need new revenue streams. And no stadium
will generate revenue like Cowboys Stadium. Con-
sidering ESPN’s hold on television rights to the
sport, and the network’s love of all things NFL, and
that Jones is the unofficial czar of NFL broadcast
DAVE MARTIN / AP
Nick Saban reportedly will get $5 million for staying put.
deals, you see where this is going, right?
The double-hosting model won’t last much
longer.
It’s never over
Don’t overlook the fact that Tennessee got her-
alded quarterback recruit Tyler Bray to take back a
commitment to San Diego State and commit to the
Vols.
Two things stand out:
1. The Vols desperately needed a big-name quar-
terback—Bray is a member of the Elite 11 group of
quarterbacks—for 2010 because the depth chart is
thin next season and the position is limited.
2. Getting Bray also shows that the Tennessee
staff continues to go after committed players no
matter what. It started with a handful of key recruits
last year—TB Bryce Brown, DB Janzen Jackson,
WRs NuKeese Richardson and Marsalis Teague—
and will only get more prominent later this fall.
Don’t think the Vols aren’t still recruiting QB
Jesse Scroggins, a USC commitment and one of the
nation’s top quarterbacks. The emergence of fresh-
man Matt Barkley at USC helps Tennessee—and
any other school still recruiting Scroggins.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
FIVE UNDER PRESSURE
FEELING THE HEAT
Sporting News Today’s Matt Hayes looks at Week 2’s most pressure-packed situations:
1. Oregon coach Chip Kelly
Let’s look at Kelly’s first game as
Ducks coach, shall we?
One of his best players does more
with his fists than his feet, and Kelly’s
boss, athletic director Mike Bellotti—
who just happens to be the team’s for-
mer legendary coach—strolled the
sidelines during the game to, presum-
ably, get a better view of his former
product that never looked worse.
Thankfully, LeGarrette Blount
went Mike Tyson on anything and
everything standing between him
and the end of his career moments
after a humiliating loss to Boise State.
You remember that, don’t you?
That was SN’s preseason No. 7
Oregon, with a couple of Heisman
Trophy candidates and enough talent
to finally overtake USC in the Pac-10,
imploding in Kelly’s debut—a fact
that has been widely overlooked
because of Blount’s behavior.
This game against Purdue will be
the biggest game Kelly ever coaches.
Because it’s here where Kelly can lose
a team—lose a program—with
another confounding loss. It’s here
where he will be defined as a coach
and a leader. It’s the home opener, it’s
a middling Big Ten team, it’s a chance
to prove that last week’s program-
wide humiliation was an aberration.
Or a trend.
2. Georgia quarterback Joe Cox
I’m willing to give Joey C. (no rela-
tion to Joey T.) another game after last
week’s H1N1 (or whatever they’re
calling it these days)-induced perfor-
mance against Oklahoma State.
Frankly, I’m pretty sure UGA
coach Mark Richt, who has won a
few games in Athens, knows what
he’s doing. Maybe a fully-rested, com-
pletely healthy Cox plays big against
South Carolina’s athletic defense.
But if Cox struggles again this
week at home, it’s time to break out
freshman Aaron Murray. Richt did
the same thing in 2006 when career
backup/good guy (ring a bell?) Joe
Tereshinski struggled early in his
I’ve-waited-four-years-to-finally-
start season, and the Bulldogs went
to Matthew Stafford.
I’m not saying Murray—a heralded
recruit—is at the same level as Stafford
(he’s clearly not), but he has the physi-
cal tools to stretch the offense beyond
short to intermediate throws. If you
can’t throw it deep, you take away your
best threat on offense (WR A.J. Green)
and allow defenses to sit on pass
routes—and, just as important, allow
defenses to play closer to the line of
scrimmage and limit play calls.
3. USC QB Matt Barkley
and coach Pete Carroll
Are there two guys more made for
each other? Barkley, USC’s plucky
freshman, was asked about his sea-
son opener against San Jose State,
and said “I was born to do this.” He’s
asked about the big crowd and hostile
road environment at Ohio State and
says, “Bring it on.”
Either he’s channeling his inner
Pete, or this thing is getting a little
freaky. The coach and the quarter-
back: one ego and the same.
Know this: They’ll thrive together—
College Football FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 19
or they’ll dive together.
USC has been so successful under
Carroll in nonconference games, you
almost expect Barkley to play well.
But this is a freshman who hasn’t
played on the road yet, who hasn’t
experienced adversity, who hasn’t
seen rotating coverages and zone
blitzes from a fast, athletic defense.
4. The Big Ten
I don’t get the Big Ten. I mean, it
has terrific coaches and many of its
teams are consistently among the
top 25 in recruiting rankings every
February.
Yet we get unthinkable results like
Week 1. Don’t let that 10-1 record fool
you; it was beyond bad and better not
be an indicator of things to come.
As ugly as it looked in coulda/
shoulda losses that ended up victo-
ries for Iowa (Northern Iowa), Ohio
State (Navy), Wisconsin (Northern
Illinois), Indiana (Eastern Kentucky)
and Minnesota (Syracuse), and the
horrific loss by Illinois, look what
Week 2 brings for those teams: SUE OGROCKI / AP
Iowa at Iowa State: Hawkeyes Joe Cox, left, could be under the gun to produce this week or be replaced, according to SN Today’s Matt Hayes.
are 4-6 vs. Cyclones under Kirk
Ferentz. against EKU. role model for college kids. But I the type of games Groh’s teams
Ohio State vs. USC: Buckeyes Minnesota vs. Air Force: Fal- also fully realize he’s in trouble. have won in the past, including
are 0-5 in their last five games cons are—minimum—three touch- The sign of a program in turmoil: upsets of West Virginia (2002),
against the top 5. downs better than Syracuse. it loses and wins games it shouldn’t. Virginia Tech (2003), Florida State
Wisconsin vs. Fresno State: Illinois vs. Illinois State: Don’t The loss last week to William & (2005) and Georgia Tech (2008).
Badgers lost to Fresno State in Madi- think the Illini couldn’t produce Mary was Zooktastic in its own Lose Saturday, and the Cavs may
son in 2001, and two wins over FSU another Zooktastic failure. right. Now here comes TCU, which not win again until October—and
since were by a combined five points. despite what we’ve seen from Boise by that time, Richmond coach and
Indiana vs. Western Michigan: 5. Virginia coach Al Groh State and BYU, could be the best former UVa defensive coordinator
As bad as MAC favorite Western Quick disclosure: I like Al Groh, non-BCS team. Mike London, will be the clear
Michigan played last week vs. knowing full well I’m in the minor- This game is a beatdown if there favorite for the job.
Michigan, Indiana played worse ity. A good man, tough guy, terrific ever was one, right? These are also mhayes@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 20
TOP 25
No. 15 Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27 Q&A with ... Georgia Tech RB Anthony Allen

Games in ACC becoming must-watch TV
ATLANTA—There are only a handful of teams in the
country competing for the national championship, and
none of those teams call the ACC home.
Big deal.
The teams at the top of the ACC play a brand of foot-
ball that, if nothing else, is more entertaining than
watching Urban Meyer and Pete Carroll joust over five-
star quarterback prospects. On the
heels of Monday night’s thriller
between Miami and Florida State—
and, really, how great was it to watch
those two schools play an actually rel-
evant game again?—Georgia Tech and
Clemson treated a national TV audi-
ence to another down-to-the-wire
Ryan Fagan thriller, a 30-27 win for the Yellow
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Jackets.
“I’m sure it was a phenomenal game
if you’re sitting at home with some popcorn and a coke,
watching it,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. You’ll
have to forgive him for his dourness; he had just watched
his squad erase a 24-0 deficit only to lose on a last-min-
ute field goal.
Thursday night’s showdown featured four touch-
downs of more than 60 yards and a 53-yard field goal
that had almost enough leg left over to reach the Atlanta
‘You’ve got to trade punches with them’
Junior back Anthony Allen got the
fireworks started Thursday night, tak-
ing an option pitch 82 yards for a touch-
down on Georgia Tech’s first play from
scrimmage. He finished with 127 yards
on just five carries, and also hauled in
a 24-yard pass from quarterback Josh
Nesbitt. After the Yellow Jackets’ 30-27
win against Clemson, Allen spoke with
reporters, including Sporting News
Today’s Ryan Fagan.
Q: Talk about that long
run to start the game.
JOHN BAZEMORE / AP
Georgia Tech WR Demaryius Thomas made one of several plays that A: Oh, man. It was wide
open. As soon as I caught
the pitch, Bay-Bay (Demaryius
made Thursday’s ACC showdown that much more exciting to watch.
Thomas) made a good block on
reason, it’s probably best to avoid using the word “fake” the corner out there, and it was JOHN BAZEMORE / AP
around the Tigers for the next couple of weeks. off. I almost gave up at the Anthony Allen’s 82-yard touchdown run got the Yellow Jackets off and running.
Because that wasn’t the only fake field goal that went 10-yard line because my legs
horribly wrong for Clemson. They tried their own fake, were tired, but I put it in the end every time. doing whatever they wanted?
just a few minutes before Blair’s bloated bomb. The
Tigers lined up for a 57-yard field goal, but kicker Rich-
ard Jackson pooched a punt toward the 10-yard line on
zone.

Q: Why did that play

work?
Q: You got the big run to
start the game, but
then you only got the ball four
A: You know, when it gets
down to it, you’ve got to
trade punches with them. They
suburbs. And that’s not even mentioning the most
quote-inducing fake field goal yet this year—Georgia
the far side. Unfortunately for Clemson, Jerrard Tar-
rant fielded the ball, then somehow slipped past three A: It was just like the first
game last week. It was the
more times. Were they doing
anything in particular?
throw a punch, you’ve got to
counter. You’ve got to go out
Tech kicker Scott Blair caught the direct snap on what
would have been a 53-yard attempt and lofted (and I do
mean lofted) a pass to Demaryius Thomas that the 6-3
purple-clad defenders and raced 85 yards for the score.
Now, friends, that’s entertainment.
OK, the thrill-a-minute fan-friendly extravaganza
option run perfectly. Everybody
made their blocks and made a
play, and Josh made the right
A: Well, you know, when
you run the triple option
it’s a matter of reading your keys
there, dig deep and play.

Q: Some people made this

out to be somewhat of a
wideout hauled in and carried into the end zone for a provided by Tech, Clemson, Miami and FSU isn’t nec- read. and everything like that, and showdown between running
34-yard touchdown.
“He threw a duck out there for the TD pass,” Tech
coach Paul Johnson said.
essarily spread through the entire conference. N.C.
State and Virginia, in particular, need to step their
games up to watchable before they even get into the
Q: You guys scored on all
those big plays early;
did you feel like you weren’t
they were playing the pitch. They
weren’t playing the quarterback,
and they were playing Jon
backs Jonathan Dwyer and
C.J. Spiller. Do you think you
were able to show a little bit
“I don’t think the goal was to throw a spiral at that upper stratosphere, and Duke is still Duke. But North able to get into a rhythm (Dwyer) pretty hard. It’s what- of depth at the running back
point,” Blair said. “I just had to get the ball to Bay-Bay Carolina and Boston College took care of business in offensively until the second ever Josh reads when he’s out position, show how the option
(Thomas).” their opener, and Virginia Tech stuck around with Ala- half? there. is able to spread things out?
“It took forever to come down, it took forever,”
Thomas said as he shook his head for effect. “I was ner-
vous there waiting for it.”
bama. Heck, Maryland and Wake Forest have good tal-
ent, even though their season debuts were a bit
disappointing.
A: I think it wasn’t that we
didn’t get into a rhythm, it
was more that we got lackadaisi-
Q: You were up 24-0, then
got down 27-24 and
then made the comeback.
A: Most definitely. They’re
both the headline players
for both schools, but everybody
Maybe that defensive slip-up by Clemson was caused Where does that leave the race for the ACC title? cal out there. You could tell How different was the feeling knows our depth that we have on
by the spastic strobe-light effect of the video board at Wide open. Very, very wide open. And with a BCS everybody was too excited, in the fourth quarter than in our team, with our A-back and
Bobby Dodd Stadium that urged the not-quite-a-sellout bid on the line, that is a big deal. maybe a little too laid back and the third quarter, when B-back, and I think that showed
crowd to get “louder, louder, louder.” Whatever the rfagan@sportingnews.com thought we were going to do that Clemson was pretty much tonight.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
No. 15 Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27
Blair has night of firsts for Tech
ATLANTA—Scott Blair had never
thrown a touchdown pass. Scratch
that one off the list.
He’d never kicked a game-winner
for Georgia Tech. Took care of that
one, too.
Blair threw a touchdown pass off
a fake field goal, then booted a
36-yard kick with 57 seconds
remaining as the 15th-ranked Yel-
low Jackets rallied to beat Clemson
30-27 after squandering a 24-point
lead Thursday night.
“I was just trying to treat it like a
normal kick, not psych myself out,”
Blair said. “I wasn’t paying atten-
tion to the score at all. I didn’t want
to think at the time that it was a
game-winner. It was just another
kick.”
Hardly. Georgia Tech (2-0, 1-0
Atlantic Coast Conference) pulled
itself back from the brink of a poten-
tially devastating loss that looked
like an easy victory early on. The
Yellow Jackets raced to a 24-0 lead
4½ minutes into the second
quarter.
But Clemson (1-1, 0-1) scored 27
straight points, taking its first lead
of the night on Richard Jackson’s
53-yard field goal with 11:33 to go.
“I’m proud of the way we played
against a top 15 team on the road,”
C.J. Spiller said. “We kept thinking
we would come back and get back in
the game. You have to believe. You
have to have faith.”
Georgia Tech, which did nothing
offensively through most of the sec-
ond and third quarters, finally
regrouped for a 69-yard drive that
set up Blair’s tying kick, a 34-yarder
with 5:40 left. Then, after a holding
TOP 25
JOHN BAZEMORE / AP
Scott Blair made the game-winning FG after
throwing his first career touchdown.
penalty on Clemson’s Thomas Aus-
tin wiped out Kyle Parker’s 38-yard
completion to Jacoby Ford, the Yel-
low Jackets got a chance to win it.
Josh Nesbitt hooked up with
Demaryius Thomas for a 39-yard
pass, making up for a miserable
passing performance in which the
Georgia Tech quarterback com-
pleted only 3 of 14 for 83 yards with
two interceptions. After Thomas’
catch, the Yellow Jackets moved into
position for Blair’s winning kick.
Blair also threw a wobbly 34-yard
touchdown pass during Georgia
Tech’s early barrage. The Tigers
didn’t spot Demaryius Thomas lin-
gering near the sideline on an appar-
ent field goal attempt, and Blair
connected on a pass that wasn’t
pretty but did the job.
“I actually don’t remember catch-
ing the ball or throwing the ball too
much,” Blair said with a big smile. “I
guess it was dreamlike.”
College Football
Clemson overcame the nightmar-
ish start. Parker, a redshirt fresh-
man making only his second college
start, threw for 261 yards and three
touchdowns, hooking up with
Spiller on a 63-yarder and Ford on a
77-yarder, sandwiched around a
9-yard scoring pass to Dwayne
Allen.
Spiller rushed for 87 yards and
caught four passes for 69 more. Ford
had five catches for 109 yards.
“We’ll learn from this,” coach
Dabo Swinney said. “This loss won’t
beat us twice.”
— The Associated Press
Clemson 0 7 14 6 — 27
Georgia Tech 21 3 0 6 — 30
First Quarter
GaT: Allen 82 run (Blair kick), 9:27.
GaT: Tarrant 85 punt return (Blair kick), 6:55.
GaT: D.Thomas 34 pass from Blair (Blair kick), 2:38.
Second Quarter
GaT: FG Blair 24, 10:29.
Clem: Spiller 63 pass from Parker (Jackson kick), 10:13.
Third Quarter
Clem: Allen 9 pass from Parker (Jackson kick), 9:49.
Clem: J.Ford 77 pass from Parker (Jackson kick), 4:57.
Fourth Quarter
Clem: FG Jackson 21, 14:17.
Clem: FG Jackson 53, 11:33.
GaT: FG Blair 34, 5:40.
GaT: FG Blair 36, :57.
A: 52,029.
Clem GaT
First downs ...............................................13....................................15
Rushes-yards ....................................36-125............................49-301
Passing ....................................................261................................. 117
Comp-Att-Int ...................................15-32-2............................ 4-15-2
Return Yards..............................................35....................................87
Punts-Avg. .........................................6-30.7.............................6-36.7
Fumbles-Lost ...........................................2-0..................................0-0
Penalties-Yards ..................................... 6-50................................6-50
Time of Possession...............................28:31.............................. 31:29
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Clemson, Spiller 20-87, Ellington 3-21, Harper 4-12,
Parker 7-4, J.Ford 2-1. Georgia Tech, Allen 5-127, Nesbitt 18-91,
Dwyer 18-66, Jones 5-11, Peeples 2-8, Team 1-(minus 2).
PASSING: Clemson, Parker 15-31-2-261, Spiller 0-1-0-0. Georgia
Tech,
Nesbitt 3-14-2-83, Blair 1-1-0-34.
RECEIVING: Clemson, J.Ford 5-109, Spiller 4-69, Ashe 2-18, Jones
1-37, Palmer 1-16, Allen 1-9, Taylor 1-3. Georgia Tech, D.Thomas
3-93, Allen 1-24.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
ACC
Fisher on clock management:
‘We did exactly what we wanted’
Florida State has a game against
Jacksonville State on Saturday, but
many of its fans are having a tough
time getting over Monday night’s
loss to Miami.
Probably the biggest issue was
the Seminoles’ clock management
at the end of the game. TV analysts
called out the FSU coaching staff
for wasting seconds, and critics
nationwide have piled on in the
days since.
But offensive coordinator Jimbo
Fisher told the Orlando Sentinel he
doesn’t feel like he botched the
ending. He pointed out that Flor-
ida State ran five plays within 5
yards of the goal line in the final 23
seconds of the 38-34 loss.
But the Seminoles did let 20 or
more seconds roll off the clock
after completing a pass to the
Miami 4 with about 45 seconds to
play.
“I wanted to take the clock off,”
Fisher told the newspaper. “We
had to come out of the huddle at 45
seconds, and I didn’t want to leave
them any time. … I didn’t want to
waste a play by clocking (the ball)
or calling a timeout then …
“… We still had five plays … so
we did exactly what we wanted to
do. Just when we came out of the
huddle, the one time we lined up
wrong—wasted about 10 seconds
getting lined up.”
INSIDE DISH
PHIL COALE / AP
Jimbo Fisher said he didn’t want to leave
Miami any time in Monday’s game.
Maryland has plenty of rea-
sons for concern after a 52-13 loss at
California but the Terps did extend
an impressive streak in the game.
They haven’t had a punt blocked
since 1999, according to a report by
The Associated Press. The streak
of 112 games without a blocked punt
is the longest in the nation and pri-
marily is the result of six players
doing their jobs very well.
Since October 1999, Maryland
has started only three punters:
Brooks Barnard, Adam Podlesh and
junior Travis Baltz. The long snappers
College Football
over that span have been Jon Condo,
Andrew Schitt and most recently Tim
Downs, who made his debut last
weekend against California.
That last time the Terps had a
punt blocked was Nov. 13, 1999,
against Florida State.
Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis says he
and other seniors held a meeting
earlier this week and will be more
vocal in their leadership going for-
ward. He said he felt like several
teammates had trouble putting mis-
takes behind them during last
weekend’s loss to Richmond.
“Some guys need words of
encouragement,” Lewis said. “Some
guys need to hear from you. ... We
can’t just let our play speak for
itself.”
Wake Forest plays Stanford on
Saturday after opening with Baylor
last week. Like Wake, both are BCS
league private schools whose foot-
ball success has been limited and
inconsistent.
Deacons LB Matt Woodlief says he
doesn’t spend much time thinking
about the parallels.
“It’s going to be a challenge for
us,” Woodlief said. “Stanford’s new.
That’s going to be a new challenge,
a new set of different players from
out west. I like that, and I love new
challenges every week.”
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 22
PLAYER DIARY
‘We still have the chance to compete in the ACC’
BY RUSSELL WILSON
For SN Today
A lot of the weekend and the
beginning of the week was about
just getting through the adversity
that comes with the loss. The
good thing is that nobody is really
down about the season. We’re
disappointed in the loss, but we
looked at the game and see a lot of
things we can fix. Young guys,
experienced guys, everybody saw
some ways that he can improve,
for sure.
The frustrating part is that we
went into the game really thinking
we could win. Last year, at this
time, we weren’t really prepared
to play a team like South Carolina
the same way we were this year. I
feel like we’re a lot better than last
year’s team. Our defense had a
really big night, and I’m still confi-
dent our offense is going to come GERRY BROOME / AP
around. We still have the chance Russell Wilson was sacked six times by South Carolina last week.
to compete in the ACC and go to a
really great bowl game. to see who looked good. Thing chance to prepare and try to win
I know I got hurt in the South was, a lot of teams looked good. a game. Hopefully, we’ll be suc-
Carolina game last year, but it There are some great ones out cessful this weekend.
really wasn’t something I was there this season. I watched some — As told to Dave Curtis
thinking about during the game of the conference games, and a lot
last week. In fact, I don’t even of the teams we’re going to see About the author
think about it at all. My main down the road looked like very
Russell
thing is when I’m on the field, I’m good teams. Don’t count out the Wilson,
going to keep playing 100 percent ACC just yet. N.C. State
and continue to attack. I need to We’ve got Murray State this QB
maintain that attitude if I’m going weekend, and we’re excited about Wilson
to play my best and we’re going to going and getting a win. I’m not completed
12-of-23
do well on offense. really concerned about the fact passes and
We had last Friday and Satur- that they’re a team from I-AA. I didn’t turn
day off, so I got to kind of sit back, just like playing games. Doesn’t over the ball in the Wolfpack’s
visit with my family a little bit, matter if it’s Murray State, an home loss to South Carolina in
and watch some college football ACC team, an SEC team, what- Week 1. He and his team look
to rebound Saturday against
games. It’s rare that you get that ever. We just like competition, Murray State.
chance, and it was pretty exciting and this game gives us another
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Chest-bumping with stranger highlights my Walk
BY ERIC BERRY
For SN Today
Our Vol Walk to Neyland Sta-
dium before every home game is
something special. The fans come
out and show their support. They’re
giving us a lot of energy and show-
ing us what the atmosphere is like
before the game. Just to have the
support from that many people that
early before the game, that kind of
settles us down and gets us ready to
play.
The walk last week took no more
than five minutes. Unlike past years
where we walked single-file, it was
a pretty big alley for us to walk
down. We could go about four or
five guys wide. But at the same
time, we still got a good feel of the
energy from the fans. The band is
playing “Rocky Top,” and they’re
playing a few other songs too, but
sometimes I can’t even really hear
because the fans are so loud.
I stay on the ends of the rows so I
can high-five the fans and kind of
get that connection with them. Last
year, I’d walk toward the back, but
now I’m in the front because Coach
(Lane) Kiffin wants me in the front.
That’s pretty different just to see
that perspective. I’m right up there
with Coach, who was walking
down the Vol Walk very calm, cool
and collected. I know he was
excited, but if he would have got
really excited, then we would have
gotten really excited. He kept reas-
suring us that this was a business
day, and we needed to take care of
business. We couldn’t let our emo-
tions get too out of whack.
There is one guy while I’m on the
Vol Walk, we always chest-bump at
the same spot every year. It’s kind of
been our thing. I’m not sure what his
Coach Lane Kiffin, center, set the tone for his team in being calm during last week’s Vol Walk.
name is. He always has on an Eric
Berry jersey and some sunglasses,
but we chest-bump every year on
every Vol Walk in the same spot. My
freshman year against Southern
Miss, he just picked me out and he
was like, ‘E.B! E.B.!’ And he pointed
to his chest and we did a little chest
bump. And from that point, it’s been
going on and on.
This Saturday will be special
because my dad and Johnny Majors
will be introduced as Vols Legends
before Saturday’s game against
UCLA. Also, my dad and I will be
introduced as captains together. He
was a captain on the 1981 Tennes-
see team. That’s one of the reasons I
came here is to share that bond with
my dad as a UT Vol, and this will be
College Football Player Diaries FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 23
Good to win—and glad to be home
BY CIRON BLACK
For SN Today
It was a long trip out West to
play a college football game, and
thank God we got a win while we
were out there. The first thing
that comes to mind about it is that
I have a new respect for traveling
teams, like Hawaii, because that’s
really hard to do. You have to go
into a different atmosphere every
game, where everyone is wanting
to see you lose and get a ‘W’ at
your expense. You have to get
acclimated to the field, the
weather, sleep patterns. It’s not
an easy thing to do and I’m glad
it’s behind us.
We knew going into that game
people all around the country are
always hearing about the SEC
and how good our league is and
they take offense to it. The No. 1 JOHN FROSCHAUER / AP
thing on everyone’s mind in Seat- Ciron Black, second from right, and LSU sang and cheered after beating Washington.
UTSPORTS.COM tle—except for the our fans who
made the trip—was to beat us and Monday, so on Tuesday, I was came up to me early on and told
to show the country that the SEC five minutes away from my Mon- me, ‘All I have to do is find my
a very special moment on Saturday is not all that. day class instead of the one I rhythm’ and he did. Now, we just
just to see us both as captains—two We went in with a winning should have been going to—so it’s have to go out again Saturday at
different Berrys in two different mentality, you have to see your- good to be back. home and stay focused like we
eras. self beating the other team and The biggest thing is getting did against Washington.
— As told to Roger Kuznia winning the game. There’s talent back in our stadium. All week, — As told to Ken Bradley
all over the country, in every con- guys are coming up to me and
ference you play against. telling me they’re ready. Our fans About the author
About the author Now, we have Vanderbilt to are great. If we didn’t have them,
Ciron
Eric Berry, open the SEC season. These guys it just wouldn’t be LSU. Black, OT,
Tennessee are good, very good. We’ve been In my opinion, we have one of LSU
DB watching film on them and look- the toughest—if not the toughest— Black, a
Berry and the ing for tendencies and haven’t stadiums to play in in the country. senior
Volunteers on the
lost to the
found a whole lot. You have to It’s so hard to run your offense
Outland
Bruins 27-24 respect the things they do as a with the crowd noise, the fans Trophy
in overtime team. doing chants and the band watch list,
last year in We’ll be glad to be at home this playing. helped pave the way to LSU’s
Pasadena, Calif. The Vols crushed week though and get back on Last week’s game was a big one 31-23 victory last week in Seattle
Western Kentucky last Saturday, against Washington. This week,
giving coach Lane Kiffin a win in
track. For a split second, after we for us to win on the road. I think
Black and the Tigers open SEC
his debut. got back from Seattle, I got off it really helped our young quar- play at home against Vanderbilt.
track. There was no school terback, Jordan Jefferson. He
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
BIG 12
Eldridge will play despite broken finger
Oklahoma’s Brody Eldridge is get-
ting more ink these days than any-
body this side of Sam Bradford.
On Thursday it was revealed that
Eldridge has a broken bone in his
pinkie finger, though it won’t keep
him off the field Saturday against
Idaho State. The bigger question is
where he will play: at center, where
he earned recognition as the Soon-
ers’ best blocker in their season-
opening loss to BYU, or at tight end,
where he is needed to replace
injured TE Jermaine Gresham.
Sooners coach Bob Stoops seemed
to offhandedly reveal that Eldridge
could see action at both positions.
“He went through a full practice,
caught the ball, snapped the ball,”
Stoops told The Oklahoman. “Not a
big deal. You tape a couple fingers
together and keep rolling.”
Eldridge’s natural position is
tight end, but he moved to center to
get playing time rather than back
up Gresham.
“I’d kind of like to have Brody on
the edge,” offensive coordinator
Kevin Wilson told the Tulsa World, “but
there’s going to be situations where
I think he’s going to need to play
inside. So it’s a little bit of a commit-
tee deal.”
Texas starting RB Vondrell McGee
fumbled twice and dropped a pass
in a season-opening 59-20 win over
Louisiana-Monroe. But instead of
heading for the bench, McGee kept
playing and finished with a team-
INSIDE DISH
TONY GUTIERREZ / AP
The only question about Brody Eldridge, left,
is whether he’ll play center or TE.
high 70 yards and a late
touchdown.
Coach Mack Brown was forgiving
that night. He might not be Satur-
day if McGee drops the ball again
when the Longhorns play at
Wyoming.
“When you’ve had it knocked
loose twice, there’s something
wrong and you’ve got to look at it.
He’s got to do a better job,” Brown
said. “But he’s a really good (pass)
protector. He’s real fast. He can
catch the ball. He’s a guy that needs
to play.”
The fumbles were shocking
because a Texas back hadn’t lost
one in 17 straight games.
College Football
“When you start taking it for
granted, that can happen,” Brown
said.
The Des Moines Register
reported that Iowa State coach Paul
Rhoads has suspended reserve TE
Kurt Hammerschmidt indefinitely after
he was charged with driving a
vehicle while intoxicated.
Hammerschmidt, 20, was
stopped by university police in
Ames, Iowa, in the early hours of
Monday morning. The redshirt
freshman had played sparingly in
the Cyclones’ 34-17 win over North
Dakota State on Saturday.
Nebraska receivers coach Ted
Gilmore has been busy this week
explaining the role played last Sat-
urday by WR Niles Paul, who caught
only two passes for 13 yards in the
Cornhuskers’ win over Florida
Atlantic.
Paul was the undisputed star of
fall camp and everybody has been
expecting a breakout season.
“Based on what the coverage is
and what they give, if he’s open, (QB)
Zac (Lee) will go through his progres-
sion and give him the ball,” Gilmore
told the Omaha World-Herald. “If he’s
not, he’s going to work his progres-
sion and someone else is going to get
it. That’s all it was. It wasn’t that
Niles wasn’t in the game plan.”
While Paul was stifled, Menelik
Holt and Curenski Gilleylen combined
for seven receptions and 137 yards.
‘The way I’m built, I’m not going to let up’
BY NDAMUKONG SUH
For SN Today
When you look at games
against teams from the so-called
lesser conferences, it’s usually a
win-win situation. You play a
quality team and you get to work
out some things before the Big 12
season begins.
I don’t believe in the theory that
players take plays off in these
type of games. These games aren’t
easy. The only thing that could be
seen as a negative from playing a
game like this is if you start to
create bad habits. We can’t let up
in a game like this; we have to
continue to push ourselves and
play with good technique. For the
most part, games like these are a
good measuring stick, a chance to
see what needs to be corrected
and how to do things better.
It’s not hard at all for me to get
up for these games. I don’t know
if this is a good thing or a bad
thing, but the way I’m built, I’m
not going to let up. If you’re down,
I’m going to keep going and going
as hard as I can. That’s the only
way I’m going to make myself
better.
If I’m not going hard every play,
it just doesn’t feel right. That’s
how people get hurt when you’re
not going hard every play. I really
don’t think anyone on our team
has the mindset that, well, Arkan-
sas State may be from a so-called
lesser conference so I can take a
couple of plays off.
You can see it looking at the
young guys. They get out there
for the first time and they’re going
as hard as they can, trying to be
PLAYER DIARY
Ndamukong Suh, left, had 76 tackles last season, a team high.
on point and not make mistakes
and show what they are capable
of.
I don’t think any game is easy
with the way football has devel-
oped over the last few years. From
the lowest level to the highest
level, it seems to me like every
team is good and they’re getting
better. Especially the lower con-
ferences. They’re starting to upset
teams in the big conferences more
than anyone would’ve thought.
These teams have some tal-
ented guys. Arkansas State has a
running back who rushed for
more than 1,000 yards last year,
and FAU has a tight end who, I’m
telling you, will play in the NFL.
If he were on a big-name team,
he’d be getting a lot of publicity.
When you’re playing against
guys like that, and it’s you against
him, and it’s very easy to not over-
look anyone.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 24
DAVE WEAVER / AP
Our entire mindset is on
Arkansas State. They have our
full attention. I know that fans
may want to see the big games
early, but you have to have
patience. We’ve got Arkansas
State this week, and then we can
start thinking about Virginia
Tech.
— As told to Matt Hayes
About the author
Ndamukong
Suh,
Nebraska DT
Suh, who is
projected
by some
as the top
overall pick
in the 2010
NFL draft, helped the Huskers
rout Florida Atlantic in the opener.
This week, Nebraska plays host to
Arkansas State before a crucial road
trip on Sept. 19 to Virginia Tech.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
SEC
State expects big lift from Dixon’s return
Dan Mullen says Mississippi State’s
offense will have a little more
“oomph” against Auburn on Satur-
day—235 pounds of it.
Mississippi State RB Anthony Dix-
on’s suspension is over, and his
teammates are excited about the
extra dimension he’ll bring to the
offense in a key early season
matchup.
“He plays a big role in our
offense,” QB Chris Relf said. “With
Anthony and I, we’re going to have
a lot of weapons going into the game
this week.”
The Tigers know Dixon well.
Two years ago, he led the Bulldogs
to one of their biggest upsets in a
19-14 win at Auburn that featured
punishing, time-consuming runs
helping to preserve the victory.
His game-changing ability is
something Auburn defenders are
keenly aware of. Dixon’s reputation
proceeds him. He was voted sec-
ond-team preseason all-SEC and
has a long history of running both
over and around opponents.
Florida defensive coordinator
Charlie Strong said DE Jermaine Cun-
ningham should return to the field
Saturday against Troy after sitting
out the Charleston Southern game
with a minor injury, The Gainesville
Sun reported. Strong also said that
senior linebacker Dustin Doe could
return from a suspension.
Florida coach Urban Meyer added
that freshman LB Jelani Jenkins is
INSIDE DISH
KERRY SMITH / AP
Bulldogs RB Anthony Dixon reportedly missed
the team’s opener due to an alcohol violation.
doubtful with an ankle injury and
redshirt freshman LB Brendan Beal
will miss a couple of weeks with a
neck injury, the Sun reported. WR
Carl Moore, CB Jeremy Brown will be
out with injuries.
Georgia coach Mark Richt is
shaking up his starting lineup a
little.
Justin Anderson will replace Chris
Davis on the offensive line, a move
Richt said was meant to add more
size to offset South Carolina’s defen-
sive line, the Athens Banner-Herald
reported. Anderson is 330 pounds,
while Davis is 295.
Cordy Glenn moves to Davis’ spot at
left guard, and Anderson will play
right guard.
Also, Tavarres King will start ahead
of Michael Moore at split end in a two-
receiver set, the newspaper
College Football
reported. Linebacker Darius Dewberry
is doubtful, linebackers coach John
Jancek said.
Meanwhile, the anticipated sea-
son debut of RB Caleb King may be off
again after Richt declared the soph-
omore was ready earlier in the
week. King, recovering from a
pulled hamstring, is “not a slam
dunk” to play, offensive coordinator
Mike Bobo told the Banner-Herald.
LSU SS Brandon Taylor will
return to the starting lineup Satur-
day against Vanderbilt after coming
off the bench last week. Taylor, who
didn’t start because of lack of prac-
tice time because of flu-like symp-
toms, replaces Danny McCray, The
Advocate of Baton Rouge, La.,
reported.
Tennessee C Josh McNeil has a
chance to play Saturday against
UCLA. The senior continued to
practice with the team Thursday.
McNeil had surgery on his already
surgically-repaired knee last month
to repair additional damage.
WR Gerald Jones finally may see
some playing time Saturday after
missing the past two weeks with a
high-ankle sprain.
OG Vladimir Richard (Achilles’)
practiced, and coach Lane Kiffin said
he anticipated the senior to play.
Senior CB Marsalous Johnson was in
a walking boot Thursday, and it’s
not clear if he’ll be ready for
Saturday.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 25
PLAYER DIARY
‘We try not to win ugly … but we’ll take it’
BY MIKE JOHNSON
For SN Today
One of the expectations for any Coach Saban-
coached team is to come out and play mistake-free
football, and, for us, that means playing Alabama
football like we did last year, without many mis-
takes—penalties, turnovers and stuff.
And we didn’t really do that last week, at least not
like we did last year, when we would come out and
play mistake-free and most of the time put the other
team away early.
We had our chances to put the (Virginia Tech)
game away, but we didn’t do it because we made too
many mistakes. I had an offside penalty, we had
other penalties and turnovers and mistakes, so that
really wasn’t Alabama football. Those are the things
we’ll be working on.
Any time you get the kind of yardage that we did,
it’s always a good thing—for the team and for the
offensive line, I guess, too. The credit for that,
though, goes to the running backs for making them
miss tackles and for our quarterback, Greg (McEl-
roy), taking care of the ball and putting us where we
need to be.
We just had a few too many penalties, way more
than we’re used to from last year; it seems like we had
as many penalties in one game as our total from the
entire season last year. But that’s something you can
correct, get better at, and we’re working on that now.
We try not to win ugly. That’s what we did, but DAVE MARTIN / AP
we’ll take it and build on it. Considering the number of mistakes Alabama had in its opener,
Now a lot of us are sliding into our schedule, or you can bet coach Nick Saban will be trying to sharpen his team.
comfort area, where we know what we’re going to be
doing each week and what we’re going to be doing
on each day of the week. So on Monday we’re back at About the author
it, Tuesday we’re doing certain things and then it’s Mike Johnson, Alabama OG
already Wednesday and we know what to expect as A senior three-year letterman
from Pensacola, Fla., Johnson
we get ready for the next game.
has 28 career starts at Alabama.
Florida International is a good, athletic team. He’s part of an offensive line that
They’ve been picked by a lot of folks to win their helped the Crimson Tide roll up
conference, and they’ve got some good players that 268 yards on the ground against
we’ve got to be prepared for. So we’re getting ready Virginia Tech in a 34-24 season-
opening victory Saturday. He is on
for them, getting into our schedule and that’s going
the watch lists for the Lombardi Award and the Outland
to help as the season goes on. Trophy.
— As told to Bob Hille
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
BIG EAST
Orange center takes blame
for disastrous opening play
Syracuse C Jim McKenzie isn’t dodg-
ing the blame over the first play of
the season, when he snapped the
ball over the head of QB Greg Paulus.
Minnesota recovered and scored a
touchdown two plays later.
That score especially hurt, con-
sidering the Orange eventually lost
in overtime.
“That was just completely my
fault,” McKenzie told The Post-Stan-
dard of Syracuse. “It was a mistake
I made. I held the ball too long and
it just got away from me. I take full
responsibility for the mistake.”
However, contributing to the
chaos was a Syracuse offense that
was inexplicably rushing to beat
the play clock on the first play of the
season. Coach Doug Marrone told
reporters it was an internal matter.
“It was a whole big ... it’s a greater
issue than just snapping the ball
over the head,” Syracuse OG Ryan
Bartholomew told the newspaper.
“There were a lot of communication
(issues), also.”
Rutgers freshman Tom Savage
will start at quarterback on Satur-
day against Howard. Savage, one of
the most highly touted recruits to
ever sign with Rutgers, played the
entire second half in the Scarlet
Knights’ 47-15 loss to Cincinnati on
Monday night. He passed for 135
INSIDE DISH
KEVIN RIVOLI / AP
C Jim McKenzie said he held the ball too long
on the snap that went over the head of Greg
Paulus, left.
yards and a touchdown.
“Tommy’s going to be the starter,”
coach Greg Schiano told reporters. “I
don’t think you make a decision
based on just one day, but like I said,
‘Tests count more than quizzes.’
And we have 12 final exams.”
Domenic Natale, a fifth-year senior
who threw three interceptions in the
first start of his career against Cincin-
nati, will serve as the backup.
“Dom’s disappointed, but also
wants to win,” Schiano said. He
added that QB Jabu Lovelace will con-
tinue running the Wildcat
package.
Louisville DE Greg Scruggs never
doubted he’d be working on a col-
lege football field one day. He just
thought it would be as a member of
a marching band, not as a player.
Scruggs grew up playing drums
College Football
in middle school and high school
and dreamed of being a drum major
at a historically black college or uni-
versity. It wasn’t until a couple of
friends talked him into trying out
for football before his junior year of
high school that he traded in his
drum set for shoulder pads.
The sophomore defensive end has
blossomed at Louisville, climbing
his way up to the top of the depth
chart in just one season. He assisted
on two tackles in a season-opening
win over Indiana State, and defen-
sive line coach Ken Delgado told The
Associated Press that Scruggs’
development over the last six
months has been one of the team’s
bright spots.
Connecticut has made some
changes to its kicking game after
having six punts blocked last sea-
son, including three by North Caro-
lina. When the Huskies (1-0) host
the No. 19 Tar Heels (1-0) on Satur-
day, they will be using a punt pro-
tection scheme that involves putting
three players in the backfield and
spreading the offensive line out
across the field.
Coach Randy Edsall said the forma-
tion, called “The Shield,” allows the
Huskies to simplify their blocking
schemes and account for all
rushers.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 26
PLAYER DIARY
‘We try to give something back to the fans’
BY GREG ROMEUS
For SN Today
We have a bonfire on the
Thursday before the first game, a
bonfire and pep rally where all
the students come out, Coach
comes out, the team comes out in
its uniform.
We try to give something back
to the fans. We give a pass to the
sideline for anyone we pick out of
the crowd and they get to be on
the field.
I gave mine to my cousin. He’s
21 and it was the first time for him
coming to the game. It was a good
experience for him and he told me
it was really cool to be on the
field.
Normally we give the pass to
somebody in the crowd, some-
body we don’t know, just surprise
a random person. Coach (Dave)
Wannstedt said it was the biggest
crowd at the bonfire that he’s ever
seen.
We go on stage with the band
playing music and the cheerlead-
ers. They pick two people to talk
from the team. Coach Wannstedt KEITH SRAKOCIC / AP
talks. Then the chancellor hits Dave Wannstedt leads Pitt in a annual Thursday bonfire before the team’s first game.
this switch and it lets off a big
explosion and the bonfire is lit. that into a Pitt song, in the middle About the author
We don’t get to give back to the of it they yell, “Let’s go Pitt.” We
Greg
fans enough, because they help play it at the beginning of the Romeus,
us so much. That’s a thing where fourth quarter. Pitt DE
we’re right there with the fans, so The student section has gotten Romeus
it’s more social. After it was over, bigger every year since I’ve been helped hold
we stayed around and talked to here. Thing is, our stadium isn’t Youngstown
State to 46
some people, trying to get to know on campus and it’s harder for rushing yards
some of them. them to get out there. But it’s and just 159
This year we worked with the growing every year. The more we total yards in Pitt’s easy opening-
fans on some chants when we get win, the more they become week victory. Next up: Defending
a first down. They also took that interested. MAC champion Buffalo, which
beat UTEP last week.
song Sweet Caroline and turned — As told to Derek Samson
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
PAC-10
INSIDE DISH
Johnson takes his demotion in stride
Stafon Johnson led USC in rushing last season, yet the
senior waited his turn behind juniors Joe McKnight and
Allen Bradford last week in the rout of San Jose State.
McKnight, who had 145 rushing yards, will start
against No. 8 Ohio State on Saturday night.
Coach Pete Carroll downplayed the significance John-
son’s decreased role.
“When things are tough and most challenging, he’s
the guy we’re going to lean on,” Carroll told the Los
Angeles Times.
Joel Thomas, Washington’s running backs coach,
says there’s a joke in the coaching profession about
“having done your time on the Palouse” and being part
of the staff at Idaho.
The coaching group Thomas is part of might be tak-
ing it to the extreme. He is one of eight coaches or grad-
uate assistants on the staff at Washington that either
played or coached—or both—for Idaho at some point in
their careers.
All of them will get fully reacquainted with the black-
and-gold Vandals on Saturday when Idaho plays at
Washington.
“It’s a special place to live and go to school and coach,”
Thomas told The Associated Press.
Defensive coordinator Nick Holt was the head coach at
Idaho for two seasons, while safeties coach Jeff Mills and
defensive line coach Johnny Nansen both worked as assis-
tants there.
Thomas is the Vandals career leader in yards rush-
ing, attempts and rushing touchdowns. Offensive coor-
dinator Doug Nussmeier threw for more than 10,000
yards during his career there. Offensive line coach Dan
Cozetto played three different positions for the Vandals
in the late 1970s, while linebackers coach Mike Cox was a
three-year starter at linebacker and coached another
seven seasons in Moscow, Idaho.
The youngest member of the Washington coaching
staff—graduate assistant Mike Anderson—played line-
backer and defensive end for the Vandals from 2002-
2005.
College Football
CHRIS CARLSON / AP
Stafon Johnson, above, will serve as backup to two other USC backs.
Arizona State QB Danny Sullivan is learning the perks
as his new position in the Tempe spotlight. Sullivan
completed 13-of-25 passes for 165 yards in the rout of
Idaho State last week.
“I went on my Facebook (page) on Monday, and there
were a bunch of friend requests,” Sullivan told The Ari-
zona Republic. “Two girls in my class were like, ‘You
said you played football, but you didn’t say you were
the quarterback.’ It’s pretty cool. I’ll take it and run
with it.”
The Emerald Bowl has renewed its agreement
with the Pac-10 for four years but no longer will have
an ACC team in the game starting next season. The
bowl will have the sixth pick in the conference. The
other team in the game will come from either the West-
ern Athletic Conference, Army or Navy.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 27
BIG TEN
INSIDE DISH
Unhappy Illini fans make feelings known
It was bad enough having to walk off the field
after being drubbed, 37-9, by an underdog Missouri
team last Saturday. But in the days since, Illini play-
ers with computers have been deluged by irate fans
on Illini-related message boards.
Most of the fire and brimstone has been directed
at coach Ron Zook, who has been the subject of lengthy
fan dissertations about his job status.
“That’s part of college football, and if those are
things you can’t handle or bother you, you’d better
get out of the profession,” Zook told the St. Louis Post-
Dispatch. “Five years ago no one cared. It didn’t make
any difference. The expectation level is raised. I want
it. I’d better be able to take the bad with the good.” JEFF ROBERSON / AP
The Illini don’t know exactly what to expect Sat- Juice Williams said there’s no reason for Illini fans to panic
urday night when they take the field for their home despite the team’s drubbing at the hands of Missouri last week.
opener against Illinois State. It would be an under-
statement to say a victory is badly needed after one season-opening win over Syracuse, he caught nine
of the worst losses of the Zook era. of QB Adam Weber’s 19 completions—for 183 yards.
“It’s a concern,” QB Juice Williams told the newspa-
per. “I can see where (fans) are coming from, losing Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock told
by 28 points to a Missouri team that’s not ranked The Columbus Dispatch that DT Dexter Larimore has
very high. As fans, they should be a little disturbed. been limited in practice this week, though he expects
But I really don’t see any need to panic. I truly Larimore to play Saturday against USC. The injury
believe we’re still a pretty good team and will be able is unknown but related to the cut-blocking tech-
to showcase that the rest of the season.” niques the smaller Navy defenders are known for
using.
Minnesota offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch is “Whoo, I got cut, and they were still cutting me,”
making a special effort to keep star WR Eric Decker DL Cameron Heyward said. “They were crawling with
away from the constant double coverages he faced us.”
near the end of last season. In Fisch’s new pro-style
offense, he is moving Decker to a lot of different After watching Purdue RBs Ralph Bolden (234)
points of attack. and Jaycen Taylor (81) combine for 315 rushing yards
“I think the biggest thing we’ve got to do with Eric against Toledo last week, inquiring minds asked
Decker is not allow the defense to identify him from about the status of super-recruit Al-Terek McBurse, who
an alignment standpoint,” Gophers coach Tim has been bothered by nagging injuries.
Brewster said. “We’ve got to make him a moving tar- “Al-Terek is an outstanding ballcarrier. He’s
get. What we want to be able to do with Eric is, by shown that in practice,” coach Danny Hope said. “The
formation, motion and shift, create space for him.” problem now is Al-Terek hasn’t had the opportunity
Decker caught nearly one-third of Minnesota’s to practice a whole lot. … If we had the luxury to red-
completed passes last year. In last Saturday’s shirt him, that would be nice.”
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 28
INSIDE DISH Betting lines Scores and schedule All Times ET
Top 25
Thursday’s games 5 p.m. St., 4 p.m.

BYU tries not to look back

FAVORITE TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Thursday
EAST Furman at Chattanooga, 6 p.m. South Dakota at N. Iowa, 5:05
Jacksonville St. at Florida St., p.m.
No. 15 Georgia Tech
Today Wagner 41, N.Y. Maritime 10
6 p.m. New Hampshire at Ball St., 7 p.m. 30, Clemson 27
Colorado......................4 .......54 ½ .............at Toledo James Madison at Maryland, Illinois St. at Illinois, 7 p.m.
SOUTH

or ahead with Tulane on tap Saturday

North Carolina ....... 4 ½ .......45 ½ ....at Connecticut
at West Virginia ...... 6 ½ ...........44 .......East Carolina
Carson-Newman 38,
Campbellsville 10
Florida A&M 34, Winston-Salem
10
6 p.m.
Norfolk St. at N. Carolina A&T,
6 p.m.
Murray St. at N.C. State, 6 p.m.
Air Force at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Bowling Green at Missouri, 7 p.m.
Georgia Southern at S. Dakota
St., 7 p.m.
Saturday
No. 1 Florida vs. Troy,
12:21 p.m.
at Penn St..................29 ...........52 .............Syracuse Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27 Virginia Union at Old Dominion, SE Missouri at Cincinnati, 7:30 No. 2 Texas at
BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall says he doesn’t 6 p.m. p.m.
at Virginia Tech ..........19 ...........43 .............Marshall SE Louisiana 69, Union, Ky. 20 Wyoming, 3:30 p.m.
agree with the theory that the Cougars have a Tennessee Tech 51, Pikeville 10 Gardner-Webb at W. Carolina, W. Illinois at N. Illinois, 7:30 p.m. No. 3 Southern Cal at
at Michigan St......14 ½ ...........53 ...Cent. Michigan
trap game Saturday at Tulane. at Northwestern .......20 ...........52 ........ E. Michigan West Alabama 35, Arkansas 6 p.m. Southern Cal at Ohio St., 8 p.m.
No. 8 Ohio State, 8 p.m.
Tech 30 Fla. International at Alabama,
But coming off a big upset against Oklahoma Iowa ....................... 6 ½ .......45 ½ .......... at Iowa St. 7 p.m. SOUTHWEST No. 4 Alabama vs.
and with Florida State visiting Provo next Satur- at Auburn..................14 .......43 ½ .....Mississippi St.
Today’s game Hampton at Alabama A&M, Houston at Oklahoma St., Florida International,
day, will the No. 9 Cougars really be focused on at Army .......................1 .......42 ½ ...................Duke MIDWEST 7 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 7 p.m.
at Wisconsin................9 ...........53 ............Fresno St. Colorado at Toledo, 9 p.m. Mississippi St. at Auburn, 7 p.m. Langston at Ark.-Pine Bluff,
Tulane, which dropped its opener to Tulsa, 37-13, Monmouth, N.J. at Coastal 5 p.m.
No. 5 Oklahoma State
at Wake Forest ............3 ...........44 ............. Stanford
for the program’s ninth straight loss dating to last Carolina, 7 p.m. Ohio at North Texas, 7 p.m. vs. Houston, 3:30 p.m.
at Georgia....................7 .......37 ½ ... South Carolina Saturday’s games
season? at Tennessee .............10 ...........45 ...................UCLA EAST South Carolina at Georgia, 7 p.m. Idaho St. at Oklahoma, 7 p.m. No. 7 Penn State vs.
Duke at Army, Noon Northwestern St. at Grambling N. Dakota St. at Sam Houston Syracuse, Noon
“The season is so young. I mean, we have played BYU.......................17 ½ .......53 ½ .............at Tulane
St., 7 p.m. St., 7 p.m.
at Oregon ..................12 .......58 ½ ................Purdue Pittsburgh at Buffalo, Noon No. 9 BYU at Tulane,
one football game,” Mendenhall said in a report North Carolina at Connecticut, Tennessee St. vs. Jackson St. at Texas College at Stephen F.Austin,
Texas.....................33 ½ .......56 ½ ....... at Wyoming 3:30 p.m.
by The Salt Lake Tribune. “A lot of us as coaches, Noon Memphis, Tenn., 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
at Navy ................... 7 ½ ...........50 ....Louisiana Tech
Syracuse at Penn St., Noon Vanderbilt at LSU, 7 p.m. Rice at Texas Tech, 7 p.m. No. 10 California vs.
we know a lot of (Tulane’s) staff members. By Notre Dame ................3 ...........48 ........at Michigan N.C. Central at Liberty, 7 p.m. Kansas at UTEP, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Washington,
Hofstra at Bryant, 1 p.m.
knowing them, the urgency that already comes at Washington ..........21 ...........53 ..................Idaho Sacred Heart at Holy Cross, 1 p.m. Kansas St. at Louisiana-Lafayette, 5:35 p.m.
into us, I think will transmit to the team.” at UAB .......................12 .......61 ½ ....................SMU Drake at Marist, 1 p.m. 7 p.m. FAR WEST No. 11 LSU vs.
Pittsburgh ............10 ½ .......48 ½ ............at Buffalo Maine at Northeastern, 1 p.m. Texas Southern at Louisiana- Dixie St. at Montana St., 3:05
But BYU TE Dennis Pitta said that avoiding a let- DOUGLAS C. PIZAC / AP
Monroe, 7 p.m. p.m. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m.
TCU ............................11 .......40 ½ ...........at Virginia Morehead St. at St. Francis, Pa.,
down “is kind of the challenge right now that we BYU and TE Dennis Pitta hope to avoid a letdown versus Tulane. 1 p.m. Memphis at Middle Tennessee, Idaho at Washington, 3:30 p.m. No. 12 Boise State vs.
at Boston College.20 ½ .......46 ½ ...............Kent St.
are facing.” Pitta caught seven passes for 90 yards at Texas Tech.........27 ½ ...........66 .....................Rice Kent St. at Boston College, 2 p.m. 7 p.m. Texas at Wyoming, 3:30 p.m. Miami (Ohio), 8 p.m.
Richmond at Delaware, 3:30 p.m. Jacksonville at Samford, 7 p.m. San Diego at N. Colorado, 3:35 No. 13 Oklahoma vs.
in the win over Oklahoma. Army, which opened with a win over East- at Minnesota.......... 3 ½ .......48 ½ ..............Air Force UCF at Southern Miss., 7 p.m. p.m.
Louisiana Tech at Navy, 3:30 p.m. Idaho State, 7 p.m.
“… If we don’t win this week, then last week ern Michigan, expects to get a much better read Hawaii-x......................2 .......51 ½ .. Washington St.
Howard at Rutgers, 3:30 p.m. Central St., Ohio at Southern S. Oregon at Portland St., 4:05
doesn’t mean a whole lot,” Pitta said. “So we on its offensive line in Saturday’s game against at Indiana....................1 .......51 ½ .......W. Michigan East Carolina at West Virginia, U., 7 p.m. p.m. No. 14 Virginia Tech
understand that and we understand the impor- Duke. at Missouri ................20 ...........57 ...Bowling Green 3:30 p.m. Cent. Connecticut St. at William & Weber St. at Colorado St., 5 p.m. vs. Marshall, 1:30 p.m.
Kansas ..................12 ½ .......62 ½ ...............at UTEP Robert Morris at Bucknell, 6 p.m. Mary, 7 p.m. E. Washington at California, No. 16 TCU at
tance of this Saturday.” Black Knights coach Rich Ellerson says the Blue at Southern Miss.......15 ...........51 .....................UCF Stony Brook at Colgate, 6 p.m. Charleston Southern at Wofford, 5:35 p.m. Virginia, 3:30 p.m.
Devils have a couple guys, DT Vince Oghobaase and at Oklahoma St. ...15 ½ .......67 ½ ..............Houston Lafayette at Georgetown, D.C., 7 p.m. Hawaii vs. Washington St. at
No. 17 Utah at San
6 p.m. South Florida at W. Kentucky, Seattle, 7 p.m.
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun and Minnesota DE Ayanga Okpokowuruk, who soon will be playing at Boise St. ................37 .......52 ½ ......Miami (Ohio)
7:30 p.m. Sacramento St. at Cal Poly, Jose State, 10:30 p.m.
at LSU ...................14 ½ ...........45 .......... Vanderbilt Albany, N.Y. at Massachusetts,
coach Tim Brewster might talk a little about their on Sundays, according to a report by the Times 6 p.m. 7:05 p.m. No. 18 Notre Dame at
Tulsa .....................17 ½ .......57 ½ ...at New Mexico
NFL days Saturday when their teams meet in the Herald-Record of Middletown, N.Y. Lehigh at Villanova, 7 p.m. MIDWEST Miami (Ohio) at Boise St., 8 p.m. Michigan, 3:30 p.m.
Southern Cal ...............7 ...........45 ...........at Ohio St. W. Michigan at Indiana, Noon Tulsa at New Mexico, 8 p.m.
first game in Minnesota’s new campus stadium. Army junior C Zachary Peterson, junior Gs Anees Utah .....................13 ½ ...........48 .... at San Jose St. Iowa at Iowa St., Noon Prairie View at New Mexico
No. 19 North Carolina
SOUTH
Calhoun and Brewster were assistants on the Merzi and Seth Reed and sophomore T Mike McDer- Oregon St. ...................7 ...........54 ...............at UNLV Stanford at Wake Forest, Noon Cent. Michigan at Michigan St., 8 p.m. at Connecticut, Noon
Denver Broncos coaching staff in 2005. Brewster, mott played in their first college game last week. at Nebraska...............22 .......55 ½ ........Arkansas St. Troy at Florida, 12:21 p.m. St., Noon S. Utah at San Diego St., 8:30 No. 21 Georgia vs.
at Alabama ..........33 ½ .......48 ½ Fla. International Campbell at Birmingham- E. Michigan at Northwestern, p.m. South Carolina, 7 p.m.
in the first of two seasons with the Broncos, “We will need to be better this week,” Ellerson Noon N. Arizona at Arizona, 10 p.m.
South Florida .......24 ½ .......47 ½ ...at W. Kentucky Southern, 1 p.m. No. 22 Nebraska vs.
coached tight ends. Calhoun, who was in his said, “because we are playing a much different Lenoir-Rhyne at Davidson, 1 p.m. Fresno St. at Wisconsin, Noon Montana at UC Davis, 10 p.m.
at Florida ..............36 ½ .......60 ½ .....................Troy Arkansas State, 2 p.m.
third and final season with Denver, was the assis- front, much more experienced, much more Ohio.............................3 ...........52 .... at North Texas Elon at Presbyterian, 1:30 p.m. E. Illinois at Indiana St., 12:05 Purdue at Oregon, 10:15 p.m.
Marshall at Virginia Tech, 1:30 p.m. Utah at San Jose St., 10:30 p.m. No. 23 Cincinnati vs.
tant to coach Mike Shanahan. physical.” at Middle Tenn. ...... 1 ½ .......52 ½ ............Memphis Urbana at Dayton, 1 p.m. Oregon St. at UNLV, 11 p.m.
p.m. SE Missouri, 7:30 p.m.
Calhoun said he sees in Minnesota “an immense Kansas St.....................7 .......58 ½ ..at La.-Lafayette
Duquesne at Nicholls St., 2 p.m. Butler at Franklin, 1:30 p.m. No. 24 Kansas at
amount that parallels really what the Broncos The Western Athletic Conference reached a x-at Seattle McNeese St. at Appalachian St., Morgan St. at Akron, 2 p.m.
Valparaiso at Concordia, Wis.,
UTEP, 7:30 p.m.
have done in recent years,” according to a report deal with the Emerald Bowl that will send one of 3:30 p.m.
BYU at Tulane, 3:30 p.m. 2 p.m. No. 25 Missouri vs.
by The Gazette of Colorado Springs. its teams (first, second or third place) to the 2010 Off Key TCU at Virginia, 3:30 p.m. Arkansas St. at Nebraska, 2 p.m. Bowling Green, 7 p.m.
“Just got a ton of respect for him,” Calhoun said and 2013 games. If eligible, Army will play in the Wisconsin players questionable due to illness S. Carolina St. at Bethune- Notre Dame at Michigan, 3:30
Cookman, 4 p.m. p.m.
of Brewster. “Good football coach. … And a guy bowl in 2011 and Navy in 2012. Tenn.-Martin at Missouri St.,
UCLA at Tennessee, 4 p.m.
that’s done a dynamite job there and a group that The opponent each season will be the No. 6 SMU at UAB, 4 p.m. 4 p.m. Conference standings,
will get even better.” pick from the Pac-10. Alabama St. at Savannah St., Austin Peay at Youngstown schedules, Page 29
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 29
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 1 0 47 15 Indiana 0 0 0 0 1 0 19 13 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 1 0 54 0 Connecticut 0 0 0 0 1 0 23 16 Iowa 0 0 0 0 1 0 17 16 Iowa St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 34 17 UAB 1 0 44 24 1 0 44 24 Bowling Green 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 14
Maryland 0 0 0 0 0 1 13 52 Louisville 0 0 0 0 1 0 30 10 Michigan 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 7 Kansas 0 0 0 0 1 0 49 3 East Carolina 0 0 0 0 1 0 29 24 Buffalo 0 0 0 0 1 0 23 17
N.C. State 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 7 Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 1 0 38 3 Michigan St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 44 3 Kansas St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 21 17 Marshall 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 28 Kent St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 18 0
Wake Forest 0 0 0 0 0 1 21 24 South Florida 0 0 0 0 1 0 40 7 Minnesota 0 0 0 0 1 0 23 20 Missouri 0 0 0 0 1 0 37 9 Southern Miss. 0 0 0 0 1 0 52 0 Akron 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 31
Clemson 0 1 27 30 1 1 64 44 West Virginia 0 0 0 0 1 0 33 20 Northwestern 0 0 0 0 1 0 47 14 Nebraska 0 0 0 0 1 0 49 3 UCF 0 0 0 0 1 0 28 24 Miami (Ohio) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 42
Florida St. 0 1 34 38 0 1 34 38 Syracuse 0 0 0 0 0 1 20 23 Ohio St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 Colorado 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 23 Memphis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ohio 0 0 0 0 0 1 16 23
Rutgers 0 1 15 47 0 1 15 47 Penn St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 7 Temple 0 0 0 0 0 1 24 27
Coastal Purdue 0 0 0 0 1 0 52 31 South West
Conference All Games Saturday’s games Wisconsin 0 0 0 0 1 0 28 20 Conference All Games Conference All Games West
W L PF PA W L PF PA Syracuse at Penn St., Noon Illinois 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 37 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 Pittsburgh at Buffalo, Noon Baylor 0 0 0 0 1 0 24 21 Tulsa 1 0 37 13 1 0 37 13 W L PF PA W L PF PA
Miami 1 0 38 34 1 0 38 34 North Carolina at Connecticut, Noon Saturday’s games Oklahoma St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 24 10 Houston 0 0 0 0 1 0 55 7 Ball St. 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 20
North Carolina 0 0 0 0 1 0 40 6 Howard at Rutgers, 3:30 p.m. Iowa at Iowa St., Noon Texas 0 0 0 0 1 0 59 20 SMU 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 23 Cent. Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 19
Duke 0 0 0 0 0 1 16 24 East Carolina at West Virginia, 3:30 p.m. Syracuse at Penn St., Noon Texas A&M 0 0 0 0 1 0 41 6 UTEP 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 23 E. Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 27
Virginia 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 26 SE Missouri at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. W. Michigan at Indiana, Noon Texas Tech 0 0 0 0 1 0 38 13 Rice 0 1 24 44 0 1 24 44 N. Illinois 0 0 0 0 0 1 20 28
Virginia Tech 0 0 0 0 0 1 24 34 South Florida at W. Kentucky, 7:30 p.m. E. Michigan at Northwestern, Noon Oklahoma 0 0 0 0 0 1 13 14 Tulane 0 1 13 37 0 1 13 37 Toledo 0 0 0 0 0 1 31 52
Fresno St. at Wisconsin, Noon W. Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 31
Thursday’s game p.m. Cent. Michigan at Michigan St., Noon Today’s game Idaho St. at Oklahoma, 7 p.m. Saturday’s games Rice at Texas Tech, 7 p.m.
Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27 TCU at Virginia, 3:30 p.m. Notre Dame at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. Colorado at Toledo, 9 p.m. Rice at Texas Tech, 7 p.m. Marshall at Virginia Tech, 1:30 UCF at Southern Miss., 7 p.m. Today’s game Kent St. at Boston College, 2
Murray St. at N.C. State, 6 p.m. Air Force at Minnesota, 7 p.m. Bowling Green at Missouri, 7 p.m. Memphis at Middle Tennessee, Colorado at Toledo, 9 p.m. p.m.
Saturday’s games James Madison at Maryland, Illinois St. at Illinois, 7 p.m. Saturday’s games p.m. BYU at Tulane, 3:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Saturday’s games Ohio at North Texas, 7 p.m.
Duke at Army, Noon 6 p.m. Southern Cal at Ohio St., 8 p.m. Iowa at Iowa St., Noon Kansas St. at Louisiana- Houston at Oklahoma St., 3:30 Kansas at UTEP, 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Buffalo, Noon Bowling Green at Missouri, 7
Stanford at Wake Forest, Noon Jacksonville St. at Florida St., Purdue at Oregon, 10:15 p.m. Arkansas St. at Nebraska, 2 Lafayette, 7 p.m. p.m. Tulsa at New Mexico, 8 p.m. W. Michigan at Indiana, Noon p.m.
North Carolina at Connecticut, 6 p.m. p.m. Kansas at UTEP, 7:30 p.m. East Carolina at West Virginia, E. Michigan at Northwestern, New Hampshire at Ball St., 7 p.m.
Noon Texas at Wyoming, 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Noon W. Illinois at N. Illinois, 7:30
Marshall at Virginia Tech, 1:30 Houston at Oklahoma St., 3:30 SMU at UAB, 4 p.m. Cent. Michigan at Michigan p.m.
p.m. p.m. St., Noon Miami (Ohio) at Boise St., 8
Kent St. at Boston College, 2 Morgan St. at Akron, 2 p.m. 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 0 27 14
Air Force 0 0 0 0 1 0 72 0 Stanford 1 0 39 13 1 0 39 13 W L PF PA W L PF PA Arkansas St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 61 0 Idaho 1 0 21 6 1 0 21 6 Notre Dame 1 0 35 0
BYU 0 0 0 0 1 0 14 13 Arizona 0 0 0 0 1 0 19 6 Florida 0 0 0 0 1 0 62 3 Louisiana-Lafayette 0 0 0 0 1 0 42 19 Boise St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 19 8 Navy 0 1 27 31
Colorado St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 23 17 Arizona St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 50 3 Kentucky 0 0 0 0 1 0 42 0 North Texas 0 0 0 0 1 0 20 10 Fresno St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 51 0
UNLV 0 0 0 0 1 0 38 3 California 0 0 0 0 1 0 52 13 South Carolina 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 3 Fla. International 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 1 0 25 20 Saturday’s games
Utah 0 0 0 0 1 0 35 17 Oregon St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 34 7 Tennessee 0 0 0 0 1 0 63 7 Florida Atlantic 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 49 Louisiana Tech 0 0 0 0 0 1 13 37 Duke at Army, Noon
Wyoming 0 0 0 0 1 0 29 22 Southern Cal 0 0 0 0 1 0 56 3 Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 1 0 45 0 Louisiana-Monroe 0 0 0 0 0 1 20 59 Nevada 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 35 Notre Dame at Michigan, 3:30 p.m.
TCU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UCLA 0 0 0 0 1 0 33 14 Georgia 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 24 Middle Tennessee 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 37 San Jose St. 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 56 Louisiana Tech at Navy, 3:30 p.m.
New Mexico 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 41 Oregon 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 19 Troy 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 31 Utah St. 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 35
San Diego St. 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 33 Washington 0 0 0 0 0 1 23 31 West W. Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 63 New Mexico St. 0 1 6 21 0 1 6 21
Washington St. 0 1 13 39 0 1 13 39 Conference All Games
Saturday’s games W L PF PA W L PF PA Saturday’s games Saturday’s games
BYU at Tulane, 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s games Alabama 0 0 0 0 1 0 34 24 Troy at Florida, 12:21 p.m. Fresno St. at Wisconsin, Noon
Texas at Wyoming, 3:30 p.m. Stanford at Wake Forest, Noon Arkansas 0 0 0 0 1 0 48 10 Arkansas St. at Nebraska, 2 p.m. Idaho at Washington, 3:30 p.m.
TCU at Virginia, 3:30 p.m. Idaho at Washington, 3:30 p.m. Auburn 0 0 0 0 1 0 37 13 Ohio at North Texas, 7 p.m. Louisiana Tech at Navy, 3:30 p.m.
Weber St. at Colorado St., 5 p.m. UCLA at Tennessee, 4 p.m. LSU 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 23 Kansas St. at Louisiana-Lafayette, 7 p.m. Hawaii vs. Washington St. at Qwest Field, 7 p.m.
Air Force at Minnesota, 7 p.m. E. Washington at California, 5:35 p.m. Mississippi St. 0 0 0 0 1 0 45 7 Fla. International at Alabama, 7 p.m. Miami (Ohio) at Boise St., 8 p.m.
Tulsa at New Mexico, 8 p.m. Hawaii vs. Washington St. at Qwest Field, 7 p.m. Mississippi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Memphis at Middle Tennessee, 7 p.m. Prairie View at New Mexico St., 8 p.m.
S. Utah at San Diego St., 8:30 p.m. Southern Cal at Ohio St., 8 p.m. Texas Southern at Louisiana-Monroe, 7 p.m. Utah at San Jose St., 10:30 p.m.
Utah at San Jose St., 10:30 p.m. N. Arizona at Arizona, 10 p.m. Saturday’s games South Florida at W. Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.
Oregon St. at UNLV, 11 p.m. Purdue at Oregon, 10:15 p.m. Troy at Florida, 12:21 p.m.
Oregon St. at UNLV, 11 p.m. UCLA at Tennessee, 4 p.m.
Vanderbilt at LSU, 7 p.m.
Mississippi St. at Auburn, 7 p.m.
Fla. International at Alabama, 7 p.m.
South Carolina at Georgia, 7 p.m.

WEEKDAYS 10AM–1PM ET
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SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Manuel removes Lidge from Phils’ closer role
According to The Philadelphia
Inquirer, Phillies manager Charlie Man-
uel has removed P Brad Lidge from the
closer role. Manuel added that Lidge
could regain that role, perhaps even
in time for the postseason. For now,
the team is expected to use Ps Ryan
Madson and Brett Myers in save situa-
tions. Lidge has an MLB-high 10
blown saves this season. The Phila-
delphia Daily News, meanwhile,
reported Phillies P Kyle Kendrick likely
will start the first game of Sunday’s
doubleheader against the Mets. Pedro
Martinez is the top candidate to start
the nightcap.
Although Rockies SS Troy Tulow-
itzki told The Denver Post that his
sore back is improving, he was held
out of the starting lineup again
Thursday. He should return this
weekend. Tulowitzki admitted he
didn’t want to rush back and jeop-
ardize his status for next week’s key
series at San Francisco. Although
Tuluwitzki is expected back in
action, Colorado likely will be with-
out its closer through the weekend.
Pitching coach Bob Apodaca told The
Denver Post that the earlier hope of
P Huston Street (biceps) returning
this weekend was too optimistic.
Bothered by a sore pitching
elbow, Dodgers P Randy Wolf was
scratched from his scheduled start
tonight. Manager Joe Torre told the Los
Angeles Times that he is hopeful Wolf
will miss only one start. Earlier this
week, Los Angeles announced it
would skip P Clayton Kershaw after he
bruised his non-throwing shoulder
when he collided with the outfield
wall while shagging fly balls.
Baseball
INSIDE DISH
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP
After hitting .254 in the first half, Troy Tulowitzki has hit .324 since the All-Star break.
Cardinals OF Matt Holliday told the the offseason wish lists of the White
St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he expects Sox, Cubs and Yankees. Figgins told
to start tonight. Holliday left Wednes- the newspaper, “It’s always good to
day’s game after jamming his left knee be wanted. But when you find a
and cutting his right knee when he home, you want to stay here.” Figgins,
tripped near first base. Meanwhile, 3B who is having a career year, has
Mark DeRosa confirmed to the newspa- emerged as an elite leadoff man this
per that he will have offseason surgery season. In other Angels news, OF Torii
to repair the torn tendon sheath near Hunter was named the recipient of the
his left wrist. A pending free agent, 2009 Branch Rickey Award. Hunter
DeRosa has begun talks on a contract received the honor in recognition for
extension and the Cardinals, accord- his work with kids in the
ing to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. community.
The Los Angeles Times reported According to The Boston Globe,
Angels 3B Chone Figgins, who will be a Red Sox P Tim Wakefield (back) got his
free agent after this season, is high on third cortisone shot of the season
Thursday. Because of ongoing back
problems, Wakefield has started only
twice since July 9. In other rotation
news, the newspaper noted P Daisuke
Matsuzaka (shoulder) allowed one run
in 6 2/3 innings of a Class A rehab start
Wednesday. Dice-K, who hasn’t
pitched in the majors since June 19,
could rejoin the rotation next week.
The New York Daily News
reported Yankees P Chien-Ming Wang
began his rehab from shoulder sur-
gery about two weeks ago. However,
the newspaper noted the Yankees
likely will non-tender Wang this off-
season and try to sign him to a
cheaper, incentive-heavy deal. Mean-
while, reliever David Robertson, who
complained about elbow stiffness,
was told to rest for 10-14 days by Dr.
James Andrews.
Out since May 20 because of a
hamstring injury, Mets SS Jose Reyes
told the New York Daily News that he
hopes to return for the final week of
the season. Reyes admitted that he
has been upset by doubts about his
desire and toughness, and he said he
might play winter ball in the Domini-
can Republic. Meanwhile, Mets man-
ager Jerry Manuel told the newspaper
that 1B Carlos Delgado (hip surgery/
oblique) could return for the season’s
final two weeks. Delgado, who will
be a free agent after the season, hasn’t
played since May 10.
According to The Associated
Press, Royals P Gil Meche (shoulder)
likely will be shut down for the sea-
son. And manager Trey Hillman said P
Brian Bannister (shoulder) will get sec-
ond opinion on his sore shoulder.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 30
THE LAUNCHING PAD
What to expect in the major leagues today
ELISE AMENDOLA / AP
Jon Lester has a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts since the All-Star break.
The wild N.L. West
Los Angeles plays only six games this month against teams with winning
records, and all six are against the Giants. The first of those six will be tonight
in San Francisco. Last month, the Dodgers took two of three at AT&T Park,
with righthander Hiroki Kuroda winning the series opener. Because of Randy
Wolf’s sore elbow, Kuroda also will start tonight’s series opener. Though the
Giants and Dodgers will face each other, both teams will keep an eye on the
Rockies-Padres score. San Francisco is trying to chase down Colorado for the
N.L. wild card, while L.A. is trying to hold off Colorado for the division lead.
Jeter goes for history
After tying Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig for the Yankees’ all-time hits lead
with No. 2,721 on Wednesday, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter can pass the
Iron Horse tonight when New York hosts Baltimore. For the record, Jeter
never has faced Orioles scheduled starter Chris Tillman. Andy Pettitte will be
on the mound for New York. Since his last loss (July 25), Pettitte is 5-0 with a
2.77 ERA in eight starts.
Fish out of water
What looked like a key wild-card series just a couple of weeks ago now
looks like the official end of the Tampa Bay Rays’ playoff hopes. The Rays
stumble into Boston having lost eight consecutive games and not having
won back-to-back games since Aug. 24-25. Their slide began when they
dropped two of three at home against the Red Sox, who now lead them by 9
1/2 games in the wild-card standings. Though Tampa Bay would love to play
spoiler, it will run into lefthander Jon Lester tonight. In two starts against the
Rays since Aug. 4, Lester is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 12 innings
pitched.
— Chris Bahr
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 31

The biggest flaw among the playoff-bound teams is...

McNeal picks Bahr picks
Phillies’ bullpen Dodgers’ rotation

These should be great times for If you’re a Dodgers fan, player,

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.
His lineup is waking up. His rotation,
buoyed by midseason pickups, is
looking good. His Phillies have a
comfortable lead in the N.L. East and
are closing in on another trip to the
postseason.
But these aren’t
the best of times.
Not even close.
Manuel has a
pitching issue
that, after fester-
ing all season, has
Stan McNeal escalated into full-
BASEBALL blown predica-
ment. His closer,
Brad Lidge, has struggled so much
that he has lost his job, at least tem-
porarily. With October fast
approaching, Manuel must come up
with a new plan for the Phillies to
finish off opponents. If he doesn’t,
the team’s postseason run threatens
to be much shorter than it was in
’08.
It is a messy situation, indeed.
For numerous reasons:
Lidge the pitcher. Yes, he’s been
lousy—he has allowed runs in 25 of
his 59 outings compared to 13 of 81
last year (including the postseason).
But until this week, Lidge still had
shown enough to give Manuel hope
that he could regain his 2008 form.
Lidge recently converted three con-
secutive chances without incident.
Then he blew a one-run lead this
Charlie Manuel said Thursday he is removing Brad Lidge, above, from the closer’s role.
past Saturday and followed that
Tuesday by allowing three of four
hitters to reach. Manuel pulled him
with two outs to go.
Lidge the person. Like his man-
ager, Lidge always has been a stand-
up guy. He is unfailingly available
after bad performances (he has had
a few, too). Plus, he played such a
vital part in last year’s champion-
ship run that Manuel understand-
ably has shown more patience than
he would have otherwise.
How helpful will a change be? Going
exclusively with Ryan Madson or
Brett Myers has its own challenges.
Madson has come through in the
past week, but he has been nagged
by arm woes lately and previously
has stumbled in ninth innings, too.
Myers just returned after missing
three months because of a hip
injury that required surgery, and
he has limited closing experience.
HENNY RAY ABRAMS / AP
With Madson and Myers working
the ninth inning, the seventh and
eighth become more unsettled. The
Phillies already have worked with-
out a full complement of healthy
relievers much of the season.
Closer-by-committee doesn’t work.
Manuel knows this as well as anyone.
It leads to unsettled roles, which leads
to a loss of confidence, which results
in poor performances.
The timing is terrible. Manuel
could regret not demoting Lidge
sooner because no team wants to be
fixing its bullpen in mid-Septem-
ber. Usually, the team that lines up
its bullpen first is the team that
wins the most. Because of Lidge’s
misfortunes, Philadelphia could be
the last contender to line up its bull-
pen—if it is able to line it up at all.
No wonder Manuel isn’t having
much fun.
smcneal@sportingnews.com
coach, front-office member or
dreadlock wig salesman, you
should feel comfortable making
NLDS plans. Unless something
unexpected happens between now
and then, however, it will be one
and done for Los
Angeles. And,
for once, this has
nothing to do
with left fielder
Manny Ramirez.
U l t i m at e l y,
this team will
Chris Bahr be doomed by
BASEBALL its rotation.
Sure, the
Dodgers’ 3.66
rotation ERA ranks fourth in the
majors, but that will mean little in
the playoffs. Come October, which
of Los Angeles’ starting pitchers
will emerge to become that shut-
down ace that opponents dread
facing?
Chad Billingsley? He has a 5.29
ERA since July 1 and hasn’t won
since Aug. 18 (a span of four starts).
Plus, there is that little matter of his
2008 postseason, when he posted
an 8.48 ERA overall and went 0-2
with an 18.00 ERA in the NLCS.
Clayton Kershaw? Though he has
been better (a 10-strikeout game
and an 11-strikeout game in
August) than Billingsley, Kershaw
is winless since July 18. He also is
Chad Billingsley’s regular-season success did not translate to the ‘08 postseason.
just 21 years old. On the plus side,
his current injury (he slammed
into the outfield wall and hurt his
non-throwing shoulder during
batting practice) will get him some
unexpected rest.
Randy Wolf? He has been
everything (3.22 ERA) the Dodg-
ers hoped he’d be this season and
is 5-0 in his past six starts. But
the 11-season veteran never has
pitched in the playoffs and is
nursing a sore elbow.
Hiroki Kuroda? He might be the
team’s best option, but he is com-
ing off a concussion and has been
just a five-inning pitcher when
healthy this season.
Jon Garland? A nice pickup,
Garland would be a good fourth
starter in a seven-game season,
but a deeper look into the num-
bers rules out any thought of a
larger role. In two starts against
the Cardinals this season, he is
PAUL CONNORS / AP
0-2 with an 8.38 ERA. In two
starts against the Phillies, he is
0-2 with a 6.35 ERA.
Vicente Padilla? He is pitching on
borrowed time. After posting a 4.92
ERA with Texas and pitching his
way out of town, he is 2-0 with a 2.76
ERA in three starts for the Dodgers.
However, two of those starts came
against last-place Arizona.
There is no doubt that the Phil-
lies’ bullpen is a concern. After
all, the team’s late-inning domi-
nance was perhaps the biggest
contributor to its 2008 World
Series championship.
However, former closer Brett
Myers is capable of handling the
ninth-inning duties if Brad Lidge
continues to implode, and Phila-
delphia is capable of winning
with offense (four players with at
least 30 homers).
If the Dodgers’ rotation fails
them, they won’t be able to compete
with the Phillies or Cardinals.
cbahr@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 32
Fantasy Focus LEAGUE LEADERS
American League standings
Batting Average Home Runs East W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Start ’em, Sit ’em New York 91 50 .645 — — 8-2 W-4 49-20 42-30
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Boston 81 58 .583 9 — 6-4 W-2 47-21 34-37
Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Tampa Bay 72 68 .514 18½ 9½ 1-9 L-8 43-26 29-42
Mauer Minnesota .363 HaRamirez Florida .359 CPena Tampa Bay 39 Pujols St. Louis 47 Toronto 63 77 .450 27½ 18½ 4-6 W-1 38-36 25-41
Baltimore 56 83 .403 34 25 3-7 L-2 34-37 22-46
ISuzuki Seattle .354 Pujols St. Louis .331 Teixeira New York 35 Reynolds Arizona 41
MiCabrera Detroit .335 Sandoval San Francisco .327 Bay Boston 31 Fielder Milwaukee 38 Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Bartlett Tampa Bay .331 Helton Colorado .327 Branyan Seattle 31 Howard Philadelphia 38 Detroit 75 64 .540 — — 6-4 L-3 45-22 30-42
Minnesota 70 70 .500 5½ 11½ 5-5 L-1 39-30 31-40
Jeter New York .330 DWright New York .317 NCruz Texas 31 AdGonzalez San Diego 37 Chicago 70 71 .496 6 12 6-4 W-1 40-32 30-39
MYoung Texas .322 LCastillo New York .310 AHill Toronto 31 ADunn Washington 36 Cleveland 60 79 .432 15 21 2-8 L-3 30-39 30-40
Two tied .314 Braun Milwaukee .309 Three tied 30 Werth Philadelphia 33 Kansas City 55 85 .393 20½ 26½ 5-5 W-4 30-44 25-41
West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Runs Stolen Bases Los Angeles 84 55 .604 — — 7-3 W-3 42-26 42-29
Texas 79 60 .568 5 2 7-3 W-3 44-25 35-35
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Seattle 72 69 .511 13 10 4-6 L-5 39-30 33-39
ED ZURGA / AP Oakland 62 77 .446 22 19 5-5 L-1 34-36 28-41
Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team
Start ’em Figgins Los Angeles 104 Pujols St. Louis 116 Ellsbury Boston 60 Bourn Houston 53 National League standings
Zack Greinke, SP, Royals. Greinke, Damon New York 100 Braun Milwaukee 97 Crawford Tampa Bay 56 Morgan Washington 42 East W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
above, is 2-0 with a 2.39 ERA and Jeter New York 97 Utley Philadelphia 97 Figgins Los Angeles 39 Kemp Los Angeles 31 Philadelphia 79 59 .572 — — 4-6 L-1 36-31 43-28
Pedroia Boston 97 Zimmerman Washington 97 BUpton Tampa Bay 37 Fowler Colorado 26 Florida 75 65 .536 5 5½ 7-3 W-3 39-33 36-32
38 strikeouts (in 26 1/3 innings) in BRoberts Baltimore 97 Victorino Philadelphia 92 RDavis Oakland 34 Rollins Philadelphia 26 Atlanta 72 68 .514 8 8½ 4-6 W-1 35-33 37-35
four starts vs. Cleveland this season. Scutaro Toronto 95 HaRamirez Florida 89 Three tied 28 Pierre Los Angeles 25
New York 62 78 .443 18 18½ 4-6 L-3 36-36 26-42
Washington 48 92 .343 32 32½ 2-8 W-1 29-43 19-49
Ryan Madson, RP, Phillies. After Cano New York 92 Bourn Houston 88 Taveras Cincinnati 25
earning two saves this week, it looks Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
St. Louis 84 57 .596 — — 8-2 W-3 43-26 41-31
like Madson might have pushed RBIs Pitching Chicago 71 67 .514 11½ 8½ 6-4 W-3 40-27 31-40
Brad Lidge to the curb ... for now. Houston 68 72 .486 15½ 12½ 6-4 L-1 40-32 28-40
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Milwaukee 66 73 .475 17 14 3-7 L-3 34-37 32-36
Marlon Byrd, OF, Rangers. He is Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Cincinnati 63 77 .450 20½ 17½ 6-4 L-4 31-37 32-40
hitting .424 with two homers and Teixeira New York 106 Fielder Milwaukee 125 Feldman Texas 16-4 Wainwright St. Louis 18-7 Pittsburgh 54 84 .391 28½ 25½ 1-9 L-3 36-34 18-50
10 RBIs in September. This is a Longoria Tampa Bay 103 Pujols St. Louis 124 Sabathia New York 16-7 CCarpenter St. Louis 16-3 West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
hot streak you should keep riding Bay Boston 100 Howard Philadelphia 117 Verlander Detroit 16-8 Marquis Colorado 15-10 Los Angeles 83 58 .589 — — 5-5 L-1 43-29 40-29
Morneau Minnesota 100 ADunn Washington 96 JerWeaver Los Angeles 15-5 JoJohnson Florida 14-4 Colorado 81 60 .574 2 — 9-1 W-7 45-27 36-33
as Texas opens a series at home San Francisco 76 64 .543 6½ 4½ 5-5 L-2 45-23 31-41
CPena Tampa Bay 100 DLee Chicago 96 FHernandez Seattle 14-5 Pineiro St. Louis 14-9 San Diego 63 78 .447 20 18 7-3 W-2 36-34 27-44
against Seattle. KMorales Los Angeles 98 HaRamirez Florida 96 Beckett Boston 14-6 DLowe Atlanta 14-9 Arizona 62 79 .440 21 19 3-7 W-1 32-37 30-42
Lind Toronto 96 Braun Milwaukee 95 Halladay Toronto 14-9 De La Rosa Colorado 14-9 z-first game was a win
Sit ’em
B.J. Upton, OF, Rays. The club Hits Strikeouts
Pitching matchups Today’s games (All times Eastern)
announced it will rest Upton A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. American League The Line
(sprained left ankle) “for a bit.” Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Baltimore (Tillman 1-3) at N.Y. Yankees (Pettitte 13-6), 7:05 p.m. KC -145 at Cle +135
You should, too. ISuzuki Seattle 196 HaRamirez Florida 181 Verlander Detroit 230 Lincecum San Francisco 233 Kansas City (Greinke 13-8) at Cleveland (Masterson 4-7), 7:05 p.m. at NY -280 Bal +240
Adam Dunn, 1B/OF, Nationals. Dunn Jeter New York 186 Braun Milwaukee 166 Greinke Kansas City 210 JVazquez Atlanta 208
Toronto (Tallet 6-9) at Detroit (N.Robertson 1-1), 7:05 p.m. at Det -155 Tor +145
is 3-for-13 with five strikeouts Cano New York 177 Tejada Houston 166 Lester Boston 204 Haren Arizona 197
Tampa Bay (J.Shields 9-10) at Boston (Lester 12-7), 7:10 p.m. at Bos -180 TB +170
lifetime against Florida’s Josh MiCabrera Detroit 173 Pujols St. Louis 162 FHernandez Seattle 188 Gallardo Milwaukee 192
Markakis Baltimore 171 CaLee Houston 161 Halladay Toronto 183 Wainwright St. Louis 175 Seattle (Morrow 0-4) at Texas (Millwood 10-9), 8:05 p.m. at Tex -200 Sea +185
Johnson, a 14-game winner. AHill Toronto 168 FLopez Milwaukee 161 Sabathia New York 177 WRodriguez Houston 168 Oakland (Mortensen 0-2) at Minnesota (Blackburn 9-10), 8:10 p.m. at Min -180 Oak +170
Luke French, SP, Mariners. French MYoung Texas 168 Victorino Philadelphia 161 Beckett Boston 176 Two tied 167 Chicago White Sox (G.Floyd 11-9) at L.A. Angels (J.Saunders 12-7), 10:05 p.m. at LA -140 Chi +130
has struggled (5.88 ERA) since
the All-Star break. A quality start Doubles Saves National League The Line
at hitter-friendly Rangers Ball- A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L.
Cincinnati (Lehr 4-1) at Chicago Cubs (Harden 9-8), 2:20 p.m. at Chi -220 Cin +200
park in Arlington is unlikely. Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team N.Y. Mets (Figueroa 2-4) at Philadelphia (Hamels 8-9), 7:05 p.m. at Phi -280 NY +240
— Kyle Whitfield BRoberts Baltimore 50 Sandoval San Francisco 40 Fuentes Los Angeles 40 HBell San Diego 37 Washington (J.Martin 3-4) at Florida (Jo.Johnson 14-4), 7:10 p.m. at Fla -230 Was +210
Lind Toronto 46 Tejada Houston 40 MaRivera New York 39 Franklin St. Louis 37 Pittsburgh (Morton 3-7) at Houston (Norris 4-3), 8:05 p.m. at Hou -160 Pit +150
MORE COVERAGE Butler Kansas City 45 Ethier Los Angeles 39 Nathan Minnesota 38 BrWilson San Francisco 34 Atlanta (Jurrjens 10-10) at St. Louis (Pineiro 14-9), 8:15 p.m. at StL -135 Atl +125
Markakis Baltimore 42 HaRamirez Florida 39 Papelbon Boston 35 Broxton Los Angeles 34 Milwaukee (Looper 11-6) at Arizona (D.Davis 7-12), 9:40 p.m. at Ari -130 Mil +120
Get everything you need to Pedroia Boston 42 Hawpe Colorado 38 Aardsma Seattle 34 Street Colorado 33 Colorado (De La Rosa 14-9) at San Diego (Mujica 3-4), 10:05 p.m. Col -150 at SD +140
dominate your fantasy league at Cano New York 41 Pujols St. Louis 37 Rodney Detroit 32 Cordero Cincinnati 33
sportingnews.com/fantasy/baseball L.A. Dodgers (Kuroda 5-6) at San Francisco (Cain 13-4), 10:15 p.m. at SF -135 LA +125
Longoria Tampa Bay 41 Two tied 36 Jenks Chicago 28 Two tied 30
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 33
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Marlins 13, Mets 4
Washington 8, Philadelphia 7 Nationals 8, Phillies 7 Florida 13, N.Y. Mets 4 Florida AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Philadelphia AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Coghlan lf 6 2 3 0 0 0 .308
Rollins ss 5 1 2 0 0 0 .243

Manuel vents after latest setback Victorino cf

Utley 2b
Howard 1b
5 1 2
5 1 2
4 0 0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
.297
.293
.273
Johnson big N.Johnson 1b
1-Hayes pr
Meyer p
T.Wood p
4 1
0 0
0 0
0 0
2 4
0 0
0 0
0 0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
.304
.286
.000
.500
Ibanez lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .278 Ha.Ramirez ss 6 1 3 2 0 0 .359

WASHINGTON—Charlie Manuel was

Werth rf
P.Feliz 3b
C.Ruiz c
4 1 1
4 1 1
2 1 1
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
.270
.268
.254
since return An.Gonzalez ss
Cantu 3b-1b
Jo.Baker c
0 0
5 0
5 1
0 0
0 1
1 1
0
1
1
0
0
2
.091
.282
.273
Blanton p 1 0 1 0 0 0 .106 Uggla 2b 5 3 2 1 1 3 .242
T.Walker p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- C.Ross rf 5 1 3 2 0 2 .270
angry. It didn’t matter that the Philadel- a-A.Tracy ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
NEW YORK—Nick Johnson has Maybin cf 4 1 0 0 1 2 .220
phia Phillies nearly pulled off an impres- Durbin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .200 hobbled through some pretty West p 3 1 1 0 0 1 .074
Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Badenhop p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
sive ninth-inning comeback. No, his c-Stairs ph 1 1 1 4 0 0 .198 good at-bats since returning from c-Gload ph 0 1 0 0 1 0 .264
Calero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
club had again lost to a team he felt they Totals 36 7 11 7 2 2 the disabled list, and his team- d-Helms ph-3b 1 1 1 2 0 0 .282
should have beaten. mates have noticed his effort. Totals 44 13 16 13 7 10
Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
The Phillies lost to the woeful Wash- W.Harris cf-lf 4 2 2 0 1 0 .233 Johnson had a pair of two- New York AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Orr 2b 5 0 1 2 0 4 .324 Pagan cf 4 0 3 0 1 0 .313
ington Nationals 8-7 on Thursday night MacDougal p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- run singles Thursday night and L.Castillo 2b 4 0 0 0 1 2 .310
Villone p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- D.Wright 3b 4 2 1 1 0 1 .317
when Ryan Howard hit into a game- Zimmerman 3b 5 0 0 0 0 2 .294 the Florida Marlins beat the Francoeur rf 4 1 3 0 0 0 .269
ending double play with runners on the A.Dunn 1b 4 1 1 2 0 1 .281 listless New York Mets 13-4 to Tatis 1b 3 0 2 1 1 1 .270
Morse 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286 N.Evans lf 4 0 1 1 0 1 .224
corners after Philadelphia scored five Willingham lf 3 1 1 0 1 0 .281 gain ground on the N.L. East- Santos c 3 0 0 1 0 1 .259
1-Maxwell pr-cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .195 A.Hernandez ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .252
runs in the ninth. Dukes rf 2 2 1 0 2 1 .259
leading Phillies. Parnell p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .125
Manuel didn’t want to talk about the Desmond ss 4 1 2 4 0 0 .500 “That just tells you what kind a-W.Valdez ph 0 1 0 0 0 0 .229
Stoner p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Nieves c 3 1 1 0 1 0 .254
comeback. The manager wanted to Li.Hernandez p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .133 of gamer he is,” Dan Uggla said. b-Reed ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .254
S.Green p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
vent. S.Burnett p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 “He’s just a clutch hitter.” Feliciano p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
b-J.Flores ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .304 Stokes p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
“We’ve been getting outplayed by sec- Segovia p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Since returning from a right Broadway p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
ond division teams,” Manuel said. “We Alb.Gonzalez 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259 hamstring strain on Sept. 3, e-Sullivan ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .280
Totals 32 8 9 8 5 8 Totals 33 4 10 4 3 10
don’t put nobody away.” Johnson has at least one hit in
Philadelphia 200 000 005 — 7 11 2 Florida 301 110 340 — 13 16 0
It hasn’t been a good time on the road Washington 002 150 00x — 8 9 1 each of his six games and has New York 000 220 000 — 4 10 1
for the defending world champions. In driven in nine runs despite a-was hit by a pitch for Parnell in the 5th. b-struck
a-flied out for T.Walker in the 7th. b-popped out
their last three road series, the Phillies for S.Burnett in the 8th. c-homered for Lidge in the noticeably struggling on the out for Stoner in the 6th. c-was intentionally walked
9th. 1-ran for Willingham in the 7th. E: Rollins 2 (5), for Badenhop in the 7th. d-singled for Calero in the
lost two of three in Pittsburgh and Desmond (1). LOB: Philadelphia 6, Washington 7. 2B:
bases. 8th. e-struck out for Broadway in the 9th. 1-ran for
N.Johnson in the 8th. E: A.Hernandez (10). LOB:
absorbed a four-game sweep in Hous- MANUEL BALCE CENETA / AP Victorino (34), W.Harris (17), Willingham (29), Desmond “It’s been a while for me but Florida 11, New York 7. 2B: Coghlan (21), C.Ross (36),
(1). 3B: Utley (2), W.Harris (4), Orr (1). HR: Stairs (5), off West (1), Pagan (15), Francoeur (25). HR: Uggla (27),
ton. After the Astros’ sweep, Manuel Ian Desmond (6) sparked Washington’s victory with a home run and four RBIs in his major league debut. Segovia; A.Dunn (36), off Blanton; Desmond (1), off this is what it’s all about,” John- off Parnell. RBIs: N.Johnson 4 (59), Ha.Ramirez 2 (96),
chewed out his team. After winning the Blanton. RBIs: Victorino (56), Utley (86), Howard (117), son said about being in a play- Cantu (80), Jo.Baker (47), Uggla (75), C.Ross 2 (81),
Stairs 4 (17), Orr 2 (6), A.Dunn 2 (96), Desmond 4 (4). Helms 2 (31), D.Wright (60), Tatis (40), N.Evans (7),
first two against a team that’s lost 92 league debut and Livan Hernandez confidence,” Victorino said. “We’re not SB: Willingham (4). S: Blanton, Li.Hernandez 2. SF: off race. “I’m not pushing it. Santos (36). SB: C.Ross (5). SF: Santos. Runners left
games, Manuel thought his team’s play pitch effectively into the eighth inning. putting teams away like we should. Howard. Runners left in scoring position: Philadel- Even though I’m feeling better in scoring position: Florida 5 (West 2, Jo.Baker 2,
phia 4 (Rollins 2, Howard 2); Washington 4 (Desmond, Cantu); New York 2 (A.Hernandez, N.Evans). DP: Florida
was unacceptable. Adam Dunn hit his 36th homer for We’re not dictating what’s happening in A.Dunn, Nieves, Zimmerman). DP: Philadelphia 1 out there I’m just trying to keep 3 (Uggla, Ha.Ramirez, N.Johnson), (Uggla, Ha.Ramirez,
(C.Ruiz, Utley, Utley, Blanton); Washington 1 (Alb. N.Johnson), (C.Ross, Ha.Ramirez).
“The guys who’ve been on this team the Nationals, who nearly blew the game the game.” Gonzalez, Desmond, Morse). the speed and go from first to
Florida IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
the last couple of years—they know in the ninth. Matt Stairs snapped an Desmond, a 24-year-old shortstop third at that speed, do the treat- West 4 6 4 4 2 4 82 4.81
Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Badenhop W, 7-4 2 2 0 0 0 2 23 3.79
exactly what they’ve got to do,” Manuel 0-for-30 skid with a pinch-hit grand who was recalled from Class AAA Syr- Blanton L, 9-7 4 2⁄3 7 8 8 4 4 99 4.11 ment and try to stay out there.” Calero 1 1 0 0 1 1 21 2.05
said. “We’ve got to have a little more get slam and Shane Victorino doubled in a acuse on Tuesday, doubled in a run in T.Walker 1 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 17 1.71 Hanley Ramirez and Cody Meyer 1 1 0 0 0 1 19 3.12
Durbin 1 1 0 0 1 1 22 4.73 T.Wood 1 0 0 0 0 2 14 2.25
up and go to us.” run in the Phillies’ rally. the fourth and his three-run homer Lidge 1 1 0 0 0 2 24 6.97 Ross each had three hits and New York IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Parnell L, 3-8 5 7 6 5 5 6 104 5.49
Philadelphia’s lead in the N.L. East The last-place Nationals won for only keyed a five-run fifth. He narrowly Hernandez W, 8-10 7 1⁄3 6 2 2 1 2 106 5.30 two RBIs for the Marlins, who Stoner 1 1 0 0 0 0 15 0.00
was cut to five games over Florida, the second time in 12 games overall. missed a home run in his first at-bat, S.Burnett 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 9 2.88 completed their first sweep of S.Green 2⁄3 1 2 2 1 2 17 5.25
Segovia 1⁄3 2 4 3 1 0 20 81.00 Feliciano 0 2 1 1 0 0 9 3.21
which routed the New York Mets 13-4. “We’re better than they are,” Manuel flying out to deep center field. MacDougal 0 2 1 1 0 0 5 2.61 the Mets since taking four Stokes 1⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 6 3.84
Villone S, 1-3 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 10 4.20 Broadway 2 4 4 4 1 2 32 7.88
The Phillies had won nine straight said. “We’ve got to get after them more— Hernandez (8-10), signed by the straight Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2004,
against Washington. like we used to.” Nationals on Aug. 25 after he was MacDougal pitched to 2 batters in the 9th. Inherited in New York. Uggla hit his 27th Feliciano pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. West pitched
runners-scored: S.Burnett 1-0, Villone 1-0. WP: to 2 batters in the 5th. Inherited runners-scored:
“We’re the best team in this division,” Victorino denied that his team was released by the Mets, improved to 1-5 MacDougal. Umpires: Home, Dale Scott; First, Mike homer in the third inning. Badenhop 2-2, Feliciano 2-2, Stokes 2-1. IBB: off
S.Green (Gload). HBP: by West (W.Valdez). WP: Parnell.
Manuel said. “Nobody’s going to give us complacent, which Manuel implied. He with a 6.36 ERA in his last eight starts. Estabrook; Second, Jerry Meals; Third, Ron Kulpa. T: The Marlins wrapped up a Umpires: Home, Tim Tschida; First, Bob Davidson; Sec-
3:03. A: 18,706 (41,888). ond, Scott Barry; Third, Jeff Nelson. T: 3:18. A: 37,620
nothing.” did say the Phillies are making it harder He allowed two runs and six hits in 7 1/3 5-1 trip and moved within five (41,800).
Manuel watched Ian Desmond homer on themselves. innings. games of Philadelphia.
and drive in four runs in his major “We’re letting these teams have — The Associated Press Lidge loses job, Page 30 — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 34
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Braves 9, Astros 7
Colorado 5, Cincinnati 1 Rockies 5, Reds 1 Atlanta 9, Houston 7 Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg. McLouth cf 4 2 2 1 2 0 .263
Stubbs cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .247 Y.Escobar ss 5 3 3 0 1 0 .304

Young, Rockies ‘keep the train going’ Janish ss

Votto 1b
B.Phillips 2b
3
4
4
1
0
0
0
2
3
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
.211
.298
.275
Oswalt can’t C.Jones 3b
McCann c
G.Anderson lf
4
5
4
2
2
0
1
4
2
1
2
3
1
0
0
2
0
1
.268
.277
.280
Gomes lf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .280 Gorecki lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .227
Balentien rf
A.Rosales 3b
Hanigan c
4
4
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
3
3
1
.261
.196
.273
beat Braves Ad.LaRoche 1b
Church rf
a-M.Diaz ph-rf
5
2
3
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
3
1
0
.270
.277
.321
DENVER—The Colorado Rockies keep K.Wells p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143 K.Johnson 2b 4 0 2 0 1 1 .219
b-Barker ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .364 D.Lowe p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .188
losing players and winning games. R.Ramirez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- HOUSTON—Roy Oswalt just O’Flaherty p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Moylan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Starting pitcher Jose Contreras came Viola p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- can’t figure out the Atlanta e-Conrad ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .282
d-Sutton ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .176 M.Gonzalez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
out in the third inning with a strained Totals 30 1 7 1 4 13 Braves. Totals 41 9 16 9 5 11
quadriceps Thursday, his second start Garret Anderson drove in
Colorado AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Houston AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
for injured Aaron Cook. E.Young 2b 3 1 2 0 1 0 .333 three runs, Nate McLouth Bourn cf 5 1 2 1 0 0 .295
No matter, the bullpen and a make- Quintanilla 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .173 homered and Atlanta broke out K.Matsui 2b 4 2 2 0 1 2 .246
C.Gonzalez cf-lf 2 1 0 0 1 0 .291 Berkman 1b 4 1 2 3 1 1 .273
shift lineup that was missing its top two S.Smith lf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .316 of its offensive slump with a 9-7 Ca.Lee lf 3 0 1 1 2 0 .306
Fowler cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .270 1-Maysonet pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .290
sluggers led the Rockies to their seventh Giambi 1b 3 1 1 2 1 0 .375 win over Oswalt and the Hous- Tejada ss 5 0 0 0 0 0 .300
G.Atkins 3b 4 1 1 2 0 0 .227 Pence rf 4 2 3 0 0 1 .290
straight win, 5-1 over the Cincinnati ton Astros on Thursday night. C.Johnson 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .167
Hawpe rf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .289
Reds on Thursday. Torrealba c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .273 Brian McCann had four hits Coste c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .229
Barmes ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 .244 Oswalt p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .128
“Got to keep the train going,” Eric Contreras p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 and two RBIs for the Braves, Sadler p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
W.Wright p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333
Young Jr. said. Chacin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- who finished with 16 hits, two b-Boone ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-McCoy ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 W.Lopez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
It’s chugging along at full steam these Rincon p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 shy of their season high. Atlan- c-Erstad ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .203
days. c-Murton ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .261 ta’s run total was its highest Gervacio p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Belisle p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Byrdak p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
The N.L. wild card leaders increased Totals 28 5 7 5 3 4 since a 9-1 win over Philadel- d-Michaels ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .238
their cushion to 4½ games over idle San Brocail p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Cincinnati 100 000 000 — 1 7 0 phia on Aug. 29. Totals 37 7 13 6 4 7
Francisco and crept within two games Colorado 005 000 00x — 5 7 0 “We did a lot of hitting,” man-
Atlanta 330 210 000 — 9 16 2
of first-place Los Angeles in the N.L. a-struck out for Chacin in the 4th. b-grounded into ager Bobby Cox said. “Every- Houston 103 100 020 — 7 13 0
West. The Dodgers also had the day off. a double play for K.Wells in the 6th. c-struck out for one seemed to chip in with it.”
Rincon in the 7th. d-struck out for Viola in the 9th. LOB: a-grounded into a fielder’s choice for Church in the
By sweeping four games from the Oswalt (8-6) gave up six runs 4th. b-grounded out for W.Wright in the 4th. c-struck
Cincinnati 8, Colorado 3. 2B: Votto (23), Giambi (1). HR: out for W.Lopez in the 6th. d-singled for Byrdak in the
Reds, the Rockies wrapped up a 9-1 G.Atkins (9), off K.Wells. RBIs: B.Phillips (86), S.Smith and 10 hits—matching a season 8th. e-flied out for Moylan in the 9th. 1-ran for Ca.Lee
(52), Giambi 2 (6), G.Atkins 2 (43). SB: B.Phillips (24), in the 9th. E: C.Jones 2 (20). LOB: Atlanta 11, Houston
homestand—one of their best in fran- DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP E.Young 2 (2). S: K.Wells 2, C.Gonzalez. Runners left worst—in two innings, dropping 7. 2B: Y.Escobar (23), McCann (32), K.Johnson (18).
in scoring position: Cincinnati 6 (A.Rosales 3, Janish HR: McLouth (18), off Oswalt; Berkman (19), off
chise history. Next, Colorado embarks Jason Giambi, right, drove in two runs with a double in the third, part of a five-run frame for the Rockies. 2, Balentien); Colorado 2 (Giambi, G.Atkins). DP: Cincin- to 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in seven D.Lowe. RBIs: McLouth (60), C.Jones (64), McCann 2
on a nine-game road trip that includes nati 1 (Janish, B.Phillips, Votto); Colorado 2 (Giambi, career starts against Atlanta. (77), G.Anderson 3 (54), Ad.LaRoche (62), M.Diaz (46),
Barmes), (Quintanilla, Barmes, Giambi). Bourn (34), Berkman 3 (69), Ca.Lee (89), Michaels
three in San Francisco. Still, the lineup produced. “You never know how a small thing “He left some pitches up, (16). SB: Y.Escobar (4), Bourn (53), K.Matsui 2 (16).
Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA SF: G.Anderson. Runners left in scoring position:
“We are playing great baseball,” Jason “It speaks volumes as to the depth and like my bunt can get something like that K.Wells L, 1-4 5 6 5 5 3 3 76 5.21 which he normally doesn’t do,” Atlanta 7 (D.Lowe 4, K.Johnson, C.Jones, Y.Escobar);
Giambi said. “I’m excited that we are strength of this organization,” said man- going,” said Young, who added two sto- R.Ramirez 2 1 0 0 0 1 21 4.15 McCann said. “We were able to Houston 6 (Tejada 2, K.Matsui 2, Erstad, Ca.Lee). DP:
Viola 1 0 0 0 0 0 14 3.00 Atlanta 3 (D.Lowe, Y.Escobar, Ad.LaRoche), (C.Jones,
doing the little things, moving runners, ager Jim Tracy, whose team is 63-32 len bases. “I just wanted to try to get Colorado IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA put some good swings on it. It K.Johnson, Ad.LaRoche), (Y.Escobar, K.Johnson,
Ad.LaRoche); Houston 1 (Tejada, Berkman).
getting big hits when we need it and get- since he took over. everybody excited and pumped up and Contreras 3 4 1 1 3 5 67 1.86 was definitely something we
Chacin 1 0 0 0 1 1 13 5.19 Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
ting great pitching. That’s what you Young was just trying to jump-start a ready for their at-bats.” Rincon W, 3-2 3 2 0 0 0 5 42 5.79 needed to do.” D.Lowe W, 14-9 5 2⁄3 9 5 5 2 5 101 4.47
want to do down the stretch.” listless offense when he put down a two- He succeeded. Belisle 2 1 0 0 0 2 24 7.52 The Braves had scored a total O’Flaherty 1 0 0 0 1 1 18 3.21
Moylan 1 1⁄3 3 2 1 0 0 23 3.03
All this despite losing pivotal players. out bunt in the third inning. “The kid lays down a bunt for a base Umpires: Home, Tim Timmons; First, Mark Wegner; of 10 runs and batted .153 in M.Gonzalez S, 10-16 1 1 0 0 1 1 22 2.42
Second, Rick Reed; Third, Jeff Kellogg. T: 2:38. A: 24,175 Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
With Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Stew- His bunt, though, slipped through the hit?” Tracy said. “Speed kills. ... Things (50,449). their previous six games, but Oswalt L, 8-6 2 10 6 6 1 5 71 4.03
art sitting out a third straight game with fingers of pitcher Kip Wells as he tried happened from there.” led 3-0 after 12 pitches. Sadler 1 1⁄3 2 2 2 1 2 25 13.50
W.Wright 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 8 5.50
back stiffness, the team again had to rely to field it, and the speedy Young easily The Rockies lost Contreras in the third Oswalt left his previous start W.Lopez 2 1 1 1 1 1 27 10.50
Gervacio 1 1 0 0 1 1 14 0.79
on a patchwork lineup. beat it out. when he strained his right quadriceps with soreness in his back and Byrdak 1 0 0 0 0 2 12 2.75
With their top two sluggers out, the That got the Rockies going. trying to beat out a grounder. He was
National League departed the clubhouse with- Brocail 1 1 0 0 1 0 15 3.97

Rockies went with Clint Barmes at Seth Smith had an RBI single, Giambi taken out of the game and is day to day. wild card standings out speaking to reporters after Inherited runners-scored: O’Flaherty 1-0, Moylan
1-0, W.Wright 2-1. Umpires: Home, Todd Tichenor;
shortstop, Garrett Atkins at third and laced a two-run double to deep center In his absence, Colorado strung W L Pct. GB this one, but manager Cecil First, Gary Darling; Second, Bruce Dreckman; Third, Paul
Colorado 81 60 .574 — Emmel. T: 3:11. A: 26,552 (40,976).
Young at second. The team even gave and Atkins added a two-run homer. together three relievers who allowed San Francisco 76 64 .543 4½ Cooper said the righthander’s
first baseman Todd Helton the day off, Just like that, the Rockies had a 5-1 just three hits the rest of the way. Florida 75 65 .536 5½ back wasn’t bothering him.
Atlanta 72 68 .514 8½
starting Giambi instead. lead. It was more than enough. — The Associated Press Chicago 71 67 .514 8½ — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 35
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Kansas City 7, Detroit 4 Royals 7, Tigers 4 Toronto 3, Minnesota 2
Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Raburn cf-lf 4 1 2 0 1 0 .284

Royals stun Tigers with spot starters Polanco 2b

Ordonez rf
Mi.Cabrera 1b
Thames dh
5
4
4
3
0
0
0
0
1
3
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
.276
.289
.335
.254
‘That’s why we’re a .500 team’
a-A.Huff ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .245 Blue Jays 3, Twins 2
1-Kelly pr-dh 1 0 0 0 0 0 .245 TORONTO—Minnesota keeps
Inge 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .231 Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
KANSAS CITY—When the first-place Detroit failing to pressure Detroit in Span cf 4 1 1 1 0 1 .308
W.Ramirez lf 3 2 2 1 0 0 .400
Tigers rolled into last-place Kansas City Granderson cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .253 the A.L. Central. O.Cabrera ss 4 0 2 1 0 0 .275
Laird c 2 0 1 1 0 0 .218 Mauer c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .363
this week, they had good reason to hope Jose Bautista hit a solo homer, Morneau 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .276
Everett ss 4 0 1 1 0 1 .237
for a three-game sweep. Totals 36 4 15 4 3 5 Brett Cecil won his final start Kubel dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .305
Cuddyer rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .269
Instead, the Tigers got swept them- of the season and the Toronto Delm.Young lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .265
Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
selves—by three spot starters. DeJesus lf 3 1 1 0 2 1 .275 Blue Jays beat the Twins 3-2 B.Harris 3b 1 0 0 0 2 0 .263
Bloomquist rf 4 0 2 1 1 0 .257 1-Tolbert pr-3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .178
Alex Gordon and Alberto Callaspo Thursday. a-J.Morales ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .338
Butler 1b 5 0 2 1 0 0 .305
homered in a 7-4 victory Thursday and Olivo c 5 0 1 0 0 1 .245 “It’s a game we needed to Punto 2b 3 1 1 0 0 0 .222
Callaspo 2b 4 1 1 2 0 0 .297 Totals 33 2 7 2 2 5
the Royals surprised Detroit with their win, and we didn’t do it,”
B.Pena dh 3 0 1 0 1 0 .275
first three-game sweep of an American 2-J.Anderson pr-dh 0 1 0 0 0 0 .247 Morneau said. “That’s why Toronto AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
b-Jacobs ph-dh 1 0 0 0 0 0 .237 Inglett 2b 3 1 0 0 1 1 .282
League team at home all season. They’re we’re a .500 team.” Snider rf-lf 2 0 1 0 2 0 .234
Maier cf 5 0 2 0 0 0 .251
on their first four-game winning streak A.Gordon 3b 3 2 1 1 1 0 .206 Minnesota (70-70), which Lind lf 3 0 1 2 0 1 .301
Y.Betancourt ss 2 2 2 2 1 0 .241 V.Wells cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .252
since June 12-16. began the day 5½ games back Overbay 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .265
Totals 35 7 13 7 6 2
“It feels absolutely tremendous, espe- of the Tigers, has not won con- Encarnacion 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .185
Detroit 000 022 000 — 4 15 0 R.Ruiz dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 .269
cially considering the three starters that secutive games since taking J.Bautista cf-rf 2 1 2 1 1 0 .229
Kansas City 110 102 11x — 7 13 0
we did it against,” Kansas City manager three in a row from Aug. R.Chavez c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .268
Trey Hillman said. “I’m really proud of 1-ran for A.Huff in the 7th. 2-ran for B.Pena in the 30-Sept. 1. The Twins went Jo.McDonald ss 3 1 1 0 0 0 .261
7th. LOB: Detroit 10, Kansas City 12. 2B: Raburn (11), Totals 28 3 6 3 4 7
what we were able to do this series.” Everett (18), Y.Betancourt (18). 3B: W.Ramirez (1). HR: 1-for-9 with runners in scoring
With Minnesota also losing on Thurs- A.Gordon (4), off Miner; Callaspo (9), off Bonine. RBIs: position Thursday and are Minnesota 001 010 000 — 2 7 0
Polanco (64), W.Ramirez (3), Laird (29), Everett (41), Toronto 100 110 00x — 3 6 0
day, the Tigers retained their 5½-game Bloomquist (26), Butler (77), Callaspo 2 (57), A.Gordon averaging just 3.2 runs during
lead in the A.L. Central as they headed (12), Y.Betancourt 2 (40). SB: Olivo (4), A.Gordon (5). their past 10 games. a-popped out for Tolbert in the 9th. 1-ran for B.Harris
SF: Laird, Callaspo, Y.Betancourt. Runners left in scor- in the 7th. LOB: Minnesota 6, Toronto 6. 2B: O.Cabrera
back to Detroit for a seven-game home- ing position: Detroit 9 (Mi.Cabrera 2, Inge 2, Polanco “You give up three runs, you (30), Cuddyer (31), Delm.Young (11), Punto (12), Snider
stand. But the momentum they brought to 3, Granderson 2); Kansas City 7 (B.Pena 2, Bloomquist, should have an opportunity to (10), Lind (46), J.Bautista (11), Jo.McDonald (6). HR:
Butler 3, Callaspo). DP: Kansas City 5 (Y.Betancourt, Span (7), off Cecil; J.Bautista (5), off S.Baker. RBIs: Span
Kansas City on the heels of a six-game Callaspo, Butler), (Callaspo, Y.Betancourt, Butler), win,” manager Ron Gardenhire (55), O.Cabrera (58), Lind 2 (96), J.Bautista (22). SF:
winning streak had definitely (A.Gordon, Callaspo, Butler), (A.Gordon, Callaspo, said. “Unfortunately for us, our Lind. Runners left in scoring position: Minnesota
Butler), (Butler). 4 (Morneau, Punto, B.Harris, O.Cabrera); Toronto 3
disappeared. offense never could get any- (Encarnacion, Jo.McDonald, Overbay). DP: Minnesota
“Anybody who starts believing on how Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA thing going.” 1 (O.Cabrera, Punto, Morneau); Toronto 1 (Encarnacion,
Washburn 5 7 3 3 3 1 105 3.60 Inglett, Overbay).
good they are is crazy, ‘cause the baseball CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP Miner L, 6-5 BS, 3-4 1 5 3 3 1 0 28 4.74 Minnesota is batting .237
gods will bite you,” Tigers manager Jim Kansas City’s Yuniesky Betancourt (3) slides home with the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. Ni 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 3.20 Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
(72-for-304) in September. S.Baker L, 13-8 6 2⁄3 5 3 3 4 7 104 4.33
Bonine 2 1 1 1 1 1 20 6.11
Leyland said. Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA “I’m trying my best not to do Mahay 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 9 4.53
DiNardo 5 7 2 2 3 4 88 3.60 Crain 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 9 5.53
Zach Miner (6-5) gave up three runs and lander and Jarrod Washburn. Rosa, another September call-up, pitched everything, just to keep it sim- Toronto IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Yabuta BS, 1-1 1⁄3 2 2 2 0 0 14 12.71
five hits in relief for the Tigers, who were “That’s how baseball is,” said Wash- the ninth for his first major league save. R.Colon W, 2-3 1 1⁄3 4 0 0 0 1 22 5.31 ple still,” designated hitter Cecil W, 7-4 6 7 2 2 1 3 100 5.30
D.Hughes H, 1 1 1⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 17 0.00 Accardo H, 3 1⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 5 2.45
fresh off a three-game sweep at Tampa burn, who went five innings and was Gordon’s leadoff homer in the sixth on Jason Kubel said. “But given Carlson H, 11 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 5 4.55
Rosa S, 1-1 1 1 0 0 0 0 18 0.00
Bay. charged with three runs on seven hits. Miner’s fourth pitch tied it 4-all and Billy the circumstances, it’s kind of Camp H, 4 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 2 3.49
Miner pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. Ni pitched to S.Downs H, 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 2.93
Not only had the Royals dropped four in “Anybody can beat anybody on a given Butler’s RBI single four batters later put hard not to go out there and try Frasor S, 8-10 1 0 0 0 0 1 16 2.19
1 batter in the 7th. Inherited runners-scored: Ni
a row when the Tigers arrived, they were day. Kansas City is playing good baseball the Royals on top 5-4. Callaspo, who also 2-0, Bonine 3-1, R.Colon 1-1, D.Hughes 2-0. HBP: by to win the game yourself.”
D.Hughes (Laird). WP: Yabuta. Umpires: Home, Mark Inherited runners-scored: Mahay 1-0, Carlson 1-0,
missing injured pitchers Gil Meche and right now and took it to us for three days.” had a sacrifice fly, hit a solo homer in the The Twins begin a nine- Camp 1-0. Balk: Carlson. Umpires: Home, Joe West;
Carlson; First, Kerwin Danley; Second, Wally Bell; Third,
Brian Bannister and had lost 24 of their Yuniesky Betancourt drove in two runs eighth. Marty Foster. T: 3:16. A: 12,029 (38,177). game homestand today that First, Ed Rapuano; Second, Paul Schrieber; Third, Paul
Nauert. T: 2:39. A: 11,461 (49,539).
last 33 to Detroit at home. for Kansas City, which has been strug- Callaspo’s home run was upheld by starts with three each against
But beginning with Bruce Chen on gling to avoid a 100-loss season for the video review. Umpires looked at the replay struggling Oakland and Cleve-
Tuesday night, the Royals proceeded to fifth time in eight years. to see if a fan reached over the fence to land. They’ll face the Tigers for
win with three straight spot starters, over- Roman Colon (2-3) got the win with 1 catch the ball. three starting next Friday.
coming Detroit’s Rick Porcello, Justin Ver- 1/3 innings of scoreless relief while Carlos — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION 6:30 tonight ET, ESPN, NBA TV
MEET THE CLASS
Michael Jordan
Teams: Chicago Bulls, Washington
Wizards
NBA titles: Six
Numbers: NBA-record 10 scoring titles,
14-time All-Star, five-time MVP, six-time
Finals MVP, career leader in scoring
average at 30.12 points per game, playoff
scoring average of 33.4 points per game,
three-time NBA steals leader, one NBA
defensive player of the year honor.
Claim to fame: Jordan was not only the
NBA’s greatest on-the-court player, but
he was the game’s best-ever ambassador,
spurring the popularity of basketball all
over the globe. He pushed the Bulls to
six championships, but likely would
have won more had he not twice retired.
Notable quote: “He was such a perfect
player in every way. He had the right
build, he had the right body, he had the
fundamentals. But what made him dif-
ferent was how much he hated to lose.
That’s why he was who he was on the
court.”
— Hall of Famer Charles Barkley
John Stockton
Teams: Utah Jazz
NBA titles: None
Numbers: NBA-record 15,806 career
assists (more than 50 percent more than
Mark Jackson, No. 2 on the list), NBA-
record 3,265 steals, 10-time All-Star,
NBA-record nine consecutive seasons
leading the league in assists, NBA single-
season record 14.5 assists per game,
missed only 22 games in 19 seasons, career
averages of 13.1 points and 10.5 assists.
Claim to fame: Stockton is, arguably, the
best-ever playmaker in the NBA, team-
ing up with power forward Karl Malone
to form the most efficient pick-and-roll
tandem in the history of the league.
Notable quote: “You really respect a guy
like him, a complete, total professional. …
He would play hurt—with the Dream
Team in ’92, he played through a broken
leg. Hurt, sick, injured, no matter what,
he was out there playing harder than
everyone else.”
— Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler
NBA
A look at the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009,
which will be enshrined tonight in Springfield, Mass.
David Robinson
Teams: San Antonio Spurs
NBA titles: Two
Numbers: Fifth in NBA history with
2,954 career blocks, 10-time All-Star,
NBA MVP, NBA defensive player of the
year, one of only 16 non-active players to
average 20 points and 10 rebounds for
their careers (Robinson averaged 21.1
and 10.6).
Claim to fame: As well-known as Robin-
son is for his on-court accomplishments,
during his time in the NBA he earned
distinction for his exceptional commu-
nity service. After his retirement, the
NBA’s Community Assist Award was
renamed the “David Robinson Plaque.”
Notable quote: “I was young, and I was
being put next to this great big man who
had accomplished so much, and I didn’t
know what to expect. I went out and just
played, and never even knew there could
have been a problem—on some teams the
old player might resent the new guy.
That’s not David Robinson.”
— Former teammate Tim Duncan
Jerry Sloan
Teams: Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz
NBA titles: None
Numbers: NBA record for most wins
with one franchise (1,043), fifth-most
coaching wins in NBA history, 1,137-751
career coaching record, 12 seasons with
50-plus wins.
Claim to fame: Sloan, who currently has
the longest coaching tenure with any one
team in major American pro sports, rode
the tandem of John Stockton and Karl
Malone to the pinnacle of the Western
Conference, twice making NBA Finals
appearances. Even after both Stockton
and Malone left in 2003, Sloan rebuilt
the team—the Jazz have won 50-plus
games in two of the last three seasons.
Notable quote: “Jerry has three rules:
Play hard, play smart and be on time. His
players know that if they follow those
rules, they will never have any trouble
with Jerry. How many coaches bring that
kind of stability?”
— Former Jazz coach Frank Layden
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 36
C. Vivian Stringer
Teams: Cheyney University, University
of Iowa, Rutgers
Final Fours: Four
Numbers: Three-time national coach of the
year, third-most wins in Division I women’s
basketball history (825) and eighth-most
among Division I men or women, 21 NCAA
Tournament appearances.
Claim to fame: Stringer, who will become
the 11th women’s college basketball coach
to be inducted in the Naismith Hall of
Fame, is the first coach to lead three dif-
ferent schools the Final Four. She took
Cheyney in 1982, Iowa in 1993 and Rut-
gers twice, in 2000 and 2007.
Notable quote: “Vivian Stringer has been
one of the giants of the game. Her achieve-
ments and the success she has created
everywhere she has been throughout her
career are second to none. Her teams are
always among the toughest and most
challenging to compete against in the
country, year in and year out.”
— Hall of Famer and Connecticut women’s coach Geno Auriemma
—Contributing: Sean Deveney, Rutgers athletics,
The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Ode to His Airness
As Michael Jordan enters the Hall of Fame
tonight, people around the league give their take
on what made No. 23 so great.
Joe Dumars, widely regarded as the
toughest defender on Jordan:
“He changed the way people see
basketball. In my opinion, he is the
best player who ever played the
game. You can say the game was one
thing up ’til the point he entered the
league, and it was very different
after him. He defined the way the
game was going to be played from
then on. He made it an above-the-
rim game.”
Jerry Sloan, whose Jazz lost twice to
Jordan and the Bulls in the NBA Finals:
“On the floor, there was nothing
you could do. We doubled him one
time, he found a player to make a
shot. Another time, we guarded him
one-on-one, he makes the shot to beat
us. That’s what great players do. You
can talk all you want about philoso-
phies in the world. Players like that
break your philosophy. They make
you have to change somewhere.”
Dwyane Wade, who grew up watching
Jordan in Chicago:
“For me, it is amazing, to see some-
one you looked up to, who inspired
you, to go into the Hall of Fame.
There are so many memories, but to
me, the thing that sticks out is when
Michael became Michael, and that
was the first championship. After
that, he went from being a star bas-
ketball player to just being a star,
being someone everyone around the
world knew.”
HALL OF FAME
Reggie Miller, who shared a division
with Jordan for nine seasons:
“I can remember preparing to
play the Bulls, and I would do the
same thing for every guy I was
supposed to be guarding. I would
watch film, look at scouting reports
and try to break down their games.
No matter who I was playing
against, all the best shooting
guards of that era—Mitch Rich-
mond, Clyde Drexler, Joe Dumars—
there was some advantage I could
find, some little thing they didn’t
do well that I could take advantage
of.
“With Michael, no matter how
much film I watched, I couldn’t
find anything. He was strong, he
could post you up. He could shoot
over you from midrange. He could
shoot from the outside. He could
drive past you. He did everything.”
Steve Kerr, Jordan’s teammate for
three championship seasons:
“For a guy like me, playing with
someone like Michael just makes
your career. If you are a role player
in this league, then being put next
to a truly great player like Michael
is all you can ask for, because he is
going to find a way to take advan-
tage of the role you can fill. I don’t
think anyone did that better than
Michael, with his ability to take
every aspect of his team and find a
way to make it better.”
— Sean Deveney
NBA FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 37
REED SAXON / AP
Tears flowed after Michael Jordan, center, won his first NBA title in 1991 with Chicago.
MJ’s 10 best moments
1. The final shot. Game 6 of the 1998 Finals: Jordan nails the game-
winning jumper over Bryon Russell.
2. The first title. The image of Jordan crying and holding the cham-
pionship trophy is unforgettable.
3. The shrug. After knocking down six 3-pointers in the first half
against the Blazers in Game 1 of the 1992 Finals, Jordan simply turns
to the scorer’s table and shrugs.
4. 63. The Bulls are swept by the Celtics in the 1986 playoffs, but
Jordan’s 63-point performance in Game 2 remains a playoff record.
5. Flu game. Barely able to walk because of the flu, Jordan man-
ages to score 38 points in a Game 5 win over Utah in the 1997
Finals.
6. Super shot in the Superdome. With 15 seconds remaining and
North Carolina trailing Georgetown by one in the national champi-
onship game, Jordan, a freshman, makes a 17-foot jumper to win the
game.
7. Crushing the Cavs. Jordan makes “The Shot” that pushes the Bulls past
the Cavaliers in the decisive Game 5 of the 1989 playoffs’ first round.
8. The dunk. At the 1988 dunk contest, Jordan beats out Domin-
ique Wilkins after receiving a perfect score on a double-clutch foul-
line dunk that shakes Chicago Stadium.
9. The double-nickel. Returning from two years of dabbling with
baseball, Jordan scores 55 points in his fifth game back, at Madison
Square Garden.
10. The Dream Team. On a team of Hall of Famers, Jordan is the star
for the 1992 Team USA Olympians, showing the extent of his world-
wide popularity for the first time.
MICHAEL CONROY / AP — Sean Deveney
If Michael Jordan ever had a weakness, Reggie Miller, left, never found it.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
HALL OF FAME
Q&A with ... Former San Antonio Spurs C David Robinson
Robinson humbled to be part of loaded Hall class
There’s little doubting the Hall of Fame
credentials carried by Spurs center David
Robinson. Over the course of his 14-year
career, Robinson averaged 21.1 points,
10.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks, winning two
championships along the way. Robinson
talked with Sporting News Today’s Sean
Deveney about his enshrinement, how he’s
kept busy in retirement and why he won’t
be doing a Brett Favre.
Q: It seems to be a pretty
good class that you’re
going into Springfield with.
Has that registered with you?
A: In a way, yes, and in a way,
no. Going into the Hall of
Fame is obviously the biggest
honor you can get as a basketball
player, no matter who else goes in
with you. But when you look at the
list of other people—Jerry Sloan,
Stockton, Jordan, Vivian Stringer—
it is humbling. It becomes some-
thing bigger. It’s exciting, and I am
very proud to be doing this.
Q: How have you managed
to keep busy in
retirement?
A: A lot of my time is spent on
my school, the Carver
Academy. We’ve got 120 kids, from
pre-K to sixth grade, and we’re
always working to give them an
academic program that is out-
standing, something that nurtures
them as students and as people. A
lot of the kids at the school don’t
have that. I’ve always felt that if
you see a man who is hungry, feed
him. If you see a child who does not
have clothes, get him some clothes.
Q: You’ve stayed connected
with the Spurs in
retirement, but you don’t do a
In retirement, David Robinson has been the force behind the Carver Academy in San Antonio.
lot of coaching or anything like
that. Do you think you ever will?
A: I really don’t think so. I
don’t have the personality
for that. I have coached little kids.
That’s enough for me.
Q: Why?
A: You know, basketball was
an incredible experience for
me. To have the career I did and to
be in the Hall of Fame, that is
incredible. But it doesn’t define
who I am as a man. I am a teacher
at heart. I am not really a coach.
Q: You’re 44, and you’ve
always kept yourself in
good shape. What do you think,
could you get back out there
NBA
CHARLES KRUPA / AP
and play 10, 15 minutes a night?
A: I have been watching Brett
Favre coming back, and I
am thinking, ‘Hey, maybe I can go
get two years and $25 million like
he did.’ Really, physically, I feel
phenomenal. But when I retired,
that was it. It never occurs to me
that I could or should go back and
play. I am pretty happy doing what
I am doing now.
Q: Plus, you went out in 2003
with a championship. You
can’t beat that.
A: If the last game you play
ends with you holding the
trophy, there’s no point in pushing
your luck. I walked off the court a
champion, knowing that was going
to be my last memory of basketball.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 38
INSIDE DISH
NBA refs bracing for lockout
NBA referees are prepared to be locked out for the
start of the season after contract negotiations with the
league broke down this week. No further talks are
scheduled—and when they do resume, it’ll be without
commissioner David Stern.
Referees spokesman Lamell McMorris accused Stern of
acting childish and not negotiating in good faith, so
Stern removed himself from the process.
Stern said Thursday he told McMorris that, “In fact
if it was going to get personal—which apparently he’s
decided to make it by calling news media and leveling
a series of inaccurate allegations—that I would absent
myself from the negotiations, which I have.”
The league’s contract with its referees expired on
Sept. 1, and McMorris said the sides basically have
agreed on salary issues for a new two-year deal. He
said the league wanted to freeze salaries for the first
year with a 1 percent increase in year two.
The officials were willing to go along with that,
McMorris said, because of the economic difficulties
the league is facing, but the NBA still was asking for
significant reductions in the referees’ budget.
Referees are due to open their training camp on
Sept. 20, and the league’s first preseason game is
scheduled for Oct. 1 at Utah. Without a deal soon, the
NBA will begin the season with replacement officials
for the first time since 1995.
SG Allen Iverson has heard all the talk that he’s lost
a step, and now he wants to prove those critics
wrong. LANCE MURPHEY / AP
“This year for me is so personal,” Iverson said at a
news conference Thursday in which he was intro-
Allen Iverson said this season will be much like his rookie
campaign, as he’ll be trying to prove his critics wrong.
duced as a member of the Grizzlies. “It’s basically
going to be my rookie season again. It hurts, but I
turn the TV on, I read the paper, I listen to some of
Grizzlies withdrew a qualifying offer to G Juan Carlos
Navarro, freeing up more money for the signing.
the things people say about me having the season
that I had last year and me losing a step, things like
that. They’re trying to put me in a rocking chair
The Hornets traded PG Antonio Daniels and a 2014
draft pick to the Timberwolves on Wednesday for PF
already.”
The team and Iverson’s agent, Leon Rose, declined to
Darius Songaila and PG Bobby Brown, and G.M. Jeff Bower
says the team might not be done tinkering.
discuss specifics, though Rose said the one-year deal
is laden with team-oriented incentives. None are tied
to Iverson’s individual statistics. A base salary
“There are still things to be looking at, and we still
continue to look for ways to help us as a team,” Bower
told The Times-Picayne. “I don’t think we’re going to
reported at about $3.5 million was increased after the reach a point where we sit back and say, ‘We’re done.’ ”
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Kings, Senators deny report of Heatley-Sharks trade
Nobody shoots down a rumor
quite like Kings G.M. Dean Lombardi.
On Thursday evening, ESPN
reported a three-way trade that
would have sent Ottawa forward
Dany Heatley to the San Jose Sharks
and Patrick Marleau to the Kings. Los
Angeles, the report said, was send-
ing Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll to
the Senators as part of the deal.
In an e-mail to Sporting News
Today, the Kings said there was
“nothing to” the report. Lombardi
was more direct with Kings beat
writer Rich Hammond.
“Complete bull,” Lombardi wrote
in a text message to the Los Angeles
Daily News reporter.
The Senators are participating in
a charity golf event today, but the
team announced on Thursday that
Heatley wouldn’t be participating
in order to keep the focus on the
charity.
Despite the denials, the Sharks
are believed to be among the teams
interested in acquiring Heatley. The
Ottawa Citizen said the Rangers are
also in the mix for the high-scoring
winger.
“I could give him away for noth-
ing,” Ottawa G.M. Bryan Murray told
the Citizen, “but I’m not going to do
that.”
— Craig Custance
Theo Fleury’s comeback attempt
was given a push in the right direc-
tion Thursday after he was rein-
stated for on-ice play by the NHL
and the NHL Players’ Association.
Fleury had been under indefinite
suspension for violating the NHL’s
substance abuse policy. However,
Fleury is now 41 and hasn’t played
Pavol Demitra, who had 20 goals and 33 assists last season, was injured in Game 2 of Vancouver’s Western semifinal against Chicago.
in the NHL since the end of 2002-
03 season. Fleury scored 455 goals
and added 633 assists with the
Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New
York Rangers and Chicago from
1988-2003.
NHL
INSIDE DISH
The Canucks will have to begin
the season without top-six F Pavol
Demitra, who told The Vancouver Sun
that he still needs six more weeks of
rehab on his surgically repaired
ED BETZ / AP
shoulder.
“I saw the doctors Monday and
right now, we’ve go another six
weeks to go,” Demitra told the
newspaper. “That’s where we are. I
am not supposed to get hit for
another four or five weeks. I am
shooting for the middle of October,
but you never know.”
Demitra suffered two tears in his
rotator cuff—one in the front, one in
the back—during Game 2 of the
Canucks’ semifinal playoff series
against Chicago.
Demitra had 20 goals and 33
assists for the Canucks last season.
The Oilers said Thursday that
they have signed veteran C Mike Com-
rie to a one-year deal.
Comrie, 29, returns to the team
that drafted him in 1999 and the
city where he played the first three
seasons of his career before leaving
in a bitter contract dispute.
Carolina D Joni Pitkanen will
undergo arthroscopic knee surgery
and miss at least two weeks, accord-
ing to The News & Observer of
Raleigh, N.C.
With training camp ready to
open, Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock
says the sky should be the limit—or
at least the top of the rugged Central
Division—for his now playoff-
tested, but still young, Blue Jackets.
And, Hitchcock added, it’s about
time for the Red Wings to take a fall.
“I don’t want to just stay in the
(playoff) mix,” Hitchcock told The
Columbus Dispatch. “I want to go and
chase Detroit. I’m tired of watching
Detroit in first place. I’d like to chase
them. I mean, somewhere along the
line, somebody’s got to make them
bleed, and it might as well be us.”
If you listen to Detroit D Andreas
Lilja, he’s ready to rejoin the Red
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 39
Wings’ lineup after suffering a con-
cussion, courtesy of Nashville D
Shea Weber last February.
If you listen to Wings G.M. Ken
Holland, however, his readiness is
debatable. Lilja said he has been
skating and feeling optimistic about
training camp, even though he still
suffers from occasional headaches.
“I have to sit down and talk with
doctors still, but my thinking is I’m
going to play,” the Swedish star told
The Detroit News. “If my headaches
don’t get any worse, as long as I can
live with it, it won’t bother me. I’m
almost 100 percent sure I’m going
to play, it’s just a matter of time.”
Holland sees Lilja’s situation
differently.
“There is a big difference between
skating and practicing and playing
in an NHL game,” he told the news-
paper. “He’s got to get cleared and I
assume the doctors are going to
want to know that he’s symptom-
free for a period of time before they
clear him.”
A $75 million government loan
has been finalized and the sale of
the Montreal Canadiens to a group
led by the Molson beer brewing
family is going ahead. The
announcement was made jointly by
team owner George Gillett and Geoff
Molson at the team’s annual charity
golf tournament on Thursday.
The Molson brothers say the
structure of the new ownership
group has been finalized and the
deal—for a reported $575 million—
could be completed in the next few
weeks, subject to final approval by
the NHL. Pierre Boivin reportedly is
staying on as team president.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Judge says he could reject
both offers for Coyotes
PHOENIX—A bankruptcy judge
raised the possibility Thursday of
rejecting both bids to buy the Phoe-
nix Coyotes.
Judge Redfield T. Baum called
the possibility “more than theoreti-
cal” during a marathon court hear-
ing kicking off the two-day auction
of the franchise.
Canadian bil-
lionaire Jim Balsil-
lie’s bid is
contingent on
moving the team to
Hamilton, Ontario,
over the over-
whelming opposi-
Jim Balsillie tion of the NHL.
The other bid is
by the NHL, which has said it will
resell the team, either to an owner
who would keep the team in Glen-
dale or, failing that, to someone
who would relocate the franchise.
Balsillie and NHL commissioner
Gary Bettman were in the crowded
courtroom. Both had been sched-
uled to be questioned by attorneys
today.
However, attorneys for the NHL
and Glendale said at the end of
Thursday’s hearing they would not
need to question Balsillie.
Bettman will be questioned by
Balsillie’s aggressive attorney Jeff
Kessler.
“Mr. Kessler took my deposition
in this case and we go back a long
time together,” Bettman said after
the day ended. “I think we’ve both
been in the sports and legal busi-
ness for about 30 years. Actually, I
think he’s probably taken my depo-
sition more than once.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to appear in court today as a witness.
Balsillie left the courthouse
without commenting on the day’s
events.
“We’ll talk (today),” he told the
gaggle of reporters, many of them
from Canada.
Baum raised the prospect of
throwing out both bids during
arguments on whether Balsillie
can get out of a lease agreement
with the city of Glendale without a
significant penalty.
Jordan Kroop, an attorney for the
debtors group headed by Coyotes
owner Jerry Moyes that took the
team into bankruptcy, was talking
about the two bids facing the judge
when Baum interrupted him.
“There is a third opportunity
when we’re done here,” the judge
said. “No sale.”
“Theoretically,” Kroop
responded.
“I think it’s more than theoreti-
cal,” Baum replied.
NHL
2009-10
TOP 60 FANTASY PLAYERS 124 PAGES OF TEAM PREVIEWS
NCAA PREVIEW 30 ENFORCERS TO FEAR
30 BREAKOUT CANDIDATES SN INSIDER LOWDOWN
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 1
1-800-380-7404
www.sportingnews.com REGION 3
Cover: Sidney Crosby &
www.streetandsmiths.com Evgeni Malkin, PIT
Inset: Jeff Carter, PHI
SHIPPING: + $3.50 for the first magazine
+ 50¢ each additional magazine
MATT YORK / AP
Balsillie has boosted his bid to
$242.5 million, adding $50 million
for Glendale if the city withdrew
its objection to the sale. He wants
to transfer the team across the con-
ONLY
tinent for the coming season but
has said he might need to play a
few games in Glendale while the
$ 7EACH
.99
move is made.
To accept Balsillie’s bid, Baum
must overrule the 26-0 vote by the REGION 1 REGION 2 REGION 4 REGION 5 REGION 6
Cover: Tim Thomas, BOS Cover: Chris Drury, NYR & Cover: Alex Ovechkin, WSH Cover: Cam Ward, CAR Cover: Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL
NHL board of governors rejecting Zach Parise, NJD Inset: J.P. Dumont, NSH Inset: Martin St. Louis, TBL
Inset: Derek Roy, BUF & David Booth, FLA
Balsillie as an owner. The board
said it found Balsillie to be untrust-
worthy, based on the Canadian
Blackberry mogul’s previous
failed attempts to buy the Pitts-
burgh Penguins and Nashville
Predators, as well as his Coyotes
dealings.
The judge also would have to set
a relocation fee that would have to
REGION 7 REGION 8 REGION 9 REGION 10 REGION 11 REGION 12
be paid to the league to move the Cover: Patrick Kane, CHI & Cover: Mike Ribeiro, DAL Cover: Ryan Getzlaf, ANA Cover: Alex Burrows, VAN Cover: Andrei Markov, MTL Cover: Jason Blake, TOR
team. Pavel Datsyuk, DET Inset: Brad Boyes, STL & Inset: Shane Doan, PHX & Inset: Sheldon Souray, EDM Inset: Jason Spezza, OTT
Inset: Niklas Backstrom, MIN Milan Hejduk, COL Joe Thornton, SJS & Jarome Iginla, CGY
— The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
NHL countdown
20
BY CHUCK GORMLEY
Sporting News Yearbooks
Bigger and cruder.
Those are the words Toronto general
manager Brian Burke chose when asked to
describe the team he would like to build in
Canada’s most playoff-starved city.
It has been five years since Toronto last
played host to a playoff game, and although
few are expecting the Leafs to finish in the
elite eight this season, it won’t be for a lack
of toughness.
Having seen the Leafs sleepwalk through
a 12th-place conference finish last season,
Burke vowed to add sandpaper to his roster
and create a team in his own likeness.
“We are going to be a much more hostile
group,” Burke said. “We will be tougher.
I’m not watching this again.”
Two years ago, as G.M. of the Anaheim
Ducks, Burke watched his team fight its
way to a Stanley Cup by leading the NHL in
penalty minutes. And while the Leafs’ cur-
rent roster may not strike the same fear in
opponents, the offseason additions of Col-
ton Orr and Mike Komisarek were clear
steps toward that goal.
Orr, an agitating right wing, spent a
career-high 193 minutes in the penalty box
last season with the Rangers, while Komis-
arek, a hard-hitting defenseman, brings a
nasty edge from Montreal.
But the biggest acquisition may be the
free-agent signing of goaltender Jonas
Gustavsson. The 24-year-old Swede agreed
to a one-year deal after tearing up the Swed-
ish Elite League with a 1.96 goals-against
average and .932 save percentage.
Burke says he never worked so hard to
sign one player and called Gustavsson a
“major acquisition.” But he adds that
NHL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 41
Numbers
Every day in September leading into
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS CATEGORY TEAM STATS RANKS
the Oct. 1 season openers, Sporting
Goals Per Game 2.98 10
News Today will preview each of the 2008-09 record: 34-35-13, 81 points Penalty Kill Percentage 74.68 30
NHL teams, counting backward from Last playoff: 2004 (lost in conference quarterfinal) Power Play Goals 62 17t
its July 24 Power Poll. Coach: Ron Wilson Power Play Percentage 18.79 16
Saves 2195 17t
Save Percentage .885 30
veteran Vesa Toskala will enter training Shorthanded Goals For 6 21t
camp as the Leafs’ starter, saying goalies Shots Against Per Game 30.26 17
are like pitchers: always auditioning. Shots Per Game 31.74 9
“We were very frank with Jonas (Gustavs- Shutouts 1 29t
son) that we feel Vesa (Toskala) is going to Total Points 674 9
have a big-time, bounce-back year now that Faceoff Percentage .501 17
he’s healthy,” Burke said. Goals Against Per Game 3.49 30
Despite Burke’s comments, Toskala
Power Play
appears to be on thin ice after battling groin 330 20
Opportunities
and hip injuries last season. Throw in the Shorthanded Goals
fact that Gustavsson is working under a 7 18t
Against
one-year deal, and you have a newly Times Shut Out 4 18t
acquired goaltender desperate to prove
himself as a starter. Offseason moves
In addition to team toughness, the Leafs Additions
want to tighten a defense that allowed the Francois Beauchemin, D (Ducks); Tim Brent, C
most goals in the NHL. Komisarek fills (Blackhawks); Garnet Exelby, D (trade, Thrashers);
both voids. The 6-4, 243-pounder finished Jonas Gustavsson, G (Sweden); Mike Komisarek, D
fourth among defensemen in blocked shots (Canadiens); Joey McDonald, G (Islanders); Colton
(207) and ninth in hits (191) despite playing Orr, RW (Rangers); Wayne Primeau, C (trade, Flames);
just 66 games. Rickard Wallin, C (Sweden).
“He’s a respected competitor in this
league,” Burke said, “and we know that he Subtractions
will bring his hard-nosed approach to our Drew Fata, D (Bruins); Jay Harrison, D (Hurricanes);
team on a consistent basis.” Pavel Kubina, D (trade, Thrashers); Kris Newbury, C
The Leafs added steady Francois (Red Wings); Justin Pogge, G (Ducks); Jaime Sifers,
Beauchemin, who missed 62 games for D (Wild); Tim Stapleton, C (trade, Thrashers); Anton
Anaheim last season with an ACL injury Stralman, D (trade, Flames); Jeremy Williams, RW
but played well down the stretch and took a ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS / AP (Red Wings).
regular shift in 13 playoff games. Jonas Gustavsson, right, had a 1.96 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in the Swedish Elite League.
Burke calls Beauchemin a “rock-solid,
steady defender” who will add character to Leafs with 63 points. Alexei Ponikarovsky The Leafs picked up little-known free- player Dave Hanson, will be given every
the lineup. will try to build on his 23-goal season and agent forward Rickard Wallin, signing the opportunity to make the roster. Last year
Coach Ron Wilson likely will use the two Matt Stajan returns as the Leafs’ top assist 6-2, 195-pound Swede to a one-year con- he notched a goal and an assist in five games
new defensemen as a second pairing behind man (40), but Toronto lacks a game-break- tract. Wallin, 29, played 55 games for after leaving Notre Dame.
veteran Tomas Kaberle and 19-year-old ing forward. Farjestads of the Swedish Elite League last But unless Burke can turn one of his
Luke Schenn. Second-line center Mikhail Grabovski season, leading his team in goals (18) and defensive players into a top-line forward,
That leaves the Leafs with three defense- showed some promise with 20 goals, while points (45). He also has represented Sweden the Leafs will struggle to keep up with the
men as possible trade bait: Mike Van Ryn, right wings Nikolai Kulemin and Lee in three world championships, winning a East’s more talented offensive teams.
Jeff Finger and Phil Oreskovic. Stempniak combined for 26, giving the bronze medal last year in Switzerland. — For much more on the Leafs, purchase a copy of Sporting News
The biggest holes in the lineup are up Leafs hope that breakout years could be on Center Christian Hanson, the 6-3 son of Hockey ’09-10 yearbook by calling 1-800-380-7404. Or order it online
front, where an aging Jason Blake led the the horizon. “Slap Shot” movie star and former NHL at sportingnews.com or streetandsmiths.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
1. Former N.C. State star
David Thompson is
presenting Michael Jordan in
his induction to the Hall of
Fame. Who was the better
college player?
DeCourcy: The book on such mat-
ters—and by “the book,” I mean
Legends Of College
Basketball, the
ranking of histo-
ry’s top 100 col-
lege players I
wrote in
2 0 0 3 —places
Thompson at No.
Mike DeCourcy 6 and Jordan at
COLLEGE BASKETBALL No. 16. After a
half-dozen years,
that still seems right.
Truthfully, it hurt to rank
Thompson as low as No. 6, but the
guys in front of him were such
titans: Alcindor, Walton, Robert-
son, Russell, Maravich.
Thompson was named player of
the year by The Associated Press in
1974 and was the consensus POY in
1975. He was an NCAA Tourna-
ment Most Outstanding Player in
1974, an award Jordan never
achieved. Thompson’s scoring aver-
age (26.8) was nearly 10 points
higher than Jordan’s (17.7). You can
blame that on Dean Smith or the
Four Corners or whatever, but
Thompson’s impact was more pro-
found at the NCAA level. I’ve never
seen a more exciting college player.
2. What did you make of
the circumstances in
Arkansas, where three players
were investigated for possible
rape charges?
DeCourcy: It is hard to believe the
prosecutors’ office would confirm
its investigation of an alleged rape
STARTING FIVE
at a fraternity house involved three
Arkansas “basketball players”—
before the case reached a state
where charges could be filed or it
would be prudent to name the
accused.
That’s disgraceful conduct on the
part of government officials. In
making such a revelation to the
media, the deputy prosecutor who
spoke to television station KFSM
effectively accused a dozen young
men at once. No one publicly has
acknowledged which three Razor-
backs players were involved, so to
the public it could be any of them.
The prudent approach for both
the TV station and the prosecutors’
office would have been to identify
the accused as University of Arkan-
sas students and stop there. It’s
more salacious to report these were
basketball players, though. That
puts it right up to the front of the
newscast, doesn’t it?
Whether there was sufficient evi-
dence to pursue a rape charge, a
young woman was traumatized by
the events that led to the investiga-
tion. And that’s obviously the worst
thing to come from what happened
at that frat house. But the prosecu-
tors and the media broadened the
damage to include other innocents.
3. What rivalry that has
died in college hoops
would you most like to see
return?
DeCourcy: Memphis vs. Louisville.
I lived in Memphis and covered the
Tigers during the creation of Con-
ference USA, which revived the
Tigers-Cards competition after a
few years of dormancy when Mem-
phis and some others split the
Metro and formed the Great
Midwest.
College Basketball
Sporting News Today college basketball columnist
Mike DeCourcy addresses five topics currently in his sport’s headlines
The 2005 C-USA title game between Memphis and Louisville reminds SN Today’s Mike DeCourcy how much he longs for a return of that rivalry.
I remember how excited Mem-
phians were to resume that series,
and there was some terrific compe-
tition before Louisville escaped to
the Big East, including the dazzling
2005 C-USA championship that
ended with Tigers guard Darius
Washington’s decisive missed free
throws.
They’d still be playing now, but
Louisville coach Rick Pitino wanted
no part. Cincinnati has played
Memphis and UAB as part of its
deal to depart C-USA with money it
had earned as a member. Louisville
declined.
4. What’s been the biggest
recruiting land so far for
the Class of 2010?
DeCourcy: As much as I believe in
Perry Jones as a prospect—he’s the
MARK HUMPHREY / AP
multi-skilled 6-10 forward commit-
ted to Baylor—it seems as though
Ohio State grabbed the biggest prize
in 6-8 center Jared Sullinger.
The reason Sullinger gets the nod
is the likelihood he’ll be around
more than a year. Jones is so gifted
and such an obvious pro that the
draft folks will be clawing at him
from the minute he makes his Bay-
lor debut.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 42
At 265 pounds, or more, Sullinger
is more like a DeJuan Blair. As great
as Blair was, he wasn’t a first-round
pick even after winning All-Ameri-
can honors as a sophomore. So
Sullinger might be inclined not to
rush into the draft, which lately has
been a problem for OSU bigs.
5. North Carolina’s
yearlong celebration of
its 100th year of college hoops
began last weekend. What’s the
program’s No. 1 moment?
DeCourcy: That brings us directly
back to question No. 1, doesn’t it?
The 1957 championship was
amazing. It was Carolina’s first and
probably served as the foundation
for everything built in the subse-
quent 50 years. It featured the con-
quest of the great Wilt Chamberlain,
such a dominant figure that his 23
points and 14 rebounds in that game
were deemed inadequate. And it
was a triple-overtime thriller on top
of all that.
Basketball at that time, however,
was not the force it became in sub-
sequent decades. By the time the
Tar Heels reached the 1982 champi-
onship game against Georgetown
and Patrick Ewing, this had become
one of the country’s three dominant
sports. Winning the NCAA title
was a bigger deal.
The moment Jordan elevated to
connect for his game-winning
17-foot jumper—that moment
included many of the seminal fig-
ures in Carolina history: Jordan
himself, James Worthy, Sam Per-
kins and coach Dean Smith. Jor-
dan’s shot punctuated a game that
will not be forgotten by anyone who
watched, and there were a lot of us
by 1982.
decourcy@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Seton Hall’s Gonzalez gets TAKE YOUR FAVORITE TEAMS
3 more years on contract
Handed a new three-year con-
tract extension, coach Bobby Gonzalez
predicted this could be the season
Seton Hall returns to a postseason
tournament, and it could be the
NCAA.
Athletic director Joe Quinlan
announced on Thursday that the
fiery Gonzalez was given a contract
extension through the 2014-15 sea-
son. The school did not disclose
contract terms.
Gonzalez has guided the Pirates
to a 47-46 record in three seasons,
but they have finished no higher
than 11th in the Big East.
“I am putting self-induced pres-
sure on myself to get the team and
the program to the postseason this
year because we haven’t been there
yet,” Gonzalez said in a conference
call, according to a report by The
Associated Press. “The NIT is a lot
harder to get into than it used to be,
but I won’t be satisfied with the
NIT and I am sure the fans won’t
be.
“That’s not what I want for this
team. I want this team to go to the
NCAA.”
The last time Seton Hall made
the NCAA Tournament was in
2005-06. Their last NIT berth was
in 2002-03. Louis Orr, whom Gonza-
lez replaced, coached those teams.
The Pirates (17-15) return four
starters from last season, including
leading scorer Jeremy Hazell. Point
guard Eugene Harvey, forward Robert
Mitchell and center John Garcia are all
back.
College Basketball
INSIDE DISH
JULIE JACOBSON / AP
Bobby Gonzalez has a 47-46 record in three
seasons at Seton Hall.
Joining them will be transfers
Keon Lawrence, Herb Pope and Jeff Rob-
inson along with Jamel Jackson, true
freshman Ferrakohn Hall and Melvyn
Oliver.
Gonzalez said the group is the
deepest he’s had at Seton Hall, with
the potential to crack the top six
teams in the Big East.
New Kentucky coach John Cali-
pari floated the idea of holding Big
Blue Madness in the school’s
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SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
INSIDE DISH
Kenny Wallace will make his 800th start in NASCAR’s national series tonight at Richmond.
Second date for Kansas gets closer
Kansas Speedway took a big step closer
to getting a second Sprint Cup date Thurs-
day as parent company International
Speedway Corp. entered into an agree-
ment with the organization it was pitted
against in trying to obtain the rights to a
casino in Wyandotte County, Kan.
Penn National Gaming will buy The
Cordish Co.’s 50 percent interest in the
hotel/casino project proposed by ISC,
which as part of its proposal said it
would petition NASCAR to move a sec-
ond Sprint Cup date to the 1.5-mile
track.
“There are certainly things that could
prevent it, but I would say this is a sig-
nificant step forward,” ISC chief finan-
cial officer Dan Houser said.
NASCAR approval for the addition of
a second Cup race is considered highly
likely because the France family oper-
ates NASCAR and also owns a majority
of voting stock in ISC.
“We will petition NASCAR to realign a
date no later than the 2011 season,” Houser
said. “(Which track) is still under review.”
— Bob Pockrass, SceneDaily.com
Kenny Wallace will become the 17th
WADE PAYNE / AP
driver to make at least 800 starts among
NASCAR’s national series when he com-
petes in tonight’s Nationwide Series race
at Richmond International Raceway.
Wallace has made 444 starts in the
Nationwide Series, 344 in Sprint Cup
and 11 in the truck series.
“What really caught me off guard is
that I’m 17th all time in the history of
NASCAR of starts,” Wallace said. “That
humbles me. It almost makes me shy,
and everyone knows I’m not shy.”
— SceneDaily.com
Virginia 529 College
Savings 250
Where: Richmond International Raceway
When: Today, 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128
Track layout: .75-mile oval
Race distance: 250 laps / 187.5 miles
Qualifying: Today, 4:05 p.m. ET
2008 winner: Carl Edwards
2008 polesitter: Joey Logano (owner’s
points)
NASCAR
Petty, Yates to merge, switch to Fords
BY REID SPENCER
rspencer@sportingnews.com
Richard Petty Motorsports will switch
from Dodge to Ford next season through a
merger of RPM and Yates Racing, the team
announced Thursday.
The combined organization will race
Fords under the name Richard Petty Motor-
sports with a lineup that includes current
RPM drivers Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmend-
inger and Elliott Sadler and Yates Racing’s
Paul Menard.
Reed Sorenson, who drives the No. 43
RPM Dodge, will not be with the organiza-
tion next season.
Yates Racing, which is already in the Ford
camp, and Roush Fenway Racing have an
engine partnership (Roush-Yates Engines)
that will accrue to the benefit of the new
organization.
“You know what I like—we have really
good cars, but I feel like we need to make
some gains engine-wise,” said Kahne, who
3
for the
road
The final race of the
Sprint Cup regular
season is Saturday
night at Richmond
International Raceway. The field
for the Chase for the NASCAR
Sprint Cup will be set after the
race. Three Sprint Cup experts
discuss the big race.
1. Brian Vickers: “It’s been an up and down
track for us. I have two poles there, but I
haven’t won a race there. I like Richmond—it’s a
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 44
won Sunday’s Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta
and will try to clinch a place in the Chase
for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on Saturday
night at Richmond. “And Roush-Yates
engines are really good, but they can make
some gains car-wise. Between all of us
working together, we can make some big
gains for next year.”
RPM’s move to Ford leaves Dodge with the
three Penske Racing cars of Kurt Busch, Sam
Hornish Jr. and David Stremme. Penske
recently announced Brad Keselowski will
replace Stremme in the No. 12 Dodge next year.
Richard Petty claimed nine of his record 200 DAVE MARTIN / AP
victories in a Ford in 1969, the only year he Kasey Kahne will lead the new Richard Petty
drove the brand. Kahne started out with Yates Motorsports group that merged Thursday.
Racing, driving Fords in the Nationwide Series.
After a full Nationwide season for Akins
Motorsports in 2003, Kahne signed to drive
this sport you need a lot of support.
“We bring a lot to this relationship as
Dodges in the Cup series for Gillett-Evernham. well. We’ve won twice this season, and the
“Ford is going to provide the support that power of Richard Petty is hard to beat, plus
we need to go to victory lane more often,” said we have the support of some of the biggest
team managing partner Foster Gillett. “If you names in corporate America.”
are going to compete with the other teams in — Reid Spencer writes for the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
good racetrack and I enjoy racing there. I would like
to have the average finish there to be the average
that I have at some tracks going into this race for the
Chase. We just need to go there and repeat the same
thing we did earlier this year, which was get the pole
and then find a race package that works for us.”
2. Kurt Busch: “The overwhelming attitude
for a lot of teams will be to do whatever it
takes to win there on Saturday night. We’re still in
that group looking to clinch a Chase spot, so we’ll
have to continuously be looking at the points situ-
ation throughout the race. Hopefully we can put CHUCK BURTON / AP
ourselves in a position up front to really go after a Matt Kenseth
win at the end of the race.”
but more important than that we are searching for
3. Matt Kenseth: “We’ve been steady down
the stretch, but we are capable of much bet-
ter. We are concentrated on getting in that Chase,
ways to get this team back up front and leading
laps and contending for wins. When you do that,
all the other stuff tends to fall in line.”
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Del Potro left waiting, but still feels good after win
NEW YORK—Juan Martin del
Potro was aching for a second
crack at a Grand Slam semifinal,
a second chance to prove he has
what it takes to win at that stage.
By early Thursday evening, he
knew he’d get that opportunity at
the U.S. Open, thanks to a wind-
swept 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 quarterfi-
nal victory over 16th-seeded
Marin Cilic of Croatia.
What the sixth-seeded del
Potro still did not know by the
end of the night, however, as rain
washed over Flushing Meadows:
The opponent he will have to beat
to reach his first Grand Slam
final.
That’s because the quarterfinal
between six-time major cham-
pion Rafael Nadal and 2007 Aus-
tralian Open runner-up
Fernando Gonzalez was post-
poned by showers during the
second set.
The first rain delay, of about 75
minutes, came at 2-2 in the sec-
ond set, after Nadal won the
opening set in a tiebreaker. The
second interruption came at
about 10:20 p.m., with Nadal
holding a 3-2 lead in the second-
set tiebreaker.
At midnight, tournament offi-
cials suspended play for the
night, sending Nadal and Gonza-
lez home.
And leaving del Potro still
waiting.
The breaks might have been
helpful to Nadal, who called for a
trainer after the first set. It
appeared Nadal was being
checked for a flare-up of a
stomach muscle problem that
bothered him earlier in the
tournament.
“In the first set, it was very,
very bad,” Nadal’s uncle and
coach, Toni, said in a second-set
interview with ESPN2, which
was televising the match in the
U.S. “Now, it’s a little better. It’s
difficult. We must win this set.”
Nadal was going to have to wait
to try to do that. Organizers had
hoped to conclude the match
Thursday, because today’s fore-
cast called for more rain.
Several hours earlier, del Potro
did a much better job than Cilic of
dealing with the conditions,
which included swirling winds
that reached 20 mph.
They are quite similar: Both
are 6-foot-6, both have big serves,
both have seemingly unlimited
potential. And they were born
five days apart in 1988, making
them the two youngest players
ranked in the top 20.
Cilic began brilliantly on this
day, racing to a lead of a set and a
break. But he started missing
more and more, while del Potro
stayed steady enough to claim 17
of the last 20 games.
Del Potro has been thinking
about this year’s French Open,
where he reached the semifinals
and took a 2-1 lead in sets against
Roger Federer.
Del Potro let that slip away.
He wasn’t about to have the
same thing happen Thursday.
“Well, I learn many things. I
was so close to beat him,” del
Potro said, recalling that loss to
U.S. OPEN
Juan Martin del Potro won his quarterfinal match Thursday but will have to wait another day to find out who he will play next.
Federer. “I have everything to
learn, you know. I want to be a
good player in the future.”
He finished with only 24
unforced errors—29 fewer than
Cilic.
“He was not missing,” said
Cilic, who upset No. 2 Andy Mur-
ray on Tuesday.
“Andy, he doesn’t have as much
power as del Potro has,” Cilic
said.
In the other men’s semifinal
Saturday, No. 1 Federer will face
No. 4 Novak Djokovic. Federer
Tennis
beat Djokovic at the U.S. Open in
the 2007 final and 2008 semifi-
nals, part of an overall 8-4 head-
to-head edge.
But there also is this: Federer
has reached the final at 16 of the
past 17 Grand Slam tournaments,
and the only hiccup in that stretch
was a loss to eventual champion
Djokovic in the 2008 Australian
Open semifinals.
The women’s semifinals are
today, when defending champion
Serena Williams will meet 2005
champion Kim Clijsters, and
CHARLES KRUPA / AP
Caroline Wozniacki faces Yanina
Wickmayer in a matchup of
19-year-olds both playing in a
Grand Slam semifinal for the
first time.
Williams is seeking her fourth
U.S. Open title and 12th Grand
Slam singles championship over-
all. She also has a chance to win
her 10th women’s doubles title at
a major with older sister Venus;
they advanced to that final
Thursday with a three-set
victory.
— The Associated Press
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 45
Glance
WEATHER: Mostly cloudy with a few peeks
of sun and windy. High of 69.
TODAY ON TV (All Times EDT): CBS,
12:30-6 p.m.
ATTENDANCE: Day: 21,225.
WINNERS: Quarterfinals: No. 6 Juan Martin
del Potro.
LOSERS: No. 16 Marin Cilic.
TOP PLAYERS ON COURT TODAY: Men’s
Quarterfinals: No. 3 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 11
Fernando Gonzalez (completion of Thursday’s
suspended match); Women’s Semifinals: No. 2
Serena Williams vs. Kim Clijsters, No. 9 Caroline
Wozniacki vs. Yanina Wickmayer.
STAT OF THE DAY: 9-0 — The Williams
sisters record in women’s Grand Slam doubles
finals. They advanced to this year’s U.S. Open
final on Thursday by beating Alisa Kleybanova
and Ekaterina Makarova in three sets.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I was thinking,
every point, do the same, try to put the ball in
the court. When you fight that way to the final
point, you have many chances and that’s what
happened today.” — Juan Martin del Potro
ON THIS DATE: Sept. 11, 1994: Andre
Agassi becomes the first unseeded man since
Fred Stolle in 1966 to win the men’s singles
title, beating Michael Stich in straight sets.
— The Associated Press
Results
Thursday
At The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
New York
Purse: $21.6 million (Grand Slam)
Surface: Hard-Outdoor
Singles Men Quarterfinals
Juan Martin del Potro (6), Argentina, def. Marin Cilic
(16), Croatia, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
Rafael Nadal (3), Spain, leads Fernando Gonzalez (11),
Chile, 7-6 (4), 6-6 (3-2), susp., rain.
Doubles Women Semifinals
Serena and Venus Williams (4), United States, def.
Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova (13), Russia,
7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2.
Mixed Championship
Carly Gullickson and Travis Parrott, United States, def.
Cara Black, Zimbabwe, and Leander Paes (2), India,
6-2, 6-4.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Golf FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 46
BMW CHAMPIONSHIP
NOTEBOOK Leaderboard
Ogilvy keeps questions simple
Sabbatini shares lead; Woods two back Thursday
At Cog Hill Golf and Country Club,
Dubsdread Course, Lemont, Ill.
LEMONT, ILL.—Two days after his Presi- Purse: $7.5 million
Few active players have an archi- the Deutsche Bank Championship, dents Cup snub, Rory Sabbatini made Yardage: 7,616; Par: 71 (35-36)
First Round
tectural acumen like Geoff Ogilvy, leaving him in jeopardy of spending captain Greg Norman’s decision to Rory Sabbatini 33-33 — 66 -5
so perhaps it was only fitting that the his next three weeks at home in Dal- leave him off the International team Steve Marino 33-33 — 66 -5
Bo Van Pelt 35-32 — 67 -4
Australian play his pro-am round at las. He was No. 54 in the standings, look even more peculiar. Marc Leishman 32-35 — 67 -4
the BMW Championship with Rees with only 70 advancing to Cog Hill. Sabbatini ran off seven birdies on David Toms 35-33 — 68 -3
Padraig Harrington 34-34 — 68 -3
Jones, who renovated Cog Hill. Throughout the final round, renovated Cog Hill for a 5-under 66 on Geoff Ogilvy 37-31 — 68 -3
Tiger Woods 34-34 — 68 -3
Ogilvy wrote on Twitter during Campbell was projected at No. Thursday, giving him a share of the Camilo Villegas 33-35 — 68 -3
his round that he was playing with 70—sometimes a little higher, some- lead with Steve Marino at the BMW John Mallinger 33-35 — 68 -3
Ian Poulter 33-36 — 69 -2
Jones and solicited questions. A times lower. He was trying not to International and hopes of making it to Anthony Kim 36-33 — 69 -2
reporter mentioned that to Jones pay attention, although that wasn’t the FedEx Cup finale. Bubba Watson 34-35 — 69 -2
Jonathan Byrd 36-33 — 69 -2
long after the pro-am round, and the easy. They had a one-shot lead over Bo Van Mark Wilson 35-34 — 69 -2
noted architect smiled and said, “I was practicing on Monday, try- Pelt and Marc Leishman, who only Brandt Snedeker 33-36 — 69 -2
Dustin Johnson 35-34 — 69 -2
“That’s why he was asking so many ing to be optimistic,” Campbell said. qualified for the third playoff event by Charles Howell III 34-35 — 69 -2
questions.” “I can’t figure out the points, and I’m making an eagle on his final hole Mon- John Senden 33-37 — 70 -1
Heath Slocum 34-36 — 70 -1
Even so, the Australian didn’t not going to root against anybody. day at the TPC Boston. Nick Watney 33-37 — 70 -1
Sean O’Hair 33-37 — 70 -1
turn this into a full-fledged inquiry. They finally put it on the (TV) screen Tiger Woods, a four-time winner at Jim Furyk 32-38 — 70 -1
Jones is known as the “Open doctor,” that I was 70th.” Cog Hill, was among those at 68. Scott Verplank 33-37 — 70 -1
Luke Donald 34-36 — 70 -1
and given the severity of U.S. Open Sabbatini won the Byron Nelson Webb Simpson 37-33 — 70 -1
courses, he gets criticized more than Blind start Championship in May and appeared to Bryce Molder
Chad Campbell
34-36 — 70 -1
35-35 — 70 -1
most golf course designers. Paul Goydos was among the late be in good shape to make the Presidents Jason Day 36-35 — 71 E
But not from Ogilvy, at least not arrivals to the BMW Champion- Cup team until Y.E. Yang stunned the NAM Y. HUH / AP Y.E. Yang 36-35 — 71 E
Brian Davis 34-37 — 71 E
directly. ship, and for good reason. After golf world with his comeback win over Rory Sabbatini’s 5-under 66 put him in a tie for first place after the first round. Matt Kuchar 35-36 — 71 E
“I didn’t want to get too deep,” missing the cut last week outside Woods at the PGA Championship to Bill Haas 36-35 — 71 E
Ryan Moore 35-36 — 71 E
Ogilvy said. “It’s not my domain to Boston, he flew home to California bump Sabbatini out of the top 10. in the top 20. Norman said Scott, a fel- Phil Mickelson 36-35 — 71 E
Sergio Garcia 38-33 — 71 E
get into golf course architecture. It and spent Tuesday celebrating Norman then used his two captain’s low Australian, was “the logical BMW Championship Charlie Wi 38-33 — 71 E
was nothing too deep, just ‘What daughter Courtney’s 17th birthday. picks on 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa of choice.” Jason Bohn 37-34 — 71 E
did you do here?’ and that sort of Goydos caught the redeye Tues- Japan, who has won four times in the What disturbed Sabbatini was not Site: Lemont, Ill. Pat Perez 39-33 — 72 +1
Schedule: Through Sunday Steve Stricker 36-36 — 72 +1
thing.” day night and made it to Chicago on last calendar year; and Adam Scott, hearing from Norman or anyone else Jeff Overton 37-35 — 72 +1
Course: Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, Stewart Cink 37-35 — 72 +1
He said it was an enjoyable round Wednesday morning—in time to be who is in the worst slump of his career during the three weeks after the PGA Dubsdread Course (7,616 yards, par 71). Mike Weir 37-35 — 72 +1
and called Jones a “very nice man.” an alternate for the afternoon pro- and has fallen out of the top 50 in the Championship when the captain makes Purse: $7.5 million. Winner’s share: $1.35 Kevin Na 36-36 — 72 +1
Retief Goosen 37-35 — 72 +1
Asked what he thought of Jones’ am. He waited until 2 p.m. for the world ranking. his two selections. million. Fredrik Jacobson 35-37 — 72 +1
work at Cog Hill, Ogilvy replied, last player to tee off, then headed Right after his low round, Sabbatini “There was not a single conversation TV: Golf Channel (Today, 3-6 p.m., 8:30- John Rollins 37-36 — 73 +2
11:30 p.m.) and NBC (Saturday, 3-6 p.m.; Hunter Mahan 38-35 — 73 +2
“Similar to most.” back to his hotel for some rest. took the high road. or a single phone call, period,” Sabba- Sunday, 2-6 p.m.).
Charley Hoffman 36-37 — 73 +2
Brian Gay 35-38 — 73 +2
“Bethpage is obvious his best,” That means he never got in a prac- “If I’d been playing well over the past tini said. “You could say I was a little Angel Cabrera 37-36 — 73 +2
Ogilvy said. “This is somewhere in tice round to see the changes to the couple weeks and didn’t get picked, I disappointed.” Zach Johnson 37-36 — 73 +2
Justin Leonard 36-37 — 73 +2
the middle.” golf course. might have something to complain The spunky South African was played at Cog Hill two years ago, in soft Nathan Green 34-39 — 73 +2
Still, for a guy who digs golf course On his opening hole, Goydos hit about,” said Sabbatini, who has missed hardly disappointed by anything at Cog conditions from rain, Woods won at Paul Goydos 35-39 — 74 +3
Davis Love III 39-35 — 74 +3
resign, Ogilvy stopped short of call- his approach to 10 feet and made four cuts in his last eight starts and has Hill, which received a facelift from Rees 22-under 262. Lucas Glover 37-37 — 74 +3
ing it the dream pro-am round. birdie. Walking off the green, he not finished in the top 30 since winning Jones as the public course in the Chi- Woods at least kept himself in the Jason Dufner 37-37 — 74 +3
Kevin Sutherland 39-36 — 75 +4
“If I was going to talk about archi- said to his playing partners, “I think in Dallas. “But you know what? The cago suburbs. It is longer and tougher, mix this week, making a few good par Ernie Els 36-39 — 75 +4
tecture, I would prefer to play with the course is better than ever.” situation is such ... I’m here this week. with deeper bunkers, and it was saves and three birdie putts inside 5 Ben Crane 39-36 — 75 +4
Robert Allenby 38-37 — 75 +4
Ben Crenshaw,” he said. It got the better of him by the end I’m going to focus on this.” reflected in the scoring. feet. Woody Austin 38-38 — 76 +5
Stephen Ames 37-39 — 76 +5
of the day, however, as Goydos fin- Scott had two top 10s this year—the The weather was close to perfect, “I think anything under par is a Jerry Kelly 40-36 — 76 +5
Happy to be here ished bogey-double bogey for a 74. Sony Open in January and the Scottish with sunshine and mild wind. When really good score,” Woods said. Kenny Perry
J.B. Holmes
40-37 — 77 +6
42-36 — 78 +7
Chad Campbell missed the cut at — The Associated Press Open in July—without another finish the BMW Championship was last — The Associated Press Tim Clark 37-41 — 78 +7
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Back Page FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 47
Major League Soccer All Times ET IN BRIEF
TRANSACTIONS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Columbus
Chicago
W
10
10
L
4
6
T
9
8
Pts
39
38
GF
34
33
GA
25
28
World Cup qualifying loss could cost Maradona BASEBALL
National League
WASHINGTON NATIONALS: Claimed LHP Jesse English off
D.C. 8 5 12 36 38 36
New England 9 7 6 33 28 30 waivers from San Francisco. Designated C Luke Montz for
Toronto FC 8 9 7 31 30 34
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA—Argentines are assignment.
Kansas City 6 11 6 24 24 32 blaming their soccer team’s most recent American Association
New York 4 16 4 16 20 41 FORT WORTH CATS: Released RHP Matt Gibbs, LHP Taylor
World Cup qualifying loss squarely on coach
Parker and LHP Ryan Riddle.
WESTERN CONFERENCE Diego Maradona. Now the two-time world
SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: Exercised the 2010 option on OF
W L T Pts GF GA champions are in danger of missing their
Houston 11 7 7 40 31 22 Anthony Webster.
Los Angeles 9 4 11 38 28 23 first World Cup since 1970.
Colorado 10 7 6 36 36 27 “This Maradona has shown dramatically BASKETBALL
Seattle 8 6 10 34 29 23 National Basketball Association
Chivas USA 10 9 3 33 23 24 that he wasn’t born to coach, that his glori- MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Signed G Allen Iverson. Withdrew
Real Salt Lake 9 9 6 33 35 27
FC Dallas 6 11 6 24 33 37 ous image was useful at first, but no more,” their qualifying offer to G Juan Carlos Navarro, making
San Jose 5 12 5 20 27 40 the Diario Popular newspaper wrote in him an unrestricted free agent.
Thursday’s editions. FOOTBALL
NOTE: Three points for victory, one
point for tie. Saturday’s games Maradona has been a national icon since he led National Football League
Colorado at Toronto FC, 3:30 p.m. Argentina to the ’86 World Cup title. But missing NFL: Named John Madden special adviser to commis-
Sept. 5 Seattle FC at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. sioner Roger Goodell.
Kansas City 4, New England 2 Kansas City at New York, 7:30 p.m. the World Cup might end the love affair. MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Released WR Bobby Wade.
FC Dallas 2, D.C. United 2, tie Chicago at Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m.
Colorado 1, Toronto FC 0 FC Dallas at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. “Maradona has to resign,” said Juan Rosa- NEW YORK JETS: Signed FB Jason Davis to the practice
les, a fan of club River Plate. “I don’t respect squad. Released S Emanuel Cook from the practice squad.
Sept. 9 Sunday’s game ST. LOUIS RAMS: Released LB Chris Draft. Re-signed LB
D.C. United 1, Kansas City 0 Houston at Columbus, 5 p.m. him now. He was a tremendous player but
Quinton Culberson.
as a coach he knows nothing. He has to go
now because he’s taking us down.” HOCKEY
National Hockey League
In an Internet poll published Thursday by MONICA MATIAUDA / AP
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Re-signed LW Alexandre
WNBA All Times ET the newspaper Clarin, 62 percent of 11,288 With Diego Maradona as coach, Argentina has lost four of five World Cup qualifying matches. Picard to a one-year contract.
people responding said Argentina would EDMONTON OILERS: Agreed to terms with F Mike Comrie
EASTERN CONFERENCE miss next year’s 32-team tournament. Los Angeles Galaxy player will have to rejoin SYDNEY—The IAAF declined to confirm on a one-year contract.
W L Pct GB American Hockey League
y-Indiana 22 11 .667 — AC Milan, which is keen to take him back, or a Sydney Morning Herald report that world ALBANY RIVER RATS: Signed F Jacob Micflikier, D Jona-
Atlanta 17 15 .531 4½
Detroit 17 16 .515 5 LONDON—England coach Fabio Capello find another top European side to play for in 800-meter champion Caster Semenya has than Paiement and D Benn Olson to one-year contracts.
Chicago 16 17 .485 6 has given a strong indication that David the months before the finals start in June. male and female sex organs. Agreed to terms with RF Brad Herauf on a one-year
Connecticut 15 17 .469 6½ contract.
Washington 15 17 .469 6½ Beckham will make it to a fourth World IAAF spokesman Nick Davies says the
BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS: Named Mike Schroeder
New York 12 21 .364 10 Cup, hailing the former captain’s ability to Golf group has received the results of Semenya’s athletic trainer.
WESTERN CONFERENCE bring the squad together. COLOGNE, GERMANY—Soren Hansen of Den- gender tests, but he would not discuss the ECHL
W L Pct GB LAS VEGAS WRANGLERS: Agreed to terms with F Shay
y-Phoenix 23 10 .697 — The 34-year-old Beckham made his 114th mark has shot a 7-under 65 to take a one- findings. After dominating her race at the
x-Seattle 19 14 .576 4 Stephenson.
international appearance as England swept stroke lead over Chris Wood of England world championships in Berlin last month, VICTORIA SALMON KINGS: Named Mark Grehan athletic
x-Los Angeles 16 16 .500 6½
San Antonio 15 18 .455 8 past Croatia 5-1 on Wednesday to qualify after the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Semenya was given blood and chromo- therapist.
Minnesota 14 18 .438 8½ with two games to spare. Championship. Ryder Cup captain Colin some tests, as well as a gynecological
Sacramento 11 22 .333 12
By remaining firmly in Capello’s plans, COLLEGE
y-clinched conference Montgomerie, who is without a top-10 finish examination.
x-clinched playoff spot ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC: Named Michael Smoose assistant
the midfielder could break England’s all- since June last year, bogeyed the second and The IAAF has said Semenya probably to the athletic director for internal operations and
Sept. 9 Minnesota at Los Angeles, 10:30 time appearance record at South Africa finished the day at 72. would keep her medal because the case was Brittany Schmidt assistant to the athletic director for
Minnesota 75, Detroit 72 p.m. 2010. He needs to feature 12 more times to not related to a doping matter. marketing and promotions.
Saturday’s games
Thursday’s games Atlanta at Washington, 7 p.m. surpass the mark held by retired goalkeeper Track BROWN: Named Brad Ross assistant lacrosse coach.
CASE WESTERN: Named Jeff Gorski men’s assistant
Detroit 94, New York 87, OT
Chicago 86, Indiana 79
Detroit at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Seattle at San Antonio, 8 p.m.
Peter Shilton. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA—Usain Bolt pulled out of Gymnastics basketball coach and Erin O’Neill softball coach.
Phoenix 92, Seattle 84, OT Sunday’s games “He is always with us because for me he is a meet this month in South Korea because of MIE, JAPAN—Olympic champion Evgeniya ST. AUGUSTINE’S: Named Charles Whitaker baseball
San Antonio 80, Sacramento 71 Indiana at Connecticut, 3 p.m. one of the most important players,” Capello fatigue. Bolt’s agent says the reigning world Kanaeva of Russia won two more gold med- coach and Julius Wells golf coach.
Los Angeles at Phoenix, 3 p.m.
said. “He is good in the group, he is good in SETON HALL: Signed Bobby Gonzalez, men’s basketball
Today’s games Washington at New York, 4 p.m. and Olympic champion in the 100 and 200 als at the rhythmic gymnastic world champi-
Connecticut at Atlanta, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Sacramento, 9 p.m. coach, to a three-year contract extension through the
every moment during the training. Some meters is too tired to take part in the one-day onships. Kanaeva won the ball and ribbon 2014-15 season.
players are important for the position and competition on Sept. 25 in Daegu. events Thursday, adding to the hoop and rope TEMPLE: Named Todd Hoffard women’s assistant soccer
morale of the group.” Daegu is host of the 2011 track and field gold medals she received Tuesday. coach.
But to make Capello’s cut, in January the world championships. — The Associated Press