Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Indians 7, Tigers 6
CLEVELAND — Lonnie Chisenhall singled in the winner with one out in the ninth inning. The Tigers, who fell two games behind in the AL Central, go to Chicago to face the first-place White Sox tonight.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Angels 4, Royals 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer and five relievers pitched 3⅓ one-hit innings for the Angels, still third in the AL wild-card race. "Our bullpen came in and just got out after out in a game where they've got some guys that can drive the ball on their side where one mistake can tie the game," manager Mike Scioscia said.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, September 16, 2012
. UP NEXT
vs. Red Sox
Tonight-Thursday
What's new: These aren't the same Red Sox, not with the daily distractions provided by for-now manager Bobby Valentine; the gutting of the roster; and the worst record in the AL East. Having dealt Kevin Youkilis and Kelly Shoppach earlier, the Sox then shipped out Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto and injured former Ray Carl Crawford. Plus they're without injured DH David Ortiz. Valentine's latest was to call it the "weakest roster we've ever had in September in the history of baseball," then Sunday tried to back off. Overall, the team is a mess, though Dustin Pedroia is still there.
Key stat: With Sunday's loss, the Sox officially logged their first non-winning season since 1997.
Connections: Rays 1B Carlos Peña played briefly for Boston. … Sox bench coach Tim Bogar worked for the Rays, hitting coach Dave Magadan is a Tampa product.
Series history: Sox lead 7-5 this season, 148-105 overall, 65-61 at the Trop.
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
White Sox 9, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Jake Peavy improved to 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA against the Twins since the All-Star break, and Dayan Viciedo and Adam Dunn homered for the White Sox.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Bills, Spiller put it all together in rout
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — C.J. Spiller gladly accepted Fred Jackson's challenge.
And this time, the rest of the Bills supported Spiller, who scored twice and finished with 123 yards rushing to spark a win over the Chiefs in Buffalo's home opener. It was a much better effort than Buffalo's bumbling 48-28 loss to the Jets last week.
The same can't be said for the Chiefs, who followed one dud, a 40-24 loss to Atlanta, with another.
"It's always better to answer the questions when you win," said Spiller, who giggled several times at the podium. "Fred Jackson challenged me today, when he told me to put the team on my back. So when that comes down from the leader in our room, you have to step your game up. I was ready to go today."
Spiller's two TD runs put the Bills ahead 14-0 in the second quarter.
"I thought that we would be better, and we're not," Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
TORONTO — Bobby Valentine insisted he wasn't trying to be critical when he said his struggling Red Sox had "the weakest roster we've ever had in September in the history of baseball."
Two days after his latest inflammatory remark, Valentine tried to explain himself before Sunday's series finale against the Blue Jays, offering an unsolicited clarification at the end of his morning media session.
"The other day when I made a comment about our September roster, that wasn't meant to be a criticism of any players or anything in the organization," Valentine said. "It's a statement of fact because of the injuries and our Triple-A team in the playoffs. This is different. We have less people than most September rosters. We have less positions filled than any September roster I've ever seen before.
"Anybody who thought that to be anything other than a statement of what it was, stand corrected on that."
International League champion Pawtucket plays Pacific Coast League champion Reno for the Triple-A title Tuesday.
PETTITTE'S PLANS: Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte, who has been out since June 27 with a fractured left ankle, told ESPN.com that the injury has made him think about returning next season at age 41. "I could probably say that when I came back I thought there was no chance that I was coming back, this is a one-year deal," said Pettitte, who is scheduled to start Tuesday. "But getting hurt and only having 60 innings right now and you were hoping to have a couple hundred innings under your belt, it definitely gives me the option to consider coming back again next year, that's for sure."
BLUE JAYS: DH Edwin Encarnacion was scratched from the lineup with a sore right big toe.
BREWERS: 1B Corey Hart, out with a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot, had a setback during a pregame baserunning session and is out indefinitely.
PIRATES: RHP James McDonald was removed from the starting rotation. McDonald is 3-5 with a 7.08 ERA in the second half after going 9-3 with a 2.37 ERA in the first.
ROCKIES: LHP Jorge De La Rosa, who is rehabbing from reconstructive elbow surgery and hasn't pitched in the majors since May 24, 2011, is expected to join the team this week and could start Thursday.
ROYALS: The contract of RHP Jake Odorizzi was purchased from Triple-A Omaha, and the top prospect is scheduled to start next weekend.
TIGERS: CF Austin Jackson was scratched with a sore left ankle. … C Alex Avila left in the sixth inning after a collision with 1B Prince Fielder.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Luck leads Colts to win in home debut
INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck sure didn't play like a rookie.
The Colts' No. 1 overall pick threw two touchdowns, took advantage of several key Minnesota penalties and marched Indianapolis 45 yards in 23 seconds to set up Adam Vinatieri for a 53-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to win in Luck's home debut.
"It's just amazing that the guy's able to go out there and do the things he does as a rookie," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said.
Luck's older teammates couldn't be happier to get this early win, especially after last season's 0-13 start. Indy's new quarterback finished 20 of 31 for 224 yards on a solid, not spectacular day.
He played the entire second half without three starters on the offensive line, yet moved the Colts into field-goal position twice.
"We were rushing him. He moved around a lot. It (stinks), missing sacks," Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said. "He did a good job. If the guy is not as mobile, we probably have six sacks."
By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Sunday, September 16, 2012
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
They are better. They are not yet good.
They fight harder. They still lack a knockout punch.
They are good enough to build a two-touchdown lead against the defending world champions. They are not good enough to make it stand.
Such is the bitter and the sweet of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, now two games into the Greg Schiano era. So far, you have seen encouraging signs, and you have seen disappointing moments. You have seen an offense that, at times, is too conservative and a defense that, at times, is too aggressive.
That's the thing about improvement. It doesn't come with the flipping of a switch. The Bucs certainly seem more interested in excellence than they did a year ago, but there are still lessons to learn and improvements to make.
"Obviously," safety Ronde Barber said, "we need to learn to finish better."
They can come from behind. They can fall from ahead.
They are good enough to steal three passes from Eli Manning. And they are capable of surrendering 510 passing yards to him.
They are good enough to annoy the New York Giants. But they are not yet able to leave them in misery.
All things considered, there was probably more good than bad to the Bucs in Sunday's 41-34 loss. After all, absolutely no one seemed to think the Bucs were capable of winning. That said, the Bucs had a two-touchdown lead late in the third quarter. Letting an opportunity like that slip away should be disappointing.
"I'm ticked," defensive tackle Roy Miller said. "We didn't play the way we're capable in the second half."
Yeah, that's an improvement, too. Do you remember the 10-game mud slide that ended last season? After those games, the Bucs would stand glassy-eyed as they described the damage. No one was irked. No one was outraged. No one was particularly surprised.
This time was different. Even Giants coach Tom Coughlin was grumpy about the way things finished. He scolded Schiano afterward for coming after Manning on his final-play kneel down.
"We fight until they tell us the game is over," Schiano said. "There's nothing dirty about it. There's nothing illegal about it. We try to knock (the ball) loose."
Fans love tough guys, of course, so you get the idea that a lot of them will support Schiano in this spat. After all, the Bucs haven't fought to the end nearly often enough in recent years.
On the other hand, does that mean it's okay for other teams to go after Josh Freeman in the future? Just asking here, but when did roughing up a kneeling quarterback ever pay off in victory for the team doing the roughing?
Two games in, and yes, it is obvious that Schiano has changed the culture in his team's locker room. The demands are greater, and the expectations are higher, and the coaching is better. Still, Schiano is new at the NFL. In some ways, maybe he's still learning the ropes.
In the future, perhaps Schiano will not play it so close to the vest with his offense once it gets the lead. If you remember last week's win over Carolina, the Bucs turned invisible on offense in the second half.
This time, it happened again. From the time the Bucs took their first lead at 10-6, they throttled back their play calls. Of the next 12 first downs, they ran the ball 10 times.
In the future, perhaps Schiano will not blitz so recklessly, either. Granted, the Bucs lack great pass rushers on the line, and they have to get creative to muster their pressure. But the great quarterbacks make blitzing look silly.
The Bucs kept going after Manning in the second half, but he barely seemed to notice anything but the man coverage left behind. No interceptions, no pressure, no problems.
On one blitz, Manning hit Victor Cruz for an 80-yard touchdown pass. On another, he hit Hakeem Nicks for 50 yards to set up the winning touchdown. In all, Manning threw for 295 yards in the second half alone.
Here's the question. Should you be happy that the Bucs came close, or disheartened that they let the game slip away? It depends on your viewpoint. The better you think the Bucs are, the more a game like this is going to sting.
So far, they are good enough to make you hope. But are they good enough to make you believe?
Gary Shelton can be heard from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays on 98.7 The Fan.
By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, September 16, 2012
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Giants quarterback Eli Manning had just finished schooling Greg Schiano's defense by passing for 510 yards and three touchdowns, reading the recurring blitzes like a children's book in a 41-34 come-from-behind win over the Bucs on Sunday.
Now it was time for Tampa Bay's first-year NFL coach to receive his own teaching moment, courtesy of Tom Coughlin.
Schiano lit the fuse of the veteran Giants coach when he — against apparent NFL etiquette — ordered his players to try to knock the ball loose from Manning as he knelt to run out the game's final seconds.
Coughlin approached Schiano after the game with his finger pointed, walked away then returned to yell at him for about 15 seconds before shaking his hand.
"I don't think you do that at this level," Coughlin said. "I don't think you do that in this league."
Returning to the state where he coached Rutgers for 11 seasons, it wasn't the only lesson delivered to Schiano and the Bucs at MetLife Stadium by the Giants.
The Bucs (1-1) played well early, building a 27-16 lead they carried into the fourth quarter. They intercepted Manning three times in the first half, each resulting in touchdowns. That included a winding 60-yard return by cornerback Eric Wright with eight seconds left.
Wright was supposed to blitz on the play but pulled up at the last moment and intercepted a pass intended for Victor Cruz (11 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown).
But as Schiano and the Bucs learned, you don't tug on Superman's cape the way they dared Manning to beat their blitz and lead the Giants to a win when trailing during the fourth quarter for the 26th time during his eight-plus seasons.
"He's good. What can I say?" Bucs safety Ronde Barber said. "Numbers don't lie. I've watched and seen too many Giants games to feel like you're comfortable with this guy. He's made a career of it."
The Bucs made it easier for Manning. Josh Freeman, who passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns, back-footed a pass to Sammie Stroughter over the middle that sailed and was intercepted by cornerback Corey Webster with 21 seconds left in the third.
The defense kept Manning out of the end zone, forcing Lawrence Tynes' fourth field goal that cut the lead to 27-19.
After forcing a punt, the Giants faced third and 2 from their 20. This time, Wright blitzed, leaving Cruz to run past Barber and haul in an 80-yard touchdown.
"I wasn't expecting him to run a (deep route); not with the pressure coming," Barber said.
The two-point conversion run by Andre Brown tied the score at 27 with 6:48 to play. But it didn't stay tied for long.
After the Bucs went three-and-out, Manning needed only three completions to get the Giants the lead, the last a 33-yard touchdown to tight end Martellus Bennett.
Freeman tied it at 34, completing a 41-yard touchdown to a leaping Mike Williams in the back of the end zone with 1:58 to play.
But Manning could not be stopped.
On first and 15 from the 39 after a false start, Schiano pushed all his chips to the middle of the table and brought the house again. It didn't work — again.
Hakeem Nicks (10 catches for 199 yards and a touchdown) beat cornerback Aqib Talib for a 50-yard completion to the Tampa Bay 11. With 1:20 left, Schiano decided to let the Giants score. Brown went down at the 2 but walked into the end zone on the next play.
"That's something I'm not comfortable with; not taking a touchdown," Coughlin said.
The Bucs took over with 25 seconds left and threatened. If not for a replay review overturning Williams' catch at the Giants 16, who knows what happens? But linebacker Michael Boley intercepted Freeman's next pass.
Schiano was unapologetic about what happened next. He ordered his players to go after Manning as he knelt.
"I don't know if that's not something that's done in the National Football League," Schiano said. "What I do with our football team is we fight until they tell us game over. And there's nothing dirty about it. There's nothing illegal about it. If people watched Rutgers, they would know that's what we do at the end of a game."
Manning called it a "cheap shot."
Teammates called it "bush league."
"We do what we're coached," Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. "Leave it at that."
Rick Stroud can be heard from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays on WDAE-620.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Rays vs. Red Sox
When/where: 7:10 tonight; Tropicana Field
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Tickets: $17-275, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team Tampa store; $3 surcharge within 5 hours of game time.
Probable pitchers
Rays: RH Alex Cobb (9-8, 4.26)
RED SOX: RH Aaron Cook (3-10, 5.18)
On Cobb: Has failed to get through five innings three times in past five starts, though won the other two. Tends to struggle early in games. Won at Boston May 25 in only start vs. Red Sox.
On Cook: Hasn't won since Aug. 6, is 0-5, 6.00 in six starts since, allowing 42 hits in 30 innings. Facing Rays for first time since June '09 (with Colorado) and at Trop since June '04; is 1-1, 6.63 in three starts.
Key matchups
Rays VS. COOK
Jeff Keppinger 0-for-12
Evan Longoria 2-for-4, HR
Carlos Peña 2-for-5, HR
RED SOX VS. COBB
Mike Aviles 0-for-6
Dustin Pedroia 0-for-3
Scott Podsednik 0-for-2
On deck
Tuesday: vs. Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (8-10, 3.22); Red Sox — Felix Doubront (10-9, 5.11)
Wednesday: vs. Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Chris Archer (0-3, 3.22); Red Sox — Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-5, 7.14)
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
In case Bobby V was wondering
Rays manager Joe Maddon said he plans — if his wife has no issues and his car is running well — to arrive at the Trop around 3 for tonight's game, the first against the Red Sox since manager Bobby Valentine took a swipe at Maddon saying he regularly didn't come in until 4 p.m. "Hopefully," Maddon said, "there will be no issues."
Head-shaking stat of the day
16 Losses, of their past 17, by one or two runs
Quote of the day
"It seems like we're really pressing right now."
3B Evan Longoria
AL East
Team W L Pct. GB
New York 83 63 .568—
Baltimore82 64 .562 1
Tampa Bay 78 68 .534 5
Toronto 66 79 .455 16½
Boston 66 81 .44917½
AL race for wild cards
Team W L Pct. GB
Oakland 84 62 .575—
Baltimore 82 64 .562—
Los Angeles 80 67 .544 21/2
Tampa Bay 78 68 .534 4
Detroit 77 68 .531 41/2
Top two wild cards make postseason; GB is games behind second wild card
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Panthers on track on ground, in air
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cam Newton talked all week about how much better the Panthers were on offense then they showed in their season opener. He proved it Sunday.
The second-year quarterback threw for 253 yards and ran for a career-high 71 yards to lead Carolina to a victory which dropped the NFC South champion Saints to 0-2 for the first time since 2007.
"Times change," wide receiver Steve Smith said of Carolina's first win over New Orleans since 2009.
The Panthers tied a club low last week with 10 yards rushing in a loss to the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium.
"The way we responded as a team this week was outstanding," Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. "I think the attitude, the effort was great."
The Panthers had no such problems moving the ball against the Saints. They rolled up 219 yards on the ground and 463 overall, with Smith overcoming a sore knee to get 104 yards receiving.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
D'backs 10, Giants 2
PHOENIX — Rookie Patrick Corbin pitched a career-high eight innings and drove in four runs with a triple and single as Arizona averted a three-game sweep. The RBIs and the extra-base hit were firsts for Corbin, who was batting .071 (2-for-28). Justin Upton had a homer and two-run double.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Rangers 2, Mariners 1
ARLINGTON, Texas — Matt Harrison pitched into the ninth inning on his 27th birthday for his 17th victory, and Texas added to its AL West lead for the first time in 10 days. Adrian Beltre homered and Michael Young had his second three-hit game in four days for the Rangers. Harrison got within one out of his fourth complete game of the season but came out after Jesus Montero's two-out single put runners at first and third. Koji Uehara struck out Michael Saunders for his first save for Texas.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Texans roll again vs. futile Jaguars
JACKSONVILLE — All those boos last week seem silly now.
No sluggish start. No moments of concern.
Arian Foster ran for 110 yards and a touchdown and Ben Tate added 74 yards and two TDs as the Texans overwhelmed the Jaguars.
Houston improved to 2-0 for the third consecutive season — the only team in the league to hold that distinction.
This rout might have eased any concerns Houston fans had about last week's 30-10 victory against Miami, when the Texans struggled until converting three consecutive turnovers into touchdowns late in the second quarter.
"We were mad that we started slow last game so we came out here with a mission, a goal, to start fast," Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said. "Two 20-point wins the first two weeks? That's what you're supposed to do."
The Texans gained 242 yards in the first half to build a 17-0 lead. The Jaguars finished with 117 total yards, a franchise low.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — With the game on the line, Michael Vick made all the right decisions — again.
He scored on a 1-yard run with 1:55 left Sunday, helping the Eagles overcome a slew of turnovers to beat the Ravens 24-23 for their second straight comeback win.
The Eagles are 2-0 for the first time since Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens led them to the Super Bowl in 2004 and, according to Elias, are the first team in league history to win their first two games by one point each.
"In the moment, you have to be at your best," Vick said. "It's got to be an any-means-necessary mentality."
Rookie kicker Justin Tucker made field goals of 56, 51 and 48 yards for the Ravens, but Joe Flacco couldn't get Baltimore in his range in the final minute. Flacco overthrew Ray Rice on fourth and 1 from the Ravens 46, and the Eagles ran out the clock.
Vick threw four interceptions at Cleveland last week, but rallied the Eagles to a 17-16 win.
He did it again this time though he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. But replacement officials almost made a costly mistake too.
Down 23-17, the Eagles started at their 20 with 4:43 left. Vick threw passes of 24 and 13 yards to Brent Celek. A 19-yard pass to Clay Harbor coupled with a penalty put the ball at the 3.
After a 2-yard run, Vick threw incomplete as he was being hit by Haloti Ngata; the play was ruled a fumble and the Ravens recovered. A replay overturned the call and Vick scored on the next play.
"There's some serious calls the refs missed," Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. "It's just the way it is, man, all around the league. … Guys are giving everything they've got all across the league. But these are calls, with the regular refs, if they were here, we know the way the calls would be made."
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, September 16, 2012
NEW YORK — Manager Joe Maddon wasn't sure why he was ejected by home plate umpire Paul Emmel. DH Matt Joyce didn't stick around to explain why he was tossed a few innings later.
As much as the Rays are trying to maintain a cool day-at-a-time approach, their frustration seems evident.
Maddon was ejected after he objected to Emmel issuing a warning when rookie LHP Matt Moore threw a pitch behind the head of Curtis Granderson, the second Yankee to bat following Russell Martin's three-run homer in the third inning.
"I'm just yelling at him, 'That's not necessary. You don't have to set any warnings. He's not throwing at anybody right there,' " Maddon said. "And all I kept saying was, 'That's not necessary.' Then I said, 'You're wrong.' And then he threw me out."
Maddon, ejected for the fourth time this season and 27th as a Ray, went out to voice his dissent face to face and twice started to walk away then turned around to say a little more to Emmel. "At that point," he said, "I had to make two other points once I got out there."
Joyce, who has been in an extensive slump, was thrown out after disagreeing with a called third strike that ended the eighth. He left the clubhouse without talking to reporters.
3B Evan Longoria said there are other issues, too: "It seems like when we get down in games early that we're kind of just shutting down, we're not giving ourselves a chance to get back into games."
FULD HURT: OF Sam Fuld was walking okay in the clubhouse but still will be sidelined at least a few days due to a mild strain of his right hamstring. "It feels all right," he said. "It's not too bad. I don't have any history with hamstrings so it's hard to know how severe it is at this point."
Fuld said he first tweaked the leg on Friday and that it became much worse when he tried to accelerate running out a ground ball in the fifth inning Sunday. "When I saw (2B Robinson) Cano bobble it I tried to turn it up a notch, and that's when it grabbed," he said.
PITCHING IN: Rookie RHP Chris Archer will start Wednesday's game against Boston, pushing ace LHP David Price back to Thursday and RHP James Shields to Friday. Maddon had said they wanted to drop Archer in to provide extra rest for the others.
Price, who came back Friday after skipping a start due to shoulder soreness, said he feels fine and the move had nothing to do with him needing more time. "It's just the way they wanted to do it," he said. Price would be lined up on full rest to start a potential wild-card playoff game Oct. 5.
NUMBERS GAME: The five runs allowed in the third inning were the Rays' most in any frame since July 26 at Baltimore. … The four stolen bases the Rays allowed were their most in more than a year, since Aug. 29, 2011, at Toronto. … The Rays struck out 13 (or more) times for the 14th time this season. … The 1-5 trip was the Rays' worst two-city jaunt since August 2009. … CF B.J. Upton had his fourth four-strikeout game of the season. … The Rays have had 29 games with one or no hits through the first four innings.
MISCELLANY: INF Sean Rodriguez is hoping to be cleared to hit after an X-ray of his fractured right and an exam by Dr. Doug Carlan in St. Petersburg. … Double-A Montgomery hitting coach Ozzie Timmons, who played for the 2000 Devil Rays, will join the team to help out.
By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Best scoop
ESPN's Chris Mortensen broke a story during Sunday NFL Countdown that could have been incredibly embarrassing to the NFL. Mortensen reported that one of the replacement officials scheduled to work Sunday's Saints-Panthers game was a Saints fan, according to the photos and comments on the official's personal Facebook page. The NFL pulled the official from the game when made aware of the situation.
Just as disturbing was a comment made by Countdown's Keyshawn Johnson: "Even the regular referees, I'm sure, are fans of some of the teams in the National Football League or whatever other sport, but they didn't display it out publicly in social media to have everybody scrutinize the situation."
Wow, does Johnson really believe there are officials who are fans of certain teams? Is that really true? I think Johnson is wrong. I certainly hope he is.
Worst conflict
ESPN keeps doing it, so I'll keep writing about it. The network insists on having its personalities do commercials with people they cover, raising the question of a conflict of interest. The latest ad has the College GameDay crew playing cards with Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher. The thing is, Fisher wasn't even necessary to make the commercial effective. He didn't have a speaking line, and the ad had nothing to do with him or the Seminoles.
Biggest nit
Memo to ESPN: Can you please have your NFL people stop referring to the New York Giants as the "football Giants.'' After all, there hasn't been a "baseball Giants'' in New York in, oh, 55 years.
Worst leader
Why would any team want Jay Cutler as its quarterback? The Bears' QB has talent but is a major head case. He makes awful decisions and throws interceptions at the most inopportune times, yet he can't wait to jump teammates whenever they goof up. During Thursday's loss against the Packers, Cutler could be seen yelling at teammates, and at one point, he shoved an offensive lineman while scolding him.
"Bumping that guy, yelling at guys on national TV like that – your teammates,'' ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown analyst Tom Jackson said. "It will come back to bite you in the end. And I think it might come back to bite Jay in the end."
Countdown's Mike Ditka said, "It sets a bad precedent. It's an immature act by the quarterback."
Meantime, Fox NFL Sunday's Terry Bradshaw criticized Cutler and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers, who also laid into a teammate during the game.
"I don't believe in that,'' the former QB said. "It's not right to embarrass players that you are counting on to be successful. You're going to make mistakes yourself, and … do they …turn around and go; 'Hey, Rodgers! Hey, Cutler!'? If you have a disagreement with them, do it quietly on the sideline. Do not embarrass your teammates in front of a national TV audience and your fans."
Best Sunday morning show
I have a secret to confess. I wear out my DVR recording Sunday morning NFL pregame shows and ESPN shows such as Outside the Lines and Sports Reporters, but the best Sunday morning show is CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. It had a great feature on Dodgers announcer Vin Scully on Sunday, but even when it doesn't have sports features, it remains as enjoyable a show as you can find on Sunday morning — or any morning, come to think of it.
Best comeback
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, above, was asked about calling players up from the minors, and though it's true that the Red Sox's roster has been depleted because of injuries and trades, Valentine managed to insult his players and general manager. "Are you kidding me?'' Valentine said. "This is the worst roster we've ever had in September in the history of baseball. We could use help everywhere.'' You just cannot say that. On Saturday's Fox pregame show, analyst and former Red Sox standout Kevin Millar said, "If I was on that roster … I would've come back with another quote, and that's 'This is the worst manager the Boston Red Sox ever had in history.' '' Analyst Harold Reynolds said, "(Valentine) sounds like a man wanting to be fired.'' Actually, he sounds like a man who should be fired.
Best replacement
ESPN lost a big part of its college football coverage when sideline and College GameDay reporter Erin Andrews bolted for Fox. But her replacement, Samantha Steele, left, has been outstanding. Her piece on University of Tennessee receiver Justin Hunter and his return from a severe knee injury was the highlight of Saturday's GameDay.
On a side note, she has a heck of a throwing arm, too; she tossed a long pass to Hunter during the story.
Speaking of Andrews, she's doing a nice job on Fox, but you get the feeling most folks aren't seeing her pregame work because they are watching other games.
Best cut-in
Great job by Fox to bring in football rules expert Mike Pereira when USC scored a touchdown that should not have counted because an offensive lineman pulled a running back into the end zone. Normally, Pereira handles NFL rules, but it's smart by Fox, which now has college football, to bring Pereira in when there's a rules question or controversy on Saturday as well as Sunday.
Three things that popped into my head
1. It was silly for college football to add a rule this season that whenever a player loses his helmet, he has to come out for a play. But in just three weeks, have you ever seen so many helmets come off?
2. USC losing was good news for a Florida State team with designs on a national championship. The Seminoles play an actual team for the first time Saturday when they host Clemson.
3. The Rays have 16 games left. Last season with 16 games left, the Rays were four games out of a playoff spot, like they are now.
tom jones' two cents
Tampa Bay Times staff writer Tom Jones offers up the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.
Best postgame moment
For some reason, I'm easily bothered when college football fans rush the field after victories. It's okay when a mediocre program upsets the top-ranked team in the country. But if a decent program beats, say, the 12th-ranked team in the country, don't rush the field. • It seems wrong that Stanford fans stormed the field after Saturday night's upset of Southern Cal. The Trojans were ranked second in the nation, but Stanford was ranked 21st, and it has now won four consecutive games against USC. But for some reason, it was pretty cool watching fans of the Cardinal storm the field, maybe because only USC fans probably minded coach Lane Kiffin losing a game. • Fox did an excellent job pulling back its cameras to show the enormity of the crowd. And a special thumbs-up to announcer Gus Johnson. • I've never been a Johnson fan because of all his yelling and screaming, which tends to dominate a broadcast and become bigger than the game, which is about the worst thing an announcer can do. But he deserves credit for not saying a word for nearly 30 seconds after the game as cameras panned back to show the crowd.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
HOYLAKE, England — Jiyai Shin avoided mistakes in miserable conditions Sunday to cruise to a record nine-stroke victory in the Women's British Open.
In the 36-hole finish Sunday at the wind-delayed tournament, Shin took a three-shot lead into the final round after shooting 1-under 71 in the morning. She stayed calm while strong wind and heavy showers sent scores soaring at Royal Liverpool in the afternoon, closing with 73 to finish at 9-under 279.
"It was a long, very, very tough day out there," Shin said. "But I kept my focus and concentrated on every shot, and when I made the winning putt, it was great.
The 24-year-old South Korean won the major championship for the second time in five years and also won for the second time in seven days on tour. Last Monday morning in Virginia, she finished off Paula Creamer on the ninth hole of a playoff in the Kingsmill Championship.
"When I won at Sunningdale, it was a totally different kind of course, but I finally think I've got the right tempo with my swing for links golf," Shin said.
The 10-time LPGA winner entered the day with a five-stroke lead after shooting 64 — the lowest competitive round ever at Hoylake — on Saturday. She broke the margin-of-victory record of five set by Karen Stupples in 2004 at Sunningdale.
"My goal was 1-under par every single day. So my goal was 4 under. I think it was enough score," Shin said. "So, I'm really surprised even from (Saturday) and then also (Sunday), I hit even par with 36 holes with this weather, so I'm really surprised and inspired by myself. Because really tough course here, so when I finished it today, I'm just like, 'Wow, I can play good score any, any other course, I'm pretty sure of that.' "
Shin completed an Asian sweep of the four majors. South Korea's Sun Young Yoo won the Kraft Nabisco, China's Shanshan Feng took the LPGA Championship and South Korea's Na Yeon Choi won the U.S. Women's Open.
South Korea's Inbee Park was second, shooting 72-76. Creamer shot 72-72 to finish third at 1 over.
"I feel very close," said Creamer, winless since 2010. "I hit the ball great. I cannot take away from my ball striking. That was definitely not the issue. It was my putting for sure."
Tampa's Cindy LaCrosse shot 76 to finish tied for 13th at 8-over 296.
CHAMPIONS: Willie Wood took advantage of Bill Glasson's back-nine collapse to win the inaugural Hawaii Championship in Kapolei for his second tour victory in the last three events.
Wood, 51, birdied the last two holes for 6-under 66 and a one-stroke victory over Glasson. Wood played 54 holes without a bogey, finishing at 14-under 202.
Glasson shot 72. He began the round with a four-stroke lead and increased it to five, but on the final eight holes he had five bogeys and three birdies.
Times wires
Sunday, September 16, 2012
JOLIET, Ill. — Brad Keselowski began the season with a bit of goofiness, posting on Twitter during a red-flag stoppage at the Daytona 500.
He's ending the year with a far more serious pursuit: his first Sprint Cup championship.
Keselowski scored the first Chase victory of his career, outlasting Jimmie Johnson in the GEICO 400 on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. In winning the Chase opener, Keselowski also took over the lead in the points standings for the first time.
"There's no better place to start than in the lead, right?" Keselowski said. "It feels like Round 1 of a heavyweight title bout. It's a 10-round bout, and Week 1's done. We might have won the round but didn't by any means knock 'em out."
Keselowski and his No. 2 Dodge got ahead of Johnson after a crucial pit cycle with about 35 laps remaining and led the final 26 laps in the 400-mile race. Johnson finished 3.171 seconds behind, and he said he thought Keselowski crossed a restraining line too early when exiting after that pit stop near the end.
The incident was reviewed, and there was no infraction called. Johnson never made much of a run at Keselowski during the final laps.
"He did cut up early. It did impede my progress," Johnson said. "But it didn't affect the outcome, I don't believe. The way he made quick work in traffic and stretched it out on me, I'm not sure I would have held him off."
All 12 of the Chase drivers finished in the top 18, with the exception of Jeff Gordon, who went into the wall with about 80 laps left. Gordon barely qualified for the Chase, and his title hopes are already in serious jeopardy after his 35th-place showing.
It was Keselowski's fourth victory of the season. The Michigan driver leads Johnson by three points and gave Penske Racing a reason to feel good after Will Power's failed bid Saturday for the IndyCar championship.
Denny Hamlin, the top Chase seed coming in, fell to 16th in the race while low on fuel at the end.
There were only four cautions for 23 laps, the last coming when Gordon said his throttle became stuck, causing a crash.
"Disappointing," said Gordon, who started the race in the 19th position. "We had to fight hard to come from 19th up there in the top five, and the car was feeling good."
Keselowski has finished in the top 10 in 10 of the past 11 races. He began the year with a late accident at Daytona. Earlier in that race, he caused a bit of a stir when he posted on Twitter during the red flag. Afterward, NASCAR said it was okay for him to keep his cellphone in his car and all drivers were encouraged to use social media.
Naturally, Keselowski posted on Twitter and included a photo: "WE did it! Victory lane with roger penske."
But lately, Keselowski's driving has been drawing the attention.
"I just think Brad does a nice job," Chase driver Kasey Kahne said. "As far as the championship, I don't think anyone knows that until you actually win it."
Johnson had won five titles in a row until last year, and it looks as if his car is a threat again. He won the pole this weekend and finished in the top 10 for the ninth time in 11 Cup races at Chicagoland, although he has never won. He led 172 of the 267 laps Sunday.
"We all know how good his team is," Keselowski said. "To be racing him, whether it was for the lead or for 10th, is an accomplishment."
Sunday, September 16, 2012
FONTANA, Calif. — Out of the corner of his eye, Ryan Hunter-Reay saw his only competition for the IndyCar championship crash out of the title-deciding season finale late Saturday.
Will Power's accident 55 laps into the race should have given Hunter-Reay an open road to his first championship. Instead, he had to hang on for 500 miles, withstand restarts and a red flag to snatch the title from Power at Auto Club Speedway.
Needing to finish fifth, Hunter-Reay did one better, finishing fourth to claim the title by three points over Power, becoming the first American since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006 to win the IndyCar championship.
"I always believed that if I got the right opportunity and worked hard enough that I could be in this position," Hunter-Reay said.
Power, denied for a third consecutive year, was in street clothes watching the finish on television. He took a 17-point lead into the finale, but once out of the race, Hunter-Reay had control of his destiny.
"I wish I could put my finger on one particular thing I didn't do right," Power said. "If you look at it, three ovals I crashed out of is a massive hit on points. It's over a whole season that you win a championship and that was proven tonight."
Still, a flurry of late cautions created several restarts and a late red flag drew the ire of team owner Michael Andretti. Hunter-Reay managed to hang on in a race that was won by Ed Carpenter, another American.
Power, an Australian who has finished second in the points three years in a row, visited Hunter-Reay after the finish.
"At the end of the day, Hunter-Reay is a deserving champion, a real fighter," Power said.
Hunter-Reay won a series-best four races this season, his third with Andretti Autosport. He used a string of three consecutive wins during the summer to climb into the title hunt.
NHRA: Shawn Langdon scored his first Top Fuel victory but Tony Schumacher took the classification points lead at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Nationals in Concord, N.C., the first event in the Countdown to Championship playoffs. Ron Capps (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also took class victories. Capps extended his points lead, while Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) maintained their No. 1 spots.
