Gordon wins at Dover in Chase elimination race

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Jeff Gordon won the third race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship for an automatic spot in the 12-driver field that advanced to the next round.

Gordon was in control in the closing laps Sunday at Dover International Speedway and joined Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano as the three drivers who were guaranteed a berth in the next Chase round with victories.

''It wasn't about the points. It wasn't about just squeezing by to get to the next round,'' Gordon said after his fourth win of the season and 92nd overall. ''It was about making a statement. I don't know how you make a bigger statement than what this team just did right there.''

Kurt Busch, AJ Allmendinger, Greg Biffle and Aric Almirola were eliminated from championship contention. Four more drivers will be eliminated in the next three-race segment that starts next week at Kansas Speedway.

Pirates' 4-1 loss to Reds gives title to Cards

CINCINNATI (AP) -- After a day of too much Johnny Cueto, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally knew where they were going.

Home. For the playoffs.

Cueto singled in the go-ahead run and got his 20th victory on Sunday, a 4-1 win that gave the NL Central title to the St. Louis Cardinals and forced Pittsburgh to settle for a wild card for the second straight season.

A bit sad, but not bad at all.

''It's disappointing,'' catcher Chris Stewart said. ''At the same time, we can't really hang our heads. We faced a great pitcher. Yes, we would have liked to win the division, but we're still in the playoffs and still have a chance to win the World Series.''

Tigers win AL Central with 3-0 victory over Twins

DETROIT (AP) -- In an AL Central race that went down to the last day, Detroit's extra ace made the final difference.

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David Price pitched the Tigers to their fourth straight division title with the type of performance they acquired him for, taking a shutout into the eighth inning of a 3-0 victory over Minnesota on Sunday. Detroit clinched the championship while second-place Kansas City was still playing in Chicago against the White Sox. The Royals ended up winning to finish one game behind the Tigers.The Tigers face the Orioles in an AL division series. Game 1 is in Baltimore on Thursday.

Europe wins the Ryder Cup again

GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) -- The tone was set by Rory McIlroy, the best player in the world. The winning shot came from Jamie Donaldson, a Ryder Cup rookie.

Europe added another layer to its Ryder Cup dominance on Sunday by leaving no doubt who had the best team, if not the best players. Behind two early comebacks that showed its resolve, Europe clinched the cup with four matches still on the course.

With a 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory, Europe kept that gold trophy for the eighth time in the last 10 tries.

McIlroy played some of his best golf this year - even for a guy who won the last two majors - by trouncing Rickie Fowler to put the first point on the board. Donaldson finished off the Americans with a 9-iron that settled 18 inches from the cup on the 15th hole at Gleneagles and set off the celebration.

''It came down to me to close it out,'' Donaldson said. ''But it's all about the team.''

That concept appeared lost on the Americans.

NASCAR overhauls rules on qualifying, testing, engines and more

NASCAR announced a new rules package Tuesday that will ban all private testing in 2015, including the annual Daytona 500 test, and levy the stiffest penalty possible on any team caught conducting its own sessions.
The only testing allowed next season will be sessions conducted by NASCAR or Goodyear. Any team caught testing on its own will receive a P6 penalty, the highest on NASCAR's new punishment scale. It carries a loss of 150 points, a minimum $150,000 fine and a six-week suspension for the crew chief and other crew members.
"It will be a huge penalty if anyone is caught," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's executive vice president and chief racing development officer. O'Donnell said NASCAR believes teams will police the testing themselves and report any organization that breaks the ban.
The three-day annual Daytona 500 test each January was as much about promoting the season-opening race as it was for teams to shake off any cobwebs from the offseason. O'Donnell said that time will now be used to send drivers on a cross-country promotional tour similar to the "Chase Across North America" that NASCAR used this month with its 16 Chase championship drivers assigned to visit various race markets.

Asamoah Gyan to hold press conference denying he sacrificed rapper

A truly bizarre story has gotten even weirder in Ghana, where national team star Asamoah Gyan will hold a press conference tomorrow to quell rumors that he and his family killed a rap artist — as part of a ritual human sacrifice.
Yes, you read that right.
Ghanaian rapper Castro and Janet Bandu went missing on a trip they took together with Gyan’s family following the World Cup in July. Over two months later, no body has turned up, which has led to some suspecting (extremely) foul play on behalf of the striker - enough people to prompt a press conference, apparently.
Here is the official statement on Gyan’s website:

The Gyan Family will hold a press conference on Wednesday address recent issues of public interest including the disappearance of musical icon Theophilus Tagoe (aka Castro).

The press conference which will take place at the Alisa Hotel will be addressed by counsel for the family Kissi Agyabeng.

It will be recalled that Theophilus Tagoe (aka Castro) and Janet Bandu went missing while on a holiday hangout with Family and Friends of the Gyan’s at a resort in Ada back in July.

No need to run now: Wanderlei Silva receives lifetime ban in Nevada

The Nevada Athletic Commission finally passed judgment on former UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva on Tuesday, hammering the recently retired competitor with a lifetime ban from fighting in Nevada along with a $70,000 fine for the infraction.
Silva was not present at the commission hearing nor was he on the phone to respond to the allegations. In May, Silva skipped out on a commission-sponsored drug test when he was scheduled to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 175 in Las Vegas.
Silva later admitted to skipping out on the test as well as taking diuretics, which would have resulted in a positive result if he would have taken the test.  Diuretics by commission law are a banned substance and Silva knew he was going to test positive.
Because he ran from the test, the commission was looking for the stiffest penalty possible for his actions. As a result, Silva received a lifetime ban from fighting in Nevada in a unanimous vote from the Nevada Athletic Commission.
"My proposal would be we would sanction Mr. Silva with a lifetime ban," Commissioner Pat Lundvall said at the proceedings.

What's next for the Braves after firing GM Wren

For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, the Atlanta Braves are searching for a general manager.

Frank Wren was fired Monday with a week to go in the regular season, taking the fall for a late-season collapse that knocked the Braves out of playoff contention.

This will be only the sixth time in the last 23 completed seasons that the Braves missed the postseason, with a team that will be remembered mostly for its feeble offense. A few hours after Wren's dismissal, the Braves lost to Pittsburgh 1-0 for their 15th defeat in 19 games - and sixth shutout during that span.

Bettman says NHL has no immediate plans to expand

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league has no immediate plans to expand and adjust its unbalanced conference alignment.

''What most people say to me is, well, there's 16 teams in the East, 14 in the West. What's wrong with you? Can't you count?'' Bettman said at a Canadian Club luncheon. ''And I say, 'Yes, I can count, but I also can tell time and we finally have all 16 teams in the Eastern Time Zone in the right place.'

''But you don't expand just to fulfill somebody's notion of symmetry. It's a very important business decision to make, and you do it for the right reasons at the right time.''

The league listens to expressions of interest from markets, but Bettman reiterates there no plans in the works to take on more clubs. A recent Twitter report by Howard Bloom of Sports Business News said the NHL would expand by four teams - Quebec City, Seattle, Las Vegas and Toronto - by 2017.

''I know people think I have this list tucked away in a vault with cities lined up,'' Bettman said. ''We don't.''

FIFA to adopt 3-minute break for concussion

FIFA wants to improve football's concussion protocol by stopping matches for three minutes while team doctors assess players with head injuries.

After high-profile incidents of injured players staying on the field at the World Cup, FIFA said Tuesday its executive committee will confirm a proposal that gives referees new powers to halt play at its two-day meeting starting Thursday. The board includes Belgian doctor Michel D'Hooghe, who chairs the FIFA and UEFA medical committees.

''The incidents at the World Cup have shown that the role of team doctors needs to be reinforced in order to ensure the correct management of potential cases of concussion,'' FIFA said in a statement.

UEFA adopted the three-minute break protocol last week and will apply it in Champions League matches from next week.In the World Cup final, Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer played on for 14 minutes against Argentina before being substituted when clearly disorientated.

Luiten hangs on to win Wales Open by 1 shot

NEWPORT, Wales (AP) -- Joost Luiten overcame a shaky start to shoot a level-par 71 and hang on for a one-shot victory at the Wales Open on Sunday.

Luiten opened with two straight bogeys but bounced back with three birdies on the back nine and then recovered from a poor tee shot on the 18th to make par for the victory. The Dutchman, who had led by two shots after the third round, finished with a 14-under total of 270.

It was Luiten's third European Tour victory and comes after he was overlooked as a captain's pick for next week's Ryder Cup in favor of Lee Westwood.

''I knew when the qualification ended I needed to play better so luckily I'm in good form now,'' Luiten said. ''I just wish the team all the best and hopefully they can win.''

England's Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Ireland's Shane Lowry (7) shared second place. European Ryder Cup rookie Jamie Donaldson shot a 67 to share fourth place at 12-under par.

In contrast, Westwood struggled over the final day with five bogeys on the front nine, and added a double bogey on the 14th before closing with two late birdies for a 76. He plummeted to a share of 60th place at 2 over.

''I needed to play some competitive golf and I've done that,'' Westwood said. ''I hit a few good shots this week, not so good today, but I probably had one eye on next week. I don't think the concentration and the focus was there.''

Thomas Bjorn heads to his third Ryder Cup, and his first in 12 years as a player, after closing with a 74 and finishing just one shot ahead of Westwood

Hur pulls away for LPGA Tour win in Alabama

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) -- Mi Jung Hur was finally able to relax for a couple of holes after matching top-ranked Stacy Lewis stroke for stroke Sunday in the final round of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

The 24-year-old South Korean player never gave up the last-day lead on her way to a tournament-record 21-under 267 total. Hur birdied four of the final eight holes to beat Lewis by four strokes for her second LPGA Tour victory. The each shot 6-under 66.

Hur was able to savor the end of her round, at least. She made a 36-foot birdie putt on No. 11 and set up much easier birdies after that, including one on No. 16.

''After I made that, I definitely think about winning,'' she said. ''The last two holes, I really enjoyed the golf.''

She allowed herself to go from relief to tears of joy before her second shot on the final hole as she wrapped up her first victory since 2009. Her father, Kwan Moo, served as her caddie and was able to share the moment as she bowed her head crying for several seconds when the win was official.

''It's definitely an exciting week for me,'' Hur said. ''I started with two birdies and it made me so much more comfortable the rest of the round. But Stacy played so well and I definitely thought about her.

United twice blow two-goal lead in loss to Leicester

Manchester United's defensive frailties were laid bare in the most embarrassing fashion as Leicester romped to a 5-3 win over Louis van Gaal's shell-shocked side at the King Power Stadium.
United's stellar cast of attacking talent allowed them to race into a 3-1 lead thanks to goals from Robin van Persie, Ander Herrera and Angel di Maria, who scored a stunning chip over Kasper Schmeichel.
But, however impressive United's Galacticos are on the attack, the fact remains this squad is woefully sub-standard at the back and Leicester took full advantage to record their first home victory over the 20-time champions since 1985.
Leonardo Ulloa headed in at the back post in the first half and David Nugent also found the net from the penalty spot after a needless foul by Rafael on Jamie Vardy.
Esteban Cambiasso equalised on his full debut before Vardy slotted the ball past De Gea after a counter-attack in which United's defence was all over the place.
Tyler Blackett was then sent off for hacking Vardy down in the box and Ulloa converted the penalty to make it 5-3.
The defeat brought Van Gaal back down to earth following his first victory against QPR last week. Much work clearly has to be done if he is to achieve his target of a top-three finish.
QPR dropped deep and allowed United to come at them last week, but Van Gaal's men were not afforded the same luxury at the King Power Stadium as Leicester pressed from the first whistle.

Source: Refs say Colin Kaepernick used racial slur

Needless to say, Colin Kaepernick had a game he'd like to forget after last week's 28-20 loss to the Bears.
The 49ers quarterback was responsible for four turnovers in the team's loss, but it was a curious flag that has also drawn attention.
After throwing an interception that set up a Bears touchdown, Kaepernick allegedly used a racial slur, according to the refs.
Kaepernick was fined more than $11k for the alleged slur, but denied saying anything.

Former Titans kicker Bironas killed in car crash

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Rob Bironas, who worked his way through odd jobs and the Arena Football League before becoming one of the NFL's most accurate kickers, died in a car crash. He was 36.

The former Tennessee Titans player died Saturday night when he lost control on a curve in his 2009 GMC Yukon Denali and crashed after 11 p.m. less than a mile from home, Metro Nashville Police said.

East Carolina, Mississippi St move into AP Top 25

East Carolina is ranked in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time since 2008 and Mississippi State moved into the Top 25 for the first time in two seasons after breaking a long losing streak against LSU.

The top seven teams are the same as last week, starting with No. 1 Florida State, which escaped 23-17 in overtime against Clemson on Saturday night.

The Pirates are No. 23 after a record-setting 70-41 victory against North Carolina. ECU has beaten Atlantic Coast Conference teams the past two weeks after winning at Virginia Tech.

The Pirates were last ranked Sept. 21, 2008. That team finished 9-5 and won Conference USA. East Carolina (3-1) is in its first season in the American Athletic Conference.

Mississippi State is No. 14 after beating LSU 34-29 to end a 14-game skid to the Tigers. The Bulldogs were last ranked in 2012.

Joey Logano wins and puts both Team Penske cars into the next Chase round

Sunday's Sylvania 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was anything but dull, as the second race of the Chase saw drivers fight hard throughout the entire 303-lap event that ended with a green-white-checkered overtime finish.
In the end, it was Joey Logano who used four tires and a hard charge in the closing stages of the race to make a bold move under Kevin Harvick and his Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski to take the lead and score the win.

Melvin Gordon Wisconsin Badger trample Bowling Green

After Melvin Gordon fumbled on his first carry, teammate Corey Clement gave him a fist bump on the sideline and told his fellow Wisconsin running back to shake off the mistake.

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It turned out to be the start of record-setting day for the 19th-ranked Badgers.

Gordon rushed for career highs of 253 yards and five touchdowns, and Wisconsin ran for a Big Ten-record 644 yards to trample Bowling Green in a 68-17 victory Saturday.

Gordon had 179 yards and four scores by halftime alone before dashing for a 69-yard touchdown on his first carry of the second half. He silenced any doubters worried about his 38-yard outing the previous game.

Custer Youngestwinner @ 16 in NASCAR Series

Cole Custer's first stand as a NASCAR winner landed him in the stock car record book.

Custer became the youngest winner in a NASCAR national series race at 16, taking the checkered flag at New Hampshire in his seventh career Truck Series start.

Custer dominated early and pulled away late off the final restart Saturday to win at 16 years, 7 months, 28 days. He set a track record of 131.897 mph to win the pole and led 148 of the 175 laps for his fifth top-10 of the season.

''This is a pretty special race for our team,'' Custer said. ''I just love this track. The fans are awesome. It was always one of my favorite tracks growing up. I can't believe I get to come here and go to Victory Lane.''

Tigers win takes them 2 1/2 games ahead of KC

A rarely-used backup infielder who never even got into the game made the play of the day for the Detroit Tigers.

From the dugout, Hernan Perez spotted that a Kansas City runner failed to tag up. That set off a wild sequence Saturday that resulted in an out instead of the go-ahead score - plus a lot of discussion - as Detroit beat the Royals 3-2 to boost its AL Central lead.

Winning pitcher Max Scherzer said he'd reward the 23-year-old Perez, who spent most the year in the minors and has only three at-bats this season in the majors.

WWE Superstar Roman Reigns Reportedly undergoes emergency surgery

Roman Reigns is regarded as one of WWE's brightest new stars. He was to take part in one of the featured matches in Sunday's "Night of Champions" event.
The former Georgia Tech defensive tackle's match with Seth Rollins was called off, however, as WWE.com reported that Reigns was rushed to a Tennessee hospital to undergo emergency surgery for an incarcerated hernia.
Here's what WWE said on its site:

WWE.com has learned that Roman Reigns has undergone emergency surgery for an incarcerated hernia. Reigns had been in Nashville to promote tomorrow's Night of Champions pay-per-view. His recovery time will be evaluated by the local surgeon and WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann, but he will be unable to compete against Seth Rollins tomorrow night. 

Black women's group: No African-American consultants 'unacceptable'

A leading black women's group is calling the NFL's decision not to include any African-American women as consultants on domestic violence "unacceptable."
The Black Women's Roundtable, made up of female leaders who represent black women and girls, said it appreciated the league's Monday decision to bring in three domestic violence experts as consultants.
"However, your lack of inclusion of women of color, especially black women who are disproportionately impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault; and the fact that over 66% of the NFL players are made up of African-Americans, is unacceptable," the group said in a Tuesday letter. Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson has also criticized the NFL's decision to hire three white female domestic violence experts.
The NFL on Wednesday said its attempt to curb domestic violence goes beyond those consultants.

Former Germany keeper to make switch into pro wrestling?

It may sound like a joke at first — and you know what? It kind of is, go ahead and laugh — but former Germany goalkeeper Tim Wiese may soon be joining the professional wrestling circuit.
Since getting booted out of the Hoffenheim squad in the middle of last season, the 6’ 4” Wiese has turned away from soccer and struck a new path into bodybuilding. Thanks in part to that mirror pic Wiese posted to Twitter a few months ago, the WWE apparently took notice.
“I have an official inquiry from the WWE,” Wiese confirmed to Bild on Tuesday, “and I’m going to take my time and listen.”
Wiese, who now weighs a whopping 250 pounds, would become the first former soccer player to make it to the top level of wrestling, and only the second German ever. But a long road awaits should he pursue this new career. To join, the WWE requires schooling of at least a year at its Florida academy.
“I won’t s*** my pants. Why should I immediately say no? Wrestling is very popular, especially in the States,” Wiese said. “I will go through the inquiry with my agent next week.”
For what it’s worth, we think he should take the offer. Potential nicknames like Tim “The Beast” Wiese, “Wiese F Baby,” or simply “The German Giant” roll right off the tongue.

Anheuser-Busch, McDonald's voice NFL disapproval

Major sponsors including Anheuser-Busch are adding to the chorus of disapproval over the National Football League's recent scandals, but the companies are stopping short of pulling advertising.Anheuser-Busch said Tuesday that it has spoken with the NFL about concerns related to recent incidents that are sparking outcry from fans, including an investigation into how long the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell knew about a video that shows Baltimore Raven Ray Rice beating his then-fiancee; as well as the Minnesota Vikings' decision to let Adrian Peterson play while he faces an abuse charge for spanking his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch.

Tony Gwynn Jr. will start and bat leadoff tonight in San Diego

One of the loudest ovations Tuesday night at Petco Park will surely go to a member of the visiting team. 

Philadelphia Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg ensured that when he inserted the son of San Diego's most beloved athlete into his lineup. Tony Gwynn Jr. will start in centerfield and bat leadoff against the Padres three months to the day after his 54-year-old father lost a four-year battle with cancer. Barring a last-minute lineup change, the younger Gwynn will make his first plate appearance in his hometown since May 2012 when he was a member of the Dodgers.

Oscar De La Hoya seems prepared to guide Golden Boy through difficult waters

Friday, for the first time in the more than 10 years since he founded Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya seemed engaged, aware and in charge of what was going on with his company.

In the early days, he was seemingly content to defer to his onetime manager, Richard Schaefer, whom he appointed as Golden Boy's first and only CEO.

De La Hoya was an active boxer and though he'd invested a great deal of money in founding and operating Golden Boy, he seemed content to play a more secondary role.

After his career ended with a drubbing at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in 2008, De La Hoya frequently would say that he'd want to be in charge, but his actions rarely matched his words.

Washington Wizards going back to Baltimore

Tickets to the 2nd Annual #BaltimoreClassic are on sale now and start at just $15! http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004D0CA10D233

Shawn Marion Brings playoff experience

Did you know Shawn Marion brings 103 games of playoff experience to the Wine & Gold? Master more facts on this season’s newcomers with a trip through our newest By The Numbers.

Carl Crawford remains hot, revamps running style to stay healthy

Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford hopes to continue his red-hot hitting as the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Rockies at Coors Field.

was 12-for-20 (.600) with a home run, five doubles and was second in the National League with eight RBI (behind Russell Martin's nine). Crawford led the NL in batting average, on-base percentage (.591), slugging percentage (1.000) and OPS (1.591).

Charles Barkley on Adrian Peterson: 'Every black parent in the South' whips their children

We’re not sure why CBS had Charles Barkley on their NFL preview show on Sunday morning to discuss football, but then again we’re not sure why CBS has Barkley on their college basketball coverage when he clearly watches next to no college basketball prior to the NCAA Tournament. It was a clear ratings grab by a network desperate to draw viewers and set Twitter on its ear, and if Barkley happened to say something outrageous along the way, then all the better.

Well, it appears that CBS got what they wanted: Charles Barkley acting ridiculous and labeling an entire cross section of a race in the southern U.S. as child abusers.

Horrific child abusers, like Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson.

After being asked by host Jim Rome if what Peterson did to his four-year old child was fine by him, Barkley went off on a pathetic brand of “us jocks gotta stick together”-defensive terms, while basically failing to disassociate southern African-Americans that don’t happen to beat their children with those that do. CBSSports.com has the disturbing transcript:

Tiger expects 'very full' schedule next season

 Tiger Woods has yet to swing a golf club since missing the cut at last month's PGA Championship but said on Monday his recovery from a back injury was progressing well and that he anticipated a full playing schedule next year.Woods, speaking during a news conference for the Dec. 4-7 Hero World Challenge in Orlando, an event he hosts and where the former world number one is scheduled to make his return, said his focus until now had been solely on regaining his strength.

"I haven't swung a golf club yet," said Woods. "I've just been shadow swinging without a club, but I've been busting my butt in the gym pretty hard.

"I've got my strength back, which is nice. Now the next goal is to get my explosiveness and my fast twitch going, and that's the next phase of my training."

Woods, a 14-times major winner, has struggled to find form since recovering from back surgery in late March and his disappointing performance at the PGA Championship led to only the fourth missed cut of his professional career in a major.

Two weeks after the PGA Championship, Woods ended a four-year alliance with swing coach Sean Foley, whose redesign of the American's swing failed to produce a major title.

Woods, who worked with Hank Haney and Butch Harmon before joining forces with Foley in August 2010, has no plans to name a new coach.
"Am I looking for a new coach? As of right now, no, I'm not," the 38-year-old said. "Right now I'm just trying to get physically better, stronger, faster, more explosive."
"I'm in no hurry to look for one right now. As I said, I'm just focused on what I'm doing."
Despite sounding upbeat about his recovery from injury, Woods, whose Hero World Challenge benefits his foundation and brings together 18 of the world's top golfers, did not get into specifics about his playing schedule for next season.
"That's all dependent on how I feel and how I'm playing when I play in the Hero World Challenge here," said Woods.
"I'm curious ... how I'm going to be feeling, how I'm going to be playing, and if I don't have any setbacks or any pain, then I foresee a very full schedule next year."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Clare Lovell)

Brad Keselowski takes lead with three-wide pass, wins at Chicago

Brad Keselowski saw Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson battling for the lead ahead of him and as Larson went high and Harvick went low heading into turn one, Keselowski took the middle.

It was the right option.

Keselowski stormed past both drivers and held on for the lead through a last restart to win the first race of the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup on Sunday at Chicago.

Larson and Harvick were having a fantastic battle off a restart with 18 laps to go. Larson had the lead and Harvick, who restarted second, was able to hang with him. The two ran side by side for virtually the entirety of two laps, but the great racing came at a price.

Keselowski was hanging around in third and got an incredible draft of the huge hole in the air the two were creating with 16 laps to go. As Harvick headed to the white line and Larson went towards the wall, Keselowski cut the middle and was clear by the time he was on the backstretch.

Floyd Mayweather vs.Marcos Maidana

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 13: Referee Kenny Bayless grabs Marcos Maidana (C) as he pushes Floyd Mayweather Jr. down in the 10th round of their WBC/WBA welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 13, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bayless deducted a point from Maidana for the act. Mayweather Jr. won by unanimous decision. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Home sweet home: Danica Patrick eager for Chicagoland return

Power Rankings: What country is your driver?

France upsets Spain 65-52 in WCup quarters

Cardinals OLB Abraham leaves team, may retire

Read this! Floyd Mayweather Jr. responds to illiteracy jab by bragging about his cash

Chicago Bulls 2014-15 Player's Salaries

Blue - Player Option
Red - Team Option
Brown - Qualifying Offer
Mauve - See Notes Below

Salary Notes
2014-15

• Joakim Noah's base salary is $12,200,000. However, since he has performance bonuses currently classified as "likely to be achieved", his cap figure is $12,700,000.
• Rip Hamilton was waived by the Bulls on July 10, 2013. Using the NBA's stretch provision, his cap hit was spread out over three seasons to cover the $1 million his contract was guaranteed for.

2015-16

• Rip Hamilton was waived by the Bulls on July 10, 2013. Using the NBA's stretch provision, his cap hit was spread out over three seasons to cover the $1 million his contract was guaranteed for.
• Cameron Bairstow's contract is guaranteed for $425,000. There is no guarantee date.

2016-17

• Cameron Bairstow's contract is non-guaranteed.
• The NBA team salary cap for 2014-15 is $63.065 million
  The NBA luxury tax threshold for 2014-15 is $76.829 million
  
  Contract Notes
  
  • Derrick Rose - Contract contains a 15% trade kicker.
  • Joakim Noah - Contract contains incentives, including $500,000 for being named Defensive Player of the Year and $500,000 for being named NBA Finals MVP
  • Taj Gibson - Contract contains incentives, including $250,000 for being named 2nd Team All-Defense and $500,000 for being named 1st Team All-Defense
  • Pau Gasol - Contract contains a 15% trade kicker
  • Nikola Mirotic - Contract contains a 15% trade kicker. Contract also contains incentives that are worth up to $2,385,000. Mirotic's contract with Real Madrid had a buyout of 2.5 million Euros ($3.38 million), of which the Bulls were allowed to pay $600,000. Mirotic had to pay the rest out of his salary. The buyout was payable in two installments.
  
  Information for this page was compiled from my own sources and the following websites:
• Basketball Insiders.com
  ShamSports.com
  

Derrick Rose, Team USA ready for FIBA World Cup elimination round

Derrick Rose still can't make a shot to save his life, but thankfully he's only a role player on this year's Team USA that is four wins away from capturing the championship of the 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball.
The most important detail for Bulls fans so far is that Rose made it through playing five games in six days in perfect health. He has looked to be 100% physically so far, and according to quotes posted by Bulls.com's Sam Smith, that's all that really matters to Derrick Rose and to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau:

Michael Schumacher leaves hospital for recovery at home

Former F1 champion Michael Schumacher has left a Swiss hospital to continue his recovery at home, his manager says.

Sabine Kehm said in a statement that he had made "progress", but there was "a long and difficult road ahead".

Schumacher suffered a head injury in a skiing accident in France in December last year and was transferred to the Swiss hospital in June.

Schumacher's family said in June that he had come out of a medically induced coma to reduce swelling in his brain.

Schumacher spent six months at a hospital in France after his accident, before being transferred to the hospital in Lausanne. His family home is in Gland, which is on the shores of Lake Geneva, some 40km (25 miles) from Lausanne.

Terry Pegula has agreement to purchase Buffalo Bills

A CBS Sports report, which also named Pegula as the front runner, says the expected price tag for the Bills will be between $1.1 and $1.4 billion.
Once identified as the prospective ownership candidates, the Pegulas would require approval from members of the NFL Finance Committee, which is to meet next week. They would also have to go through an extensive background check by an NFL-contracted security firm.
The final step would be approval from three-quarters of the league's 31 other owners, which could come at league meetings next month. After that, NFL owners are next scheduled to meet in December.
Under NFL ownership rules, the Pegulas are allowed to own both the Bills and the Sabres because they are located in the same market.

Atlanta Hawks discipline GM Danny Ferry for racist comments as fallout continues

Top pick Clowney out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick of the Houston Texans, will be out 4-6 weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday.

Coach Bill O'Brien said he didn't know exactly what was repaired in Clowney's knee when asked if it was a torn meniscus.

''I'm not a doctor so I don't know,'' O'Brien said. ''It's just something they went in there and tried to fix it. It seems like it went well.''

Ravens cut RB Ray Rice after release of video

Ray Rice was let go by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday and suspended indefinitely by the NFL after a video was released showing the running back striking his then-fiancee in February.

The grainy video, released by TMZ Sports, shows Rice and Janay Palmer in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino. Each hits the other before Rice knocks Palmer off her feet and into a railing. Months ago, a TMZ video showed Rice dragging Palmer, now his wife, from the elevator at the Revel casino, which closed Sept. 2.

Earlier Monday, the Ravens said they never saw the new video. Hours later, they sent out a one-sentence release:

''The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of RB Ray Rice this afternoon.''

Coach John Harbaugh said he met with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, team president Dick Cass and general manager Ozzie Newsome after they saw the video, and they made the decision to let Rice go.

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Texans' Clowney reveals concussion

Jadeveon Clowney says he's ready to make his NFL debut for the Houston Texans after recovering from a concussion.

The top overall draft pick left a practice Aug. 20 after a helmet-to-helmet hit with Denver Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme. He missed the Texans' final two preseason games, but says he passed the NFL protocols for head injuries in just over a week and will play Sunday against Washington.

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