BK Racing co-owner apologizes for Cole Whitt tweet

BK Racing minority owner Anthony Marlowe apologized for a tweet he made about Cole Whitt, who drove for the team in 2014.

Marlowe referenced Whitt driving the No. 34 for Front Row next season. David Ragan drove the No. 34 in 2014 and won in the car last year at Talladega. On Wednesday, FRM issued a statement that said it expected Ragan back in the No. 34 car in 2015.

“I did not intend for it to make national news,” Marlowe told Motorsports Talk “Aside from it being smart alecky, it was just a tweet congratulating a friend, and current supplier of driver services on his ride for next year.

“We could have had someone else drive the 26 car this year at BKR, but my new partners and I felt (Whitt) deserved a full season after his past NASCAR teams were not committed to him for the long term, along with his auspicious start to the 2014 season. That mission was accomplished.

Jordan Spieth impresses with 6-shot Australian Open win

An American hadn't won the Australian Open in 21 years. In windy conditions on Sunday at the Australian Open, naturally, it was a Texan who ended that skid.While the rest of the field was blown away by windy conditions at The Australian Golf Club, Jordan Spieth dominated the course to shoot a final-round, 8-under 63 and win the Aussie Open by six shots over Rod Pampling.

Spieth came into the tournament miffed he hadn't broken through in his second season as a pro. But that 63, a tournament best by two shots, capped off a very consistent year with the win he sought.

"It would be a lie if I didn't say that it was eating at me a little bit," he said.

The 21-year-old walks away from the trip Down Under not only with a win, but a victory over his weekend woes. On the PGA Tour in 2014, Spieth was ranked 112th in third-round scoring and 62nd in final rounds. 

Gordie Howe comfortable as he recovers

DETROIT (AP) -- Gordie Howe is comfortable as he makes a long recovery from two strokes, but the hockey great can't walk and has limited speech, one of his sons said Sunday.Mark Howe said his 86-year-old father's vital signs are good and he's aware of the reasons for his condition. He added that an epidural reduced pain stemming from spinal surgery last summer.

''He's unable to walk and his speech is very minimal,'' said Mark Howe, like his father a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. ''After his first stroke, within a week, he was up to walking 40 to 50 feet.

''They did his first physical therapy after the epidural. He tried standing twice over 20 minutes and it took every ounce of energy he had and totally drained him.''

Gordie Howe suffered what his children called a serious stroke in late October and another in early November. He's been staying at his daughter's home in Lubbock, Texas.

Raptors All-Star DeRozan has torn groin tendon

TORONTO (AP) -- Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan is going to be out an indefinite period with a torn tendon in his left groin.

The durable All-Star was injured during the third quarter of Friday night's 106-102 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He was diagnosed with the injury Saturday.

DeRozan remained on the court for several minutes before being helped to the dressing room. He originally was diagnosed as having a strain.

DeRozan is averaging a team-high 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and a team-best 33.6 minutes in 16 games this season for the Raptors, who are off to their best start at 13-3.

Johnny Manziel enters, immediately leads Browns to TD

      

Finally, the Cleveland Browns let Johnny Manziel play.

Manziel, the Browns' first-round pick and the talk of the NFL through the offseason, had barely played through the first 12 weeks. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner saw a handful of snaps in special situations, but Brian Hoyer's play and the Browns' winning ways with Hoyer had kept him off the field.

But with 12:01 left in the fourth quarter and the Browns in serious need of a spark on offense as they trailed Buffalo 20-3, Manziel got the call. The Browns benched Hoyer, who had just thrown an interception, and Manziel entered.

Ohio State's Kosta Karageorge found dead

Ohio State defensive tackle Kosta Karageorge was found dead.

Karageorge was reported missing on Wednesday by his family. A body was found Sunday afternoon near his apartment and Columbus (Ohio) Police confirmed it was Karageorge. He was 22.Karageorge was a walk-on for the Ohio State football team and also wrestled. According to a police report, Karageorge's mother said he struggled with sports-related concussions and his sister said he had suffered one a month prior. His mother said he texted her Wednesday referencing the concussions and apologized for being an "embarrassment."

Ohio State held a moment of silence for Karageorge before Saturday's game against Michigan and a missing poster was displayed on the scoreboard at Ohio Stadium. After the game, coach Urban Meyer called Karageorge's disappearance "unbelievable" and said "All you can do is grab a knee and play hard."

"I know there's a lot of prayers on the team because a lot of the guys are friends with Kosta," Meyer continued. "He was only with us since August, so I didn't know him that well but talked to his mom a few times. Just come home safe, man."

The school released a statement Sunday afternoon.

"The Ohio State University Department of Athletics was shocked and saddened to learn today of the death of student-athlete Kosta Karageorge, a senior from Columbus," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Karageorge family, and those who knew him, during this most difficult time."

Kostageorge's family became worried for him when he left his apartment without any identification at approximately 2 a.m. on Wednesday. He hadn't been seen since.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 




HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM


LONZO'S SPORTS GEAR FAMILY

NASCAR Illustrated: Getting Comfortable with Eric Christian Olsen

 

Star of 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (Mondays, 8 p.m. ET/PT) on Jeff Gordon and more

Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Eric Christian Olsen had just finished his freshman year of college in Michigan when, to help pay the bills, he moved to Los Angeles to try and get work in commercials.

It wasn't long before Olsen's studies were put on hold to make room for acting gigs, not in commercials, but in big productions like "Not Another Teen Movie," "Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd" and "The Thing."

A 2010 guest spot on the CBS drama "NCIS: Los Angeles" led to a full-time spot for Olsen on the show, playing detective Marty Deeks, and the show's sixth season kicked off Sept. 29.

An avid surfer, the 37-year-old actor lives in L.A. with his wife, actress Sarah Wright, and the couple's 1-year-old son, Wyatt.

Ko closes out amazing rookie year with big payday

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — The biggest challenge facing Lydia Ko is how she can top a rookie season like this one.The 17-year-old from New Zealand sat next to a pair of crystal trophies Sunday evening. At her feet was a glass box that was stuffed with cash to symbolize the $1 million bonus she picked up on an historic end to the LPGA Tour season.

She was an instant millionaire when she closed with a 4-under 68 to get into a three-way playoff in the CME Group Tour Championship. She already had finished high enough to clinch the inaugural "Race to CME Globe" and its $1 million bonus.

Then, she collected another trophy by winning the Tour Championship with a par on the fourth extra hole to pick up an extra $500,000. Only the tournament earnings count toward the money list, and it made Ko the first rookie to surpass $2 million in a year.

Tiger Woods Hired An Unknown Graduate Student As His New Coach, And People On Tour Think It's A Mistake

YouTube Chris Como became one of the most famous golf coaches on the planet on Saturday when Tiger Woods announced that he hired him as a swing "consultant."

Only the hardest of hardcore golf nerds knew who Como was before Tiger announced the hire. He's a 37-year-old based in Plano, Texas who's finishing a Master's degree in biomechanics at Texas Woman's University. The three professional golfers he has worked with — Aaron Baddeley, Trevor Immelman, and Jamie Lovemark — are hardly household names.

Golf Digest put him on their "Best Young Teachers" list in 2014, noting that he charges $1,500 for a half-day lesson at Gleneagles Country Club near Dallas.

Como is regarded as a sports science expert. His biomechanics degree has involved co-authoring a paper called, "Assessment of planarity of the golf swing based on the functional swing plane of the clubhead and motion planes of the body points."

That's basically all that the golf world knows about Como, and some people around the game are leery that this is the right move for Tiger. 

Messi sets Champions League record with 72nd goal

(AP) -- Barcelona's Lionel Messi has set a new Champions League goalscoring record by taking his tally in the competition to 72 on Tuesday.Messi struck in the 38th minute against APOEL in Group F to give Barcelona a 2-0 lead after Luis Suarez had opened the scoring,

It was Messi's 91st match in Europe's top club competition. The former Real Madrid and Schalke striker Raul took 142 matches to set the previous record of 71.

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 70 goals, gets his chance to break Messi's new record when the Spanish champions face Basel away on Wednesday.

George and Barbara Bush made the Kiss Cam at Texans game

Two familiar faces were shown on the JumboTron during the Kiss Cam portion of Sunday's Bengals-Texans game.
President George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara, married for 69 years, happily participated in the sporting event tradition as they each leaned in to do the honors.

Flare-throwing fans halt Italy-Croatia qualifier, referee orders players to leave field

A perfectly riveting Euro 2016 qualifier between Italy and Croatia was abruptly (and somewhat predictably) interrupted in the 75th minute when Croatian fans began throwing flares onto the San Siro pitch on Sunday.

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was the apparent target of the Croatian supporters' madness, which halted play for roughly 11 minutes before order could be restored. The Vine below captures the beginning of the flare-fest.As the stadium became engulfed in smoke, referee Bjorn Kuipers had no choice but to order the players to leave the field to ensure their safety. Things got so out of hand in the stands that riot police had to disperse the flare-tossing throng and, out of nowhere, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt began pleading with the traveling supporters to keep the peace (actually, it was Gordon-Levitt's doppleganger, Croatia coach Niko Kovac).

Gordie Howe 'not doing well at all'

Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe is apparently not doing very well after a stroke two weeks ago. 

His son, Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Howe talked with Ken Campbell of The Hockey News and gave this grim outlook on his father, fondly known as "Mr. Hockey."

“Things are definitely headed in the wrong direction,” Mark said.

The younger Howe, in fact, sent an email out to family and friends last week telling them that Gordie Howe’s condition has been in rapid decline and that it might be time to consider hospice care for him. "Father Time and all Dad’s illnesses are pains are catching up with him rapidly," he wrote.

There were reports a week ago that the 86-year-old was improving, but sadly that seems to not be the case. As has been the mantra for the last several weeks, Get Well Gordie. 

Cavs make first 11 3-pointers, beat Hawks 127-94

The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to go 9 for 9 or better from behind the arc in a quarter, according to information provided to the team by the Elias Sports Bureau.

James, who scored a season-high 41 points Friday in Boston, hit three 3-pointers in the period and scored 11 points in the opening 3:34.

''Coming off a back-to-back I didn't want us to have a slow start,'' James said. ''I feel like the guys feed off my energy and I wanted to go out and be aggressive and see where it takes us. It got us to a huge lead.''The Cavaliers, who have won four straight, scored 41 points in first quarter. James, who didn't play in the fourth, was 13 of 20 from the field. Kyrie Irving added 20 points.

Giancarlo Stanton playing a dangerous game: believing in the Marlins

You can’t turn down $325 million. Over the next 13 years, if Giancarlo Stanton breaks his leg or falls victim to a voodoo curse or develops a crippling case of sesquipedalophobia or happens upon any other sort of unfathomable malady, the Miami Marlins still will owe him that $325 million, a sum greater than any franchise has owed any individual in the history of organized sports.

And with that out of the way, and Stanton’s signature soon to dry on a contract that guarantees him this ungodly sum, comes the answer to a question philosophers and paupers alike have asked for eons: Apparently, the price of a soul is $325 million.What Robert Johnson did with a guitar, Giancarlo Stanton does with a bat, and in order to preserve that in Miami, Jeffrey Loria promised Stanton just shy of what he spent on his entire team’s combined payroll for the first eight seasons he owned it. This is a staggering deal, a monumental deal, the sort of deal in years and dollars that fits the New York Yankees’ or Los Angeles Dodgers’ or Boston Red Sox’s bailiwick.

DEA stages surprise drug probe on at least two NFL teams

Federal drug-enforcement agents conducted surprise inspections of at least two NFL teams on Sunday as part of an investigation into claims of abuse of prescription drugs, according to multiple reports.

At least two teams' medical staffs were questioned Sunday: those of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who played the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field, and the San Francisco 49ers, who played the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. 

The Associated Press is reporting the investigation is connected to former players' claims that teams have mishandled prescription drugs.The Washington Post added that the inspections included bag searches and questioning of team doctors by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in cooperation with the Transportation Security Administration.

Christina Kim wins Lorena Ochoa Invitational

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Christina Kim won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title in nine years, beating Shanshan Feng in a playoff after losing a five-stroke lead.

Kim won with a tap-in par on the par-4 18th on the second extra hole at Club de Golf Mexico.

''This is the greatest win in my life, without a doubt,'' Kim said.

The 30-year-old American celebrated with an exuberant dance and jumped up and down on the green. Kim hugged caddie T.J. Jones, boyfriend Duncan French and friend Michelle Wie, with Wie wiping away tears after embracing the winner. French is Wie's caddie.

''I can't put into words how I'm feeling right now. Kim said. ''I'm still riding so many emotions. It feels surreal. I can't explain. I'm so overwhelmed right now. I'm so proud and honored to be a champion for such an incredible tournament.''

Kevin Harvick wins 2014 NASCAR title

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - NASCAR promised drama in its newest incarnation of the Chase, and Sunday's season-ending EcoBoost 400 delivered exactly that, beyond any of the sport's wildest dreams.

Kevin Harvick held off a powerful charge from his three challengers, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, winning the season finale to claim the 2014 Sprint Cup championship in definitive fashion.

"I really don't know what to say," Harvick said after getting out of his car, celebrating with his team. "It's really special for everybody."

NASCAR created the new Chase in advance of the 2014 season with the express intent of creating a so-called “Game 7 moment” – everything on the line, win-or-go-home, Hail Mary, you get the idea. The new Chase is thus a Frankenstein’s monster built from the parts of other championships: the NCAA’s college hoops bracket, the World Series’ Game 7 dramatics, the Super Bowl’s grand pomposity.

Heisman Watch: Dak Prescott is slipping, but opportunity awaits

For the first time this season, the Dr. Saturday Heisman Watch has the same players as it did the week before. The order, however, has changed a bit.

Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott, who was once the clubhouse leader for the Heisman, has fallen to fourth in our rankings simply because his play against his last two SEC opponents hasn’t been great and scoring a few touchdowns against Tennessee-Martin didn’t do much to raise his standing, especially while the players above him excelled against tougher competition.

It's a good thing Prescott has a couple tough games coming up to regain his spot on the Heisman list.

Here’s a look at Dr. Saturday’s Heisman Poll heading into Week 12:

Harvick attempts to get inside Logano's head

DORAL, Fla. – Joey Logano takes it as a compliment. Single out the one you perceive to be your toughest competition and try to get inside his head.

One team owner said not so fast, instead describing it as "going after the low-hanging fruit."

But the verbal jabs Kevin Harvick lofted Logano's way during Wednesday's Championship Media Day at Trump National Doral Miami had more to do with what has already taken place than what might unfold this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

It's all about karma, Harvick said. It'll catch up with you.

"I told him that after Talladega," the Stewart-Haas Racing driver said. "… He knows I wasn't joking."

Harvick, Logano (Team Penske), Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Ryan Newman (Richard Childress Racing) have survived nine weeks of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and one of the four will walk away from Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 (ESPN, 3 p.m. ET) bearing the title of 2014 Sprint Cup champion.

At Talladega in October, Brad Keselowski pulled off a victory that sent him into the Eliminator Round. It was Harvick's contention that Logano held up the outside lane on a final restart, enabling Keselowski to collect the victory.

And Harvick was quick to reference the situation during Wednesday's initial interview session.

Why Adrian Peterson, Vikings need to go in separate directions

Adrian Peterson is ready to move on from the past few months. He said as much last week as he exited a courthouse in Texas. In a stairway convoy with his wife, parents and led by his wing-tipped attorney, the conversation turned to moving on … away from his legal issues … forward as a father … back to his career.He'll eventually get there as a professional – perhaps next week, when the NFL and players' union hash out his inevitable reinstatement. And presumably he'll go back to the Minnesota Vikings and finish out this season. But in a few months, when the offseason arrives, the inevitable should sink in.

Phil Mickelson now 'interim assistant coach' at Arizona State

From trying to sell his California home for the millionth time to being a part of the 11-man PGA of America Ryder Cup task force, Phil Mickelson has plenty to do. But somehow Mickelson has apparently found time to become an interim assistant coach for the Arizona State golf program.

Mickelson is helping out his brother, Tim, who is at the helm of the Sun Devils program. The opportunity came about when assistant coach Joe Prince left the program in September, according to Golfweek.As the title suggests – and Mickelson's schedule dictates – this won't be a permanent position for Lefty, who has a PGA Tour life to resume come 2015. However, the assistant coach isn't taking the job lightly, recently making a recruiting call to a highly touted amateur player on behalf of the Arizona State program.

Clippers star Griffin faces battery charge

Los Angeles (AFP) - Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin faces a charge of misdemeanor battery from an incident last month in a Las Vegas nightclub, court records showed.

The former NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion was charged following an alleged altercation with a man using a camera last October 19, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Griffin was reportedly annoyed at camera flashes in his face at the Venetian resort's Tao nightclub.

Griffin, 25, is due to be arraigned on December 8 in Las Vegas. He faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Last month, Clippers coach Doc Rivers expressed support for Griffin.

"He's a great kid. We'll figure it out and get through it," Rivers said. "I can't say much but I feel very confident things will work out."

Griffin is averaging 24.3 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Clippers, who are off to a 4-3 start this season. He scored a career-high 24.1 points last season.

Russia, Qatar reportedly will keep World Cup after FIFA 'investigation'

FIFA is set to release a summary of its "investigation" Thursday into how the bidding process that awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar were so corrupt that … well … it awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.

To the surprise of no one, nothing significant is expected to come of it, according to multiple reports in the British media. The 2018 and 2022 World Cups will still be held in Russia and Qatar, respectively.Perhaps this "investigation" will help FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his global web of cronies to sleep well at night, able to rectify that they picked a country (Qatar) that is currently trying to fend off allegations that it allows funding to ISIS, has such a loathsome track record of human rights that homosexuality is illegal and, by its own government findings, is on pace for 5,000 poor, migrant workers to die constructing opulent stadiums and outrageous infrastructure.

Oh, and it gets into the 120s Fahrenheit in the summer there, which means the conditions aren't conducive to high-level play, or athlete safety, and the only solution appears to be moving the tourney to the winter months that would upset most of the world's major professional leagues.

Other than that, FIFA did a great job with the bidding process.

Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber win Cy Young awards

The question heading into the 2014 Cy Young Award reveal Wednesday was "Clayton Kershaw and who else?" 

The answer: Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians, who edged Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners. Kershaw, of course, won his second straight NL Cy Young, but that didn't have nearly the drama of the AL award.Kluber earned 17 of the 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America. Hernandez was second with 13 first-place votes. They were separated by 10 overall points, 169 to 159. Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox finished third.

McIlroy wins Race to Dubai, Scott aims for revenge

Shanghai (AFP) - Adam Scott has called on Australian Open organisers to let him go head-to-head against Rory McIlroy, who secured the European Tour's Race to Dubai title Sunday without swinging a club.Second-ranked Scott finished tied 12th in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai on Sunday, and said after that he would love to be paired with McIlroy in Sydney for at least the first two days of the event, which begins on November 27.Masters champion Scott had led McIlroy by a shot going down the final fairway in the 2013 Australian Open, but stunned his fervent home fans at Royal Sydney by missing the green with his second shot and making a bogey, while McIlroy stroked home a 15-foot putt for a birdie and victory.

"It annoyed me for a little while," Scott told reporters at Sheshan International Golf Club. "To mess up on the very last hole of the last of the four tournaments I played back home last year was very, very frustrating."

Scott is desperate to atone and would relish the chance to stare down his great rival in a straight duel.

Classy Federer on brink of semis, Murray stays afloat

LONDON (Reuters) - Roger Federer's class shone like a beacon over the murky waters of round-robin tennis with a 6-3 6-2 defeat of Kei Nishikori at the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday before Andy Murray stayed afloat by defeating Milos Raonic.The 33-year-old Swiss maestro, bidding for a seventh title at the ATP's year-ending shootout, oozed confidence as he racked up his second consecutive victory in Group B.However, Murray's 6-3 7-5 defeat of big-serving Raonic means that all scenarios are still possible going into Thursday's matches when group leader Federer faces Murray and winless Raonic takes on Asian trailblazer Nishikori.

Home favourite Murray, beaten by Nishikori on Sunday, had the added pressure of knowing that defeat to Raonic would have eliminated him but the world number six delighted a capacity crowd in the O2 Arena with a steadfast display.

NHL admits Las Vegas expansion possible, meets with owner group

The NHL has been reluctant to put its cards on the table about potential expansion. But when it comes to Las Vegas, that’s only a matter of time. 

Michael Russo of the Star Tribune finally called NHL deputy commission Bill Daly’s bluff, and Daly said he not only met with a potential ownership group last weekend in Las Vegas but also toured the construction site for the new $350 million arena being built by MGM Resorts.

A few key thoughts from Daly on Las Vegas expansion:

1. He feels Vegas can “support a professional sports franchise” if the locals can create a strong ticket base. Daly said the demographics are good to that end, but the critical thing for the franchise would be not to rely on tourists, snow birds and the casinos to gobble up tickets on a regular basis: “You can’t depend on tourists to fill your building every night — even rich ones. You really need a local fan base.”

Guess the lessons have been learned from South Florida …

2. Daly admits that the start time for games could be an issue. “It’s a nighttime city, so it would have to be uniquely scheduled in terms of focusing maybe on industry nights as opposed to your typical Thursday-Saturday nights where everybody would be working.”

Keep in mind that the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL used to play every Sunday game in the afternoon.

3. If the NHL comes to Vegas, the League might ask that the team not have its games available for wagering in the city’s sports books. The same courtesy was granted to UNLV years ago; there are also smaller “conflict of interest” exceptions, like not being able to wager on the Sacramento Kings at the Palms due to the Maloofs’ ownership of both.

“It’s really more a visceral rationale than anything else,” Daly said told Russo. “You don’t want guys in the stands with bet tickets in their hands and the only reason they’re watching the game is so they can cash in on a bet afterwards. That’s not an environment you want to foster or create as a professional sports league.”

4. Finally, kudos to Daly for finally admitting that the current mis-alignment - 16 in the East, 14 in the West - will influence expansion. “It would have to take place in the West before it would take place in the East because you can’t get further misaligned.” Gary Bettman had previously danced around the alignment as an influence. 

Washington's Williams voted NL Manager of the Year

NEW YORK (AP) -- Matt Williams was chosen NL Manager of the Year after guiding the Washington Nationals to the league-best 96 wins in his first season on the job.Williams got 18 first-place votes and 109 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced Tuesday.Williams became the fourth manager to win in his first year. Joe Girardi had been the most recent to do it, with the Marlins in 2006.Pittsburgh's Clint Hurdle, who earned the NL honor last year, was second with eight first-place votes and 80 points. Bruce Bochy of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants was third with three firsts and 30 points.

Rivera: Newton is fine, not time to panic

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Panthers coach Ron Rivera walked into his news conference Tuesday and, before taking any questions, looked directly at reporters and said ''No, he's not injured.''Rivera did his best to dispute published reports that two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Cam Newton was injured during Carolina's lopsided 45-21 loss to Philadelphia on Monday night.

LeBron James had a triple-double, and then he rightfully didn't

LeBron James registered the fourth triple-double of the NBA season, his first since returning to Cleveland and the 38th of his career — reestablishing himself as the Most Valuable Player candidate to beat and righting the Cavaliers' ship in Monday's 118-111 win over Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Or did he?

Much of that statement remains true, but the NBA rescinded LeBron's triple-double, removing a rebound and an assist from his line of 32 points, 12 boards and 10 assists, per ProBasketballTalk's Kurt Helin.

It doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, unless you're Fat Lever holding off James in the context of historical triple-doubles or you were on either end of a daily fantasy league battle decided by a matter of points involving LeBron, which this scribe may or may not have been.

NBA Reddit user Timi093 brought the issue to light on Tuesday, pointing out an assist awarded to LeBron that should have been credited to teammate Tristan Thompson, if anybody. (Kyrie Irving took four transition dibbles to score a basket that cut the Pelicans lead to 78-75 with 3:27 left in the third quarter.)

Meanwhile, Vantage Sports took the proverbial ball and dribbled it a step further, noting LeBron was credited with a rebound on the same play when his "tip to possession" also gave Thompson the board.

Swansea bounce back to leapfrog Arsenal

Swansea (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Second-half goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis saw Swansea beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday to leapfrog the Gunners into fifth place in the Premier League table and complete a miserable week for Arsene Wenger.

Alexis Sanchez's 12th goal of the season gave Arsenal the lead in the 63rd minute in south Wales.

However, two goals in three minutes, in the final quarter, left Wenger's side with nothing to show for their troubles.

Having given up a three-goal lead in their midweek 3-3 Champions League draw at home to Anderlecht, the north London club's defensive lapses again proved costly and this time there wasn't even the consolation of a point.

South Korean Lee Mi-Hyang wins Mizuno Classic

Tokyo (AFP) - South Korea's Lee Mi-Hyang won a nail-biting playoff to triumph in the Mizuno Classic on Sunday, birdying the fifth extra hole to claim her first LPGA title.

The 21-year-old beat compatriot Lee Il-Hee and Japan's Kotona Kozuma after all three women finished tied at 11-under 205 in Japan on the final stop of the tour's Asian swing.

The victorious Lee and Kozuma both carded final rounds of 69 while Lee Il-Hee returned a 70 to set up a marathon three-way playoff.

"It was my first playoff ever, so before it began I was very nervous," the champion told reporters after tapping in to bring the drama to a close. "I just kept playing and made the pars and birdies. It was really exciting when the last putt fell."Lee, who made her LPGA debut in 2012, pocketed a top prize of $180,000 after becoming the seventh South Korean to win on the tour this season and following world number one Inbee Park's victory in Taiwan last weekend.

Dion Waiters calls report that he didn't observe national anthem because he's Muslim ‘a damn lie’

UPDATE: After the expected outrage from the easily outraged, Waiters hopped on Twitter on Saturday morning to blast “the media” and the writer that “made that up.”

There are several traditions in sports that take place without much thought. One of them is the playing of the national anthem, no matter the country in which the event takes place. It's an opportunity for pause and reflection before the game begins, a chance for everyone to take stock of everything that allows the coming contest to go on. In theory, that reflection should take a patriotic bent, but it would not be terribly surprising if athletes opted to focus on the task at hand.Whatever the reason, it's seen as shocking when an athlete or coach is not present for the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at an American sporting event. So when Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Dion Waiters wasn't on the court for the song at Wednesday's game vs. the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, people took notice. Waiters has an explanation for his absence, and it involves his religion.

Bubba Watson wins a thriller in Shanghai

SHANGHAI (AP) — Bubba Watson captured his first World Golf Championship with a stunning turnaround Sunday when he holed a bunker shot for eagle on the 18th hole to get into a playoff, and then made a 20-foot birdie putt to beat Tim Clark and win the HSBC Champions.
The 10th edition of the HSBC Champions was the wildest one of them all.
Watson had a two-shot lead with three holes to play until he appeared to throw it all away. He missed the 16th green with a lob wedge and made bogey, and then took two shots to get out of a bunker on the par-3 17th and made double bogey to fall one shot behind a five-way tie for the lead.
The two-time Masters champion was fidgety and irritated at any movement around him, even stopping at the top of his swing from the bunker left of the green on the par-5 18th hole because of a camera click from the hospitality suite. But angst turned to joy when he blasted onto the green and watched the ball roll some 25 feet into the cup for eagle.
"You always joke about holing it," Watson said. "And then it actually went in. So I didn't know how to react, and so I just kind of screamed and I lost my voice a little bit. It was one of those shots — one-in-a-lifetime kind of shot."
He closed with a 2-under 70.

Newman's late pass dooms Gordon at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Kevin Harvick dominated a race he had to win to advance to the final round of NASCAR's playoffs, while Jeff Gordon was knocked out when Ryan Newman completed a last-lap pass.

Harvick led 264 laps at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday to earn an automatic spot next week in the four-man Chase field in the finale at Homestead. He has the Phoenix fall race three years in a row, also won at the track in March and has a record six victories on the mile oval.

Now he takes Stewart-Haas Racing into the championship race next Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the four championship contenders will all be seeking their first Sprint Cup title. Harvick came into Sunday ranked eighth in the eight-driver Chase field.

''Wow, I guess that's what it feels like to hit a walkoff in the extra innings,'' Harvick said.

Gordon finished second, but lost his bid for a fifth Sprint Cup championship when Newman knocked Kyle Larson into the wall on the final lap to finish 11th - and one point ahead of Gordon.

Denny Hamlin, the points leader after finishing fifth, and Joey Logano also advanced. The title will be decided by finishing order among the final four at Homestead.

Little League Football

Camryn Ranson of the Schaumburg vikings is getting ready for the playoffs.  One win away from the sugar bowl.

Giants fans celebrate in the streets of San Francisco

The weather

may be an issue, but San Francisco is celebrating its third World Series championship in five years. San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval (48) wears a panda costume head during the World Series victory parade on Market Street.

Argentina's Gutierrez given all clear after cancer

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Newcastle United and Argentina winger Jonas Gutierrez has been give the all clear by doctors after a successful fight against testicular cancer.

"I got the all clear. Thank you very much to all those who stood by me in this moment," the 31-year-old nicknamed Galgo (greyhound) said in a Twitter message (@elgalgojonas).Instantly recognisable playing for Newcastle and Argentina at the 2010 World Cup finals with long hair and a beard, Gutierrez made his most recent public appearance running the Buenos Aires Marathon several weeks ago totally bald after chemotherapy.

Gutierrez, whose fight against cancer lasted 18 months, ran the marathon in support of cancer research.

A tumour was discovered in one of his testicles in May 2013 following a knock playing against Arsenal and he went back to Argentina for treatment and had surgery in October last year.

Carmelo reaches 20,000 career points, leads Knicks over Hornets

Before forcing his way to New York, Carmelo Anthony recalled how he marveled at the numbers that Denver Nuggets teammate Allen Iverson had posted in his career.
On Sunday night, Anthony joined his former teammate, becoming the sixth youngest to join the NBA's 20,000 point club, with a 28-point performance. Anthony also hit the go-ahead basket with 1:23 remaining, leading the New York Knicks to a 96-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.I never thought I would be here actually talking about me reaching that milestone," Anthony said. "I'm definitely humbled by this experience. I (guess I) got more to go."
Anthony, a seven-time All-Star, who started off the night with 19,997 points, notched his 19,999th point after hitting a basket in the opening seconds of the game. With 7:42 remaining in the opening quarter, point guard Shane Larkin found an open Anthony on the wing for a 3-pointer, becoming the 40th player in league history to score over 20,000 points in their careers.

Tiger Woods no longer necessary to draw fans, says sponsor rep

Giles Morgan is HSBC's global head of sponsorship, with control over the global bank's investments in a pair of big golf tournaments, including this week's WGC-HSBC Champions in China. 

Like a prudent investment banker, Morgan has evaluated the return HSBC was getting on paying Tiger Woods big bucks for its January event in Abu Dhabi and decided it's not worth the money. Morgan will no longer cut a $3 million check to Woods just for showing up, saying golf, particularly in China, has moved beyond needing the 14-time major winner or any single marquee player to make a tournament a success.

"Every top player in the world is welcome to play this event if they qualify and we would be delighted to have them here," Morgan said to The Guardian newspaper. "But we have moved beyond the point where we just need ‘a player’ to turn up to boost PR, gratification and media coverage. We are not interested in that, we are interested in genuine growth of the sport and I think we are sitting on a fantastic new chapter.”

COLUMN: Are there double standards for Keselowski?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- In the closing laps at Martinsville Speedway, Jeff Gordon could see Dale Earnhardt Jr. ahead of him with enough time to formulate a plan on how to handle his teammate if Gordon could catch him.Earnhardt had been eliminated from the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field one week earlier and was racing only for a trophy. Gordon, still eligible to win the title, wanted to win last week to grab the automatic berth into the final round of NASCAR's playoffs.

So what would have happened?

''I would have moved him for sure. There's no doubt in my mind,'' Gordon said after finishing second to Earnhardt at Martinsville. ''Everybody who is out there racing has to weigh risk versus reward. For me, to win this race, it's worth taking a lot of risk, even if you upset your teammate.

Dustin Johnson will not defend WGC-HSBC Champions crown

Dustin Johnson's leave of absence from the PGA Tour will not end next week in China. Per his agent, Johnson will not defend his title at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. 

Johnson has been on a leave of absence from the PGA Tour since July 31, saying he was taking time off to address "personal problems."

"By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion," Johnson said in a statement released announcing the leave of absence.

In the days that followed, Golf Magazine reported Johnson had been suspended by the PGA Tour for a failed drug test under its anti-doping program, a charge the Tour refutes. 

The eight-time PGA Tour winner and fiancee Paulina Gretzky announced in late September they're expected their first child. It probably will not be until the child is born that Johnson shows up again on the PGA Tour.

"He will likely not return to action until after the baby arrives," said Johnson's agent, David Winkle, to ESPN. "In the meantime, he is doing great and is very excited about becoming a father."

Johnson, however, has played golf during his time away from the PGA Tour. The 30-year-old was taped by his future mother-in-law, Janet Gretzky, playing golf at an Idaho resort with a small crowd of interested onlookers. Shortly after the video began to spread through the sports world, the video was deleted from Instagram, where it was posted.

Jimmy Butler rejects Bulls’ final offer, plans to enter restricted free agency

Talks on a contract extension for Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler ended without a deadline deal on Friday, agent Happy Walters told Yahoo Sports.

Butler rejected the Bulls’ final offer on Friday morning and plans to enter into restricted free agency in July.

“It came down to me deciding that I want to bet on myself,” Butler told Yahoo Sports in a text message on Friday. “It was about me believing that I put the work in this summer to become a better player with the hope that my improvement will give the Bulls a better chance to win a championship.”The sides still have until midnight EST on Friday to reach agreement on a 2011 draft class rookie extension, but Bulls officials expressed to Butler and his reps at Relativity Media, Walters and Steve McCaskill, that they made their final offer earlier on Monday.The Bulls will have the chance to match an offer sheet and retain Butler next summer, but looming is the threat of a rival believing that it can extract Butler with a steep offer that threatens the Bulls’ payroll structure. Teams could include a player option on a three-year deal that would allow Butler to become an unrestricted free agent in 2017.

Jimmy Butler Playing For His Contact

Talks on a contract extension for Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler ended without a deadline deal on Friday, agent Happy Walters told Yahoo Sports.

Butler rejected the Bulls’ final offer on Friday morning and plans to enter into restricted free agency in July.

“It came down to me deciding that I want to bet on myself,” Butler told Yahoo Sports in a text message on Friday. “It was about me believing that I put the work in this summer to become a better player with the hope that my improvement will give the Bulls a better chance to win a championship.”The sides still have until midnight EST on Friday to reach agreement on a 2011 draft class rookie extension, but Bulls officials expressed to Butler and his reps at Relativity Media, Walters and Steve McCaskill, that they made their final offer earlier on Monday.

The Bulls will have the chance to match an offer sheet and retain Butler next summer, but looming is the threat of a rival believing that it can extract Butler with a steep offer that threatens the Bulls’ payroll structure. Teams could include a player option on a three-year deal that would allow Butler to become an unrestricted free agent in 2017.

“All the [rookie extension] deals done so far have shown that teams are building around their stars of the future, and they’re compensating those players as such,” Walters told Yahoo Sports on Friday. “I was under the impression Jimmy was also viewed as one of those future building blocks with the Bulls.
“We tried like heck to get something done, but ultimately, the Bulls wanted a ‘hometown’ discount. While understandable, I doubt their GM or coaches give Mr. Reinsdorf a discount when negotiating their own deals.”
Butler, 25, is considered an excellent two-way player, and his pedigree as part of a winning team and culture under Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau will certainly be at a premium on the market next summer. Butler was chosen as a second-team All-NBA defender, often tasked with covering an opponent’s best player. He will be a key for the Bulls in covering Cleveland’s LeBron James in the playoffs.
Butler, who averaged 13.1 points per game last season, played most of the year with a foot injury that impacted his shooting percentage, but he’s shown better perimeter consistency in the preseason.
For Butler to solidify his market status, he’ll need to further develop his shooting this season.
More NBA coverage from Yahoo Sports:

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