NFL-SCHEDULE
Bears to entertain Saints
CHICAGO (AP) β New Orleans can regain first place in the NFC South with a win in Chicago over the Bears tonight. The Saints start the day with a record of 5-8 with loses in four of their last five games, while Carolina tops the mediocre division with a mark of 5-8-1. They beat Tampa Bay yesterday with Derek Anderson calling the shots at quarterback as a replacement for the injured Cam Newton.
If the Bears played in the NFC South they’d be in the thick of things with their 5-8 record. However in the NFC North, where they reside, 5-8 gets you a spot in the basement in last place.
The Saints and Bears met a year ago with New Orleans coming out on top 26-18.
NFL-COWBOYS
Bad news for the Cowboys
IRVING, Texas (AP) β DeMarco Murray of the Cowboys, the NFL’s rushing leader, has a broken hand that requires surgery. Cowboy’s executive vice president Stephen Jones says it is difficult to expect that Murray will be able to play Sunday against Indianapolis.
Murray has 1,687 yards rushing and needs 87 yards to break all-time NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith’s franchise record of 1,773 yards. The 10-4 Cowboys need to win both remaining games to ensure the end of a four-year playoff drought. They finish the regular season at Washington after this week’s game against the Colts.
NFL-REDSKINS
RG3 back behind center
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) β Robert Griffin III is back as the starter for the Washington Redskins. The announcement by coach Jay Gruden (GROO’-den) is the fifth starting quarterback change made by the rookie coach this season. Griffin has played in relief the last two weeks after Colt McCoy left both games with a neck injury. The coach said McCoy will likely be unavailable to play against the Eagles.
NFL-PANTHERS
Wait and see for Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Panthers coach Ron Rivera says he’s taking a wait-and-see approach as to whether or not quarterback Cam Newton will play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Newton missed the second game of his career yesterday against Tampa Bay after an automobile wreck last week left him with two fractures in his lower back. The Panthers won the game with Derek Anderson playing quarterback.
NFL-JAGUARS
Rookie QB questionable
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) β Jaguars’ quarterback Blake Bortles has a sprained right foot and is questionable to play Thursday night against Tennessee. If Bortles can’t go, Chad Henne, who started the first two games of the season before giving way to the rookie, would get the start.
Bortles has completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,676 yards, with 10 touchdowns and an NFL-high 17 interceptions. He has been sacked 46 times.
NFL-PETERSON
Union files lawsuit
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) β The NFL Players Association has filed a federal lawsuit for Adrian Peterson, asking the court to dismiss an arbitrator’s decision to uphold the NFL’s punishment of the Minnesota running back.
Peterson was suspended without pay for the remaining six games of this season by Commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL’) as a result of the child-abuse case that has kept the six-time Pro Bowl pick out of all but one game this year. Arbitrator Harold Henderson on Friday affirmed the penalty issued by Goodell, which Peterson appealed.
The union argued that Henderson’s decision was biased, unfair and contrary to the collective bargaining agreement.
T25 BASKETBALL POLLS
Kentucky and South Carolina continue to lead the way
UNDATED (AP) β Kentucky’s Wildcats remain the unanimous choice as No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s Top-25 basketball poll. The 11-0 ‘Cats got all 65 first-place votes in the new poll which features the same top seven teams as last week’s poll. Duke, Arizona, Louisville and Wisconsin round out the top five, followed by Virginia and Villanova. Gonzaga and Texas swapped spots from last week and Kansas is 10th.
The only poll newcomer is No. 25 Michigan State, ranked again after a one-week absence. Northern Iowa dropped out after a double-overtime loss to VCU.
For the women South Carolina stays No. 1 in the AP poll for the fourth straight week after a 62-point win in its lone game last week. With most teams taking exams, there wasn’t much movement in Monday’s Top 25. The first 14 teams remained unchanged with UConn, Texas, Texas A&M and Notre Dame following the Gamecocks, who received 25 first-place ballots.
North Carolina, Stanford, Kentucky, Baylor and Louisville round out the first 10.
TOP 25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Duke leads the way
UNDATED (AP) β There are two games tonight in men’s Top-25 basketball with second-ranked Duke leading the way. The Blue Devils are home to Elon (EE’-lahn) while eighth-ranked Gonzaga (gahn-ZAG’-uh) is hosting Texas Southern.
Duke didn’t have any games this past week and starts the night 8-0 while Gonzaga beat Washington State and UCLA to up its record to 9-1.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Spurs to visit Blazers tonight
UNDATED (AP) β Two of the top teams in the Western Conference are squaring off tonight in Portland as the Blazers play host to the Spurs. Each team has won 7 of its last 10 games and each has one of the better marks in the league. The Blazers are 18-6 in first place in the Northwest Division while the defending league champion Spurs are 17-7, 2 Β½ games back of Memphis in the Southwest.
There’s another good matchup in Atlanta as the Hawks entertain the Bulls. Chicago has won 3 straight and 7 of 10 while the Hawks have won 9 of their last 10 games. The Bulls start the night with a 1 Β½ game lead over the Cavaliers, who are home to the Bobcats this evening. Cleveland has dropped two straight after an eight game winning streak.
The Atlantic Division leading Raptors are looking to improve their record with a game at home with Orlando. The Raptors have won two straight and are 18-6 on the year.
Something has to give in Philadelphia tonight as both the Sixers and Celtics enter this evening’s game riding a three-game losing streak. The Pacers have dropped eight in a row and tonight are home to the Lakers, who have won their last three.
The final two games feature the Bucks in Phoenix and the Pistons in L.A. to face the Clippers.
NHL-SCHEDULE
No Crosby for Pens
UNDATED (AP) β When the Penguins entertain the Lightning tonight in a game of first-place teams, the captain of the Pens will be among the missing as Sidney Crosby battles a case of the mumps. Crosby has already missed two games and the Pens hope to have him back for the team’s next contest. As far as tonight’s matchup, Pittsburgh tops the Metropolitan Division with 42 points while Tampa Bay is tied for first in the Atlantic with Detroit as each has 41 points. This is the first of three meetings between the clubs this season.
Buffalo looks to continue its winning ways tonight with a home game against Ottawa. The Sabres have won three straight and nine of their last 12. That said, it may not be easy tonight as the Senators have dominated play with the Sabres of late, winning three of four games last season and nine of that last 12 games they’ve played.
In the final game of the night, the Islanders are home to New Jersey. Last month New York beat the Devils in their first meeting of the season.
NHL-EDMONTON
Oilers dump coach
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) β Dallas Eakins has been fired as coach of the Edmonton Oilers. The move isn’t much of a shock as the Oilers have lost 15 of 16 games and are well on the way to missing the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season. According to reports, general manager Craig MacTavish will coach the team for the rest of the year.
At the time of the firing Edmonton had 19 points through 31 games, good for last in the Western Conference. In parts of two seasons the Oilers went 36-63-14 under Eakins.
MLB-NATIONALS
Report: New deal for Harper
WASHINGTON (AP) β Outfielder Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals have come to terms on a $7.5 million, two-year contract. The move means the two sides will not have to take part in a scheduled grievance hearing this week.
According to a person familiar with the agreement, Harper will receive $2.5 million in 2015 and $5 million in 2016. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
Harper, the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, had been scheduled to have a $1 million salary in 2015 but the Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance on his behalf over whether he could void the final season of the $9.9 million, five-year contract he signed in 2010.
MLB-YANKEES
Yanks bring back Headley
NEW YORK (AP) β It looks like the Yankees don’t have much faith in Alex Rodriguez playing third base this season. New York has decided to bring back Chase Headley as the two sides have agreed on a $52 million, four-year contract.
The agreement with Headley signals New York is planning to shift A-Rod to designated hitter, relegate him to a backup role or perhaps even seek trade offers.
NASCAR-VICKERS
Surgery for driver
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β NASCAR driver Brian Vickers underwent surgery to repair a hole in his heart for a second time Saturday. The recovery period will cause him to miss the start of the 2015 season. Tests revealed his body was rejecting the artificial patch he received in a 2010 procedure to fix the hole in his heart.
