Kentucky is No. 1 in preseason college basketball poll

Every time Kentucky coach John Calipari starts to praise his latest crop of talented freshmen, he's just as quick to point out that it is a work in progress.

As the Wildcats take the first step toward coming together, Calipari will also have to remind his players to get through those growing pains quickly, because they are now the team to beat in college basketball.

Kentucky - with a collection of high school All-Americans - is ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press' preseason Top 25, a significant step considering the Wildcats finished 21-12 last season and were upset by Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT.

It's Kentucky's third preseason No. 1 and first since 1995-96 when the Wildcats won the national championship. The other preseason No. 1 was in 1980-81.

Kentucky was ranked for just one week in the final 16 polls of last season but Calipari enters this season with a roster featuring two returnees - Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley-Stein - and six freshmen who were selected McDonalds All-Americans last season.

To say that a ninth national championship is this year's goal is an understatement considering Kentucky has social media and blogs suggesting an unbeaten season is possible.

Calipari would just like to get to the Nov. 8 opener against North Carolina-Asheville first. The Wildcats begin the exhibition season Friday.

''It's a nice honor, but it's way too early to figure out who's the best team in the country,'' Calipari said. ''We may be very talented, but I can't imagine us being the best team in the country at this point.''

Kentucky beat out Michigan State in a close vote from the 65-member panel.

The Wildcats received 27 first-place votes and 1,546 points in the poll released Thursday. The Spartans, who return four starters from the team that lost to Duke in the NCAA tournament's round of 16, snared 22 first-place votes and 1,543 points.

It won't take long for the schools to settle the issue. Kentucky and Michigan State meet on Nov. 12 at the State Farm Champions Classic in Chicago.

If their rankings hold, it'll set up the earliest meeting between the top two teams. No. 1 Indiana beat No. 2 UCLA 84-64 on Nov. 29, 1975 in St. Louis, Mo.

The polling also enhances what already figured to be a strong showdown between two heavyweights.

''A 1-2 matchup is a win-win deal,'' Spartans coach Tom Izzo told the AP. ''If you win, you understand where you are and what you have as a team. If you lose, you've got time to figure out what you need to do to get better. I'm not sure, though, how kids and fans will react to winning or losing that game.''

Of his team's ranking, Izzo added, ''it's exciting because it means a group of people think we're good, and we've got a chance to be great.''

Defending national champion Louisville received 14 first-place votes and was third while Duke, which received the other two No. 1 votes, was fourth.

Kansas was fifth, followed by Arizona and Michigan. Oklahoma State and Syracuse tied for eighth and Florida rounded out the Top Ten.

Ohio State was 11th and was followed by North Carolina, Memphis, VCU, Gonzaga, Wichita State, Marquette, Connecticut, Oregon and Wisconsin.

The last five ranked teams were Notre Dame, UCLA, New Mexico, Virginia and Baylor.

The last preseason No. 1 not to be ranked in the final poll of the previous season was Indiana in 1979-80.

Indiana was the preseason No. 1 last season and the Hoosiers were fourth in the final poll.

Gonzaga was No. 1 in the final poll last season and 18 teams in that final poll were in the preseason Top 25.

The Atlantic Coast Conference had the most teams in the preseason Top 25 with five and the Big Ten had four. The new American Athletic Conference, the Big 12 and Pac 12 all had three ranked teams.

Though Kentucky's objective is winning its second NCAA title in three seasons, playing like it's the nation's best is also a priority for the Wildcats a year after falling from the poll weeks after starting No. 3.

''It's a blessing to be No. 1, but it means we have a (target) on our backs now and we really have to stay focused,'' Kentucky 7-footer Dakari Johnson said Thursday. ''That's not the main thing we're focused on. We're just trying to be the best team that we can be.''

Michigan State senior guard Keith Appling echoed that sentiment, especially since the Spartans came within three votes of being top-ranked.

''That has to be one of the things to drive us to work harder,'' he said.

The consensus is that Calipari landed his best in a series of No. 1 recruiting classes. The group features Julius Randle, James Young, Johnson, Marcus Lee and identical twin guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison, along with in-state standouts Dominique Hawkins and Derek Willis.

Along with Cauley-Stein, Poythress and senior reserves Jarrod Polson and Jon Hood, Kentucky has a mix of experience somewhat similar to the 2011-12 title team led by Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The season will determine whether Kentucky is able to deliver, and Willis said the Wildcats are just focused on being on top at the end.

''There's a lot of talk about 40-0 and all that stuff,'' Willis said, ''but we're just working on ourselves and not worrying about what the media is saying right now.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 31ST

1888 - John Boyd Dunlop patents pneumatic bicycle tyre.

1900 - Carl Hubbard, Missouri, baseball & football Hall of Famer is born.

1920 - Dick Francis, Wales, jockey/detective writer (Whip Hand, High Stakes) is born.

1921 - Federation Sportive Feminine International forms 

(First woman track & field association).
1943 - Washington Redskin Sammy Baugh passes for 6 touchdowns vs Brooklyn (48-10).

1947 - Frank Shorter, Munich Germany, US marathoner (Oly-gold/silver-72, 76) is born.
1951 - Nick Saban, American College Football coach is born.

1968 - Milwaukee Bucks win their first game beating Detroit 138-118 (6th game).

1983 - George S Halas, NFL coach (Chicago Bears), dies at 88.

1987 - First jockey to win 9 races in 1 day (Chris Antley at Belmont).
1987 - A pair in Coventry, England ties world record for longest 

singles tennis match at 80 hrs 21 minutes.
1988 - First Monday Night NFL game in Indianapolis, Colts beat Denver 55-23.

1993 - 25 people killed during Ghana-Ivory Coast soccer match.

1999 - Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months 

of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.

1999 - Greg Moore, Canadian race car driver (b. 1975) was fatally injured in a 

violent crash on the tenth lap of the CART season finale, the Marlboro 500, 

at the California Speedway in Fontana, California.

FAU's Carl Pelini resigns after drug allegation

Florida Atlantic coach Carl Pelini and defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis both resigned Wednesday after university officials said they acknowledged using illegal drugs.

FAU received information about the allegations of drug usage by the two coaches on Monday, said athletic director Patrick Chun. An investigation began immediately and Chun confronted the coaches on Wednesday, a day when law enforcement officials also visited the school's athletic offices.

Pelini was the head coach at practice in the morning. By late afternoon, he was gone.

''We hold ourselves to a standard here,'' Chun said. ''That behavior is unacceptable for a lot of reasons. Like I told our student-athletes today, we all have responsibilities. When you wear the logo of Florida Atlantic University, you wear it 24 hours a day. ... We hold you to a higher standard and you have to hold yourself to that standard. Decisions were made that ultimately hurt some people, and there's consequences for those decisions.''

Chun said that as of now, neither Pelini nor Rekstis is facing any charges. The investigation is continuing, and Chun said that was limiting the amount of information he could publicly reveal, other than the drug usage happened off-campus, not at an official school event, not on the team's most recent road trip and that no players were involved.

''Really anxious to find out what the hell is going in right now,'' FAU defensive back Keith Reaser posted on Twitter.

Neither of the former coaches were permitted to address the team before leaving campus. Howard Schnellenberger, the program's founder and longtime coach who still serves as an ambassador for the university, was at Chun's news conference Wednesday, looking crestfallen and sitting in silence.

Offensive coordinator Brian Wright will serve as interim head coach for the Owls, who are 2-6 and play host to Tulane on Saturday. It's undecided if Wright will also continue serving in the coordinator role. Players were told of the dismissals Wednesday afternoon.

''It's been a blur, these 48 hours,'' Chun said.

Pelini's resignation was first reported by ESPN.com. Chun said the remainder of the coaching staff remains committed to the program.

''I apologize for exercising poor judgment,'' Pelini said in a statement distributed by the school. ''My greatest concerns at this time are for me family, the dedicated FAU players and my staff. I am confident that Pat Chun and the University administration will continue to move the program forward.''

Chun said two people came forward initially with information about the drug usage, sparking a need for an investigation. It moved swiftly, and FAU made the decision early Wednesday to confront the coaches after a morning practice. Police were summoned Wednesday, Chun said, ''from a safety standpoint'' to protect FAU property, but also indicated that the meetings with the coaches went professionally.

''Once confronted, they resigned,'' Chun said.

Pelini was 5-15 at FAU, coming to the Owls after serving as defensive coordinator on his brother Bo Pelini's staff at Nebraska. Even after Wednesday's developments, Chun was complimentary of Pelini and what he was building in Boca Raton, saying he left the program in better shape than when he found it, ''in my opinion, at least,'' Chun said.

Someone else will have to continue that task. FAU's search for a permanent coach, Chun said, has begun.

''Number one, I'm concerned for our football team,'' Chun said. ''Obviously, I'm disappointed in Carl and Pete, but my thoughts are more about our kids and our assistant football coaches and what's going through their minds. This is a tough deal for kids and we've got to help these kids process this. They all looked up to these two guys and that's a tough place to be.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 30TH

1871 - Philadelphia Athletics beat Chicago for 1st National Association baseball pennant.

1918 - Robert Feller, MLB pitcher (Red Sox, led AL in strikeouts 7 times) is born.
1919 - Baseball league presidents call for abolishment of spitball.
1922 - Anxious to compete with the Yankees, the NY Giants pay $65,000 

& 3 players for Jack Bentley (hits .349 & is 13-1 as pitcher in 1922).

1936 - Roy Emerson, tennis player (won 12 Majors in singles from 1961-67) is born.
1945 - Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson to a Montreal Royals.
1954 - First use of 24-second shot clock in pro basketball (Rochester vs Boston).
1956 - Dodgers sell Ebbets Field to a real estate group. 

They agree to stay until 1959, with an option to stay until 1961.

1960 - Diego Maradona, Buenos Aires, soccer player (World Cup-hand of god) is born.

1974 - California Angel Nolan Ryan throws fastest recorded pitch (100.9 MPH).
1974 - Muhammad Ali KOs George Foreman in the 8th round 

in Kinshasa Zaire ('The Rumble in the Jungle').

1989 - Nastia Liukin, American gymnast is born.

2005 - Al Lopez, American baseball player and manager (b. 1908) dies.

Chicago's Derrick Rose: Return to NBA 'unreal'

Derrick Rose emerged Tuesday morning from the tunnel connecting the visiting locker room and the court where the Miami Heat play their home games.

He surveyed his surroundings, and made no effort to hide his enthusiasm.

''For us, to be playing our first game here, it's unreal,'' Rose said. ''And I hope everybody enjoys it.''

Ring night for the Heat will be Rose night for the Chicago Bulls, who get their best player and 2011 NBA MVP back on Tuesday night when the Eastern Conference rivals open the season against one another.

The 25-year-old Rose will be playing in his first real game - not counting preseason exhibitions - since a knee injury derailed him in April 2012. A year and a half later, Chicago's superstar point guard is back, saying he's better.

Rose believes there is no more of a fitting opponent to debut against than the two-time defending NBA champions, who will be hoisting their newest banner in an elaborate pregame ceremony.

''They've got something that we want, so we can't hold back,'' Rose said Tuesday before the Bulls went through a shootaround practice. ''They have great players on their team. They're trying to three-peat. They've won two already, so there's a little bit of a rivalry there.''

That's also a little bit of an understatement.

The Bulls' postseason runs in 2011 and 2013 ended against Miami, and the teams make little secret of their collective dislike for one another. On Monday, Heat star LeBron James - the winner of the four of the last five NBA MVP awards, with Rose claiming the other in that span - said after Miami practiced, ''We don't like them and they don't like us.''

Rose didn't necessarily disagree.

''It leads to this where it feels like you hate one another' Rose said, ''but you're just trying to get the same thing.''

Rose was asked about if this is the best Bulls team assembled since the Michael Jordan era (he seems to think so) and if he plans on recapturing his MVP form.

His answer there was clear - that's not the trophy he wants.

''I'm just trying to play the game,'' Rose said. ''Of course I want to come out here and be the best player, but my whole goal is to come out here and just try to win a championship. ... Winning MVP or whatever, I'll take it, don't get me wrong. But my job is to come out here and just try to win a title.''

Everett Golson: Suspension due to poor judgment on test

Suspended Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson said he used ''poor judgment on a test,'' which is what got him suspended for the fall semester.

''It wasn't due to poor grades or anything like that,'' he told Sports Illustrated in a video posted by the magazine (http://bit.ly/17qYmi4 ). Asked directly if he cheated on a test, Golson said: ''Yeeeeeeeaaaahhh, something like that.''

''Like I said, I'm just going to leave it at poor judgment,'' he told the magazine. Asked again if it was cheating on a test, Golson responded: ''Test situation.''

Golson had previously said only that he was suspended for using poor academic judgment without specifying the context. He said in the interview that what he did was considered a violation of the honor code. Michael Bertsch, a spokesman for the football team, said he couldn't comment because of privacy laws. Golson did not return a telephone message left Tuesday by The Associated Press or respond to a text message.

Golson said going from the national championship game to being out of college has been ''humbling,'' saying it hurts to watch the Irish (6-2) play.

Kelly said last week he and offensive coordinator Chuck Martin are in touch regularly with Golson, who is from Myrtle Beach, S.C.

''He's in a disciplined environment, one I'm very comfortable with,'' Kelly said. ''Just catching up on what we're doing, game plans, staying connected. He's staying connected weekly from that standpoint.

Golson said when he first learned in May he had been suspended for the fall semester his first concern was about how his family would react.

Golson, who is training in San Diego under quarterback coach George Whitfield, said he feels like he some unfinished business at Notre Dame after the Irish were routed 42-14 by Alabama in the BCS championship game, saying he was ''completely embarrassed'' by the loss.

Golson, who has two years of eligibility left, said he knew he wanted to return to Notre Dame rather than play for a junior college or transfer to another school.

''My heart was set on going back to Notre Dame,'' Golson said. ''Not necessarily to prove (anything) to anybody, just doing it for me. I felt like that's something that I started and I didn't want to run away from it and go to a juco or go to another school. I was going to face it.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 29TH

1942 - Branch Rickey named president/GM of Brooklyn Dodgers.
1945 - Happy Chandler resigns as US Senator, remains as baseball commissioner.
1949 - White Sox trade Joe Tipton to A's for Nellie Fox.

1949 - Paul Orndorff, wrestler (WCW/SMW/NWA/WWF, Mr Wonderful) is born.

1953 - Denis Potvin, Ottawa Ontario, NY Islander defenseman (Norris trophy) is born.

1960 - Muhammad Ali's (Cassius Clay) first professional fight, 

beats Tunney Hunsaker in 6 rounds.

1967 - Danny Abramowicz begins NFL streak of 105 consecutive game receptions.

1981 - Bill Giles becomes CEO of Philadelphia Phillies.

1986 - Padres pitcher LaMarr Hoyt is arrested at US-Mexico border for drugs.

1987 - Thomas Hearns wins unprecidented 4th different weight boxing title.

Penn State: 26 people get $59.7M over Sandusky

Penn State said Monday it is paying $59.7 million to 26 young men over claims of child sexual abuse at the hands of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, a man once revered as a university icon who is now serving what is effectively a life prison sentence.

Nearly two years after the retired coach was first charged with child molestation, the school said 23 deals were fully signed and three were agreements in principle. It did not disclose the names of the recipients.

The school faces six other claims, and the university says it believes some of those do not have merit while others may produce settlements.

University president Rodney Erickson issued a statement calling the announcement a step forward for victims and the school.

''We cannot undo what has been done, but we can and must do everything possible to learn from this and ensure it never happens again at Penn State,'' said Erickson, who announced the day Sandusky was convicted in June 2012 that Penn State was determined to compensate his victims.

The settlements have been unfolding since mid-August, when attorneys for the accusers began to disclose them. Penn State has not been confirming them, waiting instead to announce deals at once.

Harrisburg lawyer Ben Andreozzi, who helped negotiate several of the settlements, said his clients were satisfied.

''They felt that the university treated them fairly with the economic and noneconomic terms of the settlement,'' said Andreozzi, who also represents some others who have come forward recently. Those new claims have not been presented to the university, he said.

One client represented by St. Paul, Minn., attorney Jeff Anderson signed off on an agreement in the past week and the other is basically done, he said. Anderson counts his two clients as among the three that have been classified as agreements in principle, which Penn State said means final documentation is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

Anderson said his clients were focused on Penn State's changes to prevent future abuse.

''I have to applaud them, because they said 'not until we're satisfied that no one else will get hurt,''' Anderson said. ''The settlement of their cases in no way heals, in no way lessens the wound that remains open and the scars that are deep.''

Penn State has spent more than $50 million on other costs related to the Sandusky scandal, including lawyers' fees, public relations expenses, and adoption of new policies and procedures related to children and sexual abuse complaints.

It said Monday that liability insurance is expected to cover the payments and legal defense, and expenses not covered should be paid from interest paid on loans by Penn State to its self-supporting units.

Clifford Rieders, a Williamsport attorney who negotiated one of the settlements, said the average payout matched other cases involving child abuse in educational or religious settings.

Rieders said the cases raised the specter of embarrassing revelations if they went to trial, and a university would have to consider the effect on the victims, its overall reputation, its ability to pay and its wider objectives.

''There are many considerations whenever you resolve a high-profile case involving serious misconduct, and I'm sure all of those and more came into play here,'' Rieders said.

Sandusky, 69, has been pursuing appeals while he serves a 30- to 60-year sentence on 45 criminal counts.

He was convicted of abusing 10 boys, some of them at Penn State facilities. Eight young men testified against him, describing a range of abuse they said went from grooming and manipulation to fondling, oral sex and anal rape when they were boys.

The 32 claimants involved in negotiations with Penn State include most of the victims from the criminal trial and some who say they were abused by Sandusky many years ago. Negotiations were conducted in secret, so the full range of the allegations wasn't disclosed publicly.

Sandusky did not testify at his trial but has long asserted his innocence. He has acknowledged he showered with boys but insisted he never molested them.

The abuse scandal rocked Penn State, bringing down football coach Joe Paterno and leading college sports' governing body, the NCAA, to levy unprecedented sanctions against the university's football program.

Three former Penn State administrators await trial in Harrisburg on charges they engaged in a criminal cover-up of the Sandusky scandal. Former president Graham Spanier, retired vice president Gary Schultz and retired athletic director Tim Curley deny the allegations, and a trial date has not been scheduled.

Redskins' Meriweather responds to Bears' Marshall

After saying he's going to ''take peoples' knees out'' to avoid another suspension for hits to the head, Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather struck another blow - declaring that ''people who beat their girlfriends should be kicked out of the league.''

Meriweather's comments were a retort referencing the checkered domestic violence past of Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall, who last week suggested that players such as Meriweather should perhaps be ''taken out of the game completely'' to make the game safer.

''Everybody got their opinion,'' Meriweather said Monday. ''If he feel like, you know, I need to be kicked out of the league, I feel like people who beat their girlfriends should be kicked out of the league, too. You tell me who you'd rather have - somebody who plays aggressive on the field, or somebody who beat up their girlfriend?''

Marshall's career has occasionally been overshadowed by off-the-field troubles, including multiple arrests following confrontations with a girlfriend when he was playing for the Denver Broncos. None of the arrests led to a conviction.

Marshall declined comment when approached by reporters in the Bears' locker room on Monday. Shortly after Meriweather's comments, he tweeted: ''There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.''

Marshall addressed the matter briefly later in an appearance on ESPN 1000.

''He actually reached out to me last week, and I told him that I was more concerned about him and his health,'' Marshall said, ''because I think a few weeks before our game I saw him lying on the field just out cold. It was a scary situation. I never want to see him or any player laid out like that.

''As far as what he said today, you can only pray for someone with those feelings. So that's all I have to say about that.''

Monday was Meriweather's first day back with the Redskins following a one-game suspension for multiple helmet-first hits against defenseless receivers, including two in the Redskins' win over the Bears last week. One of the hits was against Marshall in the end zone on an incomplete pass in the fourth quarter.

Meriweather, who was fined for a helmet-first hit against the Green Bay Packers earlier in this season, was initially suspended for two games by the NFL. He had the sanction cut in half after an appeal.

Asked if he plans to change how he plays, Meriweather said: ''I guess I've just got to take people's knees out. I'd hate to end a guy's career over a rule, but I guess it's better (for something to happen to) other people than me getting suspended for longer.''

''You've just got to go low now,'' he said. ''You've got to end people's career. You've got to tear people's ACLs and mess up people's knees now. You can't hit 'em high anymore.''

Asked for his reaction to Meriweather's comments about aiming for the knees, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said: ''I'm not sure if I would have used those choice of words.''

''Brandon knows that he's got to go lower,'' Shanahan said, ''or he's not going to be playing in the National Football League. ... Now the safeties have to go lower. It's just part of the game. Nobody's going to try to hurt anybody. But if you're going to err on the side of caution you'd rather go low than you would high.''

Meriweather said earlier this season that he had changed his approach to hitting receivers, yet he was still getting flagged.

''I just have to change more now,'' he said. ''They told me to use my shoulder; I used my shoulder - I still get fined. They still say I used my head. ... Everybody is looking at the tape and saying, 'Oh, he's a dirty player, he's this, he's that,' which I get, but the thing about it - go look at the tape. I didn't use my head in either hit, and I'm moving on from it.''

Meriweather conceded that he did launch himself at one of the defensive receivers against the Bears, another no-no as the league tries to cut down on injuries.

Meriweather said attacking receivers' knees will require some practice.

''Once you do something so much, it becomes habit,'' he said. ''And I think if in practice I simulate going low, I think it'll become habit and I'll be able to do it in the game.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 28TH

1890 - Last NL-AA World Series game Brooklyn ties Louisville 3 games & 1 tie.

1924 - White Sox beat NY Giants 8-4 in Dublin, less than 20 fans attend.

1926 - Bowie Kuhn, baseball commissioner (1969-1984) is born.

1934 - Brooklyn & Pittsburgh play a penalty free NFL game.

1937 - Lenny Wilkins, NBA player/coach (Seattle, Cleveland, Atlanta) is born.

1949 - Bruce Jenner, Mt Kisco NY, decathalete (Olympic-gold-1976) is born.
1952 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Women's Texas Golf Open.
1953 - Red Barber, resigns as Dodger sportscaster to join Yankees.

1959 - Buffalo Bills enter AFL.
1961 - Ground broken for Municipal (Shea) Stadium for NY Mets.
1962 - NY Giant YA Tittle passes for 7 touchdowns vs Washington Redskins (49-34).
1970 - NBA Cleveland Cavaliers first home game, lose to San Diego 110-99.

1976 - Billy Martin named AL Manager of Year (NY Yankees).

1989 - Oakland A's sweep SF Giants in earthquake/BART series.

1997 - NBA announces hiring of Dee Kantner & Violet Palmer as first 

women to officiate a major-league all-male sports league.

2000 - Andujar Cedeno, Dominican baseball pitcher (b. 1969) dies at the age of 
31 in an automobile accident while heading to his home in the Dominican Republic.

2006 - Red Auerbach, American basketball coach and executive (b. 1917) dies.
2006 - Trevor Berbick, Jamaican boxer (b. 1955) was murdered at a 
church by an assailant wielding a 2-inch thick steel pipe.

Terrelle Pryor sets NFL quarterback and Raiders team record with 93-yard run

When you beat Bo Jackson, Marcus Allen and every quarterback who has ever played in the NFL on one run, you've done some good things.

Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor set a couple of big marks on the first play from scrimmage against Pittsburgh.

Pryor ran the read option and kept the ball around right tackle. And his speed took over.

Pryor sped right past all of Pittsburgh's defensive backs into the open field, and it was all over. He's one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL, and he went all 93 yards for a touchdown.

That set the Raiders team record for longest run, beating Bo Jackson's 92-yard run against Cincinnati in 1989. It's also the longest run for a quarterback in the modern era of NFL history, and one that seems likely to stand for a long time. The old record was Kordell Stewart's 80-yard run in 1996.

Pryor has been one of the breakout stars of the NFL this year, and has a record-setting highlight to add to his big season.

Calvin Johnson turns in one of the best receiving games ever in shocking Lions comeback

The Dallas Cowboys won the first 58 minutes. The Detroit Lions won the final two. Calvin Johnson dominated all 60.

It appeared that Johnson and the Lions would have to settle for his incredible effort in a losing cause, but the Dallas Cowboys botched running out the clock to give the Lions another crack.

In the final 62 seconds, Johnson caught two key passes to finish with 329 receiving yards — a mere seven short of Flipper Anderson's 1989 record as a member of the Los Angeles Rams — in a 31-30 thriller of a Lions victory.

Johnson finished with 14 catches in the Detroit Lions' insane comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys. On the game-winning drive, he escaped bracket coverage to catch passes of 17 and 22 yards to bring the Lions down to the 1-yard line, helping set up a brilliant quarterback sneak by Matthew Stafford.

Stafford only missed on two throws in Johnson's direction all day, and the massive effort included an 87-yard catch and run (that somehow wasn't a touchdown) by Johnson after he whipped Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr off the line. It was a long day for Carr, who stripped Johnson of a fumble once but could do little more. Seven of the Lions' 10 longest plays were Stafford passes to Johnson.

Johnson's previous best was 244 in Week 17 of the 2011 season against the Green Bay Packers.

Do we need more proof that Megatron is on a different plane than any other wide receiver? He now has matched Cincinnati's A.J. Green and Dallas' Dez Bryant, the other two young wideouts trying to steal Johnson's throne, and put up an astounding 484 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games.

Debate over.

Giants beat Eagles 15-7 on Brown's 5 FGs

The New York Giants went from 0-6 to right in the middle of the NFC East race in six days.

Josh Brown kicked a career-high five field goals, Eli Manning played error-free and the Giants beat Philadelphia 15-7 Sunday.

With Dallas losing to Detroit, the Giants (2-6) are just two games behind the Cowboys (4-4) in the NFL's weakest division.

''We still believe,'' Manning said. ''These last two weeks we've played our best football, together as a team, both sides, helping each other out, relying on each other. We've got to continue to build off that.''

Michael Vick returned for the Eagles (3-5) after missing 2 1/2 games with a hamstring injury, but clearly wasn't healthy and was removed for rookie Matt Barkley late in the second quarter.

The Giants snapped an eight-game road losing streak while extending Philadelphia's home losing streak to 10 games. The Eagles' last win at the Linc was over the Giants on Sept. 30, 2012.

Chip Kelly's high-flying offense that racked up at least 425 yards in each of the first six games has been grounded. The Eagles followed a 17-3 loss to Dallas with another poor offensive performance. They had just 201 yards of offense and have totaled 479 the past two weeks.

''We're instable at the quarterback spot. We haven't played well at quarterback and it's cost us the last two games,'' Kelly said.

LeSean McCoy, the NFL's leading rusher, was held to 48 yards on 15 carries. DeSean Jackson had 63 yards receiving on eight catches.

The Giants haven't allowed a touchdown on defense in the last 10 quarters.

''We've simplified things,'' defensive end Justin Tuck said. ''(Defensive coordinator) Perry Fewell has done a great job putting in game plans that have allowed athletes to be athletes.''

The Eagles finally scored when Zak DeOssie's snap sailed over punter Steve Weatherford's head and Najee Goode picked it up and ran 2 yards for a touchdown with 4:11 left.

''I don't think I've ever seen him do that before, not even on the practice field,'' Giants coach Tom Coughlin said of DeOssie.

New York opened the season with six losses before defeating Minnesota 23-7 last Monday night. Manning was 25 of 39 for 246 yards and didn't throw an interception for the second consecutive game after getting picked 15 times in first six weeks.

Barkley finished 17 of 26 for 158 yards and one interception.

''Matt has been thrown in twice into tough situations,'' Kelly said. ''He gave us a little spark, a little energy.''

Vick was reduced to being an immobile pocket passer. He completed 6 of 9 for 31 yards, threw an interception, was sacked and got called for intentional grounding. The Eagles managed 27 total yards in the four series Vick played.

Barkley came in and drove the Eagles 78 yards in just over a minute late in the second quarter. But on first down from the 2, Barkley was sacked by Terrell Thomas and fumbled. Jacquian Williams recovered at the Giants 12.

Brown kicked field goals of 40, 44, 33 and 46 yards on four straight possessions in the first half to give the Giants a 12-0 lead.

Antrel Rolle intercepted Vick's second pass and sacked him for a 12-yard loss inside the Eagles 10 on the next series.

The Giants moved the ball easily throughout the game, but couldn't get it in the end zone. They had a first down at the 5 on the series they settled for Brown's 33-yarder.

Brown connected from 27 yards to make it 15-0 in the fourth quarter.

Vick strained his left hamstring late in the first half of a win at the Giants on Oct. 6. Nick Foles was impressive in a victory at Tampa Bay, but was awful in a loss to Dallas. Foles sustained a concussion on the final play of the third quarter last week.

Barkley made his NFL debut against the Cowboys and threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter. The fumble on his first series against the Giants gave him four turnovers on his first four drives.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 27TH

1922 - Ralph Kiner, HR hitter (Pittsburgh Pirates)/sportscaster (NY Mets) is born.

1930 - Bill George, NFL linebacker (Chicago Bears, LA Rams) is born.

1941 - Dick Trickle, American auto racer, (d. 2013) is born.

1956 - Patty Sheehan, Middlebury VT, LPGA golfer (1994 US Women's Open) is born.

1961 - American Basketball League starts play.

1985 - KC Royals beat St Louis Cards, 4 games to 3 in 82nd World Series 

and the only all Missouri World Series.

1992 - Don Baylor appointed first manager of Colorado Rockies.
1995 - Contract finalizing Cleveland Browns' move to Balt is signed.

2004 - The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time in 86 years.

2006 - Joe Niekro, baseball pitcher (b. 1944) dies of a brain aneurysm at the age of 61.

Darrell Wallace Jr. sets NASCAR milestone

Darrell Wallace Jr. became the second black driver to win on NASCAR's national level and first in a half-century, taking the Truck Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.

Wendell Scott won in Jacksonville, Fla., in December 1963 in what is now known as the Sprint Cup Series, the highest of NASCAR's three national levels.

''This means everything,'' the 20-year-old Wallace said. ''This is an emotional win for me, especially doing it in Wendell Scott's backyard. I love coming here to Martinsville, it's always good to me. It finally paid off. I think it's my third trip here. I love coming here. The fans are great here.''

Wallace, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, beat Jeb Burton into Turn 1 off a restart with five laps to go.

''We congratulate Darrell Wallace Jr. on his first national series victory, one that will be remembered as a remarkable moment in our sport's history,'' Brian France, NASCAR's chairman and CEO, said in a statement. ''Darrell's success, following fellow NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate Kyle Larson's win earlier this season, is indicative of a youth and multicultural movement that bodes well for NASCAR's future growth.''

Wallace was never below sixth place and led a race-high 96 laps but needed to survive a final restart. Wallace chose the inside line for the reset and quickly pulled away from Burton.

''I had a chance to talk with Darrell and his father in victory lane today and we are just thrilled for him and his entire family on the win in Martinsville,'' said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. ''We obviously think a lot about Darrell. He has tremendous talent and we really believe he can have a huge impact on our sport.''

The Concord, N.C., driver was making his 19th career start.

''I had so much confidence coming into this race,'' Wallace said. ''I told my guys that I did, and I told everybody that asked if I was going to win. ... So, it was, 'No, maybe we're going to try,' this one was, 'For sure,' and we capitalized. This means a lot.''

Brendan Gaughan was second, followed by Burton. Championship leader Matt Crafton finished 17th and leads James Buescher by 51 points with three races remaining.

Tempers flared in the garage after Ty Dillon turned around Kevin Harvick at the entrance of Turn 1 in front of Crafton and Chase Elliott. Once both drivers got their cars going down the backstretch under caution, Dillon resumed his efforts to spin Harvick but was ultimately unable to complete the task.

The pair steered their cars down pit road and Harvick stopped in Dillon's pit stall to voice his frustrations. Harvick's truck was instantly surrounded by Dillon's pit crew and an orange sledgehammer was tossed his way in response. Harvick is in his final season with Richard Childress Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. Dillon is team owner Richard Childress' grandson.

''The 3 (Dillon) just dumped me,'' said Harvick, who will drive for Stewart-Haas Racing next year. ''Exactly the reason why I'm leaving RCR because you've got those kids coming up and they've got no respect for what they do in this sport and they've had everything fed to them with a spoon. So, I cut him slack all day and, you know, he just dive-bombs me in there, dumps me. I've got to thank all these Anderson Syrup guys for everything that they do. It's a shame you've got to get taken out by some rich kid like that.''

Dillon finished 22nd, and Harvick was 30th.

''I'm sure he's tweeting something now about it,'' Dillion said. ''So, can't even face me after. I'm pretty disappointed in the things that just went down. I used to look up to that guy, but I guess he doesn't understand the circumstances of what's going on.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 26TH

1863 - Football Association forms in England, standardizing soccer, splitting with rugby.
1869 - First American Steeplechase horserace (Westchester, NY).

1911 - Sid Gillman, Minneapolis, Minnesota, NFL hall of fame 

coach/player (LA, San Diego, Houston) is born.

1931 - Charles Comiskey, baseball team owner (b. 1859) dies.

1934 - While Wash player-manager Joe Cronin honeymoons with Mildred Robertson 

owner Clark Griffith's niece & adopted daughter, he is sold to Red Sox.

1950 - Chuck Foreman, NFL running back (Minnesota Vikings) is born.
1951 - Rocky Marciano defeats Joe Louis at Madison Square Garden.

1960 - AL approves Washington Senators move to become Minnesota Twins 

& announces franchises in LA & Washington DC for 1961.

1974 - Cleveland Coliseum opens for NBA's Cavaliers & MISL's Crunch.

1992 - Dottie Green, female baseball player (Peaches), dies of cancer at 71.

1993 - NFL announces new expansion team, Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.

2005 - Chicago White Sox defeat Houston Astros 4-0 in baseball's 

World Series championship, MVP: Jermaine Dye, Chicago.

Hall of Fame coach, player Bill Sharman dies at 87

Bill Sharman addresses the media at the 

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on 

September 10, 2004 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Bill Sharman effortlessly straddled both sides of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, winning championships and making friends from Boston to Los Angeles during a unique basketball career.

Even when he struggled to speak in his later years with a voice worn out from passionate coaching, Sharman remained a beloved mentor and a hoops innovator who saw great success from almost every perspective in more than a half-century in the NBA.

Sharman, the Hall of Famer who won multiple titles both as a player for the Celtics and a coach for the Lakers, died Friday at his home in Redondo Beach, the Lakers announced. He was 87.

Sharman played major roles on both sides of the rivalry as a smooth shooting guard, a disciplinarian coach and a successful executive from the Celtics dynasty's founding years to the Lakers' Showtime heyday and beyond. He is also credited with pioneering or promoting now-standard basketball concepts such as the shootaround, pregame scouting reports and extensive use of assistant coaches.

''Bill Sharman was, without a doubt, one of the greatest human beings I have ever met, and one of my all-time favorite individuals, both as a competitor and as a friend,'' said Jerry West, who played for Sharman and worked alongside him in the Lakers' front office. ''He was the epitome of class and dignity and, I can assure you, we find few men of his character in this world.''

Sharman won four NBA titles during an 11-season career as a shooting guard in Boston, teaming with Bob Cousy in one of the most potent backcourts in league history. He was widely considered one of the greatest outside shooters of his era, and he's still ranked as one of the NBA's best free-throw shooters.

Sharman then spent the past four decades with Los Angeles as a coach and executive. In his first season on the bench, he coached the 1971-72 Lakers to a championship with 69 victories - then an NBA record - and a 33-game winning streak, the longest in pro sports history.

''Be it on the court as a star player for the Boston Celtics, or on the sidelines as the guiding force behind the Lakers' first NBA championship in Los Angeles, Bill Sharman led an extraordinary basketball life,'' NBA Commissioner David Stern said. ''More than that, however, Bill was a man of great character and integrity. His loss will be deeply felt. On behalf the NBA family, our thoughts and condolences go out to Bill's family.''

Sharman was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1976 and a coach in 2004, joining only John Wooden and Lenny Wilkens with that double distinction. In 1996, he was selected as one of the NBA's 50 best players of its first 50 years.

''Bill Sharman was a great man, and I loved him dearly,'' Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. ''From the time I signed with the team as a free agent in 1981 when Bill was general manager, he's been a mentor, a work collaborator, and most importantly, a friend. He's meant a great deal to the success of the Lakers and to me personally, and he will be missed terribly.''

William Walton Sharman was born May 25, 1926, in Abilene, Texas. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and in the San Joaquin Valley before becoming a star guard at Southern California, where they retired the jersey of the shooter known as ''Bullseye Bill'' in 2007.

Sharman also excelled in baseball, getting drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. A year later, the minor leaguer was called up to the Dodgers in time to be in the dugout at the Polo Grounds when the Giants' Bobby Thomson hit his famed ''Shot Heard 'Round the World,'' the homer that beat Brooklyn for the 1951 NL pennant.

He played his first NBA season with the Washington Capitols in 1950-51, but Red Auerbach landed him for Boston after the Capitols folded. Sharman became an eight-time NBA All-Star with the Celtics, averaging 17.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in his 11-year career.

The outside shooting specialist excelled after the NBA introduced the shot clock in 1954, and the arrival of Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn in 1956 propelled the Celtics to the franchise's first title - the first of four NBA crowns in the next five years for Sharman.

Sharman also played baseball during the NBA offseason for five straight years, but never made it as a major leaguer.

After Sharman retired from the Celtics in 1961, he briefly played and coached in the defunct American Basketball League. When he returned to coach the NBA's San Francisco Warriors in 1966, he began warming up his players for the evening's game with a morning shootaround, now standard procedure for most basketball teams.

Sharman moved to the ABA in 1968, coaching the Stars franchise in Los Angeles and in Utah, where he won the 1971 ABA championship. Sharman then took over the Lakers, who had reached seven NBA finals without winning a title since moving from Minneapolis to the West Coast.

With Hall of Fame talents Wilt Chamberlain, West and Gail Goodrich in the lineup, the Lakers immediately clicked under Sharman. They went two months without losing a game during his debut season, setting a record with their 33-game winning streak before steamrolling through the playoffs to a championship, the first of 11 for the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Sharman was tough, fining and disciplining players to keep their attention. He also developed a permanent rasp in his voice, a problem he blamed on years of yelling from the sideline.

''Bill was the best coach I have ever had, and I will miss him greatly,'' said Pat Riley, a backup on that team who became the Lakers' coach during Sharman's tenure as their general manager.

Sharman was named the NBA's coach of the year in 1972. Although he kept the Lakers competitive, the retirements of Chamberlain and West precipitated a rebuilding process in 1975 with the arrival of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Sharman retired from coaching in 1976 to become Los Angeles' general manager, presiding over owner Jerry Buss' front office as a GM and team president through the Showtime era. In 1979, Sharman won the coin flip - calling tails - that allowed the Lakers to draft Magic Johnson, who credited Sharman for improving his free throw shooting as a young player.

''Dr Buss always wanted people to know Bill Sharman was the architect of the Laker(s) of the 80's,'' longtime Lakers coach Phil Jackson tweeted. ''He will be missed greatly by all who knew him.''

He had been a special consultant for the Lakers for the past 23 years. He stayed active with the Lakers throughout his final years, regularly showing up at team functions to the delight of fans and friends. Sharman had a stroke about one week before his death, according to the Los Angeles Times.

''His knowledge and passion for the game were unsurpassed, and the Lakers and our fans were beneficiaries of that,'' Lakers President Jeanie Buss said. ''Despite his greatness as a player, coach and executive, Bill was one of the sweetest, nicest and most humble people I've ever known. He was truly one of a kind.''

He is survived by his wife, Joyce; their daughters, Nancy and Janice; and sons Tom and Jerry from a previous marriage. Funeral arrangements are pending.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 25TH

1621 - Govenor Bradford of US colony Plymouth disallows sports on Christmas Day.

1912 - Jack Kent Cooke, NFL team owner (Washington Redskins) is born.
1917 - Lee MacPhail, American baseball manager and league executive is born.

1926 - Lester Patrick becomes first coach & gm of NY Rangers.

1940 - Bobby Knight, college basketball coach (Indiana, Olympic-gold-1984) is born.

1948 - Dave Cowens, NBA forward (Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks) is born.

1953 - Cleveland Browns' QB Otto Graham sets club record with 4 fumbles.

1954 - Mike Eruzione, Winthrop Mass, hockey player (Olympics-gold-1980) is born.
1956 - White Sox manager Marty Marion resigns. AL Lopez replaces him.
1964 - Anton Geesink is first non-Japanese Olympic Judo gold medal winner.

1975 - Denver Nuggets first game at McNichols Sports Arena beat St Louis Spirits.
1978 - Padres Gaylord Perry is first to win Cy Young in both leagues (NL).

1990 - Evander Holyfield KOs Buster Douglas in 3 for Heavyweight boxing title.
1992 - Rene Lachemann hired as Florida Marlins first manager.

1995 - Bobby Riggs, tennis star, dies of prostate cancer at 77.

Brett Favre dismisses possibility of joining Rams

In this July 30, 2012, file photo, Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre, left, now an assistant football coach at Oak Grove High School explains a pass route to receiver Shane McClendon in Hattiesburg, Miss. Favre dismissed the possibility of returning to the NFL with St. Louis Rams.

Brett Favre dismissed the possibility of returning to the NFL with St. Louis, and Rams coach Jeff Fisher declined to address reports he tried to lure the quarterback out of retirement to replace the injured Sam Bradford.

Favre told Washington sports station WSPZ-AM he doesn't feel physically able to compete and expressed fear that he has been affected by concussions.

''It's flattering, but you know there's no way I'm going to do that,'' Favre said.

Fisher changed the subject after practice, then said ''Nice try'' when asked whether the 44-year-old Favre could be ready to play. Bradford is out for the season with a knee injury.

''I don't remember my daughter playing soccer, playing youth soccer, one summer,'' Favre told WSPZ. ''I don't remember that. I got a pretty good memory, and I have a tendency like we all do to say, 'Where are my glasses?' and they're on your head. This was pretty shocking to me that I couldn't remember my daughter playing youth soccer, just one summer, I think. I remember her playing basketball, I remember her playing volleyball, so I kind of think maybe she only played a game or two. I think she played eight. So that's a little bit scary to me. For the first time in 44 years, that put a little fear in me. ...

''I think after 20 years, God only knows the toll.''

Rams defensive end Robert Quinn didn't think there was anything to the reports.

''Brett Favre is staying retired,'' Quinn said. ''Brett hasn't played since 2010 and he's comfortable down there in Mississippi on a boat or something. Have fun with it, Brett.''

Kellen Clemens, the backup the past two seasons, will make his 13th career start Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams also signed Brady Quinn and Austin Davis.

Fisher said he wouldn't discuss players contacted after Bradford tore his left ACL on Sunday at Carolina, although he confirmed Tyler Thigpen also worked out.

''I don't feel any need to disclose information after the process,'' Fisher said. ''That's how we are. I'll be happy to talk about Thigpen, and the two that we signed.''

Lester's Glove: Lefty accused of foreign substance

Jon Lester says there was nothing but rosin - which is perfectly legal - on his glove when he beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the World Series.

A Cardinals minor leaguer posted a screen shot on Twitter showing a green substance on Lester's glove. Tyler Melling, a 25-year-old pitcher in the Florida State League, wrote: ''Jon Lester using a little Vaseline inside the glove tonight?''

The Boston Red Sox left-hander said before Game 2 on Thursday night that ''I can honestly tell you that all I use is rosin. So, it's obviously frustrating that after a night like last night, we should be having fun and running around with some energy today and I've got to stand here and answer questions about it.''

Lester allowed five hits in 7 2-3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and a walk in the Red Sox's 8-1 victory.

Boston manager John Farrell also said Lester uses only rosin, which is provided on the pitcher's mound, to get a better grip.

''If you know Jon Lester, he sweats like a pig and he needs rosin,'' Farrell said before Game 2. ''I don't see this as anything at all.''

Major League Baseball said in a statement Thursday that ''we cannot draw any conclusions from this video. There were no complaints from the Cardinals and the umpires never detected anything indicating a foreign substance throughout the game.''

Section 8.02 of the Official Baseball Rules says a pitcher ''shall not apply a foreign substance of any kind to the ball'' and says the penalty for a violation is ejection and an automatic suspension.

''MLB has obviously evaluated it and issued a statement,'' Farrell said. ''We consider it closed.''

Melling's tweet was later deleted.

''Obviously, when I get a text at 2 o'clock in the morning, it's not fun,'' a composed Lester said. ''I understand. I saw the picture. It looks bad.''

He also said he sweats a lot and rosin helps control that.

''I throw rosin in my glove. That's it,'' Lester said. ''I warm up with one hat in the bullpen and then have to change hats when I come in (to the dugout). I've had plenty of games where I've got sweat dripping off my brim. I've put rosin on my hat before to try to stop it. You do a lot of different things to just try to try to contain it.

''Even on a cold night like last night, I'm still sweating, so you've got to do certain things to try to keep a grip on the ball and not let it slip, and rosin is one of those things that seems to help me.''

Asked if he's sure that rosin was the only substance in Lester's glove, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said, ''this was not instigated by us. And the way that we approach this is we just play the game. We don't deny that some things have been acknowledged. And if that's what he claims, then that's what it is. That's all there is to it. And right now it's pretty much a dead issue.''

Lester said the issue wouldn't affect him in the future.

''I played with Jon basically my whole professional career,'' Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. ''He kind of sweats a lot, man. I know he loads up with rosin all over the place. I don't even like going out there and telling him 'good job,' and patting him on the back because you get all wet and stuff.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 24TH

1857 - World's first soccer club, Sheffield F C, founded in England.

1889 - Softball rules adopted by Mid Winter Indoor Baseball League.
1913 - Joe Tinker fired as Cin Reds manager.

1926 - Y A Tittle, AAFC/NFL QB (Baltimore, SF, NY Giants, MVP 1963) is born.
1935 - Judge Landis fines ump George Moriarty, Cubs manager Charlie Grimm &

Chicago players Woody English, Billy Jurges & Billy Herman for actions in World Series.

1939 - Joe DiMaggio wins AL MVP, Jimmie Foxx is runner-up.

1957 - Ron Gardenhire, German-born Minnesota Twins manager is born.

1971 - Chuck Hughes, Detroit Lion collapses during game & later, dies.

1972 - Jackie Robinson, first black baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers), dies at 53.

1974 - Billy Martin named AL Manager of Year (Texas Rangers).

1984 - Steffi Graf plays her first pro tennis match.

1985 - Richie Evans, NASCAR National Modified Champion from 1978-85 crashes 

and dies in turn 3 at the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia at the age of 44 (b. 1941).
1986 - Dodgers' Bill Russell, 38, announces his retirement.
1988 - NY Islander's & NHL high scorer, Mike Bossy retires.

1989 - After a weeks delay due to earthquake, World Series game 3 is played.

2004 - 10 people, including 4 family members of Rick Hendrick, are killed in a 

plane crash near Martinsville Speedway. The plane was owned by NASCAR 

team Hendrick Motorsports.