USC 30, California 9 (final)

USC is 5-1 after defeating California, 30-9, on Thursday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

But the future might not be so bright for the Trojans.

Leading rusher Marc Tyler missed all but one play of the second half with what appeared to be an injury to his left arm or wrist.

Marqise Lee, USC’s second-most productive receiver, missed the entire second half –- coming out of the locker room without pads because of an injury that has not been identified.

Without them, the Trojans struggled mightily.

The only thing that saved USC was Cal’s charity.

The Golden Bears coughed up five turnovers, including an interception late in the game that sealed USC’s victory.

Cal quarterback Zach Maynard had three passes intercepted, including two by USC freshman linebacker Dion Bailey. The Golden Bears also lost two of their four fumbles.

Cal has now lost three consecutive Pacific 12 Conference games after opening with three nonconference victories.

And while USC’s record looks pretty good on paper, the Trojans don’t look all that good on the field, meaning they could be in especially big trouble in their next two games -- at Notre Dame on Oct. 22 and at the Coliseum against Stanford on Oct. 29.

Matt Barkley completed 19 of 35 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns, but was uninspiring. Curtis McNeal led the rushing attack with 86 yards in 17 carries -- mostly after Tyler was injured.

Tyler had 30 yards in 11 carries, and Robert Woods was held to a season-low five catches for 36 yards.

Lee had four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Andre Heidari made field goals of 39, 29 and 23 yards.

For Cal, Maynard completed 25 of 43 passes for 294 yards, but had the three interceptions. His favorite target was Keenan Allen, who had 13 catches for 160 yards.

But Cal had next to no running game, finishing with a net of 35 yards.

RELATED:

USC vs. California photos

Here's a recap of the game:

USC 30, Cal 9 (5:14 left in fourth quarter)

Just when it looked like USC's offense would be stagnant for the rest of the game, Cal played give-away again.

USC vs. Cal: Live updates from AT&T Park in San Francisco

USC 10, California 0 (7:36 left in second quarter)

USC finally found a little bit of a running game, and it enabled the Trojans to score on a pass.

USC went 80 yards in six plays, the score coming on a perfectly thrown pass down the right sideline, from Matt Barkley to Marqise Lee. The play covered 39 yards, with Lee barely staying in bounds after hauling the pass in over his shoulder at about the 10.

Before that, USC, which started the series with two yards rushing in seven carries, got a two-yard gain by Barkley, followed by 19 yards rushing in three carries by Marc Tyler. The Trojans also benefited from a 13-yard pass interference call on Cal cornerback Stefan McClure -- the same player Lee beat for the touchdown.

USC 3, California 0 (8:25 left in second quarter)

Matt Barkley just scrambled for two yards, doubling USC's rushing yardage for the game.

That's right, the Trojans had two yards to show for their first seven carries.

And now USC is going nuts. The Trojans just got a five-yard run by Marc Tyler for a first down, followed by a pass interference call on California to move the ball near midfield.

--Mike Hiserman

 

USC 3, California 0 (6:01 left in first quarter)

USC has forced two fumbles and only has three points to show for it.

Andre Heidari's 39-yard field goal gave the Trojans the lead and also quelled some of the screaming from Trojans fans flabbergasted at USC's first series.

Jawanza Starling forced a fumble on Cal's first possession, giving USC the ball at the Golden Bears' 37-yard line.

A 31-yard completion from Matt Barkley to Marqise Lee gave the Trojans a first and goal at the six.

That's where it got dicey for the Trojans.

Freshman George Farmer got his first carry at tailback on a pitch play to the left. He was stopped for a four-yard loss.

On second down, Barkley lofted a screen pass to tailback Marc Tyler moving to his left. He was eventually knocked out of bounds for a two-yard loss.

Barkley threw incomplete on third down, setting up an apparent field-goal attempt.

But the Trojans lined up in a spread formation, and center Chris Pousson hiked the ball to the left to fullback Rhett Ellison. Ellison fumbled and Cal recovered toend the threat.

USC got another chance a few minutes later when defensive end Nick Perry caused Cal quarterback Zach Maynard to fumble. Middle linebacker Chris Galippo recovered at Cal's 30-yard line.

But the Trojans went nowhere and Heidari came on to kick the field goal.

--Gary Klein, reporting from San Francisco

Photo: USC quarterback Matt Barkley in action on the road against Arizona State. Credit: Matt York / Associated Press

Tim Tebow gets called out by Hulk Hogan [video]

The immortal Hulk Hogan had some choice words for Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow on a recent edition of ESPN SportsNation.

After Hogan gets done dismantling Sting at this Sunday's "Bound for Glory" pay-per-view, maybe he can return to WWE and take on Tebow in the new "War to Settle the Score."

Hogan vs. Tebow. My money's on Hogan. Especially since you figure Tebow is going to get pretty banged up this season as the new starting quarterback for the Broncos.

 

ALSO:

How long will Tebow lead the Broncos? [poll]

Jets trade Derrick Mason to Houston, reports say

--Houston Mitchell

NBA lockout: Which players will hurt most, least?

The discord between the NBA Players Assn. and the league's owners may be a boon for some and curse for others.

So far, two weeks have been shaved off of the season. While that will give the veterans a chance to rest their achy bones, it may squelch other players' momentum.

Who will benefit most from the lockout? And who is hit hardest?

Lockout, Go Away!

Blake Griffin -- After being drafted by the Clippers as the first overall pick in 2009, Griffin sustained a broken left kneecap in the final preseason game. He missed the entire season. The lockout threatens to keep him off the court once again. Griffin, a stunning high fly act who averaged 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds in his rookie debut last season, needs all the experience he can get to reach his potential. Also, his body can only handle those monster dunks for so long. Keeping him away from the hardwood could rob Clippers fans of some great posterization. (Yes, I may have made up that word.)

LeBron James -- My mouth tastes like metal after just typing those words. James averaged 17.8 points during the Finals, down 8.9 points from his regular season average of 26.7 points. It was the largest drop in league history. After his weak clutch showing, the Web started buzzing with jokes such as: "If you ask LeBron James to break a dollar, he'll only give you 75 cents. Why? Because he never has the fourth quarter." James needs to play as soon as possible to take the sour taste out of our mouths and show why he's nicknamed "King James."

Week 6 in Fantasy Football: Favorable and Unfavorable Matchups

Jason and Justin Sablich are here to help you with your fantasy football team. The Sablich brothers will provide fantasy football advice throughout the season on this blog and on Twitter (@5thDownFantasy).

If you submit one of the 50 most accurate responses this week, you can win a prize from FantasyPros.com.

Raise your hand if you thought Buffalo’s Fred Jackson would be the top-ranked fantasy running back heading into Week 6? Right, didn’t think so. Don’t worry, neither did we. That’s why fantasy football analysts don’t get paid the big bucks: there are too many things we just can’t see coming. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop trying. We feel confident enough to tell you that Jackson and Ahmad Bradshaw are in line for big fantasy days in Week 6 when the Buffalo Bills and Giants meet on Sunday. Keep reading to find out why.

Do you have a “start or sit” question? We are taking questions on Twitter. Follow us at @5thDownFantasy. Also, check out our complete rankings for Week 6.

Favorable/Unfavorable Quarterback Matchups

Favorable

Andy Dalton (CIN) vs. Indianapolis
 – Dalton has been too inconsistent to warrant starting status in standard 12-team leagues, but he’s certainly worth a look this week in leagues that start two quarterbacks. The Colts just gave up 257 yards and 4 touchdowns to Matt Cassel, and have allowed 26 fantasy points on average to the position over the last three weeks.

Tony Romo (DAL) vs. New England
 – Romo got in some much needed rest during his bye week and will have a healthy Miles Austin and Dez Bryant at his disposal for a meeting with the N.F.L.’s worst-ranked passing defense.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (BUF) vs. Giants
 – Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst combined to throw 315 yards and 2 touchdowns on the Giants last week, so it’s not just their run defense that is having issues. Fitzpatrick hasn’t been racking up a lot of yards lately, but he is coming off a career-high 77.8 completion rate. This game has the feel of a high-scoring affair with both defenses hemorrhaging yards.

Eli Manning (NYG) vs. Buffalo
 – This defense has allowed 330 yards and 2.25 touchdowns a game to quarterbacks over the last four weeks. Manning has averaged 25 standard fantasy points over his last two contests and has found a new emerging weapon in Victor Cruz.

Unfavorable

Alex Smith (SF) vs. Detroit
 – Smith has been solid of late, posting 20-plus fantasy points in his last two games. But we’ve been down this road before with him, only to have him implode a week or two later. With Smith on the road against Detroit (sixth worst QB matchup), we could think of less risky starts this weekend.

Curtis Painter (IND) vs. Cincinnati 
– Sure he had 21 standard points last week, but keep in mind that came against the Chiefs, and his second-half performance was nothing to write home about. The Bengals are 17 times tougher on quarterbacks than the Chiefs are in fantasy football, and a quarterback has yet to post more than 19 fantasy points a game on them this season.

Rex Grossman (WAS) vs. Philadelphia
 – Grossman came into his bye week on a down note, and could come out on one as well with his matchup against the surprisingly desperate Eagles. The Redskins will most likely try to attack Philadelphia’s weak run defense as much as possible, and the Eagles’ secondary is coming off its best performance of the season, limiting Ryan Fitzpatrick to 14 fantasy points.

Matt Schaub (HOU) vs. Baltimore — Not having Andre Johnson on the field last week against the Raiders did not stop Schaub from having an outstanding fantasy day, but it could catch up to him here against a much nastier defense, which has allowed just 15 points a week to quarterbacks through its first four games.

Favorable/Unfavorable Running Back Matchups

Favorable

Cedric Benson (CIN) vs. Indianapolis 
– With a decision on Benson’s appeal not likely for another few weeks, you can expect him to be active in this extra-friendly matchup (sixth best for RB, 22 FPPG). In Week 5, the Colts surrendered 194 yards on the ground to a Chiefs team that has had major problems running the ball all season.

Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG) vs. Buffalo 
– Bradshaw’s Week 5 was a disappointment considering he didn’t have to share the ball with Brandon Jacobs. But we all knew running on Seattle’s ninth ranked rushing defense wasn’t going to be easy. The Bills are a much better matchup as they have allowed 138 yards on the ground per contest.

Fred Jackson (BUF) vs. Giants – Seattle recently became the third consecutive team to rush for at least 100 yards on the Giants’ defense, which now puts them just ahead of Oakland (21st over all, 122.2 YPG). Coach Tom Coughlin believes it’s a matter of gap responsibility, while some want to blame injuries or defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Whatever the case may be, it will most likely get worse before it gets better with fantasy’s No. 1 running back in town for Week 6.

Michael Turner (ATL) vs. Carolina
 – Another week, another Panthers defender injured (LB Omar Gaither will miss the next two to four weeks), just more bad news for fantasy’s third best running back matchup (26 FPPG). Turner should have no problems topping the 56 yards he tallied last week against the Green Bay Packers.

Unfavorable

Jahvid Best (DET) vs. San Francisco
 — Best’s 163-yard breakout against the Bears basically came on two plays (not that owners are complaining). But a tough Niners run defense comes to town allowing just 9 fantasy points a game through the first five weeks.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis (NE) vs. Dallas 
– New England’s sixth-ranked running game goes head to head with the Dallas Cowboys’ top-ranked rushing defense. The Law Firm is always a threat to find the end zone, but the yards will be hard-earned this week.

Delone Carter (IND) vs. Cincinnati
 – Carter will split carries with Donald Brown against the Bengals’ seventh ranked run defense, which is surrendering just 3.2 yards a carry.

Earnest Graham (TB) vs. New Orleans 
– Graham will carry the load against the Saints this week, but there isn’t a ton of talent here to get excited about, and the Saints are a quality run defense, limiting the likes of Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte, James Starks and Ben Tate to a 70-yard average in previous games.

Favorable/Unfavorable Wide Receiver Matchups

Favorable

Miles Austin/Dez Bryant (DAL) vs. New England – Both receivers participated in practice this week, and both should be feeling better after their Week 5 bye. This is bad news for a Patriots secondary that is yielding 30 standard fantasy points a game to the position.

A.J. Green (CIN) vs. Indianapolis
 – Dwayne Bowe was the latest receiver to toy with Colts cornerback Jacob Lacey last Sunday (7 receptions, 128 yards, 2 touchdowns). WR1s are averaging 16 fantasy points a week against the Colts this season, which makes Green an even more appealing WR2 option in Week 6.

Greg Little (CLE) vs. Oakland
 – Little has been promoted to full-time status and will have a solid matchup to display his talents against this weekend (23 FPPG). He’s a solid WR3 play.

David Nelson (BUF) vs. Giants 
– The injury to Donald Jones will force Ryan Fitzpatrick to rely more on Nelson, and with Corey Webster expected to shadow Steve Johnson, he should have the easier challenge of facing Aaron Ross. This could be the game Nelson gets back on track.

Unfavorable

Reggie Wayne (IND) vs. Cincinnati
 – Pierre Garcon seems to have emerged as Painter’s favorite target, at least for the time being, and this matchup isn’t a good one (sixth worst for receivers).

Santana Moss (WAS) vs. Philadelphia
 – WR1s are averaging a minuscule 36 yards with one touchdown against the Eagles through five weeks this season.

Mike Thomas (JAX) vs. Pittsburgh – This is the worst matchup a receiver can have through five games (12 FPPG).

Steve Johnson (BUF) vs. Giants – Johnson owners can expect a better week than his 2-point performance against the Eagles, but it won’t come easy against Corey Webster. The Giants have limited No. 1 receivers to a 70-yard average this year.

Favorable/Unfavorable Tight End Matchups

Favorable

Dustin Keller (NYJ) vs. Miami – Miami has allowed 13 points a game to tight ends this season, a nice matchup for fantasy’s 10th-ranked TE to bounce back in.

Unfavorable

Owen Daniels (HOU) vs. Baltimore – If you own him, you’re starting him — just keep in mind that the Ravens have surrendered just 112 yards to the position and have yet to cough up a touchdown.

Favorable/Unfavorable Defense/Special Teams Matchups

Favorable

Cincinnati vs. Indianapolis, Minnesota vs. Chicago, Pittsburgh vs. Jacksonville, New Orleans vs. Tampa Bay, Jets vs. Miami.

Unfavorable

Dallas vs. New England, Giants vs. Buffalo, San Francisco vs. Detroit, Atlanta vs. Carolina.

Do you have a “start or sit” question? We are taking questions on Twitter. Follow us at @5thDownFantasy. Also, check out our complete rankings for Week 6.

Tailgating Recipes: Sausage and Cheese Chowder

A Times article this week about the Milwaukee Brewers’ sausage race inspired some of those close to The Quad, The Times’s college sports blog, to demand a sausage-based tailgating recipe in time for this weekend’s games. We’ve already had mouths watering with a bratwurst stew, but it is difficult to turn down a request and, well, you can’t have too much tubular meat at a tailgate party. And thus The Quad presents a sausage and cheese chowder from a Packers fan.

Goodell, Union to Meet with Congress on H.G.H. Testing

Representatives of the N.F.L., including Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the players union will meet with members of Congress Friday in Washington to discuss the holdup in implementing a blood testing program for human growth hormone.

In addition to Goodell, the league’s top lawyer, Jeffrey Pash, and Adolpho Birch, who oversees its drug testing program, are expected to attend the meeting. DeMaurice Smith is not expected to attend because, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was told, he is traveling overseas. The union will be represented by, among others, the Ravens’ Dominique Foxworth, who was a key player in the labor negotiations. But according to a person briefed on the committee’s thinking, they are disappointed that Smith is not available. Also expected to attend are members of the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

The purpose of the meeting is to allow both sides to explain their positions on testing to Representatives Darrell Issa, a Republican from California and the committee chairman and Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, the committee’s ranking Democrat. And the committee members are likely to ask the union what specific questions they want answered to allow testing to go forward in the coming months, or if there are other issues that would indicate a general reluctance by the union to implement testing.

While the parties agreed to start testing for human growth hormone as part of the collective bargaining agreement completed in August, testing has not begun because the union says it needs more information about the specifics of blood tests used by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Those tests, which are used on Olympics athletes, among others, determine the ratio of human growth hormone in the blood and compare it to the ratio that is naturally occurring. The union spokesman George Atallah said the union’s primary concern was how WADA established the baseline ratio for its tests and whether it was appropriate to use for professional football players.

WADA officials have said the ratio remains the same in nearly every subject it has studied. The union says it wants WADA to turn over the population study that led to the establishment of the threshold ratio; WADA has declined, saying that plenty of information about how the test works is available and that it fears the release of more sensitive information could help athletes figure out how to cheat.

Atallah, though, said he remained confident that there would be HGH testing in the N.F.L. “soonish” and that he could imagine a separate population study on N.F.L. players being conducted. Atallah said the union had not had formal discussions with the league about creating such a population study though.

New HBO Sports boss: ex-Showtime Sports head Hershman

HBO Sports has replaced the resigned Ross Greenburg as president, selecting Showtime Sports President Ken Hershman, boxing officials confirmed Thursday.

Hershman is scheduled to assume his duties in January, according to an HBO official.

Hershman's major triumphs at Showtime included landing the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley bout in May, which included cross-promotion on CBS platforms. He also brought HBO's "Inside the NFL" to his premium cable network, and aired mixed-martial arts fighting from the organization Strikeforce.

Greenburg, who presided over HBO's standing as the top boxing viewership destination while supplementing the coverage with a reality series, "24/7," along with award-winning sports documentaries, resigned in the summer after losing Pacquiao -- the sport's top draw.

HBO responded by getting Pacquiao back for his Nov. 12 bout against Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas.

Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio confirmed Hershman's departure after a report by The Ring, saying Hershman "left to pursue other opportunities." He added sports programming remains an important part of Showtime's lineup.

The network will air the finale of Hershman's "Super Six" super-middleweight tournament in December -- an event beset by injuries and delays -- and a December rematch pitting Showtime bantamweight tournament finalists Abner Mares and Joseph Agbeko at Anaheim's Honda Center.

Hershman was not immediately available for comment and HBO declined to provide a statement on the hiring.

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White said Hershman's MMA background means "nothing" to White as it pertains to a possible future deal to place UFC fights on HBO or its pay-per-view arm.

"I'm right where I want to be," White said in a text message to The Times, referring to the organization's own pay-per-view business and its new seven-year deal to broadcast fights on Fox and FX. "Couldn't be any better, and I couldn't be happier."

--Lance Pugmire

 

U.S. wins second gymnastics world championship gold medal

The winner, Jordyn Wieber, cried, a bouncy, athletic American astounded that her two mistakes on uneven bars and floor exercise didn’t relegate her to second place.

The loser cried too, an elegant Russian whose fingers and toes must have been pointed just so when she entered the world. Victoria Komova burst into tears after she finished her final event -- floor exercise -- with a routine that was done with some bent knees and maybe a turn that wasn’t quite completed.

The U.S. captured the second major women’s gold medal awarded at the 2011 World Gymnastics championships in Tokyo when 16-year-old Wieber of DeWitt, Mich., won the all-around gold medal by edging out 16-year-old Komova, who won silver.

The U.S. women already won the team gold medal and the U.S. men won team bronze.

Wieber, the U.S. all-around champion in her first senior world championship competition, finished with 59.382 points, 0.033 head of the saddened Komova.

“I was so surprised to see my name up on the top,” Wieber said, “but I was so happy at the same time. It was an amazing feeling.”

Speaking to International Gymnast magazine, Komova, who had suffered an ankle injury in July, said: “My vault was not as fully ready as it should have been. On beam I had mistakes and my bars were not very well done. My floor routine was mediocre.

"Today, on a beam I did not make some connections, therefore, that's why the lower score.”

Yao Jinnan of China won bronze and another American, Aly Raisman, finished fourth and, like Wieber, had a major mistake on uneven bars.

Wieber, coached by John Geddert, became the sixth American to win a world all-around title, joining Kim Zmeskal, Shannon Miller, Chellsie Memmel, Shawn Johnson and Bridget Sloan with the honor. Notable about that group, though? None followed up with an Olympic all-around gold.

Johnson dominated the 2007 world championships and beat out her American teammate Nastia Liukin. But it was Liukin who came back a year later and wowed judges with an elegance that seemed to trump Johnson’s more strength-based gymnastics.

The last reigning world champion to win the Olympic all-around gold was Lilia Podkopayeva in Atlanta in 1996.

With the win Thursday, Wieber and Komova automatically become Olympic favorites along with another Russian, Aliya Mustafina, who won the 2010 world title but who missed this competition with an injury. 

Also last week, Liukin announced she was making a comeback, and so is Olympic all-around silver medalist Johnson, who will show how far she’s come later this month in the Pan-American games.

After making a major error on the uneven bars where she almost came to a stop on a swing, Wieber was convinced she had lost the competition. But she recovered with the best balance beam routine of the night to cut Komova’s lead almost in half. But Wieber finished on floor exercise by taking a step out of bounds and it was after that when she buried her head in Geddert’s shoulder.

“I told her I was proud of her no matter what,” Geddert said. “She was mad because that mistake on bars was going to cost her and she knew it.”

Even Martha Karolyi, the U.S. women’s team coordinator, thought gold was gone after Wieber’s bars. “But Jordyn is such a strong person,” Karolyi said. “She’s just somebody with real special abilities who is able to fight back as strong as she did.”

-- Diane Pucin

MORE:

Shawn Johnson still looking toward 2012 Olympics

Russia finished; U.S. still leads at world gymnastics championships

Photo: Jordyn Wieber. Credit: Koji Sasahara / Associated Press.

Rugby World Cup 2011: Graham Henry missed a trick by including Richie McCaw in XV to whack Wallabies. And my predictions…

Did New Zealand head coach Graham Henry miss a trick when he selected Richie McCaw to captain the All Blacks against Australia on Sunday?

Captain and commander: Might Graham Henry have left Richie McCaw on the bench just in case he's needed?

His injury again brings up that age-old debate – do you field a star player able to give only 70 per cent or so, or an average player giving 100 per cent? And McCaw is undoubtedly a star player, but reports still had it that McCaw was hobbling around town with a slight grimace on his face.

McCaw, even on one leg, is well worth his spot. Even just for the psychology of his presence. No argument there. But will he even be needed on the field, is my question? Why risk him possibly being injured (even more) for the final, when the All Blacks can subdue Horwill & Co without him on Sunday?

Yes, David Pocock is a big threat to the New Zealand dream of ending 24 years of hurt, but after the whole Bryce Lawrence furore I'm confident referee Craig Joubert will watch him like a hawk on Sunday and the openside flanker won't be half the force he was against South Africa.

Okay, maybe the All Blacks will need McCaw – if only to cut off Will Genia or put motor-mouth Quade Cooper in his place, but should the question be purely black or white, as in he plays or he's out of the match-day 22?

Should Henry not have sprung a surprise by naming him on the bench? Then bring him on when/if the All Blacks turn to custard, or keep him fresh and fit(ter) to deal with the menace that's Sam Warburton if the black machine whacks the Wallabies off the park.

 A simply crazy idea or did Henry miss a trick? And so on to my predictions for the weekend…

New Zealand v Australia Could come down to which loose forwards rattle the opponents' No 10 the most. Who'll show the most jitters, young, new call-up Aaron Cruden or gifted maverick Cooper? Will Australia be able to replicate their magnificent Brisbane performance in August? Or will they this week discover that, unlike the Springboks, you can't allow the All Blacks 70 per cent of possession and still win? 

Ultimately, too much class in the All Blacks to be outdone by an Australian team that imploded against Ireland and burgled a victory against South Africa. NZ 24 Australia 15.

Wales v France A mouth-watering match to start the weekend. Wales have been mammoth so far, hugely disciplined too. They've stepped up in each game after losing their pool opener. Have they mentally and/or physically got one or two more massive games in them? And how much will Rhys Priestland's injury hurt them?

The French, by contrast, have been loose canons, who bumbled their way through the pool stage and were helped to victory last week by England's ineptitude. Was that their customary one big game per World Cup? Or is that game still to come? This has the potential to be the match of RWC 2011.

I'm going to pick Wales' structured, overall game plan over the French's thrilling but hot-and-cold approach to their game, and say Wales 18 France 11.

Let me know how you see it…

Sponsored by Maximuscle and the Cyclone Challenge – build muscle in 30 days or your money back – www.maximuscle.com/cyclonechallenge

Obama to watch basketball on carrier that buried Osama bin Laden

Five months ago, Osama Bin Laden was buried at sea by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson after he was killed in a raid ordered by President Obama. In less than a month, Obama will board the same vessel.

The commander-in-chief plans to watch basketball on it.

North Carolina and Michigan State will play on the Carl Vinson on Veterans Day in what will be the first college hoops game on an active flat top. The White House confirmed Thursday that Obama will be in attendance.

--Melissa Rohlin

Photo: President Obama will attend basketball game on aircraft carrier Carl Vinson. Credit: Susan Walsh / Associated Press

 

Greatest sports figures in L.A. history, No. 18: Marcus Allen

Continuing our countdown of the 20 greatest figures in L.A. sports history with No. 18, Marcus Allen.

No. 18 Marcus Allen (no first-place votes, 551 points)

Marcus Allen had a standout football career in L.A., with USC and the Raiders. With the Trojans in 1980, Allen rushed for 1,563 yards, the second-most in the nation, but that was nothing compared to 1981, when he finished with 2,342 yards, becoming the first player in NCAA history to rush for over 2,000 yards in one season. He also led the nation in scoring and won the Heisman Trophy.

Allen was drafted with the 10th overall selection of the 1982 NFL draft by the Raiders, who were playing in Los Angeles at the time. He was voted NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

But Allen is probably best remembered for Super Bowl XVIII in 1984. He ran for 191 yards, caught two passes for 18 yards, and scored two touchdowns in the Raiders' 38-9 victory over the Washington Redskins. Included in his stats was a 74-yard touchdown run, where he reversed field and outran the Redskins defenders to the end zone. He remains one of only four people to win the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP, along with Roger Staubach, Jim Plunkett and Desmond Howard.

RELATED:

No. 19: Jim Murray

No. 20: Wilt Chamberlain

Your votes are in: The 20 greatest sports figures in L.A. history

-- Houston Mitchell

Photo: Marcus Allen with the Raiders in 1992. Credit: Los Angeles Times

UCLA football: Chris Foster brings you all the bye week news [video]

Times' UCLA reporter Chris Foster sits down with CineSport's Noah Coslov to discuss all the bye week news for the Bruins. 

 

 

Obama to watch basketball on aircraft carrier that buried Osama bin Laden

Five months ago, Osama Bin Laden was buried at sea by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson after he was killed in a raid ordered by President Obama. In less than a month, Obama will board the same vessel.

The commander-in-chief plans to watch basketball on it.

North Carolina and Michigan State will play on the Carl Vinson on Veterans Day in what will be the first college hoops game on an active flat top. The White House confirmed Thursday that Obama will be in attendance.

--Melissa Rohlin

Photo: President Obama will attend basketball game on aircraft carrier Carl Vinson. Credit: Susan Walsh / Associated Press

 

Rugby World Cup 2011: Will NZ even need Richie McCaw do whack the Wallabies? And my predictions…

Will he play? Won't he play? How do you handle a 'problem' like McCaw?

Captain and commander: Might Graham Henry leave Richie McCaw on the bench just in case he's needed?

His injury again brings up that age-old debate – do you field a star player able to give only 70 per cent or so, or an average player giving 100 per cent?

I know Steve Hansen has claimed McCaw is fit and will play at Eden Park, but I'm not convinced yet. Hansen seemed to whisper it, rather than say it loudly and confidently, and it appears he was sick of being asked the 'will he, won't he' question, that his answer was aimed simply at cutting short the press conference. Besides, reports have it widely that McCaw is still hobbling around town with a slight grimace on his face.

McCaw, even on one leg, is well worth his spot. Even just for the psychology of his presence. No argument there. But will he even be needed on the field, is my question? Why risk him possibly being injured for the final, when the All Blacks can subdue Horwill & Co without him on Sunday?

Yes, David Pocock is a big threat to the New Zealand dream of ending 24 years of hurt, but after the whole Bryce Lawrence furore I'm confident referee Craig Joubert will watch him like a hawk on Sunday and the openside flanker won't be half the force he was against South Africa.

Okay, maybe the All Blacks will need McCaw – if only to cut off Will Genia or put motor-mouth Quade Cooper in his place, but should the question be purely black or white, as in he plays or he's out of the match-day 22?

Might Graham Henry spring a surprise by naming him on the bench? Then bring him on when/if the All Blacks turn to custard, or keep him fresh and fit(ter) to deal with the menace that's Sam Warburton if the black machine whacks the Wallabies off the park.

Or if Henry picks him him for the starting XV, should he have considered keeping Captain Fantastic on the bench instead? A simply crazy idea or a viable middle road?

And with that my predictions for the weekend…

New Zealand v Australia Could come down to which loose forwards rattle the opponents' No 10 the most. Who'll show the most jitters, young, new call-up Aaron Cruden or gifted maverick Cooper? Will Australia be able to replicate their magnificent Brisbane performance in August? Or will they this week discover that, unlike the Springboks, you can't allow the All Blacks 70 per cent of possession and still win? 

Ultimately, too much class in the All Blacks to be outdone by an Australian team that imploded against Ireland and burgled a victory against South Africa. NZ 24 Australia 15.

Wales v France A mouth-watering match to start the weekend. Wales have been mammoth so far, hugely disciplined too. They've stepped up in each game after losing their pool opener. Have they mentally and/or physically got one or two more massive games in them? And how much will Rhys Priestland's injury hurt them?

The French, by contrast, have been loose canons, who bumbled their way through the pool stage and were helped to victory last week by England's ineptitude. Was that their customary one big game per World Cup? Or is that game still to come? This has the potential to be the match of RWC 2011.

I'm going to pick Wales' structured, overall game plan over the French's thrilling but hot-and-cold approach to their game, and say Wales 18 France 11.

Let me know how you see it…

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David Ortiz: Could he become a Yankee?

Impending free agent David Ortiz indicated to ESPN that he's fed up with the Boston Red Sox and would consider his options, including jumping ship to the New York Yankees.

"There's too much drama, man," Ortiz said of the Red Sox. "There's too much drama. I have been thinking about a lot of things. I don't know if I want to be part of this drama for next year."

In Boston, the Yankees are known as the Evil Empire. Ortiz, who has been with the Red Sox for nine seasons beginning in 2003, didn't quite confirm or deny whether he would defect.

"That's something I gotta think about," Ortiz said. "I've been here on the Red Sox a long time, and I've seen how everything goes down between these two ball clubs."

Even though he didn't come out and say he wanted to be a Yankee, he made clear that he has nothing but respect for the franchise.

"It's great from what I hear," Ortiz said of the Yankees. "It's a good situation to be involved in. Who doesn't want to be involved in a great situation where everything goes the right way?

"They lost just like we did, they just went to the first round of the playoffs. I ain't heard nobody coming out killing everybody just because they lost."

The Red Sox experienced a historic collapse in September that triggered the departure of Manager Terry Francona and General Manager Theo Epstein.

Ortiz hit .309 with 29 homers and 96 RBIs.

ALSO:

Boston GM Theo Epstein close to leaving for Cubs

Tigers show their resiliency in 5-2 victory over Rangers

Accusations fly in filing for key hearing in Dodgers' ownership

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: David Ortiz. Credit: Patrick Semansky / Associated Press

N.F.L. Week 6 Game Probabilities

My statistics disagree with the consensus favorites in only one matchup this weekend: Panthers versus  Falcons at Atlanta. It’s not surprising most people favor the home-team Falcons. Carolina is 1-4, coming off a 2-14 season, while Atlanta is 2-3, coming off a 13-3 season. But statistically they’re nearly identical teams, with one critical difference.

The table below lists the key predictive team stats: net yards per attempt, running success rate, interception rates, and penalty rates on both offense and defense, plus offensive fumble rates. Notice how similar the two teams are in most categories.

Both feature spectacularly poor pass defenses. The Panthers are better at running the ball, and the Falcons are a little better at stopping the run. But the most reliably consistent predictor of game outcomes is offensive net Yards Per Attempt (net YPA), and the Panthers are clearly better in that department. In fact, they’re about two standard deviations better. If you remember any of your high school statistics class, you’ll know that’s a big-time difference (disclaimer: not an official statistical term).

That difference is more than enough to overcome the Falcons’ home-field advantage, mathematically at least. Throw in Atlanta’s relatively weak opponent strength so far this season, and that’s why Carolina is your upset special this week, by a margin of 56 percent to 44 percent.

Here are all the game probabilities for Week 6.

Brian Burke, a former Navy pilot who has taken up the less dangerous hobby of N.F.L. statistical analysis, operates Advanced NFL Stats, a blog about football, math and human behavior.

ICC conference flip-flop madness

'Just try to stay awake until they bring the rubber chicken lunches round' PHOTO: GETTY

The mysterious blazer-wearing, back-scratching lizard people who make up the ICC have been having one of their periodic meetings. Here’s what they have ruled – and the real reasons behind their decisions…

Ruling: Decision Review System change of heart

Surprisingly going against the wishes of India, the ICC decreed in June that this would henceforth be mandatory for all Tests and ODIs. Have now u-turned and said that technology will be bilaterally agreed on a case-by-case basis by the competing countries in a series.

Reasons:Unacceptably high numbers of Indian batsmen being given out in series against England. MS Dhoni told them to change their mind. Urgent commercial need to ensure Indian batsmen are not given out in future series; and guard against doomsday scenario of Sachin being given out on review and thus being denied his 100th 100. Possible reintroduction once 100th 100 has been passed to make sure nobody ever beats record has been mooted.

Ruling: Shelving of the proposed World Test Championship

Finding itself in the unfamiliar position of having come up with an idea that a lot of cricket fans actually quite fancied – the 2013 tournament in England between the top four Test sides – the ICC panicked and have now decided to push the five-day championship back to 2017 at the earliest.

Reasons: India no longer very good at Test cricket. You can play five ODIs in the time it takes to get through a boring old Test match. Moving personal plea from Suresh Raina not to have to face Test match bowling again.

Ruling: Possible reintroduction of the Champions League Trophy

The resultant hole in the 2013 schedule looks the perfect size for the broadcaster-friendly Carling Cup of international cricket, a 50-over tournament so lacking in prestige that even England have reached the final in recent years, but one that does not exclude the weaker nations.

Reasons: People in India like 50-over cricket. Ravi Shastri has a window in his schedule and can do some commentary. No sane person would rather watch England v South Africa play a Test at Lord’s when they could be watching Zimbabwe v Bangladesh in the round-robin phase of an ODI tournament. Why should sides be financially penalised for not being good at Test cricket?

Ruling: Qualifying for 2015 World Cup simplified

Having decided in June that the 2015 World Cup would feature just ten teams, the next obvious move was to backtrack from that and say that there would be 14 teams involved. The ten Test teams gets in, even the ones that don’t really play Tests but can be relied upon to do the right thing when it’s balloting time. They are joined by the two winners of an easy-to-understand, user-friendly system where the top two teams from the Intercontinental One Day Cup will join four others from the World Cricket League, including the third and fourth placed teams in ICC Division Two and the winners and runners-up from Division Three, plus the winner of the UEFA Fair Play Award, the third-placed act in the Eurovision song contest, and Somerset, in a massive qualifying tournament-cum-fight-to-the-death held at the NEC Birmingham and presented by Holly Willoughby and Sunil Gavaskar.

Reasons: Because we can. What’s the point of having administrators if they don’t administrate?

OPLC has questions to answer over Olympic Stadium shambles

So, the Olympic Stadium, clanger or carve-up? Nearly 72 hours after the dramatic decision to abandon months of negotiations with West Ham we have little choice to make up our own minds.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company, the key body in the process, has had three days to issue a statement or offer some explanation for why it tore up a year’s work, but has still not uttered a word.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson has spoken at length about the threat of “legal paralysis” that prompted the decision, and the OPLC communications team say that for now the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, is “taking the lead”.

Not for the first time in the tortuous and flawed history of the stadium, that is a long way from being a satisfactory response.

The Olympic Stadium is a £500m public asset that will now have at least another £95m of taxpayer money spent upgrading it so it is fit to be rented to a football club.

Given that level of public funding the events of the last few weeks deserve proper explanation from OPLC chairman Baroness Ford and chief executive Andrew Altman. Granted, the pair inherited an ill-considered mess when they took on the stadium job, but we could still do with some answers.

Throughout Ford and Altman have been adamant that their process would be robust and would deliver a tenant into the stadium and a return to the taxpayer. Yet 10 months from the Olympic opening ceremony they still can’t tell us who will be using the stadium, how many seats there will be, what facilities it will have – beyond a track – or how much the return will be.

The OPLC say that Ford may be available to discuss what happened, and what happens next, next week. Here’s a few questions she, the government and the Olympic authorities might consider

Does the “legal paralysis” explanation really hold-water?

Tottenham and Leyton Orient were challenging the terms of Newham’s £40m loan to West Ham, claiming it breached European state-aid rules But from the outset the OPLC insisted that its decisions would be water-tight and that legal challenges had been anticipated, so they should have seen it coming.

Perhaps they did. Just 10 days ago I was assured by a senior OPLC source that the Spurs-Orient challenges were “baloney” and that the legal advice was unequivocal. The OPLC would win.

So what happened to turn Tottenham and Orient’s pile of “baloney” into “legal paralysis”? Could it be that new evidence provided by Orient made it far more likely that Newham-West Ham and the OPLC would lose? Or that the anonymous complaint to the European Commission had not been anticipated?

At the very least the OPLC’s legal due diligence looks questionable. If the Newham – West Ham finance package were to be declared illegal there would be no way back for the Hammers or the OPLC.

Legal sources have told me the same lawyers, Eversheds, have advised the OPLC on the bid process and the judicial review. Little wonder then that they keep getting the same answers.

There are a couple of other possible explanations for Monday’s Olympic-class U-turn

Could it be that the 2017 World Athletics Championship bid, a priority for Sebastian Coe as well as Robertson, became the most important factor in government thinking?

You might think that a case of the tail wagging a stadium-sized dog, but don’t underestimate the importance attached to securing a meaningful athletics legacy. It has driven every step of this process

One other thought, a question that West Ham might be able to help answer. Is it possible that the OPLC feared that Karren Brady and Co were considering walking away, or at the very least re-negotiating the terms of their deal?

With the government committed to a track come what may Spurs were definitively out of the race, making West Ham the sole bidder in an uncompetitive market.

In those circumstances I would have tried to renegotiate. Maybe they did too. And maybe that’s the real reason why the OPLC is now preparing tender documents for a £2m a-year rental agreement, with West Ham at the front of the queue.

N.F.L. Needs Fair Method for Recording Interception Statistics

On the final play in the first half of Sunday’s game between the Jets and the Patriots, Tom Brady threw a quick out to tight end Aaron Hernandez. Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie intercepted the pass near the Patriots’ goal line and ran the ball back to the 41-yard-line as the clock expired.

This play depicted two flaws with pro football’s statistical bookkeeping.

Flaw 1: The interception went on Brady’s record, even though it occurred because Hernandez deflected the ball up in the air. It was a well-thrown pass that should have been caught. The interception should have gone on Hernandez’s record. In the way that a dropped pop fly in baseball is counted as an error for the fielder and not a hit against the pitcher, a tipped interception off a dropped pass should count against a receiver. This kind of detail is important for a fair accounting of the game.

Flaw 2: The interception was counted as a turnover, even though the ball did not change hands. By the time the play ended, the first half had expired.

Now I acknowledge there are a few holes in this second argument. Possession did technically change hands, as Cromartie had the ball with a chance to score. And if Hernandez had merely dropped the pass rather than tipped it to the defense, there might  have been enough time left on the clock for New England to kick a field goal. So there was a turnover element involved in this particular play.

That’s fine. The bigger point is that we should use this play as a gateway to the concept of turnovers that aren’t really turnovers. End-of-half interceptions, like desperation heaves, aren’t truly turnovers; the patterns of possession are not altered by the outcome of the play. Same goes for an interception on fourth down. The end result of that play is essentially no different than if the quarterback had thrown an incomplete pass or taken a sack. So why describe it as a turnover?

The whole idea of statistics is to find a mathematical representation of what happened in the game. As the Hernandez interception reminds us, every now and then, there are stats that are a mathematical misrepresentation. With a little attention to detail, the N.F.L. could correct the record.

Andy Benoit is an NFL analyst for CBSSports.com and founder of NFLTouchdown.com. He can be reached at andy.benoit@NFLTouchdown.com or @Andy_Benoit.