Nick Kyrgios’ outrageous showing at the Shanghai Masters will cost him $16,500.
Kyrgios essentially threw his second-round match against German qualifier Mischa Zverev and trash-talked heckling fans in the process. The 21-year-old Australian since has been fined the maximum $10,000 for showing a “lack of best efforts,” $5,000 for verbal abuse of a spectator and $1,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct, according to Tennis.com.
Kyrgios lost his match to Zverev, 6-3, 6-1, while looking completely disinterested. He tapped soft serves over the net, showboated and even walked off the court at one point before a return shot from Zverev.
To make matters worse, Kyrgios showed no remorse during his post-match press conference, saying he doesn’t owe the fans anything and that they can leave if they don’t like his playing style. He later apologized on Twitter, but this isn’t the first time Kyrgios has ticked off some people.
It probably won’t be the last, either.
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
Tom Brady hopes David Ortiz’s Fenway Park farewell was more of a “see you later.”
Speaking Wednesday in a conference call with Cincinnati media, the New England Patriots quarterback heaped praise on the retiring Boston Red Sox slugger and expressed optimism that, just maybe, Big Papi will reconsider retirement.
“Well, he had a great career and he had a great season,” Brady said. “He’s been a great player for the league and for the city. I mean, he’s meant so much — been a part of three championship teams here. Baseball is huge here in Boston and really in New England. I mean, they love the Red Sox.
“It’s obviously sad to see him retire. I hope he comes back and keeps playing, because he had a great year, but everyone’s going to make the choice whenever it feels right.”
Ortiz, who will turn 41 next month, led the majors in RBIs, doubles, slugging percentage and OPS this season while also ranking in the top 10 in home runs (tied for eighth), walks (eighth), batting average (sixth) and on-base percentage (third). It was, without question, one of the greatest closing campaigns in major league history.
His Red Sox career came to an end Monday when the Cleveland Indians swept the Sox in the American League Division Series, leaving the 39-year-old Brady as the unrivaled king of current Boston sports figures.
Brady and the Patriots host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
We have breaking NBA news to report: The Brooklyn Nets will be very bad this season.
OK, that’s not much of a surprise. The Nets enter the 2016-17 campaign with extremely low expectations once again after losing two of their best players — Joe Johnson and Jarrett Jack — from a team that won just 21 games in 2015-16.
But now is the time where hope springs eternal for every NBA team, right? Let’s check in on Brooklyn’s newly-acquired big man, Anthony Bennett, who we’re sure feels good about the Nets’ chances this season:
Everyone but Anthony Bennett is excited for the NBA season 😂 #Shaqtin (via @shaqtin) pic.twitter.com/RI3mLK5B2d
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 11, 2016
Now that’s telling it like it is.
Bennett clearly messed up here and didn’t actually mean to tell fans, “Don’t watch us play this season” (we think). But since it’s the Nets, the former No. 1 overall pick’s comments are that much more depressing.
Of course, Bennett’s pessimism is every Boston Celtics fan’s optimism, as the C’s own the right’s to Brooklyn’s first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Coincidentally, Boston’s season opener is against the Nets on Oct. 26 — although Bennett would suggest you watch something else.
Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images
Conor McGregor is done with the state of Nevada.
The UFC superstar no longer is willing to fight in Nevada, which includes the de facto MMA capital of Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White revealed Wednesday during an appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.”
White said McGregor’s anti-Nevada stance stems from the $150,000 fine the Nevada State Athletic Commission levied against the UFC featherweight champion Monday for his role in the pre-UFC 202 press conference fracas.
Conor McGregor doesn't want to ever fight in Nevada again. pic.twitter.com/nHEXcd5HYE
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) October 13, 2016
McGregor fights are big business in Nevada, as four of the top five live gates in Nevada’s MMA history have featured him on the card, including two in 2016.
Time will tell whether he’ll reverse his decision. Knowing McGregor, he’ll likely find a way back, but not before he makes Nevada pay in money or reputation.
Thumbnail photo via Joshua Dahl/USA TODAY Sports Images
It appears some in Montreal still aren’t over the P.K. Subban trade.
The Canadiens will play their 2016-17 season debut Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres with Shea Weber — not Subban — as their No. 1 defenseman.
The Habs and Nashville Predators swapped veteran blue liners during the offseason in a legitimately shocking, potentially franchise-altering transaction.
Subban was, for obvious reasons, a fan favorite in Montreal. His flashy style play fell right in line with what the Canadiens have been for years, and his ascension as one of the best players in the NHL was undeniable. Off the ice, fans revered Subban as a saint, especially for his work with the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
So, yeah. It’s going to take some time for fans to get over the move — if that even happens for some.
One anonymous Canadiens fan clearly still is reeling from the move, as evidenced by a full-page ad in the Montreal Gazette on Thursday morning.
Full page open letter to Habs from anonymous fan in today's Gazette. pic.twitter.com/WjSItEyGsO
— Conor McKenna (@mckennaconor) October 13, 2016
“But this trade has made me feel different,” the fan writes. “Now, I feel anger, disappointment and embarrassment over the treatment of P.K. Subban by team management: the same sentiments that many fans felt after the Patrick Roy trade.”
The fan, a season-ticket holder, also stated he and his family will attend just one game this season — you guessed it, Subban’s return to Montreal with the Predators on March 2.
More:
“This season, more than any I can recall, supporting the Montreal Canadiens organization means supporting the decisions that have been made by our general manager and coach,” he continues. “I do not, and will not support, (general manager) Marc Bergevin and (head coach) Michel Therrien. And make no mistake, my fellow fans: attending games at the Bell Centre is a vote of confidence in their leadership. In the near future, I will be announcing an initiative in this regard, and will be asking my fellow Habs fans for their help and participation.”
A slow start to the season, and we imagine more might start taking a similar stance.
h/t to FOX Sports
Thumbnail photo via Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports Images
Just ask Brett Favre: For some NFL players, the hardest part is letting go.
Randy Moss last played an NFL game in 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers and since has begun a promising broadcast career; he’s currently an analyst on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. He also is staying very active, as his busy schedule includes training for Spartan races and hosting a CrossFit bootcamp in Charlotte.
But Moss says all that activity is just to take his mind away from thoughts of playing football again.
“It’s just keeping me busy,” Moss said Monday in an interview with SI.com. “When you’re sort of bored with life, you really start to have negative thoughts and think about negative things. … Fitness, health — I’ve always been into that no matter what people have said about me. Now that I’m older, physically, I’m in the best shape of my life.”
While Moss said as recently as last year he still has the “itch” to return to the gridiron, the 39-year-old admitted he’s come to terms with watching from the sideline.
“Now that I’m older, I look at the game and still miss it,” Moss said. “But at the same time now is a time for me to give back and teach the game.”
Yet that didn’t stop the outspoken, six-time Pro Bowler from predicting how he’d fare if he suited up for a full 16-game season.
“Where I’m at closing on 40 years old,” Moss said, “I think being able to use me inside the 40-yard line for my height, still my skill set, still have quickness, I think my speed has left a little bit.
“But my skillset, 16 games, I’d say anywhere between nine to 12 or 13 touchdowns. Somewhere in there.”
Moss hasn’t caught nine or more TDs since 2009 with the New England Patriots, but we wouldn’t put it past him.
Thumbnail photo via Brace Hammelgarn/USA TODAY Sports Images
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took a shot at the NFL’s concussion rules at a campaign event in Florida on Wednesday.
A woman in attendance passed out, but she was able to regain consciousness and return to the rally. Trump took it as an opportunity to mock the league.
“That woman was out cold and now she’s coming back,” Trump said. “We don’t go by these new, and very much softer, NFL rules. Concussions, ’oh, oh! Got a little ding on the head. No, no, you can’t play for the rest of the season.’ Our people are tough.”
Here it is in video form (it occurs at the 1:10:20 mark).
https://youtu.be/iPMdo5km3l4?t=4220
Concussions are nothing to make fun of. They’re serious injuries that can lead to severe consequences later in life.
The NFL still has a lot of progress to make when it comes to diagnosing, treating and preventing concussions, but at least the awareness surrounding them is much better than it was a few years ago.
Thumbnail photo via Rick Wood/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK
Despite what some people might lead you to believe, the Boston Red Sox’s 2016 rotation wasn’t a disaster. However, the club still has some work to do this offseason.
The Red Sox rotation’s 4.22 ERA was the eighth-best in Major League Baseball and the third-best in the American League behind the two teams fighting for the AL pennant: the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays. Boston’s starters also had the third-most wins in the league (68) and the fifth-most innings pitched (969 1/3), so the Red Sox did get the production they needed from their top five guys.
But they do need to beef up the back end of their rotation, and they might have to get creative to do so.
Jeremy Hellickson, Jered Weaver and Rich Hill probably are the best starters on the market this offseason, so that tells you all you need to know about 2017’s free agent class. With plenty of teams in need of starting pitching, the Red Sox probably won’t get much cooking on the hot stove.
It’s also likely Boston doesn’t do anything too Earth-shattering before the club gets a good look at what it has in spring training. David Price and Rick Porcello are the clear Nos. 1 and 2, but behind them, the Red Sox actually have a surplus of options. Provided the Red Sox pick up Clay Buchholz’s team option for 2017, they’d have him, Eduardo Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright to choose from. But there still are questions surrounding all of them.
Red Sox manager John Farrell said Tuesday that Pomeranz is a starter despite finishing the season in the bullpen, so the left-hander will factor in somehow. Still, the Red Sox saw just 13 starts from Pomeranz in a Boston uniform, so it’s not clear what spot in the rotation he’ll occupy. Buchholz and Rodriguez both ended their seasons strong, but they had an abysmal first half. Wright finished his season on the disabled list with an injury in his throwing shoulder, so it remains to be seen how that affects his already uncontrollable knuckleball.
The Red Sox’s farm system is deep, so if any of those four starters continue to struggle, it won’t hurt the club to deal one or two for a back-end starter. They also have five major-league catchers on their current roster (Sandy Leon, Christian Vazquez, Blake Swihart, Ryan Hanigan and Bryan Holaday), so the Red Sox could use one of them as a piece if they want to trade for someone better. They also could use one of their prospects for themselves if anyone stands out in spring training. Brian Johnson, for example, is on the rise since taking a break this past season to get treatment for anxiety.
The Red Sox don’t need to make any major changes to their rotation, and it would be smart of them to take it slow. Plus, they could find teams coming to them, as this year’s free agent class isn’t very exciting all around. Boston will have a lot of leverage to better its rotation this offseason, so it should be interesting to see what the club does.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
A reunion between LeBron James and Dwyane Wade could have happened this summer, but the NBA’s financial constraints (salary cap and luxury tax) made it too difficult for the Cleveland Cavaliers to pull it off.
“We couldn’t afford him,” James said of Wade possibly joining the Cavs after last season, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It’s that simple.”
“I support my guys — you guys know that,” James added. “That was a decision that he wanted to make, and I support him.”
James left Cleveland as a free agent in 2010 to join Wade’s Miami Heat team, along with free-agent star Chris Bosh. This trio went to four straight NBA Finals with the Heat and won two of them (2012 and 2013).
James, to the surprise of many, left Miami shortly after losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals and made a return to Cleveland. He’s led the Cavs to back-to-back Finals appearances — both against the Golden State Warriors — winning the franchise’s first championship in June.
While it wasn’t inconceivable that James would eventually come back to his hometown, the thought of Wade leaving Miami certainly seemed like a slim possibility. He’s the best player in Heat history and the community loves him.
But the longer Wade and the Heat went into free agency without agreeing to a new contract, the chances of him leaving increased, and possible destinations included Cleveland and the Chicago Bulls. Wade ultimately landed in Chicago — his hometown — to join the Bulls, but it definitely would’ve been cool to see him and James chase another title with the Cavaliers.
Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images
Simone Biles is one of the best athletes in Olympic history. One thing she is not, though, is tall.
The 19-year-old gymnast stands at just 4-foot-8, but her incredible five-medal showing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro have made her larger than life. On Wednesday, her tour around the country brought her to Chicago, where she stopped by a Bulls practice.
Most NBA players, of course, are quite large. So, when Biles held the size-20 shoe of Bulls center Robin Lopez, the resulting photo was nothing short of ridiculous.
Not quite sure @Simone_Biles and @rolopez42 are the same shoe size…😂😱 pic.twitter.com/og4vb4fXhy
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 12, 2016
That wasn’t the only mind-bending photo Biles took with the Bulls. Here’s the 19-year-old with 6-foot-9 forward Cristiano Felicio:
https://twitter.com/felicio_21/status/786261726492852224
And here she is with Bulls stars Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler and head coach Fred Hoiberg:
https://twitter.com/ChiSportUpdates/status/786234065796026368
Thank you to five-time Olympic medalist @Simone_Biles for stopping by our practice! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/LGOpuNUdLQ
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 12, 2016
Biles’ tour of Chicago didn’t stop with the Bulls, as she also attended the Chicago Blackhawks’ season opener against the St. Louis Blues and even posed with members of the DePauw women’s basketball team at the airport.
@BIGEAST MEDIA DAY REPORT: Heading to NY for Media Day and found @Simone_Biles doing backflips because she is so excited about #BEmediaday pic.twitter.com/QSqiDfYXOW
— DePaul Women's Basketball (@DePaulWBBHoops) October 10, 2016
Five-time Olympic medalist @Simone_Biles dropped by to meet a fan before tonight's game!#TeamUSA🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/aEUOMMZbLQ
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 12, 2016
That’s Blackhawks star Patrick Kane on the right, who somehow still towers over Biles despite standing at just 5-foot-10.
In all, it was a pretty cool day for Biles, but we’re still waiting for the moment she meets Yao Ming.
Thumbnail photo via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images
Auston Matthews wasted no time putting the rest of the NHL on notice.
The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft draft made his NHL debut Wednesday night and didn’t disappoint, setting an NHL record with an unprecedented four goals in his first career game.
Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo — who will see plenty of Matthews in the Atlantic Division — had his eye on the kid’s debut and obviously was impressed.
In fact, he’s already plotting for his first encounter with the phenom, joking that he’ll let the Panthers’ other goalie, James Reimer, deal with the young gun.
I've just decided that Reims will play ALL of the games versus the leafs this year…… #Matthews
— Strombone (@strombone1) October 13, 2016
Luongo, Reimer and the Panthers won’t have to wait long for their first look at Matthews and the Leafs. Florida hosts Toronto on Oct. 27.
Thumbnail photo via Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports Images
It doesn’t take much to make Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick agitated on the ice.
We saw that in Wednesday night’s season-opening game between the Kings and the rival San Jose Sharks at SAP Center.
After Quick made a save in the first period — it later was ruled a goal — Sharks forward Joe Pavelski poked at the puck with his stick, and Quick took exception. The Kings netminder chased after Pavelski and tried to grab him. He also ended up grabbing Sharks forward Logan Couture.
It got worse for Quick. He picked up an injury later in the game, and Kings general manager Dean Lombardi told reporters his starting goalie could be out “a while.”
The Sharks ended up winning 2-1.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube/SportsnetCanada
It didn’t take long for Milan Lucic to drop the gloves in his Edmonton Oilers debut.
Lucic fought Calgary Flames defenseman Deryk Engelland in the first period of Wednesday night’s game at Rogers Place. A few moments before the fight, Engelland had dished out a hard hit on Oilers superstar center and captain Connor McDavid. As his linemate, Lucic wasn’t going to let that go unnoticed.
Lucic signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Oilers in the offseason. Edmonton wants him to bring leadership, toughness and scoring to a young and mostly inexperienced Oilers roster.
The Oilers went on to defeat the Flames 7-4 in the season’s first “Battle of Alberta.”
Thumbnail photo via Perry Nelson/USA TODAY Sports Images
It’s on to Cincinnati for the New England Patriots.
In this week’s episode of “The Hurry-Up,” hosted by Rachel Holt, we look ahead to Week 6 as the Patriots will take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Patriots beat writers Zack Cox and Doug Kyed preview the game with Michaela Vernava, and Cox also offers his NFL power rankings.
Later, Nicholas Goss tells you who you should add in your fantasy football league, and Mike Cole gives a lock and upset prediction for the week. Finally, Ricky Doyle plays everyone’s favorite game: “Show and Tell.”
Watch the entire show above, and return all season for future episodes of “The Hurry-Up.”
FOXBORO, Mass. — There’s going to be a Super Bowl XLIX reunion of sorts at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell now plays for Cincinnati as the Bengals’ No. 2 receiver behind A.J. Green. LaFell, who was cut by the Patriots this offseason, has 21 catches for 276 yards with two touchdowns in five games. The Patriots aren’t taking him lightly.
“He’s a good player — productive player for three different organizations, so it shows his work ethic,” Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan said. “He’s a guy I went up against a lot. It was fun. It’s going to be a good battle.”
So, will Ryan take a look at the tape from their practice sessions together?
“I think that’s just going to be an instinct from covering him in the past,” Ryan said. “Who knows? I’ll look at him and how he’s getting the ball in Cincinnati in this offense. See what he’s doing (with the Bengals), might be a little different than with us.”
Since the Bengals’ top two wideouts are over 6-feet, it’s tough to predict how the Patriots will cover them. Ryan usually takes the bigger wideout with safety help over the top, while fellow cornerback Malcolm Butler typically covers the smaller, shiftier option.
Both Green and LaFell are over 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.
“With the attention that (Green) gets and he deserves, it opens things up,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty said Wednesday. “And we all know LaFell — we know Jojo — and we know how good of a player he is, so it’s not a case where you can just stop A.J. Green and let everybody else go free. Jojo’s a great player.”
Butler said LaFell “looks pretty crispy to me.”
Since Green, who has 36 catches for 518 yards with two touchdowns, is one of the best receivers in the NFL, it makes sense to double cover him, which likely means it will be a combination of Ryan and either Devin McCourty or Duron Harmon on the top wideout, leaving Butler on LaFell.
Cincinnati’s third receiver is rookie Tyler Boyd, who’s 6-foot-2, 197 pounds. Because of Boyd’s size, the Patriots could elect to activate 6-foot-1 cornerback Eric Rowe for the first time this season. The Patriots declared Rowe and regular No. 3 cornerback Justin Coleman inactive in Week 5, making rookies Cyrus Jones and Jonathan Jones their Nos. 3 and 4 cornerbacks. Both players gave up touchdowns, and Cyrus Jones was ejected from the game for throwing a punch.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Cyrus Jones inactive after the gaffe, which could give Rowe an opportunity to take snaps against Boyd.
The Patriots will attempt to take out Green, because he’s the Bengals’ biggest weapon, so LaFell could be an X-factor. The Patriots’ defensive backs know LaFell well, but he might know them even better, and he has some extra motivation after being released this offseason. It will be fascinating to see who comes out on top Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports Images
Week 6 of the NFL season already is here, and the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos will kick things off on “Thursday Night Football.”
Both teams have pretty important fantasy football players, which means you’ll have to make some tough choices well before Sunday. Luckily for you, we’re here to help with our “Thursday Night Football” start/sit advice.
Denver Broncos
Quarterback: It appears the plan is for Trevor Siemian to be back under center for the Broncos. He’s completed 67.3 of his passes for 824 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions in four games. If you’re looking for a replacement quarterback because of an injury or bye, you should give Siemian a shot. Just keep an eye on the inactives to make sure he’s officially good to go.
Running Back: If you have C.J. Anderson as one of your running backs, you should start him pretty much every week. He has three rushing touchdowns and one receiving TD, along with 293 rushing yards and 94 receiving yards.
Wide Receiver: Two more obvious starts are Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. Even with the inexperience at quarterback, both receivers have three touchdowns and at least 373 receiving yards.
Tight End: The Broncos don’t have any viable fantasy options at tight end, so that makes this any easy decision.
Defense: Denver has a top-10 defense and is one of the five best teams against the pass. It surprisingly hasn’t been as sharp against the run, but the Broncos’ defense is a must-start in almost every situation.
San Diego Chargers
Quarterback: The Chargers are horrible, but at least they still have a star quarterback in Philip Rivers. Still, starting Rivers against this Denver team would be a bad idea. If you have a QB with a better matchup this week, bench Rivers.
Running Back: Melvin Gordon has been a touchdown machine this season, and the Broncos rank in the bottom 10 in rush defense. Seems like a pretty good opportunity for Gordon and fantasy owners.
Wide Receiver: We’d recommend starting Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams most weeks, as both have over 350 receiving yards with two touchdowns. But, again, the Broncos have excelled against the pass this year, making both receivers less-than-ideal fantasy picks for this week.
Tight End: Antonio Gates gave it a go last week and had four receptions with one touchdown. However, he likely will split time with Hunter Henry for the foreseeable future, and neither are smart starts against Denver.
Defense: If you have San Diego’s defense, then you’re doing fantasy football wrong.
Thumbnail photo via Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports Images
The Kansas City Chiefs spent Week 5 of the NFL season enjoying their bye, getting a little rest and relaxation after completing the first quarter of the NFL season.
We’re not entirely sure how they spent the week off, but we’ve got a working theory on what head coach Andy Reid might have been doing.
It’s not a total coincidence that on the week Reid and the Chiefs were on their bye, Ken Bone — a portly mustachioed fellow with glasses and an affinity for the color red — took the world by storm with his performance at the presidential debate, right?
We’re just sayin’ ….
https://twitter.com/AlexOlson01/status/786245916407783425
Anyway, NESN.com’s Mike Cole, Ricky Doyle and Andre Khatchaturian are back to make their Week 6 NFL picks, and here are the standings after Week 5:
Ricky Doyle: 7-8-1 (35-41-1 overall). Still floating in first place somehow.
Andre Khatchaturian: 8-7-1 (33-43-1). His first winning week.
Mike Cole: 4-9-1 (27-49-1). Still in the hunt because everyone else stinks.
Don’t forget to also check out their picks podcast, “The Spread,” below.
Here are their Week 6 picks with lines coming from our friends at OddsShark.
THURSDAY, OCT. 13
(-3.5) Denver Broncos (4-1) at San Diego Chargers (1-4), Thursday, 8:30 p.m.
Mike: Chargers. How’s this for a crazy stat? The Chargers are 1-6 in their last seven games, but they’re 7-2 against the spread in their last nine. They’ll probably lose this in excruciating fashion, but they’re home, against a division opponent on a short week — they should cover.
Ricky: Broncos. Mike McCoy’s days as head coach of the Chargers have to be numbered, right? Maybe the Broncos forcefully kick him out the door this week. Denver’s muddled quarterback picture — Trevor Siemian (shoulder) is expected to return after Paxton Lynch started Week 5 — gives reason for pause, but San Diego’s defense stinks against the pass, so whoever’s under center should have a decent enough outing to compliment the Broncos’ stellar D.
Andre: Broncos. Despite losing to the Falcons, the Broncos still have the highest sack percentage in the league (10.2 percent) and have allowed 4.6 yards per play (4th in NFL). The Broncos also held Julio Jones to just two catches. They won’t have a difficult time slowing down the depleted Chargers receiving corps.
SUNDAY, OCT. 16
Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) at (-8.5) New England Patriots (4-1), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Patriots. Last week, I picked against the Patriots because of the trends. I’m ignoring all trends this week, and taking the Patriots, who are going to be all kinds of jacked up for Tom Brady’s home debut. The Bengals struggle with tight ends, which isn’t great against the Patriots’ two-tight end look.
Ricky: Patriots. The Bengals have beaten bad teams (Jets, Dolphins) and lost to good teams (Steelers, Broncos, Cowboys). The Patriots are a good team. Don’t overthink this.
Andre: Patriots. The Bengals defense has gotten old fast. They’ve allowed 5.7 yards per play (22nd) after being a top-10 defense last season. Opposing defenses have also sacked Andy Dalton 17 times this season (second-most in the league). The Patriots also have 31 explosive plays (third-most in the league) and a league-best plus-17 explosive play differential (and that’s with four weeks of quarterbacks not named Tom Brady.) To put that into context, the second-best teams (Chargers and Packers) have an explosive play differential of plus-9.
(-7.5) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) at Miami Dolphins (1-4), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Steelers. How exactly do the Dolphins stop the Steelers? Miami can’t stop the run (150.8 rushing yard allowed per game), and opposing quarterbacks carve them up to the tune of a 101.5 passer rating. Pittsburgh’s balanced offense will make it a rough day for the Fish.
Ricky: Steelers. Pittsburgh’s offense has been firing on all cylinders since the Steelers were embarrassed by the Eagles in Week 3. It’s no coincidence the success coincides with the return of Le’Veon Bell, who remains a total stud in the Steelers’ backfield.
Andre: Steelers. The Dolphins have a minus-7 turnover differential (29th) and a league-low one interception. They’ve also allowed 31 explosive plays this season (most in the NFL). They also have a league-worst minus-9 explosive play differential. They give up a lot of explosive plays and don’t generate many of their own. That doesn’t bode well against an offense that has Bell, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown.
Cleveland Browns (0-5) at (-7) Tennessee Titans (2-3), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Browns. Is there a pass option? No? Nothing? Browns, I guess.
Ricky: Browns. The Titans could be seven-point favorites against Rutgers and I’d have a hard time pulling the trigger. Tennessee is just too susceptible to laying an egg to feel good about Mike Mularkey’s bunch covering a spread that big.
Andre: Browns. These are two very similar teams. They both love to run the ball and are good at it, they both have mediocre and inconsistent quarterback play and their defenses are extremely meh. Based on that, I think it’ll be a close game and the Browns will cover.
Los Angeles Rams (3-2) at (-3) Detroit Lions (2-3), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Rams. I’m making this pick assuming Rams defensive linemen Michael Brockers, Will Hayes and Robert Quinn all return this weekend. If they don’t, I blame this pick on them.
Ricky: Rams. Aaron Donald had three sacks the last time these teams hooked up last season, and he could be in for a similar performance this week against a Lions team that ranks 28th in the NFL with 14 sacks allowed this season.
Andre: Rams. I used this same reasoning last week and it didn’t work, but I’ll try again: The Rams have 34 defensive hurries this season (third-most in the league). I think it’ll be more of a factor this week because they’re playing a pass-centric Lions team. The Lions have also allowed 4.9 yards per rush attempt, so I expect Todd Gurley to have a huge day.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) at (-2.5) Chicago Bears (1-4), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Bears. The Bears are who we thought they were — a bad team. But I still can’t take a Jags team that’s lost 17 of its last 18 games on the road and is just 6-10-2 against the spread in those 18 games.
Ricky: Bears. Losing back-to-back games against AFC South opponents really would be a bad look, wouldn’t it? Roll with Brian Hoyer, who could put Jay Cutler out of the Bears’ starting quarterback job for good with a solid effort this week.
Andre: Jaguars. Weird stat: The Bears rank second in yards-per-play (6.3) but are 27th in points (85). Their yards don’t translate into points even though they’ve cleaned up their turnovers ever since Brian Hoyer took over as quarterback. I think ultimately the Jaguars defense, which allows just 4.7 yards per play (fifth-most in the league), stands out and upsets the Bears.
San Francisco 49ers (1-4) at (-7.5) Buffalo Bills (3-2), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Bills. The Niners aren’t publicly committing to any defensive adjustments, which might be an issue. San Fran’s rushing defense ranks 31st in the NFL and gets a potentially disastrous matchup against the Bills’ rushing attack which ranks first in the NFL with 5.1 yards per rush.
Ricky: 49ers. Not expecting much from Colin Kaepernick, but he’s not Blaine Gabbert and that’s a step in the right direction. In fact, let’s say the quarterback change is worth half a point and the Bills win by seven, because it’s simply too hard to pick Buffalo against anyone by more than a touchdown based on the Jekyll and Hyde act of Rex Ryan-coached teams.
Andre: 49ers. Sometimes you have to say something out loud to see if it sounds reasonable. When you say, “The Buffalo Bills will win four consecutive games” out loud it sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it? Especially when you consider they have to cover a more-than-a-touchdown spread. I think a pumped-up Colin Kaepernick leads San Francisco to a surprising blowout victory.
(-3) Carolina Panthers (1-4) at New Orleans Saints (1-3), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Saints. The Panthers are on pace to set a new franchise record for points allowed, and the Saints will be more than willing to pile on after a bye week. Even if Cam Newton returns, the Saints will make this a shootout, which they’ll be able to keep close late.
Ricky: Saints. Superman needs to save Carolina’s season. Unfortunately for the Panthers, defense has been the team’s Kryptonite, so there’s only so much the quarterback can do.
Andre: Panthers. The Panthers’ defense has been bad, but they’re allowing a middle-of-the-pack 5.5 yards per play. Their problem has been turnovers. They have a minus-7 turnover differential, second-worst in the NFL. Well, guess what? The Saints don’t really force turnovers. They have just one interception this year.
Baltimore Ravens (3-2) at (-3) New York Giants (2-3), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Ravens. In Baltimore’s three wins, Joe Flacco was sacked seven times — he was sacked five times in their two losses. The Giants can’t generate a pass rush, and I think a new look on offense will help the Ravens get back on track.
Ricky: Ravens. Still don’t love the Ravens, but I love this upset pick. The Giants have lost three in a row and their offense looks out of sorts. New York doesn’t have much of a rushing attack and Baltimore’s defense has been good at stopping the run. Plus, a couple of Giants cornerbacks — Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple — have been banged up.
Andre: Ravens. A game like this between two evenly matched teams usually comes down to turnovers and the Giants have a minus-7 turnover differential (second-worst in the NFL.)
(-2) Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) at Washington Redskins (3-2), Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Eagles. The Redskins have all sorts of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, which makes for a bad matchup against an Eagles offense looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss last week in Detroit.
Ricky: Redskins. Rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai is tasked with filling the void left by starting right tackle Lane Johnson, whose 10-game PED suspension was upheld. Will this force Philadelphia to alter its game plan so Ryan Kerrigan doesn’t tee off on Carson Wentz? Who knows? But it’s not a positive development for the Eagles.
Andre: Eagles. The Redskins have the worst red-zone offense in football (35 percent) and there’s a chance they won’t sniff the red zone much either going up against an Eagles team that’s first in time of possession, fifth in turnover differential (plus-5) and eighth in yards per play allowed (5.0).
Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) at (-1) Oakland Raiders 4-1), Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
Mike: Raiders. Andy Reid teams are 12-5 ATS coming off the bye, but as I started to write this, I saw a commercial for Travis Kelce’s ridiculous reality show, which is enough to keep me from taking Kansas City.
Ricky: Raiders. The last time the Chiefs took the field, they got lit on fire by Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. It doesn’t get much easier this week when Kansas City faces an Oakland offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in yards per game (391.6) and fifth in the league in points per game (28.4).
Andre: Raiders. The Chiefs can’t bring pressure like they used to (five sacks — 31st), and Derek Carr is one of the best-protected quarterbacks in the league (five sacks). And if you’re wondering why the Raiders defense is so bad (7.0 yards per play, worst in the league), they’ve had to go up against Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers in the first five weeks. Oh, and despite all of the yards they’ve allowed, they still have a plus-7 turnover differential (third-best in the league).
Atlanta Falcons (4-1) at (-6) Seattle Seahawks (3-1), Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Mike: Falcons. I love that Atlanta — playing its second road game in a different time zone in as many weeks — is spending the week in Washington getting acclimated to the conditions. Oh, and the Falcons might actually be good.
Ricky: Seahawks. The Falcons overcame the Broncos’ vaunted defense in Denver last week, but don’t expect Atlanta to have similar success this week in Seattle. In addition to having a great secondary, the Seahawks are much stingier against the run. That could slow the two-headed monster of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, who really were the difference last week when the Falcons stayed away from attacking the Broncos’ “No-Fly Zone” secondary.
Andre: Falcons. The Seahawks have only allowed 4.5 yards per play (2nd) and one passing touchdown (1st) but they’ve done so against Ryan Tannehill, Case Keenum, Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Good luck trying to slow down Matt Ryan, who not only led the Falcons to victory at Denver, but engineered an offense that managed to get six yards per play in the game (ninth-most last week).
Dallas Cowboys (4-1) at (-4) Green Bay Packers (3-1), Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Mike: Packers. The Cowboys are riding high thanks to a dominant run game, but they’ll get a stiff test against a Packers defense allowing 2 yards per rush — half of what 18 other teams are allowing per rush. The Cowboys’ pass rush won’t scare Aaron Rodgers, either.
Ricky: Cowboys. There’s still something a little off about the Packers’ offense, and the Cowboys are 4-0-1 against the spread this season. This smells like an upset, but a cover at the very least. Bigger picture question: How do the ‘Boys go back to Tony Romo if Dak Prescott continues his great rookie season with a victory at Lambeau Field?
Andre: Cowboys. How do you beat Aaron Rodgers? Keep the ball out of his hands. The Cowboys are second in time of possession., first in 10-play drives and 5-minute drives. On the other side, 27 percent of Packers drives have ended in three and outs (fourth-highest). The Cowboys might literally have the ball for more than 40 minutes this week.
Indianapolis Colts (2-3) at (-3) Houston Texans (3-2), Sunday, 8:30 p.m.
Mike: Texans. Houston has gotten its head kicked in by the Patriots and Vikings, arguably the two best teams in the NFL. The Texans defense will get to pin its ears back and feast on a porous Colts offensive line that’s allowing four sacks per game.
Ricky: Texans. Pray for Andrew Luck … Also, thank God this game’s in primetime, am I right? Do yourself a favor and watch playoff baseball instead.
Andre: Texans. Even with J.J. Watt gone, the Texans can still bring a ferocious pass rush (13 sacks — 7th). Andrew Luck has been sacked 20 times this season and will be running for his life all game long. I also expect a bounce-back game for Brock Osweiler against a leaky Colts defense that allows 6.5 yards per play (second-most in the league)
MONDAY, OCT. 17
New York Jets (1-4) at (-7.5) Arizona Cardinals (2-3), Monday, 8:30 p.m.
Mike: Jets. New York’s much ballyhooed defense actually controls the run well (3 yards per carry) and now faces an offensive line down its two starting guards. It’s also going to be interesting to see what the Jets’ bigger receivers (Brandon Marshall, Quincy Enunwa) can do against a smaller Arizona secondary.
Ricky: Cardinals. Carson Palmer is expected back this week after missing Week 5 with a concussion, but throw that aside for a second. This is all about the Jets’ quarterback situation, which is getting so ugly with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center that people actually are calling for Geno Smith. What a time to be alive.
Andre: Cardinals. Arizona, despite its struggles, has forced 12 turnovers this season. They can also get after the quarterback (18 sacks, third-most in the league). The Jets, on the other hand, have the worst turnover differential in football (-10). They’ve also allowed 27 explosive plays this season, seventh-most in the league, so I expect a big week for Carson Palmer and David Johnson.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
The glass is there for a reason, buddy.
Yes, it’s meant to protect fans from flying pucks, but one would hope it also would deter fans who’ve had a few too many to wander onto the ice during a game.
Well, that wasn’t the case Wednesday night in an Ontario Hockey League game between the Mississauga Steelheads and Guelph Storm, as one man managed to climb over the glass and fall onto the ice, where he stumbled around for a while.
As you can imagine, it was pretty entertaining to watch, and you can catch a glimpse of his on-ice adventure in the video below.
https://twitter.com/mkmolnar/status/786376132341882880
Thumbnail screen shot via Twitter/@mkmolnar
Auston Matthews’ parents have a lot to be proud of.
Ema and Brian Matthews saw their 19-year-old son selected No. 1 overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, and just a few months later they witnessed him make history in his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Auston scored four goals, the most ever by a player in their NHL debut, Wednesday in the Maple Leafs’ 5-4 overtime road loss to the Ottawa Senators. And each time he scored, the cameras panned to his parents, whose reactions were priceless.
Auston Matthews’ parents celebrate his first NHL goal pic.twitter.com/YPaQ3tQp30
— Marina Maher (@marinakmaher) October 12, 2016
Auston Matthews parents celebrating his hat trick in his first NHL game is everything pic.twitter.com/RLegoaLqF1
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) October 13, 2016
Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone so proud of their son. Gotta give the hockey moms across the world some credit. pic.twitter.com/OCzjC1iWSJ
— Marina Maher (@marinakmaher) October 13, 2016
Ema and Brian Matthews in the house! #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/zCR3LPEmNh
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 13, 2016
It doesn’t get any better than that.
Thumbnail screen shot via Twitter/@BradyTrett
While Kevin Youkilis is married to Tom Brady’s sister, Julie, it doesn’t mean the former Boston Red Sox third baseman is rooting for his in-law this weekend.
Youkilis is from Cincinnati, so Brady knows he’ll be rooting for the Bengals when the two teams face off at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
“Well, he’s a much bigger Bengal fan than a Patriot fan so I know he’ll be rooting for the Bengals this week,” Brady told Cincinnati reporters on a conference call Wednesday. “He sends that every year in the Christmas letters and I see a lot of pictures of him wearing Bengals stuff so I know he’s got Bengals in his blood. You can’t ever take that out of him.”
And Brady’s OK with that.
“Yeah, I have respect for that,” Brady added. “I like that. I think when you find a team you like you stick with them, so he’s always done that. He loves (University of) Cincinnati, too — the Bearcats. He’s never forgotten where he comes from.”
One thing’s for sure, someone’s going to have some extra bragging rights at the Thanksgiving table this year.
Thumbnail photo via Scott R. Galvin/USA TODAY Sports Images
When it comes to debuts, it will be tough for anyone to top what Toronto Maple Leafs rookie center Auston Matthews did Wednesday night at Canadian Tire Centre.
Matthews set a new NHL record with not one, not two, not three, but four (!) goals in a debut for the ages.
All three of the the No. 1 pick’s in the 2016 NHL Draft’s first three shots against the Ottawa Senators found the back of the net, as he became the fourth player in the modern era to score a hat trick in his debut.
[protected-iframe id=”6791015b342531d75ad366e33b110965-38215605-90765852″ info=”https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/matthews-nets-hat-trick-in-debut/t-277350912/c-45233203?autostart=false” width=”640″ height=”360″]
He later added a fourth goal with just a few seconds remaining in the second period — yes, all four goals came in the first 40 minutes.
Auston Matthews becomes first player ever with 4 goals in NHL debut pic.twitter.com/J4priRbpAY
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) October 13, 2016
Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, Matthews couldn’t net a fifth goal in the 5-4 overtime loss.
Thumbnail photo via Marc DesRosiers/USA TODAY Sports Images