Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Ducks Too Much For D2 Wolves

At Eugene, Oregon:

Dillon Brooks scored 21 points as the Oregon Ducks (6-2; #23 in the Associated Press poll, #20 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings) demolished the visiting Division II Western Oregon Wolves (4-4) 93-54 for their fourth successive victory (29th in a row at home).

MLS Cup Playoffs: It's Reds Vs. Sounders In Toronto For The Marbles

At Toronto:

After Nick Hagglund's goal in the 68th minute enabled Toronto FC to best the visiting Montreal Impact 3-2 in regulation of game two of their Major League Soccer Eastern Conference championship series on Wednesday, deadlocking the series at 5-5 on aggregate, the Reds got overtime goals from Benoit Cheyrou (98') and Tosaint Ricketts (100') as Toronto won their first-ever conference championship 7-5 on aggregate.

For the first time since 2008, two MLS Cup Final debutantes will meet in the championship game on Saturday December 10 as Toronto FC will host the Seattle Sounders at 5:00 PM Pacific Time (FOX Television Network).

It also will mark the first time that no original franchise will play in the MLS Cup Final. 

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Ducks Can Coach

Just two years removed from playing in the inaugural title game of the College Football Playoff and the Ducks ended up sleepwalking through their first losing season since 2004 and worst since 1991.

Losing this past Saturday's Civil War game against the Beavers (the first time that's happened since 2007) didn't help.

CFP Rankings: 'Bama Stays On Top, With Buckeyes, Clemson, UW Also In Top Four

In the final College Football Playoff regular-season rankings that were released on Tuesday, Alabama remained in the #1 slot, with Ohio State remaining at #2.  Clemson climbed up to third (up one spot from last week) and Washington re-joined the top four at the number four slot (up one).

With their defeat at the hands of Ohio State, Michigan dropped to number five (down two spots).

Wisconsin and Penn State remained at #6 and #7, respectively.

Other Pac-12 teams in the rankings include Colorado at #8 (up one spot), Southern California at #11 (up one), and Utah at #20 (up two).

Washington State, which was ranked last week at #23, dropped out of the rankings after their Friday one-sided Apple Cup defeat at home at the hands of Washington.

Beavers Too Much For Raiders

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Drew Eubanks scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed nine rebounds on Monday as the Oregon State Beavers (3-4) snapped their four-game losing skid by dominating the visiting Southern Oregon Raiders 84-59.

Ben DeSaulnier and Tristen Holmes each scored 14 points for the Ashland-based NAIA Division II school which regarded the contest as an exhibition.

Ducks Overcome 14-Point Deficit, Take Out Broncos; Oregon's Home Winning Streak Now At 28

At Eugene, Oregon:

Dylan Ennis scored 18 points on Monday night as the Oregon Ducks (5-2; ranked #23 in the Associated Press poll, #20 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings) racked up their 28th consecutive home victory by battling back from a 14-point deficit to upend the visiting Boise State Broncos (3-3) 68-63.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Men's College Hoops: Despite 2-1 Week, Ducks Drop Again In Both Polls

After a 2-1 week in which the Oregon Ducks finished fifth in the recent Maui Invitational, Dana Altman's squad again dropped down in the latest Associated Press (#13, down ten spots from last week) and USA Today/Coaches (#20, down eight) men's college basketball polls.

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Pilots Dominate Matadors, Win Seventh-Place Game At Wooden Legacy

At Anaheim, California:

Alec Wintering (who converted 14 of 20 shots from the field) scored a career-high 36 points on Sunday while Jazz Johnson added 26 as the Portland Pilots (4-2) defeated the Cal State Northridge Matadors (2-5) 96-78 in the seventh-place game in the Wooden Legacy.

Vikings Top Waves On Road

At Malibu, California:

Calaen Robinson scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists, and made off with five steals on Sunday as the Portland State Vikings (2-3) defeated the Pepperdine Waves (4-3) 91-85 on the road.

Six Vikings scored in double figures.

Chris Reyes, a graduate transfer from Utah, paced the Waves with 24 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.

REDBLACKS KNOCK OFF STAMPEDERS IN OT TO WIN FIRST GREY CUP TITLE; FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP FOR OTTAWA CLUB SINCE '76 ROUGH RIDERS; HENRY BURRIS NAMED GAME MVP

At Toronto:

Quarterback Henry Burris, named the game's Most Valuable Player, threw for 461 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime to Ernest Jackson on Sunday as the Ottawa REDBLACKS, in only their third season of existence, knocked off the Calgary Stampeders 39-33 to win the 104th Grey Cup Final, their first, and the first for a club from the Canadian capital city since the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 1976 title game, which was also contested in Toronto.

REDBLACKS wide receiver Brad Sinopli who had six receptions for 94 yards and two TDs was named the game's Most Valuable Canadian.

MLS Cup Playoffs: Jordan Rules As Sounders Hand Rapids First Home Defeat In Season To Advance To First-Ever MLS Cup Final

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Jordan Morris scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute on Sunday as the Seattle Sounders defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 on the road in the second game of the Major League Soccer Western Conference Final and won their first-ever playoff conference championship 3-1 on aggregate.

The defeat was the first that the Rapids suffered at home this year in all competitions.

The Sounders will play in their first MLS Cup Final on Saturday, December 10 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time on FOX against the winner of the Toronto-Montreal series (with the Impact up 3-2 on aggregate).


Dolphins Hold Off Niners For Sixth Straight Win; San Fran Suffers Franchise-Record Tenth Straight Defeat

At Miami:

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday as the Miami Dolphins (7-4) gathered their sixth straight victory (their first such winning streak since 2005) by holding off the visiting San Francisco 49ers (1-10) 31-24.

Ndomukung Suk tackled Niners' quarterback Colin Kaepernick (who threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns and ran 111 yards for another score) two yards short of the goal line as he tried to score the game-tying as time expired.

The defeat was San Francisco's franchise-record tenth consecutive and mathematically eliminated the 49ers from playoff contention for the third successive season.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

120th Civil War Game: Ryan Nall Runs Wild As Beavers Gain First Victory Over Ducks Since 2007

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Running back Ryan Nall carried the ball for 155 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday as the Oregon State Beavers (4-8 overall, 3-6 in Pac-12 play) came from behind in the fourth quarter to upend the visiting Oregon Ducks (4-8, 2-7) 34-24 in Saturday's 120th edition of the Civil War Game.

The victory was the Beavers' first against their arch-rivals since 2007.

Sorry, Charlie

Hey, when your team has suffered through an unprecedented string of three straight seasons with seven or more losses, I guess it's time you've got the boot.

Friday, November 25, 2016

LMU Too Much For Vikings

At Los Angeles:

Loyola Marymount's Lions (2-2) defeated the visiting Portland State Vikings (1-3) 78-62 on Friday.

Flyers Outdistance Pilots In Wooden Legacy Action

At Fullerton, California:

Charles Cooke scored 20 points while Scoochie Smith added 17 on Friday as the Dayton Flyers (3-2) defeated the Portland Pilots (3-2) 84-74 in action from the Wooden Legacy tournament.

Alec Wintering scored a game-high 31 points for the Pilots, to go along with his eight assists.  15 of his points came from the free-throw line.  He also committed eight turnovers.

Beavers Fall At Home To Fresno State

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Jahmel Taylor scored 21 points ( while converting six of ten three-point shots in the process) and had three steals on Friday night as the Fresno State Bulldogs (3-2) overcame the Oregon State Beavers (2-4) 63-58, despite a career-high 31 points (to go along with ten rebounds and six steals) from the Beavers' Tres Tinkle.

Mike and Carol Brady: Together Again

Florence Henderson, the singer and actress best remembered for her portrayal of family matriarch Carol Brady on the ABC network sitcom The Brady Bunch (1969-74) and a number of spinoff series, passed away from heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Thursday at age 82.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Bruins Bury Pilots In Wooden Legacy

At Fullerton, California:

Lonzo Ball scored 18 points and dished out 11 assists while Thomas Welch contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday night as the UCLA Bruins (5-0; #14 in the Associated Press poll, #13 in the USA Today/Coaches poll) dominated the Portland Pilots (3-1) 99-77 in the opening round of the Wooden Legacy tournament.

Jazz Johnson topped the Pilots with 25 points. 

Vegas Golden Knights?!

That is the name officially given this past Tuesday to Las Vegas' NHL expansion club, which opens play next season.

This is the team's official logo:

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Ducks Hold Off UConn, Claim Fifth Place At Maui Invitational

At Lahaina, Hawaii:

Chris Boucher scored 21 points while Tyler Dorsey added 19 as the Oregon Ducks (4-2; #13 and #12 in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls, respectively) won the fifth-place game in the Maui Invitational on Wednesday by holding off the Connecticut Huskies (2-4) 79-69, despite 27 points from UConn's Jalen Adams.

Ralph Branca, Who Gave Up "Shot Heard 'Round The World," R.I.P.

Ralph Branca, the Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who gave up the pitch in which Bobby Thomson hit the home run that enabled the New York Giants to win the National League pennant in 1951, passed away on Wednesday at age 90.

During the course of his 12-year Major League Baseball career, Mr. Branca was a three-time All-Star.

CFP Rankings: Top Four Stays The Same; Huskies Climb Up To #5

In the latest College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday, the top four (Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, and Clemson) remained the same.  The Washington Huskies climbed up a spot to #5.

Other Pac-12 teams in the rankings include Colorado at #9 (up a spot from last week), Southern California at #12 (also up a spot), Utah at #22 (down 10 spots after getting knocked off at home by the Oregon Ducks), and Washington State at #23 (down a spot from last week).

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

MLS Cup Playoffs: Impact, Sounders Grab Close Series-Opening Wins; Reds, Rapids Still Alive Thanks To Away Goals

Both conference finals in Major League Soccer's MLS Cup Playoffs commenced on Tuesday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Montreal:

Dominic Oduro (10'), Matteo Mancosu (12'), and Ambroise Oyongo (53') each scored once as the Montreal Impact raced out to a 3-0 lead, then held on for an Eastern Conference championship series-opening 3-2 home win over Toronto FC.  Jozy Altidore (68') and Michael Bradley (73') each scored a precious away goal for the Reds.

The series will resume next Wednesday at Toronto at 4:00 PM Pacific Time (Fox Sports 1).



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Seattle:

Jordan Morris (19') and Nicolas Lodeiro (PK-61') each scored a goal as the Seattle Sounders topped the visiting Colorado Rapids 2-1 in the opening contest of the Western Conference championship series.  Kevin Doyle scored for the visiting Rapids in the 13th minute.

The series will continue at Commerce City, Colorado this coming Sunday at 1:00 PM Pacific Time (ESPN).

Beavers Fall To Golden Hurricane In Tulsa

At Tulsa, Oklahoma:

Junior Etou scored 17 points on Tuesday night as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-2) held off the visiting Oregon State Beavers (2-3) 75-64.


Ducks Bounce Back, Top Vols In OT In Maui

At Lahaina, Hawaii:

Dillon Brooks, who scored 17 points on Tuesday, converted a long three-point shot with 22 seconds remaining in overtime as the Oregon Ducks (3-2; #13 and #12 in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls, respectively) held off the Tennessee Volunteers (1-3) in consolation-round action in the Maui Invitational.

Detrick Mostella topped the Vols with 22 points.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Ducks Fall To Georgetown In Maui Invitational

At Lahaina, Hawaii:

Rodney Pryor scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on Monday as the Georgetown Hoyas (2-2) knocked off the Oregon Ducks (2-2; #13 and #12 in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls respectively) 65-61 in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.

Men's College Hoops: Ducks Drop Out Of Top Ten In Both Polls

After a split week, the Oregon Ducks dropped from #4 in both the Associated Press and USA Toady/Coaches men's college basketball polls to #13 and #12 respectively.

Again, none of the Beaver State's other three men's Division I college basketball program received any support in either poll.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Grey Cup Playoffs: It's REDBLACKS vs. Stampeders For The Marbles

The Canadian Football League's Grey Cup Playoffs resumed on Sunday with both divisional finals.

EASTERN DIVISION:

At Ottawa:

Kienan LaFrance ran for 157 and locked up the game with his late fourth-quarter touchdown as the Ottawa REDBLACKS avenged their Grey Cup Final defeat from last year by ousting the visiting Edmonton Eskimos 35-23 in the Eastern Division Final that was contest in the snowy Canadian capital city.

In only their third season of existence, the REDBLACKS will be playing in their second Grey Cup Final next Sunday in Toronto.



WESTERN DIVISION:

At Calgary, Alberta:

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 21 of 28 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns as the Calgary Stampeders took the Western Division Final by dominating the visiting British Columbia Lions 42-15.


The Calgary Stampeders and Ottawa REDBLACKS will play in the 104th Grey Cup Final, set to be contested next Sunday at BMO Field in Toronto.

ESPN 2 will provide live coverage to us American viewers starting at 3:30 PM Pacific Time.

After Falling At Home To Pats, They're The One-And-Niners Now

At Santa Clara, California:

Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday as the New England Patriots (8-2) defeated the San Francisco 49ers (1-9) 30-17 as the hosts suffered a franchise record-tying ninth straight defeat. 

Beavers Devour Toothless Wildcats

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Quarterback Marcus McMaryion threw for 265 yards and five touchdowns on Saturday night as the Oregon State Beavers (3-8 overall, 2-6 in Pac-12 play) manhandled the visiting Arizona Wildcats (2-9, 0-8) 42-17, making it eight straight defeats for the Wildcats, who are still the only Pac-12 team without a victory in conference play.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Ducks Knock Off Utes On TD In Final Seconds

At Salt Lake City, Utah:

Quarterback Justin Herbert connected with Darren Carrington on a 17-yard touchdown pass with two seconds remaining on Saturday as the Oregon Ducks (4-7 overall, 2-6 in Pac-12 play) upended the home-standing Utah Runnin' Utes (8-3, 5-3; #12 in the College Football Playoff rankings, #11 in the Associated Press and USA Today/Amway Coaches polls) 30-28.

The defeat, coupled with Colorado's victory over Washington State, ended the Utes' chances of winning the Pac-12 Conference Southern Division title.

Wolfpack Devour Visiting Beavers

At Reno, Nevada:

Cameron Oliver converted nine of twelve shots from the field en route to a 24-point performance on Friday night as the Nevada (Reno) Wolfpack (2-1) dominated the visiting Oregon State Beavers (2-2) 83-58.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Pilots Crush Pioneers, Stay Unbeaten

At Portland, Oregon:

Ray Barreno scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds on Friday night, both career highs, as the Portland Pilots (3-0) stayed unbeaten by annihilating visiting Lewis and Clark (0-2), a Division III program, 98-52.

Arena Football League: Beltway Monopoly

Looks like Baltimore is getting an expansion club which starts play next season.

The new club will be owned by the same guy who was recently awarded an expansion franchise in the nation's capital.

This looks like a conflict of interest.

Can you say "Syndicate Arena Football," boys and girls?

This leaves the AFL, which lost four teams since the end of the 2016 season with five clubs.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Vikings Run Roughshod Over George Fox For First Win Of Season

At Portland, Oregon:

Brandon Tucker scored 24 points (and grabbed ten rebounds) while Calaen Robinson added 23 on Thursday as the Portland State Vikings (1-2) shot 66% from the field en route to a 113-81 fist-beating of visiting Division III George Fox.


Ducks Smother Valpo, Get Back On Winning Track

At Eugene, Oregon:

Chris Boucher scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds on Thursday night as the Oregon Ducks (2-1; #4 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls) bounced back from their Tuesday defeat at Baylor with a 76-54 home victory over Valparaiso (3-1).

The victory was the Ducks' 27th consecutive at home.

Alec Peters led the visiting Crusaders with 24 points.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Beavers Fall At Home To Lamar

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Colton Weisbrod scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Lamar Cardinals (2-0) forced 27 errors en route to a 63-60 Wednesday road victory over the Oregon State Beavers (2-1).

Drew Eubanks paced the Beavers with 17 points while grabbing a career-high 18 rebounds.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Pilots Top Spartans In San Jose, Stay Unbeaten

At San Jose, California:

Gabe Taylor scored 24 points (12 of them on four three-pointers) and grabbed nine rebounds while Alec Wintering added 20 points to go with his 11 assists as the Portland Pilots (2-0) defeated the San Jose State Spartans (1-1) 79-66 on the road on Tuesday.

Brandon Clark paced the Spartans with a career-high 28 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.


CFP Rankings: Bama Stays On Top While Buckeyes Move To #2; Clemson, Michigan Still In Top Four Despite Saturday Defeats; Huskies Fall Out

In the latest College Football Playoff Rankings that were released on Tuesday, the Alabama Crimson Tide remained on the top of the heap while the Ohio State Buckeyes climbed up four spots to number two.  The Michigan Wolverines (at #3, same as last week) and Clemson Tigers (at #4, down two spots) remained in the top four despite suffering their first defeats of the season this past weekend.  The Louisville Cardinals remained at #5 while the Washington Huskies fell two spots to #6 after falling at home on Saturday to Southern California (who climbed seven spots to #13).

Other Pac-12 teams that are in the rankings are Colorado at #10 (up two spots), Utah at #12 (up three), Washington State at #22 (up one), and Stanford at #24 (the Cardinal were unranked last week).

Bears Knock Off Ducks In Waco

At Waco, Texas:

Matt Lecomte scored 18 points while Johnathan Motley added 17 on Tuesday as the Baylor Bears (2-0) knocked off the visiting Oregon Ducks (1-1; #4 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls) 66-49.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Men's College Hoops: Ducks Climb Up A Spot In Both Polls

After their season-opening win over Army West Point, the Oregon Ducks climb up a spot in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches men's college basketball polls to #4.  The Ducks received one first-place vote in the Coaches' rankings.

Despite a 2-0 start (with wins over Prairie View A&M and UTSA), the Oregon State Beavers, along with the Portland Pilots and Portland State Vikings, received no support in either poll.

Titans Outlast Vikings In 2OT Thriller

At Fullerton, California:

Tre' Coggins scored 31 points on Sunday (converting eight three-point shots along the way) while Kyle Allman 27 as the Cal State-Fullerton Titans (2-0) outlasted the visiting Portland State Vikings (0-2) 106-100 in double overtime.

Braxton Tucker paced the Vikings with 22 points.

Beavers Overcome Halftime Deficit, Overtake Roadrunners

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Tess Tinkle scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds on Sunday as the Oregon State Beavers (2-0)overcame an eight-point deficit and defeated the visiting Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (0-2) 72-64.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Despite Better Defensive Effort, Niners Fall To Cardinals For Eight Straight Defeat

At Glendale, Arizona:

Chandler Catanzaro kicked three field goals on Sunday, including the game winner from 34 yards out as time expired as the Arizona Cardinals (4-4-1) handed the visiting San Francisco 49ers (1-8) their eighth consecutive defeat, 23-20.

Grey Cup Playoffs: Edmonton, British Columbia Advance To Divisional Finals

Both divisional semifinal playoff games took place on Sunday as the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup Playoffs commenced.

EASTERN DIVISION:

At Hamilton, Ontario:

John White carried the ball 19 times for 165 yards while Sean White kicked three field goals, the game winner from nine yards out with 10 seconds remaining as the Edmonton Eskimos defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 24-21 on the road in the Eastern Division semifinal playoff.  The Eskimos will take on the Ottawa REDBLACKS on the road in the Canadian capital in next Sunday's Eastern Division final.



WESTERN DIVISION:

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Quarterback Jonathan Jennings ran nine yards for the game-winning touchdowns as the British Columbia Lions came back from a 16-point deficit to upend the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32-31 in the Western Division semifinal playoff.  Next Sunday, the Lions will travel to Calgary to face the Stampeders in the Western Division final.


Saturday, November 12, 2016

Beavers Fall To Bruins In Pasadena

At Pasadena, California:

Jalen Starks ran for two touchdowns while Randall Goforth ran back a fourth-quarter interception for another score on Saturday as the UCLA Bruins (4-6 overall, 2-5 in Pac-12 play) held off the visiting Oregon State Beavers (2-8, 1-6) 38-24.

Cardinal Smother Ducks, End Oregon's Hope Of Bowl Eligibility

At Eugene, Oregon:

Quarterback Keller Chryst threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday as the Stanford Cardinal (7-3 overall, 5-3 in Pac-12 play) dominated the home-standing Oregon Ducks (3-7, 2-5) 52-27.

Christian McCaffrey ran for 135 yards and three TDs for the Cardinal.

With the defeat, the Ducks clinched their first losing season since 2004 and effectively ended any hope of going to a bowl game.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Ducks Top Visiting Army In Men's Hoops Opener

At Eugene, Oregon:

Tyler Dorsey scored 21 points on Friday as the Oregon Ducks (#5 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls) held off visiting Army 91-77 in the men's college basketball regular-season opener for both teams.

Beavers Overpower Visiting Panthers In Men's Hoops Curtain Raiser

At Corvallis, Oregon:

A 20-point, 15-rebound Friday performance from Tres Tinkle carried the Oregon State Beavers to a regular-season-opening 78-58 home victory over the Panthers from Prairie View A&M.

Terry Porter's Debut As Pilots' Head Coach Is A Success As Portland Tops UC-Riverside

At Portland, Oregon:

Alec Wintering scored 24 points on Friday night as the Portland Pilots, in former NBA star Terry Porter's debut as their new men's head basketball coach, defeated the visiting UC-Riverside Highlanders 71-55.  The game was the regular-season opener for both schools.

Sun Devils Make Things To Hot For Vikings

At Tempe, Arizona:

Torian Graham and Tra Holder each scored 23 points on Friday as the Arizona State Sun Devils ran past the visiting Portland State Vikings 88-70 in the men's college basketball regular-season opener for both schools.

Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Tuesday, November 08, 2016

CFP Rankings: Huskies Climb Into Top Four

In the College Football Playoff rankings that were released on Tuesday the Washington Huskies climbed up to fourth place (up one spot from last week), joining Alabama, Clemson, and Michigan who stayed first, second, and third respectively. Ohio State is ranked fifth.

Four other Pac-12 schools are in the rankings: Colorado (#12, up three spots from last week), Utah (#15, up one), Southern California (#20, unranked last week), and Washington State (#23, up two).  

More Hedy

Here's still another glamor shot of Hedy Lamarr.

Hedy

Here's another glamor photo of screen legend Hedy Lamarr.

Sunday, November 06, 2016

MLS Cup Playoffs: A Canadian Club Will Face Sounders Or Rapids In Championship Match

All four conference semifinal series in the MLS Cup Playoffs concluded on Sunday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Harrison, New Jersey:

Ignacio Piatti scored twice (51', 85') as the Montreal Impact defeated the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on the road in game two and won their conference semifinal series 3-1 on aggregate.

At New York:

Sebastian Giovinco produced a hat trick (6', PK-19', 90'+1) as Toronto FC destroyed New York City 5-0 on the road in game two and completed their two-match fist-beating of the hosts 7-0 on aggregate.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Shkelzen Gashi's goal in the 36th minute enabled the Colorado Rapids to level their two-game series with the Los Angeles Galaxy at 1-1 on aggregate after regulation of game two.  In the penalty-kick shootout (after 30 scoreless overtime minutes), Tim Howard proceeded to save spot kicks from Ashley Cole and Jeff Larentowics, while the Galaxy's Ashley Cole missed his shot outright.  Kevin Doyle, Sebastien Le Toux, and Marco Pappa converted their spot kicks for the Rapids who won the PK shootout 3-1 to advance to the Western Conference Final.

At Frisco, Texas:

Nicolas Lodeiro scored in the 56th minute as the Seattle Sounders, despite dropping a 2-1 game-two road decision to FC Dallas, won their conference semifinal series 4-2 on aggregate.


And now, the match-ups for the conference finals with the hosts listed first and all times Pacific.

Tuesday, November 22:

Eastern Conference Final, Game #1

At Montreal:

Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC, 5:00 PM (ESPN)

Western Conference Final, Game #1

At Seattle:

Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:00 PM (Fox Sports 1)



Sunday, November 27:

Western Conference Final, Game #2

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Colorado Rapids vs. Seattle Sounders, 1:00 PM (ESPN)

Wednesday, November 30:

Eastern Conference Final, Game #2

At Toronto:

Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact, 4:00 PM (Fox Sports 1)



The winners of the conference finals will face each other in the MLS Cup Final, set to take place on Saturday, December 10 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time (FOX).

Niners Fall Again, This Time To Saints

At Santa Clara, California:

Quarterback Drew Brees completed 28 of 39 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns while Mark Ingram carried the ball 15 times for 158 yards and another score on Sunday as the New Orleans Saints (4-4), with their fourth win in their last five starts, handed the home-standing San Francisco 49ers (1-7) their seventh straight defeat, 41-23.

Saturday, November 05, 2016

Riders Smothered In Vancouver In Season Finale

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Quarterback Jonathan Jennings completed 17 of 25 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns (two of them to Emmanuel Arceneaux) while Paul McCallom, in his first start since coming out of retirement, converted all four of his field-goal attempts (including one from 44 yards) as the British Columbia Lions (12-6) closed out the Canadian Football League's regular season on Saturday with a 41-18 home thumping of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-13) and assured themselves of hosting a playoff game next weekend against Winnipeg.

Here's the schedule for the 2016 Grey Cup Playoffs:

EASTERN DIVISION:

Divisional Semifinal on Sunday, November 13:

Edmonton @ Hamilton, 10:00 AM Pacific Time

Divisional Final on Sunday, November 20:

Edmonton-Hamilton winner @ Ottawa, 10:00 AM Pacific Time



WESTERN DIVISION:

Divisional Semifinal, Sunday, November 13:

Winnipeg @ British Columbia, 1:30 PM Pacific Time

Divisional Final, Sunday, November 20:

Winnipeg-British Columbia winner @ Calgary, 1:30 PM Pacific Time

2016 Grey Cup Final, Sunday, November 27:

Western Division champion vs. Eastern Division champion at 3:00 PM Pacific Time @ BMO Field, Toronto

Trojans Bash Ducks

At Los Angeles:

Ronald Jones ran for four touchdowns on Saturday, tying a single-game school record, while quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 309 yards and two scores as the Southern California Trojans (6-3 overall, 5-2 in Pac-12 play) won their fifth straight game (their first such streak in three years) by running roughshod over the visiting Oregon Ducks (3-6, 1-5) 45-20.

Beavers Fall On Road To Cardinal; Stanford Gains Bowl Eligibility (Now Out Of Reach For Oregon State)

At Palo Alto, California:

Christian McCafferty for 199 yards and a touchdown while Bryce Love ran 56 yards for another score on Saturday as the Stanford Cardinal (6-3 overall, 4-3 in Pac-12 play) assured themselves of bowl eligibility with a 26-15 victory over the visiting Oregon State Beavers (2-7, 1-5).  The Beavers assured themselves of a third successive season without a post-season appearance.

The Cardinal were also helped by placekicker Conrad Ukropina who kicked a career-high four field goals (including a career-long-equaling 52-yarder).

Friday, November 04, 2016

Kay Starr, Singer Who Had Big Hits In 1950's ("Wheel of Furtune," "Rock and Roll Waltz," Amongst Others), R.I.P.

Kay Starr, the singer who had several big hit recordings in the 1950s such as "Bonaparte's Retreat," "Wheel of Furtune," and "Rock and Roll Waltz," passed away on Thursday at her Los Angeles home from complications of Alzheimer's disease at age 94.

Claire

Here's another glamor photo of 1930s and early 1940s screen actress Claire Dodd.

Claire Dodd

Madge

Here's a glamor shot of 1930s screen actress Madge Evans.

More Connie

Here's another glamour photo of screen legend Constance Bennett.

Wednesday, November 02, 2016

HOLY COW!!! END OF LONGEST CURRENT NATIONAL NIGHTMARE: CUBS BEAT INDIANS IN 10 INNINGS TO CAPTURE FIRST WORLD SERIES TITLE SINCE 1908; BEN ZOBRIST NAMED SERIES MVP

At Cleveland:
USP MLB: WORLD SERIES-CHICAGO CUBS AT CLEVELAND IN S BBO USA OH
Ben Zobrist (named series Most Valuable Player), hit an RBI double in the tenth inning while Miguel Montero singled home another run in the same inning on Wednesday night as the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series championship since 1908 by winning game seven 8-7 on the road in ten innings over the Cleveland Indians (still awaiting their first World Series title since 1948).

The Cubs became the sixth team (the first since the Kansas City Royals in 1985) to overcome a three-games-to-one series deficit to win the world championship, and the fourth to do so by winning the final two contests on the road.

Here are the newly-crowned world champions celebrating after their victory in one of the most epic game sevens ever.

USA Today Sports photo by Charles LeClaire


Connie and Sonja

Here's former Olympic skating champion Sonja Henie with Constance Bennett at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Still More Connie

Here's another glamour shot of screen actress Constance Bennett.

Tuesday, November 01, 2016

2016 World Series: Cubs Crush Indians To Force Game Seven

At Cleveland:
USP MLB: WORLD SERIES-CHICAGO CUBS AT CLEVELAND IN S BBO USA OH
With home runs by Kris Bryant (solo shot, first inning), Addison Russell (grand slam (first in Cubs World Series history), third inning; he delivered a single-game record-tying six runs batted in; that's him running the bases after his slam), and Anthony Rizzo (two-run shot, ninth inning) the Chicago Cubs leveled the World Series at three games apiece following their 9-3 game-six Tuesday road beat-down of the Cleveland Indians.

On Wednesday, with Kyle Hendricks on the mound for Chicago and Corey Kluber likewise for Cleveland, the World Series will be decided in game seven.

If the Indians win, they would win their first World Series title since 1948.  If the Cubs win, it would be their first since 1908.

USA Today Sports photo by Ken Blaze

CFP Rankings: A&M Joins 'Bama, Clemson, Michigan In Top Four; Huskies On Outside Looking In

In the first College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday, Alabama and Clemson, the two teams that played in last January's national championship game, hold the top two spots with Michigan at #3 and Texas A&M at #4.  The Washington Huskies are ranked fifth.

Three other Pacific-12 Conference teams, Colorado (#15), Utah (#16) and Washington State (#25) are also in the rankings.

Men's College Hoops: Ducks Rank #5 In AP, Coaches Pre-Season Polls With A First-Place Vote In Each

The Oregon Ducks were ranked #5 in both the Associated Press (with one first-place vote; released on Monday) and USA Today/Coaches (with one first place vote; released on October 20) pre-season men's basketball polls.

There was no support for any of the Beaver State's three other men's Division I basketball programs (Oregon State [coming off their first NCAA tournament in 26 years], Portland, or Portland State). 

"KEEPER OF THE BEES" (Monogram-1935)





Holy Future TV Personalities!  From Monogram Pictures in 1935, here are Neil Hamilton (who would go on to play Gotham City Police Commissioner Gordon on the 1960s Batman television series) and Betty Furness (future TV spokeswoman for Westinghouse) starring in "The Keeper of the Bees."  Based on Gene Stratton-Porter's novel with screenplay by Adele Buffington, and additional dialog by George Waggoner, this movie, a William T. Lackey producer,  was directed by Christy Cabanne.

Roaring Roads (Ajax Pictures-William Berke, 1935)





Released by Ajax Pictures in 1935, here's "Roaring Roads," a part of William Berke's  Our Young Friends series, starring David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger, Mary Kornman, and Mickey Daniels with Jack Mulhall.  This picture was directed by C. Edward Roberts (who wrote the adaptation of David Sharpe's original story) and Ray Nazarro and produced by William Berke.



Enjoy!

Connie With A Hat

Here's a glamour shot of screen legend Constance Bennett.