Auburn jumps Boise State in latest USA Today coaches' poll | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

It was going to happen sooner or later, and sooner came Sunday, when Auburn jumped Boise State for the No. 2 spot in the USA Today college football coaches' poll.

The top five in the new USA Today index: Oregon, Auburn, Boise State, Texas Christian and Alabama. Rounding out the top 10 are Utah, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

The Associated Press top five is Oregon, Boise State, Auburn, TCU and Alabama. Rounding out the AP top 10 are Utah, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Nebraska and Stanford.

The USA Today poll is used in the BCS standings while the AP is no longer part of the formula but still crowns an independent champion.

It seemed inevitable that Auburn would eventually pass Boise State for the No. 2 spot in the coaches' poll, although the leapfrog this week came after Boise State scored a 29-point win over Louisiana Tech last Tuesday.

Auburn made the move with a 20-point road win at Mississippi (3-5).

The latest BCS standings will be released Sunday evening on ESPN.

--Chris Dufresne

chris.dufresne@latimes.com

Photo: Heisman Trophy hopeful Cam Newton and Auburn have been winning big, including a 51-31 victory over Mississippi on Saturday. Credit: Getty Images

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Zenyatta has final tuneup for Breeders' Cup Classic | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

UnbeatenZenyattahad a final tuneup Saturday at Hollywood Park in preparation for the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs, going six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 seconds.

Zenyatta, who has won all 19 of her starts, is scheduled to be shipped to Louisville, Ky., on Tuesday.

She is the talk of racing. She was featured inSports Illustratedthis week. She will receive attention on"60 Minutes" on Sunday with the question,"Is Zenyatta the best racehorse ever?"

Here's a look back at Zenyatta's performance in last year's memorable Breeders' Cup Classic.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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Ducks recall veteran left wing Josh Green | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The Ducks have recalled left wingJosh Greenfrom the Syracuse Crunch, Anaheim's primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League.

With left wingMatt Beleskyout with a concussion, the Ducks needed some offensive help. Green, 32, appeared in seven games for Syracuse this season and had one goal and three points.

If nothing else, Green has experience. In 322 career NHL games, Green has 35 goals and 74 points.

Signed to a one-year contract by the Ducks in July, he was originally selected by the Kings in the second round (30th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He has played for the Kings (1998-99), the Islanders (1999-00), the Oilers (2001-03), the Rangers (2002-03), the Capitals (2002-04), the Flames (2003-04), the Canucks (2005-07) and the Ducks (2009).

-- Debbie Goffa

 Photo: Josh Green. Credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images.

 

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Kings make lineup changes at Dallas | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The Kings canceled their morning skate in Dallas after they arrived from Chicago in the wee hours of Thursday morning. They instead had a meeting at their hotel, and afterward Coach Terry Murray announced a few lineup changes.

Defenseman Peter Harrold will come out of the lineup and Jake Muzzin will be in Thursday night against the Stars, though Murray didn’t explain why. I’ll catch up with him later and ask his reasoning.

Muzzin was recalled from Manchester on Monday after Drew Doughty was placed on injured reserve because of a concussion. On Wednesday, General Manager Dean Lombardi said that Doughty is doubtful for Saturday’s home game against the New Jersey Devils, and I'll see if there's an update on that, too.

Also, forwards Kevin Westgarth and Brayden Schenn will be in the lineup against Dallas in place of Andrei Loktionov and Trevor Lewis. In the past few days Loktionov has gone from first-line left wing to fourth-line center to a healthy scratch, an interesting journey.

Murray has been critical of Schenn’s defensive shortcomings, and Schenn acknowledged he’s still adjusting to the NHL.

“I’m watching lots and lots of videos and sitting out and watching the games,” he said. “Obviously you want to be in. I just have to learn from it.”

On the defensive side, Schenn said,“just learning your positioning is the main thing. You don’t want to get beat off the wall and you want to stay tight to your man below the circles there. In junior, it’s kind of I’ll take the puck and go, and here it’s obviously a little different.”

More later atwww.latimes.com/sports

-- Helene Elliott in Dallas

 

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World Series: Willie Mays to throw out first pitch | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The San Francisco Giants will honor arguably the greatest player in franchise history Wednesday, when Hall of Famer Willie Mays throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers.

Mays will be accompanied by a cast of Giants Hall of Famers, including Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Monte Irvin, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry.

The Giants have honored Mays with a statue in front of AT&T Park. The team has designated the street address of the ballpark as 24 Willie Mays Plaza.

For Game 2, the ceremonial first pitches will feature the daughters of Bobby Thomson, who hit"The Shot Heard'Round the World," the home run that prompted Russ Hodges to shout out perhaps the most famous call in baseball broadcasting history, on Oct. 3, 1951:"The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"

-- Bill Shaikin in San Francisco

Photo: Willie Mays throws out the first pitch before Game Five of the NLCS on Oct. 21in San Francisco. Credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

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No suspension for Kings Dustin Brown | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The NHL will not suspend Kings captainDustin Brown, who had been ejected fromMonday night's game against the Minnesota Wildfor what was ruled an illegal check to the head.

That news was confirmed byRon Hextall, the Kings' assistant general manager.

Replays showed Brown struck the shoulder of Minnesota Wild forwardAntti Miettinen, however, and not the head. But refereeWes McCauleyhad called the NHL's new Rule 48, designed to punish illegal checks to the head, and that meant Brown also would be subjected to a suspension. But after closer scrutiny, the league ruled no suspension.

"If I'd hit him in the head, he'd probably be on the ice for a lot longer than he was," Brown said after the game."The league's looking at hits like that. I think that was a clean hit from top to bottom. Shoulder on shoulder. He's shooting the puck— he's in a vulnerable position maybe but I'm not going to not make that."

Brown's ejection came in the second period of what ended up a 3-2 shootout victory for the Kings. More later.

-- Helene Elliott in Chicago

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Question of the day: Which NBA team will have the most surprising season? | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Writers from around the Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses, and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune

The same thing happens every season: Splashy offseason moves get made, and the old pros get overlooked. There may be a Big Three in South Beach, but the original Big Three are still around. And, yes, the Celtics will have a better postseason than the Heat.

Granted, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are a year older, a year slower. But when the games slow down, get tighter and more physical and defense needs to be played in the half court, the Celtics are still the team to beat.

And give Doc Rivers credit for striking the right balance between regular and postseason. He knows he can't ride his Big Three anymore. But with dynamic Rajon Rondo still around and Shaquille O'Neal accepting his role, this team is deeper than last season's Eastern Conference champions.

Maybe it's not a surprise for defending champions to be picked to repeat. But after the Summer of LeBron-a-Palooza, it is.

Zach McCann, Orlando Sentinel

The Washington Wizards won 26 games last season, and few pundits expect them to surpass that mark this season. With Gilbert Arenas’ injury-faking and headline-making, Andray Blatche’s inconsistency and John Wall’s inexperience, there are far more questions than answers surrounding the Wizards heading into the 2010-11 season.

But beneath all of the corn-popping drama and tomfoolery lies a whole lot of talent on the Wizards basketball team.

Wall is a legitimate rookie-of-the-year candidate who, at just 19 years old, may be one of the league’s 10 best point guards already.  Blatche–- when his head’s right -– can score down low at an incredibly efficient rate.

Javale McGee and Al Thornton are improving. Kirk Hinrich was a sneaky-good pickup, and Arenas’ antics overshadow how good of an off-the-ball scorer he could be alongside Wall.

If there’s a coach out there who can handle a nonconformist, youthful cast of characters, it’s Flip Saunders.

It’s hard to be surprised by anything in Washington these days. That said, don’t be surprised if the Wizards sneak into the playoffs this year.

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Formula One's title chase goes slippin' and slidin' in South Korea | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Formula One drivers pilot the most sophisticated race cars in the world. But put them on a brand new track under a steady downpour and their job gets a whole lot trickier.

Just askMark Webber, the veteran Australian driver who started the inaugural Korean Grand Prix on Sunday with a 14-point lead in the championship standings and then found disaster on the rain-soaked track in southwestern South Korea.

Shortly after the race went green following a lengthy delay because of showers, Webber's Red Bull car spun on the wet surface, smacked the wall and then was struck byNico Rosberg, abruptly ending both drivers' race.

"Today wasn't my day," a disheartened Webber said after he walked back to the garage.

Sebastian Vettel, Webber's teammate, then took the lead. But with only 10 laps left in the 55-lap race, the 23-year-old German saw his race go up in smoke when his engine blew.

That opened the door for Spain'sFernando Alonsoto bothwin the race for Ferrariand take over the championship lead with only two races left in the season, in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

It was Alonso's fifth win of the year and"I think it is the first wet race that I have won, so I am even happier," he said.

Alonso, seeking his third world championship, nowleads the standings by 11 pointsover Webber and by 21 points over former championLewis Hamiltonof McLaren-Mercedes, who finished second to Alonso in Sunday's race. Vettel is now 25 points back in fourth.

But Alonso said all four drivers remained in title contention."Nothing has changed," he said."Anything can happen in the next two races."

Behind the leaders, cars were sliding on and off the track's pavement throughout the race, which was completed with barely enough light as dusk fell.

But seven-time championMichael Schumacher,long considered an exceptional driver in the rain,finished fourth to match his best result of the season. Schumacher otherwise has struggled to be competitive this year after coming out of retirement to join the Mercedes GP team.

--Jim Peltz

Photos: (Top) Mark Webber's Red Bull car is lifted from the track after crashing in Sunday's Formula One race at the Korean International Circuit in Yeongam, South Korea. Credit: Sung Dae-woo/Associated Press; (Bottom) Ferrari's Fernando Alonso on his way to winning the Korean Grand Prix. Credit: Greg Baker/Associated Press

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Swim star Fran Crippen, 26, dies in U.A.E. | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Open water distance swim starFran Crippendied Saturday after losing consciousness during a World Cup 10K race in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, according to media reports.

When Crippen did not finish the race, his competitors went back in the water to assist with the search, Swimming World reported. One Portuguese-language news account put the water temperature at 86 degrees.

The 26-year-old Crippen, who won a bronze medal in the 10K event at the World Championships last year, had been training in Mission Viejo through 2008. The Philadelphia native then went back East to be closer to home.

FINA, swimming's international ruling body, issued a statement of condolence and said: "The cause of this death remain under investigation."

USA Swimming also said it would"continue to work with FINA, the meet host and others to determine how this tragedy occurred."

The swim world quickly responded with tributes to Crippen on a Facebook page and sent messages of condolence on Twitter.

"Omg. My long time teammate on the Nadadores and team USA, Fran Crippen, passed away today while racing in Dubai,"wroteChloe Suttonon Twitter."He was an amazing guy and one of the best ambassadors for the sport and I already miss him."

-- Lisa Dillman

Photo: Francis"Fran"Crippen, left, second-place finisher, with first-place winner Chip Peterson, center, and third-place finisher Richard Weinberger after the men's 10K Open Water Race during the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships at Marine Stadium in Long Beach, on Aug. 22, 2010. Credit: Jeff Gross / Getty Images

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O.J. Simpson's appeal rejected by Nevada Supreme Court | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The Nevada Supreme Court ruled Friday that all of O.J. Simpson's arguments for appealing his convictions on armed-robbery and kidnapping charges were without merit.

The court did order the conviction of Clarence"C.J." Stewart, Simpson's co-defendant in the case regarding a Las Vegas hotel room heist at gunpoint, to be reversed and that a new trial should be held.

Simpson, 63, is serving nine to 33 years in state prison, while Stewart had been serving 7 1/2 to 27 years at High Desert State Prison.

The former football star, who maintained he had been trying to retrieve family photos and mementos in the Las Vegas incident, used the racial makeup of the jury and the conduct of the judge in the September 2008 trial as the prime issues in his appeal.

Simpson attorney Yale Galanter portrayed the USC Heisman Trophy winner's conviction as payback for Simpson's acquittal in the 1994 double-murder case involving the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman.

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: O.J. Simpson in court during his sentencing hearing at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas in December 2008. Credit: Isaac Brekken / Associated Press

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Pac-10 announces split into North-South divisions for new 12-school alignment | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Breaking up was hard to do, but the divisional details of next year's Pacific 12 Conference have at last been finalized.

The conference, which has had 10 schools since Arizona and Arizona State joined in 1978, will split into North and South divisions for football beginning next season.

The South will feature USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State and the two newcomers -- Colorado and Utah.

The North division will be Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State.

The league also announced it will stage a conference title game in December of 2011 at the home field of the highest-ranked team. 

Second-year commissioner Larry Scott delivered the news at a San Francisco news conference on Thursday following unanimous ratification by the league chancellors.

"This is truly a historic day for the Pac-12 Conference," Scott said

There was considerable debate over the split because several rivalries might be be affected.

USC and UCLA fought, and won, to keep Cal and Stanford on their annual schedule. But that means fewer trips to the Southland for the Oregon and Washington schools, which recruit heavily in Southern California.

"Our rivalries have been kept completely intact," Scott said.

The Oregon and Washington schools will now play in Los Angeles every other year.

Each school will play five games in their own division and four cross-over games, with UCLA and USC locked into two of those games against the Bay Area schools.

The conference will not use divisions in other sports.

Scott also announced the conference schools will have equal revenue sharing beginning in 2012. Up to now, the media payout was weighted based on television appearances.

-- Chris Dufresne 

chris.dufresne@latimes.com  

 

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Santa Anita could announce new track composition this week | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Santa Anita PresidentGeorge Hainessaid Wednesday that the Arcadia track is close to a consensus agreement with trainers, owners and the California Horse Racing Board on the composition for a new dirt track, and that he hopes an announcement could come later this week.

Santa Anita is in theprocess of removingits Pro-Ride synthetic surface. Haines said this week's rainy weather has not affected the schedule for putting in a new surface.

The track is scheduled to be ready in time for Santa Anita's winter-spring opener on Dec. 26.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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San Francisco Giants lineup for NLCS Game 3: Cody Ross up, Juan Uribe back, Aaron Rowand in, Andres Torres out | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The San Francisco Giants shuffled their lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, benching center fielder Andres Torres and third baseman Mike Fontenot.

Juan Uribe, who sat out Game 2 because of a sore wrist, returns after an MRI examination revealed nothing more serious than inflammation. Uribe moves from shortstop to third base, where he becomes the third player to start at that position in the Giants' seven playoff games.

Edgar Renteria starts at shortstop, with Aaron Rowand replacing Torres in center field. Torres, who has three hits and 12 strikeouts in 25 postseason at-bats, will be replaced as the leadoff hitter by Renteria.

Cody Ross, who has emerged as a folk hero in San Francisco, with four postseason home runs, bats fifth. Ross opened the playoffs as the Giants' No. 8 hitter -- and would have opened the playoffs on the bench had Jose Guillen not had a sore neck.

-- Bill Shaikin in San Francisco

Photo: Cody Ross. Credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

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Lance Armstrong's family gets bigger with baby Olivia | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Lance Armstrongannouncedvia Twitteron Monday that the baby he had been referring to as@cincoarmstrongduring the last few weeks had arrived and that his fifth child (second with girlfriendAnna Hansen) is a girl namedOlivia Marie.

Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, also has a sonMaxwith Hansen as well as a sonLukeand twin daughtersGraceandIsabellefrom his marriage toKristin Armstrong. He is the subject of a federal investigation that seems tied to possible illegal doping during  the time when he rode for the United States Postal Service team.

-- Diane Pucin

 

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Oregon and Boise State top latest USA Today coaches poll | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Ohio State's loss to Wisconsin on Saturday has vaulted Oregon to No.1 in the latest USA Today coaches' pollreleased Sunday.

Boise State moves up one spot to No. 2, followed by Oklahoma, Texas Christian, Auburn, Louisiana State, Alabama, Michigan State and Utah.

Ohio State fell nine spots to No. 10, but remained one spot ahead of No. 11 Wisconsin.

Oregon garnered 42 first-place votes in the coaches poll, with Boise State picking up 11, Oklahoma getting four, and TCU and Auburn each receiving one.

The first Bowl Championship Series standings will be released Sunday night on ESPN. The top two teams in the final standings will play for the BCS title on Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz.

-- Chris Dufresne

chris.dufresne@latimes.com    

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Bryan Bros. Foundation benefit will have Sam Querrey, Lindsay Davenport | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

BobandMike Bryanare the all-time winningest doubles team in tennis history, and if they aren't household names in the sports world, it's not because they don't try. In addition to winning more than 60 tournaments, being eager and willing Davis Cup participants and signing just about any autograph requested, the Bryans are musicians who have a band. It's not bad.

And they are also serious about their charitable foundation, theBryan Bros. Foundation, which is putting on a benefit Oct. 23 for theBogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program.  The Bogart program was started in 1982 after death ofNeil Bogart,a record producer who started Casablanca Records and promoted the career of disco starDonna Summer. Bogart was 39 when he died of lymphoma.

The Bryan brothers, who are from Camarillo, are hosting the Grand Slam Jam at the Malibu Racquet Club and will be joined by fellow ATP ProsSam QuerreyandMardy Fish, reigning U.S. Open and Wimbledon doubles championVania Kingand retired three-time Grand Slam singles championLindsay Davenport.

Other former touring pros who will participate will beRick Leach, Scott Davis, Jeff Tarango, Vince SpadeaandDerek Rostagno, who will play in the pro-am portion of the event.

From 9 a.m.-1 p.m. there will be a round robin doubles tournament followed by lunch and afternoon clinics, a pro-am match and exhibition, and an auction.

An all-day pass is $200. To watch only the round-robin matches in the morning is $75. It's possible to play in the round robin doubles for $300.

For more information log on towww.maliburacquetclub.com. 

-- Diane Pucin

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Question of the day: Michael Jordan says that under today’s rules, he would have scored even more points. Do you agree? | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Writers from around Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses, and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Duh. Jordan not only would have scored more points because of the limited contact allowed on the perimeter, but because of the talent drain created by league expansion after his prime Bulls years and the league's move away from thug-like enforcers, the type Pat Riley utilized during his Knicks coaching tenure.

About the only change since Jordan's prime years that would create any new challenge would be the legalization of zone defense, but that approach is so minimally utilized that it likely would not even stand as a factor.

As for concerns that the contact limitations on the perimeter would create foul trouble for Jordan, this is not a league that puts its prime attractions in foul trouble. Exhibit A there would be LeBron James.

Photo: Michael Jordan. Credit: Dick Raphael / Getty Images

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Ducks' Toni Lydman cleared to play | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The Ducks got more good news Thursday, the day after their first win of the season.

DefensemanToni Lydman, who had yet to make his debut because of an episode of double vision, has received medical clearance to play, the team announced. Lydman has been practicing lightly with the team.

A veteran signed to help compensate for the loss ofScott Niedermayerto retirement, Lydman should help bolster a young defense that has given up shots at an alarming rate in the early going.

The team also announced that defensemanBrett Festerlinghas been assigned to Syracuse of the American Hockey League.

-- Robyn Norwood

 Photo: Ducks logo. Credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times.

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Brett Favre says he might miss games if tendinitis in elbow gets worse | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre continued to dodge questions Wednesday about the NFL'sinvestigation into allegations that he made sexual advances to a female TV reporter in 2008 while with the New York Jets.

But Favre did make one comment that might be considered something of a bombshell. He said he actually would consider sitting out a game or two at some point this season if the tendinitis in his right elbow worsened.

"I don't want to play just to play," said Favre, who has started an NFL-record 289 straight games.

The Vikings face the Dallas Cowboys this weekend in a battle of two preseason favorites that are off to 1-3 starts.

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Brett Favre. Credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

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Charge against former Kings assistant coach Mark Hardy dismissed | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

A charge of fourth-degree sexual abuse against former Kings assistant coach Mark Hardy was dismissed Tuesday in District of Columbia Superior Court.

The case was dismissed for want of prosecution, according to the court's website and friends of Hardy.

Hardy was charged in May following an incident involving a family member in a Washington, D.C., hotel. The charge was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor before being dismissed altogether on Tuesday.

Hardy, who went through an alcohol treatment program, lives in the South Bay. He resigned from the Kings' staff in June.

We'll have more later atwww.latimes.com/sports.

-- Helene Elliott

Photo: Mark Hardy with the Kings in 2008. Credit: Karen Tapia-Andersen

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Poll: Which looks worse, Tom Brady's hair or Randy Moss' beard? | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

New England quarterback Tom Brady and former Patriots receiver Randy Moss had to be separated during a locker room altercation before Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings last week, CBS analyst Charley Casserly reported Sunday.

Not only did Brady have issues with Moss' behavior as a member of the Patriots, he also told the receiver to cut his beard, according to the report. Moss is said to have told Brady to cut his hair and said that the quarterback looks like a girl.

(Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said Monday that the altercation was"news to me.")

What do you think? Who would best benefit from a little extra grooming, Brady or Moss? Vote on this important matter and leave a comment letting us know why you voted the way you did.

-- Chuck Schilken

Left photo: Randy Moss. Credit: Adam Bettcher / Getty Images

Right photo: Tom Brady. Credit: Adam Hunger / Reuters

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NASCAR Sprint Cup: Pepsi Max 400 live race updates | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The early race intrigue was on howDenny Hamlin, second in NASCAR's Chase for the Cup standings, would fare after being forced to the back of the Pepsi Max 400 field because he had to change his transmission. It was the fifth time this year that Hamlin started at the back, with his highest finish being 24th. But he showed few problems knocking off 16 cars in the first 26 miles.

Jeff Gordon, who started 17th, also had a lot of pick up in the first few laps, going from 17th to fifth by the 14th lap.

Meanwhile, pole-winnerJamie McMurrayheld on to his lead until the 16th lap whenMatt Kensethpassed him to be the second leader of the 400-mile race.

Meanwhile, the field was starting to get strung out and by the 22nd lap two cars had been lapped --Kevin ConwayandLandon Cassill.

After 50 miles, the top five racers were Kenseth,Jimmie Johnson, McMurray,Elliott SadlerandClint Bowyer.

-----

It's not that anyone doesn't wantJimmie Johnsonto do poorly in the Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. It's just his dominance at this track makes things pretty boring. Johnson has won at this track five times and the fact he's leading NASCAR's Chase for the Cup means this could be a long afternoon of strung out racing.

The Fontana track has had trouble keeping things interesting with essentially only one groove, which means not a lot of passing. The drivers like the track because they can maneuver all over the surface, sometimes leading to three-wide racing.

Johnson is starting eighth, alongsideDale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR has had both an attendance and ratings slide this week and some speculate it is because of the lack of real personalities in the sport. Junior could change all that but his career has only been a shadow of his father's.

Come back here for updates as race time is upon us.

--John Cherwa

Photo: The car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. is inspected before the Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Sunday. Credit: Kelvin Kuo / US Presswire

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UCLA vs. Cal: live in-game updates | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Cal 7, UCLA 0 (early first quarter)

California made it look easy.

The Bears drove 70 yards after the opening kickoff by dominating the line of scrimmage.Shane Vereengained 35 yards, including a one-yard run for the touchdown.Isi Sofelehad a 24-yard run on a second-and-11 play to push the drive forward.

Photo: Coaches Jeff Tedford of Cal and Rick Neuheisel of UCLA chat before Saturday's game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. Credit: Jason O. Watson / US Presswire

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Exclusive: Joe Gibbs talks about the differences between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

NASCAR ownerJoe Gibbshas two drivers in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Denny Hamlinis second in the Chase standings, eight points behind four-time Cup championJimmie Johnson.

Kyle Buschis in seventh place in Chase standings, 80 points out of first.

The fourth race in the Chase is Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

Go toHaddock in the Paddockfor an exclusive interview with Gibbs, who talked about how Hamlin and Busch have different styles of racing.

-- Tim Haddock

Photo: NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup contenders Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson talk in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 2. Credit: Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

 

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Andre Ward-Andre Dirrell Super Six fight is canceled | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The scheduled Nov. 27 Super Six super-middleweight tournament fight betweenAndre WardandAndre Dirrellhas been called off, with Dirrell backing out because of neurological concerns.

"He's visited a neurologist who's advised him not to train or fight," Dirrell's promoterGary Shawsaid.

Shaw could not clarify whether the trauma was sustained when Dirrell was knocked out while down in his disqualification victory overArthur Abrahamearlier this year, or if an injury was sustained in training. 

Showtime'sKen Hershmansaid Thursday that he could announce a replacement foe for Ward by Friday, but was still"making internal calculations" whether to include that new fighter as a Super Six entrant eligible for next year's semifinals.

Three of the original Super Six entrants, Dirrell,Mikkel KesslerandJermain Taylor, have now backed out of the tournament before it reached the semifinal round.

"I'm obviously disappointed with the developments," Hershman said."I still believe in the concept of the Super Six. It's obviously been challenging getting through this number of fights. But we'll still get to the semifinals with three of the original {fighters}."

In addition to Ward, current and former world championsCarl Frochand Abraham remain. They'll also fight Nov. 27 in Finland.

Dirrell's camp notified Hershman of the injury within the last 48 hours, he said. Ward's and Dirrell's promoters had failed to agree upon a site for the bout, and negotiations had been turbulent. Hershman's disappointed tone raised questions about the legitimacy of Dirrell's injury, and even Shaw said earlier Thursday that he did not know the nature of the injury, other than to note"he's being tested by a specialist."

"I'm very disappointed for Andre," Shaw said."He had a heck of a shot at winning the tournament. It's a big loss financially."

The Nov. 27 bout would have matched the unbeaten and Super Six points leader Ward, of Oakland, against Detroit's Dirrell in the third and final stage of qualifying for the tournament's semifinals. Shaw said Ward-Dirrell was to be fought in either Oregon or Michigan's Silverdome.

Ward's replacement fight is likely to take place at his hometown Oracle Arena, Hershman said.

Former U.S. gold medalist Ward has defeated Kessler (who dropped out with an eye injury) andAllan Greenthus far in the competition. Dirrell was defeated by Froch, but won by disqualification against Abraham.

-- Lance Pugmire

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Randy Moss traded back to Minnesota Vikings {Updated} | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Wide receiver Randy Moss is returning to the Minnesota Vikings in a trade from the New England Patriots on Wednesday, multiple sources are reporting.

{Updated at 9:57 a.m.:The trade has been confirmed by both teams. The Patriots said on their website that Moss had been traded to the Vikings for an undisclosed draft pick.

"Over the course of the past several months, I have spoken with Randy and his representative about Randy's place on our team and his future in football," Coach Bill Belichick said in a statement."Consistent with my dealings with Randy from the day we acquired him through our conversation this morning, it has been honest, thoughtful and with great mutual respect."

Belichick added that he feels the move"is best for our football team, in both the short term and long term."

Visitors to the Vikings site are greeted with the message,"Welcome Back 84," as well as the opportunity to"Get your #84 gear here."

"We feel very good about the opportunity to add a player of Randy Moss' caliber to this football team,” Vikings Coach Brad Childress said. “He is a tremendous competitor and was an integral member of the Vikings organization from 1998-2004. Once again, ownership was completely supportive of our efforts to add a valuable football player to our team. I know the entire organization is thrilledto welcome him back to the Twin Cities and look forward to his contributions."}

 

The Patriots will receive a third-round draft pick in the trade, which was first reported by ESPN. In Moss, the Vikings should get the downfield threat quarterback Brett Favre has needed since Pro Bowl receiver Sidney Rice had hip surgery in August.

Moss was a first-round pick for the Vikings in 1998 and emerged as one of the league's top receivers, catching 574 passes for 9,142 yards and 90 touchdowns in seven seasons. But he was surrounded by controversy both on and off the field and was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2005.

After two non-productive seasons in Oakland, Moss revitalized his career in New England with quarterback Tom Brady, setting an NFL record with 23 touchdown receptions in 2007. He is in the final season of a three-year, $27-million contract and has made contradictory public statements about his future with the team.

He did not have a catch in the Patriots' 41-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night.

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Randy Moss. Credit: Greg M. Cooper / US Presswire

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Video: Andrea Pirlo's amazing goal in AC Milan's 1-0 victory over Parma | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The lone goal in AC Milan's victory over Parma on Saturday was a sight to behold.  Andrea Pirlo's shot from about 40 yards in the 25th minute has gotten more than 1.6 million views on YouTube. Check it out:

 

-- Chuck Schilken

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Kings put Ersberg, Clune on waivers | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

As expected, the Kings put goaltender Erik Ersberg on waivers Monday, a day after they told him he had been beaten out by Jonathan Bernier for the backup job behind Jonathan Quick.

Also placed on waivers was rugged left wing Richard Clune. He fell on the depth chart with the emergence of Kyle Clifford. He played six minutes and 36 seconds in the Kings' 3-2 overtime loss to the Ducks Sunday in both teams' finale exhibition game and had no points and a minus-one defensive rating in three exhibition games.

The waiver period will expire at 9 a.m. PDT time Tuesday.

John Zeiler, who was placed on waivers last week, cleared waivers and was assigned to Manchester of the American Hockey League.

Kings executives were supposed to meet Monday to discuss final roster decisions. We'll keep you posted.

-- Helene Elliott

Photo: Erik Ersberg in 2008. Credit: Los Angeles Times

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USC basketball: Trojans get commitment from 7-foot-1 junior college center | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

James Blasczyk, a 7-foot-1 center from Lee College in Baytown, Texas, committed to USC on Saturday night, a source close to the program confirmed. 

Blascyzk spent his freshman year at Texas A&M, where he played sparingly before redshirting the following season. He then transferred to the junior college. 

Blascyzk took his official visit to USC this weekend. The first day of the early signing period is Nov. 10. If he does sign, he would have two years of eligibility beginning with the 2011-12 season. 

Blascyzk went to high school in Friendswood, Texas, and was recruited by Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor and Pittsburgh when he was considered one of the top 50 prospects in the state by TexasHoops.com. 

While not considered to be extremely athletic, he is known for his energy and basketball smarts. He also reportedly has a solid mid-range shot. 

Considering that 6-9 forwardAlex Stephesonis a senior this year and that 6-10 forwardNikola Vucevicis a junior who might turn pro after this season, having Blascyzk would help fill the Trojans' frontcourt gap next season. 

-- Baxter Holmes

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Question of the day: Which MLB manager did the most with the least this season? | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

 

Writers from around Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses, and feel free to leave a comment of your own. 

Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune

On opening day, the biggest question surrounding the Padres was when they would trade Adrian Gonzalez.

With Jake Peavy in Chicago, their No. 1 starter was Jon Garland, whom they had signed after he lingered on the free-agent market until late January. Their lineup had Tony Gwynn Jr. and David Eckstein as the 1-2 hitters, and Kyle Blanks batting cleanup. No, they weren’t scaring anyone.

And things got worse when Chris Young experienced more trouble in his shoulder after a strong start in the second game of the season. But the Padres nevertheless won eight in a row to get off to a 15-8 start in April, and on Aug. 25 held a lead of 6 1/2 games in the National League West.

Rookie General Manager Jed Hoyer did a terrific job providing midseason reinforcements, adding Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada, among others, but Bud Black deserves a ton of credit for getting the Padres off to a fast start and building such an impressive bullpen.

Updated at 9:10 a.m.

Mandy Housenick, The Morning Call

There shouldn’t be anyone other than Bud Black mentioned in this conversation.

I can’t imagine that Black’s team, the San Diego Padres, was on anyone’s to-watch-list in the preseason; I know it wasn’t on mine. Yet Black, with a couple of no-name starters -- who had even heard of Mat Latos? -- and an offense with only one legitimate star in Adrian Gonzalez, managed to keep his team in the heat of the playoff race until the season’s final weekend.

Black’s bullpen, anchored by closer Heath Bell, has been stellar. But perhaps what’s most notable about Black’s relief corps is that he has three pitchers (Edward Mujca, Luke Gregerson and Mike Adams) all making less than $450,000 and all with ERAs below 3.62. Black did one heck of a job.

Updated at 12:34

Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times

Is this a trick question? Of course the answer is Bud Black.

Yes, the San Diego Padres have a terrific pitching staff, and they play in a pitcher's park. But Chris Young, their most decorated starter entering the season, has pitched 20 innings.

Black, a standout pitching coach with the Angels before the Padres hired him as manager, has done his best work by keeping his pitchers in the right frame of mind, in persuading them to continue to attack the strike zone instead of nibbling around the corners in the fear that one fat pitch could cost them the game. That would have been an entirely reasonable fear.

The Padres entered play Friday with the fewest runs of any team in the National League West, but they're still alive for the division title. They had won 28 games in which they had scored three or fewer runs. And their pitching staff had held opponents to the lowest on-base and slugging percentages of any staff in the majors.

Their opening day leadoff hitter, Tony Gwynn, has a .304 on-base percentage. Their opening day cleanup hitter, Kyle Blanks, hit .157 in 33 games of an injury-shortened season. Their opening-day shortstop, Everth Cabrera, is below .300 in both on-base and slugging percentage.

Photo: Members of the San Diego Padres. Credit: Jody Gomez / US Presswire

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Enforcer Westgarth a nice tough guy | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Off the ice, hockey enforcers tend to be among the most articulate and interesting people you’ll ever meet.

Kevin Westgarth, who will replaceRaitis Ivanansas the Kings’ resident tough guy, is a Princeton graduate with a degree in psychology. Westgarth, who signed with the Kings as a free agent in 2007,blogged for The Hockey News last seasonand provided interesting insights into life in the minor leagues.

He used his fists to make a statement Tuesday in fighting Ducks enforcerGeorge Parros, a fellow Princeton alum with a finance degree and a sometime Fabulous Forum blogger. According to The Sporting News,Parros is the fourth-smartest athlete in sports— and a South Bay neighbor of Westgarth’s.

The next night,they went out to dinner. Of course.

Westgarth said Thursday that he doesn't have the athletic bragging rights in his own household. He gave that honor to his fiancée,Meagan Cowher, daughter of former Pittsburgh Steelers coachBill Cowher. The couple met at Princeton, where she played basketball and led the Ivy League in scoring twice and was the first player in the program to be a first-team all-league selection three times. They’ve set a wedding date for next summer.

“She’s actually the real athlete of the family. She’s the best player,” he said. “I’m looking forward to having kids and retiring on what they end up doing.”

Fourth line still has spots open

Kings CoachTerry Murraysaid he’s still deciding who will join Westgarth on the fourth line.Brad Richardsonwas slotted there until second-line left wingScott Parseinjured his groin and toe but Richardson lately has moved up alongsideJarret StollandJustin Williams. The fourth line in Thursday’s practice wasKyle Clifford,Brayden Schennand Westgarth.

Richard Clune,Trevor Lewis,Andrei LoktionovandJohn Zeilertook turns on another line and remain in the mix for spots. Schenn and Clifford are 19 and would have to go back to their junior teams if they don’t make the Kings’ roster.

“With the young players still here, Schenn, Loktionov, I clearly want to use them while they’re here,” Murray said. “Clune and Zeiler and Lewis are here and I’ve got to play around with that and try to get the best looks that I possibly can.”

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