Warriors today: Trip continues at Phoenix

Stephen Curry With Deep Three | Warriors vs Pelicans | October 28, 2016 | 2016-17 NBA Season

Tipoff: 3 p.m. Sunday at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

TV: CSN Bay Area.

Records: Warriors 1-1, Suns 0-2.

Last seasons series: The Warriors won the season series 4-0. On Nov. 27 at Phoenix, Draymond Green had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and the Warriors went 22 of 38 (57.6 percent) from 3-point range in a 135-116 triumph. Stephen Curry scored 41 points, making 9 of 16 on 3-pointers, before sitting out the fourth quarter. On Dec. 16 in the game after their 24-0 start was ended, the Warriors routed the Suns 128-103 at Oracle Arena as Klay Thompson scored 43 points in three quarters, including 27 during the Warriors 46-point third quarter. Green had 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. On Feb. 10 at Phoenix, the Warriors defeated the Suns 112-104 as Curry had 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists before sitting out the fourth quarter. On March 12 at Oracle, the Warriors defeated the Suns 123-116 as Curry scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and Golden State outscored Phoenix 37-21 in the period. Marreese Speights had a season-high 25 points in 18 minutes off the bench.

Warriors update: The Warriors won for the first time this season, beating New Orleans on the road 122-114 on Friday night. That ended a four-game losing streak stretching back to the 2016 NBA Finals. The Warriors are still a work in progress, and the progress has been slow.Coach Steve Kerr is still testing various lineup combinations. The trio of Kevin Durant, Curry and Thompson combined for 81 points against the Pelicans. But the Warriors offense hasnt approached the efficiency with which were accustomed to seeing. Its not just a matter of adjusting to the addition of Durant. Swapping in Zaza Pachulia for Andrew Bogut has changed the dynamic, too. Patrick McCaw suffered a sprained left ankle against the Pelicans and his status for Phoenix is uncertain.

Suns update: Young guard Devin Booker is a star in the making. As a rookie last season, he averaged 13.8 points and improved throughout the season. In 51 games as a starter, he averaged 17.4 points and in 28 games after the All-Star break he averaged 19.2. And did we mention that hes young? He turns 20 on Sunday. Eric Bledsoe missed the final 50 games last season after knee surgery. He is the last man left from the point guard trio employed by former coach Jeff Hornacek (Goran Dragic, now with Miami, and and Isaiah Thomas, now with Boston, were the others). The Suns fell to 0-2 after losing to Oklahoma City in overtime Friday night, 113-110 as the Thunders Russell Westbrook had 51 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. The Suns got a career-high 30 points from third-year forward T.J. Warren, who missed the last 34 games last season because of foot surgery. The Warriors will see old friend Leandro Barbosa, who signed with the Suns during the offseason.

Things to watch:The Warriors rebounding improved against New Orleans, but it had to after that opening night performance against San Antonio, right? Its still an area that needs work. If we start seeing the player movement and ball movement that was the Warriors hallmark the past two seasons, well know theyre on the right track. The Suns will be a better defensive test for the Warriors than the Pelicans. New Orleans had Anthony Davis (45 points), but Phoenix will present multiple offensive threats.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/30/warriors-today-trip-continues-at-phoenix-suns/

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Penn State football podcast: Breaking down the offense and Whiteout atmosphere with Keith "Goon" Conlin

Penn State-Purdue recap with Bob Flounders and David Jones

Even by Penn State"s Whiteout standards, Saturday"s crowd in a 24-21 upset over No. 2 Ohio State was electric and loud. It was the result of a fan base that was eager for a signature win and ready to play its part to help the Nittany Lions deliver. The Penn State community came away with an unforgettable moment that James Franklin said could help promote healing.

Former Penn State offensive lineman Keith "Goon" Conlin joined me on the Keystone Sports Network to talk about the significance of the win and the offense"s performance. Check out audio from the show below.

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2016/10/penn_state_football_podcast_br.html

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Michigan vs. Michigan State 2016: Wolverines try to erase bad memory

Jabrill Peppers Spins Between Two Defenders vs. Michigan State

The memory of how Michigan lost to Michigan State last college football season is one of those indelible moments that never goes away.

Just 10 seconds away from winning, the Wolverines watched punter Blake O"Neill bobble a snap and then inexplicably fumble the ball into the arms of Michigan State"s Jalen Watts-Jackson, who returned the ball 38 yards for the winning score as time expired.

The Spartans" insane 27-23 victory marked their seventh victory in the last eight meetings with the Wolverines. The teams meet again on Saturday in East Lansing and the Michigan players are certainly anticipating the opportunity to exact revenge.

Senior safety Dymonte Thomas was on the punt team and he has replayed the final play in his mind countless times.

"I was on the field when that play happened," Thomas said after last Saturday"s 41-8 trouncing of Illinois. "I just couldn"t believe what took place, and we had that bye week after, and during that whole bye week that"s the only thing I thought about. I couldn"t think about anything else and couldn"t wait to get revenge.

"Next Saturday, we"ve got our chance and our opportunity, and so I"m just excited and ready to go out and play with these guys. I love my teammates, and I love the way that we are playing together, and it"s going to be fun playing next Saturday, especially since it"s a rivalry game."

Michigan State (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) has endured a down season and has lost five consecutive games.

The college football power in the state has seemingly switched hands with the Wolverines (7-0, 4-0) ranked second in the nation in just their second season under coach Jim Harbaugh.

But Harbaugh isn"t about to view the Spartans as anything but a super dangerous opponent.

"It doesn"t matter what"s happened before this week. For us or for our opponent, it never does," Harbaugh said at a press conference. "(What matters) is what happens on the game day. We know the task in front of us. We know the challenge.

"It"s up to us to go out there and prepare for that game so we can go out there and be confident, execute and have a chance to be successful."

NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH

--QB Wilton Speight has 13 touchdown passes against two interceptions and continues to avoid costly mistakes. The sophomore has thrown for 1,447 yards and completed 62.6 percent of his passes in his first season as a starting quarterback. Speight was a question mark entering the season but is now on his way to being a three-year starter for the Wolverines.

--TE Jake b**t has four touchdown catches this season and his 11 career scores are second most in school history by a tight end. He is four behind first-place Jerame Tuman (1995-98) and also has caught at least one pass in 23 consecutive games. b**t has 26 receptions for 310 yards and four touchdowns - ranking second in each category behind senior receiver Amara Darboh.

--OLB Jabrill Peppers hasn"t been racking up the tackles for loss -- he has 10 -- like he was earlier this season but he is still the most dynamic player on the defense. The sophomore continues to be mentioned as a top five Heisman finalist and that quest is bolstered by averages of 30.6 on kickoff returns and 17.8 (and one touchdown) on punt returns. Peppers rushed the ball five times against Illinois but managed just nine yards after entering the contest with 98 yards and two touchdowns on five carries. --CB Jourdan Lewis is expecting to have a strong second half after putting his early season injuries behind him. The senior missed the first three games due to three different injuries but is now performing well against the pass. Lewis has just one interception but it was a crucial acrobatic game-saving grab against Wisconsin.

Source: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/College-Football/2016/10/25/Michigan-vs-Michigan-State-2016-Wolverines-try-to-erase-bad-memory/2371477395938/

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Here"s Who the Chicago Cubs Owners Are Giving Campaign Money To

MLB | Amazing Throws
Does the Curse of the Billy Goat apply to politics?

Scott Olson/Getty Images

This post originally appeared on Business Insider.

Major League Baseball owners have made nearly $3 million in political contributions during the 2016 campaign cycleand a handful have accounted for nearly all of that total. According to a new study from the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, no ownership group is more politically engaged at the donor level than the Ricketts family, who happen to own the Chicago Cubscurrently battling the Cleveland Indians for the World Series title.

And the familywhich has a member, Peter Ricketts,serving as the Republican governor of Nebraskahas a huge ideological divide.

Laura Ricketts, a co-owner, donated $483,000 to a super PAC dedicated to supporting pro-LGBTQ candidates for office. She also contributed to a host of Democratic congressional campaigns, in addition to providing $100,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund.

Her brothers, Todd and Tom, combined to donate roughly $60,000 to a score of Republican House and Senate candidates while their father, Joe Ricketts, who is often closely associated with the team but does not have an official role, put $1 million behind an antiDonald Trump super PAC earlier in the cycle. In September, he relented, and put his support behind the Republican nominee.

Providing the most money to Trump was Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who sent$125,000 last month to Trump Victory. On the flip side, former NBA superstar and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers Magic Johnson provided the most cash for Clinton, making a $250,000 donation to the Hillary Victory Fund.

The executive owner whomade the largest political contribution was Robert Castellini of the Cincinnati Reds, providing more than $600,000 in funds to Republican presidential and congressional candidates. He put $50,000 into a super PAC backing Ohio Gov. John Kasichs presidential bid, nearly $8,000 to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs Right to Rise super PAC, $150,000 to an anti-Trump super PAC, as well as money that went to support Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and former and current House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan.

Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos also dumped money into campaigns in a similar manner as Castellini, except he was providing cash to Democrats. Angelos gave more than $270,000 to the super PAC formed to encourage Vice President Joe Biden to seek the presidency. He was the biggest donor to the super PAC Draft Biden 2016. Hes also made donations to the Hillary Victory Fund and in support of Reps. Elijah Cummings and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland as well as Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

Some other prominent donations included New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon giving $100,000 to a proChris Christie super PAC back when the New Jersey governor was still seeking the presidency. Texas Rangers co-owner Ray Davis made a $100,000 contribution to Bushs Right to Rise super PAC, and John Malone, an investor in the group that owns the Atlanta Braves, contributed $100,000 to a super PAC supporting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walkers presidential bid.

Source: http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2016/10/30/ricketts_family_other_mlb_owners_make_massive_campaign_donations_to_clinton.html

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Warriors" McCaw to miss at least 2 games with ankle injury - SFGate

San Antonio Spurs vs Golden State Warriors - Full Highlights | Oct 25, 2016 | 2016-17 NBA Season

PHOENIX Warriors guard Patrick McCaw will miss the next two games with a left ankle sprain before getting re-evaluated when the team returns to the Bay Area, head coach Steve Kerr said after practice Saturday.

McCaw, 21, was going up for a rebound in the waning seconds of the second quarter Friday night in New Orleans when he landed awkwardly. After standing up on his own power, he was helped to the sideline by Shaun Livingston.

X-rays on McCaw were negative. During practice Saturday at Talking Stick Resort Arena, he was seen walking with a soft cast on his left ankle. Missing were the crutches he used after Fridays win over the Pelicans.

It doesnt seem that bad, but thats one of those things where we have to see how he does after a few games, said Kerr, whose Warriors conclude a three-game road trip with matchups Sunday against the Suns and Tuesday at Portland. But he wont play the next two.

It is a setback for a player who was perhaps the biggest surprise of training camp. After leading Golden State in scoring in the Las Vegas Summer League, he averaged 8.4 points on 45.2 percent shooting from the field (40.9 percent from beyond the arc), 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game in the preseason.

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Golden State Warriors guard Patrick McCaw (0) in the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Golden State Warriors guard Patrick McCaw (0) in the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Warriors McCaw to miss at least 2 games with ankle injury

It was enough for him to earn the final spot in Kerrs 10-man rotation. In 19 minutes of action over the Warriors first two regular-season games, McCaw had five points, three assists, a block and a steal.

His absence leaves Golden State precariously thin in the backcourt. Outside of starters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Kerrs available guards are Ian Clark and Livingston. Small forward Andre Iguodala can also play in the backcourt if necessary.

We just have to make do, Kerr said. It means that, no matter what happens, whether its close, whether its a blowout either direction, were going to have some guys on the floor at the end of the game that otherwise might not be.

Barbosa reunion: Sundays game in Phoenix marks the first time that guard Leandro Barbosa will face the Warriors since he signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Suns in July.

We miss LB, hes the best, Kerr said of Barbosa, who was a spark plug off the bench for Golden State the past two seasons. We were happy for him that he got the contract here. We were selfishly hoping hed come back to us, but he got a much better deal here financially.

Barbosa has yet to crack the rotation in his third career stint with Phoenix. After Barbosa played three minutes in the Suns season-opening loss Wednesday to the Kings, head coach Earl Watson told the Arizona Republic that he had temporarily replaced Barbosa and P.J. Tucker on the second unit with Tyler Ulis and Dragan Bender.

To me, they play with the most heart, Watson said of Ulis and Bender. Heart gets rewarded.

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

Warriors on Sunday

Who: Warriors (1-1) at Suns (0-2)

When: 3 p.m.

TV/Radio: CSNBA /95.7

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/Warriors-Patrick-McCaw-to-miss-at-least-2-10422767.php

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Clemson football could save big by winning big

Jimbo Fisher lashes out at officials following loss to Clemson

USA TODAY Sports looks at the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football. USA TODAY Sports

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his staff are on pace for another windfall, and the school"s athletic administration has planned ahead.(Photo: Stew Milne, USA TODAY Sports)

As problems in college athletics go, the one that Clemsons athletic department faced after appearing in January"s College Football Playoff final wasnt a bad one.

It had to pay about $2.3 million in bonuses to its coaches and staff, including $1.1 million to head coach Dabo Swinney. And that was on top of travel, game tickets and other costs involved with playing a CFP semifinal in Miami and the championship game near Phoenix.

Clemson has ended up enjoying increases in revenue from donations, season-ticket sales and merchandise, but that money wasnt available last winter when all those bills came due. The cash flow issue was real, said athletics department spokesman Joe Galbraith.

When things settled down, Clemson officials recognized that the football team led by returning Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback Deshaun Watson had the potential to create the same kinds of issues during the 2016-17 season. So, they decided to try a solution that is common in golf and tennis and gaining increased consideration in college sports.

USA TODAY Sports college football coaches salary database

They decided to buy bonus insurance.

Working with Marietta, Ga.-based Risk Point Consulting, Clemson has spent $272,000 to obtain coverage that assistant athletics director Eric George said will cap the school"s exposure on football bonuses for this season at $2 million. George said the arrangement would save the school more than $500,000 if the Tigers again lose in the CFP title game and more than $1.2 million if they win the national championship.

According to Risk Point president Michael Wright, Clemson is among five schools that chose to purchase coverage through his firm after about 15 had what he termed serious conversations about it.

Colleges are the same as any company looking to address this financial uncertainty, added Wright, who said his firm works more frequently with golf and tennis equipment and apparel companies whose endorsement contractswith athletes often involve one-time bonuses or automatic pay increases for victories in certain events or season-long achievements.

Swinneys contract used to include both one-time bonuses and guaranteed pay increases if the Tigers met certain competitive benchmarks, and a handful of coaches, including Kansas David Beaty, currently have agreements with both kinds of incentives.

As salaries have increased, bonuses have increased as well, Wright said. It seems like a lot of schools do not budget for bonuses they just address them as they can, whether its out of an equipment contract or the expectation of increased money off their success.

Swinney was able to gain a maximum of $775,000 in bonuses in 2013. Since then, in conjunction with two major base compensation increases, that figure has risen to $1.2 million and now stands at $1.725 million an amount that remains attainable this season.

The Tigers began the season ranked No. 2 in the Amway Coaches Poll. They are currently No. 3 with a 7-0 record that includes a win against now-No. 5 Louisville, one of their rivals in the Atlantic Coast Conferences Atlantic Division. Clemsonfaces No. 14 Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee.

And the down side for Clemson in the particular insurance setup it purchased, George said,is that if the team doesnt win the ACC Championship game, doesnt make a CFP non-semifinal but does play in a bowl game which it already has qualified to do the coverage wont take effect. In that case, Clemson will have paid the premium and it will have to pay the bonuses that its coaches and staff will be owed.

There are manypermutations somewhere in between. For example, if the Tigers win the ACC title, go to a CFP semifinal and lose that game, George said the insurance will cover a large enough portion of the bonuses that Clemson will end up losing a minimal amount of money compared to where it would have stood without buying the insurance.

This is something you probably would not do every year, George said, but given our situation this year, it was beneficial to look at. It takes the ambiguity out of the budget process.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/10/26/college-football-coaches-salary-database-bonus-insurance-clemson-tigers-dabo-swinney/92760684/

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A look at why Russell Westbrook will be must-see TV this season

76ers Fan Explains Why He Flipped Off Russell Westbrook

The NBA has a boatload of attention-grabbing superstars to keep an eye on this season. But for sheer excitement, the player most worth watching this season is Russell Westbrook. No other player can rack up numbers and highlight-reel dunks like he can. A couple of caveats: Yes, Westbrook does have deficiencies. He can be reckless (4.28 turnovers a game last season, second most in the NBA) and overly aggressive (28 offensive fouls, second among all guards). And he is an average defender (42nd percentile in points per play). But that doesn"t make him any less fun to watch. Here"s why he"s a must-see event:

He will posterize anyone at any time

Part of what makes Westbrook must-see TV? His propensity to roar through a defense for an emphatic dunk. Consider this: Westbrook has nearly as many unassisted dunks in the past five seasons (122) as prolific slashers Dwyane Wade and DeMar DeRozan have combined (131) and more unassisted dunks than the total number of dunks by new teammate Victor Oladipo (116).

Most dunks by guards, last five seasons

In fact, Westbrook is the king of the unassisted dunk. A look at all players with at least 20 dunks in a seasons over the past five seasons shows that Westbrook does it at a higher rate and a higher volume than just about anybody (check out the blue dots below). And his numbers from last season (in which 57 percent of his dunks were unassisted) make him even more of an outlier.

Unassisted dunks by all players, last five seasons

Dots represent all players" single-season totals from 2011-12 through 2015-16, minimum 20 total dunks made

He"s a monster in transition

With the ball in his hands, Westbrook is always looking to create chaos -- and he does it well. Last season, no player had the ball in his hands in transition more often, and nobody produced more points, per Synergy Sports Tech. Westbrook"s totals: 374 times as a ball handler in transition, 398 points produced (1.064 points per play). Only a handful of players came remotely close to his numbers: James Harden, John Wall, Isaiah Thomas, Stephen Curry and LeBron James.

All players in transition, 2015-16He is remarkably athletic

His speed, power and toughness are widely recognized, as evidenced by the NBA"s newest general manager survey released last week. In a league full of eye-popping athleticism, Westbrook is the only player to receive GM votes in all three categories:

From 2016 NBA GM SurveyHe will be fine without Durant

Westbrook was second on the Thunder last season with 18.1 field goal attempts per game. Oklahoma City"s No. 1 option, Durant, is gone. But Westbrook has done this before, during the 2014-15 season in particular, and he"s more than capable of carrying the offense and, yes, playing efficiently. Below are Westbrook"s career numbers with Durant (527 games) and without him (61 games). In most instances, his numbers are improved without Durant -- even in categories like turnover rate and defensive rating.

Westbrook in games without Durant vs. with him

And another reason Westbrook will be fine: The Thunder have now built a roster specifically to survive the loss of Durant. True, Oklahoma City might not be as loaded as the Warriors or Cavaliers, but OKC"s core is all under 30 and on the rise. Below is a look at projected stats for Westbrook"s supporting cast:

Projected 2016-17 stats

Improvement from 2015-16 in blue, age in parentheses

PlayerFG%REBASTSTLBLKPTSOladipo (24).4454.45.51.70.418.3Kanter (24).57510.40.60.30.417.3Ilyasova (29).4325.70.90.70.411.5Adams (23).5797.40.70.41.38.7Roberson (24).4876.41.51.30.98.0

All projections from ESPN.com, except Roberson (Basketball-Reference.com)

He"s become a triple-double machine

Westbrook racked up a league-best 18 triple-doubles last season, tying Magic Johnson for the most in a season since 1967-68. Could that total increase even more this season? It"s entirely possible. The Thunder offense will continue to be fast-paced, so there"s no reason to think his passing stats will diminish. And as Kevin Pelton points out in his Thunder season preview, Westbrook grabbed a career-high 18.1 percent of available defensive rebounds last season, nearly as much as the average for a power forward (19.2 percent). Below, a look at his totals since entering the league -- notice the recent spike:

Triple-doubles by seasonIt"s his franchise now

The Thunder franchise has had the remarkable good fortune to draft Durant, Westbrook and Harden in the past decade -- three Hall of Fame-caliber talents. But now that Westbrook is the only remaining superstar on the roster, he is on track to eventually lead the team in total win shares in the OKC era.

The top five win share totals in Thunder history (2008-09 to present):

1 | Kevin Durant

2009-16Small ForwardGames: 561Win shares: 105.6 (.188 WS/game)

2 | Russell Westbrook

2009-16Point GuardGames: 587Win shares: 67.0 (.114 WS/game)

3 | Serge Ibaka

2010-16CenterGames: 524Win shares: 47.6 (.091 WS/game)

4 | Nick Collison

2009-16Power ForwardGames: 567Win shares: 28.6 (.050 WS/game)

5-t | James Harden

2010-12Shooting GuardGames: 220Win shares: 21.0 (.095 WS/game)

5-t | Thabo Sefolosha

2009-14Shooting GuardGames: 368Win shares: 21.0 (.057 WS/game)

It seems likely that Westbrook will eclipse Durant as long as he sticks around. He has averaged 9.4 win shares per 82 games in his career. At that pace and playing full seasons, Westbrook would surpass KD during the 2021-22 season, when he"ll be 33.

He could join an exclusive club

Projections have Westbrook averaging more than 25 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals this season. How impressive is that? Very, and historically rare. Only once in league history has a player averaged 25/8/8/2 in a season: Michael Jordan in 1988-89 (though keep in mind that steals weren"t officially tracked until the 1973-74 season). A look at Jordan"s numbers, along with a composite of Westbrook"s projected stats:

* Westbrook numbers are averages of his ESPN.com and Basketball-Reference.com projections.

Statistics courtesy of Synergy Sports Tech, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.com, StatMuse and NBA Miner.

Source: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17833378/a-look-why-russell-westbrook-see-tv-season

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