Sports News-October 4, 2012
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Baseball's postseason begins Friday with a pair of one-game playoffs among the wild card teams. In the National League, St. Louis travels to Atlanta to play the Braves and their hot starter Kris Medlen while in the American League, Baltimore travels to Texas to play the two-time American League champion Rangers.
The other baseball pairings are set, some decided on the 162nd game of the regular season. The American League East champion New York Yankees will open on the road Sunday against the wild card winner, either Baltimore or Texas. Detroit will play Oakland in the other AL playoff series, starting Saturday.
On Saturday night, Johnny Cueto will start for visiting Cincinnati against Matt Cain and San Francisco in Game One of the National League Division Series. On Sunday, the Washington Nationals with the best record in baseball at 98-54 send out 21-game winner Gio Gonzalez against the winner of the Atlanta/St. Louis one-game playoff.
Miguel Cabrera received a standing ovation at Kauffman Stadium after going 0-2 but securing baseball's first Triple Crown in 45 years. The Detroit third baseman finished the regular season with a .330 average, 44 homers and 139 RBI, the first Triple Crown winner since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, and tenth in baseball history.
The NFL has granted permission for Saints coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach Joe Vitt to attend New Orleans' home game Sunday night against San Diego, in which Drew Brees can break a tie with Johnny Unitas for the NFL record of consecutive regular-season games with a touchdown pass. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says Brees, tied with Unitas at 47, asked that Payton, Loomis and Vitt be allowed to attend even as they continue to serve suspensions of various lengths in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation. Aiello says the three suspended members of the organization may watch the game from a private area and may not have contact with the team. Unitas set the record from 1956-1960. Brees tied it Sunday at Green Bay, throwing for three scores.
Shawn Eichorst, in his second year as athletic director at the University of Miami, is a leading candidate for the position at Nebraska, a source close to the situation told the Lincoln Journal Star yesterday. Eichorst arrived at Miami after serving from 2009-11 as deputy athletic director at the University of Wisconsin, where his responsibilities under athletic director Barry Alvarez included serving as the department's chief operating officer and overseeing day-to-day operations. Alvarez played linebacker at Nebraska in the 1960s and retains strong ties to his alma mater. Husker athletic director Tom Osborne announced Sept. 26 he will retire at the end of the year. Chancellor Harvey Perlman began the search for Osborne's replacement soon after Osborne told him in August that he planned to step down at the end of this football season. Eichorst arrived at Miami in April 2011. In August of that year, Yahoo! Sports reported details of a scandal in which a booster allegedly provided thousands of impermissible benefits to at least 72 athletes from 2002 through 2010. In other words, Eichorst had no involvement in that matter. An executive search firm is helping Perlman in his search. Perlman has said he won't reveal names of any candidates until he has chosen a successor.
The Omaha Nighthawks football team dropped a 41-6 decision last night at Las Vegas in the United Football League. The Locomotives scored on a 60-yard fumble recovery, a 50-yard interception return, a 24-yard run and a 94-yard pass in building a 31-3 halftime lead before an estimated crowd of 3,500 at Sam Boyd Stadium. The victory improved Las Vegas to 2-0, while Omaha dropped to 1-1. The Nighthawks dropped to 0-5 all time against Las Vegas. Omaha’s only points came on a pair of first-half field goals by Brandon Coutu. The Nighthawks, who played their first two games on the road, now have three straight home games starting with the Oct. 12 home opener against Virginia.
Former Husker football player Vershan Jackson pleaded not guilty yesterday to a marijuana delivery charge according to the Lincoln Journal Star. Jackson, 38, of Lincoln, waived his court appearance and is out of jail on bond. In court records, a Lincoln police officer alleges that on July 18 he saw a deal between Jackson and Presha Allen, 31, who walked up and got in Jackson's parked white Lexus SUV in the Russ's Market parking lot at 17th and Washington streets. In the affidavit for Jackson's arrest, the officer said Allen had nothing in his hands when he got in the SUV. But when the officer walked up to the car less than a minute later there was a pound bag of marijuana at his feet. Police say they found a text on Allen's phone about buying "reggie" weed from Jackson, and both men had more than $700 on them. Both now face charges.
The Omaha World Herald & Lincoln Journal Star have updated their high school softball rankings. In the Omaha World Herald, Millard West remains first in the “Nebraska Top 10” & Class “A” while Omaha Skutt is the new number one in Class “B”. In Class “C”, Fairbury stays at number one, Wayne is once again fourth, and West Point Guardian Angels enters the rankings at number six. In the Lincoln Journal Star, Millard West remains first in Class “A” while Omaha Skutt is the new number one in Class “B”. In Class “C”, Fairbury stays at number one, Wayne is once again fifth, Twin River slips from seventh to eighth, and West Point Guardian Angels stays at number nine.
Local Schedule: Nfk High Vs. Omaha Benson at Volunteer/Blondy Ruff Park, Papillion (A-5 Dist. SB Tourn.-5:00); LHNE Vs. David City/East Butler at Ta Ha Zouka Park, Nfk (B-4 Dist. SB Tourn.-12:00); Nfk High at Omaha Marian (VB-6:30); Nfk Cath at Battle Creek (VB-7:30); LHNE Vs. Wisner/Pilger-4:30; Vs. Wakefield-5:45; Vs. West Point Guardian Angels-7:30 (West Point Guardian Angels VB Tourn.).
Friday Night: The 3-3 Norfolk High football team visits Seacrest Field in Lincoln to play Lincoln Journal Star eighth ranked 3-3 Lincoln Southwest at 8:00. Pregame coverage at 7:30 on 106 KIX & 106KIX.com.
Saturday Morning: Sportstalk on 106 KIX & 106KIX.com from 9:00-10:00 AM from Hy-Vee West. Get the lowdown with the coaches.
Local Scores: Las Vegas 41 Omaha 6 (United Football League).
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Oakland 12 Texas 5
Final Seattle 12 L.A. Angels 0
Final N-Y Yankees 14 Boston 2
Final Chi White Sox 9 Cleveland 0
Final Toronto 2 Minnesota 1
Final Tampa Bay 4 Baltimore 1
Final Detroit 1 Kansas City 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Atlanta 4 Pittsburgh 0
Final Washington 5 Philadelphia 1
Final Chi Cubs 5 Houston 4
Final N-Y Mets 4 Miami 2
Final Colorado 2 Arizona 1
Final L.A. Dodgers 5 San Francisco 1
Final San Diego 7 Milwaukee 6
Final St. Louis 1 Cincinnati 0
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