NFL-GIANTS-MANNING
The offensive line has been horrible, the receiving corps has been decimated and the play-calling has been second-guessed. And with that, the New York Giants have decided a quarterback change is in order after the team fell to 2-9 with a lackluster 20-10 loss to Washington on Thanksgiving night.
Eli Manning has been benched after starting every game since the middle of his rookie season 13 years ago. The Giants will go with Geno Smith, who washed out with the New York Jets after being taken in the second round of the 2013 draft out of West Virginia.
Coach Ben McAdoo says he gave the 36-year-old Manning the option of starting to keep his streak of 210 consecutive starts alive, but the two-time Super Bowl MVP didn't want any part of that. Only Brett Favre has started more consecutive games among NFL quarterbacks in league history.
Playing with a weak offensive line and a thin group of receivers, Manning has still managed to complete about 63 percent of his passes and throw just seven interceptions. He is the team record-holder in almost every single-season and career record among Giants signal-callers.
NBA-SCHEDULE
The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to continue their winning streak despite the first ejection of LeBron James' NBA career.
Kevin Love poured in 32 of his 38 points in the first half as the Cavs won their ninth in a row, downing the Miami Heat 108-97. Love scored 22 in the opening period and helped Cleveland build a 27-point lead before halftime.
James delivered 21 points before he was hit with a pair of technicals and tossed from the game with 1:59 left in the third quarter. It was his first ejection in 1,082 games.
Dwyane Wade added 17 points against his old team as the Cavaliers stayed perfect since a 5-7 start.
Also in the NBA:
— Otto Porter capped his 22-point performance by nailing a go-ahead, 22-footer with 25 seconds left to lead the Wizards past the Timberwolves 92-89. Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points and 15 rebounds for Minnesota.
— The Bulls have a six-game losing streak and a league-worst 3-16 record after Devin Booker's 33 points carried the Suns to a 104-99 win at Chicago. T.J. Warren scored 25 and Alex Len tied a career high with 18 boards to help Phoenix outrebound the Bulls 57-41.
NBA-GRIFFIN INJURED
The Los Angeles Clippers could spend up to eight weeks without forward Blake Griffin because of a sprained left knee suffered late in last night's win over the Lakers.
The team says an MRI revealed a sprained MCL, but there is no other structural damage to the knee. He was going for a loose ball in the paint with teammate Austin Rivers and Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball when it appeared Rivers fell on Griffin.
In other NBA news:
— The school board in LeBron James' Ohio hometown has approved the plan for a public school being created in partnership with the NBA star's foundation. The LeBron James Family Foundation says the "I Promise" School in Akron will be geared toward educating students who are at risk of falling behind. It will have longer days and begin classes in the summer to encourage information retention.
— Former NBA player Ben Gordon has been arrested on suspicion of robbery in Los Angeles for allegedly punching and pulling a knife on an apartment manager. A police spokesman says Gordon went to a building Saturday where he rented two apartments and demanded his security deposit. Gordon was arrested last week in New York for driving with a forged license.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CFP RANKINGS
Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are the top four teams in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, with Alabama falling from first to fifth and Miami dropping to seventh.
Each of the top four teams plays a conference title game this Saturday against another top-10 team, creating potential play-in playoff games.
Clemson tops the rankings for the first time this season, and Auburn climbed to second with Saturday's 26-14 win over the Crimson Tide. Georgia is sixth and has a chance to crack the top four if the Bulldogs can beat Auburn in Saturday's SEC championship game.
Clemson takes on Miami for the ACC crown, Wisconsin faces No. 8 Ohio State for Big-Ten bragging rights and Oklahoma battles No. 10 TCU.
The final rankings come out Sunday.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-FLORIDA-McELWAIN
The University of Florida has worked out a buyout with former football coach Jim McElwain, who will receive $7.5 million across six payments between now and 2021.
The first installment will be a $3.75 million transition payment Friday. McElwain's original buyout would have been a little more than $12.5 million, an amount the team and coach negotiated after he failed to produce evidence of alleged death threats in late October.
Meanwhile, a person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that new coach Dan Mullen has dismissed defensive coordinator Randy Shannon and five other assistants.
Also in the NFL:
— Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree and Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib have had their suspensions reduced from two to one game on appeal. The pair was punished for their fight during Sunday's game at Oakland. The fight was a continuation of a dispute that started last season when Talib ripped Crabtree's chain off during the season finale.
— Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will make his first start of the season when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Bears in Chicago on Sunday. The Niners hoped Garoppolo would emerge as the team's long-term QB when they acquired him on Oct. 31 from New England for a 2018 second-round pick. Garoppolo made his San Francisco debut in the final minute of Sunday's 24-13 loss to Seattle after starter C.J. Beathard left with injuries to his hip and knee.
— Running back Darren McFadden has announced his retirement two days after his release by the Cowboys. The 10-year veteran had his second 1,000-yard rushing season just two years ago, but he was an afterthought for the Cowboys even after 2016 NFL rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott started his six-game suspension over alleged domestic violence. McFadden finished with 5,421 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns.
TOP 25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Second-ranked Kansas has continued its best start in seven seasons.
Devonte Graham scored a career-high 35 points and the Jayhawks improved to 6-0 by thrashing Toledo 96-58. Svi Mykhailiuk added 15 points on five 3-pointers for Kansas, which built a 59-30 lead by halftime and pushed the advantage to more than 50.
Malik Newman added 17 points and contributed to a 30-2 run that put the Jayhawks well in control before halftime.
Checking out other top-25 finals:
— Eighth-ranked Wichita blew out Savannah State 112-66 behind a season-high 31 points from Samajae Haynes-Jones. Darral Willis had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Shockers, who played the second half without leading scorer Landry Shamet after he re-injured his right ankle.
— J.P. Macura scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half of No. 21 Xavier's 76-63 home win against 16th-ranked Baylor. The Musketeers opened a 21-8 lead, bounced back from their only loss of the season and handed the Bears their first setback.
— Vince Edwards scored 15 points and Carsen Edwards and Dakota Mathias spurred a late run to send Purdue past 17th-ranked Louisville 66-57 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Boilermakers went on an 11-4 spurt down the stretch and won their first game since their 41-week streak in the Top 25 ended.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-UCLA-SUSPENSIONS
UCLA's three suspended basketball players are working out on their own while they await a final decision on whether they'll be allowed to play for the Bruins this season.
Coach Steve Alford says he doesn't think "we're talking about months" regarding a timetable to decide the fate of freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley. The three were suspended indefinitely for shoplifting in China earlier this month.
NHL-SCHEDULE
The Tampa Bay Lightning are back atop the NHL's overall standings after ending a two-game skid.
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 34 saves in his second shutout this season as the Lightning downed the struggling Sabres 2-0. The Lightning improved to 17-5-2, with Vasilevsky picking up his league-leading 16th victory.
Defenseman Dan Girardi and rookie Mikhail Sergachev did the scoring to help Tampa Bay send the Sabres to their ninth loss in 10 games.
Buffalo has been shut out in its last two contests.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist before shootout goals by Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin sent the Blue Jackets past the Hurricanes 3-2. The Blue Jackets won for the seventh time in eight games to take over first place in the Metropolitan Division, one point over the Islanders and Devils.
— Calvin de Haan and Jordan Eberle scored one minute apart in the first period of the Islanders' seventh win in eight games, 5-2 against the Canucks. Andrew Ladd, Anders Lee and John Tavares also tallied for the Isles, who are 8-0-2 at Barclays Center and remain the only NHL team without a regulation home loss.
— Pekka Rinne made 37 saves and the Predators won for the 10th time in 12 games by nipping the Blackhawks 3-2. Filip Forsberg, Austin Watson and Roman Josi supplied Nashville's goals.
— Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar scored 2:10 apart late in the second period to put the Kings ahead in a 4-1 verdict over the Red Wings in Detroit. Kopitar had two goals and Jonathan Quick turned back 23 shots as Los Angeles dealt Detroit its fifth consecutive loss.
— The Panthers wasted a 4-1 lead before Denis Malgrin scored with 69 seconds left to push Florida past the Rangers 5-4, ending the Blueshirts' eight-game home winning streak. Jonathan Huberdeau scored once and had an assist to help the Panthers overcome Chris Kreider's two goals and three points.
— The Flyers own their longest losing streak in nearly 10 years after dropping their ninth in a row 3-1 against San Jose. Joe Thornton scored the go-ahead goal late in the first period to support Aaron Dell, who stopped 22 shots and blanked Philadelphia after Claude Giroux scored 48 seconds in.
— Roman Polak scored his first goal of the season and Frederik Andersen made 19 saves as the Maple Leafs beat the Flames 4-1. Toronto improved to 4-0-1 in its last five road games and 8-2-1 in its last 11 overall.
— The Oilers pulled out a 3-2 win over the Coyotes on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' goal at 4:20 of overtime. Zack Kassian and Matt Benning also tallied for the Oilers, who now have their second two-game winning streak of the season.
NHL-PENGUINS-MURRAY
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan says goaltender Matt Murray is "week to week" with a lower-body injury suffered during Monday's 5-4 overtime win against Philadelphia.
Murray was on the ice for several minutes before making his way to the bench and limping down the runway to the locker room while favoring his right leg. The team placed Murray on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning he will be out at least seven days.
Checking out other NHL tidbits:
— The NHL has fined Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane and Wild defenseman Matt Dumba $5,000 each. Kane was punished for slashing Anaheim's Nick Ritchie on Monday, and Duma was fined for unsportsmanlike conduct in Monday's game against Winnipeg.
OBIT-BUD MOORE
NASCAR Hall of Famer Bud Moore has died at age 92.
Moore won the NASCAR title in 1957 as crew chief for Buck Baker and car owner titles in 1962 and 1963 with Joe Weatherly.
The World War II veteran landed on Utah Beach on D-Day and was awarded five Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars.
College Basketball
Rhode Island beat Brown 86 to 62.
Iona defeated Ohio 93 to 88.
On the women’s side:
UConn defeated Nevada 88 to 57.
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