NFL:
On Monday night football, the Buffalo Bills honored Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas by retiring his No. 34 jersey. It happened last night at halftime in their 25 to 6 loss to the New England Patriots. Devin McCourty returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown, and the New England Patriots' defense smothered the Buffalo Bills' anemic offense.
Hue Jackson has been fired as coach of the Cleveland Browns -- ending a run of futility nearly unmatched in NFL history. Jackson, who went 3-36-1 in two-plus seasons, was dismissed on Monday by general manager John Dorsey with the backing of owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. The Browns also dismissed offensive coordinator Todd Haley and named defensive coordinator Gregg Williams interim coach. Haley was in his first season on Jackson's staff after spending the previous six in Pittsburgh. Jackson's firing came a day after the Browns lost their 25th straight road game — 20 of them coming with Jackson in charge. The Browns, who have not made the playoffs since 2002 amid a slew of coaching changes, have lost three straight games after a promising start to this season.
In other NFL news:
— The Dallas Cowboys have fired offensive line coach Paul Alexander less than halfway into his first season with the team, marking the first time for coach Jason Garrett to make an in-season change to his coaching staff. Alexander's dismissal was announced Monday after the Cowboys had their bye over the weekend.
— Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning isn't ready to hand over the job as the New York Giants starting quarterback. With fans and many in the media calling for him to be benched with the Giants off to a second straight 1-7 start, the 37-year-old Manning insisted he wants to play when New York takes the field against the 49ers in San Francisco on Nov. 12.
— New York Jets tight end Jordan Leggett started a charity campaign to honor the memory of a Florida high school football player who died 10 years ago from abdominal injuries suffered in a game. Leggett's "Touchdowns For Taylor" raises money for every receiving TD the Jets score to support the Taylor Haugen Foundation. Leggett and Haugen's parents are pushing for greater awareness of football-related abdominal injuries and measures to better protect children who play the sport across the country.
NBA:
Klay Thompson broke teammate Stephen Curry's NBA record with 14 3-pointers and scored 52 points in 27 minutes to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 149-124 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Thompson set the mark when he nailed a 3 with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. He was then mobbed by teammates as the players headed to the sideline for a timeout, with the Warriors leading 113-69. Curry hit 13 3-pointers in a win over New Orleans on Nov. 7, 2016. Thompson was 14 of 24 from long range after hitting 5 of 36 through the first seven games and shot 18 of 29 overall. He finished eight points shy of his career high.
The Cavaliers have a coach — for Tuesday night. Top assistant Larry Drew, who was expected to take over after Cleveland fired Tyronn Lue, said Monday that he is not the team's interim coach but merely "the voice right now." Drew says his agent Andy Miller is in talks with the Cavs about restructuring his contact, and is not making any long-term commitment until an agreement is reached. Lue was fired Sunday by general manager Koby Altman, who was disappointed with the team's 0-6 start and parted ways with the only coach to win a pro sports championship in Cleveland since 1964.
In other Monday NBA action:
— Ben Simmons had 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists and the Philadelphia 76ers flashed a little of last year's playoff form in a 113-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Markelle Fultz scored a season-high with 16 points for the Sixers.
— Gary Harris scored 23 points and came up with a big steal late to help the Denver Nuggets hold off the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans 116-111 after nearly squandering an 18-point lead. Jamal Murray chipped in 23 points and Nikola Jokic had 12 points and 10 assists for his fifth double-double in six games.
— Zach Collins matched his career high with 17 points and C.J. McCollum also had 17 to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 103-93 win over the Indiana Pacers. The Blazers have won three straight in the series and eight of the last nine against the Pacers.
— Jimmy Butler hit five of Minnesota's eight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to finish with 32 points and help the Timberwolves hang on to beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 124-120. Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and four blocks for the Timberwolves, who played some clutch defense just in time to fend off a late push from James. The four-time NBA MVP award winner had 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, after missing his first five shots of the night.
— Tim Hardaway Jr. had 25 points and eight assists, and the New York Knicks rolled to their second win of the season, beating the Brooklyn Nets 115-96. Frank Ntilikina added 16 points and Enes Kanter had 15 points and 15 rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who had dropped five straight since beating Atlanta in their season opener.
— Ersan Ilyasova scored a season-high 19 points, Malcolm Brogdon and Eric Bledsoe each added 17 and the Milwaukee Bucks improved to a franchise-best 7-0 on the season by beating the Toronto Raptors 124-109. A game between what had been the last two unbeaten teams left in the NBA went to the Bucks, even if the marquee matchup lost some of its luster with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined because of injury and Raptors star Kawhi Leonard sitting out for rest.
—Willie Cauley-Stein scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Buddy Hield added 23 points and the Sacramento Kings ran past the Miami Heat 123-113. De'Aaron Fox scored 20 points and Nemanja Bjelica added 19 for the Kings, who outscored Miami 77-55 in the middle two quarters and won on the Heat home floor for the second consecutive season.
— DeMar DeRozan had 34 points and nine assists and the San Antonio Spurs withstood a 31-point outburst by Dallas rookie Luka Doncic in a 113-108 overtime victory over the Mavericks on Monday night. LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points as San Antonio won its second overtime game. DeRozan and Doncic battled in the final minutes of regulation and into overtime in a game that included 10 lead changes and 12 ties.
NHL:
Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm scored 55 seconds apart in the third period as the Calgary Flames downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Monday. Lindholm and Monahan added an assist each as Calgary (6-5-1) snapped a three-game losing streak. Michael Frolik added an empty netter late to seal it while Mike Smith made 24 saves.
—In the only other game on NHL ice, rookie Elias Pettersson scored two goals, his second a third-period breakaway, as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2 to snap a two-game losing streak. Pettersson now has seven goals in seven games. He leads all NHL rookies in goals and points with 10. The Canucks ended the Wild's five-game winning streak.
The NHL is following the NBA's lead by partnering with MGM Resorts International and providing the company with data for use in sports betting. As part of the agreement, MGM gains access to proprietary NHL data that could eventually include puck and player tracking information. The NHL is not getting a cut of gambling profits. Casino operators are moving aggressively to be able to capitalize on the U.S. sports betting market, which is expanding after a Supreme Court ruling in May.
MLB:
The city of Boston has planned a parade of Duck Boats to carry the World Series champion Red Sox on Wednesday. A couple of hundred fans were at Fenway Park on Monday when a caravan of buses arrived carrying the champs. They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, giving the organization its fourth title since 2004.
The Baseball Hall of Fame has acquired another group of artifacts from the postseason.
Among the items to go on display are a bat used by World Series MVP Steve Pearce in Game 4, a jersey worn by David Price in Game 5, game-worn glasses used by Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly during the postseason, a cap and spikes worn by Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throughout the World Series, the ball-strike indicator used by home plate umpire Ted Barrett during Game 3 — the longest game in World Series history — and a hoodie worn by Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
The Baseball Hall of Fame has acquired another group of artifacts from the postseason. Among the items to go on display are a bat used by World Series MVP Steve Pearce in Game 4, a jersey worn by David Price in Game 5, game-worn glasses used by Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly during the postseason, a cap and spikes worn by Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throughout the World Series, the ball-strike indicator used by home plate umpire Ted Barrett during Game 3 — the longest game in World Series history — and a hoodie worn by Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
Manager Bob Melvin has received a long-term contract extension from the Oakland Athletics, who also reached new deals with executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane and general manager David Forst. The club announced the extensions Monday. Under Melvin's guidance, a young, slugging Oakland club went 97-65 and lost the wild-card game 7-2 to the New York Yankees. With majors' home run leader Khris Davis leading the way, the A's reached the postseason for the first time since 2014 following consecutive last-place finishes in the AL West.
In other MLB news:
— The New York Mets say baseball agent Brodie Van Wagenen has agreed to become their general manager. Team spokesman Harold Kaufman confirmed that chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and Van Wagenen have settled on terms of a contract, although no paperwork had been signed yet.
— The Toronto Blue Jays have introduced former Rays bench coach Charlie Montoyo as the 13th manager in team history. A week ago Sunday, about an hour after Tampa Bay's general manager told Montoyo the Blue Jays were interested in him, Toronto GM Ross Atkins was calling to chat. Two days later, Montoyo was in Toronto to interview. By Thursday, the job was his.
— The Arizona Diamondbacks have picked up the $14.5 million option on Paul Goldschmidt's contract for the 2019 season. The club option was attached to the five-year, $32 million deal Goldschmidt signed in 2014, a deal considered one of the most team-friendly in baseball considering Goldschmidt's production through those years. The 31-year-old slugger is a .297 career hitter with 209 home runs and 710 RBIs.
— The St. Louis Cardinals have hired Jeff Albert as their hitting coach and Stubby Clapp as their first base coach, rounding out manager Mike Schildt's coaching staff for next season. Albert spent time with the Cardinals before spending the past six years with the Astros, while Clapp has been the manager of the Triple-A Memphis team the past two seasons.
— The Chicago White Sox have declined their $16 million option on James Shields and exercised a $2 million buyout, making the veteran right-hander a free agent. Chicago also exercised a $4.65 million team option on reliever Nate Jones and reinstated right-hander Michael Kopech from the 60-day disabled list.
— The Washington Nationals have exercised their $6 million club option for 2019 on lefty closer Sean Doolittle. His contract has another team option, at $6.5 million, for 2020. The 32-year-old Doolittle had 25 saves and a 3-3 record with a 1.60 ERA in 43 appearances this season, earning an NL All-Star selection. He missed two months with an injured left foot.
— Madison Bumgarner's $12 million contract option for the 2019 season has been exercised by the San Francisco Giants, keeping the 2014 World Series MVP and ace left-hander with the club for at least one more season after his past two years were shortened by injuries. The Giants on Monday also exercised third baseman Pablo Sandoval's option for the $555,000 minimum.
Gymnastics:
A former Olympic gymnast and her sister, who also competed on the national team, claim in lawsuits that USA Gymnastics enabled and failed to prevent sexual abuse by the team's former doctor, Larry Nassar. The civil suits filed Monday in Los Angeles by Tasha and Jordan Schwikert also name as defendants the U.S. Olympic Committee and Nassar. USA Gymnastics and the USOC didn't respond to emails seeking comment. Nassar is in prison after hundreds of girls and women said he abused them under the guise of medical treatment. The sisters both claim Nassar assaulted them. They allege in court filings that the organizations failed to take abuse allegations seriously.
NCAA:
Urban Meyer says he will be back coaching at Ohio State next season. Meyer, who was suspended for three games to start the season and has been slowed by headaches caused by a cyst, was addressing speculation around the college football world that he could retire after the season. Asked Monday to address the reports, Meyer said, "I plan on coaching." Asked if he would definitely return to Ohio State next year, he said, "Yes."
Syracuse moved into the AP Top 25 at No. 22 on Sunday after becoming eligible for the postseason with their sixth victory. The last time the Orange were ranked was at No. 14 after defeating Kansas State in the 2001 Insight.com Bowl. Coach Dino Babers sets sights on finishing strong.
Fantasy Sports:
A New York judge has ruled that a 2016 law allowing and regulating daily fantasy sports violates the gambling ban in the state constitution. The Journal News reports that Acting Supreme Court Justice Gerald Connolly made the ruling Friday. Connolly also ruled that state lawmakers could take daily fantasy sports out of the state penal law, which penalizes illegal gambling.
The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by anti-gambling organizations. Its immediate impact wasn't clear. Attorney David Boies, who represents DraftKings, claimed the ruling allows DraftKings to "continue to offer their services to players." He said they're studying the "decision invalidating the regulatory structure and are committed to working with the legislature." A spokesman for FanDuel declined to comment. The state Gaming Commissions says it's reviewing the decision.
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