Chicago Sun-Times :: Sports ::

Forte, defense turn it on as Bears shock Colts 29-13

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

The victory before a national-television audience served notice that the Bears are over their Super Bowl hangover. "This is the way you want to start off your season," coach Lovie Smith said.

Not a total loss for Sox

BY TONI GINNETTI tginnetti@suntimes.com — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

The magic number is down to three for the Los Angeles Angels, who might have as much as three weeks to plan their postseason strategy as American League West champs. For the White Sox, still leading the AL Central despite a 3-2 loss Sunday to the Angels, the next three weeks will be anything but restful.

Cubs not panicking -- yet

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Is it time to panic yet? Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee says no. But the state of the team after what might have been its toughest loss of the season Sunday makes you wonder. And the manager wasn't saying -- anything.

IRA at Joliet: No. 2 is No. 1 for Dixon

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Steve Tucker: Scott Dixon lost the battle but won the war -- and a $1 million bonus. In the second-closest finish in IndyCar history, Helio Castroneves edged Dixon by .0033 of a second to win the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.

JJ wins 2nd straight charge into Chase

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Jimmie Johnson has momentum on his side and history in sight.

Rich South protests Head's move to Crane

BY PHIL ARVIA SouthtownStar — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Crandall Head came to Rich South in 2006 prepared to carry on his family's basketball legacy. His brother, Luther, flush with money from his Houston Rockets contract, had moved his family from Chicago's West Side and onto a Matteson block where homes now list close to $500,000.

Serena tips Jankovic for 9th major crown

BY HOWARD FENDRICH — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

NEW YORK --Serena Williams flung her racket straight up and jumped for joy, hopping and skipping and screaming and generally looking like someone who had just won her first U.S. Open title or earned her debut at No. 1.

Murray finishes off Nadal; Federer next

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

NEW YORK -- No one ever seems to run Rafael Nadal ragged, and yet Andy Murray did just that in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Our Hot Fan contest is heating up!

FROM SUN-TIMES STAFF REPORTS — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

It may be getting a little cooler outside, but our fan galleries for the Cubs and White Sox remain hot! Check out our newest additions. Bears and Hawks fans, don't be left out. E-mail your photos to webphotos@chicagosuntimes.com. We've had more than 8 million page views and over 50,000 votes on our poll at suntimes.com/sports.

Accuscore probabilities

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

AccuScore has run more than 10,000 simulations for the season to calculate how each team's performance changes in response to game conditions, opponents' abilities, roster moves, weather and more. Here's AccuScore.com's analysis of each team's postseason probabilities (through Saturday):

On the Air today

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Time Sport TV/radio

IRA at Joliet: No. 2 is No. 1 for Dixon

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Not a total loss for Sox

BY TONI GINNETTI tginnetti@suntimes.com — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Cubs not panicking -- yet

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Cubs recap

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

At the plate

Twins fail to gain on Sox

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Dusty Ryan homered, and the visiting Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5 on Sunday.

Young close to perfection

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Chris Young came within four outs of perfection, a major accomplishment for a guy whose season has been anything but perfect.

Sox recap

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

At the plate: Angels lefty Joe Saunders was in control in keeping the Sox' bats in check. After getting 15 hits in each of the first two games of the series, the Sox had only five Sunday, with solo home runs from Paul Konerko and Toby Hall accounting for the scoring.

This day in Cubs history

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

ARBITRATOR SLAPS COMMISHSept. 8, 1980 | Cubs pitcher Fergie Jenkins is suspended indefinitely by commissioner Bowie Kuhn for his drug arrest Aug. 25 in Toronto. The suspension is overturned by an arbitrator two weeks later, a first for a big-league commissioner in the six decades the office has existed.

Unhappy endings

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

UNHAPPY ENDINGSThe loss Sunday to the Reds was the Cubs' seventh of the season on a walk-off hit:

Forte, defense turn it on as Bears shock Colts 29-13

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

The victory before a national-television audience served notice that the Bears are over their Super Bowl hangover. "This is the way you want to start off your season," coach Lovie Smith said.

Bears shuffle secondary

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

INDIANAPOLIS -- The last line of defense is the first place the Bears tinkered with their defense.

Manning, Colts aren't themselves

BY NEIL HAYES nhayes@suntimes.com — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

INDIANAPOLIS -- Joyous Bears players could be heard before they could be seen as they walked through the tunnel to the visitors' locker room Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium after a 29-13 season-opening thrashing of the Colts.

Panthers, Moose loaded for Bear

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

firsttake

Brett-y good debut

BY STEVEN WINE — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

MIAMI -- Brett Favre sank to one knee on the sideline, helplessly watching the Miami Dolphins try to upstage his comeback with one of their own.

McNabb does his thing, throws for a healthy 361

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Just like a preseason game, Donovan McNabb finished this one early. By the time he went to the sideline, though, he'd turned in a vintage performance.

Browns draw 1st blood, but Romo gets KO

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

CLEVELAND -- Tony Romo's bloodied chin needed stitches and an X-ray, and Marion Barber's ribs were badly bruised. The Dallas Cowboys absorbed more than a few hard knocks on Sunday.

Stadium impresses Goodell

BY NEIL HAYES nhayes@suntimes.com — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

INDIANAPOLIS -- You know you're in a basketball-crazed state when even the new football stadium looks like an old-school fieldhouse.

MNF preview

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

VIKINGS AT PACKERSTime: 6, ESPN.

Atlanta burnin' behind Turner

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

ATLANTA -- Matt Ryan hopped down the field to celebrate after his first NFL pass, toppling center Todd McClure along the way.

Sore point: Tennessee 'D' the key

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans sacked David Garrard seven times and recovered his fumble, and Cortland Finnegan intercepted him twice while beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-10 Sunday in the season opener between the AFC's two wild-card teams in 2007.

Brees leads Saints past Bucs with three TDs

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

NEW ORLEANS -- Saints fans partied near debris piles and leaning fences -- the lingering evidence of Hurricane Gustav's path through New Orleans last week.

Brady's season in peril

BY HOWARD ULMAN — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady screamed, and the fans in Gillette Stadium went quiet.

Delhomme returns in style

BY BERNIE WILSON — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

SAN DIEGO -- Their eyes met -- the tight end under the goalposts and the quarterback who was moving up in the pocket, trying to keep the play alive.

Buffalo's opening win something special

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- For the Buffalo Bills, their 34-10 victory over the four-time defending NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks on Sunday began and ended with special teams.

No Favre, but Vikings-Packers still full of venom

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre beat the Minnesota Vikings 11 of the 15 times they met at Lambeau Field, with some of those losses ranking among the most bitter of defeats for a franchise swimming in them.

Rich South protests Head's move to Crane

BY PHIL ARVIA SouthtownStar — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Coaches react to Head transfer

BY PHIL ARVIA SouthtownStar — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

Scot Ritter has a trace of Kankakee County in his voice, a bit of country hardass no doubt forged in part under the blast-furnace coaching of Bradley-Bourbonnais hoops legend Vern Sloan.

Super 25

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

1 MOUNT CARMEL 2-0 1

Before Olympics, Magnuson, Loukas got their feet wet with Illinois state titles

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

They graduated from high school the same year, and both won state titles in their final swimming and diving meets.

High school results

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:01 CST

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS