Short-handed Bears dominate as Orton rolls
It's hard to say what was more impressive: the way the Bears overcame the absence of three starters, two of them with Pro Bowl credentials, or how they destroyed a defense hellbent on and successful at shutting down their rushing attack.

Cubs must endure another long winter
It was the obvious question in the moment that never was supposed to come for these Cubs this year -- certainly not in the mind of Ryan Dempster to hear him talk more than seven months ago on a sidewalk in Mesa, Ariz.

Danks developing into a star
John Danks is developing into a star. Twenty-three years old, and it's happening right now, this week. It's the hurry-up version of a learning curve. He saved the Sox season on Tuesday, and now he saved it again Sunday.

Bears moving closer to head of NFL class
Sports Illustrated recently asked Matt Forte to fill in the blank with a description of what he thinks is so boring. Forte said, "Listening to a lecture." Only months removed from the classrooms of Tulane, perhaps the Bears rookie running back has had it with instruction that doesn't involve football.

Brown: 'I want to play every play'

DETROIT -- Mike Brown never wants to come off the field, and he nearly got his wish Sunday.

Stewart put end to season-long skid with Talladega win
TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Tony Stewart ended his frustrating winless season Sunday by earning his first Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway when NASCAR ruled Regan Smith's last-lap pass was illegal.

Guillen shocked over Cubs' demise
CHICAGO -- Ken Williams might have been thinking it on Sunday, but the general manager wasn't saying it.

Angels hold off elimination
BOSTON -- Francisco Rodriguez's biggest save of a record-breaking season came in a tie game.

Bears hope suspension gets Harris' attention
DETROIT -- General manager Jerry Angelo said the Bears left Tommie Harris at home this weekend to get his attention.

Ryan, Turner lead Falcons past Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers played hurt and played hard. But he was upstaged by Matt Ryan and the Falcons.

Short-handed Bears dominate as Orton rolls
It’s hard to say what was most impressive about the Bears today.

White Sox bounce back 5-3 over Rays to stay alive
Everyone wants an explanation. Is it the mystique of The Cell? The "blackout" conditions provided by a sellout crowd, again dressed for a funeral? Is it the question marks turned into exclamation points in pitchers John Danks and Gavin Floyd? Well, lean your head in, turn an ear and listen closely. White Sox outfielder Dewayne Wise has a little secret for you.

Spartans' second wind blows away Eagles
Aurora University used one of those, a 64-yarder from quarterback Nate Peterson to wideout Tim Young, on the second play of the second half to jump start a 31-7 victory over visiting Benedictine University on Saturday afternoon.

Cubs swept again in first round, lose 3-1 to Dodgers
It’s got to be the curses. Not goats and black cats. Just curses. Four-letter curses. Four-letter baseball.

Homers sweet, but they limit Sox's reach
God is not cooperating. The White Sox need warm weather, which helps the ball fly out of the park. It's the only way the Sox know how to score. Tampa Bay can do all sorts of things, everything really, so the cool air shouldn't matter much to the Rays. It matters to the Sox.

Brewers conjure up win, extend series to Game 4

MILWAUKEE -- J.J. Hardy and the Milwaukee Brewers did just enough to keep their postseason alive for another day.

Larsen picks up pace -- and team in process
Andrew Larsen and Marmion continued their winning ways Saturday by besting a field of 26 teams at the Lisle Mane Event Invitational at Community Park.

Ramblers' effort comes up short
Mooseheart went into halftime of Saturday's game with Hope Academy trailing just 8-0, but Hope scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter and rolled to the 35-6 win.

Vikings formidable in any combination
Even without several of its top runners, the Geneva girls cross country team proved it is the team to beat this fall by outdistancing the pack Saturday during the Lisle Mane Event Invitational at Community Park.

Sox need defining effort -- or that's a wrap

If the season is, in fact, ending tonight in the American League Division Series, catcher A.J. Pierzynski wasn't sure how the 2008 White Sox would be labeled in the franchise's long history.

Orton earning trust at controls of offense

DETROIT -- Whether the game plan was put squarely on the shoulders of Kyle Orton is really just a matter of semantics.

Beating the House: Illini send message to Big Ten

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With only four wins over Michigan in 49 years, Illinois certainly would have qualified for disaster relief going into this game. Instead, the Illini took their season into their own hands Saturday.

Irish air attack superior vs. Stanford

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame struggled to run the ball and stop the run, which would be a recipe for disaster on most days against most opponents. But on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish passing game was so dominant that little else mattered.

Panthers' line pounds Plainfield South
Most everyone in attendance at Plainfield South Friday night would have thought the Oswego Panthers established its dominance on the offensive line early in the first quarter, at the very least in the second.

Bulldogs strike early, often
Batavia linebacker Mike Theriault poked the first hole in Yorkville's homecoming when he intercepted a pass at the Yorkville 23 on the Foxes' opening play from scrimmage. Four plays later Bulldog quarterback Jordan Coffey found Mark Briden for an 11-yard touchdown pass and the Bulldogs were off to a 44-6 victory.

Coal City tops Sandwich
The Indians fell to Coal City 35-14 in Interstate Eight Large action Friday, dropping Sandwich to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in conference. The game turned on a fateful two-play swing in the second quarter.

Oswego piles up rushing yards
The matchup between Oswego and Plainfield South Friday night appeared to be a battle of teams in the hunt for the Southwest Prairie Conference championship. But it was soon evident that the Panthers would completely control this game and turn it into a rout.

Warriors top Lake Park
Tyler Castro was 19-of-27 passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns as Waubonsie Valley overcame a sluggish start to upend visiting Lake Park 26-7 on Friday night. Castro's touchdown passes all came in the second half, helping the Warriors (3-3, 3-1 UEC) rally from a 7-6 halftime deficit. Mark Hilgers made eight catches for 82 yards and two scores, while Scott Kuehn grabbed eight passes for 120 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. Waubonsie got a second-quarter touchdown from defensive tackle Sherrod Stancil.

East Aurora continues turnaround
East Aurora continued their turnaround campaign on Friday at Roy E. Davis Field. Following the sophomore team's third straight victory, the Tomcats varsity won their second game of the season by shutting out Thornwood 14-0.

Blackhawks can't slow WW South
West Aurora coach Buck Drach said it all about the Blackhawks' homecoming matchup against defending DuPage Valley Conference champion and undefeated Wheaton Warrenville South Friday night.

Glenbard S. wins in shootout
Friday's Western Sun Conference duel between Kaneland and Glenbard South gave offense-craving fans many reasons to cheer. For Knights fans, however, too much of the cheering came from Glenbard South backers in the Raiders' 47-31 victory.

Sox reeling after Game 2 defeat
A leaky eighth inning, baserunners who can be timed with sun dials and the clutch hit still basking in the glory of winning the American League Central, apparently unaware that the postseason is now two games in. It could only mean one thing - a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 2 of the American League Central Division Series.

Sox notes: Guillen 'frustrated' with Vazquez
If the White Sox force a Game 5 in the American League Division Series against Tampa Bay, Guillen would have to decide to either go back with struggling starter Javier Vazquez, make what would seem like the obvious decision and bring back lefty Mark Buehrle, or then there's always the wildcard in all of this, starting rookie Clayton Richard. Guillen has concerns with all three.

Piniella gives Cubs 'pep talk'
As the Cubs held an optional workout in preparation for tonight's must-win Game 3 of the National League Division Series, the reports making the radio rounds Friday on Chicago airwaves got some head-shaking attention. And even a few laughs.

Cubs notes: Dempster available in relief for Game 3
Ryan Dempster, the Cubs'Game 1 starter, is moving to the bullpen tonight to be available in middle relief tonight in Game 3 and, if necessary, in Game 4 on Sunday, manager Lou Piniella said.

Huskies brace for Volunteers' speed
There are no delusions of grandeur here. Northern Illinois is unbeaten vs. the Southeastern Conference since 2003 and its defense hasn't allowed a touchdown during its current two-game winning streak. But that doesn't make tonight's date with 1-3 Tennessee in front of 100,000-plus fans at Neyland Stadium any less formidable.

Briefs: Blackhawks win preseason game
Dustin Byfuglien and Martin Havlat both scored two goals, and Patrick Kane added three assists as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-4 on Friday night in a preseason game.

Sox drop another one in Tampa
— The young, resilient Rays are one win from breezing into the American League championship series. All-Star Scott Kazmir settled down after a shaky start, Akinori Iwamura hit a go-ahead, two-run homer and the AL East champions beat the White Sox 6-2 Friday for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

The realigned Upstate 'Eight' isn't quite right
The "new" Upstate Eight Conference looks like a beginning to a Seinfeld joke: "So what's with the Upstate Eight? It's not upstate, and it's got 12 teams." The conference is expanding to 12 teams for the 2010 football season and