‘Skins Try to Rebound Fans of the New York Jets have been calling for a quarterback change all season. They’ll finally get their wish Sunday, but it remains to be seen if a new signal caller can turn New York’s dismal season around. Kellen Clemens takes over for Chad Pennington under center and tries to help the Jets end a five-game losing streak when they host the Washington Redskins.
Author: Anthony Rome
Trying to Recover The Boston Bruins can’t help but be concerned about Patrice Bergeron, but they know they still have work to do. Five days after a brutal hit landed their star center in the hospital, the Bruins (6-4-0) return to the ice when they host the Buffalo Sabres (5-5-0).
Top Contenders Since returning to Phoenix four seasons ago, Steve Nash has helped transform the Suns into one of the best clubs in the league. The two-time league MVP has brought energy and leadership, but Phoenix is still eagerly awaiting the franchise’s first NBA title. The Suns are once again considered a top championship contender, though, and they’ll take their first step toward that goal when they visit the Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday.
All Eyes on the Finals After disappointing playoff exits last season, the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat each have set their sights on returning to the NBA finals. The two teams look to take their first steps toward a conference title in their season opener Thursday.
Looking to Halt History Mike Modano has been concerned that his pursuit of a record has become a distraction for the Dallas Stars. If Modano can continue to shake off his early season struggles, he won’t have to worry about his teammates losing focus. Modano looks to become the all-time points leader among U.S.-born players and the Stars (5-4-2) hope to continue their home dominance of the Chicago Blackhawks (5-6-0) when the teams meet Wednesday.
Confident Combo The Denver Nuggets made a big splash last season when they acquired Allen Iverson in a December trade. The Seattle SuperSonics made one of their own six months later by drafting Kevin Durant. Seattle expects to have Durant, the No. 2 overall pick, available Wednesday night when it opens 2007-08 by visiting a Denver team that hopes Iverson and Carmelo Anthony playing together for a full season can breed success.
Hungry for Third Straight Virginia Tech suffered a heartbreaking loss to the nation’s second-ranked team last week. Coach Frank Beamer will get to see Thursday night what his team learned from the experience. The No. 11 Hokies (6-2, 3-1 ACC) look to rebound and get back in the win column when they visit a Georgia Tech squad that’s looking for its third straight victory.
Richt Stuff Georgia has never lost a regular-season game to a non-conference opponent under coach Mark Richt. That streak isn’t likely to end Saturday afternoon when the No. 10 Bulldogs return to Sanford Stadium for their first meeting against Troy following their most impressive win of the season.
Loving November Southern California’s November success frequently paves the way for a run at a national championship. That won’t be the case this season. With their BCS title hopes dashed, the No. 13 Trojans look to remain perfect in the month of November under coach Pete Carroll while trying to continue their home dominance over Oregon State in a Pac-10 matchup on Saturday.
Playing Spoiler The Boston area is home to the World Series champions and an undefeated pro football team. It could also, for the first time, be home to a college football team playing for the BCS championship. First-year coach Jeff Jagodzinski, quarterback Matt Ryan and the rest of Boston College try to continue their perfect season Saturday when they host Florida State.