SPORTS N STUFF

Houston running back Arian Foster took the Colts by surprise in the Texans stunning Week 1 victory.

Hes the center of attention heading into the rematch Monday night.

The Texans established themselves as an emerging team last season with Matt Schaubs arm and Andre Johnsons hands, but Houston began this season by unleashing the virtually unknown Foster on Indianapolis. The second-year pro ran for 231 yards and three touchdowns in Houstons 34-24 win that helped the Texans gain league-wide credibility.

For the Colts, losing to Houston for just the second time in 17 meetings was painful enough, but getting manhandled made it worse.

“They had a good game plan,” Colts linebacker Gary Brackett said. “I dont think you ever want to give a running back 200 yards, so that kind of sticks with us a little bit that they were able to pound the ball that much on the ground.”

The Colts turned out to be the first of many teams to get shredded by Foster. The undrafted free agent ranks second in the AFC with 635 yards rushing and leads the conference in yards from scrimmage. If the Colts dont figure out how to stop him, their chances of winning the AFC South for the seventh time in nine years will be slim. They are 0-2 in the division, including the loss to the Texans in the opener.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has a depleted corps of pass catchers. Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark has had season-ending surgery on his right wrist. Receiver Austin Collie will sit out after having surgery on his right thumb. Running back Joseph Addai is doubtful after injuring a nerve in his left shoulder, and his backup, Donald Brown, is questionable with a hamstring injury.

No matter who suits up for Indianapolis, all the Texans see are the horseshoes on the Colts helmets. A win for the Texans would give them a significant boost in their quest to make their first playoff appearance and their first sweep in the series.

“Theyve been that juggernaut in this division for years, and theyve been our Achilles heel here in Houston, so the fact that we have that chance and were looking at the opportunity is big for us,” Foster said.

While the Colts respect Foster, they say he wasnt a one-man show when the teams met in Houston.

“It was the offensive line, it was play calling in situations, it was a lot of self-inflicted things,” Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said. “Were going to go out there understanding that they have success. Not just against us, hes having success against other teams. Thats definitely going to be a focus of ours.”

The Texans ran for 257 yards in the previous meeting, and Schaub only attempted 17 passes. Brackett doesnt expect that to happen again.

“I think weve gotten better since we played that game, and every week, weve been improving, so I think Monday night will be the tale of how much improvement weve made from that Week 1 game,” he said.

The Colts still expect the Texans to try to establish the run.

“I wouldnt be surprised if they tried to stick to the script that got them the win the first game,” cornerback Kelvin Hayden said. “We just want to play better than we did last time. Were going to start by stopping the run, rallying to the ball, then forcing a team to throw, then thats when were at our best.”

Hayden said it starts with better tackling among the front seven. In the season opener, two of Indys top three tacklers were defensive backs.

“We dont want to be the guys leading the team in tackles at the end of the game,” he said. “We just want to be on the same page. I think that was our problem the first game – guys were trying to do a little extra, do their job, plus. We just want to ask everybody to do their job, play fast and physical and well be fine.”

The fact that the Texans have become a successful running team is a dramatic departure from last season. Houston ranked 30th out of 32 teams in yards rushing per game in rushing last season, but now ranks fifth. Foster said defenses now sometimes put as many as nine players at the line of scrimmage.

“We didnt have a good season running the ball last year, so I think we emphasized it this year,” he said. “It was one of our goals to be a better running team, and weve done that so far, so weve got to keep going.”

The Colts still respect Schaub and Johnson. Schaub has passed for 1,538 yards and nine touchdowns. Johnson has 32 catches for 488 yards and two scores. The week after Foster gouged the Colts, Schaub passed for 497 yards and three touchdowns and Johnson caught 12 passes for 158 yards and a score in an overtime win against Washington.

“Theyre a great team offensively,” Brackett said. “They can run the ball, they can throw the ball. As a defense, were ready for the challenge, and were going to accept it.”

CBSSports.com wire reports
Oct. 31, 2010

ST. LOUIS — Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams is inactive for the Panthers game Sunday in St. Louis, while Rams running back will play after having pins placed in the ring finger on his left hand.

Jackson is fifth in the NFL with 617 yards rushing. He broke the finger in last weeks 18-17 loss in Tampa.

Williams left the field in the final minute of Carolinas win over San Francisco last weekend and didnt practice all week. Williams rushed for more than 1,100 yards last season and was a Pro Bowl selection. He has 361 yards on 87 carries in 2010.

Jonathan Stewart will start at running back for Carolina.

St. Louis inactives include right tackle Jason Smith, who suffered concussion-like symptoms in practice this week, and wide receiver Danario Alexander (knee).

November – Free agent period to sign exclusively with former teams, first five days after World Series ends.

Nov. 16-17 – General managers meetings, Orlando, Fla.

Nov. 17-18 – Owners meetings, Orlando, Fla.

Nov. 23 – Last day for teams to offer salary arbitration to their former players who became free agents.

Nov. 29-Dec. 2 – Major League Baseball Players Association executive board meeting, Orlando, Fla.

Nov. 30 – Last day for free agents offered salary arbitration to accept the offers.

Dec. 2 – Last day for teams to offer 2011 contracts to unsigned players.

Dec. 6-9 – Winter meetings, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

2011

Jan 5-15 – Salary arbitration filing.

Jan. 18 – Exchange of salary arbitration figures.

Feb. 1-21 – Salary arbitration hearings.

Feb. 13 – Voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players.

Feb. 18 – Voluntary reporting date for other players.

March 1 – Mandatory reporting date.

March 2-11 – Teams may renew contracts of unsigned players.

March 14 – Last day to place a player on unconditional release waivers and pay 30 days termination pay instead of 45 days.

March 28 – Last day to request unconditional release waivers on a player without having to pay his full 2011 salary.

March 30 – Opening day, active rosters reduced to 25 players.

July 12 – All-Star game, Phoenix.

July 24 – Hall of Fame induction, Cooperstown, N.Y.

July 31 – Last day to trade a player without securing waivers.

Aug. 15 – Last day to sign selections from 2011 amateur draft who have not exhausted college eligibility.

Sept. 1 – Active rosters expand to 40 players.

Sept. 30 or Oct. 1 – Playoffs begin.

Oct. 19 – World Series begins.

November – Free agent period to sign exclusively with former teams, first 15 days after World Series ends.

Dec. 1 – Last day for teams to offer salary arbitration to their former players who became free agents.

Dec. 5-8 – Winter meetings, Dallas.

Dec. 7 – Last day for free agents offered salary arbitration to accept the offers.

Dec. 11 – Collective bargaining agreement expires.

Dec. 12 – Last day for teams to offer 2012 contracts to unsigned players.

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Riding the pitching arm of Colby Lewis and a three-run homer from the bat of their No. 9 hitter, the Texas Rangers defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-2 to cut their series deficit from two games to one.

To many, starting pitcher Lewis and rookie first baseman Mitch Moreland (their nine-hole hitter) may not sound like World Series heroes, but tonight their stars shined the brightest before a jubilant crowd at Ranger Ballpark in Arlington.

Their heroics guided the American League champions to the franchises first-ever World Series victory as they served notice to the Cinderella Giants (and the baseball world) that this, indeed, may be a long series.

The Rangers were already in uncharted territory, playing in their very first Fall Classic, and hosting their first game of such magnitude. Adding to the drama were these little stats that may have been quite sobering to a team looking to fight back after dropping the first two games of a series.

The last 11 teams to take a 2-0 lead with home field advantage went on to win the World Series.

In the history of the Fall Classic, teams have taken a 2-0 lead 51 times; 40 of them have become World Series champions.

The last three teams to grab a 2-0 lead not only went on to win, but also went on to sweep the series.

Elsa/Getty Images

Against these Texas-tall odds, the Rangers sent Colby Lewis to the hill to effectively keep them alive. Lewis, who entered the game with a 2-0 postseason record and a sparkling 1.45 era, was equal to the task, even if he didnt start the game with full command.

After retiring leadoff batter Andres Torres on a bouncer to second, Lewis gave up a two-strike hit to the sizzling Freddie Sanchez. Aubrey Huff flew out to deep right, before Lewis walked Buster Posey. Lewis got left fielder Pat Burrell to strike out (kind of a mean feat as Burrell was 0-for-4 with four whiffs) on a slider that appeared to be a foot aside. Still, a huge out for a team that could not afford to give the Giants even more momentum..

The Rangers almost got to Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez in the bottom of the first frame. Vladimir Guerrero, back in his familiar designated hitter role, put a mighty swing on an inside pitch with two outs and a man (Michael Young, with a single) on first. Vlad may have gotten it off the end of the bat, but Burrell, temporarily redeeming himself, made a fine running catch to keep the game scoreless.

For the next five innings, Lewis was in almost complete control, yielding a total of two more hits and one walk, The one free pass was issued to Cody “Babe” Ross to start the second, but the threat was wiped out by an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play of Pablo Sandoval, started by the nifty glove work of second sacker Ian Kinsler.

While the Rangers may not have made too many “web gems”, they were solid all night, committing no errors or misplays after playing two shoddy games in San Francisco.

On the other side of the hill, Sanchez, who at times can be brilliant, faced Nelson Cruz to start the second. The muscular left fielder hit a rocket, best described as a “Cruz Missile” that attacked the center field wall, but did not clear it for a leadoff double.

Sanchez got Kinsler to ground out to short, and Cruz alertly ran on contact to take third, with shortstop Edgar Renteria electing to take the sure out at first. With the infield playing back, Jeff Francouer hit a one-hopper even with the bag, but the normally aggressive Cruz retreated to third, even though the Giants appeared to concede the run on a contact play.

With two outs and Cruz stalled out at third, it would now take a hit (barring a wild pitch, of which the often wild Sanchez has proved capable of dealing) to get on the board. After Bengie Molina walked, in stepped rookie first baseman Mitch Moreland, hitting out of the nine hole.

In the key at-bat of the contest, Sanchez fell behind Moreland 2-1 before getting the benefit of a borderline strike to even the count. The first baseman would foul off four straight pitches before seeing a pitch—the ninth of the climactic showdown—that he liked. Well, Moreland did not miss it, sending it deep into the rightfield seats to give Texas a 3-0 lead that (thanks mostly to Lewis) it would never relinquish.

Josh Hamilton, who had not yet had his big moment in the Fall Classic, would add to the 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Again, the Rangers and their prodigiously talented center fielder would strike with two outs. Andrus had started the frame with a leadoff single, which Michael Young followed with a hard one-hopper to third baseman Juan Uribe.

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Uribes throw was high, but Freddie Sanchez turned a sensational pivot, just nipping Young to complete the twin killing. Hamilton would drive a Sanchez fastball well into the bleachers to make the score 4-0 Texas. As well as Lewis was pitching, the blow was a key one in giving the home team some insurance against a team that never gets discouraged.

A homer in the seventh—almost a formality in the craziness of the 2010 postseason—would put the Giants on the board, but Lewis and the Rangers minimized damage all night by retiring the leadoff man eight out of nine times; in this case, Burrell had started the inning by whiffing again.

Things got a little more scary for Lewis after he gave up another one-out solo shot in the eighth, this time a blast by centerfielder Andres Torres. Had Lewis, who prior to this season had done his most effective pitching in Japan, run out of gas?

Manager Ron Washington elected to leave him on the game, and Sanchez hit a rocket to left that looked like extra bases off his bat. Cruz, making one of the best plays of the night, robbed him with a terrific over-the-shoulder catch. Lewis stayed on to face dangerous lefty Aubrey Huff, and hit him on the top of his front foot with an off-speed pitch.

Preternaturally mature rookie catcher Buster Posey stepped to the plate, and Washington elected to turn to setup man Darren ODay. The resulting showdown would define the game, and indeed, be what postseason baseball is all about.

Top of the second: Rangers 4, Giants 2. Two outs, a man on first, and the momentum trending to the visitors. A less-than-hot reliever versus a great young hitter who had already reached base safely twice on the night.

The mano-a-mano would be epic. After getting up 0-2 on Posey, the side-arming reliever would miss on three straight offspeed pitches that were wide of the outside corner. ODay would step off the mound three times, continually shake off Molina, and even have a summit conference with his battery mate during the at-bat. It was the kind of high drama that baseball fans love, and non-believers cant stand.

The Rangers ended up loving it, as Posey reached for a 3-2 pitch and tapped it weakly to shortstop Elvis Andrus, who gunned him out at first.

With a well-rested rookie closer Neftali Feliz throwing pure gas in the ninth, the Rangers left their raucous ballpark with a 4-2 victory and the sense that they were truly in this series.

The Rangers will turn to young Tommy Hunter against an even younger (and quite impressive) Madison Bumgarner to try to keep their momentum going in Game 4.

But under the Saturday night lights deep in the heart of Texas, Lewis, Moreland their teammates made the debut of World Series baseball in the Longhorn State a quite memorable one.

Gold Notes

Nolan Ryans ceremonial first-pitch toss to honorary catcher Ivan Rodriguez was clocked at 68 MPH. It was a little short of the plate and outside, but Pudge scooped it with ease, saving the legendary team president a wild pitch.

Babe Ross and Josh Hamilton both hit heir fifth home runs of the postseason; it was Morelands first.

I realize that FOX pays a ton for the rights to televise the World Series, but they have to give us a better “God Bless America” singer than Martha Plimpton, the star of a FOX series, . She was horrible; I hope shes better in the series, which Ive decided to boycott, anyway. Sorry to give it some play here (Kelly Clarkson gave a pretty good version of the national anthem).

One has to think FOX and otherwise neutral baseball fans would like to see a Lincecum-Lee matchup with the teams tied at two apiece. Maybe this one will actually be a pitchers duel.

Oct. 30, Jay McClement, known primarily for his penalty-killing prowess, got a chance to see how the other half live.

McClement recorded his first career hat trick and T. J. Oshie and Brad Boyes scored in the shootout to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday.

Jaroslav Halak stopped both shots in the shootout to help the Blues to their fourth straight victory. The Thrashers lost for the first time in three games.

Nik Antropov and Rich Peverley each had a goal and an assist for the Thrashers, who played for the third time in four nights.

St. Louis, 5-0 at home, has won a franchise-record 11 straight home games, dating to last season.

The Blues rallied from a late 3-1 deficit with two goals by McClement in a span of 1:46 in the third period. McClement deflected in a shot from the point by Alex Pietrangelo to tie it with 4:25 left.

“Just happened to be in the right place at the right time a lot,” McClement said. “Feels good to contribute offensively for a change.”

McClement has led the NHL in ice time on the penalty kill among forwards each of the last two seasons. He seemed shocked by his newfound offensive muscle.

“I cant remember the last time I got one,” he said of the hat trick, which came in his 410th NHL game. “Dont count on too many more of those, either.”

St. Louis coach Davis Payne called McClement a grinder who finds a way to get into the dirty areas of the ice.

McClement had not scored in his first eight games this season and has never scored more than 12 goals in any NHL season.

The Blues have 14 points in their first nine games and are off to their best start since they opened the 2002-03 season 6-1-1. The 5-0 home start is the best since they won their first five home games in 2000.

Halak (6-1-1) bounced back from a slow start to record 19 consecutive saves, and made two stops in the shootout after giving up three goals in the first period. Peverleys goal at 8:58 ended Halaks shutout string at 160 minutes, 8 seconds. He had posted back-to-back shutouts and stopped 71 shots in a row before Peverleys goal.

“I didnt worry about what happened in the first period,” Halak said. “I just came out, I just tried to go puck by puck. I was trying to keep us going the same way the whole game.”

Atlantas Ondrej Pavelec stopped 24 of the first 25 shots he faced in his return after fainting and sustaining a concussion early in the Thrashers 4-2 season-opening win over Washington on Oct. 8.

“I was so excited to be back, couldnt wait,” he said. “I tried to focus. I felt pretty good after the first couple shots.”

Atlanta converted two power-play goals in the games first 13:59 to take a 2-1 lead. Peverley popped in a rebound of a shot by Antropov for his first goal of the season.

The Blues tied it three minutes later when McClement deflected in a shot from close range by Matt DAgostini.

But Antropov answered with his second goal of season, picking up a rebound from in front.

Atlantas Niclas Bergfors scored with 2.7 seconds left in the opening period to push the lead to 3-1. Bergfors broke free on the right wing and slapped a shot past Halak.

“It was a good effort by out guys,” Atlanta coach Craig Ramsay said. “We just kind of tired out near the end.”

Notes

Oshies career-best point streak of seven games came to an end. Atlanta forward Andrew Ladd had two assists and leads the Thrashers with 12 points. Antropov recorded his first multipoint game of the season. Atlanta G Chris Mason, who spent the last two seasons with the Blues, served as Pavelecs backup. Mason is 5-4-1 with 3.50 goals against average.

Oct. LeBron James stayed fairly quiet when the Orlando Magic questioned his competitiveness this summer.

James and his new team presented an emphatic response Friday night.

Dwyane Wade scored 26 points in Miamis home opener, James had 15 points and seven assists and the Heat scored the first 14 points of the second half to turn a close game into a surprisingly one-sided 96-70 victory over the Magic.

“It was really exciting – I mean, really exciting,” forward Chris Bosh said. “The fans of Miami have been anticipating this game for a really long time, ever since July.”

The Heat didnt disappoint, either. They had lost to Orlando 15 times in the last 20 meetings. Of course, all those were before Wade, James and Bosh teamed up in Miami.

And if this game was the measuring stick to see how the Heat are coming together, the result had to be an enjoyable one for Miamis Big 3. The Heat held Orlando to its lowest point total since Dec. 2, 2005, and the 26-point margin matched Miamis biggest ever against the Magic.

The 30.4 percent shoot a span of 573 regular-season games.

“The guys now cant go back on this,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Theyve shown me what were capable of defensively and I will hold them to this standard now in terms of the effort. The effort was great.”

More on Magic at Heat Column Ken Berger
Orlandos lack of defense spells trouble for Magic. Read More >> Related links Full Game Highlights Berger: Season predictions Power rankings Fired up for Magic vs. Heat Heat home opener a hot ticket B/R: Miamis knockout punch LeBron James uses fangs mouthguard Orlandos Jason Williams suspended Message Board: Magic | Heat Schedule: Magic | Heat Facts & Rumors

When the Heat acquired James this summer, Magic president of basketball operations Otis Smith uttered a now-infamous-in-Miami line: “I was surprised that he went. I thought he was, I guess, more of a competitor.”

They competed, all right, from start to finish.

“We heard everything Orlando had to say about us in the offseason,” James said. “Its not like its satisfying. Im not relieved, because its a long season. But they know were here for the long haul. We know theyre going to be there also, but this is a different Miami Heat team. Theres only so many words to be said. At this point, the ball has to be thrown up now.”

It didnt take long for the trio to provide their first highlight: Bosh grabbed a rebound at one end, passed near midcourt to James, who took one dribble and found Wade for an alley-oop dunk to help Miami take an early 22-13 lead.

“Off to the races,” Bosh said.

They were just getting started.

Dwight Howard scored all 19 of his points in the first half for Orlando, then fouled out midway through the fourth quarter. Reserve Ryan Anderson scored 12 for the Magic, who got outscored Orlandos first five 59-37.

“Overall, I thought it was just a terrible offensive execution,” said Magic forward Rashard Lewis, who was 0 for 9 from the floor.

The first half was fairly back-and-forth with eight lead changes and seven ties, neither team going up by more than nine.

That changed quickly coming out of intermission.

James hit a 3-pointer to open the second half, Wade connected on two more 3s within a 51-second span, and suddenly Miamis lead was 60-45. Orlando coach Stan Van Gund James jumper about a minute later pushed the lead to 20.

And that, mind you, was against an Orlando team that cruised to a 29-point win over Washington on Thursday night. For a team with no shortage of offensive options, the Magic were icy cold against the Heat.

Vince Carter played just 13 minutes, banging his head and hip on the floor while jostling for a rebound in the second quarter and finish combined for four points and missed all 14 of their field-goal tries. J.J. Redick left for a few minutes in the first half after drawing a charge against James with the right side of his face, which was cut and puffy. Redick needed seven stitches.

Van Gundy wanted before the game, and certainly didnt want to embrace it afterward.

“Their defense was very good, but I think when the defense is good, thats when our passing problems become evident,” Van Gundy said. “I thought our passing was horrendous tonight.”

It was over after the third quarter, Miamis best period in all three games so far. The Heat have outscored foes 86-41 in that quarter through the seasons first week. And even though the outcome was decided, Wade, James and Bosh all played some in the fourth – not to send a message, but rather to work on continuity, Spoelstra said.

“Its a good win,” Spoelstra said, “but we cant get carried away.”

Notes

Wades girlfriend, Gabrielle Union got a birthday bouquet of flowers in the fourth quarter. James said before the ga he had as a problem. “Im still learning my teammates. Teammates are still learning me,” he said. Celebrities in attendance included Marc Anthony, Chris Brown, Jon Secada and Ludacris. Clarence Clemons performed the national anthem. The Magic were without PG Jason Williams, suspended after making contact with an official in the final minute of Orlandos win over Washington.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Midway point or not, Week 8 in the NFL is already shaping up to be quite a pear-shaped event for the 2010 regular season.

If it wasnt Week 7s mishaps that have left teams rattled and searching for answers, it was the complete opposite, as it appeared the life saying of the “rich get richer, and the poor get poorer” could be applied to the NFLs winning and losing teams.

Once again the casual bye week steals several teams from the show this weekend, but that isnt to say that Week 8 cant be the normal midseason party that we have seen in years past.

Notable games include Denver at San Francisco in London, Miami at Cincinnati, and of course the 4-3 Green Bay Packers at the New York Jets.

So whose looking the goods to take home the wins?

Picks and predictions await.

Football is in the land of futbol to stay – and with an even bigger presence if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has his way.

When the San Francisco 49ers take on the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, theyll be the latest teams that went across the Atlantic to do their part in helping the league grow its international fan base.

And despite the long travels and disrupted team schedules such a trip brings, the NFL is charging ahead with plans to increase the number of games it plays overseas.

This Sunday marks the fourth regular-season game to be played in London, and Goodell said the success of the previous three sellouts has buoyed his hopes to succeed with his ultimate expansion goal – having a full-time franchise in London.

“Each year, the different barometers indicate that our popularity continues to rise,” Goodell said at an annual sports conference the NFL organizes together with The Economist magazine in London. “I think the next step will be multiple games (in Europe). And if thats successful then I think the idea of a franchise here is realistic.”

He just has to get the players and teams on board first, which may not be all that difficult.

Like the teams that came before them, the Niners and Broncos have only had good things to say about their trans-Atlantic trip – focusing more on the team-building opportunities than the jet lag and time spent away from home.

“Ive never been out of the country, so this is definitely a good experience and opportunity,” Niners cornerback Nate Clements said. “And I look to take advantage of this and make the most of it.”

Of course, its not exactly easy to bring the full NFL circus abroad.

Traveling logistics are one of the biggest challenges for teams coming over for games, highlighted by the Niners (1-6) and Broncos (2-5) choosing drastically different strategies for how to approach Sundays matchup.

San Francisco arrived on Monday and has spent the week in a five-star hotel in the countryside outside London, getting adjusted to the time difference and practicing on a field with the same wet and slippery conditions expected at Wembley.

The Broncos, meanwhile, chose to stay home longer and only arrived Friday.

“Everyone was kind of like walking zombies off of the flight,” Broncos offensive lineman Chris Kuper said. “Once we catch up on sleep we should be fine. We got two days to catch up on sleep.”

The Niners have the added disadvantage of being listed as the home team, meaning they get one less game to play in San Francisco. But with the city turning the spotlight to the Giants playing in the World Series, its not a bad time for the struggling football team to explore new surroundings.

“When you look at where we are right now as a team, it is nice to be able to get away and come here, and be able to sort of regroup as a team internally,” head coach Mike Singletary said.

Goodell acknowledged its “painful” for teams to give up a home game, and said thats one of the reasons the NFL is considering expanding its regular season schedule to 18 games. That would let teams have eight home games even if they go abroad.

Sending teams so far to play in front of foreigners may seem extreme, but Goodell insists its the best way to connect with international fans – especially because most of them never have a chance to play the sport themselves.

“That is one of our challenges, how do we promote a sport that is not played by the youth in each of those markets?” he said. “But I think thats where media and bringing our game to those markets meets those challenges. Weve seen it here in this marketplace, weve seen it in Japan, Mexico and Canada.”

Goodell would not give any hints about a timeline for putting a team in London, “other than as fast as is practical.”

“Once weve got the logistics, which I think we have, then its just a question of the growth of the marketplace,” Goodell said. “And thats where we believe playing multiple games will demonstrate that there is a strong foundation for American football. Fans want to see it, there are partners that will support it. … And when you can get to that point, I think youve given yourself a great deal of confidence that a franchise here would be successful.”

So would players be willing to come play for a team based in England? Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton thinks so.

“London is a great place because youre going to have to find a combination of a city where people want to live and play for that team and I think this would be a great choice,” Orton said. “Youve got to find a city that you can get 53 guys that kind of want to live over here. Londons a great city and I think youd have a lot of interest from players.”

In the Washington Senators final game before leaving for Texas four decades ago, they had a 7-5 lead over the New York Yankees with two outs in the ninth inning. But the Senators never got that last out, as their fans stormed on to the field, and the game went down as a forfeit to the Yankees.

It may not rival the old Yankee “Curse of the Bambino” over the Boston Red Sox, but that missing final out seemed to hex the franchise that became the Texas Rangers. Before this year, the Rangers made the playoffs three times, and each time the Yankees knocked them out.

So it was fitting that the Rangers – led by a manager named Washington, no less – had to beat the Yankees to finally win a pennant. On Saturday night, the Rangers play their first home World Series game in franchise history, dating to their birth as the second Washington Senators franchise in 1961.

The Rangers took on the San Francisco Giants, down 2-0 in the Series.

Famed Senators slugger Frank Howard, who blew kisses to fans after hitting a home run in that final game in 1971 at RFK Stadium, sees a simpler explanation for New Yorks 1990s playoff victories over the Rangers.

“The Yankees probably had more depth to their ballclub – in other words, they had more good players than Texas did,” Howard said in a telephone interview. “I dont think theres any kind of a curse.”

But hey, maybe he was in on it – Howard worked for the Yankees for 12 years as a coach, scout and in player development.

There were actually two Washington Senators franchises in the 20th century. The original one, which played here from 1901-1960, left for Minnesota to become the Twins in 1961. Although the Twins have won World Series championships, theyve never done so when the Yankees have stood in their way in the playoffs. New York has eliminated the Twins three times in the last eight years, including this season.

Supernatural forces are a big part of Yankees-Senators history. In the 1950s, the wealthy Yankees were so dominant, and the under-financed Senators so woeful, that Washington could only win the American League championship in the imagination of a novelist – and with help from the devil. Douglass Wallops 1954 novel, “The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant,” featured a middle-aged Washington fan who sells his soul, becomes a young slugger named Joe Hardy and leads the Senators to the pennant. Its more well-known in its theatrical version, “Damn Yankees.”

Things werent always so one-sided. In 1924, the Yankees and Senators battled for the pennant to the last week of the season. New York, led by Babe Ruth, had won three straight American League titles, but the underdog Senators were national sentimental favorites that year. Fans were especially pulling for Walter Johnson, by then 36 years old and at the end of his career, to finally make it to the World Series.

“There is more genuine interest in him than there is in a presidential election,” wrote humorist Will Rogers.

Washington came out on top, clinching its first pennant at Fenway Park in Boston. Red Sox fans – with the extra delight of seeing their rival Yankees eliminated – rushed the field to celebrate the victory against their own team.

Washington faced the New York Giants in the World Series. After losing his first two starts, Johnson came out of the bullpen to win Game 7 in extra innings, giving the city its only series title.

The Senators repeated as pennant winners the following year, and grabbed another in 1933, again supplanting the Yankees as league champions. That season was marked by a Yankee-Senators brawl at old Griffith Stadium in Washington, which incited hundreds of angry Washingtonians to storm the field and join the melee. Police arrested five fans.

Those glory years proved short-lived. For much of the century, the old joke about Washington was apt: “First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.” The franchise that now plays in Texas had only one winning season in the 11 years it played in D.C., under rookie manager Ted Williams in 1969.

For their last game in Washington two years later, the Senators unloaded caps, shirts and copies of Williams book, “My Turn at Bat.” To the citys fans, the teams new home of Arlington, Texas, was “some jerk town with the single boast it is equidistant from Dallas and Fort Worth,” wrote Shirley Povich in the next days Washington Post.

When Howard crossed the plate after his sixth-inning home run, he told Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, “Thanks for the gift.” Later, Williams removed the fan favorite from the game, sensing the pandemonium that was coming. When the levy broke and fans swarmed on to the field in the ninth inning, they pulled up chunks of grass, bases, numbers from the scoreboard and light bulbs.

Howard, known as the “The Capital Punisher,” enjoyed his best years in Washington, hitting 44 home runs twice and 48 home runs once in a three-year period between 1968 and 1970. He played only part of the first season with Texas in 1972 before being shipped off to Detroit, and retired following the 1973 season.

“I found my home here in Washington, D.C.,” said Howard, who still lives in the area. “I probably didnt make the adjustment (to Texas) as well as I should have. But the few people I met in that area, they were great to me. I just wish Id have played a little better.”

The ball that could have snagged that final out in 1971 instead was pocketed by Senators pitcher Joe Grzenda, who was on the mound as the game collapsed into chaos. He kept it in a drawer in his house for safekeeping. In 2005, when baseball returned to Washington with the Nationals, President George W. Bush used it to throw out the first pitch.

Jim Hannan, a former Senators pitcher who works as a stockbroker in Washington, said hes glad to see the Rangers finally make it to the World Series, but he doesnt really identify with the team. He does, however, see a chance for the old and new Washington franchises to come together.

“I think the Nationals will have a great club in two years,” Hannan said, “and I think it would be great to have the Nationals play the Rangers in the World Series two or three years down the road.”

The Nationals hope it wont take a deal with the devil to make that happen.

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EDITORS NOTE – Frederic J. Frommer is the author of the book, “The Washington Nationals 1859 to Today: The Story of Baseball in the Nations Capital,” (2006, Taylor Trade).

When the Texas Rangers finally made the World Series, there was only one logical reaction from old-time baseball fans in the nations capital.

“First Minnesota, and then Texas. My heavens!” Charlie Brotman said. “Everybody but the real thing is there.”

Brotman was the public address announcer for the Washington Senators, who are now making their long overdue debut in baseballs biggest show – albeit 39 years and one relocation too late for local supporters.

The Senators left Washington for Texas after the 1971 season, with the final game at RFK Stadium ending in a forfeit when angry fans stormed the field with two outs in the ninth. It was the second blow for D.C. baseball in little over a decade: The original Senators bolted after the 1960 season and became the Minnesota Twins, who won championships in 1987 and 1991.

Tom Grieve made his major league debut with Washington in 1970 and was part of that original team in Texas.

“I lived in Maryland and when Id drive to the stadium, Id go past the White House and the monuments. I loved being in D.C. I think most of us loved it there,” Grieve said before Game 2 of the Texas-San Francisco matchup.

“When we first heard we were going to Texas, Id say the reaction was mostly negative. We didnt want to move to Texas. It was a football state and still is,” he said.

Grieve played six years for the Rangers, later became their general manager and now announces their games.

“Turned out, Texas became a great place to be,” he said.

So now that the Senators-turned-Rangers are playing for the title, are long-dormant feelings coming back to the surface in D.C. to cheer the team on as it faces the Giants?

Uh, no.

Its safe to say theres no buzz, not even a ripple, of excitement in Washington about the Rangers.

“The street talk, its one of those things, if anything, its almost a downer for the Washington fans,” Brotman said. “Theres no real honest-to-goodness feeling for the Texas team. It just isnt there.”

Brotman said Washington fans felt more of an allegiance to the Twins than they ever did to the Rangers. The original Senators had been around for most of the century and had won American League pennants. The sequel Senators were perpetual losers, led by owner Bob Short.

“When the second Senators team moved to Texas, we disowned them,” Brotman said. “Everybody was so mad at Bob Short. The team was so bad. And we felt it would be only a year or two before we had another team.”

Didnt happen. The city waited decades for baseball to return, with patience worn beyond thin by the time the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington in 2005.

Now D.C. has its own team – and a new league – to support.

“Since were National League now, well probably be rooting for the Giants,” Brotman said. “And were not crazy about them, either.”