Reuters U.S. Sports Schedule at 2 PM EDT on Thursday, Oct. 3
Oct. 3 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2 PM ET on Thursday: - - - - The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427 - - - - NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Bills at Browns CLEVELAND - Brian Hoyer and the Cleveland Browns (2-2) host the Buffalo Bills (2-2) and rookie quarterback EJ Manuel. (FBN-BROWNS-BILLS-FIRSTLEDE/WRITETHRU (PIX), expect ASAP after the 0025 GMT/8:25 PM ET game, The Sports Xchange, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Game Scout: Broncos at Cowboys Do Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have what it takes - home-field edge, cornerback depth and balanced offense - to stop the unbeaten Denver Broncos? (FBN-COWBOYS-BRONCOS-NEWS/, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 400 words) - - Game Scout: Week 5 previews Detroit looks for its first win in Wisconsin in 22 years, New England goes to Cincinnati and Houston is at San Francisco in a week of headliners. (FBN-PACKERS-LIONS-NEWS/, expect by 2100 GMT/5 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words per game) - - Goodell touts enhanced attention to safety issues Head injuries remain a sizzling topic in the NFL. In the wake of Paul Oliver's suicide and in anticipation of a book detailing the league's lackadaisical approach to concussions in decades past, Commissioner Roger Goodell raises the NFL's safety banner with a letter to fans. (FBN-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 775 words) - - Eagles' Kelly 'not entertaining' USC Former Oregon coach Chip Kelly is 1-3 as an NFL head coach, but he says he's not pondering a return to the Pac-12. Kelly was connected through media reports as a potential candidate for the vacant USC job. (FBN-EAGLES-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 200 words) - - Schwartz: Lions learning to look forward There was a time in coach Jim Schwartz's tenure with the Detroit Lions where a 3-1 start and first-place standing in the NFC North would be celebrated, toasted and stressed. Those days, Schwartz said thankfully, are in the past as the Lions have matured and learned to be future-focused. (FBN-LIONS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 450 words) - - Bengals' Green, Dalton scrambling to rediscover rhythm CINCINNATI - A.J. Green and Andy Dalton were virtually impossible to disrupt Week 1 at Chicago, connecting nine times, including three plays of 20-plus yards. Since then, they have really been on the same page. (FBN-BENGLAS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 525 words) - - Bears look for special teams boost to keep Saints idle LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Considering they face the New Orleans Saints and dangerous Darren Sproles Sunday, special teams will be an even bigger issue - the Chicago Bears are stressing field position is one of the ways they hope to keep the explosive New Orleans offense bottled up. (FBN-BEARS-SAINTS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 550 words) - - NFL notebook The latest news and notes from around the league. (FBN-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 2300 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - - - COLLEGE FOOTBALL Game Scout: Washington at Stanford Previewing the Pac-12 tussle between top-15 teams chasing Oregon in the national polls. (FBC-STANFORD-WASHINGTON-NEWS/, expect by 2200 GMT/6 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - UCLA at Utah SALT LAKE CITY - UCLA goes for its first win at Utah since 1974 with Heisman Trophy candidate Brett Hundley and a high-octane offense. (FBC-UTAH-UCLA-FIRSTLEDE/WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after the 0200 GMT/10 PM ET game, The Sports Xchange, by John Coon, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Game Scout: Ohio State at Northwestern Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern welcome Ohio State to Evanston in a proving-ground game at Ryan Field. (FBC-NORTHWESTERN-OHIOSTATE-NEWS/, expect by 2145 GMT/5:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) See also: Game Scout: Matchup capsules for all Top 25 games (FBC-TEAM-TEAM-NEWS/, expect by 2200 GMT/6 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 450 words per game) - - - - GOLF Presidents Cup (to Oct. 6) U.S. in early control at Presidents Cup DUBLIN, Ohio - With Hunter Mahan and Brandt Snedeker spectacularly setting the tone in the first match, the United States dominates the early going in the opening fourballs at the Presidents Cup. (GOLF-PRESIDENTS/ (PIX), moved; will be led, by Mark Lamport-Stokes, 550 words) - - Colsaerts and Fernandez-Castano lead European charge PARIS - Nicolas Colsaerts and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano lead the charge as Continental Europe opens a two-point lead over Britain and Ireland on the first day of the Seve Trophy. (GOLF-TROPHY/, moved; will be led, by Julien Pretot, 350 words) - - - - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Pittsburgh at St. Louis ST. LOUIS - Adam Wainwright leads the St Louis Cardinals against A.J. Burnett and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. (BBO-CARDINALS-PIRATES-FIRSTLEDE/WRITETHRU (PIX), expect ASAP after 2107 GMT/5:07 PM ET game, The Sports Xchange, by James Dent, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Dodgers at Braves ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves host Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and ace Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83). (BBO-BRAVES-DODGERS-FIRSTLEDE/WRITETHRU (PIX), expect ASAP after 0007 GMT/8:07 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Guy Curtright, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Road-warrior Rays bounce to Boston CLEVELAND - From Toronto to Texas to Cleveland to Boston. Joe Maddon says the Rays arrive in the ALDS in "can't stop now" mode with 17-4 left-hander Matt Moore set to start Friday's series opener. (BBO-RAYS-REDSOX-NEWS/, expect by 1900 GMT/3 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 425 words) - - Cardinals use youth movement to maintain winning tradition The St. Louis Cardinals have used a big infusion of youth to keep up their winning tradition as they seek a 12th World Series title and second in three years. (BASEBALL-PLAYOFFS/CARDINALS (FEATURE), expect by 1900 GMT/3 PM ET, by Larry Fine, 600 words) - - New-look Athletics contend with old 'Moneyball' formula Coming to theaters this October: "Moneyball 2: Return of the Athletics." Eleven years after their magical campaign was documented in a best-selling book and Academy Award-nominated film, Major League Baseball's Oakland A's are back to their successful, frugal, winning ways. (BASEBALL-PLAYOFFS/ATHLETICS (FEATURE), moved, by William Robinson, 700 words) - - - - NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE *The Sports Xchange covers all NHL games. Key matchups outlined below - - Tampa Bay at Boston BOSTON - The Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins were unbeaten (3-0) against the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. The Bruins open the 2013 season out to prove they are just as potent despite several key subtractions in the offseason. (HKN-BRUINS-LIGHTNING-FIRSTLEDE/WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after the 2300 GMT/7 PM ET game, The Sports Xchange, by Mike Shalin, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Devils at Penguins PITTSBURGH - The New Jersey Devils start Cory Schneider in goal over Martin Brodeur, snapping the veteran's streak of 18 opening night starts, against Marc-Andre Fleury, who must overcome his 2013 postseason demons for the Pittsburgh Penguins. (HKN-AVALANCHE-DUCKS-FIRSTLEDE/WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after the 0130 GMT/9:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Mike Kelly, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Season ramps up with eight games on the schedule Highlights of Thursday's regular season National Hockey League games. (NHL-HIGHLIGHTS/ (PIX), expect by 0330 GMT/11:30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - - - The X Games ESPN to drop International X Games competitions, cut jobs ESPN will end the international versions of its X Games competitions because it could not make money on the events, which feature skateboarding and other extreme sports. (ESPN-XGAMES/, moved, by Liana B. Baker, 275 words) - - - - AUTO RACING Weekend preview Setting the scene for the weekend ahead and the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas City. (CAR-SPRINT-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 2200 GMT/6 PM ET, NASCAR Wire Service, distributed by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Driver Capsules Matt Kenseth took two consecutive races in September before Jimmie Johnson claimed Dover. Johnson has won two of the past six Sprint Cup races on the 1.5-mile tri-oval at Kansas Speedway. (CAR-SPRINT-DRIVERCAPSULES/, expect by 2200 GMT/6 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words per driver) - - - - JURISPRUDENCE Mavs' Cuban takes the stand in SEC trial DALLAS - Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, takes the stand in his insider trading trial. (SEC-CUBAN/ (UPDATE 1), moved; will be led, by Jana J. Pruet, 400 words) - - - - TENNIS Djokovic wins, to face American Sam Querrey next Top seed Novak Djokovic overcomes a second set blip to beat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-5 2-6 6-2 and reach the quarter-finals of the China Open, keeping alive his hopes of clinging on to his world No. 1 ranking. (TENNIS-MEN/CHINA, moved, 350 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (expect by 0001 GMT/8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
