Sports – Page 450 – North Platte Post Archive

Buy a Ticket? Psh! NFL Teams Selling Memberships

Posted on August 28, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The change made by the Kansas City Chiefs a few years ago was subtle — one word, really — yet it ushered a pronounced change in the way the franchise viewed its most important fans.

Season-ticket holders became known as “season-ticket members.”

Suddenly, the entire paradigm shifted. No longer were Chiefs fans merely customers, buying a ticket, attending a game and then heading home afterward. Rather they began to feel as though they were part of the franchise, just as integral to the success or failure of the team as quarterback Alex Smith, coach Andy Reid or even general manager John Dorsey.

And by offering those members exclusive gifts and experiences, the Chiefs have rebuilt their season-ticket rolls at a time when many franchises are having a hard time filling stadiums.

Poll: Parents Uncomfortable with Youth Football

Posted on August 28, 2014

Nearly half of parents say they’re not comfortable letting their child play football amid growing uncertainty about the long-term impact of concussions, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.

A majority, however, say they haven’t prevented their child from playing the game they love.

In the poll, 44 percent of parents weren’t comfortable with their child playing football. Only five percent, though, said they have discouraged their child from playing in the last two years as concern over head injuries has increased in all levels of the game.

The AP-GfK poll was conducted from July 24-28. It included interviews with 1,044 adults and has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Posey Hits Game-Ending 2-Run Homer for Giants, Beat Rockies 4-2

Posted on August 28, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey hit a game-ending two-run homer for his third clout in two nights, sending the San Francisco Giants past the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Wednesday night for Bruce Bochy’s 1,600th managerial victory.

Posey sent an 0-1 pitch from Juan Nicasio (5-6) just inside the left-field foul pole for his 18th homer of the year and second career walkoff homer. He also had one on May 3, 2013, against the Dodgers.

Santiago Casilla (2-3), who was ill Tuesday, plunked leadoff hitter Drew Stubbs in the back to start the ninth. Justin Morneau then doubled him home to tie the game at 2. Casilla got a key double play to get out of the inning.

Tim Hudson’s strong eight-inning, eight-strikeout outing was wasted.

Posey followed his two-home run performance a night earlier with a go-ahead single in the seventh inning, then an even bigger hit. He has hit safely in 12 of his past 13 games.

Royals Score 6 Runs in 8th to Beat Twins 6-1

Posted on August 27, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nori Aoki drove in the go-ahead run during a six-run eighth inning Wednesday night, sending the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Billy Butler and Salvador Perez each drove in a pair of runs during the surge, which came after the Twins’ Phil Hughes (14-9) had stymied the Royals for the first seven innings.

Wade Davis (8-2) pitched a perfect eighth to earn his second straight win, and All-Star closer Greg Holland worked around a single in the ninth to cap a second straight late-game win.

The Royals extended their lead over Detroit to 2 1/2 games in the AL Central with their 11th win in their past 13 games at Kauffman Stadium. They’ve won four straight over the Twins.

Minnesota has lost four straight and eight of 11 overall.

Rockies Place Lefty Logan, Catcher Rosario on DL

Posted on August 27, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Colorado Rockies placed left-hander Boone Logan and catcher Wilin Rosario on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday.

Logan, on the disabled list for the third time this season, has left elbow inflammation for the second time and Rosario is nursing an inflamed left wrist.

Logan is 2-3 with a 6.84 ERA in 35 relief appearances. Rosario has batted .248 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs in 91 games.

The Rockies recalled lefty Christian Friedrich and catcher Jackson Williams from Triple-A Colorado to fill their roster spots. Friedrich and Williams were available for Wednesday night’s game against the Giants at AT&T Park.

Chiefs’ Bus in Accident Before Packers Game

Posted on August 27, 2014

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (AP) — Authorities say a bus taking the Kansas City Chiefs to their Wisconsin hotel was involved in an accident.

The Outagamie (awt-ah-GAY’-mee) County sheriff’s office says it was escorting the Chiefs’ five buses from the airport to the hotel Wednesday afternoon when a vehicle entered the intersection and collided with one of the buses.

Two adults and three children were in the vehicle that struck the bus. One of the children had a minor cut to the head and was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

No one on the Chiefs’ bus was hurt.

The Chiefs face Green Bay on Thursday night in a preseason game.

FBS Season Kicks Off Quietly with Georgia State

Posted on August 27, 2014

ATLANTA (AP) — The first season major college football’s champion will be decided by a playoff began Wednesday night in a mostly empty Georgia Dome, with one of the newest members of FBS taking on a team starting its second season in DIvision I.

The road to the College Football Playoff starts here and Georgia State is getting a head start on the rest of the competition opening up against Abilene Christian — which seems fair given the Panthers’ credentials.

On Thursday, the heavyweights start to join the race.

The Georgia Dome crowd will swell significantly when No. 18 Mississippi faces Boise State on Thursday night. On Saturday, No. 2 Alabama fans figure to pack the home of the NFL’s Falcons for its opener against West Virginia.

USC’s Shaw Admits to Lying About Injuries, Rescue

Posted on August 27, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California cornerback Josh Shaw has admitted to lying to school officials about how he sprained his ankles last weekend, retracting his story about jumping off a balcony to save his drowning nephew.

Shaw has been suspended indefinitely from all of the Trojans’ team activities, the school announced in a statement Wednesday.

The school didn’t explain how Shaw actually was injured in its statement, but USC officials say they regret posting a story lauding Shaw’s tale on their website Monday.

USC coach Steve Sarkisian says the Trojans are “extremely disappointed in Josh.” Shaw is a fifth-year senior, a team captain and a key starter in USC’s defensive secondary.

The school notes Shaw has retained legal counsel.

Royals’ Yost Implores Fans to Show Up to Games

Posted on August 27, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals manager Ned Yost pleaded with fans on Wednesday to show up for their remaining home games, one night after Alex Gordon’s walk-off homer gave Kansas City a dramatic win over Minnesota that was seen by just 13,847 at Kauffman Stadium.

Yost briefly mentioned the attendance in his postgame remarks, and expanded on his thoughts when he was asked a follow-up question about so many empty seats during a pennant race.

“We’ve been working hard to try to make our fans happy and make our fans proud of us for a lot of years,” Yost said, “and we’d like them to enjoy a night like that.”

The Royals entered Wednesday with a 1½-game lead over Detroit in the AL Central.

Broncos’ Ware Will Sit Out 1st Visit to Cowboys

Posted on August 27, 2014

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — DeMarcus Ware won’t play in his first visit to Dallas almost six months after the Cowboys released their franchise sack leader and he signed with Denver.

Henry Melton, one of several defensive linemen trying to fill Ware’s void, should make his Dallas debut in the preseason finale against the Broncos on Thursday night.

The 32-year-old Ware says it will be different “on the other side of the bar.”

And it will only be a social visit because most starters for both teams, including Peyton Manning and Tony Romo, won’t play.

Ware spent nine seasons with the Cowboys.

Melton, a defensive tackle, joined Dallas as a free agent from Chicago. He hasn’t played since tearing a knee ligament in Week 3 last year.