Weekend In Review

Where do we begin? With NFL protests, or with $10 million bonuses in golf?

Ah, heck, protests. President Donald J. Trump, first in a speech in Alabama and then via Twitter, urged NFL team owners to fire players who don’t stand for the national anthem. And out came the flame-throwers.

This is called fixing a problem you don’t have. A week ago, according to the Associated Press, four players were observed kneeling or sitting during the anthem, and two others raised their fists. This week, as team owners and players angrily responded to the president urging fans to boycott the league, there were about 130 involved in such protests, several including the team owners linking arms with their players on the sideline. The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t even emerge from the locker room in Chicago until after the anthem was played.

The games, of course, went on.

The Philadelphia Eagles dropped the New York Giants to 0-3 when rookie kicker Jake Elliott kicked a 61-yard field goal on the final play. It is the longest field goal in NFL history by a rookie and a club record for the Eagles (2-1).

The Atlanta Falcons (3-0) staved off a late drive by the Detroit Lions (2-1) to win 30-26. The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1), opening the day’s action in London, hammered the Baltimore Ravens 44-7, with Blake Bortles throwing four TD passes. It was the worst loss for the Ravens (2-1) since 1997.

The Washington Redskins (2-1) absolutely smashed the Oakland Raiders 27-10, dropping them to 2-1. And Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes as the New England Patriots (2-1) came back for a 36-33 win over the Houston Texans (1-2).

PGA Tour: Xander Schauffele ended his rookie season by winning the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Justin Thomas won the FedEx Cup. Schauffele made a 3-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot victory over Thomas.He became the first PGA Tour rookie to win the Tour Championship since it began in 1987.

Thomas, with five victories this season, including the PGA Championship, won the FedEx Cup and the $10 million bonus.

NASCAR: Kyle Busch won Sunday’s ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, beating Kyle Larson by 2.641 seconds. In winning for the third time this season, Busch locked up a spot in the round of 12 of the NASCAR playoffs.

College football: The top five in the Associated Press poll are unchanged. It’s Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Penn State and Southern Cal, with Washington moving up to sixth after Oklahoma State’s loss.

MLB: The Arizona Diamondbacks clinched a National League wild card berth and the Washington Nationals clinched home field for the NLDS by beating the New York Mets 3-2. … The New York Yankees’ Gary Judge his 47th and 48th home runs, leaving him one short of Mark McGwire’s rookie record set in 1987.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman