Broncos put McGahee on injured reserve
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Denver running back Willis McGahee has been placed on the injured reserve list with a designation to return, the NFL's Broncos said Wednesday.
Formerly, listing a player on injured reserve made him ineligible for the remainder of the season but the NFL altered the rule allowing for a return to game action after eight weeks. McGahee would be able to play in the AFC Championship game if Denver advances that far in the playoffs.
McGahee, 31, suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee Sunday. The team said McGahee won't need surgery to repair the injury, shortening his recovery time.
McGahee is fifth in rushing in the AFC with 731 yards on 167 carries and four touchdowns. He's caught 26 passes for 221 yards. Last year he ran for 1,199 yards, a career best.
Rookie Ronnie Hillman and Lance Ball are expected to split McGahee's playing time at running back.
The Broncos, who lead the AFC West with a 7-3 record, play Sunday at 1-9 Kansas City.
Chiefs to start Quinn at quarterback
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Kansas City Coach Romeo Crennel says he will start Brady Quinn at quarterback against Denver Sunday instead of Matt Cassel.
"As far as who it's going to be at quarterback, Brady is going to start, Matt is going to be the backup," Crennel said. "That's what we are doing, and going forward, that's what it is,"
Cassel struggled in the first half against Cincinnati last Sunday and Quinn came in and hit 9-of-14 passes for 95 yards. The Chiefs still lost 28-6.
In four games this season including two starts, Quinn produced 308 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 60.3 percent of his passes.
He suffered a concussion Oct. 28 and hadn't played until the Bengals game.
Grinnell guard scores record 138 points
GRINNELL, Iowa, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Call it a good night: Jack Taylor of Division III Grinnell College in Iowa set an NCAA record with an astonishing 138 points in a basketball game.
Taylor, a sophomore playing in just his third game for the Pioneers, led the home squad to a 179-104 victory over Faith Baptist Bible College Tuesday. The previous record for any level of college hoops was 113 points, set in 1954 by Clarence "Bevo" Francis of Division II Rio Grande College.
The feat by Taylor, a 5-foot-10 guard, triggered a media frenzy, with coast-to-coast requests for interviews, including one with ESPN, his school said. The Des Moines Register said Taylor had gotten calls from as far away as Australia and appeared on NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America."
In addition to the points-scored record, Taylor also set NCAA marks for field goals (52), field goals attempted (108), 3-pointers (27) and 3-pointers attempted (71). At one point, he hit seven consecutive shots from behind the arc.
Lest it be perceived as only a good shooting night, Taylor forced an astounding 49 turnovers on defense.
NHL lockout talks end with no progress
NEW YORK, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- NHL owners and players Wednesday broke off contract talks with no new progress toward ending a 2-month-old lockout, Commissioner Gary Bettman said.
Bettman, meeting with reporters at the NHL's New York headquarters, said the two sides remained deadlocked on core economic issues and how to deal with mounting financial losses from the work stoppage.
"We are still far apart. It's frustrating for everybody," the commissioner said.
Canadian broadcaster TSN reported the NHL Players Association made a significant move toward the owners' position by dropping its demand for guarantees or fixed targets for the players' share of hockey-related revenue, or HRR, which last year was more than $3 billion.
But the sides remained deadlocked on "make-whole" provisions meant to cushion the blow from players' share of HRR falling from 57 percent to 50 percent, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"To think our offer will be better as time goes on is not accurate," Bettman said.
No new talks were scheduled.
NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr said the players have made major concessions in Wednesday's new proposal.
"We've moved in their direction previously on a couple of the player contracting issues; the rest are very, very, very important to the players," he told the Times.
The league has been without a collective bargaining agreement since Sept. 16 and the league has canceled all scheduled games through Dec. 1, as well as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
The league is expected to extend the cancellations.
