Archives for October 2016

Lee Outlasts Teammate Casey Danielson in Six-Hole Playoff;

Scheffler Shoots 6-under 66 for Low Round of the Day

Stanford (Women), Vanderbilt (Men) Claim No. 1 Seeds for Team Match Play Semifinals (Tuesday, 3-6 P.M. ET on Golf Channel)

Women’s Semifinals: (1) Stanford vs. (4) Washington; (2) UCLA vs. (3) Duke

Men’s Semifinals: (1) Vanderbilt vs. (4) Oregon; (2) Texas vs. (3) Illinois

ATLANTA, Oct. 31, 2016 – Scottie Scheffler (University of Texas, junior) and Andrea Lee (Stanford, freshman) claimed individual stroke play honors on Day 1 of the 2nd annual East Lake Cup presented by Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Scheffler made seven birdies against a lone bogey for a 6-under par 66 – the low round of the day – while Lee made seven birdies en route to a 4-under par 68. Lee’s teammate, Casey Danielson (senior), also shot 68 to match her fellow Stanford Cardinal for low women’s score on Day 1, and Lee – the No. 2 ranked women’s collegiate golfer – outlasted Danielson in a six-hole playoff.

“I played really well this summer and got a lot of experience, especially in match play,” said Lee. “I played in the World Amateur too in Mexico right before I went to college actually. It’s just been a bunch of golf for me but I think that really helped me transition well into golf at the collegiate level.”

Lee and Danielson’s 1-2 individual finish propelled Stanford into earning the No. 1 seed going into Tuesday’s team match play semifinals, where they’ll face (No. 4) University of Washington in a rematch of the NCAA Women’s National Championship final in May earlier this year. The other semifinal will feature (No. 2) UCLA against (No. 3) Duke.

On the men’s side, Vanderbilt University will enter Tuesday’s team match play semifinals as the No. 1 seed, with four of its players finishing even-par or better on Monday, led by sophomore Will Gordon’s 4-under par 68. The Commodores will face (No. 4) Oregon, the reigning team NCAA national champions, while Scheffler and (No. 2) Texas will take on (No. 3) Illinois.

Time	Tee  #	Match	Division	Players
11:05 AM	1	UCLA vs Duke	Women’s	Bronte Law (UCLA) vs Sandy Choi (Duke)
11:15 AM	1	Texas vs Illinois	Men’s	Scottie Scheffler (Texas) vs Michael Feagles (Illinois)
11:25 AM	1	UCLA vs Duke	Women’s	Lilia Vu (UCLA) vs Virginia Elena Carta (Duke)
11:35 AM	1	Texas vs Illinois	Men’s	Gavin Hall (Texas) vs Bryan Baumgarten (Illinois)
11:45 AM	1	UCLA vs Duke	Women’s	Clare Legaspi (UCLA) vs Lisa Maguire (Duke)
11:55 AM	1	Texas vs Illinois	Men’s	Steven Chervony (Texas) vs Edoardo Lipparelli (Illinois)
12:05 PM	1	UCLA vs Duke	Women’s	Mariel Galdiano (UCLA) vs Leona Maguire (Duke)
12:15 AM	1	Texas vs Illinois	Men’s	Doug Ghim (Texas) vs Nick Hardy (Illinois)
12:25 PM	1	UCLA vs Duke	Women’s	Bethany Wu (UCLA) vs Ana Belac (Duke)
12:35 PM	1	Texas vs Illinois	Men’s	Taylor Funk (Texas) vs Dylan Meyer (Illinois)
12:45 PM	1	Stanford vs Washington	Women’s	Andrea Lee (Stanford) vs Eun Won Park (Washington)
12:55 PM	1	Vanderbilt vs Oregon	Men’s	John Augenstein (Vanderbilt) vs Edwin Yi (Oregon)
1:05 PM	1	Stanford vs Washington	Women’s	Casey Danielson (Stanford) vs Ellen Takada (Washington)
1:15 PM	1	Vanderbilt vs Oregon	Men’s	Theo Humphrey (Vanderbilt) vs Ryan Gronlund (Oregon)
1:25 PM	1	Stanford vs Washington	Women’s	Sierra Kersten (Stanford) vs Julianne Alvarez (Washington)
1:35 PM	1	Vanderbilt vs Oregon	Men’s	Will Gordon (Vanderbilt) vs Wyndham Clark (Oregon)
1:45 PM	1	Stanford vs Washington	Women’s	Albane Valenzuela (Stanford) vs Sarah Rhee (Washington)
1:55 PM	1	Vanderbilt vs Oregon	Men’s	Patrick Martin (Vanderbilt) vs Nigel Lett (Oregon)
2:05 PM	1	Stanford vs Washington	Women’s	Shannon Aubert (Stanford) vs Wenyung Keh (Washington)
2:15 PM	1	Vanderbilt vs Oregon	Men’s	Matthias Schwab (Vanderbilt) vs Sulman Raza (Oregon)

 

TUESDAY’S SEMIFINAL TEAM MATCH PLAY SCHEDULE:

Women’s: (No. 1) Stanford vs. (No. 4) Washington; (No. 2) UCLA vs. (No. 3) Duke

Men’s: (No. 1) Vanderbilt vs. (No. 4) Oregon; (No. 2) Texas vs. (No. 3) Illinois

Golf Channel’s live coverage of Tuesday’s semifinals of team match play will air from 3-6 p.m. ET. Golf Central Pre-Game (2-3 p.m. ET) will preview each semifinal match, and provide updates on matches already in progress.

WOMEN’S DIVISION – INDIVIDUAL STROKE PLAY RESULTS:

1st                   **Andrea Lee (Stanford)       (-4, 68, won on 6th playoff hole)

2nd                  Casey Danielson (Stanford)    (-4, 68)

T-3rd               Leona Maguire (Duke)            (-2, 70)

T-3rd               Bronte Law (UCLA)              (-2, 70)

TEAM RESULTS (determines seeding for Tuesday’s Match Play Semifinals):

Stanford (No. 1 seed)                                                UCLA (No. 2 seed)

**Andrea Lee (-4, 68, won playoff)               Bronte Law (-2, 70)

Casey Danielson (-4, 68)                                 Mariel Galdiano (-1, 71)

Shannon Aubert (-1, 71)                                 Clare Legaspi (E, 72)

Sierra Kersten (+3, 75)                                    Lilia Vu (+2, 74)

________________________________________________________

Albane Valenzuela (+4, 76)                            Bethany Wu (+5, 77)

 

Duke (No. 3 seed)                                          Washington (No. 4 seed)

Leona Maguire (-2, 70)                                   Wenyung Ken (+1, 73)

Sandy Choi (-1, 71)                                        Sarah Rhee (+6, 78)

Ana Belac (+1, 73)                                          Eun Won Park (+9, 81)

Virginia Elena Carta (+4, 76)                          Ellen Takada (+12, 84)

_________________________________________________________

Lisa Maguire (+7, 79)                                     Julianne Alvarez (+14, 86)

MEN’S DIVISION – INDIVIDUAL STROKE PLAY RESULTS:

1st                   Scottie Scheffler (Texas)        (-6, 66)

T-2nd              Will Gordon (Vanderbilt)       (-4, 68)

T-2nd              Nick Hardy (Illinois)               (-4, 68)

TEAM RESULTS (determines seeding for Tuesday’s Match Play Semifinals):

Vanderbilt (No. 1 seed)                                 Texas (No. 2 seed)

Will Gordon (-4, 68)                                       Scottie Scheffler (-6, 66)

Patrick Martin (-1, 71)                                    Doug Ghim (-3, 69)

Theo Humphrey (-1, 71)                                 Steven Chervony (+3, 75)

Matthias Schwab (E, 72)                                Taylor Funk (+5, 77)

________________________________________________________

John Augenstein (+1, 73)                                Gavin Hall (+8, 80)

 

Illinois (No. 3 seed)                                        Oregon (No. 4 seed)

Nick Hardy (-4, 68)                                        Wyndham Clark (-1, 71)

Michael Feagles (-2, 70)                                  Nigel Lett (+2, 74)

Bryan Baumgarten (+3, 75)                            Ryan Gronlund (+3, 75)

Edoardo Lipparelli (+3, 75)                            Sulman Raza (+3, 75)

__________________________________________________________

Dylan Meyer (+5, 77)                                     Edwin Yi (+5, 77)

QUOTES

 Stanford’s Andrea Lee on winning the women’s individual competition – “I’ve gotten a lot of support from my coaches and teammates. They’ve really helped me transition well into college. It’s been a really hectic month. We started off the bat with four tournaments and I had to balance that out with academics as well. It was really hard, but I just stuck with it and got a lot of advice from my teammates and it’s been a great month so I’m really happy.”

Lee on going head-to-head with her teammate in Monday’s individual playoff – “I don’t think there’s anything like going up against your teammate in a match. It was definitely hard but we were both having fun out there [in the playoff] trying to support each other, but also staying competitive.”

Lee on conditions at East Lake Golf Club – “The rough is thick out here and you definitely need to hit the fairways in order to have a good approach shot in. It’s tough out there and hopefully I’ll be able to play like I did today the rest of the week.”

Texas’ Scottie Scheffler on winning the men’s individual competition – “It definitely gives me a good amount of confidence. This is a really good test of golf and I feel like I played pretty well today.”

Scheffler on conditions at East Lake Golf Club – “It’s one of those courses that just kind of wears on you. The course is pretty much straight in front of you, but it’s still very challenging. This course is very difficult when you’re not in the fairway. So my goal off the tee box was to just put it in play and see what I could do from there. I drove it pretty well and was able to make a couple of birdies.”

Scheffler on wanting Texas to finish its fall season on a high note – “We definitely want to finish out the fall season with another win. It was good to tie last week, but we want to bring home our own trophy and then start building momentum going into the spring season because spring is where it all happens.”

Stanford’s Casey Danielson on coming up short in a six-hole playoff against her teammate – “I was in a U.S. Open qualifier that went four holes and then they had to call it and we went back the next day for a fifth hole, but it was nothing like this… I think Andrea and I are such great competitors, and if anything it just makes us better players and we get to learn from each other which is great.”

Danielson on Stanford being matched up against Washington in Tuesday’s semifinals, a rematch of the NCAA Championship final in May earlier this year: “They’re a new team and we’re a new team. We’ll go out there and learn as much as we can and put up a good fight.”

Stanford Head Coach Anne Walker on watching her two players compete against one another in the individual playoff – “It was tough for me obviously because I love both those kids like crazy. Andrea being a freshman, Casey being a senior, they’re both having super fall seasons. I’m really proud of them.”

Walker on Stanford being the No. 1 seed heading into Tuesday’s team match play – “I think we’ve learned enough about this to know that being the No. 1 seed is actually not necessarily a good thing. Match play is just a different mindset. What we’re looking at is what we can learn from the course, but tomorrow is just a different game.

Walker on Stanford’s semifinal match on Tuesday against Washington, a rematch from the NCAA team national championship final in May – “We have a lot of respect for Washington. Honestly in college golf you’re just rooting for good golf. I hope it shakes out in Stanford’s way of course, but gosh if we get some good golf out there and it goes to Washington again, that’s how the cookie crumbles I guess.”

Vanderbilt Head Coach Scott Limbaugh on his team earning the No. 1 seed ahead of Tuesday’s semifinal matches – “I think our confidence comes, not just today, but through the year. Just about every round this year we have had all five guys in every round and, I think that is very important in a match play. Now, I understand how it works. Every man has got to do their job, but we have five guys that we are very comfortable with.”

Limbaugh on Vanderbilt winning the individual stoke play competition – “I mean it’s fun. It was basically a one round shootout, and we were able to win. And I think our guys, I feel like they are mature enough to understand what today is. It was one day. Four of our guys that are here were [at the NCAAs in June], and so I think they are ready to get another shot at this match play. And they will be excited.”

Texas Head Coach John Fields on Scottie Scheffler winning the individual stroke play – “66 out here is outstanding, obviously. He got off to a good start and kept it going, and he just maintained it [on the back nine]. Really happy for Scottie. That round is a breakout round for him.”

Fields on looking ahead to Tuesday’s semifinal match against Illinois – “[They have] maybe the best golf coach in the country in Mike Small. He has been able to transfer his persona to [his players] and give them an incredible opportunity to be consistently really good. We are going to look forward to the competition tomorrow. I know they will absolutely be as strong a test that we’ll see anytime, anyplace anywhere.”

Presented by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), the East Lake Cup Collegiate Match Play Championship features the two reigning NCAA national champions (Oregon men and Washington women); the two current top-ranked programs in the country (Vanderbilt men and UCLA women); and the 2015 East Lake Cup men’s champions, Illinois. The field also showcases Nos. 1 and 2 in the women’s amateur golf rankings (Leona Maguire – Duke, Bronte Law – UCLA), along with four of the top-8 ranked players in the men’s collegiate individual rankings, including top-ranked Wyndham Clark (Oregon); third-ranked Dylan Meyer (Illinois); sixth-ranked Matthias Schwab (Vanderbilt) and eighth-ranked Doug Ghim (Texas) [based on Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings].

For more information about the East Lake Cup please visit the tournament website here. Stay connected with the championship using the hashtag #EastLakeCup.

 

-NBC Sports Group-

Wednesday Night Rivalry – Red Wings-Flyers – 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Tuesday Night Doubleheader on NBCSN – Lightning-Islanders at 7:30 p.m. ET, Followed by Sharks-Coyotes at 10 p.m. ET

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 31, 2016 – Wednesday Night Rivalry heads to the City of Brotherly Love this week, as Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers host Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

This week’s NHL coverage begins tomorrow night with a doubleheader on NBCSN beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET, when John Tavares and the New York Islanders host Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The action shifts west to Arizona at 10 p.m. ET, when Joe Pavelski and the San Jose Sharks visit Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the Coyotes.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will provide live streaming coverage of this week’s NHL matchups on NBCSN.

Four-time Emmy Award-winner Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play) and Emmy Award-winner Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call Red Wings-Flyers from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

Rick Peckham (play-by-play) and Brian Boucher (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst) will have the call of Lightning-Islanders from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Randy Hahn (play-by-play) and Bret Hedican (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst) will provide commentary of Sharks-Coyotes from Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.

Pre-game coverage on NHL Live begins one hour before puck drop tomorrow and Wednesday on NBCSN. Liam McHugh anchors Wednesday Night Rivalry studio coverage with analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones, as well as NHL insider Bob McKenzie. Kathryn Tappen hosts tomorrow night’s studio coverage on NBCSN with Milbury and Jones.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY: RED WINGS AT FLYERS – WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Detroit (6-4-0) is hoping to snap a two-game losing streak, after rattling off six consecutive wins earlier in October. The Red Wings have benefitted from a balanced scoring attack to start the 2016-17 season, with eight skaters on the roster boasting at least two goals in the first 10 games. Dylan Larkin, who is coming off a 23-goal output in his rookie campaign last season, scored in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the Panthers.

The Flyers (4-5-1) enter the week following a 4-3 win against the Hurricanes in Carolina, as Claude Giroux scored and added an assist in the victory. Philadelphia is tied with the New York Rangers for the most goals scored in the NHL this season (35), but has also allowed the most goals in the league (38). Wayne Simmonds is one of eight players tied for the league lead in goals (6), and notched two assists in Sunday’s win against Carolina.

LIGHTNING AT ISLANDERS – TOMORROW AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Lightning (5-4-0) aim for a win tomorrow night in Brooklyn to wrap up a six-game road trip with a .500 record. This marks the first time the two teams will meet since Tampa Bay defeated the Islanders in their second-round playoff series last season in five games. Steven Stamkos is also tied for the league lead in goals (6), and leads the team with 10 points.

The Islanders (4-5-0) are coming off a 5-1 win against the Maple Leafs at home on Sunday, as 10 different Islanders recorded a point and goaltender Thomas Greiss made 33 saves to earn the victory. John Tavares leads the club with four goals, and Brock Nelson (3g/6a) is averaging a point per game through the first nine contests of the season.

 
SHARKS AT COYOTES – TOMORROW AT 10 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Sharks (6-3-0) have won three straight games heading into this week’s action, including a 4-1 win against Nashville on Saturday, as Joe Pavelski posted a goal and an assist and Joe Thornton scored his first goal of the year. Arizona (2-6-0) has been led offensively by blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who has scored five goals in the opening eight games of the season.

Following is this week’s NHL coverage on NBCSN:

Date	Coverage	Network	Time (ET)
Tues., November 1	NHL Live	NBCSN	6:30 p.m.
	Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
	San Jose at Arizona	NBCSN	10 p.m.
	NHL Overtime	NBCSN	12:30 a.m.*
Wed., November 2	NHL Live	NBCSN	7 p.m.
	Wednesday Night Rivalry – Detroit at Philadelphia	NBCSN	8 p.m.
	NHL Overtime	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.*

*immediately following game coverage

NHL ON NBCSPORTS.COM AND THE NBC SPORTS APP: NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will provide live streaming coverage of the 2016-17 NHL regular season via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

2016-17 REGULAR SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN

NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 106 NHL regular-season games during the 2016-17 season, featuring 14 games on NBC and 92 games on NBCSN. All games will be streamed live via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive NHL coverage this season.

NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS

NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NHL markets such as Boston (Bruins), Philadelphia (Flyers), Washington D.C. (Capitals), Chicago (Blackhawks) and the Bay Area (Sharks), will air more than 300 live NHL games and surround the 2016-17 NHL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most.

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-

2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes Winner California Chrome Faces Breeders’ Cup Classic challenge From Whitney Winner Frosted & Travers Stakes Winner Arrogate

Bob Baffert Goes for Third Consecutive Breeders’ Cup Classic Victory

NBC Sports Group Televises all 13 Breeders’ Cup World Championships Races Live in 10 Hours of Coverage from Santa Anita this Fri., Nov. 4 & Sat., Nov. 5

Breeders’ Cup Commentators Tom Hammond, Jerry Bailey, Randy Moss, Eddie Olczyk, Bob Neumeier & Larry Collmus Available on a Conference Call this Wed., Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. ET

Coverage Streamed Live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 31, 2016 – 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome leads a star-studded field for the running of the 33rd Breeders’ Cup Classic live from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., this Saturday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

California Chrome has six victories in six starts this year, and has won more prize money than any North American horse ($13.4 million in career earnings). He faces competition from 2016 Whitney Stakes and 2015 Wood Memorial winner Frosted; 2016 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Hoppertunity; and Keen Ice, who edged out Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah down the stretch in the 2015 Travers Stakes. Trainer Bob Baffert looks for his third consecutive Breeders’ Cup Classic win with Arrogate, after previously winning with 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, and Bayern in 2014.

The running of the 33rd Breeders’ Cup Classic culminates 10 hours of Breeders’ Cup World Championships coverage this week on NBC and NBCSN from Santa Anita Park, including live coverage of all 13 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races.

NBCSN’s coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships begins this Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. ET with handicapping special “Betting The Breeders’ Cup,” and continues Friday, Nov. 4, at 5 p.m. ET, culminating with a 5.5-hour show on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Programming highlights include:

• A feature about California Chrome, who was bred for just $10,500 and has won more than $13 million on the racetrack. If he wins the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he will have more career earnings than any horse in the history of thoroughbred racing;
• The Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, headlined by a talented trio of females – Songbird, ridden by Mike Smith, Beholder, ridden by Gary Stevens, and Stellar Wind, ridden by Victor Espinoza, also the jockey for California Chrome;
• A feature on 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Lady Eli, who has made an incredible comeback from Laminitis disease to run in Saturday’s Filly & Mare Turf.

2016 BREEDERS’ CUP TELEVISION SCHEDULE:

Date	Time (ET)	Program	Network
Thurs., Nov. 3	7 p.m.	Betting the Breeders’ Cup	NBCSN
Fri., Nov. 4	5 p.m.	Breeders’ Cup World Championships	NBCSN
Sat., Nov. 5	2:30 p.m.	Breeders’ Cup Classic	NBCSN
Sat., Nov. 5	8 p.m.	Breeders’ Cup Classic	NBC

COMMENTATORS: NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the Breeders’ Cup features Tom Hammond, whose first-ever assignment for NBC was as a reporter 32 years ago on the network’s inaugural Breeders’ Cup broadcast in 1984. Coverage is hosted by Mike Tirico, who serves in his first career horse racing assignment. Hall-of-Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who owns 15 Breeders’ Cup wins, including five victories in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, serves as an analyst along with Randy Moss; contributing analysts/handicappers Bob Neumeier and Eddie Olczyk; host/reporter Laffit Pincay, III; and reporters Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, Jay Privman, Nick Luck, and Carolyn Manno. NBC’s Triple Crown race caller Larry Collmus will call all of the Breeders’ Cup races. Daily Racing Form’s Matt Bernier will serve as a handicapper on NBCSN telecasts.

The Voice winner Alisan Porter will perform the Breeders’ Cup anthem “The Best is Yet to Come” as the horses come out on the track for the running of the $5,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

NBC Sports Group’s Breeders’ Cup coverage will be produced by Billy Matthews.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will stream coverage of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The NBC Sports app will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox.

BREEDERS’ CUP “ALL ACCESS”: Horseracing fans and fans of the celebrities and fashion at the Breeders’ Cup can access content leading up to, and through the event at NBCSports.com/breeders. Fans can access the latest from the Breeders’ Cup spanning horses, fashion, celebrities and more.   The “All Access” page aggregates what’s trending, Breeders’ Cup video and photo content.  Fans can also type in their names into the “Horse Namer” and are instantly provided with their Breeders’ Cup horse name along with a horse avatar that is shareable on Facebook and Twitter.

Additional social media content this week will include Facebook Live sessions from the NBC Sports page with Larry Collmus and Eddie Olczyk, a Snapchat tour of the Breeders’ Cup purple carpet, behind-the-scenes photos on NBC Sports’ Instagram account, and more.

BREEDERS’ CUP CONFERENCE CALL: NBC Sports Group will conduct a media conference call Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. ET with Hammond, Bailey, Moss, Neumeier, Olczyk, and Collmus.

Dial 785-830-1942 to participate

Conference ID: 6384848

BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Breeders’ Cup, thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious global racing event, consists of 13 races held over two-days with $26 million in purses and awards at stake.  The culminating event of the Breeders’ Cup, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is contested at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, for 3-year-olds and older, and is often the determining race for the coveted Horse of the Year title. Over the years, 12 Classic winners have been voted Horse of the Year.

Breeders’ Cup Limited administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships.  The Breeders’ Cup also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup Web site, www.breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

NBC SPORTS GROUP AND HORSE RACING: NBC Sports Group is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup. NBC has been the exclusive home of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes since 2001, and the Belmont Stakes since 2011, when the NBC Sports Group reassembled the Triple Crown.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

Award Recognizes Outstanding Female, Male Collegiate Golfer who Excel in Academics, Engage in their Community & Overcome Adversity

ATLANTA, (Oct. 31, 2016) – As the 2nd annual East Lake Cup presented by Hewlett Packard Enterprise collegiate match play championship gets underway this morning, the event officially kicked off Saturday evening when two student athletes in the field – Casey Danielson (Stanford) and Patrick Martin (Vanderbilt) – were each presented with the 2nd annual Tom Cousins Award. Both recipients were presented with the award during Saturday evening’s East Lake Cup celebration gala. Danielson and Martin were selected by a panel of industry leaders for their accolades both on and off of the golf course.

A senior at Stanford University, Danielson (Osceola, Wis.) has been named a Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention on multiple occasions. Away from the course, Danielson established a “Birdies for a Cause,” initiative, which dates back to her high school golf competition days. By collecting donations from family and friends as they pledge money for each birdie of hers made in competition, she was able to donate more than $7500 to a fundraiser put on by her high school art department which benefits impoverished people around the world unable to provide their own source of food. While at Stanford, Danielson resurrected “Birdies for a Cause” and was able to donate more than $2500 to the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital near Stanford’s campus.

A sophomore at Vanderbilt University, Martin (Birmingham, Ala.) was named to the 2016 SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll, in addition to being named to the 2016 SEC All-Freshman Team and 2016 All-SEC 2nd Team. After losing his grandfather to bone cancer in 2009 – the man responsible for introducing Martin and his family to golf – he decided to create a benefit golf tournament, inviting all to make a donation in order to participate. With the help of family, friends and local businesses, in four years the annual tournament raised more than $36,000 for the St. Vincent’s Bruno Cancer Center in Birmingham, Ala. Thanks to his fundraising efforts, the Cancer Center named one of their treatment rooms after his grandfather.

The award is named after developer and philanthropist Tom Cousins, who laid out a bold vision to revitalize the East Lake community of Atlanta by providing cradle-to-college education, mixed-income housing and community wellness to break the cycle of poverty to create a holistic environment. East Lake now acts as a national model for community redevelopment through Purpose Built Communities for transforming a struggling community into a thriving neighborhood.

2016 EAST LAKE CUP PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Men: University of Oregon, University of Texas, University of Illinois, Vanderbilt University
Women: University of Washington, Stanford University, University of California (Los Angeles), Duke University

FORMAT

On Monday, Oct. 31, the eight teams will compete in individual stroke play competitions to determine the individual champions and to seed for two days of match-play competition. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 1-2, two match-play tournaments will be hosted simultaneously for the men’s and women’s divisions, with the semifinals taking place on Tuesday and the finals and consolation matches on Wednesday.

FREE GENERAL ADMISSION FOR EAST LAKE CUP

General admission and parking for the East Lake Cup is free and open to the public. Complimentary tickets are available here and free parking is located at the Charles R. Drew Charter School: 301 East Lake Blvd., Atlanta, Ga. Shuttle service will be provided to and from East Lake Golf Club.

Golf Channel East Lake Cup News & Tournament Coverage (live, all times EST)
Monday, Oct. 31         Morning Drive                                                7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Pre Game                                   2-3 p.m.
Individual Stroke Play Championship        3-6 p.m.
Golf Central                                                    6-7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 1
Morning Drive                                                7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Pre Game                                   2-3 p.m.
Semifinals, Match Play                                 3-6 p.m.
Golf Central                                                    6-7 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 2
Morning Drive                                                7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Pre Game                                   2-3 p.m.
Finals, Match Play                                        3-6 p.m.
Golf Central                                                    6-7 p.m.

ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL

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“He’s the leading candidate for MVP.” – Rodney Harrison on Tom Brady

“Cam should not have to be the one saying this. His head coach, his owner, and everybody in the organization should be saying this.” – Tony Dungy on Cam Newton’s comments about quarterback safety

“They treat him like Shaq. He doesn’t get any calls because he’s so big. He’s absolutely spot on with this.” – Harrison on Newton

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 30, 2016 – Following are highlights from Football Night in America, which aired prior to tonight’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Mike Tirico opened the show live from inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He was joined on site by Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth and SNF sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.

Dan Patrick hosted Football Night, the most-watched studio show in sports, from NBC Sports Group’s Studio 1 in Stamford, Conn. He was joined by Super Bowl-winning and Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy; two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison; and NFL Insider Mike Florio of NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk. Paul Burmeister reported from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., on today’s Packers-Falcons game.

Football Night coverage also included Tirico’s interview with Eagles QB Carson Wentz.

Following are highlights from Football Night in America on NBC:

ON PANTHERS

Harrison on Cam Newton’s comments about quarterback safety: “It’s really unfair the way they treat him, because he has a reputation of being a running quarterback. When you look at his size and his strength, and we saw him Week 1 out there in Denver, it’s almost like they treat him like Shaq. He doesn’t get any calls, he doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt, because he’s so big. He’s absolutely spot on with this. We talk about the officials each and every week. You have an official looking right at the quarterback, he has to be able to make that call.”

Dungy: “There is no excuse for missing that call. Below the knee, that’s an automatic penalty that should have been called. I feel badly for him because Cam should not have to be the one saying this. You go on public record like this, and it puts thoughts in defenders minds that you are a little gun shy. His head coach, his owner, and everybody in the organization should be saying this. He should not have to say this.”

ON REDSKINS

Dungy on Josh Norman’s comments on officiating: “Official #88 is field judge Brad Freeman, and all he does is watch the wide receivers and defensive backs. These were good calls today. These were not phantom calls. Josh Norman has to understand. If you put your hands in the face, or you grab jerseys, it’s going to get called.”

Harrison: “I know he’s frustrated because he’s out there fighting against one of the best receivers in the league. If Norman watches the tape, he’ll see that they could have made three or four additional calls on him. If he doesn’t change his technique… it is going to continue to happen. He needs to change.”

ON SEAHAWKS

Harrison on Pete Carroll’s postgame comments about NFL officiating: “These officials have been so inconsistent this entire year. We saw that in the Seahawks’ game against the Falcons, the officials were afraid to call pass interference by Richard Sherman.”

Dungy: “Two calls were pretty obvious. Pete Carroll had a reason to be upset.”

ON PATRIOTS

Harrison on Tom Brady: “After missing four games, I think he’s the leading candidate for MVP.”

Dungy on Brady: “You’re not going to fool Tom Brady. He’s seen every coverage and every defense you can throw at him. Right now you would have to say he’s a leading candidate for MVP.”

ON BILLS

Dungy: “The big mistake they made was that they tried to fool Tom Brady. You don’t do that very often. He’s seen every coverage and every defense you can throw at him.”

ON RAIDERS

Collinsworth on the upcoming Week 9 matchup between the Broncos and Raiders: “When I was a kid, Denver and Oakland meant something. Guess what, it’s a big deal again. Derek Carr passed for 513 yards today, four touchdowns and no interceptions. There is a touch of the old Raiders as well. They had 23 penalties, for a new NFL record. Next week is going to feel like the ‘good old days’ one more time. It’s going to be insane.”

ON CHIEFS

Florio on Alex Smith: “After the first blow to his head, Alex Smith went to the locker room and received the full concussion evaluation. The Chiefs say, ‘it was the normal NFL mandated concussion protocol implemented by an independent neurologist.’ You can see Smith looked woozy after that first hit, but he was cleared. After the second hit, Smith went back for the evaluation and was not cleared. He was diagnosed with a concussion. Smith will not be allowed to practice or play until he is cleared by an independent neurologist and team physician.”

ON TEXANS

Harrison on Brock Osweiler: “It’s difficult to get excited about Brock Osweiler because he’s so inconsistent. He’s up and down, and loses his confidence.”

ON VIKINGS

Dungy: “The Minnesota Vikings are the most surprising team in the league right now. Adrian Peterson is out, Teddy Bridgewater is out, and they’re still in first place and playing very well.”

ON CARDINALS

Harrison: “Offensively they don’t know if they want to be a big play offense. On defense, they said we’re one pass rusher, Chandler Jones, away from being a great defense, and they’re not very good.”

ON COWBOYS

Florio on the NFL’s investigation on Ezekiel Elliott:  “The investigation remains open. Roughly a month ago, Ezekiel Elliott was interviewed for more than an hour by the NFL… and the NFL Players Association lawyer was also present for the formal interview. I’m also told that his ex-girlfriend is cooperating, and that is not always something that happens in cases like this. The investigation is open, and the investigation continues.”

Florio on the timing of the NFL’s investigation: “There is no hard and fast procedure. There is no timetable, and there are no deadlines that apply. The process moves as quickly as the league wants it to move. An important thing to keep in mind… If the Commissioner ever comes to a conclusion that the policy may have been violated, then Ezekiel Elliott could be put on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. Which means he’ll get paid, but he will not be allowed to play.”

Patrick: “Everybody is looking for consistency from the league with regards to investigating domestic violence, and I’m wondering about the handling of the Josh Brown case. Does that have any impact on this?”

Florio: “Well that looms over how the NFL is going to handle any of these cases in the short term. Many players are watching this case, and how it plays out with Ezekiel Elliott, because of what happened initially with Giants kicker Josh Brown. He (Brown) got a one game suspension. He is white, and a lot of players are watching this carefully.”

Collinsworth on Dak Prescott and Eagles QB Carson Wentz: “The thing that impresses me most out of them is that they have brought an element of fun to each of their teams. Young people sometimes bring an element of fun to a locker room that hasn’t been that much fun in the past. Certainly in the case of the Dallas Cowboys, I think you see that energy every time they take the field.”

ON EAGLES

Collinsworth on Wentz: “This is a guy who gets it. He’s a natural leader in that locker room. They really like him. He has all the intangibles. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s got a Ben Roethlisberger type of body. I think there are still a few things to clean up with him, but there’s a good chance this guy is going to be even better in the future than he is right now. Or at least pretty darn good.”

CARSON WENTZ WITH MIKE TIRICO

On returning home to North Dakota as a starting QB in the NFL: “It was pretty cool. It was different, because I feel like a kid who just grew up down the street. I don’t feel any different, but everyone looks at me differently now. I don’t let that go to my head. I’m trying to make the most of my opportunities with interacting with the fans. It’s a great place, a great state, and this sport is unbelievable.”

On playing for Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett at the 2016 Senior Bowl: “You could tell he loved the game. He was very passionate, even in the Senior Bowl. He took it seriously and he cared.”

On if he left the Senior Bowl thinking the Cowboys would draft him: “Absolutely. I left there, and everyone is talking. That’s just how it is. I always thought that was an opportunity, but I wouldn’t change the way it played out for the world.”

Tirico: “What would it be like if you were a Dallas Cowboy instead of a Philadelphia Eagle?”

Wentz: “(Laughs) I don’t even want to speculate on that one. I don’t know.”

On being compared to Brett Favre by Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson: “I think you’ll have to ask coach about some of those things. A guy like Brett, to even be in the same breath is unbelievable. The guy just loved the game. I always enjoyed watching him as a kid. To even be in that category is a little ridiculous in my opinion. The way he played the game, the energy that he brought is something that I like to bring. Obviously he had a bit of a gunslinger mentality in him, and I think some of that is in me.”

On tonight’s matchup possibly being the first of many with Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott: “It’s just the next game on the schedule right now. Obviously it’s a big game. A Sunday Night game. We’re pretty fired up about it, but I don’t really put it into this whole ‘Dak vs. Carson’ thing. It’s just another game.”

–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–

“He had a bit of a gunslinger mentality in him, and I think some of that is in me.” – Wentz on being compared to Brett Favre

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 30, 2016 – For tonight’s Week 8 edition of NBC’s Football Night In America, the most-watched weekly studio show in sports, host Mike Tirico interviews Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz. Football Night will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 8 games ahead of tonight’s Eagles-Cowboys Sunday Night Football showdown.

Football Night airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. Mike Tirico will host tonight’s program live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from NBC Sports Group’s Studio 1, and is joined by Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN, NBCSports.com and NBC Sports Radio. Paul Burmeister will report from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., on the Packers-Falcons game.

INTERVIEW: Below are excerpts from Tirico’s interview with Wentz. If used, please note the mandatory credit: “In an exclusive interview airing tonight on Football Night in America.”

CARSON WENTZ WITH MIKE TIRICO

On returning home to North Dakota as a starting QB in the NFL: “It was pretty cool. It was different, because I feel like a kid who just grew up down the street. I don’t feel any different, but everyone looks at me differently now. I don’t let that go to my head. I’m trying to make the most of my opportunities with interacting with the fans. It’s a great place, a great state, and this sport is unbelievable.”

On playing for Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett at the 2016 Senior Bowl: “You could tell he loved the game. He was very passionate, even in the Senior Bowl. He took it seriously and he cared.”

On if he left the Senior Bowl thinking the Cowboys would draft him: “Absolutely. I left there, and everyone is talking. That’s just how it is. I always thought that was an opportunity, but I wouldn’t change the way it played out for the world.”

Tirico: “What would it be like if you were a Dallas Cowboy instead of a Philadelphia Eagle?”

Wentz: “(Laughs) I don’t even want to speculate on that one. I don’t know.”

On being compared to Brett Favre by Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson: “I think you’ll have to ask coach about some of those things. A guy like Brett, to even be in the same breath is unbelievable. The guy just loved the game. I always enjoyed watching him as a kid. To even be in that category is a little ridiculous in my opinion. The way he played the game, the energy that he brought is something that I like to bring. Obviously he had a bit of a gunslinger mentality in him, and I think some of that is in me.”

On tonight’s matchup possibly being the first of many with Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott: “It’s just the next game on the schedule right now. Obviously it’s a big game. A Sunday Night game. We’re pretty fired up about it, but I don’t really put it into this whole ‘Dak vs. Carson’ thing. It’s just another game.”

–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–