(Las Vegas, WA)  --  Experts in Las Vegas are giving the Seattle Seahawks a good chance to return to the Super Bowl.  The odds are four-to-one that the Hawks will win the NFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl 49 in Glendale, Arizona.  Sports book Bovada says the odds are eight-to-one that Seattle will repeat as Super Bowl champs, but the Denver Broncos are five-to-two favorites to win it all.  The odds that the San Francisco 49ers will make the Big Game are 13-to-4.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Trail Blazers are off to a good start in the new NBA season, chalking up a 106-89 win over Oklahoma City.  The Blazers exploded in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Thunder, who came into the game short-handed.  LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 27 points, and Wesley Matthews scored 22.  The Blazers will visit the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night.

(Seattle, WA)  --  Justin Smoak is no longer a member of the Seattle Mariners.  The first baseman was claimed off waivers yesterday by the Toronto Blue Jays before playing the final year of his contract with the M's.  Smoak, a switch-hitter who showed promise as a rookie, has struggled on offense during his big-league career, batting only .202 this past season.

(Renton, WA)  --  Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says there's nothing to reports of a rift between star running back Marshawn Lynch and himself.  Various outlets have reported that Lynch and Carroll are on the outs, and that it's unlikely "Beast Mode" will be back with the team next season.  Carroll says he has nothing to say about it because there's "nothing to that" and he has "no idea where that came from."  The Hawks are making preparations to host the Oakland Raiders this Sunday.

(Stanford, CA)  --  Oregon State is facing an uphill battle to make the conference championship game after a devastating loss to Stanford.  The Beavers fell 38-to-14 to Stanford Saturday in California.  Sean Mannion threw for a career-low 122 yards.  Oregon State is now 4-3 and 1-3.

The Texas A&M football team is canceling an upcoming game series with Oregon.  The Aggies have dropped their 2018 and 2019 games with Oregon and replaced the Ducks with Clemson.  "FOX Sports" reports the Aggies were able to back out of the games with Oregon due to a clause in the 2009 agreement that said they could do so if they changed conferences.  Texas A&M is now in the SEC instead of the Big 12.

(Renton, WA)  --  Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson says a report that there was tension between himself and former Seahawk wide receiver Percy Harvin is untrue.  Wilson told reporters yesterday that he and Harvin "never had differences" but were both wanting to compete at the highest level and win every game.  Wilson made the remarks in response to a report from Mike Freeman of "Bleacher Report," which said that the Seahawks traded Harvin to the New York Jets because of his "increasing animosity toward Wilson."  The Seahawks will play on the road against the Carolina Panthers this Sunday.
 

(Renton, WA)  --  Seahawks tight end Luke Willson is back at practice after suffering a groin strain during practice last week.  Cornerback Tharold Simon, who tweaked his ankle during the Rams game last Sunday, is also back at practice.  Head coach Pete Carroll says both Willson and Simon are "day to day."  Carroll says cornerback Byron Maxwell, who's been nursing a calf injury, could return for Sunday's game at Carolina.

(Renton, WA)  --  The Seattle Seahawks are looking to add depth to the tight end position, and have claimed Brett Brackett off waivers from the Tennessee Titans.  Starter Zach Miller has been nursing an ankle injury and has missed three games.  To make room for Brackett, the Hawks have released tight end RaShaun Allen, but could sign him later to the practice squad.

(Tegucigalpa, Honduras)  --  The Portland Timbers are now eliminated from CONCACAF Champions League tournament play, following a 3-1 loss to C.D. Olimpia in Honduras.  Olimpia is advancing past Portland by virtue of the away-goals tiebreaker.  Ben Zemanski scored for the Timbers in the 52nd minute of last night's contest.  The Timbers hope to reach the MLS Cup playoffs Saturday, when they visit FC Dallas to wrap up the regular season.

(Renton, WA)  --  Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says fullback Derrick Coleman will be out for four to six weeks after he broke his foot Sunday during pregame warm-ups.  Carroll says cornerback Byron Maxwell could be back at practice this week after missing the St. Louis game with a calf strain.  Cornerback Tharold Simon, who suffered a high ankle sprain during the Rams game, could also return this week.

The Oregon Ducks are ranked higher in this week's college football Coaches Poll, following Saturday night's 45-20 win over Washington.  The Ducks have risen from ninth to seventh as they prepare for a Friday night battle with Cal in Santa Clara.  Mississippi State remains Number One, followed by Florida State, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Michigan State.  Arizona State is 14th this week, with Arizona ranked 15th, Utah 19th, and USC at Number 21.

(St. Louis, MO)  --  The Seattle Seahawks will turn their attention to Carolina after losing to the St. Louis Rams, 28-26.  Seattle fought back from a 21-6 halftime deficit to pull to within two points in the fourth quarter of yesterday's game, but a successful fake punt enabled the Rams to continue the game's final drive and end the Seahawks' rally.  Russell Wilson passed for two touchdowns, and became the first player in NFL history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game.  The Seahawks will play the Carolina Panthers on the road next Sunday.

(Eugene, OR)  --  The ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks will face PAC-12 North rival Washington tomorrow in Eugene.  The Ducks reentered the Top Ten this week, after a 42-30 win over UCLA last Saturday.  The Huskies are also off to a 5-and-1 start after defeating Cal last weekend.  Kickoff tomorrow at Autzen Stadium is set for 5 p.m.

(Corvallis, OR)  --  The Oregon State Beavers will begin preparing for Stanford, after losing to 23rd-ranked Utah in double overtime, 29-23.  Devontae Booker rushed for 229 yards and three touchdowns to help Utah hand the Beavers their second loss of the season.  Oregon State's Sean Mannion passed for 272 yards and two touchdowns.  The Beavers will visit Stanford on October 25th.

(Renton, WA)  --  Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin says the team received a wake-up call last Sunday with the loss at home to the Dallas Cowboys.  Baldwin told reporters yesterday that the Seahawks aren't as good as people "on the outside" think they are.  He says the offense hasn't played well in the last two games and has too much talent not to move the ball better and score more points.  Seattle is preparing for Sunday's game in St. Louis against the Rams.

(Seattle, WA)  --  Russell Wilson "Number 3" jerseys are quite popular among NFL fans.  The NFL Players Association says from June 1st through August 31st, jerseys and t-shirts bearing Wilson's name and number sold more than those of any other player.  Among NFL quarterbacks, the Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning was in second place, followed by Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers, Tom Brady of the Patriots, Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, and Johnny Manziel of the Cleveland Browns.  Overall, the Seahawks' Richard Sherman and Marshawn Lynch placed 11th and 12th, respectively.
 

The Oregon Ducks are back in the Top Ten in the weekly college football Coaches Poll.  Oregon is ranked ninth, following their big win Saturday over PAC-12 rival UCLA.  Mississippi State is the new Number One, followed by Florida State, Ole Miss, Baylor, and Notre Dame.  Other PAC-12 teams in the weekly poll include Arizona at 17th, Arizona State at 18th, Stanford at 20th, Utah at 23rd, and USC at 25th.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Seahawks will begin preparations for St. Louis after losing at home to the Dallas Cowboys, 30-23.  Seattle jumped out to a 10-0 lead early in yesterday's game, but the Seahawks' offense struggled and was able to muster only nine first downs on the day.  Tony Romo passed for two scores and DeMarco Murray rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown for Dallas.  The Seahawks will play the Rams next Sunday, with the kickoff set for 10 a.m. 

(Pasadena, CA)  --  Marcus Mariota piled up 285 total yards and four touchdowns as 11th-ranked Oregon ran past number-17 UCLA 42-30 at the Rose Bowl.  Mariota threw for 210 yards and two scores while rushing for another 75 yards and two touchdowns.  Royce Freeman added 121 rushing yards and two TDs for the Ducks, who improved to 5-and-1 with a 2-and-1 Pac-12 record.  Paul Perkins ran for 187 yards for the Bruins while Brett Hundley threw for 216 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.  Hundley also ran for 89 yards and a score as UCLA fell to 4-and-2 with a 1-and-2 conference mark.

Portland,  OR  (SportsNetwork.com) - Trey  Burke hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30.9  seconds  remaining as  the Utah  Jazz edged  the Portland Trail Blazers, 109-105, in preseason play.

Burke finished with  22 points  and seven  assists, Alec  Burks poured  in 20 points and Enes Kanter totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds in the victory.

LaMarcus Aldridge paced Portland with 22 points.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Timbers are back in the playoff picture, following a 3-0 victory over San Jose at Providence Park.  Rodney Wallace scored in the first half and Diego Valeri added two more goals in the second period to make the difference.  Portland is now two points ahead of the Vancouver Whitecaps for the fifth and final postseason spot in the Western Conference, with two games left in the regular season.  The Timbers will host Real Salt Lake on October 17th.

(Undated)  --  There are big changes in this week's college football Coaches Poll, following a weekend full of upsets.  The Oregon Ducks fell out of the Top Ten after their loss to Arizona, and are now ranked eleventh.  Florida State is still Number One, followed by Auburn, Baylor, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame.  Arizona is 13th, with UCLA dropping to 17th, Arizona State at 20th, and Stanford ranked 22nd.

(Landover, MD)  --  The Seattle Seahawks hope to keep their Monday Night Football winning streak alive, when they visit the Washington Redskins tonight.  Seattle has won eight consecutive Monday night contests over the past nine years.  The Seahawks are coming off a bye week after defeating Super Bowl rival Denver in overtime.  Kickoff at FedEx Field is set for 5:30 p.m.

(Eugene, OR)  --  Oregon Ducks fans are stunned after their team suffered an upset for the second straight year to the Arizona Wildcats.  The 31-24 win last night in Eugene kept Arizona undefeated on the season, including a two-and-oh record in PAC-12 play.  Quarterback Marcus Mariota passed for 276 yards and two touchdowns in Oregon's first loss of the year.  The Ducks will try to rebound on October 11th when they visit UCLA.

(Renton, WA)  --  Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says defensive end Bruce Irvin will play in Monday night's game at Washington.  Irvin was sidelined after suffering a rib injury during practice prior to the Denver game.  He played in the first two games of the year after undergoing hip surgery during the offseason.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners have the distinction of enjoying the largest attendance increase in the majors this season.  The Mariners drew more than two-million to Safeco Field during the 2014 campaign, an increase of 17 percent from last season.  Seattle finished the year with 16 more wins than in 2013, and went down to the final day of the regular season before being eliminated from playoff consideration.