Phil Mickelson will bypass a staple of his annual schedule to play the Saudi International tournament on the European Tour.

The event is Jan. 30-Feb. 3, the same week as the PGA Tour's Waste Management Phoenix Open, which Mickelson has won three times.

The European Tour last year came under heavy criticism for adding the Saudi International to its schedule. The tournament is supported by the government of Saudi Arabia and will be played for the second time.

"I am really looking forward to playing in Saudi Arabia in January," Mickelson said in a statement. "I watched Dustin [Johnson] win the title last year and thought the course looked like an interesting challenge. Having so many talented players on show also made it look like a much more established tournament than one in its inaugural year. I have enjoyed my previous visits to the Middle East and am looking forward to playing in a new country and doing my bit to grow the game in the Kingdom."

In addition to defending champion Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia and Tony Finau also have committed to play the event, as have Henrik Stenson and Open champion Shane Lowry.

All of those players would be expected to receive appearance fees for playing the tournament.

Mickelson, 49, recently dropped out of the top 50 in the world for the first time since 1993 and is now ranked 58th.

NEW YORK -- Tara VanDerveer and Stanford are No. 1 for the first time in seven years.

The Cardinal moved up two spots after a weekend that saw previous No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Baylor both lose on Saturday. It was only the third time since the Top 25 became a writers' poll before the 1994-95 season that the top two teams lost on the same day.

Stanford received 23 of 30 first-place votes from the national media panel on Monday. The team was last No. 1 for six weeks in 2012.

"We've had a real good start," VanDerveer said after beating No. 10 Mississippi State to win a tournament in Canada over the weekend. "I think, maybe, it would be a positive thing in terms of motivating our team to continue to work hard and get better. You hope that it wouldn't have people be complacent."

The Hall of Fame coach knows there is already "a pretty big target on [Stanford's] back'' because of its ranking and storied history.

"I don't know that it would change much, honestly," she said. "I just go with the flow. Whatever people vote, I just go with it. I'm just trying to focus on our team -- and not the periphery stuff."

Louisville jumped up six spots to No. 2 after knocking off Oregon, which fell to third. The Cardinals got five first-place votes. UConn, which was the only top-10 team that didn't play over the holiday weekend, received the other two first-place votes and remained No. 4.

Oregon State moved up to No. 5. South Carolina and Baylor were Nos. 6 and 7. The Gamecocks beat the then-No. 2 Lady Bears in the Paradise Jam tournament.

Florida State, Maryland and Mississippi State rounded out the first 10 teams in the poll.

Missouri State entered the Top 25 for the first time since 2004, coming in at No. 22. The Lady Bears had a two-week run in the poll 15 years ago.

"It's a great accomplishment being a mid-major and getting recognized in the AP poll,'' first-year Missouri State coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. "We had a goal of doing that, get ranked and gain more respect. We've got to stay there and not get complacent or satisfied.''

Michigan and LSU were also ranked, at Nos. 24 and 25. South Florida, Syracuse and West Virginia all fell out of the poll.

VanDerveer will have a few weeks to enjoy the top spot; the Cardinal are on a break for exams until facing Ohio State on Dec. 15.

MOVING ON UP

With its win over South Carolina in the Paradise Jam tournament, Indiana climbed three spots to No. 14. The Hoosiers did suffer their first loss of the year, falling to Baylor in a tight game in the same tournament. Before this season, Indiana's best ranking was 22nd in 2014.

END OF A RUN

Syracuse had been ranked for 31 consecutive weeks before falling out on Monday. That's the longest run in school history. The Orange's three losses have come against Oregon, Stanford and Green Bay.

Louisville is the latest No. 1 following an unexpected loss by Duke. Michigan has matched a record by debuting at No. 4.

A season of parity is taking a toll in the AP Top 25.

Louisville became the fourth team in five weeks to claim the top spot, receiving 48 of 65 first-place votes from a media panel in The Associated Press men's basketball poll released Monday.

No. 2 Kansas, coming off the Maui Invitational title, had three first-place votes and No. 5 Virginia received five. Maryland rose to No. 3 in a week when every spot in the poll changed from last week.

Michigan (7-0) knocked off Iowa State, No. 7 North Carolina and No. 9 Gonzaga to win the Battle 4 Atlantis title in the Bahamas. The Wolverines were rewarded with nine first-place votes and matched Kansas (1989) for the biggest jump from being unranked in the history of the poll, which dates to 1949.

Not a bad first season under former Michigan star Juwan Howard.

"I'm sure we're on the map now," Howard said. "A lot of teams are looking and seeing Michigan as a name that's out there. When you beat teams like Creighton and Iowa State as well as North Carolina and Gonzaga, you're no longer under the radar."

Louisville wasn't exactly under the radar after opening the preseason poll at No. 5. The Cardinals (7-0) made a steady climb to No. 2 and moved to the top spot when previous No. 1 Duke lost at home to Stephen F. Austin. Duke dropped to No. 10 after its 150-game home winning streak against nonconference opponents ended in Durham.

Louisville has its first No. 1 ranking in six years after beating Akron and Western Kentucky last week.

"There's no team that's arrived. No team's arrived," Cardinals coach Chris Mack said. "A lot of people are saying that we haven't played anybody. A lot of people are saying we're not there. Maybe we aren't deserving. I don't care."

The record for most teams at No. 1 is seven, set in 1983, so this season is already more than halfway there. Another jumble could come next Monday because of a slate of huge games this week, including Michigan at Louisville on Tuesday.

JAYHAWKS RISE

Kansas was No. 3 in the preseason poll and dropped to fifth after a season-opening loss to Duke. The Jayhawks (6-1) have been on a roll since then, culminating last week with their third Maui Invitational title.

Kansas used its size up front to beat Chaminade, Brigham Young and Dayton to add to the Maui titles it won in 1996 and 2015.

"I'm not sure the win will have a ton to do with what we do going forward," Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. "It's still November and I would like to think that that automatically puts us in a very good or favorable position, but if you don't play well against Colorado, a top-20 team, next Saturday then this probably didn't mean as much."

RISING

Michigan had the biggest jump after receiving 12 overall votes last week. No. 6 Ohio State and No. 14 Auburn were next, each moving up four spots.

FALLING

No. 25 Utah State had the biggest drop, falling 10 places after losing to Saint Mary's on Friday.

No. 11 Michigan State tumbled eight spots after going 2-1 in the Maui Invitational.

No. 21 Tennessee dropped four places after losing to Florida State and beating Virginia Commonwealth at the Emerald Coast Classic.

MOVING IN

No. 17 Florida State is ranked for the first time this season after beating Tennessee and Purdue to win the Emerald Coast Classic.

No. 19 Dayton moved into the Top 25 for the first time since 2015-16 following a strong performance at the Maui Invitational. The Flyers (5-1) knocked off Georgia and Virginia Tech before taking Kansas to overtime in the title game.

No. 24 Butler moved into the AP poll for the first time since hitting as high as No. 11 in 2016-17 after winning the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City. The Bulldogs (7-0) beat Missouri, then took down Stanford 68-67 on Kamar Baldwin's 18-foot jumper.

MOVING OUT

Florida dropped out from No. 24 despite beating Saint Joseph's, Miami and Xavier to win the Charleston Classic.

Xavier was out from No. 25 following the loss to the Gators in the title game.

Texas Tech took a massive fall after losing to Iowa and Creighton at the Las Vegas Invitational, dropping out of the poll from No. 12.

CLEVELAND -- The Indians have acquired veteran catcher Sandy Leon in a trade from the Red Sox.

Cleveland sent minor league right-hander Adenys Bautista to Boston on Monday for Leon, 30, who has split his eight-year major league career between Boston and Washington. Leon batted just .192 last season in 65 games for the Red Sox, but he's been ranked among the AL's best defensive catchers.

To make room on their roster, the Indians designated right-hander James Hoyt for assignment.

A switch-hitter, Leon has a .221 career batting average with 25 home runs and 123 RBIs in 392 games. When he's been behind the plate, Boston's pitchers have posted a 3.74 ERA.

Bautista, 22, went 1-1 with a 7.79 ERA in 14 relief appearances for the Indians in Arizona Rookie League in 2019.

Worcester centre Francois Venter has agreed a contract extension to stay at Sixways until the summer of 2022.

The 28-year-old, who won the last of his seven caps for South Africa in December 2017, joined Worcester from the Cheetahs in 2018.

He has scored 10 tries in 29 appearances for Warriors.

"I have bought into the future of the club and hopefully we can be a sustainable top-six Premiership side," Venter said.

"I also like security, so extending my contract gives me that. I enjoy the vibe around the club and the lads we have in the squad so for me it was a no-brainer," added Venter, who was out of contract next summer.

"At the start of this season I struggled a little bit with injury but it's good to be back playing again and getting opportunities. We have started well in the Premiership and hopefully we can carry that on."

Venter follows England flanker Ted Hill and lock Andrew Kitchener in agreeing new contracts in the past week.

"He is a quality player with international experience who, with his direct, physical style and superb skill-set, adds huge value to the team," added director of rugby Alan Solomons.

"In addition he is a first-class bloke and a terrific team man. I look forward to continue working with him."

HAMPTON, Ga. – After more than four decades of service to the NASCAR industry, including the last 27 years at Atlanta Motor Speedway, facility President Ed Clark will retire following the Folds of Honor QuickTrip 500 on March 15.

Clark joined Speedway Motorsports in 1981 as a member of the public relations department at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He was quickly promoted to Director of Public Relations, and in 1987 was named the Vice President of Events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1992, Speedway Motorsports Executive Chairman Bruton Smith tapped Clark to be the General Manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway. He added the title of AMS President in 1995. Clark, 64, is the second-longest tenured employee at Speedway Motorsports, trailing only Smith, the company founder.

“Ed has been a pillar in the motorsports industry for more than 40 years, and the full effect of his work at Atlanta Motor Speedway is impossible to measure,” said Marcus Smith, president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports. “His tireless leadership and focus on creating unmatched fan experiences at each of his events sets him apart from his peers and has a direct impact on the success of Atlanta Motor Speedway and Speedway Motorsports.”

During his early career at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Clark was a member of the leadership team that created the first NASCAR All-Star Race and NASCAR Media Tour. At Atlanta Motor Speedway, Clark supervised the expansive growth and modernization of the facility with the addition of luxury suites, condominiums and Club One hospitality, as well as a rebuild of the complex after much of it was destroyed by a tornado in 2005.

Most recently, Clark has spearheaded efforts to add more major events like the Imagine Music Festival, Georgia State Fair and U.S. Legend Car racing to the speedway’s annual calendar, increasing Atlanta Motor Speedway’s track rental business, brand awareness and regional economic impact.

“Growing up on a tobacco farm in Virginia, I never dreamed as a boy that I’d have the opportunity to work in this sport for 44 seasons,” said Clark.  “I have been privileged to work with and for many amazing people and I will be forever grateful for how they allowed me to follow and live my dream. It’s been a true blessing and a wonderful journey.”

“We are beyond grateful for Ed’s service to our company and to the entire NASCAR community,” added Marcus Smith. “We’re also blessed that Ed will continue to lead Atlanta Motor Speedway through the March 15 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, so that the fans, drivers and sponsors can join us to say ‘thank you’ to a man whose countless contributions and dedication to our sport will be remembered for years to come.”

In addition to his work at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Clark serves on the board of directors of Speedway Children’s Charities and the Flint River Scout Council.

RANSOMVILLE, N.Y. – Ransomville Speedway will welcome back the BRP Modified Tour on Sept. 11 following a successful inaugural visit by the series this year.

Last September, Gary Lindberg bested a star-studded field of modifieds in the inaugural visit by the BRP Modified Tour. Justin Haers, Chad Brachmann, Alan Johnson and James Sweeting rounded out the top five in that event.

Rex King Jr. placed eighth to lock up the BRP Modified Tour championship.

This addition to the schedule means that modified racing will continue at Ransomville in the final two weeks of the season once weekly DIRTcar points racing ends for the Krown Undercoating 358 Modifieds on Labor Day weekend.

The Friday, Sept. 11 program will also feature a Sportsman/Novice Sportsman shootout, Ki-Po Chevrolet Street Stocks and Mini Stocks.

Ransomville Speedway will be announcing additional special events for the upcoming season in the coming weeks.

Missed any of the action around Europe this weekend? Have no fear: Gab Marcotti is here to catch you up with all the talking points in the latest Monday Musings.

Jump to: Messi's heroics | Give Ljungberg time | Bayern's bad day | Man United misfire with Mata | Juve still unbeaten | Real Madrid on track? | Liverpool can still get better | Don't write off Man City yet | Inter's magic strike duo | Mou must fix Spurs' defence | Why did Hertha hire Klinsmann? | Leicester game shows VAR works | Napoli's crisis continues | Bundesliga's two-horse race

Messi (and ter Stegen) rescue Barcelona again

If the whispers coming out of Barcelona are correct -- and let's face it, given how the title is accompanied by a photo shoot and all sorts of hard-to-miss PR activity, unless you engage in some serious misdirection, they're bound to be, right? -- Lionel Messi is likely to win his sixth Ballon d'Or on Monday. (Though having won the 2019 FC 100 this year, would a Ballon d'Or even matter?)

I've shared my feelings about these sorts of awards before and it remains shocking how much importance folks attach to them. You'd think that like phrenology or reading tea leaves, we might have moved out of the dark ages when it comes to these global popularity contests, but since people still seem to care, let's settle this. Because the Ballon d'Or means different things to do different people, in a year like this you go with what you most value.

You like rewarding guys who won the most silverware? Well, Cristiano Ronaldo is your man: he won the Serie A title and led Portugal to the UEFA Nations League. (He also turned in some huge performances in the Champions League when everybody was watching, which matters because many of these voters only pay attention to the big games.)

Are you the sort of person who perpetually believes defenders are underappreciated and therefore, you have to give it to the inspirational leader of the team that won the biggest prize in the club game and finished second in the biggest league by a single point? OK, then go with Virgil van Dijk and his monster campaign. Though be advised that on a Jenga-like side Liverpool, it's really hard to argue that Van Dijk is substantially more important than say, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Alisson, Fabinho or Trent Alexander-Arnold, which means you're likely to split the vote.

You just want to reward the best player in the world, as in the guy you would most like to add to your team if the genie came out of the bottle and granted you a single wish? In that case, odds are you'd choose Lionel Messi. Or you'd choose someone else and your nose would grow imperceptibly longer.

All Messi did in 2019 was average roughly a goal a game for Barcelona, a side with more holes and practical uses than a wagon wheel of Emmenthal if it was machine-gunned by a Howitzer. As if on cue, he reminded us again of his brilliance on Sunday night, away to Atletico Madrid. Against tightly-wound opposition, after 86 minutes in the driving rain of the Wanda Metropolitano, he did what has become overly familiar, like his goal-scoring numbers. He picks up the ball on the right, converges centrally, plays a wall pass with Suarez, squirts into space like ketchup out of the pouch and produces a surgical side-foot finish that threads the needle through a gang of Atleti defenders. Call it the banality of excellence. You know what's coming; you just can't defend it.

The goal, which gave Barcelona a 1-0 win and returned them to the top of La Liga on goal difference, is a reminder of why he'll likely win Monday night, but it should also be the umpteenth hazard light on Ernesto Valverde's dashboard. This was a game that could have seen Barcelona three goals down by half-time against a depleted Atletico. That they weren't is down to the woodwork and some absurd saves from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who, in terms of Barcelona, is the Omega to Messi's Alpha.

Atleti away in those conditions is about as fun as a trip to the dentist. But Barca showed their limits in every department, from full-back (where Sergi Roberto remains little more than a patch and Junior Firpo looks as if he's there by accident), to midfield (these days Ivan Rakitic has the mobility of the suspended Sergio Busquets without his sense of position, while Arthur still looks unfit), to attack (where Luis Suarez did little beyond the wall pass to Messi and Antoine Griezmann, mercilessly booed by the Wanda, shrivelled into dust).

Yes, they're top, but they're as Messi- and Marc-Andre-dependent as they've been in a long time. If you have faith in Valverde, it's good news, because at some point the rest will click and they'll improve exponentially. If you don't, well, when either of the two next takes a day off you're going to drop points.

After the match, Diego Simeone again reminded everyone that Atletico were in the midst of a "transition season." That's undoubtedly true, but when you've won just five of your last 17 games in all competitions, fans get frustrated. They didn't like Joao Felix coming off (even though he's 20 years old, the conditions didn't suit him and he hadn't played 90 minutes in nearly six weeks), they questioned why, again, they weren't able to stop Messi's late shtick. In fact, they were beaten by two superheroes -- a tall German and a small Argentine -- and sometimes you just have to accept that.

Ljungberg's new Arsenal needs time to gel

What shall we make of Freddie Ljungberg's "new" Arsenal? You might think that based on Sunday's 2-2 draw at Norwich, it's a lot like the "old" Arsenal, only with more coherent manager comments. Same defensive errors, same chaos in the final third. But in fact, it's not.

The 4-2-3-1 Ljungberg used is a rational change, even if it means shifting one of the front two wide (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, in this case) because it lays the groundwork for Nicolas Pepe. That has to be the starting point: it's the only formation that allows you to use Pepe and Mesut Ozil. You can quibble about some of the other changes (Shkodran Mustafi for Sokratis Papastathopoulos springs to mind) but it's worth remembering they've basically had one day of full training together. Let's give Ljungberg and Per Mertesacker some time to work.

Bayern have a bad day at the office

I wouldn't be overly concerned by Hansi Flick's first defeat as Bayern boss. This weekend's 2-1 home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen was classic defend-and-counter stuff and when you face a guy like Leon Bailey, who is only marginally slower than the speed of sound, in a state of grace, sometimes things don't work out and you get caught. Bayern dominated, created loads of chances but simply didn't finish. And yes, that applies to the deadliest finisher of all, Robert Lewandowski, who squandered several chances.

Call it a bad day and move on.

Man United fail to adapt to Mata

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gambled on a more attacking set-up at home to Aston Villa, dusting off Juan Mata for his first Premier League start in nearly two months and lining him up in the hole in a 4-2-3-1. It finished 2-2 -- two points dropped -- and you don't want to be too harsh on Solskjaer given the injury crisis in midfield. But what must have been disappointing is the front three's failure to adjust to Mata. If you have a guy like him on the pitch offering guile and creativity, but limited mobility, you need to move and find space. You've seen napping tabbies with more urgency.

Throw in the fact that they had a full six days to prepare for this game given Solskjaer's decision to send the kids to Kazakhstan for the Europa League and you hope he's got one of Sir Alex's spare hairdryer routines in reserve.

Juve have a horror show, but they're still undefeated

Juventus served up a veritable defensive horror show in their 2-2 home draw with Sassuolo, which allowed Inter to leapfrog them at the top of Serie A. That second goal in particular featured massive blunders from (in order) Juan Cuadrado, Matthijs de Ligt and Gigi Buffon. Meanwhile, at the other end, an 18 year old third-choice keeper named Stefano Turati, who later admitted he was "shaking with fear" throughout the match, saved shot after shot. And one shot he wasn't getting to was saved (unwittingly) by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, who got in the way of Paulo Dybala's effort.

It's tempting to look at it, count up the chances and conclude that Juve should have won while reminding yourself that these grotesque defensive blunders are unlikely to happen again. Fine. But it's also true that Juve are still neither cohesive nor effective, and they rely far too much on individuals. The fact that they're still the only side in the "Big Five" leagues who are still undefeated in all competitions speaks more to their quality than how they've played thus far.

Real Madrid showing the right spirit

Zinedine Zidane is like the kid with all the best toys who is trying to decide which ones give him the most happiness. That he's deciding while grinding out results is undoubtedly a positive. Away to Alaves, we saw Gareth Bale make his first start in two months and Isco join Karim Benzema in the front three. Bale was ineffective, Isco did his drift inside schtick with limited success, but then the weather conditions helped neither. What made the difference was Madrid's determination and blue-collar cohesion in what could easily have been a banana skin of a game.

Zidane may still be looking for the winning recipe, but his players (ingredients?) are all showing the right spirit (even, in his own way, Bale). Competition for places can be a double-edged sword. From what we saw against Alaves, it's being channelled in the right way.

Liverpool can still improve

Virgil van Dijk's two goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold assists sent Liverpool on their way to a 2-1 victory over Brighton that was more laboured than it ought to have been and not just because of Alisson's red card with 15 minutes left. That doesn't take away from the simple effectiveness of the TAA-VVD set-piece combination: when you have a guy who can put the ball just about anywhere he wants and another guy who is bigger, stronger and a tremendous jumper, you have a frightening additional weapon in your arsenal. But Van Dijk is right: Liverpool can still improve by at least another 10 percent.

We've seen them go through a run of games where they haven't dominated but still won. Maybe it's Jurgen Klopp and his fitness team pacing them so they're fresh for the insanely congested fixture list coming up. Maybe it's that some guys have dropped off or are going through a rough patch. Either way, even with their eight-point lead in the Premier League, they can't sit on their laurels.

Don't write off Man City just yet

The 2-2 draw at Newcastle leaves Manchester City 11 points back. Cue folks writing them off in 3, 2, 1... That's premature. There are 24 games to go. It's unlikely that we'll get the head-to-head down-to-the-wire race we had last season, but there is little question City aren't where they were. It's not Saturday's draw -- they could easily have won that game -- but rather the fact that they're starting the price for injuries and absentees. Gabriel Jesus is an outstanding centre-forward (maybe even as good as Guardiola suggests) but his runs are very different to the injured Sergio Aguero's. Benjamin Mendy isn't an auxiliary wide playmaker like Oleg Zinchenko was last season. Riyad Mahrez has ups and downs: a fit Leroy Sane would have been a plus. And, of course, Aymeric Laporte was the best stopper-not-named-Virgil in the league and, whoever plays in his absence is several notches below.

City are different this year and that's your reason.

Strikers lead Inter to the top of Serie A

Very few top teams play a genuine front two and that may be why Antonio Conte is getting so much out of his Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku partnership: teams are just not accustomed to playing against strike tandems. Or, more likely, it's that both are intelligent, unselfish strikers who are just as happy with an assist as they are a goal. Their understanding is beginning to border on the telepathic and their goal total (23 between them in 2019-20) reflects this.

This weekend, Lautaro sent Inter on their way to a 2-1 win over Spal that sees them recapture the top of the table. That they were able to do this without two-thirds of their starting midfield (Stefano Sensi and Nicola Barella, who were seen as essential not that long ago, were both out) is a testament to how front-wheel-drive this Inter side is becoming.

Mourinho has Spurs firing ... now to plug the defence

It's three wins out of three for Jose Mourinho as Tottenham beat Bournemouth, 3-2, on Saturday. When he was appointed, there was a sense that he had changed: he projected as being less sour, more smiley and more empathetic (to use one of his words). There's no question Tottenham have had a lift since his appointment and his tendency to be more direct (witness the Toby Alderweireld to Dele Alli connection) is one of those solutions that seems obvious now but which Mauricio Pochettino rarely exploited.

That said, what's most unlike Mourinho is the leaky defence. Six goals conceded in three games is not what we're accustomed to. Expect that to change.

Will Klinsmann succeed at Hertha?

It was a bitter return to club management for Jurgen Klinsmann at Hertha Berlin, as they fell at home to Borussia Dortmund, 2-1. Obviously Dortmund -- even this weakened, star-crossed version with Lucien Favre teetering on the edge of the sack -- is going to be a tall order for anyone, but it's still hard to see what the club saw in Klinsmann other than a big name. Yes, Hertha have some big investors behind them now and we can probably expect some spending in January, not least because they're on the edge of automatic relegation. But the fact is Klinsmann hasn't worked in three years (since getting sacked by the United States) and he hasn't actually coached a club side in a decade (that was Bayern and that didn't end well either).

It does feel as though Hertha's decision makers were seduced by a big name rather than a concrete plan.

Leicester game proves VAR works

Video Assistant Referees (VAR) continue to get little love in some quarters, but games like Leicester City vs. Everton on Sunday might convince a few in England that, without it, we might be worse off. First, VAR overturned a penalty awarded by referee Graham Scott for a blatant Ben Chilwell dive. And then, deep in injury time, it overruled the assistant referee who had flagged Kelechi Iheanacho's winner offside. Both decisions were clear and correct. This is how it's supposed to work, folks. This is why it's there. And this is why Leicester, deservedly, are second in the table, eight points behind Liverpool.

Are you sure you want to go back?

Napoli need to figure it out ... and fast

Napoli were booed off the pitch after losing at home to Bologna, 2-1. Given they'd just held the European champions to a draw at Anfield, the letdown was understandable. Particularly since some (including me) had them challenging for the title this season, while instead they're now seventh, 17 points off the pace. For his part, Carlo Ancelotti owned the situation, saying: "It's normal for a manager to take responsibility. I think at lot of this is down to me and my decisions, but not all of it. But it's up to me to fix it. I'll sit down with the players Monday and they'll help me figure it out. And if they can't, I'll decide what to do."

His decision? Another "ritiro": the antediluvian Italian custom of locking teams up in training camp, making them sleep at the club HQ to "prepare" the next match. This, you'll recall, was what set in motion the malaise in the first place, as well as the fines to the mutineers who refused to return to the "ritiro" after the Champions' League game against Salzburg. It had better work this time.

It's a two-horse race in Germany

Yup, we got a two-horse race in the Bundesliga. And while it's not the two teams most were expecting (many were looking forward to a Bayern vs. Borussia blockbuster) it's the two sides with the most interesting managers: Julian Nagelsmann's Leipzig and Marco Rose's Borussia Monchengladbach. The former won away at Paderborn, 3-2 (though after racing to a 3-0 lead inside half an hour, things got nervy at the end) while the latter overcame Freiburg, 4-2. Gladbach will find out just how "for real" they are next week, when they host Bayern.

HOUSTON -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady addressed "realistic" expectations for the team's inconsistent offense Monday morning, the day after a 28-22 loss to the Houston Texans in which the attack sputtered for long stretches.

"We're learning as we go. By no means, we're not 2-10. We're 10-2," he said in his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show."

"I know there are very high expectations, as there are for us. I think the expectations for our team are often at a very, very, very high level. I understand that. But at the same time, I think there are realistic expectations with our circumstances and incorporating different elements and players and injuries.

"We're just trying to do the best we can do. We have our whole season ahead of us, and we have to learn from the things we did last night and try to go out there and get a really tough win against K.C. and see if we can get back to winning."

The Patriots, who slipped into the No. 2 spot in the AFC with the loss, host quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs (8-4) on Sunday.

Part of the reason the Patriots are "incorporating different elements," as Brady noted, is because they released veteran receiver Antonio Brown in September after 11 days with the team. The club also released veteran receiver Josh Gordon in October and traded for Mohamed Sanu. Tight end Rob Gronkowski retired during the offseason.

Brown -- facing a lawsuit and an NFL investigation over allegations of rape and sexual assault -- continues to campaign for a return to the Patriots, but sources say the club has not been interested in that possibility.

Brown's latest lobbying came in the form of a post on his Instagram Story in which he wrote that, "I'm starting to question if Robert Kraft wants to win. This is a business. You have rumors of your HOF QB wanting to leave, as well as already losing your All-Pro TE. I would assume that you would want to improve your offensive threats, which are obviously lacking. Tom and Josh [McDaniels] have nothing to work with."

Brown also implored Kraft to "swallow your pride" and made a lewd reference to the Patriots owner allegedly paying for sex at a Florida massage parlor.

The loss of Brown has thrust rookie receiver N'Keal Harry, a first-round pick from Arizona State who had opened the season on injured reserve, into a bigger role. Brady was intercepted when targeting Harry on a slant route late in the first quarter; the Texans quickly turned the turnover into a touchdown.

Undrafted free-agent receiver Jakobi Meyers is also playing extended snaps, and Brady was shown on the NBC broadcast imploring his pass-catchers during the game.

"A quarterback's responsibility is to try to lead and motivate. We're often the voice of a lot of situations, because first we're calling the plays in the huddle. And we have a lot of information from the coaches and coordinators on what we're trying to do. We're trying to motivate people and get people to play their best," Brady explained in the radio interview.

"Guys are trying. I got no problem with [the effort]. I love playing with Phillip Dorsett. I love playing with N'Keal. N'Keal is working his tail off. He hasn't had a lot of opportunity out there. He's learning as he's going. To expect someone to go out in their third game of the year, and be perfect, I think that's unrealistic for anyone. I love what N'Keal is bringing. We're gaining confidence every week.

"I love what Jakobi is doing; we're gaining confidence every week. Gaining confidence with Mohamed. Julian [Edelman] and I have played together for a long time and I think that shows itself pretty well. I think you see James [White] and I have played together a long time.

"It's part of our sport, is dealing with new situations and you try to deal with them the best you can. This team has faced some unique ones in and of itself, just like every team has. We're not any different than any team. At the same time, we're in decent position here. Now we have to try to go beat a great football team at home, Kansas City."

Brady said the offense must "figure out how to be more consistent and get the ball in in the red area."

"Sometimes it's been good. Other times, we obviously have work we have to do. That's just part of playing football," he said. "Sometimes people have it figured out early, and some people, we're trying to figure it out as we go. That's just part of it. That's just part of what we're dealing with. Just going to keep trying to go out there and put our best out there and hopefully it's good enough."

Brady said slipping out of the No. 1 seed in the AFC is the "furthest thing from our mind." In other words, he's "on to Kansas City."

"It's not like we haven't dealt with losses before," he said during the radio interview. "I think a lot of it is about mental toughness and realizing that when you don't play well, you're not supposed to win. You're not supposed to win when you put less than your best out there. Sometimes you get away with it. Most of the times you don't.

"I don't think anyone is feeling sorry for us. We're not feeling sorry for us. We're going to try to have a great week of preparation and see if we can get back to winning."

PORT ROYAL, Pa. – After careful consideration, Port Royal Speedway officials and the Speedway Race Committee have made the decision to eliminate the Xtreme Stock Series.

A semi-regular division since the 2014 season, dwindling car counts and a lack of support are two of the main reasons Speedway officials came to this tough decision.

Past champions in the division are Bill Powell, Jason Zook, Pete Leister, Bill Powell and the Brad Mitch. Twenty-five different drivers claimed victories at the speedway since 2014, with Powell being the all-time leader at 31.

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