Box Score 10/11: Papi, Deion and Bell

Welcome to the Yardbarker Box Score, what we're reading while we wait for the NLDS to wrap up.

Happy birthday to baseball journeyman Ty Wigginton and golfer Michelle Wie . On this day on 1992, Deion Sanders played for both the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Braves in two games that were 1180 miles apart in Pittsburgh and Miami in just one day. (You have to love the reporter's jab describing the scene. "Sanders, who talks only to major networks, told CBS, 'This is the sort of thing every kid dreams about. ... I'm a kid still.'")

Around the league: 

• Dom Cosentino over at Vice makes the argument that the NFL fullback position isn't dead yet. [Vice]
• Of course you want to watch a mountain biker lose it going down the mountain. [SBNation]
• Reporter Bill Pennington described what "locker room talk" over his years of reporting. Sounds like the same work conversations we all have; discussions about traffic. [NYT]

YB ICYMI:

"The late-game magic of the Tennessee Volunteers couldn't last for two overtime periods, and they ended up falling to a Texas A&M squad that seemed determined to give Tennessee chances to win at every turn. More important to us, however (unless you're a fan of Tennessee) is what we learned from the game: if your team isn't playing, and Tennessee is, for the love of god, watch the Tennessee game. You can waste your time on the other games, but Tennessee games are the nearest to being alive." -Week 7 in college football as explained by R.E.M.

"Then in his first game back in the mix last week, Bell recorded 178 yards on 23 touches in a blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Taking on a significantly worst New York Jets defense on Sunday, Bell followed that up with a 154-yard performance in yet another blowout Steelers victory. Bell's mere presence to on the field is something to behold. When he's not putting up these huge numbers, opposing defenses have to account for him. That enabled Big Ben to absolutely tear apart a bad Jets defense through the air on Sunday. It really is becoming a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for those taking on the high-flying Steelers." - Good, bad and ugly from Week 5

"Despite Barry Trotz’s club being one of the most stacked, the Capitals are still just knocking at the door of greatness due to their habit of fizzling out late in the season when games matter the most. Now saying that Washington can’t be judged until the latter part of the season is a bit of a stretch — besides, most hockey players will tell you they are only focused on the game right in front of them, not the games taking place three months from now. But the only way the Caps really push themselves into greatness is to find some consistency throughout the season and not let it fade come April." - The eight NHL teams on the cusp of greatness

"The Bulls had an interesting offseason. They finally gave up on the Derrick Rose era by dealing him away to the Knicks. They let their frontcourt of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah walk and decided to hand the franchise over to Jimmy Butler. With all the injuries on the team, Butler was the one steady influence on this franchise and was rewarded with a spot on the U.S. Men's Olympic Team in Rio. Add in the fact that head coach Fred Hoiberg is trying to transition the Bulls' roster to his style after the Tom Thibodeau era and this looked like a franchise that was retooling for the future. Instead, the Bulls added Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. Both are really good players but they've also had some rocky times of late. Wade is on the down-turn due to age and years of abusing his body while Rondo has had a hard time getting along with anyone it seems. All agree that it is still Butler's team, but how?" - Five NBA teams that need a breakout season

Not a dry eye in the house.