This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Chicago White SoxOverall: 96 Title track: T35 Ownership: 103 Coaching: 122 Players: 90 Fan relations: 116 Affordability: 27 Stadium experience:?91 Bang for the buck: 78 Change from last year: -11This spring, a baseball team in Chicago steamrolled through April and early May, winning at a .697 clip through game No. 33 on the backs of a gleaming sub-3.00 team ERA and a .300-plus OBP. And that team was not the Cubs! OK, it was. But it was also the White Sox, who played like world-beaters for the first five weeks of the season, only to let the world dole out beatings at their expense for the final 21. The Sox finished the year under .500 for the fourth straight time, then said goodbye to Robin Ventura, their all-time best third baseman-turned-beleaguered manager. It was ... not a winning formula in the AL Central (11 games out of the wild card) or the Ultimate Standings. The Sox rank No. 96 overall, the teams lowest ranking since 2004.Whats goodThe expiration date on the White Soxs 2005 World Series-engendered goodwill still looms far off, at least according to Chicagos T35 showing in title track. (When your team lands in the postseason nine times since 1901, a long shelf life makes a sad kind of sense.) Besides championship runs, the Sox logged just one top-50 grade, in affordability. An average White Sox ticket ran fans $29.55, compared to their crosstown rivals $51.33. If you cant beat the Cubs on the field, beat them off of it!Whats badVentura spent a decade on the South Side, where he collected five Gold Gloves and an All-Star berth from 1989-1998. But his success as a player in pinstripes did not translate to success as a skipper in pinstripes. In five seasons at the helm, Ventura won only 46 percent of his games, and this year -- with the organization expected to finally contend for the playoffs after a seven-year absence -- he fell short again, as his team finished 16? games behind the AL Central-leading Indians. Ventura chose to not return to the White Sox, and as a parting gift, the fans gave him a No. 122 ranking in coaching, dead last among all four sports.Whats newWho do the White Sox want to be? Which direction do they want to pursue? Do they go win-now mode and buffer their stable of stars with some high-priced free agents? Or do they burn the house down, offload Chris Sale and Jose Quintana and turn their focus to the farm? Owner Jerry Reinsdorf, at the helm since 1981, doesnt seem to know, and the fans confidence in him has plummeted in turn. Chicago dropped 38 spots in ownership since last year, and Reinsdorfs wishy-washy handling of Venturas departure this fall -- the Sox said theyd bring the manager back next season if he wanted to return -- wont do much to endear him to a restless fan base.Next: New York Yankees | Full rankings Nike Air Max Tn Sverige . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Nike Zoom Fly Dam . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. http://www.airvapormaxsverige.com/vapormax-flyknit-3-rea.html . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Nike Vapormax Rea . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Nike Vapormax Skor . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The Latest from the IOC meeting on Russias participation at the Rio Games (all times local):00:55 a.m.International Olympic Committee vice president John Coates says the IOCs decision not to ban all Russian athletes from the Rio Games reflected the need to be fair to athletes who hadnt turned to doping.Coates spent three days advising the IOC on the legal aspects of any decision relating to Russian sanctions for the games in Rio de Janeiro and explained the rationale in a statement released by the Australian Olympic Committee.We were mindful of the need for justice for clean athletes, said Coates, who is president of the Australian committee. We did not want to penalize athletes who are clean with a collective ban and, therefore, keeping them out of the games.The AOC endorsed the decision not to apply a blanket ban on all Russian athletes, with team leader Kitty Chiller saying The IOC has set down a very strict criteria and the Russians still need to clear the high hurdles to be able to participate in Rio.Chiller said she was advising Australian Olympians not to be concerned about the decision.I will be urging them to concentrate on their own performances, and wipe Russia from their mindset, she said.---00:45 a.m.The World Anti-Doping Agency is concerned that Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova wont be allowed to compete in Rio de Janeiro after courageously exposing the single biggest doping scandal of all time.Evidence of widespread doping in Russian track and field was provided by 800-meter runner Stepanova, who hoped to compete in Rio as an independent athlete.The IOC, however, ruled Sunday that her past doping ban means she cannot race at the Olympics next month.WADA director general Olivier Niggli says the organization is very concerned by the message that this sends whistleblowers for the future.---00:40 a.m.The World Anti-Doping Agency is disappointed that Olympics leaders have rejected their plea to ban Russia from the Rio Games.WADAs investigators had found further evidence that dope-testing in Russia has been manipulated by official bodies.But the International Olympic Committee decided against a blanket ban on Russians competing in the Rio Games next month, allowing each sport to decide on participation.WADA President Craig Reedie says the organization is disappointed that the IOC did not heed WADAs executive committee recommendations after investigators exposed, beyond a reasonable doubt, a state-run doping program in Russia that seriously undermines the principles of clean sport.---10:50 p.m.The umbrella organization representing national anti-doping agencies is disappointed that Olympic leaders did not ban Russia completely from the Rio de Janeiro Games.The International Olympic Committee has instead left it to individual sports to decide whether they want to exclude Russians from next months event.Joseph de Pencier, chief executive of the 59-member Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations, says the IOC failed to confront forcefully the findings of evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russia corrupting the Russian sport system.Pencier has also rebuked the IOC for not finding a way to allow doping whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova who has been treated disgracefully by Russia to compete in Rio.The IOC rejected an application by the 800-meter runner who helped to expose the doping scandal to compete under a neutral flag at the games because she has been previously banned for doping.Pencier says it is a sad day for clean sport.---10:45 p.m.Russia looks set to send a five-rider team to equestrian events at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.International Equestrian Federation President Ingmar De Vos says there is no indication of any organized doping malpractices within the Russian equestrian delegation.Russia has qualified three rider and horse pairings in eventing, for team and individual competitions in Rio, and two pairings in dressage.No Russian equestrian cases were noted last Monday in a World Anti-Doping Agency inquiry report which suggested hundreds of covered-up positive tests were made to disappear in a state-backed doping program from 2011 to 2015.On Sunday, the IOC executive board asked Olympic sports federations to analyze the doping record of each athlete qualified to compete in Rio before their entry can be approved.De Vos says in a statement as long as there is no indication against any specific athlete I see absolutely no reason why the Russian equestrian athletes should not compete at Rio.---10:15 p.m.World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe has accused Olympic leaders of weakness in the fight against doping and not doing enough to protect clean athletes.Radcliffe says it is unfair of the International Olympic Committee to leave it to individual sports to decide whether or not Russians should be allowed to compete in Rio de Janeiro.A truly strong message for clean sport would have been to ban all those who have been caught cheating, Radcliffe said in a statement posted on Twitter. In short, it does not send the clear message it could have done that doping and cheating in all Olympic sport will never be tolerated.The Briton called the Olympic bodys ruling a sad day for clean sport. A decision the shows that the IOCs primary concern is not to protect the clean athletes.The IOC is banning any Russian who has previously served a doping ban from Rio next month.But Radcliffe said this cannot fairly be only Russian athletes.---10:10 p.m.The leader of New Zealands anti-doping movement says the IOCs decision not to impose a total ban on Russian athletes at the Rio Games shows a lack of will to back the core principles of their organization with hard decisions.Graeme Steel also said placing international federations in charge of deciding which athletes can participate in Rio puts them in a conflicted position, because declaring them ineligible would infer that their own anti-doping programs arent up to par.He said the federations have neither the time nor the resources to make those decisions in a consistent way.---9:45 p.m.The head of cyclings ruling body, Brian Cookson, welcomed the IOCs decision to reject a blanket ban on the Russian team.Speaking with Sky TV, Cookson said the UCI will continue to look at the situation, case by case, before deciding which athletes can compete in Rio.I think well have to continue our detailed analysis of the situation, Cookson said. Which Russian rider has been selected for the Rio Olympics, who is in the registered testing pool, the biological passport, and so on. Frankly, I think I favor an individual approach rather than a blanket ban. I think that Russians cyclists are tested just as frequently as other nationalities.While rejecting a blanket ban on the Russian team, the IOC said Russia cannot send any athletes who have been sanctioned for doping, even if the sanction had been served.That decision is likely to rule out Ilnur Zakarin, who won a stage during the Tour de France which ended Sunday, and who served a two-year ban after testing positive for the anabolic steroid methandienone in 2009.---8:45 p.m.The International Judo Federation, whose honorary president is Russias President Vladimir Putin, has detailed its anti-doping testing before the Rio de Janeiro Games.The IJF says in a statement that it has already tested 84 percent of the 389 athletes from 136 countries who are qualified to compete in Rio.It made no mention of 11 places Russian judokas have in the lineup.The IOC on Sunday agreed detailed eligibility criteria for all Russian athletes that each Olympic sports governing body must oversee less than two weeks before the opening ceremony.Any Russian athlete or sports federation implicated in an ongoing World Anti-Doping Agency inquiry into state-orchestrated doping must be refused entry, the IOC said.The WADA report said eight positive tests in Russian judo were made to disappear in the state doping program since 2011.The IJFs links to Russia include a close ally of Putin, Arkady Rotenberg, sitting on its executive committee.---7:45 p.m.The International Tennis Federation says it expects Russias eight-player Olympic tennis team to compete at the games in Rio de Janeiro.The ITFs announcement came after the International Olympic Committee allowed individual sports to decide whether to allow Russians at the games. The IOC said it was imposing tough eligibility conditions, including proof of reliable anti-doping testing.The federation says the eight Russian tennis players who have been nominated to compete in Rio have been subject to a rigorous anti-doping testing programme outside Russia.It added that the ITF believes that this is sufficient for the eight Russian tennis players to meet the relevant requirement of todays decision of the IOC executive board.But the ITF added it will seek confirmation from the World Anti-Doping Agency that none of those players or the Russian Tennis Federation were implicated in the McLaren reeport.ddddddddddddThe report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren accused Russia of running a state-sponsored doping and cover-up program.---7:20 p.m.The body representing the 204 national Olympic committees has welcomed the IOCs decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russians from the Rio de Janeiro Games.The International Olympic Committees executive board decided to let individual sports federations decide which Russians should be eligible, following allegations of state-sponsored cheating by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren.Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah of Kuwait, president of the Association of National Olympic Committees, says the allegations made in the McLaren report were shocking and directly threaten the integrity of sport.But Sheikh Ahmad believes banning the entire Russian team would have unfairly punished many clean athletes.He endorsed the IOCs decision to give international federations responsibility to ensure clean competitions in their sports at Rio 2016.---7:05 p.m.Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva has welcomed the International Olympic Committees decision to bar a renowned Russian doping whistleblower from competing at the games.The IOC said 800-meter Yulia Stepanova, who along with her husband provided evidence of widespread doping in Russian track and field, could not race in Rio because she once served a doping ban.Isinbayeva, who herself has been prevented from going to Rio as part of a blanket ban on the Russian track team, tells Russias R-Sport agency that at least one wise decision on track and field has been taken in Stepanovas case.Isinbayeva also called for Stepanova to be banned for life.Stepanova and her husband left Russia in 2014 citing fears for their safety and have been branded traitors by many Russian fans and officials.---6:45 p.m.Before the IOC made its ruling, Russias top Olympic official had warned the International Olympic Committee that its members would be bowing to geopolitical pressure if they banned Russia from next months games in Rio de Janeiro.In the text of Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukovs speech to the board, he compares a blanket ban on all Russian athletes to catching a criminal and then placing his family, friends and acquaintances behind bars just because they knew the criminal or they live in the same town.Calls to ban the entire Russian team went beyond the bounds of sport, Zhukov said, adding I call on you not to become hostages of geopolitical pressure.---6:10 p.m.Russian Olympic Committee head Alexander Zhukov says it will not appeal against an IOC rule to bar Russian athletes who previously served doping bans from competing at the Rio de Janeiro Games.Zhukov, who attended Sundays telephone conference of the IOC executive board, says he does not agree with the rule agreed just 12 days before the opening ceremony.Still, he says we dont have time enough to do such a thing like appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.A previous CAS verdict suggests the IOC rule could be overturned.In 2011, a CAS panel declared invalid the IOCs so-called Osaka Rule, which sought to bar athletes from the next Olympic Games if they served a ban for doping of at least six months.Zhukov does not rule out any Russian athlete filing an urgent appeal as an individual because all of them can go to CAS.---6:05 p.m.Russia is likely to be without some of its top athletes at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro thanks to an International Olympic Committee rule prohibiting former dopers from competing.While rejecting a blanket ban on the Russian team, the IOC said Russia cannot send any athlete who has ever been sanctioned for doping, even if he or she has served the sanction.That appears to rule out swimmer Yulia Efimova, the world champion in the 100-meter breaststroke, 2012 Olympic silver medal-winning weightlifter Tatyana Kashirina and two-time Olympic bronze medal-winning cyclist Olga Zabelinskaya.All three have previously served a doping ban.---5:45 p.m.The leader of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency says the IOC refused to take decisive leadership by stopping short of a complete Russian ban at the Olympics.Travis Tygart says the decision and the confusing mess left in its wake is a significant blow to the rights of clean athletes.Tygart also called the decision to refuse Yulia Stepanova entry into the games incomprehensible -- and a move that will undoubtedly deter whistleblowers in the future from coming forward.---5:20 p.m.IOC President Thomas Bach has defended the decision not to ban all Russians from the Olympics by insisting clean athletes should not be punished.Bach says an athlete should not suffer and should not be sanctioned for a system in which he was not implicated.The International Olympic Committee is leaving it up to international sports federations to decide which Russian athletes can compete in Rio de Janeiro next month.Bach accepted that the decision might not please everybody.But speaking on a media call, Bach added that this is not about expectations -- this is about doing justice to clean athletes all over the world.---5 p.m.The Russian Sports Minister says that the majority of Russias team complies with International Olympic Committee criteria on doping and will be able to compete in Rio.The IOC set extra criteria for Russian athletes when ruling out a complete ban. Athletes who have previously served doping bans will not be eligible, while international federations will also analyze an athletes testing history.Vitaly Mutko says the criteria are very tough, but thats a kind of challenge for our team... Im sure the majority of our team will comply.Around 80 percent of the Russian team regularly undergoes international testing of the kind specified in the IOC criteria, he adds.Mutko says he accepts the criteria but adds it is not fair that former dopers from other countries can compete.---3:55 p.m.The IOC has decided against a complete ban on Russian athletes from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.The International Olympic Committee says it is leaving it up to global federations to decide which Russian athletes to accept in their sports.The IOC says it will deny entry of Russian athletes who do not meet the requirements set out for the federations.The IOC says the federations have the authority, under their own rules, to exclude Russian teams as a whole from their sports.--2:20 p.m.Several Russian TV networks are joined by news crews for broadcasters from around the globe awaiting the IOC decision.Around 25 media are gathered at the front door of the IOCs temporary premises in Lausanne, about 400 meters from the Olympic Museum.Most are focused on finding shade from the 25-degree (77 Fahrenheit) sunshine as the IOCs president, Thomas Bach, leads a conference call of his executive board. It will consider a ban on Russian athletes from the Rio de Janeiro Games that open in 12 days time.Bach is not expected to meet with reporters after the meeting.Russian broadcasters expect IOC member Alexander Zhukov to emerge to update TV crews.Reporters from Brazilian, Chinese and Japanese broadcasters are among the group.---12:59 p.m.Russia is waiting to find out whether its entire team will be excluded from next months Olympics over the countrys doping scandal.Russia has already been handed a doping punishment when its track and field team lost an appeal against a ban on Thursday.Earlier interim IOC measures announced Tuesday included urging winter sports federations to move their competitions out of Russia this season, in response to allegations that Russian state officials hid hundreds of failed drug tests over several years and swapped samples from doped athletes for clean ones during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.Russia has admitted some doping violations by its athletes and coaches, but still denies that the government was involved. State media has painted the issue as a U.S.-led political vendetta.---12:37 p.m.Olympic leaders are meeting to consider whether to impose a total ban on Russian athletes from the Rio de Janeiro Games because of state-sponsored doping.The International Olympic Committees ruling executive board is meeting Sunday via teleconference to decide on sanctions following new allegations of a government-backed doping program involving Russian athletes in summer and winter sports.Russias track and field athletes have already been banned by the IAAF, the sports governing body, a decision that was upheld Thursday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.The World Anti-Doping agency and other anti-doping bodies have recommended a ban on Russias entire team.The IOC has said it would seek a balance between collective punishment and individual justice.Short of a complete ban, the IOC could let individual sports federations decide whether to allow Russian athletes in their events. ' ' '