Wilkommen bei den Schatten » ketball fans: The

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit coach Jim Caldwell is shrugging off speculation about his job security just a quarter of the way into the season.The Lions 17-14 loss to Chicago on Sunday dropped them to 1/3 and Caldwells future came into question at Mondays news conference. Caldwell, whose four-year contract runs through next season, didnt seem concerned.We dont worry about that, he said. My job is to coach this team and get this team headed in the right direction.Caldwell said he meets with general manager Bob Quinn on a daily basis, but he would not elaborate whether his job performance has been discussed.If it was, I wouldnt tell you, Caldwell told reporters. What we talk about in terms of those meetings are things we dont discuss publicly.Detroit linebacker Tahir Whitehead was more willing to discuss his coachs future.Coach Caldwell definitely has our support, Whitehead said Monday. Hes a great coach, a great man. Hes always composed. His demeanor forces you to give it your all. You want to lay it on the line for him.Whitehead said questions about Caldwells job security have not become a distraction.Its easy to block it out, he said. You ignore the noise. You cant worry about what outsiders are saying. They are outsiders for a reason. They are not on this team or involved with this team.After a 39-35 win at Indianapolis to open the season, the Lions have dropped three straight by a total of 11 points. Two of the losses have been to NFC North rivals. Detroit hosts the undefeated Eagles (3-0) on Sunday.Im a guy that believes in results. Results arent good, plain and simple, Caldwell said.Im not going to make excuses or hide from facts. Im more interested in winning and losing. Weve been losing of late, and thats not good.Some Lions players defended Caldwell, who showed last season that a turnaround is possible. The Lions won six of their final eight games to finish 7-9.Coaches dont go out and play, they just prepare us, tight end Eric Ebron said after Sundays loss to the Bears. They dont play for us. We play the game. If we dont execute the game plan they put together, we lose.If the Lions hope to put together some wins, they will likely need more from receiver Golden Tate, who was targeted four times against Chicago and caught one pass for 1 yard in limited action. Tate has 14 receptions for 95 yards and no touchdowns this season.Everybody has an important role, Caldwell said, expressing confidence in Tate. There may be some games where he has one or two catches and somebody else has 10. Its going to happen that way, particularly when you have a number of guys that can make plays.Tate said the Lions entire offense needs to play better.We arent in sync right now, but we know were good, Tate said. We just got to all click at the same time every single play. Were just trying to get back on track. Were working hard, no doubt.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Shoes NZ . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. Shoes NZ Online . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. https://www.shoesnzonline.com/ . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. Shoes NZ Nike . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Shoes NZ Outlet .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Los Angeles KingsOverall: 38 Title track: T11 Ownership: 16 Coaching: 29 Players: 38 Fan relations:?53 Affordability: 81 Stadium experience: 19 Bang for the buck: 63 Change from last year: +1The Kings rose as high as fifth in our rankings in 2014 after winning their second Stanley Cup in three seasons, but they have dropped down after missing the playoffs the following year and then losing in the first round this past spring. On the bright side, the Kings havent fallen out of the top third of our standings in five years and easily won the Ultimate Standings intramural battle with the Clippers (69th) and Lakers (109th), the two other teams that call Staples Center home.Whats goodThe painful first-round playoff ouster at the hands of the Sharks has not forced Kings fans to jump ship. After all, the Kings did top 100 points for the second time in three years, and the support remains for Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty and Co. They rank a solid 11th in title track and 16th in ownership. Kings supporters rated the team sixth in the NHL when asked if the team demonstrates a commitment to winning. Staples Center is in the final year of a three-year, $20 million upgrade, including improvements to 14 of the concession stands on the main and upper concourses, which helps explain a No. 19 ranking in stadium experience. Hockey fans are significantly more fonnd of Staples than basketball fans: The Lakers and Clippers each rank at least 60 points lower in that category.ddddddddddddWhats goodThe Kings lowest ranks were in affordability and bang for the buck, but that can be misleading. Their average ticket price of $66.25 is just a few dollars above the NHL average, and that was still $37 below what it cost to sit and watch the Lakers in Kobe Bryants farewell tour. The Kings also introduced Flash Seats, which allows fans to securely manage their tickets online or via a mobile app. The fans are still behind the on-ice leadership of Darryl Sutter, but the No. 29 rank in coaching represents an erosion from 20th last season and third overall in 2014.Whats goodA wave of nostalgia contributed to the Kings solid 22-point leap in fan relations. The organization officially began its 50th anniversary celebration in February and it will continue full bore this season, with Heritage Nights that recognize the franchises former standouts as it prepares to host the NHL All-Star Game in February. There also is a 50th anniversary jersey that will be worn on Saturday home games. But if you wanted to see those vintage gold uniforms, you had to be there for the home opener on Oct. 14. That was the only night the iconic threads will be worn.Next: Arizona Coyotes?| Full rankings ' ' '