EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) – The Houston Texans maintained their perfect start to the NFL season with a 23-17 win over the struggling New York Jets on Monday.

The Texans joined the Atlanta Falcons as the only teams to win their first five games of the campaign, while handing the injury-plagued Jets their third loss of the season.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) – If self belief counts for anything, the New York Giants could be ready to make another run at the Super Bowl.

The Big Blue might have made a wobbly start to the 2012 National Football League (NFL) season but their confidence is unwavering.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The hunt for another red October is gathering momentum in Cincinnati.

It has been 36 years since the Big Red Machine completed back-to-back World Series wins and more than two decades since the Reds won the last of their five World Series titles but hopes are building that the long drought may be about to end.

By Julian Linden

(Reuters) – Bobby Valentine was fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox on Thursday after failing to turn around the struggling Major League Baseball team during his first season in charge.

Although Valentine still had another season remaining on his two-year contract, the Red Sox swiftly announced their decision a day after the 2012 regular season finished.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – The glorious unpredictability of the Ryder Cup was unveiled in all its majesty on Sunday when Europe pulled off one of the most unexpected and dramatic comebacks seen on a golf course.

Against all expectations, the Europeans won eight of Sunday’s 12 concluding singles matches to overturn a four point deficit and defeat an American team that seemed destined to win.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – Luke Donald is not nicknamed ‘Cool Hand’ for nothing. Like the famous film character, the Englishman is utterly unflappable.

Donald has held the number one ranking for 55 weeks, on and off over the past two years, and led the money list on both the European and U.S. PGA tours.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – Medinah Country Club was bathed in sunshine for the second day of the Ryder Cup on Saturday and for the cheering galleries who lined the fairways and the U.S. players, it was a perfect autumn day in America’s Midwest.

Not so for the Europeans, especially Graeme McDowell, who two years ago was the hero of his team’s win in Wales.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – Like a doting father, Davis Love III was brimming with pride after watching his rookies clean up on the opening day of the Ryder Cup on Friday.

Spurning conventional wisdom by throwing his first timers into the deep end of golf’s ultimate test of nerves, Love’s instincts paid off when the Americans snatched a 5-3 lead at the end of the first day.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) – New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a career-best 510 yards to lead the reigning Super Bowl champions to their first win of the NFL season on Sunday.

Manning became just the 13th player in NFL history to pass the magical 500-yard milestone when he recovered from a sloppy start to steer the Giants to a 41-34 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) – New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a career-best 510 yards to lead the reigning Super Bowl champions to their first win of the NFL season on Sunday.

Manning became just the 13th player in NFL history to pass the magical 500-yard milestone when he recovered from a sloppy start to steer the Giants to a 41-34 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.