McMahon will realize Lesnars growing fame and success in the UFC

CHICAGO -- Matt Barkley had a quick chat with his old coach after picking up his first career victory.It was a sweet moment for a veteran quarterback -- and not just because it came against Chip Kelly.Were on good terms, Barkley said. Im grateful for the fact that he brought me into this league. No hard feelings at all.Barkley shook off a slow start to throw for 192 yards, Jordan Howard ran for 117 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and the Chicago Bears handed San Francisco its 11th straight loss, beating the 49ers 26-6 on a snowy Sunday.The 49ers (1-11) extended their franchise-record losing streak and set a club low with 6 yards net passing on a day when Colin Kaepernick got lifted for Blaine Gabbert.The Bears (3-9) finished with a season high in points and picked up a rare win in a matchup between two of the NFLs worst teams.Here are some things to know about the 49ers and Bears:CONFIDENT QB: Barkley has not played much in the NFL. But hes taking advantage of his opportunity with Jay Cutler out for the remainder of the season because of a shoulder injury and backup Brian Hoyer on injured reserve.Barkley led a late comeback that ultimately fell short in last weeks loss to Tennessee. He got off to a rough start in this one, going nearly the entire first half without a completion. But he adjusted his arm angle because of the conditions, led a touchdown drive near the end of the second quarter and finished 11 of 18 without an interception.I thought he improved, coach John Fox said.It was a decent showing by a quarterback who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2013 when Kelly was coaching the Eagles. Barkley wasnt a great fit for Kellys offense because he lacks mobility, and he wound up getting dealt to Arizona in 2015.Now, his confidence is soaring.Probably at an all-time high in this league, Barkley said. Just knowing that I can play, that we can make plays as an offense.QUARTERBACK CHANGE: The 49ers benched Kaepernick for Gabbert early in the fourth quarter. Whether that was a temporary switch or a more long-term move isnt clear.The 49ers play the New York Jets next week, and Kelly wasnt about to tip his hand.Kaepernick, meanwhile, said the switch caught him off guard.Its not my place to really argue on the sideline, said Kaepernick, who found out from quarterbacks coach Ryan Day. I want to make sure I do what I can to help this team win and that was the decision that was made so I am going to support my teammates.Kaepernick completed just 1 of 5 passes for 4 yards and was sacked five times. He also ran for 20 yards on six attempts before Gabbert replaced him in the fourth quarter.Gabbert was 4 of 10 for 35 yards and sacked for a safety near the end of the game.DRAFT BOARD: If there was one positive for the 49ers, its that they gave their odds of landing the No. 2 draft pick a boost. They also remain in the running for the No. 1 spot. Only the winless Browns have a worse record.STINGY DEFENSE: Despite a long line of injuries and inconsistent play, the Bears defense has ranked among the top half in the NFL all season. And against the struggling 49ers, that group was nothing short of dominant.The Bears got six sacks -- two each from Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks -- and gave up their lowest point total since a 41-3 romp over Jacksonville on Oct. 7, 2012.RUNNING WITH IT: Howard continues to impress as a rookie.The fifth-round draft pick out of Indiana has five 100-yard games and his three rushing TDs tied for the second most by a Bears rookie in a game. Willie Galimore (1957) and Rashaan Salaam (1995) also did it. The only Bears rookie to rush for more in a game was Hall of Famer Gale Sayers in 1965.Howard, who came in with two rushing touchdowns, scored on a 1-yard run near the end of the first half. 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McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Tom Brady Jersey Super Bowl . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. LAS VEGAS --?Brock Lesnar didnt care about the perceived risks involved in returning to the UFC.Outside perceptions mean very little to a man who spends his down time sitting on a tractor in his secluded farm in Moosomin, Saskatchewan.Lesnar didnt return to the Octagon on Saturday night against Mark Hunt because he wanted to prove he could again become the UFC heavyweight champion one day (although thats not out of the question now), and he certainly didnt return to the Octagon to give more publicity to the WWE (although thats certainly a byproduct). Brock Lesnar returned to the Octagon because he wanted to.I didnt want to be sitting on my tractor 20 years from now wondering, God, I wonder if I would have just fought one more time? Lesnar told ESPN.com before the fight. So Im going to take care of that speculation right now, and when Im sitting on my tractor in 20 years I can say, Now that was fun. ... It takes some balls to live life to the fullest. Who in the hell would do this? Im fortunate. I really am. It takes big balls to do this, but Ive always stuck my neck out there. You just lay it on the line.After Lesnar, who hadnt fought in the UFC in five years, defeated Hunt, one of the top 10 heavyweights in the sport, by unanimous decision at UFC 200, Lesnar still wasnt sure what the future held for him in mixed martial arts. His plan was to return for one more fight. Thats all he was focused on. But its hard to imagine Lesnar closing the door on his MMA career after Saturday night.Lets get one thing clear: Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do, Lesnar said after the fight. I believe that my future is already laid out for the next month. Im doing SummerSlam against Randy Orton, and once the dust settles, Im not sure what Im going to do. I had one hell of a time tonight and I enjoyed myself. Well see what happens.Lesnar had built an unstoppable Beast Incarnate persona since returning to the WWE four years ago following his first stint in the UFC. His résumé as an NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion and a UFC heavyweight champion added some legitimacy to a company that long ago admitted it was more entertainment than sport. But in Lesnar, the WWE had a legitimate champion who could conceivably take down anyone, anywhere, anytime.There was no need to suspend reality with Lesnar because weve already seen what he can do in legitimate competition. There was no need to build a larger-than-life character for someone who was already larger than life in reality. Unlike other wrestlers with crazy names and outfits, Lesnar kept his real name and wore the same shorts and gloves he wears into the Octagon.So when Lesnar, who is under contract with the WWE for another year and a half, was allowed to return to the UFC for what the WWE described as a one-off opportunity at UFC 200, they were essentially giving up creative control to one of their biggest stars for one night on the biggest stage possible. Sure, Lesnar could beat Hunt and solidify himself as one of thhe baddest men on the planet -- but he could also get knocked out in the first round and hurt the reputation he had built.ddddddddddddLuckily for Lesnar and the WWE, which already began promoting Lesnars match at their SummerSlam pay-per-view on Aug. 21, he won and showed he was still one of the best heavyweight fighters in both the scripted world of the WWE and the real-life sport of the UFC.You can write whatever you want to write, but I think Im the toughest son of a bitch, Lesnar said. Im in the top 10, and that puts me right back in the game.While the win was a success for Lesnar and the WWE in the short-term, it does open the door for Lesnar expanding his one-off UFC comeback into another fight or two. Thats a conversation Lesnar will need to have with WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon at some point, but the feeling is McMahon will realize Lesnars growing fame and success in the UFC can only help the WWE.I believe that Vince McMahon is the smartest guy I know, said Jim Ross, who recruited and signed Lesnar in 2000 when he was the head of WWEs talent relations. Hes a promoter. Hes P.T. Barnum on steroids, no pun intended. I think that McMahon knows the bigger Lesnar gets in UFC, the more he means for WWE. Both promotions can take advantage of arguably the greatest box-office attraction in UFC history.Ross, who flew to Vegas to watch Lesnars fight against Hunt in person, said Lesnar can be a transcendent athlete for both the UFC and WWE and will ultimately decide to continue to do both.Brock is a freak of nature, and hes a very competitive guy, Ross said. I remember back in the day when someone would say they had the fastest 40 [-yard dash] in the WWE, he would stand up at 300 pounds and say you cant outrun me. Theres money in him, and Dana White and the Fertittas know they cant let Brock Lesnar slip away this time. They need to bring him back. He can do both. He can do part-time WWE and part-time UFC and make everyone involved a lot of money. Hes a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. Hes like LeBron James or Peyton Manning. Hes everything youd want in this genre of real fighting in the UFC and the showbiz of the WWE. Thats an amazing combination.There was a time when Lesnar felt he had to choose between the WWE and the UFC. When Lesnar signed a new contract with the WWE last year and said he had officially closed the door on MMA, he never thought he would step back into the Octagon again. But Lesnar, who turns 39 next week, realizes now that he can do both for at least a little while longer and that being a champion in both the WWE and UFC may not be as impossible as he once thought.I believe any man can do whatever he wants if he puts his mind to it, Lesnar said. Ive been out of this game for five years and I stepped back into the cage after training for six weeks and I put a good beating on Mark Hunt. I think anything is possible. ' ' '