Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc. / AllsportsAmerica
First, Let us extend our condolences to the families of Earl Weaver, longtime manager of the World Series Champions, Baltimore Orioles and Stan ("The Man") Musial, fantastic baseball player, terrific citizen and face of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise during his association with that great team. They both passed this weekend and will be missed by their legion of fans as well as baseball fans the world over. Kudos to both of you guys for a job well done filled with passion, pride and dedication. RIP.
George Will quote in reference to Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah. Quote was given on ABC's "This week with George Stephanopoulos" Sunday, January 20, 2013.
Will asks, ‘Who is innocent?' in sports.
WILL: The rewards of athletic excellence in this country are astonishingly high, and therefore the temptation to cheat is astonishingly high. It’s a pandemic problem. And the country is wide awake to it now. Every time this happens, someone says, “Ah, the loss of innocence.” Who is innocent…
George Will quote in reference to Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah. Quote was given on ABC's "This week with George Stephanopoulos" Sunday, January 20, 2013.
Will asks, ‘Who is innocent?' in sports.
WILL: The rewards of athletic excellence in this country are astonishingly high, and therefore the temptation to cheat is astonishingly high. It’s a pandemic problem. And the country is wide awake to it now. Every time this happens, someone says, “Ah, the loss of innocence.” Who is innocent…
Well Now we're down to the terrific two for the Super Bowl, Who will end up as the only one, 2013 XLVll SB Champions?
Baltimore Ravens Vs. San Francisco 49ers
Odds: San Francisco 49ers -4 1/2 (Early Line)
We'll make our prediction Friday, be sure and look for it!!!
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? 2-0-0 on opening weekend (back to back games). This is our year, remember, you heard it here first!!!!!
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? 2-0-0 on opening weekend (back to back games). This is our year, remember, you heard it here first!!!!!
Fans welcome back NHL hockey with open arms. NHL TV ratings 2013: NBC scores best hockey ratings
since 2002, local numbers huge.
By Rory Boylen | The Hockey
News
If you became numb to the mere mention of disclaimer, revenue sharing and
contract term limits, you’re not alone.
If you turned to poker, junior hockey or the American League for post-work television or live-action entertainment, you’re not alone.
If you can’t wait to see Dallas Star Jaromir Jagr, Carolina Hurricane Jordan Staal, New York Ranger Rick Nash, or Minnesota Wild Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, you’re not alone.
If you stand in eager anticipation for the return of NHL hockey on Saturday, whether you plan on sitting through a day’s worth of games or simply nestle in for your favorite team’s, you’re not alone.
The hockey world is with you. Welcome back, fans of the top hockey-playing league in the world.
Don’t feel shame and don’t let anyone try and call you a sucker for returning with eyes open and jaws dropped. Nothing that has transpired since October has been about you, the fan – but it’s soon to become all about you again.
There’s no fault with tuning out the league, while it tediously worked through its financial system. And there’s absolutely no fault with returning to the arenas in droves or settling in front of the television with friends to catch a glimpse of the greatest from this point in the NHL’s history. To insinuate fans are foolish to crawl back to a league that shut them out misses the meaning of what being a fan is – the vast majority are chomping at the bit to get back in the saddle and suggesting from afar they should react any other way is advertising a disconnect of the highest level.
This isn’t a statement of principle – it’s an enjoyable escape from the rigors of everyday life. It's why fans in Nashville lined up to watch a practice and why the Oilers outdoor shinny game was such a big hit.
Tuning out the bickering business side does not correlate with decreased interest in action. All your average fan cares about are things such as 1) Is Alexander Semin a prolific goal scorer or an underachiever – and if he’s an underachiever, what happens to him when his contract expires this summer? Or 2) At what point will the Islanders be good and well-rounded enough that John Tavares, Matt Moulson and the like can lift them to a place of consequence? Fans want to witness these things play out, not just hear about them.
Now, there are those who will feel slighted and disrespected by the league and who will never return to NHL regularity – and that’s their own fair choice to make. It’s not for everyone and it’s no more or less wrong than letting bygones be bygones and returning to the league that makes you feel at home after a long day or week of work.
The fans are the life force of the NHL, who breathe meaning into its games and generate debates and talking points that drive season and career narratives. They’ll be pondering Evander Kane’s sustainability as a Winnipeg Jet (will his persona overwhelm his on-ice contribution?), James Reimer’s reliability as a No. 1 goalie (he isn’t one) and if the Oilers should offload a young forward or two to stabilize the back end (no).
Is Marc-Andre Fleury the right goalie for Pittsburgh (yes)? Is Roberto Luongo a top-flight netminder (yes)? Do the San Jose Sharks have a Stanley Cup run left in their aging bodies (no)? Were the Florida Panthers a flash in the post-season pan (yes)?
We can’t wait to watch it play out.
Welcome back, fans of the NHL. You’re not alone.
I’m with you – giddy as a schoolgirl.
If you turned to poker, junior hockey or the American League for post-work television or live-action entertainment, you’re not alone.
If you can’t wait to see Dallas Star Jaromir Jagr, Carolina Hurricane Jordan Staal, New York Ranger Rick Nash, or Minnesota Wild Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, you’re not alone.
If you stand in eager anticipation for the return of NHL hockey on Saturday, whether you plan on sitting through a day’s worth of games or simply nestle in for your favorite team’s, you’re not alone.
The hockey world is with you. Welcome back, fans of the top hockey-playing league in the world.
Don’t feel shame and don’t let anyone try and call you a sucker for returning with eyes open and jaws dropped. Nothing that has transpired since October has been about you, the fan – but it’s soon to become all about you again.
There’s no fault with tuning out the league, while it tediously worked through its financial system. And there’s absolutely no fault with returning to the arenas in droves or settling in front of the television with friends to catch a glimpse of the greatest from this point in the NHL’s history. To insinuate fans are foolish to crawl back to a league that shut them out misses the meaning of what being a fan is – the vast majority are chomping at the bit to get back in the saddle and suggesting from afar they should react any other way is advertising a disconnect of the highest level.
This isn’t a statement of principle – it’s an enjoyable escape from the rigors of everyday life. It's why fans in Nashville lined up to watch a practice and why the Oilers outdoor shinny game was such a big hit.
Tuning out the bickering business side does not correlate with decreased interest in action. All your average fan cares about are things such as 1) Is Alexander Semin a prolific goal scorer or an underachiever – and if he’s an underachiever, what happens to him when his contract expires this summer? Or 2) At what point will the Islanders be good and well-rounded enough that John Tavares, Matt Moulson and the like can lift them to a place of consequence? Fans want to witness these things play out, not just hear about them.
Now, there are those who will feel slighted and disrespected by the league and who will never return to NHL regularity – and that’s their own fair choice to make. It’s not for everyone and it’s no more or less wrong than letting bygones be bygones and returning to the league that makes you feel at home after a long day or week of work.
The fans are the life force of the NHL, who breathe meaning into its games and generate debates and talking points that drive season and career narratives. They’ll be pondering Evander Kane’s sustainability as a Winnipeg Jet (will his persona overwhelm his on-ice contribution?), James Reimer’s reliability as a No. 1 goalie (he isn’t one) and if the Oilers should offload a young forward or two to stabilize the back end (no).
Is Marc-Andre Fleury the right goalie for Pittsburgh (yes)? Is Roberto Luongo a top-flight netminder (yes)? Do the San Jose Sharks have a Stanley Cup run left in their aging bodies (no)? Were the Florida Panthers a flash in the post-season pan (yes)?
We can’t wait to watch it play out.
Welcome back, fans of the NHL. You’re not alone.
I’m with you – giddy as a schoolgirl.
PGA: Young studs looking for time in the spotlight.
By Ryan Lavner
As a reminder, Henley, a rookie, won the Sony Open at 24 under par.
He closed with a final-round 63.
He carded a back-nine 29.
In short: Many clutch putts were holed. And, we can assume, many shots were taken.
In his hometown of Macon, Ga., the students and teachers at his former high school, Stratford Academy, participated in “Russell Henley Day” on Tuesday. Everyone – even the headmaster – wore Hawaiian shirts and draped leis around their necks.
“It’s been like a dream,” Henley said Wednesday at the Humana Challenge.
On Sunday night, he flew from Honolulu to L.A. and couldn’t sleep. The following night, he caught himself waking up in the middle of the night, smiling, knowing that his job was safe for a few years and, better yet, in a few months, the blonde-haired kid from Macon would tee it up at The Masters, his lifelong dream.
Since he won in Hawaii, the 23-year-old has received a congratulatory tweet from Gary Player – “Congratulations @RussHenleyGolf on your fantastic first victory on the @PGATOUR in the @SonyOpen in Hawaii. My best throughout the season." – and been flooded with text messages from family and friends, former classmates and fellow players. When he arrived at PGA West and walked down the range, he laughed his way through the attendant back slaps and atta-boys from Robert Garrigus and Davis Love III and, well, he can’t even remember the rest.
Henley’s run last week was fueled by supreme ball-striking and sublime putting, but it’s not unreasonable to suggest that there are several other talented 20somethings who are capable of authoring similarly inspiring performances. And soon.
Henley pointed to former Georgia teammate Harris English when asked which young player – besides Rory McIlroy, of course – impressed him most. “I think you’re going to be seeing a lot of him for a long time,” Henley said.
John Peterson, the 2011 NCAA champion from LSU, is no less impressive. Neither are Luke Guthrie and Ben Kohles, both two-time winners on the Web.com Tour last year. And neither is Scott Langley . . . Morgan Hoffmann . . . Patrick Reed . . . Patrick Cantlay . . . Jordan Spieth. See where this is going?
For Henley, that aggressive mentality was honed on the Web.com Tour, where he apprenticed in 2011 and won twice in his last four starts. (He also won on that circuit in 2010, as a senior at Georgia).
In September, he was locked in a taut duel with Brad Fritsch at the Chiquita Classic. After Saturday they sat at 20 under (66-65-65), five clear of the field. But then Henley played a bit more conservatively during that final round, began trying to just get it in the house instead of making a score, and on a day when the weather was perfect and the greens were smooth, a Sunday 70 nearly wasn’t enough. Henley dropped into a playoff, but eventually prevailed in Charlotte.
“I definitely look back on that thinking and remembering that you have to attack all four days,” he said. “Just keep attacking.”
At the 2011 U.S. Open – better known, perhaps, as the dawning of the Rory Era – Henley advanced through qualifying and made the cut, finishing T-42. That week, though, he remembered McIlroy saying that on the final day, staked to a big lead, he simply wanted to pick good targets and make aggressive swings.
Simple, isn’t it? That little pre-shot reminder is comforting until you make a few bogeys, and your swing doesn’t feel quite right, and somebody in the penultimate group just caught fire, and you start considering different scenarios, and then, suddenly, it’s a little bit harder to pick good targets and make aggressive swings.
At the Sony, Henley’s lead was trimmed to two at the turn, but he powered toward the finish with a back-nine 29 that included birdies on the final five holes. He thought back to Tiger Woods at the ’97 Masters, and how Woods’ father would always say, You have to run through the finish line. Just because you get a little ahead doesn’t mean you start jogging in a race.
“You start to hear that mentality,” Henley said, “and I think you begin to feed off of it.”
Which was unfortunate for Tim Clark, of course. At Waialae, the diminutive South African birdied seven of his last 11 holes, shot 63, and still finished three shots behind Henley. Afterward, Clark marveled, “It just seems like there’s nothing he can do wrong.”
Henley and the rest of his pals will endure lean times, no doubt. But then there will also be weeks when their talent overwhelms the field, new stars thrust onto the biggest stage, and they leave in their wake nothing but faded Hawaiian shirts and empty shot glasses.
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