Monday, May 20, 2013

CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 05/20/2013.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
 
Sports Quote of the Day:
 
Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing - the result.” ― Vince Lombardi, NFL Football Coach

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Red Wings beat Blackhawks 4-1, even series. Time to turn it on Blackhawks!!! 

By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)

Damien Brunner and Brendan Smith scored in the second period and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 Saturday in Game 2 to even their Western Conference semifinal series.


It was a strong response by the Red Wings after Chicago handled them easily in the series opener, 4-1.

Just as the Blackhawks did in Game 1, Detroit took control in the second period and put the game away in the third. Now, the Red Wings have a chance to take the lead when this series between Original Six rivals shifts to Detroit for Game 3 on Monday.

Patrick Kane gave Chicago a 1-0 lead late in the first, but did things ever change after that.

Brunner tied it when he deflected a wrist shot by Jakub Kindl early in the second, and Smith gave the Red Wings the lead when he scored off a feed from Henrik Zetterberg on a 3-on-1 late in the second.

Johan Franzen made it 3-1 in the third when he fired a rising shot past Crawford after a perfect pass from Jonathan Ericsson in the Detroit zone. And Valtteri Filppula closed out the scoring with 7:57 left in the game.

That was enough for Jimmy Howard, who stopped 19 shots.

Crawford made 26 saves for Chicago but the Red Wings were simply a step faster in this one after the Blackhawks ran away from them in the opener.

The Blackhawks still struck first thanks to a lucky bounce after Detroit's Kyle Quincey sprawled out to block a pass across the slot by Patrick Sharp that was intended for Kane on a 2-on-1 rush. The puck bounced to a trailing Michal Handzus, who immediately fed it to a wide open Kane in the right slot. He fired it into the net at the 14:05 mark for a 1-0 lead and his first goal of the playoffs.

About a minute later, with the Red Wings on a power play, Crawford made a nice save on Zetterberg before Pavel Datsyuk ripped a shot high off the right post.

Detroit tied it early in the second when a wrist shot by Kindl from just inside the blue line deflected off Brunner and past a screened Crawford, who didn't even react as the puck went past him on the glove side.

But Chicago's goalie had the fans chanting his name midway through the period with two great saves, stopping Zetterberg from the slot and sprawling out to foil Daniel Cleary on the rebound.

The Red Wings took a 2-1 lead with 3:52 left in the second, when Zetterberg dished to Smith on a two-on-one rush after Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson fell racing him for a loose puck.

Notes: LW Drew Miller was in the Red Wings' lineup for the first time since April 20. He had been sidelined by a broken bone in his right hand. ... F Viktor Stalberg was a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks, just as he was in Game 1. ''I don't like changing too much, but we wanted to get (Dave Bolland) in our lineup,'' coach Joel Quenneville said before the game. ''It's comparable to what we've done during season. But we'll see. We can adapt and change at any moment.'' ... Quenneville on the early start: ''I think the guys, once they get in, they don't mind playing in the afternoon.''          

Oh No, It's Oxbow!!!!! Oxbow wins Preakness Stakes; Orb finishes fourth, will not win Triple Crown.

By Jay Busbee 
 

 
For most sports fans, the Preakness exists for one reason: to serve as a to-do list item for any potential Triple Crown winner. But on Saturday, Orb, the Kentucky Derby winner and potential Triple Crown challenger, couldn't break free. Oxbow won, and there will be no Triple Crown in horse racing in 2013.

Eight times in the last sixteen years, a horse has won the first two races of the Triple Crown, and eight times has fallen short. This year, Orb appeared primed for a near-certain victory, with a powerful Derby finish and steady hand Joel Rosario atop the saddle. Orb started on the rail, a difficult position to begin, and hit the quarter pole in mid-pack. Oxbow led at the first turn by two lengths. Orb broke to the outside in the back stretch, and had difficulty making headway through a thick pack. Oxbow retained the lead through virtually the entire race, and won the race going away in a time of 1:57.54.

Shortly before post time, Orb was at 3/5 odds, meaning a dollar bet would only return 60 cents. Well afterward, Itsmyluckyday came in at 8-1, Goldencents and Governor Carlie at 9-1, and Departing and Mylute at 10-1. Oxbow, ridden by Gary Stevens, was at 15-1 at the start of the race.

Oxbow was the fifth-longest shot to win in Preakness history, and paid $32.80 on a $2 bet. The exacta of Oxbow and second-place finisher Itsmyluckyday paid just over $300, the trifecta including third-place Mylute paid just over $1,000, and the superfecta with fourth-place Orb paid $1,817.80.

And so ends the Preakness Stakes, the odds for a Triple Crown, and, in all honesty, most of the nation's interest in horse racing. It's too bad, really, as horse racing is a truly fine sport to see in person.

If you've never been to a horse race before, you should go. Absolutely. The opportunity to get dressed up in finery and drink yourself into socially-acceptable disorientation* is not to be missed. You don't even need to know that there's a horse race going on to have a good time. All you need is a glass of bourbon and a hat the size of a truck tire.

But for the rest of the world, watching at home, a horse race is a momentary diversion, perhaps a cause for a party but more often something we watch on Saturday night before the evening's playoff games begin. Sure, we'll watch the Kentucky Derby, because that's a national institution, and we'll watch the Belmont Stakes if there's a potential Triple Crown winner, because, you know, history. But the Preakness falls into that sporting dead zone also occupied by Pacers-Hawks playoff series, Jacksonville Jaguars home games, and any golf tournament where Tiger Woods is not in the field.

So for most Americans, it'll be 11 months and 364 days until we worry about the Preakness again. (Those actually at the event will be feeling it well into Tuesday.) And now, with no chance at a Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes loses a huge raft of casual viewers as well.

But presumably for Oxbow, Orb, and their owners, trainers and riders, the Triple Crown's third jewel lies ahead. Perhaps immortality is no longer in the equation, but a race is a race. Post time is three weeks from now.

Where the Chicago Bulls Go from Here?


COMMENTARY | Most competitors will tell you that there are no moral victories.

 
Surely, members of the Chicago Bulls would say the same thing. They fight so vehemently, not to declare "we played hard," but to win. So after being eliminated from the NBA playoffs at the hands of LeBron James and the Miami Heat on May 15, there certainly was plenty of disappointment to go around. But if moral victories did indeed count for something, and in this case they just might, the Bulls would receive an "A" for effort.
  
With Derrick Rose sitting out the entire year after recovering from knee surgery, along with injuries to Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah, the Bulls were all setup to have a disappointing year. Yet, making it to the second round of the postseason, they actually had a pretty good one. Credit this to the coaching of Tom Thibodeau and the heart of his players. Nonetheless, a season that far exceeded expectations has come to a premature end for the Bulls, and there are some issues that must be addressed prior the next.
  
This is all assuming that Rose declares himself ready for the start of next season. His presence would go an extremely long way in helping some of the Bulls' more deficient areas, such as scoring. The team was at the bottom of the standings this year in points per game. Defense is the Bulls calling card, but you must be able to put points on the board as well in this league. Once Rose returns, all that is left to adjust should be minor.
  
For starters, the Bulls need another capable big man. Noah cannot be one of the league leaders in minutes again. While there is no definitive cause of the foot ailment plantar fasciitis, which hobbled Noah towards the end of the regular season and into the playoffs, overuse is believed to be a factor. He needs a back-up that is skilled enough to play extended minutes and allow for some rest. Also, Carlos Boozer showed flashes of brilliance this season, but is often a defensive liability and is not one to pound down low-- á la Zach Randolph of the Memphis Grizzlies. Adding a talented big to the roster would aid the Bulls in more ways than one.
 
If the team keeps both Jimmy Butler and Deng, the starting shooting guard conundrum of recent years has been solved. Butler owns that position, and his development has shown that it will be in good hands. But the Bulls could still use some consistent bench scorers at this spot. Perhaps Nate Robinson will be one of them, if the organization decides to re-sign him. Someone with the ability to come in, provide instant offense and stretch the floor is imperative.
 
The backup point guard position may need to be addressed as well if Hinrich cannot get and stay healthy. The Bulls would be wise not to wear Rose down with excessive minutes either, especially coming off of a torn ACL. All that really is needed is a smart PG that can play respectable defense and keep the offense moving.
  
Other than these things, there is not much the organization needs to do. This is a very good group, as evidenced by what they were able to accomplish this season.

You never want to change too many things when a solid foundation is already in place. However, if Gar Forman and John Paxson play their cards right, the Bulls could be a special team for years to come. They look to be on the verge of greatness, already.          
 
New NFL initiative aimed toward involving women.

By ROB MAADDI (AP Pro Football Writer)

From pink baseball bats, cleats and wristbands on Mother's Day to pink caps, gloves and even penalty flags throughout October, professional sports organizations have recognized women for years by changing their colors to support breast cancer awareness.


Sports vendors take it a step further, targeting women as customers. Just look at the broad range of products for women found in any retail store that sells team merchandise. Considering females comprise 45 percent of NFL fans and 43 percent of Major League Baseball fans, that's smart business.

But women play an even greater role in sports, specifically in the past, present and future lives of athletes.

Troy Vincent, the NFL's senior vice president of player engagement, says women are the most influential person in the athlete's life cycle - from the first time a player steps on the field until retirement. And Vincent is working to recognize women for the important roles they play in the daily personal and professional lives of players and their families.

''Women are more than fans or consumers,'' said Vincent, a five-time Pro bowl cornerback during a 15-year NFL career. ''They're our mothers. They're our wives.
 
They're our daughters. They're our sisters. They're CEOs, entrepreneurs, influencers and decision makers. They're extremely important to the NFL family.''

Vincent has developed the women's resource initiative aimed at engaging wives, significant others and moms in areas of career, health and safety, wellness and lifestyle. The goal is to provide the tools and resources necessary to assist women and their families as they progress through an athlete's career.

Vincent launched the campaign Friday on the NFL's player engagement Web site at: www.nflplayerengagement.com/WRI. The site aims to connect women, share resources, promote service offerings, encourage peer-to-peer relationships, public appearances, private initiatives, and other opportunities.

''The women's resource initiative is going to provide an outlet for women like me, it's going to be a place where we are one,'' said Bianca Wilfork, wife of New England Patriots five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork. ''We can share, discuss, debate and empower each other. At the end of the day, our men give everything to their job and as their support system, whether you're a wife, mom or girlfriend, you want to have the tools and the know-how and the support to be the woman you need to be in their lives.''

Bianca Wilfork says she handles everything in the household, which includes three children. She pays the bills, plans trips, appearances and speaking engagements and runs their foundation. She also goes to all her husband's games home and away.

''When it comes to Vince, our family and his career,'' she said, ''I do everything except go to his meetings and suit up for football.''

Through the women's resource initiative, Bianca Wilfork has a new forum to interact and perhaps even inspire other wives, significant others and moms.

''We want to ensure that our athletes and the women in their lives are informed and are able to access the resources, tools and benefits that are available to them, their family members and their local community,'' Vincent said. ''In most households, studies show the woman is the primary decision-maker and a key influencer, so we want a more formal and consistent platform to engage this audience.''

Jackson: Jordan better than Bryant.
 
By The Sports Xchange
 
Phil Jackson details the differences he saw between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in his new book, "Eleven Rings" due out next week. " (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Phil Jackson details the differences he saw between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in his new book, “Eleven Rings”

In his upcoming book, "Eleven Rings," former NBA coach Phil Jackson writes that Michael Jordan was a better leader, shooter and defender than Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Times published excerpts of the book, which is scheduled to be released on Tuesday.

In comparing the leaderships skills of Jordan and Bryant, Jackson wrote: "One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael's superior skills as a leader. Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence. Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim. He talked a good game, but he'd yet to experience the cold truth of leadership in his bones, as Michael had."

Jackson wrote that the most "pronounced" difference between the two players was their shooting ability. Jordan shot nearly 50 percent for his career while Bryant has made about 45 percent for his career.

On defense, "No question, Michael was a tougher, more intimidating defender (than Bryant)," Jackson wrote. "He could break through virtually any screen and shut down almost any player with his intense, laser-focused style of defense."

Bryant responded to Jackson's assessments, via Twitter.

"The comparisons are apples to oranges," he wrote. "Wonder what the perception would be if (Jordan) played (with Shaquille O'Neal) instead. Different roles, different career paths."

Jackson wrote on Twitter that he was not putting down Bryant by believing that Jordan was better.

"Listen friends of (basketball)," he wrote. "Don't get hung up on words. I was most fortunate to have the chance to coach two of the greatest (guards) ever."

 
Venturi, US Open champion and CBS analyst, dies

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)
 
Ken Venturi, who overcame dehydration to win the 1964 U.S. Open and spent 35 years in the booth for CBS Sports, died Friday afternoon. He was 82.

His son, Matt Venturi, said he died in a hospital in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Venturi had been hospitalized the last two months for a spinal infection, pneumonia, and then an intestinal infection that he could no longer fight.

Venturi died 11 days after he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
He couldn't make it to the induction. His sons, Matt and Tim, accepted on his behalf after an emotional tribute by Jim Nantz, who worked alongside Venturi at CBS.

''When dad did receive the election into the Hall of Fame, he had a twinkle in his eye, and that twinkle is there every day,'' Tim Venturi said that night. Venturi was all about overcoming the odds.

A prominent amateur who grew up in San Francisco, he captured his only major in the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional, the last year the final round was 36 holes. In oppressive heat, Venturi showed signs of dehydration and a doctor recommended he stop playing because it could be fatal. Venturi pressed on to the finish, closed with a 70 and was heard to say, ''My God, I've won the U.S. Open.''

He had a severe stuttering problem as a child, yet went on to become one of the familiar voices in golf broadcasting. He began working for CBS in 1968 and lasted 35 years.

''We all knew what a wonderful player Ken Venturi was, and how he fashioned a second successful career as an announcer,'' Jack Nicklaus said. ''But far more important than how good he was at playing the game or covering it, Ken was my friend. Ken was fortunate in that the game of golf gave him so much, but without question, Ken gave back far more to the game he loved than he ever gained from it.

Over the years, Ken developed a circle of friends that is enormous and whose collective heart is heavy today.''

Venturi played on one Ryder Cup team and was U.S. captain in the 2000 Presidents Cup.

''His tremendous accomplishments on the golf course were certainly Hall of Fame worthy on their own, but in Ken one finds a rare example of a golfer whose second career, in television, rivaled the legendary status of his competitive achievements,'' PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said. ''His unique perspective and poetic delivery as an announcer enhanced countless memorable moments in golf, making his voice and presence as in indelible as the historic tournaments he covered. Ken will forever be remembered as a consummate gentleman, and he will be truly missed.''

Venturi was born May 15, 1931, in San Francisco, and he developed his game at Harding Park Golf Course. He won the California State Amateur at Pebble Beach in 1951 and 1956, while serving in the Army in Korea between those two amateur titles.

His stammering problem is what led him to golf.

''When I was 13 years old, the teacher told my mother, 'I'm sorry, Mrs. Venturi, but your son will never be able to speak. He's an incurable stammerer,''' Venturi said in 2011. ''My mother asked me what I planned to do. I said, 'I'm taking up the loneliest sport I know,' and picked up a set of hickory shaft across the street from a man and went to Harding Park and played my first round of golf.''

As an amateur, he was the 54-hole leader in the 1956 Masters until closing with an 80, and he was runner-up at Augusta National in 1960 to Arnold Palmer, who birdied the last two holes.

He turned pro and won his first PGA Tour at the St. Paul Open Invitational. Venturi won eight times over the next three years, including the Los Angeles Open and the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, before injuries started to affect his game after nearly winning the 1960 Masters.

He hurt his back in 1961 and badly injured his wrist in a car accident the next year. He missed the U.S. Open three straight years until he narrowly qualified for Congressional. It turned out to be an epic final day for the Californian coping with broiling heat.

Venturi shot 66 in the third round, but was feeling weak during the break before the final round that afternoon. John Everett, a doctor and member at Congressional, checked on him and found a normal pulse but symptoms of dehydration.

''Dr. Everett told me ... I was lying next to my locker and he says, 'I suggest that you don't go out. It could be fatal,''' Venturi said in 2011 when he returned to Congressional for the U.S. Open. ''I looked up at him and I said, 'Well, it's better than the way I've been living.' And I got off the floor, and I do not remember walking to the first tee. I don't remember the front nine until I started coming into it.''

Venturi was so shaken, so weak, when it was over that his final act was to sign the scorecard. He couldn't even read the numbers. Joe Dey, the executive director of the USGA, looked over his shoulder, checked the scores and told him to sign it.

Sports Illustrated honored him as its ''Sportsman of the Year'' in 1964.

Venturi won three more times, his last win coming in 1966 at the Lucky International at Harding Park, where it all started.

He eventually developed Carpel Tunnel Syndrome in his hands and was forced to retire. That's when he moved into the booth as the lead analyst for CBS Sports, and his voice filled living rooms for the next 35 years until he retired in 2002.

''He was a deeply principled man with a dynamic presence. He just exuded class,'' Nantz said. ''Through his competitive days and unequalled broadcasting career, Kenny became a human bridge connecting everyone from Sarazen, Nelson and Hogan to the greatest players of today's generation. Kenny faced many adversities in his life and always found a way to win.''

Venturi was elected to the Hall of Fame through the Lifetime Achievement category. Nantz gave an emotional tribute that night, and then called Venturi's two sons to the stage to hold the trophy because ''we need to put the crystal in the hands of the Venturi family.''

''If there is some sense of fairness, it is that Ken was inducted into a Hall of Fame that he very much deserved to be in and, in fact, should have been in for many years,'' Nicklaus said. ''While I know he was not able to be there in person for his induction, I am certain there was an overwhelming sense of pride and peace that embraced Ken.

It was a dream of Ken Venturi's that became a reality before he sadly left us.''

Venturi is survived his wife of 10 years, Kathleen, and his two sons. Matt Venturi said services were pending.
    

Wrestling rules changed to keep sport in Olympics.

By JIM HEINTZ (Associated Press)

Wrestling's governing body hopes rule changes designed to make matches more exciting and easier to understand will get the sport back in the Olympics.


The federation, known by the acronym FILA, is also changing its constitution to include a female vice president and will increase the number of women's weight classes if it remains in the Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee's executive board recommended in February that wrestling be removed from the 2020 Games.

The move brought about a crisis within FILA, forcing the resignation of president Raphael Martinetti. Nenad Lalovic took over in an interim capacity and undertook modernizing initiatives, and he was elected president at an extraordinary congress meeting in Moscow on Saturday.

''We got out of this congress with decisions needed for our sport to remain in the Olympic family,'' Lalovic said.

Wrestling is among eight sports vying for the open slot at the 2020 Olympics. The other contenders are sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding, karate, wushu, roller sports and a combined baseball-softball bid.

They will all make their case to an executive board meeting in late May in St. Petersburg, Russia. The final decision will be voted on by all the IOC members in September.

FILA's bureau formulated the rule changes Friday and presented them to the congress a day later. They include changing matches to two three-minute sessions instead of three two-minute periods, with cumulative scoring rather than the previous two-out-of-three system.

''Cumulative score incentivizes the wrestlers to score more often and consistently,'' FILA vice president Stan Dziedzic said. ''In addition, or equally important, the total score is easier for the spectators to understand. It's difficult for a spectator, not to mention the athletes, when one wrestler wins the first period 5-0, loses the next two periods 1-0 and loses the match.

''The common view was that two minutes was not sufficient time to execute the requisite tactics and strategies to provide an exciting match. What's more, it deprives the viewing audience of witnessing the will of the wrestler.''

The changes also refine how to penalize wrestlers who try to ''game the rules'' by passivity. If an official determines a wrestler is being passive, he receives a verbal warning. If there's a second offense, the action will be briefly stopped and the offending wrestler will have to score a point within 30 seconds or his opponent is awarded a point.

Dziedzic said the aim is ''to restore the authority of the officials to incentivize the wrestler to take more risk. The onus must be placed on the wrestlers to win the match.''

Congress deliberated at length when to implement the chances. Some delegates argued an immediate change would be difficult to adapt to, while others said FILA needs to show it's changing in order to persuade the IOC to keep wrestling in the Olympics.

Dziedzic said FILA would work to have the world championships in September run under the new rules.   

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Johnson wins again and shrugs off the haters.

By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)

It's only fitting that Jimmie Johnson's latest romp through the record books was shrouded in post-race controversy.
 
What's a Johnson win, after all, without a good conspiracy theory?
 
The latest instance of black helicopters hovering over the Hendrick Motorsports team came in the closing laps of Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race after Johnson headed down pit road in the fourth position for the final stop. A speedy quick four-tire change sent him back onto the track in second and put him in position for his record fourth All-Star race victory.
 
But an error by the television production crew led to an incorrect graphic during the live telecast that claimed Johnson should have lined up much lower in the field going on to pit road.
 
So as the beer and champagne swirled in Victory Lane, angry fans pounced on the inconsistency and argued Johnson should never have been in position for the win.
Johnson simply offered a bemused shrug.
 
''I don't have the slightest clue. People just want to hate,'' he said. ''That's fine. I'm just lucky. NASCAR rigs the races and whatever they want to believe. I'm going home with a cool trophy and a big check and we all really know what happened. So whatever.''
 
Whatever is what the rest of the field was saying after yet another Johnson win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
 
The five-time NASCAR champion became the first four-time winner of NASCAR's annual All-Star race, breaking a tie with the late Dale Earnhardt and teammate Jeff Gordon.
 
It was fitting that he did it at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track Johnson, the five-time NASCAR champion, has dominated since his 2002 rookie season. Johnson has won six points races at Charlotte, led more than 1,600 laps and the win in the $1 million Sprint All-Star Race was his second straight, fourth in 12 years. He also won in 2003 and 2006.
 
Now he'll head back to the track next week for the Coca-Cola 600, a race he won three straight years from 2003-05 when the No. 48 was unbeatable at Charlotte. The rest of the field caught up to him following a repave of the track, and Johnson's last win in a points race was 2009.
 
''We've had decent finishes and been competitive and led laps, but the track is just so different now than it was then, and we had it scienced out,'' Knaus said. ''We knew literally what time in the afternoon, what the adjustment needed to be made to the car, and it was like clockwork, didn't matter the year, just every single time. It's not that way anymore.''
But Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus have been chipping away, working hard to regain their Charlotte dominance.
 
The speedway is important to Hendrick Motorsports, which is headquartered just minutes away from the track, and to primary sponsor Lowe's, which is headquartered in nearby Mooresville.
 
''We certainly want to have that magic because winning here in Hendrick's backyard and Lowe's corporate offices just up the road, there's a lot of reasons we want to be good here,'' Johnson said. ''But more importantly, it's like we know that we've had it, so we feel like we can find it again, and we're knocking on the door.''
 
With these two weeks of racing at Charlotte circled on the calendar, Knaus, meticulous in his preparation, made three changes to his pit crew in the week leading into the race. It's not that anything was wrong with the No. 48 team - Johnson has a 44-point lead in the Sprint Cup standings over second-place Carl Edwards - but Knaus thought the team could be stronger.
 
It paid off on the final pit stop - a four-tire change in 11 seconds - and it made the difference in his All-Star victory.
 
''I really didn't think that we would be able to come down pit road and have a stop that fast, and man, those guys just absolutely nailed it,'' Knaus said. ''My hat's off to them. They've been working really, really hard trying to improve, and we've had to switch some things around during the course of the last month or so and the guys really rose to the occasion.
 
''I'm very, very proud of the effort from everybody at Hendrick Motorsports and everybody with the 48 team and what they've been able to accomplish over the course of the last few weeks to improve our pit stops.''
 
That could mean trouble for the competition, especially as Johnson heads into Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600.
 
But that's a week away, and Johnson wanted to savor Saturday night's record-making win. It gave him another spot in the history books, and another opportunity to reflect on where he stands in NASCAR lore.
 
Of course, Johnson deferred.
 
''I don't think it's a question I have to answer. I still have a lot of years left in my career,'' he said. ''That's something the public and masses will have to come up with.

I don't think it's right for me to sit here and say I'm this guy or the guy. I'm very proud of what I've accomplished and I still feel like there is a lot more I can do in this sport.
 
''I'm working hard to do that and when I'm old and sitting in a rocking chair hopefully people will think highly of what I've done and give me a tip of the hat.''
 
Even the haters.

Carpenter owns pole for Indy 500.

By The Sports Xchange

Powerful stuff Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Ed Carpenter, whose family owns the track, won the pole for next weekend's Indianapolis 500.

Carpenter posted a four-lap average of 228.762 mph and watched it hold up as four other IndyCar drivers took a shot at him in the rain-delayed Fast Nine Shootout.

Carpenter, the 32-year-old stepson of Indy Racing League founder Tony George, has spent most of his life in Indiana, moving to Indianapolis when he was 8 years old. He owns the small team that bears his name (Ed Carpenter Racing).

But he stressed that he won't lose focus on the big prize, which will be there to win May 26.

"A little bit (of celebrating), but I love the race a whole lot more than qualifying," he said. "I really want to send a message and make sure I lead by example to the team and make sure we don't forget why we're really here.

"This is fun, and it's huge for our team, I don't want (people) to think that it's not. But the pole won't mean much if we don't go out and perform on race day."

Carpenter led a 10-car Chevrolet brigade that dusted the Hondas. But that was only part of the story.

A rookie, Carlos Munoz, grabbed the second starting spot for the May 26 race with a qualifying effort of 228.342 mph. Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti will start third at 228.261 mph.

Munoz, the points leader of IndyCar's junior series, known as Firestone Indy Lights, has the highest starting position for a rookie since another Colombian,
Juan Pablo Montoya, in 2000. Montoya won that race.

The second row will have EJ Viso, A.J. Allmendinger and Will Power, who entered the Fast Nine Shootout with the quickest time. But like the other top four, Power's second qualifying run was slower than the one posted in the afternoon.

The third row for the 500 will be reigning IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, three-time race winner Helio Castroneves and James Hinchcliffe.

Carpenter won $100,000 for the pole, but the publicity his team will get will be worth more than that.

Carpenter will be losing his team manager, Derrick Walker, to a senior position with IndyCar after the race. Walker will become president of operations and competition.

Twenty-four drivers secured positions, with the fastest 10 powered by Chevrolet. The first Honda was Alex Tagliani in the 11th spot for Barracuda Racing.

Dario Franchitti, who won last year's race, was part of Ganassi Racing's struggle with Honda. Franchitti will go for his record-tying fourth 500 victory from the 17th starting position. That's one spot deeper than he started from a year ago. His first two wins came from the third position.

Franchitti's teammates will start 16th (Scott Dixon), 19th (Charlie Kimball) and 23rd (Ryan Briscoe). Briscoe won the pole last year for Team Penske. Dixon won the 2008 500 from the pole.

Given the competitiveness of IndyCar, Carpenter said there will be a lot of contenders for the 97th driver spot on the BorgWarner Trophy.

"This track and race mean a lot to the other 32 guys that are going to start the race, too," he said. "I don't think it's just special to me."

Drivers will fight for positions for positions at the rear of the starting grid in Sunday's qualifying sessions. Among that group are 1996 500 winner Buddy Lazier and projected contender Graham Rahal, Ana Beatriz, Pippa Mann, Josef Newgarden, Michel Jourdain Jr., Katherine Legge, Sebastian Saavedra and rookies Conor Daly and Tristan Vautier.

Legge is the latest driver to join the field. She picked up a ride on Saturday morning; the No. 81 of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, which has Pagenaud in the field and Vautier trying to get there. She has not turned a lap this month.

Daly, the son of former driver Derek Daly, lost a cylinder in his Honda engine during a qualifying run, a continuation of a difficult month for the Indianapolis native. He crashed Thursday in Turn 1, forcing the A.J. Foyt Racing crew to rebuild his car.

Bae wins Byron Nelson for first PGA Tour title.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS (AP Sports Writer)

Sang-Moon Bae watched anxiously after hitting his tee shot at the par-3 17th hole Sunday in the Byron Nelson Championship.
 
When the ball landed on the front edge of the green fronted by water, he bent his knees and leaned backward obviously relieved. He was only a few shots away from his first PGA Tour victory and a congratulatory hug from the widow of the tournament's namesake.
 
After squandering a four-stroke lead in the final round, the 26-year-old South Korean beat Keegan Bradley by two stokes for a win in the United States to go with his 11 international victories on the Korea, Japan and Asian tours.
 
''It's something I've always dreamed of, winning on the PGA Tour,'' Bae said. ''It was surreal to have Mrs. (Peggy) Nelson there and with all the history ... I was in awe, actually, so almost I didn't know how to react. ''
 
Bae finished at 13-under 267 with a closing 1-under 69 on a day with wind gusting to near 40 mph at times, similar to conditions two years ago when Bradley got his first PGA Tour win at TPC Four Seasons. Bradley shot 72 this time.
 
Four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine gave Bae a four-stroke advantage in the final group. But he made double bogey at No. 9 and a bogey at the next hole.

After some nice par saves, Bradley finally got even with a birdie at the 15th hole, a 17-footer that had just enough to get into the cup. But he missed a short birdie putt at the next hole to fall behind for good.
 
''When my iron play came back in the latter part of the round, I had confidence,'' Bae said. ''On that shot on 17, I knew it was short, and the wind pushed it over to the right, and I was happy and relieved that it turned out OK.''
 
Bradley was trying to become the Nelson's first wire-to-wire winner since Tom Watson in 1980. Bradley set the course record with an opening 60 even with two bogeys.
 
''I'm pretty disappointed but Moon played very well,'' Bradley said. 'I just didn't play great today, but I hung in there. I chipped away. ... When I made that putt on 15, I was pretty confident that I was going to win.''
 
Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champ, shot a 68 to finish third at 10 under. Justin Bolli shot a bogey-free 65 for the best round of the day and matched his career-best finish of fourth. A stroke further back at 272 were Morgan Hoffmann (66), Martin Kaymer (68) and Scott Piercy (72).
 
Bae won $1.2 million, nearly matching his PGA Tour career earnings of $1.6 million in his 42 previous starts. He tied for second last year in the Transitions Championship after getting into a four-man playoff. His is the fourth South Korean-born player to win on the PGA Tour, joining K.J. Choi, Y.E. Yang and Kevin Na.
 
Bradley's birdie at 15 was the only one he made all day. It gave him a share of the lead when Bae missed a par putt there from just inside 6 feet.
 
But after Bae sank a 5-foot birdie at the par-5 16th hole, Bradley had a shorter putt on the same line - it horseshoed around the hole and didn't fall. He then hit his tee shot at the 171-yard 17th over the green.
 
''I hit that right down my line, right perfect,'' Bradley said. '' I just hit it too good. I ripped it through the wind.''
 
That made it irrelevant that he finally had a par at No. 18, the hole he bogeyed the first three rounds. Especially when Bae's final drive into the middle of the fairway.
 
Players wore red ribbons during the final round in memory of Ken Venturi, the 1964 U.S. Open champion and longtime CBS golf analyst who died Friday.
 
With the gusty winds and dried-out greens, the scoring average was 71.8 on Sunday. That was two strokes higher than Thursday's first round, after 1 1/2 inches of rain. Players were able to lift, clean and place their balls the first two days.
 
''Feels a little like the British Open without rain,'' Kaymer said about the conditions Sunday.
 
At No. 14, Bradley drove into the left rough between some trees and missed the green before chipping to 5 feet to save par. On the par 3 just before that, his tee shot settled behind the green, but he hit from there to 8 feet and made that putt as well.
 
Bradley scrambled for pars on the first two holes, and gave up the lead at the 502-yard third hole when his drive went left into the water. He bogeyed and Bae rolled in a 27-foot birdie putt.
 
Bae was 16 under and four strokes ahead after three consecutive birdies, on the fifth through seventh holes.
 
Notes: Tom Gillis, in his 150th PGA Tour start since 1993 and still without a win, started the final round only two strokes out of the lead. He shot 76, including a triple-bogey 7 at the sixth hole that already had him 6 over for the round. ... Ryo Ishikawa had an eagle, five birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in his closing 67. ... Defending champion Jason Dufner was 4 over through eight holes Sunday on way to a 72. He finished at 279, tied for 33rd. ... Louis Oosthuizen (neck) and Michael Bradley (back) withdrew before the start of the final round. Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champ, entered the Nelson with the No. 7 world ranking, the highest-ranked player in the field. He was 3 under through three rounds.

Baseball results, Sunday, May 19, 2013.

Reuters

Results from the MLB games on Sunday (home team in CAPS)

CLEVELAND 6 Seattle 0
MIAMI 2 Arizona 1
Tampa Bay 3 BALTIMORE 1
ATLANTA 5 LA Dodgers 2
PHILADELPHIA 3 Cincinnati 2
PITTSBURGH 1 Houston 0
Boston 5 MINNESOTA 1
ST. LOUIS 4 Milwaukee 2
NY Mets 4 CHICAGO CUBS 3

LA ANGELS 6 Chicago White SoxOAKLAND 4 Kansas City 3
SAN DIEGO 13 Washington 4
COLORADO 5 San Francisco 0
TEXAS 11 Detroit 8
 
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