Sports Quote of the Day:
All winning teams are goal-oriented. Teams like these win consistently because everyone connected with them concentrates on specific objectives. They go about their business with blinders on; nothing will distract them from achieving their aims.
~ Lou Holtz, NCAA Football Coach and TV Sports Analyst
~ Lou Holtz, NCAA Football Coach and TV Sports Analyst
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks join Bruins for Original 6 Cup finals. Here comes the Hawks, "The Mighty Blackhawks", Lord Stanley's Cup is waiting to come home!!!
By
The Chicago Blackhawks pose for a team photo with the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after they won 4-3 in the second overtime against the Los Angeles Kings during Game Five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center on June 8, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks have joined the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals, featuring Original Six NHL franchises for the first time since 1979.
''We know there's going to be more tough moments that we'll have to battle through,'' Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said.
Boston finished off a sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night in the Eastern Conference finals.
The league hasn't had two of its oldest franchises playing for the championship since Montreal beat the New York Rangers in five games 34 years ago, winning its fourth straight title. Those Canadiens were led by coach Scotty Bowman, now a senior adviser for the Blackhawks, whose general manager is his son, Stan.
The Blackhawks will have home-ice advantage in their first postseason matchup with the Bruins since 1978, when Boston won an opening-round series.
Game 1 is Wednesday night in Chicago.
The Blackhawks and Bruins didn't meet during this lockout-shortened season because there weren't any interconference games in the 48-game schedule.
They haven't played each other since Oct. 15, 2011, when the Bruins won 3-2 in Chicago. Tyler Seguin scored the only goal of a shootout, and goalie Tim Thomas denied Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp in the tiebreaker.
Boston hoisted the Cup in 2011 for the first time since 1972. The Blackhawks won it in 2010 for the first time 1961.
Both teams have many of the same skaters they had on their recent championship teams, and both were on the brink of being bounced earlier in the postseason.
Boston coach Claude Julien had 16 players from the championship team three years ago in the series finale against Pittsburgh.
Chicago rallied from a 3-1 deficit in its second-round series against Detroit, which entered the third period of Game 6 at home with the lead before the Blackhawks scored a flurry of goals to win. They lost only one game to Los Angeles in the conference finals.
The Bruins led Toronto 3-1 in the opening round before being pushed to a Game 7 in which they trailed by three goals with less than 11 minutes left in the third period.
Since that stunning comeback, Boston beat the New York Rangers in five games and swept the previously potent Penguins by a combined score of 12-2.
''You can tell in the way we've been playing since that game that we were able to create some momentum, and it carried on into the New York series, and it carried on to this series,'' Boston's Milan Lucic said. ''I think once we won that game, we definitely started to believe in what we could accomplish, and here we are.''
Boston is still playing in large part because Tuukka Rask is giving up fewer than two goals a game, playing in front of a physical defense.
''He's in a zone that you hope he can hold on to,'' Julien said. ''Without that kind of goaltending, you don't get a chance at winning a Cup.''Likewise, Chicago couldn't have advanced without Corey Crawford.
''He deserves all the credit in the world and then some,'' Toews said. ''He's the most important player on our team right now.''
Blackhawks/Bruins Stanley Cup Preview: Five questions about the 2013 Final.
By Greg Wyshynski
The Chicago Blackhawks dispatched the Los Angeles Kings in five games. The Boston Bruins only needed four to take down the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now, for the first time since 1979, the NHL will have two original six teams battling for the Stanley Cup beginning on Wednesday night.
Here are five early questions about this meeting of the 2010 and 2011 Stanley Cup champions:
1. Can Bruins shut down more star players?
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla, James Neal and Kris Letang combined to produce … nothing against the Boston Bruins. Not a single point. Nada. Zip. Zero.
The Bruins have the weapons to shut down any scoring units in the NHL, with Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg as their top D-men and Patrice Bergeron’s line arguably the best two-way group in the League.
The Blackhawks advanced past the Kings just as Patrick Kane was catching fire and Jonathan Toews was heating up. They’ve gotten solid offense out of Patrick Sharp (14 points) and Marian Hossa (14 points), along with Duncan Keith (11 points) on the blueline.
Can they do what Pittsburgh’s stars couldn’t do? Like, score a single goal?
2. Boston road warriors or Chicago home cookin’?
The Bruins are 5-1-1 on the road in the playoffs, scoring at a wicked good 3.43 goals per game and allowing just 1.86.
The Blackhawks are 9-1-0 at home in the postseason, with 3.30 goals per game average and allowing 1.70 goals against per game.
So something’s gotta give.
3. Tuukka Rask or Corey Crawford?
The two best goaltenders in the postseason – at least by the numbers – clash for the ultimate prize.
Crawford is 12-5-1 with a 1.74 GAA (the best in the NHL playoffs) and a .935 save percentage. Rask is 12-4-1 with a 1.75 GAA and a .943 save percentage (the best in the NHL playoffs).
Of the two, Rask might have earned more renown during his run to the finals, including his pimp glove save on Jarome Iginla in the final seconds of Game 4. But Crawford has been the backbone of the Blackhawks’ defense, outplaying Jonathan Quick in the conference final.
An extra bit of intrigue: Rask is a restricted free agent this summer, while Crawford has one more year left.
4. Will anyone score a power-play goal?
Despite Anze Kopitar’s power-play goal in Game 5, the Blackhawks lead the NHL postseason with a 94.8 penalty killing percentage.
The Bruins, meanwhile, blanked the much-heralded Penguins power play (0-for-15) during their conference finals sweep, and have an 86.5 percent kill percentage for the playoffs.
5. Who gets pissed off the most?
The Bruins and Blackhawks are two teams that know how to hit hard and agitate opponents. Composure might be the key in the series when it comes to the unique pest skills of Brad Marchand and Andrew Shaw; the occasional forays into illegality by Duncan Keith and Milan Lucic; and the pure checking power of the rest of the teams’ bangers.
Will we have a flashpoint moment of violence in this series? The potential is there for this to be one of the most black-and-blue Finals in recent memory.
Here's the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals Television Schedule.
By Adam Gretz
Game DATE TIME (ET) Chicago vs. Boston Networks
Game 1, Wed., June 12, 8 p.m., Boston at Chicago, NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 2, Sat., June 15, 8 p.m., Boston at Chicago, NBCSN, CBC, RDS
Game 3, Mon., June 17, 8 p.m., Chicago at Boston, NBCSN, CBC, RDS
Game 4, Wed., June 19, 8 p.m., Chicago at Boston, NBC, CBC, RDS
*Game 5, Sat., June 22, 8 p.m., Boston at Chicago, NBC, CBC, RDS
*Game 6, Mon., June 24, 8 p.m., Chicago at Boston, NBC, CBC, RDS
*Game 7, Wed., June 26, 8 p.m., Boston at Chicago, NBC, CBC, RDS
* if necessary
LeBron James, Heat blow out Spurs to even NBA Finals after Game 2.
By Marc J. Spears
It wasn't a triple-double, and for much of the first three quarters, LeBron James' performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals wasn't pretty. Nevertheless, James showed why he's the reigning MVP with an awesome display of athleticism on both ends of the court in the fourth quarter in the Heat's rout of the San Antonio Spurs, 103-84, on Sunday, a beatdown that tied the Finals after two games at AmericanAirlines Arena.
James highlighted a 30-5 Heat run with a stunning block of a tomahawk dunk attempt from the Spurs' Tiago Splitter, followed by an assist on a Ray Allen 3-pointer and a breakaway dunk seconds after the triple.
James finished with 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field; he entered the final quarter 3 of 13.
Before the run, Miami went up 54-46 following two James free throws with 9:05 left in the third quarter. The Spurs countered with a 16-7 run to take a 62-61 lead following a Danny Green finger roll lay-in with 3:50 left in third.
Miami got the last – and decisive – laugh of the third as it finished the period with a 14-3 run finalized by a Mario Chalmers 3-point play with 9.8 seconds left in the third quarter.
Chalmers scored seven points and dished two assists while playing the entire third quarter. James and Wade shot a combined 1 of 8 from the field in the third. San Antonio allowed eight points off five turnovers in the third as well.
The Heat put Game 2 away quickly in the fourth with straight 11 points in the run. With 8:18 left in the game, Splitter tried to spark the Spurs with a big jam. James, however, was much higher and swatted it away to the delight of Heat fans. Thirteen seconds later after sparking a steal, James threw down a two-handed jam to put Miami up 24 points, inciting a Spurs timeout.
It was apparent that San Antonio threw in the towel when seldom-used reserves Tracy McGrady, Patty Mills and Dejaun Blair were in after the timeout.
Green led the Spurs with 17 points on a 6-for-6 shooting night. Tony Parker, the hero of Game 1, missed nine of his 14 shots from the field and finished with 13 points. No other Spur scored in double figures.
Miami's Chris Bosh was aggressive in the first quarter Sunday, scoring six points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field – and he attempted no 3-pointers. Bosh was strongly criticized after the Game 1 loss for shooting and missing four triples. Even Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said that Bosh was open from deep for a reason. He finished Sunday with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
While Miami limited the Spurs to 38.1 percent shooting in the first, the quarter ended with the game tied 22-22. The Spurs rode the wave of hot 3-point shooting from Green and Gary Neal who hit on all four attempts.
The Heat led 50-45 at halftime after shooting 54.5 percent from the field. James had only four points at intermission after missing five of seven shots and not shooting a free throw. One of those misses from the field was a half-court attempt that nearly went in at the halftime buzzer. His first six quarters of these NBA Finals netted just 22 points.
Palace Malice beats Oxbow, Orb in Belmont.
Reuters; Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Gene Cherry/Peter Rutherford
Palace Malice followed a perfect script to upstage the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes champions on Saturday and win the Belmont Stakes, the final race of the Triple Crown for three-year-old thoroughbreds.
Palace Malice, who was 12th in the Kentucky Derby, won by 3 1/4 lengths with Mike Smith aboard after prevailing in a stretch run duel with Preakness winner Oxbow, who finished second ahead of late closing Derby winner Orb.
The Belmont victor had set the early pace in the Derby only to fade at Churchill Downs, but on a sunny day with the track rated fast despite Friday's rains, Palace Malice maintained his powerful stride, this time racing without blinders.
"Blinkers off, honestly," Smith said about the difference in his horse this time. "He was just enjoying the trip, sucking all the air in."
Palace Malice skipped the Preakness, the middle race of the series, and seemed stronger down the stretch as he surged to the lead in the last quarter mile and pulled away from Oxbow, who won the Preakness leading wire-to-wire.
Jockey Smith saluted trainer Todd Pletcher's game plan for Palace Malice, who paid almost $30.
"Likely you'll be sitting right outside of Oxbow, just keep your eye on him and you just play it from there," Smith said about his pre-race talk with Pletcher. "That's really what we did.
"We thought Freedom Child would probably be in front. I knew Oxbow would be sitting right of him, and we just parked ourselves right outside of him."
Smith said his winning move past Oxbow and his rider, Gary Stevens, was like a movie moment.
"I was keeping a close eye on him," Smith said about the ride as he headed toward the end of the backstretch. "I felt I was moving better.
"When I ranged up next to him, it was like a movie scene. He looked over to me. I could see his face clear as day. He says, 'go on little brother, you're moving better than me. Just ride off your win.'
"And I won. He run second. You couldn't have written this script any better.
Trained by Pletcher, who had a record five runners in the 14-horse field, Palace Malice fulfilled some early high hopes for the colt, who won only one of his first seven races, with his lone victory a maiden race at Saratoga.
"It's huge. We always felt like he had a big one in him. He needed to put it all together," Pletcher said from the winner's circle. "We were quietly confident coming in."
Orb, the 2-1 favorite who won the Derby on a sloppy track, trailed far back in the field before mounting a rousing charge down the stretch with Joel Rosario astride that came up short.
Palace Malice paid $29.60 $11.20 and $6.70 for a $2.00 wager in the mile and a half race, the longest test of the Triple Crown. Oxbow returned $9.90, $6.10, and Orb $3.90.
Palace Malice paid $29.60 $11.20 and $6.70 for a $2.00 wager in the mile and a half race, the longest test of the Triple Crown. Oxbow returned $9.90, $6.10, and Orb $3.90.
Smith said Palace Malice made a dream run.
"Today was our day," the jockey said, giving Pletcher a full share of the credit. "It ran exactly like he wrote it. Perfect plan."
Jim Brown: NFL lags behind NASCAR in safety.
By The Sports Xchange
When it comes to safety, NASCAR is well out in front of the NFL, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown said Sunday.
The former Cleveland Browns running back, was on hand at Pocono Raceway for the Sprint Cup race as a guest of legendary driver and car owner Richard Petty. Brown likes what NASCAR has done to make the sport safer for its drivers with collapsible walls, head and neck restraints and cars with crush panels.
"NASCAR stepped up their safety concepts, and I think the drivers feel NASCAR is doing everything that can be done," Brown said, according to ESPN.com. ""So we are a little behind NASCAR in that respect.
"Someone in NASCAR realized there were certain things that could be done to make it safer. The same thing has to happen in football. It's two different sports, but you want to make sure it's as safe as you can make it."
While the NFL has a ways to go, Brown said, he sees positive signs that the league is taking player safety seriously.
"Part of that was forced on them because of the concussion lawsuits, but I think when we come out of this we'll have a much safer game without taking away from the impact of the game," Brown said.
One step the NFL has taken that Brown doesn't like is the penalty for players, specifically running backs, lowering the crown of their helmets outside the tackle box.
"I understand they have to make changes, but some of the rules are made by people who didn't play the game," Brown said.
The 77-year-old Brown recently returned to the Browns as an special adviser and plans to assist where needed, even possibly with second-year running back Trent Richardson..
"They have a little running back there I might be able to help," Brown said. "And some of those players are staying out a little too late at night. I have a little advice for them, as well."
Rafael Nadal wins the French Open for a record eighth time.
By Shane Bacon
By Shane Bacon
Rafael Nadal — Getty Images
Rafael Nadal is now in a class of his own in tennis history after winning his eighth French Open title on Sunday at Roland Garros, becoming the only man in tennis history to win the same Grand Slam eight times.
Nadal took out fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in what can only be considered a victory lap of sorts for the now 12-time Grand Slam champion.
Face it, the French Open finals was an epic five-set match. that pitted the top two tennis players in the world against each other in Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the one problem being that the winner still had one more ceremonial match to play before he could accept the trophy.
This was it, and it was everything that you'd expect from a man that has made his living beating professionals on clay. Nadal is now an astonishing 59-1 at the French Open, winning eight of the last nine championships in Paris and doing it in a style that says he isn't going anywhere soon.
Ferrer was a formidable opponent in the sense that games lasted longer than one might expect, but it was just too much power from Nadal on this surface for a man that was making his first appearance in a Grand Slam final. Nadal hit 35 winners to his 25 unforced errors, a stat almost mirrored by Ferrer who had 22 winners to his 35 unforced.
Nadal is now third all time in Grand Slam wins, tying Roy Emerson and sitting just two behind Pete Sampras and five behind the great Roger Federer. His play at this event has been incredible over the years, but his return to the tennis scene this season has been a surprise even to experts who have watched him play over the years.
Injuries kept him out of the 2012 U.S. Open and this year's Australian Open, and some where worried he'd never come back full strength. He did, and his eighth French title is a pretty good reward for a return for one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the game.
English wins St. Jude for 1st PGA Tour title.
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The support of a handful of old high school buddies, the calming influence of a veteran caddie and timely putting were exactly what Harris English needed to pull out his first PGA Tour victory.
English won the St. Jude Classic on Sunday, birdieing two of the final three holes to hold off Phil Mickelson and Scott Stallings by two strokes.
''I had probably 10 high school friends out there today,'' English said. ''And I know that if I make a birdie or a bogey, they're probably going to be the same and they're rooting me on. I was just really relaxed out there today. Bogeyed eight and nine, which was tough. But I knew if I kept it together on the back nine, I could make a run at the thing.''
The 23-year-old former Georgia star in his second year on tour survived a final round where he had six birdies and five bogeys. He finished with a 1-under 69 for a 12-under 268 total to get the victory in the same state where he helped Baylor in Chattanooga win four Tennessee high school golf titles.
English said caddie Brian Smith also helped him refocus as he made the turn.
''I really didn't think I'd be in this seat right here coming off 9,'' English said. ''I thought I kind of made some really dumb bogeys on eight, nine and kind of shot myself out of the tournament. But Smitty was saying, 'Hey let's go beat this back nine. Let's get back under par for the tournament for the day, and let's get after it.' So it was almost pedal to the metal.''
English got four of his birdies on the back nine and saw on No. 14 that he was the lead at 10 under. He made a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 16 to tie Stallings for the lead, but Stallings bogeyed No. 18 to give English the lead to himself. English made a 17-foot birdie putt on No. 17, and overcame shaking hands as he two-putted No. 18 to pick up the winner's check of $1,026,000.
''It's quite an unbelievable feeling,'' English said.
Mickelson shot a 67, and Stallings had a 68. Mickelson said English finished strong and has been playing some great golf, but the four-time major winner got most of what he wanted after not playing the previous three weeks as he tuned up for the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club.
''I'm really encouraged with the way I hit my irons,'' Mickelson said. ''Got to get the 3-wood in play a little bit more, although next week at Merion distance won't be as critical as TPC Southwind. I'll be able to hit higher and softer shots.''
English became the fourth player to win the event in his first start since the tournament moved to TPC Southwind in 1989 and the second straight after Dustin Johnson a year ago.
The final round returned to normal Memphis weather with the temperature reaching the high 80s along with the wind blowing from the south at 10-15 mph as it usually does at Southwind.
English won the Southern Amateur in 2011 and was an amateur when he won on the Web.com Tour at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in July 2011. He moved to the PGA Tour in 2012 and finished 79th on the money list. Now he has his fourth top 10 this year and a precious invitation to the Masters for the Georgia native.
It looked as if Stallings, a two-time winner on tour, would add his third win in three years when he took advantage of consecutive bogeys by English on Nos. 8 and 9 to go up by three strokes. Stallings was 12 under at the turn with four birdies on the front side. But he finished with a double bogey, a birdie and a bogey in his final four holes.
''You have to learn from the experiences that you have like this today and hopefully I'll get a little bit better break next time,'' Stallings said.
Shawn Stefani, a 31-year-old rookie from Texas, went into the final round with a one-stroke lead, had a 76 to drop into a tie for seventh at 6 under.
English, playing with Stefani in the final group, rallied after his consecutive bogeys.
He birdied No. 10, rolling in a 14-footer from the fringe, and hit his tee shot within 5 feet on the par-3 11th for his second straight birdie and fourth of the round. His fifth bogey of the day, at No. 12, moved him back to 10 under.
Stallings went to 11 under with a birdie on the par-5 16th but missed his own birdie attempt from the same distance a couple feet away on the green, which cost him when English birdied No. 16 a few minutes later to tie him again atop the leaderboard. English then birdied No. 17 when he was just trying to get close.
''It went in dead center and gave me a lot of momentum going into 18,'' English said.
English said caddie Brian Smith also helped him refocus as he made the turn.
''I really didn't think I'd be in this seat right here coming off 9,'' English said. ''I thought I kind of made some really dumb bogeys on eight, nine and kind of shot myself out of the tournament. But Smitty was saying, 'Hey let's go beat this back nine. Let's get back under par for the tournament for the day, and let's get after it.' So it was almost pedal to the metal.''
English got four of his birdies on the back nine and saw on No. 14 that he was the lead at 10 under. He made a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 16 to tie Stallings for the lead, but Stallings bogeyed No. 18 to give English the lead to himself. English made a 17-foot birdie putt on No. 17, and overcame shaking hands as he two-putted No. 18 to pick up the winner's check of $1,026,000.
''It's quite an unbelievable feeling,'' English said.
Mickelson shot a 67, and Stallings had a 68. Mickelson said English finished strong and has been playing some great golf, but the four-time major winner got most of what he wanted after not playing the previous three weeks as he tuned up for the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club.
''I'm really encouraged with the way I hit my irons,'' Mickelson said. ''Got to get the 3-wood in play a little bit more, although next week at Merion distance won't be as critical as TPC Southwind. I'll be able to hit higher and softer shots.''
English became the fourth player to win the event in his first start since the tournament moved to TPC Southwind in 1989 and the second straight after Dustin Johnson a year ago.
The final round returned to normal Memphis weather with the temperature reaching the high 80s along with the wind blowing from the south at 10-15 mph as it usually does at Southwind.
English won the Southern Amateur in 2011 and was an amateur when he won on the Web.com Tour at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in July 2011. He moved to the PGA Tour in 2012 and finished 79th on the money list. Now he has his fourth top 10 this year and a precious invitation to the Masters for the Georgia native.
It looked as if Stallings, a two-time winner on tour, would add his third win in three years when he took advantage of consecutive bogeys by English on Nos. 8 and 9 to go up by three strokes. Stallings was 12 under at the turn with four birdies on the front side. But he finished with a double bogey, a birdie and a bogey in his final four holes.
''You have to learn from the experiences that you have like this today and hopefully I'll get a little bit better break next time,'' Stallings said.
Shawn Stefani, a 31-year-old rookie from Texas, went into the final round with a one-stroke lead, had a 76 to drop into a tie for seventh at 6 under.
English, playing with Stefani in the final group, rallied after his consecutive bogeys.
He birdied No. 10, rolling in a 14-footer from the fringe, and hit his tee shot within 5 feet on the par-3 11th for his second straight birdie and fourth of the round. His fifth bogey of the day, at No. 12, moved him back to 10 under.
Stallings went to 11 under with a birdie on the par-5 16th but missed his own birdie attempt from the same distance a couple feet away on the green, which cost him when English birdied No. 16 a few minutes later to tie him again atop the leaderboard. English then birdied No. 17 when he was just trying to get close.
''It went in dead center and gave me a lot of momentum going into 18,'' English said.
On No. 18, Stallings hit his tee shot way right between the fairway bunkers and the cart path and put his approach into the right rough 83 feet away. His chip just reached the edge of the green, leaving him nearly 40 feet to the hole. He ran it 5 feet past the hole for a bogey.
''Harris has played great coming down the stretch,'' Stallings said.Mickelson birdied Nos. 13 and 16, but he just missed a 13-footer for birdie on the par-4 17th. He then went right at the hole on No. 18 from 151 yards and just missed, leaving a 2-foot birdie putt to tie Stallings at 10 under.
English then finished off the win and celebrated with a simple fist pump.
Notes: The others to win in their first trip to this event at TPC Southwind were Lee Westwood (2010) and Dicky Pride (1994). ... English is the 11th American to win this event since 2000 and the seventh to come from behind in the last eight years here. ... English is the eighth player in his 20s to win this year compared to 15 last year. ... Brad Fritsch finished the tournament in style, holing out from the 18th fairway from 177 yards out. That put him at even par and tied for 56th.
Time to start thinking about golfing in Chicago; a true hidden gem of diverse courses.
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Chicago Sports & Travel/AllsportsAmerica wants you. Golf season is upon us and for you diehard golfers that want to try something different, come golf in Chicago. Our group at CS&T/AA, Golf Options Illinois Forever, is ready to accommodate you with some of the most diverse golf courses in one location. Regardless of your golfing ability, we have a group of courses for you to play. We arrange your transportation, lodging, tee times and any miscellaneous request that you might have. There is so much to see and do when you’re not on the golf course. Chicago has wonderful architecture, excellent museums, very good ethnic food, a great night life, remarkable professional sports teams, a diverse population with unlimited potential that has earned it several nicknames such as, “The city that works”, The city of big shoulders”, “The windy city”, “The second city” and “A true world class city.” It all works for us and we want to share it with you. Come golf in Chicago. Email us at chicagosportsandtravel@yahoo.com and let us see what we can do for you. We guarantee you that all of our packages are very rare but priced super fair. Try us, we’re sure you’ll like us. We sincerely look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, “Have a great sports day!!!!!"
Johnson dominates in win at Pocono Raceway.
By
Jimmie Johnson walked into the media center holding his daughter's hand, his pregnant wife right behind them. Their second child is due in September, right around the time of the final race before the Chase field is set.
With an automatic berth in NASCAR's playoffs secured, Johnson has permission to skip the race for the big birth.
''If Chani goes into labor early, I don't have to worry about Richmond,'' Johnson said.
A week after a late penalty denied his chance at a win, Johnson absolutely dominated Sunday at Pocono Raceway, leading 128 of 160 laps for his third victory of the season.
''Jimmie's switched on right now,'' crew chief Chad Knaus said. ''He's as good or better as I've ever seen him.''
High praise for the five-time champion.
Even during his championship run, Johnson rarely cruised like he did on the 2 1/2-mile triangle track. The Sprint Cup points leader, Johnson pulled away on both of the last two restarts over the final 10 laps to pull into Victory Lane at Pocono for the first time since he swept both races in 2004.
Johnson was never seriously challenged a week after his run at a possible win at Dover International Speedway was taken away by a penalty off a restart. NASCAR penalized him for jumping leader Juan Pablo Montoya off the restart with 19 laps left and he finished 17th.
It was a rare misstep for Johnson but he rebounded just fine at Pocono.
''It would have been very easy to come in here with a chip on your shoulder or a grudge,'' Knaus said. ''Jimmie is not that kind of guy.''
Johnson, though, briefly flirted with the idea of pulling some sort of restart stunt to send a message to NASCAR. He just couldn't bring himself to try and get one over on Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.
''I wanted to prove a point and show everyone what could happen in that restart zone,'' Johnson said.
There was no need. The No. 48 Chevrolet was that dialed in.
He pretty much only lost the lead because of pit stop cycles.
After only one caution in the first 125 laps, they came in bunches over the last 35. Johnson held off Earnhardt with nine laps left and pulled away one more time with four to go.
''He's one of the best drivers this sport has ever seen,'' Earnhardt said. ''Chad Knaus is probably one of the smartest crew chiefs the sport has ever seen.''
Johnson also won the Daytona 500 and at Martinsville Speedway this season. His 63rd career Cup victory helped stretch his points lead to 51 over Carl Edwards.
Johnson won from the pole after rain washed out qualifying Friday.
Odds are, Johnson won't really skip a race, especially with the due date in mid-September. But if he has that top seed locked up and is needed in a pinch, he'll put family first.
''That's what I'm working so hard for,'' Johnson said.
Greg Biffle was second and Earnhardt. Dover winner Tony Stewart was fourth, followed by fellow Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Newman.
''I really didn't have anything for Jimmie,'' Biffle said. ''Jimmie was in a league of his own.''
Earnhardt would love a repeat of last season when he was in contention at Pocono before settling for eighth, then won the next week at Michigan International Speedway. He wasn't won since - and Michigan is on deck.
''We want to get a win, man,'' Earnhardt said. ''I can see it right there in front of me. I really thought we got close.''Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano rounded out the top 10.
Stewart and Newman continued a three-week resurgence for SHR, though Danica Patrick was 29th. Stewart jumped three spots to 13th in the standings and still has the No. 1 wild-card spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. The final race before the 12-driver field is set is Sept. 7.
''It's not just one team, the whole organization is gaining momentum,'' Stewart said.Johnson had his ninth top-10 finish of 2013 and has now won at least three races in 11 of his 12 full-time seasons. His 128 laps led were the most of his career at Pocono - amazing since the race was shortened from 200 laps to 160 last season.
Consider, in Johnson's first Pocono win in 2004, it was only the ninth of his career and he had yet to win a championship.
For all his success, Johnson never takes it for granted.
''There are no guarantees we'll win again, there really aren't,'' he said. ''The sport moves so fast.''
At Pocono, the No. 48 led the way.
Commentary: USMNT returns home shorthanded, facing tough choices over Zusi, Jones replacements.
MLS
In light of players' and coaches' abiding tendency to mix military metaphors into discussions of their sporting affairs, it's hard to resist noting the irony of US national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann and his troops returning Stateside from a draining overseas mission only to find themselves shorthanded on the home front this week.
Friday's last-gasp win in Jamaica, while an admittedly flawed performance, has inspired the Yanks and improved their position in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying standings. It also seems to have robbed Klinsmann of several of his most valued performers for Tuesday's clash with Panama at CenturyLink Field (9:30 pm ET, ESPN, UniMas), at the very moment when he'd started the same 11 in back-to-back games for the first time.
Between that and the new wrinkle presented by Panama and FC Dallas striker Blas Perez's gastroentiritis-caused absence from Los Canaleros' starting lineup, that leaves a few questions for general Klinsmann to consider as he seeks to build on a three-game Hex unbeaten streak.
1) Who replaces Graham Zusi, and how?
Thanks to a caution received on the foul that led to Jamaica's game-tying goal, the Sporting KC star is definitely out for Tuesday. Do the USMNT make a like-for-like swap by plugging in Sacha Kljestan or Stuart Holden, or is striker Eddie Johnson the next one up? Is lefty Brad Davis the best crosser (and set-piece taker) to fill Zusi's boots, prompting a left-right switch?
Thanks to a caution received on the foul that led to Jamaica's game-tying goal, the Sporting KC star is definitely out for Tuesday. Do the USMNT make a like-for-like swap by plugging in Sacha Kljestan or Stuart Holden, or is striker Eddie Johnson the next one up? Is lefty Brad Davis the best crosser (and set-piece taker) to fill Zusi's boots, prompting a left-right switch?
Bear in mind that Fabian Johnson got a “must do better” grade from his coach for his stint at left midfield Friday.
But that sort of shift would also seem to open up possibilities for Joe Corona, likely the most in-form Yank who has yet to get an extended chance this year. Or perhaps Brad Evans will move up from right back – though Klinsmann seems mighty enamored of him in his new role.
2) Is Jermaine Jones out, and if so, who can possibly replace him?
If the fierce Schalke 04 destroyer is sidelined by Friday's concussion in Kingston, there's simply no one on Klinsmann's current (and shrinking) roster with the same bite and physical presence. A caution-minded setup would probably feature his replacement in Jamaica, Geoff Cameron.
Yet a desire to “go for it” against Panama, who seem likely to set out a defensive shop in hostile territory on Tuesday, would lead to a forward-leaning creator like Kljestan, Holden or Corona paired with Michael Bradley.
3) Is this back four good enough?
Klinsmann already made clear that his answer to this, for now, is “yes.” DaMarcus Beasley still has a “pressed into service” look about him at left back, and last week he admitted to MLSsoccer.com that he still considers himself a left midfielder at heart, despite his eagerness to do a job for his country. But his coach sang his praises even after Reggae Boyz live-wire Jermaine Johnson gave him fits.
Klinsmann already made clear that his answer to this, for now, is “yes.” DaMarcus Beasley still has a “pressed into service” look about him at left back, and last week he admitted to MLSsoccer.com that he still considers himself a left midfielder at heart, despite his eagerness to do a job for his country. But his coach sang his praises even after Reggae Boyz live-wire Jermaine Johnson gave him fits.
“I mean, he had one of the best players against him, that really challenged him in a lot of one-against-ones runs and battles,” said the USMNT boss, noting that Beasley suffered when Fabian Johnson got “disconnected” from him and expressing satisfaction with the cure provided by substitute Edgar Castillo. “That was the reason why we brought in Edgar, to help Beas manage that defensively. Also we know that Edgar can go forward too, but I think that helped Beas get a little bit more of a breather, and then he really got back into the game. Right now he's doing a tremendous job for the team, and so as of today he's locked into that position, and he deserves it.”
Center backs Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler got strong marks for their latest stint together, though another galling set-piece goal was conceded to a wide-open opponent deep in the US penalty box, one of several clear chances conceded to Jamaica.
They got the job done in Kingston, and will probably get at least one more match together as a group. But Geoff Cameron remains a compelling center back candidate and if he continues the solid work he showed off the bench, Klinsmann may be compelled to shuffle the deck to keep him on the field in the future. The same goes, to a lesser extent, for left back candidated Castillo and Fabian Johnson.
Baseball results, Sunday, 06/09/2013.
Reuters
Reuters
Results from the MLB games on Sunday (home team in CAPS)
Texas 6 TORONTO 4
DETROIT 4 Cleveland 1
Miami 8 NY METS 4 (10 innings)
BOSTON 10 LA Angels 5
WASHINGTON 7 Minnesota 0
Baltimore 10 TAMPA BAY 7
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 Oakland 2
KANSAS CITY 2 Houston 0
MILWAUKEE 9 Philadelphia 1
CHICAGO CUBS 4 Pittsburgh 1
NY Yankees 2 SEATTLE 1
Atlanta 8 LA DODGERS 1
WASHINGTON 5 Minnesota 4
St. Louis 11 CINCINNATI 4 (10 innings)
Texas 6 TORONTO 4
DETROIT 4 Cleveland 1
Miami 8 NY METS 4 (10 innings)
BOSTON 10 LA Angels 5
WASHINGTON 7 Minnesota 0
Baltimore 10 TAMPA BAY 7
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 Oakland 2
KANSAS CITY 2 Houston 0
MILWAUKEE 9 Philadelphia 1
CHICAGO CUBS 4 Pittsburgh 1
NY Yankees 2 SEATTLE 1
COLORADO 8 San Diego 7 (10 innings)
San Francisco 6 ARIZONA 2 Atlanta 8 LA DODGERS 1
WASHINGTON 5 Minnesota 4
St. Louis 11 CINCINNATI 4 (10 innings)
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