Sports Quote of the Day:
"In Sports, you simply aren't considered a real champion until you have defended your title successfully. Winning once can be a fluke; winning it twice proves you are the best." ~ Althea Gibson, Great American Tennis player
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Are the Chicago Blackhawks an NHL dynasty? We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but you can't help but thinking. Winning the cup again make you wonder!?!?!?!
By Greg Wyshynski
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa; Getty Images)
Are the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks part of a dynasty?
We’re hockey fans. We know dynasties. The Montreal Canadiens of the 1970 begot the New York Islanders of the early 1980s who begot the Edmonton Oilers for the rest of the decade who begot the back-to-back Pittsburgh Penguins champions in 1991 and 1992.
From 1976 to 1992, six teams won the Stanley Cup.
From 1996 to 2012, 12 teams did.
We’re sports fans. We know dynasties. The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s and the New England Patriots under Tom Brady. The New York Yankees of the late 1990s. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, then the Jordan Bulls, then the Lakers and Spurs, and now the Heat.
Under that definition, the Blackhawks can’t qualify.
But this being the National Hockey League in 2013, it’s probably time to redefine what a dynasty necessitates.
Here are the facts: The Chicago Blackhawks have captured two Stanley Cups in a four-year span, becoming the first team after the 2005 lockout to win multiple Cups.
In 2009, before Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane helped Chicago end a 59-year Cup drought, the Blackhawks made the Western Conference Final.
So that’s three trips to the Final Four in five years, and two championships. That wouldn't be a dynasty in the NBA Final or March Madness, but then again it takes more than three good players to win the Stanley Cup.
The Red Wings did four in five years from 1995-1998; that’s considered by many to be a dynastic stretch, bolstered by two more Cups and another Finals appearance by the time 2009 rolled around.
Of course, that was a different era, the 1990s. Fewer teams than today. No salary cap. No shootout. No other mechanism of forced parity that has become a hallmark of the post-lockout(s) NHL.
To that end, dynasties have been redefined. But don’t take my word on good faith, take that of Red Wings architect Ken Holland, to Rory Boylen of The Hockey News on dynasties on 2012:
“Nobody is winning three or four championships in a row anymore, those days went out with the Edmonton Oilers,” said Wings GM Ken Holland. “If you’re winning two in a row you’re doing something no one else did. Dynasties are teams you talk about years after because they did something different. I don't know how you define a dynasty anymore.”
Is a traditional dynasty achievable in the modern age? The salary cap and a concerted effort by the NHL – and other top professional leagues – to level the playing field has granted optimism to every franchise at the cost of uninterrupted domination by the few monetarily capable of it. It’s a philosophy that has given every team a chance and, more to the point, every fan hope. The soft-touch is a thing of the past.
It’s here that the Chicago dynasty talk gets intriguing, because they haven’t been a team “monetarily capable” of keeping their squad together. Gone immediately from the 2010 Cup team were Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Antti Niemi, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and John Madden; gone the next season were Troy Brouwer, Brian Campbell and Tomas Kopecky; again, out of cap concerns.
That led to stumbles in the 2011 and 2012 playoffs – quarterfinal losses to the Vancouver Canucks and Phoenix Coyotes.
“It’s hard to win. You have to make some changes, retool a little bit,” said GM Stan Bowman, moments after his team won the Stanley Cup on Monday in Boston. “We were close after last year. We found a way to get off to a great start.”
That start wasn’t great – it was history-making, as the Blackhawks went 24 consecutive games from the start of the season without a regulation loss. That led to a dominating regular season that Steve Silverman put in perspective for CBS:
The Blackhawks became the 40th team in NHL history to have the best regular-season record and also come away with the Stanley Cup. But that doesn’t begin to tell the story.
The Blackhawks had the third-best record of those President’s Trophy winners who hoisted the Cup.
The Blackhawks were 36-7-5 in the regular season, a record that earned them 77 points and an .802 winning percentage. The only teams to compile a better winning percentage were the 1977 Montreal Canadiens (60-8-12, .825) and the ’78 Canadiens (59-10-11, .806).
To put this in perspective: The Hawks were on pace for 132 points, which would have tied the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens for top point total of all-time (they did it in 80 games).
So the 2010 Blackhawks were the better team in paper, and the 2013 Blackhawks may have been the better team on the ice.
But do two Cups and a conference finals loss make a dynasty in the post-post-lockout NHL?
Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times uses a different term: mini-dynasties.
From the Sun Times at the start of June:It’s possible right now that any of the four teams left in the playoffs — the Hawks, Kings, Penguins and Bruins — may be starting mini-dynasties. That’s because they’re the last four Stanley Cup champions. Win this one, and, well, at least you could make a claim for something special starting.
Dynasties are all about the when and the how high.
Had the Penguins won the Cup this season, they would have had two in five seasons and three trips to the Cup Final. Is that a dynasty in the modern NHL?
Had the Bruins won, they would have had two Cups in three years. Is that one?
Had the Kings won, they would have had back-to-back Cups, becoming the first team since the dynastic Red Wings to do so? So is that a dynasty?
The Blackhawks have three final four appearances and two Cups in four years.
Is that a dynasty?
If you don’t define what they’ve accomplished as one – and again, under the current demands of the salary cap and other parity mechanisms, I might – the Blackhawks are still poised to enter one, but that’s on management.
Bowman said it best back in 2010:
“You can't win without great players and it's so hard to get them. Once you do get them, you've got to keep them.”Well, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Corey Crawford are unrestricted free agents in 2014.
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews – the last two playoff MVPs for the Blackhawks – are unrestricted free agents in 2015. Patrick Sharp is up the following year, as is Brent Seabrook.
The core was what allowed the Blackhawks to rebuild from the decimation of their 2010 roster to a Stanley Cup in 2013. The core is, frankly, dynastic; but it’s on Bowman to provide the support and fill-in the blanks.
When he finds the right mix, magic can happen. Look no further than the ice in Boston on Monday, and hockey’s Holy Grail being passed from role player to role player, as it was in 2010.
NFL rookies warned about hard knocks off the field.
By
The money can disappear, the fame can vanish. This week, NFL rookies are being reminded that the game's hardest knocks often happen off the field.
During the league's annual Rookie Symposium, first-year players are getting a crash course into everything that goes into being a professional athlete - the good, and the bad. The NFL wants its newest members to be prepared not only for what awaits them this season, but for the years ahead, especially those days when they're no longer making big paychecks or big plays.
Through various educational seminars, candid, sometimes heartbreaking speeches and panel discussions, players are learning the X's and O's of life.
''It's a great opportunity for us to be out here learning from players who've been here, been in our shoes and who are where we want to be,'' said San Diego Chargers linebacker Manti Te'o, the former Notre Dame star who this year was the target of a hoax involving a fake girlfriend. ''As we get into the next phase of our lives, it's a new phase, something we're not used to, so to keep our circle small and remember the people who have always been there for you.''
The AFC's rookie class arrived in Aurora, Ohio, on Sunday to begin the four-day session, which the league has constructed as a teaching and bonding experience. The NFC rookies arrive Wednesday and stay through Sunday.
On Monday, players attended a seminar titled: ''Are You Bigger Than The Game?'' that featured Cincinnati cornerback Adam ''Pacman'' Jones and former Ohio State star running back Maurice Clarett as speakers.
Jones recently pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and has had other off-the-field issues that led to league suspensions. He talked frankly about his many errors and warned players about them.
''He's always been a guy who has preached don't do the same mistakes he's done,'' said New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who knows Jones because both played at West Virginia. ''He's made a lot of mistakes in his career, but he's a guy who is still standing strong and still working hard. He's using his past trials and tribulations to try and help us.''
Because Jones is still an active player and Clarett's story is well documented, their messages resonated with the young players.''Growing up, those were the role models of their era,'' Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones said. ''Great players, tremendous players. Just to see where they're at it in life now and the things they've been through, it opened our eyes because we're no different from nobody else.
''For me, I always try to surround myself with positive people. I don't do nothing negative, man. I can make the best decisions for me and my family and my team as well. What stuck out to me was just some of the decisions that they made, clearly it was caused by them just not thinking about it before they made it.''
Clarett urged the players to stay straight. His promising pro career was derailed by legal troubles not long after he helped lead the Buckeyes to their first national title in 34 years. Clarett wound up serving 3 1-2 years in prison.
''His story was really deep,'' said Tennessee guard Chance Warmack while taking a break from teaching area school kids some football basics on the Browns' practice fields. ''He and Pacman reminded us there are obstacles you have to deal with as a professional and the standards you've got to hold yourself to because we're not like everybody else.''
Chris Herren had a more harrowing tale.
The former NBA player was invited by the league to talk of how substance abuse nearly cost him his life. Now sober for five years, Herren had his audience riveted with firsthand accounts of his perilous road before recovery.
''He was a guy that lost a lot,'' Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo said. ''He nearly lost his family for the choice that he made, and he was sitting in the same seat that we were saying that it wasn't going to be him. I looked around and everybody was paying attention to what he had to say because it was real.
''This was a guy that said this wasn't going to happen to him. He's not going to get addicted to drugs, he's not going to spend his money on this, he's not going to do that, but he did. Everybody listened to that and it made them pay more attention to the events and the speakers.''
On Wednesday, the AFC players will get a history lesson with a tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in nearby Canton. One of the reasons the league is holding the symposium in northeast Ohio is its proximity to football's birthplace. It's a chance for the players to connect with the game's immortals who all began as wide-eyed rookies.
Following a two-hour tour of the shrine, the players will have a session with Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes. Jim Brown was scheduled to speak but canceled. The 77-year-old NFL great has traveled extensively of late and said in a statement he needs to rest. Brown was recently rehired as a special adviser by the Browns following a separation from the team.
Bills quarterback EJ Manuel was most looking forward to seeing the bronze bust of his godfather, Bills end Bruce Smith.
''I've seen the replica one he's got at his house,'' Manuel said. ''I'm going to take a lot of pictures.''
NBA receives overall A in gender report card.
The NBA remains the industry leader among men's professional sports leagues for racial and gender hiring practices, according to a study released Tuesday.
The University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport gave the NBA an A in a report on its hiring practices, with an A+ in the race category.
The league slipped from an A- to a B+ in gender hiring practices, but scored an overall mark of 90.7.
''There's no question that the NBA has been for almost 20 years now the leader among men's sports when it comes to racial and gender hiring practices,'' said Richard Lapchick, the primary author of the report.
Using data from the 2012-13 season, TIDES found that African-Americans made up 43.3 percent of all NBA head coaches, and set a record last season with 45.6 percent of all assistant coaches being of color.
According to the study, 35.7 percent of all professional employees in the NBA are people of color and 41.1 percent are women at the league office.
Lapchick said NBA Commissioner David Stern, who will step down in 2014, has embraced the moral imperative for diversity.
''I think he's charted a course from the time he took over,'' said the 67-year-old Lapchick. ''I'm old enough where I was around at the point and a lot of people were criticizing the NBA for being quote, unquote too black. They were referring to the players at the time. But David Stern was right from the start someone who said we're going to put the best players on the court and the best people in the front offices.
And I think the result is what the NBA is today in terms of racial and gender hiring practices.
''It will be interesting to see if under (Stern's future replacement) Adam Silver that leadership level continues. I fully expect it will.''
On the court, African-Americans comprise 76.3 percent of all NBA players, and that 81 percent were people of color.
According to the study are four African-American chief executive officers and presidents in the NBA. There are no Latinos, Asians, or those classified as ''others'' in CEO/president positions. Sacramento's Matina Kolokotronis was the NBA's only woman president as of the beginning of the 2012-2013 season.
While that number may sound low, Lapchick said ''there isn't another president of color in any of the other professional sports and baseball has only had one for less than one season. In more than 20 years the NFL has never had one. So for the NBA to have four, even if that number is down one, is still a significant statement about the NBA.''
Only 23.3 percent of NBA general managers are of color, down slightly from 25.8 percent the year before. There are six African-American general managers/directors of player personnel in all, along with one Asian GM.
The number of NBA on-court officials of color increased by 1.5 percentage point to a record 47.5 percent last season. In all, 52.5 percent of officials last season were white, 45.9 percent African-American and 1.6 percent Latino. Of the 61 officials, one is a woman.
TIDES will follow with the release of report cards for the NFL, the WNBA, MLS and college sports.
Cubs clean house: They designate Carlos Marmol for assignment and release Ian Stewart.
By Mike Oz
The Chicago Cubs now have two fewer problems — Carlos Marmol, their dysfunctional relief pitcher, and Ian Stewart, their disgruntled minor leaguer.
The team designated Marmol for assignment on Tuesday and called up outfielder Brian Bogusevic in his place. The Cubs also released Stewart, who is suspended and batting .162.
Marmol is the big news here, since he's been brutal out of the Cubs bullpen this season. He was their closer on opening day, but has been a ticking bomb ever since. He lost the everyday closer gig, but still managed to blow games for the Cubs in a fill-in role. Most recently, he erased a 3-0 lead on June 16 by giving up four runs in the ninth inning.
Overall, Marmol was carrying a 5.86 ERA with three blown saves and four losses. He fell a long way since saving 38 and 34 games, respectively, in 2010 and 2011. Marmol could accept a minor-league assignment and stay with the Cubs, but it's a better bet that he'll opt for free agency and try to catch on with another team that has bullpen needs. (How scared are you, Detroit?). Or maybe him and Jose Valverde can get together and start a band or something.
Stewart was suspended two weeks ago after he blasted the organization via his Twitter page. He blamed the Cubs for his struggles in Triple-A and said manager Dale Sveum didn't like him. Stewart said the Cubs might as well release him. That's what they did Tuesday.
On Monday, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman said Stewart's release was imminent — though it wasn't clear how things worked out financially. Stewart, who played five years for the Colorado Rockies before coming to Chicago, had a $2 million guaranteed contract.
These moves, particularly Marmol, coming the day after the Chicago Blackhawks won the NHL's Stanley Cup, are giving Chicago fans yet another reason to celebrate. At least the people who live on the north side of this house.
PGA Golf glance.
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange
COMING UP
PGA TOUR: AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., Thursday through Sunday.
TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel; Saturday and Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel and 3-6 p.m. EDT on CBS.
LAST YEAR: Tiger Woods won the tournament, which he hosts, for the second time at Congressional when he played 41 holes without a bogey until the 16th hole of the final round. He claimed the title by two shots over Bo Van Pelt. It was his third victory of the year and 74th of his career, moving him past Jack Nicklaus and into sole possession of second place on the all-time PGA Tour list. He will be unable to defend his title because of an elbow injury. Woods, who finished with a 2-under-par 69, carded two solid pars after his only bogey of the last two rounds, while Van Pelt made bogeys on the last three holes to close with a 71. Adam Scott closed with his second 67 to finish alone in third place. After opening with a 72, Woods put himself in position heading to Sunday by shooting 68-67 in the middle rounds.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Constellation Senior Players Championship at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Thursday through Sunday.
TV: Thursday and Friday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday, and Sunday, 2:30-6 p.m. EDT, on the Golf Channel each day.
LAST YEAR: Joe Daley, with three major champions chasing him, held on down the stretch to claim a two-stroke victory over Tom Lehman, winning for the first time in nearly 20 years of trying on the PGA and Champions tours. The 51-year-old Daley posted four rounds of 2-under-par 68 or better and bounced back from a bogey on the 17th hole in the final round by holing a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole. That was his 24th birdie of the tournament, which led the field. Before claiming his first victory, Daley probably was best known for missing out on a PGA Tour card by one stroke in 2000, when his short putt hit the metal inside the hole and popped out at Q-School.
LPGA TOUR: The 68th United States Women's Open at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Thursday through Sunday.
TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-7 p.m. EDT on ESPN2; Saturday and Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on NBC.
LAST YEAR: Na Yeon Choi of South Korea built a six-stroke lead by shooting 7-under-par 65 in the third round and held on for a four-stroke victory over Amy Yang, also from South Korea, despite closing with a 73 at Blackwolf Run Golf Course in Kohler, Wis. The 24-year-old Choi claimed her sixth victory on the LPGA Tour, but her first major title. She was coasting along with a five-stroke lead after nine holes in the final round, but she lost her ball after hooking a drive into the trees en route to a triple-bogey 8, reducing the lead to two shots. However, Choi righted the ship with a birdie on the next hole, and after par saves on the 12th and 13th holes, she locked up the title with birdies on the 15th and 16th. Choi became the fourth South Korean to claim the title in a five-year span, joining Inbee Park (2008), Eun-Hee Ji (2009) and So Yeon Ryu (2011).
Power Rankings: Johnson holds serve and Other Junior makes a leap.
By Nick Bromberg
It's time for Power Rankings! After every race, we'll opine about who we think is at the top of the Sprint Cup heap and how and why they got there. Remember, this isn't scientific, as our formula is the perfect blend of analytics and bias against your favorite driver. So let's get on with it, shall we?
1. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 1): Yeah, whatever, Johnson is still first, yada, yada, yada. Anyway, when was the last time it'd been two straight races where you could legitimately question the in-race strategy of the No. 48 bunch? At Michigan, they took four tires when most everyone took two and Sunday they took two tires while everyone else took four. Johnson still finished ninth, but you can ask the "what if?" had he taken four. Would he have finished top five? However, when you're the points leader and a virtual lock for the Chase, you can take chances like that.
2. Carl Edwards (LW: 9): The biggest mover of the week is Carl Edwards, and that's probably my fault because I had him so low the previous week. Anyway, what's going to be remembered more as Sonoma gets further and further in the rear view? That Edwards finished third or that Kyle Busch went spinning off of his bumper in the esses? It was by no means a blatant crash -- that happens on road courses. But if Busch has a repeat of last year this summer and early fall, Sonoma could be one of those agonizers.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): Harvick stayed out with the top 15 on that final caution, but by being in the back half of that top 15, the main goal of his game at that point was to simply hold serve and come home with a top 10. And that's what happened. It's been mentioned before, but we can put that whole "lame duck" thing to rest, right? The gameplan is the same as it's always been for the No. 29: top 10 the hell out of it with a win here and there.
4. Greg Biffle (LW: 6): Greg Biffle finished 8th? Greg Biffle finished 8th. The Biff was very optimistic about his team's chances this weekend, especially after qualifying in the top five. But here's the important question. What the heck was this all about? Was that some post-Michigan carryover or was this a brand-new thing at Sonoma?
5. Matt Kenseth (LW: 4): Matt Kenseth finished 19th? Matt Kenseth finished 19th. Kenseth started up front on the race's final restart and was in the top 10 late in the race. But damn, the handling on that car disappeared and Kenseth was at the mercy of those behind him with fresher tires. Because of that tire wear, a caution with 15-20 laps to go would have thrown everyone for a loop and made for one hell of a restart.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 7): Junior moves up in Power Rankings after a road course! He and Steve Letarte played the strategy game perfectly as they moved up from their 26th place starting position to finish 12th. Odd stat: Junior has never finished in the top 10 at Sonoma, but he has three 11th place finishes, two 12ths and a 13th. Junior will be one of the first ones to admit that road racing isn't his forte, but he can hold his own.
7. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 12): Welcome to victory lane, Other Junior. I guess it's fitting you're right behind Junior, right? While getting that win is an immense confidence boost to Truex and the whole No. 56 bunch after coming so close over the last two seasons, it's just as big when it comes to the points standings. With the win, Truex jumped three spots in a crowded section of the standings to 10th and has that win for the Wild Card in his back pocket, something only two of the drivers in 11th-20th have.
8. Clint Bowyer (LW: 8): It's tough to keep Bowyer in the same spot after finishing fifth, but there are tough decisions to make in Power Rankings sometimes. Sorry Clint, it has nothing to do with your Kansas fandom, promise. Despite not having a win this season, Bowyer is inching close to "virtual lock" status for the Chase and it's not a stretch to say he's there already with a gap of 83 points on 11th place.
9. Kasey Kahne (LW: 11): Kahner bounces back from a poor stretch to finish sixth, but because of Martin Truex's win, he didn't gain any positions in the standings. He's still in position for the Wild Card, but it's hard not to see Kahne making a move back into the top 10 with Kentucky, New Hampshire and Indianapolis coming up in the next month.
10. Jeff Gordon (LW: NR): Jeff Gordon's rotten luck at pitting under green right at the moment of caution continued Sunday as he was a fraction of a second from the commitment line when the caution flag flew for rain. Gordon was too close to the line to bail, and had he wanted to anyway, he couldn't have gone anywhere as the commitment line at Sonoma is blocked in by barrels and the pit wall. After restarting in 37th because of it, that was one hell of a run to ultimately finish second. Had Gordon not recovered, he could be 18th in the standings right now.
11. Kyle Busch (LW: 3): Busch and team did an admirable job recovering from their early spin at the bumper of Juan Pablo Montoya before the car's right side was flattened by the tire barrier after Busch went around off Edwards' bumper. Busch is now 16 points ahead of 11th and has two wins to help cushion. Last year at Kentucky, Busch started second and led 118 laps, but he finished 10th.
12. Tony Stewart (LW: 5): Smoke's climb through Power Rankings goes in reverse this week after his adventurous day at Sonoma. He made contact with Denny Hamlin entering turn five, sending Hamlin around and setting the grass on fire and also had a run-in with Jeff Burton in the hairpin which knocked over a tire barrier in the process. He finished 28th, one spot below Ricky Stenhouse and one spot above Danica Patrick. What a middleman.Lucky Dog: Perhaps it's not fair to Joey Logano that he was the odd driver out of this week's Power Rankings, so he gets the Lucky 13th spot this week. A win or a top three in the next few races puts Logano into the top 10 and legitimizes his Chase candidacy.
The DNF: From the Lucky Dog to the DNF? It wasn't a DNF -- he finished 21st -- but Brad Keselowski goes here to emphasize how perilously close he is to being on the outside of the Chase looking in right now just nine points ahead of 11th with no wins. He won at Kentucky last year, and like his aforementioned teammate, a victory would go a long, long way.
Protests won't stop Brazil from hosting World Cup.
Protests won't stop Brazil from hosting World Cup.
Amid the panic and uncertainty of the street riots that engulfed Brazil last week, there was one associated development that was entirely predictable.
With the clean-up and fall-out barely getting started and an uneasy peace lingering over the nation that loves soccer like no other, the United States became part of this sad tale that sees sports and social unrest painfully intertwined.
According to reports in O Globo – Brazil's leading daily newspaper – a contingency plan has been considered that would see next summer's World Cup moved to the U.S. if the situation in Brazil worsens to an extent that the safety of international visitors cannot be guaranteed.
Cue some excitement from American fans who would love to see the game's greatest showpiece on these shores for the first time since 1994.
Cue much discussion on how the unique infrastructural set-up in the U.S., with its glut of massive stadiums and cities with enough hotel beds to seamlessly house a sudden influx of fans, would be perfect.
And cue scrutiny upon soccer's world governing body FIFA, to see how it may react to the scenes that have marred the ongoing Confederations Cup, effectively the warm-up tournament for next summer.
But before American supporters start getting ready to gear up for some World Cup tailgating next summer and to welcome the finest players on the planet, it is time for a little perspective.
Because there won't be a World Cup over here any time soon.
Ready as the U.S. might be, as exciting as it would be, speculation of a relocation is, more than likely, just that – speculation.
FIFA has invested too much energy, Brazil has invested too much money and time is simply too short to even think about a change of venue unless it becomes absolutely necessary.
"There is no plan B and I haven't had any offers from other countries to host the World Cup next year," FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke asserted in a press conference Monday amidst chatter that the protests could force a change in venue.
"We are just a small part of what is happening in Brazil. We are the best, No. 1 sport in the world. It's a major sporting event, but it's still just a sporting event."
Though the volume and intensity of the uprising in Brazil was remarkable and the tragedy of the associated deaths and damage is brutally real, it would take a lot more to force FIFA's hand.
FIFA has only once moved a World Cup from its originally-slated venue, granting hosting rights for the 1986 tournament to Mexico when Colombia experienced severe economic hardship and withdrew.
Yet that change was implemented three years prior to the start date, allowing plenty of time to prepare. Furthermore, the World Cup was not the extravaganza it is today, with fewer teams, fewer traveling fans and less strict stadium requirements.
While the U.S. would love to host a World Cup and could certainly do a fine job given the resources at its disposal, such a scenario is no more realistic now than it was four years ago when concerns over the readiness of South Africa's stadiums led to talk of a change.
Rioting on such a mass scale generates international attention, but history shows that it rarely causes the scrapping or shifting of global events. Remember that London and other British cities were rocked by violence, looting and protest a year out from the 2012 Olympic Games, but by the time the flame was lit last August, those events were little more than distant memories.
"This is all theoretical because I think whatever is happening now in Brazil you are going to see the country come together and show a lot of national pride after seeing the World Cup in a wonderful country for soccer," Alan Rothenberg, CEO of the1994 World Cup organizing committee, told Yahoo! Sports. "But yes, there are a handful of countries that could handle a World Cup at a moment's notice and [the United States] is one of them."
How quickly could the United State mobilize?
"I think probably within six months," Rothenberg said. "Given the timescale, there are parts of it that would be an amazing chore, but it is still doable."
Brazil's issues are real, but unless the rioting resurfaces on an even greater scale and evolves into a South American version of the Arab Spring, FIFA is not going to rush into any snap decisions.
"There's no major issue we have faced during the Confederations Cup," Valcke said.
"There are a few minor problems but it’s more internal work, to make sure the operation works at the best level. … We must be ready by December 2013 to prepare everything in the 12 host cities."
In a column for the U.K.'s Guardian, former Brazilian World Cup star Romario, who is now a senior political figure in the country, wrote that he "never thought the World Cup would solve all of our problems, but now my fear is that this mega event will only deepen the problems we already have."
That concern is one surely shared by many Brazilians, but the reality is that the World Cup is going to stay right where it is, and won't be turning up on our doorstep any time soon.
Wimbledon at a glance.
Associated Press
A look at Wimbledon on Tuesday:
Weather: Partly cloudy. High of 70 degrees.
Men's Seeded Winners: No. 1 Novak Djokovic; No. 4 David Ferrer; No. 7 Tomas Berdych; No. 8 Juan Martin Del Potro; No. 9 Richard Gasquet; No. 12 Kei Nishikori; No. 13 Tommy Haas; No. 17 Milos Raonic; No. 23 Andreas Seppi; No. 26 Alexandr Dolgopolov; No. 27 Kevin Anderson; No. 28 Jeremy Chardy; No. 29 Grigor Dimitrov.
Men's Seeded Losers: No. 16 Philipp Kohlschreiber; No. 19 Gilles Simon; No. 21 Sam Querrey.
Women's Seeded Winners: No. 1 Serena Williams; No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska; No. 6 Li Na; No. 7 Angelique Kerber; No. 11 Roberta Vinci; No. 14 Samantha Stosur; No. 18 Dominika Cibulkova; No. 23 Sabine Lisicki; No. 24 Peng Shuai; No. 30 Mona Barthel; No. 32 Klara Zakopalova
Women's Seeded Losers: No. 10 Maria Kirilenko; No. 13 Nadia Petrova; No. 21 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova; No. 28 Tamira Paszek; No. 31 Romina Oprandi.
Stat of the Day: 0 - Number of points lost by Williams in her service games during the first set of a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Mandy Minella of Luxembourg.
Quote of the Day: ''This year is not a good year for me.'' - Arantxa Rus, after losing her 17th consecutive main-draw, tour-level match, equaling the longest WTA losing streak on record.
On Court Wednesday: No. 2 Victoria Azarenka vs. Flavia Pennetta; No.2 Andy Murray vs. Yen-hsun Lu; No. 3 Maria Sharapova vs. Michelle Larcher de Brito; No. 3 Roger Federer vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky; No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Ernests Gulbis; No 8. Petra Kvitova vs. Yaroslava Shvedova; No. 10 Marin Cilic vs. Kenny de Schepper; No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki vs. Petra Cetkovska; No. 15 Marion Bartoli vs. Christina McHale; No. 15 Nicolas Almagro vs. Guillaume Rufin; No. 17 Sloane Stephens vs. Andrea Petkovic; No. 18 John Isner vs. Adrian Mannarino; Dustin Brown vs. Lleyton Hewitt.
Wednesday's Forecast: Partly cloudy. High of 70 degrees.
Time to start thinking about golfing in Chicago; a true hidden gem of diverse courses.
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!!!!!"
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Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
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!!!!!"
***********************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
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