CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 07/24/2013.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica

 

Sports Quote of the Day:

"It's not the load that breaks you down - it's the way you carry it." ~ Lou Holtz, NFL and NCAA Football Coach 
 

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? There's going to be a lot of Blackhawks on several Olympic teams as several have been invited to tryouts. Remember you heard it here first!!!

 

Sochi Olympics 2014: USA announces orientation camp roster.

By Matt Brigidi

Team USA joins the ranks by releasing the orientation camp roster for the 2014 Olympic games.

Team USA announced the orientation camp invitees on Monday afternoon. With the NHL Players' Association officially confirmed as participants in the 2014 Winter Olympics, the club will be able to select the best available players to fill out its roster for Sochi.
 
USA Hockey invited 48 players to the camp, which will take place at Kettler Capitals IcePlex in Arlington, Virginia from Aug. 26-27. Here is the complete camp roster, via USA Hockey:

Goalies:

* Craig Anderson
* John Gibson
* Jimmy Howard
* Ryan Miller
* Jonathan Quick
* Cory Schneider

Defensemen:

* Zach Bogosian
* Dustin Byfuglien
* John Carlson
* Dan DeKeyser
* Justin Faulk
* Cam Fowler
* Jake Gardiner
* Erik Johnson
* Jack Johnson
* Seth Jones
* Nick Leddy
* Paul Martin
* Ryan McDonagh
* Brooks Orpik
* Kevin Shattenkirk
* Ryan Suter
* Jacob Trouba
* Keith Yandle

Forwards:

* Justin Abdelkader
* David Backes
* Beau Bennett
* Nick Bjugstad
* Dustin Brown
* Ryan Callahan
* Alex Galchenyuk
* Patrick Kane
* Ryan Kesler
* Phil Kessel
* Trevor Lewis
* Kyle Okposo
* T.J. Oshie
* Max Pacioretty
* Kyle Palmieri
* Zach Parise
* Joe Pavelski
* Bobby Ryan
* Brandon Saad
* Craig Smith
* Paul Stastny
* Derek Stepan
* James van Riemsdyk
* Blake Wheeler

Hockey Canada releases Olympic orientation camp roster; insurance to keep them off ice?

By Sean Leahy

The NHL will be sending its players to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics. On Monday, Hockey Canada announced their 47-player list of players who will be invited to Calgary at the end of August for orientation camp.

Here are Team Canada's camp invitees:

Goalies: Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, Roberto Luongo, Carey Price, Mike Smith

Defensemen: Karl Alzer, Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Drew Doughty, Mike Green, Dan Hamhuis, Travis Hamonic, Duncan Keith, Kris Letang, Marc Methot, Dion Phaneuf, Alex Pietrangelo, Brent Seabrook, Marc Staal, P.K. Subban, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Shea Weber
 

Forwards: Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter, Logan Couture, Sidney Crosby, Matt Duchene, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Getzlaf, Claude Giroux, Taylor Hall, Chris Kunitz, Andrew Ladd, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Rick Nash, James Neal, Corey Perry, Mike Richards, Patrick Sharp, Eric Staal, Jordan Staal,Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Joe Thornton, Jonathan Toews
 

Chicago (5), Pittsburgh/San Jose (4) and Boston/Los Angeles/Washington (3) lead the the way with the number of players heading to camp. And, according to Hockey Canada, Crawford is the only player on the list to not have represented them internationally at any level. That's what a strong regular season and Stanley Cup ring will do for you.
 

As usual, there's enough talent that Canada could send two strong sides to Sochi. Of course, this also means some tough cuts need to be made, like not including Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, Evander Kane or Francois Beauchemin in their preliminary list.
 
Those players can be added later as replacements, if need be.
 

While the U.S. and Canadian players will be in Washington, D.C. and Calgary, respectively, for camp next month, insurance issues may keep them all off the ice.

From the Canadian Press:

"Insurance is a big issue," Nicholson said in an interview Friday. "We got some quotes yesterday that it would be over a million dollars to skate. So if it's that type of dollars, it'd be very difficult for us to do that. But we're just starting to look into that now with the agreement being done." 

While the agreement to send NHL players to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, takes care of insurance during the tournament, individual federations are responsible for insuring contracts for orientation camps.

USA Hockey has already said its players will not skate at their camp.
 

The provisional rosters for all 12 competing nations will be due to the IIHF by Dec. 31, which will be made up of 22 skaters and 3 goaltenders. Official rosters for the tournament will be announced the day before things kick off on Feb. 11, 2014.  

Every player in every camp will provide blood sample for HGH population study.

By Mike Florio

(Getty Images)

 

Yes, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to conduct a so-called “population study” regarding HGH naturally occurring in the bodies of pro football players.  According to an email sent to all players roughly 10 days ago, a copy of which PFT has obtained, every player in every NFL training camp will provide a blood sample for the population study.

The sample will be used to “determine the proper decision limit for a positive test” for HGH, and the study will be supervised by Dr. Alan Rogol, M.D., Ph.D, who has been jointly hired by the NFLPA and NFL.  Also, Donald Berry, Ph.D., will design the study protocol and conduct the analysis, with a second biostatistician independently reviewing both the protocol and the analysis.

There’s one important fact the memo doesn’t mention.  As we reported earlier today, it’s possible that HGH testing will happen retroactively, with the samples being given for the population study also being tested once the appropriate threshold is determined.

So while the players who still use HGH will skew the baseline number higher in the population study, there’s a chance they’ll end up being caught at some point down the line.

CS&T/AA's Take: Training camps are starting this week and we're still discussing the PED & HGH Problem. Every player knows that they're illegal now so why are we still talking about it? It's the player's responsibility to protect and maintain his body to get the optimum performance out of it. They're given a list of illegal substances, however, some products they use to train with do not list all of the ingredients. With that being said, if you're using a substance not on the list for the first time, check with the team trainer or call the league office and get their opinion and position on said substance. It's not being childish, It's protecting your reputation and saving yourself the money you won't be making while suspended. Duh..... Our opinion affects veterans as well as rookies, there seems to be a lot of them getting suspended also. 

 

Brewers' Ryan Braun agrees to 65-game suspension.

 

By Jeff Passan

 

 Milwaukee's Ryan Braun will lose about $3 million in salary this season. (AP)

 

Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun agreed to a suspension for the remainder of the 2013 season and the postseason for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic, apologizing on Monday for "mistakes" but never tacitly confirming his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Braun's 65-game suspension, negotiated with Major League Baseball, is the first of many expected in the fallout of the league's investigation into Biogenesis. MLB sought a 50-game suspension for Braun in the offseason before the 2012 season after he tested positive for synthetic testosterone, but Braun won his appeal and avoided discipline. Braun won NL MVP honors during that tumultuous offseason.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, whose involvement with Biogenesis has spurred him to attempt to negotiate a deal as well, could be suspended for longer than Braun, according to a source with knowledge of the talks.

In a statement, Braun never said he used PEDs, though by accepting one of the longest suspensions in major league history, he did all but admit to skirting the league’s rules. Braun’s suspension will be without pay and cost him more than $3 million in salary.

"As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect,” Braun said. “I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions. This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization. I am very grateful for the support I have received from players, ownership and the fans in Milwaukee and around the country. Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed – all of the baseball fans especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization, and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."

MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner commended Braun for accepting the suspension. "I am deeply gratified to see Ryan taking this bold step," Weiner said in a statement. "It vindicates the rights of all players under the Joint Drug Program. It is good for the game that Ryan will return soon to continue his great work both on and off the field."

Alex Rodriguez could get lifetime ban, according to report.

By Louis Bien

Alex Rodriguez could be facing a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball due to his connection with the Biogenesis clinic, CBS News' Jim Axelrod reports. The news comes in the wake of Ryan Braun's 65-game, unpaid suspension.

 

Per an ESPN.com report, Major League Baseball has even more evidence against Rodriguez than it did against Braun. Sources told CBS Evening News that Rodriguez's suspension, expected to be announced within the next two or three weeks, has a chance to go beyond Braun's punishment.

Alex Rodriguez was named in April as the player who tried to buy and destroy documents from the Biogenesis of America clinic before they could be discovered by Major League Baseball.

 
Rodriguez has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs while he was with the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003. He has denied using PEDs since joining the New York Yankees, however. Although sources close to Rodriguez have told USA Today otherwise, if MLB truly has overwhelming evidence against Rodriguez, he may be forced into a situation where he must admit to using PEDs to potentially avoid harsher punishment from the league, just as Braun did.

Rodriguez was tabbed in April as the player who attempted to buy documents from Biogenesis in order to destroy them before they were found by the league. While technically not evidence of wrong-doing -- the information in the Biogenesis documents did not prove PED use, only that players had been linked to the clinic -- the fact that Rodriguez was so hasty raised suspicions, SB Nation's Steven Goldman wrote:

Having said that, it seems odd that a man who is not guilty would be trying to suppress evidence relating to his own case. Thus we seem to now be in a weird baseball version of Watergate, where the "third-rate burglary" of DNC headquarters eventually took a backseat to the White House's attempt to cover it up.

Rodriguez has yet to play this season for the Yankees due to various injuries.

CS&T/AA would like to know: Why would these guys would lie and cheat, destroy their reputations, lose their credibility, and eradicate their legacies and good name? Why does this keep happening? We saw it with McGuire, Sosa, Hernandez and others several years ago when they lied in front of congress and now we're seeing it again. What's really amazing is, I bet we'll see it again in three to five years from now. Why don't they just try what Babe Ruth did, eat all of the hot dogs and drink all of the beer you can? If you have an answer to this soon to be age old question, please enlighten me.......... Why? 

Paul George talks about the time Larry Bird’s shooting form stopped Pacer practice in its tracks.

By Kelly Dwyer

 

 Paul George scopes out the form of the guy who drafted him (Getty Images)

 

Indiana Pacers All-Star Paul George has been in the news quite a bit of late, explaining away why he’s unlikely to flee an up and coming Pacers team for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers next summer. George will be a restricted free agent next year, one the Pacers will likely match at all costs (that’s assuming they don’t sign him to an extension prior to that), and it’s still unclear if the Lakers (stuck with cap holds and Kobe Bryant’s reported refusal to take a pay cut) will have enough space under the cap to make a move possible.

 

So, not much of a story, there. What should be a story is Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird shooting basketballs. Because nothing is better than watching Larry Bird shoot a basketball. From Nima Zarrabi at SLAM Online:

SLAM: I believe you had talked about seeing Larry shoot in the gym.
PG: He picked a ball up that had rolled over. He rolled up his sleeves and made about 15 in a row and just walked out like nothing just happened. It was the craziest thing I’ve seen.

SLAM: How did you and the rest of the team react?
PG: We were speechless. We didn’t know whether to keep shooting or just to end practice. It was sweet, man.

Not unlike Julius Erving … still got it.

 

I don’t recall who said it, and it’s possible that this is an apocryphal story, but I remember hearing about a sportswriter that, upon watching Bird practice and swish jumper after jumper in the hours before a game, tell a passerby that it was “like watching a fish practice swimming.”

 

An apt line. And yes, you’re allowed to end practice to watch Larry Bird keep shooting a basketball. Outside of the fish/swimming analogy, I can’t really think of any other proper comparisons. It’s not quite like watching B.B. King utilize vibrato, because there are a lot of great guitar players out there. It’s not quite like watching Lauren Hutton strut down a runway, because there are a lot of beautiful women out there. Lots of people can paint some pretty, pretty pictures. Many great books have been written by thousands of brilliant authors. Sliced bread has already been invented.
 

Larry Bird … shooting a basketball? That’s on another level. You should always call off practice if it results in a chance to watch the Legend work on his stroke.

A Major First: PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge.

By PGA.COM

 
For the first time ever, golf fans worldwide will be able to have a direct impact on the hole location of a major championship, through the newly created "PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge Hosted by Jack Nicklaus." The Challenge will be conducted in conjunction with the 95th PGA Championship, the Season's Final Major, at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., Aug. 5-11.
 

A collaborative learning experience between The PGA of America and record-tying, five-time PGA Champion Jack Nicklaus, the "PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge" is designed to educate fans on how course setup impacts a golfer's strategy in playing a hole; attract more people to the game; and help explain what hole location information players are provided each day.
 

As a result, fans are encouraged to visit PGA.com from July 23-Aug. 10, in order to vote for one of four exciting and challenging final-round hole locations for the par-3, 181-yard 15th hole at Oak Hill. Nicklaus, whose final PGA Championship victory occurred at Oak Hill in 1980, collaborated with PGA Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh to select the picturesque 15th hole due to the impact it will likely have on the PGA Championship's outcome. As a result, Haigh has identified and selected each of these four distinct Championship hole locations for fans to vote. On August 11, during Sunday's final round coverage on TNT and CBS, fans will be able to see the winning hole position that will be used on the 15th green.

"The opportunity for fans to take part in the interactive 'PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge' is part of a new era in engagement that connects golf fans with the Season's Final Major in a fun and dramatic way," said PGA President Ted Bishop. "The PGA of America is delighted to present this innovative opportunity, as we believe this is the first time that consumers have been able to make a direct and significant impact on a global sports arena. We are honored that the legendary Jack Nicklaus will lead fans as their host and teacher in understanding the nuances that the greatest players in golf consider and think about regarding course setup and hole locations—and the effect their selection will have on the eventual outcome of the 95th PGA Championship."
 

PGA.com, the Official Website of The PGA of America which is managed by Turner Sports, will also offer video vignettes from Nicklaus that will educate golfers on how course setup impacts a golfer's strategy in playing a hole. Fans are also encouraged to follow the conversation via #pgachamp #YouPick.
 

"The chance for golf fans to interact with the PGA Championship and play a role in shaping the outcome of the final round fascinates me," Nicklaus said. "It's like being able to call the shots during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. In addition to playing a key role in the outcome of the Championship, golf fans can learn many aspects of on-course strategy, as The PGA of America and I present educational videos to enhance their golf experience. I believe this new concept will serve as an exciting hands-on learning experience for golf fans and I'm happy to be involved."
 

Haigh, who has set up PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, and PGA Grand Slam of Golf courses since 1989, is excited about the possibilities of the Challenge. "Now, golf fans will experience what is involved with the selection of hole locations, as well as the dramatic effect that this placement has on the game plans of the world's best players. Accordingly, golf enthusiasts can then turn to the legendary Jack Nicklaus for his exclusive insight on golf course management."
 

A sweepstakes will also be held on PGA.com in conjunction with the "PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge," with entrants having an opportunity to win a behind-the-scenes experience for two during the 2014 PGA Championship at Nicklaus-designed Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The PGA Championship perennially features the strongest field in golf and is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world. Since 1916, golf's best professionals have been competing for the PGA Championship's coveted Wanamaker Trophy, with a list of champions that includes: Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen and Nicklaus.
 

About The PGA of America Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry.

By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.
 

About PGA.com PGA.com is the official online destination for The PGA of America and is home to the PGA Championship, the Senior PGA Championship, The PGA Grand Slam of Golf and The Ryder Cup. Beginning in 2002, Turner Sports and the PGA formed a multi-year alliance with a mission to serve the golfing public, PGA Professionals and the golf industry with products and services to grow the game of golf. The two organizations recently expanded the deal through 2019 to include licensing with Turner's Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) serving as the PGA's licensing agent in the youth marketplace.
 

As a leader and innovator in broadband golf coverage, PGA.com continues to gain success for its PGA.com LIVE video presentation of PGA's premier events. In 2012, PGA.com's PGA Championship LIVE received a Sports Emmy for Outstanding New Approaches in Sports; in 2010, PGA.com garnered a Webby Award for Best Interactive Video for its 2010 Ryder Cup LIVE coverage. In 2009, PGA.com's on air, online and mobile coverage of the PGA Championship was nominated for an Emmy® by the National Television Academy and was awarded a CommArts Interactive award for the PGA Championship LIVE video and the PGA Championship iPhone app.

 

NASCAR back at dirt track for 1st time since '70.

 

By DAN GELSTON (AP Sports Writer)

 

Time to attach the mud flaps. 

 

NASCAR is set for an off-road detour through the dirt.
 

The Truck Series is headed for the Eldora Speedway half-mile dirt track for a one-night only special designed to reconnect NASCAR with its early roots and give fans raised on asphalt and stock cars a taste of the wild races run in the dust.
 

The last time one of NASCAR's top touring series competed on dirt was Sept. 30, 1970, when Richard Petty won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (called the Grand National Division at that time) race at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.
 

The dirt drought ends when the trucks race Wednesday night at Tony Stewart-owned Eldora in Rossburg, Ohio.
 

Stewart, still a regular on the weeknight racing circuit, has naturally become a big booster of NASCAR's return to dirt. Most of the field drove their first Eldora laps at Tuesday's practice.
 

''It's a neat facility,'' Stewart said. ''It's well lit, it's a wide racetrack, it gives you a lot of options of where you can go and what you can do. I think it gives those guys an opportunity. The practice day on Tuesday should help a lot of those teams be able to get acclimated before they come back to the track on Wednesday.''
 

Eldora's grandstands are sold out for the 9:30 p.m. ET race, even as some of the series' biggest winners, like Kyle Busch, are sitting out. Ryan Newman and Dave Blaney are the only Cup drivers in the field. The race will feature a handful of so-called ringers, such as Scott Bloomquist, a member of the National Dirt Track Hall of Fame with more than 500 victories in a lengthy career. The 49-year-old Bloomquist is set to make his NASCAR debut driving the No. 51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

''It's going to be something different I'm sure, but it's a race car and I've driven a lot of race cars,'' he said. ''Never a truck, but it's still a race car.''
 

The race also gets a twist on qualifying. There are five, eight-lap qualifying events and a 15-lap last-chance race to come up with the 30 competitors (regularly 36 in the series) who will start the 150-lap Mudsummer Classic. Because there is no pit road, the race is broken into three segments of 60, 50 and 40 laps.
 

Trucks driver James Buescher raved about Eldora after he tested there.
 

''It was a lot more fun than I expected it to be,'' he said. ''It's definitely going to be interesting when we get 30 trucks on the track at the same time in tight quarters like that. It's going to be an action-packed race. I just hope there's not too many cautions.''

 

It could happen. After all, the trucks weren't built to race on dirt, so some adjustments were needed.
 

The Goodyear dirt tire has been widened from 10 to 11 inches to provide a larger contact patch with the track and give the trucks more grip. While the Eldora right-side tire will basically remain the same height as a NASCAR tire run on asphalt tracks, the left-side is 3 inches shorter (85.8 inches) to build in more stagger, which will help the trucks turn better.

The trucks will be fitted for mesh shields and hood deflectors to hold off debris kicked up from the muck.

 

The drivers who know how to get dirty are the easy favorites.
 

Kyle Larson, pegged as NASCAR's next big star, is one of the few drivers with experience on the dirt oval. Larson is one of only two drivers to sweep the USAC Four Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway. Larson also won in the USAC Midgets in 2012.

There's a reason this track was selected for him to make his second Truck Series start of the season.

 

''I have been looking forward to this race for a really long time,'' he said. ''I've had a lot of fun racing at Eldora and have had quite a bit of success, so I am excited to get back. I can't wait to see how the trucks run there.''
 

Even with the lengthy gap between NASCAR dirt races, fans and drivers are buzzing over the race, a rarity in a series that often runs in front of mostly empty grandstands as a support race in a Sprint Cup weekend.
 

But a big crowd, big ratings and a great race could go far in making an Eldora a regular stop on the Truck Series circuit - and maybe make stock car racing there a reality.
 

''If it has incredible success, who knows how far this could go?'' driver Kenny Wallace said. ''You could put the Nationwide Series there. One thing I always remind people of - and I race dirt all over the United States - this is where Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman came from. Three quarters of the field in Sprint Cup came from dirt tracks just like Eldora. I think this is a really good deal.''
 

The race comes six weeks after the death of NASCAR driver Jason Leffler on a dirt track in New Jersey. State police say a mechanical problem was to blame for the spinout that ended with Leffler's car slamming into a concrete wall.
 

The 37-year-old Long Beach, Calif., native was a two-time winner on the NASCAR Nationwide Series and a one-time winner in the Truck Series.

 

US preps for Gold Cup match against Honduras.

  

The Associated Press

 

Jurgen Klinsmann wants to get a better picture of what his squad will look like for its likely trip to Brazil next year.

If the U.S. national team's current form continues through July, he will have some tougher decisions to make than previously anticipated.

As the Americans prepare to take on Honduras in the semifinals of the Gold Cup on Wednesday night at Cowboys Stadium, they bring with them a national-team record nine match winning streak and a bevy of second-teamers looking to impress.

''It's an opportunity for us to see players coming through the system, and you want to evaluate them and see them in every training session,'' said Klinsmann, who took over the team after a second-place finish in the 2011 version of the CONCACAF championship. ''You want to see them every minute they are on the field in order to get a better picture of them towards the World Cup in 2014.''

So far, those looking to catch Klinsmann's eye have done so.

The United States has won all four of its games in the biennial tournament, outscoring opponents 16-3. The only close game the U.S. has played in the tournament was a 1-0 victory against Costa Rica to close out group play in first place.

The majority of the regulars, such as Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, are not at the Gold Cup after a highly successful string of World Cup qualifiers. The U.S. sits atop the final leg of qualifying with four games left.

The U.S. is also coming off its most successful year in team history in 2012 with a 9-2-3 mark.

However, the replacements are doing their best to break into the first-team rotation.

''I think all of us know that we'll stand out individually if we do well as a team,'' said U.S. forward Chris Wondolowski, whose five goals lead all Gold Cup scorers. ''And so I think we have that, first and foremost, and I think that's going to be the key and we've all bought in on that. I think you can see the camaraderie in the group, and it's definitely team-first here.''

While players like the 30-year-old Wondolowski, who has scored all six of his international career goals this month, are trying to prove they belong, former national team stars also are hoping to catch on. Most notably, three-time World Cup veteran Landon Donovan.

Donovan has been among the top U.S. players through four games in the Gold Cup. He has five goals and seven assists in his five games back with the squad after a self-imposed hiatus from the sport.

Despite his years of success with the national team, he hasn't been a part of such an historic run. Until now.

''It's a lot of fun,'' Donovan said. ''It's really enjoyable to play in, not only the goals but we're creating lots of chances, and that's enjoyable.''

Brek Shea, a Texas native, said the weight of the win streak hasn't gotten to the team, nor do the Americans talk about the record. The 23-year-old Shea scored the winner against Costa Rica after coming on as a substitute.

He said the team doesn't want to put more pressure on itself to win.

''I think everyone is just excited to play,'' Shea said. ''We've had a really fun time in this tournament. On and off the field it's a great group of guys.

The U.S. and Mexico were pretournament favorites to reach the Gold Cup final. Mexico meets Panama in the second semifinal.

The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago.

While U.S.-Mexico is the final most expected, Honduras hopes to break up the party with a victory Wednesday. Honduras, the fifth-ranked team in the region by FIFA, is the last CONCACAF team to defeat the United States in competitive play, at the beginning of World Cup qualifying.

''We're conscious of what's upon us,'' Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez said.

''It's going to be a difficult game. The U.S. is a team that has great optimism. They've played games where the US has shown great superiority over its rivals.''

NBC to take over part of NASCAR TV package in 2015.

By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)

 

NASCAR will return to NBC in 2015, ending its eight-year partnership with both ESPN and Turner Sports.

The 10-year deal with NBC Sports Group announced Tuesday begins in 2015 and gives the network the final 20 Sprint Cup Series races of the season and final 19 Nationwide races. NBC last broadcast races in 2006 before ESPN took over its portion of the schedule.

''We are back. We are thrilled to be back,'' said Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group. He said of all the deals made since Comcast Corp. purchased NBC, the NASCAR deal ''is one that we've really been focused on, one that we have wanted to have the opportunity to be able to sit at the table when contractual opportunities came due.''

''The quantity of content that this deal provides and the quality of content that this provides is really a game changer for us for our entire group, and we can't wait to get started,'' Lazarus added.

The deal makes NBC Sports Group the premier motorsports network with NASCAR, Formula One and IndyCar among its properties - a trifecta Lazarus said made NBC the motorsports leader.

''I believe with us now being the home to the second half of the NASCAR season, the home for cable for Indy and the home to Formula 1, that we are probably the most dominant home for motorsports, and that that circulation of motorsports fans will be good for all,'' he said.

A previous relationship with Lazarus, who was formerly with Turner Sports, and the ability to be part of NBC's sports properties attracted NASCAR.

''With NBC, you're joining a family at NBC Sports where you'll be surrounded by incredible championship-type programming,'' said Steve Herbst, NASCAR's vice president of broadcasting and production. ''Their football package on Sunday night is the No. 1 show on television ... they are the home to championship programming and we'll be promoted and marketed and shown alongside those top-tier events.''

NBC will air seven Cup races, while 13 will be on the NBC Sports Network. The Nationwide Series will have four events on NBC and 15 on NBC Sports Network.

There are still three Sprint Cup races to be sold, which Herbst believes will move quickly. Lazarus said NBC purchased everything made available to the network, which means the three events not currently held by Fox were not offered.

''We were offered a package that had 20 in them, so we bought everything that was made available to us. That doesn't mean we bought everything we wanted,'' Lazarus said.

Herbst said some of the Cup events on NBC will be a lead-in to ''Sunday Night Football.''

''We're going to have the opportunity as we get into the fall season and the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup to be on Sunday afternoons leading into NFL football, and that's an exciting opportunity for us, given the obvious power of the NFL,'' he said.

''We still have a ways to go to figure out what races and when, but it will be select races that go into Sunday Night Football.''

The deal also gave NBC Sports Group rights to the K&N Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events, NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series events, the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and season-ending banquets, live-streaming rights for Cup and Nationwide, and Spanish-language broadcast rights on Telemundo and Mun2 for national series events and NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series.

The rights to the first half of the Nationwide schedule have not been publicly announced, but NASCAR chairman Brian France let slip in a Tuesday conference call with reporters that there will be Nationwide races on Fox Sports 1.

''We will have both Cup and Nationwide on FOX Sports 1 at some level,'' France said during the call. ESPN currently broadcasts the entire Nationwide schedule.

If correct, Fox would be the leading candidate for the three remaining unsold Cup races.

Jon Ackley, an associate professor who teaches a NASCAR business course at Virginia Commonwealth, said he initially thought ESPN and Turner dropped NASCAR at the right time because of increased rights fees and sinking television ratings. But the more he studied it, the more he began to think NASCAR chose NBC over the others.

''Maybe this is a good deal for NASCAR, it certainly gives a lot of continuity for the schedule and makes it easier for viewers to find the race on each weekend,'' he said.

Still, he noted that it's unclear how many races will be on cable TV. Fox, for example, has not said how many Cup races will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

''I don't even know if I get NBC Sports on my satellite,'' he said. ''That's another concern of mine is that unlike ESPN with its 24-hour coverage, everybody knows ESPN and they go to ESPN if they are looking for something. It's very accessible.

There may be a learning curve and it may be a very slow learning curve for the public wondering where to find their NASCAR.''

NBC Sports Group replaces ESPN, which carries 17 events and picks up its portion of the schedule this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Turner, which currently has six races on the schedule.

NBC shared the television contract with Fox from 2001-06 in the first national TV deal for NASCAR. NBC pulled out of negotiations on an extension, and ESPN picked up that portion of the schedule in 2007.

Ackley also wondered what the ramifications could be for NASCAR after severing ties with ESPN.

ESPN was not allowed to do on-camera interviews at the track from 2001-06, and its reporters were forced to race to a nearby helipad after races to speak to drivers before they headed home.

''I was sort of surprised that once again, NASCAR has turned its back on ESPN, like it did in 2000,'' Ackley said. ''I'm wondering what the fallout will be, whether it will be a lack of respect of NASCAR coverage and reporting.''

John Skipper, president of ESPN, said the network will continue to cover NASCAR when its deal expires.

''We will continue to serve NASCAR fans through SportsCenter and our other news platforms as we continue to enhance our industry-leading collection of quality assets. We are looking forward to the start of our Sprint Cup season and will continue with our deep commitment to the highest quality coverage,'' Skipper said in a statement.

France thinks the relationship with ESPN will be fine.

''It's a different time now. They have different thinking about how they want to cover sports,'' France said. ''Obviously you think about all those things, but the reality is they have to cover the big events that people watch every weekend. You never can predict the future, but we didn't think that was something that would hold us back from making this deal, that's for sure.''

 

Turner indicated earlier Tuesday it could not compete financially in the negotiations to extend its 31-year relationship with NASCAR.

''We think NASCAR is an attractive property, but we are disciplined in our approach to negotiating sports rights and could not come up with a business model that was financially prudent for our company,'' said David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports at Turner.

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