Sports Quote of the Day:
"There is a difference between conceit and confidence. Conceit is bragging about yourself. Confidence means you believe you can get the job done." ~ Johnny Unitas, Legendary NFL Quarterback and Hall of Famer
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Hoyer leads comeback as Browns beat Bears 18-16.
ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
Chicago Bears wide receiver Joe Anderson (19) celebrates his todown reception with quarterback Jordan Palmer (2) during the first half of a NFL preseason football game against the Cleveland Browns August 29, 2013.
Brian Hoyer started by connecting with Josh Gordon on a 45-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage and ended the game with a comeback.In between, things were a bit choppy.
Hoyer threw for 307 yards and came on down the stretch for the Browns after Jordan Palmer dominated the first half for the Bears, leading Cleveland to an 18-16 victory over Chicago in the preseason finale on Thursday night.
Hoyer was intercepted twice. But he also led the Browns (3-1) on a 76-yard touchdown drive that made it a one-point game in the fourth quarter.
''I don't care if it is the fourth preseason game of the year or the last game of the year,'' he said.
''When you're out there, you're out there to win, it doesn't matter who is out there, you play the game to win, you don't just play to play.''
Punter Spencer Lanning kicked a 40-yard field goal with just over three minutes left following a fumble by Harvey Unga to make it 18-16.
Robbie Gould then missed a 57-yarder wide right with just over a minute left, and the Bears (2-2) lost after leading most of the way.
Signed two weeks ago after third-stringer Matt Blanchard broke a knuckle on his left, non-throwing hand, Palmer made the most of his opportunity with Jay Cutler and Josh McCown sitting out.
Palmer, the brother of Arizona QB Carson Palmer, helped the Bears build a 10-3 halftime lead, completing 11 of 17 passes for 111 yards before giving way to Trent Edwards.
Palmer led the Bears to a field goal on their first possession after Demontre Hurst intercepted Hoyer and connected with Joe Anderson on a 5-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.
Not bad, considering he thought his playing days were over. That changed when he got the call from the Bears, and now, he might have to cancel a trip to Europe next week with his wife.
''We've been putting it off for the past couple years. And I would love to cancel that trip,'' he said.
But it was the Browns who finished the preseason on a winning note, with both teams resting their top players.
The Bears had said they would do just that, and wide receiver Brandon Marshall wasn't even at the stadium. He had an excused absence.
Marshall also voiced frustration on Tuesday about his recovery from offseason hip surgery and missed practice on Wednesday.
He is expected to be ready for the opener against Cincinnati, which is the first game of the Marc Trestman era.
The Browns didn't play Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson or Joe Thomas, among others.
With backup quarterback Jason Campbell out with flu-like symptoms, Hoyer got the call for the Browns and completed 24 of 35 passes.
His second interception - by Sherrick McManis - led to a 44-yard field goal by Gould that increased Chicago's lead to 16-9 early in the fourth.
Hoyer then led the Browns on the go-ahead touchdown drive, finishing with a 14-yard TD pass to Dan Gronkowski with just under 7 minutes left.
The Browns went for two, and the pass got broken up, preserving a 16-15 lead for the Bears.
Cleveland went ahead on Lanning's 40-yarder after Unga fumbled and L.J. Fort made the recovery. Lanning was handling field goals after Shayne Graham injured his back in warmups, keeping him out of the game.
''I told him after he made that kick, you just never know what you're going to have to do when you come to work every day,'' coach Rob Chudzinski said. ''He responded really well.''
Gordon started for Cleveland and caught two passes for 77 yards.
The Browns want to keep him sharp, since he was suspended for the first two regular-season games for violating NFL's drug policy.
David Nelson made his first appearance since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in last year's opener with Buffalo, catching four passes for 54 yards. He signed a one-year deal with Cleveland.
Brandon Jackson, trying to solidify his spot as the No. 2 running back, had just 5 yards on five attempts. The Browns are thin at the position with Dion Lewis (surgically repaired left leg) and Montario Hardesty (leg) on injured reserve.
While Palmer looked sharp in the early going for Chicago, Edwards threw for 135 yards in the second half.
He led Chicago to the 3 on the first drive of the third quarter, only to settle for a field goal, and had some bad luck on an interception that James-Michael Johnson returned 23 yards for a touchdown on Chicago's next possession, making it 13-9.
The ball bounced off the hands of Chicago's Fendi Onobun.
Michael Ford, vying for the third running back spot with Armando Allen, ran for 48 yards on nine carries. Allen, who's been limited by a hamstring injury, had 39 yards on 10 attempts.
The Bears held out rookie Jonathan Bostic, who's been starting at middle linebacker with D.J. Williams injured. And Trestman also all but confirmed that first-round pick Kyle Long and fifth-rounder Jordan Mills will start at right guard and right tackle after sitting them on Thursday.
''We just feel that Kyle and both Jordan have really played well and practiced well,'' Trestman said. ''Going into next week unless both change it looks like they'll be there.''
NFL agrees to pay $765M to settle concussion suits.
MARYCLAIRE DALE (Associated Press)
The NFL agreed to pay more than three-quarters of a billion dollars to settle lawsuits from thousands of former players who developed dementia or other concussion-related health problems they say were caused by the very on-field violence that fueled the game's rise to popularity and profit.
The settlement, unprecedented in sports, was announced Thursday after two months of court-ordered mediation and is subject to approval by a federal judge. It came exactly a week before the first game of the 2013 season, removing a major legal and financial threat hanging over the sport for two years.
U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody in Philadelphia is expected to rule on the settlement in two to three months but said it ''holds the prospect of avoiding lengthy, expensive and uncertain litigation, and of enhancing the game of football.''
More than 4,500 former players, some of them suffering from Alzheimer's disease or depression, accused the NFL of concealing the long-term dangers of concussions and rushing injured players back onto the field, while glorifying and profiting from the bone-crushing hits that were often glorified in slow motion on NFL Films.
''Football has been my life and football has been kind to me,'' said former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, one of at least 10 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who filed suit since 2011. ''But when I signed up for this, I didn't know some of the repercussions. I did know I could get injured, but I didn't know about my head or the trauma or the things that could happen to me later on in life.''
The settlement applies to all past NFL players and spouses of those who are deceased - a group that could total more than 20,000 - and will cost the league $765 million, the vast majority of which would go to compensate retirees with certain neurological ailments, plus plaintiffs' attorney fees, which could top $100 million.
It sets aside $75 million for medical exams and $10 million for medical research. Individual payouts would be capped at $5 million for men with Alzheimer's disease; $4 million for those diagnosed after their deaths with a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy; and $3 million for players with dementia, said lead plaintiffs' lawyer Christopher Seeger.
''We got what we wanted, let's put it that way,'' said Seeger, who noted that settlement discussions began more than a year ago.
Turner, who played for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, predicted that most of his peers would support the settlement.
''I think it's more important that the players have finality, that they're vindicated, and that as soon as the court approves the settlement they can begin to get screening, and those that are injured can get their compensation. I think that's more important than looking at some documents,'' said lawyer Sol Weiss of Philadelphia, who filed the first lawsuit on behalf of former Atlanta Falcon Ray Easterling and a few others.
While some of those who sued suffered brain ailments, others were worried about future problems and wanted their health monitored.
Helmet maker Riddell, which was also sued, was not a party to the settlement. The company declined comment.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Sharp longs to add gold medal to Stanley Cup title.
By Dan Rosen - NHL.com senior writer
"The Stanley Cup obviously was a pretty big accomplishment in Chicago, and I consider myself lucky to be a part of that organization to win it again," Sharp said Tuesday night at orientation camp, "but playing internationally for your country, especially defending the gold medal, would be something that is amazing."
So, to qualify what Sharp means, is he saying that making the Olympic team would mean more to him than winning the Stanley Cup?
"That's like saying who do I like better, my wife or my daughter?" said Sharp, whose wife, Abby, is expecting another daughter in early October. "It's two things that would be incredible accomplishments. I'm jealous of [Brent Seabrook] and [Duncan Keith] and [Jonathan Toews]. They were able to win the Cup and the gold in the same year [2010] and I certainly want to be a part of that and I'm going to do whatever I can to make the team this year."
Canada executive director Steve Yzerman said Sharp has the goods to be on the team. Yzerman wouldn't call Sharp a lock to represent the country at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but he didn't stray too far from that proclamation.
"A very good chance," Yzerman said of Sharp. "One, he can play all of the three forward positions, which is a great asset. He plays in all situations, power play, penalty killing. He has been on teams that have won Stanley Cups and been an important player. Teams that win, certain traits they have, their players play a certain way and can play in big games and play under pressure and know how to win. He's got all those things going for him."
If you look at the attributes Canada wants its players to have in Sochi, Sharp fits the bill in almost every category: foot speed, defensive awareness, versatility, hockey IQ, winning pedigree, leadership qualities and goal-scoring ability.
"Something I've done early in my career is really focus on being a versatile player and get plugged in wherever the coach wants me to," Sharp said. "I feel like I can play all three forward positions and sometimes I even go back and play defense on the power play. Whatever ways I can be a part of this team I'm willing to do."
Sharp was on Canada's radar for the 2010 team. He participated in orientation camp at Scotiabank Saddledome four years ago, but Sharp, who was 27 years old then, said he never gave himself a legitimate chance to be on that team. He was coming off a 2008-09 season in which he had 26 goals and 44 points in 61 games, a drop from the 36 goals and 26 assists he had over 81 games in 2008-09.
The Stanley Cup obviously was a big accomplishment in Chicago, and I consider myself lucky to be a part of that organization to win it again. But playing internationally for your country, especially defending the gold medal, would be something amazing. - Patrick Sharp
"I was excited to be here, but I don't know if I really believed then that I belonged," Sharp said. "I know that's a bad thing to say as a player."
He didn't make it. He didn't even get a call to say he wasn't going to make it.
"I knew they were doing some kind of show to release the names on TV and figured they would notify the guys that were on the team beforehand," Sharp said. "Seeing as I didn't get notified, I put two and two together."
Since then, Sharp has two 30-goal seasons and had a career-high 71 points in 2010-11. He has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Blackhawks, providing a combined 21 goals and 17 assists over the two championship runs.
"This time around, I'm much more confident," Sharp said. "I've played in some pretty serious games. Since 2009 we've gone deep in the playoffs three times and won the Stanley Cup twice, so a lot has changed for my game since then and hopefully I can play well this year and show the coaches and Hockey Canada that I belong."
Listening to Yzerman and others on Tuesday, it doesn't seem like Sharp has to do too much to convince anyone.
"He's a smart player," Sidney Crosby said. "He's fast. He's a right-handed shot. He's proven he can score goals pretty consistently. He's played international hockey. You can go right down the list here at the camp and there are a lot of guys who can be part of this team and he's definitely one of them."
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... What Derrick Rose Must Do to Become the NBA's Most Transcendent Star.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... What Derrick Rose Must Do to Become the NBA's Most Transcendent Star.
By Bryan Toporek
In May 2011, Rose became the youngest MVP in league history. He guided his Chicago Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals that season but ran into a buzz saw of LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
From there, his reign among the NBA elites faltered. A rash of injuries plagued him throughout the 2011-12 season, forcing him to miss 27 regular-season games, but that's nothing compared to what came next.
During the opening game of the 2012 playoffs, Rose tore his ACL, which caused him to miss the entire 2012-13 season. The constant "will he return, won't he return?" questions soon led to doubts about Rose's dedication and love for the game of basketball.
For Rose to reseize his claim as the NBA's most transcendent star, he needs to follow a simple four-step process: return to the court by opening night, unveil an improved jumper, avoid any crippling injuries and show off his personality.
Let's take a closer look at each of those four steps.
Return to the Court on Opening Night
First things first: Nearly 18 months to the day after tearing his ACL, Rose needs to be back on the court when the Bulls tip off the 2013-14 season against the Miami Heat on October 30.
More than that, it's imperative that he demonstrates no ill effects from the injury.
Despite rumblings that he'd return at some point during the 2012-13 season, Rose stuck to his guns. As he told USA Today in mid-February:
I don't have a set date. I'm not coming back until I'm 110 percent. Who knows when that can be? It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year. It could be any day. It could be any time. It's just that I'm not coming back until I'm ready.
A few days after speaking with USA Today, Rose echoed those thoughts to a larger group of reporters. The former MVP re-emphasized that he wouldn't return until his body felt ready, even if it meant missing the entire season, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
I'm feeling good, but like I said, if it's where it's taking me a long time and I'm still not feeling right, I don't mind missing this year. I would love to [return]. I would love to. That's why I approached my rehab and my workout so hard. I'm trying to get back on the court as quickly as possible, but if I have anything lingering on, it's no point.
Team doctors reportedly cleared Rose to return from his injury in March 2013, according to Melissa Isaacson of ESPN Chicago, but as we know now, that didn't matter. Rose didn't want to return until he felt confident dunking off his injured left leg, Isaacson reported.
That shouldn't be a concern by opening night. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN Chicago's Jon Greenberg back in June that Rose "feels great":
He was practicing and he was good sometimes, but he also wasn't able to make the kinds of plays he likes to make. No one is more explosive and can change direction like him. He had to be capable of doing that.
That's what makes him so unique, how quick and explosive he is. He can jump sideways to avoid contact. He's always hopping around. That's a lot on your knee. You have to be comfortable doing that. He takes off and he doesn't take long to go from securing the ball to exploding and blowing by somebody.
Only one man knows whether he'll return by opening night, though, and that's Rose himself.
From the sound of things, he's right on track to do so. At an Adidas event in Madrid, Spain, Rose made his plans for 2013-14 clear, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype:
I should be able to play in the first game. I know I'm anxious right now to play. My health is everything right now, it's 100 percent. But right now, the first game... I definitely will be playing it.
Unveil an Improved Jumper
Let's assume Rose does return on opening night sans any major complications. What's next?
He'll need to get back to reminding everyone just why he became the youngest MVP in league history.
Few players pack the combination of aggression and explosiveness that Rose possesses. It's what made him so dangerous at the height of his power in 2010-11.
However, NBA superstars can't just rest on their laurels if they hope to retain their place at the top of the game. Just look at LeBron James and his newly improved post game as evidence of that.
For Rose to push his way back into the NBA elite, he'll need to have improved his mid- and long-range shooting during his recovery time.
The one silver lining to his ACL tear? Set shooting was just about the only basketball-related activity Rose could partake in during the early stages of his recovery.
"He can only do three things," said former NBA point guard Tim Hardaway, who also tore the ACL in his left knee, to the Chicago Sun-Times in August 2012. "He can dribble—not run and dribble, just dribble walking up and down the court; he can shoot a bunch of free throws; and he can shoot a bunch of set shots like he’s playing H-O-R-S-E every day, all day."
Rose told Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears in March 2013 that he felt "more confident" with his three-point shooting. An anonymous Bulls official echoed that sentiment to TheJournalTimes.com in April 2013, saying the point guard's perimeter shooting had "significantly improved."
If all this "improved shooting" talk isn't just hot air, it bodes well for Bulls fans.
Through the first four seasons of Rose's career, he's only a 31 percent shooter from three-point range. His mid-range game, while solid, could use some work, too.
He knocked down roughly 40 percent of his 670 two-point shot attempts from outside the paint during his MVP season, according to NBA.com/stats. If he could consistently knock down those mid- and long-range jumpers, he'd be even more of a nightmare to guard.
At that point, much like LeBron these past few seasons, matching up against Rose would be a pick-your-poison scenario. Guard him too closely and he'll blow right by you on the way to the basket; give him some space and he'll pull up to drain a shot right in your face.
Avoid Any Crippling Injuries
This one's big. If Rose sustains another major injury that forces him to miss a half season or more, he's going to get slapped with the dreaded "injury-prone" label.
Realistically, thanks to his "when will he return?" drama, it would take him years to shed that perception.
Before his season-erasing ACL injury, Rose battled through a litany of minor bangs and bruises during the 2011-12 season. As detailed by ESPN's Stephania Bell, a sprained left toe, back spasms, a groin strain and a sprained right ankle kept him sidelined for 27 regular-season games that year.
Some writers, such as SB Nation's Tom Ziller and Jason Whitlock of then-Fox Sports, have speculated about a potential connection between returning from each injury too early and overcompensation leading to the next one. Ziller also pointed out that the Bulls' team doctor, Brian Cole, doesn't exactly have a sterling reputation when it comes to diagnosing the severity of players' injuries.
Granted, minor injuries like a sprained ankle or groin strain come with the territory of any physically strenuous activity. No one in his or her right mind could reasonably begrudge Rose for suffering such a setback, especially if it only sidelines him for a few games.
Another major injury, though, especially one to his knee? That would all but end any shot of him bouncing back to being the NBA's most transcendent star any time soon.
Show Off His Personality
If all goes well with Rose's on-court return, he'll only have one final hurdle to clear before challenging LeBron and Kevin Durant for the "most transcendent" title.
He'll need to make people fall in love with him again off the court, too.
This, more so than anything else, should come the easiest to D-Rose. Despite his reserved nature, he touts one of the more admirable personalities of any NBA megastar.
How many players, after all, shed tears while thanking their mother during their MVP speech?
It's Derrick's mom, Brenda, that reportedly deserves credit for helping her son keep a level head no matter how famous he may get.
"I would hit him upside it and bring him back down if he ever changed," she said to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune back in May 2011.
Mrs. Rose's influence over her son's personality should only be seen as a positive.
Humility can be a major asset for a superstar athlete, especially considering how increasingly uncommon it's become in recent years.
It's now on Adidas, who signed Rose to a "lifetime" $200 million contract back in February 2012, to remind NBA fans why they fell in love with him in the first place.
If those ads include Ken Jeong again, all the better.
KD and James Harden, among other stars, have done a phenomenal job in recent seasons building their off-the-court brands through advertisements. To complete Rose's transition back to the top of the NBA, Adidas will need to do the same for him.
Can It Happen?
Even if Rose does come back opening night without any medical complications, his return to the NBA elite won't be an overnight process.
For him to truly rise to the top, it's going to take months of reminding fans exactly what they missed while he sat out the 2012-13 season.
Rose has the ideal combination of on-court explosiveness and off-court humility to challenge James, the current holder of the "most transcendent" title. The two-time reigning MVP won't be Rose's only competition, however, with Durant, Chris Paul and others also looming.
Getting back on the court and making opponents look silly will be his easiest path to gaining back adoration from NBA fans, especially those outside of Chicago.
Don't be surprised to see a competitive fire lit under Rose this season like we've never seen before.
Woods says back is fine and he's ready to go.
DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)
On and off the golf course, Tiger Woods didn't look anything like the player who only four days ago dropped to knees with back pain.
He took full, powerful swings with the driver at the TPC Boston, and he had no trouble gouging shots from the deep rough. He stooped over without hesitation to remove his tee from the ground or retrieve his golf ball from the cup.
Even more telling was the catch.
''The back has been ... it's a lot better than obviously on Sunday,'' Woods said at the Deutsche Bank Championship. ''It was nice to have that extra day of rest. Having the tournament start on Friday certainly helps. And I've gotten treatment every day, two to three times a day. And it feels good.''
It was the third time this year Woods has shown physical discomfort on golf course. An elbow injury forced him to miss two tournaments in the early summer. He was grabbing his lower back in the final round of the PGA Championship. And then at The Barclays last week, after complaining of a stiff lower back from sleeping on a soft mattress in his hotel, Woods fell to his knees on the 13th hole after what he said was a back spasm on his second shot to a par 5.
Even before he could hit his first tee shot in the pro-am, one of the amateurs asked him about his back.
The question was inevitable. The answer was predictable.
''It's fine,'' Woods said.
The rest of the round was just like any other. There was no indication of injury, plenty of laughs and even the occasional, ''Good shot, Mike,'' from Woods. He was speaking to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of his amateur partners.
Woods said he had planned to play nine holes, and then only chip and putt on the back nine as a precaution, just as he did last week at Liberty National.
''But it felt good, so I continued playing,'' he said.
Woods said the treatment was similar to the strain in his left elbow two months ago - electric stimulation, ice, ultrasound and massage. Still unclear was whether how much he would be able to practice before and after rounds. Woods said that would be ''day to day.''
''This was the first day I hit balls or swung a club since Sunday,'' he said. ''And it was a pleasant surprise to go out there and play without any discomfort today.''
What was a good sign, because even for the second of four tournaments, the FedEx Cup playoffs already have turned up a notch.
While it's traditional for the top three players in the standings to be in the same group for the opening rounds of the playoff events, this is the first time it features the top three players in the world ranking.
''It's exciting, I know for me, to have it 1, 2, 3 in the world,'' Woods said. ''It also goes to show you that those are three hottest players in the world.''
These three players last played together in an opening round in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, the first time the USGA used the world ranking to group top players.Woods went on to win his 14th major that week while playing on a shattered left knee with two stress fractures. Mickelson played the mighty South Course without a driver.
''The buildup to that event was huge,'' Scott said. ''And just to be even the third wheel in that group was really something I'll remember forever. So it might be the same tomorrow. I don't know, but it will be fun no matter what. We're all playing really well this year. So hopefully, we can push each other along and make a lot of birdies, and it will be an enjoyable couple of days.''
So who's the third wheel now?
''It would be me again,'' Scott said with a laugh.
Those three players also are seen as the top candidates as player of the year - Scott and Mickelson both have a major among their two PGA Tour wins (Mickelson picked up another significant win at the Scottish Open), while Woods has five wins and no majors. Woods is still the heavy favorite, though a FedEx Cup title for Scott and Mickelson might change that.
Rory McIlroy is the defending champion, and still looking for his first win this year.
Woods, meanwhile, is at a stage of the season where his vernacular has changed. He used to talk about ''reps'' and ''traj'' (trajectory) and ''the process.'' These days, he's using terms related to his treatment like ''activation'' and ''firing sequence'' and ''protocol.''
Woods is 37 and has four knee operations behind him. Some nagging injuries this year aren't a concern.
''It's part of playing sports, you know?'' Woods said. ''We push it and we have little knick-knack injuries that happen. And I've had plenty of surgeries over the course of my career, starting in '94 when I was in college. So it's the nature of what we do as an athlete. I try to do a lot of preventive things, but the nature of it is that we're subjecting our bodies to things that probably it wasn't meant to do.''
Keselowski enters the 'Worried Zone'.
NASCAR Wire Service
The last time a reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion failed to qualify for the following season's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup was in 2006 when Tony Stewart failed to do so.
With only two races remaining before the Chase field is set at Richmond, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski could face a similar fate.
As the series heads to Atlanta for Sunday night's AdvoCare 500 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), Keselowski finds himself in two undesirable positions ? outside the top 10 in the standings that guarantees automatic entry into the postseason and outside the Wild Card picture sans a win.
"I'm not going to be out of the worried zone unless I make it (the Chase) or it's over," Keselowski said recently.
Bayern to face City, stiff test awaits Arsenal.
By Andy Scott
Reigning European champions Bayern Munich were paired with Manchester City for this season's Champions League group stage, while the draw was particularly unkind for Arsenal and Celtic.
The draw, made in Monaco on Thursday evening, threw up several mouthwatering ties as well as bringing together plenty of familiar foes.
They were drawn in Group D along with Manchester City, the Premier League giants who previously faced the Bavarians in the 2011-12 competition.
With only two races remaining before the Chase field is set at Richmond, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski could face a similar fate.
As the series heads to Atlanta for Sunday night's AdvoCare 500 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), Keselowski finds himself in two undesirable positions ? outside the top 10 in the standings that guarantees automatic entry into the postseason and outside the Wild Card picture sans a win.
"I'm not going to be out of the worried zone unless I make it (the Chase) or it's over," Keselowski said recently.
Keselowski, who will make his 150th NASCAR Sprint Cup start this weekend, is currently 11th in the points, four markers behind teammate Joey Logano, who has never qualified for the Chase, but is riding a streak of five consecutive top-10 finishes. During the most recent offseason, Keselowski played a large role in bringing the 23-year-old driver to Penske Racing.
A win at Atlanta for Keselowski would probably push him into the top 10, but likely at the expense of Logano. If Keselowski wins at Atlanta and then falls out of the top 10 after a poor showing in Richmond, the win could possibly be enough for him to capture a Wild Card spot, as long as he stays ahead of two of the three drivers currently ranked between 11th and 20th in the standings with a win ? Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart.
Stewart, who is sitting out for the rest of the season after breaking his leg in a sprint car accident earlier this month, will most likely fall out of the top 20 after Atlanta.
Of course, a lot can happen over the course of two races where drivers with wins at the tail end of the top 10 could fall out of the automatic qualifying positions and become a player for the two Wild Card spots.
"Well, we aren't in a very enviable position (in the points standings) but we have two good tracks coming up for us," said Keselowski, who won five races in 2012 on his way to winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup title but has yet to visit Victory Lane this season. "We've tested at both Atlanta and Richmond, both with very positive results. We're only four points outside of the top 10 ? which is very doable ? but we can't have any issues."
Through the first 24 races of 2013, he has compiled seven top fives and 11 top 10s to go along with one pole. His best finish of the season was second at Watkins Glen where he's finished runner-up three straight years. On the flipside, he's finished 20th or worse in nine races.
In four series starts at Atlanta, Keselowski's best finish is third, which came in last year's race. "I haven't won yet at Atlanta, but I think we can do that this weekend," he said. "If we can, everything will work itself out."
A win at Atlanta for Keselowski would probably push him into the top 10, but likely at the expense of Logano. If Keselowski wins at Atlanta and then falls out of the top 10 after a poor showing in Richmond, the win could possibly be enough for him to capture a Wild Card spot, as long as he stays ahead of two of the three drivers currently ranked between 11th and 20th in the standings with a win ? Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart.
Stewart, who is sitting out for the rest of the season after breaking his leg in a sprint car accident earlier this month, will most likely fall out of the top 20 after Atlanta.
Of course, a lot can happen over the course of two races where drivers with wins at the tail end of the top 10 could fall out of the automatic qualifying positions and become a player for the two Wild Card spots.
"Well, we aren't in a very enviable position (in the points standings) but we have two good tracks coming up for us," said Keselowski, who won five races in 2012 on his way to winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup title but has yet to visit Victory Lane this season. "We've tested at both Atlanta and Richmond, both with very positive results. We're only four points outside of the top 10 ? which is very doable ? but we can't have any issues."
Through the first 24 races of 2013, he has compiled seven top fives and 11 top 10s to go along with one pole. His best finish of the season was second at Watkins Glen where he's finished runner-up three straight years. On the flipside, he's finished 20th or worse in nine races.
In four series starts at Atlanta, Keselowski's best finish is third, which came in last year's race. "I haven't won yet at Atlanta, but I think we can do that this weekend," he said. "If we can, everything will work itself out."
Bayern to face City, stiff test awaits Arsenal.
By Andy Scott
Reigning European champions Bayern Munich were paired with Manchester City for this season's Champions League group stage, while the draw was particularly unkind for Arsenal and Celtic.
The draw, made in Monaco on Thursday evening, threw up several mouthwatering ties as well as bringing together plenty of familiar foes.
Under Pep Guardiola, Bayern are looking to become the first club to retain the European Cup in the Champions League era.
They were drawn in Group D along with Manchester City, the Premier League giants who previously faced the Bavarians in the 2011-12 competition.
On that occasion, City finished bottom of their section while Bayern went all the way to the final, and Roberto Mancini's side also failed to progress from their group last season.
This time, though, City are expected to pose a greater threat under Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, who has taken Villarreal and Malaga to the latter stages in the past and came up against Guardiola's Barcelona when in charge of Real Madrid in 2009-10.
Those two clubs are likely to fight it out for first place in a group that also contains Russian champions CSKA Moscow and Czech club Viktoria Plzen.
The draw was even kinder to 2012 European champions Chelsea. The Blues will face Bundesliga club Schalke, 1986 European Cup winners Steaua Bucharest and FC Basel, who lost to Chelsea in the Europa League semi-finals last season, in Group E.
David Moyes, though, will not be taking the opposition lightly in what will be his first Champions League campaign at the helm of Manchester United.
The English champions will be favourites to qualify for the last 16 from Group A but they must still face Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, Spanish outfit Real Sociedad and Bayer Leverkusen.
The German side beat United in the 2002 semi-finals and are now coached by former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia.
Arsenal came off worst of all, the English contenders in a Group F that contains last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund, Marseille and Napoli.
The composition of the 8 European Champion League group after Thursday's draw. (AFP Photo)
The Gunners faced Dortmund and Marseille in the group stage two seasons ago, but will be especially wary of Napoli, whose coach Rafael Benitez is a specialist at this level and who, in Gonzalo Higuain, boast a striker who might have joined Arsenal earlier this summer.
Group H is bustling with history, as Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax and Celtic - with 16 European Cups between them - come together.
This will be third consecutive season in which Barca and Milan have met but, remarkably, the Catalans and Ajax - united by their links to Johan Cruyff - have never faced each other in a competitive game.
Celtic beat Barcelona in last season's competition but their manager Neil Lennon knows the size of task that lies before the Scottish champions.
"I think it's the best and the worst draw we could've got," Lennon told Sky Sports News.
"In terms of glamour I don't think it comes any better than Barca, Milan and Ajax, but in terms of football it doesn't come any harder."
Elsewhere, Real Madrid face Juventus, Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen in Group B.
As a result, new Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will come up against the Serie A champions, whom he coached between 1999 and 2001.
"It could have been better, it could have been worse," said Madrid's Director of Institutional Relations Emilio Butragueno.
"Games against Juventus are always very passionate and we have faced them many times in the past. With (coach Antonio) Conte in the past few years they have improved a lot, therefore they will be a very tough opponent."
Paris Saint-Germain will expect to advance from Group C, which also contains Benfica, Olympiakos of Greece and Belgian champions Anderlecht, while Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit St Petersburg and Austria Vienna meet in Group G.
The opening round of group games will be played on September 17 and 18.
Chicago Cubs Fans: Why?
Wrigley from the upper deck.
COMMENTARY | Folks in St. Louis, with their 11 World Series titles, have long been asking this question with perplexed condescension. Chicago White Sox fans pose the query with a bit more derision, and their one title in the past 96 years does at least lend a modicum of credence to their barbs.
But those who have lived with little other than disappointment from their favorite ball
Wrigley Field
On a tour of the ballpark, you might well encounter visitors from Georgia, South Carolina, California and Maine. And that's just one group of at least six in the park at any given moment during the pregame tour. They come to see the park, to walk around the Wrigleyville neighborhood that embraces it and imbues it with a character that can't be found in some downtown or suburban local where cookie-cutter stadiums sit like islands in a sea of parking lots.
Wrigley Field is also a survivor. Originally Weeghman Park, then Cubs Park for a handful of years, it became perhaps the first sports venue with a corporate-sponsored name. It has endured the addition of bleachers and an upper deck, lights and the once-unthinkable advent of night baseball, more bleachers, and (gasp!) an LED board in right field. Despite the contrary opinions of rooftop owners and Wrigley purists, it'll survive a new video board, too.
Don't let the falling concrete fool you, Wrigley Field is not frail; it was there before all three people reading this were born and it may well be there after we've all passed on.
Players, managers and owners have come and gone, but Wrigley has been a constant.
Tradition (cue anti-Cubs jokes here)
But those who have lived with little other than disappointment from their favorite ball
club have asked it ad infinitum, inflecting it at times with anger, frustration, puzzlement and resignation. With the struggles of the past few seasons, the clamoring from various factions of Cubs Nation is reaching a crescendo. Some are jumping like rats from a sinking ship, while others cling to life preservers of blind hope. Some lament the renovation of the team and of Wrigley Field as blasphemous money grabs, while others support them as the necessary evils of competing long term in today's game.
My voice is small and the fan base wide, but I wanted to take a few moments, and a few hundred words, to look at why the Chicago Cubs have so many loyal fans.
Wrigley Field
Perhaps no ballpark is more intrinsically tied to its inhabitant(s) as Wrigley Field and the Cubs. Given the team's lack of ultimate success, Wrigley Field often holds more allure than the team itself. The Friendly Confines are dirty, dank, hard to get to, expensive, and have outdated amenities for fans and players alike.
But the same things that detractors decry as abominable, Cubs fans (by and large) laud as adorable. The bathroom troughs, cracked concrete, and lack of modern trappings hearken back to a simpler time and make the experience somehow more pure by their faults. Wrigley is venerable, approachable, simple -- it's a destination for baseball aficionados from all over the country.
On a tour of the ballpark, you might well encounter visitors from Georgia, South Carolina, California and Maine. And that's just one group of at least six in the park at any given moment during the pregame tour. They come to see the park, to walk around the Wrigleyville neighborhood that embraces it and imbues it with a character that can't be found in some downtown or suburban local where cookie-cutter stadiums sit like islands in a sea of parking lots.
Wrigley Field is also a survivor. Originally Weeghman Park, then Cubs Park for a handful of years, it became perhaps the first sports venue with a corporate-sponsored name. It has endured the addition of bleachers and an upper deck, lights and the once-unthinkable advent of night baseball, more bleachers, and (gasp!) an LED board in right field. Despite the contrary opinions of rooftop owners and Wrigley purists, it'll survive a new video board, too.
Don't let the falling concrete fool you, Wrigley Field is not frail; it was there before all three people reading this were born and it may well be there after we've all passed on.
Players, managers and owners have come and gone, but Wrigley has been a constant.
Tradition (cue anti-Cubs jokes here)
The Cubs have been playing baseball in the National League since 1876, during which they've accomplished a great deal. Sadly, the most notable tradition is one of futility, as the team is still trying to capture its first World Series title since Jerlean Talley was 9. But despite the much publicized failures, the Cubs have actually won quite a few ballgames over the years. In 2008, they won their 10,000th game, becoming only the second major-league team ever to do so.
They have come tantalizing close to stepping onto baseball's biggest stage, only to stumble in heartbreaking fashion time and again. But, like it or not, that's a part of the tradition, too. Everyone loves an underdog (well, everyone but New York Yankees fans and Boston Red Sox fans since 2004) and the Cubs have long played that role. And so backers continue to wade through 100-loss seasons, ground balls under Bull Durham's glove, and Moises Alou's tantrums, knowing that when it all finally comes together, a title will be that much sweeter for the suffering.
WGN
Cubs fans are found all over the country, and a big reason for that is the Superstation. WGN has been bringing the Cubs to the radios and televisions of millions of people since well before cable and satellite gave them hundreds of additional choices. In the summers prior to 1988, there was little competition on the tube aside from soap operas and "The People's Court," so the Cubs were often the best available option. Jack Brickhouse manned both the TV and radio booths for over three decades, and his enthusiasm, while often unjustified, was infectious.
Add Harry Caray and a crew of voyeuristic cameramen, and you had destination television. In the days when the rooftops were no more than a few friends playing hooky from work with some folding chairs a couple coolers of beer, WGN allowed viewers a glimpse into America's Pastime and established the Cubs and Wrigley field as institutions. Some were born into Cubs fandom or fell in love with an old ballpark, but legions more were converted by the evangelism of television.
This is only a cursory glance at what is a much larger topic, and I'm not naive or conceited enough to think that this will reach many people, let alone impact them. In fact, I'll be pleased if one of the three people who started this little commentary actually reached this point. But at the risk of setting out the nice linens and fine china for a troll buffet, I'd like to see the subsequent comments include some of the reasons that you are a Cubs fan.
NCAAF Scores & Schedule.
***************************************
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!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment