Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
Sports Quote of the Day:
"Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man given. Be grateful. Conceit is self given. Be careful." ~ John Wooden, Legendary UCLA Basketball Coach
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Game Scout: Bears-Redskins.
By Jeff Reynolds, The Sports Xchange
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, at Georgia Dome, Atlanta - TV: FOX
*TV announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
*Keys to the game: Redskins RB Alfred Morris showed signs of breaking out of an early season funk last week with a 45-yard touchdown run. He averages 114.2 rushing yards per game at home in his young career and Washington will follow the lead of the New York Giants in attacking the Bears up the gut, where injuries, inexperience and missed tackles combine to cause repeat implosions. QB Robert Griffin III said this week he plans to run more, viewing the threat of his mobility as a key ingredient to the offense. The Bears are eighth in red-zone defense, but are pliable without a dominant pass rush. QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall, each of whom started for Washington coach Mike Shanahan in Denver, are Chicago's headliners but RB Matt Forte is fourth in the league in yards from scrimmage in an offense that spreads it around to strain a defense. TE Martellus Bennett and WR Alshon Jeffery, like Forte, have between 29-33 catches.
*Matchup to watch - Bears LB Jonathan Bostic vs. Redskins FB Darrel Young -- Young leads for Morris while Bostic, in his first NFL start, will be the target of Washington's game plan. He has shown the ability to arrive quickly and make big hits, but also the penchant for the wrong run fits, which could be his grave marker against the read option.
*Player spotlight - Redskins CB DeAngelo Hall: He shut down Cowboys stud WR Dez Bryant and tied an NFL record with four INTs of Cutler the last time the teams played in 2010. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett loves to blitz, leaving Hall and the rest of the suspect secondary in single coverage.
*Fast facts: The Bears have not allowed a fourth-quarter touchdown this season. Washington has 36 fourth-quarter points, most in any quarter. ... Jeffery has 16 receptions -- with a 22.2-yard average -- in the past three games.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan understands Jay Cutler's pressure points as well as anyone, but the pupil takes the upper hand on the merit of his well-rounded supporting cast to spare Chicago's up-and-down defense.
*Our pick: Bears 32-24.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blues edge Blackhawks 3-2 in shootout.
By MATT CARLSON (Associated Press)
The St. Louis Blues are considered to be one of the teams to challenge defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago at the top of the Central Division.
So far, the Blues are living up to the praise.
T.J. Oshie scored the lone goal in the shootout, Jaroslav Halak stopped all three Chicago shooters in the extra session and St. Louis defeated the Blackhawks 3-2 on Thursday night.
The Blues are 2-0 against the Blackhawks so far, also having beaten Chicago with two late goals in a game in St. Louis on Oct. 9.
''It's huge.'' Oshie said. ''And tonight, we played a good team game. We have a couple breakdowns, but for the full 65 minutes and the shootout as a team we played pretty solid.
''We're getting to a stage now that they're where we want to be. That makes you play a little bit harder when you play against them because of what they've accomplished and what we want to accomplish.''
The Blues (5-1-0) started the season with five straight home games, and won the first four before losing 6-2 to San Jose on Tuesday.
They bounced back strong on Thursday.
''There was intensity,'' Backes said. ''Mistakes were magnified, just like the playoffs. These are two teams that bring out the best in each other, hard fought, could of gone either way when you get to a shootout.''
Chicago's Marian Hossa scored on a breakaway and set up Brandon Pirri's first NHL goal in regulation. All but one of the Blackhawks' (4-1-2) first seven games have been decided by one goal.Chicago is struggling to score despite a lineup loaded with offensive stars. The Blackhawks have just 20 goals in their first seven games and only 14 in six games following a season-opening 6-4 win over Washington.
The Blackhawks were second only to Pittsburgh in goal scoring last season, but coach Joel Quenneville didn't like his team's effort or output on Thursday.
''I didn't like our pace,'' he said. ''I didn't like that we were turning pucks over.
''We didn't get any pucks to the net. We didn't generate any offense after the first period.Quenneville said his team needs to find a higher gear.
''We've been getting points outside to the one game, so were OK there,'' Quenneville said. ''But we don't have a lot of production. We'll look at our lines. We need some offense. And I don't like coaching offensively.''
Chicago's Corey Crawford made 26 saves and Halak had 27.
Both goalies made a handful of tough stops early before Pirri opened the scoring at 7:42 of the first.
After taking Hossa's perfect pass, Pirri sent a one-timer from the left circle that ticked off the post and into the upper left corner of the net.
Backes' power-play goal at 10:14 of the first tied it at 1. He was parked in front of Crawford and deflected in Jay Bouwmeester's wrist shot from the left point.
The Blues dominated early in the second period. Any momentum was broken when St. Louis' Barret Jackman hit Chicago star Patrick Kane hard from behind and was sent off for boarding at 7:18.
Hossa put Chicago ahead 2-1 with 2:38 left in the second on a breakaway. After the puck slipped past the Blues' defense, both Hossa and Patrick Sharp skated in alone, and Hossa fired a shot past Halak on the stick side.
Steen was credited with a goal 51 seconds later that was inadvertently knocked in by Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith and tied it at 2.
Steen was 30 feet out in the slot, and deflected Bouwmeester's shot from the point. The puck slid to the right side of the crease where Keith was trying to tie up Backes, but Keith swept the puck on goal and past Crawford.
Crawford made a tough close-in save on Alex Pietrangelo with just over seven minutes left to keep it tied.
Halak made an alert save on Brandon Saad 33 seconds into overtime with Jonathan Toews closing in for a rebound. Jackman's shot hit the post 3:17 into the extra period.
Notes: Pirri, who played in his ninth NHL game, led the AHL with 75 points in 76 games last season while with Rockford. ... Backes played his 500th game and Jackman played his 650th. ... The Blues have played the Blackhawks 288 times, more than any other team. ... St. Louis F Maxim Lapierre, who knocked San Jose D Dan Boyle out a game on Tuesday with a blow to the head, did not dress. Lapierre is scheduled for a hearing with the NHL on Friday. ... The Blackhawks had the NHL's third-best penalty killing last season en route to winning the Stanley Cup, but have allowed six power-play goals in 21 chances so far.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls' Gibson continues strong, consistent preseason.
By Aggrey Sam
Wednesday evening’s 96-81 win over Detroit at the United Center was just another ho-hum preseason game for Taj Gibson, who had 11 points and 12 rebounds in the Bulls’ win over the Pistons.
While Derrick Rose’s Chicago homecoming was the theme of the night, Gibson’s consistently stellar play has been a constant throughout the team’s undefeated exhibition campaign. Now in his fifth NBA season, Gibson’s high-energy presence on the team’s second unit during Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau’s tenure — he assumed a starting role during his rookie season, Vinny Del Negro’s final year as head coach, taking Tyrus Thomas’ spot before the former lottery pick was traded to Charlotte — in its many forms has been something the squad has been able to count on, but now, as a veteran and fully healthy after last year’s injury-plagued season, the Brooklyn native has found a comfort zone.
“I feel comfortable. Every year, it’s been tough because we’ve always got a new group and fortunately, I’m one of the last standing from previous groups and every year, I’m just trying to figure out timing,” he explained. “Luckily, I’ve got Kirk, I’ve got Naz. I know where they want the ball, where they want to get it. It’s just about figuring out the rooks, figuring out Marquis. That’s the only thing, but so far, it’s been cool.”
Gibson was a major part of the “Bench Mob,” which earned a cult following during its two-year reign, and he admittedly struggled when the likes of Omer Asik, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver and C.J. Watson departed. Although injuries were partially responsible for an uneven season — trying to live up to expectations of a new contract extension didn’t help matters — with Mohammed and Hinrich, a starter last season, back and an experienced veteran like Mike Dunleavy Jr. in the fold, despite losing valuable contributors like guards Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli to free agency (and Jimmy Butler to a permanent starting role), Gibson believes the Bulls’ group of reserves has a lot of potential.
“I think we could be real dangerous,” he said. “You’ve got Kirk Hinrich coming off the bench and he’s so crafty, so smart. As soon as I got in the game, I got two easy, quick jump shots, just off him being smart and moving the ball. He’s looking for me, which is great.”
Most of all, though, it’s Gibson’s offseason preparation, combined with his strong relationship with Thibodeau, that’s allowed him to hit the ground running.
“I’m confident. Thibs and I made a list of things I want to do. I just wanted to work on my game all summer, just get stronger, have confidence. He talked to me almost every day. We just talked about the Knicks [Thibodeau previously coached Gibson’s hometown team], previous playoff teams and he just wanted me to have confidence,” Gibson recounted. “He said, ‘The more you give, you’re going to get,’ and so far, everything he wanted me to do, it’s been happening. It’s been great. He said, ‘I want you to come in and gain some weight. I want you to be mentally ready. I want you to be focused, be a leader, have a great training camp, especially in practice. Then, have a great preseason, just run away with it.’ So far, it’s been just like that. I’m having fun out there.”
The notoriously hard-to-please coach has been satisfied with his pupil’s progress.
“He’s put a lot of work in. He did a lot of work this summer with Mike Wilhelm and he’s preparing himself to play extremely well right now. When he practices well, he plays well and he’s been our best practice player,” Thibodeau said. “Offensively [Wednesday], it was a little choppy and that was maybe a byproduct of the rotation changing with Jo being back. But what I did like is he really rebounded the ball extremely well and he found ways to help us. He’s had a great preseason.”
Gibson, who often plays with the Bulls’ starters and can play either post position, has also showcased an improved offensive game during the preseason, but according to him, whatever opposing defenses throw at him in actual games is nothing compared to what he sees at the Berto Center.
“We’re a real physical team and we challenge each other every day. It’s not like it’s a regular practice. We really go at each other,” he said. “We talk trash, we go at it. It’s showing by the way we’ve been practicing, but it’s only going to get better.”
If that also goes for Gibson’s individual game, this should be his best season yet.
ALCS Game 5: Red Sox beat the Tigers 4-3, now one win away from World Series. By
Mike Oz
Scores & Situations:
Jon Lester turned in a solid start, Mike Napoli hit another homer and the Boston Red Sox are now one win away from the World Series. They beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in Thursday night's ALCS Game 5.
Leading Lads:
• Napoli homered to open scoring for the Red Sox in the second inning. It was a monster 460-foot shot to center field. It started a three-run rally for the Red Sox. Napoli — who hit the deciding solo homer in Game 3 — had three hits and scored two runs.
• Jon Lester didn't end the game with a wowing stat line, but he was solid for the Sox. He out-pitched Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez, didn't allow a homer and despite giving up seven hits, limited Detroit to only two runs. Given Boston's early rally, Lester did what was needed.
• Red Sox closer Koji Uehara was called out of the bullpen with one out in the eighth inning, tasked with completing a five-out save. He did his duty, setting down five straight batters. It was his second five-out save of the season.
Head Hangers:
• Detroit will regret two plays — one that cost them a run and one that gave Boston a run. Miguel Cabrera was thrown out at the plate in the first inning, trying to score from second base on a Jhonny Peralta single. Miggy isn't at full health, so he had no business trying to score. Third base coach Tom Brookens waved him in, then tried to stop him, but it was all bad. Cabrera was thrown out easily. Had he stayed at third, the Tigers would have had the bases loaded. Their second regret: An Sanchez wild pitch in the third inning that brought Napoli home.
• Anibal Sanchez wasn't bad. But given the starting pitching that the Tigers have gotten in this series, he wasn't as good as Tigers fans have come to expect. The Red Sox jumped on him early, scoring three runs in the second inning and another in the third. He lasted six innings, giving up nine hits and four runs.
Key Play:
Miguel Cabrera came up to bat in the seventh inning with runners at first and third base, the Tigers down 4-2. Nobody was out and fans were chanting "M-V-P." It had the makings of a great postseason moment, but Miggy grounded into a double play. It scored a run, but it also effectively killed the Tigers' rally.
The Tigers grounded into three double plays in the game, all of them with two runners on base. Austin Jackson hit into an inning-ending double play in the sixth. Brayan Pena did in the fourth.
Interesting Stat:
Mike Napoli was a triple away from the cycle. No batter has hit for the cycle in the postseason.
What they'll be talking about:
• Prince Fielder getting booed by Detroit fans after grounding out in the fifth inning after the Tigers had scored their first run. He doesn't have an RBI this postseason. He was 1-for-4 in the game.
• The home-plate collision between Tigers catcher Alex Avila and Red Sox catcher David Ross. Avila impressively held on during this catcher-on-catcher collision, but he eventually left the game with a knee injury.
What's next?
The series returns to Boston for Game 6 on Saturday with the Red Sox looking to advance to the World Series. Detroit's Max Scherzer (23-3, 2.85 ERA) faces Clay Buchholz (12-1, 2.18 ERA). The game is scheduled to start at 4:37 p.m. ET, but the time will change if the Cardinals beat the Dodgers on Friday and close out the NLCS.
The PGA of America is considering playing the PGA Championship overseas. What's your take?
By Shane Bacon
If I asked you to rank the four major championships in golf from your favorite to your least favorite, your first three would most likely look similar.
It would be some sort of combination of the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open, with the PGA Championship looming fourth despite the fact that the final major of the year usually brings us the most excitement.
The Masters has Augusta National, the U.S. Open has high rough and incredibly tough conditions and the British Open has history and St. Andrews, but the PGA Championship has long searched for an identity to set it apart from the other three.
That might just happen as soon as 2020, with the PGA of America batting around the idea of hosting their major championship overseas a few times a decade, and I for one am all for it.
Golf Digest and Golf World's Ron Sirak had the exclusive, quoting PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua as one of the men who is all for a move if it eventually worked out.
"This is an exercise we are going through, an analysis. It is far from a fait accompli that we are going to take the PGA Championship international," Bevacqua said to Golf World. "When we sat down to map our strategic plan to service our members and grow the game the question arose as to what impact it would have to take the PGA Championship to an international location once or twice a decade."
I really don't see many negatives coming from a move to an international destination a couple of times a decade, mostly because this is the major that could use the boost the most.
Before 1958, the PGA Championship was a match play event, and I've mentioned multiple times that despite the potential for dropped viewers if we had two duds in the finals, it would still give the PGA Championship an identity.
This move does the same thing, taking it to Asia or Australia or South Africa in hopes of not only bringing more fans to the game, but simply saying thanks to those parts of the world that do so much for the game of golf that helps American fans enjoy golf even more.
Tennis hosts three of their four majors outside the United States, and as the game of golf continues to grow globally, giving others a chance to host a major championship seems like a win-win for just about everyone (can you imagine turning on your TV at 7 PM on a Sunday to watch the start of the final round at Royal Melbourne? How great would that be live?!).
Of course, this move won't happen until a lot of people sign off on it and even then it wouldn't begin until '20 (Tiger Woods will be 44-years-old when that happens), but the idea is a creative one and one that I think will help the PGA Championship grow in just about every way possible.
The game of golf expands far beyond the borders of the United States and I give credit to the PGA of America for understanding that and at least bringing up the idea of doing something different to further globalize the game of golf.
After reading this article, we would love to know what's your take? Should the PGA Championship be played overseas a couple of times within a decade?
Car No. 43 crew chief Todd Parrott suspended by NASCAR.
By Nick Bromberg
Todd Parrott, crew chief for Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports car, has been suspended by NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body's substance abuse policy.
"Todd Parrott, a crew member in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s Substance Abuse Policy," NASCAR's statement said.
"On Oct. 17, Parrott was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy) of the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book."
Parrott has 31 Sprint Cup Series wins as a NASCAR crew chief and was the crew chief for Dale Jarrett when he won the 1999 Sprint Cup Series championship with Robert Yates Racing.
RPM said that Sammy Johns, the team's VP of Operations and Competition, would take Parrott's spot atop Almirola's pit box.
"We have an expectation of all RPM employees to conduct themselves at the highest level of professionalism and within the competitive confines as set forth by NASCAR," Johns said in a statement. "We are very disappointed that one of our employees did not meet our expectations and we completely support NASCAR, their policies and final decisions when it comes to the substance abuse policy."
Parrott became Almirola's crew chief in September of 2012 when the team swapped crew chiefs for the final 10 races of the season.
2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule announced.
By NASCAR news release
NASCAR announced today the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule for the 2014 season, the 66th year of racing for the sport's premier series.
In addition to the schedule unveiling, NASCAR announced that its revolutionary Air Titan track drying system will be available at every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend throughout the 2014 season.
For the 13th consecutive year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will consist of 36 points races as well as two additional weekends featuring non-points events.
The Sprint Unlimited (Feb. 15) and two Daytona 500 qualifying races (both on Feb. 20) will take place before the season officially gets underway. The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will take place on May 17, broadcast on FOX Sports 1.
"This season has delivered plenty of drama and excitement, and we're anticipating even more for our fans in 2014 now that the Gen-6 car has competed at every track," said Steve O'Donnell, senior vice president of racing operations. "Having the Air Titan at each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend allows us to meet a very important goal set by our Chairman and CEO, Brian France: to drastically decrease track-drying time to the best of our ability and ensure our fans in the stands and those watching on TV get to see each race on its scheduled day."
The season will open with the 56th running of the Daytona 500 live on FOX on Feb. 23 before moving west to Phoenix International Raceway (March 2) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 9). Four tracks will undergo spring date changes: Texas Motor Speedway will hold its event one week earlier and move from Saturday to Sunday (April 6). Darlington Raceway will feature its race on April 12. Kansas Speedway will hold its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Saturday night race, with its event shifting to May 10, while Martinsville Speedway will host the series on March 30, a week earlier than in 2013.
For the fourth consecutive season, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will start at Chicagoland Speedway (Sept. 14) and conclude live on ESPN on Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Developed in-house at NASCAR's R&D Center, the Air Titan progressed quickly following France's directive to improve the racing product and fan experience in every form. Following testing in the summer and fall of 2012, Phase 1 of the technology was on-site at Daytona International Speedway in February. The 2012 Daytona 500 was the first to be postponed to the following day because of inclement weather.
Its race event debut was in April at Martinsville where it successfully decreased drying time in order to hold NASCAR Sprint Cup practice rather than have it cancelled. Air Titan's biggest save to date was at Talladega Superspeedway's rainy spring races where it shaved nearly an hour off drying time for both the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, allowing those events to be completed on their scheduled days. It also was in use Oct. 3 at Kansas for track conditioning purposes while also trimming nearly 45 minutes from drying time prior to the Goodyear zone tread tire test.
World Cup: Group seeds are set for FIFA World Cup Draw on December 6 in Bahia.
MLSSoccer.com
The eight seeds for the 2014 World Cup groups are set.
Spain (No. 1), Germany (No. 2), Argentina (No. 3), Colombia (No. 4), Belgium (No. 5), Uruguay (No. 6) and Switzerland (No. 7) are the other seven nations that will join the hosts as top seeds.
But there's a catch: If Uruguay do not advance to the 2014 World Cup after their intercontinental playoff against Jordan (ranked No. 70) in November, the Netherlands (No. 8) would take their spot.
The big move was made by Switzerland, who jumped seven spots from last month's ranking after wins over Slovenia and Albania earned them first place in their group in Europe (above). Their rise also bumped Italy, whose home draw vs. Armenia saw them drop to No. 9 and outside the World Cup seeding range.
32 NATIONS QUALIFIED TO THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP
Brazil
USA
Costa Rica
Honduras
Iran
Korea Republic
Japan
Australia
Argentina
Colombia
Ecuador
Chile
Belgium
Italy
Germany
Netherlands
Switzerland
Russia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
England
Spain
Burkina Faso or Algeria (Nov. 19)
Ivory Coast or Senegal (Nov. 16)
Ethiopia or Nigeria (Nov. 16)
Tunisia or Cameroon (Nov. 17)
Ghana or Egypt (Nov. 19)
Mexico or New Zealand (Nov. 13/14 and Nov. 20)
Uruguay or Jordan (Nov. 13/14 and Nov. 20)
Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine or France
Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine or France
Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine or France
Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine or France
Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig, the most interesting man in baseball.
By Tim Brown
By late Wednesday afternoon, when Game 5 was pretty much won, and the NLCS was a few outs from returning to St. Louis, and the Dodgers had had their fun, the shadow coming from Yasiel Puig's spikes leaked long and narrow and emptied at the warning track. So when Matt Holliday lobbed a ball between Puig and the right-field line, Puig followed it for a moment, and his sunglasses lit like sparklers, and he moved with some trepidation to the place he thought that ball might return to earth, black and fuzzy against the sun.
He guessed with his glove near his left knee, and hoped, I'm sure, that he'd not misjudged low and left. Neither was accurate. The ball fell and Holliday turned first base, heading for second. It fell softly, so bounded past Puig but not disastrously past, and it was what Puig did next that caused every brow in the ballpark to wrinkle.
In the ninth inning of Game 5 of the NLCS, with the Dodgers playing for anything but a catastrophic inning, Puig appeared to loaf after that ball. Perhaps he was temporarily blinded. Perhaps he knew Holliday would reach second base in both the best or worst scenarios. Perhaps he was sandbagging Holliday into risking third base. Perhaps he knew somehow the Cardinals would put up a wispy fight, would three times put the potential trying run at the plate but ultimately surrender two runs short.
Puig turned and half-trotted back, a man chasing a soda lid in a light breeze. Someone else's soda lid. One he wouldn't mind tumbling away if it did. He picked up the ball, tossed it in, retook his position, held his glove to his face to shield the sun for the next batter, and that was that. The Dodgers won, Puig answered questions afterward by praising his teammates, then directing the conversation toward the difficult game ahead, in which Clayton Kershaw would oppose rookie Michael Wacha in Game 6 on Friday.
Here's the thing about Yasiel Puig: The game finds him. The sun finds him. Debatable strikes find him. Warning-shot fastballs find him, controversy not far behind. The man would be a magnet, if not for the fact he so repels the team in the other dugout, along with the fans in the other stadium. He hasn't been in the league a full season, and in the time of postseason tension and returning drug cheats and the usual matters of winning and losing, there is no more polarizing figure in the game than Yasiel Puig.
Ridiculously talented, just as headstrong, Puig conducts it all by way of his joy, his temper, and whatever's waiting out there next. It runs through his veins, like every heartbeat brings something fresh and oxygenated and wonderful and mystifying and horrifying. It's a helluva ride, assuming he can hold on. By all indications, the Cardinals are not amused. Puig can live with that, presumably. The Dodgers can, too.
It's just a game, after all. And if Puig wants to hold the ball in right field, begging runners to test him, well, that's his prerogative, and won't it be interesting the day somebody takes him up on it. Won't it be dramatic.
And when the game's there to win or lose, it has to be Puig in the on-deck circle, then shuffling to the plate, sketching what appears to be a cross in the dirt with his bat, finding his place in the batter's box, stepping out, swinging for effect, stepping back in. It's his moment. His drama. Eruption or implosion. Something spectacular.
He took apart the Atlanta Braves in the division series. He was hitless with six strikeouts in 10 at-bats in St. Louis, including 0 for 4 with four strikeouts in Game 2, started by Wacha. He was five for nine with a triple in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have grinned and shrugged and let him be, because they're better with him, particularly so with Hanley Ramirez batting .167 in the NLCS, Andre Ethier batting .176, Juan Uribe batting .150 and Matt Kemp riding a scooter since surgery. The Cardinals have changed the subject.
"No, no comment," Zack Greinke said, "since he's on my team."
Take that as you will.
Those who won't approve insist Puig respect the game, whatever that means anymore. What they're really saying is respect it in the exact manner they do. But can the game be any more honored than by a guy who can't sit still, and can hardly live with the failure, and would gladly stand amid the drama? Especially the drama he created.
That's why the scene in right field was just so odd, but then again speaks to what makes Puig more captivating and more polarizing than any other man on the field. What you just saw might be crazy. Or amazing. Or perplexing. What's next might be crazier.
College Football Playoff reveals full selection committee.
By John Taylor
While the vast majority of the names had already been leaked, the College Football Playoff officially announced the member of the group that will shape the postseason for the foreseeable future.
The 13-member committee, which you can view in its entirety below, will be charged with selecting the four teams that will take part in the College Football Playoff that will begin following the 2014 regular season. Generally speaking, each selection committee member will serve an unpaid, three-year term, although the initial terms could be longer or shorter depending on unknown variables.
While the number is 13 now, that total could go up or down moving into future seasons.
“We wanted people of the highest integrity for this committee, and we got them. Every one of them has vast football knowledge, excellent judgment, dedication and love for this game,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, in a statement. “They will no doubt have one of the hardest jobs in sports.
But their skills and wide variety of experiences from coaches and athletes to university leaders and journalists will ensure that they will be successful. And they are committed to investing the time and effort necessary for this endeavor. We are grateful that they will be serving this terrific game of college football.”
Individuals with experience as a coach, player, administrator and journalist, as well as sitting athletic directors, were considered for the committee. Out of more than a hundred expressing interest at various points, the following baker’s dozen constitutes the initial selection committee:
- Jeff Long, vice-chancellor and director of athletics, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Chair
- Barry Alvarez, director of athletics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Lieutenant General Mike Gould, former superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy
- Pat Haden, director of athletics, University of Southern California
- Tom Jernstedt, former NCAA executive vice president
- Oliver Luck, director of athletics, West Virginia University
- Archie Manning, former University of Mississippi quarterback and all-pro NFL quarterback
- Tom Osborne, former head coach and director of athletics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Dan Radakovich, director of athletics, Clemson University
- Condoleezza Rice, Stanford University professor, former Stanford provost and former United States Secretary of State
- Mike Tranghese, former commissioner of the Big East Conference
- Steve Wieberg, former college football reporter, USA Today
- Tyrone Willingham, former head coach of three FBS institutions
If you were curious as to the accomplishments of the committee as a group, which will be chaired by Long, as a group, the CFP release broke it down for you.
In aggregate, the selection committee members have roughly 230 years of experience in college football. The group includes 10 people who played college football, two former top-level university administrators, five current athletics directors, three members of the College Football Hall of Fame, three former college football head coaches, a former United States Secretary of State, a former member of Congress, and a retired three-star general.
In addition, the group includes a Rhodes Scholar, two Academic All-Americans, three Phi Beta Kappa graduates, and a retired journalist who won numerous awards as a reporter. Collectively the group has 26 degrees of higher learning, including eight master’s degrees, two law degrees, and two doctoral degrees.
While one key component, the committee, was revealed, just how the teams will be selected by the group remains vague and without any type of mandated structure.
A basketball-like RPI was mentioned as a possibility, although at this point in time the members will rely simply on factors such as win-loss record, strength of schedule, head-to-head results and conference championships won. They are, though, not limited solely to only those factors.
“Unlike the BCS, which uses a formula based on a combination of computer rankings and human polls to select teams, selection committee members for the new playoff will have flexibility to examine whatever data they believe is relevant to inform their decisions,” the release stated.
In a press conference currently ongoing, Long mentioned that injuries would be another factor that the committee could take into consideration, saying “it would be unfair if we didn’t take [them] into account.”.
The release further adds that “the selection committee will meet several times in person to evaluate teams and prepare interim rankings during the regular season. It will meet again during selection weekend and will announce the pairings for the playoff.”
Rankings consisting of a Top 25 will likely be released 4-5 times a year, with the first coming around midseason. Unfortunately, individual Top 25s will not be released, which rips to shreds the notion of transparency that most thought there would be and which the sports’ leaders had hinted at repeatedly throughout the run-up to this announcement.
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