Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
Sports Quote of the Day:
"Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows." ~ Michael London, American Producer
By John Mullin
When Josh McCown was asked following the Washington game what Jay Cutler could do that he, McCown, couldn’t, McCown replied simply, “Have you seen him throw?”
The self-deprecation was amusing, but not necessarily the entire story of McCown passing. With zero preparation since training camp, McCown went into the Washington game cold and completed 70 percent of his passes (14 of 20) to post a 119.6 passer rating – a mark Cutler himself has reached only nine times in eight NFL seasons.
McCown threw no interceptions vs. Washington and teammates were smiling at the perception that the 34-year-old arm wasn’t what it needed to be.
“He has good velocity on [the ball],” said running back Matt Forte. “He’s probably just downplaying his arm a little bit, maybe because he’s an old cat.”
Bears receivers had a similar situation briefly last season when Cutler was down with a concussion and Jason Campbell was installed as the starter for San Francisco (McCown was re-signed the week of that game by the Bears).
Campbell did not throw with the velocity of Cutler but he was earlier than Cutler in making his throws, with the net effect that the ball was on the receivers at nearly the same time, just not traveling as fast.
“[McCown] has great anticipation on the ball,” Forte said. “You can see when guys are running routes, the ball is in the air before they even turn around. That adds to it.”
Put another way, the football – like an old cat – can sneak up on you.
Bears not ruling out early return for Cutler.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
The Chicago Bears aren't ruling out an early return for quarterback Jay Cutler from a torn groin muscle that was expected to sideline him for at least four weeks.
Cutler hopes to be back sooner than that.
''That's the goal,'' he said.
Cutler addressed the media Tuesday for the first time since he was injured in a loss at Washington on Oct. 20. The Bears said he would miss at least a month and be evaluated week to week after that.
Coach Marc Trestman said that timeline was based on what doctors said is the norm for a player with Cutler's injury. It doesn't mean he can't come back sooner. He also said the doctors will decide when Cutler is ready.
''It could happen faster,'' Trestman said. ''Jay's optimistic; we all are. But I'm not saying we're not bringing Jay back for four weeks. That's what the doctors have said and we'll work off that timeline. If it happens quicker, that would be great.''
Trestman did not declare Cutler out for Monday's game at Green Bay but said it's ''highly unlikely'' he would play.
''You never want to say never,'' he said. ''I would say it's highly unlikely that Jay will be playing on Monday night, but I would not want to make it 100 percent at this point in time.''
Assuming Cutler sits out as expected, Josh McCown will start.
The Bears host Detroit the following week, and while receiver Brandon Marshall told Chicago's WMVP-AM 1000 on Monday the quarterback would be ready for that game, Cutler grinned when asked about that.
''He's optimistic. And so am I,'' Cutler said. ''So we'll see how it goes.''
Cutler got knocked out of the Redskins game early in the second quarter on a sack by Chris Baker. He stayed down for several minutes and limped off the field.
Besides Cutler, Chicago also lost Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs to a small fracture in his left shoulder in that game. He was expected to miss about six weeks, leaving the struggling Bears (4-3) without their most important players on offense and defense.
They've dropped three of four, and after an off week, the schedule isn't exactly taking an easy turn.
Stopping Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, not to mention Ndamukong Suh and the Lions, would have been tough enough at full strength. Now, the Bears are trying to keep pace in the NFC North with key pieces missing.
Cutler was enjoying his best season in recent memory in his first year under Trestman, but things took a bad turn for him at Washington. He struggled in that game, and when he went down, there was no hiding his agony.
''This has been the most significant pain-wise that I've had,'' Cutler said.
He said he's seeing improvement but wouldn't get into specifics about his recovery or his rehab.
Assuming he doesn't make an early comeback, this is the second time in three years that Cutler is missing a significant portion of the season because of an injury. In 2011, a broken thumb kept him out of the final six games and sent the Bears into a freefall that cost general manager Jerry Angelo his job.
The groin injury is causing him to miss time in a contract year and could have heavy financial ramifications after the season.
''Doesn't matter what year it is, you never want to get injured,'' Cutler said.
For now, he said he's pushing himself as much as he can. He played some catch during Tuesday's practice but did not move around, Trestman said.
The Bears believe they're in a better position to get by without Cutler than they were in 2011 because of the weapons they now have. Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall wasn't around back then, nor were Alshon Jeffery or tight end Martellus Bennett, and running back Matt Forte missed the final four games that year with a knee injury.
McCown will have help around him. As for Cutler?
''Whenever they give me the green light, we're going to go in there rocking and we can't look back,'' he said. ''So whenever that happens, you'll see me out there.''
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Toews powers Blackhawks past Senators.
By JAY COHEN (AP Sports Writer)
The Chicago Blackhawks were struggling. Nikolai Khabibulin was yanked in the second period, and the Ottawa Senators looked ready to put away a big road win.
Then Corey Crawford came in, and Jonathan Toews took off.
Toews had three goals and an assist, Crawford made 14 saves in relief of an ineffective Khabibulin and the Blackhawks rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Senators on Tuesday night.
''The last couple times we've been down in the third period, or down a goal a two later on in the game, we've found a way to finish better than if we've had the lead,'' Toews said. ''We have that confidence that we can come back if we're down a goal, or whatever.''
Andrew Shaw scored twice and Marian Hossa had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks, who trailed 4-2 with 8:46 left in the second period. It was Hossa's 100th goal with Chicago and No. 439 for his career.
The Senators scored three times in a span of four shots in the second, but were unable to hold off the suddenly high-scoring Blackhawks. Kyle Turris and Milan Michalek each had a goal and an assist in Ottawa's fourth loss in five games.
''The things we did to get the lead at 4-2, whether their goalie was good or bad or indifferent, we did a lot of good things to make the score 4-2 and then we stopped doing them,'' Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said.''The last couple times we've been down in the third period, or down a goal a two later on in the game, we've found a way to finish better than if we've had the lead,'' Toews said. ''We have that confidence that we can come back if we're down a goal, or whatever.''
Andrew Shaw scored twice and Marian Hossa had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks, who trailed 4-2 with 8:46 left in the second period. It was Hossa's 100th goal with Chicago and No. 439 for his career.
The Senators scored three times in a span of four shots in the second, but were unable to hold off the suddenly high-scoring Blackhawks. Kyle Turris and Milan Michalek each had a goal and an assist in Ottawa's fourth loss in five games.
Toews sparked Chicago's rally when he tested Craig Anderson with 5 1/2 minutes left in the second, and his first attempt popped over the goal. The captain then skated to the back of the net and slammed in a wraparound for his fifth goal of the season.
The Blackhawks kept coming in the third period, and Toews tied it at 4 when he finished off a perfect pass from defenseman Johnny Oduya at 1:20. Toews completed his third career hat trick when he pushed a rebound into an empty net midway through the period for a 5-4 Chicago lead.
''Jonny had a special game,'' Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. ''If you're a fan and you watched him play tonight, you're going to go 'Wow, that was a special performance.'''
Shaw and Ottawa's Zack Smith exchanged goals down the stretch, and the Blackhawks held on for their second victory in as many nights. The defending Stanley Cup champions beat Minnesota 5-1 on Monday.
The Blackhawks kept coming in the third period, and Toews tied it at 4 when he finished off a perfect pass from defenseman Johnny Oduya at 1:20. Toews completed his third career hat trick when he pushed a rebound into an empty net midway through the period for a 5-4 Chicago lead.
''Jonny had a special game,'' Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. ''If you're a fan and you watched him play tonight, you're going to go 'Wow, that was a special performance.'''
Shaw and Ottawa's Zack Smith exchanged goals down the stretch, and the Blackhawks held on for their second victory in as many nights. The defending Stanley Cup champions beat Minnesota 5-1 on Monday.
Clarke MacArthur had two assists for the Senators, and Anderson finished with 34 saves. MacArthur missed Ottawa's previous game with what the team called a minor injury.
''We scored five goals, we should win the game,'' Anderson said. ''We need to take a little bit more pride and keep the puck out of our net and play a little tougher in front of our net.''
Ottawa appeared to be in control after one dizzying stretch in the second.
MacArthur sparked the scoring spree when he charged toward the net from the right side, setting up Turris' power-play score from in-close that gave Ottawa a 2-1 lead at 6:51.
Hossa responded 50 seconds later, converting a nice pass from Toews, but Senators were just getting started against the slumping Khabibulin.
Joe Corvo's long slap shot whistled by teammate Bobby Ryan and into the net for his first goal of the season. Then Mika Zibanejad skated past sliding Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith and beat Khabibulin to make it 4-2 at 11:14.
That was enough for Quenneville, who replaced Khabibulin with regular starter Crawford. Khabibulin made 18 saves and has allowed 10 goals while facing 47 shots in his past two games.
''No, I can't really say,'' Quenneville said when asked if he can pinpoint why Khabibulin is struggling so much. ''It was just one of those nights. We'll look at it and try to get better.''
Crawford's entry prompted a big cheer from the crowd, and the Blackhawks seemed to feed off the switch.
Sharp had two assists and Toews extended his points streak to five games. Toews has five goals and four assists during the stretch.
''I don't know if it's anything special going on,'' Toews said. ''Sometimes you go through ups and downs when you're scoring and things are going in, and other nights, maybe not so much.''
NOTES: C Michal Handzus (upper-body injury) was among the Blackhawks' scratches, and Quenneville said he probably would remain out through this weekend.
The 36-year-old Handzus hasn't played since a 6-5 overtime loss at Tampa Bay on Thursday. ... The Blackhawks will visit President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday to celebrate their second Stanley Cup title in four seasons. ... Chicago has one power-play goal in each of the past six games. ... Toews also had a hat trick in the 2010 playoffs against Vancouver.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Heat get rings, then hold off Bulls 107-95.
''We scored five goals, we should win the game,'' Anderson said. ''We need to take a little bit more pride and keep the puck out of our net and play a little tougher in front of our net.''
Ottawa appeared to be in control after one dizzying stretch in the second.
MacArthur sparked the scoring spree when he charged toward the net from the right side, setting up Turris' power-play score from in-close that gave Ottawa a 2-1 lead at 6:51.
Hossa responded 50 seconds later, converting a nice pass from Toews, but Senators were just getting started against the slumping Khabibulin.
Joe Corvo's long slap shot whistled by teammate Bobby Ryan and into the net for his first goal of the season. Then Mika Zibanejad skated past sliding Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith and beat Khabibulin to make it 4-2 at 11:14.
That was enough for Quenneville, who replaced Khabibulin with regular starter Crawford. Khabibulin made 18 saves and has allowed 10 goals while facing 47 shots in his past two games.
''No, I can't really say,'' Quenneville said when asked if he can pinpoint why Khabibulin is struggling so much. ''It was just one of those nights. We'll look at it and try to get better.''
Crawford's entry prompted a big cheer from the crowd, and the Blackhawks seemed to feed off the switch.
Sharp had two assists and Toews extended his points streak to five games. Toews has five goals and four assists during the stretch.
''I don't know if it's anything special going on,'' Toews said. ''Sometimes you go through ups and downs when you're scoring and things are going in, and other nights, maybe not so much.''
NOTES: C Michal Handzus (upper-body injury) was among the Blackhawks' scratches, and Quenneville said he probably would remain out through this weekend.
The 36-year-old Handzus hasn't played since a 6-5 overtime loss at Tampa Bay on Thursday. ... The Blackhawks will visit President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday to celebrate their second Stanley Cup title in four seasons. ... Chicago has one power-play goal in each of the past six games. ... Toews also had a hat trick in the 2010 playoffs against Vancouver.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Heat get rings, then hold off Bulls 107-95.
By TIM REYNOLDS (AP Basketball Writer)
They got their rings before the game, then a challenge as it was winding down.
The Miami Heat responded to both.
Shane Battier went 4 for 4 from 3-point range, including a critical one from the right corner with 1:33 remaining, and the Heat wasted most of what was a 25-point lead before holding off Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls 107-95 on Tuesday night in the season-opener for both teams.
''You never know what to expect when you're trying to keep the main thing the main thing, and that's the game,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''But you can't deny the emotions and what a special moment it was for everybody in the organization because we know how difficult that was and how harrowing that was last season. So it was great to actually get the win after that to cap off a very good night for the Miami Heat.''
LeBron James had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Miami, which got its 2013 NBA championship rings and raised the franchise's third banner in a pregame ceremony. The Heat trailed 9-2 early, then outscored Chicago 52-24 over the remainder of the first half.
Rose finished with 12 points in 34 minutes in his first game since a serious knee injury in April 2012. Carlos Boozer had 31 points and seven rebounds for Chicago, which got within eight points in the final minutes.
But Battier's right-corner 3 - a staple for the Heat - snuffed out the comeback, and Miami wasn't in trouble again.
Shane Battier went 4 for 4 from 3-point range, including a critical one from the right corner with 1:33 remaining, and the Heat wasted most of what was a 25-point lead before holding off Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls 107-95 on Tuesday night in the season-opener for both teams.
''You never know what to expect when you're trying to keep the main thing the main thing, and that's the game,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''But you can't deny the emotions and what a special moment it was for everybody in the organization because we know how difficult that was and how harrowing that was last season. So it was great to actually get the win after that to cap off a very good night for the Miami Heat.''
LeBron James had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Miami, which got its 2013 NBA championship rings and raised the franchise's third banner in a pregame ceremony. The Heat trailed 9-2 early, then outscored Chicago 52-24 over the remainder of the first half.
Rose finished with 12 points in 34 minutes in his first game since a serious knee injury in April 2012. Carlos Boozer had 31 points and seven rebounds for Chicago, which got within eight points in the final minutes.
But Battier's right-corner 3 - a staple for the Heat - snuffed out the comeback, and Miami wasn't in trouble again.
''We're not trying to pull close. There were a lot of corrections that we have to make,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''It always comes back to the same thing - our defense and our rebounding. And if we could have taken better care of the ball early on, we would have been in position to win down the stretch.''
Chris Bosh scored 16 points, Battier finished with 14 and Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers each had 13 for Miami, which had seven players score in double figures. Ray Allen and Norris Cole each scored 11 for Miami.
Rose shot 4 for 15 for the Bulls.
''I think we had a lot to do with it,'' Allen said.
Said Rose: ''If anything, I'm disappointed in the loss. My performance, I can easily change that by making shots and keep down the turnovers.''
By halftime, Miami was rolling, up 54-33 - putting the game on pace for a 108-66 final, which would have exactly matched the score of the game in 2006 when Chicago came into Miami and spoiled the Heat franchise's first ring night.
Not this time, though the Bulls made it plenty interesting down the stretch.
A layup by Butler with 5:34 left got the Bulls within 15, and after he missed the ensuing free throw, the rebound made its way to Kirk Hinrich - who made a 3-pointer that cut Miami's lead to 91-79.
Hinrich fouled out on the ensuing Miami possession. Wade scored seconds later, the Heat followed that with a stop, and James simply overpowered Luol Deng in the post on the next trip to restore the 16-point lead.But again, the Bulls weren't done, cutting the lead to 95-87 on a drive by Boozer with 2:47 left. They would get no closer, and James raved about Miami's balance.
''It's a team game,'' James said. ''That's what this team is put together for.''
Rose's start was promising early, with two drives for impressive scores. The Bulls led 15-10 when Rose checked out for the first time with 3:36 left in the opening quarter.
When he returned, the lead was gone for good. The Heat outscored the Bulls 13-3 in Rose's first stint on the bench, turning a five-point lead into a five-point deficit, and by then the Heat were off and running.
Over a 4-minute stretch of the second quarter, everything changed.
Rose's surgically repaired knee might be fine, but in the basketball vernacular, Cole broke the ankles of the 2011 NBA MVP - starting a run that turned what was a tight game into a romp. Cole faked out Rose on the dribble, causing the Bulls' star to tumble over, and the Heat reserve connected on an 18-foot jumper that sent the Miami bench leaping from its seats.
''There was a lot of emotions going on,'' Cole said.
That began the 17-0 run. The Bulls missed nine straight shots, Rose getting blocked by Bosh on one, and the Heat went to work. Miami shot 7 for 10 during the burst, which was capped by a driving layup by James with 4:23 left, and suddenly the Heat led 41-20.
It was a runaway, and became a grind-it-out win.
NOTES: Going back to last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, Miami has won five straight games over the Bulls. ... James is 31 points shy of 25,000 for his career, if including regular-season and playoff games. He would be the 28th player in NBA history to reach that milestone.
As Game 6 looms, this World Series has become special through glorious imperfection.
By Tim Brown
In the waning minutes of Monday night after the Boston Red Sox had won, and as the World Series prepared to return here for either an abiding moment in Red Sox history or another really foul one, David Ross, one of their catchers, said something that made such sense.
Somebody had been rooting around in statistics that revealed the bottom of the Red Sox lineup hadn't done much in the series (though a cursory glance at the at-bats themselves should have sufficed), and mentioned to Ross that, offensively speaking, this group of men had been largely absent lately.
Ross has been around, mostly as a backup catcher. If you didn't know, these are among the most reasonable people on the planet. What you come to know as a backup catcher – humility, patience, strength of character, sunflower seed flicking – gives one great perspective upon retiring as an active player and becoming a bullpen catcher.
Anyway, Ross was asked about this particular malady of the Red Sox, who, at that very moment, were leading the World Series 3-2 over the St. Louis Cardinals. Game 6 is Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
And Ross said, "There's a reason why we hit at the bottom of the order. There's a reason why I hit in the eight hole and the nine hole in the American League; I'm not very good at hitting.”
Ross smiled and the room, usually a rather grim place this time of year, laughed with him.
"I know David [Ortiz] makes it look easy,” he said. "But it's work for me. I think we're all doing the best we can working on a daily basis.”
Baseball's not a game of perfect. When it is, I'll stop watching, and David Ross – and a whole lot of other guys – will have to go do something else for a living and maybe take fewer fastballs to the mask. The reason baseball looks hard, except in rare cases, is because it is, and the reason this World Series has been slightly disjointed and occasionally horrifying but entirely riveting is because sometimes baseball just says so. There's probably not a stat for that.
Late Sunday night, in the bustling corridors between clubhouses at Busch Stadium, when a walk-off pickoff had followed a walk-off obstruction call the night before, Joe Torre and I happened to lock eyes. We smiled dumbly. He said, "I can't wait to see how tomorrow night's game ends.”
When Game 4 had died on the basepaths, at least one pitch before anyone expected it to, and Kolten Wong had introduced himself to America in the clumsiest way possible (thus ending Carlos Beltran's at-bat prematurely), one reporter in the press box cried, "Can't one of these games just end on a fly ball to the outfield?”
Not 24 hours later, Koji Uehara threw a pitch and Matt Holliday got under it a little, and right fielder Daniel Nava caught it, which is how Game 5 concluded in eight minutes shy of three hours, which may qualify as the oddest ending yet to a World Series game.
So, the series has gone a little sideways. There've been 11 errors committed in five games. There's been controversy, and a postgame umpire news conference, and allegations of cheating, and apparently some kind of labor slowdown by certain members of both teams' lineups, and on Tuesday afternoon the St. Louis Cardinals' charter flight was delayed because of mechanical issues. Maybe the clutch went out.
All that is not a reason to hate a series. It's a reason to love it. Sure it's flawed. A little ugly in parts. Didn't we agree just a week ago these are the two best teams in baseball? So they haven't exactly played that way.
Not necessarily in this context, but as John Lackey himself said Tuesday, "These days the word ‘expert' gets thrown around way too much. We're all experts.”
I'm guessing the lady at the stenotype machine was slow to the sarcasm font there.
As the Boston Red Sox took batting practice on a cool evening in the Back Bay, and the Cardinals hoped to God their iPads wouldn't run out of juice on a tarmac in St. Louis, what waited was Game 6. At Fenway Park. To perhaps end a series that I've fallen for. From the ball that fell to the feet of Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina in Game 1, to the ball Craig Breslow threw into the stands in Game 2, to the ball Jarrod Saltalamacchia threw to the tarp in Game 3, to the ball Seth Maness threw to Jonny Gomes' bat barrel in Game 4, to the ball that dropped into Nava's glove 2 hours and 52 minutes after the first pitch in Game 5, this has been charming, if not always glorious, baseball. And it is why I expect nothing less – or is it more? – for Game 6.
Even the title of the event – Game 6 of the World Series – holds a significant place in the history of the franchises. In most of our lifetimes, Bill Buckner whiffed a grounder in a Game 6. David Freese hit a home run in a Game 6. In between, a lot of good happened. And some bad.This Game 6? Lackey and Michael Wacha, in a city that can't quite believe this is happening, in a series that hasn't yet decided what it will be. As David Ross might say, it's doing the best it can.
Crouching world championship, hidden Tiger.
By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)
Three years ago at Sheshan International, hundreds of fans wanting an autograph stood outside the clubhouse where Tiger Woods was signing his scorecard at the HSBC Champions. They excitedly began chanting in Chinese, ''We want Tiger! We want Tiger!''
Their hopes faded and the chanting stopped when they realized he had left, and then a lone voice pierced the late afternoon air with a wistful plea in broken English.
''Tiger, where are you?''
That question resonates even louder this year.
The HSBC Champions embarks on a new era as a World Golf Championship that finally is treated the same as the other three - an official PGA Tour event.
But there's one big difference. Woods is a no-show.
He has been a huge supporter - and financial benefactor - of the WGCs since they began in 1999 by playing in 41 of 44 events. The three he missed were the Match Play in Australia when it was held just after the holidays in 2001, and two in early 2010 when Woods was recovering from the scandal in his personal life.
That he is not playing in Shanghai after a year that featured five wins and two injuries is not the issue. Eight other top players are not playing, either. The golf season never ends. Players can and should take breaks when it best suits their schedules. Adam Scott also is missing, though he faces a month of celebration in Australia, his first time home since winning the Masters.
What makes Woods' absence so unsettling to tournament organizers is that he's already in China.
He was in Hainan Island on Monday for an exhibition match (and a reported $2 million fee) against Rory McIlroy. He has at least one more outing, maybe more, scheduled this week in Asia. Woods and McIlroy played in China last year and both skipped the HSBC at Mission Hills. Two years ago, Woods was in Australia for outings during the HSBC, regarded as ''Asia's major.''
''I do think that's something, from the tour's point of view, that does need to be looked at,'' Giles Morgan, global head of sponsorship and events for HSBC, said Tuesday. ''I'm not here to knock Tiger at all, because I feel that he's been absolutely instrumental in the growth. But we've reached a point where it's not about individuals. It's about growing the game of golf globally.
''I really hope that Tiger will want to come back in following years,'' he said. ''China is a vast country, so him playing a meaningless match yesterday doesn't really affect us. But yeah, we're disappointed.''
Morgan said he was told a few months ago by Woods' agent that this was not going to work with his schedule. After a week of corporate work, Woods is playing (for another big appearance fee) in the Turkish Open, a European Tour event.
Like other overseas events, HSBC once paid to get the best players. But now that it's a full-fledged WGC, big appearance fees have been replaced by an $8.5 million purse.
''What I can't do is pay him,'' Morgan said. ''And I feel enormously strong about that.
This is a World Golf Championship. This is the flagship event of Asia. This is going to be the beacon to carry the game into this continent for many years to come. We could do the wrong thing by golf and drop the prize money right down and just pay one or two players huge fees. From a publicity standpoint, that would give us a certain amount of kudos because we'd get the top player in the world. And I'm absolutely not going down that route.
''We have an opportunity to be a genuine top 10 event in the world,'' he said. ''That requires a massive investment, which we're pleased to do. And that means we want to be an authentic sponsor in the world of golf.''
Morgan looked out across the range at Sheshan International at one of his strongest fields ever - 40 of the top 50 in the world, a group that includes McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, U.S. Open champion Justin Rose and PGA champion Jason Dufner. There are nearly two dozen Americans in the field. He believes it will get even stronger as more players realize the economic potential of playing in China.
Woods was instrumental in getting the HSBC Champions launched. He was runner-up in 2005 and 2006, attracting huge crowds. He returned in 2009 when it was a WGC (though not official on the PGA Tour) and was upstaged by Mickelson in the final round. And the London-based financial company has been involved with Woods as a founding partner of the Tiger Woods Learning Center.
''He's genuinely a friend of the company,'' Morgan said.
Woods hasn't been back since 2010.
These outings could signal a change in his economic model, for Woods no longer has the blue-chip corporate support he enjoyed for so many years. Since his personal life crumbled after he was exposed for serial adultery at the end of 2009, he no longer has endorsement deals with Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade, Gillette and Tag Heuer.
EA Sports is the most recent corporate relationship to end, after 15 years.
Woods signed a deal with Rolex in October 2011, and five weeks later announced a deal with Florida-based Fuse Science to display its logo on his bag. For the last two years, however, he hasn't added another sponsor. What remains unknown is whether companies aren't interested or the price tag is too high.
Meanwhile, HSBC staged a photo call Tuesday afternoon in the riverfront Bund district to celebrate the start of the tournament. It wasn't long ago that Woods and Mickelson shared the stage by playing Chinese checkers. This time, defending champion Ian Poulter was joined by Mickelson, McIlroy, Dufner and Rose. They dressed in ceremonial cloaks with traditional weapons and performed with the Shanghai Jingju Company on a rooftop overlooking the Bund.
"The theme was ''returning heroes.''
Just not all of them.
Power Rankings: Matt Kenseth reclaims the top spot.
By Nick Bromberg
1. Matt Kenseth (LW: 2): Really, why hasn't someone taken the Matty Ice nickname from Matt Ryan and given it to Kenseth? I know we have Flatline, but I can't be the only person that wants to call him Matty Ice. Regardless, we're going to stick with the cliche "Kenseth did what he had to do" at Martinsville line because it's true. It would just be a shame if either Kenseth or Johnson had a mechanical failure over the next three races to make what's been a fight that looks destined to go all 10 rounds a TKO.
Lucky Dog: Denny Hamlin didn't back up his hot talk after winning the pole with a win, but finished seventh. That's pretty much a win for Hamlin these days. So maybe he did back it up.
The DNF: Dang, David Ragan. After qualifying in the top 10, the engine on his car went sour and he finished dead last.
Dropped Out: Ragan
Wenger won't panic after Arsenal's latest slip.
By Steven Griffiths
Arsene Wenger insists there is no reason to panic after Arsenal slumped to a lacklustre 2-0 defeat against Chelsea in the League Cup fourth round.
Wenger's side suffered a second successive home defeat as the Blues cruised into the last eight thanks to goals from Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Wenger, who had seen his team defeated by Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium seven days previously in their Champions League group game.
Inevitably the two results will be seen as proof that Arsenal are still lacking the quality to end their eight-year trophy drought despite their impressive climb to the top of the Premier League table.
But, given that both Arsenal and Chelsea made a host of changes for Tuesday's tie, Wenger has no intention of rushing to condemn his players as also-rans.
"Lets not go too quick to a conclusion. If you take the points we have made since January we have got more than anybody else," Wenger said.
"After losing the first game of the season against Aston Villa people said we were relegated and there would be a revolution, but now we are in a strong position in the league.
"It's true that it is difficult to swallow what has happened in the last two weeks, but the mistakes are so obvious that they can be corrected and we have to do that."
With Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud only introduced in the second half, Arsenal sorely lacked a cutting edge, especially with Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner delivering a poor performance in a rare start.
Yet Wenger maintained he was right to rotate his team to keep the key players fresh for the weekend's league clash against Liverpool.
"It was a very tight game that was decided on one or two mistakes," he said. "You can't play always with the same players, you have to rotate at some stage.
"We have to respond well on Saturday against Liverpool. They are in a good position in the league, but we have to turn this around. You know it is vital to win the big games."
While Wenger looks for an immediate response from his team, Chelsea are riding the crest of a wave at present.
Just two days after defeating title rivals Manchester City, Jose Mourinho's men inflicted another psychological blow on one of their main rivals.
Mourinho made 10 changes to the team that beat City, but was still able to name a strong starting line-up featuring the likes of Mata, Samuel Eto'o, David Luiz and Willian and the gulf in class between Chelsea's stand-ins and Arsenal's shadow squad was clear to see.
Mata was the catalyst as he pulled in the strings in midfield with his clever passing before clinching the win with a superb 66th minute strike from the edge of the penalty area.
The Spaniard has struggled to break into Mourinho's team, but Blues assistant boss Steve Holland made it clear Mata will get his share of game time if he keeps performing like that.
"We have seen that before from Mata, so it's not a surprise. It was another fantastic moment for him," Holland said.
"If you look back at the fixtures he started more than his fair share of the big games.
"Jose, when he addressed the team before kick-off, asked to be given selection problems for the weekend.
"He wants headaches and wants everyone playing well when they get a chance. You have to say they responded."
Holland believes Chelsea are gradually improving after a slow start to Mourinho's second spell in charge and he added: "The bottom line is two results like this give you confidence.
"It's taken a bit of time in the early weeks but Jose's principles of play have been hammered home in training and there's been signs in the last few weeks that it's coming through."
Why World Cup expansion would hurt U.S.
By Martin Rogers
In a little over a year, the United States could be handed what would amount to be a free pass into every World Cup.
As wonderful as it would be for the U.S. to be guaranteed a spot in soccer's biggest showcase, the proposed qualification reshuffle that may lead to such an eventuality is nothing short of a horrible idea.
It has all come about because of the political rumblings within FIFA, international soccer's governing body, and the power struggle between current president Sepp Blatter and former French soccer superstar Michel Platini, who wants to oust Blatter in 2015 when he comes up for re-election.
Blatter wants to increase his power base in Africa and Asia by proposing additional World Cup spots for representatives of those continents among the current field of 32. Platini accepts the fact that Africa and Asia are under-represented, but he wants to increase the total number of World Cup participants to 40, effectively keeping everyone happy.
Given the series of embarrassments under Blatter's reign and Platini's recent gains in momentum, it would be no surprise to see the Frenchman – and his new World Cup blueprint – come into power.
Under Platini's plan, an increase of eight countries would add two extra spots for Africa, two for Asia, one for Europe and one for Oceania. Critically for the U.S., it would also add either one or two additional places for the CONCACAF region that comprises North and Central American teams and those from the Caribbean.
Currently, CONCACAF sends "3.5" teams to the World Cup, meaning that its top three finishers automatically qualify and the fourth-placed finisher is matched up against a nation from another region in a playoff. For example, Mexico faces New Zealand next month in a home-and-home format with a single berth at stake.
Expanding the World Cup field so that four or even five CONCACAF teams were certain of a spot would strip any drama out of the qualifying process as far as the U.S. is concerned.
The national team has now qualified for the last seven World Cups, but it has at least been forced to put in a healthy amount of hard work and weather some struggles to get there. Those efforts have helped mold the Americans into a more hardened unit and prepared them for the rigors of the tournaments ahead. Qualification matches would start to resemble little more than glorified exhibition games with the stronger teams of the region like the U.S., Costa Rica and Mexico needing only a couple of decent results to be sure of going through.
More than anything, Africa is a huge continent that has been under-served in terms of its World Cup representation, but it is hard to make such an argument for CONCACAF (or Asia).
Adding more teams would only dilute the talent pool of the World Cup, which is a wonderful spectacle at least in part because of its high level of competitiveness, a factor Platini seems to have overlooked as part of the feasibility study he has had carried out. An extra team in each of the eight groups may only add three days to the month-long tournament, but it would also bring in a level of stragglers unlikely to be able to match up with the big boys.
Based on how things have gone in qualifying for Brazil next summer, the additions would open the door to teams like Uzbekistan, Oman, Venezuela, Panama, Ethiopia and New Caledonia. No disrespect to any of those countries, but none of them are at elite world level or could be said to inject much quality into a World Cup field.
The unfortunate part about all this is that, for the most part, Platini's ideas for a healthier global game are generally better than those of Blatter. As head of European governing body UEFA, Platini has tried to curb the excessive spending of the biggest and wealthiest clubs to create a more level playing field, and he genuinely seems to care about developing the sport in a positive and harmonious way.
But Platini is way off base with his expansion plan. Due to his growing political muscle within the game, it may not be long before he and his flawed new system have become part of the fabric of the World Cup.
Athletic directors lobbying NCAA for more control of college sports.
By Dan Wetzel
Division I athletic directors made a presentation Tuesday in Indianapolis to the NCAA's Board of Directors that laid out a new governance system that would return much of the influence over the day-to-day operation of college sports back to ADs, Yahoo Sports has learned.
The plan would even call for athletic directors to be placed on the Board of Directors itself. That group is currently made up solely of university presidents.
The athletic directors, who believe they are on the front lines of the issues confronting college sports, are hoping to take a more hands-on approach and leave university presidents, who currently hold almost all power, to "broad policies, approving budgets, examining external trends" and other global issues, according to a document outlining the plan obtained by Yahoo Sports.
Morgan Burke and Mike Alden, athletic directors at Purdue and Missouri respectively, made the presentation on behalf of the Division IA Athletic Directors Association and the National Association of College Directors of Athletics.
The board of directors is set to discuss the merits of the proposal Wednesday. The board, as part of an ongoing open conversation over the future of college athletics spurred by president Mark Emmert, invited various groups to come to Indianapolis and make a presentation.
That included groups representing coaches, conference commissioners, athletes, compliance directors, faculty groups, the Knight Commission and others.
Nothing would be enacted this week and there would be further opportunity for discussion at the NCAA's annual convention in January.
The athletic directors' proposal is considered particularly influential because of their roles of running the on-campus operations of some 350 schools of all shapes and sizes.
One source believes the proposal made by the athletic directors is, in general, similar to one made by the conference commissioners, easily the other most influential group in college athletics.
The athletic directors believe a group from their ranks would be better equipped to see potential pratfalls of new legislation and interpretations, react quickly and offer the from-the-trenches perspective of how governance from Indianapolis is playing out on campus.
There is widespread dissatisfaction with both the speed and transparency of the NCAA and its rulebook. It is also seen as too involved in unnecessary minutia and too inflexible to real world circumstances. All of this is playing out as the organization faces a number of lawsuits challenging its basic business practices.
The athletic directors' proposed administrative group might also include student-athlete representatives, according to a source.
"The new governance system should continue to have oversight by Presidents," the ADs' one-page proposal handed to the NCAA reads. "We recommend their focus be on broad policies, approving budgets, examining external trends, selecting the CEO, and selecting experienced ADs for the governance system. They should maintain veto power over legislation they deem incompatible with the general principles of the organization.
"This new governance system must have fair, timely, and efficient compliance and enforcement standards and practices.
"Experienced AD's should be essential leaders of the new governance system and should be represented at all levels. The AD's, who were selected by their Presidents, are in the position of leadership, responsibility and accountability for Intercollegiate Athletics and the well-being/welfare of student-athletes on their campus."
The concept of AD influence over the NCAA is not new. Up until last decade, athletic directors handled most of college sports governance, including seeing one of their own move up to president of the organization.
University presidents, however, took over in 2002, believing a more academic-minded group would better serve the NCAA and steer college sports away from trouble.
However, after numerous missteps and scandal, they may be willing to step back.
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