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Sports Quote of the Day:
"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win." ~ Sir Roger Bannister, ran the first timed sub-four-minute mile in history.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! 'Lost' Bears lose self-control and chance to take North lead.
By John Mullin
The discouraging theme for the Bears amid the aftershocks of their 43-21 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday was that there are obvious, almost uncharacteristic cracks that have formed and even widened since their long-ago 3-0 start, but the Bears simply don’t seem to know how to fix them.
Rams rookie Tavon Austin embarrassed the Bears’ defense for a 65-yard touchdown run on the game’s third play. Afterwards, Bears middle linebacker Jonathan Bostic unintentionally spoke for the entire defense, regarding that play and effectively the game: “I really don’t know what happened on that play,” Bostic said. “We have to watch the film and try to clean everything up.”
The accommodating rookie linebacker was just being honest, and it does sometimes require film after the fact to see exactly what went wrong. But the fact was that the Bears really didn’t seem to know what happened on that or a lot of plays, and that’s a problem.
One veteran told CSNChicago.com that as much as people want to point to the supposed age of the defense, a challenge is keeping so many young players from splintering when early catastrophes happen.
The things that the Bears (6-5) spent extra time and attention on last week remained major problems at a time when first place in the NFC North was theirs with a victory while the Detroit Lions (6-5) were bumbling away a game at home.
The offense was again stymied deep inside the red zone, failing to punch in for a touchdown on four plays inside the St. Louis 5 on the opening possession of the second half, and then needing eight trips to the line of scrimmage to score after a first down on the St. Louis 1 in the fourth. But for two Rams penalties, that possession has to settle for a field goal or less.
The discipline within the defense was no better even when penalty flags were not fluttering. The Rams (5-6) ran for 200 yards through three quarters, 258 for the game, as Bears linemen and linebackers were out of position and defensive backs were unable to make tackles either in time to prevent first downs or at all.
"(Failing to stop the run) is not the only reason why we got beat today," said coach Marc Trestman. "We had too many penalties, we turned the ball over (on a Matt Forte fumble and sack/strip of Josh McCown, both leading to touchdowns) and they got a quick touchdown early on.
“They got a fast start on offense, so there are a lot of reasons why you lose, and we didn't do a good job of stopping the run, obviously."
The Bears haven’t won consecutive games in more than two months, since beating Cincinnati, Minnesota and Pittsburgh to open the season. With the severity of problems running through NFC losses two of the past three weeks, winning two in a row and somehow reaching the 2013 postseason has suddenly fallen to feeling a like purely a theoretical exercise.
McCown completed a franchise-record 36 passes (out of 47) for 352 yards, a couple of touchdowns and another 100-plus passer rating (102.4) but did suffer his first interception after 148 pick-free attempts.
But when Austin ran through the defense for a 65-yard touchdown on the Rams’ third play and backup rookie running back Benny Cunningham running for 109 yards replacing injured rookie Zac Stacy (87 rush yards), the Bears' numbers are basically just statistical niceties.
Discipline issues
The lack of discipline (before and after the whistle) that produced 13 penalties (not including ones declined) and 111 lost yards was there again Sunday, with 10 accepted penalties costing the Bears 84 yards and likely some money in fines.
Arguably worse, the Rams pushed the Bears around for five drives of 69 yards or longer, all resulting in points. And the Bears, who have gotten worse instead of better against the run, were at a loss to stop the slide or the Rams.
Player discipline within the scheme was hard to find as players were out of position, lost containment against the run or broke down in pass coverage.
Indeed, the discipline issues involving penalties was a disturbing parallel to poor play overall, particularly on defense.
“We got down 10-0 right away to the Ravens last week and without the rain stopping things, who knows what would’ve happened?” one member of the defense said.
“This week we fall behind 14-0, we can’t stop the run when we know they’re running."
“That’s just not us.”
Or is it?
Week 12 Bears Grades: Coaching.
By John Mullin
Marc Trestman was confronted with an immediate coaching test when the Rams turned a couple of Bears mistakes on offense and defense into 14 points before the Bears had run even their second play. He and the staff managed to stay with the game plan for the most part, but that was one of the few positives in a game that saw the Bears undisciplined before and after the whistle, with dire consequences.
And for the second straight game the Bears fell behind by double-digits within a matter of minutes, this time without a thunderstorm to stop the game and allow them to regroup.
“Our guys were ready to play today,” Trestman insisted. “I think they were ready, and I think that showed up over the course of the game.”
What showed up, however, were not a lot of exhibits to support Trestman’s contention.
Special teams were called for three holding penalties, including one by Craig Steltz to nullify a touchdown punt return by Devin Hester.
That was matched with a holding penalty on Jermon Bushrod that nullified a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
As happened in the two failed two-point conversions vs. the Detroit Lions, the play calling seemed more intent on tricking the Rams rather than exploit clear personnel advantages. With a fourth-and-goal at the St. Louis 1-yard line in the third quarter, Trestman called for a Michael Bush run that went at right end Robert Quinn, rather than use the 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-6 receivers he has plus all-around back Matt Forte.
Putting the ball in the hands of no better than the fifth-best player on offense at that point simply was difficult to understand. Given the team’s recent struggles in the red zone, this one was particularly puzzling.
Penalties spoke to a breakdown of discipline in all areas, including one for too many men in the huddle in the third down. That was followed shortly by a delay of game that made a third-and-10 even longer. And the Bears held on that play, so a conversion would have been negated anyway.
“We knew (the Rams) would be ready for us after two weeks (with last Sunday off),” Trestman said. It was the Bears, however, who were not ready, whether to score inside the red zone (as they worked on with emphasis last week), to stop a generally average St. Louis offense or to give their offense and defense help on special teams.
Moon's Grade: F
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Shaw, Kruger lift Blackhawks over Canucks. 2-1
AP Sports
The Canucks made mistakes on back-to-back shifts against a team that knows a thing or two about scoring in quick succession.
It cost Vancouver dearly Saturday night.
Andrew Shaw and Marcus Kruger scored 9 seconds apart early in the third period and Corey Crawford made 36 saves to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1 victory that sent the Canucks to their sixth loss in seven games.
Saturday's barrage from the Blackhawks was reminiscent of their Stanley Cup-clinching goals 17 seconds apart late in Game 6 of June's final against the Boston Bruins.
''It can turn around pretty quick if we get some chances, especially the opportunities we got,'' said Crawford, who outdueled fellow Canadian Olympic hopeful Roberto Luongo. ''They were A-plus chances and usually we bury those and we did tonight.''
Shaw redirected a pass from Patrick Kane in front of Luongo to tie the score 1-1 at 4:40 of the final period, moments after Chicago's Patrick Sharp ripped a shot on a power play that went off the crossbar and both posts but stayed out.
''We got a greasy goal, a lucky one there to get us going, and then a big response the following shift. It was a big comeback,'' said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, whose team has scored a league-high 87 goals this season. ''We haven't had many games like this. Tight, tight games going into the third period so it's nice to find a way.''
One night after his team broke out with a 6-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets to snap a five-game losing streak that included just six Vancouver goals, Canucks coach John Tortorella lamented the two lapses in concentration.
''I think we beat ourselves there, and teams like Chicago will capitalize on that,'' he said. ''We kill a penalty, we get our guy on the ice and we throw the puck away - ends up in our net. A faceoff (play) we run and how we forecheck off a faceoff every time, we decide to go off the map with it and we give up an odd-man rush - it's in our net.
''That's a big part of the game.''
Ryan Kesler scored on a 5-on-3 man advantage in the first period for Vancouver, which has been held to one goal in 10 of its 25 games so far this season.
The Canucks are 0-9-3 when scoring two goals or less and 12-0-1 when scoring three times or more.
Despite Vancouver's struggles to find offense, Luongo said his team can't forget about its own end.
''We have to learn how to win some games 1-0, 2-1,'' said Luongo, who played on consecutive nights for the first time since November 2011 and finished with 27 saves. ''That's the way the league is right now. We can't just focus on the offense. If you look around the league, it's all low-scoring games. We have to find a way to win those.''
After Chicago took the lead, Vancouver's Dale Weise had a great chance to tie things up, but saw Crawford smother his backhand chance with under 8 minutes to go.
The Canucks continued to press late, with Alexandre Burrows fanning on a shot in front off a pass with Luongo on the bench for the extra attacker.
''We have to put pucks away. It can't just be one game and then you're off again,'' Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said. ''It's about getting that feeling when you're going to score goals. Right now it's not happening.''
Trailing 1-0 after the first period despite carrying the majority of the play, Chicago was thwarted by both Luongo and a lack of accuracy in front of goal in the second.
Johnny Oduya ripped a shot wide from the slot early in the period before Luongo stopped a Shaw by deflection and made a pad save on Brandon Saad.
Vancouver's No. 1-ranked penalty killing then fought off Chicago's first power-play opportunity of the night, with the Blackhawks' best chance coming when Jonathan Toews fired a shot wide from the slot.
Burrows, who hasn't scored in 14 games this season, then had a chance on a wraparound but couldn't find the range to beat Crawford.
''The most frustrating part is that you feel you're letting your teammates down,'' Burrows said of his slump. ''They're counting on you to score some goals and you're not getting the job done.''
Kesler opened the scoring with 1:27 left in the first period when Vancouver's 29th-ranked power play connected on a two-man advantage against Chicago's equally feeble 29th-ranked penalty killing unit. Jason Garrison's one-timer from the point rebounded right out to Kesler, who settled himself before burying his 10th of the season and first in eight games.
''I feel like we owned that first period and they come out on top, but we didn't get down on ourselves,'' Shaw said. ''We kept working and stuck to it all game and it just took nine seconds.''
NOTES: Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa missed the game for ''family reasons.'' The team did not provide a timeline for his return. ... Canucks forward Zach Kassian was benched for the third period and saw just 4:10 of ice time on the night. ... The Canucks conclude their season-long six-game homestand on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings. Vancouver opens a four-game road trip Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. ... The Blackhawks continue a season-high tying seven-game road trip on Monday against the Edmonton Oilers.
Blackhawks musings: Kane, Keith looking good on Circus Trip.
By Tracey Myers
Ah, another Sunday. It’s time for football, whether you’re tuning in to the NFL in the U.S. or huddling around the tube to watch the Grey Cup here in Canada.
But for us, a Sunday off for the Chicago Blackhawks also means musings. So while you watch the football of your choice today, enjoy a few Blackhawks musings.
1. Family comes first, no matter what. We were reminded of that on Saturday when we found out Marian Hossa flew back to Chicago for a “family matter,” according to coach Joel Quenneville. As of Sunday afternoon, there was no update on his situation, or news on if and when he would rejoin the team. Once again, we hope everything is OK. Hockey can wait.
2. Is it just us or is Duncan Keith looking very Norris Trophy candidate-like again this season?
3. Corey Crawford might have had his best game of the season on Saturday night. It’s not necessarily the number of stops — he had 36 of 37. It’s more about how he looked overall, and he looked confident and crisp against the Vancouver Canucks. Crawford was seeing just about every shot, he was square to the net and knocking (most) rebounds out of harm’s way. And despite now appearing in 22 of the Blackhawks’ last 24 games, Crawford said he feels fine. “I work hard in the summer to be ready,” he said. “We have enough time to recover. We have a day in between. That should be enough.”
4. Speaking of goaltending, here’s our guess of when we’ll see Antti Raanta: Monday night vs. the Edmonton Oilers and Friday against the Dallas Stars.
5. From the “Things We Should Be Aware Of” category: Patrick Kane is on a 10-game point streak. During this stretch, Kane has five goals (including two game-winners) and nine assists. Doesn’t matter who his linemates are, Kane just keeps scoring points.
6. We wrote in our Five Things heading into Saturday night’s game that any time Blackhawks defensemen get involved in helping to create offense, the team will be in great shape. Three defensemen each got an assist last night (Keith, Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson). As we were saying ...
7. In related news to the note above, the Swedish Olympic team scouts were at the Canucks-Blackhawks game last night. Hjalmarsson, Oduya and Marcus Kruger picked a good time to have a good night.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Blowout loss reflects Bulls' Rose hangover.
By Aggrey Sam
At least some of Sunday afternoon’s 121-82 loss to the Clippers at the Staples Center could be attributed to the collective hangover the Bulls were feeling in the aftermath of Derrick Rose’s potentially season-ending right-knee injury.
It didn’t help that the Clippers are one of the most offensively potent teams in the NBA and the other member of the Bulls’ starting backcourt, Jimmy Butler, is also back in Chicago, nursing a turf-toe injury suffered last Monday. But the fact remains that the Bulls are now losers of three consecutive games, the entirety of the “Circus Trip” thus far and with a shallow bench, not a lot of scoring options and the vaunted defense not playing at an upper-echelon level at the moment, things look grim.
“I believe in those guys in that locker room. I know what they are capable of, and we will get ourselves ready,” Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said after Sunday’s loss. “All we have is each other, so we’ve got to lift each other up. I don’t want them changing routines, know your opponent well, make yourself ready, have great concentration. I think this team has already shown that they have the capability of being a great defensive team, so I expect that. That wasn’t relying on one person that was relying on everybody to do their job. That’s the way we have to play and that’s the way we’re going to play.”
Translated from coach-speak, that means a lot of gritty defensive standoffs, a focus on precise offensive execution and a lot of ugly basketball games are in store. It remains to be seen whether the Bulls can muster up the focus necessary to do that on a regular basis, as they tried to keep up with the Clippers, offensively, a losing battle from the start, resulting in the home team shooting 62.5 percent from the field in the first half, as All-Star point guard Chris Paul had 11 of his 17 assists in the first two quarters.
“When you try and outscore people, particularly on the road, and you don’t bring a defensive mindset, bring a rebounding mindset, you’re going to be in for a long night,” Thibodeau explained. “We have to gather ourselves, prepare ourselves for [the Jazz on Monday]. The games are going to keep coming and I’ve got to do a better job of having them ready to do their job. We have to have an edge about us, and I don’t think we had that edge. That’s on me, I’ve got to have them ready to play.”
All-Star small forward Luol Deng, who scored a game-high 22 points, concurred: ““I thought the whole game we were just terrible defensively. I think when Derrick got hurt; it took us a little while to get into it. As a team, we have to come together and realize that we’re not going to outscore teams. Our defense and rebounding is going to be huge for us. That’s something we have to focus on and commit to as a group.”
It was clear that the shock of knowing Rose is again likely to be on the shelf for an extended period of time affected the Bulls and with Paul finding a cadre of proficient outside shooters, such as J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Jared Dudley, not to mention All-Star power forward Blake Griffin on the interior, it made for a bad mix for the visitors.
“The thing is, that’s there. We can use that if we choose. But no one is going to feel sorry for us; we’ve got enough in that room to get it done. So we’ve got to turn it around [Monday],” Thibodeau said. “We’ve got to come out with and edge, we’ve got to be ready to play defense and rebound. That’s the way we’re going to win. We’re capable of doing that. We weren’t today, but we better be [Monday].”
After a while, the Bulls should be able to find themselves again, as the core of the team is used to not having Rose and understands the formula necessary to stay afloat.
“We just have to get back to playing. We have to let Derrick focus on getting himself healthy. We have to focus on getting ourselves better. We’ve been in this situation before. It’s going to take all of us as a whole. We only believe in what the locker room feels. We don’t really look at the outside world where everybody is going to say negative about us,” Taj Gibson explained. “Thibs has talked to us the last two days. He wrote down what we need to do on a chalkboard. He basically said it doesn’t matter what the outside world says. He said we’ve been through a lot, achieved a lot. Even when backs were against the wall, we focused and we need to strive towards greatness. Nobody will give us a shot. We’re going to get hit. WE have to keep going. That’s what happens in life. You’re going to have bumps in the road. You have to keep fighting and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Rose returns for surgery today, could miss season.
By Aggrey Sam
Derrick Rose will have surgery to repair his torn right medial meniscus Monday in Chicago after flying back to his hometown Sunday, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said before the team’s matinee affair against the Clippers at the Staples Center.
Whether or not Rose’s meniscus is reattached or removed is still up for debate, according to the coach, who noted that Bulls team physician Dr. Brian Cole — he also performed the point guard’s ACL procedure in May of 2012 — would likely do the surgery.
“The big part is they won’t know until they get in,” Thibodeau explained. “Then, we’ll have a better idea about what the timetable will be.”
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Rose will most likely opt to repair the tear, meaning that he’ll have a longer rehabilitation process. Another source told CSNChicago.com that Rose’s recovery won’t be rushed, increasing the probability that the former league MVP, who missed all of last season after suffering a torn left ACL in the opening game of the 2012 playoffs, won’t return to the court this season, something the Bulls are prepared for.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’re the Chicago Bulls. We have one goal and that’s to win. I believe we have the personnel in that locker room to get it done,” the coach said. “I think we have an understanding of what we need to do. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves.
We have to circle the wagons and get out there and get the job done,” he continued. “You just take things as they come. This is all part of the NBA. Injuries are part of it. That’s why it’s a team. I have a lot of confidence in the guys who are on our bench. They’ve done a good job of preparing themselves. They have to understand what their job is. Get in there and get the job done.
“I feel very good about the personnel we have on this team. We went through this last year and at the end of the season, we had the belief we could beat anybody. Then we got hit again during the playoffs last year. We have to get that determination back. The important thing is not what other people are telling us. It’s what we think. We have a belief that we can succeed and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Unsurprisingly, Thibodeau was resolute that Rose would be able to overcome yet another injury setback.
“We’re hoping for the best. We of course feel very badly for Derrick. I talked to him at length [Saturday] night. He’s in good spirits, about as well as can be expected under the circumstances,” Thibodeau said. “He’s already thinking about his rehab. Typical Derrick, he’s concerned about his team, his teammates.
“There’s of course the disappointment for Derrick because of the type of person he is. He’s such a great teammate along with being a great player,” he continued. “I think his mental toughness is going to serve him well. I think whenever he has faced any adversity, I think his mental toughness has gotten him through. I could tell talking to him last night there was a resolve and determination. We expect him to make a full recovery. It’s another bump in the road. He’ll get past it."
Thibodeau wouldn’t definitively acknowledge the possibility that Rose would be sidelined until the beginning of next season, though the typical recovery process after repairing a torn meniscus lasts four to six months and given the cautious approach taken after the former league MVP had ACL surgery, a return toward the end of the regular season isn’t a scenario that sources envision occurring.
“I don’t want to speculate. It’s premature. Dr. Cole, once he gets in there and does whatever is necessary, then we’ll have a better idea,” Thibideau said. “Obviously, the good news is the fact it wasn’t an ACL or MCL. So it’s meniscus. Then there’s a couple of options that they have. They can’t make that decision until they get in there.
“Medicine evolves,” he continued. “I think it keeps getting better and better so you have more options. So we’ll see.”
The coach said he believes that Rose would again return to a high level of play when he eventually comes back, despite his rough start to the regular season, averaging career lows in several statistical categories prior to Friday’s injury in Portland.
“I feel that the last three games I thought he played great in the first half. He has to shake the rust off. But I think it was more his game conditioning than anything else. The last three first halves were phenomenal and I think he was getting more and more comfortable. I’m not concerned about that. He’ll do what he has to do,” the coach explained. “The thing is you can’t change who you are. I think he’s confident, he got through the first rehab, his ACL knee is terrific, so now he has to rehab the other one. That’s the next step for him, he’ll handle that. I expect him to make a full recovery. The team right now, we have to focus at the task at hand for us.
“We want Derrick to do what he has to do.”
Because of the Bulls’ familiarity with playing without Rose, Thibodeau insisted that he was optimistic about their prospects this season, even in the event that the superstar doesn’t return.
"The big thing is the fact that it’s really been, this is the third year we’re dealing with it. The core of the team is basically the same when you look at Lu and Carlos and Joakim. Kirk has been through it in the past as well, and of course Jimmy. So we have a good base to operate from. The new guys have to get in and get the job done. There’s a lot of the season to go. I don’t want us to change our approach. I think the big thing is to understand and know your opponent well, strive for continued improvement, put everything you have into each and every day. I think you can get to a rare intensity if you have great concentration and you give maximum effort on every play, and that’s what I’m expecting from our team,” he said. “We have to worry about the players that we have. I think we have more than enough in that locker room. As you move forward, that’s part of your short-term planning and long-term planning, and I think our organization is positioned well.
“We’re the Chicago Bulls. We have one goal, that’s to win, that’s to win. We’re not changing that, that’s going to be the same. We’ve got to get everyone to put the work into it. We know we don’t have to change our style of play. We’ve just got to get out there and get the job done.”
MLBPA head Weiner's funeral draws Selig, A-Rod.
By RONALD BLUM (AP Sports Writer)
Michael Weiner's funeral drew baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, adversaries who did not appear to cross paths during Sunday's service honoring the union leader.
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, Frank Thomas, David Cone, Bobby Bonilla and Al Leiter also attended the 35-minute service at Robert Schoem's Menorah Chapel.
Management representatives in addition to Selig included Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner, Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred, San Diego Padres executive Omar Minaya and MLB Executive Vice President Tim Brosnan.
Incoming union head Tony Clark, former union leader Donald Fehr and agents Scott Boras, Jeff Borris, Adam Katz, Seth Levinson, Jay Reisinger and Arn Tellem also were among the crowd, which filled the aisles and the funeral home lobby.
''If anybody would like to sit on the floor in front of the pews, that is fine,'' Rabbi Mary Zamore said. ''As you know, Mike Weiner was known for informality. We will respect that by just all squishing together.''
Weiner died Thursday at age 51, less than four years after taking over as union head from Fehr.
He was eulogized by his wife, Diane Margolin, as many in the crowd wiped tears and sniffled. Some wore Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers - a Weiner trademark - in his honor.
''I've been thinking about how to address you on this occasion since August of '12 when an aggressive cancerous tumor invaded Mike's brain,'' she said. ''I imagined this day would be far, far off, but I knew it was coming.''
Selig sat in the third row of the chapel and did not appear to speak with Rodriguez, who is seeking to overturn a 211-game suspension issued last summer.
Rodriguez has been critical of Selig, saying Wednesday ''he's trying to destroy me.''
Lawyers for the Yankees star have taken issue with Weiner's statement in an Aug. 6 interview that he advised Rodriguez to settle if MLB offered a shorter penalty
During an eight-minute eulogy, Margolin said Weiner and his family felt honored by friends in the past 15 months who arranged ''a whirlwind of award ceremonies and parties that some of us came to call Tumorfest 2013.''
''Shortly after his cancer diagnosis, Mike told me he was not afraid of death. He wasn't rushing it, but he was not afraid,'' she said. ''His living the past 15 months without fear made all the difference, made everything possible.''
Weiner is survived by his wife and daughters Margie, Grace and Sally.
''He clearly did not want us to be saddened by his diagnosis or what his illness did to him,'' his wife said. ''He wanted us to dine, dance and play ball, stay on track with our lives, go to school, go to work, carry on. And by doing so now, we will honor Mike's life.''
Weiner was buried following the funeral at Cedar Park Cemetery in nearby Emerson.
Jason Day reminds us why we love sports.
By Shane Bacon
Early Sunday morning on the East Coast, the idea of a professional golf tournament being played live in Australia wasn't the top thing on most people's minds.
This time of year is reserved for football and Thanksgiving and figuring out your travel plans for the week, not for something called the World Cup of Golf that was being played in a place that is warm and sunny and wonderful.
But Sunday marked a pretty special moment for all of sports, as Jason Day picked up his first professional win since 2010 thanks to some gritty play down the stretch at the wonderful Royal Melbourne, capped off by a ridiculously clutch second shot into the tough 18th to set up a two-putt par and both the individual title and the team title for Australia alongside Adam Scott.
The win isn't supposed to be a blip on your radar. Golf fans went into hibernation weeks ago, putting their clubs in the closet for jackets and mittens and snow shovels. But Day's win is significant simply because the guy has been on a roller coaster of emotions the last two weeks.
Day lost eight family members including his grandmother to Typhoon Haiyan when it slammed into the Philippines earlier this month. Day released a statement about what was going on in his personal life, but he had committed to playing in this event with the Masters champion and couldn't really back out. If you've ever had a minute to chat with Day you know that isn't his style. He's one of the good guys on tour, the type of kid that seems to totally understand who he is and what he's about.
A lot of people including myself are baffled that Day has only one PGA Tour win in his career, simply because his talent level is up there with the Rorys and the Adams and the Dustins of the golf world.
Two seasons ago Day finished in second place at both the Masters and the U.S. Open. This year Day finished third at the Masters, T-2 at the U.S. Open and T-8 at the PGA Championship. The 26-year-old from Queensland, Australia isn't just a good player, he's a world beater that is just waiting for his moment to shine. Day has been there plenty of times, but it seems every time he's in that position to claim a tournament that would change his life another big name trumps him with some ridiculous run (see Charl Schwartzel's four birdies in '10, Scott's run in '13).
But major wins were the furthest thing on his mind when the final putt dropped on Sunday in Melbourne.
Day talked after the win about the importance of having his family around him this week, and why he decided to play instead of just withdrawing with a completely understandable reason.
''It's just been an amazing tournament for me,'' Day said. ''My mother, my family, coming down to support me. I'm just so happy the hard work has paid off, and I'm glad it happened in Melbourne.
''It would have been the easiest thing for me to just go ahead and pull out of the tournament with what has been going on over the last week,'' Day said. ''But I really wanted to come down here and play."This is one of those rare instances where sports just seems to take a man, and a family, in mourning and simply comfort them. Day had never won a professional golf tournament in Australia, but he seemed to understand Royal Melbourne this week, pulling off some incredible shots like the one you see below with a soft touch around these links-style greens.
His win isn't just incredible considering what Day has gone through over the last two weeks, but it's great for the immediate future of golf. Not many 20-somethings are on the short list of potential major winners in 2014, but Day has to be one of those names, especially after notching his first pro win in three years.
Sunday wasn't just a big win for Day and Australia, but a huge win for sports, reminding us why we tune in for hours on end every week in hopes of seeing someone triumph in the midst of tragedy.
A decade after its debut, Examining the Chase.
By Kenny Bruce
The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is now officially 10 years old. Yet a decade later, fans and competitors alike seem divided on its merits.
While some still believe that determining a champion based only on a 10-race stretch lessens the accomplishment, it's worth noting that a driver and team have to be reasonably successful leading up to the Chase to qualify for a shot at the title. The first 26 races of a season are no less important today than they were before the new format was implemented.
It's also notable that in seven of the past 10 years, the eventual champion has been seeded no lower than third once the field has been determined, an indication that the better-performing teams were simply able to continue to run well down the stretch.
The Chase format, which debuted in 2004, has undergone several changes through the years. Officials have tweaked the size of the field from 10 to 12 (excluding this year's 13-team field, which was expanded due to issues arising in the Richmond, Va., event) and adjusted how the qualified teams are seeded (with the addition of bonus points for wins). Even some of the venues have changed, although those moves were not necessarily made with the Chase in mind.
NASCAR officials say they are pleased with the format and what it has provided, allowing more drivers the opportunity to compete for the title during the closing 10 weeks of the season. And that has led to more competitors still being in contention heading into the final race.
Six of the 10 drivers in the inaugural 2004 Chase field were in the title hunt before the start of the final race. Other occasions have seen three, four and five drivers still in contention heading into the final stop.
That wasn't always the case before the arrival of the Chase. The championship was already decided six times with at least one race to be run in the 10 years prior to 2004.
The Chase has provided the opportunity for memorable moments ? from Kurt Busch bouncing back in 2004 to win the title in the final race after losing a wheel, to Tony Stewart's and Carl Edwards' back-and-forth battle for the title in 2011.
"I would tell you that, from NASCAR's perspective, the Chase has delivered what we had hoped it would do," NASCAR president Mike Helton said Nov. 15 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It has created "extraordinary moments," he said, adding that "? I think we could sustain an argument that it's one of the most challenging championships in all of sports."
More drivers have had the opportunity to win the championship under the Chase format, although fewer have actually succeeded. Only four drivers have won at least one title since '04. In the decade preceding the change, seven different drivers wore the crown.
However, the fewer Chase title winners are primarily a result of the success of one driver and team: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports organization.
That wasn't always the case before the arrival of the Chase. The championship was already decided six times with at least one race to be run in the 10 years prior to 2004.
The Chase has provided the opportunity for memorable moments ? from Kurt Busch bouncing back in 2004 to win the title in the final race after losing a wheel, to Tony Stewart's and Carl Edwards' back-and-forth battle for the title in 2011.
"I would tell you that, from NASCAR's perspective, the Chase has delivered what we had hoped it would do," NASCAR president Mike Helton said Nov. 15 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It has created "extraordinary moments," he said, adding that "? I think we could sustain an argument that it's one of the most challenging championships in all of sports."
More drivers have had the opportunity to win the championship under the Chase format, although fewer have actually succeeded. Only four drivers have won at least one title since '04. In the decade preceding the change, seven different drivers wore the crown.
However, the fewer Chase title winners are primarily a result of the success of one driver and team: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports organization.
Johnson's accomplishments -- six titles in an eight-year span -- is reason enough to dislike the format, joked Matt Kenseth, who won the last pre-Chase championship and finished second to Johnson this season.
"The one thing that I don't like is there's one guy that thinks he has to win every single one of them," Kenseth said, ribbing his fellow competitor. "Doesn't leave much for the rest of us.
Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing) has come to terms with the format, saying it does have its merits. A bad race during the regular season won't erase what a team has been able to otherwise accomplish, he said.
"I guess if you're running well and you feel like you have a solid team, a solid year going ? you can have some bad races, have things go wrong, (then) kind of get reset when you get to the Chase."
While Johnson has been the most prolific winner in the Chase, it's unrealistic to try and credit his success to the format. The El Cajon, Calif., native was racing in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series full time before the '04 season, scoring six wins and finishes of fifth and second under the season-long title-determining system.
That it is somewhat similar to how other professional sports determine champions isn't necessarily a bad thing, he said.
"I think it's great to have our sport relevant to others in the fact that we have a playoff system," Johnson said. "I think that's one key component."
"I guess if you're running well and you feel like you have a solid team, a solid year going ? you can have some bad races, have things go wrong, (then) kind of get reset when you get to the Chase."
While Johnson has been the most prolific winner in the Chase, it's unrealistic to try and credit his success to the format. The El Cajon, Calif., native was racing in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series full time before the '04 season, scoring six wins and finishes of fifth and second under the season-long title-determining system.
That it is somewhat similar to how other professional sports determine champions isn't necessarily a bad thing, he said.
"I think it's great to have our sport relevant to others in the fact that we have a playoff system," Johnson said. "I think that's one key component."
Kevin Harvick, the former Richard Childress Racing driver who will be plying his trade for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, said he's comfortable with the format but would like to see a change in Chase scenery.
It is, he said, "the same race tracks year after year."
"I think it would help our schedule, it would help ? build some excitement around some different race tracks," Harvick, third in points this past season, said.
Specifically, he said, "I think there needs to be a road course in it.
"I think there definitely needs to be some things mixed up in it. I think the format is great, but ? the tracks need to change on a yearly basis."
A schedule change greeted teams in the inaugural Chase season, with Darlington Raceway's Southern 500, a Labor Day weekend staple, moving to November and replacing one of North Carolina Motor Speedway's (Rockingham) two annual dates.
The following year, Texas Motor Speedway added a second date, and it slid into the Darlington slot when the South Carolina track began hosting only one Cup race annually, in May.
The schedule was altered twice more: In 2009 when Auto Club Speedway's second race was moved into the Chase (swapping dates with Atlanta Motor Speedway); and in '11 when ACS dropped its Chase spot and Chicagoland Speedway began hosting the opening Chase race.
Helton didn't say changes in the tracks hosting Chase races were likely, but he didn't discount the possibility either.
"When we first started the Chase, we said that we weren't going to change the schedule to fit the Chase," he said, "but that was 10 years ago.
"Things change, and you never know what may or may not happen."
It is, he said, "the same race tracks year after year."
"I think it would help our schedule, it would help ? build some excitement around some different race tracks," Harvick, third in points this past season, said.
Specifically, he said, "I think there needs to be a road course in it.
"I think there definitely needs to be some things mixed up in it. I think the format is great, but ? the tracks need to change on a yearly basis."
A schedule change greeted teams in the inaugural Chase season, with Darlington Raceway's Southern 500, a Labor Day weekend staple, moving to November and replacing one of North Carolina Motor Speedway's (Rockingham) two annual dates.
The following year, Texas Motor Speedway added a second date, and it slid into the Darlington slot when the South Carolina track began hosting only one Cup race annually, in May.
The schedule was altered twice more: In 2009 when Auto Club Speedway's second race was moved into the Chase (swapping dates with Atlanta Motor Speedway); and in '11 when ACS dropped its Chase spot and Chicagoland Speedway began hosting the opening Chase race.
Helton didn't say changes in the tracks hosting Chase races were likely, but he didn't discount the possibility either.
"When we first started the Chase, we said that we weren't going to change the schedule to fit the Chase," he said, "but that was 10 years ago.
"Things change, and you never know what may or may not happen."
The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule has already been announced, meaning any possible moves, should they occur, wouldn't take place before the 2015 season.
By Kyle Bonn
Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra had given Manchester United the lead, but in stoppage time the Korean substitute snuck up to get a free header on a corner past David de Gea.
A win for David Moyes would have put United past Manchester City in the table, but they could not keep pace with their rivals on the day.
Early on, Rooney was lucky to get away with a cynical foul, and made Cardiff pay a few minutes later for the opener.
The Manchester United talisman received a yellow card in the eighth minute for a kick to the calf of Jordan Mutch, but referee Neil Swarbrick let Rooney off the hook as replays showed the kick was malicious enough to warrant an early sending off.
The English striker soon made amends. Ben Turner gave the ball away to Antonio Valencia on the right wing who crossed in for Javier Hernandez in the box. Chicharito brilliantly first-touch flicked to Rooney, and the 28-year-old stopped, spun, and shot, with the ball deflecting off Gary Medel and finding the back of the net.
Cardiff searched for an equalizer, as Peter Odemwingie fired over in the 23rd minute. They would have to wait 10 more minutes, but it would come on two outstanding through balls.
Peter Whittingham in his own half slotted through Mutch, who settled on the run and found Frazier Campbell who had beaten his defender Jonny Evans. Campbell made no mistakes, cooly taking the chance past David De Gea to bring it back level.
Unfortunately, set-piece defending lost Cardiff lead just as they gained it. On the stroke of halftime, Rooney sent in a corner and Patrice Evra finished it off with a pinpoint header to the far post for a 2-1 Manchester United lead.
David Marshall had to keep out Manchester United twice early in the second half, as three successive corners from Wayne Rooney produced two real chances but Marshall saved well on both.
Campbell almost leveled again a few minutes later after he knicked the ball from Tom Cleverley, but the striker could only hit the crossbar.
That was Cardiff’s last opportunity for a while, as both teams showed some tired legs as the clock ticked. Both sides countered with substitutions, and things began to open up again in the United defensive half.
The Bluebirds got a decent spell of pressure around the 70th minute, but could not capitalize on a dangerous free kick and a corner.
Substitute Danny Welbeck had a clear chance to put it away for United in the 81st minute, but fired over after being sprung through by a brilliant one-two with Rooney, a moment they would come to rue.
United tried to keep possession in order to quell late Cardiff pressure, but once stoppage time came around, Cardiff pressed forward. They earned a corner, and Kim finished off the deal.
Fellow substitute Andreas Cornelius ran from the back of the pack all the way up front, pulling two defenders with him. This allowed Kim to sneak forward and slot himself free in the middle, and he didn’t miss with the header to equalize.
Rooney had a brilliant chance to respond right away, but all alone with Welbeck at his side, he tried to lay off the ball to his teammate, and left it way too short for Marshall to collect.
Instead of fourth place in the Premier League table, United can only manage sixth, level with Everton and one behind Southampton (that still feels weird to say) and City. Cardiff remain in 15th but grab level on points with Stoke in the tightly-packed bottom half.
Goals:
Cardiff City – Campbell 33′, Kim 90+1′
Manchester United – Rooney 15′, Evra 45′
Lineups:
Cardiff City - Marshall; Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Theophile-Catherine; Medel, Whittingham, Mutch (Kim, 77′), Cowie; Odemwingie (Noone, 65′), Campbell (Cornelius, 84′).
Manchester United – De Gea; Smalling, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Fellaini, Cleverley; Valencia, Rooney, Januzaj (Welbeck, 68′); Hernandez (Giggs, 73′).
2013 NCAA Bowl Champ. Series: Week 14 Rankings.
sportingnews.com
| 1 | Alabama (11-0) | 0.9981 |
| 2 | Florida State (11-0) | 0.9661 |
| 3 | Ohio State (11-0) | 0.8869 |
| 4 | Baylor (9-1) | 0.8856 |
| 5 | Oregon (9-2) | 0.7917 |
| 6 | Auburn (10-1) | 0.7860 |
| 7 | Clemson (10-1) | 0.7681 |
| 8 | Missouri (10-1) | 0.7231 |
| 9 | Stanford (9-2) | 0.6238 |
| 10 | Oklahoma State (10-1) | 0.5890 |
| 11 | South Carolina (9-2) | 0.5883 |
| 12 | Texas A&M (8-3) | 0.5394 |
| 13 | Michigan State (10-1) | 0.4646 |
| 14 | UCLA (8-3) | 0.4615 |
| 15 | Fresno State (10-0) | 0.4134 |
| 16 | Northern Illinois (11-0) | 0.3729 |
| 17 | Arizona State (9-2) | 0.3414 |
| 18 | UCF (9-1) | 0.3033 |
| 19 | Wisconsin (9-2) | 0.2907 |
| 20 | Oklahoma (9-2) | 0.2760 |
| 21 | Louisville (10-1) | 0.2664 |
| 22 | LSU (8-3) | 0.2645 |
| 23 | USC (9-3) | 0.1070 |
| 24 | Mississippi (7-4) | 0.1048 |
| 25 | Minnesota (8-3) | 0.0604 |
In a result hardly anyone saw coming, shorthanded North Carolina stuns Louisville.
By Jeff Eisenberg
Louisville returned all but two key players from its national title team, added some key perimeter talent and clobbered its first five overmatched opponents by an average of 29.6 points per game.
North Carolina lost at home to Belmont last Sunday, continues to play without wings P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald and has been forced to use walk-ons and play big men out of position to compensate.
Everything about Sunday's Hall of Fame Tip-Off title game matchup screamed a Cardinals rout until the Tar Heels reminded us one of the great things about college basketball: Sometimes it makes no sense at all.
On an afternoon when even a closer-than-expected loss would have been hailed as a sign of progress, North Carolina accomplished far more than that. Marcus Paige scored 32 points and young big men Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks came of age as the Tar Heels rolled to a 93-84 upset victory over a Louisville team that last lost a game more than nine months ago.
It's silly to make sweeping judgments about North Carolina and Louisville based on one November game, but this much is clear after watching the Tar Heels pull away midway through the second half and never let the Cardinals closer than seven down the stretch. North Carolina isn't as hopeless as it seemed the past two weeks without Hairston and McDonald and Louisville's full-court press, transition defense and effort level must get better to even approach last season's levels.
Though forward James Michael-McAdoo continued to look out of place at wing and didn't score his second field goal until the final five minutes, North Carolina got enough scoring from other spots on the floor to compensate.
Paige showcased his development since an up-and-down freshman season, sinking jump shots, finishing at the rim and teaming with fellow point guard Nate Britt to do a solid job handling Louisville's pressure. Johnson and Meeks both made cases for more playing time, the former running the floor, sinking 6 of 7 shots and protecting the rim and the latter using his girth, soft touch and deft passing to contribute 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Louisville certainly felt the absence of graduated shot blocker Gorgui Dieng and foul trouble for forward Montrezl Harrell, but one of the biggest reasons for North Carolina's 54.2 percent shooting was the Cardinals' uncharacteristically feeble transition defense. Time and time again, the Tar Heels would leak out in transition and turn a missed Cardinals jump shot into an uncontested fast-break dunk.
There were plenty of errant Louisville jump shots too because North Carolina geared its defense to make the Cardinals win from the perimeter.
A zone defense limited driving lanes and the length of the North Carolina frontcourt altered shots when Louisville did manage to attack the rim. Guards Russ Smith and Chris Jones had 36 and 18 points respectively, but the Cardinals attempted 30 3-pointers and dished out only three assists as a team, not exactly the formula for solving a zone.
The good news for Louisville is that a soft schedule affords plenty of chances to work out the kinks before the next test, a Dec. 28 road game at Kentucky. As for North Carolina, this win is a crucial momentum builder with back-to-back games against improving UAB and Kentucky up next.
Just a few days ago, Roy Williams was lamenting that without Hairston and McDonald, this team was the least talented of his North Carolina tenure. The Tar Heels still probably need Hairston's wing scoring to contend in the ACC and nationally this winter, but Sunday proved they cannot be overlooked.
Pacquiao beats Rios in unanimous decision.
By CHRIS LINES (AP Sports Writer)
Manny Pacquiao reversed the decline in his boxing career and provided some desperately needed inspiration to the disaster-stricken Philippines with an authoritative victory over Brandon Rios on Sunday.
Pacquiao entered the fight coming off successive defeats, having spent a year out of the ring and with his own trainer publicly declaring he should retire unless he convincingly beat Rios.
In addition, Pacquiao carried the burden of being the favorite son of the Philippines and the man the nation looked to as a source of joy and hope in the wake of deadly Typhoon Haiyan.
Thousands of fans watched the fight on screens set up in the plaza of Tacloban, the Philippine city hit worst by the Nov. 9 disaster that killed more than 5,000 people and left huge numbers of the population homeless.
If Pacquiao felt pressure, he didn't show it in the ring at The Venetian casino in Macau, putting on a vintage display of his trademark combinations to wear down a gallant Rios and take a unanimous decision, claiming the WBO international welterweight title.
The judges scored it 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110. The Associated Press scored it 119-109.
''Anybody who wants to fight with me, I can fight,'' Pacquiao said. ''I am willing to fight Floyd, but it's up to him, if he is willing also.''
Pacquiao was on guard throughout the closing rounds, mindful of getting knocked out in his previous fight when he walked into a savage right by Juan Manuel Marquez. He didn't have to worry. A tiring Rios offered little threat.
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