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Sports Quote of the Day:
"I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win." ~ Michael Jordan, Legendary NBA Superstar and NBA Team Owner
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! View from the Moon: The plan when Cutler returns.
By John Mullin
Bears Quarterbacks: Jay Cutler, (in Bears stocking cap), left, and Josh McCown, right.
Back to Cutler or stay with McCown? Not even a difficult decision when the time comes.
Coach Marc Trestman on Monday joined Roberto Garza, Brandon Marshall and even Josh McCown in leaving zero doubt about what has somehow mushroomed into a bizarre debate on whether McCown should remain the Bears’ starter even when Jay Cutler has recovered sufficiently from his high-ankle sprain.
“Jay is the quarterback of our football team and Josh is our backup quarterback, and the three of us know that,” Trestman said. “And that hasn’t changed and it’s not going to change.”
The long-range inescapable conclusion is that Trestman’s comments apply to more than just the 2013 season, but that’s been addressed here in the past and isn’t the point right now.
Is there honestly a question about which quarterback direction the Bears should follow when they reach that fork in the road? Actually, isn’t really a “fork” at all.
“View from the Moon” has chronicled over the past several seasons the reasons why the franchise was amply justified in holding off on a commitment to a quarterback with suspect fundamentals, inconsistent performance levels and dubious leadership, the sine qua non at that position.
Those issues were being more than resolved before the Cutler injury hiccups that thrust McCown into his opportunity. And those steps forward seem to have been forgotten in the past several weeks of Cutler hurting and McCown hurtling.
Put another way: Have you forgotten how good Jay Cutler was?
Cutler vs. Cutler
The Jay Cutler of 2013 is not the Jay Cutler of any other time in his career, not even the 2008 Pro Bowl iteration. Speaking strictly statistically and using a couple of measuring points cited in this column in the past:
Cutler’s passer rating is higher this year than his Pro Bowl season (88.4 in 2013 vs. 86.0).
His completion percentage is better than in his Pro Bowl season (63.0 vs. 62.3).
And his interception percentage was improved before the games truncated by the groin (Washington) and ankle (Detroit) injuries (2.8 vs. 2.9). The passer rating and completion percentage are better even with those two games folded in.
The overarching reality is that Cutler was on track to becoming exactly what the Bears hoped he would morph into when the organization hired Marc Trestman, Aaron Kromer and Matt Cavanaugh to reshape him. Arrested development is never a good thing and Cutler was a top-10 quarterback before his injuries.
Is there some reason to suspect that he got stupid and back-slid during his sideline time watching and working with McCown?
Hot handing
Sometimes it makes total sense to stay with a player with a hot hand. If that’s running back who’s in a flow, absolutely. If it’s a wideout who has a defensive back on his heels and overmatched, by all means.
Quarterback is different. That’s the position that’s tasked with creating hot hands as well as with establishing a steadiness that every position group can feed off. In that area, Cutler and McCown have both succeeded, which is why the Bears are still in the NFC playoff discussion.
The Bears have lost the last two games that Cutler started and won the last two that McCown has started. That’s very selective vision: Cutler didn’t finish either the Washington or Detroit games.
Cutler vs. McCown
Even were there to be a change on the depth chart, Cutler would not be losing his job because of injury, which is a bogus consideration anyway. You don’t lose your job because of injury; you lose it because the player who replaced you turned out to be better.
That is not the case here. McCown said so.
It also has nothing to do with athleticism or arm strength. Both have demonstrated the ability to make plays with their legs; and for that matter, McCown averages 7.4 yards on his rushes vs. Cutler’s 5.1 (which of course means absolutely nothing, but it’s kind of amusing to regard McCown as the “mobile guy”).
And arm strength has always been a stupid criterion. It was why Cutler was overrated and why McCown was underrated at times in their pasts. Jeff George had an exponentially better arm than Joe Montana, which is why George was a No.1-overall and Montana was a third-round pick. Supposed physical talent has no place in this whole discussion.
Quality of opponent
Using the first three games of the season for apples-to-apples purposes, Cutler’s early season performances of three straight 90-plus passer ratings were questioned by some because of the caliber of opponent.
It shouldn’t be. The Cincinnati Bengals lead the AFC North at 7-4 and the Pittsburgh Steelers just took care of the Detroit Lions for the Bears and have won four of their last six.
McCown’s victories have come against the Green Bay Packers sans Aaron Rodgers, and the Baltimore Ravens, who’ve now lost four of their last five. He came up close but short against 3-7 Washington and the Lions.
None of that matters, either. Using that meaningless measure isn’t fair to either Cutler or McCown.
Lessons of history
The 1985 Bears went 3-1 and outscored those opponents 128-41 with Steve Fuller starting. They even outgained Miami in the MNF game they lost. They then went back to their starting quarterback. Period.
That will happen again this season, if not necessarily with the same ultimate outcome. But it won’t be a difficult decision when the time comes.
'Bears Classics' to debut Nov. 27 on CSN.
CSN Staff
Devin Hester (23) returning kick off for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, October 16, 2006.
Premiering Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 9:30 PM exclusively on Comcast SportsNet, Bears Classics presented by Honda, is a new, one-hour series that chronicles season-defining games from select eras in Bears history as fans will hear behind-the-scenes stories from the players who played in these games and from those who covered them that have never been heard before…until now.
The debut airing will go back in time to Monday night, Oct. 16, 2006 when the Bears faced the Arizona Cardinals…a game featuring a remarkable comeback that set them on the path to an appearance in Super Bowl XLI. The four-episode series (new airings focusing on separate games to debut in December, January and next September) will be narrated by local/national television broadcasting legend/multiple Peabody & Emmy Award winner Bill Kurtis. Comcast SportsNet’s Chuck Garfien is the documentary series writer/director and Willie Parker is the series producer.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our expanding partnership with the Chicago Bears and we feel this brand new documentary series will be exciting ‘appointment television’ events that both old and new Bears fans will truly appreciate,” said Phil Bedella, VP/GM of Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
The first episode of Bears Classics (entitled “Night of the Ridiculous”) will take viewers back to that memorable “Monday Night Football” game in October of 2006. The Bears were off to a 5-0 start that season, but endured some early season struggles offensively. These struggles were exposed to a prime time MNF audience watching the Cardinals take advantage of those problems by taking a 20-0 lead into the half. However, thanks to some highly-motivational halftime speeches in the locker room, the Bears defensive and special teams units were the ones who came up big as they combined for an unforgettable second-half performance, highlighted by Brian Urlacher’s 25-tackle showcase, a forced fumble that led to a score, and Bears rookie Devin Hester’s stunning 82-yard punt return TD that propelled the Bears to a 24-23 victory. This unexpected Bears victory also struck a nerve with Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green, as his “They are who we thought they were!” post-game press conference rant added to the lore of this remarkable moment in Bears history.
There are also numerous players/media/execs interviewed in this first episode of Bears Classics, including candid and honest discussion from the following individuals:
- Brian Urlacher (former Bears linebacker)
- Devin Hester (Punt/Kick returner)
- Lance Briggs (Bears linebacker)
- Charles “Peanut” Tillman (Bears cornerback)
- Rex Grossman (former Bears quarterback)
- Muhsin Muhammad (former Bears wide receiver)
- Olin Kreutz (former Bears center)
- Kurt Warner (former Cardinals quarterback)
- Scott Player (former Cardinals punter)
- George McCaskey (Bears Chairman)
- Jeff Joniak (Bears radio play-by-play announcer)
- John “Moon” Mullin (CSNChicago.com Bears “Insider”)
- Rick Telander (Sun-Times sportswriter)
- Peter King (Sports Illustrated sportswriter)
Please note the following quotes from Comcast SportsNet’s premiere airing of Bears Classics, debuting Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 9:30 PM CT:
BRIAN URLACHER on center Olin Kreutz addressing the team at halftime: “I remember halftime. Olin Kreutz stood up and we were like ‘what’s going on here?’ Olin said ‘we’re gonna win this f-in’ game’…then he was yelling ‘WE’RE GONNA WIN THIS F-in’ GAME!”
MUHSIN MUHAMMAD on Rex Grossman’s nightmarish performance: “He had six turnovers in that game…four interceptions, a couple of fumbles, and anytime you get to a quarterback early and you can hit him, the quarterback’s going to struggle.”
REX GROSSMAN on the offensive unit’s adversities in that game: “Everything was a struggle, they were all over us and their offense was starting hot…and I just remember the (Urlacher) sack-fumble getting everybody pumped up.”
CHARLES “PEANUT” TILLMAN on Urlacher’s 25-tackle performance: “Brian Urlacher turned into…he was just a beast the rest of the game. And to be on the field and witness it up close and personal, I mean it was probably one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen.”
OLIN KREUTZ on Urlacher’s 25-tackle performance: “That was the greatest performance I have ever seen on a football field. I mean it was unbelievable. He took over the whole game almost single-handedly.”
BRIAN URLACHER on his 25-tackle performance: “I didn’t feel like I was getting blocked, and if you watch the film, I didn’t get blocked a lot. There were times when they had guys on me, but I didn’t feel like I was getting blocked a whole lot in the second half.”
DEVIN HESTER on the punt return TD that completed the Bears’ comeback: “I felt a little knick on my leg that I was able to avoid to stay up, and after that, the rest was history. Before I even crossed the goal line, the last five yards were like ‘please don’t get caught!”
RICK TELANDER on Hester’s punt return TD: “As an observer, you couldn’t help but think ‘punt it to him. Please god, please punt the ball to him. Get it in his hands. You idiots! You morons!”
SCOTT PLAYER on punting the ball that led to Hester’s game-winning TD: “You hope that those ten other guys can cover the punt, which they should be able to do if they’re in the National Football League.”
OLIN KREUTZ on Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green’s infamous post-game rant: “I think that’s what made that game legendary was just his comments after the game…I mean he went crazy.”
LANCE BRIGGS on Green’s post-game rant: “It’s a moment I think will outlive everyone. Years from now, we’ll look back and say moments in sports history, and you’ll see Denny Green. And not only will you see what he said, but they’ll show that game.”
Comcast SportsNet will also re-air this episode of Bears Classics on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9:00 PM and on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 11:00 PM. Details regarding December’s premiere episode of Bears Classics will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition, fans can also get interactive prior and during every airing of Bears Classics with their thoughts, memories and comments by utilizing the Twitter hashtag #BearsClassics. Plus, CSNChicago.com will provide additional, online exclusive interviews and commentary write-ups from a variety of Comcast SportsNet on-air talent members and from CSNChicago.com’s Bears “Insider” John ‘Moon’ Mullin.
As part of its programming partnership with the Chicago Bears, Comcast SportsNet also produces “Bears Pregame Live” and the live stream of “Bears Halftime Live,” along with “United Bears Recap,” “Bears Blitz” and “Bears Huddle."
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Varlamov strong as Avs dominate 'Hawks.
By Michael Kelly, The Sports Xchange
The Colorado Avalanche seem to rise up when elite teams come to town. And for the second straight season, they pushed around the Chicago Blackhawks.
Goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves, center Paul Stastny scored a goal and an assist and the Avalanche beat the defending Stanley Cup champions 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Remarkably, it was the first time Chicago has been held to less than two goals this season. Last year, Colorado ended the Blackhawks' NHL record streak of 24 consecutive games with a point with a 6-2 win.
"Maybe we tend to respect them a little more than other teams, which we shouldn't," Stastny said. "We should respect everyone the same way. When you're young that happens. They're the defending champs and you always want to play your best against the best."
The Avalanche did that, jumping ahead early and never sweating the outcome.
Center John Mitchell, left wingers Gabriel Landeskog and Cody McLeod and right winger P.A. Parenteau also scored for Colorado.
"We had a really good start, we were really sharp around the net and scored nice goals," Colorado coach Patrick Roy said.
Center Maxime Talbot and defenseman Tyson Barrie had two assists each for the Avalanche.
Blackhawks left winger Brandon Saad scored with 7:50 left to prevent a shutout while goaltender Antti Raanta made14 saves in his NHL debut in relief of Corey Crawford, who made just four saves on seven shots before being pulled.
The Blackhawks came into Tuesday having won eight of their last 10 and earned at least a point in nine of those games.
Colorado, on the other hand, was reeling after losing three in a row following a hot start to its season.
Things looked even worse when the team's best player for the first 19 games, center Matt Duchene, went down with an oblique injury Saturday and will be sidelined for at least a week.
"We knew when Dutchy got hurt, it's not all about him, it's not all about one player," Landeskog said. "We knew we had depth enough to win this game and play well and I think the new guys stepped up and everyone that got ice time stepped up."
The Avalanche had several good chances early and took advantage of a miscue on the first goal when Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook's pass off the backboards came out to Stastny in the slot. Stastny then blasted it past Crawford 6:37 into the game.
Landeskog made it 2-0 when he tipped defenseman Andre Benoit's shot from the point, and Mitchell scored 56 seconds later to make it 3-0.
"We gave them the first couple of goals," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We had the puck and it ended up in our net. And we couldn't buy a goal there."
Raanta then came on for Crawford.
"The target all the time was that someday I could play in the NHL, and in Rockford I had good games there, and I know I can do it," Raanta said. "Only now it's the small things so we have to keep doing work and prepare to be even better all the time."
He got his first taste of adversity when Parenteau made it 4-0 when he scored on an odd-man rush with 1:22 left in the second period.
"Scoring at the end of the second period, that was a huge goal by Parenteau," Varlamov said.
Just 1:44 into the third McLeod got his first goal of the year on a rebound to make it 5-0.
"There were a couple times in the game I was thinking a little bit too much, about what I was doing," Raanta said. "I wasn't enjoying that too much. But it was OK."
The Blackhawks, who were missing a couple of top-six forwards, lost left winger Bryan Bickell to a lower-body injury in the second period. Quenneville said he is day-to-day.
"We'll see more tomorrow, get a better assessment," he said. "Could be a bit, maybe more than day-to-day but I'm not sure of that."
NOTES: Chicago LW Bryan Bickell left after crashing into the Avalanche net in the first period. He didn't return in the second. ... Colorado played its first game without star C Matt Duchene. Duchene is out at least a week after suffering an oblique injury in Saturday's loss to Florida. Rookie C Nathan MacKinnon moved up to the top line with LW Gabriel Landeskog and RW Ryan O'Reilly. ... Blackhawks F Marian Hossa missed his third game with a lower-body injury. ... The Avalanche recalled D Tyson Barrie and C Brad Malone from Lake Erie of the AHL and placed D Ryan Wilson (back) and F Alex Tanguay (knee) on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 6 and Nov. 2, respectively. ... Chicago RW Patrick Kane entered Tuesday with a seven-game point streak (4-6).
Remarkably, it was the first time Chicago has been held to less than two goals this season. Last year, Colorado ended the Blackhawks' NHL record streak of 24 consecutive games with a point with a 6-2 win.
"Maybe we tend to respect them a little more than other teams, which we shouldn't," Stastny said. "We should respect everyone the same way. When you're young that happens. They're the defending champs and you always want to play your best against the best."
The Avalanche did that, jumping ahead early and never sweating the outcome.
Center John Mitchell, left wingers Gabriel Landeskog and Cody McLeod and right winger P.A. Parenteau also scored for Colorado.
"We had a really good start, we were really sharp around the net and scored nice goals," Colorado coach Patrick Roy said.
Center Maxime Talbot and defenseman Tyson Barrie had two assists each for the Avalanche.
Blackhawks left winger Brandon Saad scored with 7:50 left to prevent a shutout while goaltender Antti Raanta made14 saves in his NHL debut in relief of Corey Crawford, who made just four saves on seven shots before being pulled.
The Blackhawks came into Tuesday having won eight of their last 10 and earned at least a point in nine of those games.
Colorado, on the other hand, was reeling after losing three in a row following a hot start to its season.
Things looked even worse when the team's best player for the first 19 games, center Matt Duchene, went down with an oblique injury Saturday and will be sidelined for at least a week.
"We knew when Dutchy got hurt, it's not all about him, it's not all about one player," Landeskog said. "We knew we had depth enough to win this game and play well and I think the new guys stepped up and everyone that got ice time stepped up."
The Avalanche had several good chances early and took advantage of a miscue on the first goal when Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook's pass off the backboards came out to Stastny in the slot. Stastny then blasted it past Crawford 6:37 into the game.
Landeskog made it 2-0 when he tipped defenseman Andre Benoit's shot from the point, and Mitchell scored 56 seconds later to make it 3-0.
"We gave them the first couple of goals," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We had the puck and it ended up in our net. And we couldn't buy a goal there."
Raanta then came on for Crawford.
"The target all the time was that someday I could play in the NHL, and in Rockford I had good games there, and I know I can do it," Raanta said. "Only now it's the small things so we have to keep doing work and prepare to be even better all the time."
He got his first taste of adversity when Parenteau made it 4-0 when he scored on an odd-man rush with 1:22 left in the second period.
"Scoring at the end of the second period, that was a huge goal by Parenteau," Varlamov said.
Just 1:44 into the third McLeod got his first goal of the year on a rebound to make it 5-0.
"There were a couple times in the game I was thinking a little bit too much, about what I was doing," Raanta said. "I wasn't enjoying that too much. But it was OK."
The Blackhawks, who were missing a couple of top-six forwards, lost left winger Bryan Bickell to a lower-body injury in the second period. Quenneville said he is day-to-day.
"We'll see more tomorrow, get a better assessment," he said. "Could be a bit, maybe more than day-to-day but I'm not sure of that."
NOTES: Chicago LW Bryan Bickell left after crashing into the Avalanche net in the first period. He didn't return in the second. ... Colorado played its first game without star C Matt Duchene. Duchene is out at least a week after suffering an oblique injury in Saturday's loss to Florida. Rookie C Nathan MacKinnon moved up to the top line with LW Gabriel Landeskog and RW Ryan O'Reilly. ... Blackhawks F Marian Hossa missed his third game with a lower-body injury. ... The Avalanche recalled D Tyson Barrie and C Brad Malone from Lake Erie of the AHL and placed D Ryan Wilson (back) and F Alex Tanguay (knee) on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 6 and Nov. 2, respectively. ... Chicago RW Patrick Kane entered Tuesday with a seven-game point streak (4-6).
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls continue to win, but in ugly fashion.
By Aggrey Sam
A win is a win, as the old adage goes, but when Joakim Noah, of all people, is putting a damper on things, maybe this five-game Bulls’ winning streak isn’t as impressive as it seems on the surface.
“Nah, it’s all good that we won, but we’ve got to keep it real with ourselves,” Noah told CSNChicago.com after Monday night’s 86-81 Bulls win over the Bobcats at the United Center. “We’ve got to play better. It’s not easy to win in this league."
Pessimism doesn’t suit the All-Star center well, however, so perhaps after pondering the victory, Noah’s tune became more positive.
“They’re [Charlotte] playing a lot better. It was a tough, tough game, but it was encouraging that we stuck together and we fought hard,” he explained. “We’re happy we won, but obviously we have a lot of work to do.”
Even Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau saw the good in the ugly win, something the Bulls seemingly mastered last season without Derrick Rose and now that Rose is back, still have had to do.
“As I told our guys, it got choppy, particularly in the second quarter and they’ll do that to you—they’re very good defensively—and I thought in the second half, we did a better job of getting the ball to the second side, which you have to do. But sometimes you have to find different ways to win,” the coach explained. “That was the thing that I did like. I thought we showed a lot of toughness down the stretch to make the necessary plays to pull out the win. They just kept grinding and grinding and grinding, and sometimes that’s what you have to do.”
Rose, who scored 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting, but was clutch late in the game, concurred: “For sure, but we’ll take it. We’re not giving any wins back. We’re just trying to keep things going and keep playing team basketball, and keep trying to figure out how to win these games.”
All-Star small forward Luol Deng, probably the most consistent Bulls player all season, scored 21 points, including a game-sealing three-pointer. Being the longest-tenured member of the team, he offered a perspective borne of seeing many different scenarios unfold over almost a decade in Chicago.
“I’ve said it before: I think every game is going to be a different story and the sign of a good team is finding a way to win. We have enough weapons that when some guys don’t have it going, other guys can pick it up. But every game is going to be a different story and as the season goes on, we will be in a situation like this again and this game will come in handy.
"The way we found a way to win, we’re going to have to do it again at some point,” Deng explained. “I think we’re learning ways to win. I don’t think it’s completely there, but we showed in games like Indiana that we can play great at both ends. Tonight defensively, I thought we were good. Offensively, it wasn’t there but we found ways. It will be different ways. The biggest thing is when it’s that fourth quarter, just find a way to win, no matter what happened the whole game.”
If that’s the Bulls’ mindset, as they find a rhythm offensively on a nightly basis, Rose works his way back into elite form, they continue to get timely efforts from different members of his supporting cast and the defense carries them, perhaps the naysayers who were writing off the team during their admittedly rough start to the season will have to take back their harsh criticism sooner than later.
“Every game is important. We’ve got a five-game winning streak and we know we can play a lot better, so it’s exciting,” Noah concluded. “Lu’s playing at a high level right now, Carlos is playing at a high level. I think that I’ve just got to keep grinding, keep getting better, keep getting my legs under me and I think the sky’s the limit for this team.”
Paul Konerko: A Story of a Player Best Left Behind.
By Jacob Long
COMMENTARY | In May 2012, Paul Konerko and the Chicago White Sox were on top of the world.
The White Sox finished the month with a 9-game winning streak, taking them from third place in the American League Central to a lead they would keep all but four days until the final week of the season. After a 2-for-4 effort against Cleveland on the 27th, Konerko set the baseball community abuzz as he boarded the plane to Tampa Bay carrying with him a .399 batting average.
He never did cross that .400 threshold. As a matter of fact, he finished the season at .298. The out-of-this-world 1.157 OPS on that day in late-May fell to .857 at season end, well behind division rival first basemen Billy Butler and Prince Fielder.
For their part, the White Sox finished the season with a 55-55 record following their 9-game winning streak. Up three games over the Detroit Tigers for the division lead on September 18, the White Sox found themselves down three games by September 30. By no coincidence, Konerko knocked in just three runs over those fateful 11 games.
The White Sox went from playing inspired baseball to playing perfectly average baseball; for every win, there was a loss after their magical run in May. The then-36-year-old slugger saw himself go from Superman to a run-of-the-mill hitter down the stretch. Over his final 99 games after the high watermark .399 batting average, Konerko posted just a .254 average and .724 OPS. The average BA and OPS in MLB in 2012? .255 and .724, respectively.
If Konerko's regression to an average bat down the stretch in 2012 was predictive of his team's fortunes, the same was just as true in 2013.
He never did cross that .400 threshold. As a matter of fact, he finished the season at .298. The out-of-this-world 1.157 OPS on that day in late-May fell to .857 at season end, well behind division rival first basemen Billy Butler and Prince Fielder.
For their part, the White Sox finished the season with a 55-55 record following their 9-game winning streak. Up three games over the Detroit Tigers for the division lead on September 18, the White Sox found themselves down three games by September 30. By no coincidence, Konerko knocked in just three runs over those fateful 11 games.
The White Sox went from playing inspired baseball to playing perfectly average baseball; for every win, there was a loss after their magical run in May. The then-36-year-old slugger saw himself go from Superman to a run-of-the-mill hitter down the stretch. Over his final 99 games after the high watermark .399 batting average, Konerko posted just a .254 average and .724 OPS. The average BA and OPS in MLB in 2012? .255 and .724, respectively.
If Konerko's regression to an average bat down the stretch in 2012 was predictive of his team's fortunes, the same was just as true in 2013.
Over his career, Konerko has amassed a wRC+ of 120. This statistic, which is shortened for weighted runs created plus, measures all of a player's contributions via his bat with adjustments for the league and ballparks he plays in. A wRC+ of 100 is the MLB average over the time period measured, and every point up and down represents one percent better or worse than league average.
Over Paul Konerko's career, then, he has created 20% more runs than an average player in the same amount of at-bats. The creator of this statistic says that a hitter with a wRC+ of 120 over any span of time is "excellent." That number went to 137 in 2005 as he led the White Sox to their first and only World Series title since 1917. There is no doubt that regardless of his future, Konerko will go down as one of the greatest hitters to play on the South Side.
After his slow finish to the 2012 season, Konerko underwent wrist surgery after admitting the wrist had bothered him down the stretch. Could a soon-to-be 37-year-old Paul Konerko actually get better? Maybe, fans thought, if he had a fresh wrist.
Following an otherwise quiet offseason, the White Sox entered 2013 hoping to compete for a playoff spot. They knew that they had not finished well in the 2012 campaign, but perhaps a player like Paul Konerko would be more consistent and help them make another improbable run. Things did not work out so well.
In an incredibly frustrating, long, and ultimately forgettable season, the White Sox finished with 99 losses and the third-worst record in MLB. Konerko would bat just .244 with an awful 82 wRC+, well below the average of 110 for first basemen and designated hitters. While some players can contribute a great deal of value as a sub-standard bat, like slick-fielding shortstop Alexei Ramirez, this is not the case for Konerko.
As he has done before, he rated as the league's worst base runner, according to FanGraphs' baserunning metric. To make matters worse, he ranked among the worst first basemen in ultimate zone rating, with his days as a slick fielder far behind him.
All in all, that combination of low run production, horrific baserunning, and poor fielding led to him being the league's third-worst player by wins above replacement. Konerko finished with by far his worst season by WAR, posting a -1.8 compared to 2.0 in 2012.
In other words, Konerko's production alone can be argued to have accounted for four of the extra losses by the White Sox last season, their worst in decades. Recent history tells us that the fate of the White Sox has been inextricably tied to their first basemen, especially Konerko. If he decides he wants to return, which is not a given, general manager Rick Hahn will be best-suited to turn Konerko away.
As the team is currently constructed, the lineup figures to start right-handed batters at 6 or 7 positions, with Conor Gillaspie and Jeff Keppinger splitting time at third base. Alejandro De Aza and Adam Dunn look to be the only everyday players that hit from the left side. The bench, not including Gillaspie, may include only Jordan Danks as a left-handed reserve.
Since Jose Abreu just signed up for $68 million to play first base, the designated hitter position is the only plausible way for Konerko to earn consistent at-bats. That position is currently manned by Adam Dunn, who is owed $15 million in 2014 before becoming a free agent himself. Dunn is not without his own glaring flaws and could potentially use a platoon partner, but he was significantly more productive than Konerko last season. The money owed and Dunn's left-handed bat also loom large as considerations.
Without moving Dunn, bringing Konerko back means the bench will consist of Konerko, Jordan Danks, Jeff Keppinger or Conor Gillaspie, and Tyler Flowers or Josh Phegley. This means there is no reserve shortstop, one reserve lefty when there is a right-handed starter, and only one plausibly useful pinch-runner. That simply does not work.
Getting rid of Dunn would be quite difficult and will not make the White Sox better if it is done to make room for Konerko. Dunn is the only legitimate power threat in the lineup from the left side, for better or for worse. As everyday players, Dunn has been the superior choice for the past season and a half while filling a more-needed role as the lone lefty in the middle of the lineup. After another slow finish to his season, Dunn will not be easily traded given his high salary.
Dunn has a chance to help the team win in 2014 and in the likely scenario that the White Sox are out of the playoff chase, could finally net a valuable return in the trade market by midseason with so little salary on the books. Paul Konerko is a sentimental choice, but his position has already been filled and he would serve little purpose in the short or long term for Chicago.
For the White Sox, putting the past behind them means letting go of Paul Konerko. When he was great, times were great in Chicago baseball. As his body has aged and production fallen, the White Sox have sunk along with him.
A reconstructed and winning Chicago White Sox team needs to put its faith elsewhere.
World Golf Rankings 2013: Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson solidify top 3 ranks.
By Adam Stites
Tiger Woods won't be caught for the top spot, but Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson are making it hard for anyone else to crack the top three.
Tiger Woods remains in the top spot on the 2013 World Golf Rankings after 46 weeks and will likely stay at No. 1 for the remainder of the year. While he sat out for the week though, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson each earned tournament victories that solidified their places in second and third on the rankings.
Stenson broke a tournament record at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, finishing 25 strokes under par, to earn the victory. With the win, Stenson boosted his total point total to 468.66 in the World Golf Rankings, making him the only golfer close to the 505.88 set by Woods, although Stenson has played in 17 more tournaments. As such, his 9.01 average per tournament is only third.
Ahead of Stenson is Scott, who earned a victory in the Talisker Masters at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. The victory boosted his average to 9.78 points per tournament, placing a decent amount of distance between himself and Stenson, although both are far from the 12.34 point average of Woods.
Next up on the PGA schedule is the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf in Melbourne, Australia, that will feature Scott, although Stenson and Woods will not participate. Matt Kuchar and Graeme McDowell round out the other top ranked golfers that are expected to participate in the tournament.
Jimmie Johnson's Sixth Championship Perfect Example of Why Chase Is Bad for NASCAR.
By Matt Fitzgerald
COMMENTARY | With Jimmie Johnson winning his sixth championship with a ninth-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway, it just further proves why the Chase has been a negative thing for NASCAR and the sport as a whole.
This championship pulls Johnson within one of tying the record of seven championships won by Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. Without the Chase, this would only be his third title and put him in line to still be a huge part of the history of this sport. By no means should what Johnson has put together this year be taken away or downplayed, but he has been over-glorified by a system that he has found a way to take advantage of.
The only other drivers that would have won a championship specifically because of the Chase are Kurt Busch in 2004 and Tony Stewart in 2011. While it would hurt their legacies to no longer have this recognition, it shows gives backing to how the Chase has been a bad thing.
Both of these drivers drove just well enough to make it into the Chase to finally come through and perform at a championship level. The fact that Stewart was able to come into the Chase saying that he did not deserve to even be in the Chase, only to win five of the final 10 races and win on a tiebreaker is crazy. While what he did in being able to close out the season in such a way as amazing, his consistency throughout the season as a whole did not warrant his championship.
Along with helping to build Johnson's legacy within the sport, the Chase has also been a great detriment to many drivers that would have won championships during the past 10 years. The biggest example of this would be Jeff Gordon losing out on two championships that would put him on the doorstep of history as Johnson now finds himself. The Chase has also taken two championships from Carl Edwards and one from Kevin Harvick, two drivers that have proved that they deserve to be in the history books by being at the top of the class within the sport.
Many will say that these drivers would have driven differently throughout the years that could have changed the outcomes of the seasons as a whole, but 2008 was the only year that Chase champion lost and was within 50 points of the championship. That year was also under the old points system where larger gaps were much more common as well.
This next common argument that seems to come up within many in the pro-Chase groups is that every other sport has a playoff system, why shouldn't NASCAR? Every other sport doesn't have direct competition between every team on a per-day basis.
NASCAR is truly unique in the fact that with weekly competition, every bad week for a certain time provides direct advantage to every other team that week. Why promote an attitude of driving just well enough to make it to the next stage before you actually start becoming competitive?
Ronaldo leads Portugal to World Cup, earns title as world's best soccer player.
By Martin Rogers
Cristiano Ronaldo scored three dramatic goals, punched his ticket to the World Cup, silenced his critics and cemented his position as the best player on the planet, all in the space of 90 extraordinary minutes on a frosty night in Sweden.
Ronaldo and his Portugal national team were in danger of missing out on soccer's biggest show while nursing a slender one-goal lead from the first leg of a home-and-home playoff against Sweden. However, with an incredible one-man show and a brilliant hat trick, the Real Madrid superstar secured a 3-2 road victory for Portugal for a 4-2 aggregate score line that was more than enough to seal a place among the world's best 32 teams next summer.
Three times Ronaldo was given space to surge forwards and three times he delivered a devastating punch to a Swedish team that was given little choice but to try to attack.
His first goal of the night came after 50 minutes and was a prime example of his finest attributes. Ronaldo used his smarts to briefly hold back as Portugal broke downfield, allowing him to sneak behind defender Martin Olsson and collect the ball mid-stride. From there his pace took him clear before a calm and cool-headed finish saw him slide the ball past goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson.
At that stage Sweden looked doomed, needing three goals to book its place in Brazil. But then the other global star in the contest stepped forward.
Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic nodded home a header to start Sweden's revival, then drilled home a ferocious free kick to put the home side tantalizingly close to completing a thrilling comeback. Ronaldo quickly ended those hopes.
With Sweden left with no choice to attack, Ronaldo made the most of the open turf in front of him, charging forward on another counterattack and firing past Isaksson for Portugal's second goal with 13 minutes left. Two minutes later, he added a third, this time with his right foot, to put the contest to bed.
Lionel Messi has been a deserving winner of the Ballon d'Or award (given to the world's best player) for the past four years, but there can now be little doubt that Ronaldo deserves the crown this time around.
His flair for the dramatic seems to know no bounds and, at 28, the bad news for defenders is that he might just be entering his prime. Having effectively erased any suggestions that he freezes in the biggest games, Ronaldo has another opportunity to respond to the only remaining criticism over his relatively disappointing efforts in major international tournaments.
In both 2006 and 2010, he was not at his best when it mattered and Portugal's performance suffered accordingly. Brazil 2014 will offer the chance to correct that part of his legacy.
Ronaldo might be soccer's most polarizing superstar, adored in some quarters and detested in others. But even those turned cold by his overuse of hair products, permanent sneer and gruff attitude cannot fail to be impressed with his incredible technical ability and a streak of confidence that looks unshakeable. Even FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who recently upset Ronaldo by publicly claiming he was fonder of Messi, was swift to jump on the bandwagon by sending out a fawning tweet within minutes of the final whistle.
Portugal was forced into a playoff by its stuttering effort in qualifying, where it slipped behind Russia in its European group. Having survived the playoff system for the third major tournament in a row, the Portuguese cannot be discounted, especially if Ronaldo keeps firing.
With few major shocks during the qualification period, the 2014 edition may be the strongest World Cup in recent memory, and the draw on December 6 will be eagerly awaited. And perhaps even more so now, soccer's most dynamic star has finally confirmed his place as the world's best player.
Ohio State's Meyer says BCS 'a flawed system'.
By RUSTY MILLER (AP Sports Writer)
The Bowl Championship Series has been good to Urban Meyer.
He led two Florida teams to national championships under the format in the 2006 and 2008 seasons. Each time the Gators lost a game in the regular season, but still played for the BCS title.
But now that he's the head coach at Ohio State, and his unbeaten team could be on its way to being boxed out of the national title race, he's looking differently at the how major college football determines which teams play for the championship.
''Without spending much time on it, because it's not fair for our team to do that, I will say this: I think it's a flawed system,'' Meyer said Monday when asked about the BCS.
There was a time, Meyer said, when the BCS filled a need in college football. After years of criticism and outright hatred of the BCS, it will fall by the wayside after this season and will be replaced by a four-team playoff in 2014.
''When you logically think about it, what the BCS people have done, which obviously we're all part of it, I think it was great for a while,'' he said. ''I think it took an imperfect system and did the best you can without a playoff.''
Maybe it's the passage of time, or maybe it's Meyer's changing perspective, but it's clear he welcomes what comes next. So far, anyway.
He recognizes that a playoff doesn't mean the complaints and sniping will end.
''There's going to be controversy in playoffs, too,'' he said. ''There's not a 64-team playoff. You're going to have four (teams). What is that fifth team going to feel like?''
That fifth team will feel left out - much like Meyer and his Buckeyes do these days.
But now that he's the head coach at Ohio State, and his unbeaten team could be on its way to being boxed out of the national title race, he's looking differently at the how major college football determines which teams play for the championship.
''Without spending much time on it, because it's not fair for our team to do that, I will say this: I think it's a flawed system,'' Meyer said Monday when asked about the BCS.
There was a time, Meyer said, when the BCS filled a need in college football. After years of criticism and outright hatred of the BCS, it will fall by the wayside after this season and will be replaced by a four-team playoff in 2014.
''When you logically think about it, what the BCS people have done, which obviously we're all part of it, I think it was great for a while,'' he said. ''I think it took an imperfect system and did the best you can without a playoff.''
Maybe it's the passage of time, or maybe it's Meyer's changing perspective, but it's clear he welcomes what comes next. So far, anyway.
He recognizes that a playoff doesn't mean the complaints and sniping will end.
''There's going to be controversy in playoffs, too,'' he said. ''There's not a 64-team playoff. You're going to have four (teams). What is that fifth team going to feel like?''
That fifth team will feel left out - much like Meyer and his Buckeyes do these days.
The NCAA Basketball Top Twenty Five.
By The Associated Press
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 17, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week's ranking:
Record Pts Prv
1. Michigan St. (51) 3-0 1,608 2
2. Kansas (7) 2-0 1,523 5
3. Louisville (7) 3-0 1,511 3
4. Kentucky 3-1 1,410 1
5. Arizona 3-0 1,339 6
6. Duke 2-1 1,320 4
7. Oklahoma St. 3-0 1,198 8
8. Ohio St. 3-0 1,172 10
9. Syracuse 3-0 1,135 9
10. VCU 3-0 928 14
11. Memphis 1-0 871 13
12. Wisconsin 3-0 763 20
13. Gonzaga 3-0 710 15
14. Michigan 2-1 705 7
14. Wichita St. 4-0 705 16
16. Florida 2-1 619 11
17. Oregon 2-0 613 18
18. UConn 4-0 600 19
19. New Mexico 2-0 353 22
20. Baylor 3-0 342 23
21. Iowa St. 3-0 296 -
22. UCLA 2-0 291 24
23. Creighton 3-0 246 -
24. North Carolina 2-1 213 12
25. Marquette 2-1 144 17
Others receiving votes: Iowa 122, Indiana 109, Virginia 77, Harvard 72, Boise St. 28, Belmont 18, Arizona St. 13, Villanova 11, Xavier 10, Tennessee 9, Pittsburgh 7, Colorado 6, Missouri 5, Florida St. 4, Minnesota 4, Saint Louis 4, Cincinnati 3, BYU 2, Indiana St. 2, UMass 2, George Washington 1, Notre Dame 1.
1. Michigan St. (51) 3-0 1,608 2
2. Kansas (7) 2-0 1,523 5
3. Louisville (7) 3-0 1,511 3
4. Kentucky 3-1 1,410 1
5. Arizona 3-0 1,339 6
6. Duke 2-1 1,320 4
7. Oklahoma St. 3-0 1,198 8
8. Ohio St. 3-0 1,172 10
9. Syracuse 3-0 1,135 9
10. VCU 3-0 928 14
11. Memphis 1-0 871 13
12. Wisconsin 3-0 763 20
13. Gonzaga 3-0 710 15
14. Michigan 2-1 705 7
14. Wichita St. 4-0 705 16
16. Florida 2-1 619 11
17. Oregon 2-0 613 18
18. UConn 4-0 600 19
19. New Mexico 2-0 353 22
20. Baylor 3-0 342 23
21. Iowa St. 3-0 296 -
22. UCLA 2-0 291 24
23. Creighton 3-0 246 -
24. North Carolina 2-1 213 12
25. Marquette 2-1 144 17
Others receiving votes: Iowa 122, Indiana 109, Virginia 77, Harvard 72, Boise St. 28, Belmont 18, Arizona St. 13, Villanova 11, Xavier 10, Tennessee 9, Pittsburgh 7, Colorado 6, Missouri 5, Florida St. 4, Minnesota 4, Saint Louis 4, Cincinnati 3, BYU 2, Indiana St. 2, UMass 2, George Washington 1, Notre Dame 1.
Golf rules tweaked over use of video technology.
By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)
Golf took another stand against video evidence Tuesday by announcing a new decision that would not penalize a player whose ball moves at rest if the movement is only detected by enhanced pictures.
It was the second time in the last two years that the U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient have established new guidelines involving video.
The next edition of ''Decisions on the Rules of Golf'' effective Jan. 1 will include three new decisions, the most significant being 18/4. It says that when ''enhanced technological evidence'' shows that a ball moved, it will not be deemed to have moved if not ''reasonably discernible to the naked eye at the time.''
The new decision did not stem from Tiger Woods being penalized two shots in the BMW Championship in September. His ball moved barely a dimple as he tried to remove a twig from in front of the ball. The movement was captured by a videographer, and the violation was detected by an editor going through the film.
Even after watching video after his round, Woods said he thought the ball only oscillated.
At the time, rules officials already had gone through multiple drafts of the new decision.
Decision 18/4 instead was an offshoot of Decision 33-7/4.5 in 2011. Under that decision, officials can waive disqualification for an incorrect scorecard if a player was unaware of a rules violation. The example was Peter Hanson, who double-hit a chip shot. The violation was only detected through HDTV played in super slow-motion.
Thomas Pagel, the USGA's senior director of rules and competition, said an example of Decision 18/4 would be a player addressing his ball in the rough, and only a camera zoomed in on the ball showed it moving fractionally based on the blades of grass around the ball. In that case, the player would have no idea it had moved.
The ''Decisions'' are updated every two years. The Rules of Golf are updated every four years.
The latest decisions were part of a movement by the USGA and R&A to deal with increased advances in video technology. In a joint statement, they said the Rules of Golf committees continue to look at other issues related to video. That includes the precision in marking, lifting and replacing a golf ball; estimating where to take relief; and the appropriate penalty for returning an incorrect scorecard when the player was unaware of a violation.
''As is true of the rules in many other televised sports, adapting to developments in technology and video evidence is an important ongoing topic in making and applying the Rules of Golf,'' the statement said.
What remains unaffected is television viewers reporting potential violations. Golf officials say it is important to consider all evidence from any source. The only change is that a player might not be penalized if the only clear evidence is from enhanced video.
The other chances to the 2014-15 edition of ''Decisions:''
-Decision 14-3/18 allows players to use smart phones to access weather reports. The new decision also clarifies that players are permitted access to information on the threat of an approaching storm for their own safety.
-Decision 25-2/0.5 was revised to clarify when a golf ball is embedded. Officials have noticed an increased in tour players asking for relief, and a debate on whether the ball has broken through the soil. The revised decision will be accompanied by illustrations.
-Decision 27-2a/1.5 was revised to allow players to go forward 50 yards without losing their right to return to play a provisional ball.
The new edition of ''Decisions'' includes three new decisions and 59 revised decisions, while 24 decisions were taken out. Pagel said this done for the sake of clarity.
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