Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
Sports Quote of the Day:
"The difference between champ and chump is 'U'." ~ Author Unknown
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Cowboys-Bears Preview.
By NOEY KUPCHAN (STATS Writer)
While Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have generally struggled in December, they're hoping to see their recent efforts carry over into the regular-season's final month.
After pulling out a 24-21 road win over the New York Giants on Dan Bailey's last-second field goal in Week 12, Dallas (7-5) stormed back to beat Oakland 31-24 on Thanksgiving Day. DeMarco Murray ran for a career-high three touchdowns as the Cowboys erased a 21-7 deficit."I don't know how you can get any better practice with a lot on the line than to have a game like that," owner Jerry Jones said. "I think that's something our team can build on that's what you hope to have happen with three or four positive endings to maybe get ready to have a big year."
Dallas, which has won five of seven, remains neck-and-neck with Philadelphia for first place in the division. While Jones is hoping to see his team stay hot down the stretch, the Cowboys have compiled a 13-17 record in December since Romo took over as the starting quarterback in 2006.
Romo, who missed more than half of 2010 due to injury, is 11-15.
"We've always known that what they remember is what you do in December," Jones told the team's official website. "We need to change that. That was our goal this year. And we've got a chance to do something about it this year."
Coach Jason Garrett isn't putting too much stock into those past results.
"You hear me say this all the time, but we're focused on winning one game," Garrett said.
"We want to play one good ballgame. That's really what we're focused on. We'll let everyone else figure out what the history of the world is."
It's been a rough couple weeks for the Bears (6-6), who were blown out 42-21 at St. Louis on Nov. 24 before suffering a wild 23-20 overtime defeat at Minnesota last Sunday. Chicago had a chance to win with just over four minutes left in OT but Robbie Gould missed a 47-yard field goal on second down.
While running another play or two may have put the Bears in better position, coach Marc Trestman doesn't regret his decision.
Despite dropping six of nine, the Bears are just one game behind first-place Detroit in the North.
"We've got to put up a win in the win column," backup quarterback Josh McCown said. "The standings don't matter if you don't win football games."
Cutler remains uncertain to be available after missing the last three games with a high left ankle sprain. McCown has played well in his absence, however, throwing for 923 yards, five touchdowns and one interception for a 103.8 quarterback rating in his last three games.
McCown had 355 yards against the Vikings, finding Alshon Jeffery 12 times for a team-record 249 yards and two scores. The Bears' passing game could be in for another big performance against the Cowboys, who are surrendering an average of 294.9 yards through the air to rank 31st in the NFL.
"There's a whole lot of football to be played. We show signs of having enough to finish, of playing offensively well enough to finish, of doing things we need to get done," Trestman told the Bears' official website. "But we haven't done it on a consistent basis over the last month. We've got to start on Monday night and do that. That was the message: Let's worry about what we can control and that's being at our best on Monday night against the Cowboys."
Dallas could get a boost with linebacker Sean Lee (pulled hamstring) expected to return following a two-game absence. Bears linebacker Lance Briggs (shoulder), though, is uncertain to be available again.
Chicago is seeking a third consecutive victory over the Cowboys after winning 34-18 in Dallas on a Monday last October. Cutler threw for 275 yards and two TDs while Romo was picked off a career high-tying five times.
Chicago is among the league leaders with 15 interceptions, but its run defense has been abysmal. The Bears are allowing an average of 205.2 rushing yards and 5.9 yards per carry in the last six games.
Bears defensive tackle Jay Ratliff, who was signed Nov. 6, will face his former team. Ratliff was cut in October after spending the first eight years of his career with Dallas.
Cowboys-Bears Capsule.
By The Associated Press
DALLAS (7-5) at CHICAGO (6-6)
Monday, 8:40 p.m. ET, ESPN
OPENING LINE - Pick 'em
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Dallas 8-4, Chicago 2-8-2
SERIES RECORD - Cowboys lead 13-10
LAST MEETING -Bears beat Cowboys 34-18, Oct. 1, 2012
LAST WEEK -Cowboys beat Raiders 31-24; Bears lost to Vikings 23-20, OT
AP PRO32 RANKING -Cowboys No. 12, Bears No. 16
COWBOYS OFFENSE - OVERALL (23), RUSH (27), PASS (15)
COWBOYS DEFENSE - OVERALL (32), RUSH (27), PASS (31)
BEARS OFFENSE - OVERALL (8), RUSH (19), PASS (6)
BEARS DEFENSE - OVERALL (28), RUSH (32), PASS (14)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Cowboys tied with Philadelphia for NFC East lead, seeking third straight win. ... Tony Romo with 3,140 yards passing this season hit 3,000 mark for team-record sixth time. Has at least 300 yards passing in all three games vs. Chicago, but also threw five interceptions against Bears last year. ... TE Jason Witten tied for fourth on franchise list with 50 TD catches. ... RB DeMarco Murray ran for career-high three TDs last week. ... LB Sean Lee could be back after missing two games with strained hamstring. ... Bears to retire Hall of Famer Mike Ditka's No. 89 at halftime. ... Bears' offense averaging 381.4 yards, fifth highest in franchise history. ... QB Jay Cutler 2-0 against Dallas with five TDs and no interceptions, but while sidelined by injury, his backup, Josh McCown has nine TDs and one INT this season. ... WR Alshon Jeffery broke own team record with 249 yards receiving last week. Jeffery (1,109 yards) and Brandon Marshall (990 yards) give Bears league's top receiving duo. ... S Major Wright had career-high two INTs in last game against Cowboys. ... RB Matt Forte fifth in NFL with 971 yards rushing.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Ducks-Blackhawks Preview.
By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)
The Chicago Blackhawks have suffered back-to-back regulation losses for the first time this season and will next face the only team they failed to beat during their Stanley Cup-winning campaign.
The Anaheim Ducks, though, will also be seeking to avoid a third straight defeat as they visit Chicago on Friday night.
Chicago (20-6-4) has seen its momentum stall since winning the final six of its seven consecutive road games. The Blackhawks fell 4-3 to Dallas in its return to the United Center on Tuesday then suffered another 4-3 defeat in Minnesota on Thursday.
Chicago rallied from a two-goal deficit to take a lead over the Wild with 13:25 remaining but allowed two goals in the final six minutes, including the tiebreaker with 1:48 to go.
"Like the last game, we thought we had control and let it slip. It's frustrating to give up points like we have the last couple games," captain Jonathan Toews said. ''It's pretty simple. We need to be better.''
Chicago had a season-low 19 shots - four in the final period - and let Minnesota convert two of its three power-play chances. The Blackhawks have allowed four goals in their last 10 penalty kills.
"It's been probably the sorest issue right now with our team," coach Joel Quenneville said.
The Ducks, meanwhile, have boasted one of the league's most effective power-play units of late, converting eight of its last 31 opportunities. They scored one of those goals Tuesday against Los Angeles but suffered a 3-2 shootout defeat.Chicago rallied from a two-goal deficit to take a lead over the Wild with 13:25 remaining but allowed two goals in the final six minutes, including the tiebreaker with 1:48 to go.
"Like the last game, we thought we had control and let it slip. It's frustrating to give up points like we have the last couple games," captain Jonathan Toews said. ''It's pretty simple. We need to be better.''
Chicago had a season-low 19 shots - four in the final period - and let Minnesota convert two of its three power-play chances. The Blackhawks have allowed four goals in their last 10 penalty kills.
"It's been probably the sorest issue right now with our team," coach Joel Quenneville said.
Corey Perry scored his third goal in as many contests and Ryan Getzlaf extended his point streak to 11 games, but they were among the nine Ducks players who failed to solve Martin Jones in the shootout.
"When you have the opportunity on your stick, whether you deserve to win the game or not, you've got to put it away," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "That killer instinct has been eluding us for a little bit now. We've got to find it somewhere."
Anaheim (18-7-5) will try to avoid its ninth loss in 12 games and seventh in eight road contests by adding to a four-game win streak over Chicago. The Ducks earned three of those wins last season and two at the United Center.
"It won't be an easy game because we had some success against them last year," Boudreau said. "They are Stanley Cup champions and have the fewest losses in the league (this season)."
The Blackhawks haven't dropped three straight regular-season games since Feb. 23-26, 2012, with all of those defeats coming in regulation, including one to Anaheim to finish off that skid.
That win also started the Ducks' current streak against Chicago, but Anaheim has won in a shootout and by one goal in its last two visits to the United Center. The Ducks needed late third-period goals to help them prevail in both of those matchups and scored three times in the final six minutes in a 4-2 victory in Anaheim on March 20.
Getzlaf has two goals and eight assists in his last eight games against Chicago. He has eight goals and eight assists during his streak.
Teemu Selanne has five goals and three assists in his past seven meetings with the Blackhawks.
Quenneville: Crawford 'needs to get better'.
By Cam Tucker
(Getty Images)
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville got right down to it on the topic of his goaltender Corey Crawford.
“He needs to be better,” said Quenneville, according to Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago.
The advice for Crawford came after the Blackhawks coughed up a 4-3 decision to the Minnesota Wild, a Central Division foe, on Thursday night. Chicago captured the lead early on in the third period, but quickly gave it up as the Wild scored twice in less than four minutes to snatch the victory back.
Marco Scandella‘s first goal of the season turned out to be the winner. It came with 1:48 remaining in regulation time.
Crawford faced only 23 shots the entire night, making 19 saves.
The Blackhawks, still first in the Central Division by three points, have lost their last two games, which follow after a six-game winning streak to cap off their Circus Trip in impressive style.
“You look at the last couple games. There are mistakes we’ve made that we have to tend to, obviously,” said Blackhawks’ captain Jonathan Toews.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Boozer leads Bulls to 107-87 win over Heat.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
The way everything was crumbling, the Chicago Bulls sure needed a reprieve. Knocking off the defending champions was a nice one.
Carlos Boozer scored 27 points, and the Bulls pounded LeBron James and the Miami Heat 107-87 on Thursday night.
It was an impressive showing by a team that had dropped six of seven and is once again trying to get by without the injured Derrick Rose.
''Our team needed it,'' Noah said. ''We went through a lot the past couple of weeks. It's really hard to play without Derrick. I want to win with Derrick Rose.''
The Bulls shot 50 percent and were 10 for 19 on 3-pointers - four by Deng and three by Kirk Hinrich, who scored 13. They also outrebounded Miami 49-27.
James scored 21 points for Miami, but the Heat shot a season low for the second straight game, converting 41.6 percent from the field after hitting 43.9 percent in Tuesday's loss to Detroit.
''We can't just brush this loss aside,'' coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''We have to really own it, to understand what happened. They just got whatever they wanted, right in the paint, at the rim and if they missed those, then they're just beating us up at the glass.''
It didn't help that Dwyane Wade stayed back at the hotel with an illness after sitting out the previous game because of knee soreness.
Chris Andersen missed this one for personal reasons, but the Heat will get no sympathy from Chicago.
After all, the Bulls lost Rose to a torn meniscus in his right knee in a game at Portland on Nov. 22, and although the former MVP left the door slightly open for a playoff return earlier in the day, the team has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
''We really got snake-bitten,'' Gibson said. ''When that happened to Derrick, that was really like, 'Wow.' We're a family in here. When that stuff kind of happens, it was just ... tough. We were on the road, odds were against us.''
And as if that six-game trip wasn't difficult enough, there was a triple-overtime loss to New Orleans on Monday in their first game back at the United Center.
The Bulls did just fine on Thursday, although things got a little tight down the stretch.
Miami cut it to 93-81 on Norris Cole's runner with 5:38 remaining. But Gibson answered with a jumper and blocked a layup by Udonis Haslem.
Before that, the only tension came early in the third quarter when Hinrich took a shot to the neck from Cole away from the ball. The result was an angry exchange, a flagrant foul one for Cole and a technical for Hinrich.
The Bulls' guard hit both free throws after James missed a foul shot, making it 67-45.
Boozer led a scorching start by Chicago, scoring 19 points as the Bulls built a 58-44 halftime lead.
But in the end, it was the Bulls' rebounding and defense that had the Heat shaking their heads.
''We've never been a great rebounding team but we've been able to overcome that,'' James said.
''Teams have done a much better job of rebounding against us. It could be an effort thing, it could be a lot of things but we just got to go out and just go get them.
''I'm going to do a better job of that, get more rebounds. But it's a group thing for a team. We don't have a Kevin Love or Joakim Noah or Dwight Howard, those types of guys who can get you 15-plus, we have to do it as a collective group.''
NOTES: There was a moment of silence before the game to honor Nelson Mandela, who died Thursday at the age of 95. ... This was the Bulls' most lopsided win over the Heat since a 126-96 blowout at Miami on Jan. 16, 2008. ... Andersen expected to rejoin Miami on Friday in Minnesota. The Heat play the Timberwolves on Saturday.
Chicago Bulls Point Guard Derrick Rose Speaks to the Media, and It Was Enlightening.
By Matthew Smith
COMMENTARY | Injured Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose sure has a lot on his mind.
Can the Bulls can't use him at a centerpiece on a championship team?
Rose, on people who say Bulls can't build around him anymore. "You can be a fool if you want to, I know I'm going to be all right."
- Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) December 5, 2013
This is a fair response. After all, Rose is as confident as they come, but it is also a fair question. Two knee surgeries in less than two years leads to the obvious question of whether or not the Bulls can count on Rose to be the No. 1 scorer on a championship team.On whether he plans on altering the way he plays the game in light of his most-recent injury:
DRose: "I play a unique way of playing basketball. I can't change that."
- K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 5, 2013
This seems to be a curious answer. Perhaps it was the confidence in him talking, but Rose should adjust the way he plays the game.Specifically, Rose needs to stop subjecting his body to the stress and abuse associated with driving the lane so often. Yes, the latest injury was off the ball and was not related to direct contact, but his style of play is both violent and not conducive to a lengthy career.
What about the playoffs, Derrick?
Rose says if he's "healthy and the situation is right" he would come back and play in the playoffs, if he doesn't feel ready -- he won't.
- Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) December 5, 2013
Don't. Say. That. The Bulls already announced that you were done for the season. Don't offer up even the slimmest of possibilities that you will return. Bulls fans went through this last year. We can't go through it again.How is the recovery from meniscus surgery different from the procedure on his ACL?
Derrick Rose: "Last year was a rehab part that was all new to me… going through it was just hell… This process should be a lot smoother."
- ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) December 5, 2013
DRose: "I'm able to put pressure on my leg now. With the ACL, I wasn't able to put any pressure on it."Rose spoke on winning a championship before his career ends?
- K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 5, 2013
Derrick Rose: "My career is going to be judged by a championship, so that's the only thing I'm caring about right now."
- ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) December 5, 2013
As it stands, his career will be remembered two ways. First, he was the youngest MVP in league history. Second, he has suffered season-ending knee injuries twice.If Rose never wins a championship, those things will be the legacy he leaves behind. It is unfortunate, but also true.
How about recruiting free agents?
Rose says again "he'll never recruit" players to come to Chicago. He says he can play with anyone.
- Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) December 5, 2013
Again, this may be the pride talking, but the NBA has changed. Recruiting free agents is now a reality that each team's superstar has to embrace.Then Rose spoke about endorsements:
Rose referring to opportunity injury presents for him to be a better businessman, w/ Adidas, was unfortunate. Not what people want to hear.
- Matt Spiegel (@MattSpiegel670) December 5, 2013
That's right, Matt. It was an unfortunate comment. Right now, everything off the court other than family should be taking a backseat. Of course, the monetary impact is real, and it is important to Rose, but as Spiegel said, it is not want we had hoped to hear.All in all, we saw a player who is dying to play basketball. He said a few things that were questionable like leaving the door open for the playoffs and lamenting the potential impact the injuries may have on his endorsements, but Rose is a winner who despises not being on the court helping his teammates compete.
And that is why I appreciate Rose.
Here's to a full recovery, Derrick.
Rick Renteria expects Cubs to show some fight.
By Patrick Mooney
Does anyone even remember when Joe Girardi was supposedly tempted by the Cubs job?
As the cameras rolled and reporters strained to take photos on their iPhones, Rick Renteria posed with Cubs executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer and buttoned up a No. 16 jersey.
The new manager got an up-close look at the Chicago media on Thursday at Wrigley Field, inside a stadium club that felt nothing like the interview room/dungeon.
This was the same day the New York Yankees introduced All-Star catcher Brian McCann at a news conference in The Bronx – part of a $238 million spending spree that also includes World Series hero Jacoby Ellsbury – and prepared for a $200 million showdown with Robinson Cano, Jay-Z and the Seattle Mariners.
Renteria won’t be getting those kinds of toys this winter. Sources say there’s skepticism the Cubs can win a bidding war for Masahiro Tanaka (if the Japanese ace even gets posted).
Epstein reported “no new developments” with Jeff Samardzija, who’s in no hurry to sign a long-term contract, which means the Opening Day starter will be on the trading block.
Girardi – the Yankees manager who grew up in Peoria, graduated from Northwestern University and played on the North Side – would have created the biggest splash this winter.
But officials from both sides believe that was an October drama manufactured for leverage.
Still, the Cubs believe Renteria has the right personality at the right time. They hope he’s a bilingual voice that will get through to Latin American players. They think he can coach up their young core.
“I want this to be a club that gives you a tremendous effort and goes out there every single day wanting to fight,” Renteria said. “We have to have expectations for our club. No one goes into any season thinking they’re going to fail. We go in there just like anybody else – anticipating success and hopefully putting these guys in a position that gives them the best chance to do that.”
Renteria will turn 52 on Christmas Day and said he’s recovering from the hip surgery that prevented him from traveling to Chicago when he got hired last month.
Epstein will be on his second manager in Year 3 of this rebuild, so Renteria won’t get the same benefit of the doubt as Dale Sveum. Renteria talked about being even-keel – one of Sveum’s buzzwords – and promised his players would run hard to first base.
People who have worked with Renteria say don’t let the public image fool you. It’s not just a power-of-positive-thinking message. He grew up in a tough neighborhood near Los Angeles, clawed out a career as a utility guy, played in Mexico and managed eight years in the minors.
“Oh, I can get hot,” Renteria said. “I think any competitor can get hot. I think you got to pick your spots. I don’t think players, quite frankly, appreciate people just losing it for the sake of losing it. Will I do it for the sake of people watching me do it? No. You may not see me do it at all. I can’t guarantee that.
“When it happens, it’s got to be the right time. Those things kind of take care of themselves.
I think it’s a ‘feel’ thing. Most players respond if you’re a guy that’s pretty even-keeled and you end up losing it. They understand that you mean business. Then it means a little bit more. But for the most part, I think a lot of times conversations need to be had behind closed doors.”
Renteria will be the franchise’s fourth different manager in five seasons on Opening Day 2014. He’s taking over a last-place team that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908, at a time when it’s being run like a mid-market operation. He stood there in front of the cameras and smiled for the before picture.
Zach Johnson opens with 67 for lead at Sherwood.
By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)
Zach Johnson is like most players at the World Challenge, not sure whether he's still playing in 2013 or if he's in the middle of the new wraparound season that officially started in October.
Sherwood has five par 5s. He made birdie on four of them for a 5-under 67, giving him a one-shot lead over Matt Kuchar. Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson were at 70, while tournament host Tiger Woods missed short putts at the beginning and end of his round and had to settle for a 71.
''A highlight that we're looking into next year is trying to play those holes a little bit better,'' Johnson said of the par 5s. ''I don't know what I did that today. I hit it close. I had good shots in there with the proper spin, nothing more than that. But you've got to take advantage of them. You've got five of them. The thing is ... one errant shot, you're staring a 6 right in the face, if not more. There's a lot of penal areas.''
Johnson said he still considers Kapalua to be the start of the season.
''To me, I'm still on the old calendar, so to me this is the end of the year,'' Woods said. ''I know that I'm going to be pretty far behind on points by the time I tee up again, and that's just kind of the way it's going to be. ... But you have the entire summer, you have the entire major championship season, you have the big events and then the playoffs.
Anything can happen. But it's going to be interesting to see how far behind some of us are when we start.''
This sure didn't feel like summer.
The temperature was in the upper 20s before the sun came up in the foothills of the Santa Monica mountains. There was a one-hour frost delay. A combination of firm turf, chilly weather, some breeze and firm greens made for tough scoring, and it showed.
Steve Stricker was among those under par until a bogey-bogey-double bogey finish put him at 75. Jordan Spieth, coming off a sensational rookie season and playing for the first time since the HSBC Champions in Shanghai a month ago, had a 77 and was last in the field. Jason Day, who won the individual and team title at the World Cup two weeks ago at Royal Melbourne, had a 76.
Rory McIlroy, with girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki following him, was hopeful of building momentum from his first win of the year last week in the Australian Open. He missed a few short putts, found the water on the par-3 15th and had a 73. He played with defending champion Graeme McDowell, who had a 72.
McDowell saw a note that his last eight rounds at Sherwood were in the 60s. That streak ended Thursday, though for good reason.
''The course hasn't been this tough in a couple years,'' McDowell said. ''The scoring reflects that. The greens are much firmer. The speed of them caught me by surprise a little bit today. My speed was a little clumsy, and it showed today on the greens.''
This is the final year the tournament is being played at Sherwood. It moves to Isleworth just outside Orlando, Fla., next year.
Any rust Woods felt had to do with the greens, which he said showed on some of his putts.
''I made a few mistakes today,'' Woods said. ''I also hit a couple of good shots that ended up in some interesting spots. That can happen out there. I shot about the score ... maybe could have gotten one or two more out of it.''
Johnson had few complaints. He opened with two birdies, and then surged ahead on the back nine with five birdies in a seven-hole stretch, three of them on the par 5s. Johnson has a pair of runner-up finishes at this event, and with the tournament moving, this is his last shot at Sherwood.
''I did everything decent,'' he said. ''Just a real solid day all around. I was aggressive when I needed to be aggressive, and I was conservative when I needed to be conservative. It's nothing more than a decent start.''
NASCAR Hall changes will modernize eligibility pool.
By David Caraviello
NASCAR on Thursday announced a number of changes to the selection process for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, including one that could lead to quicker enshrinement for veteran drivers like Mark Martin and Bill Elliott who competed into their 50s.
Of the six changes revealed during Champion's Week, the most potentially impactful involves driver eligibility. Currently, drivers who have competed in NASCAR for at least 10 years and been retired for three are eligible for nomination to the Hall of Fame. While that will not change, moving forward, drivers who have competed for a minimum of 10 years and reached their 55th birthday on or before Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year are also immediately eligible for selection.
Also, any competitor who has competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR competition by Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year is automatically eligible, regardless of age. The changes will benefit drivers like Martin, 54, a 40-time race winner who likely competed for the final time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this past season after 31 years on the circuit. Elliott, 58, is a former champion who competed as recently as 2012 and raced over 37 seasons. Two-time champion Terry Labonte, 57, competed in five events this past season, his 36th in the series.
Drivers may now also continue to compete after reaching any of the aforementioned milestones without compromising eligibility for nomination or induction. The changes to the selection process reflect an era when many drivers are proving competitive well beyond what was once considered retirement age, and will almost certainly add more contemporary names to the pool of drivers eligible for enshrinement.
"We're very proud of how the NASCAR Hall of Fame has evolved and believe the first five classes reflect the strength of the nominating and voting procedures, with voices from every corner of our industry included in the selection process," said Brett Jewkes, NASCAR chief communications officer. "Based on feedback from voters, industry leaders, media who cover our sport and the fans, we believe the changes announced today are a strong recognition of the uniqueness of our sport and will make the overall selection process even stronger in how we honor those who have driven NASCAR to great success on and off the track."
NASCAR formally announced five other changes, including the addition of the reigning Sprint Cup champion to the following year's voting panel, a move first unveiled in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That means Jimmie Johnson, who captured his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship this season, will be included in the selection meeting and cast a vote for the class of 2015 on voting day, Wednesday, May 21, 2014.
Also, beginning with the 2015 class, a new award called the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR will be initiated to honor significant contributions to the sport's growth. Potential recipients could include competitors or those working in the sport as a member of a racing organization, track facility, race team, sponsor, media partner or being a general ambassador for the sport through a professional or non-professional role.
Award winners will remain eligible for Hall enshrinement.
Five nominees for the Landmark Award will be selected by the Hall's nominating committee, and then be voted upon by the voting panel. To win the award, an individual must appear on at least 60 percent of the ballots and no more than one award will be presented annually. Voting for this award will occur immediately following the voting for the Hall of Fame class and be monitored by the same independent accounting firm that oversees voting.
Also, for the first time, the nominating committee will meet in person to create the ballots for both the Hall of Fame and the Landmark Award. Previously, the committee submitted nominees via mail to an independent accounting firm, which totaled the nominations in order to create the final Hall ballot. The nominating committee will meet during Speedweeks at Daytona on Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, and the nominees for both ballots will be announced later that day.
Moving forward, the nominating committee will also select five fewer members for enshrinement, with the number dropping from 25 to 20 beginning with the selection process for the 2015 class. And finally, any member of the nominating committee or voting panel who appeared on the previous year's ballot or current year's ballot will now be recused from participation in the nominating or voting process for as long as they appear on the ballot.
National series drivers impacted by new NHOF driver eligibility:
? Norm Benning: 61 years old
? Geoff Bodine: 64 years old
? Derrike Cope:55 years old, 31 seasons
? Rick Crawford: 55 years old
? Bill Elliott: 58 years old, 37 seasons
? Bobby Gerhart: 55 years old
? David Green: 56 years old
? Mike Harmon: 55 years old
? Ron Hornaday Jr.: 55 years old
? James Hylton: 79 years old, 30 seasons
? Terry Labonte: 57 years old, 36 seasons
? Mark Martin: 31 seasons
? Butch Miller: 61 years old
? Ken Schrader: 58 years old, 30 seasons
? Mike Skinner: 56 years old
? Morgan Shepherd: 72 years old, 36 seasons
World Cup draw scenarios the U.S. can dream about and also lose sleep over.
By Martin Rogers
The United States heads into Friday's World Cup draw in desperate need of just one thing.
Luck.
A near-perfect qualifying campaign, two-and-a-half years of solid progress under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and an unprecedented level of optimism leading into next summer could all count for nothing unless the U.S. men's national team is smiled upon by soccer's gods of fortune.
A dream draw against some of the weaker opponents – which is possible under FIFA's system of separating the 32 finalists into eight groups of four – would fill Klinsmann and his team with hope ahead of Brazil 2014 and perpetuate the belief that America's round-of-16 finish four years ago in South Africa can be matched or even bettered.
However, there is also a legitimate chance of the U.S. being pooled into a group so fiendishly difficult that progressing into the tournament's knockout stage would be highly improbable.
Klinsmann is a man who prepares meticulously. Stepping into a situation where being lucky could be far more valuable than being good clearly makes him uneasy.
"You will have a couple of groups getting drawn that will be killer groups [in which] there's not even one easy team or whatever," Klinsmann said. "Then you will find maybe two or three groups that are much easier, at least on paper. It's unbalanced."
The imbalance is due to the quirks of the world ranking system and FIFA's draw formula. FIFA has separated the 32 teams into four separate pots, and each of the eight groups will comprise one team from every pot.
Pot 1 contains the seeded teams, who are made up of host nation Brazil and the seven top-rated teams. The remaining countries have been sorted into pots largely determined by geography.
The U.S. and the other three qualifiers from the CONCACAF region will be in Pot 3 along with the four representatives from Asia. That does little to help the Americans, who won't face any of the Asian nations, which, even including fast-improving Japan, are among the weakest teams in the tournament.
There will be a European pot laced with tricky potential opponents and a mixed pot that could include a collection of tough South American and African sides plus one randomly selected and unseeded European nation.
With few shocks in the qualification process, there is no possible outcome that would provide the U.S. with a simple route through the group phase. However, some paths are far friendlier than others, and Klinsmann knows it.
"If you look around the world, there's really no big surprise," Klinsmann said. "There are the teams you expected to go to Brazil. You're going to face all the big soccer nations around the globe in Brazil. It's going to be a World Cup packed with quality."
"That seeding procedure will cause a lot of question marks, a lot of discussion and debate once the groups are finalized. It is what it is, but I'm not very happy with it."
What would make Klinsmann happy would be avoiding the best teams each pot has to offer, starting with tournament favorite Brazil and defending champion Spain from the group of seeds.
Switzerland is generally regarded as the weakest seed, but it would be a considerable favorite going into a match against the U.S. The Swiss went undefeated during European qualifying and soared up the world rankings, not to mention being the only team to beat Spain on its route to the 2010 title.
Pitfalls abound in the European pot, with the biggest dangers lying in the form of 2010 runner-up Netherlands, a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal and 2006 winner Italy.
The best the U.S. could hope for would be a matchup with the World Cup's only newcomer, Bosnia-Herzegovina, which the Americans beat in a friendly match in Sarajevo earlier this year.
Klinsmann will be in Brazil for the draw and he knows full well that everything has to be earned at a World Cup. That fact – especially for mid-ranked nations such as the U.S. – won't make things easy. Just how difficult the task will be is where the luck comes into it.
No charges for Heisman hopeful Jameis Winston. What's your take?
By GARY FINEOUT (Associated Press)
Florida State quarterback and Heisman hopeful Jameis Winston will not face any charges in a sexual assault case, mostly because there were too many gaps in his accuser's story, a prosecutor said Thursday.
The woman told police she had been drinking at a bar with friends and went home with a man she didn't know. She said she the alleged assault took place at an off-campus apartment, but she couldn't remember where it was.
A month later, she identified her alleged attacker as the quarterback. Winston's attorney said the sex was consensual.
The quarterback said in a statement he was relieved.
''It's been difficult to stay silent through this process, but I never lost faith in the truth and in who I am,'' Winston said.
The alleged assault happened long before Winston became a star on the national stage.
Reports about an investigation didn't surface in the public until last month, as the redshirt freshman was well into a remarkable season with Florida State.
Winston, 19, has led the Seminoles to a No. 1 ranking and a shot at a national championship if they defeat Duke on Saturday in the ACC title game. As for the Heisman, many voters were waiting to see whether he would be charged before casting their ballot.
The deadline is Monday and Winston is considered a leading contender for the trophy for the nation's top player. It will be awarded Dec. 14.
The accuser's family has been sharply critical of the Tallahassee Police Department, accusing the agency of delaying the investigation and discouraging her from going forward with the case because of the public attention it would receive.
''The victim has grave concerns that her experience, as it unfolded in the public eye and through social media, will discourage other victims of rape from coming forward and reporting,'' according to a statement from the accuser and her family.
The Associated Press does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
On Thursday, specific details of the alleged assault were released. The woman told police she and friends were drinking at Potbelly's and said she remembered getting into a cab with a man she didn't know.
Reports about an investigation didn't surface in the public until last month, as the redshirt freshman was well into a remarkable season with Florida State.
Winston, 19, has led the Seminoles to a No. 1 ranking and a shot at a national championship if they defeat Duke on Saturday in the ACC title game. As for the Heisman, many voters were waiting to see whether he would be charged before casting their ballot.
The deadline is Monday and Winston is considered a leading contender for the trophy for the nation's top player. It will be awarded Dec. 14.
The accuser's family has been sharply critical of the Tallahassee Police Department, accusing the agency of delaying the investigation and discouraging her from going forward with the case because of the public attention it would receive.
''The victim has grave concerns that her experience, as it unfolded in the public eye and through social media, will discourage other victims of rape from coming forward and reporting,'' according to a statement from the accuser and her family.
The Associated Press does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
On Thursday, specific details of the alleged assault were released. The woman told police she and friends were drinking at Potbelly's and said she remembered getting into a cab with a man she didn't know.
UNC hands No. 1 Michigan State its first loss.
The Sports Xchange
Early in the week, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo talked about the inconsistency in college basketball.
Imagine how he would feel to be North Carolina coach Roy Williams.
Odds are, he would be in a pretty good mood considering the Tar Heels handed top-ranked Michigan State its first loss of the season Wednesday, a 79-65 decision in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
This was a North Carolina team coming off a loss on Sunday to UAB and had also lost at home to Belmont. But in between, it beat Louisville, which was ranked No. 3 at the time and then controlled Michigan State for virtually the entire game on Wednesday.
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," Williams said when trying to explain his team's up-and-down play. "We are about 179 degrees from where we were at UAB. ... But we were really good tonight and that's exactly how I feel. We were active, decisive on the offensive end and active on the boards."
Five players scored in double figures and the Tar Heels dominated on the glass, winning the rebounding edge 49-38 and scoring 44 points in the paint to 28 for the Spartans.
Forward Kennedy Meeks scored 15 to lead North Carolina (5-2) while forward Brice Johnson scored 14. Guards Marcus Paige and Nate Britt scored 13 and forward J.P. Tokot scored 12.
The Spartans (7-1) dropped their first game of the season and lost to the Tar Heels for the seventh straight time. Forward Adreian Payne scored 16 and guard Keith Appling added 13, but Appling was injured late in the first half and Payne battled cramps all night.
Guard Gary Harris, who led all scorers with 17 points, was just 5-for-15 from the field as he battled a bad ankle and the Spartans had few answers for the Tar Heels.
"This was probably one of the more disappointing performances of my career here, to be honest with you," Izzo said. "From the opening jump they took it to us. I've mentioned that we haven't been practicing real well and that led to us not playing very well. I can't think of a time I've been more disappointed in maybe myself and my job. We looked like a softer team and that solely falls on me."
Fresh off the loss to UAB, Williams said he worked his team hard on Monday and showed them game film of UAB through Tuesday night. At that point, he told his team the focus was Michigan State, and by Wednesday morning, game prep began.
That prep showed early as the Tar Heels came out firing on all cylinders, dominating the Spartans on the glass and taking a 20-6 lead nearly 10 minutes into the opening half. Forward James Michael McAdoo led a balanced attack, hitting a pair of baseline jumpers that pushed North Carolina's lead to 30-19 with a little more than six minutes to play in the half.
That's when Michigan State started to come to life and closed the half on a 13-2 run to knot the score at 32 at the break. Appling went out at the 6:02 mark when he fell hard under the basket, but that's when the Spartans made their run. Payne scored seven straight Michigan State points and when he nailed a 3-pointer with 1:38 to play, the score was tied. Appling returned with a minute left, but his final shot at the buzzer didn't fall.
But Williams used the same tactic he did when North Carolina was tied at halftime with Louisville.
"That's a really gifted team and we were fortunate tonight," Williams said. "We made some shots we haven't been making in the first half and that gave us some confidence. I told them the same thing I did against Louisville, we were tied at the half and didn't play great. We could play a lot better in the second half."
They did just that, shooting nearly 52 percent from the field as Meeks scored 14 of his 15 in the second half and Paige and Johnson dropped in 11 each.
And in the process, the Tar Heels -- for now, at least -- put the memory of the UAB loss behind them.
"UAB wanted it more than we did," Williams said, "and today Michigan State did not want it more than we did."
NOTES: Michigan State sophomore G Gary Harris was in the starting lineup after missing the Spartans' game against Mount St. Mary's on Friday because of a sore right ankle. ... Sophomore C Matt Costello has the flu and did not start for Michigan State. Foul trouble forced him into the game in the first half, however, as his replacement, Alex Gauna, was whistled twice in the opening minutes. ... North Carolina coach Roy Williams entered the game a perfect 6-0 against Michigan State while coaching the Tar Heels. His only loss against Michigan State came as coach at Kansas. ... North Carolina defeated the No. 1-ranked team in the Associated Press poll for the 13th time, the most of any program.
Nelson Mandela: ‘Sport has the power to change the world’.
By Jay Busbee
Sports can be a diversion. Sports can be a hobby. And, for a fortunate few, sports can change the world.
Nelson Mandela, the legendary South African activist and politician who died Thursday at 95, stands as one of the 20th century's most notable figures for his efforts to end apartheid.
And while he used a combination of methods to dismantle South Africa's system of institutionalized racism, sports ranked high on the list. Mandela realized the transformative and unifying power of sports, and used that power to make changes that protests and diplomacy could not.
Mandela was a driven athlete, an amateur boxer who ran two hours every morning as a young man. He kept himself in excellent shape during his 27 years in prison. But it was a sport to which he had little attachment which would change his life and cement his legacy.
The key moment in Mandela's sporting life, as John Carlin of Sports Illustrated noted, was the 1995 Rugby World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mandela had been sworn in as president of South Africa only the year before, the nation's first black president, and there were plenty of heavily armed whites who were none too pleased with the tides that had changed their entire existence. The possibility of rioting, or worse, loomed large over the match between South Africa and New Zealand. As Mandela would say later, it was the most nervous he'd ever been in his life, even more so than the morning in 1962 where a captured Mandela would be sentenced to either life in prison or death by hanging.
Mandela had threaded a needle in the dark. In 1992, South Africa had been awarded the Rugby World Cup, and Mandela allowed the competition to proceed, even though rugby was a decidedly white-leaning sport. The South African national team, the Springboks, had only one nonwhite player, and blacks hated the team for many reasons, seeing their green jerseys as symbols of apartheid repression.
But Mandela convinced the nation to pull together as one and root for the Springboks, in part because of one astonishingly brave gesture: before a crowd of 65,000 that was almost completely white, Mandela strode onto the field wearing a Springboks jersey. The crowd, silent at first, began chanting "Nelson! Nelson! Nelson!"
South Africa would go on to win the game, and South Africans both black and white celebrated the victory. Mandela had not just passed a test, he'd rewritten it ... and in so doing, created a new, more hopeful future for his nation.
“Sport has the power to change the world,” Mandela said. “It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”
Nelson Mandela, the legendary South African activist and politician who died Thursday at 95, stands as one of the 20th century's most notable figures for his efforts to end apartheid.
And while he used a combination of methods to dismantle South Africa's system of institutionalized racism, sports ranked high on the list. Mandela realized the transformative and unifying power of sports, and used that power to make changes that protests and diplomacy could not.
Mandela was a driven athlete, an amateur boxer who ran two hours every morning as a young man. He kept himself in excellent shape during his 27 years in prison. But it was a sport to which he had little attachment which would change his life and cement his legacy.
The key moment in Mandela's sporting life, as John Carlin of Sports Illustrated noted, was the 1995 Rugby World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mandela had been sworn in as president of South Africa only the year before, the nation's first black president, and there were plenty of heavily armed whites who were none too pleased with the tides that had changed their entire existence. The possibility of rioting, or worse, loomed large over the match between South Africa and New Zealand. As Mandela would say later, it was the most nervous he'd ever been in his life, even more so than the morning in 1962 where a captured Mandela would be sentenced to either life in prison or death by hanging.
Mandela had threaded a needle in the dark. In 1992, South Africa had been awarded the Rugby World Cup, and Mandela allowed the competition to proceed, even though rugby was a decidedly white-leaning sport. The South African national team, the Springboks, had only one nonwhite player, and blacks hated the team for many reasons, seeing their green jerseys as symbols of apartheid repression.
But Mandela convinced the nation to pull together as one and root for the Springboks, in part because of one astonishingly brave gesture: before a crowd of 65,000 that was almost completely white, Mandela strode onto the field wearing a Springboks jersey. The crowd, silent at first, began chanting "Nelson! Nelson! Nelson!"
South Africa would go on to win the game, and South Africans both black and white celebrated the victory. Mandela had not just passed a test, he'd rewritten it ... and in so doing, created a new, more hopeful future for his nation.
“Sport has the power to change the world,” Mandela said. “It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”
**************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment