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 best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny." ~ Albert Ellis
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Jay Cutler, Bears overcome shaky start in victory over Browns.
By John Mullin
Chicago Bears' Alshon Jeffery making his third spectacular catch in as many weeks for a touchdown.
A couple of reports circulated before Sunday’s Bears-Cleveland Browns game that not everyone within the Bears’ organization was completely on board with the switch from Josh McCown back to Jay Cutler. That sentiment was nowhere to be found in the locker room after the Bears’ 38-31 comeback win over the Browns.
“Jay is our quarterback,” rookie guard Kyle Long said flatly. “Josh got us here. Jay’ll get us ‘there.’”
The “there” on the Bears’ mind lies beyond the regular season, which appeared to be nothing more than whimsy as late as three quarters into the Cleveland game. Now the Bears are 8-6 and sit atop the NFC North, the Detroit Lions (7-6) have to get past the Baltimore Ravens Monday night at home, and the Green Bay Packers (7-6-1) were able to overcome a 23-point halftime deficit to defeat the reeling Dallas Cowboys and stay in the race.
For their part, the Bears trailed 24-17 after Browns (4-10) scored defensive touchdowns off a Cutler interception and Martellus Bennett fumble.
At that point, Cutler took the Bears “there.”
He completed five of seven passes for 71 yards and touchdowns to Alshon Jeffery for 45 yards and Earl Bennett for four, for a nearing-perfect 143.4 passer rating for the quarter, finishing at a 102.2 level for the game. With a 40-yard touchdown run by Michael Bush the Bears piled up 21 unanswered points in the span of eight minutes, their biggest single-quarter output this season.
In the process, Cutler impressed even those who have known him at the NFL the longest.
“You have a guy like McCown playing lights out,’ Marshall said. “I would be crapping my pants if I was him. Fans, the commentators, sure they were ready to hang him. [Cutler] faced adversity, nothing short of that today.”
It wasn’t always an artistic success. Cutler threw two interceptions, one returned for a second-quarter touchdown and the other costing the Bears at least a field goal.
"I started off rusty," Cutler said. "Had some throws that were high. The guys rallied around me, they played really well, made some big-time catches, the offensive line played great. So it was good to get back out there, a really good team win.”
Cutler last week downplayed any thoughts about how well McCown had played in his stead. But "I'd be lying if I didn't say there was [some nervousness], with everything on the outside and as well as Josh has played,” Cutler conceded. "But this was the plan all along. No one really flinched in our building, everyone kind of stuck to it. Josh was super-supportive."
Beyond Cutler
But while the story of the day and week was Cutler, the story Sunday included Matt Forte rushing for 127 yards and no opposing running back running for 100, something that hasn’t happened in any of the last six games.
“It was something we talked about all week,” said defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff, making his second straight Bears start. “It’s something we have to do as a defense and it was an important goal for each one of us.”
In the end, helped by Zack Bowman’s two interceptions, one returned 43 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, Cutler’s return as the Bears’ starting quarterback was a success, period.
The Bears are now 5-0 in games when their defense scores.
The result was the Bears stepping to the top of the NFC North. Your move, Detroit.
The Lions host the Ravens on Monday Night Football.
These guys (Green Bay) just won't go away, they scare me more than Detroit. We must win in Philly next Sunday night because the Packers come to Soldier Field for the last game of the season and thus we control our own destiny. Packers 37, Cowboys 36.
By Art Garcia, The Sports Xchange
Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn led an improbable second-half comeback as the Packers stormed back to nip the Dallas Cowboys 37-36 Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
The Packers were down by 23 points before scoring five touchdowns against a beleaguered Dallas defense, including running back Eddie Lacy's game-winning 1-yarder with 1:31 remaining. Flynn threw four touchdowns after halftime.
Green Bay (7-6-1) remained squarely in the playoff hunt with two games left after a second consecutive win with Flynn under center. The Packers trail both Chicago (8-6) and Detroit (7-6) in the NFC North.
Green Bay has games left with Pittsburgh and at Chicago.
The Packers could also get back quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who missed his sixth straight game against Dallas, back from a cracked collarbone.
The Cowboys (7-7) didn't do themselves any favors with their second straight loss to a backup quarterback. Dallas does continue to control its own destiny in the NFC East, despite being a game back of 8-6 Philadelphia.
The Cowboys end the season at home against the Eagles on Dec. 29 with the division title likely on the line.
Dallas quarterback Tony Romo delivered the kind of December performance that plagued him for much of his career. Romo, now 11-17 lifetime in the season's final month, threw for 358 yards and two touchdowns, but had two costly interceptions in the fourth quarter. His second pick by cornerback Tramon Williams ended the game with 1:08 left in the game.
Flynn, the third consecutive backup quarterback to start against Dallas, threw for 299 yards and four scores, as the Packers spent most of the game playing catchup.
Flynn's 11-yard screen pass to James Starks early in the fourth pulled Green Bay within 29-24 before what nearly was another epic Romo mistake.
Williams appeared to intercept a tipped Romo pass on ensuing drive, returning the pick inside the Dallas 10. But the play was challenged and officials ruled the ball hit the ground as Williams was attempting to secure it.
With new life, Romo took the Cowboys the length of the field for a touchdown and 36-24 advantage. Receiver Dez Bryant hauled in a throw over Green Bay defenders in the back of the end zone.
Flynn again took the Packers down the field for a touchdown, connecting with receiver James Jones from three yards out with 4:23 left. Green Bay would get the ball back with 2:50 remaining.
This time Romo wasn't as lucky, as cornerback Sam Shields picked up an intended throw for receiver Miles Austin at the 50-yard line. Lacy bowled in from the 1 seven plays later.
Lacy rushed for 141 yards, his fourth game at least 100, and upped his total to 1,028 on the season.
Dallas took a commanding 26-3 lead into the locker room. Murray's 1-yard touchdown run just before the half capped a dominating two quarters for the Cowboys.
Romo had 250 yards passing and Murray ran for 93 by the break, but was all but forgotten in the second half. The Packers managed just 132 yards as a team in the first half.
The Cowboys scored on their first three possessions, all in the first quarter, to take a 13-3 lead. Romo's 25-yard scoring toss to tight end Jason Witten capped a dynamic opening period for Dallas.
Dallas placekicker Dan Bailey drilled five field goals, including two 50-yarders.
Bryant caught 11 passes for 153 yards to push his total to 1,061 yards on the season. Bryant's career high of 1,382 yards was set last season.
Murray continued his strong play of late with 134 yards rushing and a touchdown. The third-year pro is also closing in on his first 1,000-yard season, needing only 23 yards over the final two weeks.
NOTES: Green Bay was back in Arlington for the first time since winning Super Bowl XLV over Pittsburgh in 2011. ... The win was the Packers' first at Dallas since 1989. ... Dallas had never lost a game in which it led by 20-plus points at halftime. ... QB Aaron Rodgers headlined the list of Green Bay inactives. ... The Cowboys' inactives included MLB Sean Lee, MLB Bruce Carter, CB Morris Claiborne and RS Dwayne Harris. ... Cowboys LB Justin Durant returned after missing multiple games with a hamstring injury but left when he re-aggravated the muscle strain.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Toews leads Blackhawks over Kings 3-1.
By JAY COHEN (AP Sports Writer)
Jonathan Toews set up two of Chicago's three first-period goals, and the Blackhawks cooled off the Los Angeles Kings with a 3-1 victory Sunday night in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.
Rookie Antti Raanta made 21 saves to help Chicago bounce back from a 7-3 loss at Toronto on Saturday night. Marian Hossa had a short-handed score that snapped Los Angeles' NHL-record streak of 18 games without allowing a first-period goal.
Kris Versteeg and Patrick Sharp also scored for Chicago. Alec Martinez scored for Los Angeles.
The Kings (22-8-4) had won six in a row and were hoping to complete a perfect four-game trip in the same building where their Stanley Cup title defense ended in June. But the matchup of the NHL's best offensive team and the league's stingiest defense went to the high-scoring Blackhawks, who have won four of five and lead the NHL with 53 points.
Ben Scrivens had 37 saves for Los Angeles in his first start since Dec. 2, keeping the Kings in the game with a handful of nice stops after the sluggish first period. Scrivens and Martin Jones have done a terrific job in goal since Jonathan Quick was shelved by a groin injury last month.
The defending NHL champion Blackhawks (24-7-5) also were without their top goaltender, Corey Crawford. The 29-year-old Crawford is out with a lower-body injury, and it's unclear when he might return.
Raanta has started every game since Crawford went down on Dec. 8. He made his best stop against Los Angeles in the second, sticking his right skate out to turn away Anze Kopitar on a prime opportunity.
Martinez scored his second goal at 16:06 of the third, and the Kings then had a power-play opportunity when Andrew Shaw was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct. But the Blackhawks managed to kill it off.
Toews picked up right where he left off in the first game of his season between two of the NHL's best teams.
First, he won a battle for the puck with Los Angeles defenseman Jake Muzzin behind the Kings' net, and then threw it in front for Hossa's 14th goal at 5:45 of the first. After Versteeg scored on a 2-on-1 break, Toews made a great cross-ice pass to Sharp for a power-play goal that made it 3-0 with 29 seconds left in the period.
Kane picked up his 26th assist on Versteeg's sixth goal. Kane has at least one point in each of his last nine games and 21 of 22 overall.
NOTES: It was Bryan Bickell bobblehead night, but the big forward remained out with a lower-body injury. Coach Joel Quenneville said Bickell probably will accompany the team to Nashville for Tuesday's game against the Predators, but it's more likely he returns on Friday against Vancouver. ''He did well today,'' Quenneville said, ''so he's close.'' ... Kings D Willie Mitchell was scratched due to an illness. He played in each of Los Angeles' first 33 games of the season. ... Quenneville said goaltender Jason LaBarbera ''could be in the mix'' with the Blackhawks soon. LaBarbera was acquired in a trade with Edmonton on Saturday and assigned to Rockford in the AHL. ... Defenseman Michael Kostka, forward Jeremy Morin and Crawford were scratched for the Blackhawks. ... In addition to Mitchell, Fs Matt Frattin and Linden Vey were scratched for Los Angeles.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls at a crossroads after latest loss.
By Aggrey Sam
“Losing sucks,” Joakim Noah said, pointing out the obvious. “There’s no question about it.”
Then, the All-Star center made a much more salient point about the reeling Bulls, winners of only three of their last dozen games following Saturday night’s 99-77 loss to the Raptors at the United Center.
“But it also shows people’s true colors,” Noah explained. “Who’s willing to keep fighting through the adversity or who’s going to say, ‘You know what? I don’t want any part of this and I’m just going to take bad shots and just not care at all about making winning plays and playing defense,’ and things like that. So everybody has to stick together, everybody has to jell and keep fighting together.”
Now, before everybody goes wondering about which of his teammates Noah was describing, it should be noted that his point was more of a forewarning, as the uniquely skilled big man, on the heels of one of his better consecutive-game individual performances of an inconsistent campaign, also said he believes that the Bulls won’t go down the path he discussed.
“I think everybody will [keep fighting]. That’s the makeup of this team. Everybody has high character,” he said. “It’s tough to lose, but it’s all about how you deal with adversity.
“No excuses. But I know that we’re capable of a lot better than that. We can’t get frustrated. Our effort has to be a lot better to play winning basketball. But it’s going to come,” Noah continued. “I felt like our effort was good in spurts, but not throughout the game, not as good as it has to be to win a basketball game, so that’s disappointing. We don’t say that too much. But we’ve just got to keep grinding and get better.”
In contrast to Noah’s defiant, if dejected demeanor, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau took the tone of a man out of answers after the defeat, at the hands of not exactly one of the NBA’s juggernauts.
“You hate to use fatigue [as an excuse], but we missed a lot of shots,” the somber-toned coach said. “I don’t want use four [games] in five nights as an excuse. So we’ve got to do better. Twenty-six [to] 11 in the fourth quarter; that’s got to be your best quarter.”
Dealt a bad card before the game even started—veteran floor general Kirk Hinrich, himself a replacement for the injured Derrick Rose, missed the game with a back ailment—Thibodeau used a platoon system between second-year point guard Marquis Teague and newcomer D.J. Augustin. Even with All-Star small forward Luol Deng back in the lineup, that didn’t help an already-anemic Bulls’ offense run at its most efficient and combined with an apathetic defensive effort, the ugly contest evolved into a non-competitive laugher for the visitors from Toronto.
But as much as adversity as the Bulls have persevered through over the past few seasons, there’s still a feeling that they can get back to their winning ways.
“I’m definitely confident. I think we’re going through it right now, up and down, guys getting hurt. We’ve had seasons here where everybody was healthy and at the end of the year, everybody got hurt. So hopefully this year, it’s the other way around. We’ve just got to stay positive. I think we’re going to get better as the year goes on.
Hopefully guys can stay healthy. It’s a long season and we’ve learned in the past that it’s really who’s the healthiest team and the team who has the best rhythm at the end of the year, most of the time, that’s who’s going to win it,” Deng explained. “You’ve got to be an example. Guys are looking at you. You’ve got to be positive. You’ve just got to talk to guys and just staying positive and sticking with it, it’s not always going to go your way, but being on both sides, the winning side and the losing side, you’ve just got to stick with it. When things aren’t going your way, you work harder and try to get things right. You can’t just let it beat you up. Whether you get in the gym, watch film, try harder and harder until you get it right.”
Perhaps Taj Gibson, albeit in somewhat of a non-sequitur, summed things up best, if one were to take the look-on-the-bright-side, hard-work-pays-off approach to the team’s current situation.
“It’s just frustrating because you’ve got to get through the bad to get to the positive.
That’s how it is in the NBA,” said the Bulls’ top reserve, after one of his own personal worst efforts of the season, a rarity for him. “As long as you keep working, the positives are going to come through.
Chicago Cubs: Inactivity at Winter Meetings Underscores New Philosophy.
By Evan Altman
COMMENTARY | I'm not here to say whether the concept of behaving like a small-market team is genius or a scam. Anyone who's followed the Chicago Cubs for any length of time has seen them swing from spendthrift to big spender and back again.
But while other clubs make gratuitous splashes, acquiring new players via trade or free agency, the Cubs have been content to make under-the-radar moves. Their acquisitions of Wesley Wright and Justin Ruggiano were met with shrugged shoulders instead of raised eyebrows, and rightly so.
And while few, if any, Cubs fans were advocating for the addition of Jacoby Ellsbury, Robinson Cano, or Carlos Beltran (not at those prices, baby), the resulting haul from the Winter Meetings was far from exciting. GM Jed Hoyer has likened MLB's annual gathering to a hunting expedition. If that's the case, he came home with a couple of rabbits instead of a prize buck.
Patience is a virtue that's running thin in Chicago, where the Cubs have cut payroll as they pile up record numbers of losses. I could go on and on about the team's crippling debt-to-asset ratio, brought on by the highly leveraged purchase from previous owner Sam Zell. But as Steve Stone famously said near the end of his Cubs broadcasting career: "At the end of the day, boys, you don't tell me how rough the water is, you bring in the ship."
Like Billy Madison before him, Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts was able to climb the corporate ladder pretty quickly due to his father's status. Ricketts doesn't need to redo his entire early education or win an academic decathlon in order to prove his worth to Cubs fans, but he is going to need to start showing more progress at Wrigley than just cosmetic upgrades.
Improving the Cubs comes down to more than just a choice between hiring a bunch of mercenaries or continually flipping major leaguers for prospects. I've maintained that the solution lies somewhere in between, but I wanted to take a look at how payroll related to on-field success.
The Haves
Among the 10 teams with the highest payrolls in baseball, only the Los Angeles Dodgers ($220MM), Detroit Tigers ($148MM), and the Boston Red Sox ($154MM) made the playoffs. The Red Sox had long been intrinsically linked to the Cubs, due to the shared misery of a title drought. But Boston has ended the drought, proving that grass is indeed greener on the other side.
The Red Sox also proved that it's possible to make a quick turnaround, as they went from 93 losses to a World Series title in one year. I wrote an earlier piece about how that rebirth should be an example to the Cubs and their fans of what can be.
However, Boston isn't the archetype of the big-market team that's just buying a title. While the Red Sox did have the 5th-highest payroll in baseball in 2013, it was actually more than $20 million less than their 2012 payroll. Of all the teams to make the playoffs this season, Boston was one of only three (Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays) sporting a decreased salary obligation.
The Have-Nots
Interestingly enough, we find three playoff teams (Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians) among the bottom 10 payrolls as well. While the Rays and A's have long been lauded for their bargain-basement tactics, Cleveland is better known for exporting Super Bowl winners and NBA MVPs than for playing winning baseball.
But in Terry Francona, the Indians have their first great manager since Lou Brown. Regardless of the manager, dealing with a small payroll though means the margin for error is much smaller and there is a near-total reliance on homegrown talent. Just look how long it took the Pittsburgh Pirates to return to relevance. And the Kansas City Royals' winning record in 2013 was their first in 10 seasons and only their second in the last 20.
The Middle
Truth be told, teams like the Royals and Pirates actually fall into this middle category more than they do the bottom. Each team increased payroll over 2012's total by at least $15 million, pushing them into the low end of the middle 10 teams in MLB.
But from this group came four playoff teams: the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and the Pirates (in decreasing order of payroll). The teams in this middle tier have the money (average payroll of $95MM) and the flexibility to build both the big league team and the farm. They have greater margin for error than those teams on the low end, and aren't strapped to as many bad contracts as those above.
The Cubs
So what does this say about the Cubs, a team that sat between the Reds and Cardinals in the payroll standings, but fell well below them in the standings that really matter? Well, it certainly seems to say that they're not getting a return on their investment, at least not where the on-field product is concerned.
A look back in Cubs payroll history shows us that they were rarely near the top of the chart until after the 2003 season. That brief taste of success led to more spending that eventually got them up to $146 million in 2010, where they trailed only the Yankees and Red Sox.
However, that year was also the first of four consecutive 5th-place finishes in the NL Central.
Of the Cubs' three NL Central titles in the past decade, none came from a payroll that ranked higher than 8th. Their best finish with a top-7 payroll was 2nd in 2009, but they've bounced from 3rd to 6th otherwise. Mo' money, mo' problems, indeed.
Conclusion
Billy Madison aside, what I'm saying is this: The Cubs don't need to break the bank, but they can't just slash payroll and invest solely in the minor leagues. They need some major league talent to offset the inherent risk of prospects.
Billy Madison aside, what I'm saying is this: The Cubs don't need to break the bank, but they can't just slash payroll and invest solely in the minor leagues. They need some major league talent to offset the inherent risk of prospects.
They've been wise to avoid the megadeals, as everyone saw how that worked with Alfonso Soriano. But flipping short-term players like suburban houses does little for either the performance or the continuity of the team.
Call me crazy, but I fully expect this whole rebuilding to reach critical mass, perhaps as soon as 2015. But I understand full well the resentment and criticism that come from such an approach, particularly when other teams are turning things around so quickly.
The concept of a rebuild is sound, and I agree with it, but it's certainly not beyond reason to wonder whether the contractor will complete the project on time, if at all.
Sergio Garcia wins Thailand Championship.
AP Sports
Sergio Garcia shot a final-round 68 to beat Henrik Stenson by four strokes and win the Thailand Golf Championship at the Amata Spring Country Club on Sunday.
''It was great, an amazing week,'' said Garcia, who has now won four Asian Tour titles in his career. ''I'm very, very happy and I can't wait to go back home to Switzerland and kind of sleep on it a little bit.
''I knew Henrik was going to make it difficult for me. He's been playing so amazingly great, and he did. I started well, but he also did. He kept hitting good shot after good shot,'' Garcia added.
Garcia raised some eyebrows by playing with his girlfriend, Katharina Boehm, as his caddie this week, but the partnership has proved to be effective.
Sweden's Stenson, who recently made history when he became the first player to win the Race to Dubai and the FedEx Cup, matched Garcia's 68 in his final round for an 18-under 270 total.
''It was a good week. Especially (because) I've had a great year but coming here really on the fumes left in the tank, not too much going for me to perform this week in that sense.
But ... I was hanging in there and I was just coming up a couple short,'' Stenson said.
''I needed something really, really good to happen there. I had a couple of chances to get a little bit close around 8 and 9 but I didn't make those two birdie putts and Sergio was hanging in there, made one or two good saves and then he made three birdies in a row, and then he pulled away, and then really I would need something spectacular to happen the last four or five holes.''
Alexander Levy of France shot a 69 to finish another four shots back for a 274 total and third place. Last year's winner, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, with a second straight 67, was joint fourth on 275 along with Yuki Kono of Japan, US Open champion Justin Rose, and Anirban Lahiri of India.
American Rickie Fowler endured an up and down round that featured six birdies and four bogeys for a 70 and an 11-under 277 to finish in a share of eighth place with Thailand's Chapchai Nirat.
Kuchar and English romp to Shootout win.
AFP
Matt Kuchar and Harris English combined to shoot 14-under-par 58 on Sunday for a record-setting victory in the Franklin Templeton Shootout.
Kuchar and English went into Sunday's final round of the unofficial event for two-man teams with a four-stroke lead and finished on 34-under-par 182.
Their 54-hole scored matched the 34-under-par 182 tournament record set in 1990 by Fred Couples and Raymond Floyd when the event was staged at Sherwood Country Club in California.
It improved the low 54-hole score since the event moved to Tiburon Golf Club, which was a 33-under-par 183 by Brad Faxon and Scott McCarron in 2001.
The seven-stroke margin of victory also broke the tournament record of six strokes set in 1989 by David Duval and Fred Couples.
"It was nice to come here and perform well," said Kuchar. "We made a boatload of birdies. It was a fun three days for sure."
South Africa's Retief Goosen and teammate Freddie Jacobson of Sweden shot 61 on Tiburon Golf Club's Gold Course to take second place on 27-under 189.
The English duo of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood fired a 59 and grabbed third at 26-under.
Chris DiMarco and Billy Horschel placed fourth at 24-under, one stroke ahead of last year's champions Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair, who had led after Friday's opening round.
Kuchar and English took charge in Saturday's better-ball format and never wavered in Sunday's scramble.
In addition to their 12 birdies, the duo highlighted their round with an eagle at the par-five 17th.
English split the fairway off the tee and Kuchar landed the second shot within 10 feet of the pin, with English converting the eagle putt.
"Harris hit a great drive, only had 200 to the front, I think it was 217 to the hole into a little bit of wind," Kuchar said. "I had a hybrid club that in those conditions needs to be hit well. I hit it perfectly and knew that when I hit it was going to turn out good, went to probably eight feet for eagle.
"Again, it was another hole I didn't have to putt. Harris poured another one right in the middle."
English said he was looking forward to a short Christmas vacation with his family, before the US PGA Tour's 2013-14 season resumes in Hawaii in January.
NASCAR honors seven champions at Hall of Fame.
By NASCAR Wire Service
The common thread throughout Saturday's NASCAR Night of Champion Touring Awards was of a dream realized.
From Lakeport, Calif., to San Sebastian, Spain, seven NASCAR drivers collected their series championship trophies and received their coveted championship rings from NASCAR President Mike Helton.
"To win this championship, to accomplish this goal, it means the world to me," said 22-year-old Ryan Preece, who became the youngest champion of NASCAR's oldest division, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
"Being part of this is amazing," said Ander Vilarino, the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion. "I would have never imagined that one day I could say I'm a two-time NASCAR champion."
Preece and Vilarino were joined on the stage at the end of the night to show off their championship rings by NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion Dylan Kwasniewski, NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion Derek Thorn, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 champion Scott Steckly and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion George Brunnhoelzl III.
Brunnhoelzl won his fourth NASCAR tour championship, while Steckly picked up his third.
The 18-year-old Kwasniewski became the first driver to win NASCAR's K&N Pro Series West and East titles -- and he did so in consecutive seasons.
"The drivers who graced the stage truly reflect the depth, talent and diversity of NASCAR in the 21st century," said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. "And the seven NASCAR champions who were crowned embody the strength and future promise of our sport."
The championships were won in vastly different ways.
Brunnhoelzl used a mid-season run of three straight wins en route to his title, while Vilarino started off the season with a NASCAR touring-series record six straight wins. Steckly, on the other hand, finished outside the top 20 in the first two races and rallied by winning the finale to edge rival DJ Kennington by two points.
"This year has been amazing," Steckly said. "To race at this level and with other drivers who are such strong competitors is something I am very grateful for, and love doing."
The champions weren't the only ones to pick up hardware Saturday night.
In addition to the championship awards, each series rookie of the year was honored. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award winners were Jesse Little in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Dylan Lupton in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, Cole Powell in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Luke Fleming in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. Top rookie performers in three international series were Alex Guenette in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Santiago Tovar in Mexico's NASCAR Toyota Series and Yann Zimmer in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
The Most Popular Driver Awards for each series were also presented during the ceremony. The seven drivers honored with the prestigious award were Ben Kennedy in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Cameron Hayley of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, Guenette in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Pepe Montano of the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series, Freddy Nordstrom from the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, Mike Stefanik from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Andy Seuss from the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
Montano and Nordstrom were repeat winners from a season ago.
The top-10 drivers and car owners from each of NASCAR's touring series also were recognized during the gala.
"There are a lot of young faces here tonight that you will probably be seeing a lot more of in the future," continued Silbermann. "They are the new ambassadors of our sport -- fearless and very talented on the race track and eager to prove their mettle."
Have the real Manchester United arrived? Offensive masterclass brings hope.
By Joe Prince-Wright
It’s taken almost half a season… but the real Manchester United have finally shown up.
In the Red Devils 3-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday, David Moyes‘ men put in a majestic display of attacking power, creativity and desire to dispatch the Villans comfortably and grab their first victory in five Premier League games.
Danny Welbeck smashed home his first-two PL goals since the opening day of the season in the first half and much-maligned midfielder Tom Cleverley grabbed his first league goal since Boxing Day 2012 after the break, as ‘redemption’ and ‘revival’ were the buzz words circling around United’s dazzling display in the Villa Park drizzle.
Under-fire for most of the season due to his sides lethargic and often predictable displays going forward, afterwards United boss David Moyes was delighted with his sides attacking performance against a Villa side they vastly outclassed.
“Getting the goal gave us a chance to keep the ball better,” Moyes said. “To be fair to Aston Villa they had a couple of shots in the first five minutes or so but after that we played well. Getting the early goal made a big difference.”
Welbeck stole the headlines for his goals but wingers Adnan Januzaj and Antonio Valencia were a constant thorn in Villa’s side as they ran at pace, whipped in top-quality deliveries and hassled Villa’s back-line into numerous giveaways. Welbeck’s predatory strikes were exactly what Moyes’ side needed, especially as the England international was given his chance to start after injuries to RVP and Javier Hernandez.
The 23-year-olds two strikes were his first league goals since a double on the opening day of the campaign against Swansea and his manager hopes getting on the score sheet will give Welbeck confidence.
“For Danny it’s really important because he’s a forward and he needs to get himself goals and he’s always had that labeled at him,” Moyes said. “Today he got two poacher type goals and he could have had another one. All round he played well for the team, he was a threat running in behind, so I was pleased with him today. When you have injuries like Robin and Chicho out, he came up to the mark and that’s what happens when you get opportunities. You show what you can do. Danny certainly did that today.”
Wayne Rooney, who is taking the lead role once again — United’s other leading striker Robin van Persie is sidelined for at least a month with a thigh injury — was sublime in the no. 10 position as he destroyed Villa with delicate through-balls all game. United’s relentless pressing displayed their desire to get back to winning ways as they brushed off the unwanted record of suffering three-straight PL defeats for the first time since December 2001.
Moyes was pleased with his sides reaction to their recent lackluster displays and believes United are edging towards the form he wants from them.
“We are getting closer to it. We have to be more consistent and I’m still looking for that to improve again,” Moyes said. “We could have scored more goals but I think generally the all round performance was much more like us. I’m pleased with that.”
With RVP missing, expect to see Welbeck as the target man, Valencia and Januzaj out wide and Rooney sitting in the hole for the foreseeable future.
United were clinical, sharp and out to prove a point against Villa on Sunday and certainly quietened some of their doubters with their ruthless finishing. It certainly helps when you have Rooney quarterbacking proceedings from a deep-lying role as he often sat back to spray maverick long-range passes at ease to link the Red Devils midfield and attack.
Rooney was frighteningly good at Villa Park as his exquisite spectrum of passes drew ‘ohhs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the crowd. His ball through to Cleverley for United’s third looked simple but for the England international to judge that weight so precisely was sublime.
The Red Devils played as if they’re hell bent on dragging themselves back into the title race by the start of the New Year and now they’re only 10 points behind leaders Arsenal with games against West Ham, Hull and Norwich coming up.
The perfect opportunity to mount a title challenge?
“I can only look at the next game” Moyes said coyly. “At Manchester United we’re expected to win and I’ll try and win the next game. That’s always the case and I’ll see where we can end up.”
When we look back at the end of the season, this rampant attacking display on a miserably rainy day in England’s heartland could be a defining moment in Moyes’ first season in charge. This victory could have a big say in where ‘they end up’ in May, as the Scotsman put it.
In the post game presser, Moyes had a smile on his face and calmness about him that’s been missing in recent weeks.
His offense finally sparked into life on Sunday, and the rest of the Premier League were sent a timely reminder of the age old adage: never rule out the Red Devils.
Heisman goes to Florida State's Winston.
By Danny Aller, The Sports Xchange
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston became the second straight redshirt freshman in college football history to win the season's most coveted individual honor on Saturday night when he was awarded the 2013 Heisman Trophy by a the fifth-largest margin in history at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City.
"First of all, I'd like to thank God and the Heisman trustees and past Heisman winners for allowing this dream to come true," said Winston, a former five-star recruit who was the No. 1 high school quarterback prospect in the nation in 2011 who became the 79th winner of the Heisman.
"I trusted in the process (and) in my high school coach who came in and told me he was going to make me the best quarterback in the nation. Eventually, I got a scholarship and kept up my education ... I feel so blessed right now."
Finishing third in the voting was Northern Illinois senior quarterback Jordan Lynch, followed by Boston College senior running back and NCAA rushing leader Andre Williams.
Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Johnny Manziel, who was the first freshman to win the honor last season, was fifth and Junior Tre Mason, Auburn's dynamic running back who will meet Winston for the BCS title in three weeks, finished sixth.
The 19-year-old Winston, who will turn 20 on Jan. 6 -- the same day the No. 1-ranked Seminoles (13-0) face No. 2 Auburn (12-1) for the BCS National Championship in Pasadena, Calif. -- became the youngest winner to join the Heisman Trophy club. Manziel turned 20 years old two days before he received the honor in 2012.
While becoming the first freshman in NCAA history to lead a team to a unbeaten record and 13 wins, Winston completed 237 of 349 passes for 3,820 yards with 38 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The passing yardage and passing touchdown totals are NCAA freshman records, and he is on track to break FBS' career record with a 190.6 passer efficiency rating.
Winston also rushed 77 times for 193 yards and four scores, leading the Seminoles to Atlantic Coast Conference championship and unbeaten conference record.
The biggest obstacle to Winston's Heisman candidacy was off-field uncertainty, but last week a Florida prosecutor announced that the quarterback would not be charged with sexual assault, despite accusations made against him by a Florida State student last December.
The accuser's attorney held a press conference on Friday morning -- a little more than 24 hours before the Heisman ceremony was to take place -- and called for the Florida State Attorney General to reopen the case and conduct an independent investigation of its handling.
But Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office issued a statement late Friday declaring that "no further action on this matter is required."
Possibly as a result of the situation which has dogged him for the last month, Winson was left off the ballot by 115 Heisman Trophy voters.
Winston addressed the matter in an interview with ESPN shortly before the award ceremony and again during his speech, saying over and over again, "I trusted in the process and the truth prevailed."
"I'm a family man. I love life. I love the college experience, but I've got to grow," said Winston, who turned and hugged his mother, Loretta, and father, Antonor, after he was announced as the winner. "I know I did nothing wrong, and I was eventually vindicated. I've just got to care for myself and get better every day."
Winston is FSU's third Heisman winner in program history, joining former quarterbacks Charlie Ward (1993) and Chris Weinke (2000).
McCarron, who kept Winston from sweeping college football's major postseason awards earlier this week when he was given the Maxwell Award while Winston won the Davey O'Brien Walter Camp awards, went 207-for-306 for 2,676 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. He led Alabama to back-to-back BCS national titles as a sophomore and junior, becoming the first QB to accomplish that feat in the 16 years of the BCS-era.
Lynch's candidacy was built largely on his legs rather than his arm. The NCAA's second-leading rusher ran 274 times for 1,881 yards -- an NCAA record for a quarterback -- and scored 22 times on the ground. Lynch completed 233 of 369 passes for 2,676 yards with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's the only player in college football history to rush for at least 1,500 yards and throw for 20 touchdowns in a season.
Doak Walker Award winner Williams -- whose Boston College team came the closest of any program to beating FSU this season before the Seminoles prevailed, 48-34 -- ran 329 times for 2,102 yards and 17 touchdowns to lead all of Division I.
Manziel threw for 3,732 yards on 270-for-391 passing, tossing 33 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Aside from the interception total, his passing stats were an improvement on 2012, but his rushing stats declined sharply. He ran for 686 yards and eight touchdowns on 133 carries this year after producing 1,410 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 201 carries last season.
Mason gained 1,621 yards on 283 carries, including a 304-yard, 46-carry game last Saturday in the SEC Championship game against Missouri. He scored four of his 22 rushing touchdowns against Mizzou.
But Saturday was all about Winston, who had one of the most prolific seasons ever for a quarterback -- freshman or otherwise -- and rewrote the record books for the NCAA, ACC and at Florida State this season.
Winston, a two-sport star for the Seminoles who also plays baseball, led one of the most potent offenses in college football this season with an average margin of victory of more than 42 points.
The 689 points put up by Winston and FSU's offense this season was an ACC record and leads FBS. With only the national title game against Auburn remaining, the Seminoles only are 28 points away from breaking the NCAA single-season scoring record.
Winston finished the regular season ranked in the FBS Top 10 in completion percentage, touchdown passes, passing yards, passing yards per game, yards per completion, points responsible for and points per game.
But he began and ended his Heisman moment on Saturday night by reminding viewers that none of his success would be possible without his faith, his family, his friends or his teammates.
"This is the first time I've been speechless in a long time," Winston said. "This Heisman isn't just for Jameis Winston, it's for Florida State. I love everybody in here. I'm so blessed right now. It means so much to me.
"But I've got one thing to say: At Florida State, if we going to do it then, then do it big then."
No. 1 Arizona rallies past Michigan 72-70.
By NOAH TRISTER (AP Sports Writer)
With Arizona's No. 1 ranking hanging precariously in the balance, T.J. McConnell hustled over to the corner for the biggest offensive rebound of the game.
Johnson made six free throws over the final 25 seconds, and Arizona held on for a 72-70 victory over the Wolverines on Saturday after rallying from an 11-point deficit in the second half.
Michigan led by one with under a minute to go, but McConnell was able to rebound his own miss to keep a crucial possession alive.Johnson drew a foul on a drive with 24.6 seconds left, and he put the Wildcats ahead to stay.
''This was as quality of a win as you can have, in my opinion, in the country,'' Arizona coach Sean Miller said. ''I felt like today - we're going to be better if we won, we're going to be better if we lost.''
Michigan led 58-50, but the Wildcats again had an answer. Aaron Gordon and Ashley made consecutive baskets, and a dunk by Ashley cut the lead to two.
Johnson, Gordon and Kaleb Tarczewski had 14 points each for Arizona. Tarczewski went down with what looked like a right leg injury around the midpoint of the second half, but he was able to return.
It's been a quiet start to the season for Robinson, who showed enough potential in 2012-13 that he considered a jump to the NBA after his freshman year. Against Arizona, he showed why he's a definite candidate to play at the next level.
Robinson made all seven of his shots from the field in the first half, including a contested 3-pointer in the final seconds that gave Michigan the nine-point halftime lead.
''We didn't feel going in at half that we were down nine,'' Johnson said. ''We felt good about ourselves. We had a few easy shots that we didn't finish.''
Opponents were shooting only 27 percent from 3-point range against Arizona coming into the game, but the Wolverines were 6 of 11 in the first half. They finished 8 of 17.
The Wildcats rallied late when they finally started converting around the basket. A three-point play with 2:32 to play by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson gave Arizona its first lead of the second half at 63-62.
The lead changed hands four more times after that - for good when Johnson made the first two of his six late free throws.
Peyton Manning wins Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, is that the right call?
By Frank Schwab
At 37, following multiple neck surgeries, he is turning in what is probably going to end up the greatest regular-season performance in NFL history. He has the fourth-most touchdown passes (47) in a season, with two games to go. His 4,811 yards are already 12th best all time. He needs 666 yards to break Drew Brees' record for yards in a season. His 112.9 rating is fourth all time. He'll win his unprecedented fifth MVP award. The season the Denver Broncos' star quarterback is having is unique in many ways.
And for his incredible 2013, Manning was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. He's just the eighth professional football player to win the award. The announcement was made at halftime of NBC's "Sunday Night Football."
The argument against Manning winning the award is the same one that follows him everywhere: He didn't win the Super Bowl. In all but one of his NFL seasons, that has been the criticism. Never mind that he didn't blow the coverage when Baltimore's Joe Flacco tied last season's playoff game in the final minute with a miracle pass. The lack of multiple titles always be the knock on Manning, although he has a chance to change that this season.
The championship issue is why people might argue Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz should have won SI's award. He had a great postseason, helped his team to a World Series and his best moment of the year was probably his memorable speech after the Boston Marathon bombing. He might not have been the most valuable player on the Red Sox (second baseman Dustin Pedroia led the team in wins over replacement, also known as WAR), but he has a big personality and the SI award isn't just about on-field performance.
Miami Heat star LeBron James was deserving, but he won last year. Sports Illustrated's Peter King said Yankees relief pitcher Mariano Rivera was considered too, and the retired closer would have been a fine choice.
But again, what Manning is doing is pretty tough to deny. He has the great human interest story of coming back from the neck issues. He has reinvented his game because he doesn't have the dynamic physical skills he did years ago. He is universally respected, is the highest profile player in the wildly popular NFL, and is having an all-time great season.
Manning was Sports Illustrated's choice for Sportsman of the Year. It's hard to say it was a bad pick. But do you think it was the right one?
*******************************************************
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