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Sports Quote of the Day:
"It isn't hard to be good from time to time in sports. What is tough, is being good every day." ~ Willie Mays, MLB Legend and Baseball Hall of Fame Member
U.S. advances to World Cup round of 16 despite 1-0 loss to Germany.
By Martin Rogers
The United States lost 1-0 to Germany but still won on Thursday by scraping through to the knockout stage of the World Cup after surviving a nervous final afternoon of Group G action. Thomas Mueller’s 55th-minute goal was enough to give Germany victory and hand it first place in the Group of Death, with the Americans also progressing in second place with four points.
Jurgen Klinsmann’s side was elated to be through to the round of 16 for the second straight World Cup but had to survive some nervous moments in Recife.
"It's a huge achievement by our team to come through the group and qualify for the knockout stage. We knew it was going to be a very tricky game," Klinsmann said. "We knew we were in a situation where a tie was enough and it was not so easy to handle mentally. We kind of gave them too much respect for the first 20-25 minutes."
Given the result against Germany, the U.S. would have been eliminated if Ghana had managed to beat Portugal in a match taking place simultaneously in Brasilia. After equalizing in the second half, Ghana eventually slipped to a 2-1 defeat thanks to an 80th minute winner from Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Germany coach Joachim Loew lauded Team USA, which wasn't expected to get past the Group of Death.
"That was a tough group," Loew said. "Everyone thought the Americans would be on the outside and that Portugal would make it. ... I am happy for the U.S. [Reaching the round of 16] means they have the qualities – they can fight and they can run and they are really tough on the opponent. They have players who have improved technically.
"If you beat Ghana and draw with Portugal, you deserve to reach the round of 16."
Klinsmann’s team was outplayed by Germany and struggled to adapt to heavy conditions caused by a torrential downpour in the lead-up to the game.
Mueller scored after a corner by Mesut Ozil. U.S. goalie Tim Howard deflected a header by Per Mertesacker but Mueller was right there for the rebound.
"I saw the ball was ricocheting toward me and the goalkeeper," Mueller said. "I don't know the distance – maybe 16 meters – and I just focused on the ball and the far post and hit the ball the way I thought I would hit it. And that was it."
The goal was Mueller's fourth of the tournament.
"We'll look at the video and see what went wrong, but if you give him one chance or give him a clear picture on goal, he will take advantage of it," Klinsmann said. "Thomas Mueller doesn't need more than one chance to score."
Alejandro Bedoya and Clint Dempsey both had a clear chances to equalize for the U.S. deep into injury time but were unable to convert, with Bedoya's low strike blocked by Philipp Lahm and Dempsey aiming his close range header over the bar.
The U.S. will now meet the winner of Group H, either Belgium or Algeria, at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador on Tuesday.
"Obviously Belgium and Algeria are very different teams. Belgium we are more familiar with. We played two friendlies against them," Klinsmann said. "Algeria is a completely different style. But whoever it is we will be prepared."
Klinsmann: 'We will be prepared'.
By ESPN Staff
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said on Thursday he is ecstatic to see the U.S. team advance to a World Cup knockout stage for the second consecutive tournament and promised the team would continue to improve.
"Well, that we still can do better," Klinsmann said, when asked what message he would deliver to the team post-match. "We got through the group, but we have to do better in the round of 16, and we will do better."
Germany beat the U.S. 1-0 on Thursday in soggy Recife on Thomas Muller's 55th-minute goal to win Group G, but the Americans held on to second place when Portugal defeated Ghana 2-1 in a game played simultaneously in Brasilia.
"Obviously it's a huge achievement by our team to come through that group and qualify for the knockout stage,'' Klinsmann said. "We take a couple of good things with us and whoever we face we're going to take it to them. Now we really get started. Once the group is done, another tournament actually starts because the knockout stage is a completely different ballgame. So we can't wait to get that started next week."
The U.S. will next play Belgium (July 1, 4 ET, ESPN), who won Group H after the U.S. match on Thursday.
Asked before the Belgians' match whether he would prefer to face Algeria or Belgium, Klinsmann measured his response.
"Belgium and Algeria are very, very different teams," he said. "We played two friendlies against Belgium, but Algeria has a completely different style. We can't wait to start that phase."
In those friendlies, Belgium beat the U.S. 4-2 in May 2013 in Cleveland, and 1-0 in September 2011 in Brussels.
U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, who had five saves on Thursday, said that based on the team's performance so far, he has nothing but optimism.
''Proud of the group, we still got a lot left in us," he said. "I thought we played well throughout the group. It was a tough game and tough conditions. Hats off to Germany -- I think they have an opportunity to win the World Cup, that's how good I think they are.
"And we had a chance, a chance there at the end, but we go again," he said. "You know, we get to the round of 16, it shows how far we've come, that we're not happy just getting there, that we want to progress, and we still got a little bit left in us.''
Klinsmann singled out Everton stopper Howard as a difference-maker. Howard was a towering presence at the back for most of the game who was beaten only by a superb Muller long-range strike.
"Tim is one of our big shots," Klinsmann said. "He's our leader, he keeps everyone together and obviously we need him right now. In a World Cup if you want to go far you need one of the best goalkeepers in the world -- and we have one."
But Klinsmann said he believed his team could raise its game again.
"It's huge getting out of this group," Klinsmann said. "Everybody said 'You have no chance,' but we took our chance and now we move on and we really want to prove a point."
Klinsmann: 'We will be prepared'.
By ESPN Staff
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said on Thursday he is ecstatic to see the U.S. team advance to a World Cup knockout stage for the second consecutive tournament and promised the team would continue to improve.
"Well, that we still can do better," Klinsmann said, when asked what message he would deliver to the team post-match. "We got through the group, but we have to do better in the round of 16, and we will do better."
Germany beat the U.S. 1-0 on Thursday in soggy Recife on Thomas Muller's 55th-minute goal to win Group G, but the Americans held on to second place when Portugal defeated Ghana 2-1 in a game played simultaneously in Brasilia.
"Obviously it's a huge achievement by our team to come through that group and qualify for the knockout stage,'' Klinsmann said. "We take a couple of good things with us and whoever we face we're going to take it to them. Now we really get started. Once the group is done, another tournament actually starts because the knockout stage is a completely different ballgame. So we can't wait to get that started next week."
The U.S. will next play Belgium (July 1, 4 ET, ESPN), who won Group H after the U.S. match on Thursday.
Asked before the Belgians' match whether he would prefer to face Algeria or Belgium, Klinsmann measured his response.
"Belgium and Algeria are very, very different teams," he said. "We played two friendlies against Belgium, but Algeria has a completely different style. We can't wait to start that phase."
In those friendlies, Belgium beat the U.S. 4-2 in May 2013 in Cleveland, and 1-0 in September 2011 in Brussels.
U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, who had five saves on Thursday, said that based on the team's performance so far, he has nothing but optimism.
''Proud of the group, we still got a lot left in us," he said. "I thought we played well throughout the group. It was a tough game and tough conditions. Hats off to Germany -- I think they have an opportunity to win the World Cup, that's how good I think they are.
"And we had a chance, a chance there at the end, but we go again," he said. "You know, we get to the round of 16, it shows how far we've come, that we're not happy just getting there, that we want to progress, and we still got a little bit left in us.''
Klinsmann singled out Everton stopper Howard as a difference-maker. Howard was a towering presence at the back for most of the game who was beaten only by a superb Muller long-range strike.
"Tim is one of our big shots," Klinsmann said. "He's our leader, he keeps everyone together and obviously we need him right now. In a World Cup if you want to go far you need one of the best goalkeepers in the world -- and we have one."
But Klinsmann said he believed his team could raise its game again.
"It's huge getting out of this group," Klinsmann said. "Everybody said 'You have no chance,' but we took our chance and now we move on and we really want to prove a point."
FIFA World Cup Scores. June 25, 2014 - June 26, 2014.
ESPN.com
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Bosnia-Herzegovina 3
Iran 1
Ecuador 0
France 0
Nigeria 2
Argentina 3
Honduras 0
Switzerland 3
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Portugal 2
Ghana 1
Algeria 1
Russia 1
United States 0
Germany 1
South Korea 0
Belgium 1
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Roster depth is the key to championships, so do the Chicago Bears have it?
By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery has worked hard in his few years on the job, turning over the entire roster. He's not only looking to add impact players, but also to build depth to withstand any injuries his team could incur. He's constantly scouring the waiver wire to ensure that he has the best possible options for his coaching staff to utilize.
Pat Kirwan, CBS Sports NFL Insider, has a list of thirteen questions he believes each team must answer to determine whether or not they have the type of depth needed to win a championship.
We'll examine each of the 13 questions to see how far off the Bears are. Each question will receive a yes or no answer; there will be no undecided cop-out answers by me on this exercise.
1. Does your team have a capable backup QB that can go at least 2-2 in a four-game stretch?
This is a tricky one, because the Bears have the quarterback whisperer in Marc Trestman. His track record with quarterbacks is pretty good, but the Bears have a couple of untested players vying for the #2 job. In Jordan Palmer the Bears have a player that was around in 2013, so there's a certain comfort level with him knowing the offense. The problem that is he only has 15 career passing attempts since 2008.
Jimmy Clausen has more experience, starting 10 games as a rookie in 2010, but he didn't look very good back then. Keep in mind he was a rookie, playing on a bad team, so he's probably capable of playing better.
Since the backup QB situation is still up in the air, I'll have to answer this question with a no.
2. Does your team have a real swing offensive tackle, a guy that can play left or right tackle and has experience?
The Bears' swing tackle can not only play tackle, but also guard and tight end. Eben Briton has 20 career o-line starts under his belt and, while he's a backup for a reason, he's also looked good since he's been in Chicago. I'll give this one a yes.
3. Does your team have a solid inside offensive lineman that can play guard or center?
Not only do the Bears have such a player, but Brian de la Puente racked up 44 starts in three years with the New Orleans Saints, so this is a yes as well.
4. Is there a quality second running back that can deliver a 100-yard rushing day if he had to start?
Well, I'd like to say yes, as I have confidence in rookie Ka'Deem Carey, but until we see him in pads on the professional level how can I?
Some are high on Michael Ford, or undrafted rookies Jordan Lynch or Senorise Perry, but that's a whole lot of unknown behind starter Matt Forte. This is a no.
5. Is there a good second tight end on the roster?
Back up offensive lineman Eben Britton played more reserve snaps at tight end last season than did primary backup TE Dante Rosario. After Rosario the Bears have even more question marks battling it out for a roster spot, so the answer to this question is no.
6. Can the third wide receiver step up and start in the two-WR packages if a starter went down?
This one is tricky, because the player most project to be the third wide out only has two career receptions. So basing my answer off Marquess Wilson I would have to say no. But, don't forget the Bears signed Josh Morgan to compete for the 3rd WR spot, and he has started 54 games in his six year career. So even though I feel Wilson wins the 3rd WR job, Morgan has the experience to step up and start if Alshon Jeffery or Brandon Marshall are injured. The yes has it.
7. Does your team have a designated pass-rush specialist who could play the early downs if need be?
Thanks to Phil Emery, the Bears have a quality pass rushing 3rd DE in Willie Young and two quality starting DEs in Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston. This one is a yes too.
8. Is there a third defensive tackle that not only plays in a rotation but could play the whole game if need be?
Right now the third defensive tackle is coming off a knee injury but, before he was hurt last year, Nate Collins was playing some very good football. He received his full medical clearance earlier this month, and he should be in rotation with Stephen Paea and Jeremiah Ratliff. If by some chance Collins is beaten out in the rotation by one of the two rookies, then that gives the Bears at least a couple of solid backup guys. I'm going yes on this one.
9. Is there a quality nickel corner on the roster, since most teams are at least 50 percent sub defenses?
The Bears did spend a #1 draft pick on a reserve cornerback. They return last season's #1 nickel and they get another experienced veteran back from injury. It was also revealed in camp that the Bears will move starting corner Tim Jennings inside to nickel on sub packages. I think between Jennings, Kyle Fuller, Isaiah Frey and Kelvin Hayden, the Bears will be OK at the position. Yes to question number nine.
10. Is there a fourth corner for dime packages?
See above, so yes.
11. Is there a third safety for big nickel defenses?
This is where it gets interesting.
Have the Bears ever trotted out a big nickel? They did just add Adrian Wilson who, along with Ryan Mundy, will be in the mix at strong safety. I suppose the loser could play big nickel. Rookie corner Kyle Fuller has experience playing both safety and linebacker, so he could be packaged as a big nickel against a team if needed. Chris Conte may lose his free safety job to Brock Vereen, so the loser in that race could play as a big nickel.
But since safety was such a sore spot last year, and Wilson is coming off an injury, I don't think we can just assume a team struggling to find some consistency at safety will all of the sudden find a 3rd quality safety. I have to go no on this one.
12. Is there a return specialist that can either handle both punt and kick returns or contribute as a real position player?
I'm excited to see what Chris Williams can do. He electrified the CFL as a returner, but he also played wide receiver. In 2012 while with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he returned 5 punts for TDs, and had 83 receptions for 1,298 yards with 11 TDs. But, and you knew there'd be a "but", he couldn't break through the New Orleans Saints' lineup in 2013, so is he really a player that we should count on?
The Bears also have Eric Weems back, who has return experience, but he's four years removed from his Pro Bowl returner season. Armanti Edwards and Michael Spurlock are listed as WR/KR, but do those guys elicit any confidence?
I hate to do it, but until proven otherwise, this one gets a no.
13. Does your team have a special-teams linebacker that leads the specials and can play inside linebacker in a pinch?
In recent history the Bears have always placed a premium on having that one linebacker that would be a core special teamer. From Brendon Ayanbadejo to Tim Shaw to Blake Costanzo, and to the latest free agent signeee. Jordan Senn. Senn is an experienced special teamer with seven seasons under his belt. He has also played both inside and outside linebacker, although he's probably best suited for OLB. With a couple other young linebackers getting reps in the middle for the Bears, I think I can check this one off as a yes.
That's eight questions receiving a yes, and five receiving a no from me.
How do you have it?
Plaintiff in Redskins patent case urges Chiefs to change their name. What's Your Take?
By Michael David Smith
The Washington Redskins aren’t the only NFL team whose name bothers some Native Americans.
The Kansas City Chiefs should also change their name to avoid giving offense, according to Amanda Blackhorse, the lead plaintiff in the case that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office just decided against the Redskins.
“I’m not sure there’s anything the [Chiefs] can do at this point other than look for another name,” Blackhorse told the Kansas City Star. “They could be the team that says, ‘You know what? We understand the issue and we don’t want to be Dan Snyder and fight this in court forever. We want to do the right thing and move forward and avoid this entire battle.’ I’m sure fans will be upset, but still, that’s doing the right thing. If they want to be sensitive to Native American people, that’s the thing to do.”
Blackhorse’s sister, Kristy Blackhorse, is part of a group of Native Americans in Arizona who plan to protest at two Cardinals games this season — not only when the Redskins come to town in October, but also when the Chiefs come to town in December.
There are fundamental differences between the Chiefs and the Redskins, especially that dictionaries define “chief” as a term of respect and “redskin” as a slur. The Kansas City Chiefs have kept a low profile during the debate, hoping that they can continue to use their team name without the controversy that has swirled around the Redskins. If Blackhorse has her way, the Chiefs won’t avoid controversy for long.
Update: More Overkill. (See CS&T/AA Take at the end of this article.)
By Mike Oz
A Cleveland-based Native American activist group says it's planning to sue the Cleveland Indians in federal court next month for $9 billion — yes, billion with a b — citing 100 years of racism connected to the team's name and its Chief Wahoo logo.
Saying you'll sue and actually filing a suit are two very different things, of course, but Robert Roche of the American Indian Education Center and the group People Not Mascots is eyeing a federal lawsuit that will ask for retribution dating back to 1915 when the baseball team adopted the Indians name.
Roche told WEWS-TV in Cleveland about his plans for the lawsuit, explaining:
“We’re going to be asking for $9 billion and we’re basing it on a hundred years of disparity, racism, exploitation and profiteering,” Roche said. “It’s been offensive since day one. We are not mascots. My children are not mascots. We are people.”
The threat of this huge lawsuit comes about a week after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office deemed the Washington Redskins' name was "disparaging to Native Americans" and canceled their trademarks.
Roche has long been protesting the Indians name and Chief Wahoo logo, so he and his groups must have sensed new opportunity with the latest Redskins controversy. Roche is one of the protesters at Cleveland's home opener every year. This year, he was captured in a photo opposite an Indians fan in redface that quickly went viral.
The Indians don't use Chief Wahoo as their primary logo anymore, changing instead to a big block C. Chief Wahoo's prominence within the team's uniforms and marketing have slowly gone away, though the Indians have stopped short of getting rid of him altogether. He's still on some caps and jersey sleeves.
There's a contingency of Indians fans, however, who protest the protesters and aim to keep Chief Wahoo around. One group has a Facebook page with almost 1,800 "likes." There's also The Wahoo Club, a booster organization for the Indians that's been around since 1962.
As you'd imagine, its president, Bob Rosen, doesn't agree with the possible lawsuit. He told WEWS-TV:
Unlike the Redskins situation, in which owner Dan Snyder has been outspoken in defense of his team's name and mascot, the Indians have tried to toe the middle ground on this issue. They've taken away Chief Wahoo a bit, but haven't totally denounced him. They've denied wanting to get rid of him, but he's definitely been demoted."If just a small amount of people are against it, than I think you're doing a disservice to people that like it ... I'm not insensitive to the issue, but our 1,650 members of the Wahoo Club, anytime we have a Wahoo Club item they buy it up, they love it ... Can you imagine the baseball team in this city not being called the Cleveland Indians? I can't picture that."
A $9 billion lawsuit — if it ever comes to fruition and isn't thrown out of court early on — would definitely require the Indians to choose a side.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take:
(Getty Images)
We agree that the name Redskins may be considered racist as it refers to the color of one's skin color and generally not in a favorable context. I know I wouldn't like to see the Blackskins, Whiteskins, Yellowskins, Brownskins, etc., however, let's not go overboard or overkill. We can't and don't see how the names: Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Indians, or Chicago Blackhawks could be considered derogatory. In my research, which has been going on for several months now, I can not find any evidence or instances where these organizations have used their names to defame Native Americans. And to be honest with you, neither has the NFL Washington Football Club with the exception of the name. I've done business and met many people in my life and the one thing I've learned is that the key to success is just being fair. In the words of the late great poet, Maya Angelou, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
We personally believe that there is no reason that the Chiefs, Indians and Blackhawks should change or consider changing their names. They exude the tradition of winning and define the utmost perception of pride.
Now you know what we think and how we feel, we'd love to know, what’s your take?
Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Blog Editor. Please use the comment section below and have at it. Let us know your thoughts.
NFL roundup: NFL agrees to remove cap on concussion damages.
By BARRY WILNER (AP Pro Football Writer)
A revised concussions settlement between the NFL and former players could shrink the league's coffers. Only marginally, though, and not for a long time.
The NFL agreed Wednesday to remove a $675 million cap on damages from thousands of concussion-related claims. A federal judge who originally questioned whether there would be enough money to cover as many as 20,000 retired players still must approve the new terms.
The settlement is designed to last at least 65 years and cover retired players who develop Lou Gehrig's disease, dementia or other neurological problems believed to be caused by concussions sustained during their careers. Removing the cap might lead to the NFL paying out more money to ailing former players, even though the league and lawyers for the plaintiffs believe the $675 million won't be surpassed.
''If exceeding that number happens, it is well down the road,'' said Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based consulting firm SportsCorp and a close observer of league business. ''I don't foresee anything in the next four or five years.
''This has the benefit of getting money to the families and people who need it now. If the actuarials are wrong, the additional money would not be paid for a while down the road. By then, there will be new TV contracts, the league will have grown more (financially).''
Although the original settlement was trumpeted by both sides, U.S. District Judge Anita Brody denied preliminary approval last January. Her concerns centered, simply, on whether there was enough money in the pot to satisfy all the legitimate claims; some 4,500 retired players were part of the lawsuit. Projections indicate many more will need help.
Dozens of ex-players also have said they would not take part in the original settlement, against the advice of the plaintiffs' attorneys.
''Some of the players were concerned and asking questions about whether they could be in a deal if they weren't sure there'd be money there for them 40 years from now if they get sick, God forbid. ... That's what drove these changes,'' plaintiffs' lawyer Christopher Seeger said.
The original settlement included $675 million for compensatory claims for players with neurological symptoms; $75 million for baseline testing; and $10 million for medical research and education. The NFL also would pay an additional $112 million to the players' lawyers, for a total payout of more than $870 million.
The revised settlement eliminates the cap on overall damage claims, but retains a payout formula for individual retirees that considers their age and illness. A young retiree with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, would receive $5 million. A 50-year-old with Alzheimer's disease would get $1.6 million. An 80-year-old with early dementia would get $25,000.
Where will the money come from? The NFL isn't exactly hurting for income as it approaches $10 billion in annual revenues.
''This comes out of their bottom line, although it is not a huge part of their bottom line,'' said David Orentlicher, a law professor at Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law. ''But anytime a business' prices and costs increase, they try to pass off as much as they can. If they can pass it all off, they will. Sometimes you have to eat some of it.
''The questions become, have they already maxed their prices for tickets and broadcast rights and sponsorships and the like?''
With new TV deals upcoming and the surging popularity of pro football, it seems unlikely the NFL has maxed out its earning potential.
Critics of the deal have said the league is getting off lightly. Others point out, as did Ganis, that the timing of getting payments to the injured or ill is the most crucial element.
One of the plaintiffs is Kevin Turner, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots and is now battling ALS.
''The compensation provided in this settlement will lift a heavy burden off of the men who are suffering,'' he said in a statement. ''I am also personally comforted by the knowledge that this settlement is guaranteed to be there for any retired player who needs it.''
Orentlicher projects the NFL will surpass the payouts of the original settlement agreement.
''It would be very surprising if their ultimate payoff is not significantly greater,'' Orentlicher said. ''I think they will spend more money as a result of this. It's just the nature of these kinds of settlements.
''If this is all the NFL has to pay, the owners will be very happy. When you add up all the damage these players are suffering and all the money teams have earned as a result, this isn't sufficient to compensate for the harm.''
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks' Duncan Keith takes home second Norris Trophy.
CSN Staff
Chicago Blackhawks Duncan Keith (USA Today Sports Image)
Duncan Keith put together a regular season that rivaled his 2009-10 campaign. On Tuesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks defenseman was rewarded for this season much like he was that one.
Keith was named the 2014 Norris Trophy winner for the second time in his career, as the NHL had its awards ceremony in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Keith, who finished with 68 first-place votes, became the league’s only active defenseman with multiple Norris Trophy victories. He was also named to the NHL's first All-Star team.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Toews, who won the Selke Trophy in 2013, finished third in this season’s voting. Patrice Bergeron of Boston took home the award for best defensive forward. Fellow Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa finished fifth in the Selke voting.
Coach Joel Quenneville talked midway through this season on how strong Keith looked, saying his game was as good, if not better, than it was the first time he won the Norris in 2009-10, when the Blackhawks also won the Stanley Cup.
As far as statistics go, Keith’s 2013-14 numbers were comparable to when he won in 2009-10: Keith had 55 assists in each season, was a plus-21 en route to his first Norris Trophy and a plus-22 en route to this one.
Toews, Kane asking for $12 million a year deals: Report.
By Greg Wyshynski
The NHL has seen several star players in the cap era take less than market value to remain with their teams, with an eye towards allowing those teams to retain other players and maintain success.
Of course, since 2005, the salary cap has been a reasonable mechanism for capping salaries because the ceiling has been at rec room levels rather than grand foyer. But as the NHL brings in billions (thanks, outdoor games!), the salary cap could reach $75 million by 2015.
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane go unrestricted next summer. The Chicago Blackhawks are already in talks about an extension. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that Kane and Toews have made their first pitch ...
… and they’re asking for around $12 million per season.
McKenzie notes that both players will likely end up with a lower salary than their initial ask, but could still see $10 million per year averages. Toews and Kane each have one year remaining on their contracts. They both signed identical five-year $31.5 million contracts prior to the 2010-11 season.
Again, with the cap rising, this shouldn’t be an issue with regard to the Blackhawks’ roster. They have 10 players under contract for 2015-16, including Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith all making over $5 million.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… NBA Draft: Bulls trade with Nuggets for Doug McDermott
By Mark Strotman
A potential trade between the Denver Nuggets and Bulls had been brewing for months, and Thursday night it came to fruition.
Shortly after the Nuggets selected Doug McDermott with the No. 11 pick in the NBA Draft, multiple outlets reported that the Creighton scorer was on his way to Chicago. That trade has been finalized, sending the rights to McDermott and forward Anthony Randolph to the Bulls in exchange for the rights to Bosnia center Jusuf Nurkic (taken 16th), the rights to Michigan State guard Gary Harris (taken 19th) and a 2015 second-round pick.
McDermott was a three-time All-American for the Bluejays, finishing his four-year career in Creighton with more than 3,000 points, fifth most in NCAA Division I history. As a senior he averaged 26.7 points on 52.6 percent shooting, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists and was named the 2014 Naismith Men's College National Player of the Year.
He shot 45 percent from beyond the arc, but the 6-foot-8 forward is more than just a shooter. And at the combine, he said he feels he'll be able to come in right away and help an NBA team.
"I think my IQ of the game and just my ability to shoot it," McDermott said of his best NBA-type attributes. "I think I've had a good three to four years with that as you all know, and just being a coach's kid, I've been around the game for a long time so I bring a good IQ to the table and good leadership skills. I think that'll really help me at the next level."
And while he doesn't have great athleticism for his size, McDermott also said at the combine that his versatility will serve him well at the next level.
"Once I get stronger I think (NBA teams) can see me as a 4, guarding 4s, but for now I'm going to have to be able to keep a 3 in front of me and possibly a 2, just because I'm not quite as tall as some of the 4s in the NBA," he said. "I think I'll figure it out once I get on the floor. I'm a basketball player and I've got to figure it out from there."
For the Bulls, the trade makes sense. Tom Thibodeau's group finished 24th in 3-point field goal percentage and 26th in 3-point makes per game (6.2). And from a front office perspective, it should save the Bulls some salary cap space not having to sign two rookies in their pursuit for a high profile free agent this offseason.
Check out Aggrey Sam's NBA Draft profile on McDermott: DRAFT PROFILE
NBA-Selections in first round of NBA Draft.
Reuters; Compiled by Larry Fine, Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes/Greg Stutchbury
First-Round Selections in Thursday's National Basketball Association Draft at Barclays Center in New York (order of pick, NBA team, player, position, college/country):
1 Cleveland Cavaliers, Andrew Wiggins (Canada), guard, Kansas
2 Milwaukee Bucks, Jabari Parker, forward, Duke
3 Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid (Cameroon), center, Kansas
4 Orlando Magic, Aaron Gordon, forward, Arizona
5 Utah Jazz, Dante Exum, guard, Australia
6 Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart, guard, Oklahoma State
7 Los Angeles Lakers, Julius Randle, forward, Kentucky
8 Sacramento Kings, Nik Stauskas (Canada), guard, Michigan
9 Charlotte Hornets (from Detroit), Noah Vonleh, forward,
Indiana
10 Philadelphia 76ers (from New Orleans), Elfrid Payton, guard,
Louisiana-Lafayette
11 Denver Nuggets, Doug McDermott, forward, Creighton
12 Orlando Magic (from New York via Denver), Dario Saric
(Croatia), forward, Cibona-Zagreb
13 Minnesota Timberwolves, Zach LaVine, guard, UCLA
14 Phoenix Suns, T.J. Warren, forward, North Carolina State
15 Atlanta Hawks, Adreian Payne, forward, Michigan State
16 Chicago Bulls (from Charlotte), Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia and
Herzegovina), center, Croatia
17 Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn), James Young, guard, Kentucky
18 Phoenix Suns (from Washington), Tyler Ennis (Canada), guard,
Syracuse
19 Chicago Bulls, Gary Harris, guard, Michigan State
20 Toronto Raptors, Bruno Caboclo, forward, Brazil
21 Oklahoma City Thunder (from Dallas via Houston and Lakers),
Mitch McGary, forward, Michigan
22 Memphis Grizzlies, Jordan Adams, guard, UCLA
23 Utah Jazz (from Golden State), Rodney Hood, guard, Duke
24 Charlotte Hornets (from Portland), Shabazz Napier, guard,
Connecticut
25 Houston Rockets, Clint Capela (Switzerland), forward,
Chalon-France
26 Miami Heat, P.J. Hairston, guard, NBA-D-League
27 Phoenix Suns (from Indiana), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia),
guard, Partizan-Serbia
28 Los Angeles Clippers, C.J. Wilcox, guard, Washington
29 Oklahoma City Thunder, Josh Huestis, forward, Stanford
30 San Antonio Spurs, Kyle Anderson, forward, UCLA
Study: NBA maintains strong diversity numbers.
By KYLE HIGHTOWER (Associated Press)
The NBA remains the leader in diversity among professional sports leagues.
According to a report released Tuesday, the NBA received an A-plus grade for racial hiring and B-plus for gender hiring on its annual Racial and Gender Report Card. The league received an overall grade of A.
This is the sixth consecutive overall A grade the NBA has received in the annual report by the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport.
This is the sixth consecutive overall A grade the NBA has received in the annual report by the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport.
With Michael Jordan the Charlotte Hornets' majority owner and Vivek Ranadive the new controlling owner of the Sacramento Kings, the NBA is the first major pro league to have two owners of color.
The league set records this season with assistant coaches of color at 46.7 percent and 48.4 percent of its referees.
In the NBA league office, 35.1 percent of all professional employees are people of color and 40.9 percent are women. There were 42 women serving as vice presidents.
Study author Richard Lapchick noted that as strong as those figures are, there were slight decreases in the league office figures from a year ago.
The percentage of professional employees of color at the league office dropped by 0.6 percentage points (from 35.7 percent), while the percentage of women declined by 0.2 percentage point (from 41.1 percent).
''Because percentages are so high now, it makes it so difficult to raise or maintain (the numbers),'' Lapchick said. ''I think the area that they can improve in is at the senior leadership positions at the team level. There are not so many women vice presidents. ...There are quite a high number at the junior level, but the senior level has room for improvement. But, that said, they are far ahead of other professional sports leagues as far as gender hiring.''
He said the high diversity standards David Stern set while commissioner are likely to continue under Adam Silver, who was Stern's deputy when many of the current diversity initiatives began.
This season Jason Collins became the NBA's first openly gay player.
''One of the things for me that is encouraging as I look at racial and gender issues across society is that there is a league like the NBA that you can look to, not only in sport, but in corporate America. ... to be a welcoming environment,'' Lapchick said. ''They've changed the numbers, but they changed the culture as well.''
Giants ace Lincecum no-hits Padres again.
AFP
Tim Lincecum held San Diego hitless Wednesday in a 4-0 San Francisco victory as the righthander recorded his second career no-hitter -- with both coming against the Padres.
Lincecum also no-hit the Padres last July as he became just the second pitcher in Major League Baseball history to no-hit the same team twice, joining hall of famer Addie Joss who did it against the Chicago White Sox in 1908 and 1910.
"I am not saying I needed to do that by myself but to just be a part of that is fun," Lincecum said.
The 30-year-old Lincecum, who has two World Series championship rings, was just one walk away from a perfect game. He stuck out six batters in front of a crowd of 41,500 at AT&T Park.
He capped the no-hitter by getting Padres batter Will Venable to ground out in the ninth which sparked a celebration near Lincecum's pitching mound. Giants second baseman Joe Panik threw to first baseman Buster Posey to end the game against the weak-hitting Padres.
"I wasn't really thinking about it out there, so at the end it kind of caught me by surprise," Lincecum said. "The defence played very well, (Hector) Sanchez caught a great game and our offence got us the lead."
Lincecum's second no-hitter comes less than a year after his first one. He threw his first on July 13 at San Diego's Petco Park.
Lincecum retired the last 23 batters he faced after giving up a one-out walk in the second inning to Chase Headley. He threw 113 pitches, including 73 for strikes and improved to 6-5 on the season.
"Just an incredible performance. He had such great focus," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "He was just an artist out there.
"It's hard enough to do one. If you do two, it puts you in a different class."
He joined Christy Mathewson as the only Giants with two career no-hitters and was the 32nd pitcher in league history to reach the milestone.
It was the 16th no-hitter in Giants' franchise history. There has been only one perfect game in Giants' history, coming from Matt Cain last year.
San Diego came into Wednesday's game as the worst offensive team in MLB, ranking 30th out of 30 teams in batting average (.216) and runs (239). The Padres are also the only team in MLB to have never had a no-hitter.
The Padres were no-hit for the ninth time in franchise history.
It was the third no-hitter thrown this season with the others coming from Los Angeles Dodgers starters Josh Beckett and Clayton Kershaw.
Ejections are actually on the rise this season. (Unexpectedly, despite steps to get most every call correct with expanded replay.)
By Anthony Castrovince
Red Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski wasn't too happy with young umpire Quinn Wolcott's strike-zone judgment in a game earlier this month, and he made his point in a way that only A.J. can.
"Give me a new ball," Pierzynski said to Wolcott after Asdrubal Cabrera had drawn a walk. "One you can see."
Funny line. But instead of a "haha," it earned Pierzynski the ol' heave-ho.
Evidently, choice words or otherwise ill-timed talking points are still in vogue in Major League Baseball.
Remember all that early-season talk about peace and harmony emanating out of the adaptation of instant-replay review? About how the ability to challenge close calls would essentially eliminate arguments with umpires?
"It's just turning into a lovefest," Rays manager Joe Maddon said in April. "It's almost like you can't get upset anymore."
Yeah, uh, about that ...
Would you believe ejections are actually up this year over last? It's true.
While replay might have changed the tone of the conversations, in reviewable instances, the numbers, culled from closecallsports.com's database, show there has still been plenty of room for disagreement.
The "eject button," as it were, is still being utilized frequently.
Here are the numbers, through June 25 of each year:
2014 ejections: 107
2013 ejections: 83
The Nationals' Matt Williams and the Padres' Bud Black each earned their first ejection of the season on Monday night, and now all but three Major League skippers -- the Indians' Terry Francona, the Brewers' Ron Roenicke and the Orioles' Buck Showalter -- have been ousted at least once this year.
Why are there still so many differences of opinion?
There is one obvious explanation, of course. Replay doesn't cover baseball's time-tested, biggest source of disputes: the strike zone. Ball/strike arguments have accounted for nearly half (51 of 107) of the ejections to date. And nothing short of unimpeachable, infallible robot umpires is going to change that.
There are other judgment calls, such as obstruction or interference or balks or checked swings, that are not reviewable and have created the usual amount of discord. Another 15 ejections have emanated out of those instances this season.
And then, of course, there are the ejections that arise when pitchers are deemed to have intentionally plunked batters or guys brawl or behavior is otherwise deemed to be unsportsmanlike. These instances have accounted for 25 of the 107 ejections (and in this count, we're including the time in April when Bo Porter was ejected for arguing when a warning was issued to the Astros and A's).
Oh, and don't forget about that famous ejection of Michael Pineda for having pine tar on his neck.
Add it all up, and that's 92 circumstances in which umpires and either managers, coaches or players simply didn't see eye to eye. Those alone amount to more tossings than we had seen at this point in the calendar a year ago.
Then we've got a new wrinkle -- another 15 ejections have arisen out of replay itself.
The replay rules clearly state that "once replay review is initiated, no uniformed personnel from either club shall be permitted to further argue the contested calls or the decision of the replay official."
Fourteen times, that borderline has been breached by guys who took issue with the New York-based interpretation of events. Managers have, as you would imagine, earned the vast majority of these ejections, although a third-base coach (Boston's Brian Butterfield, who slammed his helmet to the ground when a call ruling Dustin Pedroia out at the plate stood) and a pitcher (the Reds' Homer Bailey, who argued from the dugout about a close tag play at first that stood). Umpires have exercised their right to show no tolerance toward whining about replay results.
But on Wednesday night, we had yet another first in the world of ejections: Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas was ejected for applauding a replay.
Teammate Pedro Ciriaco had been called out trying to steal second in the ninth inning. The Royals challenged the play, and Moustakas clapped when he saw the Jumbotron replay that showed Ciriaco was, in fact, safe (the call was overturned). Umpire Brian Knight tossed Moustakas immediately.
"He [the umpire] thought they were mocking him," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Maybe you think that the fact he realized, by the replay, that we now have the tying run on second base, and he might be a little excited?"
The lesson here, ultimately, is that while replay has ensured a greater degree of fairness (282 calls have been overturned), it has not robbed us of one old-fashioned human element of baseball: confrontation.
Ejections are actually on the rise this season. (Unexpectedly, despite steps to get most every call correct with expanded replay.)
By Anthony Castrovince
Red Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski wasn't too happy with young umpire Quinn Wolcott's strike-zone judgment in a game earlier this month, and he made his point in a way that only A.J. can.
"Give me a new ball," Pierzynski said to Wolcott after Asdrubal Cabrera had drawn a walk. "One you can see."
Funny line. But instead of a "haha," it earned Pierzynski the ol' heave-ho.
Evidently, choice words or otherwise ill-timed talking points are still in vogue in Major League Baseball.
Remember all that early-season talk about peace and harmony emanating out of the adaptation of instant-replay review? About how the ability to challenge close calls would essentially eliminate arguments with umpires?
"It's just turning into a lovefest," Rays manager Joe Maddon said in April. "It's almost like you can't get upset anymore."
Yeah, uh, about that ...
Would you believe ejections are actually up this year over last? It's true.
While replay might have changed the tone of the conversations, in reviewable instances, the numbers, culled from closecallsports.com's database, show there has still been plenty of room for disagreement.
The "eject button," as it were, is still being utilized frequently.
Here are the numbers, through June 25 of each year:
2014 ejections: 107
2013 ejections: 83
The Nationals' Matt Williams and the Padres' Bud Black each earned their first ejection of the season on Monday night, and now all but three Major League skippers -- the Indians' Terry Francona, the Brewers' Ron Roenicke and the Orioles' Buck Showalter -- have been ousted at least once this year.
Why are there still so many differences of opinion?
There is one obvious explanation, of course. Replay doesn't cover baseball's time-tested, biggest source of disputes: the strike zone. Ball/strike arguments have accounted for nearly half (51 of 107) of the ejections to date. And nothing short of unimpeachable, infallible robot umpires is going to change that.
There are other judgment calls, such as obstruction or interference or balks or checked swings, that are not reviewable and have created the usual amount of discord. Another 15 ejections have emanated out of those instances this season.
And then, of course, there are the ejections that arise when pitchers are deemed to have intentionally plunked batters or guys brawl or behavior is otherwise deemed to be unsportsmanlike. These instances have accounted for 25 of the 107 ejections (and in this count, we're including the time in April when Bo Porter was ejected for arguing when a warning was issued to the Astros and A's).
Oh, and don't forget about that famous ejection of Michael Pineda for having pine tar on his neck.
Add it all up, and that's 92 circumstances in which umpires and either managers, coaches or players simply didn't see eye to eye. Those alone amount to more tossings than we had seen at this point in the calendar a year ago.
Then we've got a new wrinkle -- another 15 ejections have arisen out of replay itself.
The replay rules clearly state that "once replay review is initiated, no uniformed personnel from either club shall be permitted to further argue the contested calls or the decision of the replay official."
Fourteen times, that borderline has been breached by guys who took issue with the New York-based interpretation of events. Managers have, as you would imagine, earned the vast majority of these ejections, although a third-base coach (Boston's Brian Butterfield, who slammed his helmet to the ground when a call ruling Dustin Pedroia out at the plate stood) and a pitcher (the Reds' Homer Bailey, who argued from the dugout about a close tag play at first that stood). Umpires have exercised their right to show no tolerance toward whining about replay results.
But on Wednesday night, we had yet another first in the world of ejections: Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas was ejected for applauding a replay.
Teammate Pedro Ciriaco had been called out trying to steal second in the ninth inning. The Royals challenged the play, and Moustakas clapped when he saw the Jumbotron replay that showed Ciriaco was, in fact, safe (the call was overturned). Umpire Brian Knight tossed Moustakas immediately.
"He [the umpire] thought they were mocking him," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Maybe you think that the fact he realized, by the replay, that we now have the tying run on second base, and he might be a little excited?"
The lesson here, ultimately, is that while replay has ensured a greater degree of fairness (282 calls have been overturned), it has not robbed us of one old-fashioned human element of baseball: confrontation.
Tiger Woods opens with a 3-over 74 at the Quicken Loans National.
By Shane Bacon
One of the phrases that Tiger Woods has stuck with his entire career is, "if I'm teeing it up, I'm playing to win."
That changed with his unexpected return to the PGA Tour after back surgery, announcing to the world that he will play in his own event this week at Congressional but saying during his Tuesday news conference that he probably wouldn't be back if not for the tournament's affiliation with his foundation.
On Thursday, it was apparent that Woods isn't in form to win, but he showed signs of positivity as he closed out the opening round of the Quicken Loans National. Woods posted a 3-over 74, not bad considering he was 6-over at one point on his back nine and sitting alone in last place on the leaderboard.
The opening nine for Woods was a mixture of loose approach shots and weak touch around the green. Woods missed five greens on his opening nine holes, failing to get up-and-down once to save par. His lone birdie on the front nine kept him from posting a 40 to start, but it was his second nine that showed signs of promise.
Tiger made two early bogeys to get to 6-over, but birdied three of his final six holes on Thursday to get back to a respectable number on a difficult golf course.
What do we make of Tiger's first start since March 9? It was probably a B- effort, nothing spectacular for Woods but definitely a good sign with the way he finished and the four birdies he made.
Tiger averaged nearly 300 yards per drive on Thursday with the longest going 332, so the power is still there, it's just the rust on his short game that left him a few over par on Day 1.
As Woods has preached for years with those swing changes, "it's a process," and this return will be very much one as well. It wasn't the Tiger Woods we are used to seeing on Thursday, but it was definitely a man who is out there excited to play and ready to get back to form.
I bet we see a sharper Woods on Friday.
Track Smack: Should NASCAR race in the rain?
By Alan Cavanna, David Caraviello and Kenny Bruce
1. NASCAR teams bolted on rain tires for just the third time ever during the NASCAR Nationwide Series event this past weekend at Road America. Should the sport attempt to race more often in inclement weather?
Alan Cavanna: I like the idea of keeping it to one, lower series. Call me traditional, but I don't like the idea of trying it in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has an event on dirt. It gives that race and series an identity. Let rain racing exist as a possibility for the Nationwide cars.
David Caraviello: Yes. Let's do it. Daytona and Talladega in the rain! Imagine the spectacle! Bristol, with sparks and spray flying at the same time! Hey, that seems to be what some fans clamor for, right? But let's get real here -- this deal is a rarity for a good reason.
Kenny Bruce: I think the current progression (hello, Air Titan!) is the best approach. Try to reduce the delay, when possible. Road-course attempts have been crazy, but at least they gave the effort. But on big ovals, high speeds, wet weather? Nah, I don't want to see that. Remember the All-Star Race that began with rain in Turn 1?
Caraviello: Exactly, Kenny. This is really a non-starter on high-speed or high-banked ovals. I mean, the physics of it just don't add up. I understand the allure, but you're talking about a less-than-ideal situation even attempting something like this on a big oval track, or one with high banks.
Bruce: Some of these guys have a hard enough time keeping their cars under control in dry conditions.
Caraviello: Amen, Kenny Bruce. Road America is certainly proof of that. Let's be honest, the novelty of it all is cool. Drivers seem to get a kick out of trying it, at least for a short period of time. But it hardly put on the best shows. Guys at Road America said they could hardly see. Then the weather changes and it all becomes a tire strategy game. Is that really what fans want? I find that tough to believe.
Cavanna: Agree, David. And I'm not sure it adds to a competitive race. When I think of rain races, I think of drivers having to learn on the fly, sliding, possibly spinning out. I want to see drivers attacking and making big moves to pass. I'm not sure if rain racing creates that.
Caraviello: Alan, we all remember that race in the rain in Montreal a few years ago -- guys' windshields were fogging up, cars were sliding all over. I get that the big plus here is that it moves the show along, and certainly it's better than sitting there under red. But what kind of show are you getting?
Bruce: You can't race in the rain, or roller skate in a buffalo herd. Or so I've been told.
Caraviello: You want to try this a few times a year on road layouts in the Nationwide or Truck ranks, fine. But not in Sprint Cup. Not with wins getting guys into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. We have enough wild cards as it is.
Caraviello: Yeah Kenny, maybe we can borrow Laverne and Shirley from Dale Jr.'s spread and let you find out for real!
2. Which was the bigger surprise this past weekend: Brendan Gaughan winning at Road America for his first Nationwide victory, or Dale Earnhardt Jr. winging his way to a personal best third-place finish at Sonoma?
Caraviello: Got to be Gaughan, right? I get that he used to be an instructor at Road America and had some rain racing in his background that helped him Saturday, but the dude still hadn't won at the national level in 11 years. As much as a crapshoot as that race can be, the winner was still something of a surprise.
Bruce: As impressive as Earnhardt Jr.'s result was at Sonoma (almost called it Sears Point there), I've got to give a hat tip to Mr. Gaughan. Didn't dawn on me until after the fact that the guy had never won in Nationwide before Saturday.
Cavanna: Not to have Junior Nation mad at me, but I'm going with Gaughan. The Nationwide Series race is generally stacked with ringers in good equipment, and Gaughan brought home the checkered flag against them all.
Bruce: Stunned we all agree here. Apparently the new apparel from JR Motorsports has yet to reach our respective desks.
Caraviello: Brendan's last national series victory before Saturday was a Camping World Truck Series event at Texas in the fall of 2003. It's been a long while for the guy, one reason he was so emotional afterward. As for Dale Jr. -- the guy is an elite racer having one of the best seasons of his career. He's a factor every week. Sonoma just fell into place.
Cavanna: We know what kind of equipment Dale Jr. is in. Given the year he's having, it's not a huge surprise that he'd run well. You can't say the same about Gaughan. The RCR Nationwide program had only one win before last Saturday, although it was the week before with Paul Menard.
Bruce: When it comes to road courses, I was thinking Dale Jr. had fallen into the Sterling Marlin mode -- not good on them, don't like them, no reason to get better since there are only two on the schedule. That no longer appears to be the case.
Caraviello: I think when it came to Dale Jr.'s "winging it" strategy, too many people perceived that as a negative. Really, it freed the No. 88 guys to try anything. They were playing with house money Sunday, so should we really be surprised that Earnhardt tied his best-ever result on a road course? We all perform better when we're not all stressed out, right? At least, I do on PlayStation 3.
Cavanna: The most surprising aspect of the weekend was how many cars Dale Jr. hit en route to his podium finish. We don't often see that from him.
Caraviello: Yeah, he wasn't afraid to get a little physical Sunday. But given what we've seen on that track lately, I wonder if that's the mindset you have to have. He certainly wasn't alone in that regard.
Bruce: The fact that Earnhardt was fast in both practices (fifth and seventh, I think) probably eased his concerns a bit. He didn't qualify that well, but he knew he had a fast car.
Cavanna: A top-three at a road course just proves this is Dale Jr.'s year (that's me getting back on the good side of the Nation).
Caraviello: And before we drive away from Road America for another year, how about shout-outs to Alex Tagliani, Kevin O'Connell and Andy Lally for scoring top-10s. Tags did a great job rebounding after running out of gas earlier. Always fun watching those road course guys mix it up, sometimes to the chagrin of the regulars.
Bruce: Comment most overheard in Sonoma media center as race wound down: "Who is Kevin O'Connell?"
Caraviello: I loved his work in "Entourage."
Cavanna: I think Kenny is more of a "Deadwood" fan.
3. It's on to Kentucky Speedway, and perhaps the bumpiest track surface in NASCAR. Is this where defending race winner Matt Kenseth finally breaks into Victory Lane in 2014?
Caraviello: He's certainly capable, given how well he's run this season -- despite the fact that he's still without a victory -- but I don't know if three Sprint Cup races at Kentucky are really enough of a sample size to determine who might have an edge over everybody else.
Bruce: It's the only track with "road construction next 1.5 miles" INSIDE the facility. Surprised MK has yet to win, but I don't see it changing this week. The Joe Gibbs Racing group as a whole hasn't been fast consistently this year.
Cavanna: Nothing in the last two months would lead me to pick a JGR car at an intermediate track. Given the recent horsepower of Hendrick Motorsports, I think you'll see the winner come from that stable.
Caraviello: One key to remember is that Matt's victory last year came in a rain-delayed day race, and all fingers crossed that this one goes off Saturday night as scheduled. So we'll likely see very different track conditions from the event that unfolded a season ago.
Bruce: Kenseth does have good numbers at other 1.5-milers this year -- top-10s across the board, I think -- but seems to be missing that "go for the throat" speed needed to put away the competition.
Cavanna: Is a winless Kenseth (so far) the most surprising aspect of 2014? He had seven wins last year. I'm confident he'll get his wins this year, but I can't predict where it will happen.
Caraviello: Yeah guys, seems all the Toyotas are playing catch-up a bit on speed, which has bitten Kenseth somewhat on 1.5-milers. Still, he finds a way to remain in the hunt. And remember this: Dale Jr. might have had the best car in last year's event until a freak accident when somebody else's tire came off the car and thwacked his No. 88 in the nose. So watch out for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, once again.
Bruce: The fact that this will only be the fourth time Sprint Cup folks have been to Kentucky means a lot of them are still trying to build up notes. Toss out last year's thanks to the rule changes. It could be anybody's race to win.
Caraviello: Maybe even Kevin O'Connell, which would qualify him for the "Vinnie" Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Oh wait, he's not entered.
Cavanna: David, I should note that I picked the 88 car in this week's NASCAR.com Preview Show ?
Caraviello: Alan may be a new co-owner of JRM before this Smack is over, he's sending so much love their way. Just don't forget all us little people after you've made it big, Cavanna!
Cavanna: All mere coincidences, I assure you.
Wimbledon at a glance.
AP Sports
A look at Wimbledon on Thursday:
Weather: Partly cloudy, rain in the evening. High of 66 degrees (19 Celsius).
Men's Seeded Winners: No. 2 Rafael Nadal, No. 4 Roger Federer, No. 5 Stan Wawrinka, No. 8 Milos Raonic, No. 9 John Isner, No. 10 Kei Nishikori, No. 14 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 23 Tommy Robredo.
Women's Seeded Winners: No. 1 Serena Williams, No. 5 Maria Sharapova, No. 9 Angelique Kerber, No. 11 Ana Ivanovic, No 13. Eugenie Bouchard, No. 19 Sabine Lisicki, No. 20 Andrea Petkovic, No. 24 Kirsten Flipkens, No. 25 Alize Cornet.
Stat of the Day: 44, 5 - winners, unforced errors for Roger Federer in his 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Gilles Muller.
Quote of the Day: ''I was devastated. But there's always paper, rock, scissors to break a tie. That's how I always break ties.'' - Serena Williams, on her feelings after the US soccer team's 2-2 draw with Portugal at the World Cup.
On Court Friday: No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. Gilles Simon, No. 3 Andy Murray vs. Roberto Bautista Agut, No. 6 Tomas Berdych vs. Marin Cilic; No. 2 Li Na vs. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, No. 3 Simona Halep vs. Lesia Tsurenko, No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Michelle Larcher De Brito.
Friday's Forecast: Cloudy with outbreaks of heavy rain, with a high of 64 degrees (18 Celsius).
Online: http://www.wimbledon.org
O'Bannon trial: NCAA once again ignores voice of student-athletes.
By Pat Forde
As the O'Bannon v. NCAA trial continues to seemingly tilt in favor of the plaintiffs, I got a text Tuesday night from a longtime college athletics insider.
It read: "The notion that not ONE student-athlete is going to go on the stand for the NCAA really says it all. Because there are plenty of them that would, they [NCAA higher-ups] just have little to no relationship with them."
That resonated. In a trial that boils down to what can legally be defined as fair treatment of athletes, the NCAA is producing zero athletes to help argue its side. The NCAA has called 12 witnesses to the stand so far, with a total of 20 listed. None is a Division I football or basketball player.
Turns out there is a good reason for that, according to the NCAA: the association was legally restricted from having current student-athletes testify. As a potential alternative, the NCAA says it proposed having members of its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee brought in to testify, but plaintiffs' lawyers filed to have them excluded.(Yahoo Sports' attempts to reach an NCAA staff member in regard to this subject earlier in the week were unsuccessful. An NCAA spokesperson said a text message seeking comment was not received.)
As is so often the case in college sports, what's best for the players gets decided by everybody but the players. Their voices go unheard. They are all but unknown to the people who make and enforce the rules that govern their athletic existence.
At the NCAA convention in January, amid all the high-minded rhetoric about changes to the governance structure that would help get long-delayed reforms passed, a question from a ballroom audience of about 800 left the Division I Board of Directors momentarily slackjawed on the dais. The question: "Where do the student-athletes fit into this governance structure?"
The answer, from Wake Forest president and board chairman Nathan Hatch: "That's not something we've wrestled with."
Hatch later doubled back and said athletes should be included in the process of running their sports, and since then there have been plenty of backbends by college administrators to produce supportive sound bites about student-athlete welfare. But the truth was clear then in San Diego and remains clear now in Oakland, Calif.: nobody really cares what the athletes have to say.
They may say otherwise – in fact, the Big Ten went into hurry-up offense mode Tuesday by releasing a statement overflowing with platitudes and pronouncements of support for its student-athletes. That was after commissioner Jim Delany had his day on the stand as an NCAA witness. Perhaps sticking a finger in the air and seeing which way the wind is blowing, the Big Ten has become more vocal about pro-athlete reforms. Per its statement:
• We must guarantee the four-year scholarships that we offer. If a student-athlete is no longer able to compete, for whatever reason, there should be zero impact on our commitment as universities to deliver an undergraduate education. We want our students to graduate.
• If a student-athlete leaves for a pro career before graduating, the guarantee of a scholarship remains firm. Whether a professional career materializes, and regardless of its length, we will honor a student's scholarship when his or her playing days are over. Again, we want students to graduate.
• We must review our rules and provide improved, consistent medical insurance for student-athletes. We have an obligation to protect their health and well-being in return for the physical demands placed upon them.
• We must do whatever it takes to ensure that student-athlete scholarships cover the full cost of a college education, as defined by the federal government. That definition is intended to cover what it actually costs to attend college.
Those are all appropriate and laudable stances, especially for an entity that wants to draw a demarcation line short of paying players for name, image and likeness. But this sudden position paper ignores the fact that the Big Ten has long been front and center in the college sports amateurism crusade. Former Penn State president Graham Spanier and former Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee sat on virtually every powerful committee the NCAA has, and thus were part of the establishment that kept a rigid status quo which located all the power (and profit) in the pockets of the schools, their administrators and their coaches, and none in the pockets of the players.
The Big Ten was Amateurism Central for a lot of years, opposing any and all threats to the traditional collegiate model. Now the league wants to place itself at the front of a (guarded) reform movement that stops well short of where the O'Bannon plaintiffs want it to go.
Aside from simply trying to reposition in the face of a shifting landscape, there is another problem with this nationwide surge of Administrators Who Care: they carved up the college sports map just a few years ago with zero regard for student-athlete welfare. If the stress placed upon academic performance by realignment were a real concern, the Big 12 wouldn't send teams from Lubbock, Texas, to Morgantown, W.Va., on a weeknight for a conference game. The Southeastern Conference wouldn't have put Missouri and Florida in the same league, with more than 1,000 miles in between them. And the Big Ten wouldn't be on the cusp of shipping teams from Lincoln, Neb., to Piscataway, N.J., in the quest for greater television market share.
All those things are happening, whether or not it's good for the players. And in the meantime, the trial that could shape the future of college sports continues on, without a single student-athlete voice being heard on the NCAA's behalf.
Young players led charge to Vandy's championship.
By ERIC OLSON (AP Sports Writer)
Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin figured last year was his baseball program's best chance to win its first national championship.
It was the 2014 team that got the job done, starting four sophomores and two freshmen in the everyday lineup and relying on a young pitching staff.
''There was never a crack in our strong foundation,'' Corbin said Thursday. ''This group grew together. They were consumed with one another the last month and a half. We started off the SEC 7-8 and having played three series at home. We were about to go through the gauntlet and I remember telling my coaches and my wife that I was concerned. The next thing you know, we finish the SEC 11-4, we started winning some close games and our pitching really started to grow.''
The Commodores finished 51-21 after beating Virginia in a three-game College World Series finals. They won the school's first national championship in a men's sport and joined LSU (six), South Carolina (two) and Georgia (one) as Southeastern Conference teams to win baseball titles.
The contributions seemed to come from everyone.
Left fielder Bryan Reynolds was a freshman All-American after leading the team with a .338 batting average and 54 RBIs. Second baseman Dansby Swanson, limited to 11 games as a freshman because of injuries, batted .333 and was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player.
Third baseman Tyler Campbell, a sophomore who came to Omaha with 15 at-bats in 14 games, was the feel-good story of the CWS. He made the all-tournament team after taking over for Xavier Turner, who was ruled ineligible last Friday for violating NCAA rules.
Junior center fielder John Norwood, a backup his first two years in the program, hit his third homer of the season, and Vanderbilt's first since May 16, to break an eighth-inning tie in Wednesday's 3-2, title-clinching win.
Sophomores Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler and freshmen Hayden Stone and John Kilichowski turned in clutch pitching performances along with junior Adam Ravenelle.
''I looked back last year, my first day here, and I knew that I got into something very, very special,'' Fulmer said. ''I look at all my teammates as my brothers. I look at coach, our pitching coach, I look at them as father figures. Words can't describe this experience. It's something that we've always dreamed of doing as a team, and we finally accomplished it.''
Last year's team featured the core of the 2011 squad that was Vanderbilt's first to make the CWS, including SEC player of the year Tony Kemp and Tyler Beede, who won a school-record 14 games. The '13 Commodores were ranked No. 2 in the nation in the preseason and won their first 13 games. They won an SEC-record 26 conference games and earned the No. 2 national seed for the NCAA tournament. They survived an elimination game in regionals but were swept by Louisville in super regionals.
''Last year,'' Corbin said, ''we were perfect for a long period of time and then at the end of the year we faltered.''
The 2014 Commodores never lost more than two games in a row, continuing a streak that started two years ago.
For Corbin, the championship came in his 12th year as head coach. He had been Jack Leggett's right-hand man at Clemson from 1994-2002 and didn't know for sure what he was getting into when he took over a program that hadn't finished above .500 in the SEC since 1980.
''I can remember the first game we played: East Tennessee State, and it was raining, 40 degrees, no one up in the stands,'' Corbin said. ''My wife got there and she said, 'I thought the game started at 4 o'clock.' I said it does. She said there's no one here. I said that's right, there's no one here. She goes, 'You want to go back to Clemson?' She was joking, but it was just different.''
Three of Corbin's recruiting classes since 2005 have been rated best in the nation, and nine of his players have been drafted in the first round, with Beede the latest.
''Certainly had visions of this someday,'' Corbin said, ''but they were so far distant at certain times.''
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, June 27, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1876 - Dave Force (Philadelphia Athletics) became the first National League player to get six hits in a nine inning game.
1939 - Cleveland Municipal Stadium hosted its first night game. The Indians beat the Tigers 5-0.
1972 - Bobby Hull signed a 10-year hockey contract for $2,500,000. He became a player and coach of the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association.
1986 - Anne White wore only a body stocking at Wimbledon.
1986 - Robby Thompson (San Francisco) was caught stealing bases four times in one game.
1988 - In Atlantic City, Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds.
1990 - Jose Canseco signed a contract with the Oakland A's worth $4,700,000 per year.
2004 - The Boston Red Sox scored 10 runs before making an out against the Florida Marlins. The final score was 25-8.
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