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Sports Quote of the Day:
"Ingenuity plus courage plus work equals miracles." ~ Bob Richards, Two time Olympic gold medal winner in the pole vault.
Late Portugal equalizer leaves United States with just one point after 2-2 draw.
By Kyle Bonn
"Ingenuity plus courage plus work equals miracles." ~ Bob Richards, Two time Olympic gold medal winner in the pole vault.
Late Portugal equalizer leaves United States with just one point after 2-2 draw.
By Kyle Bonn
It appeared that Clint Dempsey had given the US a stunning victory with a goal in the 81st minute, but Portugal remained alive in the “Group of Death” by snatching back a point.
The match started with a gut-wrenching moment for the United States. Just five minutes into the game, Geoff Cameron went to make a routine clear on a ball into the box, but he flubbed it, and the ball fell right to Nani at the back post, and the Manchester United winger didn’t miss with a howitzer into the back of the net for an early Portugal lead.
The Seleção were strong in the early going, both before and after the goal, and the United States struggled to hold any sort of possession.
But the US held off any more danger from the opponents, and slowly built themselves into the game, proving the more dangerous side by the 15th minute.
It stayed that way for much of the first half, with the US coming close a number of times.
Clint Dempsey had the two early chances for the US on set pieces, first in the 13th minute on a free kick that he blazed just over the bar, and then on an 18th minute corner when the ball dropped to Dempsey on the back post and the striker looked to chip the keeper, just missing over the top again.
A pair of chances then fell to Michael Bradley, and he just missed as well. He struck one over in the 24th minute,and four minutes later skimmed a slow-roller wide, beating Beto the goalkeeper but beating the post as well.
Tim Howard was called upon as the half wore down, and performed admirably to keep the game at just 1-0. A pair of counter-attacks for Portugal proved dangerous, with Howard saving well off a Nani smash three minutes before the break.
He’d best that save two minutes later though, as another counter got Nani another shot, which he crashed into the post. The rebound found substitute Eder, who looked to loop the ball into the far corner, but Howard got up from his spot on the ground and tipped the ball wide acrobatically.
The second half began a tactical chess match, but the US had the first true chance 10 minutes after the break. Fabian Johnson bombed down the right flank, and brought the ball all the way to the end line before cutting it back brilliantly into the middle of the box, drawing Beto out in the process.
The ball came to Bradley, and with the goal gaping, he smashed his shot into the knee of Ricardo Costa who cleared off the line, breaking US hearts.
Jurgen Klinsmann’s bunch continued to ask questions of the Portuguese defense, and they got their breakthrough for their patience. A corner ping-ponged through the box before coming out to Jermaine Jones at the top of the key, and with nobody expecting him to shoot, he fired a strike that Beto never saw, and it nestled into the far corner for the equalizer.
As the country caught its breath, Portugal put on a response, with Raul Meireles and Nani bagging half-chances in the next five minutes. Portugal manager Paulo Bento, having already made an early injury change and a halftime sub, then used his final substitution in the 69th minute to pull Meireles for Varela, using all three of his changes before the US had used a single one.
Things shut down for a bit as the US looked to be on their heels a bit, but it would all fall to them in the final 10 minutes.
An attack down the right side through substitute DeAndre Yedlin proved fruitful. The 20-year-old burst all the way down the flank and to the end-line before cutting back into the box. It bobbled to Bradley, who tried an off-balance shot, but he scuffed it and it fell to Zusi on the far side. The US winger cut the ball back into the middle, and Demspey crashed the box and chested it home for the 2-1 lead.
The Americans were forced to defend as the clock wound down, as Portugal looked to stave off elimination by throwing everything forward. It went down to the last moment, and a cross from Cristiano Ronaldo found Varela for an open header, and he put it home on literally the last touch of the game.
With the point, the United States remains in second place in the group, level with Germany on points. Portugal remains alive in the group with the draw, although they trail a qualifying spot by three points and own a -4 goal differential, five fewer than the US.
LINEUPS:
United States – Howard; Johnson, Cameron, Besler, Beasley; Beckerman, Jones; Bedoya (Yedlin 72′), Bradley, Zusi (Gonzalez 90+1′); Dempsey (Wondolowski 87′).
Goals: Jones 64′, Dempsey 81′
Portugal – Beto; Bruno Alves, Pereira, A. Almeida (William 46′), Costa; Veloso, Meireles (Varela 69′), Mourinho; Nani, Ronaldo, Postiga (Eder 16′).
Goals: Nani 5′, Varely 90+5′
U.S. scenarios in Group G still look bright despite draw against Portugal.
By Kevin Kaduk
The United States' 2-2 draw against Portugal in the World Cup on Sunday can be described by any combination of gut-wrenching, disappointing, deflating or depressing.
Yet despite the monumental letdown of those last few seconds in Manaus, the United States men's team is still in good position to advance to the knockout round for the second straight World Cup.
There are two main ways the United States can advance after its third match on Thursday ...
There are two main ways the United States can advance after its third match on Thursday ...
Win or draw against Germany
The Americans have showed plenty of resolve in their win against Ghana and draw against Portugal so earning a result against the powerful German team on Thursday is clearly not out of the question. A win against Germany would give the U.S. first place in the "Group of Death" while a draw would see the Germans take the top spot. Either way, the Americans would be playing a knockout game in the round of 16.
What's interesting is that the Germans also only need a draw to advance so might the two sides be interested in playing a 90-minute game of hacky sack? U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann is vehemently denying such an arrangement. But if it were to happen, U.S. fans would feel a lot better about a draw against Germany on Thursday than the one that just went in the books against Portugal.
Lose to Germany and then get help from the Ghana-Portugal match
The U.S. could lose to Germany and still advance if Ghana and Portugal play to a draw. If either Ghana or Portugal wins and the U.S. loses, the Americans would have four points in the standings, the same as the winner of that match. The Americans would then have to win a tiebreaker against that team.
Here are the FIFA tiebreakers in the order they come into play:
- Goal differential (Germany 4, US 1, Ghana -1, Portugal -4)
- Goals scored (Germany 6, US 4, Ghana 3, Portugal 2)
- Head to head result (The US beat Ghana, but drew against Portugal)
- Drawing of lots (A random drawing, but this would only come into play with a blowout Portugal win and/or a blowout U.S loss considering the goal differential between the two teams is now a total of five goals.)
So, put simply, Americans should be rooting for Portugal if there has to be a winner because the spread in goal differential (1 to -4) is so great that it's unlikely Portugal would make it up to bring goals scored into play (a category that the U.S also leads 4 to 2 over Portugal).
But if Ghana wins and the U.S. loses, it gets a lot hairier since a U.S. loss by more than one goal or a Ghana win by more than one goal would tip the goal differential scales in favor of Ghana and leave the U.S. on the outside looking in. However, it should be said that a 2-2 draw against Portugal was much better for the Americans than 1-1 as it fattened the team's goal scored category.
Will it be easy for the United States to secure one of those coveted 16 spots?
Will it be easy for the United States to secure one of those coveted 16 spots?
Nope. As you saw on Sunday, nothing ever comes easy when it comes to the U.S. program.
But all hope is clearly not lost. In fact, it's quite the opposite for the U.S.
U.S. fans showing up in force in Brazil.
By BRETT MARTEL
Some wanted to play soccer barefoot on the beach with Brazilians, experiencing for themselves those romanticized images they'd seen on TV. Others dreamed of attending meaningful games in the homeland of Pele, soaking up the passion for the game permeating not just the stadiums, but every corner of every neighborhood.
If they could do that, maybe tip back a few caipirinhas, munch on coxinhas, take a dip in the south Atlantic, and cheer on the U.S. national team, what a trip it would be.
Brazil turned out to be the perfect place for the traveling American fan base to come into its own at the World Cup — to gather festively before games on foreign soil and take over arenas during matches.
"Huge party! It was awesome," Miami resident Katie McCrath said of a gathering hosted by the booster club American Outlaws before Monday's tournament opener for the U.S., a 2-1 triumph over Ghana in Natal. "They filled the streets."
They filled a large part of the stadium, too.
"That was one of the really neat things about the first game — hearing the national anthem and it almost feeling like a home game," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said as the U.S. prepared for its next match Sunday against Portugal in Manaus. "Being far away and having all those fans there for us was just an amazing feeling."
South America's largest country is one in which influences from Europe, Africa and the Americas are mixed in a tropical climate and on bountiful land with stunning scenery. That demographic, geographic and cultural cocktail gives Brazil an exotic appeal to travelers worldwide.
Guests at Brazilian hotels often awake to breakfast spreads of tropical fruit unavailable at home. They curb mid-day hunger with fried dumplings of ground chicken called coxinhas at snack huts by the beach, and wash them down with caipirinhas, fruity cocktails featuring cachaca, a fiery spirit made from sugar cane juice.
Combine all that with Brazil's renowned enthusiasm for "o jogo bonito," or the beautiful game, and the 2014 World Cup becomes a two-for-one bucket-list opportunity for fans across the globe. Americans have seized it in force.
According to FIFA, more than 200,000 tickets for games in Brazil were purchased by U.S. residents. While a chunk of those residents surely have ancestry in soccer-loving countries like Mexico, that figure ranked second among all nations worldwide, behind only the host country.
The crowd in Natal was laced with red, white and blue. Chants of "I believe that we will win," a common U.S. soccer cheer, thundered throughout the arena. The stars and stripes waved in seemingly every section.
"We had heard that there was a ton Americans, so we were anticipating that," American goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "And it was fun for once just to have the upper hand."
Among the fans in Natal was Greg Conley of Boston, who's been to every World Cup since 1990, when he saw the U.S. play in Florence, Italy. Back then, he recalled, Americans in the stands consisted of a smattering of college-age fans who happened to be in Europe, or family and friends of team members.
Excluding 1994, when the World Cup came to the States, Conley said the game in Natal marked "the first time I saw the U.S. fan base dominate — and that's the correct word — a stadium, as well as outside the stadium and the vicinity of the stadium in the hours leading up to the game and after the game."
The American Outlaws use social media to promote pregame gatherings. Katie McCrath went with her husband, Steve, a soccer coach at Barry University. The throng at the pizza place picked for the rally was too thick to get near the door.
"As an American to be there, seeing all those people, all that energy, it was unbelievable," she said.
Former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now a soccer analyst for ESPN, said a 2006 World Cup match in Kaiserslautern, Germany, between the U.S. and Italy was the first time he could recall a noticeable pro-American crowd at a World Cup game overseas.
He figured the showing in Brazil would be unprecedented — not simply because soccer's popularity continues to rise in the U.S.
"What limited history (Americans) know of the game, Brazil carries huge weight and it's a country where you can go hang out on the beach," Keller said.
That is precisely what Conley has done. The 50-year-old, who plays recreational soccer back home, made his World Cup base in Olinda, near the host city of Recife, because he hoped to get into a pickup game on the beach.
On Thursday, he waited in the sand behind a net for the better part of an hour, shagging loose balls until he was finally picked to join a team. Afterward, he said he'd experienced the soccer equivalent of playing pickup basketball on an outdoor court in New York City — something he'd done in college.
"One of my main objectives was to play soccer on the beach with locals during the World Cup," Conley said, his feet sore but his face beaming. "It worked out fantastic. I got my jogo bonito experience."
FIFA World Cup Scores. June 20, 2014 - June 22, 2014.
ESPN.com
Friday, June 20, 2014
Group D
Italy 0
Costa Rica 1
Group E
Switzerland 2
France 5
Honduras 1
Ecuador 2
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Group F
Argentina 1
Iran 0
Nigeria 1
Bosnia-Herzegovina 0
Group G
Germany 2
Ghana 2
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Group G
United States 2
Portugal 2
Group H
Belgium 1
Russia 0
South Korea 2
Algeria 4
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Jerry Angelo: If Jay Cutler stays healthy, the sky’s the limit.
By Michael David Smith
The G.M. who brought Jay Cutler to Chicago believes Cutler is poised to have his biggest year.
Former Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo said in an interview with 87.7 The Game in Chicago that Cutler and the Bears are poised to have a great season in head coach Marc Trestman’s second year. Angelo traded two first-round picks, a third-round pick, a fifth-round pick and quarterback Kyle Orton to Denver in 2009 to acquire Cutler.
“The pressure’s off now. He’s got his contract,” Angelo said. “In all likelihood it’s going to be his last big contract, and he’s firmly entrenched as the starter and he knows what he has to do. I think he’s going to have an outstanding year. It’s a great offense, great personnel around him. And he’s very, very comfortable now going into his second year. As we’ve talked about before, the biggest thing right now is just staying healthy. If he stays healthy the sky’s the limit for the team.”
Angelo says the seven-year contract the Bears gave Cutler showed a commitment to him, and the Bears believe Cutler will be a more confident player as a result.
“Every quarterback that’s starting in the National Football League feels the pressure to win and to take his team to the next level,” Angelo said. “That’s a given, so that’s always been there. The pressure I’m alluding to is that he now has the full commitment of the organization, of the coaching staff, etc. Now he’s in a comfort level, and that’s a big weight on players as they go through their process with a team. ‘Do they really believe in me? Is it me or is it they can’t find somebody like me or better than me?’ Now he knows he’s the guy. So from that standpoint, are we going to see a better player? I don’t know that he’s going to be a better player. But I think you’re going to see a player that now feels totally committed because he feels a total commitment from the organization.”
Cutler should have felt a total commitment from the organization when Angelo engineered that trade five years ago. If he didn’t then, he certainly does now.
By Michael David Smith
The G.M. who brought Jay Cutler to Chicago believes Cutler is poised to have his biggest year.
Former Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo said in an interview with 87.7 The Game in Chicago that Cutler and the Bears are poised to have a great season in head coach Marc Trestman’s second year. Angelo traded two first-round picks, a third-round pick, a fifth-round pick and quarterback Kyle Orton to Denver in 2009 to acquire Cutler.
“The pressure’s off now. He’s got his contract,” Angelo said. “In all likelihood it’s going to be his last big contract, and he’s firmly entrenched as the starter and he knows what he has to do. I think he’s going to have an outstanding year. It’s a great offense, great personnel around him. And he’s very, very comfortable now going into his second year. As we’ve talked about before, the biggest thing right now is just staying healthy. If he stays healthy the sky’s the limit for the team.”
Angelo says the seven-year contract the Bears gave Cutler showed a commitment to him, and the Bears believe Cutler will be a more confident player as a result.
“Every quarterback that’s starting in the National Football League feels the pressure to win and to take his team to the next level,” Angelo said. “That’s a given, so that’s always been there. The pressure I’m alluding to is that he now has the full commitment of the organization, of the coaching staff, etc. Now he’s in a comfort level, and that’s a big weight on players as they go through their process with a team. ‘Do they really believe in me? Is it me or is it they can’t find somebody like me or better than me?’ Now he knows he’s the guy. So from that standpoint, are we going to see a better player? I don’t know that he’s going to be a better player. But I think you’re going to see a player that now feels totally committed because he feels a total commitment from the organization.”
Cutler should have felt a total commitment from the organization when Angelo engineered that trade five years ago. If he didn’t then, he certainly does now.
Bears long snapper Mannelly retires.
By The Sports Xchange
Chicago Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly announced his retirement Friday.
Mannelly spent his entire 16-year NFL career with the Bears.
No player played for the team longer than Mannelly. He holds all-time team records with 245 games played and seasons played. During that span, he was a part of four division titles (2001, 2005, 2006, 2010), an NFC championship (2006) and played seven playoff games. He is tied for 43rd all-time in the NFL with 245 games played.
"It's difficult to talk about Patrick as a player in the past tense," team chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement. "He played more seasons than any other Bear. He played in more games than any other Bear. And every season, every game, he was a pro's pro. He was a captain, someone his teammates looked up to and sought guidance, direction and inspiration, and he provided it.
"Our family is very grateful for all he has done. Not just for the way he's played on the field, but the way he has carried himself off the field. He's the epitome of what a Chicago Bear is all about. We'll miss having him in uniform and wish him the best."
"Our family is very grateful for all he has done. Not just for the way he's played on the field, but the way he has carried himself off the field. He's the epitome of what a Chicago Bear is all about. We'll miss having him in uniform and wish him the best."
The Bears selected Mannelly in the in the sixth round of the 1998 draft out of Duke and he took over as long snapper his rookie season. He made 2,282 long-snap attempts during his NFL career. He helped the Bears set NFL records with 920 consecutive unblocked punts and 180 games without a blocked punt.
Mannelly had 81 career special teams tackles, which is third on the team since 1995 when the statistic was first officially recorded.
"Although I have deep respect for Pat's decision, I'm saddened by it because we are going to lose an extremely high-level leader who had an impact on our team," general manager Phil Emery said in a statement.
"Not only from his excellent performance on the field over a very long, sustained and historical amount of time, but in all areas of our team. It starts with his leadership in the locker room and him reaching out to other players who need help, to all the work he has done in the community, and the way he carried the Chicago Bears mantle. Any time he was in the public and represented the Chicago Bears, he did it at the highest level possible. We are losing a great person and a great player, one who will always remain a Bear in our hearts."
In 12 of his 16 seasons, Mannelly played all 16 games. He also played at least 14 games in 15 of those seasons. He missed only 11 games during his NFL career.
Mannelly was voted by coaches and teammates as special teams captain each year since 2008. He was also named the team's 2013 Ed Block Courage Award recipient by his teammates.
What is a slur? Redskins case forces us to decide.
By JESSE WASHINGTON (AP National Writer)
Something is happening just beneath the fight over the name of a certain Washington, D.C., pro football team: America is working through the process of determining what is - or is not - racially offensive.
What is a slur, and who gets to decide? How many people must be offended to tip the scales? Why should some be forced to sacrifice their traditions out of respect for others?
We are a long way from consensus on these questions, judging by the response to a federal ruling that the ''Redskins'' team name is disparaging and its trademarks should be canceled.
The team is appealing the decision, and even if it loses its trademark, it can still use the name. But this latest development highlights the limitations of how America wrestles with certain racial statements, and our struggle to balance free speech and social good.
A rapidly diversifying nation has more need than ever to figure out what is racially offensive.
Some offenses are undeniable: NBA owner Donald Sterling earned universal condemnation for asking his mistress not to bring black people to his games.
Yet in an era of blunt and sometimes coarse online discussion and political debate, Americans continue to disagree about the nature of calling Hispanics who cross the border without documents ''illegals,'' or the propriety of images that depict President Barack Obama as a ''witch doctor.''
And it took years of discussion to win makeovers for Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, the stereotypical black faces used to sell syrup and rice.
Jim McCarthy, a lawyer who followed the Redskins trademark case, said he is not offended by the name, but ''there's no denying the fact that a certain percentage of Native Americans are offended. We don't know if it's a minority, a majority, but it's a fact.''
''If we want to be the best version of ourselves in our society, do we want to promote that, or do we want to minimize that?'' he asked.
''I'd love it to be different where people just cooperate to effect change,'' he said. ''But we're a very adversarial society.''
Michael Lindsay, who was lead attorney for Indians in a prior trademark case, said there are two ways to determine if something is offensive.
''The first is the legal path. The other is out in the real world. The legal test, it seems to me, actually does have something to teach the real world,'' said Lindsay, of the Dorsey and Whitney firm in Minneapolis.
Here is what the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, ruling Wednesday in a case first filed more than 20 years ago, tried to show the real world:
Here is what the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, ruling Wednesday in a case first filed more than 20 years ago, tried to show the real world:
- What matters is if ''Redskins'' is disparaging to Native Americans - whether other ethnic groups are offended doesn't matter.
- A ''substantial'' percentage of Native Americans must be offended - not a majority. The judges defined that threshold at 30 percent.
- A disparaging term does not require intent: ''Redskins'' can still be disparaging even if the team says it is intended to show honor and respect.
Based on testimony from linguistics and lexicography experts, and a review of how the term was used in dictionaries, books, newspapers, magazines and movies, the board ruled 2-1 that the term was disparaging to Native Americans.
The dissenting opinion was not a ringing endorsement of the term: ''I am not suggesting that the term ''redskins'' was not disparaging ... Rather, my conclusion is that the evidence petitioners put forth fails to show that it was,'' the judge wrote.
All of which left Paul Calobrisi, co-founder of www.savethewashingtonredskins.com, quite unsatisfied. In his opinion, there's a simple way to determine whether something is a slur: The majority rules.
''I think an overwhelming majority of Native Americans should be against the name before we change it,'' said Calobrisi, who grew up in Virginia rooting for the team.
He resisted the idea that a few people could decide something is offensive when he did not intend to offend them.
''If they think we're demeaning them, if they think we think they are mascots, if we were doing it in any negative way, they are wrong ... As Redskins fans, we love them. Cowboys and Indians, we were the Indians. We cherish these people.''
But intent is irrelevant to Lindsay, the attorney: ''When a substantial percentage tell you this is offensive, you should stop. It's really that simple.''
''Even if you meant no offense, if you keep using it, what does that say about you?''
It says that some people care more about their traditions than determining what is offensive, said Gillian McGoldrick, editor-in-chief of the school newspaper at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
Neshaminy's mascot is the ''Redskins.'' Her newspaper recently chose to no longer print the name, but school administrators ordered them to do so. When McGoldrick and her staff resisted, administrators briefly confiscated the newspapers.
At first, McGoldrick thought the name honored Native Americans. But when an Indian school parent objected, she researched the history and usage of the word and changed her mind. She doesn't think those who support the team name have fully investigated the issue.
''I don't think they want to,'' she said. ''I think they want to decide the word for themselves. But that's not how this works. We have dictionaries for that.''
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says the term is ''very offensive and should be avoided.'' But again, given today's confrontational discourse on the Internet and in politics, do we really care about giving offense? Or has that value gone the way of curtsies and tipping hats?
''As a general culture, I think we care about offending certain people,'' said Karmit Bulman, executive director of the Conflict Resolution Center in Minneapolis. ''We are still very much a power-based society. We care if we offend those in power. We don't care if we offend those who we see as irrelevant and invisible.''
''You can look at this (Redskins case) as a trivial dispute, it's just a name,'' she said. ''Or you can look at it as demonstrating how we still have huge clashes between people who we see as different than we are. And that our systems that we use to try to address those issues are really unsatisfactory.''
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks 2014-2015 Regular Season Schedule. NHL releases schedule for 2014-15 season.
By Sean Leahy
The final game of the 2013-14 NHL season was played just over a week ago and now we’re already talking about 2014-15.
The NHL released the 2014-15 schedule on Sunday, which features 1,230 games between Oct. 8 and April 11, including an outdoor game (one more still likely to be announced) and the return of the All-Star Weekend, which will be held in Columbus from Jan. 22-26.
Here are the schedules for all 30 teams:
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
NY Islanders
NY Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotes
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Some notes about the schedule:
• All 30 teams will be in action on the season’s final day, April 11, which could be great for any potential playoff races and/or seedings. There will be a Puck Daddy Super Saturday Drinking Game that day, so this is your notice to stock up.
• If HBO brings back 24/7 for the Chicago Blackhawks/Washington Capitals Winter Classic, the two teams will not play one another the weeks leading up to the Jan. 1 match-up as we've had in the past. Their first meeting of the season will take place Nov. 7.
• Another 24/7 note: no Washington return for Bruce Boudreau and the Anaheim Ducks during what would be the taping period.
• If you’re looking at when the likely outdoor game involving the San Jose Sharks would be held, a good guess would be Saturday, Feb. 21 against the Los Angeles Kings. (It's already slated for Hockey Night in Canada.) The teams meet in late-January with the Sharks hosting, but if Levi's Stadium is chosen as the venue over AT&T Park, there would be a potential scheduling conflict if the San Francisco 49ers go deep in the NFL playoffs. Jan.18th is NFL championship Sunday, so there would be little time to prepare a rink, if that’s the case.
• Rogers is taking over the NHL broadcasting rights in Canada and they're planning to go big in Year 1.
"In total, Rogers will deliver 350 national regular season games across nine networks, including CBC, City, Sportsnet (East, Ontario, West, and Pacific), Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360 and FX Canada."
"Each week throughout the season, Hockey Night in Canada will feature a minimum of four games every Saturday night, delivering more than 150 Saturday games in total for the duration of the regular season"
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Report: Anthony serious about Chicago.
By The Sports Xchange
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has been doing research on the city of Chicago as he approaches the deadline to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, according to ESPNNewYork.com.
Anthony has reportedly spoken to at least one high-profile person who lives in Chicago about what it is like to be famous there.
The Chicago Bulls are one of the teams Anthony is considering if he decides to become a free agent July 1. He has until Monday to inform the Knicks if he plans to opt out of the final year of his contract. Anthony indicated throughout this past season he plans to test free agency.
Likewise, the Bulls have reportedly conducted their own research of Anthony recently. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has contacted some of Anthony's former coaches to ask about him, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
ESPN reported in March that Anthony spoke to Bulls center Joakim Noah during All Star weekend about what it is like playing for Thibodeau. Noah reportedly used the conversation as a recruiting pitch to Anthony.
Anthony is also reportedly considering the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks as possible free agency destinations. In addition, the Miami Heat are exploring options to see if they might pursue the seven-time All-Star.
In recent weeks, Knicks president Phil Jackson has met with Anthony to try to persuade him to play out the final year of his contract and put off free agency for a year.
The Knicks can give Anthony a maximum deal of five years and $129 million. However, the most other teams can offer Anthony is four years and $96 million.
Kevin Steelman wins Travelers Championship.
By NEILL OSTROUT (Associated Press)
As much as Kevin Streelman enjoys the back nine at TPC River Highlands,, even he didn't think he what he accomplished Sunday was possible.
Streelman birdied the last seven holes to win the Travelers Championship by a stroke, shooting his second straight 6-under 64 to finish at 15-under 265.
''It's probably my favorite nine holes on the PGA Tour,'' Streelman said. ''But you can't plan for something like that to happen. It just kind of falls into place.''
He broke the tour record for consecutive closing birdies by a winner of six set by Mike Souchak in the 1956 St. Paul Open. He matched the tournament record with a 7-under 28 on the final nine.
''I had 10 one-putts in a row,'' Streelman said. ''That's something I've definitely never done before.''
Also the Tampa Bay Championship winner last season, the 35-year-old Streelman missed the cuts in his previous four starts on tour.
''I didn't have too many expectations coming here,'' said Streelman, who earned $1.12 million for the victory.
Aaron Baddeley was fourth at 13 under after a 69.
Streelman was 1 over for the day before starting the birdie run on No. 12. The streak reached five with a 37-foot putt at No. 16, and he capped it by hitting a wedge to 9 feet and rolling in another putt at No. 18.
''I knew when that putt fell on 16 that something kind of special was happening,'' Streelman said.
Streelman said he hasn't focus on golf exclusively lately, trying to spend more time with wife Courtney and 6-month-old daughter Sophie.
''I was thinking about her (Sophie) on those last couple of putts. I was thinking, 'You know what? If these go in, great. If not, great. She's going to love me either way and we have a nice family vacation coming up either way,''' Streelman said.
Streelman said a 10-foot putt for birdie on No. 9 gave him a boost of confidence that he could finish with a flourish.
Garcia has six top-10 finishes in 10 PGA Tour starts this season, and won the European Tour's Qatar Masters in January.
''At the end of the day he played really, really well,'' Garcia said about Streelman. ''I feel like I played quite nicely and it just wasn't my time.''
For the sixth straight year at the Travelers the player who held the 54-hole lead was unable to win. Ryan Moore was one stroke ahead after three rounds, but closed with a 71 to tie for fifth at 12 under.
Second-round leader Scott Langley birdied his first three holes and briefly pulled into the lead at 14 under. He, too, finished with a 71 to tie for 11th at 10 under.
Miguel Angel Carballo became the second player to make three eagles in a round on the PGA Tour this season as part of a 63 early Saturday. He finished at 9 under.
Patrick Rodgers, the former Stanford star making his pro debut, shot a 70 to tie for 46th at 4 under.
Ken Duke, the winner last year, had a 68 to also finish at 4 under.
Michelle Wie wins US Women's Open.
AFP
Michelle Wie won the US Women's Open on Sunday, firing an even-par final round of 70 at Pinehurst for the first major title of her career.
The American, tipped for stardom even before she turned pro at the age of 15 in 2005, finished with a two-under total of 278, two strokes in front of world number one Stacy Lewis, who carded a final-round 66 for 280.
"I just had a lot of fun out there," said Wie. "I woke up so excited. I was so grateful for this opportunity."
Wie saw a three-stroke lead shrink to one with a double-bogey at 16 but responded by burying a long birdie putt at 17 to take a two-stroke lead to the final hole.
"I got a lot of goosebumps walking up 18," said Wie, who allowed herself a small smile and wave as she was greeted at the 18th green by a standing ovation.
Wie, swept along by a wave of hype and endorsements when she turned pro, drew criticism for her early insistence on trying to challenge in men's events before she'd become a proven winner against the world's top women.
Sunday's triumph was her fourth on the LPGA Tour, and her second of the year.
In April she won the Lotte Championship in her home state of Hawaii to end a victory drought stretching to 2010.
The major title, on the course where Germany's Martin Kaymer lifted the US Open trophy in the second men's major of the season a week earlier, also helped erase the memory of her near-miss in the Kraft Nabisco Championship this year.
She went into the final round of the year's first major at Rancho Mirage tied for the lead but ended up second behind 19-year-old Lexi Thompson.
Tom Lehman wins Champions Tour event.
By TIM CRONIN (Associated Press)
After struggling with his putting much of the round, Tom Lehman made a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win the Champions Tour's Encompass Championship.
The 55-year-old Lehman closed with a 2-under 70 at North Shore and had a 15-under 201 total for his eighth senior title and first since 2012. He rebounded from bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 - his only dropped strokes of the week - with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16, parred the par-3 17th and won on the par-4 18th.
''It wasn't my very best performance today, but it was good enough,'' Lehman said.
Michael Allen and Kirk Triplett tied for second, a stroke back. Allen shot 67, and Triplett had a 68.
Lehman, the 1996 British Open winner, opened with rounds of 65 and 66 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round. He ended a 27-event victory drought and won $270,000.
''The check is sweet, but the trophy is sweeter,'' Lehman said.
His last win was the Schwab Cup Championship at the end of the 2012 season.
Lehman, who was bogey-free and made 13 birdies in the first two rounds, parred the first 11 holes before birdieing No. 12.
''I had a rough start and wasn't putting like I did the first two days,'' Lehman said. ''It put me in a bit of a bind. After 14, I told my caddie, 'Let's have the best four holes of the week.'''
Lehman sank an 18-footer on the 15th and a 6-footer on the 16th to get back to 14 under.
Triplett birdied the first, sixth, 13th and 16th holes in his bogey-free round. His approach on the final hole stopped in the back fringe. He missed a 20-foot birdie attempt.
''I said early in the week that 15 under would win and 15 under wins,'' Triplett said. ''I had some chances, missed a couple and made a couple. I had a pretty tough putt on 18 coming down that hill to keep it on line. So, next week.''
Allen birdied three of the last four holes, with his approach on 18 hitting the flagstick and stopping 4 inches from the cup.
Doug Garwood was fourth at 13 under after a 66. He played the first 10 holes in 4 under and briefly grabbed a share of the lead at 13 under with an eagle on the 16th hole, but three-putted for bogey on the 17th to fall back.
Russ Cochran took advantage of a swing adjustment to shooting the best round of the tournament, an 8-under 64 that left him in a tie for sixth at 10 under.
''I got up on my toes more,'' Cochran said. ''Seems like a little thing, but it seemed like it did the trick.''
Colin Montgomerie was 10 under after a 70.
Hale Irwin matched his age with a 69 to tie for 39th at 3 under.
Catching up with Tiger Woods.
By Golf Channel Digital
Catching up with Tiger Woods, who announced that he will return to the PGA Tour at next week's Quicken Loans National, for which he is host.
Q: How long has he been sidelined?
A: Woods' last event was the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, which ended March 9.
Noticeably affected by back pain, Woods closed with a 78, his highest final round on the PGA Tour.
Q: What medical procedure did he have, and when?
A: On March 31, Woods underwent microdiscectomy surgery for a pinched nerve in his back.
Q: Where does he stand in his pursuit of records?
A: With 14 major championships, he remains four behind Jack Nicklaus. With 79 PGA Tour wins, he is three behind Sam Snead.
Q: How has Woods done at the two remaining major venues for 2014 - Royal Liverpool and Valhalla?
A: Woods won the most recent of his three Open Championships in 2006 at Royal Liverpool, beating Chris DiMarco by two strokes, shooting 18-under 270. He won his second of four PGA Championships in 2000 at Valhalla, holding off a determined bid by journeyman Bob May.
Q: How has Woods done in previous returns from extended absence?
A: He's had mixed results. In 2008 he did not play between the Masters and the U.S. Open, and of course he won that Open at Torrey Pines, then had knee surgery and was out almost nine months. He returned for the 2009 WGC-Match Play, losing in the second round. After the infamous late-2009 fire-hydrant incident and its aftermath, Woods was off for almost six months, returning for the 2010 Masters, where he tied for fourth. Because of leg injuries at the 2011 Masters, he took almost three months off between The Players Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, finishing tied for 37th, then sat out about seven weeks between the PGA Championship and the Frys.com Open because he did not qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He tied for 30th at the Frys.com Open.
Q: Woods missed this year's Masters and U.S. Open. What other majors has he missed in his career?
A: Woods has missed four other major championships because of injury: the 2008 Open Championship (recovering from surgery on left knee); the 2008 PGA Championship (recovering from surgery on left knee); the 2011 U.S. Open (injuries to both the medial collateral ligament and Achilles tendon in his left leg); the 2011 Open Championship (left MCL and Achilles).
Q: What is Woods' Ryder Cup and FedEx Cup status?
A: He is currently 67th in the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings and 207th in the FedExCup Standings. He must be in the top nine in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings after the PGA Championship on Aug. 10 to earn an automatic spot on the team. He must be in the top 125 in the FedExCup standings after the Wyndham Championship on Aug. 17 to qualify for the Playoffs. Unless he wins in the next two months, it is very likely that he will need one of U.S. captain Tom Watson’s three picks in September in order to participate in the Ryder Cup. He will likely need around 410 FedExCup points (a pair of top-5 finishes) in these upcoming events to qualify for the first playoff event, The Barclays, which begins Aug. 21 at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.
Edwards gets first road race win at Sonoma.
Staff report, NASCAR.com
A well-timed caution helped get Carl Edwards to the front of the field, and the driver of the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford did the rest.
Road America interested in Cup series race.
AP Sports
In its fifth year on the NASCAR Nationwide series schedule, Road America has proved it can put on a pretty good - and, at times, pretty wild - show with stock cars.
Now track president George Bruggenthies is trying to land a Sprint Cup series race.
By Golf Channel Digital
Catching up with Tiger Woods, who announced that he will return to the PGA Tour at next week's Quicken Loans National, for which he is host.
Q: How long has he been sidelined?
A: Woods' last event was the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, which ended March 9.
Noticeably affected by back pain, Woods closed with a 78, his highest final round on the PGA Tour.
Q: What medical procedure did he have, and when?
A: On March 31, Woods underwent microdiscectomy surgery for a pinched nerve in his back.
Q: Where does he stand in his pursuit of records?
A: With 14 major championships, he remains four behind Jack Nicklaus. With 79 PGA Tour wins, he is three behind Sam Snead.
Q: How has Woods done at the two remaining major venues for 2014 - Royal Liverpool and Valhalla?
A: Woods won the most recent of his three Open Championships in 2006 at Royal Liverpool, beating Chris DiMarco by two strokes, shooting 18-under 270. He won his second of four PGA Championships in 2000 at Valhalla, holding off a determined bid by journeyman Bob May.
Q: How has Woods done in previous returns from extended absence?
A: He's had mixed results. In 2008 he did not play between the Masters and the U.S. Open, and of course he won that Open at Torrey Pines, then had knee surgery and was out almost nine months. He returned for the 2009 WGC-Match Play, losing in the second round. After the infamous late-2009 fire-hydrant incident and its aftermath, Woods was off for almost six months, returning for the 2010 Masters, where he tied for fourth. Because of leg injuries at the 2011 Masters, he took almost three months off between The Players Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, finishing tied for 37th, then sat out about seven weeks between the PGA Championship and the Frys.com Open because he did not qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He tied for 30th at the Frys.com Open.
Q: Woods missed this year's Masters and U.S. Open. What other majors has he missed in his career?
A: Woods has missed four other major championships because of injury: the 2008 Open Championship (recovering from surgery on left knee); the 2008 PGA Championship (recovering from surgery on left knee); the 2011 U.S. Open (injuries to both the medial collateral ligament and Achilles tendon in his left leg); the 2011 Open Championship (left MCL and Achilles).
Q: What is Woods' Ryder Cup and FedEx Cup status?
A: He is currently 67th in the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings and 207th in the FedExCup Standings. He must be in the top nine in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings after the PGA Championship on Aug. 10 to earn an automatic spot on the team. He must be in the top 125 in the FedExCup standings after the Wyndham Championship on Aug. 17 to qualify for the Playoffs. Unless he wins in the next two months, it is very likely that he will need one of U.S. captain Tom Watson’s three picks in September in order to participate in the Ryder Cup. He will likely need around 410 FedExCup points (a pair of top-5 finishes) in these upcoming events to qualify for the first playoff event, The Barclays, which begins Aug. 21 at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.
Edwards gets first road race win at Sonoma.
Staff report, NASCAR.com
A well-timed caution helped get Carl Edwards to the front of the field, and the driver of the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford did the rest.
Edwards passed Marcos Ambrose for the lead moments after a restart on Lap 86 and subsequently held off a charging Jeff Gordon to win Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
The victory was Edwards' second of the season -- guaranteeing him a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, provided he finishes in the top 30 in points after race No. 26 and attempts to qualify for every race. It was the 23rd win of his career, and first Sprint Cup win on a road course.
Gordon finished second, .591 seconds behind Edwards. The runner-up result was Gordon's fifth at Sonoma, matching his number of victories at the 1.99-mile road course.
The triumph had special meaning for Edwards precisely because it was Gordon who was chasing him to the finish line.
"That's a moment I'll never forget, to be standing in Victory Lane and to have held off Jeff Gordon, with all the success he's had here and in our sport," Edwards said after climbing from his car. "It's just really, really special.
"I'm living proof right here that, whatever it is you're doing, just keep doing it, and don't ever give up, because somehow things can work out. I'm just very fortunate."
Long before he made his Sprint Cup debut in 2004, Edwards had watched Gordon dominate road races at the tricky, technical track in wine country.
"Literally, I'm a fan of this sport, and I grew up watching Jeff Gordon go through those esses and watching how he drove his car, so to be able to hold him off like that means a lot," Edwards said.
"I'm glad there wasn't one or two more laps in the race, because I don't know if it would have worked that way, but it definitely meant a lot to have Jeff Gordon in my mirror."
Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran third, his best-ever road course result, followed by pole winner Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard. Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer completed the top 10.
Bowyer and Ambrose led the field to green on Lap 80, after Matt Kenseth's brutal contact with the tire barriers in the esses brought out the fourth caution of the afternoon.
Kenseth's No. 20 Toyota spun out of control from contact with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 Chevrolet, which bounced off the curbing and into the side of Kenseth's car.
"My bad -- I hit the curb and ran into him," Earnhardt said on his radio.
What happened before the previous caution, however, was the crux of the race. Edwards, Ambrose and Bowyer all came to pit road right before NASCAR called a caution for debris in Turn 10 on Lap 71. That enabled them to stay out under the yellow and propelled them to the front of the field.
Edwards was able to stay there, despite heavy pressure from Gordon in the closing laps.
In fact, Gordon said a mistake in Turn 4 six laps before the finish may have cost him the race.
"Gosh, I wish I could have had those last five or six laps to do over again," Gordon said. "I started overdriving it a little bit trying to catch him and making a few mistakes, and I made one in particular that really cost me.
"I think if I had just stayed smooth and stuck with it -- looked like his car really started falling off those last couple laps, and I might have had a shot at least putting more pressure on Carl to force him to make a mistake or maybe get a run inside of him."
There were significant fireworks, however, before that final run. Bowyer started losing positions after the restart on Lap 80 as Edwards surged into second place. Johnson passed the No. 15 Toyota entering Turn 11 on Lap 81, and Bowyer, who had a tire going down, spun after contact from the front bumper of McMurray's Chevy.
With nowhere to go on the inside of the corner, Kevin Harvick slammed into Bowyer. Harvick had one of the fastest cars on Sunday but had gotten mired in traffic because of a slow stop on pit road before a restart on Lap 75.
The wreck dropped Harvick to 20th at the finish, but Bowyer rallied for his 10th-place result.
Road America interested in Cup series race.
AP Sports
In its fifth year on the NASCAR Nationwide series schedule, Road America has proved it can put on a pretty good - and, at times, pretty wild - show with stock cars.
Now track president George Bruggenthies is trying to land a Sprint Cup series race.
''Certainly, every year, we prepare the facility for a Cup series race - more, better barriers, always with that in mind,'' Bruggenthies said before Saturday's Nationwide race.
''Will it happen? All I can tell you is, I hope so. But we're certainly aware that the schedule is the challenge. We think that road racing has good ratings on TV, which is important for the series. So, you know, that's the boat we're in.''
The possibility of changes to the 2015 schedule has been debated since NBC Sports signed on to broadcast the second half of the NASCAR schedule beginning next season.
NASCAR officials have not ruled out changing race dates, but there's been little talk of adding new venues to the calendar.
Still, many people inside the garage wondered aloud at Sonoma Raceway, site of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race, if Road America and Iowa Speedway could land on the next schedule.
Speculation focused on the two venues replacing races at Pocono Raceway and Dover International Speedway. But Pocono president and CEO Brandon Igdalsky said he'd heard nothing about Pocono losing one of its two races.
''That's ridiculous. Who made that up?'' he asked.
Still, fans are clamoring for a shakeup to the schedule, and many want another road course.
Could Road America fit the bill?
Bruggenthies believes the combination of the track's scenic setting - a four-mile road course that winds through the tree-lined hills of central Wisconsin, just minutes from high-end resorts and golf courses - plus the good shows Nationwide has put on here, add up to build a strong case for Cup at Road America.
''We've had four races here and every one of them has been a nail-biter,'' Bruggenthies said. ''We think that it's very worthy. The drivers actually like the facility, NASCAR likes the facility, and we're hopeful. We'll just keep heading on the same path to prepare and hope something opens up.
''Officially, there's no commitment or anything like that. I think I've reiterated that several times. But if you're ready, things will happen.''
While it's fun to imagine the possibility of Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and the rest of the Sprint Cup stars going door-to-door at Road America, getting a spot on the schedule is a challenge.
Already one of the longest seasons in professional sports, the Sprint Cup series schedule is maxed out at 36 races and two exhibitions - and the vast majority of Cup race dates belong to one of two track ownership conglomerates, the France family-affiliated International Speedway Corp. and a rival company, Speedway Motorsports Inc. It's hard to imagine either company giving up a race date.
Bruggenthies also remains open to bringing Indy cars back to Road America, but acknowledges that there are some roadblocks.
''They need to (shape) up their broadcast package and really take a look at what their sanction fee is,'' he said. ''It has to make sense. Right now, they seem to want to go overseas. I don't know what that does for their sponsors. Probably pays some of the bills for IndyCar, because they've tightened up.
They're not giving anything away.''
Bruggenthies joked that he'd be willing to pay ''double'' the sanctioning fee that team owner Michael Andretti is paying IndyCar to promote the race at the Milwaukee Mile; it's widely believed that IndyCar gave Andretti a steep discount - at least initially - after he agreed to rescue the Milwaukee race. The Milwaukee track experienced a series of financial difficulties under previous promoters.
However, local fans remain hopeful; the now-defunct CART series once drew massive crowds to Road America during its heyday.
''We'll see what happens there,'' Bruggenthies said. ''We're always open. We listen to our fans. We understand they want that here.''
Big Ten head paints dire picture of paying players.
By TIM DAHLBERG (AP Sports Writer)
The head of the Big Ten painted a dire picture Friday of what college sports would look like if players were paid. He said his conference likely would cease to exist and the Rose Bowl probably would not be played.
Jim Delany said the idea of paying players goes against the entire college experience and he couldn't see league members agreeing to it. If some did, he said, they likely would be kicked out of the conference because the move would create an imbalance among schools that could not be resolved.
The longtime commissioner said it also would bring about the end of the Rose Bowl as a traditional New Year's Day game between Big Ten and Pac-12 teams.
''There wouldn't be a Rose Bowl if either they or we were operating in a very different wavelength in terms of paying players,'' Delany said.
Delany followed NCAA President Mark Emmert to the witness stand in a landmark antitrust suit brought by former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon and others. They dispute the NCAA's contention that college sports would be thrown into turmoil if players win the right to be paid for the use of their names, images and likenesses in television broadcasts and video games.
Like Emmert, he said college sports would be irreparably damaged in many ways if a century-old tradition is breached by payments.
''These games are owned by the institution and the notion of paying athletes for participation in these games is foreign to the notion of amateurism,'' Delany said.
Delany acknowledged that the Big Ten gets hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from its sports, with each school receiving a $25 million share of the proceeds. But he said most of that money goes into programs and academics, even at a time when coaches are earning millions of dollars a year.
Under cross examination, Delany was asked how much athletes get of the approximate $230 million a year the conference gets in broadcast rights and from its Big Ten Network.
''There is no athlete's share of broadcast rights,'' he said.
That might change someday if O'Bannon and others succeed in getting an injunction in federal court that would allow them to band together and sell the rights to their images. They envision a system where players get a share of the rapidly growing pool of broadcast money, with the money split equally among team members and handed out after a player leaves school.
The plaintiffs argue that the NCAA's rules on amateurism - which Emmert testified form the core of the organization - are illegal because they artificially stifle competition. Much of the testimony has concerned the way the NCAA defines amateurism at a time when billions of dollars are pouring into college sports and almost everyone but the athletes are making money from them.
The NCAA has said it would appeal any such injunction all the way to the Supreme Court if U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken rules against the organization. It could be years before the issue is settled.
Delany took the stand after Emmert concluded seven hours of testimony. The NCAA leader said he was opposed to paying players for anything more than the cost of attending university, but said that paying coaches millions of dollars a year was something that was commonly accepted.
Emmert acknowledged that when he was LSU's president he made Nick Saban college football's highest-paid coach after the Tigers won the national title in 2004. And when he was president of the University of Washington, Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian was the highest-paid state employee.
''I certainly didn't change any trend if that's your point,'' he told plaintiff attorney Bill Isaacson.
The trial is being held without a jury and is expected to last another week, with Wilken ruling weeks after that on the request for an injunction.
Eight notable figures from the NCAA's annual attendance report.
By Jeff Eisenberg
It's no surprise to see that the same three schools led college basketball in attendance last season for the fourth straight year
What was a bit more eye-opening was which school was on top.
Syracuse eclipsed Kentucky and Louisville for the average attendance crown, drawing a remarkable 26,253 fans per game last year as it made its ACC debut and maintained an unbeaten record deep into February. Kentucky finished second after leading the nation in average home attendance 17 times in the previous 18 years.
Here's a look at some of the stats that stand out from the 2013-14 college basketball attendance report released Thursday by the NCAA:
• Highest attendance per game: 1. Syracuse (26,253), 2. Kentucky (22,964), 3. Louisville (21,282)
Comment: Those three are far and away the top drawing programs. North Carolina is the closest challenger at more than 3,000 fans per game less than Louisville.
• Lowest attendance per game: 1. St. Peter's (373), 2. St. Francis Brooklyn (505), 3. Sacred Heart (516)
Comment: How does a team that finished a respectable 14-17 check in last in attendance in Division I and well behind any of the other contenders? Perhaps St. Peter's needs a better marketing approach or maybe it was just more honest than its small-conference peers.
• Highest per-game attendance among non-power five conference schools: 1. Creighton (17,896), 2. Memphis (16,121), 3. BYU (15,875)
Comment: The same top three from the past two years in the same order. Marquette, New Mexico, UNLV, San Diego State and Dayton also each drew more than 12,000 per game.
• Lowest per-game attendance among power five conference schools: 1. Washington State (2,800), 2. Oregon State (3,946), 3. Boston College (4,007)
Comment: Is there any mystery why Ken Bone, Craig Robinson and Steve Donahue are out of work? Attendance can't dip to that extent without head coaches facing consequences. Andy Enfield isn't in danger yet after one year at USC despite the Trojans being the fourth worst, but he was hired in part to restore interest in basketball at the school. He'll need to make strides on the court and in the stands in the coming years.
• Highest per-game attendance among non-Division I schools: 1. Northern State (3,383), 2. Dixie State (3,081), 3. Fort Hayes State (2,717)
Comment: The only change from last year is Fort Hayes State replacing Midwestern State at No. 3.
• Largest average attendance increase from last year: 1. Nebraska (+5,067), Syracuse (+3,813), Virginia (+2,281)
Comment: Nebraska's massive increase was a result of the combination of its new building opening and the team making the NCAA tournament for the first time in two decades. Syracuse benefited from the move to the ACC and the push for an unbeaten season, while Virginia's rise can be attributed to its emergence as a surprise ACC contender.
• Best average attendance per conference: 1. Big Ten (13,534), 2. ACC (10,661), 3. Big 12 (10,489)
Comment: Not only did the Big Ten top this category for a third straight season, it also set a record high for average conference attendance. The SEC was fourth in this category, while the Pac-12 was a distant eighth behind the Big East, American and Mountain West.
• Best average attendance per non-power five conference: 1. Big East (9,711), 2. American (8,776), 3. Mountain West (7,730)
Comment: Expect the American's average to drop in the future with Louisville departing. The Mountain West once again edged the Pac-12, its major West Coast rival, though the margin shrunk considerably this year.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, June 23, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1904 - The first American motorboat race took place on the Hudson River in New York.
1917 - Ernie Shore (Boston Red Sox) replaced Babe Ruth and retired all 26 batters he faced. Ruth had been ejected from the game.
1917 - Molla Bjurstedt won the women's U.S. Lawn Tennis Association title for the third straight year.
1922 - Johnny Weissmuller broke his own world records in the 300, 400, 440 and 500 meters in a swim meet in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1972 - U.S. President Nixon signed the Higher Education Act of 1972. Title IX of this congressional act barred sex bias in athletics and other activities at colleges receiving federal assistance.
1991 - A Mazda became the first Japanese car to win the Le Mans 24 hour race.
1996 - Michael Johnson broke the world record for the men's 200 meter race. He ran it in 19.66 seconds.
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