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Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! NFL Camp Preview: Bears must improve defense for 2014. (Six days until the start of training camp; Yeah Baby..........Let's go Bears!!!)
By The Sports Xchange
After finishing 30th in defense among the NFL's 32 teams, it is no secret that the Chicago Bears will be focused on that side of the ball when they line up for their first training camp practice July 25 at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill.
The Bears were 32nd -- dead last -- in sacks, a situation they intend to improve with the addition of Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young.
While the Bears hope those proven veterans take care of business up front, the focus of a lot of attention will be at safety, where they find the key position battle, the main concern seems to be focused at safety, the team's weakest position with the most important job battle and the player with the most to prove. Here is a closer look at that and the team's most likely long shot to make the club:
The Bears are hurting at both safety spots. Former Giant Ryan Mundy has been steady enough that coaches are keeping him on the field the longest. In OTAs, the team played a regular rotation of safeties with the first team and they gave rookie Brock Vereen a chance with the first unit. The fourth-round pick from Minnesota was lining up at free safety, while Mundy was at strong safety.
With Chris Conte (shoulder) and Craig Steltz (torn pectoral tendon) still recovering after surgeries and unable to practice, Mundy, Vereen and M.D. Jennings got the first-team reps.
"We approach it the same as it's going to be our starting safeties," cornerback Tim Jennings said about working with safeties unfamiliar with the defense.
The Bears' playoff chances ended when Conte blew the coverage on Green Bay's Randall Cobb and he got into the open for a game-winning touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers in the closing seconds of the regular-season finale. That one play aside, Conte's play suffered much of last season after he had shown some improvement from his first year to his second. Only six teams gave up more passing plays of 20 yards or more than the Bears last year.
Conte wasn't much better as an open-field tackler. The former California cornerback is in the final year of his contract, which adds to the pressure and, worse, he was unable to practice in OTAs due to offseason shoulder surgery. Meantime, Jennings has been making inroads by taking his place at starting free safety.
Linebacker Jonathan Bostic feels like a different player in his second season, and coaches are seeing signs of a breakthrough.
There was no hitting in minicamp, but Bostic is finding his way to the right place more often than not.
Bostic was thrust into a starting role as a rookie after veteran D.J. Williams' season-ending torn pectoral muscle. As expected, he often struggled, in part because he was taking on more than the on-field role.
"A lot of the stuff we were doing last year was unorthodox to me," Bostic said. "I had never really done (it) before and I had to think about it. This year, I can react more."
When the Bears also lost veteran weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs from the defensive huddle, Bostic did a nosedive. He wasn't alone; the rest of the defense declined, too, and every missed tackle highlighted who the Bears were missing.
Defensive end Jared Allen sees on last year's film a Bears defense that not only was injured, but went through a difficult transition that he believes is now over.
"(Brian) Urlacher (retiring) is huge," Allen said. "I mean, that's like losing a quarterback. So obviously there was going to be adjustments for guys learning how to play different positions."
A year later, the learning curve still exists on and off the field for Bostic. He isn't receiving the luxury of zeroing in on one position.
The Bears used him in the offseason as a middle linebacker, as well as on the strong side and on the weak side. He was either a starting or backup strong-side linebacker or backup middle and weak-side linebacker in non-contact scrimmages, although it was sometimes difficult to ascertain because coaches rotate players greatly until training camp begins.
Both physically and mentally, quarterback Jay Cutler couldn't feel better about the approaching season.
Armed with a new contract and knowledge of an offense he has had the rare luxury of running for a full season, Cutler said at minicamp he feels in the best position he's been since coming to Chicago in 2009.
"You're not guessing, you know where guys are going to be, you know what the calls are, you know why the call came in, you know what you want to get to if it is a problem," Cutler said about entering his second season in head coach Marc Trestman's offense. "We're going in that direction, but we're still trying to figure some stuff out and we had some areas last year we struggled in and we weren't perfect so we have to keep working and keep trying to get better."
Only twice before has Cutler had the same offensive system from one year to the next, initially in Denver and then in Chicago when he had Mike Martz as offensive coordinator in 2010-11.
Never has he had the type of weapons he has available after helping the Bears become the second-highest scoring team in the league and the No. 8 offense overall.
"We did OK last year, for the first year," he said. "We have the same guys we had last year, which is always good. Talent-wise it's hard to top our O-line and some of the guys we have on the outside and (running back) Matt Forte, who is hugely underrated.
"Talent-wise and being in the system two years and the way the guys work, all that adds up. Hopefully we can stay healthy and see where this thing goes."
Therein lies the problem, and it starts with Cutler. He hasn't played a full season since his first in Chicago in 2009.
"I was straight until I really got here for awhile and it was a hit parade back there," he said, referring to the beating he took behind a porous offensive line from 2009-12. "It takes its toll from time to time.
"I think with the offensive line we've got here, the guys are doing everything possible. Last year was last year. Kind of two freak injuries. I don't really foresee that happening again."
Cutler suffered injuries to his left groin and ankle last year and missed five games. He began his strength and conditioning program earlier this year so he could, "get my whole left side back to even with my right side," and feels he has.
It's often been speculated his own habit of holding the ball longer led to some of the beatings he took when he was sacked 148 times in four years.
"It's two-fold," he said. "Once you start getting hit a lot you start taking your eyes off the secondary, you lose a lot of trust up front and it gets difficult to play quarterback that way.
"You look across the league and you see guys that are getting hit a lot, they're probably not going to be doing very well. The guys who stay pretty clean are in offenses year-in and year-out and get a feel for the guys, those guys are going to be the ones who are in the top of the league every year."
And Cutler has confidence he can stay clear of injury because the system lets him get rid of the football quicker. Another year in the system, and it's going to come out even faster. At least that's the design.
"Jay is incredibly smart football-wise," Trestman said. "He's incredibly smart, but very smart football-wise, obviously.
"His ability to draw from all the different experiences he's had both in the physical aspects of running these plays and then the mental aspects of having to read them out and find the right guy goes into his growth in the second year, plus he's working with the same people, which is a big advantage."
Expecting an offensive jump this year like the Bears made last year would be impossible. They went from 29th in passing to No. 5, and 28th in total offense to No. 8. And they did it with backup Josh McCown playing five games. They would need perfect health on the offensive line like last year, and they were playing without right tackle Jordan Mills. He missed minicamp while recovering from the foot surgery he had at the end of last year.
They didn't have an injury of significance to their main three receivers -- Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and tight end Martellus Bennett -- and this year lack some of the depth they had last year when they had Earl Bennett at wide receiver.
"So at No. 3 we've got a bunch of guys," Cutler said of the receiver situation. "I think offensively, once you get past the first-team guys there's a lot of competition with the O-line, tight-end group, receiver, running back."
The same is true at quarterback, with a room full of players fighting to replace McCown.
"There's a lot of positions there that are kind of up for grabs so we'll see how it plays out," Cutler said.
Here is a snapshot of the Bears roster going into into training camp:
--QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Jay Cutler. Backups -- Jordan Palmer, Jimmy Clausen, David Fales.
--RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Matt Forte. Backups -- Ka'Deem Carey, Michael Ford, Shaun Draughn, Senorise Perry, Jordan Lynch, FB Tony Fiammetta.
--TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Martellus Bennett. Backups -- Dante Rosario, Matthew Mulligan, Jeron Mastrud, Zach Miller.
--WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery. Backups -- Marquess Wilson, Josh Bellamy, Josh Morgan, Terrence Tolliver, Eric Weems, Chris Williams, Armanti Edwards, Micheal Spurlock.
--OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT Jermon Bushrod, LG Matt Slauson, C Roberto Garza, RG Kyle Long, RT Jordan Mills. Backups -- G/T James Brown, G/T Eben Britton, C Brian de la Puente, C Taylor Boggs, G James Dunbar, G Ryan Groy, T Cody Booth, T Charles Leno Jr., T Joe Long, T Michael Ola.
--DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- DRE Jared Allen, DLE Lamarr Houston, DT Stephen Paea, DT Jeremiah Ratliff. Backups -- E Willie Young, E Cornelius Washington, E David Bass, E Austen Lane, E Jamil Merrell, E Tracy Robertson, E Trevor Scott, T Nate Collins, T Ego Ferguson, T Will Sutton, T Brandon Dunn, T Lee Pegues.
--LINEBACKERS: Starters -- OLB Lance Briggs, MLB D.J. Williams, OLB Jonathan Bostic. Backups -- Shea McClellin, Khaseem Greene, Jerry Franklin, Christian Jones, DeDe Lattimore, Conor O'Neill, Jordan Senn.
--DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- CB Charles Tillman, CB Tim Jennings, S Ryan Mundy, S Chris Conte. Backups -- S Craig Steltz, S M.D. Jennings, S Brock Vereen, S Adrian Wilson, CB Kelvin Hayden, CB Kyle Fuller, CB Isaiah Frey, CB Demontre Hurst, CB Al Louis-Jean, CB Sherrick McManis, CB Derricus Purdy, CB C.J. Wilson.
--SPECIAL TEAMS: K Robbie Gould, P Pat O'Donnell, LS Chad Rempel, PR Eric Weems, KOR Armanti Edwards, P Tress Way, KOR Micheal Spurlock, KOR Chris Williams, LS Brandon Hartson.
L.A. or Chicago to host 2015 draft.
ESPN.com news services; Information from Adam Schefter was used in this report
It's down to the Windy City or the City of Angels.
The 2015 NFL draft will take place in Chicago or Los Angeles, commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday.
New York City also had been considered, but Goodell said it has been ruled out. Sources previously told ESPN that scheduling issues had made New York -- the regular home of the draft -- the least likely option.
"We're focusing solely on Los Angeles and Chicago now," Goodell told reporters Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Radio City Music Hall, the usual host venue in New York, could not offer available dates in April or May, Goodell said. The 2015 draft is expected to take place either April 22-25 or April 29-May 2.
"We had 12 cities that were interested," Goodell said. "We felt the best thing to do was focus on the three cities, because they had such a tremendous interest. There are very attractive aspects to each of those cities. Because we don't have the appropriate dates in May, our focus is completely on Los Angeles and Chicago.
"They both have tremendous bids."
Goodell did not provide a timetable on when the NFL would make its decision.
"I just got an update two days ago," he said. "I believe the decision will come in late summer, but we're not going to be bound by that. We're going to do the right thing."
Goodell also said the league is investigating scenarios if the draft moves from three days to four.
"We're talking about different concepts, primarily how to strengthen the last day and whether we should maybe push that back to the clubs a little bit more and allow the clubs to have a little bit more freedom as more of a club day," he said. "Maybe they would announce the picks from there. We're looking at everything under the sun, because there's a great interest in it and we want to do something that's more responsive to our fans."
This year's draft was held May 8-10, a couple of weeks later than it had been traditionally in the past.
Multiple teams told Goodell that they felt rushed by the change -- not so much for the added buildup, but for the lack of time on the back end; they want more time to be able to get their rookies ready and build their rosters.
L.A. or Chicago to host 2015 draft.
ESPN.com news services; Information from Adam Schefter was used in this report
It's down to the Windy City or the City of Angels.
The 2015 NFL draft will take place in Chicago or Los Angeles, commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday.
New York City also had been considered, but Goodell said it has been ruled out. Sources previously told ESPN that scheduling issues had made New York -- the regular home of the draft -- the least likely option.
"We're focusing solely on Los Angeles and Chicago now," Goodell told reporters Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Radio City Music Hall, the usual host venue in New York, could not offer available dates in April or May, Goodell said. The 2015 draft is expected to take place either April 22-25 or April 29-May 2.
"We had 12 cities that were interested," Goodell said. "We felt the best thing to do was focus on the three cities, because they had such a tremendous interest. There are very attractive aspects to each of those cities. Because we don't have the appropriate dates in May, our focus is completely on Los Angeles and Chicago.
"They both have tremendous bids."
Goodell did not provide a timetable on when the NFL would make its decision.
"I just got an update two days ago," he said. "I believe the decision will come in late summer, but we're not going to be bound by that. We're going to do the right thing."
Goodell also said the league is investigating scenarios if the draft moves from three days to four.
"We're talking about different concepts, primarily how to strengthen the last day and whether we should maybe push that back to the clubs a little bit more and allow the clubs to have a little bit more freedom as more of a club day," he said. "Maybe they would announce the picks from there. We're looking at everything under the sun, because there's a great interest in it and we want to do something that's more responsive to our fans."
This year's draft was held May 8-10, a couple of weeks later than it had been traditionally in the past.
Multiple teams told Goodell that they felt rushed by the change -- not so much for the added buildup, but for the lack of time on the back end; they want more time to be able to get their rookies ready and build their rosters.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Toews, Kane 'grateful for this opportunity' with the Blackhawks.
By Tracey Myers
They went through the early years when they were designated the cornerstones of a rebuilding Blackhawks franchise. They celebrated the great times, including the two Stanley Cups they’ve won in Chicago. They also endured their road roommate arrangement, which much to their amused relief ended a few seasons ago.
“Thank God that had to change,” Toews said to laughs. “We may not be sitting here today.”
All kidding and individual road accommodations aside, Toews and Kane couldn’t imagine not being teammates. They couldn’t imagine not being in Chicago together. They compliment each other and the franchise, which they helped rebuild. On Wednesday, they talked about hopefully continuing down this successful path another few years together.
Toews and Kane talked about their eight-year, $84-million extensions, when the Blackhawks held a press conference on last week's signing. It’s been a great seven years for the duo already, and Toews and Kane each appreciate what the other has done along the way.
“It’s special,” Kane said. “I was fortunate enough to come in with him at the same time. Being an 18-year-old, to have him with me and to lean on each other at certain times with what was going on in our lives, it really helped us on early in our career. It’s a good situation to be in, playing with a player like him.”
Toews said Kane has, “made my job a lot easier.”
“We’ve had a lot of great moments but some days things don’t go your way. The other guy is always there to deflect that pressure a little bit and make those tough days a lot easier,” he said. “There are so many ways we build off each other as players and as people. It’s been amazing so far.”
General manager Stan Bowman talked of the Blackhawks’ good fortune regarding Toews and Kane: two superstars in their system for the long haul, either of which any other team would love to have. Coach Joel Quenneville has also appreciated having the two.
“I’m in a great position as a coach to have these guys moving forward, from their leadership to their play to the depth to the contributions. They encompass all these things to make us successful," he said. "As a coach, they make our job so easy.”
Toews and Kane have come through the Blackhawks ranks together. They have reaped the rewards and “survived” sharing a hotel room on the road. They’ll laugh about that last item but what they’ve done with the Blackhawks is no joke. They’ve enjoyed the success they’ve helped bring here and they’re looking forward to creating more. Together.
“It’d be weird to be on a team without Kaner,” Toews said. “And we’re both grateful for this opportunity.”
Blackhawks a source of pride, rest of our teams not so much.
By Rick Telander
On a day when the sports world is as quiet as a drugged python, it seems a good time to assess Chicago’s teams.
◆ Cubs. After the All-Star break, they’re 40-54, in last place in the National League Central, 12 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. Only one team in the majors has fewer wins than the Cubs.
The Rickettses’ ownership has gotten city permission to build all the bells and gongs at Wrigley Field it says it needs to make enough money to compete. Whether you buy that formula or not (I don’t), you have to wonder when the rooftop owners will be paid off, the legal nonsense will end and construction will begin.
But that’s all distraction, isn’t it? The Cubs stink. They have for four years — badly. It’s the embarrassment of endless b.s. that lingers.
Jeff Samardzija stands on the All-Star sideline as an American League not-Cub? Embarrassing. The team has the best minor-league team in the history of the universe? Terrific. Let’s all move to Kane County and Des Moines!
If Theo Epstein isn’t on the clock, this seems like an excellent time to put him on it.
◆ White Sox. The South Siders are 45-51, 10½ games out of first in the AL Central, a mediocre team of odd peaks and valleys.
Left-handed pitcher Chris Sale, with an 8-1 record, 2.08 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 95 innings, is as good as it gets. Same, too, for fresh Cuban slugger Jose Abreu, whose swing is so powerful that balls seem to jump away from his bat as if shocked.
Abreu’s 29 home runs, 20 doubles and 73 RBI in only 82 major-league games are amazing. The trouble is, once the Sox get the lead, they have to turn things over to the bullpen, which is like turning over buckets of gasoline to drunk teenagers.
Ronald Belisario leads the team in saves with a paltry eight, and his ERA is a large 5.16. Manager Robin Ventura seems to have seen enough of such arson and is going with a closer-by-committee approach, for now.
If the Sox don’t get on a super-hot streak right away, expect general manager Rick Hahn to start selling assets, selling us on next year.
◆ Bulls. After the playoffs, they didn’t lure any of the top-tier free agents — the ones they never seem to get — and the Derrick Rose health issue lingers as ever.
Pau Gasol, the unknown Nikola Mirotic and college kid Doug McDermott might be offensive factors, but who will make the key shots at crunch time? Those shots Carmelo Anthony could have made.
I only notice these things because I’m paid to notice everything — but it’s possible the Bulls are now the whitest team in the NBA. Make of that what you will, and be prepared for pregame country music at the United Center.
◆ Blackhawks. A happy fairy tale that hasn’t ended yet, and which needs another Stanley Cup to make it pure.
The signing of fraternal twins Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, as different of people and skaters as you could wish yet non-jealous ice pals, is great for this city. As is keeping Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford.
◆ Bears. What an offense. What a defensive line. What a guru-like coach in Marc Trestman, who needs just a few more years to resemble Gandalf.
But why does Vegas have the Bears at an anemic 8½ wins, over-under? Gamblers must not trust our new, improved happy-father quarterback Jay Cutler.
And they recall Aaron Rodgers and the Packers up north.
James dethrones Jordan as most popular U.S. athlete - poll. What's Your Take?
Reuters; By Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Gene Cherry
LeBron James has overtaken Michael Jordan as the United States' most popular athlete, according to a Harris poll.
Almost from the moment James exploded onto the NBA scene as the number one overall pick in the 2003 draft a debate has raged over who was the better of the two basketball superstars.
Jordan had held the top honor from 1993-2005 and again in 2013 before being supplanted this year by James, who was ranked number two in 2013.
It is likely that James is even more popular after the four-time NBA most valuable player decided last week to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers following a successful four year run with the Miami Heat that brought the team two NBA titles.
The poll was conducted between June 11 and 16 before James, a 10-time All-Star, made his decision.
New York Yankee Derek Jeter, who is retiring at the end of the Major League Baseball season, moves up three spots to third.
Rounding out the top five are Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning at four with the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. tied for fifth.
Tiger Woods, who had been number one for five straight years from 2006, dropped from third last year to eighth.
There was no change at the top among America's most favorite female athletes with tennis player Serena Williams for a fifth straight year while NASCAR driver Danica Patrick remained number two.
Tennis players dominated the top with Venus Williams remaining third followed by Maria Sharapova and soccer player Mia Hamm at five.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: I've been around for a long time and I've been watching and participating in sports seriously for over 54 years. LeBron James is a terrific basketball player and a tremendous physical specimen with a wonderful desire to win. There are many areas that he is better than Michael Jordan, however, athletes like Jordan only come around once in a lifetime. Tim Duncan, Shaq and Koby along with many other athletes of various professional sports deserve accolades for their play, their community service and their positive influence in today's skewed up world. But Michael Jordan as an athlete is incomparable and he's proven it. Jordan has a mental toughness and drive where he refuses to lose and believes that he can't be defeated. He has leadership skills that he has used to convince new players that they were championship material and that if they played as a team they couldn't be beat. Do you remember Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Cliff Levingston, Ricky Blanton, Joe Courtney, Jo Jo English, Rodney McCray, Ed Nealey, Corey Williams, Darrel Williams, Trent Tucker, Pete Myers, Dave Johnson, Corie Blount, Jud Buechler, Dickey Simpkins, Jason Caffey, Jack Haley, James Edwards, Bison Dele, Matt Steigenga, Keith Booth, Scott Burrell, Joe Kleine, Rusty LaRue, and David Vaughn? These guys all played on the Bulls championship teams during the double three-peat years, "91, 92, 93", and "96, 97, 98", and all have rings. They will tell you how Michael Jordan influenced their play and their desire to win. His team still holds the NBA's best regular season winning record, 72-10. Mental toughness, leadership skills and an unfathomable will to win; characteristics that are often imitated but rarely duplicated. An yes, Jordan has them all and he's proven it. He'll always be number 1 in our book.
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.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Coach K Takes On the World.
By Craig Ellenport
On July 27, the USA Basketball Men’s National Team assembles in Las Vegas in preparation for the FIBA World Cup in Spain (Aug. 30-Sept. 14). For the fifth time since becoming head coach of the USA National Team in 2005, Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will lead the squad into competition on the world stage.
Krzyzewski, who has compiled a 62-1 win-loss record since serving as the USA National Team head coach in 2006, is the only USA Basketball men's coach to have won gold at the Olympics and the FIBA World Championship, while also possessing an NCAA Championship. He is only the second coach (along with Henry Iba) to lead teams to back-to-back Olympic gold medals. Having won the 2010 FIBA World Championship,The USA now has a chance this summer to become just the first USA team and only the third team ever to win consecutive FIBA world titles.
As Krzyzewski prepares to join the USA national squad in Las Vegas, USAB.com caught up with the legendary coach:
What are you most looking forward to as the FIBA World Cup approaches?
Well, the main thing is that it’s what the world thinks is the biggest competition. There are 24 countries that compete for the World Cup and only 12 compete in the Olympics. So it’s a different type of competition. And it’s only basketball. We were fortunate enough to win it in Istanbul in 2010, and it was a thrill to beat Turkey in a gold medal game. I think the world celebrates the game at a high level during this competition, and it’s an honor for us to be part of it.
Especially with soccer’s World Cup just ending, does FIBA’s premier event take on a special meaning now that it’s being called the World Cup?
It’s a great way for FIBA to brand this championship, by making it the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Certainly the amazing amount of interest that has been shown for soccer worldwide is incredible. The nationalism, the spirit, the great play … for basketball, it’s also a world sport. To name it and brand it in this manner is appropriate. When I’ve competed in it as a coach, I‘ve seen that spirit, that worldwide spirit. That spirit of nationalism and representing your country go to the highest level. And as a result, some great games are played.
Since this tournament began in 1950, only Brazil (1959, 1963) and Yugoslavia (1998, 2002) have been repeat champions. As the defending champion, is that something you will use to motivate your USA team?
What we try do is to educate them on international basketball, and the immense pride that these players have in representing their countries. Many countries have won the World Championship. In our country, up until this last decade … our country looked at the Olympics. Other countries look at the Olympics, too – but they look at the World Cup as their basketball championship. And we’re going to try to get that message across to our players.
For us, to win two in a row – and four straight in FIBA competitions, with the two Olympic golds – that would be an amazing accomplishment.
When your second stint as Men's National Team head coach ended following the 2012 Olympics, there was a thought you might not be back. Why did you accept USA Basketball's invitation to return for 2013 through 2016?
The main thing is the continuity that Jerry Colangelo, Sean Ford, Jim Tooley and the people at USA Basketball provide. They talked to me about having that same continuity with coaching, and it paid off for us in Beijing, Istanbul and London. The reason I thought of not returning again is that I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue to coach, even on the collegiate level. But I’ve made that decision that I’m not ready to give it up for a while, and they still afforded me the opportunity to continue, so I seized that opportunity. I’m thankful for that opportunity again to represent my country.
How long do you plan to continue?
Well, for USA Basketball, I’m going to continue through Rio (2016 Olympics), and then for sure, whether I’m still coaching at Duke or not, that will be the end. I’ve been very fortunate to have done this now for nine years, to be the national coach, and it’s a tremendous honor.
Looking ahead to this summer, what are your thoughts about the team?
Well, first of all we had to figure out who’s going to come (to the initial National Team training in Las Vegas). That’s always the first thing we have to consider. We have a pool of almost 30 players that we invited from. We’ve even added a few more players to our National Team roster. Guys are not able to attend at times for a variety of reasons. One, injury. Two, they’re involved in contract negotiations. And three, just personal reasons. Family issues, a death in the family, a birth. So we’re anxious to see who will be at the camp, and we’ll have a selection process to go through. And we’re also putting together a system that we’ll build on once we get the final 12 going into Spain.
Are you looking forward to seeing some of the younger players who are new to the World Cup?
First of all, I applaud all the players who come – the veterans who have done it more than once, and the young guys – or the new guys, not all of them are young – that put forth an effort. It’s a sacrifice and it’s a huge commitment. We like to see returnees, because that’s continuity for us.
You love to see Kevin Durant back. And Kevin Love. We’re looking forward to the return of Derrick Rose. James Harden has been on the team before. But then there are guys who have not been on the team before and we’re looking forward to seeing how they’ll do. Blake Griffin would have been on the last Olympic team but he got hurt, so I’m anxious to see him. LaMarcus Aldridge is not a younger guy but he’s an All-Star. He has not been able to participate before, so we’re going to get a chance to coach him. Paul George is a very gifted player. Stephen Curry, who played in the World Championship in Istanbul is coming back. Then there’s Anthony Davis, Damien Lillard and Kyrie Irving. Certainly Klay Thompson. So there’s a mix, and that’s what you would like to see. So the older guys can help the newer guys adjust, because it is an adjustment.
Speaking of Kyrie Irving, are you harder or easier on the former Duke players you get to coach on the USA National Team?
Well, I only had him for 11 games, so I didn’t have a chance to be hard on him. But we’re excited about Kyrie being here and he’s just like anyone else – he’s got to make the team. I’m just happy that he’s made the commitment to come.
Having been in this position since 2005, can you talk about the dynamics of a college coach working with a roster of NBA players?
It’s been terrific. I think the very first thing is that I don’t look at it as a challenge. It’s a tremendous opportunity to be able to coach players of this caliber and coach players who are committed to playing for their country. That’s a neat position to be in.
The very first thing, being a collegiate coach, I never coach against these guys during the year. So I can actually be their coach. I’m not somebody they need to be guarded with. We can have our own relationship, and then I’m not competing with them during the year. I’m still their friend. I think that’s been a real big plus.
The second thing, the international game has a lot of similarities to the college game, especially with the help-side defense. You can't zone up in the pros, but you can zone up and not have a three-second call in college. I also think there's more continuity to offenses in international play than there are in the pros. It's more like collegiate setting.
The thing that I have to adapt to is the fact that I’m coaching men who are accomplished, and therefore I have to adapt – it would be smart of me to adapt to the strengths that they exhibit, their knowledge of the game and how they like to play. Develop a system that’s based on their strengths, and not some system that I’ve devised and have them fit in. In college they have to adapt more to me – in fact, a lot to me – because they haven’t done it yet. For this, we try to adapt to each other, and then it creates a sense of ownership for all of us. It’s not Coach K, or the USA Basketball way of doing it. It’s what we’re going to do, what this team is going to do, and everyone has input.
What can you tell us about the West Point visit that’s scheduled for Aug. 18?
What we’ve tried to do with each of our teams these last three competitions is to have them not only hear and see things, but to feel things. Patriotism and selfless service are two really amazing concepts to feel. And I think you only do it by taking them to locations where they might feel it. Certainly, West Point is one of those locations. While we’re there that day, we hope for them not to just see and hear, but to feel what it’s like to be in an iconic place, a place that’s all about their country. Sometimes they’re moved to a different spot as a result of being in that experience. We’ve tried to do that over the years in different locations, and the military has been our partner – especially the United States Army – in helping us do that.
Having played and coached at Army, what will that trip mean to you?
For me, it’s my alma mater and it was my first coaching assignment. I still do quite a bit with the Academy. I believe in it. I believe it’s the best leadership school in the world. For me to be a leader of our national team and bring my team to my alma mater, and the place that I love, to try to show them a little bit about that place, that’s a dream come true.
Bulls, Cubs, Bears ranked in Forbes' most valuable franchises.
By Mark Strotman
When the Los Angeles Clippers were sold to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion in late May, it got many fans wondering what their own favorite franchises were worth. It may have inaccurately portrayed what the Clippers were actually worth -- Forbes noted that Ballmer's purchase, which is still being held up in court, is more than 15 times revenue for the Clippers, far greater than the $551 million price tag (5.1 times revenue) Ted Leonsis paid for the Wizards in 2010.
So while purchase price doesn't equate to worth, that won't make the price tags go down anytime soon. Forbes presented their top-50 most valuable sports franchises, and some of the numbers were staggering. The average team in the top-50 is worth $1.34 billion, with 38 of the 50 teams reaching the $1 billion mark (up from 33 teams a year ago). Three years ago there were no teams worth $2 billion; today there are six, including three soccer clubs, two baseball franchises and the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys were one of 30 NFL teams in the top-50, with only the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars failing to make the cut. Eight soccer teams, six baseball teams, four NBA squads, one hockey franchise and Formula 1 racing team.
And Chicago was well-represented on the list. The Bears came in at No. 18, the Cubs were slotted No. 21 and the Bulls ranked No. 37.
The Bears moved down two slots from a year ago and were the eighth most valuable NFL franchise, valued at $1.252 billion. Forbes noted that "the Bears play in the smallest stadium in the NFL -- capacity is just 61,5000 -- despite being in the third-largest market in America." Still, the team's worth is up from a reported $1.19 billion a year ago.
The Cubs ranked fourth in Major League Baseball, once again behind the New York Yankees (No. 4), the Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 5) and Boston Red Sox (No. 11). Their valuation from Forbes ($1.2 billion) also is up from a year ago, when they ranked 31st in the world with a value of $1 billion. The jump isn't surprising considering the buzz surrounding the young talent is building, the team "inked a deal in June to move its radio broadcasts to WBBM 780-AM," are in the process of beginning renovations at Wrigley Field and will sign a new TV deal when their current one with WGN TV runs out after 2014. The Cubs stand to make a considerable jump in the rankings once again.
For the first time in their franchise history the Bulls reached the $1 billion valuation in January, up 25 percent from a yer ago when they were the No. 47 team on Forbes' list. Avoiding the luxury tax and filling the United Center to capacity has helped the Bulls' cause more than anything, according to Forbes: "The Bulls are one of the NBA's most profitable teams every year thanks to five straight years of league-leading attendance and payroll restraint."
MLB: Play Ball!!! Cubs getting in position to make a huge splash.
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs are getting in position to make a huge splash.
That doesn’t mean everything has gone according to The Plan. It doesn’t guarantee a parade down Michigan Avenue.
But more than halfway into Year 3 of the Theo Epstein administration, the Cubs have elite prospects knocking on the door, trade chips piling up and some degree of financial flexibility. The Commission on Chicago Landmarks approved the latest version of the Wrigleyville renovation plans, while Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo are All-Stars at the age of 24.
It takes seeing beyond 40-54, which at the All-Star break looks like another last-place finish. The trade rumors will be ringing in their ears when the Cubs go back to work on Friday night at Chase Field, a loud indoor space that feels like a bad NBA game. The Arizona Diamondbacks are also in the running for next year’s No. 1 overall pick, but the Cubs can’t play for the future forever.
Won’t blame you if you believe in Cubbie Occurrences and don’t want to drink the Kool-Aid. We’ll see about that ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Rahm Emanuel at Clark and Addison. There are also serious questions about how the business side is going to deliver those big TV contracts.
“It’s always something,” one player said with a smirk.
Yeah, the Cubs kept making headlines. A trashed birthday cake upstaged Wrigley Field’s centennial. Team officials kept making promises, lobbying City Hall and playing hardball with the rooftop owners, hoping to finally break ground on the $575 million stadium development.
“Manny Being Manny” and “Javy Being Javy” officially became part of The Cubs Way, as Manny Ramirez signed up as a Triple-A Iowa player/coach and mentor for Javier Baez.
Jeff Samardzija got the get-out-of-jail-free card Matt Garza talked about, moving to the Oakland A’s with Jason Hammel in a blockbuster trade on the Fourth of July.
But that deal also saved roughly $5.5 million, another deposit for the baseball operations department’s savings account, which already has some leftover Masahiro Tanaka money. The New York Yankees releasing Alfonso Soriano is another reminder the $136 million megadeal will finally fall off the books after this season.
The Cubs can get creative with August waiver deals, be aggressive on the next wave of international free agents and go hunting for big names this winter.
It’s still a long way to restoring a big-market payroll. But having so many cost-controlled young players – and so few long-term commitments – is a start.
Addison Russell – the headliner in the Oakland deal – combined with Baez and Kris Bryant gives the Cubs three of the top seven prospects in Baseball America’s midseason rankings.
Between Russell, Baez and Castro, the Cubs have three potential franchise shortstops, plus $30 million outfielder Jorge Soler, do-it-all super-utility guy Arismendy Alcantara and first-round picks Albert Almora and Kyle Schwarber.
Name any big-league player from another team and the Cubs could probably come up with a serious proposal.
“We all understand that when you’re trying to acquire as much talent as you can,” Cubs VP Jason McLeod said, “you’d love for them all to get up there and have nine guys out on the field that we drafted or signed internationally. But that’s usually not the reality.
“If we get to that point where we feel we’re close, then, yeah, Theo and (GM Jed Hoyer) are going to do everything they can to make the right moves to acquire that piece at the major-league level that might get us over the top, or what they feel can get us deeper in the postseason.”
McLeod, who oversees scouting and player development, answered that big-picture question in spring training, when everyone seemed to be falling in love with the prospects. But some of the kids running up Camelback Mountain – and wearing those “When It Happens” T-shirts with the “W” flag – will have to be trade bait.
“We know that’s going to happen, which makes our job internally even that much more important,” McLeod said. “(It’s) knowing who the guys are that we need here long-term that can play in Wrigley Field and handle the environment and handle all the day games. (We’ll) make sure that we internally evaluated our own players correctly. Because there’s nothing worse than trading a guy who becomes better than you thought he was going to be.”
The Cubs know they’re going to have to overpay to fix the rotation and get some veteran presence in the lineup and a sense of swagger inside their clubhouse.
Even with Castro and Rizzo bouncing back, this team is next-to-last in the National League in batting average (.237) and on-base percentage (.298) and near the bottom in runs scored. Baez or Bryant shouldn’t have to be The Man as soon as he shows up on the North Side.
Hoyer recently made that point at Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox are a last-place team that tried to defend a World Series title while incorporating big names from Baseball America and the Futures Game.
“Our offense has been frustrating,” Hoyer said. “We’ve really struggled to put runs on the board. It’s a work in progress. Our young prospects are going to help with that, but at the same time I think the Red Sox are seeing that they’ve got great young players in (Xander) Bogaerts and (Jackie) Bradley and Mookie Betts. It takes time to acclimate to the big leagues and they’re learning it right now.
“We’ll probably have that at some point in the future, so we’re going to have to figure out a way to sort of bridge that and find some guys that can help lengthen that lineup out.”
Stay tuned to see what happens to utility guy Emilio Bonifacio, outfielders Justin Ruggiano and Nate Schierholtz, relievers James Russell and Wesley Wright, swingman Carlos Villanueva and second baseman Darwin Barney. But after July 31, it will be time to start thinking of the Cubs as buyers, not sellers.
Eyes on bullpen as second half nears.
By Doug Padilla
Bullpens are fickle beasts that shine one year, regress the next and flourish again down the road, often without any rhyme or reason.
It can also be the area of highest turnover on a team as combinations are adjusted, injuries take their toll and youth is required to mesh seamlessly with proven veterans and journeymen.
As the second half of this season begins, consider the Chicago White Sox in dire need of finding the correct combination.
Nobody expected the White Sox to have one of the better bullpens in the league -- and that was when pitchers and catchers reported to spring training in February and all were believed to be in good health. Closer Addison Reed had just been traded and there was no obvious candidate to replace him.
Blame general manager Rick Hahn all you want for the perceived bullpen oversight, but it seemed pretty clear that to get better in other areas, the bullpen was going to be one of the areas of sacrifice. It isn't easy to rebuild an entire roster in one offseason.
Not only were the White Sox saving about $1.5 million in this year’s Opening Day bullpen, compared to last year, but then the plan to fill the closer role on the fly took a big hit when both Matt Lindstrom and Nate Jones went down in spring training with injuries.
Jones still isn’t back after having surgery on his back and Lindstrom has been out since mid-May after surgery on his ankle. Jake Petricka and Zach Putnam have been great finds to help stabilize things, but the ninth-inning role remains one of the team’s most vexing issues.
For the bullpen to settle into a comfort zone the rest of the season, someone will need to emerge as closer. Lindstrom could be back in August, but he will still need time to sharpen his pitching arsenal, so expecting him to jump right back into the closer role might be a bit much to ask.
One trade-market target the White Sox could zero in on is a young, hard-throwing left-hander who can pitch in relief. It might be a pitcher who won’t blossom for another year, so this year’s problems won’t be solved, but a future need would be filled.
There still could be hard times ahead for the White Sox’s bullpen, but things could potentially stabilize once Lindstrom and Jones return.
Other areas to watch in the second half:
Is there room to improve?: There aren’t many aspects to Jose Abreu's game that need a lot of improvement, but one might be his tendency to try too hard in RBI situations. Where the rookie was once offering at sweeping breaking balls in an effort to deliver an RBI, he is settling into better strike-zone recognition in clutch situations, with more improvement in that area expected to come. While not Gold Glove-caliber, Abreu’s defense has been solid. He probably won’t be able to do much about his limited range, but with his work ethic, expect him to improve in other areas.
The end of an era?: A steady six-year run as an everyday White Sox infielder could be coming to a close for Gordon Beckham. The former first-round draft pick, who has been the starting second baseman since 2010, could end up getting dealt by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The Georgia product, who never did reach the peak potential that was projected for him, is making $4.2 million this season and would be in for a raise next year in his final season of arbitration-eligibility. Expediting the end of his White Sox days are a number of hot second-base prospects in Marcus Semien, Carlos Sanchez, and especially Micah Johnson, who would come cheaper and fit into the young core the team is trying to put together.
A pair of options at third: Conor Gillaspie has made huge strides this season to the tune of a .326 batting average, which would be sixth best in the American League if he had enough at-bats to qualify for the batting race. But the White Sox also paid a pretty price this winter for Triple-A third baseman Matt Davidson, who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Reed. At the all-star break, Davidson was tied for the International League lead with 17 home runs. Would the White Sox make Gillaspie or Davidson available at the trade deadline to package in a deal, or is there a plan to keep both players and perhaps spring a position change on one of them? Or maybe the White Sox wait to solve the third-base riddle in the offseason.
A Cy of relief: After finishing sixth in the Cy Young Award chase in 2012 and fifth last year, could Sale be headed further up the list this year? Despite missing a month with a strained muscle in his pitching arm, the left-hander has been dominating, posting an 8-1 record and a 2.08 ERA, not to mention a 0.842 WHIP. Sale hasn’t been as much of a no-hit threat as he was when he first came off the disabled list, but that doesn’t mean hitters are any closer to figuring him out. During the rare times Sale does struggle, it’s more what he did wrong as opposed to offenses figuring him out.
Bon voyage to the captain: One of the greatest offensive players in White Sox history is 2½ months away from taking off his uniform for the last time. Konerko’s production as a bench player this year has been minimal, as expected, but for the fans who truly appreciated what he did for the franchise, the cheers are only getting louder. Expect more curtain calls as the season progresses, and a run on tickets for that Sept 25-28 series against the Kansas City Royals, the final four home games of the season.
Golf: "I got a club for that"... McIlroy and Woods deliver at British Open.
By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Sports Writer)
Rory McIlroy had everything go his way Thursday in the British Open.
A lovely summer day in England with abundant sunshine and minimal wind allowed him to attack Royal Liverpool. He made half his six birdies on the par 5s and kept bogeys off his card. And on the day Tiger Woods made a promising return, McIlroy took the lead with a 6-under 66, his best score in nearly two years at a major.
Now if he can only find a way to get to the weekend.
McIlroy either set himself up for a good run at the claret jug or another dose of Friday failures. In what already has been an unusual year for golf, no trend is more mysterious than Boy Wonder going from awesome to awful overnight.
Six times in his last eight tournaments, he has had a nine-hole score of 40 or higher on Friday that has taken him out of the mix.
''It's not like I've shot good scores in first rounds and haven't backed them up before,'' McIlroy said. ''I'm used to doing that. I just haven't done it recently. We'll see what tomorrow brings and what weather it is and try and handle it as best I can.
''Hopefully,'' he said, ''it's just one of those things and I'm able to turn it around tomorrow.''
Woods also would like to keep moving in the right direction. He got off to a troubling start with two quick bogeys, nearly made another one on the fourth hole, and then looked like a 14-time major champion when he ran off five birdies in six holes toward the end of his round for a 69.
Not bad for guy who had back surgery March 31, who started taking full swings only a month ago and who had not played in a major in 11 months.
''It felt good to be back out there competing again,'' Woods said.
Such pristine weather - how long it lasts is the big unknown - gave just about everyone a chance to score. Matteo Manassero broke par in The Open for the first time since he was a 16-year-old amateur. He began his round by hitting into a pot bunker, blasting out to the fairway and holing out from 160 yards for birdie. He made five birdies on the back nine, three on the par 5s.
That made him low Italian - barely.
Francesco Molinari and Edoardo Molinari have games that are nothing alike, though they shot the same score. They were in a large group at 68 along with Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry and Adam Scott.
Scott stands out as the No. 1 player in the world, and because he was the only player in the top 10 who played in the afternoon when the wind made Hoylake tougher. Scott went out in 31 and was slowed only by two bogeys on the back nine.
Even in tame conditions, the British Open can mete out punishment - to players, to spectators and even a golf club.
Phil Mickelson was trying to get back to even par when he hooked his approach to the 18th beyond the out-of-bounds stakes down the right side of the hole and had to scramble for a bogey and a 74. He hasn't broken par at a major since winning at Muirfield last summer.
That still doesn't top the bad day of Ernie Els. His opening tee shot hit a spectator in the face, and the sight of so much blood shook the Big Easy. When he got to the green, he missed a 1-foot putt, and then carelessly tried to back-hand the next one into the hole and missed that one. The triple bogey sent him to a 79.
Henrik Stenson knocked a 30-foot birdie putt off the 12th green and made double bogey, and then took two hacks out of the shin-high grass left of the 17th fairway. Walking to his next shot, he snapped his gap wedge over his thigh like a baseball player - Bo Jackson comes to mind - who had just struck out with the bases loaded.
Through all this activity, two names came to the forefront - McIlroy and Woods, both trying to restore their games from different circumstances.
McIlroy's only victory this year was at the BMW PGA Championship, where he started his week by breaking off his engagement with Caroline Wozniacki. He could have had more chances to win except for that 40 on the front nine at Quail Hollow, the 42 on the front nine at The Players Championship and the 43 on the back nine at the Memorial.
He met with Jack Nicklaus, and the topic of his freaky Fridays came up.
''I didn't mention it to him,'' McIlroy said. ''He mentioned it to me - 'How the hell can you shoot 63 and then 78?' No, I think what we talked about was just holding a round together. And he was never afraid to make a change in the middle of the round ... to get it back on track.''
The trick for McIlroy is to not get derailed in the second round. For the year, he is 55-under par in the first round and 15-over par in the second round.
Woods gave a light fist pump when he rolled in a 30-foot putt from just off the green on No. 11. He then hit a beautiful approach to 6 feet for birdie on the 12th. That put him under par in a tournament for the first time since March 9, the final round of Doral. OK, the sample size is small - that was the last tournament he played until returning to Congressional three weeks ago after back surgery.
Even so, he was playing with such rhythm late in his round that he might have wanted to keep going. That makes Friday a big day for Woods, too.
NASCAR Next drivers take center stage.
By Joe Menzer, NASCAR Wire Service
What do Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Dylan Kwasniewski have in common with the likes of Kenzie Ruston, Brandon McReynolds and Ryan Gifford?
They've all been members of the NASCAR Next program that helps promote young drivers in NASCAR's national and touring series. Larson, Elliott and Kwasniewski used it as a springboard to bigger and better endeavors in stock cars, while the likes of Ruston, McReynolds and Gifford are part of a talented 2014 NASCAR Next class that hopes to do the same.
The 2014 class gathered Wednesday at the GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville, North Carolina, for a day of fellowship, meeting and talking with the media ? and racing go-karts against each other and the media in a friendly, yet competitive environment.
They've all been members of the NASCAR Next program that helps promote young drivers in NASCAR's national and touring series. Larson, Elliott and Kwasniewski used it as a springboard to bigger and better endeavors in stock cars, while the likes of Ruston, McReynolds and Gifford are part of a talented 2014 NASCAR Next class that hopes to do the same.
The 2014 class gathered Wednesday at the GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville, North Carolina, for a day of fellowship, meeting and talking with the media ? and racing go-karts against each other and the media in a friendly, yet competitive environment.
This year's Next class includes not only Ruston, McReynolds and Gifford, but also rising stars such as recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner Erik Jones, Cole Custer, Ruben Garcia Jr., Gray Gaulding, Austin Hill, Jesse Little, Dylan Lupton, Ryan Preece and Ben Rhodes, who has won five K&N Pro Series East races this season overall, including four in a row.
"It's very humbling that they even picked me to be in the program, to tell you the truth," said Ruston, 22, the only woman in the group. "When you look at how much success Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott and Dylan Kwasniewski have had, and how many other people have been in this program and gone on to be very successful, I just think it's very cool to be able to be a part of it. I just hope that one day I can be a respected alumni of this program like they all are. This program has definitely helped my career a lot over the last two years."
Ruston finished sixth in last year's K&N Pro Series East standings and has scored top-five finishes this season at Five Flags and Langley. The native of Reno, Oklahoma, has the highest finish ? both in a race and in the championship standings ? for a female driver in K&N Pro Series East history.
McReynolds, the son of former championship crew chief Larry McReynolds who is now a respected NASCAR television analyst, said that the Next program helps young drivers develop in a number of ways.
"The Next program, with Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson and Dylan Kwasniewski and Corey Lajoie having gone through it and gone on to become so successful at whatever they're doing, I think NASCAR likes to point that out. ... To be part of that Next group is humbling," said McReynolds, who has starts in four different NASCAR series and presently is third in the K&N Pro Series West standings. "I think this group we've got now, they're all good race-car drivers and they're good at speaking with the media and representing sponsors ? and those are the tools that NASCAR Next lets you try to build on, so you'll be successful at the next level."
Now in its third year, the program features 12 drivers actively competing in a NASCAR touring or weekly series selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives and veteran racers. Its goal is to spotlight a group of young competitors who will resemble the "face" of NASCAR into the next decade. They represent diverse backgrounds and each has a unique story to tell ? as well as the talent worthy of a being a NASCAR Next selection.
The 2014 participants range in age from 16 (Custer and Gaulding) to 25, making Gifford the "old guy" of the bunch. Gaulding joked that he recently had to go through a driver's education class to get his regular driver's license.
"Yeah, it was kind of weird," said Gaulding, who is the youngest pole winner in both the K&N Pro Series East and the K&N Pro Series West, and is competing in select Camping World Truck Series races this season. "Here I am going 180 (miles per hour) on weekends, and then during the week I had to sit through a driver's ed class. It was OK, though. I read through the book ? and I had a pretty girl sit beside me, too, while I was doing it."
If you get the idea that the members of the 2014 NASCAR Next class enjoy being around each other, that would be correct. Gifford, also a member of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program who is in his second year as part of the NASCAR Next program, said it has been a great experience that he believes will help him in many ways as he attempts to forge a career in the sport going forward.
"It's been fun. I've had a lot of opportunity to meet great people and make great friendships," said Gifford, who has won at Richmond in the K&N Pro Series East and also driven in the Nationwide Series. "A lot of times when we're at the race track, we don't get to talk. We're so busy focused on what we're trying to do and trying to win races that we don't really have time to talk or hang out.
"This gives us an opportunity to hang out and be friends outside the race track. Then we go race hard against each other when we get there. To work as hard as you have to in this sport to even get to this level, it's nice to be recognized like this. It's nice to be recognized in a group that has included guys like Kyle (Larson) and Darrell (Wallace Jr.). That's really cool."
Germany takes No. 1 soccer ranking; US is No. 15.
AP
Germany climbed to No. 1 in the FIFA rankings Thursday after winning the World Cup, and the United States fell two places to 15th despite reaching the round of 16.
"It's very humbling that they even picked me to be in the program, to tell you the truth," said Ruston, 22, the only woman in the group. "When you look at how much success Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott and Dylan Kwasniewski have had, and how many other people have been in this program and gone on to be very successful, I just think it's very cool to be able to be a part of it. I just hope that one day I can be a respected alumni of this program like they all are. This program has definitely helped my career a lot over the last two years."
Ruston finished sixth in last year's K&N Pro Series East standings and has scored top-five finishes this season at Five Flags and Langley. The native of Reno, Oklahoma, has the highest finish ? both in a race and in the championship standings ? for a female driver in K&N Pro Series East history.
McReynolds, the son of former championship crew chief Larry McReynolds who is now a respected NASCAR television analyst, said that the Next program helps young drivers develop in a number of ways.
"The Next program, with Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson and Dylan Kwasniewski and Corey Lajoie having gone through it and gone on to become so successful at whatever they're doing, I think NASCAR likes to point that out. ... To be part of that Next group is humbling," said McReynolds, who has starts in four different NASCAR series and presently is third in the K&N Pro Series West standings. "I think this group we've got now, they're all good race-car drivers and they're good at speaking with the media and representing sponsors ? and those are the tools that NASCAR Next lets you try to build on, so you'll be successful at the next level."
Now in its third year, the program features 12 drivers actively competing in a NASCAR touring or weekly series selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives and veteran racers. Its goal is to spotlight a group of young competitors who will resemble the "face" of NASCAR into the next decade. They represent diverse backgrounds and each has a unique story to tell ? as well as the talent worthy of a being a NASCAR Next selection.
The 2014 participants range in age from 16 (Custer and Gaulding) to 25, making Gifford the "old guy" of the bunch. Gaulding joked that he recently had to go through a driver's education class to get his regular driver's license.
"Yeah, it was kind of weird," said Gaulding, who is the youngest pole winner in both the K&N Pro Series East and the K&N Pro Series West, and is competing in select Camping World Truck Series races this season. "Here I am going 180 (miles per hour) on weekends, and then during the week I had to sit through a driver's ed class. It was OK, though. I read through the book ? and I had a pretty girl sit beside me, too, while I was doing it."
If you get the idea that the members of the 2014 NASCAR Next class enjoy being around each other, that would be correct. Gifford, also a member of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program who is in his second year as part of the NASCAR Next program, said it has been a great experience that he believes will help him in many ways as he attempts to forge a career in the sport going forward.
"It's been fun. I've had a lot of opportunity to meet great people and make great friendships," said Gifford, who has won at Richmond in the K&N Pro Series East and also driven in the Nationwide Series. "A lot of times when we're at the race track, we don't get to talk. We're so busy focused on what we're trying to do and trying to win races that we don't really have time to talk or hang out.
"This gives us an opportunity to hang out and be friends outside the race track. Then we go race hard against each other when we get there. To work as hard as you have to in this sport to even get to this level, it's nice to be recognized like this. It's nice to be recognized in a group that has included guys like Kyle (Larson) and Darrell (Wallace Jr.). That's really cool."
Germany takes No. 1 soccer ranking; US is No. 15.
AP
Germany climbed to No. 1 in the FIFA rankings Thursday after winning the World Cup, and the United States fell two places to 15th despite reaching the round of 16.
Germany beat Argentina 1-0 on Sunday to win its fourth World Cup and first in 24 years. It replaced deposed champion Spain at the top of the monthly FIFA rankings.
Argentina jumped three places to the No. 2 ranking and the Netherlands soared 12 spots to No. 3 after beating host Brazil in the third-place game.
The Americans, who lost to Belgium in their first knockout game, were overtaken in the rankings by the Dutch, Chile and France.
Chicago Fire, MLS seeing popularity spike.
CSN Staff
If this year's World Cup has taught us anything, it's that soccer is pretty darn popular in America these days.
And though the best leagues in the world might play their games on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the U.S.'s league is gaining in popularity, as well.
The MLS and the Chicago Fire are seeing spikes in their popularity thanks not only to the World Cup but also to the overall adoption as soccer as a mainstream sport in the U.S.
"The league has grown leaps and bounds, whether it's new teams that are coming in, the players that are coming into the league," Fire chief operating officer Atul Khosla said in an interview with CSN. "And that has helped grow the popularity of the league and the sport in general.
We're seeing the biggest growth with the young fans. It's 25, 35-year-olds that are growing up with the sport or have grown up with the sport for the first time. And that is a generation shift from where things were seven, eight years ago."
The MLS recently inked a national TV deal that will last eight years and net the league about $100 million.
And it's not just on a national level. Soccer is big in Chicago, as evidenced by the massive crowds that showed up in Grant Park and Soldier Field for U.S. soccer watch parties during the World Cup. The Fire are planning to increase their presence in the city, as well, with the opening of the Chicago Fire Soccer Center, a 140,000 square-foot space at the corner of Talman and Addison on the North Side.
"You can play there year round. In addition, there's a 20,000 square-foot building that's going to go up, and that has everything from a training facility to a multi-purpose room, where we can do viewing parties," Khosla said. "We've got an outdoor patio, a restaurant, a pub. So you can not just play the game, you can relax with friends."
Tour leader Nibali calm ahead of two days in the Alps.
AFP; By Chesterman
Race leader Vincenzo Nibali insisted he was calm ahead of the first Alpine stage at the Tour de France on Friday.
The Italian gained time on all his remaining rivals in the two uphill finishes on stages eight and 10 and he says he has faith in his Astana team ahead of Friday's summit finish.
"My rivals will certainly try to attack me but that's normal," said the 29-year-old.
"There are two difficult stages (in the Alps). (Friday) the climb is very steep but we're ready, we've got (Michele) Scarponi who will try to stay close to me and we'll try to control the end of the stage."
The 197.5km 13th stage has one early third category climb but finishes with a first category ascent and then the uncategorised summit finish.
There are 138km before the 14.1km first category Col de Palaquit climb with an average gradient of 6.1 percent.
What makes that climb particularly difficult is the frequent changes in steepness ranging from 3 percent to 11.7 percent.
The hors category climb to Chamrousse is 18.2km long with a brutal 7.3 percent average but more consistent in its difficulty, although first half is slightly tougher.
Nibali has not ridden the climbs before but says he believes he could even make time gains over the next two days.
However, it is Saturday's 177km 14th stage from Grenoble to Risoul with two first category climbs and one uncategorised one, the Col d'Izoard -- the highest point of this year's race at 2,360m above sea level -- which worries him more.
"I haven't done reconnaissance at these climbs. The one I fear more is the second stage because the first day you have more energy but the second requires more effort and takes more out of you.
"We will try to manage it with the team, we've had good days and we'll try to control things.
"It won't be easy for sure, people will attack me but I'll try to defend the yellow jersey and if I can take some seconds, I will try that."
Nibali has a healthy 2min 23sec lead over Australian Richie Porte with Spain's Alejandro Valverde third at 2:47.
Whatever tactics their respective Sky and Movistar teams attempt, Nibali is confident his Astana teammates will be able to cope with it.
"Attacks can happen from a long way out but the Tour de France won't end (on Friday)," said the Sicilian.
"I'm not afraid. We'll have to evaluate fatigue and our strength but I'm quite calm.
"I have a team with me that has trained well, we have (Jakob) Fuglsang, (Tanel) Kangert and Scarponi who can give me lot of help in the climbs."
Thursday's temperatures topped 30 degrees Celsius while it is expected to get even hotter on Friday, and perhaps Saturday too before storms arrive.
Nibali says he prefers the heat but insists he is comfortable dealing with whatever the Tour throws at him.
"It was a bit tougher Wednesday because the heat hit you straight away (after several cool and rainy stages) whereas Thursday I was a bit more used to it," he said.
"I'm fine in the heat, I won the Vuelta and that's always hot.
"I adapt well both to bad and good weather."
Porte said any rider needs to be ready to pounce on any opportunity to put time into his rivals, but for him it is Saturday's stage where he thinks he's more likely to have some success.
"Every day, if you stay at the front there's your opportunity," he said.
"The way this race has gone, certainly if you look more towards a stage like Risoul, I know that climb quite well.
"There are opportunities everywhere, somebody's got to have a bad day somewhere and I think that's where we're ready to go."
Hancock touts 'common sense' College Football Playoff.
By The Sports Xchange
Fans now know exactly what the 2014 national championship trophy will look like. The road to the first title game in Arlington, Texas, remains a bit unclear.
"The format is very simple," said Bill Hancock, College Football Playoff executive director, during a media conference Wednesday as part of SEC Football Days at Hyatt Regency in Hoover, Ala. "It's symmetrical, it's beautiful -- a four-team bracket. The committee will select the best four teams -- no strings attached."
Selection Committee is now a vital part of the college football glossary.
Hancock said it was important to preserve the importance of the regular season and the bowl season. It was also a goal to revitalize the New Year's Eve holiday with a football bonanza -- the Peach, Fiesta and Orange bowls. The semifinals will be played Jan. 1.
"The playoff wasn't done for the money, it was done for the fans," Hancock said. "They wanted more football, and they wanted a bracket."
Conferences will manage the playoff, unlike the men's and women's basketball tournaments.
The first ever College Football Playoff, a four-team tournament replacing the Bowl Championship Series to determine the 2014 national champions, will be played in January to end the upcoming season.
The No. 1 seed will play the No. 4 seed, and 2 against 3. The top seed is granted the right to play as close to home as possible based on available sites.
The 13-member committee, chaired by Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long, includes Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, Nebraska's Tom Osborne, West Virginia's Oliver Luck and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, among others.
"We had to have people with the highest integrity, and we wanted sitting athletic directors," Hancock said, adding that conferences submitted around 10 nominees for the role. "When I got to 13, I stopped and I called the commissioners and said here's the list. And they said, 'Bill, that's the list, let's stop right there."
The CFP committee also selects teams to play in the Cotton, Fiesta, Peach and Orange bowls with the inaugural semifinal sites set for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Semifinals shift to the Cotton and Orange in Year Two.
The BCS model angered fans because of the subjectivity -- including two polls as part of the formula -- and confusion over how the formula works. Hancock was Executive Director of the BCS from 2009-14.
The CFP criteria include head-to-head results, conference championships and strength-of-schedule.
"It's all common-sense stuff," Hancock said. "This process will not be a matter, as has been done in college football forever, submitting a top 25 and punching it into a computer."
There will be seven rounds of voting to form a top 25 beginning Oct. 28, and rankings will be released every Tuesday until Selection Sunday on Dec. 7.
Hancock said avoiding conference matchups and repeat regular-season games in bowl games will be a consideration.
Rule changes coaches want to see.
By Jeff Goodman
Just about everyone has complaints and wants changes, whether it’s at the workplace or even at home. My 10-year-old daughter wants her bedtime altered, and I’d like her to give me a quarter for every time she doesn’t listen to me.
It’s all about rules. We love some and despise others.
In college basketball, there are plenty of rules that coaches would prefer to be changed. We spoke with some of the nation’s best to get their thoughts. If they could change one rule, what would it be? There were a few answers and one clear winner, which I've saved for last.
Backcourt rule
A team must advance the ball to the frontcourt within 10 seconds of a player touching the ball in the backcourt. Many teams call a timeout, and the clock is then reset
Tad Boyle (Colorado Buffaloes): “Ten seconds in the backcourt with the ball should be continued after a timeout instead of being reset.”
Frontcourt foul
If there is a foul, the shot clock is immediately reset to 35 seconds)
Bill Self (Kansas Jayhawks): “Foul in the frontcourt not reset to 35, only about to 20. I’d also like to see the block-charge made easier to call.”
Flopping
This is an area of concern at every level of basketball, especially with last year’s rule change in college basketball limiting the amount of hand checking on the perimeter, thus making it easy to draw fouls by flopping as the offensive player.
Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt Commodores): “Intentional attempts at flopping should be assessed with an unsportsmanlike conduct technical foul. That includes the dribbler who throws his head and shoulders back to bait them for a call.”
Tim Miles (Nebraska Cornhuskers): Flopping -- on both offense and defense.”
Bruce Weber (Kansas State Wildcats): “Put the jump ball back in the game. Reward defense for effort to create jump ball situation. Also, the new foul rule allows the offensive player to put his head down, get out of control and run over defense and receive a foul call.”
Tony Bennett (Virginia Cavaliers): “The flagrant foul of elbow above the shoulders.”
Post play
Perimeter play was altered last season, but some coaches want post play to be cleaned up
Scott Drew (Baylor Bears): “They adjusted how they called the perimeter last year. Now they need to address it in the post.”
Freedom of movement
Sean Miller (Arizona Wildcats): “When an offensive player pivots and swings the ball high to create space from the defender, it should not be an offensive foul. He has to have the ability to create space for freedom of movement. The way the rule is now, even if there is no contact, they can call a flagrant 1. I also feel that going to a 30-second shot clock would help the quality of the play.”
Advance the ball to half court in final two minutes
The ball is now taken out under the basket after a timeout. In the NBA, the ball is advanced to midcourt. ESPN colleague Seth Greenberg feels as though this would allow for more special situations, make time and score far more relevant and create for more exciting finishes.
Fred Hoiberg (Iowa State Cyclones): “Advance the ball after a timeout in the last two minutes.”
Charge circle
The NCAA voted on a 3-foot wide charge circle in college basketball in 2011, but it’s still closer to the basket than the NBA circle
John Groce (Illinois Fighting Illini): “I would probably say NBA charge circle instead of current college version. I played with it last year against Oregon, and I thought it promoted fewer collisions at the rim. I liked it farther out.”
Charge call
Last season, the NCAA amended its block/charge call to where a defensive player is not permitted to move into the path of an offensive player once he has begun his upward motion with the ball.
Mark Turgeon (Maryland Terrapins): “Take out the airborne player charge.”
Make the lane wider
The college lane is just 12 feet wide, while the international and NBA games feature a lane that is 16 feet wide. This is one of the areas in which Greenberg agrees the game can be improved. “By widening the lane, it would open up the floor for more cutting and also help with spacing.”
Archie Miller (Dayton Flyers): “I’d like to see the lane wider.”
Mick Cronin (Cincinnati Bearcats): “Width of the lane. That will help clean up the game and open up the court. They have it in Europe and in the NBA. Why not us?”
Make the court wider
The court is 94 feet by 50 feet and hasn’t changed.
Frank Martin (South Carolina Gamecocks): “The court needs to be wider and longer. Players are bigger, stronger and faster. Give everyone more space.”
Six fouls
College basketball’s rule is that a player fouls out on his fifth foul
Thad Matta (Ohio State Buckeyes): “The one that comes to mind for me is going to six fouls.”
No live timeouts for coaches
College coaches are allowed to call a timeout while the action is ongoing.
Mike Brey (Notre Dame Fighting Irish): “Coaches should not be able to call a timeout during a live ball.”
Shot clock
Men’s college basketball has used a 35-second shot clock since 1993, and there was a consensus among coaches that this needed to be altered. This was the No. 1 winner for most common answer.
Josh Pastner (Memphis Tigers): “Change the shot clock to 24 seconds.”
Rick Pitino (Louisville Cardinals): “It’s a tie for me. Change the shot clock to 30 seconds, and also, if there’s a 4-second call in the backcourt, that’s what you get to advance -- not 10 seconds.”
Billy Donovan (Florida Gators): “I’d like to see a shorter shot clock or being able to move the ball across half court during the last two minutes.”
Lon Kruger (Oklahoma Sooners): “Go to a 30-second shot clock.”
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, July 18, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1927 - Ty Cobb set a major league baseball record by getting his 4,000th career hit. He hit 4,191 before he retired in 1928.
1964 - Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds hit the only grand slam home run of his career.
1970 - Ron Hunt of the San Francisco Giants was hit by a pitch for the 119th time in his career.
1985 - Jack Nicklaus II, at age 23 years old, made his playing debut on the pro golf tour at the Quad Cities Open in Coal Valley, IL.
2000 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana. He was stopped for speeding and then failed to pass a sobriety test. Abdul-Jabbar was the leading scorer in National Basketball Association (NBA) history at the time.
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