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Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears' Tucker has chance to make mark on defense.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
Given the overhaul, this sure seems like coordinator Mel Tucker's big chance to make his mark on the Chicago Bears' defense.
He would rather not acknowledge it.
Tucker shrugged off the idea that this is his time to put his stamp on things even though he has a rebuilt roster that now includes Jared Allen and is no longer running former coach Lovie Smith's scheme as he enters his second season.
''It's a 'we' thing,'' he said Sunday. ''It's not my stamp or any particular coach's stamp or any particular player. It's our brand of football, which is best condition, technique of fundamentals, smart, fast and physical. That's what we need to be.''
To many, this could be a ''Tucker thing.''
The Bears are looking for more from a defense that ranked among the worst in franchise history a year ago and are hoping to get back to the playoffs for just the second time since the 2006 team's Super Bowl run.
They boasted one of the league's most prolific offenses last season - coach Marc Trestman's first - but missed the postseason at 8-8 because they simply couldn't stop anyone. Injuries played a big role, but so did poor execution. That left many wondering if Tucker was the right man for the job.
He stayed on. Now, he has another chance.
''I think that Mel certainly gathered a lot of information about our football players that are with us now,'' Trestman said. ''I think he feels very good about the coaches we have surrounded him with to help him to his job. And I think he'll utilize certainly what he learned about our team and the relationships he's developed with our players and our coaches to move forward.''
Gone is Smith's cover-2 defense. Now, Tucker is implementing his system.
He's using different terminology and different schemes this time around after sticking with what had been in place for years. He did that last season because the Bears had so many returning starters and a long history of success in Smith's system.
They're still going with a 4-3 set, but they plan to mix up their alignments. There will be differences in how they approach the run.
Tucker has new assistants in defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni, assistant line coach Clint Hurtt and linebackers coach Reggie Herring and a revamped lineup that has expectations soaring.
The biggest addition, of course, is Allen, the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end. But it's more than just him.
The Bears also brought in defensive ends Lamarr Houston and Willie Young. They get a full season with Jeremiah Ratliff, the four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle who signed with Chicago in November after being released by Dallas.
Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and D.J. Williams are all healthy after missing significant time, and the Bears believe they are poised to make a big jump after being historically bad on defense last season.
They tied Jacksonville with a league-low 31 sacks and did nothing to stop the run. The 2,583 yards rushing and 5.3 per carry they allowed were both club records. But with so many players going down, it was hard to pin all the struggles on Tucker.
Now, the defense gets a fresh start.
''I'm really excited for (Tucker), on a personal level, and excited for our defense and what we've put together in terms of talent level, our draft, our free agency acquisitions and our coaches,'' Trestman said. ''It's going to be exciting to watch it build on a day-to-day basis.
''It's an opportunity. Everybody's starting over.''
NOTES: Rookie P Patrick O'Donnell drew the biggest cheers Sunday when he booted one about 70 yards or so and was serenaded with ''mega punt!'' chants when he stepped onto the field. ''... The Bears waived G James Dunbar, an undrafted rookie from Texas Christian.
It's that time of year again, CS&T/AA NFL Football Pool Time. You can't win if you aren't in!!!!!
If you live anyplace on the earth, love and follow American football, have access to the internet and have a PayPal account, you can play in our pool. We welcome your participation and we wish you good luck and great picking.
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Football camps are in full swing and it's confidence football pool time again. You know the drill. We need 35 diehard football fans that love the sport and have confidence in their knowledge of the game and their ability to pick winners. The entry fee is $35.00 for 17 weeks which also includes a bonus for the 1st and 2nd place players with the most accumulated points at the end of the season. Payouts are 1st place $35.00 and 2nd place $25.00 each week (17 weeks). Bonuses: 1st place $100.00 and 2nd place $50.00 (To the players with the most accumulated points at the end of the season).
We have made two major changes to our pool this year, 1) when you pick, you do not have to pick against the spread. Just pick the winner of each game and place your confidence points on them and 2) Your picks must be made one hour before the game on the day each game is played. If you miss Thursday's game, you will lose the highest number of points for that week (16, 15 or whatever the maximum points are for that week) however you may still make Sunday picks. If we get more than 35 participants the payouts will increase proportionately.
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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Brad Richards: Chicago has become top destination for FAs.
CSN Staff
Brad Richards wasn't sure the Blackhawks had enough salary cap space to sign him this offseason. But as soon as Stan Bowman made the call to the veteran center, choosing Chicago was an easy choice.
The Blackhawks' top offseason acquisition spoke with the team's official website on Friday and spoke about how Chicago's success and the buzz around the city has made the Windy City the top destination for veteran free agents.
"If it wasn’t for the salary cap, half the league would want to play here. For a long period of time, Detroit was the destination point for veteran free agents who wanted to go play with great players for a chance to win the Cup. Now that place is Chicago," he said. "Great city, great organization, Original Six franchise."
Richards took less money to join the Blackhawks and become their second-line center, something he wasn't sure would be possible because of the Blackhawks' tight financial situation.
"I had earlier tossed the idea about Chicago to (agent) Pat (Morris) because I heard they might be interested in a center. He always told me, 'Don’t think so...They don’t have enough [salary cap] room.' But when he told me that [vice president/general manager] Stan Bowman called, my first reaction was, 'Oh, let’s get this done if we can.'”
The Blackhawks did get it done, in addition to securing deals with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to matching eight-year, $84 million extensions. And though those deals have created an even tougher salary-cap crunch for Bowman and the rest of the front office, it's a good problem to have for a franchise that has won a pair of Stanley Cups the last five years.
And while players may have to take less to join Toews, Kane and Joel Quenneville, if what Richards said has any merit it shouldn't be tough to convince veterans moving forward that Chicago is the place to be.
The Blackhawks' top offseason acquisition spoke with the team's official website on Friday and spoke about how Chicago's success and the buzz around the city has made the Windy City the top destination for veteran free agents.
"If it wasn’t for the salary cap, half the league would want to play here. For a long period of time, Detroit was the destination point for veteran free agents who wanted to go play with great players for a chance to win the Cup. Now that place is Chicago," he said. "Great city, great organization, Original Six franchise."
Richards took less money to join the Blackhawks and become their second-line center, something he wasn't sure would be possible because of the Blackhawks' tight financial situation.
"I had earlier tossed the idea about Chicago to (agent) Pat (Morris) because I heard they might be interested in a center. He always told me, 'Don’t think so...They don’t have enough [salary cap] room.' But when he told me that [vice president/general manager] Stan Bowman called, my first reaction was, 'Oh, let’s get this done if we can.'”
The Blackhawks did get it done, in addition to securing deals with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to matching eight-year, $84 million extensions. And though those deals have created an even tougher salary-cap crunch for Bowman and the rest of the front office, it's a good problem to have for a franchise that has won a pair of Stanley Cups the last five years.
And while players may have to take less to join Toews, Kane and Joel Quenneville, if what Richards said has any merit it shouldn't be tough to convince veterans moving forward that Chicago is the place to be.
Brad Richards on his Blackhawks salary, no guarantees he plays with Kane.
By Greg Wyshynski
When it became obvious that the New York Rangers were going to buy him out, Brad Richards pitched a potential new NHL home to his agent Pat Morris: The Chicago Blackhawks. Morris reminded him that the Hawks had little money against the cap with which to spend on a center, despite their need for one.
Then GM Stan Bowman came calling for Richards, and the veteran decided he’d make this work at the Blackhawks’ price.
Of course, making $51 million off his Rangers deal helps soften the blow of making just $2 million next season.
You received a substantial amount of money so the Rangers could clear salary cap space, not an uncommon occurrence in the NHL now. Did that figure into your decision to sign with Chicago for one year at $2 million?
RICHARDS: I’ve been fortunate to make a lot of money, and as you say, a lot of teams are up against it with the salary cap. The general manager in New York, Glen Sather, was great to me. We had a good relationship. But it’s a business thing. And the upside to me is that I can afford to be picky. I had other options beside Chicago, maybe for a longer contract and more money, but as soon as I heard from Stan, and later talked to [Head Coach] Joel Quenneville, there was no doubt for me.
“People are talking about how I’m coming here to be the No. 2 behind Jonathan [Toews] centering for Patrick Kane. But July is a bit early to be making out lineups. The thing about playing in Chicago—if you do your job and get ice time, you know you’re going to be playing with talented players.”
As we said when he signed: From a regular-season perspective, it’s a great signing for a player of his caliber at that price. But back-to-back postseason flops leaves us wondering what he can actually provide them in a push for the Cup.
Luckily for the Blackhawks, Richards is right: They’ve got championship depth that’ll be enhanced, and not ruined, by Richards’ performance.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Noah excited about the new-look Bulls.
By Scott Powers, ESPNChicago.com
Joakim Noah looks forward to matching up against LeBron James' Cavaliers this season.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah said Friday he likes what the Bulls have done in the offseason and has gotten over Carmelo Anthony's decision to re-sign with the New York Knicks.
"I'm really excited," Noah said of the Bulls on Friday. "I think Gar [Forman] and [John Paxson] and everybody did a real good job. I'm really, really excited about the Bulls. It just makes you want to work hard and be as ready as possible for the upcoming season."
"I'm really excited," Noah said of the Bulls on Friday. "I think Gar [Forman] and [John Paxson] and everybody did a real good job. I'm really, really excited about the Bulls. It just makes you want to work hard and be as ready as possible for the upcoming season."
Noah hoped Anthony would join the Bulls and he helped recruit him, but he understands Anthony's decision.
"I think he did the right decision for him," Noah said. "We obviously recruited him pretty hard. I think he had to make the best decision for him. I'm really excited for our team the way it is. I think we're deeper. I think those things, me personally, I can't control where another man goes. He feels like New York is the best position for him. I'm happy for him. But at the end of the day, what I care about is this city and the Chicago Bulls."
Noah is especially excited about adding Pau Gasol to the Bulls' frontcourt.
"I think it's going to be great," Noah said. "Pau is someone who is very, very smart. I think his father was a doctor. Someone who comes with a lot of experience. Not just a great player, but somebody who cares about the community as well. I'm excited to see him help us as well to try to slow down the violence and help the kids out here in Chicago. Somebody who is also very humbling to play with, somebody who has won championships and with his pedigree somebody I can really learn from."
Noah reported he's been rehabbing his left knee every day after having arthroscopic surgery in May.
He has also kept tabs on teammate Derrick Rose and his road to recovery in the offseason.
"I'm really proud of him because I know he sacrificed his whole summer," Noah said. "He sacrificed a lot to be the best that he can. That's all you can do. People's expectations, all that stuff doesn't matter. I'm proud of him for putting the work that he put in to be in the best position possible. He's doing a lot of things. He's helping us out too with our foundation. I got nothing but love for him."
Noah doesn't exactly have love for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, though.
"Good for LeBron," Noah said of James rejoining the Cavaliers. "I'm happy for LeBron James. He gets to go home. People are happy over there. But I really hope that we can kick his [butt] as many times as possible."
"I think he did the right decision for him," Noah said. "We obviously recruited him pretty hard. I think he had to make the best decision for him. I'm really excited for our team the way it is. I think we're deeper. I think those things, me personally, I can't control where another man goes. He feels like New York is the best position for him. I'm happy for him. But at the end of the day, what I care about is this city and the Chicago Bulls."
Noah is especially excited about adding Pau Gasol to the Bulls' frontcourt.
"I think it's going to be great," Noah said. "Pau is someone who is very, very smart. I think his father was a doctor. Someone who comes with a lot of experience. Not just a great player, but somebody who cares about the community as well. I'm excited to see him help us as well to try to slow down the violence and help the kids out here in Chicago. Somebody who is also very humbling to play with, somebody who has won championships and with his pedigree somebody I can really learn from."
Noah reported he's been rehabbing his left knee every day after having arthroscopic surgery in May.
He has also kept tabs on teammate Derrick Rose and his road to recovery in the offseason.
"I'm really proud of him because I know he sacrificed his whole summer," Noah said. "He sacrificed a lot to be the best that he can. That's all you can do. People's expectations, all that stuff doesn't matter. I'm proud of him for putting the work that he put in to be in the best position possible. He's doing a lot of things. He's helping us out too with our foundation. I got nothing but love for him."
Noah doesn't exactly have love for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, though.
"Good for LeBron," Noah said of James rejoining the Cavaliers. "I'm happy for LeBron James. He gets to go home. People are happy over there. But I really hope that we can kick his [butt] as many times as possible."
NBA may extend All-Star break.
By The Sports Xchange
The NBA is considering extending the All-Star break to seven days beginning this season, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The NBA is using a week-long All-Star break as its model while it completes the schedule for this season.
However, the league may decide to continue its traditional four-day break before officially releasing the schedule.
One of the parameters of the week-long All-Star break is that each team would have to take on at least one additional back-to-back set of games.
Cleveland Cavaliers star forward LeBron James is among several players who have lobbied for a longer break. Silver told ESPN radio in February that he met with James during the All-Star Weekend in New Orleans to discuss the issue.
"One of the issues LeBron raised is a break during All-Star (Weekend)," Silver said. "(For) a guy like LeBron, All-Star Weekend is not a break for him in any way. He's going around the clock with a combination of things the league is asking him to do, personal commitments, and I think it makes sense if we can work in the schedule a few days so the All-Stars can get a break as well."
Silver also said that such a change in the schedule would require negotiating with the NBA players union.
Class of 2014 takes its place among game's legends
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
The Big Six were inducted during the annual ceremony held on a stage behind the Clark Sports Center before an estimated crowd of 48,000, the third most in history behind 2007 (75,000) and 1999 (50,000). Commissioner Bud Selig read the inscriptions on their plaques in front of 50 of the 66 living Hall of Famers.
The largest class of living inductees since 1971 offered a number of historic angles.
Eleven men were on hand in 1939, the year the red-brick museum opened its doors on Main Street, as 23 players, managers and pioneers were inducted from the first four classes -- elected beginning in 1936. Last year, the three inductees elected by the Pre-Integration Committee -- seminal Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, catcher Deacon White and umpire Hank O'Day -- were all deceased.
Maddux and Glavine are the first set of first-ballot pitchers to be elected together since Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson were part of the inaugural Class of 1936, along with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. They are the first living pair of 300-win pitchers to be elected in the same year and only the third pair in Hall of Fame history. The last starter to be elected by eligible members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America was Bert Blyleven in 2011, his 14th year of eligibility.
"It's obviously the biggest honor you can give to a ballplayer," said Maddux, the first inductee. "To put me here in Cooperstown with all of my childhood heroes, it's sort of hard to believe I'm standing here today.
"I never gave a thought to the Hall of Fame as I was going through my career. My goal as a baseball player was very simple -- all I wanted to do was try and get better for my next start. And to think it all ended up here is pretty cool."
Add Thomas, who played the first 16 seasons of his 19-year career with the White Sox, and the BBWAA elected three players on the first ballot for the first time since 1999 -- when Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount all attained baseball immortality.
"I'm so humbled and honored to be a part of this historic class of first-ballot Hall of Famers," Thomas said. "I'm speechless. I want to thank you all for being great role models and making this game what it is today. Hard work, dedication, commitment, no shortcuts to success. Thanks for having me in your club."
Maddux won 355 games, the eighth-highest figure in Major League history and the most of any pitcher since Warren Spahn retired with 363 in 1965. He garnered 97.2 percent of the BBWAA vote, appearing on all but 16 of the 571 ballots cast. The right-hander, called "Mad Dog," won 194 of those games over 11 years with the Braves. But his milestone 300th came for the Cubs, the team that drafted him and for which he played 10 seasons covering two tenures.
Glavine -- who won 305 games, fourth most among left-handers -- was named on 91.9 percent of the ballots, while Thomas was selected on 83.7. Glavine spent 17 of his 22 seasons with the Braves, but he won his 300th game near the end of a five-year tenure with the Mets.
"It's hard to imagine a day like this would get any better," Glavine said. "But for me, it does. I'm honored to go into the Baseball Hall of Fame with such a great group of men. All of you guys represent what is great about the game of baseball. I'm humbled to be a part of this class."
The 16-member Expansion Era Committee was even more magnanimous than the BBWAA, electing La Russa, Cox and Torre unanimously late last year. The three rank third, fourth and fifth in managerial victories in Major League history, each winning more than 2,000 games.
"The more you learn the game, the more you love it, and the more you love it, the more you want to learn," La Russa said.
The Top 5 all-time managerial wins list reads like this: Connie Mack (3,731), John McGraw (2,763), La Russa (2,728), Cox (2,504) and Torre (2,326), whose additional 84 postseason wins are by far the most in history. The three combined to win the World Series eight times, with Torre's four in Yankees pinstripes leading the pack. La Russa won three titles -- one with the A's and two for the Cardinals -- while Cox won one with the Braves amid a record 14 division titles in a row.
"It was just perfect," Torre said of being inducted alongside Cox and La Russa. "Our careers just mirrored each other's. I think it would have been an injustice if we didn't enjoy this together."
Cox, Maddux and Glavine, of course, were together for 10 of the 29 seasons covering two stints that Cox managed the Braves -- including their 1995 World Series victory in six games over the Indians. In the finale of that Fall Classic, Glavine pitched eight innings of one-hit ball, David Justice hit a home run and Mark Wohlers earned the save in the 1-0 victory. Maddux won Game 1 of that series: a 3-2 complete-game two-hitter in which he allowed no earned runs.
"To Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and I have to mention the third member of the Big Three, John Smoltz, I can honestly say I would not be standing here today if it weren't for you guys," Cox said.
As far as the logos on their plaques were concerned, Cox and Glavine went in as Braves, Thomas as a member of the White Sox and Torre with the Yankees -- where in addition to the World Series rings, his clubs also won six American League pennants and went to the playoffs in each of his 12 seasons. Torre also managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals and retired in 2010 after three seasons with the Dodgers.
"Might as well cut to the chase -- I'm here because of the New York Yankees," Torre said. "However, in order, as Tommy said, to be ready, you had to make stops along the way. You had to fail along the way."
La Russa and Maddux opted to go in without affiliation, in deference to their distinguished careers with multiple clubs.
"[Not] in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would happen, but I'm sure glad it did," Cox said to end his speech.
Class of 2014 takes its place among game's legends
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
Cox, La Russa, Glavine, Thomas, Maddux and Torre enter the Hall of Fame
The big day finally arrived on Sunday for a memorable Hall of Fame Class of 2014 -- 300-game winners Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, slugger Frank Thomas and managers Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa.
The largest class of living inductees since 1971 offered a number of historic angles.
Eleven men were on hand in 1939, the year the red-brick museum opened its doors on Main Street, as 23 players, managers and pioneers were inducted from the first four classes -- elected beginning in 1936. Last year, the three inductees elected by the Pre-Integration Committee -- seminal Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, catcher Deacon White and umpire Hank O'Day -- were all deceased.
Maddux and Glavine are the first set of first-ballot pitchers to be elected together since Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson were part of the inaugural Class of 1936, along with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. They are the first living pair of 300-win pitchers to be elected in the same year and only the third pair in Hall of Fame history. The last starter to be elected by eligible members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America was Bert Blyleven in 2011, his 14th year of eligibility.
"It's obviously the biggest honor you can give to a ballplayer," said Maddux, the first inductee. "To put me here in Cooperstown with all of my childhood heroes, it's sort of hard to believe I'm standing here today.
"I never gave a thought to the Hall of Fame as I was going through my career. My goal as a baseball player was very simple -- all I wanted to do was try and get better for my next start. And to think it all ended up here is pretty cool."
Add Thomas, who played the first 16 seasons of his 19-year career with the White Sox, and the BBWAA elected three players on the first ballot for the first time since 1999 -- when Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount all attained baseball immortality.
"I'm so humbled and honored to be a part of this historic class of first-ballot Hall of Famers," Thomas said. "I'm speechless. I want to thank you all for being great role models and making this game what it is today. Hard work, dedication, commitment, no shortcuts to success. Thanks for having me in your club."
Maddux won 355 games, the eighth-highest figure in Major League history and the most of any pitcher since Warren Spahn retired with 363 in 1965. He garnered 97.2 percent of the BBWAA vote, appearing on all but 16 of the 571 ballots cast. The right-hander, called "Mad Dog," won 194 of those games over 11 years with the Braves. But his milestone 300th came for the Cubs, the team that drafted him and for which he played 10 seasons covering two tenures.
Glavine -- who won 305 games, fourth most among left-handers -- was named on 91.9 percent of the ballots, while Thomas was selected on 83.7. Glavine spent 17 of his 22 seasons with the Braves, but he won his 300th game near the end of a five-year tenure with the Mets.
"It's hard to imagine a day like this would get any better," Glavine said. "But for me, it does. I'm honored to go into the Baseball Hall of Fame with such a great group of men. All of you guys represent what is great about the game of baseball. I'm humbled to be a part of this class."
The 16-member Expansion Era Committee was even more magnanimous than the BBWAA, electing La Russa, Cox and Torre unanimously late last year. The three rank third, fourth and fifth in managerial victories in Major League history, each winning more than 2,000 games.
"The more you learn the game, the more you love it, and the more you love it, the more you want to learn," La Russa said.
The Top 5 all-time managerial wins list reads like this: Connie Mack (3,731), John McGraw (2,763), La Russa (2,728), Cox (2,504) and Torre (2,326), whose additional 84 postseason wins are by far the most in history. The three combined to win the World Series eight times, with Torre's four in Yankees pinstripes leading the pack. La Russa won three titles -- one with the A's and two for the Cardinals -- while Cox won one with the Braves amid a record 14 division titles in a row.
"It was just perfect," Torre said of being inducted alongside Cox and La Russa. "Our careers just mirrored each other's. I think it would have been an injustice if we didn't enjoy this together."
Cox, Maddux and Glavine, of course, were together for 10 of the 29 seasons covering two stints that Cox managed the Braves -- including their 1995 World Series victory in six games over the Indians. In the finale of that Fall Classic, Glavine pitched eight innings of one-hit ball, David Justice hit a home run and Mark Wohlers earned the save in the 1-0 victory. Maddux won Game 1 of that series: a 3-2 complete-game two-hitter in which he allowed no earned runs.
"To Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and I have to mention the third member of the Big Three, John Smoltz, I can honestly say I would not be standing here today if it weren't for you guys," Cox said.
As far as the logos on their plaques were concerned, Cox and Glavine went in as Braves, Thomas as a member of the White Sox and Torre with the Yankees -- where in addition to the World Series rings, his clubs also won six American League pennants and went to the playoffs in each of his 12 seasons. Torre also managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals and retired in 2010 after three seasons with the Dodgers.
"Might as well cut to the chase -- I'm here because of the New York Yankees," Torre said. "However, in order, as Tommy said, to be ready, you had to make stops along the way. You had to fail along the way."
La Russa and Maddux opted to go in without affiliation, in deference to their distinguished careers with multiple clubs.
"[Not] in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would happen, but I'm sure glad it did," Cox said to end his speech.
Baseball HOF cuts election eligibility to 10 years.
AP Sports
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire will have less time to remain eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot under changes made Saturday.
The Hall of Fame's board cut a player's eligibility from 15 years to 10, which gives McGwire a maximum of two more appearances on the writers' ballot. Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, shunned so far along with other Steroids Era stars, can be considered up to eight more times each by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, dropped from 37.6 percent to 35.4 last year in his second ballot appearance, well short of the 75 percent needed for election. Bonds, a seven-time MVP and baseball's career home runs leader, fell from 36.2 percent to 34.7.
McGwire dropped from 16.9 percent to 11, down from a peak of 25.6 in 2008. Sosa, who hit 609 homers, dropped from 12.5 percent to 7.2 - close to falling below the 5 percent threshold for remaining on the ballot.
Three players with 11-15 years will remain eligible: Don Mattingly (15th year in 2015), Alan Trammell (14th) and Lee Smith (13th).
This is just the second change in voting rules since 1985, when the 5 percent threshold for remaining on the ballot was instituted. In 1991, players on baseball's permanent ineligible list were barred from the ballot, a move that prevented career hits leader Pete Rose from being considered. Rose agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation by Major League Baseball concluded he bet on the Cincinnati Reds to win while managing the team.
Members of the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years at any point are eligible to vote. Under another change announced Saturday, eligible voters will be required to complete a registration form and sign a code of conduct, and their names will be made public, but not their individual votes.
Dan Le Batard, an ESPN host and Miami Herald columnist, was kicked out of the BBWAA for one year and barred from future Hall votes in January after he turned over his 2014 ballot to a website that allowed readers to choose the selections.
Golf: “I got a club for that…” Clark powers past Furyk for Canadian Open win.
AFP
South Africa's Tim Clark birdied five of his last eight holes on Sunday to power past Jim Furyk and win the US PGA Tour's Canadian Open.
Clark, who won the prestigious Players Championship in 2010 for his only prior PGA Tour title, posted a final round five-under par 65 on Royal Montreal's Blue Course for a 17-under total of 263 and a one-stroke victory over Furyk.
Furyk, 44, took a three-stroke lead into the final round and seemed poised to claim a third career Canadian Open title, and end his own victory drought stretching back to his 2010 Tour Championship triumph.
Like Clark, the American had just one bogey and one birdie on the front nine, but he couldn't find the birdies he needed to hold off the hard-charging South African coming in, signing for a one-under 69 for 264.
Even for the day through nine holes, Clark caught fire with back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12. He added another brace at 14 and 15 to move ahead of Furyk -- calmly sinking a 10-footer at 15 in the wake of a 25-minute rain delay.
Furyk, who balanced a bogey at the fourth with a birdie at seven, then made nine straight pars before matching Clark's birdie at the par-three 17th to head to the last one adrift.
Furyk was unable to convert a 12-foot birdie attempt at 18 to force a playoff, his attempt sliding wide after Clark left a long birdie putt six feet short.
Clark made his par attempt to seal the win.
"I didn't really want to play 18 again in a playoff," said Clark. "It was huge for me to get it finished right there. I just got hot with the putter on that back nine."
Furyk, coming off a fourth-place finish at the British Open at Hoylake last week, has now failed to convert his last seven 54-hole leads to victories.
"I've got no one to blame but myself," said Furyk who didn't make a putt from outside four feet on the back nine.
"I played definitely good enough to win the golf tournament, but I only made two birdies and I've got to make more putts."
Clark's 17-under 263 total tied the 72-hole Canadian Open record set by Johnny Palmer in 1952 and Scott Piercy in 2012.
Graham DeLaet was the top Canadian with a tie for seventh. No Canadian golfer has won their home open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.
Golf - Langer romps to record Senior British Open victory.
AFP
Germany's Bernard Langer won the Senior British Open by a whopping 13 shots on Sunday at Royal Porthcawl, Wales, as he set a new record winning margin in a major at a senior event.
Golf - Langer romps to record Senior British Open victory.
AFP
Germany's Bernard Langer won the Senior British Open by a whopping 13 shots on Sunday at Royal Porthcawl, Wales, as he set a new record winning margin in a major at a senior event.
The 56-year-old, who won the Masters in 1985 and 1993, shot four rounds in the 60s to finish 18 under, and left Scotland's Colin Montgomerie a distant second on the way to his third win on Welsh soil.
The 13-shot winning advantage, in a major, eclipsed the previous mark of 12 held by American Hale Irwin at the 1997 Senior PGA Championship.
He now has 94 professional wins, including a Senior British Open win in 2010, the same season he won the Senior US Open.
Langer also won six Ryder Cups as a player and captained Europe to victory in 2004.
U.S. suffers another team play setback at Crown.
By Randall Mell
The United States vs. the Republic of Korea.
Nobody should have been surprised to see the International Crown come down to a battle between these titans in the women’s game. It was shocking, though, to see them in a desperate battle Saturday just to stay alive in the event.
It was even more shocking to see the No. 1-seeded Americans sent packing after being eliminated in a sudden-death playoff for the fifth and final qualifying spot into Sunday singles.
With Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu making birdies on the first hole of the fourball sudden-death playoff, the No. 2-seeded Koreans dispatched the United States to remain alive in their bid to win the international team event at Caves Valley Golf Club.
The inaugural event will conclude without the Americans there for local fans to cheer.
The idea the Americans wouldn’t be here Sunday didn’t seem possible going into Saturday’s fourballs.
“The first time I thought about that was on our cart ride up into the media center [after the playoff],” Lewis said. “I never thought that we wouldn't be playing tomorrow. It never really even crossed my mind until we were driving up here.”
Even the Koreans seemed dismayed seeing the Americans eliminated before Sunday’s finale.
“It is very unfortunate that we had to play against the United States, because that was something that nobody really expected to be seeing,” Park said. “I think that it was really tough, because they're great competitors and they had a lot of fans that are coming out and watching them. They're great players. And losing is always tough to accept.”
Five teams survived for Sunday singles.
Thailand and Spain advanced from Pool A with seven points each. Japan advanced from Pool B with eight points and Sweden with seven points. Korea advanced with six points.
The points carry over, with a singles victory worth two points on Sunday and a halved match worth one point.
For the Americans, it’s hard to figure. They’re on a resurgent march on tour this year. They’ve won 11 LPGA titles already, more than they’ve won in any year since the turn of the century. They’ve won the first three major championships of the year, but they’re momentum is all the other way in international team events. There have back-to-back Solheim Cup losses, including their first loss on home soil last year in the biggest rout in that event’s history.
And now this.
What isn’t translating for the Americans in these team events?
“I don't think I have the answer,” Cristie Kerr said. “I think you have to look at the overall body of work and what the Americans have done the last couple years on tour, especially this year. You have to look at that, but match play’s a different animal.”
The Americans and Koreans met in a playoff for the final Sunday berth by virtue of finishing third in their respective pools.
For the United States, pool play came down to Rolex No. 1 Stacy Lewis and No. 12 Paula Creamer in a fourballs match against Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum and Onnarin Sattayabanphot. The Americans needed to win or halve the match to advance, but the Thais defeated them, 1 up. Phatlum rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at the 14th to give Thailand a lead it didn’t relinquish.
“Pornanong just went crazy there on the back nine on us,” Lewis said. “If she wasn't hitting it to gimme range, she was making a 20 footer. We had plenty of opportunities, though.
“It's certainly disappointing, because we played a lot better than that outcome.”
Lewis and Creamer combined for a best-ball score of 7-under-par 64. Phatlum and Sattayabonphot shot 63.
They were the American hot hands. They beat Thailand’s Jutanugarn sisters, 3 and 2, earlier in the afternoon. Thompson caught fire on the back nine. She made birdie-eagle-birdie starting at the 11th hole to turn the match into a rout.
Thompson got some hard luck in the playoff, though. After bombing her drive at the first playoff hole, the par-5 16th, she followed with a nearly brilliant approach, trying to reach the green in two.
Her iron shot bounced to the front edge of the green, but then it checked up and rolled backward, down a slope back into the fairway, where the ball came to rest in a divot. Thompson tried to putt it out and up the slope, but it came up short, stopping just at the fringe, 15 feet from the hole. Kerr birdied, but Thompson missed her own birdie chance. It was over with Ryu and Park making birdie and the second ball acting as a tiebreaker.
“She hit two great golf shots there, and she did exactly as she was supposed to do,” Lewis said.
Kerr had Thompson’s back, too.
“She was the best player,” Kerr said. “I think she was the best player the last couple days. I mean, it was so much fun to watch her play.”
The Americans probably lost their chance on Thursday, when they were the only team to get shut out, losing both their fourball matches to Chinese Taipei.
“The format's hard,” Lewis said. “It's only two matches a day, so there's only opportunity for four points a day. It's best ball, which with best ball, you can throw rankings and all that kind of stuff out the window. It's just crazy to think that we're two points out of the lead in this thing, and we're not able to play tomorrow. So, that's really what's the most disappointing part about the format.
“It’s the first year of this event. Nobody really knew how it was going to fall. We just wish we had an opportunity tomorrow, because I think that we really could win tomorrow if we had an opportunity to play.”
It's 'Jeff Gordon Day' at Indy for record 5th time.
By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)
With a fifth Brickyard 400 victory on the line Sunday, Jeff Gordon looked like the driver he was 20 years ago.
Gordon nailed the final restart of the race - no given because restarts have been Gordon's Achilles heel - to pass Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne with 17 laps remaining at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
His power move from the outside lane past Kahne put Gordon out front for good, and he kicked it into cruise control for a NASCAR-record fifth victory at historic Indy. The win came on the 20th anniversary celebration of Gordon's win in the inaugural Brickyard 400, and on ''Jeff Gordon Day'' as declared by the Mayor of Indianapolis.
''I told him this morning that this was his day,'' said team owner Rick Hendrick.
The win moved Gordon into a tie with Michael Schumacher, whose five Formula One victories at Indy had been the gold standard.
''God, I finally had the restart of my life,'' Gordon screamed on his radio. He'd botched one earlier in the race, and the four-time NASCAR champion has struggled with restarts for some years.
So when a late caution gave Gordon one last shot at Kahne, who dominated and led a race-high 70 laps, Gordon and his No. 24 team knew the driver was in control of his own destiny.
Crew chief Alan Gustafson talked fuel mileage with the driver - Gordon had enough to get to the finish, and Kahne was cutting it close - but Gustafson said nothing about the pressure looming over the final restart.
''The restart is going to be the race, really,'' Gustafson conceded in a television interview moments before the field went green.
Nobody had any reason to worry as Gordon nailed it when he needed it most.
''I'm not very good on restarts and wasn't very good today, and I finally made the restart of my life when it counted most,'' Gordon said in Victory Lane. ''I knew we had a great race car, we just needed to get out front.
Kahne plummeted to fifth after the restart, then ran out of gas on the final lap and had to nurse his car home to a sixth-place finish. He said he erred in picking the inside line for the restart.
''I should have chosen the top (lane), obviously,'' he said. ''I pretty much let Jeff control that last restart. I thought I made the right decision.''
Kyle Busch finished second, 2.325 seconds behind Gordon, and was followed by Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth.
''It is just a small victory, we're still just inching our way there,'' Hamlin said about JGR's strong run.
Joey Logano was fifth in the highest-finishing car from Team Penske, which brought Juan Pablo Montoya to the race in an effort to get the win. Roger Penske has won a record 15 Indianapolis 500s, but is winless in the Brickyard. Montoya was never a factor and finished 23rd.
Kyle Larson, who grew up a Gordon fan, finished seventh and likened Gordon's win on Sunday to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s season-opening win in the Daytona 500.
''To see Jeff Gordon win is pretty special - it's kind of like Junior winning the 500 this year,'' Larson said.
Kevin Harvick, the polesitter and the driver with the car most everyone thought would be tough to beat, was eighth and followed by Earnhardt and rookie Austin Dillon.
Carl Edwards finished 15th hours after Roush-Fenway Racing finally confirmed he was leaving the team at the end of the season.
Gordon, who won NASCAR's first race at storied Indy in 1994, also won the Brickyard in 1998, 2001 and 2004. There had been a lot of fanfare leading up to this race, though, as speedway officials celebrated Gordon's 20th anniversary win, who was 23 when he picked up just his second career victory. Eight days short of his 43rd birthday and the father of two young children, Gordon has 90 victories, third on the career list.
A tinge of gray at his temples, and his hat on backward, Gordon said it took extreme focus over the final 10 laps not to prematurely celebrate and cough away the win. It meant tuning out the crowd, which was on its feet and cheering him to the finish.
''I was trying not to let it get to me and not think about it too much,'' he said. ''And yet you can't help it. It's such a big place and such an important victory and a crucial moment in the season and the championship, and those emotions take over.
''This one is for all those fans throughout the years and all weekend long - they're saying 'We believe you can get (championship) number five.' We got (Brickyard) No. 5!''
Ty Dillon goes from 'punk-ass kid' to classy winner at Indy.
By Jerry Bonkowski
When Kevin Harvick unleashed a surprising barrage of unsavory comments against Ty Dillon following last October’s truck race at Martinsville, it got the entire NASCAR world talking.
Dillon and Harvick, running third and second respectively at the time, had been involved in a wreck that took out both of their rides in the Camping World Truck Series event.
The race notwithstanding, it was a trying time for Harvick, who was less than a month away from leaving the only home he had ever known in Sprint Cup racing. At the same time, the younger Dillon brother was battling for the Truck series championship.
But what should have been nothing more than a wreck turned into a vicious verbal personal attack by Harvick upon Dillon and older brother Austin.
“I don’t care what they throw at me,” Harvick said at the time, according to a story on SportingNews.com. “That’s exactly the reason I’m leaving RCR is because you’ve got those punk-ass kids coming up.”
It’s clear Harvick was talking about the two Dillon boys, taking out what appeared to be simmering anger at both for who and what they were.
Not only were they Childress’ grandsons, they were also the future of RCR – a future that didn’t hold Harvick in it.
Knowing what the future didn’t hold for him at RCR, Harvick announced before the 2013 season that it would be his last driving for Childress and he would jump to Stewart Haas Racing in 2014.
Harvick has been involved in plenty of wrecks in his career, but few have seen him get so, well, personal in the verbal venom he spewed.
“Exactly the reason why I’m leaving RCR because you’ve got those kids coming up and they’ve got no respect for what they do in this sport and they’ve had everything fed to them with a spoon,” Harvick said at the time.
“So I cut him slack all day and, you know, he just dive-bombs me in there, dumps me. … It’s a shame you’ve got to get taken out by some rich kid like that.”
The resulting response wasn’t surprising.
An angry Childress shot back at Harvick, saying, “I’m very disappointed , that’s all I can say. I’ve got too much class to say what I want to say right now. When I say it, I will say it to his face.”
Then came Ty’s turn.
“I don’t care what Kevin Harvick says,” Dillon said. “I don’t think anybody does. … I’m pretty disappointed in the things that just went down. I used to look up to that guy (Harvick).”
Then came Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250 Nationwide Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as the 22-year-old Ty let his actions do the talking for him, earning his first career NNS win.
Not only did Dillon win, he beat five Sprint Cup regulars to the finish line, including Kyle Busch (runner-up), Matt Kenseth (finished third), Joey Logano (fifth), Paul Menard (sixth) … and Harvick himself in fourth place.
To his credit, while Saturday would have been a perfect place to get back at Harvick with some choice comments of his own, Dillon took the high road.
Not a peep was mentioned about Harvick or last year’s unsavory incident – when Dillon very easily could have.
But as Dillon crossed the finish line, you have to wonder if maybe he looked and saw Harvick in his rearview mirror, three cars back, and thought to himself, “Look who just got punked now.”
NASCAR at a crossroad with difficult decisions to make.
By Jordan Bianchi
Sluggish television ratings and decreasing attendance have left NASCAR searching for answers.
It should be a time of great optimism within NASCAR. Except that it's not.
The season opened with the sport's most popular driver winning the biggest race. One of its most beloved figures nearing the end of an illustrious career leads the championship standings. Yet the problems are numerous and visible for all to see. The solutions are numerous, too, and -- depending who you ask -- may not be necessary at all.
The season opened with the sport's most popular driver winning the biggest race. One of its most beloved figures nearing the end of an illustrious career leads the championship standings. Yet the problems are numerous and visible for all to see. The solutions are numerous, too, and -- depending who you ask -- may not be necessary at all.
As all eyes turn to historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Brickyard 400 for the sport's second-biggest race, it's hard to avoid the feeling that NASCAR has some key decisions ahead.
Among the most pressing concerns:
- Television ratings are spiraling downward even with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the midst of a career year and Jeff Gordon a strong contender to win his fifth championship. Fifteen of the first 16 races saw a drop in ratings (excluding three races that were either delayed a day or moved from network to cable because of rain), according to Sports Media Watch.
- Despite no longer being made public, attendance continues to decline. Wide swaths of empty seats have been visible at several tracks. Dover International Speedway's CEO apologized in the pre-race drivers' meeting for the lack of spectators prior to the June 1 event. Venues such as Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway have combated this by removing seats. Daytona has gone so far as to remove a whole section of grandstands.
- Most foreboding, a group of nine car owners representing the biggest teams in the garage have formed a coalition. They are seeking a way to control the escalating costs of operating a team in a still-recovering economy, in which companies no longer see NASCAR as a money maker. Nothing is imminent, but a showdown between the sanctioning body and the Race Team Alliance seems looming.
Yet NASCAR's leaders insist all is good.
The level of competition, while not always edge-of-your-seat excitement, has improved. And numerous story lines have emanated from the revised process to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup that now features a greater emphasis on winning.
NASCAR deserves praise for both of these advances. Ironically, though, the positives have played a large part in forming the storm clouds that now hover over the sport.
The Gen-6, rolled out last season, was the second new car in less than 10 years -- each radical in design, requiring new parts, pieces and manpower, with little teams could carry over from one to the other. It's an expensive venture which teams alone are responsible for footing, and with a sluggish economy and dwindling sponsorship, this has proven problematic.
Unable to secure funding and with skyrocketing costs, the number of owners in the Cup garage has been reduced dramatically either through consolidation or outright extinction.
Ten years ago in the first season of the Chase, the 10 playoff drivers represented seven different organizations and 13 teams were represented in the top 25 in points.
And now? Even with the Chase expanded to a robust 16 entries, just nine separate teams would qualify, while 11 teams overall are better than 25th in points.
For a sport that has long prided itself on open competition, the reality is NASCAR's current business model has taken the form of cannibalization, where the bigger, more powerful teams have swallowed those with less money and fewer resources; a dangerous situation with serious long-term consequences.
Is it a positive that Hendrick Motorsports fields the maximum four cars while also sharing such a tight technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing to the point competitors openly joke about the eight-car super team? What if Hendrick decides NASCAR is no longer a prudent investment and closes shop? It's unlikely, but SHR and the assorted Hendrick satellite teams would be left scrambling.
Never in its history has NASCAR been more beholden to the teams.
In years past the sanctioning body had no qualms operating under an "our way or the highway" philosophy. You don't want to play by NASCAR's rules, too bad. Go race somewhere else. But still feeling the economic squeeze, teams have joined forces under the RTA banner. And because there are fewer of them, it's now easier for owners to align and form a consensus on reforms they would like to see implemented.
Although NASCAR continues to hold the greater bargaining power, it can no longer operate as a benevolent dictatorship. Concessions need to be made, a helping hand extended to foster growth and renewed prosperity.
Possible solutions as to how NASCAR can get back on a upward trajectory with television ratings rising and grandstands jammed are cosmic. Yet, all have their own challenges.
The ready-made answer is overhauling the schedule. Reduce the clutter of intermediate speedways where the racing lags, and look at ovals that regularly produce close competition and an exciting product -- i.e. short tracks and maybe another road course.
On the surface the idea of additional short tracks has merit, one that certainly should be considered. Why does Kansas Speedway need a pair of Cup races annually while Iowa Speedway can't find a place on the schedule?
Unfortunately the issue of realignment is inherently tricky with the invested parties having diverging interests.
International Speedway Corp. and Speedway Motorsports Inc., which combine to host 31 of 36 Cup races, are publicly traded companies responsible to shareholders first and foremost. Why would ISC want to relinquish a favorable date to SMI? Have fun explaining that generosity at the next board meeting.
Then there are NASCAR's television partners (Fox and NBC). Laying out the schedule requires a delicate balance where NASCAR must consider market size and the popularity of certain races that can't be skewed in one direction or the other.
Moderate tweaks are also problematic. Kurt Busch theorized a swap of the fall dates at Richmond and Talladega (both ISC owned) Friday. Richmond would move into the Chase with Talladega, becoming the final regular season race, an enticing prospect considering the restrictor-plate track's noted unpredictability.
For Talladega it would be an easy sell. From Richmond's perspective, however, an October race creates weather concerns, as well as the possibility of competing for attention against the NFL's Washington franchise.
Tony Stewart has his own suggestion.
In the aftermath of another successful Mudsummer Classic Wednesday, Stewart touted Eldora Speedway as deserving of a Cup date. On the surface it's an intriguing concept -- a dirt short track where good racing is almost a given to generate some excitement among the masses.
But when you look deeper a Cup race at Eldora may not be practical, particularly if the initiative is to help reduce a teams' bottom-line. Although Eldora was a near-sellout and attracted a larger crowd this season than last, attendance was only estimated at 20,000 according to sources. Additional seating could be brought in, but Eldora would still produce the smallest crowd at Cup level by a significant margin. Fewer fans means less revenue for all involved.
Consideration also has to be made to the expense teams must incur to run on dirt, including heavy wear-and-tear on equipment. Few, if any, drivers escaped Wednesday's race without body damage of some kind, even winner Darrell Wallace Jr., who smacked the wall several times.
Furthering this concern is that the Mudsummer Classic offers the lowest winner's purse of the 22 Camping World Truck Series races (Wallace won $33,585), and yet is an event that requires more investment than most races. And this is not even factoring the sizable sanctioning fee required of Eldora to host a premiere-division race.
Blow up the schedule and add more short tracks. Reduce costs while at the same time enacting rule changes to make the racing more competitive. It's a convoluted set of contradictions where the exact solutions are from clear.
FIFA says World Cup will stay in Russia, "can achieve positive change".
By Nicholas Mendola
A famous fictional American, upon defeating a Russian in a boxing match, once won over the entire nation of Russia with a dramatic speech (effectively ending the Cold War, one could argue).
FIFA doesn’t want to limit the heroism of sport in the nation, so it is be ignoring the potential threats to safety by rejecting calls to move the 2018 World Cup away from Russia.
FIFA doesn’t want to limit the heroism of sport in the nation, so it is be ignoring the potential threats to safety by rejecting calls to move the 2018 World Cup away from Russia.
Oh, and there’s an influential Russian on FIFA’s executive committee, which might play a role the decision.
FIFA has rejected calls to move the 2018 World Cup from Russia, saying the tournament “can achieve positive change.”
Russia’s alleged involvement in shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine last week prompted calls from some lawmakers in Germany to review the country’s hosting rights.
...
The governing body also says “boycotting sport events or a policy of isolation or confrontation” doesn’t work.
FIFA, which has Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko on its executive committee, says a World Cup in the country “can be a force for good.”
Those calling for the removal of the World Cup from Russia don’t necessarily have precedent to fall back on, as the tournament has occasionally been held in controversial locales dating back to the 1938 tournament in fascist Italy.
Yes, Russia is a big part of international turmoil right now and has annexed part of the Ukraine. They don’t have a tremendous record on human rights nor free speech. And they are under investigation for alleged improprieties in earning the right to host the World Cup.
Where was I going on this?
It’s easy to be cynical about Russia hosting the World Cup. But that would eliminate our chances at this great post-World Cup speech from an American after an inexplicable win over upset of the host nation in the 2018 final.
“If I can change… and you can change… FIFA is still not going to change.”
As an aside, if Jurgen Klinsmann doesn’t have the United States team carrying logs through the Russian countryside in sweat suits before the tournament, preferably as he follows along in a car, I’m going to be very upset at his ignorance of a the great ‘Rocky IV’.
Italy's Vincenzo Nibali takes Tour de France title.
By Mike Singer; CBSSports.com
The last stage of the Tour de France -- an 85-mile cruise into Paris -- is supposed to be a leisurely parade to celebrate the winner, and for the leader, it was. Sunday's ride was incident-free for Vincenzo Nibali, who entered the 21st stage having already been presented as the race winner by event organizers. Nibali began with a 7:52 lead, a gap that proved insurmountable for his challengers. He became the first Italian to win the Tour since 1998 and is just the sixth rider to win all three Grand Tours (Spain, Italy).
In total, Nibali won four of the stages and wore the yellow leader's jersey for 19 days. His victory was made easier after two favorites, defending champion Chris Froome and three-time winner Alberto Contador, bowed out from injuries.
With the champion all but assured, Sunday's final race was an all out sprint among dozens of riders flying at speeds of up to 40 MPH. German rider Marcel Kittel ultimately took the stage, his fourth stage victory of the three-week race. He narrowly beat Alexander Kristoff down the final stretch.
"I was doubting if I can still make it. Kristoff can really hold against me, and I tried just to pass him and I think at one moment he couldn't accelerate any more," Kittel said to NBC.
As much as the eight laps around the Champs-Elysees are supposed to be a celebration, it wasn't without its fair share of excitement. Expected second-place finisher Jean-Christoph Peraud inexplicably lost his balance, causing a five-cyclist pile-up that threatened the final order. Word of the crash got up to Nibali, who appeared to help slow the pace to allow Peraud time to rejoin the peloton. Peraud finished second, while Thibaut Pinot came in third in the overall field. It's the first time in the last 30 years that two Frenchmen have finished on the podium.
American Tejay van Garderen finished fifth, 11:24 behind Nibali.
In total, Nibali won four of the stages and wore the yellow leader's jersey for 19 days. His victory was made easier after two favorites, defending champion Chris Froome and three-time winner Alberto Contador, bowed out from injuries.
With the champion all but assured, Sunday's final race was an all out sprint among dozens of riders flying at speeds of up to 40 MPH. German rider Marcel Kittel ultimately took the stage, his fourth stage victory of the three-week race. He narrowly beat Alexander Kristoff down the final stretch.
"I was doubting if I can still make it. Kristoff can really hold against me, and I tried just to pass him and I think at one moment he couldn't accelerate any more," Kittel said to NBC.
As much as the eight laps around the Champs-Elysees are supposed to be a celebration, it wasn't without its fair share of excitement. Expected second-place finisher Jean-Christoph Peraud inexplicably lost his balance, causing a five-cyclist pile-up that threatened the final order. Word of the crash got up to Nibali, who appeared to help slow the pace to allow Peraud time to rejoin the peloton. Peraud finished second, while Thibaut Pinot came in third in the overall field. It's the first time in the last 30 years that two Frenchmen have finished on the podium.
American Tejay van Garderen finished fifth, 11:24 behind Nibali.
Quickest route into NFL draft goes through SEC.
AP Sports
The Southeastern Conference has become the most popular jumping-off point for underclassmen looking for a head start on NFL careers, creating more spots to fill around the league with preseason camps approaching.
No league has had nearly as many players leaving early to pursue NFL careers over the past eight years, and LSU has had the most of any program two years running.
''We do lead college football in three-and-outs,'' Tigers coach Les Miles said.
It's not a distinction coaches particularly covet - except perhaps to juice the sales pitch to teenage recruits already dreaming of their first NFL paycheck.
It also creates some potential headaches for those who have - sometimes unexpectedly - more job openings leading into August, not that coaches around the country have much sympathy.
LSU has lost 18 underclassmen to the draft over the past two years. Since the league's title run began in 2007, the SEC has had nearly as many early departures drafted (109) as the next two leagues combined. The Pacific-12 (57) and Atlantic Coast Conference (54) rank second and third, according to research by STATs, Inc.
The 49 first-round selections among underclassmen during that span tops the Pac-12, ACC and Big Ten combined (44).
The exodus can affect the quality of play at certain positions even with a new wave of four- and five-star recruits coming in annually around the SEC, which had its seven-year run of producing BCS champions halted by Florida State in January.
Alabama had three junior cornerbacks picked in the first round from 2010-2013, and a position of strength became a weak link last season with several young players thrust into big roles.
''I think we recruit a lot of good players in this league,'' said Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, who played 14 freshmen last season. ''What it does for me, and what it does for our team, I guess is what I should say, is the players turn over more quickly so you play more players.
''It's not that those players aren't good players, but in some cases they might be playing a little bit before they're ready to play.''
Alabama will have five-star freshmen Tony Brown and Marlon Humphrey vying for playing time at cornerback when camp starts.
The SEC has had 60 underclassmen enter the draft the past two years, counting players who graduated but had eligibility remaining. Not all have been hot commodities.
The latest group had six juniors picked in the first round and nine go undrafted, nearly one-third of the 28 SEC players who declared for the draft.
Former LSU and NFL defensive lineman Marcus Spears said the players leaving creates a big challenge in having enough depth to overcome injuries and other issues, and forces coaches like Miles to plan ahead in recruiting.
''You have to be able to look out maybe a year or two years in advance and kind of start honing in on those guys that can come in and replace them and play right away,'' said Spears, now an analyst for the SEC Network. ''When you lose those guys, it is a huge void, especially those underclassmen that apply for the draft. Having guys in the stable is very important.''
The good news for newcomers: There are plenty of opportunities for playing time, partly because of players not sticking around for senior seasons.
Here are a few:
- Texas A&M quarterback Kyle Allen is competing to replace 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.
-LSU tailback Leonard Fournette, considered the nation's top-rated prospect, should carve out a role for himself after Jeremy Hill and Alfred Blue both left with eligibility remaining.
-Alabama's Cam Robinson is the apparent front-runner to replace left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.
Some prospects are weighing their career options long before they arrive on campus.
''I've had three (prospects), and these guys are like 16 years old, they're saying, 'If I go out and don't make it, you're going to put me back on scholarship if I want to come back, right?''' Saban said. ''I'm saying this guy just got his driver's license and he's got this figured out already. ... But still they've really minimized in some cases their chances of being successful, having a career as a football player.''
Toughest jobs in sports: NCAA enforcement staff member.
By Jeff Eisenberg
In his three previous jobs, Derrick Crawford ferreted out government corruption as a special agent with the FBI, targeted white-collar criminals as a state prosecutor in Alabama and protected the NFL from lawsuits as general counsel for the league.
When I started working here the first time, I was really surprised how many powers I had in federal law enforcement that we don't have here. We have a number of tools in our tool kit, but what we don't have makes our job tougher."
Roe Lach and newly hired NCAA president Mark Emmert took that criticism to heart and attempted to address it.
The fallout from the Miami debacle has been damaging for the enforcement staff and the NCAA as a whole.
He insists those positions were easy compared to his current one.
Crawford rejoined the NCAA's enforcement division about 18 months ago as a managing director responsible for overseeing investigations. He is one of the highest-ranking members of an almost 60-person department under immense pressure to crack down on cheating in college athletics yet handicapped by low morale, charges of impropriety and insufficient investigative authority.
NCAA investigators must apprehend wrongdoers without having the power to subpoena uncooperative witnesses, request search warrants or penalize false testimony with perjury charges the way law enforcement agencies would. Student-athletes, coaches and university administrators risk severe sanctions if they don't provide enforcement staffers with truthful answers or pertinent documents, but investigators have no means of compelling family, friends, high school coaches and others outside of NCAA jurisdiction to cooperate.
"This is the most challenging position I've ever had in my 25-year professional career," Crawford said. "The college landscape has changed over the years. The competitive pressure on our membership to win is even greater than it was 10 or 15 years ago. That makes it very difficult. Plus, we are an investigative body but we aren't law enforcement.
When I started working here the first time, I was really surprised how many powers I had in federal law enforcement that we don't have here. We have a number of tools in our tool kit, but what we don't have makes our job tougher."
At a time when cheaters in college athletics have become more motivated and more sophisticated than ever because of the pressure to win and the money at stake, the ramifications of not giving the enforcement division sufficient investigative clout are especially dire. Many major violations go undetected or unproven because NCAA investigators begin each case at a disadvantage.
An enforcement staffer knocked on the doors of 30 potential witnesses during a recent investigation of a high-profile football program, but all but one refused to help her since they knew she had no subpoena power. Last year, the NCAA also had to drop its investigation into former Duke standout Lance Thomas' 2009 purchase of $100,000 worth of jewelry during his senior season because neither the ex-Blue Devil forward nor the jeweler agreed to testify after reaching a settlement and investigators had no way to entice them to change their minds.
"The most frustrating part of the job was not being able to get people to talk to you or not being able to get the documents or records you need to get to the truth," said Julie Roe Lach, who worked for the NCAA for 15 years and served as vice president of enforcement from Oct. 2010 to Feb. 2013. "That's far and away the No. 1 frustration people on the enforcement staff encounter, and usually it happens many times in your career. Sometimes you even know what's out there based on media reports, but you can't prove it."
If patience and persistence are characteristics NCAA investigators require to endure those discouraging setbacks, the ability to endure criticism is just as important.
High-profile cases typically inspire intense media scrutiny while the enforcement staff conducts its investigation, reviews the facts and determines if there is sufficient evidence that either an individual athlete or an institution committed violations. Once the NCAA's reinstatement committee determines the penalty for an athlete or committee on infractions settles on a punishment for an institution, the backlash often reaches a crescendo, whether from coaches angry their program was treated so harshly, opposing fans convinced a rival deserved far worse or media displeased that the ruling in question isn't consistent with previous cases.
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea captured the sentiment of UCLA fans in Nov. 2012 when he played the national anthem clad in a "Free Shabazz Muhammad" shirt the same day as the NCAA declared the freshman ineligible due to extra benefits. Former North Carolina forward John Henson protested the suspensions of ex-teammates Leslie McDonald and P.J. Hairston last year by donning a T-shirt featuring a circular blue logo with the word "SCAM" where "NCAA" would normally be. USC athletic director Pat Haden reiterated just last month he will go to his grave believing it's unfair that the Reggie Bush Case resulted in a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 30 scholarships.
"It's funny how no matter what the case is, the reaction is never that the enforcement staff got it right," said John Infante, a former university compliance officer and proprietor of The Bylaw Blog. "The perception is that every penalty is either way too severe or way too lenient. I can't think of a case recently where everyone looked at it and agreed, 'Yeah, that's pretty fair.'"
Some of the most blistering criticism enforcement staffers have endured followed a string of high-profile cases during Mark Emmert's first 18 months as NCAA president. When either Emmert or Roe Lach polled coaches and administrators about what the enforcement staff could be doing better in 2010, they cited cases involving Auburn, Miami, Ohio State or North Carolina and told her wrongdoers lack an incentive to stop breaking the rules because not enough are caught and those that are don't get punished severely enough.
Roe Lach and newly hired NCAA president Mark Emmert took that criticism to heart and attempted to address it.
Emmert beefed up the size of the enforcement department from 40 staffers to close to 60 and championed a new enforcement structure that holds coaches more accountable for infractions that happen under their watch. Roe Lach encouraged her staff to be more innovative in how they try to generate leads and restructured the department to capitalize on the increased manpower.
She launched football and men's basketball task forces in hopes of generating more cases rather than typically relying on the media. She created a new position with the title of director of quality control. And she hired investigators to stay in the office and generate leads by scouring social media, phone records, bank records and other evidence accessible via computer.
Many of the new hires came from a legal background. The ideal candidates Roe Lach sought possessed a combination of investigative and analytical skills, displayed both tenacity and high integrity and showed enough communications ability to develop sources in the field and to be persuasive in front of the NCAA's committee on infractions.
"It was always amazing to me the strength of the candidate pools and the breadth and the depth and the diversity," Roe Lach said. "There are a lot of people who are interested in college sports and generally the people with the skill sets I wanted saw an enforcement position as a way to be part of something they cared about."
The larger staff and revamped structure were necessities for an overburdened department trying desperately to keep pace with this era's increasingly sophisticated approaches to cheating. Whereas paper bags of cash were once the method of choice for unscrupulous runners seeking to steer a player to an agent or for deceitful coaches looking to bribe a coveted recruit, one of the favored options these days is a pre-paid ATM card that allows the buyer to keep adding to the balance as often as desired.
Investigators enjoyed more success during Roe Lach's tenure generating their own leads rather than reacting to media reports, but much of the progress made was undone by a pair of high-profile missteps.
The NCAA had to reinstate Muhammad just three games into the 2013-14 season because of the perception of impropriety created when the boyfriend of the lead investigator was overheard blabbing on an airplane about his girlfriend's confidence that the UCLA freshman would never see the court. Only two months later, investigators had to throw out a large portion of their evidence in a high-profile infractions case against Miami because they obtained it unethically.
Lacking the subpoena power necessary to obtain information through a bankruptcy proceeding, an NCAA investigator had the lawyer for former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro ask a list of questions during deposition on her behalf. Shapiro's lawyer in return received compensation from the NCAA, a mistake that led Emmert to launch an external review of the enforcement division and to eventually fire Roe Lach less than two years after promoting her to the head of the enforcement department and anointing her as a rising star.
The fallout from the Miami debacle has been damaging for the enforcement staff and the NCAA as a whole.
No rules or state or federal laws were broken, yet the crisis in confidence in the NCAA's methods and principle deepened anyway, leading to broad challenges to the NCAA's authority and widespread calls for reform. The bungled investigations also fueled conspiracy theorists who have long claimed the NCAA favors certain institutions and is out to get others, a misconception that bothers enforcement staffers more than any other.
"Our job as investigators is simply to investigate facts," NCAA investigator Michael Sheridan said. "We have procedures we follow internally to review those facts and see if they meet the standard to bring forth an allegation. We do that without regard to whatever school that is and whatever individual that is. That's something most people get wrong when they view the staff. They see us as targeting some schools and giving free passes to others and that's simply not the case."
Between the challenges inherent to the job, the constant criticism from media and fans and the punch to the gut that was the Miami case, perhaps it should be no surprise that the enforcement staff has experienced unprecedented attrition during the past 18 months. Since the firing of Roe Lach and the lead investigators on the UCLA and Miami cases, high-ranking enforcement staffers Rachel Newman-Baker, LuAnn Humphrey, Angie Cretors, Chance Miller and Marcus Wilson have all followed them out the door.
The departures have led many to suggest that the time is ripe for cheating because the enforcement staff is reeling from the loss of some of its most talented and experienced investigators. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby was the harshest of all, telling reporters at Big 12 media day earlier this month that "enforcement is broken" and the perception right now is that "cheating pays."
Jonathan Duncan, Roe Lach's replacement as vice president of enforcement, bristles at that notion. He notes that the enforcement staffers who have left have mostly accepted compliance jobs in which they can use the knowledge they gained at the NCAA to serve individual member institutions. He also insists that the replacements the NCAA has hired have the talent, work ethic and sourcing to fill the shoes of those who are gone.
"I do think too much has been made of the people we've lost," Duncan said. "This is going to sound like I'm trying to make lemonade, but I'm not. We've been really successful in recruiting and hiring really impressive talent over the last year or so. I've had thousands of applications from people who are well-qualified and we have strong candidate pools. We've been able to hire people with backgrounds in coaching, administration, lawyers, investigators, compliance. So we've emphasized good hiring and we've also redoubled our efforts to train new hires and veteran staffs to make sure we're in the best position possible."
Among the high-ranking staffers who have stayed on board thus far is Crawford, an Alabama native and lifelong college sports fan with a passion for both athletics and law.
For Crawford, working in enforcement is extremely rewarding. He believes in the department's mission, he enjoys working with intelligent, dedicated colleagues and he appreciates that the NCAA appears committed to providing investigators with the resources they need to overcome the many challenges inherent to the job.
"I'm a college sports fan," Crawford said. "I grew up in a college town. I spent the first 25 years of my life in college towns. So I'm a big supporter. I wasn't a student-athlete, but I followed the game very closely and I believe in college athletics and what it does for student-athletes."
When Crawford says that, it's clearly not lip service either. A man with a diverse enough set of skills to work at the FBI, NFL and Alabama Attorney General's office doesn't have to stay at the most difficult job he has ever held unless he finds the challenge gratifying.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, July 28, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1991 - Dennis Martinez, of the Montreal Expos, pitched the 13th perfect game in major league baseball history.
1994 - Kenny Rogers, of the Texas Rangers, pitched the 14th perfect game in major league baseball history.
2002 - Lance Armstrong won his fourth straight Tour de France.
1994 - Kenny Rogers, of the Texas Rangers, pitched the 14th perfect game in major league baseball history.
2002 - Lance Armstrong won his fourth straight Tour de France.
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