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Note: I was out of town on personal family business this past weekend and did not publish an update for Monday, 07/07/2014. However, we will bring you up to speed for all of the sports news since our last publication, Friday, 07/04/2014. Thanks for your patronage and please keep reading. Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Blog Editor.
Sports Quote of the Day:
"Every game is an opportunity to measure yourself against your own potential." ~ Bud Wilkinson, Football Player, Coach, Broadcaster and Politician
Brazil's World Cup dream shattered against Germany.
By TALES AZZONI (AP Sports Writer)
It was a humiliating home defeat of record proportions that no Brazilian could have seen coming.
With its defense collapsing early and nobody able to spark the attack, Brazil conceded four goals in a seven-minute span, trailed 5-0 at half time and was routed 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday.
''We got lost a little bit there,'' Brazil's stand-in captain David Luiz said. Germany ''realized the game was there for the taking and scored the goals.
''It's very difficult to explain right now. The dream is over, in a way that the people didn't want.''
Brazil's most heartbreaking World Cup defeat had been a 2-1 loss to Uruguay in the last match of the 1950 World Cup that it hosted. The loss to Germany ranks right up there with that painful defeat.
Fans were in shock, some leaving way before the final whistle.
The Brazilian crowd that had been supporting the national team throughout the tournament jeered loudly after the match, and again when the players raised their hands to applaud them. Luiz kneeled on the ground and prayed, with his arms and index fingers pointed up. Oscar, who scored Brazil's lone goal, cried near midfield.
''The players knew from the beginning that by playing at home our obligation was to reach the final and win the final,'' Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said.
Home-field advantage wasn't enough for Brazil again, but not having its top two players available for the semifinal played a major part in the defeat at the Mineirao Stadium. Without suspended captain Thiago Silva and injured star striker Neymar, the Brazilian team appeared rudderless.
Although Silva's replacement, Dante, was not directly responsible for Germany's goals, the defense seemed lost from the beginning, giving up space and easy chances to the Germans, who had a 5-0 lead by the 29th minute.
Brazil pressured in the beginning, but the attack never had a chance to keep the hosts in the match. Central forward Fred, one of the most loudly jeered players when he was substituted in the second half, ended the tournament with one goal. No other Brazilian striker - other than Neymar - scored at the tournament. Of the team's 11 goals, four came from Neymar and 10 from defenders and midfielders.
Neymar was ruled out of the World Cup after fracturing a vertebra late in the 2-1 win against Colombia in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Seven years after winning the bid to host the tournament, the five-time champions already know that they can finish no higher than third place. The playoff - some argue the cruelest of the World Cup matches - is Saturday against the loser of the Netherlands- Argentina semifinal.
It was one of Brazil's heaviest losses in terms of goals conceded. It had lost 8-4 to Yugoslavia in a friendly in 1934. Tuesday's result equaled the margin of its previous worst defeat - the 6-0 loss to Uruguay in 1920.
Germany scored the most goals and the biggest margin of victory ever in a World Cup semifinal.
Van Persie has stomach complaint ahead of semi.
By MIKE CORDER (Associated Press)
Dutch captain and all-time top scorer Robin van Persie is in doubt for the World Cup semifinal against Argentina after succumbing to a stomach problem.
Van Persie trained separately on Tuesday with defender Daryl Janmaat and coach Louis van Gaal said both were suffering ''stomach and intestinal problems.''
Van Gaal said he would not rush into deciding whether Van Persie is fit to play at Sao Paulo's Itaquerao Stadium against the Lionel Messi-led Argentina.
Van Gaal said he would not rush into deciding whether Van Persie is fit to play at Sao Paulo's Itaquerao Stadium against the Lionel Messi-led Argentina.
''I have to make a decision tomorrow. I'm not going to do that today. We have more than a day,'' Van Gaal said. ''Van Persie is a very important player for us.''
Van Persie scored three times in the first two Dutch matches of the World Cup, including a spectacular diving header against defending champion Spain that was instantly hailed as one of the goals of the tournament.
But the Manchester United striker has struggled to hit the same rich vein of form since being suspended for the Netherlands' last Group B match after picking up two yellow cards.
Against Argentina, the prolific striker is looking to break a remarkable drought for a player of his caliber - he has never scored in the knockout stage of a major tournament.
In potential good news for the Dutch, midfield enforcer Nigel de Jong trained Tuesday and could play against Argentina, depending on how he feels Wednesday.
There were fears De Jong's World Cup was over when he limped off early in the first half of the second-round match against Mexico and tests confirmed the day after the come-from-behind 2-1 victory that he had torn a groin muscle. The team said he was likely out for two to four weeks, but De Jong battled back.
Van Gaal said the AC Milan midfielder would be checked Wednesday for possible adverse reactions to his training session, ''and if they are such that he can play then a miracle will have happened.''
Center back Ron Vlaar also returned to full training after injuring his knee in the penalty shootout victory over Costa Rica in the quarterfinals.
Van Gaal said he has developed a plan to beat Argentina in a semifinal that is a rematch of the 1978 World Cup final the Dutch lost 3-1 in extra time.
But the master tactician, who has just two more matches in charge of the Netherlands before joining Manchester United after the World Cup, said it could change on Wednesday depending on how the Argentinians play.
If the Dutch beat Argentina, they face Germany - the country that beat the Netherlands in the 1974 final - in the championship match at Rio's Maracana Stadium after the Germans humiliated Brazil 7-1 in the first semifinal.
Van Gaal has been nothing if not flexible with his tactical formations and substitutions at this World Cup. He has switched between a defensive 5-3-2 system and traditional Dutch attacking 4-3-3 formation, moved striker Dirk Kuyt to his defense and, most remarkably, substituted in bigger goalkeeper Tim Krul for Jasper Cillessen a minute before the end of extra time against Costa Rica because he figured Krul was a better penalty stopper.
So far, all Van Gaal's changes have worked out.
Despite Krul's shootout heroics - he dived the right way for every Costa Rica penalty and stopped two of them - Cillessen will again start for the Dutch, Van Gaal said.
Van Gaal said the match was too close to call.
''I don't think there's a favorite,'' he said. ''In the semifinals, the teams are each other's equals.''
And while Van Gaal said the Dutch were playing the entire Argentine team, he acknowledged they will have to find a way to stop Messi.
''If you score so many goals, you have something extra. And he always shows it on the biggest stages,'' Van Gaal said. But he added, ''he has sometimes had problems for the national team. He wants to change that and we want to make sure he doesn't.''
FIFA World Cup Scores. July 5, 2014 - July 8, 2014.
ESPN.com
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Argentina 1
Belgium 0
Netherlands (4) 0
Costa Rica (3) 0
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Brazil 1
Germany 7
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Building the Bears: How Chicago's offense flipped things around.
By Will Brinson
The Bears offense will be humming again in 2014. (USATSI)
You rarely see a 180-degree turn like the Bears pulled off in 2013. Chicago's identity -- for years, leading back to 1985's G.O.A.T. unit -- was its defense. And in what felt like the turn of a single calendar year, Phil Emery flipped everything.
2012's rendition of the Bears, coached by Lovie Smith and winners of 10 games, ranked third in points allowed, fifth in yards allowed and was Football Outsiders' top-ranked overall defense. The offense ranked 16th in points, 28th in yards and 26th in DVOA, a decidedly below-average unit.
Enter Mr. Hyde: 2013's Bears, coached by Marc Trestman and winners of eight games, were pathetic on defense, ranking 30th in both points and yards allowed, along with 25th in defensive DVOA. The offense was a revelation though, scoring the second-most points in the NFL and producing the eight-most points en route to becoming a top six unit in DVOA.
This was not your father's Bears or even your older brother's Bears. So how did we get here?
It all starts with Emery, who recognized the importance of offense in today's NFL when he took over.
“Our No. 1 goal always has to be to win championships, and to win championships we have to be in contention on a consistent basis, and to be in contention we have to make the playoffs on a consistent basis," Emery said the day he fired Smith. "We've had defensive excellence, but during the course of coach Smith's years here, we've had one offense that was ranked in the top 15."
Offense, clearly, became a priority.
Lovie Smith is a very good coach and a defensive guru -- the Bears won fewer games last year! -- but an offensive savant he is not. In my opinion, you need quality production on offense to consistently win football games. I'm not alone in thinking that; Emery clearly agrees.
Enter Trestman, a quarterback whisperer who coaxed an impressive half season out of Josh McCown (ironically now Smith's starting quarterback with the Buccaneers) in 2013.
But it wasn't just a coaching change that precipitated the improvement. Emery said then the Bears needed to "build" around Jay Cutler, the theoretical franchise quarterback acquired in a blockbuster 2009 deal from the Broncos.
Emery wasn't kidding.
That's the five-year breakdown of the Bears current offensive roster. Orange shade means the player is under contract, blue text means the player can't negotiate at all and blue shade means a team option year.
All but one of those players -- Cutler -- was acquired by Emery over the past three offseasons. Emery did sign Cutler to a recent lucrative extension, as well as locking down Brandon Marshall, who he acquired in a 2012 trade with the Dolphins that now looks like an absolute steal.
The amount of churning he did on the roster in such a short span is fairly incredible. Rebuilding an offense on the fly is incredibly difficult; setting it up for the long haul is even harder.
Emery did it without anyone really noticing.
Alshon Jeffery (a home run of a draft pick) and Marshall create the best wide receiver duo in the entire NFL. Combine the pair of "rebound receivers" (Marshall is 6'4", Jeffery is 6'3") with Martellus Bennett (6'6") and Matt Forte (6'2") and you're giving Cutler a quartet of massive targets at the skill positions.
Is every guy filling a position elite? Not at all. Roberto Garza is older but the Bears have depth with the very capable Brian De La Puente behind him. But the offensive line as a whole may be the biggest improvement, roster-churning wise, Emery made.
Remember, this unit was terrible in 2012. After ranking 24th in Football Outsiders' Adjusted Sack Rate two years ago, Chicago climbed to fifth in 2013. Kyle Long's future looks incredibly bright and Jordan Mills could be a steal. Matt Slauson doesn't miss games. Jermon Bushrod might find it tough to live up to his $36 million deal but he's still an upgrade over what the Bears had before.
Jay Cutler seems happier at least.
Philosophically there are some smart things going on here too. We noted the size of the players involved; it's not a dissimilar approach to what the Seahawks did in building their Super Bowl-winning defense and has some "Moneyball" tendencies, at least in terms of exploiting a market inefficiency (in this case size).
Most of these players aren't signed past their prime. Forte's a free agent at age 30 and by then the Bears will know if Ka'Deem Carey can step in. Only four guys -- Garza, Cutler, Marshall and Bushrod -- are in their 30s.
There's significant wiggle room thanks to the new CBA; several of the key players involved here aren't even eligible for extensions. That's just good drafting.
Every key offensive player save Garza (and Josh Morgan if you're being picky) is under contract for the next two years or longer. The Bears offense which, again, was second-best in terms of scoring points last year, isn't going away any time soon.
We're only talking about a .500 team from 2013, of course. The defense has to improve.
I'd argue, however, the defense's collapse doesn't correlate (at all) with the offense's success. If anything Smith was coaching up a dangerously aging defensive roster highly dependent on luck-driven stats like fumble recoveries.
People were holding their breath for years on the Bears defense ceasing to dominate. That it didn't cause this team to finish with a top-five draft pick is a testament to the offensive success.
They should be better than 2013 anyway. Emery made strides by bringing in Jared Allen, LaMarr Houston and Willie Young and then drafting a pair of defensive tackles in Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton. He addressed the secondary in the first round by selecting Kyle Fuller.
Every guy would need to make an immediate impact for this unit to turn things around immediately. But at the very least, Chicago should have, over the next few years, the thing Emery sought the day he took the job: offensive consistency.
Most of these players aren't signed past their prime. Forte's a free agent at age 30 and by then the Bears will know if Ka'Deem Carey can step in. Only four guys -- Garza, Cutler, Marshall and Bushrod -- are in their 30s.
There's significant wiggle room thanks to the new CBA; several of the key players involved here aren't even eligible for extensions. That's just good drafting.
Every key offensive player save Garza (and Josh Morgan if you're being picky) is under contract for the next two years or longer. The Bears offense which, again, was second-best in terms of scoring points last year, isn't going away any time soon.
We're only talking about a .500 team from 2013, of course. The defense has to improve.
I'd argue, however, the defense's collapse doesn't correlate (at all) with the offense's success. If anything Smith was coaching up a dangerously aging defensive roster highly dependent on luck-driven stats like fumble recoveries.
People were holding their breath for years on the Bears defense ceasing to dominate. That it didn't cause this team to finish with a top-five draft pick is a testament to the offensive success.
They should be better than 2013 anyway. Emery made strides by bringing in Jared Allen, LaMarr Houston and Willie Young and then drafting a pair of defensive tackles in Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton. He addressed the secondary in the first round by selecting Kyle Fuller.
Every guy would need to make an immediate impact for this unit to turn things around immediately. But at the very least, Chicago should have, over the next few years, the thing Emery sought the day he took the job: offensive consistency.
NFL's backward salary system hurts elite players like Jimmy Graham.
By Tony Gonzalez
Wednesday's ruling by an arbitrator that Jimmy Graham is a tight end instead of a wide receiver comes as no surprise to me and should come as no surprise to anyone else, including Jimmy Graham.
He is not a wide receiver. But he also is not a traditional tight end. Call it the Flex, Joker, Tight Wide or Tighty Widey position for all I care, but whatever you call it, he is among the three elite players at his position. He makes a strong case, if you judge by statistics, to be considered the best of those three elites. His statistics speak for themselves, and we will return to the numbers in a bit.
For now I want to share my experience during my contract negotiations with the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2001, my contract was up for renegotiation. In the three seasons leading up to the negotiations, I put up unprecedented numbers that weren't comparable to any other tight end in the league at the time. My agent was Tom Condon (Jimmy Graham's agent now) and he tried to get me paid like a wide receiver -- or according to what my production had been. The Chiefs' GM at the time was Carl Peterson, and his battle cry during the lengthy negotiation was, "you're not a receiver so I can't pay you like one."
Back and forth we went, the franchise tag was bestowed upon me, I missed all of camp but I ended up receiving the biggest contract for a tight end in NFL history. I should have been happy, right? Hell yeah, I was happy! I got paid and didn't have to go to a Dick Vermeil training camp.
Five years later, my contract was up again and the story played out the same, except this time I didn't get to miss training camp. Once again, I was blessed to sign the biggest contract for a tight end in NFL history. And once again I was happy, but something chewed at me as to how the whole system was working.
It didn't seem fair that no matter how many passes I caught or how many touchdowns I scored, I was considered a "lowly tight end" and would never be paid anywhere close to a salary as high as the elite wide receivers.
For those of you who don't know, the NFL is the only major professional sport league that slots players' salaries by position. For example, no matter how many sacks a linebacker puts up he will never be paid like an elite defensive end (example: Terrell Suggs). No matter how big a hole an offensive guard opens up for a 1,000-yard running back or how well he protects the franchise quarterback, he will never get a payday like the one he would get as an offensive tackle (example: Will Shields).
In the NBA, if you average 20 points and 10 rebounds, you will get a blockbuster deal no matter what position you play. In baseball, if you hit .300 or earn a Gold Glove, you'll be flying private jets for the rest of your life. I can think of a few terms to describe what's going on in the NFL like "backward," "lack of common sense" or "behind the times" but the one that makes the most sense is "discrimination." Salaries should be set based on production and contributions, not positions.
Compare those stats to the elite receivers -- and more importantly in this case his value to the team -- and you will see why Graham deserves to be paid according to his production and not his position. He will undoubtedly becomes the highest-paid tight end in history, and if managed right, he will never have to worry about money again.
But let's do some quick math. I anticipate he will sign somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million per year over five years, which is great money. But an elite wide receiver will make $14 million-$16 million per season. Let's say we even round down and give that receiver $13 million a year over the same span of five years; Jimmy Graham will miss out on $15 million as a tight end that he would make if classified as a receiver. Let's not forget that Graham is young and could easily play another 10 years, which means the same thing could happen to him for his next contract. He would miss out on that same $15 million again.
That is $30 million he won't get because he's called a tight end and because the NFL slots salaries based on position names instead of by production. So in light of Wednesday's decision against Jimmy Graham, it's not just a loss for him but a loss for every player that wears the shield.
Obviously, the way this system works plays in the favor of the teams and the NFL as a whole.
I don't anticipate it will be changed anytime soon, but for DeMaurice Smith and the Players Association, this issue should be a top priority the next time the CBA is negotiated. Because when it's all said and done, this issue isn't all about money -- it's about what's right.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks hire a familiar face as new goalie coach.
By Tracey Myers
The Chicago Blackhawks have hired their new goaltending coach. And the surname, at least, is a very familiar one.
Jimmy Waite was officially named the Blackhawks’ new goaltending coach on Monday afternoon, several weeks after Steve Weeks was let go by the organization. This Waite is indeed the brother of Stephane Waite, who was the team’s goalie coach before he took the same job with the Montreal Canadiens entering the 2013-14 season.
“I’m very excited to come back to the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that drafted me in 1987,” said Waite in a statement. “I look forward to working with Corey (Crawford) and Antti (Raanta), and to help contribute to the success of this organization.”
Jimmy Waite was officially named the Blackhawks’ new goaltending coach on Monday afternoon, several weeks after Steve Weeks was let go by the organization. This Waite is indeed the brother of Stephane Waite, who was the team’s goalie coach before he took the same job with the Montreal Canadiens entering the 2013-14 season.
“I’m very excited to come back to the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that drafted me in 1987,” said Waite in a statement. “I look forward to working with Corey (Crawford) and Antti (Raanta), and to help contribute to the success of this organization.”
As a goaltender, Waite played 106 career NHL games with the Blackhawks – who drafted him eighth overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft – the San Jose Sharks and the Phoenix Coyotes. His brother, Stephane, had a great relationship with Crawford in their time here.
“We are pleased to welcome Jimmy back to our organization in his new role,” said general manager Stan Bowman in a statement. “He has over two decades of professional hockey experience and will be a great addition to our coaching staff.”
Jamie Kompon leaving Blackhawks for job in WHL.
By Tracey Myers
Jamie Kompon has spent the past two seasons as the Blackhawks' assistant coach. Now he'll join another Hawks team in a bigger role.
Kompon will reportedly be introduced Wednesday as the new coach and general manager of the Portland Winterhawks, according to Gregg Drinnan. The Winterhawks play in the Western Hockey League. Kompon joined the Blackhawks' staff prior to the 2012-13 season that ended with the Blackhawks winning their second Stanley Cup in four seasons.
Kompon had hoisted the Cup with the Los Angeles Kings the season before that as part of their coaching staff.
Kompon had hoisted the Cup with the Los Angeles Kings the season before that as part of their coaching staff.
The 47-year-old Kompon also worked with Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville with the St. Louis Blues in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Projecting Carmelo Anthony's future with each team.
By Mark Strotman
There's a narrative in NBA free agency that top-tier players must choose between one of two options: money or a ring.
For whatever reason, those two scenarios for a player's future endeavors are considered mutually exclusive, with the common belief being that taking more money creates a bigger salary-cap hit, that a player considering free agency is doing so because his current team's outlook appears bleak and, thus, has a worse chance of winning if said player re-ups with his team (a team which, because of Bird Rights, can offer more years and money than any other team).
And this summer, Carmelo Anthony certainly falls under this category.
It appears the race for the seven-time All-Star's services has been narrowed to three teams: the Bulls, the Knicks and the Lakers. The Knicks may offer Anthony a maximum contract worth $129 million over five years, the Lakers can offer him a max deal worth $94 million over four years and the Bulls can offer him a four-year deal worth roughly $73 million, assuming Gar Forman moves some pieces around (CSN's Kevin Anderson breaks it all down here).
For whatever reason, those two scenarios for a player's future endeavors are considered mutually exclusive, with the common belief being that taking more money creates a bigger salary-cap hit, that a player considering free agency is doing so because his current team's outlook appears bleak and, thus, has a worse chance of winning if said player re-ups with his team (a team which, because of Bird Rights, can offer more years and money than any other team).
And this summer, Carmelo Anthony certainly falls under this category.
It appears the race for the seven-time All-Star's services has been narrowed to three teams: the Bulls, the Knicks and the Lakers. The Knicks may offer Anthony a maximum contract worth $129 million over five years, the Lakers can offer him a max deal worth $94 million over four years and the Bulls can offer him a four-year deal worth roughly $73 million, assuming Gar Forman moves some pieces around (CSN's Kevin Anderson breaks it all down here).
The Bulls can offer less money, but with Derrick Rose returning, Doug McDermott on board and a team that just won 48 games Anthony's best chance at that elusive ring resides in Chicago. At least as far as next year goes. While the Lakers and Knicks are both in relative rebuilding phases (the Knicks won 37 games and are in salary-cap hell, while the Lakers managed 27 wins in a brutal Western Conference) next year, Anthony is playing for more than 2015.
And with that, here's a look at the futures of the three teams Anthony is reportedly considering and where they stand to compete over the course of Anthony's hypothetical contract.
New York Knicks
If Anthony stays in New York on a maximum contract, the Knicks will be all but done in the free agency period. They'd be on the books for nearly $80 million in 2014-15, brushing up closely against the expected hard cap of $81 million. But the Knicks' pitiful 2014-15 outlook has been known for quite some time; Phil Jackson is building his team around next year's offseason when they'll have room to add another maximum contract, which in a best-case scenario could be Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo or Kevin Love. In 2016 they could even go after Kevin Durant, though it's hard to see the reigning MVP leaving Oklahoma City anytime soon.
So while as many as seven players' contracts could go off the books in 2015, the Knicks also have developing youth. Iman Shumpert will be paid in 2015, while youngsters Shane Larkin, Tim Hardaway Jr. and 2014 second-round pick Cleanthony Early all have solid upside to go with Jose Calderon being under contract through 2017. The Knicks also have their first-round pick in 2015, and should they struggle in 2014-15 (a likely scenario) that pick will return a top prospect.
It's also impossible to look past what Jackson can do. The Zen Master has 11 shiny championship rings he can place on a table at any free-agency meeting and he's placed his faith in Derek Fisher as head coach. Los Angeles has plenty of history and Chicago touts the best player of all-time, but should Anthony choose New York his team would be run by one of the best minds in basketball who will have plenty of freedom to upgrade the roster the next few years.
Los Angeles Lakers
Taking a page out of the Miami Heat's book, the Lakers completely gutted their roster this summer with nine unrestricted free agents. As of now they have six players on their roster, led by Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and first-round pick Julius Randle (Robert Sacre, Kendall Marshall and Jordan Clarkson are the others). Granted, Bryant will make $23.5 million next year despite coming off a six-game 2013-14 season, but the Lakers still have plenty of cap space with which to work.
Multiple reports have surfaced that the Lakers are interested in bringing back unrestricted free agent Pau Gasol should Anthony sign in Los Angeles, and while it would lack youth a "Big Three" of Bryant, Anthony and Gasol to go with Randle would give the Lakers one of the best cores in the league (assuming Bryant's health).
Bryant's future is the elephant in the room, as the Lakers really won't be able to let him walk after 2016 yet he'll command big money, presuming he doesn't fall off from a production standpoint in the next two years. If he still wants to play in 2016-17, the Lakers will find themselves in a situation the Heat are dealing with in Dwayne Wade. Still, the Lakers may have room to go after a third star in the coming years (Kevin Love?) to build around, though they are sending a top-5 protected first round pick to Phoenix in 2015. Bryant plays a huge role in all this, but it appears - at least in reports - that Anthony is strongly considering becoming the heir apparent to Bryant's Hall-of-Fame career.
Chicago Bulls
Perhaps the biggest headliner that came from Anthony's impressive visit to Chicago was that he watched Derrick Rose in a scheduled workout. Whether that was as big a deal as it was made out to be, Rose's health is the biggest question mark concerning the Bulls' future. But considering Russell Westbrook's and Rajon Rondo's successes post-serious knee injury, it's a safe assumption that the 25-year-old Rose will return to his old self in 2014-15.
Past the Chicago native's health, Joakim Noah is playing the best basketball of his career while Taj Gibson, if he isn't included in a sign-and-trade for Anthony, will enter the starting lineup with serious momentum. That core automatically puts the Bulls near the top of the Eastern Conference; even if LeBron James signs in Miami, only the Heat and Pacers would be real threats in the East.
It's unknown who would have to depart in order to make Anthony's contract work in Chicago, but in a best-case scenario the Bulls would hold on to Gibson and Jimmy Butler while also adding rookie Doug McDermott on the perimeter. It's unknown how Spanish forward Nikola Mirotic would fit in financially with Anthony in the mix, but the 23-year-old has significant upside and would add a deep threat to a team that needed it a year ago.
Any combination of the aforementioned role players would put together a championship contender in Chicago, and their window would be wide open with Rose, Gibson and Anthony all under contract through at least 2017 and Noah through 2016. And under the guidance of Tom Thibodeau, there's no reason to believe the Bulls won't continue competing in the East, perhaps to a championship level with Anthony on board.
All-Star Game 2014: Here are the AL and NL rosters.
By Justin McGuire
The American League and National League rosters for the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game were unveiled Sunday night. The 85th Midsummer Classic will be played Tuesday, July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis.
All but one of the 34 roster spots in each league were announced Sunday, with the final spot in each league determined by online voting. Below are the rosters for each league.
American League
Starting lineup (voted on by fans)
C: Matt Wieters, Orioles (injured, Salvador Perez of Royals will start)
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2B: Robinson Cano, Mariners
SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees
3B: Josh Donaldson, A's
OF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays (leading overall vote getter)
OF: Mike Trout, Angels
OF: Adam Jones, Orioles
DH: Nelson Cruz, Orioles
Pitchers
Yu Darvish, Rangers; Max Scherzer, Tigers; Felix Hernandez, Mariners; Yasahiro Tanaka, Yankees; Jon Lester, Red Sox; David Price, Rays; Scott Kazmir. A's; Mark Buehrle, Blue Jays; Sean Doolittle, A's; Greg Holland. Royals; Glen Perkins, Twins; Dellin Betances, Yankees.
Reserves
Catchers: Derek Norris, A's; Kurt Suzuki, Twins.
Infielders: Jose Abreu, White Sox; Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays (injured, replaced by Kyle Seager of Mariners); Jose Altuve, Astros; Adrian Beltre, Rangers; Alexei Ramirez, White Sox; Brandon Moss, A's.
Outfielders: Yoenis Cespedes, A's; Alex Gordon, Royals; Michael Brantley, Indians.
DH: Victor Martinez, Tigers.
"Final Vote” candidates: Chris Sale, White Sox; Corey Kluber, Indians; Rick Porcello, Tigers; Dallas Kuechel, Astros; Garrett Richards, Angels.
National League
Starting lineup (voted on by fans)
C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs
2B: Chase Utley, Phillies
SS: Troy Tulowitizki, Rockies (leading NL vote getter)
3B: Aramis Ramirez, Brewers
OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
OF: Carlos Gomez, Brewers
OF: Yasiel Puig, Dodgers
Pitchers
Johnny Cueto, Reds; Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers; Zack Greinke, Dodgers; Madison Bumgarner, Giants; Adam Wainwright, Cardinals; Tyson Ross, Padres; Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals; Julio Teheran, Braves; Craig Kimbrel, Braves; Aroldis Chapman, Reds; Francisco Rodriguez, Brewers; Tony Watson, Pirates; Pat Nechek, Cardinals.
Reserves
Catchers: Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers; Devin Mesoraco, Reds.
Infielders: Dee Gordon, Dodgers; Freddie Freeman, Braves; Starlin Castro, Cubs; Todd Frazier, Reds; Daniel Murphy, Mets; Matt Carpenter, Cardinals.
Outfielders: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins; Charlie Blackmon, Rockies; Hunter Pence, Giants.
Utility: Josh Harrison, Pirates.
"Final Vote”candidates: Justin Morneau, Rockies; Anthony Rizzo, Cubs; Anthony Rendon, Nationals; Casey McGehee, Marlins; Justin Upton, Braves.
NOTE: The "Final Vote" candidates are chosen by the fans by voting on the Internet. One player from the NL and one player from the AL will be chosen to fill out the rest of the team.
All but one of the 34 roster spots in each league were announced Sunday, with the final spot in each league determined by online voting. Below are the rosters for each league.
American League
Starting lineup (voted on by fans)
C: Matt Wieters, Orioles (injured, Salvador Perez of Royals will start)
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2B: Robinson Cano, Mariners
SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees
3B: Josh Donaldson, A's
OF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays (leading overall vote getter)
OF: Mike Trout, Angels
OF: Adam Jones, Orioles
DH: Nelson Cruz, Orioles
Pitchers
Yu Darvish, Rangers; Max Scherzer, Tigers; Felix Hernandez, Mariners; Yasahiro Tanaka, Yankees; Jon Lester, Red Sox; David Price, Rays; Scott Kazmir. A's; Mark Buehrle, Blue Jays; Sean Doolittle, A's; Greg Holland. Royals; Glen Perkins, Twins; Dellin Betances, Yankees.
Reserves
Catchers: Derek Norris, A's; Kurt Suzuki, Twins.
Infielders: Jose Abreu, White Sox; Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays (injured, replaced by Kyle Seager of Mariners); Jose Altuve, Astros; Adrian Beltre, Rangers; Alexei Ramirez, White Sox; Brandon Moss, A's.
Outfielders: Yoenis Cespedes, A's; Alex Gordon, Royals; Michael Brantley, Indians.
DH: Victor Martinez, Tigers.
"Final Vote” candidates: Chris Sale, White Sox; Corey Kluber, Indians; Rick Porcello, Tigers; Dallas Kuechel, Astros; Garrett Richards, Angels.
National League
Starting lineup (voted on by fans)
C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs
2B: Chase Utley, Phillies
SS: Troy Tulowitizki, Rockies (leading NL vote getter)
3B: Aramis Ramirez, Brewers
OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
OF: Carlos Gomez, Brewers
OF: Yasiel Puig, Dodgers
Pitchers
Johnny Cueto, Reds; Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers; Zack Greinke, Dodgers; Madison Bumgarner, Giants; Adam Wainwright, Cardinals; Tyson Ross, Padres; Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals; Julio Teheran, Braves; Craig Kimbrel, Braves; Aroldis Chapman, Reds; Francisco Rodriguez, Brewers; Tony Watson, Pirates; Pat Nechek, Cardinals.
Reserves
Catchers: Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers; Devin Mesoraco, Reds.
Infielders: Dee Gordon, Dodgers; Freddie Freeman, Braves; Starlin Castro, Cubs; Todd Frazier, Reds; Daniel Murphy, Mets; Matt Carpenter, Cardinals.
Outfielders: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins; Charlie Blackmon, Rockies; Hunter Pence, Giants.
Utility: Josh Harrison, Pirates.
"Final Vote”candidates: Justin Morneau, Rockies; Anthony Rizzo, Cubs; Anthony Rendon, Nationals; Casey McGehee, Marlins; Justin Upton, Braves.
NOTE: The "Final Vote" candidates are chosen by the fans by voting on the Internet. One player from the NL and one player from the AL will be chosen to fill out the rest of the team.
Curtis Strange says Tiger Woods is lying to himself if he thinks he's winning this British Open.
By Shane Bacon
In just over a week, the best in the world will take on Royal Liverpool as the third major championship of the year will kick off across the pond.
For the first time since Tiger Woods brilliantly out-thought Hoylake, this golf course will host the British Open, and Woods will be making his first major championship start of 2014 on this same track. The difference this time around is what we should expect from Tiger.
For the first time since Tiger Woods brilliantly out-thought Hoylake, this golf course will host the British Open, and Woods will be making his first major championship start of 2014 on this same track. The difference this time around is what we should expect from Tiger.
Back in 2006, Woods was the favorite at every major, winning whenever he got the lead at one of the big four and dominating these championships at such a rate that some thought he could win 25 majors before he retired. Of course, things have changed, and injury has kept Woods from competing at the level he wants at some of the biggest tournaments on the schedule.
That will again be the case next week, and with just one PGA Tour start under his belt following a back surgery that took place in March, a lot of people are counting out Woods' chances at Liverpool, including two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange.
Strange, the captain of the 2002 Ryder Cup team, told Reuters that he thinks Tiger is lying to himself if he says he's headed to Hoylake to win this championship.
"Even before his surgery, and his form was obviously hampered by his physical condition, he wasn't playing well so when you have an operation and you've been out for three months, you're not going to be a better player after doing that.
"If he goes to Hoylake saying, 'I'm here to win and that's the only thing', that would be him telling a lie to himself."I tend to agree with what Strange is saying about the expectations of both Tiger and us, the people that watch and cover the man. People see the name "Tiger Woods" and think of the way he used to play, but we have to remember that Woods hasn't won a major championship since 2008 and no Claret Jug since that performance at this golf course in '06.
Tiger played some great golf a season ago on the PGA Tour, and despite no major wins, he did dominate at a lot of different golf courses on his way to five wins. But it's a little bit of the same thing there, as this Woods isn't the same guy as he was a season ago. He's had surgery, been away from tournament golf for a while and will need to get in some rounds with the ropes up and the galleries full before he can feel totally comfortable in that type of situation.
When Woods gets to a tournament, winning might be on his mind, but for this week at Royal Liverpool, making the cut, avoiding injury and trying to hone in that short game might be more realistic goals as his golf rehab is still just getting started.
Investors Are Buying Troubled Golf Courses and Giving Them Makeovers.
By Sarah Max
When the Gaillardia Golf and Country Club opened in 1998, it was to be the crown jewel of golf in Oklahoma City, complete with an 18-hole P.G.A. championship course and a 55,000-square-foot clubhouse of Norman-style architecture. The Gaylord family, best known as Oklahoma media moguls and owners of the Grand Ole Opry, sank a reported $59 million into the project.
Over the next 15 years, however, the course changed hands and fell into disrepair as a glut of new courses and declining demand punished the market. Finally, early this year, Gaillardia was sold to Concert Golf Partners, an investment firm based in Newport Beach, Calif., which assumed $7 million in loans and now owns the property free and clear.
“Between 1998 and 2005 there would have been a bidding war,” said Peter Nanula, the chairman of Concert Golf who previously ran Arnold Palmer Golf Management.
While golf is still anathema to many investment portfolios, investors who have the cash see the current market as an opportunity to scoop up distressed clubs and revamp their business models.
“It’s certainly a buyer’s market,” said Larry Hirsh, president of Golf Property Analysts. “There are a lot of distressed courses, financing is difficult and most buyers don’t have the ability to write a check.”
Valuations for golf courses — and golf course debt — have been slow to recover even as most asset classes have recovered from the financial crisis. Last year was the eighth consecutive year of net club closings, according to the National Golf Foundation, with 157 closings and 14 openings. Most existing courses, meanwhile, are still worth far less than they were before the recession.
Several factors have been dragging down the industry, experts say, including changing family dynamics, overbuilding in the late 1990s and an absence of lenders.
In 2007, the three big players in this area — GE Capital, Textron and Capmark — had more than $2 billion in golf loans outstanding, which were already in decline, Mr. Nanula said. In 2012, that number was just $500 million. Today, what lending is done is extremely fragmented, with interest rates starting about 7 percent and loan-to-value ratios around 50 percent, compared with 90 percent before the recession.
“It would be like if Wells Fargo and Chase suddenly quit making home loans,” he said, noting that lenders left the market for a variety of reasons, not all of them related to loan performance.
But that has opened the door for investors like Mr. Nanula, who raised his $50 million private equity fund in 2012 and has since bought eight golf course clubs and loans. In 2013, the asset management giant Fortress Investment Group began financing Arcis Equity Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm that specializes in leisure. In March, Tower Three Partners of Greenwich, Conn., took a majority stake in the Heritage Golf Group, an owner and operator of premier private, resort and daily fee golf properties.
Foreign investors are also joining the game. Heritage Est. St. Andrews, based in Luxembourg, recently formed a fund to invest in and enhance undervalued golf properties. Pacific Links International of Canada began acquiring clubs in 2012 and now owns 10 in the United States, bringing its network of owned, affiliate and reciprocal clubs to more than 100 worldwide.
Last September, the world’s largest owner and operator of private clubs, ClubCorp Holdings, went public at $14 a share. The Dallas-based company, which had been owned by the private equity firm KSL Capital Partners, has used the injection of capital to add to its portfolio of clubs and eventually pay off its high-yield debt. It now owns 109 golf and country clubs in 23 states and Mexico. Its shares climbed as high as $19.30 in May and closed at $18.63 on Thursday.
More golf courses are likely to close over the next couple of years, said Eric Affeldt, ClubCorp’s chief executive, but for the right clubs in the right markets, the tide is turning. “We sold more memberships last year than at any time over the last 10 years,” he said. “As capacity returns to a healthier level, things should only improve.”
Though the housing boom and easy access to credit helped pave the way for hundreds of new courses, the buildup began decades earlier. From 1986 through 2005, about 4,200 net new golf courses were added in the United States, a 40 percent increase, according to the National Golf Foundation.
The biggest frenzy was in the late 1990s, Mr. Affeldt said, after an “erroneous report” said that the supply of golf courses would not be sufficient to accommodate retiring baby boomers. Between 1994 and 1999, the market added on average a net 343 courses a year.
What the projections did not account for, however, was changing behavior among retirees. “Prior to 2000, the assumption was that boomers would behave the same as retirees in the 1950s through 1990s — people would retire and get a membership at a golf club,” said Douglas Main, director of real estate consulting with Deloitte Transaction and Business Analytics. While plenty of baby boomers still love to golf, he said, many are working longer, traveling more and taking up other leisure activities.
Meanwhile, the younger set has not given the industry much of a bump. “The family dynamic has changed,” Mr. Hirsh said. “Dad’s not leaving for the golf course at 8 o’clock Saturday morning and coming home just in time for dinner.”
Consequently, for more than a decade, the number of rounds played has been down or flat.
Though the industry as a whole has been under a black cloud, not all clubs are losing money. The clubs that have held up best are those in densely populated areas with limited land on which to develop, Mr. Main noted. “You can have a club in Chicago doing better than one in Florida or Texas, even after you factor for the weather,” he said.
The worst off are those developed in the last 15 years as part of a residential community off the beaten path. “They’re relying solely on demand from that community,” Mr. Main added. Indeed, many of the new courses built during the housing boom were meant to be subsidized by home sales. When the bottom fell out of the housing market, developers had no way to pay for the expensive amenity. In many cases they defaulted on their loans, which are now getting scooped up by investors.
“Golf courses have high fixed costs,” Mr. Nanula said. “At a typical course, it’s at least $500,000 a year just to mow the grass.” Moreover, many clubs are mismanaged, he said. “The typical dynamic at a private club is that it’s not run with profit in mind but with the idea of making the place fabulous,” he said. As a result, he said, “we consistently see clubs that have no rhyme or reason on spending.”
As such, investors focus primarily on buying private clubs — annual and monthly dues are “stickier” than daily fees on public courses — and turning around the operations.
While the right location and management is crucial, the golf clubs that are doing well have also evolved from being golf centric to family centric. “It’s now golf with a small ‘g’ instead of a capital ‘G,’ ” Mr. Affeldt said, explaining that ClubCorp is refreshing food and beverage operations, relaxing dress codes and adding water parks, tennis courts and fitness facilities. Case in point: His home club, Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas. “Kids are playing putt-putt golf and running around in their bare feet while grandmas do water aerobics,” he said. “It’s the epitome of a multiuse, multigenerational club.”
The pool of buyers has improved considerably over the past year, said Jeff Woolson, managing director of CBRE’s golf and resort division, but that has not necessarily driven up prices.
Rather than base their offers on the value of the real estate, as many did in the past, buyers are focusing on the cash flow generated by the business. “This is a fundamental change,” Mr. Woolson said. “Prior to the recession, we didn’t even talk about gross revenue multipliers.”
Before the financial crisis, buyers were paying the equivalent of 11 to 14 times net income, he said. Now, the going rate for a well-run course is in line with other businesses, typically six to eight times net income, he said — assuming there is income.
The change is warranted, Mr. Woolson said, because most courses left on the market have deed restrictions that preclude developing them for other purposes. “Where people got into trouble was thinking golf is a real estate investment,” he said. “Golf courses are a real estate asset only insomuch as they use real estate in association with their business.”
In fact, golf courses typically cost more to build than they are worth. “They’re like new cars,” Mr. Hirsh added. “They’re worth less the minute you drive off the lot.”
Aric Almirola gets 43 car first win since 1999.
Seth Livingstone, NASCAR Wire Service
Coke Zero 400 shortened to 112 laps because of rain.
The rain and the wrecks kept on coming at Daytona International Speedway in Sunday's 56th running of the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola.
When the carnage from two major contender-claiming incidents was over, it was Aric Almirola who not only survived but claimed his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory and took the giant step toward punching his ticket into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Running the iconic No. 43 with the U.S. Air Force on the hood for July 4 weekend, Almirola's win came on the 30th anniversary of team owner Richard Petty's 200th Cup victory.
"I'm more concerned with getting my first win than what happened 30 years ago," admitted Almirola during the race's third red-flag delay for a thunderstorm that eventually halted the race with 48 scheduled laps remaining.
Not that Almirola, who edged Brian Vickers and Kurt Busch for the win, had no sense of history or what his triumph might mean to Richard Petty Motorsports.
"Man, I just took the 43 car to victory at Daytona," said Almirola, standing under an umbrella in Victory Lane. "This is amazing.
"I grew up two hours away from here in Tampa and grew up in those stands, watching Daytona 500s and Firecracker 400s -- and grew up dreaming about what it would be like to win here."
Richard Petty wasn't at Daytona on Sunday but reveled in the victory via phone.
"Today is the future," Petty said. "To be able to win a race down there, win it for the Air Force on the Fourth of July, the whole thing is great. We've had so many disappointments -- and it rained on us today. But it rained on us at the right time.
"You know, I don't ever give up on anything. Looking back on the history of Petty Enterprises -- the turmoil we've been through the last seven or eight years ... I've always said is that if I keep working on it long enough, you're going to overcome all of these things. One win doesn't get you over the hump but it makes it easier to go on from here."
With the No. 43's first victory at Daytona since 1984 and first Cup win at any track since John Andretti's victory at Martinsville Speedway in 1999, Almirola can now dream about what it will be like to pilot the No. 43 in the Chase.
"Yes, and deservedly so for this race team," he said. "Now we're going to be a part of that, to have the opportunity, not only to take (our sponsors) to Victory Lane, but to have that added exposure of the Chase. It is really cool to give back to those people who took a chance on me and took a chance on our race team."
The victory was the third consecutively for Ford, which last won three in a row in 2005 with victories by Greg Biffle (2) and Carl Edwards.
Biffle, who led the race briefly but finished 29th, predicted chaos when he watched drivers such as David Gilliland, Landon Cassill and Reed Sorenson, not among the points leaders, battling at the front of the field early on. Biffle called it some of the craziest racing he'd ever seen. But he never saw the massive incident on Lap 98 brewing.
"The beginning of (the race) was crazy when the 40 and 36 and 38 were dicing for the lead," he said. "Then it calmed down and we had a green-flag pit cycle. (The 26-car crash) was just a chain reaction. This wasn't (about craziness) at all. This was pretty calm."
Sunday's first big-time wreck occurred on Lap 20, just before NASCAR's scheduled competition caution. Sixteen cars were involved, including the top six drivers in the point standings.
Near the front of the field, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got a bit loose. Jeff Gordon, looking to avoid him, tapped Tony Stewart and the chaos was on. Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Edwards, Kyle Larson and AJ Allmendinger joined Stenhouse and Stewart in the garage with substantial damage.
"A half-lap from getting a competition caution and Stenhouse is going to be a hero," said Stewart, among the perennial contenders to note of some wild racing at the front of the pack. "I guess Ricky thought it paid something to get to Lap 20. I don't know what happened to him, but he took out a bunch of good cars right there."
Stenhouse deflected the criticism.
"It just got loose," Stenhouse said. "We had a full head of steam. The 24 (Gordon) was pushing me pretty good there and the 33 (Bobby Labonte) pulled out ahead of us and blocked. I checked up a little and all of a sudden we got hit in the left rear. "
The second incident also began near the front of the pack when Biffle got into the back of the weekend's NASCAR Nationwide Series race winner Kasey Kahne. That contact sent Kahne and Joey Logano spinning in action that collected a total of 26 cars.
The chaos left Almirola on the lead with Kurt Busch and Vickers in pursuit. It also left Kyle Busch upside down in his Joe Gibbs Toyota.
"I knew it was going to be big as far up (in the field) as I was," Kahne said. "I was getting hit from behind and I just started spinning. It's kind of scary. I think my car got airborne. I have never had that happen before and it's a helpless feeling when you're getting hit as you are in the air. I was more concerned when I got out and saw Kyle on his roof. I wasn't sure why he wasn't getting out with his car being upside down on the track."
Kyle Busch was able to manage a bit of levity even after his car was plowed into by Cole Whitt, toppling it onto its roof.
"Just hanging out," Busch radioed, indicating he was OK. "It felt like a slow carnival ride. I guess that's fitting for 4th of July weekend but not here in Daytona. I just got T-boned there at the end and it just kind of toppled me over."
Note: Kurt Busch's No. 41 car will undergo a tech investigation at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, after a split track bar was discovered.
The rain and the wrecks kept on coming at Daytona International Speedway in Sunday's 56th running of the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola.
When the carnage from two major contender-claiming incidents was over, it was Aric Almirola who not only survived but claimed his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory and took the giant step toward punching his ticket into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Running the iconic No. 43 with the U.S. Air Force on the hood for July 4 weekend, Almirola's win came on the 30th anniversary of team owner Richard Petty's 200th Cup victory.
"I'm more concerned with getting my first win than what happened 30 years ago," admitted Almirola during the race's third red-flag delay for a thunderstorm that eventually halted the race with 48 scheduled laps remaining.
Not that Almirola, who edged Brian Vickers and Kurt Busch for the win, had no sense of history or what his triumph might mean to Richard Petty Motorsports.
"Man, I just took the 43 car to victory at Daytona," said Almirola, standing under an umbrella in Victory Lane. "This is amazing.
"I grew up two hours away from here in Tampa and grew up in those stands, watching Daytona 500s and Firecracker 400s -- and grew up dreaming about what it would be like to win here."
Richard Petty wasn't at Daytona on Sunday but reveled in the victory via phone.
"Today is the future," Petty said. "To be able to win a race down there, win it for the Air Force on the Fourth of July, the whole thing is great. We've had so many disappointments -- and it rained on us today. But it rained on us at the right time.
"You know, I don't ever give up on anything. Looking back on the history of Petty Enterprises -- the turmoil we've been through the last seven or eight years ... I've always said is that if I keep working on it long enough, you're going to overcome all of these things. One win doesn't get you over the hump but it makes it easier to go on from here."
With the No. 43's first victory at Daytona since 1984 and first Cup win at any track since John Andretti's victory at Martinsville Speedway in 1999, Almirola can now dream about what it will be like to pilot the No. 43 in the Chase.
"Yes, and deservedly so for this race team," he said. "Now we're going to be a part of that, to have the opportunity, not only to take (our sponsors) to Victory Lane, but to have that added exposure of the Chase. It is really cool to give back to those people who took a chance on me and took a chance on our race team."
The victory was the third consecutively for Ford, which last won three in a row in 2005 with victories by Greg Biffle (2) and Carl Edwards.
Biffle, who led the race briefly but finished 29th, predicted chaos when he watched drivers such as David Gilliland, Landon Cassill and Reed Sorenson, not among the points leaders, battling at the front of the field early on. Biffle called it some of the craziest racing he'd ever seen. But he never saw the massive incident on Lap 98 brewing.
"The beginning of (the race) was crazy when the 40 and 36 and 38 were dicing for the lead," he said. "Then it calmed down and we had a green-flag pit cycle. (The 26-car crash) was just a chain reaction. This wasn't (about craziness) at all. This was pretty calm."
Sunday's first big-time wreck occurred on Lap 20, just before NASCAR's scheduled competition caution. Sixteen cars were involved, including the top six drivers in the point standings.
Near the front of the field, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got a bit loose. Jeff Gordon, looking to avoid him, tapped Tony Stewart and the chaos was on. Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Edwards, Kyle Larson and AJ Allmendinger joined Stenhouse and Stewart in the garage with substantial damage.
"A half-lap from getting a competition caution and Stenhouse is going to be a hero," said Stewart, among the perennial contenders to note of some wild racing at the front of the pack. "I guess Ricky thought it paid something to get to Lap 20. I don't know what happened to him, but he took out a bunch of good cars right there."
Stenhouse deflected the criticism.
"It just got loose," Stenhouse said. "We had a full head of steam. The 24 (Gordon) was pushing me pretty good there and the 33 (Bobby Labonte) pulled out ahead of us and blocked. I checked up a little and all of a sudden we got hit in the left rear. "
The second incident also began near the front of the pack when Biffle got into the back of the weekend's NASCAR Nationwide Series race winner Kasey Kahne. That contact sent Kahne and Joey Logano spinning in action that collected a total of 26 cars.
The chaos left Almirola on the lead with Kurt Busch and Vickers in pursuit. It also left Kyle Busch upside down in his Joe Gibbs Toyota.
"I knew it was going to be big as far up (in the field) as I was," Kahne said. "I was getting hit from behind and I just started spinning. It's kind of scary. I think my car got airborne. I have never had that happen before and it's a helpless feeling when you're getting hit as you are in the air. I was more concerned when I got out and saw Kyle on his roof. I wasn't sure why he wasn't getting out with his car being upside down on the track."
Kyle Busch was able to manage a bit of levity even after his car was plowed into by Cole Whitt, toppling it onto its roof.
"Just hanging out," Busch radioed, indicating he was OK. "It felt like a slow carnival ride. I guess that's fitting for 4th of July weekend but not here in Daytona. I just got T-boned there at the end and it just kind of toppled me over."
Note: Kurt Busch's No. 41 car will undergo a tech investigation at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, after a split track bar was discovered.
Montoya wins IndyCar race at Pocono.
AFP
Former Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya won his first open-wheel race in North America in 14 years by capturing the IndyCar Series race on Sunday.
The Colombian and Team Penske driver crossed the finish line 2.34 seconds in front of teammate Helio Castroneves in the 500 mile event at the Pocono Raceway.
Montoya's last open-wheel victory came in a CART race at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis in 2000. That same year he won the Indianapolis 500 in Indiana.
"This guy is incredible, coming back after 15 years. I knew he would be a headache for us," said Castroneves of Montoya who claimed his maiden pole in the series on Saturday.
The 38-year-old Montoya seized the lead with four laps to go when Tony Kanaan, who had led a race-high 78 laps, was forced to pit for fuel in the event which has been dubbed the second leg of IndyCar's "Triple Crown".
"You have got to be patient and run smart," Montoya said. "If you do everything right then the winning will come."
Montoya joined IndyCar this season after spending time in Formula One from 2001-2006. He also competed in the American NASCAR series for several years.
This event awards double points for the top finishers, allowing runner-up Castroneves, of Brazil, to move into a tie with another Penske driver, Will Power, in the championship point standings. Heading into Sunday's race, Power had a 39-point advantage.
Australia's Power led for 69 laps but received a drive-through penalty late in the race for blocking teammate Castroneves. He wound up finishing 10th, one spot ahead of Kanaan.
Power didn't think he deserved the penalty saying, "I was heading that way."
Rookie Carlos Munoz finished third, while Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon rounded out the top-five. Dixon won last year's race at Pocono, which was 400-miles long, and then went on to capture his third IndyCar championship.
Winning a Battle of the Mind, Not to Mention the Backhands.
Novak Djokovic went to hell and back to win his second Wimbledon title Sunday.
Djokovic defeated Roger Federer, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4, in a high-quality final, overcoming adversity that would send most tennis players to their knees.
It could have easily gone Federer’s way. He clawed back from 2-5 in the fourth set to rattle off five straight games, saving a match point along the way with an ace, and he had all the momentum with one set to play and the crowd roaring its support of his attempt to win an eighth title.
Djokovic could have gone away, as he said he did last month in the French Open final against Rafael Nadal. Not this time.
“I could have easily lost my concentration in the fifth set and just handed him the win,” Djokovic said. “But I didn’t, and that’s why this win has a special importance to me mentally. Because I managed to not just win against my opponent but win against myself as well and find that inner strength that got me the trophy today.”
It was a victory of the mind and also a victory in strategy. Federer dominated the majority of the offensive totals, but Djokovic locked down two important defensive categories: the battle of backhands and second serves.
Djokovic’s backhand was a defensive rock (only 10 unforced errors in five grueling sets). It was also an offensive weapon: it racked up 18 winners to Federer’s four. In a match in which almost every other statistical battle finished more or less even, this was a notable difference that helped the Serb get over the line at the end of the match.
The majority of Djokovic’s backhand winners were a result of his defensive nature. Federer attacked the net 67 times in five sets and 11 of Djokovic’s backhand winners were scorching passing shots, particularly down the line.
The forehand battle ended evenly, with Djokovic edging Federer, 24 winners to 19, and the Serb committing 58 errors to Federer’s 56. With forehands basically canceling each other out, it was the backhand battle where Djokovic could mentally and physically lean on Federer.
Djokovic won 48 percent (93 of 193) of points when he was standing at the baseline when a point ended. Federer won considerably less, at 40 percent (65 of 161). The strength of Djokovic’s backhand is the separator in those numbers.
Djokovic also won the honors in the critical second serve battle as well.
Federer was at his very best hitting clutch first serves for the entire match to either get out of a jam or extend his lead. He enjoyed 36 percent (67 of 187) unreturned serves for the match, made an extremely high 69 percent of first serves and won 77 percent of them. On most days that is enough on its own to wrap your hands around the golden trophy.
But as soon as Federer missed his first serve, Djokovic switched from defense to offense to find a crack in Federer’s game. Federer won a tournament-low 44 percent (26 of 59) second-serve points for the match, which enabled Djokovic to keep the pressure high. Leading into the final, Federer had won a ridiculous 68 percent in this critical area, which illustrates just how dominant Djokovic was in this key battleground.
Djokovic took a medical timeout at the start of the fifth set for a leg injury, and Federer needed to put him away right there. But Djokovic was able to hang around and hold his early service games, conserving his energy and building inner strength for one last push to victory. It came with a break with Federer serving at 4-5. Djokovic started the game with two excellent defensive efforts and was as amazed as anyone else that he was the Wimbledon champion a few points later.
“I didn’t allow my emotions to fade away, as it was probably the case in Roland Garros,” Djokovic said in his postmatch interview. He kept his head, and now he gets to keep a second Wimbledon title.
NCAA suggests contact limits for football practice.
By SCHUYLER DIXON (AP Sports Writer)
The NCAA is suggesting that football teams hold no more than two contact practices per week during the season in guidelines that grew out of a safety and concussion summit early this year.
Practice limits were among several recommendations released Monday by the NCAA, which called them guidelines that could change ''in real time'' rather than rules passed through legislation.
The practice guidelines also recommend four contact practices per week during the preseason and no more than eight of the 15 sessions during spring football. The NCAA already has legislation regarding preseason and spring practices.
The governing body of college sports is also suggesting that schools have independent doctors to evaluate injuries and a ''return to learn'' process for integrating athletes back into their academic work after they have been diagnosed with a concussion.
By recommending the regular-season limit of two contact practices per week, the NCAA is essentially joining a growing chorus in college football. It's already in place in the Ivy League and Pac-12, and many teams have cut back on the number of contact practices, defined as any workout involving tackling or full-speed blocking.
''When we were working with the coaches and talking to them about this, it was amazing to see how many already were self-regulating because they realize that when the kids are beat up, they just aren't as ready to perform as well,'' Dr. Brian Hainline, chief medical officer for the NCAA, told The Associated Press. ''And some of them have a very illuminated view of this because they also understand that when kids are beat up, they're at a greater risk of injury.''
There isn't overwhelming evidence that a reduction in contact practices leads to fewer concussions, but common sense is at play for coaches who are cutting back on contact work, said Scott Anderson, Oklahoma's athletic trainer and president of the College Athletic Trainers' Society.
''We're acting on what we know,'' Anderson said. ''The more contact, and the more intense the contact, the more likely that a concussion is to occur.''
Hainline said one of the highlights for him coming out of the Safety in College Football Summit in Atlanta in January was a suggestion for schools to develop a program for getting athletes back up to speed academically after they sustain a concussion. Most of those discussions historically have involved getting a player ready to return to the field.
The academic guideline says the group making the decisions should include coaches, doctors, athletic trainers, counselors and professors.
''It's not only talking about the health and safety of the student-athletes,'' Hainline said. ''It's a concussion guideline where we're saying, 'Look, these kids are students first and we have to make certain that if they have a concussion, there's a good return-to-learn pathway for them.'''
The guidelines suggest that medical decisions regarding players should be made ''independently of a coach'' and that a physician should be a medical director over a head athletic trainer. That medical team should have ''unchallengeable autonomous authority'' regarding a player's return to the field.
''What we're (trying) to establish with these guidelines is the perception and the reality that the physician is the lynchpin,'' Anderson said.
Hainline and Anderson also said they wanted concussion and medical evaluation protocols used in all sports, even though the summit only said football in the title.
''It was really athlete safety, knowing and understanding that the concussion experience isn't just a football issue,'' Anderson said. ''It extends to virtually all athletes in all sports, some at greater risk than others.''
Chris Collins is optimistic about the future of Northwestern basketball.
By Scott Phillips
Northwestern finished 14-19 last season in head coach Chris Collins’ first season at the helm, but you would never tell the Wildcats had a losing record by the way Collins is brimming with enthusiasm over his program.
Although the Big Ten program located in the Chicago suburb of Evanston has a well-documented dry spell when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, Collins is hoping that his pedigree and hard work will pay off, as he sees Northwestern as a place where a winning program can be built.
“I think coming into it I was really excited, but you’re also a little bit nervous because you never really know fully what to expect until you’ve been through it. You live in a place for a year and you really get to know how to build it, and for me, I’m even more excited for our potential to build a competitive program after being here,” Collins told NBCSports.com
At the recent team camp held on Northwestern’s campus, Collins evaluated high school basketball prospects with his staff. His father, former NBA head coach Doug Collins, was also alongside of him through much of the afternoon.
When approached by players, coaches or parents at the camp, Collins maintained the same positive approach about the things that Northwestern has to offer: Big Ten basketball, a top-notch education and being in the near suburbs of one of the biggest basketball markets in the world.
Those selling points, along with Collins’ reputation from Duke and USA Basketball, helped Northwestern land a talented five-man class entering the 2014-15 season and he hopes to keep the ball rolling on the recruiting trail in year two.
“I felt like the response has been even more positive [since the first recruiting class],” Collins said. “People feel like we’re a program on the rise and our future is really bright. We’ve hopefully become an option for players that want to play in our market and be at a school that’s great academically where you can compete against the best every night.”
On paper, Northwestern’s 2013-14 season doesn’t look particularly good. At 6-12, the Wildcats finished tied for 10th in the Big Ten with Penn State, but Collins took over a situation where his team had to adjust from Bill Carmody’s Princeton-style offense while also lacking enough healthy bodies to compete on a day-to-day basis.
But Northwestern still had some impressive wins — including a win at Wisconsin and over Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament — and the team never stopped fighting and playing hard. “Our toughness on the floor; our competitiveness. Those are things that you can carry on each year,” Collins said.
Last season, Collins had only 10 players to work with in practice and this year he has more of a complete roster to work with. That roster will also be adjusted to the way Collins wants to play.
“Last year we only had 10 guys and that’s not a lot of bodies. Now we’re up to 13 guys, I feel like we have more options. The competition level in practice I think is going to go way up,” Collins said. “Coming in last year, even though we had a lot of veteran players, it felt like they were newcomers again. I feel like I have six veterans coming back now that understand things and can really help our young players.”
Collins has seen the positive vibes on the recruiting trail pay off, but now he’s in for another season where he has to play a lot of young players and players that lack Big Ten experience. Although he spent his playing career and much of his college coaching career in the ACC, Collins has a new respect for the Big Ten after spending a season on the bench.
“The thing I’ll say about being in the Big Ten, as much as I respected it coming in, I have even a greater respect for the level of coaching we have in this conference,” Collins said. “There wasn’t a game we played out of 18 games where you didn’t have a well-coached team that was prepared and scouted and have good players and wasn’t ready to play. I think top-to-bottom, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better league in terms of coaching.”
Northwestern will continue to build slowly, as they look to make a postseason appearance under Collins, and the question will always be asked about the Wildcats’ chances to make the NCAA Tournament. Collins realizes that he’ll face the additional pressure of coaching at a school that’s never made an NCAA Tournament appearance despite playing in the Big Ten since 1953 and his goal isn’t just to make one trip to March Madness. Collins wants to regularly take Northwestern to the NCAA Tournament.
“To me, it’s not an “if” it’s a “when.” My goal is not to be a team that makes the NCAA Tournament, my goal is to be a team that consistently makes the NCAA Tournament,” Collins said. “Now, you can’t skip steps, and the first step is getting there for the first time, but I welcome expectations. I come from a situation at Duke where if we lost one game, it’s all that was talked about nationally for about a week. My dad was a pro athlete; eyes have always been on me. I feel like when it comes to expectations, and all of those things, I’m kind of immune to it because I have my own expectations and I hold myself to my own standard — and it’s a high one. So I don’t let that outside influence affect me in any way.”
Kittel wins 4th Tour stage as Froome takes a spill.
By JAMEY KEATEN
Marcel Kittel sprinted to his third stage victory at the Tour de France on Tuesday, while defending champion Chris Froome had a scare in a crash that scuffed up his left side and wrist before a tough day ahead on cobblestones.
Astana team leader Vincenzo Nibali of Italy, who kept the yellow jersey, decried a "crazy race" in the 163.5-kilometer (101-mile) Stage 4 along the Belgian border as cycling's big event entered France after a wildly popular three-day start in England.
Unlike his wins in Stages 1 and 3, when he made victory look easy, Kittel eked out victory by a half-wheel length at the end of the ride from Le Touquet-Paris Plage to Lille Metropole.
Kittel, of the Giant-Shimano team, didn't celebrate this time but panted and, instead, it was runner-up Alexander Kristoff of Norway who swatted the air in frustration after being pipped at the line by the barreling German. French rider Arnaud Demare was third.
After a difficult day because of crosswinds and jumpy nerves in the peloton, Kittel said of his seventh career Tour stage win, "It's never easy ... (I was) lucky just enough at the finish line."
Froome, the Team Sky leader, fell early in the stage after a rider bumped another into the Briton's front wheel. He got up, got bandaged, and got back to the pack. Afterward, team boss Dave Brailsford said Froome would undergo X-rays as a precaution.
Slovak star Peter Sagan also went down in a spill, and he too recovered to finish.
"It was a crazy race," said Nibali, describing how his team informed him through his earpiece about Froome's mishap, and went back to see whether he was OK. Froome responded, "more or less," according to the Italian. Froome went straight into the team bus and didn't speak to reporters after the stage.
He skinned up his left knee, left elbow and hurt his left wrist in the crash, and was treated by race doctor Florence Pommerie before rejoining the peloton. She told French TV the injuries were mostly superficial and amounted to "essentially a few scratches."
Froome and two-time champ Alberto Contador are among 20 riders who trail Nibali by two seconds.
An aching wrist could mean pain ahead for Froome. The peloton rolls over nine patches of bumpy cobblestones on Wednesday, which could make for a joint-jarring ride and prevent him from keeping his hands on the handlebars.
Many race experts believe Wednesday's 155.5 kilometers (97 miles) from Ypres, Belgium, to Arenberg Port du Hainaut, France, could offer the first big shakeout among the contenders because of the treacherous cobblestones.
"Tomorrow, we just have to make it through the day," Nibali said. "Let's hope it's not raining."
Before the fourth stage, 2010 winner Andy Schleck dropped out because of a crash injury a day earlier. On Sunday, British sprinter Mark Cavendish quit the race after crashing in the final sprint in Stage 1 and damaging his right shoulder.
Kittel has already acknowledged that his job is easier without Cavendish in the race. The Giant-Shimano rider is not a threat for the yellow jersey: Kittel is not a good climber, and lost nearly 20 minutes to Nibali in an up-and-down Stage 2.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, July 9, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1968 - The first All-Star baseball game to be played indoors took place at the Astrodome in Houston, TX.
1985 - Herschel Walker of the New Jersey Generals was named the Most Valuable Player in the United States Football League (USFL).
1985 - Joe Namath signed a five-year pact with ABC-TV to provide commentary for "Monday Night Football."
1997 - Mike Tyson was banned from the boxing ring and fined $3 million for biting the ear of opponent Evander Holyfield.
2000 - Pete Sampras of the United States set a record when he won the men's singles tennis championship at Wimbledon. It was his 13th Grand Slam title.
2002 - The major league baseball All-Star game ended in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings. Baseball commission Bud Selig called the game after both team managers informed him that they had run out of players.
1985 - Herschel Walker of the New Jersey Generals was named the Most Valuable Player in the United States Football League (USFL).
1985 - Joe Namath signed a five-year pact with ABC-TV to provide commentary for "Monday Night Football."
1997 - Mike Tyson was banned from the boxing ring and fined $3 million for biting the ear of opponent Evander Holyfield.
2000 - Pete Sampras of the United States set a record when he won the men's singles tennis championship at Wimbledon. It was his 13th Grand Slam title.
2002 - The major league baseball All-Star game ended in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings. Baseball commission Bud Selig called the game after both team managers informed him that they had run out of players.
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