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“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright, Legendary Modern Architect
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! How primed are the Chicago Bears for the future?
By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
An esteemed panel of NFL Experts over at ESPN Insider looked at each franchise to determine which would fare best moving forward. The Chicago Bears just missed out on the top 10, but they made significant gains in each category.
Four of ESPN's top football savants -- John Clayton, Mel Kiper, Louis Riddick and Mike Sando -- took part in their annual discussion on which franchises are primed for the most success moving forward in 2014, '15 and '16. They rated each team in five categories; quarterback, the roster excluding QB, the draft, front office and coaching.
When evaluating the "draft" category, since it's unknown whom each team will select in the future, the experts rated the 2014 draft class, then took into account the team's drafting reputation and number of available draft picks in 2015 and '16. The other categories are pretty cut and dried, with more emphasis on the younger players for the "roster" category.
Since the article is behind a pay wall, we won't bring you many details on the other teams, but we will hit on the 11th ranked Chicago Bears.
Only the San Diego Chargers made a larger leap in their scores than the Bears. Last year the Chargers had a total score of 52.96 (out of 100) and this year they are in 9th place at 79.55.
The top three teams on their list should be no surprise. The defending champion Seattle Seahawks topped the list with an overall score of 88.40, the Green Bay Packers were number two (85.54), followed by the San Francisco 49ers (85.44).
The Bears made substantial gains in all 5 categories, helping boost last season's 56.04 all the way up to 78.3 this year.
Here's their overview on the Bears score from Mike Sando.
The Bears were one of four teams to climb in all five categories, even though Josh McCown's departure to Tampa Bay in free agency robbed the Bears of a QB with a proven, successful track record in coach Marc Trestman's offense. There's a feeling starter Jay Cutler could made additional strides, provided he can stay healthy. The offensive lineup returns pretty much intact. The gains Chicago made in overall roster ranking reflect the moves GM Phil Emery has made to shore up the defense.
I'm still amazed that Emery reworked the offense in one off season. He took them from a middling unit in 2012 to one of the best in football last year. This gives me confidence that his roster moves this off season will give the Bears defense what it needs to make drastic improvements this year and beyond.
Louis Riddick touched on the dilemma the Bears could face.
Cutler's continued development under Trestman and the improvement of a Bears' defense that was historically bad right down the middle the past season will determine this team's future success. On offense, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte are all under contract for the next two seasons. Defensively, the issue is whether they've acquired enough talent (Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston, Willie Young and more) to slow down the Packers' and Lions' high-octane offenses the next three years.
I'm excited to see how the defense comes together and I'm not overly concerned with Cutler's continued growth. Speaking of the Lions, the ESPN foursome had them ranked 21st.
Mel Kiper addressed the youth movement on the Bears.
While plenty got excited about Marc Trestman's offense, are we overlooking the fact that last year was probably the worst defense in Bears history? That's no exaggeration. The team ranked No. 30 in both yards and points allowed (both firsts). Kyle Fuller was brought in to help soon at CB, but a huge factor will be early returns from rookies Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton at DT. Both have more talent than they showed in their final college seasons. It starts up front for Chicago, which was absurdly weak up the middle last season, and those two could be crucial for depth early, and more later in the season.
It's funny how most people are expecting more from third round pick Sutton, than they are 2nd rounder Ferguson. Ego was obviously higher on the Bears draft board, so the Bears must expect him to show up on Sundays. If he can provide a stout presence at the nose along with a healthy Stephen Paea, the Chicago run D will see a big improvement.
NFL Training Camp dates, details.
By The Sports Xchange
Following is the training camp list of sites and rookie and veteran reporting dates.
TEAM, SITE, LOCATION, ROOKIES, VETERANS
Baltimore: Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mills, MD, 7/16 , 7/23
Buffalo: St. John Fisher College, Pittsford, NY, 7/16, 7/19
Cincinnati: Paul Brown Stadium , Cincinnati, OH, 7/21, 7/23
Cleveland: Cleveland Browns Training Facility, Berea, OH, 7/23, 7/25
Denver: Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre, Englewood, CO, 7/23, 7/23
Houston: Houston Methodist Training Center, Houston, TX, 7/21, 7/25
Indianapolis: Anderson University, Anderson, IN, 7/23, 7/23
Jacksonville: Florida Blue Health & Wellness Practice Fields, Jacksonville, FL, 7/21, 7/24
Kansas City: Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO, 7/20, 7/23
Miami: Doctors Hospital Training Facility, Davie, FL, 7/24, 7/24
New England: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA, 7/20, 7/23
NY Jets: SUNY Cortland, Cortland, NY, 7/22, 7/23
Oakland: Napa Valley Marriott, Napa, CA, 7/24, 7/24
Pittsburgh: Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA, 7/25, 7/25
San Diego: Chargers Park, San Diego, CA, 7/23, 7/23
Tennessee: Saint Thomas Sports Park, Nashville, TN, 7/25, 7/25
National Football Conference
TEAM, SITE, LOCATION, ROOKIES, VETERANS
Arizona: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ, 7/22, 7/25
Atlanta: Atlanta Falcons Training Facility, Flowery Branch, GA, 7/22, 7/24
Carolina: Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC, 7/24, 7/24
Chicago: Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, IL, 7/24, 7/24
Dallas: City of Oxnard Fields, Oxnard, CA, 7/23, 7/23
Detroit: Detroit Lions Training Facility, Allen Park, MI, 7/22, 7/27
Green Bay: St. Norbert College, Green Bay, WI, 7/25, 7/25
Minnesota: Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato, MN, 7/24, 7/24
New Orleans: The Greenbrier, White Sulpher Springs, WV, 7/20, 7/24
NY Giants: Quest Diagnostics Training Center, East Rutherford, NJ, 7/21, 7/21
Philadelphia: NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia, PA, 7/25, 7/25
St. Louis: Rams Park Training Center, Earth City, MO, 7/22, 7/24
San Francisco: SAP Performance Facility, Santa Clara, CA, 7/16, 7/23
Seattle: Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Renton, WA, 7/24, 7/24
Tampa Bay: One Buccaneer Place , Tampa, FL, 7/21, 7/24
Washington: Bon Secours Training Center, Richmond, VA, 7/23, 7/23
Report: DEA probing prescription drugs in NFL.
By The Sports Xchange
The DEA is investigating the abuse of prescriptions drugs in NFL locker rooms, according to the New York Daily News.
The federal agency began its probe after a group of retired players filed a lawsuit against the league, claiming that it illegally administered prescription drugs to them.
The number of players named in the suit has increased from 500 to 750 in the past month. Hall of Famer Richard Dent and former Pro Bowler and current ESPN analyst Marcellus Wiley were among those joining the suit.
Dent alleges that players were treated like "livestock" and Wiley said players had access to any prescription drugs they wanted or needed to "get through the day."
"You can't walk into a doctor's office and say, "Give me this, give me that, just to get through the day.' Somebody would shut the place down," Wiley said in June. "But that's what was going on in the NFL. It's easy to get mesmerized. I won't deny that; there's this 'play through-the-pain, fall-on-the-sword' culture, and somebody in line ready to step up and take your place."
The DEA reportedly wants to find out who was providing the drugs to the doctors and distributing them to the players.
Steve Silverman, an attorney for the former players, said the plaintiffs were "pleased" to learn about the DEA investigation.
"The allegations in our lawsuit, that the NFL has violated state and federal drug laws, have been confirmed by over 1,300 former NFL players," Silverman said. "We are pleased to learn that the DEA and United States Department of Justice are also taking our clients' allegations seriously and are actively protecting the welfare of NFL players."
The NFL did comment on the Daily News' report or the DEA investigation.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Chicago's years of asset collecting have paid off in the form of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic.
By Kelly Dwyer
This is the payoff, for Chicago, and it’s … not terrible.
It could turn out to be pretty awful. Chicago has turned a solid two years’ worth of asset gathering, even more if you count deals dating back to 2010 that paid off this year, into what could be one of the NBA’s most entertaining rosters just one year after making the playoffs on the shoulders of perhaps the most excruciating postseason roster in the league’s history. The 2013-14 Chicago Bulls, working without Derrick Rose yet again, were third to last in the NBA in offensive efficiency, and yet they still made the playoffs. Home-court advantage in the first round, even.
It could turn out to be pretty awful. Chicago has turned a solid two years’ worth of asset gathering, even more if you count deals dating back to 2010 that paid off this year, into what could be one of the NBA’s most entertaining rosters just one year after making the playoffs on the shoulders of perhaps the most excruciating postseason roster in the league’s history. The 2013-14 Chicago Bulls, working without Derrick Rose yet again, were third to last in the NBA in offensive efficiency, and yet they still made the playoffs. Home-court advantage in the first round, even.
That’s a fluke that speaks to the character of types like Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and head coach Tom Thibodeau. Character alone, however, doesn’t get you into the second round, or back to the conference finals, or back to the championship plateau that Chicago fans knew so well in the 1990s. Thibodeau’s all-out approach, if NBA history is any indication, can work for only so long. Gibson just turned 29. Noah is in his prime, and his style of play is brutal on his body. Rose is set to return, again, for 2014-15 in full health. The Bulls need to win, now.
Unlike in 2010, when Chicago had Rose and Noah on rookie contracts and room to sign a major free agent to the maximum, the Bulls front office had to get crafty in order to make a significant upgrade. It had two first-round draft picks, one courtesy of a 2010 deal with the then-Charlotte Bobcats, heaps of tradable and/or unguaranteed contracts for next season, and the ability to amnesty the last year of Carlos Boozer’s contract, knocking $16.8 million of the salary cap (if not payroll) books. If things became desperate, several suitors would line up to trade for Taj Gibson in order to clear off more space. And apparently, free agent Carmelo Anthony was willing to take less money to play for a winner.
Not that much less, as it turns out, because as expected Anthony talked himself into New York’s chances at turning it all around while understandably settling in for a five-year, $120 million deal. The most Chicago could clear to reasonably offer Anthony was a four-year deal likely in the low $70 million range, and though his presence would turn the Bulls into a title contender, that’s … that’s a lot of money to turn down.
This became apparent when Anthony didn’t immediately jump on the Bulls' bandwagon after finishing his tour of free-agent suitors earlier in July. If the lure of playing for a winner alongside several good-to-great players wasn’t enough to spark Anthony’s insistence straightaway, then it was more or less obvious that he would be taking New York’s cash while giving off the appearance of being torn between his options. New York, in the end, really was his only option.
With Anthony just about out of the picture, the Bulls turned to other options. Very risky options.Timing plays a huge role in these sorts of franchise shifts. The Bulls were left a day late and dollar short in their attempts to deal for Kevin Garnett or Pau Gasol in the last decade, only to watch as Minnesota and Memphis finally relented and sent each player away later on for what were arguably far lesser trade packages, after Chicago’s options had lapsed. The NBA is dotted with teams that had cap space at the wrong time, a high end lottery pick in the wrong draft, or trade options that just weren’t enough to sway things at the wrong trade deadline.
Time will tell if Chicago acted as one of those teams in the summer of 2014, but for now the on-paper lineup looks formidable.
Boozer’s contract could potentially be dealt to another team by Wednesday’s deadline to waive him, but just about all signs point to the Bulls using the amnesty provision on their four-year starting four-man. From there, the motions will be in place to sign Pau Gasol outright to a three-year, $22 million deal, and Spanish league star Nikola Mirotic to a three-year, $17 million deal. Those two draft picks were sent Denver’s way as the Bulls moved up to draft Creighton star Doug McDermott, a lights-out shooter whose game has at least translated to Summer League stardom so far.
The squad will re-sign Kirk Hinrich, a player that pains some Bulls fans to no end, but his work as a combo guard off the bench will be more than appreciated if things go according to plan. Taj Gibson, meanwhile, was never a sterling sign-and-trade candidate for New York, because at age 29 he less than a year younger than Anthony, and Knicks president Phil Jackson doesn’t need to start his rebuilding process with a guy in his prime, working on his second contract.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. wasn’t traded. Jimmy Butler, Tony Snell, and the team’s upcoming first-round draft picks (and upcoming pick and potential movement options with Sacramento and Cleveland) weren’t dealt. The team will now be over the cap, presuming Boozer is waived and Gasol and Mirotic sign outright, but the team’s payroll is far under the luxury tax, which will allow the front office to dot the roster with smaller signings to fill out the rotation.
And Derrick Rose, who has played ten rather terrible regular-season games since April 2012, has been healthy for months.
Noah and Gasol could team to form the greatest passing starting frontcourt since Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas. Snell and McDermott could build off of their stellar Summer League showings to become fantastic wing or even stretch four options off the bench. Gibson is the perfect big man to come off the pine to spell Noah or Gasol at either position. Gasol is the perfect tutor for Mirotic. Butler, with Hinrich now acting as a reserve and with Snell developing, won’t have to play 48 minutes a night anymore. D.J. Augustin won’t have to lead the team in scoring.
That’s the hope.
Noah and Gasol could also break down, which seems like a just-about certainty given their history, and Gasol’s age (34). McDermott has only been getting his shot off against terrible Summer League defense from Denver, Gibson will start to decline in two years, Hinrich is always injured, Snell was mostly terrible last year, and nobody knows how Rose will react to both the mental and physical rust that comes from playing just ten NBA games in a 30-month span. All while Anthony spends his prime on a Knicks team that, despite Phil Jackson’s smart intentions, may never turn it around due to that timing aspect I mentioned above. And nobody will be happy.
That’s the worst case scenario.
The more likely prospect does have Noah and Gasol missing some time, but also Gibson and Mirotic capably stepping up to take on their duties. It will have McDermott struggling to find his shot at times, but it will also probably see him contribute well even in his rookie year. It well feature inconsistency from Snell, some tough nights from Butler, but just enough on either end from those two to keep you coming back.
And unless Rose has some terrible mental block, or if he badly re-injuries his knee in what would be a fluke move, he will eventually overcome the rust and approximate the sort of player that led a lesser Bulls roster to the best record in the NBA in both 2011 and 2012.
It’s not a knockout, no free agent in his prime signed off on the dotted line, and there is risk here. There’s also a chance for some beautiful and, most importantly, championship-level basketball.
Bulls use amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer.
By Aggrey Sam
As expected, the Bulls exercised the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer, the team announced Tuesday, a day before the league's deadline.
Boozer is owed $16.8 million in the final year of the five-year contract he signed in 2010 and after amnestying him, as well as waiving the non-guaranteed contracts of veterans Lou Amundson, Ronnie Brewer and Mike James, the Bulls are expected to soon finalize and announce the free-agent signings of Kirk Hinrich, Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic.
“Carlos epitomized professionalism in everything he did for the Bulls both on the court, and in the community, during his time here in Chicago,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman in a press release. “Over the last four seasons, Carlos’ productivity helped elevate our team to another level. I have nothing but respect for Carlos, and certainly wish him the best as he moves forward.”
Teams under the salary cap can bid on Boozer's services and the Bulls will have to pay the balance of the power forward's salary, though it doesn't affect their salary cap.
Amongst the teams expected to bid on Boozer are the Lakers, Suns and Magic, according to a league source, and if he clears waivers, more teams, like the Rockets and Heat, could show interest.
Boozer, 32, averaged 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game last season, the lowest numbers since his rookie campaign in Cleveland, but remains a productive player and is viewed by many observers as a piece that could greatly enhance another team.
Bulls use amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer.
By Aggrey Sam
As expected, the Bulls exercised the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer, the team announced Tuesday, a day before the league's deadline.
Boozer is owed $16.8 million in the final year of the five-year contract he signed in 2010 and after amnestying him, as well as waiving the non-guaranteed contracts of veterans Lou Amundson, Ronnie Brewer and Mike James, the Bulls are expected to soon finalize and announce the free-agent signings of Kirk Hinrich, Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic.
“Carlos epitomized professionalism in everything he did for the Bulls both on the court, and in the community, during his time here in Chicago,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman in a press release. “Over the last four seasons, Carlos’ productivity helped elevate our team to another level. I have nothing but respect for Carlos, and certainly wish him the best as he moves forward.”
Teams under the salary cap can bid on Boozer's services and the Bulls will have to pay the balance of the power forward's salary, though it doesn't affect their salary cap.
Amongst the teams expected to bid on Boozer are the Lakers, Suns and Magic, according to a league source, and if he clears waivers, more teams, like the Rockets and Heat, could show interest.
Boozer, 32, averaged 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game last season, the lowest numbers since his rookie campaign in Cleveland, but remains a productive player and is viewed by many observers as a piece that could greatly enhance another team.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks hire Dineen as assistant coach.
By The Sports Xchange
The Chicago Blackhawks hired Kevin Dineen, who coached Canada's women's national team to a gold medal at the Sochi Olympics, as an assistant coach, the team announced Monday.
Dineen was teammates with Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville from 1984 to 1990 when both were members of the Hartford Whalers.
"Kevin brings proven leadership qualities, having served as an alternate captain and captain for several of his teams during his 19-year NHL career," general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. "He will bring another well-respected voice to our coaching staff and we look forward to his contributions to our team."
Dineen, 50, most recently led the Canadian women's national team in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Prior to his work with Team Canada, he served as the head coach of the Florida Panthers from 2011 to 2013, helping the club to their first-ever Southeast Division championship in 2011-12. Dineen also served as head coach for the American Hockey League's Portland Pirates from 2005 to 2011, winning the AHL's Coach of the Year award in 2005-06.
"I am thrilled to join Joel Quenneville, a future hall of fame coach, and Mike Kitchen, as we strive to reach the ultimate goal in professional hockey," Dineen said. "After spending time speaking with John McDonough, Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac it is easy to understand why the Chicago Blackhawks are considered one of the top franchises in all of professional sports.
"Starting with Rocky Wirtz and continuing through the rest of the organization, the measure of success is very high in Chicago. I look forward to supporting the coaching staff and working with some of the best players in the National Hockey League."
The Quebec City, Quebec, native played 19 NHL seasons from 1984 to 2003, posting 760 points (355 goals, 405 assists) in 1,188 career games with Hartford, Philadelphia, Carolina, Ottawa and Columbus. He added 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) in 59 career Stanley Cup playoff games with Hartford, Philadelphia and Carolina. He appeared in two NHL All-Star Games (1988, 1989) and led the league in game-winning goals twice (1985-86, 1986-87).
Dineen represented Canada in international competition six times, winning a silver medal at the World Championships in 1985 and 1989. He also played for Canada in the 1984 Winter Olympics and World Championships in 1987 and 1993.
Is this hockey logo offensive?
By Greg Wyshynski
The assault on the Washington Redskins’ name has ripped open the scab on the Native American mascot debate, with everyone from former players to President Obama asking that owner Dan Snyder change the name.
This led to some speculative (read: click-baiting) articles about whether the same debate might be sparked in the NHL over the Chicago Blackhawks’ logo; articles that (a) misunderstood the crux of the Redskins controversy and (b) didn’t understand the origins of the Blackhawks’ name and logo.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t logos of questionable taste, given the current climate, in the hockey world; and one of them may be on its way out.
Thorold is a town in Ontario, and their junior hockey team is the Thorold Blackhawks. The name isn’t the issue, but the teams’ logo – a caricature of a First Nations warrior that bears more than a passing resemblance to Mama Fratelli from “The Goonies” – has come under intense scrutiny for the last year.
The movement was sparked by a Facebook page called “Is The Thorold Blackhawks Logo Offensive?”, which used the Redskins controversy as a jumping-off point for its own critique of the logo. Soon local newspapers were editorializing on the matter, and members of the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church congregation in Thorold wrote a letter to the teams’ owners asking that they change the logo. (And when you lose the church in Thorold, well …)
The owners raised the usual counterarguments about honoring First Nations culture and how the logo is a part of their own deep-rooted history in the community, but that didn’t turn the tide.
According to the St. Catherines Standard, a resolution is expected before the puck drops this fall:
“These things take a bit of time, but every day we get a little closer to an understanding,” native activist Mitch Baird said. “Both sides are starting to understand each other a little better. That’s what we want.”
“We want to educated everybody on these things not being appropriate anymore.”
Baird took issue with the team’s name and logo, a caricature depicting an aboriginal warrior wearing war paint and feathers. Minor hockey teams in Thorold also use the logo.
“I’m not a liberty to say much at this time, and I don’t want to say something out of line, but there will be a formal announcement, and I believe it will be positive and everybody will be happy in the community,” Ralph Sacco, co-owner of the junior B Thorold Blackhawks. “I’m confident it will be before the season starts.”
There was talk about Thoroid Hockey phasing out the logo over a period of years, in consideration of their investment in merchandise.
If nothing else, this story is refreshing because it appears to feature two sides working towards a resolution without any legal action shoving it along and because it’s a reminder that common sense does have a home in these debates. A racist name? Change it. A cartoon parody of a Native Warrior? Drop it. The name “Blackhawks” used respectably, in a way that does honor the virtues of that tribe? No one’s saying there can’t be discussion about it, but maybe not the same level of automatic outrage.
Meanwhile: The town's name is "Thorold." Just go with the Asgardians, and make that Marvel money! Well, until Stan Lee creates a Facebook page ...
By Ryan Lambert
If nothing else, the fact that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and NHLPA allowed for another round of compliance buyouts at least let teams go value shopping at their competitors' expenses.
Since that first of the three rounds of compliance buyout periods, there have been 28 players who were shipped away from their teams for something as simple as money, and free of a potentially lengthy diminished cap hit. Two prior to the 2013 lockout-shortened season, 15 more last summer, and then 11 more this time around.
Since that first of the three rounds of compliance buyout periods, there have been 28 players who were shipped away from their teams for something as simple as money, and free of a potentially lengthy diminished cap hit. Two prior to the 2013 lockout-shortened season, 15 more last summer, and then 11 more this time around.
The reason these guys allowed for some discount shopping among NHL teams is that when players receive compliance buyouts, they're generally seen as being worth almost nothing, and are generally being brought aboard for very short term and money so that they can prove they're capable, even if it's plainly evident that they are. The players don't seem to mind this very much either, because while they probably don't deserve to have so little value in the open market, they also have that cushion of several hundred thousand dollars coming to them over the next few years if all else fails.
At the time of their buyouts, these 28 players had an average cap hit of more than $4.21 million, and an average of 2.46 years remaining on their deals. By cutting them without cap consequences, the teams getting rid of them saved a total $117.92 million against the league's limit. They were, as you might imagine, hired again for significantly less: About $2.31 million less annually, and for 1.06 years fewer.
That means that the typical player who was subject to a compliance buyout and then signed by another team carries an AAV of a little more than $1.9 million, and average term of 1.4 years. Both of those figures are being dragged up significantly by Vincent Lecavalier's laughable deal, signed last summer, that pays him $22.5 million over five years.
And that doesn't include all the players who were complianced and then never saw another second in the NHL. Of the 28 who were bought out, only 15 received contracts for the next season (and that number can obviously go up, because just four of the 11 this year have gotten new deals to this point).
What's interesting, though, is that just four that played on one-year deals — out of the eight who signed them — were then able to get a second contract. Those players are the two aforementioned “useful but misvalued” Gilbert and Grabovski, as well as Scott Gomez and Jeff Schultz.
Schultz didn't play a second in the regular season, but was apparently good enough down in the American league to get two years and seven playoff games out of Los Angeles. Gilbert and Grabovski both got significant raises, and Gomez got a slight raise from 2013 this past season, but is now out of a contract again.
There remain a few outliers in this bunch, of course. Richards, Grabovski and Christian Ehrhoff can certainly be considered “worth it” right out of the gate on their new short-term deals, and others are a bit more “wait and see.” Of the 19 bought-out skaters who played in the NHL in 2013-14, only nine had positive possession numbers relative to their teams, and most of those either got soft zone starts, easy competition, or both. Only Gilbert, Grabovski, and Anton Volchenkov fit the bill and were anywhere near getting tougher minutes. Only one complianced goaltender out of three (Ilya Bryzgalov) played, and given his overall numbers for a pro-rated $2 million, it's tough to say Edmonton and Minnesota didn't at least get what they were paying for.
It's best to use caution here, however. For every Gilbert and Grabovski who provide actual value to your team, there's several more who will drag their employers down, and these things have to be accounted for. David Booth, for instance, is currently without a contract but can help a team if used correctly. Someone who wants to shore up their bottom six should take a run at him.
It's also buyer beware, especially if the player is into his early 30s or beyond. Lecavalier and Daniel Briere were signed to the two richest post-buyout contracts by far, at multiple years north of $4 million per. The latter has already been traded after being a disaster in Montreal, and if Philly had any compliance buyouts left, it would have used one on him for sure.
Overall, it does seem that the market is more or less correct, which is interesting: Teams only start valuing players properly when other teams say they have such little value that they'd rather pay them not to play. Most guys who wash out of the league in this way deserve to have done so, probably long before the buyout came. Others can be valued more marginally and therefore correctly, because most bought-out contracts were massive overpays to begin with.
It does say something about this league, though. It shouldn't take so drastic a correction for players regardless of background — from star center to backup goalie and everywhere in between — to be valued reasonably. Unfortunately for a lot of teams in the league, they're not going to get another crack at compliancing their bad contracts for seven more years at least.
What We Learned
Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks made relatively quick work of one of their less notable but potentially interesting transactions of the summer, signing former Habs first-rounder Louis Leblanc to a one-year deal after getting him for a conditional fifth in mid-June. It's a two-way, though, and at 23 he might not have much time left to figure things out.
Arizona Coyotes: Just hours after he signed a deal with a Swiss club, David Moss also signed a new one-year deal with the Coyotes. Which probably means he's not going to Switzerland after all, or he's going to be really tired a lot.
Boston Bruins: Everyone was delighted with this year's first-round pick David Pastrnak at Bruins development camp this week. Mainly because he's really good and fun to watch, but also because he's funny and lost his passport.
Buffalo Sabres: Start planning the parade: Ken Campbell thinks the Sabres will win the Cup in 2020. They have a lot of good prospects because of how long they've been bad, you see. I don't know if you knew that about the Sabres but it's true. Maybe someone might mention that someday.
Calgary Flames: Morgan Klimchuk and Sam Bennett were already real-life friends even before the Flames drafted them both in the first round in successive seasons. Aww.
Carolina Hurricanes: Chad LaRose wants to come back to the NHL! Boy is that a great idea just kidding.
Chicago Blackhawks: The Blackhawks have pretty effectively set up a big roadblock for all their prospects because of how good the NHL team is overall. Now they know how the Red Wings felt in like 2008, but let's hope for their sake they don't also marry themselves to the idea that leaving all their prospects in the AHL until they're 24 is a “good thing.” Because it's not.
Colorado Avalanche: Seems like the buzzards are already circling Ryan O'Reilly, and for good reason.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Brandon Dubinsky is happy to have this new contract because he can finally buy a house. Before this his roughly $22 million in career earnings meant he could not buy a house.
Dallas Stars: Dallas avoided arbitration with Cameron Gaunce, giving him a one-year deal. You know he wasn't feeling great about his chances when he took a two-way deal that only pays him an extra $30,000 in the AHL, with no raise from the big club.
Detroit Red Wings: Come for Tomas Jurco doing crazy puck-flipping tricks, stay for the super slo-mo version of “Happy.”
Edmonton Oilers: Really interesting look at how the league no longer really has “cycle” teams, and everyone basically tries to play off the rush at this point. That's why more people are trying to track zone entries and exits, and Edmonton is getting just such an independent project this coming season.
Florida Panthers: No, there's no uncertainty in the Panthers' future goaltending situation: Roberto Luongo or bust for at least three more years. Book that.
Los Angeles Kings: If Anze Kopitar asks for an AAV north of $10 million I really wonder if he'd get it. It would be shocking if he did, but he'd probably be worth it. He's slightly better than Toews.
Minnesota Wild: Busy weekend for the Wild, who signed both Jordan Schroeder and Jonathon Blum. Two more good American boys on a team loaded with nothing but Americans and Finns. Schroeder brings extra value because he's from Minnesota and he went to The U.
Montreal Canadiens: It's nice to see someone use “adversity” in the right context with regard to a prospect, and not have it mean “was accused of a sexual assault” or “was suspended multiple times for using discriminatory slurs.” Zach Fucale just didn't have a good season after being a high draft pick. That's actual adversity for a hockey player.
Nashville Predators, America's Favorite Hockey Team: Another tough bounce in a bad week for Mike Fisher.
New Jersey Devils: All those people a little worried about Cory Schneider's relative lack of experience versus that big contract might wanna look at another pretty good goalie's games-played number. Tuukka Rask has only 13 more games the last four seasons and he just won a Vezina so I guess that is good news.
New York Islanders: Mikhail Grabovski took a good-natured Instagram run at Jeremy Roenick, who doesn't think Grabovski is worth the contract he got. Good for Grabovski. Roenick doesn't understand hockey in 2014. He shows it a few times a week on NBC Sports Net.
New York Rangers: Think Rangers fans are getting desperate?
Ottawa Senators: I think Kyle Turris is going to do well as a No. 1 in Ottawa. Not that it'll matter because the team is still pretty bad, but Turris is ready.
Philadelphia Flyers: Flyers “goalie of the future” Anthony Stolarz is having hip surgery, but basically every goalie ever gets the kind of procedure in question at this point, so it's not a big deal.
Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins already gave Kasperi Kapanen a three-year deal. That's pretty surprising, but he's almost certainly going back to Finland next season.
San Jose Sharks: Now Doug Wilson is saying that “rebuild” talk he's been pushing for a while. What he meant by it was that they're rebuilding everything about the team BUT the players. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket. They'll buy that. Good job Doug, you did it again. Hey is this recorder still on?
St. Louis Blues: Here's a pretty comprehensive look at the Vladimir Sobotka situation for the Blues, but a decent summary is: No good answer for St. Louis.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Brenden Morrow thinks the Bolts are a “hungry” team. Not until they sign Dustin Penner. By the way, they should sign Dustin Penner. Dude can help any team.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Brendan Shanahan is glad his team didn't give out any big crazy contracts to marginal players, like some teams he could mention. Such as the 2013 Maple Leafs.
Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks' AHL team might actually score some goals this season. Big change for them.
Washington Capitals: The implication that the Caps' brass wasn't on the same page with regard to player evaluation last season makes a lot of sense.
Do available UFA enforcers indicate the beginning of a culture change in the NHL?
By Jen Neale
On Extra Skater's list of available free agents, one thing stands out: there are several better-known fighters who remain un-signed.
AVAILABLE: Krys Barch, Paul Bissonnette, Sheldon Brookbank, Daniel Carcillo, Mark Fraser, Ryan Jones, Zenon Konopka (currently suspended), Ryan Malone (legal issues), Shane O'Brien, George Parros, Aaron Rome, Mike Rupp, Jordin Tootoo, Kevin Westgarth, and Ryan White.
So why are there so many pugilists still available to teams?
It could be that we're just a few weeks into free agency, and teams are attempting to fill in their primary positions first. It could also be - put on your tin foil hat - a sign of the changing times in the NHL.
For years fans have read the articles and heard the debates about the need to end fighting in the NHL. (Personally, I don't mind it when it's spur of the moment; it's the staged crap that drives me crazy.) However, the general consensus is that if the NHL wants to eliminate fighting, they're going to have to issue an edict outlawing it.
Now with seeing the list above, it begs the question: are general managers speeding up the extinction of the enforcer role in order to keep their teams competitive?
A good example of this transition is the Anaheim Ducks under Randy Carlyle and then Bruce Boudreau. Throughout Carlyle's tenure behind the bench in Anaheim, he employed several enforcers. It's just part of his coaching philosophy, reinforced by his use of multiple enforcers in Toronto. Carlyle isn't a coach who consistently rolls four lines each game, and part of this is because of his decision to ice a line of mediocre professional hockey players with a willingness to get punched in the face every night for a TOI of three-minutes.
When Carlyle was finally axed and Bruce Boudreau took over, Boudreau inherited a team that wasn't used to having their minutes spread out over four lines. Fan favorite George Parros saw his ice-time go from minimal to healthy scratch as the season went on before he and the Ducks parted ways. It's not to say that Boudreau doesn't use enforcers at all, but he prefers they serve some sort of purpose rather than seat warmer when their fight of the night is out of the way. The Ducks have brought in players like Patrick Maroon who can play high minutes and still throw down so Corey Perry won't (or shouldn't).
Before everyone goes insane in the comments, this is just a theory to look at during the off-season. Consider this, GMs are now tasked with building rosters that can match the brutality of the LA Kings and still score more goals than teams like Chicago. A guy who spends most of his night on the bench or in the box isn't going to help achieve the ultimate goal.
Mike Trout wins MVP, AL tops NL and everyone leaves wondering about Adam Wainwright's intentions vs. Derek Jeter.
By Jeff Passan
Baseball's 2014 All-Star Game featured a national coming-out party for Mike Trout, a strikeout parade for Yasiel Puig and a 90-mph fastball that left Derek Jeter's final game shrouded in controversy.
National League starter Adam Wainwright admitted he grooved Jeter the first two pitches of night, the latter of which Jeter stroked for a double that highlighted a 2-for-2 evening. Trout drove him in with a triple, the first of two extra-base hits on his way to winning the game's MVP award for leading the American League to a 5-3 victory on Tuesday night that gives the AL champion home-field advantage in the World Series.
Wainwright's comments to a group of reporters following his appearance in the game only reinforced the dubious awarding of home-field based on a game in which the starting pitcher was more than content to feed Jeter, the New York Yankees shortstop and a surefire Hall of Famer retiring at season's end, two easy pitches to hit.
"I was gonna give him a couple pipe shots. He deserved it," said Wainwright, the St. Louis Cardinals starter. "I didn't know he was gonna hit a double or I might have changed my mind."
Wainwright apologized for the comments, namely to Jeter, in a later interview with Fox.
"You know what, sometimes my humor gets taken the wrong way," Wainwright said. "I feel terrible about this. If anyone’s taken any credit away from what Derek Jeter has done tonight, or off me or anything, I mean, it was mis-said. I made a mistake about that."
Jeter, in classic fashion, laced the ball down the right-field line, just as he did with a third-inning single. In the top of the fourth inning, he left the game to a massive applause, replete with a curtain call and two doffs of his cap, the same number he deigned to give before his first at-bat.
"If [Wainwright] grooved it, thank you," Jeter said after the game. "Still gotta hit it."
All night, the crowd of 41,048 at Target Field bathed Jeter with appreciation on what could be his final national stage. That he batted in front of Trout, to whom he passes his mantel as the face of baseball, was more than appropriate.
Trout, the 22-year-old outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels whom Jeter joked in the dugout was too young to exit before the game was over, added a game-winning double to his triple and finished with a pair of RBIs and a run scored on a first-inning Miguel Cabrera home run.
The AL took a 3-0 lead in the first frame, only to cough it up in the fourth before retaking it an inning later on Trout's double and tacking on another with a Jose Altuve sacrifice fly. Max Scherzer earned the win with a zero in the fifth inning, and Scott Kazmir, Koji Uehara, Greg Holland, Sean Doolittle, Fernando Rodney and Glen Perkins, a born-and-bred Minnesotan, threw four more scoreless innings to lock down the NL. Cardinals pitchers combined to allow all five AL runs, with reliever Pat Neshek taking the loss after giving up the final two runs.
That wasn't the worst performance of the night. Puig, the Los Angeles Dodgers star participating in his first All-Star week, followed his zero-homer performance in the Home Run Derby on Monday night with an even more dubious achievement: three strikeouts in three at-bats over five innings and 18 pitches. He swung through a 90-mph changeup from AL starter Felix Hernandez in the first, stared at a 79-mph slider from Yu Darvish in the third and swung over an 84-mph slider from Scherzer in the third.
Granted, they are perhaps three of the 10 best pitchers on earth, so the shame isn't altogether overwhelming. Puig will have plenty more All-Star Games, along with Trout and the litany of other young stars in the game. It was one of the better in recent years, from the 56-mph eephus curveball Darvish unleashed to the shot from Cabrera to the brilliance of Trout to Derek Jeter doing what Derek Jeter does.
Even if he wasn't the MVP – and even if Wainwright did feed him a cookie, like Chan Ho Park to Cal Ripken Jr. in his final All-Star Game – the night was his to take, and take it he did.
Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy are co-favorites for British Open.
1:25 a.m.-6:26 a.m. — David Howell, England; David Duval, United States; Robert Karlsson, Sweden.
1:36 a.m.-6:37 a.m. — Dawie Van Der Walt, South Africa; Cameron Tringale, United States; Masanori Kobayashi, Japan.
1:47 a.m.-6:48 a.m. — Chris Wood, England; Matt Jones, Australia; Bernd Wiesberger, Austria.
1:58 a.m.-6:59 a.m. — Erik Compton, United States; Kim Hyung-Sung, South Korea; Marc Leishman, Australia.
2:09 a.m.-7:10 p.m. — Koumei Oda, Japan; Ben Martin, United States; Anirban Lahiri, India.
2:20 a.m.-7:21 a.m. — Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thailand; Brooks Koepka, United States; Edoardo Molinari, Italy.
2:31 a.m.-7:32 a.m. — Branden Grace, South Africa; Freddie Jacobson, Sweden; a-Ashley Chesters, England.
2:42 a.m.-7:43 a.m. — Justin Leonard, United States; Ben Curtis, United States; Paul Lawrie, Scotland.
2:53 a.m.-7:54 a.m. — Francesco Molinari, Italy; Ryan Moore, United States; Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark.
3:04 a.m.-8:05 a.m. — Matteo Manassero, Italy; a-Bradley Neil, Scotland; Mikko Ilonen, Finland.
3:15 a.m.-8:16 a.m. — Thomas Bjorn, Denmark; Patrick Reed, United States; Stewart Cink, United States.
3:26 a.m.-8:27 a.m. — Tom Watson, United States; Jim Furyk, United States; Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland.
3:37 a.m.-8:38 a.m. — Luke Donald, England; Rickie Fowler, United States; Sergio Garcia, Spain.
3:53 a.m.-8:54 a.m. — Harris English, United States; Paul Casey, England; Matt Every, United States.
4:04 a.m.-9:05 a.m. — Tiger Woods, United States; Angel Cabrera, Argentina; Henrik Stenson, Sweden.
4:15 a.m.-9:16 a.m. — Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Padraig Harrington, Ireland; K.J. Choi, South Korea.
4:26 a.m.-9:27 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Jordan Spieth, United States.
4:37 a.m.-9:38 a.m. — Ian Poulter, England; Dustin Johnson, United States; Jimmy Walker, United States.
4:48 a.m.-9:49 a.m. — Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; Matt Kuchar, United States; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa.
4:59 a.m-10 a.m. — Stephen Gallacher, Scotland; Hunter Mahan, United States; Victor Dubuisson, France.
5:10 a.m.-10:11 a.m. — Nick Faldo, England; Todd Hamilton, United States; Mark Calcavecchia, United States.
5:21 a.m.-10:22 a.m. — Ryan Palmer, United States; Brett Rumford, Australia; Tomohiro Kondo, Japan.
5:32 a.m.-10:33 a.m. — John Singleton, England; Peter Uihlein, United States; Marc Warren, Scotland.
5:43 a.m.-10:44 a.m. — Paul McKechnie, Scotland; Kristoffer Broberg, Sweden; Juvic Pagunsan, Philippines.
5:54 a.m.-10:55 a.m. — Rhein Gibson, Australia; Brian Harman, United States; Kim Hyung-Tae, South Korea.
6:05 a.m.-11:06 a.m. — Christopher Hanson, England; Oscar Floren, Sweden; Yoshinobu Tsukada, Japan.
6:26 a.m.-1:25 a.m. — James McLeary, Scotland; Matthew Southgate, England; Hiroshi Iwata, Japan.
6:37 a.m.-1:36 a.m. — Roberto Castro, United States; Victor Riu, France; Tyrrell Hatton, England.
6:48 a.m.-1:47 a.m. — Jang Dong-kyu, South Korea, Nick Watney, United States; Shawn Stefani, United States.
6:59 a.m.-1:58 a.m. — D.A. Points, United States; Y.E. Yang, South Korea; Brendan Steele, United States.
7:10 a.m.-2:09 a.m. — Scott Stallings, United States; Pablo Larrazabal, Spain; Bryden Macpherson, Australia.
7:21 a.m.-2:20 a.m. — George Coetzee, South Africa; Charley Hoffman, United States; Michael Hoey, Northern Ireland.
7:43 a.m.-2:42 a.m. — Gary Woodland, United States; Sandy Lyle, Scotland; Kevin Stadler, United States.
7:54 a.m.-2:53 a.m. — Brandt Snedeker, United States; Graham DeLaet, Canada; a-Pan Cheng-Tsung, Taiwan.
8:05 a.m.-3:04 a.m. — Boo Weekley, United States; Danny Willett, England; Ashun Wu, China.
8:16 a.m.-3:15 a.m. — J.B. Holmes, United States; Jonas Blixt, Sweden; Chris Kirk, United States.
8:27 a.m.-3:26 a.m. — Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain; Bill Haas, United States; Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand.
8:38 a.m.-3:37 a.m. — Martin Kaymer, Germany; Jason Day, Australia; Zach Johnson, United States.
8:54 a.m.-3:53 a.m. — Webb Simpson, United States; Jamie Donaldson, Wales; Yusaku Miyazato, Japan.
9:05 a.m.-4:04 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, United States; Ernie Els, South Africa; Bubba Watson, United States.
9:16 a.m.-4:15 a.m. — Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Spain; Russell Henley, United States; Billy Horschel, United States.
9:27 a.m.-4:26 a.m. — Adam Scott, Australia; Justin Rose, England; Jason Dufner, United States.
9:38 a.m.-4:37 a.m. — Ryo Ishikawa, Japan; Lee Westwood, England; Keegan Bradley, United States.
9:49 a.m.-4:48 a.m. — Kevin Na, United States; Joost Luiten, Netherlands; John Senden, Australia.
10 a.m.-4:59 a.m. — John Daly, United States; Tommy Fleetwood, England; Ross Fisher, England.
10:11 a.m.-5:10 a.m. — Mark Wiebe, United States; Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Spain; a-Paul Dunne, Ireland.
10:22 a.m.-5:21 a.m. — Oliver Fisher, England; Chesson Hadley, United States; Shane Lowry, Ireland.
10:33 a.m.-5:32 a.m. — George McNeill, United States; Richard Sterne, South Africa; Chris Stroud, United States.
10:44 a.m.-5:43 a.m. — Gregory Bourdy, France; Jin Jeong, South Korea; Matthew Baldwin, England.
10:55 a.m.-5:54 a.m. — Justin Walters, South Africa; Rhys Enoch, Wales; Billy Hurley III, United States.
11:06 a.m.-6:05 a.m. — Christopher Rodgers, England; Scott Jamieson, Scotland; An Byeong-Hun, South Korea.
Joey Logano irked after wreck.
ESPN.com news services
Morgan Shepherd's senior status has become an age-old problem in NASCAR.
Just how much longer can the 72-year-old driver race?
Considerably older and slower than any driver on the track, the 72-year-old Shepherd took out contender Joey Logano in the second half of Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
"I feel like there should be a driver's test before you get out in a Cup car and make sure you know how to drive before you drive one," Logano said.
Shepherd's No. 33 Chevrolet was about 15 laps off the pace when he connected with Logano. Logano was running second with less than 100 laps left when he got tangled up with Shepherd and they crashed. Logano was forced to the garage. Shepherd completed 278 of the 305 laps and was 39th.
Logano wasn't interested in any defense of Shepherd.
"It is just dumb that it happened," he said. "I feel like that should be stuff that shouldn't happen at this level of racing."
Shepherd extended his mark as the oldest driver to start a race in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series.
He made his Cup debut in 1970 and won four times in NASCAR's top series. He finished as high as fifth in the final standings in 1990 and hadn't started a Cup race since 2006. He last ran a full season in 1996.
Jim Fitzgerald was 65 when he raced in the 1987 Cup race at Riverside International Raceway. James Hylton is the oldest driver to start a NASCAR race. He was 76 for the 2011 Truck Series race at Pocono.
NASCAR has no age limit. Shepherd finished 43rd at Phoenix in his only other race of the season.
NASCAR official Robin Pemberton said as long as Shepherd passed his physical, and his car passed inspection and qualified, he was free to drive.
"He met everything he needed to meet," said Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition.
"He was above minimum speed. He pulled over to let Joey go by and it's a responsibility for all competitors. Everybody has a responsibility to lay off each other."
"It's an accident. Those things happen. It could happen to anybody. It could happen with any competitor."
Team Penkse teammate Brad Keselowski won the race. Owner Roger Penske said Shepherd was a good friend who deserved to continue racing.
"That's the great thing about the sport, if you want to tee it up here, bring your car and have a team, we let them run," Penske said. "I don't feel bad about it other than the fact that Joey got knocked out."
Shepherd, who often drives in a Racing With Jesus car, was unrepentant. Without a chance of fielding a competitive ride, he still had no plans of calling it a career.
"Was he the only guy who wrecked?," Shepherd asked. "That answers that."
NASCAR president: OK with RTA.
By K. Lee Davis | ESPN.com
NASCAR president Mike Helton on Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway directly addressed the formation of the Race Team Alliance earlier in the week, and he set a firm but open tone.
The RTA, announced Monday, involves nine multicar teams with goals that include lowering costs and creating one entity to talk to NASCAR about issues facing the teams.
Michael Waltrip Racing co-owner Rob Kauffman has been elected as the RTA's chairman.
Another goal is to get all the teams in NASCAR involved outside the current members: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motor Sports, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske.
Helton said the way NASCAR has been run has worked well for 60 years, and there's no intention to change now.
"We will continue to do business the way we've done business," he said.
So what does the RTA want? Team owner Roger Penske has said going after the "low-hanging fruit" should come first. That would include the teams pooling resources to negotiate better rental-car rates and hotel rates on race weekends, two line items that add up to significant expenses. Other areas of interest would be healthcare and other benefits for employees.
"We're going to focus on things we can do ourselves and doesn't require a lot of outside help," Kauffman told the Associated Press on Monday. "Some of those topics are behind our control. If some of those stakeholders want to have conversations, we'd be happy to do that.
"But it's the things we can do ourselves -- we don't need anyone's approval to work on our travel or optimize our buying or promoting -- that we need to focus on right now."
Helton said it appears the RTA is focused on improving the sport, something NASCAR would wholeheartedly support. He added that with that in mind, it could be a positive.
"I wanted to dispel the perception of animosity [on the part of NASCAR to the formation of the RTA]," he said.
The key questions, and ones Helton did not address Friday, is what if the RTA wants teams to be treated as franchises, something that would add value if an owner wanted to sell since it would mean a permanent place at the NASCAR table? What about a bigger say in rules changes -- especially if they mean added costs to teams? Will they seek a larger share of the television money pouring into the sport?
NASCAR owners are aware of the skyrocketing values for teams in other sports, while they as independent contractors essentially survive from sponsorship to sponsorship and year to year. Among added expenses on the horizon include a NASCAR-mandated engine package set to debut next year, something that could cost teams millions in research, development and testing. And a new TV deal beginning next year is reported to be for $8.2 billion over 10 years.
Teams currently split 25 percent of that TV money, with tracks getting 65 percent and NASCAR -- privately held by the France family -- getting the final 10 percent.
The Frances, with Lesa France Kennedy at the helm, have majority ownership in one of the two publicly-traded track companies, International Speedway Corp. The other, Speedway Motorsports Inc., is owned by North Carolina billionaire O. Bruton Smith.
World Cup was great, but far from perfect.
By Martin Rogers
The World Cup is everything, or at least it feels like it to enough people for those few heady weeks each four years, that the withdrawal symptoms start to bite almost as soon as the final kick is delivered.
So it will be again this time, at the final point of a tournament that taught us all that is great about soccer's biggest showpiece and all that isn't, blended into one glorious, intoxicating, imperfect mixture.
Four years is a long time and yes, it is a painful wait, and when Mario Goetze struck his winning goal for Germany against Argentina on Sunday night it brought the curtain down on a feast of soccer that deserves to be missed – a high-scoring, free-flowing, electrifying month of magic and madness.
Those coming years before the tournament reaches Russia in 2018 will seem interminable to some, so far away that it is hard to look ahead to it with any real clarity.
Instead, any grandiose occasion such as this should be met with reflection, particularly from those in soccer's peculiar corridors of power – the chosen few who can actually make a difference to those who matter.
No FIFA, that is not your corporate bedfellows and junketing sponsorship pals. It is the fans, the people who even more than the beautifully skilled individuals and, on this occasion, a marvelously compiled team that won it all, light up the World Cup.
The color of this tournament came partly from Brazil, a wonderful country with tragically real problems and whose citizens wasted no chance to tell president Dilma Rousseff exactly what it thought of her with a chorus of boos at the closing ceremony.
Yet for all the spectacular scenery of Sugarloaf and the Redeemer, the majestic mystery of Amazonian cities Cuiaba and Manaus, the beachside loveliness of Natal and Fortaleza, the heartbeat of the World Cup came as always from those who ventured from far and wide to sample a taste of soccer's masterpiece.
It is a pilgrimage of sorts for tens of thousands from every corner of the globe, and it is one that is unrewarded and abused. Scandalously inflated prices for hotels and flights, and an unwieldy and overly complex ticketing system provide long-suffering fans with a trifecta of misery.
FIFA can't tell companies what to charge, however greedy, but there are real things they could do to the construction of this event, but blindly choose not to. Again, at this World Cup, no team played more than one group game in the same venue. There were 12 stadiums, dotted all around an enormous country with overstretched local airports.
Fans had flights rescheduled at a moment's notice and missed games because of it. Thousands spent too much time in airports and not enough seeing the jewels of this remarkable land.
Wouldn't 10 cities have been fine? Would it be so terrible to have each group split between two relatively close venues to minimize the travel requirement for teams and paying travelers?
No, that would take too much sense.
Even then, even with it all stacked against them – with tickets stockpiled by touts who know the system and the cheapest flights hoarded by travel companies – they still came in their droves.
They still came with smiles and joy and painted their faces and got loud and thought it all worth it even when, in every case except one, they went home on the back of defeat.
They will always come, no matter what the price and how great the distance and how grueling the schedule and how complicated the ticketing process and how great the inconvenience of it all.
The global migration to a World Cup brings money that will always be there for the taking, ripe to be plucked effortlessly. The visiting masses are the easiest target in the world because they give their money willingly and don't gripe about it.
But that doesn't make it right.
It is time for a change, not a drastic one but enough to make a difference. Streamline the system. Cut down the travel. Simplify the process.
This is a time to remember that the World Cup belongs to every fan. It will never be perfect because this is not a perfect game, but it can be better, fairer, cheaper and more rewarding to those who give so much.
It is time for the World Cup to become the world's cup again; that would be the greatest triumph of all.
Nibali now strong favorite to win Tour de France.
By JEROME PUGMIRE
With defending champion Chris Froome and two-time winner Alberto Contador out of the race, the path is wide open for Vincenzo Nibali to become the first Italian to win the Tour de France since the late Marco Pantani in 1998.
The French have waited even longer for a champion — the last was Bernard Hinault way back in 1985 — but with three riders in the top six places, hopes are growing of at least a first podium place since climber Richard Virenque finished second in 1997.
After Tuesday's rest day, the race resumes with Stage 11 on Wednesday, followed by arduous mountain stages on Friday and Saturday which will reveal the genuine contenders.
These are where Nibali's climbing skills could set him apart, and give him a chance to fully stamp his authority on the race.
There are five days of hard climbing ahead, starting with Friday's 197.5-kilometer (122.4-mile) trek from Saint-Etienne to Chamrousse, which ends with a huge ascent of 18 kilometers (11.2 miles).
As for Nibali's rivals, Contador broke his shin in a violent fall in Monday's 10th stage and Froome pulled out on stage 5 with a broken wrist.
"I'm not happy about what happened to Alberto and Chris," the 29-year-old Nibali said. "The climbs would have been better and more spectacular for everyone."
Nibali, who won the Spanish Vuelta in 2010 and the Giro d'Italia in 2013, is 2 minutes, 23 seconds ahead of Australian Richie Porte and 2:47 clear of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who won the Vuelta five years ago.
Three Frenchmen are within four minutes of Nibali — Romain Bardet, Tony Gallopin and Thibaut Pinot. None has come close to a podium place on a Grand Tour, although the 23-year-old Bardet and the 24-year-old Pinot have strong climbing skills.
"We've got to stay calm and study the situation," Nibali said. "The danger can come from anywhere."
Porte rode as a key support rider for Froome last year on the Sky team, but now has free reign to attack.
"Porte goes well in the climbs, he goes well in time trials, you have to keep a good distance on him," Nibali said. "You have to watch Valverde, he can attack at any time."
The 34-year-old Valverde was handed a two-year suspension in 2010 for his involvement in the Operation Puerto doping plot, which involved dozens of riders over secretly stored blood bags.
Like Nibali, Pantani was a courageous cyclist who loved to attack in the tough climbs.
Pantani was found dead in a hotel room on Valentine's Day in 2004 and a coroner ruled he died from cocaine poisoning. Nibali has one of Pantini's yellow jerseys at home, a gift from Pantini's mother to mark the 10th anniversary of his death.
"It would be a great honour to follow on from him," said Nibali.
Friday's stage will also be special for Nibali because it marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of two-time Tour champion Gino Bartali, who died in 2000 at the age of 85.
"As an Italian, it's a huge privilege to be asked about Bartali. I grew up watching documentaries on the big riders, the big wins of (Felice) Gimondi, Bartali and (Fausto) Coppi," Nibali said. "They're all in the encyclopedia of cycling. There are others like Hinault, too. They've written the history of cycling."
The last French heyday came in the 1980s when Hinault, a five-time champion, competed against Laurent Fignon, who won in '83 and '84.
Wednesday's stage is a 187.5-kilometer (116.3-mile) route in eastern France from Besancon to Oyonnax and features four small climbs.
Veteran Fabian Cancellara won't be among the starters.
The 33-year-old Swiss cyclist has pulled out to focus on the Road World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain, from Sept. 21-28.
Cancellara withdrew prior to the start of the 11th Tour stage in 2012.
SEC's Slive continues push for Big Five autonomy.
By DAVID BRANDT (AP Sports Writer)
Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive is confident the NCAA reform he's been pushing for years will take a big step toward becoming a reality in August.
The longtime leader of the SEC gave his annual state-of-the-conference speech at the beginning of the league's media days on Monday and wasn't shy about putting more pressure on the NCAA. He said college athletics ''must be willing to make appropriate changes,'' including giving the Big Five conferences autonomy to make their own bylaws.
''We are not deaf to the din of discontent across collegiate athletics that has dominated the news,'' Slive said.
The SEC has discussed several changes to the current system, including full cost-of-attendance scholarships and providing long-term medical coverage to college athletes. The NCAA's board of directors will vote on the Big Five's autonomy request in August.
Slive said during the SEC's summer meetings in June that the Big Five - which also include the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 - would consider forming a ''Division IV'' if they weren't granted autonomy on some NCAA governance issues.
He was optimistic then, and also on Monday, that such a drastic measure won't be needed.
Slive didn't make any references to Division IV on Monday, but said the five conferences would ''consider the establishment of a venue with similar conferences and institutions where we can enact the desired changes in the best interests of our student-athletes.''
He wasn't afraid to pull from the history books to make a point on the rapidly changing world of college athletics, quoting Dwight Eisenhower, Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela at different moments.
Some of the SEC's proposed measures would likely put a squeeze on Division I's smaller schools that don't have the same financial resources.
Slive acknowledged those concerns, but many factors - ranging from a push for athlete unionization at Northwestern to Ed O'Bannon's high-profile lawsuit against the NCAA - have put pressure on schools to act quickly.Slive said if the Big Five are granted autonomy, change could happen in a matter of months.
''The first item on the agenda would be the full cost of attendance - that's clear,'' Slive said. ''Then we'll build from there.''
Other topics of discussion by Slive during Monday's address:
- The SEC Network makes its debut on August 14th and has already been picked up by cable providers like DISH Network and AT&T U-Verse. But several other prominent carriers have not signed on as of Monday. Slive said ''there are ongoing conversations with other major providers.''
- Slive announced that the SEC will have the authority to place programs in several bowls. Under the league's new bowl agreement, the Capital One Bowl will have the first selection of available SEC teams after the college football playoff. Then the SEC will place teams in the Belk Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Music City Bowl, Outback Bowl, TaxSlayer Bowl and AdvoCare Texas Bowl.
''Before making the final decision, the conference will consult with our institutions and with the bowls, but the decision will be ours,'' Slive said.
The SEC also has agreements with the Birmingham Bowl and the Independence Bowl.
- Slive also used his yearly address to tout the league's success in all sports. The SEC had won seven consecutive football national championships before January, when Florida State narrowly topped Auburn in the BCS title game. Kentucky and Florida made the NCAA basketball tournament's Final Four while Vanderbilt recently won baseball's College World Series, giving an SEC team the title for the fourth time in six seasons.
College Football Unveils New Championship Trophy.
The Daily Caller
(Photo: College Football Playoff)
The Bowl Championship Series has ended, and sadly so has its iconic Waterford Crystal football trophy.
With the welcoming of new championship system, which will feature a four-team playoff, the College Football Playoff unveiled its new trophy Monday morning.
The new trophy is 26.5-inches high and weighs in squarely at 35 pounds. It features an ascending virtual football. During a live unveiling in Irving, Texas, College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said he would save the first hoisting of the trophy for January 2015, when it’s awarded to the winner of the national championship game at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Hancock said almost 50 trophy designs were considered, and CFP considered how the trophy is handled during the presentation in January while designing it.
He called the trophy “a substantial piece of art” and said it was “perfect for the new college football playoff.”
When talking about how much it cost to make, Hancock called it “priceless.”
The crystal football, officially named the American Football Coaches Association National Championship Trophy in 2006, had been around since 1986 and was valued at $30,000.
Seems like it will take college football fans a while to adjust to their new trophy. Meanwhile, the original trophy will still be given to the top team from the Coaches’ Poll.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, July 16, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
| 1950 - The largest crowd in sporting history was 199,854. They watched the Uruguay defeat Brazil in the World Cup soccer finals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1964 - Little League Baseball Incorporated was granted a Federal Charter unanimously by the United States Senate and House of Representatives. 1970 - The Pittsburgh Pirates played their first game at Three Rivers Stadium. 1985 - The All-Star Game, televised on NBC-TV, was the first program broadcast in stereo by a TV network. |
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